Q: Why isn’t there a frequently asked questions page?
A: It is my understanding that in order to have a FAQ a question actually needs to be asked. That’s ignoring the frequently part at this time. Thanks for asking and kicking this part of the site off.
Q: Do you actually make beer?
A: Yes. That is the “brewery” part of the name. Otherwise, it would just be Fieldpointe. As a point of clarification, I don’t actually make the beer – yeast does. (And it does a pretty decent job of it.) Thanks for asking.
Q: What do you make your beer with?
A: Good question. I have found that my hands are very useful in making the beer. I’ve tried my feet once but that did not work out very well at all. Thanks for your question.
Q: What I meant to ask is, what things do you use to make your Fieldpointe beer?
A: Sorry – my bad. I use electricity, water, kettles, hoses, pumps, etc. I think I use what most breweries would use but on a much smaller scale.
Q: No, you still don’t understand. What ingredients do you use to make your beer?
A: Ah, OK. Sometimes I am too literal. Sorry about that. I have found that using the traditional ingredients of grain, water, hops and yeast produce the best results. Soybeans, sawdust and vinegar just don’t cut it. I know there are brewers out there who have stumbled upon some creative combinations of unique ingredients in their beers but at Fieldpointe sticking with the tried and true has proven to be most effective in producing something that is palatable.
Q: What do you ferment your beer in?
A: These are some fantastic questions! I have found that closed containers with impenetrable sides (top and bottom) work well. Cardboard boxes were a nice try but not the best choice. Wooden crates were just a tad better but the beer was still gone after a short while. Really not sure what happened to the beer put inside the cardboard boxes and crates. But I seem to remember that the floor was a tad wet and sticky though.
Q: I think you are a dunce.
A: That is not a question. Please try again.
Q: Are you a dunce?
A: Sorry – I’m a bit slow on figuring that one out.
Q: When will we be able to find Fieldpointe’s finest on tap at local establishments like Don’t Tell Lou’s?
A: Fieldpointe’s finest is proprietary and thus only available in very limited quantities at only prestigious events worthy of it. Therefore, don’t get your hopes up that you will find Fieldpointe offerings at local establishments such as Don’t Tell Lou’s. Besides, I don’t think DTL’s is even in existence anymore. It has been a very long time since I’ve been allowed to stop in. Perhaps I’ve been banished from that establishment for making such superior brew.
Q: I understand Miller is ending its sponsorship of the Brewers’ stadium. Is there a chance Miller Park could become Fieldpointe Field?
A: There is about as good a chance as me visiting every one of the 50 states in the union. Fieldpointe Field does have a nice ring to it but that is not going to happen. Blatz Ballpark, Pabst Place or Schlitz Shack have a better chance at naming rights than I do. My personal choice would be giving the August Schell Brewing Co first crack (pun intended) at it. As the second oldest continually operating brewery in the US they have a bit more experience and just about everything else to pull it off. I’d give a slight nod to Yuengling Brewing Co (Yuengling Yard) as the oldest continually operating brewery in the US but most Wisconsinites can’t pronounce it.
Q: I enjoyed reading your descriptions of your beers and brewing experiences. Could you please include suggested food pairings, especially grilled foods?
A: That’s an easy one. Beer pairs with all foods – especially grilled. It doesn’t matter what it is.
Q: When will Fieldpointe release mayonnaise infused beers?
A: That is a good question and one that I have not thought of before. I’ll have to get together with Jeff on that one to come up with a plan. After all, mayo makes egg salad sandwiches possible and would be amiss if not slathered on a BLT. Why would it not work in a beer?
Q: With all of your experience playing Sheephead while brewing beers, have you found it to be true that one should always sacrifice points before power?
A: No.
Q: Is the lighthouse on the Fieldpointe logo modeled after an actual lighthouse or simply a mailbox that looks like a lighthouse?
A: Yes and yes. The lighthouse on the logo is a rendition of the actual lighthouse of Wind Point along Lake Michigan. It also resembles the mailbox lighthouse across the street from Mark’s house. Now some may wonder why a lighthouse when it is Fieldpointe Brewery. A lighthouse doesn’t serve much of a purpose in the middle of a field – at least for boats and the like. But then, what would be the focal point of a field? Well, the designer had a vision in his mind when he drew it up. I didn’t. I gave no parameters or such and I liked what he produced. So there you have it.
Q: With fantasy sports becoming universally popular and professional sports in limbo during this pandemic, is now the time to launch some sort of fantasy beer league?
A: Sure. Go for it.
Q: Did you wear a mask when brewing your recent beers?
A: Finally – the last question. You sure brought a boat load of them into port. No, I did not wear a mask when brewing any of my beers. No, I’m not being insensitive to my beers. I care about them very much. The brewing process negates the need for pre Halloween mask wearing. It is also best practice in the industry to not cough or sneeze into the kettle, COVID-19 or not.
Q: Why can’t I see the FAQ?
A: This is an interesting question which is not going to be so easily answered because I have to imagine myself as you in your current situation. If you are trying to access FAQ through a cardboard box on which you have drawn a screen and keyboard with a marker, you are not going to see FAQ. If you are using an electronic device with a screen and are not connected to the WWW, you will not see FAQ. If you are using a device connected to the WWW you may not be at the correct URL. If you are at the correct URL and not looking at the screen, you will not see FAQ. If you are using an electronic device connected to the WWW and are at the proper URL and are looking at the screen then you will see FAQ – which I think you do because you left this FAQ. It is right here.
Q: Do you put your beer in canisters?
A: No. Mustard and tear gas are put into canisters. Fieldpointe follows the long time standing tradition and industry standard of putting beer into kegs. Besides, canistered beer would not last very long due to the small size of the typical canister. (See next question.)
Q: How long do your kegs last?
A: Until they are empty.
Q: Do you have stickers?
A: Yes.
Q: How does one acquire one of your stickers?
A: You stick out your hand and I give you one.
Q: What does one do with one of your stickers?
A: You would stick it on your beer fridge. That is why it is called a sticker.
Q: What is a beer fridge?
A: Never mind.
Q: Do you have a butt?
A: Um…. Yes?
Q: No, not that kind of butt you juvenile. Do you have the storage capacity of a butt?
A: Sorry, I work with middle schoolers so my mind naturally went there. No, I do not have a butt then. For those of you still snickering, there are various storage containers of given volumes with fun names. One of them is called a butt. The others that exist are in order:
- Pin = 5 gallons
- Firkin = 10 gallons
- Kilderkin = 18 gallons
- Barrel = 36 gallons
- Hogshead = 54 gallons
- Butt = 108 gallons
As you can see from the list, the butt is very large indeed. Having such a large butt around the brewery would be impractical so no, I do not have a butt. By the way, the nomenclature used here is in reference to the capacity or volume of the device – not the name of the device itself. For instance, a barrel is 36 gallons – not the name of the storage container. So, if I had a butt in the brewery, I would have 108 gallons of beer – a butt of brew.
Q: Do you agitate your hops?
A: Since hops are a very important part of the brewing process, I try real hard not to upset them. If I get the urge to annoy, I know you are an easier target.
Q: No, not that agitate. (Your literal thinking kinda agitates me.) Do you agitate in terms of the mixing or stirring of your hops while in the fermenter?
A: Ah… My bad. Not all brews have dry hopping in the fermenter so it would not make sense to agitate them. They aren’t there. However, I have been known to agitate people who I am not around so I guess it could be possible with hops as well. Anyway, periodic agitation of the hops in the fermenter helps spread the hop goodness throughout the beer. Just be sure not to splash the fermenting beer which would be counterproductive – possibly resulting in a beer tasting like wet cardboard due to oxidation. Not that I know exactly what that taste is like. Thanks for your question.
Q: I’ve noticed that the FAQs have not changed for some time now. Have you thought of deleting them?
A: Doing that would be counter-productive. (Kind of like your asking this question.) These are FAQs: FREQUENTLY Asked Questions. If I were to delete them I would just have to put them back because they are frequently asked. That’s the purpose of a FAQ page.Thanks anyway for giving me something more to add to the page.
Q: I’ve noticed that you don’t post very often. Is that because you don’t like beer or brewing anymore?
A: This actually is a good observation and question. Beer is still the main attraction at the brewery and brewing it is still the best way to produce it. The reason that the brewing posts have slowed is because of a supply chain issue. (I think that is the phraseology that is being thrown around these days.) It could be similar to the elevated gas prices due to the Russian invasion of the Ukraine – but probably not. There is too much supply of beer at the brewery and not enough kegs to put it in. Along with gas prices, the cost of kegs has pole vaulted. I was able to secure a couple to accommodate the current production, but unless some people get busy by holding up their end of the supply chain, the brew session postings will be less frequent – for the time being.
Q: I’ve heard rumors that a number of Fieldpointe’s finest are not brewed in Oak Creek. Is this so? And if it is, why?
A: This is an interesting question because it implies that people are talking about Fieldpointe Brewery. Huzzah! It’s hard to keep the exciting happenings of the brewery quiet.
This is true. In fact, a majority of the beer produced is done so in Racine – at Mark’s place – across from the lighthouse. That’s what makes this OK. (Take a peek at our logo.)
Q: So beer isn’t brewed in Oak Creek anymore?
A: You should read more carefully. A majority of the beer is brewed in Racine – not all of it. Production still takes place at HQ in Oak Creek – just not that often.
Q: So why does most of your brewing take place in Racine? I mean, beside the logo thing.
A: Because that is where Mark’s grill is – and his Bloody Mary / Maria Bar. Enough said.