The Daily Fool

Two fermenters full at one time????  That is the plan for the end of this snowy Friday afternoon!  Erik made our first Vienna Malt Mash yesterday and filled fermenter #2....and today he is mashing Vienna Malt Mash #2 and filling fermenter #1.  Very exciting news!  We are trying some different mash bills to see what types of flavors come through in the distillate.  Erik has had some great ideas based on his brewing experience.  So we are thrilled for the opportunity to experiment a little.

We also received a shipment of 8 barrels from Brown Foreman on Monday and they are going to be ready for this new Mash Bill. 

The snow and cold are really apparent out in the rack house...it is really cold out there.  So, the aging of the present barrels is now a "unique to North East Ohio" situation!  The distillations have been getting better and better and the mash process has also been getting better and better and more consistent. 

Kids are home for a long weekend--so soon after Christmas break!  So, they are hoping to enjoy the snow.  I am hoping to stay warm.  The bourbon abides......

Who knew that someday our connection to The Humphrey Popcorn Company in Cleveland would lead us to locally grown and milled corn for our Bourbon????

Tom's Aunt Betsy and Uncle Dud Humphrey were the owners of the Humphrey Popcorn Company for many years until just recently when they sold the business.  The Humphrey Company holds a very important place in the hearts of Clevelanders past and present. Uncle Dud's family has been farming and making popcorn in the greater Cleveland area since the 1800's! And they were instrumental in an important Cleveland landmark, Euclid Beach Park.

Dud's ancestors came to the area in the 1800's initially for logging and bought property on Wakeman. The land was foreclosed on in the 1890's, bringing the Humphrey's to Cleveland. When their invention of a newfangled popcorn popping machine didn't pan out as hoped, their focus shifted a bit and, not long after, the family hit the retail side and opened up their own popcorn stand on Public Square.  They also manned a popcorn stand at Euclid Beach Park.  Euclid Beach Park wasn't doing all that well and Humphrey correctly noted that the owners were trying to cater to EVERYONE (from gamblers, to drinkers to families).  This, in effect, caused the park to cater to NO ONE.   In 1901 Uncle Dud's Grandfather oversaw the buyout and ultimate revival of Euclid Beach Park as a true family-fun theme park that had a successful run until its closure in 1969. 

Humphrey popcorn was always family-grown, and is still grown on the same land the family originally owned! Pete Hazel and his wife are the third generation of Humphrey farmers to grow corn at the farm since the family bought the original Humphrey land back in the 1920's  It is an incredible story of family and history all tied to the local Cleveland scene. 

And now, enter Tom's Foolery!  Yet another family connection that we hope will carry a (different) form of this amazing Cleveland Tradition forward in to the future.....a new way to eat Humphrey Farms corn.....drink it! 

Welcome to Erik!!!  Tom's Foolery's first employee!  Erik comes to us with a great background as a brewer and has been picking up the ropes quickly here in the distillery.

I have had to put on another hat, that of Payroll Specialist--Tom is really pulling me outside my box, but I suppose that is a good thing.  Keeps the mind working I guess. 

But it is really exciting as we move forward with the next phase of production.  Erik has been making the mash, running the stills, filling the barrels and cleaning--yippee!!!!

I have been sticking to the computer side for now and grain pickup--which has gotten quite hairy at times.  I am not a fan of the 8 foot tower of grain in the back of the dually and have been spotted by passing motorists flinging one or two tons of grain off the top of the pile to level out the weight.  I am no longer an advocate for stacking the bags up on pallets--spread them out in the back of the truck bed, please.  Tom is lucky I work out with Jane Easly (Kettlebell instructor extraordinaire!!!) so I can move the bags without hurting myself.  For those of you who have seen me, I am a relatively small-ish person .

But we are thrilled to have Erik on board and are looking forward to the future growth and expansion of Tom's Foolery with him.

Cheers to you all and a happy and healthy 2012!

Well, I am sad to say that I think this past weekend was our Indian Summer.  And it was GLORIOUS.  

To make the weekend even better, we hosted Dick and Elaine Stoll, John Ed Beam and Bob and Lana France (my parents). Dick Stoll is a Master Distiller and he is pretty much the only guy who has experience running our stills.  John Ed Beam is the third Beam brother and son of David Beam.  My parents came to help out, which was an added bonus!

The men did not waste time getting to work...milling corn, soldering, cooking the grains for the mash, readying the fermenter, and running the whiksey still for the first time! The Beer Still was run earlier in the week using our first mash to strip it for the whiskey run. 

Dick remembered everything.  He was invaluable and ran the equipment like no time had passed.  Like the Beams a few weekends before, he had great advice and suggestions.  Nobody is afraid to get their hands dirty or take one any task.  

The mash is bubbling away in the fermenter awaiting distillation.  The interaction of the yeast cells with the grains is amazing to watch.  

As the colder weather approaches, part of me likes the thought of being in the warm and cozy distillery with the stills heating and humidifying the space, the beer bubbling in the next room awaiting its turn in the bellies of the copper pots.   

And the adventure moves forward.......

Well, we did it!  We made our first Mash yesterday! 

McGyver and his trusty friends plumbed in all the workings and things ran rather smoothly.  Just a few bumps here and there.  And mostly just things that will certainly get easier as we gain more experience with equipment and readings, etc...

But, for now, the mash is in the fermenter and it is bubbling away happily, on its way to being a nice beer for the still.  In just a few short days, Tom will be firing up the new stills for the first time and running out our first barrel of Bourbon! 

Recalling our visit to Kentucky and the Bourbon Trail, I feel like the "big boys" now that our cypress fermenter is filled with the live-action mash. 

Last night, the activating yeast sounded like rain.  This morning, it looks like something is breathing in there....blurbs of large bubbles send grains to the top of the mix while releasing the gases within.  The oatmeal-like mush thrusts and churns all on its own, while the heat from the tiny cells can warm your hand if you put it close to the surface. 

It's ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And we are thrilled!

Pictures will come when I can figure out why they won't post......And I did add some to our facebook page, so check there if you are interested!

Cheers!!!!!!

Batch #2 is in the Warehouse!  We dropped off 46 cases in Cleveland and will be taking 4 cases to Columbus later this week.  The six State Agencies on the "Get Some" page are going to carry it in Cleveland, so we hope you will find some there!  If I hear of any other area Agencies that will be carrying it, I will mention it as soon as I know.  In Columbus Weilands Market will be carrying our Applejack.  We can't wait to hear what you think of Batch #2! 

I was hoping to include a bunch of pictures, but, alas, they are not loading on the site at the moment.

I hope to get them up soon, though, because the bottles are beautiful!  Batch #2 is bottled, waxed, labeled and ready for signing and numbering.  Then they will be off to the warehouse!

Two years of the spirit living withing the barrel has given it a rich color and bold, but not too bold, flavor.  This product was made using a still we don't even have in operation anymore!  Hand bottling is still OK for the time being, but we hope to be growing out of that soon!

We have plans in the works for making Whiskey.  We have not fully decided on type, style or mash bill yet, but plans are being put in to action. 

We have new stills and are really looking forward to getting them up and running!  There have been a lot of changes around the distillery from the "new" stills, to cypress fermenters for the mash to a new (and fully approved) Rack house!  We can't wait to get the barrels of Applejack out there followed closely by some barrels of whiskey. 

We are excited to see what Northeast Ohio does for Whiskey---cold, cold Winters and hot, humid summers may make for an interesting union between the spirit and the barrel...we can't wait to see how it all works out!

You would think with the frigid temperatures this Winter that I would have had all the time in the world to keep this page current!  I think I expended so much energy trying to stay warm that it just didn't happen.  I did spend a few moments this Winter warming my hands by the Potstill--how many people can say that?

Tom was busy, busy, busy and we are looking forward to some really exciting events at the distillery in the next few months. 

Batch #1 is almost gone!  Minotti's in Fairview Park has about 4 cases left...

Batch #2 is aging quite nicely. The barrel is doing its part and the spirit is full and flavorful!  We have been experimenting with an Eau-de-Vie, which is a clear spirit right off the still and cut to proof. Tom has been triple distilling this product. It is quite fruity and has a lovely nose.   It can be used to mixed drinks or even just for sipping after dinner. 

We also burned some maple sugar this Winter.  We had a great batch!  And it was nice to be outside as we were around a fire.  I am going to try the Applejack Rabbit that Joe Deluca suggested on our Facebook page: Maple Syrup, Applejack, Orange Juice and Lemon Juice....

Here's hoping for warmer weather so we can return to the exterior world comfortably.  But it sure has been uplifting to see the sun...

Cheers!

Well, 2011 has arrived.  We celebrated Christmas with lots of family and brought in the New Year with great friends.  And the kids went back to school today after a long, but much needed, break. 

I am sure you can imagine what Tom was doing on his days off over the Holiday.  You would be right if you suspect he distilled and distilled and distilled. 

Each fermentation has its own unique quality and we are still testing out various theories or fermentation until we can settle on the best process for our Applejack--part of the fun of being an artisan in this craft!  But we are so excited about the quality of what is has been coming off the stills and being entered into the barrels.  It will be hard to remain patient, but the wood needs time to do its thing.

So, Happy New Year!  Cheers!

Well, it has only been a month since we shipped (or carried!) our 40 cases  to the warehouse in Northeast Ohio. 

We have received lots of love from the community and wonderful compliments....both things that will keep the stills running!

Another thing that will keep the stills running is that we just got word that our stock has been depleted from the warehouse: ZERO inventory!  I am in shock!  And incredibly delighted and humbled. 

The downside to that is that batch #2 is not likely to be ready for another 6-12 months!  We are busy creating the base layer of clear, aromatic applejack for batches 2, 3, 4 and beyond.....but we must be patient with the aging process. 

So, bear with us!  We will keep you posted on the progress--especially regarding the release of Batch #2. 

Cheers!