I definitely think a lot of people get into craft as hop heads. I know I damn sure did. I'd probably still describe myself as a hop head. My oldest brother (formerly roommates with Oceangrace24) just started getting into craft a few years ago and he was the same way. Within the last year he's started getting more into stouts, but he still hasn't fully embraced sours yet.
I get that for sure. I think a lot of breweries pump out kettle sours because they're easy and it hits another demographic without having to create an entirely separate sour "program" in the brewhouse. Personally I don't love kettle sours either, just too one dimensional.
Maybe so. NEIPAs are definitely not as heavy handed (or shouldn't be) on the bitterness as, say, a west coast. The only truly legit NEIPA, IMO, that can be found in SC is in Charleston at the Charlestowne Fermentory. The guy(s) who opened that came from Trillium and Tired Hands as well. IMO, Treehouse and Trillium are the absolute best in the haze game. And I put Fermentory's NEIPAs right up there with Trillium (for the most part I like Trillium better than Treehouse). But, they don't distro much at all, so you've got to go to the taproom, but they often release cans. I propped up some yeast from one of their cans and have been using it in my NEIPAs. It's insanely aggressive. First time I used it, the beer dropped 40 points in about 2 days. So I've had to move my first biotrans dry hop to yeast pitch or day 1 instead of day 2-3. Southern Barrel (Bluffton) has Damn Yankee, but it has been outrageously inconsistent. The first batch (about 2 years ago?) had good color, but the flavor was way off. Found out subsequently they accidentally dumped in too much crystal. The second batch was pretty spot on, but a little too heavy handed on the bitterness. Then every batch since then has been pretty meh. And I'm convinced he has/had an infection on his canning line. Most cans were way overcarbed and I saw many bulging at the seams on shelves in Greens.
I've been itching to try a pour of this! When can I come by and check out the setup? Y'all get moved over and everything? Missed y'all on Monday.
I've always done exchanges, at either Praxair or Airgas on Shop Rd. You trying to keep your tank or something? I don't know anyone in Cola that does fills, except maybe the fire extinguisher place on Rosewood. But even there I think you have to leave it so they can chill the tank or do whatever they have to do prior to filling it.
I was getting ready to build one exactly like this. But then I started seeing stories and pictures of the PVC flanges melting and deforming from the heat of the boil, despite PVC being rated for much higher temps. e.g.: https://thebeerspy.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/img_42581.jpg
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
