Alamo Brewing Company Ribbon Cutting - December 5

On December 5, after a ribbon cutting at Alamo Brewing Company, production of the beer will begin at the 18,000 square foot brewery.  The plan is to be producing 14,000 barrels in 8 years. The brewery will open to the public in March, complete with a beer garden and a beer hall.

Lucky me, I have been invited to the event. Unlucky me, I have to work that day.

Alamo beer has been contract brewed in Blanco at Real Ale Brewing Company.

Pedernales Brewing Company Extended Holiday Hours

For those that don't know, I sometimes work in the Pedernales Brewing Company tasting room on weekends. But on November 27, December 26, and January 2 (Fridays), the tasting room will be open from 1 pm to 5 pm.

I won't be there on those because I will be at my day job. Darnit!

Wicked Weed Peach Apricot Saison

Capital Ale House

Bowman Distillery

Blue Mountain Brewing Original Nitro Porter

Excellent!

The Blichmann Burner Blues

I haven't brewed in a few months, despite the recipes I posted. I developed a problem with my Blichmann Burner.

While finishing up the last boil on the Saison du Permienne, I noticed I was low on propane, so I swapped out the tank for a full one. But I couldn't get it to light. So I put the old tank back on and finished the boil with the last propane fumes.

I tried to brew the 1900 American Wheat Ale, but I still couldn't get the burner to work. So I went to a different store to get a new tank, thinking maybe a different company uses a different attachment. Nope. No Dice.

I attached the tanks to the gas grill, and the worked just fine.

Now that the summer was upon me, I decided to hold off on brewing.

Recently, Dave, who sometimes brews at Horny Toad Brewing Company, came into the tasting room at Pedernales Brewing Company while I was working, and suggested that I should go to a propane dealer and get one of their tanks. He said that sometimes the exchange tanks don't work with the valve in his regulator. He also suggested I clean out the burner.  There might be critters in there.

That got me to thinking that I should replace the regulator and the line. So I Googled replacement regulators and discovered one at Niagra Tradition Home Brew. I purchased it, and last weekend, I put it on the burner.

I MADE FIRE!

So I can brew this weekend!

Wait.

I can't do that. I am taking my parents to see my Uncle Donn, who isn't doing so well. I am reluctant to do so in case there's a problem. I wouldn't want to come home to a carpet full of beer.

So I will brew on the 24th, after I return home.

Coming Soon: IronSight Brewers

Robert Chaney and Grady Reynolds, self-confessed hopheads, joined forces in 2012 to open a brewery called IronSight Brewers. They found a location in Cedar Park and have been buying equipment a piece at a time.

Robert was born and raised in South Austin, and discovered craft beer in 2005 on a trip to Denver.

Grady was born in Austin and grew up in Austin and the Hill Country.

After that fateful Colorado trip Robert had passed on his interest in Craft beer. Robert & Grady began brewing in the garage 5 gallons at a time, honing their skills and eventually winning awards at beer competitions around the country.

The two they had always dreamed about starting their own brewery. Eventually they created IronSight Brewers.

Currently, IronSight is waiting on their TABC permits. They hope to be in the market in the Spring of 2015. Their flagship beers at the moment will be Cream Ale, White IPA, Oatmeal Pale Ale and Amber Ale. They will start selling in kegs and have plans to begin canning in the Fall of 2015.

Once things are up and running, they plan to open the brewery to visitors during open house events complete with live music and food trucks. They also plan to have several rotating taps with seasonal and experimental brews. Robert and Grady want IronSight Brewers to be a community-centric brewery.

Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates.

Big Thicket Brewery Opens in Lufkin

After a year and a half of planning and permitting, Jeremy Crew and Corey Crawford hosted a sold out Grand Opening of Big Thicket Brewery in Lufkin on October 25, much to the delight of the citizens.

There are no scheduled hours for the tasting room, yet, but they hope to open it regularly in December.

Beer for Male Fertility

Massachusetts General Hospital released a study that examined more than 100 men at the hospital whose partners were undergoing in vitro fertilization between 2007 and 2013. Men who drank a pint and a half a day were twice as likely to have a successful IVF session.

Coffee drinkers, though, cut their chances of a successful session to 1 in 5.

Audacious Brewing Company Opens in Denton

Scott Lindsey and Doug Smith opened Audacity Brew House on October 24 in Denton. It will be Denton's first brewery.

The brewery has a patio and tasting room that is open six days a week. The plan is to be a place people can visit after work for a couple of beers.

On weekends, there will be food trucks and live music.