Beer Camping

[brewmichigan]

@denny

@brewmichigan

Same as Denny. I had the pleasure of working with him on developing our recipe.

Hey, I didn’t know this was you!  ;)  Mike, please post your impressions, too.

I’m still at work but I will later. I’m still trying to process the experience into the right words. I will get my photos up too.

I also detected somewhat of a spicy character in the X-366 hop. I also picked up a few ounces of X-369 from Bells so I might be able to bridge the gap and give some insight into the differences.

[davidgzach]

@denny

I just returned from Sierra Nevada Beer Camp.  It was probably the single best, most fun beer experience I’ve ever had.  We spent the first day touring the plant and learning about how they do things there.  The second day we brewed 2 10 bbl. batches of our beer, “Alternate Ending” altbier, in the pilot brewhouse.  We used both American and German hops, including a new experimental variety called only #366.  I’ll be writing more about it in the next few days, but here are some pics to get you started.

Very cool indeed, Denny!  They are one of my favorite commercial breweries.  Very jealous as well…

[blatz]

ho.
ly.
crap.

that is awesome!  that is definitely something for my ‘bucket’ list.

thanks for posting denny.

[denny]

The extreme generosity of the folks at SN is shown by the fact that they’ll be shipping each of us 3-4 1/2 bbl. kegs of the beer we brewed.  I was hoping to get a 6 pack, but WOW!

[blatz]

guess that will make up for the weeks (months?) you weren’t able to brew.

so when’s the party??  ;D

[denny]

@blatz

guess that will make up for the weeks (months?) you weren’t able to brew.

so when’s the party??  ;D

I’ll let ya know…

[system]

nice stuff denny.  when you’re ready to talk about the pics more - anything to say about the hop torpedoes or the kellerweiss open fermentation?  both look pretty cool

[blatz]

Though I knew this before seeing the pics, I still think it’s cool that they use nylon hop bags  to dryhop like we do.  And kudos to not changing that practice even after they developed the hop torpedo.

[onehoppyguy (bo)]

So you’re getting as much as 60 gallons of beer?

[brewmichigan]

@jaybeerman

nice stuff denny.  when you’re ready to talk about the pics more - anything to say about the hop torpedoes or the kellerweiss open fermentation?  both look pretty cool

I can comment about the torpedos a little. They are pretty cool pieces of equipment. The end of each fermenter had to be specially designed to accommodate the hook up to the torpedo.  They would hook up the torpedo and let it run for 4-6 days continuously pumping wort through the torpedo. I can’t remember what they said about the stage of fermentation they were in during this phase. I can tell you a fresh Torpedo IPA tastes amazing. Also, and I have a pic of this, when hooked up and running, they are subjected to 25-30 psi of pressure inside the torpedo. They really are hop bombs!!

[hopfenundmalz]

So you’re getting as much as 60 gallons of beer?

Denny and Mike can comment.  When I went, we had some sent to the pub of our choice for a release party.  It had to go through the local distributor, to the pub.  The pub paid Pale Ale prices for a bigger, special beer.  We did not get any for our house, but we could have (poor move on our part).  That would have gone through a distributor, and then the local package store, and we sould have paid Pale Ale prices for a keg.  They can’t give beer away.  Still a sweet deal.

[brewmichigan]

Here is the set of my pics. I got them all in order now.

Photo Storage

[sathingtonwilloby (Mark G)]

Sounds like an amaing experience. Thanks for sharing with us. I have to find a way there one day.

[denny]

So you’re getting as much as 60 gallons of beer?

Possibly.  We’ll see.  But like Jeff said, it goes through a distributor to a licensed establishment.

[onehoppyguy (bo)]

@denny

So you’re getting as much as 60 gallons of beer?

Possibly.  We’ll see.  But like Jeff said, it goes through a distributor to a licensed establishment.

So, it’s your beer and a bar will only serve it to you? Anything is great, but it just seems strange.

[denny]

So, it’s your beer and a bar will only serve it to you? Anything is great, but it just seems strange.

It’s not “our” beer…it’s Sierra Nevada’s beer.  They provided the ingredients and it was brewed on their system with only minor help from the 9 of us in Beer Camp #64.  As I understand, SN wants us to find a bar to host an event with the beer as the centerpiece.

[onehoppyguy (bo)]

@denny

So, it’s your beer and a bar will only serve it to you? Anything is great, but it just seems strange.

It’s not “our” beer…it’s Sierra Nevada’s beer.  They both the ingredients and it was brewed on t heir system with only minor help from the 9 of us in Beer Camp #64.  As I understand, SN wants us to find a bar to host an event with the beer as the centerpiece.

Gotcha.

[hopfenundmalz]

@denny

So, it’s your beer and a bar will only serve it to you? Anything is great, but it just seems strange.

It’s not “our” beer…it’s Sierra Nevada’s beer.  They both the ingredients and it was brewed on t heir system with only minor help from the 9 of us in Beer Camp #64.  As I understand, SN wants us to find a bar to host an event with the beer as the centerpiece.

We did ours at Arbor Brewing, which as a brewpub can have guest taps in MI.  They got a half barrel and a 1/4 barrel.  Both kegs were gone in 2 hours.  The place was packed, and they also sold a lot of food to the folks that came to try the SN beer.
It was a fun night, as we could swan about pub, as the “brewers”.

Hey Denny or Mike - what was the Beer Camp number?  13 was ours, they have had many since.

[denny]

@hopfenundmalz

We did ours at Arbor Brewing, which as a brewpub can have guest taps in MI.  They got a half barrel and a 1/4 barrel.  Both kegs were gone in 2 hours.  The place was packed, and they also sold a lot of food to the folks that came to try the SN beer.
It was a fun night, as we could swan about pub, as the “brewers”.

Hey Denny or Mike - what was the Beer Camp number?  13 was ours, they have had many since.

We were 64, Jeff.

[brewmichigan]

@denny

@hopfenundmalz

We did ours at Arbor Brewing, which as a brewpub can have guest taps in MI.  They got a half barrel and a 1/4 barrel.  Both kegs were gone in 2 hours.  The place was packed, and they also sold a lot of food to the folks that came to try the SN beer.
It was a fun night, as we could swan about pub, as the “brewers”.

Hey Denny or Mike - what was the Beer Camp number?  13 was ours, they have had many since.

We were 64, Jeff.

They do one every 2 weeks!!! That’s crazy. Terrence must never rest.