Saint Arnold Brewhouse Blog

So this part isn't so fun... until we're finished!
Our casks circulate. In other words, we send them out, we get them back. Problem is, when we get them back, they are open to the air... and whatever else cares to investigate. That means some poor soul has to clean them out. Last Friday, I cleaned out 16 casks. It's a delightful experience. (6 Mb, Requires Apple's Quicktime, hosted offsite because it's too darn big...) (BTW, Images are from a previous cleaning.. not mine.)
These days we're casking Elissa I.P.A. although in the past we've done Amber. Even though they arrive dirty and smelly, by the time we're done, the casks are sanitized and immaculate for casking. There's nothing like handling Mjolnir, which hammers home both the "keystone" and the "shive" with a satisfying ring of wood on metal. At the end of the day we have 16 brand new casks (7 Mb, Requires Apple's Quicktime) of tasty, unfiltered, dry hopped Elissa ready for your enjoyment!

Posted by Bev at 09:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Back in September, we received a pair of Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels. Anyone who attended last year's Saint Patrick's day event will no doubt recall that we had a very tasty (and very intoxicating) bourbon barrel stout. We decided if one barrel was good last year, then two have to be even better!
Of course the fun of doing special projects like these is how we manage to fill (and drain) something we're really not set up to use on any kind of regular basis. Vince and I came up with a workaround back in September to fill them, which also provided some entertainment to the party that was at the brewery that night. Since then, the barrels have been lurking in our cold box, waiting for their day in the sun.
The sunny day proved to be this last Wednesday when we filled nine firkins with the now bourbon-infused stout. It is dangerously delicious, kicking off with a huge note of oaky vanilla and bourbon alcohol. That is followed right away with a hit of powdered cocoa and the mellowed roast of the stout. The aftertaste is a hint of whisky maltiness and a return of the vanilla note.
Getting it out of the barrel was as much an exercise in improvisation as getting it in, but we managed to get it done!
We'll be sampling it at the Saint Patrick's day party, in addition to judging our Donegal beards, which have been growing since January 1st!

Posted by Bev at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)