The Build Up & Take Down

Each day brings us a little closer to mashing in the first batch.  We're doubling the size of our grist case to accommodate twice the amount of grain.  We want the ability to mill enough grain for an entire batch before mashing in.  The prior design required staggered milling / mashing; this format will make things more efficient.

The other shot is of the second floor. We'll remove a large portion of that floor to open the space, enclose the roof line and install railings and create fork access for grain storage in the mill area.

Half Acre Beer Co.

Chicago, IL

Coolio

Sometimes the planets align themselves and true wonder is placed before you.  Sometimes that wonder is Coolio.  

Half Acre Beer Co

Chicago, IL

Crane

Today was a crane day.  We've been eagerly awaiting the day when the crane rolled up to put some of our refrigeration equipment on the roof.  

Talk about a bad-ass piece of equipment.  I really wanted to get a ride out there on the boom, but using the crane as a toy is frowned upon - even if you're the one paying for it.

Gabriel

Half Acre Beer Co

Hop Hound

I’m not one for reviewing beers and prefer to find the positive in something rather than honing in on the aspects I could do without, but thought I might wade in those waters only slightly with this post.

Tommy came back from Jewel with a six-pack of Hop Hound American Wheat today. This is a Michelob product, which means our friends at Anheuser-Busch brought this to life.

I don’t find myself suffering from the small beer co / gargantuan beer co complex too often (they’ve been here far longer than our little brewing co, and have the science of brewing dialed in like no other). We can all find an example of how our situations are impacted by another more powerful entity, but after spending a little time looking over this beer, I felt bad for them, and maybe us, too.

Everyone knows that craft beer has been taking bites out of the big brewers and that they’ve been making plays to recapture some of those consumers by marketing beers that are more “crafty.”

This beer is obviously the result of some bad focus group. The label focuses on a dog wearing sunglasses and a bandana while holding a Frisbee. No doubt they went out to the local park and grabbed some kids kicking around a hackey-sack, dragged them back to their lair and drained them of all their good vibes. I picture some sort of intense interrogation where they demand to know if they like dogs, and if so what kind. “How would you feel about this dog if we put sunglasses on him? If he were a dog that played Frisbee, would that appeal to you? If so, why? Does the name Hop Hound make you feel as though you want to know this dog” I can pick up a bottle of Bud and I get it, I respect it for what it is. This is embarrassing for them and minimizes the people who go out and buy beer that’s genuinely different.

As for the beer itself, well I think I’ve waded in those waters long enough.

Gabriel
Half Acre Beer Co

America Gushes

Obama inspired the masses.  Whether or not he got your vote, that fact is undeniable.  As evidence, there was an amazing amount of artwork that was created as a result of this inspiration. Take a minute to check out the photos of this exhibit.  I say "Cheers!" to anyone that can get folks off the couch and doing something creative. 

Change

We sit on the verge of inauguration.  Much has been said of change; maybe the buzzword of the this election process.  Attribute our country's place in the world to whatever you want, but here is a map that illustrates the increase or decrease in album sales, cocaine prices, insured americans, and many other things over the course of the last eight or so years.  Interesting to say the least.

Gabriel

Half Acre Beer Co

Chicago, IL

2009

Are we brewing beer at the new brewery you ask? The answer is……..yes!
Ok, no, but we really want to be and feel that we deserve to be. The water was piped to the brewhouse and boiler today. That’s a big step in doing so.
All in all we’re on track to be brewing about the time we thought we would be. In the end we’ll likely be a month behind our original estimate, but what’s a month between friends?

2009 has kicked off in a hurry, so we all better pony up and get straight.

Half Acre Beer Co
Chicago, IL