What are your guys's opinion of breweries with multiple locations? Either that being two breweries on opposite sides of the country, or just multiple locations within their home city or state. Do you like it? Hate it? Do you think you can taste differences in the same beer brewed in different places?
As long as it doesn't have some kind of negative effect on the product, I don't know how it could ever matter.
As long as the quality of the product doesn't decline then Im all for it. They are able to get their product out to people who otherwise couldn't get it or would have to pay a premium for it. Take Lagunitas for example. I love that I can get it for cheap and there are a lot of options that I wouldn't otherwise have if they still only had their one brewery.
My only question is how do they keep continuity between breweries when the water source is different?
Without having any rational knowledge on the subject (basically, wild ass guess) I would say that they match the water at the expansion breweries to the first using a filtration system and adding whatever blend of mineral that gets them to the proper ph? @sierranevadabill are you able to comment on this and how the subject was addressed when expanding to Asheville? Seems like a very intriguing question
Maybe this would help your knowledge? Maybe, it has a lot of chemistry, some don't like it. http://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993 Seriously, any brewer worth his salt(s) - yes there is pun intended - will know how to adjust the water. Water can be tested to give the ions present. Then you add, or subtract ions. Addition is through common brewing salts such as Gypsum, Epsom, Table Salt, even baking soda. You can decrease bicarbonate by adding acid. Some breweries have an Ro system and blend to hit the ions they want. Here is an example. I have been to both SN breweries. SN adds some flavor ions to the kettle, mostly Gypsum. The containers in Chico are smaller than the containers in Mills River. Chico has pretty good water, the water in Mills River is really good water so more needs to be added to match the level in Chico. I hope this helps.
I love it, if i means fresher beer on the east coast. if the freshness doesnt change, then i really dont care
The breweries in the PNW start with almost pure water, it tastes wet! I was in England back in April, and toured the Jennings brewery in the Lakes District. Unlike most of Britain that I have been to, the water there was very soft due to the local geology. In the brewery were 25 Kg sacks of Table salt, Epsom, Gypsum, and Calcium Chloride. They were treating their water to get the profile the British Real Ale drinkers are accustomed to.
There are pizzerias with small water "plants" on their premises to make the water as close to NYC water as possible.
Which would be an RO system in most of the country, the water from the Catskills reservoirs has low ion content. Brooklyn became a brewing center in the 19th century once the local water was replaced with better water from Croton or the Catskills.
