Brew On Premise facilities have intrigued me since I first read about ones in England. What a great idea: Go somewhere that has prfessional equipment, brew a batch of beer to my taste, and have some else clean up. The Brewer's Apprentice in Freehold has brought B.O.P. to N.J.
Brewing at the Brewer's Apprentice is much easier than doing it at home. The equipment is clean, the ingredients are already there. Choose a beer from the diverse recipe book, with styles ranging from Pilsner to Scotch Ale to Barley Wine, and you're off.
Not sure what style of beer you like? Many recipes have names that hint at what brand name beer they should taste like. You can even brew a batch that tastes like Coors if you are so inclined.
Or you can bring your own recipe, as did the group I observed. They wanted to brew a beer that would taste like Celebration Ale, the very hoppy, very malty winter beer from Sierra Nevada.
Once the details of the recipe were worked out, it was time to start brewing. Crushing the malted barley was first; cracking open the kernels exposes the starch inside.
The cracked grains are added to hot water in the brewing vessel; the steam jacketed, temperature gauged brewing kettle is certainly a step up from the homebrewers pot on the stove. The hot water, around 160, breaks down the starch in the grain, producing sugars for the yeast to eat.
When the soaked grains are removed the "wort" is left behind. The kettle is fired up to a boil, and extracts are stirred into the wort. Only so much grain will fit in the kettle, so liquid malt extract and glucose are used to boost the sugar content.
The first batch of hops -- in pelletized form -- are also added; these will provide bitterness. They wanted this beer hoppy, so they had four hop additions.
About two-thirds of the way through the boil a second addition of hops will impart both flavor and bitterness. A third dose goes in just before the boil is done. These "finishing" hops do not get boiled long enough to drive off their aromatic oils; instead their aroma infuses the wort, and the finished beer.
After boiling, the wort must be brought down to a more yeast-friendly temperature -- around 70 degrees. This should be done quickly to reduce the chances of bacterial infection. No waiting with tubs of ice and water homebrewer-style here; the wort is pumped from the kettle through a chiller and pours into the fermenter the perfect temperature.
The final dose of hops is tossed into the filled fermenter; this "dry hopping" will add even more aroma to the finished beer. The yeast is added, the fermenter is given a few good shakes, then hauled off to rest.
That's it. Total time spent brewing: about two hours. The brewers go home, while the Brewer's Apprentice cleans up the mess. In a couple of weeks the beer will be carbonated and filtered, all ready for the brewers to return and bottle.
Even bottling is a breeze here, thanks to a two-case bottle washer and counter pressure fillers. After a bit of bottle conditioning, their Celebration Ale will be ready to drink.
Is beer brewed here any good? The brewers I sat in with are serious, Old Bay-going beer fans; they've been brewing a batch a month. The beer I was sent home with was indeed tasty.
Owner JoEllen Bianchi and her crew seem to know that they're doing, and have expanded their brewing horizons since opening. I imagine they will continue to grow along with their more adventurous customers. The Brewers Apprentice has gift certificates; for information and appointments call 800-903-BREW.
Jim Edenbaum is a New Brunswick-based freelance writer. On Tap appears every other Wednesday.
Posted: 12/03/97 09:31:13 AM