Behind the Brewery Scenes: OG

What it takes to take the OG

Nope, we’re not talking about Snoop or Montell Jordan here! We’re talking about Original Gravity and its impact on the beer in your hand.

Happy yeast make delicious brews!

In his book, Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink, Randy Mosher describes gravity as “the density of wort or unfermented beer and is simply a way of saying how much sugar and other dissolved solids are contained in the beer.”

Our favorite little brewers (yeast!) love sugar. In fact, yeast needs sugar, so they can gobble it up to make two things: alcohol and CO2. Just remember, brewers make wort; yeast make beer! This is evident in the alcohol content of the brew in your hand and the blue buckets that sit next to the fermentation vessels. (Stop by for a brewery tour sometime so you can get up close and personal with them.)

Inside view of the refractometer

The OG can be an indicator of what the ABV (alcohol by volume) range could be as it gives a numerical value for the volume of fermentable sugars in the wort. (Wort is what the liquid is called before it is fermented, or before yeast is introduced to it to break it down into a brew.)

A hydrometer and refractometer are tools that are used to measure the gravity of the wort before it’s fermented (get it? Original Gravity?!). When the gravity is taken after fermentation, it’s called Terminal Gravity, or TG. At Four Peaks, gravity measures, taken in º P, are measured frequently – as frequently as possible. When I asked Brewer, Bob Grayson, why we take gravities so often he explained that it’s a good practice to ensure we are maintaining the right track for the ABV we are shooting to achieve. Once the gravity reading reaches the gravity range that we are looking for, the temps are turned down on the tanks and the yeast are suspended in a post-Thanksgiving like nocturnal slumber then removed.

Bob the Brewer demonstrates how to look into the refractometer.

Yeast is a colony of living cells, and sometimes these cells act out on their own. Yeast activity may depend on the life cycle of the yeast, the generation, the strain of yeast, its environment (is it too hot or too cold) – especially the health of the yeast. Our labs test for these factors before we “pitch” (a fancy word that means introduce or add) the yeast to the wort.

The ABV calculation takes into consideration both the OG and the TG. Once your measurements for the OG and the TG are taken, it’s plug and play. (Caution: math ahead!)

ABV% = (1.05/0.79)* x ((OG – TG) / TG)                                     
*1.05 is the number of grams of ethanol produced for every gram of CO2 produced, and .79 is the density of ethanol.

For example:
If the first gravity for a brew is measured out to be 15º P and the last gravity measured out to be 2.6º P, the formula for figuring out that particular brew’s ABV would look like this:

6.3%=(1.05/.79) x ((15-2.6)/2.6)

For a beer that starts at a lower gravity, say, 10º P and finishes at the same gravity as the first example, the equation would work out to:

3.9%=(1.05/.79) x ((10-2.6)/2.6)

Looking at the math, one can understand to some degree how big beers get big and sessionable beers remain… sessionable. Lots of sugary wort with healthy and active yeast will yield a higher ABV. If wort doesn’t have a lot of sugar to begin with, it won’t have as much to offer to the yeast to process, ergo the yeast won’t have the opportunity to produce more alcohol.

Whew! Well there you have it – you now know a little more about the OG than you may have planned at the beginning of your day. I hope you found this teachable moment fun(ish) and enlightening! At the very least, you can use it to impress your friends or win a round of Bar Trivia!

Have questions about OG, TG, or brewing in general? Hit us up on Twitter!

Want to learn more? Join us for a brewery tour! Get more details at www.fourpeaks.com!

Four Peaks’ High-quality H2O

Why is water so important to beer?

Reinheitsgebot, or German purity law, dictates that only four ingredients be used to make beer. These ingredients include hops, malt, yeast, and water. While hops and malt can be sourced from all over the world, and yeast can be purchased from labs far and wide, what is given the least amount of attention, yet has an immense impact on beer, is water. In fact, beer contains 90% water.

Water profiles are prominently displayed on the sides of the water tanks at our 8th Street facility.

Here in the states, we like to do some fancy footwork with some of our ingredients of our beers. Whether certain brewing liberties are taken with the addition of coffee beans, local oranges, wheat, peach flavor, tart cherries or honey – what we recognize is the need for good, clean water to begin the process.

What makes hard water hard?

Let’s be frank here – Arizona isn’t known for its high-quality H2O. Our water is hard. It corrodes our pipes, punishes our faucets and hot water heaters, and all but kills our soapy bubbles. Hard water happens when water that has fallen from the sky has dissolved oxygen, and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere then penetrates and dissolve minerals as it makes its way to our reservoirs. We can thank calcium and magnesium (among other minerals) for making this happen. Soft water doesn’t have the opportunity to penetrate through the hard rocks of its environment, therefore, will not absorb minerals as readily.

 

Our water processing standards help us have more control over the final product.

What can be done to our hard water to give it a more approachable profile for our single-celled amigos to do their job?

At Four Peaks Brewing Co., we take our water pretty darn seriously. We strip our tap water then build it back up with the minerals and nutrients found in areas where we emulate the beer. It helps us start with a clean canvas however without the addition of these minerals, the yeast isn’t happy. And unhappy yeast does not produce good beer.

The R/O machine at the Wilson Facility

At both our 8th Street facility and our production facility on Wilson St. in Tempe, AZ, all of our water is treated through the reverse osmosis (R/O) system. It is tested weekly by our lab specialists to ensure that it is sterile and of the highest quality. This water also served to each table at in our pub on 8th Street and our Tasting Room on Wilson St. It even flows through our misting system at the 8th Street location! It’s delicious and considered a perk for our employees too!

A view of the R/O machine at the 8th St facility

According to their website, Tempe water comes from several different sources including, “the Salt River, Verde River and Central Arizona Project (CAP, Colorado River) watersheds” in addition to “several additional water sources” that include “SRP and Tempe wells” with “water […] delivered via the Salt River Project (SRP) canal system.” (City of Tempe)

We’re going to need a bigger koozie…

While many breweries insist on a reverse osmosis system in their facilities, it is not a required step in the brewing process. This is an extra step than many breweries take on to ensure the highest quality of beer that finds its way to you.

Want to know more about our facilities? Take a brewery tour! Brewery tours are available throughout the week at both our Tempe facilities. For more information, visit us at www.fourpeaks.com.

To keep up with our fun times and shenanigans, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Periscope, or Facebook at @FourPeaksBrew.

Appreciating the Beer Can

The Beer Can: A Brief History

January 24 marks the anniversary of a critical event in Beer History and one that is often unappreciated. It marks the day the first canned beer is introduced to the market. Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company partnered with the American Can Company and delivered 2000 cans of beer to Richmond, VA on this day in 1935, where an a whopping 91% of Krueger fans approved the product. American Can Company made many attempts at canning beer and after years of trial and error, the company developed a special lining to protect the beer from reacting with the metal.

Much has changed since that day in 1935. Technological advances have improved how cans are made, and the lining that coats and protects both the metal (which has since changed) and the product (which also has since changed). The can has been hailed as a superior vessel for the ultimate craft beer experience. These days, we have special events, festivals and charity drives all built around the Mighty Beer Can.

The canning process is interesting and understanding it may lend a great appreciation to the breweries who offer a canned product. Canning lines come in all shapes and sizes. Often, the process is so quick that it’s difficult to catch all the detail with the naked eye.

The Canning Process

The most basic breakdown works like this:

1) Empty containers are rinsed with sanitized water which removes undesirables or solutions that may have been used in the manufacturing of the can.

2) The can is purged and pressurized with CO2. CO2 pressurizing prevents excess foaming when the beer is introduced into the can.

3) The can is gently filled with beer, the sweet nectar of the gods.

4) Pressure is slowly relieved so as not to agitate the beer.

5) Intentional fobbing (or foaming) forces any headspace oxygen out of the can just prior to applying lid and seaming.

Cross-section of the can seam (via burnbrosbrew.com)

6) In a very quick process, the can end is folded over the body and sealed with incredible precision. This is the can’s seam. The process is called double seaming.  (pictured)

7) The outside of the container is rinsed with sanitized recycled water to remove any beer that may be clinging to the can after fobbing.

Surprising to me, this process isn’t very different from the bottling process. Here is a video that demonstrates the canning process during a run of Four Peaks Pumpkin Porter.

On Sunday, January 24, we pay homage to the beer can’s introduction into the commercial market. Come by Four Peaks in Tempe and Four Peaks Grill and Tap in Scottsdale on this day and enjoy $1 off a 6 pack of our canned beer selection!

Follow Four Peaks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Periscope to be in touch with the growth and expansion of Four Peaks Brewing Company. We appreciate your continued support!

 

[Guest Blogger] Four Peaks Crafts Bitters For In-house Cocktails

(Erin Schultz is the first guest blogger on Marieatfourpeaks.com. A couple weeks back, we were sitting at a meeting, and she told me about this program. It was new. It was cool. And I haven’t heard of any other local breweries doing something like this. We arranged a Scope, but she provided me with this write-up that had to be shared as it is chalk full of information about an underappreciated bar ingredient. Enjoy! MMR)

Four Peaks Craft Bitters Program

A Brief History of Bitters

Bitters started around 1700’s in London as a hangover cure, mixed with canary wine. Many original uses for bitters were medicinal. By 1750, they started mixing the bitters with burnt brandy, which is the beginning of one of the first cocktails mixed with bitters.

Although started in Europe, cocktail bitters gained more popularity in colonial America. The word cocktail describes a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.

Bitters themselves are aromatic flavoring agents made from roots, bark, fruit peels, seeds, spices, herbs, flowers, and botanicals in high-proof alcohol. Tasted by alone bitters may often taste bitter or bittersweet, but bitters is not a particular flavor profile and has a wide variety of flavors. Therefore, bitters have become a more like a spice cabinet for bartenders.

Craft Cocktails Come to Four Peaks Brewery

Two years ago, with the help of Jason Asher from Young’s Market Company, Four Peaks started its new cocktail program enveloping the idea of making craft cocktails that bring the brewery into a cocktail glass. We loved the idea of marrying beer and liquor, as they go through a similar process. The mix of beer with cocktails has been around since the early nineteenth century, but until the last decade or so, beer didn’t get the recognition it deserved in what it could provide to a cocktail.

Going through multiple Four Peaks specific craft cocktails that include many different varieties of simple syrups, shrubs, tinctures, based off of our beer. I thought why not bring the profiles of our beer into yet another bar spice, bitters.

A Sirius Start

I started with one of my favorite beers, Four Peaks Sirius Black Russian Imperial Stout. I spent a few hours with one of our head brewers, Melissa Osbourne, talking about the process of making Sirius Black, and the flavor profiles included. This particular strong beer is bourbon barrel aged and has notes of coffee, licorice, orange, and vanilla. How great of a beer to start with?

I worked with Melissa and Andy Ingram, one of our owners, to dial these bitters in to reflect the correct notes that they want to come out in the beer, and voila!

Standing today, we have Sirius Black Russian Imperial Stout bitters, Hopsquatch Barley Wine bitters, Double Pumpkin Strong Porter bitters, Odelay Mexican Chocolate Brown Ale bitters, and more to come.

A Product of Patience and Passion

So, I am not a professional at making bitters, and had a lot of reading and research to guide me. I currently do bitters the old and long way. I have done my bitters in a sous-vide, and although quicker and successful, it tends to lack the depth that natural infusion creates. Each bitters version takes a month to make and produces a large mason jar of product.

I start with the profile ingredients and a high proof alcohol of any kind, I pair the alcohol to go with the beer profile. Some, ingredients I use from the brewery, and I will dry citrus peels or peppers to use. I let that sit for two weeks and shake it every day.

At two weeks, I strain the liquid and separate the solids and liquids. I take the solids and add 1 cup of water, and then boil/simmer this for 10 minutes. I let this sit in a jar or one week, so now I have two jars that are sitting for a week that I shake every day.

One week later, I strain the solid containers for any liquid, throw out any solids remaining, and combine the two jars. I fine strain these, cheesecloth/coffee filter/or centrifuge, and then add two tablespoons of beer infused simple syrup. I let this sit for a week, shaking it every day. One week later, I fine strain or centrifuge again, to get any remaining remnants leftover.

And, there we have it, Four Peaks Bitters Program.

A Glimpse Into the Future

We have just started this, and it is growing and becoming more refined. We are using these bitters in upcoming cocktails, and they are available to mix with anything we would like to serve. Each new seasonal beer lends to new bitters. In the long run, our beer has found yet another way to find a solid spot in the bar and shine.

For craft cocktail announcements, beer release dates and keeping up-to-date on all things related to Four Peaks Brewery, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Periscope and Twitter!

Four Peaks Brewery Showcases New Bottling Line

Four Peaks Offers Sneak Peek of New Bottling Line at Wilson St. Location

A couple weeks ago, many viewers were able to join in on a Periscope broadcast, or scope, to get the very first look at the much-anticipated new bottling line at Four Peaks’ production facility on Wilson Street in Tempe, AZ.

During the scope, viewers were treated to a tour of the bottling line by an installer of the bottling line. Four Peaks was able to extract this portion of the scope and, with a little technological magic, was able to add subtitles to the highlights of the tour.

This brief tour includes identification of carbonator, valve manifold, triblock, rinser, double pre-evacuation and crowner with a short explanation of how each works.

With the introduction of this new bottling line, not only will production of current bottled beer increase, new bottled selections such as Hop Knot, Raj and other seasonal beers could be bottled. Additionally, look forward to seeing 12 packs of current bottled beer selections, Kilt Lifter and 8th Street Pale Ale, and distributed through Hensley Beverage Company and hits retails shelves in December.

For up-to-date announcements of new bottle releases, follow Four Peaks Brewing Company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Periscope.

The Majestic Beer Can

Craft Beer Loves Cans

Cans are an incredible invention created by great minds with amazing technology. Because we use them every day, we take for granted the careful thought and consideration of the engineering, design and construct of today’s aluminum can. This vessel protects and transports our favorite beverage from our favorite brewery to our favorite piehole.

We talked about why cans are so good for craft beer. Let’s dive into how cans are engineered and constructed thus allowing understand and appreciation for this fine thirst-quenching implement. The engineering of our favorite beer can is fascinating and helps us recognize it’s powerful position in the craft beer industry.

And in light of the recent news that Bell’s Brewery will release Hop Slam in cans and not bottles in 2016, I continue to educate myself about this technology to share with you.

Before it becomes an excellent option on a craft beer shelf, this ultimate beverage vessel’s construction goes through an array of steps and takes into consideration several structural factors. These factors include superior hygiene, ease of transportation, merchandise display, optimal amounts of materials used and volume contained, product branding space, packaged product safety and the consumer’s ease to store, use, and disposal.

Everything about the can’s engineering and design has evolved for particular reasons based upon the aforementioned factors. This process happens on a scale that, in the aluminum can industry, yields production of over 100 billion cans each year.

Nearly 500 craft beer brewers use aluminum to can more than 1,700 different beers. Protection from light and oxygen are two key benefits in addition to the unparalleled sustainability of aluminum packaging.

Source: Aluminum Cans | The Aluminum Association

I will be forthright here.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I took on this project two months ago with my first bit of coverage of the canned craft brew.

What’s so special about a can of beer? Choose it from the store, bring it home, put it in the fridge, grab one when needed and to crack open.  The. End.

The more I got into the subject, the more fascinated I have become with the process. I enjoy learning how things are made; I love the appreciation I gain from understanding these processes.

Can Manufacturing

Can manufacturing occurs through many steps. Each step happens lightening speeds of a fraction of a fraction of a second making it difficult to document successfully in a video. Using photos from the display above will help visually represent several of these steps.

1. A 9 to 10-ton roll of aluminum sheet begins this process. From this roll, a Punch Press punches out a disk 14 cm in diameter wide and presses the disk into a cup.

2. This cup is then moved along into the Draw & Iron Body Maker. This process covers three stages that include redrawing, ironing and doming. The aluminum is pulled to the desired length, called ironing, and happens through three phases. The aluminum is lubricated so as not to tear it. It also doubles as a cooling agent as the aluminum become hot during this process.

A dome is then pressed into the bottom of the can. This allows:

a. less material to be used to make the can,
b. redistribution of some of the can’s load,
c. and enables the can to withstand greater pressure.

3. The ironing causes the edges of the can to become wavy and warped. A trimmer cleans and straightens the edges and primes it the necking sleeve.

4. Cans are then whisked off to a washer and undergo a six-stage cleaning process that includes two stages of hydrofluoric acid at 60º and four phases of deionized water.

5. A dryer is employed, and cans emerge shiny as a layer of aluminum has been taken off by the hydrofluoric acid.

6. A roller then coats the bottom of the can with varnish. This varnish allows for more fluid movement in a vending machine and conveyor belt. (When shined with an ultraviolet light shows a blue ring.)

7. Printing comes next. Then varnish is applied to protect the ink. The printing and varnishing is a rapid process. A Rexam representative, the producers of Four Peaks cans, tells me that Rexam prints about 1500 cans per minute!

8. The cans then take a quick trip through an oven to dry the ink and protect the varnish.

9. Then, the cans are sprayed with a water-based varnish on the inside of the can. This does two things for the can:

a. It creates a barrier between the drink and aluminum preventing the beverage from taking on the metallic taste of the aluminum.

b. It prevents aluminum from being eaten away by the acid in beverages.

10. The printed cans move to the necking machine. (Not to be confused with your Prom Date. Bah-da-bum!) During this process, the can goes through an eleven-step process so as to not tear the already thin aluminum and produces a 5 cm neck of the can.

11. The can then passes through a flanger. The flanger creates the curved-over edge on the top of the can. This is later covered by the top of the can during the canning process.

12. Finally, the cans pass through a computerized visual inspection where the computer takes and views pictures to ensure superior quality in the cans leaving the plant.

After this process, the cans are then shipped to the beverage production facility. In our next canning discussion, we’ll follow a can of Four Peaks Pumpkin Porter through the canning process at our production facility on Wilson Street and the home of the Four Peaks Tasting Room.

Aluminum is recyclable infinitely. The Aluminum Association boasts that “as the most valuable package in the bin, aluminum cans are, by far, the most recycled beverage container. The average can contains 70 percent recycled metal.” Not only is that can transporting liquid gold to you, but it can also continue the tradition for generations to come.

“The aluminum beverage can is so ubiquitous that it’s easy to take for granted, but the next time you take a sip from one, consider the decades of ingenious design require to create this modern marvel.” ~Bill Hammack

Watch Bill Hammack enlighten us on the fascinating engineering of the modern aluminum can.

Follow Four Peaks Brewing Co. on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Many behind-the-scenes tips and photos are shared to educate fans about Four Peaks Brewery and the brewing process. Cheers!

*For additional information about Rexam’s aluminum can production process, click here.

Behind the Brewery Scenes: DE

The world of brewing beer may seem like it’s all fun and games at first, but dig a little deeper and new words, equipment, product and different processes are unearthed. Today, we discuss a product called diatomaceous earth.

At Four Peaks Brewing Co, we pride ourselves on the bright (clear) beer selection we offer. Achieving this level of clarity in our beer isn’t something that just happens by way of luck. We invest a lot of time and energy making this happen. An essential component to filtering process is a product called diatomaceous earth (DE or DTE)

Unused DE

DE is made up of the tiny spiny remains of aquatic creatures. These creatures are called diatoms and are made up of a substance called silica. Making up about 26% of the Earth’s crust by weight, silica is a plentiful natural resource whose registered uses include pesticides, skin care products, toothpastes, foods, beverages, medicines, paints, and water filters.

How DE is used in the brewing process

Filter w/ used DE

At Four Peaks Brewery, this powdery substance is used in conjunction with stainless wire mesh through a filter machine (pictured). This allows for optimal clarity in the beer without affecting the color or taste of the filtered beer.

Bret adds DE to the filter during a cycle.

Note: Great care must be taken not to inhale DE. Respirators are used throughout the process to protect the brewers from breathing this material into their lungs.

A brewer adds the diatomaceous earth to the DE filter. Then these crushed, spiky corals layer on top of each other creating enough space, or what Brewer, Rob Rodriguez, describes as a “maze” for the beer to pass through leaving behind unwanted particles.

Single Tank Series English Summer Ale

The result is crystal clear brew!
Cheers!

You’re Invited to Tour Our Houses!

Jamie begins a tour through the original Four Peaks in Tempe.

Knowing where your brew comes from is important. Especially to the gang here at Four Peaks Brewing Company.

We just love craft beer. We love that we can enjoy fresh beer from the source weekly. We love the variety that craft beer offers. We love being a part of an active craft beer community.

We also love sharing information, education, stories, videos and pictures of what we do so well – and that’s making darn good beer.

We wanted to expand that experience. We all sat around a while ago and asked ourselves what we enjoy out of our personal craft beer experiences.

Bottling 101 with Jamie on a brewery tour.

We enjoy the smells of hops and malts offered. We enjoy walking in and seeing the big steel tanks in the morning and then in the early evening during the sunset and illuminates them just so. We enjoy talking to brewers, cellarmen, and the bottling team about what’s on the horizon. We enjoy talking about beer and how we make it. We appreciate the process because we understand the process.

Then it hit us: Brewery tours! 

Touring the barrel room and the canning line.

Let's show our friends and fans what we do and how we do it. Let's educate them about Four Peaks beer in a way no one or no other platform can educate them.

Then we got to work. We recruited a couple of enthusiastic, articulate, and fun tour guides that are passionate about not only craft beer but Four Peaks craft beer. We offer tours three times a day on Saturday – 10:30, 12, and 2:30. They last about 45 minutes to an hour and include two (2) tickets to enjoy the beer our participants just learned all about in the tour. We also threw in a price break for any merchandise purchased that day as well – 15% off.

Word got out, and the tours gained more popularity. We were getting requests left and right and, frankly, could not keep up! The choice was simple. We had to add more tours!

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Starting September 15, 2015, Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe will offer Tuesday and Wednesday evening tours at 7 PM in addition to Saturday tour times!

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This is an excellent opportunity to host a company get together or team building exercise! Out of town guests will be able to tour one of Tempe’s oldest buildings and learn about Arizona’s premier brewery up close and in person! Guests also looking for an entertaining and educational activity for a group of friends will also benefit from our expansion of schedule offerings.

Group tour of Wilson in Tempe, AZ.

But we couldn’t just stop there. We didn’t want the Tasting Room on Wilson to feel left out! We went back to the drawing board. We concluded we must include Four Peaks Tasting Room and production facility in the tour schedule.

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Starting September 25, 2015, Four Peaks Tasting Room on Wilson will be open from 4 PM – 9 PM every Friday night. There will be tours to take, beer to drink, food trucks to dine from, and parking spots to… park! 

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Make your reservations for your tours today or keep us in mind for traveling friends, office parties, or just something to do on a day off.

We look forward to seeing you at a brewery tour or sipping on a brew at the Tasting Room on Wilson soon!  Send a shout out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We like hearing from our friends and sharing your awesome pics!

Cheers!

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Cask-sposé: A Look into ‘Real Ales’

Americans have a particular palate. While knee-deep in a craft beer revolution, the number one selling beer in America is still a macro-produced light beer. That’s right. A fizzy, yellow brew tops our best-selling beer charts.

But buried deep in the craft beer culture is a sub-culture of beer lovers that are starting to step out of the shadows. They are the cask-conditioned ale (or ‘Real Ale’) drinkers. Proudly, I am one of them.

What is a ‘Real Ale’?

English Pint Glass found at http://www.barmans.co.uk

Traditionally, Real Ales are cask-conditioned ales that are made exclusively with traditional ingredients (malt, yeast, water, hops) then are allowed a second fermentation cycle to allow for natural carbonation. A priming agent may be introduced to the beer. A priming agent is an additional sugar source so the yeast can eat some more sugar to produce an increased amount of natural carbon dioxide. This means that additional gas (carbon dioxide and nitrogen) are not introduced to the beer. The beer is stored in a cask and pulled through a hand pump – or a ‘beer engine’ – or the cask is tapped at the keystone with cask tap and gravity takes over and poured into an English Pint Glass or German Stein.

A firkin available at http://www.kegworks.com.

The agitation that is introduced produces a creamy froth. Occasionally additional ingredients such as coffee beans, special spices, or dry hopping techniques are used to give the beer new dimension and depth. As Charlie Billingsley, Brewer and Real Ale fan, puts it, “The cask itself gives the opportunity for dry hopping and the occasional spice for a unique beer drinking experience.”

Tandoori Spiced Cask-conditioned Raj at the original Four Peaks in Tempe.

Charlie goes on to say, “The challenge of producing a proper pint of cask conditioned beer has always fascinated me.  It’s not easy to get the carbonation right, which happens naturally in the cask. Therefore, the term cask conditioned ale.  Once the cask is ready to be tapped, a skilled cellarman (not gender specific) needs to fine the cask and put it on stillage with enough time for the beer to clarify.”

A ‘Real Ale’ is the most fundamental, real, raw form of enjoying a brew that we, as consumers, can enjoy.

With such a gift comes great responsibility. This beer is meant to be consumed fresh and stored at cellar temperature. (This being 40º-55º F.) Fresh also means that there aren’t any added preservatives to keep it fresher longer. It also means, if not stored properly and consumed within about 72 hours of tapping, the beer starts to oxidize and go bad.

“When the pint is presented to the beer drinking guest it will have a cascading effect offering a nice dense head on the beer and looking bright as if it was filtered.”  -Charlie Billingsley

What makes a ‘Real Ale’ so special?

Four Peaks 8th Street bartender, Cody, pulls a cask 8th Street Pale Ale from the beer engine.

Cask-conditioned, or ‘Real Ales’, are special because of what happens when high levels of carbonation and temperatures are stripped away from shocking then muting our taste buds. What you experience is the truest, most delicate, awesome flavors of a beer that you have never experienced before. It’s like tasting your favorite beer again for the first time only with super sensory powers – malts are maltier; the hops are hoppier; the peaks are higher, and the valleys are lower. Each minute essence of the beer is expanded exponentially in a cask-conditioned beer.

Squashing the myth

Real Ales are seen more predominantly in English pubs however the trend is alive and well in America despite the myth that cask-conditioned ales are “warm and flat”. A well-handled cask-conditioned ale poured properly through a well-maintained engine will present at a comfortable temperature for your palate to experience each flavor nuance. The creamy feel of the natural carbonation may not bounce over your tongue like a carbonated brew but instead will roll across your tongue to allow each papilla to become enveloped in its flavor.

The beer engine handle at Four Peaks Grill & Tap in Scottsdale.

At Four Peaks Brewery and Four Peaks Grill & Tap, a new variety of cask-conditioned ales are released weekly. Each Wednesday, the original Four Peaks in Tempe releases two varieties and each Thursday, Four Peaks Grill & Tap pulls one variety from their engine. We share our newest cask-conditioned creations on Facebook, Twitter, and our website.

On September 4, 2015September 4, 2015 By Marie Miller-RodriguezIn Craft Beer EducationLeave a comment

Tasting Beer: There’s More Than Meets the Eye

Tasting beer requires more than simply drinking beer.

There is a ritual to tasting beer that involves each of your senses. Bringing this practice to light may tack on a few extra minutes to your sampling session but what you learn by participating in a friendly (and somewhat organized) tasting session could last a lifetime!

PRO TIP: “What I tell people is to use all of your senses when tasting beer.  You eat with your eyes why not drink with them too.” – Melissa Osborne, Brewer

The Structured Analysis Process

Melissa leads a tasting session with craft beer team leaders for Total Wine.

Melissa Osborne is a member of the Four Peaks Brewing team and an experienced judge. Melissa leads monthly tasting and sensory panels for the staff and specialty tasting sessions for partners. She knows a thing or two about sampling and judging beers.

During organized and formal tasting sessions, the group is given samples of each of the Four Peaks mainstay beers – Hop Knot IPA, Raj IPA, 8th Street Pale Ale, White Ale, Arizona Peach Ale, Sunbru Kolsch, Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale and Oatmeal Stout. Each participant is given a sheet of paper that outlines each style. There is a quick overview of what the style is and the ingredients of that specific brew to give participants some background and education about the style at hand.

For each style, some sections can be checked that offer several descriptors. Using all senses – appearance, aroma, taste, and mouth-feel, participants take their time to identify precisely what they see (color, clarity, head), what they smell, (dark fruit, light fruit, citrus, spices, bread), what they taste (flavors, intensity, transitions, finish) and mouth-feel (carbonation, body, smooth, silky).

Sampling notes

Participants are urged to take notes on their findings and encouraged to consider food pairings for each style. After taking notes on each style, participants share their findings with each other and compare notes. This is a crucial step! Many times different folks have different sensory thresholds. This means they can pick up on a particular attribute much easier than someone else in the group. Once discussed, other participants may be able to pull through a similar attribute and VOILÀ! Palates have been expanded. Similar characteristics can be detected in future tastings of that same style (or other related styles).

PRO TIP: “At a judge table, we taste and make our notes independantly then talk about it afterward so we don’t influence each other.” -Melissa Osborne

Why so serious? Tasting beer is supposed to be fun!

Tasting and learning about your beer should be fun! Let’s break down the process into four easy steps that will take your beer sampling (and palate!) to the next level:

1. Hold your sample up to the light (Hint: put a piece of white paper or a white napkin behind it.)
   • What do you see? Take note of the color (honey, russet brown, inky black), the clarity (brilliant, hazy, cloudy, bright), and the head (persistent, rocky, frothy)
2. Bring the beer up to your nose and inhale. (Hint: open your mouth slightly and inhale with your nose and mouth.)
   • What do you smell? Is it bready or biscuity? Can you smell raisins or bananas? Maybe a hint of grapefruit? Possibility pepper, licorice? Reach deep into the old memory bank for scents of your youth – grass, a cellar, a fresh lilac, Sunday breakfast (bacon!).
3. Now, take that first sip.
   • What do you taste? What is it? Is that vanilla? A hint of dark chocolate? Maybe caramel? Is it all bread? What’s the intensity of the flavors? Subtle or over the top? Maybe one taste transitions into another? How’s that finish? Dry or lingering?
4. Once that sip of beer has passed, let’s think about how the mouth feels.
   • How did that beer feel in your mouth? Was the beer smooth and silky? Or was it hot and astringent? Did it bounce over your tongue or did it glide over it? Was it dense and chewy or delicate and light?

Staff sensory tasting at Four Peaks Tasting Room in Tempe.

For these exercises, you don’t have to be taking in-depth notes. Using a free app, like Untappd, can help you organize and document the beers you have tried. This is an exercise about expanding your palate and understanding what you are drinking. It gets you talking about beer and increases your appreciation for the craft. You can tell your friends why you liked (or disliked) a particular brew.

Don’t worry, you won’t be tested. There aren’t any right or wrong answers to tasting beer. While it can be intimidating at first, I encourage you to get out there and taste with friends. Hosting a bottle exchange party or getting together with a group to enjoy a round of taster flights is the perfect opportunity to put this ritual to good use!

PRO TIP: “Go with your gut instinct when tasting a beer.  Trust your palate.” – Melissa Osborne

Do you have a tasting ritual you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below or share with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!