No matter the change, there will always be opposition to it. Today the office of Regulatory Reinvention sent to Lansing a list of 72 recomendations to amend the Michigan Liquor control code. Some of the changes can be major boons for the growing craft beer industry.
A big one is the ability to hold a tasting room seperate from the production facility. This doesn't seem like much but when you look at the implications of what this can do, it is a bit mind boggling and has been needed for quite some time. In the past when a brewer out grows their production facility they need to build a bigger one. But at the same time they have to maintain their original one (usually because that is where their tasting room is) in order to supply beer to their tasting room in an economical manner. This in turn requires extra liscensing and even more insurance to cover each place.
Of course changes like this will always ruffle some feathers. At this time some in law enforcement and health and safety circles want more intensive scrutiny of the changes. This isn't surprising considering Michigan has some gargantuan liquor control laws. Hopefully, with last years win (allowing clubs to have meetings and share home brew in liscenced establishments) there is a shining light on the horizon.
I do believe it is time for a pint...
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Coloring Outside the Lines
I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but I am doing a bit of writing outside my pages here. I recently paid a visit to Kissell Brewing and that visit is now posted over at I'm a Beer Hound. Check it out (we all need some love every now and then).
Time for a pint...
Time for a pint...
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Video: Beer and Cheese Soup
Aside from the fact that this is a classic, its just pretty dog gone good. So what we have for this edition (doesn't that sound official... ok maybe not) is a bit o' soup, beer and cheese soup when you get down to it. You could go out and get a few beers just for this or, like me, you could just use what you have on hand already. As a note, in case you were wondering, the hoppiness of the dark IPA comes through quite nicely. If you aren't a fan of huge hops in your food you might want to go with something a bit softer, a dopplebock would work great.
Recipe:
1 medium onion (diced)
2 Carrots (diced)
1 stalk celery (diced)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 Bay leaves
3 cups Chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 12oz beer of choice (my cascadian dark worked out quite well)
1lb sausage
2 cups cheese (I like cheddar jack for this)
1/4 -1/2 cup flour (depending on how thick you want the soup to be)
1/4 cup of oil (more if you use extra flour)
Method:
Saute the veggies in the oil till soft and the onions are translucent (this is known as sweating the veggies).
Add the flour to create the roux, cooking till very lightly browned. Add the beer to deglaze and then the chicken stock mixing to break up any clumps and ensuring the roux is evenly distributed. Allow to come to a boil, stirring and scraping the sides and bottom of the pan (to prevent scorching). After it has come to a boil add the milk and allow it to heat through. Finally take the mixture off the heat and slowly add in the cheese mixing each addition till it is throughly melted. After the cheese add in the sausage.
Soups are always better the second day but you could just as well eat this the same day you make it.
I do believe it is now time for a pint and a bowl of soup.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Ownership
I spent a few hours hanging out with a couple friends last night. Who knew, I actually have a friend or two. I was a bad house guest, I didn't bring beer to share. Instead I had a couple of the beers from the fridge. For a long time I have had a schedule that would not allow me to hang out with most of the people I do know. It can be hard to live as a second shifter in a first shift world. Of course my choices for work tend to pull me in different directions than the mainstream anyway. These two are from some older groups of friends, so they tend to have more normal jobs (when you work in kitchens and such you tend to get friends who may not even know what the sun looks like).
So the friend who's house we were at had his fridge stocked with Blue Moon. He tends to like lighter, easier drinking beers. Nothin wrong with that, people will drink what they drink. So as we are catching up and making some general conversation, the conversation of course turns to the beer. He tells me that he stopped drinking beers from the big beers and wanted to support the smaller and better craft beers. Of course only recently he found out that Blue Moon is owned by Coors.
He then tells me that there have been some beers he really likes from Leinenkuegels. Of course the news that they are owned by Miller throws him off a bit. The sad thing is, this is something common with people who are not knee deep or more in the comings and goings of the beer industry. I know I would feel just about as lost in the places where they both work. Its a curse of the body of knowledge you surround yourself with.
The sad thing is these big beer conglomerates will not come right out and say who and what they own. They have advantage with the common person when it is not advertised who will be supported. Imagine if you will, what might transpire when AB Inbev takes over Modelo. This would almost literally be a world wide monopoly of light lager beer.
When it comes right down to it, it is a question of realizing that it matters. We have removed ourselves so far away from where our food and drink comes from that it has become possible for giants to gain the power they have. Think of all the things that Philip Morris holds (and worse aren't they owned by Nestle or some such?).
Now wait a minute, how did I get into cigarettes? It seems like a crazy jump doesn't it? But then who owns Philip Morris? When you start digging around you find that PMI is a spin off of Altria Group, who in turn owns a large voting interest in, of all things, SAB Miller. (Is your head spinning yet?) I mean, honestly, how can we expect to keep who and what straight with the smoke and mirrors these large compaies are throwing out.
If at some point we figure out who owns what, maybe we can figure out where everything actually comes from. The one thing I know for sure, the suits sitting behind a desk making changes left and right don't really care what it is you want to drink as long as somehow that money goes to them.
I do believe for me though, it is now time for a pint...
So the friend who's house we were at had his fridge stocked with Blue Moon. He tends to like lighter, easier drinking beers. Nothin wrong with that, people will drink what they drink. So as we are catching up and making some general conversation, the conversation of course turns to the beer. He tells me that he stopped drinking beers from the big beers and wanted to support the smaller and better craft beers. Of course only recently he found out that Blue Moon is owned by Coors.
He then tells me that there have been some beers he really likes from Leinenkuegels. Of course the news that they are owned by Miller throws him off a bit. The sad thing is, this is something common with people who are not knee deep or more in the comings and goings of the beer industry. I know I would feel just about as lost in the places where they both work. Its a curse of the body of knowledge you surround yourself with.
The sad thing is these big beer conglomerates will not come right out and say who and what they own. They have advantage with the common person when it is not advertised who will be supported. Imagine if you will, what might transpire when AB Inbev takes over Modelo. This would almost literally be a world wide monopoly of light lager beer.
When it comes right down to it, it is a question of realizing that it matters. We have removed ourselves so far away from where our food and drink comes from that it has become possible for giants to gain the power they have. Think of all the things that Philip Morris holds (and worse aren't they owned by Nestle or some such?).
Now wait a minute, how did I get into cigarettes? It seems like a crazy jump doesn't it? But then who owns Philip Morris? When you start digging around you find that PMI is a spin off of Altria Group, who in turn owns a large voting interest in, of all things, SAB Miller. (Is your head spinning yet?) I mean, honestly, how can we expect to keep who and what straight with the smoke and mirrors these large compaies are throwing out.
If at some point we figure out who owns what, maybe we can figure out where everything actually comes from. The one thing I know for sure, the suits sitting behind a desk making changes left and right don't really care what it is you want to drink as long as somehow that money goes to them.
I do believe for me though, it is now time for a pint...
Monday, June 25, 2012
Geeks of the World Unite
I am sure we don't have to go into this again but yes, I am a geek. I recently found out that at the geekiest convention of conventions, Gen Con, there will be a special tapping for a beer brewed especially for Gen Con. Yes, it's true, even geeks are jumping on the craft beer band wagon.
Although at this time the beer is not yet named, the brewery that will be brewing this special beer is Sun King Brewing Company out of Indianapolis, Indiana. The official Gen Con Facebook page has some pics up showing their tour of the Sun King facility.
Aside from the geek cred that this brings up, it also brings up an interesting thought about the community that craft beer invokes. With big beer it is more of a muscle push to shove their beer in your face by claiming that their beer is what quantifies the event. But with many craft brewers it is more of a group effort to design something that is felt represents the situation (as I sit here thinking of what I just said, I wonder how odd those sentences sound).
Now granted it is in no ones best interest for a brewery to work with just anyone to create something. The logistics alone would be horrendous. But when the event is big enough, and Gen Con is huge, the possibility of creating something to commemorate the event can be a huge thing for both the event and the brewery. Ya never know, this may go over so well that they create an annual event with a new tapping every year.
I think it may be time for a pint...
Although at this time the beer is not yet named, the brewery that will be brewing this special beer is Sun King Brewing Company out of Indianapolis, Indiana. The official Gen Con Facebook page has some pics up showing their tour of the Sun King facility.
Aside from the geek cred that this brings up, it also brings up an interesting thought about the community that craft beer invokes. With big beer it is more of a muscle push to shove their beer in your face by claiming that their beer is what quantifies the event. But with many craft brewers it is more of a group effort to design something that is felt represents the situation (as I sit here thinking of what I just said, I wonder how odd those sentences sound).
Now granted it is in no ones best interest for a brewery to work with just anyone to create something. The logistics alone would be horrendous. But when the event is big enough, and Gen Con is huge, the possibility of creating something to commemorate the event can be a huge thing for both the event and the brewery. Ya never know, this may go over so well that they create an annual event with a new tapping every year.
I think it may be time for a pint...
Back to Style...
This forever seems a subject we may never move away from. I recently ran across two great articles pertaining to the never ending discussion of style, each approaching from a different angle. The first from Jeff Alworth at Beervana, raises the question of our methods in brewing to recreate a style. Does the method matter or is it solely the final result that is truely important? Alan Mcleod at A Good Beer Blog, approachs from the stand point that a beer is the sum of its parts.
This brings to mind an episode of No Reservations. Right now I can't remember the exact episode (though I do believe it was one about China). In the episode there was a story of a traditional noodle maker. This man was a true craftsman, making noodles every day following the old traditions. The method was disfiguring for the noodle maker, a method that is dying out. At some point we may never have the opportunity to have these noodles again. But this doesn't mean that all of the good noodles are gone. It may even be possible to find noodles that are as good or even better than these particular noodles.
In the end though, isn't something intrinsically wrong with this whole idea. Sure Kraft Mac'n' Cheese is macaroni and cheese, but in the end it really isn't the same as something made with traditional ingredients used in a traditional manner. Maybe that is too extreme an example. How about something a bit closer to home? Originally, weren't beers like Budweiser (go figure Brewed originally by German immigrants) meant to be similar to the Pilsner lagers from the homeland? Maybe I am barking mad and these beers were meant to be only slightly akin (as in name only) to the beers that they once had a resemblance to.
It could be that I have odd notions that it was better in the old days. Or maybe there really is some truth in craftsmanship that we have long forgotten. Great and powerful change can happen for the better, but at the same time, this double edged sword can strike both ways. In our rush for change and progress it is possible to lose our way.
Time for a pint...
This brings to mind an episode of No Reservations. Right now I can't remember the exact episode (though I do believe it was one about China). In the episode there was a story of a traditional noodle maker. This man was a true craftsman, making noodles every day following the old traditions. The method was disfiguring for the noodle maker, a method that is dying out. At some point we may never have the opportunity to have these noodles again. But this doesn't mean that all of the good noodles are gone. It may even be possible to find noodles that are as good or even better than these particular noodles.
In the end though, isn't something intrinsically wrong with this whole idea. Sure Kraft Mac'n' Cheese is macaroni and cheese, but in the end it really isn't the same as something made with traditional ingredients used in a traditional manner. Maybe that is too extreme an example. How about something a bit closer to home? Originally, weren't beers like Budweiser (go figure Brewed originally by German immigrants) meant to be similar to the Pilsner lagers from the homeland? Maybe I am barking mad and these beers were meant to be only slightly akin (as in name only) to the beers that they once had a resemblance to.
It could be that I have odd notions that it was better in the old days. Or maybe there really is some truth in craftsmanship that we have long forgotten. Great and powerful change can happen for the better, but at the same time, this double edged sword can strike both ways. In our rush for change and progress it is possible to lose our way.
Time for a pint...
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Books
I have been reading He Said Beer, She Said Wine. From what I have seen so far, it is pretty informative. It has been a while since I have gone through any formal wine training, so the information that Marnie Old has put in the book has been a good brush up.
Although the book was written in 2008, for the most part pairing information does not change too much. One discrepency that I did notice was the use of the old tongue map. In this older training it was believed that certain parts of the tongue would specifically taste certain tastes (wow that sentence seems awkward). How about an example to bring this across a bit better. It was once believed that certain parts of your tongue were geared toward certain tasting notes (i.e. the tip picked up sweet, the back picked up bitter).
New studies have given evidence that our original thinking on this was a little off. It is now believed that the taste buds actually can find all five flavors equally. This article goes into pretty good detail about the whole tongue map issue (I would hope so since its all sciency and stuff). But I do digress...
Wow, how did I end up getting almost completely off topic? Anyway, the book is actually pretty good. I have gained a bit of new insight into what goes into making wine. A few tidbits: I knew that it is the skin of the grape that determines the color of the finished wine. The skin is what gives red wine the tannic flavors and its red color. I also knew that some white wine is made from red grapes but the skin and seeds are removed so that it stays crisp and clean with no tannins. Something I did not know, even with white grapes the skin and seeds are still removed to again keep away color and tannins.
If you haven't already, check out the book. It is well worth your time.
Speaking of time, we should all know what time it is now...
Although the book was written in 2008, for the most part pairing information does not change too much. One discrepency that I did notice was the use of the old tongue map. In this older training it was believed that certain parts of the tongue would specifically taste certain tastes (wow that sentence seems awkward). How about an example to bring this across a bit better. It was once believed that certain parts of your tongue were geared toward certain tasting notes (i.e. the tip picked up sweet, the back picked up bitter).
New studies have given evidence that our original thinking on this was a little off. It is now believed that the taste buds actually can find all five flavors equally. This article goes into pretty good detail about the whole tongue map issue (I would hope so since its all sciency and stuff). But I do digress...
Wow, how did I end up getting almost completely off topic? Anyway, the book is actually pretty good. I have gained a bit of new insight into what goes into making wine. A few tidbits: I knew that it is the skin of the grape that determines the color of the finished wine. The skin is what gives red wine the tannic flavors and its red color. I also knew that some white wine is made from red grapes but the skin and seeds are removed so that it stays crisp and clean with no tannins. Something I did not know, even with white grapes the skin and seeds are still removed to again keep away color and tannins.
If you haven't already, check out the book. It is well worth your time.
Speaking of time, we should all know what time it is now...
Friday, June 22, 2012
Brew Day: Tequila Blonde
This was an interesting brew day. After fighting with the past couple of days of running into so many different roadblocks to getting the brew going, I finally say that no matter what I will be brewing today. Sure enough, I run into a major road block. The brew pot is on the burner ready to heat up the water for the mash. Turn everything on and go to light the gas... nuttin. This does not boed well.
After roughly an hour of fighting and cussing at different apparatus I finally get some flame. It helps to have back ups, even for your burners. I finally had to break open my other turkey frier. Turned out that my older burner was gunked up from the occasions of boil overs (had an ugly one the last time I brewed but thats a different story). So now I will be working on getting that burner cleaned up and working again.
The main portion of this brew will be hit with bugs in a week or so, so that it can sit in secondary on oak getting all good and sour. It will be at that time that I bottle roughly 2 gallons as the Tequila Blonde (working title). Similar to the Tequila Sunset (a wheat beer brewed with agave), this beer is a belgian blonde brewed with agave. I have considered calling it Tequila Morning (but that seems a bit more geekish and trite than I normally like to be).
A little bit of video for some hot wort action...
Recipe:
12lbs Pale malt
1.5 lbs Agave Nectar
.5 lbs sugar (just straight on table sugar, I didn't even caramelize it)
.5 oz Sterling 7 aau 60 min
.5 oz Sterling 7aau 20 min
1oz Czec Saaz 3 aau 5 min
Method:
Dough in at 110 degrees
Sacchrification 150
Mash out 165
1.5 hour boil
When I go into secondary I will be adding priming sugar for the beers to be bottled as well as a bit more food for the bugs to munch on while it is working toward sour.
Time for a pint...
After roughly an hour of fighting and cussing at different apparatus I finally get some flame. It helps to have back ups, even for your burners. I finally had to break open my other turkey frier. Turned out that my older burner was gunked up from the occasions of boil overs (had an ugly one the last time I brewed but thats a different story). So now I will be working on getting that burner cleaned up and working again.
The main portion of this brew will be hit with bugs in a week or so, so that it can sit in secondary on oak getting all good and sour. It will be at that time that I bottle roughly 2 gallons as the Tequila Blonde (working title). Similar to the Tequila Sunset (a wheat beer brewed with agave), this beer is a belgian blonde brewed with agave. I have considered calling it Tequila Morning (but that seems a bit more geekish and trite than I normally like to be).
Recipe:
12lbs Pale malt
1.5 lbs Agave Nectar
.5 lbs sugar (just straight on table sugar, I didn't even caramelize it)
.5 oz Sterling 7 aau 60 min
.5 oz Sterling 7aau 20 min
1oz Czec Saaz 3 aau 5 min
Method:
Dough in at 110 degrees
Sacchrification 150
Mash out 165
1.5 hour boil
When I go into secondary I will be adding priming sugar for the beers to be bottled as well as a bit more food for the bugs to munch on while it is working toward sour.
Time for a pint...
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Video: Paneer
Today's video is for an Indian cheese called paneer (or panir). As is the normal when making cheese it requires an acid to release the curds from the way. This cheese is also a soft cheese with a short shelf life (roughly 2 weeks). But it is incredibly easy to make.
Recipe:
1 Gallon Whole Milk
1/2 Cup lemon juice (roughly 4 lemons) It is a good idea to have a little extra just in case.
Method:
Heat milk to a soft rolling boil. When you reach this stage lower the heat and add the lemon juice. Mix until a large curd begins to form (roughly 15 seconds). Remove from heat and let stand until the curd drops below the whey.
Drain the cheese into cheese cloth then rinse off the coagulant (the lemon juice). Tie up and allow to drain for a few hours.
Time for a pint...
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Discoveries
I am a big fan of a few of the shows that are popping up online that involve beer and brewing. Of course one of my favorites will always be Beer Punks, broadcast from the Radio Clutch network. How can you not be a fan of punk rock and beer.
Recently, I was digging through some shows on Youtube for Brewing TV. This is the station for Northern Brewer home brew supply store. It was one of their episodes that I turned to when I was looking for more info on brewing sours. (Now we attempt to come back to the point) So, recently, I was digging through some of their older episodes and I found one with John Palmer, who wrote How to Brew.
It was pretty cool to see the author talk about his book (gives you a bit more insight), but what I really got out of it was the website for the book. How to Brew the website gives an in depth overview of the book but also gives some charts that seem to have eluded me in the past.
This makes me wonder if its just the inability of men that causes us to avoid the directions entirely, that makes us want to skip out on what could be helpful information. Crazy as it is, because many times you can figure it out for yourself, but sometimes it is that little bit of extra information that will give you a bit more perspective. Go figure, sometimes you miss stuff just because you are sure you are on the right path already...
Time for a pint...
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Beer Pairing: Cascadian
I ran across an interesting cheese recently, Sartori's Bellavitano Espresso. The base cheese is an Italian styled farmhouse cheese. But for this particular cheese they take it one step further by hand rubbing fresh roasted espresso onto the rind of the cheese. The sweetness of the cheese is balanced by the roastiness of the espresso.
When I saw this cheese I immediately thought of the cascadian I have on tap. Of course when you look at the pairing suggestions (they have a well thought out website) you will find that the beers they suggest for this cheese include both porters and stouts (and of course no mention of black IPAs). Well they are from Wisconsin so I guess we can forgive them that oversight.
For the pairing I used both plain water crackers and black pepper and poppy water crackers. The differences in the crackers did about what you might expect. The plain allowed the flavors of the beer and the cheese to shine through. The black pepper added another layer of complexity to the tasting. In the end it was all good pairings.
I do believe it is now time for a pint...
When I saw this cheese I immediately thought of the cascadian I have on tap. Of course when you look at the pairing suggestions (they have a well thought out website) you will find that the beers they suggest for this cheese include both porters and stouts (and of course no mention of black IPAs). Well they are from Wisconsin so I guess we can forgive them that oversight.
For the pairing I used both plain water crackers and black pepper and poppy water crackers. The differences in the crackers did about what you might expect. The plain allowed the flavors of the beer and the cheese to shine through. The black pepper added another layer of complexity to the tasting. In the end it was all good pairings.
I do believe it is now time for a pint...
Monday, June 18, 2012
Spontaneous Fermentation Experiments
I don't know who might be old enough to remember this place but we were hit by a bit of nostalgia recently. It was over 20 years ago when my wife and I were dating (this November will be our 20th anniversary). One of the places we liked to go out to eat at was a place called Carlos Murpheys. Sure, it was a chain that died off in Michigan and probably everywhere else. The one we used to go to in Kalamazoo was replaced by TGI Fridays (essentially all that changed was the name really).
In the end though, Carlos has one thing I have not been able to find anywhere else. They had a pickled veg app platter. It had pickles, salsa, banana peppers, and the elusive pickled carrots. For the most part, you can find all this stuff fairly easily, except the carrots. On the rare occasion over the past two decades when I have found pickled carrots they have been sticks. The ones that we really liked were chips.
So now, still unable to find what we really want, we are forced to explore different options. It struck me recently that in my research into spontaneous fermentation and the various bacteria that can create different sour flavors, I should be able to make pickled carrots similar to the process I use to make sauerkraut.
Recipe:
1.5lb Carrots 1/8th inch thick slices
.5 lb pearl onion (peeled)
3 cloves Garlic
1Tablespoon pickling spice
50 gram Kosher Salt
1 liter water
Method:
Heat spices, garlic, salt and water to at least 160 degrees (to ensure the salt gets absorbed into the water). Cool and then pout over veggies ensuring they are covered. Weigh the whole thing down to ensure the veggies remain under the water line (very important). Cover the top of the container with seal wrap.
Leave in a coolish dark place for at least 1 week. If you have a fermentation room for ales, you will have the perfect environment for this. It is important to keep the temperature below 75 degrees to avoid the growth of harmful bacteria. The amount of the salt in the brine also helps to ensure that only beneficial bacteria grows.
In the end though, Carlos has one thing I have not been able to find anywhere else. They had a pickled veg app platter. It had pickles, salsa, banana peppers, and the elusive pickled carrots. For the most part, you can find all this stuff fairly easily, except the carrots. On the rare occasion over the past two decades when I have found pickled carrots they have been sticks. The ones that we really liked were chips.
So now, still unable to find what we really want, we are forced to explore different options. It struck me recently that in my research into spontaneous fermentation and the various bacteria that can create different sour flavors, I should be able to make pickled carrots similar to the process I use to make sauerkraut.
Recipe:
1.5lb Carrots 1/8th inch thick slices
.5 lb pearl onion (peeled)
3 cloves Garlic
1Tablespoon pickling spice
50 gram Kosher Salt
1 liter water
Method:
Heat spices, garlic, salt and water to at least 160 degrees (to ensure the salt gets absorbed into the water). Cool and then pout over veggies ensuring they are covered. Weigh the whole thing down to ensure the veggies remain under the water line (very important). Cover the top of the container with seal wrap.
Leave in a coolish dark place for at least 1 week. If you have a fermentation room for ales, you will have the perfect environment for this. It is important to keep the temperature below 75 degrees to avoid the growth of harmful bacteria. The amount of the salt in the brine also helps to ensure that only beneficial bacteria grows.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
A Rose by any other Name...
I am feeling a little bit like Andy Rooney right now. I very much want to go into a long winded (like I would do anything less) rant about the inanity of celebrity lines of beer. What's more, the beers in question are tied to musical groups or singers. You can't really say that it started with Badass Beer (Kid Rock's lager that was contract brewed by Michigan Brewing Company). Such things have happened for many years. Now Motorhead is pushing a line of beer called amazingly enough, Motorhead.
From a business stand point, you do gain an advantage when you diversify your investments. It helps to protect your financial portfolio. When there seems to be a major trend shift toward craft beer, it seems logical that you can gain a good foothold into something with growth potential this way. But it does cause you to wonder, other than the names, what exactly have the artists involved put into the life of the product. Most likely, they have marketed only their name (and of course with that their persona which technically has more market value than the actual star does on their own).
With that in mind, doesn't it seem said that in the end you will find quite a number of people will end up buying these beers solely because of the name involved. I confess that I bought Outhouse Water (supposedly cleaned waste water that was bottled for sale) when the company (cause I can't remember who bottled the stuff) offered the stuff for sale. Ya buy it just for the name to say that you did. I have to wonder just how long these beers will last once the novelty of the name wears off. Do they have the strength of a well brewed beer to support something more than a fanciful fad?
Before I get to cynical I think I might just find a pint...
From a business stand point, you do gain an advantage when you diversify your investments. It helps to protect your financial portfolio. When there seems to be a major trend shift toward craft beer, it seems logical that you can gain a good foothold into something with growth potential this way. But it does cause you to wonder, other than the names, what exactly have the artists involved put into the life of the product. Most likely, they have marketed only their name (and of course with that their persona which technically has more market value than the actual star does on their own).
With that in mind, doesn't it seem said that in the end you will find quite a number of people will end up buying these beers solely because of the name involved. I confess that I bought Outhouse Water (supposedly cleaned waste water that was bottled for sale) when the company (cause I can't remember who bottled the stuff) offered the stuff for sale. Ya buy it just for the name to say that you did. I have to wonder just how long these beers will last once the novelty of the name wears off. Do they have the strength of a well brewed beer to support something more than a fanciful fad?
Before I get to cynical I think I might just find a pint...
Friday, June 15, 2012
Thought Process
For the past few days I have been going on about different levels of designing beers, but not really going into depth about actually designing a beer. Personally, I am all about the story. I look at a formula for a beer as I do a recipe for food. I don't buy cook books that do nothing but list random recipes with no real rhyme or reason to their existance other than some cook book author decided that they looked pretty. The same holds true for brewing books that do nothing but list recipes but tell nothing of how or why the beer was brought into being.
With that said, brings us to my thought process when I am designing a beer. This isn't to say that my methods are the best or anything like that. More to the point what I am sharing is the way a story unfolds when designing something more than just another beer. Just like an amazing dish, this is an adventure that you will share with others over a beer or two.
When I start a concept beer it is most often because an idea popped into my head and I wonder what it might be like as a beer. Dirty Rotten Scoundrel was just that. I wondered what the Steve Martin movie would be like if it were a beer, daunting task, or is it?
The movie took place in Vienna, so right off the bat we have a major starting point for the beer, a vienna lager. Knowing what our base will be is probably the biggest hurdle, it sets the tone for the entire beer. Thinking again of our concept we have to wonder what else might bring us in line with the concept. The movie is centered on a couple of con men that bilk wealthy women of millions of dollars. Not something easy to bring into a beer but the whole concept of the movie is something spicey, racey, a little sexy even (I know the movie was a comedy but that is irrelevant to the idea behind it all). This gives the idea of adding black pepper to the beer.
So now we have a vienna lager with pepper, but the last element to add in is the scoundrel. What about this beer would give it a little twist kinda like the con from the con men? A simple idea would be to up the alcohol but hide it so it sneaks up on you. A big peppery vienna lager that drinks smooth and silky, a Dirty Rotten Scoundrel.
In execution, the recipe really wasn't that hard to figure out. The hardest part was figuring out the elements that would bring the beer together. In the end it was really just a large amount vienna malt for the mash for a higher original gravity and then deciding when to add the pepper.
As crazy as it might sound it really is just as simple as that. When you start to piece together the elements you can easily build a recipe. The best part is that it turns into more than just a beer, there is a story that you would not find just grabbing a prebuilt recipe.
I do believe it is now time for a pint...
With that said, brings us to my thought process when I am designing a beer. This isn't to say that my methods are the best or anything like that. More to the point what I am sharing is the way a story unfolds when designing something more than just another beer. Just like an amazing dish, this is an adventure that you will share with others over a beer or two.
When I start a concept beer it is most often because an idea popped into my head and I wonder what it might be like as a beer. Dirty Rotten Scoundrel was just that. I wondered what the Steve Martin movie would be like if it were a beer, daunting task, or is it?
The movie took place in Vienna, so right off the bat we have a major starting point for the beer, a vienna lager. Knowing what our base will be is probably the biggest hurdle, it sets the tone for the entire beer. Thinking again of our concept we have to wonder what else might bring us in line with the concept. The movie is centered on a couple of con men that bilk wealthy women of millions of dollars. Not something easy to bring into a beer but the whole concept of the movie is something spicey, racey, a little sexy even (I know the movie was a comedy but that is irrelevant to the idea behind it all). This gives the idea of adding black pepper to the beer.
So now we have a vienna lager with pepper, but the last element to add in is the scoundrel. What about this beer would give it a little twist kinda like the con from the con men? A simple idea would be to up the alcohol but hide it so it sneaks up on you. A big peppery vienna lager that drinks smooth and silky, a Dirty Rotten Scoundrel.
In execution, the recipe really wasn't that hard to figure out. The hardest part was figuring out the elements that would bring the beer together. In the end it was really just a large amount vienna malt for the mash for a higher original gravity and then deciding when to add the pepper.
As crazy as it might sound it really is just as simple as that. When you start to piece together the elements you can easily build a recipe. The best part is that it turns into more than just a beer, there is a story that you would not find just grabbing a prebuilt recipe.
I do believe it is now time for a pint...
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Process
What goes through your mind when you get ready for brew day? What is it you are thinking about when you are gathering ingredients? At first there is not much thought to it. You pick up a Better Beer kit and start heating some water. No big deal really, or maybe it is...
For some progressing beyond a kit may never happen, but there are so many more who make that first kit and it raises more questions than the kit is designed to answer. The kit is a safe zone. You can get exactly what you expect from it as long as you follow directions. Even if you don't follow directions you will still arrive in the same ball park.
It is when you start building your own recipes that you really have to put thought into what you are trying to accomplish. You have a margin of safety while still using extracts. But for this you sacrifice control. Lack of control means that you can come close but never quite exactly where you might want to be. Sure at times that can be "good enough" but for some people just brewing with kits is "good enough" too.
It is when you move into all grain that you take full control of your vision. It is here where what ever beer you can think of, you have the power to create. There is no safety net, all you have is the knowledge you have built over other safer brews (and sometimes just darn luck).
This is probably the best part of brewing. It is a craft skill, much like woodworking. True artistry does not show itself until you have mastered the basics. For brewing the basics begin with that first kit. By cutting out all the bigger decisions you are able to focus on a very important basic, cleaning and sanitation (wow, how did I get here).
It seems like mindless rhetoric but the reality is that like any other form of craftsmanship, each step toward mastery is based on skills you learn along the way. Just as you will run into problems time and time again if you never learn the simple skill of sanitation, you will never be able to create a new beer or repeat what you have brewed in the past if you do not learn the skills of mashing and lautering.
At times it can seem mindless and boring, repeating the same thing over and over again can be mind numbing. But it is in repetition that skills become automatic. When skills become automatic, your mind is a bit more free to work on the things that require a bit more thought. It is then that you can build something with a bit more meaning.
I think it's time for a pint...
For some progressing beyond a kit may never happen, but there are so many more who make that first kit and it raises more questions than the kit is designed to answer. The kit is a safe zone. You can get exactly what you expect from it as long as you follow directions. Even if you don't follow directions you will still arrive in the same ball park.
It is when you start building your own recipes that you really have to put thought into what you are trying to accomplish. You have a margin of safety while still using extracts. But for this you sacrifice control. Lack of control means that you can come close but never quite exactly where you might want to be. Sure at times that can be "good enough" but for some people just brewing with kits is "good enough" too.
It is when you move into all grain that you take full control of your vision. It is here where what ever beer you can think of, you have the power to create. There is no safety net, all you have is the knowledge you have built over other safer brews (and sometimes just darn luck).
This is probably the best part of brewing. It is a craft skill, much like woodworking. True artistry does not show itself until you have mastered the basics. For brewing the basics begin with that first kit. By cutting out all the bigger decisions you are able to focus on a very important basic, cleaning and sanitation (wow, how did I get here).
It seems like mindless rhetoric but the reality is that like any other form of craftsmanship, each step toward mastery is based on skills you learn along the way. Just as you will run into problems time and time again if you never learn the simple skill of sanitation, you will never be able to create a new beer or repeat what you have brewed in the past if you do not learn the skills of mashing and lautering.
At times it can seem mindless and boring, repeating the same thing over and over again can be mind numbing. But it is in repetition that skills become automatic. When skills become automatic, your mind is a bit more free to work on the things that require a bit more thought. It is then that you can build something with a bit more meaning.
I think it's time for a pint...
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Building our Recipes
There are a few stages that we all go through as we learn the art and craft of brewing. When you look at other endeavors you will see similar patterns. With brewing the most basic and easily learned method of brewing is the kit method. You know what you want to make and you rely on someone else to give you all the pieces of the puzzle so you can assemble it. It isn't great beer but it also isn't all that bad either. You could almost think of it as hop spiced Kool-aid.
After you have gotten a little braver and want to explore a bit more you move on to clone recipes. This step is slightly above the basic kit. You are trying to recreate something that has already been done and have a guide to lead you down the path. In both of these you tend to be using mostly extract for your grain or extract with grain. For the most part you are not doing a full mash yet.
The next phase is really the intermediary phase. It is here that you move into all grain brewing. You may still be using clone recipes as basic to keep cutting your teeth. Or you might have moved up a bit more and are now stepping a bit off the beaten path and turning the clone recipes into something a bit more your own.
It is from this stage that we move into building our own style specific recipes. I have spent quite a bit of time in the pages of Designing Great Beers and The Brewmaster's Bible, exploring the grains hops and water chemistry of various styles. At this stage you have most likely built a workable brewing system (maybe even gotten to the point of a full-on brew sculpture).
Which brings us to the last stage. At this point, you have already formulated the basics of your brew in your mind and now you are only looking to fine tune what your vision says it should be. Sometimes it even ends up as a hodge podge of what do you have lying around the brew house.
Many times we try to rush ourselves to that last stage and attempt some crazy things with no basis for whether or not it is possible. Brewing is craftsmanship. Until you have a sound base of knowledge and skill you will always be on shaky ground. Think of the musician that attempts Beethoven's concerto #9 on the piano when they have not put in the hours playing Mary had a little Lamb. It's possible that they could get lucky but odds are that they will crash and burn.
After you have gotten a little braver and want to explore a bit more you move on to clone recipes. This step is slightly above the basic kit. You are trying to recreate something that has already been done and have a guide to lead you down the path. In both of these you tend to be using mostly extract for your grain or extract with grain. For the most part you are not doing a full mash yet.
The next phase is really the intermediary phase. It is here that you move into all grain brewing. You may still be using clone recipes as basic to keep cutting your teeth. Or you might have moved up a bit more and are now stepping a bit off the beaten path and turning the clone recipes into something a bit more your own.
It is from this stage that we move into building our own style specific recipes. I have spent quite a bit of time in the pages of Designing Great Beers and The Brewmaster's Bible, exploring the grains hops and water chemistry of various styles. At this stage you have most likely built a workable brewing system (maybe even gotten to the point of a full-on brew sculpture).
Which brings us to the last stage. At this point, you have already formulated the basics of your brew in your mind and now you are only looking to fine tune what your vision says it should be. Sometimes it even ends up as a hodge podge of what do you have lying around the brew house.
Many times we try to rush ourselves to that last stage and attempt some crazy things with no basis for whether or not it is possible. Brewing is craftsmanship. Until you have a sound base of knowledge and skill you will always be on shaky ground. Think of the musician that attempts Beethoven's concerto #9 on the piano when they have not put in the hours playing Mary had a little Lamb. It's possible that they could get lucky but odds are that they will crash and burn.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Mistakes
I was looking through my book shelf earlier today and ran across Extreme Brewing by Sam Calagione. I bought it a while ago when I was first learning to brew. This is not a book review so I won't be going to far into the book but I will say this for it, if you haven't read the book it is well worth your time to pick it up. Sam Calagione is a fantastic writer and the ideas presented can expand your ideas of what is possible.
The book did remind me of my first attempt at brewing with wheat (which was also my first attempt to brew with a mini mash). It was this beer that began my move toward all grain. I modified the recipe for blood orange wheat and made mine with tangerines. Now at the time I did not understand how to perform a mini mash at all. I ended up soaking the wheat in a grain bag much like you would crystal malts. If you have ever worked with wheat grain before, I am sure you can imagine how wrong this approach ended up being.
At one point a while ago I lost all my original brewing recipes (probably a good thing) so I have no idea anymore what my recipe build out even was. (This would also be a good time to stress the importance of backing up your recipes) The best lesson about this whole fiasco was the forgivability of making brewing mistakes. Even though the beer wasn't exactly what I intended it to be, it still turned out quite tasty. The beer finished out at roughly 3.5% (about half of what I wanted) and had a strong fresh tangerine flavor.
As is often the lesson, our life in beer is very often similar to our life outside of beer. Many times we have these great intentions and plans. And then just as often we make mistakes and misjudgements that take us in entirely new directions. More often than not we may not end up where we intended but where we are can be a great place anyway.
Time for a pint...
The book did remind me of my first attempt at brewing with wheat (which was also my first attempt to brew with a mini mash). It was this beer that began my move toward all grain. I modified the recipe for blood orange wheat and made mine with tangerines. Now at the time I did not understand how to perform a mini mash at all. I ended up soaking the wheat in a grain bag much like you would crystal malts. If you have ever worked with wheat grain before, I am sure you can imagine how wrong this approach ended up being.
At one point a while ago I lost all my original brewing recipes (probably a good thing) so I have no idea anymore what my recipe build out even was. (This would also be a good time to stress the importance of backing up your recipes) The best lesson about this whole fiasco was the forgivability of making brewing mistakes. Even though the beer wasn't exactly what I intended it to be, it still turned out quite tasty. The beer finished out at roughly 3.5% (about half of what I wanted) and had a strong fresh tangerine flavor.
As is often the lesson, our life in beer is very often similar to our life outside of beer. Many times we have these great intentions and plans. And then just as often we make mistakes and misjudgements that take us in entirely new directions. More often than not we may not end up where we intended but where we are can be a great place anyway.
Time for a pint...
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Contests: ABC Brews Crews 2012
Saturday the 9th of June was the 6th annual Arbor Brewing Company home brew competition. I spent the day helping out as a steward. This was the first contest I have been able to view from this side of it and I will say it was an interesting experience. I did most of my work during the round of judging after lunch. This was the time when some of the largest categories were being judged.
We had the specialty beer category, so we were ready for something that could be immensely aweful or at the very least outlandish. Our flight didn't have anything too off the wall, mostly some barrel aged stouts. The stand out in my mind had been a Scottish 80 that had been aged in a whiskey barrel. That is until I joined another group in our section after my flight was done. We ran into a ginger "beer." This one had no malt and no hops and had a flavor similar to ginger ale (but with alcohol). Though it was not technically a beer it was incredibly well done.
This was my first time to the Corner Brewery. Its a great pub with a focus on local atmosphere.
The happy winner of the BOS Mead category. Top prize was a specially commissioned hand blown goblet.
Sadly the brewer who won BOS for beer was present for the awards ceremony. This brewer will be taking part in recipe formulation and brewing the beer on Arbor Brewing Companies brew system.
Time for a pint.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Video: Queso Blanco
Here it is, the first video showing of some cheese making. Queso blanco is a pretty simple cheese to make, but adds some great flavor to quite a few things.
Recipe:
1 Gallon whole milk
1/4 cup Vinegar of your choice
Method:
Heat to 190 then slowly added vinegar and ensure it is mixed in. Drain cheese through cheesecloth and strainer then tie the ends of the cloth and allow to hang dry for roughly an hour or so.
Uses:
This cheese is Mexican in origin so it fits easily into foods from that region. But amazingly enough it also makes a great addition in stir frys. You can use it as a tofu replacement.
Time for me to grab a pint...
Recipe:
1 Gallon whole milk
1/4 cup Vinegar of your choice
Method:
Heat to 190 then slowly added vinegar and ensure it is mixed in. Drain cheese through cheesecloth and strainer then tie the ends of the cloth and allow to hang dry for roughly an hour or so.
Uses:
This cheese is Mexican in origin so it fits easily into foods from that region. But amazingly enough it also makes a great addition in stir frys. You can use it as a tofu replacement.
Time for me to grab a pint...
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Monkey Wrench
Have you ever noticed that sometimes it can be the simplest thing that disrupts your day and throws it all out of whack. Lately I have felt off, my stride was hitting a road block and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what or why it was happening. I am sure that I am not the only person to ever have felt this, almost a pressure like inertia holding you down and keeping you from your normal routine. It is not uncommon for me to get this feeling when I am getting close to a brew day. Its a feeling of anticipation but also weight (wait) because I am not quite where I want to be to do the day the way I want to do it.
This is a bit different though. The thought struck me at the same time it did my daughter. We both looked at each other at one point earlier today and said almost in unison that she needs a job. Now that she is done with high school and not taking summer classes she has a bit more time on her hands. This means she is at home all the time. Considering that I had grown accostumed to having my day times free to write and such with little to no distractions, it has become a little bit of a new learning curve to bring everything back into line. At least now with the source of the trouble found I will have a slightly easier time moving back into the productivity level I want to achieve.
In other news...
Michigan's beer scene is growing rapidly. The sad part is, there hasn't been enough information getting out to show whats going on through out the state. There are a few sites helping to change this. The one I want to mention here (purely for selfish reasons of course) is I'm a Beer Hound. They are working hard to spread the word of Michigan beer and beer life in general out and about the state.
Aside from another source of information, what does this mean to us over here in my little world. It means (this is the important bit), I will be contributing to the news that shows up on the site a bit. Look for 2 articles a month from me to end up over there. It doesn't mean that I am leaving my pages here behind, nope, I am just going to be spreading the love that is me in another space. Check em out, they do some good work over there too.
Time for me to find a pint...
This is a bit different though. The thought struck me at the same time it did my daughter. We both looked at each other at one point earlier today and said almost in unison that she needs a job. Now that she is done with high school and not taking summer classes she has a bit more time on her hands. This means she is at home all the time. Considering that I had grown accostumed to having my day times free to write and such with little to no distractions, it has become a little bit of a new learning curve to bring everything back into line. At least now with the source of the trouble found I will have a slightly easier time moving back into the productivity level I want to achieve.
In other news...
Michigan's beer scene is growing rapidly. The sad part is, there hasn't been enough information getting out to show whats going on through out the state. There are a few sites helping to change this. The one I want to mention here (purely for selfish reasons of course) is I'm a Beer Hound. They are working hard to spread the word of Michigan beer and beer life in general out and about the state.
Aside from another source of information, what does this mean to us over here in my little world. It means (this is the important bit), I will be contributing to the news that shows up on the site a bit. Look for 2 articles a month from me to end up over there. It doesn't mean that I am leaving my pages here behind, nope, I am just going to be spreading the love that is me in another space. Check em out, they do some good work over there too.
Time for me to find a pint...
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Kegged: Belgian Golden Pine
I kegged the Belgian Golden Pine (I kinda dig the name of the first spruce beer) earlier tonight. Check out the recipe and brew day here.
The first pour came out pretty good. Strong Belgian yeast notes, malty back bone and a spice that lies in the background. Something I think I will probably change in the future, add a bit more spruce. The two ounces that were part of the original recipe disappear a bit more than I would like. Though I can tell they are in there somewhere, if you didn't know to look for them it would be easy to over look their presence.
The first pour came out pretty good. Strong Belgian yeast notes, malty back bone and a spice that lies in the background. Something I think I will probably change in the future, add a bit more spruce. The two ounces that were part of the original recipe disappear a bit more than I would like. Though I can tell they are in there somewhere, if you didn't know to look for them it would be easy to over look their presence.
This beer also finished out a bit higher than I would like as well. Though it is sitting at a little over 7% it is a bit sweeter than I would like. The main reason for this was the experimental nature of the ferment. I wanted to see how the yeast would react to higher fermentation temperatures, so I fermented this one in our kitchen where it would be affected by the ambient temperature. The problem I ran into was for a very short time we were still hitting record highs (but staying roughly around mid to high 70s) but then it switched and we dropped down to high 60s. The change in temperature was enough to halt the yeast.
My final gravity ended up around 1.018 but I am pretty sure if the temp would have stayed steady I would have hit closer to 1.012. This would have given me a final alcohol closer to 8% as well as a slightly drier beer. I also think the pine is hiding a little behind the sweetness. Lesson learned, the next time I brew this I will ensure that the temp stays a bit more stable to give the yeast a better environment to do their job.
In the end it came out pretty decent and after a couple more pours it should clear up nicely. For now, I have some pints to drink so I can clear a space for this one to go on a tap.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Beer Mixology
A few months ago we decided to give up soda (or pop for those of you in Michigan). After a while you can really get tired of drinking nothing but water, juice, or tea as cold refreshment (especially when you can't always drink beer or wine). The odd thing is though, when you drink soda you never seem to get tired of drinking soda, the more you drink the more you crave.
Enter the shandy. Leinenkugels Summer Shandy is well known around here. As per their website the Summer Shandy is their take on the German Radler, a beer that is mixed with a citrus beverage to increase the drinkability and refreshment abilities. Consider the flavors that hops bring to the table this can make some interesting combinations.
Lately, with this in mind I have been experimenting with my session bitters and different juices. Lemonade mixes quite well and brings to mind lemon meringue pie notes. The malt is reminiscent of the crust and the head brings to mind the meringue while lemonade and citrussy hops bring to the fore front the bitter, sweet, and sour notes of the main tastes in the pie.
Earlier today I was cooking off a chicken on my bbq (low and slow so it stays tasty). I wanted something to drink, I mean it is required right. I ended up mixing some grapefruit juice with the bitters. My first thought was that the grapefruit juice would either be lost or the flavors would over power considering the hop profile in the beer. Turns out I couldn't have been further from right. The flavors matched up perfectly. The sweetness of the malt balanced out the bitterness of the grapefruit leaving a drink that was perfectly citrussy, with a mellow bitterness. A perfect brew for sitting on a sunny back deck watching the smoke billow out of the grill.
I do believe that it is now time again for a pint...
Enter the shandy. Leinenkugels Summer Shandy is well known around here. As per their website the Summer Shandy is their take on the German Radler, a beer that is mixed with a citrus beverage to increase the drinkability and refreshment abilities. Consider the flavors that hops bring to the table this can make some interesting combinations.
Lately, with this in mind I have been experimenting with my session bitters and different juices. Lemonade mixes quite well and brings to mind lemon meringue pie notes. The malt is reminiscent of the crust and the head brings to mind the meringue while lemonade and citrussy hops bring to the fore front the bitter, sweet, and sour notes of the main tastes in the pie.
Earlier today I was cooking off a chicken on my bbq (low and slow so it stays tasty). I wanted something to drink, I mean it is required right. I ended up mixing some grapefruit juice with the bitters. My first thought was that the grapefruit juice would either be lost or the flavors would over power considering the hop profile in the beer. Turns out I couldn't have been further from right. The flavors matched up perfectly. The sweetness of the malt balanced out the bitterness of the grapefruit leaving a drink that was perfectly citrussy, with a mellow bitterness. A perfect brew for sitting on a sunny back deck watching the smoke billow out of the grill.
I do believe that it is now time again for a pint...
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Graduation
Maybe you are not at this point yet in your life or maybe you have already passed through it. Today my oldest daughter graduates from high school. She finished course work last week and so had the past week off to do all the preparation stuff for today when she walks and receives her diploma.
As I normally do with most of my writing, I spent some time working this out in my head and came up with this great analogy comparing the growth of our children to fine wine or well aged barley wine. We have the stage where they are born (all the prep work has been done ... ie sex). This is true for alcohol as well. The booze isn't born until the fermentation has ceased.
Next comes the aging. Just like our children we need to provide the best environment we can, one that nurtures and protects as well as stepping away and letting nature do its job. Sometimes that is the hardest part, knowing when to let go and let nature do its job. It is our nature as parents/ brewers to fuss over our children. We tend to think our way is the only way at times.
At some point the time comes where we finally have to relinquish control and say this, this is what I have worked so hard for. Graduation is a day of release not only for the child but also for the parent. It is the time when we should let go of the past and look to the future. Just as the day we release our various boozes for others to enjoy. We must let go of any further attempts to change what we have allowed to grow.
I think its time for a pint...
As I normally do with most of my writing, I spent some time working this out in my head and came up with this great analogy comparing the growth of our children to fine wine or well aged barley wine. We have the stage where they are born (all the prep work has been done ... ie sex). This is true for alcohol as well. The booze isn't born until the fermentation has ceased.
Next comes the aging. Just like our children we need to provide the best environment we can, one that nurtures and protects as well as stepping away and letting nature do its job. Sometimes that is the hardest part, knowing when to let go and let nature do its job. It is our nature as parents/ brewers to fuss over our children. We tend to think our way is the only way at times.
At some point the time comes where we finally have to relinquish control and say this, this is what I have worked so hard for. Graduation is a day of release not only for the child but also for the parent. It is the time when we should let go of the past and look to the future. Just as the day we release our various boozes for others to enjoy. We must let go of any further attempts to change what we have allowed to grow.
I think its time for a pint...
Friday, June 1, 2012
Sour Starter Prep
I will be doing the sour starter (similar to a barreled sour that is pulled from for blending) within the next week and a half. As part of this I have been doing a little research to see what others have done and see if their is any wisdom to be gained.
I found a few things worth sharing. The first is an article from Raj B Apte. The basic recipe cited is pretty simple and great for a starter culture. This page is also a power house of information involving revolving around the whole process of brewing the sour.
Another great article comes from the Maltose Falcon's website submitted by Drew Beechum. This article isn't quite as indepth as the last one but the information is quite good and makes for a quick read.
This last bit to check out is a video done by the guys over at Brewing TV. It's a half hour video loaded with some good info, well worth checking out.
And now, I think its time for a pint...
I found a few things worth sharing. The first is an article from Raj B Apte. The basic recipe cited is pretty simple and great for a starter culture. This page is also a power house of information involving revolving around the whole process of brewing the sour.
Another great article comes from the Maltose Falcon's website submitted by Drew Beechum. This article isn't quite as indepth as the last one but the information is quite good and makes for a quick read.
This last bit to check out is a video done by the guys over at Brewing TV. It's a half hour video loaded with some good info, well worth checking out.
And now, I think its time for a pint...
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