Big Brewery Decoction Mash

Slurry pump?

 

Bulldozer!

 

I believe that has to be the answer. Or at least part of it.

 

Here is an interesting video on decoction mashing but it does not specifically address the topic of how the water/grain is transferred at commercial breweries (type of pump). There are parts 2 and 3 videos on YouTube.

There is a new brewery of Susquehanna Brewing Company which makes a beer called Pils Noir. They use decoction to darken the beer (the beer is the color of a Schwarzbier).

Cheers!

 

I know you are just quoting them so this isn't really aimed at YOU per se, but if you read through the description of their beers, I am tempted to call bullshit on a lot of it. Endosperm Mashing, Huskless Milling, "hopjack provides a brief scalding of the whole-cone Liberty hops to preserve their signature flavor in its purest form". All sounds like BS. Please set me straight if im just ignorant.

 

The headbrewer at SBC used to be the headbrewer at Spoetzl (which is owned by Gambrinus Brewing Company). Gambrinus also owns the Trumer Brewery in Berkeley, CA. Trumer Brewery practices what they refer to as endosperm mashing. The SBC headbrewer ‘learned’ this practice while being employed by Gambrinus and he is using that technique at SBC.

I am not 100% sure what you think is “BS” but endosperm mashing is a genuine mashing technique. It is utilized to separate the husk and consequently minimize the extraction of tannins.

You can listen to the Trumer headbrewer, Lars Larson describe the process here (click on The Brewhouse: Mashing):http://trumer-international.com/tour.php?v=2

Cheers!

 

Thanks Jack. I'll try if the US/Afgan innernets play nice. The mention of those techniques just seemed a little like "triple hopped" or "cold filtered" type terms.

 

The Susquehanna Brewing Company is a craft brewery. The headbrewer, Jaime Jurado, has many years of experience in the craft brewing industry.

I feel pretty confident in stating that you should not view SBC and Jaime Jurado through a BMC prism.

Cheers!

 

No I stick with my initial gut reaction. After a search on those odd terms they pepper their beer descriptions with, it appears that Endosperm mashing may be a real thing, although if only 3 breweries in the world are claiming to do it, the logical reason behind mentioning it is only for the purpose of sounding special while the end result is not..special. Huskless milling, no results. Hopjack and scalding hops to preserve some special flavor, no results. Getting a black lager with only kettle caramalization; they list caramel malts but not the color so the implication is that it is only through the malliard reactions of boiling wort until it was black. Maybe they do, and I have no reason to doubt they don't go through these labor intensive and cost raising steps, but to what end? If it makes a better product, then their reviews don't show it. Not that reviews are scripture or anything. But this is simply BMC tactics employed against their consumers who they are trying to convert from BMC so it stands to reason their target consumers are used to blindly buying into BS.

 

I have tasted the Pils Noir. It is a well-made dark lager with an excellent balance of flavors between the malt flavors (from the malliard reactions during the decoction) and the judicious hopping schedule. A truly tasty beer due it wonderful balance. This is not the type of beer which will be ‘popular’ with the majority of BAs since it is not a BIG, BOLD beer.

Please feel free to criticize this beer and the brewery without even tasting the beer.

Cheers!

 

Don't get all defensive, I didn't say their beer sucked. I said "If it makes a better product, then their reviews don't show it. Not that reviews are scripture or anything." If you like it great. My point is only that they are using terminology that means ZIP, ZERO, ZILCH to the consumer but they use it to convince people their product is better simply because of the processes they may or may not actually use. I could go a step further and say that the brewer from Trumer displays several signs of deception/lack of confidence in statements made as fact but that gets into how I earn a living and won't go into that here and isn't necessarily relevant to SBC. A business confident in their product would keep it simple instead of putting lipstick and rouge all over the sow.

 

so uh, back to decoction mashing...i believe it is an auger or slurry pump that is used to move large quantities of mash from the MT to the decoction vessel. Hmm...trying to remember what book I read years ago that describes what German brewers use(d).

As for endosperm mashing, we can leave that for another thread, but there is a reason so few breweries use it...kinda like decoction mashing.

 

http://discussions.probrewer.com/showthread.php?1604-Pulling-a-decoction

 

Ugh. They're enough of a pain in the ass on a homebrew system (Do make great hefes though), commercially sounds like a bigger pain in the ass.

 

Yeah do a decoction on my hefe but since it's at home I find it enjoyable. I am wondering if it is one of the secrets to one of my favorites Monchsambacher Lagerbier.

 

Well, I will try most anything once and the next time I decockt a hefe I am mashing in some sperm. You guys have me intrigued and I will be sure to shed my husk as well. At midnight. Under a full moon. Might work better in a gose I think.

OP, I know the Live Oak brewery in Austin uses decoction. I looked around on Youtube but could not find a video showing the process. Maybe you could email them to find out what they use.

 

Maybe, never tried the beer, might have to give it a whirl.

Interesting, anecdotal observation on decoction mashing... one of my good brewing/drinking buddies won a gold at the NHC last year for his munich dunkel, which was triple decocted (melanoidin bomb). This year he tried simulating the decoction with a lot of melanoidin malt, and after entering it in four different comps has come up completely empty on medals and is scoring in the high twenties to low thirties (opposed to low forties with old beer), with judges comments along the lines of "to style, but bland". Similar thing going on with Hefes I've brewed, although not as drastic (averaged scores went up from 37-38 to 42-43 just by doing a double decoction on identical grists, with identical yeast strains & hoping rates).

 

Foul. Be sure to have some bandages and neosporin on hand after shedding your husk. Maybe you go the "Curb Your Enthusiasm Route" and eat some hot sauce or pineapple before adding "adjuncts" to your gose or hefe.

Live Oak Hefe is pretty awesome, and one of the two best american brewed hefes I've had the pleasure of trying (other is SN kellerweiss).

 

This decoction discussion reminded me of a link I had tucked away in my bookmarks. Interesting old video and animation of a 1930's German brewhouse process:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL27A3388C29CD28C2&feature=player_detailpage&v=_1f7m31b_HE