Two Track Malting
A story in every sip
From regenerative barley fields in North Dakota to advanced modular malting technology, Two Track Malting is helping brewers and distillers in the US reconnect with origin. By combining agricultural expertise, sustainability, and process innovation, the company is proving that great flavor and a compelling story begin in the field and can be fortified as the business grows.
Nick Manley, September 2026
Any craft beer aficionado will tell you that the most important quality of a great beer is its taste. The second, they will say, is the story behind it. It is a story shaped by soil and weather, by the choices of farmers and the skill of makers, by local economies and regional identity. For brewers and distillers working in the craft segment, ingredients are narrative building blocks as much as they are functional inputs. Among those, malt plays a defining role.
Malt influences flavor, color, aroma, mouthfeel, and performance. It also carries something less measurable but equally powerful: a sense of place. Place is at the heart of Two Track Malting. Based in Menoken, North Dakota, Two Track was built on a simple but compelling idea: great malt begins long before grain reaches a mash tun or brewhouse. It begins in the field. The company’s “Field to Pint” and “Field to Spirit” philosophies link brewers and distillers directly to the origin story of their grain – an important way in which they differentiate themselves.
"There are brewers and distillers out there for whom that story is as important as the malt,” says Greg Kessel, Chairman of the Board for Two Track. “And they want to tell the story of where it came from.”
Watch this video to learn more about how Bühler supports Two Track Malting.
Two Track’s story began with two barley farms – Arrow K Farms and Stober Farms – which moved from commodity grain production to developing their own barley varieties. Using a small, self-built system in nearby Lincoln, North Dakota, Two Track began malting barley in 2015. The company built technical expertise, established a customer base, and proved there was real demand for malt with a strong field-level story. But with demand came limitations, and Two Track needed to grow.
For a craft maltster, growth is not just a matter of upping production via industrial scaling. Customers expect both character and consistency. Brewers and distillers rely on predictable performance from batch to batch, even when working with distinctive, regional ingredients.
In searching for a solution that would balance these requirements, Two Track evaluated multiple options before selecting Bühler’s RimoMalt system – a modular malting platform designed to provide industrial-grade process control for craft and specialty producers while maintaining the bespoke characteristics of a particular malt.
"For us smaller guys, there were no systems that we could entertain because they were just too large scale,” says Tyler Unger, Two Track’s Head Maltster. “The RimoMalt system has filled that gap for us.”
I think it’s a pretty world class craft facility. It functions very well, it’s high tech, and doesn’t take a lot of labor. So we’re very proud of what we put together here.
Greg Kessel,
Chairman of the Board at Two Track
Rooted in barley, built on place
Two Track supplies regionally grown, carefully processed malt, linking the finished beer or spirit back to a specific landscape, a farming system, and set of values. Barley grown in different climates, soils, and with different farming practices can express itself in subtle but meaningful ways in a final product.
Working with North Dakota State University, the company cultivated barley suited specifically to local growing conditions and the needs of craft malt customers. This reflects how the concept of terroir – long associated with wine – has gained importance in craft brewing and distilling. Traceability, authenticity, and transparency are increasingly important for consumers, with ingredient origin key to how beverages are perceived.
For brewers and distillers, this creates opportunities for differentiation. By connecting them directly to the field, Two Track helps strengthen their narrative and stand out in a competitive market. A beer brewed with Two Track malt allows a brewery to highlight regional grain, local expertise, and the specific sensory contribution of well-crafted malt. Origin narratives are already central to many spirits, and malt plays a crucial role in fermentation performance and flavor development.
A system designed for craft scale
Authenticity and transparency are increasingly important for consumers, and ingredient origin is becoming a meaningful part of how beverages are perceived.
As is the case with many craft-focused businesses, the early years of Two Track were defined by hands-on experimentation, close customer relationships, and an entrepreneurial mindset. As the business grew, capacity constraints, labor intensity, and the complexity of malting – a biological process that requires precise control of moisture, temperature, airflow, and time – put pressure on the business to expand. Then, during the Covid-19 pandemic, demand exploded."
"When the Covid pandemic started, we weren't exactly sure what was going to become of us,” says Kessel. “But about two months into the pandemic, our business picked up substantially to the tune of more than we could handle.”
The appeal of Bühler’s RimoMalt lay in its combination of flexibility and precision. “Since the RimoMalt is an all-in-one solution and requires no building to house the equipment, it was a perfect fit for Two Track,” says Bob Frassenei, Bühler’s North American sales manager for malting and brewing. “They were able to build what they needed today. And then as they grow, they can add germination and kilning units (GKU) and different features to it.”
The system introduces a range of capabilities: automated control, modular expansion, remote monitoring, energy-efficient processing, and integration with packaging. Together, these features provide a structured and scalable production platform. Instead of improvised processes, Two Track can now manage malting with greater precision. Critical stages – steeping, germination, and kilning – can be more tightly controlled, helping ensure consistent product quality. Importantly, automation does not replace the craft element. It supports it.
RimoMalt’s automated operation and user-friendly interface reduce the burden of constant manual oversight, allowing maltsters to focus on quality and customer needs rather than routine adjustments. Remote operation is particularly valuable for Two Track. “We're not staffed right now to be here 24 hours a day,” says Unger. “So, we're able to operate from home, which is huge. And it's given us full control over the system, as well as being able to track trends.”
This level of insight and control supports both repeatability and continuous improvement – a critical requirement for customers. For a craft maltster, that balance between consistency and flexibility is essential. Brewers and distillers depend on stable enzyme development, predictable performance, and reliable flavor contributions. At the same time, they seek distinctive profiles that set their products apart.
Sustainability from the ground up
The connection between malt quality and the condition of the field matters for Two Track’s customers – and for their final product. Brewers and distillers are increasingly asked to demonstrate sustainability in their supply chains. Working with a maltster that can trace its grain back to regenerative farming adds credibility to their own sustainability efforts.
That is why sustainability at Two Track begins in the field. Since its earliest days, the company has been committed to regenerative farming practices. These include no-till cultivation, the use of cover crops, and track-based equipment to reduce soil compaction. While protecting soil health, improving water retention, and reducing erosion are worthy environmental goals, for Two Track, they are fundamental to maintaining the quality and consistency of their grain.
As Two Track expanded, the challenge was to align this agricultural philosophy with industrial-scale processing. Malting can be energy-intensive, particularly during kilning. RimoMalt addresses this by using heat pump technology that recovers and reuses thermal energy. In a process where temperature control is critical, this approach can significantly reduce overall energy demand. This reduces environmental impact and operating costs and is true to Two-Track’s guiding principles – responsible resource use, long-term thinking, and reduced impact.
"I think it's a pretty world class craft facility,” says Two Track’s Kessel. “It functions very well, it's high tech, and doesn't take a lot of labor. We’re very proud of what we put together here.”
Flexibility for a dynamic market
The craft beverage market is defined by change. Brewers experiment with seasonal releases, regional collaborations, and specialty styles. Distillers explore new grain profiles and flavor expressions. For Two Track, this creates both opportunity and complexity. Beyond traditional barley malts, the company is exploring alternative grains and new applications, including products like sprouted oats, which have a lot in common with germinating barley.
"We uncovered the sprouted oats opportunity in talking with industry people,” says Jared Stober, CEO of Two Track. “There is more interest in functional foods, which opens doors for food manufacturers to be creative in their offerings.” This plays well into Two Track’s growth objectives.
While malting is the company’s core, Stober sees the flexibility of the RimoMalt allowing for expansion into new products and markets. Modularity allows production to adapt to different batch sizes, product types, and customer requirements. It supports both experimentation and efficiency – an essential combination for a craft-focused business.
The key for a craft operation is to grow without diluting what makes it distinctive. Two Track sees the more advanced malting system of the RimoMalt as protecting its founding vision: by increasing capacity, the company can serve a growing customer base. By improving efficiency, it can align operations with its sustainability values. By adopting automation, it can maintain quality as volumes increase. This reflects a broader model for growth in the craft sector: expansion that reinforces identity rather than eroding it.
At its core, craft malting connects growers with makers, agriculture with processing, and raw materials with finished products. From barley varieties developed with local farms, to regenerative practices that protect the soil, to a modern malting system that ensures consistent quality, Two Track’s philosophy of “Field to Pint” and “Field to Spirit” spans its value chain. In a market where consumers increasingly care about what they drink, where it comes from, and how it was made, that matters. Because in the end, every pint tells a story.
As a craft malt supplier since 2015, Two Track Malting provides unique and specialized malts to craft brewers and distillers across North America. Bühler’s RimoMalt modular malting system allows them to deliver their custom offerings at scale while retaining the “sense of place” that has helped create their success.
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