The 2023 Advanced Class in Craft Malt Production will be held March 13-16, 2023 at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland, ME. Along with class labs, students will have an opportunity to visit a local craft malting operation. This class precedes the 2023 Craft Malt Conference happening at the same location later in the week. 

The Advanced Class in Craft Malt Production is a four-day intensive class in craft malting technology aimed at giving startup and experienced craft maltsters, as well as others within the craft malt supply chain, both theoretical and practical knowledge in malting technology.

Course Objectives

• Develop knowledge in malting barley and in its characteristics
• Learn and control the different steps of the malting process
• Determine the defining characteristics of malt quality and the influence of processing parameters
• Learn the technology and methods used to produce craft malt

Program

• Theory and biochemistry of malt production
• Malting barley characteristics and influence on malt quality
• Malting steps: preparation of barley, steeping, germination, and killing
• Malting process parameters and optimization
• Testing methods for barley grain and finished malt quality
• Equipment and technology for craft malting
• Costs in the malting plant and energy savings

Instructors

Born and raised in Zambia, Hugh Alexander received an honors degree in Brewing and Biochemistry 1st Class from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, studying under the late great Anna Macleod. He spent years working in the research laboratories of Harp Lager (a subsidiary of Guinness) and as the Chief Chemist for Crisp Malt. Since 1 Hugh has been engineering and producing micro malting equipment for companies worldwide including Diageo and James Hutton Institute (UK), Asahi (Japan), Nestle (Switzerland/Singapore), AB-InBev (South Africa), as well as many European and American Universities and establishments. Hugh currently owns and operates Balnamoon Maltings and Brewery, which services a local Scottish castle in the whisky production area of Speyside.

Hannah Turner is the Director of the Montana State University Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab. The lab services the MSU breeding program and industry through research, outreach, and education, and by providing thousands of data points each year on barley, malt, and beer. Hannah has degrees in Environmental Horticulture and Plant Science, with her M.S. focusing on the genetic control of starch production in cereals. In her current role, Hannah conducts research on important issues such as the impact of the steeping regime on malt quality, genetic control of barley endosperm hydration, and method development to improve breeding program selection for malting varieties. Hannah is dedicated to elevating the barley value chain via education and presents frequently to groups from farmers to brewers.

Registration

• Craft Maltsters Guild Members: $1600.00
• Non-Members: $2000.00

REGISTER HERE

Event Health & Safety Policy

All students must abide by the Craft Maltsters Guild Code of Conduct.

Learn more about becoming a member of the Craft Maltsters Guild here.