Ya, they can change.
Whether intentionally or due to unforseen events, sometimes you have to make adjustments. This is what is happening to me today. I did some work on a new video yesterday and today and had it uploaded to Youtube. And then blammo, I find that they have taken issue with the video.
Something within their copywrite protection software picked up something perceived in my video and linked it to something else entirely. The part that annoys me most about all this is the fact that what is the perceived infringement has nothing at all entirely to do with what the video was about and did not enter into the video in any way shape or form.
This is something we should always keep in mind, sometimes there will be forces completely outside our control that will get in the way of what we are trying to accomplish. The best thing you can do is try as much as possible to cover your bases and protect yourself from misfortune.
When I brew, I tend to have two propane tanks, the one I am currently using and a back up for just in case I run out of fuel. This protects me from the off chance that I could run out when I need the fuel the most. Maybe I am a bit neurotic but I like to be prepared. It's like ensuring to save your work while writing. Nothing worse than losing an hour or two worth of writing (or even worse) when the power cuts out. I have to say the power outage here earlier this week could have been an ugly experience if I had been writing at the time.
I should have expected issues with this whole video set up this time around. Even yesterday while filming we ran into battery issues at the end. The camera we use has a built in battery and it had very little life left when we started filming. The smart thing would have been to check the battery life in preparation of filming (but that would be too easy).
The lesson to take away from all this is definate. Cover your bases and have a contingency plan in place to cover the unforseen. Cause you never know the crazy stuff that can crop up to pull you down...
Time for a pint...
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
What is Craft?
A little while ago, I was having a conversation at the bar after work. The conversation was revolving around how the beers from a certain brewery had changed as they had gotten bigger. The point I was trying to make was that this growth was taking away from the quality of the product. The point my counterpart was stating was that isn't this where all businesses want to go? This isn't an isolated question, though it is not thought of in this manner often enough.
For better or worse, the world is changing (it seems to always be doing that). Mega Brands and Mega Corporations are on the way out. This is well illustrated in the beeroverse right now. Mass produced beers are losing ground while every day craft beer gains a stronger foothold. But are we facing a repeating cycle? With larger craft breweries expanding into new territories with additional breweries as well as enlarging their existing breweries, are they pushing themselves into the same realm as the mega brands? It can be a double edged sword. The stake holders want growth and profits but what is the cost of pushing your business in this direction? At what point does profit take precedence over product?
History repeats itself. When you look at the events of the last century and compare what was going on to the events of this century, you will find quite a bit of touching points. Just as what transpired in the beginning of the last century we are at a point where financial hardship is changing a bit of the landscape. But this is also a point where we also start to see some interesting differences.
In the 20th Century, Henry Ford used the assembly line to bring us mass production and reliable transportation. The assembly line made production faster, cheaper, more uniform, but at the expense of craftsmanship. Companies had to increase their product offering to fit more demographics (no one was safe from their marketing ploys). Craftsmen (and women but hey it was the early 20th century ... chicks didn't work outside the home) began to disappear. Specialty skills were not required for automation. Could it be that we were homogenized, dehumanized? Did Orwell's 1984 come to pass and we were so engrossed in buying the next best thing that we missed it entirely?
The revolution is a grass roots movement. It is so grass roots that for the most part no one realizes that they are already part of it. The slow food movement, do it yourselfers, the craft beer movement and others are interconnected. Without realizing what each individual movement means to the whole we have started a trend to return back to craftsmanship. Access to information has done nothing but strengthen the power of it all.
Somewhere along the line we had taken the word profits to mean quality of life. The information age has done wonders to show us how foolish we have been. It is entirely possible that as we reembrace our roots as craftspeople we may bring back a true quality of life where the finer things are just that, the finer things that enhance our lives, instead of ruling over them...
Time for a pint...
For better or worse, the world is changing (it seems to always be doing that). Mega Brands and Mega Corporations are on the way out. This is well illustrated in the beeroverse right now. Mass produced beers are losing ground while every day craft beer gains a stronger foothold. But are we facing a repeating cycle? With larger craft breweries expanding into new territories with additional breweries as well as enlarging their existing breweries, are they pushing themselves into the same realm as the mega brands? It can be a double edged sword. The stake holders want growth and profits but what is the cost of pushing your business in this direction? At what point does profit take precedence over product?
History repeats itself. When you look at the events of the last century and compare what was going on to the events of this century, you will find quite a bit of touching points. Just as what transpired in the beginning of the last century we are at a point where financial hardship is changing a bit of the landscape. But this is also a point where we also start to see some interesting differences.
In the 20th Century, Henry Ford used the assembly line to bring us mass production and reliable transportation. The assembly line made production faster, cheaper, more uniform, but at the expense of craftsmanship. Companies had to increase their product offering to fit more demographics (no one was safe from their marketing ploys). Craftsmen (and women but hey it was the early 20th century ... chicks didn't work outside the home) began to disappear. Specialty skills were not required for automation. Could it be that we were homogenized, dehumanized? Did Orwell's 1984 come to pass and we were so engrossed in buying the next best thing that we missed it entirely?
The revolution is a grass roots movement. It is so grass roots that for the most part no one realizes that they are already part of it. The slow food movement, do it yourselfers, the craft beer movement and others are interconnected. Without realizing what each individual movement means to the whole we have started a trend to return back to craftsmanship. Access to information has done nothing but strengthen the power of it all.
Somewhere along the line we had taken the word profits to mean quality of life. The information age has done wonders to show us how foolish we have been. It is entirely possible that as we reembrace our roots as craftspeople we may bring back a true quality of life where the finer things are just that, the finer things that enhance our lives, instead of ruling over them...
Time for a pint...
Monday, May 28, 2012
Memorial Day 2012
This day means different things to different people. For most, at the very least, it is a day off from the daily grind. But this bears little truth to the origins of where this day came from.
My wife's grandmother used to call it Decoration Day. It was the day we would go to the cemetary so she could put decorations on the graves. We originally thought that this was one of her odd ways (she was a strange duck, spirited full of spit and vinegar). I recently found that it wasn't her being odd, it was her being stubborn (very fitting actually). The original name of Memorial Day was Decoration Day. It came from a day originally set aside for honoring the soldiers that fought for both sides of the American Civil War.
Although the South didn't honor the day as much as it was honored in the North, it was after World War 1 that this changed. After WW1 the day was changed to honor those who died in any war. It wasn't until 1966 that President Lyndon Johnson officially declared Memorial Day (around 100 years from when the tribute had started). It was in 1971 that the National Holiday act placed the official day on the last Monday in May.
In the grand scheme of things, at my house, we question the need to set aside a specific day for honoring the dead and those who have sacrificed all for the greater good. We question the idea of Valentine's day as well (no we aren't monsters, I'm gonna explain it ya know). The question we should ask ourselves, shouldn't we honor the fallen daily? Shouldn't we show those we love how much we love them on a regular basis? We have become so programmed to have outside sources tell us how to live and believe and think that it seems we run on autopilot a bit too much.
Here is something else to float through your brain as you ponder those other questions. We spend most of our days filled with venom and seething, fighting against perceived wrongs. Is it possible that we might have a bit more energy on a daily basis to love and honor those around us and those who have come before us if we maybe changed our focus a bit?
I think I need a pint, I have a pool to clean...
My wife's grandmother used to call it Decoration Day. It was the day we would go to the cemetary so she could put decorations on the graves. We originally thought that this was one of her odd ways (she was a strange duck, spirited full of spit and vinegar). I recently found that it wasn't her being odd, it was her being stubborn (very fitting actually). The original name of Memorial Day was Decoration Day. It came from a day originally set aside for honoring the soldiers that fought for both sides of the American Civil War.
Although the South didn't honor the day as much as it was honored in the North, it was after World War 1 that this changed. After WW1 the day was changed to honor those who died in any war. It wasn't until 1966 that President Lyndon Johnson officially declared Memorial Day (around 100 years from when the tribute had started). It was in 1971 that the National Holiday act placed the official day on the last Monday in May.
In the grand scheme of things, at my house, we question the need to set aside a specific day for honoring the dead and those who have sacrificed all for the greater good. We question the idea of Valentine's day as well (no we aren't monsters, I'm gonna explain it ya know). The question we should ask ourselves, shouldn't we honor the fallen daily? Shouldn't we show those we love how much we love them on a regular basis? We have become so programmed to have outside sources tell us how to live and believe and think that it seems we run on autopilot a bit too much.
Here is something else to float through your brain as you ponder those other questions. We spend most of our days filled with venom and seething, fighting against perceived wrongs. Is it possible that we might have a bit more energy on a daily basis to love and honor those around us and those who have come before us if we maybe changed our focus a bit?
I think I need a pint, I have a pool to clean...
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Software:QBrew
I ran across the Q-Brew software through a Facebook post by the Screwy Brewer. So I installed the software and updates and started playing around with it. I have tested it against a couple of recipes I have already brewed and it is pretty close in accuracy to what my results were.
A big thing about this version of the software is its tie in to kits. If you are a kit brewer, quite a bit of the information from the various kit companies is present. From a beginning stand point this is great because you can easily start in with the habbit of recording your recipe information. It also allows for the possiblity of switching out kit pieces to formulate different beers than you might have with the stock kit.
The style list is done alphabetically instead of by BJCP style category. This is a disadvantage when you are brewing for competition and need the category number for your entry (inconvenient that you need to go to a different source for the info). But it does make it easier when you are getting ready on brew day and want the style parameters in a hurry.
Overall Q-Brew is simple and straight forward. It also has the added benefit of being open source so there is the added benefit of usability updates from the people who use it. Its worth a check out.
Time for a pint...
A big thing about this version of the software is its tie in to kits. If you are a kit brewer, quite a bit of the information from the various kit companies is present. From a beginning stand point this is great because you can easily start in with the habbit of recording your recipe information. It also allows for the possiblity of switching out kit pieces to formulate different beers than you might have with the stock kit.
The style list is done alphabetically instead of by BJCP style category. This is a disadvantage when you are brewing for competition and need the category number for your entry (inconvenient that you need to go to a different source for the info). But it does make it easier when you are getting ready on brew day and want the style parameters in a hurry.
Overall Q-Brew is simple and straight forward. It also has the added benefit of being open source so there is the added benefit of usability updates from the people who use it. Its worth a check out.
Time for a pint...
Friday, May 25, 2012
View from a Porch
It was the middle of the afternoon yesterday and out of the blue my power went out. It was a hot day and such so sure it could happen that maybe the old wiring in our house finally gave out. I grabbed a flash light and headed downstairs to the circuit box to flip some switches. Sadly, after checking them all I was still without power.
It turned out that either the grid was down or something had happened at the local sub station. The power was not only down where I live but also all the way into Kalamazoo. Turns out it was a perfect day to sit out on the back porch with a book and a beer.
Although the pool takes up a huge chunk of the center of our back yard, there is still quite a bit of room. It is probably my happy place during the summer to sit watching the clouds go by. Right now the one thing I am missing back there is my hammock (it died to one of my kids last summer and I haven't replaced it yet).
Here are a few pics of the sights that surrounded me while I was spending the day with the clouds, a beer, and a dog (Rascal, in case you are wondering)...
Hey whats that noise?
I swear there is a squirrel in that tree...
It does look like it is going to be another good day to have a pint out on the porch ...
It turned out that either the grid was down or something had happened at the local sub station. The power was not only down where I live but also all the way into Kalamazoo. Turns out it was a perfect day to sit out on the back porch with a book and a beer.
Although the pool takes up a huge chunk of the center of our back yard, there is still quite a bit of room. It is probably my happy place during the summer to sit watching the clouds go by. Right now the one thing I am missing back there is my hammock (it died to one of my kids last summer and I haven't replaced it yet).
Here are a few pics of the sights that surrounded me while I was spending the day with the clouds, a beer, and a dog (Rascal, in case you are wondering)...
Hey whats that noise?
It does look like it is going to be another good day to have a pint out on the porch ...
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Saint George and the Dragon
While reading the Rodenbach section in the book The Great Beers of Belgium Michael Jackson mentions a relation of beer to Saint George. Saint George is the patron saint of England but also much more than that. The myth protrays him as the slayer of the dragon. This is a story that many of us grew up with; stead fast knight saving the damsel. A plot that many stories find as their base.
Saint George became a hero of the Christian faith during the time of the Roman Empire. He was a Christian soldier in the Roman army, who eventually led a rebellion against Roman persecution of Christians. As is normal myths and legends tie together with reality in new and interesting ways.
Many of the knights who followed the Crusades took the mantel of St George. In the Christian faith the Dragon makes reference to the devil. Just as Saint George fought against persecution from the Romans, the Crusaders were charged with freeing the Holy Land from the Devils who were encroaching.
I know what you are thinking right now "Great history and stuff, but what does this have to do with beer?" Religion and myth aside, we should look for ties to fermented beverages. The Romans were wine drinkers, viewing beer as a foul, a drink of barbarians. As the Roman empire expanded through Europe grapes were planted, creating quite a few of the great wine regions we know today. Is it possible that St George encouraged the drinking of beer as part of the rebellion against the Romans? That seems a bit far fetched and out there, but at the same time if you look at protests of today it is not uncommon to boycott products from a company or items that represent a culture.
On the other side of the coin we find beers and breweries that embrace the word dragon. I have to wonder with these if they in some way are poking fun at the Temperance movement and Prohibition. The Temperance movement made claims of devil whiskey and alcohol being evil. Are we now thumbing our nose at these claims?
Today, we find quite a number of beers and breweries with names that pay homage to George and the Dragon. Whether or not these exist because of the myths and legends is up to the individual breweries.
I think its time for a pint
Saint George became a hero of the Christian faith during the time of the Roman Empire. He was a Christian soldier in the Roman army, who eventually led a rebellion against Roman persecution of Christians. As is normal myths and legends tie together with reality in new and interesting ways.
Many of the knights who followed the Crusades took the mantel of St George. In the Christian faith the Dragon makes reference to the devil. Just as Saint George fought against persecution from the Romans, the Crusaders were charged with freeing the Holy Land from the Devils who were encroaching.
I know what you are thinking right now "Great history and stuff, but what does this have to do with beer?" Religion and myth aside, we should look for ties to fermented beverages. The Romans were wine drinkers, viewing beer as a foul, a drink of barbarians. As the Roman empire expanded through Europe grapes were planted, creating quite a few of the great wine regions we know today. Is it possible that St George encouraged the drinking of beer as part of the rebellion against the Romans? That seems a bit far fetched and out there, but at the same time if you look at protests of today it is not uncommon to boycott products from a company or items that represent a culture.
On the other side of the coin we find beers and breweries that embrace the word dragon. I have to wonder with these if they in some way are poking fun at the Temperance movement and Prohibition. The Temperance movement made claims of devil whiskey and alcohol being evil. Are we now thumbing our nose at these claims?
Today, we find quite a number of beers and breweries with names that pay homage to George and the Dragon. Whether or not these exist because of the myths and legends is up to the individual breweries.
I think its time for a pint
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Geneology
In my family, we have known for a long time that we were one of the founding families of Schenectady, New York (though at the time it was New Amsterdam). You see, my mother's family name ,Bradt, stems from the Bratts that traveled to America from Norway via Holland. When we look at where we are now, we no longer have ties to this other than history. Much of the family (as in my mother and her siblings) are now in Michigan with their children scattered to other areas of the country.
One of my sisters has been doing research for her web designs classes. Due to my involvement with beer and brewing she has used me as a basis for a bit of her research. During this research she also uncovered an interesting tidbit about the family in their original settlement.
Arent Andriese Bratt was one of the original proprietors of Schenectady in 1662. Now this is the part that we are only now discovering. It turns out that the Bratts of this time period were brewers. Not only did they have their farmland as part of their allotment for being first settlers but they also had the brewhouse on their land.
I am thinking the brewery went the way of many of the breweries of the time (lost to obscurity). But I am starting to search for info that might lead me to some glimmers of what they might have done. It would be interesting to find out if they actually did production work that went outside of the family and such. If on the odd chance I can find some info for some of the brews done at their brewery, I might be able to recreate a brew or two.
With that said, I think its time for a pint...
One of my sisters has been doing research for her web designs classes. Due to my involvement with beer and brewing she has used me as a basis for a bit of her research. During this research she also uncovered an interesting tidbit about the family in their original settlement.
Arent Andriese Bratt was one of the original proprietors of Schenectady in 1662. Now this is the part that we are only now discovering. It turns out that the Bratts of this time period were brewers. Not only did they have their farmland as part of their allotment for being first settlers but they also had the brewhouse on their land.
I am thinking the brewery went the way of many of the breweries of the time (lost to obscurity). But I am starting to search for info that might lead me to some glimmers of what they might have done. It would be interesting to find out if they actually did production work that went outside of the family and such. If on the odd chance I can find some info for some of the brews done at their brewery, I might be able to recreate a brew or two.
With that said, I think its time for a pint...
Monday, May 21, 2012
Farm Tour: Hop Head Farms
We always think that we have so much to do, and we wonder how we will ever get it done. When you see the amount of work that needs to be done on the hop farm you realize that you really don't have quite as much to do as you once thought. We spent a few hours at Hop Head Farms yesterday, helping to plant some hops.
HHF is in Hickory Corners Michigan not too far from Gilmore Car Museum (had to add the link cause the car museum is actually pretty cool). The farms current planting covers 15 acres and the varietels of Magnum, Nugget, Chinook, Centenniel, and Cascade. The planting we were doing yesterday was a bit of the Centenniel plantings.
The farms ownership team. Mind you this was after spending a few hours in the sun so we were all a bit sun beaten and dusty.
This is a good portion of the Centenniel that need to be planted. We planted roughly 6 or so flats.
The ropes that will be used in the trellis for the hop bines to grow on.
This view of the hopfield doesn't really give you the full impact of just how many plants will be growing .
This is the platform that will be used during the harvest.
Main support trellis lines.
Setting in planting holes
And now it is time for a pint...
HHF is in Hickory Corners Michigan not too far from Gilmore Car Museum (had to add the link cause the car museum is actually pretty cool). The farms current planting covers 15 acres and the varietels of Magnum, Nugget, Chinook, Centenniel, and Cascade. The planting we were doing yesterday was a bit of the Centenniel plantings.
The farms ownership team. Mind you this was after spending a few hours in the sun so we were all a bit sun beaten and dusty. 
The ropes that will be used in the trellis for the hop bines to grow on.This view of the hopfield doesn't really give you the full impact of just how many plants will be growing .
This is the platform that will be used during the harvest.
Main support trellis lines. 
Setting in planting holes
And now it is time for a pint...
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Brewery Tours: Bell's Production Brewery Expansion
At the start of Craft beer week Bell's Brewery officially opened their new expansion, culminating with a walk through open house during the weekend. The new 200 barrel brew system will enable them to reach a capacity of 500,000 barrels per year.
This is pretty impressive, but it was when I read their brochure and saw how much grain their new silo system can go through that I was floored. Their new system can crush approximately 2000 lbs of grain in 4 minutes. On their old 50 barrel system, this took roughly an hour. On my home system it takes about 20 minutes to crush 12 lbs with my hand crank crusher.
This part isn't set yet but will feature three open oak fermenting vats
Still part of the old system, the bottling line.
This is pretty impressive, but it was when I read their brochure and saw how much grain their new silo system can go through that I was floored. Their new system can crush approximately 2000 lbs of grain in 4 minutes. On their old 50 barrel system, this took roughly an hour. On my home system it takes about 20 minutes to crush 12 lbs with my hand crank crusher.
Still part of the old system, the bottling line.
The really cool part of the new brew house, it is designed as a show piece. I would imagine that future tours of the brewery will go from the downtown Kalamazoo brewhouse and Eccentric Cafe to the Comstock production brewery or maybe vice versa.
Time for a pint...
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Events: World Expo of Beer
I am going to start this today with a couple of apologies. First and foremost, I forgot my camera yesterday (ya it happens) so I did not get any pics of the WEB happenings. And secondly, I also apologize for not gracing you all with my words of wit and wisdom (cause yes I am that important and you hang on my everyword), I was at the WEB and it was a great day of beer.
What is the WEB you ask? It is one of the biggest summer beer festivuls in Michigan. The World Expo is a fund raising event put on by the Frankenmuth Jaycees. It has been happening for the past 10 years and features not only Michigan breweries but breweries from around the world (though with the huge Michigan beer scene, we are starting to take over the thing in a big way). The proceeds from the event go to a number of charities.
I showed up a few hours early for my volunteer shift because I wanted to get a glimpse of the set up work as well as the event itself (of course forgetting my camera was a bit annoying). This did give me an opportunity to catch up with a few old friends and meet some new ones. I spent a few minutes talking shop with Paul Starr from I'm a beer hound. Check out the page, they have some good stuff happening over there.
I worked the Schmohz booth so I will start my tasting notes from there. They brought Hopknocker (Imperial IPA 10%), Bone Crusher (Stout 7%), John T Pilsner (Pilsner 4.5%), Amber Tease (American Amber 5%), Treasure Chest (ESB 5%), Razzmanian Devil ( Raspberry Wheat 5%). Of course working the booth I "had" to try them all, a couple of them required several samples to ensure they took. The Caramel of the Amber Tease was amazing. And the Hopknocker had some hop notes I couldn't lay my finger on so I had to resample to try and pin them down.
The Schmohz booth was next to Arcadia Ales and Blue Moon. Blue Moon did a couple special tappings during the event on Friday night. The big one was 7pm when they tapped their peanut butter wheat. It was a bit wierd and I am not a fan of wierd unless their flavors make them something special. I have to say this beer was actually really good. The flavor profile was reminiscent of fresh roasted ball park peanuts. Well, that is until you did a fun combo. The Razzmanian Devil at the Schmohz booth mixed with the Blue Moon Peanut butter wheat made a really cool peanut butter and jelly sammich.
I slipped over to the other side of the pavilion and invaded the B'Nektar booth, scoring a sample of Zombie Killer (Cherry Cysor 5.5%). I have to say this be some tasty stuff. Find it, drink it, you won't be dissappointed.
The last tasting of note comes from Dragonmead, At the close of event, there is an after party for the volunteers in the special reserve pavilion. One of the beers on tap was the Holy Smoke (German style Rauchbier 4.9%) from Dragonmead. The smokiness was strong but tasty, it made the perfect paring with the pulled pork I had for dinner.
I feel some good was accomplished through out the night when I managed to share with those who had the mind set that they hated beer, some beers they might not have sampled otherwise. At the Schmohz booth the Razzmanian was a big seller (its light and fruity without being sweet). You could see them coming (mostly girls) kinda shy, afraid to say anything other than "Um, can I try the Raspberry" or even worse "What do you have that's light?" Some I was able to steer toward the Amber Tease (great caramel) as well as the Razzmanian. But it wasn't until close to closing time that three girls came to the booth, the first slammed her ticket onto the top of the jockeybox and said without hesitation "Bone Crusher!" It was a great moment.
I do believe that it is now time for a pint...
What is the WEB you ask? It is one of the biggest summer beer festivuls in Michigan. The World Expo is a fund raising event put on by the Frankenmuth Jaycees. It has been happening for the past 10 years and features not only Michigan breweries but breweries from around the world (though with the huge Michigan beer scene, we are starting to take over the thing in a big way). The proceeds from the event go to a number of charities.
I showed up a few hours early for my volunteer shift because I wanted to get a glimpse of the set up work as well as the event itself (of course forgetting my camera was a bit annoying). This did give me an opportunity to catch up with a few old friends and meet some new ones. I spent a few minutes talking shop with Paul Starr from I'm a beer hound. Check out the page, they have some good stuff happening over there.
I worked the Schmohz booth so I will start my tasting notes from there. They brought Hopknocker (Imperial IPA 10%), Bone Crusher (Stout 7%), John T Pilsner (Pilsner 4.5%), Amber Tease (American Amber 5%), Treasure Chest (ESB 5%), Razzmanian Devil ( Raspberry Wheat 5%). Of course working the booth I "had" to try them all, a couple of them required several samples to ensure they took. The Caramel of the Amber Tease was amazing. And the Hopknocker had some hop notes I couldn't lay my finger on so I had to resample to try and pin them down.
The Schmohz booth was next to Arcadia Ales and Blue Moon. Blue Moon did a couple special tappings during the event on Friday night. The big one was 7pm when they tapped their peanut butter wheat. It was a bit wierd and I am not a fan of wierd unless their flavors make them something special. I have to say this beer was actually really good. The flavor profile was reminiscent of fresh roasted ball park peanuts. Well, that is until you did a fun combo. The Razzmanian Devil at the Schmohz booth mixed with the Blue Moon Peanut butter wheat made a really cool peanut butter and jelly sammich.
I slipped over to the other side of the pavilion and invaded the B'Nektar booth, scoring a sample of Zombie Killer (Cherry Cysor 5.5%). I have to say this be some tasty stuff. Find it, drink it, you won't be dissappointed.
The last tasting of note comes from Dragonmead, At the close of event, there is an after party for the volunteers in the special reserve pavilion. One of the beers on tap was the Holy Smoke (German style Rauchbier 4.9%) from Dragonmead. The smokiness was strong but tasty, it made the perfect paring with the pulled pork I had for dinner.
I feel some good was accomplished through out the night when I managed to share with those who had the mind set that they hated beer, some beers they might not have sampled otherwise. At the Schmohz booth the Razzmanian was a big seller (its light and fruity without being sweet). You could see them coming (mostly girls) kinda shy, afraid to say anything other than "Um, can I try the Raspberry" or even worse "What do you have that's light?" Some I was able to steer toward the Amber Tease (great caramel) as well as the Razzmanian. But it wasn't until close to closing time that three girls came to the booth, the first slammed her ticket onto the top of the jockeybox and said without hesitation "Bone Crusher!" It was a great moment.
I do believe that it is now time for a pint...
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Interconnected
So I tried to be super cool and geeky and get a link for this, but it seems all the links I could find were nothing of what I was looking for. So I will just make the reference without a link and you can all go out and find it for yourselves (but this is a minor reference so I have now made more of it then it calls for at this time already). In his book Brewin Up a Business, Sam Calagione, talks at one point of spending time with information outside of the beer industry while building his brewery. This is some great advice not only for those looking to build a brewing or beer related business but for those looking to succeed in any area.
The definition of insanity still holds at doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting different results. This is a trite answer but its truth is still relevant. Focusing solely into one area can lead you down a path of continually making the same mistakes. Whats worse is you don't even know you are making those mistakes. A good beer judge knows to reenergize their palate and nose by turning away and smelling something different or tasting something like a cracker. It is in this process that they can be refreshed to reapproach the sample before them.
I like to keep up with the happenings over at Geek and Sundry. I am a big fan of the guild (I still have friends how are very much like these guys) and Will Wheaton's show Tabletop is great. Last night I was catching up on Sword and Lazer. The show is one about sci fi and fantasy books, where the hosts can take an indepth look at the stories (this is starting to sound familier).
One of the episodes I caught last night brought some insite that was resting in the back of my mind. A question posed to the author they were interviewing on this episode posed how much he might be reading solely for pleasure. His answer pretty much brought out alot of my own thoughts. When you become mired in what you do, you can lose site of the reasons why you were there in the first place.
This isn't to say that you loose your passion or your love for what you are doing (but you can get to that point). What can and does happen though, it comes to a point at times when you find you just don't have the time to do it solely for the pleasure of doing it.
Time for a pint...
The definition of insanity still holds at doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting different results. This is a trite answer but its truth is still relevant. Focusing solely into one area can lead you down a path of continually making the same mistakes. Whats worse is you don't even know you are making those mistakes. A good beer judge knows to reenergize their palate and nose by turning away and smelling something different or tasting something like a cracker. It is in this process that they can be refreshed to reapproach the sample before them.
I like to keep up with the happenings over at Geek and Sundry. I am a big fan of the guild (I still have friends how are very much like these guys) and Will Wheaton's show Tabletop is great. Last night I was catching up on Sword and Lazer. The show is one about sci fi and fantasy books, where the hosts can take an indepth look at the stories (this is starting to sound familier).
One of the episodes I caught last night brought some insite that was resting in the back of my mind. A question posed to the author they were interviewing on this episode posed how much he might be reading solely for pleasure. His answer pretty much brought out alot of my own thoughts. When you become mired in what you do, you can lose site of the reasons why you were there in the first place.
This isn't to say that you loose your passion or your love for what you are doing (but you can get to that point). What can and does happen though, it comes to a point at times when you find you just don't have the time to do it solely for the pleasure of doing it.
Time for a pint...
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Wild Brews
Well maybe not quite as wild...
I have been considering adding some soured beers the line up, but have been putting off the purchase of all the additional equipment that will be needed to do it safely. Well, that is until I had a spark of inspiration recently. You see, I have had a 3 gallon carboy just sitting in the brewery for a long time now. I have used it on a couple occasions where I have needed to blend different ferments.
This carboy will be the perfect size to treat like an oak cask. The technique is similar to the birth of a sour dough starter. I will make the base beer, then let it sour, and then pull off a portion to blend with a new beer. The amount I pull off will be replaced by the unblended beer ensuring new material for the beasties to feast upon on a regular basis. I will be adding oak chips into the mix to give it some of the flavor notes of a true oak cask as well. If I can pick it up, I plan to use WLP American Farmhouse blend from White Labs, for the souring blend.
The beers that I make from this starter I will be bottling only. For one it seems a bit more traditional to referment in the bottle. And then the more important safety reason, I still need to protect my tap lines and keep them away from contamination. I have no real desire to force carbonate these beers.
I am still debating on the malts I will use for these beers. I have concerns that darker malts will affect the colors of following beers. Of course if I take the approach that the beers made from this will always be a bit different and I throw repeatability out the window, it can make for some interesting future brews.
I think it is now time for a pint, I have some beers to plan...
I have been considering adding some soured beers the line up, but have been putting off the purchase of all the additional equipment that will be needed to do it safely. Well, that is until I had a spark of inspiration recently. You see, I have had a 3 gallon carboy just sitting in the brewery for a long time now. I have used it on a couple occasions where I have needed to blend different ferments.
This carboy will be the perfect size to treat like an oak cask. The technique is similar to the birth of a sour dough starter. I will make the base beer, then let it sour, and then pull off a portion to blend with a new beer. The amount I pull off will be replaced by the unblended beer ensuring new material for the beasties to feast upon on a regular basis. I will be adding oak chips into the mix to give it some of the flavor notes of a true oak cask as well. If I can pick it up, I plan to use WLP American Farmhouse blend from White Labs, for the souring blend.
The beers that I make from this starter I will be bottling only. For one it seems a bit more traditional to referment in the bottle. And then the more important safety reason, I still need to protect my tap lines and keep them away from contamination. I have no real desire to force carbonate these beers.
I am still debating on the malts I will use for these beers. I have concerns that darker malts will affect the colors of following beers. Of course if I take the approach that the beers made from this will always be a bit different and I throw repeatability out the window, it can make for some interesting future brews.
I think it is now time for a pint, I have some beers to plan...
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Thoughts on style
In my normal round up of readings I ran across this piece from Jeff Alworth at Beervana. Of course his post discusses the question of whether a beer is authentic or to style. If you spend time around anyone who gets a bit geeky about beer you will find the style discussion to come up on a fairly regular basis.
Its kinda funny when you think about how easily a discussion of beer styles can overwhelm people and put them in a place where they are committed to holding ground and fighting to their last breath to defend their position. You don't see this battle quite as vehemently fought in any other form of food or beverage item.
In cuisines you have a good number of different regional styles. But they are not marked by the technique used to make them. They are showcased more in the various ingredients that make up the individual dish. Compare paella to jambalaya. They are essentially the same dish, separated more by the ingredients that go into them than they are by techniques used to achieve the finished dish. But which is the more authentic?
In the 1970s there was a wine challenge between the US and France. For quite some time it was believed that the US wine market was filled with inferior quality mass market wines. It was during this tasting that the US wines scored higher than their counterparts from France, beating them out as the more true to style wines. But did this make the US wines authentic?
Just a few years ago, Jolly Pumpkin beat breweries from Belgium by having the better Belgian styled beers. Jolly Pumpkin is brewery in Michigan which is more populated by people of German, Native American, Dutch, Scandinavian and on and on than it is by those of Belgian descent. Does this mean that their beer is not authentic?
So often we try to compare apples to oranges and claim that they are not ducks. But in the end we are so caught up in looking at the wrong things that we have no idea what it is we are looking at. Though a duck is neither an apple nor an orange, the apple and orange are still fruits that grow on trees. Authenticity finds validity in the final product more so than the path to get there.
I do believe that it is time for a pint...
Its kinda funny when you think about how easily a discussion of beer styles can overwhelm people and put them in a place where they are committed to holding ground and fighting to their last breath to defend their position. You don't see this battle quite as vehemently fought in any other form of food or beverage item.
In cuisines you have a good number of different regional styles. But they are not marked by the technique used to make them. They are showcased more in the various ingredients that make up the individual dish. Compare paella to jambalaya. They are essentially the same dish, separated more by the ingredients that go into them than they are by techniques used to achieve the finished dish. But which is the more authentic?
In the 1970s there was a wine challenge between the US and France. For quite some time it was believed that the US wine market was filled with inferior quality mass market wines. It was during this tasting that the US wines scored higher than their counterparts from France, beating them out as the more true to style wines. But did this make the US wines authentic?
Just a few years ago, Jolly Pumpkin beat breweries from Belgium by having the better Belgian styled beers. Jolly Pumpkin is brewery in Michigan which is more populated by people of German, Native American, Dutch, Scandinavian and on and on than it is by those of Belgian descent. Does this mean that their beer is not authentic?
So often we try to compare apples to oranges and claim that they are not ducks. But in the end we are so caught up in looking at the wrong things that we have no idea what it is we are looking at. Though a duck is neither an apple nor an orange, the apple and orange are still fruits that grow on trees. Authenticity finds validity in the final product more so than the path to get there.
I do believe that it is time for a pint...
Monday, May 14, 2012
Queso Blanco: First Attempt
Here is some quick pics of my first attempt at queso blanco. I will most likely be making some enchiladas tonight to test it out. If all goes well I will be doing a post in the near future showcasing this cheese a bit more.
The initial sampling of the cheese was decent. A fresh milky flavor but fairly bland (hence the name). It should be interesting to see how it performs later.
The finished curd does bear a striking resemblance to cottage cheese.
Time for a pint while the cheese drains...
The initial sampling of the cheese was decent. A fresh milky flavor but fairly bland (hence the name). It should be interesting to see how it performs later.
The finished curd does bear a striking resemblance to cottage cheese.
Time for a pint while the cheese drains...
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Craft Beer Week
Its Mother's day. Have you thanked your mother yet for not knocking the living daylights out of you for all the dumb stuff you did as a kid? I have spent the day getting dinner ready for my mother and my wife. We got the garden planted last night (at least the start of it). This is pretty much the usual mother's day present that my wife gets, flowers and such for the yard to make it pretty for the summer.
This seems to be a pretty low way to start the celebration that will be American Craft Beer Week this coming week. From the 14th to the 20th look around to find different events at your locals. I know the week will be huge for me, or at least the end of it. The World Expo of Beer is happening this next weekend. I will be working the event on Friday this year. Aside from just the opportunity of going to the event, I get to see a bit of the behind the scenes stuff that goes into making events like this happen.
This should be a good week.
Time for a pint...
This seems to be a pretty low way to start the celebration that will be American Craft Beer Week this coming week. From the 14th to the 20th look around to find different events at your locals. I know the week will be huge for me, or at least the end of it. The World Expo of Beer is happening this next weekend. I will be working the event on Friday this year. Aside from just the opportunity of going to the event, I get to see a bit of the behind the scenes stuff that goes into making events like this happen.
This should be a good week.
Time for a pint...
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Brew Day: Belgian Strong Golden
It's been a fairly busy day today. I didn't have a chance to get most of the preliminary work down before I was able to start brewing prior to today, so I spent a bit of time getting ready to brew earlier today. One of the biggest items was the candi sugar. I had to get that caramelized and ready before I was even ready to think about touching brewing liquor to grain.
For the candy sugar I have been looking for a way to thin it down a bit so it would still be liquid(ish) when I went to brew with it. Of course, it is the most simple of methods that work the easiest. After I reached the temp I wanted I added a little hot water to thin it down. Aside from the steam bath that ensued it worked out quite well. It was super easy to add to the wort.
At this time the wort is bubbling nicely.
Here are the spruce tips that will be going into the boil shortly.
For the candy sugar I have been looking for a way to thin it down a bit so it would still be liquid(ish) when I went to brew with it. Of course, it is the most simple of methods that work the easiest. After I reached the temp I wanted I added a little hot water to thin it down. Aside from the steam bath that ensued it worked out quite well. It was super easy to add to the wort.
Here are the spruce tips that will be going into the boil shortly.
Recipe:
13lbs Pale Ale malt (2 row)
2 lbs Candi Sugar (sugar caramelized to 300 degrees f)
.5 oz (7aa) Sterling 60 min
.5 oz (7aa) Sterling 30 min
2 oz Spruce tips 20 min
1 oz (4.1 aa) Hallertau 5 min
Step mash
10 min at 110 degrees
1 hour at 149 degrees
Mash out at 165 Degrees
5 Gallon batch
Time for a pint while I finish this brew up...
Friday, May 11, 2012
Samplings
I spent a few hours at a friends house last night, sharing some beers and just hanging out. This friend is one of my friends that has ties to Germany. So its always a good time when I have some German style beers ready to share. Last night's tasting group consisted of Rum Rebellion, Da Rye, Session Bitters, and the dopplebock.
Through the course of the night we talked about beer styles and a little bit about contests. It was when we were drinking the Rum Rebellion that brought into this discussion. You see, from the time I started entering beers into contests I started placing my beers into two different categories at home; contest beers and non-contest beers.
The categories are pretty straight forward when you understand how I work it. The non-contest beers are experimental and are hard to truely define their category. Rum Rebellion is one of these types of beers. It is based on an ESB but after it has sat on oak it becomes something completely different; the sum of its parts adds up to an entirely new whole. They don't really fall into the style they belonged to originally. Tequila Sunset (my agave wheat) follows the same pattern. It is a great beer but it doesn't really fall into the wheat category anymore (the melding of the agave nectar to the base beer turns it into something else entirely).
Contest beers are pretty straight forward. These are beers that are meant to be brewed to style. I brew these because I enjoy trying to emulate the style in question but also to test myself and build skills as a brewer. These beers require a bit more attention to the finer details of the style itself.
Having chosen to step away from competing this year has given me a chance to explore quite a few more beer styles than I might have otherwise. Its given me some new perspective and insites that don't show up as easily when you are scrambling to meet entry deadlines and such. I am also getting a chance now to explore the contest environment from a different perspective (I have some time to work as a steward finally).
Sometimes in brewing as in life, it helps to step back a little and take a proverbial breath so you can look at everything in a new light. That step might be just the difference between mired in the process and opening your mind to new opportunities.
Time for a pint...
Through the course of the night we talked about beer styles and a little bit about contests. It was when we were drinking the Rum Rebellion that brought into this discussion. You see, from the time I started entering beers into contests I started placing my beers into two different categories at home; contest beers and non-contest beers.
The categories are pretty straight forward when you understand how I work it. The non-contest beers are experimental and are hard to truely define their category. Rum Rebellion is one of these types of beers. It is based on an ESB but after it has sat on oak it becomes something completely different; the sum of its parts adds up to an entirely new whole. They don't really fall into the style they belonged to originally. Tequila Sunset (my agave wheat) follows the same pattern. It is a great beer but it doesn't really fall into the wheat category anymore (the melding of the agave nectar to the base beer turns it into something else entirely).
Contest beers are pretty straight forward. These are beers that are meant to be brewed to style. I brew these because I enjoy trying to emulate the style in question but also to test myself and build skills as a brewer. These beers require a bit more attention to the finer details of the style itself.
Having chosen to step away from competing this year has given me a chance to explore quite a few more beer styles than I might have otherwise. Its given me some new perspective and insites that don't show up as easily when you are scrambling to meet entry deadlines and such. I am also getting a chance now to explore the contest environment from a different perspective (I have some time to work as a steward finally).
Sometimes in brewing as in life, it helps to step back a little and take a proverbial breath so you can look at everything in a new light. That step might be just the difference between mired in the process and opening your mind to new opportunities.
Time for a pint...
Thursday, May 10, 2012
More Space
I have thought for some time of adding cheese and sausage curing to the repertoire of what is made here at the house. The question that always come into play is where do you put all this stuff. When you break it down, we already have the fridge that is for family use (gotta have a place for food right). Then you add in the two beer fridges (1 is a built kegerator and the other is in process functioning as a lagering unit), and the freezers on these are both used for long term food storage. We figured we had enough storage for every day items, so we didn't really need the stand up freezer we have in the garage anymore.
Last night it hits me, with a temp control unit attached I can turn the freezer into a cheese cooler. I know in retrospect this seems obvious. But ya know, out of site is out of mind. This freezer is in our garage and we haven't been using it for a little while now. Sure I see it on brew days or any other time I am in the garage, but cheese isn't really on my mind at those times.
The really cool part about this is I won't really need to modify any of the shelving. Really the main part of this build out will be moving the freezer into the brewery (the basement) and then adding in the temp controller. This freezer isn't a frost free, so I don't even need to worry about it running defrost cycles that might disrupt my cooling times.
Last night it hits me, with a temp control unit attached I can turn the freezer into a cheese cooler. I know in retrospect this seems obvious. But ya know, out of site is out of mind. This freezer is in our garage and we haven't been using it for a little while now. Sure I see it on brew days or any other time I am in the garage, but cheese isn't really on my mind at those times.
The really cool part about this is I won't really need to modify any of the shelving. Really the main part of this build out will be moving the freezer into the brewery (the basement) and then adding in the temp controller. This freezer isn't a frost free, so I don't even need to worry about it running defrost cycles that might disrupt my cooling times.
There is also enough space in here that I have plenty of room for long term cheese and sausage aging. This means the possibilities are here for proscuito and parm among other products that take a long time to ripen.
Time for a pint...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
From Grape to Grain
I have been reading Michael Jackson's The Great Beers of Belgium. In the book he points out a few times similarities between beer and wine. Of course this is something the staunchest vinophile and cervesaphile will fight strongly against. But the evidence is there, and can not be denied. Now if you ask me, I do believe that the biggest similarity is the snobbery evidenced in both camps.
That is the unfortunate similarity. Now, when it comes to learning about both, to become an expert in both is a daunting undertaking. I find it a full time job just learning as much as I can about beer, and realize there is still tons more yet to learn. I can barely fathom trying to learn the same about wine at the same time.
The interesting thing to see here though, is when you give up your pretences and explore a little outside your focus, you will find a fresh new perspective. For me, I have a friend who is very knowledgable of wine but also loves good German styled beers. It makes for a good trade off when we can get together. To spend time together over a good pint or glass of wine is really what its all about, isn't it?
From a brewing perspective, wine is only essentially two ingredients; the grape and yeast. When you can explore the interplay of flavors of wine from a brewers perspective there is quite a bit to learn of how to bring out different flavors in your beers.
Time for a pint...
That is the unfortunate similarity. Now, when it comes to learning about both, to become an expert in both is a daunting undertaking. I find it a full time job just learning as much as I can about beer, and realize there is still tons more yet to learn. I can barely fathom trying to learn the same about wine at the same time.
The interesting thing to see here though, is when you give up your pretences and explore a little outside your focus, you will find a fresh new perspective. For me, I have a friend who is very knowledgable of wine but also loves good German styled beers. It makes for a good trade off when we can get together. To spend time together over a good pint or glass of wine is really what its all about, isn't it?
From a brewing perspective, wine is only essentially two ingredients; the grape and yeast. When you can explore the interplay of flavors of wine from a brewers perspective there is quite a bit to learn of how to bring out different flavors in your beers.
Time for a pint...
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
It could happen...
Today I did something kinda crazy, I made crackers. Crackers? Really? What and why would this have anything to do with beer or brewing? The simple answer would be that crackers can be made with yeast, so like beer they can have all the same necessary ingredients. But as always we never believe in simple answers.
There are some personal reasons why I did it but also there are some wider range reasons why others might want to do it. Among my personal reasons for making them I mark the fact that at my house we really like crackers. This isn't something I walked into blind, I have made them before (but not since I was in culinary school).
Something else occurred to me while I was rolling out the dough, the craft beer community tends to lean more towards a conservationist life style. Look at the breweries that have gone green. Or the home brewer who will find ways to repurpose items for use in their brewery.
Making products that you would just as easily be able to buy at the store is in a small way part of the whole process of living greener. We may be using engergy to create these products but at the same time we are throwing less post consumer waste into landfills. The time I just spent making my own crackers is time I spent making something I like but also doing a bit more to help with the environment (at least thats what I like to tell myself anyway).
The recipe I used was for a true soda cracker. This means that the only leavening agent in use was baking soda. (Here comes a little nerdism) Baking soda is a twice acting leavener. This means that two agents will work to get the chemical reaction that releases the gas to make the dough rise. One of these agents is acide (in the recipe that follows it is the vinegar). The other agent is heat. Which comes from the baking. Baking powder is different than baking soda in that it is only heat activated.
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There are some personal reasons why I did it but also there are some wider range reasons why others might want to do it. Among my personal reasons for making them I mark the fact that at my house we really like crackers. This isn't something I walked into blind, I have made them before (but not since I was in culinary school).
Something else occurred to me while I was rolling out the dough, the craft beer community tends to lean more towards a conservationist life style. Look at the breweries that have gone green. Or the home brewer who will find ways to repurpose items for use in their brewery.
Making products that you would just as easily be able to buy at the store is in a small way part of the whole process of living greener. We may be using engergy to create these products but at the same time we are throwing less post consumer waste into landfills. The time I just spent making my own crackers is time I spent making something I like but also doing a bit more to help with the environment (at least thats what I like to tell myself anyway).
The recipe I used was for a true soda cracker. This means that the only leavening agent in use was baking soda. (Here comes a little nerdism) Baking soda is a twice acting leavener. This means that two agents will work to get the chemical reaction that releases the gas to make the dough rise. One of these agents is acide (in the recipe that follows it is the vinegar). The other agent is heat. Which comes from the baking. Baking powder is different than baking soda in that it is only heat activated.
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Recipe:
4 Cups Flour
1 Cup Butter
3/4 Cup Milk
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Method
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together to ensure even mixing. Then using a dough mixer blend the butter in till you achieve pea sized pieces.
Add the milk and vinegar mixing till it starts to come together, turn out onto your work surface. Work the dough till it comes together (remember you are not trying to develop gluten like when you are making bread).
Roll out the dough till roughly 1/8 inch thick then using a ruler to make straight lines, cut out the crackers. After placing them on the baking sheet, lightly brush with water and sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Time for a pint...
Monday, May 7, 2012
Kegged: Cascadian Dark
I also bottled a case of the Dopplebock today. My plan is to age this hopefully for at least a year. It may not last that long mainly because it is tasty, but one can dream.
Moving into a few other thoughts...
My wife was curious about what a shandy is, so I mixed a little lemonade with the session bitters. Granted I am not a fan of such things but ... wow. The resulting combo was amazingly like lemon meringue pie. I was amazed at how well they went together. The underlying bitter backbone of the bitters meshed almost perfectly with the sour/sweet combo of the lemonade, the malt filled in the part of the bready crust. The flavor combo worked out incredibly well.
I do believe that it is now time for a pint...
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Big Brew 2012
Today is Big Brew day (as well as Cinco De Mayo and a few others). Big Brew is the day the American Homebrewers Association sets aside to celebrate national Home Brew Day (Big Brew is the first Saturday of the month of May). Every year home brew clubs have gatherings to brew the AHA recipe selected for the day and put on demonstrations to show how easy it is to pick up this great hobby.
The KLOB (Kalamazoo Libation of Brewers) staked out a bit of territory outside Bell's brewery's general store, where they got some batchs of brew going to demonstrate the process and of course spend time with people talking about beer. I don't know about you, but for me, this is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
I joined them for a little bit around mid boil, so I managed to get a few pics of the hard life of the home brewer in his semi-natural habitat (brew kettle working and beer in hand).
Though the skies are grey, it still turned out to be a great day for a brew.
Time for a pint...
The KLOB (Kalamazoo Libation of Brewers) staked out a bit of territory outside Bell's brewery's general store, where they got some batchs of brew going to demonstrate the process and of course spend time with people talking about beer. I don't know about you, but for me, this is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
I joined them for a little bit around mid boil, so I managed to get a few pics of the hard life of the home brewer in his semi-natural habitat (brew kettle working and beer in hand).
Though the skies are grey, it still turned out to be a great day for a brew.
Time for a pint...
Friday, May 4, 2012
Session 63: The Beer Moment...
At home I have several "beer moments." Or is it possible that it is just one long beer moment? It starts on brew day. The smell of cracked grain prepared to go into the mash, then the smells that emanate from the mash itself, its intoxicating. We move to the hops, each variety has a communal smell with an underlying scent that each calls their own. To end at the wort boiling away, the smell fills the room.
We then move on to the first taste of the unfermented wort, sweet and unrefined. There is an underlying bitterness that will eventually come into focus. Anticipation as we wait for the first sign of fermentation. Elation, to witness the strong fermentation. And then we come to day that the fermented beer goes to keg or to bottle. This taste of warm, flat beer, possibly something akin to the first beers at least in spirit if not flavor, it is a bit green still but the underlying flavors are starting to show themselves.
The first pint is poured. You examine the color, the clarity, the head, a touch critically; we are always our own worst critics. The aroma next, because its a wonder at how much it is the same yet different than when it was first made. The sum of the individual parts making something new. Finally, the first sip. The smells, the textures, the flavors all come together in that first sip, an explosion of experience. It takes all of that glass, well maybe one or two more, to explore fully the liquid you now have.
Time for a pint...
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The effect of terrior on beer regions (part 2)
Our first discussion covered a generalized look into the regions of Britain, Germany, and Belgium. In this discussion we move to a region that is now becoming a leader in beer style revolution, the US. The term revolution here is used in the context of change. The terrior of the US is not in any specific style, it falls into all possible combinations and changes the original styles to what is needed.
This concept falls into more than just beer. A good example of this is the birth of Cajun and Creole cooking. Louisiana was settled by a group called the Acadians (the original Cajuns). They were a group of French settlers that had originally had settlements in Canada, until the French and Indian war.
The land holders servents were, of course, fluent in French cooking methods, but they ran into problems. Its hard to tell the color of a roux in cast iron cookware. This was the birth of the black roux that is a hallmark in Cajun/Creole cooking today. Louisiana today is a melting pot of Mexican, African, and French cooking styles. Even though the combination is considered the Cajun/Creole cooking style it still comes from these other base styles.
This too falls into our history of beer. Many of the first breweries in the US were started by German immigrants. They too ran into issues with what they found here. The native 6 row barley was not quite suited to the same techniques they were used to, they had to make changes. They found that by using other available grains (corn and rice) they could get closer to the beers they knew at home. This gave birth to a new terrior in the realm of beer styles; a grain driven beer style.
Move a little bit forward on the time line and we encounter the Gold Rush of the 1840s. Boom towns popped up in California to support the miners. Of course what do thirsty miners need? Beer, and lots of it. The problem, even Northern California can be quite warm, too warm for traditionally brewed lagers. This was the birth of the California Common beer style (can't use steam beer cause thats trademarked). This is a lager that is brewed at ale temperatures. So we have a modified technique that creates a new yeast driven beer.
Modified technique you ask? Yep, this technique had been used for some time in the German region while brewing Kolsch and Alt biers. Both of these beers use ale yeast, but part of their brewing process involves lagering. Giving them both lager and ale qualities.
We now fast forward again to a time closer to now, the birth of the Craft Brewing Movement. How does this fit in with the discussion of terrior and style? This time period marked another moment of defining the US terrior of revolution or change. This marks drastic modifications to old styles at times turning them on their ear and recreating them in a new and different light. The Cascadian Dark style is a prime example of this.
I think its time for a pint...
This concept falls into more than just beer. A good example of this is the birth of Cajun and Creole cooking. Louisiana was settled by a group called the Acadians (the original Cajuns). They were a group of French settlers that had originally had settlements in Canada, until the French and Indian war.
The land holders servents were, of course, fluent in French cooking methods, but they ran into problems. Its hard to tell the color of a roux in cast iron cookware. This was the birth of the black roux that is a hallmark in Cajun/Creole cooking today. Louisiana today is a melting pot of Mexican, African, and French cooking styles. Even though the combination is considered the Cajun/Creole cooking style it still comes from these other base styles.
This too falls into our history of beer. Many of the first breweries in the US were started by German immigrants. They too ran into issues with what they found here. The native 6 row barley was not quite suited to the same techniques they were used to, they had to make changes. They found that by using other available grains (corn and rice) they could get closer to the beers they knew at home. This gave birth to a new terrior in the realm of beer styles; a grain driven beer style.
Move a little bit forward on the time line and we encounter the Gold Rush of the 1840s. Boom towns popped up in California to support the miners. Of course what do thirsty miners need? Beer, and lots of it. The problem, even Northern California can be quite warm, too warm for traditionally brewed lagers. This was the birth of the California Common beer style (can't use steam beer cause thats trademarked). This is a lager that is brewed at ale temperatures. So we have a modified technique that creates a new yeast driven beer.
Modified technique you ask? Yep, this technique had been used for some time in the German region while brewing Kolsch and Alt biers. Both of these beers use ale yeast, but part of their brewing process involves lagering. Giving them both lager and ale qualities.
We now fast forward again to a time closer to now, the birth of the Craft Brewing Movement. How does this fit in with the discussion of terrior and style? This time period marked another moment of defining the US terrior of revolution or change. This marks drastic modifications to old styles at times turning them on their ear and recreating them in a new and different light. The Cascadian Dark style is a prime example of this.
I think its time for a pint...
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The effect of terrior on beer regions
We have talked about it before, but as with anything beer related it is always good to explore subjects on multiple occasions. I am talking about terrior, specifically as it applies to beer. When you think of the concept as it relates to wine it can be pretty straight forward. Wine is essentially composed of two elements, grapes and yeast. And when you really think about it yeast is down played in its importance. In a way the sole purpose of the yeast is to ferment the main flavor component (the grapes). We could get into soil composition and the effects of different strains on overall flavor profile blah blah blah, but that is neither here nor there...
We are here for the beer.
The terrior of beer is a bit harder to pin down. When we look at beer production overall we can see that pretty much any beer can be made anywhere in the world, when we get the right materials in our hands. It is a matter of changing focus. The real terrior of beer comes more from the creation of styles than it does from the materials specifically.
When you break beer origins by the regions they came from you see the terrior of the style itself. There are specific reasons why specific beers were brewed in their region of origin. A case in point (brace yourself) sake. South west Asia does not really have a history of large fields of barley or wheat. The climate itself does not work as well for a hop region. What they do have is fields fit for growing rice. Some used to consider sake a form of wine, quite possibly because of the alcohol content and the fact that it contained none of the traditionally viewed ingredients of beer. Remember when you break beer down to its essential ingredients all you need is a grain, water, and a microbe to ferment it. Sake has all of this.
In the grand scheme of things we have three essential beer regions (prior to the craft beer movement which created another region). These three regions (aside from historical changes in geography) are Britain, Germany, and Belgium. I am generalizing these just a bit for now because they bear a much more indepth discussion about historical changes some other time).
In Britain the terrior of the beers falls into a category of water and hop driven flavors. The birthplace of IPAs and pale ales. Hops are treated as a flavoring component as much as a bittering component even in the darker beers. Famous water ways (Burton being a good example) are still replicated today in attempts at recreating styles. Yeast (ale) does play a role but it is merely a minor player.
In Germany the terrior falls into the malt. Regionally in Germany different styles have grown because of the different ways the malt has been produced. Look at the differences between a helles and a Vienna lager. Both are a light style but the malt is what plays the essential role in distinguishing the two. Germany is a land traditionally of noble hops. These hops are used for balancing the sweetness of the malt and a bit for spicing but still it is the malt that is the focus of the beers. Yeast (lager) does have its regional flavor profiles but in the end its purpose is to showcase the malt.
The last region we will talk about today, Belgium follows their own path. Belgium is a yeast oriented brewing region. Just as the other regions have distinctive tastes based on their own terrior, Belgian beers carry a distinct taste that is brought about primarily by the yeast. They may use all the other components to bring about different seasonings but if the yeast isn't right the beer isn't right. Even more so, this region still spontaneously ferments certain styles, yet another example of the terrior of the region.
I think it's time I had a pint all this thinking hurts....
We are here for the beer.
The terrior of beer is a bit harder to pin down. When we look at beer production overall we can see that pretty much any beer can be made anywhere in the world, when we get the right materials in our hands. It is a matter of changing focus. The real terrior of beer comes more from the creation of styles than it does from the materials specifically.
When you break beer origins by the regions they came from you see the terrior of the style itself. There are specific reasons why specific beers were brewed in their region of origin. A case in point (brace yourself) sake. South west Asia does not really have a history of large fields of barley or wheat. The climate itself does not work as well for a hop region. What they do have is fields fit for growing rice. Some used to consider sake a form of wine, quite possibly because of the alcohol content and the fact that it contained none of the traditionally viewed ingredients of beer. Remember when you break beer down to its essential ingredients all you need is a grain, water, and a microbe to ferment it. Sake has all of this.
In the grand scheme of things we have three essential beer regions (prior to the craft beer movement which created another region). These three regions (aside from historical changes in geography) are Britain, Germany, and Belgium. I am generalizing these just a bit for now because they bear a much more indepth discussion about historical changes some other time).
In Britain the terrior of the beers falls into a category of water and hop driven flavors. The birthplace of IPAs and pale ales. Hops are treated as a flavoring component as much as a bittering component even in the darker beers. Famous water ways (Burton being a good example) are still replicated today in attempts at recreating styles. Yeast (ale) does play a role but it is merely a minor player.
In Germany the terrior falls into the malt. Regionally in Germany different styles have grown because of the different ways the malt has been produced. Look at the differences between a helles and a Vienna lager. Both are a light style but the malt is what plays the essential role in distinguishing the two. Germany is a land traditionally of noble hops. These hops are used for balancing the sweetness of the malt and a bit for spicing but still it is the malt that is the focus of the beers. Yeast (lager) does have its regional flavor profiles but in the end its purpose is to showcase the malt.
The last region we will talk about today, Belgium follows their own path. Belgium is a yeast oriented brewing region. Just as the other regions have distinctive tastes based on their own terrior, Belgian beers carry a distinct taste that is brought about primarily by the yeast. They may use all the other components to bring about different seasonings but if the yeast isn't right the beer isn't right. Even more so, this region still spontaneously ferments certain styles, yet another example of the terrior of the region.
I think it's time I had a pint all this thinking hurts....
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Kegged: Dopplebock
Finally, after close to three months lagering, I have now kegged the dopplebock. It takes a couple days after carbonating (quick carbonating tends to stir things up) for the flavors to meld and show themselves in the best light. But as it is right now, it is pretty tasty. The first time I brewed this recipe I used a bit more Munich Malt with no Vienna Malt, so this current incarnation is a touch lighter than what I made before.
But by the look of it the finished beer turned out pretty nice. From this sample I was able to pick up a touch of the roastiness of the Munich (which is something I loved in the first version). I plan on bottling about half of this batch for aging and drinking the rest on draft.
Of course this now leaves me with a slight dilemma. I need a new beer to lager. The Cascadian will lager till around this time next week (when it will also be kegged). I just need something for long term cold aging. Probably a pilsner will be in order. Or I could do something crazy and make something akin to an American light lager (just cause I can). Coming up though, I will be brewing something more Belgian inspired. Its closer to some of the reading I have been doing lately.
Time for a pint...
Of course this now leaves me with a slight dilemma. I need a new beer to lager. The Cascadian will lager till around this time next week (when it will also be kegged). I just need something for long term cold aging. Probably a pilsner will be in order. Or I could do something crazy and make something akin to an American light lager (just cause I can). Coming up though, I will be brewing something more Belgian inspired. Its closer to some of the reading I have been doing lately.
Time for a pint...
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