7 replies to this topic

[chuck_d]

https://www.washingt...9070603892.html

To come up with new beers, study old brewing techniques.Two craft breweries on opposite sides of the country did precisely that, reviving the ancient art of stone brewing to produce two starkly different products. Before copper and stainless steel became standard materials for brew vessels, beermakers mixed malt and hops in wooden vats. Lighting a fire under such a vessel could burn down the house, so brewers boiled the wort (the unfermented beer) by tossing in red-hot rocks, causing a partial caramelization of the malt sugars and adding smoky overtones to the beer.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Interesting article and technique as well. Leave it to Sam and Greg to be such innovators. Now hopefully homebrewers won't dig up some stones in the yard and toss them into the wort as well.

[djinkc]

I had some granite scraps given to me last spring. I doubt I have enough to get a boil going though, may have to get some more but I still want to make a steinbier.

[3rd party JKor]

That's gotta be a little dangerous. Dropping enormous rocks at several hundred degrees into the wort? Look out for hot flying wort!

[Kremer]

That's gotta be a little dangerous. Dropping enormous rocks at several hundred degrees into the wort? Look out for hot flying wort!

Or shards of rock.

[shmgeggie]

Back when I was a youngster, we lined a fire pit with a flagstone during one of our campouts. Fortunately, we were in our sleeping bags and not sitting by the fire when the flagstone started exploding and sending showers of sparks everywhere. Some types of rock contain pockets of moisture. If the water turns to steam, it will blow the rock apart. If you're going to try this technique, make sure you know that the rocks you're using do not contain any water (I think granite is safe but don't take my word for it).

[pods8]

I've seriously been meaning to do this for quite some time and will at some point get to it. Sounds like a good time.

[djinkc]

Or shards of rock.

We hashed this around a bit a few months back.https://www.brews-br...o...nbier&st=20after looking at the posted video again, maybe I do have enough.......