Testing Services
Barley and Malt must meet strict quality criteria to work for various industries, whether it be the Maltster wanting to make barley into a value added malt, or a brewer/distiller wanting to craft a beverage from the malt. Tight specifications of barley and malt are established to ensure good final product quality. Our lab provides convenient, reliable, and affordable testing of the various barley and malt aspects helping to determine selectability of barley for malt and malt for brewing.
Please See Testing Packages Listed Below!
Sample Submission:
Please complete the corresponding form: sampling, shipping & payment instructions are on the forms
Testing Service Agreement:
Parties wishing to submit samples to the MSU Malt Quality Lab must review and sign a Testing Service Agreement
Online Payment Portal:
Data Turnaround Time:
Typically, malt data can be expected within 7 or less business days, while grain samples will take closer to 10 due to germinations tests. During normal weeks malt analysis is performed Tuesday, and Thursday, with analysis on Wednesday and Friday depending on demand. Samples received Thursday may not be run until the following Tuesday at the earliest. Germinations are always started Monday, so grain analyisis will not start till the following week if samples are recieved Tuesday - Friday. Beer analysis is typically run on Mondays, but we will fit it in at our earliest time point where possible. *Please note the University is closed for typical national holidays, this years schedule of closures can be found at the bottom of this page.
Support for Breeding Programs and Researchers:
If you represent a breeding program or research group and you are interested in submitting larger volume studies for analysis, check out our bulk pricing program. *these prices are only valid for breeding and research programs, for any questions please contact our lab Director: hannah.uhlmann@montana.edu
Testing Options:
Grain Quality Testing
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
|
Selection Package: -Moisture, protein, plumpness, germination energy, stirring number, and DON |
$110/sample |
| Grain Moisture & Protein Content (Via NIR, available for barley, wheat, rye, oats, corn) | $20/sample |
| Grain Moisture & Protein Content (via combustion analysis, use for flour or alternative grains) | $35/sample |
|
Germination Characteristics -Germination energy, capacity, and water sensitivity |
$40/sample |
|
DON |
$45/sample |
|
RVA - Stirring Number (PHS or sprouted grain evaluation) |
$35/sample |
|
Cereal Extract: -base malt suplemented mash protocol |
$150/sample |
|
Glycosidic Nitrile (GN0) variety screening (add on option for grain analysis, for distilling grain types) |
$35/sample |
|
Starch Content |
$25/sample |
|
Agronomic Variety Testing -Yield, protein, plump, test weight, heading date, height. *Typically grown at 16 locations including a mix of dry and irrigated environments. For up to date information on locations this season contact our Field Manager Greg Lutgen at trevor.palone@montana.edu |
$135/entry /succesful location |
Malt Quality Testing
 |
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
| Full Analysis - Moisture, assortment, friability, fine extract, coarse extract, F/C difference, B-glucan, FAN, soluble protein, S/T, DP, a-amylase, color, filtration time, clarity, pH | $150/sample |
|
*Basic Analysis - Moisture, friability, fine extract, B-glucan, FAN, DP, a-amylase, color, filtration time, clarity, pH, soluble protein, total protein, S/T *Appropriate for barley, and wheat. Wheat samples will not receive friability testing. |
$100/sample |
|
Adjunct Malt Analysis (rye, oats, spelt, triticale, raw grains, sorghum, maize, millet, rice) *Mashing includes a pre-boil step and inclusion of base barley malt (sorghum, maize, millet, rice) or grains are tested 1:1 with base barley malt (rye, oats, spelt, triticale, raw grains). The same results as basic analysis are reported, minus friability, total protein and S/T as these testing methods are not appropriate for adjunct grains. |
$150/sample |
| Enzymes only-Diastatic Power & a-amylase | $50/sample |
|
*Specialty Malt Analysis - high dried, chocolate and roasted malt–Moisture, extract, color, pH *SRM 20+ samples Please specify if sample is High dried: higher color malt that stills has sufficient enzymes for self conversion (standard mash) Caramel - requires base malt for supplemental conversion (base malt supplemented mash) Roasted - high color malts - (no mash - extraction via boiling) Measure: color only |
$75/sample |
|
*Malting w/ Malt Analysis Barley samples malted with our system and controls, includes Malt Analysis (Basic Malt w/ out friability). -120g micro/breeding scale (supports quality analysis and lot selection) -6Kg Macro large batch scale (supports a 5 gallon brew batch) *Limited availability - please discuss specific project with the lab before submitting samples |
120g: $250/sample 6Kg: $800/sample |
|
Predicted Spirit Yield (for distilling malts) |
$125/sample |
|
Phenol (for peated malts) |
$55/sample |
|
Glycosidic Nitrile (for distilling malts) |
$225/sample |
Beer Quality Testing
 |
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
|
Nutrition Analysis -Total sugars, carbohydrates, calories, protein, ABV |
$100/sample |
|
Beer QC -ABV, SG, RE, RDF, IBU, Color, pH |
$75/sample |
|
Gluten screening (Competitive R-Biopharm) |
$80/Sample |
|
Total sugars |
$25/sample |
|
Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN) |
$25/sample |
|
Bitterness (IBU) |
$30/sample |
Distillate Quality Testing
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
|
Distillate QC -Total solids, apparent proof, specific gravity, true proof |
$75/sample |
*All testing is conducted using official methods of the American Society of Brewing Chemists
*The Montana State University Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality has been certified by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for analysis of beer and distillate products.
2026 Lab Holiday Schedule
The lab will be closed on the following dates:
Thursday January 1 - New Year's Day
Monday, January 19 - Martin Luther King Day
Monday, February 16 - President's Day
Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day
Friday, July 3 - Independence Day
Monday, September 7 - Labor Day
Wednesday, November 11 - Veteran's Day
Thursday/Friday, November 26-27 - Thanksgiving
Monday - Friday, December 21-25 - Christmas Week