Looking Ahead

I am still working through what changes I will be making here in the near future.  A big change (and I do think it is about time that it happened) will be moving into a web page format.  I can honestly say that for the most part my posts have not followed any kind of pattern.  Usually they end up being whatever I felt like doing that day.  My goal is to change that. 

Never fear, my inane ramblings will continue.  But at the same time, with areas like videos and such I believe I need a better format to bring those to bear.  In the future I intend to not only do more cooking videos but also brewing videos as well.  As we find with beer itself, it is just too big for us to settle solely on one aspect. 

So in the end, if it feels that I am a little sporadic for a little bit here, keep in mind that I am renovating to better share beer's message...

Time for a pint...

Findings...

Every once and a awhile you run across something that just makes sense.  You know what I mean right?  That moment when you run across someone who says something that you have been thinking, but much better than you might have said it yourself. 

I ran across this post from the Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project blog and thought it good enough that it should be shared.  You haven't heard of these guys?  They don't follow what we expect as the normal business model for a brewery/brewpub.  You see, they essentially contract brew their beer.  Though they have their brew day in someone elses brewery, it is their brew team that is making the wort that becomes their beer. 

There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to brewing this way.  The biggest advantage is the cash layout.  You don't have to have the thousands of dollars upfront for brewing equipment, building space, etc...  At the same time this can be a huge disadvantage as well.  Without your own space and equipment you can be subject to the whims of those whose equipment you are using. 

There are many pieces to the puzzle we call brewing and the beer industry.  If you look you can always find a way to make your mark.


Time for a pint...

Michigan Summer Beer Fest 2012

When the Michigan Brewer's Guild puts on a party, they really put on a party.  When you consider the fest featured 60 Michigan Breweries with over 500 Michigan beers, you have the makings of a really great time.  Of course there are some lessons to learn when going into an event like this as well.

Our first lesson of the day was always arrive early.  This seems like something we should all already know considering it is beat into our brains all the way through school.  But then when you see how long the line is at 1230 in the early afternoon (general admission entered at 1), you have to wonder, "is there a better way?"  Why yes of course there is, the Brewer's guild had a special opening for enthusiasts at noon.  As crazy as it is, when you get that hour before everyone else you get some time with the brewers that you might not see again the rest of the day.

The Ann Arbor Brewer's Guild was on hand making up some fresh wort (a pale ale if memory serves me correctly).  They were the only ones there making some beer.

Next lesson, when you plan on getting pics of the fest, make sure you have plenty of battery time on your camera.  We managed to get  a few shots before our camera died but most of these were before the massive groups of people arrived in the mid afternoon time frame.  And I do mean massive.  At one point for a special tapping of a Founder's Brewing Company beer the line was about as long as the line to get into the fest at 1230.  And still the fest was packed.

We sampled quite a few tasty beers throughout the day.  One of the standouts for me was Grape Expectations from Round Barn.  Made with Niagara grapes and 100% Belgian pale malt, this beer was a great one for hot sunny days.

During the day as we made our way through brewery after brewery I began to wonder.  At first my thoughts were to the breweries that were not present.  But then I started to think of who was there.  The interesting thing to note was that many of the breweries there were ones from the east side of the state (not my normal stomping grounds) brew pubs and smaller micros that are just not to my side of the state yet.  And this is where it struck me as one of the biggest lessons of the fest.  This is a chance to find and taste the beers you just don't see on a daily basis.  We should all take a minute to thank the Brewer's Guild for the opportunities they have given us with the different beer fests.  It is through these that we find the vast scope of beer that makes up Michigan.

Time for a pint...

Hangout with the brewers

In a combination of geekery and beer Wil Wheaton moderated a discussion between Sam Caligione and Greg Koch.  This is a discussion about the collaboration of Saison Du Buff.  If you missed the live broadcast of this, here is the show. 

The show is a little over an hour so make sure to grab some brews. 

I have a pint already...

Randoms

I will start today by showing off a bit of our garden's progress.  The amazing thing is, even with the drastic dry heat we have had this year we are getting some great growth.  It looks like we should be getting a decent harvest. 

We always try to plant marigolds with our tomatoes.  They are supposed to help keep down the bad bug population.

 Three of our tomato varieties.  The top left is beef steak.  The top right is unknown to me (gift from the flats my parents planted this year).  This one on the left is a spontaneous.  Apparently some of the tomatoes we lost last year decided they wanted to grow again this year (bonus).  This one is a yellow pear and is producing a decent yield already. 

A first for this year, tomatillos.  This plant is producing a huge amount of buds.  Should be a good year for green sauces. 

Our zucchini plant has already given up some goods, and by the look of it more are on the way.

In other news...

I am working on some format changes for the way my postings play out.  My plan is to create posts that follow a more structured pattern.  This doesn't mean that I will be more organized (that seems tantamount to actual work).  My thought process is more along the lines of certain days will mean a certain type of post.  It wasn't too long ago that I was falling into that pattern, at least a little bit (but of course I allowed myself to be sidetracked, go figure). 

I haven't as yet figured out the exactly how the full layout will work as yet.  Although I do have a good idea for one of the new segments.  I am referring to it as questions of note.  The idea behind the segment is basically a mini interview.  I will be sending out a word doc with five questions, plus one lame one to people who in some way shape or form have an impact on the beer community (possibly moving on to food and booze in general as well).  At this time I will most likely posting these on Fridays.  Along with the questions I will also be giving a bit of info about person (bio stuff).  I think this might even be fun (as well as a bit different). 

How bout we find a pint...

Who Knew

I have lived in Michigan all of my life (well, except for the 4 years I spent in the Marines).  During my lifetime I have seen the economy (once strong in manufacturing) slowly changing, falling into what once made the state great.  It seems odd to say it like this, but when you really think about it if you were to ask most people what is from Michigan twenty years ago or so, they would tell you cars. 

Detroit may be the motor city but for a long time quite a few other citys in the Mitten supplemented the auto industry.  I spent close to 10 years after I was released from active duty working for the declining auto industry.   For many in the state the auto industry and manufacturing has been much of what their life has been about.  Just as most see Michigan as the home of the auto industry, those who have grown up here tend to have pushed to the back of their mind the strong agricultural roots of the state. 

Dianna Stampfler from Promote Michigan hosted a talk at the Kalamazoo Public Library to remind us that Michigan is more than just the auto industry.  (side note:  You might notice the name Vernors in all these logos and wonder what that might be.  Vernors is ginger ale, everyone in Michigan knows that, but you won't see it outside the state... its worth the trip just for that)

Of course the most important agriculture information for most of us here is brew culture.  Michigan is ranked 5th in the nation for breweries (the Great Beer State).  And to support that a secondary agricultural industry of hop farms and barley growers is gaining ground.  But we talk about this stuff all the time...

Here come some tidbits that could be new and unusual...

Portage Michigan was where the celery industry was born for the nation.  Doesn't seem like much until you realize the importance of celery in classical french cooking.  Celery is an important aromatic used with carrots and onions in almost every aspect of classical cooking technique. 

Michigan's first peach tree as planted in the 1780s by William Burnett.  Most people think of Georgia, but Michigan is ranked #3 in peach production. 

Michigan harvests roughly 17% of the nations total sweet cherry crop annually.  Coming from 15,700 acres, thats a whole lotta cherries.







I learned a long time ago that those who live in the Upper Peninsula refer to those of us from the lower peninsula as apple knockers.  Considering there are roughly 37,000 acres of apple trees I can understand why.  (mind you they also call us trolls cause we live under the bridge, but thats a different story)

In the end there was some good info to be had, my synopsis here only briefly touches on it all.  Times, they are a changing.  As we strive for local sourcing and sustainability it becomes even more important to know where your food comes from.  A peach from a farm 10 miles away tastes so much sweeter than one several hundred and more miles away.

With that, its time for a pint...

Potato, potahto

Have you noticed a trend in your favorite breweries beers of late?  The reason I ask stems from some of my readings recently.  You see there has been some changes in line ups for many breweries.  It isn't something you may notice right away, they do it all quiet like (like a fish).  Many breweries are slipping into a pattern of slowing done on their "flagship" beers and moving to a more seasonal/ experimental nature. 

There are a number of ways to view this.  First being the need in the US to find the next better thing.  Consumers tend to follow different trends like a kitty chasing the red dot from a pointer light.  Not that this is a bad thing (for the most part), a brewery needs to be on its toes to keep up with the changes.  Another aspect is consumer tastes change and develop over time (this is a bit more involved than just chasing the next big thing).  As the palate is exposed to more and more flavors it is forced to expand and grow.  As a baby you might have been happy as a claim with strained peas, but as an adult?  I didn't think so. 

Yet another aspect can be blamed on the slow food movement.  Food and beer have been going hand in hand for many years now.  The slow food movement centers on local and in season.  More and more we find consumers following suit with their beer choices.  With the birth of nano breweries and proliferation of brew pubs it becomes so much easier to find something local.  It becomes even better when you can pair it with fresh seasonal foods. 

When we look down the road, it could very well be that the flagship mainstay beers of a brewery are dependant of the season.   Imagine a breweries porfolio changing every three months.  Sounds crazy, but sometimes crazy wins...

Time for a pint...

Much ado about nothing

As I sit at my desk, staring at the beer in front of me, searching for words of wisdom to impart (cause ya, I am just that important), I find myself being drawn back to the glass.  For starters, the beer I am drinking right now is one from a demo done by the guys from Bell's general store.  If nothing else it's a pretty decent rye.  But weren't we just looking for words of wisdom?

Sometimes that is the problem.  We put so much emphasis on beers, our weighted importance is greater than the sum of the parts.  The beer in the glass before you is simply that, a beer.  It is meant to be drunk (drank? Imbibed?).  Occasionally you might even savor one.  I know that sounds crazy, but when was the last time you had a beer in your hand, sitting on your back deck, and just watched the clouds go by?  More often than not we are looking for something more than simply the beer in the glass in front of us (that is if you use a glass, maybe even that is too much to hope for).

To many, that simple beer is an alcohol conveyance system and only there as a way of bringing inebriation.  The flavor, the presentation, those are only superfluous irritations and completely in the way of the full on production of drunkenness.  Or maybe you follow the opposite path and the buzz is merely a by product of the experience of the nectar as it finds its way past your lips.  But in the end it is only a simple beverage and it stakes no claim on how you wish to enjoy it.  This of course is where you can find it amazing.  Something so simple, allows itself to be perceived and interpreted in so many different ways, a complex social dynamic simple from just existing.  


Perchance the idea that I am pondering this whole situation lends credence that I myself am guilty of doing more than just existing in the moment of the glass.  Does the internal reflection of the pint diminish the simplicity of the pint?  If so would that mean that the pint could cease to exist while we think about it?  (wow that sounds pretentious)  I mean really the pint is disappearing because I am sitting here drinking it while I type.  Often that is really how it goes.  No matter how you wish to enjoy the pint before you, in the end you have consumed it and are sorely in need of another... 


Speaking of another pint...

Brew day: Heather Agave Mead

The yeast has been pitched and equipment is cleaned and drying.  I dare say that this brew day has come to a close.  The Heather Agave Mead is now out of my hands and subject to the whims of the yeast. 

Initial tasting is strong with honey notes (but from what I have seen agave and honey do share a good number of flavor notes pre-fermentation).  The heather tips and myrica gale (bog myrtle, sweet gale) add in an herbal perfume note.  Of course none of these flavor and aroma notes will really stand out until the mead is finished with its fermentation cycle. 

Recipe:

10 lbs Honey
1.5 lbs Agave Nectar
.75 lbs Amber Agave Nectar

2 oz Heather tips
1 gram bog myrtle

1.5 tablespoon yeast nutrient
1 tablespoon yeast energizer

WLP 715 Champagne yeast. 

Method:

Add the honey and agave to about 4 gallons of water.  Bring to a boil and then add the rest of the ingredients.  This requires a quick boil to avoid losing too much flavor and aroma (15 minutes). 


O.G. 1.096 (5 gallons, top-off water was added to bring the must up to a full 5 gallons)

I actually rarely boil honey must.  Boiling tends to burn off too much flavor and aroma from the honey.  With this particular mead I am aiming to gain more flavor and aroma from the spices and the agave.  To that end, I not only boiled it for 15 minutes but I also used a more neutral honey (clover).  I also chose champagne yeast over mead yeast.  The champagne yeast tends to have a more neutral character and I am assured of a dry finish. 

Although I will most likely transfer this mead to secondary in a few weeks to a month, I will not be ready to bottle until roughly a year from now.  On that note something else to consider when fermenting a mead.  The honey can really excite the yeast for a super quick fermentation.  If you ferment too hot you will tend to get a rocket fuel character from a build up of fusel alcohols.  They will fade over time but it is possible to lessen the affect.  If you do your primary fermentation at lower ale temperatures it can help keep the yeast a little bit under control. 

And so now, I think it is time for a pint...

Purity Laws

The Bavarian purity law (the Reinheitsgebot) is well known (at least for those who spend any time around beer.  The law states that beer will consist only of malt, water, hops, and yeast (though yeast was not part of the original law).  But this isn't what we will be talking about today. 

You see, in the US the land of experimentation, we too have had our share of laws meant to control what constitutes beer.  Times were tough in the colonies.  We already know this from grade school (I mean who in the US hasn't done the thanksgiving play in school?). 

The colonists needed beer to survive.  It was such a part of their daily life that they were willing to go to great lengths to find substitutes for the needed barley and hops.  The natives showed them how to use maize as a replacement for the needed sugars and they also found that cane sugar could also ferment as well. 

It was in 1664 after too much inferior beer that the Duke of York laid down the law (referrenced as the Duke's Law).  These laws and ordinances that followed stated what you could claim for recompense when the beer did not meet a certain standard.  They also stated how much malt is required for a product to be labeled as beer. 

The problem that they ran into though came from the lack of supplies.  The colonists were experimenting so much mainly because they had no other choice.  Something that drove the point even further home came when prices for beer and malt became completely out of disporportionate.  It was from this time and shown by how important beer was that some of the first consumer protection laws came into being the US. 

If you get a chance pick up the book Beer in America: The Early Years 1587- 1840.  For beer history this has been an amazing book.

Time for a pint...

Yeast starter (Heather Agave Mead)

I follow a similar pattern for my yeast starters (whether from tube or repitch from a previous brew).  Usually when I am making a deviation is when I am making a starter for something big or for a lager.  It is important to increase the cell count for each of these.  My standard starter begins at 1 liter before heating to sanitize, the bigger starter is a liter and a half.  Something to consider when you make a starter from a repitch, you will most likely have a super huge cell count.  But when they will be a bit haggard from the previous brew.  The reason to make a new starter for these beasties is to help them recover and come into the new brew healthy and strong. 

So, for this starter I have begun with a liter and a half of wort.  The ratio I use for this is 100 grams dry extract to 1 liter water.  How this is measured is by weight for the extract (into the measuring cup) and then add the water to the mix on top of the extract.  From here it goes to the stove to be boiled.  I also want to stress right here to watch the pot, you will have boil overs (I seem to do it at least every other starter).  I boil the wort for roughly 15 minutes for sanitization purposes.  I also add a 1/4 teaspoon of yeast energizer and nutrients to the boil to give the yeast that much more of a boost. 


I have found that this small amount of wort will cool down in 20 minutes or less in an ice bath.  This is pretty much just enough time to get your vessel (I use growlers) ready for work.  When the wort is cooled down to pitching temp you can pour it into the growler and then aerate.  Using anitized tin foil to cover the top, I have found that a couple minutes of good shaking will give you plenty of oxygen for a good run.  Finally, sanitize the outside packaging of the yeast and then add it to the wort (shake to mix). 

From here you have a couple choices.  You could use a bubbler to lock the system and keep out stray bugs.  Or you could cover with sanitized tin foil so that you can add more oxygen to help increase cell growth.  I have done both methods and have had success with both.  If you use a stir plate you will want to use the foil method, it allows new oxygen to mix into the starter (you can also mimic a stir plate by shaking new oxygen into the mix every few hours by hand). 

And so now, with the starter happily building away, I will be ready to pitch into the mead on Saturday.  I like to give the starter a little more than a day or so to do its magic.  I have found in the past if you do it sooner than that the yeast will still be closer to the building mode and will take a bit longer to begin their work (the purpose of the starter is to get the yeast closer to active fermentation for a quick, strong start). 

Lets find a pint ... the yeast are the ones working here...

Lesson of the day...

My CO2 tank recently ran dry (last night actually) so it was something that I planned to work in to the other running that I needed to get done today, not really a big deal.  That is until we pulled up to the booze shop where I normally make the tank exchange.  Yep, thats right, as much as I have hated it for the past few years the only way to conveniently get CO2 around here has been through a tank exchange.  When you have to shell out over a hundred bucks for a brand new empty tank, that can be a rather annoying expenditure (of course if I were to buy the tank from this place it would be 150 for a filled used tank, basically what you are really buying anyway). 

Back on track... So we notice as we are getting close that the windows are all boarded up.  It turned out that the place caught on fire not too long ago.  Oddly, this didn't show up in any of the normal news channels we hear for local news (gossip mill).  Sadly, this is a locally owned business that is either gone for good or at least down for a while (either way it can be painful for the family that owns it).  But more to the point, because I am very ego-centric, I now have to find a new place for the tank exchange. 

I was on my way to Bell's General Store to pick up yeast for the mead as well as the heather tips.  Considering that a few of the workers there have kegerators as well I figure that they might have a lead on finding some CO2.  This is where I find out about the fire protection place.  Turns out that not only do they have the stuff I need, they also do tank fill ups instead of exchanges, bonus info for the second kegerator (the next big ticket item I need to finish the build out). 

Talking to the guy (have you noticed people and places feel kinda generic... true story), he starts looking over my tank and tells me that it needs to be serviced as well.  Considering I have only had this tank for a few months I am of course a little annoyed.  You would think that when you get a tank in an exchange that it should be up to code and such, even though it may be used. 

Before the tank was taken back to leave my possession for a few days one of the other workers (I am assuming the more experienced one) looked at the tank and showed us where the markings are on it.  Turns out that the tank still needs another 5 years before its next service date.  So here we are at the first lesson of the day.  Make sure you keep up to date with your CO2 tanks.  For the place that refills instead of an exchange, it can be illegal for them to refill a tank that doesn't meet code. 

Next lesson came from a discussion of fire extinguishers.  A fire extinguisher tank that uses CO2 can be refurbished as a dispenser tank which you might used for a kegerator.  The refill place I was at actually had a few converted tanks in the back.  This gave me a couple thoughts.  One could be picking up an old tank at a swap meet and converting it for much cheaper than you would pay for a brand new tank (cost savings).  Another interesting thought would be to keep the fire extinguisher markings on the tank and use it in a themed kegerator conversion.  Personally I have some thoughts of a portable kegerator that has the look of a fire truck with the tank attached to the side. 

Time for a pint...

Go West

You've come a long way baby...  And then you have to wonder what would make me think of an old Virginia Slims slogan.  The slogan itself seems appropriate for the thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head today.  I have started thumbing my way through a book dealing with the early history of beer in the U.S.  When I say early history, I mean the years before 1840. 

If you know anything about this time in history, you might know that it was the time before pasteurization.  At this time alcohol was safer to drink than water.  In Europe much of the water ways were polluted beyond any hope of cleaning (when you think of how wasteful our ancestors have been you may wonder how any one has survived this long).  Beer was the base drink for most, the everyday drink. 

The story (of course not taught in schools) goes that the reason the pilgrims landed at Plymouth rock was because the ships were running dangerously low on beer.  A product that required special equipment and time to make.  The water of the new world was far cleaner than the water from home, but how do you convince people that have found nothing but disease and suffering from water to drink it? 

Think of this setting, and then picture the Puritans.  A group with strong religious beliefs.  The very name stems from pure.  It is from this group that much of our moral beliefs have come from.  Do you find it as odd as I do that now the puritanical belief is that alcohol is bad and evil, when the original Puritans needed it to survive? 

I might have talked about this at one point, but there was a time a while back when I was in an Amish area of Indiana.  I found a few antiques in a shop that to me were clearly meant for crushing grain and other brewing related items.  This of course aroused my curiousity.  When I asked someone working in the shop about it, I of course received the death stare for even considering such a thing. 

So this brings me to a question we should all ask ourselves.  When do we come to a point that we can forgive ourselves of the sins of our past?  Clearly our ancestors viewed alcohol as a necessary part of life.  Will there come a time when we no longer feel shame or guilt for enjoying the beverages that brought about civilization?

I think it may be time for a pint (we may just find some answers at the bottom of a glass)...

Project: Wine rack

Unless I decide to decorate this one (though I might varnish to help it last longer) the rack is finished.  It ended up big enough that I can fit 2 cases in it if I so desire.  The great part of this project is the ease of the build out.  With a nice hard wood say oak (fitting for wines) or cherry you could easily have a very decorative addition to your aging room. 


The cutting of the center pieces was the more
labor intensive portion of the project.



With this simple design it is easy to add more rack space, simply by making another unit.  And this design is a fantastic space saver. 

Time for a pint... 

Working, It Happens...

I did some cutting today.  The perimeter boards for the first wine rack (box?) have now been cut out. 

I know what you might be thinking.  Yes, the boards I am using are particle board.  Aesthetically, this one won't be the most pretty to look at, but then, I also know that my talents with wood working are very limited.  As always, when I take on a project like this it is with the intention of just doing it.  I am hoping that I don't come across as someone who is the master at any of this.   Most of the time I am just learning like many who are out there looking for new ideas to do more with what they have. 

I am pretty sure my garage isn't too much different than most other men out there.  For some odd reason I actually have an abundance of particle board sheets sitting around with pretty much no purpose for them.  So what do you do?  Make a wine rack or three, make a drying box for dried foods, heck there can be any number of other jobs you can do around the house with stuff like this. 

You may be like me, my meads sit in the brewery/pub in the basement.  I am more concerned with something sturdy for storage than I am with how pretty the storage might be.  My meads are currently stored in cardboard wine boxes (though sturdy, they are no where near as sturdy as wood). 

While we are on the subject of meads, I will be making a new one this week.  Right now I am still sitting on some agave (including dark agave).  My current thoughts for this mead will include the agave and possibly some heather tips.  I'll probably set this one up around Wednsday or so. 

Now I will leave you with this, I am currently drinking one of the last bottles of the 2010 cider.  I know sometimes it can be hard to wait.  But after the first year or so in the bottle, apple cider will start to change.  It will reach a point where it loses the fresh green apple flavor and moves into a sweet apple nectar.  Though it can be hard to wait that long, when you make cider that clocks in around 9-12 percent, your wait will be rewarded. 

A master wine sommelier once told me that white wines are what you drink while waiting for your red wines to mature.  I think in this world we should focus more on small beer to tide us over while we wait for our big beers, ciders, and meads to reach the perfect age. 

Time for a pint (or at least finish off this 22 of cider)... 

Update: miscellaneous month

I am just past the halfway point and have gotten a couple things taken care of in this month without a brew day.  Probably one of the biggest was the new faucets and shanks.  I think it will end up being sometime in the coming week that I will do the work to get them installed into the kegerator (well after I do some cleaning work on them).

The banjo burner that went a little jeinky on me the last time I went to brew is now soaking.  I will be doing some cleaning work on it tomorrow and then I will test it to see if its a lost cause.  Yesterday I did the transfer for the sour starter.  That was an event.  I ended up probably losing about a couple beers worth in the transfer mishaps. 

During this next week I will be working on another build out project as well.  I currently plan to build my first wine rack.  I know it doesn't sound fancy or glamorous but I do have quite a bit inch thick particle board.  This should work nicely as the main body.  I did some measuring earlier today and I think I should be able to set it up so that it can hold 2 cases of wine bottles (as long as they have the right shape for it).  This will be really nice in the long run as I make more meads.  Considering two cases is pretty much an entire 5 gallon batch, I will be able to house an entire batch of mead in each unit. 

I think this might be all I need to record for now so it may just be time for a pint...

Geek Moment

I was watching the new Conan movie earlier tonight.  I had a realization at one point during the movie (I mean aside from the fact that I am still partial to the original over this remake).  It was during the bar scene.  I realized that as far as bar scenes go, the only thing missing was an orc and this would have been the same bar scene that has been done in every fantasy movie for the past 20 years.  And now what you might find to be even worse...

The Cantina scene from Episode 4 of Star Wars (yes the original movie from 1976) was the same scene down to having a bar wench (Luke was so whiney he may as well have been a girl)  (wait did I say that outloud?).  And now speaking of Star Wars and bars I am reminded of a drinking game a friend told me about a little bit ago.  Watch this same first movie and drink everytime Luke gets whiney...

Time for a pint...

Its all gone sour

So, today was the day.  I transferred the Tequila Blonde and added some bugs, White Labs WLP 655 Belgian Sour Mix 1 to be exact.  The whole process was a bit more heated than what my would pass for my usual transfer day.

For starters I had forgotten to pick up a new spigot for my bottling bucket (though I am still not sure I even wanted to put bugs in the bottling bucket anyway).  This meant an entirely different way of transferring.  The "logical" choice was to add my bottling wand to the line attached to my auto-siphon.  Good idea, well unless the stopper on the wand wasn't deployed.  Ya, there was a bit of beer splashed around unexpectedly.

I fully intended to replace my auto-siphon and transfer hose after I finished out the transfer today.  But I had other stuff sitting around that waiting to become casualties of war with bug infested beer flying around the kitchen.  I guess it was lucky that I had a sink filled with sanitizer from the bottles I had cleaned out.  If nothing else at least everything was soaked right away hopefully before anything was permanently fouled.

In the end I finished with the three gallons of sour starter that will now sit for 6 months before I pull out a bit to make my next sour beer.  I also have 8 champagne bottles of my first sour that will sit for at least the next 6 months while the bugs do their thing.  I believe it will be a good toast on the night I brew the next sour to be drinking the preceding sour.

I have stepped up my game a bit and am now using  Star  San for my sanitation needs.

The different incarnations of this recipe have now gained different names.  The Unsoured version is called Tequila Blonde.  I know, lame, but the agave nectar does it to me.  In six months when I crack open the first bottle, the soured version will take the mantle of Tijuana Morning.  My times crossing the border while in the Marines always gave me that sour feeling every morning after nights of Tequila and beer.  The name just seems fitting.  

So now, time for a pint... 

Brewing Demos: Bell's General Store

If you do any amount of brewing in the Kalamazoo, MI area you begin to know the workers at Bell's General Store.  For the most part, the people who work there are home brewers as well.  This is an added advantage when looking for supplies. 

For the past few months they have been doing demos in part of the Eccentric Cafe to help introduce more people to home brewing.  I have been out there a couple times now for the demos and have noticed that there are visitors there at all levels of brewing experience.  So aside from the fact that you can be getting beers right there from the Eccentric, it is also possible to learn from quite a number of sources at the same time. 

It can be a new way to spend an evening.  Who knows it is possible you could even get the bug and end up making a batch or two of your own.

As for me, it is now time for a pint...

Books: Brewer's Apprentice

I have been reading The Brewer's Apprentice (Greg Koch from Stone Brewing and Matt Allyn).  (I'm actually trying to think of something profound and wise to say here but its just not coming).  But then, the book is actually pretty good.  It is a brewing book but they dispensed with the usual rigamoral of most of the brewing books in print right now.  Instead they went from the perspective of professional craft brewers. 

Each chapter covers a different aspect of brewing, written in an interview format.  From my perspective, I find the stories associated with the different brewers and breweries a bit more fulfilling than yet another book going through the same motions as all the other home brewing books. 

When you get a chance check out the book, its well worth reading.  And now to save you from anymore of my inane rambling, I believe I shall go find a pint...

Chase the Rainbow...

July 9th Marked the first day of Short's tap take over week at the Central City Tap House/ Epic Bistro in downtown Kalamazoo.  I figured it would be a good day to head into Kalamazoo and check out some of the festivities for Michigan Craft Beer Month.  Of course now, I am reminded what you are probably thinking already, it is Monday night in a college town.  What, you have no clue what it is I am referring to?  Out of the many bars in downtown Kalamazoo, the most popular is of course Harveys with 2 dollar you call its on a Monday night (so it tends to be more about the drunk instead of about the beer). 

This of course means that I won't be bothered too much while I am in the tap house.  Silly me, I think it may be possible to enjoy a bit of quiet time while I sample some Short's beers and think about what it is I am going to do for an article today.  As is normally the case, life happens while you are busy making other plans. 



Short's Franken Pils- a cross over between a pilsner and a pale ale that comes across as a cream ale with pine and citrus notes.

While working on my first beer (Spruce Pilsner) I run across a friend who sits down and we commence talking beer.  Before you know it, we end up at a few other bars chasing tasty drafts. 

It was an interesting change up.  We started out with Spruce Pils moving into Franken Pils.  Both of these beers have a dominant spruce character.  Although it is the Spruce that kicks it hardcore with a beer that dominates your taste buds.  But it was when we made it to Food Dance that we encountered the next stage of evolution when it comes to more manageable beers.  We ended up drinking the Anniversary Ale.  So we went from incredibly hoppy and bitter to a more subtly hoppy beer with citrus and resiny notes that blend with the blood orange that makes up the main flavor profile. 

Before the end of the night we ended up at Kalamazoo Beer Exchange and then Shakespeare's.  In the end it was a pretty good night sampling different Michigan beers and talking about beer.  With the college crowd mostly over at Harvey's it made it much easier to find quiet space to enjoy the beers. 

Time for a pint...

Beer City USA

As we look at the tappings of the collaborative pale ale brewed to commemorate Grand Rapids as co-Beer City USA, the path that led to the title comes to mind again.  When it was discovered in Michigan that Grand Rapids had been nominated a campaign was enacted (very grass roots and unorganized but the mob had a common goal) to elevate Grand Rapids into the ranks that it so richly deserves.

Michigan has a growing beer scene, arguably the best in the country (nah, I'm not biased).  It is no Portland, Seattle, or even any city in Colorado, Grand Rapids has a style all its own.  But this isn't a na na na boo boo thought.  Thoughts of the beer brought up memories of those who didn't do as well in the polls as Asheville and Grand Rapids.

You see, during the time of the polls there were some who took the time to condemn the cities in the lead and even those who supported them and voted for them.  The claim was that it was just a popularity contest and didn't really mean anything.  Seriously, how dare people take pride in the accomplishments of those around them.  Of course the voting was a popularity contest, isn't the standings of any given beer nothing more than a popularity contest of sorts?  The voting for beers comes every day at the checkout counter and is tallied in sales volume.

The real question is, have communities become so jaded of late that they forget some of the most important aspects of beer, community and fun?  That is something that the collaboration brew represents.  10 different breweries coming together to develop a recipe that is special to the community as a whole.  Beer City Pale Ale represents more than just the city of Grand Rapids.  It represents the entire craft beer community and what it can mean for everyone.

Time for a pint...

Farming Update: Hop Head Farms

Farming is rife with constant work.  Even a hopfarm where you might think that once the hops are in and growing life would get easier.  I made a trip back to Hop Head Farms recently to see how the growing pains are going.  Out in the field it is nothing but a sea of green, a vibrant contrast from what it was a couple months ago when we helped do a bit of planting. 

As you can see back in May the fields were pretty much empty.

But now with the grow ropes up and the fields planted the whole place doesn't feel as empty and barren.  There be life in them there fields...

Days are now filled with weed control and ensuring that the bines are growing up the grow ropes. 

This being their first year having the larger field (from less than an acre to now 15 acres) time is spent nurturing and prepping for future harvests.  The plants they have right now will spend this year forming root structures and building a good base so that in the future they will have a huge harvest. 

Though there is still much to do out in the fields, nature is going to do its job now and hopefully the plants will grow big and strong.  The Steinmans are now anxiously awaiting the arrival of their hop harvester.  It is currently enroute from Germany and almost like a major organ transplant, there is a team on stand by for set up when it finally arrives (within the next couple weeks).  

I don't know about you, but I think I need a pint...

Kegerator Project: Faucets

Under normal circumstances building a kegerator can be a simple project.  Have a fridge or freezer, drill some holes, buy and then install equipment, and finally load it up with beer.  But then who wants a simple project.  My first kegerator followed the initial pattern.  The learning process says that do it simply so you can see how it is done.  But then once you have done it, it is time to forge a new path. 

The new kegerator is designed to not only be a tapable spot but also it is set for lagering.  I have wanted to kill two birds with one stone and minimize some space.  You can find earlier work on this new kegerator here and here.  But in the end the reason we are here today is not to rehash the past.  It is time to look at the next stage that this build out will be entering. 

Earlier today I was given a gift from a friend.  You see, in his restaurant he has an area upstairs that seems to be a catch all for miscellaneous clap trap.  When he put in the bar that is now in the restaurant (mind you this new bar is very nice and eclectic and what not) the old bar was ripped out.  The old tower system though functional was fairly ugly, so it sat in his upstairs storage area forever.  That is till today, with a little gumption I set to work ripping out the parts that were important in order to feed the beast that is the new kegerator.  I am now the owner of some shanks and three faucets that just need a bit of clean up so they can go back into the service they were meant for. 

 The tower did look pretty sweet, but it would be way more work than it was worth to me for me to want to save it. 

There was quite a bit of insulation that needed to be removed to get at the shanks. 

The tap handles themselves I am not certain yet what I will end up doing with them.  I do like the PBR one in a hipster kinda way.  The Miller Light one will be cleaned up and the label will be removed so I can relabel it to my own liking, but no clue what to do with the Budlight one. 



Reduce, reuse, recycle, sometimes with a little elbow grease you can find some treasures that are well worth the effort. 

And now, I am in need of a pint...

The Session #65

The Session 65: So lonely…

The Session is a monthly event for the beer blogging community which was started by Stan Hieronymus at Appellation Beer. On the first Friday of each month, all participating bloggers write about a predetermined topic. Each month a different blog is chosen to host The Session, choose the topic, and post a roundup of all the responses received. For more info on The Session, check out the Brookston Beer Bulletin’s nice archive page.

 

 The Session this month is hosted by Nathaniel Southwood from Booze, Beats, and Bites.  The topic this month is going to the pub alone. 

 

There is an ugly stigma about drinking alone.  I won't speak for other countries, but in the U.S. the Puritanical leanings are still so strong that to openly admit to enjoying alcohol in any way shape or form can be enough to gain the ire of others around you.  We all have vices, we all have dirty little secrets, but to talk about them openly, why, that is all but unheard of.  I mean, don't tell anyone, but people have sex and stuff too. 

 

Personally, I do most of my drinking at home, where I more often than not drink alone.  Of course there are also times when I will end up at a pub, sans entourage.  Usually at times like that I will have a book with me or possibly even a writing pad (yep, at times I still use paper, I like the feel of a pen and paper for writing).  Its great, you can cut out all the distractions and focus solely on the pint and what task you may have before you.  At times when the beer is just right, you can completely forget that there are other people even there. 

 

There are a few places I go to that I may enter alone, but I know the people working there.  It is times like that, that you are never really alone.  You end up sitting up at the bar and more often than not end up engrossed in conversation with the bartender.  This is a great way to get anothers view on the flavor profiles of the pint, but you aren't really alone. 

 

There is another instance that I seem to find more and more as craft beer is spread into the hearts of others.   There have been a number of occasions where I have gone into a pub alone only to find that halfway into the pint I am making new friends.  Beer is a social endeavor.  The more you drink the more you wish to share with those around you (speaking of discovery not just open drunkenness... Maybe your mind didn't go that way, isn't it sad that mine did...).  You see, when you discover that there is actual flavor in beer, it can be so shocking that you want to share this experience with others.   

 

I think that could be one of my favorite parts of the craft beer movement.  You are never alone in a room full of strangers.  The truth of the matter now is, you are amongst friends you just haven't met yet.  Good beer is the great equalizer.  All you need do is listen and drink and then share some of your own stories. 

 

Time for a pint...

Transfer: Tequila Blonde

This is more of just a quick update to say ya, the Tequila Blonde has been transferred to secondary.  But at the same time it is to go on record to confirm a suspicion or two.  First things first, I of course always make a tasting sample of the beer pulled for gravity checks.  So far, its pretty good.  Well balanced and light, it should come out quite well when it is bottled and carbed up. 

And on that note I will only be bottling two gallons of this one.  This is the beer that will be the starter base for sours eventually.  Probably about the middle of next week I will make that change out and bottle the remainder.  My aim is to naturally carbonate.  With this I will be adding a sugar mix into the beer so that the yeast will have something to feed on for carbonating but also I will have a little something more for the bugs to feed on while it sits for the next six months getting ready to be a sourish brew. 

Now, a suspicion was confirmed with this ferment.  The yeast strain I used for this beer was a repitch from the golden pine beer I did not too long ago.  This beer finished out a little bit higher than it should have.  At the time I was thinking that the fluctuations of temperature from night to day that week had caused the yeast to stall out.  Turns out I can feel strongly that my suspicion was correct.  With as hot as it has been outisde we have had our a/c on constantly (meaning constant temps with almost no fluctuations).  So this beer maintained an ambient temp around 72 degrees (most likely rising up to 76 inside the bucket).  It finished out exactly where it should have and the flavors are spot on so far.  It is now sitting in the cold room (brewery/ pub in my basement) where it will sit in secondary at roughly 64 degrees for the next week. 

I guess the question I must ask myself now is, when I do the next transfer on this one do I want to inoculate it all before I bottle or just the three gallons I set aside for the sour starter.  In the end it could be interesting to see how this beer sours on its own.  I am intending to bottle into champagne bottles anyway so it could be an interesting experiment. 

Well, I think it's now time for a pint...
 

National Holiday

So far this summer has been little more than one hot mofo.  I realized the conversation with my wife today was taking a morose leaning and we both were in a place were most people did little but annoy us and get on our bad side.  Gossiping like hens at the back fence is really not a place to spend your evening...

But then I started noticing the general feeling of many of the people around me.  I realized it wasn't just us that are in foul spirits, it would seem the heat of summer is bearing down on many people and pressing them down like a thumbscrew.  With this in mind, this post has little to do with beer.  Instead I want to share with you all a song that seems to reflect the way this 4th of July (America's Independence day) has felt to me when I find myself in this spiritual quagmire (around this particular holiday).

The band is one from the late 80s/ early 90s.  Timbuk 3 had a one hit wonder that is often brought out for graduating classes "The Future is so Bright, I have to Wear Shades."  Check it out, its worth a listen...


Time for a pint...

A Whole Lotta Beans

I know what you are thinking, "Why am I staring at what can only be a big coffee can?"  If you look back to just the other day, I was thinking about some upgrades and improvements (as well as other general type stuff) I will be doing over the course of this month. 

I had a thought of some work I could do on my grill not too long ago.  Its a decent sized one (basically a store bought steel drum style) but it has been lacking one important aspect, a side smoker attachment.  Enter the coffee can.  Its big enough that I should be able to set it up in this capacity (unless of course the heat melts the can).  This will take a little bit of fabricating but its all said and done it should be a nice addition to what I can do with my grill. 

As I was staring at this coffee can my mind began to wander (big surprise there) and I realized a few connections.  People who brew (pro and home brewers), as well as those who cook (more toward the pros) tend to have a bit of MacGuiver in them.  Sometimes you just have to throw something together that most people might not have thought of until they see what it is you have done.  And then sometimes its more like "How the hell did you just make a cell phone out of a pack of gum, a coconut, and a shoelace?" 

I have to wonder if maybe there is just a bit of wiring different in their brains.  Sometimes I look around my brewery and it amazes me with the whole mad scientist feel to the place.  Sure, I have had changes to equipment and some beers that weren't worth saving.  But the lessons learned from stuff like that was worth the cost.  It was the mistakes that brought out better innovations to make the whole thing better and build skills. 

I guess what my point with all this nonsense is, don't be afraid to experiment.  Sure a coffe can used as part of a smoker sounds like it could fail miserably.  But then it may also turn out to be an amazing addition to your equipment that you find you have no idea how you worked it all without it. 

Time for a pint...