PremiumBitter

Double Bastard

2009-06-07T12:36:00.002-05:00

The Beer: Double Bastard Ale
The Brewery: Stone Brewing Company of Escondido, California
The Style: American Strong Ale (doesn't quite have a specific category per se)

ABV: 8.3%

Brewer's Description: This is a lacerative muther of a beer. The evil big brother of Arrogant Bastard Ale. It is strongly suggested you stay far, far away from this beer. Those foolish enough to venture close enough to taste will experience a punishingly unforgiving assault on the palate. ’Course there’s always the masochists...

Color: Poured into Allagash 40cL Belgian glass, deep rich chocolate copper in color. Bright red and clear copper highlights when held up to light. Small compact, off-white head.
Aroma: dark, dried fruits. I get plums, dates, and some alcohol.
Taste/mouthfeel: medium-low carbonation. Mouth-filling hop bitterness and deep, bittersweet caramel notes. Alcohol is very apparent and ready to slap your sorry ass in the face!
Finish: Bittersweet is the best word I can come up with. It packs an intense deep burnt caramel sweetness that is quickly bitch-slapped by a fierce hop bitterness. Finish mellows with every sip!

Notes: Purchased in Carlsbad, CA. This beer is a hard one too pin down. It evokes feelings of an imperial IPA, barleywine, and imperial Russian stout (albeit without any roasty notes whatsoever). The beer can be thought of as a "more Arrogant" bastard, but the added strength evokes a different sort of beer. I enjoy Arrogant Bastard on tap at local bars in Spokane, it's becoming my session beer of sorts. I could not say the same thing for this beastly brew. This is a beer to take to the top of a mountain and split with your best bud. Savor every sip as you gaze out over the land before you. The beer is challenging, but worth the effort.

Flying Dog Wild Dog Collaborator Doppelbock

2009-02-03T22:23:00.002-06:00

The Beer: Wild Dog Collaborator
The Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery of Denver, Colorado
The Style: Doppelbock

ABV: 8.3%

Brewer's Description: It may seem like we say this every time we release a Wild Dog beer, but our newest brew really is Flying Dog's most unique beer to date. Collaborator Doppelbock was created through Flying Dog's Open Source Beer Project, which gave amateur brewers a chance to give our brewing team recommendations and feedback on the everything from the grain, hops and yeast to the brewing process itself. We combined your feedback and created a unique Doppelbock recipe to brew up and release.

Collaborator has a full body with a sweet malt profile and a slight roast character. The complete recipe and printable labels are available for download at www.OpenSourceBeerProject.com. We want to thank everyone who contributed to creating this beer, it truly was a collaboration.

Original Gravity: 1.093
IBU's: 80
Specialty Malts: 120L Crystal, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt
Hops: Warrior, Northern Brewer, Cascade
Process: Aged in used Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey barrels

Color: Poured into Ayinger bock glass, deep, bright and clear copper in color with sparse suds floating on the top
Aroma: perfumey almost vinuous alcohol aromas with sweet maltiness, no hops in the nose.
Taste/mouthfeel: medium carbonation, medium-full mouthfeel. Bready, doughy malt flavors up front. Surprisingly well-attenuated, especially for a beer of this style.
Finish: the malts quickly give way to a firm, if non-descript, bitterness. Some gentle warming alcohol in the finish, it is not at all harsh and quite welcoming.

Notes: Purchased at Huckleberry's Fresh Market in Spokane, WA. This is a surprisingly quaffable beer, given its strength. Finish is surprisingly dry and avoids being overly sweet (something hard to do with the bold, sweeitsh doppelbock style). Kudos to Flying Dog on the nice, corked bottle. I do find it odd that they chose to use a green bottle, which exposes the beer more easily to UV rays. As this is not a hoppy beer, it seems to have not impacted the flavor to negatively. Flying Dog Ales (oddly enough, this beer is a lager) have attained fairly wide distribution for a craft brewery, thanks in no part to their wild, surrealistic labels. I must confess that I'm not a huge fan of most of Flying Dog's typical offerings, but their seasonal and "imperial" brews always leave me with a smile.

Pairings: game meats, brats, desserts

Christmas Beer

2008-12-25T14:26:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from Kudy the dog

Merry Christmas! Before flying home to Florida for the holidays, I decided to sample two more winter offerings available in the Northwest.

The Beer: Alaskan Winter Ale
The Brewery: Alaska Brewing Company of Juneau, Alaska
The Style: Winter Warmer/Old Ale

ABV: 6.4%

Brewer's Description: Style: English Olde Ale. Traditionally malty with the warming sensation of alcohol, Olde Ales are brewed in the fall as winter warmers.

Flavor Profile: Brewed in the style of an English Olde Ale, this ale balances the sweet heady aroma of spruce tips with the clean crisp finish of noble hops. Its malty richness is complemented by the warming sensation of alcohol.

History: From the seafaring adventurers of the 1700s to the homebrewers of today, adding spruce tips to beer has a rich history in Southeast Alaska. The tender new growth of Sitka spruce tips lends a delicious, yet subtly sweet floral aroma to tea, jelly and now Alaskan Winter Ale.

Ingredients: Water, malt, hops and yeast with no adjuncts, no preservatives and no pasteurization. Our glacier-fed water originates in the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Ice Field. A complex blend of six malts including Pale, Wheat, Munich and caramelized malts. Prized Czechoslovakian Saaz hops and Sitka spruce tips.

Color: Poured into pint glass, deep yellow, slightly cloudy. Healthy white head.
Aroma: Very sweet malty aroma
Taste/mouthfeel: medium carbonation, medium creamy mouthfeel. Very sweet "buttered-biscuit" malt flavors that give way to some mild fruity esters.
Finish: very subtle piney bitterness in the finish with some faint peppery spicy notes.

Notes: Purchased at Rosauers Supermarket in Spokane, WA. A slightly different take than the other winter beers I've reviewed, this beer is the lightest in color and the tastes is much more on the sweet malty notes. There is some bitterness in the finish but the focus seems to be primarily on the malt. I did not detect any specific spruce tip notes, I didn't realize the beer was made with spruce tips until reading the label. The brewery probably used lower hopping rates so the hops wouldn't compete with the flavors imparted by the spruce.

The Beer: Dicks Double Diamond Winter Ale
The Brewery: Dick's Brewig Company of Centralia, Washington
The Style: Winter Warmer/America Strong Ale

ABV: 8.5%

Brewer's Description: Northwest style winter seasonal bold enough to get you through the weather. We fill the mash tun to the top with lots of Northwest premium 2-row malted barley, plenty of rich Munich malt, a full bag of sweet caramel malt, lots of crisp malted white wheat, and a touch of highly roasted black barley. This kind of big beer requires several healthy additions of hops with real character for backbone and finish. We don’t call it Double Diamond for nothing.

Color: poured into pint glass. Dark, transparent brown, small, thin white head.
Aroma: Wow, spicy! Cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, caramel.
Taste/mouthfeel: medium-heavy body, medium-high carbonation. some mild spiciness (much milder than the aroma would suggest) followed by dark fruity esters. (dates? raisins?)
Finish: the finish is huge and very warming on the throat. Course, scratchy hop bitterness (Chinook hops perhaps?) followed by some winter spices (cinnamon?). Noticeable lingering hop resin bitterness on the tongue.

Notes: Purchased at Huckleberry's Supermarket in Spokane, WA. This is definitely a BIG beer meant for sipping. I don't think there are any spices in this ale, but the malt complexity and warming alcohol notes definitely add some spiciness. This beer is big on the malt and tremendous on the hops. This is the kind of beer to be savored slowly on a cold day. "Nursing" is perfectly acceptable for a beer of this magnitude.

Winter Seasonal Ales: Powder Hound and Jubelale

2008-12-22T22:12:00.002-06:00

This is the time of year when breweries start to roll out their winter ales (and lagers). There is no one school of thought on what a winter ale should or should not be. They are often stronger and/or hoppier than the typical beers produced by the brewery. Many breweries model their winter ales after stronger English ales which were traditionally brewed in the winter. These celebratory beers were usually malty, darker (amber to brown) beers with ample bittering hops for balance. I chose to review two such "Winter Warmers" from a pair rapidly growing Northwestern craft brewers.

The Beer: Powder Hound
The Brewery: Big Sky Brewing Company of Missoula, Montana
The Style: Winter Warmer

ABV: 6.2%

Brewer's Description: Powder Hound is our Winter Ale, and since it is our own creation we call it a Northern Rockies Strong Ale. Powder Hound satisfies, with the fine hand selected British hops fully complimenting the smooth malt notes. After a day on the ice or in the snow, enjoy a Powder Hound Winter Ale. Available November through March.

Color: Poured into Yakima Fresh Hop Festival pint glass, deep ruby red in color when held to light, otherwise approaching brown. Thin creamy off-white head that leaves lace.
Aroma: cranberry notes? Brown sugar and some darker fruits.
Taste/mouthfeel: medium carbonation, medium creamy mouthfeel. Fruity esters up front fading to medium toasted malt notes.
Finish: pronounced, but not overpowering, hop bitterness. I would never call this beer "hoppy", but it has enough hops to balance the sweetness of the malt. Specific hop flavors are not apparent.

Notes: Purchased at Rosauers Supermarket in Spokane, WA. An enjoyable, if safe, winter ale. Showcases bolder malt and hop notes than a typical beer of this strength while maintaining a surpisingly amount of "drinkability". This beer tastes much better when it is allowed to warm up for about 15 minutes. Served cold, much of the nuances in the malt are masked by the bitterness.

The Beer: Jubelale
The Brewery: Deschutes Brewing Company of Bend, Oregon
The Style: Winter Warmer

ABV: 6.7%

Brewer's Description: Jubelale is classified as a "Strong Ale" or an "English Olde Ale," and has ties to the traditional Celebration Ales of England. Characterized by a very large malt body and pronounced bitterness, Jubelale contains five different varieties of hops and a healthy amount of caramel. The perfect ale for surviving the long, cold nights of winter. Our tradition is having a different local artist design our Jubelale label & packaging each year. October - December - draft and bottles

Color: Poured into pint glass, dark brown in color with ruby hues. Thicker and much creamier off-white head than the Powder Hound.
Aroma: very little aroma, I'm having a hard time picking up anything! Perhaps some raisin notes?
Taste/mouthfeel: medium-low carbonation, medium creamy mouthfeel. Creamy, toated-bread malt notes up front, quickly giving way to bitterness.
Finish: the hop bitterness here is a bit much for the beer, in my opinion. I adore hoppy beers but this beer packs a bit too much hop bitterness that overpowers any malt-derived flavors in the ale. Some mild citrus hop notes in the finish.

Notes: Purchased at Rosauers Supermarket in Spokane, WA. Similar to the Powder Hound with much more hop bitterness, a bit too much for my taste. I love hoppy beers, but I expect beers like this to have some rich warming maltiness. I would rather drink a pale ale or IPA when in the mood for a bitter beer. The hop bitterness here is too in conflict with the malt flavors. Instead of balancing them, it competes with them. While the Powder Hound is balanced by the hops, this beer is slightly off the mark. I should note that I still enjoyed the beer, I just feel that it could become even better with a little restraint on the bittering hops.

Grand Teton Brewing XX 20th Anniversary Mountainberry Double Wheat Ale

2008-12-03T01:17:00.012-06:00

The Beer: 20th Anniversary Double Wheat Ale
The Brewery: Grand Teton Brewing Co. Inc. of Victor, Idaho
The Style: Fruit Beer (base beer is a wheat wine)
ABV: 7.6%

Brewer's Description: To commemorate that twenty-year history, the brewers of Grand Teton have chosen four of our favorite beers--three current, one historical--to update and enhance. XX Mountainberry Double Wheat Ale is the second release in our 2008 XX series. Grand Teton's original fruit beer, Huckleberry Wheat, was brewed for about five years beginning more than a decade ago. It was light and sparkly, with just a hint of sweet-tart mountain huckleberry. This year's celebratory version is bigger in every way--more than double the original's malt, fermented to 7.6% alcohol by volume, then flavored with more than a pound per gallon of fresh Pacific Northwest huckleberries, blueberries and marionberries. Bold and flavorful, XX Mountainberry Double Wheat makes a wonderful aperitif, or try it with a balsamic vinaigrette salad, glazed ham, duck a l'orange or fruity dessert.

Color: Poured into an Allagash Belgian-style glass, deeply copper with a marshmallowy white head that rapidly dissipates. Bottle of the large (1 quart, 1.8 fl oz), flip-top variety (perfect for re-use in homebrewing). The top has been dipped in purple wax, which is common for beers capable of aging.
Aroma: funky wheat and jammy huckleberry notes, perhaps a touch of ethanol
Taste/mouthfeel: high carbonation stings the tongue up-front, bubbles give way to a well-attenuated, thin body with somewhat hot alcohol notes. Berries do not show up on the palate with the intensity they do on the nose. Beer has a vinous, wine-look quality with faint, generic, fruity notes.
Finish: very faintly sweet finish with heady, warming alcohol notes. For only 7.6% (this may be high for some, but I like stronger ales) you can sure feel it going down.

Notes: Purchased at Huckleberry's Fresh Market in Spokane, WA. I did not know what to expect of this strong wheat ale. I will say that it grew on me a bit with every sip. It is initially quite jarring, but once your taste buds acclimate to the flavors it becomes a bit more subtle and complex. It is certainly a unique beer with a distinct taste. The brewing of strong or "imperial" wheat ales (often called "wheat wines", patterned after the strong barley-based beers "barley wines") is a fairly new trend in the microbrew community. As such, I do not have very much experience with the style. This one happens to be augmented with various wild berries of the Inland North West.

Avery Redpoint Ale

2008-11-06T15:20:00.007-06:00

The Beer: Redpoint Ale
The Brewery: Avery Brewing Company of Boulder, Colorado
The Style: American Amber Ale
ABV: 5.1%

Brewer's Description: Some beer lovers enjoy a rich, malty brew, while others go more for hoppy beers. Our brewmaster likes both - as evidenced by this rich and caramelly amber ale with the distinct flavor and bouquet of Cascade hops. Reaching the perfect balance of crystal malt sweetness and hop bitterness took plenty of time and effort, making Redpoint the perfect beer for toasting your most recent success.

Color: Poured into gator pint glass, transparent deep amber with fluffy white head which leaves generous lacing
Aroma: caramel maltiness up front balanced by citrusy hops
Taste/mouthfeel: medium to low carbonation which allows rich caramelized malts to express themselves. Flavors of toasted bread, brown sugar are present along with some faint nuttiness.
Finish: relatively malty body gives way to a medium-dry hoppy finish. Some minor resin on the tongue. Hops are of the pungent, Pacific NW variety that remind one of grapefruit.

Notes: Purchased at Publix grocery in Tampa, FL. I really enjoyed this beer. It reminds me of an ESB that has had its woody/earthy English hops replaced with punchy American varieties (this is actually how the "American Amber" style came to be developed). At 5.1% abv it's a fantastic session beer. Repoint is very quaffable but still packs ample amounts of flavor on both the malt and hop fronts. Amber ales are, stylistically, more malty (and thus balanced) versions of APAs. This is a stunning, balanced, benchmark example of the style, are you listening Anheuser-Busch?

The Father of Homebrewing's "Top Five" Beers

2008-10-07T16:40:00.007-05:00

A friend, Charlie, and myself.

With the (sold out) Great American Beer Festival looming in a couple of days I have been unable to contain my anticipation. I decided to go see what Charlie is up to...

Charlie Papazian is the founder of the Brewer's Association (which puts on the epic Great American Beer Festival annually in downtown Denver, a must-see event for anyone into craft beer) and writer of the foremost guide on homebrewing “The Joy of Homebrewing” (which single-handedly taught me how to brew). A highlight of my simple life was getting to meet this man at last year’s GABF.

Being such an iconic figure in brewing, he is often asked to name his favorite beer. While Charlie hesitant to name any specific beer, here are some picks he recently listed for his “Beer Examiner” column:

Best lager beer with a thick juicy barbecued-to-perfection steak - Kings & Vagabonds Czech lager (homebrew). Gordon Biersch Czech-style lager (Brewpub nearest you)

Best ale with hearty stew – Dusty Mud Irish-style stout (homebrew). Mountain Sun Old School Stout (Boulder, Colorado).

Best Belgian Trappist ale by a fireside - Westvletern 12

Best Belgian Trappist (style) with Lasagna - Leftmalle Dubbel-style (homebrew). Westmalle Dubbel

Best beer with Sushi – Lefthand Brewing Co. JuJu Ginger ale (Longmont, Colorado)

Note that (in addtional to legendary Trappist ales such as Westvletern 12), Charlie recommends primarily local brews (he resides in Boulder, CO). Papazian also notes that most Americans live within 10 miles of a brewery, and urges the reader to drink the beer that's made closest to where they reside (be it a brewpub or your own homebrew). Amen Charlie! You can read the full article here.

Help me brew

2008-09-17T21:31:00.008-05:00

Homegrown hops from my front yard!

I am finally starting to settle in to my new home in Spokane, Washington. I've started to rent a house and, to my surprise, the previous tenant had quite the green thumb! Among other things, I now have spearmint and hops growing in my yard! I've finally begun to unpack my belongings and my brewing setup is aching for some fresh wort.

But I'm at a crossroads of brewing. I haven't brewed in so long (about 7 months) that I have an abundance of ideas and seemingly little time to implement them. Let's start with the basic ingredients I have on hand:

Grain:
50# American two-row barley malt (base grain)
5# Munich 10L malt (specialty grain)
5# Crystal 40L malt (specialty grain)
5# Carapils malt (specialty grain)

Hops:
1# of “Spokane” Goldings whole hops (homegrown, unkown AA%)
3oz Amarillo hop pellets (8% AA)
3oz Summit hop pellets (18%[!] AA)
3oz Saaz hop pellets (2.5% AA)
1oz Hallertau Select hop pellets (2% AA)

Yeast:
Whitelabs WLP001 California Ale Yeast (a very clean all-purpose strain, I usually use it for APAs and IPAs)
Whitelabs WLP028 Edinburgh Scottish Ale Yeast (cooler fermenting, maltier strain. I usually use it for stouts, porters, scotch ales, and English ales)

Here are some ideas I’ve been throwing around:

1) Harvest Pale Ale: Using the Amarillo (my personal favorite hop) for bittering and flavor additions and “wet-hopping” with fresh-from-the-vine goldings hops. The Goldings would be used for aroma hops and for dry-hopping. This would be a 5%-6% abv pale ale with a huge hop nose. I would shoot for 35-45 IBU.

2) Mild Ale/Bitter/”Blonde”/Golden Ale/Cream Ale: A milder, easier drinking beer that is quaffable enough to not scare my small group of inland NW friends away from the joys of homebrewing. I would still use the homegrown hops for late kettle additions and dry hopping. I would shoot for 15-20 IBU, 4.5-5.5% abv ale.

3) Winter Ale: A 2008 vintage of the winter ale I did last year . This year I would tweak the recipe and include fresh spearmint leaves late in the boil instead of (or in addition too) the juniper berries I used last year. Scottish yeast strain for 6%-7% abv and about 25 IBU.

4) Belgian Golden Ale (with apple juice): A high-gravity Belgian ale fermented with a fresh apple juice for added complexity and strength. I’d use a Belgian strain of yeast and shoot for a 7.5%-8.5% abv ale with 15-20 IBU.

I may try and re-use my yeast over the course of three batches. Start out with the mild ale, then use that yeast cake on the harvest pale, and finally finish off with a winter ale.

More on re-using yeast in a future post.

Dick's Best Bitter

2008-08-23T17:46:00.003-05:00

The Beer: Dick's Best Bitter
The Brewery: Dick's Brewing Company of Centralia, WA
The Style: Extra Special Bitter

ABV: 5.5%

Brewer's Description: Wonderfully balanced "session beer" in the ESB style. A combination of 75 L and 120 L caramel malts give this ale a nice color, maltiness and body. This is then balanced and complimented in the kettle with Magnum hops which contribute its clean but detectable bitterness. Mt. Hood hops are then added for a lingering hop flavor and aroma. We ferment our bitter with Dick's house yeast for that classic English ale flavor.

Color: Poured into whiskey hotel glass, bright copper with steady white head. Bubbles continually rise from the bottom of the glass, as they do in champagne.
Aroma: sweet toffee, caramel, some biscuity malt notes, no hop aroma
Taste/mouthfeel: medium carbonation, medium mouthfeel. Sweet caramel malts up front (although not as intense as in the aroma) followed by a clean bitterness.
Finish: bitter, semi-dry finish, although little hop flavor is present.

Notes: Purchased at Huckleberry's Organic Market in Spokane, WA. This is almost a text-book ESB, although the balance is perhaps a little skewed towards the bitterness. As the ESB is an English-style pale ale, hops are usually utilized earlier in the boil and sparingly at the end (these are called "finishing hops"). This results in a beer with hop bitterness but little hop flavor or aroma. This ale would pair well with sheppard's pie or go great with steak and ale pie.

Cave Creek Chili Beer

2008-08-12T10:34:00.002-05:00

The Beer: Chili Beer "Cerveza con Chili"
The Brewery: Black Mountain Brewing Company of Cave Creek, Arizona
The Style: Pale Lager (specifically: a Mexican-style lager with a Serrano pepper steeped in the bottle)

ABV: 4.7%

Brewer's Description: Golden, very low carbonation, pale lager with a whole chili pepper in the bottle.

Color: What looks to be a Serrano pepper is immersed in the bottle, as soon as the bottle was opened the chili rose to the top. Poured into gator pint glass, pale clear gold with aggressive effervescent bubbles. No head. Put chili to the side for later consumption.
Aroma: Hot chili aromas. Smells like Serrano, jalapeno, and perhaps some Anaheim.
Taste/mouthfeel: Medium-low carbonation. Some very faint sweet malt that is quickly dominated by pepper oils. The beer gives a pleasing "warmth" without feeling overpowered, sort of like a spicy bloody Mary.
Finish: Semi-sweet spicy finish, throat warming. No hops detectable.

Notes: Purchased at Wine and More in Tampa, FL. NOTE: If you do not like very spicy things you will HATE this beer. I have an incredibly high tolerance for hot sauces and dishes, I appreciated this beer. It's sort of like drinking a beer infused with pepper juice, if this sounds disgusting to you, I would not recommend this lager. This isn't something I could drink as a session beer, but I certainly enjoyed drinking one. This beer would make a very interesting marinade ingredient.

An update from your humble Beer Geek

2008-07-25T19:10:00.006-05:00

Spokane Falls from the Monroe St. bridge downtown

I have recently (days ago) moved to Spokane, Washington(don't worry, I stopped at plenty breweries along the way) in pursuit of better career(and beer) opportunities. I've already seen a wealth of beer I could never get in the Sooner State. There are a couple of local breweries and the solid "Laughing Dog" brewery is relatively close in the Idaho panhandle. I will do my best to cover all the new beers and breweries I encounter. The grocery stores here are also quite stellar, so expect some new beer-infused food recipes.

I will miss my friends and acquaintances back in Oklahoma, you folks are exceptional! To all of you: keep hope alive. Oklahoma is one of the most repressive beer states in the nation, it is your challenge to expand beer culture in the state, one pint at a time.

Avery Karma Ale

2008-07-24T19:52:00.000-05:00

The Beer: Karma Ale
The Brewery: Avery Brewing Company of Boulder, Colorado
The Style: Belgian (Pale) Ale

ABV: 5.2%

Brewer's Description: We believe in Karma. We suspect most of you do, too. It truly is a global concept. Very simply put, "you get what you give." Inspired by this principle and the wonderful farmhouse and pale ales of Belgium, we've created Karma Ale, a decidedly fruity and estery ale, intricate in body and nose, all driven by a unique Belgian yeast strain. Remember, good things DO happen to good people. Here's to being good!

Color: Poured into whiskey glass, transparent gold with minimal white head
Aroma: sour vinegar, apples.
Taste/mouthfeel: high carbonation, light mouthfeel. Flavors of pilsner malt, some light honey, apple esters, and cedar. Taste is not as sour as aroma would lead one to believe, but there is still a small amount of farmhouse "funk".
Finish: surprisingly bitter and dry finish.

Notes: Purchased at Publix grocery in Tampa, FL. I am not sure if the funky/sour/vinegar notes were intended in this beer or not. Regardless, I was not a fan of this beer. The beer tastes awkward and has little personality beyond a slightly off-putting aroma. It feels like it doesn't know if it wants to be a quenching, light belgian ale or a dry Flemish-style sour ale.

Stoudt's American Pale Ale

2008-07-07T17:31:00.006-05:00

The Beer: American Pale Ale
The Brewery: Stoudt's Brewing Company of Adamstown, Pennsylvania
The Style: APA

ABV: 5.0%

Brewer's Description: This uniquely American beer offers a crisp, medium-body with a light amber color. It is assertively hopped with Pacific Northwest Cascades for a firm bitterness and delightfully floral aroma.

Color: Poured into whiskey glass, slightly hazy orange with minimal white lacing
Aroma: grapefruit peel and some lemon zest
Taste/mouthfeel: medium carbonation, assertive grapefruit bitternesss up front, very faint malt balance
Finish: bitter, ample hop resins, finish is medium-dry

Notes: Purchased at "Wine and Boos" in Tampa, FL. This was a very solid, if not incredibly outstanding, example of an American pale ale. Typical cascade hop aromas and bitterness (Cascade is the most commonly used hop in amongst craft brewers, although this is beginning to change due to the recent hop shortages) abound. Very drinkable beer, would go great with burgers and a summer cookout.

Lagunitas Lucky #13

2008-07-07T17:05:00.005-05:00

The Beer: Lucky #13
The Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma, California
The Style: Imperial Amber Ale

ABV: 8.3%

Brewer's Description: From the first day of the first mash of the first recipe in the first space to this oasis 13 years on the road; We have worked hard to walk in the footsteps of our hero brewers. The Esteemed brewer of California's best Pale Ale, the Noble Brewer of the planet's only legal Steam Beer, and Oregon's Rebel Brewer from Newport. Thirteen years down the road, we have found our own voice as brewers but our admiration for the Great Ones has not dimmed one bit. If we walked well down the hero's path ourselves, perhaps we too have been an inspiration for others. Beer is a Bronze Age business and we feel honored to have left our footprints on its path into history, at the same time leaving our flavors on your buds. Thanks for your trust over the years and we hope you enjoy this specially brewed Hi-Gravity Auburn offering. Beer Speaks. People Mumble! O.G. 1.085 76.92 IBU

Color: Poured into whiskey glass (best I could do at the hotel). Bright polished amber with very thin white head that leaves lace.
Aroma: Sweet malt, caramel, tangy hops
Taste/mouthfeel: medium full, caramel malts up front with some very faint toffee. Soft carbonation gives way to pleasant hoppy bitterness in the finish, assertive but not at all harsh.
Finish: malts and hops are in very good balance although the gregarious additions of citrusy hops win out in the end.

Notes: Purchased at ABC Liquor near Anna Maria Island, FL. The American amber ale can usually be thought of as a slightly darker, maltier APA. The APA has always had stronger versions in the form of IPAs and double or "imperial" IPAs. Recently a new style has emerged among craft brewers, the "Imperial Amber Ale". Lucky #13 is one such example. This beer has a great balance of malts and hops, the caramel maltiness plays nicely with the punchy Pacific NW hops. That said, this is not a perfectly balanced beer (nor should it be) such as an ESB. This is a strong beer with assertive maltiness and even more assertive hoppiness. A very well-crafted ale.

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA

2008-05-22T16:15:00.001-05:00

The Beer: Union Jack IPA
The Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. of Buellton , California
The Style: IPA

ABV: 7.5%

Brewer's Description: 70 IBUs. Simcoe bittering hops; Centennial, Cascade and Tomahawk for flavoring; aroma hops are described as a "blend of C's."
Color: Poured into Urthel stemmed glass. Bright polished amber with very thin white head that leaves lace.
Aroma: juicy mango and peach, fresh-cut flowers.
Taste/mouthfeel: fine bubbles sting the tongue, giving way to citrus oil bitterness that stings the sides of the mouth and lingers in the back of the throat. Touch of sweet caramel malt in the middle, just enough to keep this beer balanced.
Finish: Resiny, tongue-coating hop bitterness. Bitter, oily, hoppy aftertaste.
Notes: Purchased at BevMo! in El Segundo, CA. This beer comes from Great American Beer Festival's "Best Mid-sized Brewery". A classic American pale ale, with a touch more malt than some of the other west coast IPAs. This India pale is clean and bursting with hop flavor yet balanced enough to drink as a session beer or at a BBQ on a hot day. I'd suggest pairing it with spicy Thai/Indian food or a zesty salad.

21st Amendment Brewery

2008-05-16T12:32:00.001-05:00

photo courtesy of my friend at: The Exploded View

On December 5th, 1933 the United States enacted the 21st Amendment which repealed the alcohol-banning 18th Amendment. Some 66 years later the 21st Amendment Brewing Company opened in San Francisco California.I recently took a weekend trip up to SF to visit this fine brewery. I ordered the sampler and began tasting the full spectrum of delicious ale.

photo courtesy of my friend at: The Exploded View

Southpark Blonde (Blond Ale, 5.1%, 17 IBU): quenching and clean with some mild butter notes in the finish. Very light bodied.
Water Melon Wheat (Fruit Wheat Ale, 5.5%, 17 IBU): Surprised by this one the watermelon flavors dominated this beer. Watermelon notes are fresh and crisp, not at all sweet. Very refreshing and enjoyable.
Summer Ale (American Pale Ale, 5.2%, 21 IBU): crisp and mildly hoppy pale ale. Hops are almost all in the flavor and aroma with little bitter finish.
Bitter American (Bitter, 3.6%, 40 IBU): Very interesting take on an English bitter, a style of beer meant to be low in alcohol to allow weary workers to consume many during some after-work hob-nobbing. This take on the style uses American hops for a very citrusy bitterness. Enjoyable, especially for a beer so low in strength.
21-A IPA (IPA, 7.2%, 78 IBU): Award-winning IPA, clean and bitter with tons of bursting citrus hops and a lingering, tongue-drying finish.
Repeal Rye (Rye Ale, 6.5%, 40 IBU): Hoppy, spicy, and dry. Rye flavors and hops blend very well. Some caramel malts in the body as well.
Myers Scotch Ale (Strong Scotch Ale, 8.3%, 23 IBU): Rich malt flavors with some caramel and toffee notes. Finish is slightly sweet. Very small touches of earth and smoky flavors. Impressively quaffable for a beer of such low hop bitterness and high alcohol.
General Pippos Porter (Porter, 5.6%, 45 IBU): typical, but enjoyable porter. Some mild roasted notes with ample bitter chocolate.

from left to right: Southpark Blonde, Watermelon Wheat, Summer Ale, Bitter American, 21-A IPA, Repeal Rye, Myers Scotch Ale, General Pippo's Porter

Bear Republic Racer 5

2008-05-07T23:28:00.008-05:00

The Beer: Racer 5 India Pale Ale
The Brewery: Bear Republic Brewing Company of Healdsburg, California
The Style: IPA

ABV: 7.00%

Brewer's Description: This is a hoppy IPA. Did I say hops? Your brewer is a hop head! This is a full bodied beer using American grains. The goal was to create a base for showing off the unique floral qualities of two Pacific Northwest hops, Columbus and Cascade. Columbus is a new hybrid High Alpha Acid hop used mostly for bittering, but used heavily as an aromatic in this strong brew. Cascade is the balance that ties the malt and bittering hops together. It is a true specialty ale and is our brewer’s statement on this style. 2004 L.A. Commercial Brewing Competition, Silver Medal Winner; 2004 World Beer Cup, Silver Medal Winner; 2001 Real Ale Festival, San Diego, Gold Medal Winner; 2001 Real Ale Festival, Chicago, Gold Medal Winner; 1999 Great Amercian Beer Festival, Gold Medal Winner - og 1.070, ABV 7.0%, IBU 69. California State Fair Bronze Medal, 1997 Beerfest Invitational. - og 1.070, ABV 7.0%, IBU 69.
Color: Poured into my poor, over-used Urthel beer glass. Pale copper with very small, tight, white head.
Aroma: mild tangerine and perhaps some hints of cranberries and/or currants.
Taste/mouthfeel: medium mouthfeel, moderate, fine carbonation, very slight caramel sweetness and some grapefruit.
Finish: stingy pine, lingering resin finish.
Notes: Purchased at BevMo in Torrance, CA. Yet another IPA from the West, this India Pale comes from the 2006 GABF Small Brewery of the Year. This is a drier IPA and definitely an above average one. Still, the aroma is not as pungent as I would have hoped for. The taste is certainly pleasing and quaffable, the alcohol is rather strong for the style, and hop bitterness is abundant. I found that robust citrusy and floral hop flavors were slightly lacking. Still, this beer will prove enjoyable for hopheads to be sure. This homebrewer would argue there are better IPAs to be had in the Golden State, however.

AleSmith IPA

2008-04-25T08:05:00.002-05:00

The Beer: AleSmith IPA
The Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company of San Diego , California
The Style: IPA

ABV: 7.25%

Brewer's Description: AleSmith IPA used to be known as "Irie Pirate Ale." However, some nasty patent attorneys think the name is too similar to another brand, so we had to "cease and desist." It's a darn shame, but it beats an obnoxious legal battle, in both expenses and Excedrin. Don't worry though, we won't change the beer (which is a MUCH better IPA than that "other" brand). It was conceived as an American-style IPA to satisfy the yearnings of the most die-hard hopheads. Its high alcohol content may catch you unawares if you're not careful, but it's hard to resist once you've tasted it. Appearance: Deep golden to light amber color, and a nice beige head, with good retention when properly served. Flavor: Starts off with strong citrusy, resiny flavors, balanced by a nice malty sweetness, then fades to a dry finish with a lingering hoppiness and a faint hint of plums and black cherries. Aroma: Strong piney-citrusy character, with vanilla in the background. Mouthfeel (body/texture): Smooth, medium-bodied. Feels warm in the mouth from the alcohol.
Color: Poured into Urthel stemmed glass (away from my glassware at home, it was only $3 at Whole Foods). Dark peach in color, bright but with some very faint cloudiness. Head is thin and white but lingers. Steady stream of fine, effervescent bubbles float to the surface.
Aroma: Zesty aroma of orange, grapefruit, and lemon peels with some ambiguous fruits and flowery notes in the background.
Taste/mouthfeel: starts out with some mild caramel sweetness abruptly followed by citrus oil bitterness and some resiny pine notes. The high hop bitterness puckers the sides of the mouth and lingers on the roof.
Finish: long, bitter, lingering finish. You'll be remembering this beauty for hours.
Notes: Purchased at Whole Foods in Los Angeles. One of the first beers I reviewed on PremiumBitter was this brewery's barley wine. I was blown away by the beer, it's one of my favorite barley wines and AleSmith is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries. A very, very solid IPA. Possibly one of the best.

Port Brewing Wipeout IPA

2008-04-24T22:37:00.002-05:00

The Beer: Wipeout IPA
The Brewery: Port Brewing Company of San Marcos, California
The Style: IPA

ABV: 7.00%

Brewer's Description: With 78 IBUs. Our version of a West Coast IPA- brewed in the San Diego style. This massively hoppy beer gets its flavor and attitude from no less than five hop varieties including Amarillo, Centennial, Cascade, Simcoe and Summit.
Color: Poured into sub-par hotel whisky-ish glass. Hazy burnt orange with minimal head.
Aroma: grapefruit peel, some mild "catty" notes, mango
Taste/mouthfeel: consistently bitter from start to finish. Medium carbonation. Lingering finish. Bitter, not incredibly complex.
Finish: resiny drying finish that lingers causing you continually tongue your mouth.
Notes: The "catty" (think litter box, cat urine) notes in this one completely turned me off. I think this has something to do with the simcoe hop used in this IPA. It has been known to give off these flavors/aromas in some people. I was a bit underwhelmed by this beer, although it was still an above-average IPA.

Russian River Damnation

2008-04-23T10:28:00.002-05:00

Minutes later an Oklahoma wind blew over the beer, shattering the glass to pieces...no joke

The Beer: Damnation
The Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company of Santa Rosa, CA
The Style: Belgian Golden Strong Ale

ABV: 7.75%

Brewer's Description: In the great beer producing country of Belgium, some brewers have made it a tradition to give their beers an unusual name. Sometimes the name is curious, now and then it is diabolical and other times it is just plain silly. Damnation is our brewmaster's interpretation of a Belgian style Strong Golden Ale. It has extraordinary aromas of banana and pear with mouth filling flavors of sweet malt and earthy hops. The lingering finish is dry and slightly bitter but very, very smooth.
Color: Poured into pilsner glass (I did not have any Belgian glassware available at the time). Bright, gold, with excessive amounts of wonderful sediment and a large clinging, fluffy, white head.
Aroma: ethanol, touch of cardamom, sweet pilsner malt
Taste/mouthfeel: Flavors of muscat grapes, ethanol, ginger, peppery spiciness with herbal European-style hops in the finish. Dry medium mouthfeel, medium-to-high carbonation.
Finish: dry and crakery, finish is clean with no lingering bitterness.
Notes: Purchased at liquor store in Los Angeles. This brewery is located in the midst of wine country and brews some amazing ales. While this brew is not particularly to my liking stylistically, it's still a fine Belgian golden strong ale. Very reminiscent of iconic Duvel, but with significantly more hop bitterness in the finish.

Labotomy Bock

2008-04-22T22:28:00.007-05:00

Better lighting next time, I promise

I have been/will be living in California for the next couple of weeks. I'm taking this opportunity to sample the local and exciting West-coast beers the region has to offer. I've been very busy, but here's a quick hit in the meantime. Expect more in the coming days and weeks:

The Beer: Lobotomy Bock
The Brewery: Indian Wells Brewing of Inyokern , California
The Style: Doppelbock

ABV: 10.8% (!)

Brewer's Description: This smooth rich dark southern German dobblebock is an Indian Wells Brewing Co. favorite. This 10.8% beer is powerful, but VERY easy to drink! This beer is not for the timid. A few of them and you’ll feel like you’ve had a frontal lobotomy the next day. Consume with caution!
Color: Poured into pathetic hotel room glass. Coffee bean brown with clear rootbeer high-lights, extremely small head.
Aroma: faint clean aroma.
Taste/mouthfeel: slightly sweet with mild nutty and lightly toasted notes, surprisingly thin body with medium-high carbonation. Disturbingly quaffable, per the brewer's description.
Finish: slight cracker/saltine toasted finish with hints of cocoa nibs.
Notes: Purchased at Whole Foods in Los Angeles. The label resembles Terrence and Phillip from "Southpark" and it was only $7 a six-pack, how could this humble beer geek refuse? It's amazing that this beer is so incredibly strong and tastes so incredibly light. This lager is no more challenging to drink than say, Shiner Bock, but it packs over TWICE the alcoholic content. This brew is very enjoyable, if not incredibly complex. Perhaps similar to the stereotype associated with residents of LA?

It's all about the Bock

2008-04-08T16:46:00.008-05:00

Label from a doppelbock beer I brew (soon so can you!)

Springtime is Bock…

In a big way.

I have a special nook in my heart for bock beer. The first “dark” beer I started regularly drinking was AmberBock. While the Michelob/A-B product wasn’t really a true bock-style beer (it’s more appropriately termed “dark American lager”, ShinerBock and ZeigenBock also fall into this category) it piqued my interest in bocks.

I would later try a true German doppelbock called “Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock” at a small Aussie-style pub in Gainesville, FL called “Stubbie’s”. This was one of the first “good” beers I could appreciate. It was malty, smooth, and a bit sweet. When I first became intrigued by craft and import beer I could never stomach hoppy beers. Naturally, the malty-sweet bocks were some of my favorites back then.

I was recently asked to write a piece for a fantastic beer magazine out of Portland, OR called “Beer Northwest”. Being a quarterly magazine, I felt it was important I write about bock beer and its ties to the spring season. In this issue I speak to the history and defining characteristics of bock beer, pitch some homebrewing advice, and offer a recipe from my personal collection for a doppelbock I call “Liberator”. What follows is an excerpt from the mag:

A Brief History of Bock Beer
The name “Bock” derives from a mispronunciation of the German city of Einbeck, where bock beer was first brewed. A less common explanation, but amusing nonetheless, states that bocks earned their name because drinking the strong beers feels like getting kicked by a goat! Coincidentally, “Bock” is German for billy goat and many modern-day bocks have labels adorned with goats.

The bocks of Einbeck were quite different from what we now term “bock”. Einbeck bocks were lighter and hoppier than modern bocks. They also contained 1 part wheat for every two parts barley. The beers of Einbeck were coveted throughout Germany and Munich was no different. Much of the beer consumed in 17th century Munich was imported from Einbeck, locally brewed beer was frowned upon. Munich brewers began attempting to replicate the bock beers of Einbeck using local ingredients. After repeated adjustments and tweaking (darker malts and lower levels of hop bitterness were better suited to Munich’s hard water) a darker, maltier beer was born. These brews are the bock beers we know today.

Ever wondered about:

the bock-monk connection?
lagers vs ales? Are all bocks lagers?
what the different styles of bock beer?
the secret behind the “-ator” naming convention behind doppelbocks?

Learn more in the Spring issue of Beer NW magazine! Issues can be found in watering holes and brewpubs through the Pacific NW region, they are also available for purchase at the magazine's website.

Homebrewing: Brew Day

2008-03-28T08:23:00.012-05:00

Introduction

Part 1: Knowing your Equipment

Part 2: Understanding your Ingredients

Part 3: Are you ready for this?

>>Part 4: Brewing your first batchWort ready to be measured with the hydrometer

That day has finally come. You're about to get involved in the most rewarding and addicting hobby I have ever participated in. I've said it once and I'll say it again: be sure to take notes throughout your brew day! This will be very helpful for future batches. I keep all of my recipes and notes in my computer. It's important not to get stressed, and if you do take Brew Guru Charlie Papazian's advice and "Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew"(RDWHAH). Since this your first batch you probably don't have any; your favorite commercial brew will have to do.

Before you start: Sanitizing

Sanitize everything that will touch the beer and is not being boiled (e.g. stock pot lid, 6.5 gallon carboy, funnel, thermometer, hydrometer, lid for stock pot, airlock, and carboy stopper) with Star San (if you use a different non-rinse sanitizer, follow the directions on the packaging), 1 ounce in 5 gallons of water, this water can just be tap water. The best way to do this is to make the batch of sanitizer in your bottling bucket and use it as your sanitizing bucket. note: Star San will vigorously foam up when mixed, this is normal. DO NOT rinse the foam off of or out of your equipment! It will NOT hurt your beer or contribute any off-flavors. The phosphoric acid(foam) in the Star San will simply become nutrient for the yeast.

Adding the malts: Steeping

Add 3 gallons of spring water (the other 3 gallons should be in the refrigerator)to your stock pot, place on the stove, and turn the heat to high. Monitor the temperature every few minutes with your thermometer.

Add your 1lb of Munich Malt and .5lb of Cara-pils malt to your nylon grain bag and tie/draw shut.

When the temperature has reached 155*F add the grain bag to the stock pot and turn your stove to "low". Make sure to agitate the grain bag so that all grain is wet and/or immersed.

Steep the grain for 30 minutes at 155*F. You will need to tweak your stove settings to maintain this temperature. If you cannot maintain precisely 155*F don't worry, just make sure the temperature stays between 150*F and 170*F. If it exceeds 170*F, remove from heat.

While the grain is steeping, set your two 3.3lb cans of liquid malt extract in hot water. This will allow the syrup to more easily flow out of the cans.

When the 30 minutes is up, remove the grain bag from the water. Hold it over the pot by the draw-string and let it drain out into the pot. When liquid stops dripping out of the grain bag, discard your grains and wash out the nylon grain bag for use in a future brew. DO NOT squeeze the grain bag as this can extract unwanted tannins, just let is drip.

Adding the hops: Boiling

Switch the stove to high and begin bringing the water to a boil. As the water is heating up, open your two cans of malt extract. Empty the contents into your 3 gallons of spring water, stirring vigorously. You want to get the extract dissolved in the water to avoid scorching it on the bottom of the stock pot. Note: at no point during the boil should you cover the stock pot with its lid.

When the unfermented beer(wort) has come to a boil, add 1 ounce of Hallertau hop pellets (your bittering hop) and set a timer for 60 minutes.

Monitor the wort every few minutes, making sure it does not scorch or boil over. If it begins to foam over, lower the heat.

With 15 minutes left in the boil add 1/2 ounce of Saaz hop pellets (your flavor hop).
With 5 minutes left in the boil add another 1/2 ounce of Saaz hop pellets (your aroma hop).

Removing the heat: Chilling

When the 60 minutes is up, take the stock pot off of the burner and cover with the (sanitized) lid.
Remove the remaining 3 gallons of spring water from the refrigerator. Add this cold water to your stock pot. The amount of water you can add will depend on the size of your stock pot, but do not exceed 5 gallons total. Adding this water back will help cool the wort
Immerse the stock pot in an ice water bath, adding ice as necessary. A sink usually works for this. It is important to cool your sweet wort as fast as possible, as it is very susceptible to infection by bacteria and wild yeast during this phase. For very rapid cooling, consider investing in an immersion cooler (available at homebrew shops listed at the end of the equipment portion).
Periodically use your thermometer to check the temperature of the wort. When it has fallen under 80*F (the time this takes varies wildly depending on the efficiency of your setup) gently pour the cooled wort through your (sanitized)funnel and into your 6.5 gallon sanitized carboy (again, there will probably be some soapy-looking suds on the inside of the carboy, this is normal and will not hurt your beer).

Record keeping and adding the yeast: Measuring and Pitching

Add any remaining spring water to the carboy to reach the 5-gallon mark you made on your carboy during the last homebrewing segment. If you did not make a mark on the carboy previously, add spring water till you have used 5.5 gallons of the 6 gallons total of spring water you purchased. We are doing this step to account for water that has evaporated during the boil.
Sanitize your hand and cover the top of the carboy. Shake the rock the carboy vigorously to mix the water with the wort.
Take a small (~8 ounce) sample of wort from the carboy. There are many ways to do this. The easiest way is to use your auto-siphon. Disassemble the auto-siphon and dip the large tube down in the carboy. Remove the tube from the carboy and pour into a glass. Repeat this 2-3 times and you should have collected enough wort.
Use your hydrometer to take a gravity reading. For this recipe your OG reading should be somewhere between 1.045 and 1.050. The higher the OG, the higher the potential alcohol.
Vigorously shake your White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast vial that has been sitting at room temp for 4-6 hours.
Using your re-sanitized funnel, pour the liquid yeast into the carboy.
Re-sanitize your hand and again cover and shake the 6.5 gallon carboy vigorously. We are trying to get as much oxygen as possible dissolved in the wort. Yeast cells require oxygen for healthy growth. note: this is the ONLY TIME the wort/beer should be so vigorously agitated. After fermentation starts, oxygen becomes very BAD for your beer.
Plug the top of your carboy with your rubber stopper and insert the airlock into it (filled 1/2 way with sanitized water). This allows carbon dioxide gas to exit the carboy (preventing pressure build-up and eliminating potential carboy bombs) while preventing beer-spoiling organisms from entering the fermenting beer.

Turning wort into beer: Fermentation

Store the carboy at 67*F-72*F in a dark place away from sunlight. Fermentation should start in 24 hours. The airlock will begin to bubble and a torrent of swirling activity will be observable through the clear glass of the carboy.
Your beer will ferment for the next 7-10 days, this is called "primary fermentation" or sometimes simply "primary". After this period it will be time to "rack"'; to transfer the beer from the primary 6.5 gallon carboy to the secondary 5 gallon carboy for conditioning. This "secondary fermentation" as it is called, allows the "young" flavors of the brew to mellow out and aids in clarity.

Wasn't so hard was it? Next week I'll discuss the process of racking to your secondary carboy. Ask any questions you may have in the comments and I will answer them promptly.

Who owns your beer? Anheuser Bush Edition

2008-03-21T12:57:00.026-05:00

Lately the big boys at BMC have been disguising some of their beers. The most common example of this is Blue Moon, which is brewed by Coors. There are many more examples of this in the brewing world. Many of the large breweries are producing beer under different names. What many people do not know is that many import beers are brought into the states and distributed by the American macro breweries. This entry will focus on the largest brewery in the United States and 4th largest in the world:

Anheuser-Busch
Founded: 1852

Headquarters: St. Louis, Missouri
Revenue: 15 billion (2006)

Base Brands:

Hurricane and King Cobra: the "homeless-friendly-priced" malt liquors of AB. High in alcohol and quantity per container (often sold in the nefarious 40 ounce bottle, where legal), low in cost. Fun Fact: as a boy I grew up frequenting Busch Gardens. I used to see the King Cobra logo on the scrolling advertisements in the hospitality house. I desperately wanted Dad to sample it but he informed me "that's a malt liquor son."

Natural (including Light and Ice): the quintessential frat-party beer, often affectionately known as "Natty". This is in A-B's "value" line of beers.

Busch (including: Busch, Ice, and Light): another "value" brand of AB. Like Natty above it but with a more "grown up" image. Also: Majestic Rocky Mountains

Budweiser (including: Budweiser, Light, Dry, Ice, Ice Light, and Select): one of AB's "standard" brands. Bud Light is their best-selling beer in America and Budweiser is the best-selling beer in the world, period.

Michelob (including: Ultra, Ultra Amber, Light, Lager, Honey Lager, AmberBock, Porter, Golden Draft, and Golden Draft Light): AB's "premium" line of beers, these generally contain more malt and less adjuncts. Michelob Ultra is the best-seller in this line. Fun Fact: the first "dark" beer I ever drank was AmberBock, it was my beer of choice for many years in college. I like to call it my "gateway beer". I remember how sophisticated and cultured I thought I was because I drank AmberBock rather than the "crappy swill" everyone else was drinking.

"Alcopops":
Bacardi Malt Beverages: the clear, sweet, beverages designed to appeal to women and underage drinkers. There has been legal debate lately over whether they should have the word "malt" in their title. Only small amounts of the alcohol in these drinks(if any) is malted-barley-derived. Includes: Raz, Watermelon, O3, Mojito, Pomegranate Mojito, Peach, and Strawberry.
Tilt: AB's entry into the energy drink/malt beverage category. Basically a simple beer that has been drenched in corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors, and caffeine.

Beers they brew, but do not directly attach their name to:
Sun Dog Amber Wheat: American-style wheat beer, spring seasonal.
Spring Heat Spiced Wheat/Shock Top Belgian White: started as a seasonal Belgian white-style ale, brewed to compete with Blue Moon.
Winters Bourbon Cask Ale: sweet beer with decent alcohol content, a winter seasonal.
Bare Knuckle Stout: nitro-tap dry Irish-style stout brewed to compete with Guinness.
ZiegenBock: version of Amber Bock brewed exclusively for distribution in Texas.
Wild Blue: 8% abv sweet fruit beer. I have never seen this available for purchase here in Oklahoma.
Landshark Lager: pale lager beer initially available only in Florida, it has since reached wider distribution.
Tarpon Spoon: Bohemian-style pilsner available in Florida.
Lone Palm Ale: amber ale brewed for Margaritaville by AB's Jacksonville brewery.
Aruba Red: amber ale brewed for Bahama Breeze Restaurant Chain
Stonemill Pale Ale: an organic pale ale.

Domestic beers distributed by AB, but not brewed by them:
Redhook beers: started as a small microbrewery in Seattle, WA. Redhook's most well-known beer is their ESB.
Widmer Brothers: one of the first members of the craft brewery revolution, based in Portland, OR. Their most well-known beer is Widmer Hefeweizen, an American-style wheat beer.

Beers imported and distributed(but not brewed) by AB
Bass Pale Ale: an ESB from England. Fun Fact: the Bass logo is the oldest trademark in existence.
Beck's (regular, Light, Dark, Oktoberfest): from North Germany, generally not highly regarded among beer critics. It is not brewed in Bavaria and is not one of the official Oktoberfest breweries. Has typical green bottle skunk syndrome.
Boddington's Pub Ale: a bitter brewed in Manchester. Poured from a nitrogen tap or canned with a nitrogen widget, resulting in a creamy mouthfeel lacking in carbonation. Contrary to popular belief, it is inappropriate to call this beer a "cream ale".
Czechvar: a bohemian pilsner brewed in the Czech Republic. Volumes could be written on this beer alone. In the rest of the world this brew is known as "Budweiser Budvar". Curiously, AB now imports and distributes this beer in the states...and is still actively engaged in lawsuits over their using "Budweiser" in their name.
Grolsch (regular, Amber Ale, Blonde Lager, Light Lager): probably best known for their use of expensive, green, flip-top bottles; these beers are brewed in the Netherlands.
Kirin (Ichiban and Light): Japanese pale lager beers are similar to BMC beer in that it is extremely light in color and often brewed with rice. Kirin Light available in the states is contract-brewed by Molson in Canada. Kirin Brewery is the seventh largest brewery in the world.
Leffe (Blonde and Brune): these Belgian abbey ales(the blonde is a Belgian pale ale while the brune is a dubbel) are not brewed by an actual monastery but are affiliated with Notre Dame de Leffe which receives profits from the sales of these brews.
Löwenbräu: One of the six major Munich breweries at Oktoberfest (albeit the least respected). This green-bottled beer with the blue lion emblem is a Munich Helles-style lager.
Stella Artois: pronounced "Stell-uh Are-twah", this is a pale lager brewed in Belgium. Stella was originally brewed as a seasonal Christmas beer but became a year-round beer due to its popularity. Stella is marketed as a premium brand outside of Belgium (where it is just an everyday common lager beer). This beer is known as the "wife beater" in Britain.
Tennent's Lager: one, if not the, most popular beers in Scotland. This beer is another green-bottled pale lager. Not-so-fun Fact: I had a hard time finding traditional Scottish ales while visiting Edinburgh. This beer, however, was everywhere.

Brewery bought out by AB:
Rolling Rock(Extra Pale and Green Light): this brewery was acquired by AB in 2006.

Homebrewing: Final Prep

2008-03-18T12:51:00.013-05:00

Introduction

Part 1: Knowing your Equipment

Part 2: Understanding your Ingredients

>>Part 3: Are you ready for this?

Part4: Brewing your first Batch
You're getting very close to brewing your own beer.

Hopefully by now you've invested in some equipment and you have your ingredients. It's tempting to just jump right into brewing, but I do not recommend it. Nothing is worse than being in the middle of a brewing session and realizing that you are not prepared (trust me, I've done it far to many times, sometimes I still do).

The day before you brew:

Go back to the equipment article, do you have everything listed there
Go back to the ingredient article, what about those? Do you have it all?
What about your grain, did you have your local homebrew shop/website crack it for you?
And your yeast is in the fridge? If you are using the Wyeast strain of yeast described in the previous homebrewing section, go a head and smack it now (per instructions on the back of the foil pouch). Over the next 24hours the yeast will grow inside the foil pouch, causing it to swell. If you are using the White Labs (preferred) option, see below.
What about the six gallons of spring water? You don't have that do you? You're going to need it.
Get two bags of ICE and put them in the freezer for brew day. I recommend buying ice from the gas station/grocery store as it's the most convenient way to get a large amount.
Make sure you have some sort of timer, you will need it.
Tool check: do you have your thermometer? Hydrometer? Funnel? Some sort of long spoon to stir your stockpot with? If your liquid malt extract is in a can, you will also need a can opener of some sort.
Helpful tip: note that the recipe calls for 1/2 oz additions of Saaz hops. You will probably get your hop pellets in one ounce increments. You can either eye-ball the pellets and split the 1 oz into two partitions or you may want to invest in a small electronic cooking scale (~$30).
Document, document, document! Be sure to take notes on everything you do throughout your brewday. This will be helpful for future brew days.
Do you have your non-rinse sanitizer?
Helpful tip: Use an empty one-gallon jug or other container to fill your 6.5 gallon carboy with exactly 5 gallons of water. Use a permanent marker and make a line around the carboy to indicate the 5 gallon mark. This will be very useful later on, as you will know EXACTLY how much water to add back into your beer.

6-8 hours before you start brewing:

Take 3 gallons of your spring water and put it in the refrigerator.
If you are using the White Labs (vial) yeast option, take it out of the refrigerator and allow it to warm up at room temperature. This will begin to get the yeast active, and ready to ferment your beer.
Re-read all previous articles and make sure you have a good understanding of your equipment and ingredients. Read the brewday article (coming next week) through multiple times before you actually start brewing.
Read the directions on your sanitizer, make sure you understand how to use it. If you are using StanSan (this is what I use) it is 1 ounce of sanitizer per 5 gallons of water. StanSan is non-rinse, it is perfectly normal and healthy to leave a foam behind in your carboy, this will NOT hurt the beer at all.

Less than an hour before brewing:

Mix your sanitizer in the 6.5 gallon carboy.
Make sure you have set aside at least 5 hours of your time. :)

Next week: Brew Day

Homebrewing: Ingredients

2008-03-11T10:56:00.020-05:00

Introduction

Part 1: Knowing your Equipment

>>Part 2: Understanding your Ingredients

Part 3: Are you ready for this?

Part 4:Brewing your first batch

Two plastic 3.3lb containers of Wheat Liquid Malt Extract (LME)

A) Basic Ingredients
What all goes into a beer*? In the classical, "Reinheitsgebot" definition beer includes the following ingredients:

Water: most beer is 85%-96% water by volume. Some styles of beer use harder water(British ales) while others use very soft water(Pilsners).
I recommend the use of spring water.
Malted grains: the "body" of beer. Often simply called "malt", these make up the base of the beer and account for alcohol, body, color, and flavor. The chief grain used in most beer is barley, followed by wheat.
The grain must be crushed before it can be used in beer, ask your local homebrew shop and they will be glad to crush it for you (most online retailers will crush grain for you for free or a nominal charge).
Hops: the "spice" of beer. Hops are used in very small amounts to give beer its characteristic bitterness, flavor, and aroma.
These are available in whole, pellet, or plug form. I recommend using pellets as they are usually the most available, reliable, fresh, and potent.
Yeast: the "spirit" of beer. Yeasts are small living organisms that consume the sugars in the malt and expend alcohol and carbon dioxide as byproducts. There are two species of yeast: top-fermenting ale yeast and bottom-fermenting lager yeast. Within each species there are various "strains" which give the beer different characteristics. A good analogy is to think of the strains as breeds of dog, all the same species but many different variations.
Yeast is available to the homebrewer in liquid or dried form. Liquid yeast allow for a broader range of flavors, and I recommend there use. However, liquid yeast must be stored refrigerated, if you do not have a local homebrew supply store nearby I recommend using dried yeast rather than having liquid yeast shipped.

*It's this brewer's opinion that you should never limit yourself to these four ingredients. Brewing is all about trying new things and some beers (many Belgian styles in particular) are nearly impossible to make using only these four ingredients.

B) Basic Brewing Methods
There are also three basic ways to brew beer. This series will be covering the "extract and grain" method which I feel is only moderately more difficult than the "extract only" method and can yield much tastier brews. I have included a mildly-amusing analogy for each method of brewing.

Extract only: this method of brewing involves simply boiling a malt syrup in water. This malt syrup (usually called "malt extract") is essentially concentrated sugar collected from grains. The syrup occasionally already contains dissolved hops ("hopped extract"), but usually you will add your own hops. This method is very simple, but the range of styles you can create using this method is limited.

Length of your brew day: ~2.5-4 hours
If you were making a pizza: You would go to the store, buy a frozen pizza, and throw it in the oven. Simple and sweet.
Extract and grain: The bulk of your beer is still a malt syrup but you also use a small amount of grain (usually 1-3lbs for a 5 gallon batch) to add additional flavor, body, color, and aroma characteristics. As with the extract only method, you will most likely want to add your own hops. This method only extends your brewing day by 30-45 minutes and allows you to make a much wider range of styles. It will also result in "fresher" tasting brews.

Length of your brew day: ~3-4.5 hours
If you were making a pizza: You would go to the store and buy a frozen pizza. When you got home you'd chop up some of your own fresh toppings, add them to the pizza, and throw it in the oven. Relatively quick while still allowing a level of customization.
All-grain: 100% of your fermentable sugars come from grains, no malt syrups are used. Rather than being simply steeped and removed, your grains will be "mashed" and subsequently "sparged". This method is cheaper and allows for a much greater level of creativity. So what are the downsides? All-grain brewing is more difficult, takes considerably more time (you may have to make a day of it), and requires much more equipment to get started. If you end getting into brewing as much as I have, it's very rewarding to eventually switch over to brewing this way. All commercial breweries make beer using this method (I'm sure there may be an incredibly small percentage that use extract, but that's another matter).

Length of your brew day: ~5-8+ hours
If you were making a pizza: You would kneed your out dough from scratch, add your own pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, toppings, etc. Complex but rewarding.

C) Your Recipe
I went through a great amount of debate as to what sort of recipe to use as an example. Everyone has their own preferences, and I did not want to make a beer that would leave a bad taste in the mouth of a first-time brewer. I am only using this recipe as an example for future entries in my homebrewing series. All of the steps used to make this recipe in subsequent articles will be more or less the same for every brew you make.

This recipe will yield a clean and smooth beer that is still relatively flavorful. The beer will be gold in color with a noticeable but not overpowering hop presence. Stylistically, it would probably be considered a cream ale or blonde ale. If you would like a recipe for a different style of beer, contact me and I will happily provide you with one.

PremiumBlonde Ale
Style: Blonde Ale
IBU: ~20
Anticipated OG: 1.045-1.050
Anticipated FG: 1.010-1.014
Anticipated abv: ~4.6%-5.2%

Water:

6 gallons of spring water (any water will do as long as it is labeled "spring water" and not "distilled water", the mild mineral content is good for your beer). You can use filtered tap water as well, but I recommend spring water for best results.
cost: variable

Malts:

Malt extract: 2x3.3lb cans of the lightest liquid malt extract you can find (a brand I recommend is "Munton's Extra Light" liquid malt extract) for a total of 6.6lbs of liquid malt extract (LME)
cost: ~$12/can for a total of ~$24
Malted Grain: 1lb *crushed* Munich Malt (for malty flavor)
1/2lb *crushed* Cara-pils malt (for body and head retention)
cost: ~$1.50-2.00/pound

Hops:

1 ounce Hallertau hop pellets (bittering hops)
cost: ~$2.00-3.00/ounce (there is currently a hop shortage, prices are high)
1 ounce of Saaz hop pellets (1/2 ounce added during last 15 minutes of boil: flavor hop, 1/2 ounce added during last 5 minutes of boil: aroma hop)
cost ~$2.00-3.00/ounce

Yeast:

Liquid option one (preferred)*: White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast. This is a liquid yeast that will come in a small plastic vial, ask at your local homebrew supply shop. This must remain refrigerated until 5-6 hours before use.
cost: ~$7.00
Liquid option two: Wyeast 1056 American Ale Yeast. This strain is very similar to the yeast above, use this if the White Labs brand is not available. This will come in a foil "smack pack". It too, must remain refrigerated. Take the packet out of the refrigerator 24 hours before use and follow the directions on the back to prep it for brewing.
cost: ~$7.00
Dry option: use any dry ale-type yeast. These come in small paper/foil packets.
cost: ~$2.00

That sums up this week's installment! Next week: Your First Brew Day

*NOTE: I prefer this strain over the Wyeast strain only because I have more experience with it. It is my opinion that White Labs and Wyeast strains are equal in quality, just slightly different. Similar to a Coke & Pepsi relationship. Use whichever is more readily available to you.

Homebrewing: Equipment

2008-03-03T07:51:00.014-06:00

Introduction

>>Part 1: Knowing your Equipment

Part 2: Understanding your Ingredients

Part 3: Are you ready for this?

Part 4: Brewing your first batch

Last week I answered some simple questions in an attempt to motivate you to brew your own. So, what do you need to get started? This is a common question non-homebrewers ask me. There are various setups an aspiring homebrewer can purchase. The setup I'm about to describe will cost ~$150. You can get a brewing setup for cheaper, but I do not recommend it. My equipment choices will save you hours of frustration that I had to endure. The exact equipment will vary slightly depending on your local homebrew shop. If you don't have a local homebrew shop, I list some great online retailers at the end of the post!

Equipment:
5+ gallon stock pot
Approximate cost: $50
Used: brew day
This will easily be the most expensive piece of equipment. You can get away with a smaller pot, but I do not recommend it. You will be using this to boil ~3 gallons of water. Make sure the pot is STAINLESS STEEL, do NOT use aluminium. Aluminium will impart off-flavors in beer.

Re-usable nylon mesh grain bag
Approximate cost: $5
Used: brew day
This will save you money in the long run. Should be able to hold up to 3-4lbs of grain.
Large spoon
Approximate cost: $5
Used: brew day
This is simply a large stirring spoon such as one you'd use to stir soup. Nylon/Silicone are the best options. It should be able to withstand boiling temperatures.

Non-rinse sanitizer
Approximate cost: $6
Used: brew, racking, bottling days
You will find many options available for sanitation. My favorite product is StarSan sanitizer, it should be available at your local homebrew shop. Sanitation is the most important part of homebrewing.

Thermometer (one used for cooking applications)
Approximate cost: $5
Used: brew days
Allows you to steep your grains without extracting unwanted flavors.

Hydrometer
Approximate cost: $6
Used: brew, racking, bottling days
This device will allow you to calculate the alcohol in your beer and monitor the progress of fermentation. Very fragile, I've broke many, so be careful!

Funnel
Approximate cost: $2-5
Used: brew, racking, bottling days
I recommend a large oil funnel such as the ones you can find at automotive stores. Smaller funnels will work, but they can be frustrating.

Carboy Brush
Approximate cost: $5
Used: racking and bottling days
Allows you to easily clean your carboys for future brewing sessions.

Rubber Stopper for 6.5 gallon carboy & airlock
Approximate cost: $.50 and $1.20
Used: seals the carboy shut, allows carbon dioxide gas to exit during fermentation while keeping contaminates out.

6.5 gallon glass carboy
Approximate cost: $28
Used: brew and racking days
These look similar to the plastic water jugs some people have delivered to their homes. Your beer will reside here during the first 7-10 days of fermentation. You will be doing 5 gallon batches so why use a 6.5 gallon carboy? The extra space allows the actively fermenting beer to foam up without overflowing out of the carboy.

5 gallon glass carboy
Approximate cost: $22
Used: racking and bottling days
After 7-10 days in the 6.5 gallon carboy (your "primary fermenter"), the beer is transferred or "racked" to a smaller carboy or the "secondary fermenter". While in this smaller carboy your beer will condition and clear for 2 weeks or more.

6.5 gallon food-grade plastic bucket
Approximate cost: $10
Used: bottling day
This is your "bottling bucket". It is used to mix sugar into your beer prior to bottling.

3/8" Auto-siphon pump
Approximate cost: $10
Used: racking and bottling days
Makes transferring your beer from one container to another effortless.

3/8" Bottle Filler Wand
Approximate cost: $5
Used: bottling day
Enables you to fill bottles with minimal spillage.

10' of 3/8" vinyl tubing
Approximate cost: $3
Used: racking and bottling days
Links your siphon to your bottle filler.

Double-level Bottle Capper
Approximate cost: $14
Used: bottling day
Allows you to seal your bottles shut.
Bottle caps
Approximate cost: $1 per 50 caps
Used: bottling day
One batch of beer will use approximately 50 caps, buy in bulk to save money! Oxygen barrier caps are nice, but not necessary.

Bottles
Approximate cost: $.50 per bottle
Used: bottling day
You can use any size bottles you want, as long as they are NOT TWIST OFF! I re-use commercial bottles, as they are rather expensive to buy new. Be sure to use brown bottles, not green or clear (unless you want your beer to get skunked!)

Online Retailers (It's always most convenient to use a local homebrew shop. If you do not have one, here are some online retailers I use regularly and recommend):

Austin Homebrew - great selection, lowest price on some hot items, $5.99 standard shipping (an incredible deal when buying large/heavy items).
High Gravity - amazing selection, incredibly knowledgeable staff. The brick and mortar shop is something to behold. They also have a very amusing mascot, a witty grey macaw.
Learn to Brew - my local homebrew shop. Competitive prices and an owner that used to brew beer commercially. The "superior brewing kit" contains almost all of the items I have recommended above.

Cream Ale

2008-02-27T14:26:00.004-06:00

"Do you have any cream ales on tap?"

I often get this question while pouring pints. "Cream Ale" is a very confusingly named style of beer. It does NOT technically refer to beers such as Boddingtons Pub Ale and Tetley's English Ale. These beers are both in the style of English bitter. They usually served through a high-pressure nitrogen gas line with a de-gassing tap (the same odd tap extension that can be seen on Guinness taps). This gives the beers a creamy head and a flat body that lacks the bubbly carbonation of most beers (it is often replicated with canned beers containing a nitrogen "widget"). It's only logical that most people would term these light-colored, creamy beers as "cream ales". As such, I usually simply ask if they are inquiring about "beers similar to Boddingtons".

Actual "cream ale" beers are quite different. This style of beer was created by ale brewers to mimic the characteristics of popular light lager styles of beer (more on ales vs lagers here). These beers are also light in color, however are often strongly carbonated and lack the creamy flatness of nitro-tap bitters. These ales are very thirst-quenching and often have bodies that are lightened through the use of adjuncts such as corn. One of the most beloved examples of the style is New Glarus' "Spotted Cow", a beer only distributed in Wisconsin that is becoming very popular in the region. For a better idea of what a cream ale is, I turn to the BJCP style guidelines which define it better than I ever could:

6. LIGHT HYBRID BEER
6A. Cream Ale
Aroma: Faint malt notes. A sweet, corn-like aroma and low levels of
DMS are commonly found. Hop aroma low to none. Any variety of
hops may be used, but neither hops nor malt dominate. Faint esters
may be present in some examples, but are not required. No diacetyl.
Appearance: Pale straw to moderate gold color, although usually on
the pale side. Low to medium head with medium to high carbonation.
Head retention may be no better than fair due to adjunct use. Brilliant,
sparkling clarity.
Flavor: Low to medium-low hop bitterness. Low to moderate
maltiness and sweetness, varying with gravity and attenuation. Usually
well attenuated. Neither malt nor hops prevail in the taste. A low to
moderate corny flavor from corn adjuncts is commonly found, as is
some DMS. Finish can vary from somewhat dry to faintly sweet from
the corn, malt, and sugar. Faint fruity esters are optional. No diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Generally light and crisp, although body can reach
medium. Smooth mouthfeel with medium to high attenuation; higher
attenuation levels can lend a “thirst quenching” finish. High
carbonation. Higher gravity examples may exhibit a slight alcohol
warmth.
Overall Impression: A clean, well-attenuated, flavorful American
lawnmower beer.
History: An ale version of the American lager style. Produced by ale
brewers to compete with lager brewers in the Northeast and Mid-
Atlantic States. Originally known as sparkling or present use ales,
lager strains were (and sometimes still are) used by some brewers, but
were not historically mixed with ale strains. Many examples are
kräusened to achieve carbonation. Cold conditioning isn’t traditional,
although modern brewers sometimes use it.
Comments: Classic American (i.e. pre-prohibition) Cream Ales were
slightly stronger, hoppier (including some dry hopping) and more bitter
(25-30+ IBUs). These versions should be entered in the
specialty/experimental category.
Ingredients: American ingredients most commonly used. A grain bill
of six-row malt, or a combination of six-row and North American tworow,
is common. Adjuncts can include up to 20% flaked maize in the
mash, and up to 20% glucose or other sugars in the boil. Soft water
preferred. Any variety of hops can be used for bittering and finishing.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.042 – 1.055 (1.050–1.053
is most common)
IBUs: 15 – 20 (rarely to 25) FG: 1.006 – 1.012
SRM: 2.5 – 5 ABV: 4.2– 5.6%
Commercial Examples: Genesee Cream Ale, Little Kings Cream Ale
(Hudepohl), Sleeman Cream Ale, Liebotschaner Cream Ale (Lion
Brewery), Dave’s Original Cream Ale (Molson), New Glarus Spotted
Cow Farmhouse Ale, Wisconsin Brewing Whitetail Cream Ale

Homebrewing: you can do it!

2008-02-16T17:55:00.019-06:00

>>Introduction

Part 1: Knowing your Equipment

Part 2: Understanding your Ingredients

Part 3: Are you ready for this?

Part 4: Brewing your first Batch

If I can do it, you can.

I am often asked how I learned to homebrew (I learned from a book authored by the great Charlie Papazian). People are bewildered by the fact that you can actually brew your beer. I'm here to give the power back to the people. Brewing can be as or difficult as you want, you chose your own level of involvement. I have only been homebrewing for two years, but have had great fun and success with it. I knew very, very little about beer when I first started.

Every week I will discuss another step in the process of brewing your first beer. Before you get started, there are some things you should know:

Is it hard? -- Brewing your first beer is incredibly easy. If you can boil water, you can brew. In many ways brewing is even easier than cooking. I didn't know how to cook anything when I made my first beer.
What if my beer "sucks"? -- Simply put, it won't. It's very hard to make a "bad" beer as long as you follow the instructions! You will be surprised by how good your first beer is, I guarantee it.
Is it expensive? -- It will take about $150-$200 to start brewing. After this initial investment, your beer will cost you $30-$50 for every 5 gallons (about 48 bottles).
How much time will it take? -- Brewing an average 5 gallon batch of beer will take a total of 5-10 hours. Most of your time will be spent waiting...
Patience is a virtue! After you start your first batch you will have to wait about 3 weeks to bottle it. After it's bottled you will have to wait another 1-2 weeks for the beer to condition and carbonate.

Next week: Equipment

What is Light Beer?

2008-02-07T10:41:00.000-06:00

While tending taps I often get asked "What is your best light beer?". I always find this be an odd question. "Light" means something different to everyone. Light taste? Low calories? Low alcohol? I will usually recommend something slightly different and more flavorful such as a Munich Helles or German/Bohemian Pilsner style beer. Occasionally I will recommend a Belgian white ale such as Hoegaarden.

In America "light" (or Miller's trademarked "lite") beer usually refers to a pale-colored lager with less calories and alcohol than its non-light version. For example "Budweiser" is 5%abv and contains 145 calories. Its light brother "Bud Light" is 4.2% abv and contains 110 calories. Curiously, in the state of Oklahoma both Budweiser and Bud Light are ~4.0% abv (or 3.2% alcohol by weight).

Two ways of thinking about "light" beer:

Color: Sometimes people use light as a descriptor for color. It should be noted that color does not necessarily say anything about alcohol content. The jet-black Guinness Draught contains only 4.2% abv (the same as Coors Light) while the golden-colored Chimay Tripel clocks in at almost twice the alcohol at 8.0% abv. For more on color and beer, take a look here.

Calories/Carbs: Alcohol is more calorically dense than carbohydrates or protein with 7 calories per gram (compared to 4/gram in carbs/protein). Only fat is more energy-dense with 9 calories per gram, and there is no fat in beer! Naturally, cutting alcohol content will cut calories. If you are looking for a calorie-light beer you should look for beers lower in alcohol, regardless of color.

Light-colored beers with high calories: Belgian Golden Ales (Duvel), Belgian Tripels (Chimay White)
Light-colored beers with low calories: Pale-American lagers (Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Light), Bitters (Coniston Bluebird Bitter, Boddington's Pub Ale)
Dark-colored beers with low calories: Irish Dry Stouts (Guinness, Murphy's)
Dark-colored beer with high calories: Belgian Quadrupels (Konigshoeven Quadrupel, Westvleteren 12), Russian Imperial Stouts (Great Divide Yeti, Avery Czar)

Steak and Ale Pie

2008-01-29T11:59:00.000-06:00

Growing up I would occasionally eat a dish my parents called "pasty". It was a rather plain, but hearty dish. My grandma would bake them every time she came down from Wisconsin to visit the family. She'd make a large batch and freeze some so we could heat them up later. I was never a huge fan of the dish as I child, but as Grandma came over less and less I started to miss them.

Two summers ago I visited Europe for a couple weeks. We touched down in Glasgow and the first meal I had on Scottish soil was a "steak and ale pie" in Sterling. It was very similar to the pasty I grew up on and really hit the spot in the cold weather.

Last week I was brewing a Bohemian pilsner on the roof of my apartment. It took almost twice as long as usual due to the frigid 13F Oklahoma weather. My hoses were freezing, my propane burner was stalling, and my hands were comatose. Somewhere in the baltic madness of it all, I thought about how comforting a meat pie of some sort would be. So this weekend (just in time for the weather to dramatically warm up) I decided to try my hand at making one. I put my recipe together from numerous sources on the internet, along with some personal touches:

Ingredients
meat:

1.5 lbs beef stew meat

vegetables:

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups peeled and cubed red potatoes (any potatoes will work)
1 1/2 cups quartered fresh mushrooms
2 onions, diced
2 turnips
8 oz carrots, chopped (I used a 16 oz bag of frozen carrots and peas)
8 oz peas
1 leek, chopped

spices and other:

2 bottles of my winter porter (suggested substitute beers: any bitter, brown ale, porter, or stout. Common examples include Boddington's, Newcastle, Fuller's London Porter, and Guinness respectively)
powder mix for flaky pie crust
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

hardware:

LARGE sauce pan (or a large skillet)
9-inch pie plate

Directions:

Place the beef stew meat, onion, garlic, and ale in large saucepan/skillet. Simmer over low heat until the meat is browned, about 25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Season the beef with garlic, thyme, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Mix in the potatoes, mushrooms, turnips, carrots, and peas. Cover and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are just tender enough to pierce with a fork, ~15 minutes. Mix in the flour and stir.
Mix the crust according to the directions on the box (follow the directions for a "double pie"). Fit one pie crust into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Spoon the hot beef mixture into the crust and top with the remaining pie crust. Cut slits in the top crust to vent steam and crimp the edges to seal them together (also: to make them look pretty).
Bake in preheated oven until the crust is golden brown and gravy is bubbling for about 25-40 minutes.

I am very pleased with how the pie came out! I may use dough that's ready to go rather than a powder mix, as I'm not a very talented baker (as the pictures of my crust brilliantly display). If you don't enjoy the flavor of turnips and leeks, you should probably omit those. They are frequently used in English/Welsh/Scottish cuisine but are not incredibly common ingredients in the states. The recipe yielded a lot more filling than I suspected. I ended up with enough to make two pies. I filled a pie with half the filling and sealed the remnants for use in a future pie.

The pie was paired with the same beer I cooked it with, and I recommend you do the same. Let the beer warm up just a tad so you can better appreciate the flavors in the ale, and what they add to the pie.

Utopias Killer?

2008-01-25T13:24:00.000-06:00

Not Quite.

Beer megacorp Carlsberg just announced a 10.5% abv barley wine. The beer is priced at nearly $400 USD per ~12.9 ounce bottle, dethroning Sam Adams Utopias as the most expensive beer in production. It is designed to compete with premium wine and champagne. The brewmaster claims given the amount of barley and time taken to make the beer, it is "cheap".

A couple points here:

At 10.5% it is not even half as potent as Utopias
The claims of the beer being "cheap", are laughable. The ingredients in Utopias cost at LEAST 2.5 times as much as the ingredients in this beer (since it uses nearly that much more fermentable sugars, many of them coming from maple syrup which is very expensive to brew with) and it will only set you back a "paltry" $150.
This is an attempt to make beer more sophisticated, but it just comes off as cheap and silly to me. A product aimed squarely at people that want to say "I purchased a FABULOUS bottle of beer last night for $400, it's quite rare"

Source: Bloomberg

Homemade Beer Bread

2008-01-21T11:47:00.000-06:00

Lately I have heard a lot of talk about "beer bread" mixes you can buy in the store. All you do is add a bottle of beer, mix, and bake. I received a mix for Christmas and the bread turned out pretty good. "How easy is it to make from scratch?", I thought.

The answer is: incredibly. I stumbled upon an amazing blog, written by a farm girl in MO. She gives a template for a beer bread recipe that goes like this:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon baking powder (crucial ingredient)
12 oz beer of your choice

All you need to do is mix together the ingredients, spread in a bread loaf pan(grease first if you do not have a non-stick pan), bake at 375F for 45 minutes and you're done! You can make many variations of this recipe by adding various herbs, spices, and cheeses. Here is the recipe I concocted with help from the farm girl:

3 cups un-bleached organic all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
1 tablespoon clover honey
1 tablespoon baking powder
12 oz home brewed juniper porter
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp minced garlic

The bread turned out very good! Much better than the pre-made mixed I used the other week. I took it to a hombrew club meeting and there was none left by the end! An added benefit of making this bread is that your house/apartment/domicile will smell amazing!

Measuring alcohol in beer?

2008-01-14T13:15:00.002-06:00

One of the most frequent questions I receive as a home-brewer is "so, how do you know how much alcohol is in it?" The method used to calculate the % alcohol by volume is deceptively simple and low tech.

An overview of how it works:

Measure the amount of sugar dissolved in the wort before it begins fermenting. (A)
Measure the amount of sugar remaining in the solution when the beer has completed fermentation. (B)
Remove the decimal points and take the difference of these two measurements (A - B = C). Divide C by the constant 7.36 to get the alcohol by volume.
C/7.36 = % alcohol by volume.

That's really all there is to it. The measurements in steps one and two are the "specific gravity" of the liquid. Specific gravity is a ratio of the density of one substance to the density of water. Substances with gravity greater than 1.000 are denser than water while substances with a gravity less than 1.000 are less dense than water.

The measurements are taken with a device called a "hydrometer". A sample of beer is taken in a small tube (similar to a graduated cylinder). The hydrometer is a glass tube with a bulb on the bottom. The device is calibrated to measure gravity in part due to a chunk of lead inside the bottom of the glass bulb. The hydrometer is allowed to float in the beer. When the hydrometer stabilizes, graduations on the glass tube indicate the gravity readings which vary depending on how high or low the hydrometer comes to rest in the liquid.

The measurement in step 1(A) is often called the "Original Gravity"(OG) or "Initial Gravity". For most beer this can be as low as 1.035 (Berliner Weisse beer) or as high as 1.120+ (in the case of barley wines).

The measurement in step 2(B) is termed the "Final Gravity"(FG). For most beer this can be as low as 1.000 (some sour ales) or higher than 1.030 (barley wines, scotch ales, imperial stouts, etc.)

There are various methods for calculating alcohol based on the two measurements, and none are 100% correct. I chose this method because it's the easiest to estimate off hand. The beer becomes less dense as it ferments. The sugars are processed by yeast into carbon dioxide and alcohol. The CO2 gas bubbles out of the fermenter while the alcohol (which is less-dense than water) remains. The more sugar that remains in the beer (the higher the FG), the sweeter and thicker it will taste. The lower the FG, the drier and thinner the beer will taste.

A couple weeks ago I brewed a Russian Imperial Stout. I measured the OG to be 1.106. The beer has now finished fermenting, at left you can see the hydrometer floating in the fermented beer. The FG looks to be about 1.033.
Using (OG - FG)/7.36 we get:
(1106-1033)/7.36
(73)/7.36
~9.9% abv

Hangover Soup

2008-01-10T11:34:00.000-06:00

pictures of soup: no easy task

I recently fell ill and had no canned soup in the house. I decided to see what I could make with ingredients I had on hand. I found a great recipe over at allrecipes.com called "Mullingtawny Soup" and modified it to my needs. This will help with any illness, whether self-induced or not.

Hangover Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
handful of spinach
handful of mushrooms
1/4 cup butter (unsalted)
2 tablespoons all-grain wheat flour (I used organic)
3 teaspoons curry paste (you can also use curry powder)
2 cups beef broth
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup amber beer (for your ale-ment: preferably a bitter, mild, or ESB)
1 apple, cored and chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup jasmine rice (any rice will do)
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch dried thyme
couple shakes of red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Saute onions, carrot, mushrooms and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes stirring frequently. Add stock and ale, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour.
Add spinach, apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper, thyme, pepper flakes. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done.
Consume soup for warm feel in the stomach. Drink remaining beer and go back to sleep.

Notes:
Feeds one person with leftovers or two without, adjust accordingly. This is honestly one of the best soups I've ever had. Even if you do not like the taste of curry or are perplexed at the idea of apples in soup you, fear not, you will love it. I added the pepper flakes in for some mild spice. I plan on making this a lot in the future, in good health and bad.

La Roja

2008-01-06T16:37:00.000-06:00

The Beer: La Roja
The Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales of Dexter, Michigan
The Style: Sour Ale

ABV: 7.2%

Brewer's Description: La Roja, an artisan amber ale brewed in the Flanders tradition. Deep amber with earthy caramel, spice and sour fruit notes developed through natural barrel aging. Unfiltered, unpasteurized and blended from barrels ranging in age between two and ten months. Truly an ale of distinction.
Color: Poured into gator pint glass, deep, dark, brilliant copper
Aroma: Vinegar, apple juice, sour cherries, cedar
Taste/Mouthfeel: High carbonation. Initial flavor of apple peels and pungent yeast flavors with biscuity malts. Subtle spices emerge, perhaps cinnamon and anise.
Finish: Very tart, almost like apple cider, but not to the point of being mouth-puckering.
Notes: Purchased in Tampa, FL. This was a very different beer. The typical Belgian sour "funk" was prevalent, although it was not overbearing. Unusually high in strength of a sour ale, this tastes more like a sour ale of lower alcoholic content.

Penndemonium

2008-01-05T09:57:00.000-06:00

The Beer: Penndemonium
The Brewery:Pennsylvania Brewing Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Style: Maibock

ABV: 8%

Brewer's Description: Something has gone terribly wrong (or terribly right depending on your view) in the Brewhouse. One of the brewers must have added too much malt to the mash and made a very strong beer. Stronger than your used to from the brewery that makes authentic German styles. This super strong beer has put the whole place in a state of pandemonium.

- The beer is golden colored but very heavy with alcohol of about 8% by volume. It’s dangerously easy to drink, so as the bottle label states: “You’ve been warned."

Color: Brilliant gold, very small head
Aroma: dough, bread, light caramel
Taste/Mouthfeel: Ample carbonation, medium mouthfeel, sweet malt, toasted bread, very clean. Not many fruity esters present here, the emphasis is all on the malt.
Finish: Slightly sweet with a very subtle alcoholic warmth. This does not taste like an 8% abv beer.
Notes: Purchased in Tampa, FL. This beer was incredibly malty for a brew so light in color. The Maibock style can be thought of as a pale colored traditional bock, or a strong Munich Helles beer. This example is atypical in that it is brewed to doppelbock strength. Although hop presence was almost non-existent the beer still managed to not come off too sweet. A great beer to pair with some brats doused in stingy horseradish mustard.

Dunedin Brewery

2007-12-31T12:06:00.000-06:00

I have to be honest. I had almost written off this small Florida brewery. I received a bottle of their "Celtic Gold", a Kölsch-style ale for Christmas last year. Needless to say, I was not impressed. The beer was incredibly bland and plain.

I had heard rumblings that the brewery acquired a new brewmaster and I didn't want to pronounce judgment based on one beer I sampled out of a bottle. So Mom and I hit the road for Dunedin, a small town about 25 minutes outside of my parent's house in Tampa.

Dunedin was founded by two Scottish blokes, it gets its name from Scots the Gaelic Dùn Èideann meaning "Edinburgh" (the capital of Scotland). The brewery incorporates Celtic and Scottish themes into much of their decor and many of their beers. The two flags of Scotland adorn fermentation vessels as you enter the brewery. The sister city of Dunedin is Sterling, Scotland.

It's a local hang-out, tucked off the beaten path. Very atypical for a beach town in Florida. The building an decor is equal parts brewery, beach shack, and downtown loft. The barkeep was very friendly and knowledgeable, eager to talk beer. He informed me that they no longer bottle due to previous problems in quality control. They currently serve beer on site and also distribute kegs.

The beers on tap included:

Pictured: Piper's Pale and Christmas Farmhouse

Lowland Wheat Ale
Razzberry Wheat Ale
Apricot Wheat Ale -- Sampled out of a sample cup: Sweet, and fruity with a hint of sour wheat in the finish. Apricot nectar taste is very pronounced.
Redhead Red Ale
Beach Tale Brown Ale
Biere de Cafe -- Sampled out of a sample cup: Exellent coffee beer! Body is medium-light with rich cocoa and coffee bean notes. Reminds me of a coffee-infused New Belgium 1554 in that it has some mild roastiness without being anything like a stout or porter.
Piper's Pale Ale -- Ordered a pint: Very nice citrus/pine hop aroma. Caramel notes are kept to a minimum which allows the hops to shine through and allows this beer to remain incredibly thirst quenching. A great session beer, despite the 6% abv.
Nitro Stout (dry Irish stout)

Three seasonals were:

Bohemian Rhapsody Imperial Pilsner -- Sampled out of a sample cup: Aroma of lemon and orange peel. Medium mouthfeel with lots of fizz, backed up by peppery herbal and orange notes.
Brewmaster's Reserve I.P.A. -- Ordered a pint: Like a hoppier version of piper's pale, which is not a bad thing. Slightly more alcohol and more punchy citrus hops in the nose. Keeps in the theme of high drinkability set by the APA it's based on.
Christmas Farm Ale -- Ordered a pint: Funky and fruity with a robust caramel/biscuit backbone. Has some characteristic Belgian "funk", usually indicative of a secondary fermentation courtesy of wild yeast and/or bacteria. Some slightly sour, acidic notes balance out the Christmas cookie-like malt notes. I asked the bartender if any wild yeast/bacteria were used and he informed me that they were not! He did mention that the beer is re-fermented in secondary on sour cherries.

Guest Beers Included:

Rogue (John's Old Locker Stock) "Glen" - American Strong Ale: I was very surprised to see this on tap. I have never seen the "Locker Stock" edition beers on tap anywhere outside of Oregon.
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale: always a solid choice.
Avery Hog Heaven o4' Barleywine (I didn't realize it was the 2004 vintage till I was typing this up!)

Overall, I was very impressed with the brewery. Great beer, ambiance, and a local crowd. I'd love to stay at a small getaway motel in Dunedin. Beach by day, beer by night.

Belgian Brewing in Greek Florida

2007-12-25T10:07:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas.

I'm in Florida visiting with my family for the holidays, but that hasn't stopped me from perusing new beer. I picked up a couple dozen bottles at the large wine/liquor depot. Last night I uncorked a beer and was marveling at how unique and enjoyable it was. Scanning the label, I noticed it is brewed in...Tarpon Springs, Florida? I was shocked. Tarpon Springs is a small Greek community located about 20 minutes from my parents' house in Tampa. I plan to visit there on my stay. For now a review of one of their beers will have to do:

The Beer: Lectio Divina
The Brewery:Saint Somewhere Brewing Company of Tarpon Springs, Florida
The Style: Belgian Strong Ale

ABV: 8%

Brewer's Description: Lectio Divina is brewed in the spirit of the abbey ales of Belgium. Brewed with the same care and attention to the Art of Brewing that is practiced in the monastic breweries of Belgium.
Color: Poured into Gator pint glass. Slightly hazy orange-copper with small white head.
Aroma: White grapes, apple cider, sweat, farmhouse smells
Taste/Mouthfeel: Thin, medium to high fizz. Lots of fruity esters and some grassy/sweaty notes. Some notes of exotic sweet cane sugar, apple juice, and ginger. Suggestions of white wine and a touch of woodiness and peppercorns.
Finish: Very tart and pronounced with citrus esters, no alcohol heat whatsoever. Some slight herbal hop as well. Finish is dry and satisfying.
Notes: This was a very enjoyable beer, not quite like anything I've ever had. It carries it's alcohol extremely well and is surprisingly easy to drink and refreshing. This almost reminds me of a Saison crossed with a Tripel. The beer has spicy, citrus, herbal, and grassy notes coupled with a typical Belgian "funk" that I describe as "sweat".

If I did not know any better I would think this is a genuine Belgian ale. I'm extremely impressed that a small brewery in Tarpon Springs is able to pump out such a wonderfully complex Belgian-style ale. Keep up the good work guys! This brewery could be well on-track to becoming the next Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales.l

Ignorance to Beer Culture

2007-12-22T14:00:00.000-06:00

I recently stumbled upon this blog post regarding beers the author(s) would never drink

I am constantly amazed by the ignorance of mainstream media to all things, including beer. The author(s) seem to have never even tried many of these beer. It reads like it was written on five minute google research.

6) Lambics are fermented with bacteria, and are enjoyed by many people. The sugar-infused lambics at Tapwerks Ale House where I work are very popular, especially with those that normally do not like beer.

5) I have never tried Randall before, but as a hophead and evangelizer of all things Dogfish Head, I'm sure I would enjoy the enormous hop aroma it imparts to finished beer.

4) You can find my review of Utopias here. I agree with them that is more like a cognac than a beer but it is still technically a beer. It's expensive but worth a shot.

3) I have had this pine ale before and it's delicious. Adding pine needles to beer was done before the widespread use of hops. It's not that far off when you think about it. Many hops impart pine-like character to beer.

2) I have never had this beer. I did have a toasted coconut porter at the Great American Beer Festival and it was fantastic!

1) Those who like light beer and enjoy livening it up with fruit slices will probably enjoy this. And this beer is aimed squarely at them.

Triple IPA, an update

2007-12-12T11:50:00.000-06:00

I have previously spoke about a Triple IPA I home brewed. The time has come to drink it.

The Beer: Shiva's Revenge
The Brewery: Rooftop Brewing Co.(?) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Style: Triple IPA

ABV: 8.2%

Brewer's Description: This Triple India Pale ale is based loosely on Russian River's "Pliny the Elder". Shiva's Revenge is hopped in the mash tun and then full wort hopped in the brew kettle. The ale is boiled for 90 minutes with bitter, flavor, and aroma hop additions. During secondary fermentation the beer is dry-hopped for 2 weeks using 3 different hop varieties. The clean malt backbone is provided by domestic two-row barley and caramel, carapils, and Munich malts. When all is said and done, Shiva is infused with over 2 POUNDS of hops delivering a massive 244+ International Bittering Units! Behold, Shiva: the Destroyer of Palates!
Color: Poured into a snifter glass. Pours a dark copper with red highlights when held to light. Solid 1 inch thick puffy, meringue head that lingers and leaves spongy lace down the side of the glass.
Aroma: Navel oranges and ruby red grapefruit dominate. Touch of lemon peal and subtle mango and strawberry aroma in the background.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Ample carbonation that gives way to green, vegetal hops. Bubbles give way to creamy smooth mouthfeel. Very faint caramel malts and some warming alcohol in the background with some minor astringency.
Finish: Initially crisp and dry. Gives way to colossal bitterness. Resins sting the mouth and stomp on the back of the tongue. Roof of the mouth is left dry and mouth-smackingly bitter.
Notes: This is easily the hoppiest beer I have ever made. I regularly brew a 49 IBU APA and I have brewed a 100 IBU IPA and 127 IBU DIPA. For this beer I aimed for massive amounts of hop flavor and aroma, and I think I succeeded. The aftertaste is so hoppy it sometimes feels like you ingested a small herb garden.

I also did not want his beer to be too "hot" and boozy. I was not aiming to make a thick, heavy IIIPA with a barley wine-class burn in the finish. This beer contains just enough malt to give it enough strength to hold all of the hoppiness. As a result the beer has a clean, dry finish and it is in no way sweet or alcoholic tasting.

My only complaint is that the hops taste a little too "fresh". With time I expect the green and astringent flavors to meld and mellow. The ale has only been in the bottle for 3 weeks, very young for a beer of this strength and bitterness.

Utopias: A Review

2007-12-10T15:06:00.001-06:00

While not the strongest beer ever produced, Utopias is the strongest beer in production. It's also the strongest beer ever made without using the Eisbock-technique. I recently sampled the brew at Tapwerks Alehouse and Cafe in Bricktown, Oklahoma City (2 ounce shots can be had for $9).

The Beer: Sam Adams Utopias
The Brewery:The Boston Beer Company of Boston, Massachusetts
The Style: Barley Wine

ABV: 27%

Brewer's Description: To create Utopias, the brewers at Sam Adams used traditional brewing ingredients including all four types of Noble hops, which add a slightly earthy, herbal taste. The spiciness of the hops really comes alive. In fact, Utopias MMII has even been described by some as almost "fiery" -- a fitting description for the strongest beer in history. Beyond the special brand of hops, Utopias features ingredients that truly set it apart from other varieties of beer. Utopias MMII contains caramel and Vienna malts for its rich amber color and several different types of yeast including a variety found in champagne. $100 a bottle and it's limited to 3000 bottles, which look like copper brew kettles.
Color: Poured into a shot glass. Brilliant, clear copper color. The bottle is just as opulent and excessive as it sounds. It's heavy and made of real copper, not a cheap commodity lately.
Aroma: Huge maple syrup followed by cognac and port notes. Intense sweet vapors sting the nostrils. Beer is completely flat (thus no head) and served at room temperature.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Deep, rich, sweet, and syrupy. Maple syrup dominates followed by pleasing walnut and toasted pecans. Other flavors present are honey, caramel, and toffee. No hop flavor whatsoever.
Finish: Very hot and stingy finish. You can feel the intense heat making its way to your stomach. The "fiery" descriptor given by The Boston Beer Company is dead on. The finish is also intensely sweet with no bitterness.
Notes: I expected this beer taste like jet fuel, but I was pleasantly surprised. The alcohol is strong but there are a wealth of other flavors. The neck of the bottle does indicate "ale brewed with maple syrup" and they must have used copious amounts of it. The pecan flavors are a treat, it literally tastes like fresh toasted pecans. This is definitely a beer to drink in small doses, it'd be a great dessert beer. Scratch that, I don't think I would consider this a beer. It's more like a "maple wine".

On a side note I have to chuckle at "champagne" yeast nod. It's done in a way that suggests champagne yeasts are sexy and exotic. They can be purchased at any home brew supply shop and are actually extremely cheap and common. Champagne yeast was likely chosen simply because it is the only strain that can withstand the extremely high alcohol levels without being killed off. Alcohol is a waste product of the yeasts' sugar consumption so they literally begin to drown in their own excrement.

Jerk Chicken

2007-12-09T11:36:00.000-06:00

"Jerk" can be thought as "Jamaican BBQ". It's a very hot(traditionally from Scotch Bonnet peppers) and well-spiced (often thyme, nutmeg, allspice, cloves). I found the base for this recipe on Tabasco's website. I was so impressed with how well it came out that this has become a regular dish of mine.

Ingredients:

1.5lbs boneless skinless chicken breast.
1/2 bottle Tabasco Habanero sauce (use A LOT less if you don't enjoy hot foods, probably a couple of teaspoons)
2 tsp whole allspice (freshly ground, if using powdered, use half as much)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp onion powder

Directions:

Pierce chicken breasts repeatedly on both sides with a fork
Add chicken breast to a large ziploc bag. Add all other ingredients to bag, seal, and mix well with hands being sure to rub the chicken until all breasts are completely covered.
Marinate 8 hours to overnight. (I have marinaded for as little as an hour or as long as 3 days, I have found this to be the best period of time)
Remove chicken from bag, discard marinade. Oil grill and grill till cooked all the way through. Serve with rice or other sides.

I chose to whip up this for a side:

Simple Mushrooms and Spinach
Ingredients:

large handful of spinach
~25 mushroom slices
2 tsp unsalted butter
2 tsp minced garlic
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
splash of lemon juice (or a whole lemon squeezed)

Directions:

Melt butter on medium in a skillet. Once melted add garlic and let cook for one minute.
Add mushrooms. Cook until golden brown or to desired doneness.
Add spinach. Mix in well with mushrooms, coating the spinach with butter.
Once spinach is wilted, add salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Allow to cook for one more minute.
Remove from heat and serve!

Notes: As with most foods this hot, I recommend a very hoppy beer such as an APA or and IPA. I choose to pair this with New Glarus' IPA.

The clean bitterness and citrus/pine notes can hold up to the onslaught of heat provided by foods such as this one. The lemon notes in the spinach also complement the citrus notes of hte IPA nicely.

This recipe can be modified in numerous ways. Finely chopped onion can be substituted for the onion powder. Any number of sugars can be used. Table sugar, corn sugar, even molasses or honey. Nutmeg can be substituted for allspice, although I find allspice to have more pleasing flavors in this dish.

New Glarus Hop Hearty Ale

2007-12-07T11:14:00.000-06:00

The Beer: Hop Hearty Ale
The Brewery: New Glarus Brewing Company of New Glarus, Wisconsin
The Style: India Pale Ale

ABV: 6.1%

Brewer's Description: This Ale is brewed with the best of Old and New World hops. Then we infuse the aging tanks with a dry hop addition of Cascade and East Kent Goldings to bring home the hops! Expect this Ale to pour a glass brimming with rich caramel flavors along with an intense hop aroma
Color: Poured into Unibroue La Fin du Monde snifter. Dark caramel in color with a puffy white head that leaves lace behind.
Aroma: Pines, evergreens, grass
Taste/Mouthfeel: Fizzy (and surprisingly creamy) medium body with piney, clean-bitter hops up front. Gives way to biscuit notes, lightly toasted malts, and some caramelly sweetness.
Finish: Very clean, crisp, and bitter. Pine and some sour citrus with a subtle amount of earthy and herbal hops. Bitterness lingers but does not sting.
Notes: (This beer was purchased in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Unfortunately this brewery's beers can only be found in the badger state, although they are expanding the brewery in the coming months.) This is one of the beers that originally got me interested in hoppier, more bitter ales. It is very apparent that old and new world hops were used in its creation. Almost every major hop flavor component makes an appearance in some way. Pine, citrus, herb, and earthen notes are all present in this beer. Overall, what I enjoy most is the overall "cleaness" of this beer. It manages to be hoppy and quenching at the same time. This would make a great "session" IPA.

The Eisbock

2007-12-04T19:48:00.000-06:00

The Beer: Kulmbacher Eisbock
The Brewery: Kulmbacher Brauerei (Schörghuber) of Kulmbach, Germany
The Style: Eisbock

ABV: 9.2%

Brewer's Description: The ice bock, also known as "Bavarian", owes its discovery to a coincidence. According to the chronicles of the Kulmbacher brewery, some time around 1900 an apprentice forgot on a cold winter day to carry two barrels of bock beer into the brewery cellar. The barrels stayed outside, were covered by ice and snow and weren’t discovered until the following spring. The barrels had burst and the apprentice was reprimanded. But the carelessness was a stroke of luck because under the thick ice coat, a bock beer extract remained, strong tasting and high in alcoholic content.
Even if the dark, tasty specialty is not produced in this spectacular way anymore, the chance that gave birth to this beer became a tradition. Today this beer rarity is brewed in a modern brewing and freezing process, but the incomparable taste is still the same and can always be enjoyed in winter months.
Color: Poured into Ayinger Celebrator glass. Dark chocolate brown with some deep red hues when held up to light. Minor suds on the surface, no real head. Label is "lazer" holographic in the same way that a really rad pog "slammer" is.
Aroma: Chocolate cookies, malted milk balls, some alcohol aromas.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Huge, thick sweet maltiness followed by a barrage of bubbles. Some toasted bread, anise, cinnamon, toffee, and brunt caramel round out the heavy body.
Finish: Finish will warm you from the inside-out. Sweet and alcoholic with no real hop bitterness. Some toasted nuts, burnt raisins, and maple syrup in the finish as well.
Notes: (My parents picked this beer up in Florida for me. It is unfortunately not distributed in my current state of Oklahoma) An Eisbock is made by taking a doppelbock and freezing it. The frozen water is then chipped away and the beer is melted once again. In a way this is a crude form of distillation. The beer is further concentrated empowering the sweetness of the malt and raising the alcohol levels. The second strongest beer ever brewed is a Japanese Eisbock.

This beer is a rare treat. Truly a beer for the winter it hides it's strength well until the finish. This is not a bad thing to me, I quite enjoy the warming sensation this beer provides as it glides down my throat.

Bock and Brown Sugar marinated Steak

2007-12-04T08:42:00.000-06:00

Here's yet another recipe I found over at Allrecipes:

Ingredients:

2 (16 ounce) beef sirloin steaks (I used top sirloin)
1/4 cup dark beer (New Glarus Unplugged Bourbon Barrel Bock)
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce ("HOUSE OF TSANG® SZECHUAN SPICY™ Stir Fry Sauce")
2 tablespoons brown sugar (organic)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (sea)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (1 tsp)

Directions:

Use a fork to poke holes all over the surface of the steaks, and place steaks in a large baking dish. In a bowl, mix together beer, teriyaki sauce, and brown sugar. Drizzel sauce over steaks, and let sit about 5 minutes. Return bottle of beer to refrigerator.
Sprinkle with 1/2 the seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder; set aside for 10 minutes. Turn steaks over, sprinkle with remaining seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and continue marinating for 10 more minutes.
Begin preheating grill for high heat. Remove steaks from marinade. Pour marinade into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook for several minutes. Bring beer out of fridge.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steaks for 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness (3 minutes for me). During the last few minutes of grilling, baste steaks with boiled marinade to enhance the flavor and ensure juiciness.

Notes:
I recommend using a doppelbock/bock or stout/porter for this recipe. The bock will lend some extra sweetness while the stout/porter will add some roasted notes. The marinade lended a pleasing sweetness that wasn't over-powering. The juiciness of the steak still shines through the the salty/spicy/sweet balance of the marinade.

I paired this with the remaining beer. The alcohol in the bock was great at cleansing the greasy fat of the steak. The oak and vanilla complemented the sweet notes in the glaze nicely.

I have to say this is possibly the best marinade I have ever had, and it's extremely quick and dirty. Highly recommended!

Bourbon Barrel Bock

2007-12-03T22:19:00.000-06:00

The Beer: Bourbon Barrel Bock
The Brewery: New Glarus Brewing Company of New Glarus, Wisconsin
The Style: Doppelbock (wood-aged)

ABV: N/A (I'm guessing around 9%)

Brewer's Description: Sublimely elegant this toffee toned bock is rich with a blend of Wisconsin and German barley malts. Over four months of resting in oak bourbon barrels gives this beer a wonderfully smooth body that will improve and mellow with age. Should you choose to enjoy this classic today, you can expect a treasure of vanilla, oak and carmel notes to be bolstered by hops from France, Slovenia and Germany. Wild Brett yeast sings in harmony to the tune of Bock. 20 degrees Plato OG makes this bourbon barrel a masterwork to remember.
Color: Poured into Ayinger Celebrator glass. Brilliant, clear, rich copper with a very minimal white head.
Aroma: Ethanol, bourbon, sweet malt.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Lots of oak and bourbon up front. Gives way to subtle, warming toffee and some suggestions of vanilla. No hop presence to be found. Body is very thin for this style.
Finish: Some warming alcohol in the finish with a touch of oatmeal cookie. No hop bitterness. Also some sweaty tang in the finish, likely caused by the Brett. If you can taste this it's something you will either enjoy or despise.
Notes: This beer was purchased in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Unfortunately this brewery's beers can only be found in the badger state, although they are expanding the brewery in the coming months. This was surprisingly thin for a doppelbock. I usually expect this style to be robust and malty, but the emphasis here was more on the bourbon notes augmenting a thin body. The alcohol definitely makes you aware of its presence, this is certainly a sipping beer. As I find myself saying with many wood-aged beers, I'd be curious to try this beer sans the barrel aging. I made an excellent marinade with this beer, more on that tomorrow!

Surly Santa's Stash

2007-12-01T18:36:00.000-06:00

Today I'm brewing a winter seasonal beer, often called a "winter warmer". These brews are usually more generous in all facets. More alcohol, more hops, more malts, and often with the addition of holiday spices.

My recipes is loosely based on a porter crossed with an old ale. I'm attempting to create a beer with a solid malty-sweetness accented by toffee, caramel, and a touch of dark chocolate. I am not using any roasted barley, as I want to avoid getting into coffee/expresso flavors. I'm using the Munich and Vienna malts to provide maltiness, caramel malt for sweetness, and flaked barley for head retention and body.

Hops are only used for bittering in this recipe. I want the emphasis to be on the malt and the subtle spicing rather than any hop aromas or flavors. I have read that the magnum strain is a very "clean" bittering hop, I'll be using it only to balance the sweetness of the malt.

I am a huge fan of White Lab's Edinburgh Ale yeast, I used it in my Scotch Ale (Kilted Koch) which is one of my favorite beers. The strain is very adept at emphasizing the maltiness of the beers it ferments. For the other half of the batch I will be using a yeast strain I cultured from a bottle of Alesmith's Old Numbskull barley wine. I was drinking this when I brewed my last beer, saw a huge yeast cake at the bottom and decided I would try and grow it. It seems to have worked, but I have never tried this before so I'm a bit nervous.

Fermentables:

Domestic pale 2-row malted barley
Domestic Vienna malt (4L)
Domestic Munich malt (20L)
Caramel 20L malt
Molasses
Domestic Chocolate malt (400L)

Hops:

Bittering: Yakima Magnum (14% AA)
Flavor: None
Aroma: None
Dry: None

Miscellaneous:

4 cinnamon sticks
1-2 ounces crushed juniper berries
1 lb molasses

Yeasts:

White Labs Edinburgh Ale Yeast - WLP028 (5 gallons)
Alesmith Old Numbskull culture (5 gallons)

Target Original Gravity: 1.075
Target Final Gravity: 1.015-1.020
IBU: 52
Color: 20.0 SRM

Target ABV: 7-8%

An English Barley Wine

2007-11-30T09:17:00.000-06:00

The Beer: Thomas Hardy's Ale
The Brewery: O'Hanlons of Whimple, Devon, England
The Style: English Barley Wine

ABV: 11.7%

Brewer's Description: Scarce, subtle and complex, Thomas Hardy’s Ale is the beer enthusiast’s equivalent of rare cognac. Bottle-conditioned to mature in the bottle like fine wine, this old ale/barley wine will improve with age for at least 26 years (and we’re still counting!). Not for the faint of palate, especially when young and brash, maturity brings an elegance of flavors unmatched by any other beer—if you have the patience to cellar it for at least a decade.
Color: Pours a rusty brown with almost no head.
Aroma: Some fruit: tangerines, currants. Spices are present as well: cinnamon notes and a touch of anise.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Very big, thick sweet malts. Some earthy spices are present. Woody and earthy hops balance out the sweetness of the malt beautifully.
Finish: Very coarse and bitter finish. Notes of toasted oak as well. Dry, woody lingering bitterness on the palate.
Notes: English barley wines tend to have less hop emphasis compared to their American brethren. They tend to use less finishing hops and and are usually not dry-hopped. Additionally English hop varieties are used rather than American Pac NW strains. This results in ales that have more emphasis on earthy, woody, and fruity tones rather than the bold citrus notes common in American versions.

Very interesting bottle donning an ornamental medallion. This was an enjoyable beer. The sweetness was strong, but not cloying. The alcohol made an appearance, but it didn't stay too long. For a beer that starts so sweet, the finish is surprisingly dry.

Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

2007-11-28T20:31:00.000-06:00

excuse the cellphone shot, I seem to have left my camera in Tampa

The Beer: Hallertau Imperial Pilsner
The Brewery: Boston Beer Company of Boston, Massachusetts
The Style: Strong Lager

ABV: 8.8%

Brewer's Description: Yes, we're a little obsessed with hops. Every autumn for over twenty years, Jim Koch has traveled to one of the oldest hop-growing regions in the world, the Hallertau region of Bavaria in Germany, to hand-select Noble Bavarian hops, including the Hallertau Mittelfrueh variety. This special variety is considered to be one of the best in the world, prized for its unique taste and aroma. Samuel Adams® Hallertau Imperial Pilsner is a celebration of these extraordinary hops. This beer is one of the hoppiest in the world, without being overly bitter. With the first sip, you will experience an explosion of some of the world's finest hops. And we mean “explosion” in a good way. Brewed as a showcase for the hops, this bold brew highlights the spicy, citrus flavors and aromas of the Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops that are abundant in the recipe. The intense hops flavor is balanced with the slight sweetness from the malt. The brew remains pleasantly well-balanced from beginning to end, due to the quality of the hops, and continues to always be, well, "hoppy," providing hop lovers with an amazing beer drinking experience.
Available in 12oz. bottles.
Color: Dark cloudy yellow with a small white head that quickly dissipates and leaves lace behind.
Aroma: surprisingly fruity: white grapes, tangerines, and black currants with hints of vanilla and lemon grass. Some pungent, spicy herbal notes and sweet pale malts.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Some sweet malts initially. Flavors are not as complex as the aromas. Some light lemon notes and minor fruit. Very nice, stinging carbonation. Alcohol is very well masked.
Finish: The finish is long, dry, bitter, and delightful. Earthy dry resins linger on the back of the tongue and sides of the palate. The sweetness of the malts is obliterated by the hops backing up the finish.
Notes: A small, sterile font on the bottom of the label reads "ALE". This could be a frivolous government regulation or an indication that this beer actually uses top-fermenting ale yeast rather than bottom-fermenting lager yeast (as all true pilsners do). I found this interesting in that this beer is similar in many ways to a big IPA. The caramel notes and aromatic hops are missing but the finish is distinctively IPA. This is also incredibly fruity for a pilsner.

I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this beer. I usually do not enjoy noble hops (such as Hallertau and Saaz) when used in massive quantities, but Boston Beer Company has done something interesting with the Hallertau strain in this brew. The last Imperial Pilsner I drank was from the Odell brewing company. I found it to be entirely too sweet and to have an odd, overpowering, almost oregano-like herbalness to it. This brew manages to downplay the sweetness and avoid the heavy herbal notes in favor of fruits and pleasing bitterness.

Beer Exploits in the Old Stompin' Grounds

2007-11-26T14:28:00.000-06:00

I was in back in the Sunshine State for Thanksgiving and managed to consume a few ales that can not be had here in the Sooner State. Most were sampled with friends and family. I visited a bar called 'World of Beer" it was located in an affluent cookie-cutter neighborhood. The crowd was text-book "yuppie" but the selection of beer was the largest I have ever seen in a bar. Some 20-30 beers on tap, but a staggering 500+ beers in bottle, all proudly displayed behind glass in a ginormous (Firefox says this is not a word but the dictionary states otherwise) walk in cooler.

behold some low-fi camera phone shots of the establishment:

I took the parents a sampling of my home brew. Due to recent restrictions on liquid that are annoying travelers and padding Proctor and Gamble's wallet, I had to check the bag containing the beer. I didn't lose any soldiers in transit, no broken bottles. Some leaks, but my sloppy capping is to blame rather than the haphazard handling by the "throwers". I used this same dedicated "beer bag" to bring back some brews purchased in Tampa. I am happy to report that these also made it safely back and I will be reviewing said brews periodically in the coming weeks.

The Beer: Olde School Barley Wine
The Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, Deleware
The Style: Barley Wine (Winter Seasonal)
ABV: 15%
Brewer's Description: Inspired by a tale of a cask doctor who brought sluggish ales back to life by suspending a fig in them. Brewed from 100% Maris Otter pale ale malt, a blend of fine hops and conditioned on dates and figs. User Instructions: open bottle, pour contents into two snifters. Enjoy. ALTERNATIVELY: Walk hand-in-neck with bottle into the middle of the woods. Use shovel to dig 2x2 hole three feet deep. Seal bottle in plastic bag. Place in hole and pack with dirt. Memorize location and leave. Return exactly one year later. Dig up bottle, open and enjoy
Color: Deep amber with a light haze, head is almost non-existent
Aroma: ethanol and extra sweet fruit syrup smells dominate the nose
Taste/Mouthfeel: Thick and syrupy. Beer starts off sickenly sweet, I thought I was not going to be able to finish this initially. Other flavors make vaguely noticeable guest appearances. Perhaps some apricot and/or mango nectars. Hot alcohol notes are present throughout.
Finish: Some citrusy hop bitterness appears in the finish, but it is largely muted by the avalanche of over-bearing malty sweetness anf fusel alcohol notes. The sweetness is so thick that I would almost describe it as "slimey". It coats your palate with a film of syrup.
Notes: I enjoy most of DFH's beers (as a brewery, they are one of my most admired) and barley wines are my latest obsession in the beer world. Naturally, I thought this would be a perfect match. I respect what they are trying to accomplish here, but this beer is entirely too sweet and generally "boozy" for me to enjoy (even as sipping beer). This sugar-fed jet fuel is worth a try if you're a die-hard barley wine fan, otherwise I would suggest skipping this beast. I suspect that a year or two of aging would temper the alcoholic notes, but I see the sweetness getting stronger as the hop compounds degenerate over time. Sam, if you're listening, please bring an aged sample to the Great American Beer Festival next year for further analysis.
The Beer: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
The Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company of Chico, California
The Style: India Pale Ale (Winter Seasonal)
ABV: 6.8%
Brewer's Description: Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale represents a time honored tradition of brewing a special beer for the holiday season. There are generous portions of barley malts and fine whole hops of several varieties, creating a brew with a full, rich and hearty character.
Color: Pours a ruby red with orange highlights, fluffy white head with lingering lacy suds on the glass.
Aroma: Punchy grapefruit, some pines
Taste/Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation that tingles the palate with grapefruit, citrusy bitterness. Bitterness gives way to some caramel sweetness but the emphasis is all on the hops.
Finish: Dry, bitter, clean, and refreshing. Bitterness lingers in the sides of the mouth for almost an hour afterwards. This beer is bittered with Chinook hops and it definitely shows up in the finish.
Notes: Holiday beers are usually contain some combination of spices, more alcohol, and more hops. Sierra Nevada's take is definitely the latter two. This is one of my favorite seasonals. For a beer of this strength and hoppiness it remains incredibly drinkable and refreshing. It's a peppy, bright, lively beer great for spirited conversations (and probably even some playful arguments) during the holiday season.

Hops and Malt sans Alcohol?

2007-11-24T12:17:00.000-06:00

I was mindlessly wandering the internet today, researching hops, when I stumbled upon this entry in Wikipedia: Julmust

It is an unfermented malt drink consumed in Sweden around Christmas time. It contains everything beer does with the subtraction of yeast and the addition of citric acid, color, spices, and preservatives. What would something like this taste like? If it's anything like unfermented beer, I'd have to pass. It's far to sweet to be a quaffable beverage.

The entry states that you can sometimes purchase the beverage at IKEA stores in the United States. The closest location from my apartment is down in Dallas. Fortunately my roomate has a borderline unhealthy fetish with the store and makes frequent trips. With a little luck I may be able to procure a bottle or two (and subsequently review it on this site).

Another curious aspect of Julmust: it can be "aged". A part of me wonders what would happen if you dropped some yeast into one of these bottles and attempted to ferment it. I'm going to go ahead and hypothesize that those "preservatives" would probably prohibit you from doing such a thing.

Scotch Crotch

2007-11-21T07:12:00.000-06:00

Some months ago I brewed a "Scotch Ale". The names "Kilt Lifter" and "Tilted Kilt" were already taken. In their absence my brash sense of humor came up with the following:

I used a free clip art image of a cockatrice that I vectorized and modified, my family tartan (from the Ross clan). And a heraldry shield that I colored to match the Scottish flag.

So what is a Scotch Ale exactly? To answer this, we must first define Scottish Ale. A Scottish ale is more or less an English Bitter style brewed in Scotland. The differences in the two styles derive from differences in the climates of Scotland and England. Scottish Ales are:

Less hoppy: hops do not grow in Scotland and were very expensive to import.
Maltier: robust Scottish malts such as Simpson's Golden Promise malt (a malt also used in The MacCallan single-malt scotch whisky) are employed.
Cleaner: Scottish ales were often fermented at cooler temperatures (many at lager-like temps) as a result of the naturally colder weather in Scotland. This resulted in cleaner, less-estery (read: fruity) ales.
Smoky: historically barley was malted using wood-fired methods which gave the malts a BBQ like smokiness. This is one aspect of the style that is controversial among homebrewers. The style may get its smokiness from Scottish yeast strains or from the use of modern, peat-smoked malts.

Scottish Ales are categorized according to archaic taxes on beer of varying strengths. There are three "levels" of Scottish Ale, which are generally identical in ingredients and vary only in the quantity of them (resulting in the increasing strength). All exhibit a low level of fruitiness, a medium level of maltiness, and a dry, light roasted finish. They may also exhibit earthy and smoky flavors. The ales are generally light amber to burnt red in color.

Scottish Light/60 shilling: 2.5-3.2% abv, brewed as a blue collar "session" beer
Scottish Heavy/70 shilling: 3.2-3.9% abv, slightly stronger "session" beer
Scottish Export/80 shilling: 3.9-5.0% abv, brewed stronger to better survive export to foreign markets

A very strong Scottish style of beer is termed Scotch Ale, 90/100 shilling, or "Wee Heavy" (all are interchangeable terms). It is similar to Scottish Ales but is much stronger, maltier, and sweeter. Hop bitterness is still kept to a minimum. The smokiness may be non-existent to very apparent. Color ranges from dark amber to almost black. Strength can range from 6% abv to well-over 10%. Like Scottish ales, Scotch ales often have a caramel-to-molasses sweetness derived from caramelization in the brew kettle over long boiling periods.

When brewing Kilted Koch, I was still brewing extract-based beer. This means the majority of the fermentables were derived from a malt syrup. I used an ungodly amount of said syrup and steeped Simpson's Golden Promise malt along with a pinch of roasted barley and peat-smoked malt. My aim was to give the beer a malty, roasty, and smoky character that extract alone could not provide. To add additional complexity, I boiled for three hours instead of the usual one. For hops I used a small amount of East Kent Goldings at the start of the boil.

In my humble opinion, this is one of the most solid beers I have ever made. The beer has a wonderfully rich molasses taste (many people think I literally used molasses in the recipe), a deep maltiness, and finishes slightly sweet with a twinge of whisky-like peatiness. The beer is deceptively smooth and it wears its 10+% abv gracefully. I hope to brew an all-grain version of this beer whenever my current keg runs out!

Curry

2007-11-19T19:24:00.000-06:00

It says "food" in my banner, so here it goes:

I love curry. A few days ago I decided to attempt to make some of it. I've always been leery of making Indian food. I've tried it in the past, and while the results were good, there was something missing.

So I did some searching around on allrecipes.com, made some user recommended adjustments, and came up with this:

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (a red would go better, but I'm too cheap)
3 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic-ginger paste
3 tablespoons hot madras curry powder
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
pinch of garam masala
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons of Indian "extra hot" chili pepper (if you do not like your curry hot, I recommend using much, MUCH less.)
"splash" of IPA (optional/just for fun)

Heat skillet to medium and add curry powders, garlic powder, and paprika. Let toast, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add olive oil, onions, shallots, and green peppers. Sautee until shallots and onions are browned.
Add chicken, yogurt, milk, bay leaf, ginger root, and garlic-ginger paste. Bring ingredients to a boil, then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Add chili powder, garam masala, and IPA and simmer for an addtional 5 minutes.
Serve with basmati or jasmine rice and naan bread.

The recipe worked out great. Lots of hot spiciness and a rich creamy texture. I found it fitting to pair this with an IPA. The extreme levels of hop bitterness present in the style are able to compete with the insane heat of the curry. The beer I chose was the recently released: Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop Ale.

Formerly known as simply "Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale", I first consumed this IPA at the Rogue Ales Public House in Portland, OR. I was surprised to hear on the McNellies Beer Blog that the beer is being distributed to the great state of Oklahoma. Previously, this IPA was only available on draft, and was rarely found outside the Pacific NW region of the US.

The beer competed with the curry nicely. The mouth-smacking bitter finish competed nicely with the heat of the Indian chili powder. As far as fresh-hop beers go, I still vastly prefer Great Divide's Fresh Hop Pale Ale. It's a much more aromatic brew. I felt the aromatics were a tad lacking in Sierra Nevada's brew. Also the caramel malts seem to muffle the hops too much for my liking.

Winter Warmers

2007-11-15T13:14:00.000-06:00

Last night, I had a couple of friends over. We brewed what I hope will blossom into a magnificent barley wine. To stay toasty, we sampled two monstrous beers:

The Beer: Old Numbskull
The Brewery: Alesmith Brewing Company of San Diego, California
The Style: Barley Wine
ABV: 10%
Brewer's Description: Bottle conditioned.
Old Numbskull is AleSmith’s first barley wine offering. You may find the name "Old Numbskull" curious. Barley wine has its origins in England and tradition is to begin the name with "Old": Old Nick, Old Sampson, Old Jock, etc. Tongue-in-cheek is often the spirit in naming a barley wine. After drinking a glass or two, you may agree that Old Numbskull feels like a fitting description. It also reminds us of the Three Stooges, one of the greatest comedy teams of all time, so it's meant to bring a smile even before the first taste. Exotic fruit aromas, along with clean ethanol, caramel, honey and toasty notes are present in the nose. At five months of age, the Numbskull flavor begins malty and the hops become more evident from the middle to the finish and linger nicely in the aftertaste. The aroma notes also show themselves in the flavor.
Color: Deep ruby with red hues, small white head.
Aroma: mango, grapefruit, alcohol, sweet malt
Taste/Mouthfeel: Medium-full mouthfeel with soft carbonation. Sweet caramel maltiness in the front, followed by bread toffee. Fades into papaya, passion fruit, dragon fruit, and some plum notes.
Finish: Finish turns to bitter grapefruit peel, citrus oil, and pines. Lingering bitter finish in the sides of the mouth.
Notes: Bottle purchased in Portland, OR. An outstanding barley wine, and an outstanding beer in general. I really enjoyed the rounded flavors that melded together on this one. Initially this brew is extremely sweet, but the citrus/pine punch comes in to keep the beer from being excessive. Sure to warm your core on brisk holiday nights. Highly recommended if you can get your hands on it!
The Beer: Allagash Curieux
The Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company of Portland, Maine
The Style: Abbey Tripel/Wood-aged beer
ABV: 11%
Brewer's Description: Allagash Curieux is a unique beer that was aged for 8 weeks in Jim Beam Bourbon Barrels. In July 2004 they brewed a batch of the Triple and placed it in Bourbon barrels from Kentucky. December '04 bottles labeled as 11% ABV.
Color: Poured a cloudy gold
Aroma: Sour, sweaty, funky, vinegar, wood chips
Taste/Mouthfeel: Ample carbonation dances on the tongue. It quickly subsides and gives way to a puckering punch of sourness. The body is peppered with strong notes of cedar, sawdust, and oak. Suggestions of juniper, pine needles, spruce tips. Perhaps just a touch of mint.
Finish: Dry and sour. Leaves the mouth puckering. Some hints of bourbon and some stiff alcohol.
Notes: Bottle purchased in Portland, OR. This beer was certainly an experience. I'm glad to have tried it, but I could do without taking this little taste-bud assault in the future. Truly unlike any other beer I've tasted, I think I would have enjoyed it more sans barrel aging. The wood and the sourness (from Brett, I'm guessing) really overpower the crisp and estery notes of the tripel struggling to get out.

High Alpha Brewing at a Low-Yield Time

2007-11-14T11:28:00.000-06:00

A week ago today, I decided to brew a Triple IPA. I did not think much about the coming shortage of hops, I had a bunch stock-piled in the freezer from beers I meant to (but never did) make. Now, one week later the time has come to move the beer to the secondary fermenter and dry-hop it.

Then I realized the strains I had settled on for my recipe were in short supply. After doing some scrounging around at home brew shops and online I eventually was able to get my hands on some Columbus, Chinook, and Centennial hops. All is well with the world again. Here's a summary of what the currently nameless hop-bomb is composed of:

Fermentables:

American 2-row barley malt
Cara-pils Malt
Caramel 40 malt
Corn sugar

Hops:

Mash Hop: Amarillo
Full Wort Hops: Chinook, Amarillo
Bittering Hop: Chinook
Flavor Hops: Centennial, Columbus
Aroma Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial
Dry Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, Columbus

Yeasts:

WLP001 California Ale (5 gallons)
WLP007 Dry English Ale (5 gallons)

Original Gravity: 1.072
IBU: 214
Color:

Expected ABV: 7-8%

Today, I'm going to brew a mammoth Barleywine using of the Triple IPA yeast cake. Barleywine is a style I have never brewed before, largely because my love of this style is a recent revelation. I am aiming for a grapefruity, citrus, bittersweet beer that improves as it warms. Rouge Old Crustacean, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, and Great Divide Old Ruffian are my inspiration. Here's some background on the monstrosity that will be keeping me warm through the Oklahoma winter:

Name: The Ancient One

Fermentables:

American 2-row barley malt
Munich malt
Cara-pils malt
Caramel 60 malt
Caramel 120 malt

Hops:

Bittering Hop: Chinook
Flavor Hop: Centennial
Aroma Hops: Centennial, Cascade
Dry Hop: Centennial

Yeasts:

WLP001 California Ale (5 gallons)
WLP007 Dry English Ale (5 gallons)

Anticipated Original Gravity: 1.110-1.120
IBU: 96
Color:

Expected ABV: 11-14%

Pan-Seared Pilsener Sirloin Tips with Herbed Pecan Orzo and Shiitake-Blue Cheese Sauce

2007-11-12T09:34:00.000-06:00

Here is my latest preperation from "The Best of American Beer & Food":

Sirloin Tips:

1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin tips
1 cup Pilsener (I used my Belgian-style pale ale)
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot red pepper sauce (I used 4 tsp of Tabasco Habanero)
1 tsp kosher salt (I used sea salt)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Herbed Pecan Orzo:

1 cup orzo (I could not find orzo, so I used 1.5 cup of mini penne)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tsp salt (used sea salt)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted (I preheated the oven to 300F, spread on cookie sheet and let bake for 10 minutes, removed and chopped in food processor)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped (I have discovered these are about 5 times cheaper at an Asian grocery)
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and finely sliced (I used some nameless brown mushrooms I found at the Asian market. The workers there were Vietnamese and could not direct me to the shittake mushrooms)
3 ounces of Pilsener (I used the fabulously cheap Lion's Head Pilsner)
1/2 tsp kosher salt (sea salt)
2 tablespoons flour (used whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (used Gorgonzola, as I prefer its taste)
Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Marinate sirloin tips in a large ziploc bag with Pilsener, Worcestershire, pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. At least 20 minutes (I marinated for 48 hours)
Cook pasta in according to packaging instructions. Strain and add butter and herbs, mix well, set aside, and cover to maintain heat.
Heat olive oil in a skillet. Brown sirloin tips for 1-2 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove, set aside, and cover with aluminum foil. Do not throw out marinade!
Melt butter in skillet used to cook steak. Add shallot and mushrooms. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in beer and allow to completely absorb and evaporate. Add salt and flower and stir to coat. Add reserve marinade and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently or until the liquid is reduced by half.
Cut sirloin tips into strips and return to the skillet. Cook until desired doneness (1-4 minutes).
Arrange pasta on serving plate. Pour steak and sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese crumbles and garnish with fresh rosemary.

The recipe turned out excellent. This is an extremely hearty meal. I was surprised by how quickly I was full and how much I had left over. The book notes that this makes 4 to 6 servings, which is about right. The flavors all meld beautifully. My only complaint is that it came out a bit too salty. I will probably omit the salt editions next time as the beef broth and Worcestershire provide enough salt on their own.

The book recommends pairing this dish with an American dark lager or nut brown ale. I paired it with my own doppelbock "Liberator", and I have too say that the maltiness was a bit too much when coupled with the hearty mushroom sauce. I agree with the book that a nut brown ale would be a perfect complement to the toasty, nuttiness provided by the pasta while still being light enough to cut through the thick sauce.

Hop in

2007-11-09T13:39:00.000-06:00

Hops can be harnessed in beer using a myriad of methods. But first, a Reader's Digest version of how beer is made:

Cracked grain (e.g. malted barley) is added to a large vessel called a mash tun. Hot water (150F-160F) is added to the tun and the grain is allowed to steep at this temperature for about an hour.
The liquid is drained off the grain, leaving the grain behind. The sweet liquid is called "wort". As the liquid is being drained, more hot liquid is being used to rinse the grain, this is called sparging.
The wort is then transferred to the brew kettle where it is brought to a boil and boiled for 60 minutes or more. Hops are added and let to boil for varying times depending on the application.
The wort is rapidly cooled to room temperature using a chiller. Once room temp is reached the wort is transferred into a fermenter. Yeast is pitched into the beer and mixed.
The yeast-infused wort is then aerated with oxygen to make fermentation more vigorous.
The beer is allowed to ferment, anywhere from 2 weeks to several months. Once fermentation is complete the beer may be aged in a cold vessel, then kegged or bottled.

Mash Tun Hops: Added to the mash tun and steeped with the grains during the mash. The aroma hops are usually used for this application. This adds extra hop flavor and aroma.

Brew Kettle Hops:

"Full Wort Hop": This hop is added to the brew kettle as the wort is being transferred from the mash tun. This allows the hop to steep in the wort before it is boiled, contributing more hop flavor and aroma to the beer. Once the brew kettle is filled, the hop addition goes through the entire boil.
Bittering Hops: These hops are boiled for an hour or more. They are used only to bitter the beer and contribute no flavor or aroma.
Flavor Hops: These hops are boiled for about 30 to 15 minutes and contribute hop flavors to the beer and medium levels of bitterness.
Aroma Hop: This hop is boiled for 15 minutes or less. It primarily contributes hop aroma and some flavor. Bitterness contribution is minimal.

Alternate Hopping Methods:

Dry Hopping: Adding aroma hops into the fermenter post-boil. This imparts huge hop aromas to the beer without adding bitterness. The hops are left in the fermenter for 2 weeks or more.
Wet Hopping/Fresh Hopping: Relatively new process by which fresh hops are used in place of the traditional dried hops and hop pellets. This adds a unique "green" aroma and flavor to the beer and adds unique and pungent aromas. Process was first used by Sierra Nevada for their Harvest Ale.

To India: With Love

2007-11-09T06:43:00.000-06:00

IPA
The India Pale Ale (IPA) style started in England. The country was occupying India and ale had to be shipped around Africa, through the Cape of Good Hope, to the English colonies there. Pale ale was popular at the time and the beer was having trouble "surviving" (read: not spoiling or souring) the long ocean voyage. Brewers began to make a special export pale ale for troops in India. It was similar to a pale ale but stronger. To aid preservation of the beer, this pale ale contained more alcohol (for its preservative effects) and more hops (for their mild antibiotic effects). This new style came to be known as India Pale Ale.

From India to America
American craft brewers began to take this idea and run with it. Punchy Pacific Northwest-grown hops are far more potent than their brethren across the pond. The "American" India Pale Ale was born. In place of the earthy and fruity hops used in the English version, the state-side version contained bolder, stronger, citrus-type hops (such as cascade, chinook, and centennial). The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) now distinguishes between English-style and American-style IPAs.

Birth of DIPA
Fueled by the "bigger, bolder, better" mentality, craft brewers in the states continued to push the envelope. More hops! More alcohol! Stronger hops! Dry-hopping! Wet-hopping! Continuous hopping! This new, stronger, and more bitter IPA came to be known as an "Imperial" or "Double" IPA. The first example of this style is often considered to be Blind Pig IPA, brewed by the late Blind Pig Brewing Company. Head brewer Vinnie Cilurzo has since started another brewery, Russian River, and has re-acquired the rights to the Blind Pig name.

Double is beginning to take over in usage. "Imperial" was first used to describe "Russian Imperial Stout", a stronger version of English stout beer brewed for the imperial court in Russia. Imperial is often used to mean "a stronger version of" in craft brewing e.g. "Imperial Red", "Imperial Pilsner", etc. However, there is a growing movement to call these "double" in place of "Imperial". Many craft brewers feel using the "Imperial" descriptor for anything other than stout is incorrect.

The Unquenchable Thirst for more Bitterness
Craft breweries continue to push even further on hops and alcohol levels of their IPAs. Some breweries have begun making beers which they label "triple" IPAs. This style has yet to be officially recognized by the BJCP (it can be thought of as an intensely hoppy barleywine in some regards), but that hasn't stopped adventurous craft breweries from brewing massive 10+% abv, 100+ IBU monstrosities of hoppiness.

Notable IPAs:
Bridgeport IPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Stone India Pale Ale, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Surly Furious, Odell India Pale Ale

Notable DIPAs:
Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA, Russian River Pliny the Elder, Stone Ruination IPA, Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA, Great Divide Hercules Double IPA, Pizza Port Lou P. Lin, Pizza Port Hop Suey Double IPA

Notable "Triple" IPAs:
Russian River Pliny the Younger, Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA, Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA

Addition by Subtraction

2007-11-07T13:11:00.000-06:00

Ever since I have been doing 10 gallon batches of home brew I have been splitting each batch into two equal-sized partitions. In doing this, I can use two different yeast strains on the same recipe and compare the final results.

Almost 5 weeks ago I brewed what is termed a "heather ale". This is a historical Scottish style of beer in which heather tips are used in place of hops. The use of hops in brewing is a relatively recent development in the grand history of beer. Some even say the first beer contained heather.

Problem: I had neglected to rack this beer to a secondary fermenter for far too long. I kept putting it off. I like to time my brewing so that I can syphon a week-old beer off of the yeast (and into the secondary fermenter) and immediately syphon a freshly brewed beer on to the yeast cake. I had planned to ferment an imperial milk stout on the yeast cakes of the heather ale, but I could never make the time, didn't have the equipment, etc.

Yesterday, I gave up on reusing this yeast. I decided I would just rack the beer into secondary and pitch some fresh yeast when I brew the imperial milk stout. I didn't want to risk off-flavors associated with leaving the beer on the yeast for an extended period of time.

The two yeast strains I used were White Labs Irish Ale Yeast (WLP004) and Wyeast Scottish Ale Yeast (1728). I began to siphon the beer off the Irish Ale yeast, I took a sample for taste and to take the final gravity reading (it was 1.010). Tasted great, no off-flavors. Had a delightfully smooth and creamy mouthfeel with a finish that is both biscuity and flowery.

Then I did the same for the beer on the Scottish Ale yeast....

Something was wrong, the aroma was sour. I took my sample out and continued to siphon the beer into the secondary fermenter. Once I was finished I sat down and tasted it. It smelled of sweet vinegar and cherries! The taste was tart and sour with a touch of sweetness. The beer is contaminated with some sort of organism. Which one it is, I'm not sure. The taste is very similar to that of Flemish-style sour ales such as Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne.

I'm trying to figure out how half the batch became contaminated. This little mistake will still be bottled and aged (possibly on oak chips), I'll probably enter this happy accident into some home brew competitions as a Flanders red and see how it fairs.

Here are the front and back labels I cooked up for the heather ale. I used a picture my friend over at We Are Cartographers took of my traversing Holyrood park in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Tasting Beer: Some Starting Points

2007-11-06T09:57:00.000-06:00

I used to find it silly and pretentious, the way some would describe beer. The more varied my taste for beer has become, the more my sensitivity has grown. As you expand your love of beer and sample increasingly challenging beers, you will begin to appreciate nuances you never noticed before.

For instance, I never liked hoppy beers for years. I kept giving them a chance every few months, and now my favorite styles incorporate massive amounts of the little flowers. The last remaining style that I disliked was "barley wine", a bittersweet mega-alcoholic brew. This is now one of my favorite kinds of beer. I appreciate it in ways I never thought I would.

Here is a descriptive guide for what to look for in tasting beers. These are words I've read from other sources (such as the late, great, Michael Jackson) as well as words I have just come up with from my own experiences. I must warn, many of them are probably not what is legally considered "English".

Hop-derived aromas/flavors: floral/flowery, citrus, fruit salad, grapefruit, water melon, lemon, orange, peach, strawberry, black currants, woody, earthy, herbal, oregano, piney/pine needles, resiny, sappy, grassy, catty (cat urine/litterbox), lemongrass, sweat

Malt/sugar derived aromas/flavors: biscuit, cracker, bread, rye, wheat, corn, toast, toasty, roasty, coffee, espresso, dark chocolate, cocoa, toffee, grainy, cookie, dough, caramel, burnt, smoky, sweet, creamy, malty, molasses, rummy, cidery, dark fruits: raisins, prunes, dates, plums, figs, hay, anise, liquorice, tobacco, nutty, almond, bourbon, alcohol, wood/oak, brown sugar, meat/bacon/BBQ/campfire, maple syrup

Yeast/fermentation dervied aromas/flavors: spicy, white grapes, phenolic, cloves, bananas, black pepper, coriander, citrus, smoke, estery(fruity flavors), sweat, yeasty, "funk", vinegar, sour, horsey(saddle blanket), barn flavors, tart, leather

Other random aromas/flavors: coriander, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, anise, fennel, tea, perfume, rosehips, fruits(added to the beer), chamomile, chocolate, juniper, spruce, heather, ginger

Negative flavors and off-flavors (in some styles of beer these may be desirable, most of the time they are not): vinegar, sour, tart, cooked corn, vegetal, astringent (think biting into a grape stem, sucking on a tea bag), cidery, wet cardboard, soapy, barn flavors, horsey, medicinal, band-aid, buttery/butterscotch(this tastes like a buttered popcorn Jelly Belly to me, in fact it is in ingredient in that candy and is the cause of "popcorn lung"), meaty, metallic/blood, solvent ("hot"/harsh alcohol flavors), cloying (sickenly sweet/syrup), stale, musty, stale, skunky

Moutfeel: sticky, smooth, fizzy, tingling, soft, flat, thin, thick, creamy

Finish: crisp, fruity, sweet, bitter, lingering, malty, hoppy

General take-aways:

Always pour beer into a glass first (style-appropriate glassware is another discussion all-together). Drinking from a bottle does not allow the beer to hit all flavor centers on your tongue and over-emphasizes the bitter taste-buds on the back of the tongue.
These adjectives are just a starting point. If you think a beer tastes or smells like something, write it down!
Try joining a site like ratebeer or Beer Advocate to keep track of your notes.

Shallot and Stout-Glazed Steak with Cumin-Pepper Onions

2007-11-05T08:19:00.000-06:00

This is the latest recipe I have constructed from "The Best of American Food and Beer". It turned out excellent, save for the fact that I over-cooked my steak. I share a grill with three other apartment units and something was amiss with the propane. I began cooking the steaks on high, and it was barely warming the meat. I came back 5 minutes later, still nothing. I could literally touch the grates with my hands. Fast-forward 5 additional minutes, huge flames, steaks searing to death, nice.

The steak:

5 large shallots, thinly sliced (I used 3, these are quite expensive)
5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons salted butter (I used unsalted)
2 bay leaves
12 ounces American dry or sweet stout (I used my 1.5 year old vanilla bourbon imperial porter)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, freshly ground pepper
2 lbs skirt steak, trimmed (I used top sirloin)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons orange juice

Melt butter in saucepan. When all butter is melted simmer in shallots and garlic until garlic turns golden
Add bay leaves, beer, tomato paste, Worcestershire, sea salt, pepper and whisk together. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Remove bay leaves. Add 1 cup of sauce to plastic bag with steak and marinate 6-8 hours (I left it overnight). Keep remaining sauce in a separate container and refrigerate.
Allow sauce to come to room temperature and whisk in vinegar and orange juice. Grill steak to desired level (well done for me unfortunately), brushing steak with sauce for the last 2 minutes of cook time. Serve with cumin-pepper onions.

Cumin-pepper onions:

3 large yellow onions sliced into 1/2 inch thick medallions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I used 1/2)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder (I used 1/2)
1/4 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle onion medallions with olive oil. Mix together all powdered spices.
Place on grill under medium-high heat. Grill until tender, turning once. Be careful when flipping, as the onions do not want to stay together!
Remove onions from grill and lightly dust with spice mix, add more as desired.

This recipe was very tasty. The glaze on the steak was delicious. I will definitely be making this again, it's a shame I had to have it with well-done steak (I'm more of a medium-rare kind of guy). The spices blend nicely into a pungent/spicy/sweet/salty/meaty concoction that adds nice flavors to the onions. The book recommends pairing this with an American Pilsner or Dark Lager beer. I had neither of these styles on hand so I paired it with homebrewed Belgian-style pale ale, a very clean-tasting brew with a slight biscuit note in the finish. Any light, crisp, refreshing style of beer should pair nicely with this dish. These types of beer are highly carbonated and cleanse the pallet, which allows for better enjoyment of the roasty steak and spicy onions.

Zymurgical Lexicon

2007-11-02T09:03:00.054-05:00

The following is a list of beer terminology and general "beer geek slang" that is frequently used on this site. It will be continuously updated as new terms arise.

A
AA: abbreviation for "alpha acid". Measured in a percentage, alpha acids are the component in hops the contribute bitterness. "High alpha hops" contribute more bitterness than lower alpha hops and require less quantity to achieve the same level of bitterness.
ABV: abbreviation for "alcohol by volume", the percentage of a beer's volume taken up by alcohol. ABV can be converted to alcohol by weight(ABW) by multiplying by .79, the density of ethyl alcohol.
ABW: abbreviation for "alcohol by weight", usually only used for describing the alcohol content of "3.2" beer. ABW can be converted to ABV by multiply times 1.25. "3.2% ABW beer" is thus 4.0% ABV.
Adjuncts: ingredients in beer that are not one of the traditional four (water, hops, barley, yeast). Common adjuncts include corn, rice, and many sugars. These are often used by large breweries to cut costs and lighten the color and flavor of beer. Belgian brewer's use sugars to increase alcohol content and add flavor.
AHA: abbreviation for the American Homebrewers Association, started by homebrewer Charlie Papazian.
Ale: One of two types of beer, brewed with top-fermenting ale yeast at warm temperatures ( usually in the 60F-80F range.) Ales usually have fuller, fruiter flavors when compared to lagers.
APA: abbreviation for "American Pale Ale". A yellow to deep amber colored beer with a hoppy bite. Used to distinguish from an English Pale Ale. APAs usually contain citrusy American-grown hops as opposed to the more earthy, woody, and lemon grass hops of their overseas cousins.
Aroma Hop: hop addition added at the end of the boil, usually for the final 5 minutes or less. It adds hop aroma to the beer. Synonymous with the "finishing hop".

B
Barley Wine: I strong, alcoholic ale typically containing 8-14+% abv. The style is characterized by a bittersweet finish. The high levels of remaining sugars are balanced by very aggressive hopping rates. Barley wine is a beer, not a wine. It gets its name from the wine-strength levels of alcohol. In the US many barley wines must be labeled "barley wine-style ale", to note that they are a beer and not fermented fruit juices.
Bitter: a mild English pale ale of low alcoholic strength and moderate hop presence, meant to be drank as a session beer. The weakest of the three English pale ales (bitter, best bitter/premium bitter, and extra special bitter).
Bittering Hop: hop addition added at the beginning of a boil, usually boiled for 60 minutes or more. It adds bitterness to the beer.
BJCP: abbreviation for "Beer Judge Certification Program". A program founded by homebrewers to more objectively evaluate and review beer of varying styles.
BMC: slang abbreviation for "the big three" breweries that make up the majority of market share. Anheuser Bush(Bud), SAB Miller(Miller), and MolsonCoors(Coors).
Bottled Conditioning: process by which beer is naturally carbonated in the bottle by a second fermentation; usually used in Belgian-style ales and by many US craft breweries.

C
Cask Ale: synonymous to "real ale", a type of ale (usually a bitter) that is served at cellar temperature from a cask. The beer has very little carbonation resulting in a creamy mouth feel. Cask ale is prevalent in the United Kingdom and is served at some US craft breweries.
Charlie Papazian: Founder of the American Homebrewers Association and the Great American Beer Festival. His book "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" is the best selling homebrew book of all time.

D
Dry hopping: the process of adding hops to the fermenter in addition to boiling them in the kettle. This immensely increases hop aroma without adding any bitterness. Hop pellets, dried whole hops, or fresh hops can be used in this manner.

E
ESB: abbreviation for "Extra Special Bitter", a type of strong English pale ale. English pale ales differ from American Pale Ales (APAs) by having a more balanced flavor profile. English pales are often maltier and more balanced while APAs are more hop focused. The hops used also differ; APAs use citrusy American hop varities(Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, etc.) while their English brethren employ more earthy, woody English varities (such as East Kent Goldings and Fuggles). ESB is the strongest of the three English pale ales (bitter, best bitter/premium bitter, and extra special bitter).
Esters: fruity flavor notes produced during fermentation at higher temperatures. Lower fermentation temperatures will result in lower ester production, and a "cleaner" tasting beer.

F
Fermentation: the process by which the sugars in beer are converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide gas by brewer's yeast.
Filtered: beer that has been processed to removed yeast from suspension.
Finishing Hop: see aroma hop
Flavor Hop: hop addition added to brew kettle with 15 to 30 minutes left in the boil. It adds hop flavor to the beer.
Final Gravity: gravity of beer post-fermentation.

G
GABF: abbreviation for Great American Beer Festival
Gravity: short-hand term for "specific gravity"
Great American Beer Festival: annual beer convention held in Denver, CO. It was started in 1982 by Charile Papazian. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded for various beer style categories.

H
Hop: Flower from the hop bine that contributes bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability to beer.
Hophead: slang term used by homebrewers for those that enjoy excessively hoppy beers.

I
IBU: abbreviation for "International Bittering Units", a metric used to measure the hop bitterness of beer.
IPA: abbreviation for "India Pale Ale", a more hoppy and alcoholic pale ale. When England was occupying India, they would ship pale ale out to the troops stationed there. They began to realize that if they brewed a pale ale with more alcohol and hops(both preservatives) that the beer would survive the long ocean voyage around Africa better. This became what is now called the India Pale Ale.
Imperial: a beer designation for: "a stronger, hoppier version of". The term originated with Russian Imperial Stout, a strong stout beer brewed for the Russian court. It has become a commonplace descriptor for IPAs and is gaining acceptance for stronger versions of red/amber ales. Many microbreweries are beginning to use the term" double" in place of imperial, this is not to be confused with a "Dubbel" which is a dark Belgian style of beer.

J
K
Krausen: foam that forms at the top of the fermenter during vigorous fermentation.
L
Lager: One of two types of beer (the other being ale). Lagers are brewed with bottom-fermenting lager yeast at cold temperatures, usually in the 50F-60F range. Lager comes from the German for "to store". These beers go through an aging and conditioning process post-fermentation at temperatures close to freezing. Lagers are generally "cleaner" tasting than ales, with less off-flavors. It should be noted that lagers are not necessarily stronger/weaker in alcohol nor ligther/darker in color than ales.
Lagering: the cold-conditioning period that lagers and some ales go through post-fermentation.

M
Malt: synonymous to "barley" and "barley malt"; a cereal grain that is mashed in order to extract sugars which are then fermented into alcohol by yeast.
Mashing: process by which crushed malt is rested or steeped at one or more temperatures in order to exact sugars from the grain. After mashing the grain is "sparged".

N
O
Original Gravity: gravity of beer prior to the onset of fermentation.
P
Q
R
Real Ale: see cask ale
Reinheitsgebot: German beer purity law that was originally drafted in 1516. It specified that to be considered beer a beverage must contain only: malt, hops, and water. Later, when the brewing process became better understood at the microscopic level, yeast was added to the list of ingredients.

S
Sankey keg: the most common type of keg used to store beer. It is usually made of stainless steel (although aluminum and rubber are sometimes used) and Holds 15.5 gallons. Half of a barrel is equivalent to one sankey keg.
SG: abbreviation for "specific gravity"
Sparging: process that occurs after mashing in which spent grain is rinsed with hot water to extract any remaining sugars.
Specific gravity: also called simply "gravity", specific gravity is the ratio of the density of beer to the density of water. The specific gravity (SG) of water is 1.000. The gravity reading of beer before fermentation (Original Gravity or "OG") can be used in concert with the gravity of beer post-fermentation (Final Gravity or "FG") to calculate the alcohol content of beer. Unfermented beer has a higher gravity because it has more sugars than fermented beer (wherein sugars have been converted to alcohol).
SRM: abbreviation for "Standard Reference Method"; used for measuring the color of beer.
Style: a category developed to more easily compare and categorize beer. "Stout" is a style of ale.

T
Trappist: beer that is produced at a trappist monastery with direct supervision of the monks, it can be of any style. Currently there are 7 trappist monasteries: Chimay, Westmalle, Westvletern, Orval, Achel, and Rochefort in Belgium with Koningshoeven located in the Netherlands. These are not to be confused with “abbey ales” which are brewed under the name of a monastery which has been licensed to a commercial brewery.

U
Unfiltered: beer that has not undergone filtering and retains residual yeast from the brewing process, can sometimes result in a cloudier beer. Wheat beers and often unfiltered.
V
W
Wort: pronounced "wert", beer that has not yet undergone fermentation. It is a very sweet liquid.
Wet Hopping: using fresh-from-the vine hops rather than processed hop pellets or kiln-dried whole hop flowers. This imparts a different "greener" hop aroma compared with using processed hops. Breweries will often make "Fresh hop" ales in September (right around hop harvest time) using this technique. The hops are often over-nighted to the brewery to ensure freshness.
X
Y
Yeast: single-celled fungal organism that consumes sugars and expels the by-products ethanol and carbon dioxide. It is used to ferment beer, cider, wine, and is part of the production of spirits.

Z
Zymurgy: the study of fermentation. Also a quarterly homebrew magazine published by the American Homebrewers Association

Those Jack-o-Lanterns have to go somewhere

2007-11-01T09:52:00.000-05:00

This is the time of year when we see the microbreweries (and even some of the big boys at B[ud]M[iller]C[oors]) churn out their pumpkin brews. Pumpkin can be added to a beer in many ways. During the mashing process, boil, fermentation, or post fermentation. Brewers can use extracts, mashes, or whole chunks of the pumpkin flesh. I've recently sampled a few such offerings, here are my impressions:

The Beer: Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
The Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, Delaware
The Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable/"Specialty" beer (ale)
ABV: 7%
Brewer's Description: Punkin' Ale is a full-bodied, spiced brown ale brewed with baked pumpkins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale is named after the annual Punkin' Chunkin Festival held near Lewes, Delaware the weekend after Halloween.
Color: Bright copper with a thin white head
Aroma: allspice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, some faint malt notes as well
Taste/Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with tingling carbonation. Spices up front: stinging allspice and nutmeg followed by a bready, crusty malt backbone and some mild pumpkin meat. Lots of rich caramel malt and some toffee in the body as well.
Finish: Drying finish with some cinnamon and biscuit notes. Begs the mouth to be moistened with another sip.
Notes: Bottle purchased in Texas. I really enjoyed this one. The spices typically used in pumpkin pie are more prevalent than the actual pumpkin flavor which is slightly muted. I didn't mind that much and I really enjoyed the spiciness of this beer. That said, it's not for everyone. I have several friends that do not enjoy this beer. The relatively high alcohol content is well hidden by the spices.
The Beer: Pumpkin Lager Beer
The Brewery: Lakefront Brewery, Inc of Wilwaukee, Wisconsin
The Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable/"Specialty" beer (lager)
ABV: N/A
Brewer's Description: Pumpkin Lager is brewed with pumpkins in the mash, spices added during the boil, and lightly hopped. The rich speciality grains and lager fermentation combine to produce the taste and the texture of pumpkin pie.
Color: Light, cloudy orange with thin wispy head
Aroma: sweet caramel in the nose with some funky pumpkin notes
Taste/Mouthfeel: Light fizzy mouthfeel. Sweet caramel notes up front with some medium pumpkin meat. Taste is oddly vegetal.
Finish: Finish is rather flat. Slightly clean and lager-like finish, not much bitterness to speak of. Suggestion of pumpkin guts.
Notes: Bottle purchased in Wisconsin. I was a little disappointed with this offering. This had much more of a raw pumpkin flavor while the Dogfish beer was more reminiscent of pumpkin pie filling. Spices are kept to a minimum and the body is very thin, refreshing, and quaffable. This is at the expense of the deep rich caramel notes exhibited by the Dogfish brew.
The Beer: Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale
The Brewery: Coors Brewing Company(MolsonCoors) of Golden, Colorado
The Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable/"Specialty" beer (ale)
ABV: 5.77%
Brewer's Description: This amber-colored flavored ale is brewed only in the autumn and combines the flavor of ripened pumpkin and spices with traditional crystal malt.
Color: Brilliant clear bright amber with fluffy cream head
Aroma: Minimal aroma, very faint pumpkin chunk note as it warms
Taste/Mouthfeel: Thin and highly carbonated mouthfeel. Some faint cloves and caramel, with the majority of the flavor being a vegetal and pumpkin.
Finish: Clean and dry with no bitterness to speak of. Some light cinnamon and coriander notes.
Notes: Bottle purchased in Oklahoma. This was a generic tasting beer with some pumpkin added. Spices are very mild and pumpkin is the most notable flavor note. Very mild caramel notes (from the crystal malts). Not an offensive beer, but very ordinary.

I hope to sample more pumpkin ales in the future. I enjoy snagging some seasonal releases and noting the various angles brewers take on them. Some of these beers would be great compliments to the cornucopia of holiday goods that await us!

Beer Myths Bested

2007-10-29T13:08:00.007-05:00

There is a wealth of misinformation, half-truths, and out-right lies swimming in the sea of beer consciousness. One of my goals in this blog is to continually educate and inform on beer and brewing. I've compiled a list of common misconceptions many folks hold about beer:

THERE ARE ONLY TWO TYPES OF BEER:
That's right. There are only two types: Ale and Lager. Ales are fermented at higher temperatures (generally 60F-80F) with top-fermenting yeasts while Lagers are fermented at colder temperatures (50F-60F) with bottom-fermenting yeasts. All of the other 'types' you may know of are really just styles of ale and lager. A statement such as "Would like an ale or a stout?" is akin to saying "Would you like a dog or a German Shepherd?"

Types of Ales: Pale Ale, India Pale Ale (IPA), Lambic, Tripel, Dubbel, Quadrupel, Porters (occasionally brewed with lager yeast), Stout, Barley Wine, Hefe Weizen(occasionally brewed with lager yeast), Kolsch(occasionally brewed with lager yeast), Altbier, Witbier, Scotch Ale(occasionally brewed with lager yeast), Saison, bitter, Extra Special Bitter(ESB), etc.

Types of Lagers: Light American/Pale Lager(most all macro beers produced in North America), Euro Pale Lager (similar to the American, more skunky, usually comes in green bottles), Oktoberfest/Marzen, Bock, Doppelbock, most Malt Liquors, Pilsner, Munich Helles, Dunkel, Rauchbier, etc.
THE COLOR OF BEER DOES NOT NECESSARILY DENOTE ALCOHOL CONTENT:
The notion that the color of beer necessarily indicates alcohol levels is false. Guinness clocks in at slightly less alcohol (4.1% abv) than Coors Light/Bud Light/Miller Lite (4.2% abv). In fact, the roasted barley that gives most beers their darker colors is not even very fermentable as it is unmalted. Some Belgian styles such as the Tripel similar to American macro lagers in color but pack 9+% abv.
HOPS DO NOT AFFECT ALCOHOL CONTENT:
There is an elephantine misunderstanding as to what exactly hops are and what role they play in the production of beer. Many casual beer drinkers seem to think hops and water are fermented to make beer. Hops only contribute bitterness, flavor, and aroma to beer. They also act as a mild preservative. The alcohol content of beer is determined by the amount of sugars present prior to fermentation. These commonly come from barley malt but can come from other sources as well (wheat, molasses, honey, cane sugar, corn, rice, even potatoes!)

Higher bitterness is often desired in some higher alcohol beers (Barley Wines, IPAs and IIPAs, Imperial Stouts, etc). These types of beers have higher amounts of residual sugars left in them after fermentation. To prevent the beer from becoming sickeningly sweet (this is termed "cloying" by beer geeks), more hops are used to balance out the flavor of the beer. There is even a measurement system for bitterness called International Bittering Units (IBUs), more on that at a later date.
MALT LIQUOR AND YOU:
Malt liquor is actually a type of beer. As a style it is usually a high alcohol lager with minimal hop presence and a high amount of "adjuncts" (fermentable sugars other than barley malt, typically corn and even corn syrup!) Malt liquor is able to maintain such low prices because a large amount of its alcohol is derived from these cheaper sugars.
WHAT IS "SKUNKED" BEER?
Ever notice that some beer has a "skunky" quality to it? By skunky I mean a pungent aroma similar to a skunk, gasoline, or burnt rubber. Contrary to popular belief this has nothing to do with temperature. Fluctuating temperatures have little effect on the flavor of most filtered beers (read: refrigerating it, letting it cool, and refrigerating again will not 'skunk' it). It also has little do with shelf-time. Old beer or beer stored at warm temperatures(which decrease the aging of beer) will become stale and lose it's fresh taste, but it will not become "skunked".

This skunky problem is caused 100% by the bottle type. Green and clear bottles allow for UV rays to hit the beer. This causes a chemical reaction with hops and creates a "skunky'"aroma and taste in the brew. Many European lagers are grossest offenders in this department, and these beers often taste better out of kegs. (Stella, Heineken, St. Pauli Girl, Becks, Pilsener Urquel, etc.) Even fluorescent bulbs can skunk the beer. This is not a problem with wine and cider bottles because they do not contain hops.

Some beers can dodge this problem by using hop extracts immune to skunking. MGD by Miller is one such beer (it is bottled in clear glass).
AMERICAN BEER IS NOT LOW IN ALCOHOL/WEAK COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES:
This is mostly untrue. Beer from the UK is often much lower in alcohol content than similar American beers. The average "regular" American beer clocks in at 5% abv while the average UK brew is closer to 4%. 40% of all beer sold in Australia is less than 4% alcohol by volume. In Ireland most stout is less than 4.5% abv. The average German beer (often pilsner and Munich Helles) is only slightly higher in alcohol content than the average American pale lager.

*7 of the top 10 highest alcohol beers in the world are American. With the most alcoholic beer ever produced and the highest alcohol beer in current production both hailing from the states.
AMERICAN BEER "SUCKS":
Most American beer from the 'big three' (soon to be 'big two'?) is incredibly boring, watery and similar tasting. However, there are many microbreweries thoughout the US that offer beers just as flavorful(and often more-so) than their European counterparts. In fact, the US contains more breweries than any other country in the world!
EUROPEAN BEER: WARM AND FLAT?
At least part of the myth that Brits drink their beer warm comes from US soldiers stationed in the UK during world war II and in the years following when rationing was in full swing. Refrigeration was regulated, and so many places served their beer warm. The myth perpetuates to this day largely because it is passed down from parents to their children, many of whom have never been to the British Isles or continental Europe.

Ale in the UK is served at much warmer temperatures than it is in the US, it can properly be described as "cool" not "cold". The statement that ale in the UK is served at "room temperature" is correct. However, the "room" that ale is stored in is a cellar which maintains a temperature in the 55F-65F range. Lagers are often still served at temperatures much closer to freezing, as they are in the US. In touristy destinations Guinness often comes in regular(cellar temperature) and "extra cold" varieties.

British ales (often termed "real ale") are served out of a cask that is not pressurized (as keg beer is). Beer must be pumped out with a hand pump which pushes air into the cask, drawing out the ale. This gives the beer a creamy, velvet mouthfeel and there is almost no stinging carbonation. Nitrogen widgets, specialized keg taps, and nitrogen tanks like those used for Boddington's, Tetleys, and Guinness attempt to replicate this texture using cans and kegs. An advantage to this approach is that the beer will not spoil as fast because air is not being pushed into the keg.

Note, beers in Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, etc are all usually served relatively cold, only slightly warmer than the serving temperatures of beer in the US.

Beer, Food, and Cooking

2007-10-27T13:26:00.000-05:00

I began cooking a bit less than a year ago. My interest was sparked when a friend of mine told me about a book he had about pairing food and beer. I had always heard about using beer in marinades and eaten my fair share of beer can chicken in college.

I missed a seminar at the GABF regarding beer and food by author Lucy Saunders. She was at the festival promoting her book "The Best of American Beer & Food: Pairing and Cooking with Craft Beer" I arrived home from Denver late Sunday night to find a package waiting for me back in Oklahoma. I opened it up and it was Saunders' book! I had pre-ordered it months earlier and forgotten my purchase.

This afternoon I made my first recipe from the book. An omelet entitled: "Smoky Haystack Omelet". I made some modifications to the recipe. Here is the procedure I followed if you want to re-create it at home:

Ingredients:

12 ounces of a bottle-conditioned(has a yeast cake in the bottom of the bottle) wheat ale, a bottle conditioned Belgian ale will work nicely as well (I used a bottle of my Belgian Pale Ale)
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 drops of hot pepper sauce (I used Tabasco Habanero Sauce)
1 tbsp butter
4 strips Turkey bacon
1/2 cup smoked Gouda cheese, freshly shredded

Let bottle set at room temperature.
Decant beer slowly off yeast in the bottom of the bottle. Leave about one ounce, or half an inch of beer in the bottle. If desired, you can cool down the remaining beer in the freezer or refrigerator and drink it later.
Add the 3 eggs, hot sauce, and pepper to a mixing bowl. Vigorously shake up the bottle of beer to mix the yeast into the remaining beer and add this to the bowl. Whisk ingredients vigorously together.
Cook strips of turkey bacon on a skillet under medium heat (about 4 minutes on a side or to desired crispiness). Remove bacon, and set aside. Begin melting butter on skillet.
Once butter has melted, pour egg mixture onto skillet. As eggs begin to set, rip bacon into small pieces and sprinkle onto the egg. Shred smoked Gouda onto the setting eggs.
When cheese is starting to melt, flip the egg over on itself using a spatula. Cook until golden brown on those sides and enjoy! Serve with a citrus juice of your choosing or, in the tradition of second breakfast, you can serve the omelet with a wheat beer of your choosing.

The omelet turned out great. I had to omit some ingredients (chives, milk) from the recipe and I substituted turkey bacon for the Black Forest smoked ham the book calls for. It was very flavorful and creamy with a nice little bread-like spice in the finish, complements of the yeast. Next time I will probably add some sauteed green peppers and onions into the mix.

I've skimmed through the book a couple of times and I highly recommend it. It makes me excited about cooking and even (gasp) going to the dreaded grocery store!

Amber Waves of Grain

2007-10-25T14:36:00.000-05:00

Everyone knows what water is, but what about malt? Malted grains make up the bulk of a beer recipe. Malted barley is the most common, followed by malted wheat. Other cereals such as oats, rye, corn, and rice are sometimes used as well.

Grains give beer:
"Mouthfeel": How does a beer feel in your mouth? Dry? Sweet? Thin? Creamy? Grainy? Grains contribute to the overall feel of beer on the palate. Some grains are processed for the sole purpose of adding thickness and "texture" to the body of beer. Some grains are less fermentable (harder for yeast to process into alcohol) than others. There are types of grain that will leave components in beer, thickening it without adding alcohol content.

Flavor: Grains can add dark chocolate, biscuit, dough, coffee, caramel, toffee, cracker, wheat, astringent, burnt, sweet, sour, or even smokey pit-BBQ-like flavors to beer. The number of grains available to the brewer are varied. Furthermore, varying their quantities can change the flavor profile entirely.

Alcohol content: Simply put: the more grain the more potential alcohol a beer can have. A beer made with twice the amount of grain can theoretically yield twice the quantity of alcohol. This is why high-alcohol beer are often more expensive: they simply require more material to make.

Color: Grains can be thought of as paints or dyes in the way they affect the color of a beer. All paintings must start out with some sort of canvas or base from which to work off of. In brewing, the "base grain" is used in the largest quantity and other grains, called "specialty grains", are used to add color and flavor. The base grain can be though of as the canvas and the specialty grains as the palate of colors. A grain such as "pilsner malt"(used in pilsners, light lagers, and Belgian ales) contributes a marginal amount of color while a grain like "roasted barley" (a grain that is kilned in ovens until black in color and used in stout beer) will contribute a large amount of darkness to beers, even in small quantities.

Contrary to popular belief, the darkness of a beer does not necessarily denote the alcohol content or even the thickness of a beer. A small amount of dark dye can be used to make a beer dark in color (the German "Black Pilsner" beer called Schwartzbier is made in this way). Alternatively (and less commonly used in brewing) a large amount of lighter dye can darken a beer. The latter approach certainly does contribute massive amounts of alcohol to beer, and the "barley wine" style of beer is made in this way.

Various grains have the been assigned "Lovibond" units according to their color contributions in beer. From the examples above, Pilsner malt is rated at 1-3L while roasted barley can be rated as high as 500L. The Standard Reference Method (SRM) is used to the determine the color of beer. Below I have compiled a sample of some hues and their respective SRM ratings:

SRM values vary from a pale straw lemonade to a jet black opaque. Various styles of beer can be found within this rainbow of colors.

Pilsner beers (Pilsner Urquell, Spaten Pils), American pale lager beers (Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Light, Coors, etc), Kolsch beers

Belgian Tripels (Chimay White, Tripel Karmeliet, Westmalle Tripel), Blonde and Golden Ales (Duvel, Leffe Blonde)

Bitters (Boddingtons), ESBs (Fuller's ESB, Redhook ESB), English Pale Ales (Great Divide DPA), American Pale Ales (Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Red Seal Pale Ale), India Pale Ales (Pyramid IPA, Bridgeport IPA), Imperial/Double IPAs (Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA, Russian River Pliny the Elder), Amber Ales (Full Sail Amber, New Belgium Fat Tire), American Dark Lagers (Killian's Irish Red, Shiner Bock, Amber Bock)

Brown Ales (Newcastle), Porters (Boulevard Bully Porter, Fuller's London Porter, Left Hand Black Jack Porter), Barley Wines (Great Divide Old Ruffian, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Anchor Old Foghorn), Belgian Dubbels (Grimbergen Dubbel, Westmalle Dubbel)

Dry Stouts (Guinness), Sweet Stouts (Left Hand Milk Stout), Imperial Stouts (Great Divide Yeti), Belgian Abts (Westvleteren 12), Schwartzbier (Köstritzer Schwartzbier)

Here's to Beer!

2007-10-24T12:55:00.001-05:00

I have been writing about beer casually for quite some time now and I have decided to switch to a slightly more formal, organized medium. I was inspired to begin this blog after continually observing how much beer and beer culture is misunderstood in our nation. A good place to start is by asking the question "Just what IS beer"?

American Heritage Dictionary defines beer as:

A fermented alcoholic beverage brewed from malt and flavored with hops.

This is a good place to start. In the traditional German sense beer consists of 4 main ingredients:

1) Water - By volume, beer is primarily made of water. Water allows for the sugars in grain and the acids in hops to be easily extracted into the beer.

2) Malted Barley - This is the backbone and skeleton of beer. It gives beer it's color, body, and alcohol. It can be referred to as "barley malt" or often simply "malt". This term is derived from the fact that barley grain is allowed to germinate, bringing out the sugars which are the "food" contained in the grain. The barley is then dried. Additionally barley can be toasted, roasted, smoked, and processed in various ways to yield varying colors and/or flavors.

3) Hops - Contrary to popular belief hops are not the primary ingredient in beer and are used in relatively small amounts. The fact that they are so sparingly used has gifted these flowers with the moniker of the "spice" of beer. Hops are one of the most recent ingredients in beer and have only been regularly used in the last 600 years. They give beer its aroma, flavor, and bitterness. The bitterness aids in balancing the sweetness of the malt and lending beer a crisp, quenching finish.

4) Yeast - This small, single-celled, fungal organism is the great X-factor in beer. Without yeast, the young unfermented beer would simply rot and spoil. Yeast churns the sugars in malt into alcohol and carbon dioxide giving beer its kick and its carbonation. In the early years of beer, yeast was not fully understood. Beer was fermented by whatever wild yeasts happened to be floating in the air in a particular region. Overtime yeast strains were cultivated and nurtured. Yeast strains play a vital role in the flavors perceived in the finished beer. Some strains are not as hard working (attenuative) as others and thus fail to ferment as many sugars (resulting in a thicker, sweeter, less-alcoholic final beer as opposed to a drier, stronger brew). Some yeast produce fruity and spicy notes in beer, everything from bananas, to cloves, to citrus, to smokiness.

There you have it, the holy tetralogy that results in the gold-->amber-->black elixir we affectionately term "beer".