“If you’ve only tasted mass-market beer, you haven’t actually tasted
beer at all. Once you discover traditional beer, your food life will be
transformed.” Brewmaster Garrett
Oliver
The Mystery and Poetry of Brewing
Carolyn Webster-Stratton
Did
you know that Washington is the center of a brew boom boasting more than 225 breweries?
That is just about as many as in the entire nation of Belgium ~ long considered
to be the Mecca for beer lovers. So what is the “brewhaha” about beer brewing
and drinking in Seattle? I have always been a wine lover and when I think of
wine drinkers I think romantic thoughts of beautiful grape fields and people
dancing in woven baskets in the sunshine mashing grapes beneath their feet and
looking at each other lovingly. However, I have never been a beer drinker and
my images of beer drinkers from my Alaska days are of loud, longhaired,
bearded, flannel-wearing men watching sports games in bars while getting drunk.
To start with I was surprised to learn that
the beer making process is much harder and more complex than wine making. It
involves a brew master who may not be in love with his grapes but must be
persistent, patient, and have taken a course in mindfulness. The vintner makes wine simply from crushed
grapes because grapes have their own sugar and grape skins have natural yeast
that starts the fermentation. However, while the brew-master could dance on
barley all he wants, it will yield no juice because it is hard as rock and
packed with starch. First, in a procedure called mashing, the brew master
starts by converting the starch in malted barley to fermentable sugar in a
process that results in something called the mash ~ not a very romantic term.
Then the mash is converted to a sweet but slimy liquid called wort ~ again not very enticing. This mashing
process is just the beginning, as next the brew-master must select from an
array of malts, unmalted and roasted grains, dozens of varieties of hops, and
strains of yeasts. There are many steps in the brewing process involving
malting, milling, mashing, lautering, boiling, fermenting, filtering and
packing. In many ways the brew-master is
more like a chef than like a winemaker. A poor beer cannot be blamed on the
poor grapes or the lack of sunshine that year.
Rather the success of a fine beer depends entirely on the creativity,
imagination, dedication and artistry of the brew-master.
The Brew Master
I interviewed an
Elysian brew master, Zach Kornfeld who just happens to be the boyfriend of my
daughter, Anna. I have known him for several years but never really understood
what his work entailed. He is an English
and poetry major and I have often wondered about the connection between his
university degree and his work but never dared to ask. However
I have noticed how much my children and their friends enjoy sampling a huge
variety of different beers and talking about the complexity of their
flavors. Reminds me of my early days of discussing wine flavors.
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| Beer Choices |
Zach,
Anna and I go to the Elysian pub on Capital Hill. I look at the menu and can
choose between beers called The Wise ESB, Spruce Almighty, Spiced Pear Ale,
Loser Pale Ale, Avatar Jasmine, Split Shot, Immortal IPA, Savant IPA, Stranger
Manger, Night Owl Pumpkin Ale, Men’s Room and Cyclops.
Hmm . . . I
wonder what IPA is and whether I want to be immortal, or wise, or a savant that
evening? Certainly not a Loser or Cyclops.
Zach orders
several beers for me to try and asks me to describe what they taste like. Truly this is different beer from what I
remember from my Alaska days and I hesitate to say it tastes rather fruity or
pear-like. He tells me it includes 100%
pear concentrate, cardamom and cumin.
Another beer I taste has a jasmine taste and is bitter and Zach adds it
is floral tasting. I clearly have a lot
to learn including a new lingo for describing beer flavor and aroma as well as
the brewing process.
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| Deck South Seattle |
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| Deck Capital Hill |
We go into the
back room of the beer pub and Zach immediately goes up to the “deck”. I can see he is at home here and clearly
excited about explaining to me the process of malting the barley. My daughter
warns him that this should be a basic and simple explanation and tells me this
can be my beginner’s introduction before I am ready to proceed to a more
advanced understanding of beer making.
Malt ~ the first ingredient and step ~ Malting
Malting
I am told is the process where barley grain is made ready for brewing. Nearly all beer includes barley malt and it
is apparently more suited for brewing than baking because of its hard husk, low
protein content and high starch content. Barley comes in a variety of strains
grown in different countries for their depth of flavor which are identified by
beer connoisseurs such as the toffeeish flavor of German barley varieties or
unique malting flavors. Malted barley known as malt is barley seed that has
been steeped in water for hours until it sprouts and then is dried out in a
kiln. Malting turns the hard starch
inside the barely seed into a soft paste that is packed with enzymes and begins
to sprout little roots that look like bean or alfalfa sprouts. However, before
the shoot can grow leaves the maltster drains all the water out of the grain
bed and puts the grain into a roasting drum to dry. This final part of malting
is called kilning and when kilning is
completed the grains are termed malt.
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| Sampling pale Pilsner, Crystal and Roasted Malts |
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| Roasted Barley ~ Stout |
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| Silo holds 60,000 pounds of malted barley |
But
it is not that simple. Other malted and unmalted grains such as wheat, rice,
and oats may also be used. A few brewers
have produced gluten-free beer made with no barley malt. Every malt has a different flavor, color,
aroma and purpose. The barley variety, moisture content, and kilning
temperatures and timing are crucial and will bring about different results. For
example, pilsner malt is needed for a golden beer. A low kilning temperature
gives a pale golden color with a slightly bready flavor. Pale ale malt, kilned
at slightly higher temperatures, will give a deeper color and slightly toasty
biscuit flavor, valued in English ales.
Just as with coffee beans, higher kilning temperatures result in higher
gradations of roast, resulting in chocolate, coffee and espresso flavors. Each
malster can make a different malt that will result in different flavors leading
to different beers. Some beers can even
be made from a variety of blended malts that also affects the beer’s character
and determine which foods it can be paired with. I am beginning to get overwhelmed with the
choices and realize we are only on step one! More and more this is sounding
like chemistry baking. I wonder what
malt tastes like? Ever had Grape Nuts breakfast cereal? While there are no
grapes in Grape Nuts (a marketing ploy) it is made from barley malt and yeast
and is practically beer in a box! Try it.
Water ~ Second Ingredient
Most beers are
at least 90% water and so water quality is a critical element in the flavor of
beer. Regions have water with different mineral components, thus giving them a
regional character. For example, Dublin
has hard water suited to making stout, such as Guinness; while Pilsen has soft
water suited to making a pale lager, such as Pilsner Urquell. However, today in the age of filters most
brewers can adjust the mineral content of their brewing water. Brewers can
soften their hard water or add salts to bring out the dry edge in a beer. While beer may be marketed as brewed from
melting glaciers or rocky mountains this is likely marketing hype as most
municipalities have good water supplies that won’t affect the taste.
The Mash ~ Mashing Step
The Mash ~ Mashing Step
Dusty Hopper
I see the bags
of grain, which are labeled as malted or roasted, and next to these grains is
the dusty hopper where the barley
grain is milled or rolled into a white floury starch. I learn there is a fine
tradeoff in the rolling process, the more the kernel is broken up, the more
sugars can be extracted from the grains; but if it is broken up too much, the
husk that surrounds the kernel maybe get broken down, which can cause a “stuck
mash”. Once the grain is milled the
desired amount, it is sent to a large vessel known as the mash tun where it is mixed with hot water to form called a kind of
porridge or the mash. Mashing is actually a form of steeping and
defines the act of brewing. Zach tells me 150 degrees is the optimal
temperature for enzymes to work at unlocking the starch in the malted barley
and making it into maltose, which he explains is comprised of two glucose
molecules and this creates a malty liquid called wort. Anna translates “sugar” and reminds Zach to keep it
simple.
The
mash will stay in this vat for 30 minutes or longer before the brew master will
pump it into another vessel called a lauter
tun which is basically a sieve with screens at the bottom that hold barley
husks in place while it separates the grain solids from the liquids or wort.
Zach explains, “You have to be careful,
constant and even when doing this separation process because if it is done too
fast it will clog the openings. Or, if
the husks are broken down too much, they clog up and don’t let the liquid
through ~ a stuck mash.” The aim is
to get the undiluted wort (sugar water) strained
into the kettle (sometimes called first runnings). The process of getting more
wort is achieved by spraying hot water on the grain bed. This process called “sparging” makes sure all the sugars are removed. Once you get the sugar concentration you want
(specific gravity) the left over porridge or spent grain is picked up by some farmers for their lucky cows. With my new vocabulary I wonder how I will
ever explain this to my friends.
Hops ~ the Third Ingredient
Did you know
that each year Washington State produces approximately 75% of the United States
hops crop and 25% of the world’s crop, most of it in from the Yakima
Valley? But what exactly is this
important ingredient? A hop plant is
actually a flower (not a grain), a perennial climbing vine. In late summer the
hop vine flowers, resulting in a green hop cone, shaped like a pinecone. Inside
the hop cone, at the base of the petals, are glands that produce a bright
yellow resin called lupulin ~ this is the delicate powder, which is precisely
what the brewer is after. Hops have been
used for medicinal and food flavoring since the Roman times though it wasn’t
until the 13th century that widespread cultivation of hops for use
in beer is recorded. The hop won out
over other spices in beer because it provides a clean sharp bitterness and a
range of flavors that is felt to be the backbone of beers real flavor. It
balances out the natural sweet flavor of the malt. Beer without hops would be too sweet and
unsatisfying. In addition, hops lend natural preservative qualities to the
finished beer ~ they also have an antibiotic effect that favors the activity of
brewer’s yeast over other less desirable microorganisms.
Did
you know that the nearest relative to the hop plant is marijuana? This is why jazz musicians in the 50’s who
used marijuana were called hopheads. I taste a little of the hops, but unfortunately the hop does not produce
the same effects although it is still a major ingredient of some natural sleep
aids and said to be relaxing. Like
barley, there are dozens of varieties of hops for the brewer to choose from and
again the choices are critical to the eventual flavor of the beer. Some are
more bitter than others and have different flavors and floral aromas. Hop
aromatics run from earthy hay and fennel to piney and grapefruity. While the Pacific Northwest has the top production,
American hops are often disdained by European brewers, who find them too
exuberantly piney and critique their flavors and aromas. American craft brewers
counter that exuberance has its place.
Does this difference in taste preferences perhaps represent the
difference in cultures?
The Wort Boiling ~ a Magical Process
The next step in the beer brewing
process is called the boil. Zach tells
me the wort is moved into a huge tank known as a “copper” or brew kettle for 1-
½ hours (depending on the recipe) so that the wort can be boiled at 212 degrees
while the hops are added. This boiling process is where the chemical reactions
take place, including sterilization of the wort to remove unwanted bacteria,
releasing hop flavors, stopping of enzymatic mashing processes and other
magical processes. Some hops are added
at the beginning of the boiling and these are called boiling hops and add
bitterness to the beer. Some hops are added 15 minutes before the end of the
boil and they are called finishing hops. Their job is to add flavor. Then just
a few minutes before the end, hops are put in to contribute to the aroma of the
beer. This is a bit like putting tea leaves in hot water for a few minutes
before drinking. But Zach adds that lots
of things contribute to the taste of beer . . . the boiling itself as well as
the percentage of malt, how fine the barely is ground, the temperature boiled
at and the amount cooled ~ all of these
variables make a difference to taste.
There is constant quality assurance tasting as all these decisions are
made.
Whirlpooling
After the boiling is completed the
wort is pumped into a whirlpool where it sits for 10-15 minutes. The denser solids are forced into a cone in
the center of the whirlpool tank and are separated again to get a clean and
clear liquid. Finally it is cooled to 68
degrees and sent through a heat exchanger at one gallon every 2 seconds. Still this is all called wort as it is not
yet beer. The wort must be brought down to fermentation temperatures before
yeast can be added.
Yeast the Fourth Ingredient to Induce Fermentation
Fermenting Vessels
Yeast
is the microorganism that is responsible for the fermentation to a product that
can finally be called beer. Yeast metabolizes the sugars extracted from the
grains, which produces alcohol and carbon dioxide and turns wort into beer. The brewer’s job is to anticipate the
conditions under which the yeast will produce the desired beer. Apparently,
yeast is ornery, and all brew masters are “yeast wranglers” trying to keep the
yeast happy. Again I learn there are many different species of yeast and hundreds
of strains, each with its own characteristics. Especially for ales, the yeast
strain can make a major contribution to the flavor of finished beer. Some
strains can produce aromas of bananas and cloves, while others of orange
marmalade. While the right yeast will
produce the right flavors, the brewer also evaluates the whether the yeast
rises to the top of the fermenting vessel at the end of fermentation or drops
to the bottom? How long does it take to complete fermentation? How much sugar
does it consume? Does it ferment a strong beer or fall asleep on the job? Some
would say the yeast is the single most important ingredient the brewer selects.
Brewers are concerned with two
dominant species of yeast ~ the first is the ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and the second is the lager yeast (Saccharomyeces uvarum). Ale yeast is the older type of brewing yeast
and ferments at warm temperatures between 62 and 75 degrees. It ferments
rapidly and can take as little as a few days. The ale aromas tend toward
fruitier, sweeter beers but may also be spicy and complex. During fermentation,
the foam from the ale yeasts tend to rise to the top of the vessel and float
there. Thus they are called “top
cropping” yeasts. These yeasts can be
skimmed off the surface and used to ferment the next batch. Ale beer is ready
to drink within 3 weeks of the beginning of fermentation.
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| Freezer room |
Lager beers that use “bottom
cropping” yeasts are relative newcomers to the beer world as the lager yeast
was not discovered until the mid-1800s. Lager yeasts ferment best at lower
temperatures 45-56 degrees and the fermentation is slower. When finished, the
lager beers are stored cold and allowed to age for weeks or even months at
temperatures as low as 32 degrees.
Zach shows me how the wort is pumped into the cylindrical vats called fermenters where it will meet the yeast and become beer. They will also add oxygen, which is important to yeast growth and division of cells. The bubbling is carbon dioxide and Zach says it will be 7-10 days for it is ready to drink. Some of it is bubbling into a bucket.
He takes a glass of beer from one of the fermenters and
tastes it. He tells me it is bit
“yeasty” and will make you farty but also tells me that beer is an excellent
source of vitamin B and antioxidants and good source of calcium. One pint has 150 calories. Perhaps farting is
worth it and since there are so many aromas anyway who will notice?
I have seen the process of making of one batch of beer in this small brewery on Capital Hill and Zach tells me he does four batches of beer at one time at his much larger brewery in south Seattle. I ask him how he does this since I can see that to make this one batch the brew master has to be checking temperature, time schedules, changing and sterilizing vats, and calibrating ingredients all the time. He tells me that the first shift starts work with the mashing process at 5:30 am and the second shift ends work at 9 pm and often doesn’t have time to go to the bathroom let alone take lunch. He explains you have to keep everything sanitized and always have to be 4-5 steps ahead of yourself.
Recipes
Chemical Reference Sheet
Zach shows me the recipe notes where 3 brewers are still using hand written notes to record the ph, gravity readings, temperature at each stage of the brewery process. Indeed it does seem to me that being a brew master is like being a chef… a labor of love, with constant dedication and experimentation .
Bottling and Kegging
Next we go into a large room where 70% of the beer is bottled (vs kegged), labeled and packaged.
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| Machine for Filling Kegs |
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| Bottle Conveyer |
We see the conveyer belt where 300 bottles are filled in one minute! It is Sunday afternoon and the room is quiet but I can imagine the noise and excitement when there are 15 people here doing this work filling bottles and kegs.
Lagering
At the end of the tour we go into the cold room to see the tanks that are being carbonated and kept
cold for aging. The process of storing, or conditioning or aging beer at a low
temperature for a long period is called “lagering” and while it is associated
with lagers, the process may also be done with ales. The dates that each tank was brewed are
listed on them and Zach points out the kegs that he has brewed.
Over the past year the Elysian Brewery has
made 99 distinct styles of beer. We go
out into the pub to sample a beer and I taste it with an entirely different
outlook ~ I describe the beer ~
the acidity balances
the fruity notes
sweet and bitter dances
as the drinker gloats
I wonder
if Zach is teaching me to be a poet or if my food life will be transformed? I
ask if I am ready for the next level of training? |
| Anna and Zach
Okay what will we try ~ Men's Room (crystal barley), Immortal or Dragon's Tooth's Stout?
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