The Drafty Kilt imparts its will

Cold fermentation: another Monday Night first. Monday we brewed our inaugural cold-fermented beer in the form of a Scotch Ale, definitively named Drafty Kilt. Ah yes, there she is, just a-bubbling away. The bucket on the left is filled with water. We had some trouble stabilizing the temperature, and thought that a bucket of water in the converted freezer would work. However, this morning we trekked down to the basement to take a whiff of our fermenting baby (she smells incredible), and the active fermentation had actually raised the temperature in the freezer 8 degrees. Oops.

Here Jeff and Joel are discussing the interesting subject of temperature. Jeff is gesticulating like he knows what he’s talking about (I think because he’s the brewmaster). Notice Joel’s look of incredulity (even from the rear). As I noted earlier, we eventually settled on a bucket filled with water. Brilliant.

Yes, neither buckets nor water are cheap, but, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re pretty serious, so we can afford to splurge on these little frivolities.

Look out for some sweet Drafty Kilt label action soon. (That was too many adjectives to use in one sentence.)

The (not so) Stouty Lumberjack

While people have been calling into question my notion that the lumberjack is not the epitome of masculinity, I have stumbled upon some evidence that I may actually be on to something.

This morning while discussing the Lumberjack with my coworker next to the watercooler he said that he immediately thought of the Monty Python Lumberjack sketch. A light went off in my head – that’s where my lumberjack notion probably started. A quick trip to YouTube and my suspicions were all confirmed. To quote the song specifically:

I cut down trees, I skip and jump
I like to press wild flowers.
I put on women’s clothing and hang around in bars.

As a further proof of this I challenge you to search the term lumberjack on google images. I’m not able to post many of those images but the one above is from the first page.

That being said, I’ve decided it’s all the more reason to vote for the (gender confused) Lumberjack Oatmeal Stout.

Naming our stout turns to threats

Finally, someone with an opinion speaks up… and threatens me with being a lonely old man if we choose my personal favorite, Last Stand, as the name for our stout. I got an email from an ex-friend with a simple subject line: “this is you.” The email read, “if you keep the name last stand.” Following this cryptic message was a link to yet another NYTimes article (apparently our fan base is well read), though this one didn’t so much address the subject of beer. No, this one was more about lonely single old men with scary design (marketing?) choices that frighten women. And apparently naming a beer “Last Stand Stout” is akin to keeping a baby stuffed seal in your apartment.

Ex-friend who will remain nameless unless she chooses to step forward, I salute your initiative. You’re wrong, but at least you have taken a stand. And for future reference, don’t mess with Texas.

(I’m Texas.)

Respect Beer

The NYTimes is doing its part to elevate the craft brewing industry. They recently published an article on Todd and Jason Alström, founders of beeradvocate.com. While American interest in genuinely good beer has been on the rise for years, it is good to see the major media picking up on it ? and endorsing it. From the article:

?I go to a really high-end restaurant, and they come out with a really nice wine list and a book of cocktails, but the beer list is just something the waitress recites and they?re all awful,? Todd said. Jason adds, ?That really disturbs me. But some have caught on and they really get it.?

?It?s a lost opportunity,? Todd insists. ?They could offer such great beers. Beer enthusiasts need to be more vocal, they need to say something!?

More vocal, eh? As in, supporting a soon-to-be microbrewery dedicated to brewing great beer and increasing community? Let’s all go picket Applebee’s!

Week Off = Brew-a-thon

This week is my last one in my current job, and I’m taking next week off before beginning my new one. So next Monday instead of a single batch in the evening, I’m shooting for three batches throughout the day. Any suggestions on new styles to try? I’m thinking about a cream ale, but other than that I’m up for ideas.

Finally, a big brewery that admits as much

There’s been a trend lately of big macrobreweries putting on airs that they are all artsy and micro (A-B has a new “microbeer” clone that almost sucked me into buying it… till I saw the manufacturer). An article on brandchannel.com tells the tale of Carlton Draught, an Australian beer that is keeping it real. An excerpt from the article:

Australians have a reputation for being earthy, honest, and (upon occasion) even somewhat blunt, so one shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the website of Carlton Draught, one of the country’s bestselling tap beers, fulfills all of those criteria beautifully. Take, for instance, the Carlton Draught tagline: “Made from Beer”?did you really think that it would be made from anything else? Or the outdoor advertising campaign, which has a portfolio of posters that proudly proclaim that the beer is “Brewed in a big metal thing,” “Handcrafted with big machines,” and “Made from only the most attractive yeast”?if that last slogan sounds confusing (or gross) a quick look at the billboard will most definitely put you straight.

Brewed in a big metal thing… brilliant. And it’s funny because it’s true.

The friendliest pirate

There have been rumblings that our most recent iteration of the Swashchuckler label is too scary. This was obviously not our intention, though we do admit that it is difficult for us to contain our badassitude from time to time.

Instead of an all-black silhouetted clown pirate (see Brews page), we’ve added some red to the clown hair/nose — as well as a fearsome white eyepatch. Since this was our first beer (and arguably our best), we’ve decided that it would be okay to sway from the white words/black silhouette standard. We’re not in this to scare anyone.