More barley, more beer

There’s been a lot of growth in the local craft malting scene since last summer’s first Know Barley Know Beer field day by Washington State University.

The Spokane-based LINC Foods farm co-op opened its Palouse Pint malting operation in February and has been producing malt used by local brewers on a limited basis.

And WSU’s Sustainable Seed Systems Lab is experimenting with six new barley varieties specifically tailored to the needs of craft brewers.

“They have a unique pedigree, so they should have unique flavors,” says Kevin Murphy, the professor who oversees the project.  “It should give growers and brewers a lot more varieties to choose from.”

The second annual Know Barley Know Beer day starts Friday at 1 p.m. with a tour of the Palouse Pint facilities at the Spokane Business & Industrial Park in Spokane Valley.

Palouse Pint so far has produced three varieties of barley malt – pilsner, English pale and C-40 biscuit – as well as malted white wheat. Maltster Joel Williamson also just finished a Vienna malt that’s being tested for quality.

Williamson is working with Baronesse, an old-school European barley variety grown by LINC member Joseph’s Grainery in Colfax that hasn’t typically been used for malting.

The new varieties being tested by Murphy’s team have been bred with malting in mind. Friday’s event will proceed to trial fields west of Reardan at 3 p.m.

Those varieties also are being grown at 10 other locations around the state, Murphy says – mostly on the Palouse – to see how they react to different conditions. “They’re doing really well in the field, so farmers should like them,” he says.

If all continues to go smoothly, Murphy says, they’ll be produced in larger quantities so maltsters and brewers can try them out.

Several local brewers already have been experimenting with the Palouse Pint malt. Friday’s event wraps up at 4:30 at Orlison’s brewery in Airway Heights with the tasting of a small-batch pale ale brewed with the pilsner and biscuit malts.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to try that,” Murphy says.