Episode 09: A [Malty] Bend in the River
What is malt, how is it made, and what does it do for beer?
Barley malt is the foundational ingredient of beer, but it’s an afterthought for most craft beer fans. A new group of small, artisan malt houses are returning character to brewing malt, and that malt is popping up in unexpected places—including bean to bar chocolate bars.
In this episode we talk with Brian Simpson of Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, North Carolina, who malts barley and other grains for craft brewers and distillers. We also talk with French Broad Chocolates co-founder Jael Skeffington, who uses Riverbend malt in her best-selling chocolate bar, and Kyle Spears & Dan Lauro, the brewers at Carillon Brewing Company in Dayton, Ohio, who use Riverbend Malt in their historical 19th century ales.
Beers mentioned in this episode include Carillon Brewing Porter, Irish Red Ale, and Coriander Ale, New Belgium Brewing RyePA and Exquisite Extraction, and Fonta Flora Brewery Såinnhus.
Chocolate bars mentioned in this episode include French Broad Chocolates Malted Milk 44%, Indulgence Chocolatiers Porter & IPA, Omnom Chocolate Black n’ Burnt Barley & Superchocoberrybarleynibblynuttylicious, and Charm School Chocolate Caramel Malt.
Also mentioned in this episode were the Craft Maltsters Guild, Carolina Ground, & Sugar Creek Malt.
The music for this episode was sampled from instrumental versions of the songs “Come Home” and “Umbrella” written and performed by indie folk musician Anna ps from her 2016 album Umbrella. Anna p.s. conveys a sense of weariness throughout her simple yet resonant songs, but it’s a weariness that keeps a blanket of hope tucked up under its chin, even as the rain keeps falling outside the windows. You can find out more about Anna at her website.
Guests:
Jael Skeffington is the co-founder of French Broad Chocolates in Asheville, North Carolina. Prior to founding French Broad in 2012, Jael lived in Costa Rica, where she ran a small bakery and confectionary called Bread & Chocolate. French Broad operates both a production facility and a chocolate boutique and cafe.
Brian Simpson is the co-founder of Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, North Carolina, where he produces artisan malts from regional and often heirloom grains. Prior to founding Riverbend, Brian worked as a hydro geologist and an environmental consultant for the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.
Kyle Spears is the head brewer and a historian at Carillon Brewing Company in Dayton, Ohio. He had an interest in craft beer but never anticipated working as a professional brewer before helping to establish Carillon with founding brewer Tanya Brock. He has a degree in history, and approaches Carillon’s historical brewing process with a focus upon historical accuracy.
Dan Lauro is a brewer and historian at Carillon Brewing Company. He had twenty years of homebrewing experience prior to joining Carillon in 2017. Dan has a Masters Degree in history, and applies a keen historical curiosity to researching and developing historically accurate brewing processes at Carillon.