Every Göller beer is carefully hand-crafted.
Barley
Local farms around the Village of Zeil am Main supply all grains for the beer. Many of the barley and wheat fields are within sight of the Brewery. Even better, this region is known for producing the finest barley in world.
Malt
The grain is brought to the nearby cities of Bamberg or Schweinfurt for malting. Traditional malting techniques of the Franconia region include gently smoking the malts with beechwood log fires for the rauchbiers. Other malts, such as the Munich Malt, are created with ancient inherited skills that allow for a smooth-drinking Dunkel that is truly world class.
Mash
Göller grinds the fresh malt before transferring it to the Mash Tun where hot water is added in order to break down the malt or wheat starches and transform them into fermentable sugar. Mashing is done in three stages, according to the ancient craft method called "triple decoction." This is a type of step mashing where 1/3 of the mash is separated and brought to a boil, then returned and allowed to rest. This is done 3 times, to achieve three targeted temperatures at which natural enzymes in the barley are activated.
The large amount of heating required for this operation, and the subsequent boiling, is achieved very efficiently at Göller. They capture and reuse much of the heat through a heat exchanger, and supply lots of power through solar panels placed on the roof of the brewery.
Hops During the boiling, fresh hops are added in several stages, to maximize the aromatic, and bitter components of the hops. These hops are brought in from the nearby Hallertau region in Bavaria. These Noble Hops are some of the finest on the market.
Primary Fermentation
Once the wort is cooled, their proprietary yeast is pitched to initiate the primary fermentation. This entire phase is completed in hermetically sealed kettles, and any excess CO2 will be captured for reuse later. They cannot bring in CO2 from outside the brewery, as this would violate the Reinheitsgebot rules that require nothing be added to the beer other than malt, water, hops and yeast.
Secondary Fermentation
After about a week in primary fermentation, the beer enters its next -- and extremely important -- phase of "laggering" in very cold tanks reserved for secondary fermentation. A long and slow fermentation happens here at near freezing temperatures. The time spent in these tanks can last up to two months, ensuring a well-conditioned beer. This is the phase where flavors mellow and reach the perfect balance that Göller beers are known for. Some brews, like the Kellerbier can spend 10 weeks in secondary, while bocks will spend 3 months!
Kräusening
Towards the end of the laggering phase, a small amount of fresh wort is added to the beer, in the process called "kräusening," pronounced like KROI-sening. This important step achieves two things: it cleans up some residual phenols left over from the primary fermentation, and adds the right level of carbonation (CO2) back to the beer, to atone for any losses occurring under the long rest. A German invention called the "Spunding Valve" releases the excess CO2, allowing for the precise amount of carbonation required. There is also a tank of preserved CO2 from the primary fermentation that can be re-added if necessary. The result of this all natural carbonation is smaller, better integrated bubbles for a creamier, delicious mouth feel.
Testing
A rigorous quality control ensures that this beer will stand up to the scrutiny of Franconian drinkers, who know what good beer should taste like. This region has been producing beer for thousands of years. Indeed, lager beer was invented here.
Bottling
The final step is bottling with a counter-pressure system. At no point in the process are any preservatives added to the beers, nor are any of the Göller beers pasteurized. This guarantees that natural, full, original flavor that one comes to expect from one of the world’s oldest craft breweries.
The beers are brought to the United States in refrigerated reefer containers to guarantee that none of the flavor is lost between the brewery and your table.
Grab a Göller and "Prost!"