What does it take to make the most of urban brewing?
The first thing to consider is the ingredients you need to get the job done.
When it comes to brewing, you want to brew a batch of beer that has the right blend of flavor, aroma and alcohol to match your local area.
In a recent study, the Urban Project conducted a taste test for its urban brewing program.
The team brewed beer for the city of New York City and sampled over 300 different locales to get a better idea of what you’ll need.
The study found that the average beer served in NYC is made with roughly a third of the ingredients found in traditional beers, and that the typical beer produced is less than half the alcohol content of a traditional brew.
“There are many different types of brewing, and this is the way you get the most bang for your buck,” said Urban Project’s founder and chief executive officer, Mark Ralston.
“The average American beer is about 15 percent alcohol, so if you can get that to 20 percent, you’re really going to be making a great deal.”
The Urban Project offers a variety of styles for each city.
For example, the beer brewed for the project was brewed with 60 percent hops and 60 percent malt extract.
“A lot of our hop flavors are subtle,” Ralstone said.
“We wanted to make sure the beer tasted good but still had the aroma.”
The team also used different types and types of malts, and added different amounts of hops and grains.
“When you get into the mix, you’ll find that you’re getting a lot of different types,” Raltons said.
A typical beer made in New York’s Brooklyn neighborhood is about 30 percent ABV, but the team made about 75 percent ABV in their urban brewing beer.
The beer is typically brewed with about 3.8 gallons of water and about 6.8 pounds of malt extract and about 2 pounds of hops.
“If you’re going to go in and start with water, you don’t want to use a lot because the hop flavor will be overpowering and will get in your mouth,” Ralfson said.
The Urban Brewery also sells its product on the internet for a price, but Ralts is confident it can be a successful business if it can continue to grow.
“Our beer is really popular in New England and around the world,” Ralgston said.
If you’re looking to get into this business, Ralfs advice is to start small.
“Start with a few beers and then scale it up,” he said.