Malt for U.S. beer in 2019.

Hops are an herb, but without a fermentable starch, you ain't got beer.

Each year, the American Malting Barley Association (AMBA) releases its list of recommended malting barley varieties to US growers. AMBA is a nonprofit trade association of 76 brewing, distilling and malting companies that are end users of US malting barley. The list is meant to inform US producers which malting barley varieties the industry intends to use in the upcoming year. Some varieties will be used in large quantities and others are only utilized in niche markets, so producers are encouraged to contact their local elevator, grain handler or processor to gauge market demand for any variety grown in their region prior to seeding.

There are several changes from the 2018 list. The two-row varieties Harrington and Propino are being dropped from the list and four two-row varieties are being added. These additions include ABI Growler, Bill Coors 100, Moravian 165, and Thunder. ABI Growler is a two-rowed, midseason, spring barley developed by Busch Agricultural Resources, Ft. Collins, Colorado. Bill Coors 100 and Moravian 165 are two-rowed, spring varieties bred by Molson Coors in Burley, ID. Bill Coors 100 was released in 2016 in celebration of Mr. Bill Coors 100th birthday. Thunder is a two-rowed, winter variety released by Oregon State University and has performed very well in the Pacific Northwest.

— Craft Malting Guild

Related pondering:
With the midwest, especially Nebraska, devastated by the flooding caused by the recent so-called 'cyclone bomb,' will barley farmers in other areas convert their fields to produce feed barley or other feed grains to fill the void, driving up the cost of malt?

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• This post originally appeared on YFGF's Facebook page.
• The Craft Maltsters Handbook is not connected with either the Craft Maltsters Guild or the American Malting Barley Association but I thought it a good header.


• About the American Malting Barley Association:

  AMBA’s Objectives are to enhance the national public sector barley research infrastructure; develop malting barley varieties with improved agronomic and quality characters; help implement programs to benefit producers and increase production; and represent the malting and brewing industry regarding public and regulatory issues that impact barley.

• The full press release of recommended malting barley varieties for US growers in 2019: here (pdf).


• About the Craft Maltsters Guild:

  The Guild's mission is to promote and sustain the tradition of craft malting in North America, provide services and resources to the Association’s members, and uphold the highest quality and safety standards for Craft Maltsters. Here is the maltster we strive to empower:

  • Relatively small scale. Craft Maltster produces between 5 metric Tons to 10,000 Metric Tons per year. Sources ingredients locally. Over fifty-percent of grains are grown within a 500-mile radius of the Craft Malthouse. Independently owned. The Malthouse must be independently owned by a seventy-six percent majority of ownership.

• The original story at the Craft Malsters Guild website: here.


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