Heirloom Barley Back In Breweries

Heirloom Barley Back In Breweries CROPS New Crops Long after other producers stopped growing it and malting companies stopped buying it a famed malting barley is once again being malted thanks to Bill Kozak Once in big demand as a superior malting variety Ollie couldn’t compete with higher yielding varieties with stiffer straw that were introduced in the 1950’s and 60’s When some producers sold blends of Ollie and new varieties claiming they were all Ollie malting companies stopped buying it “The higher yielding varieties which we also plant take longer to mature raising risk of frosts and bad weather at harvest ” notes Kozak’s wife Anne “Ollie only produces 40 to 45 bushels per acre compared to 130 with modern varieties ” Kozak says the low yields are part of a tradeoff he was willing to make “We kept growing it for feed because it is such an early maturing variety ” he explains “It lets us spread our workload around because we can start combining it in mid July ” Kozak turned the farm over to his son Ken about 3 years ago The family farm is 380 miles northwest of Edmonton Alberta making an early barley as valuable to his son as it was to him and his dad before him “We’ve planted it as late as June 20th and still harvested a crop However you can’t combine it straight as the stalks are too weak ” says Kozak “It is easy to thresh out as it will shatter with a good wind ” Ollie was developed in Finland and brought to Canada in 1932 and registered in 1935 About that time Kozak’s dad started raising it The family never stopped even when the last certified seed was produced in 1973 “We bought up all the seed we could at the time and still have some ” explains Kozak “Every few years I plant some of the original as foundation-like seed and replant from it Unfortunately as it gets older the germination is falling off ” In hope of finding a malting market for their crop and rekindling the interest of other growers Kozak contacted Canada Malting Last summer they announced Alberta Heritage Select Barley malt which is Kozak’s Ollie It is being used by 4 Alberta craft breweries for commemorative beers and by one distillery for vodka It has also been used for a limited edition whiskey but that has to age before it can be brought to market The beers and vodka are being sold now “Ollie germinates within 3 days which is why maltsters like it ” says Kozak “They can start drying it down on day 4 It also has a blue cast that indicates enzymes and sugars that make better malt ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bill and Anne Kozak P O Box 65 Wosley Alta Canada T0H  3W0 ph 780 685-2264; abkozak@gmail com

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