Tonight I brewed an ordinary bitter. It should finish out around 3 to 3.5% when all is said and done. I was planning on going with an ESB but when I took stock of the ingredients I have on hand I realized I could do the bitter with out having to pick up too much. And when I look at the ABVs of the last few beers I have brewed I realized I was following a pattern of session style beers. The bitter looks to have the lowest amount of alcohol of any beer I have brewed to this day.
When I picture this beer in the grand scheme of things I also realize it is something I have been wanting to do for quite some time (althought in a slightly different way). I have had plans of doing an English style mild for months but other beers kept taking precedence over the mild. This bitter kinda fills the shoes of the mild I just haven't had the chance to finish up.
I tried a few new things with this batch. The first was a slightly different sparge method. Instead of a batch sparge I attempted a real sparge. I did end up with a slightly better efficiency. I think it will be enough to get a full % extra in my abv.
The other thing I did was to use a single hop. Granted I did all my normal additions but instead of multiple hop varieties I only used one. This go around I used Fuggle. Granted Fuggle is one of my go to hops for Brittish styles, but I am anxious to see how it finishes out. I want to know if there is an affect on the overall flavor.
The recipe for this beer is as follows;
6lbs 2 Row Pale malt
2lbs Marris Otter malt
1lb Biscuit malt
1oz Fuggle (60 mins)
.5oz Fuggle (30 mins)
.5oz Fuggle (20 mins)
1oz Fuggle (5 mins)
1tsp Irish Moss (20 mins)
Mashed at 150degrees for 90 mins
water to grain ratio of 1.22 or roughly 2 gallons 3 quarts mash water
And now as soon as I finish this pint, its time for bed...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Contests, Summer wheat, and other stuffs...
I dropped off 3 beers (Irish Rye, Magic 8 Ball Stout, and the Dopplebock) for the Michigan Beer Cup contest yesterday. One thing I will say about this contest, they did a fantastic job with the online registration. It really was amazing at how easy it was to register. Not only did they give style descriptions so you could double check yourself before confirming, but the label set up was all on one sheet so I didn't have to waste that much paper printing them. Judging for this contest is in the first or second week of August so I shouldn't have too long to get my score sheets back.
Now on to my summer wheat beer. For the past few years I have played with several different styles of wheat beers, trying to find just the right one and of course experience the brewing of the different styles. I think this time I have found the one that will become a normal summer brew for me. For this brew I did it entirely as an American wheat, basically instead of using a weizen or Belgian yeast I ended up using an ale yeast. Well, I will give you some tasting notes before I get too deep into the formulation.
Initial impression: Color is almost a burnt orange and pours with a nice white head. The head itself doesn't last very long other than to lace the glass itself all the way to the last swallow. The beer itself is incredibly hazy.
The mouthfeel is light and dry. It is very easy to drink and the lower alcohol (5% abv) makes it a nice summer refresher that you can drink a couple of without worry. The flavor itself is incredibly citrus. I pick out orange and grapefruit at the front end. There is a nice bitterness on the finish. I almost feel like I am drinking a wheat version of an IPA.
Final Impression: I really like this beer. I think that the next time I brew it I will add more sweet orange peel during secondary. This would help to bring out the orange notes a little bit more.
Recipe:
6lb Wheat Malt
5lb Pale malt (2 row)
1lb Marris Otter
.5 oz centennial hops (60 mins)
.5 oz centennial Hops (30 mins)
.5 oz Cascade hops (20 mins)
.5 oz Cascade Hops (0 mins)
.5 oz Bitter orange peel (20 mins)
Zest from 2 oranges (20 mins)
WLP 004 Irish Ale yeast From White labs
mash at 150 for 1.5 hours
On the reading list:
I started reading the book "Beer and Philosophy: The Unexamined Beer isn't Worth Drinking." So far I am really enjoying this book. It is a collection of essays from a number of brewers and beer writers detailing some of their thoughts and feelings on beer, and brewing. As can be expected when you begin to explore the thoughts of others, my thoughts have also began to wander down new paths as I explore my thoughts and ideas on this craft that we all enjoy and hold dear.
Now, I just noticed I am out of beer. It is time to fill my glass again ...
Now on to my summer wheat beer. For the past few years I have played with several different styles of wheat beers, trying to find just the right one and of course experience the brewing of the different styles. I think this time I have found the one that will become a normal summer brew for me. For this brew I did it entirely as an American wheat, basically instead of using a weizen or Belgian yeast I ended up using an ale yeast. Well, I will give you some tasting notes before I get too deep into the formulation.
Initial impression: Color is almost a burnt orange and pours with a nice white head. The head itself doesn't last very long other than to lace the glass itself all the way to the last swallow. The beer itself is incredibly hazy.
The mouthfeel is light and dry. It is very easy to drink and the lower alcohol (5% abv) makes it a nice summer refresher that you can drink a couple of without worry. The flavor itself is incredibly citrus. I pick out orange and grapefruit at the front end. There is a nice bitterness on the finish. I almost feel like I am drinking a wheat version of an IPA.
Final Impression: I really like this beer. I think that the next time I brew it I will add more sweet orange peel during secondary. This would help to bring out the orange notes a little bit more.
Recipe:
6lb Wheat Malt
5lb Pale malt (2 row)
1lb Marris Otter
.5 oz centennial hops (60 mins)
.5 oz centennial Hops (30 mins)
.5 oz Cascade hops (20 mins)
.5 oz Cascade Hops (0 mins)
.5 oz Bitter orange peel (20 mins)
Zest from 2 oranges (20 mins)
WLP 004 Irish Ale yeast From White labs
mash at 150 for 1.5 hours
On the reading list:
I started reading the book "Beer and Philosophy: The Unexamined Beer isn't Worth Drinking." So far I am really enjoying this book. It is a collection of essays from a number of brewers and beer writers detailing some of their thoughts and feelings on beer, and brewing. As can be expected when you begin to explore the thoughts of others, my thoughts have also began to wander down new paths as I explore my thoughts and ideas on this craft that we all enjoy and hold dear.
Now, I just noticed I am out of beer. It is time to fill my glass again ...
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Use the force luke...
I have noticed a trend lately and I find it a little disconcerting. Not only do we have a division of elitist and beer lovers in everyday imbibers, but now with the growth of the ciserone program we find people who have a liscence for snobbery. For me, this is not necessarily an issue with the program itself, I do intend to follow the path and attain ciserone status. I firmly believe that we need people who know a bit to guide consumer choices.
Way back when, we only had a few beer choices and even then those were solely a different version of pretty much the same thing. Now there are so many different styles available and so many different interpretations of those styles it can make your head spin. Sometimes we need our very own beery Yoda to guide us along the path of light.
Yes, I am going there. When we look at the cosmic forces of those who might guide us along our beer experience, we find there is a light side and a dark side of the force. We must use our powers solely for good. Wisdom and understanding are the powers of the light side of the ciserone. When you attack someone because they don't like the beers you do or heaven forbid they use the wrong glassware to drink their frothy bliss, you have embraced the darkside.
Of course, this analogy now makes me sound so much like a geek (if I haven't already accomplished this before now).
I think its time for a pint...
Way back when, we only had a few beer choices and even then those were solely a different version of pretty much the same thing. Now there are so many different styles available and so many different interpretations of those styles it can make your head spin. Sometimes we need our very own beery Yoda to guide us along the path of light.
Yes, I am going there. When we look at the cosmic forces of those who might guide us along our beer experience, we find there is a light side and a dark side of the force. We must use our powers solely for good. Wisdom and understanding are the powers of the light side of the ciserone. When you attack someone because they don't like the beers you do or heaven forbid they use the wrong glassware to drink their frothy bliss, you have embraced the darkside.
Of course, this analogy now makes me sound so much like a geek (if I haven't already accomplished this before now).
I think its time for a pint...
Monday, July 19, 2010
Musings in the depths of a pint...
I have now gotten to about halfway through "Man Walks into a Pub". The area I am currently in is roughly just past WWI. I have been reading about the temperance movement in England and how it shaped alcohol consumption and the places we enjoy it in. For that matter how it affected how beer was produced as well. Although actual prohibition did not hit in England, the temperance movement did quite a good job of damaging the brewing landscape.
When we really think about it, prohibition in the US set the advancement in beer and brewing (not to mention the wine industry), back at least 70 years. As much as I want to dislike former President Jimmy Carter, he did manage to allow one of the most important items to impact our country since prohibition; he made homebrewing legal again. This of course set in motion the explosion that is now happening in craft beer.
I look through time at how my life has brought me to the place I am now, and I realize that although I am not yet where I want to be, I am still in the middle of that journey. Of course, the best part of all that is that their is always the next destination on the journey. Wow, where did all that come from? This is something I have had tucked away in my own thoughts for some time anyway. At times I reflect on my life and wonder about the choices I have made. I realize that the choices I made in the past were the right choices for the time. Even though I can see how I might have been at this point much sooner with different choices, I realize that I was not ready to follow those paths back then.
As I write this I can see how the previous trains of thought converge on the same tracks. Perchance if the US had not gone through the dark time of prohibition, we would not have found the brewing renaisance we now enjoy. I can see this in my own life when I had a personal prohibition where I touched not a drop of alcohol for 8 years. When I returned to beer I found a new appreciation for what I had kept from myself. I found that I was able to enjoy a good glass of beer for what it was, instead of what it could do. And in this I have found a new world of flavors in the brews I bring to life and those I find in others handiwork.
I think at that end it is now time to finish this pint ...
When we really think about it, prohibition in the US set the advancement in beer and brewing (not to mention the wine industry), back at least 70 years. As much as I want to dislike former President Jimmy Carter, he did manage to allow one of the most important items to impact our country since prohibition; he made homebrewing legal again. This of course set in motion the explosion that is now happening in craft beer.
I look through time at how my life has brought me to the place I am now, and I realize that although I am not yet where I want to be, I am still in the middle of that journey. Of course, the best part of all that is that their is always the next destination on the journey. Wow, where did all that come from? This is something I have had tucked away in my own thoughts for some time anyway. At times I reflect on my life and wonder about the choices I have made. I realize that the choices I made in the past were the right choices for the time. Even though I can see how I might have been at this point much sooner with different choices, I realize that I was not ready to follow those paths back then.
As I write this I can see how the previous trains of thought converge on the same tracks. Perchance if the US had not gone through the dark time of prohibition, we would not have found the brewing renaisance we now enjoy. I can see this in my own life when I had a personal prohibition where I touched not a drop of alcohol for 8 years. When I returned to beer I found a new appreciation for what I had kept from myself. I found that I was able to enjoy a good glass of beer for what it was, instead of what it could do. And in this I have found a new world of flavors in the brews I bring to life and those I find in others handiwork.
I think at that end it is now time to finish this pint ...
Friday, July 16, 2010
New beer rules and other oddness...
I have been pouring through various beer blogs lately and ran into these rules on one blog, which led me to the originator, Stan Hieronymus' site Appelation Beer. For those who might not know who he is (gah, it sounds like I'm name dropping), he is the author of a number of brewing books and in 2004 was given the inaugral Brewer's Association Beer Journalism Award in Trade Media. He also was the recipient of the beer writer of the year award in 1999.
The rules (as listed on the site and with my own commentary)
RULE #1: When you open a beer for a vertical tasting and there is rust under the cap it's time to seriously lower your expectations for what's inside the bottle.
This rule should be self evident. Sometimes improper handling will have visual signs to inform you that the beer you are about to drink is less than prime. I find that this rule actually should apply to more than just vertical tastings. Sometimes dust on a bottle can say alot about whats going to be found inside.
RULE #2: A beer consumer should not be allowed to drink a beer with IBU higher than her or his IQ.
An interesting rule to ponder. This rule approaches the thought that in this country we have a tendency to over do it. Just because the beer is incredibly hoppy does not mean the beer is great. There are other aspects to consider. A good example is shown with Stone's Arrogant Bastard. The beer is incredibly hoppy, but at the same time there is a balance so the imbiber is not hit with sensory overload.
RULE #3: You must drink at least two servings of a beer before you pass judgment on it.
I like this rule. Too often we make snap judgements based on initial impressions. Sometimes it takes a little bit of warming up for the true beauty to shine through. At the same time, by holding back on the final judgement you end up with a bigger picture of the beer in its entirety.
RULE #4: The god of beer is not consistency.
We should expect consistently good from batch to batch, but honestly, there are so many variables that a beer should not taste exactly the same from batch to batch. From my own brewing lessons, my Irish Rye is still quite tasty the second time around, but there are variations between the first batch and this current batch. I almost wish I would have saved a bottle or two from the first batch so I could compare the two.
RULE #5: It is only beer
To paraphrase Charlie Papazian, Relax have a brew... Why do we get so worked up over something so simple and such an everyday part of our lives. I would even go so far as to liken this to the Craft vs Macro brew battle. Ya know what, its still only beer...
RULE #6: The best beer was in the empty glass.
Beer is meant to be drank. When I think of the dopplebock I have aging, I am reminded of the ones I will be drinking while the rest of them age. Yes, when the time comes that the final one has aged for 6 months or a year or even more, I know that I have savored every one of them on the journey to that very last bottle.
RULE #7: Beer is not the new wine.
Sometimes you just want to sit back and enjoy a beer. We are inundated left and right about beer and food pairings. Does this mean we should give up wine and embrace beer? Absolutely not, there is room for both and many times either one serves much better than the other. Beer is still beer and wine is still wine, and for me I am happy that they are.
RULE #8: More beer, less analysis.
I love the example of the "Armchair brewer." Its kinda like the "Armchair quarterback." We all think we can do it better. I love the questions posed on this blog. Are you spending more time thinking about drinking than actually drinking? Isn't that a sign of addiction?
RULE #9: You cannot know all there is to know about beer.
Such a bold statement. I know for me, I am continuously humbled by the knowledge that others bring to the table. If its not something entirely new, it is something from a completely different perspective. I like to think I am at the same place in beer that I am in wine. I know enough to know that I really don't know that much.
This is one of the many things I have been running through my mind over the past few days. For some of us its nice to have some guiding "rules" to steer our experiences. As I get a handle on some of my other thoughts I will bring them to the table.
Now in other news... I kegged the American wheat earlier today. My plan is to condition and then bottle the entire batch (gotta make room for what ever the next beer will be). It seems the final alcohol level is around 5%. The warm and flat flavor is pretty good. I am anxious to bottle so I can sample the finished beer.
But for now, I think its time for a pint...
The rules (as listed on the site and with my own commentary)
RULE #1: When you open a beer for a vertical tasting and there is rust under the cap it's time to seriously lower your expectations for what's inside the bottle.
This rule should be self evident. Sometimes improper handling will have visual signs to inform you that the beer you are about to drink is less than prime. I find that this rule actually should apply to more than just vertical tastings. Sometimes dust on a bottle can say alot about whats going to be found inside.
RULE #2: A beer consumer should not be allowed to drink a beer with IBU higher than her or his IQ.
An interesting rule to ponder. This rule approaches the thought that in this country we have a tendency to over do it. Just because the beer is incredibly hoppy does not mean the beer is great. There are other aspects to consider. A good example is shown with Stone's Arrogant Bastard. The beer is incredibly hoppy, but at the same time there is a balance so the imbiber is not hit with sensory overload.
RULE #3: You must drink at least two servings of a beer before you pass judgment on it.
I like this rule. Too often we make snap judgements based on initial impressions. Sometimes it takes a little bit of warming up for the true beauty to shine through. At the same time, by holding back on the final judgement you end up with a bigger picture of the beer in its entirety.
RULE #4: The god of beer is not consistency.
We should expect consistently good from batch to batch, but honestly, there are so many variables that a beer should not taste exactly the same from batch to batch. From my own brewing lessons, my Irish Rye is still quite tasty the second time around, but there are variations between the first batch and this current batch. I almost wish I would have saved a bottle or two from the first batch so I could compare the two.
RULE #5: It is only beer
To paraphrase Charlie Papazian, Relax have a brew... Why do we get so worked up over something so simple and such an everyday part of our lives. I would even go so far as to liken this to the Craft vs Macro brew battle. Ya know what, its still only beer...
RULE #6: The best beer was in the empty glass.
Beer is meant to be drank. When I think of the dopplebock I have aging, I am reminded of the ones I will be drinking while the rest of them age. Yes, when the time comes that the final one has aged for 6 months or a year or even more, I know that I have savored every one of them on the journey to that very last bottle.
RULE #7: Beer is not the new wine.
Sometimes you just want to sit back and enjoy a beer. We are inundated left and right about beer and food pairings. Does this mean we should give up wine and embrace beer? Absolutely not, there is room for both and many times either one serves much better than the other. Beer is still beer and wine is still wine, and for me I am happy that they are.
RULE #8: More beer, less analysis.
I love the example of the "Armchair brewer." Its kinda like the "Armchair quarterback." We all think we can do it better. I love the questions posed on this blog. Are you spending more time thinking about drinking than actually drinking? Isn't that a sign of addiction?
RULE #9: You cannot know all there is to know about beer.
Such a bold statement. I know for me, I am continuously humbled by the knowledge that others bring to the table. If its not something entirely new, it is something from a completely different perspective. I like to think I am at the same place in beer that I am in wine. I know enough to know that I really don't know that much.
This is one of the many things I have been running through my mind over the past few days. For some of us its nice to have some guiding "rules" to steer our experiences. As I get a handle on some of my other thoughts I will bring them to the table.
Now in other news... I kegged the American wheat earlier today. My plan is to condition and then bottle the entire batch (gotta make room for what ever the next beer will be). It seems the final alcohol level is around 5%. The warm and flat flavor is pretty good. I am anxious to bottle so I can sample the finished beer.
But for now, I think its time for a pint...
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Recent readings...
I have run a little behind in talking about the current reading list. The last two books I read have gone from two different extremes of beer and brewing knowledge. First was "The Naked Pint" written by Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune. This was the first extreme. This book takes you from a complete lack of knowledge of beer to having just enough information to make you dangerous. I found that I love Christina's and Hallie's (if I may be so bold to assume we know each other on a first name basis) writing style. I would go so far to say that their school girl pub humor was very fitting and made the read quite enjoyable.
The other side of the extreme comes with the next book. "Principles of Brewing Science" written by George Fix, PhD. Wow, for such a thin book, this book can blow your mind with the overload of brewing chemistry. My one saving grace in fighting my way through this book has been the brewing chemistry books I have been going through for the last 6 months. I was incredibly happy with the tid bits I walked away with from this book. After some chemistry lessons I finally know what a 1-4 and a 1-6 link is. I have gained a bit more insight of how the enzymatic breakdown of the mash works. That alone made the book worth the read.
The books I am currently reading are beer history books. I managed to find "Man Walks into a Pub" by Pete Brown at the used book store I normally go to in Kalamazoo. When I bought it I did not realize that it was a history of British brewing as well as the British pub. The writing style is relaxed and a bit comical. Currently, one of my favorite parts of the book has been the 5 pages devoted to the different words we have for drunk. Pete goes into a little bit of world brewing history. He approaches this information from a slightly different angle than other books I have read. In this he gives the same information but in a bit broader perspective than others have given it. So far, a very decent read and a good find.
The last book is "The History of Beer in America" by Bill Yenne. I have been working on this book off and on for a little over a month now. Just for the pictures alone this book is a fantastic beer history find (I again thank my sister for giving me this for my birthday). Something I have been wanting to do some research on is some early American pubs. The US Marine Corpes is said to have been formed in Tun Tavern (Marine Corpes history I learned in boot camp). Bill Yenne mentions a pub named Three Tun Tavern. This of course is now a research project for me to find if they are one and the same. One of my favorite things to do with this book is just sift through all the photos. Its great to run across so many beers of our past that are now gone but hopefully not forgotten.
Now enough of this... its time for a pint...
The other side of the extreme comes with the next book. "Principles of Brewing Science" written by George Fix, PhD. Wow, for such a thin book, this book can blow your mind with the overload of brewing chemistry. My one saving grace in fighting my way through this book has been the brewing chemistry books I have been going through for the last 6 months. I was incredibly happy with the tid bits I walked away with from this book. After some chemistry lessons I finally know what a 1-4 and a 1-6 link is. I have gained a bit more insight of how the enzymatic breakdown of the mash works. That alone made the book worth the read.
The books I am currently reading are beer history books. I managed to find "Man Walks into a Pub" by Pete Brown at the used book store I normally go to in Kalamazoo. When I bought it I did not realize that it was a history of British brewing as well as the British pub. The writing style is relaxed and a bit comical. Currently, one of my favorite parts of the book has been the 5 pages devoted to the different words we have for drunk. Pete goes into a little bit of world brewing history. He approaches this information from a slightly different angle than other books I have read. In this he gives the same information but in a bit broader perspective than others have given it. So far, a very decent read and a good find.
The last book is "The History of Beer in America" by Bill Yenne. I have been working on this book off and on for a little over a month now. Just for the pictures alone this book is a fantastic beer history find (I again thank my sister for giving me this for my birthday). Something I have been wanting to do some research on is some early American pubs. The US Marine Corpes is said to have been formed in Tun Tavern (Marine Corpes history I learned in boot camp). Bill Yenne mentions a pub named Three Tun Tavern. This of course is now a research project for me to find if they are one and the same. One of my favorite things to do with this book is just sift through all the photos. Its great to run across so many beers of our past that are now gone but hopefully not forgotten.
Now enough of this... its time for a pint...
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Not sure where this post is going...
I have begun to see a few aspects of my computer life coming together (oddly, the Beatles "Come Together" is playing in the background). While I am doing blog work I like to have music playing in the background. Its the same when I brew as well. Music has always been part of my inspiration. Where was I going with this? ... Oh ya, I have noticed on Pandora that it ties in with people I have on my friends list on Facebook; its been showing me which of my friends like the song that is currently playing. Its kinda cool but at the same time its a little creepy. Its like technology is stalking people whether I want to stalk them or not.
Back to an earlier thought. I have stated in a previous post that Irish punk is the music I prefer to brew by. This brings to mind some thoughts on music. As I said inspiration is very music centric for me. I tend to have different music for different aspects of my life. Brewing is Irish punk without a doubt. When I am in the gym I am all about hard core Metal (Slayer is awesome for a power lifting routine). When I am working in the kitchen its more of what I refuse to listen to than what style is fitting. The list currently consists of Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Jack Johnson, and Daisy May. Each in turn is all great to listen to in the proper setting, but the kitchen is not the place for them.
This brings me to the music I prefer when I write. It would seem rather odd considering some of the music I mentioned earlier, but I have always been more inclined to listen to female jazz singers when I write. One of the best will always be Diana Krall. I have also grown to love listening to Rene Olstead as well. I have a station on Last.fm (through the Xbox) that I can play for hours that is nothing but female jazz vocalists. Its a great station when I want to spend a while doing nothing but writing.
Now after several paragraphs that have nothing to do with why I sat down to write this evening...
I actually noticed something while sifting through various pages on facebook. For those of us who have chosen to make alcohol in one of its varied forms a part of our professional life, if you don't have pictures of booze in any form in your pictures, some thing is amiss. Its a funny thought too. For most people, pictures of varied drunken states can be a career killer. In the beverage industry you kinda expect to see such pictures.
Some of my favorites are wine industry pics where those present are laughing and shown enjoying themselves. It helps to kill the stuffy and "serious" image that most of us have had for most of our lives. Personally, we should remember that alcohol is a spice of life. It is something that adds zest and flavor to our "responsible" good time.
With that said, its time for a pint.
Back to an earlier thought. I have stated in a previous post that Irish punk is the music I prefer to brew by. This brings to mind some thoughts on music. As I said inspiration is very music centric for me. I tend to have different music for different aspects of my life. Brewing is Irish punk without a doubt. When I am in the gym I am all about hard core Metal (Slayer is awesome for a power lifting routine). When I am working in the kitchen its more of what I refuse to listen to than what style is fitting. The list currently consists of Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Jack Johnson, and Daisy May. Each in turn is all great to listen to in the proper setting, but the kitchen is not the place for them.
This brings me to the music I prefer when I write. It would seem rather odd considering some of the music I mentioned earlier, but I have always been more inclined to listen to female jazz singers when I write. One of the best will always be Diana Krall. I have also grown to love listening to Rene Olstead as well. I have a station on Last.fm (through the Xbox) that I can play for hours that is nothing but female jazz vocalists. Its a great station when I want to spend a while doing nothing but writing.
Now after several paragraphs that have nothing to do with why I sat down to write this evening...
I actually noticed something while sifting through various pages on facebook. For those of us who have chosen to make alcohol in one of its varied forms a part of our professional life, if you don't have pictures of booze in any form in your pictures, some thing is amiss. Its a funny thought too. For most people, pictures of varied drunken states can be a career killer. In the beverage industry you kinda expect to see such pictures.
Some of my favorites are wine industry pics where those present are laughing and shown enjoying themselves. It helps to kill the stuffy and "serious" image that most of us have had for most of our lives. Personally, we should remember that alcohol is a spice of life. It is something that adds zest and flavor to our "responsible" good time.
With that said, its time for a pint.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Stout and other stuff...
I find myself quite happy with how the Irish stout turned out. Its almost like a cold cup of coffee (which would be much better than a cold glass of gravy with a hair in it, in my opinion). Let me see if I can come up with some tasting notes while I imbibe this pint.
Color: Deep reddish brown to darn near black. It pours with a moderate tawny (bet ya didn't think I could use a word like that) head that sticks around for a short bit. The lacing on the glass is a nice reminder of what once was.
Initial impressions: Straight off the tap the flavor is akin to espresso. Kegerator temp bottles up the more subtle flavors only allowing the sharp bitterness to come through. Even with that it is one I could easily enjoy.
After warming: For this pint I let it sit for a little while (about 10 minutes) so it could warm up a touch. After it warmed a bit smells of dark roasted malt began to shine through. At the same time, more of the sweetness came through in the flavor. The initial flavor you find is the malty sweetness followed up by the sharp bitterness of the roast on the aftertaste.
Overall Impression: I will follow some of my original statements about this beer. It is what I remember Guiness tasting like many years ago. I don't know if anyone else remembers what it is I am talking about, but it seems some time ago Guiness had a bit more substance to it. Now we have this almost water black mass that seems to be apologizing for being what it used to be (at least in the US).
I think the only thing that would be a major improvement to this iteration of the Irish Stout would be to serve it off of a nitrogen tap. Of course, this makes me wonder, why did we start using nitrogen in the first place? I would imagine that even before CO2 dispensing all beers were dispensed by using a beer engine and kegs were naturally carbonated. Natural carbonation does give the beer a creamier mouth feel, at the cost of unpreditability. With forced CO2, the beer has a much more predictable carbonation. (I may be talking to myself in circles at this point.) It is believed that the nitrogen gives the beer a creamier feel akin to natural carbonation (as well as the more stable carbonation of forced CO2).
Back to the point, I am more wondering when the use of nitrogen came about. I think I have a project to sate my own curiosity at least. And of course, the project I have thought of for a long time as well; adding a beer engine to my personal bar. That could be something a bit different. Set it up to work with 1 gallon kegs or some such.
Stuff to ponder it would seem. A bit like the last of this pint before me...
Color: Deep reddish brown to darn near black. It pours with a moderate tawny (bet ya didn't think I could use a word like that) head that sticks around for a short bit. The lacing on the glass is a nice reminder of what once was.
Initial impressions: Straight off the tap the flavor is akin to espresso. Kegerator temp bottles up the more subtle flavors only allowing the sharp bitterness to come through. Even with that it is one I could easily enjoy.
After warming: For this pint I let it sit for a little while (about 10 minutes) so it could warm up a touch. After it warmed a bit smells of dark roasted malt began to shine through. At the same time, more of the sweetness came through in the flavor. The initial flavor you find is the malty sweetness followed up by the sharp bitterness of the roast on the aftertaste.
Overall Impression: I will follow some of my original statements about this beer. It is what I remember Guiness tasting like many years ago. I don't know if anyone else remembers what it is I am talking about, but it seems some time ago Guiness had a bit more substance to it. Now we have this almost water black mass that seems to be apologizing for being what it used to be (at least in the US).
I think the only thing that would be a major improvement to this iteration of the Irish Stout would be to serve it off of a nitrogen tap. Of course, this makes me wonder, why did we start using nitrogen in the first place? I would imagine that even before CO2 dispensing all beers were dispensed by using a beer engine and kegs were naturally carbonated. Natural carbonation does give the beer a creamier mouth feel, at the cost of unpreditability. With forced CO2, the beer has a much more predictable carbonation. (I may be talking to myself in circles at this point.) It is believed that the nitrogen gives the beer a creamier feel akin to natural carbonation (as well as the more stable carbonation of forced CO2).
Back to the point, I am more wondering when the use of nitrogen came about. I think I have a project to sate my own curiosity at least. And of course, the project I have thought of for a long time as well; adding a beer engine to my personal bar. That could be something a bit different. Set it up to work with 1 gallon kegs or some such.
Stuff to ponder it would seem. A bit like the last of this pint before me...
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