This chapter introduces current key challenges for improving malting barley such as the rise in the craft brewing industry. It goes on to review typical traits of malting quality, such as grain size, protein and germination. It also highlights the importance of malt extract which is obtained after the malting process, and reviews other important traits such as starch degrading enzymes, malt colour, grain hardness and other traits that are not routinely measured. A case study on modern varieties for 21st century brewing is also included as well as a brief history of barley improvement in Australia. The chapter concludes by discussing requirements for successful programs in malting quality improvement and potential future trends in research.