Tyranena

[Surly Duff]

Once again, a crabby Rob is overwhelmed and out of spare time. So it's me, Stacey, reporting from the front-line at Tyranena. As you'll see below, May is going to be a busy month for the brewery! Wow... so many things to chat about and so little time. So rather than lengthy complaints about broken down equipment, my peevish boss, our city government or how everyone seems to be sick with something right now... we'll get on with it!
 
AND THE WINNER IS.... Kerri Canepa! That's right, Kerri Canepa, former mug clubber and now resident of Alaska, put in the winning bid on six 4-packs of previous BGW! beers. Luckily, she'll be in town in a few weeks to pick them up because Alaska is WAY out of our delivery territory! How much was she willing to donate to Team in Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in order to score these precious elixirs? $200 smackers! Congratulations to Kerri and a warm thank you to her and everyone else that sent in a bid. It all adds up! Check out Jessie's TNT website to see how much she's raised as part of her marathon training thus far!
 
And the wheels on the bus go round and round.... Some of you might have noticed that we have a big, yellow bus in our parking lot. It's official; it's in our possession. Tyranena has a bus, with insurance, and with a few responsible drivers lined up. Now as soon as we can get the darn thing painted and Tyranena-ized we can do some real touring with the Tyranena crew! Cool, huh?
 
Speaking of touring with the crew.... Tomorrow night (Thursday, 5/1), some folks from Tyranena (Rob included) are planning to meet at the Old Fashioned (located on Madison's Capitol Square) around 9:00 pm to watch the North Country Drifters and drink our beer on tap at one of our favorite Madison hangouts. Interested in joining, please come on down. Don't forget to say hi to Ashley, one of our recent guest brewers. She's supposed to be working that night!
 
Benji is officially an old man. Not only did Benji just have double hernia surgery, something I would generally consider a geriatric condition, but today he also turns another year older. That's right, it's his birthday. Well, he's not 30 yet.... but the big three-O is now just 365 days away! Send Benji your birthday wishes or try and convince him to stick around the Tasting Room tonight for a beer or two after brewing. I mean, now that he's really an old man, he will probably have to get home by 8 o'clock for nighty-night, but you never know!
 
Summer Music Schedule Now Available. Finally firmed up the last few dates for our Summer Entertainment and I've got it all posted online. There are a few new performers and some old favorites returning. Looks like it will a very hot summer.... at least around the Beer Garden!
 
Bark & Brew. Nancy Michaud of Red Rover Pet Sitting and local trainer, Mitsy, will be here on Monday, May 5, for their 3rd segment in the Bark & Brew seminars. Not familiar? Check it out and sign up fast! Space is limited.

[Kathleen]

Umm...



Benji is kind of hot.

[flyingbison]

Umm...



Benji is kind of hot.

Did you show him your pink grandma underwear?   

[Kathleen]

Umm...



Benji is kind of hot.

Did you show him your pink grandma underwear?   

maybe

[flyingbison]

 

[Kathleen]

KIDDING!

I don't have granny undies.

[mr. furley]

Umm...



Benji is kind of hot.

wtf

[urbanhack]

Umm...



Benji is kind of hot.

wtf

pics?

[mr. furley]

[Kathleen]

Umm...



Benji is kind of hot.

wtf

pics?

 

[Surly Duff]

It Is Now Summer! - Declaration #1. Well, almost. We tapped the first keg of Fargo Brothers Hefeweizen yesterday afternoon... much to the enjoyment of those that gathered in our Beer Garden. At the pace it was being consumed... I am not sure how long it will last this year... despite brewing a bit more than in years past.

Minnesota Fun #1: Jessie, Stacey and I enjoyed a "short" drive to St. Paul and went up to the Happy Gnome on Tuesday for a beer dinner that featured our brands. I must say, the meal was absolutely incredible. I am not sure if it was similar to their normal fare, but I highly recommend the meals at the beer dinners. And the bar itself was pretty cool... even nicer to have had 4 Tyranena beers on tap: Bitter Woman IPA, Rocky's Revenge, Devil Over A Barrel, Three Beaches Honey Blonde! They now have 7 beers available... adding Headless Man Amber Alt, Stone Tepee Pale Ale, Pretty Damn Black Stout to those previously listed.... at least until the remaining beer in the kegs from the dinner run out!

Minnesota Fun #2:  It seems to be happening everywhere... distributors buying other distributors... and now our Twin Cities-area distributor has been purchased by another Twin Cities-area distributor.  We are not exactly sure what that means... hopefully Jessie will be learning more this week. Of course, we are now having another Twin Cities-area distributor contact us. It has been about a year since I really read the Minnesota State Statutes relating to beer... but I think a sale of the distributorship is one of the few times in which you can change distributors in that state. I find it quite humorous that we now have the interest of distributors that wanted nothing to do with us less than a year ago!

Beer For The Extra Wheat Malt. There was an overwhelming favorite selection for our next wheat beer amongst those that responded... and that was for an Imperial Black Weizen. Lots of people referenced beers of this style from other breweries (which I had not tried)... and I am not at all sure what that beer style is exactly supposed to taste like. Now I thoroughly enjoy our Hefeweizen... the clove and banana flavors... but a Black Hefeweizen would have those flavors masked by the darker malts... and an Imperial would limit the ability to consume multiple glasses that is so easy with the lighter Hefeweizen. I was thinking people were going to want another summertime beer...  Oh well, we'll probably give it a go in a couple of months.

Tyranena Beer Of The Month At Old-Fashioned In Madison. Yes, you will probably see note every week this month.  Three Beaches Honey Blonde is the Beer of the Month at The Old Fashioned.  That means $2.50 pints. They also have Bitter Woman IPA on tap!

[Surly Duff]

Summer is here and we can definitely tell in the brewery. No, it is not yet unbearably hot and humid... but we have been brewing and bottling and kegging at a pretty good clip. We've had to purchase a whole bunch of new kegs (at highly inflated prices) and still seem to be running short - hopefully they are not just disappearing. We are running into some production limits (we could brew more but some of the styles do not justify double batches and single batches are causing bottlenecks). At this rate we may have to be looking at the purchase of some new tanks (also at highly inflated prices). And it is fun to think of these investments (along with a possible Tasting Room/Beer Garden expansion) as we are hitting an economic slowdown with unknown consequences... facing raw material shortages (we tried to contract for hops back in January and still haven't heard anything back and who knows at what prices for both hops and malt)... and potentially burdensome and expensive government mandates (City of Lake Mills waste water issues and the federal government's new labeling requirements). Life at a small brewery... but at least I have this weekend off and plenty of beer!

It Is Now Summer! - Declaration #2:  The Beer Garden Is Now Officially Open. Well, it never really closes... but now we are moving our bands outside into the beer garden... live music is now on both Fridays and Saturdays... the performance times move to 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.... the bartenders will happily be placing the umbrellas into the beer garden... and we will be serving through the Tasting Room window on Fridays and Saturdays.

It Is Now Summer! - Declaration #3: We Are Open Seven Days A Week. That's right! During the summer months we will expand our Tasting Room/Beer Garden hours to include Monday and Tuesday evenings from 4:30 to 11:00 p.m. So come down and keep our college student bartenders busy. We will be open on Memorial Day from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

It Is Now Summer! - Declaration #1 (for those that missed it last week): Fargo Brothers Hefeweizen Now On Tap. I hate to say it is going fast... but it is. We somehow managed (well, you somehow managed) to drain two half barrels last week. At that pace... we will be lucky to make it to Independence Day again this year...  Better get down here and get some while you can.

Next Brewers Gone Wild! Series Beer:  Scurvy. Our Statement of Process has been approved by the feds... as well as our label design... so we are almost ready to brew. We just haven't completely formulated the recipe yet. Scurvy is an India Pale Ale brewed with orange peel. Why orange peel?  Well, there are two main reasons:  hop shortage (we didn't contract for everything so there were hop styles that we could not experiment with) and flavor (I really enjoy the citrusy flavors in IPAs... why not go straight to another source - my first experience brewing with orange peel was last summer's wit and I thoroughly enjoyed that flavor contribution). So we are brewing Scurvy on Thursday and Friday.  Thinking we will be going with a fairly straightforward malt profile (although a bit bigger than Bitter Woman) to really showcase the hops and orange peel. The question remains how much orange peel do we use versus flavor/aroma hops so the orange flavor comes through nicely but does not completely dominate the beer (which I am not sure would be a bad thing - so ultimately that may not be a consideration). We also have bitter orange peel and sweet orange peel. I think it is all going to come down to a guess minutes before we have to add the orange peel... then taste it on its way to the fermenter (which won't taste anything like the final beer)... and then adjust somewhat on the second batch on Friday.  Should be available starting mid-June.

Make Up Air Unit Finally Fixed! And just in time for summer. This has been a long tortured process... but it is finally working. If you don't remember... we had a makeup air unit that produced an amazing 12 air exchanges of air in the brewery each hour... which made it somewhat breezy. Last fall, one of the blowers blew apart sending shrapnel through the brewery. The new one we received was beefed up a bit more than the old one... apparently the manufacturer must have been having issues and made it stronger. But as it turned out, our original HVAC company amped up the unit to produce more throughput than the manufacturer's design. Instead of a 4 1/2" pulley on the motor... they installed a 7 1/2" pulley. Now I am not going to do the math, but that means the blowers were probably spinning twice as fast as they were supposed to... and ultimately why they may have failed. So now the unit appears to achieve approximately 6 air exchanges an hour (which is my guess as the unit appears to be in balance if we only have one of our two exhaust fans operating). We'll see how we make it through the summer with the reduced air flow... but I suspect it is all we really need.

[Surly Duff]

Aaaaah distributor fun....

----------------

Another fun week is now in the history books. All of the three day weekends in the summer make things a little more challenging here at the brewery... especially when it is our busiest time of the year. That and Benji is on yet another vacation... and then trying to sneak in meetings with potential Twin Cities distributors and Employee Benefits people. Hence why this newsletter is a few days late...

Twin Cities Distribution. As anyone who regularly reads this newsletter knows... our current Twin Cities distributor (we'll call them "Distributor A") recently sold to another, larger distributor (we'll call them "Distributor J"), with a closing date of June 1. That creates a little havoc in our world... and throws what we are doing in the Twin Cities up in the air, but it also provides us with the opportunity to once again choose who we want to distribute our beer in that market. The problem is, we need to make a decision as to which distributor to go with by the end of today. Obviously, we have had people from Distributor J courting us to continue on with them as part of the buyout but have also been contacted by another distributor (we'll call them "Distributor H"). It is a really tough decision, especially since the Twin Cities area could eventually become our single, largest market.

A Little History. When we first researched taking our beers across the border into the Twin Cities, we contacted some local retailers and, without exception, they suggested we would want to have our beer distributed by Distributor H. Distributor H was THE craft beer distributor and did the best job promoting all of their brands. After what we thought would have been a fruitful meeting, Distributor H decided they wanted absolutely nothing to do with us and that we were too insignificant for their portfolio. It was rather deflating.... but then we met with Distributor A, who was excited about our brewery and our beer. They had a small craft beer division for the Twin Cities and did a great job promoting our products. Recently, Distributor A's primary beer supplier, the largest domestic in their portfolio and the greatest percentage of their total sales, strongly encouraged them to sell their business to Distributor J, which gets us to our current position. As we have had success in the Twin Cities market and our beer has shown that it has staying power, Distributor H is now interested in representing our brands.

Retailer Choice. When we, again, asked retailers which distributor does a better job of representing their brands and promoting craft beers... almost without exception they once again recommended Distributor H over Distributor J (remember "A" is no longer an option).

Distributor Information. Distributor J is aware of some of their company's deficiencies as it relates to craft beer (although they distribute a whole bunch of it) and are forming a "Craft Beer Team" to address these issues and have more focus on smaller, craft brands. They have also retained many of the employees from Distributor A, who worked with our beers from day one... and we have just learned that one of those original, key individuals will now be in the Craft Beer Team. And the owner of Distributor A, who gave us a chance when others would not, will be joining Distributor J in a key position. So it looks like Distributor J will now be moving in the right direction. Distributor H, on the other hand, is ready to go right now and has the history to prove it.

Culture. Distributor J seems more corporate... more big business... and wears ties. Distributor H seems more relaxed... doesn't wear ties (well, at least not when they were here)... and seems to be a better fit. I wonder how I would fit in at Distributor J with my typical wardrobe...

So, like I said, we need to make the decision today. Going with Distributor H is the choice of the retailers and is ready to go right now... and seems to be the more prudent business decision. Going with Distributor J has greater risk as they are just now setting up a team with a craft beer focus... but they are retaining the people who took a chance with us, believed in us and they are the ones that we have worked with over the last eight months to grow our brand. Ironically, the owner of Distributor H told us "You better dance with the person you brought to the dance." Of course he was using that expression to explain why he did not want our beer at the outset... not trying to encourage us to stay with the people at Distributor A... that are now at Distributor J. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I am fiercely loyal and that may override what some may consider the more prudent business decision. After all... it is only our livelihood that we are talking about here...

And it sure is a wierd feeling to be courted by distributors that previously wanted nothing to do with us... first it happened in Milwaukee, now the Twin Cities! I sure like this better.... We'll let you know next week what our final decision was.... gulp....

Next Brewers Gone Wild! Series Beer:  Scurvy. Scurvy is almost done fermenting... and I am still trying to figure out what to do. It was a bit of a challenge to brew... we made it a bit bigger than our Bitter Woman IPA... which meant using more malt... and our last silo fill of malt has been giving us a dramatically increased lautering time. I am expecting the the Alcohol by Volume (ABV) to be approximately 6.5%. In Batch #1, we used 15 pounds of orange peel and could not taste or smell the orange character over the wort... so we used 15 pounds in the Batch #2 as well, hoping that the flavors and aromas would ultimately come through in the beer post fermentation. The fermentation was wonderfully aromatic and I am sipping on the beer at the moment. The orange comes through in the aroma and a bit in the flavor and contributed somewhat to the bitterness. I am now debating whether to dry hop the beer at all for fear that the orange character will be overwhelmed... but what the heck... it's not an IPA from us unless it has been dry-hopped. For those that are interested, we used Summit as our bittering hop, Simcoe as a flavor hop, added both Summit and Simcoe in the whirlpool and will be dry-hopping with Summit and Simcoe. May add some orange peel to the fermenter to enhance the aroma and flavor... after steeping in 200 degree water to kill off any bacteria and wild yeast that I am quite certain are there... we'll see though.

Last Half Barrel Of Devil Over A Barrel. Yes, it really is getting to be your last opportunity to have this nectar on tap in the Tasting Room. You don't want to be the person who orders a pint right after the keg is kicked... it will truly be a sad experience.

[faro]

It seems risky to go with J.

[Tip Top]

June 4, 2008

Greetings fellow Tyranenaeans,

Twin Cities Distribution. For anyone that was interested... we chose loyalty in selecting our Twin Cities Distributor. After speaking with the key people moving from Alcorn Beverage to J. J. Taylor, we decided they had a good plan going forward. And heck, they gave us a chance when no other distributors in the Twin Cities would pick up our beer... we more than owed them a chance in return. Only time will tell if it was a wise business decision... it was, however, the only decision I could make on a personal note.

Next Brewers Gone Wild! Series Beer:  Scurvy - An India Pale Ale Brewed With Orange Peel. We couldn't resist... as I mentioned last week, we just couldn't resist dry-hopping Scurvy with Summit and Simcoe. But to make sure the orange peel was not dominated... we also wet-dry orange-peeled... that is steeping some orange peel in 200 degree water to kill off any bacteria and wild yeast and added that to the fermenter as well. What a mess! Orange peel arrives to us dried... and when steeped in dramatically increases in size which made getting it into the fermenter a whole lot of fun. Now that it is in there... I am wondering what we have done! Yes, the orange flavor and aroma now comes through the hops... but the orange peels seem to have disintegrated and have formed a colloidal mess. The beer rather looks like like orange juice with the pulp (my favorite kind, by the way - for anyone that wants to make me breakfast)! This will not be a fun filtration... guess it is a good penance for Benji for all of his vacations and leaving me alone in the brewery.

And if there was perhaps any confusion... Scurvy in not an Imperial IPA. Since it is bigger than our Bitter Woman IPA, we would classify it as an Extra IPA... but the rest of the world would consider it a standard IPA at 6.5% ABV. We are planning on kegging and bottling on Wednesday, June 11 and it should be available in the Tasting Room that evening. I say "planning" because, as you should already know, so many things could go wrong between now and then. Speaking of things going wrong...

Our Glycol Chiller Failed... Sort of. Well, the chiller itself did not fail... in fact it worked too well. We normally keep our glycol around 24 - 26 degrees F. This is cold enough to adequately chill our beer across a stainless steel wall to 32 degrees without freezing the beer. However, the glycol got down to 14 degrees... which is enough to freeze beer at the cooling jackets. Turns out a bracket that held a thermal probe in the glycol stream broke so the chiller thought the glycol was probably about 60 degrees and just kept cooling. The safety cut-off, which was set at 20 degrees, apparently also failed... and did not shut the chiller off. So I fear we have developed some ice in a batch of Bitter Woman IPA... which would raise the alcohol content (as we are removing water)... luckily we have enough time for it to thaw naturally... or in the worst case... we will run 60 degree glycol through the fementer cooling jackets to force the ice to melt... that is if there is any ice at all. You just can't tell until the fermenter is empty!  The chiller is working fine now, by the way.

Madison Mallard's Duck Pond Now Open.... And Serving Tyranena. Catch some baseball played for the sake of baseball (...Did you know that all of the Mallard's players play ball for free?) and drink a cold Tyranena while you're enjoying the game! Three Beaches Honey Blonde is available in the Duck Blind, behind Home Plate and in the Tailgate area. Bitter Woman IPA is also available in the Duck Blind!

The Tasting Room Is Now Open Seven Days A Week!  Just another reminder that our Tasting Room is now also open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. through Labor Day weekend. Come keep our college-student bartenders company and help them pay for their education!

Brewing: Brewing a double batch of Rocky's Revenge this week.

Bottling: Bottled 191 cases of Headless Man Amber Alt on Monday (had two cases of mislabels which have since been picked up) and will be botting about 220 cases of Stone Tepee Pale Ale today.

[Tip Top]

June 11, 2008

 

Ahoy mateys!! (That means "Greetings Tyranenaeans" in pirate speak....)

 

Nope, not Rob.... It's Stacey. Right now, Rob is bottling Scurvy, our next Brewers Gone Wild! release, and he didn't have a chance to write his newsletter introduction. So... today.... I could tell you about how this bottling run is NOT going very well... or how we're all incredibly stressed and kinda overwhelmed at the moment... or mention last week's semi-frustrating meeting with the City of Lake Mills... or even talk about all of our surrounding communites that are knee deep in flood water.... BUT INSTEAD, we're going to skip all that and just talk about FUN!

 

TOMORROW IS THE CRAWFISH BOIL!!! Thursday (tomorrow), is our June HopLuck Dinner, featuring Patricia's 6th annual Crawfish Boil. I have the tracking number for the dirty, little mud bugs in my hot, little hands... they should be arriving bright and early tomorrow morning. Once they do, they will get a soothing, salt water bath (well, not really soothing, it'll make them puke... or "purge"... so they are tastier) and then later that evening it will be into a boiling pot of Tyranena beer and veggies!

 

There's not fee to join in this summer celebration; just bring a dish to pass using one of our beers as an ingredient. That way there will be more than enough food to go around for all!

 

If you're not at all familiar with our HopLuck Dinners or the Crawfish Boil, here are generalized rules of attendance:

   1.
      No fee to attend; no reservations needed.
   2.
      Make a dish-to-pass that has our beer as an ingredient.
   3.
      Bring the dish to the brewery next Thursday (that'd be next week, not tomorrow...).
   4.
      Enjoy yours and everyone else's food.
   5.
      Eat stinky crawfish.
   6.
      Drink yummy beer.
   7.
      Go home happy.

Mallards Game Outing on Sunday, June 22. We're about a week and a half away from our first-ever Mallards Game Outing. I can't even tell you what a deal this package is.... and, believe it or not, I have some tickets left!!! Email me, ASAP to reserve yours. Tickets are $40 each and include your game ticket (reserved seating in the infamous Duck Blind), transport to and from Lake Mills on our styling, Tyranena bus, ALL your beer and ALL the food you can eat throughout the game. (If you don't want to ride the bus, tickets are just $32 for everything else listed above!)

 

Benji's Pics. Benji put a couple cool photos online from his recent trip to the Boundary Waters. If you'd like to check them out, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27523239@N03/page1/.

 

Jessie's Marathon Blog. Jessie sat down and wrote about her marathon experience. If you're interested in reading about it, you can log on at: http://runnimmerrun.blogspot.com/. She's also got pictures from her trip online... To understand the title of the slideshow, you'd have to have seen Anchorman with Will Ferrel (one of Jessie's favorite movies). I will tell you ahead of time that the pics are not of the marathon itself... they are from her vacation afterwards! (Lucky girl got to visit and sample a bunch of wine and craft brews out in California!)

Brewing: Rob & Benji brewed a double batch of IPA this week (yesterday and today) and, according to the schedule, it appears they will be brewing yet another double batch of IPA tomorrow and Friday....

Bottling: The crew bottled 520 cases of Bitter Woman IPA on Monday (there are two cases of mislabels that are for sale in the Tasting Room... and no I'm not reserving them for anyone....) and are attempting to bottle 400+ cases of Scurvy IPA right now. If there are any mislabels of Scurvy, they will be Rob's and, therefore, not for sale!

Wednesday is Pitcher Night! That means $7.00 pitchers, Gardetto's snack mix, and occassionally sweaty volleyball players.

Thursday is Thirsty Thursdays. Thirsty Thirsdays is your opportunity to earn a beer on us. Each time you join us in the Tasting Room on a Thursday night you'll receive one stamp for each tap beer you purchase on your Thirsty Thursday card. Buy yourself a well deserved beer, earn a stamp. Buy someone else a beer, earn another stamp. When the card is full, turn it in for a free pint and be entered in quarterly prize drawing! The drawings will be held at Hopluck Dinners. Participants need not be present to win.

Friday is Live Music - Danny Miller Band. This band is a hit each time they play at the brewery.  They describe their music as harmonica-powered blues (which means that Richard.... former mug clubber and former bottler... is going to stay up late for this one) featuring Danny Miller on the harmonica (Danny is the brother of Tom "Julio" Miller, former brewmaster of the now defunct Oconomowoc Brewing Company -- pretty small world, huh).

Danny Miller Band  - Harmonica-Powered Blues - 6:00 to 9:00 pm.

Saturday is Live Music - A Mystery Band..... We were supposed to have a reggae/afro-beat band playing this Saturday... however, they have just cancelled the performance.... WISH THEY WOULD HAVE LET US KNOW! (Instead, we found out the show was cancelled through their website... as we were about to link to it for this newsletter blurb....) So, Stacey's in the process of booking a different band right now. Call the Tasting Room for your personal update on Saturday's performance!!

LIVE MUSIC - 6:00 to 9:00 pm.

Sunday is... the Last Day of the Weekend! Well, Summer is now here. Time to get outside and enjoy the day down at the brewery. Join us  between 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for some camaraderie and good cheer!

June 13, 2008 - Beer Tasting at Star Liquor in Madison from 4 to 7 pm.
Located at 1209 Williamson Street, Madison - 608-255-8041.

                 

June 27, 2008 - Scurvy Release Party at the Blue Nile Restaurant in Minneapolis, MN.
Located at 2027 E. Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN - 612-338-3000.

June 12, 2008 - June Hopluck featuring the 6th Annual Patricia's Crawfish Boil. For the sixth year in a row, Patricia will cook up some Louisiana crawfish (along with an assortment of veggies) in a Tyranena beer yet to be determined (since we didn't brew Fighting Finches Mai Bock this year) for a traditional crawfish boil. The 60 pounds of crawfish will be shipped live to us by the Louisiana Crawfish Company. Patricia will be splitting up the crawfish into 2 batches - with the hopes that the 2nd batch will be spicier.

 

Please add to the Hopluck feast by bringing your favorite culinary creations to share with the masses... or at least a few fellow beer lovers.  If you need a recipe idea, the internet has a many great resources for cooking with beer.  All we ask is that you make your dish "Legendary" by using Tyranena beer as an ingredient. Dinner starts promptly at 6:30 p.m

 

June 14, 2008 - Great Northern Beer Festival at the Hi-Pines Campground in Eagle River. 2:00 to 6:00 pm. 400 attendees anticipated. $20-$25 per person; get tickets online or at the door. Guests will receive unlimited sampling and live entertainment.

June 22, 2008 - Take the Bus with Tyranena Mallards Game Outing. Since Tyranena beer was recently placed in the Duck Pond at Warner Park, we thought it prudent to show our support! We have currently reserved a whole slew of picnic tables in the Duck Blind, the area boasting a great atmosphere, all you can drink micros and all you can eat ballpark favorites. If you're interested in joining the fun, hurry up and sign up! $40 includes your all-inclusive Duck Blind ticket and transportation to Madison from Lake Mills (and back) on the Tyranena bus (limit 40 people). If you'd like to meet us at the park then the cost is $32. The date is quickly approaching; reserve your spot now!!

June 29, 2008 - 3rd Annual Dog Wash. Dirty dogs get ready for some good clean fun! As a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Jefferson County, we'll be lathering up pooches at the brewery on SUNDAY, June 29 from Noon until 4:00. For every dog wash purchased, get a free pint! $15.00 per wash and add $5.00 per dog for a nail trimming with your wash. New this year.... make a RESERVATION to get your dog washed....

 

For more information, please contact Stacey at the brewery. Want to volunteer to wash pups for a good cause? Call 920-648-8699 or email stacey@tyranena.com. (Also thanks to the Lake Mills Veterinary Clinic for donating shampoo and the use of their skills and some equipment!)

 

July 12, 2008 - Brews n' Blues at Leach Amphitheater in Oshkosh. 1:00 to 6:00 pm. 500 attendees anticipated. Benefiting the Christine Anne Center for Domestic Abuse and the diverse charities supported by the Oshkosh Jaycees. For more information, please contact Heather Bartel at 920-410-1842 or Melissa at 920-203-1981 or via email at bnboshkosh@gmail.com. Guests will receive unlimited sampling and live entertainment. Food is available for purchase.

July 13, 2008 - Take the Bus with Tyranena Brewers Game Outing. About 70 people have signed up for our annual trip to the "park formerly known as County Stadium" to see the Brewers play. Now, I'd like to say that we're heading to Milwaukee on Sunday to see the Brewers kick some Cincinnati butt... but... in the past, the brew-crew has always lost when we've been there cheering them on. Well, better luck this year fans! We purchased our chunk of tickets in the loge outfield box, 3rd base line (that'd be sunny side up.... with some seats under the balcony). For those still interested in attending, we have a few tickets remaining. Cost includes your ticket and tailgaiting (meaning food and beer outside the stadium). If you want to ride the bus (limit 40 people with currently 8 seats left) the cost is $45. If you'd like to meet us at the "park" then the cost is $35.

For those that are paid and are looking for some specifics, we'll be leaving the brewery at 9:00 a.m. SHARP to tailgate before the 1:05 p.m. game.  Looks like an all adult trip so people only have to moderately behave. Ought to be lots of fun again this year!

[Surly Duff]

Scurvy tapping at Blue Nile.

[Surly Duff]

Work Continues With Tasting Room/Beer Garden Expansion Plans And Conditional Use Permit. Stacey had a meeting last week with the City Manager and City Attorney regarding our proposals. It did not sound like it went well. It would really be nice to live in a community where the city government sees the value of promoting businesses instead of hindering them. Sounds like we may be facing a whole new array of restrictions on our operations. And all this because we are trying to be positive members of the community and host a few events that raise in excess of $20,000 and 1,000 pounds of food per year for local charities.

Yesterday, we spoke with the City Consultant (looking forward to that bill) who is trying to get a handle on what we are trying to do here. Of course, it doesn't help that he is located in Madison and has never been here... or for that matter probably even driven by the brewery. He seemed pretty reasonable but was definitely talking about potential restrictions (hours we can be open, number of events we can host, etc.)

So it looks like we may be asking for your help in the upcoming weeks to attend the Lake Mills Plan Commission meeting in late July and the City Council meeting in early August to speak on our behalf.

And Those Prices Just Keep Going Up! It seems each week I report a new substantial increase in costs on one item or another... or a shortage... this week we received notice that the cost of crowns (bottle caps) are going up. And the manufacturer has stated that they are even having problems getting enough steel to produce crowns... their rolled steel quota is now being cut back! Needless to say, we ordered some right away hoping that we can even get crowns. We'll now for sure in about 4 to 5 months... takes that long for us to get them.

[Tip Top]

Greetings fellow Tyranenaeans,

Ouch! You have read my ongoing complaints about raw material and other cost increases. Well, this week we had to pay $20,000 on our hop contract for this year (the final payment is due this month).  Which made me go and look what we paid this year as a whole... which is about $30,000. I looked at our hop contract for next year and the cost has skyrocketed to $120,000! And our final payment for the year is due May 1, 2009! That is going to hurt! Have I mentioned that we are likely going to have another price increase? And probably a substantial one?

Sleepless Nights And Conditional Use Permits. I don't know why I let it get to me... but I just can't help it. Dealing with the City of Lake Mills just stresses me out. Limited conversations with the City of Lake Mills Consultant, the Building Inspector, and our design firm leads me to believe we are unlikely to expand our premise as we had hoped... and that the entire Conditional Use Permit may be in jeapardy. Seems that given the expanded Tasting Room... expanded Beer Garden... and fence in yard area... our "theoretical" capacity could approach almost 500 people (like we will ever have 10 percent of Lake Mills here other than during special events). That would require us to have about 150 parking stalls (we currently have an overabundance at 56)... which would likely require us converting a huge portion of the field to the south of the building into a huge parking lot... which means we could not place a tent in that location... which means we could not host our charity special events... which is the whole reason we are even looking at expanding in the first place! Of course... I may have simply misinterpreted their line of questioning...

We Need Your Help! The Public Hearing for our Conditional Use Permit is scheduled for the Tuesday, July 22nd meeting of the Lake Mills Plan Commission. We are told that the more people we can get to speak on our behalf at the hearing, the better our chances of having it pass... and pass with limited conditions. So if you are a fan of the brewery and think you could muster the courage to speak on our behalf, we would appreciate it. (Anyone can speak, but City residents will likely carry a little more weight.... unless someone comes from California or England or some other far away locale...) Anywya, there may even be a pint in it for you as a reward! If you think you can support us, please contact Stacey at stacey@tyranena.com and let us know. We would like to find out how many people might be able to make it and perhaps coordinate our efforts. Thanks in advance for your consideration!

 
More Bad News - We Are Out Of Scurvy IPA! I must confess... I am probably very much at fault as I really enjoyed this beer. But you can no longer find it on tap at the brewery. I think there are a few places up in the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, Madison, West Bend and Kohler that may have it available.  You should be able to find it bottled in local liquor stores though.
       
Last Barrels of Pretty Damn Black Stout and Fargo Brothers Hefeweizen. Yes, we are running out of beer (you should see our cooler)... we do have enough of these for the next couple of weeks but after that the tap selection is going to be somewhat limited. Given all of our other stresses... seems like it may be a good time to just shut down. In the meantime... we'll see if we can find anything else to put on tap.

Brewing: Brewed a single batch of Chief BlackHawk Porter and a double batch of Rocky's Revenge this week.

Bottling: Bottled 503 cases of Bitter Woman IPA on Monday (had seven cases of mislabels and think we may still have a couple sitting around) and also bottled approximately 172 cases of Headless Man Amber Alt on Wednesday (two cases of mislabels which are now gone). Bottling was particularly difficult this week as our labeler kept breaking body labels... which caused us to stop the filler repeatedly... which caused lots of employee short-fills (high airs actually)... which caused lots of running back and forth between the filler and the labeler... which caused lots and LOTS of frustration and unpleasant words. Have since torn apart the section of the body labeler giving us problems and lubricated the crap out of various bearings... seems to be working better now... but we'll see what happens in an actual bottling run..

[mr. furley]

[Surly Duff]

Seems like forever since I have really had the opportunity to just talk about beer... it seems we have so many issues with equipment problems or working with the various levels of government that I have had little opportunity to write about what is going on down here beerwise. First, just let me say that we are almost completely out of beer in the Tasting Room... I think it has probably been about 8 years since we had so few choices of beer to enjoy here at the brewery. Because of that, we are pulling out some special stock...

Spank Me Baby With Bourbon-Laced Wood! Our heavily peated Spank Me Baby! Barley Wine from 2006 has been quietly aging in bourbon barrels for the last two years. This week we are awakening the beer from its long slumber and kegging a few half barrels and putting it on tap. The first keg will be completely uncarbonated... we'll see about the rest. I expect the smokey character of the peat will have diminished and the overall flavors will have been enhanced by the bourbon and the toasted oak. Should be going on tap in the Tasting Room on tonight. This is the Barley Wine time of year, right?

Dirty Old Man Imperial Rye Porter Aged In Rye Barrels. We have a couple more 1/6 barrels of this sitting around... I expect that we will be putting some on tap next week.

Unblended Dirty Old Man Imperial Rye Porter Aged In Rye Barrels. We have a couple half barrels of "unblended" Dirty Old Man in the cooler. If you remember... Dirty Old Man was a blend of rye barrel-aged porter and non-barrel-aged porter. The ratio was approximately 40 percent aged and 60 percent not aged. These kegs are 100 percent aged in rye barrels. Should be going on tap in the Tasting Room on tonight. I believe I attempted to carbonate one of these kegs... but I have no idea of the head pressure we used (the gauge and regulator were not functioning properly)... so it could have very low carbonation... or it could be highly carbonate... or somewhere in between.

Unblended Devil Over A Barrel. We have also had some Devil Over A Barrel continuing to age in a bourbon barrel. I am hoping that we end its slumber today as well. Don't know for sure when it will be on tap, though.

Deb & Glenn's Bourbon Barrel-Aged Blueberry Kinda-Lambic. Glenn made a trip back over to Michigan and while he was there picked up 80 pounds of blueberries for us. In about two weeks we will macerate them, add them to a once-used bourbon barrels (for Rocky's Revenge), almost completely fill the barrels with post-fermentation brown ale and then add a Belgian Lambic yeast/bacteria blend and leave it sit in the brewery for about a year... and get annoyed that it is constantly in our way... and move it back and forth... and curse at it... and then next summer put the concoction on tap. So don't get too excited yet!

Fifth Annual Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival In Madison This Weekend. The highlights of my summer are usually The Jimmy Buffett concert at Alpine Valley, The Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison and the Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival. The event runs Friday and Saturday and features lots of talented performers, some great beer (we have been sponsoring the event for the last 4 years), and a rare opportunity (shhh... this part is a secret) to camp and sit around a bonfire with a whole bunch of musicians that jam to the wee hours of the morning. I highly recommend looking into this event that is held on the south side of Madison. (There's a link to the website below, under upcoming events.)

The Latest On Our Continuuing Saga With The City of Lake Mills. As you probably remember... last week the City's Plan Commission unanimously approved a resolution recommending that the City Council accept our Tasting Room and Beer Garden as Permitted Activities in an I-2 district (as opposed to a conditional use) and to accept our outdoor special events as an Accessory Use. Well, the City Manager is back from his vacation and we anticipate that we may have a few roadblocks ahead... I hope I am wrong, but...  The City Clerk called this week indicating the the City has a variety of "concerns" that they will want to have addressed at the City Council meeting next Tuesday. I was given the impression that these concerns deal directly with the special events and new requirements for receiving a Temporary Use Permit. They promised to send the recommendations to me on Thursday (tomorrow) so that we could have time to evaluate their proposals and be prepared to discuss them at the upcoming meeting. It was truly nice to have an open dialogue with a city official... without threats, bullying, or demands... and who actually thought the brewery was an asset to the community. I hope this represents a turning point in our relations with the city!

[Kathleen]

Out-of-towners in for the Taste (especially those of you who have no problem sucking down the heavier stuff in warm weather) should consider making a trip out to the brewery for these goodies. 

I'm really excited to see the kinda-lambic return -- loved it last year and I wasn't even fully into sours yet!

[Tip Top]

Out-of-towners in for the Taste (especially those of you who have no problem sucking down the heavier stuff in warm weather) should consider making a trip out to the brewery for these goodies. 

I'm really excited to see the kinda-lambic return -- loved it last year and I wasn't even fully into sours yet!

I'm thinking we need to hit Tyranena before we head back to MN.  Can't you bring stuff to grill there?

[Surly Duff]

Out-of-towners in for the Taste (especially those of you who have no problem sucking down the heavier stuff in warm weather) should consider making a trip out to the brewery for these goodies. 

I'm really excited to see the kinda-lambic return -- loved it last year and I wasn't even fully into sours yet!

I'm thinking we need to hit Tyranena before we head back to MN.  Can't you bring stuff to grill there?

Sure can.  They even have a new grill this year.  I know it had been proposed to have grill-out there on Sunday.  Any interest in that?  I'll have to see what time Dill needs to be back by too though.

[Tip Top]

Out-of-towners in for the Taste (especially those of you who have no problem sucking down the heavier stuff in warm weather) should consider making a trip out to the brewery for these goodies. 

I'm really excited to see the kinda-lambic return -- loved it last year and I wasn't even fully into sours yet!

I'm thinking we need to hit Tyranena before we head back to MN.  Can't you bring stuff to grill there?

Sure can.  They even have a new grill this year.  I know it had been proposed to have grill-out there on Sunday.  Any interest in that?  I'll have to see what time Dill needs to be back by too though.

I'd have to talk to the other people riding along, but I think there would be interest.

[Kathleen]

For planning purposes:

it's a half-hour to Lake Mills from the east side of Madison;
you can bring anything (I helped grill pizzas last year) you want to eat or grill, as long as you clean up afterward (they have plenty of utensils if you need them);
there will probably be at least one dog (Rob's Cal) wandering around -- she'll beg a bit, but she's mostly friendly;
standard taps are $3.50 each, special taps are $4 or so;
there's a smallish but really nice beer garden with a side window for refills;
the playlist is full of bluegrass, folk, altcountry, Cajun, Zydeco, and the like;
... what else am I forgetting?

[Surly Duff]

For planning purposes:

it's a half-hour to Lake Mills from the east side of Madison;
you can bring anything (I helped grill pizzas last year) you want to eat or grill, as long as you clean up afterward (they have plenty of utensils if you need them);
there will probably be at least one dog (Rob's Cal) wandering around -- she'll beg a bit, but she's mostly friendly;
standard taps are $3.50 each, special taps are $4 or so;
there's a smallish but really nice beer garden with a side window for refills;
the playlist is full of bluegrass, folk, altcountry, Cajun, Zydeco, and the like;
... what else am I forgetting?

All you can eat Gardetto's mix and Hit The Spot!  Bottled beer and growlers are also available for purchase (and it's WI so you can buy off-sale on a Sunday).  If there are enough people we could bring some kinda lawn games (Jarts and beer go great together).  Bitter Woman thongs?

[Kathleen]

For planning purposes:

it's a half-hour to Lake Mills from the east side of Madison;
you can bring anything (I helped grill pizzas last year) you want to eat or grill, as long as you clean up afterward (they have plenty of utensils if you need them);
there will probably be at least one dog (Rob's Cal) wandering around -- she'll beg a bit, but she's mostly friendly;
standard taps are $3.50 each, special taps are $4 or so;
there's a smallish but really nice beer garden with a side window for refills;
the playlist is full of bluegrass, folk, altcountry, Cajun, Zydeco, and the like;
... what else am I forgetting?

All you can eat Gardetto's mix and Hit The Spot!  Bottled beer and growlers are also available for purchase (and it's WI so you can buy off-sale on a Sunday).  If there are enough people we could bring some kinda lawn games (Jarts and beer go great together).  Bitter Woman thongs?

Wellll, not exactly.  I haven't been in a bit, but they have pretzels (and optional mustard), not Gardetto's, all the time.  I believe the Gardetto's mix is only once a week. 

I'm almost positive they won't fill non-Tyranena growlers.  Sucks, but whatyougonnado? 

Bitter Woman thongs... Ben, are you saying you're modeling for us?   

[Surly Duff]

Wellll, not exactly.  I haven't been in a bit, but they have pretzels (and optional mustard), not Gardetto's, all the time.  I believe the Gardetto's mix is only once a week. 

I'm almost positive they won't fill non-Tyranena growlers.  Sucks, but whatyougonnado? 

Bitter Woman thongs... Ben, are you saying you're modeling for us?  

Hmmmm, ok.  It's always been Gardetto's when I've been there but maybe I've been lucky and I haven't been in since Dark Lord Day. 

I don't think they do non-Tyranena growlers either but they have bottles of everything for the most part so it's not a huge deal I wouldn't think (only thing I've ever gotten a growler of was the Pretty Damn Black Stout).

Never sported the Bitter Woman thongs but my friend did buy the Sand Creek "Wild Ride" thongs for his wife.  I'll only rock the Bitter Woman thongs if someone else drives my car back as it'll take a lot of beer to get me to that point.

[tangfoot]

If there are enough people we could bring some kinda lawn games (Jorts and beer go great together).

[Surly Duff]

If there are enough people we could bring some kinda lawn games (Jorts and beer go great together).

What's wrong with a bunch of people drinking and throwing flying spikes towards each other?

[tangfoot]

If there are enough people we could bring some kinda lawn games (Jorts and beer go great together).

What's wrong with a bunch of people drinking and throwing flying spikes towards each other?

I think you missed my edit.

[Surly Duff]

HAHA!  Now I see. There are too many things wrong with jorts and drinking beer.

[dill]

Out-of-towners in for the Taste (especially those of you who have no problem sucking down the heavier stuff in warm weather) should consider making a trip out to the brewery for these goodies. 

I'm really excited to see the kinda-lambic return -- loved it last year and I wasn't even fully into sours yet!

I'm thinking we need to hit Tyranena before we head back to MN.  Can't you bring stuff to grill there?

Sure can.  They even have a new grill this year.  I know it had been proposed to have grill-out there on Sunday.  Any interest in that?  I'll have to see what time Dill needs to be back by too though.

My flight leaves at 7pm on Sunday night, but I can look into changing it if that's too early to stop over for some grilling.  That sounds like a great idea. 

[Surly Duff]

Out-of-towners in for the Taste (especially those of you who have no problem sucking down the heavier stuff in warm weather) should consider making a trip out to the brewery for these goodies. 

I'm really excited to see the kinda-lambic return -- loved it last year and I wasn't even fully into sours yet!

I'm thinking we need to hit Tyranena before we head back to MN.  Can't you bring stuff to grill there?

Sure can.  They even have a new grill this year.  I know it had been proposed to have grill-out there on Sunday.  Any interest in that?  I'll have to see what time Dill needs to be back by too though.

My flight leaves at 7pm on Sunday night, but I can look into changing it if that's too early to stop over for some grilling.  That sounds like a great idea. 

I'll ask around in the Great Taste thread to see what people think.  I know Gator and others are flying out Monday I think so we can see what time they are gonna head back to Minneapolis too.  Bakes has to head home at some point too but is down for a BBQ.

[Surly Duff]

Scurvy On Tap Friday Night! We have one 1/6 barrel our latest Brewer's Gone Wild! series beer remaining. For anyone that does not remember... since it has been awhile since we had it on tap... that was Scurvy IPA brewed with orange peel. I was saving this keg for our friends up in Minnesota for the Autumn Brew Review... but thought our friends here at the brewery might appreciate it a little bit more.  So we will be tapping the last keg right at 6:00 p.m. And a 1/6 barrel only has 40 or so pints... and a whole lot less mugs!

The Latest On Our Continuing Saga With The City of Lake Mills. This week it was on to the City Council to have our Liquor License modified so that we could continue to host events in our lawn area. We received the City Council briefing packet last Friday with the proposed change to our liquor license as well as some possible restrictions the City Council may wish to impose upon us. We were not really all that happy with what we read. The "possible restrictions" were many that were suggested on a possible Conditional Use Permit a few weeks earlier... that we thought harsh then too. And the proposed motion gave such leeway to the City Manager to require anything he desired before approving a Temporary Expansion Of Licensed Premised that we felt we were possibly subject to any whim of the City Manager (the City Attorney later explained that the vague and open-ended language was written to provide flexibility in approving our events). Again, concerned citizens packed (well, made a significant presence) the Council Chambers and several gave well thought out commentary (my personal favorite was Marty who after reading the proposed motion thought that someone at the city had a "personal vendetta" against either me or the brewery.) Ultimately, the whole topic was tabled and a meeting scheduled between two members of the City Council, three member of the City Administration, Stacey and me. The City Council (and I suspect the Administration) seem to want to get this worked out in a favorable way within the confines of city and state codes. We'll see how things go next week.

[Surly Duff]

Our Continuing Saga With The City of Lake Mills. Met this week with two members of the City Council and three people from City Administration to hammer out an understanding of how to proceed with our special events. Didn't get exactly what we wanted... in fact, we still haven't seen the final form of our permit applications... but things very well may be more complicated and costly... which ultimately means less money for the charities... but I am sure people will feel safer knowing that tents were inspected by both the fire inspector and the building inspector (as it turns out, in the City of Lake Mills Ordinances even a little 10' x 10' pop-up tent that merchants frequently use during the Farmer's Market downtown require both a building permit and a fire inspection).

Looks like we will also be installing a driveway entrance to the field south of the building (which does give us a little more flexibility for events)... and lots and lots of additional paperwork. Hard to imagine how these things could have possibly occurred over the years without the benefit of government oversight...  I do feel fortunate that we had members of the City Council present... making it a reasonable conversation instead of just receiving edicts from administration.  I will say it has been a whole lot of fun reading the International Building Code and International Fire Code as it relates to tents and bathroom requirements... and perusing vast sections of the City Ordinances as it relates the Site Plans, Performance Standards, Industrial Districts, etc.

[Tip Top]

Rob was reading fire codes when we got there on Sunday.  Poor guy.  I know how boring it was to read WI liquor laws.

[Surly Duff]

Love the weekly newsletter.  Really shows that running a brewery isn't all fun and drinking beer.  Lots of work involved and it's not all smooth sailing.

[JJ]

Love the weekly newsletter.  Really shows that running a brewery isn't all fun and drinking beer.  Lots of work involved and it's not all smooth sailing.

Yet I still want to do it

[Tip Top]

Ben forgot the part about the beer...

Brewing: Brewing a single batch of Headless Man Amber Alt and a triple batch of our next Brewers Gone Wild! beer Hop Whore Imperial IPA. Due to the hop shortage, we are having to make a modest change (hopefully imperceptable) to our hop additions. Specifically, we are a little short of Simcoe hops... which is one of the more distinctive varieties... and it looks like we will continue to be a little short for at least the next few years (apparently one of the few farmers who grows this hop decided to take these plants out of his fields).

[Surly Duff]

Ben forgot the part about the beer...

Brewing: Brewing a single batch of Headless Man Amber Alt and a triple batch of our next Brewers Gone Wild! beer Hop Whore Imperial IPA. Due to the hop shortage, we are having to make a modest change (hopefully imperceptable) to our hop additions. Specifically, we are a little short of Simcoe hops... which is one of the more distinctive varieties... and it looks like we will continue to be a little short for at least the next few years (apparently one of the few farmers who grows this hop decided to take these plants out of his fields).

Boo ya!  ####ing stupid BAs.  They questioned me when I said that some farmers were plowing under their fields of Simcoe to grow other hops and told me I was wrong and that there was no way that happened.

[nase]

Ben forgot the part about the beer...

Brewing: Brewing a single batch of Headless Man Amber Alt and a triple batch of our next Brewers Gone Wild! beer Hop Whore Imperial IPA. Due to the hop shortage, we are having to make a modest change (hopefully imperceptable) to our hop additions. Specifically, we are a little short of Simcoe hops... which is one of the more distinctive varieties... and it looks like we will continue to be a little short for at least the next few years (apparently one of the few farmers who grows this hop decided to take these plants out of his fields).

Boo ya!  ####ing stupid BAs.  They questioned me when I said that some farmers were plowing under their fields of Simcoe to grow other hops and told me I was wrong and that there was no way that happened.

Is this better than being wrong and there being plentiful Simcoe for everyone to enjoy?

[Surly Duff]

Ben forgot the part about the beer...

Brewing: Brewing a single batch of Headless Man Amber Alt and a triple batch of our next Brewers Gone Wild! beer Hop Whore Imperial IPA. Due to the hop shortage, we are having to make a modest change (hopefully imperceptable) to our hop additions. Specifically, we are a little short of Simcoe hops... which is one of the more distinctive varieties... and it looks like we will continue to be a little short for at least the next few years (apparently one of the few farmers who grows this hop decided to take these plants out of his fields).

Boo ya!  ####ing stupid BAs.  They questioned me when I said that some farmers were plowing under their fields of Simcoe to grow other hops and told me I was wrong and that there was no way that happened.

Is this better than being wrong and there being plentiful Simcoe for everyone to enjoy?

I had heard it from a brewer that attended the Hop Growers of America convention and they still didn't believe it was true.  I guess what makes it hard to believe is that someone would plow under one of the most in-demand and profitable hops to grown some less in-demand variety.

[Tip Top]

Extra Dirty Old Man Is Either Gone Or Almost Gone. Writing this on Tuesday so I don't know if there will actually be any left when this newsletter goes out. If there is any left... Wednesday is probably your last chance to get some. The keg felt extremely light...
                 
Extra Devil Over A Barrel Soon To Be On Tap. We have a few kegs of unblended, unfiltered Devil Over A Barrel - Imperial Oatmeal Porter Brewed With Coffee Beans And Aged In Bourbon Barrels (whoa that is a mouthful). Unblended... so more of the bourbon and barrel characteristics will likely come through. Unfiltered... so you may find some ground coffee in your beer glass... or your teeth... hopefully not stuck in your wind pipe. Again, we have very little of this beer as well... so we carbonate "in keg" which means the carbonation level could be almost anywhere from flat to frothy... and since we have very little I suspect it will not be around long. Enjoy it while you can.
             
Gemuetlichkeit Oktoberfest Now On Tap And In Bottles. Our fall seasonal went on tap last week and appears to be flowing pretty briskly. I am reasonably confident we will have enough to make it through the entire month of September... and maybe even last through the Oktoberfest Bike Ride.  Bottles have gone out to quite a few of our Wisconsin distributors and should be showing up in stores soon. We did send a few kegs up to the Twin Cities... but no bottles for our Minnesota friends.
Brewing: Brewing a single batch of Three Beaches Honey Blonde and batches 3 and 4 of Hop Wh0re Imperial IPA, a next installment in the Brewers Gone Wild! series..

Bottling: Bottling 320 or so cases of Stone Tepee Pale Ale on Wednesday and approximately 240 cases of Headless Man Amber Alt on Friday.

[Surly Duff]

Party With (or Like) A Wh0re This Friday. That's right, we will be tapping this year's version of Hop Wh0re Imperial IPA, a recurring selection in our Brewers Gone Wild! series. We will be tapping at 6:00 p.m. sharp... in part so people have a chance to get here after work... in part to annoy our after work regulars who don't want to have to stay that late. Dress like a wh0re and we will likely give you a free pint... and someone else may end up buying you your next. We will be bottling Hop Wh0re on Monday so no bottles available until then (Benji is on yet another vacation and we could not find enough people to bottle on Friday)... and again, no growler fills of this limited production beer.

Extra Devil Over A Barrel On Tap. We have a few kegs of unblended, unfiltered Devil Over A Barrel - Imperial Oatmeal Porter Brewed With Coffee Beans And Aged In Bourbon Barrels (whoa that is a mouthful). Unblended... so more of the bourbon and barrel characteristics will likely come through. Unfiltered... so you may find some ground coffee in your beer glass... or your teeth. We have very little of this beer... so we carbonate "in keg" which means the carbonation level could be almost anywhere from flat to frothy... and since we have very little I suspect it will not be around long. Enjoy while you can... we will likely be taking this off tap so we can put Hop Wh0re on tap.

Gemuetlichkeit Oktoberfest Still On Tap. Our fall seasonal went on tap a couple of weeks ago and is flowing pretty briskly. I am still reasonably confident we will have enough to make it through the entire month of September... and maybe even last through the Oktoberfest Bike Ride and maybe even a couple of weeks into October.

Raw Material Update. As you know, the raw materials situation has been pretty tight for awhile now. Malt is up 75% from a year ago... hops are up 400% from a year ago... and yes, we will be increasing prices once again (just for us to merely pass along the increase in only the price of hops would require a price increase of $0.82 per six pack!). The outlook going forward is improving... at least for hops. Hops in the Czech Republic and UK are down (in fact, one farm in Washington produces more hops than all of Great Britain!). The German hop crop is the best they have seen in more than 50 years... and based upon new plantings... the U.S. growers are expecting a surplus again in 5 years (although like any cartel, they are going to try and prevent the unsustainably low prices of years past)... although various varieties will continue to be in short supply. On the malting barley front... Australia is still down... Europe is up slightly... US sounds like there are quality extremes but overall production is the same... and in Canada acreage is down about 10 percent but higher yields will likely keep production levels normal. So it sounds like there is going to be no price relief in malt this year... and who knows how much more food-produced ethanol and China's growing appetites are going to drive up grain prices again this year.

Mealtime Grace. Okay, I do not personally pray before I eat... but recently I read a "grace" given by a retired Jesuit priest at a banquet and, as someone who really enjoys food and drink,  I really enjoyed it and thought I would share it with you.

Oh Lord, restore our sensibilities. Give us back our sense of taste. Restore to us soups that spoons will not sink into and sauces that are not the same twice. Take away our fear of fat and make us glad of the oil that ran upon Aaron's beard. Give us pasta with a hundred fillings and rice in a thousand variations. Above all, give us grace to live as true men - to fast until we come to a refreshed sense of what we have and then to dine gratefully on all that comes to hand. Deliver us from the fear of calories and the bondage of nutrition. Set us free once more in our own land, where we shall serve you as you have blessed us with the dew of heaven, the fatness of the earth, the yeast in the air, together with an abundance of barley, hop, corn and grape. Amen.

HELP WANTED. Benji has told me that he may be leaving in January or March 2009 to continue his meandering through life (sounds like he may be headed out to California). I have been spoiled by not having to work so much (can even get out of bed and walk in the morning and stand upright at the end of a long day) so we definitely need to replace him. Don't have a firm starting date... not completely confident he is leaving for sure (you know Benji)... and ultimately we hope he is not departing... but we have to get the process started. It is a non-glamorous, back-breaking job with a difficult boss... but you get free beer. Not sure of the level of experience we are looking for... whether to hire someone with little to no experience as an assistant or someone with a lot of experience to contribute in additional ways... will depend upon who applies I guess.

Full-Time (Assistant) Brewer Needed. Tyranena Brewing Company, a 3,000+ bbl/year bottling microbrewery located in Lake Mills, Wisconsin (30 minutes east of Madison and 45 minutes west of Milwaukee) is seeking a full-time brewer.

Job duties will depend upon experience but will include all aspects of small brewery operations including, but certainly not limited to: wort production in our 30 bbl brewhouse, tank cleaning and sanitizing, DE filtration, packaging, keg cleaning and sanitizing, general cleaning, order fulfillment, maintenance, tap line cleaning and, of course, other duties as assigned. Previous brewing experience, education and a forklift license would be ideal but not required. Must have a passion for craft beer, the ability to work independently and multi-task while maintaining attention to detail, and a willingness to work flexible hours and the occassional weekend. And to give tours...

Health, dental, life, long-term disability, vacation and Simple IRA/employer match benefits available after a successful trial period. Wage/salary dependent upon experience.

Email letter, resume and earnings history to stacey@tyranena.com.


Brewing: Brewing a single batch of Chief BlackHawk Porter, a double batch of Bitter Woman IPA, and maybe brewing a single or double batch of something else... not sure yet.

Bottling: Bottled 208 cases of Three Beaches Honey Blonde on Tuesday. Have one case of mislabels available in the Tasting Room.

[JJ]

HELP WANTED...

Oh really...hmm

[mr. furley]

Dress like a wh0re and we will likely give you a free pint...

pre-emptive "pics of kathy, jess and nick" request 

[Kathleen]

All my whore clothes are in the wash. Nick, can I borrow a Wisconsin Tubas shirt?

[mr. furley]

All my whore clothes are in the wash. Nick, can I borrow a Wisconsin Tubas shirt?

clothes are optional

TIA