Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: 2021 North American 2-row Crop  (Read 1951 times)

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11326
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
2021 North American 2-row Crop
« on: October 11, 2021, 04:57:27 am »
I met with my sales guy from North Country Malts last week and he warned me that the North American and Canadian 2-row crop was piss poor this year and to expect higher protein content and thinner kernels which will result in poor extraction, necessary mill adjustments and potentially more trub. He actually recommended a protein rest or to use a protease enzyme. Probably gonna be necessary to break out that lot analysis.

European barley is supposedly all fine.

Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 634
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2021, 06:43:12 am »
Is that due to drought?

Also, I wonder how long some of that will remain stored and possibly mixed in with next years crop--especially if a lot of brewers buy from Europe this year and US malting companies sell less.

Was the yield poor also, or just the quality.
It's easier to read brewing books and get information from the forum than to sacrifice virgins to appease the brewing gods when bad beer happens!

Offline stpug

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 742
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2021, 07:49:40 am »
I'm hearing the same from another maltster in north america; yes, due to drought and high temps.  Typically looking at 80% harvest from fields and are seeing closer to 30% this year with close to 14% protein :o.  So not only poor quality malt but higher prices are expected as well :'(

Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 634
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2021, 08:02:32 am »
Why does the protein increase when the crop is stressed?
It's easier to read brewing books and get information from the forum than to sacrifice virgins to appease the brewing gods when bad beer happens!

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11326
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2021, 08:03:59 am »
Is that due to drought?

Also, I wonder how long some of that will remain stored and possibly mixed in with next years crop--especially if a lot of brewers buy from Europe this year and US malting companies sell less.

Was the yield poor also, or just the quality.

Yes, they are mixing in some of last years crop. Not sure how much.

Offline ttash

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 161
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2021, 08:31:19 am »
I'm hearing the same from another maltster in north america; yes, due to drought and high temps.  Typically looking at 80% harvest from fields and are seeing closer to 30% this year with close to 14% protein :o.  So not only poor quality malt but higher prices are expected as well :'(

The price increases have already begun. We just signed a bulk malt contract for our silo, with a notable increase, and our sales rep said that for the time being they weren't entering into any new bulk malt contracts due to potential shortages.

Offline ynotbrusum

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4882
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2021, 09:06:00 am »
Why does the protein increase when the crop is stressed?

I assume barley is affected similarly to wheat:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363227/

We have seen it before and made it through, but I don't like the idea of paying even more for domestic barley malt...I had just gotten used to paying more for craft malts.
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline RC

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 669
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2021, 10:06:47 am »
Why does the protein increase when the crop is stressed?

if nothing else, the protein percentage will increase simply because the starch percentage has decreased.

Offline Bilsch

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 249
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2021, 12:28:17 pm »
Gelatinization temperature of the starch also increases in hot dry years which makes reaching proper attenuation difficult. More brewers will have to abandon single temperature mash in favor of multi step.

Climate change has hit our favorite beverage.

Offline chinaski

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 571
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2021, 02:24:04 pm »
Maybe this will make local malt more attractive to brewers, especially in places that weren't affected by the on-going drought.

Offline Big_Eight

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 135
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2021, 03:11:14 pm »
Interesting, I'm already buying local malt since it tastes better anyway. Hope that's not affected.

Offline Saccharomyces

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1136
  • Deus ex machina
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2021, 04:34:33 pm »
Thanks for the heads-up Keith!  I just got back from purchasing a 55lb bag of MaltEurop Wisconsin Select.  I seriously doubt that the drought will affect East Coast craft maltings because we received a bumper crop of rain, but I am not a craft base malt buyer; therefore, I rely on the major maltsters for domestic base malt.

Offline Bel Air Brewing

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1398
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2021, 06:07:02 pm »
Wow…maybe a good thing our store room is filling up with 55 pound bags of malt from Germany.
As far as rain goes, Texas had more rain this year than in any year that I remember. Sure saved us some $$ on our water bill!

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27095
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #13 on: October 12, 2021, 08:05:49 am »
Wow…maybe a good thing our store room is filling up with 55 pound bags of malt from Germany.
As far as rain goes, Texas had more rain this year than in any year that I remember. Sure saved us some $$ on our water bill!

AFAIK, not a lot of halting barley grown in TX. Here in the PNW,  where a lot is grown, we had the dryer year on record .
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline Bel Air Brewing

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1398
Re: 2021 North American 2-row Crop
« Reply #14 on: October 12, 2021, 09:17:25 am »
Wow…maybe a good thing our store room is filling up with 55 pound bags of malt from Germany.
As far as rain goes, Texas had more rain this year than in any year that I remember. Sure saved us some $$ on our water bill!

AFAIK, not a lot of halting barley grown in TX. Here in the PNW,  where a lot is grown, we had the dryer year on record .

Here are examples -

https://www.blacklandsmalt.com/about-us/

https://texmalt.com/about-us/

https://maverickmalthouse.com/malt/