Building a complete malt extract production project is a serious but exciting venture because it gives you full control over malt syrup or powder production—used not only in brewing but also in food and beverage industries. Let’s break it down step by step, covering process design, equipment, costs, and Tiantai-style solutions.
1.What is Malt Extract?
Malt extract is a concentrated syrup (liquid) or powder made from malted barley (or other cereals), after extracting its soluble sugars and nutrients during the mashing process.It is essentially the essence of malt—rich in fermentable sugars, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals—used as a base ingredient for brewing beer, baking, and in food industries.
1.1 Types of Malt Extract
| Type | Description | Common Uses |
| Liquid Malt Extract (LME) | Thick syrup (65–80% solids) | Brewing, baking |
| Dried Malt Extract (DME) | Powder (95–98% solids), made by spray drying | Homebrewing, food, pharma |
1.2 How It’s Made (Simplified Process)
Malting: Barley grains are soaked, germinated, then kilned to activate enzymes.
Mashing: Crushed malted barley is mixed with water at controlled temperatures. Enzymes convert starches into sugars (mainly maltose).
Filtration & Boiling: The sweet liquid (wort) is separated from spent grains and sterilized.
Evaporation: The wort is concentrated under vacuum to form syrup (LME).
Drying (optional): Syrup is spray-dried into powder (DME).
1.3 Why Is It Important?
In Brewing: Provides fermentable sugars for yeast, Adds malt flavor, aroma, and color, Speeds up brewing (used in extract brewing or to boost gravity).
In Food Industry:Natural sweetener; Used in cereals, energy bars, baked goods; Adds color and flavor (caramelization properties)
In Nutraceuticals: Source of B vitamins, amino acids, minerals
Composition of Malt Extract (approx.)
|
Component |
LME (%) | DME (%) |
| Carbohydrates | 65–75 | 85-90 |
| Proteins | 4-6 | 5-7 |
| Water | 17-20 | <5 |
| Minerals (ash) | 0.2–0.5 | 0.3–0.6 |
| Vitamins (B-complex) | Trace | Trace |
1.4 Who Uses It?
Breweries: Craft & industrial
Bakers: Breads, biscuits
Confectionery: Toffees, candies
Pharma/Nutrition: Dietary supplements
Animal Feed: Enhances palatability
2.Step-by-Step to Build the Project
2.1 How to Define Your Malt Extract Capacity & Market?
Defining Your CapacityStep 1: Understand Demand
Ask: Who will buy the malt extract? (Breweries? Food processors? Export buyers?)
Are they seasonal or year-round buyers? What volumes do they require?
Example: A craft brewery might use 1–5 tons/month.
A food factory may demand 20–50 tons/month.
Export distributors often require containers (20–25 tons each).
Step 2: Choose Plant Size Categories
| Plant Size | Output Capacity | Target Buyers |
| Small | 5–20 tons/day (LME/DME) | Local breweries, food processors |
| Medium | 50–100 tons/day | Regional markets, export bulk |
| Large | 200+ tons/day | Global food & beverage industry |
Step 3: Match Raw Material Availability
1 ton of malted barley produces ~0.75 tons LME or ~0.5 tons DME.
Example: To produce 50 tons/day of LME, you need ~65–70 tons of malted barley/day.
Step 4: Factor Utility & Space
| Capacity | Land Area Needed | Power | Steam |
| 20 T/day | 1,500–2,000 m² | 300 kW | 3 tons/hr |
| 100 T/day | 5,000–6,000 m² | 1 MW | 10 tons/hr |
| 200+ T/day | 1–2 hectares | 2–4 MW | 25 tons/hr |
2.2 Defining Your Market
Who are Your Target Buyers?
| Segment | Uses | Typical Demand |
| Breweries | Wort substitute or adjunct | 1–10 T/month (craft), 50–500 T/month (industrial) |
| Food Industry | Baking, cereals, snacks | 10–100 T/month |
| Confectionery | Toffees, malt candies | 5–50 T/month |
| Nutrition | Malt-based health drinks, tonics | 1–10 T/month |
| Export | Bulk LME/DME for repackaging | 1–2 containers/month (25 T/container) |
LME vs DME Demand
| Feature | LME | DME |
| Format | Syrup (~65–80% solids) | Powder (~95% solids) |
| Shelf Life | 12 months (if sealed) | 18–24 months |
| Transport | Requires tankers or drums | Easier: sacks or cartons |
| Market Preference | Breweries & large users | Homebrewers, food/pharma |
Market Trends
*Growing demand for malt-based health drinks in Asia & Africa
*Craft brewing boom in Latin America & Africa
*Natural sweeteners preferred over corn syrup in clean label foods
Example: Ecuador Market Case
Local craft breweries: ~5 tons/month each
Food processors: ~10–30 tons/month
Regional export potential (Peru, Colombia): container loads (~25 tons each)
Result → A 50 T/day plant can serve domestic and regional markets.
TIANTAI Recommendation
| Target Market | Recommended Capacity |
| Local craft breweries + food | 20–30 T/day |
| Regional breweries + food export | 50–100 T/day |
| Global bulk supply/export | 200+ T/day |
3.Process Flow Designfor Malt Extract
The typical malt extract production process is:Raw Material Handling; Receive and store malted barley (or wheat, rye, etc.); Milling (hammer mill or roller mill)
Mashing: Mix crushed malt with water at controlled temperatures. Enzymatic conversion of starches to sugars.
Wort Filtration: Lautering or mash filter to separate wort from spent grains
Wort Boiling: Concentrate and sterilize the wort
Clarification: Whirlpool separation for solids
Vacuum Evaporation: Evaporate water under vacuum to produce LME (65–80% solids). Optionally spray dry to make DME (~95% solids)
Cooling & Packaging: Cool to ~40°C for syrup
Dry and package powder extract.
4.Equipment Needed for Malt Extract Project
| Stage | Key Equipment |
| Raw Material | Grain silos, conveyors, malt mill |
| Mashing | Mash tun, heating system, agitator |
| Filtration | Lauter tun or mash filter press |
| Wort Treatment | Boiling kettle, whirlpool |
| Evaporation | Vacuum evaporator, heat exchangers |
| Drying (for DME) | Spray dryer or drum dryer |
| Packaging | LME: liquid fillers; DME: powder packers |
| Utilities | Steam boiler, CIP system, water treatment |
5.Project Cost Estimate to build Malt Extract Project
Here’s a Tiantai style detailed equipment list for a medium-scale malt extract plant (50 tons/day), including specs and ballpark costs:
5.1 Raw Material Handling & Milling
Grain Silo + Conveyor + Cleaner + Malt Mill
SUS304 stainless steel silo (~50 ton capacity), pneumatic conveying
Malt cleaner & hammer/roller mill
Estimated cost: $300K
5.2 Mash Tun & Lauter Tun
Separate units or combined vessel, ~10,000 L capacity
Features: double-wall (steam or electric jacket), insulation, false bottom or rakes, CIP spray balls, PLC control
Suppliers & cost guide: ~$60,000 per set (1,000–1,500 L)
Scaling to ~10,000 L: roughly $400K–600K
5.3 Lauter Filter or Mash Press (optional)
Rather than classic lauter tun, a mash press can improve efficiency
For 3 BBL (~1,000 L): automated units start at $30K
Larger scales ~$150–200K
5.4 Wort Kettle & Whirlpool
Kettle (10,000 L), thick SS304, steam-jacketed, agitator, CIP
Whirlpool tank (~10 000 L)
Estimated cost: Kettle $200K, Whirlpool $100K
5.5 Wort Cooler (Shell and tube plate or plate heat exchanger)
Cool down post-boil wort
Estimated $50K–80K
5.6 Vacuum Evaporator
Concentrates wort to syrup (LME)
Features: falling-film under vacuum, ~5 ton water/hr
Estimated cost: $500K
5.7 Spray Dryer (for DME production)
Industrial spray dryer for malt extract (~50–200 kg H₂O/hr)
Typical mid size unit: $325K+
Smaller unit from China: $7,700–20,000
5.8 Storage, Cooling & Packaging
LME: Syrup storage tank + jacketed pump + hot-fill line
Estimated: $150K
DME: Powder bins, bagging/filling line, dust collection
Estimated: $100K
5.9 Utilities & Ancillaries
Steam boiler (~10 ton/hr): $200K
Cooling tower & pumps: $100K
CIP system: $150K
Compressed air + instrumentation/PLC: $150K
5.10 Infrastructure & Controls
Installation, piping, foundation, automation (PLC/SCADA), commissioning
Typically ~30% of equipment cost → $850K
Total Estimated CapEx
| Component | Cost (USD) |
| Equipment (sum from above) | $2.85M |
| Engineering, installation, piping | $0.85M |
| Total Plant (50 T/day) | ~$3.7 million |
Adjust ±20% depending on automation level, region, and vendor negotiations.
Summary
Mash/Lauter Tun (10 k L): $500K (combination)
Kettle + Whirlpool + Cooler: $350K
Evaporator: $500K
Spray Dryer: $325K–20K (depending on quality)
Packaging, Utilities & Infrastructure: $1.8M
6.Tiantai Solution Package Includes
Turnkey supply of all vessels (SS, insulated, CIP-ready)
PLC/SCADA control for mash, boil, evaporation, and drying
Steam boiler, cooling tower, CIP circuits
Spray dryer option modular (LME-only or LME+DME setup)
On-site installation, commissioning & training
Malt extract production is more and more popular in food beverage brewery fields–Choosing a professional production equipment manufacturer is more important. A malt extract plant is not just about brewing—it’s about being part of a growing global market for natural, malt-based products. The right size and market targeting are key. TIANTAI beer equipment company has professional and rigorous team to assist with your Malt Extract project. Customized service is TIANTAI advantage. TIANTAI’s solution helps you scale from local demand to international exports.
Edited By Daisy
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