Author: Professor Good Ales

This Edition: A review of the new “kid” on the Middle Tennessee brew block.

On Saturday 14th, 2 p.m., probably up on the balcony, Music City Brewers will be meeting at…

Cool Springs Brewery
600A Frazier Drive
Suite 135
Franklin, TN 37067
615-503-9626
coolspringsbrewery.com
Brewer: Mike Kraft

Written by Ken Carman

Though plans can change, I probably won’t be there because I have an interview with Fred Matt in Utica, NY, and have to work on my retirement home in the Adirondacks, so I stopped by to check it out a few times more than I intended. You see I took pictures during my two visits. Later that day my camera introduced me to a feature I didn’t even know it had: “delete everything.” Aw, shucks, I had to stop again the next Saturday. Ah, a beer lover’s work is never done.

Directions: I zeroed out the trip just as I exited exit 68B off I-65; Cool Springs. Take the west portion of the exit. Now you could take the first left after the reentry to I-65: Mallory LN., then your first right (unnamed) and it will be on your left in a while, but I recommend passing Mallory and taking the next left that looks like it goes to TGIF and Walgreens… small Thomasville Furniture sign too. That’s actually an unnamed access road. Not even 1 mile to that turn. (0.8) Once you get to a stop sign your trip will probably read 0.9 or still 0.8. You should see Cool Springs Brewery in the brick shopping plaza on your right. Take that right then a quick left and park. If you keep going straight you might hear a few complaints in a British brogue from the owners because you will have driven right through the windows; not a good idea. )

I’ve been told that for the first few months, to a year or more, it’s best not to rate the brews at new brewpubs. Give them time to tweak recipes and “get their legs.”

Well, Mike Kraft blew that mostly foam laden assumption out of the wert.

Obviously all that foam made the picture a bit hazy. No, after losing all those pictures I took another one and it looked good in the camera. Then the digital gremlins got to it and licked it hoping it tasted like his beer. Hope it was at least worth the effort boys. Driving to Cool Springs three times sure was worth it for me.
Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All”

“Beer yeast way to lose weight. Beer yeast way to lose weight is to eat it at least once. Specific method is to drink yogurt mixed with it so as to inhibit body’s absorption of calories.”

Link

“Beer yeast way to lose weight. Beer yeast way to lose weight is to eat it at least once. Specific method is to drink yogurt mixed with it so as to inhibit body’s absorption of calories.”

Link

Also can be found at Professor Good Ale’s beer section here at LT Saloon.

Profiled by Ken Carman

Continue reading “Beer Profile: Fresh Hop Ale”

Written by Greg Kitsock

©Copyright 1997 Greg Kitsock

It was called Brain Death, and it was a high­gravity brew in more than one sense of the word.

Brain Death was the creation of two homebrewers and certified beer judges, both brewers of whom are highly respected in their hobby. (For reasons that will become apparent, they wish to remain anonymous.) A potent barleywine (OG 1,100), Brain Death contained an extra ingredient that one of the euphemistically calls “special hops”.

In fact, the beer was “dry­hemped” with flowers of the female marijuana plant, homegrown by an acquaintance in Texas. The alcohol and tetrahydrocannibanol (THC) made a mind­rattling combination.

The creators of Brain Death brought some samples to the 1988 American Homebrewers Association convention in Denver, CO. There, the brewers were approached by Michael Jackson. Recalled one of them: “We told him what was in it, and poured him a pint. Forty­five minutes later, he came back and asked, ‘Is there any chance there would be some Brain Death left?’ We gave him our last bottle.”

The brewer later had his copy of Michael Jackson’s Beer Companion inscribed, “To [NAME]. Ever since we met, I’ve been suffering from Brain Death. Cheers, Michael.”
Continue reading “Pot Beer”

Without intent, I have collected well over 1,000 beer bottles since the early 70s. When something finally had to be done about the cheap paneling in this old modular, I had a choice. Tear down the walls while, oh, so carefully, replacing the often rotted 1X3s. Or: cover them with… The Bottle Collection.

Written by Ken Carman

This is one of those beers created by a company that really wasn’t a brewery, most likely because they knew micro-brewing was “the in thing” at the moment. Kind of embarrassing most of the time, but at least Jack is a distillery. Not all that notable, taste-wise, from what I remember. Daniels is noted for distilling, in this case brewing, in a dry county. They can’t sell locally. There’s a lot of that in the South.

It wasn’t horrid, and it certainly wasn’t like some of those labels we will feature later that the brewer simply slapped a label on so some bar or other business could claim to be selling their own beer. But you would think a company that already works in the alcohol producing business would go out of their way to make their product unique other than labelling. Exactly how it was “1888” in any sense I was never quite sure. My guess is, from what I remember, it was more like the early amber lagers produced in the early 80s/late 70s before micro really took off. Essentially the industry had already moved beyond JD before they ever even got into this in 1994. Apparently they took this endeavor so seriously that, as a producer of alcohol, they didn’t even bother to brew most of it themselves, but at Cinci’s Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Company, now Christian Moerlein Brewing Company.

All of this probably explains why you don’t see it anymore.

Nashville area

From Johnathan…

The style for the mini competition this month is Belgian Strong Ales, Category 18

Hello All,

After hours of compiling data from the competition I finally have an ED TATE AWARD winner.

I am pleased to announce and congratulate The Rocket City Brewers for once again winning the Ed Tate Award for Excellence, of the 9 categories for the award The Rocket City Brewers took maximum points in 4 of the 9 including # of Entries, # of Awards, # of First Place Awards and MidSouth Points.
The Rocket City Brewers Received 28.5 out of a possible maximum per club of 45 and out of a total 135 available Ed Tate Points.

In Second place was a single contestant Kevin Kroll from Nebraska who had no declared club affiliation but had minimum 10 entries with 18.83 points mainly because of his 10 entries – 2 won first place and both scored 44’s which gave him maximum points for 1st place average and overall average of awards. The Music City Brewers accumulated 16.5 and was good enough for third in the talley followed closely by South Atlanta Homebrewers and the finally the Final Gravity Craft Brewers.

I want to thank everyone again for their participation in the annual Music City Brew Off.

Until Next Year
May The Hops Be With You
tom vista
MCBO Coordinator