Boil Kettle
Beer is a careful balance between malty sweetness and hop bitterness. It is in the kettle during a 1.5 to 2 hour boil that a beer's hop character is produced. Hop flowers (normally pressed into pellets) are added at various times during the boil to produce bitterness, hop flavor, and hop aroma. Some beers such as our Pilz and Pale Ale are balanced to accentuate hop character. In our Marzen/Oaktoberfest malt character predominates. In our HefeWeizen hop character is likewise subdued to allow the complex flavors and aromas produced during its unique fermentation to come to the fore.
After the boil the bitter wort is sent to a fermentation tank. However, it must first be cooled to a temperature suitable for yeast. This is done by passing the wort through a heat exchanger where it is cooled against counter flowing cold water. The resulting hot water is collected in a tank to be used in a subsequent brew while the resulting cool wort is sent to a fermenter.
