Where do you buy LOW quality ingredients?

[mckenry]

Joe White are objectively worse than their (EDIT: international) competitors. They provide significant amounts of malt to the big brewers for a low prices. These breweries have the ability to test the malt themselves and internally adjust their process to compensate for lower quality malt.

Malting is an incredibly energy and water intensive process. All the water run off (talking millions of litres per day) needs to go through a waste water treatment plant prior to discharging to sewer - more electricity used. Therefore, there is a natural tendency to reduce the duration and increase the temperature of germination (for example) in order to save money. A good malt needs a slow and cool (<16 degC) germination - obviously in Western NSW (Where JW are) it's very hot and hence the warmer the germination, the less money they spend on electricity.

JW has malting operations in every state in Australia.

 

[good4whatAlesU]

Speaking of LOW quality ingredients. Anyone malting their own barley at home? >.. I've been thinking of giving it a go.

.. guess there is a thread somewhere I'll do a search.

 

[sp0rk]

Speaking of LOW quality agreements. Anyone malting their own barley at home? >.. I've been thinking of giving it a go.

.. guess there is a thread somewhere I'll do a search.

A few people here have had a dig, but like klangers said, it's VERY time and energy intensive
You can do it fairly easy on a small scale, but for the amount of grain we want, it's not that viable at home withouta pretty big investment
Easier to go to the LHBS and drop $60-$85 on a sack of malt

 

[klangers]

Speaking of LOW quality agreements. Anyone malting their own barley at home? >.. I've been thinking of giving it a go.

.. guess there is a thread somewhere I'll do a search.

I'm about to.

I started making my home malt plant about 1.5 years ago.

I'm not yet finished, and I design crap like this for a living. Let's just say it's been a learning process.

The biggest challenge is the automation and QA, as well as actually being able to buy malt grade barley in quantities less than 20 tonnes at once.

 

[Killer Brew]

Joe White are objectively worse than their (EDIT: international) competitors. They provide significant amounts of malt to the big brewers for a low prices. These breweries have the ability to test the malt themselves and internally adjust their process to compensate for lower quality malt.

Malting is an incredibly energy and water intensive process. All the water run off (talking millions of litres per day) needs to go through a waste water treatment plant prior to discharging to sewer - more electricity used. Therefore, there is a natural tendency to reduce the duration and increase the temperature of germination (for example) in order to save money. A good malt needs a slow and cool (<16 degC) germination - obviously in Western NSW (Where JW are) it's very hot and hence the warmer the germination, the less money they spend on electricity.

I have spoken to 2 different commercial brewers in Adelaide in the last month who have both said their efficiency using JW malts has dropped through the floor and they are looking to alternatives even though they would rather not risk a change to their recipes.

 

[Dave70]

You could have made Corona by subbing lime for the lemon.. why didn't you think of that at the time?

Ah..yes, yes.
Had a few rotting in the backyard. Likely the green mold growing on the skin would have inoculated the wort also.
Perhaps thats actually the secret to Coronas distinctive flavor?

 

[good4whatAlesU]

Re. the home malting.

Sounds ominous .. I might give it a go

We have sneaky drying ovens etc. at my work with fine temperature control.

I'll just say the barley is for an experiment.

 

[sp0rk]

We have sneaky drying ovens etc. at my work with fine temperature control.

I think I know where you work...

 

[klangers]

Your drying ovens will be good kilns, but poor germination vessels.

One must control humidity, temperature and carbon dioxide concentration for a successful germination.

First process is steeping - that's comparatively easier. Immersion in water followed by an air rest, 8 hours each and repeat for a day or 2. Temperature sensitive though. Aeration and gibberellic acid can speed steeping too.

 

[good4whatAlesU]

Thanks klangers - yes that does sound rather complicated.

sp0rk don't give me away or I won't be able to malt at work : ) .. not that I am.

 

[bradsbrew]

Luthier?

 

[Blind Dog]

Luthier?

I'm missing something, aren't I? sort of like kittens in airlocks and scared grains

Or were you just compelled to leave a reference to a relatively obscure profession?

 

[Bribie G]

Smack packs and rice gulls
And bag-handling mittens
Terrified wheat grains and airlocks with kittens

Brown paper bags from Yob tied up with string
These are a few of my favourite things......

 

[yankinoz]

Ask CUB where they get their ingredients.

 

[good4whatAlesU]

Luthier?

Herder of cats.

 

[Bribie G]

Been trying to herd cats all my life. Doesn't work.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I know that malt mill in Tamworth. Its not actually that big, couple of big silos and a shed basically. Funny place Tamworth, all the mills and so on are in the middle of town virtually. Mate owned a pub next door to a big flour mill there....ran 24/7, had big glass windows that you could see into, was really cool

Anyway

Joe White USED to be good, back when I used it about 8-9 yrs back. That region produces about 250,000t per year so they get the the best freshest barley. You cant blame the farmers for declining quality ( considering they strive every year for better quality ) so the finger is firmly pointed at the malt house. Shame really, because it brings down the reputation of the area for producing premium products

Then I found BB and was much better, The BB could turn goat piss into gasolene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhV9-CIG0Zk

 

[sp0rk]

I know that malt mill in Tamworth. Its not actually that big, couple of big silos and a shed basically. Funny place Tamworth, all the mills and so on are in the middle of town virtually. Mate owned a pub next door to a big flour mill there....ran 24/7, had big glass windows that you could see into, was really cool

Anyway

Joe White USED to be good, back when I used it about 8-9 yrs back. That region produces about 250,000t per year so they get the the best freshest barley. You cant blame the farmers for declining quality ( considering they strive every year for better quality ) so the finger is firmly pointed at the malt house. Shame really, because it brings down the reputation of the area for producing premium products

Then I found BB and was much better, The BB could turn goat piss into gasolene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhV9-CIG0Zk

From what I'm told, the Tamworth maltings cater almost exclusively to the big boys for megaswill

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

From what I'm told, the Tamworth maltings cater almost exclusively to the big boys for megaswill

Yep. They do

Although you can buy Bulk bags from them

I managed to get my hands on some GENUINE Choc Malt made for Tooheys Old from that malt plant. B)

Must say it was different to any other choc malt localy available

It really did help make a Tooheys Old clone from a recipe devised by Tony


Pumpy, Ross....are you there....

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Speaking of LOW quality ingredients. Anyone malting their own barley at home? >.. I've been thinking of giving it a go.

.. guess there is a thread somewhere I'll do a search.

Yes there is.

.......a few moons back* a brewer put up a series of youtube vids using an old front loading tumble dryer for his floor/kiln.

Basically, he germinated the barley in the drier and slowly turned the drum whilst it germinated ( slow as in SLLOOWWWW )

He then ( I think ) either used the drier element or gas burner to kiln the malt, whilst turning the drum ( not unlike how the big guys do it )

Was very ingenious I must say and from all accounts it worked rather well. And cheap


I really wish I could find those links.... :mellow: