Mission: Possible

The scene: Your neighborhood brewery.

The assignment: To go on a fact-finding mission to learn all you can from the local pro.

The goal: To upgrade your system layout, to improve your sanitization practices, to refine your mashing program, and perhaps to clone your favorite beer.

As a homebrewer, touring as many microbreweries as possible is an important step in your brewing education. But don’t expect to take the Miss Manners track — hands in your pockets, standing in the back of the group, listening quietly. You need to really take a good look at everything, asking all of your questions, touching and tasting whenever allowed.

No two breweries are exactly alike. Expect to see vessels of all sizes and shapes, and all manner of fermenters, storage tanks, and bottling lines. You’ll be impressed by the cleanliness of some breweries and appalled by the lack of sanitation at others. Regardless, it will always be a learning experience. The secret is in knowing what to look for, recognizing the differences, and trying to incor­porate some of what you see in your travels into your brewing routine.

If you own a well-equipped home brewery, there should be a direct correlation between much of the apparatus you use and what you see on your brewery tour. Everything you’ll see has a function and is designed to produce specific results, although this might not be immediately obvious. The only way you’ll find out is to ask.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the size and amount of equipment. A brewery is just a larger-scale version of your own homebrew system. If you’re exclusively an extract brewer, you might be a little intimidated, but as an all-grain brewer, keep in mind there’s not that much difference between a five- or 10-gallon home system and a 20-barrel (620 gallons) microbrewery system, other than the size.

Think of it this way: Brewery hoses are your clear plastic tubing, tri-clover fittings your worm clamps. Your brewpot may be a Lilliputian version of even the smallest brewery’s kettle, but it works on the same principle. (Brewing professionally is very different than homebrewing, though. For one thing, it takes a lot longer to scrub a 10-barrel brew kettle than it does a 10-gallon one!)

If you’re planning to convert to an all-grain system at home or upgrade your existing all-grain system, then look at this tour as a fact-finding mission with the goal of enabling you to brew at home using professional techniques.

The Big Picture

The mission starts at the brewhouse, a term used to describe the area where the beer is actually brewed. The brewhouse is the heart of the brewery. Here you’ll find the kettle, mash tun, and other vessels, depending on the type and design of the brewery.

Some brewpub systems include the kettle and a combination mash tun and hot liquor tank, which gives the appearance of just two vessels (other breweries combine the kettle with the hot liquor tank). In this type of arrangement, the mash tun sits on top of the hot liquor tank but is an independent entity. Both the mash and the process of wort separation take place in this vessel, which has a false, perforated bottom. The tank below holds hot water recycled from the heat exchanger.

A larger lager brewery, on the other hand, usually has additional vessels, including a lauter tun, which is a vessel independent of the mash tun that is used to separate the sweet wort from the spent grain. The lauter tun varies slightly in design; it is generally wider and shallower.

A smaller vessel called a mash or decoction cooker might also be present. The mash cooker’s purpose is to allow a portion of the standing mash to be drawn off and boiled (this process can also be done in the kettle). The portion is then reintroduced to the rest of the mash, thus raising its temperature. The act of boiling and denaturing the grains produces what some brewers consider to be a maltier product as well as more extract. (A homebrewer can accomplish this at home with a pot about a third the size of his regular brewpot.)

As a homebrewer, you already know you can do the job with just a kettle and a combination mash tun/lauter tun. If you’re like most homebrewers, your kettle doubles as a source for your sparge water. Designating a third vessel as a “hot liquor” source is a good idea and an inexpensive one. That way you’ll have a ready source of hot water and can shorten your brew time by not having to make one vessel do double duty.

Whatever the configuration of the brewhouse, realize that it is not random. It was designed to meet the brewery’s unique needs (types of beer brewed, number of batches per day) and also to fit into the available space.

You’ll also notice an array of hoses, clamps, gaskets, and pumps. The pumps are usually used to move liquids in the brewery setting. While pumps are available to homebrewers, all but the most sophisticated homebrewers (particularly those with recirculating infusion mash systems) rely on gravity to transfer their brews.

If you are having transfer problems at home, the placement of the brewery’s vessels might give you some ideas about how to rearrange your own equipment. For example a tiered layout, with the mash tun slightly higher than the kettle (remember the combi-vessel), the wort chiller slightly lower, and the fermentation vessel at the lowest point, would work well for homebrewers who rely strictly on gravity to move their wort. Most breweries also rely on gravity, to some degree, but they really depend on pumps, so the vessels involved need only be at slightly different heights for their purposes.

Make a quick sketch of the brewhouse you’re touring so you’ll know how to position your equipment. If you find a brewery that relies largely on gravity, you may even want to imitate its layout by constructing a tiered, wooden platform to hold your own equipment.

Tools of the Trade

At first glance, you might have trouble distinguishing the mash tun from the kettle. They are similar in design, although there are distinct differences. The mash tun has a perforated false bottom, a rotating sparging arm or stationary ring to rinse the grain and, sometimes, rotating rakes to mix the mash. The tiny, uniform holes in the sparging device allow water to trickle down onto the mash gently and evenly so as not to disturb the filter bed. With a rotating sparge arm, the force of the water, which is being drawn from the hot liquor tank, causes the arm to turn and determines its speed.

If rakes are not present, as they rarely are in smaller systems, the brewer must mix the mash manually — often he’ll use an oar or similar tool — to ensure the grain is properly moistened and to eliminate clumping. Rakes usually are used in lauter tuns, where the wort is totally run off the grains, then new sparge water is added and the mixture is stirred and raked as it is run off. In most homebrew situations and in most single-infusion brewhouses, rakes are not necessary because the wort is run off continuously (not allowed to become dry and therefore risk being compacted) and stirring disturbs the filter bed that the crushed grains create.

Think of that plastic bucket you spent all afternoon drilling holes in. A commercial mash tun is designed to hold hundreds of pounds of spent grain. Unfortunately, it has to be completely emptied and hosed out after each use, just like your bucket.

If cost is not a factor, it’s easy enough to upgrade from that bucket to a more professional mash tun by purchasing a specially designed pot or a conversion kit for a keg. You won’t need rakes or a rotating sparge arm, but to get the best results you do need a means to gently rinse the grain. A sparge ring, which can be attached to the valve of a water receptacle placed above the mash vessel, works great and is much more efficient (and much more professional looking) than simply pouring hot water over your mash.

Make sure you ask to look inside the brewery’s vessels so you can appreciate their size. If you’re puzzled by something you see inside, ask about its function.

A thermometer should be part of your brewing equipment, especially if your mash tun doesn’t have a built-in temperature gauge. You can’t hope to imitate a commercial brew unless you have equipment — and the know-how — to control the temperature of your mash. Don’t forget to ask about the brewery’s mashing method and water treatment. If you’ve been using a single-infusion mash, maybe it’s time to give step mashing a try or to experiment with your temperatures. As far as water treatments, many breweries add gypsum (calcium) to the water. It lowers the pH of both the mash and the wort and aids enzyme activity.

On the Hot Seat

The kettle (the one with the stack on top) is very similar to yours, only a lot bigger. Basically, the stack is a vent, allowing vapors to escape outside. Whether you boil your wort on a stovetop or outdoor cooker, you are using direct heat. In commercial breweries, the most commonly used method for heating the kettle is steam, although direct fire is certainly used. You can also identify the kettle by the telltale steam pipes. It doesn’t matter how you heat your kettle, as long as you are able to quickly reach and maintain a vigorous boil.

Professional brew systems are calculated in barrels, with one barrel equaling 31 gallons. So, a 20-barrel kettle can accommodate a 620-gallon brew. And yes, a brew that size can and does boil over when you add your hops, just like on your stovetop. Imagine that green monster rolling down the steps after you! Of course, the pros do have some “secret” methods for preventing boilovers, for example anti-foaming agents added with the first addition of hops. Using a large enough pot may also solve some of your problems at home.

As with your mash tun, the right kettle is vital. Your brewpot should be of sturdy design and large enough to accommodate your batch size. A reliable heat source that will heat the liquid quickly and ensure a steady, vigorous boil also is essential. Now is the time to ask specifics about the boil — length of time, hopping schedule, and other additions such as kettle finings.

Once the boil is completed, most breweries use a whirlpooling motion as a means of separating the trub (coagulated proteins and hops) from the wort, as the spinning causes the trub to cone up in the middle of the kettle’s bottom. Many professional brew kettles are equipped with a pump and an inlet and outlet to facilitate the separation. When the pump is turned on, the wort is drawn into the inlet and rapidly returned to the kettle via the outlet. This action creates the type of whirlpool motion achieved by stirring and pulls the trub to the bottom and center of the kettle. A good illustration of this is stirring a cup of tea and watching where the tea leaves settle.

Some breweries use a separate whirlpool vessel, which necessitates the wort being transferred at this stage. The homebrewer can accomplish this by manually stirring hot wort. Stir vigorously yet carefully, avoiding splashing and unnecessary aeration.

Keep in mind that although you are seeing the equipment, you are not privy to what goes on behind the scenes. Many breweries don’t rely solely on the whirlpool. They add kettle finings to aid in the separation of the trub from the wort. You can do this as well. Isinglass, Irish moss, and gelatin are three of the finings available at homebrew stores. Ask the professional brewers if they use finings and what those finings are.

Cooling Off Period

Bringing the temperature of your wort down quickly and efficiently to your yeast’s pitching temperature is vital. Situated close to the brew kettle is the brewery’s heat exchanger. It doesn’t look like much, just a compact arrangement of elongated metal plates. Using glycol, water, or both in sequence, the heat exchanger is capable of cooling near-boiling wort to around 68° F. It’s really a big, very efficient wort chiller and is necessary so yeast can be pitched quickly and safely.

Once hot wort passes through a professional heat exchanger, it is cooled in seconds. This is important because cooling wort has a high risk of bacterial contamination prior to the addition of yeast. Once the yeast is pitched and fermentation has begun, that risk is considerably lower.

There are two wort chiller styles for homebrewers: immersion and counterflow. Some homebrewers use an ice bath (a brewpot immersed in ice), but that process is slower, which leaves the wort at risk for bacterial contamination for a longer period. A wort chiller is a must for any all-grain brewer.Calling for Backup

In smaller brewing systems, the mash tun often sits above the hot liquor tank. In a brewery, the term “liquor” refers to water, not bourbon or gin. The tank serves two purposes. It holds hot water needed for mashing, sparging, and cleaning, and it also holds the heated water generated by the heat exchanger. Besides conserving and recycling water, the brewery saves energy by not having to heat additional water for cleanup.

It’s unlikely you are recapturing the water coming out of your own wort chiller, so it’s safe to assume the vast majority of beer hobbyists do not have a comparable piece of equipment in their home breweries. But adding a hot water receptacle to your brewery, even if it’s just a plastic bucket for sparge water, makes it a more efficient operation. That hot water can be used to rinse equipment.

Live Action

If you are allowed to tour the fermentation room, you should be aware of some precautions taken to ensure good sanitation. This is where the yeast lives. If your fermentation “room” is a few carboys or buckets in your closet or the back bedroom, you’ll appreciate the care associated with protecting the active yeast, especially if open fermentation is used. The opportunity to view 20 barrels of beer at high kraeusen is nothing to sneeze at. Open fermentation is not too common. Consider yourself lucky if you have the opportunity to tour a brewery using this method.

Closed fermenters with angled, cone-shaped bottoms are much more common in modern breweries. The enclosed tanks are more sanitary than open fermenters and are easier to chill, and their temperature is easier to control. Yeast harvesting from these vessels is not at all difficult. Yeast collects on the bottom and is removed through the bottom port. This controlled harvesting is also a very sanitary method. These factors are important to professional brewers, who reuse their yeast again and again to ensure a consistent product and also to save money.

Some homebrewers also harvest and reuse their yeast. After racking, yeast can be taken from the bottom of the carboy or bucket and placed in a sterile container. Ideally, it is pitched immediately into a new batch, but yeast can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

The separate fermentation room allows the brewery to set up the perfectly controlled ambient temperature for fermentation, and professional fermentation vessels also have their own temperature-control system. As a homebrewer, one of your toughest challenges is maintaining the temperature of your fermenting beer. Unless you have a special temperature control on your refrigerator, you’re at the mercy of the elements. In this case a little creativity goes a long way. Use the various areas of your house (cold basement, warm closet) and some insulation to get the desired effects.

If it’s not obvious, ask your guide at what temperature the brewery’s beer is fermented. You’ll also want an explanation of how and when the yeast is harvested, propagated, and pitched.

Also look for, or ask about, any sanitizing agents that the brewery uses when handling the yeast or cleaning its fermenters. If the name is unfamiliar, make a note. Your homebrew shop probably sells an equivalent product.

Ready for Action

Not every tour includes the serving or conditioning tanks. After all, they are not the most visually interesting part of a brewery.

After fermentation, beer is transferred yet again, this time to a conditioning tank or a serving tank, also called a “bright” tank because of the finished beer’s “bright” appearance. Beer left too long on old yeast picks up off-flavors, so separating it from the bottom layer of yeast when fermentation is complete is crucial. Gravity, hoses, and a pump are again used to transfer the beer to a cleaned and sanitized vessel.

In the home brewery, a covered bucket, carboy, or Cornelius keg may be used as the secondary fermenter. You’ll probably find that getting your brew off of that dead yeast as soon as possible — even if you’re not yet ready to bottle — will clean up the taste.

You’ll want to ask your guide about the beer’s progress through each of these steps and at what point it is packaged or served.

A Clear Shot

A home filtering operation, which uses cartridges, really bears little resemblance to a commercial brewery’s filtering system, usually either a sheet filter or a DE (diatomaceous earth) filter. Ask your tour guide to point out the brewery’s filtering system and give an overview of the process.

Not all breweries filter. Instead some rely on finings and other clarification aids. The main reason breweries filter their beer is to remove microorganisms that can contaminate beer. It’s impossible to remove them all; rather, the goal is to significantly reduce their numbers. This is particularly important in a competitive marketplace where packaged beer might be subjected to less-than-ideal conditions. Another reason for filtering is to remove the proteins that cause chill haze.

On the other hand, some brewers feel filtering also removes both flavor and body. For the home-brewer who can’t wait to drink his beer and who serves it at a mild temperature, filtering is probably of little benefit.

Putting It on the Line

If you’ve forgotten why you switched from filling bottles to kegging your homebrew, take a good look around the bottling line. See those bits of glass, labels, and caps lying around? Believe it or not, operating a commercial packaging line is as frustrating as the one set up on your kitchen table.

Do take some time to check out the line’s various components. The multi-spout filler is a more refined version of your bottling tip. Also look for the bottle washer, capper, and labeler.

The brewery bottling line is designed to eliminate air pickup in the bottling process, as air can oxidize beer and shorten its shelf life. Commercial breweries use bottle fillers that are capable of purging the bottle of air before it is filled. Bottles are filled quietly from the bottom up. This method greatly reduces oxygen pickup, and thus oxidation. Capping on foam with a minimum amount of headspace further ensures a stable product.

There’s no reason homebrewers can’t get the same (or better, in some cases) results as professional bottling lines. Cleaning and sanitizing bottles, caps, and all equipment used in the process is essential. An inexpensive bottling tip does the job nicely and effectively controls the fill level of each bottle. A siphon hose cut at an angle and placed in the bottom of the bottle is another alternative.

Equipment aside, being alert and asking the right questions will also clue you in to good sanitation practices and tips to make your brewing process safer and more efficient.

Written by Gretchen Schmidhausler