Smell. Taste. Swish.
Behind the artistry embedded in the flavors and aromas of each craft beer lies a simple, yet precise science — a science with taste. An amalgamation of grains, hops, yeast, water and exact brewing methods create a robust brewery scene in Moscow.
Starting Small
For Aaron Hart, local brew master and part owner of Moscow Brewing Company, learning the scientific brewing process began when he was a teenager. With a “brew it yourself” kit from Tri-State Outfitters, the Palouse native created his first home beer in the mid-2000s.
“Over the years, I began brewing more and more, until that was most of what I did,” Hart said. “That’s really where the know-how comes from.”
Hart and his business partner became Moscow Brewing Company’s official owners in 2016, reopening one of the city’s long-known breweries.
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A University of Idaho graduate with a background in science, Hart’s expertise in brewing comes from years of practice and a knack for understanding all the small scientific aspects of brewing a batch of beer.
“Each brewer is a little unique, especially when it comes to the yeast choice, water chemistry, hop choice and approach,” Hart said. “All my education really comes from those years of home brewing.”
Graham Lilly, owner of Moscow’s Hunga Dunga Brewing Co., also found his brewing expertise out of an education in science and a talent for home brewing.
The UI graduate with a background in microbiology said brewing originally began as a hobby with friends in college. That passion for beer eventually turned into a well-loved, double rye Indian Pale Ale grain craft beer recipe, Lilly said.
Not long after perfecting the science and a few solid recipes, Lilly began building his tap-house and restaurant out of an abandoned grain warehouse. His dream of creating a brewery Moscow community members could share took four years to build.
“I just couldn’t believe this sort of college town didn’t have a brewery,” Lilly said. “I wanted to bring that to Moscow.”
Finding a similar path toward brewing craft beer, Neil Marzolf also found his way into the local brew scene through brewing small batches of beer in his home.
Marzolf, the owner of Rants and Raves Brewery, found a passion for the brewery and restaurant business with his friend, who is now head brewer of the Rants and Raves Brewery.
The two began creating beer out of Marzolf’s barn. When the recipes became too good to not share, Marzolf entered Moscow’s “small, but mighty” brewing market.
“Our goal — in the beginning — and still is to make Moscow known for more than just the university and to make some damn good beer,” Marzolf said.
A scientific method
For all three brewery owners, their operations have outgrown their homes and expanded into shops, kitchens and even warehouses.
Large tanks specialized for the brewing process line the spaces of all three breweries in Moscow — each slightly different, just like their processes. Still, the science behind creating alcohol out of four main ingredients largely remains the same, Hart said.
The brewing process begins with simple grains, usually barley, wheat or rye, Hart said. The grain is then heated, dried and cracked to release its flavors.
The cracked grains then make their way to a mash tun — a heated kettle — which soaks the grains, bringing out the sugars in a whirlpool motion, Hart said.
The steeped grains become wort, a sticky and sweet liquid made ready for the additional ingredients, which will preserve the beer and give the recipe its signature flavor before alcohol begins to form.
The wort is boiled to kill any bacteria, Marzolf said, while hops and any spices or liquids deliver flavor to the mixture. Hops, which also act as a preservative, give many beers their signature bitterness to offset the sweet from the sugars.
The wort is then cooled, strained and filtered before yeast is added. The brewing process is nearly complete as the fermentation process begins.
Different temperatures and time frames from days to multiple weeks produce different fermentation outcomes, Hart said.
“Now this is where the science really begins to form the alcohol and it makes it or breaks it,” Hart said.
While the mixture ferments, the yeast eats the sugars in the wort liquid producing Co2 or alcohol.
“It doesn’t matter if you are creating 15 gallons or 500 gallons, the process is always the same,” Lilly said.
The equipment each brewer uses can vary. However, their setup is intricate and the price for each brewing kettle can sit above $10,000.
“People have this sexy idea about brewing beer and how it all comes together,” Lilly said. “Really it’s a lot of manual labor and perfecting.”
Cultivating flavor
Behind the science in each batch of beer, is an artistry of flavor and care, certified cicerone Ryan Hayes said.
As a cicerone, Hayes specializes in the knowledge of beer quality and flavor profile.
“I was just inspired by my surroundings. We live around some of the best beer in the area,” Hayes said. “A lot of questions came with that. Why are there so many IPAs? What is a Farmhouse Ale?”
Achieving his Cicerone certification, Hayes’ studies included digging into the history of beer and plenty of tasting.
In his past three years as a beer connoisseur, Hayes said serving beer and learning about the flavors beer has to offer has become second nature.
For Hart, the inspiration behind the new recipes Moscow Brewing Company releases every season often come from trying other beers or asking what community members want to try next.
“Sometimes it’s even as simple as driving around the Palouse and its beautiful wheat-filled landscape — inspiration can come that easy,” Hart said.
A local passion
Just as craft breweries are exploding around the nation, Idaho is seeing the same growth. According to the Brewers Association, the state was home to more than 54 breweries in 2017.
Hart said he saw a boom in Moscow breweries spread over the last three years just as his company opened.
Moscow, he said, provides an interesting space for each brewery to share their differences in style and atmosphere.
“But, we’re all providing a space for beer fanatics or people just wanting to try new flavors to gather and be together,” Hart said.
Hayes said he attributes this local brewery success to the connection people form with beer.
“Taste and smell is so often connected to emotional memory,” Hayes said. “People really dive into their memories and that feeling of nostalgia with the flavors beer can bring to them.”
A mixture of craft and science, Lilly said the process may come down to a precise science, but the artistic craft of bringing new flavor to the community is constantly evolving.
“Brewing really is one of the coolest tangible sciences, and I’m just glad we get to share that with other brewers and the rest of Moscow,” Lilly said.
Story by Hailey Stewart
Photos by Olivia Heersink
Design by Ethan Coy