DAVIS, CA – The Craft Maltsters Guild will host the second annual Malt for Brewers & Distillers Workshop at the University of California, Davis on September 19-20, 2022. This two-day, in-person course is custom-tailored for craft malt beverage producers and provides an extensive overview of technical malt knowledge from farm to fermenter. Maltsters and farmers will also find the workshop a valuable opportunity to learn to better communicate with their brewery and distillery clients. 

The workshop precedes the combined 23rd North American Barley Researchers Workshop and 43rd Barley Improvement Conference also happening in Davis later in the week from September 22-24. The conference is held every four or five years and it combines the latest research from Canada, the USA, and global barley breeding programs and malt researchers.

“Craft brewers and distillers have been indispensable to the growth of the craft malting industry,” says Jesse Bussard, Guild Executive Director. “We’re excited to be able to offer this workshop another year, and even more so, to host it alongside such an important conference for malt barley research.” 

During the two-day course, attendees can expect to learn about barley topics from field to pint including barley breeding and the North American supply chain, grain and malt quality, a review of the malting process and technology, and malt styles, flavor, and troubleshooting. Hands-on activities and tours of the UC Davis Brewing Program pilot brewery, as well as a local craft maltster, Admiral Maltings in Alameda, CA, will also be part of the experience.

Hannah Turner, Director of the Montana State University Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab and a current Guild board member, is the instructor for the course. Turner has worked in plant science research for over a decade. Additionally, she heads up the Guild’s Technical Working Group and the American Society of Brewing Chemist’s Malt Subcommittee and serves as Chapter Co-Leader for the Montana Chapter of Pink Boots Society.

“Malt is a critical ingredient in the brewing and distilling process, acting as the functional backbone for fermentation as well as final product quality,” says Turner. “I’m excited to interact with students and help them gain knowledge about this important aspect of their process, supporting their craft.”

Registration for the workshop is $600 for Guild members and $800 for non-members with attendance limited to 20 students. All students will also receive copies of the Craft Maltsters Guild Quality & Safety Manual and DraughtLab malt flavor sensory maps. Questions about the course can be directed to [email protected].

Learn more about the Malt for Brewers & Distillers Workshop and how to register here.

Contact Emily Hutto at [email protected] with media inquiries about the Craft Maltsters Guild.