Working?!?!

I call it work, most people call it a hobby, but I am making some more beer today. I need to get back to piloting beer regardless of the progress of the financing of the brewery. On that note, I have started to dreaded task of raising money. At this point I am not placing a time line on financing because any idea of timing that I have had so far has been blown out the door.

I had a meeting this morning with Shane Williams who is a former VP of Beer and Wine at Albertson's and worked for distributors throughout his career. It was one of the better meetings that I have had with people giving me advice as he has more knowledge of the industry than anyone I have talked to. I am not going to bore with all of the details, but I am very glad to have a contact like that who I can refer back to. During our talk at the coffee shop, the lady next to us couldn't help but introduce herself after hearing what we were talking about. She is a chef who has a the TV show "Dining Out Idaho." I got her card and she was very willing to get me some good contacts in the area, could be a great help in the future. I generally dislike coffee shops because you end up hearing more than you want to from people next to you, but it worked out great here, so maybe I will stop hating.

As for today's beer, still looking for an introductory PBC beer. I was trying to go towards a English Mild Ale, but I don't think it will fit into that category, probably an American Amber. I toned down the grain bill from my Amber into a session beer, shooting for 4-4.4%, but trying to keep a solid malt backbone (not watery and uninteresting). As for the hops, as much as I try to get away from the classic northwest hops, I never really do. The IBU's are around 30, so it isn't hoppy, but with Zeus and Centennial hops it should still have a northwest feel. I did go with an English Yeast strain, one because that is what I have fermenting and two, I just like the English Yeasts.

Amber/Session Ale:
Malt: American 2-Row, Biscuit, Cara-munich, Crystal, Munich, Roasted Barley
Hops: Centennial, Zeus (Fresh Hops from Idaho)
ABV: 4-4.4%

Long Over Due

I have not been blogging as I have nothing to talk about right now, I haven't made beer for a while and I haven't made any news worthy progress in a while either.

As for my business planning, I have been getting great help from a lot of different people. That is both a gift and a curse. I really think I am learning a lot from businessmen who have had success throughout the years. Where it gets tricky is each person has their own little view of what PBC is going to be and they don't know anything about the brewing industry. It is tough sorting through their suggestions and applying them to the plan while maintaining the vision that I have for PBC. It is getting very frustrating and hopefully all for the best, but there are times I really wish I could say "shut-up, you don't have a clue what they are talking about." I am just venting right now and if you are one of the people that has been helping me I am talking about someone else.

I am brewing for the first time in a while today. I get to use some of my new equipment, but it is not put together in a real system, so it is similar to what I have been doing. Trying my hand at another Blonde Ale, I don't feel like I have had the most success with Blonde's so I need to try some more. I am going for a light bodied beer with a slightly spicy hop finish, here is what I've got:

Blonde Ale:
Malts: American 2-Row, Flaked Maize
Hops: Crystal, Saaz
ABV: ~4.5%

Black Raven Brewery

I was told that I had to check out Black Raven Brewery before I left Seattle and I don't need an excuse to go try some beers, so I went. The brewery is located in Redmond in a business park, similar to a ton of breweries that I have visited. On the outside, the brewery was not much different than most, but on the inside, wow. The best tasting room I think I have ever been to. I'll get back to that though, first the brewery itself.

Black Raven is a production brewery, but at this point most of their sales are done on the premise. As far as I could tell almost all of their equipment was brand new, starting with the 15 bbl brewing system. I had a good talk with one of the owners/head brewer, I was able to touch on new subjects that concern me as I move forward and left with great ideas and tips. It still amazes me how different every brewery owner's story is and what they found to be most difficult in starting up. I think I am in a great position having heard so many points of view, but at the same time it is scary because there are so many different things that have slowed other breweries progress down. Here are some shots of the brewery:

New 15 BBL Brewing System

Part of the tasting room and the racking area

The most impressive part of the brewery is the tasting room. They spared no expense in building the tasting room, artistic wooden tables and Raven themed artwork on the walls. Probably seats 30 and they don't serve food, although you can bring in outside food. The tasting room extends beyond the front room/bar, has some seating along the walk-in cooler (which you don't notice is the cooler) and then there is some seating in the back essentially on the brewery floor. They did a great job of making it a nice place to come and drink a beer and not just a brewery. Black Raven, along with some other breweries, have really changed my thinking about a tasting room and there will be a solid tasting room at PBC.

Tasting Room

Of course I had to take a seat at the bar and enjoy the sampler, a nice mix of traditional styles with a specialty beer to top it off. Their IPA was by far my favorite followed by the Brown Ale. The other beers were well made beers, but didn't blow me away. The specialty beer was a Belgian Brown, which was actually my least favorite, but always enjoy new and different beers. I hope to make it out their again when I am back in Seattle and like seeing all of these new places getting started.

Step 1, Move to Boise

Not only am I writing this post today, I have a second post that will be scheduled to post later this week. I really have no excuse for not blogging any updates these days, but I haven't had many interesting things to write about. I am not a fan of blogging just to blog and like to have some material to write about. Although I sometimes feel like I am turning into the blogging equivalent of a blowhard who just likes to hear himself talk.

100% moved to Boise at this point, which means that I have to stop hiding behind the safety of the computer and get things going. I have mentioned before about getting to a point where you just need to take a jump and a lot of other things start to open up. I am at one of those points again, this probably being the biggest to date (although quitting Boeing was pretty big). Beside some minor tweaks, the plan is done and it is time to go raise some money. I should find out a lot here shortly. If I get ripped by a potential investor I know there is still work to be done, but lets hope for the best.

I had some new equipment made by my homebrew guy in Seattle, another brew kettle and a hot liquor tank. Those along with my existing brew kettle will get pieced together to make a pilot system very similar to the one I have been using at Schooner. I am going to design how I want the system to look this week and probably put together a big list of parts I need to make it work right. The good thing about the system I have in my head is that I don't need all the bells and whistles from day one to be able to brew, but everything can be added as I can get it. I hope to get another test batch brewed up later this month on the system.

Speaking of test batches, I kegged my last two pilot batches last week. I haven't had a chance to really taste them and review them, but I will share my initial thoughts. The IPA is piney and citrusy in more of an apricot way than grapefruit, it is pretty good, but my ratios for the hops are out of balance. It needs work and if I had to bet, I would say IPA will not be among the first beers offered. Not because I don't think I can make a good one, because I can, but I am such an IPA fan, I want to release one that I love, not one that is just okay. The other pilot was a Pale, I like it so far. It is more typical of a Pale with the use of a lot of Cascade hops. I think I have a good arsenal of pale ale recipes that I am ready to make 3 or 4 and put them in front of a tasting panel.

No promises, but I'll try to get back to posting regularly.

1 Week

Down to one more week of living in Seattle, kind of weird considering I have lived here for 7 years. I am sure I will reflect on that at some other time, but right now I am really excited to be in it 100%. Sure I have been "in it" since I quit my job, but once I am in Boise it will be much more real than right now. I just can't wait until I can write the same title in regards to the brewery opening.

I brewed up another batch of pale ale, went a little different route than the most recent one I kegged and simplified it more. I slightly regret that at this point, but it will be good to have something different than the last pale that turned into a strong ale. Here are some specs on the one I brewed last week.

Pale Ale
Malt: Pale, Crystal
Hops: Nugget (Bittering) Cascade (Aroma)
ABV: 5% (was dead nuts on my gravity for the first time on Schooner's system, only took three tries)

The thing that really concerns me is the Cascade hops. Cascade has been a staple in craft brewing since the movement started which is why I see it as concern, it is a great hop, but it is also everywhere and I don't want to have a beer that tastes just like someone else. I really shouldn't worry about it because if it is a good beer, then it is a good beer.

Knocking-out a batch of Pale Ale

I have had a chance for my first pilot to have some tastes and get some people's opinions. First of all, the alcohol content is very deceptive. It drinks like a 5% beer but hits you like the 6.8% beer it is. While I still think it is on the sweet side, others who tried it didn't find it overly sweet. This will be a future pilot, but I plan on hitting my gravities to have a true pale to taste.

I ordered some equipment for my own pilot system this week, as I get it all put together I will post some pictures.

More Brewing/Kegged Pilot

I have spent quite a bit of time over the last few weeks at Schooner Exact brewing, learning and drinking. Mostly just brewing, but with brewing comes drinking when the end of a long day is near. We brewed a triple batch of their IPA between Monday and Tuesday. They have a few 30 barrel fermenters and a 10 barrel brewing system. The two batches on Monday took forever, tons of little shit went wrong, people came in to visit and we started putting back some beers a little earlier than we probably should have. 13 hours later we had 20 barrels in the tank.

Tuesday in comparison was really chill, the single batch went smoothly then I tagged along on some deliveries. We stopped at a Georgetown Brewery and Two Beer Brewery on on way out, awesome places. Georgetown has been brewing on a 60 barrel system for a year now that is awesome. Amazing to see what can be done in only 7 years as a company, if I got to that point in 15 I would be stoked. Two Beers, who I wrote about a long time ago here, has a new location. It is a 7 barrel system with a cool tasting room. Like most places, it gives me ideas, but isn't quite what I am trying to do. It amazes me how cool the whole industry, most everyone is friends and help each other out if they can. Boise doesn't have the brewing culture that Seattle has, but who knows what can happen in the next few years. The rest of the deliveries were not the norm of a delivery afternoon as we chilled at some of the stops and had pizza and a pint, then some coffee, then another pint. If all delivery days were like that I would never have time to make beer, but it was a nice treat after cranking out 3 batches in a day and a half.

I was finally able to carbonate and keg the Pale Ale pilot batch that I made a while back, also meaning I drank some. First off, this is the farthest off target I have been when making a batch of beer, not in terms of taste, but gravity etc. I attribute this to not knowing the system when I designed the beer. The beer I thought would come in at around 5.5% clocked in at 6.8%, a bit boozy for a Pale. The beer has grown on me as I had some more last night, but it is not going to be an immediate PBC offering. It is very sweet, even though it fermented to a very low terminal gravity. Combine the sweetness with the pungent aroma of the Columbus hops and you have a beer that is interesting, but probably not one for the masses. Since I have a lot of this beer, I will get as many people as possible to try it and give me feedback. Getting someones real opinion is always tough because people usually try to be nice, but I want to know if people don't like it.

Took an IPA sample, it tasted alright and I like its potential once I get some dry-hops on their for a few days.

I am making another pilot batch tomorrow I think, I just need to sort out what I am going to make. Right now I am thinking about doing another Pale Ale iteration. More to come on that front.

More Pilot Brewing

The blogging has fallen by the way side, I like to think because I am busy doing more important things, who knows. I have spent quite a bit of time at Schooner Exact helping out in a bunch of ways, which has been great. One of these days we will get around to kegging the Pale Ale that I made a few weeks back. Hopefully I have them this weekend and I will give a report back on how it turned out. I was able to make a second pilot batch this week, here is some details:

IPA
Malts: Pale, Munich, Crystal, Carahell
Hops: Amarillo, Columbus, Magnum, Simcoe, TBD (For dry-hopping, probably Citra and Cascade)
ABV: 6%

I missed the target gravity on this beer, so it wont be as strong as I planned. This is strange because I overshot the Pale Ale, which will probably have more alcohol than this one. Maybe I am labeling them wrong, but that is just semantics, this one has a shitload of hops.

Vorlaufing the IPA mash

I really hope to get back on the blog, right now I am more focused on getting a business off the ground, moving and the upcoming Dawgs season. Speaking of football, I might put up my weekly football emails up here instead of email them, remains to be seen.