SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — There are more than 440 licensed breweries in the state of New York. One of those being Buried Acorn who refers themselves as the “neighborhood brewery.” With this beloved title also comes a heavy load to carry.
The man who is carrying all the weight is Timothy Shore.
“I keep the lights on by making the beer, packaging the beer, and bartending and cooking when my wife goes to pick up the kids,” said Shore.
For six years Shore has done this six days a week from sun up to sun down. While many people love drinking Indian Pale Ales not many understand the history of beer and the process of making it.
When creating a new beer the process takes up to three weeks. Buried Acorn tends to be a brewery who specializes in IPAs.
The name was created in the late 1700s when the exporters of beer from British Isles to India would add hops to their brews to help preserve the beer in hotter, more tropical climates.
In todays time the process looks similar but a bit different.
“After I come up with a new beer idea, graphic and recipe it takes on day to brew and two weeks to go into fermentation,” said Shore.
Once a brewery establishes their next idea, it comes down to the brewers to create a new recipe that’ll match the flavor profile they are trying to showcase. They will test out new flavors on a smaller scale before making the beer in batches large enough to distribute and serve at all of their breweries.
The first step in the process of brewing is fermentation, whitch is when you place the brew pot in an ice bath until it cools to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. During those two weeks the beer must be put in a dark place that is airlock so nothing can get it.
After the beer has been cooled off long enough, begins the bottling process. While most breweries have a machine operating bottle system that does most of the work, there is still plenty of hands on work that goes into every bottle being canned.
Next time you drink a beer whether it is at Buried Acorn or another brewery appreciate the work that went in to making it.
