Description
Stjørdalsmalt from Alstadberg Tradisjonsbryggeri – smoked malt from a såinnhus
Stjørdalsmalt is genuine, traditional smoked malt, malted in a såinnhus (kiln house) by Roar Sandodden at Alstadberg Tradisjonsbryggeri in Skatval, Stjørdal, Norway. The malt is made with the same technique and equipment the Vikings used. Expect a strong but relatively mild smoky character.
Please note: This product is only available in Norway.
Stjørdalsmalt is an important ingredient in Stjørdalsøl, a malt ale brewed according to very old traditions in the areas around Stjørdal in Trøndelag. Similar farmhouse ales have been brewed throughout Norway south of the Arctic Circle since prehistoric times, but the tradition has died out in most places. Stjørdal is the only area where the tradition of malting local grain has been kept alive. Stjørdalsøl is traditionally homebrewed, but is now also available commercially. Klostergården Håndbryggeri has brewed Alstadberger, a Stjørdalsøl, together with Alstadberg Tradisjonsbryggeri, and it is also available as an all-grain beer kit at Brewshop.
Features
- Type: smoked malt, kilned in a såinnhus
- Smoke character: strong but relatively mild
- Yield: slightly lower than commercial base malt
- Producer: Alstadberg Tradisjonsbryggeri, Skatval in Stjørdal
- Pack size: 100 g. The price is per 100 g, so choose 5 for 500 g or 30 for 3 kg.
A brief history of Stjørdalsmalt
In Stjørdal, there is nothing to suggest that the local brewing tradition does not follow an unbroken line from before the Viking Age, perhaps even 2300 years back in time when the Greek Pytheas sailed "to the land of Thule six days' journey north of Britannia", which Fridtjof Nansen later calculated must have been somewhere between Møre and Helgeland.
The same technique has been used elsewhere in the country, but today only the people of Stjørdal do it this way. In olden times, the grain was steeped in sacks in a stream; now other various devices are used before the grain is transferred to a germinating bed to sprout. Then the green malt is moved to a såinn, consisting of a large stone oven with a flat top made of wooden boards with thousands of small holes. Below this, a fire is lit in the fireplace, called a "kjærringa", using alder wood, which has little tar and burns cleanly.
The drying technique was probably not developed in Stjørdal. The word "såinn" is not found in Old Norse before the Viking Age, but it is found after the Viking Age. The Celts dried malt on something they called "sorn". A thousand years ago, the Celts had a number of unwelcome visits from Norwegian Vikings, who took home everything they liked from Celtic communities. This undoubtedly included the malt drying technique.
Alstadberg Tradisjonsbryggeri was established in 2013, and the såinnhus at Alstadberg was built the same year. Previously, owner Roar Sandodden had borrowed various såinnhus in the valley and tried to incorporate the best of these into his own.
According to British beer expert and journalist Michael Jackson, no one else in the world today dries malt using such an ancient technique. Jackson has visited 3000 of the world's 5000 breweries, and has written countless books and articles, as well as made many television programs about the golden brew. He knows most everything about beer cultures around the globe. Yet, he has only heard of såinnhus in Stjørdal.
Frequently asked questions about Stjørdalsmalt
What is Stjørdalsmalt?
Traditional malt from Stjørdal that is kilned on a såinn, a large stone oven topped with wooden boards full of small holes, fired with alder wood. This gives the malt its smoky character. Stjørdalsmalt is an important ingredient in Stjørdalsøl.
How smoky is Stjørdalsmalt?
The smoke character is strong but relatively mild.
Can I use Stjørdalsmalt as a base malt?
The malt gives a slightly lower yield than commercial base malt, so take this into account when building your recipe.
Can I get the malt crushed?
Yes. You choose whole or crushed malt when you order.
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