Mellody Brewing

Mellody Brewing Apartment Concert Series

I've written here about my love of music.  I've dreamt of supporting local artists in the brewery I'd love to own someday.  I've posted YouTube videos for the Friday Hootenanny, talked about pairing music to beer and well, done lots of talking.  I need to stop talking and writing and get busy doing.

Recently I learned about an organization called The Philadelphia Sessions.  The goal of The Philadelphia Sessions is to positively expand the reputation, and recognition of the city of Philadelphia through its music, and to do so by selecting local musicians and helping them get international experiences - and then bringing them back to Philadelphia.  As Bill, the founder, said at a recent event at Yards, "we support our local scene by sending our artists away."  I recently spent a few hours listening to two musicians at a fundraiser The Philadelphia Sessions held at Yards Brewery.  It was everything I've ever dreamed of doing at my own place someday.  It was bitter sweet.  I left thinking about how I need to stay focused and motivated and how I need to work harder at making my dream a reality - so I can have a night like that.

Since I don't have a brewery, but am still passionate about helping out - I've decided to settle for the next best thing: a house concert, or in this case apartment concert.  Bill and I have been emailing and I'm working on setting up a night for one of his artists to come to my apartment for an evening of music, food and a Mellody Brewing Ale on draft.  The cost is minimal, about $10 a person, and all the money goes to the artist.  We're aiming to get about 25-30 people for the night.  Sure, my place is small, but I think we can fit everyone, and I also think the space will be conducive to a fun atmosphere as we gather for the music.  More to come on dates and times and other details.  I hope you can make it and this is the beginning of a series.

Pump It Up

As mentioned in previous posts, the next addition to the brewery is a pump.  We need to get something to more efficiently transfer the hot liquid around, and to help with cooling the wort after the boil.  I've been doing much research and it seems that there's only a few options.  Looks like before the next brew day I'll need the pump, some sort of new cooling mechanism, new thermoplastic tubing and some fittings.

How did this easy all-grain set up go from so simple to more and more complex and expensive so quickly?

C Clef Coffee Stout

A good friend of mine is slightly obsessed with stouts.  Milk stouts, chocolate, coffee, breakfast, you name it - he likes it.  As I wrote in What's Pouring the other day, I've decided that Mellody Brewing's next beer will be a stout, and not a breakfast or bourbon or imperial stout, as these are clearly all the rage right now.  I'm thinking a coffee stout.  One were I'll roast my own beans for addition to the recipe.  I'll spend Sunday Night Research today looking at recipes as well as how to roast my own beans.  This will be a great addition to the coffee/beer bar idea we've been floating around as well.  A product that lasts the entire day in essence.  The clef is also something I'm exploring from a branding perspective, having the beers fall in a clef range or something to match their style.

 

 

Cricket Hill Brewery - A Passionate Dialogue on the Big Three Breweries

I have to go to this place...

I have discussed how when Mellody Brewing does tours someday I want it to be an experience.  Forbes recently posted a list of the best brewery tours out there, which has resulted in a fine discussion on Beer Advocate.com  I can't say I've been to all the breweries list on Forbes, but the one's I have been to don't seem to touch the tours they discuss.  I've already discussed my favorite, Lakefront Brewing in Milwaukee, WI.  I'm headed to Brooklyn Brewery this up coming weekend for a tour, so that should be interesting as well.  This video above isn't as much a tour, but a passionate speech, and I love it.  I can't wait till I can give a speech like this someday. 

If I had only known that I wasn't going to get action from those Twins, I would never had bought that Coors 30 pack...but now I know - and knowing is half the battle.

Welcome - Shiner: The "New" Keg Kettle

Shiner, the new keg kettle, originally uploaded by Smellody.

Yesterday I drove out to the far east suburbs of Tampa to meet a fellow home brewer. I connected with him via the local home brew club and he offered to sell me a large converted keg brew kettle so I can expand my brewing in the newly built three-tier all grain system. The system was used once, but has been sitting idle as I needed the bigger kettle to fully get to where we needed to be to produce larger batches of beer. I drove the kettle home 35 miles in pouring rain and lightening. It kept banging against the trunk, and rolling around. I was nervous that I'd snap off the thermometer - but alas no worries were needed - we arrived home safe and sound. The kettle is at least 30 years old. I know this because the lid is labeled Ballantine - Newark, NJ. This is on the underside - the top has been labeled again by the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX. That's right, you heard me right - this keg most likely held Shiner Bock. (A friend of mine just had an orgasm.) The keg held some great beer and according to the fellow I purchased it from has brewed probably hundreds of batches of homebrew as well.  It needs a little love and care, some cleaning but otherwise is good to go.  Getting this relic saved me over $200 in the purchase of a larger new kettle, money better spent on ingredients and a grain mill.

This is a 15.5 gallon keg thus allowing me to easily do 5 and 10 gallon batches of beer.  I was hoping to brew today, but due to weather issues and lack of a key ingredient (hops are getting harder and harder to find, even on-line) I am postponing brewing till next weekend.  With the addition of Shiner to the Mellody Brewing family we will be pumping out some more beers now and well into the summer.  I'm excited.

We've also made some good progress on the beer cellar.  Door jam has been installed and some drywall fixed and added to the area around the door.  I should have the door in by tomorrow, and then I'll get the electrician in to run the plugs - but I may end of doing it myself.  The cellar will be outfitted with a vent from the AC unit and insulated before I drywall.  This will help it maintain a temperature close to 65 degrees.  Not ideal cellar temp, but better than the mid 70s.  I'll add some shelving and maybe a wine fridge over time.  The main purpose of the cellar, well duh - store and age some beers I am getting via trades, etc.  The other purpose will be to house fermentors and brewing equipment,  More pics on the cellar to come soon.

Here's to history entering Mellody Brewing. Check out the other photos of the labels here.

Can I brew virtually?

After much research today (Sunday) I have decided that  it is time to shit or get off the pot (excuse my language) and learn commercial brewing. I'm registering for a distance learning course in brewing with the Siebel Institute.  The World Brewing Academy seems to be a very well respected school, I asked a few brewers on Probrewer.com.  Even though on-line this class will give me some credentials, and at the very least teach me how to brew on a large scale. The three-month program seems intense but promises to give the student "the knowledge and confidence you will need to work effectively in the world of commercial brewing." It also states that the course is "formally recognized by the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) as suitable for students writing the IBD General Certificate Exam."

The cost is steep I'm going to have to cash into my savings, and use my tax refund to pay for it.  I figure at the least, I can hopefully take the experience to a job somewhere and then eventually in time transfer those skills to my own place.  I still wish things happened overnight - but lets be realistic.  I need to do this if I'm going to be serious about it, and not just write about it.

I vowed after I got my MBA that I'd never go back to school, lesson learned.  Never say never my friends. 

Also, on a related note: I hopefully have scored a side-job this week helping a small craft brewer in the area bottle his beer.  I offered my assistance and labor for the payment of learning and the occasional beer.  He seems open to it.

Go Long (or maybe it should be wide)

That's right friends, it is time for Americans to drink light beer, consume large amounts of chips and dips and sit around and watch TV. Apparently, Super Bowl Sunday is the largest "in-house" party event for Americans. That's why I'll be headed out...to avoid the crowd at my house. It is also the day when we eat the most potato chips and consume the most dips. From The Seattle Times article, "Super Bowl snack stats to whet your appetite'" By Stephanie Dunnewind here are some Super Bowl food stats to crunch on:

11 million: Pounds of potato chips Americans munch on Super Bowl Sunday. They eat an additional 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips and 3.8 million pounds of popcorn.
— Snack Food Association (past figures)

18 people: Average attendance at a Super Bowl party.
— Hallmark's Party Express

36.6 percent: Increase in sales of frozen breaded mushrooms pre-Super Bowl. Sales of frozen shrimp rise 29 percent.
— ACNielsen

$237.2 million: Amount spent on soft drinks (diet and regular) at grocery stores during 2005 Super Bowl week.
— ACNielsen

1,200 calories: Amount the average Super Bowl watcher will consume while snacking. To burn that off , it would take walking for four hours or running an hour and 45 minutes.
— Calorie Control Council

30 percent: Increase in sales of processed-cheese loaves the week before last year's Super Bowl. Flavored snack-cracker sales jumped 68 percent.
— ACNielsen

2 million: Number of pizzas Pizza Hut expects to prepare on Super Bowl Sunday, a 39-percent bump over an average Sunday. Frozen pizza is also a top Super Bowl seller at grocery stores.
— Pizza Hut, ACNielsen

$11.8 million
Additional sales of beer (regular and light) during 2005 Super Bowl week.
— ACNielsen

30.4 million: Pounds of snack food Americans consume on Super Bowl Sunday, twice the average daily amount.
— Snack Food Association (past figures)

Wow...now that's pure Americana if you asked me. That' all the time for research today, I'm off to drink some good beer, and eat some good food while watching the game at World of Beer.

What I hope to be...

....a Pro Brewer.  I have spent countless hours reading this site today (Sunday.) Watching football, transferring homebrew and reading Pro Brewer.  Geekfest, I know.   

You want to be me, admit it.

Sunday Night Research

Sunday's in 2008 are to be dedicated to research (not of the drinking kind unfortunately.)  Each week we here at Mellody Brewing will focus on one area of the business, and conduct some down and dirty internet or other where possible/necessary research.  We'll report the results each Monday.

This week's Sunday Night Research Topic:  Brewing Schools

I'll admit - this is a topic area I've been day dreaming about for years.  So, I kinda know what is out there.  From what I know, there are two main options for me in the US to get an official certificate or technical training in the science of brewing.

Siebel Institute of Technology and World Brewing Academy

American Brewers Guild

Both offer on-line options, which would be good for me. Prices range but we're looking at a few thousand to make it happen.  Siebel from what I have read, is the standard.  Lots of known brewer's attended Siebel.  The brewer at Tampa Bay Brewing Company did, as I noticed his diploma on the wall while at dinner there recently.

There's also a graduate program at UC Davis in California.  This would be a full-time school option, and I'd either have to quit work, or find a job in CA. This isn't really a viable option right now, as I'm not in a position to leave FL, or my job as I do this.  I will say, this looks like a lot of fun.

At some point I'll most likely need one of these programs, so I can learn to take my homebrew scale operation to the next level.  This research also begs the question, will I - can I be the brewer and the owner of the brewery?  Some business models say one or the other - set a vision - find a brewer; while others are single founder operations.  Looks like another topic for Sunday Night Research...

One final note - for the few that read this, some think I do this while at work, simple answer - I don't.  I write usually at night, and post for future publish the next day.  Just wanted to ensure you all, while I have talked about being disenchanted at work as of late, I'm not wasting company time with blogging - just my own.