Grainswest - Spring 2023

Spring 2023 grainswest.com 37 farmers. “Just about every one of them would ask me, ‘I grow malt barley. Can you make some beer with it?’” These farmer queries sparked an idea, and the planning process to launch Hogarth Malt began as Aaron worked part time as a brewer and consultant for various clients. While large maltsters produce product on a railcar scale, he envisioned a market niche for small-batch, farm-traceable varieties produced with traditional small-batch processes. “We can tell you the farmer, the field, the date the barley was harvested and what was put into the land to grow it,” said Alex. Aaron’s brewing expertise is another plus, she added. He speaks the language of their brewer clients and understands their needs. Some of these needs are outside the brewing mainstream. “We can play with weird grains and processes the big guys would never even try on their scale,” said Aaron. One such malt is a melanoidin type they’ve dubbed Melany. When piled especially high, the amino acids and sugars in the barley react under anaerobic conditions to produce a product that gives beer a rich, slightly fruity maltiness and an attractive red hue. “It’s a really interesting product that no one else makes around here,” said Aaron. Such products and the fact the grain is organic add to the brewer’s story, which is an important marketing tool. But quality, as the old Ford Motor Company slogan goes, is job one. “It’s got to be good product,” said Aaron. Quick turnover also allows the Hogarths to be fleet of foot as they switch gears to meet the shifting requirements of their clientele. The malthouse’s timeline delivers additional value for brewers. “We don’t typically stock up way ahead of time. One of our advantages is freshness,” said Aaron. “A lot of the base malts come out of the kiln, maybe a week before they’re being used at the breweries.” As inflation has increased in recent months, this has lowered availability and driven up the cost of imported U.K. and European malts. This has benefited Alberta maltsters as brewers have sought alternatives. For instance, local maltsters can provide substitutes for in-demand German malt varieties with the added benefit of being fresher than the import version. “There is a significant difference between fresh, local malt and malt that has maybe sat in a warehouse or on a boat for six months or longer,” said Aaron. “They are beautiful malts, but I think freshness is key.” Alex Hogarth conveniently uses a lawnmower-like device to turn and spread malt. She and husband Aaron previously did this backbreaking work with grain shovels.