10 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I went to this party last night that had about 50-60 people at it. One of the attendees was my daughter's softball coach this past year and he happens to be one of the VPs of the Pabst Brewing Company and you may know or have read that they contract brew everything and they have resurrected old brands like Schlitz, Blatz, Pabst, Old Style, Stag, Colt 45 and about 50 other big names from yesteryear. He came before the party started and laid out a big stainless tub and filled it with Schlitz, Pabst and a new line they have called McSorley's (named after the famed NY bar) which included an "Irish Pale Ale" and a "Irish Black Lager". Everything laid out in the tub with ice, etc. Nearby was soda, water, etc. All of the liquor was inside. I came with a keg of ESB, a CO2 tank with reg, a cobra tap and a stack of 16-oz clear plastic cups. I set it up outside on the deck next to the Pabst display. A couple guys followed me out there to see what I was doing. I tapped the first glass which was all yeast and they winced. I poured that into the grass and grabbed another glass which was better. Eventually, everyone I saw who had a beer in their hand had one of mine. The beer eventually flowed crystal clear and I had a number of people asking about it and how their experience with homebrew is usually "rough". There were a couple of times where I saw people with a glass of it talking with the hosts of the party and the host pointing to me saying, He's over there, go ask him about it. The five gallons lasted about 3 hours and it was only then that I started seeing the bottles from the Pabst display come out... along with a lot of comments like, Well, after drinking that draft beer, this is kind of boring! The funny part is that the Pabst guy may have put the biggest dent in my keg! I also saw people who normally drink Miller Lite drinking my ESB all night. Always a satisfying situation for a brewer! Happy New Year Beerheads.

[Corbin]

This is a cool story. Hopefully some people will expand their horizons next time they go to pick up a six pack of beer. Did you talk to the VP much at all?

[Big Nake]

This is a cool story. Hopefully some people will expand their horizons next time they go to pick up a six pack of beer. Did you talk to the VP much at all?

Yeah, on and off all night. I know him pretty well. The main office for Pabst has been here in the Chicago burbs for awhile but there is some sort of restructuring happening and he is in the process of moving to California which peeves him and his family to no end. He has been over to my house before and has brought beers from their lineup but as soon as he drops his cooler off, he heads downstairs to the taps and drinks my stuff all night. Funny, ironic situation right there.

[Brauer]

Congratulations on the good reviews!

I tapped the first glass which was all yeast and they winced. I poured that into the grass and grabbed another glass which was better. Eventually, everyone I saw who had a beer in their hand had one of mine. The beer eventually flowed crystal clear and I had a number of people asking about it and how their experience with homebrew is usually "rough".

Since you seem to be doing this sort of thing pretty regularly, maybe you should set up a jumper system to move your carefully cleared beer over to a fresh keg, leaving the yeast behind, before moving it. Then you wouldn't have this problem.

[Big Nake]

Congratulations on the good reviews!Since you seem to be doing this sort of thing pretty regularly, maybe you should set up a jumper system to move your carefully cleared beer over to a fresh keg, leaving the yeast behind, before moving it. Then you wouldn't have this problem.

I don't consider it much of an issue. I will say that when I tapped the first glass and got a big shot of brown sludge, I was a little annoyed but I knew it was going to go like that. Later, once everything was flowing smoothly, I was standing out on the deck with a bunch of guys who were saying that the beer was very good and seemed more like a commercial beer. I laid the signature line on them... I like my beer to look like beer, not homebrew and I held it up to the light and it really was ultra-clear at that point. This ESB was 5.2%, 37 IBUs, SRM 10, all English Malt (UK Pale, TF&S Dark Crystal 2, Torrified Wheat), all Kent and Styrian Goldings and 1028. Not exactly a gateway beer for some people but it was cold, clear, well-balanced and very smooth. If it had stayed stirred up and cloudy, it may have not gone over as well, which is silly. All in the perception, apparently.

[davelew]

The funny thing is, the Pabst people could probably brew a beer like your ESB. Even if they had to use a lager yeast, they could make something darker and hoppier that would appeal more to ESB drinkers, and it surprises me that more big breweries aren't putting out products with flavor, especially if their own executives prefer those beers. With 50 beers out there, is it really a big risk for them to launch one beer with flavor?

[harryfrog]

All in the perception, apparently.

Enter Red Solo Cups.

[Big Nake]

Enter Red Solo Cups.

Yes, but no need here. I wanted the clear plastic cups to show off that brilliant clarity!

The funny thing is, the Pabst people could probably brew a beer like your ESB. Even if they had to use a lager yeast, they could make something darker and hoppier that would appeal more to ESB drinkers, and it surprises me that more big breweries aren't putting out products with flavor, especially if their own executives prefer those beers. With 50 beers out there, is it really a big risk for them to launch one beer with flavor?

It seems like they always futz it up. Remember Budweiser American Amber or whatever that was? Wrong. I tried this McSorleys Irish Pale Ale and Irish Black Lager and they weren't very good either. I don't even think I finished them. The Pabst guys saw me drinking them and laughed and said, "You're NOT going to think much of those beers after drinking yours!". They can't get it right.

[Humperdink]

I don't think their margins are as good as they are with their current products. Why take less and possibly turn some of their die hard BMC group into craft-ish drinkers and cut their throat twice?

[Brauer]

It seems like they always futz it up.

I work in the pharmaceutical industry and those big companies have the same kind of problem. They do the big industrial level thing really well, but have trouble getting out of the cage that they've built and being truly creative. They rely heavily on small companies to be innovative, then buy them. Unfortunately, they either dismantle the small companies or stifle their future creativity by making them part of the industry. It seems like the same story in a different industry. I don't expect anything very interesting to ever come from the big breweries, but I'd like them to surprise me once. Narragansett is one of the few breweries around here that seems to be able to make a bland mainstream American Lager and also interesting seasonal beers, but they pull that off by having a big brewery make their American Lager and a craft brewery make their seasonal beers.

[davelew]

Yes, but no need here. I wanted the clear plastic cups to show off that brilliant clarity! ;)It seems like they always futz it up. Remember Budweiser American Amber or whatever that was? Wrong. I tried this McSorleys Irish Pale Ale and Irish Black Lager and they weren't very good either. I don't even think I finished them. The Pabst guys saw me drinking them and laughed and said, "You're NOT going to think much of those beers after drinking yours!". They can't get it right.

OK, that makes sense. They can make flavorful beer, but it isn't as good as other craft beer so nobody drinks it.