VOLUME 1, FEBRUARY 2010
KEEPING YOU UPDATED ON THE STATE'S #1 MICROBREWERY
2054 Piedmont Hwy, Greenville, SC 29605 (864) 605-1166
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VOLUME 1, FEBRUARY 2010 |
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| NEWS FROM THE
CREEK KEEPING YOU UPDATED ON THE STATE'S #1 MICROBREWERY |
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2054 Piedmont Hwy, Greenville, SC 29605 (864) 605-1166 |
| UPCOMING EVENTS: FEBRUARY |
| THOMAS CREEK EXPANDS!!! |
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| NEW TANKS AND NEW BUILDING HELP PRODUCE MORE BEER | |
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Three new tanks ready for beer! |
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In these tough economic times, microbreweries are one of the few businesses that continue to experience economic growth. While the three largest domestic breweries are struggling to maintain their market share, microbrews are becoming increasingly popular. Thomas Creek (TC) sales in 2009 have continued to increase substantially; from 2008 to 2009 sales jumped 40%. Additionally, TC beer is now available in the Richmond, Virginia area. In the struggle to keep up with production, it became necessary to hire two more beer slaves. Christopher McElveen has a B.S. in Marketing from Clemson University, and is working as an additional assistant brewer while aiding in brewery marketing. Ed Gaffney has been a long time TC fan and volunteer, and he is working part-time at the brewery. Chris and Ed join the team of co-owners Tom and Bill Davis, Sales Director Katie Barnes, Assistant Brewer Matt Manthe, and Operations Manager Scott Harke. Thomas Creek has recently acquired two additional 60 barrel fermenters, and one 60 barrel Bright beer tank. We now have nine fermenters and five Bright beer tanks, increasing annual capacity to roughly 18,000 barrels. Additionally, TC has moved into a third warehouse, and the brewery now occupies 20,000 sq ft. The TC market includes SC, NC, GA, TN and VA. Our goal for 2010 is to be in FL an AL as well. |
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| FEATURED BEER | |
| UP THE CREEK EXTREME IPA | |
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The Stats...
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| The Beer... Big, bold, yet uncompromisingly smooth. With over 4 pound of hops per barrel, you won't forget there are hops in this beer; however, the malt fights for balance and hides the massive amount of alcohol. This malt medley and hope cocktail produce exquisite flavors of burnt sugar, black cherries, pine, mango and grapefruit. |
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NEW LEGISLATION TO ALLOW ON-SITE BEER PURCHASES |
| RESTRICTIONS STILL LIMIT IN-STATE MICROBREWERIES |
| Last year, Bill 3693 was submitted to the SC House of Representatives, but ended session in the Judiciary Committee. SC House Bill 3693 would have allowed very limited tastings to be conducted in a designated area of the brewery. In conjunction with the four other microbreweries in SC and the local beer wholesalers association, we have been working on a compromise bill that would allow for tastings and limited sales as part of our brewery tours. If the amended version is passed, we will be able to offer four 4 oz. samples of beer and sales of 288 oz. per person/per day; this would allow for sales up to two 1 gallon growlers, four 2 liter growlers, or one case of beer. While the bill is currently in the hands of the SC legislators, in the future we might be calling on your support for in-state microbreweries. Follow the issue at www.southcarolinabeer.org. |
| BEER: IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER | ||
| Meat In The Creek | ||
 As shown: served over a bed of asparagus |
Ingredients:
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Directions: Preheat grill to medium high heat (approx. 350-400 F). Allow
steaks to reach room temp; rub steaks with small amount of oil (or butter)
and season on both sides with salt & pepper. Place steaks on grill and brown
both sides (1-2 minutes per side). Place a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 stick butter, onions, mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt. Allow to sweat until onions become translucent and the vegetables have surrendered the majority of their liquid. Add beer, thyme, parsley, and marjoram to the vegetables in the skillet; combine until liquid base is formed. Place steaks into skillet with liquid and reduce heat to low. Allow to stew until tender. Reserve 1/2 stick butter and flour for thickening the completed sauce, if needed (sauce should be able to coat the back of a spoon). To thicken: alternate butter and flour near the end of cooking, beginning and ending with butter. Make sure all butter has melted and all flour has been absorbed before making any more additions. Sauce will thicken as it cools. |
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| SPOTLIGHT ON BEER: |
| IMPERIAL IPA (IIPA) |
| What do you get when a regular IPA is on steroids? And IPA with 65 homeruns? |
| No. You get an Imperial IPA. IIPA's are stronger, hoppier versions of IPA's with a more noticeable hop character and more alcohol, while still retaining great drinkability. An American craft-brewer revelation, IIPA'a are usually pale to red, and have an alcohol content around 8-10%, though stronger versions are acceptable. Virtually any variety of hops and malt can create a fantastic IIPA, so the style allows for maximum brewer creativity. Typically, lighter specialty malts such as Vienna, Munich and Crystal/Caramel are used, along with high alpha acid American hops. IPA's and IIPA's have been very popular recently among craft brewers and craft beer drinkers alike. If you like strong, aggressive, hoppy beers, pucker up and give an IIPA a try. |
| WHAT'S NEW FOR HOMEBREW? | |
| Many avid homebrewers in the
Upstate are still not aware the TC is the place to go when looking for
homebrew supplies. in addition to stocking equipment needed for all levels
of homebrewing, we also have filtering, bottling and kegging equipment. We
can also help those who prefer to make wine or mead. In order to fulfill our responsibilities as a production brewery, we maintain an extensive inventory of hops and grain, allowing us to offer over 35 hop varieties and over 40 malts at very competitive prices. We carry over 25 types of Wyeast, and offer nearly a dozen different wine yeasts. Thomas Creek Brewery now carries Minibrew/ Hobby Beverage homebrew equipment. Minibrew is best known for their assortment of well crafted plastic conical fermenters, ranging in size from 5 gallons up to 100. Additionally, Minibrew has all-grain brewing equipment. Stop by the brewery and check out the 6.5 gallon and 8 gallon fermenters while they are still on display! To check out the full lineup of Minibrew products, go to www.minibrew.com. If we don't have what you want in stock, let us know and we would be happy to order it for you. Need a lot of stuff? Beer production is our number one responsibility, and as such we may not always be able to help homebrewers as quickly as we'd like. We can prepare your order ahead of time to make things more convenient. Call the brewery at 864-605-1166 or email info@thomascreekbeer.com to pre-order supplies. Homebrew Shop hours are 8-6 M-F and 10-2 on Saturday. |
 Minibrew 8 Gal Conical Fermenter |
| ASK A BREWER | ||
| Ever had a question about beer, homebrewing or anything else to ask a professional brewer? Now's your chance! |
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| SHOULD I MAKE A YEAST STARTER? -James Hart, Homebrewer- Greenville, SC
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The quality of brewing yeast is often one of the most important and
overlooked factors in homebrewing. Most homebrewers brew 5 gallons of beer,
and use only one packet (250mL) of yeast. If brewing a standard ale with 4%
alcohol or less, this practice is suitable. However, when brewing a lager or
high gravity ale, a good starter is a necessity. For a strong healthy fermentation, it is best to pitch 1 million cells of ale yeast, and 1.5-2 million cells of lager yeast per milliliter per degree plato of well aerated wort. For those who don't appreciate mathematics, I'll outline the essential process for making a good starter. For 5 gallons of a high gravity ale (7.5-10% abv) or 5 gallons of a regular gravity lager, consider the following process:
Boiling and fermenting the starter in a 1 gallon glass jug works great, just don't cool the jug too quickly! If brewing a 10 gallon batch of beer, it is still possible to make a starter with one 250mL pack of Wyeast, but the starter will need about 48 hours to achieve enough growth before pitching. Ideally, a starter would be made as outlined above, and after 24 hours, the process would be repeated, (pitch the original starter after cooling) but with twice the volume of water and twice the DME. Alternatively, two starters could be made in 24 hours with two smack packs (500 mL liquid yeast), or one starter could have two smack packs in one pound of DME with 4 liters of water. As with all aspects of brewing, sanitation is extremely important. A contaminated starter will never result in a good beer. A good starter ensures a faster start to fermentation, less production of off-flavors, and a faster finishing, more attenuative fermentation. |
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Do you have a homebrew or other beer question you want answered by a professional brewer? Send your questions to Matt Manthe, Assistant Brewer @ Thomas Creek at brewermanthe@gmail.com with subject title "Ask a Brewer." |
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2054 Piedmont Hwy, Greenville, SC 29605 (864) 605-1166 info@thomascreekbeer.com www.thomascreekbeer.com |
