Zach Christensen plans to launch a malting operation on his family’s Bellevue-area farm, one of the first small malting operations in Oregon.
Zach Christensen plans to launch a malting operation on his family’s Bellevue-area farm, one of the first small malting operations in Oregon.
The fifth-generation farmer wants his farm to become the first commercial operation to supply small batches of site-malted Willamette Valley grain for brewers.
Malted grain is typically the principal ingredient in beer. It can be made from either barley or wheat.
The malting process requires steeping the grain in water, spreading it in a hothouse environment to germinate, then using kilns to dry and cure it. The process creates sugars that beer requires for fermentation, but is extremely labor-intensive, requiring expert attention at every step for a matter of weeks.
The nearest commercial supplier is the Great Western Malting Co., based in Vancouver, Wash. It sells malted grain in lots averaging 300 tons each.
Craft malting operations were common when most brewing was local. They disappeared when brewing went big time, but are beginning to make a comeback on the strength of the craft movement.
Read more at the News Register.
{biztweet}oregon beer{/biztweet}
