We purchase malted barleys, wheats and rye as well as various hops
from a variety of sources in Europe and North America. These sources
have all supplied the industry for many years.
We produce beers using two methods of brewing, decoction and infusion
brewing, as dictated by the beer style to be brewed. The process begins
by weighing, blending and crushing the grains, predominately malted
barley into what is called grist. This is accomplished by passing the
grains through a roller mill which exposes the soft inside of the grains.
The grist is passed down from the second floor to the first floor and
held in a grist hopper which is affixed from the ceiling. This truncated
vessel then sits above the mash tun and a slide opens to allow this
grist to infuse with water forming a slurry or mash that falls down
into the mash tun, after which the naturally occurring enzymes alter
the carbohydrates material in the grains from a series of starches into
a wide range of sugars and dextrins.
Once completed this wet, sweet mash is drenched with warm water by
means of spraying or running the water over this heavy, wet mash bed
and seeping slowly down through the mash to collect the sugars by putting
them into this watery solution. It also picks up the color or colors
of the grain or grains as well as other materials such as proteins and
core elements present in the mash.
This newly created liquid called sweet wort is then transferred to
the brew kettle where it is brought to a boil, varieties
of hops are blended and 
pitched in at various times
throughout the one or two hour boiling time. The hops impart a flavor
which masks the non-fermentable sugars of the wort and creates a delicate
balance between the hop bitterness and the residual sweetness of these
sugars.This new liquid is now referred to as hopped wort. The hopped
wort is now chilled by passing it through a heat exchanger and reducing
the temperature so that it can now be transferred to the individual
stores to begin the fermentation process.
The primary fermentation is the addition of yeast (dependent on the
beer style and temperature of fermentation). During the respiratory
phase of this process, these tiny monocellular organisms convert the
available oxygen in the hopped wort to carbon dioxide. Then in an anaerobic
state these organisms begin to consume the sugars in sequence of ease
and convert these sugars and dextrins into ethanol, the only known form
of alcohol which humans can consume. Once all of the fermentation material
has been converted to alcohol the primary fermentation process is complete.
Now the liquid is called by its new name-beer.
This young, green beer is now held for aging and clarification. Here
the beers mature at various rates dependent upon the style. During this
process of lagering, small amounts of sugars may continue to ferment.
This now completes the secondary fermentation and lagering phase.
The fully mature beer is now at its prime, ready for serving. This
entire process of transferring each beer through these time-worn steps
can vary from three to twelve weeks (or longer) depending on the style
being produced. The average time from start of brew to serving is approximately
30 to 40 days.
