Steve Anderson with Big Bend Brewing Co.
G&A:
Where do you get the yeast?
Steve: There's yeast banks. There are three
yeast banks here in the states.
G&A:
So you're talking about a lager, is
that the most popular typically?
Steve: It is the most popular by far. And
then there are ales.
G&A:
What is typical ale like?
Steve: Ale is an older version. The original
beers were ales. And the ale yeast ferments at
a warmer temperature and it produces esters
that give it a fruitiness and kind of rounds the
flavor out. With a lager the yeast doesn't produce any flavors so to speak, so you get just the
malt and the hops in the beer.
G&A:
So the malt and hop flavor is what
you're using to draw that flavor.
Steve: Right, and the yeast imparts very little if any flavor.
G&A:
And so then you're flavoring it?
Steve: Right, and this particular beer [we
were tasting] it's 50% wheat and 50% barley
malt and very little hops. You don't taste any
hops. You can't really even get bitterness. It's
just that it counterbalances any over-sweetness, and that entire flavor is coming from the
yeast. And it produces also a phenol that is
reminiscent of clove spices. We don't add anything to it. The yeast produces it.
G&A:
If you used a different kind of yeast
would you get a different kind of beer?
Steve: Yes, this is very unique [the beer
we're tasting]. Very few yeasts will produce
that much of a flavor. If this yeast were used in
any other style it would be considered "off".
G&A:
So when you say you're going to go
and get yeast to do this - are there different
kinds of yeasts?
Steve: Yes there are hundreds of kinds of
yeast.
Discussing what kind of beer will Big Bend
Brewing Co. produce G&A:
You’re deciding you've got four or
five beers you're going to produce here, you're
coming up with a profile for each one?
Steve: Yes. We're trying to get across the
board. The original four was a pilsner lager,
which is clean but bitter. You know, nicely bitter,
hoppy lager. The other one is like on the opposite end of the spectrum, a dark porter, which
is heavy on the malt, almost caramel and
chocolate-like.
G&A:
So that's an ale.
Steve: Yes – and another ale would be an
IPA (India pale ale), which is going to be very,
very hoppy, for the hopheads. … the beauty of
having hops in the beer is it produces another
flavor, an additional flavor that wine cannot
have.
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