Here are excerpts from an e-mail from Dustin Brau at Brau Bros regarding goings-on.  I’ve edited the content a bit due to its size.  I tried to leave all the juicy bits in.

Tying a bow on hop harvest for 2009. Wow, what a marathon two weeks! Thanks to all the hop picker help we’ve had; we literally couldn’t have done it without you. Yield was terrific for second year plants. It looks like we’ll net more than 1200lbs of hops, not counting all the stuff we used wet. Most are dried, sealed, and in storage. We’ll blow through that fairly quickly, and wait for next year. We can’t wait to celebrate the end of hop harvest at HopFest.

HopFest is October 10th, 11 am – 8 pm. After that, the BrauHaus is having karaoke until Ken kicks us out. Planning for HopFest is going well as we try our best to pretty the place up. We added six additional tap lines to accommodate Purple Sting, Fresh Hop, Ring Neck, etc. We will not have on-site camping this year due to the pond construction project. The pond is dug, full of water, and looks great. However, the area around it will be landscaped next spring and is a bit messy. On-site camping will return next year! That’s a highlight and we look forward to bringing it back. Plenty of hotel space is available in Marshall and Redwood Falls, including Jackpot Junction. We have toyed with the idea of running a shuttle to Jackpot, if you have any interest let me know. I’ve got a local kickball team that will take on any challengers that afternoon. Email me if you’ve got a team and if you’ve got the guts. Obviously, beer-in-hand rule will apply.

SheepHead will be available year-round! Because of the tremendous response to this ale, we would be dumb to retire it. It will have its own six pack; bear with us while we move it from a Single Batch sixer to a SheepHead sixer. If someone tells you that it’s a seasonal, tell them they’re wrong. On a related note, Ring Neck Braun Ale is creeping into stores. Check out the website for a full description, it’s a great fall beer.

We’ve got something special in the fermenter. A big stout over 9% ABV. It’s aging as we speak on Madeira Oak. Love for this ale to be out for Christmas; it will depend on how well it matures. More details to follow…

I almost forgot – The BrauHaus is hosting a beer dinner on Friday, October 9th, starting at 6:30pm. A four course dinner prepared by Chef Jay Rechtzigel paired with beers brewed down the block. I’ll be presenting, and it should be a blast! This is a great way to kick off HopFest and the best part is the price – $25 for food and beer! Very limited seating, call for reservations (507) 747-2796.

Finally, we really appreciate everyone who has taken the time to drive out and visit the brewery. We encourage you to tour the brewery if you haven’t already. We do not charge a penny for tours; however we are going to start something new. We are asking for a $3 /person donation, 100% of which will go to local Lions Clubs for community projects. We are Lions ourselves, and the Lions organization is a huge asset for area small towns; almost every community project around here is supported by Lions dollars. The donation is not mandatory; it’s just a great way to support the small towns that support Brau Beer! Give us a call or email Mary mary@braubeer.com to book your tour.