Raw Materials

Could floor-malted barley provide an edge for your beers? It has old-fashioned charm and its share of fans, even if its differences with pneumatic malt are relatively subtle. However, new research is beginning to explore what makes floor-malted barley different.

Having a sensory panel to regularly evaluate your beer is good practice—but what about one to evaluate your hops? Brewers and hop-sensory experts share their best tips on starting up a specialized panel—and careful hop evaluation is something that even the smallest breweries can do.

Whether it’s the various costs involved, location, conveyance, or keeping peace with the neighbors, here are some key considerations when it’s time for your brewery to bulk up.

Despite recent troubles with input costs and supply chain, the vibes coming from the malt market seem relatively calm and upbeat. Hey, let’s not jinx it.

Whether using whole fruit or purees, breweries benefit by estimating their needs in advance.

While malted corn isn’t always easy to work with, craft maltsters and brewers are figuring out how best to use what is essentially a new and flavorful ingredient. As interest grows, so will the options and the expertise.

There’s an exploratory movement among craft brewers to go beyond brewing with barley. The flavors coming out of this movement are delighting palates, helping to reduce environmental degradation, and promoting social justice.

They can’t do it all, but group purchasing organizations offer a way for smaller breweries to access substantial savings on needed materials and key services. Here’s what to know.

While not without its costs, a mash filter press can dramatically increase efficiencies and lower costs. It can also open the door to some unusual beers that would be challenging or impossible with a typical lauter tun.

In the last of a three-part series focused on hop-related products that weren’t available to 20th century brewers, Stan Hieronymus examines the potential of a powder made from grape skins.