Malting Institute in Brno () is a workplace specialized in the evaluation of barley and malt quality of beer in the Czech Republic. It is headquartered in Brno.
Before the First World War, the most commercial and brewing malthouses in the Austro-Hungarian Empire were concentrated in Moravia and Bohemia. The Moravian malthouses used services of the Vienna laboratory Institut für Gärungsindustrie of prof. E. Jalowetz (1862 - 1936). After the First World War, the Czechoslovak Malting Commission in Brno was founded; the Commission initiated the establishment of the Institute of the Malting Industry. The task of setting up the institute was assumed by VladimÃÂr Vavà Âin à ½ila (1889-1953), the graduate from the Wiener Akademie für Brau-Industrie. V. V. à ½ila managed the Institute of the Malting Industry from its establishment, at first as a head of the laboratory and lately, to his death, as a director.
The âÂÂState Research Institute of Fermentation Industryâ connected with the âÂÂResearch Institute of Malting Industryâ was established at Czech University of Technology (today Brno University of Technology) by the decree of the Ministry of School and Education on August 4, 1920.
On August 4, 1920 the Institute of Malting Industry started conducting analytical checks of the first samples in a makeshift laboratory (7 Falkensteinerova, today 7 Gorkého). At the same time the laboratory was awarded the state authorization. In mid 1921 the Institute moved to its own premises in the chemical pavilion of Czech University of Technology (17 Za úvozem, today 17 à ½ià ¾kova).
During 1925 â 1932, the Institute organized âÂÂMalting and Brewing ConventionsâÂÂ. It had its own display within the Exhibition of Contemporary Culture in Czechoslovakia (1928) and also helped organize the Exhibition of Malting and Brewing, which was part of a large Exhibition of Modern Commerce (1929). In 1933, the pilot experimental malthouse was set up. In the period of 1932-1936 the Institute organized the âÂÂMoravian Malting School in Brnoâ and in 1935 â 1939 the journal âÂÂReports of the Institute for the Fermentation Industryâ was published.
The Institute continued in its activities throughout the whole war period. In the effort to strengthen Czech malting and brewing community from professional and national aspects, à ½ilaâÂÂs edition of brewing papers was founded. Four monographs were published in this edition during the occupation.
After 1946, the Institute started to develop its activities again. With the support of PrvnàbrnÃÂnská strojÃÂrna (First Brno Engineering Plant) an experimental brewery for 8 hl was built. At the same time an experimental microbrewery for 30 liters was set up.
By the decree of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Sciences, the Institute was included in the sector of the Ministry of Food Industry with the effect from January 1, 1951. The staff of the Institute thus lost the opportunity to participate in the education of university students.
In 1951, the building of Dr. Edvard Beneà ¡ Technical University where the Institute had its seat, was handed over to the Military Technical Academy. The Malting Institute had to move out in 1952 to buildings after the nationalized company DIMO (7 Mostecká, Brno) where it has its seat till today. Neither the experimental brewery nor the pilot experimental malthouse could be moved to new premises.
As of January 1, 1952 the âÂÂResearch Institute of Brewing and Maltingâ (RIBM) was set up by the Ministry of Food Industry. The Institute incorporated workplaces of the Research Institute of Brewing and Malting in Prague, Microbiological Stations at the experimental brewery in BranÃÂk and the workplace of the Research Institute of Fermentation Industry in Brno. Thus, since 1952, history of the above listed workplaces is common.
The Malting Institute became the RIBMâÂÂs Brno workplace specialized in the evaluation of barley and malt quality. In 2000 the original name of the workplace again appears in its name âÂÂAnalytical Testing Laboratory â Malting Institute Brnoâ (registration number 1309.2).
Since 1998, âÂÂBarley Year Bookâ has been published in the RIBMâÂÂs Brno workplace each year. It brings information on barley varieties, statistical data on barley and malt, malthouses directory etc. In 2005-2006, the Brno workplace was completely reconstructed and modernized. In 2015, the âÂÂLibrary of Barley and Maltâ was set up.
The Czech malting and brewing industry supports research projects âÂÂThe evaluation of malting barley varietiesâ and âÂÂThe evaluation of malting barley qualityâÂÂ, which have been mostly executed in the RIBMâÂÂs Brno workplace. Based on the results of three-year tests, the RIBMâÂÂs Brno workplace recommends the varieties of spring barley for production of beer with the protected geographical indication âÂÂÃÂeské pivoâ (Czech Beer).