Nov 30, 2010

Beer terms-Lightstruck

Lightstruck
"Beer damaged by exposure to light. Also known as corona."
Lightstruck, or "skunked", beer has been exposed to ultraviolet and visible light. The light causes riboflavin to react with and break down isohumulones, a molecule that contributes to the bitterness of the beer and is derived from the hops. The resulting molecule is very similar chemically and in odour to the musk-borne mercaptans that are a skunk's natural defences.
In some cases, a hop extract that does not have isohumulones is used to bitter the beer so it cannot be "lightstruck". Bottles with dark brown glass give some protection to the beer, but green and colourless glass offer virtually no protection at all. So the darker your beer bottle, the longer it will last and you won't get that skunked aroma hopfully.

Nov 27, 2010

Blue Paddel- New Belgium

Brewed by New Belgium-Fort Collins CO
This brew is definitely a pilsner lager, the aroma hits your strong when you pour it in a pint glass. It has a crisp golden color with a thin white head that will stay around for a few sips. If you're looking for a variety of flavors this isn't the beer for you. However at it's heart this beer offers a malty bitterness that should be enjoyed for what it is. New Belgium wasn't going for a kick in the face when they brewed this, in my opinion it seems that they were going back to the roots of what a pilsner/lager should be. Their bottle says that this beer was a reflection of the Europe's finest pilsners. If you are familiar with how beer is thought of in parts of Europe, then you will know that parts of Germany at least follows the German purity law, the Reinheitsgebot. Now I'm not sure if this brew follows this law, but it is a great beer, and in my book adjuncts can be a good thing!

I will rate this brew at a B
ABV-4.8%
For more info about this brewery visit their site! http://www.newbelgium.com/beer.aspx

Sweet Orange Peel Wheat American Ale

I am starting a new batch of Sweet Orange Peel Wheat today! I believe this is going to be better than my first batch, but maybe slightly different. I went to my local brew shop today, and they did not have the exact "kit" I was using when I first started. SO instead of using one of the pre-made extract beer kits that they sell, I decided to make this my very own and go for 6lbs of Wheat DME, an ounce of some special Hops, and some good 'ol American Ale yeast (3068), with my secret ingredients of my sweet orange peel mixture :) It will be going in the glass primary fermenter today!

Nov 24, 2010

Beer and Thanksgiving

 
This Thanksgiving don't exclude beer from your list of drinks to offer your guests. After all the pilgrams didn't! Or at least some people think that they included beer on the menu. Some even go as far to say that beer is the sole cause for stopping at Plymouth Rock instead of going further south, because they ran out of beer!
But for your dinner... some think that you can only pair wine with a good meal such as steaks, seafood, or other types. However if you believe this notion, you obviously have not been keeping up with craft brewing over the past century. In recent years the art of creating a fine brew has been refined time and time again to the point where making beer is part art and creativity and part science. To know when to add your hops to the boil, or even the different types of hops and malts mix together creating a type of flavor has all but been perfected giving the world of beers a new look. This new look is being pushed by many homebrewers and craft brewers a like to get this good news out that wine is no longer the drink of choice, with the spitting, and the pinky fingers out. Beer can be just as good if not much better with a meal, for some suggestions try taking a look at this website for Beer Pairing. If you are looking to try some desert beers be sure to check out the Full Sail Imperial Porter I reviewed a couple weeks ago!
I won't be posting anything tomorrow because of the holiday, but I encourage all of you to be safe, drink responsibly, give thanks and enjoy the wonderful meals and brews God has provided us with!
I will leave you with this story of how our country started...(how true the facts are I don't know)....enjoy!
"On September 6, 1620, the Mayflower set sail for the New World on one of the boldest voyages in American history. On board were 102 passengers, including fifty-one Separatists and fifty-one "Strangers" – hired hands, indentured servants and others who came for their own reasons. The history books most remember such prominent figures as William Bradford, Edward Winslow and Myles Standish for their leading roles in the adventure. But it was a young hired cooper named John Alden who held perhaps the most important job – building and tending the wooden barrels which carried the Mayflower's most precious cargo, thousands of gallons of beer that sustained the Pilgrims on their arduous journey to America.
Indeed, beer was the staple drink on board the Mayflower. Unlike water, which quickly spoiled when stored in the hold of ships, beer contained no bacteria, and the then-recent introduction of hops made it keep longer. It was also a terrific source of carbohydrates. Men, women and children drank beer daily, and sailors aboard the Mayflower received a daily ration of a gallon.
After sixty-five grueling days at sea, the Mayflower sighted land along the coast of Cape Cod. The ship headed south towards its planned destination on the Hudson River. But treacherous seas from the Polluck Rip off Monomoy Point forced the Mayflower to turn north and drop anchor at Provincetown. After several weeks of searching unsuccessfully for a suitable harbor on the Cape, the Pilgrims were cold, tired and, most importantly, low on beer. In their words, "we could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer."
And so it was that on December 20, 1620 the Pilgrims chose the site for their new colony in Plymouth. Set on high ground and protected from the sea by the natural harbor, the plantation was easily defended and provided a commanding view of the bay and Cape Cod. There was also a great deal of land that had already been cleared and planted with corn by the native Patuxets several years earlier. Most important, the plantation contained a "very sweet brook" and "many delicate springs of as good water as may be drunk." Today, we use that same water to brew our family of Mayflower ales." -Mayflower Brewing Company

Nov 23, 2010

Beer Terminology-I.B.U

I.B.U.-International Bitterness units. A system of indicating the hop bitterness in finished beer.

The International Bittering Units scale, or simply IBU scale, provides a measure of the bitterness of beer, which is provided by the hops used during brewing. Bittering units are measured through the use of a spectrophotometer and solvent extraction.
This technique was adopted at the same time as another method based on measuring the concentration (in milligrams per liter; parts per million w/v) of isomerized α acids in a beer, causing some confusion among small-scale brewers. The American Society of Brewing Chemists, in the introduction to its methods on measuring bitterness, points out some differences between the results of the two methods:
While the results of the IAA [isomerized α acids] methods are practically identical to those obtained by the IBU method for beer brewed with fresh hops, the IAAs of beer brewed with old or poorly stored hops, and with certain special hop extracts, can be significantly lower than the IBU figure.
The bittering effect is less noticeable in beers with a high quantity of malt, so a higher IBU is needed in heavier beers to balance the flavor. For example, an Imperial Stout may have an IBU of 50, but will taste less bitter than an English Bitter with an IBU of 30, because the latter beer uses much less malt than the former. The technical limit for IBU's is around 100; some have tried to surpass this number, but there is no real gauge after 100 IBUs when it comes to taste threshold. Light lagers without much bitterness will generally have 5 IBUs, while an India Pale Ale may have 100 IBUs or more.

Nov 22, 2010

New Blog Design

Let me know what you think of the new layout in the comments! Is it hard to read? Suggestions for color scheme, layout of ads, posts, and everything! :)

Beer and Nuclear weapons....bad idea when transporting!

I think it's safe to say that these two things should never mix! Now I know that our nukes are well protected from accidental detonation and have been for a long time. But that is no excuse to slack on the job and have a beer while transporting one of the most dangerous weapons known to man. The danger possibilities are there...who knows, what if someone bad got their hands on one of these!
Drinking and driving is never never never a good thing — especially when you’re transporting nuclear weapons! A new report out today says government agents hired to drive nuclear weapons across the country got trashed on the job. Apparently, police picked up two agents last year at a bar during a convoy mission. -The Last Word
Also at Arkansas News

Nov 21, 2010

Oaktoberfest-Firestone Walker Brewery Review

So the season for Oktoberfest brews is coming to an end. This is a sad time of year for those of us who have come to know the delicious festival beers, like the Oktoberfest. I was recently at my local bar The Hungry Monk in Chandler AZ enjoying a meal with a friend and I saw that they have an Oktoberfest still on tap, which I believe is probably one of the last in this whole city I'm sad to say. The brew they had on tap was the Oaktoberfest (Oktoberfest/Marzen) with an ABV 4.5% by Firestone Walker brewery based out of Paso Robles, CA. Now, to this point in my life I have never gone wrong by ordering an Oktoberfest beer, but I was very disappointed with the bland flavors this one had. If I had to compare this brew with anything it would be on the same level as an anheuser busch...well anything of theirs! And maybe the picture in this post. Firestone describes this beer as a medium amber with a malt focus and oaky finish. I did not taste anything of the sort! I tasted a very light in taste and color beer that didn't prove to hit my pallet in anyway special. You may disagree, and obviously the people who rated this beer at my bar disagreed and they rated it a B+. For an Oktoberfest brew, I would give this beer my lowest score of all the beers I've reviewed to this point at a D+. The only reason I would suggest trying this beer is for anyone that wants to know what an Oktoberfest beer should not taste like.

The Fish Finder! *SPECIAL*

For those of us that enjoy Dogfish Head Craft brews, I was recently looking at their website and found this amazing beer finder tool. I'm really looking forward to watching the new Brew Masters show on Discovery tonight too, although I have to watch it online...so I might have to wait till tomorrow when they release the full episode! Either way, I hope you'll join me in supporting one of Americas fine craft brewers!
*Update* Just found this giveaway for this show, check it out http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/brew-masters/party-pack-giveaway.html
Dogfish Head Craft Brewed AlesDogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

Three Horsemen Pumpkin Spice Porter-Review (Copper Hamill Brewing)

This creation is one of my own. So far it has been peer reviewed by my friends and co-workers and myself of course, and has been highly thought of. This brew pours a dark golden brown, with notes of cinnamon, and pumpkin and if your pallet is really good you might pick up some other notes of some special spices. With an ABV of approximately 6.0% in a 16 oz swing top bottle one or two will make for a good dinner or desert brew!

One of the reasons why I love making my own beer is that I know exactly how to make it, and exactly what is going into my beer. Did you know that commercial brewers are legally allowed to add up to 79 different adjuncts into the beer without letting you know! Now everyone should be familiar with what an adjunct is from my last post, for example the cinnamon in my Three Horsemen pumpkin porter is an adjunct.

I first got the idea to brew this pumpkin porter from a clone recipe of the four peaks brewery in Tempe, AZ. I decided I needed to try theirs and see what they went for, and how I might be able to craft it more to my liking. Their porter was bland to me, very very soft notes of pumpkin, and I really couldn’t taste anything else. I decided it needed a boost of flavor! After acquiring the ingredients for my preference of a highly flavorful brew (I doubled everything from the pumpkin, cinnamon, and added some secret stuff too) I went to work! This particular 5 gallon batch took about 2 weeks to ferment with a wyeast starter (1 week in the primary and another in the secondary). Having a yeast starter can help your fermentation start off quicker and reduce the chance of infection and off flavors in your beer, so I recommend making a starter for your yeast. In general, lagers require a larger starter than ales. George Fix’s book “An Analysis of Brewing Techniques” recommends pitching rates of 0.75 million cells an ale and 1.5 million cells for lager. The number is measures in million of cells per milliliter per degree plato. Converting to homebrew units, his ale figure translates to 4 billion cells per point of original gravity per 5 gallon batch (1.048 original gravity would be 48 points or 192 billion cells).  For a 5 gallon homebrew, lets use the figure of 192 billion cells.

 Later I found that I probably shouldn’t have used the secondary because the beer came out a little clearer than I was hoping for, but I was still satisfied. This was the first batch that I was able to utilize an all glass fermenting, instead of the plastic buckets I was using before. Talk about a huge improvement! Glass is so much easier to clean than that plastic was, and I was always worried the plastic would degrade over time and affect the flavor of my beer.
When I get my brewery started this will be one of the beers I plan to have on tap for the special season of Winter! If you've tried this beer let me know what you think in the comments!
I'd rate this beer a B, but it is a work in progress I will try to brew again and perfect the recipe and process.

Nov 19, 2010

Cans or Bottle?

A long long time ago...a young man was enjoying a cold delicious beer from his local market sitting on his front porch. He saw his neighbor working in his front yard and he motioned for his neighbor to join him on his porch.
The neighbor asked "whacha drinkin there?"
The young man replied "only a heaven sent craft brew" sluuurp....
the neighbor gave a confused look and said "but it's in a CAN?? How can you stand to drink a premium beer out of a can, don't you get the aluminum taste??"
He replied "Have you ever had beer from the tap? Well that's basically from a keg...and kegs have liners just like this can, so it's like I'm drinking premium beer right from the tap. Please try one! There are more in cooler you're sitting on."
Sweeak...the cooler opened as the neighbor grabbed a brew...Klsssshh....he cracked it open and took his first sip. The young man waited a moment in anticipation hoping that he had just educated his neighbor and opened his eyes to the convenience of canned beer.
The neighbors eyes lit up, "Whoa...that's not bad actually...why haven't I been drinking this?? I could be taking these with me camping! It'd be much easier and safer than packing glass!"

So what is your opinion? Check out this well written article by Gizmodo and tell me what you think afterwards!

Random Friday!

To the person who can't make up his/her mind on whether to buy a shot glass or a beer glass. Home Wet Bar is offering you this solution! Although I see one problem...no Irish car bombs with this device...hmm this might be a deal breaker!
One might say..."A beer snob exclusively drinks beers over 8%. A beer snob's refrigerator is filled with corked bottles of barley wine. A beer snob has a map of Europe on his walls with pushpins in all the towns whose styles he has sampled. A beer snob will always drink a beer from a hand pump because "that's how its supposed to be" regardless of the fact that its flat and warm. A beer snob nitpicks about the dimensions of the glass that his beer is served in, you are not a beer snob."
And I might be inclined to agree with this joke in this case. Perhaps the designer was thinking of ways we can save on the cabinet space? Or maybe trying to invent some sort of drinking game in space and filling both ends? Either way, interesting idea!

Nov 18, 2010

Four Loko....indeed LOKO

So Four Loko is not really a beer, but they say is is equivalent to drinking a 6 pack in one big can so it has peaked my interests on how it can mess with some and why the FDA is pulling it from the market. SO I wanted to ask my readers...have you tried one of these energy inducing/alcoholic beverages? If so, what type of effect did it have on you and your body? Do you think the FDA should pull this drink off the market or let the creator make what he will and let the people decide for themselves if they want to drink it? Let me know in the comments!
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/four-276165-alcohol-loko.html
http://gizmodo.com/5693668/how-four-loko-destroys-my-body-a-liveblog-for-science

The History of Beer

Beer was the first alcoholic beverage known to civilization, however, who drank the first beer is unknown. Historians theorize that humankind's fondness for beer and other alcoholic beverages was a factor in our evolution away from a society of nomadic hunters and gathers into an agrarian society that would settle down to grow crops (and apparently drink). The first product humans made from grain & water before learning to make bread was beer.

Favorite Recipes

Nearly every culture developed their own version of beer using different grains. Africans used millet, maize and cassava. The Chinese used wheat. The Japanese used rice. The Egyptians used barley. However, hops the main ingredient in moden beer beverages was not used in brewing until 1000 AD.
The modern era of brewing beer could not begin until the invention of commercial refrigeration, methods of automatic bottling, and pasteurization.

Beer Traditions - The Honeymoon

4,000 years ago in Babylon, it was an accepted practice that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead or beer he could drink. In ancient Babylon, the calendar was lunar-based - based on the cycle of the moon. The month following any wedding was called the "honey month" which evolved into "honeymoon". Mead is a honey beer and what better way to celebrate a honeymoon.

Beer in a Can

On January 24, 1935, the first canned beer, "Krueger Cream Ale," was sold by the Kruger Brewing Company of Richmond, VA.

This article was brought to you by http://inventors.about.com/od/bstartinventions/a/beer.htm By

Nov 17, 2010

Beer Terms- "Adjunct"

An adjunct is any substitute fermentable ingredient added to the mash.
There are generally two purposes for adjuncts:
to reduce costs by including cheaper fermentable sugars and to add or reduce flavor and/or body.

The Mega Breweries are generally partial to the reduce in cost, and in flavor, but the taste buds of the population of beer drinkers prefer the lighter flavor and body of these brews, which are generally made with rice or corn. Adjuncts can also enhance flavor. Spices like cinnamon for example, give a distinct seasonal flavor to those pumpkin brews in the October to November season. Fruit beers (not lambics) such as Southern Tier Raspberry Porter have fruit or fruit extracts added during some portion of the brewing process, generally either in the boiling of the wort or added to the secondary fermentation.
Common non-malted grain adjuncts:

corn (maize)
rice
oatmeal
wheat

Some non-grain adjuncts:

brown sugar
dextrose
fruit
herbs and spices
honey
licorice
maple syrup
molasses
mmm chocolate

Full Sail Top Sail Imperial Porter- Brewmaster Reserve

My hats off to my old home town area local brewery Full Sail. You truly have created a brew that hits all edges of the pallet. This Porter pours a rich black color, and gives you the chocolate aroma as you pour into your glass. The first sip hits you with the chocolate, and then leaves you with a mild bourbon and fig treat. I would classify this brew as a desert type beer or a sipping beer with a good steak dinner (my preference). And with an ABV of 9.85% one of these specialty bottles is enough to have one with dinner, and desert! This brew was aged for 12 months in a Oak bourbon barrel, and is apart of the Full Sail Brew Master Reserve, and it certainly deserves the title. Full Sail brewery is located in Hood River, OR that overlooks the Columbia River on a clear day, and is a great area to go hiking, fishing, wind surfing or kite surfing which is something I would love to try. If you are ever in the Columbia River Gorge, I suggest going to see the waterfalls, and making your way east to Hood River and checking out the local breweries
I give this Porter an A+
 
$9.99-1pint 6 oz @Whole Foods Market

Nov 13, 2010

Lost Abbey-Witches Wit Review


Now Lost Abbey is one of my favorite breweries. They're a little on the pricey side, but in this man's opinion it's worth every savoury drop! At $9 a bottle (750ml) and a 4.8% ABV you can enjoy this Witches Wit by yourself or share among friends for a good tasting. This brew pours a hazy yellow with a thin white head that gives you some citrus notes. It's very easy drinking and gives a full flavor that won't let you down. Ale's always seem to be full of flavor, and are really simple to brew at home! Ale's are fairly temperature resistant and living in the warm state of Arizona, it makes it easy if you don't have a fridge to bring down the temps for brewing a lager or other "cold" fermenting yeasts. More info on Ales

Overall rating- B+

Nov 10, 2010

In the begining

Beer is one of the world's oldest beverages, with the history of beer dating back to the 6th millennium BC. The earliest Sumerian writings contain references to beer. A prayer to the goddess Ninkasi known as "The Hymn to Ninkasi" serves as both a prayer as well as a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people. 5000 year old documents have been found in China referencing a beer like substance called "kui", and in ancient Mesopotamia beer was a common drink that brought the town together. In Mesopotamia beer was a very important cultural status symbol. People would gather around clay jars filled with beer, individuals would have jewel encrusted golden straws to drink the beer from. The more elaborate the straw meant the higher class citizen you were, similar to how in today's society we drive fancy cars or wear designer clothes.
Beer started as mainly a domestic operation, and stayed that way for thousands of years. With woman being the "brew masters" in the domestic household the operation of making the beer wasn't what it is today. Today it seems to be a primarily male dominated business, however many women have been starting home brewing for themselves and some have or are trying to get a foot in and compete with the major brewers of the world! Rhonda Kallman is one of those women trying to get an edge on the monster breweries.


Home brewing has become one of my favorite hobbies over the past year, for many reasons. One of those reasons is my love of history and from this brief post you can see beer has a huge history. Brewing beer gives the brewer a sense of satisfaction. The satisfaction of creating something of his/her own, and creating something that has such a rich history that one can be a part of. Making something that can bring people together, and even bring enemies together and make a peace between nations, family, and friends. I love brewing beer! And one day I hope to start my own successful brewery, and I hope that you will follow me on this journey as I review and create beers, and give you, the reader something interesting to read. Have a good night and God bless!