Process
Barley
Barley grown for brewing is carefully selected by maltsters for processing. Both two-row and six-row barley may be used, depending on the desired characteristics of the beer. During the malting process, the grain is allowed to germinate before being dried and kilned to varying degrees, producing different colors, flavors, and brewing characteristics.
While malted barley forms the foundation of most beers, wheat and a variety of specialty grains may also be used. These grains and malts can contribute additional flavor, aroma, color, body, mouthfeel, and head retention, giving brewers a wide range of ingredients to create different beer styles and flavor profiles.
Hops
Hops are the green, cone-shaped flowers, or “inflorescences,” of the Humulus lupulus plant, a vigorous perennial bine. Over the years, hops have been crossbred, and a multitude of new hop cultivars continue to come to market. This brings new aromas and flavors to breweries, allowing brewers to continue creating beers with exciting new hop aromas and flavors.
Barrels
Chubby Mermaid Brewing Co. utilizes barrel aging to create unique and complex beers. We age select beers in both oak barrels previously used for spirits and maple wood barrels previously used for aging maple syrup. These two very different types of barrels impart distinct flavors and characteristics to the beer, creating entirely different barrel-aged experiences.
Equipment
Chubby Mermaid Brewing Co. operates a 500-liter (4.2-barrel), two-vessel insulated brewhouse and utilizes reverse osmosis (RO) water as the foundation for our brewing water. Our beers are generally fermented under pressure, a process commonly known as spunding, in 500-liter insulated, glycol-jacketed conical fermenters.
Throughout fermentation and cellaring, temperature is precisely controlled by circulating food-grade glycol through the insulated jackets of each fermenter. Once fermentation and conditioning are complete, the yeast and sediment are removed from the cone, and the finished beer is transferred under pressure into kegs for serving. Select beers are also packaged into cans for retail sale.
