Steffi (Barley) has been one of the world’s most successful modern two-row spring brewing barleys. Bred by Ackermann Saatzucht GmbH & Co. in Irlbach in eastern Bavaria, it has been popular with farmers, maltsters, and brewers alike ever since its registration for commercial use in 1989. As a brewing base malt, Steffi produces mashes of low viscosity and high extract values that result in worts of good fermentability. According to the official listing by the Bundessortenamt (the German government’s seed certification agency), Steffi’s favorable all-round qualities include kernel homogeneity, a high percentage of kernels with a diameter greater than 2.5 mm, low protein values, and fairly high agronomic yields, as well as unusually high disease resistance in the field. Steffi seems to be almost uniquely immune to loose smut of barley (Ustilago nuda), a destructive fungal pathogen that easily propagates via sporulation, especially in moist conditions during the plant’s maturation period. See smut. While most barley varieties have a commercial life cycle—from introduction to phase-out—of about a decade, Steffi has remained in cultivation more than twice that long in both Europe and North America. Though waning, Steffi was still the cultivar of choice in 0.7% of all barley plantings in Germany in 2009. Steffi is still especially sought after by organic farmers, who value its unusual natural hardiness—a key advantage in organic crop production, where chemical herbicides and pesticides are not allowed.

See also two-row malt.