“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy

When the temperature begins to warm and the days get longer, we start to watch the weather a bit more closely around the Southeast. Calls go out to our small grains growers in late April and early May to get an early read on the crop. Have we had enough rain? Enough warm weather? Any disease pressure? It’s a laundry list of questions designed to gauge what we’ll be working with by the end of the summer.

In the early days, we held our collective breaths as the combines headed out into the fields of family farms. There were many variables to consider; best practices were still in development and the whole idea of harvest felt like a roll of the dice. Late afternoon rains and large storm fronts would inevitably take their toll. These events would lower test weights and increase vomitoxin levels rendering the harvest unusable. 

With each passing year, we (along with our network of growers) learned something about growing barley in our region. Observations around microclimates, planting windows, and post harvest storage all helped build institutional knowledge. Updated guidelines and advice from our extension partners helped improve our odds of success. Mother Nature still threw us plenty of curveballs, but we were much better prepared to weather her storms.

As we sat down to review the data from this year’s harvest, it was clear that we had turned a corner. The samples looked bright and plump with solid test weights to match. Nearly 100 percent of the grain samples we received from ASR Grain Company, Bay’s Best Feed, and Teeter Farm and Seed met the necessary standards for malting. This includes newcomers to the malting barley game, Alabama and Georgia!

 

New Malt On The Block

 

We have partnered with the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama to improve and expand malting barley production in their area. This year’s variety trials included a 6-row variety called Secretariat as well as the 2-row Avalon variety. Both met our quality standards and malting is currently underway. These malts will go out to brewers and distillers throughout the state as part of an “Alabama grown” campaign.

Our friends at Towerhouse Farm Brewery in Georgia are continuing their quest to provide a grain to glass experience for their patrons. This year marks the second successful harvest of 2-row Calypso at their farm and we are looking forward to producing some exceptional malt for them! 

Expanding our grower network into these states has been especially gratifying as we look towards the future of Riverbend. Since our start we’ve heard the question “what do you have that is grown in my state?” The answer is often quite complicated, involving several stakeholders and a potentially steep learning curve. It often takes several years to bring these projects to fruition, but the result is often a big leap for local agriculture and innovation within the neighboring brewhouses.

 

More Avalon, Please 

Speaking of big leaps forward, our stock of Avalon barley bred by the Eastern Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center has increased exponentially with this year’s harvest. Adoption of this variety has happened quickly throughout the Southeast and we are excited to have lots from North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee to work with this year. The first batch is currently in production and will be available soon.

 

Last Kernels

Calypso and Violetta also performed well this season and will continue to play leading roles in Riverbend Base Camp and Southern Select malt styles. 

Finally, we are also welcoming back an old favorite, Seashore Black Rye grown at Tidewater Grain Company in Oriental, North Carolina. This heirloom variety can be traced back to the 1830’s. Stay tuned for details on product release dates.

For the Love of Malted Rye

For a decade, Riverbend Malt House has worked with Carter Farms in Eagle Springs, North Carolina, North Carolina, to source the Abruzzi rye variety for its Carolina Rye malt. This malted Rye pays homage to a crop that has been grown in the South for more than 200 years, and it’s no surprise that brewers and distillers love it for its unique flavor blend of herbal spice, black peppercorn, and citrus. Here is an assortment of those craft brewers and distillers crafting mainstays made with Riverbend Carolina Rye.

End of Days Distillery Rye Whiskey – Wilmington, NC

The ⁣⁠Survivor’s Cut Series Rye Whiskey by End Of Days Distillery— the first whiskey of this type to be produced in Wilmington, NC since prior to Prohibition— features Carolina Rye among other Riverbend malt styles. ⁣⁠”The quality of the grains and the love and care used in the distillation and maturation process show our continued commitment to the craft,” says the distillery website.

Beacon Brewing Co. BOM: Red Rye DIPA – La Grange, GA

“Probably my favorite usage of Riverbend malts are the Munich Rye and Carolina Rye malts in our Red Rye DIPA,” says Dave Hash, the Head Brewer at Beacon Brewing Co. “The spicy rye malt characteristics pair really well with English crystal malt and citrusy hop bitterness, and you can really get that tingling, slightly cooling mouthfeel that you’d get from a rye whiskey.”

Oak & Grist Distilling Company Rye Whiskey – Black Mountain, NC

Oak & Grist Distilling loves a good rye malt. Four years in the making, Oak & Grist’s Rye Whiskey is their smallest-batch spirit to date. Spicy, fruity, and locally produced from grain-to-glass with Riverbend Carolina Rye and Southern Select malts, this distillery-only exclusive spirit has garnered a cult-like following from locals and tourists alike.

Leveller Brewing Four Horned Farmhouse IPA – Weaverville, NC

This Farmhouse IPA made with Riverbend Carolina Rye and Oats has well-balanced bitterness, notes of pith, freshly cut flower stems, red raspberries, and overripe tropical fruit. It’s slightly hazy, and a touch juicy—a great example of a rye malt, well placed.

Weathered Ground Brewery Scrappy Rye Pale – Ghent, WV

A taproom favorite soon-to-hit cans, this rye malt-forward Pale Ale features Carolina Rye and also includes Riverbend Heritage Malt and Great Chit in the recipe.

The Southern Growl – Plenty of Push series

From Base Camp Pale Malt to Appalachian Wheat, beers crafted at The Southern Growl run the gamut of Riverbend malts in their recipes… including, you guessed it— Carolina Rye malt. Our flagship rye malt is a staple found throughout their rotating “Plenty of Plush” lineup of Hazy IPAs. Featuring flavors of herbal spice and black peppercorn, Carolina Rye adds an unexpected punch to this ongoing IPA experimentation. THIS ONE PICTURED is… insert anecdote about the Cozy Cashmere. ⁠

 

It’s almost time to fill those tanks with German-style lagers to serve during this Oktoberfest season. Here is an Oktoberfest planning guide to our standard malt offerings to help plan all of your 2023 recipes. 

Czech-Style Pilsner (<2 SRM)

This product was inspired by the malts hailing from the Hana valley in the eastern portion of the Czech Republic that remain truly under-modified and low in color. In order to reign in these traits, we reduced our steep out moisture and reduced germination temperatures, and coupled this approach with a cool, gentle kiln recipe to ensure minimal color development. The result is a malt with a distinct flavor and color of 2 SRM or less.

The lack of modification opens the door for brewers to utilize step mashing or multiple decoctions to increase efficiency and build flavor. Don’t have that capability in your brew house? Not to worry– we aimed for a level modification that doesn’t require these steps.

Great For: Czech Pilsner, Saison

 

Chesapeake Pilsner (2 SRM)

One of our best selling flagships, this malt has been featured in a wide array of lagers around the Southeast. Produced using 100% VA-grown barley, this malt contributes notes of fresh-baked crackers and honeysuckle. 

Great For: German Pilsner

 

Cumberland Pilsner (2 SRM)

This Pilsner is produced using 100% Calypso barley. Calypso imparts a breadier, fruitier profile when compared to the Chesapeake Pilsner Malt. 

Great For: Helles, American Pilsner

 

Vienna Malt (4-6 SRM)

We kiln this style similarly to our Light Munich malt, with a cooler curing temperature to minimize color development. Vienna Malt helps to create full body and smooth mouthfeel, while importing honey and biscuit flavors. 

Great For: Marzen, Festbier 

 

Heritage Malt (6-8 SRM)

Notes of caramel and toasted bread are prominently featured in this product, developed to perform like a light Munich or Vienna style malt. This versatile style packs enough diastastic power to perform as a base malt to boot. 

Great For: Vienna Lager, ESB

 

Light Munich (8-12 SRM)

Producing a high-quality Munich-style malt requires a completely different approach to the process. Higher kilning temperatures and extended times combine to create the rich, bready flavor profile that these malts are known for. We use a proprietary blend of 2-row barley varieties as the base for this product. Try it as a base malt for your next Doppelbock recipe or in smaller percentages in a Helles!

Great For: Helles, Doppelbock 

 

Dark Munich (25-35 SRM)

A continuation of the Munich-style, this product is crafted using an intense 30+ hour kiln cycle that utilizes high temperatures and different air flow management techniques. The result is an aromatic malt that delivers notes of baker’s chocolate, toast, and dark fruit. 

Great For: Doppelbock 

 

Double Kilned Munich (50 SRM)

As its name suggests, Double Kilned Munich makes two trips through the kiln, a process that helps develop the complex flavors and increases color to approximately 50 SRM. This malt will contribute a beautiful, ruby red hue and notes of dark fruit and toffee with a touch of fresh roasted coffee flavor. 

Great For: Czech Dark Lager, Baltic Porter 

 

Munich Rye (40 SRM)

This malt is kilned at higher temperatures throughout and delivers notes of pumpernickel bread, cardamon, and allspice.

Great For: Belgian Dubbel, Brown Ale

 

There is also plenty of time to reach out about designing a malt blend to create signature flavor profiles. Please reach out to your Riverbend representative or email sales@riverbendmalt.com for more information about our custom malt program. 

Sample Grain Bills

Festbier 

Czech Pilsner – 70%

Vienna – 23%

Dark Munich – 7%

 

Oktoberfest 

Cumberland Pilsner – 45%

Light Munich – 45%

Double Kilned Munich – 10%

 

Beyond seeking the highest quality crops possible, we source our grains with flavor and aroma characteristics in mind too. This constant exploration of nuance has led us to several single origin Pilsner malt styles in our portfolio, which allow brewers and distillers to craft beer and spirits with a sense of place.

“If you know your maltster and you understand how they work with their product, these individual origins can help you to differentiate different products,” Vince Tursi, Co-Founder of DSSOLVR, told The Wort podcast last year.

“I like to send Vince the flavor descriptors with small batches of new barley,” Brent Manning, our Co-Founder, replied on the podcast. “He’ll say ‘sweet, that sounds perfect for the Helles or the Maibock we’re going to brew.’ At the apex of our galavanting around and playing with these varieties I came into his taproom and he had four different light beers made with four different Pilsner malts with four different varieties of barley. This is a hallelujah moment.” 

Meet Our Pilsner Malts 

Ongoing experimentation has landed two single origin pilsner malt styles in Riverbend’s year-round product offerings: Chesapeake Pilsner and Cumberland Pilsner. Add to this our original Pilsner malt, made with Thoroughbred 6-row barley, and Czech Pilsner an undermodified 2-row version; all which give brewers plenty to explore.

Chesapeake Pilsner, the 2022 bronze medal winner in the international Malt Cup, is produced using 2-row Violetta barley sourced from Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. It strikes a beautiful balance of bread crumb, green tea, and honeysuckle flavors. The wort is a touch richer and sweeter than our original 6-row Pilsner. This style has become a staple base malt for many brewers and distillers for its versatility. Chesapeake Pilsner has become a staple base malt for many brewers and distillers for its versatility. The light color allows for inclusion across a wide range of beverage styles including Pilsner, Bourbon, and Single Malt Whiskey. Its grassy, earthy notes play well with hops, too. 

Cumberland Pilsner is produced using 2-row Calypso barley sourced from the Cumberland plateau of Tennessee. This variety produces a more full-bodied wort with notes of melon and sugar cookie. The prominent sweet aromatics and bread dough characteristics of this malt style make it a perfect fit for styles in which the malt is center stage, such as Helles, Maibock, and dark lager.  

Our original 6-Row Pilsner, made with Thoroughbred grain, has been in production since 2014. This malt first rose to prominence during the proliferation of wild and mixed culture programs that occurred across the Southeast. Historically, these beers were produced with grains from the surrounding fields. Brewers interested in emulating these practices, discovered our Pilsner could provide that perfect, yet hard to define, “rustic” character. This malt is also enjoying renewed popularity in Pre-Prohibition lager recipes.  

A Case For Terroir 

The expansion of the single origin Pilsner series represents an important step in solidifying the case for a Southern terroir. Flavor can be influenced by a number of factors including barley variety, crop year, and soil health. The malting process (floor or pneumatic) can also introduce additional variables.

“Single origin malt allows me to pick and choose,” says Jon Simpson, the Head Brewer at Fullsteam Brewery. “Kind of like the selection of single origin coffee.”

Crafting beer that represents Southern terroir has always been part of Fullsteam’s mission, Simpson continues. He’s no stranger to brewing beers with all North Carolina ingredients, sometimes all Riverbend malt. “If I’m using local, single origin malt, someone from Montana, for example, can’t replicate that— just like we can’t replicate theirs.” 

“If you change [your recipe] up dramatically with a completely different barley from another sector of the United States that in and of itself is such a unique product [despite] going through the same process,” Tursi adds.

What’s Next? 

“As lagers come back into the scene in a Gold Rush-type fashion, malt is the main flavor in all of these beers,” said our Alabama, Florida, and Georgia Territory Manager Tyler Adams in this episode of the Florida Beer Podcast. This rise of lager sales across the United States offers an exciting opportunity to propel this conversation forward. 

The only remaining hurdle is tradition. Lager brewers have always been sticklers for tradition, and rightfully so— these beers have been brewed with time honored methods and ingredients for hundreds of years. We hope the next wave will incorporate the methods, but open the same door to innovation with ingredient selection that brought us to style categories like the New England IPA or the Cascadian Dark Ale. 

What beers and spirits do you make with our single origin Pilsner malts? Share them here on our #madewithRiverbend page.