Shipyard has done it again

I wouldn't say its garbage, more sounds like you don't like it. Pugsley is responsible for setting up over 70 breweries in North America, like you said how Shipyard utilizes ringwood is the issue not the system. I had a conversation with pugsley once and asked him about the "butter" and he said the flavor is part of his brews like clove is part of belgian beers. Flavors from yeasts whether you like or not does not make for garbage process. I've brewed a couple brews and intentionally fermented at a higher temp as my dad likes the banana flavors so to eat their own.

 

You're assuming that the majority of users here actually know what they are talking about and are somehow beer "experts" and that IMHO is a misconception. I think most of us know what we like and don't, and on that I agree. Many like myself come here to learn about beer, and continue to learn and try new beers. But to say what is and isn't good beer, is misleading. Other than a very small percentage of truly stellar beers out there ( IE: BCS, KBS) most of the rest are truly subjective to each and every persons' taste buds. If everyone on here represented the opinions of the vast majority of beer drinkers, craft and BMC, then Shipyard would not be the 15th largest brewery in America.

 

I don't see why this is an issue. I understand that the author might be a bit disinfranchised by his brewery (presuming that it is in fact a Shipyard worker who wrote this) but nothing he says is actually wrong. Like Jesskidden, I don't know the specific details of Shipyards fermentation processes and timing, but I do know that the way to keep beers clean using Ringwood is to give it more time to rest and let the yeast clean up after themselves. There are plenty of breweries using that strain that do it right - Dogfist, even Magic Hat usues it, and whatever you may think of their beers, buttersotch and butter popcorn is not one of the flavors I genereally find with them. Using that one strain for everything for so long could also result in the yeast actually mutating there inthe brewery creating even faster fermentations at the expense of more diacetyl.
I have been trying Shipyard beers as long as I've been drinking, and fairly regulary sample them again. Everytim ei try it, it seems more and more like the butterscotch-butter popcorn flavor comes out more and more.
The only beer that they have that this isn't offensive is the Pumpkinhead, bcause thos flavors go with the spices rather well. I don't like that beer for plenty of other reasons than that.
Yes, having diacetyl in some beers is a good, thing, but it is specific styles, and low levels. e flavors of that in Shipyars beers completely dominate the flavors.

 

I really like the smashed pumpkin, outside of that they have never really produced anything that enjoyable to me

 

I'm glad your dad decided to spare you!

 

If you like to punish yourself, seek out Mikeller Ultramate.

 

No, I said the exact opposite. It's their fermentation process NOT Ringwood. Ringwood is a great yeast if you know how to use it, just ask Sam Calagione (of Dogfish Head fame). Try reading my post before you respond to it.

Just because Pugsley is responsible for a bunch of sub-par beer in New England doesn't justify the brewing method. He was able to dupe businessmen and people who didn't know anything about beer into a low-cost, low-quality model. I doubt half of these 70 breweries are still in business.

The Puglsey/Austin system is a bottom-of-the-barrel, cheap and painfully low-tech brewing process. There are a lot of things that Shipyard does that would make most brewers shudder. Their fermentations fluctuate from 60-80deg (ridiculously hot and not recommended for an English ale) and they recirculate fermenting wort with unsanitary sump pumps in order to accelerate fermentation so they can get the beer out the door faster. Because of this, the beer isn't conditioned and matured properly, so the diacetyl and acetaldehyde levels are through the roof. But most of their customers don't notice because they don't know anything about beer. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

You're right that I don't like it. But I can't think of a single brewer these days who would say this method is the "right" way to make beer. It may have been cool in 1990, but things have changed.

 

It's not suspicion, it's reality, and they still make beer the same way, which is why all of their sales are down except for Pumpkinhead. The craft beer market is evolving, and Shipyard can't stay competitive with their cheap, low-quality product. Even Pugsley himself left the company a year ago. Applehead, Melonhead... these are attempts to salvage a dying brand.

 

Tried the Wild Turkey Barrel Aged Porter from shipyard yesterday while in san francisco for WIne Warehouse party. it was damn good.

 

First I did read the post perhaps I wasn't clear, brewing can occur in many ways. As to the 70 breweries most small scale brew pub I can't speak to the quality and neither can you as you clear haven't had their beer.
As far as low tech, I brew out of an old keg on my porch, ferment in my basement with plastic buckets, am I not brewing the "right" way? I don't have stainless fermentation tank lined with glychol am I not doing it right? Shipyard uses this model and is in business, doing quite well actually so...

Clearly their way of brewing isn't wrong or right, everyone has their own unique spin, what temps do you mash your ipa? what volume of sparge do you do for baltic porter? Whats your pitching temp? Shipyard is brewing in a way they want and it's working and here is why people like it, I don't but people do. For you to state their customers don't know anything about beer is silly, do you think Lambic brewery don't know about beer, they let it go sour man there not brewing the "right" way. I know plenty of beer geeks that don't like shipyard and a few who do. I even know of people who like the butter as much as I like the horse blanket.

I'm just annoyed when people say "you know that beer your making and lots of people like enough to pay for it well your doing it wrong, I know 'cause I drink beer"

Also a little confused how bud light lime rates better than, Baxter IPa, DFH Rising Bines, Green Flash IIPA, and nearly as good as SN hoptimum? O wait that's right you have different tastes then me and that's ok.

 

He likes what he likes and its sometime fun to play around to see what flavors I can come up with. first time I did it was by accident gave him a taste and he was like mmm banana beer, I gave him the rest...he was happy

 

Fair enough. I'm not trying to pick a fight, despite my strong words. I have had beer from several breweries that use the Pugsley/Austin system (Sea Dog, Geary's, Woodstock, Gritty's, Arcadia and others) and I must say that few of them were good, and many of them were flawed. I guess that I'm speaking as someone who knows a lot of people in the craft brewing industry and has studied "acceptable" beer flavors. I've done a lot of homebrewing, beer research and dabbled in Siebel sensory kits. Maybe I'm indoctrinated, but all I'm trying to say is that a lot of the beers produced by Shipyard are off-flavor nightmares. It's less a matter of preference and more a matter of sensory analysis and convention. Regarding the practices and technology at Shipyard, I will continue to contend that they are less than ideal for the type of beer they are producing. Commercial brewing is one thing, homebrewing is another. My perspective is completely different from most people on this website, so I should probably stop wasting my time in this forum. Signing off.

 

The difference is you brew for the joy of home brewing and others brew for capital gain. You're refined taste buds are up to the task of dissecting all kinds of things the average drinker of anything will never experience, an uncommon precious gift. (even in this community) Your devotion to the craft gives you the knowledge to brew your beer on a small scale exactly the way YOU like it. (perhaps not the entire shipyard demographic) but quite possibly a different one > or = to that of shipyard, regardless if you love doing it you ARE doing it right.

A LARGE majority of THIS country think craft beer is that weird hoppy stuff (and the craft beer trends do their part to perpetuate that thinking, If dortmunders were a little more popular maybe converts would be a little easier.) Then there's a gray area and there's us. Its evolution, as the beer drinking public becomes more aware and discerning the breweries that can adapt to their demands if they can create the beer new more educated drinking public likes they will thrive. If not someone who can maybe you, will.

If what the alleged employee in the blog says is true about the brewmasters fear of technology, If that man ever leaves their is always the hope that someone will step in and change things up. All of the sudden their is a new state of the art facility being built or added capacity in some form. I'm not saying it will/wont happen I'm saying PEOPLE can sometimes get in the way of making good beer.

To quote The International Players Anthem: Top notch hoes get the most not the lesser... you sir are a top notch hoe, you get the most out of what you drink, and that is a good thing!

You just aren't shipyards target demo... No smashed Pumpkin with what tasted like 18 tons of munich malt for you.

Smashed Blueberry is actually quite good IMO

Cheers!

 

fwiw I agree. I've only ever had their "Pugsley's Signature Series" stuff, and only ever XXXX IPA, Smashed Pumpkin, and Smashed Blueberry.

Smashed Pumpkin remains one of my favorite pumpkin beers if not my favorite and I will be happy to see it hit shelves again this year.

Smashed Blueberry was abysmal and I drainpoured it. Tasted like artificial blueberry flavor all over a mediocre beer.

XXXX IPA was drinkable but entirely unspectacular from what I remember of it (which isn't much and that's not a great sign).

 

Fair enough
I completely agree shipyards beers could meet my taste buds needs much better with out certain flavors. My wife works in. quality control for a coffee company and is a certified super taster so I completely understand your analytical approach to beer. Her perspective has driven me to create better and more consistent homebrew. Your perspective is one I welcome you have passion and if only all forums we as lively and worth reading and not "what's the best IPA from your state"...I love me some can't dog .

Cheers

 

Shityard Beer, enough said!!!

 

Cant Dog kills...crazy delicious.

 

For the most part I find Shipyard beers very drinkable . I stay from any Apple/Melon concoctions tho
so I am safe !!

 

I agree with your general sentiment regarding Shipyard, their brewing practices, etc, but I think "attempts to salvage a dying brand" is a bit of a misnomer. Despite their quality control and all the beer geek hate, the brewery is extremely successful. I think it's more of an attempt to capitalize on a bafflingly successful seasonal (Pumpkinhead) that represents a huge proportion of their sales, despite the fact that it is only available for a few months.

I won't defend their beer (although I think they do make a couple of pretty good brews), but as a business they are very successful.

 

I've never even tried a Shipyard beer. But the comments about it always make me laugh