Great Western Malting Co.

Great Western Malting Company has been producing malt for brewers in the western United States since 1934. The company contributed to the early craft brewing movement by filling cardboard boxes and pick-up truck beds full of malt for fledgling brewers in the early 1980s. The company is currently an independent subsidiary within a group of malting companies that includes Canada Malting Company, Hugh Baird & Sons (see the Hugh Baird & Sons listing for further details), and the Argentine company Malteria Pampa S.A. in Buenos Aires. The ConAgra Malt network, as the group is known, is dedicated to earning a preferred position as a malt supplier to brewers worldwide.

   Great Western uses two-row barley from a variety of growing regions in seven western states for a diversified supply of high-quality barley. Malting is performed at sites in Vancouver, Washington; Pocatello, Idaho; and Los Angeles, California. The diverse locations give Great Western advantageous distribution channels and a range of malting techniques from which to choose. The company's drum house in Vancouver, Washington, still turns out malt to complement the more modern Saladin-style compartment houses operating in all three locations. The flexi-malt house also at the Vancouver site provides Great Western the versatility to produce wheat and Munich malts known throughout North America for their well-developed flavors and brewing quality. All maltings are supervised by knowledgeable maltsters with attention to detail.