Another Day at the Office (and how beer is made)

[scott]

Alright - sorry if this is too much self-promotion... but I'm kinda of proud that I figured out how to use my Flip video camera and Windows Movie Maker (it only took me 6 hours!!!) and I made a little film of "another day at the office." We were brewing a pale ale today and tried to take some footage each step of the way.

Note fun jab at silly global-superpower marketing slogans at the end...

Enjoy :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr93gL5k0VQ

Turns out I don't know how to embed a video... so all I can do is link!

[angel_luv]

I can't view your video currently as I am work right now. But congrats on it all the same. :)

[Kori Ellis]

Dr93gL5k0VQ[/youtube ]

take out the spaces

[youtube]Dr93gL5k0VQ

:) Nice job.

[Shelly]

real classey, Scoot :tu

[Spursmania]

:toast

[scott]

Thanks Kori!

Sheeley, whey to be reel classey.

[duncan228]

Looks like you guys have a good time. Glad it's going well for you.

[timvp]

Pretty cool. Remind me to buy you one of your own beers next time I see you :tu

[sabar]

Cool, seems much more exciting than an office!

[SpursStalker]

Sweet!!

You need to send me some samples ...

:D

[Summers]

Next gtg, CC brings the meat and Scott brings the beer.

[BacktoBasics]

Great video and truly an inspiration to all home brewers with big dreams.

[marini martini]

Here's hopping I get to try some out!!!:toast

[clambake]

good job. flip video cameras are great.

wish you'd have done it on Imovie.

[Wild Cobra]

Well, the only complaint I have is using Hop Pellets rather than fresh hops!

When I brewed beer, I would use Cascade (4.5% - 6% alpha), Centennial (9.5% to 11.5% alpha), Chinook (12% to 14% alpha), and/or Willamette (4% to 6% alpha). I would sometimes buy Saaz, but the others are Northwest natives.

[Spurminator]

4x hops is good and all, but does it have drinkability?

[Wild Cobra]

4x hops is good and all, but does it have drinkability?I'm sure the IBU's aren't too much for a good beer. 4x hopping of a 7.4% alpha isn't too bitter. Besides, I like bitter beers if they have good flavor in the bitters.

Hop pellets though....

[mrsmaalox]

Funny, I showed the video to someone who home brews and all he had to say was, "Pelletized hops? Really?" :) But we drink at the FreeTail frequently and he hasn't had any strong objections to any of the brews so far.

[leemajors]

I'm sure the IBU's aren't too much for a good beer. 4x hopping of a 7.4% alpha isn't too bitter. Besides, I like bitter beers if they have good flavor in the bitters.

Hop pellets though....

pellets are a lot cheaper, and work pretty damn good.

[Wild Cobra]

pellets are a lot cheaper, and work pretty damn good.
I guess if you have to import them, then yes. Hops grow abundant here, so I don't think any brewers use pellets in the NW.

-edit-

I checked the local prices. Small quantities are priced the same here at Steinbarts (http://www.fhsteinbart.com/ourproducts.html). I hadn't found wholesale prices yet, but I suspect whole hops are cheaper here. I did find that retailers outside the NW did have cheaper prices on pellets than whole hops. I guess that's another reason we have the best beers here. Whole hops vs. processed hops.

[leemajors]

I guess if you have to import them, then yes. Hops grow abundant here, so I don't think any brewers use pellets in the NW.

-edit-

I checked the local prices. Small quantities are priced the same here at Steinbarts (http://www.fhsteinbart.com/ourproducts.html). I hadn't found wholesale prices yet, but I suspect whole hops are cheaper here. I did find that retailers outside the NW did have cheaper prices on pellets than whole hops. I guess that's another reason we have the best beers here. Whole hops vs. processed hops.

Ehh, I'd go with Stone, Green Flash, Russian River, Bear Republic over anything from OR. Whole hop flowers are generally used for dry hoping more than anything else, since they're less bitter and more aromatic.

[Wild Cobra]

Ehh, I'd go with Stone, Green Flash, Russian River, Bear Republic over anything from OR. Whole hop flowers are generally used for dry hoping more than anything else, since they're less bitter and more aromatic.Now I see you don't know what you are talking about. Pellets are just the pulverized hops, and compacted. It is cheaper for long term storage because of space. We use whole hops for infusion, flavoring, and dry hopping. Not just dry hopping.

I don't know about you, but I prefer the micro oil sacs to remain intact until use.

[scott]

I guess if you have to import them, then yes. Hops grow abundant here, so I don't think any brewers use pellets in the NW.

-edit-

I checked the local prices. Small quantities are priced the same here at Steinbarts (http://www.fhsteinbart.com/ourproducts.html). I hadn't found wholesale prices yet, but I suspect whole hops are cheaper here. I did find that retailers outside the NW did have cheaper prices on pellets than whole hops. I guess that's another reason we have the best beers here. Whole hops vs. processed hops.

First off - you can't use homebrew shop prices to make inferences to the commercial market - it's just not an apples to apples comparison. We don't think in terms of ounces, we think in terms of 44 lb boxes. With that said, on our last order - we got the same price on our leaf and pellets from our supplier. Even though they are the same price - the leaf hops are still "more expensive" from a price per alpha perspective. That's because pellets offer upwards of 20% increased alpha acid utilization, which is why brewers use them (and because they take up a heck of a lot less space).

And brewers in your neck of the woods use hop pellets too. I've bought/sold/traded hop pellets with craft brewers all around the country big and small. Almost all of us use them. I've been in the cold storage rooms of some of the countries best-respected craft breweries and they are full of boxes of the same pellets I use. And we all buy from the same suppliers. Only difference in price between what I pay for hops and what someone just like me in Oregon does is the shippign. Here's a good photo of a brewer from Dogfish Head using pellets. http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/food/drinks/articles/2007/03/22/20070322craftbeers0322.html

For the record, most of the "big" brewers use modified hop extracts and hop oils - not leaf of pellet hops! "Triple hops brewed" is one of the funniest marketing slogans heard recently, since most beers are at least "triple hops brewed" and it's a pretty meaningless phrase... especially when its used to sell a beer notably void of any hop character!


I'm sure the IBU's aren't too much for a good beer. 4x hopping of a 7.4% alpha isn't too bitter. Besides, I like bitter beers if they have good flavor in the bitters.

4x hoping at 7.4% alpha could either be a really high IBU beer, or a really low one. You're missing a key piece of data in the equation - when we added the hops! The longer contact time the hops have with the wort, the higher alpha utilization you'll get. In this case, we actually only used those Palisade hops for bittering, and the rest of the additions were EKG hops (4.4% alpha) were for flavor and aroma and contributed fairly little IBU. This is an English Pale Ale, and we targeted 37 IBUs. (Edit: of course you also need to know the quantity we used... you could make a 100 IBU DIPA from 2.7% alpha aroma hops if you just used enough).


wish you'd have done it on Imovie.

Do they make it for PC?

[Wild Cobra]

First off - you can't use homebrew shop prices to make inferences to the commercial market - it's just not an apples to apples comparison. We don't think in terms of ounces, we think in terms of 44 lb boxes.I know that. I went to the Steinbarts site because they do large wholesale also. They just had no internet links to large purchases, just their retail store. When I compared their prices to a California retail outlet, Pellets were about half the price of whole hops.

With that said, on our last order - we got the same price on our leaf and pellets from our supplier. Even though they are the same price - the leaf hops are still "more expensive" from a price per alpha perspective. That's because pellets offer upwards of 20% increased alpha acid utilization, which is why brewers use them (and because they take up a heck of a lot less space).Well, it seems to me that's like over extracting grains. You get unwanted oils, which detract from the quality. Maybe you don't with hops, but I suspect if your company cares more on yield than quality, then you do the same with grain extraction. Maybe use corn sugar also. Do you also sparge at higher than temperature also to increase your yield?

And brewers in your neck of the woods use hop pellets too. Can you name me one in the Portlands area? The big brewers yes. I doubt the craft brewers here would do so. I'm pretty sure it would be beneith them.
I've bought/sold/traded hop pellets with craft brewers all around the country big and small. Almost all of us use them. I've been in the cold storage rooms of some of the countries best-respected craft breweries and they are full of boxes of the same pellets I use. And we all buy from the same suppliers. Only difference in price between what I pay for hops and what someone just like me in Oregon does is the shippign. Here's a good photo of a brewer from Dogfish Head using pellets. http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/food/drinks/articles/2007/03/22/20070322craftbeers0322.htmlI doubt the good ones use pellets in Oregon. It wouldn't surprise me if many do, but it may also be why I don't like brews from places like Widmier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widmer_Brothers).

For the record, most of the "big" brewers use modified hop extracts and hop oils - not leaf of pellet hops! "Triple hops brewed" is one of the funniest marketing slogans heard recently, since most beers are at least "triple hops brewed" and it's a pretty meaningless phrase... especially when its used to sell a beer notably void of any hop character!
Who wants anything from a big brewer anyway?

4x hoping at 7.4% alpha could either be a really high IBU beer, or a really low one. You're missing a key piece of data in the equation - when we added the hops! The longer contact time the hops have with the wort, the higher alpha utilization you'll get. In this case, we actually only used those Palisade hops for bittering, and the rest of the additions were EKG hops (4.4% alpha) were for flavor and aroma and contributed fairly little IBU. This is an English Pale Ale, and we targeted 37 IBUs. I was defending the 4x hopping. Besides, what I drink is rated at 55 IBUs I think. I never tried guess at what point they were introduced.

[scott]

LMAO Wild Cobra, you just enjoy arguing as a hobby don't you?

You caught me, we make macro-piss lager because we only care about pumping out swill for the masses to pump down their gullets. Busted.

I clearly also know nothing about beer or how to make it. Again, busted and exposed for the fraud I am.

:lol :lol :lol

[Wild Cobra]

LMAO Wild Cobra, you just enjoy arguing as a hobby don't you?
Sometimes, but in this case, I take brewing serious as to remaining pure.


You caught me, we make macro-piss lager because we only care about pumping out swill for the masses to pump down their gullets. Busted.
I wouldn't say that. Just not a first class contender. I'm sure they are still very good beers.


I clearly also know nothing about beer or how to make it. Again, busted and exposed for the fraud I am.
I wouldn't say that either. Just that you aren't as serious about it than I am.

[clambake]

Do they make it for PC?

i just got an Imac and a flip video camera.

i was going to pick your brain about using it, but i like your video.

[leemajors]

Now I see you don't know what you are talking about. Pellets are just the pulverized hops, and compacted. It is cheaper for long term storage because of space. We use whole hops for infusion, flavoring, and dry hopping. Not just dry hopping.

I don't know about you, but I prefer the micro oil sacs to remain intact until use.

I don't work for a brewery, but I do know what I am talking about. I know several people who work for microbreweries around Austin, and I have watched them make batches from start to finish. I really, really doubt things are as different up there as you claim. I sat there at GABF last year and asked brewers questions about this sort of stuff for a few days, including the guys from Rogue and Deschuttes.

[scott]

Sometimes, but in this case, I take brewing serious as to remaining pure.
I wouldn't say that. Just not a first class contender. I'm sure they are still very good beers.
I wouldn't say that either. Just that you aren't as serious about it than I am.


:lol yeah okay.

[leemajors]

:lol yeah okay.

Hey Scott, I'm headed up to GABF again this year - I can't remember if you had said Freetail would be making an appearance?

[scott]

We'll be there!

[MannyIsGod]

Scott just saw you on WOAI pimping your beer and pizza. Pizza looked good! Hope the business is doing well.

PS - I'm still better than you at poker.

[jman3000]

Freetail's meatball pizza is bad ass.

Beer's pretty good too if they're not out of it.

Last time I went there were only 2 or 3 available that weren't the guest beers.

[SpursWoman]

Congratulations on store #2, scott! Just saw it on mysa.com. :)