What Goes On Inside A Craft Brewery - Honolulu Civil Beat

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Slideshows

What Goes On Inside A Craft Brewery

From bags of grain to kegs of the finished product, a look at the process that makes 1,500 barrels of beer a year in Kakaako.

By Cory Lum / May 19, 2017
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  • <p>Just two blocks from the biggest body of water in the world, Honolulu Beerworks in Kakaako produces 1,500 barrels of beer a year that it distributes to restaurants and pubs around Oahu. We decided to get an inside look at the craft brewery process. Joe Direnzo, right, pours malted grain into a mill, where it is mixed with water and flowed into a mash tun vessel.</p>

    Just two blocks from the biggest body of water in the world, Honolulu Beerworks in Kakaako produces 1,500 barrels of beer a year that it distributes to restaurants and pubs around Oahu. We decided to get an inside look at the craft brewery process. Joe Direnzo, right, pours malted grain into a mill, where it is mixed with water and flowed into a mash tun vessel.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>Ken Caldwell keeps an eye on the mash tun vessel. Mashing converts starches from the malt into sugars for fermenting at the brewery, which was opened in 2014 by Geoff Seideman and his wife, Charmayne.</p>

    Ken Caldwell keeps an eye on the mash tun vessel. Mashing converts starches from the malt into sugars for fermenting at the brewery, which was opened in 2014 by Geoff Seideman and his wife, Charmayne.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>The view from atop the mash tun vessel.</p>

    The view from atop the mash tun vessel.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>Caldwell uses a refractometer to check the sugar content of a mash sample inside the device.</p>

    Caldwell uses a refractometer to check the sugar content of a mash sample inside the device.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>The sweet infusion of mash flows slowly from the mash tun vessel into a wort kettle, where it will be brought to boil.</p>

    The sweet infusion of mash flows slowly from the mash tun vessel into a wort kettle, where it will be brought to boil.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>Caldwell makes adjustments to the wort kettle controls before hops are added to the wort.</p>

    Caldwell makes adjustments to the wort kettle controls before hops are added to the wort.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>Moments after a handful of hop varieties are weighed out, Direnzo pours them into the wort kettle. In this case, the end product will be Sheltered Bay IPA, one of the brewery’s 10 main beers.</p>

    Moments after a handful of hop varieties are weighed out, Direnzo pours them into the wort kettle. In this case, the end product will be Sheltered Bay IPA, one of the brewery’s 10 main beers.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>Direnzo flushes and cleans a 15-barrel fermentation tank in preparation for the wort to be piped in.</p>

    Direnzo flushes and cleans a 15-barrel fermentation tank in preparation for the wort to be piped in.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>Direnzo and Ken Caldwell prepare to place yeast into the fermentation vessel.</p>

    Direnzo and Ken Caldwell prepare to place yeast into the fermentation vessel.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>Cleanup time: Caldwell hauls away a load of boiled grains, and more awaits.</p>

    Cleanup time: Caldwell hauls away a load of boiled grains, and more awaits.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>Caldwell uses a long brush to clean the mash tun vessel. Sanitation and cleaning occupies the majority of the brewers’ time.</p>

    Caldwell uses a long brush to clean the mash tun vessel. Sanitation and cleaning occupies the majority of the brewers’ time.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>After climbing through a small opening at the top of the wort kettle, Caldwell scrubs the stainless steel inner chamber with a scouring pad.</p>

    After climbing through a small opening at the top of the wort kettle, Caldwell scrubs the stainless steel inner chamber with a scouring pad.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>Fifteen-gallon beer kegs are stacked alongside tanks of the finished product.</p>

    Fifteen-gallon beer kegs are stacked alongside tanks of the finished product.

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat
  • <p>Direnzo checks a tank of Kewalos Cream Ale after it was transferred from a fermentation vessel, perhaps to see if it fulfills the promise of the Honolulu Beerworks website: “The light malt flavors are balanced by a touch of herbal hops to provide a clean and crisp finish.”</p>

    Direnzo checks a tank of Kewalos Cream Ale after it was transferred from a fermentation vessel, perhaps to see if it fulfills the promise of the Honolulu Beerworks website: “The light malt flavors are balanced by a touch of herbal hops to provide a clean and crisp finish.”

    Cory Lum/Civil Beat

About the Author

  • Cory Lum
    Cory Lum
    Cory Lum is the chief photographer for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at clum@civilbeat.org.
    Use the RSS feed to subscribe to Cory Lum's posts today
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