When Uli Schiefelbein launched Krafty Braumeister in Leiston in 2018 he had one mission: to educate the British public about real craft beer. Naturally fermented, no rubbish added, authentic brews packed with flavour.
Fast-forward three years, and Uli, who started brewing while working in Baghdad, is making waves in the industry, and can be found not just in outlets in Suffolk, but at upmarket events in London too.
And now, following the lifting of nationwide restrictions, the beer entrepreneur is ready to open the doors to his brewery, demonstrating and explaining the art of real beer to enthusiasts like himself.
Tours and tastings are now available from 5pm, Wednesday to Friday, lasting two hours and including samples, German snacks and even traditional Bavarian Oompah music.
Along the way find out more about traditional German beer-making techniques, including the law of Reinheitsgebot - which essentially designates the beer can only be produced with malted grains, hops, yeast and water - nothing else.
There are four main steps The Krafty Braumeister does differently to most other breweries
Krafty freshly grinds the malt grains on brewing day to ensure the full flavour ends up in the beer and doesn’t evaporate through long storage.
Step-infusion is then used to prolong the brewing process so all the sugars within the grains get into the beer.
During mashing, temperatures are increased in stages, ranging from approximately 40°C to 78°C. The sugars found in the beers are solely produced from the grains. They do not add chemicals to speed up the fermentation process, nor do they add finings to clear up the beer's appearance.
And, finally, Krafty’s beers are not filtered so all the aromas are maintained. Before decanting into bottles and kegs, Krafty adds fresh yeast and unfermented wort into the fermenting vessel, a process called ‘Kraeusening’.
Beers in the range include:
Hoppediz - A brown ale brewed with an exciting mix of barley malts. Traditional hops add subtle spicy tones. The recipe originates from the West German town of Duesseldorf, where people call it 'Altbier'.
Schwarz & Weiss - A traditional Bavarian Dunkelweizen (dark wheat beer). It is a moderately spicy, fruity and refreshing wheat-based ale with aromas of roasted and oak-smoked barley malts. It has the yeast and wheat character of a Hefeweizen with the malty richness of a Munich Dunkel.
Golden Ale - Inspired by English ales, this beer is brewed with the finest premium Pilsner Malt and Vienna Malt. Three German hops, Mandarina Bavaria, Saphir and Magnum give it a pleasant, refreshing flavour. The well-balanced composure of malts and hops creates a very drinkable summer beer.
Blau & Weiss - A unique drink derived from Germany’s beer garden region with blue and white skies. This traditional Bavarian wheat beer (Hefeweizen) has a light body with banana and clove flavours produced by the yeast. Suspended yeast gives this beer its characteristic cloudiness.
Blondie - The Bavarian answer to Bohemian Pilsner. This Helles is a delightful thirst quencher. It is rich golden in colour, with a character of lightly toasted bread and a light sweetness. It is a crisp lager just as it should be: smooth in flavour and high in celebration.
Rut & Wiess - This Kölsch-style beer is a Cologne-style top-fermented “white” beer. A hybrid between ale and lager, it is based on a 100-year-old recipe. It is crisp and light, and a bit hazy in appearance. The name, which translates as Red & White, comes from Cologne’s coat of arms.
To find out more or book a tour go to kraftybraumeister.co.uk
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