Mellody Brewing

Schooling, Volunteering, Vacationing

So, a few months ago I made a plan to start taking an on-line brewing course.  The cost was high, but I figured it would give me the needed experience to try to break into the industry or at least give me the knowledge on starting my own brewery.  The cost is steep and while I was excited to do it, many people said I should wait.  The peanut gallery wins, I have decided to hold off on the class.  This is for many reasons: 1. Money; 2. Timing; 3. Money; 4. Advice from respectable people and friends.  It boils down to should I spend thousands of dollars on learning something that I may never do, or at least not in near future.  Should I just keep working the networking scene and see what happens, and hope I'll get a break and then reevaluate school at a later time period.  The answer to all of this after much thought is yes.  For those that know me, I make decisions through talking them through with you all.  Then after hearing all the sides, make a call.  I was premature writing I was going to take the class now, I just got excited about the possibility of it.

So, now that I have a little bump of capital, I'm taking a much needed vacation.  Well, a few long weekends at least.  I am getting pushed at work and really and burnt out a bit.  A few days or more away would be ideal.  I plan on volunteering at the Beeradvocate American Craft Brew Festival in June - looking for hotels and flights now.  I am also thinking of camping out west or something to totally disconnect.  Anyway, this isn't beer related but that's what's going on. 

Seminole Sunset "B" batch will hopefully hit the kettle this weekend. I've transferred "A" and while the numbers are low, still looks and smells great.  I'm also gathering with some local BeerAdvocates Saturday afternoon and the local homebrew club next week.  I'm sure there will be some fun what I'm drinking adds as well as some Drunken Ramblings on the horizon too.

Networking

It's been a busy week here and I have lots to write about.  I can't go into lots of details here now, but I bottled again this week at St. Somewhere.  This lead to meeting and sharing a few good beers with the guys starting Cigar City Brewing.  They have some great ideas and what sounds like some delicious beers.  I'm excited to see them moving forward and bringing more good beer to Tampa.  Their vision is similar to mine and what they want to accomplish here is what this town needs. I also met a few others in the industry and had some very good conversations.  Networking over a few pints at Oldsmar Tap House turned out to be a late night, but it was well worth it.   

Brew update: The Seminole Sunset "A" had a slow start on fermentation...not good.  Probably due to the OG and the issues with the runnings during the mash.  I think we didn't get enough fermentables.  I may add more yeast or I may just bottle and move on with batch "B" and learn from the mistakes - we'll see.  I've also obtained a lead on a full-size keggle, this will end the issue with the boil size and ensure we don't run into this problem again.

Seminole Sunset - Batch "A"

So, the first brew day on the all-grain set up is over.  After running around all morning attempting to get things in order and a few what seemed like minor bumps in the road, Batch A of Seminole Sunset was made.  Lessons were learned:

1. Bigger brew pot needed - after the 60 minute boil, we had considerable loss of wort.  I believe we're at 4-4.5 gallons of beer.  Not a big deal, but this might hurt the beer, but we'll see.
2. Slower sparge - I built the three-tier system with the idea of fly-sparging.  We did this, but in a much faster manner than I wanted.  Need to slow down the sparge and I think we figured out how to do that, but was too late.
3. Lower 2nd tier of system - gravity works well, but we need more height to ensure we don't lose flow.
4. Get refractor - our OG readings seemed off and well, they were.  But I forgot that OG is effected by temperature, so our original reading was dead on, but with the wort being 150 degrees it seemed wrong.  The good thing is, we were ok, the bad thing is - we probably wasted some time debating it and reran the wort through the sparge just in case.
5. Need help - I had the help of a friend during this day, which was great as we had to lift coolers of hot water, and it was great to bounce ideas off him as things went off through out the afternoon. 

All in all, it was a great afternoon.  The beer looked and smelled great.  The color was dead on.  The taste was dead on, and it turns out the OG was good too - we just ended up with a smaller batch then planned.  It was a great afternoon to brew, not hot, sunny and having a friend there to drink while we waited 60 minutes during mash and 60 minutes during boil definitely adds to why I like beer and brewing so much, it fosters friendships.

On the Batch "B" with a few slight variations, mainly hops and yeast - going to keep the grain bill the same.

Seminole Sunset: Florida Style Wheat Ale

The above is a screen shot of the recipe of the first batch of Seminole Sunset.  This will most likely end up being an American Wheat style ale, with a bit of orange undertones.  Details to come later on the workings of the homemade brew house.  I'll be sure to take some pictures.  This will be Batch "A" for our panel.

I seriously can't wait for this.  I have read everything I think I can, dove into recipe after recipe, tasted beer after beer and researched and posted to forum after forum.  Cross your fingers, click your heels three times and wish me luck.

Breweries I Love: Yuengling - Pottsville, PA

Mash Turn, Stained Glass and Murals, Yuengling Brewery - Pottsville, PA

Now, before people start going crazy thinking Yuengling? Really? I'll say - Yuengling holds a special place in my heart as it was my first really "good" beer that we drank in college.  I'll never forget the excitement of paying the $5 for a party with a Yuengling keg at it.  Being from PA and having roots in Scranton, PA also I've known Yuengling for a long time.  I can't think of another beer, in Philly at least, that I could walk up to a bar, ask for a  "lager" and get a Yuengling Lager.  That's great branding right there, and huge brand equity.  For those of you that don't know Yuengling is listed as the oldest brewery in North America.  This was disputed for a while with Molson but they changes their tag line to say "America's Oldest Brewery" and all is good.  The brewery in Pottsville, PA is a great visit for any beer enthusiast.  It is small, cramped and fun to see how they made so much beer in such a tiny space.  Also, I was amazed at how the trucks made it up the small alley-like streets of Pottsville for delivery.  On our last visit they opened the old caves where they used to lager the beer.  You can still see the portions of the walls the federal government built to block it during prohibition.

 

The tour at the original brewery is fun, winds all along the various stages and steps in brewing.  The problem is, the brewery in Pottsville is no longer active.  Kinda like the original St. James brewery of Guinness in Dublin, it has become a museum of sorts, which I found disappointing during my last visit.  They have upgraded and built a state of the art facility near by as well as in Tampa, FL (how fitting.) I remember visiting 10 years ago, when they were still brewing there, and it was heaven.  The smell of the hops and malt and grain permeated the place and I loved that.  I think they should still brew for the tours and sell limited edition brewery batches.  That would be fun.

The tour is filled with history and interesting stories of the Yuengling family and how they've passed the business down generation after generation.  This is what in a dream world I'd love Mellody Brewing to become, a legacy.  By putting my name on the beer and the company I stand behind it as the founder, and the growth of that legacy - its impact on the community, etc. is where I would like to see it go.  Not only making good beer, but making a difference too.  That's the dream part of this endeavor, it may take years and generations but how cool would that be?!

 

American Pale Wheat vs. Belgian Witbier

It's a grudge match!! 

American Pale Wheat is the US take on Hefe Weizen style beers.  The classic Belgian Witbier well, speaks for itself.  These are two very different styles, but related. Being that we're in Florida, I want Mellody Brewing focus on a lighter style, and a very drinkable beer.  I've toyed with an orange influenced Pale Wheat or Witbier and still think that'll be one of the tasters for the panel to contemplate.  This weekend, if all the parts arrive on time, I plan on brewing my first attempt of our take on the Pale Wheat/Witbier.  I've formulated a reciepe based on a few taste tests and looking at what I think are the best flavors in the style range.   

I've been using BeerSmith and ProMash samples to see which program I'll be using to track results and reciepes going forward.  BeerSmith is a lot easier for the novice at least for me right now. More to come, and hopefully some pictures and a review of the All-grain set up early next week.

Breweries I Love: Stoudts Brewing Company - Adamstown, PA

I first found Stoudts at a local bar in Philadelphia, Fat Dog Stout was the culprit.  At the time Stoudts was going through some growing pains, the bartender told me and distribution was hit or miss in and around the city.  They were really the Philadelphia area's first craft brewery, and over 20 years have grown and evolved "from a small brewery with limited draught distribution, to a packaging regional microbrewery with distribution in 10 different states, producing over 10,000 barrels a year." (www.stoudtsbeer.com)  We get it in Florida now, and thank God we do.  Though, funny side story - I first again ran into Stoudts here in Florida at World of Beer, where they had the IPA on draught.  One night I asked, "Still have Stoudts on tap?" "Yes," was the reply "and, please drink it so we can finish the keg - we think you're the only one drinking it." Guess they could work on their awareness down here.

Anyway, the brewery...is located in a expansive complex that includes an antique shop, restaurant and the brewery in Adamstown, PA - which is on the outskirts on Lancaster.  Cow country and home of the Amish.  You really have to want to go there, but if you do it is really worth it.  I spent an afternoon there with my friend Tobie - who at the time was a recent Amish convert, or new Lancaster resident.  Favorite joke at the time, how to you know an Amish mechanic? He's the one with his arm up the horse's ass...I digress.

Tobie and I went for, if memory serves me, Oktoberfest. Oh yes...and they did it right.  Keg throwing competitions, German Oompah Band, beer mug lifting and other beer induced feats of strength.  We sat at family style tables, drank to great beer, ate German food and sang and watch Lancaster's finest parade around in Lederhosen.  We drank so much, as was common practice when Tobie and I sent time together (see Top 50 Beer Moments #16) that we had to sit and sober up before going home. I think we tried to get his wife to come get us but she was busy, you know, being a doctor so we were SOL.

What do I like so much about Stoudts?  Family atmosphere, party atmosphere, and well - good beer.  We felt right at home at the tables, talking to others, singing along and drinking some fantastic beers.  We had a great time, and that feeling lingers and is something that I'd like Mellody Brewing to one day emulate.

Breweries I Love: Lakefront Brewery, Inc. - Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee, WI home of beer.  Where the High Life and Pabst started, Shlitz was foundere here as well and where Miller still calls home.  I visited Milwaukee a few years back (probably 7 or so by now, geesh) with my brother to visit my good friend Craig.  Craig was working/living there and he showed us the town. It took 5 minutes.  I kid, but really maybe 8 minutes.  After the exhausting cultural tour of Milwaukee, we toured Miller or tired to - it was PACKED with Nascar fans.  We promptly snuck into the cave though and the tasting room, by passing the tour.  I bought a Miller High Life shirt and we moved on.

That's when we ended up at Lakefront.  I recall Craig saying they were known for the tour and the wooden nickle you receive for beers.  You drank while you toured, then drank some more.  He was dead on.  The tour alone was worth the visit.  Lakefront is situated well - lake front.  You can walk there from some other down town locations - which helps with the tour aspect.  They charged $5 (I think) which gave you three wooden nickels for beers and the tour as well as a souvenir pint glass.  I just drank from the glass last night. The tour was fun, filled with jokes and useless knowledge, as well as beer insight.  I really enjoyed it.  The beer was great too.  I recall really enjoying their Pale Ale and Stout.  I do remember also leaving there slightly buzzed, which might be why I enjoyed it so much.

I like to concept of Lakefront for lots of reasons, but mainly when I envision a brewery tour, this is one I'd model mine after.  Fun, engaging, yet informative.  I mean, it is a brewery, not a museum.  I loved that we filled up before the tour began, then had a chance to again half way through. I also like that they are a staple in the community and on the water front. They hold Friday fish frys (big in the area) and the Palm Room is a great space for hanging out post tour as well for events.  I'm not sure if I'm accurate, but it seems they started small/local and are now distributing in the upper-mid west and some in the mid-Atlantic region.  It wasn't like that 7 years ago, but goes to show how a solid product and focus on strategy can keep you small but still grow over time.  I was there once, but never forgot it.  Most of the tours I take I try to take in best practices, as forever in my head, even before I've started discussing and now blogging it has been on my brain how "I want this."  Lakefront was definitely a starter seed.

I still have a wooden nickel in my suitcase from that trip, a weird keep-sake true - but stranger that it is still in my suitcase.

Best Moments in Beer - #51

51. Driving home with Dorrie and Jason from an afternoon at Cerviche and the Independent in St. Pete post Dali surealism singing Army by Ben Folds at the top of our lungs.

Let the detox begin. More posts this week.

Breweries I Love: Yards Brewing Company - Philadelphia, PA

Yards, oh Yards how I miss thee.  Before I moved to Flordia, I lived in Philadelphia, PA.  The land of many good beer bars, and its fair share of great craft brews.  When I first had a Yards, I convinced my roommates to buy a case of it when living in Manayunk.  At the time they were small and new and bottle conditioning. We received a case with what even now I'd say was an excessive about out sediment in the bottles.  We didn't notice right away (go figure) but when we did, Tobie and I drove to the brewery (which at the time was in a Warehouse down the street from us) and demanded a new case.  Picture two slightly buzzed kids, standing in the rain asking, "can we get a new case? This one has stuff in it." Yeah, that was us.  I'm pretty sure they explained to us it was supposed to be there, be we were drunk and could not fully grasp the concept at the time.  I think we ended up leaving without a new case.

It was sometime before we had it again, but when we did, it was love at first taste.  My favorite Yards beers are the Philadelphia Pale Ale and their ESA.  For a while, I could only get them at Race Street Pub around the corner from me, but over time as they grew sixs were available at my corner grocery store, heaven.  My friends Jason and Dorrie, who are visiting this weekend and looking to add another few Best Beer Moments to the list, and I visited the brewery on a rainy Saturday a few years ago.  We took the quick tour and sampled their beers. The brewery was one large room of kettle, brite tanks and fermentors, lined with kegs and a bottling line. Post tour, we hung out in their tasting room.  Being that the brewery was located in a 18th century building, that I believe at one point was a local brewery as well, the room had very high ceilings, exposed wood beams, with a pool table, couches, and a few tables and chairs.  Kinda like a collection from the Salvation Army in someone's old barn.  It rocked. I could have stayed there all afternoon, drinking the rain away.

I returned many times for the tour, and just to hang at the tasting room.  People would bring their dogs and hang out, I loved it.  Yards was as true to their Philly roots as they could be, brewing recipes of "Colonial" beer found in Ben Franklin's writings, and a few others. 

Yards recently went through an owner/brewer shake up and has moved locations.  I hear they are almost brewing again, or are and should be back to full steam soon.  I hope the beers are the same and for their continued success.