F E AT U R E
In Barley We Trust
The Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre
puts the walk in Canada’s malting barley talk
Canada’s barley growers, dealers and users have a powerful
ally in their corner with the Canadian Malting Barley Technical
Centre (CMBTC). Located in Winnipeg, Man., in the
historic centre of Canada’s grains trade, the CMBTC opened in 2000,
and has since worked to generate trust in Canadian malting barley
overseas and at home by offering technical support and market
information to stakeholders. The upshot is that the CMBTC delivers
data and research to support Canada’s value proposition and it
offers a range of services to help those using Canada’s malting barley
to optimize performance. Today Canada is a trusted source of
high-quality malt barley, thanks in part to the work of the CMBTC.
The CMBTC solicits trust by delivering a portfolio of industry
crucial activities. For example, the CMBTC assesses the quality
and performance of new crop Canadian malting barley annually
and determines the suitability of Canadian malting barley varieties
in different malting processes. They evaluate the commercial
viability of new Canadian barley varieties and provide technical
support, information and assistance to Canada’s barley customers.
The CMBTC also looks into alternative malting processes. Here the
goal is to enhance the performance of the Canadian malting barley
value chain. As well, they develop and deliver technical programs
for both domestic and international customers.
“We deliver solutions to the malting barley, malt and brewing
industries through a variety of activities including quality evaluation
of new Canadian malting barley varieties, annual new crop
quality assessment, export cargo analysis, troubleshooting and
technical support for members as well as market development initiatives,”
said CMBTC managing director Peter Watts.
Watts reports that the CMBTC is a not-for-profit membershipbased
organization with 25 members comprised of players that
include breeders, producer associations, provincial governments,
seed distributors, line companies, malting companies, breweries
and exporters. Funding for the organization is provided through
memberships as well as contributions from the barley producer
associations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and the
Government of Canada.
The power of the CMBTC is in its ability to evaluate malting
barley quality at the micro and pilot-scale level with malting systems
capable of processing from 250 grams to 75 kilograms of barley
using different specified malting regimes with the pilot system
able to simulate commercial malting conditions.
By Kelly Gray
The CMBTC’s pilot brewery is a fully automated, 250-litre system
capable of duplicating commercial brewing practices around
in the world. The equipment includes a mash mixer, lauter tun,
kettle, whirlpool and cylindroconical fermenters. The brewery
also has a cereal cooker and a Meura mash filter. As well, a 15-litre
micro-brewing system enables the CMBTC to conduct small scale
brews, often used in research projects.
“We can evaluate the performance and commercial viability
of new Canadian barley varieties for the brewing industry and provide
technical support, information and assistance to customers
as well,” said Watts, pointing out that their plants help them assess
and evaluate Canada’s malting barley performance in different
Photos courtesy of CMBTC
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