Riverbend Malt House is developing alongside the craft malt community, which means that education about everything from small grain production to final products – and everything in between— is critical. We’re committed to providing resources that help our craft brewing and artisanal distilling partners craft the highest quality beers and spirits.
This is your hub for grain research and sensory information, with best practices for marketing your ingredients to boot.
Sorry, there are no articles that match your search.
Interested in a topic you don’t see here?
Southern Main Brewing Company – Ryes to the Oatcassion
Brewed in collaboration with Southern Philosophy Brewing for this year’s Georgia Craft Brewers Guild Festival, this brew is sure to turn heads! Heirloom base malts are balanced with Riverbend Vienna and Seashore Black Rye, which bring in soft herbal notes, a hint of nuttiness, and a creamy mouthfeel.
Changes coming for Riverbend malt shipping in 2025
Transparency is a cornerstone value at Riverbend Malt House, not just for our sourcing but also in our communication to our customers. As the market shifts, we want y’all to be the first to know about pending changes that will impact our shipping process and pricing.
We ship Riverbend malt through a broad array of Less Than a Truckload (LTL) carriers to destinations throughout the Southeast every day. These LTL carriers are governed by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA), which establishes guidelines for different types of freight with a class system based on density and durability.
Beginning on July 19, 2025, the class of bagged malt will switch from Class 50 (dense and durable) to Class 65 (same as bottled beverages, less durable). As a result, shipping charges will likely increase. In fact, some carriers have already implemented this class change.
Here are the steps we’re taking to manage this issue….
1) We are negotiating set rates with carriers ahead of this transition to reduce the impact on customer costs.
2) We are phasing out carriers that have prematurely transitioned to the Class 65 designation.
3) We are having conversations and getting price quotes from multiple carriers to ensure we have achieved the best possible mix of expedient, cost-effective service for our customers.
While we don’t have concrete updates today, we’ll be sure to keep everyone updated as these changes take effect. You can visit the NMFTA website here for more information.
Please note we have always offered free shipping to our local customers! If you’re in Asheville, these shipping changes do not apply.
Accessorials are a pain in the A$$!
While we’re on the subject….let’s talk about accessorials! What are these, you ask? Quite simply these are upcharges associated with additional services that can impact your shipping costs. For example, if a driver offers to bring your pallet inside the brewery with a handtruck, this can result in an additional fee for “inside delivery” that was not originally included when your shipment was quoted or booked.
Please note that we can no longer cover these unexpected costs and will be reaching out to you to send updated invoices that reflect these items.
Going forward, we’ll be adding signage to pallets to help all involved avoid these fees. Please keep an eye out.
Please feel free to reach out to your sales representative with questions. We’re here to help y’all navigate these changes.
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.”