Southern-Style Beer?

Fullsteam’s beers are not yet available to the public.Until our brewery is built-out, we’re limited to brewing on 32’s small homebrew system in his backyard — test batches as we upfit our and work on the brewery. We hope to open in early 2010.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SERIES (learn more)

We celebrate labor past and present with this line of session beers. After a hard days’ work, an easy-drinking, no-nonsense beer hits the spot.

Choose from Mild, Extra Special Bitter, India Pale Ale, and our flagship “Carolina Common,” Fullsteam. Once we open, look for the Workers’ Compensation series on tap throughout the Triangle and at our tavern. We plan to package Fullsteam in 16-ounce cans.

How our hearts are breaking
let us take a little booze,
for we’re goin’ crazy
with them weave room blues.

– Dorsey Dixon, “Weave Room Blues.”

PLOW-to-PINT series (learn more)

Southern agricultural beer brewed with local farmed goods, heirloom grains, and Southern botanicals . Experiments to-date include scuppernong grapes, sweet potatoes, hickory-smoked malt, kudzu, and rhubarb.

Depending on the complexity of the beer, these artisan batch selections may be offered in cans, wine-like 500ml and 750ml bottles, on draft at select accounts, or on tap exclusively at our tavern.

In the past few years, North Carolina’s beer selection has flourished with beers around the world: Belgian dubbels, tripels, and quads; English bitters and barleywine, German lagers. Amazing craft beer from US breweries establishing regional traditions and styles: the West Coast IPA phenomenon. Hearty Wisconsin lagers. Experimental beers from the Northeast.

But we have yet to develop a Southern craft beer identity. Fullsteam’s mission is to reflect the unique Southern confluence of industry and agriculture, crafting a distinctly Southern beer style.

Interested in learning more about our vision of Southern-style beer? Check out one of our earliest blog posts, “We brew to differ.”

12 Responses to “ Southern-Style Beer? ”

nathan Jan 16th, 2009 at 4:24 pm

Have you found hickory smoked malt? I have not seen hickory, only alder, beech, and of course peated malt. You could build a smoker from an oil drum with a bit of welding and expirement in the mean time with the % of smoked malt in the grist and intensity of smoking (use a standard kettle grill to smoke at home-brew scale).

I’ve read of american brewers using rices in saison-ish beers as a replacement for the very belgian candy sugars, to great effect. Even an americanized lambic using local rice and peaches could be an interesting project.

If you have ideas, but not the space to brew and ferment, I’m happy to help. I brew at least four batches a month on my 10gallon single-tier sculpture and have tons of fermentation space for ales (not as much lagering room, though).
Sean Jan 16th, 2009 at 10:51 pm

nathan — 32 uses his big green egg to smoke his own malts over hickory…so we’re thinking exactly along the same lines here. Same with the rice and peach lambic, which we’ve listed as a “in our heads” experimental beer (Fuzz Buzz). It’s fun to get insights and ideas from other people, but even better to get offers for fermentation space! Email sent!
New N.C. Brewery « the w.h.y.g. wam Feb 26th, 2009 at 2:44 pm

[...] a scan of their Web site it looks like Fullsteam’s mission is to develop a truly “southern beer.” If necessary they look to create a new style and it appears they are calling at least one of their [...]
Sean Feb 26th, 2009 at 5:44 pm

Here’s a picture of 32 smoking malts over hickory for the latest batch of Hogwash!…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/popthecap/3307499890/
Fullsteam Ahead! | GrillandBarrel.com May 23rd, 2009 at 12:55 pm

[...] dreams. They have plans to open up a brewery later this year which will be dedicated to creating a distinctly southern beer…”beyond sweet tea”. Their website is http://www.fullsteam.ag which they say the dot ag [...]
tom from raleigh Jun 8th, 2009 at 11:23 pm

We need more local, assertively hoppy, IPAs. Brew an NC Torpedo or West Coast IPA. If you brew a truly dry, hoppy ipa in nc, you’ll stand out from the crowd.
Greg from Cary Jun 8th, 2009 at 11:39 pm

I agree with Tom from Raleigh — more IPAs, please!
joyce Jun 9th, 2009 at 7:50 am

you should can beers which would be good to take to the beach, pool party or outdoor picnics, e.g. IPAs, pilsners, wheat beers, etc.
Bret Sep 3rd, 2009 at 9:50 am

Kudzu eh?

Interesting, have you done much research on the use of kudzu to treat alcoholics and consumption reduction?

I brewed a kudzu beer a couple years ago (dry vined, so to speak), then read all this info. weird.

Good luck guys, some brilliant ideas.
Ron West Nov 30th, 2009 at 1:26 pm

I heard that you were skillfully lagering our Roasted Grits into a fine ale. There are some who are waiting for this event. Can’t wait!
Meredith Berry Feb 27th, 2010 at 10:25 am

Please please please – consider a lager!
Daniel Mar 2nd, 2010 at 12:55 pm

I cannot wait until you guys are up-and-running. That hickory-smoked porter sounds very nice. I love what you guys are planning on doing.

Fullsteam

Plow to Pint Brewing

Southern-Style Beer?

12 Responses to “ Southern-Style Beer? ”

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