Our Story

Tennessee Valley Malt, LLC was founded in 2019 by Cory Vineyard with the vision of seeing local craft beverages becoming truly local. By day, Cory works as an agronomist, advising East Tennessee farmers on sustainable farming practices. Along with advising local farmers, he tries to practice what he preaches and farms as well. He is also a supporter of craft beverages and has always been intrigued by his Scots-Irish and German ancestors’ history of beverage production, which for the most part, involved malted barley.

In the southeastern US, barley is mostly grown for livestock feed and as cover crops while most of the malting quality barley is grown in far away places such as the western plains of the US and Canada, continental Europe and the British Isles.

So, what is stopping local craft brewers and distillers from using local barley? The answer is twofold.

One, it is hard to consistently grow malting quality barley in such a humid environment as the southern US, due to an increase in diseases and pests that can damage the grain. But, with new barley varieties and innovative management practices, southern farmers are having greater success growing barley that is up to malting quality standards.

Two, a farmer cannot simply grow the barley and take it to the local brewery, it has to be malted first. With no production malt houses in Tennessee, the vital bridge connecting local farmers to local brewers and distillers is missing.

At Tennessee Valley Malt, the goal is to become that bridge.

With no other production malt houses in the state, Tennessee Valley Malt stands to be the first supplier to help local breweries and distilleries make a truly Tennessee product.

MALTING

Malting is a three-step process in which we deceive the barley into giving up its defenses and releasing its starchy endosperm, all while inducing different measures that contribute to flavor along the way. We do this by mimicking environmental conditions that are favorable for germination.

We start out by steeping the grain to increase its moisture level until it starts to germinate. During germination, enzymes are created that begin breaking down the protein matrix, releasing the starches and modifying the endosperm.

Other enzymes are also produced that will eventually break down these newly available starches into fermentable sugars during the mashing process. We then dry the grain back down to a stable moisture level so it can be stored and eventually, make its way to a brewer or distiller near you.

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