When craft beer drinkers think of ways brewers add flavor, what comes to mind are unique hops and added flavors like coriander or passion fruit. Malted barley has always been a base for beer flavor, but that’s changing — and Washington State University is taking a lead in the effort.

Recently, LINC Malt, a craft malting company, produced its first batch of Lyon malt. Craft-malted Lyon breaks the mold of the usual plain, basic malted barley. This new WSU-created variety brings a greater flavor depth to beer, says Heath Barnes, CEO of Washington farmer cooperative Whitgro Inc. He arranged for LINC (Local Inland Northwest Cooperative) Malt to create this first batch, letting the Lyon malt lend its flavors to Northwest craft beer makers.

Lyon is one of two WSU barley varieties to crack the growing craft malt market. Crop scientists at the university developed Lyon for the Palouse country; Fritz, a WSU-licensed variety that thrives in coastal growing areas, is available, too. Both are all-around varieties, equally versatile for food, feed and beer.

Kevin Murphy, WSU barley breeder, explained that what breeders really wanted were varieties that would work for Northwest craft maltsters. In Washington, barley is a $20 million crop, with about 4.5 million bushels harvested each year. Compared to wheat, chickpeas and other cash crops including spinach and potatoes, barley is a low earner. Farmers still turn to this crop to break disease and weed cycles, though.

Said Murphy: “By giving farmers new malt varieties, we’re adding a lot more value to barley. It’s all about discovering where these barleys fit best.” Murphy’s work continues, and he’s currently testing several potentially malt-friendly varieties.

Barnes adds that new malting varieties like Lyon “open up a new world of possibilities for growers. In a tough farm economy, that makes all the difference.”

Breeder Kevin Murphy tours a test plot of barley at WSU’s Spillman Agronomy Farm.

The Fritz story
It’s known as NZ151, for its original breeding designation, but Fritz has become a favorite for customers of Burlington, Wash.-based Skagit Valley Malting. The company contracts with local growers for Fritz.

Adam Foy, Skagit Valley Malting vice president of business development, notes that barley and wheat grow very well in the region around Burlington: “But without malting, the only markets growers had for their barley was food and animal feed,” he says.

It was one of those lightbulb moments when Steve Jones, director of the WSU Bread Lab, and Wayne Carpenter, Skagit Valley Malting founder, figured out the climate in the region was very similar to Northern Europe and the United Kingdom These areas are known for their big, plump, high-extract barley for malting and distilling.

“We can grow the same kinds of barley — in fact, even better, thanks to the uniformity of our climate,” adds Foy.

WSU researchers embarked on a mission to develop special malt varieties, and in 2014 released Fritz. This is a low protein barley that’s an exceptional malter. It offers the crumbliness and chemistry that helps brewers get more out of the malt, and it helps beer stay stable and dependably flavorful.

Skagit Valley Malting doubled its contract for Fritz for 2018, and some contract farmers are growing it organically for the first time. “Brewers want barleys with different malting and brewing qualities,” Foy says. “Instead of looking for sameness, we’re looking for uniqueness.”

At LINC Malt, Brian Estes, sales and operations manager, notes that brewers and beer lovers are realizing there’s a real story to tell through malt flavors. “Success is just a matter of getting malts in front of people so they can taste the difference.”

Malting barley at work
Graham Lilly, brewmaster at Hunga Dunga Brewery, Moscow, Idaho, likes the idea of brewing grains grown nearby. “I wanted to reap the benefits of geography while supporting the local economy. That’s why my customers are craving,” he says.

Set in the heart of Northwest wheat country, the brewery wanted a malt that evoked the Palouse. Lilly bought Whitgro’s Lyon malt, then set about experimenting to see what it does for a batch of beer. “We haven’t had an opportunity to do that with a locally grown malt until now,” Lilly says.

For Murphy, a cold glass of Lilly’s Oatmeal Pale Ale was a satisfying sip — and a highlight for his career. Murphy has released five barley varieties for food and feed, but this is his first that’s been brewed into beer.

“What a great feeling to drink a beer with WSU barley as the main ingredient!” says Murphy. “For the growers, the maltsters and for me — we’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

Source: Washington State University