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Monday, July 26, 2021

Winning Homebrew

Winning Homebrew


How To Start A Nanobrewery

Posted: 26 Jul 2021 06:36 AM PDT

Nanobreweries are perhaps the ultimate goal for many homebrewers in the craft beer industry: selling just enough beer to make your production brewery viable without getting into the complications of running a full-scale brewery. Like any business, it's not easy to turn your brew hobby into a nanobrewery, but it is possible in most areas.

Nanobrewery vs. Microbrewery

This is an important distinction for businesses because different rules affect your humble brewery business as it increases in size. That's why knowing the difference is key to starting a proper nanobrewery.

As the Brewers Association explains, a microbrewery is a facility that makes less than 15,000 barrels of beer each year and which also sells at least seventy-five percent of its beer off-site. Most microbreweries sell their drinks locally, although some will ship small amounts around the country.

Taproom breweries are similar to microbreweries but sell more than twenty-five percent of their beer on-site without having any notable food services to go with it.

Most nanobreweries are essentially taproom breweries but with a lower volume of drinks than usual. It's not rare for a nanobrewery to produce less than 5000 barrels a year, although going too low prevents it from being a viable business model at all.

Now that we know the difference in breweries, let's take a look at the process of starting one.

Can We Go Even Smaller?

Theoretically, yes. Some people with an aptitude for brewing run picobreweries instead of nanobreweries. There's no formal brewing industry definition for this distinction, but most consider a picobrewery to be a location making less than five hundred kegs per year. Anything below this, and you're probably just making beer for yourself and potentially a few friends.

Picobreweries are usually too small to be successful as businesses. This is something people do more for fun than for the money. Running a picobrewery is also a source of good professional brewing experience for learning how to make beer, though it can be a good stepping stone towards running a nanobrewery.

Homebreweries can produce about two hundred gallons of beer each year as long as there are two adults in the household. This is a little over six kegs.

Step One: Check Your Local Laws

This is the first real step to starting a nanobrewery, and it's not enough to go with your gut or familiarity with the area. Some places that look like nanobreweries may be larger breweries with a lot of equipment and fermentation tanks in the back or even taprooms that simply buy their drinks somewhere.

Regional laws may prevent breweries below a certain size, or any size, from operating. You also need a good customer base in the area. You probably won't see enough foot traffic in rural areas, for example, so you should aim to open in an area that's at least suburban, with a decent population.

You'll also need to sell beer in pints to get meaningful income. If you can't sell by the pint, you probably won't be successful. Selling directly to the public is usually much more effective than shipping to distributors, all of whom want both a cut of the profit and a sale price low enough to be competitive with others.

The sad truth is that some areas aren't good locations for nanobreweries. As a last resort, you can try persuading your local government to change their liquor license laws and give you a license. Getting one this way isn't guaranteed, but local governments can usually allow things as long as there are no state laws against it.

Step Two: Calculate The Money

Nanobreweries are businesses, which means you need to make enough money to cover all of your expenses, or you're going to go under real quick. This means figuring out how much money you need to earn, as well as your day-to-day operating costs.

The good news is that most of the beer you sell is direct profit for your business. As mentioned above, selling through other companies means that everyone wants a cut. You have to sell a lot of beer to do well under those circumstances.

Nanobreweries don't need to pay a bunch of distributors, so more of your income can go straight to paying off your expenses. You can also supplement your income with other services, such as operating a restaurant, although this comes with its own fees.

The trick to success as a nanobrewery is charging enough per pint, but still less than nearby restaurants, to be profitable. This type of competitive pricing attracts people looking for a good deal on a great drink, and those people can become long-term, reliable customers.

You can sell some of your beer for distribution, but as a nanobrewery, the goal is usually to sell as much as possible on-site.

Step Three: Learn How To Run A Business

You don't necessarily need an MBA to run a microbrewery, but some formal education in business management is invaluable to achieving success. You can go to a regular school, attend classes online, or even study on your own. Previous experience in managing a food-service location is beneficial for learning how to run things.

As part of this process, make sure you learn about local zoning laws, licenses, and accounting to make your brewery legal. Running a business involves a lot of paperwork, so you won't be able to spend all day brewing and serving drinks. Learning how to manage your time is also helpful.

Realistically, you can expect to spend at least several thousand dollars starting up your business and potentially much more if you need to rent a new location, buy brewery equipment, and otherwise set things up.

Step Four: Get Better At Brewing

Unless you're already a professional, you'll need to learn how to brew great beer to get people in the door. The reason this isn't at the top of the list is simple: bad business practices will ruin your nanobrewery even faster than bad beer. That's why you should think of this as a business first and a brewery second.

There's no substitute for experience when you're brewing. You can follow online guides all you like, but you probably won't have a business-worthy beer after your first few attempts.

Realistically, you can expect to brew several hundred batches before you have the skills needed to create a beer that's good enough for a restaurant. You're not going to see much (if any) profit on any of those batches, although you can certainly enjoy them yourself or share them with your friends.

Generally, your beer should be good enough to score well in professional competitions before you start a nanobrewery. You don't need to take first place in every contest you enter, but you should be able to convince professional judges that your drink is worth the time to consume.

Don't settle for comments from people you know, even if they say they'd buy your beer. Friends usually mean well, but even if they're telling the truth, not everyone will agree with them. Consider engaging a brewery consultant to get a real feel of what you need to do to get the business going.

Realistically, it will take several years of practice as a homebrewer to get good enough to start a nanobrewery. You can cut this down somewhat by getting a job at an existing facility and learning brewery tips from professionals in a commercial brewing environment. However, larger commercial breweries will have different equipment than you'll use, so you'll still need to practice with your actual equipment.

Step Five: Prepare For Bad Batches

Even professionals make bad batches occasionally. Maybe there's something off about the grains, or it stayed in the machine a little too long. The brewing process is ultimately a science, but it's easy to get wrong, especially if you're doing everything yourself.

In short, bad batches are inevitable. Naturally, you should try to minimize the number of them, but it's not realistic to assume that every batch of beer you brew will be a great one. This is particularly true when you're experimenting and trying to create new flavors.

Fortunately, brewing experience will help you identify the problems in your batches and determine the best way to avoid them in the future. If you don't know what's wrong, you have bigger problems and, frankly, need more experience. I can't overstate how important experience is to running a good nanobrewery.

When possible, dump your bad batches and try again. However, if you don't have anything else to serve, you may need to offer some to customers regardless.

Be honest if someone brings up the flavor. Most regular customers understand that consistency is more problematic in a nanobrewery, and they'll usually give you another chance if you're direct about the problem and explain what you're doing to try and fix it. If you act like there isn't a problem, you'll probably just push them away and lose all of their future revenue.

Remember, many people who visit microbreweries will be craft beer brewers themselves, or at least deeply interested in the production process. They might have some good advice, so engaging your regulars in conversation can be a surprisingly effective way of fixing bad batches.

Step Six: Decide How Much To Produce

As a good rule of thumb, try to brew at least one keg (31 gallons) at a time. Brewing larger amounts isn't much harder than brewing smaller ones, and the more you brew at once, the more effective you'll be—scale matters.

The main issue here is that brewing more often means spending more time you could be using to run other parts of your business. You still need to clean the area, do paperwork, pay taxes, maintain the facility, advertise your business, and do everything else that comes with managing a company.

There's no practical reason to brew less than one barrel of beer at a time, even if you're still learning how to brew or experimenting with different batches. Brewing a whole keg means you'll have enough to share and get people's opinions if it turns out well. Even if it doesn't, you'll still be brewing similar amounts to what you usually make.

Remember, some ingredients are affected by how much you're brewing at once. Constantly changing your brewing amounts can introduce errors and modify the flavors of your drinks. Many nanobreweries produce two or three barrels simultaneously, though you can wait to do that until you have enough experience.

Step Seven: Research Your Business

Contrary to popular belief, entrepreneurs are not risk-takers. That's precisely the opposite of their real job, which is eliminating as many risks as possible when starting the company. Risks are bad. It's easy to overlook them if you're excited about starting a nanobrewery and serving drinks to people, but ignoring risks is essentially asking to fail.

Set aside your pride, even if you have experience running a business, and try to learn from as many sources as possible. Actively seek out experts to hear what they have to say, check the market information, learn about current brewery trends, and talk to other craft brewery owners.

There's a lot of good advice out there, and all you need to do is take it. Assuming you know better than someone with decades of experience in a similar situation is just hubris. Getting arrogant about your abilities in the art of craft beer is one of the sure-fire ways of dooming your nanobrewery.

Step Eight: Develop Your People Skills

Most people visit nanobreweries for good drinks and conversations. If you're running the business alone, as most people do, this means that you're the face of your company and how you act with customers has a massive impact on the way they view your business.

Fortunately, you can also treat this as an opportunity. Making friends with regulars is a great way to get them back through your doors. Regulars are an integral part of running a successful nanobrewery business, and the more you have, the better.

Customers can also give you more information about their tastes and what sorts of drinks they'd like to try. As a nanobrewery, you're in an excellent position to test different recipes and adjust things to match your customers' tastes. You can even cater batches towards specific groups of people, something larger restaurants and large-production craft breweries can't do.

That said, it's hard to be friendly all day, every day. This is another area where experience is vital.

Make sure you communicate effectively in other areas, too. Return phone calls as soon as possible, answer emails promptly, and otherwise try to come across as friendly and welcoming to everyone who reaches out to you in any way.

Step Nine: Develop A Business Plan

A comprehensive business plan is crucial to starting a good nanobrewery. These plans should include a market analysis, organization information, a description of your products, marketing strategies, funding information, financial projections, and more. Great business plans can help you get loans from banks and measure your progress towards your company goals.

Be as honest and comprehensive as possible when developing your craft brewery business plan. Don't hesitate to acknowledge any potential flaws or problems. Instead, look at this as an opportunity to address them and determine the best way to reduce your risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most common questions that people have about starting a nanobrewery.

How Much Does It Cost To Start A Nanobrewery?

Start-up Costs can vary greatly depending on how much equipment you already have and how you're trying to run your business. On the high end, you could be paying up to $30,000 per barrel. However, if you don't have any employees, don't need a lot of furniture, and don't need to do much construction, you can bring this down a lot.

In other words, location matters. Planning ahead and opening a nanobrewery in a well-prepared spot can drastically reduce your startup cost.

Don't forget to get several bids for each job you need. That can help reduce your building cost, too, making it much easier to start brewing on a commercial scale.

Can I Just Brew Beer At Home And Sell It?

In most cases, no, although you may be able to have a hybrid home/business facility and get around these regulations.

In most cases, you can only brew beer at home for one of the following circumstances:

  • For personal use (including family and friends)
  • For competitive use (such as competitions)
  • For some types of donations

You cannot brew beer at home, then sell it to local restaurants. In most cases, you can't even take the beer outside your home unless you're transporting it to an acceptable venue, which is usually a place where no drinks produced under a liquor license are available.

If your business is at the same place as your house, you probably shouldn't move any of the beer you brew into your living area.

Local laws and regulations regarding the industry of craft beer may vary, so check with a lawyer if you're unsure where the area you plan to brew is acceptable.

How Much Can I Earn Per Keg?

Actual earnings vary by how much your local market can support. The higher you can set your price, the better.

Realistically, you should be able to get at least 130 pints per keg, assuming a standard 16 oz glass and a head of about 3/4 of an inch for the beer. At $4/pint, that's roughly $520 profit per keg, not counting any day-to-day expenses.

The post How To Start A Nanobrewery appeared first on Winning Homebrew.

How To Remove A Label From A Beer Bottle

Posted: 25 Jul 2021 05:36 AM PDT

You can purchase unlabeled clean bottles for your home-brewed beer, but you have another option. Removing labels from beer bottles is cost-effective and benefits the environment. You're not adding bottles to the landfill. It's also not hard to remove the labels, but it does take some time. Here's what you need to know about removing labels from store-bought beer bottles.

Get Your Supplies 

Along with your empty beer bottles, you'll need a few other supplies. It will make it easier to remove stubborn labels and sanitize the bottles.

Sanitizing old bottles is crucial. You don't want to pour your home-brewed beer into a dirty glass bottle. Not only will it alter the flavor of your beer, but it can also spread germs and bacteria. Here are the supplies you'll need.

  • Stainless steel scrubbing pad
  • Baking soda
  • Ammonia
  • Water
  • Star San or a similar sanitizing product
  • Powdered Brewery Wash (PBW)
  • Dish or paper towels
  • Gloves and goggles
  • Medium-sized bucket

You can find PBW at any home brewing store. It's inexpensive and removes any lingering odors left behind by the original beer.

Removing Beer Bottle Labels at Home 

One method may work better for you than others. Sometimes, you have to try different ways to take labels off beer bottles before you find the one that works best.

Method 1: Soaking 

If you noticed the labels start to fall off while you're drinking the beer, soaking the bottles in cold water is an easy way to remove them.

You will need a large bucket, sink, or even bathtub, and a few gallons of water to soak the bottles for a few hours. Stubborn labels may need to soak longer. A couple of days should do it.

Make sure the bottles are entirely submerged. If you are only cleaning a few bottles, a bucket will probably work fine.

The water will dissolve paper labels leaving some glue behind. A quick wipe down with stainless steel wool easily removes any leftover residue.

A quick tip. Don't try to flush the paper labels down the drain. It can result in a clog that's often expensive to remove.

Method 2: Use a Cleaner 

Sometimes, it takes more than soaking bottles in water to get stubborn labels off. Some manufacturers use different adhesives to keep their labels firmly attached.

Almost any dishwashing soap will do the trick, but OxiClean seems to work best. It is a little more potent than some bargain-priced dishwashing soaps. It costs more, but it may be worth it if you are cleaning more than a few bottles.

The cleaning process is simple. Fill your sink with warm water and add the dishwashing soap. You want to use warm water; it helps the soap dissolve faster, especially if you use OxiClean powder.

Give the powder a few minutes to fully dissolve before tossing the bottles in the soapy water. You may even want to stir the water first to ensure the powder dissolved completely.

When you are putting the bottles in the sink, make sure they are completely submerged. Chances are, you won't be able to put all of your bottles in at once. It's okay; you'll just repeat the process for all of the bottles.

Let the bottles soak for about a couple of hours. The glue will loosen, and the labels should fall off without a lot of scraping. Grab your steel wool or razor blade and use a little elbow grease to finish the job. You need to get any remaining paper and adhesive off the bottle.

Run the bottle under water to remove any residue, dry, and set it aside. Do this for all of the bottles you plan on filling with your homemade beer.

Method 3: Use Baking Soda 

Almost every kitchen has a box of baking soda in a cabinet or refrigerator. It's inexpensive to buy if you don't have any, and you can find baking soda at any grocery store.

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is an effective way to remove labels from beer bottles. Baking soda reacts with water, causing the glue to loosen and making it easier for you to peel the label off.

You want to add 16 tablespoons of baking soda for every gallon of water. It seems like a lot, but you'll be glad when the labels seem to fall off the bottles. Let the bottles soak for around 30 minutes. Afterward, use a scrubber to remove any residue and rinse the bottles off.

Method 4: Use PBW (powdered brewery wash) 

PBW has one purpose: to clean glass jars and bottles. The alkali cleaner effectively removes sticky labels, even screen-printed labels that are notoriously difficult to get off.

Powdered Brewery Wash is a little more expensive than dish soap and baking soda, but it does make it easier to get labels off of beer bottles. Your home brewing supply store will have the cleaner available.

You want to add between one and two ounces of the cleaner to a gallon of water. The amount you use depends on how hard the labels are to peel off. Go ahead and add two ounces of PBW to the water; it ensures you aren't spending a lot of time scrubbing residual glue and paper off the bottles.

Give the bottles an overnight soak for at least 12 hours. You can let them soak longer without any problem; it only removes more of the label and glue. Scrub the bottles, rinse them off, and set them aside to dry.

Method 5: Clean with Star San

Star San is a product that commercial brewers are familiar with, along with experienced homebrewers. The cleaner/sanitizer is acidic and can burn your skin and eyes, so you may want to wear protective gloves and eyewear. 

It is stronger than OxiClean and Baking Soda, making Star San a good choice for stubborn labels. You can find it at almost any home brewing store but be prepared for a slightly higher price than most PBWs. However, it's worth it when you don't have to spend hours scrubbing the labels off.

Star San contains phosphoric acid, which is odorless and tasteless. It is unlikely to affect the flavor or aroma of your home-brewed beer. It's one of the reasons commercial breweries use the cleaner. The other is its effectiveness.

You want to add around ½ cup of cleaner to a gallon of water. Let the bottles soak for 30 minutes or so before you start wiping them down. The labels and adhesive should come right off. In most cases, you don't need to use steel wool or another type of scouring pad.

The solution can also be stored for up to four days in an airtight container. You don't need to waste the cleaner. If you have more bottles to clean than you can fit in the sink, you have some extra time to get every one of them cleaned. You want to get the mixture's pH level around three or possibly lower to ensure effectiveness after storage.

Method 6: Use Ammonia 

Sometimes not even Star San is enough to remove beer bottle labels. In this case, ammonia will do the trick. It is a harsh chemical, so get your safety gear ready. You don't want to splash ammonia in your eyes or mouth. It can also burn your hands, so wear gloves when you are cleaning the bottles.

Ammonia is safe for home use, but you want a well-ventilated area in which to work. Ammonia fumes can cause headaches, dizziness, and other health problems. If you can't ventilate the area, consider wearing an inexpensive face mask. You can also go all out and purchase a gas mask. But, unless you plan on using ammonia regularly, a face mask will work fine.

A bucket works best with ammonia. You may not want the chemical in your kitchen sink or bathtub. It's one more thing you have to thoroughly clean before you can safely use it again.

You don't want to use a large bucket. You'll have to pour in more ammonia, increasing your risk for splashes or inhaling the fumes. Look for one under 20 ounces. You can't clean as many bottles at a time, but your safety is key.

Fill the bucket with water and pour in ½ cup of ammonia. Put the bottles in and cover the bucket. Let the bottles soak for about an hour before removing the lid. Don't forget to wear a face mask; the fumes will build up in the sealed container.

The ammonia solution is strong enough to dissolve the labels and glue thoroughly. There shouldn't be a lot of scrubbing, only rinsing the cleaning solution off. You want to rinse the bottles several times before drying. The last thing you want is an aftertaste of ammonia in your beer.

Method 7: Use Your Dishwasher 

Your dishwasher can help remove beer bottle labels. The combination of soap and hot water also sanitizes the outside of the bottles. It is a quick and easy way to remove labels, but you will have to do some scrubbing afterward.

The dishwasher can also help sanitize the bottles. It's something you have to do before filling them with your beer.

The dishwasher won't sanitize inside, you have to do this by hand, but it is an excellent way to get started. If your dishwasher comes with a sanitizing cycle, use the setting, but don't add soap. It's designed to run on hot water alone.

How to Sanitize Beer Bottles 

After removing the labels from the beer bottles, the next step is to sanitize each one inside and out thoroughly. As previously mentioned, your dishwasher works great on the outside, but it can't get inside the bottles. It's especially true for narrow-necked bottles.

You will need a few items.

  • Bottle brush
  • Sanitizer
  • Water
  • Bucket, sink, or tub

The bottles may look clean and new after removing the labels, but germs and bacteria still live inside the bottle. They probably won't make you sick – the alcohol in the beer will kill most bacteria – but it can ruin the aroma and flavor of your freshly brewed beer. Most often, you'll notice a 'skunky' taste.

Step 1: Clean the Container

Whether you are using a bucket, sink, or tub, you want to thoroughly clean it before sanitizing the bottles. Soap and water will work fine; just be sure the container is well-rinsed.

Step 2: Add Water and Sanitizer 

Fill the bucket, sink, or tub with hot water. The water doesn't need to be boiling, but you do want it hot. The goal is to sanitize your batch of bottles, and only hot water will do the job.

After filling the container, add the sanitizer. If you don't have anything like Star San on hand, ordinary household bleach will work fine. Follow the directions on the sanitizer; if you are using bleach, it's one tablespoon for every gallon of water.

Step 3: Soak the Beer Bottles 

You don't need to soak the bottles overnight to kill bacteria. Twenty minutes is more than enough time to sanitize them thoroughly. Make sure the bottles are entirely submerged, so the liquid gets inside.

Step 4: Clean and Rinse 

Use the bristled bottle brush to get inside the bottles. You want to scrub in a circular motion, reaching the base of the bottle. Rinse the bottles with warm water. The dishwasher is another option. You can fill the racks and rinse all of the bottles at once. The hot water from the dishwasher also kills any bacteria you may have missed.

Step 5: Dry and Store the Bottles 

Allow all of the bottles to thoroughly dry before putting them in storage. Leftover moisture will turn into mold and mildew. You also want to store the clean beer bottles in an airtight container to prevent dust and dirt from getting inside.

Now you are all set with plenty of unlabeled craft beer bottles waiting to be filled with your home-brewed beer.

The post How To Remove A Label From A Beer Bottle appeared first on Winning Homebrew.

What Is Draft Beer

Posted: 24 Jul 2021 10:38 PM PDT

If you have ever ordered a beer at a bar or been around beer enthusiasts for long, you have likely heard the term draft beer, or draught beer, being thrown around. Draft beer is cold, crisp, and perfectly coated with a layer of foam, making it a beer lover’s go-to option. But what exactly is draft beer? 

This article will teach you everything you need to know about draft beer, including what it is and why it is the best way to drink beer while answering some commonly asked questions about it. 

What is Draft Beer

Draft beer is stored in kegs and served from a tap. It is thought to be fresher and taste better than beer from a bottle or can. This type of beer has more body and is richer than varieties packaged in glass or a can. Usually, only a couple of days pass between kegging and delivery to the bar or restaurant. 

The stainless steel walls of the kegs block sunlight from touching the beer, which would otherwise degrade the quality. They also keep oxygen out, keeping the beer crisp and fresh. Purchasing kegs of draft beer also allows restaurants to serve it in large quantities and rotate different varieties. 

Draft Beer

History of Draft Beer

It is believed that people have been putting beer into barrels since the Middle Ages when medieval monks were producing beer in huge quantities and had to develop a way to keep it fresh. People eventually began storing beer in pressurized kegs around the 20th-century, and thus, the draft beer was born.

How is Draft Beer Stored?

Draft beer is stored in a stainless steel barrel called a keg. Beer goes through filtration and pasteurization before being put in the keg. 

Kegs make it easy to store beer and transport it from the brewery to bars. These barrels typically come in 5 liter, 20 liter, and 50-liter sizes for home consumption and large entertainment establishments.

Kegs are stored at cellar temperature (around 54 degrees) to keep the beer at a perfectly regulated temperature. If it gets too cool, the beer can lose its flavor and bubbles, become flat, and produce excessive amounts of foam when it is dispensed. If stored and served too warm, it can develop a sour taste and present an irregular appearance. 

Non-pasteurized keg beer has a shelf life of up to 60 days, while pasteurized beer can last longer, between 90 to 120 days. After opening, though, a keg needs to be drunk that day, or it will go flat and lose its flavor. 

Is Draft Beer Better Than Bottled Beer?

Ask almost anyone who drinks beer, and they will usually agree that draft beer is hundreds of times better than canned or bottled options. Draft beer tastes better for several reasons, including how it is brewed, stored, and dispensed.

Some bottled beer will try to label itself as draft beer, but that is an oxymoron and impossible. Companies will use that as a branding technique because draft beer is notably better than bottled beer. If it comes out of a can or a bottle, it cannot be draft beer. 

Now, there are a few things to consider with draft beer to ensure that it retains all its features. If you do not let it rest for enough time after transport, it can be too foamy. If you serve it too warm or too cold, it can affect the flavor. If you do not have clean tap lines or don't use your keg right away, you may find that it also affects the flavors. So, it comes with a few added instructions – but those who love it swear by it.

Is Craft Beer Different Than Draft Beer?

It is entirely possible to drink a craft draft beer. Craft beer is a custom-made artisanal beer where the brewer creates recipes and experiments with different flavors, typically in smaller and exclusive batches. Craft brewers tend to develop new, exciting, and interesting flavors that draw people in to present the results as either canned, bottled, or served on tap as a draft beer. 

Are There Cons to Draft Beer?

While most people love draft beer, and the reviews are almost always positive, there are some cons to draft beer. Draft beer can easily be destroyed by barkeeping if the lines are not kept clean and pure, leaving the beer contaminated and tasting foul. Tap lines can be very long in some bars and keeping them all clean can be challenging. 

Barrels have to be set for a certain amount of time before drawing the beer. It will need to stay at the right temperature, and if any of these things are not done correctly, the beer can come out tasting flat and lacking in flavor. 

If you are a bar owner and your beer is coming out unsatisfactory, you may need to do some troubleshooting to discover what might be wrong. 

Does Draft Beer Have Higher Alcohol Content?

It is a common question whether or not draft beer is more alcoholic than bottled or canned beer. In short, it depends. The alcoholic content of beer is measured in "alcohol by volume," or ABV. ABV differs between brands and types and is determined by what percentage of the beer is alcohol. 

Some beers have different alcohol content for the same beer in the draft version and the bottled versions. For example, Sierra Nevada's canned Original Pale Ale has an ABV of 5.6 percent, but it has an ABV of 5 percent in its draft form. It is essential to be aware of these differences before consuming different beers or trying a new one for the first time, as the alcohol content can vary greatly. 

Final Thoughts

So there you have it, everything you need to know about draft beer. It's a pressurized beer with deeper flavors, stored in a keg and served on tap. Ultimately, it is fresher than canned or bottled beer. Next time you go to a restaurant or bar, ask them what they have on tap and try some draft beer for yourself. Cheers!

The post What Is Draft Beer appeared first on Winning Homebrew.

Wine Enthusiast

Wine Enthusiast


The Land of Barolo Produces Surprisingly Ageworthy White Wines

Posted: 26 Jul 2021 05:00 AM PDT

bottles of Piedmont whites
Photo by Kate Sears

Celebrated for ageworthy world-class reds like Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera, Piedmont also makes excellent white wines. Often crafted by some of Italy's top winemakers, the best of these extraordinary bottlings boast surprising aging potential. Read on to learn about the native grapes that excel in their select growing areas and should be on every wine lover's radar.

Cortese

Gavi, made exclusively from the Cortese grape and also known as Cortese di Gavi, is the region's most storied white wine. Named after the town of Gavi, the growing zone is in a hilly area in southern Piedmont's Alessandria province. The region's proximity to Liguria and historical links to Genoa's aristocrats influenced its traditional cuisine based on lean meats, fish and vegetables that pair better with white wine. Records show specialized vineyards of Cortese were already cultivated in Piedmont by 1856.

Gavi can be made in all or part of 11 townships. Wines made with grapes grown exclusively in the Gavi municipality can be labeled as Gavi del Comune di Gavi and sometimes colloquially called Gavi di Gavi.

Typically, Gavi offers delicate aromas of white spring flower and stone fruit that join citrus, peach and bitter almond on the palate. Its elevated acidity lends itself to sparkling versions and riserva expressions. The latter, which must be aged for a minimum of one year with a minimum of six months' bottle aging, are surprisingly ageworthy and take on mineral notes over time.

The appellation's microclimate stems from winds from the Ligurian sea less than 20 miles away and the vicinity of the Apennines. As a result, it has cold winters and warm, breezy summers. Cortese thrives in the denomination's hilly slopes and the calcareous marl and clay soils.

Family-owned Broglia is a strong believer in Gavi's aging potential. The firm was founded in Gavi in 1972, when entrepreneur Bruno Broglia purchased La Meirana, one of the oldest properties in the denomination and named in land registries in 972 BCE.

The estate recently released its 2010 Vecchia Annata, aged on its lees in steel for nine years, which boasts complexity and freshness.

"Thanks to a unique microclimate and calcareous marl soils, Cortese excels in Gavi," says Roberto Broglia, who runs the firm along with other family members. "Our Vecchia Annata is made only in outstanding years, from the best grapes of our oldest vines planted between 1953 and 1955. These plants have naturally low yields and lend depth and complexity to the wines."

Bottles to Try

Broglia 2010 Vecchia Annata (Gavi di Gavi); $99, 91 points. Aromas suggesting eucalyptus, underbrush, hay and ripe apple form the delicate nose. On the linear palate, tangy acidity accompanies dried pineapple, pear and candied lemon drop before a hazelnut finish. It’s aged remarkably well. Vias Imports.

Fontanafredda 2020 Gavi di Gavi; $25, 91 points. Heady aromas of yellow wildflower, spring blossom and yellow stone fruit almost leap out of the glass. Tangy and savory, the round palate shows flavors of tart apple, lemon zest and honeydew alongside fresh acidity.Taub Family Selections. Editors' Choice.

Pio Cesare 2019 Gavi; $28, 90 points. This lovely white has delicate aromas suggesting white spring flower, Bartlett pear, citrus and a whiff of wet stone. Linear and bright, the palate offers yellow peach, lime, bitter almond and a hint of saline accompanied by tangy acidity. Drink through 2023. Maison Marques & Domaines USA.

Arneis

A handful of producers that included famed Barolo makers Bruno Giacosa and Vietti's Alfredo Currado saved Arneis, which was almost extinct by the 1960s. Grown in the midst of Nebbiolo vines, locals used to call the grape "white Nebbiolo." It was either vinified sweet, enjoyed as table grapes, or if amounts were insignificant, it was presumably added to red wine production long before strict regulations prohibited such things.

Currado vinified his first Arneis in 1967. At about the same time, across the river Tanaro in the Roero denomination, Giovanni Negro, of the Angelo Negro winery, also experimented with the variety. He vinified his first dry Arneis in 1971.

Arneis is difficult to cultivate and ferment. There are a few theories that surround the grape's name, but most producers point out that arneis means "bad tempered" and "unreliable" in the local dialect.

Grown throughout the Langhe, the grape's spiritual home is Roero. Langhe Arneis must be a minimum of 85% Arneis. Roero Arneis has to be at least 95%, though most producers use 100%.

"From a geological point of view, Roero is quite a young land," says Giuseppe Negro, head of sales at his family's Angelo Negro firm. "In general, soils are a combination of marl and sandstone with a prevalence of sandstone that's rich in marine fossils. Here, Arneis finds its ideal growing conditions."

Piedmont white bottles
Photo by Kate Sears

Angelo Negro's Sette Anni designation confirms the wine's aging potential.

"We've discovered that in the seventh year after harvest, our Arneis reaches very good maturity, with the potential to improve," he says. "We made several experiments in the past, including aging in wood, but regarding the former, we had poor results in long-term aging. Therefore, our Roero Arneis 7 Anni is refined in steel, concrete and bottle."

The just-released 2014 shows depth, tension and focus.

Retroactive to the 2017 vintage, Roero Arneis producers can add the names of delimited crus, called Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive, on wines made entirely from these specific zones.

Bottles to Try

Angelo Negro & Figli 2018 Perdaudin (Roero Arneis); $30, 92 points. Lime, graphite, hazelnut and spring blossom shape the nose. The rounded, savory palate has a viscous texture, doling out ripe yellow apple, apricot, grapefruit and candied lemon drop alongside tangy acidity. Piedmont Guy.

Malvirà 2020 Roero Arneis; $15, 91 points. Made with organically grown grapes, this has delicate, enticing aromas reminiscent of ripe white stone fruit, crushed mint, pineapple and freshly made bread dough. On the linear, savory palate, notes of bitter almond and ginger accent a core of Bartlett pear and lemon drop before a tangy mineral close. Selections. Best Buy.

Valdinera 2020 Roero Arneis; $17, 91 points. Aromas of ripe pear, yellow spring flower, hay and almond lead the way in this dry, delicious white. Rounded and medium-bodied, the savory palate features ripe white peach, apple, bread dough and juicy citrus alongside fresh acidity. It closes on a saline note. John Given Wines.  Editors' Choice.

Nascetta

Like several other white grapes native to Piedmont, Nascetta had all but disappeared from Langhe's vineyards by the early 1990s. According to historical documents, Nascetta, known also as Nas-cetta and Anascetta and cited as far back as 1874, had been used primarily to make sweet wines. A version made from slightly dried grapes was used to celebrate Mass.

Barolo producer Elvio Cogno, of his namesake firm, and his son-in-law, Winemaker Valter Fissore, saved the grape from vanishing. In 1993, the two, along with several others, tried a rare 1986 wine made with Nascetta. As Fissore says today, "it was love at first sip."

Cogno and Fissore began to experiment with the variety a year later. No vineyards that specialized in Nascetta remained, so the pair hunted down the sparse numbers of top-quality grapes to be found in several vineyards located in their Barolo village of Novello, where the grape originated. With the 1994 vintage, they made their first Anascetta.

Wines made with Nascetta have delicate aromas of white spring flower, wild herb and citrus. Linear and medium-bodied, typical flavors include grapefruit, sage, rosemary, honey and savory saline notes. With aging, it takes on more flinty and petrol sensations.

bottles of Piedmont whites
Photo by Kate Sears

"This is a great white in a land of great reds," says Fissore. "Nascetta gets more mineral-driven and takes on more depth with age. People tend to drink Nascetta too young; the wine needs at least three or four years before it fully expresses itself and can age well for 15 years or longer."

To enhance its aging potential and structure, Fissore forgoes malolactic fermentation and ages 30% of the wines in large Slavonian casks.

Made as Langhe Nascetta, producers that make wines with grapes exclusively from Novello, the grape's birthplace, can add "Nascetta del comune di Novello" or "Nas-cëtta di Novello" to labels.

Langhe Nascetta must contain at least 85% of the grape, while Nascetta del comune di Novello must be 100% Nascetta.

To further the link between grape and land, Fissore reveals that after years of experiments, there are two specific strains of yeast culled from Novello vineyards that most local producers use for fermentation.

Bottles to Try

Elvio Cogno 2019 Anas-Cëtta del Comune di Novello Nascetta (Langhe); $29, 92 points. This full, rounded white opens with aromas of bread crust, chamomile, aromatic herb and citrus. Reflecting the nose, the rounded palate features grapefruit, honey and hazelnut before a tangy finish suggesting saline and sage. Enjoy now or hold for more complexity. Drink through 2027. Wilson Daniels Ltd.

Braida di Giacomo Bologna 2019 La Regina Serra dei Fiori Nascetta (Langhe); $25, 91 points. Floral aromas of Spanish broom mingle with ripe orchard fruit, hay citrus and fennel. The bright palate offers Bartlett pear, tangy lemon, grapefruit and white almond before a tangy saline close. Soilair Selection.

Rivetto 2018 Nascetta Borea (Langhe); $34, 90 points. Made with organically farmed grapes, this has aromas ripe yellow stone fruit, black olive and yeasty whiffs of bread dough. The briny olive note carries over to the tangy palate along with dried apricot, lemon zest and saline. Volio Vino.

Timorasso/Derthona and Erbaluce

Native grape Timorasso and its wines owe their present-day success to one man, Walter Massa.

After he graduated from Alba's enological school in 1976, Massa took over his family's farm in the hilltop village of Monleale, in southeastern Piedmont's Colli Tortonesi denomination.

Massa soon realized the zone's altitude, microclimate and soils were best suited for whites grapes. As he said in 2015, "market demands in the 1970s and 1980s for reds meant that local growers replanted with red varieties for commercial reasons only."

He didn't think Cortese was suited to the area. A rare local variety was, however: Thick-skinned Timorasso, was normally eaten as table grapes or added to Cortese production; in 1987, Massa vinified it on its own. After he carried out a massal selection of plants found in different sites, he planted his first Timorasso vineyard in 1990.

The rest is history.

Initially, Massa was considered crazy or eccentric by his peers. Now, celebrated producers from other parts of Piedmont have invested in Timorasso, like Barolo and Barbaresco icons Roagna, Pio Cesare and Borgogno.

These producers haven't just invested in the grape, but also the large subzone known as Derthona. The ancient name for the town of Tortona, wines labeled as Derthona hail from an area that encompasses 45 townships. But they only come from vineyards situated at set altitudes that exclude unsuitable areas like valley floors.

"Thanks to Walter Massa, in 2015, we decided to invest in the Colli Tortonesi denomination to make Derthona Timorasso because we wanted to make a white wine that would be at the level of our Barolo," says Oscar Farinetti, owner of Borgogno and chairman of Fontanafredda. "That same year we bought the first [7.4 acres]."

Borgogno's first Derthona was from the 2015 vintage. Starting with the 2019 vintage, the grapes have been certified organic.

Derthona Timorasso yields full-bodied, structured wines that offer yellow stone fruit, almond and honeyed mineral notes. They have more depth, body and complexity than most Italian whites. These aren't your classic aperitivo wines.

As vertical tastings attest, Derthona is extremely ageworthy. Bottles develop more complexity, mineral and petrol notes up to about the 15-year mark. As vines get older, the wine's aging potential may increase, too.

Erbaluce, planted almost exclusively in northern Piedmont, is a flexible grape that makes crisp, linear whites, racy sparklers and rich dessert wines.

The grape is most associated with the Caluso denomination, where it thrives in the hills of glacial origin. The area has a mild microclimate that benefits from many lakes and constant breezes that come from the mountains in nearby Valle d'Aosta.

Erbaluce di Caluso's growing zone is situated mainly in the Turin province, where it spans 32 townships, as well as a town in the province of Vercelli and three municipalities in Biella.

It's a fresh, dry white, with sensations of white spring flower, citrus, almond and mineral that fully develop after three or four years. Three types are made with 100% Erbaluce.

Thanks to marked acidity, Erbaluce di Caluso Spumante, made only through metodo classico, are creamy and crisp, with vibrant acidity. Erbaluce di Caluso Passito, produced from withered grapes, boasts ageworthy structure and intense flavors including dried apricot and honeyed almond.

Bottles to Try

 Roagna 2018 Montemarzino (Derthona); $90, 95 points. Enticing, delicate aromas of fragrant yellow wildflower, cedar, botanical herb and citrus mingle with a whiff of eucalyptus in this racy white. Elegant, focused and extremely savory, the linear palate features apricot, orange zest, dill and hazelnut. Honey and mineral notes linger on the close while vibrant acidity keeps it balanced, tense and energized. Drink through 2028. Polaner Selections.  Cellar Selection.

Borgogno 2018 Derthona; $60, 91 points. Elegant and full-bodied, this offers aromas of beeswax, botanical herb and hazelnut alongside the barest hint of petrol. The rounded, enveloping palate features ripe yellow stone fruit, honeyed almond and a ginger note before a saline finish. Enjoy now or hold for more complexity. Drink through 2026. Ethica Wines.

Cantina della Serra 2019 Ramblè (Erbaluce di Cluso); $25, 90 points. Made with organically farmed grapes, this has intriguing aromas of hazelnut, botanical herb, citrus rind and a whiff of salt. The aromas carry over to the bright, tangy palate along with cedar, orange slice and nectarine. Canon de Colorado.

Across the U.S., Traditional Saké Gets a Craft Spin

Posted: 26 Jul 2021 04:30 AM PDT

bottles of sake on blue background
Photo by Tom Arena

Saké is known as distinctly Japanese, but American-made saké has existed since the 19th century.  

Until the early 2000s, when Japanese exports became readily available, saké that was sold in sushi bars and retail stores nationwide was predominantly made in the U.S. While historically, American saké was crafted by a handful of large companies, today there's a new generation of domestic brewers in the spotlight.  

From just five breweries a decade ago, there are now more than 20 nationwide. Small in production, often hyperlocal and distinctly American, these craft breweries bring unique, well-made saké to Everytown, USA. 

A Local Affair 

In the grand scheme of American alcoholic beverages, craft saké is a tiny drop in the bucket. Atsuo Sakurai, owner of Arizona Saké, brews just 1,000 gallons per year in Holbrook, Arizona, a desert town of 5,000 residents. Sakurai's operation "isn't really a microbrewery," he says. "It's more like a pico, a nanobrewery even."  

Even at the larger end of the spectrum, Brooklyn Kura, New York City's first saké brewery, makes just 2,500 cases each year. Opened commercially in 2018, it's one of the few independent breweries to have multistate distribution. 

While small in production, these local microbreweries are building connections in communities often untapped by larger Japanese or American breweries. 

In the last three years, two commercial saké breweries opened in Brooklyn, and a third is now in the works. According to Brian Polen, cofounder and president of Brooklyn Kura, "we live in places where people care about the story of the things they're consuming, about craftsmanship and quality." 

It's a paradigm that closely parallels the jizaké, or local saké, movement that recently revitalized the Japanese industry, much like American craft beer. 

Andrew Centofante is owner and head brewer at North American Saké Brewery, Virginia's only saké brewery. Established in 2018 in Charlottesville, Centofante offers fresh saké and brewery tours by a pub that serves ramen and other saké-friendly fare. 

In Japan, he says, "they have a ton of saké breweries, and everyone's got this hometown pride in their local brewery. And we see that in the U.S. with beer. In Charlottesville, we have eight beer breweries. They're just 'our' places, and I think the same kind of thing could translate to local saké breweries in the U.S." 

Often featuring consumer friendly tasting rooms and pubs, these microbreweries introduce saké to many communities that may be unfamiliar with the beverage. 

sake spread
Photo by Tom Arena

"There's a certain mystery about saké in the minds of most American consumers, that it's this esoteric Japanese drink," says Weston Konishi, president of the trade group Sake Brewers Association of North America. "We've all heard that it's 'like a rice wine,' or [styles like] junmai or daiginjo, but we're not terribly clear about what they mean. All these things make saké a little bit challenging to market."  

Local breweries allow consumers to challenge misconceptions.  

"Too many people think saké is a monolithic thing, a single taste," says Centofante. "Our tasting room and brewery give people the chance to see the process, meet myself or our staff and to dive deep. People love that it's locally made and they're willing to give it a try."  

Small but Mighty 

Small production models give saké brewers flexibility to experiment and explore styles unavailable elsewhere.  

In 2008, Blake Richardson established Moto-I, a saké brewery and izakaya in Minneapolis. Considered the first saké brew pub in the U.S., Moto-I specializes in zingy, intensely fruity and unpasteurized saké meant to be served on draft at the brewery.  

At Nashville's Proper Saké Co, which opened in 2016, founder and brewmaster Byron Stithem makes "premodern, more esoteric styles like yamahai or kimoto,” that he long struggled to source.  

"It's just a little bit more raw and more reliant on natural organisms that exist in the brewery, the rice or yeast, so you end up with a more complex flavor," he says.  

Like beer, craft saké brewing in America often began with fermentation-obsessed hobbyists who churned out home brews in garages, basements and backyards. Like most of his American colleagues, Brandon Doughan, cofounder and head brewer of Brooklyn Kura, is largely self-taught.  

"Before I was 21, I was brewing beer and making wine," he says. His saké-brewing skills were cobbled together via limited English-language resources, YouTube videos and internships with Japanese breweries. He's grateful for the generosity of brewers who offered guidance, especially Richardson.

"Too many people think saké is a monolithic thing, a single taste."— Andrew Centofante, owner and head brewer, North American Saké Brewery

More than a decade since he established Moto-I, Richardson is now a veteran amongst a generation of startups. "It's quite a change from when we started to what it is now," says Richardson, who began a series of pilgrimages to Japan in 2006 to study technical aspects of saké brewing.  

"In the beginning, there was just no knowledge," he says. "We had to dig for everything. But now there's a knowledge base out there."  

Saké brewers in Japan have also been eager to educate and encourage their American counterparts.  

"There have been a lot of breweries in Japan that have hosted me and allowed me to apprentice or visit," says Stithem. "A lot of them felt it would be important to make sure that we make good saké, so we don't ruin the beverage for everyone in America."  

Sakurai, one of a few expatriate Japanese saké brewers in the U.S., had a decade-long career at breweries in Japan, where he earned the highest level of saké-brewing qualifications from the Japanese government.  

For years, Sakurai dreamed about building a saké brewery abroad. In 2014, he and his American wife, Heather, settled in Holbrook to be near family. They started Arizona Saké out of their garage in 2017. 

"I can make the good saké anywhere in the world," says Sakurai. "I want to provide excellent saké…that Arizona people and Americans feel proud to introduce [to others] as their local saké."  

Such pride is shared by many of Sakurai's colleagues.  

Finding the Right Rice  

While it's too early to declare the existence of regionality in American saké, says Centofante, the use of rice grown in California and Arkansas along with local water provides "a sense of American terroir."  

Historically, American saké was made with Calrose, a popular table rice with Japanese roots that was developed in California. In recent decades, specialty growers have introduced an array of new options that include American-grown versions of saké rice like Yamadanishiki or Omachi.  

Richardson, who once struggled to obtain anything other than Calrose, now sources a variety of specialty rice from Isbell Farms, a fifth-generation family operation in Arkansas.  

"Saké brewing traditionally centers on technique and the skill of the people who make it, rather than rice," says Yoshihiro Sako, cofounder and head brewer of Den Sake Brewery in Oakland, California. "But rice creates character in saké, and regional differences in rice and how they are farmed create differences in saké."  

Den sources Cal-Hikari rice, a table rice with Japanese heritage, from Rue & Forsman Ranch, a family farm in the Sacramento Valley. Its proximity to Oakland and focus on environmentally sustainable farming were key to Sako.  

sake bonus picture
Photo by Tom Arena

"As opposed to rice that is 'comingled,' or sourced from multiple locations, the Cal-Hikari is a rare single-origin rice," says Lani Sako, Yoshihiro's wife and partner. "You know exactly what rice field this rice came from."  

Local water can also lend distinctiveness to these craft brews. Den relies on unfiltered Oakland tap water, which is soft. Yoshihiro says this is similar to the water in major saké-producing regions Niigata or Hiroshima. The effect is that "it ferments slowly and gives the saké a rounder quality," says Yoshihiro.  

Centofante uses water sourced from the Blue Ridge Mountains. "I think it's what gives our saké its bold character," says Centofante.  

For many brewers, there's a sense of duty to produce saké that can hold its own against those from Japan.  

"I compare [my own saké] against it a lot," says Centofante. "Inherently, [Japanese saké] is different on a lot of levels. They're just very nuanced and very precise." As an American brewer, he says, "the dream is to make saké that anyone could bring to Japan and have it appreciated and celebrated." 

At the same time, American brewers are proud to introduce their own ingenuity. "That's the American way," says Richardson. "It's a desire that everyone who's creative and a craftsman has in their DNA."  

Yoshihiro Sako says while Japanese saké inspires him, he wants to create his own excellence. 

"I don't want to just imitate other good saké," he says. "I want to make saké to pair well with food here. American food tends to be fattier, richer and higher in protein." He says he prefers "bold, expressive" brews with "umami to round out flavors, but also higher acidity to cut through richer foods."  

For the most part, says Richardson, Japanese brewers are excited to see the development of American saké. "They tend to see it as a local gateway that will make Americans more familiar."  

"A rising tide raises all ships," says Centofante. "If someone comes to my brewery and falls in love with saké, hopefully they're going to go to another brewery and try saké from Japan as well." 

Today, new microbreweries are in motion in Salt Lake City, Medfield, Massachusetts, and more. Hopefully in a few years, "there's going to be a brewery in every major American city, in Detroit, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.," says Konishi.  

Recommended bottles: 

Arizona Sake The Premium One Junmai Ginjo 

Brooklyn Kura BYx Yamahai  

Den Blanc  

Kato Sake Works Nama 

Moto-I Omachi Tokubetsu 

North American Sake Brewery Serenity Now! Junmai Daiginjo  

Proper Saké Co. The Diplomat Junmai  

Sequoia Sake Coastal Ginjo Junmai Ginjo  

Aussie Home Brewer

Aussie Home Brewer


Water Profile Hamilton Hill into Brewfather

Posted: 26 Jul 2021 04:01 AM PDT

Hi All,

Looking for a little help in converting a watercorp water quality data report into brewfather. I downloaded the water analysis spreadsheet and dont seem to be able to get it working. Anyone else have experience with this?

Attached WQ report.

Thanks for any guidance!

Thor

NEW 60 LITRE PET TANKS FROM KEG KING

Posted: 25 Jul 2021 06:54 PM PDT

KEG KING are pleased to announce that the new 60 litre PET tanks are now in production and that so far they have exceeded our expectations in terms of clarity and burst pressure. The patented CYPET process continues to deliver high quality PET vessels to add to our line of fermenters and Kegs. These vessels do not fall apart or blow up.

Home Brewers now have the chance to do proper double batches in these 60 litre units at a very affordable price. Stay tuned for all the variants and...

NEW 60 LITRE PET TANKS FROM KEG KING

New Beer Kit with a Lager-like Profile

Featuring Unique Lutra Kveik!
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A Kit Built for Summer Heat 🌞

Midwest Supplies
Meet the Legend of Lutra Beer Kit

Enjoy a lager-like profile without the lead time of a traditional lager—thanks to our new Legend of Lutra beer kit. The simple malt base brings a golden hue, while the Vanguard hops add a slightly spicy aroma and just enough bitterness to balance. Then the real star of the show shines; the unique Lutra kveik strain is showcased in this super clean fermenting, super easy-drinking ale.

You'll be left with a crisp, light-bodied beer suitable for easy drinking that's appreciable to anyone's flavor palette.  Don't let the long wait or fermentation temps hold you back any longer.

Extract Beer Recipe Kit
All Grain Beer Recipe Kit

Brewing Notes

Style: Hybrid Ale

Recipe: Extract  &  All Grain

Fermentation Range: 68 - 95° F

Batch Size: 5 Gallons

OG: 1.048

SRM: 4

IBUs: 15

ABV: 5.1%

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Slightly bready malt notes with very faint caramel hints. No hop aroma. Clean fermentation profile with little to moderate ester profile depending on fermentation temperature.

Appearance: Deep golden straw color with good clarity. Bright white foam head with moderate persistence.

Flavor: Low to moderate malt flavors of fresh white sandwich bread with low bitterness and no hop flavor. Low yeast character with a nearly lager-like crispness. Low to medium-low fruity ester profile depending on fermentation conditions. Similar to American lagers.

Mouthfeel: Light body, easy sipping with moderate effervescence. Quick finish with no lingering palette sensations. 

Legend of Lutra Beer Recipe Kit Tasting Radar

Brewer's Notes

"This recipe may seem overly simple, but that is for a reason. The true purpose of the intentionally basic grain bill and hop schedule is to highlight a truly unique yeast strain. Originally isolated from Omega Yeast's Hornindal Kveik yeast blend, Lutra is a rapidly fermenting yeast strain with an incredible neutral flavor expression within a wildly remarkable temperature range.

Fermented at traditional ale temperatures around 68°F, Lutra produces nearly lager-like beers with an exceptionally clean and crisp finish with minimal ester production. On the other end of the temperature spectrum in the low 90°F range, Lutra remains quite clean yet expresses a gentle ester profile that brings to mind the flavors of a traditional Kolsch strain.

In addition to its incredibly clean and crisp flavor profile, Lutra is an absolute beast with an insatiable hunger for malt sugars - full attenuation can be achieved in mere days. With lower temps, I have found that this recipe can attenuate in 4 days, while elevated fermentation temperatures pare this down to 3. Of course, there are many factors that influence its performance, but it is a very rapidly fermenting yeast strain to be sure.

Ensuring proper oxygenation will give the yeast cells everything they need to chow down on your wort to flip a batch at break-neck speed. Although temperature control is not particularly important, taking this strain up to normally forbidden heat levels will not be a detriment to this recipe. Go ahead, crank this one up and let it rip - you will be surprised at how quickly and cleanly Lutra gets the job done, and then it seems to magically drop out of suspension leaving a relatively clear beer in short order. It may be a "new" Kveik strain to most, but Lutra is certainly a legend in the making."

- Brad Segall, Head Development Brewer
Extract Beer Recipe Kit
All Grain Beer Recipe Kit
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