Bass barley positively received by overseas breweries

InterGrain, who two years ago released a Baudin-type barley called Bass, have just received their first positive feedback from a key Asian customer.

This new export-quality barley was developed as an alternative to and an improvement on Baudin.

It seems that Bass has finally achieved equal status with Baudin, which is the current international barley benchmark.

Bass' malting and brewing qualities are virtually identical to that of Baudin, and in a blind taste test it was revealed that the beer produced from Bass tasted and smelt the same as that produced from Baudin.

"Positive results from the malting and brewing trial highlight Bass' potential as an excellent quality export malting variety," reported David Moody, a barley breeder at InterGrain.

Its grain plumpness is "the best of any elite malting variety currently grown in Australia," InterGrain barley breeder Reg Lance told Farm Weekly, and it also boasts an improved yield and better resistance to powdery mildew when compared with its predecessor.

Mr Lance was adamant that Bass maintains Baudin's "excellent sprouting tolerance".

It also contains impressive starch-degrading enzyme levels, which, Mr Moody explained, makes it perfectly suited to export markets.

He says that the majority of breweries overseas add starch during the brewing process, so more starch-degrading enzymes will always be welcome.

If you are thinking about planting Bass barley, the next two weeks are the perfect time to do so. An above average rainfall and good subsoil moisture mean that your Bass crop will get the very best start in life.

And, if you're thinking about protecting your barley against livestock intrusion, overspray, fire, hail, or transit and storage loss, then you might want to consider crop insurance.

Elders Insurance has been providing growers all over Australia with crop and farm insurance for over a century. Contact us today to request a quote or find an agent in your region.