Starting from scratch...
That's what they call it when you start at ground zero, with little more than your guts and your drive to build something from next to nothing. And it does take guts, but it takes something more, it takes vision, a dream if you will. To an outsider, it isn't apparent until after someone has reached the point of "success." But when you are in the trenches fighting everyday for a chance to breath and push through the day to day grind that drags us all down day after day after day, it can be hard to find who has a chance to make something more of themselves than being just another cog.
I had the opportunity earlier today to sit down with Dan Baker and Tammy Collins from the Barking Cat Brewing Co. The company is still in planning stages, only just beginning the battle that is building a company from nothing.
Even before talking to them today I noticed some things they were doing that stood out. One of the more interesting was their method of helping to raise operating capital. Instead of looking for private investors outright, they turned to the community asking for donations that would be used as future donations to the SPCA from their profits during their first few years of operation.
Community was a common theme throughout our talk today. Dan spoke of how the city of Wayland was working with them to help their start up run as smoothly as possible. Throughout our talk today he remarked several times about the diversity of the people around us (we were at Bell's Eccentric Cafe). Basically what a pub strives to be, a place for the community to gather.
The support of the brewing community is something that is quite different than what you might expect in any other field. The team at BC have spent quite a bit of their time touring other breweries, and asking questions to learn what others have gone through for their start ups. Using the wisdom of others to your own advantage can be a life saver in the long run.
Dan's vision for the beers that Barking Cat Brewing Co. will offer revolves around classic styles. When you have good solid beers as the base it is easier to move into experimentals. They will start with a 7 barrel brew system. At the start they will be offering 22oz bombers, growlers, and draft in the pub. They also do plan to offer food but the details pertaining to that are not yet set.
History has shown that the odds of a restaurant or brewery starting and succeeding are stacked against you. Too often we find people moving into the industry that have no clue what it takes to succeed. It is those who prepare and plan and learn from the mistakes of others that stand the best chance when times are tough. The team at Barking Cat have great vision for what they can become and the streetsmarts to know that it will still be work to get there.
As I drink my pint, I toast their future success...
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Brewing software
I am always on the lookout for new or different brewing software. Probably because I don't have the time or energy to figure it all out on my own. Anyway, not too long ago Mark over at Must Love Beer posted something about Brewtarget, an open source recipe formulation program.
I have only recently taken some time to start looking deeper into it (I can't remember how long it has been installed now). But as it is right now it seems to have some interesting functionality. One item that I liked was the built in multi-level timer. I have quite a number of different timed steps throughout my brew day and sometimes it gets a bit confusing remembering what step I am on at the time (or is that just the beer getting to me?).
This is definately worth a look see if you haven't checked it out already.
Where did I put that pint...
I have only recently taken some time to start looking deeper into it (I can't remember how long it has been installed now). But as it is right now it seems to have some interesting functionality. One item that I liked was the built in multi-level timer. I have quite a number of different timed steps throughout my brew day and sometimes it gets a bit confusing remembering what step I am on at the time (or is that just the beer getting to me?).
This is definately worth a look see if you haven't checked it out already.
Where did I put that pint...
Friday, March 30, 2012
Brew Tech
I have been pondering the Cascadian ale off and on again lately. One of the things that has been a concern has been the dark color without the flavor additions. It would seem that if you brew in a "traditional" way you will end up with some dark bitterness and roasted qualities to the beer. Basically qualities you don't want to bring to the front in this beer style.
Enter the technique of the cold steep. This is similar to making a cold brewed tea. By allowing the crushed grain to steep in room temperature water you pull out color without pulling out harsh tannins and roasted flavors. A perfect technique for beers that need color without added flavor.
After the steep (roughly a day or so) you can add the steeping liquor to your mash or directly into your boil kettle. Or after a short boil you can add the liquor to your fermenter.
While I grab a pint I want to thank Gordon Strong who outlined this technique as well as a couple others in his book "Brewing Better Beer."
Enter the technique of the cold steep. This is similar to making a cold brewed tea. By allowing the crushed grain to steep in room temperature water you pull out color without pulling out harsh tannins and roasted flavors. A perfect technique for beers that need color without added flavor.
After the steep (roughly a day or so) you can add the steeping liquor to your mash or directly into your boil kettle. Or after a short boil you can add the liquor to your fermenter.
While I grab a pint I want to thank Gordon Strong who outlined this technique as well as a couple others in his book "Brewing Better Beer."
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The possibilities...
I have been thinking lately of what could be a really cool brewery. You know with me it would have to be something a bit different than what everyone else is doing. I like what they are doing over at Wolvering Brewing with an all lager line up. Gah, I still need to head over and visit them. But ya, I really wouldn't want to do what they are doing. I also wouldn't want to add in yet another ale brewery, it seems everyone is doing that. And even more so, quite a few breweries are moving into sours and barrel aged beers.
I do like the idea of a meadery although it isn't something I would want as my sole product. I do love some mead. B. Nectar meadery is putting out some amazing stuff.
I always seem to find myself looking toward wheat and rye. I like the idea of using these as a main focus and seeing how their use will affect most traditional styles. This makes me wonder how a braggot would work with wheat as a base. I think most only think of a few styles of wheat beers when they think of them. Based on how I have used wheat over the years, you can get much more flavor combos then you find in the few commercially available wheats now. If you use 3 floyds as a reference point with Gumball Head, you can start to see the possibilities of where wheat beers can go.
I think I need a pint while I think about this...
I do like the idea of a meadery although it isn't something I would want as my sole product. I do love some mead. B. Nectar meadery is putting out some amazing stuff.
I always seem to find myself looking toward wheat and rye. I like the idea of using these as a main focus and seeing how their use will affect most traditional styles. This makes me wonder how a braggot would work with wheat as a base. I think most only think of a few styles of wheat beers when they think of them. Based on how I have used wheat over the years, you can get much more flavor combos then you find in the few commercially available wheats now. If you use 3 floyds as a reference point with Gumball Head, you can start to see the possibilities of where wheat beers can go.
I think I need a pint while I think about this...
Almost there
I transfered the Session Bitters earlier today. It will definately be ready for Session Day on April 7th. Looking at the beer as it is right now, it is a touch darker than I was anticipating. It went a step past deep gold to more of a reddish gold. The flavor is pretty good, though still not something I would pin down till it has fully matured. And of course the most important part because of what it was brewed for, it is sitting at 4.3% still within the realm of a proper session ale.
I will chill it before kegging probably next Wednsday and then keg it on Thursday. I dare say this may end up being quite a tasty beast when all is said and done.
Let's find a pint while we watch the keg condition...
I will chill it before kegging probably next Wednsday and then keg it on Thursday. I dare say this may end up being quite a tasty beast when all is said and done.
Let's find a pint while we watch the keg condition...
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Empanada, it's what's for dinner...
I hit a realization while filming this week. When you study food, drink, and culture you see patterns, where foods have a common theme. The pattern I found was with pastys and empanadas. Pastys are a Welsh meat pie similar to a pot pie. Empanadas are of Spanish, Carribean, and Mexican origin (most likely Spanish).
I grew up in Michigan, pastys were a staple growing up. This may be an east side and northern part of the state thing, because on the west side you don't see nearly as many shops advertising them. But I digress...
The video for this was rather large so to make it easier for viewing I broke it down into two parts. The recipe I used for the shoot was also cut in half. The recipe I offer below is a full portion.
Recipe:
Dough:
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons butter chilled and cut into 1tablespoon pieces
1 egg
roughly 1/2 cup ice cold water
Filling:
1 lb chicken breast (marinated over night in lime juice or beer, oregano and cilantro )
1 can black beans (or 2 cups cooked dry black beans)
1/2 can whole kernal corn
1 clove garlic
2 medium onion (small dice)
1 can diced tomato
1 ancho chili (softened and chopped)
3 chili de arbol(softened and chopped)
1/2 cup red wine (or beer I used rum rebellion)
Method:
Dough:
Cut the butter into the flour till it starts to form small pea sized pieces. Mix in the egg. And finally slowly add water mixing each addition till the whole mass comes together and can form into a ball. Cut in half, cover and then refrigerate for at least 45 minutes
Filling:
I prefer to pre cook the chicken so I can pull it but you can start now by cooking the chicken a bit of oil till cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the onion, peppers, and garlic. Cook these till the onion starts becoming translucent.
Add the tomato and the wine and boil down till most of the liquid has been absorbed. Finally add the beans, corn, and pulled or cut chicken and heat through.
To finish, roll out the dough like you would pie crust. Place filling on bottom crust and then cover with top crust. Seal the edges by brushing the edge of the bottom crust with egg wash and then tamping down with the tines of a fork. Brush the top crust with egg wash then make a couple slices so that steam can escape.
Cook at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.
And while you do all that, I will find a pint...
I grew up in Michigan, pastys were a staple growing up. This may be an east side and northern part of the state thing, because on the west side you don't see nearly as many shops advertising them. But I digress...
The video for this was rather large so to make it easier for viewing I broke it down into two parts. The recipe I used for the shoot was also cut in half. The recipe I offer below is a full portion.
Dough:
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons butter chilled and cut into 1tablespoon pieces
1 egg
roughly 1/2 cup ice cold water
Filling:
1 lb chicken breast (marinated over night in lime juice or beer, oregano and cilantro )
1 can black beans (or 2 cups cooked dry black beans)
1/2 can whole kernal corn
1 clove garlic
2 medium onion (small dice)
1 can diced tomato
1 ancho chili (softened and chopped)
3 chili de arbol(softened and chopped)
1/2 cup red wine (or beer I used rum rebellion)
Method:
Dough:
Cut the butter into the flour till it starts to form small pea sized pieces. Mix in the egg. And finally slowly add water mixing each addition till the whole mass comes together and can form into a ball. Cut in half, cover and then refrigerate for at least 45 minutes
Filling:
I prefer to pre cook the chicken so I can pull it but you can start now by cooking the chicken a bit of oil till cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the onion, peppers, and garlic. Cook these till the onion starts becoming translucent.
Add the tomato and the wine and boil down till most of the liquid has been absorbed. Finally add the beans, corn, and pulled or cut chicken and heat through.
To finish, roll out the dough like you would pie crust. Place filling on bottom crust and then cover with top crust. Seal the edges by brushing the edge of the bottom crust with egg wash and then tamping down with the tines of a fork. Brush the top crust with egg wash then make a couple slices so that steam can escape.
Cook at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.
And while you do all that, I will find a pint...
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
And the hype continues
As the media train continues to plow forward, I am sure we all know by now that Bell's Oberron is available again. For the past few days we have heard nothing but raves of its greatness and anything else the media circus can throw in. But then I ran across this article earlier today.
I sense some similarities between this and the Dark Lord release and KBS release. One way or another there is a mass hysteria about the seasonal beer becoming available. The bigger difference between Oberron and many of the others though is its longer run so we shouldn't see the over-inflated prices that we see in the limited release beers.
Something to think about here, we do have a couple of rock star brewers in the world of beer, but for the most part it is the beers that remain the rock stars. When you look at professional cooking, it is the chef that is the most important part of the restaurants cuisine. But when its beer, its what you take with you. I may not have Jim Koch at my backyard BBQ, but I sure can have a 6-pack of Sam Adam's Boston Lager. To put in even more perspective, most people can't even name the brewmaster for the flagship Budweiser, but they can point out the beer and the logo anywhere.
And now we come back in this circular thought. Is it possible that the hype surrounding Oberron release day is similar to the hype surrounding Budweiser? Does the beer really merit the attention that it receives?
Ponder that while I find a pint...
I sense some similarities between this and the Dark Lord release and KBS release. One way or another there is a mass hysteria about the seasonal beer becoming available. The bigger difference between Oberron and many of the others though is its longer run so we shouldn't see the over-inflated prices that we see in the limited release beers.
Something to think about here, we do have a couple of rock star brewers in the world of beer, but for the most part it is the beers that remain the rock stars. When you look at professional cooking, it is the chef that is the most important part of the restaurants cuisine. But when its beer, its what you take with you. I may not have Jim Koch at my backyard BBQ, but I sure can have a 6-pack of Sam Adam's Boston Lager. To put in even more perspective, most people can't even name the brewmaster for the flagship Budweiser, but they can point out the beer and the logo anywhere.
And now we come back in this circular thought. Is it possible that the hype surrounding Oberron release day is similar to the hype surrounding Budweiser? Does the beer really merit the attention that it receives?
Ponder that while I find a pint...
Monday, March 26, 2012
Beer Gun set up
Either its a slow news day and I don't have anything else to talk about or I really haven't spoken of how I set this up before. Looking through my brewing pics I noticed I didn't have any pics of the work I did to set up my Blichmann Beer Gun.
As you can see I use a ball valve for CO2 control.
Here I used a line splitter from my conditioning line.
I hope this helps anyone else trying to figure out how to set it up.
Now time for a pint...
Here I used a line splitter from my conditioning line.
This is the placement of both pieces together.
The greatest part of this set up is I don't have to remove air line for my beer gun from the tank line. With my original set up I had to use a blank end to plug the gun line and ran into issues with CO2 loss.
I hope this helps anyone else trying to figure out how to set it up.
Now time for a pint...
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Nukin por nub
We all like to think that there is a time in our life when it all makes sense. Maybe it's just me...
Have you ever felt that? That everyone else around you has it all together and they know exactly what is going on. I will say that I have spent a good portion of my life as an over thinker.
What does that mean? It means that you analyze something to such a point that you can no longer take action because you have weighed all the possibilities and are now completely frozen. In the past I have heard that as inertia, an object at rest will stay at rest till a bigger force pushes it into motion.
An interesting note, Colonel Sanders didn't create KFC till he was in his 70s. Sometimes when you are lost in the wilderness it takes a bit of time for you to find the path that leads out. Too often I think we find someone elses path and think that it is ours and then wonder why we keep getting lost again. In other words, we see other people who succeed and wonder why we are still where we are. The path out of the woods is a personal journey. You have to cut the path on your own.
I have started watching Failure Club recently. Morgan Spurlock asks a very important question "What would be the one thing you would change about your life if you could remove fear from your pursuit of happiness?" Thats a big question. There is a moment in the original movie "Dune" Paul Atreides is facing the Reverend Mother. In the inner dialogue you hear him say "fear is the mind killer." Too often it is our fear that holds us back. It forces us to over think or even question the success of others.
What will it take to find that moment where everything clicks for you? I honestly don't know. What I do know is, you will never find that moment if you do not look for it. Your best bet is to move, just move, because sometimes the hardest part is overcoming the inertia of being.
I will find a pint and ponder this...
Have you ever felt that? That everyone else around you has it all together and they know exactly what is going on. I will say that I have spent a good portion of my life as an over thinker.
What does that mean? It means that you analyze something to such a point that you can no longer take action because you have weighed all the possibilities and are now completely frozen. In the past I have heard that as inertia, an object at rest will stay at rest till a bigger force pushes it into motion.
An interesting note, Colonel Sanders didn't create KFC till he was in his 70s. Sometimes when you are lost in the wilderness it takes a bit of time for you to find the path that leads out. Too often I think we find someone elses path and think that it is ours and then wonder why we keep getting lost again. In other words, we see other people who succeed and wonder why we are still where we are. The path out of the woods is a personal journey. You have to cut the path on your own.
I have started watching Failure Club recently. Morgan Spurlock asks a very important question "What would be the one thing you would change about your life if you could remove fear from your pursuit of happiness?" Thats a big question. There is a moment in the original movie "Dune" Paul Atreides is facing the Reverend Mother. In the inner dialogue you hear him say "fear is the mind killer." Too often it is our fear that holds us back. It forces us to over think or even question the success of others.
What will it take to find that moment where everything clicks for you? I honestly don't know. What I do know is, you will never find that moment if you do not look for it. Your best bet is to move, just move, because sometimes the hardest part is overcoming the inertia of being.
I will find a pint and ponder this...
Saturday, March 24, 2012
What's in your glass
I have seen a few times recently where some have been irate (in writing) about beertinis or beer cocktails. This baffles me. I mean seriously, did someone place one of these concoctions in your hand and force you to drink it?
When you really think about it, there are brewers already doing similar things but instead of mixing them after the fact they are mixing them prefermentation or during the fermentation process. Short's PB and J beer comes to mind. And that isn't even the wildest brew that Short's has made. Not even to mention anything that Dogfish has brewed.
If you have read this blog for any length of time you probably have a general idea of what it is that I prefer in my glass. More often than not it ends up being beers that taste like beers. There are random exceptions (Southern Tier's Pumking is amazing) but for the most part I like to think of myself as a traditionalist. I find that there are so many flavor possibilities simply following the precept of malt, hops, water, and yeast that you can make an unlimited number of beers. But then I also find that their are times when you add in something just a little bit different and you make something you never thought of before.
I dare say if you are not open to new possibilities, how do you learn and grow and change? If we didn't have those who are willing to experiment we might still be drinking the same beer as everyone else. Just imagine, we could go back to fighting about whether it "tastes great" or its "less filling."
As for me, I'm getting a pint...
When you really think about it, there are brewers already doing similar things but instead of mixing them after the fact they are mixing them prefermentation or during the fermentation process. Short's PB and J beer comes to mind. And that isn't even the wildest brew that Short's has made. Not even to mention anything that Dogfish has brewed.
If you have read this blog for any length of time you probably have a general idea of what it is that I prefer in my glass. More often than not it ends up being beers that taste like beers. There are random exceptions (Southern Tier's Pumking is amazing) but for the most part I like to think of myself as a traditionalist. I find that there are so many flavor possibilities simply following the precept of malt, hops, water, and yeast that you can make an unlimited number of beers. But then I also find that their are times when you add in something just a little bit different and you make something you never thought of before.
I dare say if you are not open to new possibilities, how do you learn and grow and change? If we didn't have those who are willing to experiment we might still be drinking the same beer as everyone else. Just imagine, we could go back to fighting about whether it "tastes great" or its "less filling."
As for me, I'm getting a pint...
There ya go
There are a few more kinks to work out on the new brewing system setup but today it worked quite well anyway. I ended up at a SG of 1.044 quite within where I wanted to be. With all the playing around with the system I have been doing lately this is the first to be almost dead on with where I want to be.
As it stands right now, I recently moved the baby down to its home for the next few days. It was only about 4 to 5 hours before the yeast were actively bubbling. You really gotta love what you get from harvesting your yeast.
I am now at a point of not knowing what will be next. I have been thinking of the cascadian but I also realize that Cinco de Mayo is coming up. That is the perfect time for Tequila Sunset. I now need a few things for either beer but either one would be a great beer to have in the current line up. Either way, that brew day is further down the road so it isn't a concern right now.
Instead, I think I will find a pint...
As it stands right now, I recently moved the baby down to its home for the next few days. It was only about 4 to 5 hours before the yeast were actively bubbling. You really gotta love what you get from harvesting your yeast.
I am now at a point of not knowing what will be next. I have been thinking of the cascadian but I also realize that Cinco de Mayo is coming up. That is the perfect time for Tequila Sunset. I now need a few things for either beer but either one would be a great beer to have in the current line up. Either way, that brew day is further down the road so it isn't a concern right now.
Instead, I think I will find a pint...
Friday, March 23, 2012
Brew day bitters
I had meant to brew yesterday but instead was rooked into taking my oldest to orientation for college. Gah when did this happen? My oldest kid is getting way too old now. But I digress...
So now I am brewing today, of course it has been raining all day so instead of brewing on the deck I am forced to brew in the garage like its the middle of winter or something. The brew has gone swimmingly so far. The new cooler set up as a hot liquor tank has been perfect. The mash maintained a good temp through the entire lauter.
I realized something earlier as well today. I have been approximating my hop additions forever. My scale has a metric setting. I found that if I use that I can more easily break down my hop additions to a bit more of an exact measurement. It may not make a huge difference, but it is something new for me to play with.
Bitters Recipe:
6lbs Pale malt
1lb pilsner malt
1lb wheat malt
4oz special B
14g UK Challenger (fwh)
14g UK Challenger (60m)
14g Kent Goldings (20m)
14g Kent Goldings (5m)
acid rest 110degrees 10 min
Sacchrification rest 154 degrees 60 min
mash out 168 degrees 10 min
WLP 0013 London ale yeast (1L starter)
Should be a nice session beer when done (though may end up a touch hoppy)
And brew day choice of pints today is Rum Rebellion. I am using a tulip glass which really helps to showcase the oak and maltiness of the beer.
So now I am brewing today, of course it has been raining all day so instead of brewing on the deck I am forced to brew in the garage like its the middle of winter or something. The brew has gone swimmingly so far. The new cooler set up as a hot liquor tank has been perfect. The mash maintained a good temp through the entire lauter.
I realized something earlier as well today. I have been approximating my hop additions forever. My scale has a metric setting. I found that if I use that I can more easily break down my hop additions to a bit more of an exact measurement. It may not make a huge difference, but it is something new for me to play with.
Bitters Recipe:
6lbs Pale malt
1lb pilsner malt
1lb wheat malt
4oz special B
14g UK Challenger (fwh)
14g UK Challenger (60m)
14g Kent Goldings (20m)
14g Kent Goldings (5m)
acid rest 110degrees 10 min
Sacchrification rest 154 degrees 60 min
mash out 168 degrees 10 min
WLP 0013 London ale yeast (1L starter)
Should be a nice session beer when done (though may end up a touch hoppy)
And brew day choice of pints today is Rum Rebellion. I am using a tulip glass which really helps to showcase the oak and maltiness of the beer.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
When not at the pub...
There comes a time when you spend less time at the pub and a bit more time at home. Or maybe it is more that you find you have a much better atmosphere at home than you do in any pub. I ran across a concept earlier today that seems to be repeating from different sources. Where is the place a man goes when he is home to get away from all the world around him, a mancave.
Growing up, the space was a tool room with cool power tools, a garage for working on cars, or in a couple places I knew some guys who had entire rooms devoted to model trains. In my parents house it was a wood shop (oddly I have little skill with wood working). To this day the room in my parents house still is the tool room, though now it is more a storage room in a dark corner of the basement.
Now, we find websites devoted to build outs of the mancave. Man cave site, is a website to show off the custom work we have put into our inner sanctums. The build outs on these rooms is more often than not a personal project. It is part of the rite to earning our own space.
When it comes to building out your own space there are a few good places to check out online. The first to check out would be from the DIY network. They have a show devoted to staking a claim to your own territory.
Personally, I have been slowly building out my own pub. I have debated for some time about whether or not I want to add an actual bar or just have a table in front of my taps. Looking at these sites This Old House and Precision Images, shows just how easy it can be to build out the perfect bar for almost any Mancave.
In essence, the only real reason not to go to the pub, is because you have not really left it in the first place.
Let's find a pint while we think about this...
Growing up, the space was a tool room with cool power tools, a garage for working on cars, or in a couple places I knew some guys who had entire rooms devoted to model trains. In my parents house it was a wood shop (oddly I have little skill with wood working). To this day the room in my parents house still is the tool room, though now it is more a storage room in a dark corner of the basement.
Now, we find websites devoted to build outs of the mancave. Man cave site, is a website to show off the custom work we have put into our inner sanctums. The build outs on these rooms is more often than not a personal project. It is part of the rite to earning our own space.
When it comes to building out your own space there are a few good places to check out online. The first to check out would be from the DIY network. They have a show devoted to staking a claim to your own territory.
Personally, I have been slowly building out my own pub. I have debated for some time about whether or not I want to add an actual bar or just have a table in front of my taps. Looking at these sites This Old House and Precision Images, shows just how easy it can be to build out the perfect bar for almost any Mancave.
In essence, the only real reason not to go to the pub, is because you have not really left it in the first place.
Let's find a pint while we think about this...
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Where did the day go
Today is one of those kind of days where it just addles your brain. The sun is shining, its warm, the birds are singing...
Ya, I am still lost trying to figure out where this post is going... I think this is my third or fourth beginning.
The weather right now reminds me of the summer days from when I was a kid. I would imagine sitting on the deck in the shade, talking to my wife about summer days gone by probably added to it. Sometimes there is just this perfect chemistry that makes you meld into the woodwork of your day and become one with the space that is solely yours.
Oddly, I didn't have a beer in my hand. The rye I have on tap right now would have fit in perfectly. I spent more of my energy lost in thought of times gone by. Have you ever followed the tastes remembered in your mind to see where they take you? From the rye I have now I flowed to the upcoming brew of Tequila Sunset (an agave wheat).
Then out of the blue I went to the time I was in the UAE (United Arab Emerites). I was sitting in the hotel bar of the Sheraton in Ahbu Dhabi or was it Dubai, I can't really remember which one. It was here that I refused to drink an American beer (when our choices were Bud or Miller) instead I found something German, Oranjeboom. This was probably the first craft like beer I had ever had. It blew my mind that it was nothing like anything I had ever had before. Mind you, it was also that around this time I thought I was worldly because I liked to drink cognac and smoke cigars. That's what educated people do, you know.
I find the saddest part of this story to be that Inbev closed the brewery in 2004. No one else will have that moment with that beer that I did.
I think I need a pint...
Ya, I am still lost trying to figure out where this post is going... I think this is my third or fourth beginning.
The weather right now reminds me of the summer days from when I was a kid. I would imagine sitting on the deck in the shade, talking to my wife about summer days gone by probably added to it. Sometimes there is just this perfect chemistry that makes you meld into the woodwork of your day and become one with the space that is solely yours.
Oddly, I didn't have a beer in my hand. The rye I have on tap right now would have fit in perfectly. I spent more of my energy lost in thought of times gone by. Have you ever followed the tastes remembered in your mind to see where they take you? From the rye I have now I flowed to the upcoming brew of Tequila Sunset (an agave wheat).
Then out of the blue I went to the time I was in the UAE (United Arab Emerites). I was sitting in the hotel bar of the Sheraton in Ahbu Dhabi or was it Dubai, I can't really remember which one. It was here that I refused to drink an American beer (when our choices were Bud or Miller) instead I found something German, Oranjeboom. This was probably the first craft like beer I had ever had. It blew my mind that it was nothing like anything I had ever had before. Mind you, it was also that around this time I thought I was worldly because I liked to drink cognac and smoke cigars. That's what educated people do, you know.
I find the saddest part of this story to be that Inbev closed the brewery in 2004. No one else will have that moment with that beer that I did.
I think I need a pint...
Moments in History
Stan Hieronymus posed the question "Is there a year that changed beer?" Upon consideration, I realize that beer is such an integral part of our culture, we can look into our past and find continuous moments where beer has made an impact.
Beer is so invariably tied to who we are and how we live, I think we take it for granted. Throughout our history, beer has been our constant companion. According to some it is the reason we know the civilization that we have today. For that matter, some of our greatest discoveries have come about because of beer.
Many craft beer geeks vilify "Big Beer" because of the way they do things, but if you look at the beginnings of the company that Adolphus Busch built you will find many innovations that help to make life as we know it today possible. It is irrelevant whether or not they created the innovations. The most important part is how they used the technology.
I could go on and on about this but I would rather guide you to some sources for the information that can lead you to enlightenment...
How Beer Saved the World
History of Beer in America
Radical Brewing
You read, I'll have a pint...
Beer is so invariably tied to who we are and how we live, I think we take it for granted. Throughout our history, beer has been our constant companion. According to some it is the reason we know the civilization that we have today. For that matter, some of our greatest discoveries have come about because of beer.
Many craft beer geeks vilify "Big Beer" because of the way they do things, but if you look at the beginnings of the company that Adolphus Busch built you will find many innovations that help to make life as we know it today possible. It is irrelevant whether or not they created the innovations. The most important part is how they used the technology.
I could go on and on about this but I would rather guide you to some sources for the information that can lead you to enlightenment...
How Beer Saved the World
History of Beer in America
Radical Brewing
You read, I'll have a pint...
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Chillin and Grillin
As we are gearing up for summer (it already feels like its here in Michigan), we start spending more time outside. This to me means the grill and a beer or two on the back deck.
The advantage of having a bigger grill means you have more options with what you can do with it. In today's case I made up a beer can chicken.
This is quite a bit easier than you might think. And the finished product is well worth the wait.
Recipe
(1) 4lb chicken
8 oz of beer (use either your own in a can or you could buy some of the great craft beers that have gone can)
spices of choice to cover
Cooking time is roughly 1 to 1.5 hours (until breast reaches roughly 170 degrees
Use indirect heat because you want to slow cook this bird.
Now, time for me to find a pint...
The advantage of having a bigger grill means you have more options with what you can do with it. In today's case I made up a beer can chicken.
Recipe
(1) 4lb chicken
8 oz of beer (use either your own in a can or you could buy some of the great craft beers that have gone can)
spices of choice to cover
Cooking time is roughly 1 to 1.5 hours (until breast reaches roughly 170 degrees
Use indirect heat because you want to slow cook this bird.
Now, time for me to find a pint...
Monday, March 19, 2012
Brewday this week (preliminary)
I originally was planning on a black IPA. But in light of a couple announcements earlier today I am going to switch this over to a bitters. My plan is to have a bitters brewed and ready for Session Beer Day, April 7th. Granted I will be playing around with the recipe floating in my head a bit more but my current plan is a golden bitter with both Challenger and EK Goldings hops.
I have always liked the idea of a session beer; something with lower ABV so you can happily drink a few and still be ok. I am a firm believer that it is the flavor and not the booze that draws me to beer. To that end I have brewed a number of beers with lower ABV. It wasn't that long ago that I had a 3.5% Kolsch on tap.
I think I may even name this beer Bitter Tears Repeal Beer. April 7th was chosen for Session day because that was the day that 4% ABV beer became legal to brew before the repeal of the 18th Ammendment.
Enough of this ... I need a pint
I have always liked the idea of a session beer; something with lower ABV so you can happily drink a few and still be ok. I am a firm believer that it is the flavor and not the booze that draws me to beer. To that end I have brewed a number of beers with lower ABV. It wasn't that long ago that I had a 3.5% Kolsch on tap.
I think I may even name this beer Bitter Tears Repeal Beer. April 7th was chosen for Session day because that was the day that 4% ABV beer became legal to brew before the repeal of the 18th Ammendment.
Enough of this ... I need a pint
Found at the bottom of a sock drawer...
I sit here in awe. I had read last night that the current going price for a ticket of Three Floyd's Dark Lord Imperial Stout was around $200. That was shocking in itself. So I did a check on Ebay to see what they are going for today. First listing is $800 for two tickets. Mind you, this is the highest price. The average is more between $100 and $200.
Really...
I see this and I find I am again amazed at what people will do. Understand that I am not saying anything about this beer. My reaction is to strides people will make to show how easily they can be manipulated by ratings boards or what have you.
Maybe the country really is recovering and we are doing way better than it seems. I know when I was working as a cook, I had to work overtime to see $400 in one week. I guess I didn't realize that other people had that kind of disposable income...
The thing that gets me is Three Floyds is not unique in this kind of hysteria. Other breweries have run into similar situations. Recently at Founders the release of KBS sold out in an hour or less. You have to wonder, do these beers have some special property that makes you sexier to women or maybe make you younger? Are they the Holy Grail?
Maybe its me? Perchance I just don't get it? Have I become jaded because I rarely buy beer anymore? With three taps of what ever I want to brew, does that make me immune to the allure of this hysteria?
Maybe I just need a pint so I can ponder this...
Really...
I see this and I find I am again amazed at what people will do. Understand that I am not saying anything about this beer. My reaction is to strides people will make to show how easily they can be manipulated by ratings boards or what have you.
Maybe the country really is recovering and we are doing way better than it seems. I know when I was working as a cook, I had to work overtime to see $400 in one week. I guess I didn't realize that other people had that kind of disposable income...
The thing that gets me is Three Floyds is not unique in this kind of hysteria. Other breweries have run into similar situations. Recently at Founders the release of KBS sold out in an hour or less. You have to wonder, do these beers have some special property that makes you sexier to women or maybe make you younger? Are they the Holy Grail?
Maybe its me? Perchance I just don't get it? Have I become jaded because I rarely buy beer anymore? With three taps of what ever I want to brew, does that make me immune to the allure of this hysteria?
Maybe I just need a pint so I can ponder this...
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Getting ready for summer
I have been trying to think of a use for the old drink cooler has been sitting in my garage for some time now. Originally I have thought I might turn it into a second mash tun so I would have a different option to use when brewing. And then a strike of inspiration smacked me upside the head last night.
My first run with continuous sparging went well, but I saw a few problems that I have been wanting to rectify. The biggest problem came from the fact that without insulation on my bottling bucket I lost quite a bit of heat on my sparge water. Enter the drink cooler:
My first run with continuous sparging went well, but I saw a few problems that I have been wanting to rectify. The biggest problem came from the fact that without insulation on my bottling bucket I lost quite a bit of heat on my sparge water. Enter the drink cooler:
Now I have a hot liquor tank that should hold temperature much better.
Looking at the weather we have been having lately, I think it is getting to the time when I will be able to brew outside again. I took a few minutes today to set up the system to see how it will fit together when I go to brew in just a few days.
Who knows, maybe one day I might have an actual brew sculpture set up to hold all this rag tag stuff.
Time for a pint...
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Thoughts on a drinking holiday...
I take a somewhat different approach to Saint Patrick's day than most would expect. Instead of finding myself at an overcrowded bar filled with people that more often than not, do not really respect what beer can be, I take the time to relax with family and enjoy good beer in a more reasonable atmosphere.
I have started reading "Brewing Better Beer" by Gordon Strong. So far I really like his writing style and understand his brewing style. He approaches beer in a similar way to how I approach beer. Extract brewing is not brewing. It is making fermented Kool-aid. That is not to say that making an extract is not important, this is the point where everyone starts. You need to do this to learn some of the most important fundamentals of brewing.
Someone once told me that it is not practice that makes perfect; it is perfect practice that makes perfect. It is only when you have learned proper habits for sanitation and yeast handling that you will make good beer with predictable results. Too often we run across people that want to make some kind of crazy like peanut butter and jelly IPAs or some other wacky concoction but they have no idea of what exactly they need to do to get there. The worst part of this, when it doesn't work, they give up thinking they lack the talent to make good beer or even that brewing is hard.
It all comes back to the basics. Brewing is a craft. When you develop the skills from brew after brew after brew, that is when you can find you are making art in a glass. For me personally, I have brewed a decent amount of beer, but still I find everyday that there is something more for me to learn. If I don't push myself to learn more to grow, I may as well be doing nothing more than making fermented Kool-aid. Is this extreme? Absolutely, but if you ever want to do anything well, you have to be extreme. Imagine if you will, some people find high end algebra exciting and fun. Now that is extreme. When you love what you do, you will never work a day of your life.
I think its now time for a pint...
I have started reading "Brewing Better Beer" by Gordon Strong. So far I really like his writing style and understand his brewing style. He approaches beer in a similar way to how I approach beer. Extract brewing is not brewing. It is making fermented Kool-aid. That is not to say that making an extract is not important, this is the point where everyone starts. You need to do this to learn some of the most important fundamentals of brewing.
Someone once told me that it is not practice that makes perfect; it is perfect practice that makes perfect. It is only when you have learned proper habits for sanitation and yeast handling that you will make good beer with predictable results. Too often we run across people that want to make some kind of crazy like peanut butter and jelly IPAs or some other wacky concoction but they have no idea of what exactly they need to do to get there. The worst part of this, when it doesn't work, they give up thinking they lack the talent to make good beer or even that brewing is hard.
It all comes back to the basics. Brewing is a craft. When you develop the skills from brew after brew after brew, that is when you can find you are making art in a glass. For me personally, I have brewed a decent amount of beer, but still I find everyday that there is something more for me to learn. If I don't push myself to learn more to grow, I may as well be doing nothing more than making fermented Kool-aid. Is this extreme? Absolutely, but if you ever want to do anything well, you have to be extreme. Imagine if you will, some people find high end algebra exciting and fun. Now that is extreme. When you love what you do, you will never work a day of your life.
I think its now time for a pint...
Friday, March 16, 2012
Brewer Spotlight: Kevin Becraft
Quite often when you think of a restaurant or a brewery you picture the chef or brewmaster. As important as they are we tend to forget the people who are just as important to the success of a company. Many times there is a person who is a mainstay. They set the mood for the people working with them. Give them a reason for coming to work that day (because we all know that at times we just don't want to get out of bed).
I met Kevin Becraft a while before I worked at Arcadia Brewing Company. It was on a Monday, I was there to volunteer to work on the bottling line. They were filled up with volunteers already (a home brew club came in to help that day) but Kevin took the time to give me a quick tour of the brewery.
After I went to work for Arcadia, Kevin became a friend. Even though I worked in the kitchen, he would often show me how what I was doing as a home brewer translated into what they were doing in the production brewery. You could say maybe it was just me, but the reality is, Kevin made such an impression on Arcadia that before he moved out of state they made a beer and named it after him.
Kevin and his family now life in California. He is working at Dust Bowl Brewing. If you make it out there, tell him I said "Sup."
Time for a pint...
I met Kevin Becraft a while before I worked at Arcadia Brewing Company. It was on a Monday, I was there to volunteer to work on the bottling line. They were filled up with volunteers already (a home brew club came in to help that day) but Kevin took the time to give me a quick tour of the brewery.
After I went to work for Arcadia, Kevin became a friend. Even though I worked in the kitchen, he would often show me how what I was doing as a home brewer translated into what they were doing in the production brewery. You could say maybe it was just me, but the reality is, Kevin made such an impression on Arcadia that before he moved out of state they made a beer and named it after him.
Kevin and his family now life in California. He is working at Dust Bowl Brewing. If you make it out there, tell him I said "Sup."
Time for a pint...
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Field trip
I had an interesting evening. The impetus of the night was a trip to Salut for what was supposed to be a Jameson tasting. For whatever reason their might have been, the rep never showed up. Annoying but not the worst thing that could happen in your day, right?
From there I headed off to Bell's General Store. I picked up the hops I will be using for Cascadian dark I will be brewing next week. I am going to be using Warrior, Northern Brewer, Challenger, and Kent Goldings. It should end up a bit different than most would expect. More on this one soon.
Probably one of the more important parts of the evening was my visit with my friend Lucas. We caught up with each other, sitting on his back porch drinking Coronas of all things. Today was a great day for relaxing on the deck. I think all we were missing was a fired up grill and some burgers sizzling in the early evening air.
My final stop of the evening was at Bacchus. This place will always have a special place in my heart. I used to work here and find I am still friends with Brian Caplan the owner and his son Dean who tends to run the store now. Back when I worked there Brian kept a good variety of import beers, craft was only just beginning to gain ground in Michigan. The craft selection has gotten much better since then. And of course my favorite part of their coolers, they are cool with you breaking a sixpack to pick up singles or make your own sixer.
And now, time for a pint...
From there I headed off to Bell's General Store. I picked up the hops I will be using for Cascadian dark I will be brewing next week. I am going to be using Warrior, Northern Brewer, Challenger, and Kent Goldings. It should end up a bit different than most would expect. More on this one soon.
Probably one of the more important parts of the evening was my visit with my friend Lucas. We caught up with each other, sitting on his back porch drinking Coronas of all things. Today was a great day for relaxing on the deck. I think all we were missing was a fired up grill and some burgers sizzling in the early evening air.
My final stop of the evening was at Bacchus. This place will always have a special place in my heart. I used to work here and find I am still friends with Brian Caplan the owner and his son Dean who tends to run the store now. Back when I worked there Brian kept a good variety of import beers, craft was only just beginning to gain ground in Michigan. The craft selection has gotten much better since then. And of course my favorite part of their coolers, they are cool with you breaking a sixpack to pick up singles or make your own sixer.
And now, time for a pint...
And now, the Rye...
There are a few things weighing in my mind right now. Foremost among them is the Rye. I kegged it just a bit ago today. It finished out at 5.25% and the flavor is fantastic. Tomorrow I will carbonate it and get a better idea of what the beer is all about. But considering the current weather, it is the perfect timing for this one.
Coming soon...
My current plan is to brew up a India black ale next week. I am still formulating the recipe (at least in my head anyway) so nothing is yet set in stone for this brew.
Another beverage in the planning stages (again recipe formulation in my mind) will be a blueberry mead. This may end up as a pretty big mead when all is said and done. Look for future updates.
In other news, we started work on the logo design for possible shirts in the future. Thats right, you heard me. 10th Day Brewing is going to be offering its own line of shirts. Great gift ideas if I say so myself.
Now let's find a pint, work is just exhausting...
Coming soon...
My current plan is to brew up a India black ale next week. I am still formulating the recipe (at least in my head anyway) so nothing is yet set in stone for this brew.
Another beverage in the planning stages (again recipe formulation in my mind) will be a blueberry mead. This may end up as a pretty big mead when all is said and done. Look for future updates.
In other news, we started work on the logo design for possible shirts in the future. Thats right, you heard me. 10th Day Brewing is going to be offering its own line of shirts. Great gift ideas if I say so myself.
Now let's find a pint, work is just exhausting...
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Do the nasty...
Its another tech Wednesday. The direction I am going today is cleaning. I was inspired by a new item I saw in a catalog yesterday, but I will get to that in short order.
Cleaning can be one of the most dreaded chores or our brew day. Specifically, carboy cleaning. Granted most use a common carboy brush. It did come with our starter kit so it must be good right.
In the end, this is also one of the reasons we dread cleaning so much. It is tedious and well, just not high tech enough.
Enter Mark's keg and carboy washer, I ran across this thing yesterday and found it to be pretty cool. It even has an area where you can hold some of your smaller items while you take care of the bigger stuff. I do find it a little pricey but that is because I always have too many other projects going on.
This next one is a little more low tech, and possibly a better price point for some people. The carboy cleaner works with a drill which most of us already have anyway. The video is fun to watch. I see a disadvantage with having to buy new cleaning pads, long term those costs can add up.
Now my favorite of the ones I looked at today, something you can build. Granted this would be yet another project that I will add to the list of all the projects in the brewery. But it is a pretty nice one to consider working on. The pump will make this one a bit pricey, but at least in my view, building your own equipment is one of the things that makes brewing fun.
Time for a pint...
Cleaning can be one of the most dreaded chores or our brew day. Specifically, carboy cleaning. Granted most use a common carboy brush. It did come with our starter kit so it must be good right.
Enter Mark's keg and carboy washer, I ran across this thing yesterday and found it to be pretty cool. It even has an area where you can hold some of your smaller items while you take care of the bigger stuff. I do find it a little pricey but that is because I always have too many other projects going on.
This next one is a little more low tech, and possibly a better price point for some people. The carboy cleaner works with a drill which most of us already have anyway. The video is fun to watch. I see a disadvantage with having to buy new cleaning pads, long term those costs can add up.
Now my favorite of the ones I looked at today, something you can build. Granted this would be yet another project that I will add to the list of all the projects in the brewery. But it is a pretty nice one to consider working on. The pump will make this one a bit pricey, but at least in my view, building your own equipment is one of the things that makes brewing fun.
Time for a pint...
Interesting find
I find that breweries that keep in mind the home brewing community tend to have more going for them than those that forget their roots. On that note, I recently ran across some info that I find pretty cool. It seems that Deschutes Brewing out of Bend Oregon has given a gift to home brewers. On their web page they have left a place to list their recipes for home brew use. Even better than that, they only give you enough of the recipe to get in the ball park. They leave out enough information for brewers to experiment and dial in the recipe themselves.
Now, time for a pint...
Now, time for a pint...
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Cider and Pork sausage
A little to preface the video this week:
Considering my fly by the seat of my pants style and still learning the way this whole thing works, I think it turned out decently. I do want to apologize in advance though; it seems that we lost sound for a few minutes during one section of the video.
Recipe:
2lbs Pork shoulder, untrimmed
15 grams salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic (finely minced)
1/2 apple (used fuji but pick your favorite) small dice
1/2 cup dry cider (used my oak aged cider)
Method:
Everything should be very cold. Hold food processor, blade, and mixing bowl in the freezer for roughly 1/2 hour before use.
Pulse pork in food processor to break it down. It should look grainy when done (not like a smooth paste)
Add everything but cider to pork and mix thouroughly. Add cider to mixture and mix through. The sausage should be sticky.
At this point if you have casings you can fill them. Or you can do as I did and use plastic wrap as the casing. If you use casings the sausage can be precooked in simmering water (roughly 160 to 180 degrees) for about 20 minutes. You want them to cook slow to ensure they stay juicy.
Time for a pint...
Considering my fly by the seat of my pants style and still learning the way this whole thing works, I think it turned out decently. I do want to apologize in advance though; it seems that we lost sound for a few minutes during one section of the video.
Recipe:
2lbs Pork shoulder, untrimmed
15 grams salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic (finely minced)
1/2 apple (used fuji but pick your favorite) small dice
1/2 cup dry cider (used my oak aged cider)
Method:
Everything should be very cold. Hold food processor, blade, and mixing bowl in the freezer for roughly 1/2 hour before use.
Pulse pork in food processor to break it down. It should look grainy when done (not like a smooth paste)
Add everything but cider to pork and mix thouroughly. Add cider to mixture and mix through. The sausage should be sticky.
At this point if you have casings you can fill them. Or you can do as I did and use plastic wrap as the casing. If you use casings the sausage can be precooked in simmering water (roughly 160 to 180 degrees) for about 20 minutes. You want them to cook slow to ensure they stay juicy.
Time for a pint...
Monday, March 12, 2012
Thoughts for the day...
I have run across a few articles today to share. First and foremost involves barrel aging of beers.
This one I found to be quite interesting. For the other, it would almost seem that Goose Island is almost becoming two seperate breweries. The barrel aging portion of their brewery is getting bigger.
If you haven't seen any of the news on this yet, it is worth checking out. My favorite part comes from the reactions to the idea. I wonder if growlers are still a craft thing, where the mainstream is not yet sure what exactly they are. It seems the mainstream look at the idea of filling a growler as "I'm gonna get plowed and then drive around."
And now my last bit for today is a PSA. I think this article says it quite well. Of the many real bar nights we run across, St. Patricks day can be one of the worst. I dare say most people only see it as an excuse to go out and get wasted, but have no real idea of what the day really means.
With all that said, its time for a pint...
This one I found to be quite interesting. For the other, it would almost seem that Goose Island is almost becoming two seperate breweries. The barrel aging portion of their brewery is getting bigger.
If you haven't seen any of the news on this yet, it is worth checking out. My favorite part comes from the reactions to the idea. I wonder if growlers are still a craft thing, where the mainstream is not yet sure what exactly they are. It seems the mainstream look at the idea of filling a growler as "I'm gonna get plowed and then drive around."
And now my last bit for today is a PSA. I think this article says it quite well. Of the many real bar nights we run across, St. Patricks day can be one of the worst. I dare say most people only see it as an excuse to go out and get wasted, but have no real idea of what the day really means.
With all that said, its time for a pint...
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Pubs
It won't be the first time and I am sure it won't be the last, but the subject came up again the other day of what makes a good pub. It creeps up as part of the standard rotation whenever you are with friends having a pint. I find it interesting that it even shows up in the UK (check out a post here from Tandleman's beer blog), so the question is an international one as well as a local one.
Personally, I found one of my favorite pubs when I was in culinary school. A place called Bob's Sports Bar up in Grand Rapids. I don't remember everything they had on tap (probably 4 handles) except for Leinenkugel's Red. You could get a tall for $2. At one point, I remember watching the winter olympics on one of the 2 tvs after class on a Friday night.
There weren't too many frills, I can't even remember if they had a juke box. The food was classic bar food, burgers and other oddities from the fryer. The place wasn't spotless but it wasn't really dirty either. I guess the best way to say it was, it was just a neighborhood bar.
So my question to you is, what do you want from a pub? Or better yet, what is it that makes a place your regular place?
Lets ponder this while we sit with a pint...
Personally, I found one of my favorite pubs when I was in culinary school. A place called Bob's Sports Bar up in Grand Rapids. I don't remember everything they had on tap (probably 4 handles) except for Leinenkugel's Red. You could get a tall for $2. At one point, I remember watching the winter olympics on one of the 2 tvs after class on a Friday night.
There weren't too many frills, I can't even remember if they had a juke box. The food was classic bar food, burgers and other oddities from the fryer. The place wasn't spotless but it wasn't really dirty either. I guess the best way to say it was, it was just a neighborhood bar.
So my question to you is, what do you want from a pub? Or better yet, what is it that makes a place your regular place?
Lets ponder this while we sit with a pint...
It is done
I just finished kegging and carbonating Rum Rebellion. The extra week of lagering cleaned it up nicely. The beer is spicey and rich; the vanilla notes from the oak enhance it quite nicely. Currently the only flaw I fined is it is slightly undercarbonated. I will be letting it work a bit more and check it shortly.
Sadly, with this pint gone I am ready for another...
Sadly, with this pint gone I am ready for another...
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Late night reading...
This article actually raises a few more questions for me than it answers. Not necessarily about beer in Colorado, but about the laws in other states. Most of our current laws pertaining to alcohol stem back to prohibition. The 21st amendment is to this day the only amendment to the constitution that has been individually passed from state to state. It was because of this unique repeal that now states control how alcohol is handled within their own jurisdiction.
I live within a couple miles of Bell's production brewery. If you drive just a few miles east and south you end up in a township that is dry. When you think of the alcohol laws in Michigan, you need to picture enough legal copy to fill a book 3 inches thick, definately not a quick read. But then we look across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin and you find essentially a leaflet.
This all makes me wonder, if we had collectively standardized laws, how do you think that would affect the craft beer movement?
I am heading to a pint while you think about that...
I live within a couple miles of Bell's production brewery. If you drive just a few miles east and south you end up in a township that is dry. When you think of the alcohol laws in Michigan, you need to picture enough legal copy to fill a book 3 inches thick, definately not a quick read. But then we look across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin and you find essentially a leaflet.
This all makes me wonder, if we had collectively standardized laws, how do you think that would affect the craft beer movement?
I am heading to a pint while you think about that...
Friday, March 9, 2012
Beer is why we are gathered here today...
Today was a productive day. Of course that means I got to hang out and have a beer or two. I spent a portion of my afternoon with Hop Head Fred at Sunset Boulevard brewing in Kalamazoo. Sunset is a fairly new brewery so I hadn't had a chance to check em out as yet, at least since they have been open. The last time I had been inside was a little over a year ago when they were still getting ready. I dare say the place has come together since then.
I managed to show up a little bit earlier than Hop Head so I took the opportunity to do a bit of wandering around. Of course this meant I spent some time with the brewer (Tom) while he was working on a brew. He had what looked to be a nice rye boiling away while we were talking. They are currently working with a 1 barrel system, with hopes of moving into a 3 barrel soon. The joy of a nano brewery ... there is always room to move up as business calls for more.
Back in the bar, I found Hop Head sitting at the bar talking to the bartender. And now the real work began. We each ordered a sample flight and commenced to drinking and sharing beer stories (there are always beer stories). Don't hate me for not remembering the names of their brews but I will say that their American wheat and their double IPA were tasty and well done, my clear favorites of the day.
All in all, was a good day, and now I think I might continue with a pint...
edit note ... added a couple links I missed
I managed to show up a little bit earlier than Hop Head so I took the opportunity to do a bit of wandering around. Of course this meant I spent some time with the brewer (Tom) while he was working on a brew. He had what looked to be a nice rye boiling away while we were talking. They are currently working with a 1 barrel system, with hopes of moving into a 3 barrel soon. The joy of a nano brewery ... there is always room to move up as business calls for more.
Back in the bar, I found Hop Head sitting at the bar talking to the bartender. And now the real work began. We each ordered a sample flight and commenced to drinking and sharing beer stories (there are always beer stories). Don't hate me for not remembering the names of their brews but I will say that their American wheat and their double IPA were tasty and well done, my clear favorites of the day.
All in all, was a good day, and now I think I might continue with a pint...
edit note ... added a couple links I missed
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Memories
There comes a point in your life when you look back and think "WTF was I thinking." Sometimes that happens quite often and then there are times when that doesn't happen nearly enough. I seem to be looking back a bit more often lately. It may be that I am approaching a milestone birthday (gah, what happened to all those years).
Where was I going with this? I was thinking of a time when I was in the Marines and as was the norm for that time in my life, I drank way too much. We were at the Beach club, so named because it was pretty much right on the San Onofre beach, Camp Pendleton side. If you didn't have a car, the only way to get there was by bus. But the bus dropped you off at the old PX and then you had to hike a trail (about a 1/4 mile) to the club. This trail was only partially cleared, this club wasn't as popular anymore as the Del Mar E-club (another story or maybe later).
Like I said, this club was pretty dead. Basically all we did there was drink. I don't even remember if there were pool tables. Oddly, I don't even remember what it looked like inside, except dark, it was very dark. They did have a breathalizer, I remember this because it is the only bar I have ever seen one. I ended up so drunk that night that the trail of death (the name we gave the path between the PX and the club) kept moving on me. I ended up leaning on the Marine I was with; wouldn't have made it back without him. Or at least I might have found myself waking up in the dirt the next morning.
I guess it's good that the stupidity of our youth gives us a bit more wisdom as we age.
Enough of this for now... It's time for a pint
Where was I going with this? I was thinking of a time when I was in the Marines and as was the norm for that time in my life, I drank way too much. We were at the Beach club, so named because it was pretty much right on the San Onofre beach, Camp Pendleton side. If you didn't have a car, the only way to get there was by bus. But the bus dropped you off at the old PX and then you had to hike a trail (about a 1/4 mile) to the club. This trail was only partially cleared, this club wasn't as popular anymore as the Del Mar E-club (another story or maybe later).
Like I said, this club was pretty dead. Basically all we did there was drink. I don't even remember if there were pool tables. Oddly, I don't even remember what it looked like inside, except dark, it was very dark. They did have a breathalizer, I remember this because it is the only bar I have ever seen one. I ended up so drunk that night that the trail of death (the name we gave the path between the PX and the club) kept moving on me. I ended up leaning on the Marine I was with; wouldn't have made it back without him. Or at least I might have found myself waking up in the dirt the next morning.
I guess it's good that the stupidity of our youth gives us a bit more wisdom as we age.
Enough of this for now... It's time for a pint
The Rye (continued)
I have taken the rye to secondary today. The fermentation has gone exactly as I have wanted it to. The beer is sitting at 5% and flavor wise I am quite happy. At the front it is almost a spicy wheat but in the back and the after taste you have hints of rye bread. The way the weather is going in Michigan right now, I think it will be the right time to throw this one on tap next week.
What you watch
Be forwarned, this post almost nothing to do with beer...
I tend to watch a good mix of stuff on Netflix. Today I have spent some time watching a show called Ultimate Weapons (once a Marine always a Marine). One of the episodes I saw today was titled "Firepower." All I can say is ... wow!
While I was in the corpes I was a dragon gunner. The Dragon was a wire guided missle thats sole purpose was to kill tanks. This was a job with almost no life expectancy in combat. I also spent time carrying an M-16 with an M-203 attachment. We know what the M-16 is sure, no biggie. The 203 was a 40mm grenade launcher that fit under the rifles barrel.
The reason I bring this up is because the way technology changes is amazing. The show showcased a couple weapons that kinda knocked these two out of the water. The first was a grenade launcher that held 6 rounds similar to a revolver pistol. I was impressed, a rifle that shoots out 6, 40mm rounds before you need to reload is a scary thing.
The other was a missle called the Javelin. From what I could tell, it was a super upgraded Dragon round. Instead of a wire guided missile, we have a fire and forget it missile that does not miss. I was floored. The gunner gets a lock on the target and then this lock is transferred to the missile. The missile can either directly hit the target or it can do a death from above.
If you aren't impressed by super cool weaponry, this means nothing. But if you are like me and find it fascinating to see how the technology changes, this is some really cool stuff.
Enough of this, I need a pint...
I tend to watch a good mix of stuff on Netflix. Today I have spent some time watching a show called Ultimate Weapons (once a Marine always a Marine). One of the episodes I saw today was titled "Firepower." All I can say is ... wow!
While I was in the corpes I was a dragon gunner. The Dragon was a wire guided missle thats sole purpose was to kill tanks. This was a job with almost no life expectancy in combat. I also spent time carrying an M-16 with an M-203 attachment. We know what the M-16 is sure, no biggie. The 203 was a 40mm grenade launcher that fit under the rifles barrel.
The reason I bring this up is because the way technology changes is amazing. The show showcased a couple weapons that kinda knocked these two out of the water. The first was a grenade launcher that held 6 rounds similar to a revolver pistol. I was impressed, a rifle that shoots out 6, 40mm rounds before you need to reload is a scary thing.
The other was a missle called the Javelin. From what I could tell, it was a super upgraded Dragon round. Instead of a wire guided missile, we have a fire and forget it missile that does not miss. I was floored. The gunner gets a lock on the target and then this lock is transferred to the missile. The missile can either directly hit the target or it can do a death from above.
If you aren't impressed by super cool weaponry, this means nothing. But if you are like me and find it fascinating to see how the technology changes, this is some really cool stuff.
Enough of this, I need a pint...
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Sharing an article
Another tech post for Tech day. I actually found this through twitter (gah I feel like a dork now). I like the charts. Visual charts for beginning brewers can be quite handy.
Question...
In the spirit of Tech day, I am trying to find some blogging information. In an effort to improve functionality I want to add an archive feature that will gather specific posts. Basically I want to set up a search gather function that will organize posts into categories. At this point I have quite a few posts and will only gain more. I think it would make it easier if someone was looking for videos they could find them easier and so on.
Let me know if anyone is able to help in this matter.
Let me know if anyone is able to help in this matter.
Tech day
In an effort to help streamline the brewery and make it seem like I know what I am doing at least half the time, I picked up a set of feeler gauges to check the gap on my malt mill. Seems pretty straight forward, slide in a blade till you find the size you are looking for, right? Well, things aren't always as easy as they should seem. Looking at these blades I realize I have no clue what it is I am trying to read.
Wow, ego is now crushed a bit. I mean, I am a man, this stuff should come naturally. So now it is time to save my manhood, I check the internet. After a quick check on Google I realize I am not the only dumbass who can't read a feeler gauge. Here is the link to a site I found most helpful.
I find that the set of gauges I have now do not have a single blade that is the right size. After doing the math I found the combo that works to put me within the right range. After checking the malt mill, I find it is at the upper end of proper milling tolerances. I may need to adjust, but its ok still for at least my next brew day.
Lets find us a pint ... it seems fitting
Wow, ego is now crushed a bit. I mean, I am a man, this stuff should come naturally. So now it is time to save my manhood, I check the internet. After a quick check on Google I realize I am not the only dumbass who can't read a feeler gauge. Here is the link to a site I found most helpful.
I find that the set of gauges I have now do not have a single blade that is the right size. After doing the math I found the combo that works to put me within the right range. After checking the malt mill, I find it is at the upper end of proper milling tolerances. I may need to adjust, but its ok still for at least my next brew day.
Lets find us a pint ... it seems fitting
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Beer in food part 2
For this installment I am working on food that is associated beer. And again this time we are focusing on another form of fermentation. The video this week is the kitchen steps of making naturally fermented sauerkraut. As has been discussed in the past, this type of food preservation relies on fermentation to help preserve the harvest.
Instead of the spontaneous fermentation you would find in a lambic. Natural sauerkraut or pickles rely on a salty brine to help prevent harmful bacteria. The idea is, lactobacilus is a helpful bacteria that is able to survive in a salty environment.
And now the video:
Recipe:
A little over 1 gallon water
200 grams salt
3 lbs cabbage
Heat the water and salt to a good simmer (160 to 180 degrees) then chill
shredd cabbage or cut into thin strips
Cover the cabbage completely with the brine (using a plate or something else heavy enough to weight it down).
Let the cabbage rest for roughly 2 weeks (or more for more sour)
Generally the same area where you ferment your ales works well for temperature control (slightly less than 70 degrees)
Next week I will be building the next element of this meal.
Now time for a pint...
Instead of the spontaneous fermentation you would find in a lambic. Natural sauerkraut or pickles rely on a salty brine to help prevent harmful bacteria. The idea is, lactobacilus is a helpful bacteria that is able to survive in a salty environment.
And now the video:
Recipe:
A little over 1 gallon water
200 grams salt
3 lbs cabbage
Heat the water and salt to a good simmer (160 to 180 degrees) then chill
shredd cabbage or cut into thin strips
Cover the cabbage completely with the brine (using a plate or something else heavy enough to weight it down).
Let the cabbage rest for roughly 2 weeks (or more for more sour)
Generally the same area where you ferment your ales works well for temperature control (slightly less than 70 degrees)
Next week I will be building the next element of this meal.
Now time for a pint...
Monday, March 5, 2012
A chickpea is neither a chick nor a pea... discuss
My mind was wandering as it often does while I was driving the other day. I am a geek, I freely admit this. I grew up playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. Yes, I know this is going to scare some people (freaky dork ... he is one of them...). I also spent time as a Marine (not what you might expect from your typical geek). You would be surprised how many service men actually play games like that or even worse for the true geekaphobe, collect comic books...
Where was I going with this again? Oh yeah, geekitude and my thoughts the other day. I was thinking of how some people play games and I came upon a realization. The typical gamer looks for the weapon that deals the most damage. Which is why you end up with clerics who normally could not wield pointed or cutting weapons using stuff like a lucerne hammer (a type of pole arm). My favorite will always be thieves who try to back stab with a two handed sword.
My mind a correlation between gaming and beer (it always comes back to beer). Sometimes an IPA is the thief with the two handed sword. You know its crazy, you know it shouldn't work, but sometimes it sneaks by and whammo.
The gist of the whole mess is its in our nature, no matter how we view ourselves, to push for bigger, bolder, better. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and breathe and realize, wow, what was I thinking? Maybe you were the cleric mistakenly using the lucerne hammer and it just wasn't working. Or maybe if you were really lucky, you were that sneaky thief who found just the right time to work the two hander into the mix and whammo...
It's time for a pint...
Where was I going with this again? Oh yeah, geekitude and my thoughts the other day. I was thinking of how some people play games and I came upon a realization. The typical gamer looks for the weapon that deals the most damage. Which is why you end up with clerics who normally could not wield pointed or cutting weapons using stuff like a lucerne hammer (a type of pole arm). My favorite will always be thieves who try to back stab with a two handed sword.
My mind a correlation between gaming and beer (it always comes back to beer). Sometimes an IPA is the thief with the two handed sword. You know its crazy, you know it shouldn't work, but sometimes it sneaks by and whammo.
The gist of the whole mess is its in our nature, no matter how we view ourselves, to push for bigger, bolder, better. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and breathe and realize, wow, what was I thinking? Maybe you were the cleric mistakenly using the lucerne hammer and it just wasn't working. Or maybe if you were really lucky, you were that sneaky thief who found just the right time to work the two hander into the mix and whammo...
It's time for a pint...
Friday, March 2, 2012
The Session # 61: What makes local Beer better?
I am answering the question posed by the Hoosier Beer Geek located here.
This question poses the thought for beer as the slow food movement has done for food. Closer to the source means its fresher, or better for small businesses or what ever the mantra of the day is now. One way to look at it is from the elitest stand point, "my beer is better than yours because it is brewed right here." Does that mean we have another way to add snobbery to beer geekdom?
Alcohol is a way to preserve the harvest for long term storage. You can look at it as something similar to drying or pickling. Oddly, pickling is a good analogy because we are allowing a microorganism to feed on our harvest in order to protect it from harmful bacteria. In the process of saving the harvest we found something much better than what we originally had.
What exactly does this have to do with local beer you ask? Mainly that because of the technique of preservation, the farther you get from the place where it was bottled the more it will change. Beer like wine has life. Where you sourced your ingredients has less to do with the finished product than how you treat the product once it has left the brewery (not to say that good materials are not important).
The majority of the beer I drink is brewed right here at my brewery. I have the luxury of drinking it at its freshest as well as drinking it as it ages. This is a unique perspective on the life of the beverage. The real question we should ask ourselves, how do we know that a brewery isn't sending its freshest beer out to distributors and saving the older (better aged and ready) beers for the tap room?
I guess that is my answer. Since I drink my beer as local as can be, I have full control of when my beer is ready and what constitutes fresh in my beer.
Something to think about ... now to find a pint...
This question poses the thought for beer as the slow food movement has done for food. Closer to the source means its fresher, or better for small businesses or what ever the mantra of the day is now. One way to look at it is from the elitest stand point, "my beer is better than yours because it is brewed right here." Does that mean we have another way to add snobbery to beer geekdom?
Alcohol is a way to preserve the harvest for long term storage. You can look at it as something similar to drying or pickling. Oddly, pickling is a good analogy because we are allowing a microorganism to feed on our harvest in order to protect it from harmful bacteria. In the process of saving the harvest we found something much better than what we originally had.
What exactly does this have to do with local beer you ask? Mainly that because of the technique of preservation, the farther you get from the place where it was bottled the more it will change. Beer like wine has life. Where you sourced your ingredients has less to do with the finished product than how you treat the product once it has left the brewery (not to say that good materials are not important).
The majority of the beer I drink is brewed right here at my brewery. I have the luxury of drinking it at its freshest as well as drinking it as it ages. This is a unique perspective on the life of the beverage. The real question we should ask ourselves, how do we know that a brewery isn't sending its freshest beer out to distributors and saving the older (better aged and ready) beers for the tap room?
I guess that is my answer. Since I drink my beer as local as can be, I have full control of when my beer is ready and what constitutes fresh in my beer.
Something to think about ... now to find a pint...
...This fully operational battlestation!
First things, the rye is in full swing. Full blown fermentation started before the 12 hour mark. I'll be playing with it again around the middle of next week.
Now, I am getting ready to keg the Rebellion. I just did a gravity check and then put it in the lagering unit so it can chill down before I possibly keg it tomorrow.
I have run across an interesting notion in the meantime. When I check gravity I usually use that sample as a taste test as well. Oh, and it has finished at 6%, so I am happy with its finish so far. The thought I am having though, is it seems a bit harsh still. Currently, I wonder if it would mellow a touch if I let it lager for an extra week.
I must have watched too many episodes of "How I Met Your Mother." As I wrote that, I had a flash of Barney in my mind saying challenge accepted. I do believe that it will now be next week Saturday that I keg the Rebellion.
And now with all the "Return of the Jedi" referrences floating around in my head, I think I will go find a pint...
Now, I am getting ready to keg the Rebellion. I just did a gravity check and then put it in the lagering unit so it can chill down before I possibly keg it tomorrow.
I have run across an interesting notion in the meantime. When I check gravity I usually use that sample as a taste test as well. Oh, and it has finished at 6%, so I am happy with its finish so far. The thought I am having though, is it seems a bit harsh still. Currently, I wonder if it would mellow a touch if I let it lager for an extra week.
I must have watched too many episodes of "How I Met Your Mother." As I wrote that, I had a flash of Barney in my mind saying challenge accepted. I do believe that it will now be next week Saturday that I keg the Rebellion.
And now with all the "Return of the Jedi" referrences floating around in my head, I think I will go find a pint...
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Rye Brew day
A couple things transpired today, all in the space of the brew session. The obvious thing was, ya, I brewed the rye. We knew that was happening. The not so obvious, today was tester day for the new sparge arm. The brew session itself went quite well, pretty much par for the course. Actually, it was kinda nice to get it over and done with during the day so now I have the rest of my time to spend doing other stuff (and I am not bleary eyed at like 4 am trying to figure out what I can put off cleaning).
The sparge went well. I had one mishap while getting a screwdriver for the hose clamp on the bucket connection where the hose popped off, spraying a small bit of water to the floor. Considering that today was the first run with a continuous sparge I didn't expect to have super great numbers but I did expect to see a bit of an improvement over my normal set up. Happily I did at least achieve an improvement and see that the system does what I want it to. I ended up with roughly a 72% efficiency an improvement over my usual 68ish.
Now, on to the recipe...
5lbs pale malt (2 row)
3lbs Rye malt
2lbs Wheat malt
1oz (4.3 aa) Hallertau 60 min
1oz (4.5 aa) Hersbrucker 20 min
1oz (4.1 aa) Hallertau (leaf) 5 min
Multi step infusion
110 degrees for 20 min
148 degrees for 30 min
156 degrees for 30 min
Now, time for a pint...
The sparge went well. I had one mishap while getting a screwdriver for the hose clamp on the bucket connection where the hose popped off, spraying a small bit of water to the floor. Considering that today was the first run with a continuous sparge I didn't expect to have super great numbers but I did expect to see a bit of an improvement over my normal set up. Happily I did at least achieve an improvement and see that the system does what I want it to. I ended up with roughly a 72% efficiency an improvement over my usual 68ish.
Now, on to the recipe...
5lbs pale malt (2 row)
3lbs Rye malt
2lbs Wheat malt
1oz (4.3 aa) Hallertau 60 min
1oz (4.5 aa) Hersbrucker 20 min
1oz (4.1 aa) Hallertau (leaf) 5 min
Multi step infusion
110 degrees for 20 min
148 degrees for 30 min
156 degrees for 30 min
Now, time for a pint...
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