Malt Suppliers for European Micros

[HumanFish]

Hi

I am putting together a short list of suppliers for my new Brewery in Slovenia and I am wondering if any of our European based brethren (or sisters), could recommend any malt suppliers who deliver within the EU. Bagged malt at first, maybe moving to bulk later.

On the whole I have found them to be a pretty unresponsive lot (the suppliers that is).... plenty of "would you like to supply my brewery"... followed by radio silence.

If anyone has had good (or bad) experiences then I would be grateful. On here, PM, or matthew.charlesworthAThumanfishbrewery.com


Cheers

[einhorn]

Not really sure

You might try http://www.castle-malting.com in Belgium or Weyermann or http://www.bestmalz.de in Germany.

[gitchegumee]

I've worked with Soufflet malt from France (imported to England) and from Raisiomalt? Finland (imported to Khazahkstan). I believe Cargill also has European sources. And I've seen several malts available in Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Holland, Ukraine, Poland, Denmark, not to mention Germany and Belgium....Come to think of it, I would think you are in malt heaven there! Check with European malt commissions, brewing organizations, breweries.... I'm sure you can find malt--albeit perhaps only base malt. Good luck!

[HumanFish]

I've worked with Soufflet malt from France (imported to England) and from Raisiomalt? Finland (imported to Khazahkstan). I believe Cargill also has European sources. And I've seen several malts available in Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Holland, Ukraine, Poland, Denmark, not to mention Germany and Belgium....Come to think of it, I would think you are in malt heaven there! Check with European malt commissions, brewing organizations, breweries.... I'm sure you can find malt--albeit perhaps only base malt. Good luck!

cheers. Indeed I thought the same. I have found plenty of suppliers, but just not many with a bit of an interest in supplying Micros. As I said plenty of emails, and calls and often just radio silence. In my business, even a "I got your mail but cannot help" response is just basic customer service.

[Rosie]

HumanFish,

Have you tried Weyermann? www.weyermann.de I've met a few of the Weyermann family and they are happy to supply me here in the UK (though I end up getting it roundabout through a UK maltster) and I must say they were very responsive and I love their malt! I don't think you will go wrong with them.

In the UK I use Warminster www.warminster-malt.co.uk and again I love the malt and it is great to be able to get on the phone and talk to the head maltster if I do have any issues...I wouldn't rule them out either.

Both companies have a enviable heritage in malting...

Good luck.

Jeff

[HumanFish]

HumanFish,

Have you tried Weyermann? www.weyermann.de I've met a few of the Weyermann family and they are happy to supply me here in the UK (though I end up getting it roundabout through a UK maltster) and I must say they were very responsive and I love their malt! I don't think you will go wrong with them.

In the UK I use Warminster www.warminster-malt.co.uk and again I love the malt and it is great to be able to get on the phone and talk to the head maltster if I do have any issues...I wouldn't rule them out either.

Both companies have a enviable heritage in malting...

Good luck.

Jeff

cheers Jeff,

I dropped a line to Weyermann last week and I am meeting them next week.... they do seem good (and have a pilot brewery a few hours up the road from me as well). I tried Warminster but with no response. I will give them another tinkle.

cheers

Matthew

[tariq khan]

Warminster

I second Rosie's suggestion about Warminster....I used their malt when I brewed in the U.K. and still use it for seasonals here in Canada. Their Marris Otter is so nice...I'd call them though instead of email...They are not a huge outfit...nice people...I'd also suggest Fawcett Maltings in Castleford, U.K. As far as I know they export and they are top quality as well...

Tariq (Big Ridge Brewery, Surrey, B.C. Canada)

[Guest]

This week I've brewed with both Fawcett (Pearl) & Warminster (Optic) malt, with no problems, in the past I've prob brewed with every UK maltster & v rarely had any problems with the product & only occasionally had a problem over delivery/service, usually linked to them using 2ndary couriers (who arrive hours/days late & then don't help unload the truck!)

Part of the problem might be that the harvest was poor here (from bad weather) so they're not desperate for new customers?

As an aside to this, UK newspaper The Guardian recently had a nice piece about Warminster, see here -

http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2281445,00.html

the piece in the paper itself had a nice pic of head-maltster, Chris Garret, with a worker turning the trad malt floor behind him. Another nice thing is that the owning co, Robin Appel/Gowlett Grain own the rights to the Maris Otter variety.

I think the other bigger UK maltsers do export to Europe (as they were at BrauBev a few years back) - google Paul's, Muntons, Bairds, etc.

But I thought Slovenia itself might be a barley/malt producer? Being close to Czech Rep? Just a thought.
Good luck,
Mike McG
Betwixt Beer Co, Wirral, nr Liverpool, UK

http://www.betwixtbeer.co.uk/

[HumanFish]

This week I've brewed with both Fawcett (Pearl) & Warminster (Optic) malt, with no problems, in the past I've prob brewed with every UK maltster & v rarely had any problems with the product & only occasionally had a problem over delivery/service, usually linked to them using 2ndary couriers (who arrive hours/days late & then don't help unload the truck!)

Part of the problem might be that the harvest was poor here (from bad weather) so they're not desperate for new customers?

As an aside to this, UK newspaper The Guardian recently had a nice piece about Warminster, see here -

http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2281445,00.html

the piece in the paper itself had a nice pic of head-maltster, Chris Garret, with a worker turning the trad malt floor behind him. Another nice thing is that the owning co, Robin Appel/Gowlett Grain own the rights to the Maris Otter variety.

I think the other bigger UK maltsers do export to Europe (as they were at BrauBev a few years back) - google Paul's, Muntons, Bairds, etc.

But I thought Slovenia itself might be a barley/malt producer? Being close to Czech Rep? Just a thought.
Good luck,
Mike McG
Betwixt Beer Co, Wirral, nr Liverpool, UK
http://www.betwixtbeer.co.uk/

cheers for all that. really useful.

No Malt in Slovenia.... plenty of Hops of course.