I am visiting family in Cali this week. Got a chance to stop by the Stone Brewery and take a tour and sample a few of their beers. I know there is another thread about this but I have pictures...
On the left, this is the mash and lauter tun, the boil kettle, and the whirlpool. When I was their they were boiling Ruination, could see it in the sight tube and a guy pulled off a sample. I could tell when they started the whirlpool, smelled great!!
This is their storage for the specialty malt, the base 2-row stays outside.
They have quite a few fermenters.
Bottle and keg storage.
Cleaner, sanitizer anyone?
Got to go into the large cool storage, a lot of good beer in there, not only Stone. In order to make sure their beer was being represented properly they started their own distribution company. The distribute for many of the micro/craft breweries in the area (Paulaner too).
After the tour we got to taste their Pale Ale, Smoked Porter, IPA, Arrogant Bastard, Anniversary Ale, and I talked them into letting me try some Ruination. My parents were there too and thought they all tasted pretty bitter so I had theirs too, needless to say I was a bit tipsy when I left.
After we left Stone we drove the ~3 miles to Lost Abbey brewery. They are obviously much smaller. I tasted all their Lost Abbey beers, my parents had their Amigo Lager (Corona). Didn't take any pictures, but it was very funny that my dad and sister commented on how it smelled funny their and was not very clean, dust over everything, and some wet barley sitting out open. I laughed and explained that they do all that on purpose.
Stone is having a tasting of some of their special Smoked Porters Wed, night. If I can talk my mom/sister into DD I am going. $6 for a pint glass and fill, $3 for refill...vanilla bean, chipotle, oak aged (served on cask), and brandy barrel aged.
On the left, this is the mash and lauter tun, the boil kettle, and the whirlpool. When I was their they were boiling Ruination, could see it in the sight tube and a guy pulled off a sample. I could tell when they started the whirlpool, smelled great!!
This is their storage for the specialty malt, the base 2-row stays outside.
They have quite a few fermenters.
Bottle and keg storage.
Cleaner, sanitizer anyone?
Got to go into the large cool storage, a lot of good beer in there, not only Stone. In order to make sure their beer was being represented properly they started their own distribution company. The distribute for many of the micro/craft breweries in the area (Paulaner too).
After the tour we got to taste their Pale Ale, Smoked Porter, IPA, Arrogant Bastard, Anniversary Ale, and I talked them into letting me try some Ruination. My parents were there too and thought they all tasted pretty bitter so I had theirs too, needless to say I was a bit tipsy when I left.
After we left Stone we drove the ~3 miles to Lost Abbey brewery. They are obviously much smaller. I tasted all their Lost Abbey beers, my parents had their Amigo Lager (Corona). Didn't take any pictures, but it was very funny that my dad and sister commented on how it smelled funny their and was not very clean, dust over everything, and some wet barley sitting out open. I laughed and explained that they do all that on purpose.
Stone is having a tasting of some of their special Smoked Porters Wed, night. If I can talk my mom/sister into DD I am going. $6 for a pint glass and fill, $3 for refill...vanilla bean, chipotle, oak aged (served on cask), and brandy barrel aged.
