How to Brew Own Beer – Château Chocolate Malt

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Almost all brewers have brewed using chocolate malt at least once. Although it has a light flavour and aroma than the roasted barley and black malt, various brews can be enhanced using chocolate malt.

While it can be just “one-dimensional,” nothing can replace the touch that chocolate malt brings to craft beer. For us, it is a perfect ingredient to add a mild chocolate flavour and the right punch to a party.

How Chocolate Malt is Made

As per Castle Malting, chocolate malt is made with pale malt that can be either two-row or six-row. It is further roasted for a certain period to get the desired hue of the chocolate malt. Its roasting temperature is approximately 230 °C. The roasting period is around 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on the desired final color.

The longer you roast, the darker the malt will be. Plus, the darker chocolate malts will have a different flavor profile with an intense roasted taste, as one would find in dark chocolates.

Typical Usage of Chocolate Malt

In Kleiburg Brewery, chocolate malt is used as a significant flavored ingredient. It is often used in a low quantity to adjust the hue of beer if black malt is not available.

Beer Styles

Using chocolate malts, many brewers produce different types of brews. The chocolate malt is added to any beer that needs darker color, along with subtle chocolate flavors.

 Chocolate malt is used in beers include Stouts, Porter, Darker Lagers, Brown Ale, Mild and Scotch Ales.

Also Read:- What Is Dry-hopped Beer?

Best Belgian Beers You Can Buy

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Belgium is one of the popular nations for its beers. Even UNESCO has added the beer culture of Belgium to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

There are various styles of beers made from special Belgium malt in the country. You can find hundreds of amazing breweries in this nation. Pils (pale large) account for around 71% of beer consumption in Belgium. The country even exports over two-thirds of its breweries’ complete output of more than 20,000,000 hectolitres.

So, if you are ever in this country, you need to try their special beers. Here are some of the best Belgian beers you cannot miss out on:

  1. Blond Ale: As the name indicates, this beer is golden in hue and has a clear appearance. It is easy to drink, as it’s lightly hopped. It often has a spicy and fruity tinge in its flavor.  
  2. Bokbier: Made from high-quality Belgium malt, this is a strong seasonal beer. Traditionally, it’s brewed in the autumn season. And, its bottle labels depict goats. 
  3. Dubbel: This particular brown ale is made after bottle refermentation. Therefore, its name means “double.”. It is quite stronger than other beers and is full of flavor. With slight hints of spice and fruit, this beer tastes amazing with mature cheeses and dishes. 
  4. Lambic: The spontaneous fermentation of lambic beers is triggered by wild yeasts. This brew tends to have a tangy flavor. Plus, brown sugar is added to it for softening its acidity. 

So, these are some popular Belgium beers as per a malt review. You must grab at least one of these when you happen to be in the country.

AF Brew St Petersburg Russia Brewery Spotlight

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Saint Petersburg is the second-largest city in Russia and is known to be a quickly growing craft beer scene due to its geography and history. In the past, the Russian Empire was greatly influenced by the English, Dutch and Northern European beer-drinking culture. 

Today, Saint Petersburg is the home to various cool taprooms, modern microbreweries and bars. If we talk geographically, Russia doesn’t grow grapes to make some intoxicating drinks. So, they started using barley and hops to create such brews. 

Here are some popular breweries and bars in Russia that you must check out:

  • Stepan Razin Brewery: It is the oldest Russian brewery established in 1795. Today, it is turned into the beer museum in Saint Petersburg, displaying the beer history of the country. 
  • Redrum: Redrum is never empty on the weekends, as it’s situated in the busiest area of the city centre. This bar serves around 24 different beers, most of which are crafted by AF brew, the local brewery. 
  • Rockets and Bishops: Along with around 20 taps, including imported and local craft beers, Rockets and Bishops is another Russian brewery that you must visit. You can try some of the most amazing local and international craft beers along with delicious burgers.

Top Hops: Another brewery spotlight is the Top Hops, which’s also known for some great collection of craft beers. Around 20 beers taps deliver primarily local and some international beers to the people.

Also watch One Ton Brewery Russia

The Most Interesting Facts about Russian Beer

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Ever wondered about background facts related to the best Russian beer you like drinking so much? Let us tell you a few interesting ones to add more zing to your next exposure to beer.

  1. Oldest prepared beverage – Beer is truly old-aged, dating back to around 9500 BC.
  2. Strongest beer – Something that can burn your gut is the world’s strongest beer called Snake Venom, which has an alcohol content of a whopping 67.5%.
  3. Beer producers – More than 1,280 beer producers, from craft breweries to global brands, have been operating in Russia, as per Russian beer facts from the year 2020.
  4. Popular beers – Porter, IPA, lager and wheat ale are the most in-demand, while beer itself is the most loved alcoholic beverage in Russia.
  5. Light vs. dark – The style of best Russian beer or the yeast used does not get considered for beer categorisation in the country. Instead, Russians consider beer colour, ABV and gravity to put it in one of the two categories, light or dark.
  6. Consumption – One of the interesting analyses of Russian beer facts is that 80% of consumers in Russia go for a light filtered beer while the remaining few choose the dark or light unfiltered styles.
  7. Cenosillicaphobia – Believe it or not, many drinkers are having an intense fear of the empty beer glass. That is called cenosillicaphobia. 

We hope you enjoyed these Russian beer facts before you enjoy your next glass of the best Russian beer!

Russian Craft Beer: What is a craft beer & why it’s so popular?

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Russian beers are usually lagers and pale lagers. Russian beer is usually categorized by its colour and not its style or yeast used for fermentation. Therefore, beer is looked upon as a semi-dark, dark, light or red coloured brew.  

What is a Russian craft beer?

Russian craft beer is referred to as a beer brewed by an independent, small-scale Russian craft brewery that creates only small output every year. However, the way we define small output may vary, as its definition is not set for what exactly a small-scale production is. 

Why is Russian craft beer so popular?

Russian craft beer is becoming increasingly popular because one can experiment with a major diversity of craft beer taste profiles and styles. Most young consumers prefer craft beer over other varieties of beers available in the market. 

For choosing the best craft beers, it’s usually a good idea to look for independent brewers that collect locally-sourced ingredients and produce interesting, innovative and limited-edition brews. Generally, craft brewers opt for traditional methods to brew different types of craft beers for creating unique flavour combinations and new styles.

You can even visit micro-breweries to take a tour of the available facilities, sample the wares and meet makers to know more about the fermentation process of the beer brewing.  

Up-and-coming beer makers that are willing to improve the Russian beer scene include the Victory Art Brew in the northeast of Moscow and Vasileostrovskaya brewery on Vasilyevsky Island in Saint Petersburg. Plus, other craft breweries like Castle Malting Craft Beer are also creating innovative brews for beer enthusiasts.

Why Use Coasters: Better Safe Than Sorry!

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Coasters have a historical and useful association with drinking. They are made from different kinds of materials, ranging from wood and glass to plastic and more, to prevent the furniture from getting damaged by water stains. The drinks, especially those with ice in them, can leave stains or water rings on the surface, which can damage precious furniture over time. That’s why it is wise to use coasters underneath a glass of any drink and prevent the condensation from glasses leave any rings behind. 

They have other utilities as well. Coasters are also used at bars or pubs to signal etiquette. For example, keeping a coaster on top of an unfinished drink indicates that you wish to finish the drink, and the staff members should not take away the glass while you are gone for a few minutes. Besides, a drink with a coaster on top of it can also be used to keep a table spot in a busy bar while you have left for a bathroom break. This is also a kind of coaster etiquette that is followed in many drinking circles. However, using this etiquette to keep a drink or table spot unattended past a certain time frame is considered rude. We at Castle Malting advise you not to leave a drink unattended for more than a few minutes. 

So, there you have it. The benefits of using coasters! Not only do they help protect your furniture from stains or water damage over time but also help you communicate through manners in public bars or pubs. 

Russia Craft Beer Guide – Exploring Moscow & St. Petersburg

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From Red Square and Kremlin Complex to Hermitage museum, Russia has a lot of attractions for tourists. However, one thing that undoubtedly stands out for exploration is the Russian craft beer. Based on our exploration from Moscow to St. Petersburg, here are some spots that became our brewery spotlight, especially the AF Brew, St Petersburg Brewery.

Eric the Red in Moscow

This craft beer bar is one of the biggest in Russia, with 20 taps of the finest Russian craft beer and more than 100 bottles. On its top floor, you find a rich selection of Lambics. Variants like blackcurrant of Methode Traditionnele Russian Lambic are worth trying.

Rule Taproom

Closer to Vozdvizhenka Street to Arbat area where Eric is located, you can find another spot for all types of craft beer. It is called Rule Taproom, which is as attractive and musical as it is known for its Zagovor brews. You may also enjoy here anything, from a triple IPA to fruity or sour beer.

AF Brew, St Petersburg Brewery

Since 2012, AF Brew has been brewing the best Russian craft beer. It now brews more than 100,000 litres per year. At our recommended brewery spotlight, the AF Brew, St Petersburg Brewery, you can find a variety of styles, from complex Lambics brewed with the best Belgian malts to lagers and IPAs. The brewery’s highlights are the new Million Minutes and Another Million Minutes editions, available in amazing variations of raspberries, cherries, and peach.

We hope our brewery spotlight leads you to these special breweries and more while exploring craft beer in Russia. 

What is Craft Beer and how do you drink it?

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The term Craft Beer might bring some questions to your mind. Let’s try to answer those questions. The first question might be what is Craft Beer? The answer isn’t that simple because the benchmark guidelines are pretty loose and may not apply in every case. However, some basic features include rich taste and flavour, a smaller scale of production, traditional methods of brewing and independence of the brewery. 

The second question might be what is Craft Beer made up of? The simple answer is that the key ingredients are water, yeast, malt and mops. The artisanal methods of brewing and rare ingredients make it unique. 

Another question that might pop up is what is Craft Beer taste like? Well, the answers may vary. Often, it is aromatic and more intense in taste and flavour than a simple industrial one. 

The last and most important question that we’ll address is how do you drink Craft Beer?

Whether it’s a Russian Craft Beer or a craft beer from your locality, it should be discovered and appreciated through its variety of aromas. It should be properly tasted and enjoyed, not chugged or downed. 

It should also be consumed with the right snack combination. As a rule, IPA is drunk along with spicy food while sour beer is usually consumed with fish or salad, and a roasted stout often goes well with a chocolate dessert. However, exploring your favourite combinations is a journey every enthusiast should take. 

Factors like expensive ingredients and small scale of production make Craft Beer expensive, yet its popularity keeps growing due to the rich tradition and flavour it is expected to provide. Hopefully, the points satisfy your queries and prepare you for an even richer craft experience ahead in your life. 

A Tasting Tour of Russian Craft Beer

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Craft beer is all set to replace vodka as Russia’s go-to tipple. The Russian beer scene is evolving rapidly with the rise in the number of brew-houses and equipment modernization. Moscow is driving the craft beer trend and establishing Russia as one of the world’s top three beer producers. 

Keen on helping yourself to some delectable, artisanal Russian craft beer? If yes, embark on a beer tasting tour of Moscow. It’s an entryway to the world of Russian craft beer for someone with a more evolved palate like you. It’ll change your standard drinking experience for good.    

Roam through the streets with a local guide and crash into some of the best craft beer bars in Moscow. The guide shares your passion for craft beer, isn’t it obvious? The tour lasts for at least three hours, involving a visit to three or more different craft brew houses and bars in Moscow.      

Want some info on the city? The guide keeps you covered. Do you know the city well and just wish to beef your knowledge on the craft beer on offer? The guide keeps you covered with this too. From the evolution history of Russian craft beer to fundamentals of brewing, recent trends, varieties available, and brewery spotlight – know whatever there’s to know.  

The guide listens to your taste and cravings and suggests some local and non-local craft brews accordingly. The overarching objective of the tour is to help explore the sights and sounds of Moscow while savouring some delectable craft brews and gaining new insights.

How Interesting Cooking with Craft Beer

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Many people have brought craft beer into the kitchen nowadays. They find it flavour-enhancing, as it expands and evolves the cooking potential of preparing various delicious dishes. But what most people don’t know is that some alcohol may remain within the dish when cooking with beer. 

Therefore, when you cook with beer, make sure to disclose to your guests that your dish contains the beverage as an ingredient. However, craft beer has less alcohol content by volume than other spirits or wines.  

You can easily find amazing recipes to make everyday meals for you. Be it cooking for one or a whole party, all you need is this versatile beverage to uplift the flavour of your dishes. You can easily find recipes with craft beer from American Stout to IPA. 

Some people also use craft beer for preparing brunch recipes, such as French beer toast, beer doughnuts, etc. But if you want some new flavour for your summer meal, you need to try some recipes like wings made with beer, beer burgers, beer ice creams or more. 

Are you stumped on deciding what to make for a football tailgate party? Don’t worry; there are many beer recipes for this occasion as well. You may prepare soft beet pretzels, chocolate pies and other desserts with beer. You can even plan for a perfect BBQ recipe made with craft beer for giving a spicy tinge to your party. 

Just try a few of them at home before you make it for a party. This way, you can be sure that the recipes will please your guests.

Must Read : The Nutritional Content of Beer