Making of Redhammer Ale

"I only have 2 more days before the tasting, I really hope I got the recipe down right this time. I really want to be a brewer like my great grandfather"

says Blossom as she is prepping the casks to take the new batch of Redhammer Ale to the Master Brewer, Samuel Redhammer. 
Only once a year, one brewer is allowed to make the rank of brewer. In order to do this, they have to have mastered the "basics" of Redhammer Ale. This however is much more daunting than any normal recipe. Most come close, few make it similar and no one has ever made it better. 
Three months ago, Blossom came across a field of reddish orange barley in the Bloodstone Fields. Thankfully it was just at harvesting time, so she harvested enough for one batch of ale. Along with this, she had some ancient brewers yeast from when her great grandfather first started brewing.  
With no time to properly taste it, she fills five small kegs and starts heading for the Easthaven's Festival Grounds for the tasting. Naturally she has to go last since she is of the namesake of the ale being made. Hours go by as dozens of applicants are tasted and debated on, then comes Blossom's kegs. Thankfully for her there are wait staff that pours for rthe judges, because she is so nervous that she is almost going to throw up. The judges taste slowly at first and then almost simultaneously, they all down the rest of their samples and each pour a full glass.

"Young lady, please come over here at once." commanded Uncle Samuel

Terrified, Blossom stumbles over to the judges... 

"I am so sorry that you do not like it, I did not get a chance to taste it. I will just take everything and go" says Blossom in tears.

"No, do not touch these kegs. I am not sure what you used to make this ale. Surely it is not exactly as the recipe states. However," and without speaking to the other judges he continues, "there is no doubt in my mind that Grandfather Daxial would approve and even adopt this new take on his ale. Congratulations, you are this years Brewer."

History

Three generations ago, Daxial Redhammer came across a note book in a long lost ruined temple that had his family crest emblazened on the cover. He had never seen a notebook like this before and definitely did not expect to see one with his family crest so far away from his home. When he opened it, it was full of receipes. Not just any recipes, but recipes for ale and spirits. He had heard rumors that some of his family made ale in rthe past, but never knew any details about the process. Naturally, he took the book to a brewer that he knew to see what he could find out. Immediately when the brewer saw the book, he knew what he had in his hands. These recipes had been lost for over 200 years. No one had seen anything like this in so long. Daxial told the brewer that if he taught him how to make these recipes that he would compensate him with no less than 10% of what he made selling it. So, Daxial spengt the next year learning how to brew ale and spirits and eventually mastered making all the recipes in his families long lost book.
Not long after Daxial started taking his drink to any tavern he could find, the orders and the profits started rolling in. Daxial even had a Tinkerer and Mage come up with a mobile stile so that he could make his product on the road.

Components and tools

• Malt mill
• Mash tun
• Filtration system
• Heat exchanger
• Beer ferment
• Hydrometer or refractometer
• Brite tank
• Pumps
• Valves
• Cellar equipment
• Dispensing equipment
• Kegs
• Packaging equipment
• Brewhouse

Participants

Early on in the process, Daxial was the only one doing all the work. As time went on and his Ale and Spirits became popular, he expanded his operation and eventually moved into a warehouse in order to keep up with the demand of his sales. Today, all ten of his locations has the following positions:

Head Brewer/ Brewmaster

While it seems like the Head Brewer might spend his or her days brainstorming fancy recipes, the position is mostly about logistics. Yes, the Head Brewer creates recipes, but he or she also orders the ingredients, schedules the brews, and manages the crew. If you want this position, prepare to stare at lots of charts and go through many pencils. It’s important for the Head Brewer to have a grasp on how much inventory they have in raw materials and finished goods.
More often than not, the Brewmaster gets to go out as the face of the brewery at events. They know exactly how the beer should taste in order to ensure consistency, which is one of the more challenging aspects of brewing. There are a lot of differing opinions from some brewers on whether this role should be called “Brewmaster” or not — some of the more old school brewers think that the title should be reserved for people with a formal education, while others think that one earns it with experience.

Brewer

Next on the ladder is the brewer, who makes the wort. Depending on how your system is run, being a brewer is about milling grain and performing basic maintenance on pumps, valves, tanks, and equipment. It’s also about shoveling out the several tons of steaming grain at the end of the brew and cleaning the brew house. Some smaller breweries combine the brewer and cellarman positions, creating a “production” position that does it all.

Cellarman

A LOT of cleaning, from fermentation tanks to floors and kegs. Prepare to be perpetually wet. You’ll need to monitor specs such as the gravity of a beer and the CO2 levels. You’ll also need to learn about dry hopping and dumping trub.
From time to time, there’s a lot of yelling at machines and fiddling with equipment. This is generally the first step in the door if you want to be in production. It’s in no way a glamorous position, but these guys and gals know exactly what’s going on with each beer at each step of the process.

Quality Assurance (QA) / Quality Control (QC)

The Redhammer Brewing team is lucky, there brewerys have a dedicated person to monitor quality. During every step of the brewing process, they’re taking samples to ensure there’s no wild yeast or bacteria that could be adversely affecting the beer, and that the final product is shelf stable. They also develop the sensory analysis program, which is able to tell the different flavors and aroma profiles in the beers.

Related Ethnicities

• Moon Dwarf