Ohio microbrewery uses unusual fermentation method
The Associated Press
May 16, 2009
CLEVELAND — When Matt and Kathy Chappel decided to open the Indigo Imp Brewery, they wanted their beer to stand apart.
So they opted for an unusual beer-making process — at least for U.S. brewers.
They use open fermentation, a practice that exposes the soon-to-be beer to the air and means that any wild yeast can jump in, splash around and affect the flavor.
On top of that, the brewery doesn't filter its beer, meaning the liquid is cloudy. And the beer is bottle-conditioned, meaning the carbonation takes place inside the bottle and leaves a layer of sediment at the bottom.
In other words, Indigo Imp is brewing like many traditional European breweries and more in line with how beer was made hundreds of years ago, before enclosed stainless steel fermenters and computer-controlled equipment.
"I think it's the most natural way to have beer," brewer Matt Chappel said. "It has all the flavor in it with the yeast. And it has all the color it's supposed to have."
The Chappels — who had been homebrewing for 16 years — launched Indigo Imp late last year in the former Tyler Elevator Co. complex just outside downtown Cleveland.
Using a homemade, seven-barrel brewing system, they pump out small batches of beer each week. Not only is the amount of beer small, but so is the overall operation.
The married couple, who are both 37 and live in Independence, are the only employees. Considering Kathy has a full-time job in information technology at Eaton Corp., Indigo Imp is nearly a one-man — as in Matt — show.
The former stay-at-home dad and one-time machine programmer at a tool and die shop serves as brewer, with Kathy helping with bottling, deliveries and sales.
Indigo Imp produces only two beers right now: Blonde Bombshell, an American ale with a slight fruity character, and Jester, a Belgian pale ale with a hint of banana and clove.
Winter Solstice, a seasonal beer available last winter, is expected to return. The Chappels also are planning a summer seasonal.
"We didn't want to be another microbrewery that had a standard pale ale and a stout and a light lager that tasted like everybody else's," Matt Chappel said about the styles they chose to make. "We went in the opposite direction."
They also did something funky with their packaging.
The top of one bottle in each six-pack is hand-dipped in red orblue wax, a labor-intensive practice but one that gives the six-pack a signature look.
But it's the open fermentation that really raises eyebrows within brewing circles. (Fermentation is the process in which yeast eats up sugar and produces alcohol.)
Most U.S. brewers use enclosed fermenters, which provide more control over the yeast and greater ability to produce a consistent taste from batch to batch.
Open fermentation can be unpredictable since it's easier for bacteria and wild yeast to affect the taste.
Indigo Imp is one of few nationwide using the process, according to the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.
"We don't see a whole lot of open fermentation going on, primarily because brewers are trying to keep out airborne microorganisms," said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association in Boulder, Colo. "But Belgian-style brewers are looking for microorganisms to get in there and provide a unique flavor."
That flavor has been a hit at Bar Cento and McNulty's Bier Markt, two specialty and jointly operated bars in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland.
Bar Cento held a special "Pimp the Imp" event last month. It bought enough beer from Indigo Imp to last through a weekend, but sold out on the Thursday of the event.
The bar got more in the next day, but that sold out, too.
"It has a little bit of a tart flavoring that is different for most beer drinkers' palates," said Mike Foran, the operational manager. "You have to be open-minded with it. But people really like it."
Because the operation is so small, Indigo Imp doesn't have wide distribution. It is available at specialty beer stores and bars in the Cleveland area, and Heinen's Fine Foods grocery stores.
Blonde Bombshell is the second-best selling craft beer at Heinen's, behind another Cleveland favorite: Great Lakes Brewing's Dortmunder Gold.
"We are selling as much as they can make," Heinen's wine and beer buyer Ed Thompkins said. "It came out of the gate strong and there has been a critical mass of the beer audience that has tried it and become loyal customers." ___