Craft Malt Is About To Change Craft Beer. Are You Ready?

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by DIM, Nov 6, 2019.

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  1. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,134) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/kennyg...-is-about-to-change-craft-beer-are-you-ready/

    This is new to me and I am intrigued.
     
  2. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,282) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Well, this place has been in business a few years now, and in addition to working with local regional growers, they've developed new techniques and equipment:

    https://www.skagitvalleymalting.com/
     
  3. JLaw55

    JLaw55 Pooh-Bah (2,193) Jul 10, 2014 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Color me intrigued. If there is as big of a difference in quality and freshness as they say, as well as the ability to tweak your procedure down to the most minute detail, then I for one look forward to this innovation. Anything that allows more customization and more control, can only be a good thing.
     
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  4. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,862) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I love this kind of stuff and I actually think one of the biggest impacts on beer with be the furthering of distinct regional flavors. Most beer grain is grown in the intermountain west and those varieties work well there with little to no moisture during the growing season. But there are brewing grains for just about any environment, it just hasn't been economical to grow and malt many of them. As that changes we will start to see small but useable amounts of distinct and unique varieties of grains from particular areas that have their own flavor contributions that thoughtful brewers will be able to make great use of
     
  5. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    As a non brewer I’m kinda surprised at how easily malt in taken for granted, and the hops get all the love. Quite the opposite in Scotland where malt is king and worth a small fortune.
     
  6. Fenski

    Fenski Pundit (755) Apr 24, 2008 Ohio
    Society

    I'm intrigued also, and I think this is another step in the evolution of beer in today's environment of creativity in this industry. Hop varieties have gone from a few regulars to a wide array giving us many new flavors, it only makes sense that the grains would start to differentiate. I could also see "craft" yeast producers and even "craft" water as ingredients that will set beers apart from each other in the future.
     
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  7. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    Hmmm... probably not because of beer, though! :wink:
     
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  8. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,862) Mar 12, 2013 California
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    I think the craft yeast already exists, the craft water will probably(and may already be) consultants who help teach breweries how to treat their water to optimize certain styles.

    My personal belief is that the main driver in different beer styles historically was the different flavors produced from the local grain and hop varieties, along with the wild yeast and water profile. I think we're going to see a returning emphasis on this local "terroir" focused ingredient selection going forward
     
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  9. deadwolfbones

    deadwolfbones Pundit (783) Jun 21, 2014 Oregon

    I've been brewing with Mecca Grade Estate malt from Central Oregon and it's made a definite flavor impact on my beers. The more malt options, the better.
     
  10. deadwolfbones

    deadwolfbones Pundit (783) Jun 21, 2014 Oregon

    https://ccyeastlab.com/nativeyeast1

    :wink:
     
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  11. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    unlikelyspiderperson and DIM like this.
  12. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Some craft maltsters have come and gone already.

    Mecca Grade in OR, Valley Malt in MA, River Bend in NC have shown some staying power. I know there are many others out there.
     
  13. BuddyPal

    BuddyPal Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2014 Pennsylvania

    Kemosabe, DIM and AlcahueteJ like this.
  14. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    Distillers like Laphroaig still process and smoke their malt by hand, they hand rake it. They put a lot of time and love into that bottle, which I appreciate. Most rely on equipment there’s a few that don’t.
     
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  15. wasatchback

    wasatchback Maven (1,460) Jan 12, 2014 Tajikistan
    Trader

    There are lots of breweries in the US using malt from small local maltsters. It’s definitely a financial commitment however as the malt can often times be twice as expensive.
     
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  16. eppCOS

    eppCOS Grand Pooh-Bah (4,236) Jun 27, 2015 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I'd try it.
    IF some of these started to taste or smell like Laphroaig, however, then I'd drink the hell out of them.
     
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  17. davetharave

    davetharave Aspirant (265) Apr 6, 2008 California

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  18. davetharave

    davetharave Aspirant (265) Apr 6, 2008 California

    Send it over, I'm ready
     
  19. Domingo

    Domingo Grand Pooh-Bah (4,206) Apr 23, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Root Shoot Malting in Loveland CO has taken this area by storm. Tons of breweries are using their stuff and it's super high quality.
     
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  20. mjryan

    mjryan Maven (1,485) Dec 22, 2007 Minnesota

    Is most malt really a year old by the time it reaches the brewer?
     
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