Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. has announced an expansion plan that company officials say builds upon its recent acquisitions. The plan includes installation of a roaster at its Waterloo, WI, malting operation, and adding 1.5 million bushels of storage at its barley operation in Ralston, WY.

“Since the pioneer days of American craft beer, Briess has embraced the small-scale production of artisan beers and developed unique malts and services to help it grow,” said Company President Gordon Lane. “Meeting the needs of craft beer continues to be our focus. 

“In the past several years we took complete control of our barley supply chain in order to secure a consistent supply of high quality barley for malting. Now, as craft beer continues to grow and its demand for malt increases, we will also expand and grow to meet those needs.”

The new roaster will bring to seven the total number of roasters operated by Briess—three at its Waterloo Malthouse, two at its Chilton Malthouse and two at its Insta Grains® Plant in Chilton. Briess has been roasting malt for beer since the 1950s, and was the first malting company to offer roasted malt to American craft brewers.

In Wyoming, additional storage will help accommodate increased barley plantings for Briess. “Our Ralston barley operation was processing about 3 million bushels of barley a year when Briess purchased it in 2013. This year we have contracts for about 5.8 million bushels, and our goal is to continue seeking increased barley acreage and new barley varieties,” Lane continued.

Two new 750,000-bushel bins will increase total barley storage at Ralston to 3.8 million bushels. That’s in addition to 4 million bushels of storage it acquired last year when Briess purchased a major grain processing and handling operation in Manitowoc, WI. This past January, one of six malthouses on the Manitowoc property was recommissioned by Briess, which more than doubled the company’s malting capacity.

“The Briess family has believed in the American craft beer movement since its earliest days,” Lane continued. “Today they continue invest to help craft beer continue to grow.” Briess is North America’s leading supplier of specialty malts to American craft beer, and a leading producer of all natural malt, natural sweetener and other value-added grain and starch-based ingredients for food, beverage and pet food manufacturers. It has been family owned since 1876 and it produces all ingredients in the U.S.A.