The first and most important step in brewing is cleanliness. "Brewing is
             ninety percent janitorial," said Frederick Bowman, founder of Portland
             Brewing. (Bowman) The first step in the actual brewing process is malting.
             Malting is what is done to the barley to prepare it for brewing. The steps
             of the malting process release the starches that are contained in the
             barley, while minimizing haze and off-flavors. Grain is allowed to soak in
             60° F. water to increase the moisture content of the grain to about
             40-45%. The grain is usually spread out on the floor of the germination
             room, or some other container. These grains are kept at a temperature of
             about 60° F. The germination is complete when the sprout has grown to
             about 3/4 the length of the grain and the hard part of the grain, or the
             shell, has turned soft. The goal for germination is for the starches within
             the grain to break down into shorter lengths. At this shorter length stage,
             the grain is called green malt. Kilning is the next stage after the grains
             have sprouted. Kilning is the process of drying the grain in the kiln where
             the temperature is slowly raised during the 30-35 hour period. After
             kilning, the result is finished malt, with soluble starches and developed
             enzymes. These grains each have a different and distinct flavor depending
             on how long they are cooked in the kiln. (Porter)
             After the malting, the grain is ready for milling. Milling is the cracking, and
             crushing of the grain. This procedure is controlled carefully so as to break
             the grain while keeping the husk as large and as intact as possible. Milling
             allows the grain to absorb the water...