The brew process

Step 1:  First we start with the finest domestic and imported malted barley available.

Step 2: The malt is cracked using a grain mill exposing the starch and leaving the husk intact. The grain, or grist, is then moved into the grist hopper located above the Mash Tun.

Step 3: The grist falls through the hopper and is injected with 170 degree water. The grist and hot water mix, now called mash rest in the Mash Tun for 30 - 60 minutes where starches in the grain are converted to sugars by enzymes which have been activated by the hot water.

Step 4: After starch to sugar conversion is complete, the sweet liquid, or wort (pronounced wert) is transferred to the Brew Kettle. The mash remaining in the Mash Tun is then rinsed, or sparged and that liquid with the remaining sugars from the mash is also transferred to the Brew Kettle.

Step 5: The wort is brought to a rolling boil in the Brew Kettle. Bittering hops are added to the wort. More hops are added during the one hour boiling process to add aroma and some favoring to the beer.

Step 6: After boiling, the hot wort is chilled by a heat exchanger and transferred to one of the stainless steel fermentors.  When the wort has cooled to between 74 and 80 degrees yeast is added, or pitched. The yeast converts the sugars to alcohol and CO2 while adding its own distinctive flavor to the finished product. The fermentation takes several days.

Step 7: After fermentation, the temperature is dropped and the yeast is removed. The beer is allowed to age, or condition for 7-15 days. This time allows for all the flavors from the malt and hops as well as the alcohol to come together to form the finished beer.

Step 8: Some of the completed beer is bottle and the remaining beer is then transferred to kegs and carbonated ready to drink.