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Malting industry connects farmers to growing craft beverage supply chain

The Great Lakes Malting Company says it’s been working for a decade to shorten the supply chain between farmers and craft beverage producers.

Owner Jeff Malkiewicz tells Brownfield the Traverse City company contracts with farmers who can clean and store smaller amounts of grains like wheat, rye, oats, and barley.

“We steep the grain in water, trying to increase the moisture content so that the grain begins to sprout,” he says. “We then control that process through germination. And finally, once the barley is fully modified, we kiln it and develop the flavor profiles.”

He says locally sourced ingredients are gaining traction, despite most malt still coming from outside the region.

“I think it’s led more brewers and distillers to look within their operations and see how they can generate storytelling authenticity that their customers are looking for,” he shares. “And so, we’ve actually gotten a lot more interest as craft has matured.”

The Great Lakes Malting Company’s processing capacity had grown more than sixfold to more than 2.5 million pounds of malt each year, supported in part by a Michigan Food and Agriculture Investment Program grant.

Brownfield interviewed Malkiewicz during the recent MSU Food-grade Grain Field Day.