Beer o’clock is just three weeks away for Invermere’s first craft brewery, as Arrowhead Brewing is now entrenched the fermenting process for its initial batch of Bombshell Blonde Ale. “I can’t wait; it’s been a year of getting to this point, so it’s great that we’re finally actually doing it,” said coowner and head brewer Shawn Tegart, who estimates is will take at least 12 days to complete the beer. Kegs of the golden blonde ale are slated to hit the taps at local bars and pubs by mid-October. Retired brewmaster Larry Kerwin, whose resume includes a Ph.D. in microbiology, 25 years working for Molson, time spent at Okanagan Spring Brewery, and a role in launching Calgary’s Big Rock Brewery, is lending his expertise on the first few batches. Despite about 20 craft brews existing in B.C., as well as many based out of Calgary, the East Kootenay region has yet to create a local brew outside of Fernie. “Oddly enough, there’s nothing here,” said Mr. Kerwin. “I think it was a good opportunity for Shawn; he could see that,” he said. “We also get a lot of Albertans coming over here winter and summer, and Calgary’s been a real mecca for craft beer.” Arrowhead was established on January 1st this year, making it the first local brewery in the Columbia Valley. A beer brewed locally can make a real difference in quality when it comes to ales, added Mr. Kerwin. “Freshness is so important, especially for ales,” he said. “Because you ferment ales at a higher temperature you get a lot of fruity, ester-y flavours in it; that’s important if it’s fresh, whereas lagers are conditioned for two to three months and are a lot milder.” “If you’ve been drinking Coors Light all your life, you’re going to go ‘Holy Cow, that’s completely different’. Once you start drinking ales, it’s really hard to go back to lagers. If you line up Budweiser, Molson Canadian, and Labatt Blue, they all kind of taste the same, whereas these are hand crafted. “There’s specific recipes, different kinds of malts, imported malts, imported hops — just a way different flavour spectrum.” Located near the crossroads in Invermere, the brewery that consists of three copper brewing tanks, eight fermenters, and two bright beer tanks to store the finished product. Arrowhead is able to push through the entire batch from start to finish in a matter of days, and depending on the kind of beer produced, can allow more time for the beer to be conditioned. For now, Mr. Tegart is taking advantage of the opportunity to shadow the brewing
UT -O
By Greg Amos Pioneer Staff
LL PU
Bombshell ale set for launch
The Columbia Valley Pioneer presents the 2nd Annual...
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NEAR BEER — Retired brewmaster and consultant Larry Kerwin dips a pitcher into one of Arrowhead Brewing’s three brew kettles on Friday, September 28th to sample some wort — a 12 per cent sugar solution that is later fermented into beer. The gravity of the solution determines the final alcohol concentration and characteristics of the golden blonde ale, which is soon to hit local draught taps. Photo by Greg Amos expert, who will likely work with Arrowhead Brewing for years to come. The first batch of beer was pushed through all the equipment as a test run in late September; once that confirmed the brewery was running correctly, the first attempt at creating a quality local beer got underway. With 1,200 new craft breweries opening in the U.S. last year, a supply crunch meant Arrowhead took longer than expected to get its equipment in place. After being shipped from China, the tanks arrived just three months ago. “It’s a bit of a Bermuda triangle as far as getting stuff shipped here,” noted Mr. Tegart. Now several drinking establishments in Invermere, Radium Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs, and Panorama Mountain Village are getting set to put the new brew on tap.
“We had a tasting in the spring, using the recipes we’re now working with, and the response was amazing, so everyone is holding taps for us,” said Arrowhead employee Josh Estabrooks. “Now its’ a matter of getting it to them.” Eventually, Arrowhead may expand to offer a lager as well, while keeping the business model focused around the Columbia Valley. Tegart said the initial investment of several hundred thousand dollars in equipment is worth it to bring a unique and high quality beer to the valley, and a good bet in a growing market for craft beers. “I spent quite a few years in Oregon, and I always thought when I moved back that we’re a little bit behind when it comes to fresh beer in Canada,” he said. “People are getting educated about what they throw down their throat these days.”
2 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
October 5, 2012
Local lumber fueling modern stoves By Greg Amos Pioneer Staff As valley homeowners begin to face the fall frosts, an increasing number are turning to efficient wood stoves to take the chill out of their electrically-heated homes. Modern wood stoves fueled by local larch, birch and fir firewood make an efficient combo that not only help to heat a home, but add a cozy ambience as well, said Rick Burke, owner of Diamond Heating and Spa. “With wood stoves, you're seeing a lot of people switching over,” he said. “It's a nice warm heat; you have a hot stove in the corner; you can go up and stand right in front. “In the old days, a stove was just a great big metal box, there were no baffles or technology in there. You threw the wood in there and you burned it, around 500 or 600 degrees. You burned it rapidly to get the heat, and you had to, because there was no technology in the stove to slow it.” Since the late 1980s, wood stoves have been modernized with baffles in the roof of the firebox: an innovation that induces a secondary burn of gasses that are heated out from the wood. That allows modern stoves to burn more efficiently and much more slowly than their ancestors. More recent innovations include catalytic combustion technology that allows a stove to use a third less VJ (Butch) Bishop Owner/Operator 4846 Holland Creek Ridge Rd. Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
HEAVY HEATER — Diamond Heating and Spa Owner Rick Burke displays the high-efficiency Blaze King Sirocco 20 wood stove, which boasts catalytic combustion technology. Photo by Kristian Rasmussen wood, reach efficiencies of nearly 75 per cent, and emit as little as one gram per hour of particulate. “In order to understand wood stoves, you need to
understand wood itself,” Mr. Burke said, explaining the three stages of wood burning include the wood itself combusting, the burning of hydrocarbons emitted by the wood, and the heat from coals, which are essentially glowing embers of carbon. How hot embers get depends on the kind of wood used, explained Karen Babin, who runs Horizon Ridge Ranch with her partner Murray. The company is found in the mountains northwest of Radium Hot Springs. “We have quite a range of customers – some use it as the primary heating source for their homes, others use it for outdoor fire pits,” she said. “Those who like to use their fireplace often are quite particular about what they burn.” Larch tends to burn hotter and longer, pine burns quickly, and birch is most notable for its pleasant smoke scent, she said. Spruce and poplar tend to create a lot of ash. All kinds of wood need to be first split then properly dried in order to burn well, and to prevent creosote buildup in chimneys, which causes chimney fires, she added. “Because of the type of community we live in, having a woodstove is popular,” she said. “September and October are our busiest two months for firewood delivery.” An average homeowner will go through six cords of wood to heat their home, Mrs. Babin said.
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The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 3
October 5, 2012
Woman preserves a dream can by can By Kristian Rasmussen Pioneer Staff One Edgewater woman has plucked her calling straight from the soil of the Columbia Valley. Sophie Timothy’s company, Sophie’s Original Choice, is a home-based canning business designed to bring the freshest of local vegetables into valley homes any time of the year. “This year was my first year that I was full time at the Invermere market,” Sophie said. “There were a few times I had to turn around and cry. I was so overwhelmed because I had a lineup. I am not Andy the bread guy [Schoni Wood Artisan Bread], but I had a lineup. It really touched my heart thinking about it.” Sophie has developed upwards of 14 different products, ranging from canned habanero jelly to canned asparagus. She takes most of her inspiration for products from speaking with local seniors about recipes, observing the environment around her, and experimenting with new products, she said. “It is hard to have a steady stock of one thing because it goes too fast. The asparagus that we did in May is all gone. We had 2,000 pounds of asparagus. Pickles are the same way.” Sophie’s products spend little time on the shelves of
CRAFTY CANNER — Sophie Timothy is the founder and owner behind Sophie’s Original Choice. Photo by Kristian Rasmussen. her Edgewater canning shop because they are shipped all over the world to locations in Abu Dhabi, Japan, England, and across North America.
Pioneer talks turkey With Thanksgiving around the corner many of us are preparing to cut a few extra notches in our belt loops while we eat our weight in turkey and share time with family and friends. The Pioneer has filled a waistline full of facts about the holiday of fun and feasting. Canadians consumed 145.5 million kilograms of turkey in 2010. Americans consumed 336 million Kilograms of turkey in 2010. Turkeys can be heavy. The heaviest turkey every raised weighed in at 86 pounds. The average weight of a Thanksgiving turkey is 15 pounds. A 15 pound turkey is usually 70 per cent white meat and 30 per cent dark. Americans did not invent Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving was held by English explorer Martin Frobisher in 1578 in Newfoundland to give thanks for the safety of himself and his crew through their adventures. The first American Thanksgiving was held 43 years later, when the American Pil-
grims celebrated their harvest in Plymouth, Massachusetts Turkey doesn’t make you sleepy. Tryptophan, the substance in turkey that is commonly believed to cause drowsiness, is actually not the couch coma culprit. The substance is a mild sleep agent. When in Turkey form, tryptophan can’t get to the brain in a large enough amount to cause drowsiness because the substance requires an empty stomach to have an effect on the brain. Researchers blame over-eating, alcohol consumption, and the need for relaxation after stressful holiday planning for the post-dinner slumber. Turkeys were domesticated by First Nation groups centuries before European contact. The date of Canadian Thanksgiving, first established in 1879, has changed over the years, arriving as late as December, and at some points overlapping American Thanksgiving. Our colder weather eventually led to a 1957 decision to formalize the second Monday of October as our official date.
Before she had customers backing up at her booth, Sophie was a nine-year-old apprentice canner in her parents garden in Brantford, Ontario, a job that she was reluctant to do. “My parents were Polish and had a garden and we always canned growing up,” she said. “I hated canning because we were forced to do it.” Although playing in the backyard often took a second seat to preserving pickles, Sophie learned many of her recipes and canning techniques from her mother, who passed away five years ago. “I feel closer to my mom when I work at this business,” she said. “There are moments where I feel like she’s here with me when I am by myself. I sometimes get overwhelmed and I go, ‘Mom, I just can’t do this anymore.’ I know that she is saying, ‘Yes, you can,’ I thank her so much for that.” Sophie’s father passed away in May, leaving Sophie to continue the tradition of canning with her husband, Dean, and sons, Michael, 16, and Devin, 14. “Michael and Devin, my boys, are my guinea pigs” Sophie said. “They are my taste testers. If they like something then it is a go.” To order Sophie’s Original Choice products please call Sophie at 250-347-9678 or order by email at Deantimo@telus.net .
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4 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
October 5, 2012
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