Our Tour begins up the stairs and on the bridge overlooking the Brewery. The Dam Tour Volume 10 Issue 1 Largest Brewpub In The Colorado Rockies, Since 1997 Winter 2016 The Brewing Process

At the Dillon Dam Brewery we water. It is then stored in the 1,500- to a boil for two hours. This is the brew both and with a 15- gallon Hot Liquor Tank in prepara- basic volume of a single batch of barrel stainless steel system manufac- tion for brewing. brew. tured by JW Northwest. The malt steeps in the Mash Tun at Due to evaporation and Wort lost in Annual total production is approxi- 150 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes the Trub Pile (spent hops and grain mately 2,000 barrels of beer. With 31 during which time enzymes are con- husks that resemble green mash pota- gallons per barrel, we brew approxi- verting the starches present in barley toes left at the bottom of the kettle), mately 62,000 gallons of beer per year. and malt into sugars. we actually net about 500 gallons per That means we serve 496,000 pints of After another 45 minutes we use brew day. The total brewing process beer in just one year. the Lauter Tun (the small re- takes approximately 8 hours. The process all begins with barley, circulation tank just behind the Mash It takes two eight-hour days to fill a grass. The basic recipe and method Tun) to circulate the sweet liquid over one of our 1,000-gallon fermenters. of brewing beer is: the mash. During the two-hour boil in the This settles the malt into a filter Kettle we will make up to four hops  Barley is turned into malt bed, allowing a clean run-off, free of additions. The longer the hops are  The malt is cooked in hot malt husks and other debris boiled the more bitterness is extracted. water Then we slowly drain the sweet Later hop additions give the brew  Hops are added as an agent liquid (now called Wort) out of the its floral, fruity or spicy aromas and of flavoring and preservation bottom of the Mash Tun and rinse flavors.  Yeast is introduced to bring fresh hot water through the top to col- After the two-hour boil we pass the about fermentation. lect all the sugars. beer through a heat exchanger, which The Wort goes into the Boiling rapidly cools the beer before we move The Brewing Process Kettle where we bring 600 gallons up (Continued on page 2) We have 50,000 pounds of Two- Row Malted Barley stored in our silo outside. We bring it into the mill room Fermenter using an automated auger feed. In the Mill Room we crush the Grist Case grain with a roller malt mill. Also in the Mill Room we add and crush the specialty malts and grains for recipe formulation. After crushing, we move the grains into the Grist Case where we weigh Boiling Kettle the malt, which usually weighs about 900 pounds, and then we feed the malt into the Mash Tun below. Mash Tun In the Mash Tun we add hot fil- tered water. The large, carbon- filtration Stack Filter in the right hand Brewmaster Mike Bennett checks the temperature in the Mash Tun. You can corner of the Brewery filters all our watch the brewers work from the bridge overlooking the brewery.(Continued on page 2) The Fermentation Process

The fermentation process can will settle to the bottom where we take anywhere from 7 to 21 days. can re-harvest it. For example, the Here’s Your After a 5-day rest period we DAM IPA takes 2-3 weeks be- pump the beer into the Filter cause it’s dry hopped. Ales ferment Room. All equipment in the brew- at 68 degrees for a faster fermenta- ing process is connected with tion and bolder, fresher, more ag- stainless steel pipes or hoses. gressive flavors. Pumps move the liquid from one Our styles take 10-20 brewing stage to another. days. Lagers are fermented at 50 We use the Brewing Control degrees. The slow fermentation Panels to regulate Mash Tun and provides cleaner, crisper flavors Kettle temperatures, to regulate and a more aged flavor. Yeast photographed by an electron water flow rates and the pumps. In the Fermenters yeast con- microscope.. Yeast reproduces by A Black Control Panel at the sumes the sugars and converts them budding. You can see a bud on the yeast back of the room controls the fer- into liquid alcohol and carbon diox- cell to the left. mentation temperatures. ide gas. This is fermentation. We also recycle our spent grain The red hoses on the right side skins of the Fermenter and cools as part of the process. A local of the Fermenters release the car- the beer. The Glycol Lines are the farmer collects it for “cow chow.” bon dioxide into bleach water to six pink lines on the side of the We brew 2-4 times per week ensure a clean environment. Fermenter. and produce 1,000 pounds dry Each Fermenter is glycol jack- After fermentation the beer is weight of spent grain per batch. eted. Glycol, a coolant, is circulat- cooled to 32 degrees. The cooler ing between the inner and outer temps put the yeast to “sleep” so it

The Brewing Process Laboratory Tests (Continued from Page 1) In the Laboratory we test every it into the freshly cleaned Fermenter. In the Fermenter approximately 30 stage of the process from brewing gallons of yeast is waiting. to packaging. Cleanliness is the The shape of the bottom of the fermenter is conical so it can gather the key to good beer. yeast. We pump the yeast from one completely fermented batch into a new We test for beer contaminants or batch. off-flavors. We test for carbonation We re-crop our yeast from each batch and re- and air levels in our bottled product. use it for 10-15 genera- We take samples from the taps, bot- tions. As the yeast dies, tles, serving tanks, fermenters, and we replenish it with lab- all the plumbing and storage tanks. raised, liquid yeast. We Our brewers also conduct yeast store yeast in the yeast analysis. Samples of yeast from the propagator until it is fermenters are diluted and then in- needed. dividual yeast cells are counted and examined under a microscope to determine whether they are alive or dead. Brewmaster Mike Bennett uses a long-handled pad- dle to stir the Wort which steeps at 150 F This tells us how much volume inside the Mash Tun. of yeast to use for the next beer style to be brewed. Malting Recipe

Before malting, barley is rock Malts and Hops Formulation hard. After malting the barley ac- Used At the Dam Brewery quires a pleasant, biscuit-like flavor Here at the Dam Brewery, we and consistency. Barley malt is the Two-Row Pale Malt – Basic create our own beer recipes based soul of all good beers. malted barley housed in our silo. primarily on classic beer styles The purpose of malting is to Malt – Lightly roasted bar- and the ingredients that are ley. unique to the geography of Wheat Malt – Lightly roasted those regions where the styles wheat. were created. Carapils Malt – Roasted barley Recipe development is based that adds body, but does not add somewhat on our own unique fla- fermentable sugars. vor perceptions. Munich Malt – Barley roasted in We brew to our tastes and the European Tradition the perceived tastes of our cus- Vienna Malt – Barley roasted in tomers. the European Tradition Over the years, The Dam Carmel 30 -- #30 is a measure- Brewery has brewed many differ- ment of the darkness of the Barley. ent styles of beer. Crystal 80 -- #80 in darkness. The These beers are brewed ac- larger the number the darker is the cording to our traditional, award malt. winning recipes, or as seasonal Barley growing in the field. The seeds recipes which make appearances of the barley are used. Brown Malt – Has a toasted, nutty flavor, without nuts. throughout the year. Chocolate Malt – Has a chocolate Some of these Seasonals have make the starches (carbohydrates sweetness, but does not contain any become so popular, we now brew and sugars) that are contained in chocolate. them year round. the seed of the barley or wheat dis- Black Malt -- Bittersweet With over 24 taps available solve in water. Roast Barley – coffee like but to pour beer from, we are con- Malting begins by steeping bar- does not contain coffee. stantly coming up with new ley in water and letting it sprout. Hops – this flower is manufactured brews for our patrons to enjoy. Then the barley is dried to stop the into pellets, but also comes fresh The beers are typically brewed germination. This sprouted and from the field. to fit a certain style category, and dried grain is called Malt. many times will include various Malt is further darkened and its non-traditional beer ingredients. flavors enhanced by roasting at Our creative seasonal beers, temperatures between 350 and 450 specialty beers and experimental degrees Fahrenheit or by smoking. beers sometimes spring from our tasting experience at a beer festi- The Roller Mill in the corner of val, from a variation we want to the Mill Room lightly crushes the try or a new flavor we want to grain; it does not turn it into the test. consistency of flour. It just breaks the barley pieces in half, exposing Flavoring Additions the starch inside. We add ingredients such as In this room workers use dust chilies, raspberries, pumpkin, or- protection respirators and the fan Hop Cone, a flower. anges, spices, coffee, fresh from for dust exhaust. the field hops and more to create unique beers. Filter Room & Serving Tanks Dam Brewery Awards Filter Room beer, but also push all our beer The beer is pumped from the through the serving lines and run 2013 North American Beer Awards Fermenters to the Plate-and- the bottler. Bronze Hoporter Frame Filter which uses fabric sheets impregnated with diatoma- Serving Tanks 2012 World Beer Cup ceous earth, Perlite, and cellulose. We have six, 1,000 gallon or 30 Gold Art of Science Schwarzbier These are compressed between barrel serving tanks in this room. Bronze Sweet George's Brown plastic plates. Located downstairs are four addi- By using different grades of tional 15-barrel serving tanks and 2012 North American Beer Awards sheets, the brewers are able to a 5 barrel small batch serving tank. Gold McLuhr's Irish control the level of filtration of We also use kegs that hold 15.5 Bronze Sweet George’s Brown each beer depending on style. gallons or ½ barrel to store our ex- The beer is pumped through the perimental, specialty and seasonal sheets into the serving tanks. Along beers. the way, it passes a Carbonation From the serving tanks, the stone that force carbonates the beer flows to our 24 taps in the beer. bar, and downstairs into the bot- Beer cannot be filtered if it is tling and kegging room. carbonated; therefore, we remove We also have whiskey barrel the carbon dioxide during fermen- and nitro barrel taps. In total we tation and replace it after filtering. can serve up to 17 beer styles at The carbon dioxide tanks in one time. 2011 North American Beer Awards this room not only carbonate the Bronze Sweet George’s Brown Ale Bronze McLuhrs Irish Stout Our Bottling Room is not Bottling Room visible on the tour. 2010 Great American Beer Festival Silver McLuhrs Irish Stout Our HDP Bottler is a four- usually sold in 6-Packs. There’s head, four-spout bottle filler. It is always new seasonal beers avail- 2010 World Beer Cup not fully automated and requires a able to-go. Gold McLuhrs Irish Stout person to operate it. Our labeling machine for the 12 2009 North American Beer Awards We bottle 22 oz Limited Edi- oz Bottles was originally designed Gold Sweet George’s Brown Ale tion Bombers that are only sold in 1920 and manufactured before Gold Dam Lyte at the Brewery and 12 oz bottles 1942. Silver Dam Straight Lager Our 22 oz Bombers have cus- Silver McLuhrs Irish Stout tom labels developed by our staff. 2008 Great American Beer Festival Gold Sweet George’s Brown Ale

2008 World Beer Cup Silver Sweet George’s Brown Ale

2005 North American Beer Awards Gold McLuhrs Irish Stout Gold YoHann Bock Silver Dam Straight Lager Bronze Sweet George’s Brown Ale Assistant Brewer JJ Miles readies clean bottles to be filled and capped by the bot- tler and assures that the labeler mechanically adheres labels to clean bottles.

Tour Ends Here. Thanks for Taking the Dam Tour!