On the eastern edge of the Great Plains in North Dakota, more than a quarter of all U.S. barley is grown. Some of the finest of this barley is malted by Two Track Malting in Bismarck – a pioneering craft malting company that turned to Bühler to take its business to the next level.
Two Track Malting was founded as a partnership between two large family farms – Stober Farms and Arrow K Farms. What began in 2015 as a small-scale craft malting operation quickly grew beyond expectations. “Our business picked up substantially – more than we could handle,” recalls co-founder Greg Kessel. “We started looking for a partner who could grow with us – and that’s when we found Bühler.”
Together, Two Track and Bühler set out to build a malting plant unlike any other in the world. Less than a year later, Two Track became the proud owner of the world’s first RimoMalt system – a modular, all-in-one malting solution that integrates steeping, germination, and kilning into a single, scalable unit.
For us, quality starts in the field. We grow our own barley to ensure the best raw material – and with Bühler’s RimoMalt system, we now have the precision and control to turn it into exceptional malt.
Tyler Unger,
Head Maltster, Two Track Malting
With independent germination and kilning units (GKUs), Two Track can easily expand capacity while running different recipes at the same time. Remote monitoring allows the team to operate efficiently and maintain full oversight, even outside the facility.
Two Track’s “field-to-pint” philosophy connects farmers, maltsters, and brewers through traceable, locally produced malt. Their customers – mainly craft brewers and distillers – value the transparency and sustainability behind each batch.
“RimoMalt was a perfect fit for our philosophy,” says Kessel. “We started with one unit but can scale up to five without building a new facility. That flexibility is huge for a growing company like ours.”
As Bob Frassenei, Bühler’s North American Sales Manager for Malting and Brewing, explains: “Most malting systems on the market were too large for craft producers. RimoMalt fills that gap – providing the same Bühler quality and automation, but in a format that’s modular, efficient, and perfectly suited to small and mid-sized maltsters.”
Today, Two Track Malting operates one of the most advanced small-scale malting plants in the world.
It’s world-class, high-tech, efficient, and designed to grow with us. We’re proud of what we’ve built together with Bühler.
Greg Kessel,
Co-Owner, Two Track Malting
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
