Grainswest - Spring 2022

Spring 2022 Grains West 28 In 2018, Keith began to ponder the possibility of a malthouse. “I am a scotch drinker at heart, so I initially wondered if we could produce malt to make whisky,” he said. Fascinated by their research into the malting process, the Woynorowskis committed to launch their own malting business and priced out ready-made malting units. These proved too large, expensive and difficult to acquire. Keith’s DIY DNA kicked in, and the rest is micro- malting history. He spent months reading books and online sources about malting biochemistry and process specs. Scouring Kijiji for stainless steel tanks, Keith purchased a 2,200-litre dairy tank and began the construction process. “A dairy tank made an excellent vessel to start building around, and I got some of the parts from my local auto supply store,” he said. Within a year, he also located a “killer deal” on a 15,000-litre tank that would allow for an eventual expansion. To recycle the heat from the exhaust produced during the kilning process, he built a heat exchanger that forces the high-humidity air through a series of small tubes that warms the incoming cold air. As a labour saver and safety aid, he then constructed the aforementioned pneumatic tube system to minimize the physical handling requirements of the barley. “I was constantly loading and emptying product, having to handle it multiple times before the malt was ready to go,” said Keith, of the system’s pre- tube days. While making the use of a forklift unnecessary in moving the grain from stage to stage, the system also eliminates dust and the need to wear a respirator. Additionally, it is gentle on the grain. “Malt is very delicate. Every time you auger it, you do a lot of damage. Pneumatics is definitely a little bit easier on the product.” A further indispensable labour- saving component is the malthouse’s programmable logic controller (PLC). The industrial-strength computer system monitors and controls its functions, which allows Keith to carry out his farming duties. The digital system FEATURE operates the entire malting process including temperature and humidity within its vessels 24 hours a day. To create it, Keith taught himself to write computer code. “I never thought I would have to learn to write ladder logic [PLC software], but you do what you need to when you are running things on your own,” he said. The couple also attended the two- week intensive malting course offered by the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre in Winnipeg, MB. Jennifer took the course first so she could provide feedback as Keith worked through the construction process of their malting unit. Once the system was complete, Keith took the course in part to compare his newly invented malting process with that of Jennifer’s training course. He found they were indeed comparable and appreciated the course’s hands-on malt production aspect. He did admit he would have benefitted from on-the-job experience in a malthouse. “There are always going to be variants on your way up to those [malting] benchmarks. You can’t learn that all in one batch.” True to form, he and Jennifer have studied the finer aspects of malting theory and perfected procedures on their own through trial and error. “We’re still learning,” said Keith. While the couple worked together on the system’s design process, Jennifer now handles the books, conducts sales and makes deliveries while she also cares for the couple’s three school-aged children. She plans to eventually take on more work within the malthouse itself. THE SCALE UP The couple’s ambitious plan to have the system ready for the fall 2018 barley Keen to purchase Alberta-grown product, Hammer Malt's brewer and distiller clients are all located within a one-hour drive of the malthouse.