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The Lauter Tun

A Lauter Tun plays a crucial role in the brewing process by separating the liquid extract (wort) from the solid remnants of the grain after mashing. The V-wire screen false bottom is a specific design feature within the Lauter Tun…

A Thanksgiving toast

Happy Thanksgiving with a fall hat and leaves.

After more than two months (66 days) at sea, the Pilgrims finally arrived at Cape Cod on November 11, 1620, 402 years ago. Originally bound for what is now the Hudson River in New York City, the ship opted for…

Hop Cannon, Cone or Torpedo

Three dry hopping options.

The Hop Cannon is an automated dry hopping system for direct injection of hop pellets into the fermenter. The Cannon includes a CO2 buffer tank, hopper and compressor. The hops feed from the hopper into a CO2 purged chamber, and…

Antimony Brewing

Antimony Brewing logo and building.

The Berkshires is a rural region in the mountains of western Massachusetts, dotted with quaint villages and towns. A popular vacation destination, it’s known for outdoor activities, fall foliage–viewing, a farm-to-table food scene and thriving arts institutions. More recently, it’s…

Bottled in Bond

A bottle of Wild Turkey Bourbon Whiskey, and a bottle of Evan Williams Kentucky Straight.

There are several rules that define bourbon, the official spirit of the United States. One common misconception is that it has to be distilled in Kentucky. In fact, bourbon can be produced in any of the 50 United States. Federal…

The Basic Steps in Brewing

The process of making beer with three stocks of wheat and a arrow pointing to a glass of beer.

Malting and Milling Malted barley is the favoured cereal grain used in traditional brewing processes. Barley is modified during the malting process to ensure biochemical changes occur within the grain which generate essential enzymes, sugars and proteins required in the…

Heads, Hearts and Tails

A man looks into the door window of distillery tank.

Distillation is an age-old process that has been refined and perfected over centuries to create some of the world’s finest spirits and essential oils. At the heart of this alchemical art lies a deep understanding of the differences between the…

Rum: A Naval Tradition

A pirate stands on the edge of a boat looking out into the ocean.

For centuries, the British Royal Navy was renowned not only for its formidable naval power but also for a curious tradition – the daily rum ration for its sailors. This centuries-old practice of providing British sailors with their daily tot…

Clean as a Whistle

Three options of Cleaning in Place on carts.

At Specific, we know the importance of keeping equipment clean so your beer continues to win awards. That’s why we have 3 great CIP system options for any brewery. SMS CIP – 1 Cart The SMS CIP-1 Cart features a…

DropWorks Rum Distillery

Drop Works Rum Distillery logo and a man pushing a brown barrel.

From the Middle Ages, we have many tales of adventure surrounding Sherwood Forest, The Sheriff of Nottingham and of course Robin Hood and his merry men. After a long day of robbing the rich to give to the poor, the…

Taken for Granted

A Grant is a small wort collection vessel, placed between the lautering vessel and the wort kettle. The traditional purpose of a grant was threefold: (a) to avoid a potential vacuum in the lauter or mash/lauter tun during wort pumping…

The Carbonation Stone

A valve with a ruler measuring 6 inches beside it.

A carbonation stone, also known as a diffusion stone, is an essential tool in the brewing industry. It’s used to efficiently dissolve carbon dioxide (CO2) into the beer, creating the desired level of carbonation. A carbonation stone is typically made…

The effects of the Lyne Arm angle

A man looks into the door window of distillery tank.

The angle of the Lyne Arm in a still can have a significant impact on the resulting distillate, affecting its flavour, aroma, and overall quality. Distillers can adjust the angle of the Lyne Arm to influence the separation and concentration…

The Tri-Clamp: A brewery’s favourite fitting

A two inch clamp.

Tri-clamps, also known as tri-clover clamps or tri-clover fittings, are commonly used in brewing systems for several important reasons: Sanitary Connections: Tri-clamps provide a sanitary and hygienic connection between various components in a brewing system. They are designed to create…

Hop to it!

A sign that says "Hop to it" and a pile of fruit in front of it.

Adding hops during the brewing process is a crucial step in brewing beer. Hops are one of the primary ingredients in beer, contributing to its flavour, aroma, and bitterness. The timing and quantity of hop additions can significantly impact the…

Recognition, Respect and Support

Pile O' Bones brewing Company building with people drinking beer sitting at picnic tables.

Regina, Saskatchewan, is a city of just over 250,000 people, and features more than 350,000 hand-planted trees, an extensive park system and an array of museums, cathedrals and other elegant structures. But back in 1882, it was little more than…

Should one distill on or off the grain?

A complete distillery system set up including columns.

Distillation can be performed either on or off the grain, depending on the type of spirit you are producing and the desired characteristics of the final product. On the Grain (Pot Distillation): Distilling on the grain, also known as pot…

The Heart of the Brewery

A heart beat on graph paper with a complete brewery system set up over lapping the heart beat.

Nestled within every brewery lies the beating heart of the operation — the brewhouse. This intricate ensemble of specialized equipment is where the magic of brewing unfolds. From mashing in the grains to boiling the wort, the brewhouse plays a…

Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Spirits

A row of distillery tanks.

The distilling industry, much like a well-aged whiskey, is constantly evolving, adapting to the changing tastes and preferences of consumers. As we raise our glasses to the present, it’s essential to recognize the dynamic trends and innovations that shape the…

Coal’d Water Distilling

A bottle of water with Coal'D Water Distilling logo.

At the base of English Mountain, about 45 minutes east of Knoxville, Tennessee, a bountiful natural spring bubbles up over 2.5 million gallons of crystal clear water every day. For many generations, Native Americans had this place marked as a…

The Advantages of a Horizontal Lagering Tank

Two horizontal lagering tanks stacked on top of each other.

Lagering is a critical phase in the beer brewing process that involves storing and conditioning the beer at lower temperatures for an extended period. This step is essential for developing the smooth, crisp, and well-rounded flavours that lagers are known…

Banded Peak Brewing

Banded Peak Brewing building with tables out on the patio.

Nestled in the vibrant city of Calgary, Alberta, Banded Peak Brewing has established itself as a prominent player in the local craft beer scene. With its commitment to quality, innovation, and community, Banded Peak has garnered a loyal following of…

The Impact of Distilling Equipment on Spirits

Copper distilling tank with two copper columns beside.

Distilling has long been considered an art form, transforming raw ingredients into spirits with distinct flavours and aromas that delight the senses. As the craft of distillation has evolved, so too has the technology and equipment used in the process.…

Specbrew Automation: Brewing Made Easier

Specific Specbrew logo.

Specbrew automation has revolutionized the brewing industry, making the process more efficient, consistent, and accessible to a wider range of brewers. These technological innovations have significantly simplified brewing procedures, reduced manual labor, and improved the overall quality of the final…

Steam Heating vs. Direct Fire

Steam heat vs direct fire with a temperature gauge underneath it.

In the brewing industry, both steam and direct fire heating methods are used for various stages of the brewing process. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but here are some of the benefits of using steam over direct fire…

The Growing Trend of NOLO

A table filled with different colours of drinks, each drink has a fruit inside.

In recent years, a significant shift in consumer drinking habits has been witnessed worldwide, leading to the emergence and rapid growth of the NOLO (No and Low Alcohol) spirits market. NOLO spirits are designed to mimic the taste, aroma, and…

Anticipating the coming season

A large glass of beer.

As the seasons change, craft brewers eagerly anticipate the opportunities and inspirations that each new season brings. From the crispness of autumn to the warmth of summer, the shifting seasons offer a chance for brewers to get creative, experiment with…

Safe House Distilling

Safe House Distilling Company logo and building.

Necessity is the mother of invention, turns out, it’s also the aunt of success.    Like many healthy University students, Chris Leurig felt driven to fuel his college parties with a cheaper alternative to store bought spirits, so he made…

Bright Ideas Brewing

Bright Ideas Brewing logo and building.

A smart man once said, if you open a microbrewery and taproom in front of a museum that attracts more than 100,000 annual visitors, in a city that has no brewery of its own, in a state that allows small…

The Science behind Barrel Aging

A barrel of beer in the background of a mug of beer.

How does the barrel aging process work magic on your beloved beverages? The first thing to note is that there are three main factors at play here: the composition of the barrel, the duration of aging, and how these two…

Stay in Sköl!

A man drinks from a horn wrapped in leather and the word "Skol" in yellow letters in the bottom right.

The origins and true meaning of the Scandinavian term Skål is an oft debated topic. The most colourful meaning dates back to the middle ages, when bands of rampaging Vikings roamed Europe pillaging and handily beating other armies. Viking warriors…

On the rocks

A bowl of ice and cut limes sits beside a glass of whiskey.

The first-century Roman emperor Nero was famous for enjoying iced drinks flavored with honey, while ice houses and “ice pits” like the Persian yakchal were used to store food and drinks even earlier. Wealthy Romans enjoyed glacial ice brought down…

The Lyne Arm

A copper distillery tank and column with "The Wonderful World of Distilling" wrote in white letters overlaps.

The head of a pot still is connected to the condensing system by a simple copper pipe called a lyne arm or lye pipe. But this insignificant-looking tube can have quite an influence on the flavour and style of the…

Two Rivers Distillery

Two Rivers Distillery logo and a look at their bar set up.

The trouble with hard work is that it’s not easy. It’s often harder than you thought it would be and doesn’t pay off as quickly as you hoped it would. Mark Freeland has been there, done that and bought the…

Who drank the beer?

Three men have their heads tilted back all drinking a bottle of beer.

Beer is one of the oldest beverages in the world, having been invented before written language, and is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage on Earth. According to the Oxford Companion to Beer, beer is the third most popular drink…

No/Low is making a Show

A glass of beer with zero percent on the side of the glass.

“No/low is clearly becoming a more popular choice for On-Premise visitors, and in particular beer drinkers,” says Patrick Bannon, a Client Director for the research firm, CGA Strategy . “ If beer manufacturers can reproduce some of the great tasting…

SHAKETOWN BREWERY

Shake Town Brewery logo and building with two men standing in front smiling.

For Ryan Scholz, everything was ok. Fine, in fact. He was in advertising and branding, working for a couple of realty companies. Not a bad job, but it wasn’t fueling his passion. With a background in hospitality, he had always…

How to taste beer like a pro

A close up of a copper distillery tank and the words "The Wonderful World of Brewing" in white letters overlaps the tank.

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…

Cold Liquor Tank

A close up of a copper distillery tank and the words "The Wonderful World of Brewing" in white letters overlaps the tank.

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…

Calculating BTUs

A row of matches and the first four are lit with fire.

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…

For Peat’s sake!

A copper distillery tank and column with "The Wonderful World of Distilling" wrote in white letters overlaps.

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…

Whipper Snapper Distillery

Whipper Snapper Distillery logo hangs behind two men standing smiling as their dog sits on a barrel.

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 two young men who became a…

Sourcing good Water

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…

Sacred Profane

Sacred Profane Brewery logo and building.

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…

What is an Alembic potstill?

A copper distillery tank and column with "The Wonderful World of Distilling" wrote in white letters overlaps.

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 pipe…

What exactly IS Ethanol?

A copper distillery tank and column with "The Wonderful World of Distilling" wrote in white letters overlaps.

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 78.5°C in the anhydrous state. However, it forms a binary azeotrope with water, with…

What is Dry Hopping?

A close up of a copper distillery tank and the words "The Wonderful World of Brewing" in white letters overlaps the tank.

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…

Laughing Sun Brewing Company

Laughing Sun Brewing Company logo and building.

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…

What are bubble-cap trays?

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…

Seacrets Distillery

Seacrets Distilling Company logo and distilling system.

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…

Bright Path Brewing

Bright Path Brewing logo and buildings.

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…

Decoction

A brewing tank filled with mash mixing with rakes.

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…

Casey Jones Distillery

Casey Jones Distillery sign sits out front of their building.

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…

Battle Born Beer

Battle Born Beer logo.

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…

Distillerie Puyjalon

Puyalon logo, a man stands with his arms crossed and a towel hangs over his shoulder in front of a large copper tank.

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…

Antigua Cerveza

Antigua Cerveza logo and patio outside the building.

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 colonial capital. This timeless, tropical…

Victoria Distillers

Vitoria Distillers logo and building.

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 – most notably, their…

Glacier Distilling

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…

Hoyne Brewing Company

A off white volkswagen beetle with the Hoyne Brewing Company logo on the side of it. Seven cans of Hoyne beer line the front with ice all around the cans.

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…

Delta Dirt Distillery

Delta Dirt Distillery logo and building.

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’ family have worked the farm that now provides the sweet potatoes and…

ALTAR SPIRITS

Altar Spirits logo and building.

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 distillery destined…

The Lauter Tun

A close up inside a tank looking at the lautering rakes.

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…

Specific’s DreamClean

A row of three distilling tanks with a large control panel.

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…

Lagabière

Lagabiere Brasserie Artisanale logo

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! During their university…

Craft Brewers Conference, Denver CO

A group of men in white shirts and yellow belt bags stand on the stairs going up to two craft brewing tanks.

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…

Trade Show Season

A booth set up at a trade show, showing a distilling set up.

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…

Cactoctin Creek Distillery

Cactoctin Creek logo and building.

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” which meant “place…

DECOCTION MASHING

Inside the tank decoction mashing.

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…

STEP MASHING

Looking into a tank with a large rake that turns to stir the mash.

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 automate this task. The…

Driftwood Brewery

Driftwood Brewery logo and building.

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…

The Mash Vessel

A large mash vessel with the window open and a white pale sits beside it.

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…

the MASH

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…

Which Brew house is right for me?

A man stands looking up thinking with four different brew vessel setups to choose from.

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…

Hidden River Brewery

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 brewpub, Hidden…

Gervasi Vineyard

A brick wall with a driveway and overhanging sign that reads Gervasi Vinyards.

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 reasons to…

GRIST HYDRATORS

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.…

The Kansas City Bier Company

A black and white photograph of the Kansas City Bier Company brewing station all set up.

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 brewing…

It’s all in the GRIST!

A small sack filled with grain.

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…

Spunding Device

A close up look at a Spunding device

  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…

The Newfoundland Distillery Company

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 national treasures and a source of…

Sycamore Brewing Company

Sycamore Brewing Company tanks.

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 weekends,…