Thirsty Zymurgist

A Trip to The Bruery Provisions

2010-12-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

After a long day at work that included some unscheduled furniture moving due to a small amount of unexplained flooding in the office, Robert and I were more than ready to make the short trek to downtown Orange and visit The Bruery Provisions store. As you may recall, Robert and I enjoyed our trip to the tasting room at the brewery itself in nearby Placentia a few weeks ago. That trip and my endless beer geek babbling has spurred Robert, normally a wine drinker, to seek out bottles from The Bruery to sample at his leisure at home. It is reported that a bottle of the Orchard White disappeared quite quickly around the table at Thanksgiving. Needless to say, a further exploration of what The Bruery has to offer was in order.

After a quick stroll around quaint downtown Orange and lamenting that the record store was closed, we settled on some Mexican fare for drinking fuel (what mere mortals refer to as dinner). While we had wandered somewhat aimlessly previous to eating, once our burritos and tacos were deployed to absorb the alcohol, we made a beeline to the Provisions shop.

Instantly making my ubiquitous “can you hear those angels singing too?” joke as we approached the cooler, the beautiful sight inside was truly awe inspiring: easily 400+ facings of bottled beer from around the world and a surprising amount of labels I had never seen before, making my earlier quip not much of a stretch. Overwhelmed for the time being, I wandered amongst the other offerings at the store including brewing books, Bruery merchandise, wine and all of its paraphernalia, and finally, lots of cheese.

While I stood gawking at the shelves of bottled beer on the wall opposite the coolers, one of the employees approached Robert and I to ask if we’d been in before and to explain how things work. Further prompting was not required and we all made our way to the area in the back of the store that is cordoned off as the tasting room.

Because of restrictions on the liquor license, they cannot pour full glasses of any one beer, but they do offer three different flights of beer (two Bruery-centric, the other celebrating seasonal offerings from a plethora of breweries), as well as flights of wine or cheese that, honestly, I didn’t pay much attention to. All of the flights were incredibly reasonable in price, so we chose the one with the most beers I hadn’t tried yet.

Choosing a seat in the tasting room was going to prove difficult for anyone entering after we did, seeing as how we took the last two chairs in a crowd that was gathering quickly. Our flights arrived and we began sipping contemplatively. As we shared our ruminations between us, I was delighted in the sophistication of Robert’s palate, although some translation to beer-speak was required at times.

The Humulus Lager had a wonderful hop aroma but was light and balanced on the tongue. The mash up (pun intended) that was the 7 Grain Saison did not allow for any of the distinct grain flavors to shine through, but maybe that was the point and either way; it was very enjoyable. I had the Loakal Red out of a bottle just two nights previous and was surprised at its subdued showing on tap, which I will attribute to a masking effect brought on by the previous two beers and my meal choice. The rye in the Rugbrød adds a wonderful nuance and was perfect for a winter night in Orange. The Workman’s Friend was a great way to round out the flight; the warm, roasty flavors of this imperial porter easily cut through the lingering effects of the first four beers and left me with a sizable grin beneath my beer moustache.

The evening was not over however, as I had yet to try the Orchard White and with it coming on such high recommendations, I would be remiss if I let the opportunity pass. I ordered a full flight of the Orchard White (rules) for Robert and a small flight for myself of the Mischief, a hoppy Belgian golden strong ale I remember being my favorite from our trip to the brewery proper. We then swapped out a glass each so I could sample the Orchard White. Not nearly as tangy as some witbiers that I have had, but wonderfully subtle notes of lavender and an amazing mouthfeel easily endear themselves much more than one-note puckering sourness would. I am sad to report I did not give the Mischief its due and the two glasses I had left disappeared quite quickly, with little time to contemplate the flavor. I will trust my previous evaluation that it is quite splendid.

Perusing the coolers after imbibing was probably not the wisest choice, but I restrained myself to three bottles, knowing that I would have to store them at Robert’s until I return to the OC in January. After much fussing over which beers to choose, I loaded up and snagged a Bruery goblet for good measure. Thankfully, Robert curtailed his intake much sooner than myself (and had generally lower alcohol beers than I) and was fine to drive us home after our reveries.

Downtown Orange has retained a feeling of small town community in an area of the world completely over run by strip malls and box stores and with the level of sophistication without snobbery that the Bruery have effortlessly employed in their beers and branding since their inception just a short three years ago, the Provisions store is a wonderful fit.

Where Have You Been?

2010-11-30T09:40:00.001-08:00

Again, I fall remiss in keeping my blog up to date. If there is anyone out there still checking in on my brewing and beer adventures, I apologize. It seems that real life is severely cutting in to me creating a digital one.

A short update then: I have completed the move to Davis. I live on the south side of I-80, away from downtown but just a short bike ride away from the extension campus where I will be spending most of my time come January. In fact, everything in Davis is just a short bike ride away. The apartment decorating and arranging have come along nicely and I will be comfortable as school progresses, which is at least one weight off of my mind.

I am sad to report that I have not been able to homebrew since arriving. I spent most of my first week in Davis waiting around my house for my internet to be installed and my washing machine to be delivered, allowing ample time to get settled and for the realization to set in that I know absolutely no one here. Luckily, before loneliness could sink in, I drove to Mendocino to meet up with some friends who were visiting their parents there. Driving through wine country, then a redwood forest and finally arriving at the coast was quite memorable. The morning after I got home from Mendocino, I got on a plane to travel to the Palm Springs area to be with my family for Thanksgiving.

I was eager to get to the homebrew shops in Sacramento this week and finally smell some mashing grains and fresh hops, but I received word that my grandmother’s basement became flooded when a pipe burst while she was away and I am being sent by the family to help with sorting out the clean-up efforts. I am glad that my life has enough flexibility in it right now so that I am in a position to lend a hand. The unplanned trip back to Spokane allows me to spend some precious time with my girlfriend and grandmother and it will also give me a chance to see some of the people I missed in my rush to get out of town.

For those of you who read this blog to hear about beer, I will resume normal missives in the near future. Just because I am not brewing it, doesn’t mean I am not drinking and reading about it. Sláinte!

Washington State I-1100 and I-1105

2010-10-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

Although this blog is probably the last place anyone should go for political news or opinions, I feel compelled to weigh in on the two state initiatives being considered on the ballot here in Washington that will affect the way distilled spirits will be sold.

Currently, the state controls all liquor sales through state-run stores. While our liquor tax is at a set rate, the state enjoys a 51.9% markup on the products sold at these stores, money that the state depends on in addition to the tax to provide funding for many services. Both I-1100 and I-1105 propose to wrest the sale of spirits from the Liquor Control Board and open it to private retailers currently licensed to sell beer and wine, albeit in slightly different ways.

I-1100 is being framed as both pro-business and pro-consumer by its advocates. Although the rate at which spirits are taxed by the state will not change, the markup will now go to individual businesses while opening the market up to “fair competition” will drive prices down for the consumer. Painting current liquor laws as a de facto monopoly held by the state, supporters hope that the allure of cheaper, more easily accessible liquor coupled with the general distrust of largesse in government fomenting at an all time high will entice people to vote yes.

Looking a little deeper, the initiative is being largely funded by Costco, whose senior vice-president, Joel Benoliel, is quoted as saying "part of what we are known for is being pro-consumer, and when we identify places where they are being gouged, we think it's incumbent on us to stand up for our consumers.” Costco is a corporation whose sole purpose is to make money for its shareholders. They may eventually drive prices down to a 25-30% markup, surely passing on what looks to be significant discounts to the consumer. But you would be woe to forget that all of that is income they do not have now and desperately want to get their hands on.

With the passage of I-1100, the Office of Financial Management estimates that over five fiscal years, total state revenues would decrease $76-85 million and revenues dispersed to local municipalities would decrease an estimated $180-192 million. As most of the revenue that comes from spirits is earmarked for educational services and infrastructure maintenance and expansion, it is not a large intuitive leap to think that the state will be hurting without these funds. I am not a fan of large government, but essential services require funding. Considering that the state recently introduced a tax on candy, soda pop and bottled water (although under reconsideration under a separate initiative), if we vote to take away the state’s ability to receive income from liquor sales, they will be asking to take it from us somewhere else in the near future.

Let us also consider the market being opened to “fair competition.” With the passage of I-1100, retailers will begin price wars that will drive down the cost to the consumer, which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, they will achieve those relatively lower prices by buying in bulk, a measure strictly defined within the initiative. Translation; large box stores with massive buying power (looking at you Costco) will be able to receive bulk discounts and smaller stores will be priced out of the “fair market.” I appreciate my little bottle shops both here in Spokane and when I visit Seattle. Forcing them to compete with a behemoth like Costco hardly seems fair.

There is also the argument of access. Under our current system of state-run stores and well trained employees, it is nearly impossible for a minor to purchase distilled spirits in Washington State. The initiative, if passed, would allow over 3,300 more stores to sell spirits statewide, opening a veritable can of worms for enforcement. Reports from other states that have passed similar laws are a bit conflicted about the impact on sales to minors and overconsumption. I am by no stripes a Puritan and my major gripe is with the economic impact on the state, but it is a point that should be considered.

Finally, I think some thought should be paid to the work force. Although I-1100 does not require state-run liquor stores to close their doors (I-1105 does), by forcing the state to compete with large corporations that have advantages to their sales paradigm built into the new laws, it isn’t a stretch to imagine a number of state-run stores closing and hard working people losing their jobs. Sure, as the Liquor Control Board transitions to a body of enforcement there will be opportunity to transition along with them and there will be retail openings at all those other stores that would then be selling spirits. However, making a living wage and receiving benefits is a far cry from making minimum wage working a register.

Thirsty Zymurgist score: NO on I-1100

I-1105 has received less publicity, but will alter the sale of spirits in similarly drastic ways. Unlike its counterpart, I-1105 would completely shut all state-run liquor stores and distribution centers. There are measures within the initiative that would guarantee a percentage of revenue made by retailers be paid to the state, apparently reducing the fear that the state’s coffers would run dry. However, according to a study by the Office of Financial Management, total state revenues would decrease an estimated $486-520 million and total revenues going to local municipalities would decrease an estimated $205-210 million over five fiscal years if I-1105 passed. That is a large chunk of change that the state will sorely miss.

Most of the points I made for I-1100 apply to I-1105, so I will not belabor them here. Except to say that I-1105 is being largely funded by two private distributors who stand to make money that the state stands to lose. Clearly, I am not a fan of either initiative.

Thirsty Zymurgist score: NO on I-1105

Washington State does have some antiquated liquor laws and reconsidering them as our society changes shows wisdom and prudence. However, the current initiatives do not fully pay service to the major economic questions for the state that they themselves raise. Future initiatives should be considered more along sound economic lines to make sense for all parties (state, private business, consumers) involved.

In closing, I will state again that this is all my opinion based upon the fair amount of research I have done. Thanks for slogging through it and now go reward yourself with a nice craft beer!

A Visit to Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens

2010-10-25T11:17:00.001-07:00

When I am forced to travel to Orange County for work, I try to make the best of it with trips to local beer destinations, a fact I have chronicled here in the past. With my flight not leaving until Sunday, my friend from the office, Robert, and I took the opportunity to extend our beer wanderings slightly and we met some colleagues who live in the San Diego area at the Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens in Escondido.

Picking a reasonable time to hit the road, I-5 was quite manageable and Robert and I arrived a tad early. The rock lined walkway dotted with lush green plants, accented by artful rebar and torches set in the rock had me impressed before I even reached the large wooden doors. Robert and I entered, confirmed our reservation and set about exploring the grounds. The main indoor dining area continued the tasteful industrial/rustic/artisan motif with rough hewn wood forming the bar and various levels for tables, more rebar, stones of various sizes and for various uses all of which looked through a gigantic glass wall into the brewery contained within. Glancing up at the high ceilings revealed a reserved section above that opened out onto a balcony above the back patio. Not members of the wedding party, we remained on the ground floor and exited to the patio through large rolling doors. A multi-layered koi pond topped with flame greeted us to the right and a large circular table surrounding a fire pit was found to the left in front of a second bar.

Robert and I decided to order pints, as Dave and Courtney were going to be a bit late. The tap list was extensive and it was hard to choose, but being a fan of their Cali-Belgique IPA and never having had a chance to try it on draught proved to make my decision. Robert read up about some of Stone’s beers online the night previous and was intrigued to try the 10.10.10 Vertical Epic because of its inclusion of varietals of wine grapes. We were both pleased with our choices.

We wandered into the garden, which had unfortunately been pummeled by rain over the last few days, leaving a couple of small puddles and the ground a bit soft. Undaunted, we admired the pond and the various areas for sitting and enjoying the space that were dotted in the nooks and crannies. My personal favorite was the table comprised of drift wood carved in such a way to appear completely natural in its state as a table.

Dave and Courtney arrived and we returned to the front desk to get our table on the patio. The skies were overcast but the rain thankfully stayed away as the afternoon progressed. Our groups selection of ales was quite varied with Courtney tending towards the darker, Robert towards hoppy beers and Dave and I jumping all around the beer map. The Oaked Arrogant Bastard was incredible on draught (although I was disappointed they had emptied the cask of it earlier) and I relished in the fresh hop flavors in the Ruination IPA.

The whole spectrum of food needs was also well addressed, ranging from Dave’s buffalo burger to my vegan tempeh shepherd’s pie. Conversation continued as we finished up our meals and ordered one last round for the non-drivers and retired back to the garden. Eventually we ended up at the drift wood table and except for a slight interruption from an adorable family wanting to use the space to take some pictures, it would not have taken much convincing us that we were nowhere near a crowded restaurant.

As we headed our separate ways, I contemplated how world class the entire experience was. Stone has definitely set the bar pretty high; although I admit I haven’t been to many of the other “destination” breweries in the world. I will have to control how much inspiration I “borrow” from my time there when building my own brewery in the future, lest I directly copy any part of the experience.

That is the benefit of traveling around and experiencing different breweries and restaurants. It affords me the opportunity to absorb what works and what doesn’t at each location, which will eventually coalesce with my own original ideas to become what will hopefully in turn be known as a “destination” brewery.

Rambling Man Mead

2010-10-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

As we traversed South Dakota on our recent road trip, my girlfriend and I found ourselves inundated with honey. Janelle’s family stockpiles the stuff and they were looking to pass it off into any open hand. About the time six or eight pounds had accumulated, the epiphany to turn all of the golden nectar into mead began to surface. Partially born from necessity (“how are we going to eat all of this honey?!”) and definitely inspired by the copy of Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher I was toting around on the trip, mead provided a perfect solution to the conundrum.

Yet, another followed: although a relatively experienced home-brewer, I had yet to try my hands at making mead. While delving into research, the general consensus seemed to be that it was less technically demanding than brewing beer but required just as much care towards sanitation and a far sight more patience. Instead of having my ales kegged within two weeks of the brew day and drinkable shortly thereafter, the mead will have to rest in the secondary carboy for months before being transferred to bottles, where it can continue to age for years (if bottled with proper care).

I had to round up two more pounds of honey and I opted to spend a little extra on some from Spokane’s south hill. A trip to Jim’s Homebrew to procure yeast and brewing nutrients followed and then Carl and I were ready to brew.

After some thorough cleaning and sanitizing, we added the honey to one gallon of distilled water and a half gallon of tap water and then brought it slowly to a boil. Carl set about cleaning the primary carboy as I monitored the mead to keep it from boiling over. Once it reached a boiling point, I started to skim off the protein foam that coagulated on the surface. Continuing my skimming regimen, I also measured out the dimmonium phosphate and the biotin wine nutrients and added them at the correct time. I decided to throw in a little irish moss as well, knowing its ability to trap bits and pull them out of my ales.

When the boil had proceeded long enough that only a small amount of protein was appearing at the surface, we removed the mead from the heat and moved it inside to an ice bath we had prepared. While the mead must was cooling, I began to prepare a yeast slurry using a combination of methods recommended on the package and ones I had lifted from my research. Once the slurry was looking happy and the must had cooled to near pitching temperatures, I began to acclimate the yeast by adding a couple of tablespoons of the must to the slurry and then letting it sit for a few minutes. Repeating that process five times, the yeast was ready to be pitched.

We transferred the must to the carboy where one and a half gallons of water at the proper temperature were waiting. We vigorously stirred the mixture periodically as we poured to introduce as much oxygen as possible for the yeast to use. The complex sugars in honey are tough for yeast to digest, even strains that are specially cultivated to deal with that hostile environment. Adding nutrients and oxygenating well ensure the best possible set of conditions for the yeast to thrive and get fermentation started off well.

We finished with mixing and transferred the full carboy to its resting place. Clean up was a relative breeze, even with the inherently sticky nature of honey. About the time we would have been adding hops to an ale, we were cleaning up the last few utensils and enjoying a homebrew. Carl and I were happy to have completed a “brew” day in just under two hours and we are excited to taste how the mead matures over the next couple of years.

As we were working on bringing the mead to life, I began contemplating where I will be when this mead will actually be drinkable. With about a month to go until my move to Davis, Carl and I have to plan a bottling session when I travel back to Spokane to visit. After the mead has reached maturity in about a year’s time, I literally have no idea where I will be living or what brewery I will be working for. The mead now signifies to me my last weeks in Spokane and it will remind me of these times whenever I open a bottle with friends in the years to come. I will also be sending a couple bottles back to South Dakota as thanks for the honey that produced it.

It's Good to Be Back

2010-10-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

After nearly a month on the road and far too long since smelling fresh hops and wort, I was finally home long enough to brew a batch of beer with my friend, Carl. We have amassed quite a stockpile of bottles and kegs of our creations with the intention to share them with our friends during a joint Oktoberfest and Halloween celebration, but we did not have an Oktoberfest style beer to contribute. Looking to rectify our mistake, I wrote a recipe and procured the ingredients from the guys at Jim’s Homebrew.

When I arrived, Carl had begun setting up for the brew day but was sidetracked by his hungry baby daughter, so I set to work. We had utensils and vessels cleaned in no time and we began heating up the water for our mini-mash. Once it was holding temperature, we added the specialty grains and with many pauses to stir, continued to clean brewing paraphernalia.

The mash complete, we sparged carefully and began the run up to boil. We became momentarily distracted as we were chatting and nearly had to deal with a boil over, but we were able to act in time to save ourselves from that sticky mess. Chiding ourselves for growing lax in our diligence with the time off we had taken, the incident provided us with focus moving forward. We added our extracts and returned to boil, which we held for ten minutes before beginning the hop additions.

The boil complete, we dunked the kettle into an ice bath and then transferred to the carboy and topped off with water. The final temperature was a little high for my taste, so we moved the carboy into Carl’s basement and within an hour we were able to pitch. Brewing, apparently, is not quite like riding a bike. One must continually practice to keep the mind sharp.

Racking a week later, the beer seemed to suffer no ill effects as it did not display any off flavors or aromas. Nearly completely fermented, the yeast having happily done its job was our reward for being patient before pitching.

We decided we wanted to add a little something special to this beer, as it was brewed specifically for a grand occasion. I purchased some whole hops and a hop sock at Jim’s and we added them to the keg with the beer the week following racking. I have to squeeze my tiny arms into the corny kegs to wash them as Carl fears his will get stuck. One of the few advantages to my smaller stature I have encountered while brewing. After cleaning the keg thoroughly, including using CO₂ to purge the serving lines, we were ready to transfer the beer. We then weighed out the hops and carefully added them to the sanitized hop sock and dropped it in. The large glass marble we had decided to use as a weight to keep the hops suspended in the beer proved to be adequate only to a point and the hops were left only mostly submerged. Undaunted and left with little options for other means to sink the hops, we sealed the keg and began carbonating. As I was leaving town for work once again, I left Carl to do the sensory analysis to determine when to pull the hops out.

Carl and I are looking forward to sharing this Oktoberfest with our friends in a couple weeks and rumor has it that it will be incorporated into a dish prepared by our chef friend Jesse to accompany the meal. As I will be moving to Davis shortly after the celebration, I am also looking to this as my going away party and it should be much fun.

37 Days Later…

2010-10-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

To be gone from blogging for over a month is tantamount to a cardinal sin in the digital age. To launch into lengthy explanations as half-veiled excuses for said absence is not as egregious, but may come off as tedious.

And there is no place for these things on a blog that is supposed to be about beer. In lieu of them, I will only offer a humble apology for my prolonged absence from the digital world. Life, as it tends to do, had gotten so hectic I barely had time to stumble from one destination to the next, let alone reflect upon and write about it. When I did finally decide to rededicate some time to throwing my thoughts into the digital void, a three thousand word volume began to emerge. I fear that I am already too verbose and did not want to have the few readers I draw back vomit due to my self-indulgence.

The solution is thus: a bland introduction (see above) followed by a brief synopsis of my adventures and then reviews of the breweries and events I attended.

From the point of my last post, I had already been away from home for a week while working and visiting breweries in Orange County, California. I returned late one night, just to do some laundry, repack and then jump in the car the next morning to leave on an epic road trip from Washington to South Dakota and back. I returned from almost two weeks on the road, once again late at night, and then did more laundry and got on a plane the next morning to fly to Davis to check out the campus and to look for potential places to live. I then got four days at home before road tripping west to Seattle and Portland for some concerts. The next weekend was filled with the first annual Spokane Oktoberfest. When does it end? Not now, because I am currently preparing to fly to California for work once again today.

The South Dakota trip got transformed into a beercation thanks to some research and a little ninja persuasion technique employed on my girlfriend. That is an utter fabrication: Janelle loves beer. We set up a regimen of driving so that one could enjoy some ales with lunch, for the other would be driving afterward.

Wallace Brewing Co. – Needing an early pit stop, we drove into Wallace and found the brewery closed, but the bar next door (which features the brewery) was open and serving lunch. The tap list was not extensive or challenging and the same could be said for the beers. They were quite drinkable, just not outstanding in any way.

Montana Brewing Co. – Nestled in a huge historic building in Billings, the Montana Brewing Company makes a good name for itself with some solidly made beers. What else would you expect from a Siebel trained brewer? Their new India black ale was superb, tending towards hopped chocolate with very little roasted tones. Their Irish red was also fantastic. I did not get to try it, but I bought a t-shirt for the brilliantly named “Custer’s Last Stout.”

Sanford’s Grub, Pub and Brewery – While the front room definitely telegraphed that this was the first store of what became a chain, the 36 taps behind the wall proved that Sanford’s meant business. The only problem being that the taps were above the glass window into the keg room. The Oil Can Stout was delicious and most impressive once I saw that the brewery consisted of a three tiered home brewing rig.

Ben’s Brewing Co. – After setting up camp near Yankton, we drove into town to find this establishment only to find that Ben had stopped brewing. Luckily, the bartender was very friendly and wanted to share the local ales that were available on tap. Millstream Brewing’s Amber was a surprise favorite of mine, due to the fact that I normally do not care for the style.

Granite City Brewing Co. – Sioux Falls is the home of the original store in what has become a chain. The bar staff had very little knowledge of the beer they were serving, but the quality of the ale itself was top notch. Their IPA was the highlight for me, but the light lager and stout mixed (known to the locals as a Two-Pull) was actually quite tasty.

Dempsey’s Pub and Brewery – Just a short drive from Janelle’s hometown is the slightly larger city of Watertown, which I was surprised to learn had a brewpub. We met some of Janelle’s friends from high school there and, while the company was fantastic, the beer and food were dismal. The beers were flawed to the point that I was tempted to leave a comment card that read “lower your fermentation temperatures, please.”

Brau Brothers Brewing Co. – For the wedding that we attended, the bride and groom secured three kegs from a local brewery based in the small town of Lucan, Minnesota. Their IPA was in the west coast tradition and my lupulin cravings were satiated. Their cream stout was also quite tasty, but a little heavy for the warm weather and dancing. They had a light lager that was very full flavored, but I couldn’t keep away from the IPA.

Crow Peak Brewing Co. – Spearfish seemed to be a cool little town with an amazing little café that served vegan food and this gem of a brewery. The building it is housed in is gorgeous, right down to the growler shaped fireplace. The beer was solid, if not outstanding. We were lucky enough to visit twice, as I left my laptop sitting at our table and we had to drive back to get it. I would say I planned it that way, but pulling in to the hotel we reserved in Billings at 1 am was only barely worth it.

Neptune Brewing Co. – Livingston, Montana is hiding a gem. A large array of beer styles was on tap and all of them were spot on quality. We arrived as they were opening but were treated very well by the bar keep. She cooked us a meal and kept slinging tasters our way until we had to deny them on the grounds that we had to get on the road. I hope to pass through here again someday.

Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hübsch – While getting a feel for Davis, we made a sojourn to Sudwerk for lunch. My step dad thought their stout was over-hopped, but we both found the seasonal Oktoberfest to be fantastic. I am looking forward to exploring the area more when I move, because we were unable to find a beer bar besides the brewery.

Spokane Oktoberfest – Great initial event and I was proud to be a part of it. The twenty breweries the Washington Beer Commission assembled from all over the state was quite impressive and they all seemed to have brought something special with them. Highlights for me were the Lucille IPA from Georgetown and the Hop von Boorian from Leht Neppur. I liked the soured EsteLager from Northport as well, but I barely got a taste from my glass before Janelle had drained it. This new found love for sours she has found might prove to be a problem.

In as few words as I could hold myself to, that is it. Over a month’s worth of craziness condensed into fewer than 1500 words. Moving forward, this blog will be updated more frequently and will become more interesting as I make the move to Davis and begin Master Brewer's school in just a few short months. Thanks to anyone who held out hope I would post again!

The Bruery and Cismontane Brewing Co.

2010-08-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

There are few better ways to shed the worries of a long work day than heading to your local brewery’s tasting room to enjoy a pint or two and get a meal from the food truck parked outside. While I am far away from the Pacific Northwest working in Orange County, California, my definition of local brewery has to be a bit malleable, but the point is still valid. After putting in a full day at the office, my friend Robert and I headed over to Placentia to experience The Bruery firsthand.

I have only been able to find Hottenroth and Orchard White in bottles in Spokane, but I was happily impressed with each sample. When the opportunity arose to visit the location from which these great beers emanated whilst putting my lips to a pint (this case, goblet) of some of their rarer, tasting room-only selections, I jumped at the chance.

We arrived to a pretty full house, but a discussion with a local revealed that it was actually a tame night. A phenomenon unfamiliar to me but it is starting to catch on, even in Spokane: individual food trucks have a following. The Bruery never hurts for customers, but I was told that adding a first-rate food truck outside will get the place absolutely hopping. Robert and I shimmed our way through the queue while discussing the different styles on tap that evening and by the time we reached the bar, I had settled on the pilot batch of Iniquitous Belgian Golden Strong.

With nary a place to sit, we found a purchase of floor to stand on and I raised glass to mouth. Upon the heavenly liquid hitting my tongue, I was immediately overcome with euphoria and awe while being forced to admire this fine beverage at arm’s length. Being a few years into appreciating full and unique flavored craft beers, a reaction such as that is becoming exceedingly rare, so I am all the more appreciative when I am struck in such a way.

One aspect of the tasting room I really enjoyed was that it was situated essentially in the middle of the production floor of the brewery. Beer aging in barrels on one side and a full view of the brewing floor on the other made for an enjoyable evening. The Argentinean food truck with tofu tacos was fantastic as well, but in short order, I was in need of a second beer. I decided to compare oranges to oranges and tried the Mischief production run Belgian Golden Strong. Amazingly tasty, but the Iniquitous had stolen my heart. Just before 10pm (it is just a tasting room), the bartenders yelled out last call, so we decided to call it a night.

Saturday afternoon found me with a couple hours to kill, so I decided to head over to Cismontane Brewing just a couple of blocks from my sister’s house in Rancho Santa Margarita. Having just opened in April and being located in one of the countless strip malls in the OC, I had set my expectations slightly lower than The Bruery, but that cynical hedging of bets was not warranted. Although humble in their surroundings, Cismontane makes some solid brews. Highlights for me included Blacks Dawn, its little brother Small Palm Coconut Small Beer (brewed from the second runnings of the Blacks Dawn), the California Common brewed with German yeast and El Modena Mild, which I had to get a pint of after the flight of tasters.

Owner/brewer Ross was manning the taps behind the bar and with just a couple regulars on hand providing interspersed and only momentary distractions, we ended up having a lengthy, nerdy conversation about beer styles, trends, marketing, brewing techniques, etc. Ross was even kind enough to pour me tasters of a couple pilot batches and give me a short tour of the brew floor. Cismontane is utilizing open fermentation, so it was cool to climb the step ladder and lift the lid, even if it was empty.

After I finished the line of tasters, I needed a glass of water but all too soon I was heading back to my sister’s house and my Orange County beer adventures drew to a close. I purchased a shirt from both establishments and I will be excited to don them as I travel cross country to South Dakota over the next week. I have taken the time to write down every brewery between Spokane and South Dakota that we could possibly nip in for a pint, so my nation-wide local brewery exploration will continue soon.

Finally We Are No One

2010-08-24T23:19:00.001-07:00

After a couple months of dedicated homebrewing, Carl and I arrived at the point we had been dreading: bottling the last batch before I leave for a month on separate trips to California, South Dakota and then back to California. We plan to resume our efforts in earnest upon my return, but it was a sad sight to see our dry erase board wiped clean at the end of the day.

The gravity readings we took while racking already placed our Granfalloons Belgian Tripel at a whopping 11.6% ABV so we decided to bottle into 12oz bottles instead of bombers. Sharing is nice, but if I wanted to drink a bottle to myself, 22oz of strong beer is quite a commitment.

We busied ourselves with cleaning carboys and bottles and I prepared our priming sugar. Things were running smoothly and we were filling clean bottles with sanitizer in very little time. Once we had cleared the carboy of iodophor and gave it a rinse, we racked over the Granfalloons. The smell emanating from the transfer was very enticing and Carl joked that he was ready to drink a pint warm and without carbonation. We both had to settle for samples from the test tube we filled for a terminal gravity reading.

After dumping the iodophor solution into our big bucket, the bottles were ready to be filled. Carl manned the bottle filler and I capped while pausing to stir in order to keep the dextrose evenly distributed. It what seemed record time, we had a full batch bottled and ready to be put in the cellar. The prospect of retiring to the Flying Goat for a late lunch and some fine ales on draught probably played some part in spurring us on. After some calculations and quite a bit of cleaning, we noticed how much homebrew we had amassed in our short tenure together, so we decided to limit our consumption at the Flying Goat to just one pint (imperial; being a mug club member has its benefits) so that we could head back to Carl’s and get to work on our abundant supply.

It took some dedication and fortitude, but we were able to empty what was left of the keg of Mother Night American-style India Black Ale. Honestly, that meant we each got only about a pint and a half before it blew. Our discussion included some things that probably shouldn’t be repeated in certain company, but we did decide on what to brew when I return from my journeys. We are going to attempt a double brew day in preparation for our Oktoberfest party, one batch being a replacement for the Mother Night we had polished off and the other being an Oktoberfest (go figure) that we are going to cask. In the weeks that follow, we also plan to brew a coconut porter and a saison. Our brewing window will be small, because I will be moving to Davis sometime in November in order to get settled before the holidays and school starting in January.

Enjoying the feeling of a job well done and the effects of the alcohol, I jumped on my bike and pedaled home. I tried not to lament how many weeks it would be before I return and am able to enjoy my homebrews once again. To assuage my future longing, I decided to open a bottle of our Bagombo IPA. Needless to say, my night ended well.

Down to One

2010-08-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

As my nearly three weeks absence from Spokane draws near, I am already saddened by the downturn in homebrew work to be done. Carl and I have not brewed for two weeks and although it is nice to see our drinkable supply grow as our kegged and bottled batches condition, I find myself feeling much more complete when there are two or three carboys filled with beer in some state of fermentation sitting in the basement.

Last Tuesday, Carl and I set to work kegging the second batch of Pool-Pah Pale Ale. First, we had to undertake a sad task; dumping what was left of the first batch. While it was just passably drinkable, I did not foresee us reaching for it anytime soon with such a large supply of much more tasty homebrews on hand. The keg emptied, I plunged my tiny arms inside to give it a thorough cleaning. Meanwhile, Carl began cleaning the six bottles we were going to use in addition to the keg so that we had more easily portable options for sharing with family and friends.

As we both moved forward with our cleaning duties, we also shared in getting ready for the transfer; moving the carboy upstairs and outside, cleaning equipment and so forth. When I finished with cleaning the keg, Carl had cleaned another carboy so we began the final racking for clarity. As the liquid gold slowly transferred, I went to the kitchen to prepare the dextrose solution we needed to carbonate the bottles. Once it had been mixed and cooled, I measured out the dosage amount for each bottle using a turkey baster (cleaned, sanitized and never used for anything other than homebrewing, of course) conveniently marked at quarter ounce intervals.

Our bottles and keg ready for beer, we began filling them from the clarified carboy. As we filled the first bottle, we realized we had forgot one minor detail; caps! Carl retrieved them and they went into some sanitization solution before we applied them to the now filled bottles. I switched the tube over to the keg and began cleaning the first carboy. Carl watched the transfer to the keg and tended to his baby while I hurried about cleaning. We finished in what seemed record time and discussed when to convene to bottle the Granfalloons.

As a side note, a large contingent of my family descended on Spokane last week to celebrate my grandmother’s 75^th birthday. This gave me opportunity to share our recent homebrew creations with numerous new mouths and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Uncle Tom was recovering from an eye surgery and he said the Bagombo IPA really helped. My step-dad Alan is an “anti-hop head” but he really liked the malty goodness of our Thieving Bastard. Nothing is quite as rewarding as sharing your homebrew with people who truly enjoy it!

Finally, do not despair that with my absence will come silence on my blog. For two weeks, I will be working in California and will be making trips to local breweries and beer bars. Following that, I will be heading on a road trip to South Dakota, hitting breweries and beer destinations along the way. A slight deviation from where my blog has been heading, but a break from my descriptions of homebrewing procedures may be welcomed by some!

No Sulfur, No Cry

2010-08-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

First off, thanks to everyone who took the time to vote for my new logo. My graphic designer friend and I are ironing out the last details and the blog will have a new face very shortly.

In the mean time, a homebrew update is in order. Having sufficiently recovered from our tasting session, Carl and I reconvened to rack our second batches of both Pool-Pah Pale and Granfalloons Tripel. Work calls me again to California at the end of this month, which will be followed by a road trip to South Dakota the next day, forcing us to slowly ratchet down our production schedule in preparation for the nearly three week break. If only we had a room cool enough for some lager yeast to work its magic!

We began by carefully moving the Granfalloons upstairs and then set about cleaning our equipment while the beer settled. Full contact time with our iodophor was the only obstruction, so we were racking to the clean secondary carboy with very little wait. A quick gravity reading showed that the yeast had been working quite well and had nearly fermented our wort to beer. It also revealed an ABV percentage over 10%, which will be a first in my homebrewing career. After pausing to taste the beer in process and comment on its deliciousness, Carl went back to cleaning, which I helped with after transferring the Pool-Pah upstairs.

We had minimal downtime once again and the transfer went quite smoothly. The gravity reading confirmed that the yeast had been working, but the beer we transferred over smelled terribly of sulfur. I knew there to be numerous reasons for that and I told Carl not to worry and that it will dissipate. We finished cleaning up and I headed back to my house to get back to work. But not before doing a little research to confirm what I believed about that sulfur smell. At that stage of fermentation, it is actually a sign that all is going well for some strains of yeast. One comment on a probrewer.com forum I was perusing put it simply: “all of that sulfur smell leaving your beer is a good thing. You wouldn’t want it to remain in your beer, would you?!”

Returning to Carl’s to fill a growler of the Mother Night for my trip up to Newport the next day, we removed the fermentation lock and took a whiff… no sulfur. Amazing stuff, this yeast. Even better is when you understand what that amazing yeast is doing.

New Logo

2010-08-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I met with a friend of mine who is a stupendously talented graphic designer to discuss the sorry state of my current blog logo and how she could help me. Considering that I designed the original in Microsoft Paint, it wasn’t all that horrible, but a nice professional sheen on my digital face to the world would be a welcome addition.

My friend became incredibly busy with other projects that were going to pay her in actual money (rather than the bottle of fine gin I promised her) and she, very understandably, directed her attention elsewhere for a time. However, when I opened my inbox this morning, there was a short email with a pdf attached containing nine variations of a new logo! As I perused them giddily, the knowledge that they were all too good for me to decide which one to use slowly sank in.

Rather than turn to despair, I turn to you, my online friends, to cast a vote for which logo you would like to see represent me and my blog moving forward. There is also a good chance that I will be hand-printing some t-shirts with the design. I have narrowed it down to my favorite three, which I have included in above, starting with number one on top. Please vote for your favorite on the poll to the left before midnight on Friday, August 6^th. Thank you in advance!

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote. They have been tallied and I am in the process of updating the site. Check back soon! Cheers!

Homebrew Tasting

2010-08-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

Looking at the calendar during our brew day last week, Carl and I realized that two more batches of beer were going to be ready for consumption by week’s end which necessitated a tasting of all of our batches so far. The tasting would need to be sooner than later, as we had been drinking off of the kegs of earlier batches and had nearly ran them dry. So, after bottling the Hoppy Happiness IPA on Friday, we sat down with pen in hand and did the hard work of testing our final products. In an attempt at legitimacy, we poured modest 4 to 6 ounce tasters of all the beers before returning to what was left in the open bottles.

First up was the Pool-Pah Pale. As I have previously chronicled, the Pool-Pah has had a terrible life, slow start to fermentation, leaking keg; you name it and the Pool-Pah has endured it. However, we just couldn’t bring ourselves to dump the full keg. The nose had a backbone of malt but any aroma contributed from the hops was overpowered by a farmhouse-like funk and hints of cardboard (oxidization is no bueno). Slogging into the taster anyway, we did not feel a need to spit them out. The funk was not nearly as apparent on the palate, allowing the hops to come through and a hint of spice from the rye. The mouthfeel was quite superb, if you could look beyond the apparent flaws. Not our best work and we know it. Another batch is fermenting as I type, and the odds are much more in favor of it realizing its full flavor potential.

Thirsty Zymurgist score: 31/50

Washing away the Pool-Pah and disappointment was the Granfalloons Belgian Tripel served from a bottle. The nose is full of fruity banana and, far less pronounced, red berries, all accompanied by a hint of sweetness and alcohol. On the palate, the banana asserts itself early but is replaced by the sweet malt that sits lightly on the tongue which lures one into an increased pace in consumption which is not recommended, considering the alcohol by volume. As the initial mouthful fades away, the spices finally become noticeable but become usurped by a lingering honeyed alcohol finish. Absolutely delicious, the Granfalloons has earned high marks from all who have sampled its goodness. The only thing I would want to enhance is the spice characteristics. We use two different yeast strains in this one, and I am reading up on blended pitching rates to see if that will produce the desired effect.

Thirsty Zymurgist score: 45/50

Next up, we had the privilege of comparing two batches of the same beer; the Bagombo IPA. A privilege because I had previously exhausted my cache which constituted my half of the batch that I had brewed with my previous partner, Brian, but after helping his wife pack up their house for their move to Louisiana, I pilfered a bottle from his stash. Solely for Quality Control and recipe consistency checks, I assure you!

I poured my two samples side by side, whereas Carl opted to taste them back to back. The nose seemed subdued in Batch One, perhaps due to age, but still rang out with citrus and grassy earth tones. Upon tasting, my tongue comes under a wonderful two-pronged assault from bitter citrus and candy sweetness which never becomes full-out cloying. The malts bring it all into balance to make for a delectable quaffer.

More hints of toffee came out in the nose of Batch Two and a few sips revealed bigger body and more hop character than Batch One. The candy tones were much more in check, probably thanks to a more vigorous boil on the new propane stove. Batch Two finishes dry without drying out the mouth like some hop bombs have a tendency to do. With just a hint of alcohol (despite being 8.5%), I am glad that we have plenty of bottles to get us through these waning summer days.

Thirsty Zymurgist score: 39/50 (Batch One)

Thirsty Zymurgist score: 42/50 (Batch Two)

We then moved on to our American Strong Ale, Thieving Bastard. Although slightly higher on the IBU scale, this was poor placement in the flight due to its huge malt components. Wafting to my nose were some heady roasted malt tones, but the previous four tasters (despite our best intentions) were beginning to have an effect on my senses and I was picking up hints of teriyaki beef jerky. The palate revealed a sweet but not cloying malt bomb with a small appearance from piney hops. I love using an English yeast in this one because it gives such a luscious mouthfeel and produces hints of subtle English bitters. Again, the alcohol is barely noticeable but, as it was having an effect on me, I took my time with this one, which gave me ample opportunity to marvel at how close the dark brown fading to ruby color came to the beer we were trying to clone. I am looking forward to drinking on this keg exclusively one night.

Thirsty Zymurgist score: 43/50

We switched over our gas line (need to work in a splice) to the last, and certainly not least, of our homebrews; the Mother Night American-style India Black Ale. The nose is awash with many layers of hops that just barely give way at the edges to subtle hints of roasted malt and burnt caramel corn. On the tongue, the hops let their presence be known without ever coming completely off the rails and just as their bitterness and flavor fade away, the roasted malt rushes in, almost to say “me too!” With my emphasis on chocolate, rather than black, malt, this one turned more into a well-hopped porter than something more true to style, but as it is a new style amorphous in definition, it is also open for interpretation. Bottom line, the Mother Night is stupendously delicious and disappearing fast, so who needs definitions?

Thirsty Zymurgist score: 46/50

With our notes complete, we dove into the mostly full bottles and settle in to enjoy our Friday evening. If words don’t satiate your thirst and you feel a little left out from the tasting process, we are planning a Oktoberfest/Homebrew Tasting/Sending Me to UC Davis party and we have reserved sample bottles of all of our beers to be available there. Details to come, but if you are in the Spokane area in late September, contact me for information.

Pool-Pah Redux

2010-07-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

Being just a few batches in to the homebrewing endeavor with my friend Carl, I would have to say that things are, overall, going very well. We have produced some tasty beers while sharing some laughs and learning much about the craft. Having developed a fine working relationship, we have grown quite efficient in the limited time we get to spend on brewing and other beer work.

There is one small blemish on our record, however. Our first batch of beer together, the Pool-Pah Pale, has had a terrible existence. Fermentation began sluggishly and when it did reach terminal gravity, we kegged it in what turned out to be a leaky Corny keg. After not one, but two changing of the seals, we finally had a beer that was “drinkable,” but we both feared for what all of the poor treatment had done to the final product. We had been tasting the beer all during the process, but we finally had a stable keg and the beer needed to pass the final taste test. Carl and I’s first tentative sips convinced us that the beer had not gone off, but it was evident that it had not seen the best of conditions and was therefore not up to our high standards.

When I worked closely with the wine steward at a small market, we always talked about what wines would make better “second bottles,” i.e. ones that, while by no means terrible, taste significantly better when you are drunk enough not to care what they taste like. This first batch of Pool-Pah Pale fell squarely into that category for me. It’s not going to kill anybody, but I will not be rushing to share it with my friends as I would with our more tasty concoctions.

But alas, we persevere; undaunted. Feeling confident in our process and techniques, we decided to brew up a new batch so that we can test how it truly tastes. I did alter the hop bill, as the first batch was too high on the IBUs to truly be considered a pale ale and I have learned more about calculating how many IBUs each hop addition will impart to the final product. Other than that, the recipe remained the same, again, with the hopes that we can taste a much finer version of a finished product.

We began by discussing whether we should also try to complete other beer tasks such as bottling and racking the batches that were already fermenting, but with Carl also in charge of their newborn child, we decided to keep things simple for once.

We have dialed in the flame control on the new burner and we were mashing in very quickly. Stirring the grains within the brew bag did not abate the feeling that we should be doing more, but by the time we were sparging, we had settled into a more relaxed brew day. The boil came fast, but we avoided a boil over (seeing as how our attention could not possibly be diverted elsewhere to other beer tasks) and began waiting for the hop additions to start. I still wanted to practice something resembling continual hopping so we had taken the time to pre-measure and label all of the hop additions. After the boil, the ice bath brought the temperature down very quickly and we were pitching yeast and cleaning up in what seemed record time.

Having only one task to complete between the two of us made for a smooth brew day. However, given the restrictions placed upon our brew schedule because of our lives, it is doubtful we will have many days that easy again.

We are excited to see what a proper Pool-Pah Pale will taste like, since the first batch displayed so much promise, despite the poor handling it received. Now all we have to do is empty the keg of the first batch to make room for the second. Work gladly undertaken.

Living the Dream...

2010-07-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

Despite my promises to the contrary, I have been remiss in keeping this blog up to date with my beer adventures. There is only one thing more annoying than a stale blog and that is someone who does not keep promises. In my defense, I have been quite busy with above mentioned adventures, as well as having to be responsible with the (arguably) more important things in life.

Last week in particular was especially hectic. Monday was packed with working my day job, logging hours in preparation for the week to come. Tuesday is when the fun began, as Carl and I spent most of the day completing homebrew work. We had planned to brew a second batch of Pool-Pah Pale, but Carl finally got a taste of the first batch of Granfalloons, added his voice to the chorus of praise and requested that we try our hand at brewing a batch of it. Looking at my stock from the previous batch and seeing but five bottles, I heartily agreed to the recipe change. As we reached the various points within the brewing process where one finds oneself with a few minutes on their hands, we snuck in racking the Hoppy Happiness IPA and the Thieving Bastard. Despite the varying tasks, we kept all of our ducks in a row and had a rather smooth brew day. The Granfalloons ended up with a much higher Original Gravity, even though no recipe changes had been made, something I can only attribute to a more vigorous boil thanks to the super propane burner the Budge Brothers let us borrow (thanks again!). As long as it fully attenuates and the beer turns out anywhere near as good as the last batch, I will be satisfied. For the third batch, I will focus on consistency.

After some good brew work, I headed up to my girlfriend’s in Newport and a fire night in our friends back yard. I brought along a bottle of the first batch of Granfalloons and the reviews were unanimously in praise of its liquid goodness. After being humiliated by my lack of bocce skills, we turned in early in preparation for my next adventure.

I woke up super early in order to make the drive from Newport to Ponderay to put in a day working under the tutelage of Duane in the general operations side of a brewery (another homebrewer had already offered to help out with brewing). Our first task was to crop some yeast from the fermentation tank holding the Pale Ale. What began smoothly quickly turned to a frustrating experience as, by a confluence of small events, a hole formed in the trub cake and we began pulling beer instead of yeast. Giving the tank a little rest to settle out is the answer to that conundrum, so we set out to begin filtering and transferring other batches of beer.

Laughing Dog recently purchased a new filtration system that works very quickly because it works under heavy pressure. Having relied on racking only to clarify my homebrew, the whole filtration experience was new to me and I was excited to learn its intricacies. Before beer is pushed through, the plates within the pressure bell must be loaded with a fibrous papery substance called Cellite and then loaded again with diatomaceous earth. As beer is then added to the system, it is dosed with further diatomaceous earth, effectively creating a continuously “new” layer of filtration. The beer is then sent through a secondary plate filter as an extra measure to remove any impurities. If that sounds confusing in theory, just wait until you are staring at the eleven valves that control this thing.

As the filtration system was recently purchased, they are still working out the kinks and becoming familiar with the operation of such a complicated piece of machinery. However, the joke floating around that I had brought some inadvertent bad mojo began to take on weight.

We successfully transferred one 30 bbl batch before lunch time. After lunch, I helped with folding six pack cartons in preparation for bottling the next day and then Duane and I began resetting the machine to begin another transfer. It had seemed that a clog or two had appeared and a thorough cleaning also appeared to solve the problem. Unbeknownst to we all dealing with the problem, there was a nefarious clog hiding in the system that caused pressure spikes which forced us to shut down the system periodically and change the filter plates, a tedious process. We were able to transfer enough beer to suit the needs of bottling and kegging the following day before calling it quits on a twelve hour day. I appreciated seeing the side of being a brewery that doesn’t have to do with actual brewing because I know that will be most of my life when I become a brewer in the near future. Being a part of a less-than-perfect day at the brewery was also a good experience. This brewing thing is not all sipping rare beers and smelling hops, as some would believe. Rather, it takes a rare blend of brute strength, technical know-how, perseverance and precise finesse; namely, not a task for the weak of spirit.

Although my wonderful girlfriend did a fine job of melting the stress of the day away with a home cooked meal and her calming presence, sleep came quickly. I woke in the morning to drive back up to Sandpoint to do the whole thing over again, albeit on a smaller scale, by helping Mickey brew a batch of his porter at MickDuffs. We began an hour later than the day before and I was thankful. After admiring the new fermentation tank, we milled the grain and then set about mashing in, the most labor intensive and dirty part of the brew day there. Sweating in the muggy heat that preceded a spectacular rain storm, I began to feel gummy as the dust from the grain began to settle on my skin. After the mash and a transfer to the kettle, we began noticing that the water was not heating up as fast as it should. Mickey sent Duffy down to the boiler cave numerous times, but to little avail. The wort came to a boil, but it was not as roiling as Mickey would normally want, which I know can lead to some problems with a beer but Mickey was confident that everything would turn out in the end. We also tried a new procedure with adding olive oil to the yeast before pitching. A study that Mickey and I read proposed that the olive oil provides the same response from the yeast as aerating properly does. No word yet on the outcome, but I am interested to see what happens. Other than the troublesome boiler, the brew day went fantastic and I was paid for my work with a free growler fill and two Corny kegs! Thanks Mickey!

Finally, on Friday, in between putting in hours with my real job, I ran over to Carl’s house in order to keg the Thieving Bastard. Carl informed me that our problems with the keg that the Pool-Pah was in were persisting, despite changing the main seal. I swung by Jim’s Homebrew to pick up some more seals for the problem keg and for the two Mickey let me have (might as well be safe). After some labor and some scratching of heads, we completed our tasks for the day and I returned home to finish up some work for the day.

To wrap up this novel of a post, I will not promise a date by which reviews of our homebrews will be up on the blog, but the second batch of Bagombo IPA is almost ready to drink and the Thieving Bastard can be tapped tomorrow, so there are plenty of opportunity for reviews in the near future. Please, keep reading!

Been a Long Time...

2010-07-19T11:14:00.001-07:00

With no experience in blogging, I did not know what to expect when I began posting a few months ago. My initial fear of being completely irrelevant has been assuaged some as a small group of readers has developed and interacting with random people that have discovered the blog on their own has been very fun. Also becoming apparent to me is the amount of time one must dedicate to updating a blog (on any subject) in a timely manner. Between work, beer education and the rest of my interests, it is not always easy to find the time to document what has been happening in my beer world, let alone be witty about it. However, it is a labor I undertake with much joy and passion, if only to satisfy the incredibly large geek inside of me.

Although it has been over a week since my last post, it has been far from uneventful. Carl and I have been hard at work as our brew days are filling up with more than just brewing. Monitoring fermentation, racking, kegging, bottling and the ever-important quality control tastings have filled up our time and the brew days are far from lazy days in the sun, sipping our previous batches. Due to our diligent pre-planning and attention to detail as the day progresses, the brew days have been more or less going smoothly (when our equipment cooperates) and we have been enjoying our work.

We brewed a big hoppy IPA that is a departure from the Bagombo recipe as a “one-off” in honor of a pretty big life event happening for some friends later this summer (it is supposed to be a surprise). Using a mix of Perle, Magnum, Chinook and Cascade hops is going to make this one very complex but satisfying in the warm waning days of the summer and with a huge dry hop bill, the aroma is going to be intense. A little inspiration and a trip to the hardware store finally solved our wind problems in the form of cinder blocks and a more powerful stove borrowed from the Budge Brothers (thanks, guys!) made the brew day move quickly, but the added work of racking the Thieving Bastard evened us out.

A few days before, we had kegged the Mother Night American-style India Black Ale. I wanted to also get some into 22oz bottles to share and to lay down for cellaring and that provided some head scratching as I worked out how much priming sugar to use and how to divide it amongst the bottles. That big lump on my shoulders finally kicked on and the problem became a memory. Moving forward, bottling a small amount and kegging the rest of a batch will be routine for us and that particular comedy of errors will not need to repeat itself.

Last week, before heading into the woods for some camping, Carl and I took on our first full bottling session. The second batch of Bagombo IPA was ready and as it is the most popular beer I make, putting it into bottles to share just makes more sense than kegging. I warned Carl that bottling makes for the longest work day of making your own beer and to be prepared for more hours than brewing. Turns out we are a very efficient team and the day went faster than any other bottling day I have taken part in.

We now have the Pool-Pah Pale and the Mother Night ASIBA in kegs and the Bagombo IPA in bottles with the Thieving Bastard getting bottled this week, all of which is accompanied by the few remaining bottles of the Granfalloons Belgian Tripel I had brewed previously with Brian. Stay tuned for a review post of the beers that are carbonated and ready to drink by week’s end.