The local brewpub just opened.....and they suck

Brewer's Friend 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
They bought the brewpub "concept", just like you can buy pre-fabricated "Irish Pubs" and plunk one down, ready made, in a strip mall near you.
 
I actually feel bad for the guy. He was taken as a sucker because he doesn't know anything about brewing. Of course, you think he'd talk to some people in the industry to get a tiny clue. It wouldn't take much to find out how inferior the concept is. Then again, the masses accept a lot of subpar crap like BigMancs and Domino's Pizza.
 
I just got this email from the guy Hedy, the guy who posted about their beers...

Hey everyone,
I'd really appreciate any input on the question I posed in my post; basically, should I try to approach the owner? Should I call and set up a meeting outside of heavy customer scrutiny and just tell him I know that there's an issue with the water in town for brewing and if he's not boiling it it might be what's going on with the beer? How do you start an "I think I know what's wrong with your beer" conversation with someone you don't know? Or do I just let it go and not order their beer anymore?

Thanks,
Hedy
Click to expand...

I replied w/this...

Hey Hedy,

I don't think I'd worry about it man. I applied to the Port A Brewery awhile back and actually gave Mr. Petitt (the owner) and his wife a 6 pack of my homebrew along with my application. When I handed him the beer he said something like "Oh thanks, but I don't drink beer"

If your going to open a 'brewpub' wouldn't you at least be at all interested in beer? Meaning you would drink it!

The Petitts also told me while I was there for my interview that this was basically their retirement vehicle and that they were interested in opening 1 or 2 more in the surrounding towns.

What I'm getting at is, I don't think they really care what the beer tastes like.....at least not like you and I would. To them its a business and mearly a way to make money.

That's my $0.02 at least. Thanks for posting about the place!

-Andy
Click to expand...
 
retirement vehicle? I recommend he take up drinking heavily as he won't be retiring any time soon.

Ask him if he knows of a good bankruptcy attorney.
 
Special Hops said:
Why do people open a business, any business, that they know nothing about.
Click to expand...

I think they may haven been talked into this by someone who promised them easy money. Just read the flier that Ed posted and imagine someone showing up that compares daft beer cost and their beer cost.

This just seems rather sad.

Kai
 
"Please ask about mixing beers to produce additional flavors"

:eek:

Let's see... maybe I can mix some of this crappy Amber with some crappy Hefe with a little bit of crappy Stout and add a new beer to my crappy lineup! The possibilities are endless. I could have 100 taps just by mixing all these crappy beers together and at $3.75/pint that's $8,556 profit for every 10 barrels. I'm going to be a bajillionaire - this is so awesome.

:eek:
 
ohiobrewtus said:
"Please ask about mixing beers to produce additional flavors"

:eek:

Let's see... maybe I can mix some of this crappy Amber with some crappy Hefe with a little bit of crappy Stout and add a new beer to my crappy lineup! The possibilities are endless. I could have 100 taps just by mixing all these crappy beers together and at $3.75/pint that's $8,556 profit for every 10 barrels. I'm going to be a bajillionaire - this is so awesome.

:eek:
Click to expand...

hahahah! A crappy beer graveyard!
 
ohiobrewtus said:
"Please ask about mixing beers to produce additional flavors"

I kid you not, they sell these three concoctions at the "brewpub" that started this thread:
1. A shandy. Okay, a classic pub drink and maybe the lemonade would improve their beer.
2. Something that involved adding Tabasco, lime, and something else to their bock.
3. A stout float (yep, with ice cream).

And now to introduce myself, I'm Hedy, the homebrewer who posted the review on the BASH website last night. And by the way I'm not a guy, Alamo! :)

The sad thing is, before hearing Alamo's story about offering the owner a sixpack of homebrew and learning he's not into beer, I was having some fun thinking of creative ways to brew interesting beers after investing in this system. It would involve investing in a boiling setup and some transfer lines, but they've clearly got the cash. Unfortunately, at this point I think the best we can hope for is that they'll listen to our critique of the sanitation. If they manage to solve that problem they might produce something drinkable. But worthy of being called a brewpub? That will take a lot more than using cleaner water in your beer in a bag kit.
Click to expand...
 
Hey Hedy! Glad you came and posted......and sorry for calling you a dude :D

I think they could POSSIBLY brew something decent but I'm really, really doubting it. Like I said in my email though, they MIGHT make it through and do ok IF their bottled beer selection and food is good enough. Port A is a pretty touristy place so they might draw in enough folks....
 
Yeah didn't Brewtopia just buy a brewing system? I mean the one he bought you have to actually boil! That is so much more trouble than this system, he's going to be so pissed he was taken in by those people selling a "real brewing system" when he could have bought one of these instead! ;)

As a side note, I'm very sad I don't live out there where I could go support his venture, even if the brewing part of it won't be up for a little longer due to the crappy permitting process.
 
pretty sure Granite City trucks in wort, maybe even finished beer.

they're a chain...go figure.
 
malkore said:
pretty sure Granite City trucks in wort, maybe even finished beer.

they're a chain...go figure.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was told by a friend who waitressed there that they get wort brought in. I went to one in Lincoln last summer and the beer was so meeehh it was heartbreaking - they seemed inordinately proud that one of their beers tasted just like Bud. I guess places like that are just a marketing gimmick to let BMC drinkers think they're classy craft-brew drinkers, without the horror of actually having to drink craft brew. :mad:
 
jmulligan said:
+1

Maybe if you sit down and talk to the owner (perhaps start casually at the bar while you choke down a beer) seriously about what makes a good beer, and explain that his system is not it... Maybe you could present options for improving the beer, and volunteer your expertise to help him along. You could end up being head brewer at a brewpub that actually serves drinkable beer, and the couple would actually make some money, as opposed to losing their retirement funds.
Click to expand...

Nope. I've talked to him, and tried to talk him into building a real brewery before he even started. He didn't want to deal with the hassles and expenses.
 
malkore said:
pretty sure Granite City trucks in wort, maybe even finished beer.

they're a chain...go figure.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they're opening one about 45 minutes away from me. When I heard that a brewery was opening I was going to check it out until I read up on them. From http://www.gcfb.net/boverview.cfm

Shortly before we opened our third store, we launched our patented brewing process, Fermentus Interruptus, which makes micro brewing for multiple locations more efficient. This process, conceived and designed by Mr. Burdick, allows us to ship sweet liquid called wort, from our central brewing facility to individual stores. When this liquid reaches the stores, we begin the fermentation process and complete the brewing. We use Fermentus Interruptus at all of our Granite City Food & Brewery locations.
Click to expand...

"Fermentus Interruptus"? WTF?
 
Shortly before we opened our third store, we launched our patented brewing process, Fermentus Interruptus, which makes micro brewing for multiple locations more efficient. This process, conceived and designed by Mr. Burdick, allows us to ship sweet liquid called wort, from our central brewing facility to individual stores. When this liquid reaches the stores, we begin the fermentation process and complete the brewing. We use Fermentus Interruptus at all of our Granite City Food & Brewery locations.
Click to expand...

While I dotn think that will make bad beer- It makes for once single mash and boiler system. But still not a great idea
 
Alamo_Beer said:
I agree 100% bird!

When I saw/heard there was a brewpub coming to town I jumped at the chance to work there. I even gave the owners (a husband and wife) a sixer of my brew! I should have seen the first signs when the husband told me he doesn't drink beer!

I hope that they get over this and find sucess but I'm doubting it. There has already been 2 brewpubs that have failed in Corpus.......
Click to expand...

he doesn't drink beer? bwahhahaahaha.... :mug:
 
Looked 'em up on Pubcrawler. Mostly negative reviews, looks like.

Here's a doozy:

I ordered the IPA.

The IPA was brought to me and it looked like a mug of yeast slurry.

I waited 1 minute and the mug still looked like yeast slurry.

I took a sip and, Mother Moses, it was pure yeast slurry.

I called the waitress, and to be fair i asked, "Is this the way this ale is always served?" She responded, "Yes. My brother has been brewng for 10 years and he loves unfiltered beer!?

Well, I have been brewing for 25 years, and I love unfiltered beer also, but, I have never seen a beer so "unfiltered" as to look like dish water and give the goddess-of-yeast-bite bites! Yikes!

This is the WORST ale I have ever had.

Think 30 times before entering this establishment to drink beer.
Click to expand...
 
I go to some auto races. I like to watch the crashes.

All these posts almost have me wanting to go their and try their stout.


What'd be funny is to pass out cards describing common beer faults and infections, and then a list of beers you can sample there in order to understand what the fault tastes like.
 
Alamo_Beer said:
Hey Hedy! Glad you came and posted......and sorry for calling you a dude :D

I think they could POSSIBLY brew something decent but I'm really, really doubting it. Like I said in my email though, they MIGHT make it through and do ok IF their bottled beer selection and food is good enough. Port A is a pretty touristy place so they might draw in enough folks....
Click to expand...

Actually, they could brew something decent..most likely. There is a place right down the street from me that uses one of these systems. From what I understand about this establishment, it was a convenient way around the expense and red tape of obtaining a liquor license (in this area $$$$$). The beers are reported to be decent (not great but "good") and I have not heard anyone use any of the negative terms in your original post to describe their product. They have 10 different beers on their site.

I've never bothered stopping in for a number of reasons, none of which are due to the extract brewing...but it doesn't help overcome any of those reasons.
 
I've had Granite City in Fargo area, and it was not bad. I liked the "Scotch Ale" the best, but I wouldn't say that any of the beers were outstanding.

As for liking unfiltered beer, that guy needs to understand that what HE likes is not necessarily what others like. He should look up the style and do some research and find out exactly how much yeast is supposed to be in that glass!
 
If you don't have much for beer bars in the area and the food is good, I would support this place. Just buy the bottled beer and eat the food. Eventually they will stop "brewing" and maybe put up some decent draft beers.
 
pubcrawler said:
The vegemite IPA was brought to me and it looked like a mug of yeast slurry.

I waited 1 minute and the mug still looked like yeast slurry.

I took a sip and, Mother Moses, it was pure yeast slurry
Click to expand...

There, fixed that for him. It all depends on your perceptions.
 

Similar threads

F
So I would like to open a brewery...
Replies
23
Views
1K
madscientist451
madscientist451
D
Root Beer Stout
Replies
0
Views
393
Dumb_A$$_Accountant
D
advaitbanga
Belgian beer with cascade (leftover)
Replies
0
Views
203
advaitbanga
advaitbanga
flipster
Hello from the Bavarian alpine foothills
Replies
14
Views
561
flipster
flipster
CurtHagenlocher
For Sale FREE - All my stuff for local pickup in Seattle area
Replies
5
Views
590
giraffeman
giraffeman
Yakima 300

Latest posts

Back
Top