2014 Bay Area Craft Beer Festival

Brewing

Brewing up a batch of beer for the homebrew tasting tent at the upcoming Bay Area Craft Beer Festival.

I'm really looking forward to the festival.  I've always had a good time, and the weather should be great this year!

Third Street Ale Works (Santa Rosa)

Today Liz and I headed to Petaluma to pick a half of a pastured pig carcass that we had ordered.  Before heading to the meat processor, we he drove a bit further north, to Santa Rosa, and had lunch at the Third Street Aleworks.

I started off with a pint of their dry Irish stout.  The brewery took home a gold medal with this recipe at last years Great American Brew Fest in Colorado.

It was very nice.  Smooth, dry, with a toasty, coffee note, but without being a big or heavy beer.  

I followed it with a pint of their red IPA, which garnered them a bronze at GABF.  Liz had a tasting portion of their Annadel Pale Ale, served straight from the conditioning cask.  It was smooth, malty, but not being force carbonated, came off a bit flat, specially having been kept and served at room temperature.

Lagunitas Brewing Company brewery

The Brewhouse

Lauter Tun Control Panel

The inside of an empty lauter tun

Brewhouse task chart

The fermentation tanks.  These are glycol cooled and have clean-in-place technology so no human need enter them, not even to clean them.

Casks for the barrel-aged program.  Beers aged in these include a coffe stout and imperial stout.

The kegging line.

The tap room's beer garden.

Sour beers

My newest taste obsession