Brewers Journal Canada - Winter 2022

THE

MAGAZINE

FOR

THE

CANADIAN

BREWING

INDUSTRY

BREWERS J O U R N A L

C A N A D A

WINTER 2022 | ISSUE 23 ISSN 2398-6948

12 | WATER POLLUTION: A GLOBAL THREAT

26 | BIOTRANSFORMATION: WHERE TO START

39 | BREWERS CHOICE AWARDS: THE LOWDOWN

2

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

H

LEADER

ello, and welcome to the latest edition of The Brewers Journal!

brewersjournal.ca

I want to start by thanking everyone that took part and helped make our Brewers Choice Awards possible.

Held at the excellent Brunswick Bierworks last December, I am hugely grateful and thankful to the incredibly-talented people from across the world of beer that attended.

I’d also like to extend a big thank you to our Dinner sponsors North Keg and Trophy sponsors Econse, as well as each category sponsor, including: BSG, Charles Faram, Jenrey, Carefoote Beverage Solutions, Summit Labels, BrewNinja, and Top5 Solutions.

I hardly need to comment on how challenging the last two years have been for brewing and hospitality at large, but 2022 is the year of change and of prosperity!

And it should go without saying that via our magazine and events we will continue to champion this fantastic industry and the insanely-talented people that call it home.

Whether you’re in the brewhouse, beer sales, ingredients supply, kit manufacturing, distribution, branding or anything and every in-between, we’ll always do what we can to give people a platform to share their views and to make themselves heard.

As has been the case from our very first edition, if you want to get involved, please contact me on tim@rebymedia.com.

In this issue, we sat down with the winner’s of the prestigious ‘Brewery of the Year’ accolade at the aforementioned Brewers Choice Awards.

The brewing landscape in Ontario has changed immeasurably since Wellington Brewery opened its doors back in 1985. But nearly 40 years on, the business has never lost sight on its identity and when it comes to beer that means appreciating the classics while crafting the contemporary.

“I think we’ve done a good job of trying to stay a few steps ahead in as many areas as we can. It’s great to be outward looking, too,” head brewer Jeff Wilson told us.

“When you take a step back it’s incredible to see the level of quality in Canadian brewing. We used to look to the US for those hype breweries but now they exist right here. They’re all over the country and I can honestly say Canada boasts worldclass breweries.”

In addition to a raft of other articles, we spoke with Paris Beer Co which opened its doors in the midst of a pandemic at the end of 2020.There are few brewers, if any, with quite as impressive a CV as Christian Riemerschmid Von Der Heide.

But then again, there are few breweries quite as unique as Paris Beer Co of Paris, Ontario.

Together it’s the perfect marriage, driven by a desire to brew excellent, drinkable beers, created using local ingredients in a sustainable manner.

And thankfully for fans of meticulously crafted, moreish brews, they’re doing just that.

As always, best of luck in everything that you do and I look forward to working with you in 2022.

Cheers!

Tim Sheahan Editor

WINTER 2022

|

3

WINTER 2022

CONTENTS

12

Focus | Water Pollution A global threat brewers can, and should, address

16

Focus | Barrel Ageing The ins and outs of barrel-aged beer production in Canada

26

Science | Biotransformation Richard Preiss, Co-founder and Lab Director at Escarpment Labs, provides some practical advice for enhancing biotransformation in beers

28

Science | Dry Milling Dr. Chris Colby of First Key Consulting outlines two alternatives to dry milling – conditioned milling and wet milling – and the improvements these offer over dry milling

36

Comment | Accessibility Julie Sawchuk, an accessibility strategist and educator, on the practice of bringing access to the table

46

Focus | Dry-Hopping Friedrich Banke, managing director of Banke GMBH in Germany, outlines a raft of methods so you can achieve better quality, consistency, and yield.

55

Homebrewing | Homebrew Journal

Sheena Strauss takes a look at what’s Brewing in 2022

6

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

18

Wellington Brewery

Playing the long game in Guelph, Ontario since 1985

CONTACTS Tim Sheahan Editor tim@brewersjournal.ca +44 (0)1442 780 592 Jakub Mulik Staff photographer Johnny Leung Canada Partnerships johnny@brewersjournal.ca Sheena Strauss Homebrew Journal knwl.on.tap@gmail.com Richard Piotrowski Publisher Richard@brewersjournal.ca Magdalena Lesiuk Graphic Design GraphMad@gmail.com CFJ Media 2275 Upper Middle Rd E #101, Oakville, ON L6H 0C3

30

Canadian Brewers Choice Awards 2021 The full lowdown on everything that went down at our inaugural awards event in December 2021.

39 Paris Beer Co. There are few breweries quite as unique as Paris Beer Co. of Paris, Ontario, which is driven by a desire to brew excellent, drinkable beers, created using local ingredients in a sustainable manner brewersjournal.ca

SUBSCRIPTIONS The Brewers Journal Canada is a quarterly magazine mailed every Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Subscriptions can be purchased for four or eight issues.

Prices for single issue subscriptions or back issues can be obtained by emailing: johnny@brewersjournal.ca

CANADA One year: $39 INTERNATIONAL One year: $49 The content of The Brewers Journal Canada is subject to copyright. However, if you would like to obtain copies of an article for marketing purposes high-quality reprints can be supplied to your specification. Please contact the advertising team for full details of this service. The Brewers Journal Canada is printed at Print Buy, 15 - 1253 Silvan Forest Drive, Burlington ON, L7M 0B7

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be: reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The Brewers Journal Canada ISSN 2398-6948 is part of Reby Media, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 1PA. It is published quarterly in Canada by CFJ Media, 2275 Upper Middle Rd E #101, Oakville, ON L6H 0C3, Canada. Subscription records are maintained at CFJ Media, 2275 Upper Middle Rd E #101, Oakville, ON L6H 0C3, Canada. The Brewers Journal accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of statements or opinion given within the Journal that is not the expressly designated opinion of the Journal or its publishers.

Those opinions expressed in areas other than editorial comment may not be taken as being the opinion of the Journal or its staff, and the aforementioned accept no responsibility or liability for actions that arise therefrom.

WINTER 2022

|

7

CHRISTIAN PAQUETTE JOINS FIRST KEY CONSULTING Christian Paquette has joined brewing and beverage consulting firm, First Key Consulting, as Senior Advisor, Engineering Services. A successful process engineer and operations leader, Christian has over 20 years of experience in the Canadian brewing industry.

P

NEWS

rior to joining First Key, Christian worked for several engineering firms where he managed many small craft and large-scale engineering projects for leading global brewers. Before that he was a Project Engineer for Molson Breweries in Canada, leading teams to develop and implement utility improvement initiatives to meet national saving plans in gas, water, and electrical usage. He continuously delivered on the initiatives he led, through process improvements and capital improvements, which included extensive upgrades to CO2 collection and distribution systems. Christian has experience with instrumentation, operational improvements in packaging & maintenance, and commissioning new packaging facilities.

Earlier in his career he was a manager for a process piping company completing turn key design and installation of sanitary process

piping and equipment projects in breweries, food production, and chemical facilities.

Christian received his BSc Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and has completed Associate Exams with the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. He has also completed courses in Packaging Technology, Malting Sciences, Pressure Equipment Codes, and Water & Resource Conservation. Outside of First Key, Christian enjoys skiing, camping, and various outdoor activities.

THE NEW NANO ACS The new Nano Automated Canning System - Nano ACS - is Cask’s smallest fully automated canning system yet. It fills 18 cans/min in an extremely compact footprint and can package virtually any beverage type and can size - slim, sleek or standard. The Nano is perfect for smallscale craft beverage makers that want the ability to do it all.

T

he Nano is designed to be the catch-all for the rapidly shifting needs of craft brewers, as well as distilleries, wineries, and cold brew coffee and kombucha makers looking to can their products.

Beverage makers need the ability to package the widest range of products without breaking the bank or capitalizing the brewery floor.

Ross Alger, Owner & Distiller of Confluence Distillery can attest to that. “The Nano is great,” he says, “because of its features, price and

8

|

WINTER 2022

size. We only need to can a small portion of what we make a few times each month, so it makes no sense for us to dedicate a large amount of our vital dollars and floor space for a larger, overkill system that we don’t need.”

Alger used mobile canning services in the past and was unhappy with their high costs and large minimums. “By not packaging at the whims of a mobile canner we can be much more flexible with our canning volumes and schedule. We can do small canning runs of unique and creative products, and know that the Nano can handle our higher-carb products,” he says.

ABOUT FIRST KEY First Key is a full-service consulting firm to the brewing and beverage industry working with craft and large-scale breweries around the world over the last 30 years. Service areas include: Engineering, New Breweries and Expansions, Strategy and Finance, Quality and Process Optimization, Product Innovation, Marketing and Sales, Agribusiness, Supply Chain and Human Resources. To find out more about First Key, please visit: www.firstkey.com.

GLOBAL WITH

Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), the largest grower owned hop supplier based in America’s Pacific Northwest, is pleased to announce a new partnership with MacHops, a fifth generation hop farm in Nelson, New Zealand.

F

or more than 30 years, Yakima Chief Hops has supplied the global brewing community with premium hop products, from traditional whole leaf hops to advanced hop products. As a grower owned supplier, their mission is to connect brewers with the independent and multigenerational family farms that supply their hops.

Yakima Chief Hops is currently owned by 15 different hop growers from across the Pacific Northwest – the heart of America’s hop industry – and they source from a large network of growers. While the majority is grown in the Pacific Northwest, YCH also offers an

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

NOVA SCOTIA’S CRAFT BEER INDUSTRY A SUCCESS STORY Nova Scotia’s craft beer industry continues to grow and thrive in spite of all the challenges it has been facing, but some producers say the current policy in place is still penalizing the most successful brewers.

“

Nova Scotia craft beer is a real success story,” says Brian Titus, the president of the Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia (CBANS).

“It’s a great thing for this province. It helps retain young workers, it draws tourists — it’s something we need to support.”

The craft sector is working with policies that pre-date its growth, and hurt those who are trying to expand.

“Nova Scotia is literally at the bottom of the barrel,” he said. “We have the highest markups on small producers, we have the lowest limit before you become a full commercial brewer.”

NEWS

“So that’s a doubly whammy,” said Titus, who is also the owner of Garrison Brewing.

“Somebody who would be paying a six or seven percent markup in Ontario or Que-

bec as a small producer pays 40 per cent here. And if you show any growth, they pay 85 percent.”

The producer would pay an 84.5-per cent markup if production exceeds 15,000 hectoliters of beer. At that point, they’d be paying what a commercial producer would pay.

There was a stipulation added in early 2020, adding a “margin benefit cap” at $750,000. That means if a company reaches $750,000 in markup differences (between 40 and 84.5 percent), they would be paying the more-than-double rate.

The craft sector warns other craft producers will soon face the same fate.

“Nine Locks has reached that $750,000 margin benefit limit for this fiscal year. That means it will receive the higher commercial mark-up for the remainder of this fiscal year,” said Beverly Ware, an NSLC spokesperson, stating the new policy actually “allows [craft producers] to retain the benefits of being a local producer that they would have lost under the old policy.”

“On April 1, 2022, they will then again receive the lower preferential mark-up until they reach either $750,000 margin benefit limit or 15,000 HL in production, whichever comes first.”

Nine Locks Brewing in Dartmouth has hit its ceiling for the “preferential” markup reduction, despite producing 11,000 hectoliters, which is about 26 percent less than the original target.

However, Titus claims that “Everything we’ve asked for has been dismissed. “We weren’t asking for ‘nice to have’ things, we were asking for opportunities for our breweries to stay in business.”

“We start making less money on our beer years before we thought that we would,” said Shaun O’Hearn, a co-owner at Nine Locks. “It’s a difficult pill to swallow because we were told when the policy came out that it wouldn’t adversely affect anyone.”

“Since taking office, the new government has had extensive written communications with CBANS, and the Minister plans to meet with CBANS in the near future,” said Gary Andrea, a spokesperson for Finance Minister Allan MacMaster.

HOP SUPPLIER PARTNERS NEW ZEALAND FAMILY HOP FARM array of New Zealand grown varieties within their robust portfolio of hop products. YCH takes pride in ensuring that brewing customers have access to a wide selection of hops to continue fueling their creativity. In 2021, YCH sourced more than 10 different hop varieties from New Zealand.

Beginning crop year 2022, Yakima Chief Hops is proud to partner with MacHops Limited to supply high quality New Zealand hops to YCH customers across the globe (excluding their home markets of New Zealand and Australia).

Located in Nelson, New Zealand, MacHops has been owned and operated by the McGlashen family for the past five generations and is a grower owner of NZ Hops Limited.

“As one of its larger producers, MacHops is proud of its association with the New Zealand hop industry over several generations,” said Brent McGlashen, Director at MacHops.

brewersjournal.ca

“Our values are ‘passion, respect, integrity and dedication to excellence.’ We align strongly with the values of the Yakima Chief Hops grower families and with each season strive to deliver the highest quality hops to our brewing customers internationally. We are excited to have been recognized for this by YCH and selected to be their exclusive supplier of hops from New Zealand.” As one of the pioneering families of Nelson’s hop community, MacHops and YCH share the same values of quality and sustainability that are deeply rooted in family farming. Serving macro, craft and homebrewers all over the world, YCH is thrilled to share the MacHops story, raise awareness of NZ varieties and provide greater education on how to brew with them. For the first time, YCH will also extend their Green Chief® program to the MacHops farm in New Zealand, giving access to their network of more than 75 hop growers to share farming best practices and assess hop quality.

“I am thrilled at our new partnership with MacHops as it further strengthens our Mission of connecting family hop farms and brewers,” said Bryan Pierce, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at YCH. “This is a unique opportunity to really carry that through for hop farms not just here in the PNW, but on a global scale. It is very special to find another family farm that is as like-minded as our farms here in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and we look forward to the close relationship and ties shared in our unique agriculture product – hops. With MacHops’ high commitment to quality, and their own unique family story, we’re excited for this next page of New Zealand Hops and YCH and what it means for brewers.”

Yakima Chief Hops customers outside of Australia and New Zealand can access hops from MacHops via YCH’s regional sales team.

WINTER 2022

|

9

FOCUS

“Solving critical water challenges is a big task. We build technologies that are both innovative and affordable, making solutions accessible to more companies.”

Derek Davy, CEO of Econse, at Bench Brewery where they installed the BrüClean System designed to treat and reuse wastewater on a rural property, with zero waste.

WATER POLLUTION

A GLOBAL THREAT BREWERS CAN, AND SHOULD, ADDRESS

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, THE FIRST THING THAT USUALLY COMES TO MIND IS THE ATMOSPHERE. HOWEVER, WATER POLLUTION HAS A MULTITUDE OF NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON OUR ENVIRONMENT, SOME OF WHICH EXACERBATE CLIMATE CHANGE.

12

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

While each brewery and treatment plant is different, these numbers represent a common scenario that Econse sees. Regardless of where the exact numbers fall, it is likely that they are exceeding the capability of treatment in your area.

As stricter environmental policies continue to be passed, it is critical for every industry to find ways to achieve affordable, sustainable growth. But the value of environmentally friendly water policies go beyond government mandates.

Being at the forefront of eco-responsibility helps position companies in a positive light with their customers and within their communities.

A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE Craft brewers are leading the charge for a number of reasons. “Craft brewers are deeply entrenched members of the community,” says Derek Davy, CEO of Econse. “They are truly concerned about the people they serve, the local economy and their reputation.” And craft brewers have come to realize that their reputation isn’t built on quality products alone, but also on how they treat the environment and support quality of life in the community.

For those that weren’t already tackling pollution proactively, the the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns brought a change in mindset. Many craft breweries became essential businesses, keeping production going with deliveries and curbside pick-ups to help unite communities during this time of uncertainty. That act of service and passion for making a difference led many breweries to ask, “How else can I make a change for the better?”

Naturally, finding ways to reduce your impact on the environment is a huge step toward making a positive change. While there are a variety of options available, fixing your wastewater is one of the biggest steps a brewery can take to become a sustainable business.

brewersjournal.ca

THE PROBLEM WITH WASTEWATER Why is brewery wastewater such a big deal? After production, the effluent from the brewing process contains contaminants that are harmful to both the environment and to the community’s local infrastructure. The levels of solids, suspended solids, CODs, BODs, nutrients, and pH are many times higher than what a typical wastewater treatment plant was designed to handle.

When those levels are exceeded, the treatment plant could be damaged and release toxic waste into the environment.

Even if the plant isn’t damaged, the higher levels tax the system, reduce efficiency, and ultimately prevent the plant from effectively treating water. Subsidizing treatment at the plant to handle your wastewater takes additional energy and adds significant cost to taxpayers.

of high strength waste such as grains for off-site disposal or composting. It is a great first step to managing waste. You’ll immediately improve your SOPs and reduce your impact.

However, side streaming can only take you so far. Eventually you will face regulations or need a more comprehensive solution, especially if you are located on a rural property. At that point you’ll need to investigate on-site treatment systems to help better manage and treat wastewater before discharging. This can be an overwhelming and time consuming task. You’ll be required to manage communications with regulators while continuing to operate and grow your business. While few brewers are prepared for this process, Brewers Journal is here to help.

Add to this issue the growing populations in almost every town and you end up with craft breweries being caught in the middle between urban development and emerging environmental responsibilities or regulations for discharge limits.

EDUCATING CRAFT BREWERS Over the past few years, knowledge around topics such as “side streaming” have grown as standard industry practices. This consists of the collection

WINTER 2022

|

13

BARREL AGEING

FOCUS

THE INS AND OUTS OF BARREL-AGED BEER PRODUCTION IN CANADA

BY USING BARRELS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY USED FROM THE DISTILLING OF SCOTCH WHISKEY, BOURBON, WINE, AND OTHER SPIRITS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE THE WORLD OVER, THE POSSIBILITY FOR MORE UNIQUE, MODERN BREWING HAS EXPANDED, AS MANY PROMINENT CANADIAN BREWERS CAN ATTEST TO, EXPLAINS JAMES BURT.

16

|

WINTER 2022

I

t’s hard not to venture to breweries, beer stores, or liquor outlets and not see the multiple colourful labels of today’s various beer offerings in can or bottle form. It’s incredible: fantastic names advertising new concoctions, from double or triple IPA to fancy fruit infusions.

But while consumers find this enticing to buy and brewers find them challenging to make, there are those that want to push the flavour bar higher and drinkers that want even more taste, unafraid of the cost for that at the check-out counter.

ENTER BARREL-AGED BEER… Originating in thirteenth century Europe and traditionally in oak barrels, barrel-aged beer is perhaps the finest, most carefully brewed beer any consumer could get their hands on. While not for all tastes—thanks, mostly, to the flavours taken in from the oak wood the beer ferments in — a barrel-aged beer offers beer drinkers something to their taste palate and gives brewers a challenge to brew over a longer period of time. The end result is a more unique brew far beyond the average lager, pilsner, or India pale ale found more commonplace.

Moreover, with barrels previously used from the creation of Scotch whiskey, bourbon, wine, and other spirits available for purchase the world over, the possibility for more unique, modern brewing has expanded, as many prominent Canadian brewers can attest to.

PRESSURE AND TIME Matt Monoogian, a former musician and now brewer at Furnace Room Brewery in Georgetown, Ontario, learned on a previous posting of what barrel brewing was capable of and what beer could be created inside them.

“Back in 2015, I transferred out of music and got a job at Wellington Brewery [in Guelph, Ontario] where I got knowledge of barrels and how to brew with them,” Monoogian said. “When I got to Furnace Room, I knew I wanted to brew with barrels but wanted to brew something bold. Something new.”

Finally settling on a stout recipe and resulting in Furnace Room’s Imperial Bourbon Stout, Monoogian detailed the eightmonth brewing and fermenting process at length.

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

“We went for the Willett barrels, used for bourbon, purchased from the Midwest Barrel Company in Kentucky,” he said. “Once we got on those, we did extensive planning and began with a 5 hectoliter batch, transferred the brew to the barrels, and then let the beer ferment in there to get the carbonation.”

With maintenance of the barrel-aging process being closely monitored, Monoogian also made use of stainless-steel nails to secure the barrel shut for the correct fermentation process. “We had to check the barrels every three months to ensure everything inside was developing smoothly.”

Then you have the probability of leakage, especially when using wooden barrels.

Whatever mess might be created or tension arising from the brewing process, the barrels themselves are re-usable to brew again so long as they are maintained themselves. There are also innovative techniques, such as using beeswax to seal the barrels, which keeps all that action going on in the barrel without getting a mess onto the floor. It is recommended by the industry to always ask the distillery where you are getting your barrels from about what the best ways to maintain the barrels are.

PITCHING THE EXPERIENCE While likely initially enticed, beer drinkers used to more common beer concoctions are often put off by two factors in experimenting with barrel-aged beer: the higher-than-usual price per unit and the bold flavour mix they will experience.

Often, it’s a hard sell for brewers to get inexperienced beer drinkers to try barrel-aged beer.

When asked, Monoogian adds his own pitch for getting new people to barrel-aged beer.

“What I recommend to people that have never had it is to split a bottle after dinner,” he said. “Have a meal with someone special and then crack a bottle to really drink. Try to taste the different flavour notes and absorb what’s special about it than from whatever else you’d drink.

It’s something that you really have to savour and a barrel-aged beer can be, if nothing else, a good talking point for beer drinkers. If all goes well, they’ll find something special in a beer that took time and care to brew that in the end will be appreciated.”

When I got to Furnace Room, I knew I wanted to brew with barrels but wanted to brew something bold,” Matt Monoogian

MEET THE BREWER WELLINGTON BREWERY

PLAYING THE

18

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

LONG GAME

THE BREWING LANDSCAPE IN ONTARIO HAS CHANGED IMMEASURABLY SINCE WELLINGTON BREWERY OPENED ITS DOORS BACK IN 1985.

BUT NEARLY 40 YEARS ON, THE BUSINESS HAS NEVER LOST SIGHT OF ITS IDENTITY. AND WHEN IT COMES TO BEER THAT MEANS APPRECIATING THE CLASSICS WHILE CRAFTING THE CONTEMPORARY. brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

19

W

inning six awards is better than one, let’s be honest. And that’s exactly the how the Guelph’s Wellington Brewery ended 2021. Picking up no fewer than five medals at the U.S. Open Beer Championship in September, they went on to pick up the prestigious ‘Brewery of the Year’ accolade at our very own Brewers Choice Awards in December. Not bad going for a brewery that is used to keeping its head down and concentrating on creating excellent beers that everyone can enjoy with minimal fuss.

“Being recognised in that way is really exciting and something we all appreciate.

Despite all the challenges the industry is facing, it has been a really positive year for sure,” beams Wellington Brewery’s marketing manager Brad McInerney.

“We’re here every single day putting in the work on these products but it can easi-

ly become an echo chamber if you’re not careful,” adds head brewer Jeff Wilson. “So to get that recognition from the outside is a great motivator and makes you want to keep going and do better.”

And that level of industry recognition has been particularly welcome, especially during a time where many of the social aspects of beer and hospitality have been lost.

“I was only saying the other day that the pandemic has really taking a big chunk out of what makes working in beer fun,” says Wilson. “Not being able to host people at the brewery, to converse with them at the taproom and to socialise with your peers has been incredibly tough. But we’ve got through it and hopefully things will continue to improve for everyone.”

Wellington Brewery opened its doors back in 1985. Back then, Wellington was part of a first wave of independent microbreweries that opened when provincial laws were

changed to allow small brewers to operate in Ontario.

The original vision for its founder Phil Gosling was to bring English-style cask-conditioned “Real Ale” to Ontario. Back in the mid 1980’s, this was a bold vision that meant introducing Ontario beer drinkers to full-flavoured traditional style beers made with high quality ingredients and produced locally at its brewery in Guelph, Ontario.

“Phil was in love with English cask ale and thankfully he had enough money to open a brewery because he simply wanted to drink more beer like that,” says McInerney.

“And back then a lot of people told Phil they didn’t really think it was going to work. Why? Because running a brewery just wasn’t that profitable at the time.”

He adds: “But we’re glad he did as it really brought a unique dimension to Canadian brewing.”

WELLINGTON BREWERY - VALUES SINCE 1985, WE’VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE A PART OF A THRIVING CRAFT BEER COMMUNITY IN ONTARIO. AT THE HEART OF OUR SUCCESS HAS BEEN OUR COMMITMENT TO THE VALUES THAT HELPED BUILD OUR BREWERY AND HAVE HELPED US THRIVE: u Diversity & Inclusivity • We lead by example in helping build and promote a more inclusive and equitable craft beer industry that welcomes everyone. u Independence • We’re proud to be an independently owned brewery and we’re deeply connected to the community of beer lovers who’ve been with us over the years. u Sustainability & Climate • We stand for our planet through our approach to circular brewing, our sustainability initiatives, and climate projects.. u Quality • As one of Canada’s original craft breweries, we know what goes into brewing consistent, high-quality beers from the best ingredients possible. u Community • We’re committed to giving back and supporting charities and local community organizations that work to make our world a better place. u Creativity • Creativity is a driving force in everything we do, from beer recipes, to can artwork, to marketing materials, events, and everything in-between. u Beer Education • We’re beer people, and we want to share our love of craft beer and our knowledge through samplings, beer education, and every opportunity that introduces new people to craft beer.

20

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

flavourful, well-balanced beers that bring people together.

We want to honour and respect these beers. Quality products created using modern techniques is what we do,” Jeff Wilson, Wellington Brewery Wellington was creating traditionally inspired, flavourful beer using all-natural ingredients long before the term “craft beer” existed, back when folks called it “microbrew”. And in those early days, they had an uphill battle in selling local, independent microbrewery beer to an Ontario market dominated by large macro breweries.

Gradually, their hard work and commitment to brewing high quality beer helped us gain a loyal following of beer drinkers who shared our vision and wanted something more out of their pint.

Over the years, Wellington Brewery has undergone many changes as the business gained momentum, won national and international awards, and demand for locally brewed craft beer grew. They’ve added tanks, welcomed new people, introduced new packaging formats, changed beer labels, and even replaced its entire brewhouse and packaging line. And in the whirlwind of all of these changes, the one constant has been our passion for brewing

And one such example is Iron Duke. A 6.5% British-style strong ale they first brewed back in 1986 boasting robust malt character showcasing notes of toffee, caramel, and raisin. But such is its popularity that it made a comeback at the start of this year.

“We did a bunch of research on the history of that beer,” smiles McInerney. “I was born in 1983, the brewery opened in 1985 and I’ve now been here for 15 years. It’s crazy to think how much has happened in all those years.

“Having the chance to bring back a beer like Iron Duke, which has such a great following, felt great. We sold so many cans on the first day, I couldn’t believe it. It flew out!”

Wilson explains: “It’s quite funny when you think about it. I like to think we’re known for making quality beers but for a brewery of our size to release an obscure English ale, and for people to get excited about it, is really validating.

“We want to honour and respect these beers. Quality products created using modern techniques is what we do. What’s key is striking that balance between the traditional and the contemporary and I feel we do that very well here.

“And the demand for beers such as Iron Duke shows that people respect the fact that we respect these styles and there is a demand for them. In a world where there is such a huge demand for hazy, hop-forward IPAs, sometimes people just want a classic, well-made English beer.”

“We’ll talk to the packaging department, the cellaring department, the marketing department. Everyone is involved!” says Wilson. “It’s a really cool process.”

And an integral element of this journey is the work of Gord Auld, Wellington’s in-house graphic designer whose work adorns the brewery’s impressive branding.

“We’ve had these meetings for small batch and one-off releases every two weeks for about five or six years now and each time, Gord knows how to tie everything together,” says McInerney. “And if we’re honest, the branding can sometimes sell the beer itself. People like the artwork so much, they want it on a poster.

He’s insanely good at what he does, and we’re very happy to have him on our team.” on the branding, head brewer Jeff Wilson is responsible for the super tasty beer inside.

Part of the team at Wellington for nearly nine years, he started out pouring beers in the taproom and working events before moving on the packaging team and eventually, becoming a shift brewer.

“I think I have a bit of a knack for matching flavours and creating recipes so I ended up working on small batch and one-off beers and I’ve worked my way up to the role of head brewer, where I’ve been for some six months now,” he says. “I’m putting my own stamp on Wellington beers and have loved the journey so far, especially with the team I have around me. It makes my job very easy when they’re involved.”

“There’s room for both,” McInerney adds.

Marketing manager Brad McInerney has Wellington Brewery DNA. Part of the setup for the last 15 years, he has seen the brewery and and industry change greatly during that time.

When it comes to new releases the team at Wellington Brewery gets together to discuss ideas, evaluate trends and looking at many, many spreadsheets. And at its heart, it’s a collaborative exercise.

“Craft beer when I started here looked significantly different than it does now.

I don’t even think people were using the term craft beer!” he laughs. “But it’s been a really cool progression to see as the

industry has completely exploded in that time. And for a brewery like Wellington, what’s important is that we always do our best to ensure we stay on top of things and are always pushing forward.”

McInerney adds: “And I think we’ve done a good job of trying to stay a few steps ahead in as many areas as we can. It’s great to be outward looking, too. When you take a step back it’s incredible to see the level of quality in Canadian brewing. We used to look to the US for those hype breweries but now they exist right here.

“They’re all over the country and I can honestly say Canada boasts worldclass breweries.”

McInerney is one of 50 employees at Wellington Brewery, a team bonded by respect for one another.

“Many of the team here have been here for a pretty long time, which is really neat. I’m also really proud that more than 50% of our team are women. For a craft brewery that’s a huge milestone.

It’s a big step and one that was achieved organically. It’s not something that was forced,” he adds.

And the entire team has played its part in its ongoing growth. Most of its beers are produced on its NSI 40HL brewhouse, which outputs five-to-six brews a day, four days a week while a smaller 5HL kit is used for one-off and small batch beers.

The NSI kit arrived as part of a complete brewery rebuild back in 2015. Wellington added the new brewhouse as well as a new packaging line, new warehouse space and much more besides.

“It took a long time to get here but, pandemic aside, I feel that we’re finally getting to the point where the hard work is paying off and we’re looking forward,” says McInerney. “It means we can stay focused on the priorities and goals we want to accomplish such as community engagement and our sustainability initiatives.”

Being focused on the day-to-day is something all breweries no doubt want, following a rollercoaster two years thanks

to the global pandemic. Like many of its peers, Wellington Brewery has done a sterling job of navigating the challenges that came its way.

“Pre-pandemic we relied a lot more on bars, restaurants and other operators for a big part of our business but like many, direct to customer sales have greatly increased,” explains McInerney. “We were hit really hard at the start of the pandemic, but we already had e-commerce set up so we weren’t scrambling around in that sense.

“Instead our energies were spent figuring out how to do local distribution and once we worked that out, we’ve been delivering seven days a week ever since. And I’ll be honest, that home delivery service really saved our brewery.

It was the difference between our brewery basically being shut down and the brewery surviving and thriving the way it is now.”

But with the pandemic situation slowly improving, it makes complete sense for fans of great, independent beer to pay the team a visit at its recently reopened taproom for a drink at the source.

“We’ve really missed the feedback we get from the customers in the taproom,” says Wilson.

“Beer is always best enjoyed in the company of others, and we can’t wait to get back to that. It’s what makes working for a brewery so much fun.”

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

23

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

25

BIOTRANSFORMATION

SCIENCE

DESIGNING A BEER FOR BIOTRANSFORMATION

BIOTRANSFORMATION IS A POPULAR TERM IN THE BREWING INDUSTRY, BUT PRACTICAL RESOURCES ARE LACKING FOR BREWERS TO MAKE USE OF YEAST-HOP INTERACTIONS TO PRODUCE MORE FLAVOURFUL BEERS. HERE RICHARD PREISS, CO-FOUNDER AND LAB DIRECTOR AT ESCARPMENT LABS, AIMS TO CHANGE THAT

BY PROVIDING SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR ENHANCING BIOTRANSFORMATION IN BEERS.

26

|

WINTER 2022

L

ately it seems like brewers are trying all sorts of wild techniques to unlock new flavours in their beers. In this article I will break down thiol biotransformation in beer and how you can combine your ingredient selection, yeast, and brewery methods to unlock new flavour combinations in your beers.

Previously in Brewers Journal Canada, my colleague Eugene Fletcher published an excellent overview of the yeast and hop interactions we call biotransformation.

I encourage you to check out that article for more on the background science of biotransformation, which is also posted on the Escarpment Labs blog.

While biotransformation has been a popular term in the brewing industry, we found that practical resources are lacking for brewers to make use of yeast-hop interactions to produce more flavourful beers.

The aim of this article is to use the science to provide some practical advice for enhancing biotransformation in beers.

There are two major types of hop biotransformation: thiols and terpenes. Thiols are sulfur-containing molecules that are extremely potent, often with tropical fruit aromas. They are often bound up in the hop or malt and flavour-neutral, but fermentation can release them. Terpenes (monoterpene alcohols and esters) come from hops and can be transformed from one form to another by fermentation. In this article I am going to focus on thiol release due to its recent popularity.

ENHANCING THIOLS Thiols and their release is all the rage these days, with new yeasts coming onto the market that have been modified or bred to enhance thiol release. This opens up a new world of opportunities for flavour development, and even turns on their heads some of the approaches being used to make highly aromatic beers.

These yeasts have been developed to have enhanced activity from the IRC7 enzyme, which is a beta lyase that helps the yeast release aromatic thiols from flavourless precursors.

Let’s clarify why thiols are important. Basically, most of us really like these aromatics from hops. Thiol compounds can smell like Sauvignon Blanc grapes, gooseberry, guava, grapefruit, and passionfruit! It’s no surprise that the hops with the most free, aromatic thiols are also the most expensive: Citra, Sabro, Mosaic, Nelson Sauvin.

But there’s huge opportunity to release bound thiols from lower-cost ingredients, in unexpected places. Some common and lower-cost hops such as Cascade, Saaz, and Perle contain large amounts of bound thiols that can be released by yeasts with strong thiol release capabilities.

We even see brewers starting to experiment with mash hopping to enhance thiols. This sounds like a crazy idea, but there’s some solid science behind it. The bound thiols in hops take the form of either cysteine-bound or glutathione-bound.

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

New yeasts can help you create totally new flavour combinations and can help unlock flavour and aroma in local hops and malt. We have seen promising results using local Ontario grown Cascade and Centennial hops when paired with the right yeast and brewing process,” Richard Preiss

In the mash, barley enzymes can facilitate the conversion of glutathione-bound thiols into cysteine-bound thiols. Since yeast releases cysteine-bound thiols, this can result in stronger thiol release.

It’s also important to mention that malt also contains thiol precursors, so with the right yeast, you can get some tropical, grapefruit aromatics with malt alone!

The best yeast strains for thiol biotransformation are strains that are both capable of beer fermentation and have high IRC7 enzyme activity. Unfortunately, this combination is quite rare among the yeast world. Some traditional yeasts like Foggy London Ale and Ebbegarden Kveik are good at thiol biotransformation. Luckily there is room for improvement among traditional yeasts. There has been a lot of attention toward developing new yeasts that are better at thiol biotransformation, some of which are starting to hit the market.

Methods used to develop new yeasts for enhanced thiol biotransformation includes genetically engineering existing strains to have higher IRC7 activity, or breeding strains with naturally high IRC7 activity to achieve “hybrid vigor”.

Recently, our team published a technique we used to make beer yeasts easier to breed with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, combined with classic yeast breeding to create yeast strains with enhanced IRC7 activity.

brewersjournal.ca

ENHANCING TERPENES There are many different terpenes that can come from hops and impact the flavour of your beer. In particular, the aromas that we perceive as “dank”, “floral” and “citrusy” are often the result of terpenes.

Yeast can convert some hop terpenes into others, which is how yeast biotransformation impacts terpene character. For example, yeast can convert rose-like geraniol to lemongrass-like beta-citronellol.

This means a very “dank” hop like Strata can become much more citrusy thanks to terpene biotransformation.

DESIGNING A RECIPE FOR BIOTRANSFORMATION Based on available science, consider any or all of the following to enhance hop biotransformation. Yeast selection for thiols: Select yeasts that have been bred or modified for enhanced thiol release, or select traditional yeasts such as Foggy London Ale or Ebbegarden Kveik.

Hop selection for thiols: look to Cascade, Saaz, Calypso, and Perle for high concentrations of bound thiols. Citra, Sabro, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Nelson Sauvin are all examples of hops with high levels of free thiols.

Releasing hop thiols: Mash hopping is a promising technique for creating more precursor for the yeast to release. In general, getting the hops in earlier in the process

(mash hopping, whirlpool, mid to late ferment dry hopping) will help with thiol release.

Yeast selection for terpenes: Select yeasts with strong terpene biotransformation activity. This includes traditional yeasts like Vermont and Cerberus, as well as strains that have been bred with those strains as parents (such as Hydra).

Hop selection for terpenes: Look to Bravo, Centennial, Cascade, Chinook, Mosaic, and Strata for above-average amounts of terpenes.

Releasing hop terpenes: extraction in the hot side (late kettle, whirlpool) can help with getting terpenes into solution, although some biotransformation of terpenes during dry hopping is also possible.

For both: consider using local ingredients!

New yeasts can help you create totally new flavour combinations and can help unlock flavour and aroma in local hops and malt. We have seen promising results using local Ontario grown Cascade and Centennial hops when paired with the right yeast and brewing process.

The Author: Escarpment Labs co-founder Richard Preiss is an active brewing scientist and long-time homebrewer. At Escarpment, Richard’s focus is on translating new research into exciting products and knowledge for brewers. Richard loves to help our team and the brewers we work with to solve problems, overcome challenges, and unlock efficiencies. One day, Richard will write a manifesto on Brettanomyces.

WINTER 2022

|

27

DRY MILLING ALTERNATIVES TO DRY MILLING

SCIENCE

IN THIS ARTICLE, DR. CHRIS COLBY OF FIRST KEY CONSULTING OUTLINES TWO ALTERNATIVES TO DRY MILLING — CONDITIONED MILLING AND WET MILLING — AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THESE OFFER OVER DRY MILLING. MOST NOTABLY, IN BOTH CASES IT IS POSSIBLE TO YIELD SMALLER ENDOSPERM PIECES WHILE LEAVING LARGER HUSK PIECES OR HUSKS THAT ARE WHOLE. HOWEVER, DR COLBY ADDS, THESE OPTIONS REQUIRE ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE CAREFULLY CONTROLLED AND CAN GIVE THE BREWER ADDITIONAL CONCERNS. 28

|

WINTER 2022

F

ollowing kilning at the maltster, dry pale malts contain approximately 3–6% moisture. Malts with less moisture would be too brittle while malt that contains more moisture than this would suffer a decreased storage life and possibly lower yield.

The increased moisture can result in lower enzymatic power for instance, and this, in turn, will impact mashing. Improperly stored malt — such as malt stored with unmalted grains — may pick up moisture. This is because unmalted grains have a higher moisture content (e.g. unmalted barley usually contains 12–14.5% moisture).

Malt with the correct moisture level should provide no problems when dry milling. The endosperm should be crushed into smaller particles whose size distribution depends on the number of rollers in the mill and their mill gaps. In a like manner, the husk of the malt — which is reasonably brittle in dry malt — will also be broken into multiple pieces. This is again a function of the mill type and settings.

When mashing, smaller endosperm particles result in a higher extract yield. However, for breweries employing a lauter tun, these smaller husk particles also increase the time it takes to lauter a batch. They may also result in higher polyphenols and tannin levels in the wort and finished beer, which can lead to higher astringency in the beer.

Dry milling works well for many breweries.

It is a relatively straightforward and a workable tradeoff between efficiency and “lauterability”, which can be found by adjusting the mill properly. Achieving this consistently, on the other hand, requires the brewer to regularly check the quality of the milling by measuring the size assortment of the milled grains, and making mill adjustments.

This is because the consistency of the incoming malt varies and due to the normal

wear of the rollers, for instance. Different malt types perform differently in the mill (e.g. very dark malts tend to be more brittle). The ideal grist assortment will depend on the type of mash separation technology one uses (lauter tun vs. mash filter).

However, two alternatives to dry milling — conditioned milling and wet milling — offer some improvements over dry milling.

Most notably, in both cases it is possible to yield smaller endosperm pieces while leaving larger husk pieces or husks that are whole. This results in higher yield with improved lautering, lower polyphenol extraction, and lower dust (and thus, lower explosion risk). However, these options require additional equipment that needs to be carefully controlled and can give the brewer additional concerns.

CONDITIONED MILLING In conditioned milling, the malt is sprayed with steam or hot water as it is augered (or otherwise conveyed) to the mill. The malt receives a small amount of moisture that is sufficient to wet the husk making it less brittle, while the amount of moisture increase to the endosperm is much lower, thus keeping it brittle.

The wetted husks become “leathery” and are more pliable than dry husk. When milled, the husk of each grain breaks into fewer pieces. This helps in lautering and also in limiting the amount of polyphenols that leach from the husks. Because the husks are broken into fewer and larger pieces, the mill gap can be tightened to produce smaller endosperm particles. Conditioned milling may be done on a 2-roller, 4-roller, or 6-roller mill.

On some mills, the husks may be separated from the endosperm pieces during milling. The husks may then be reunited with

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

the wort immediately before lautering. This will reduce the polyphenol content in the beer. This can be done with dry milling, too.

Conditioned milling requires the equipment necessary to wet the malt, but not a new mill. The procedure needs to be performed correctly to be effective. If the malt receives too much moisture, dissolved starch from the endosperm can gum up the mill. If the moisture increase is inadequate, this merely results in an outcome similar to dry milling. When employing conditioned milling, the brewers must also pay increased attention to cleaning — and sanitizing, where applicable — any surface that becomes wetted.

WET MILLING Wet milling is conceptually similar to conditioned milling, but much more water is used. In wet milling the malt is steeped in water for about 15 to 30 minutes in a hopper above a 2-row mill. When the malt reaches 15–30% moisture, the malt is milled. At the low end of this range, the water may not have penetrated the husks and this will be conceptually similar to conditioned milling.

In wet milling, the husks generally remain in one piece and the endosperm is extruded from it. [I, II, III] Wet milling has the benefits of conditioned milling — the ability to grind finer yet still yield larger husk pieces. Studies have shown that starch conversion occurs more quickly in wet-milled grains [IV] and that 10–20% moisture gives the highest levels of conversion [V]. And, as with conditioned milling, the risk of a grain dust explosion is greatly lowered. (It is not eliminated because grain dust can be produced in grain handling leading up to milling.) However, there are other benefits as well.

needed to meet the desired brewing schedule (since wetmilled malt cannot be stored).

The traditional steeping system using a malt bin has mostly been replaced with an intensive steeping chamber to reduce these disadvantages. As with conditioned milling, wet milling requires that the brewer pay extra attention to sanitation in mill, which includes the steeping hopper and the rollers.

WET MILLING GREEN MALT A special type of wet milling setup is being tested for milling green malt. The kilning stage in malting — the final stage where the grain is dried — requires the most energy. Eliminating this stage would make the overall brewing process more energy efficient. However, the brewery would need to brew with green (unkilned) malt.

The wet mill set up that was tested first cut the green malt — while it is steeping in 83– 85°F water (adjusted to a pH of 3.8–4.0 with lactic acid) — with a stainless steel blade.

The cut green malt slurry was then transferred to a second mill where it is ground between two stones. [VI] The resulting beer was deemed to have a high drinkability, with no being present.

Levels of the precursor to DMS, however, were high. The biggest difference between the green malt beer and beer made from kilned malt under the same conditions was a higher degree of apparent attenuation (with a resultant higher alcohol by volume (ABV)). Brewing beer from green malt could lower the batch-to-batch cost. However, a much higher attention to malt inventory would be required as the shelf life of green malt is very small (a few weeks) compared the shelf life of dry malt (many months).

If a brewery is consistently both getting poor results with its current dry mill, and has access to sufficient capital, a switch to conditioned or wet milling may be a worthwhile investment. However, if the brewery has a 4-roller or 6-roller mill that is giving good results, it may take a long time for the upgrade in equipment to pay for itself.

And, as noted earlier, wet types of milling require extra attention to cleaning and sanitation of the mill and hopper. Milling green malt may become a possibility for large breweries, resulting in a large reduction in the amount of energy required to malt, mill, and mash each batch.

REFERENCES: [I] Lewis and Young. 2002. Brewing: Second Edition. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, p. 208 [II] Briggs, et. al. 1981. Malting and Brewing Science: Volume 1 Malt and Sweet Wort: Second Edition. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, p. 314–316 [III] Kunze. 2004. Technology Brewing and Malting: Third International Edition. VLB, Berlin. p. 209–212 [IV] Sczwajgier. 2011. Dry and Wet Milling of Malt. A Preliminary Study Comparing Fermentable Sugar, Total Protein, Total Phenolics and the Ferulic Acid Content in Non-Hopped Worts. J. Inst. Brew.

117(4): 569–577 [V] de Moura and Mathias. 2018. A Comparative Study of Dry and Wet Milling of Barley Malt and Its and Influence on Granulometry and Wort Composition. Beverages 4: 51 [VI] Aerts and Chapelle. 2021. Innovative Milling Technology for “Green” Malt Brewing, Brauwelt International: V

The brewer has many options when wet milling. The water from the milling operation may flow into the mash tun or it may be diverted away. Generally, if hot water is used for the initial step, the water is diverted. In this way, polyphenols from the malt husks do not enter the wort. If cold water is used, the water — and the aroma and flavor active compounds from the husk — becomes part of the wort.

Wet milling has potential disadvantages. In order to wet mill, the brewer needs to replace their existing mill with a mill designed for wet milling. In practice, these are 2-roller mills. Some of these systems can be hard to adjust, may result in higher maintenance costs, and a larger capacity mill may be

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

29

CANADIAN BREWERS CHOICE AWARDS

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

30

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

MORE THAN 80 INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS DESCENDED UPON BRUNSWICK BIERWORKS IN TORONTO AT THE END OF 2021 FOR THE INAUGURAL CANADIAN BREWERS CHOICE AWARDS PRESENTATION DINNER.

T

he evening kicked off with a beertail reception before guests settled down for dinner, which was curated by Lori Harris from AllSauced Intoxicating Recipes. Each dish was infused with a different Beer brewed at Brunswick Bierworks.

There was a wealth of great beer on offer from breweries such as Craft Brand Co., Superflux, Omnipollo, Rally, Heavy Seas, Wellington Brewery, Collective Arts, and Fenelon Falls Brewing Co.

THE WINNERS IN FULL Young Brewer of the Year Supported By: Top 5 Solutions Shortlisted nominees for the 2021 Canadian Brewers Choice Young Brewer of the Year: Brenden MacDonald Stack Brewing

The highlight of the night however was, of course, recognizing the great and the good of the Canadian brewing industry.

Artur Merkulov Polar Park Brewing Co.

Kelsey Desnoyers Flux Brewing Co.

WINNER: Kelsey Desnoyers Flux Brewing Co.

Brewer of the Year Supported By: BrewNinja Shortlisted nominees for the 2021 Canadian Brewers Choice Brewer of the Year Jeff Broeders Indie Alehouse Brewing Co.

Mary Beth Keefe Granite Brewery

Mike Lackey + Team Great Lakes Brewery

WINNER: Mary Beth Keefe Granite Brewery

New Brewery of the Year Supported By: Charles Faram Shortlisted nominees for the 2021 Canadian Brewers Choice New Brewery of the Year Flux Brewing Co. Scotland, ON

Rough Waters Brewing Co. Deer Lake, NL

Rally Beer Co. Toronto, ON

WINNER: Flux Brewing Co. Scotland, ON

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

31

THE WINNERS IN FULL Brewery of the Year Supported By: Jenrey Shortlisted nominees for the 2021 Canadian Brewers Choice Brewery of the Year: Great lakes Brewery Toronto, ON

Blindman Brewing Lacombe, AB

Wellington Brewery Guelph, ON

WINNER: Wellington Brewery Guelph, ON

Branding of the Year Supported By: Summit Labels Shortlisted nominees for the 2021 Canadian Brewers Choice Branding of the Year Tin Whistle Brewing Co. Penticton, BC

Little Beasts Brewing Co. Whitby, ON

The Establishment Brewing CO. Calgary, AB

Polar Park Brewing Co. Edmonton, AB

WINNER: Polar Park Brewing Co. Edmonton, AB

New Beer of the Year Supported By: Carefoote Beverage Solutions Shortlisted nominees for the 2021 Canadian Brewers Choice New Beer of the Year Walker West Coast IPA PEI Brewing Company (Gahan)

Chocolate Milk Peanut Butter Porter Imperial City Brew House

Helios Helles Lager Karbon Brewing Co.

WINNER: Helios Helles Lager Karbon Brewing Co.

32

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

Hosted by Rick Campanelli, we shone the spotlight on Brewery of the Year, New Brewery of the Year, Beer of the Year, New Beer of the Year, Brewer of the Year, Young Brewer of the Year, Branding of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement award.

Tim Sheahan, editor of The Brewers Journal, commented: “Following a challenging 18 months, it was incredibly gratifying to be able to celebrate the very best in brewing.

The standard of entries was predictably very high and everyone that was shortlisted and won should be suitably proud.

“A big thank you to everyone for taking part and to dinner sponsors North Keg and Trophy Sponsors, Econse, as well as each category sponsor, including: BSG, Charles Faram, Jenrey, Carefoote Beverage Solu-

tions, Summit Labels, BrewNinja, and Top5 Solutions for helping make it all possible.”

Nominations for the Canadian Brewers Choice Awards 2022 will commence March 31, 2022.

Keep an eye out by visiting: www.brewersjournal.ca/awards

THE WINNERS IN FULL

Beer of the Year Supported By: Carefoote Beverage Solutions Shortlisted nominees for the 2021 Canadian Brewers Choice Beer of the Year Award: 165 Shower Beer (Hazy pale ale) Faculty Brewing Co.

Dwarf Sour Cherry Fruited Saison (Barrel-aged mixed ferment with fruit) Blindman Brewing

North East IPA (New England IPA) Flora Hall Brewing

WINNER: 168 Shower Beer

(Hazy pale ale) Faculty Brewing Co.

Lifetime Achievement Award Supported By: BSG Canada WINNER: Charles MacLean

Founder of MacLean’s Ale

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

33

34

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

35

COMMENT

ACCESSIBILITY

THE PRACTICE OF BRINGING ACCESS TO THE TABLE

HERE JULIE SAWCHUK, AN ACCESSIBILITY STRATEGIST, EDUCATOR AND PRINCIPAL OF SAWCHUK ACCESSIBLE SOLUTIONS, EXPLAINS WHY BRINGING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI) INTO YOUR WORKPLACE IS IMPERATIVE IN CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE FEEL HEARD, ARE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND ARE PROVIDED WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.

B

ringing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into your workplace is a critical step toward having an environment where people feel heard, are treated with respect and are provided with equal opportunity. DEI is not a trend; it is essential for so many reasons, but something is often missing in these strategies —“A” for access.

36

|

WINTER 2022

I’ve had many conversations about including accessibility in the framework of an organization’s DEI strategy. Many feel that access is a part of inclusion, but there is an inherent flaw in that argument. Assuming that access is a part of inclusion is an ableist belief.

I hesitate to use the word “ableist” due to a general lack of familiarity with the term.

Rebekah Taussig, in her book Sitting Pretty: the view from my ordinary resilient disabled body, defines ableism as: “the process of favouring, fetishizing, and building the world around a mostly imagined, idealized body while discriminating against those bodies perceived to move, see, hear, process, operate, look or need differently from that vision.”

Ableism is everywhere. In the beer industry, it can be seen in the design of beer can pull-tabs, restaurant high-top tables and bar stools, as well as menus that are difficult to read and music volumes that make hearing conversations impossible. It’s also often present in the way staff are trained for customer service.

It is not possible to be truly inclusive if access is not present. How can staff, clients or customers work or enjoy your space if they cannot get to the table? Be it hiring practic-

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

es, availability of workplace accommodations, access to facilities within your establishment or communication methods to staff and customers, access must be a pillar. If it is not, true diversity will not be represented, equity cannot be realized and the idea of inclusion is based on false ideals.

The ideas, people, thoughts and discussions coming from DEI workplace initiatives are resulting in conversations that seemed too uncomfortable to have in the past. Now we are “normalizing” talking about mental health, racial inequality, gender-neutral washrooms, work-from-home scenarios, etc., but there is still hesitancy when it comes to disclosing personal needs for accommodation because of disability.

There is a perception that access requires investment. I’d argue that the biggest investment has to be understanding the difference access makes. For a quick case study, let’s look to the folks at North Brewing Co. located near Cole Harbour, NS. This past fall (in that brief “safe-to-travel” window), my daughter and I took the opportunity to visit Dalhousie University. Be-

brewersjournal.ca

fore we travelled, Ren Nevaro (Beer Diversity) said, “You have to go meet Rozina!” So off we went in a taxi from the Dartmouth ferry to North Brewing Co. where we were greeted by Rozina Darvesh for lunch and a couple of beverages.

Installing coat each table Constructing a washroom with ly-placed grab handwashing

Everywhere I go, work follows me ― not because I am a workaholic, but because of my disability. At North Brewing, they truly understand that access matters. I could have sat and talked with Rozina for hours; she and her team fully embrace accessibility as more than just a “check box.”

I asked Rozina to share her thoughts on access at North Brewing: “Our goal is to create spaces that are welcoming and accessible for the community, whether they are a guest or staff. What we’ve learned is this goal is a practice and we are always learning new ways to educate ourselves and improve on making the spaces we create more accessible.”

North Brewing Co. has incorporated access as a part of their business model by making straightforward decisions through: Choosing a building with a no-step entry and level parking Installing power-door openers and having a well-lit entry Creating signage inside and outside the building with clearly-written text in large font with colour contrast Ensuring ample space to manoeuvre between tables Having a variety of types and heights of chairs, benches, tables and barstools

& bag hooks under Universal “everybody” a tall toilet, properbars and accessible

Access can be considered at every decision-making opportunity throughout your business. If you have not brought access to the table at your organization, it’s time.

Julie Sawchuk is an accessibility strategist, educator and Principal of Sawchuk Accessible Solutions. Get the help you need to make your space awesome and to help your staff shift their perspective on disability at www.juliesawchuk.ca.

WINTER 2022

|

37

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE

PARIS BEER CO

THERE ARE FEW BREWERS, IF ANY, WITH QUITE AS IMPRESSIVE A CV AS CHRISTIAN RIEMERSCHMID VON DER HEIDE. BUT THEN AGAIN, THERE ARE FEW BREWERIES QUITE AS UNIQUE AS PARIS BEER CO OF PARIS, ONTARIO. TOGETHER IT’S THE PERFECT MARRIAGE, DRIVEN BY A DESIRE TO BREW EXCELLENT, DRINKABLE BEERS, CREATED USING LOCAL INGREDIENTS IN A SUSTAINABLE MANNER. AND THANKFULLY FOR FANS OF METICULOUSLY CRAFTED, MOREISH BREWS, THEY’RE DOING JUST THAT. brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

39

I

n life, we all know people that can ‘Talk the Talk’ and often they’ll rarely….you got it… ‘Walk the Walk’.

There are individuals where actions speak louder than words and Christian Riemerschmid Von Der Heide, master brewer at Paris Beer Co, is one such figure.

So when he tells you brewing is his life’s passion, you better believe him.

“Growing up on a farm, I loved the link between the ability to produce something and the commercial side that could follow.

I get my mojo, my energy from being able to create possibilities,” he explains.

“Beer is this rare sample of a craft where you start with an agricultural element that ends up going all the way to paying taxes on the finished product. And then there’s everything that goes on in-between. Well, where do you start?”

Christian is a 35-year veteran of the brewery and beverage industry who has worked for brewers, distillers, and global players in a variety of senior roles in operations, technology development, innovation, supply chain, and as board member in the Americas, Africa, and Europe.

His CV boasts positions such as chief operating officer at Brunswick Bierworks, CEO &

40

|

WINTER 2022

president of the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago, president of the European Brewery Convention, and a graduate of TUM at Weihenstephan, Executive Studies at INSEAD, and Wharton. innovation, and supply performance.

His brewing pedigree includes working for leading businesses such as Augustiner in Munich, Labatt’s, Guinness/Diageo in Dublin, Ireland, and London, UK, and East African Breweries Ltd. in Kenya.

And regardless of how busy his schedule would prove working for such multinational firms, he would still find time for some brewing of his own.

“Diageo is a great company. “Whether you’re a designer using PhotoShop, or a watchmaker, you need you own toolkit. I’m a brewer, so I need access to my own brew kit.”

So if Christian was to travel for his work with Diageo, so would his extensive brew kit.

“On all assignments with Guinness, I had half a 20ft container with my gear that travelled me,” he says. “Passion and purpose matters. I needed my own brewing time to ground myself and to not lose the connection between being an executive in the business of beer and the creation of it.

“Creating possibilities and brewing is my true love. So I can be at a brewery all day working on the corporate side of things but then go home, read a brewing magazine and then wake up at 04:30 the next morning to fire up a little brew kettle to start the process. I suppose all it takes is to use a different part of your brain.”

Christian adds: “But I know that I’m very lucky that my family has always loved me for that. We don’t have the fashion magazines at home, instead it’s brewing books and journals, and you need an understanding spouse in those situations!”

Paris Beer Co opened its doors in Paris, Ontario at the end of 2020. Christian is the master brewer and co-founder, with the brewery co-founded by John and Ken Edgar along with their wives Jennifer and Marsha.

The Edgar family has been part of the local farming community for seven generations and are owners of the Von Edgar Hop Yard.

It’s here where the hops used in the brewery’s beers are grown. With Christian also from a farming background, the synergies are there for all to see.

“I emigrated to Canada back in 1996,” says Christian. “I would go on to meet John, and we spoke about finding a local building to create our own beer experience. It might

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

have taken us 24 years to get here but now we’re open, we want to elevate the experience of people living and visiting Paris with our passion for brewing and the vertical integration of farming.”

For John, there is no getting away from the family’s connection to their agricultural roots.

“It’s something your grandfather did, or your father did or even further. For us, it goes back seven generations so there’s a lot of history there,” says John. “When Ken and I were developing what our interests were, we knew we needed to talk to Christian. He’s a Brewmaster with a very, very strong background.”

“For me, the main quest in brewing is to achieve moreishness in beer. I want high level of drinkability.

The holy grail in brewing is drinkability,” says Christian.

He adds: “We live in a new world where many beers have been bastardized. It’s really cool to brew a Helles, so why not dry-hop the heck out of it.

Ok, now that Helles taste is identical to another Pale Ale because you’re using ale hops and you’re using very warm lager fermentation.

“The stars literally aligned,” adds Ken. Soft launching in November 2020, The Paris Beer Company is Paris’ first taproom brewery. Its raison d’etre is its focus on quality beer, and offering a taproom where beer can be sampled and enjoyed with delicious food and great ambiance.

“Yes it’s an interesting beer but it has nothing to do with the style and that flavour impression already exists elsewhere. So for me, it is about diversification not “me too”. You can be innovative and still create amazing flavours that are very drinkable and minimalistic.”

“My hope is that they come here for the food, and they come here for the beer. But moreover, to come here because they get a different level of value and satisfaction from knowing our products are grown locally,” Christian said at the time.

“Let me suggest, I don’t need to add grapefruit to my lager. If I’m using the right yeast strain, I can create that grapefruit impression,” he laughs. “But the dilemma is that I have a German accent and when I say anything, that is been viewed as an absolute statement or that I’m too much of a purist.”

And that’s exactly what the brewery’s burgeoning fanbase experiences as the company’s profile continues to grow.

Christian is proud of Paris Beer Co’s brewing identity, and its place within Ontario’s brewing ecosystem.

At Paris Beer Co, Christian Riemerschmid Von Der Heide is expressing his creativity through the medium of beer.

So when it comes to regular releases, expect beers such as the 6.0% Lazy Dog Heller Bock Festbier, Nith Country Ale, Row 12 (fresh hop) Hopfen Weisse, Head Gate Helles Lager and Tagwerk Smoked Oak Porter.

“I feel that some trendy styles are the crowded ones. And there is very little loyalty in those fields with people jumping from one hazy hoppy beer to another,” he says. “Breweries are ordering the same yeast strains and they’re using the same hop varieties.

Don’t get me wrong, these are still great beers. I drink them and enjoy them. We’re just happy with the route we have taken.”

brewersjournal.ca

He adds: “We had tap room visitors asking where all our hazy IPAs are, and why we are not using all the hops we grow to make more hop-forward beers. I simply tell them that we leave that to other breweries.

Instead we are looking for that magic balance and for consumers to return with the desire for another pint. The perfect serve of that beer they just enjoyed, while focusing on the elevated experience.”

And, as we said earlier, Christian’s actions speak louder than words. The brewery hit its target volumes for year three during the first 12 months. All the more impressive considering the challenging trading environment it opened during.

“We’ve seen demand come from all demographics and that’s obviously hugely satisfying for us because there is a fine line between success and failure in a crowded beer market and during a pandemic, he explains. “When we opened, there could have been a preconception that I’m just a boring German brewer but the last thing I want is a German beer portfolio!”

But there’s no risk of that happening, no chance at all. Not that it would be a bad thing, though. Currently laid down

WINTER 2022

|

41

in barrel are beers as diverse as Red Grape Ales, Smoked Porters in Bourbon Barrels as well as numerous Sours and Goses. While other available beers include the Tagwerk Witbier with Quince, a 7.0% beer offering a fruity, tingly, tart quince aroma medley dancing with peach and vanilla impressions, wheat and coriander transitioning to a magenta, mild, dry finish.

When it comes to Christian’s quest for drinkability, a major part of this process is based around water’s role in the beer’s we drink.

Paris in Ontario, it is rumoured, was named after the nearby deposits of gypsum, the material used to make plaster of Paris. This material was discovered in 1793 while the area was being surveyed for the British Home Department. And as Christian says, it’s everywhere.

“That means the water is extremely, extremely hard. So we decided to invest in a complete reverse osmosis system. The water is completely demineralized. I then have our proprietary mineral mix for the beers and a fairly high-tech dosing system to do that,” he explains.

“And I think a lot of brewers underestimate the relativity of water to the overall sensory perception of a beer. I’m obsessed with the total experience from appearance to mouthfeel to flavour and this process helps us achieve that.”

Christian’s beers are brewed on a three vessel, seven-barrel system he helped co-design when working on customizing breweries.

Among other features, it boasts a dedicated mash-brew kettle. lauter tun, and whirlpool. Fermentation and maturation vessels are in the historic basement of Wincey Mills.

“Being able to package into bottle is very important for us, but the convenience of canning a beer is pretty unbeatable,” he says. “Some customers, as is their choice, will simply not buy the beer they want if its not in can, even if you have it available in bottle. And vice versa – oddly enough.”

And with the first, incredibly successful, year under its belts, the team are now as-

The team have worked tirelessly when packaging its beers, especially considering it runs a single-head can filler alongside a sixand two-head bottle filler, which can handle any shape bottle.

“I suppose the smoothness we achieve from a mouthfeel and sensory perception is one our secrets if you could call it that.

People trying our beers will say they just feel ‘different’.

You can be innovative and still create amazing flavours that are very drinkable and minimalistic.”

42

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

sessing how to invest and continue to grow.

One step at a time.

23 beers on sale currently and more innovation coming down the line.

“We want to take a look at what this brewery stands for as a business. We are considering B-Corp Certification and want to amplify that we are a force for good,” says Christian.

He explains: “We need to leverage our online presence and also grow with the demographics we want to serve as an ‘elevate your senses’ taproom brewery.

We are also both careful and selective, as there are a variety of incredible restaurants in GTA that we highly respect. They

Another area of focus is the defined direction for the beers they produce, with some

ring us, and pay us lovely compliments about the beers and tell us they want to stock them.

“I get totally thrilled by that because it’s happened by word of mouth. For a great chef to want to work around your beers is bliss, and is always the proudest moment for someone like me.”

But for Christian and the team, running a brewery that has come on leaps-andbounds in such a short period of time, they also know that have to take each step as it comes.

“There have been stressful moments like there are in every business,” he recalls.

“We’ve worked flat out as a team of partners, farmers and brewers. So going ahead we want to work smarter, not harder, and be even more focused than before.”

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

43

DRY-HOPPING MODERN DRY HOPPING METHODS FOR BETTER QUALITY, CONSISTENCY, AND YIELD

FOCUS

DRY HOPPING IS SIMPLE, RIGHT? WELL, IN THIS ARTICLE, FRIEDRICH BANKE, THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BANKE GMBH IN GERMANY, OUTLINES A RAFT OF METHODS SO YOU CAN ACHIEVE BETTER QUALITY, CONSISTENCY, AND YIELD.

F

or most breweries, dry hopping goes something like this. Hop pellets are added to the beer during fermentation and / or storage. Sometimes in both phases.

Then, after some time, the sedimented hop sludge is discharged towards drain and the beer is then usually clarified via a centrifuge to prevent hop particles from getting into packaged product. Sound familiar?

WHAT PROBLEMS ARE ENCOUNTERED IN PRACTICE? For hop additions, in the simplest case, one climbs a ladder or uses a mobile lifting platform, opens the access door, and empties a bucket (or multiple buckets) of pellets into the tank and is lucky if the tank does not over-foam. This often requires acrobatic skills on the part of the brewer and the safety of this practice is highly questionable.

46

|

WINTER 2022

The quality and shelf life of the beers often suffers due to oxygen pickup, the hop aroma is often not consistent, and the aroma yield is inefficient.

Losses during purging can be significant.

A lot of good beer goes down the drain which could otherwise be sold (sales beer). What’s more, the organic freight results in higher biological oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) which contributes to higher wastewater treatment costs, the risk of fines, plus sedimented hop sludge can block entire sewage systems.

Sedimentation of hop particles in the fermenter (CCT) often takes a long time and blocks tanks for new batches; in some cases, new tanks must be added, and cellar capacity expanded because of this.

BETTER YIELD AND CONSISTENCY OF HOP AROMA The first step towards optimization is to switch from static dry hopping to dynamic processes. With a pellet dissolving and dosing system, pellets can be dissolved in beer under CO2 atmosphere without oxygen pickup in 30 to 60 minutes.

A beer-hop suspension is created that can be dosed flexibly, either in a mixing loop for tanks with double outlets or even in classic lager tanks with only one outlet can be dosed volumetrically during tank transfer.

There are no limits to tank size and hop quantity: some pellet dissolving and dosing systems can process up to 1000 kg (2,200 lbs) per batch. By reloading under CO2 atmosphere, the total quantity per tank can be increased almost without limit.

The result of hop slurry removal depends strongly on the tank geometry, the yeast, and other factors.

During centrifugation, residual sludge often causes hammering with a high particle load. In extreme cases, this leads to blocking of the centrifuge or a large stress on the mechanics, resulting in a significant increase in maintenance costs.

Centrifuges are not designed for high solids loads. The gaps of the centrifuge bowl are usually between 0.4 and 0.6 mm. This means that large particles from the pellets with a maximum of more than 1 mm are problematic for a centrifuge in the long run. In some cases, centrifuges cannot be adequately cleaned by CIP and the equipment must be disassembled and mechanically cleaned manually.

There are simple process solutions to avoid all these problems.

Dynamic Pellet Dissolving Dosing Tank

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

Flexible Dosage into beer transfer line

Pellets Dissolve in Beer Without Oxygen in 30 – 60 minutes

Flexible Dosage in a circulation loop

A Properly Designed Sieve Can Separate up to 85% of Hop Particles

By switching to a dynamic pellet dissolving and dosing process, 25 - 40 % of the hop pellet amount can be saved, and at the same time the hop aroma becomes much more stable with reproducible quality. Oxygen-free operation also has a positive effect on the quality and stability of the beers.

Handling for the operator is also easier and safer by conducting these operations at ground level. The systems can be easily automated for production and CIP cleaning.

This is a first important step towards a significant improvement in dry hopping.

EFFICIENT REMOVAL OF HOP SOLIDS EXTERNAL DRY HOPPING MORE BEER SALES! Hop pellets swell strongly in beer and bind at least 6 to 10 times the amount of beer. Even more can be lost during purging, so that beer losses of up to more than 30% can occur. Again, valuable sales beer is lost in this way.

brewersjournal.ca

A curved sieve designed the right way and enclosed in sanitary stainless vessel purged of oxygen with C02 can separate up to 85% of the hop particles with a dry matter content of up to 14% DM. In other words, significantly drier than is possible with only purging with 8 - 10 % DM. It also helps to avoid beer losses due Hops Can Be Removed Anytime Without Exposure to Oxygen to channeling of beer through the sludge that accumulates at loading time and avoid the substantial cost the bottom of the fermenter cone, also of additional tanks. known as break-through.

By combining a dynamic pellet dissolving This type of sieve system reliably removes and dosing system with an enclosed sieve hop particles larger than 100 µm from the as described above, aroma extraction for beer and thus also protects downstream dry hopping can take place as an extercentrifuges and beer filters. nal process in 4 - 10 hours. 85% of the hop particles remain outside the tank and beer By circulating the contents of the tank over losses are significantly reduced. No oxythe sieve, the hops can also be separated gen can come in contact with the beer. No in a few hours independently of sedimenone has to climb ladders and put themtation. This can significantly reduce tank selves at risk.

WINTER 2022

|

47

Separated Hop Particles with up to 14% Dry Matter Content

All can be done safely from the ground. For those brewers making hazy or cloudy beers such as New England IPA or hefeweizen, yeast particles pass through retaining the intended character and appearance of the beer.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY - SETTING NEW STANDARDS IN DRY HOPPING Even more efficient dry hopping for large production volumes is also possible. With the following technology pellet amounts up to 5.000 kg (11.000 lbs) and tank volumes of 6.000 hl (5.000 bbl) can be processed.

The external dry hopping process takes place in a bypass outside the tank in 3 process steps: 1. dissolving the pellets in beer 2. extraction of the aroma substances 3. separation of the hop solids In the pellet dissolving tank, the pellets are dissolved by a special agitator within 30 - 60 min and a concentrated hop suspension is produced. This is supersaturated and a large proportion of the aroma sub-

stances are not yet dissolved in the beer due to saturation effects.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AT THE END - BEER QUALITY

In the aroma booster, the suspension is diluted with beer and after a certain resistance time a new ideal extraction equilibrium is established so that no valuable hop aromas are lost. The hop solids are then separated in a decanter and separated from the aroma-enriched beer.

Quality external dry hopping systems operate under CO2 atmosphere, so besides operator safety, plant efficiency and flavor match due to low oxygen operation, highest stability and quality of the beers are given. The quality of the final beer is the priority for all systems - no matter if designed for 50 lbs or 10,000 lbs pellets.

ROI CONSIDERATIONS With such an external dry hopping system, payback times of less than 2 years are possible from a production volume of 75,000 bbl/y due to: 1. beer losses due to hops can be reduced by up to 96%.

2. hop savings of 25 - 40% to static dry hopping 3. reduction of organic wastewater load, dry hop discharge 4. tank loading times are significantly shorter, process time of only 4 - 8 hours 5. saving of manual work due to fully automatic operation

High Volume Dry Hopping & Separation With a Decanter

48

|

WINTER 2022

External Dry Hopping System with Decanter (3500 kg Pellets)

ABOUT BANKE GMBH Founded in 2006 by Friedrich (Fritz) Banke as BANKE process solutions as a supplier of technology components and engineering for breweries. Projects have been realized with over 200 customers worldwide. In North America, banke technologies are strongly represented by the former partnership with the German BrauKon GmbH. With the multiple patented banke process components, all brewing processes from brewhouse to bright beer tank cellar can be optimized, in almost any plant size.

Up To 99% Hop Particle Separation with a Decanter

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

ADVERTORIAL

STERILE FILTRATION

INTRODUCING A SIMPLE, COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR END PRODUCT.

by Peter Gray President of Air Solutions Canada Inc.

A

ll brewers use compressed air in a variety of processes, (i.e., direct injection, tank blanketing/purging, bottling, kegging or canning, and product movement). In each of those processes, compressed air comes into direct contact with the product.

Although most of these applications require the air to meet the ISO 8573.1 quality standard, the removal of bacteria is often overlooked, despite the fact that this extra level of filtration is readily available and easy to procure, install, and achieve.

When you consider that sterilized compressed air can increase shelf life, reduce product spoilage, increase the quality and integrity of the end product, and significantly reduce the risk of recalls, it’s worth taking a closer look at the options. The fact is that each of the brewing, beverage and distillery industries stand to benefit, significantly, from the supply of sterile compressed air.

50

|

WINTER 2022

BEST PRACTICES FOR BREWERS STERILE FILTRATION ELEVATES YOUR COMPRESSED AIR QUALITY At Air Solutions Canada, based in Dundas Ontario, we’re proud to represent Ultrafilter’s line of filtration housings and elements across Canada.

Ultrafilter’s P-SRF sterile filter assembly is made up of two components: housings and elements.

1. The P-EG Ultrafilter Housing

Ultrafilter is one of the most innovative manufacturers of high-performance filters and treatment components for compressed air, technical gases and liquids.

In most production facilities, a standard twostage compressed air filter system (with a pre and after filter installed on either side of an air dryer) is used to produce a nominal particulate retention of 0.1 micron and oil carryover of 0.01 ppm. But point-of-use applications are best protected when the sterile filter assembly is placed as close as possible to where the direct compressed air contacts the product or packaging.

The addition of an ultrafilter sterile filter assembly elevates the compressed air quality to an absolute retention rate of 99.99998 % related to 0.2 micron. This eradicates bacteria and microorganism contamination from the downstream compressed air flow.

In most factories we visit, this means that all they require is the installation of a single high quality sterile filter assembly.

THE ULTRAFILTER P-SRF STERILE FILTER ASSEMBLY

The P-EG Ultrafilter housing is constructed of stainless steel, with 304 and 316L SS being the most common off-the-shelf offering. Special order/custom options are also available, such as electropolished surface finishes, and all manner of inlet and outlet connection options.

2. P-SRF Ultrafilter Elements The P-SRF Ultrafilter elements are FDA and EC validated and shipped in a sealed and sterile package ensuring that they are ready to use, with guaranteed filtration integrity. Because Ultrafilter elements are biologically and chemically inert, there is zero breeding ground for bacteria or separated microorganisms to reproduce. All Ultrafilter sterile elements are 100-per-cent guaranteed and non shedding.

EXTENDING THE LIFE OF YOUR STERILE FILTERS Extended product shelf life and the peace of mind that Ultrafilter sterile filtration provides to an end user are further enhanced

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

by the fact that all Ultrafilter sterile filter elements can be regenerated between 100 and 200 times, depending on the type of element purchased.

Ultrafilter sterile filters can be sterilized in place (SIP) using steam (the process is outlined below). Alternatively, if steam is not available, the element can be removed from its housing and externally sterilized by autoclave. By keeping a spare filter element on hand, the elements can be rotated between the autoclave and the housing, so production can continue without delays.

A sterile filter should be sterilized after every production run, or at least after 14 days of use. The steam sterilization temperature must be between 110°C and 140°C with the sterilization times being between 10 and 30 minutes, subject to steam temperature.

Step 1.

Close Valve 1 to isolate the sterile housing and element.

Saturated steam 121° C - 30 minutes Saturated steam 131° C - 20 minutes Saturated steam 141° C - 10 minutes

Step 2.

Open Valve 2 (drain valve) to exhaust compressed air pressure.

Step 5.

Close Valve 3 when the sterilization time has passed. Then partially open Valve 1 to introduce compressed air into the housing and purge any residual steam condensate out of Valve 2.

Finally, close Valve 2 and slowly open Valves 1 and 4 fully.

Step 3.

Open Valve 3 to allow steam to flow into the sterile filter housing.

Step 4.

With Valve 2 remaining open, after reaching a temperature of 100°C, the steam begins to condense. Allow the steam pressure to increase to the desired sterilization temperature.

For further information, please contact us!

The actual sterilization process begins after reaching the required steam temperature using the following temperature and timeline ratios:

Air Solutions Canada Inc. 905 628 2662 ultrafilter.ca airsolcan.com

While sterilizing your filters helps to reduce costs and waste, depending on the quality assurance standards you wish to achieve in your industry, you may also choose to replace your filters with new ones every 14 production days.

EASY STEPS TO STERILIZE A P-SRF STERILE FILTER ELEMENT The sterilization process is simple and highly effective, and Ultrafilter offers a full range of clean steam and sanitary steam housings and elements, all of which are available for purchase through Air Solutions Canada Inc. our online store makes filter purchasing very simplistic. Need assistance? No problem at all, we are here to help and would be happy to jump on a call or visit your facility to review your application(s), and pain points.

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

51

THE

MAGAZINE

FOR

THE

HOMEBREWING

ENTHUSIAST

HOMEBREWING The sector, reimagined

WINTER 2022

CONTENTS

58

Homebrewer Focus It’s our very special privilege in this edition to be featuring Marie-Annick Scott. She hails from Edmonton, Alberta with an absolute treasure trove of tips, knowledge, and experience to share with us. Marie-Annick is a competition-winning homebrewer who loves to keep up on the latest trends and science that keep the creation of our favourite beverages innovative and evolving. She also serves as the Educational Director for the Edmonton Homebrewers Guild.

64

Brew Sheets Marie-Annick Scott has graciously provided us with two spectacular recipes for our brewing pleasure. First up is her “Hipster Brown’s Retro Ale” an English Brown Ale that’s as easy to brew as it is to drink. It’s a malt-forward marvel that features what she dubs as the greatest biscuit malt in the world!

And if you’re feeling more adventurous and up for a challenge then look no further than her “Fimbulvetr” Eisbock. Put your big brewer pants on for this triple-decocted monster of a brew! If you can pull it off it will be well worth all the effort!

66

Gadget Corner Our good friend Paddy returns to the Homebrew Journal once again for Gadget Corner. In this edition we take you on the journey of a Homebrewer and the collab with Pro brewers Asa and Colton from Brothers Brewing in Guelph, Ontario. We asked each of them to share their experiences in the design and creation of “Ankle Shake” Belgian Tripel - a beer that sure turned heads!

70

From Jane’s To Joe’s To All Out Pros Coming to us from Guelph Ontario and one of Canada’s oldest independently owned craft breweries, we are delighted to showcase Homebrewer-turned-Pro Jeff Wilson! Now the Head Brewer at award winning Wellington Brewery, Jeff shares highlights from his first all grain brew to working his way into the industry and what’s next.

BREWDAY TIPS

BREAKFAST BEERCAKES

WHO LIKES PANCAKES? WHAT ABOUT BEER PANCAKES? If so, here is a breakfast recipe you won’t want to miss!

This recipe will go great with a light lager and will make pancakes that are like little fluffy cakes and will go great with maple syrup and fruit.

brewersjournal.ca

69

WHAT’S BREWING IN 2022

H

appy New Year to all the brewers out there!

We have all made it another year during these times of ebbs and flows. While some of us may have homebrewed more, some less, some getting started and some taking a break we are all part of this great homebrewing community!

During 2021, the Homebrew Journal took a journey across Canada to ask a variety of homebrewers like you to share experiences and recipes for us all to try. We even had the opportunity to explore cider too! From Gadget Corner, to interviewing homebrewers and pros that started as homebrewers, to educational and inspirational articles and recipe ideas, we have worked to provide a variety of information, resources, and perspectives within our homebrew community.

For 2022, we are looking to continue on our mission to provide great content while also reaching out to even more of you to really grow the Homebrew Journal community and continue to build a welcoming place where we can all share our questions, tips & tricks, gadgets, recipes, and more! :D

We want to hear from you!

Fellow homebrewers (all brewing types welcome), we are inviting you to reach out to us by emailing Sheena at knwl.on.tap@ gmail.com to play an active role in shaping our homebrew community.

We want to provide opportunities for the community to help continue to build something great together.

We have also created a Survey for you to give us feedback on the Homebrew Journal and what you would like to see from us this year. Use the QR code below to access the survey.

Thank you all for helping to support us and other fellow homebrewers! We are excited to create a brewtastic 2022 with you all!

Happy Brewing Everyone!

Cheers!

WINTER 2022

|

57

HOMEBREWER FOCUS

THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE THIS YEAR, WE’RE STARTING THE NEW YEAR WITH A BANG!

A MULTI-TALENTED, ‘WHAT CAN’T SHE DO?’ KIND OF WOMAN WHO HAS SPENT YEARS LEARNING AND ACCRUING KNOWLEDGE, AND PERFECTING HER CRAFT, ALL WHILE HUMBLY TEACHING AND INSPIRING BREWERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. I GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE MESMERISED

BY THE WEALTH AND CALIBRE OF KNOWLEDGE THIS HOMEBREWER HAS. SHE WILL LEAVE YOU FEELING THAT MUCH SMARTER AND EMPOWERED.

58

|

WINTER 2022

S

he may not know it, but she is one of my beer superheros!

I hope to one day share her depth and breadth of knowledge of our favourite craft beverage as well as have the same kind of positive impact on the brewing community that she continues to deliver out of her own passion. I am thrilled to be introducing you all to Marie-Annick Scott! Whether you are watching one of her presentations, attending a workshop, talking all about beer in the Edmonton Homebrewers Guild, following her on IG, or enjoying a brew together, I’m positive that you will be as blown away as I am!

Marie-Annick Scott o Instagram: @YEGbierfrau o Edmonton, Alberta o Education Director of Edmonton Homebrewers Guild

o Homebrewing for 10+ years o Brews beer, cider, mead, and wine The Quest to Create I’ve been homebrewing in some shape or form for over a decade. I made wine for years, buying fresh grape must from the Italians every year, but it was far too easy.

Sure bottling day was a chore and you can busy yourself every now and then measuring pH and whatnot, but by and large, you can make excellent quality wine by leaving it alone for a year, which doesn’t make for a very exciting hobby.

Most people - in this area of Canada at least - will take a glass of beer rather than wine when offered. That is when I picked up beer making with my father-in-law’s old equipment, which included an expired can of Black Rock malt extract. I still have it sitting on the shelf.

I’ve made beer for two funerals now, based on what those who passed liked.

It seems morbid, but there’s also something ethereal about it. Circling back, beer and making it is a human activity. Beer and bread are the beginnings of civilization and it’s just this touching way of reconnecting a life to that experience. I’ve also made beer for several friends’ weddings too, but those don’t quite put you in the same reflective mood.

I just like to do things. I guess I came out of that 70’s homesteader ethos where making things and being good at making things and then teaching other people how to be good at making things came about. It tends to show up and fade away every couple of decades or so. I had a friend comment that my house was a medieval cottage because at the time I had a brew on the go, the anvil was ringing, I had half a wool sweater knit and there was bread in the oven. Making stuff just seems like a very human thing. I say that, of course, fully realising that I have the privilege of being able to afford the time and space to make things. There are still huge barriers to a lot of people who would like to get into the hobby and just can’t because of time and space.

Building Up a Brewhouse I started with a rolling pin, a mesh bag and an Igloo cooler. I foolishly tried to make a Wee Heavy with it and somehow won my first competition with it. I suspect it had more to do with the lack of entries into the Scottish Ales category than the actual quality of the beer.

Today, my Brewhouse is mostly electric. I made myself a 220v panel and ran a cord to the dryer outlet. I waited until my wife wasn’t home and then phoned a friend with instructions to call an ambulance if I turned it on and the line went

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

IF YOU CAN FORGE AND WELD, YOUR IMAGINATION IS PRETTY MUCH THE LIMIT TO HOW YOU WANT TO SET UP YOUR BREWHOUSE brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

59

HOMEBREWER FOCUS

dead. As you can see, I didn’t die, but I did manage to continue making beer.

Electric is great for the vast majority of your beers, but you do need to be careful when you’re making anything with a high protein load. Scorching becomes a huge risk. I still have a propane burner for those beers, as well as for decoctions - which I love doing. A lot of new brewers are moving directly from brew-in-abag to those auto-brew systems, which is fantastic as it makes the whole thing a lot more accessible considering time and space limitations.

My cellar has a couple of stainless conicals, one of which I use for lagers and the other for ales. The lager conical has a chiller coil that routes to a glycol tank stored in the keezer nearby. I’ve also got a coolship that I only use in the spring when doing my annual kveik-style sour, as well as a few oak barrels. Most are for sours, but one is for kellerbiers. I’ve also got a bunch of stainless casks and a beer engine that I’ll hook up in the spring when the cellar is a little warmer and I can pull a proper British pint.

I also really like proper Pilsners! This led to me purchasing a Lukr side pull tap that I managed to fit onto a North American beer tower. It’s not particularly common here and not many people know how to use them.

As I’ve been brewing so long I’ve got everything I need and if I were to add anything else, it would have to be commercial quality and ridiculously big/expensive. For example, homebrew mills are universally terrible, but to make them un-terrible would put them out of reach for most people. Because homebrew mills compensate for the lack of roller size by using knurls rather than flutes.

This shreds the hulls to a degree no commercial brewer would accept no matter how slowly you crush.

Teaching and Paving the Way for Others I retired from competitions last year. It seemed like over the last few circuits, the same handful of people kept ending up at the top of the lists and it seemed kind of wrong to keep doing that. I’ve got my wall of medals and chasing after more

60

|

WINTER 2022

won’t make me a better brewer, but it might discourage newer brewers who might enter competitions.

One piece of advice for competitions: packaging is really the last frontier for both homebrewer and commercial brewer alike. The amount of time, research and money spent on the post fermentation side of the business dwarfs the rest of it. Anyone can make an amazing beer, but delivering one takes knowledge and skill and that’s really what competitions boil down to. I know a few brewers whose method of getting around that was to brew fresh all of their beers two weeks before each part of the circuit so they’d be carbed and ready just in time.

I know others who have purging stations and counterpressure guns and canning equipment. The reality is that beer is an organic product and short of filtering out all oxidiseable protein and polyphenols (which is something you can actually do with enough space and money) you’ll get 3 months tops on most beer you brew. And even with all that, there are some malts that, because of the drying process, will degrade into weird aldehydes without oxygen.

Another thing I’ve learned along the way is that Charlie Papazian is right about everything. On the one hand, it’s this amazing thread that goes through civilization that connects people to each other, but on the other hand, it’s just beer. When I did my D. Brew through the IBD, you could get so caught up in the science and how fascinating and intricate everything was, as well as how many different ways you can mess something up, but if you’re stressing out about every brew then you’re doing it wrong. Also, be willing to dump batches or stop if you mess something up. You don’t actually have to finish that keg if you don’t want to and no one you know wants to either. And get a cat who waits for you on the bar while you brew. They keep the mice to a minimum.

Like a lot of homebrewers, and a lot of hobbyists in general, a lot of time is spent separating wheat from chaff. There is so much information out there that is just lacking context and doesn’t apply to your situation, but homebrewers will repeat it ad nauseam because it fits with the way they want things to work. It’s why I took formal brewing education and I’d encourage anyone with the time and resources to do so as well.

Sourcing Great Ingredients is Just as Important as Their Application I do most of my shopping at Winning Wines Plus here in Edmonton, but for some of the cask-related stuff I’ve had to go to the commercial side. I’ve paid way more in shipping and duties than I probably should have just to get my hands on some of the more exotic stuff!

I am a fan of Scott Janish’s “The New IPA” and the research has already started moving past that. He talks about thiols and yeast strains that use thiol precursors, but some of the new stuff coming out has us looking deeper at some of those precursors and where to find them. Mash hopping finally has a use because enzymes in the saccharification zone can create thiol precursors that, in turn, can lead to some really revolutionary flavours! I recently made a pale ale with just Cascade that tasted nothing like Cascade by the time it was done. It was all cranberry, blueberry, white wine, and gooseberry. Keep an eye on it because hopping is going to change for good!

Sheena’s Final Thoughts: Marie-Annick is one that inspires the continued pursuit of knowledge through her enthusiastic passion and wisdom of the craft. I totally went down a rabbit hole on a few topics she has covered here. For instance, I now want to try my hand at the different traditional pours of the Lukr side pull tap and experience what the dense ‘wet foam’ contributes to the overall experience of the beer!

While this was small a sampling of the vast knowledge and experiential learning that Marie-Annick has embarked on for over a decade, I encourage you follow her on Instagram and check out her blog called “A Cranky Old Woman With A Beer Blog” at yegbierfrau.ca. She covers topics like mash profiles, yeast banking, hop utilisation, techniques like decoction mashes and so much more. If you are looking for inspiration with your brewing this year then look no further as you will find plenty of sparks to get you started.

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

LAB CORNER. NONE OF THIS IS NECESSARY, BUT IF YOU WANT TO DIVE DEEP INTO TWEAKING THINGS, YOU CAN’T CHANGE WHAT YOU CAN’T MEASURE.

LIGHT

MICROSCOPE,

HAEMO-

CYTOMETER, DO METER, PH METER, AND TORCH FOR STERILISING EQUIPMENT WHEN CREATING CULTURES. THERE’S A YEAST BANK HOW-TO SOMEWHERE ON MY BLOG YEGBIERFRAU.CA

BREWCA T SUPER VISES F ROM TH E BAR MOST B REW DA YS brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

61

Fimbulvetr Eisbock

ATION

RECIPE INFORM

. . .

F L E S R U O Y M E H T Y TR

GALLONS BATCH SIZE: 6 OG: 1.088 SG concentration) 3 after freeze 03 (1.

SG 16 1.0 FG: IBU: 21.5 SRM: 20 16.8% POST ABV: 9.6% PRE,

GRAIN BILL: O

O

O

O

R MALTED ERMANN’S FLOO EY W ) KG 8 .9 (4 11 LBS NER BOHEMIAN PILS DARK ) BEST MUNICH 6 LBS (2.72 KG CARAMUNICH II WEYERMANN’S 2 LBS (0.9 KG) L W IF YOU MANN’S SPECIA ER EY W ) KG 3 .2 B 8 OZ (0 ELGES SPECIAL TIERS FRANCO-B .

CAN FIND IT, MAL TOUCH DARKER T IT WILL BE A WILL WORK, BU

LE:

MASH SCHEDU

n Triple Decoctio O 30 minutes 2OF (50 C) for 12 st Protein Re 4OC) for 15 n rest 148OF (6 Saccharificatio minutes O r 15 minutes 154OF (68 C) fo st re n io ct ifa Liqu utes O (75O C) for 10 min Mash out 168 F

E:

BOIL SCHEDUL

boil min: 90 minute Magnum at 60 min: 0.5 oz (14g) Perle at 30 min: 0.5 oz (14g) r 15 minutes at whirlpool fo 1 oz (28g) Perle

:

FERMENTATION

er 34/70, 46g+

[yeast] SafLag

dried

NOTES

have issues with , you’re going to th wi t ar st to big beer you’re going to cause this is a house number, Be ew h. br as % m 72 e e th th ly important to get to Let’s start with right. In order but it’s especial ), ng hi kg yt L/ er :1 ev .48 (0 do ss you qts:lbs efficiency unle ally, using a 1:1 to do that norm er ef pr I k. ic th to sparge. need to mash have any room t n’ wo y pl m si rest or you in. The protein with this brew before mashing re tu ra pe m te r tic rike wate ly diasta if ntial to be high warmed up to st te is po n e tu th h s as ha m h your alt that to power throug Make sure that less modified m zymes you need en e we’re using a e us th ca u be yo t ve an gi rt alt will is super impo am stand. rest with this m a reasonable fo ing the protein Do rm . fo ht to rig it on t r ein late you trea ng enough prot as well as havi For the first the decoctions around 6qts/L is rd 1/3 , er be the For this portant part is and decoct it. er, take a third boil. The most im e ov th is to st re on n e ei fie ov O are liqui d d then m Once the prot boil, the sugars 154OF (67 C) an a at at es is ut n in io m rt 15 po ed for Add Once the decoct decoction, stop vour you want. ll start to stick. on how much fla wi g in it e nd er pe wh de , is es h ve 0 minut you ha warm up whic O r between 10-2 O . IF IT DOESN’T to 148 F (64 C) intensive. Boil fo up ur re bo ts to tu la ra ss le pe s m and it’ h tun until it ge ise your te the entire mas at which should ra he n, to tu h pt as m m te e h is not gently . You can at it back to th d since the mas on your system en g m in m nd co pe re t de n’ s ce the ough I do a couple of choi n. I recommend RIMS/HERMS, th k mini-decoctio ic e if you have a qu a do d an O (64O C), recirculat tu tempera res. the mash 148 F move some of e to reach your re ov m or re k, ic to st ed y el ed ll lik u ne prehandled and wi of how much yo ep in mind that ll be needed. Ke e a mental note wi ak n m tio en ta th en d an rim ig mes, we hts some expe third option which was volu is different, so d, t ul en co nm ey ro th vi at en d ings th Every system an ring the only th involved measu ys wa al g in ew industrial br was boiling. not something and whether or

Hoo boy.

62

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

Allow the saccharif

ication to take pla

Allow the liquifactio

n to take place fo

ce for 15 minutes an

temperatures.

r 15 minutes and de

d decoct again.

coct again, this tim

e enough to hit ma

sh out

At this point you’v e basically done ev erything you’re no t supposed to with lauter properly be cause you’ve boile the mash. It’s likely d the bejeezus out in no condition to of it; there’s beta slow and the runn glucans everywhere ings will be cloudy.

That’s to be expect an d the lauter will be compacting the be ed. You can vorlauf d further. There’s , bu t do so ex ce edingly slowly to av simply very little ce oid from blinding the llulose and hemi-c drain. The flipside ellulose structure is that I tend to en left to keep the gr d up with a pre-bo get any other way. ain il runoff of +30OP which you simply wo n’t Fermentation requ

ires a large amount

of yeast. I won’t ta ke up more space than I already have th is beer, but I won’t talking about the likely won’t get a su , so jus t pit ch a lot. I recommend dr fficient quantity of y yeast because yo healthy yeast unles agitator and cont u s you’ve got a seale inuous O2 supply. (I d 20L stainless st do , bu eel brink with an t it was one of thos have). e projects that co st more to build th an it should yeast variables th

at could occur with

I also ferment using

a live lagering tech nique, which attemp ts to mimic the old beers that they re er German method fuse to export. Beca and is still used added to an old 50 us e this is going to be L Labatt’s keg alo fre ez e dis til led ng with more yeas , 1/4 of the wort is into the conical fe t than I’d regularly rmenter. Conical ge pitch for that volum ts e. The rest goes fe rm ented at 10OC while elevated temperat Keg gets fermente ure plus the elevate O d at 15 C for one week. The d pitch rate allows residual diacetyl th for a quick fermen an you’d normally tation with fewer es ge t ters and lower wi th those temperatur it’s detrimental fo es. For the record, r the yeast crop, bu br ew er ies don’t do this beca t since we don’t ca after a 1.088 SG fe use re about that (and rmentation) no sensible brewer y is reusing yeast in their unfiltered

After week 1, we fli p. Conical goes to O 15 C for it’s diacety added to Keg and l rest and Keg goes it all sits at 4OC fo to 4OC. After week r a month. This allow 2, Conical gets with less oxidation. s natural carbonat We’re not going to ion and a much cle ge aner end result t th er e with this beer ho month of clean up wever because we , it gets moved outs st ill ne ed to freeze it. After ide at -30 overnig but this way leads the ht. (This is absolut to less oxidation iss ely not how this wa s done in the past ue s.)

In the morning, I bring dryer to the spear) , the keg inside, (so and I transfer it to metimes I have to a fre sh , ta pu ke rg ed a hair mini keg. I’ll usually and ABV numbers come from. get 3 gallons, which is where the FG

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

63

Retro s ’ n w o r B r e t s Hip Ale English Brown

ATION

RECIPE INFORM

ONS

. . .

F L E S R U O Y M E H T Y TR

GALL BATCH SIZE: 6 OG: 1.050 SG FG: 1.017 SG IBU: 24.2 SRM: 20 ABV: 4.3 %

GRAIN BILL:

MARIS OTTER AS FAWCETT’S O 7 LBS THOM BROWN MALT AS FAWCETT’S OM TH S LB 1 O CRYSTAL II AS FAWCETT’S O 1 LBS THOM ALT ED’S BISCUIT M O 1 LBS RED SH TAL I FAWCETT’S CRYS O 8 OZ THOMAS CHOCOLATE FAWCETT’S PALE AS OM TH OZ 8 O

Ale LE:

MASH SCHEDU

: Mash Schedule body medium to full , on si Single Infu O O 4OF/68 C) (152OF/67 C - 15

E: BOIL SCHEDUL Northern Brewer

z (28g) min: 60 FWH 1o st Kent utes 1oz (28g) Ea Whirlpool 15 min les Golding or Fugg

: FERMENTATION ESB (2L starter at [yeast] Wyeast 1.050)

London

a lot of hing. I’ve tried lection is everyt se r te ’s ts al m d e malt an pplier. Red Shed yles, is one wher my preferred su st as t sh iti et Br wc Fa of t Thomas able) flak This, like a lo coming back to t a lot of (justifi ge ep ke ay d m a an rt pe be ci Al is re ness. we variations of th best in the busi ent. As a result, t of the contin ne, the absolute os no m r s ba lie is pp r, su ve uced here ly craft and biscuit, howe panies to supp t the malt prod m bu co y, t tr al un m t co e en th depend from the rest of have started in te people who na io ss pa r pe bl to the ta e. have some su rious expertise se e m so ng gi brin it the home brewers, ggest a “leave is is where I’d su th , ct , fa In . te grist hydrated the opposi added and your e mash is just is th r , te ex pl wa m e co rik s em , your st ating If the recipe se n is warmed up ep the recircul systems who ke ce your mash tu On ew . br ch ed oa at pr m ap for th auto hell alone” there’s no use lot of people wi s. I’d argue that lk away. I see a er wa be d uf. of an s er pe ty tim e set a end for the vorla with thes tial or near the rst thing to do en wo er e ff th di is re h tu ic tempera pump on wh ere’s a massive stem unless th sy n io at ul rc ci a re n n had it right. mpact the grai Charlie Papazia e you didn’t co us ca be r ea cl l n’t be crysta y that EKG does e lauter should d, though I’ll sa e hell alone, th ar th rw it fo ft ht le ig u ra yo oice. boil is st Assuming le is a safer ch constantly. The aled EKG, Fugg ing or stirring se at d ul an rc ci d re pe by am bed n’t find time-st er at well. If you ca to pitch a high actually keep th th this yeast is wi ce vi ad ly on ten do well. My e out and can of ement this beer ves to flocculat s esters compl lo B’ t ES as er ye on is nd Th th .

Lo sturbing e be ry profile Wyeast’s uld for an este place without di wo er ly rm al wa rm a no to u yo move it quantity than that happens, en’t careful. If ar u yo if y el ur so premat it. rbonation or you’ll oxidise ping up the ca m Ra n. tio op g servin le carb or cask ture the malt is m for a low bott though, is by na ai u ns yo ow if br t tic ou as ab thing This beer is fant ervice to it. The does a real diss ld co o quickly. to it g or keepin warm, flat and ful, so serve it aw is n ow br d unstable. An ol

NOTES

64

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

PADDY’S PRO BREWER ADVENTURE IT TAKES US THROUGH THE SHARED EXPERIENCES OF HOMEBREWER AND PRO DURING THE CREATION OF A COLLAB BREW CALLED “ANKLE SHAKE,” A WONDERFUL BELGIAN TRIPEL THAT I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY.

T

he dream of creating and brewing with the Pros is one that many Homebrewers dream about while working away on perfecting our craft. We research, learn, optimise, experiment, make mistakes, and share. This is a constant - like a record in constant motion on the player with scratches and divots from the journey that we Homebrewers embark on. This joyful pastime is one that can be taken as far as we would like it to go while exploring multiple directions along the way.

The path travelled for Paddy, is one that landed him in the brewhouse, on tap, and in the bottle shop of Brothers Brewing, in Guelph, Ontario run by real-life brothers Asa and Colton. Today we have a unique glimpse into this collaboration brew!

The Pro Perspective - Brothers Brewing FIrst off, Please Introduce Yourselves and Your Brewery Brothers Brewing Company is an art and experience focused beer brand that we

founded [twin brothers Asa and Colton Proveau]. We find purpose in using the medium of beer and the social experience of beer consumption to create and inspire.

GADGET CORNER

THIS IS A SPECIAL EDITION OF GADGET CORNER!

Designed to facilitate genuine social experiences, we strive to offer unique beer as well as unique activities and entertainment.

Brothers is a brewery, a bar, a bottle shop, and a community hub. With 12 taps of housebrewed craft beer, weekly community workshops, food pop-ups, local bands, board games, sketchbooks, a ‘someone bought you a pint’ wall, and a coaster sketching Hall of Fame, staying for a pint or two is bound to get your creative juices flowing.

What are your Homebrewing Roots?

We started home brewing when we were in high school. Our father was an avid wine maker so we were introduced to the concept early on. With some borrowed demijohns and 2L swing top Grolsch bottles we made some liquid reminiscent of beer. We started with your classic Coopers Amber Malt extract kit, moved to partial grain bag mashing, stepped up to a cooler mash tun until we finally invested into building an electric keggle system.

We would later grow that same system to a 200L nano system for initial commercial production. Now it serves as our R&D playground where we get to brew exciting one-offs with rad homebrewers like this one! Full circle!

What Facilitated the Move From Homebrewing to Pro Brewing?

Our interest in making beer happened to coincide with the time in every adolescent’s life when they must decide what they want to do with the rest of theirs.

After doing a school entrepreneurship project together on the brewing industry, we quickly decided craft beer offered the promise of a rewarding and creative outlet. Coincidentally, Niagara College debuted their Brewmaster and Brewery Management Program that same year. We decided to divide and conquer so Asa enrolled in the Brewing Program and Colton into a Business Degree.

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

65

What Does Brother’s Relationship With the Local Homebrewers Look Like These Days?

We have a lot of customers who were homebrewers or have since picked up the hobby. The great thing about tap rooms is they are such a social space. You meet like-minded people, chat over trying new beers, next thing you know you are brewing beer in each others’ backyards. It’s a beautiful thing. Our goal as a company is to inspire people to be creative, not just with beer but I would love to think we have passed the brewing spark onto others.

Has the COVID Pandemic Had Any Impact On This?

Interactions with customers and amongst customers has obviously been reduced.

Being a social space when socialising is less than encouraged has been tough.

At its peak, our interactions were limited to dropping deliveries on people’s doorsteps and running away. However, I did see a homebrew vessel or two beside a few people’s garages so perhaps there have been even more converts.

What Inspired the Collab With a Local Homebrewer?

The feeling of having people try your homebrew is a big part of the hobby. From bot-

tle shares to giving it to family and friends, it’s not just for personal consumption because you like the way your beer tastes. You want people to try it. Most homebrewers suffer from having too much beer because they always want to move on to brewing different things.

Having been a homebrewer I know the feeling. Collaborating with a homebrewer, enabling them to share what they have made with complete strangers, reinvigorates the joys we have as commercial brewers to get that same feeling without having to collect or ask for your swing top bottles back. Plus we love Paddy; he’s a gem!

The Paddy Perspective - Brew4.0 Goes Pro How Did Collaborating With a Homebrewer Differ From Working With a Pro Brewer?

I would say the only notable difference, a pro brewer has access to bulk purchased ingredients from a commercial supplier, Paddy showed up arms full of honey he cleared out from his local grocery store. The passion, research and investigation comes from the same spark that drives brewers of all sizes. Mixing two brewers’ experiences whether big or small is a sure way to brew up something with twice the amount of excitement and anticipation.

The clink and cheers of the first pints from a successful collab are always the most quenching.

What Was it Like to Collab With Brothers Brewing Company?

It was a real treat. I have met and b e c o m e friendly with a lot of Brewers through years of working on the equipment side of the industry but hanging with Asa and Colton has always felt super easy. They

66

|

WINTER 2022

are just smart, funny, and chill yet de- c e p tively driven and hard working fellas. I always learn something and we have a good laugh when we get together so doing my first “real” beer with them was special.

What was it Like to Brew on a Professional System?

Because this was our first shot at this recipe, and Belgian Golden Strongs with Brett and Honey are not necessarily door crashers, we brewed on their 3 hL pilot system. It was neat learning and using a different control system than my own RasberryPi driven one and helping with things like purging the lines and fermenter (read: watched Justin perform said tasks) pre-transfer which are things I do not currently do at home. Graining out was as fun as you’d expect.

Was there any Difference in Collaborating with Pros Vs Homebrewers in the Design Process?

Not really other than skill level. The same passion and respect was there. The real difference is that Pros can connect desired outcomes with recipe makeup off the top of their heads without having to get on the Google machine as much as Homebrewers. When Homebrewers brainstorm on a beer it’s 50% “Here is what we should do!” and 50% “I’ll look that up and message you tomorrow.” Asa had half a vision already baked up when he asked me if I was interested in working on it with him. We went back and forth for a while on what attributes we wanted the beer to have and then refined the recipe around our wants. I really dig Bret and Asa’s idea to add the Honey as it gave the beer a really nice subtle softness. Our original plan was to barrel age it

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

brewersjournal.ca

WINTER 2022

|

67

in a white wine barrel but I wasn’t able to come through on that. Hopefully, I can find them for the next batch.

What was the Label Design process like?

Asa is a very creative and skilled artist. He turned a moderately funny/self-deprecating story about my nerves leading up to my first pro collab and how I was using them to playfully annoy a mutual friend of ours into a really cool concept and design that has a semi-relevant connection to today’s mask wearing, sanitizer slathering, “don’t touch that” COVID world. I honestly don’t think the label could have come out any better and it was a very cool experience watching Asa’s creative process.

What Was it Like to See Your Collab on Tap? To see Ankle Shake on the tap list in Brothers Tap Room, seeing the Brew4.0 logo on the label and, most of all, having friends come out to try the beer with us and enjoy it the afternoon we released it was a great feeling. Hearing patrons come in and order it was especially trippy for me. It was a really unique experience/accomplishment for me as a fan of the local Craft and Homebrewing Communities.

What Does Supporting Local Craft Brewers Mean to You? I believe “connection” and “convenience” factor into most purchasing decisions. As a Homebrewer I’ve found local craft brewers very open to connecting over social media, in their tap room, or at local events.

If I can put a face to the name and hear or feel their hustle and passion I am going to give them my hard earned money 10 times outta 10 - even if it’s a little less convenient!

The quality of the product and the emotional fulfilment from doing business with people that really appreciate your business is very rewarding and leads to a stronger sense of community.

Sheena’s Final Thoughts: The beautiful collaboration of a Homebrewer and Pro resulted in a great experience for everyone involved. Ankle Shake, while now sold out, led to fond memories made, glasses cheered, and experiences shared. These experiences brought smiles and joy (something we could all use more of) to many in the community hub nestled within the walls of Brothers Brewing.

68

|

WINTER 2022

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA

BREAKFAST BEERCAKES

by Sheena Strauss @knowledge.on.tap

MAKES ABOUT 8 PANCAKES

Step 4:

It’s Pancake cooking time: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (can use a little neutral oil if needed). Using an oiled ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop pancake batter and pour batter into the skillet.

These pancakes will cook differently than your typical pancakes, you will not see very many air

bubble pops (if any) come to the surface to indicate when to flip. You can easily peek to see when it is nice and golden on the bottom and ready to flip. Depending on your stove and pan it may take about 2-4 minutes on each side.

Serve warm with your favorite pancake toppings and the remainder of your beer as it will pair perfectly. ;)

Ingredients: Dry:

o 1 tsp baking powder o ½ tsp salt

Wet:

o 1 egg o 1 cup light beer o 2 Tbsp neutral oil (a light lager is o ½ tsp vanilla ex- a great choice here) tract

Plant-Based Tip: To make these 100% plant-based, replace the egg with an egg alternative. Used Just Egg Liquid and it turned out great and highly recommend it! There are a few other liquid plant-based egg alternatives on the market now too that would work here as well.

1 egg = 3 Tbsp of Just Egg/similar product

Instructions: Step 1: Dry Ingredients - In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Step 2: Wet Ingredients - In a separate medium bowl beat egg with fork and stir together with oil, and vanilla extract. Carefully measure beer (1 cup not including the foam), pour into the bowl and gently mix. The carbonation will help make the pancakes more fluffy.

Step 3: Mix Dry + Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the center of your dry mixture and pour the wet mixture in. Stir until combined (the batter will be a little lumpy).

brewersjournal.ca

BREWDAY TIPS

o 1 ¼ cup flour o 3 Tbsp sugar

WINTER 2022

|

69

FROM JANES AND JOES TO ALL-OUT PROS Name: Jeff Wilson Location: Guelph, Ontario Brewery: Wellington Brewery Time in Professional Brewing: 9 years Job Title: Head Brewer Time as a Homebrewer: 5+ years Daily duties: My day consists of managing the brewing team, creating and refining beer recipes, quality control, and working with ingredient suppliers.

What was it about Homebrewing that contributed to you wanting to do it for a living and how did you transition into the Brewing industry?

I loved seeing the enjoyment of others drinking a beer you brewed and thought that would be a good way to spend my days.

TCH OF BREWING A SMALL BA FEST IVAL BEER FOR OUR CASK .

ON MY PILOT SYSTEM

BREWING ON OUR 40HL

I transitioned into the industry by showing up to PRODUCTION SYSTEM Wellington and volunteering my time doing anything I could; sweeping floors, folding boxes, pouring beer, and anything I could do to get into the brewery and see how things worked and while talking to the employees there. It turned into a part time job, then into full time and then progressing up through the brewery.

What exciting things are you currently working on?

I am very excited to start work on this year’s version of our UVB-76 (bourbon barrel aged Imperial stout).

I’m also looking forward to things opening back up (fingers crossed) and getting back out to beer festivals and events!

Any advice to share with Homebrewers?

Remember to have fun! After all, beer is just fermented sugar water that makes us tipsy. It’s important to understand the basics and to do things properly, but you cannot lose the fun side of it or else it just becomes a chore.

Do you have a Homebrew story that you would like to share with the Homebrew Community?

ME POSING WITH OUR UVB-76 SERIES 70

|

WINTER 2022

My first all grain brew was an experience. I thought I knew it all and decided I wanted to try all grain brewing on my parents stove. After setting off the smoke alarm from burnt mash, scraping burnt wort off the stove and cleaning the mess I made around me, I quickly realized I might not know it all and needed to reevaluate everything...I look back on that brew now and just laugh about how far I have come.

BREWERS JOURNAL CANADA