BOZEMAN - Montana State hosted Governor Greg Gianforte and Department of Agriculture Director Christi Clark where they got to experience one of the few Malt Quality labs in the county. In this lab, they measured the quality of malt, not only for brewers but for malters.
“It starts with agriculture, and the growers across the state, we have a growing malting industry, so working with the maltsters as well, and transitioning into brewers and distillers,” says Hannah Turner, Director of the Barley, Malt and Brewing Quality Lab.
Students at MSU work on value-added products from planting, testing, to the final product.
“We play the role in the middle, where we measure quality,” says Turner.
So when they study the quality they can inform a brewer, so that brewing beer has the same quality across the board.
“It allows them to adjust their brewing process to create a consistent beer from that”
After a taste test of the beer samples from the lab.
“I'm partial to stout,” said Gianforte.
Not only did students showcase the importance that agriculture plays a role in making the beer but also other products as well.
“Using flour and scratch to make puffed products,” said Edwin Allan, Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistant of Food Development Lab.
Edwin's work with value-added products takes lentils grown in Montana that become flour and starch to make these savory treats which could end up in a store. Making sure that the process starts and ends in Montana.
“Imagine if Montana was making its own Cheetos, was making its own cornflakes, was making its own pasta from lentils. Like that is amazing,” said Allan. “We can create local businesses, have new products in the market.”
