Friend of the site and fellow beard enthusiast Cask Beerouac was recently promoted from “semi-employed journalist” to “fully employed suds-slinger” at Good People Brewing a few months back. As such, I asked him if I could swing by the ol’ ale factory for a few minutes to take some snapshots of the eponymous Good People doing what they do. I was able to sneak in during an IPA canning day and watch as a giant vat of delicious beer was magically transformed into thousands of tiny, little vats. I assumed this was done with some sort of combination shrink-ray/multiplier, but it turns out the actual process is a bit more mundane. Nevertheless, it was a great peek into the world of a local production brewery and I was very grateful to Cask and Jason Malone (the Good People brewmaster) for letting me wander around while they were busy, you know…working. Come join me as we take a trip into the most wild recesses of your imagination!*
*Assuming the most wild recesses of your imagination involve a canning machine and several stainless steel fermenters.
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Cannery row. Notice brewmaster Jason in the background wondering who the idiot with the camera is. It's me!
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Pretty maids all in a row.
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This machine puts beer into the cans. It's VERY important.
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Word to the wise...do NOT stick your tongue in a canning machine. My stitches come out next week.
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The cans go on a sweet, spiral slide before getting filled. I assume this is to give them one last thrill before getting packed into a dark box and shoved in a fridge.
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I discovered that Good People also sells huge cans which they call "kegs". Learn something new every day.
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Clearly I've wandered away from the tour. On my right, the 60BBL fermenters filled with Brown Ale and IPA. On my left, 30BBL fermenters for small-batch brews like Snakehandler and Hitchhiker.
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When told I could bring home a free sample, I quickly grabbed this barrel and started walking off. I was detained.
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If you don't like pictures of barrel-aged beers, you've come to the wrong place.
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I like breweries.
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These cans have no idea how their lives are about to change.
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Side view of the canning machine. Wheee!
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The Tasting Room will be open in a few weeks. I asked if I could wait at the bar.
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Not sure what they'll be selling here. Perhaps swag?
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Every brewery photo essay requires one artistic shot from behind the fermenters. It's just common sense!
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Brother Barley's dreams of being a brewer are dashed by the reality that it's actually somewhat more complicated than he thought. What are all those pipes for?!?!
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See, this I understand. A bucket of yeast. Slouch, come drink this!
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Can Jason guess which valve I turned when he wasn't looking? I think he'll be pleasantly surprised!
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What do professional brewers drink when they're not imbibing their own product. Duvel. Sweet tea. Diet coke. Juicy juice. And Nestle's Quik. Of course.
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You can't brew beer without blaring tunes. Here's the DJ booth.
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I shed a single tear when seeing how much beer is wasted during a canning day. Then I tried to steal the barrel of Coffee Oatmeal Stout again. This time, I was forcibly removed.
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Thanks again, Good People! Next time, I’ll come bearing gifts!*
It is, but it’ll be pretty great in the near future. The problem is that the local breweries really had no idea whether the Brewery Modernization Act was going to pass or not (with the Free the Hops boycott, it was touch and go there for awhile). When it finally DID pass, most of them had to scramble to get the materials together for a Tasting Room. And since Tasting Rooms require staffers, it could be a little while before the ‘Bama ale factories are fully operational.
The pictures don’t really do justice to the actual brewery since light levels are fairly low (for obvious reasons when dealing with beer) and I used a cheaper camera out of fear of beer splashing (which it turns out was totally justified). It’s actually a much cooler looking space than it appears from these shots. Very rough and industrial, but also in keeping with the laid-back Good People vibe.
A lovely photo montage of liquid happiness indeed. A request for all Alehead brewery reviews: Please put a link to said ale factory’s website in the article, if not full-blown address info to aid those of us with a thirst and need for road time…Well done article though…
ALEHEADS 
Let me just point out the obvious and say that this is the coolest thing ever.
I would have gotten away with the stout barrel though…or at least consumed it on premises.
Thanks for showing us how the fudge is packed, Good People!
That half-constructed bar is pretty depressing looking.
It is, but it’ll be pretty great in the near future. The problem is that the local breweries really had no idea whether the Brewery Modernization Act was going to pass or not (with the Free the Hops boycott, it was touch and go there for awhile). When it finally DID pass, most of them had to scramble to get the materials together for a Tasting Room. And since Tasting Rooms require staffers, it could be a little while before the ‘Bama ale factories are fully operational.
The pictures don’t really do justice to the actual brewery since light levels are fairly low (for obvious reasons when dealing with beer) and I used a cheaper camera out of fear of beer splashing (which it turns out was totally justified). It’s actually a much cooler looking space than it appears from these shots. Very rough and industrial, but also in keeping with the laid-back Good People vibe.
A lovely photo montage of liquid happiness indeed. A request for all Alehead brewery reviews: Please put a link to said ale factory’s website in the article, if not full-blown address info to aid those of us with a thirst and need for road time…Well done article though…
Done and done.