02/18/2026
Both Joe and Nicole will be joining us from Wisconsin to speak with us about malt, and more specifically, malt in conjunction with Kernza. Never heard about Kernza and looking to learn more? Join us on 2/27 and read a little more about this duo of speakers below!⬇
Dr. Nicole Tautges is Research Director at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. Dr. Tautges has degrees in Crop and Soil Science, and specializes in organic small grains research. At Michael Fields, her research focuses on organic production methods, biological nutrient cycling, and post harvest quality flows in food grade grain systems, where she works to develop Midwest Kernza, oat, and buckwheat food chains. Nicole manages 40 acres of Kernza, and direct markets the Kernza grain and milled flour to southern WI consumers and small businesses.
Joe Walts grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and studied aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan. In 2005, he left a job at a jet engine manufacturer to pursue a brewing career at J.T. Whitney’s in Madison, Wisconsin. Joe eventually became the QA Manager at Ale Asylum (Madison, WI), the Head Brewer at Narrows Brewing Company (Tacoma, WA), the QA Manager at Ale Asylum (again), and the B**r Recipe & Process Improvement Lead at Octopi (Waunakee, WI). He’s currently the Quality Manager and R&D Brewer at Karben4 Brewing (Madison, WI) and teaches the Brewery Water and Adjustments portion of the MBAA Brewing and Malting Science Course.
