McFleshman's Flavor Adventures w/ Aaron Reimers

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:05

Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Respecting the Beer.

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:09

I am your pseudo host for the day, Allison Fleshman.

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:13

And I am joined by the wonderful Bobby Fleshman, of which I am, of who which I'm married to.

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:20

Of

David Kalsow: 00:00:20

who-

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:20

Of whom … where- With whom I am anyway.

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:23

We … and I'm supposed to come up with something punny, uh, because I am sitting in for the infamous Gary Arndt, who is… Well, actually, we think that he is lost in space and, um, Artemis is on its way to go get him on the other side of the Moon, 'cause likely, you know, in all honesty, it's the one place he hasn't traveled, so that's probably where he's going on his day off.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:00:42

He's on a launch here on the far side just

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:43

waiting right now.

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:44

Very much so.

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:44

Just waiting.

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:45

Anyway, so he would typically introduce, uh, Dr. Bobby Fleshman as the Dr. Ale-bert Einstein of-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:00:53

Ale-bert Einstein.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:00:54

You used that AI for that, didn't you?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:00:56

I did.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:00:56

That screams AI.

Allison Fleshman: 00:00:58

Um, anyway, and, uh, huge shout-out to Decker who has been, um, on some of our episodes lately, and so he is not here either.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:05

He has went to follow Gary to see what it was like on the other side of the Moon.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:09

But that's cool because we are here.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:01:11

And that's happening in, like, 10 minutes in real time.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:13

Yeah, I know.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:14

It's

Bobby Fleshman: 00:01:14

so exciting.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:01:14

That's where I'm watching the trajectory right now.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:15

You can hear the smile on my face.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:17

It's so fun.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:18

I am, um, also… So we are so excited.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:20

Today we are gonna be chatting with the Baron Von Flavor of Epic- Flavor Von Baron.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:29

The Flavor Von Baron?

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:29

Baron Von Flavor.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:30

The Flavor

Bobby Fleshman: 00:01:30

Baron, as we say.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:31

The Flavor Baron.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:31

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:31

The Hop Baron.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:33

The f- the all things baron of, um, of horrible.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:37

It's

Bobby Fleshman: 00:01:37

Aaron.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:01:37

It's two As.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:38

Aaron Reimers- That's the, that's the joke

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:40

has been with the brewery for a long time.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:43

He's Bobby's, uh, right hand man when it comes to, and Kohler, our other, um, brewer.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:47

And so Aaron, welcome to the show.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:01:49

Fresh off the s- the- Thank you for

Aaron Reimer: 00:01:50

having me.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:01:51

Fresh off the science bit.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:01:52

We've been back there banging our heads on doing some stuff that maybe Aaron will tell us about now.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:57

Go team.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:58

There's lots of math.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:58

Okay.

Allison Fleshman: 00:01:58

So tell us who you are and… I don't want to say who you are and why are you here.

Allison Fleshman: 00:02:04

Like this incriminating, "Why are you here?" Um- You need a

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:06

bright light if that's what you're

Allison Fleshman: 00:02:08

gonna ask me.

Allison Fleshman: 00:02:08

That's true.

Allison Fleshman: 00:02:09

There are four lights.

Allison Fleshman: 00:02:10

So, uh, yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:02:11

So w- tell us your McFleshman's story.

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:15

Um, uh, my name is Aaron Reimers, and I have fallen in love and been ruined by McFleshman's for all other breweries.

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:27

Uh, Bobby and I sat down and figured it out one day.

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:29

I started showing up here as a customer about six months after they opened, and I never left.

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:38

And finally I got to start doing some stuff around here, and then finally they started paying me.

Allison Fleshman: 00:02:44

Did we?

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:45

Well, I mean, you know.

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:46

Not enough.

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:46

There's beer involved.

Allison Fleshman: 00:02:47

So not

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:47

enough.

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:48

Um, then, uh, uh-

Aaron Reimer: 00:02:51

kind of got to know everybody and the way things got to work here, uh, uh, by joining our pub club, and I was in that first batch of pub clubbers.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:00

Uh About

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:01

to say you were the first person to reach not one, 100 visits 100

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:04

but 200 visits, I believe.

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:04

200. 200

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:05

visits in a year.

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:06

In a year.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:03:07

300 unofficially.

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:09

Probably.

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:09

I see.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:03:09

But it's

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:10

close.

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:10

We weren't good at keeping track back then.

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:11

Yeah,

Bobby Fleshman: 00:03:12

no.

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:12

Or ever.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:03:13

Um We were o- we were only open 300 days-ish back

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:16

then.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:16

That's right.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:16

I tried to make them all.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:17

Yeah,

Bobby Fleshman: 00:03:17

yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:18

Um

Allison Fleshman: 00:03:18

So you became a loyalist pretty quickly.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:20

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:20

Oh, yes, yes, it was hard not to with everything that was here.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:23

When I showed up, I was full on hoppy and, uh, this is where I think I kind of got ruined.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:29

I've gone to all malty.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:30

Yes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:31

Um, I We, we

Bobby Fleshman: 00:03:32

kind of crossed paths there.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:03:33

I've gone back to the hoppy world lately.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:36

I, I have a, you know, a five ounce, a 547 to appease people every three months or so.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:40

And, uh, but, uh, but no, I just, uh uh, was able to come in and start helping out and working in the beer garden and, uh, then once there were other openings I was able to transition into the back and it has just been exciting ever since.

Aaron Reimer: 00:03:58

Uh, got to learn a ton of new things and my favorite thing right now is working, uh, as the flavor baron and if it doesn't taste like beer I probably had something to do with it.

Aaron Reimer: 00:04:11

Yep.

Aaron Reimer: 00:04:11

And, um, uh, that is just, just the playing around with all of that, finding out what's, what, what's that sweet spot, not too much, not too little.

Allison Fleshman: 00:04:23

So before you started working in the back of house you had… Uh, you were a teacher before.

Aaron Reimer: 00:04:29

I was a teacher and, uh, and an artist.

Aaron Reimer: 00:04:31

Uh, and I taught art, uh, at NWTC and a couple of the other schools.

Aaron Reimer: 00:04:36

Did a lot of work with home school students, uh, K through 12 initiatives and, uh, some high schools, uh, doing all types of art.

Aaron Reimer: 00:04:45

Uh, sculpture is my favorite.

Aaron Reimer: 00:04:47

Um, worked with some other companies to get, uh, bikes that were just gonna go into the garbage and, uh, was able to turn that into our hop trees in our beer garden.

Aaron Reimer: 00:04:57

Um-

Allison Fleshman: 00:04:57

That's true.

Allison Fleshman: 00:04:57

So if you've seen the hop trees, these are the, the bicycle remnant pieces that have the hops growing up them in the spring through the summer and fall.

Allison Fleshman: 00:05:05

Aaron made those.

Allison Fleshman: 00:05:06

We were very proud of those, hence the reason I asked.

Aaron Reimer: 00:05:08

Say I love to recycle, love to use like found object parts to, to breathe new life into those and-

Allison Fleshman: 00:05:15

Although, so, so okay, so you've taught at multiple levels with kids in middle school and high school and such.

Allison Fleshman: 00:05:20

Um, so and it's also we, we always talk about the b- back of house is kind of like herding cats.

Allison Fleshman: 00:05:25

That's been used a lot.

Allison Fleshman: 00:05:26

Do you find that your teaching skills and like problem-solving skills of working with, you know, adolescent children helps in the brewery at times?

Aaron Reimer: 00:05:35

I don't know if I'm much older than them but yes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:05:38

Um, some of it.

Aaron Reimer: 00:05:39

I found the teacher voice does not actually help in anything but, um-

Allison Fleshman: 00:05:42

That's fair … but- I need to teach y'all the get Bobby's attention voice.

Allison Fleshman: 00:05:45

It's, it normally involves a snap or two.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:05:47

Snap or two, yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:05:48

A little shiver by myself at the same time.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:05:51

Get in line.

Allison Fleshman: 00:05:53

But it is chaotic because like I, I don't know, I, I think when, when reflecting on like, I knew we were gonna be interviewing you today and thinking about what, kinda what your role is, you're kind of like the Swiss Army knife of things that have to be done in the brewery.

Allison Fleshman: 00:06:06

So on a given day, like what are you doing?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:08

Well, I should say before he dives in, we added eight lines, and I've said this a few times on here, and those eight lines are pretty much Aaron's lines.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:15

They're-

Allison Fleshman: 00:06:15

Eight lines- Of beer- … which, which means beer taps

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:18

downstairs Yeah, beer taps, uh, to the tap room.

Allison Fleshman: 00:06:19

CO2 taps.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:20

Yep.

Allison Fleshman: 00:06:21

So now we have 28?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:22

A lot.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:23

A lot.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:23

We have like 53 if you count everything up that we do, uh, trailers and upstairs, downstairs, outdoor bar.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:29

But-

Allison Fleshman: 00:06:30

I'm not sure if the audience can hear the death stare that I'm giving you.

Allison Fleshman: 00:06:34

It's this-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:34

How many?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:36

It's too many.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:36

Sorry.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:36

It's n- it's the audience's fault.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:38

It, I mean, it's the people that come here to drink.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:41

They want not beer, so we added all this stuff, and that's where Aaron comes in.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:06:44

We gotta keep at least eight things on the, on the line these days that aren't beer

Allison Fleshman: 00:06:51

Go ahead.

Allison Fleshman: 00:06:51

Yes Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:06:52

Oh … your typical day or what, what do you do here?

Allison Fleshman: 00:06:54

Well,

Aaron Reimer: 00:06:54

actually I was gonna speak a little bit about the, the, the NA line of stuff- Yeah

Aaron Reimer: 00:06:57

at the moment.

Aaron Reimer: 00:06:58

I never really thought about making anything that was NA, especially why would I make an NA at a brewery?

Aaron Reimer: 00:07:06

Uh, but m- not to bring a downer, uh, my grandpa, uh, did, uh, get lung cancer and passed away, but I took care of him for a while and one of the things he missed the most was he could not have any alcohol.

Aaron Reimer: 00:07:21

Mm. And the only thing at that time that we could find was O'Doul's.

Allison Fleshman: 00:07:26

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:07:27

Which he would rather actually have anything but O'Doul's at that point.

Aaron Reimer: 00:07:31

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:07:32

So- Mm-hmm … uh, I've been kind of trying to make it a side mission to make a NA beer that a beer drinker could not tell.

Aaron Reimer: 00:07:41

Mm-hmm.

Aaron Reimer: 00:07:41

Yeah, I'm working on it.

Aaron Reimer: 00:07:41

I'm getting there, you know.

Aaron Reimer: 00:07:42

I mean, some early ones didn't turn out, but- Yeah … I think we're getting pretty close with the IPA one.

Aaron Reimer: 00:07:46

And then just with that, being able to have a lot of good, tasty things that people can come in and have that aren't necessarily alcoholic.

Allison Fleshman: 00:07:55

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:07:56

Well, and also so the gluten-free option as well.

Allison Fleshman: 00:07:58

You've done a lot of work with our ciders.

Aaron Reimer: 00:08:00

Uh, yes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:08:01

Um, I, my wife is gluten free, so- Mm-hmm … that's one that, yes, love to do that.

Aaron Reimer: 00:08:04

That's actually what I'm drinking right now is our cherry cider.

Aaron Reimer: 00:08:08

But yes, I love cider.

Aaron Reimer: 00:08:10

Been playing around with that one, getting, trying to get some other flavors, but everybody just loves the cherry.

Aaron Reimer: 00:08:15

They're moving into a little bit of the blueberry.

Aaron Reimer: 00:08:17

Mm.

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:18

But,

Aaron Reimer: 00:08:18

so…

Bobby Fleshman: 00:08:20

That one, by the way, I joked with Emmy, is I asked her the other day if-

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:23

Bobby's pointing to the cider

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:24

… Bobby Fleshman: I'm pointing at that cider.

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:25

Uh, I asked if our best beer is our cherry cider 'cause it tends to be in the top three every time I check our numbers.

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:33

It's so popular.

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:35

E-

Aaron Reimer: 00:08:37

I'm not mad with

Bobby Fleshman: 00:08:37

that.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:08:37

It's not disappearing.

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:39

So, so one of my favorite things about Aaron is that when you first started coming here you drank, At the time, so this is our, uh, dunkelweizen and at the time it was named, um, uh, Brewhouse, I believe.

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:52

Yep.

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:52

Yep.

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:52

It was because we did a collaboration with Habitat for Humanity and we built a house.

Allison Fleshman: 00:08:56

This was the house that beer built, so there was a bunch of breweries that got together and we worked with Habitat, and we brewed this beer, and it was a dunkelweizen.

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:04

And you, you invested a lot in that beer.

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:09

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:09

As in, like, I think in the end you bought an entire tank.

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:12

We did the calculation one time.

Aaron Reimer: 00:09:14

Yeah, pretty much.

Aaron Reimer: 00:09:14

Yes.

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:15

Um- That…

Aaron Reimer: 00:09:15

Oh, yes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:09:16

That was-

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:17

So but I haven't seen you drink the dunkelweizen.

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:20

Well, one, it's not on right now.

Aaron Reimer: 00:09:22

It's not on right now.

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:22

But how… So, so as someone who's very devoted to a particular flavor, like I am drinking my Public House Pint right now.

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:29

S- surprisingly I haven't had MSP in a long time.

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:31

Public House Pint has kinda become a thing now, and I'm so de- like, it… If I want a beer, that's what it's gonna be.

Allison Fleshman: 00:09:36

So tell me, like, what was it about the dunkelweizen and, like, tell me how that affected your ME- MCGF experience.

Aaron Reimer: 00:09:45

That one I c- I'd never even heard of one when I had it for the very first time.

Aaron Reimer: 00:09:49

Mm-hmm.

Aaron Reimer: 00:09:49

And it just, it, the, the flavors on that one just blew me away.

Aaron Reimer: 00:09:55

And then finding out that it was in the wheat beer family and I was not, like I was always a… I mean, when I thought of wheat beer, I only thought of Blue Moon.

Aaron Reimer: 00:10:03

Mm. Mm-hmm.

Aaron Reimer: 00:10:04

Um, e- just 'cause I really- Yep … hadn't, like, r- like, paid attention.

Aaron Reimer: 00:10:08

And, uh, yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:10:10

I was like, "I don't like wheat beers at all." And then it was like, "Oh, man." And then just being dark, it hit the spot, and that was a big winter one, and I would come in and buy multiple cases at a time that, that-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:22

So this is happening around COVID.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:25

The, I- Yeah … the story I'm thinking about anyway.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:27

The- And we, we were hand canning this stuff, and we were putting those garage labels, those- Oh, right

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:32

those, those white garage

Allison Fleshman: 00:10:34

labels.

Allison Fleshman: 00:10:34

Didn't we give you a case that didn't even have any labels

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:35

at all?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:35

No.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:35

Well, probably.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:36

No.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:36

But, but there was a time where we were, we were running out of it or I forget what it was, but there were 38 cases left.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:44

And Aaron bought all 38 cases.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:47

The only, the only thing was we had to just keep them until he needed them, so we just had them in cold storage as-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:52

and as he came in, they were his cases.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:53

'Cause I d- I

Aaron Reimer: 00:10:54

didn't wanna run out.

Aaron Reimer: 00:10:55

I, that, that's like-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:56

38 cases.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:57

But that- Now, that's three barrels of beer.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:10:59

That's not nothing.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:00

That's two times what the Czechs drink per capita-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:03

… Aaron Reimer: in a year.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:04

But at the time, you told me it was never gonna be brewed again.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:06

That, that's why you bought them.

Aaron Reimer: 00:11:08

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:11:08

And, and I was already, like, like-

Allison Fleshman: 00:11:10

Who says we don't do good marketing?

Aaron Reimer: 00:11:12

I was ugly crying.

Aaron Reimer: 00:11:14

And then he finally brewed it again.

Aaron Reimer: 00:11:15

We had to change the name, but yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:11:17

Oh, that's so funny.

Aaron Reimer: 00:11:18

Um, yeah, I think it was, like, the, the, the, the… For me, uh, it had banana notes, but it was the clove-

Allison Fleshman: 00:11:25

Mm-hmm

Allison Fleshman: 00:11:26

… Aaron Reimer: uh, that came through for me.

Allison Fleshman: 00:11:28

Uh, it just, uh, that combination just- So when

Allison Fleshman: 00:11:30

was the last time you had one?

Aaron Reimer: 00:11:34

Uh, we actually did not do it this past winter, so- Oh, it's been a while … uh, winter

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:38

before last.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:38

Wow.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:38

This c- this is a great segue because a lot of the beers that we have have taken over the big tanks.

Allison Fleshman: 00:11:44

Mm-hmm.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:45

And the other beers Aaron gets to brew on the little tanks.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:49

So-

Allison Fleshman: 00:11:50

So maybe you do a little one.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:51

So- Uh,

Aaron Reimer: 00:11:52

we've talked about doing a one barrel.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:11:53

Yeah, like- He doesn't know this, but I wouldn't care what we brewed on the pilot, so long as something's being made.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:12:00

So he can start to just say, "Hey, I just brewed that brewhouse." Well,

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:02

I… So when you do have one, I'd love, like… When I had MSB for the first time, or actually Public House Pint also for the first time after a, a, you know, at least a multi-month hiatus, it was, like, earth shattering.

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:15

Like, the, to re- reconnect with those flavors and then just to, like, take- It takes you back

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:22

Or maybe not.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:12:24

She admitted this before she realized I changed it, the yeast on it and it-

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:27

Oh, stop it

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:28

… Bobby Fleshman: but she, but she

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:29

Well,

Bobby Fleshman: 00:12:29

it,

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:29

it, it went from the, the, the, the the, well, the, the, the dark note brewhouse.

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:35

Yep.

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:36

That was done at, the fermentation took place when I liked it in a closed fermenter or conicals.

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:41

Oh.

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:42

And when it made the move to the open fermenter- Oh, no … those banana notes just came out.

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:48

That's true.

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:48

They're so aromatic.

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:50

They leave almost instantly.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:12:51

No, no, the

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:51

opposite.

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:52

No, no, no.

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:52

They stayed.

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:52

When they were moved- Oh,

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:53

they stayed … they, they, they stayed Oh, I'm sorry … but it, it

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:54

kind of, we lost

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:56

kind of the- Wait, what's the banana flavor?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:12:57

So

Aaron Reimer: 00:12:57

adding- The banana, the, the notes.

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:58

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:12:59

The- The, what's the…

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:00

Isoamyl acetate.

Allison Fleshman: 00:13:02

Okay.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:02

So yeah, but you add pressure and you can suppress that.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:06

Got it.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:06

And you can add pressure inside the fermenter as well.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:09

I

Allison Fleshman: 00:13:09

thought those were volatile.

Allison Fleshman: 00:13:10

Never mind.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:10

But also, I think the, the knob that you're turning there is the amount of dissolved CO2 at the end of the day.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:15

Hmm.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:15

It's not just the pressure.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:16

It's the amount of dissolved CO2, which there's less of- Yeah … in, in the open fermenter, which- So it's gonna

Allison Fleshman: 00:13:20

be

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:20

creamier too … which a lot of people prize that.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:22

When you look at the, these weizen beers, the, they express their… They're called phenolic positive yeast.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:30

Uh, they make these, uh, clove and banana flavors, and a lot of people prize the banana, a lot of people prize the clove, and then, then some people prize bubblegum.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:41

And so you try, you try to find like a- That's gross … a balance, but you, but the thing is you wanna, you wanna be repeatable.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:46

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:47

And we've been playing with, uh, the process over the years.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:13:50

It's a fun one to brew.

Allison Fleshman: 00:13:51

Okay, so I'm gonna jump ship of that discussion, and I'm gonna jump to a question that I like to ask people who work for us.

Allison Fleshman: 00:13:59

Um, so…

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:02

I'm scared.

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:03

Is- I know.

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:04

Is, is there a story when you're just like, what, what's your like, "Oh, crap?" Like, whatever it was that happened, any story that you'd like to share because Bobby and I have so many, "Oh, crap" stories of like, I can't even believe this happened, or this is emba- not embarrassing necessarily, but like the the, "Oh, crap, this is not gonna go well," mistakes made, lessons learned.

Aaron Reimer: 00:14:28

Oh, yes Not, not on the spot at all.

Aaron Reimer: 00:14:30

No.

Aaron Reimer: 00:14:30

No, it, it took me a minute though, 'cause I was trying to think of like, uh, 'cause I've heard so many stories.

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:36

I know.

Aaron Reimer: 00:14:37

I'm, I'm like trying to be like overly cautious 'cause I'm like sitting there going like, especially in the beginning, 'cause I, I-

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:44

We

Aaron Reimer: 00:14:44

all make mistakes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:14:44

It's cool … could never replace Patrick, but I kind of replaced Patrick.

Aaron Reimer: 00:14:47

So- But there were some things that happened Patrick Dowdy, right?

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:49

Oh my God, Patrick Dowdy.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:14:50

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:14:51

And-

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:51

We love him Rest

Bobby Fleshman: 00:14:52

in

Aaron Reimer: 00:14:52

peace.

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:53

No.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:14:53

I mean, he's still alive, but…

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:54

He's in Minnesota right now.

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:56

He worked with us for several years.

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:58

Um-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:14:58

He kicked off our cider program-

Allison Fleshman: 00:14:59

Yeah

Allison Fleshman: 00:15:00

and a lot of these

Bobby Fleshman: 00:15:01

seltzers and-

Allison Fleshman: 00:15:01

His wife was a visiting faculty at Lawrence for a couple years, and so we gave him a job while she was with us over at Lawrence.

Allison Fleshman: 00:15:07

And but yeah, so he, this was one of the holes that we had- Yeah, we had a big time … because he was so foundational in setting up these non-beer programs.

Allison Fleshman: 00:15:14

Um, he had a biology degree, or has one.

Allison Fleshman: 00:15:16

And so he was able to do some of the science-y bits and stuff.

Allison Fleshman: 00:15:18

Um, so Aaron filled his shoes.

Allison Fleshman: 00:15:20

But yeah, there's a lot of the things that Patrick left behind.

Allison Fleshman: 00:15:22

Th-

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:22

there were some things, and they're stories.

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:23

And nothing's like, like bad.

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:25

A lot of them are like funny.

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:26

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:26

You know, like, like, oh, like at the time it probably was not funny, but like, you know, hindsight.

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:31

It was, I, I think it was my very first batch of mead in the pilot room.

Allison Fleshman: 00:15:37

Oh, okay.

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:38

And I had it in the, the fermenter

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:43

And I can't remember what we were going to be adding, and Bobby wanted me to bubble a little bit of CO2 through the bottom so that it would-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:15:54

Oh, yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:54

That was a good one.

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:55

Yeah, I remember that.

Aaron Reimer: 00:15:55

Yeah, so, so- Okay … so it'd bubble up a little bit through it, so that way it would kinda help mix it- Yeah … and keep things from just going right down to that bottom port.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:16:02

You can throw me under the bus here.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:16:03

Oh,

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:04

and, and, and- Well, Bobby does so many things.

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:05

It's fine

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:05

and, and so I had, had the top off.

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:08

I get the everything hooked up, and I, I just crack it, 'cause I know, like, I mean, you want, like, almost nothing coming in, but in, just a, like a little bubble.

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:18

And I barely cracked it, and I stood up and I looked and we're down in it, and I saw the one, like, bubble coming up.

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:25

It hit the surface, and I was like, "Cool." Cool.

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:28

And then all of a sudden it just exploded and went full up in my face- Yeah … all over the place.

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:35

I'm just-

Allison Fleshman: 00:16:35

You're covered in mead.

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:37

I'm trying to shut the lid and keep everything as, like, contained as possible.

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:42

I've… Was making 31 gallons- Oh … or 30,

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:47

31 to 35 gallons of mead, and I think after the explosion- And there's like $500,

Bobby Fleshman: 00:16:51

$800 worth of honey in there too.

Allison Fleshman: 00:16:55

Oh my God.

Allison Fleshman: 00:16:55

I'm, like,

Aaron Reimer: 00:16:56

pretty sure we ended up with 20 gallons- … of, of remaining mead.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:00

Mm-hmm.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:00

And then the rest of it was all just me.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:02

I think I had to mop for three days straight.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:06

Oh, it's

Allison Fleshman: 00:17:06

so sticky.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:07

So sticky.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:08

Oh, God.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:08

So sticky.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:09

And that was one that, like, Bobby was in the office around the corner- … and I never said a thing, and then I came back, like, after and coated and cleaned up, and he's just like, "Wait, something just happened?"

Bobby Fleshman: 00:17:19

Crickets.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:20

But yes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:21

That, that, that was the biggest, like- Oh

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:23

… Bobby Fleshman: moment.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:23

At least it was a one barrel and not, like, a 200 barrel.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:26

This- Oh … there are stories.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:28

You can go Google it and YouTube it.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:29

Man, there's some crazy stuff when… That's called nucleation.

Aaron Reimer: 00:17:33

When you start driving it it's a, it's a volcano.

Allison Fleshman: 00:17:35

That's… So yeah, these oh crap moments they're kind of fun to share.

Allison Fleshman: 00:17:40

And it… I don't know.

Allison Fleshman: 00:17:40

I think that if, if people who don't own a brewery are listening to this are like, "Oh, you must have all your shit together." No, we don't at all.

Allison Fleshman: 00:17:48

I was

Bobby Fleshman: 00:17:48

just thinking how I always smell like beer, in some-

Allison Fleshman: 00:17:51

You came over the other night- … early, middle, or late stages … you smelled so hoppy.

Allison Fleshman: 00:17:53

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:17:53

It w-… I don't know what you were brewing, but it

Bobby Fleshman: 00:17:55

was- Just always covered

Bobby Fleshman: 00:17:56

… Allison Fleshman: God, you smelled like hops.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:17:58

It's been a while since I've had, like, a yeast explosion, a yeast-splosion, as it were.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:01

Oh.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:02

That's a rite of passage.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:04

I think

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:05

my best one of those was at ABF, uh, Appleton Beer Factory.

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:09

Oh.

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:09

Appleton Beer Factory.

Allison Fleshman: 00:18:09

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:10

Yep.

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:10

I got me, Ben, the parts cart, and- … partway into the dining room with that one.

Allison Fleshman: 00:18:17

Oh, God.

Allison Fleshman: 00:18:17

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:18:17

Were people there?

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:18

No, it was just Ben, but he was standing right behind me- … so he got full face.

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:21

I got full face.

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:23

Uh, I'm pretty sure it was our, our 40 barrel of El Guapo that just- Boom.

Allison Fleshman: 00:18:31

Oh.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:31

And when, when you're trying to, you're pulling the yeast, you're shaving the cone or- We were

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:35

shaving the cone

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:36

so when you're sh- so shaving the cone means, like, you're pulling the yeast from the bottom of the fermenter, and the only way to do that is use the, it's, it's, uh, uh-

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:44

The butterfly

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:45

valve … butterfly valve.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:45

Using that like a shovel, and you're moving the solids from the pipe.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:49

Oh my gosh, yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:49

So it's like one layer at a time, and eventually it's gonna be, like, no warning and then it's all or nothing.

Allison Fleshman: 00:18:54

Yep.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:55

Be ready for it.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:56

Yep.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:18:56

And you have reflexes like a cat.

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:58

That was where it was.

Aaron Reimer: 00:18:59

Oh my gosh.

Aaron Reimer: 00:19:00

It

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:00

was all.

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:01

Okay, so working so closely with Bobby behind the scenes, what has Bobby done that you've gotta, like, if, if, if- Oh, God … if he wasn't here and you'd be like- Pretend I'm not here … "Allison, let me tell you.

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:09

You won't believe what he did."

Bobby Fleshman: 00:19:11

We're two minutes away from the farthest point from the Earth, by the way.

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:15

And what's- Don't deflect it.

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:15

Oh, wait.

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:16

Yeah … they're gonna go find Gary.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:19:17

Oh, yeah, Gary's over there watching

Aaron Reimer: 00:19:18

this app.

Aaron Reimer: 00:19:18

He won't be able to see it.

Aaron Reimer: 00:19:20

Hmm.

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:22

He's not that perfect.

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:23

No, I'm just trying to

Aaron Reimer: 00:19:24

think-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:19:25

I'm sure he's done something … I mean, it's- No, he's, he's trying to, he's trying to arrange, like in hierarchy, what's the worst thing he did.

Aaron Reimer: 00:19:30

No, I think the, the, the, the only thing I really

Aaron Reimer: 00:19:36

really kind of notice it's the, the, the, we start lots of stuff.

Aaron Reimer: 00:19:39

It's, it's the, it's-

Aaron Reimer: 00:19:41

it's the finishing, um-

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:43

Oh, tell me about it.

Aaron Reimer: 00:19:45

But I think that's, I mean, that's the-

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:47

That's really funny

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:48

… Aaron Reimer: but I mean, he's gotta be annoyed with me.

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:50

I, I didn't think I was bad at math, not like I was great at math, but like- Hmm … I don't think there's a day that I haven't come to Bobby and be like, "Bobby, I need you to math for me."

Allison Fleshman: 00:19:59

Math for me?

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:00

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:00

I- Well, and it's funny 'cause you think- What's

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:02

funny is my carpenter side's what comes through.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:04

It's not really my science side.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:06

It, there's this approximating ability I have from doing carpentry.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:09

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:10

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:20:12

Well, there was one that, there was one, and I don't remember what it was.

Aaron Reimer: 00:20:15

It was early on.

Aaron Reimer: 00:20:16

You went between metric, American- And then you brought out some science terms.

Aaron Reimer: 00:20:21

Like, I, I- Oh, yeah … I was not the best science student, but I don't remember a mole-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:28

Oh,

Aaron Reimer: 00:20:28

yeah … and then you brought out a mole.

Aaron Reimer: 00:20:29

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:20:29

And I'm like, "What

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:30

are,

Aaron Reimer: 00:20:30

what, what-"

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:31

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:31

Oh, that's a chemistry bit.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:33

This is very Allison.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:34

Good for you.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:36

Look at the mole.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:37

Cute Allison.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:37

Moles are so cute.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:37

I love it.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:37

No, the, uh, no, the-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:39

22.4, that's the liters per mole.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:40

Yeah, that's the liters per volume.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:41

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:41

Or the volume of one mole- That's the key conversion factor.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:44

Yeah … of gas at standard temperature and pressure.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:46

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:46

Mm-hmm.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:47

Um, yep, it make, it's so great.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:50

Um.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:51

This is where Allison, you can tell she's holding back, right?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:20:53

She knows it's gonna be an hour of, of chemistry.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:56

I, yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:56

Well and today was kinetic molecular theory day in my class, so that was way too much fun.

Allison Fleshman: 00:20:59

Oh, here

Bobby Fleshman: 00:21:00

we go.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:21:01

Um.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:21:01

This is for the, uh, Patreon people.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:02

Right?

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:03

Oh.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:04

They're like, "Us." Oh, oh, you're telling me that- Yeah, I'm definitely signing up now

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:07

Dave is gonna cut this one.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:07

Oh, I get it.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:08

No, but what's funny is if you walk through the brewery, there's on a lot of the support poles, there's…

Aaron Reimer: 00:21:14

Nothing is sacred.

Aaron Reimer: 00:21:15

There is not a single item that is sacred.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:18

It has calculations written on it, but they're- Oh, that's

Bobby Fleshman: 00:21:21

true … they're generic.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:21

Me

Bobby Fleshman: 00:21:21

and the Sharpie.

Aaron Reimer: 00:21:22

Bobby and a Sharpie.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:21:22

Oh, I'm surprised that wasn't the thing, Bobby and his Sharpie.

Aaron Reimer: 00:21:25

If, if I would've thought about it.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:21:27

I know they're annoying me and my Sharpie.

Aaron Reimer: 00:21:30

I, he, he would Sharpie on the top of, of a, a, a lot of the, the, the, uh, kegs we've got, and then you would have to try to get it off, and you're just like, "Can't you use, like, a dry erase marker?

Aaron Reimer: 00:21:43

Like, come on.

Aaron Reimer: 00:21:44

Like…"

Bobby Fleshman: 00:21:45

And I'm the opposite.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:21:46

When they use the dry erase, I'm like, "Can you guys not use something more permanent?" We haven't found the holy gloves.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:51

But, like, on the tile you've got the calculation- Oh, yeah … for the salts written.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:55

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:55

You've got, there's conversions everywhere.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:56

It's everywhere.

Allison Fleshman: 00:21:57

But they're everywhere arbitrarily it seems.

Aaron Reimer: 00:21:59

The, my, my favorite I think is the hot sauce recipe on the glycol container.

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:04

Oh, yes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:04

Is that what that is?

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:05

On the glycol tank.

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:05

Yes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:05

It's

Bobby Fleshman: 00:22:05

right there.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:22:06

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:22:06

We got tired of looking for it.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:22:07

I said, "Screw it, I'm writing this down right where we work on this stuff." Oh, my God.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:22:10

It's on the

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:11

tank.

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:12

The, a couple years ago, three years ago I think, uh, Bobby handed me a piece of wood.

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:18

He drew on the end of it- Oh, yeah … and said, "Hey, Mile is coming and we need these n- uh, like, right away.

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:23

Can you make these for me?" I'm like, "Yeah, sure, no problem." Right.

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:25

So he hands it to me.

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:26

I get the materials together and then I knocked that board off the, the, the, the bench that I was working on, and I pick it up and then I noticed- That he has the exact s- almost the exact same picture on the other side of the wood that he must have drawn at a different time-

Aaron Reimer: 00:22:43

for somebody else that was slightly different than the one that I was

Bobby Fleshman: 00:22:47

working on.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:22:48

Well, what's funny is I posted a version of that board on my own personal Facebook, and then- This was Leibovich … oh, MJ Shady down at, uh-

Allison Fleshman: 00:22:56

Wasn't it Leibovich?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:22:57

No.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:22:57

Uh- Or… No.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:22:58

The- Is it not Leibovich?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:00

Uh-

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:01

The com-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:01

Oh my God, there's a tube and pipe company-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:03

chemical company … south in Oshkosh.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:04

Or,

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:04

yes.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:05

It, I'll come up with it in a minute.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:07

Oh, my.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:07

Anyway, he says, "Looks like someone needs some pencil and paper."

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:10

He sent

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:10

you a whole package.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:11

So he sent me brand new pencil and paper.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:13

Oh my God.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:14

That was so good.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:15

But no, the number of pieces of- Well, you didn't have a lot of paper

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:16

and this is what's in our garage, we have various pieces of wood that he'll write the word pat on, and that's a pattern for something.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:24

And so if, if he wants to- Gunther's

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:25

Supply, if anyone's

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:27

look-shopping … oh, Gunther's Su- That's where we got all those- Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:29

… tablets.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:29

But, um, but no, but he'll also have arbitrary measurements on various pieces of wood, and you never know which ones you can throw out, and it's ridiculous.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:38

Good old Bob.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:39

Oh, back to my carpentry days.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:40

Oh.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:40

I'd go to the lumberyard with a two-by-four and a shopping list.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:43

Uh, and I had- You

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:44

still do that with Menards

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:45

… Bobby Fleshman: I still do it, and I w- I'm often known to have a pencil under my hat.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:49

That's from my carpentry days, like a old school wood pencil.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:52

Okay.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:53

So, again, I'm gonna change the subject from roasting.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:56

Oh, we should roast Bobby.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:57

Oh, that would be great.

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:58

That's a

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:59

future

Allison Fleshman: 00:23:59

episode.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:23:59

Uh, Stephanie did that.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:24:00

She dropped the mic on that one back in

Allison Fleshman: 00:24:01

the day.

Allison Fleshman: 00:24:01

Anyway so I have a question.

Allison Fleshman: 00:24:03

So a lot of people get into brewing from non-beer- Oh, yeah … experience.

Allison Fleshman: 00:24:09

So can you tell-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:24:10

Non, non-beer brewing

Allison Fleshman: 00:24:10

experience, yeah

Allison Fleshman: 00:24:10

non-beer brewing experience.

Allison Fleshman: 00:24:13

Um, so can, if you're someone out there who, like, wants to get into it, can you give advice of your own journey of, like, things that you thought this was really helpful, or I wish I would've done this or something?

Allison Fleshman: 00:24:23

Because now you're very, very much in

Bobby Fleshman: 00:24:27

the brewing industry.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:24:27

Well, I was gonna… Before he answers, I wanna say he's a unicorn in that He got into it after having never home brewed, right?

Aaron Reimer: 00:24:33

Nope.

Aaron Reimer: 00:24:34

I never home brewed and still you let me work here.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:24:38

But I think that's an interesting perspective.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:24:40

Everything he knows is from within a professional brewery.

Aaron Reimer: 00:24:44

And-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:24:44

That's really interesting

Aaron Reimer: 00:24:46

I don't know this for sure but I like to, like, tell myself that he let me work here because, um, he didn't have to un-teach me things.

Aaron Reimer: 00:24:54

Ooh.

Aaron Reimer: 00:24:54

He could just teach me what I needed to… I shouldn't say what I needed to know.

Aaron Reimer: 00:24:58

Uh, uh, the right things to know- Right … and not the, the wrong ways to do things.

Aaron Reimer: 00:25:02

So-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:25:02

That's so true We were, we were just interviewing for tap room help the other day, and someone was interviewing who had a great personality, no idea what goes on behind the bar.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:25:11

And our tap room manager, our gen- general manager, Timmy and I looked at each other and said, "Oh, they are so perfect. They are so naive." They have no idea.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:25:21

But we, we realized that that's what you want, though.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:25:24

You want someone with that personality and they're trainable.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:25:26

They're not already coming in with these preconceptions.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:25:29

But yeah, to that point.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:25:30

So-

Allison Fleshman: 00:25:31

So don't know anything before you start working at a brewery, is that the suggestion?

Aaron Reimer: 00:25:35

I, I don't know if I would suggest that.

Aaron Reimer: 00:25:38

Um, I, I- I have really enjoyed it, uh, since I've been here.

Aaron Reimer: 00:25:43

I, I, I, I knew nothing.

Aaron Reimer: 00:25:46

I would get to come in the back and help out every once in a while and so I'd get to kinda see things.

Aaron Reimer: 00:25:50

I would ask lots of questions, not that it necessarily meant a lot, not actually- Mm-hmm … like doing it there.

Aaron Reimer: 00:25:56

You know, you take all these things in and then uh, after I was here for a little bit and helping do a lot of stuff downstairs and kind of learning it I got to do, uh, batches in the pilot room.

Aaron Reimer: 00:26:08

And we've kind of looked at transitioning me down to like the big system and I've, I've- Yeah … I've started to learn it.

Aaron Reimer: 00:26:15

But I don't enjoy that one quite as much as I enjoy the pilot system.

Aaron Reimer: 00:26:19

Okay.

Aaron Reimer: 00:26:19

Which I don't know if I've never because I've never home brewed, but like every time I ask Bobby and he comes in there he just kinda gets this like big grin and kinda does this, this, "Oh, home brewing."

Allison Fleshman: 00:26:29

I can…

Aaron Reimer: 00:26:30

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:31

Yeah, I miss it.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:32

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:33

I, I, I will say I, I've always told people I've been doing a little consulting these days on the side and- That's

Allison Fleshman: 00:26:38

true.

Allison Fleshman: 00:26:38

If you would like a consultant for your brewery-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:40

There it is, right

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:41

… Allison Fleshman: contact us.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:42

But I, I always tell people hire welders, hire plumbers.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:45

Mm-hmm.

Allison Fleshman: 00:26:45

Mm-hmm.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:45

It, you know, and that's kinda what I look at with Aaron.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:48

Like he's coming in- Hire an accountant … with trade skills.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:51

Hire accountants.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:51

Yes.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:52

That's a really good point too.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:53

Actually don't

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:53

' Allison Fleshman: cause just

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:53

use Small Batch

Allison Fleshman: 00:26:54

standard.

Allison Fleshman: 00:26:54

Hire attorneys.

Allison Fleshman: 00:26:54

They're much better.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:55

And then teach them to brew.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:57

Teach these people to brew.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:26:58

And if they come with a, with a love for, for making or an interest in making beer that's a lot easier than training for the trades.

Allison Fleshman: 00:27:03

You know, I'm gonna push back a little bit on that because you do, Aaron, you're… You have a wonderful sense of flavor and presentation and I think this is the artist side of you because I have seen you several time… Like tell me about some of the experiences you've had with color in some of the drinks.

Aaron Reimer: 00:27:20

So, real quick before that.

Aaron Reimer: 00:27:22

Mm-hmm.

Aaron Reimer: 00:27:22

Um, uh, I, I went to, to art school, um, and I thought I could be a lifer.

Aaron Reimer: 00:27:29

So I spent like eight, nine years in college and then they want their money back and then you have to actually start doing things.

Aaron Reimer: 00:27:37

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:27:37

Uh, but, uh, being at art school I went, uh, through, through, uh, color theory.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:27:42

Yes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:27:42

And it was one of those things when I was doing it I didn't like it but the things that I have learned from it have greatly shaped, uh, where I'm at now.

Aaron Reimer: 00:27:53

And, um, uh, with color it's great because we have- beer that we sometimes wanna make a different color to either have it stand out or to show off the flavor or to, to, to, to p- have people see the f- To get people to

Allison Fleshman: 00:28:09

taste with their

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:09

eyes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:10

Yes Yes … taste with their eyes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:11

And, and that has been a lot of fun finding ways to get those colors, uh, with the, especially with trying to use organic products-

Allison Fleshman: 00:28:20

Yeah

Allison Fleshman: 00:28:20

… Aaron Reimer: and natural products versus, you know, just-

Allison Fleshman: 00:28:22

So you've made a- … just

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:23

coloring

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:23

… Allison Fleshman: purple beer, have you not?

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:25

Uh, I di- I've actually done a, a few.

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:27

The very first one Bobby let me make was for Mother's Day.

Allison Fleshman: 00:28:30

Yes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:31

Uh, it was our lavender, uh, our lavender cider.

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:36

Mm-hmm.

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:36

And it was purple, and there were so many people that came in and went, "What is that?" And then they would tell them that it was a cider, and, "Well, that's not what I came in for, but I want one of those."

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:46

Mm-hmm.

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:46

So, uh, it

Bobby Fleshman: 00:28:48

started there.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:28:48

It's kind of like moving the, the dessert through the restaurant- Yeah … and everyone wants to buy it.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:28:51

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:28:52

Order it.

Allison Fleshman: 00:28:52

So how do you make purple?

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:55

Uh, butterfly pea flower.

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:57

Uh-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:28:57

At a certain pH.

Aaron Reimer: 00:28:58

And then your pH dictates which color you get.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:02

Oh.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:02

You… If it's a low pH, you get purple.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:05

If it's a high pH, you get blue.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:07

Oh, that's like cabbage.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:09

Uh, yeah, yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:09

And onion skins.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:10

Mm-hmm.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:10

Yeah, you can do some really fun dyes that way.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:12

Oh.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:29:13

Oh, here we go.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:29:13

This is the chemistry of

Bobby Fleshman: 00:29:15

art-

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:15

The- I'm just saying … coming through.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:15

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:15

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:15

It's fun.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:17

Well, and that's what… That's the cool thing.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:18

And so I've seen you set up these, these experiments to where you're, like, really trying to dial in the color.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:23

Okay, other crazy colors that you've done.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:24

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:25

My favorite was actually the fluorescent pink.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:28

Oi.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:29

Um, like, it just, the, it's so just…

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:32

Was that the prickly pear?

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:33

No.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:33

Right.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:33

No, no, no, no.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:34

It was, uh, uh, cider, or, no, um- THC.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:37

THC, uh, seltzer.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:39

Oh, that's right.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:39

Yeah, the

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:39

seltzer.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:39

On that one.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:29:40

Which these colors work really well in that, in that component or in that flavor.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:44

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:44

Yep.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:44

Well, 'cause you're not competing with the color from the malt.

Allison Fleshman: 00:29:46

That product.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:46

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:47

And that's one of the hard parts.

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:48

But

Bobby Fleshman: 00:29:49

it just also works marketing wise really well.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:29:51

For the beer.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:29:51

The more fluorescent these colors, you get some people who are like, "I don't want anyone to know what I have." But other people love that.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:29:55

It's a lot of fun to see that moving across the room.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:29:58

A

Aaron Reimer: 00:29:59

lot easier to do with the seltzers than it is with the beer, 'cause you're working with that yellow color to start with.

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:04

Hmm, yep.

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:04

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:04

So it's, uh, very hard to do a gender reveal boy beer.

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:08

Uh, because it always comes out- That was hard … a little bit green.

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:11

That

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:11

one probably- They wanted to use an Ultima or a Brut IPA.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:14

Is that what that was?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:15

Or was it something else?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:17

I can't remember what that was.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:18

I

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:18

was thinking it was a C- Cove.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:20

Maybe it was.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:20

I think it was Cove.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:20

I think it was Garrett's Cove.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:21

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:21

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:21

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:21

That was really hard

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:22

to do.

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:22

But that one was super hard to actually achieve something that really looked like

Allison Fleshman: 00:30:27

blue.

Allison Fleshman: 00:30:27

That's funny, yeah, 'cause y'all had the, y'all had the envelope with the gender.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:30

Oh, yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:30

They were so happy.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:31

That was- And they have no idea how much hell that was behind the scenes.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:34

Oh, they're listening now.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:35

They're listening.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:35

It was hell at all.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:30:36

It was great.

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:37

It's like, "Hi." They would not let me contact the hospital to see if we could just switch a baby to make it easier on me.

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:41

But I mean- It's like, why

Allison Fleshman: 00:30:42

would it have been pink?

Allison Fleshman: 00:30:44

I mean- It was blue.

Allison Fleshman: 00:30:45

Mm-hmm.

Allison Fleshman: 00:30:45

Blue is so hard.

Allison Fleshman: 00:30:47

Oh, man, blue is hard.

Aaron Reimer: 00:30:48

But the other areas that, uh, besides just fl- uh, coloring the, the, the liquid itself, uh, when we do our uh, rare bottle releases- Oh, yeah … uh, we wax dip those.

Aaron Reimer: 00:31:00

And- I was gonna say, wax is a big deal.

Aaron Reimer: 00:31:02

Mm-hmm … and that's one where we only had, uh, certain colors available, so it's trying to mix those colors and being able to achieve new ones that stand out as a different, uh, batch-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:31:14

But you also- … or a

Aaron Reimer: 00:31:15

different year

Aaron Reimer: 00:31:16

… Bobby Fleshman: you also get the, the- The shape and the texture of that wax right- Yeah … too, and that's important.

Allison Fleshman: 00:31:22

There's a marbling that happens- Yes … when Aaron does it.

Allison Fleshman: 00:31:25

It's really cool to see.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:31:26

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:31:27

I, I took it for granted but that I, like I don't do any of that waxing.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:31:31

That's all on Aaron these days.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:31:33

No one does- I think

Allison Fleshman: 00:31:33

you really are one of the like the, um… If, if Cooler is focused on really the, um, you know, the, the, the meat and bones of the beer product, y- your flair comes in like the final presentation piece, like the colors, those nuanced flavors and the display and like the- R&D.

Allison Fleshman: 00:31:53

R&D … the, you know, the presentation part.

Allison Fleshman: 00:31:54

Recipes and deliciousness.

Allison Fleshman: 00:31:57

Pretty much.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:31:58

That's like a Homer Simpson phrase.

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:01

Okay, I got that one from the bad guys.

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:03

Um, but…

Allison Fleshman: 00:32:05

Okay.

Allison Fleshman: 00:32:06

Then I guess another quest- Oh.

Allison Fleshman: 00:32:07

Other things that you have to say.

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:10

Oh, no.

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:10

Head.

Allison Fleshman: 00:32:10

Another question that I have is what's something that you've done with us that you, it, it, you're still kinda looking back going, "I can't believe that that was my job that day"?

Allison Fleshman: 00:32:23

I've cleaned a lot of toilets here, and I'm like, "Well, yeah, you own the place, so of course that's what your job's gonna be." But

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:29

I don't know, I think that half the time I'm here.

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:31

Yeah, well, like I, like t- t- so piggybacking off of that one, going back, like you asked what a typical day was here.

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:38

Oh,

Allison Fleshman: 00:32:38

yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:39

I don't know if I ever have a typical day.

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:43

That says a lot Unless

Allison Fleshman: 00:32:44

we're like canning.

Allison Fleshman: 00:32:44

You are like the Swiss Army knife of the Backa house.

Allison Fleshman: 00:32:46

It's

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:47

one of those one d- like there's a day- It is true … I'll start out in

Bobby Fleshman: 00:32:49

our

Aaron Reimer: 00:32:50

sour room,

Bobby Fleshman: 00:32:50

then I'll be- I'll build, I'll build the production schedule, and I'll put cooler.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:32:53

It says brew, filter, can, and that's his week.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:32:57

He'll look over at Aaron.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:32:58

It's like, "Help can. Help brew, help filter. Also, to clean up the sour room- Help him … and do a pilot batch of this, and do this thing for the tap room, and do this thing for the distributor." It just like goes on and on.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:10

Oh,

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:10

and festivals.

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:11

Get festivals ready.

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:11

Get the festivals ready.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:12

Oh my God.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:13

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:13

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:14

Like it's, it's, it's bouncing

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:15

everywhere.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:16

And R&D this new thing.

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:17

Um, yeah, so it's just bouncing everywhere doing everything.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:20

But tomorrow our happiest employees it seems, so this is a good thing.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:22

For the most part.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:23

I mean, I

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:24

mean, I have

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:24

my days, but I

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:25

mean, like, yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:25

Well, chicken and egg.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:26

Because he can endure it, he, he has…

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:28

It, it throws on his list.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:29

It gets on his list.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:30

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:31

So.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:31

So.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:32

So never a dull moment then for you.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:34

Nope.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:34

Mm-mm.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:34

His eyes just got real big.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:35

Hey, Bobby,

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:36

my favorite, my… I think my favorite line that Bobby says is he'll walk up to me and he'll be like, "Hey, if you have time- … do you think you could do this one?" And I'm like, "Okay, you've seen my schedule.

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:48

You make it.

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:48

I have no time." But sure, let's squeeze this in here.

Aaron Reimer: 00:33:51

Knowing full

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:52

well the answer.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:33:52

You

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:52

know.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:52

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:33:52

That's funny 'cause I do the same thing to Bobby, and he knows he has to drop everything so there's a trickle-down effect.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:00

And it's like- So there we go.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:01

That's where it comes- That's when he comes to you.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:01

That's why.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:02

'Cause I'm like, "Hey, Bobby, can you help me do blah, blah, blah?" And you're like, "Yeah, cool.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:05

Just a second." And he's going to you and asking.

Aaron Reimer: 00:34:10

Hey, flavor baron- Yeah … can you… Oh.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:34:12

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:34:13

Oh,

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:13

that's

Bobby Fleshman: 00:34:13

funny.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:34:14

Emme, our GM says, "Hey, can we…" And I say, "Yep." It goes on Aaron's list.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:18

So I, I- Pretty much … I always joke that everyone at the brewery, you get two "Hey, Bobbys" a day, and if you, if you max your quote, you, you're done.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:27

Like you can only- Wow … two "Hey, Bobbys" a day.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:29

I'm about to propose that he only gets two "Hey, Aarons" a day.

Aaron Reimer: 00:34:32

Oh.

Aaron Reimer: 00:34:33

Ooh.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:34

Right?

Aaron Reimer: 00:34:34

I was just gonna say, but I have tried to use both of my "Hey, Bobbys" in the first five minutes and I still don't get to go home.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:40

That's true.

Aaron Reimer: 00:34:44

So no, I try to say s- because he does hear, "Hey, Bobby" every single time.

Aaron Reimer: 00:34:47

Oh my

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:47

God, every

Aaron Reimer: 00:34:48

moment.

Aaron Reimer: 00:34:48

I, I always try to come in and say something different like, "Monsieur Bobby." Um, like, you know, just trying to do something different.

Allison Fleshman: 00:34:55

Well, and he's… There's been times when he'll text me like three hours after he's gotten to the brewery and I'm like, "Hey."

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:01

He's like, "I still haven't even made it to my office."

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:04

Oh, yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:04

I've had my backpack on for five hours before, before I can reach

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:08

my office.

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:08

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:08

This is where I think that you should have like your phone set to a, a timer to where it goes like really annoying off every like 20 minutes for the first hour.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:15

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:16

I'm sure that'll work.

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:16

And that way whoever you're talking to, you can just cut it off and be like, "I gotta… At least let me put my food down."

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:21

It's, it's self-inflicted though.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:23

I can't blame anyone else.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:23

We

Aaron Reimer: 00:35:24

have found Bobby's- food on the brew deck before.

Aaron Reimer: 00:35:27

Oh, yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:35:28

Or the, the cooler's desk Yeah … no, cooler's desk.

Aaron Reimer: 00:35:29

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:35:29

Not, usually not the brew deck.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:30

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:31

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:31

It happens.

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:32

Mm-hmm.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:32

Yep.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:32

Right now I'm wondering where my food is from this morning.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:36

As you say that.

Aaron Reimer: 00:35:37

So we have Alex that leaves glasses all around.

Aaron Reimer: 00:35:39

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:35:39

We have Bobby that leaves dishes-

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:41

Like, food … and food on.

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:42

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:43

So anyone out there l- wanting to open a brewery, this is the reality of it.

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:47

It's, it's fine.

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:47

Find an Aaron and have Bobby consult for you.

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:50

It's gonna be great.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:51

F- no, just find Aaron.

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:52

Just find

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:53

Aaron.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:54

Just find Aaron.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:35:54

And then go live on an island.

Allison Fleshman: 00:35:55

Just ask, ask Aaron to help you too.

Aaron Reimer: 00:35:57

Oh, I'm sure that'll just go on his list too.

Aaron Reimer: 00:36:00

Uh, w- with that being said, yes, most weeks my lists are never finished 'cause there's no possible way.

Aaron Reimer: 00:36:07

Oh, yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:08

It, it's a difficult balance trying to be like, "Oh, we have to r- hold to an actual schedule," and, "Well, we'll deal with that next week." Mm. There, there's… I don't wanna be too loose or too- Mm … too strict, but- But the

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:20

brew schedule itself- Yeah … like, you came home at, it was midnight or 1:00.

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:24

It was 1:00 AM when you finally came home and-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:28

When was this?

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:29

Last night.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:30

Oh, yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:30

And I was like, you know, it's- Oh,

Aaron Reimer: 00:36:31

that was so long ago though.

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:32

I know.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:33

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:33

He's like, "It took him that long to make the

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:35

brew schedule." Sundays are interesting.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:35

Sunday's the worst.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:36

Yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:36

I'm like, it's like- Um … dropping a thousand p- piece puzzle on the table.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:40

Oh my gosh.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:40

I'm like, "Oh my God." He

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:41

works on it for, like, three or four hours.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:42

And, and half the pieces aren't there, and the other p- half the pieces are from a different puzzle.

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:46

Well, this is why we freak out when there's one little piece that gets out of alignment.

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:51

Oh, it's a

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:51

house

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:51

of cards.

Allison Fleshman: 00:36:51

Like, let's say the CO2 isn't right on one of the tanks, and that just, it, it just, it trickle-down effect of everything.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:36:57

And some of these are cause and effects span three months.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:37:01

It's like, oh my God, it's so many factors.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:37:04

Not complaining.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:37:04

I love the whole chaos of it.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:37:06

We

Allison Fleshman: 00:37:06

love it.

Allison Fleshman: 00:37:06

It's great.

Allison Fleshman: 00:37:07

We promise.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:07

And I like problem-solving, so I think that's a-

Allison Fleshman: 00:37:10

You got

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:10

the

Allison Fleshman: 00:37:11

right job … big

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:12

portion of here.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:12

I mean, there's a… I don't wanna say there's lots of problems, but there's a lot of things to solve.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:15

Oh.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:16

So, I mean… Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:18

But that's where I think flavor does it for me too 'cause it's a, it's, it's playing.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:22

It's just playing.

Allison Fleshman: 00:37:23

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:24

And I really enjoy that.

Allison Fleshman: 00:37:26

And yeah, and fun flavors too.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:37:27

He's got the masochistic gene.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:29

I have made a few things that should never, ever, ever see the light of day.

Allison Fleshman: 00:37:35

Do tell.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:36

Don't tell.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:37

My f- one of my favorite times that I w- uh, here doing the flavor side of things was not this 2025 year, but I think it was 2024, we did a, a vantage point Black Friday.

Allison Fleshman: 00:37:49

Yes.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:50

And I was told I had to have eight new flavors to put on tap for that event.

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:56

Yes, I recall this.

Allison Fleshman: 00:37:56

We-

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:57

And-

Aaron Reimer: 00:37:57

… Allison Fleshman: may have been very frustrated that that was the request that was given to you-

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:01

'cause holy hell.

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:01

I was

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:01

actually told that was a lower number than what was first requested, so.

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:04

But that, that

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:04

was when we got really mad on the- … the original request.

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:07

Uh, that was so much fun.

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:09

It was two straight weeks of just playing, and I came up with so many things that were just fantastic, and then there was the one that

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:21

So didn't make the cut

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:22

It won't make the cut.

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:23

I was, I, I, I, I, I don't even wanna say it, it was that bad Please do But I thought of one of our patrons particularly and I tried to make a- Oh god, please … pickle-

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:34

I knew you were gonna say pickle

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:35

… Bobby Fleshman: oh my God.

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:37

The pickle vantage point.

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:37

Yes.

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:37

I, I, I wasn't seeing that come from this conversation- Oh … but now I remember.

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:41

The p- And,

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:42

uh, like, and it was just great

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:43

' Allison Fleshman: cause I did it.

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:43

Pickle vantage point?

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:45

I tried it.

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:46

Ugh.

Aaron Reimer: 00:38:46

I will tell you it was absolutely horrible.

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:47

That's, I mean- Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:48

But I never told anybody … I know she loves pickles- That's, that's our tribute- … but that's so gross … to

Bobby Fleshman: 00:38:51

Dogfish Head.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:38:53

And it- Because that's what Dogfish Head, they do these crazy things- But in-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:38:55

and sometimes they land and sometimes they don't.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:38:57

But it was- But

Allison Fleshman: 00:38:58

okay- Yeah … so wait, so you, you, you probably did, like, what, 14, I think, uh, to trial, like different types of flavors- Oh … and eight landed.

Allison Fleshman: 00:39:07

It's, there's- So surely there's several that were like, "Okay, that's not so great."

Aaron Reimer: 00:39:09

Well, there was a lot that there were ones that were good and I'd have to go back to look at the list again- Yeah

Aaron Reimer: 00:39:15

um, but, but they were good but they weren't great.

Allison Fleshman: 00:39:18

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:39:18

And I feel most of the flavors we put out were like great ones.

Aaron Reimer: 00:39:23

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:39:23

And these are like this one will definitely become great but we need to do more dialing in and we- Yeah … didn't have that type of time at that time.

Aaron Reimer: 00:39:30

'Cause

Allison Fleshman: 00:39:31

like the salted caramel one, y'all spent a lot of time to really up the caramel enough to…

Allison Fleshman: 00:39:35

And then the sa- Yeah … like, it, that one took a while.

Aaron Reimer: 00:39:37

It's, yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:39:37

Once you adjusted one thing you had to tweak something else- Yeah … to, to do it.

Aaron Reimer: 00:39:41

Um-

Allison Fleshman: 00:39:42

Although it's funny, for that vantage point, I swear to goodness vanilla's my favorite.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:39:46

Vanilla

Allison Fleshman: 00:39:46

is- It's such- It's Carrie's

Bobby Fleshman: 00:39:47

favorite too

Bobby Fleshman: 00:39:47

… Allison Fleshman: like the, it's just- And a lot of people's favorite

Bobby Fleshman: 00:39:49

such a gold standard of like what-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:39:51

That's a testament, I, we have to give props where it's due.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:39:54

Pennzeys in town- Yes … they make, they make some of the ve- best vanilla extract period.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:39:58

Mm-hmm.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:39:58

It's Madagascar.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:40:00

Super delicious.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:40:01

So, so- But we also combine that with vanilla beans.

Allison Fleshman: 00:40:03

Right.

Allison Fleshman: 00:40:04

But that means that you're the one that's behind all the tinctures now that we've got, aren't you?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:40:07

Oh, yeah.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:40:08

Oh, we're making our own- Yes … extracts.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:40:09

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:40:10

There's Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:40:10

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:40:11

We, there's a shelf.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:40:13

It's str- Oh … it's straight F young Frankenstein.

Aaron Reimer: 00:40:15

There's many shelves all over the place 'cause it l- doesn't look as bad when they're spread out.

Aaron Reimer: 00:40:20

That's- But if it's all in one area it's, it's, it's-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:40:22

It's like hoarding, just-

Aaron Reimer: 00:40:24

Yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:40:24

Yes … having

Bobby Fleshman: 00:40:24

multiple rooms of

Allison Fleshman: 00:40:25

stuff.

Allison Fleshman: 00:40:25

But is it like-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:40:26

Yeah

Bobby Fleshman: 00:40:26

… Allison Fleshman: the, the formaldehyde where like the- … animals are inside of it, like?

Aaron Reimer: 00:40:30

No, but I have wanted to put one up there just to have one night.

Aaron Reimer: 00:40:35

Put a little alien head.

Aaron Reimer: 00:40:35

Just one fetus for good measure.

Aaron Reimer: 00:40:36

Uh, no I was actually thinking about this one the other day about how far I have come here with this whole l- uh, flavor side of things and I remember in the very beginning getting to do some of this and then Bobby's like, "Well this is what we have for flavors.

Aaron Reimer: 00:40:53

Figure out something with this." And they was like, "Oh, well, like, uh, we're not really gonna get anything else right now.

Aaron Reimer: 00:40:59

You're just getting what you've got." And then even in the beginning for the first bit it was kind of like a yep, nope, we're still, we're doing these things. And then fast-forward two and a half years and then it's like I tell Bobby I want something, he's like, "Cool.

Aaron Reimer: 00:41:14

It's on order." Like that wouldn't like- It never would've happened in the beginning.

Aaron Reimer: 00:41:18

Oh, yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:41:18

But now it's just like- Oh, what was the… Oh, there was one that I had asked him about.

Aaron Reimer: 00:41:24

I can't think of what it was, and I'm like, "I have no clue what I'm gonna do with it, but I want to play with it." And just look and like-

Bobby Fleshman: 00:41:31

It's like cotton candy flavors and- No,

Aaron Reimer: 00:41:33

it wasn't that.

Aaron Reimer: 00:41:33

Was it

Bobby Fleshman: 00:41:33

that one?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:41:33

No, but

Aaron Reimer: 00:41:34

that was that one

Bobby Fleshman: 00:41:34

too.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:41:34

Yeah, yeah.

Aaron Reimer: 00:41:34

That was uh… But yeah, he, he, he, if I request things within reason- Within

Allison Fleshman: 00:41:39

reason

Allison Fleshman: 00:41:40

… Aaron Reimer: uh, like, within reason, I, uh, uh- There you go … he, he gets

Bobby Fleshman: 00:41:42

me things to- So th- this episode is for all those people that think that we, we are stuck in the mud here.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:41:46

Yeah.

Allison Fleshman: 00:41:46

That's true.

Allison Fleshman: 00:41:47

Well, and definitely with Aaron behind the scenes both to temper Bobby down from his crazy ambition, but also for Bobby to lean into Aaron's crazy ambition.

Allison Fleshman: 00:41:56

I think the flavor in the end work, works really well.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:00

So we could talk for forever, but I'm gonna end it now, uh, just because, um, well, the- Within

Bobby Fleshman: 00:42:05

a minute f- of when we cross the-

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:07

I know.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:08

Oh, Ar- is Artemis about to find Gary?

Bobby Fleshman: 00:42:09

Oh, yes.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:42:10

They probably are.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:42:11

Like I said- Oh, my God … sunglasses, lawn chair, looking up.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:42:13

Poor Gary.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:14

I hope he's doing

Bobby Fleshman: 00:42:15

okay.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:42:15

On the far side of the Moon no less.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:16

Anyway, okay.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:17

Well, Aaron, thank you.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:18

Go team.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:19

Definitely come swing by the brewery and see what Aaron's been concocting lately.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:42:22

Also, listen to this episode with Dark Side of the Moon playing backwards or whatever seven times.

Bobby Fleshman: 00:42:29

That's part of this, the shtick.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:30

I'm just gonna, No.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:31

Well, that's gonna wrap up this episode of- Yeah … Respecting the Beer.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:34

This show is produced by David Kelso, without whom we could not have this podcast.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:38

The music is by Sarah Lynn Huss.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:40

Be sure to join the Facebook group to connect between episodes and support the show over on Patreon, where you can get uncut episodes, ex- access to s- specially brewed beer and more.

Allison Fleshman: 00:42:49

Until next time, please remember to respect the beer