Paul Schwarz, professor of plant sciences, coordinated and lectured during the Barley Malt Quality Evaluation Short Course at Northern Crops Institute Aug. 17-20.

Fourteen maltsters, brewers and food processors from Canada and United States attended the course, which focused on the quality components of barley and malt necessary to produce an acceptable beer. Course topics included U.S. barley production and variety development, barley quality evaluation, barley malt production technology, biochemistry and analysis, specialty malts and extracts, biotechnology update on barley, barley breeding/gene mapping, germplasm enhancement, world barley malt supply and demand and food safety issues in malting.

Richard Horsley, barley breeder and professor of plant sciences, also instructed during the course. Non-faculty instructors included Jesse Theis, Rahr Malting Co.; Dave Kuske, Briess Malting Co.; Lynn Dahleen, USDA Northern Crop Science Laboratory; Shiaoman Chao, USDA Biosciences Research Laboratory; Derek Prell, Malteurop North America Inc.; and Paul Bolin, Busch Ag Resources.

Attendees also toured the Busch Agricultural Resources Inc., elevator operations in West Fargo, NDSU barley greenhouse facility and NCI/NDSU Malt Analysis Laboratory.

American Society of Brewing Chemists, Institute of Barley and Malt Sciences and NCI co-sponsored the course.