Profiles

Q and A with Mark Baillie from Hell Bay Brewing Co.

Posted by AtlCan BeerBlog on 2012-11-05
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Hell Bay Brewing. 1 comment

Hell Bay Brewing recently announced expansion plans.  I’ve recently exchanged emails with owner Mark Baillie in order to complete this interview.

Atlantic Canada Beer Blogger (ACBB): How did you decide to open a brewery?
Mark Baillie (MB):  Opening a brewery or brew pub, was always a thought in the back my mind, since my first time home brewing. My wife and I both having culinary backgrounds, kicked the brew pub idea around for a while before deciding on a production brewery, thinking that we’ll take it one step at a time, as a brewpub really is two businesses rolled into one. So I started looking into how to get started, and how to finance it. The financing became a more challenging obstacle so we started small, with a 30gal. system. That system only lasted about 5 months before we had to up our production to our current system which is a mix of tanks and fermenters we acquired from Paddy’s Pub that include a couple of 300L and 600L fermenters, tanks, etc.

ACBB:  How many batches of beer did you make before going pro?
MB:  I don’t really know how many batches I brewed before going pro, but I brewed for approx. 10-12 years.

ACBB:Did you have any support from any local brewers in getting your operation started?
MB:  When we started we kept everything rather “low key” mainly because of the limited capacity of the brew system.

ACBB: Can you tell me about your current production?
MB:  We are currently producing approx. between 12 – 18hl/mo, between 200-300hl/year.  We brew 3hl batches at least once a week.  We acquired the tanks and fermenters from a local brewpub, and cobbled together everything else, literally, including homemade labeler, bottle washer, stir-plates, and the list goes on.

ACBB: Do you have any plans for any new beers?
MB:  I’m always planning for new beers, once we make the move to Liverpool, I’m planning on having 3-4 core brands, the English Ale of course, I’d like to keep a darker beer on as a regular perhaps a stout or the dark cream ale which was well received, and a lighter one we may keep the pale ale for that or create something else and use the pale as a seasonal. And as mentioned a rotating seasonal to keep things interesting.

ACBB: How do you approach recipes for your beers?
MB:  New recipes, I will sometimes make a smaller batch (20l) then scale it up, and sometimes (more often) make the full batch. As for resources, I use brewing books that I have acquired of the years, and the internet. I am planning on taking a brewing course from Seibel Institute in the new year, that will also be a valuable resource and foundation.

ACBB:  Other than your own beers, what are your favorites?
MB:  Other than my beers, I tend to drink the local offerings like Garrison, Rudder’s, Sea Level, and all of the Atlantic Canadian breweries, as well as the other Canadian Craft beers when I can get my hands on a bottle. And that is pretty much it, I’ll try an American or foreign brew every now and then, but when there is so many good beers within our own country I tend to stick to them.

ACBB: Do you use any local supplies for your beer or equipment at your brewery?
MB:  We try to use Atlantic Canadian suppliers as much as possible, we get hops in fall from local farmers, and currently have a local wood working shop making tap handles for us, etc.

ACBB: Can you tell me about your expansion plans?
MB:  The expansion in Liverpool will entail our current 6hl brewhouse, along with 10 bbl fermenters. Upgraded bottle and kegging systems, and necessary equipment to brew at that scale.With the increased production, we will be able to get our beer on tap in more locations, such as Halifax and elsewhere. Our bottled production will increase as well so we can supply more bars and restaurants and possibly the NSLC. Even with the expansion, we are still a very small operation, so we probably won’t be distributing outside of the province for now.

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Check out the Hell Bay website for a description of their English Ale and Pale Ale beers.   You can follow them on Facebook and on Twitter ( @HellBayBrewing ).

Q and A with Stephen Dixon from Grimross Brewing Co.

Posted by AtlCan BeerBlog on 2012-11-02
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Big Tide Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Sean Dunbar. 1 comment

Grimross Brewing Co. is the latest entry to the Atlantic Canadian brewing scene.  They’ve just launched their first beer, a collaboration beer with Picaroons.  I’ve recently exchanged emails with brewery owner Stephen Dixon in order to complete this Q & A.

Atlantic Canada Beer Blogger (ACBB):  How did you decide to get into brewing professionally?

Stephen Dixon (SD): Primarily it is because I want to share new good and interesting beer with others. For years I have enjoyed bringing others beers to gatherings of family and friends and doing tastings to expose people to something new and interesting. Combine that with my own interest to create and craft new and interesting beer, I couldn’t imagine not doing it. For me it has been more a matter of when, not if.

ACBB:  Do you have a background in home brewing?  If so, approximately how many different batches have you brewed?  Have you been / are you involved in any home brewing clubs?
SD: Yes, I have been brewing for almost 20 years. I think I made my first malt extract beer when I lived in Vernon British Columbia, it was a Porter if memory serves. I really can’t say how many batches I have brewed, I never really kept track until recently when I started using brewing software to track the details of my recipes and brewing. I have had some periods where I did very little brewing for various reasons, but I would say it is somewhere in excess of 200. For a time, I moved to brewing fruit wines made from locally picked berries, mostly chokecheery, elderberry and cranberry. Other than the cranberries, I picked all my chokecherries and elderberries. I make wine from them and incorporate them into some of my beers. I have an Elderberry Ale conditioning right now. Yes, I am currently a member of the New Brunswick Craft Brewers Association. It consists of homebrewers from around the province, but most members are in Fredericton. The NBCBA holds bi-weekly meetings to share knowledge on brewing and there is also periodic brewing competitions. It is made up of very knowledgeable and experienced brewers and complete beginners. Oh, and we do a little tasting as well 😉 
ACBB: What styles are you planning on brewing?
SD: This is a bit of a tough question for me. For the benefit of others I usually say Belgian (and it’s somewhat true) because it gives beer knowledgeable people a reference point. But another aspect of Belgian beer is that many Belgian Brewers were somewhat irreverent to style. They would push the envelope with ingredients (spices, vegetables and fruit) and fermentation (spontaneous [open to the air], wild yeast [mostly brettanomyces] and bacteria [lactobacillus, pediococcus]). So I think it is fair to say that my “style” is more inspired by the Belgian sense of adventure, exploration and attitude than necessarily a particular say BJCP style. I will say though that lately I have been very intrigued with “sour” beers, particularly Brettanomyces (Brett). Although Brett on it’s own is not usually associated with sour per se, it certainly contributes some interesting acidic, tart and funky tastes and aromas. I’m currently experimenting with 100% Brett fermented beer and early indications are good! 
ACBB: Did you have any assistance from any other breweries in setting up your operation?
SD: That’s easy, yes, Sean Dunbar of Picaroons (Northampton Brewing Co.)! Actually, I’m not sure if Sean would remember, but about 15 years ago, I approached Sean (and Andy) for advice on starting a brewery of my own and they were both very positive. It didn’t happen for me at that time for a variety of reasons, but they were certainly supportive. In my experience, Sean’s attitude has always been to support and grow the craft beer movement in New Brunswick and now Atlantic Canada and Canada. In my current venture Sean is helping me by allowing me to brew my beer in his Brewtique Brewery on 422 Queen St in downtown Fredericton. Given the capital intensive nature of brewing, you can imagine this is a significant help to me. Sean has also been very forthcoming on advice on things he has learned during his “pioneering” as a craft brewer in New Brunswick. I am very grateful for his help and support. Wendy Papadopolous of Big Tide Brewery in Saint John has also been very supportive. Last year Wendy invited me to Big Tide to brew a Stout with her. It was a great day of brewing and talking about brewing and I learned a lot from her as well. I have also been invited to do a collaboration beer with Microbrasserie Charlevoix in Quebec. Being a huge fan of their Belgian inspired beer, I am really looking forward to that. I think it’s fair to say that craft brewers are a good lot 😉 I hope to be able to pay it forward when it is my turn. 
ACBB: Where will you be brewing short term and what are your long term plans for a facility?
SD: As I mentioned, the current plan is to brew Grimross beer at the Picaroons Queen St. Brewtique brewery. Plans for my own Grimross brewery are already underway. It’s difficult to nail down a specific timeline, but I will be happy if this time next year we are talking about “the new” Grimross brewery here in Fredericton. 
ACBB: In what format are you planning on selling your beers?
SD: In the short term, while operating from the Picaroons Brewtique, Grimross will be sold in growlers and kegs from the Brewtique and to a few bars in Fredericton. As per our brewery plans, we intend to do the same plus bottles from day one.
ACBB: Do you have any accounts lined up to by your beer?
SD: Yes, we have a few Fredericton bars who have agreed to try our beer when it is available. Customer demand will dictate if Grimross beer stays on tap 🙂 We certainly hope our unique beers will find a niche.  
ACBB: Can you tell me about any Atlantic Canadian supplies or equipment you are planning on using in your brewery?
SD: Yes and no. Supplies are hard to pin down in Atlantic Canada right now. Local malted barley is not consistent at this point, but when it is I am a big proponent of buying local. We do have some fresh hops available and I certainly plan to incorporate them if supply is available. I have been using local wild berries for some time, in particular, chokecherries and elderberries. I hope to incorporate them into some of my beers. On the equipment front, we have been in discussion with a certain Atlantic Canadian Brewery Equipment Manufacturer. 
ACBB: What are your favorite beers?
SD: To me that’s akin to asking me which of my children I love the most. Sorry, but I can’t say just one. One of my go to’s is La Chouffe from the Ardeenes. My favorite Picaroons, is Mans Best Friend (other than Monster Mash-Up;-). I’m a big fan of Brasserie Charlevoix, their La Dominus Vobiscum Brut is wonderful. Oude Geuze Boon from the Boon brewery in Belgium. I like to have an Orval at least once a week and right now on tap in my garage, the Blonde Duivel, a Semin-Sour Belgian blonde finished with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, yum. I could really go on and on, but I’ll stop here. 
ACBB: Any other interesting facts about your operation that you’d like to mention?
SD: I don’t like to be hemmed in when it comes to crafting new beer, so people should expect the unexpected from time to time 😉
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Grimross Brewing can be followed on Twitter ( @GrimrossBrewing ) and also has a Facebook page. 

Q and A with Jeremy White from Big Spruce Brewing

Posted by AtlCan BeerBlog on 2012-10-31
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Big Spruce Brewing. 2 comments

The husband and wife team of Jeremy and Melanie White are currently working on opening up Nova Scotia’s first certified organic on-farm brewery, Big Spruce Brewing, at 64 Yankee Line Road, Nyanza, Cape Breton.  I recently exchanged emails with Jeremy to complete the following Q & A:

Atlantic Canada Beer Blogger (ACBB):  How did you decide to open your own brewery?
Jeremy White (JW): A lot of reasons.  I have been a home brewer for years, and have wanted to scale my production up to a commercial level for a long time.  We also feel there is a lot of opportunity in the craft beer market in Nova Scotia.  NSLC reports 25%+ year on year growth for the purchase of beer that categorizes as craft brewed.  There are few businesses in the world that have this kind of growth potential in them.  We also see some niche market voids for certain beer types, and hope our year round selections and many farm fresh seasonals will fill some market spots.  We have started this venture on the simple belief that beer can be a lot better by using the freshest, highest quality ingredients – like hops from our certified organic hop yard.  We are entering year 3 of growing 11 varietals of hops here on our 75 acre farm: Goldings, Cascade, Zeus, Fuggle, Nugget, Willamette, Challenger, Chinook, Galena, Mt Hood and Centennial.  It was a logical progression for us to start the brewery.


ACBB:  Do you have a background in homebrewing?
JW: I’ve been home brewing for 15+ years.  The number of different batches is too many to count.  Melanie comes from a catering background before we bought our farm here, and we have built a second floor restaurant over the brewery with a view of Lake Bras D’Or, where Melanie will be holding brewery dinners, by reservation only, a couple of times a week in the summer (starting 2013).


ACBB: What styles are you planning on brewing?
JW: We plan to brew two beers year round – an oatmeal stout, and a pale ale.  We want to also brew seasonals, and plan to make sure that our approach to sales suits a brew schedule that permits the brewing of one off specials and yearly seasonal beers.

 
ACBB: Did you have any assistance from any other breweries in setting up your operation?
JW: We got a lot of help from Crannóg Ales in Sorrento, BC.  We have visited Crannóg on two occasions, and I have brewed there with the owners, Brian and Rebecca.  A lot of what we are trying to do with our operation mirrors what we learned and grew to appreciate from Crannóg’s dedication to great beer and a sustainable approach to their business.  We also have a brewing consultant on board with our start up – Shirley Warne, who currently brews in Osoyoos, BC, and previously brewed at Amsterdam in Toronto, Garrison in Nova Scotia, and Steamworks in Vancouver.  Shirley also helped Crannóg get off the ground successfully.  In the Maritimes, Sean Dunbar and the folks at Picaroons have always been willing to help.  Everyone we have spoken to about.

 
ACBB: You are planning on selling kegs (50L and 20L) and growlers when you open.  Do you have any long term plans to start bottling or canning your beers?
JW: We will never bottle or can.  The fact that we are a farm based facility makes it impossible, due to the wastewater creation from a bottling line.  We also want to self distribute our beer.  Too often have I personally purchased craft beer from the NSLC only to find it is skunky due to improper storage.  Why do they only put the pasteurized beer in the fridge???  We want to make certain that 100% of our beer arrives at our customers’ doors as fresh as can be.

 
ACBB: Do you have any accounts lined up to by your beer?
JW:  We have been brewing our intended recipes on my small pilot system for months now, and we’ve done samplings with many restaurants/bars in Halifax, Antigonish, Sydney and around Cape Breton.  The response has been great, and many have agreed to carry our beer once we start production.

 
ACBB: Tell me about your hop farm operations.
JW: We had a great harvest this year.  Hop production was down greatly across the Maritimes in 2012 because the summer was so dry, but we invested in irrigation this year, and as a result averaged over a full pound of wet hops per plant.  We dry our hops in an oast on farm, and vacuum seal/freeze them.  They will be used in the first batches of beer from the brewery.  In 2013, we will be expanding the hop production to just about an acre of planted yard.


ACBB:  Are you using any Atlantic Canadian supplies or equipment in your brewery?
JW:  DME Brewing of PEI is supplying our brew system.  They are on Facebook if you want to check them out.

 
ACBB: What are your favorite beers?
JW:  We enjoy any well crafted beer.  Impossible to choose just a few!

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To follow the progress of the new brewery follow them on Facebook.