Roof Hound Brewing

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Roof Hound Brewery opens today in Digby, NS

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-08-04
Posted in: Profiles. Tagged: Roof Hound Brewing. 5 comments

roofhoundlogo

 

After several months of tireless work, Roof Hound Brewing Company is opening today. Owner and Brewer Les Barr rose to national attention with his appearance on Season 3 of MasterChef Canada this spring. When we interviewed him back in February, he was about to begin construction on Roof Hound Brewery at 2580 Ridge Rd, 10 minutes from downtown Digby. Today, the brewpub is opening at 11am for beers and lunch onsite.

Barr has been homebrewing for a decade, jumping into all-grain brewing after just a couple of attempts at partial mash batches. Since then, he has been refining his recipes with the assistance of friends and family, aiming to brew unique recipes that appeal to a wide audience of drinkers.

Scallop bin converted into a mash tun, from https://www.instagram.com/roofhound/

Scallop bin converted into a mash tun, from https://www.instagram.com/roofhound/

Demonstrating the DIY aspect of many small local breweries, the Roof Hound brewhouse is a unique one: the mash tun (where grain is mixed with warm water to extract sugars, flavour, and colour compounds) is a converted scallop bin, with a custom-built sparge arm for consistent conversion. Barr’s 500l (4BBL)  system performs two brews in order to fill their fermenters, where the beer sits for a couple of weeks before conditioning and carbonation.

Starting today, 4.5% ABV Little Pup Pale Ale will be available on tap at the brewery. It is an English-style Pale Ale, with notes of pear in the nose and flavour. Shortly joining that beer will be Roof Top Rye-It, an amber-coloured rye beer, dry hopped with a hint of spice from the rye malt, and Wasted Days Peanut Butter Porter. The next brewday will be of the Big Brown Roof Hound Ale, a 7.0% ABV Brown Ale made with raisins, brown sugar, and vanilla. This beer is based on the story of Lady, Roof Hound’s mascot. Lady was Barr’s grandfather’s dog, who once got into Barr senior’s raisin/brown sugar/yeast creation (cooked up for those cool winter nights), and, drunk on raisins full of booze, climbed onto the roof of the house via a nearby woodpile.

In addition to beer, Roof Hound will also be serving up some non-alcoholic sodas created on-site. Available today are Strawberry Vanilla Soda, made with real berries and vanilla beans, Blueberry Lemonade, made with real fruit, and Ginger Ale, brewed with ginger, brown sugar, and a hint of lemon.

Naan sandwich, from https://www.instagram.com/roofhound/

Naan sandwich, from https://www.instagram.com/roofhound/

Unsurprisingly, food will not be taking a backseat at Roof Hound. While Barr’s obvious skills in the kitchen have gained him fans across the country and world, thanks to his TV appearances and busy Instagram feed, he will be sharing the kitchen with Valerie Barr, his cousin and formally-trained chef. Pizzas and Naan open-faced sandwiches are in high demand, thanks to the great tasting toppings and dough, created in-house and include a touch of the Little Pup. Keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter for the day’s creations.

Initially, Roof Hound will concentrate on on-site sales of pints and food, with growler fills and keg sales coming soon, as supply meets demand. They will expand distribution to the Farmers Markets and off-site licensees in the near future. The brewery and 45-seat tap room are open at 11am seven days a week, and will feature local music and events at the brewery. Keep up with all of the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Congratulations Les and the Roof Hound crew! Awooooo!

An Interview with Les Barr, MasterChef Canada Contestant and owner of Roof Hound Brewing

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-02-12
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: Roof Hound Brewing. Leave a Comment

We had a chance to chat with Les Barr, a farmer from the Digby area, on his upcoming projects. A homebrewer for many years, he is opening Roof Hound Brewing this summer. Brewing is just one side of his creative outlets, as he is an accomplished home cook as well. Anyone following his Instagram feed can attest to that! His passion for preparing meals has led him to the biggest stage for amateur chefs in Canada, MasterChef. With the third season kicking off this weekend, we caught up with Les to talk about his background with cooking and brewing, his experience on the show, and details of Roof Hound Brewing.

ACBB: I know you can’t give too much away about MasterChef, but what was the experience like?
LB: Well, first off, it was completely intimidating going to the regional auditions in Halifax. So many great home cooks were there. I really didn’t think I had a chance, but I got the call and was invited to Toronto. I arrived in Toronto to find out that I’m one of only two from Atlantic Canada, and
the only one chosen from NS. This was both very flattering and a lot of pressure knowing I was representing my entire province. Other than that, I can say that it was fast, furious and intense. It’s a lot of pressure. Long, exhausting days on set competing for the MasterChef Canada title and $100K with the best home cooks in the country. It’s very intense, but you either rise up to meet the challenge or buckle under the pressure. It challenges you, and I know I’ve come out on the other side a better cook and stronger person.

Anything that really surprised you?
The most surprising thing was being the only one chosen from NS. I really thought they must have made some sort of mistake. Haha. There were 8 from Atlantic Canada on Season 2 and only two of us in Season 3.

What were the other contestants like?
The other 39 people were great. It was such a rush to be with such talented and interesting people who have the same passions and interests. I think we all learned from each other, and many of us will be friends for many years to come.

roof hound steak and ale pie

From Barr’s Instagram feed, @roofhound

Do you have any allergies, or were there any ingredients you were nervous to work with?
Yes! I’m from Digby, the home of some of the greatest shellfish on earth, and I’m allergic to shellfish. Rubber gloves and allergy meds are your best friends in that situation. I don’t usually cook with shellfish for this reason, so I practiced that a lot before going to MasterChef Canada.

Having seen the show before, were there any challenges you were nervous or were hoping they’d repeat?
I knew they wouldn’t repeat what I had seen on previous seasons, but I practiced much of it anyways just to sharpen my skills. I fried donuts and perfected poached eggs. Both things I had seen on previous seasons. I really was hoping for a cooking with beer challenge. Haha

Do you like cooking and baking equally?
I really do. Most of my creations have some sort of flour like pizza, burgers and crusts. Maybe it’s the brewer in me, but I love grains and yeast. To me, I don’t really draw a line between cooking and baking.

You sometimes use beer as an ingredient. What do you feel it gives to a recipe?
The most common use of beer in my kitchen is for dough. I find that it gives you a long ferment taste in things like pizza dough and bread in a very short short time. You can use half beer and half water to make pizza dough in an hour and it tastes like it’s been fermented much longer.

roofhound cinnamon rolls skillet

From Barr’s Instagram feed, @roofhound

Do you have an all-time favourite recipe you always come back to?
I tweak almost all of my recipes for brewing and cooking in the chase for perfection. There aren’t many recipes that I would say are really done, but are always a work in progress. The only recipe that I don’t really fool with anymore is my recipe for cinnamon rolls in a skillet. I think that it’s as good as I can make it, and my kids wouldn’t be impressed if I changed it. Haha

Speaking of your children, are they interested in cooking as well?
Oh, yes! Our 10-year-old son, especially. He has been sitting on the counter stirring lemon curd for cheesecakes and things like that since he was three. Our oldest daughter is 13, and she loves baking. She totally is the one in the family with the sweet tooth. My wife and I encourage them to cook and learn as long as they are safe and clean the mess. Haha. That’s how I grew up.

What is their favourite dish you make?
Cinnamon rolls in a skillet for weekend brunch, but they also really like my pulled pork shepherd’s pie. Kind of a southern twist on a European classic.

Do you have an all-time favourite beer recipe you make over and over again?
I have three that I make regularly with very few changes: Big Brown Roof Hound, a 7% brown ale with raisins, brown sugar, oats and vanilla bean; Little Pup Pale Ale, your basic intro pale ale; and Big Dog IPA, which is finished in the eyes of some of my friends, but I’m still holding out hope in developing a more juicy character with my hopping techniques.

 

roofhoundlogo

Turning to your brewery plans: Is there something specific that got you into the world of beer?
I had left a career after 10 years, and I really needed a hobby to focus on. My dad makes wine and was loving that hobby, so he got me my first beer kit. I did two partial mash kits and then jumped straight into all-grain.

What steps have you taken so far getting everything up and running?
Most equipment is already in here. Business is registered. Media in place. The financing is in place. Location is set. Just finishing up the license applications, and then construction is all that is left, really.

Where did the name “Roof Hound” originate?
Many years ago, there was a man with many children. Eleven, in fact. He had so many children that he had very little money to spare for recreational drink. So, this man decided to make his own. He put water, raisins, brown sugar and yeast in a bucket, and placed that bucket behind the wood stove where it fermented and turned to alcohol. The man enjoyed his liquid creation, and poured the swollen raisins out in the backyard, where the family hound dog found them. The hound ate those alcohol-plumped raisins, climbed up the woodpile, and onto the roof of the house. There in its drunkenness, the hound moaned and howled throughout the night. The man’s many children found this very entertaining, and henceforth the story became part of the family folklore. Today, the grandson of that man keeps this story alive with Roof Hound Brewing Co. and Big Brown Roof Hound Ale made with raisins and brown sugar. This is the story of the Roof Hound.

What size/type of system will you be brewing on?
I’ll be brewing double batches on a three vessel system built out of a stainless steel scollop bin and two 500 litre wine tanks. All electric.

Roof Hound Brewery

Where will your brewery be located?
Roof Hound Brewing Co. will be in its own building only 4 minutes from exit 26 off highway 101 near Digby. The brewery will be built on an old farm property overlooking Acacia Valley. We are constructing the building out of shipping containers. Once the brewery and restaurant are established, we plan to surround the property with a hop yard.

Do you know when your beers will be available to the public?
We are aiming for June 2016.

What are your plans for distribution? Plans for tap accounts, bottles, growlers, etc.?
The plan is to try to sell the majority of our beer by the pint in our restaurant and in growlers at the brewery and local farmers’ markets. We will concentrate our keg sales in the SouthWest Nova region, but we also hope to be on tap at a couple of the beer bars in HRM. No plans to bottle or can yet.

Do you have any beer bars/restaurants in the area lined up to serve your beers?
Yes, I’ve had some interest already, but we haven’t really pursued keg sales very much. I’ve spoken with some of our NS craft beer friends who say they kinda over committed on the kegs, and then had a hard time supplying themselves for growler sales.

Can you tell me about the beer(s) you plan on offering initially? Any seasonals, one-offs, or will you stick mainly with a “flagship lineup”?
Mostly English-inspired. The three mentioned above, and another regular beer in development called Roof Top Rye-It. It’s an amber-coloured, dry hopped ale with a hint of rye spice. One of the benefits of a small brew system is it gives you more freedom to experiment. There will be many seasonal and experimental one off brews as well as sodas. Roof Hound will open with eight taps.

roof hound keezer

From Roof Hound’s Facebook page

For how long have you been homebrewing?
I’ve been brewing for five years, but I have spent hundreds of hours listening to podcasts and audio books on brewing while working on the farm. That’s helped a lot.

What made you decide to take the step into brewing professionally?
Well, it’s a common homebrewer’s dream, but I got very serious about it when the farming industry kinda took a downturn. That made me take the brewery dream more seriously, and then with the attention of MasterChef Canada, I knew it was now or never.

Do you have a specific ingredient in brewing that you like to brew with? E.g. a specific malt and/or hop variety?
I love grains like oats, wheat and rye. I find that they give you a mouth-feel and body that you just can’t get out of barley alone.

From what/where/whom have you learned the most in respect to brewing?
The Brewing Network has been the single biggest influence in my brewing. Being way down here in Digby, there aren’t many other all-grain brewers around, so it was kind of a long, hard, self-educating process. After that, I’d say the Brewnosers have been a huge help. A few guys like Jeff Saunders, Greg Nash, Chris McDonald, and Jimmy Beaman have been very encouraging. Ed Barkhouse from Noble Grape. Mike Ferguson from Rudder’s. It’s an intimidating thing to get into with all the science and math, but I’ve had cool people help me get through. Thanks!

Thanks very much to Les for taking the time to answer our questions. Follow along on Les’ journey to MasterChef Canada glory starting this Sunday, Feb 14, on CTV. His Instagram feed alone will keep you cheering him on!  Check out Roof Hound’s website and Facebook page to keep abreast of the brewery and restaurant progress in Digby. Go Les!

Friday Wrap-Up – News from Bore City, James Joyce, Red Rover, Meander River, Grimross, Hammond River and more!

Posted by acbbchris on 2016-01-22
Posted in: Friday Wrap-Up. Tagged: 2nd Annual Hammond River Homebrew Competition, Big Spruce Brewing, Bore City Brewing, Boxing Rock Brewing, Breton Brewing, Craft Beer Cottage Party, Gahan House (Charlottetown), Good Robot Brewing, Grimross Brewing, Hammond River Brewing, James Joyce Irish Pub, Liquid Assets, Meander River Farm and Brewery, Picaroons, Propeller Brewing, Red Rover Craft Cider, Roof Hound Brewing, Spindrift Brewing, The Auction House, Upstreet Craft Brewing. Leave a Comment

Happy Friday, loyal beer fans! Grab a pint and get your weekend started with some light beer reading.

• After receiving their license to brew just a few weeks ago, Bore City Brewing in Moncton have sold their first kegs. One of their first three flagship beers, Marécage (a 7% ABV Belgian Saison), will be on tap tonight at the James Joyce in Fredericton, just in time for the Joyce’s One Year Anniversary of their expanded keg fridge! For those of you in Moncton, fear not… the beer will also be on tap this weekend at Les Brumes du Coude, with other tap accounts following in the near future. We’ll have a Q&A post on this 1/2 BBL brewery for you very soon!

• More details on James Joyce’s event: It is the one year anniversary of their expanded keg fridge (allowing them to carry beer from every brewery in New Brunswick), and they will be fully stocked tonight – with Happy Hour pricing on Fredericton breweries’ beers – serving birthday cake, and having a grand time! New Saint John brewery First City will have their Chocolate Coffee Stout available. Drop by for the fun, beginning at 5pm. And keep an eye out for their Wassailing event February 6th with Red Rover, similar to their “Meet Your Maker” event, where they will be pouring multiple ciders during the evening. Red Rover’s Bee Cider, made with honey from the hives on James Joyce’s roof, is currently available in the pub.

• And speaking of Red Rover, their cider is now available at the ANBL Growler filling stations for the first time this weekend. After a very successful launch of their bottles last week, their Fire Cider is on tap at the Dieppe, Fredericton, Sackville and Saint John growler stations while supplies last. And check out ANBL’s page for availability of their bottles.

• Meander River recently released their newest seasonal, Cold Porridge Oatmeal Stout. Featuring 20% rolled oats in the grain bill, the 5% ABV Stout features an aromatic coffee and cocoa profile. As the brewery puts it, “The breakfast of champions!” On tap now at the brewery and the Flying Apron Cookery, kegs were also sent to Battery Park.

• Also out this week from Meander River is their latest seasonal cider, Winterlude.  This unique blend features McIntosh, Northern Spy, Russet, and GoldRush apples, all sourced from Davison Farms in Falmouth. The 5.5% ABV cider has a semi-dry finish, crisp character, is cleanly fermented, and lightly carbonated. As with all of their ciders, the recipe blend changes with the seasons and apple availability, so if you’re a cider fan, it’s always a good idea to try the latest release.

• The new beer from Grimross that we mentioned a few weeks ago is now available on tap at the brewery. Ryes-N-Shine was brewed with approximately 40 kg of Tangelos (both the fruit and zest were used) and a “significant amount” of Rye malt. Fermented with two yeast strains (one a Belgian Saison strain, one American), this light-coloured ale comes in at 4.9% ABV and 23 IBUs. Owner/brewer Stephen Dixon describes the beer as “light and crisp, with a clean palate”, with the rye and citrus being subtle, but present. Look for it on tap at Grimross tap accounts in the province as well.

• Judging for the Hammond River 2nd Annual Home Brew Competition took place last Sunday at the Saint John Ale House. The style was Strong Scotch Ale (aka Wee Heavy); judges were impressed with the quality of the entries received, but ultimately a winner had to be selected. Nova Scotia homebrewers Keith Forbes and Mike Orr received the top prize with their Tilted Kilt, and actually came in second with their other entry, Kilted Tilt! Third place went to Newfoundland’s Mark McGraw, with his More Than Just a Wee Heavy. Both Forbes and Orr will be travelling to Hammond River soon, to brew a full-sized batch of their beer with owner/brewer Shane Steeves, to be released at select HR accounts. Congratulations to the winners!

• Spindrift is continuing their series of weekly brews on their Pilot system (their 7th Wave series), with this week’s new beer being released today at the brewery at noon. Knotty Buoy is another interesting one: it’s a sour mashed Wheat Lager that has been aged on chopped rhubarb, cranberries, and hibiscus tea. Described by the brewery as “pouring ruby red, with a clean tartness complimented by bright fruit aromatics”, it comes in at a sessionable 4.3% ABV (and 10 IBUs). As always with the 7th Wave beers, there will be a very limited amount available when released, and only for growler fills, so get there quickly to fill up!

• Charlottetown’s Gahan House has released a new dark lager this week. Cast Iron is 5% ABV and 36 IBUs. Dark brown in colour thanks to Blackprinz malt on top of a 2-Row, Munich, and Cara60 grain bill. The beer features a moderate malt and slight roast character, leads into a medium hop bitterness, making this an easy to drink take on the European style. It is on tap at the brewery now, and can be taken away in growler fills as well.

• Over in Nyanza, Big Spruce is releasing their latest “Conspiracy” beer; this one is being described as a “Pine Needle IPA” that was brewed in collaboration with Ontario’s Sawdust City Brewing. Read Between the Pines has a “deep pine needle complexity”, with plenty of tropical fruit and pine thanks to large, late additions (and a dry hop) of both Nelson Sauvin and Simcoe, and a “big splash” of Galaxy as a second dry hop. Weighing in at 7.2% ABV and 48 IBUs, this sounds like a great one! It’s available for growler fills at the brewery right now, and show follow at select accounts very soon. And keep your eyes peeled for the 3rd Annual Big Spruce Homebrew Competition-winning Czech Dark Lager, brewed by Eric Gautier and Justin Clarke at the brewery, to be released next week. Finally, the 2016 version of Coade Word: Snowmaggedon was brewed earlier this week, and will be popping up on tap sometime in February.

• Speaking of embracing homebrewers, Boxing Rock has released a beer brewed with homebrewer Jason MacDougall. MacDougall visited Shelburne in December, and brewed up a Scottish Ale featuring a healthy portion of Peat Malt, and 35 kilos(!) of Heather flowers. To offset the floral kick, local wildflower honey and a light dose of Fuggles was added to the mix. Professor McDougall’s Oban Heather Scottish Ale weighs in at 5% ABV and will be available this weekend at the brewery, Alderney and Seaport Farmers’ Markets, private beer stores, and on tap in Halifax and Antigonish.

• Also released this weekend is their collaboration with Charlottetown’s Upstreet, Rumble in the Alley 2. This SMaSH IPA was brewed with Dark German Munich malt and Ontario-grown Santiam hops from Clear Valley Hops in Ontario. The resultant IPA features malt notes of biscuit and honey, and hop notes of spice and citrus. Rumble in the Alley 2 will be available this weekend at the brewery, and at the private stores, Farmers’ Markets, and on tap, next week.

• Good Robot is releasing a new beer today that is definitely on the “different” side. When homebrewing last summer, they discovered a currently-unidentified microbe in the brewery that “generates a lemon-like, funky character” when added to their beers. They’ve investigated with a bit of microscopic viewing, and know that it’s neither Brettanomyces (a wild yeast) or Lactobacillus (a bacteria); they plan on sending it to the professionals for some thorough work. In the meantime, they’ve added it to a batch of their corn beer, and then dry-hopped it with Falconer’s Fight and Cascade to add even more citrus character to the aroma. The final product, Bank of Azealia, should be available at the taproom later today for pints and growler fills.

• Next Tuesday, January 26th, is Australia Day. Needing only the flimsiest of reasons to throw a party (OK, OK, their head bartender is Australian), the crew at Good Robot will be going all out to celebrate. Starting at 4pm, they’ll be blasting the Triple J Hottest 100, playing Australian movies on the projector, and serving kangaroo sausages, meat pies, and holding a meat raffle. While they won’t have Toohey’s or VB, they will have tinnies of Foster’s in the fridge in case their lineup of brews doesn’t quite quench your thirst after your walkabout. For the rest of the details, check out the Event page. And drop by this Sunday at 4pm for some vinyl love, courtesy of Black Buffalo Records, for an event called The Spins.

• The latest season of CTV’s MasterChef Canada begins February 14th, and Digby resident Les Barr will be among the competitors. Les is also the man behind Roof Hound Brewing, a mid-sized brewery slated to open in Digby County later this year. We expect to see Les cooking with beer whenever possible, and flexing his homebrewing muscles during the competition. We wish Les lots of luck, and look forward to following along with the progress of his cooking, and brewing.

• Thinking about opening or expanding a brewery or other beverage business? Springboard Atlantic is hosting a Liquid Courage event Feb 18 at Acadia University. Featuring keynotes from Greg Taylor of Steam Whistle Brewing and Dominic Rivard of Muwin Estate Wines and Bulwark, the seminar will feature presentations on how to build brands, do consumer research, quality testing, and exporting beyond provincial and national borders. More details can be found here. The seminar runs 8:30-4:30, and registration is now open.

• Details on the Craft Beer Cottage Party, part of Savour Food and Wine Festival, are emerging. Being held 7-9:30pm, Feb 27th in the Halifax Seaport Market location, the event will feature twenty local breweries, plus a few others from outside the region. Already lined up, with a list growing daily, are: Bad Apple, Big Spruce, Boxing Rock, Bulwark, Gahan, Garrison, Good Robot, Hell Bay, Meander River, Nine Locks, North, PEI Brewing, Picaroons, Propeller, Rare Bird, Spindrift, Tatmagouche, Uncle Leo’s, Upstreet. Also in attendance will be Innovative Beverages Agency (representing Muskoka and Central City), Goose Island, and Mill Street. Your $50+HST (or $65+tax to skip the line and take home a gift bag) ticket offers unlimited tasting during the evening. There will be food vendors onsite, including The Stubborn Goat. Entertainment includes live bands, and cottage party games. Tickets are available online now.

• There are good things coming this spring to the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Currently a craft beer wasteland, a new store carrying Nova Scotia liquor, wine, cider, and beer will be opening in April. Liquid Assets is a subsidiary of Ironworks Distillery, and will be located post-security, on the domestic/international departures level. It will mean being able to grab a bottle before getting on a flight, without having to worry about breakage in checked luggage, or having forgotten a gift while visiting the area. Look for more details on selection and exact opening date soon.

• LATE ADDITON: Propeller has released their latest One Hit Wonder Friday afternoon, Fog City Coffee Porter. This 5.5% ABV, 30 IBUs, Porter was brewed with whole bean coffee from Java Blend in both the boil, as well as “dry-beaned” during fermentation and conditioning. As with all OHW brews, this is a growler- and draft-only release, with it on tap now for growler fills at the Windmill location, and later Friday evening on Gottingen St. And don’t forget to pick up tickets to their returning Prop’r Cask Night, next Friday, Jan 29, 6-9pm. This edition will feature the food catering of friend-to-beer Studio East, and a special cask of Fog City, cask conditioned with even more coffee beans. Tickets are a steal at $30 (all in), which offers unlimited samples of both food and beer at the Gottingen St. Brewery, and lots of fun mingling with fellow food and beer nuts. Tickets are available now!

A few more notes for this week: Breton Brewing has put together a new dark beer, to be released next month. They are staying tight-lipped for now, but we understand this is a Porter to be released around the 14th. We’ll have more details closer to its release. Be sure to drop by The Auction House on Wednesday for their monthly Beer School, where the beers from a particular brewery are paired with special dishes from their kitchen. January’s brewery is Picaroons, with head brewer Myles MacKenzie making the trip himself to share some knowledge. Tickets are now on sale for a pair of Beer and Chocolate Dinner, hosted by Picaroons. Both are being held at 7pm on February 10th, with one at BrewBakers in Fredericton, and the other at Shadow Lawn Inn in Rothesay. This three course meal will feature chocolate-infused dishes, paired with beer.