2026 Growing Season: Navigating Climate Extremes

The 2026 agricultural year delivered a masterclass in extremes. Following one of the wettest winters on record, crops were subjected to intense heat, culminating in what the Met Office has provisionally declared the hottest UK summer on record. England and Wales recorded their driest Julys on record, experiencing severe moisture deficits during critical grain-filling periods. Further north, while Scotland was the least dry nation, rainfall still only reached 41% of its normal average. These dramatic weather shifts inevitably impacted our farming partners and overall yields. However, as maltsters, we thrive on managing agricultural variability. Our rigorous intake selection ensures that only the best grain enters the maltings, resulting in a robust, high-performing product for your brewhouse.

Crop Intake Data: Yields, Quality, and Regional Variations

To understand how this year’s harvest will perform, it is helpful to look at three critical intake metrics: Total Nitrogen (TN) for enzymatic power and yeast health, Average Retention for mill performance and extract potential, and Average Screenings to gauge undersized grain volume.

The climatic stress of the 2026 growing season created distinct physical profiles across our growing regions and barley varieties.

Figure 1. Average Total Nitrogen, TN, (%) split by season and variety to show the differences between 2025 and 2026 (red dashed line = upper threshold of 1.65).

Figure 2. Average Retention (%) and average Screenings (%) split by season and variety to show the differences between 2025 and 2026. Note: Barley failing the screening is disposed of at the maltings.

• England (Winter & Heritage): For our English winter varieties and heritage Maris Otter, the intense summer drought limited final grain fill, leading to a decrease in average retention and a corresponding uptick in screenings. Interestingly, TN levels dropped slightly for these crops, giving us ample high-quality grain to select from to fulfil our projected requirements without needing to source grain elsewhere. This also provides excellent flexibility to produce a range of malts suitable for all beer styles.
• England (Spring Barley): Late-season rain improved the physical quality of English spring barley, resulting in better retention and lower screenings. While nitrogen (TN) levels across the national crop were unusually high, our selective intake process allowed us to secure the lowest nitrogen grains available, keeping our average to 1.74.
• Scotland (Spring Barley): Scotland escaped the most severe extremes of the heatwave, allowing for excellent crop development and yielding outstanding physical quality. Retention jumped to a highly consistent 95.7%, and screenings dropped to just 1.2%. TN levels remained remarkably stable at 1.46, providing a perfectly balanced foundation for delicate flavour profiles.
• Tackling the Screenings: At first glance, the increased average screenings for our English winter (4.5%) and Maris Otter (4.3%) crops clearly reflect the undeniably difficult growing season. However, this will not translate to issues in your brewhouse. We process the incoming harvest through specialised rotating cylindrical screens that utilise high flowrates to effectively sort out small, unviable corns. Further screening takes places every time the grain is moved to ensure consistency during malting. This rigorous grading ensures that the stress of the season is left at the maltings, and only the finest, optimally sized malt reaches the brewer.
• Managing Total Nitrogen (TN): While the proportion of the English spring barley we selected averaged a TN of 1.74, slightly above our typical 1.65 maximum, there is no cause for concern. Our diverse regional sourcing allows us to meticulously plan our intake, ensuring we still craft our full range of malts precisely to specification with perfect enzymatic and colour balance.

Brewhouse Dynamics: Translating the 2026 Malt

The structural makeup of this year’s harvest will influence your daily operations. Whether you are troubleshooting brewhouse efficiency or optimising yeast performance, here is how to translate these field conditions into brewing success:

• Dialling in the Mill: With slight regional variations in grain size – particularly the smaller profiles seen in English winter and Maris Otter crops – optimising your mill gap is essential. A precise crush maximises extract efficiency while preserving the husk bed, ensuring smooth lautering. Conversely, the plump, highly retained Scottish spring barley will mill beautifully with standard settings.
• Optimized Enzyme Power: Because we carefully manage our TN levels during production to ensure they sit within that ideal sub-1.65 range, you can expect highly reliable diastatic power. Your starch-converting enzymes will perform exceptionally well without the risk of over-conversion, so simply managing your standard water-to-grist ratio will ensure a highly efficient mash.
• Yeast Vitality and Fermentation: The healthy nitrogen profiles across all our varieties translate to excellent Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN) in the wort. This provides your yeast with a superb nutritional foundation, supporting clean fermentations and highly predictable attenuation rates.
• Foam Stability and Clarity: The protein profile across all varieties offers brilliant building blocks for head retention. For brewers producing bright styles, a vigorous kettle boil, optimal wort pH management, and standard fining practices will easily handle the protein load, delivering clarity without sacrificing foam.

In Summary:

While 2026 presented undeniable challenges in the fields, our proactive approach and strong agricultural partnerships have paid off. We have successfully planned for and secured the exact volumes of right-specification barley needed to produce our complete range of malts. Regardless of the weather’s curveballs, you can continue to rely on Crisp Malt for the consistent, premium foundation your beer deserves.