These bags of malt will soon transform into pints of beer
Well another 2+ months has passed since the last post...and we're not yet open. Not frustrated though! Kidding...it is kinda frustrating, with the inevitable delays involved with a project of this scale. That said, we're keeping our focus on the big picture, because a year from now, it won't really matter that we opened a few weeks (OK months) later than originally planned.
And when we think of the millions of decisions we make on a day-to-day basis - i.e., should we try brewing a batch despite a broken flow meter, thereby potentially compromising the quality of our beer, or just wait until a new flow meter arrives - it feels like we're making the right ones. We're trying to avoid being penny-wise and pound-foolish, rather, creating a brewery that's built to last. And this ties into our decision to brew classic styles of beer: While we're not averse to experimentation, we're more interested in brewing a small number of beers over and over, making incremental improvements in the pursuit of perfection. And on that note, we're now brewing! As of yesterday we have all five of our fermenters filled, with a nice cross-section of both ales and lagers.
Along with the incredible amount of work that's been put into constructing our brewing system, we're also building a taproom for people to come and taste our beer fresh from the tanks. And this is where our location comes in. We feel like we lucked into this location in Richmond, tucked up against the hills of Miller-Knox regional park, a sunny oasis in the middle of an urban metropolis. We'll have outdoor seating as well as games like bocce ball and cornhole, and the brewing equipment will be in full view of the taproom customers. Our goal is to have a comfortable place for folks in and around the area to stop by to enjoy a casual beer with friends and family. We've spent a fair amount of time now reaching out to the Richmond community, and we've been blown away by the enthusiastic reception. Can't wait to meet all of our new neighbors!
Oh and we did in fact wait for that new flow meter before brewing again, ensuring that delicious beer will be flowing in the taproom and in kegs & cans around the community...very soon!