Production chain of the Brewery  

Baladin became a farm brewery on January 1st, 2012.


Let’s take a look at the evolution of thought and practical progress started by Teo Musso many years ago, with the main objective of becoming responsible for the entire production cycle of its beers, starting, of course, from the earth and raw ingredients.


The ultimate goal to be achieved through the production and sale of Baladin beers is to support the whole cycle, producing wealth and shared ethical values at the same time.


In 2006, Teo develops the concept of a “morally controlled production chain” and starts experimenting with the cultivation of cereals (spring two-row barley) on 4 hectares of land in Piozzo.


In 2007 he acquires four more hectares in Piedmont and 10 in the Basilicata (a region chosen for its soil and climate), which then become 25 in 2009, and 68 in 2011. With the addition of the fields in the Marche, Baladin currently farms over 400 hectares with spring two-row barley specifically selected for beer production. These lands are rented and farmed exclusively by Birrificio Baladin Società Semplice Agricola. Here, spring to-row barleys of the Brema and Scarlett varieties are grown, while the fields in Piozzo - for climate reasons - are entirely used for the production of other cereals, such as common wheat, which are used raw.


The barley produced is malted by the independent malthouse Agroalimentare Sud in Melfi.


Hops: another key ingredient in beer production


Thanks to the cooperation with the Institute for Agricultural Studies of Cussanio (Cuneo) and the company Tecnogranda, in 2008, we started the first cultivation of hops in Italy. The size of the fields
was enough for a relevant production of beer. The inspiring idea behind this project had two objectives: on the one hand, learning and, on the other, harvesting a sufficient quantity of hops to
start the production of a 100% Italian beer (Baladin Nazionale).

It is intentionally a non-intensive cultivation, which yields half of what it actually should. 600 plants have been planted and the chosen variety is Hallertau Mittelfrüh, of German origin. The planting required 7 m high poles - 2 meters are in the ground - to support the plants, from which only the flowers are picked.

In 2016, we added one more hectare, located a few hundred meters from the new brewing facility, where we mainly grow Cascade hops.


Another essential ingredient of beer: yeast

Its culture is not necessarily linked to the development of the farm brewery, but it is part of the desire to complete the production chain of our ingredients and practice the idea of sustainability even more.

In 2010-2011 we selected 4 different strains of yeast for primary fermentation and one for secondary fermentation. They are currently used regularly in production. They are propagated in the brewery's laboratory.


Water


The water we use, a fundamental and determining factor in beer production, comes from natural sources found on the estate.