The barley also is the ingredient that gives the beer a light or dark appearance. The barley is then ground into a fine powder that undergoes several boiling and cooling phases. All of the machines at Little Apple are manually operated by the brewers. The reading allows him to determine the alcohol content for each brew. Along the way, hops are added into the liquefied mixture.
Hops contribute the bitter taste and aroma present in the end product.
After the final heating and cooling stages have occurred, the mixture, called wort, is sent to tanks to ferment. Briden said a basic Little Apple ale takes about five days to ferment, while lagers can take three weeks to a month to mature. Having a brewery on-site provides a diverse drink menu for patrons. The most popular microbrew on tap is Wildcat Wheat Ale. Briden said he thinks the ale's popularity probably stems from its pale color.