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Newsletter—Summer 2008
Announcing the Reopening of our Waterloo Malthouse
After setting idle for three years, a malthouse in Waterloo, Wisconsin, has been re-commissioned by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. The malthouse had been closed when supply outpaced demand for malt for beer.
“We recognized the shift in supply and demand on a global scale,” said David Kuske, Director of Malting Operations for Briess, about the decision to re-open the malthouse. “And we recognized the supply shortages this could cause to smaller, craft breweries. Our focus is the North American craft brewing industry, and we want to assure an adequate supply of specialty malts for them.”
The Waterloo malthouse is the second malting operation owned by Briess. The company’s landmark malthouse in Chilton, Wisconsin, has been operating non-stop since 1901, and is equipped with custom-designed kilning and roasting equipment to produce an extensive variety of specialty malts. The Waterloo malthouse is also equipped with specialized drying equipment.
“The Waterloo facility is unique in the flexibility it provides us,” according to Briess President and Chief Operating Officer Gordon Lane. “The plant is capable of producing a wide range of specialty malted products. And we’re also pleased that a number of skilled malthouse operators rejoined the company which made it possible to produce immediately after renovations were completed.”
Renovations were initiated last year to improve efficiencies in the plant prior to its re-opening. Briess had originally acquired the Waterloo malthouse in 1995. “It would have been difficult to make these improvements when the malthouse was in full time operation,” explained Kuske.
For more information about sourcing all of your specialty malts from one supplier, contact Briess today.
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Briess named 'Partner in Excellence' by Miller Bwg Co.
It takes a pretty special occasion to get Briess employees from the four corners of our company together on any given day. Being named a “Partner in Excellence” for 2007 by Miller Brewing Company qualified as one.
So when several Miller executives traveled to Chilton this spring to present the award, our warehouse quickly filled with employees from all of our facilities—the Malthouse, Insta Grains® Plant, Irish Road Extract Plant, Distribution Center, labs, pilot brewery and office.
The prestigious supplier award was presented to owner and Chief Executive Officer Monica Briess by Miller purchasing executives Craig Reiners and Brent Atthill.
Addressing the group, Reiners said Miller takes the P.I.E. award exceptionally seriously and does not present it every year. Briess was selected as a 2007 “Partner In Excellence” in large part because of its ability to do its job as a supplier, and do it exceptionally well, he explained.
Briess employees were thanked for their hard work and dedication by Reiners and Atthill. “It’s all about you,” Atthill said as they distributed P.I.E. hats and pins to the employees who had gathered inside our 94,000-square-foot distribution center.
Briess is honored to have received this recognition, and remains committed to our tradition of providing superior ingredients backed by unparalleled support and personal service.
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Featured Malt Category: High Temp Kilned Malts
When it comes to making High Temp Kilned Malts, size matters.
Batch size, that is. In fact, handcrafting small batches of these well-done base malts in custom-design kilns is what allows Briess to develop the exceptionally clean, rich flavors that are characteristic of the HTKMs we make, and which sets them apart from others. Our Director of Malting Operations David Kuske can talk for hours about the technical hows and whys behind the color and clean, rich flavor development of our HTKMs. Here is the cliff notes version, along with some “just the facts, ma’am” info on these seven great performing specialties...
What does it take to make HTKMs? Kilns and high temperatures. What does it take to make HTKMs with truly unique, clean, rich flavors? Smaller kilns and high temperatures.
That’s what Briess has.
“Our smaller, specialized equipment was custom designed for small batch production,” explained Briess Director of Malting Operations Dave Kuske. “There’s a lot of different ways to make color,” he continued. “We make color and flavor by being able to put a lot of heat into a small batch of grain with exceptional fan speed control. That develops color and also results in high temp kilned malts with different flavors than those produced in larger batches. And that’s why, when you taste our Munich malts, you get those rich nutty, biscuity, toasty flavors. Those flavors really shine through. They’re clean with exceptional aromatic characteristics.”
Briess High Temp Kilned Malts have two sub-categories that we like to call Kicked Up Base Malts and, of course, our Munich-style Malts.
Briess Kicked Up Base Malts
We turn up the heat just enough during the malting process to develop flavor while preserving most of the enzymes. Use as the base malt in your recipes, or mix with base malt to achieve your target flavor. Three styles of Kicked Up Base Malts include:
1. Vienna Malt (6-Row) is a specially processed (that means we can’t tell you how it’s made) HTKM. Typical analyses include:
Flavor: Warm malty, very slight biscuity
Color ºLovibond: 3.5
DP ºLintner: 130
2. Pale Ale Malt (2-Row) is, naturally, a great choice for ales. Also good in lagers because of its malty flavor. Typical analyses include:
Flavor: Malty
Color ºLovibond: 3.5
DP ºLintner: 85
3. Ashburne® Mild Malt (2-Row) is more malty flavored and well suited for all ale styles. Typical analyses include:
Flavor: Malty
Color ºLovibond: 5.3
DP ºLintner: 65
Briess Munich-style Malts
Higher heat results in more flavor and fewer enzymes. Careful brewing makes it possible to use these as the base malt in bocks and other intensely malty beer styles. In smaller quantities, they add subtle to rich flavors and help develop complexity in just about any style beer you brew. The four styles we produce are:
1. Bonlander® Munich Malt (2-Row) is an exceptional, traditional European-style Munich malt perfect for bock and other rich, malty flavored beers. Typical analyses include:
Flavor: Smooth, Malty and Sweet
Color ºLovibond: 10
DP ºLintner: 40
2. Aromatic (Munich) Malt (2-Row) is a darker European-style Munich, smooth like Bonlander®. Typical analyses include:
Flavor: Smooth, Intensely Malty, Biscuity
Color ºLovibond: 20
DP ºLintner: 15
3&4. Munich 10L and 20L Malts are 6-Row counterparts to Bonlander® and Aromatic. They deliver excellent flavor, aroma and brewhouse performance. When would you use them over a 2-Row variety? Visit The Row Less Traveled for some good reading on that topic. Typical Analyses include:
10L
Flavor: Robust Malty
20L Flavor:
Intensely Malty, Biscuity
10L Color ºLovibond: 10
20L Color
ºLovibond: 20
10L DP ºLintner: 30
20L DP
ºLintner: 20
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Recipe: Bodacious Bock Beer
This will yield a 5bbl batch. Deep amber colored, rich and malty strong lager.
- Malt
- 275 lbs Briess Pilsen Malt
- 100 lbs Briess Bonlander® Munich Malt
- 50 lbs Briess Aromatic (Munich) Malt
- 20 lbs Briess Caramel Malt 60L
- 50 lbs Briess Munich Malt 20L
- 5 lbs Briess Dark Chocolate Malt
- Total boil time = 120 minutes
- 3.25 lbs Hallertau hops (2.1%) ( 90 min boil)
- 1 oz Breakbright kettle coagulant (20 min boil)
- 3.25 lbs Hallertau hops (2.1%) (20 min boil)
- #2124 Wyeast Bohemian Lager yeast
- Specs
- Mash at 153° F for 45 minutes
- Sparge at 170° F
- Knock out at 65° F and oxygenate highly
- 16.5 Plato
- 35 IBU’s
- 7.0% abv
- Color - 28 SRM
Photo Captions
Congratulations to Jason Senior and Oscar Wong who each won a year's supply of Briess malted milk balls at this year's Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego. Jason is with Mammoth Brewing Company of Mammoth Lakes, Cal., and Oscar is with Highland Brewing Company of Asheville, N.C.
Briess's David Richter (left) and Matt Walsh of Karl Strauss Brewing Company pause for a photo opp before enjoying a "Briess Best Bitter" at the Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego that Matt and his crew brewed just for the event. Thanks to the Karl Strauss crew for the great beer, and to everyone who came to the Briess- and Hopunion-sponsored Welcome Reception which was held at Stone Brewing Company. It was all awesome. Now we're gearing up to have a wicked good time in Boston at the 2009 CBC. Hope to see you there!
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