Victor North, brewmaster support liaison with NC’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program, is included in a Brews News column, which appeared in a variety of Postmedia news outlets in Ontario on March 19.
The article discusses the use of wood in brewing, which North explains there are generally three main reasons for – when the wood is being used as either a flavourant, a vector for inoculation, or as a vessel for the brewing process. He further explains that the choice depends on the goal of the brewer noting, “Porous wood with lots of surface area may work best for harbouring yeast. Hardwoods are used to make strong vessels. Exotic woods can lend exotic flavours.”
The article also mentions that NC made a Nordic farmhouse beer known as Keptinus using a special wooden vessel called a kuurna. North comments, “Because it had to be done virtually and online on account of the pandemic, the students called it ‘Cyber Farmhouse.'”
