Hops & Schnapps offers high-quality alcoholic beverages in Michigan, with a liquor store open in Gaylord, Grayling, and Standish. We have a craft beer section featuring old favorites and new offerings. Brewing craft beer involves mashing, separating, boiling, and fermenting using water, malt, hops, and yeast. Craft beer is brewed in seven steps to optimize the flavor.
1. Preparation
Brewing craft beer starts with prepping the batch and gathering the necessary ingredients. The process requires ingredients like water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. The quality of these products will influence the flavor of the beer. Using a sanitizing agent, sanitize everything that will touch the beer to prevent product contamination.
2. Mashing
In a large pot that brewers call a “Mash Tun,” heat the water to around 150-160 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water reaches this temperature, it’s time to add the malted barley in a process called mashing. Mashing occurs when the enzymes in the malt convert the starches into fermentable sugars. After letting the mash rest for 60-90 minutes, you will have a sugar-rich liquid called wort.
3. Sparging
After finishing the mashing, it’s time to drain the wort. Mash Tuns fitted with false bottoms allow the wort to separate from the solid malt. Some brewers will run hot water through the malt to extract as much sugar as possible. This process is called sparging, and it must be performed carefully to avoid overdrying the mash.
4. Boiling
Bringing the wort to a boil using a kettle sterilizes the wort and evaporates any unwanted flavors. This is when the hops are mixed with the wort, adding bitterness, aroma, and flavor to the beer. Hops act as an anti-microbial agent, and boiling precipitates the proteins, providing a clear wort for the yeast.
5. Cooling
Before beginning the cooling process, brewers must prepare an ice bath or wort chiller. The ice bath will cool the boiled wort to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. There are two reasons for cooling the wort: it helps prevent unwanted microorganisms and produces a clear wort.
6. Fermentation
Fermentation plays a key role in producing the finished beer product by improving the flavor, color, and alcohol level of the brew. Transferring the wort into a fermenter and adding the yeast are the first steps of fermentation. The yeast consumes the sugars to create the alcohol and carbonation.
Seal the fermentor using an airlock and store it in a cool, dark place to ferment for around one to two weeks. This is where the beer’s flavor profile is defined for the final product. Brewers can manipulate the environment and time of the fermentation to achieve a specific flavor profile.
7. Bottling
Light can affect the beer, so choosing a brown or green-tinted bottle helps protect the beer from light and keeps it from going skunky or losing its flavor profile. Once the fermentation is complete, transfer the beer to a bottle and add sugar before you seal it for increased carbonation. After capping the bottles tightly, let them sit for around two weeks at room temperature.
Find a Liquor Store Open Near You
Hops & Schnapps carries a large selection of beer, liquor, and wine. Come into any of our three locations and try the many different craft beers we carry. The nuanced flavors of craft beers enhance the experience of many types of social gatherings. Visit us today to explore our carefully curated selection of beverages.