I just bought a 2015 grain share from our local maltster, Valley Malt: http://valleymalt.com/maltofthemonth/
Shares will consist of 4 pick-ups:
June 2015
50lb base + 10lb specialties
September 2015
5lb specialty
January 2016
50lbs base + 10lb specialties
March 2016
5lb specialty
I’m looking forward to getting surprise local malts and then coming up with recipes to use them.
Cool! I had a chance to sample some malt, and beer made with it, from a new maltster in Eastern OR called Mecca Grade. Very tasty stuff!
Its exciting that we have access to such great ingredients.
I’ve been wanting to get my hands on some of their malt for a while. I’m meeting some friends for dinner in Worcester on Friday; if I get up there early enough I may have to detour by West Boylston Homebrew Emporium to see if they have any Valley Malt in stock.
I’d love to hear some feedback on what you brew with their malt. Foolproof uses their spelt and rye in their saison, which is a really nice beer.
Andrea Stanley and John Mallett did a presentation last NHC that was very informative, entertaining, and the sample a porter made with historic malt dried over a hornbean fire was eye opening.
Presentation is on line, worth read and listen.
Thanks, I would like to check that out. Wish I could have the sample…
WBHE just expanded their store so worth a stop if you can. I wish I could give them more business but just don’t get that way as often as when my son was at Assumption. BTW even though they only appear to sell via the share and selected hbs you can e-mail Andrea and arrange to pick stuff up. Its a worthwhile trip given all there is to do in the Valley. Where are you going in Worcester? If you are looking for a good beer list Armsby Abbey is tough to beat.
I’d love to take advantage of something like that in my area! Fortunately the lhbs will include special orders when they order.
Genius it’s like “wine or beer of the month” but for homebrewers. Anyway $200 for 125# is $1.60 per so not bad at all given the specialty grain.
I’m picking up some malt from a new start up here in VT next week. he uses Vermont and New York grown barley and malts it just a couple towns over.
He has pale, amber, and some specialty stuff, and possibly pils. I’m pretty excited to try it.
I thought that price was pretty good especially considering I would be willing to pay more for locally grown and malted. Because I can pick it up at the malt house there’s no shipping.
Haven’t been to Armsby Abbey in a long time, but it is a great place. We’re going to The Fix. My buddy is a recovering vegan, so when he recommended a burger place I was all-in. They look like they have a decent beer list.
Thanks for the tip on being able to pick up some stuff at Valley. Maybe I’ll see if I can make a bit of a detour if I get to the Big E this year.
I have a longer term goal of using this local malt and my homegrown hops and other local hops to make a couple house beers with a lot of local character. If my barley is successful I would like to make some of my own specialty malts. I intend, if not this year then next, to grow some wheat, rye, spelt and maybe more. I’m thinking of possibly an English influenced pale ale with their 2 row and a farmhouse with their pilsner malt. I would also like to add some other, possibly wild, ingredients: wild grapes, elderberries, blackberries. New England has a long history in the spice trade so some spices might be appropriate too. It will be a lot of fun experimenting. I’ll also research traditional New England beers.
My brother just malted his first 1000 pounds of barley this week at Keystone Malting in Philly. When he gets the analysis, I will post it here.
Very cool.
Its great to see this happening. Different regions will have variations in ingredients leading to truly unique beers and maybe new styles. Its great for small farmers, fuel consumption, breweries, home brewers, and consumers.
My brother says he bought this malt cleaner off ebay last year as a mascot, but it actually works.
Very nice! Motorizing would probably help. Can you imagine having to crank that thing all day long?
Looks like drill motor might be enough to turn it.