Mainstays Made with Riverbend Great Chit Malt

 

Chit malt is barley that has started germinating but has not yet fully sprouted. It’s used in brewing to enhance enzymatic activity, which helps break down starches during mashing, making the malt more fermentable. This style of malt was originally developed to sidestep the Reinheitsgebot regulations in Germany.

At Riverbend, we use Southern-grown 2-row barley coupled with a brief germination stage and gentle kilning regime to create our chit malt. This highly under-modified malt can serve as a great substitute for raw grains and dextrin malts in your brew. When using our Great Chit malt, you can expect increased head retention and improved mouthfeel in everything from light lagers to hazy IPAs.

Exceptional craft brewers across the Southeast use Riverbend Great Chit as the ‘secret sauce’ in amplifying their recipes. Check out some of their mainstays—

 

SOUTH MAIN BREWING HAZY LAGER – WATKINSVILLE, GA

Hazy Lager is a delicious brew from South Main Brewing that defies categorization in the best ways. It combines the bold, hoppy flavors of an IPA with the clean, crisp finish of a lager. It’s lighter in alcohol than your typical IPA, but features the same soft palate as a hazy. Brewed with a variety of Riverbend malts, including Great Chit of course, and hopped with 100% Citra hops, Hazy Lager is perfect for those who enjoy hoppy beers with that refreshing lager finish.

 

MOUNTAIN LAYERS BREWING COMPANY PRE-PROHIBITION LAGER – BRYSON CITY, NC 

Mountain Layers Pre-Prohibition Lager offers rustic, grassy malt aromas with a savory hint of sweet corn, followed by a clean, crisp, and neutral palate complemented by a firm supporting bitterness. Brewed with 100% Riverbend malt, including Cumberland Corn, and, of course, Great Chit! It’s then hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrüh and Crystal hops for a well-rounded finish.

 

FIREFORGE CRAFTED BEER DAY ON THE LAKE – GREENVILLE, SC

Day on the Lake is an easy drinking German-style Pilsner from Fireforge Crafted Beer. Riverbend Chesapeake Pilsner, Vienna, and Great Chit malts provide this brew a sturdy malt backbone before a generous amount of noble Hallertau Mittelfrüh, Saaz, and Tradition hops are added, giving this refreshing brew flavors of fresh-baked bread and delicate herbal spices. The name says it all— the perfect beer for a relaxing day spent relaxing by or on the water!

 

GREAT RAFT BREWING SHOW PONY BOHEMIAN-STYLE PILSNER – SHREVEPORT, LA

Brewed in the German Kellerbier style, Show Pony is an unfiltered lager that delivers a smooth, refreshing experience with every sip. Riverbend Chesapeake Pilsner and Great Chit malts add a clean, biscuity flavor, while the Tettnanger hops contribute a delicate floral nose and peppery nuance that noble hops are known for. Show Pony is easy-drinking and sure to please.

 

WEATHERED GROUND BREWERY LITTLE GRAZER GRISSETTE – COOL RIDGE, WEST VIRGINIA

This Grissette, or Table Beer, is a light, wheat-forward brew made with 60-65% wheat. It’s full of Saison yeast character and a touch of hop bitterness. Riverbend Cumberland Pilsner and Great Chit malts are complemented by hop additions of East Kent Goldings and Tettnanger hops. With a light straw color and slight haze, it has a thick white head, a lemony aroma, and a dry, flavorful profile of bready grain, citrus, and spice. 

Weathered Ground’s head brewer Anthony Meador recently shared his love of Great Chit malt in the West Virginia craft beer focused publication Brilliant Stream: “We also have become a big fan of Riverbend’s Great Chit malt… It just really helps out everything we use it in.”