Today’s portfolio update spotlights a new entry in my Stocksy United “Artisan” series. St. Louis has an exploding micro/craft brewing scene, partly due to local disenchantment with Anheuser-Busch after they were bought out by international company In-Bev. … And in part because craft beer is so much more fun than your basic mass market lager. This new series follows a local brewmaster as he works to make liquid gold.
The process begins with bringing in fresh grains and adding them to water in the mash tun. The liquid is heated and cooked until the mash reaches the desired “flavor” – it darkens as it cooks. The starches turn into sugars and the liquid becomes “wort”. The liquid is moved to the brew kettle where it is boiled and additives like hops, fresh or in pellet form, can be added. It is then moved through a cooling process into a stainless steel fermentation tank where it sits until it becomes the beer the brewmaster is trying to create. Taps on the side of the tank provide an easy way for the brewmaster to check for taste, color and clarity. The final product is then moved into a serving tank where the brewpub serves it up to thirsty customers.
I had an assistant helping this day, and the brewmaster told us all kinds of facts about the process. I was so busy shooting that I missed half the discussion, but it was incredibly interesting to hear the details behind the creation. I did shoot with several strobes, placing them so they wouldn’t be obvious in all the reflections in the steel tanks – it was just a bit too dark to go without some added light. I tried to get some nice close-ups along with wider shots with lots of copyspace, basically following the process from start to finish, even including a full glass sitting on the bar at the end. Of course, during the shoot, we got to sample some wheat, IPA and other beers from the taps – my favorite part.
This series can be found at the following link: http://www.stocksy.com/sjlocke/shoot/7776 If you’re new to Stocksy, use code SJLOCKE20 for 20% off your first purchase. Now, is it pumpkin beer time yet?
