About Microbrewering
Welcome, this lens is all about the fascinating history of microbrewering, from the beginning to present day. Learn about the voluminous resources and international history of microbrews. A microbrewery, or craft brewery, is a modern brewery which produces a limited amount of beer.
Beer History
Beer is the world's oldest and most popular alcoholic beverage. Some of the earliest known writings refer to the production and distribution of beer and it is produced by the fermentation of sugars derived from starch-based material, the most common being malted barley; however, wheat, corn, and rice are also widely used, usually in conjunction with barley.
The starch source is steeped in water. Enzymes in the malt break down the starch molecules, producing a sugary liquid known as wort, which is then flavored with hops, which acts as a natural preservative. Other ingredients such as herbs or fruit may be added. Yeast is then used to cause fermentation, which produces alcohol and other waste products from anaerobic respiration of the yeast as it consumes the sugars. The process of beer production is called brewing.
Beer uses many varying ingredients, production methods and traditions. Different types of yeast and production methods may be used to classify beer as ale, lager or spontaneously fermented beer. Some beer writers and organizations differentiate and categorize beers by various factors into beer styles. Alcoholic beverages fermented from non-starch sources such as grape juice (wine) or honey (mead), as well as distilled beverages, are not classified as beer.
Microbrewery
A microbrewery, or craft brewery, is a modern brewery which produces a limited amount of beer. The maximum amount of beer a brewery can produce and still be classed as a microbrewery varies by region and by authority, though is usually around 15,000 barrels (18,000 hectolitres/ 475,000 US gallons) a year. Microbrewery Definition: A brewpub is a type of microbrewery.
The term and trend originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s to describe the new generation of small breweries which had a focus on producing traditional cask ale. Though originally used to reflect the size of the breweries it gradually came to reflect an alternative attitude and approach to brewing of flexibility, adaptability, experimentation and customer service. The term and trend spread to the United States in the 1980s where it eventually was used to indicate a brewery that produces fewer than 15,000 barrels of beer annually.
Micro or craft breweries have adopted a different marketing strategy than large, mass-market breweries, offering products that compete on the basis of quality and diversity, instead of low price and advertising. Their influence has been much greater than their market share (which amounts to only 2% in the UK), indicated by the fact that large commercial breweries have introduced new brands intended to compete for some of the microbrewery market, and when this failed, they have invested in or bought some microbreweries.
Beginnings of Microbrews
Many historians believe that the ancient Sumerians and Mesopotamians were brewing as early back as 10,000 B.C. Even though this product would have
been different from the bottled varieties of today, it would have still been recognizable.
The ancient Egyptians and the Chinese brewed their beer, as did civilizations in America, where they used corn instead of barley. Back then, thousands of years ago, microbrews were very popular and on their way to what we now know and love today.
In the middle ages, European monks were the guardians of literature and science, as well as the art of making beer. They refined the process to perfection, and even institutionalized the use of hops as both flavoring and a preservative.
It wasn't however, until Louis Pasteur came along that a final, important development was determined. Until this time, brewers had to depend on the wild yet airborne yeast for fermentation. By establishing that yeast is actually a living organism, he opened the gates for controlling the conversion of sugar into alcohol.
Grapes grow well in warmer climates, while barley grows better in cool climates. This is how the northern areas of Germany and England first became famous for their beers.
Microbrewery And America
Everything in America went dim until the dark day of 1920, when prohibition took effect. A lot of breweries went out of business or switched their production to soda pop. Not everyone stopped drinking, but gangster related products weren't known for high quality.
During prohibition the majority of the breweries went into bankruptcy because they couldn't rely on selling bogus wine as wineries of that era previously did. After going through several decades of consolidation of breweries, most commercial American beer produced by a few large companies, resulting in a mild tasting lager of which Budweiser is a great example.
When Franklin D. Roosevelt became president, he quickly appealed the very unpopular law. The new breeds of now famous beer came after World War 2 were generally mass produced and very bland.
In the United States, a microbrewery is a brewery that produces no less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year. The term microbrewery is now falling out of touch in the United States, as the term craft brewer is preferred.
Some beer drinks will consequently crave a variety and turn to homebrewing and eventually start doing it on a much larger scale. When they need inspiration they'll turn to Britain, Germany, and Belgium where centuries old tradition of artisan beer and cask ale production have never died out.
The popularity behind these products was the fact that they trend was spread quickly, and hundreds of smaller breweries popped up, attached to a bar where the product could be enjoyed by all. As microbrews gained in popularity, some became more than just simple microbrews, as they catered to a broader range of beer.
Normally, American microbreweries will distribute through wholesalers in traditional three tier systems, then act as their own distributor and sell to retailers. Selling includes tap rooms, restaurants, or even off premise sales.
The Process Of Homebrewing Microbrews
The normal batch of homebrewed beer is five gallons in volume, which is enough for 2 cases, or 48 12 ounce bottle of beer.
The typical homebrewed beer is produced by boiling water, malt extract and hops together in a large kettle and then cooling the resulting wort and adding yeast for fermenting. Experienced homebrewers will make their own extract from crushed malt barley by a more complicated process of mashing the grain in boiling hot water.
With both cases, the wort is boiled for 15 min to an hour, to help remove some impurities, dissolve the character of the hops, then break down some of the sugar. The wort is then cooled down to a pitching temperature.
The cooled wort is then poured into the primary fermenter in a manner of aggression, as to aerate the wort. Sufficient oxygen is also necessary for the yeast's growth stage. The yeast is then put into the wort.
The primary fermentation will take place in a large food bucket or carboy. Sometimes it is left open but often stoppered with the carbon dioxide gas that's produced by venting through a fermentation lock.
The process of making microbrews takes a lot of time indeed, although you can take the necessary short cuts once you learn more about how the process works. If this is your first time brewing, you should always use common sense and know what you are doing.
One of the best things about making your own homebrews is the fact that you can experiment with ingredients and brew your own creations. You can brew almost anything, providing you have the right type of equipment - which can easily be found.
Intro To Microbrews
With their varying flavor intensities and alcohol contents, microbrews are here because beer distributors noticed a market demand and took a gamble on imports like Corona in the 70s. This type of flavorful beer sold to a limited yet very enthusiastic crowd.
Beer manufacturers create what sells, therefore they didn't believe there would be a significant market with those types of beers. Consumer studies and sales showed that the biggest part of the American audiences enjoyed watery brew.
Then, out of nowhere, microbrews popped up after the first successful brew, Samuel Adams, fought with import distributors to try and convince them that a flavorful American beer would sell. Now, we have more microbrews than ever before with more coming out each and every day.
Microbrews really hit when distributors really believed that at least some people would buy them. On the other hand, home brewers and brewpubs had legal wars. In 1968, home brewing was legalized and home brewers now had the support and assistance of supply and advice stores.
Until 1983, brewpubs were illegal in all states. Late in 1983, California first began to allow brewpubs to brew and distribute their brands of beer on site. These charming, yet small batch breweries experienced high sales, especially in restaurants.
Around a century ago, the United States had more than 2,000 breweries making many different styles and variations. By the 80's, there were only 40 brewing companies that offered a brand of American Pilsner.
Today, there are over 500 microbreweries and brewpubs in the United States. Over the past few years, brewpubs have been popping up all over the place,
The Brewing Process
Brewing is the actual process of alcoholic beverages and alcohol through fermentation. This method is used with beer production, although the term can also be used for other drinks as well. The term brewing is also used to refer to any chemical mixing process as well.
The process of brewing has a long history indeed, which archeological evidence tells us that this technique was actually used in ancient Egypt as well. Many descriptions of various beer recipes can be found in Sumerian writings, which are some of the oldest writings of any type.
Even though the process of brewing is complex and varies greatly, Below, you'll find the basic stages relating to brewing.
1. Mashing - This is the first phase of brewing, in which the malted grains are crushed and soaked in warm water in order to create an extract of the malt. The mash is then held at constant temperature long enough for the enzymes to convert starches into fermentable sugar.
2. Sparging - At this stage, water is filtered through the mash to dissolve all of the sugars. The darker, sugar heavy liquid is known as the wort.
3. Boiling - The wort is boiled along with any remaining ingredients to remove any excess water and kill any type of microorganisms. The hops, either whole or extract are added at some point during this stage.
4. Fermentation - The yeast is now added and the beer is left to ferment. After it has fermented, the beer may be allowed to ferment again, which will allow further settling of the yeast and other particulate matter which may have been introduced earlier in the process.
5. Packaging - At the final stage, the beer will contain alcohol, but not too much carbon dioxide. The brewer will have a few options to increase the levels of carbon dioxide. The most common approach is force carbonation, via the direct addition of CO2 gas to the keg or bottle.
After it has been brewed, the beer in normally a finished product. At this point, the beer is kegged, casked, bottled, or canned. Beers that are unfiltered may be stored for further fermentation in conditioning tanks, casks, or bottles to allow smoothing of harsh alcohol or heavy hops.
There are some beer enthusiasts that consider a long conditioning period attractive for various strong beers such as Barley and wines. Depending on the beer enthusiast and what he likes to drink, it will vary.
Microbrew Poll
Whats Your Preferred Brew?
Microbrewery Books
Great Resources For Brewing Up Your Own Business.
Brewing Up a Business: Adventures in Entrepreneurship from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Brewing Up a Business is an entertaining, enlightening first-person account of author Sam Calagione's nontraditional success as an entrepreneur. Starting out with a home brewing kit cobbled together from used kegs, Calagione turned his entrepreneurial dream into a reality. Relying on unique brews, lots of loving technique, and hard work, Calagione built Dogfish Head Craft Beer into America's fastest growing brewery. Without the benefit of an advertising budget, Dogfish went from a tiny operation in Delaware to one of the country's most popular craft breweries, distributed in 29 states and four countries.
A New Religion in Mecca: Memoir of a Renegade Brewery in St. Louis
In 1991, St. Louis lawyer Thomas Schlafly decided to play "David" to one of the city's biggest business "Goliaths": Anheuser-Busch. He started Schlafly Brewery as the city's first micro-beer in the shadow of the world's biggest beer maker. Despite legislative shenanigans that tried to limit how many barrels he could brew and resistance from local distributors, schlafly took an abandoned warehouse in midtown St. Louis and has turned it into one of the nation's most successful micro-brewers. With wit and insight, Schlafly describes his company's struggles and successes, including the day he led a dog-drawn carriage to Busch Stadium with the first case of his beer to be sold in the Anheuser-Busch owned baseball landmark.
The American Brewery: From Colonial Evolution to Microbrew Revolution
Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.-Ben FranklinThe brewing industry has been an integral part of the American fabric from the very beginning. In fact, a brewery was one of the first structures built by early colonists. Because beer was safer to drink than water (having been boiled), it was the drink of choice for all age groups, from breakfast to bedtime. After the young nation won its independence, George Washington declared his support of the beer industry by stating he would henceforth drink only porters brewed in America. This lavishly designed history tells the story of American brewing through wars, tax hikes, Prohibition, consolidation, depression, recession, and the microbrewery boom that revived the industry beginning in the late 1980s. Archival and modern imagery and photographs depict buildings inside and out, workers, the production process, and equipment. In addition, sidebars feature memorabilia, home brewing, and famous recipes from the pilgrims to present.
The Molsons: Their Lives and Times: 1780-2000
This is the true story of a remarkable family as told by a direct descendant of John Molson. Through generations, we follow their saga. We see the Molsons cope with change and opportunity in business, and we watch them deal with personal triumphs, private tragedies, and the everyday aspects of life. The first Molson arrived in Montreal in 1782 from England, with little money but a single-minded ambition. Working hard, with a belief in the future of his adopted land, John Molson established a small brewery in Montreal and put his heart and soul into the business.
Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery
This winning tale of the rise of the Brooklyn Brewery follows the basic pattern of every entrepreneur's memoir: a restless visionary sets out to accomplish a dream, barely survives a series of setbacks, emerges victorious-and ready to tell readers how they can do the same. But this account serves up more than the usual suds and foam-its counsel is sound and its prose lively, and it should appeal to both wannabe industrialists and beer drinkers, not that those categories are mutually exclusive.
Beer Ingredients
The main ingredients found in beer are water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. There are other ingredients such as flavoring, sugar, and other ingredients
that are commonly used. Starches are used as well, as they convert in the mashing process to easily fermentable sugars that will help to increase the
alcohol content of beer while adding body and flavor.
Water
Seeing as how beer is mainly composed of water, the source of water and its characteristics have a very important effect on the character of the beer. A lot of beer styles were influenced by the characteristics of water in the region. Although the effect of minerals in brewing water is complex, hard water is more suited to dark styles, while soft ware is more suited to light styles.
Malt
Among malts, barley is the most widely used due to its high amylase content, and a digestive enzyme that facilitates the breakdown of starch into sugars. Depending on what can be cultivated locally,
other malts and unmalted grains can be used, such as wheat, rice, oats, and rye. Malt is obtained by soaking grain in water, allowing it to germinate, then drying the germinated grain in a kiln. By malting the grain, enzymes will eventually convert the starches in the grain into fermentable sugars.
Hops
Since the seventeenth century, hops have been commonly used as a bittering agent in beer. Hops help to contribute a bitterness that will balance
the sweetness of the malts. They also contribute aromas which range from citrus to herbal. Hops also provide an antibiotic effect that favors the activity of brewer's yeast over the less desirable microorganisms. The bitterness in beer is normally measured on the International Bitterness Units scale.
Yeast
Yeast is a microorganism that's responsible for fermentation. Specific strains of yeast are chosen depending on the type of beer produced, as the
two main strains are ale yeast and lager yeast, with other variations available as well.Yeast helps to metabolise the sugars that are extracted from the grains, and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide as a result. Before the functions of yeast were understood, all fermentations were done using wild or airborne yeasts.
Clarifying agent
A lot of brewers prefer to add one or more clarifying agents to beer that aren't required to be published as ingredients. Examples include
Isinglas finings, which are obtained from swim bladders of fish and Irish moss, which is a type of red alga.
Since these ingredients can be obtained from animals, those who are concerned with either the use or consumption of animal products should
obtain detailed information from the brewer.
Differences Between Keg And Cask Ale
The warm temperature that cask beer is famous for doesn't apply in the summer months all that often these days, as temperature control units in pubs have beer run through coolers. The fact is, some pubs will run cask ale lines through lager chillers in order to get the beer below the maximum temperature required, so cask ale may very well end up just as cold as a keg lager.
This isn't really a good thing, as ale requires a cool rather than very cold temperature to bring out all of its flavors. In a well run pub however, the cask ale will be served at the right temperature - cool but not too cold.
The smell of cask ale is much fresher and more wholesome than keg beer. Keep in mind, the aroma of cask ale doesn't have the stored up impact of bottled type beers, as this beer has already been exposed to the air for a couple of days - meaning there is no impact when you transfer it to your beer glass.
Normally, the aroma wil be released into the air when it has been warmed up, which will probably happen when you get near the bottom of the glass.
The flavor of cask ale is very similiar to the aroma in it, which is very fresh and delicate. Unlike other bottled beers, the flavor of cask ale is even more noticeable than the aroma. At first, the aroma is very slight, although the flavor more than makes up for it.
The intensity of the flavor will depend on the style of beer. The CO2 bubbles themselves will have very little flavor, therefore a mass of bursting bubbles against your tongue will prevent the actual beer from making contact.
With cask ale, there is little to no carbonation, so more of the flavor will connect with your taste buds. You should be able to note the fruity taste up front, with balance in the middle and bitterness in the end. The flavor of a cask ale is much more noticed than keg or even bottled beer.
Bottle conditioned beers will also have this type of flavor profile, although they'll need to be prepared and conditioned well in advance, meaning that the bottle will need to be opened and allowed to settle for a while. Cask ales offer the conditioning being done for you, so you won't need to do it.
The most important aspect of cask ale is how it feels in your mouth. It shouldn't be fizzy. If it is, it's either a keg beer or a cask ale that's been put on too soon. There will be a natural feel in the beer, a life that makes you want to drink it.
Beer Lovers Gifts
How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time
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The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition (Harperresource Book)
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Designing Great Beers: The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles
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The Homebrewer's Garden: How to Easily Grow, Prepare, and Use Your Own Hops, Malts, Brewing Herbs
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Microbrew Trip On DVD
American Beer (Special Edition)
This Is a great DVD of five friends that travel the United States by minivan and visit 38 craft breweries in 40 days. The Special Edition DVD contains more than 80 minutes of additional material including breweries not featured in the film. This item is factory sealed, brand new with all proper packaging. Ships directly from production company.
600 Microwbrew Recipes
600+ Original Home Brew Recipes
Beers that are designed for the novice brewer and advanced brewer
Home brewing is both extremely simple, and yet surprisingly complex. At the core of home brewing there is a simple, easy to follow process; but as you delve deeper into this passion, you'll quickly find that there are many ways to improve your craft and learn new methods and techniques to brewing beer.
Our tutorials are aimed at teaching you the basic processes of brewing and teaching you about the fundamentals of all the elements involved in brewing....beertab.com
Humorous Beer Wear
List Of Micro Breweries
Below, you will find a guide to some of the best brews out there.
- The Great Lakes Brewery
- The Great Lakes Brewing Company started crafting beer in 1988, at the beginning of America's fascination with microbrews. They were the first such brewery ...
- MidwestMicroBrews - Reviews
- Beer reviews from the great microbreweries and brewpubs of the Midwest. Part of MidwestMicroBrews, which lists the microbreweries and brewpubs in the states of the Midwest region of the United States.
- Mogollon Brewing Company - Flagstaff, Arizona - Microbrews and ...
- Mogollon Brewing Company is a Flagstaff, Arizona based microbrewery and live music venue. Our bar features two stages and a rotating menu of microbrews.
- Harpoon Brewery - Brewers of Harpoon IPA and UFO Hefeweizen
- Welcome to New England's Largest Craft Brewery, founded in 1986 on the waterfront in Boston. We proudly brew Harpoon IPA, UFO Hefeweizen, and many other beers styles at our two breweries. We invite you to visit our Boston brewery, where it all began, and our beautiful brewery in Windsor, Vermont.
- Magic Hat Brewing Company South Burlington Vermont
- This brewery offers some of the best in the state of Vermont - as well as the entire United States! Their well known popular number 9 can be found on taps around the state. When you visit, don't forget to look under the cap, as they call it "Magic Hat" for a reason!
- Vermont Brewery. Burlington, Vermont
- This pub is the sister brewery of the 7 Barrel Brewery. They offer a great bar that serves two rooms, with plenty of fresh and tasty beer. The brown ale and dog bite bitter are the best, as they are both very tasty.
- Goose Island Chicago Illinois
- When the first Goose Island Brewpub opened its doors in 1988, domestic, mass-produced beer was deeply ingrained in Midwestern culture. The craft beer industry was still in its infancy, with only a handful of brewpubs in existence in the Midwest.
Brew Your Own Micro Brews At Home
Mr Beer Beer Kit Review
Microwbrew Photos
Microwbrew Resources Online
- What's On Tap?
- Microwbrew & Barbecue. CNEW! Nitros. New to Barley's, and new to this region, we're starting to offer nitros. What are nitros? Nitros are beers that have ...
- MySpace.com Blogs - KROQ Microwbrew MySpace Blog
- Read the KROQ Microwbrew blog on MySpace.com. MySpace Blogs: Search, browse, read & create you own blog.
- Good local beer? - San Francisco Bay Area - Chowhound
- Apr 30, 2008 ... I drink them when the only other things available are Bud, Coors, and MGD, but I never order them when a menu features good microwbrew. ...
- PhilaFoodie: Dock Street Brewery
- Jan 7, 2008 ... Five years later, they opened a brewpub and rode the crest of the microwbrew trend to nationwide popularity. After selling the business in ...
- Kettlehouse to Expand into Northside Warehouse | Missoula.com Magazine
- O'Leary likes to talk about convergences, like the convergence of positive indicators for craft breweries right now, which is industry-speak for microwbrew ...
- Bourbon Cowboy FAQ
- I always tell folks that if the nickname were being given to me nowadaze it would be "the Microwbrew Cowboy" instead. But it doesn't quite have the same ...
- Wrigleyville News - Topix
- The closure doesn't affect production of Goose Island, a leading Chicago-produced microwbrew. Goose Island's Wrigleyville Brewpub at 3535 N. Clark St. will ...
- Clancy's Cafe and Pub - It's All About The Beer. Baby.
- Okay then, we've got a great selection of the finest import and microwbrew bottles available to mankind. For when you're feeling all adventuresome ...
- Eat Cheap in Denver: Affordable Prix Fixe Meals at 170 Eateries ...
- Sushi joints, microwbrew pubs, wine bars and seafood houses are all on board. So matter what sort of food you're hanking for, and whether you want a ...
- Speaking of Beer » 2006 » June
- Jun 6, 2006 ... These guys are relatively new in the "big bold American microwbrew" arena, dominated mostly by California and Oregon. ...
- Green Dragon's Meet-the-Brewer Archives - The Beer Here ...
- They were just at the KLCC/Lane Microwbrew Fest with their Organic Free Range Redand Vanilla Porter, and if I was gonna bet, I'd hope that they'd bring a ...
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Microbrew Blog Posts
- Teens Get Drunk On Award-Winning Microbrew
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Feedback

Share your thoughts about Microbrew beers! Thank You For Stopping By. Have A Great Day!
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beerlover
hey hats off to the micro brewers otherwise we would be drinking comercial cats piss ;) Posted September 24, 2008 |
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AGreenVoice
K, you need to add Wheat Beer to your vote! It's so great to see women love beer! We've been denied too long! Beer is great! Posted August 04, 2008 |
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snaz
Cheers! Tasty lens. Posted June 02, 2008 |
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iLove
great info, thanks for thsi. Posted May 27, 2008 |









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