Creating Top-Notch Beers and Whiskies
At Gladfield Malt we’re all about producing premium malts from the best barley grown right here in the South Island.
We’ve always focused on providing the best products to brewers and distillers in New Zealand to help you create top-notch beers and whiskies. If you ever need any advice or help making the most of our products, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Let’s look at a few fantastic malt options that might be just what you need for your next batch.
Gladfield Chit Malt Range
Whether you're brewing crisp Lagers or Pilsners to cool down with, or hoppy, hazy beers to satisfy your cravings, the Gladfield Chit Malt range is definitely worth considering. When used at different rates, it can bring body, a perfect foam, stable haze, and that just-right viscosity to your brew.
Just to give you a quick refresher: "Chitting" in malt refers to the first stage of germination, when the barley has absorbed enough moisture to kick off the process of converting starch into soluble sugars.
Chit malt is packed with enzymes that help improve starch conversion, which can give you a better yield. The real magic happens when we kiln the malt early in the starch modification stage. This preserves long protein chains that stay in your beer after fermentation, improving mouthfeel and helping with head retention.
Gladfield Golden Oats
Another malt to consider for your fresh hop brews is Gladfield Golden Oats.
These are germinated the same way as our Big O Malt and batch-roasted to ensure even saccharification and colour—just like you’d treat your crystal and dextrin malts.
Because they retain their husk, they improve lautering, bed permeability, and runoff speeds, compared to naked or rolled oats.
Golden Oats add a silky-smooth texture, rich mouthfeel, and a beautiful orange hue to your beer. We recommend using them like you would a light crystal malt—up to about 20% of the mash.
Kettle Fining Additions
With the new season’s barley in hand, now’s also a good time to double-check your kettle fining additions. You might be adding more than needed, which could be doing more harm than good.
We’ve partnered with Murphy and Son to offer Protafloc and Koppakleer to help optimize this, have a look at the attached guidelines. Feel free to check out the links for trial info, and if you have any questions or want more details, just let us know.
Lalbrew Novalager Yeast
And if you're brewing Lagers, hoppy NZ Pilsners, or clean IPAs, Lalbrew NovaLager™ yeast is a solid option. This robust lager strain is great for fast fermentations and high attenuation. It has a clean, slightly fruity flavour with just the right esters, and it works well across a wide temperature range. Plus, it helps bring out hop flavours and aromas, thanks to the ß-glucosidase enzyme.
