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Photos by Ron Burkett.
Joe Meadows, owner of Slag Heap Brewing Company, poses outside the site of his future brewery. The brewing house is set to open this fall at 227 Main St.
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Photos by Ron Burkett.
Meadows plans to display the original cork insulation to keep the space character-rich.
Joe Meadows could talk beer all day — the history of the India pale ale, better known as IPA, and why it can often be both strong and bitter. He can talk about the subtle differences between the varieties of pilsners, porters,pale ales and stouts and a whole other slew of terms common in the brewer’s world.
As owner of Slag Heap Brewing Company,set to open this fall at 227 Main St., it’s clear that this is a dream realized for the self-taught brewer — one that started in the Meadows’ home on the kitchen stove two decades ago. Meadows previously worked as a nursing home administrator for 25 years, and he created his business, Slag Heap Brewing Company, in 2015.
“What I love most about this business is the process of brewing,” Meadows said. “It’s how you can manipulate four different ingredients, and when you learn the process, you can make it exactly what you want.”
Through trial and error over the years, Meadows has learned that certain conditions must be right: Their home consistently stays a cool 68 degrees, which is the perfect brewing temperature, he said.
Also, the yeast is key, he said.
His favorite type of beer really depends on the time of year.
“I have 40 different beers in my book that I’ve brewed, but I do love Belgians,”Meadows said.
From start to finish, where it is kegged, it usually takes Meadows a little more than two weeks to brew a batch.
At Slag Heap Brewing, they will expose customers to a real variety of beer, he said.
“We will offer some Belgian beers, IPAs and a couple of beers that will be on tap year round,” Meadows said. “Everyone will be able to watch it being brewed. It’s a three to four barrel at a time system. This gives us flexibility, so we can brew two different beers in one day.”
Of course, their flagship beer, the award-winning German wheat Weizenbock, will be ever-present.
Meadows already has painted the picture in his mind: locals relaxing on the patio on Saturday afternoons sipping one of the daily creations from their neighborhood brewery that even bears its area’s namesake —Slag Heap.
He first scouted locations in Birmingham, which has become a mecca for craft brewing, but after viewing Trussville’s master plan to revitalize downtown, he knew it was the better fit. He has enjoyed working daily in the place that will become his second home.
The building that was formerly an ice house, among other businesses, has been pared down to its bare bones. Currently, the cork insulation that was used in the ice house’s cooler area is exposed, and Meadows plans to place it in large shadowboxes for viewing. There will be subway tile added to the interior wall where the brewery equipment will be. What was the original ice house office will become the women’s bathroom, and Meadows hopes to keep the overall space character-rich with its exposed ductwork in the ceiling and existing concrete flooring.
In the coming months, the building’s interior and exterior will be aesthetically updated with coats of paint in Slag Heap’s palette of black, powder blue, gray and white, and local blacksmiths will build a few iron pieces to add as well.
Outdoor seating will be added adjacent to the building. Indoors, they will be able to accommodate about 70 people, Meadows said, and customers can bring their own food.
“This location and with all the parking area behind us, it will be a fantastic spot for a food truck rally,” he said.
Meadows will continue competing in the beer circuit where his brews are judged, scored and evaluated. He has competed nationally and placed in 24 different events. Slag Heap Brewing recently took first place at AlaBev’s Masters of the Brewniverse competition in Huntsville with their Weizenbock brew, and its At My Wits End White IPA brew took a second place award in the Tampa regionals of the National Homebrew Competition in the Specialty IPA division. It will be advancing to the finals.
For more information, find the brewery on Facebook at Slag Heap Brewing Company.
