Milling

At the mill, the brewing malt is mechanically milled. This process gently separates the outer layer of the grain (the husk) from the malt kernel, exposing the inner core. Milling the kernel promotes the breakdown of starch and proteins during the brewing process. To achieve the beer’s characteristic color—such as the coppery hue of Feldschlösschen Amber—Feldschlösschen uses a special malt that also stands out in taste for its subtle caramel note.

The Mashing Vessel

The crushed malt is mixed with hot brewing water in the mash tun, forming the wort. The goal of fermentation is to convert the starch in the malt into fermentable sugar. This is made possible by the enzymes present in the malt. The wort is then heated to the various operating temperatures of the enzymes and left there for a defined resting period, known as the “mashing.”

The lauter tun

At the end of the mashing process, the wort consists of dissolved and undissolved components. In the lauter tun, the liquid components are separated from the solid ones. The husk of the malt grain acts as a natural filter layer in this process.

The resulting solution is called wort and contains all the soluble components of the malted grain. The initial density serves as a measure of the amount of dissolved components. The higher the initial density, the higher the alcohol content.

The brewer refers to the solid components as “spent grain.” Since these still contain numerous valuable components, they are sold as animal feed to farms.

The Mashing Vessel

The wort is boiled in the mash tun for about 1 hour. Hops are added during the boil. In this case, the brewer distinguishes between bittering hops and aromatic hops.

Depending on when and how much hops are added, the brewer can enhance the bitterness (bitter hops at the start of the boil) or emphasize the hop aroma (aromatic hops at the end of the boil or in the whirlpool).

For Feldschlösschen Hopfenperle, a refined blend of bitter hops and aromatic hops is used, dosed at the optimal time to achieve this beer’s characteristic flavor.

The Whirlpool and Cooling

During wort boiling, protein and tannin compounds form. These are called “hot trub” and are removed in the whirlpool. Feeding the wort into the whirlpool from the side causes it to swirl, resulting in the so-called “teacup effect,” in which the hot wort residues accumulate in the center, at the bottom of the whirlpool, forming a cone of residues.

The wort is carefully decanted, without disturbing the cone of residue, and then pumped to the fermentation cellar. Before the wort reaches the fermentation tanks and is mixed with the yeast, it must be cooled in a heat exchanger, from approximately 98 °C to 13 °C.

The Storage Tank

After primary fermentation, the beer is pumped into special storage tanks: this is where it rests and undergoes secondary fermentation. The beer is then stored at a low temperature for several weeks until it reaches full maturity. During this secondary fermentation, the beer becomes carbonated: the flavor rounds out, and pre-clarification takes place.

Filtration

During filtration, the remaining cloudy substances in the beer (proteins, yeast, tannins) are removed.

Bottling

The final stage of the beer production process is bottling: the beer is then packaged in cans, bottles, or kegs. The beer is now ready for delivery. Whether in stores, restaurants, or beer shops, you can find a delicious Feldschlösschen practically anywhere.