Finding a Niche

This article is about the competitive and dynamic nature of the craft beer industry.  The article mentions that the industry experienced rapid growth in the 90s and then the bubble burst followed by lots of breweries closing.   It goes on to say that a repeat is unlikely because of “more sophisticated owners, better beer, a broader audience and savvy breweries carving out new niches.”  I think that’s part of it, but they fail to mention the factor the macrobreweries had in squashing out the little guys.

So, to stand out the smaller brewing companies need to find niches. This is true in all industries.  They can do things on a small scale that larger companies can’t do.  Craft brewers can focus on things like Belgian-style and high-end boutique beers, cask-conditioned English-style ales or more sessionable style German beers.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_21736636/beer-fest-colorados-craft-brewers-keep-raising-bar

In home brewing news, yesterday, I racked my pumpkin ale from the primary to the secondary fermenter.  It left behind a significant amount of trub (the sediment at the bottom of the fermenter consisting of hot and cold break material, hop bits, and dead yeast).  Racking your beer to a secondary fermenter serves as a refining step in the overall homebrewing process. When the beer is racked, it is carefully siphoned away from the trub to a second fermenter in hopes of leaving a majority of that nasty sediment behind.  Here is a picture:

And the recipe:

2-3 lbs. Fresh pumpkin or 2 (2lb) cans Libby's pumpkin (no preservatives) 2 lbs. American 6-Row malt

.5 lb wheat malt

.5 lb crystal 20 malt

6 lbs light dried unhopped malt extract

1 cup brown sugar

1 oz. Mt. Hood hop pellets

mixed pie spices (i.e. nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, allspice, ginger in hops bag)

White Labs California Ale yeast