Barley

Special brewing barley is used in beer production. In the first step, the malting master “malt” the barley, a process that breaks down valuable nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins.

Malting is a technically controlled germination process during which important enzymes are also activated and produced. These enzymes are used in beer production to break down the carbohydrates into individual, fermentable sugars.

Light barley malts are primarily used for light lager beers. For Feldschlösschen Dunkel, we also use a very dark, heavily roasted specialty malt, which gives this beer its characteristic dark color and malty flavor.

Hops

Hops are a dioecious, perennial climbing plant and belong to the hemp family. “Dioecious” means that a single plant bears only female or male flowers.

Only the female flowers form the cones—which consist of a stem and leaves—that are so valuable to brewers. On the underside are small, sticky, yellow globules called lupulin. Lupulin is the most important substance in hops and contains the bitter and aromatic compounds that give beer its characteristic hoppy aroma.

Water

The requirements for brewing water are defined in the Drinking Water Ordinance. In most cases, however, brewers have higher standards for their brewing water. Feldschlösschen uses various spring wells to supply water to its brewery in Rheinfelden; these springs are classified as “natural mineral waters” and are continuously monitored by external and internal experts.

These waters are protected from the effects of human activity by a thick layer of soil approximately 200 meters deep. Age analysis of the water mixture has shown that it has an average residence time of approximately 550–700 years.