David Larsen at Haven Gastropub and Brewery in Pasadena gave me a brewery tour back in December. He showed off every element of the brewery - from grain storage to the bright tanks. Dave's brewery has a very interesting network of passageways and a special lift between the grain delivery and the mill. In short, it looked like a real pain to get the grain in storage. But they're figuring out how to overcome this challenge. I'll have a chance to brew with Dave on his 15 barrel system pretty soon.
Dave introduced me to Evan Weinberg at Cismontane in Rancho Santa Margarita. Evan gave us an intro to barrel aging as he cleaned and filled a 15 gallon oak barrel with a Belgian ale. Cismontane placed in the Del Mar Fair in 2011 in the IPA and Pale Ale categories - no small feat amongst a County of breweries known worldwide for their IPAs and Pale Ales. I had a chance to poke around the brewery, try Cismontane's ales, and bounce a load of questions off both Evan and Dave. On top of that, I'll be joining Evan from time to time to gain experience on the brewery floor. This weekend is Cismontane's second anniversary, so show up and have a pint!
I ran in to Patrick Rue from the Bruery at Haven Gastropub in Orange in March and couldn't help but bug him about beer and share my story with him. From there, I contacted his Director of Brewing Operations, Tyler King, for a brewery tour. Tyler was a great help - he showed me around the Bruery and gave me an overwhelming amount of advice about brewery equipment. He's a really smart guy and his beer is testament to that.
More exciting photos from the breweries (first two from Cismontane, third is from the Bruery, and the fourth is from Haven Pasadena):
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