Pink boots women’s brew day in the brewery
In the early hours of March 20th, the women of Stormcloud gathered together at the brewery to whip up a delicious kölsch-style IPA with local honey called ‘Mother of Invention’. Led by the ‘Queen of the Cellar’ Vicki, five of our lovely staff members assisted her in making this beer come to life.
Before we get into this, we know what you’re wondering… and… yes. This brew is named after Frank Zappa’s band from the early 1970’s ‘The Mother’s of Invention’.
Let’s talk about Pink Boots Society
The Pink Boots Pink Boots Collaboration Collective is an international initiative celebrating the contributions of women and non-binary individuals in the fermented and alcoholic beverage industry. This global movement recognizes the lasting impact on our craft through community connections and education.
To participate, businesses and producers are invited to create a unique product -whether beer, wine, spirits, coffee, kombucha, seltzer, or beyond—, or host an event and donate a portion of sales of the finished product to the Pink Boots Society that will go toward funding scholarships that advance the Pink Boots mission: to assist, inspire, and encourage the professional development and
education of women and non-binary individuals in our industry. Pink Boots Collaboration Collective not only supports the education and growth of Pink Boots Society members around the world, but also shines a spotlight on the creativity, leadership, and innovation of our members worldwide.
Our pledge
We’ve pledged $1 per 4-pack of Mother of Invention sold to Pink Boots Society of West Michigan. So make sure to swing by the pub and get yourself some!
Here’s how the day went
Around 8am, we started by milling our grain that was donated to us by our friends at Great Lakes Malting for our Pink Boots Brew Day.
900 pounds of Great Lakes Malting Company Pale Malt is milled and transferred to the grist case before being conveyed into the mash tun, where it is mixed with hot water. During mashing, naturally occurring enzymes in the malt convert starches into fermentable sugars, creating the sweet liquid known as wort.
Once the desired sugar concentration is reached, the mash undergoes sparging. Water heated to approximately 180°F is gently sprayed over the grain bed, rinsing the remaining sugars from the grains. The sugar-rich wort is then filtered through the grain bed and collected in the brew kettle for the next stage of the brewing process.
“My precious…” - Meghan probably. Watching wort transfer into the kettle.
After the sparge 90% of the sugar has been exracted and 10% remains in the spent grain that we give to local cattle farmers.
Measuring out Pink Boots IPA hop blend from Yakima Chief Hops for the first round of hopping for a 60 minute boil sesh.
Pouring phosphoric acid to adjust ph balance of wort.
Second round of hops going in for a 15 minute boil session.
We transferred it into the fermenter, and added a kölsch yeast and 5 gallons of local Sleeping Bear Farms Star Thistle Honey to the fermentor.
On day 3 of fermentation, Vicki dry-hopped the beer by adding the remaining 4lbs of the Pink Boots hops. It’ll rest in the fermentation tank until it gets transferred to a brite tank for clarification and carbonation. Then onto canning and kegging.
…time for a beer.
Here’s to the women of Stormcloud for creating a delicious Kölsch-style IPA for everyone to enjoy. Come try it on tap at the Downtown Pub and in 4-packs in the beer cooler!
From top to bottom—Meghan, Vicki, Rachel, Jen, & Liz (Not pictured here— Kayla)
