Cereals in brewing and distilling

Transcription

1 Cereals in brewing and distilling The history of the cultivation of cereals and the production of beer and distilled spirits are closely linked. It is widely claimed that the invention of bread and beer was responsible for humanity s ability to develop technology and build civilisations. by Steve Curtis This was not possible until the widespread development of the first domesticated cereal grains which can be traced back to around twelve thousand years ago. It is these early Holocene farming communities in southwest Asia and the development of the first crops of wheat and barley, that gave rise to the industries we now take for granted. To conclude the history lesson, beer was first believed to have been brewed as early as eleven and a half millennia ago or shortly after cereal was first farmed. It is recorded in the written histories of Egypt and Mesopotamia, although it is probable that beer-like beverages were produced as a result of natural fermentation of starches or sugars throughout the world where cereals were available. Distillation has been around since around 2000 BC, with perfumes and aromatics being produced by the Babylonians. Distillation was brought to Europe by the Moors and its use spread through the monasteries, largely for medicinal purposes. By 1300 distillation had arrived in Ireland and Scotland. Since the islands had few grapes with which to make wine, barley beer was first used for beverage distilling, resulting in the development of whisky. Unlike beer production, it took the development of the art of distillation before specific distilled spirits were first available, rather than the availability of starch/sugar supply, and it was not until around 1400 when it was discovered how to distil from wheat, barley and rye beers and thus beginning the national drinks of a number of countries. Wind forward to the present day and what has changed? Mankind s (and industry s) reliance on wheat and barley as food crops continues and the demands for cereal crops today seem to come under the influence of more diverse factors such as climate change, global exchange rates, population growth and the need for a sustainable industry. Cereals production Cereal grains are members of the monocot families Poaceae or Gramineae, more commonly known as grasses, cultivated for the edible components of their fruit seeds the endosperm, the germ and the bran (or husk). They are grown in greater quantities and provide more food worldwide than any other crop. As whole grains, their natural form, they are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, oils and proteins. When refined by removing the bran and germ the remaining endosperm is mostly carbohydrate and the remaining nutrients are lost. Cereals form the basic diet in some developing nations, with grains in the form of maize, rice, wheat or millet being prevalent. In the developed world, cereal consumption is a smaller portion of the diet but is much more varied and, in terms of total consumption, substantial. Table 1 shows the growth in annual world cereal production from 1961, data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Increased production of cereals over the last 40 years has largely kept pace with population growth over the same period (3.0 billion to 6.9 billion estimated). A fourfold growth in maize, a staple food of people in the Americas, Africa and of livestock worldwide, has been the biggest driver of this increase. Wheat as the primary cereal of temperate regions and barley grown for malting and livestock feeding, have both increased threefold, whereas rice as the primary cereal of tropical and some temperate regions has seen a doubling in production. Oats and rye have seen a fall in production as demand for them has fallen, oats once being the staple 8

2 food of Scotland and other cold climates. Today s brewing and distilling industry has to compete with a number of sectors for this farmed resource. Traditional food and drink now is now vying with the bioethanol industry and with world population expected to hit 9.5 billion people by 2050, the growth in cereal production will continue. Some people may argue that we will reach crisis point with our abilities to feed ourselves and that the sustainability of food and drink supplies of the future will become increasingly important or indeed critical, I shall, however, leave these discussions to others and focus on the use of the cereals available today for the production of beer and distilled spirits. Table 1: Growth in annual world cereal production Maize Wheat Rice Barley Sorghum Millet Oat Rye Triticale Total 956 2,480 Cereal crops, including malting barley, are traded as commodities around the world where grain from an area of surplus (lower price) is traded with an area of deficit (higher price). This matches supply with demand and brings prices together to make a global market and a global price. The availability, and therefore price, of cereal crops is determined in the short term by the crop size in any particular year and the stock level brought forward from the previous year. This recent headline from a trade paper indicates the challenge: Barley shortages will clearly lead to increased costs for brewers. European brewers have a fight on their hands to source quality malting barley during United States Department of Agriculture statistics estimate drawdowns on the EU malting quality barley crop year 2010 to million tonnes compared with million tonnes in Reasons for the output decline include heavy rain that hit production in Scandinavia, Germany and Eastern Europe, the Russian heat wave that hit production by 50% and led to a barley export ban, US production declines and a wet Canadian harvest. Similar headlines are common every year around the world and perhaps this news may become the norm in the future? Cereals for beverages A look at some definitions of beer available from various sources shows an interesting range of ingredients as well as water, hops, and yeast, various definitions also call for malted barley, or malted cereals, or just cereals, so despite a reliance on barley crops during beer s long history there are alternatives to all-barley malt brewing. Clearly this is not a new proposition; looking back over the 125 years of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling s history there are many references to these alternative uses of cereals. The Brewers Journal of November 1886 reported A very happy idea that was originated by Messrs Gillman & Spencer Ltd, who had a competitive exhibition of beers brewed with their patent rice and torrefied barley malts. Over 100 brewers responded to the invitation, their prospects of substantial prizes apparently having proved an incentive not to be ignored. This idea eventually evolved into the Brewing Industry International Awards, where its Speciality category demonstrates how far the brewers have moved from being almost exclusively dependent on malted barley. There is also a long history of beers made with malted wheat around the world, as well as brewing in areas where the most popular cereals are not available, such as with sorghum and millet in Africa. The distilled spirits industry, outside of the traditional of grain distilling, has managed to diversify during its development into fruit, sugar, and simple-starch based products as Malting in Cork, Ireland. Above: Cross section through a barley grain, with the embryo stained red by tetrazolium dye. A simple way to consider a cereal grain is that it is composed of three parts: a) The embryo, or germ, which will eventually grow into the roots and shoots of the new plant. b) The endosperm, comprising of hard insoluble starch, which is the food reserve to be used by the growing germ of the grain. The embryo produces enzymes which travel into the starch, breaking down the starch walls and changing the condition of the starch from insoluble to soluble. c) The husk, formed by two overlapping halves, which cover the grain surface, to protect the germ and endosperm. The maltster s task is to get the endosperm modification to a certain point, and then stop the process, locking it up by the use of heat. The brewer will then unlock the process when he mashes his milled malt and completes the conversion to sugars which will feed the yeast to produce alcohol, whilst other characteristics in the malt produce strong contributions to the quality of the final beer (Picture courtesy of the Maltsters Association of Great Britain)

3 Botanical prints of barley, maize and rice. were able to be locally sourced. There has also developed a much more varied use of cereals and less of a reliance on a supply of a single malted grain. A good example of this is the North American whiskey industry where a wide variety of cereals, both malted and unmalted, are used to produce a wide range of whiskey styles see Table 2 overleaf. Why malted cereal? Malting is the controlled rehydration and germination of cereals, followed by a termination of this natural process by the application of heat. Further heat is then applied to kiln the grain and produce the flavour and colour required by the brewer. In simplistic terms, the maltster and the malting process fools the cereal grain into thinking it is spring! If this germination were allowed to continue then the resulting plant growth would consume all the starches and sugars that are needed for fermentation, the skill of the maltster therefore is to monitor this germination closely and know exactly when to stop the process. The malting process and the use of malted grain, therefore provides the basis by which the mashing process can fully convert the storage starches in the cereal grain into fermentable sugars. From a brewing point of view there are two kinds of cereal in use within the mashing process, those that need to be mashed and whose primary function is to provide fermentable sugars (for alcohol production and base malt flavours such as grainy or malty descriptors) and those cereals (malted or un-malted) which do not need to be mashed as they are used primarily for other Bateman s Combined Harvest On a beautiful sunny spring morning I travelled to Lincolnshire to meet with Martin Cullimore Production Director at Bateman s to learn a little more about brewing with non-traditional malted cereals. Batemans is family-owned and was awarded Regional Brewer of the Year in 2010 by The Publican magazine, and has 65 pubs mainly around the Wainfleet area of Lincolnshire area but is now starting to spread further afield Bateman s is famed for their range of traditional English ales brewed with variety of barley malts, with Tipple, Flagon, and some Maris Otter being used in the grist. The brewery has a history of including a proportion of malted wheat in their beers and like to use crystal malts for colour and flavour as they have proved to have a positive benefit to foam retention. Combined Harvest was conceived in 2002 as the UK s first multigrain beer, using malted barley, malted wheat, malted rye, and malted oats. Martin worked with malt supplier Thomas Fawcett to develop their own grain bill and malting specifications for these malted cereals. The resulting beer is described as a complex, pale bronze multigrain beer with a superb aroma dominated by a tart orange and lemon slices fruitiness. It has a bready note from the rye, the wonderfully quenching palate has citrus fruit, rich, chewy malt and gentle hop resins, followed by a dry, fruity and biscuity finish Malted barley and wheat are bought as whole grains and milled into the mash tun, whereas malted rye and oats are bought pre-milled. The brewing team has found no specific issues with these grains through the process apart from a need for a slightly increased kettle fining rate. Experience tells Martin that they need to be careful with malted oats in that too high a proportion will start to give protein haze issues, however they are confident that significant quantities of the other malted cereals won t cause too many problems. We have to get everything right first time as we are predominantly a traditional cask ale brewer with no procedures available to blend away any problems. Our insurance policy is taking care over our high quality raw materials and our brewing process. Hops are a blend of Phoenix and Challenger to complement the balance of the malted grains. The success of the brand has resulted in a second beer being produced along similar lines All Seasons brewed with a proportion of chocolate malt. This copper red beer is flavoured with English Golding hops and results, in Martin s view, in a smooth and rich tasting bitter. The marketing guys have picked up on the four seasons spring sown cereals, summer harvested, autumn malted, and winter hopped and it seems everyone is extremely happy with this latest multigrain beer as it has been adopted as a permanent brand. 10

4 Production of fermentable brewing syrups Wet milling of corn is the basis of glucose syrup manufacture for the production of beer (as a fermentation adjunct) and distilled spirits (as a sweetener), as well as a number of other beverages and foodstuffs. Shelled corn undergoes a process of cleaning before being steeped in warm water for around one day. As the corn takes up water and softens, the gluten bonds within the corn start to break down and release the storage starches. The corn is then coarsely milled to separate the germ, and in the form of a slurry the rest of the corn is finely ground to release starch and gluten from fibre and then filtered to separate out the fibre. The starch-gluten suspension then passes through a centrifuge where the gluten is spun out, the remaining starch is washed to remove any residual protein, and the resultant 99.5% pure starch is either dried and sold as corn starch or modified to form other products. Nothing is wasted. The wastewater from steeping is concentrated to capture nutrients for animal feed and industrial fermentation. The germ is further processed to separate the corn oil. The separated fibre and glutted are dried and used as animal feed. To convert starch to syrup it is again suspended in water and liquefied by enzyme to convert it into a low-dextrose solution. Second enzyme is added to continue the conversion of starch to fermentable sugar and by varying the availability of the two enzymes different mixes of glucose or maltose, and differing fermentabilities, can be made for differing needs. The syrup is filtered, centrifuged, and ion-exchanged before excess water is evaporated off. Glucose is most commonly used for fermentation although other sugars can be used. In brewing they are often used to: Extend the brewing capacity without major brewhouse vessel expansion. Control fermentation via a modified sugar profile. Improve beer physical stability by dilution of non-starch constituents. Help control costs (potential as a cheaper source of fermentable carbohydrate) Glucose syrups can be added to the conditioning tank or cask as a priming syrup in traditional ales. Low fermentable syrups containing maltodextrins are used in the production of low-alcohol beers and high fermentable syrups are used in the production of low-calorie beers by decreasing the concentration of residual nonfermented sugar. reasons. These basic light coloured malts, generically referred to as pale ale malt, lager malt, pilsner malt or malted wheat, make up the bulk of a wort s fermentable sugars. These traditional malts are now being complemented by a range of other malted cereals which are available from a number of maltsters for the use in a range of beer styles both new and old. Malted wheat, when mixed with malted barley, can improve head retention, improve mouthfeel and introduce a spicy flavour to a beer. Malted rye has similar qualities to malted wheat, but is said to introduce a toffee/caramel flavour at lower inclusion rates and a spicy after-palate at higher rates. Rye malt will also introduce a reddish colour to beers. Malted oats can introduce a toasted, biscuit aroma and palate. Oat malts can also contribute beta glucans, otherwise known as soluble fibre, to add a health-promoting property to a beer but this has to be balanced against increased mash and wort viscosity and a reduced ability to separate clear wort from spent grain. These same barley malts can also be kilned at a higher temperature to lend different tastes for example munich, vienna, or brown malts. This darkening of colour by Rye whiskey: mash contains at least 51% rye. Rye malt whiskey: mash contains at least 51% malted rye. Malt whiskey: mash contains at least 51% malted barley. Wheat whiskey: mask contains at least 51% wheat. Bourbon whiskey: mash contains at least 51% corn. Corn whiskey: mash contains at least 80% corn. heat destroys some of their enzymes and makes them more and more (as time and temperature increases) unusable as malted cereals for production of fermentable sugars via the mashing process. As well as these lighter coloured malts there are more speciality malts which are used exclusively for flavour as they have little or no enzymic activity remaining. They typically have been heated to high temperatures during which the storage starches in the endosperm have been converted by heat and the moisture inside the grain to produce complex, unfermentable sugars. These crystal malts can impart caramel or toffee flavours dependant on the Table 2: Key types of American whiskies listed in the US Code of Federal Regulations degree of heating and are available in a range of colour, fermentability and flavour to suit the product style. Also available as speciality malts are the roasted malts which undergo an intense heating giving them a deep red Specialty Malting Company since 1879 Bamberg - Germany info@weyermann.de BOHEMIAN PILSNER MALT FLOOR-MALTED BOHEMIAN PILSNER MALT ABBEY MALT PILSNER MALT VIENNA MALT MUNICH MALT PALE ALE MALT SMOKED MALT MELANOIDIN MALT ACIDULATED MALT CARAMEL WHEAT MALT CHOCOLATE SPELT MALT RYE MALT: ROASTED - CARAMELIZED WHEAT MALT: PALE - DARK - ROASTED Our brew and special malts are also available in certified organic quality! Caramelized Malt : CARAPILS, CARAHELL, CARAMUNICH, CARARYE, CARAAROMA, CARAAMBER, CARARED, CARAWHEAT, CARABOHEMIAN, CARABELGE and CARAFA are registered trademarks for Mich. Weyermann Specialty Malting Company, Bamberg CARAPILS CARAHELL CARAMUNICH CARARYE CARAAROMA CARAAMBER CARARED CARAWHEAT CARABOHEMIAN CARABELGE CARAFA CARAFA SPECIAL (roasted malt from dehusked barley, gives the beer a smooth taste without burnt flavor) Meet Sabine and Thomas Weyermann at the EBC in Glasgow, May, 22-26, 2011, booth # 26 Our Wholesaler in Great Britain : Charles Faram & Co Ltd The Hop Store Mr. Paul Corbett Monksfield Lane, Newland Nr. Malvern, Worcester WR13 5BB GB Phone: Fax: paulcorbett@charlesfaram.co.uk Malt Extract: BAVARIAN PILSNER BAVARIAN HEFEWEIZEN MUNICH AMBER VIENNA RED BAVARIAN DUNKEL BAVARIAN MAIBOCK BAMBERG RAUCH MUNICH OCTOBER BEER All-Natural Liquid Malt Color SINAMAR and certified organic SINAMAR...gives your beer special taste and color, without burnt flavor! 11

5 Right: An array of barley-derived speciality malts in Thomas Fawcett s laboratory. tending to black colour due to the charring of the sugars, which impart more chocolate, roasted, or even treacle flavours to a product Malted barley is also widely used in the distilling industry, with a typical pot still malt being produced to deliver high levels of fermentable extract and subsequent potential for distilled spirit yield. Malting therefore needs to be carefully controlled to maintain the correct degree of endosperm modification and kilning has to maintain the highest enzyme level to enable the high fermentability. A further specialism for some Scottish whiskies is that peat is burned during the kilning period so that the smoke, or reek, permeates the malted barley to give the distinct phenolic flavour characteristic of many west coast Scottish island malt whiskies. Use of unmalted cereal Unmalted cereals when used in brewing are typically referred to as adjuncts, being unmalted forms of corn, rice, rye, oats, barley or wheat. They are used to either reduce the cost of the grain bill (although historically true, not strictly true today), to enhance brewhouse throughput of brewery capacity or to modify Putting Quality into a Pint Thomas Fawcett & Sons Ltd Independent Family Maltsters since 1809 Manufacturers of the finest Pale Ale, Crystal and Roasted Malts All Malts delivered ON TIME to your specification, crushed or whole. Main products include: Maris Otter, Halcyon, Pearl, Tipple, Optic and Golden Promise Ale Malts together with the complete range of Speciality Crystal and Roasted Malts. Other Speciality Products include Malts manufactured from Wheat, Rye, Oats and Sorghum. Thomas Fawcett & Sons Ltd Eastfield Lane, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 4LE Tel: / Fax: sales@fawcett-maltsters.co.uk 12

6 Millet, sorghum and US long grain rice. flavour from that of an all-malt beer. Because of their different properties, many unmalted cereals can have a positive influence on beer quality and flavour. Rice and corn contribute minimal soluble protein to a beer and are low in polyphenols, resulting in improved physical stability over beers brewed exclusively with barley. Positive flavour attributes are also associated with unmalted cereals, for example corn adjuncts can give a fuller flavour to beer, wheat imparts a dryness, whilst rice has a very neutral aroma and taste. As well as directly influencing beer flavour, the use of unmalted adjunct may alter the biochemical composition of the wort and indirectly cause variation in the actions of brewing yeasts in forming differing levels of esters and higher alcohols and reducing fermentation by-products such as diacetyl and acetaldehydes. Unmalted cereal adjuncts as syrups can also be used to adjust the composition and fermentability of a wort through direct addition to the brew kettle as an alternative to increasing the duration of mashing, with improved brewhouse throughput a consequence. Unmalted cereal adjuncts are typically used in the brewery or distillery in one of three ways: Cereal cooker in a cereal cooker the adjuncts generally contain starch in their unrefined forms, such as grits, flour, dry grain or starches. These adjuncts need to be gelatinised (to unravel the starch molecules from their storage configuration and allow it to be enzymatically converted to fermentable sugars), liquefied to allow solubilisation and pumping to the main malt mash in a second vessel where the malt enzymes can now be used to modify the starch from the adjunct and create fermentable sugar. Mash tun if the starch gelatinisation temperature is lower than the malt conversion (or saccharification) temperature required, or when the adjunct has been pre-gelatinised by flaking (using steam or infrared heating), torrification (expanding by heating), or prerefining (syrups), then the adjunct can be added directly to the malt in the single mashing vessel. Brew kettle see inset on Production of brewing syrups. As well as unmalted cereals such as corn, rice and wheat being used by brewers as adjuncts, the use of unmalted barley is also common as it gives a rich and grainy flavour to the beer (as well as being typically cheaper than the malted equivalent). It will help improve foam retention at the detriment to physical stability due to the higher level of nitrogen and proteins. In order to improve the abilities of a malted cereal to convert an unmalted adjunct to fermentable sugar there are a number of techniques available in the mash. High enzyme malts are available which deliver the extra enzymes required to convert gelatinised unmalted cereals into the highest amounts of fermentable sugars. These malts are produced using specialised barley varieties and processing regimes and are commonly used in the grain distilling industry. The use of separately produced enzymes is a modern development for starch liquefaction in a cereal cooker, for saccharification in a mash cooker, Proanthocyanidin-free malt. Brewers have strived over the years to maintain a clear, haze-free product for the consumer. Non biological haze in beer is formed largely (but not exclusively) from complexes of protein and polyphenols, the most reactive of which being the proanthocyanidins which are, in beer, 70 80% derived from barley, the rest being from hops. A plant breeding program (using traditional selection rather than genetic modification) was started to eliminate the barley genes responsible for proanthocyanidin production. ProAnt malts have the benefit of extended shelf life, improved hazes stability and improved flavour stability. The stabilisation of beer is claimed to be superfluous as the main precursor of haze has already been naturally removed at source, resulting in benefits which have been recognised by brewers as including: Normal processing through the brewhouse and, in some brewery systems, an enhanced throughput and reduced trub volume allowing for reduction in kettle finings. Improved filtration efficiency. Reduction in potential beer losses. Removal of the need for processing aids to improve beer stability, saving on stabilisation costs. Cold conditioning at +3 or +4 C instead of -1 C, saving on refrigeration costs or reduced cold-conditioning time and allowing increased throughput. The advantage of stating on labels that stabilisers have not been used. Giving a haze-free long shelf-life without the use of specialised processing aids. For cask beer, the virtual elimination of fluffy bottoms as the yeast/trub sediment settles into a firm cake, allowing the sale of more beer per cask. Proportional improvements when ProAnt malt is used as a partial grist replacement. Independent testing at Campden BRI has verified that: using proanthocyanidin malt increases colloidal stability when used at % of the grist. Polyphenols are also known to impart harsh and unpleasant taste to beer and cause an increase in beer colour following oxidation. Campden BRI detected differences in taste between trial and control beers, which continued to characterise the beers after prolonged storage during which the control beers became hazy. The ProAnt malt brews were described with increased malty and sweet flavour notes, with reduced astringent and bitter characteristics and a reduced linger. Proanthocyanidin malt is available commercially and sold to brewers across the UK, Europe, and North America.

7 The Malteurop plant at Geelong, near Melbourne in Australia, Above: Grain sampling in action. for mash separation improvement or in increase fermentability, for beer filtration improvement, or for optimal beer stabilisation downstream of the brewhouse. This has changed the range of a brewer s abilities over recent years as development and availability of these enzymes has continued. The prospect of brewing without malted cereals is fast approaching, with the use of unmalted barley now being seen at a total extract level of 30 40% rather than its more common use as a partial replacement for malted barley at 5 10%. Beers based upon 100% barley grists are now able to be brewed, but are still rare and confined to specialist circumstances. Future developments As well as continued development of new enzymes for use in brewing and distilling, development of new breeds of barley are making headlines with their potential for improvements to product quality. Carlsberg Group Research, working together with Heineken, has shown that you get a uniform quality beer by minimising negative beer staling components: no aged off-flavours and stable, quality foam, when beer is brewed using Null-lox barley. Beer is no different from any other manufactured food product or drink: its tastes best fresh. Null-lox barley, which was developed through traditional breeding methods, helps beer keep its fresh flavour for a longer period of time thus increasing its shelf life as the Null-lox barley lacks the lipoxidase enzyme (called lox), which is normally present in barley and which accelerates the beer staling process by catalysing the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. Breeding and growing trials of Null-lox barley continue around the world, with a number of varieties now commercially available. Proanthocyanidin malt is also being commercially developed to improve beer stability see panel opposite. With increased pressure on commercial cereal crops over the coming years it is possible that the raw materials used in the brewing and distilling industry may look very different than those used in the past. Whilst the distilling industry has more widely diversified its use of malted and unmalted cereals, perhaps the greatest change may be faced by the brewers who have relied on a single, malted cereal, for the major part of its recent existence. Or perhaps not? One of the Barth malt roasting drums at French & Jupps. Footnote: This article is intended as an introduction to the use of cereals in the brewing and distilling industry, with a particular emphasis on whetting the appetite of IBD examination candidates at all levels towards further reading within their syllabus. I hope it will be also sufficiently interesting for other readers. Apologies for anything missed due to brevity. Thanks to the MAGB, Lloyds TSB Agriculture, Crisp Malting, Tate and Lyle, Novozymes, DSM, for information sources and to all at Batemans. 14

8 Crop reports NEW ZEALAND BARLEY Rainfall map from November 2010 to the end of January conditions, growers were optimistic of achieving average to above average yields. NSW had its best start to the winter cropping season since In contrast, Western Australia had poor opening rains and below average growing conditions. Unfortunately, growers were faced with a below average crop as plantings were delayed due to late opening rainfall. In addition, growers in the earlier districts reduced their sowing intentions as their optimum sowing window passed. Nationally, barley plantings were down approximately 9% to 4.1 million hectares. This was probably related to lower feed barley prices and reluctance by some growers to continue planting malting varieties. Higher than average rainfall Apart from WA, the rest of Australia s cropping belt experienced significantly higher than average rainfall over the growing season. This event saw eastern Australia experience its wettest September on record. With this aboveaverage spring rainfall and the cool mild weather conditions, harvesting was delayed by three to four weeks. Furthermore above average rainfall was also recorded in the cropping areas from south-eastern Australia through to Queensland from the November 2010 to January 2011 period as shown in the rainfall decile map (above). This rainfall caused significant harvest delays and adversely affected grain quality in the eastern regions. In contrast, following the dry spring in Western Australia, average or above average rainfall during November to January was largely too late to benefit crops as harvesting commenced earlier than normal. The contrasting weather situation between Western Australia and eastern Australia resulted in different grain quality between these two regions. In Western Australia, grain quality was characterised by smaller grain size and higher protein levels than the previous season. While in eastern Australia, the barley crop exhibited low protein levels and good grain size. With the heavy rainfall over the harvest period, the malting grade selection rate in later cropping districts was lower than original forecasts. Despite these various climatic events the total barley crop was still over 9 million tonnes with the highest production in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales for many years. According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) Australian Crop Report (published 15 February 2011), barley production increased by 18 per cent compared with the previous season, to 9.3 million tonnes. However, the heavy rainfall over the harvest period resulted in malting barley production estimates (developed by Viterra) being revised downwards from 2.6 million at the commencement of harvest to 1.65 million tonnes at the completion. During 2010, a number of new malting varieties were taken up by growers, with increased plantings of Buloke, Commander and Fitzroy. Plantings of older varieties such as Schooner, Sloop and Stirling decreased as maltsters continued to send signals regarding the lack of demand for these varieties. The take-up in new varieties is a result of improved yields and agronomic attributes. Looking at 2011, growers are expected to sow higher than average wheat and canola (rapeseed) crops in eastern Australia due to the subsoil moisture levels and commodity prices. The ABARES Australian Commodities Report (published March 2011) states that the area planted to barley is expected to fall 3 per cent to just under 4 million hectares in 2011/12. Barley production is forecast to fall by 5 per cent, reflecting a return to average yields, particularly in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. On the other hand, the area planted to wheat is expected to rise by 3 per cent in 2011/12 to 13.8 million hectares. The Bureau of Meteorology has indicated the La Niña event is continuing to decline in the Pacific Ocean and will continue to weaken in coming months. They are also forecasting neutral conditions throughout the southern hemisphere winter. Aerial view of Irwell (South Island), showing surrounding paddocks & looking towards Lake Ellesmere. Different challenges each season Each growing season New Zealand farmers seem to be presented with different challenges and this year was no exception. Two particular issues with which we have had to grapple, arrived at the end of the season, in the form of lower than average yields and extreme price volatility. by Christian Norgard Malteurop Malteurop released its 2010/2011 season pricing in July last year. The purpose was to provide growers with a wide spread of information in order that they could make an informed commercial decision when selecting from the cropping and grazing opportunities before them. Little were we all to know just how dynamic the market would become in the following month when world issues in production changed the marketplace dramatically. The issues surrounding exports bans affected grain markets all over the world and being a major importer of milling wheat and feed grains New Zealand was no different. New Zealand growing conditions 2010/2011 North Island Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa This region, after having its wettest winter for years and receiving all the annual rainfall by mid-august, saw the opposite happen over the next three months, with dry conditions setting in. Apart from the Wairarapa (where planting took place in May), the majority of planting 17

9 Crop reports Table 1: Harvest quality 2010/2011 North Island Moisture Screenings Kg/Hl Protein South Island Combined quality from both islands didn t happen until August, finally completing during September. As usual Mother Nature dealt us some challenges come harvest time, when it did decide to rain! Unfortunately as a result, some sprouting did occur in the Hawkes Bay region. Despite the very difficult growing conditions, crops came through remarkably well; yields and grain quality were very good indeed, with yields at 8.7 mt/ha and a low protein averaging around 9.4. Rangitikei / Manawatu After having the wettest September on record (most areas received at least a quarter of their annual rainfall), planting was able to take place on time for a change. After that month however, came the driest period since 1969; very little rain fell and crops had to survive on the moisture reserves from the wet winter. Grain yield and quality suffered as a result, as indicated in the higher than normal protein range and below average yields. South Island Planting occurred on time across the Canterbury plains with good emergence and promises of at least average yields. Unfortunately, as we all know, spring will make or break a crop, particularly on free draining soils where consistent rainfall is critical for achieving yield. Malting barley was not the only crop that suffered these yield losses (an average across all malting varieties was 6.28mt/ha) with feed wheat and barley yields reportedly down 25%. Varieties Malteurop is continuing its varietal development program in New Zealand with some very successful results. In the past year five new lines have been selected for commercial trial progression showing fantastic malting characteristics and agronomic performance. The large farmer uptake of Jimpy has seen it grow to 20% of barley intake in only its second year of commercial production it has also now been fully approved by New Zealand s brewers as a malting variety. Jimpy s major appeal to farmers has been the closing of the gap with the yield of feed varieties that dominate plantings in New Zealand. Growers are also benefiting from having the choice to plant Jimpy either as autumn or spring sown which make it a very adaptable variety for both islands malting barley producers. The Malteurop variety Fairview continues to make up the majority of our barley intake on both islands and across the Tasman was approved in Australia also as an accredited malting barley variety by the Barley Australia. Overview The New Zealand grains industry as a whole has many challenges ahead of it in trying to compete with the ever increasing feeding demands of the dairy industry. After a slowdown in arable farm conversion into dairies over the past two years we are now seeing renewed investment that is putting more pressure on the limited supply of arable land available to farming. Our barley supply areas are diversifying and as a result are opening up new regions to the possibilities of growing malting barley. This protects our supply chain and in turn creates a far better geographical spread against the issues caused by weather variability. SOUTH AFRICA BARLEY A turmoil of positives and negatives The South African barley crop by Gawie Kotze and Tobie van Rensburg The crop under irrigation The 2010 barley season was characterised by turmoil of positive and negative aspects which influenced barley production. The total contract for the irrigation areas was set at 50,000 tons of malting barley consisting of four cultivars Puma, Cocktail, SSG 585 and Marthé. The total deliveries of malting barley did not reach the target mark due to the occurrence of extreme cold spells during the kernel filling stage, as well as the outbreak of False Armyworm. The influence of the cold spells caused a 1200 ton loss in barley due to %TN values of lower than The False Armyworm (below) caused losses in excess of 2000 tons where they came in and devoured the peduncle (stalk which holds the seed head), which caused the ear to end up on the ground. These worms stay below the ground at day to hide from the high temperatures and come out at night to feed. The worms caused losses of up to 1.5t/ha losses per 48 hour period. Aerial view of the Marton Maltings on the North Island. The final deliveries realised at 48,250 tons, which luckily is still enough to supply Alrode maltings. The spread of cultivars is illustrated in figure 1 below. At SAB Maltings we strive towards the 50/3 principal, where we want a blend of three cultivars, with the biggest contributing cultivar not exceeding 50% of the total deliveries. This target should have been achieved if 2000t of SSG 585 were not taken away by the False Armyworm epidemic and 1200t of Cocktail taken out of malting grade due to severe cold damage. Due to this, the average malting grade yield of the irrigation areas was once again below average realising at 5.63t/ha. Areas that were not severely affected by the above mentioned conditions achieved good yields like the 18

10 Crop reports Figure 3: The average %TN per area for the irrigation areas. Figure 5: Average % plumpness for crop 2010 under irrigation. Figure 1: Volumes of malt barley produced under irrigation per cultivar for the 2010 barley season. Figure 4: %TN range for crop 2010 under irrigation Figure 6: Average % screenings for crop 2010 under irrigation. Figure 2: Volumes of malt barley produced under irrigation per area during the 2010 barley season. Douglas area which obtained an average malting grade yield of 6.8t/ha. The barley was produced in six different areas in the Northern Cape and North West provinces of South Africa. The spread between the areas is illustrated by figure 2, showing that Vaalharts is still the main barley producing area under irrigation. Quality Total nitrogen The kernel nitrogen content for the different areas varied between 1.55% and 1.78%. The Hopetown area showed an increase in %TN compared to last year, with lower figures in Vaalharts, GWK and Taung. This can be explained by the increasing amounts of Cocktail that is planted in the irrigation areas, which has a genetically lower %TN. The distribution for TN% for the 2010 season was not ideal. One would like to see an increase in barley at the and categories as well as a decrease in the category. This is evidence of lower than normal temperatures late in the season during protein synthesis. A definite trend from low to high %TN can be observed in Figure 4. Screenings On average the % screenings for all areas except Vaalharts, was higher than for the 2009 season, with a sharp increase in the Taung area, due to cold damage. Screenings is negatively correlated to plumpness which shows the reliability of the data. The distribution for % screenings was close to normal, however, the objective will be to produce as much as possible of the crop in the Table 1: Barley Contract : Irrigation 2011 season KOOP AREA PUMA SSG 585 COCKTAIL MARTHE CRISTALIA TOTAL SENWES Vaalharts Taung GWK GWK PRIVATE P WIID TOTAL range. Some barley was delivered in the range >5% and this need to be addressed by fine tuning irrigation scheduling, minimising lodging and optimally control any insect infestation. Cold damage also influenced the % screenings in a negative way. In conclusion The irrigation areas experienced a fairly good year in terms of yield and quality, when seen in comparison to the other winter crops in the relevant areas. The data would have looked very different if the concession barley of Taung and Vaalharts could have been left out. Concession means permission given by SAB to take in some barley below 1.5%TN. Although yield and quality was not as good as we are use to, it was still well above average. Feed grade barley was on 1% of the total crop. Continuous research and experience played a major roll in the good quality and yield through out the area. Looking forward to the planting season of 2011 Table 1 above shows what can be expected as per contract from SAB. Focus areas for the 2011 season is the following: Further reduction in variability of %TN Increase in the percentage of barley in the % range Moving the weighted average %TN of the crop to 1.80% Work towards a more normal distribution of %TN around the % mark Deliver more barley in the % plumpness range Deliver more barley in the 0 1% screenings range Work towards an average yield of 6.5 tons/ha All these objectives can only be reached by focusing the R&D programme, optimising irrigation scheduling, standardising fertilisation practices and maximising communication. Planting in dry conditions. The 2010 Dryland barley crop Dry-land barley production in the South Western Cape area of South Africa receives an average annual rainfall of between 450 and 600mm. The amount of rain is not the crucial 19

11 Crop reports SOUTH AMERICA BARLEY Windrowing on the typical hilly landscape near Caledon. factor but how it is spread through the season has the biggest impact on both the yield and quality of the filed crops. The 30-year average ratio between winter and summer rainfall is 70:30 with the winter months from April to September. There is a slight tendency that the annual rainfall is increasing but shifting to later in the season. Planting in very dry conditions The Dryland region experienced a very dry season with the annual rainfall approximately 100 mm lower than the long term average. August and September is a critical period in the final growth stages of the barley and unfortunately the region recorded on average only 50% of the long term average for those two months. The field crops in this area are windrowed to minimise wind losses as the ripening period is also the start of the South Easter wind season. The barley is highly exposed to rain damage when windrowed and this can lead to high feed grade percentages. Barley is mainly produced for malting purposes in South Africa and the feed market is dominated by maize. There is normally a huge price difference between malting and feed grade barley. Fortunately the harvesting period of October and November recorded very little rain and was mainly dry and hot which contributed to optimal use of the harvesting window period with no negative impact on quality. Despite the mostly unfavourable climatic conditions through the season, the performance of the barley cultivars were most satisfactory. Except for the drier eastern parts of the region where the average yield was slightly lower than the long term average, yields above the long term averages were mostly recorded. Not only was the yield satisfactory but most of the crop was also graded as malt quality. The two agribusinesses in the dry land area received in total 136,000 tons of barley which is 11,000 tons less than in A total of 69,000 hectares were planted. All the barley that is produced in this area and delivered within malting specifications is converted into malt at the SAB Maltings plant in Caledon. The hectares allocated to barley for the 2011 season in the South Western Cape might again be in the region of 70,000 with a total production of approximately 160,000 tons. Loading the first vessel taking Argentinian barley to China. by Gustavo Acerenza BMS Argentina The area sown went up from 560,000ha in 2009 to 650,000ha sown in 2010 and this year Argentina had a record harvest of about 2.5 million tonnes of very good quality barley due to excellent weather conditions throughout the growing period. Of the about one million tons available for export, we expect Argentina to export about 400,000mt to Brazil, 150,000mt to Colombia, 100,000mt to Perú 30,000mt to Ecuador, 150,000mt to Uruguay, 15,000mt to Chile, 25,000mt to South Africa and the special news this year is that a phytosanitary agreement between China and Argentina was signed recently, allowing BMS, Uruguay together with Interbrau, Germany to export Argentinian malting barley to China. The loading of the first Panamax for China was already completed by mid-march. This shipment was a landmark in the worldwide malting barley market because Argentina is the only country of the world which easily could double the production area for malting barley. Another factor to be considered is that this year for the first time a feed barley market of about 350,000mt was established, of which 100,000 were consumed locally and 250,000mt exported. Uruguay The production area was decreased dramatically with only 64,000ha planted in Production was about 160,000 mt which is an average result compared to previous years. Chile Chile planted the same area than last year: 16,000 ha with a similar results than last year yielding about 91,000mt Brazil Last crop the sown area was decreased to 75,000ha and the production obtained was 195,000mt. Jean-Claude Girard from Interbrau (on the right) and BMS s Gustavo Acerenza (left) visiting some barley fields in Ballenera, Province of Buenos Aires beginning of last November. 20

12 Crop reports AUSTRALIA HOPS We breed the hops you enjoy the beer! The view from Hop Products Australia After a decade of drought in many areas of Australia, Mother Nature unleashed a correction this season that resulted in many areas suffering some of the worst flooding in living memory. by Tim Lord Hop Products Australia In Victoria an early hail storm was followed by persistent rain that ensured many gardens remained waterlogged for much of the season, with some growers suffering significant damage to infrastructure. At Rostrevor Hop Gardens in the north east corner of Victoria some 650mm of rain was recorded against the long term average of just 140mm for the months of January March. Whilst the hops soldiered on, the overall impact on yield across most varieties was in the vicinity of 20% below expectation. Further south in Tasmania the season was cooler than usual and whilst the tail end of the rains that hammered mainland Australia did not have such an impact, it was simply a lack of sunshine that delayed maturation in a wide cross section of agricultural crops. Reasonable weather conditions during harvest ensured that harvesting in most locations ran smoothly and the yield results in Tasmania actually came in above expectations. Continuing the trend from recent years, Hop Products Australia removed further areas of hops that had been grown to supply generic alpha. For example the long grown variety Don t forget the males. Victoria was finally removed from production which made way for an additional 30 hectares of new flavour and aroma varieties planted during the latter part of Harvest results As for overall figures from crop 2011 the actual area harvested was 454 hectares, an increase of 2% (6 hectares) over crop The area harvested yielded 1,044 MT of hops which is a decrease of approx 5% on the yield from crop The decrease in yield was a result of the challenging growing conditions on farms in Victoria and also reflects a change in variety mix from the high yielding alpha varieties to the generally lower yielding specialty varieties. Varieties worthy of a specific mention from crop 2011 include big increases in production of Summer, Cascade, Southern Hallertau and the much sort after Galaxy, as new plantings reached maturity. This was also the first commercial harvest of the new variety Stella, which proved true to its name being a star performer in the hop garden, in terms of growth habit and yield. HPA plans to plant an additional 40 hectares of new varieties in spring Sustainability Successful, and much faster establishment of the new varieties being planted by HPA reflect initiatives taken to address sustainability. HPA has been investigating a broad range of on farm initiatives aimed at driving sustainability which include changes to framework design and garden orientation, installation of drip irrigation to deliver both water and liquid fertiliser, establishment of annual inter row crops to increase organic carbon and reinvigoration of integrated pest management. In addition HPA has also been trialling a new biological non synthetic fertiliser called Renew which is produced from a number of organic sources. Trials of the product have delivered improvements in soil structure, increases in water retention (reducing need for irrigation) and sequestration of carbon. No surprise really that the more productive soil has resulted in improved health and resilience of plants. The results are strikingly obvious in the rapid establishment of new plantings, speed to maturity and a corresponding increase in yields. HPA is now expanding the use of organic fertiliser (replacing synthetics) to both increase productivity and pursue sustainability. New trellis and new irrigation for new varieties. 21

13 Crop reports NEW ZEALAND HOPS SOUTH AFRICA HOPS Baling finished hops for sale. Not all is well in Hopdom......and not just in Hobbiton The New Zealand hop harvest concluded earlier this year for most of the Nelson region s nineteen growers after a season that further confirmed the enigmatic nature of the H. Lupulus by Doug Donelan New Zealand Hops At the beginning of February which is around a month prior to the harvest, a walk through the gardens revealed what looked to be an average crop for the most part throughout the various growing districts. Some of the first year aroma types were only lightly hopped which was not of immediate concern as first year plants, especially some of the less vigorous types will take a year or two until they hit their straps. After harvest commenced some reports came in that the picking day needed to be extended as more plants were required to be harvested to load the kilns. Still only early into harvest it became evident that the crop was coming in light, at least on the early aroma varieties such as Riwaka and Pacifica. The growing season saw extended dry Table 1: New Zealand hops 2011 crop volumes. conditions persisting throughout spring and well into summer which is believed to of impacted lateral development. The dry conditions also meant that irrigation was required and unusually this started well before Christmas. Temperatures were very stable mid-summer and burr development across most established varieties showed promise but an early cool change in the approach to autumn started bringing forward what was an already confused crop. Harvest proceeded and mid-season types such as Nelson Sauvin, although a little troublesome through the pickers had performed quite well in a difficult season as did Motueka, Pacific Jade and the dual purpose types Super Alpha and Green Bullet. Average Alpha was at 9.7 % across the twenty nine types that were harvested with Organic Pacific Gem the highest at 17.9 % alpha and a new aroma selection Wai-iti at 3.0%. What was very pleasing were the rub samples taken while conditioning on the kiln floors, these were remarkable in their uniformity of both shape and colour with intensity of aromas that selectors described as breathtaking. Harvest down The final volumes weighed across saw that the harvest was down approx 15% on what growers had projected, attributable mostly to Mother Nature. Overall though, market based rationalisation of plantings has seen the New Zealand hop industry volumes reduced quite alarmingly by 25 % within a 12 month period. The current over supply of alpha and unsustainable pricing through the commoditisation of hops creates immense pressure for the small producer. New Zealand s response to this has been to idle land while transitioning further into our specialty types such as Nelson Sauvin and Motueka, with two new aroma varieties released this season and further grower trials commencing next season. Forward thinking A seasonal review for many readers is an update of a single year s events but for the hop grower it is a reflection that is hinged to their forward thinking. In the current market there is barely breathing space on the time line between cutting down the last bine and driving a grubber into the ground. Brewers of all sizes need to be aware that when it comes to their hops supply; the light they are seeing at the end of the tunnel may be a speeding train approaching. There exists a high degree of instability surrounding the international hop business at both a macro and micro level which is failing to be successfully communicated to the brewing community. Not all is well in Hopdom and not just in Hobbiton. Best ask your broker about contracting... Hops and the mountains of Southern Cape. Water not a problem for SA hops The 2011 RSA hop harvest kicked off on 17 February with our own farms harvesting early varieties, namely Southern Dawn, followed by the rest of the industry on 21 February. The last bins were delivered on 31 March. by Linda Pretorius SABHF The severe drought conditions experienced in 2010 were a thing of the past and water was not a problem. Average climatic conditions led up to harvest, with an uninterrupted, favourable hot spell in January. Currently there are 458ha under hops; 11 private hop producers (303ha) and three farms owned by South African Breweries Hop Farms (Pty) Ltd (SABHF). We had a successful harvest producing 955 tons baled hops from 458ha, with an average yield/ha of 2.07 tons/ha. A few farmers produced crops well in excess of 2 tons/ha per farm, with a number of fields exceeding 2.5 to 3 tons. Our crop is extremely pure with an industry average for extraneous matter of 0.9%. The main varieties grown were Southern Star (63%), Southern Promise (26%) and Southern Dawn (6%). The balance to various research varieties. The industry is currently also concentrating on breeding aroma varieties. Several potentially good crosses have been identified. These varieties produce good yields and fall within the internationally recognised aroma parameters. The alpha acids content (analysed by spectrophotometer) in bales was slightly higher than the previous year: Southern Star (16.4%), Southern Promise (13.0%) and Southern Dawn (13.2%). The crop is blended and pelleted as follows: 504 tons T90 and 440 tons preisomerised pellets. The vast majority of pellets are used by SAB in South Africa. 22