Malterie Franco-Belges, Pithiviers.

[bellebouche]

Gents,

Dispatches from the front line... on the continent!

I had an opportunity to visit the maltster that makes a lot of the continental malts I use. They're miles from me (about an hour south-west of Paris) in Pithiviers but it was an interesting trip as I was up in that neck of the woods for another purpose.



So - this years barley is in the middle of being hauled in and the factory was in full pelt. Trucks arriving delivering the fresh grain and other trucks leaving with tonnes and tonnes of malt.

The 'touraileurs' were in full operation and the smell was sensational. Like being dropped into an Ovaltine/Maltesers explosion!

I picked up 300Kg of mixed Pils, pale, vienna, munich, wheat etc. etc. the smell in the car was outstanding... I was perma-peckish all the way home due to the aroma!

new to me on this run was a 'Cara-Vienne' a crystal malt of a mid-dark colour... I think about EBC80 from memory. It had an outstanding aroma coming out of the sack into my stores and I was mentally already thinking of recipes to use it in. I'll get to it after the weekend and will make a little sample pot (in a coffee cafetierre) to taste before I brew with it.

Word from the maltster is that this year yields are poor due to the weather and to expect prices to increase. Time will tell

[WishboneBrewery]

Cool

300kg?!!!!!!!!!!!

[bellebouche]

Cool

300kg?!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahh, not all mine.

[killer]

Hi Bellebouche,

Do they sell to the general public and in smaller quantities ?
I live in Paris and I'm always on the lookout for alternative grain suppliers.

Cheers
Cillian

[bellebouche]

Ahh.. right - they will deal with you at the factory door so if you're mobile you can make an appointment to rock up and collect just a sack. They're a little slow. You need to fill in an order form, it gets packed/picked for you and left on a pallet for collection at a fixed time. takes about a week for the round trip.

However, you get a better price if you're in on a multi-buy as you'll benefit form better buying power when you're looking at >250kg purchases. The Paris brewers I know do one every few months... I'll ask and report back.

Are you on BrassageAmateur and the forums at all? It's usually coordinated through there.

[killer]

Hi Bellebouche,

Thanks for the reply. I'm not on those forums yet - I must look into them. The homebrewing circuit over here is certainly less evident than in the UK !
Though it's interesting to see small breweries popping up now and again. One just opened near me in the 18th district in Paris. I spoke to one of their stagiaires and he reckons they are very much going down the american route - with purchases of the usual hops.

[stevetk189]

Interesting, I'm still getting grain from the UK as it's cheaper, much quicker to be delivered and better quality. Not surprised their service is slow though, everything else the French do takes an age and then ends up either wrong or not quite finished.

With maltsters available within France I still wonder why it's so dear and why the craft beer - around here at least - is generally so bad. It is refreshing to start noticing groups of new brewers popping up across France who are about about brewing good beer. Wave goodbye to blonde, ambre, brun fizz cack and get some real beer made categorized by more than just the bloody colour.