Having officially opened just over one year ago, the Coopers Brewery’s new malting plant at Regency Park has got off to a strong start with Australia’s craft brewers and distillers emerging as important customers.
The plant has already reached 90 per cent capacity, having opened in late November 2017, well ahead of budget. A stronger than anticipated demand from Australia’s growing craft beverages sector has helped drive that early success and growth.
Coopers Malting Manager, Dr Doug Stewart, said domestic craft brewers and distillers were predicted to use about 5500 tonnes of malt this year – more than 10 per cent of annual production – and demand was continuing to grow.
“The maltings has the capacity to produce up to 54,000 tonnes of malt a year,” he said.
“Coopers uses approximately 16,000 tonnes a year with the balance available to domestic and international brewers and food producers.
“We have signed a number of international sales agreements and have been pleased with the response from local customers, who purchase the malt through our agents Ellerslie Hops in Victoria. Ellerslie now has warehousing in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane for convenient local distribution.”
Dr Stewart said the amount of malt sold to local craft brewers so far was enough to brew about 25 million litres of beer.
“A growing number of craft breweries are sourcing and enjoying the high quality malt from Coopers,” he said.
“Sales have also been made to whisky distillers in Sydney, Melbourne and regional South Australia.”
As well as making malt from heirloom barley Coopers is currently producing distilling malt, single origin pilsner style, pale and ale malts which vary slightly for the international and domestic markets.