More Scrambling!

I previously posted my Nut Brown woes.  I was able to get the new batch on after being down only about 36 hours.  Not great, but not too bad.

The next casualty looked like it was going to be the Weissebier.  I brewed it on Saturday and it's chugging along nicely.  I only hope we don't run out of the current batch before the next is ready. 

Finally, I was cutting it pretty close with the Amber.  This is our top seller. 

Let's talk for a moment about yeast. 

One of the beauties of brewing is that we are able to use our common ale yeast from one batch to the next.  While some brewers will allow their yeast to go for up to 20 generations, I tend to cap my generations to seven.  Over time, yeast can develop mutations that, while not harmful, can change the profile of your beer.  Yeast is one of the most expensive ingredients in brewing.  As I was on my seventh generation of ale yeast in the Nut Brown, I called the Lab to order a new pitch.  They said it would ship the second week of September.  I asked why it would take so long, and I was told that they had a "yeast infection" and they had to dump all of their supply and start from scratch!

Rock Bottom to the rescue!  I called my friend, Dave Bass, to see if he had any ale yeast to spare, and he had plenty.  Dave's been doing a bit of scrambling on his own, as Rock Bottom has been very busy lately.

A few years ago, when I worked for Dave, I asked him, "Is there a lot of competition among Milwaukee craft brewers?"  His response was something I didn't expect and have found true to this day...

"No, we help each other out.  What's good for one of us, is usually good for all of us."

And so it is.  Dave, and other Brewmasters in the area know that if there's any way I can help them out, I will.  On that end, Dave and I also swapped some stories and advice.  He also gave me a sample of his current cask-conditioned ale which is his Naughty Scot--a Scotch Ale  in which he added an oak spile for some added flavor.  Quite frankly, it was one of the best Scotch Ales I've had in some time.

If you're downtown, go to Rock Bottom and ask for a cask-conditioned pint.  You won't be disappointed.