Brewing
Process:
Mashing – mashing
is the process of mixing milled malt with hot water to allow
enzymes in the malt to breakdown the starch in the grain into
sugars.
Kettle Boil – The
liquid in the mash (wort) is strained and pumped into the kettle
where it is boiled. The purpose of the boil is to sterilize
the wort, condense the wort and to boil the hops. Hops added
to beginning of the boil are bittering hops and those added
toward the end of the boil are flavor and aroma hops.
Fermentation –
Yeast is added to the cooled wort and allowed to ferment actively
for 4-5 days. During fermentation the yeast eats the sugars
in the wort and produce alcohol and CO2 plus other flavoring
compounds. The beer is cooled after fermentation and allowed
to mature for 10 or more days.
Filtration –
When fermentation and maturation are finished most beers are
filtered into the serving tanks where they are carbonated and
then sent to the bar. Filtration makes the beer clear and pretty.
The wheat, stout and porter are not filtered.
Beer Raw Ingredients:
Malted Barley – This grain provides the
majority of fermentable extract in all of our brews
.
Crystal malt –
Gives a red color and can taste sweet or if used in large quantity
can taste like toffee or caramel. Used in Pale, Amber, Porter,
IPA.
Chocolate and Black Malt
– Gives a black, brown or red color depending on quantity
used. Can give a chocolate, burnt and nutty flavor or just provide
color. Used in Stout and Porter.
Wheat Malt –
Light in color. Biscuity flavor. Used in Wheat and Gold.
Hops – Hops
are the flower of a dioeciously (male and female flowers on
separate plants) vine. They have a resin that gives beer bitterness
and flavor. The flavors can range from spicy to pine to floral.
Hops are used to balance the sweetness of the beer with bitterness.
Yeast –
Does the work of producing alcohol and other flavors. The wheat
beer uses special Belgian yeast which gives fruity flavors and
spicy clove flavors. The rest of our beers use Cal Ale yeast
which is very neutral and allows the ingredients, especially
hops, to shine.