Comments on: Balancing nature, tradition and progress in Alaska http://appellationbeer.com/blog/balancing-nature-tradition-and-progress-in-alaska/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:38:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Curtis Holmes http://appellationbeer.com/blog/balancing-nature-tradition-and-progress-in-alaska/comment-page-1/#comment-232221 Curtis Holmes Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:47:12 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/?p=1618#comment-232221 No problem Stan! Thanks for the interview and the great posting about this story. Always glad to help. No problem Stan! Thanks for the interview and the great posting about this story. Always glad to help.

]]> By: Stan Hieronymus http://appellationbeer.com/blog/balancing-nature-tradition-and-progress-in-alaska/comment-page-1/#comment-231944 Stan Hieronymus Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:44:49 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/?p=1618#comment-231944 Curtis, thanks for the additional information and adding some clarity I should have the first time around ;<) Curtis, thanks for the additional information and adding some clarity I should have the first time around ;<)

]]> By: Curtis Holmes http://appellationbeer.com/blog/balancing-nature-tradition-and-progress-in-alaska/comment-page-1/#comment-231908 Curtis Holmes Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:02:06 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/?p=1618#comment-231908 I wanted to add a few notes to this article and in response to the posting by Ron. There are mash filters and there are mash presses. Mash filters were invented in the late 1800's by Meura out of Belgium. The original systems only filtered the finely ground grain and dumped the spent grain wet, they offered a slight efficiency over lauter tuns but not much. In 1991, Meura upgraded their mash filter design to a mash "press" where the grains now get squeezed at the end of filtration to remove any remaining sugars. This jumped up their efficiency and speed over the traditional mash filter design and gave even more advantages over lautering, namely that your spent grains now came out as a much dryer cake. Since Meura owns the rights to the mash press design, other manufacturers are still making mash filters. So when talking about these units you have to watch the description to know what type of system they are. In the U.S. we've only recently found out that F.X. Matt and Yeungling's brewery in Florida have one of these systems, but we're trying to find out if they have a press or a filter so I'll let you know. As most of you might know Coor's has about 10 mash filters and have been using this technology since the early 1900's, but Coor's is currently in the process of upgrading to the newer Meura mash press design due to the higher efficiencies. I think they've converted over three so far. Both types of filters are used worldwide quite regularly but you just don't hear about them much. For some traditional brewers the mash press is taboo especially in Germany and the United States due to the stigma that it affects the flavor of the beer because you are grinding the malt so finely, but we disproved this with our mash press pilot test in 2000. That worry about flavor concerns was the main reason I wanted to test the system before we bought one and I'm glad to say we found no issues at all. The reality is that worldwide they are an accepted and proven method of extracting the wort from the grains. Outside of the U.S. these machines are quite popular especially in remote locations in Europe, Russia, Africa, India, and China due to the efficiencies they bring for the cost of getting the raw ingredients to remote population centers. Heineken, Carlsberg, and Guinness are just a few of the large users. If you want to check references and locations for the mash press, Meura has a great reference list they can send. The other two manufacturers I know of that make the old style mash filters are Landaluce out of Spain, and Ziemann in Germany. Hope this helps! Curtis Holmes Alaskan Brewing Company I wanted to add a few notes to this article and in response to the posting by Ron. There are mash filters and there are mash presses. Mash filters were invented in the late 1800′s by Meura out of Belgium. The original systems only filtered the finely ground grain and dumped the spent grain wet, they offered a slight efficiency over lauter tuns but not much. In 1991, Meura upgraded their mash filter design to a mash “press” where the grains now get squeezed at the end of filtration to remove any remaining sugars. This jumped up their efficiency and speed over the traditional mash filter design and gave even more advantages over lautering, namely that your spent grains now came out as a much dryer cake. Since Meura owns the rights to the mash press design, other manufacturers are still making mash filters.

So when talking about these units you have to watch the description to know what type of system they are. In the U.S. we’ve only recently found out that F.X. Matt and Yeungling’s brewery in Florida have one of these systems, but we’re trying to find out if they have a press or a filter so I’ll let you know. As most of you might know Coor’s has about 10 mash filters and have been using this technology since the early 1900′s, but Coor’s is currently in the process of upgrading to the newer Meura mash press design due to the higher efficiencies. I think they’ve converted over three so far.

Both types of filters are used worldwide quite regularly but you just don’t hear about them much. For some traditional brewers the mash press is taboo especially in Germany and the United States due to the stigma that it affects the flavor of the beer because you are grinding the malt so finely, but we disproved this with our mash press pilot test in 2000. That worry about flavor concerns was the main reason I wanted to test the system before we bought one and I’m glad to say we found no issues at all.

The reality is that worldwide they are an accepted and proven method of extracting the wort from the grains. Outside of the U.S. these machines are quite popular especially in remote locations in Europe, Russia, Africa, India, and China due to the efficiencies they bring for the cost of getting the raw ingredients to remote population centers. Heineken, Carlsberg, and Guinness are just a few of the large users. If you want to check references and locations for the mash press, Meura has a great reference list they can send. The other two manufacturers I know of that make the old style mash filters are Landaluce out of Spain, and Ziemann in Germany.

Hope this helps!
Curtis Holmes
Alaskan Brewing Company

]]> By: Todd http://appellationbeer.com/blog/balancing-nature-tradition-and-progress-in-alaska/comment-page-1/#comment-231677 Todd Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:44:19 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/?p=1618#comment-231677 Great story, thanks Stan. Great story, thanks Stan.

]]> By: Thomas Cizauskas http://appellationbeer.com/blog/balancing-nature-tradition-and-progress-in-alaska/comment-page-1/#comment-231676 Thomas Cizauskas Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:23:30 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/?p=1618#comment-231676 Add a third mash press in N. America to the list: F.X. Matt/Saranac Add a third mash press in N. America to the list: F.X. Matt/Saranac

]]> By: Ron Pattinson http://appellationbeer.com/blog/balancing-nature-tradition-and-progress-in-alaska/comment-page-1/#comment-231654 Ron Pattinson Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:53:22 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/?p=1618#comment-231654 I've read about mash filter presses, but didn't realise anyone still used one. Benskins of Watford had one around 1900, but only used it for mashing raw grain. It never seems to have got further than a couple of breweries in the UK. I've not bothered mentioning them in my book because it seemed like a blind alley. You live and learn. I’ve read about mash filter presses, but didn’t realise anyone still used one. Benskins of Watford had one around 1900, but only used it for mashing raw grain. It never seems to have got further than a couple of breweries in the UK.

I’ve not bothered mentioning them in my book because it seemed like a blind alley. You live and learn.

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