Bay Area Thread

[bdogg1]

Or the record. I am done with Alpine after those Green Flash bottles. But i am fickle, can be bought. Try me.

I agree. So bummed about it...

 

[benbikes4beer]

Or the record. I am done with Alpine after those Green Flash bottles. But i am fickle, can be bought. Try me.

I agree. So bummed about it...

Its all good. It's unlikely that any real Alpine will travel far anymore. All bottling aside from special release stuff comes from Green Flash. I haven't bought any of that stuff since. The occasional pour of Nelson can get almost there, but I know those kegs sit around way too long when they go into wide distro.

Hop Boxed, Pub Cat, and two batches of Bad Boy within like 2 months of each other helps...Shawns been freed up to do more new recipe's. If Shawn brews it, I'll drink it!

 

[matedog]

So, enough people have complained about Alpine's acquisition, that it I'm more inclined to think it's legit (vs. "they're a bunch of sellouts and their product is easier to get so less desirable as opposed to any actual qualitative difference"). Is it just that their kegs take too long to get into distro? Or is something else?

 

[Sage1]

So, enough people have complained about Alpine's acquisition, that it I'm more inclined to think it's legit (vs. "they're a bunch of sellouts and their product is easier to get so less desirable as opposed to any actual qualitative difference"). Is it just that their kegs take too long to get into distro? Or is something else?

Something got lost when scaling from Alpine’s relatively small system to GF’s large system. Nobody seems to know for sure, but my (completely 100% unsubstantiated) pet theory is that as a large-scale production brewery GF probably has to work with fewer, more spaced-out hop additions than the original recipes, and their extraction efficiency on the hops is probably way higher than Alpine’s system leading to more isomerized alpha acids. Again, total conjecture on my part.

 

[tosh1]

So, enough people have complained about Alpine's acquisition, that it I'm more inclined to think it's legit (vs. "they're a bunch of sellouts and their product is easier to get so less desirable as opposed to any actual qualitative difference"). Is it just that their kegs take too long to get into distro? Or is something else?

What he said.

Or

The stuff Green Flash brews sucks compared to what Alpine used to brew. I am talking bottles, pretty much exclusively. Never had enough of either draft versions of most of their beers.

 

[Sage1]

The stuff Green Flash brews sucks compared to what Alpine used to brew. I am talking bottles, pretty much exclusively. Never had enough of either draft versions of most of their beers.

Unfortunately, Nelson, Hoppy Bday, Duet, and Pure Hop are all 100% made by GF now – that includes all kegs, even kegs served at the Alpine pub. All these new draft-only hoppy beers (Hop Box, Pub Cat, etc.) are produced exclusively at Alpine though. No guarantee GF won’t co-opt them in the future of course.

 

[jtmartino1]

Something got lost when scaling from Alpine’s relatively small system to GF’s large system. Nobody seems to know for sure, but my (completely 100% unsubstantiated) pet theory is that as a large-scale production brewery GF probably has to work with fewer, more spaced-out hop additions than the original recipes, and their extraction efficiency on the hops is probably way higher than Alpine’s system leading to more isomerized alpha acids. Again, total conjecture on my part.

I think you're right - I've seen breweries scale up to larger systems and totally screw up the hops on their beers due to better efficiency and not equivalent scaling for additions. It's like baking - making a larger batch doesn't always mean just adding the same proportions of ingredients.

Also, I'd be surprised if they used the same ingredients suppliers - that's usually one of the biggest changes with contract brewers or brewery acquisitions.

 

[bdogg1]

Its all good. It's unlikely that any real Alpine will travel far anymore. All bottling aside from special release stuff comes from Green Flash. I haven't bought any of that stuff since. The occasional pour of Nelson can get almost there, but I know those kegs sit around way too long when they go into wide distro.

Hop Boxed, Pub Cat, and two batches of Bad Boy within like 2 months of each other helps...Shawns been freed up to do more new recipe's. If Shawn brews it, I'll drink it!

I do enjoy the new spot and everyone that works there has been extremely cool.

 

[horseblanketwhisperer]

For those who plan on doing the South Bay (San Jose) share next week, feel free to RSVP here so the organizer has a headcount: http://www.talkbeer.com/community/posts/864241/

 

[HeavySpeedway]

I think you're right - I've seen breweries scale up to larger systems and totally screw up the hops on their beers due to better efficiency and not equivalent scaling for additions. It's like baking - making a larger batch doesn't always mean just adding the same proportions of ingredients.

Also, I'd be surprised if they used the same ingredients suppliers - that's usually one of the biggest changes with contract brewers or brewery acquisitions.

IIRC, there was some talk about Alpine having trouble acquiring hops at some point before the acquisition - in particular, their Nelson source.

 

[jtmartino1]

IIRC, there was some talk about Alpine having trouble acquiring hops at some point before the acquisition - in particular, their Nelson source.

I heard the same thing for a lot of smaller breweries because they're don't have the buying power of the mid-sized and larger producers.

Which is why it's awesome that Cellarmaker seems to get an endless supply of crazy cool hops to stuff into their beers!

 

[BrandoSF]

New mad nibs & gracious days. Both on point

 

[DougOLis]

I think you're right - I've seen breweries scale up to larger systems and totally screw up the hops on their beers due to better efficiency and not equivalent scaling for additions. It's like baking - making a larger batch doesn't always mean just adding the same proportions of ingredients.

Also, I'd be surprised if they used the same ingredients suppliers - that's usually one of the biggest changes with contract brewers or brewery acquisitions.

Green Flash's own beers went downhill quite a bit when they moved from Vista to Mira Mesa as well

 

[Shakedwnst]

Green Flash's own beers went downhill quite a bit when they moved from Vista to Mira Mesa as well

As someone who only drinks them on the other side of the country, I also felt they were decreasing in quality and I had no idea they changed locations.

 

[HeavySpeedway]

As someone who only drinks them on the other side of the country, I also felt they were decreasing in quality and I had no idea they changed locations.

That was a long time ago - mid 2011.

 

[Shakedwnst]

That was a long time ago - mid 2011.

That sounds about right. Been a while since I've purchased any green flash.

 

[Wino1]

anyone planning on hitting cellarmaker today after work?

 

[HeavySpeedway]

anyone planning on hitting cellarmaker today after work?

What would be your ETA? I might, and might not.

 

[Wino1]

What would be your ETA? I might, and might not.

~5-5:30 most likely

 

[HeavySpeedway]

~5-5:30 most likely

OK. See you if I see you. I'm 4 beers behind there (in only a week!), so I'm motivated.

 

[HeavySpeedway]

OK. See you if I see you. I'm 4 beers behind there (in only a week!), so I'm motivated.

Edit: I'm tapping out. Too much traffic already. Maybe later in the week, or even later this evening.

 

[MrDave]

Tiny Dankster is ******* poppin

 

[Wino1]

Where are you sitting? I'm corner of the bar, tan coat

 

[MrDave]

Where are you sitting? I'm corner of the bar, tan coat

I think I was sitting immeditely next to you. My wife and some buddies showed up right after I posted that so I wasn't watching the forum and subsequently didn't see this. Perhaps our tips will touch in the future.

That Tiny though...

 

[Sage1]

Sometimes this thread is like SF Craigslist Missed Connections.

 

[HeavySpeedway]

Sometimes this thread is like SF Craigslist Missed Connections.

Wrong neighborhood!

 

[Arbitrator]

Sometimes this thread is like SF Craigslist Missed Connections.

You: tall, bearded, slight gut
Me: short, balding, bearded, modest gut

I saw you from across the bar and sparks flew. You were drinking a Lucybelle and I assumed you were taken. The moment you left, I regretted not speaking up. If you see this, message me. xoxoxo

 

[HeavySpeedway]

You: tall, bearded, slight gut
Me: short, balding, bearded, modest gut

I saw you from across the bar and sparks flew. You were drinking a Lucybelle and I assumed you were taken. The moment you left, I regretted not speaking up. If you see this, message me. xoxoxo

You left out the dog descriptions.

 

[benbikes4beer]

Sometimes this thread is like SF Craigslist Missed Connections.

Casual Encounters:

Tiny Dankster curious to see how this whole Coffee & Cigarettes thing works.

 

[Sage1]

Tiny Dankster curious to see how this whole Coffee & Cigarettes thing works.

“Tiny D”