Dave Thomas

Ditto on Colorado Malting Co. recommendation. I am heading down there July 6 to see their upgrades.

Post-kiln smoking is easily done in a bbq smoker while spraying the malt with apple juice or other flavorful liquid. We do it for our smoked porter.

Cheers

Dave

Contrary to the results of Mr. Porter's casual research, there are in fact people out there having a go at what I call "micro malting". Other than Rick Wasmund (who might recommend that you buy a shovel and find yourself a concrete floor, which is some good advice) you might get in touch with these guys:

http://www.coloradomaltingcompany.com/

I was at their facility just after they first opened a few years ago, and may have walked out of their maltery with their first samples of malt (decent stuff, by the way). They had converted what looked like a 200 gal. dairy tank into a combo steeping-drying automated malting vessel. Very impressive. If you can get them to build you one, let me know. I'll place another order.

I understand that the demand for their product has allowed them to invest their profits into expanding their facilities. I look forward to visiting their new facility and seeing the improvements.

Profitability? That's a marketing issue. Check out Colorado Malting's prices. Way to go guys.

Nick

Chlorine can inhibit yeast growth and form unpleasant flavor compounds known as chlorophenols, which taste like plastic resin or burning electrical wire.

All brewers remove chlorine from their water before brewing. You can boil the water for 30 minutes to volatilize chlorine then chill before adding yeast.

We have been using Superstart™ Instant Dry Yeast from White Labs. Our mash is rye. Looking for more sources of this yeast in the 20 kilo bags. White Labs ran out recently for three weeks.

What other yeast are being used?

Do you have a local brewery you could make arrangements for cropped yeast with? I think that would be better than dry yeast.

Hello from Dave Thomas (Beer Sleuth LLC)

I'm a retired brewer (Coors) that lived in Scotland so developed a taste for single malts. Am now a stringer for American Distiller and The Brewer and Distiller International (London) among others. Just completed a 990 mile round-Colorado 7 craft distilleries and 12 breweries tour and am writing up my stories. Keep me in the loop if you have newsworthy events coming up.

Have Fly Rod Will Travel

Dave