Craig Burge, our Head Brewer, looks on during the brewing process. From left to right in the picture the equipment is:

• MASHING - After the water is heated in the kettle, the malted grain is milled and added (right where Craig is); making the "mash". During the "mashing period" the starches in the grain are converted by enzymes into sugar. Later, during fermentation, these sugars will be converted into alcohol.
• LAUTERING - After mashing is completed, the liquid (wort) must be separated from the spent grain. This is accomplished by dumping the mash into the "lauter tun" (the large, stainless steel vat right next to the platform), allowing the wort to flow through a screen near the bottom of the tun while keeping the grain on top. The wort is dumped back into the brew kettle. The spent grain is removed and sold as cattle feed.
• KETTLE BOIL - While the wort is being pumped into the brew kettle (the tank at the extreme right of the picture) it is heated to bring a full kettle of wort to a temperature of 212^oF (boiling). The "boiling period" will last about 1.5 hours. During this time, the hops are added in three separate batches. Hops are used to give beer its characteristic bitterness of flavor and also enhance the "aromatic quality" of the finished product. Hops are also a natural preservative.