109: Troubadour Maltings’ Chris Schooley on Understanding the Fine Details of Malt and the Process Behind It

Nov 15, 2019

Chris Schooley, maltster at Troubadour Maltings, shares his passion for the intricate details of malt. He dives into the fascinating history and evolution of malt styles, emphasizing the critical role of quality sourcing and local barley growers. Schooley highlights innovations in malting that enhance flavor and consistency while discussing the significance of factors like grain density. He also explores the rising popularity of specific barley varieties, such as LCS Genie, and the collaborative efforts between farmers and brewers driving craft beer evolution.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Founding Troubadour Maltings

Chris Schooley started Troubadour Maltings after realizing a lack of craft malt houses despite the craft beer boom.
His partnership began from a casual beer conversation over their daughters' playdate where they shared the same malt house vision.

INSIGHT

Barley's Shift from Feed to Malt

Most US barley is now grown for malting, with about 60% destined for craft beer.
However, barley prices remain tied to outdated feed-based commodity markets despite this shift.

INSIGHT

Barley Variability Enables Craft Innovation

Year-to-year variations in barley growing conditions affect malting results and malt characteristics significantly.
Small-scale craft malting allows process flexibility to maximize unique qualities from each crop.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Malt is subject most take for granted—a commodity that is generally fungible and often overlooked. But for Troubadour Maltings’ Chris Schooley, it’s a subject of endless fascination and professional obsession. In this deep dive into the subject, Schooley expounds on the value of thinking about malt beyond extract numbers, explores the history of malt and why certain malt styles are what they are today, defines great malting grain while discussing new developments in the agriculture that has helped craft maltsters produce better raw materials, and more. In the brewhouse and in the malt house, consistency may be overrated, but quality is not—the malting process and role of the maltster is to add value to the agriculture and the brewing process, since the power in malt is not intrinsic… someone has to unlock it. But the things that really make a difference in malt quality may not be the things you suspect, and as specialty malts get darker, certain factor like freshness play a larger role in the flavor of the end beer. It’s a fascinating episode for anyone who has every pondered why and how malt does what it does in the brewing process…

This episode is brought to you by:
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): As the brewing industry’s premier choice for glycol chilling, G&D Chillers has set the standard on quality, service, reliability and dedication to their customer’s craft. For 25 years G&D has led the way with innovative solutions for the craft brewing industry. Contact G&D Chillers today at 800.555.0973 or reach out online at Gdchillers.com. Mention Craft Beer and Brewing podcast and you’ll receive up to $1000 worth of glycol with the purchase of any new G&D chiller unit.

Tavour (https://about.tavour.com): Tavour makes it possible to access and discover the highest-rated craft beers from all over the world through the free mobile app. Twice a day you get access to a new limited beer from an independent craft brewer. Imagine sipping a Vanilla Ice Cream Stout from Wild Leap Brewing in Georgia or Juicy Bits IPA from WeldWerks in Colorado. Join the independent beer community today and get $10 in beer money with code “brewing”.

Clarion Lubricants (https://www.clarionlubricants.com): Clarion Lubricants, balancing barley and hops is your expertise, food-grade lubricants is ours. The team at Clarion knows that when it comes to making great beer, you’re the expert, and when it comes to supplying food-grade lubricants backed by service-oriented professionals, they're the experts. Clarion will work with you to create an efficient lubrication program that helps protect your brewery. To speak with an expert dial 1-855-MY-CLARION (855-692-5274) or visit clarionlubricants.com. Clarion Lubricants. The expert that experts trust.

Country Malt Group (https://countrymaltgroup.com): With over 200 years of combined experience in the craft beverage industry, Country Malt Group’s dedicated sales and support staff understand the importance of excellent ingredients, product knowledge, and expertise in making great beer. Country Malt Group’s mission is to provide the products and services you need while making the process of ordering ingredients easy – the focus is to inspire your best craft! Order online at shop.countrymalt.com | @CountryMalt

Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast