With rising raw material costs and growing economic pressure, brewers across the globe are feeling the pinch. For smaller and independent breweries, especially, crafting great beer efficiently and sustainably can be challenging.
Mr. Malt, Caldic’s brewing business, is always ready to strive to deliver the best returns for our brewing customers. The team had recognized early on the impact of the rising costs on our customers.
That’s when Product Manager Adam Johnson and his team decided to do something different. Rather than simply absorbing the cost increases or passing them along, they took a practical route: find ways to help brewers make the most of the high-quality malt they already use.
“We’re always talking with our brewing customers, and it was clear they were nervous about what the economic climate might mean for their business,” Adam says. To tackle the issue, Mr. Malt teamed up with the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Our technical experts worked with the university analysts at their commercial lab to explore the question: how to realize a higher processing yield with malt? A range of malt samples would need to be analyzed to fuel the inquiry.
“We brought in TUM to run the analysis and test different methods. Conducting a ‘grist analysis’ - seeking ways to optimize the milling process, they worked to extract more out of every batch without cutting corners,” he explains.
The results were very encouraging. The team unveiled the analysis at Beer & Food Attraction - a brewing event in Rimini, Italy. Contacting customers to also bring in their samples, showing them firsthand how small adjustments in their brewing process could lead to significant savings and improved output. “We showed the techniques live, walked through the data, and also invited our principal suppliers to provide their input and expertise.”
After the event, many began implementing the recommendations in their day-to-day operations and experienced significant improvements. Mr. Malt’s team visited the customers to follow up on the event and was met by satisfied brewers.
“Our local breweries are already juggling a lot. Finding out they could continue to rely on our malt quality and get better performance from it was a huge relief for them. The feedback has been very positive and rewarding.”
While this initiative accommodated short-term market shifts, there was a broader strategy at play. “We had already started working with TUM because we recognized the value for our customers in providing them scientifically proven technical expertise,” Adam says. “These technical trials pushed us to move faster, and now we’re looking at expanding that support to the benefit of customers across other European markets.”