How to taste beer like a proMarch 15, 2023Brewing-1 A quick sniff and peek It is important to pour a beer into the proper glass so its aromas can be released Once it is poured, quickly move the glass under your nose and inhale Think of it as a ‘drive by’ sniff, so you can get a sense of the beer...
Cold Liquor TankMarch 10, 2023Brewing-The CLT is a stainless steel water tank with cooling jackets or an external heat exchanger The CLT is filled with water that is chilled between brewing cycles to a temperature around 35 F This cold water is then pumped through the wort exchanger at a...
Calculating BTUsMarch 2, 2023Brewing, Distilling-What is a BTU and how is it measured A British thermal unit (BTU) is a measure of the heat content of fuels or energy sources It is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit at the temp...
For Peat’s sake!February 27, 2023Brewing-Peated whisky is given a smoky flavour by compounds which are released by the peat fires used to dry malted barley The Length and intensity of exposure to the peat smoke dictates the strength of this flavour as do the characteristics of the peat itse...
Whipper Snapper DistilleryFebruary 27, 2023Newsletter-Drive… Determination… Hard work… History… These are just some of the ingredients present in every drop produced by Whipper Snapper Distilleries in Perth, Western Australia In 2010, Jimmy McKeown and Alasdair Malloch were tw...
Sourcing good WaterFebruary 14, 2023Brewing-Water makes up 90 percent of the suds that end up in your glass And the different compounds within H2O can actually make or break a good beer Brewers avoid using water with any noticeable tastes or aromas (think chlorine or algae) that are hard to er...
Sacred ProfaneJanuary 26, 2023Newsletter-Mike Fava grew up in Philadelphia and turned his engineering background and love for brewing into a successful career As Head brewer at Oxbow Brewing in Maine, he helped that business grow and expand, establishing himself as one of the most skilled b...
How does a Reflux differ from an Alembic still?December 19, 2022Distilling-The Reflux still differs from the Alembic in that multiple distillations occur in one single cycle The addition of a column with bubble trays between the condenser and pot allows vapor to condense and trickle back down to be distilled once again Thus...
What is an Alembic potstill?December 19, 2022Distilling-A traditional batch distillation unit used for the production of distillates It requires several cycles of distillation in order to refine the alcohol to the desired level It consists of a tank, (which is usually steam-heated), and an overhead-vapor ...
What exactly IS Ethanol?December 19, 2022Distilling-Otherwise known as ethyl alcohol, “alcohol”, “grain-spirit”, or “neutral spirit”, etc A clear, colorless, flammable oxygenated hydrocarbon Chemical formula: C2H5OH It has a boiling point of 785°C in the anhydrous state However, it forms ...
What is Dry Hopping?December 16, 2022Brewing-The addition of hops late in the brewing process to increase the hop aroma of a finished beer without significantly affecting its bitterness Dry hops may be added to the wort in the kettle, whirlpool, hop back, or added to beer during primary or seco...
Laughing Sun Brewing CompanyDecember 16, 2022Newsletter-Mike Frohlich has been dreaming about owning a brewery since 1996 Like most of the people we highlight, someone with a dream, combined with drive, means it’s only a matter of time In this case, the time came when Mike met Todd Sattler, a fellow ent...
What is distillate?December 15, 2022Distilling-That portion of a liquid which is removed as a vapor and condensed during a distillation process...
What are bubble-cap trays?December 15, 2022Distilling, Uncategorized-Cross flow trays usually installed in rectifying columns handling liquids free of suspended solids The bubble caps consist of circular cups inverted over small vapor pipes The vapor from the tray below passes through the vapor pipes into the caps and...
Seacrets DistilleryNovember 29, 2022Newsletter-Like many young men, Leighton Moore wasn’t enchanted by school At 16, he opted out and worked in his family’s motel in Ocean City, Maryland After a trip to Jamaica, he was inspired to recreate the relaxed atmosphere and vibe and open hi...
Bright Path BrewingOctober 13, 2022Newsletter-Jim Thorpe, PA is a small picturesque town where tourism is the lead industry and it is considered one of the jewels of the Poconos With a population of 4500, it’s not hard to know your neighbors and you can always expect a friendly nod or hello fr...
DecoctionOctober 7, 2022Brewing-Does your lager recipe call for decoction Many do, but sometimes breweries don’t have the budget or room for an extra vessel such as a cereal cooker Specific Mechanical makes 2-vessel decoction easy by adding the Mash Conversion option to the B...
Casey Jones DistillerySeptember 28, 2022Newsletter-Few periods in US history were at once colourful, desperate and resourceful as the Prohibition era (1920 – 33) With the onset of the great Depression, work was scarce and families needed to eat Moonshining became a necessity and Casey Jones earned ...
Battle Born BeerSeptember 28, 2022Newsletter-The mid 1800’s was an active time throughout the world and certainly a pivotal point in the history of the United States In 1859, the bloodless “Pig War” on San Juan Island brought tension between Britain and America and the as yet unfinalized ...
Distillerie PuyjalonJuly 21, 2022Newsletter-La Minganie is a love story between the Gulf of St Lawrence and the boreal forest With more than 70,000 square kilometers of raw nature, this immense territory of the North Shore of Quebec is only connected to civilization by Route 138 Minganie is ...
Antigua CervezaJune 29, 2022Newsletter-Antigua is a small, picturesque city surrounded by active volcanoes in southern Guatemala It’s renowned for its Spanish colonial buildings, many of them restored following a 1773 earthquake that ended Antigua’s 200-year reign as Guatemala’s col...
Victoria DistillersJune 10, 2022Newsletter-For more than 10 years, Victoria Distillers has been producing some of Canada’s finest handmade spirits A unique waterfront location in Sidney, British Columbia, houses the Specific Mechanical pot stills that produce their range of spirits – ...
Glacier DistillingJune 10, 2022Newsletter-It’s been said that “necessity is the mother of invention”, it’s just such a sentiment that led to the birth of Glacier Distilling During a blizzard in the winter of 2009/10, Nic Lee and a group of friends were huddled around the fireplace in...
Hoyne Brewing CompanyFebruary 3, 2022Customer Feature-Very few people get to study craft beer under one of the pioneers of the North American microbrewery movement Frank Appleton taught Sean Hoyne what it means to make fantastic beer A true mentor, Frank told Sean, “Make great beer, the rest will...
Delta Dirt DistilleryJanuary 12, 2022Customer Feature-The story of Delta Dirt Distillery, based in Helena, Arkansas, reads like an award-winning Hollywood screenplay that features history, determination, entrepreneurial spirit, struggle and ultimately, triumph Four generations of Harvey Williams’...
ALTAR SPIRITSNovember 30, 2021Customer Feature-Santa Fe, New Mexico is the home of Altar Spirits, co-founded by the husband and wife team of Master Distiller Caley Shoemaker and Marketing Guru Jeff Gust Their varied yet exceptional and highly decorated backgrounds mesh perfectly, making this dist...
The Lauter TunOctober 27, 2021Brewing-Specific Mechanical’s Lauter Tun is where the magic happens Our Lauter Tuns are engineered to provide optimal Internal diameter for a more manageable set bed at sparge The diameter of the Lauter Tun is important because it relates to the set de...
Specific’s DreamCleanOctober 26, 2021Brewing-This new skid-mounted CIP system is a great new piece of equipment for keeping your brew house as clean as it can be! A 500L tank of acid, a 500L tank of caustic solution and a 1000L tank of hot water means your brew house gets the Specific DreamClea...
LagabièreOctober 18, 2021Customer Feature-The Laganière brothers were born into a family particularly fond of beer and gatherings While still young, they began brewing in the family garage with makeshift equipment They slowly gathered enough equipment to have a nano-brewery at home! Duri...
Craft Brewers Conference, Denver COOctober 14, 2021Brewing-What an amazing three days in Denver! The mile high city was never more beautiful with 90 degree weather and a vibrant, welcoming population Inside the conference centre was even better with hundreds of exhibitors and trade show floors swarming with ...
Trade Show SeasonAugust 26, 2021Brewing-We are in the thick of it, having just come off the floor of the American Distilling Institute’s annual Distilling convention, this year located in Louisville, Kentucky Our booth was impressive and featured a still that will be going to one of ...
Cactoctin Creek DistilleryAugust 26, 2021Customer Feature-Located in Purcellville, VA, Catoctin Creek® was founded by Becky and Scott Harris in 2009 as the first legal distillery in Loudoun County since before Prohibition Pronounced Ka-TOCK-tin, the name derives from the Indian tribal name “Kittocton...
DECOCTION MASHINGAugust 26, 2021Brewing-Various recipes call for “decoction” mashing, this is a process that involves pumping about 1/3 of the mash from the vessel it was pumped into, to another vessel where it is boiled and mixed, then returned to the original vessel and mixed...
STEP MASHINGJuly 29, 2021Brewing-Certain recipes call for different treatments of the mash In “step” mashing, the mash is heated to different temperature profiles and then allowed to rest A “Ramp/Soak” temperature controller can be programmed by the brewer to...
Driftwood BreweryJuly 29, 2021Customer Feature-Driftwood Brewery was born with the idea that “We want to consume food and drink that we have a connection with and that brings us joy” They thought that if they cared about quality and locality – other people in Victoria might as well ...
What’s the best combination of Brew House Vessels?July 9, 2021Brewing-Choosing the combination of Brew House Vessels is subjective based on the type of brewing you wish to do Last week we touched on productivity and determined that having a Mash/Lauter tun, Brew Kettle and Whirlpool meant after your first brew (totalin...
The Mash VesselJuly 5, 2021Brewing-The Mash Vessel is the first in the brew house chain to start the magic At Specific, it traditionally comes with two Steam Jackets, (one on the bottom and one on the side), a Top Glass Manway, our signature Overboil Ring, the Mash/Hydration inlet (fo...
the MASHJune 24, 2021Brewing-Mashing is the term given to the start of the brewing process, where crushed grains are mixed with water to form a porridge-like mixture called the “mash” It is in the mash that malt and other cereal starches are transformed into sugars and prote...
Which Brew house is right for me?June 24, 2021Brewing-Choosing the right brew house is a very important decision which depends on many factors, one of which is productivity Productivity in itself breaks down into several branches In this blog, we’ll look at speed of brewing and what vessel configu...
Hidden River BreweryJune 21, 2021Customer Feature-Nestled along a country road in Berks County, Pennsylvania, just west of Pottstown, Brinton Lodge has a storied history beginning in the 1700s The site’s unusual architecture, eccentric history, and local legends are home to craft brewery and b...
Gervasi VineyardMay 18, 2021Distilling-Gervasi Vineyard In less than a decade, Gervasi Vineyard has gone from one family’s dream to a destination for lovers of fine wine, craft spirits and dining experiences And now, Ohio’s Tuscan-inspired winery resort gives guests more luxurious rea...
GRIST HYDRATORSMay 18, 2021Brewing-A grist hydrator, typically an accessory for brew kettle/mash tuns, sits atop the tank and is used to rapidly hydrate the milled malt and adjuncts, as they are fed into the tun and mixed with hot, or sometimes cold, water Grist hydrators are used to ...
The Kansas City Bier CompanyApril 29, 2021Customer Feature-The Kansas City Bier Company Since 2014, Kansas City Bier Co has pursued a simple mission: to brew authentic-tasting German-style bier with the same character, flavor and freshness as the bier brewed and consumed in Germany using traditional German b...
It’s all in the GRIST!April 29, 2021Brewing-The Importance of GRIST in the Brewing Process Grist or “ground grist” refers to malt and cereal that is ground (milled) in the brewhouse by a malt mill at the beginning of the brewing process The mills can be of various designs and contain one, ...
Spunding DeviceApril 5, 2021Brewing- Spunding is a process often used by lager brewers to naturally carbonate their beer A device called a spunding valve is attached to the tank late in fermentation, when most of the sugars in the wort have been processed by the yeast The spundin...
The Newfoundland Distillery CompanyMarch 24, 2021Customer Feature-The Newfoundland Distillery Company Founded in 2016 by decorated Cordon Bleu Chef William Carter and famed international artist and broadcaster Peter Wilkins, The Newfoundland Distillery Company has firmly established itself as one of Canada’s nati...
Sycamore Brewing CompanyMarch 8, 2021Customer Feature-Located in the trendy, walkable South End neighbourhood, Sycamore Brewing is the go-to Charlotte hangout for ambitious professionals in their 20s and early 30s During the week, you’ll find a post-work crowd But Sycamore shines even brighter on the ...
How to taste beer like a pro March 15, 2023 Brewing - 1 A quick sniff and peek It is important to pour a beer into the proper glass so its aromas can be released Once it is poured, quickly move the glass under your nose and inhale Think of it as a ‘drive by’ sniff, so you can get a sense of the beer...
Calculating BTUs March 2, 2023 Brewing, Distilling - What is a BTU and how is it measured A British thermal unit (BTU) is a measure of the heat content of fuels or energy sources It is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit at the temp...
Whipper Snapper Distillery February 27, 2023 Newsletter - Drive… Determination… Hard work… History… These are just some of the ingredients present in every drop produced by Whipper Snapper Distilleries in Perth, Western Australia In 2010, Jimmy McKeown and Alasdair Malloch were tw...
Sacred Profane January 26, 2023 Newsletter - Mike Fava grew up in Philadelphia and turned his engineering background and love for brewing into a successful career As Head brewer at Oxbow Brewing in Maine, he helped that business grow and expand, establishing himself as one of the most skilled b...
How does a Reflux differ from an Alembic still? December 19, 2022 Distilling - The Reflux still differs from the Alembic in that multiple distillations occur in one single cycle The addition of a column with bubble trays between the condenser and pot allows vapor to condense and trickle back down to be distilled once again Thus...
Laughing Sun Brewing Company December 16, 2022 Newsletter - Mike Frohlich has been dreaming about owning a brewery since 1996 Like most of the people we highlight, someone with a dream, combined with drive, means it’s only a matter of time In this case, the time came when Mike met Todd Sattler, a fellow ent...
What are bubble-cap trays? December 15, 2022 Distilling, Uncategorized - Cross flow trays usually installed in rectifying columns handling liquids free of suspended solids The bubble caps consist of circular cups inverted over small vapor pipes The vapor from the tray below passes through the vapor pipes into the caps and...
Seacrets Distillery November 29, 2022 Newsletter - Like many young men, Leighton Moore wasn’t enchanted by school At 16, he opted out and worked in his family’s motel in Ocean City, Maryland After a trip to Jamaica, he was inspired to recreate the relaxed atmosphere and vibe and open hi...
Bright Path Brewing October 13, 2022 Newsletter - Jim Thorpe, PA is a small picturesque town where tourism is the lead industry and it is considered one of the jewels of the Poconos With a population of 4500, it’s not hard to know your neighbors and you can always expect a friendly nod or hello fr...
Decoction October 7, 2022 Brewing - Does your lager recipe call for decoction Many do, but sometimes breweries don’t have the budget or room for an extra vessel such as a cereal cooker Specific Mechanical makes 2-vessel decoction easy by adding the Mash Conversion option to the B...
Casey Jones Distillery September 28, 2022 Newsletter - Few periods in US history were at once colourful, desperate and resourceful as the Prohibition era (1920 – 33) With the onset of the great Depression, work was scarce and families needed to eat Moonshining became a necessity and Casey Jones earned ...
Battle Born Beer September 28, 2022 Newsletter - The mid 1800’s was an active time throughout the world and certainly a pivotal point in the history of the United States In 1859, the bloodless “Pig War” on San Juan Island brought tension between Britain and America and the as yet unfinalized ...
Distillerie Puyjalon July 21, 2022 Newsletter - La Minganie is a love story between the Gulf of St Lawrence and the boreal forest With more than 70,000 square kilometers of raw nature, this immense territory of the North Shore of Quebec is only connected to civilization by Route 138 Minganie is ...
Antigua Cerveza June 29, 2022 Newsletter - Antigua is a small, picturesque city surrounded by active volcanoes in southern Guatemala It’s renowned for its Spanish colonial buildings, many of them restored following a 1773 earthquake that ended Antigua’s 200-year reign as Guatemala’s col...
Victoria Distillers June 10, 2022 Newsletter - For more than 10 years, Victoria Distillers has been producing some of Canada’s finest handmade spirits A unique waterfront location in Sidney, British Columbia, houses the Specific Mechanical pot stills that produce their range of spirits – ...
Glacier Distilling June 10, 2022 Newsletter - It’s been said that “necessity is the mother of invention”, it’s just such a sentiment that led to the birth of Glacier Distilling During a blizzard in the winter of 2009/10, Nic Lee and a group of friends were huddled around the fireplace in...
Hoyne Brewing Company February 3, 2022 Customer Feature - Very few people get to study craft beer under one of the pioneers of the North American microbrewery movement Frank Appleton taught Sean Hoyne what it means to make fantastic beer A true mentor, Frank told Sean, “Make great beer, the rest will...
Delta Dirt Distillery January 12, 2022 Customer Feature - The story of Delta Dirt Distillery, based in Helena, Arkansas, reads like an award-winning Hollywood screenplay that features history, determination, entrepreneurial spirit, struggle and ultimately, triumph Four generations of Harvey Williams’...
ALTAR SPIRITS November 30, 2021 Customer Feature - Santa Fe, New Mexico is the home of Altar Spirits, co-founded by the husband and wife team of Master Distiller Caley Shoemaker and Marketing Guru Jeff Gust Their varied yet exceptional and highly decorated backgrounds mesh perfectly, making this dist...
The Lauter Tun October 27, 2021 Brewing - Specific Mechanical’s Lauter Tun is where the magic happens Our Lauter Tuns are engineered to provide optimal Internal diameter for a more manageable set bed at sparge The diameter of the Lauter Tun is important because it relates to the set de...
Specific’s DreamClean October 26, 2021 Brewing - This new skid-mounted CIP system is a great new piece of equipment for keeping your brew house as clean as it can be! A 500L tank of acid, a 500L tank of caustic solution and a 1000L tank of hot water means your brew house gets the Specific DreamClea...
Lagabière October 18, 2021 Customer Feature - The Laganière brothers were born into a family particularly fond of beer and gatherings While still young, they began brewing in the family garage with makeshift equipment They slowly gathered enough equipment to have a nano-brewery at home! Duri...
Craft Brewers Conference, Denver CO October 14, 2021 Brewing - What an amazing three days in Denver! The mile high city was never more beautiful with 90 degree weather and a vibrant, welcoming population Inside the conference centre was even better with hundreds of exhibitors and trade show floors swarming with ...
Trade Show Season August 26, 2021 Brewing - We are in the thick of it, having just come off the floor of the American Distilling Institute’s annual Distilling convention, this year located in Louisville, Kentucky Our booth was impressive and featured a still that will be going to one of ...
Cactoctin Creek Distillery August 26, 2021 Customer Feature - Located in Purcellville, VA, Catoctin Creek® was founded by Becky and Scott Harris in 2009 as the first legal distillery in Loudoun County since before Prohibition Pronounced Ka-TOCK-tin, the name derives from the Indian tribal name “Kittocton...
DECOCTION MASHING August 26, 2021 Brewing - Various recipes call for “decoction” mashing, this is a process that involves pumping about 1/3 of the mash from the vessel it was pumped into, to another vessel where it is boiled and mixed, then returned to the original vessel and mixed...
STEP MASHING July 29, 2021 Brewing - Certain recipes call for different treatments of the mash In “step” mashing, the mash is heated to different temperature profiles and then allowed to rest A “Ramp/Soak” temperature controller can be programmed by the brewer to...
Driftwood Brewery July 29, 2021 Customer Feature - Driftwood Brewery was born with the idea that “We want to consume food and drink that we have a connection with and that brings us joy” They thought that if they cared about quality and locality – other people in Victoria might as well ...
What’s the best combination of Brew House Vessels? July 9, 2021 Brewing - Choosing the combination of Brew House Vessels is subjective based on the type of brewing you wish to do Last week we touched on productivity and determined that having a Mash/Lauter tun, Brew Kettle and Whirlpool meant after your first brew (totalin...
The Mash Vessel July 5, 2021 Brewing - The Mash Vessel is the first in the brew house chain to start the magic At Specific, it traditionally comes with two Steam Jackets, (one on the bottom and one on the side), a Top Glass Manway, our signature Overboil Ring, the Mash/Hydration inlet (fo...
the MASH June 24, 2021 Brewing - Mashing is the term given to the start of the brewing process, where crushed grains are mixed with water to form a porridge-like mixture called the “mash” It is in the mash that malt and other cereal starches are transformed into sugars and prote...
Which Brew house is right for me? June 24, 2021 Brewing - Choosing the right brew house is a very important decision which depends on many factors, one of which is productivity Productivity in itself breaks down into several branches In this blog, we’ll look at speed of brewing and what vessel configu...
Hidden River Brewery June 21, 2021 Customer Feature - Nestled along a country road in Berks County, Pennsylvania, just west of Pottstown, Brinton Lodge has a storied history beginning in the 1700s The site’s unusual architecture, eccentric history, and local legends are home to craft brewery and b...
Gervasi Vineyard May 18, 2021 Distilling - Gervasi Vineyard In less than a decade, Gervasi Vineyard has gone from one family’s dream to a destination for lovers of fine wine, craft spirits and dining experiences And now, Ohio’s Tuscan-inspired winery resort gives guests more luxurious rea...
GRIST HYDRATORS May 18, 2021 Brewing - A grist hydrator, typically an accessory for brew kettle/mash tuns, sits atop the tank and is used to rapidly hydrate the milled malt and adjuncts, as they are fed into the tun and mixed with hot, or sometimes cold, water Grist hydrators are used to ...
The Kansas City Bier Company April 29, 2021 Customer Feature - The Kansas City Bier Company Since 2014, Kansas City Bier Co has pursued a simple mission: to brew authentic-tasting German-style bier with the same character, flavor and freshness as the bier brewed and consumed in Germany using traditional German b...
It’s all in the GRIST! April 29, 2021 Brewing - The Importance of GRIST in the Brewing Process Grist or “ground grist” refers to malt and cereal that is ground (milled) in the brewhouse by a malt mill at the beginning of the brewing process The mills can be of various designs and contain one, ...
Spunding Device April 5, 2021 Brewing - Spunding is a process often used by lager brewers to naturally carbonate their beer A device called a spunding valve is attached to the tank late in fermentation, when most of the sugars in the wort have been processed by the yeast The spundin...
The Newfoundland Distillery Company March 24, 2021 Customer Feature - The Newfoundland Distillery Company Founded in 2016 by decorated Cordon Bleu Chef William Carter and famed international artist and broadcaster Peter Wilkins, The Newfoundland Distillery Company has firmly established itself as one of Canada’s nati...
Sycamore Brewing Company March 8, 2021 Customer Feature - Located in the trendy, walkable South End neighbourhood, Sycamore Brewing is the go-to Charlotte hangout for ambitious professionals in their 20s and early 30s During the week, you’ll find a post-work crowd But Sycamore shines even brighter on the ...