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davidwaite
Senior Member
Username: Davidw
Post Number: 2024
Registered: 03-2001
Posted From: 65.163.6.62
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 03:56 pm: | 
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Or perhaps more precisely, how would you spend a small fortune if you were to build a new brewery? Had to get out of town for the weekend after a couple months of working daily. So my wife and I took the 2.5 hour drive up to New Glarus. The new brewing facility that opened this past summer is simply amazing. A few pics:
This is a brewery?
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davidwaite
Senior Member
Username: Davidw
Post Number: 2025
Registered: 03-2001
Posted From: 65.163.6.62
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 03:59 pm: |
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The beer garden:
From Germany to southern Wisconsin:
"Malt cleaning" area:
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davidwaite
Senior Member
Username: Davidw
Post Number: 2026
Registered: 03-2001
Posted From: 65.163.6.62
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 04:01 pm: |
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I'd like to see the tab for all the stainless:
Where does this go?
Ahh yes, the top of the fermenters!
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davidwaite
Senior Member
Username: Davidw
Post Number: 2027
Registered: 03-2001
Posted From: 65.163.6.62
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 04:04 pm: |
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They have a couple open fermenters. The brewer who walked us around said it was cool to watch the wheat beers overflow!
Does this mean I can enter?
Indeed, it does:
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Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 10863
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 04:14 pm: |
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Wow! Their old location was reasonably nice, but this is almost a craft brewing palace. |
davidwaite
Senior Member
Username: Davidw
Post Number: 2028
Registered: 03-2001
Posted From: 65.163.6.62
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 04:15 pm: |
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First of two carts of beer to return to the Hawkeye state:
I snagged a case each of the Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart for the wife, she also got a case of the Cranberry Ale, one of the Unplugged series. Of which I also got a case of the Old English Porter. Of the regular beers I got a case of Hop Hearty, Fat Squirrel, and Stone Soup. For seasonals I snagged a case of Coffee Stout and Black Wheat. Unfortunately, they didn't have the Snowshoe Red just yet, may have to make a trip back up there in a couple weeks to procure a couple cases when it becomes available.
If you find yourself in New Glarus do not miss having lunch or dinner at the Glarner Stube. While the menu is limited, it is without a doubt the best food I have had anywhere. The sauerbraten is made with a thick flank steak and is excellent. I can't get enough of the German Potato salad and red cabbage. And of course, a row of New Glarus taps are the central feature at the bar. What a great town. |
davidwaite
Senior Member
Username: Davidw
Post Number: 2029
Registered: 03-2001
Posted From: 65.163.6.62
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 04:22 pm: |
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Apparently they are still brewing the Belgian Red, Raspberry Tart, and their Organic ale down at the old building where the wooden fermenters are. I was in awe of all the stainless running throughout the facility. It apparently arrived in straight pieces, was cut, bent and welded on site. Not surprising. They have a dedicated clean-in-place room where a touch screen panel is used to clean any "circuit" or fermenter. Obviously, you have an advantage when you designing things to be an efficient brewery vs. buying an existing building and trying to work within the space you have. I have toured dozens of breweries and found my way into areas that the regular crowd doesn't go and I have never been so impressed. I think the true answer to the question "How to make a small fortune brewing" is to marry a business person the likes of Deb Carey! |
Denny Conn
Senior Member
Username: Denny
Post Number: 7289
Registered: 01-2001
Posted From: 140.211.82.4
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 04:23 pm: |
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Very snazzy! |
Maxieboy
New Member
Username: Maxieboy
Post Number: 4
Registered: 10-2009
Posted From: 98.135.29.141
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 08:50 pm: |
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First thing that came to mind: Q: How do you make a small fortune brewing? A: Start with a large one! Wow, looks like the recession bypassed New Glarus, WI.! |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 10865
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 09:31 pm: |
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David, did you happen to sample the Unplugged Old English Porter? Apparently they have tried to recreate historical porter from 150 years ago. My brother was in Wisconsin this past weekend and picked up a six-pack. He said it was so sour (vinegar-like aroma and flavor) as to be almost undrinkable. He's a reasonably sophisticated beer drinker but not what I would call "out there." |
Tom Viemont
Member
Username: Vantas
Post Number: 114
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 66.64.140.194
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 10:30 pm: |
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It seems like New Glarus's strategy of focusing on growth in their home state is paying off. |
Bob Wall
Senior Member
Username: Brewdudebob
Post Number: 2860
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 24.248.74.254
| | Posted on Monday, October 26, 2009 - 11:07 pm: |
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OMFG! I need a cigarette...
...and I don't smoke. |
Randy Ricchi
Member
Username: Bigr
Post Number: 112
Registered: 08-2006
Posted From: 71.13.220.29
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 12:18 am: |
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"OMFG! I need a cigarette..."
ROFL! |
davidwaite
Senior Member
Username: Davidw
Post Number: 2030
Registered: 03-2001
Posted From: 173.21.22.71
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 12:38 pm: |
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No, Bill, unfortunately they did not have it on tap and I have not put any in the fridge yet. The description posted by the pallet of cases described it as such. I hope it isn't too sour, but, I suppose I could always blend it with a current batch of porter I have if it's too tangy for my taste!
I had questioned the brewer that was there and apparently it is still their intention to maintain distribution within Wisconsin only. |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 10870
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 01:03 pm: |
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New Glarus (Deb Carey, really) is very upset about the three-tier distribution system, partially because it reduces their profit but mainly because they lose control over the marketing of their beer. They pulled out of Illinois because they were very unhappy with the leverage distributors have in that state. In other states they would be unable to develop the distributor relationships they feel are necessary. Wisconsin also has a very strong distribution network, but they have been able to exercise some influence over their distributors.
All of this is part of the legacy (some intentional, but much of it not) of the Twenty-first Amendment that allowed state and local governments to regulate alcohol within their jurisdictions. In many states the beer distributors are among the most well-entrenched lobbies. There are those who say the beer distributors run Illinois, for example. |
davidwaite
Senior Member
Username: Davidw
Post Number: 2031
Registered: 03-2001
Posted From: 173.21.22.71
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 01:21 pm: |
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Indeed. In fact, part of the conversation was their (NG) ability to call a distributor and say, hey, this batch isn't quite where we want it to be yet. It'll be another week before we bottle & ship. I suppose the broader your distribution gets, you probably wouldn't have quite the level of understanding that they must have developed with their distributors. And from the distributors perspective, I assume they understand what a gem they have with New Glarus and are more than willing to give them that kind of latitude. |
Bob Wall
Senior Member
Username: Brewdudebob
Post Number: 2861
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 24.248.74.254
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 01:27 pm: |
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You know...I am going to be in Wisconsin this weekend...but New Glarus is a good 3 hours from the Fox Valley where I will be. On the up-side...I may finally get to have a beer with Mike Huss downtown Appleton Saturday night.
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dhacker
Senior Member
Username: Dhacker
Post Number: 1838
Registered: 11-2002
Posted From: 98.66.33.82
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 01:52 pm: |
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On the up-side...I may finally get to have a beer with Mike Huss downtown Appleton Saturday night.
Is he still alive? |
davidwaite
Senior Member
Username: Davidw
Post Number: 2032
Registered: 03-2001
Posted From: 173.21.22.71
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 - 02:57 am: |
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So I'm half way through the first bottle of Old English Porter and here's what I find: excellent clarity, the colour you would expect for a brown porter, thin but persistant light tan head. As you raise the glass to your lips, yes, definite vinegar aroma and in the background I can just perceive some roasty notes. The taste is, too, predominately vinegar. But certainly not overwhelming to the point of it being undrinkable. At least not to my tastebuds. As with the aroma, a slight hint of roasted malt flavour follows the initial tang. Body seems a little too thin to me. But overall a very good representation of what I would have expected. When I first started homebrewing, porter was by far my favorite style and I studied it extensively. Again, this is very much in line with what I would expect. I've soured a couple batches with lactic acid, steeped grain and adding to the boil for a couple batches, and have used brett twice. This beer is not at all out of line with the results from those batches and is probably very similar to the 1870's porters. We'll have to see how it changes over time.
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PalerThanAle
Senior Member
Username: Palerthanale
Post Number: 1747
Registered: 04-2002
Posted From: 24.123.95.178
| | Posted on Friday, October 30, 2009 - 02:46 pm: |
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Bob - where in the Valley will you be? I'll be home Saturday night, just not sure what time I'll be back. I'm heading to Pulaski for a HS Football game to watch my nephew play.
If you think you will still need another beer after 10ish, send me an email in my profile and we can meet up.
PTA |
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