Welcome to Brewmasters Class aka Craft Beer 101 with OYB!
Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at Old Yale Brewing in our big ol’ brewery?? Or how that sweet sweet craft beer nectar gets made?? Well, we’ve put together a guide on how it all goes down here at OYB start to finish, so that you can become a craft beer expert AND impress all your friends next time you’re here sipping on a couple of flights…
So, go grab a beer, crack it, take a sip and check out how we make it taste SO darn good…
Let’s get into it!
STEP 1: GRAIN SILO
To begin the brewing process, malted barley is taken from silos (those gigantic tanks you see from the parking lot) into the brewery to begin the beer making process.
STEP 2: MILLING
The base malt, along with other specialty malts and grains are crushed and cracked to expose their starchy interiors…ooh so starchy.
STEP 3: MASHING
The crushed grains are mixed with hot water, into an oatmeal-like consistency. This allows the enzymes from the malt to be released and convert the starch into fermentable sugars. This is where the flavour and character of the beer begins to develop… #Science
STEP 4: LAUTERING
Once the mashed grains have all the starch converted to sugars, the whole mixture is moved into the lauter tun. The false bottom in the lauter tun allows the sugary liquid, called “wort” (not sure who decided on that word…) to be gently separated from the remaining solids and sent to the boil kettle – “lautering”. The grains are then given a hot water rinse, or “sparge” to help ensure all the sugars are collected.
STEP 5: BOILING
The wort is boiled for about an hour (it’s getting hot in here…), and during this time the flavour really starts to build... Sugars begin to caramelize, and hops are added throughout the boil to both add a bitterness as well as build the flavour and aromatic bouquet.
STEP 6: WHIRLPOOL
Once the boil is complete, the wort is transferred into the whirlpool (just like hot tub time machine). The spinning forces cause all the remaining hops material and any proteins to collect in the centre, and keep the liquid clear – in some specialty beers, additional hops or spices can be added during this step to enhance the aroma.
STEP 7: COOLING
From the whirlpool, the wort passes through a counter-flow heat exchanger which quickly cools it from over 95C to about 18C – the perfect temperature to add our yeast while it is pumped to the fermentation vessel.
STEP 8: FERMENTING
The yeast quickly grows and begins to convert the sugars into alcohol and CO2. The temperature and fermentation time vary depending on style of beer being brewed, ranging from 2-6 weeks. Some beers call for fruit or additional hops to be added. This step really boosts the aromas and flavour profile. #MoreScience
STEP 9: CLARIFICATION
The beer can be clarified in multiple ways, either an extended conditioning to allow it to clear, or run through a centrifuge. This rotates the liquid at high speeds, separating the solids, creating a clear final product. But that clarity though…
STEP 10: BRITE BEER TANK
The finished beer is then collected in the brite beer tank, where it is carbonated, and prepared for packaging… We’re almost at our favourite part!!
STEP 11: BEER!
Now the beer is ready to be packaged into cans, bottles, and kegs, and more importantly, is ready to be enjoyed by Old Yale customers… and us!
And there you have it, you’re an expert now. Don’t worry the ONLY test on all that is to appreciate that process (#science) by enjoying a delicious Old Yale beer!
Cheers friends! We can’t wait to see you in our Tasting Room for some fresh beers…