Malting Floor

Germination releases heat which has to be controlled in order to keep the temperature around 60°F/16°C and avoid the barley killing itself from its own generated heat. Traditionally the malting barley was drained and spread out in a layer 30 cm or so thick over a large floor then turned regularly by hand for about a week with rakes or shovels. This was repetitious and arduous work, leading sometimes to a repetitive-strain injury called "monkey shoulder".

More recent maltings designs employed either mechanical rakes (Saladin box) or large revolving drums to achieve the same effect. A secondary effect of the raking is to prevent the germinating roots from tangling with each other.