Mellody Brewing

Brew Day Update: Stuck in a fermenter with you

Yes, my first batch in almost a year and I make a rookie mistake...I didn't prep my yeast.  I didn't make a starter and with such a high gravity beer that was a big mistake.  We had active fermentation for about three days, then it just died.  I'm pretty sure it had to do with the cold temps in the apartment tied with a bad start to the fermentation.  So, I consulted with my local home brew shop owner and a few boards and decided first course of corrective action was the electric blanket to warm the beer back to ideal fermentation temp - 65-75 degrees.  That brought some small bubble action, but not enough.  Before we repitch more yeast, tonight I added Yeast Energizer.  Yup, a magical mixture of yeast nutrients that should jump start the process...think of it as a shot of speed or something I guess.  We'll see what happens.  We now have yeast energizer and the electric blanket at work - let's hope we get more bubbly action soon.

I wish I was a little more delicate

Keeping with the ACL theme, here's a little diddy from Sarah Jaffe.  Awesome song, I can't wait to see her live at ACL.

Tomorrow night I hope to support the local music scene in a venue that I love a brewery. Yards Brewery to be exact. What they are doing is EXACTLY what I'd want Mellody Brewing to do someday.  Read about it here.  I may be going alone - but if you want to join me - let me know.

Edited: I am posting this earlier then Friday since I forgot to hit the save for future option.  Enjoy.

There's always money in the banana stand (wink)

Let's talk funding, yet again.  I'm coming full circle lately on starting to think about asking friends and family for money.  Almost a microloan type of arrangement.  Following the idea of Kiva and looking for anyone to make a donation.  I also recently read about a brewpub in  (I believe Texas) where people can send money and become an owner.  Though for the life of me I can't find the article again.  In doing some research last night, I ran across this press release from Sam Adams - Brewing the American Dream.  Now I wouldn't be able to apply for this but I just thought it was amazing.  I love what Sam Adams stands for, and more and more love reading about what they do in their community. 

So, I'm starting to wonder if I can work up the final business plan and instead of going to a bank - can I ask the public for the funding?  More to come on this, but basically create it as a shareholder option, with various tiers of support.  Include some ownership incentives, creative ways to get people involved.

I like what I've read from other on this, I wonder if I can make it work too.

P.S. Extra points if you get the reference in the post title.

Brewing Update and other rambling...

So, yeah I'm not sure what the problem is.  In the past, I never had issue finding time to brew.  Now it seems I can't find the day.  So, yeah I'm not sure what the problem is.  In the past, I never had issue finding time to brew.  Now it seems I can't find the time.  Priorities are definitely in need of realignment.  We're heading into my favorite time of year and I need some homebrew to enjoy!!  I have all the parts and pieces now, just need to get off my lazy arse and get a recipe together and get brewing.

I've been slowly getting re-energized lately around business ideas and the like.  I still don't have a solution that allows me to leave the corporate life yet - but I'm trying to figure things out.  I'm working the local angle again, trying to see if someone will give me a part time break to get some experience but the well is still dry.

Meanwhile, there's TONS of great beer events coming up in Philadelphia.  Did I tell you how happy I am to be back here?  There's some special batches of St. Somewhere coming to The Institute Sept. 12th and to Capone's this weekend.  I'm holding out for The Institute event.  Bob blended some young lectio and saison with some older wine barrel aged beers.  Sounds fun.  Also - he's sending a keg of his latest creation Pays de Soleil - which is a saison brewed with Palmetto berries and Hibiscus flowers.  There are some other tastings at the good beer bars as well that I'm trying to figure out how to get to as.

Lots going on, lots to figure out.  Time to buck up and get out of the shadows that I've been sulking in and figure things out.  That's my prep talk to myself...

We don't need no stinking tubing?

Acutally, yes - we do.  Soooo yeah - I wanted to brew this weekend, but turns out I trashed the tubing when I moved and can't find the right size to fit my mash tun and set up.  Opps.

So - there was no brewing.  Order has been placed for tubing online, and I should have it this week.  More to come on the restart of brewing operations soon.

Shark Tank

I'll take $750,000 and let them have a 51% stake of the business.  How about it sharks?

Navigating A Highly Regulated State

As I've relocated back to the Philadelphia area, the brain has not shut off.  I'm still researching bar/brewery ideas, and what the options are now that I'm here.  The first hurdle I see here is the strict liquor control laws in Pennsylvania.  In Florida, there was a license available for the sale of beer only, and consumed on premesis.  This was cheaper, since no liquor was involved and made it easier to get insurance, and the cost was much less.  I need to find a bar in the area that only serves beer and wine and see how they did it.  I am on the look out...

Don't Believe the Hype

There's a recent trend in the craft beer industry where breweries brew big bold beers in limited quantity and people like me hunt and hunt for it as if it's a rare diamond.  In some cases the kill is worth the hunt, but in more cases for me lately it hasn't been.  Now, before some readers think well, you just don't know good beer (and maybe I don't) I think that we need to take a step back.  Quality, really can't be defined or rated.  You can subjectively on scale attempt to quantify a qualitative or subjective experience but really, what's the point?  I have come to realize in my life that quality is truly in the eye of the beholder.  I think this realization came to me from multiple readings of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. In this novel one area Robert Pirsig explores is quality. "'Quality,' or 'value,'as described by Pirsig, cannot be defined because it empiricallyprecedes any intellectual constructions. It is the "knife-edge" of experience, known to all. "What distinguishes good and bad writing? Do we need to ask this question of Lysias or anyone else who ever did write anything?" (Plato's Phaedrus, 258d). Likening it with the Tao, Pirsig believes that Quality is the fundamental force in the universe stimulating everything from atoms to animals to evolve and incorporate ever greater levels of Quality. According to the MOQ, everything (including the mind, ideas, and matter) is a product and a result of Quality." (Wikipedia)

So really, what is good beer?  Why all the hype around ratings?  Why create false demand for a beer that for some will be a waste of time?  I ask these questions as a marketer and  consumer.  Now, society tells us what is good...right? What's in style, what's not...who's popular, who's not.  Societal trends are studied by another book I am referencing in this conversation, The Tipping Point, by Malcom Gladwell.  If it is raters and beer advocates like those at the throw down last week, that are the influencers and create demand, and popularity and drive trends from say porters to wild ales then the rare beer is the marketers dream.  Their perception of quality and influence on the market will slowly drive more breweries to try to compete, to differentiate and thus expand and create on a new style.  This is what is truly amazing about business and commerce.  As we sit and espouse on the chocolate undertones and hop aroma of beers, the majority of beer drinkers are cracking a bud light and not thinking twice. Are they drinking sub-quality beer? In my mind yes, in there's no.  Does this make them wrong, no.  Does it make me right? (of course it does) No.  What I'm trying to say is yes, I got to have five of the Top Rated Beers in the US over the last few months.  Yes, some where good but really...nothing better than some other.great.beers.  When I think of quality beer, I am not rating the hop character, or aroma, how thick the head is or if the color is right.  I am rating on, if I enjoy it, and am I having fun drinking it.  It's like why would I want a $100 bottle of wine or champagne or a bottle of Westy 12 and then sit at home and drink it alone? 

This gets me back to Zen.  In Zen Pirsig talked about static and dynamic quality.  (trust me I'm getting somewhere in this rambling, really...)  Static quality is that which can truely be measured.  (e.g., patterns in nature, behaviors, beer qualities, etc.) Whereas dynamic quality is everything else, that which is not static.  It's the dynamic qualities of beer and life that I seek out.  It's those experiences that I think make a beer quality.  It's the feeling it gives you inside, the memories, the conversations, the laughter. 

I'm saying this because all the beers I tasted last week were quality beers.  I didn't turn one down for off flavor, or bad aroma and for not meeting the static quality that is expected with these beers.  There were some that well, on static quality alone, weren't worth the hype if you asked me.  I won't be hunting for them anytime soon.  The others, the ones that were shared as "their only bottle" or saved and aged for seven years after bringing it home from England in my suitcase.  Those are the quality beers, the experiences that when tasting, drinking and discussing that I won't soon forget.  That's what makes them good beers. 

CONVOY!!!

The mother ship is telling me I need to spend less time on board, so it's time to plan a vacation.  My current workplace tracks vacation by hours, and once you reach your given allotment, you stop earning and essentially "lose vacation time."  I'm losing, or about to so I need to start planning the next great adventure.  I had been holding off on any big trips as I am saving for the business, but figure it can't hurt to do a research vacation and do a beer tour of the west coast.  Thinking of taking a week, or two maybe.  Driving up or down the coast and hitting breweries, bars, parks and seeing a few friends as well.  I'll work a day here and there to stay afloat and extend the trip.  I've got miles, hotel and AMEX points so we're going to supplement the trip where possible.

So far the initials list of stops are as follows:

• Russian River

• Rouge

• AleSmith

• Port Brewing/ Lost Abbey

• Green Flash

• Stone

• Hair of the Dog

• Descheutes

• Lagunitas

I'm sure there will be more. I'd also like to stop at Pebble Beach, Redwood forest, and some other places.  I have friends in LA, San Fran, Seattle and Portland - so it'll be nice to have some company for the ride and beers at local beer bars.  If you are interested in joining me for a leg, or the whole trip - let me know.  I haven't set dates yet, but I'm aiming for this fall at some point.

Ultimately, the goal will be to fill up on beer for the cellar, experience some cool breweries, research bars, brewery set up, styles, etc.  Also, just to disconnect and explore. 

Bar Concept #1

So, in the eventual pursuit to the brewery I've always thought that starting a bar then expanding.  I've talked about this in the past.  I've been thinking about this a lot more lately as if I do it right, I can incorporate all the things I have been wanting to.  I can be part of a local community, have live music, serve good beer, great food and brew too.  The thought is to slowly move into the brewing, so the space might need space for expansion to a small brewpub set-up.  The latest thoughts that I'm putting into the draft business plan and brainstorm notebook are below.  These are brain storm bullets - let me know what you think.

• Mellody's Brew House
  1. Small brew set up and invite local brewers and home brew club winners to brew specialty beers monthly.
  2. Live music Saturday Nights, with a true Hootenanny one night a week.
  3. No TVs, but a dock allowing patrons to play their iPod.
  4. Select taps, doing everyting to turn them over regularly.
  5. Firkin Firday's
  6. Modern Misson style decor
  7. Bottle menu focused on 750ml bottles for sharing