Microbrewed Adventures - Charles Papazian [6]
EVEN THOUGH they are brewing at a much higher level these days, their goal has stayed the same—to make great beer. Their equipment is larger and better and their processes have become more efficient, but the beer stays true. Their production is approaching 600,000 barrels at the time of this book’s publication, and their products have every bit of the “microbrewing” integrity with which they began in 1981. This is not only a tribute to Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, but also to what passion for beer and brewing has done for our American beer culture.
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1982 ORIGINAL SIERRA NEVADA PALE ALE
While Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has remained true to its original character, there have been a few subtle adjustments over the years in order to facilitate distribution needs and brewery equipment changes. This original recipe is based on today’s flavor profile and what is known about its formulation and information published in the early 1980s, revealing original ingredients and processes used at their original small-batch brewery. The recipe can be found in About the Recipes.
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American Wheat Beer
Pyramid Wheaten Ale
THE ADDRESS OF the brewery was 176 First Street, reached by taking Exit 30 off Washington Interstate 5, just above Washington’s border with Oregon. It could arguably be called the birthplace of American-style wheat beer. Someone should erect a historic landmark memorial, for there was brewed the original Pyramid Wheaten Ale at the Hart Brewing Company. In 1984, company founder and homebrewer Tom Baune and his wife breathed life back into a building that can only be described at the time of my visit in 1986 as a general store orphaned by the construction of the Interstate.
The brew kettle, keg-washing equipment, fermenters, keg washers and bottling line were all salvaged, reconditioned or self-fabricated. Visiting with a small group of other brewers and aspiring brewers, I was surprised that such a remote brewery in an all-but-abandoned locale could and did resurrect the passion of beer and brewing. It was called sweat equity. We were all in awe of owner and jack-of-all-trades Tom Baune, not only for the establishment of such a brewery in such a remote location, but for the quality of his ales brewed in small handcrafted batches.
Tom Baune, founder Hart Brewing Co. and Pyramid brand ale
In the early 1980s, knowledgeable American homebrewers were aware of beers made with a combination of wheat and barley malt, called Weizenbier (wheat beer) in Germany. The recipes were available. The techniques were known. But one important ingredient was essentially inaccessible to American microbrewers: the wheat beer yeast creating the unique character of German-style wheat beers. Not to be deterred, American homebrewers and microbrewers followed the essential techniques for making German-style wheat beers, but substituted various English-style ale yeasts for the German variety. A new beer style was born: American-style wheat beer.
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ORIGINAL PYRAMID WHEATEN ALE
Today’s Pyramid Wheaten Ale is as vibrant as is it was in 1986, but not without its differences. The brewery’s recipe has been adjusted to accommodate large-batch brewing and the evolving preferences of wheat beer enthusiasts. Based on data and descriptions (as well as recollections from my own taste memory bank) published in their early years, this recipe for “Original Pyramid Wheaten Ale” is presented with confidence and for your enjoyment. Smooth, with a mild yet distinctive caramel character, the recipe for this refreshing beer for all sessions can be found in About the Recipes.
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Brewed with a significant proportion of wheat malt, Pyramid