[Factory Tour] Jeju Beer Brewery, First Sip of Beer... Brewing Freshness

[Jeju=Asia Economy Reporter Park Soyeon] Jeju Beer Brewery, located in Hallim-eup, Jeju City, produces 66,000 liters of beer daily and 20 million liters annually. It is the fourth largest beer brewery in South Korea.

Entering the Jeju Beer Brewery, which one might imagine filled with spent grains, the first thing that catches the eye is the beer recipe experimentation facility called the Brew House. This large cylindrical stainless steel facility is connected to various pipelines. It is a pilot production space where various beer recipes can be tested. A representative from Jeju Beer explained, "Since the Brew House was newly installed last April, various experiments have become possible," adding, "More diverse Jeju Beer lineups will be created here in the future."

Beer is made through a total of eight stages: crushing, saccharification, filtration, heating, sedimentation, cooling, fermentation, and maturation. First, malt (germinated barley) is crushed and boiled to make wort. This process extracts sugars from the malt, producing a sweet aroma similar to malt used in making sikhye (sweet rice drink). After filtering out the malt husks and other solids to create a complete liquid wort, it is boiled at about 100°C for approximately one hour. Various ingredients such as hops and tangerine peels can be added during this heating stage. After boiling, impurities from the remaining ingredients in the wort are collected and filtered out. Before adding yeast, the wort undergoes a cooling process to bring it to a temperature suitable for active yeast activity.

Next is the fermentation process, where yeast consumes the sugars in the wort and converts them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Lager yeast is active between 8?9°C, while ale yeast is active between 18?22°C. After fermentation, the beer reaches its finished form. Finally, during maturation, the sugar and carbon dioxide levels are checked to ensure the beer is stable. This entire process, including packaging, takes place at the Jeju Beer Brewery.

The Jeju Beer Brewery has a total of 46 giant tanks for beer storage, fermentation, and maturation. Each tank holds enough beer to fill 50,000 500ml cans. This amount of beer would take an average person 139 years to consume. It takes about two weeks for a refreshing glass of beer to be produced from these tanks.

Beer is broadly divided into lager and ale based on fermentation methods. Lager beer is fermented at low temperatures and is characterized by a crisp, refreshing taste and light flavor. Representative examples include Japanese beers such as Sapporo, Asahi, and Yebisu, as well as San Miguel and Krombacher. Korean beer brands like Cass and Hite also fall under the lager category.

On the other hand, ale beer is top-fermented at higher temperatures and is known for fruity or floral aromas. 1664 Blanc and Hoegaarden are typical examples of ale beers. Ale beers have darker colors, stronger, more bitter, and richer flavors because the carbon dioxide bubbles and yeast produced during fermentation rise to the top. Jeju Beer currently produces only ale beers. These include Jeju Wit Ale, a wheat beer with the refreshing flavor of Jeju tangerine peel; Jeju Pelong Ale, which blends various hops; and Jeju Geomeong Ale, a dark beer made with Jeju black barley and chocolate malt.

The initial line design of Jeju Beer Brewery was undertaken by beerBev, the number one beer equipment consulting company in Europe. The equipment was imported from Krones, a top three global beer equipment manufacturer based in Germany. Among domestic craft beer companies, Jeju Beer is the only one equipped with this facility.

In addition to the production facilities on the first floor, the brewery includes an experience space on the second floor and a tasting area on the third floor, allowing visitors to directly experience and enjoy beer. To date, it has recorded approximately 150,000 cumulative visitors. Especially, the third-floor tasting lab features three walls of glass, revealing the actual brewing facilities to customers. Visitors can watch freshly brewed beer being canned and transported on conveyor belts while tasting the freshly produced beer.

Moon Hyuk-ki, CEO of Jeju Beer, said, "We are continuously thinking about and developing new flavors," adding, "We have launched 'Geomeong Ale,' a dark beer product not previously introduced by domestic brands, and through ongoing experiments, we plan to supply customers with even fresher beer."