There’s no better way to start out the new year than with the exciting additions of brand new hops! Named after the mountainous state it was first grown in, Idaho Gem™ is the latest variety to come out of Gooding Farms in Idaho, USA.

On November 12th, RMI Analytics held the RMI Analytics Heirloom & Terroir Barley and Malt Symposium in Nuremberg, Germany to explore the histories behind various “all-but-forgotten” malt varieties. The symposium dove into the real and imagined potential of these varieties, as well as their scientific challenges, sensory characteristics, success stories, and tips and tricks; all in the context of modern brew houses and malt. Over 100 attendees from assorted countries were there representing different areas of barley breeding, farming, malting, distribution, sales, and breweries. Speakers from these diverse areas of the industry covered those topics with in-depth presentations about heirloom and terroir barley varieties.

Last week, Brew Your Own (BYO) held its first ever NanoCon, a two-day conference dedicated to education about small-scale craft breweries. The event was held in Burlington, VT, and included attendees that ranged between local small-scale craft breweries, suppliers, and those planning their nano-brewery. Attendees participated in over 30 seminars, as well as workshops, exhibitor tables, roundtable discussions, and events. Four learning tracks geared towards various small-scale brewery elements were available for attendees to learn more about some of the best practices to run their brewery on. These learning tracks included Brewery Operations, Start-Ups, Business Operations, and Sales & Marketing.

Trends in craft brewing are in constant flux, and the latest in creative IPA styles is an excellent example of the variety of options brewers have with their craft. Milkshake IPAs seek to mimic the familiar aspects of their namesakes, and brewers use additions such as lactose and increased fruity hops to achieve the Milkshake IPAs signature hazy appearance, smooth mouthfeel, and distinctive sweetness.

This year’s Great American Beer Festival (GABF) took off in Denver, Co, and BSG joined the other 62,000 attendees in the festivities. BSG had a booth at the event, and offered up a hop and malt sensory experience for those attending, in which seven malts and five varieties of brewer’s cuts were available for a “rub & sniff” evaluation. Of these, the new Idaho Gem hops were available to test out.

If you’ve been hunting for a delicate, fruity hop with an amazingly smooth mouthfeel, look no further than Cashmere. Cashmere hops were released in 2013 through Washington State University’s hop-breeding program. Daughter of female Cascade and male Norther Brewer, Cashmere is a public variety hop that can be grown in your own garden.

BSG, along with Rahr Malting Co. and Gambrinus Malting, were proud to sponsor the 2018 MBAA/ASBC Brewing Summit in San Diego. We were joined by our friends from Simpsons Malt and Weyermann® Specialty Malts, and learned a bunch from the talks and abstracts presented by members of the Rahr Technical Center team while socializing with colleagues new and old.

The inaugural year of Malt U was a great success. Co-presented by BSG and Rahr Malting Co., Malt U consisted of a day-long symposium of malt education hosted at Surly Brewing Co. followed by a morning of tours at Rahr's Shakopee campus, including Rahr's malthouses, Koda Energy, the Rahr Technical Center & Brewery, and BSG's Minnesota distribution center.

Our Vancouver distribution center is moving to a new, nearby, and bigger location later this summer! Operations are scheduled to begin from new location on August 1, 2018. The new facility is located a few hundred feet directly south of the existing warehouse:

Rahr Malting Co. was a platinum sponsor the for American Society of Brewing Chemists' first annual Malt Flavor and Aroma Symposium. The symposium was held June 10-13, 2018 in the Twin Cites, and Willie Rahr (pictured below) delivered the opening speech. Rahr Malting Co. also welcomed symposium attendees to their Shakopee campus for tours of the Rahr Technical Center & Brewery and Malthouse #4, as well as an evening of socializing that was great fun despite spotty weather!