Brewing with Ancient Grains

There are numerous grains that don’t get as much love from brewers as barley, wheat, rye, and oats. Let’s go beyond the basic malts and grains and explore the world of ancient grains!

The world of cereals (grains) and pseudo-cereals that can be used in beer goes beyond the typical malt you can buy at your homebrew shop. On their own, or in combination with malt, ancient grains offer new flavor opportunities and new styles of beer that have yet to be explored.

We’ll take a look at teff, khorasan wheat, sorghum, farro, millet, and other options out there for you to use in your next batch. We’ll get creative with current beer styles, look at some global and traditional styles that use or use some of these malts, and look at the gluten-free perks of brewing with many ancient grains.

Learning Objectives

• Get a general overview of all the grains in the cereal and pseudo cereal families that can be used in beer
• Take a closer look at ancient grains, especially those that are not being commonly used in commercial beer right now
• Hear a history of brewing with these grains
• Learn techniques for cereal mashing and toasting ancient grains for use in beer
• Walk away with recipes, both ancient and modern, that could make use of ancient grains

About the Speaker

Aaron Hyde has been homebrewing since 1996 when he started with his father in the kitchen. As the owner and operator of Brewstock Homebrew Supply in New Orleans, he sold homebrewing for five years, helping many get their start in the hobby. He has written articles, provided educational classes, and given seminars globally on brewing, distilling, and winemaking. Aaron also worked at Briess Malt as director of homebrewing, where he worked with homebrew shops and distributors to provide malt and extract products. He currently manages global product strategy for Bevie, maker of Grainfather and Still Spirits products, which supplies high-quality equipment and ingredients to homebrewers and distillers across the globe. Aaron is one of the few people globally who has received certifications in brewing, malting, and distilling through the Institute of Brewing & Distilling. Recently, he released his first book, How To Distill.

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