I mistakenly read the title of the thread on the first page as "Breweries with Exceptional Altitudes" instead of "Breweries with Exceptional Attitudes." I don't want to take anything away from that thread, but my brief reading error got me thinking about altitude and whether or not it could have any effect on the brewing process or final product. So does anyone know enough about the science of brewing to answer my question? Or are there examples of breweries located at exceptional altitudes that produce exceptional beer? (Something higher than Denver, perhaps, because we know there are plenty of worthy examples from the Mile High City). Thanks,
Water boils at lower temperatures the higher the elevation, so if you are in Denver, water might boil at 200F instead of 212F. I am guessing brewers know of this and adjust accordingly.
Very good question because most of the Europeans brew at like less than 100Ft-500Ft and many at or near sea level. I am curious, myself. I would think it would not matter but that is just a guess.
Well, in Denver the boiling point is 202F. Golden Co is more like 200F. I know a guy opening a small brewery in Leadville, where the boiling point will be 193F. Elevation Brewing in Poncha Springs is at 7400 ft and boiling temp there is about 198F. The beer I tasted there were very well made. The lower temps will reduce hop utilization, so the brewer would compensate be adding a smidge more hops to hit the IBU targets.
Not just Denver, throughout Colorado we've got exceptional breweries and exceptional high... wait what are we talking about here?
Anecdotally (and w/o naming names), I did bump into a brewer while waiting in line somewhere that was not a starbucks. And seriously: Boiling action drives off or "scrubs" volatiles like sulfur compounds, which is accomplished independently of temperature. Hop utilization might be lower. Evaporation rates might be higher.
Spoke with a few brewers in Colorado and one thing that's an issue there is barrel aging, since the altitude is so high much evaporation occurs, thus of course much beer is lost to the angel's share often, not to mention all the other problems that comes with it.
I am going next year. In Amsterdam this year, I have to admit I still think Amsterdam is better, You cannot legally smoke in Colorado, in public. the other good to know, I never brew any other place than here, unless i get invited somewhere. not likely. lol thought I keep trying for a beer camp SN. and yea we both have prescriptions already, lol
One of the best breweries in CO is Backcountry in Frisco. They're at 9,000+ feet. I'm sure there are some nuances to what they do, but they run the gambit of styles and do a really good job up there. I think there was an article in Zymurgy about brewing at high altitude, too. I definitely remember some quotes from the guys at Elevation.
Sorry i know this is being annoying but i think its the pressure and not necessarily the altitude that affects the boiling temp
Ambient pressure is one of the big parameters. Ambient pressure depends on altitude, and to a lesser extent atmospheric pressure variations. One other variable is that as the amount of "stuff" in solution goes up, so does the boiling temperature.
Flagstaff ,AZ is @ 7000 FT has sevaral brew pubs as does Sedona,AZ @ 4500 ft both great spots for brew
Telluride has two breweries well above 8,000ft and they make some damn good beer. Facedown brown = exceptional both in altitude and quality.
Fifty Fifty Eclipse is brewed and aged at 5900'. As others have pointed out, it seems there are plenty of great brewers pulling off great things at altitude. I know with baking, it's often necessary to reduce the amount of baking soda/powder or reduce the rising time for yeast dough because gases will expand more at elevation, which could result in overly airy and crumbly cakes and breads, however since fermentation allows for the built up CO2 to escape, I don't think this is as much of an issue. It may, however, be a factor when it comes to bottling/kegging but thats just a guess.
You are right, and I wasn't wrong. I only mentioned elevation since it was relating to the OP's question about exceptional elevations. With higher elevation, there is lower atmospheric pressure, thus lowering the boiling point of water.
