CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA — Canada Malting Co. Ltd. (CMC), the largest Canadian malt supplier, has completed the addition of a new adjuncts processing facility and bagging line which it said will allow for greater quality control and product modification capabilities to better serve craft brewers and distillers.

Part of CMC’s portfolio includes unmalted adjuncts, such as flaked oats, rye, wheat and rice, which are used to add unique haze, body and flavor characteristics to beer. While these products are unmalted, they require some pre-processing before they can be used by brewers and distillers. CMC said it previously outsourced the processing for these adjunct products.

Construction on the new facility, located in Calgary, began in 2021. The equipment was installed in the summer of 2022 and initial commissioning began in October, with testing conducted over the following six months. All systems are now operational, the company said, and processes have been fine-tuned to achieve quality adjuncts that meet brewer specifications.

“Canada Malting has made, and will continue to make, investments that service the needs of its customers while adding value to Canada’s agricultural supply chain,” said Kyran Flett, director of international sales at United Malt. “This facility expands our footprint in Calgary while showing our long-term commitment to the brewers, distillers, and the many local farmers we rely on.”

By bringing more adjunct processing and packaging in-house, CMC said it has greater control over the quality of these products and can increase their overall cost efficiency. It also allows for improved food grade production and recipes now may be tailored to meet customers’ needs. The new facility also provides a flexible processing line that has the potential to produce future emerging products and grow with CMC’s evolving portfolio, the company said.

CMC adjunct products are sold exclusively through Country Malt Group (CMG), and the first commercial batches from the new facility will soon be making their way to CMG warehouses. Brewers should note that there may be a slight differentiation in product appearance, but overall application is the same, with improved quality, CMC said. Brewers will start to see new adjunct packaging later this year. 

CMC, part of the United Malt global family of brands, has been operating for more than a century, working alongside farmers across the Canadian Prairies to produce quality ingredients.