The Spirit of Rye


Book Description

The Spirit of Rye is a celebration of rye’s dynamic qualities and the spirit’s exciting revival. Celebrate the many flavor profiles of rye whiskey, its distinguished history, and its contemporary revival with The Spirit of Rye. The resurgence in rye whiskey is unmistakable, as is evidenced in the number of distillers producing remarkably varied expressions, from the Whiskey Trail to Pennsylvania, Texas, and California. With tasting notes for over 300 expressions and interviews with master distillers, readers both familiar and new to the rich world of rye will find The Spirit of Rye to be a revelation.




Malt


Book Description

Often playing second fiddle to hops in the minds of craft beer drinkers, malt is the backbone of beer: “No barley, no beer.” Malt defines the color, flavor, body, and alcohol of beer and has been cultivated for nearly as long as agriculture has existed. In this book, author John Mallett explains why he feels a book on malt is necessary, taking the reader on a brief history of malting from the earliest records of bappir through to the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period. When Mallett touches on the major changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution and beyond, he illustrates how developments in malting technology were intertwined with politics and taxation, which increasingly came to bear on the world of maltsters and brewers. Of course, no book on malt would be complete without a look at the processes behind malting and how different malts are made. Mallett neatly conveys the basics of malt chemistry, Maillard reactions, and diastatic power—the enzymes, starches, sugars, glucans, phenols, proteins, and lipids involved. Descriptions of the main types of malt are included, from base malt, caramel malts, and roasted malts through to specialty malts and other grains like wheat, rye, and oats. Information is interspersed with the thoughts and wisdom of some of America's most respected craft brewers. Understanding an ingredient requires appreciating where it comes from and how it is grown. The author condenses the complexities of barley anatomy and agriculture into easy, readable sections, seamlessly combining these details with high-level look at the economic and environmental pressures that dictate the livelihoods of farmers and maltsters. Mallett explains how to interpret—and when to rely on—malt quality and analysis sheets, an essential skill for brewers. There is a summary of the main barley varieties, both modern and heritage, from Europe and America. The book finishes with what happens to the malt once it reaches the brewery, addressing issues of malt packaging, handling, preparation, storage, conveyance, and milling in the brewhouse.




Craft Floor Malting: A Practical Guide


Book Description

Floor malting offers the small brewer/distiller an opportunity to source grain locally and turn it into malt. Craft Floor Malting: A Practical Guide offers an examination of the key stages of the floor-malting process, and a look at how craft floor maltsters approach the day-to-day necessities of malting at a small scale.




Dark Lagers


Book Description

"Dark Lagers addresses both historical and technical brewing topics with a balance of science and wit. First, the authors tell the story of lagers, which begins in or around the sixteenth century and has many subplots in terms of history, politics, climate, and microbiology. Until now, many aspects of the story have never been told in a definitive or authoritative publication. Then, the authors share 40-plus recipes for dark lagers of three general types: classic, craft, and innovative. They test-brewed about half of the recipes in the pilot brewery of the Weyermann® malting plant in Bamberg, Germany, and the other half in different-sized breweries in the United States and Canada."--Amazon.




The Craft Maltsters' Handbook


Book Description

The industrial process of germination-which converts hard, insoluble cereals into friable, extractable grains for subsequent use as a food source for humans or yeast - is called malting. The Craft Maltsters' Handbook provides an in-depth understanding of the technical and scientific meanings of words and phrases used in malting and is an up-to-date reference on the many types of malts used in brewing and distilling today. The rise in craft micro-malting is a nod to the 19th century men and women who provided the malt for brewing/distilling and part of the growing trend of taking back an art from large multinational corporations who have come to dominate much of agriculture and manufacturing.




Handbook of Brewing


Book Description

This comprehensive reference combines the technological know-how from five centuries of industrial-scale brewing to meet the needs of a global economy. The editor and authors draw on the expertise gained in the world's most competitive beer market (Germany), where many of the current technologies were first introduced. Following a look at the history of beer brewing, the book goes on to discuss raw materials, fermentation, maturation and storage, filtration and stabilization, special production methods and beermix beverages. Further chapters investigate the properties and quality of beer, flavor stability, analysis and quality control, microbiology and certification, as well as physiology and toxicology. Such modern aspects as automation, energy and environmental protection are also considered. Regional processes and specialties are addressed throughout the entire book, making this a truly global resource on brewing.




Tapping the West


Book Description

Winner of a 2020 Gourmand World Cookbook Award The story behind Alberta's craft beer boom. An insider’s look that brings together tasting notes, social history, politics, and science. When Alberta eliminated its laws around mandatory minimum brewing capacity in 2013, the industry suddenly opened to the possibility of small-batch craft breweries. From roughly a dozen in operation before deregulation, there are now more than a hundred today, with new ones bubbling up each month. It’s an inspiring story, one that writer Scott Messenger tells in impressive scope. At a time when Alberta was still recovering from the plunge in oil prices in 2008, deregulation represented a path to economic diversification. Messenger takes readers on the road with him to investigate artifacts left behind by Alberta brewers dating to the late-1800s, to farms responsible for the province’s unrivalled malt, and into the brewhouses and backstories of some of Canada’s best new beer makers. It’s an insider’s look at history in the making. With humour, straight-talking tasting notes, and a willingness to challenge stereotypes, Messenger introduces us to key players in the industry. We meet Graham Sherman of Tool Shed Brewing, who helped spearhead the change in legislation; Greg Zeschuk, whose Belgian-inspired brewery is poised to put Alberta beer on the global map; the sisters behind Northern Girls Hopyard, Alberta’s first hop farm; and many more. Messenger winds up his narrative with a good, old-fashioned pub crawl, a fitting finale for the story of an industry that is, at its heart, about having fun with friends. Bringing together social history, politics, and science, Tapping the West is engaging and balanced—not unlike the perfect you-know-what.




Water


Book Description

Water is arguably the most critical and least understood of the foundation elements in brewing. For many brewers used to choosing from a wide selection of hops and grain, water seems like an ingredient for which they have little choice but to accept what comes out of their faucet. But brewers in fact have many opportunities to modify their source water or to obtain mineral-free water and build their own brewing water from scratch. Much of the relevant information can be found in texts on physical and inorganic chemistry or water treatment and analysis, but these resources seldom, if ever, speak to brewers. Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers takes the mystery out of water's role in the brewing process. This book is not just about brewing liquor. Whether in a brewery or at home, water is needed for every part of the brewing process: chilling, diluting, cleaning, boiler operation, wastewater treatment, and even physically pushing wort or beer from one place to another. The authors lead the reader from an overview of the water cycle and water sources, to adjusting water for different beer styles and brewery processes, to wastewater treatment. It covers precipitation, groundwater, and surface water, and explains how municipal water is treated to make it safe to drink but not always suitable for brewing. The parameters measured in a water report are explained, along with their impact on the mash and the final beer. Understand ion concentrations, temporary and permanent hardness, and pH. The concept of residual alkalinity is covered in detail and the causes of alkalinity in water are explored, along with techniques to control alkalinity. Ultimately, residual alkalinity is the major effector on mash pH, and this book addresses how to predict and target a specific mash pH—a key skill for any brewer wishing to raise their beer to the next level. But minerals in brewing water also determine specific flavor attributes. Ionic species important to beer are discussed and concepts like the sulfate-to-chloride ratio are explained. Examples illustrate how to tailor your brewing water to suit any style of beer. To complete the subject, the authors focus on brewery operations relating to source water treatment, such as the removal of particulates, dissolved solids, gas and liquid contaminants, organic contaminants, chlorine and chloramine, and dissolved oxygen. This section considers the pros and cons of various technologies, including membrane technologies such as filtration, ion-exchange systems, and reverse osmosis.




Yeast


Book Description

Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation is a resource for brewers of all experience levels. The authors adeptly cover yeast selection, storage and handling of yeast cultures, how to culture yeast and the art of rinsing/washing yeast cultures. Sections on how to set up a yeast lab, the basics of fermentation science and how it affects your beer, plus step by step procedures, equipment lists and a guide to troubleshooting are included.




The Alcohol Textbook


Book Description