The brewer and founder of a new farm brewery/hop farm in our area came to one of my clubs meetings recently. They have an AMAZING story, great packaging, and seemed like great guys overall. They are doing cool festivals, do a lot for their community, and have helped with legislative matters.
Then we tried their beer…
Every one of them (4 different beers) produced on a 7bbl system were extremely flawed. Acetaldehyde, fusels, lots of sulfur (?)…borderline offensive beer.
They said they would love feedback, but I didn’t necessarily feel comfortable sitting back, twirling my imaginary mustache, and asking them about pitch rates and yeast viability. However I did ask them, “What yeast do you use in this beer”, to which they both replied with quizzical looks. Mind you, there was an amber, an IPA, a bitter, and a stout. The reply was “one of the dry ones”, but I’m not even sure they were fully confident in their answer.
Part of me was thinking of emailing them privately and suggesting they get some formal sensory analysis done (politely). I am awaiting my BJCP written exam grade, but am currently only a Provisional judge, so I’m not sure if that means me.
Why not ask to have a tour of their brewery? Learn some more because I have a lot of questions for them already… Maybe they hired a shitty brewer and are just doing the PR work while being ignorant of even what we would call basic knowledge? Conversely, maybe they;re learning the process on the fly having some how conjured up a brewery after brewing a few kits! ;D
Bad beer though. Whew. Maybe you could end up with a dream job! What have you got to lose after a tour and some samples? Maybe present some better beer.
As mentioned, ask for a tour and a private tasting to offer constructive criticism on how they might improve their product. After the tour you would have some insight of their process so you could provide more relevant feedback.
Wow, that’s a tough one. I know some pro brewers who ask my opinion and really want it (and get it), others I don’t know so well get a polite answer. But none of them are making seriously flawed beer.
If the brewer didn’t know what the yeast was, it is possible they are getting it from another brewery so they aren’t 100% sure. There are other possibilities of course, like the brewer is a bit clueless.
I would send them an email and thank them for coming to the meeting. Let them know that you’d like to talk to them about their beer but didn’t want to do so publicly at the meeting. A tour is a great idea to see what their process is, if they are using temperature control, etc.
If they’re not really interested don’t lose any sleep over it. Like I said, many places say they are but they only really want positive feedback.
You could say that just like them, you are just getting started as a BJCP and that to really evaluate the beers they should seek a reasoned evaluation in the right setting, with a full blown grading system. That way all aspects are given full consideration, rather than a quick on the fly summary, which would not be as helpful. Suggest at least three judges that are or are seeking BJCP certification be part of the panel. That way the feedback will be more useful.
Further a check on their QC measures requires a brewery trip. Maybe the few beers they brought were a result of bottling issues and the beer was tainted by that?
If they really want to improve their product, they will seek that kind of analysis, if not then good luck with their marketing campaign.
If you want to help, I’d approach them privately… doing it in front of the whole club would probably not be the best time to give them unpleasant news. Tell them that you love their brand but think the beer has some flaws. If they seem receptive to the unpleasant criticism you’re about to give, elaborate.
Otherwise, let them fail. There’s going to be lots of cheap used equipment out there in a couple of years.
[quote]to which they both replied with quizzical looks.
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This is disturbing.
Should we even be trying to encourage the marketeers? They are the reason the industry collapsed (and took a few decent breweries with them) last time.
These guys are going to get their feedback - one way or another. Might as well be with some one they can have a conversation with versus an empty bar room when customers stop showing up. I’d agree that off to the side is probably more polite and tactful than in front of a group. Starting up a new brewery - Man, it’s a ton of cash and risk. I’d like to think they’d be interested in all the feedback they can get; and they’ll have to be tough skinned anyway to survive in a consumer driven market with so much competition.
You may be right about people drinking bad beer. I hope you’re wrong, but time will tell. I think, based on absolutely nothing quantifiable, that we’ll “thin the heard” and eventually the bubble will burst. Hopefully, the best will manage to hang in there.
I have kind of the same problem with a local brewery. It was started by an award winning homebrewer and a great professional brewer. They have a great location and their place is always packed, but their beer sucks. They haven’t asked for feedback but I want to give it anyway.
The President needs to create a new position called the Brewing Czar. Along with your TTB license you have to pass an oral interview with The Brewing Czar and they will evaluate your beer, brewing knowldege and tell you EXACTLY what they think. If your beer sucks and you don’t know crap, then no license for you. They’ll be told things like “don’t re-apply until pitching rates and temperature control are no longer foreign ideas to you”.
[quote]I have kind of the same problem with a local brewery.
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I have just recently had the same experience, and was thinking it was just me being overly critical or came at a bad moment in time. I wonder if it is the same place.
