The Mash Vessel and Lauder Tun

1. Whether you like beer or not, or whether or not you’re old enough to drink it, we all have one thing in common, the true appreciation of craftsmanship. Be it a beautiful painting on the wall, a majestic sculpture in the park, or a hand-woven rug on the floor, all are made not just with materials, but most of all with passion.  Craft beer is no exception.  I have been working in this industry for five years now, and I have done everything from washing dishes and kegs to pouring and providing information about our beer.
2. While brewing requires numerous steps, the most important portion of the brewing process is done in the mash vessel.
3. Delicious beer can be credited to the malts being mashed, the temperature of the boil, and the science behind the whole process.

• • All the malts get milled into a fine product; pilsner in this example uses a combination of pilsner malt, carafoam malt, and acidulated malt.
  • Pilsner malt makes up the majority of the flavors
  • Carafoam malt is for body and sweetness
  • Acidulated malt lowers the pH of the mash

Once the malts have been selected for the type of beer being brewed, they must be brewed.

• • The malts must be brewed correctly to take advantage of what flavors they are bringing to the table.
  • The finished product is combined with water
  • Creating more simple sugars
  • Stop the enzymatic process

After the mash has been brewed, it goes to the lauder tun

• • The lauder is basically a giant colander
  • Removes the solids to create “wort”
  • The mash process controls the simple sugar in the wort
  • More sugar = more alcohol

4. By carefully selecting, blending and grinding the malts, mixing them with water and monitoring the sugar levels, and preparing the wort, a craft beer is made. Whether the beer is a light lager, a deep, dark porter, or one of the many varieties in between, it is the work in the mash vessel that determines how strong the beer will be in alcohol body and flavor.

5. Whether you like beer or not, whether you prefer a bulk beer or a microbrew, your tastes are treated to this amazing variety of flavors by way of the mash vessel and the lauder tun. It is here that all the passion, love and hard work occurs to create a delicious product that is sure to get your palate intrigued as well as your mind.