Cellarmaker to start bottling.

Ahh, I had Turok Hunter a few months ago and thought you guys were talking that. Wasn't a huge fan, though it was good. But based on these reviews it seemed this must be an improved batch. Now I need to add Turok Juice to my CM wish list.

 

Cellarmaker’s New Year’s resolution: Sour beers on tap:

Connor Casey never meant to make so many IPAs.

His four-year-old SoMa brewery, Cellarmaker, has become known for a wide range of well-executed IPAs, and for the long queues that people wait in to buy cans of them. But that wasn't the entire plan — his goal was to also make some sours.

Back in June 2017, Casey discreetly signed a lease for a space nearby, also on Howard Street, after about three years of scouring the city for a space to ramp up Cellarmaker's bretted and barrel-aged sours program. Some options had too low ceilings, and others could only be leased for a few years before they were to be converted into apartment complexes.

"I was starting to feel like that guy that couldn't commit to anything," Casey says. "There was always a catch."

But one day, Casey noticed a lease sign near the brewery and called the number listed. Luck worked in his favor; due to a listing error, he was able to view the space before it was supposed to be available. Casey signed for it.


Up to that point, Cellarmaker brewers had been using a handful of barrels for aging in their small brewhouse, but their ambitions were a bit loftier. By the end of 2018, Casey says, he wants Cellarmaker's taps to showcase a "greater presence of sour and funkier beers." They're already well on their way to meet that objective, with a barrel-aged collaboration with Pennsylvania's Tired Hands, and two sours made with produce from Brentwood's Frog Hollow Farm (one with Gold Dust peaches and the other with Ruby Grand nectarines).

"Wicked Juicy is back on tap! Come this time of year, one can’t help but look back at the past twelve months and and try to measure where you started and where you are now. It’s always amazing to me how naive I seem at the beginning of this time period as compared to the current moment. The beer of Cellarmaker has continued to improve this year by leaps. We are making the best beer we have ever made. The release of Wicked Juicy is an apropos measure of those improvements. So I’d like to share some thoughts about the past and future. We first brewed Wicked Juicy two years ago. We wanted to create a beer that emulated some of the best hoppy IPAs coming out of the Northeast US which were soft and round in body, low in bitterness but highly hoppy and aromatic. Over the past two years, really this year, WJ and similar beers have become even softer, fuller bodied and more juice-like, all-the-while keeping a dry, easy-drinking profile. 4 yeast strains later, we have landed on yeast that has a beautiful ester profile, but doesn’t subdue the subtle complexity of the hops. This beer, and all the beers, are cleaner than ever, I would say sexier than ever. Oh and I didn’t forget about West Coast IPAs, those are still a favorite of ours and without a doubt a style we are very proud of. IPAs of course are not our sole focus, but a large percentage of what we brew. This wasn’t our full intention going into opening the brewery, but it helps support the business, allowing us to do some of the financially riskier stuff. The balance is changing this coming year. Cellarmaker was very fortunate to sign a lease on a building two doors down from our location. This space has done wonders for making our work environment more enjoyable and safer. With better than ever attitudes, it is also allowing us to fill more tanks and oak with funky brett and bacteria focused beer, as well as oak aged clean beer. It is such a boost to be focused on what is already 40 some odd barrels, 2 puncheons and 4 stainless tanks with zero IPA in them. Be sure to pay attention over the next few months as we begin to roll out more and more bottles."

"We had been doing six to eight wine barrels onsite," he says of the main brewhouse's capacity. "We had great success, we learned a lot, and we've dumped a lot, too. That hurts when you're a young brewery, but we want to make sure everything that comes out of the taps is great."


Despite the expansion, Casey doesn't believe Cellarmaker's output will drastically increase. The brewery is currently producing around 2,000 bbl per year, and Casey estimates that the new sours project will only add another 120 bbl to that. But even that number is fluid, because treating beers with such capricious bacterias and yeasts is known to be a dicey endeavor.

"Sour beer is unpredictable in general," he says, which is why he decided to delay the reveal of Cellarmaker's new efforts. "I'd rather (surprise people) like, 'Here's this awesome beer.'"

As for when the public might get its hands on the new sours, Casey is less certain. The weather in San Francisco recently got chilly, which slows down conditioning time necessary for the beers.

"We're hoping for (February's San Francisco) Beer Week, at least for some of them," he says. "That was the plan two months ago but then it got really cold."

When Cellarmaker does start releasing their sours — of which there will be 10 to 12 per year — they'll be both on tap in their popular taproom and sold in bottles.

And in case the public starts believing Cellarmaker has big plans to start taking over San Francisco, Casey reiterates that the company is enjoying its success with its current model.

"We feel so in control of the project and we feel our accounts are partners," he says. "We're real happy with where we're at. It feels manageable, but a controlled chaos. We like being small and we don't have anything to prove. This allows us to do it."

 

As long as they keep doing the hoppy stuff en masse...

 

I think they do some great sours. Flesh Tones #3 and Sour Project #1 during their 4th anniversary main day gave their board a great mix of awesomeness (along with DDH Dobis+ and Cask-Conditioned Blammo). I remember thinking that they had something for everyone - sours, hops, darks and even milder styles (ESBs, Pilsners etc). It was a great balance, and one I'd love to see them have more of.

Anyway, speaking of hops... how is the latest batch of Wicked Juicy? I'll be honest, I go to Cellarmaker less these days because I still have their cans in my fridge, and it's hard to justify buying more beer.

 

Wicked Juicy was really nice. I got a growler to bring to my New Years party tomorrow night.

 

Holy crap. I'm all over the Pales, but I may or may not get the DIPA. Hope they don't use ASB's yeast

 

I'm always here to take some ASB off your hands, especially this one

In fact, not sure if this is allowed, but since I'll be in Mexico for my anniversary during this release.... If you ain't planning on maxing out any of these, PM me

 

The Dobis variants sound killer, but I'm hoping they actually sell the towel and apron! Haha

 

I got a sticker that says "Save the planet... drink more pale ale. Monkish + Cellarmaker" with my cans. Another collaboration coming up?

 

I got three! Made a remark I had to wait at the door too long to buy my cans. My 2018 request for more hazy pale ales is happening!

 

What's up with all the Cellmaker Collabs.....

another Norcal Collab.... This one with Moonraker

 

Yeah, saw that moonraker collab at the cellarmaker board yesterday. It is beer week, so they might be releasing those during the week. Here's to hoping they go the same route as previous years and release stuff before beer week.

How about that big lots? Really liked it, even more so than double moonage, and that batch was awesome.

 

Did not like Big Lots. I laughed aloud because it had that yeast bite I associate with ASB.

 

Do you still experience the yeast bite after you have let their cans sit for a couple of weeks? I get the yeast bite with super fresh Trillium and ASB beers, but that tends to go away if I sit on the cans for three to four weeks. And I know the people on tend to feel that ASB are at their peak three weeks from the canning date.

 

Loved big lots. Galaxy and Enigma Dobis' were a let down for me. Had high hopes for the Galaxy variant

 

Most of my ASB experience is on tap, so that may also be why I loathe their beer so much.

On the other hand, most ASB cans I used to acquire, I aged and tried at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks. Haze of Our Lives (Fall 2016... they haven't brewed it since) definitely had that issue, as Joe Senigaglia would attest. One of the earlier 2017 batches of Contains No Juice I also kept up to 2 months, and also had it. So yeah. I just don't buy their beer anymore, tap or cans.

(To your point though, I would say that I got major yeast bite from the 2nd batch of 38 Miles on day 1, but it was gone by week 6 when I had my 2nd can.)

 

Yeah, I don't blame you.

I remember that batch of the haze of our lives had a ton of issues. I think it was Joe's review where he said it smelled like sourdough bread and tasted like pennies, haha.

 

Definitely prefer the dobis variants, they are both fantastic expressions if each hop, I weirdly prefer the enigma over galaxy which is surprising.

The DIPA is good but very bitey on the end, but I mean honestly I'm not really surprised that a 2 day old yeast driven DIPA isn't amazing right out the gates. They are always better around the 1-2 week mark.

Around the time I finish all the dobis cans Big Lots should be tasting perfect.

 

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