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ASBC Program

Focus Session - Beyond Barley, Brewing with Alternative Grain

Wednesday, August 13, 2025
3:00pm - 4:15pm PDT
Location: Springs Ballroom F
Description: Brewing isn’t just about barley anymore. There’s a growing interest in using alternative starch sources like rice, corn, sorghum, cassava, millet, quinoa, and buckwheat - each bringing unique flavors, challenges, and opportunities. But working with these ingredients requires a deeper understanding of gelatinization temperatures, enzymatic conversion, and their impact on beer quality.
This focus session brings together brewing and industry pros to explore how alternative grains can be effectively used in both craft and large-scale brewing. We'll dive into recipe development, process optimization, and practical brewing techniques.

Relevance: This session provides a platform for professionals to gain knowledge, share experiences, and explore innovative approaches related to the utilization of alternative starch sources in brewing, making it highly relevant and beneficial for individuals within the brewing industry.

Brewing Summit 2025 Theme: This seminar aligns with Evolving in a New Environment by exploring how brewers can innovate with alternative starch sources. As ingredient availability and consumer preferences shift, understanding grains like rice, sorghum, and millet helps brewers adapt, diversify, and create sustainable, high-quality beers.

Learning Objectives:

  • Learn how to work with alternative starch sources like rice, corn, sorghum, cassava, millet, quinoa, and buckwheat.
  • Understand how enzymes can help overcome brewing challenges with high-gelatinization temperatures and unmalted grains.
  • Explore the sensory impact of different adjuncts through tasting