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Hop plantation
New rhizomes to continue growing
9:21 – Even though spring has arrived, it’s not easy to tell at our plantation due to its very particular microclimate, one that is highly conducive to the growth of hops. Now is a very special time in the fields; the perfect moment to plant new rhizomes and expand the plantation. The first step is to mark the distance between one plant and the next on the ground, then holes with a depth of around 30 cm will be dug. This allows the farmers to plant the rhizomes one by one and add the compost. From this point onwards, the process is very quick. According to C. Abella, the agricultural engineer in charge of these fields, “In about 7 days we will start to see the first shoots.” And by the time we get deeper into spring, the whole area will be covered with green hops.
"In about 7 days we will start to see the first shoots"
C. Abella
Malt house
A day of soaking before germination
13:12 – The soaking room is the first destination for our barley, after it has been selected and cleaned and before it is put in the germination, drying and toasting boxes. It makes sense: if it weren’t for the 24 hours that the grains spend in these vats, germination would not be possible. “We establish several soaking stages throughout the whole day, filling, emptying and spinning the mix at different speeds,” T. Ramo, the malt house director explains as he shows us the mix of barley and water as it goes round and round in one of the vats. “This is how we make the grain go from 11% to 40% humidity so it germinates more quickly.” In our malt house there are 8 vats which are filled every day with water that is kept at a fixed temperature of 15ºC throughout the year.
"We make the barley go from 11% to 40% humidity to make it germinate"
T. Ramo
Factory
Time to distribute our Estrella
11:35 – A truck arrives at the logistics area of the Damm factory, this is nothing out of the ordinary as vehicles are constantly coming and going. According to the Head of Logistics, O. Viladomiu, “Between 100 and 120 fully loaded trucks leave here each day.” Which is no surprise, the huge demand for our beer needs to be met with both trucks and shipping containers. This means that the work needs to be done as quickly as possible; trailers are attached to the platform to establish a connection that initiates the automated loading process with complete safety. In just three minutes, the trailer is fully loaded and ready to be taken to the ZAL, where it is then redistributed to all our customers. This is a good example of how we like to do things: by combining the maximum optimisation of each task with the priceless supervision of our experts.
"Between 100 and 120 fully loaded trucks leave here each day"
O. Viladomiu
