Brooklyn Brewmasters Reserve ~ Brooklyn Backbreaker Ale

BackBreaker

Making malt has always been hard work. The barley needs to be soaked, sprouted to exactly the right point, and then gently dried, capturing the enzymes that will convert grain starches into malt sugars. For hundreds of years this was done on a "malting floor", where workers would control the sprouting of the malt by constant raking, adjusting temperature and preventing the rootlets of the malt from weaving together into an inseparable mat. But it was backbreaking work. Men dragged 75 lb wrought iron rakes through the malt beds and then smoothed it all over by hand with specialized shovels and ploughs. Eventually maltsters created mechanized malting methods. It was much easier, but the malts weren't quite the same, their flavors not as rich. So some maltsters retained their traditional malting floors and still use them today.

In August brewmaster Garrett Oliver traveled to the Crisp Maltings in rural Great Ryburgh, England to make malt on their 150 yr old malting floor. After five days of raking, ploughing, shoveling and kilning 19 tons of malt, he gained a new appreciation for the flavors of traditional floor malts. And he took the malt back to Brooklyn. Now we bring you BackBreaker, a robust honey-colored ale bursting with the juicy flavors of our heirloom Maris Otter malt and aromatized with earthy English Fuggle hops. It's a beer that pairs wonderfully with all your autumn and winter dishes. We hope you enjoy it, and hey - don't ever say we never did nothin' for ya.

Malt: "Brewmaster's" Floor-malted Maris Otter Pale Malt, Great Ryburgh, England, English Crystal malt. Barley grower: Teddy Maufe

Hops: English Fuggle

OG: 17.0° Plato (1068)

ABV: 7.0%