Oktoberfest Batches 2 and 3
Today and tommorrow we making the second and third batches of Oktoberfest. That will be it for that brew this year. The first batch is lager in the cellar, and is tasting mighty fine.
Today we sampled the two Annivesary Ale test batches. They were both very smooth. The dobblebock displayed a little bit of diacteyl, which will probably fade. It is still very young, but I really enjoyed its juicy malt character. Chris’s brew is a dark ale, thin in body, but with a intense earthy hop flavor. I’m not sure what type of beer it is, but its good! I’m going to bring a bottle of each to the next THIRSTY meeting and see what the homebrewers there like the most. I suppose its possible that we could do both in a twin pack? P.S the next THIRSTY meeting is this Tuesday.
Ed Evans (our Iowa City distributor) told me today that I was crazy for not making the Warsh Pail Ale year round. He says it is flying off the shelves. *shrug* I’m not sure what we can do at this point. Once the Oktoberfest comes out, the six pack carriers would be confusing (since they are the same six pack carrier). So we need to get it its own carrier, and that will take sometime to do.
But we really don’t have the tank space to add ANOTHER brand of beer year round. Something has to give. What beer should we dump? Right now, the Wheat, Schild Brau, and John’s White Ale are only year round beers. Maybe we could make the Wheat a summer seasonal and make Pail year round? Sounds good to me, but i’m not sure the tourists in Amana would agree, since they are always asking for our LIGHTEST beer, which would be the wheat. Even the Pilsner is too much for many of them!
September 4th, 2004 at 3:10 am
I’m all for year-round Pale Ale, I like it better than Sierra Nevada, and that’s a high compliment
No room? Sounds like it’s time to expand the brewery!
I would love to see Millstream become the Rogue of the midwest. Although you make less beers than Goose Island or Boulevard, I think the ones you do make are better. I must say that the Goose Oktoberfest is pretty good this year, though, but I can’t wait to have the Millstream at Iowa City Brewfest!
How are you handling the Davenport vs. Iowa City issue? You indicate you’re going to be at both. Will you be at one and Chris at the other?
September 5th, 2004 at 7:19 am
You have what it takes to go bigtime; but be careful, not everyone who brews great beer is able to make it in the cut-throat beer business. It all boiles down to supply and demand. If it was up to me I would have you brew the Octoberfest year round. A most excellent brew for all seasons; but not every likes it. Like you have said in this posting, the wheat is the “lightest” and is what most “light” beer drinkers ask for. I am a very in-experienced home brewer (only 60 batches under my belt). Like others, I prefer a real beer with taste. When I visit your brewery I am required to return home with at least a 6-pak of wheat for the wife who drinks Stroh’s lite; that is about as far off the beaten path as she is able to wonder. I, on the other hand, like everything you make. Half a dozen in one, one in the other….. As long as you don’t make hasty decision you will do just fine. Good luck.
September 6th, 2004 at 7:22 am
I’m all for year-round Warsh Pail. Heck, I’d be all for adding an IPA to the roster, too. But, Jeff has a good point–the Wheat serves as an “entry-level beer” for those who still that the two styles of beer are “regular” and “light.” I look forward to next year’s batch of Warsh Pail!
September 8th, 2004 at 9:37 am
Hmm you all have good points. The real issue is that even if we make some beers seasonal, we still have the most beers around during the summer, and that is when the crunch occurs. I think expanding the brewery is the most likely thing to happen. We are seriously looking at adding a huge cold room to the side of the brewery this spring. This will allow us to bottle large amounts of beer, and then store the pallets on pallet racking in the cold room. We currently store all of our packaged beer across the street which is a real headache, and is only air conditioned. Refrigeration will extend the shelf life of the bottles and lets us really get ahead, and get away with only have 5 finishing tanks in the cellar (and have say 7 brands of beer at the same time)
On the 18th:
I will be at the Iowa City Brewfest, Chris will be at the Waterloo fest, Dan will be at the Davenport fest, and Teresa will be at the Iowa City Field to Family events.
September 22nd, 2004 at 9:32 am
Aaron, I think your Warsh Pail is some of the best beer Millstream has made. It’s my favorite from Millstream. I think you could expand your following with this brew, because of the continued popularity of pale ale in general. I think i’m like many of beer drinkers these days who consider pale ales a regular, everyday, all-season beer.
I know it’s a tough choice, if you’d have to give up a brew. I don’t know the business side of brewing, but it seems to me that this could become your new flagship beer. From my limited perspective, I’d suggest sacrificing the wheat.