Wolverine Beer

Lager School 101

We just wrapped-up a great weekend at the World Beer Expo in Frankenmuth, and a question I got a lot was this:  “What’s the difference between pilsner and lager?”  It’s a great question, because most of the beers produced by the bigger American breweries are called either lager or pilsner, but there really isn’t any difference in the taste.

In the last Lager School 101, I covered the difference between lager and ale, so now is a perfect time to talk about the difference between lager and pilsner.  Remember from last time that all beers fall into one of two categories:  lager or ale.  Well, within each of those two broad categories, there are many different styles of beer.  And pilsner is just one style of lager.

The pilsner style of beer originated in the Czech Republic, near the German border – beer country for sure.  The authentic Czech and German pilsners were both sweeter and more bitter than any of today’s big American beers calling themselves pilsners.  However, compared to the other traditional European beers of the time, Czech and German pilsners were the lightest, crispest, coldest beers around – light gold in color and crystal clear.

In the mid 1800’s, when beer was replacing whiskey as the adult beverage of choice in the US, all different styles of beer were being brewed, but pilsner was the style of beer that really took off.  Remember, this was also the height of the industrial revolution and Americans were working long, hard days in hot, dark factories.  At the end of the day (and even at breaks) they wanted to cool off, relax, and quench their thirst with something light and refreshing to drink.  Of all the traditional beer styles, pilsner was the one that fit the bill.

Now to be sure, American brewers of the time weren’t stupid.  They realized that if they could take their already popular pilsner and make it even lighter and crisper, then it would be an even bigger hit with the hard-working American consumer.  So they reduced the sweetness by substituting other grains for some of the malt, and they cut the bitterness by backing off the hops.  American ingenuity at its finest!  Since pilsner beer was the style most Americans of the time associated with easy-drinking lighter beer, the name “pilsner” stayed on many of the labels even though the beer changed dramatically.

Today, many of the large American breweries still call their lager “pilsner,” even though the beer doesn’t taste anything like the traditional style that came over from Europe.  Rather, the name pilsner is more of a nod to the historical roots of the smooth, golden colored beer most Americans drink today, and which has more recently come to be recognized as its own style of beer — “American Lager.”

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What’s the difference between lager and ale?

Sounds simple enough, but there’s a ton of science behind it.  I’ll get into the science in later postings, but here’s the basic stuff that will help you decide which six-pack to grab off the shelf on your way home from work.

Lager yeast is one type of yeast used to make beer; ale yeast is the other.  Because of the different way they do their jobs, lager yeast contributes much more subtle and restrained flavoring compounds into the finished beer than ale yeast does.  Therefore, lager is generally brewed to be lighter in malt and hop flavor than ale in order to take full advantage of the contribution from the yeast flavoring compounds.

Does that mean that lager is less complex or flavorful than ale?  Not at all.  It just means that the flavors of lager tend to be more delicate and refined than the flavors of ale.  If you drink any wine, think about the difference between a massive Cabernet that turns your teeth purple versus the Pinot Noir you drink with good barbecue.  The Pinot isn’t less flavorful, it’s just more restrained so it complements rather than dominates.

The same can generally be said of lager.  It’s lighter and more refreshing than ale, and generally complements a meal better (particularly summer grub).

Now, lager can be “hyped-up” in the tank to taste more like ale (called California Common or “steam” beer) and ale can be aged or blended to taste more like lager (called Cream Ale).  But more often than not, if the beer you’re grabbing is called a lager, it will be a lighter beer with subtle flavors, that is refreshing on its own but also complements a meal well.

Matt Ponders lagers. . . .

In goes the Malt--The grain is cracked, removing the sprout which allows it to be beeter exposed to the boiling water (it's loud!)

Grinding away--making the malt the perfect condition for boiling

it all starts here--bags of malt ready to be milled

The "Mash Tun" or boiling vessel -- the cracked and exposed malt grains enter here into super hot water (about 160 degrees) for the next step towards your next bottle of Wolverine

That white sleeve at the upper left corner is full of cracked malt entering the Mash Tun full of super hot water (Boiling Vessel--remember children?)

OK class, here is how THIS step really works: Sugars are created from the complex carbohydrates or starches in the grain (malt) by simply applying heat in this vessel. Chemical bonds break, the resulting pieces are smaller, simple carbohydrates--sugars that can be fermented by the yeast--but we have a few steps before that. . .

So the next step creates this leftover stuff--we have to separate the liquid future beer from the solid grain leftovers in the 2nd brew house step--the Lauter Tun which separates the WORT (new word) from the grain.

Wolverine Beer is the ultimate GREEN company! The liquid mash (grain and hot water) that is created in the first step is sent into the Lauter Tun to be separated by recirculating the wort over the mash. The lauter tun has a "false bottom" which allows the solid parts of the mash to remain above, filtering the recirculated water as it is reintroduced each time.

This equipment allows the brewer to view the opacity of the wort as it is syphoned off the bottom of the lauter tun and reintroduced to the mash. SPARGING ( new word alert) is the continous sprinkling of water through the grain to extract all of the sugars which will later be conveted by yeast to alcohol (we are getting closer. . . )

Wovlerine Beer is created using a 3-stage brew house. Once the mash has been SPARGED and the wort is separated from the grain with as many sugars as possible it is placed into the last vessel--the boilling vat or "kettle".

In the kettle, what is essentially a sugar and water mixture is heated back up to kill all bacteria in order to elinate competition for the brewer's yeast, and proteins (which can cause "off flavor" in the beer) are being coagulated and cooked out.

This step includes the next crucial ingredient in beer making–HOPS–which is an actual flower and ancient flavoring, bittering and even antibiotic for the wort.

Hops--The actual amount used is based on the strength of the individual type and even the specific batch (which can vary within the type and brand) but it's a SECRET for most brewers--too much or too little will ruin it but Wolverine Beer has JUST THE RIGHt AMOUNT for a fresh, delicious, refreshing lager!

Getting closer to the Wolverine Beer you know and love. . . the wort is boiled, and hops (secret amount and process--sorry) are added at just the right time. If you can imagine an enormous PINE FOREST where ORANGES are being grown--that's what the hops smell like to E.T.

While the magic is being made (or chemistry follows its course) in the kettle, what is left in the lauter tun is emptied out and ultimately sent out to farmers who use it to feed cattle. It's a great source of protein and fiber for Bessie! m m m m m fiber. . . .

Is that my morning egg?? nooooo. .  .that is actually the “hop cone” created in the center of the kettle as the flavored and properly bittered liquid is drained out.  The modern brewing process has allowed for this advance, inwhich the kettle is constructed with a barrier around the middle, catching the solids (what’s left of the hops and any remaining grains).  We don’t any of that stuff in our beer, ultimately.

After about 45 minutes or so, the hops and flavorings have had time to infuse the wort and it's time to draw it out of the boiler and cool it down. Wolverine Beer is a LAGER, which calls for a much cooler fermentation environment. Cooling the wort down really quickly requires this piece of equipment--a heat exchanger -- for the next step into the fermenter.

Is it time to drink already?? Nope, sorry, that's the YEAST, which is the next KEY ingredient in the creation of your next Wolverine Beer. . . It's added to the fermenter in a controlled fashion, and will consumer the sugar we created in the mashing and lautering processes. Fermentation tanks--where the REAL magic happens over time. Beer brewing is ancient and fairly simple--the yeast eats those sugars we created inside these tanks, moving around and doing its thing at a rate that depends on many things, including the temperature (ales--warmer: lagers--colder). The yeast then produces carbon Dioxide (CO2) and ethyl alcohol.

The Brew Masters--Wolverine Beer Guys In Charge Matt (right) and Travis, checking the all important temperature of the wort as it passes out of the heat exchanger and is sent into the fermenter. Hi guys--it is beer:o'clock yet?

Here it is--the precious elixir, a.k.a. Future Wolverine Beer, as it passes into the fermentation vessel and encounters that all important yeast and a 60 degree environment (it's a long way from that 170 degrees we had back in the mash and lauter tun)!

The Bright Tanks--the final stage prior to packaging. Give that yeast about 5 weeks to do its thing and the fresh Wolverine Beer is drained out of the fermenter and the yeast is eliminated. Yeast's job here is done. The final beer in your hand is an amazing yet pretty simple chemical experiment!

patience grasshopper--that's what it takes. We need another 4-6 weeks for that elixir (sugar water, hops, yeast, cold temperatures) to create your next batch of awesome Wolverine Beer! But there really is no need to wait--check our BEER FINDER--we are ALL OVER THE STATE NOW!

mmmmmm . . . . .wolverine beer!!! thanks for taking our tour and attending the Brewing lesson (no tests given--just pick up a six pack or ask your favorite local bar for one today!)

We will brewing up a fresh batch of Wolverine Beer this Friday, 3/20 — Matt and I will be there from the start (and it’s an early one–7 a.m.!)  and I’ll be posting photos of the process here over the weekend! 

cheers

ET

michigan__the_victors2

We Believe. . . .

Join us at Banfield’s Westside in Ann Arbor THIS THURSDAY 3/19 from 7-9 as we cheer on our Michigan Wolverines to victory over Clemson in the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament!!

The Wolverine Girls will be there @ 7:30 giving out SPECIAL Tournament Wolverine Beer Tshirts–enjoy an ice cold WOLVERINE BEER and the game on one of the MANY tv’s that Tom Banfield has set up in his place—and the company of your fellow WOLVERINE BASKETBALL FANS!!

LET’S GO BLUE! 

Banfield’s is located at 5510 Jackson Rd. in Ann Arbor.

Here’s Trevor Thrall, 1/2 of the team that invented Wolverine Beer!

He’ll be posting his own thoughts from time to time. . . feel free to chat back!

the other 1/2 of the original team