The Role of Microorganisms in Fermentation: Before Pasteur, the process of fermentation was shrouded in mystery. It was known that certain transformations occurred during the brewing of beer and wine, but the mechanisms behind these changes remained unclear. Pasteur's pioneering work in the mid-19th century shed light on the role of microorganisms in fermentation.
Pasteur's Experiments and Discoveries: Pasteur conducted meticulous experiments that demonstrated the involvement of microorganisms, specifically yeast, in the fermentation process. He showed that yeast is responsible for converting sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This groundbreaking revelation revolutionized the understanding of fermentation and its applications in brewing.
Pasteurization and Its Impact on Beer and Wine Production: Pasteur's investigations into fermentation led to another crucial development: pasteurization. Recognizing that microorganisms were responsible for spoilage, Pasteur developed a process of heating beverages to a specific temperature to kill harmful bacteria without significantly altering the taste. This technique, known as pasteurization, proved to be a game-changer in the brewing industry. It allowed for the production of more stable and longer-lasting beer and wine, ensuring a safer and higher-quality end product.
Preventing Spoilage in Beer and Wine: By understanding the role of microorganisms in fermentation and spoilage, Pasteur provided brewers and winemakers with valuable insights. His work laid the foundation for hygiene practices in brewing, emphasizing the importance of cleanliness to prevent contamination and spoilage. Brewers began adopting pasteurization and sanitation measures, leading to improved product consistency and reduced economic losses.
Legacy and Ongoing Impact: Louis Pasteur's contributions to the understanding of fermentation and the development of pasteurization had a profound and lasting impact on the brewing industry. His legacy endures in modern brewing practices, where quality control and hygiene are paramount. Pasteurization remains a standard process in the production of many beverages, ensuring the safety and longevity of the final products.
Conclusion: Louis Pasteur's groundbreaking work in the realm of fermentation revolutionized the brewing industry, transforming it from a mysterious craft to a scientifically grounded and controlled process. His discoveries not only elucidated the role of microorganisms in fermentation but also introduced practices like pasteurization that continue to shape the production of beer and wine today. Pasteur's enduring legacy in microbiology and his contributions to brewing science highlight the profound impact that one individual can have on an entire industry, leaving an indelible mark on the way we understand and produce some of our most beloved beverages.
]]>Brewing has been an important part of Irish culture for centuries, dating all the way back to the Celts who would brew their own ale made from barley, water, and wild herbs. The ale would then be used in religious ceremonies and as a source of sustenance during long journeys.
Fast forward to the 1700s and Ireland was a booming hub of brewing activity. The country was awash with small, independent breweries, each with their own unique recipes and styles. However, the brewing industry in Ireland really took off with the introduction of porter in the 18th century.
Porter was a dark, rich beer that was made by blending different styles of beer together. It quickly became a favorite among the working-class population, and its popularity only grew when Arthur Guinness opened his own brewery in 1759 and began brewing his own version of the beer.
Guinness quickly became the largest brewery in Ireland, producing over a million barrels of beer a year by the early 20th century. The company’s success was due in no small part to its marketing tactics, which included sponsoring events and advertising heavily in newspapers and magazines.
Of course, Guinness isn’t the only famous Irish beer. Another well-known brand is Murphy’s, which was founded in 1856 by James Murphy in Cork. The brewery produced a range of beers, but it was the stout that really put them on the map. Murphy’s Stout is a rich, creamy beer that’s known for its velvety texture and chocolatey flavor.
But the history of brewing in Ireland isn’t just about big brands and mass production. There’s also a thriving craft beer scene in the country, with small breweries popping up all over the place.
One such brewery is the Galway Bay Brewery, which was founded in 2009 by two friends who wanted to create unique and interesting beers. Their range includes everything from traditional Irish red ales to experimental beers made with wild yeast and unusual ingredients.
Then there’s the White Hag Brewery, which is based in County Sligo and produces a range of beers inspired by Irish mythology and folklore. Their beers include the Yule, a spiced red ale that’s brewed in honor of the winter solstice, and the Puca, a dark beer that’s said to be the favorite of the mischievous fairy of the same name.
So there you have it, a brief history of brewing in Ireland. From the ancient Celts to the modern craft beer scene, Ireland has always had a love affair with beer. Whether you’re a fan of the big brands or prefer to seek out smaller, independent breweries, there’s something for everyone in the world of Irish beer. So next time you’re in the pub, raise a glass to the brewers who came before us and made it all possible. Sláinte!
]]>During this time, Highland Brewery essentially put the ABC's cross-hairs on homebrewers. For years, Highland has graciously hosted the Blue Ridge Brew Off (BRBO) homebrew competition. This competition is one of the largest in the southeast, and it raises money for the local homebrew club, MALT. Given the dangerous climate at the time, Highland asked the BRBO organizer to check with ABC to ensure that everything was legal. As it turned out, virtually nothing that homebrewers were doing, other than the act itself, was legal. Competitions, transporting homebrew, homebrew meetings where beer was shared, etc.- all illegal or extremely gray area. Needless to say, the BRBO was shutdown, as were all the competitions across the state. This led to a push for new legislation, legislation that would expand and vindicate the rights of homebrewers.
In 2017, the North Carolina General Assembly addressed homebrewing by passing the statute, G.S. 18B-306. The statute in its entirety reads as such-
"§ 18B-306. Making wines and malt beverages for private use.
(a) Authority. – An individual may make, possess, and transport wines and malt beverages for the individual's own use, the use of the individual's family and guests, or the use at organized affairs, exhibitions, or competitions. For purposes of this section, the term "organized affairs, exhibitions, or competitions" includes homemaker's contests, tastings, and judgings.
(b) Selling Prohibited. – Wines and malt beverages made pursuant to this section may not be sold or offered for sale.
(c) Kits. – Wine kits and malt beverage kits may be sold in this State.
(d) Permit. – No ABC permit is required to make wines or malt beverages pursuant to this section"
Though this seems straightforward, the regulatory details are left to the ABC board. For the last year, there has been a back-and-forth happening between the rule makers and a handful of homebrewers. The ABC released their current rule proposals, and there's still a LOT of work that needs to be done. They have extended the comment period to November 5th, so please take some time to write in and voice your concerns (email address info listed at the bottom).
To see the current proposal, which does not take long to read, click here. On Wednesday October 10th, I joined seven other MALT members and we traveled to Raleigh to speak at the public hearing on the proposed rules. Thanks to the hard work of local homebrewer Dave Byer, who spearheaded and coordinated the effort to rally affected homebrewers and clubs, the hearing room was filled with brewers and advocates from all over the state. The turnout was exactly what we'd hoped for, and it was comical seeing the shocked look on the the commission's faces when they entered the hearing room. They remarked multiple times on the incredible participation rate.
While there are a fair number of issues with these regulations, ranging from somewhat nuanced to egregiously impractical and misguided, I used my three minutes speaking time to weigh in on only a few of the problems I see. I am currently finalizing my letter to the ABC board, and the following is the essence of what I see wrong.
It's important to note the far-reaching implications that these rules will have on the future of our state. Aside from the obvious impacts on homebrewers and homebrew shops, the commercial beer industry and the economy is also affected. With the rocketing number of breweries in NC, the economic impact grew from $1.2 billion in 2014, to having topped $2 billion by the end of 2017; that's nearly double in only three years! With just shy of 300 breweries in the state. the brewing industry has added tens of thousands of jobs, tax revenues, a growth in tourism, and a plethora of ancillary jobs in agriculture, sales and distribution, construction, education, etc. None of this directly accounts for the homebrew industry either. It's only relevant to talk about the commercial beer industry, because as we homebrewers all know, homebrewing is the genesis of commercial brewing. According to the American Homebrewers Association, 90% of pro brewers begin as homebrewers. Case in point, I've been losing customers over the last few years as they go on to open breweries (i.e. Bhramari, Hillman, Whistle Hop) or to work for a brewery.
The first issue I see in the proposed rules pertains to guests. Homebrew may be served to a guest, which is defined as an individual personally known to the homemaker or homemaker's family who is invited to the event by direct contact, including in person or by telephone, mail, or electronic mail...." This language prohibits the use of social media, bulletin boards, and in-store flyers. As a homebrew shop owner, this is frustrating as it would make illegal the way we run our Brewers Socials. Not only can I not post about it via social media, but encouraging people to bring friends or people that may be interested in brewing is also illegal. This is not only at odds with the spirit of the event, but it may also adversely impact the store's economy by hindering our ability to connect with potential customers.
Section .2305 is particularly interesting and, I think, one of the most potentially impractical sections of the rules. It pertains to "Home Product Production Education Meetings." This is essentially any educational meeting about homebrewing. It states that such meetings are only open to due paying members of clubs, yet it omits local clubs, which make up most memberships. While the rule does permit charging a fee to attend such meetings and does allow for the tasting of homebrew at these meetings (a HUGE improvement over the past where this would have been viewed as selling homebrew), it may also be limiting ANY educational sort of meeting to due-paying members. This would mean, for example, that I could not teach a lesson on homebrewing to an interested party or teach one of our brew classes unless everyone in attendance were a due-paying member of a club. Also, I'm not sure why its necessary to make the requirement that a member must pay dues at all.
Under section .2302, there are multiple issues that make homebrew competitions diffficult, if not impossible.
(c)1 prohibits holding a competition in a production area of a brewery. This is where most competitions are held since there is the most space and it isn't intrusive toward public areas. The ABC is concerned that somehow homebrew is going to contaminate the commercial beer. As we all know, the beer sits in closed vessels....
(b)4 allows homebrew for competitions to be stored at a permitted ABC retails space for only 48 hours. This is crazy, as 30 days is the current norm. It's unreasonable to think that all the beer being shipped in and delivered to a competition can arrive no more than two days prior. ABC is worried that somehow the homebrew will be mistaken for commercial beer and sold. This is, of course, ludicrous and impossible.
Section .2306 limits the transport of homebrew to the homebrewer. This means no one can transport homebrew except the person that made it. You can no longer give your friend or family or anyone a bottle of beer, wine, cider, mead, etc if it would require them to drive it. Of course, this eliminates drop off sites for competitions and forces would-be competitors to ship their entries (this is illegal).
As I said, there's a lot in the proposal and I could carry on, but the link is above. If you can spare a few minutes to write in, you'll be helping shape the future of this hobby in our state. Send letters to Walker Reagan, the ABC Rule Making Coordinator by Nov. 5th. His email is Walker.Reagan@abc.nc.gov It also cannot hurt to send your input to your state reps, as they passed the original statute and it's important to see how the ABC is subsequently abusing the intent of the law. To find out the politicians that represent you, click here.
Thanks!
]]>For a long time I've been wanting to look at yeast from various labs to see what exactly is in the package. Every lab makes claims as to cell count and viability over time. Brewing software will tell you how many cells should be in a pack after x amount of time, and then nearly every brewer has some anecdotal opinion regarding the same, but how accurate is any of this? Since, for example, White Labs developed the PurePitch packaging for yeast, these estimations are no longer accurate for this lab. They have extended the best by date on their packs from 4 months from date of manufacture to 6 months, citing better yeast health and viability as the reason. Additionally, the membranes are specially designed to allow CO2 buildup to diffuse out instead of putting excess pressure on the yeast. The supposed result is that even after 6 months, the yeast is still at approximately 70% viability! That's insane for liquid yeast. This all sounds great, but do any of these claims hold up?
As I'd been thinking heavily about all of this, I found that I had two packs of expired yeast from two different labs- Wyeast and White Labs. Not only that, but they had the same manufacture date- August 16th, 2017, which was 7.5 months old. According to brewers' opinions and brewing calculators, all of the yeast should be dead in these packs. According to White Labs, their pack should still be at somewhere north of 50% viable. It should be noted that these were different strains of yeast used in this exercise- Wyeast 2565 Kolsch and WLP351 Bavarian Weizen.
I contacted Tom Micelli at Whistle Hop Brewing in Fairview, NC to see if he'd be interested in looking at yeast with me. I hoped the answer would be Yes, as it was his lab I needed to use! Tom was thrilled to geek out on cells, so we got together to plate and scope the yeast. The results were absolutely shocking to both of us.
Measuring out yeast slurry.
Prepping the methylene violet solution.
Adding the dye to the diluted slurry before plating.
Injecting the dyed yeast into the hemocytometer.
In the last image, we've got the microscope adjusted over the hemocytometer and we're counting the dead cells. Living cells are able to metabolize the dye and excrete it, so they look clear. Dead cells, on the other hand, are dead and cannot metabolize anything, so they absorb the dye.
Tom's program allows us to count the number of cells in each grid block, which then gives us a total cell count per mL. This, however, is not that useful if all of your yeast is dead, so we then count the dead cells in the blocks, enter those figures, and the magic of software presents us with total viability (viability being the percentage of living cells in a sample). With that, we can then know how much yeast slurry to pitch in any given beer.
The results?
Here is an expanded view of the Wyeast sample (A) and White Labs sample (B)
(A)
and here's
(B)
It's immediately apparent that the Wyeast is mostly dead, whereas the White Labs appears to be mostly alive. Now let's look at a couple zoomed in images from our actual cell counting. Again, image (A) is Wyeast and (B) is White Labs.
(A)
and then
(B)
See the difference!? The Wyeast has only a few living cells, whereas it was difficult to find dead ones on the White Labs plate. On the latter plate, we could even see cells moving around and some budding occurring! No such activity was witnessed on the Wyeast plate.
Now if you're wondering about the clumps, some clumping is normal and doesn't factor into the cell counts. You can see in the expanded view that both samples had some clumps. When counting, you try to avoid excessively clumped areas since it's hard to count the cells present, let alone tell if the cells are alive or dead. In the zoomed in White Labs image, the clumps were not counted, though even they look largely alive.
So even from a cursory glance, we could tell which lab's yeast was more viable, but the question was how viable. Viability is what matters at the end of the day, not whether a lab says there are 100 billion cells or 200 billion if you don't know how many are dead. After doing our counts, the computer gave us the results:
Wyeast was 4% viable
White Labs was 92% viable
This was what was to be expected from Wyeast, but the White Labs figure was truly shocking. I can now say with total confidence that a pack of White Labs yeast that is at or even beyond its best by date is still very pitchable. It's also very easy to go to the White Labs website look up the exact cell count on any pack of yeast using the lot number printed on the package. So if your yeast is at the best by date (6 months old), you can look up the cell count at packaging and comfortably assume 70% viability as they claim. The actual viability, as we saw, may be a good deal higher however!
Cheers and happy ferments!
-Tedd
]]>Like any brew system, the Grainfather has its own quirks, idiosyncrasies, and system numbers that you need to figure out. I was an early adopter of the Grainfather, purchasing one here at the shop as soon as it was available. At the time, both Beersmith and the Grainfather calculators failed to give me the water volume numbers I really needed to be consistent; it took several brews before I got it dialed in. Before diving into water specifics, let me go over what I see as the pros and cons of this system.
Pros:
Cons:
Fortunately, when it comes to the weaknesses of this system, you have solutions to largely mitigate these problems. Using the Graincoat, a custom-tailored insulated jacket for the Grainfather, is a tremendous help in retaining heat; this helps compensate for the "underpowered" element and maintain mash temps as well as heat water and wort more quickly. I will not use my Grainfather without the Graincoat ever again. As for the filter, using a stainless hop spider or even just a nylon strainer bag will keep the bulk of the hop material contained and the pump flowing smoothly. Boom! Easy!
Now, for the numbers. How much water do you use to mash? To sparge? What's the evaporation rate? Instead of laying this out in a clunky paragraph, here are key points that I have found and apply when preparing my recipe and going through brew day.
EXAMPLE: I'll break this into steps to make it easier to follow.
1) I want to brew a blonde ale and end up with 5 gallons in my keg. To do this, I want 5.25 gallons of wort in my fermentor; the extra .25 is my sacrificial volume for trub.
2) I'm going to lose .75 gallons to kettle trub, so that means I actually need 6 gallons of wort post-boil.
3) This point is where there's a bit of an efficiency trade-off. Except for smaller session beers, to fully sparge your grain, you'll have a larger pre-boil volume, which means a longer boil time. You can alternatively slightly undersparge and not have to boil as long. The latter is what I do, but his sacrifices some efficiency since you're leaving more sugar behind in the grain; you can compensate for this by using more grain in your grain bill. Simply note your efficiency in your brew software so that you can adjust recipes accordingly. I opt for a 1.5 hour boil. With an evaporation rate of .55 gallons/hour, this means I'll lose .825 gallons over the course of my boil. 6 gallons post-boil plus .825 gallons evaporated = pre-boil volume of 6.825 gallons.
4) So how much do I sparge with to reach my pre-boil volume? Here we have to look at how much water I use at each stage. Let's say this blonde ale uses 10lbs of grain. To mash: 10lb x 1.6 qt water = 16 qts. Divide number of quarts by 4 to get gallons. 16/4 = 4 gallons. My grain will then absorb 1/4th of the mash water, so if I were to just drain the mash basket into the kettle, I'd then have 3 gallons in the kettle. To sparge: Preboil volume of 6.825 minus 3 gallons leaves a difference of 3.825 gallons needed to sparge. NOTE: Again, you may wish to improve your mash efficiency a bit by sparging more and boiling longer. My efficiency ranges from 75-78%. For me, a few more percentage points aren't worth an extra 30-45 minutes boil time. For session ales, more sparging typically isn't necessary since you may actually oversparge and extract tannins; it's the higher gravity beers where you really have to decide between efficiency and time.
In summary, the Grainfather is a really fun unit that does what it's supposed to and may help automate your brewing enough to where you can accomplish more on brew day. Like any system, getting to know the numbers is crucial for consistency, and I hope this guide helps you dial it in more quickly. I highly recommend investing in brewing software to help with recipe formulation and
]]>I (Tedd) love what I do. Owning and working at a homebrew shop enables me the opportunity to meet some of the world's most fun, generous, and all-around incredible people. I find myself perpetually amazed at how much my life has been enhanced through the relationships I've developed while toiling away in this tiny dust box of malts and sugar alchemy. Our customers are invaluable to me, not just from a bottom line business perspective, but from a human one. So many of you have come into this shop and made yourself home. You are our friends, and I consider all my friends to be family.
On Wednesday June 7th, 2017, we lost a beloved member of our family, Justin Shearer. Many of you knew Justin, at least in passing. He was an excellent brewer and had more passion for beer than anyone I know. It was Justin who is responsible for our doing trivia at our Brewers Socials. He would often bring copious amounts of beer to share and distribute as prizes. Some of you were lucky enough to win one of his candles, which were housed inside empty beer bottles.
Justin and Erin were the first non-family members to hold my newborn baby, Bodhi, nearly 2 months ago. We took Bodhi out on his first outing, to the Wedge, and met them there. Justin had so much love in his heart and compassion, enthusiasm, and generosity exuded from his personality unlike anyone I've known. He could, and did, make fast friends of anyone, as is evidenced in the hundreds of people that called him a friend from around the globe. Truly, nothing bad could ever be said of him, and we mourn his passing and Erin's deep loss.
In less than a week, Justin and Erin were to be wed. They were so excited to get married. My wife and I were very much looking forward to sharing their special day with them. It's so surreal that I was just earlier in the week supplying some goods that they needed. Justin was bottling special beers for the occasion. This weekend, he was going to bring me some dvds of a band he turned me onto (he turned me onto a lot of great music). To have these two robbed of their special day adds so much insult to what we all already consider a grave theft. He should not be gone.
There is a meal train set up for Erin and her visiting parents. If you'd like to contribute, you can sign up at https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/dmzm5v There is also a gofundme that has been set up.
I know how many people Justin affected in this community. If anyone needs to talk, I'm available. Justin, I love you, man. Erin, I love you and we support you. I don't know when the tears will end, but we won't stop remembering Justin and his incredibly bright and inspiring personality.
Much love forever,
Tedd
]]>YEAST
Yeast has the final say when it comes to your beer, yet it's the ingredient many brewers take most for granted. Though it's only a single cell, yeast is a very complex living organism. If you don't pitch enough healthy yeast into your well-aerated/oxygenated wort, don't expect the best results. Too little healthy yeast can result in any or all of the following: long lag time before fermentation begins, with the worst case scenario being it never starts at all; off-flavors created by stressed yeast cells; greater ester production, often greater than acceptable for balance and style; and underattenuation, meaning higher terminal gravities and sweeter, less quaffable beer.
What do you do? Familiarize yourself with yeast pitching rates and yeast starters. When buying your yeast, check the date. Most liquid yeast will have both a production date and a best by date, whereas most dry yeast only has a best by date. Regardless, fresher is better as you will have more yeast/greater viability. The mrmalty website now has a wonderful yeast pitching calculator that's free to use.
We NEVER intentionally sell out of date yeast. This is unethical. Do not buy out of date yeast; it's a waste of money. If we ever have yeast go out of date, we give it away. You can certainly add some expired yeast to a fresh vial, or make a yeast starter to build the cell count back up.
NOTE: Buy a pack or two of some dry yeast to keep around. If you ever run into a situation where your yeast is old and you're uncertain it'll fully attenuate or the lag is lasting much longer than expected, you have some healthy yeast you can pitch to ensure all doesn't go to waste.
MALTS
Whether you're brewing all-grain, or steeping grains to supplement your malt extract, it's not a bad practice to taste your malt. Unground, most malt will keep fresh for 9-12 months. After that, it will start to stale and lose some of its diastatic power. If the malt tastes really stale or spongy, the stale flavors will carry over to the final beer. Consider using a different malt.
Malt extracts, especially liquid ones, will also stale and oxidize, which is why you won't get the true color and flavor of the malt as if you'd brewed all-grain (dry malt oxidizes less, so it is a truer profile). You can check the bottom of the can for production dates. If it's more than 9-12 months old, consider a different malt or a different brew store.
NOTE: Darker grains contain more antioxidants, so they are more stable over time than base malts or lighter character malts. This holds true for darker malt extracts as well.
WATER
Water is the canvas upon which you paint your beer.... or something. Start with good quality water. If your water is exceptionally hard or contains lots of iron, consider buying spring water or reverse osmosis. If your water contains chlorine, do the same or run it through a charcoal filter first. You can also treat your water with campden tablets to knock out the chlorine---use at a rate of a 1/4 tablet per 20 gallons of water. When yeast metabolizes chlorine, it spits out some unpleasant harsh compounds into your beer.
If you brew all-grain, the importance of water cannot be stressed enough. Get to know your water either through send-off tests such as Ward Labs, buy a home water testing kit (specific to brewing), or start with a blank slate such as RO water and build the profile from there. The Brewers Association book, Water, by John Palmer is excellent if you want to delve deeply into the water chemistry rabbit hole.
HOPS
This one is a little trickier since you can't typically smell hops at the store. I always smell the hops prior to adding them to the boil. For me, it's as much about learning the characteristic of the hop and enjoying the aroma as it is ensuring freshness. As a general rule (and this doesn't always hold true...as in the case of Medusa hops which honestly don't smell great until the final beer), if your hops smell bad, they're going to be bad.
Old hops might smell cheesy and, if used, will impart a cheesy or sweaty gym sock aroma to the beer---not pleasant. This is because as the hops age, the alpha acids degrade. Humulone, specifically, contains isovaleryl which, with age and oxidation, unbinds itself from the molecule and will become a flavor-active compound.
That cheesiness is isolvaleric acid, which is a short-chain fatty acid commonly found in cheese and foot odor. I'm going to guess that you don't want to be serving your guests a Sweaty Foot Stout... Use fresh hops, and if sourcing in bulk, use them as quickly as possible. In the meantime, vacuum seal them and keep them in the freezer to retard the rate of degradation.
NOTE: It doesn't hurt to have an extra ounce or two of hops on hand just in case you get a surprise on brew day and one of your hop additions smells terrible. If brew day goes smoothly, simply use your reserves soon, on the next beer perhaps, and snag another backup at the shop.
DUST
Yes, our shop is dusty. Counter-intuitively, more dust means more business, which means faster turn over of ingredients. Grain produces insane amounts of dust. Watch us weigh out a grain bill some time and you'll see the plumes of fine dust wafting out. When we refill grain bins---dust clouds. When we mill grain---so much dust. Soooo much dust.
So while it doesn't look as nice, we are very proud and thankful for our dust, and you should be too. As I said, it means fast turnover.
WHAT WE DO FOR YOU
As alluded to with the whole dust equals fresh paragraph above, we keep busy. On top of that, though, we don't stockpile hoards of ingredients. We bring in two-three pallets every week and order yeast as needed (usually that's weekly). With this fast turnover, we can ensure that your ingredients are not hanging around on the shelf very long and they're as fresh as they can possibly be. Don't believe us? Put us to the test using the notes above. Don't shop with us? Employ these discretionary observations wherever you do shop; it can make the difference between beer that's drinkable and beer that's enjoyable.
Cheers!!!
Tedd
]]>
-Tedd
]]>
Carageenan carries a negative charge and the proteins in our wort carry a positive charge. When we add the fining agent to the boil, it roils around attracting proteins to itself; this effectively creates larger particles. When we chill the wort, it is easier for these larger particles to drop out and settle to the bottom, leaving a clearer, less protein-laden beer wort. What does this mean? It means we don't end up with these proteins or carageenan in the final beer.
If you want great clarity and also want to significantly reduce the gluten content and you are adverse to using carageenan, try Clarity Ferm. This enzyme, developed by White Labs, is added to the fermenter when you pitch the yeast. After fementation is complete, everything settles out and you're left with brilliant gluten-reduced beer.
- Cleaning and Sanitizing- These are different processes. The first is the process of removing physical particulates, such as yeast scum build-up on the walls of the fermenter. Sanitizing follows cleaning and is defined as removing 99.999% of microorganisms. If something is not clean, it cannot be sanitized. Remember, you can't sanitize dirt. Cleaners will be labelled as cleaners, and approved sanitizers will say sanitizer. Note: winemakers often use metabisulphite solutions as sanitizers; this is not recommended for beer brewers.
For cleaners, we offer Oxygen Brewery Wash (OBW) and Powdered Brewery Wash (PBW). Both are very effective and should be rinsed with hot water after use.
We carry two quality sanitizers. Io-Star is a non-foaming iodine-based sanitizer that requires one minute of contact time to be effective. It will stain plastic if allowed prolonged exposure, but this is just aesthetic. Star San is a phosphoric acid-based sani that requires five minutes of contact time and foams. Sanitizers should not be rinsed.
- Fermentation Temperature- This can be the difference between good beer and great beer. Yeast will perform differently and create different compounds when subjected to varying temperatures. Always make sure that you ferment in a relatively temperature-stable environment and try to stay within a yeast's ideal range. Every yeast is different, so a comprehensive explanation of differences is impractical here, but we are always willing to offer advise as to the best yeast for your temperatures.
Playing with fermentation temperature is one more way that we can manipulate the final profile of a beer or wine. For example, California Ale or champagne yeast will be cleaner and more neutral when fermented at the low end of their range, and they'll be more estery (esters are aromatic compounds produced by yeast) and less neutral if fermented hotter. Saison yeasts and other Belgian yeasts may be too bubblegummy or underattenuate (not ferment completely) if they aren't fermented hot enough. Hefeweizen yeasts will give you more of the banana and fruit esters when fermented hot and more of the clove-like phenolics when fermented cooler.
- Pitch rates- Start looking into yeast starters. Pitching the appropriate amount of yeast can also mean the difference between good beer and great beer. A single vial of yeast when fresh contains approximately 100 billion cells. It's not that a vial won't ferment out a wort, but it may underattenuate and/or can produce some off-flavors or aromas because it's too stressed out. It's also quite possible that the beer won't taste or smell bad at all, but it won't be quite as crisp or "right" as it could otherwise be with a higher pitch rate. It is also worth noting that nearly all dry yeasts (11gram packs) contain about 200 billion cells, a more adequate number for most ferments. Some good resources are Mr. Malty and Brewers Friend.
]]>At the end of this month, we will be presenting the first seminar of our 2016 educational series. This will be geared towards those interested in starting, just starting, or thinking of expanding their own brewery, winery, cidery, or distillery. Please note that while this event is free, we do require a reservation so that we can have enough materials on hand for everyone. Call or email to reserve your space!
Insurance Basics for Brewers
Presented by: Anthony Mitchell, Insurance Service of Asheville
A cannot miss seminar designed for:
Topics include:
Bring your questions and a thirst for knowledge to this free seminar being held at 32 Banks Ave Catawba Brewing tasting room on the South Slope. Please contact Tedd Clevenger at avlbrewersupply@gmail.com to confirm your reservation as space will be limited and materials may be provided.
Anthony Mitchell, LUTCF is a former teacher with 17+ years in the insurance industry, 13+ of those here in Asheville. He actively works in the brewing community with craft brewers, brew suppliers, brewing consultants, and educational institutions.
]]>Autumn is certainly upon us and we've enjoyed ourselves so far. First, at September's end, we sponsored the beer tent at the French Broad River Festival. As you may recall from reading our blog on "our primitivo" it was this fantastic little beer and music fest that was responsible for my incredible headache on the day we crushed our California grapes... Looking forward to the spring iteration of this festival!
At the beginning of this month, we attended the NC CiderFest and got to sample some great ciders. We also did a live demo apple crush and gave a talk on making hard cider. In short, we had a blast and are really looking forward to next year!
In other cider news, we are running a special on our CiderHouse cider kits- 20% off any kit now through the end of the month (if ordering online, use code cider20 to receive discount). These kits come with the yeast and the juice concentrate. You simply need to add 2 pounds of corn sugar and the water to reconstitute the juice. Easy. Delicious.
Enough of the sales pitch now. What else... Veteran's Day. Yes, it has passed, but our gratitude has not. A huge thank you to all that have served and still serve; only you know the depth of your sacrifices. And a very big thank you to your family, friends, and other loved ones who also often sacrifice peace, comfort, and much else. Thank you.
Thanksgiving is coming. This is followed by Black Friday, the day that we all go ballistic to get new stuff after having just given thanks for what we have. Sorry, but no special Black Friday specials from us, just the usual deals, discounts, and fair pricing. On Thanksgiving, please do take a moment to reflect and be thankful. This can be hard when you're busy entertaining and cooking, but it's important. While I'm on the topic, thank you. All of you, our wonderful patrons and friends, are what keep us here having fun and slinging our wares. You're the best.
New wares.... We finally have 1 gallon wide mouth glass jars with screw on lids! Kombucha anyone? Also, soon to hit our shelves is the new Genesis fermenter! We're excited about this new piece of equipment, so stay tuned.
New Brewery... Mike Karnowski is opening Zebulon Brewing in Weaverville, NC, just north of us a bit. Read all about it here! This is going to be a really unique and exciting brewery to have here in our little nook of the Appalachian Mountains.
Also worth mentioning was the epic nature of our last Brewers Social. If you are missing these, you should try to make it to one. We have so much fun hanging out with all of you and drinking your mighty creations!
Cheers! Prost! Love each other!
]]>Anyway, on a somewhat dreary drizzly Sunday---Sept. 27, 2015---we all convened at Eagles Nest in Black Mountain, NC for a good old fashioned grape crush. Actually, Eagles Nest has a high-end Italian crusher-destemmer, so the work was quick.
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I (Tedd) purchased 3 lugs of Primitivo, a grape related to Zinfandel. Each lug was 36 pounds. The stats on the grapes were as such: Brix/26.5 Sp. Gravity/1.114 pH/3.58 TA/.60%
After the crush, we all socialized a bit with some tasty hors d'oeuvres and vino. It was marvelous, even though this author was spectacularly hungover after the French Broad River Festival the evening before. Post-crush and social, I took the buckets of primitivo down to our friends at Whistle Hop Brewing in Fairview, where they let me store them for a 5-day cold maceration period (this was to extract full flavor and color). Each day, we punched down the skins.
After the maceration period, I took the buckets home and placed them in my basement, where they sit at a steady 65F. For the yeast, I opted for the Lalvin RC-212, a great choice for full bodied reds. Zinfandel is sometimes a bit thin on its own and needs to be blended with something for additional depth. Because the lug of petit syrah I had ordered burned up on the vine, I'm doing this as straight Primitivo; therefore, I think I can use the yeast to achieve the characteristics I'm looking for. The yeast accentuates fruit and berry, also providing some spice and pepper notes- perfect for Primitivo. It also gets great color and flavor extraction and helps stabilize the tannins.
After 9 days of relatively cool fermentation, my Brix was at 7.5 (1.030 SG), giving an approximate abv of 10.5%. I decided to press so that subsequent fermentation would use up and scrub out the oxygen that would be introduced. It was an immaculate day with nice temperate weather and no rain! I apologize in advance that this website automatically rotates these pics. Very annoying.
It took two pressings to do all of the grapes. When finished, I combined the two pomace cakes in the press and did a final pressing.
All in all, I ended up with 9 gallons of delicious (yes, I drank some!) Primitivo that is again happily fermenting away. Tonight, I will check the gravity and tomorrow I will likely be adding malolactic bacteria to the fermenters. We'll keep you posted as this progresses. Frankly, we're fired up for next grape season. Also, we do rent out the press you see pictured.
]]>The next free all-grain class is going to be October 3rd from 1:30-4:30ish. We'll be drinking a German Altbier and brewing something up with some Swaen malt, a new maltster we just picked up! But before that, we are going to do a free kegging workshop on Friday from 6-7pm. This is also free of charge, though we won't have any beer to serve. We will, however, discuss all kinds of fun things, such as PSI, CO2 volumes, equilibriums, and carb charts! It's more fun than it sounds.
Any cidermakers interested in attending NC Ciderfest in November should email us. We would love to have you join us and share some of your cider with attendees and enjoy the festival.
]]>Also, this Sunday (the 13th) is our first winemaking class. This is a fundamentals class that will show you how easy---I mean REALLY easy---it is to make quality wine at home with minimal time and equipment using one of our many kits. Whether you like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cab Sauv., or a wonderful blend, we've got you covered; and you can make it year-round!
The wine class only costs ten bucks and we are offering it at two different times: noon to 2pm and 3 to 5pm. Reserve your space in advance either via phone or swing by the shop. You'll also get a free goodie to take home.
In other news, kegged up a Sour Old Ale earlier today. We brewed this with our friend, Brett Rudolph, back in February on his Blichmann BrewEasy (which he acquired at a right reasonable price from yours truly). We brewed ten gallons of a Dark English Old Ale and split it into two different fermenters, one for the each of us. We fermented it with WLP007 Dry English Ale yeast and then racked to secondary, where we tossed some chunks of barrel staves from a retired Wicked Weed Oblivion barrel.
This beer is already incredibly complex and delicious, with a firm clean acidity and delicious notes of toffee and molasses. Can't wait to get this carbed up and pouring! We'll definitely bring some to share at this month's Brewers Social.
]]>First thing's first- WE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY SEPT. 7TH FOR LABOR DAY
So, why the delay and what's going on? Earlier this summer, we visited the last frontier---Alaska---to check out the brew scene there. The verdict? When can we go back!? I'll devote a later blog to covering that trip.
In other news, we have yet another new website up and running now (the second new website of the year). We hope that you find this one even easier to use and more comprehensive. Please bear with us as we continue to add merchandise; it may take awhile to get everything loaded. If you don't see something you're looking for, give us a shout at 828.358.3536; we probably have it or can get it!
Currently, we have two really great specials going on. Now through Labor Day, we're running a special on used ball-lock kegs. Normally $80ea., they're on sale for $65ea. Buy multiples and get them for $60ea. (no further discounts apply to the kegs). For those who have already realized how easy and wonderful it is to make your own wine from one of our many winekits, we've got a deal for you. Buy any premium winekit at full price and receive a 6 gallon glass carboy for only $6! Yep. That's a steal. You get 30 bottles of premium wine and a deal on Italian glass!
If you haven't yet seen how easy and affordable it is to make your own wine, we're offering a beginners/fundamentals class on Sunday Sept. 13th. We have two class times- 12 to 2 and 3 to 5. Tickets are only $10, and you'll leave capable of crafting your own wine easily with limited time and equipment (you won't need to stomp the grapes a la Lucille Ball), plus you'll receive a free souvenir to take home.
Normally, our Free All-grain Brewing class is held the 1st Saturday of each month. Sometimes due to events or holidays, we have to postpone. Being that this is Labor Day weekend, we are moving the class to the second Saturday of September (that's the 12th). These classes are a great, informal way to see how to brew without extracts and ask the billion questions you have after trolling around on YouTube. We'll be drinking last month's brew (a session-IPA) and brewing up an Altbier. Class time runs from 1:30-4:30ish. Bring a friend and a chair; seating is limited.
Stay tuned for more great stuff, and stay up to date by joining our BREWSletter (you can enter your email into the field at the bottom of the page).
Cheers, Prost, and Salud!
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Also exciting: this Sunday is Father's Day. A huge thank you to all the fathers out there! It's also the third Sunday, which means our Beginner Brewing Class. Like all of our brewing classes, it's a free class!!! It's gonna run from noon until about 2ish. We'll be brewing a saison and drinking the Oatmeal Pale ale we brewed last month. All are welcome to attend regardless of experience or age, but only those 21+ are allowed to sample the Pale ale. No reservations necessary.
Finally, we have our Brewers Social Evening on Wednesday the 24th. As soon as we close at 6, we'll be open for fun! We provide pizza from Asheville Pizza and you all bring your brews to share with others. Please label the brews so everyone can tell what they're drinking. This is open to everyone, so even if you don't have anything to share or haven't yet begun to brew, you're welcome to join us!
Looking forward to all this month has to offer!!!!
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Saturday (June 6th), we'll kick things off at 1:30 and brew up a little something great. What that is is a surprise, even to us. So join us for a some brewing, sampling, and hopefully lots of sunshine! Reservations are not required. You may just wish to bring a notepad and foldable chair (some seating is available, but we often run out!). Super excited about seeing you here!
-Tedd
]]>However, on Memorial Day, we will be celebrating out at Catawba Brewing's Biltmore Village tasting room. They're having a Free BBQ event from about 4-9pm and we'll be doing an onsite brew. Come join us for some fun and brews!
Our next Brewers Social Evening is Wednesday the 27th from 6-8pm. As always, we'll be serving you some pizza pies from Asheville Pizza. We'd love to have you join us so we can mingle over a few tasty beverages. If you have some homebrew to share, please label it and bring it. The more the merrier!
Have a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend!
]]>First on deck, we've got our free beginner/intermediate brewing class coming up on Sunday May 17th. No purchase is necessary, but attendees are encouraged to have fun, help themselves to samples of last month's brew (our Dunkelweiss), and maybe learn a tad bit about how easy it is to make awesome beer at home with minimal equipment and time. Forget your grandpappy's "homebrew;" things have come a long way!!! We run our class from noon until 2ish. NO registration is required. Feel free to bring friends and family and perhaps a foldable chair; we've only got a few available and sometimes we pack the parking lot!
New Merch in da house! Well, there's kind of a lot, so I'll save some of it for later, or you can swing by to see what's up. Very exciting are the new Brewery Series kits from BrewCraft. BC partnered up with a few breweries across the country to make legit clones of famous beers. These clones were done in collaboration with the breweries themselves! Currently in stock are three offerings from Rogue: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Brutal IPA, and of course Dead Guy! (We don't currently have these on the website, so call if interested in placing an online order).
We've also brought in a lot of new wines, including kits from RJ Spagnels (you asked for them, so we got 'em!!!).
Specials... We've got a limited supply of whole leaf hops on special right now; both are 2012 crop, but still in good shape. We've got 1oz packages of Centennial for only $0.75 apiece and whole pounds of Palisade for $5.00! Awww yeah.
Also, stay tuned for upcoming events. We have a Brewers Social Evening coming up in one week (the 27th) as well as serving and judging at Just Brew It and then a Memorial Day brew and bbq at Catawba Brewing in Biltmore Village. Hooray for awesomeness!
]]>We are inviting any and all all-grain brewers to come bring their equipment and set up alongside us to brew. This will be great both for brewers and spectators; we'll all be able to swap tips and tricks and see differences in processes as well as brewing setups!
As always, we'll be serving last month's brew- a dunkelweiss. While the event is open to all, regardless of age, we can clearly only serve beer to those ages 21+. Sorry; we don't make the laws. We will start the brew day at 1:30 pm. No equipment will be provided, so make sure to bring your own burners, pots, chairs for sittin' yer caboose on, etc. See you soon!!!
]]>Shortly thereafter, on Wednesday the 22nd from 6-8pm, we'll be hosting our monthly Brewers Social Evening. The idea is simple- meet and mingle with fellow brewing enthusiasts. We provide the space (the shop), as well as free pizza from Asheville Pizza, and you bring some brews to share. Please label your bottles so everyone knows what's in 'em. Never brewed anything? No problem. All are welcome, so bring your friends and family. Prost!!!
]]>Reservations are not required, and IT'S FREE! Feel free to bring a friend, some brew, perhaps a notebook if you want. Looking forward to seeing you there!
]]>Again, this is free and reservations are not required. We'll be sharing beer, tips and tricks, and hopefully some chuckles (that depends on if you're funny or not). Feel free to bring friends, a notepad, cameras, zebras, and perhaps a chair for sittin.'
Looking forward to seeing you there!
]]>First on deck, on Wednesday, March 4th, is our Brewers Social. As soon as we close shop at 6pm, we will be totally open for socializing with you, our wonderful and talented friends and customers. The event is free and runs til 7:30. We will be serving free pizza and mingling, so join us with some brew to share with others and bring a friend or two if you wish!
Next up, on Saturday, March 7th is our Free All-grain Brewing class. As you may or may not already know, we are the only shop in the area that offers free homebrew classes, which are open to all regardless of brewing experience (it's part of what makes us the best shop around!). We drink the beer brewed at the previous month's class and give you the chance to ask us millions of questions, meet fellow brewing enthusiasts, and just have a good ol' time with us. Reservations are not required.
Feel free to call or email with questions!
]]>Please stay safe and warm out there, and we look forward to serving you again as soon as safely possible.
]]>On tap will be our black ipa and in the brew kettle will be our very own irish red kit.
Come join us at noon and spend a couple hours with us!
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We hope you find the new website more user-friendly and intuitive. We have also included more of the inventory we keep in-store, but do keep an eye out for new material, as it will take some time to import all we carry. In the meantime, happy brewing and let us know how we can serve you!
Cheers!
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