Plow to Pint
The plow to pint series is Fullsteam’s mad science — radical Southern brewing not bound to tradition or to style. The common theme? Plow-to-pint beers are crafted with Southern farmed ingredients…going local, seasonal, and organic whenever possible.
If you’re scared off by us experimenting with kudzu or a champagne-like farmhouse ale crafted with scuppernong grapes…we’ve got a line of true-to-style beers for you.
We launch with the following.
Hogwash hickory-smoked porter (year-round)
Crafted to pair with North Carolina barbecue. Malted barley is house-smoked over hickory wood, imparting a sweet, subtle smoke. But Hogwash only tastes smoky at first glance. Wait until you have a bite of barbecue and a second sip…the smoky meat and smoky beer meld together in total harmony. While iced tea is all about contrasts (sweet tea against vinegar or tangy tomato), Hogwash brings out that trademark subtle smoke. Smoke on smoke….only in North Carolina! 5.5% ABV
Serve with:
- North Carolina pulled pork
- Grilled meats, vegetables, or tofu/seitan
Dare to pair it with:
- Butterscotch pot de creme with brown sugar-cumin roasted pecans and dulce de leche. (more)
Carver sweet potato beer (year-round)
North Carolina is the largest U.S. producer of sweet potatoes. In our quest to work with local Southern ingredients as much as possible, the humble sweet potato is an obvious choice. In fact, one-third of the total fermentables in Carver come from North Carolina sweet potatoes.
Perhaps less obvious: our decision to avoid cloying spices that would only serve to mask the savory-yet-delicate flavors. The goal of this modestly-hopped amber ale is to have you explore the nuance of the sweet potato…not hit you over the head with Obvious Spices. What is, after all, the taste of a sweet potato? Carver asks this quest ion and encourges you to explore the answer.
Why “Carver?” It’s our small tribute to the amazing Southern environmental scientist and farmer, Doctor George Washington Carver. While he may be better known for his work with peanuts, Carver was also passionate about the sweet potato and a pioneer in crop rotation and creative re-use. He’s a true Fullsteam hero. 5.8% ABV
Serve with:
- Fried or roasted chicken
- Local cheese plate
Dare to pair it with:
- Ragoût of Rabbit with Hand-Rolled Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Shiitake Mushrooms, & Pan Jus (more)
Summer Basil farmhouse ale
Cloudy, rustic country beer brewed with wheat and twelve pounds of basil from Hillsborough’s Coon Rock Farm. Creamy, white head and a bouquet of herbs and flowers, with a subtle basil finish. A refreshing thirst quencher that’s a lawnmower beer…if you mowed over your herb garden.
This was the very first batch we brewed on our big brewing system. 5.4% ABV.
Serve with:
- All-local BLT
- Marinated seafood salad
Dare to pair it with:
- Chorizo, green peaches, and cucumbers (to replicate an amazing pairing at Durham’s Dos Perros)
A highly-carbonated, cloudy white beer with a surprisingly dry hint of scuppernong grapes. Perfect for a late afternoon. A local wheat and scuppernong blend that is 100% naturally fermented. Premiered at 2008 Southern Foodways Alliance Sympoium in Oxford, Mississippi. 5.0% ABV
First Frost wild persimmon
This unique winter ale is made from the winter fruit harvested from a 50-year-old Chatham County persimmon tree. The persimmons were added in secondary with a touch of cinnamon — a nod to persimmon pudding. We call this beer “First Frost” as persimmon fruit reaches its peak flavor after, you guessed it, the first frost of autumn. 7% ABV.
Kudzu Jesus
A Fullsteam radical ag experiment — a beer made from kudzu! We’re scheming on this one. Stay tuned.
Otto the Heretic
A Fullsteam experiment honoring Otto Lilenthal. Still in labworks. “Opfer mussen gebracht werden.”
300 Mile
A Fullsteam truly local experiment — a beer made exclusively from ingredients 300 miles or less from Durham, North Carolina. Still in labworks, and more of an aspiration than an immediate reality.
Deus Ex Machina!
A “local ag” homebrew collaboration. At the tavern, our plan is to have a dedicated tap to collaboration ales between Fullsteam and the area’s amazing homebrewers. Details soon!
I have been WAITING for a “Hickory Chicory Bock!” I don’t know what it would taste like but it would be fun to order… Like Schlenkerla but bocky-er and chicory-y-er?
Daniel, that is creative, totally corny, and completely Southern ag.
An absolute trifecta. A+. Let’s see if we can do it.
Holy crap, I’m not sure how I just now discovered this brewery but I am VERY interested to see what comes of it. It sounds very promising. I now have a new aspiration for one of my beers to make it to the “Deus Ex Machina!” tap! I will start furiously working on something right away.
[...] list of their beers (”Control” and “Experiment“) makes me hope they find that building ASAP. I also really appreciate their try-everything [...]
[...] Together, they poured their “Control” beer Rocket Science India Pale Ale and their “Experimental” beer, Sweet Potato [...]
Where can we get some?!?!?!
Wow! I can’t wait for this place to open!
I stumbled upon the Breakfast with Pandora blog by accident in trying to find a beer pairing for a dessert. After seeing your site and all that you are doing, I can’t wait to make a trip up and see you guys!!!
Thanks, Maeve. You’re marvelus for saying that!
[...] scuppernong grapes, sweet potatoes, hickory-smoked malt, kudzu, and rhubarb. Read more about Southern-style beer, check out some pictures of the brewery build-out, see what others are saying about us…or [...]
Glad that durham is a homebrewing haven. Glad that there are experimenters out there. Glad that I live in durham only 20 minutes from my new hopefully favorite bar.
Can’t wait to try some of these. I never mean to say your beer was gross, just those ingredients.
Thanks tons, DrChim — and thanks for being a good sport. It’s actually fun serving our plow-to-pint beers to skeptics, because they tend to defy expectations.
The sweet potato beer is subtle and slightly hoppy, not a cloying mess of spices. Scuppernong Sparkling Ale sounds sweet and thick, but the beer finishes dry and is bubbly, much like champagne.
For sure, people tend to find several favorites and a few “not for me’s.” But that’s part of the adventure.
Hope to see you around the tavern sometime! Thank you for posting!
[...] Plow to Pint [...]
[...] beer sweetened with a mulberry syrup that was the perfect digestif for this little piggy. Click here for a list of other Plow to Pint beers that didn’t make it to what has been, so far, my [...]
[...] now is Chief Executive Optimist of Fullsteam, a “plow to pint” brewery launching in Durham, North Carolina. Fullsteam started test batching [...]