One of our popular taglines is “Great Malt, Great Beer,” (you may have seen the slogan on some of our t-shirts at CBC). On a recent trip to Atlanta, I had a chance to put this slogan into action. Our friends at SweetWater Brewing were kind enough to host a day of malt education. Opening in 1997, SweetWater is one of the largest craft breweries in the Southeast with a 25,000 square foot facility and a taproom featuring 24 unique beers and 48 taps. About 45 brewers from throughout Georgia were treated to a day of seminars on a host of malt topics.

SweetWater Brewing in beautiful Atlanta, Georgia.

I was lucky enough to be joined by Jordon Geurts, our Technical Maltster, and Jamie Skelton, our Associate Marketing Manager. I lead off with a subject near and dear to my heart — malt COAs. In my brewing industry career (20 years! Crazy to think about!), I have seen and participated in many COA presentations. I have also listened to various podcasts on this subject (the MBAA podcast with John Bryce and Joe Hertrich is a must listen to IMHO). I really wanted to do something different with this one. I wanted to look not just at the data, but I wanted to take it a few steps deeper and look at the methodologies involved and how that may translate into the brewhouse. We looked at each metric and possible limitations — from moisture content to color and extract potential, so they could better interpret how their malt will affect their beers and optimize their brewing process. I certainly hope that I succeeded!

Quality and inspection are an integral step for our barley growers’ deliveries.

I don’t get to travel with Jordon nearly enough. Honestly, it should happen a lot more. He and I make a great team, Jordon with the smarts and me with the, shall we say, “entertainment”. Jordon gave two presentations on base malts and specialty malts. Jordon was able to unpack the nuances of specialty malt, as he explained the process from cleaning and grading all the way to roasting and kilning.

A “simplified” version of understanding germination in the malthouse.

We ended the day with a look at the Hot Steep Method and a guided malt sensory analysis. The Hot Steep Method is one of my favorite things to do with brewers, and Jamie was a great help in keeping up with a large group for all the malt samples and worts! Hot Steep is simply an interactive demonstration that anyone can do to test concepts before you take them to the brewhouse. We chewed on malt, sipped wort samples, and drank beer made from the malt. At each step, we paused to share what each one of us was getting out of each sample. I love hearing all the unique perspectives. The Hot Steep Method is a tool that anyone can use – most of the items involved can be purchased easily. It’s a valuable tool to help understand how each malt contributes to the sensory profile of a beer.

Chewing malt, tasting wort, accompanied by a beer – what else could you need?
Briess Division Manager Mike Killlelea.
Malt and wort analysis discussion.
Specialty Malt Flavor Map: helps brewers know what flavors they are targeting.

But…I must add a disclaimer. Hot steep wort is still wort…definitely not as delicious as beer! Despite my charm and Jordon’s knowledge, I think everyone’s favorite part of the day was the happy hour in the SweetWater taproom. SweetWater provided all attendees with a behind-the-scenes tour offering a firsthand look at their facility and brewing operations as well — really top-notch hospitality from our hosts.

Just a small glimpse of SweetWater’s canning line.
The vibrant taproom at SweetWater Brewing.

This event was a perfect blend of education, discussion, and collaboration. Thanks to SweetWater and to all those who participated. I hope to see you at a similar event in the future! Reach out to your Briess Division Manager with any questions or comments!