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Interview With Ian Clark of Bru Handbuilt Ales and Eats
Ian Clark the owner, brewer and executive chef of Bru Handbuilt Ales and Eats in Boulder, CO recently gave The Brewing Realtor an interview and full brewery tour. He discusses hopping techniques, recipe formulation and his passion for bringing together his experience as a chef from the culinary world to Boulder’s craft beer scene!
Ninkasi Launches Yeast Into Space!
Oregon beer geeks are about to launch a rocket full of brewer’s yeast into outer space, hoping what comes back is an otherworldly brew
“If we pull this off, it’s going to be awesome,” says Jamie Floyd, president of the Eugene-based brewery.
Ninkasi Launches Yeast Into Space!
Floyd insists that it wasn’t the hops talking when he and the Ninkasi crew hatched what they are calling their “space program” about a year ago. A buddy had introduced them to a band of rocket enthusiasts called the Civilian Space eXploration Team, which successfully sends spacecraft into the cosmos. The pairing of beer nerds with rocket geeks was a no-brainer, and the groups decided to collaborate. “My partner and I were completely stoked,” says Floyd.
In its giant step for beerkind, Ninkasi and CSXT say they will blast 16 strains of brewer’s yeast beyond Earth’s atmosphere and track the payload as it returns to terra firma. Upon touchdown at the location, which remains undisclosed, an on-site crew will test the yeast. If it survived space travel in good health, the team will rush the strains back to Eugene and begin brewing with them.
Floyd is fairly confident about the prospects. “I’m not worried that drinking space beer will turn us into reptilian-like aliens,” he says.
At least previous attempts in the fermented space race haven’t had scaly results. Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery made an Oktoberfest brew last year using moon dust it acquired from a company that works with NASA. Japan’s Sapporo Brewery released a small batch of suds in 2009 made with barley grown aboard the Zvezda Service Module on the International Space Station.
Learn more here: http://nsp.ninkasibrewing.com/
Boulder Craft Beer Lovers Touring Bru Brewing Company Aug 14 @ 6:00 2014
Bru Brewing Company in Boulder
Ian Clark the owner/brewer at Bru brewing Company in Boulder has graciously decided to give us a personal tour. RSVP here: http://www.meetup.com/Boulder-Craft-Beer-Lovers-Meetup/events/198003452/, look forward to seeing everyone there.
Boulder Brewing Company
By Boulder Beer Co.
learn more at: http://www.boulderbeer.com
Boulder Beers Brewing Process:
Boulder Beer’s Story:
In 1979 two professors at the University of Colorado received the 43rd brewing license issued in the United States, creating Boulder Beer Company, Colorado’s First Microbrewery. The original site of the brewery was a small farm northeast of Boulder, the brew house sharing space in a shed originally housing a few goats!
In a world of light yellow lagers, Boulder Beer won industry and consumer accolades for its line of bold Boulder Beers: Boulder Porter, Stout and Extra Special Bitter. Five years later, the brewery moved to it’s current site in Boulder and expanded from its original one-barrel brewing system to a 50-barrel brew house with top-of-the-line packaging equipment. In 1994 we converted the original tasting room to our full-menu pub and epic patio under the Flatirons.
Brewmaster David Zuckerman joined Boulder Beer in 1990, and soon introduced Colorado favorites Buffalo Gold and Singletrack Copper Ale, which are still popular today. Long time General Manager Jeff Brown became President of Boulder Beer in 2002, which was the same year that saw the packaged introduction of the innovative and widely heralded Hazed & Infused dry-hopped ale, an unfiltered dry-hopped amber ale. In 2003 Mojo India Pale hit the scene, and every year since then has ushered in new flavors and new styles of beer developed by our creative team of brewers, which often are on the cutting edge of craft brewing trends.
Our brewers continue to test boundaries with unique blends and combinations on our pilot brewing system and barrel-aged program. Stop in to our Pub for this week’s “Brewer’s Choice” and who knows, you could be sampling the first batch of The Next Big Thing!
Boulder Beers “Green” Initiative:
Doing our part to save the planet, one beer at a time. Here are just a few of the extra environmentally-responsible actions we take here at Boulder Beer to help keep our planet a happy place!
Our Pub is PACE Certified (Partners for a Cleaner Environment):
SOME of the eco-friendly steps we take in our Pub:
• New solar thermal panels on our roof heat all hot water used in the Pub and kitchen, restrooms, and for hand sinks throughout the brewery.
• Use a low temperature dishwasher and a water-saving dishwashing nozzle
• Recycle all commingleds as well as hard to recycle materials and equipment
• Use all recycled or compostable “to go” containers and bags
• Recycle kitchen fryer-oil for bio-diesel
• Use high-efficiency toilets
• Compost food waste
Earth-Friendly Brewing and Production:
• In 2010 we invested in a new glycol chiller that helped us save 16% in electricity for the year.
• On average, over 130 tons of our spent grain is reused as feed supplements by local farmers every month.
• Another local farmer reuses our leftover yeast for pig feed.
• Our brewery recovers heated water from the heat-exchanger to use in future brews.
• We insulate our fermentation tanks to save energy on cooling them down.
• Our walk-in cooler has economizers that use outside air to cool the warehouse during the cold months of the year, saving energy on refrigeration.
Earth-friendly Printing and Packaging:
• All of our 6-pack carriers are printed on 100% recycled paperboard.
• Our bottles are made from 30% recycled glass.
• Our cardboard case boxes are made from 45% recycled materials.
• The ink used to print our labels is made from 100% vegetable oil (no petroleum). This is the safest and most environmentally friendly ink in the industry.
• Our disposable keg cups are made of corn and completely compostable.
• Our coasters are made from 35% recycled paperboard.
• Our letterhead and business cards are 100% recycled.
Earth-friendly HR: Our company is committed to alternative transportation. We offer Eco Passes as a benefit to all employees so they can ride the city and regional buses for free. Many of our staff members also commute to work on their bikes, which prompted us to become the first business in Boulder to adopt a portion of a city bike path, keeping it clean and safe.
Denver Fermentation Festival Aug 9th & 10th 2014
Fermentation Fest from Local Eyes on Vimeo.
Fermentation is an amazing process which produces flavors that are unobtainable in any other way. Flavors range from sweet to sour to umami. Entire populations have relied on fermentation as a form of preservation before refrigeration .Many cultures believe fermented foods and beverages are the key to longevity and happiness in life. Health benefits are ample and our society is embracing fermented foods more and more each and every day.
The Fermentation Festival & Market is a celebration of everything fermented. Guests will have the opportunity to sample fermented foods and beverages from across the country. Participants include Craft Brewers, Local Distillers, Kombucha Breweries, Wineries, Restaurants and Sauerkraut Makers.
The festival strives to increase awareness about fermented foods and beverages. Educational Seminars will be offered on a variety of topics.
This years festival will also feature the First Annual Pickle Toss. Starting at 4:15pm contestants will fling, toss and throw pickles into their teammates mouths from a distance. Sign up at the festival for your chance to win serious bragging rights that also come with a gallon of pickles and $50.
Check out http://www.fermentationfestival.com/ for more information
This event will include education on the following topics:
Homebrew Kombucha
Jenni Lyons | Founder, Happy Leaf Kombucha
Brewing Kombucha or Fermented Tea is a fun project to do at home. This class will go over the basics of Kombucha Brewing which will include – choosing the right tea, finding the right fermentation vessel, growing your own SCOBY Culture, keeping your culture healthy and flavoring.
Saturday | 5:30pm
Sunday | 5:30pm
Kefir Fermentation
Eileen Richardson | MM Local Fermentation Specialist, CookAndCulture.com
Come learn about the incredible health benefits and delicious taste of water kefir. Feeding off sugar or coconut water, kefir is a simple ferment with a mild taste. We will learn about the history of this ancient culture, the many uses and beneficial qualities of kefir, how to maintain the grains at home, how to make probiotic sodas, vinegars and condiments, as well as the use of milk kefir.
Saturday | 4:30pm
Sunday | 4:30pm
Cheesemaking by Fromage to Yours
Jackie Rebideau | Founder, Colorado Cheese Festival
Jackie Rebideau, founder of the Colorado Cheese Festival, A Fermented Affair radio show, and Mobile Meltz food truck, will demonstrate the basics of home cheesemaking. During this educational session, guests will experience the magic of separating household milk into curds and whey. They will then enjoy samples of the end product: FRESH MOZZARELLA!
Saturday | 5pm
Sunday | 5pm
Crafting Seasonal Small Batch Fruit Wines
Alexandra Svoboda | Arise Botanicals
This hands on workshop will explain how to select seasonal fruits, herbs, and flowers to process into wine. An abbreviated brewing process, including calculating the gravity to determine the alcohol content of your finish product, will be demonstrated. Wine samples will be available and participants will leave fully prepared with the knowledge of how to make wild wines at home.
Sunday | 3:50pm
Basic Kimchi and Kraut:
Learn how to make your own countertop ferments
Mara & Willow King | Co-Founders, Esoteric Food Company (Makers of Ozuké Pickled Things)
Learn a straight forward approach to pickling at home, including safety, simple recipes and insight into different approaches from different sides of the globe.
Saturday | 6pm
Fermented Korean Foods
Joseph Kim| DAE GEE Korean BBQ
TBA
Making Beer at Home
TBA
Sake 101
Tasting and Homebrewing
Marc Hughes | Head Brewer, Gaijin 24886 Brewery
It brews like beer and tastes like wine! Join Marc Hughes, head brewer at Gaijin 24886 Brewery, and delve into the deep mystery that is sake! This class will go over the basics of sake, how to enjoy it, and how to make great sake at home.
TBA
Lacto-fermented Vegetables
We will learn how to introduce healthy bacteria into our systems with mouth watering homemade products! By breaking down the food beforehand, fermentation makes nutrients and minerals more available for absorption. These raw, live active foods aid in digestion, heighten immune response, and are both alkalinizing and cleansing to the body. We will discuss the myriad health benefits, and demonstrate how to make various types of live pickles and sauerkraut.
TBA
Additional educational classes $5
Trinity Brewing Company
By: Eric Gorski
The Denver Post
Colorado Springs-based Trinity Brewing, which has won awards and admiration for its artisanal ales and deep roster of saisons, is laying plans for a second location in Denver that also would serve as a hub for out-of-state distribution.
Founder and head brewer Jason Yester confirmed Trinity is targeting 2016 for its ambitious Denver project, which he said would likely involve a 30-barrel brewing system in a roughly 8,000 square-foot space in a warehouse district.
Nelson Sauvin Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Nelson Sauvin Belgian Golden Strong Ale
12 Degree Brewing Company in Louisville CO has brewed a Belgian Golden Strong Ale using Nelson Sauvin hops called “Full Nelson”. Needless to say, the quality of this beer is amazing. It finishes dry with a subtle fruit flavor of apples, pineapple, and honey. Since they late hopped with Nelson Sauvin the white wine character of the hops meshes well with the slight fruit and phenolic character of the Belgian yeast.
I set out with this recipe looking for something of high alcohol that would age well and develop in complexity with time. My immediate thought of an ingredient that changes and becomes better with time is honey. Since this beer requires so much raw sugar to finish dry I thought honey would compliment the flavor while drying it out.
Unfortunately as I was called away from the mash it decided to jump from 148 to 160 for the better part of 45 minutes. I am afraid that I will end up with a very sweet beer as the mash has produced highly unfermentable sugars. I spoke with Adam over at Boulder Fermentation Supply and he advised me to finish it off with a neutral champagne yeast or a strain of Brettanomyces. As usual I will post tasting notes as they become available. The video above is a fun little mashup of my brew day paired with one of my favorite bands. The song is Svieri Doroga by Kalmah off of their album The Black Waltz. Yum, metal and homebrew…
Here is the recipe below:
Belgian Golden Strong Ale (2 GAL)
Belgian Golden Strong Ale (18 D)
Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 2.00 gal
Boil Size: 4.11 gal
Boil Time: 90 min
End of Boil Vol: 2.61 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 1.78 gal
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
Batch Size: 2.00 gal
Boil Size: 4.11 gal
Boil Time: 90 min
End of Boil Vol: 2.61 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 1.78 gal
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
Date: 16 Feb 2014
Brewer: Orion Chandler
Asst Brewer:
Equipment: My 7 Gal Pot
Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 89.7 %
Taste Rating: 30.0
Brewer: Orion Chandler
Asst Brewer:
Equipment: My 7 Gal Pot
Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 89.7 %
Taste Rating: 30.0
Taste Notes:
| Amt | Name | Type | # | %/IBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 lbs 5.7 oz | Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 1 | 84.9 % |
| 0.45 oz | Saaz [3.20 %] – First Wort 90.0 min | Hop | 2 | 14.3 IBUs |
| 4.0 oz | Cane (Beet) Sugar (0.0 SRM) | Sugar | 3 | 4.9 % |
| 0.40 Items | Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) | Fining | 4 | – |
| 0.33 oz | Nelson Sauvin [11.80 %] – Boil 10.0 min | Hop | 5 | 11.8 IBUs |
| 0.33 oz | Saaz [3.20 %] – Boil 10.0 min | Hop | 6 | 3.2 IBUs |
| 0.8 pkg | Belgian Golden Ale (White Labs #WLP570) [35.49 ml] | Yeast | 7 | – |
| 8.4 oz | Orange Blossom Honey (1.0 SRM) | Sugar | 8 | 10.3 % |
Gravity, Alcohol Content and Color
Est Original Gravity: 1.070 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.8 %
Bitterness: 29.3 IBUs
Est Color: 3.6 SRM
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.8 %
Bitterness: 29.3 IBUs
Est Color: 3.6 SRM
Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Mash Profile
Mash Name: BIAB, Light Body
Sparge Water: 0.00 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.1 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE
Sparge Water: 0.00 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.1 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE
Total Grain Weight: 5 lbs 2.2 oz
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Mash PH: 5.20
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Mash PH: 5.20
| Name | Description | Step Temperature | Step Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saccharification | Add 17.72 qt of water at 159.2 F | 155.0 F | 90 min |
| Mash Out | Heat to 168.0 F over 7 min | 168.0 F | 10 min |
Sparge: If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Mash Notes: Brew in a bag method where the full boil volume is mashed within the boil vessel and then the grains are withdrawn at the end of the mash. No active sparging is required. This is a light body beer profile.
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Bottle
Pressure/Weight: 2.75 oz
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
Pressure/Weight: 2.75 oz
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
Volumes of CO2: 4.0
Carbonation Used: Bottle with 2.75 oz Table Sugar
Age for: 180.00 days
Storage Temperature: 60.0 F
Carbonation Used: Bottle with 2.75 oz Table Sugar
Age for: 180.00 days
Storage Temperature: 60.0 F
Notes
Ferment for a week from 64 to 82. Hold at 82 until all signs of fermentation have stopped and the desired terminal gravity is reached. Then add pasteurized honey/sugar mixture with alpha amalyse enzyme and lower temperature to 64 and ferment for a week letting temperatre ramp up to 82. Hold at 82 until fermentation stops at 1.006. Store for 6 months at 55, then drink.
Saaz may be substituted with Styrian Goldings
Final volume in kettle with trub: 2.8gallons @ 1.052.
Check Out Hydro Hop Farms LLC!
Hydro Hop Farms produces the only commercially hydroponically grown wet hops in the world! Unprocessed and gently packaged for the highest quality hops!
So Why Hydroponics?
The hop plant, Humulus lupulus, is sought after in beer production for their bitterness, flavor, aroma and anti-bacterial properties. Most of these characteristics are derived from the essential oils and acids in the hop plant.
Protection A major concern for all traditional hops farmers is weather and pests. Early or late frosts can devastate a crop. Hail, snow, flooding are all things of common concern as well. Pesticide application often becomes a necessary practice to keep pests from destroying the hops in the fields. These issues are all alleviated with the introduction of a completely climate controlled greenhouse. We are also able to stimulate the population of beneficial insects that will naturally kill any pests that happen to slip into the greenhouse.
“Spoon-fed” Hop plants are notorious for demanding large amounts of fertilizer each season, particularly Nitrogen and Potassium. In soil based growing this option is not easily available if they want to maintain their soil integrity, save money and/or not over-fertilize their plants. Hydroponics give us the ability for the first time to provide the hop plants with the full nutrient spectrum at the appropriate dosages throughout many different phases of morphology (growth). Plants require different ratios of fertilizer during different growth phases. During initial growth (vegetative) the plants require higher Nitrogen levels compared to other macro-nutrients. During final growth (flowering) the plants require lower levels of Nitrogen and higher levels of Potassium and Phosphorus. This is a more difficult and costly task to accomplish with traditional hop field growing, however with hydroponics this task is quite easy and in fact the nutrient recipe will vary through all stages of the plants life based on how the plant is responding. A special blend of micro-nutrients are also added to our hydroponics system to supply all of the known minerals that plants derive from the soil, 17 in fact. Finally we use traces of naturally occurring, organic, growth additives such as seaweed and humic acids. In summary this all means we provide the plant the best possible opportunity to thrive and we are rewarded with a harvest that is superior to any other hops in the world!
Extended Growing Season With the help of the greenhouse we can keep temperatures in the appropriate range for hops (41F-75F) much longer than traditional methods. This gives our plants a jump start on the season allowing for a larger photosynthetic area (leaf canopy) established in time for the intense summer sun to show up. This also allows for an extended harvest season, providing the cones more time to become larger and ripen directly on the bine (FYI-hops have bines and vines).
Hand Picked Hops, Insane? Yes, quite possibly. Hand harvesting hops is a monumental task. However the end result is a hop cone that has had minimal physical turbulence, meaning that more oils and lupulin (think of hop pollen) are intact. Traditional hops are chopped and drug through the field, forced through a large machine then sifted and dried, saves time yes, but the amount of lupulin and other hop goodness has been depreciated before they even get shipped! For some brewers that’s fine, however we here at Hydro Hop Farms feel the extra care for a quality product is worth it.
Wet Hops
What are they and why do I want them?
Wet Hops are like Christmas. We all love them and they only mysteriously show up once a year. We are not sure how they arrived or really what they even are, but we still wait patiently for next years arrival!
Wet hops have not been dried or processed and go from plant to brew kettle within 48 hours! Often called fresh hops they provide a fresh, raw hop flavor to beer. Think of herbs like basil, fresh is so much more potent and aromatic than dried, the concept for hops is the same. Wet Hop beers are becoming an addition to all self respecting breweries. Often sold under various names such as: Wet Hop, Fresh Hop or Harvest Ales. The hop expression that imparts from beers with Wet Hops is an experience that is truly unique. Until now Wet Hops have been very difficult for homebrewers to get a hold of. This is due to the seasonality of the harvest and the buying priorities of larger breweries. That is why we cater only to home brewers like you, you’re welcome!
What makes our Wet Hops so special?
We are the ONLY producer of commercial hydroponic Wet Hops in the world! So what’s the big deal? Well…..first of all you need to know how wet hops differ from their dried counterpart. As stated before Wet Hops are a “100% processed free” product. This is a good thing, however this can also be a bad thing. This means that the hops go directly from the plant to your brew kettle (you can’t wash hops). Think of hops growing in an open field, these hops are exposed to everything mother nature and mankind will throw at them, including insects, rain, dirt (dust), pesticides, animals, etc. As an added insult these hops are then harvested by large agriculture equipment that produce a slue of harmful products, including oil and exhaust. All of these contaminants can end up inside of the hop cone. Being a Wet Hop this creates a larger concern. Many Wet Hops are used as a form of “dry hopping” (I know this can get a bit ambiguous) meaning that they do not go into the boil rather they are added directly to the finished product. This means you don’t have the added safety of the boiling water to help sterilize and filter out any possible contaminates in your hops. So how do you solve this issue? Well until now, most people just look the other way and address these issues as minimal risk. At Hydro Hop Farms we eliminate ALL of the variables that can cause contamination in Wet Hops. Our greenhouses are near sterile (our Hops have never even seen soil), protected from the climate and each plant is paid special attention to from seedling to harvest! It’s like an incubator for plants.
How do I brew with Wet Hops? How much do I need?
How much do I need for simple Fresh Hop ALE?
1 lb of Wet Hops per 5 gallons will give you a modest idea of what flavors you can attain and then tweak it from there if you’d like. Save 2-3 oz or more for “dry” hopping if you wish. The amount for “dry” hopping will be limited by the size of your carboy or dry hop vessel. Keep your “dry” hop portion in a loose plastic bag (not airtight) in the fridge.
Remember Wet Hops are just that, wet. The water in hops is around 5 times the weight of the hops biomass(dry). So you will need to add close to 5 times the amount of hops if you wish to reach the same bittering affects of dry hopping. Keep in mind that Wet Hops offer a new unique flavor and aroma that dry hops simply can’t provide. So experiment with different amounts, varieties, grains and find what works for you. The nice thing about a seasonal beer is it gives you plenty of time to create it!
Check out their website at: http://www.hydrohopfarms.com/home.html
Boulder Bombproof Bottle Capper
I recently had the opportunity to meet Joe hackel, VP of Marketing for Boulders latest startup Boulder Bombproof. If the image and video link above don’t pique your interest, check this out: Using this 100% food safe product you can now re-seal your bombers/bottles after opening them. This keeps the remaining CO2 in solution aswell as prevents the bottle from leaking. The beer will only touch a silicone pad at the base of the capper, keeping the product food safe. It even clips onto your keychain so that you always have it with you. The backside of it features a bottle opener aswell. Best of all, these products are made from a hard food grade plastic that will not break! Cheers Joe, thanks for this product, I can’t wait to bring it on my next hike or picnic!
Check out his website to purchase yours: http://www.boulderbombproof.com
The Brewing Realtor 