Charlie Papazian To Keynote MaltCon2025, World’s Leading Malt industry Gathering, in Denver Next Month

DENVER, CO— Registration is open for MaltCon2025, the largest international gathering of malt professionals that will take place on February 27 - March 1, 2025 in Denver, Colorado at the Springhill Suites Conference Center and Metro State. This year’s keynote is the voice of the American homebrew movement, Charlie Papazian. 

The Craft Maltsters Guild is pleased to host Papazian, among many other industry experts, to address the farmers, maltsters, brewers, distillers, university and laboratory researchers, and other malting professionals who will attend this conference. Papazian is the founder of the American Homebrewers Association (1978) and past president of the Brewers Association (USA). He’s written five bestselling books, including the iconic Complete Joy of Homebrewing with more than 1.3 million copies sold worldwide. 

Papazian is joined by more than 20 other MaltCon2025 speakers, including Hannah Uhlmann of Montana State University, Bruce French of BJF Malt Consulting Inc., and Matt Gacioch of the Brewers Association. This year’s conference will include more interactive sensory education opportunities than previous conferences, in addition to programming about technical malting, business development, and marketing, among other topics. The full schedule and registration details are available at craftmalting.com.

MaltCon2025 will kick off with a welcome reception at Denver’s iconic Union Station and conclude with the annual Awards Ceremony to honor Malt Cup winners and the recipient of the Soles of Malt award. All of this programming is made possible by MaltCon2025 platinum sponsor Laizhou Yingtai Machinery Co., Ltd., as well as gold sponsors Buehler, Kasper Schultz, and Malters Advantage. 

“We are thrilled to offer our conference in The Centennial State, where the craft malt revolution is alive and well,” says Steve Kurowski, the Executive Director of the Craft Maltsters Guild. “There are 26 Craft Malt Certified™ breweries and distilleries in Colorado, fueled by four of our member malthouses across the state.” 

The Craft Maltsters Guild’s Advanced Class in Malt Production will take place the four days leading up to the conference. This intensive class in malting technology aims to give startup and experienced maltsters, as well as others within the malt supply chain, both theoretical and practical knowledge of the malting process and technology. Find more information and register by January 30 at craftmalting.com. 

Entities interested in sponsoring the conference can contact Steve Kurowski at director@craftmalting.com. 

Media interested in participating in MaltCon2025 can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT THE CRAFT MALTSTERS GUILD

Formed in 2013 by eight craft malthouses, the Craft Maltsters Guild’s mission is to promote and sustain the tradition of craft malting in North America, provide services and resources to the Association’s members, and uphold the highest quality and safety standards for Craft Maltsters. Learn more about the Craft Maltsters Guild at www.craftmalting.com. 

Advice From The Trail: Cara Nosek on Packaging Design and (Re)Branding

Photo of and courtesy Cara Nosek

Each volume of Craft Marketing showcases a Featured RadCrafter – a craft marketing professional who is crafting content, telling stories, and curating resources about the beer industry. RadCrafters are helping to shape and share the culture that is craft beer. 

Ska Brewing – an iconic brand based on a comic book and inspired by all waves of Ska music – recently underwent a brand refresh. We called Cara Nosek, Queen of Graphics at Ska since 2013, to weigh in on how brands can evolve so gracefully too. 

Craft Maltsters Guild Shares 2023 State of the Industry Update

NATIONAL— In recognition of National Craft Malt Week (September 22-29, 2023) and the ten-year anniversary of the trade association for the small grains movement, the Craft Maltsters Guild membership met this week to introduce the Guild’s new Executive Director Alice Blayne-Allard and share the results of its recent malthouse survey. 

Blayne-Allard brings with her a life-long passion for local sourcing and a breadth of malt-relevant knowledge from agricultural marketing to cooperage. Most importantly, her extensive non-profit leadership and administration experience will be instrumental in supporting the craft malt community in its next big push for market share. “I’m that consumer who goes into a brewery or distillery and asks where the grains are sourced,” she said in the meeting. “One of my key objectives is to expand consumer awareness and raise understanding of why craft malt matters.” 

The 2023 membership survey covered many topics including maltster education, products, distribution, and marketing. Here are the key takeaways from its results: 

• The majority (52%) of respondents consider themselves experts of the production or use of craft malt. “Had we taken this survey several years ago this number might have been lower,” said Brian Estes, LINC Malt Co-Owner and Partnerships Director and Vice President of the Craft Maltsters Guild Board of Directors. “Our membership continues to make tremendous strides in expertise and knowledge, which translates to knowledge and understanding of our customers too.” 

• Survey respondents distribute their products across a broad geography and in a variety of formats of finished beers and spirits. “Some malthouses are working in a hyper-local way, and many respondents are also sending malt out of state and to broader geographic regions,” said Hillary Barile, Rabbit Hill Farms Head Maltster and Board of Directors President. “That means people are appreciating craft malt not just for its hyper-locality but also for flavor, alignment of business objectives, and more.” 

Media interested in learning more about the Craft Maltsters Guild and its programs like the Craft Malt Certified™ seal and annual Craft Malt Conference can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT THE CRAFT MALTSTERS GUILD

Formed in 2013 by eight craft malthouses, the Craft Maltsters Guild’s mission is to promote and sustain the tradition of craft malting in North America, provide services and resources to the Association’s members, and uphold the highest quality and safety standards for Craft Maltsters. Learn more about the Craft Maltsters Guild at www.craftmalting.com. 

Advice From The Trail: Ben Moore On Beer Photography

Photo of and courtesy Ben Moore

We met Ben Moore at the 2023 Craft Malt Conference in Portland, Maine, which he calls home. His energy and enthusiasm were palpable, and he was both professional and fun to collaborate with on conference storytelling.

So we asked him to be the next RadCrafter in this series. Moved by his passion for his work, we asked him about the life of a beer photographer and what advice he has for others interested in the same craft. Prompted by his social media presence as @activebeergeek, we asked him about his work-life balance. Read the interview and get inspired here.

Craft Maltsters Guild Announces 2024 Craft Malt Conference Destination with Request For Session Proposals

INTERNATIONAL— The Craft Maltsters Guild has selected the University of California Davis Conference Center in Northern California as the location for the 2024 Craft Malt Conference that will be held on February 23 and 24, 2024. 

The Guild’s Board of Directors, Marketing & Events Working Group, and 2024 Craft Malt Conference Planning Committee is working in collaboration to execute this gathering of university, agriculture, malt, and beverage professionals from across the globe. The Craft Malt Conference is the only conference of its kind, offering workshops and seminars specifically focused on malt research, topics, and best practices. 

The Craft Maltsters Guild seeks proposals from professionals across the malt supply chain to present their research and expertise to our membership on topics including but not limited to agriculture and agronomy, small grains breeding, scientific research, technical and applied elements of the malting process, sensory, flavor, marketing, and industry DEI. Find the proposal requirements and submit at craftmalting.com. Submissions are due by Friday, September 8. 

More information about the 2024 Craft Malt Conference will be published in coming months. Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com to request media credentials to the conference and with queries about the Craft Maltsters Guild. 

ABOUT THE CRAFT MALTSTERS GUILD

Formed in 2013 by eight craft malthouses, the Craft Maltsters Guild’s mission is to promote and sustain the tradition of craft malting in North America, provide services and resources to the Association’s members, and uphold the highest quality and safety standards for Craft Maltsters. Learn more about the Craft Maltsters Guild at www.craftmalting.com. 

Maine’s First Maltster Blue Ox Malthouse Wins Two Prestigious Malt Cup Awards

LISBON FALLS, ME— Blue Ox Malthouse was awarded two Malt Cup awards by the Craft Maltsters Guild on March 17 at the annual Craft Malt Conference held this month in Portland, Maine. This esteemed international competition is the only recognition program of its kind for the malting grain industry. The award comes at the 10 year anniversary of Blue Ox Malthouse’s incorporation to become Maine’s first malthouse. 

Among the 90 total entries from 34 malthouses in four malt categories, Blue Ox received bronze Malt Cup awards in the Pale and Light Munich categories. Entries were scored by 200 judges that included barley breeders, brewers, distillers, maltsters, Beer Judge Certification Program participants, and Cicerones in three rounds of comprehensive analysis that included the hot steep process. 

Blue Ox’s light, clean, and crisp Pale has mild sweet and grainy aromas and is fully modified for high extract and enzyme potential. It’s malted to elevate the foundation of lighter beer styles like Kolsch, Blondes and Pales. Their Light Munich style yields lightly toasted bread crust flavors rounded by a deep biscuity sweetness with hints of peanut butter. It’s malted to build character for many beer styles. 

Both these styles are built of malting barley grown and sourced from Aroostook County Maine–consistent with Blue Ox Malthouse’s mission to support and build local robust, resilient, supply chains. Unusually, these products are also made using the traditional floor malting techniques–a hands-on artisanal approach in which grain is germinated on concrete floors and turned by hand. This method is more common in Europe and Blue Ox Malthouse is one of the few North American malthouses dedicated to using this style of production. 

Now in its fifth year, the Malt Cup is facilitated by the Craft Maltsters Guild— the trade association supporting the work of craft malthouses across the globe— in collaboration with Montana State University’s Malt Quality Lab and sensory analysis company DraughtLab. 

“We’ve known for years that we are making top quality, world-class products that present Maine and Maine grains in the best light possible. It is great to have that validated in such a competitive, high caliber competition,” says Joel Alex, Founder and CEO of Blue Ox Malthouse. Additionally Alex went on to say that “perhaps the most meaningful part for me is the recognition this gives our staff for the great work they do every day to bring these products to life. Winning for the first time while we were hosting the conference here in our home state with our tenth anniversary coming up next month is particularly special!” 

Media inquiring about Blue Ox Malthouse can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT BLUE OX MALTHOUSE 

Launched in 2013 by homebrewer and community organizer-turned-maltster Joel Alex, Blue Ox Malthouse is Maine's first malting operation. Blue Ox Malthouse seeks to push the possibilities of craft beer and spirits, and support Maine agriculture by connecting these two groups through world class quality Maine-made malt. Reinvigorating a centuries-old floor malting tradition, Blue Ox is committed to growing the connection between brewers and farmers while striving to grow more sustainable food systems and serve as a model for sustainable and rural economic development. Learn more at blueoxmalthouse.com.

Craft Maltsters Guild Transitions 2022 Craft Malt Conference to All Virtual Experience, Postpones Advanced Class

The Craft Maltsters Guild announced this week the transition of their 2022 Craft Malt Conference to an all-virtual experience for participants. This educational conference was originally slated to take place in Portland, Maine; however the recent COVID-19 case surge and lower in-person attendance numbers motivated the Guild Board of Directors to make the difficult decision to best protect the health and safety of its membership. Along with conference changes, the Advanced Class in Craft Malt Production planned to precede the event will be postponed until later in the year, with new dates yet to be determined.

The Craft Malt Conference will now take place over the course of two weekends February 18-19 and February 25-26 via Crowdcast. Due to the switch to online, there will be some adjustments to the conference schedule, but changes are expected to be minimal. The revised schedule will be posted on the Guild website in the coming week.

Attendees originally registered for the in-person conference will have their conference registration modified to a virtual registration and receive a partial refund for the cost difference. Those not interested in attending the virtual sessions can get a full refund by reaching out to the Guild.

Registration is still open for the virtual conference, with early bird pricing available through the end of January. Participants can sign up here. Registration for the virtual event will remain open until February 17, 2022.

For more  information about the virtual Craft Malt Conference to request a registration refund, contact Executive Director Jesse Bussard at director@craftmalting.com. Media interested in credentials for this event can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT THE CRAFT MALTSTERS GUILD

Formed in 2013 by eight craft malthouses, the Craft Maltsters Guild’s mission is to promote and sustain the tradition of craft malting in North America, provide services and resources to the Association’s members, and uphold the highest quality and safety standards for Craft Maltsters. Learn more about the Craft Maltsters Guild at www.craftmalting.com.

Craft Maltsters Guild Debuts Opportunity: 2022 Advanced Class in Craft Malt Production

PORTLAND, ME— The Craft Maltsters Guild will offer a four-day intensive workshop in the days leading up to the 2022 Craft Malt Conference in Portland, Maine (CMC 2022).

Startup and experienced maltsters, as well as other parties in the malt supply chain, will gain theoretical and practical knowledge in malting technology at the 2022 Advanced Class in Craft Malt Production. It will be held February 14-17, 2022 at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland, Maine, in the days leading up to the annual Craft Malt Conference. Industry veterans, Hugh Alexander, owner and operator of Scotland’s Balnamoon Maltings & Brewery, and Hannah Turner, Director of the Montana State University Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab, will bring real world experience, research and data, and deep passion as instructors.

“There are few opportunities for those interested in craft malt production to learn the ins and outs of that process so they often have to learn as they go,” says Guild Executive Director Jesse Bussard. “Because of this lack of educational opportunities, the Guild has stepped in to develop classes for our members and the community-at-large to help advance the field.”

Participants will develop knowledge in malting barley and in its characteristics, including learning and controlling the different steps of the malting process; determining the defining characteristics of malt quality and the influence of processing parameters; and learning the technology and methods used to produce craft malt. They will receive a certificate of completion at the end and will be armed with knowledge that will help them further their professional pursuits.

Craft Maltsters Guild members can enjoy the discounted class fee of $1600 while the non-member rate is $2000. Register for the class here. 

Join the Craft Maltsters Guild or renew here to get the member rate.

For more information about the 2022 Advanced Class in Craft Malt Production, contact Jesse Bussard at director@craftmalting.com. 

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about the Craft Maltsters Guild. 

ABOUT THE 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 1984 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, 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 farmer to brewer.

ABOUT THE CRAFT MALTSTERS GUILD

Formed in 2013 by eight craft malthouses, the Craft Maltsters Guild’s mission is to promote and sustain the tradition of craft malting in North America, provide services and resources to the Association’s members, and uphold the highest quality and safety standards for Craft Maltsters. Learn more about the Craft Maltsters Guild at www.craftmalting.com.

Craft Maltsters Guild Goes Virtual with 2021 Craft Malt Conference, February 10-12

The Craft Maltsters Guild proudly presents the fourth annual Craft Malt Conference, coming to you in a virtual format from February 10-12. The decision to go virtual in 2021 was made to support safety measures during COVID-19 but with the added perk of increasing accessibility for the greater craft malt community. Come one, come all. This is an easy-to-attend artisan grains and craft beverage conference you won’t want to miss.

#CraftMaltCon2021 is a three-day event, with curated live seminars on the latest research, trends, and best practices relevant to those in the craft malt supply chain. Participants can also participate in digital malthouse tours, peruse a virtual trade show, and attend cyber happy hours each evening. Attendees will also have the chance to talk with sponsors during live Q&A sessions and check out new products via video demos. 

“We’re excited about the potential this exciting new format offers,” says Executive Director of the Craft Maltsters Guild Jesse Bussard. “Adapting our conference to a virtual experience makes craft malt education more accessible than ever!” 

The 2021 Craft Malt Conference keynote speaker is the esteemed craft beer icon Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Other guest speakers include Richard Simpson of Simpsons Malt, Bart Watson of the Brewers Association, Becky Harris of Catoctin Creek Distillery, and Dr. Charlie Bamforth of UC Davis, from the University of Nottingham and Sierra Nevada, among many other leading craft malt, beer and spirits industry experts. 

The conference finale is the Malt Cup Awards Ceremony on Friday, February 12th. 2021 marks the third year of this one-of-a-kind malt competition, which was remotely judged by a nationwide team of 74 maltsters, brewers, distillers, researchers and Cicerones. Entry analysis and judging was organized by the Montana State University - Barley, Malt and Brewing Quality Lab. Medals will be awarded for the top three winners in both 2021 categories, Pale Malt and Pilsner Malt.

Registration for the 2021 Craft Malt Conference includes access to the full conference schedule, and is available both to CMG membership and non-members. Register here. 

Media interested in attending the virtual Craft Malt Conference are eligible for comped conference participation. Please contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com to participate in the conference, and with all other media inquiries about the Craft Maltsters Guild. 

ABOUT THE CRAFT MALTSTERS GUILD

Formed in 2013 by eight craft malthouses, the Craft Maltsters Guild’s mission is to promote and sustain the tradition of craft malting in North America, provide services and resources to the Association’s members, and uphold the highest quality and safety standards for Craft Maltsters. Learn more about the Craft Maltsters Guild at www.craftmalting.com.