GRABASS: ESB Tour Saturday @ 2

Fellow GRAB's,

The Edenton Street Brewing Co's (www.edentonbrewing.com) monthly tour will be this Saturday at 2:00 pm at the brewery. The brewery is located at:

1249A Wicker Drive
Raleigh, NC

[ame="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=1249a+wicker+dr,+raleigh,+nc"]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=1249a+wicker+dr,+raleigh,+nc[/ame]

It is just off of Atlantic Avenue inside the beltline. I'm planning to get there probably ~1:50.

I'll have to post tomorrow with my status. Been playing catch-up on a lot of stuff since I was sick Sun+Mon.

-walker

Walker said:

I'll have to post tomorrow with my status. Been playing catch-up on a lot of stuff since I was sick Sun+Mon.

-walker

Click to expand...

Come on, man, that's what Sundays are for....let's all hook-up for a couple of cold beers. Good time to do the Hop Swap.
Jeff

BOSTONBREWIN' said:

Come on, man, that's what Sundays are for....let's all hook-up for a couple of cold beers. Good time to do the Hop Swap.
Jeff

Click to expand...

I don't have my vacuum sealer yet! In fact, there seems to be a problem with my order. The only record of the order is my freaking confirmation number.... no charge to credit card, not record of shipment, etc, etc.

I might have to punt the hops to BeeGee for re-packaging (if HIS sealer ever arrives, that is.)

-walker

Walker said:

I might have to punt the hops to BeeGee for re-packaging (if HIS sealer ever arrives, that is.)

-walker

Click to expand...

I'd be happy to...I have a tracking number from USPS but it seems to be worthless. If it doesn't show today I'm going to start investigating.

I'll see if I can make it to.

I'm definately interested in tasting some of their beers.

Kai

Walker said:

I don't have my vacuum sealer yet! In fact, there seems to be a problem with my order. The only record of the order is my freaking confirmation number.... no charge to credit card, not record of shipment, etc, etc.

I might have to punt the hops to BeeGee for re-packaging (if HIS sealer ever arrives, that is.)

-walker

Click to expand...

Vacuum sealer? I don't need no stinkin' vacuum sealer! Gimme my damn hops or I'll STEEP on your toes and MASH your skull.
Jeff

Ah-hem...so if BB doesn't steep Walker's toes and mash his head, my vacuum sealer arrived last night! I got upgraded to the 840? Seems better feature-wise than the 750 I ordered. I'm more than happy to vacuum hops for whoever would prefer this purely elective option! I sealed some of my current stock into rock hard bricks last night (I'm actually thinking I should back off the suction a little bit for hops).

Sweet, Billy!

As for me and tomorrow, SWMBO said, "Have fun at the brewery. I'm jealous."

BB has said a couple of times that he doesn't want his vacuum sealed, but I think I would prefer mine to be sealed, so we've got a couple ways to proceed from here.

(1) I can open the few packages that Jeff is getting a cut of tonight and divvy things up. I'll ziploc the portions and bring them with me tomorrow along with the unopened bags that billy and I are splitting. Jeff can take his home, and Billy can take the rest back to his place and divide/seal them up. I don't need any of the hops in the very short term, so we can meet back up for lunch in a week or so (whenever Truble is down this way?) and I can get my share back from Billy.

(2) I bring all the 'factory' sealed bags to EB tomorrow, billy takes them homew to divvy up (minimizing exposure to air compared to me opening a few bags tonight) and when we meet for lunch in the future, Jeff and I can claim our shares.

I personally don't have a preference. I'm not worried about the hops being exposed to a small amount of air for a day (hell.. they were in big BALES at the farm for who-knows-how-long anyway).

I guess it comes down to Jeff and Billy's decision. Which is more important; Jeff getting his hops tomorrow, or keeping Billy's hops away from air as much as possible?

-walker

PS: We'll knock a few $'s off your debt for the vacuum bags, Billy.

Option #1 works fine for me (no different than what I've been doing before I got a vacuum sealer). And don't worry about the $$, consider it your handling fee for organizing things!

BeeGee said:

Option #1 works fine for me (no different than what I've been doing before I got a vacuum sealer). And don't worry about the $$, consider it your handling fee for organizing things!

Click to expand...

In that case, I would like mine packaged up in 1/4 oz increments.

-walker

Walker said:

In that case, I would like mine packaged up in 1/4 oz increments.

-walker

Click to expand...

No problem, I'll just eyeball it...

The Hop Swap was just a ploy to lure you out to play on Saturday. I really don't care about the hops, whatever's good for you guys, I can wait.

ooohhhh...a 'ploy'...intrigue! I was thinking it was more of a 'gambit'!

the hops are already divided (at least the cascade, chinook, and columbus are).

My hands are sticky.
My hands are green.
My hands smell delicious.


-walker

Imperial Walker said:

My hands are sticky.
My hands are green.
My hands smell delicious.

Click to expand...

You should decant some pale ale over your hands into a glass, like with absinthe and sugar. Be an opportunist!

It was nice to see you guys this afternoon, I had a good time. My assessment of Edenton Brewery is this: The head brewer was friendly and there were some nice looking chicks there. But, generally, I thought the beer was disappointing...I certainly wouldn't buy it in the grocery store. The stout wasn't too bad but there wasn't enough hops in the IPA, it was more like an amber ale. I might go there again but only to see the bluegrass bands on Tues, nights. Walker, thanks for handling the bulk hops purchase.
Jeff

Guys, FWIW I was curious so I did a little research on 1249 Wicker Drive....interesting brewing history! Edenton Brewing Company has been at this location since 2003. Prior to that Chesapeake Bay Brewing Company was there from 2001-2003. Rock Creek Brewing Company used the facility from 1999-2001. From 1997-1999 Pale Ale Brewery was there. And the very first brewer to use this building (as far as I can tell) was Tomcat Brewing, 1996-1997.
Jeff

wow... there must be a lot of brewing ghosts in that place!

My assessment of the beer is a little more positive. The red and nut brown ales were very tastey, but I think you, Jeff, are quite a bit more of a hop head than I am (I will agree that their IPA was too light on hops for my taste, though.)

Headbrewer was definately a nice guy, and had a decent sense of humor. My favorite part was when we were walking out of the room where they force carbonate and bottle. Something let off a bunch of pressure and there was a loud and sudden "HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS". The brewmaster immediately started shouting, "EVERYBODY OUT! GET OUT!" implying that something was about to explode ... then he finally let out a chuckle.

I got a good laugh out of it, but I'm sure he scared the **** out of at least 3 or 4 people.

-walker

I too liked the tour. The head brewer was more approachable than the one at the CBC. Probably because they don't do tours every weekend and the crowd was smaller. I think their Helles was decent, but the other ones that I had (American Ale and Revolution ale) were not as much to my liking.

Kai

I enjoyed seeing you guys, as well. Hmmm, I though Tomcat was somewhere else, but it must be my buddy that lived somewhere else since he used to walk there! Certainly not a great track record for that location, but I guess since it's a brewery and not a brewpub it shouldn't, in theory, matter.

I like the brown ale and red ale a lot, but that's about all I drink there. I liked the stout a lot before they bumped up the abv. It does sound like he's considering some new beer for the future that may be interesting. I agree about the IPA, but perhaps it's more of a British IPA?? No idea...just seems like the brewer is more into the traditional styles he brews and less into the American interpretations (although the red is a bit hoppier than an Irish red, so maybe not...).

BTW, hops are divided and vaccuumed! Take up a lot less space now. Walker, let me know when you want yours. I'm out of freezer space and have part of yours in the fridge, but others are just laying out (vaccuumed, of course).

Baron von BeeGee said:

BTW, hops are divided and vaccuumed! Take up a lot less space now. Walker, let me know when you want yours. I'm out of freezer space and have part of yours in the fridge, but others are just laying out (vaccuumed, of course).

Click to expand...

I can take them at any time. We can either wait for the 'official' next lunch gathering, or we can make a special arrangements to meet up during lunch sometime this week.

Now that you mention it, though... I'm wondering where the heck I'm going to put everything. I don't think I have room in the fridge or freezer for all of those hops, so they might end up just 'sitting out' at my house too!

Crap! I'm going to have to buy ANOTHER fridge to keep ingredients in! I should have thought about that before, I guess.

-walker

Oh, I think they'll fit now.

Baron von BeeGee said:

Oh, I think they'll fit now.

Click to expand...

SWMBO went to the grocery yesterday and the damn freezer barely shuts just due to the food and a couple small bags of grain that are in there! I wish I had independent control over the freezer section of my brew-fridge. That is currently just wasted space with a totally random temperature.

-walker

Well, I would assume the anything from 'cool' down would be better than room temperature, though I don't know for sure if freezing is a necessary condition to slow down hop aging. I threw out about 2qts of SWMBO's ice cream and ate a frozen pizza (cooked it first) to make room for mine, and suffered the consequences (both), but my hops are happy and one day it may actually be worth the pain and suffering I endured.

Some hops actually develop a better aroma if they are aged (improperly stored) for some time.

Kai

I think I can justify a small dorm-fridge for storing stuff in. I've won enough playing poker recently to pay for it, so SWMBO can't argue with me about it really. I don't even know if she knows I have poker winnings stashed in a drawer in my home office, but I'd probably have to explain if I walked in the door with a little fridge.

-walker

hmmmm....

I'm wondering if I can build an insulating chamber at the top of the fridge cabinet (so that it totally houses the inlet for the compressor's cold air the fridge's built-in thermostat). If this can be done effectively and cheaply, I can remove the external thermostat on the fridge and just let the compressor do it's thing to keep the added compartment at normal fridge temps.

Then I could use my heavy-duty thermstat to control a PC chassis fan that could blow cold air from this insulated compartment into the main chamber if the fermenters needed a cool-off.

The insulated box could be used for grain/hops storage then (and the freezer would probably stay cool, too, so I might be able to store stuff up there.)

hmmm...

I'm hesitant to do this because my brew-fridge doesn't belong to me (it came with the rental of the house) and in a few months I'm moving. I'd have spent a lot of time and effort into making a three-thermostat controlled fridge that wouldn't be traveling with me.

I should probably call my landlady and see if she'd be willing to sell the thing to me for a $100.

-walker

Pretty sure I saw a rig like that (insulated box on top of a fridge) in BYO recently. Had a hole in the fridge and a fan to circulate the cold air.