Local Barley Harvested: Barley grown right here on Vancouver Island is harvested by local farmers.
Cleaning: Once the barley is delivered, it’s put through the shaker machine. This machine has a top screen to separate any large debris and a bottom screen to separate any fine particles. We’re left with clean, plump barley and anything separated heads back to the farm for animal feed.
Barley Storage: A grain elevator moves the barley from the shaker into large grain silos where it will be safely stored until we are ready to process it.
Steeping: When we’re ready to process, the barley is transferred into the steeping tank where it combines with water. Air is pumped into the tank to circulate the barley, helping it absorb as much water as possible through multiple eversions and drains.
Germination: After steeping, the barley is referred to as ‘green malt’ and pumped into the germination box. It will be left to germinate at 18°C for four days, with a turn machine rotating the green malt to keep it loose and free flowing.
Kilning: The germination process is stopped by cooking or kilning the green malt. It is heated through the bottom of the germination box for 24 hours at temperatures ranging from 50-120°C depending on the desired flavour and colours of this particular batch.
Malt Transfer: After kilning it officially becomes malt. The floor of the germination box tilts down and the malt falls onto a conveyor to be transferred.
Malt Storage: The conveyor meets up with a grain elevator and the malt is transferred into one of our four silos called malt bins.
Brewing: When we are ready to brew, malt is sent from the malt bin and into the brewery where it will combine with water, hops and yeast to become-
Beer! Nectar of the gods.
What is malt?
Malting is the process of steeping grains, like barley and rye, in water, causing them to germinate and produce the enzymes necessary for brewing and distilling. Four of our Malt Works’ six silos hold malt, while the other two are reserved exclusively for premium selected barley.
Why malt in-house?
Vancouver island produces amazing barley. By malting in-house we are able to support local farmers, and by using barley grown 15 minutes away we are also able to cut down on the emissions of transporting malt across the country. Finally, malting in-house gives us greater control over the quality of the final product. By tailoring the way we process the barley it also allows us to be more creative in developing recipes too!
There are only a handful of malt houses in North America, and we are proud to be the only craft brewer in Canada to malt our own barley.
