Podcast: Session 22 – Grain & Malting 101
SESSION SUMMARY
Sometimes, we take for granted all the hard work that gets poured into the beer we love to enjoy. The number of people whose efforts help make that beer possible often gets overlooked as well. From brewers to hop growers to malt house operators to quality controllers to packagers to sales reps to delivery personnel to servers, your beer is literally touched by dozens of hands before it ever reaches your pint glass.
Today, we are going to take a look at a critical process that helps beer come to life and learn about the men and women who make it so.
In Session 22 of the Breaking Brews Podcast, Jason Cercone is joined by Brendan Carroll of CNC Malting Company in Fenelton, PA. Brendan purchased a former elementary school and repurposed it as a malt house, carrying out the process of prepping various grains for use in the production of beer and whiskey. CNC has supplied numerous breweries and distilleries with one of the most important ingredients needed to produce their final product.
Malted barley is the source of the sugars (principally maltose) which are fermented into beer. The malting process allows the grain to partially germinate, making the seed’s resources available to the brewer. This, of course, leads to the production of beer when combined with water, hops, and yeast.
Brendan shares his story of how he got into the malting business and why he decided to take this path instead of opening a brewery. He shares what he and his team do at CNC on a daily basis and gives us some inside perspectives on the malting process. Brendan also breaks down the process of malting, as well as how different grains produce different beer styles.
This session is the first in a mini-series on the Breaking Brews Podcast that will feature each critical ingredient found in beer. Stay tuned for future episodes detailing water, yeast, and hops.
If you’d like to connect with Brendan and CNC Malting Company, click the links below:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
MUSIC CREDIT: Music from today’s show is brought to you by purple-planet.com
