Proximity Malt, USA

Jake Capron, Director of Operations

“The Proximity Malt concept can be described in 3 adjectives: local, sustainable, committed. The idea behind this project was to create a regional company, based on the local production of grains and a sustainable logistic service in collaboration with local brewers: a new generation of malting company in total adequacy with the craft brewing (r)evolution.
In terms of geographical location, Colorado and Delaware, where our 2 malthouses were built, were a natural choice due to the production of malted barley and the strong presence of craft brewers.

In order to live up to our ambitions, there was no doubt that we had to equip ourselves with an environmental-friendly state-of-the-art roaster: the REVTECH VERY UNIQUE ROASTER, Proximity Malt becoming the first in North America to adopt it.
We could then be asked "What makes our roaster unique?" As a maltster, we have to fulfil very specific guidelines in which each stage of the roasting process has its importance. The challenges facing our technology are as much about the product as they are about the environment. Grain integrity, Precision & Uniformity of target roast, Batch Consistency, Resource efficiency, Versatility and Safety are part of them.

• The gentle propel system allows to maintain the grain integrity compared to traditional roasters.
• Precision & Uniformity of target roast are feasible thanks to consistent processing conditions, precise control of temperature, moisture and residence time.
• The repeatability of precise recipes, the gentle movement and evenly applied heat ensure uniform roast from kernel to kernel resulting in a batch consistency.
• Resource efficiency is possible thanks to a high heat transfer and the absence of combustion gases that leads to a cleaner process.
• The technology versatility proves as it can roast any grains.
• The minimum oxygen content guarantees on its side the use of a safe roasting equipment.

We do a lot of R&D which is key to our activity to be able to offer a large portfolio of specialty malts but not only. That mission relies on our Revtech pilot unit installed at our headquarters in Wisconsin.
Our office staff can testify to these experiments simply by smelling the roasting odours coming into their offices. A real team effort!
The full range of colors and flavors made possible with our roaster allows us to satisfy any craft brewer’s demand, from kiln malt to black malt, including biscuit malt, and they’re getting more and more numerous.

Making our customers happy is what drives our seasoned team of maltsters to develop product flexibility and control than ever before. We do thank the Revtech team for its, including remote, support and our collaborative work!”

A video of the roaster in operation can be seen here.
For further information about Proximity Malt roasting technology, visit their dedicated webpage at  https://proximitymalt.com/roasting/