The primary steps in malting are steeping, germination, and kilning. Steeping takes place when soaking raw barley grains in water for a set amount of time before drying them out again and exposing them to air. Germination takes place when the wet barley seeds are allowed to sprout within their shells while they're still being protected from external factors like insects or disease. Kilning occurs when dry barley kernels are heated so they will stop growing, which creates heat-resistant enzymes that give off important flavors and colors as well as stabilize the starch content of the grain so it doesn't spoil too easily.