Internal Brewsletter - September 4th, 2024
General
Employee Provision
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Bre! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Krab Rangoons!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING BEER RELEASES
Releasing Friday 9/6
Static Shatter //
Description: Brewed with fresh-picked Strata Hops from Alluvial Hop Farms, we used a "shattering" method to extend the fresh hop notes of passionfruit and fresh-cut alfalfa to every sip. // 6.75%
Key Takeaway: Fresh hops added as a dry hop after cryo treatment with liquid nitrogen.
Tasting Notes: Mango Creamsicle • Alfalfa • Zippy
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Fresh Hop
Beer Style: Fresh Hop American IPA
The classic IPA style originating in America has evolved less than other substyles. Moderate to heavy malt presence with a balance of citrus, herbal, pine, and floral hop flavors and aromas most commonly. It is fuller-bodied than West Coast IPAs and has an assertive bitterness that balances malt sweetness. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
Event Horizon //
Description: This porter combines deep, roasty malt character with cocoa and dark fruit notes. We conditioned this brew on chocolate for a balance of rich flavors with a dry finish. // 5.00%
Key Takeaway: A fan favorite making a return under a new visage, This beer balances bone dry porter with a two types of sweet chocolate added in the 11th hour.
Tasting Notes: Chocolate Cake • Vanilla Icing • Delicate
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: Chocolate Porter
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Sticky Hands: Fresh Hop // Hop Experience Ale
Series: Fresh Hop
Releases: September 13th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: The iconic hop experience ale you all know is slammed with a fresh hop treatment! Using fresh-picked Citra hops from Alluvial Hop Farms, we immediately cryogenically froze the hop cones and shattered them straight to the tank for a fresh hop blast, all within a few hours.
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer is: Alluvial
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room every week for an educational session where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
THE BREWERY WILL NOT BE HOSTING A TASTING THIS THURSDAY. PLEASE CATCH US AT OUR NEXT TASTING ON 9/19!
Beer 101: Fresh Hops
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
It’s September in the PNW, which means it's officially fresh hop season. Hops are primarily harvested in August and September. Each variety has an ideal harvest window based on its maturation, but harvest times often change year to year based on climate changes. Centennial is a consistent early harvested hop, often late August, whereas Mosaic is later, closer to October. Harvest dates become very important for brewers making fresh hop beers because hops are extremely perishable when fresh.
Hops are typically kilned between 130F and 150F immediately after harvest to dry them out and preserve them. The overwhelming majority of the hops we use are processed in this way. The dried hops are shredded and run through a die that forms them into pellets; then they are packed into mylar bags with an inert gas to preserve them. Hops are cold stored, usually below freezing, at distribution centers before being shipped to brewers throughout the year.
On the other hand, fresh hops are usually only good for a few days. It’s important for brewers to keep up on harvest date changes to manage the logistics of when to make their fresh hop beers. Brewers in the PNW are at an advantage over other brewers because we can pick up hops on harvest day and brew with them immediately, at peak freshness. This is one of the reasons that these beers are so prevalent here compared to the rest of the U.S. While packaged hops are typically shipped to the brewery, fresh hops are almost always picked up by the brewer at the farm or processing facility. They are immediately transported to the brewery, where they are used, on the same day if possible.
Whole cone fresh hops are much larger than kilned hops due to moisture content, and modern brewing equipment is not designed to use them. The most common method for using them is to load your mash tun, which has a false bottom for extracting sugar from the grain, and run the hot wort (unfermented beer) onto them at the end of the boil, this process is usually is called hop backing. This is the method we used in Fresh Catch, this year made exclusively with Centennial hops and expressing rich flavors on Thai lime leaf and lemongrass.
Always looking to push aromatics, contemporary brewers have been experimenting with ways to dry hop with fresh hops. One method gaining in popularity is to use liquid nitrogen to rapidly freeze the hops, then shatter them with a blunt object, exposing the flavor and aroma-rich lupulin glands. Those shattered hops are loaded into mesh bags and suspended in tanks of finished beer to steep for several days.
We used this method on Static Shatter that releases this week. For that beer, we opted for fresh Strata hops from Coleman’s Alluvial Hop Farm in Independence, Oregon. We also used this method on our Fresh Hop Sticky Hands which releases next week, in which we used Citra freshies.
Whether you’re a fan of fresh hop beers or not, there is something about the botanical, chlorophyll-rich flavor of fresh hop beers that drives an insatiable demand for them in this brief window.
From the Executive Chef
September monthly specials go live today! Here is the final list and links to the procedures and added information! Please give it a look over and know your stuff before next week! XO
PUB SEPTEMBER SPECIALS
Shrimp & Red Curry Noodles-Spicy & creamy coconut red curry sauce, tender yakisoba, red bell peppers, zucchini, sweet onion & snap peas topped with wild-caught gulf shrimp, crushed peanuts & cilantro $15.99 PROCEDURE
Jalapeno Popper Dip-Spicy jalapeno & cream cheese dip, topped with cheddar jack cheese & parmesan breadcrumbs. Served with house-fried kettle-style potato chips. $10.99 PROCEDURE
Melon & Prosciutto Salad- Fresh greens, local cantaloupe, prosciutto, smoked gouda, balsamic glaze, citrus-parmesan vinaigrette, toasted pumpkin seeds, and fresh microgreens $15.99 PROCEDURE
TR SEPTEMBER SPECIALS
El Padrino-Pepper Tree Sausage House chorizo, Aleppo-lime roasted sweet potatoes, cilantro-jalapeno mayo, mixed greens, and jalapeno kettle chips on house-baked ciabatta bread. $15.99 PROCEDURE
-Filet O’ Block-House Pacific lingcod & bay shrimp patty, breaded and fried to perfection, tartar sauce, dill pickles, shredded lettuce & American cheese on a toasted brioche bun. $15.99 PROCEDURE
Along with these monthly specials, we will be making some minor changes to the static menu on the same day. Due to drops in sales we will be omitting the Tuscan bean dip AND replacing the Nashville chicken with the apricot chicken sandwich that is currently an August monthly!
PUB UPDATES
Just to update you all, we plan on breaking the Corral down on Monday, October 7th that way the parking lot is clear and ready to roll for Bloktoberfest. Thank you all for your excitement and flexibility around the Corral this year! I know it was a huge drawing point for guests, and this season felt very successful in our flow and communication around the Corral.
The 2022 vintage of Lumos “Five Blocks” Pinot Noir will soon go into rotation (we have about 2 glasses left of 2021 as of Wednesday morning). While guests shouldn’t notice a wild difference, here’s some info and tasting notes around the new vintage.
Winery: Lumos
Wine: “Five Blocks” Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2022
ABV: 13.5%
Lumos Wine Company is located in Philomath, Oregon--USDA/Oregon Certified Organic vineyards. Grapes for this vintage all come from the Temperance Hill vineyard. Flavors of black cherries, marionberries and peppercorns link the taste and aroma of the 2022 vintage of Five Blocks. Tempered acidity orients the tannins, reminiscent of cranberry compote with a fullness belying the minimal impact of the neutral French oak barrels where this wine matured for 18 months.
Pub Focus Points
ALL: New Specials Awareness!! 3 new monthly specials are coming out today! Make sure you read up on descriptions, taste if able to, and be ready to answer questions that any guest or employee may have.
FOH: Daily Specials Awareness!! Make sure we are letting every guest know about our daily specials and soups!
LINE: Soup Station Awareness!! Let’s focus on making sure all soup station items are hot, tasty, and of a nice pourable consistency. Also garnish for soups should be fresh and written on the soup board along with the soup.
PREP: New Specials Specs Awareness!! New specials! Read recipes through before you start, and check in with the lead about how things should look.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Tap Room Focus Points
ALL: New Specials Awareness:
2 new monthly specials are coming out today (along with some other menu changes)! Make sure to read up on descriptions, taste the sampler if it's available, and be ready to answer questions that any guests or employees may have (based on the department you work in). Check in with the kitchen staff/ manager if you come across a question you can’t answer!
FOH: Money Counting Awareness:
Counting the Bar Till Bank and Backup Bank end of night is a VERY important job you have been entrusted with. Please take pride in this by:
Eliminate distractions
Make sure you are recording money precisely and counting down to the PENNY for each increment of change.
We round to the nearest 5 cents to create ease for the customer when providing change back. This is why when taking into consideration the DROP, we round down from 0.50 cents and up from 0.51 cents. These are the only two exceptions to money counting that we “round.” (Giving change to customers and actual cash amount for drop)
Example: When closing the til, if the drop is listed as $417.22, you round DOWN and the drop= $417.00. If the drop is listed as $417.51, you round UP and the dropped money needs to be $418.
When counting change for the Bar till Bank or Back up Bank, both change amounts should be WHOLE numbers.
Example: If $17.00 change is listed, there should be EXACTLY $17.00 in the Bar till for change, not $16.65, not $17.05. Any extra change can be dropped into the TIPS bag, to make the Bar Till Bank accurate.
All bills should always be faced the same direction
All bills should be in denominational order ($1,$5,$10,$20,$50, etc…)
All bills should be bundled properly per Bank bag.
25 - $1.00 Bills= 1 Bundle/ 4 Bundles can be bundled together again (keep individual $25 bundled banded together still)
20- $5.00 Bills= 1 Bundle
NEVER pull money out of a “bundle” without removing the band! Bundles are recounted often, and if they are off, the amount missing from the Bar Till or Back Up Bank may need to be taken from tips because all money must be accounted for daily in each Bank of what the company has provided us with to start our day ($200- Bar till/ $600- Back Up. No exceptions unless Manager has taken money to make change)
Make sure when dropping money upstairs end of night that the safe is appropriately locked behind you!
I know this is a long one, thank you for your attention to detail in important processes!!
BOH: Allergen Awareness:
Filet O’ Fish Sando can ONLY be cooked in the *LEFT FRYER* for food safety practices! Please do not make any exceptions to this so we can have fried food items such as fries that are still safe to serve people with a shellfish allergy. Familiarize yourself with all ingredients in specials so we can answer FOH & guest questions with ease and confidence!
Upcoming Events
Tour ‘N Taste - September 26th, 5:30 - 7 pm
Join us for our first Tour 'N Taste event this Thursday, September 26th, from 5:30 - 7 pm. Get a free tour of our production brewery operation at our Southtown Tap Room location from Director of Brewery Operations Matt Williams and Head Brewer Garrison Schmidt. On the tour, you'll taste a beer and enjoy a complimentary curated small-bite food pairing from our Executive Chef, Sarah.
Tours start at 5:30, 6:00, and 6:30 pm. 21+ only.
Caves Updates
Bloktoberfest - October 11th - 12th
Starting September 5th, folks can pre-order Stein Packages and purchase General Admission tickets.
We have two options for Stein Packages, one for half-liter steins and one for full-liter steins, which include entry into the event, a mug, and a commemorative Bloktoberfest 2024 pin.
The website HUB has all the details about the event and is where pre-order links can be found. Please point customers here if they have any questions.
HIGH FIVEs
Whitney Parks - Welcome back!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Welcome back:
Colin Yorke (Brewery)
James Kennedy (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Always make sure that you know how to use tools or machinery correctly. If you are not comfortable with any equipment do not operate it until you have further training! Accidents can quickly happen when something is not a familiar item. Common issues include using the wrong tool for a task or creating an unsafe environment while not correctly using heavy equipment.
Office Hours
Monday: Pub 10 am - 1 pm
Wednesday: Tap Room : 1 - 4 pm
Thursday: Tap Room 9:30 am-12:30 pm, Pub 1-4 pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Dine Out! For Sick Town Roller Derby - September 17th
Dine Out! for Sick Town Roller Derby. We're so happy to partner with them to donate a portion of food sales from both Block 15 locations on September 17th. Folks from Sick Town will be on-site at our Southtown Tap Room from 5-7 pm, providing more information about their organization. Stop by and say hello!
Sick Town Derby Dames is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Corvallis, Oregon and is a skater-owned and operated flat-track roller derby league based in Linn and Benton counties. Sick Town provides a fun athletic outlet for members of the community in addition to a positive, inclusive social environment.
