Hello from Wisconsin

[logan3825]

I am from Wisconsin around the Madison area. I have had a strong interest in beer for quite a while but only a small interest in brewing until recently. That is until my wife and I took a hard hat tour of the New Glarus Brewery in July.(SHMBO likes craft beer as much as I do, fantastic since Hops N Props is an acceptable venue for our anniversary) Our guide gave a very detailed explanation of the brewing process, at least to me anyway. We had several homebrewers in our group and they asked some very good specific questions. He explained everything from malting right up until bottling.(I believe he said Moon Man was fermented at 68°F) I heard one of the other workers comment on how were were getting our money's worth.(3 hour tour just like Gilligan) Well that tour lit a fire under me and I just had to brew.

I started looking around the internet and figuring out what it would cost. About this time I talked to my neighbor and he said he would go in half with me.(R and T Brewing was born and there was much rejoicing) That has been great since I think we are in for close to $500 right now with only 3 kits in hand, one bottled, one fermenting and one yet to brew. Of course we are set up pretty nice right now.

I came across this site and have learned a lot and unfortunately probably think I know more than I do. This has gone on much longer than I originally intended but long story short, my love of beer has turned into a love of brewing. Thank you for all the knowledge you have passed on to me and allowing me to become a part of this community. I hope that I can find somebody to help, and pass on knowledge to as many here have for me.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Welcome. I'm from Rockford, but I'm in Madison every month or so. I love their beer scene.

 

[logan3825]

Well if you haven't been there I highly recommend The Great Dane. It is one of my favorite brew pubs. I would also highly recommend Copper's Tavern. Excellent selection of local and imported beer. Of course I would also recommend making a trip to New Glarus since they have a few brewery only beers including a Golden Ale made with brett last year and is aged pretty nicely now. I know, a lot of recommendations. There is also the Ale Asylum which I have never been to and The Malt House where they serve several Belgian beers. Madison was recently featured in Beer Advocate. I apologize if you already know about all these places.

By the way, I love am really impressed with Goose Island. I especially like their Pere Jacques. Nice Abbey. Only Abbey I like better is Ommegang. Also the former head brewmaster who worked at Ommegang since their startup is form Wisconsin and currently works at New Glarus in their lab.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Haha...yes, I've been to all of those places. I make a point to stop by Great Dane every few times I'm in Madison because of their great food. Ale Asylum is my favorite Madison Brewery. As for New Glarus....I'm a little different than most people. I feel that it's like Russian River brewery and their Pliny. If you can't get it, you want it even more. Then when you get it, you've built it up so much that everything tastes incredible.

Don't get me wrong... New Glarus makes good beer. It's just nothing incredible. Even their new ABT (supposedely a belgian quad) is a very light drinkable beer. A quad should kick my ass...but I can down an entire 4 pack of that stuff and not notice.

I guess since I can't get it, it's not that impressive to me.

 

[logan3825]

I would have avoided the ABT. I am not a fan of the New Glarus Unplugged beers. New Glarus scores high marks from me mostly on the back of Dancing Man Wheat and some of their other seasonals. The wife and I like Moon Man but think Spotted Cow is not good.

 

[3PegBrew]

Haha...yes, I've been to all of those places. I make a point to stop by Great Dane every few times I'm in Madison because of their great food. Ale Asylum is my favorite Madison Brewery. As for New Glarus....I'm a little different than most people. I feel that it's like Russian River brewery and their Pliny. If you can't get it, you want it even more. Then when you get it, you've built it up so much that everything tastes incredible.

Don't get me wrong... New Glarus makes good beer. It's just nothing incredible. Even their new ABT (supposedely a belgian quad) is a very light drinkable beer. A quad should kick my ass...but I can down an entire 4 pack of that stuff and not notice.

I guess since I can't get it, it's not that impressive to me.

For the longest time people were telling me New Glarus this, New Glarus that. "Try the Spotted Cow! It's amazing!" Well I did, and it's like a Miller. Nothing spectacular other than maybe your basic ale. I do enjoy a Fat Squirrel now and then, however. All in all, if you want to visit a cool town with good food and quite the scene, then New Glarus is the spot. The beer is ok but not phenominal.

Apparently Rockford beer drinkers don't get out much if they think Spotted Cow is the shiznit. I'm from Rockford and I've been trying to put out the word on that.

 

[Bluehaze]

Welcome fellow Wisconsinite.

This is a great group of folks, with an immense knowledge of just about anything. All you have to do is ask, and you will have a dozen answers before you can blink.

To chime in on New Glarus' brews...

...Spotted Cow is the absolute worst beer they brew, and it does get much better from there. I am a huge fan of most of their Unplugged brews (although the ABT was a big disappointment), most notably their Smoke on the Porter. After having this the first time, I had to replicate it, as the New Glarus 4-packs were getting harder and harder to find (I think I was drinking them faster than my local "beer hut" could stock them). The SWMBO loves their Wisconsin Belgian Red, perhaps even more so than the Lindemans Kriek Lambic.

Enjoy you time poking around here, and welcome.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

For the longest time people were telling me New Glarus this, New Glarus that. "Try the Spotted Cow! It's amazing!" Well I did, and it's like a Miller. Nothing spectacular other than maybe your basic ale. I do enjoy a Fat Squirrel now and then, however. All in all, if you want to visit a cool town with good food and quite the scene, then New Glarus is the spot. The beer is ok but not phenominal.

Apparently Rockford beer drinkers don't get out much if they think Spotted Cow is the shiznit. I'm from Rockford and I've been trying to put out the word on that.

I have to agree. Spotted cow seems to be the holy grail of New Glarus beers, but it's not very good. Fat Squirrel I like, and Moon Man is a good one also.

 

[motobrewer]

new glarus has some good beers. i don't particually care for spotted cow but moon man, staghorn, snowshoe red, are all excellent.

 

[DragonTail]

Welcome

 

[logan3825]

Thank you for the kind welcome. I have already found this site to be a very good resource for homebrewing. Off the top of my head some things I have already implemented I found here are
- Steep small, boil big(has something to do with the pH of the water, decreases chances of scorching extract)
- a spray bottle, Star San and Distilled water are great for easy sanitization
- you only need 3" of tubing to conect your bottle filler to the bucket, not 3'

What I like about New Glarus is they are not afraid to try new styles and fall on their face. They are easy access(who doesn't like easy access) and offer a large variety of styles throughout the year. They also do a yearly internet vote on the next year's lineup including a write in area for styles you would like to see. I believe I wrote in quad last year. I agree that Spotted Cow is not a good beer, at least in my opinion. It is however very poplar and it pays the bills. One thing I have learned about beer over the last few years is that everybody's tastes are different. Beer is similar to soda as some people like grape, some cherry. Some people like anything with sugar and bubbles.

 

[Short Drive]

Welcome from Racine.

 

[Kegcowboy]

Welcome! My wife went to HS in Madison.