We Have a Brewhouse!

7 bbl Premier Stainless brewhouse at Good People Brewing in Birmingham, AL

So we just scored this sweet brewhouse from Good People Brewing in Birmingham, AL on Friday!  It is an "oversized" 7 barrel (217 gallon) brewhouse that's actually capable of brewing 9 barrel (279 gallon) batches.  This was a tremendous step for us because equipment demand is very high right now and the supply of good, lightly used brewhouses is very low.  As soon as we became aware of it, Emily, Lily, Lucy (our dog), and I were on the road to Birmingham to ensure we wouldn't miss out on it.

On our way down, we learned that another brewer was just as eager to get this brewhouse.  After checking it out we were engaged in an exciting, and somewhat intense, bidding war with the other prospective buyer on the way home.  Part of the tension was due to our spotty cell phone reception through parts of Kentucky and southern Illinois.  Luckily, we had Russ communicating and bidding back and forth--which he was also doing on the road!  In the end we still got the equipment at a price we were happy with, and we were relieved that our impromptu roadtrip was not just a sightseeing excursion.  We're still deciding on the best place to put this beautiful brewhouse, but we are definitely narrowing down our choices.

Stay tuned for more updates on our progress as we get closer to opening our brewery...

Lily and Lucy enjoying lunch at Blackstone Brewery in Nashville, TN

Hello, St. Louis!

This week, we closed the Chicago chapter of our lives and headed south to join the St. Louis craft brewing community, a move that we have been anticipating for over a year.  We are Phil and Emily Wymore (with daughter, Lily, in tow) and we will be starting a new brewery called Perennial Artisan Ales.  Phil will be the Brewmaster and Emily will manage Sales and Marketing.

Phil just left his post as the Head Brewer for Half Acre in Chicago.  The last couple of beers we made at Half Acre included a guava IPA brewed in collaboration with Shorts Brewing (1000 lbs. of guava in one brew!), and a Saison with lemon zest and chamomile--an ode to our daughter, Lily. 

Prior to this Phil was the Cellar Manager for Goose Island, also in Chicago.  Phil managed the barrel aging program for Goose Island, which is one of the biggest in the country.  We are excited to bring this experience to the craft beer scene in St. Louis--in the form of sour beers, fruit beers, and other Belgian styles.

We anticipate opening in early 2011.  In the meantime, we'll keep brewing pilot batches, like the Biere de Garde Phil brewed yesterday (pictured above), and keep you posted with frequent updates on our brewery project.