43 replies to this topic

[LibraAle]

Even as my tastes have shifted toward much hoppier beers over the years, I've jst never developed a taste for SNPA. To me there is a real harshness to the taste. From what MB said I might like it better on tap... I think that the bottle version is a little out of balance and could use some more malt backbone. Torpedo seems to be perfectly balanced to me, so it isn't like I think SN doesn't know how to make a balanced beer.

[CarlosM]

LD just got schooled yo!

[CarlosM]

SN has their shit together when it comes to hops. The entire Harvest Ale series, Torpedo, this years Anniversary, and Celebration are the best use of hops in any IpA around. And ive sampled a bunch of them. IIpA's are so over rated its pathetic. Other breweries who offer American IpA's cant figure out how to properly attenuate a beer with all those citrus hops resulting in a sweet (yes i said sweet, not malty) citrus bomb. SN continually offer's hops that are balanced and finished correctly and are doing it in the 6.5% ball field. And a bomber is only $2.99 making them one of the best bargains anywhere. SN is easily one of my top breweries.

this easily. Such a shame the only thing I can get on draft is SNPA.... I WOULD LOVE HAVE all the other offerings but Ill take what I can get. As of now I have had every bottled beer SNBC makes besides Bigfoot.

[Lagerdemain]

SAY WHAT?????Dude, we DO NOT pasteurize our beer. Any of it. I invite you to Chico, and I will guide you through our brewery and you will not see a pasteurizer.The bottle recipe is a bit different. Less malty, slightly more hoppy, and slightly more alcoholic. That is true.Our beer is bottle conditioned, and if we pasteurized it there would be no carbonation.....MolBasser

Thanks for the clarification. Very interesting - one minor quibble, however - it could always be pasteurized after bottle conditioning, but I will certainly take you at your word that SNPA doesn't pasteurize its beers. That does, on the other hand, make your beers more susceptible to destabilization if not properly handled in the distribution chain (and we know how distributors and retailers ALWAYS take such wonderful care of their inventory). In any event, I suspect the primary distinction between the kegged and bottled SNPA is in the recipe - do you have any thoughts/knowledge of how, when and why the two recipes diverged?Would love to take you up on the offer to visit the brewhouse, but won't be getting back to Cali in the forseeable future. Raincheck?

[Lagerdemain]

LD just got schooled yo!

It happens, believe me. Usually not about beer, though - and usually it's at the hands of Mrs. Lagerdemain!

[MyaCullen]

I always thought SNPA was carbonated in bright tanks then bottled, as there is no sediment in the bottles?

[Julius H Gardetto]

this easily. Such a shame the only thing I can get on draft is SNPA.... I WOULD LOVE HAVE all the other offerings but Ill take what I can get. As of now I have had every bottled beer SNBC makes besides Bigfoot.

I have had all of them I believe...The only one I wasn't left thinking was fan-freaking-tastic was the new Wet Hop Harvest Ale...It was good, just not great.

[MolBasser]

Thanks for the clarification. Very interesting - one minor quibble, however - it could always be pasteurized after bottle conditioning, but I will certainly take you at your word that SNPA doesn't pasteurize its beers. That does, on the other hand, make your beers more susceptible to destabilization if not properly handled in the distribution chain (and we know how distributors and retailers ALWAYS take such wonderful care of their inventory). In any event, I suspect the primary distinction between the kegged and bottled SNPA is in the recipe - do you have any thoughts/knowledge of how, when and why the two recipes diverged?Would love to take you up on the offer to visit the brewhouse, but won't be getting back to Cali in the forseeable future. Raincheck?

Yeah, we could pasteurize after the conditioning (I thought of that as I typed) but we don't. And yes, our beer is very sensitive to how it is handled in the trade. One of our major concerns is flavor stability.I don't know when they diverged, or if they were always different. I'll ask Steve (the master brewer) Monday.You are always (as is everyone) welcome to come to the brewery when you can. Just shoot me a mail first and you will be treated like a king/queen when you show up.MolBasser

Edited by MolBasser, 10 October 2009 - 12:18 PM.

[MolBasser]

I always thought SNPA was carbonated in bright tanks then bottled, as there is no sediment in the bottles?

There is sediment.If not, I don't want to know what your distributor is doing to our beer to make it disappear.It is a fine layer, not a homebrew layer.We filter it from the fermentor to the bright tank, then pitch and prime it on the way to the filler.MolBasser

Edited by MolBasser, 10 October 2009 - 12:23 PM.

[CarlosM]

I always thought SNPA was carbonated in bright tanks then bottled, as there is no sediment in the bottles?

Mic... look closely at the bottom of SNPA there is a itty bitty small yeast sediment.

[MolBasser]

Whaaaat? It was the most memorable beer for me at GABF this year. Got in on the kill a keg contest. 1/2barrel of Wethop killed in 12 minutes. Now i get to disagree w/you about beer too...Lol

1/2 barrel of harvest in 12 minutes? How many drinkers?That is awesome!!! I wish I had been in on that.MolBasser

[MolBasser]

Estate harvest is OUR beer. We grew the barley, we grew the hops. The hops in it are chinook, centennial, and cascade and a little something.....It isn't my fav beer, but I like it.MolBasser

[MolBasser]

Whats messing with you is the hops are grown in Chico and not the pacific northwest.Cascades etc., grown in Chico don't taste like cascades grown in Yakima.....MolBasser