Malting Barley in Pennsylvania

Malting Barley in Pennsylvania

Although malting barley production and malt houses were common in colonial Pennsylvania, large adjunct beer drove malting barley from the East Coast farther west. Feed barley production has continued to the present, however malting barley is predominantly grown in the western United States, Canada, and Europe. Since 2012, we have worked diligently with agronomists, researchers, & farmers to learn about key success factors for malting barley in Pennsylvania. Although most malting barley varieties have been developed in other regions, there are commercial varieties available that perform well in Pennsylvania and meet the quality specifications for malting. Variety performance data is available publicly at Penn State University & Cornell University. It is important to remember that GREAT BARLEY = GREAT MALT = GREAT BEER (spirits & food too). A fact sheet has been published with with best practices for successful malting barley production in Pennsylvania: Agronomy Facts 77: Malting Barley in Pennsylvania

For additional information about malting barley in PA, please give us a call (717-746-6258) or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We would also be happy to answer questions about the production of non-barley specialty grains for malting such as buckwheat, oats, sorghum, rye, etc.

We also offer FREE grain testing!