Many people today make craft beers, it has become somewhat of a fashion, there are numerous small, often family-run breweries. It is not a problem to find recipes on the vast expanses of the internet, almost anyone can make a few dozen beers for themselves at home these days, how it will turn out in the end is another matter. But what if brewing beer is something that will earn you a grade in school?
We learned that this is exactly the case at the Agricultural School in Štafilić, where beer brewing is part of the curriculum for certain majors. The team led by teacher Miranda Mendeš concluded that there was no need to just do it theoretically, so for several school years they have actually been brewing beer under the meaningful name "Mali odmor".
"Today, it's really not a problem to find the necessary materials for brewing beer, we ordered everything we needed online, there were no problems, the choice is huge," explains Mendeš. Oh, when you think back to those times when you had to physically go to Slovenia to get hops, and for good barley you had to have stronger connections than for a job in a ministry. Today, a school can get everything it needs with three clicks on the internet.
The beer tastes surprisingly good
Let's get to the point first, what did the final product look like? First of all, let's notice that it comes in a very visual packaging, fitting in with the trend of craft breweries, perhaps a little more minimalistic, and therefore more pleasing to the eye. Admittedly, it says on the bottle that it is an ale beer, but the teacher tells us that it is still a lager, through trial and error they found that the equipment they have is more suitable for lighter lagers. The color itself is somewhat darker, almost in the realm of cut beers, and no effort was spared on roasted barley.
The taste itself is actually surprisingly good. Let's not kid ourselves, it was clearly expected that this was not some top craft beer when it was made at school, but they really managed to pull off a good taste, at least for the author's palate. You can feel a good amount of roasting with raw barley, but also that they didn't skimp on the hops. Which is really okay, the beer should have bitterness, not be a little sappy. It didn't go through additional pasteurization and canning processes, so it has to be kept strictly in the refrigerator, but because of these elements it has an extra freshness, as a lager should have.
The market gene in us worked, we immediately asked if they were thinking of putting the beer into circulation for the general public. However, they do not have too much production capacity, the sale would also require new expenses in the form of chemical analyzes and the purchase of a larger amount of materials, there are no plans for expansion, it will remain only within the framework of the school, and as a gift for the guests who come.
With us in the school practicum were also graduating nutritionists, Mendeš took advantage of our visit to ask her students a few questions. Who were happy because all this is done while the diary is far away, there is no fear of any consequences for grades. They showed good knowledge, one girl in particular stood out, if craft breweries have headhunters, she has our absolute recommendation. The theoretical knowledge is definitely there.
The teacher tells us that this part of the lesson really knows how to interest students, to the point that two students chose beer-making as their final project at the end of their education last year. The craft scene in Croatia has a future, one might say. Mendeš boasts about another thing, the almost zero waste situation when it comes to beer-making. Namely, the barley leftovers after the beer is bottled are dried, ground additionally, and used by bakers as an addition to pastries. Those passionate fans of healthy eating know the importance of those extra fibers and proteins in pastries, which neutralize all the bad things that starch brings, which is mainly a deposit on the stomach.
After watching the graduates working on the equipment, we drank half a beer and left satisfied with what we had seen. But we are still intrigued by the possibility that "Mali odmor" has a bigger perspective, that it could somehow include a tourist school and create a broader, more rounded story. But for now, we are happy that there are schoolchildren who find this really interesting. A very good project by the teaching staff of the Braća Radić High School.
Photo: DR/PGK
