31 July 2022 - We've hit our two year anniversary and are ramping up production again after a few months where our unnamed brew kettle and fermenters Alexander and Lane were underutilized and starting to look for other work. Our focus was on things like clearing out a house in another town and that stress and constant movement wasn't conducive to running a brewery.

Ironically during the clean out we found an old photo of a beer a much younger version of us made in the mid-90's, Mulder's Spooky Brew. Unfortunately, no notebooks were used so we can't tell what it may have been other than something mysteriously dark and brooding, right? We used to label our products back then and this bottle with its pop label became a collectors item for some of our friends and family who tuned in weekly to the X-Files.

As mentioned our production has ramped back up to normal - and instead of what had become an uneasy search for an ALB beer bottle in our fridge, at last count there are now 31 of 'em.

In our first two years of operation we've made 69 batches of beer, and all but about 18 of those are new original ALB recipes so we've really enjoyed creating things from scratch. But as those 18 repeats suggest some of those beers we just can't live without like Alexander Run, Thanks Bob, It Ain't Cake (With Icing), Southern Cross, and Two Bridges.

Production notes. Since our last blog we savored and said farewell to some new beers including, Change Agent, Low, Home Test Kit, Light Background, SLUGAH LLBS, Back on Track (you tell me?), Bird Fast, Snow Fog, Southern Cross, and Gargoyle Needs Carseat.

We're still enjoying It Ain't Cake (with icing), Yard Work, Alexander Run, Two Bridges, and Thanks Bob.

Fire Assignment and Gold Lion are in the fermenters to enjoy later this month.

Enjoy the dog days of summer with a tasty ALB brew if you can!

Prost!

Evan

Brewer, ALB

11 January 2022 - My oh my it's been a while. We've gone from a pensive fall to a ponderous Groundhog Day-like January of a new year that seems more rerun-like, wondering just where are we at in these pandemic times.

But we're trying to be optimistic and just tapped our strong IPA named Home Test Kit as a way to fight back against chaos with flavor and humor on this thin blade of illusionary control we find ourselves dancing on. The description says it's a lot better than a swab jammed up your nose, and with one in hand now I can certainly attest to truth in advertising.

Although we've been maintaining radio silence these last few months, we have been brewing. Decided to take a short break from innovation and continued revisiting some of our old favorites. Certainty just can't be overvalued these days.

Rest assured though that innovation will return as we ramp up production in 2022. Home Test Kit was our 37th (and last) batch in 2021, and a few days ago we kicked off the 2022 calendar year a few days ago brewing up an original Kellerbier recipe we call Low (the name means whatever the hell you want it to mean - run with it). So the bumper beers of the turn of the year are both new originals.

We wish all the friends of Alexander Lane Brewing a terrific, healthy, and safe 2022. Do stop by if you're in the area and catch a tour.

Production notes. Since our last blog we were sad to say goodbye to Lime Scooter, another batch of Super Spreader, Shop Local, Knitting Class, another batch of Alexander Run, Clock Back, another batch of Thanks Bob, and Leaf Drop.

We're still enjoying It Ain't Cake (with icing), SLUGAH LLBS (tastes like summer), another batch of Southern Cross, Light Background, and Home Test Kit.

Low, our 53rd batch, is fermenting away right now and we hope to enjoy it next month.

Happy New Year!

Prost!

Evan

Brewer, ALB

6 October 2021 - Cool Hand Luke that is.

Like Luke digging the hole and filling it again and again, Lane and Alexander are probably thinking, "When will we ever catch a break? The brews just keep coming."

And when we look outside we see that we're now deep into the fall season with that near-constant rain of leaves piling up on the lawn, which we clear, only to find them raining onto the lawn again.

Sometimes those repeated efforts just fill the time or satisfy the Boss. But with the right frame of mind sometimes they stretch the mind and can lead to growth. Trying for elusive perfection in these efforts can yield creativity and efficiency.

So when we're in the midst of clearing leaves over and over again, we try to do it a bit better than last time (or create a bigger pile of 'em than we've ever created before). When we ask Lane and Alexander to work on another brew again and again, we're not sure they're getting much out of it, but we sure are.

Today we hit the 1 bbl milestone in 2021 with the brewing of Leaf Drop, a hop-forward brown IPA. This was our 31st beer since January and batch 46 since ALB began in 2020. We're not just digging and filling holes, or clearing leaves over and over, we're getting better and having a lot of fun!

Our venture into repeat brewing of old favorites has challenged us to apply the necessary precision to hit the same marks on a different day to craft the same great beer. We're also continuing our efforts to stretch our skills in creating original scratch recipes that might someday compete for a chance to repeat. We've realized that catching a comet tail is something that can be done more than once, if you're careful - and it's a lot more rewarding than what poor Luke experienced digging and filling holes in the yard. And at the end of the day ALB beer goes down a lot easier than 50 hard boiled eggs!

Production notes. Since our last blog we were sad to say goodbye to Raptor Bath (and our raptors!), gal 11111, 1881, Southern Cross, and Back on Track (Not Quite). We've got a bit of Lime Scooter left and are savoring our most recent batches of Thanks Bob and Alexander Run, both solid repeat brews, along with our Oktoberfest beer Super Spreader (which we quickly put back into production to make more for the season). Our farmhouse saison brewed with local honey Shop Local is an intensely meditative treat. Almost ready to go is a batch of Super Spreader and a close-but-not-quite repeat of our experimental It Ain't Cake (with icing). We've got our fermentation tanks working on Knitting Class which is our first attempt at a NEIPA, and today's brew Leaf Drop.

Stay safe this fall season.

Prost!

Evan

Brewer, ALB

25 August 2021 - "What time is it? No time to look back."

Well, we hit our first birthday on July 24 and any good intentions we had to draft a blog post to mark the occasion were dashed among the complexities that accompany growing up. Even though we're still crawling in this craft, following through sometimes escapes us as we focus on the bright shiny object in our field of view, be that a cold glass of our rich product, a new shipment of grain, or conjuring another recipe to brew. We've been living in the present and not feeling much into taking time to look back.

But, about 1 month late and with a b-boi Penultimate in one hand we'll take this moment to reflect - while keeping one eye on the nameless brew kettle working on a second brewing of Thanks Bob (which is a reflection itself).

So Happy Birthday to us! ALB has made it a year. Statistically or production-wise we're still a pico brewery having brewed 36 one gallon batches of beer. Southern Cross, a California common, was brewed a few days before our first year of operation ended. Too many days have passed to remember if we had cake to celebrate the milestone (maybe some Cheetos?), but we've got a tad bit of awe looking back on our first year. Never in our wildest imagination did we think back in July 2020 when we started that ALB would have produced 36 beers and counting today. And damn good beers they were (are)!

Our journey started out with some kits but at last fall we started venturing into all grain original recipes. Creating magic in our signature way of striving not for the classic or mundane but creating a chance to grab for a moment the fleeting comet-like tail of our unique and original beers. Check out Our Beers page as it takes the time to look back on where we've been. It doesn't dwell though as it also helps to share our now and future - what we're enjoying and looking forward to. Our second year is starting off with a mix of new original recipes along with some repeats of beers that were so good we'd like an opportunity to catch again.

Production notes. Since our last blog our second batch of Alexander Run, Thanks Bob, and b-boi Penultimate have kicked. We've brewed and are enjoying Raptor Bath, gal 11111, Lime Scooter, 1881, Southern Cross, and Back on Track (Not Quite). We're awaiting our first tastes of Super Spreader and another batch of Alexander Run and of course the Thanks Bob we brewed today.

Prost!

Evan

Brewer, ALB

13 June 2021 - Thankfully, the answer is yes. Several generations back there was a guy in our family tree named Evan who was a cooper by trade. We could use his help now as we're coming full circle and back to the future with ALB having hit the 1 bbl milestone of production today.

The 31st batch gal 11111 brewed this afternoon and is now in Alexander's good hands for fermentation. Although the name could be a puzzler for some, the brew pays homage to our very first venture into brewing in the last century (no, not as far back as the Evan who made barrels lived).

Tom (who now operates Wana Beer brewery in Neenah, WI) and I got our start with a Bock beer kit brewed at what we'll call 1607 Jefferson Brewery in Madison, WI. So gal 11111 is an ALB original all grain recipe for a Bock beer. We look forward to raising a glass in toast of our first bbl and in memory of that first brew.

Oh and how about this! ALB doesn't have regular shifts for its workers and defined start times for its brew days. So today was just another random day. We ran some chores in the afternoon and then about 1540 started getting our grain bill put together. Tossed 3 quarts into the brewpot and heated the strike water. When it hit 163 deg we dumped our grain and the mash began. We jotted down the time on a bit of paper.

Later as we were filling out our journal we got more than a few shivers down our spine. It wasn't the effects of the It Ain't Cake we were drinking to commemorate the 1 bbl brew day, but it hit us when we noted the mash start time, 1607. Was it the ghost of King Gambrinus or Captain Pabst mixing the things up in our brewhouse? Who knows. But I'd like to think it was the ghost of Evan, and if so, I'm telling him now we're going to need another barrel!

Production notes. Since our last blog No Grievances Festivus, 6 Jabs 44, and Sundara have kicked. We've still got some 'cause I can and It Ain't Cake that we're savoring. Our flagship beer Alexander Run is special and we'll make just some minor tweaks before that recipe is locked in, it's a current favorite of ours along with our unique mind-blowing bold blond coffee ale Thanks Bob. We're waiting to taste First Review, an amber ale brewed during our first brewing experience tour and Back on Track, a wheat ale with citrus notes provided by home grown lime basil and Cashmere hops. Our latest saison b-boi Penultimate will head into bottling this week.

Prost!

Evan

Brewer, ALB

22 May 2021 - Open the refrigerator at ALB these days and it's hard not to take a few steps backwards like Chief Brody and utter, "you're gonna need a bigger fridge." (may need a pretzel stick quivering between your lips for full cinematic impact)

We've got 4 of our beers chilling - a total of 28 bottles. Efforts to ramp up production seem to have worked. The beers reflect a variety of styles and ABV so there's something for everyone and any mood you may be in. A red ale at 8.1% abv (No Grievances Festivus), a saison at 7.1% abv ('cause I can), a schwartzbier at 6.5% abv (6 Jabs 44) and a pale ale single malt single hop at 5.1% abv (Sundara).

It Ain't Cake is conditioning in the bottle and should be ready in a week or two and Lane is finishing up fermenting on the first brewing of our flagship beer, an IPA named Alexander Run (should be ready to bottle in a couple days).

Unless you've taken a tour of our brewery you may not know that we build our recipes without a name in mind and hopefully by the time we pitch the yeast into Alexander or Lane we've come upon a name fitting for the brew we've crafted. Yesterday's brew day was no different.

The recipe for a blond ale started coming together the day before, without a name. But a couple hours before mashing we learned someone in the community had died unexpectedly and far too soon.

He was a man with many talents, a creator, deeply engaged in the community, and touched us directly and early in our time here - showing what was possible if you pitch in. We'll miss seeing him out and about.

So last night when we pitched the yeast into the wort in Alexander, the unnamed blond ale became Thanks Bob. In a few weeks we can raise a glass in memory.

Prost!

Evan

Brewer, ALB

7 May 2021 - Welcome to Alexander Lane Brewing (ALB). Nine months into this journey and we've brewed 24 batches of beer.

As a "pico" brewery we're as small as they get, a homebrewer learning and experimenting with this craft. And doing so by crafting 1 gallon batches of beer. How do we compare to Miller-Coors brewery in Milwaukee? Well, we've got 2 fermenters (Alexander and Lane) that each hold about 2 gallons of beer but we're only using half of their capacity. Miller has 25 fermenters with a capacity of 142,000 bbl. A bbl is 31 gallons of beer. ALB has produced 24 gallons (or 77% of a bbl). Miller's fermentation tank capacity exceeds our 9-month production by 183,417 times.

Our production totals about 10 cases, which I guess sounds pretty good except most homebrewers produce 5-gallons or about 2 cases of beer at a time. By keeping our operation small we're able to get more "at bats" - more practice with success and failure in this craft, and more opportunities to learn. And that's what ALB is about, learning and having fun making beer.

Exciting times are ahead as we're moving deeper into all-grain brewing with your occasional partial mash to take advantage of some DME when time is short. We took delivery of almost 70 pounds of raw ingredients this week. Having that much malt on hand, with a variety of base and specialty malts, will allow ALB to ramp up production and be able to more consistently share our quality beers with family and friends. No longer will we have to wait for a shipment to arrive from the midwest to allow our brewpot to convert grain malted in Wisconsin to the sweet wort that is the foundation of our beers.

We're trying to keep our two fermenters busy. Alexander just took a break as we bottled 'cause I can this morning - a modded NB saison reached a FG of 1.002 and an ABV of 7.1%. Lane has a couple more days work left on an ALB original recipe all-grain SMASH called Sundara consisting of Briess Pale Ale malt and a load of Mosaic hops that bring the IBUs of this ale up to 57 and the estimated ABV was 4.7%. Currently Lane is checking in with a SG of 1.005 corresponding to an ABV of 4.9%. How 'bout that - under promise and over deliver - a core value at Alexander Lane Brewing.

Prost!

Evan

Brewer, ALB