Malt. It’s the backbone of your beer and has been used as a brewing ingredient for centuries. But have you ever thought about the provenance of the malt in your beer?
This article will focus on the perspectives of Paul Malone, Production Manager at Barrett Burston’s Geelong Maltings. The maltster plays a significant part in the creation of the beer – they connect the brewer with the farmer. Surrounded by a network of local Victorian barley growers, Barrett Burston’s Geelong malthouse holds a unique location to receive the state’s best barley. This local barley is then produced into local Victorian malt which is then brewed in local Victorian beers. As part of their company ethos, Barrett Burston Malting strives to support local growers who are dedicated to growing blue-ribbon barley.
The Maltster
Paul Malone – Production Manager – Barrett Burston Malting – Geelong Malthouse
As Production Manager at Barrett Burston’s Geelong maltings, Paul Malone understands the importance of sourcing barley from local Victorian Growers from a supply-chain, cost and quality perspective. The Geelong Maltings’ ability to efficiently access barley from their local growers provides flexibility to adjust their production schedule quickly if required. This, in turn, ensures that premium malt is being produced from the malting facility.
When asked how the Barrett Burston Geelong team fosters their relationship with the local growers, Paul notes that good communication is key. He makes sure that the whole Geelong team also understands the hard work which ultimately goes into growing and then delivering premium barley.
Grain during the Germination Process at the Geelong Maltings
Barrett Burston practice extremely strict protocols when admitting malt into the plants. Every batch of barley or wheat goes through physical and chemical analysis to ensure it is of the best quality. This process starts with the Raw Materials team who communicate the high standard and specifications that Barrett Burston require for malting barley and wheat. Sampling and analysis of raw materials are performed throughout the supply chain, and most importantly, up to receiving malt by the Geelong Team.
Receiving excellent barley goes hand in hand with producing malt which can then be brewed in excellent craft beers. From a maltster’s perspective, Paul has seen the demand for malts change in the last 10 years, specifically an increase for wheat and speciality malts. Luckily for Barrett’s Geelong maltings, their network of local growers ensures that they receive the very best grain so they can meet the demands of local brewers.
Paul appreciates brewers’ growing need for provenance malts, which the local growers and maltster are keen to service. With sustainability, traceability and provenance starting to hold great significance with the beer consumer, he understands that brewing with locally sourced ingredients can create a point of difference in the ever-evolving and competitive craft beer market. Thus, he understands the importance of procuring locally grown barley and using this barley to be malted and then brewed in local Victorian craft.
Browse Barrett Burston’s range of malts here.
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