Crafting exceptional beer involves a meticulous, step-by-step process where every detail is carefully considered. At Evolution Craft Brewing Co., approximately 250 to 270 cases of 12 oz bottles, equating to about 30 kegs, are produced every hour, highlighting a remarkable blend of efficiency and quality. This intricate journey, as explored in the video above, transforms basic ingredients into a finely tuned beverage. Understanding the various stages of beer production, from the pristine water source to the final packaged product, offers a deeper appreciation for the art and science of brewing.
The Foundation of Flavor: Essential Ingredients for Craft Beer
The creation of any outstanding craft beer begins with selecting the finest raw materials. A high-quality product is often said to be only as good as its foundational components. At Evolution Craft Brewing Co., this principle is rigorously upheld through the careful sourcing and utilization of four key ingredients.
Water: The Unsung Hero of the Brewing Process
A surprising fact to many is the significant role of water, which constitutes over 90% of beer’s volume. Evolution Craft Brewing Co. benefits from a truly unique advantage: a dedicated well on its property. This well was originally dug to supply an old ice production facility with an immense quantity of quality water, which the city system could not provide. Consequently, this historical infrastructure now yields water that is remarkably pure for brewing.
This natural water supply is neither filtered nor chemically treated; there are no additives, and it is not stripped of its natural minerals. It is considered pristine, offering a nearly perfect profile for crafting beer. The inherent mineral balance of this water can significantly influence the beer’s overall flavor, mouthfeel, and the efficacy of other ingredients during the brewing process.
Malted Barley: The Heart of the Brew
Following water, malted barley serves as the primary source of sugars and body for beer. The barley used by Evolution Craft Brewing Co. is carefully sourced from the Canadian area, known for its high-quality grain production. This malted barley arrives at the facility, ready to undergo the first mechanical step in its transformation into beer.
Milling is then performed on this malted barley. The objective here is quite specific: to delicately cut the husks off each barley kernel without crushing the kernel itself into a fine powder. This precise milling allows water to penetrate the barley efficiently during later stages, extracting sugars and flavors, while avoiding the creation of flour which could lead to a cloudy product and issues during filtration.
Hops and Yeast: The Flavor and Fermentation Agents
Hops are another critical ingredient, providing bitterness, aroma, and flavor to beer. The hops for American-style beers are typically sourced from the Pacific Northwest, a renowned region for hop cultivation. Additionally, a significant influence of hops comes from European producers, allowing for a diverse range of styles and characteristics in the final product.
Yeast, though microscopic, is perhaps the most magical ingredient, as it drives the fermentation process. Once introduced, these tiny organisms convert sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide, fundamentally changing the sweet liquid into beer. The choice of yeast strain greatly influences the beer’s final flavor profile, contributing everything from fruity esters to spicy phenols.
The Transformation: From Grain to Fermented Wort
With the ingredients prepared, the journey into the brew house begins. This series of specialized tanks facilitates the critical steps that extract sugars and prepare the liquid for fermentation. Each vessel plays a distinct and vital role in the initial stages of the brewing process.
The Mash Mixer: Creating the “Oatmeal” Slurry
After the barley has been milled and precisely weighed in the batch hopper according to the specific recipe, it is transferred to the first vessel in the brew house: the mash mixer. Here, the milled malted barley is combined with hot water. This mixture is then thoroughly stirred, forming a consistency similar to oatmeal, which is aptly named “mash.”
This mashing process is fundamental because it allows the hot water to penetrate deep into the barley kernels. Enzymes naturally present in the malted barley are activated by the heat, breaking down complex starches into simpler fermentable sugars. This stage is crucial for extracting color, flavor, and the all-important sugars from the barley, which will eventually be converted into alcohol.
The Lauter Tun: The Natural Filter
Following mashing, the entire mixture, consisting of both liquid and solids, is moved to the Lauter Tun. This tank is designed with a false bottom, a perforated plate that sits slightly above the true bottom of the vessel. The mash is transferred into this tun, and a unique filtration process then commences.
The liquid component, now rich in sugars and flavors (referred to as “wort” at this stage), is allowed to drain through the false bottom. This liquid is then pumped back on top of the grain bed in a repetitive cycle. As this recirculation occurs, the spent grain husks settle on the false bottom, naturally forming a dense filter bed. This bed effectively filters out any remaining husks or fine milling solids, leaving behind a clear, sugar-rich liquid that is ready for the next stage.
The Kettle: Boiling and Hopping
The sugar-rich, clarified liquid, now often called “sweet wort,” is then transferred to the final vessel in the brew house, the kettle. Here, several simple yet vital actions are performed. The wort is brought to a rolling boil, a process that serves multiple purposes: it sanitizes the wort, halts enzymatic activity, and concentrates the sugars. Furthermore, during the boil, a crucial transformation occurs with the addition of hops.
Hops are added at different stages of the boil to achieve distinct characteristics. Hops introduced at the very beginning contribute significantly to the bittering qualities of the beer, often desired in styles like IPAs. Hops added during the middle of the boil impart more earthy or grassy tones. Finally, hops added at the very end of the boil, or even after the boil, are primarily responsible for delicate flavors and a strong aromatic presence in the finished beer.
Beyond the Brew House: Fermentation and Finishing
Once the wort has been boiled and hopped, it moves into the next phase of the brewing process, where it truly transforms into beer. These steps involve cooling, fermentation, conditioning, and clarification, each playing a crucial role in shaping the final product.
Whirlpooling, Cooling, and the Magic of Yeast
After the boil, the entire wort mixture is sent through a whirlpool process. This technique utilizes centrifugal force to collect any hop particulates or remaining solids at the center of the kettle, allowing the clarified wort to be drawn off from the sides. From there, the wort passes through a heat exchanger, rapidly cooling it to a precise temperature range of 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit as it transfers into the fermenters.
Upon reaching the fermenters, yeast is introduced to the cooled wort. Fermentation begins almost instantly, as the yeast consumes the sugars extracted from the malted barley. The byproducts of this metabolic activity are alcohol, which remains suspended in the liquid, and carbon dioxide (CO2), which vents out from the top of the fermenter. This CO2 release can sometimes be observed creating a natural airlock, a clear sign that the transformation is underway.
Primary Fermentation and Conditioning
Primary fermentation typically takes between five and ten days. During this period, the majority of the sugar conversion occurs, and the beer develops its core alcoholic content and initial flavor profile. Once primary fermentation is complete, the yeast begins a process of conditioning the product. This secondary phase can last another four to five days, allowing flavors to meld and any harsh notes to mellow.
A notable practice at Evolution Craft Brewing Co. involves a commitment to sustainability. Excess yeast and spent grain from the brewing process are not discarded but are instead given to a local dairy farmer. These nutrient-rich byproducts are used as feed for livestock, effectively completing a cycle where the brewery supports local agriculture, with a future hope of potentially receiving dairy or beef products back for their own public house restaurant.
Brite Tanks and Carbonation: Preparing for Market
After fermentation and conditioning, the product, now undeniably beer though still flat and uncarbonated, is moved into specialized pan-bottom tanks known as Brite Tanks. Before carbonation, the beer often undergoes a crucial clarification step. It is sent through a high-tech centrifuge, which efficiently pulls out any remaining solids or yeast particulates from the liquid. This process ensures a very consistent, uniform, and brilliantly clear product, ready for packaging.
Once in the Brite Tank, the beer is carbonated. This is achieved through forced carbonation, utilizing a carbonation stone that infuses CO2 into the liquid until the desired level of effervescence is reached. With carbonation complete, the beer is prepared for its final journey to market, whether in kegs or bottles.
The Final Touch: Packaging and Distribution
The final stage in the brewing process involves meticulously packaging the finished beer, ensuring it reaches consumers in perfect condition. Evolution Craft Brewing Co. offers two primary packaging options: draft kegs and 12 oz bottles.
Draft Packaging: Kegs for Freshness
For draft products, the process is streamlined. Lines are connected from the bottom of the Brite Tanks directly to cleaned and sanitized kegs. These kegs are then filled from the top tap, ensuring a hygienic and efficient transfer. Kegs are a popular choice for bars, restaurants, and events, offering a fresh, direct-from-the-source experience for consumers.
Bottle Packaging: Precision and Presentation
Packaging beer into 12 oz bottles involves a more elaborate automated line. The journey begins with a depalletizer, which efficiently unloads glass bottles from large skids. Each skid, for instance, holds an impressive 2250 brown bottles. Brown glass is favored for its aesthetic appeal and, more importantly, its ability to protect the beer from harmful UV light, which can cause “skunking” and degrade flavor without contributing any additional flavor characteristics to the end product.
A crucial piece of machinery is the three-head filler. Bottles are first inverted and sprayed with a sanitizing solution, then allowed to gravity dry before proceeding to the filling segment. Here, any residual oxygen is vacuumed out before the bottle is filled with beer. A small amount of foam is intentionally created at the top of the bottle; this head of foam pushes out any remaining oxygen, which could otherwise compromise the beer’s freshness and stability. The bottles then pass through a sanitizing shower for external cleanliness and a drying device before entering the labeler. One label is precisely applied to the body of each bottle, preparing it for the next step.
The labeled bottles are then fed into a drop packer. This device organizes the bottles into four lanes, six bottles deep. A conveyor system lifts the box, the bottom effectively drops out, and the 24 bottles gracefully fall into their designated spots. The box then settles back onto the conveyor, now a complete unit of 24, 12 oz bottles of beer, fully labeled and crowned. The final step on the packaging line involves passing through a case sealer. From here, an employee removes the sealed cases for palletization, preparing them for movement into cold storage. This entire intricate process allows for the production of approximately 250 to 270 cases every hour, a testament to the brewery’s well-honed and efficient beer production methods.
Tapping Your Questions: Evolution Craft Brewing Q&A
What are the four main ingredients in craft beer?
The four main ingredients for craft beer are water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. These components are carefully selected to build the beer’s flavor and body.
What is the purpose of ‘mashing’ during brewing?
Mashing is when milled malted barley is mixed with hot water. This process activates enzymes that break down starches into fermentable sugars, which are essential for making alcohol.
What role does yeast play in making beer?
Yeast is a microscopic organism that drives the fermentation process. It consumes the sugars in the wort and converts them into alcohol and carbon dioxide, turning the sweet liquid into beer.
Why are hops added to beer?
Hops are added to beer to provide bitterness, aroma, and flavor. Depending on when they are added during the boil, they can contribute different characteristics to the final product.
What happens in a ‘Brite Tank’ before beer is packaged?
In a Brite Tank, beer is clarified to remove any remaining solids or yeast. It is then carbonated by infusing CO2, preparing it for packaging into kegs or bottles.
