10th Day Brewing

Changes

2013-03-23T09:12:00.002-04:00

As of this moment, 10th Day Brewing is now over on Wordpress. I have enjoyed my run on Blogger, but people change. This is my last official post here.

In the future, I look forward to interacting with all of you at 10th Day Brewing on wordpress.

Bock Some History

2013-03-22T22:38:00.000-04:00

We are still living within bock month. Our look at this great beer now takes us to another great source for not only great beer design but also beer history. I am talking about the book Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels. We will only be digging into the portion of the book dealing with bocks for now, but if you find some time, it is well worth reading.

Ray Daniels is an author of several brewing books, an instructor at the Siebel Institute, and he also is the founder of president of the Cicerone program. This certification program, similar to the sommlier program, is designed to ensure beer is properly handled and served in a manner deserving of its heritage.

If you are looking for a recipe book, this is not a book for you. The information inside is there for you to learn and create your own recipes. It follows a theme in many of the books that stay in my bookshelves. When you have the right tools you can create your own recipes. This is a great book to help a brewer design their own recipes. But this is not the aspect of the book we will be looking at for now.

Earlier this month we examined what the BJCP lists as the style guidelines of the Bock style beer. Now we will look at a bit of the history behind this style (using Designing Great Beers as our guide).

Early History
In the 13th Century Einbeck was known for 3 things beer, wine, and linen. Through joining with the Hanseatic League the beer of Einbeck was able to travel through much of Germany.

The 30 Years war (1618-1648) crippled the beer trade in Einbeck as well as much of Germany for many years.

In 1612 in Munich an Einbeck brewer helped to create a beer similar to the Einbeck style but with modifications. This version is the one closer to the bock style we know today.

Salvator
Paulaner Monks or monks from the order of St. Francis originating in Paula Italy created a beer they called Salvator (the savior) to sustain them during Lenten and Advent fasting.

It wasn't until 1780 that the beer was offered to the public. This was when it was found to be a similar beer to the bock style.

The Salvator name was trademarked in 1894. Since that time beers following that style have used the designator -ator.

U.S. Bock
German immigrants of the late 1800s were most prominant brewers in the US.

First referrence to bock in the US was in 1852 from Best and Company (which eventually became Pabst)

It wasn't until the 20th century that paler bocks started to appear, mostly in the US. German bocks like many beers in Germany held strong to traditions (though this is changing)

Time for a pint...

On the Horizon

2013-03-20T22:29:00.000-04:00

Over the past few days there have been a couple items in the news of good tidings in the beer world. Though on the surface they are separate events, in the long run they will be tied together. The first announcement came on Monday when the Brewer's Association announced the numbers for craft beer growth for the past year.

Unsurprising to most, craft beer is still on a growth curve. Over the past year we saw a 15% rise in volume and a 17% rise in dollars. When you look at the big picture the beer industry as a whole is valued at 99 billion dollars. That's a quite a few cases of Bud (just sayin).

For years now the craft portion of the beer industry has continued to see growth, while the industry overall has been on a decline. This year the overall industry has seen a 1% growth. Is it possible that the craft market is starting to have a bigger affect on the overall beer market?

The other recent news comes to us from the state of Mississippi. After close to 100 years it is now legal to homebrew in the state of Mississippi again. After prohibition ended it fell on each state to control how alcohol is handled within their own boundaries. Home wine making became legal with the repeal but it wasn't until 1978 when President Jimmy Carter signed the law that legalized home brewing again.

The American Homebrewer's Association (an arm of the Brewer's Association) has been working since the 70s to make home brewing legal in every state. When Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed the bill into law, his state became the 49th to make homebrewing legal. Alabama is the last holdout.

Home brewers have been the driving force behind much of the growth in the craft beer industry. As it stands right now, we have close to a new brewery opening every day of the year. With the new market that will be opening in Mississippi, there is a good chance we will see a number of new breweries popping up in that state as well.

Time for a pint...

Video: Cioppino

2013-03-18T22:25:00.001-04:00

I learned something new today. Originally I had thought that Cioppino was entirely Italian. But it seems that when looking up the origins for my daughter (she was looking for a recipe that might have been eaten during the Victorian era), I found that it actually came from Northern California.

It does fit the time period. And it is almost Italian. Cioppino was a fish soup created for Portugese and Italian immigrants around San Francisco. They used ingredients on hand in the crafting of the soup so almost any fish will work.

In the places I have worked I have only seen it done with mussels and other shell fish as well as a fillet from a scaled fish. The base has been a fish stock as well. One of the things I read recently called for a tomato stock or juice as the base, claiming historical accuracy in this. Seemed interesting enough to me that I wanted to try it.

Ingredients:

Cod
Shrimp
Tomato juice (I used garden tomatoes I had frozen in the fall. I diced and then cooked them then strained the juice off) I added enough stock to this to come up with about a quart of liquid base
2 medium potatoes (medium dice)
1 medium onion (small dice)
1 rib celery (small dice)
1 medium carrot (you guessed it.. small dice)
2 clove garlic (I love the stuff)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or use fresh stuff ... its your soup)

Method:
Precook the potatoes to almost cooked through. You want them to have a little bite still.

In your soup pan, heat some oil. Add the mire poix with a some salt and the herbs. Allow them to set till the onion is translucent. Add the shrimp and cook till almost done. Add the stock and bring to a boil. At the boil add the potatoes and then the fish. Cover and turn down the heat to midlow. Allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or the fish is cooked through.

Serve this with some crusty bread. I would also like to add that considering this was a San Francisco item, you might consider drinking an Anchor Steam with it. California Common (or the trade marked Steam Beer) would have been popular at the time of this dishes creation and would go well with a tomato stock based soup.

Time for a pint...

Brewing: Bock

2013-03-15T22:07:00.000-04:00

Lager beers take a bit more time than ales. They also require some more specialized equipment than ales. These contraints make them a bit more special when you are able to make your own. I consider myself lucky that I have the space to add them into my line up from time to time.

With the commitment this month being to talk about bocks it could take a bit of logistics to have a bock to talk about from the home brewery. As it happens I have a bock in the cellar that I have been aging to see how age affects it.

My bock finished out at roughly 7.5% alcohol, and because this style is not a hop heavy beer, it makes a great beer for aging. Let's look at what went into the brew for this one...

Recipe:
10 lbs Munich Malt
4 lbs Vienna Malt
1 lb Demerrara sugar

1 oz sterling 6%aa 60 minutes
1 oz Saaz 2.6%aa 20 min
1 oz Saas 2.6%aa 5 min

yeast WLP 833

Method:
Triple decoction
Dough with a water to grain ratio at 1.75 with a target temperature of 120 degrees. Hold this for 20 minutes.
First decoction heat decoction to 150 degrees and hold for 30 minutes then bring to a boil and hold at boil for 15 minutes. Return to mash and bring the temp up to 140 degrees. Hold for 20 minutes.

Second decoction heat to 150 degrees for 20 minutes. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Return to mash for 150 degrees for 30 minutes.

Last decoction boil for 5 minutes. Return to mash to mashout at 160 degrees.

Sparge then do a 1.5 hour boil

After cooling pitch yeast. After visible fermentation store in cooler allowing to drop to between 40 to 50 degrees (I maintain roughly 45 degrees). Primary should take 2 weeks to 1 month. Move to secondary and allow beer to condition for 3 months.

Time for a pint...

Beers: Paulaner Salvator

2013-03-13T23:48:00.001-04:00

It is almost impossible to spend time talking about bocks and dopplebocks without talking about the original dopplebock. Paulaner Salvator is the beer given credit for starting the dopplebock substyle.

Originally brewed in 1773, this was the beer that the Paulaner monks would subsist on during their lenten fast. That was the idea of it all. The beer was brewed to a higher starting gravity and finished with a higher terminal gravity. This gave the beer more body and also increased its calorie count and nutrients. Salvator (meaning salvation) was the monk's saving grace during the month they were not allowed normal food.

It was in 1896 that the monks trademarked the Salvator name. Despite the trademark dopplebocks still carry the suffix -ator in honor of this great beer.

This beer pours a deep copper with a voluminous (say it with me vol um i (wait for it) nous) head. The first thing that hits you is the huge blast of fig in the nose. And then you take the first sip. Again, fig, but mixed with chocolate and caramel and toffee.

At 7% alcohol it does not carry any alcohol warmth. But the body makes up for that. It isn't quite chewy. While at the same time this beer is far from watery. There is quite a bit of sweetness but it isn't cloying. With all due respect to the monks who gave us this gift, the beer is like a love affair in your mouth. It is sweet and a bit sinful but over so quickly. I mean this in a good way of course. I mean don't expect the beer to be killing your rabbits and cooking them on your stove top.

If I were to pair this beer with food right now, I would opt for a classic tiramisu. The flavors would complement each other and the subtle differences would allow them to dance and play on your tongue.

Time for a pint...

Video: Venison Roast

2013-03-11T23:16:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you want something a bit different. You could make a brisket or a pork shoulder, both of them are great for slow cooking. But sometimes that is just too normal. What do you do when you have a hunk of venison and you are at a loss for what to do with it? In my case, you slow cook it.

Wild game tends to be a bit leaner than farm raised animals. They have more of an opportunity to run, working their muscles extensively. Active muscles tend to bring in quite a bit of flavor, but they also tend to be a bit tougher than sedantary muscle. This can pose a problem unless you are prepared to work with what you have.

The French have a method called larding. This is performed by layering fat over a normally lean muscle. It helps to retain moisture, especially during a long cooking process. The slow and low method works great with meats like brisket and pork shoulder because they have enough fat to keep the meat moist. There are other factors involved but we don't want to get too technical right now. How about we go straight to video, we can see the results there.

Pistou Ingredients:
1 ounce basil
1 ounce garlic
enough Extra virgin olive oil to achieve the consistency we want

Method:
Blend ... just blend in a food processor. Add salt to taste.

Liberally cover the top of the roast with the pistou. Then cover with bacon. Allow to sit overnight. Cook at 225 for 4 to 8 hours (the meat should shred easily when it is ready).

Red skin mustard potato salad ingredients:
1lb Red skin potatoes
1 carrot small dice
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic
2 scallion
1/2 cup mayo
2 table spoon dijon mustard
4 pieces of bacon crumbled
Method:
cook potatoes till al dente. Mix everything together. Salt and pepper to taste

Green beans ingredients:
1.5 lbs fresh green beans
2 clove garlic
small knob of ginger grated or finely chopped
2 scallion
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon oil
salt and pepper to taste

method:
melt butter and heat oil. Add garlic, ginger and scallion and sweat. Add blanched beans and heat through

time for a pint...

Bell's Consecrator Dopplebock

2013-03-08T23:22:00.001-05:00

Any day you can spend some time with friends and good beer is a good day. It makes it even more special when you have something to celebrate. As it turns out Bonnie Steinman (Hop Head Bon) from Hop Head Farms is turning another year older. I met up with her and Jeff (Hop Head Jeff... there is a pattern here) at Bell's Eccentric Cafe for a celebratory beer earlier. It is even better knowing that my birthday is right around the corner as well.

Something I love about a breweries tasting room is the opportunity to find beers that are not part of their production line up. Bell's Eccentric Cafe is no exception. At the cafe you can find anything from sours to cask to even some oddities (like Eccentric Ale). I counted myself lucky when I found they had Consecrator Dopplebock available today.

The Consecrator is an 8% dopplebock and well worth the trip to downtown Kalamazoo. Granted they served it to me in a no-nick pint glass (I prefer my dopples in tulip glasses (I know this sounds snobbish)) but it came through great anyway. An interesting aspect of Bell's is they have a history of doing both ales and lagers. Good temperature control in the fermentation vessels allows the brewer to have the option of what kind of beer they choose to make. For Bell's this means that at their downtown brewery they have a huge range of beers available at any given time.

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As far as flavor for the Consecrator goes, it was exactly what I expect a dopple to be. Chocolate and caramel with a touch of fruit acidity. There is a sweetness to it but not over powering. Just as other dopplebocks the sweetness is well balanced. It is the kind of beer that when you first taste one you pause as you realize you didn't know beer could taste like this.

If you have a chance to get into Kalamazoo, this is a beer at Bell's I would tell you to try first. But then I am a little biased considering how much I like this style.

Time for a pint...

Styles: Bock

2013-03-06T23:38:00.000-05:00

For the month of March we will spend some time exploring Bocks. It seems only fitting to talk about bocks this month when you consider that traditionally the dopplebock was brewed to sustain monks during their Lenten fast. Most bocks are a dark strong lager, generally at 6% alcohol and higher.

The BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) has four subcategories for the Bock style of beer.

5A Maibock/ Helles Bock: This is the lightest in color of the bocks. Brewed for the spring (Maibock or May bock). The malt profile will include more pilsner malt than other bocks. They tend to be medium bodied and will show a stronger hop character than other bock styles (though they are still malt forward). This is the youngest of the bock substyles.

5B Traditional Bock: This bock tends to be a mix of Munich and Vienna Malts giving it a richer color than a maibock. You can find flavor notes of chocolate (but not roasted or toasty) and dark fruits. This style is believed to have originated in the town of Einbeck with the name bock being a corruption of the name (one bock). The word bock also refers to billy-goat in German. These beers will be medium to full bodied. There can be some warmth from the alcohol.

5C Dopplebock: This does follow the path of the bock but intensified. Bigger alcohol, richer flavors. Flavors can include prune, plum, and grape as well as caramel from kettle caramalization. Again there should be no roasted notes. These have also been found to be stronger versions of the Helles bock, allowing for paler color and more hops.

5D Eisbock: The original "ice beer." The story goes for this one that an apprentice had left a keg outside one winter and the beer froze. Trying to fix the mistake he had brought it inside hoping it would thaw before his error was discovered. It was found that the alcohol had intensified (since only the water froze). This made a stronger more flavorful beer. This beer will be more full bodied (since thinning water has been removed). Again their will be similar flavors as others in the bock family but much more intensified. Although the process makes for a stronger beer it is still possible to find dopplebocks with higher alcohol content.

For me personally, this is one of my favorite styles. It makes a semi regular appearance in my brewery.

Time for a pint...

Panzanella Salad

2013-03-04T22:14:00.003-05:00

It is Monday, the night I would normally offer a video or maybe an article from an event I have been to recently. Truth be told, I have an ugly cold right now. I have little faith of my voice lasting through the filming of a video for this week. But that doesn't mean I don't want to share. Instead of video this week I offer a couple pics and my words.

With the cold I don't have the energy to make a super complicated dish. Comfort food would be great but that does take a bit of work. Instead I went with something simple yet decadent.

Italian cuisine is based on frugality. If it can be avoided foods nothing goes to waste. The simple peasant loaves of bread that we know mostly as Italian bread traditionaly made have little to know preservatives in them. On average they would last a day and the second day they would start to stale and harden.

What do you do with bread when it loses its soft freshness? The panzanella salad is a salad that uses old bread as its main ingredient. In the US we tend to call these crusty chunks of bread croutons, but that tells us nothing of what a true panzanella salad can be.

Ingredients:

1 head of red leaf lettuce
6 pieces of bread (used Italian Wheat for this)
small jar of artichokes (quartered)
1/2 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
3 roma tomatoes (cut into 8ths)
1 clove garlic
8 leaves basil (chiffonade)
Red wine vinagrette
Fresh mozzarella

Method:
Cut bread into chunks, then mix with salt, pepper, chopped garlic, and olive oil. Cook at 300 for till fully dry (stirring every 10 minutes).

In a mixing bowl mix bread, artichokes, onion, tomatoes and basil with enough vinagrette to moisten. Serve over chopped lettuce.

Red wine Vin ingredients (if you choose to make your own):
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoon italian herbs
salt to taste

Method:

In a small bowl place garlic honey and vinegar. Mix well with a hand blender (this can also be done in a upright blender). Drizzle olive oil into with blender running. Once it is all incorporated mix in herbs and salt. If the dressing is too acidic, honey can be added to sweeten.

Time for a pint

Session 73: Beer Audit

2013-03-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

Adam at Pints and Pubs is the host of the March Session. For This month's Session it is time to take stock of what you have stored, what you might be aging.

So, I’m interested to know if you take stock of the beers you have, what’s in your cellar, and what does it tell you about your drinking habits. This could include a mention of the oldest, strongest, wildest beers you have stored away, the ratio of dark to light, strong to sessionable, or musings on your beer buying habits and the results of your cellaring.

When you got through my aging shelf you won't find any production brewery beers. On the rare occasions that I buy beer, it is something that is bought to be drunk within a day or two of purchase. Instead, what you find are beers, meads, and ciders that are brewed with the intentions of long term aging. Many times those that are stocked away are not even ready to be opened until a full year has passed.

What I found today was two different meads, cider from the fall before this last one and a few bottles of beer. One of the sets of bottles is the sour that were packaged in champagne bottles. There are only 4 of these left. There is also half a case of maibock.

The intention is always to let the aging bottles sit. But inevitably I will raid the stash from time to time. I like to sample them at different ages and make note of the changes that transpire. Sometimes I miss out when a batch has reached a really great age. I see this quite often with ciders. There is a certain point when the character of the batch turns a corner. Before this moment the cider was decent. But after this point it becomes sublime.

There is a lesson in this. Letting your work reach maturity teaches us patience. With patience we can reap rewards that far exceed our expectations.

Time for a pint...

Brewing: Koji Prep

2013-02-27T22:34:00.000-05:00

I am finally on the grand adventure of making sake. Before you can get into the fermentation process you need to prepare the koji. Koji is the enzyme that does the work of breaking down the rice (similar to the enzymes that break down malt during saccryfication). In the case of sake, though, it is a mold spore that does the work.

The process itself is fairly easy, but it can be a bit time consuming. I have spent the better part of today doing the various steps preparing the rice for this process. And now that this step is done I will have to ensure the temperature stays relatively constant for the next two days as the spores convert the rice of the starter. This will include twice a day mixings of the koji (every 12 hours) to ensure even growth.

I started out with 3 cups of rice that I then washed till it ran clear. From there I did a 7 hour soak (this was because it was dinner rice instead of sake rice. Sake rice needs only soak for about an hour). The nice thing is, you can do other things while this is going on. After the soak, I allowed the rice to drain in a strainer for about an hour.

The soak and drain are important to remove excess starches. When the rice is steamed you want it to be firm and not excessively sticky. I steamed the rice for about 40 minutes. The individual grains were firm but cooked. This will give the koji spores structure.

From here I cooled the rice in the pan it would be converting in. At roughly 85 degrees, it was time to add the spores. This was done in stages. Sprinkle the powder and mix then repeat until it was all evenly incorporated. Something I noticed, the rice by itself was a bit sticky. As the koji spores were worked in, the rice loosened up making it easier to mix.

Once everything was mixed, it was time for the final step. While the rice was steaming I prepared my mash tun by preheating it. It was then little more than a quick wipe out and setting in the heating pad (to ensure good temps) and a trivet to keep the rice pan off the direct heat. A glass of water was added to keep the humidity constant (also a damp towl over the rice helps too).

There is a thermometer inserted directly into the rice to monitor the internal temps. Incubation is a delicate process that you want to insure happens to set guidelines.

This will now be my rice's home for the next couple days. Next week the process of making the sake will commence.

I want to thank the Mad Fermentationist for his work in 2010. His write up is where I figured out the way I would set up my incubation chamber.

Time for a pint...

Wild Game

2013-02-25T23:50:00.001-05:00

Once a year my father's church has a pretty huge get together to celebrate hunting and share the bounty from the year. In Michigan this generally means venison, but sometimes there is an opportunity to taste even more exotic game. This year there was some wild boar, kangaroo, and rabbit added into the mix.

The gathering is set around the idea of sharing traditions within your family, generally father to son (in some cases to daughters). Mind you, neither my father nor myself are hunters. But the gathering is centered on good food, so you really can't go too far wrong.

Last year there were roughly 270 attendees. This year the numbers jumped to well over 300. Extra settings needed to be brought out to accomadate the sizable group. Even though the crowd had grown by more than orginally anticipated, there was more than enough food to feed everyone.

Aside from the animals that provided for the feast (many from right here in Michigan), there was also a good showing of other Michigan staples. These were some of the standouts of the evening:

Venison Meatballs with wild Hen of the Woods mushrooms
Venison strip steak with Michigan blueberry sauce
Venison brisket
Wild Boar sausage
Rabbit Stew

There was also a nice selection of venison jerkies and salamies for appetizers.

There were three food lines set up, which helped keep dinner moving at a brisk pace. There really wasn't a long wait for food.

It was quite a bit of food, and this was only the main course.

A special needs table, with gluten free and allergen free items was also provided.

In the end it was a great night for food and time with friends (even if you had to make new ones). This does make me wonder if they will have room for everyone next year, if it continues to grow as it has for the past few years.

Time for a pint...

Questions of Note: Ryan Engemenn

2013-02-22T22:11:00.001-05:00

What kind of name is Right Brain for a brewery? Seems crazy, but then when you are talking Michigan beer, crazy is a good thing. I think this story from Russ one of the owners of Right Brain sums it up quite well.

I got the name during my senior year in high school. Miss Carter, the creative writing class teacher, strolled in to announce to everyone that we would be taking a test. Mind you, Miss Carter did not really like Russ that well, for whatever reason.

Anyway, she goes on about this test we will be taking to determine who is Right Brained. "Don't worry, no one can take it wrong. There are no right or wrong answers." So, she also drones on about how only three or four people will be Right Brained.

Sooooo...... I end up being the only person in class who is Right Brained and she tells me that I took it wrong. She inspired me. But just to bug the heck out of her I would walk in each day and greet her with, "I'm Right Brain, ya know."

Cheers, Miss Carter!

Ryan Engemenn is the Resident Beer Geek for Right Brain (gotta love the fancy titles that come in the craft beer world). He is also the current victem for this week's QoN.

1. What was the beer moment, when you knew you wanted to become involved with the craft beer renaissance?

I can't think of any particular moment when I decided on getting into craft beer. I was working a boring, normal job and spending all of my time home-brewing. One day my girlfriend said "why don't you brew professionally?" I didn't have a good answer for that. Why DIDN'T I start brewing? I first applied to another Northern Michigan brewery's bottling line and was really mad when I didn't get the job. A few weeks later the job opened up at Right Brain and the rest is history.

2. If you could have any drink in your hand right now, what would it be?

I'd have Right Brain's Steve the Imperial Brown. Oh wait, I do have it in my hand right now!

3. Can you describe your beer life in a song lyric/title? If so what would you choose?

Alcohol by Barenaked Ladies.

4. Do you have a steady beer, or do you like to "play the field?"

Oh! I definitely play the field! I guess I'm kind of a beer-whore in that way. I love discovering a new, great beer!

5. Crowded smoky bar or back porch watching the clouds float across the sky?

Back Porch for sure. Smoke ruins your sense of smell--vital for enjoying a good beer! Plus what's nicer than watching the clouds roll by with a good beer in your hand?

And the lame one…

Who put the bomp in the bomp sha-bomp sha-bomp?

I think that was Larry Bell, who we are all indebted to for it. (That's what we owe him for, right?)

Time for a pint...

Brewing: Sake

2013-02-21T23:07:00.001-05:00

Brewing sake takes a level of dedication that makes all grain brewing seem like child's play. It isn't that the process is hard, it is the time you need to devote to it. For traditional sake, you need to set aside two weeks with additions going into the mass twice a day. It is a process you have to be dedicated to accomplish. But then doing anything well requires dedication.

Despite the common misnomer sake is not a form of wine. It is a beer. Wine is made from fruit; beer is made from grain. In the case of sake, the grain is traditionally rice. For the highest level of traditional sake you need special brewer's polished rice that has been milled about 55%. Typical rice you find at the supermarket has been milled to 95% (this figure refers to how much of the grain is left after milling). The sake rice has had most of its starch and protein polished away to provide a clean finished product. The rice used does play a pivotal role in the finished product.

Rice does not bring enzymes to convert the starch like you find with barley. Instead the brewer needs to create an enzymatic starter mash called a Kome Koji (also known as Koji rice). Essentially starter rice is inoculated with koji spores. To this starter sake yeast is added. From that point additions are made twice a day to feed the yeast and koji. With this the brewer is building the fermentation so that in its final addition the finished sake will finish around 15% alcohol.

This description is very generalized. You can find a fully detailed description of the process at Homebrew Sake. This is the process I will be following for the next few weeks for this project. The one exception I will be making is I will be using a medium grain rice instead of sake rice (sadly I couldn't find sake rice when I was picking up ingredients). As luck would have it, there are instructions for dealing with "dinner rice" in the directions found on the site.

An interesting note: this is still sour beer month, so how does sake fit in? I am glad you asked. The methods used to prepare the koji and the rice additions allow for wild bacteria to enter the mash, especially lactobacillus. Traditionally sake is pasteurized to kill off the wild yeasts when it is finished. Because of space issues I will not be going to that extreme. But I will be using sulfites as is common for vintners to stop fermentation before bottling.

So there are a couple spots that are breaking from tradition. The nice thing is, this is for my own enjoyment so I can break tradition if I want to. When you are in your own kitchen or your own brewery, you get to make the rules.

Time for a pint...

Sours: Bam Biere

2013-02-20T22:51:00.000-05:00

This is the second samping of sour beers for the month of sours. This time we stay a bit closer to home. Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales is based in Dexter Michigan. The beer I am sampling tonight is their Bam Biere which they are calling a farmhouse ale. As we have found earlier this month, farmhouse style beers are part of the French and Belgian brewing tradition. But these beers as a style do not have an actual category on the BJCP style lists. The closest styles you might find are Saison or Biere De Garde.

Founded in 2004, Jolly Pumpkin has two brew pubs (one in Traverse City and one in Ann Arbor) as well as their production facility in Dexter. Bam Bier won a bronze at the Great American Beer Fest in 2009. They have also taken a bronze with Oro de Calabaza. But these awards pale in comparison to their victory in 2010.

In a blind taste test against 19 other beers, with Belgian beers in the mix, Jolly pumpkin came out on top. This is a victory similar to the Judgement of Paris in 1976. In that contest, US vintners in California competed against French vintners in blind taste tests and came out on top. These were both moments of the students surpassing the masters.

At Jolly Pumpkin all of their production beers are barrel aged. This allows the beers to gain the benefit of the microflora present in the different barrels, creating a unique drinking experience. To find that the bottle is marked for the specific batch it came from with a bottling date, gives a sense of how limited the release might be.

My impressions of the beer:

The beer pours a pale orange/gold. It is cloudy as you would expect for a barrel aged beer as well as from the souring bacteria.

The nose comes across with a candied orange peel. It has a dank earthiness as well.

With the first sip, the brett says hello. It isn't so strong that it smacks you in the taste buds. It is more polite. It shakes your hand and asks if you would like a cup of tea. It has a refined quality to it. Underneath the brett there is a strong hint of citrus/ orange peel that complements the earthiness of the brett well. As it warms you find a light touch of lemon. There is a hint of spice but not enough that you can make out exactly what it is.

This beer is a bit richer than the gueuze (cuvee rene) that I sampled yesterday. Where the gueuze was a beer you would drink for its refreshing quality on a hot summer day, this is a beer you would drink sitting on your back porch with the grill going. I can see drinking it with some pulled pork with cole slaw.

Overall, a very good beer, it is something that is well worth exploring.

Time for a pint...

Sours: Cuvee Rene

2013-02-19T22:03:00.000-05:00

As part of the month of sours I will be sampling a couple sours, one from Belgium and one from the US. The sample tonight is the Belgian Lambic Cuvee Rene from Brouwerij Lindemans out of Veezenbeek Belgium.

The version I am drinking is the Grand Cru Cuvee Rene. This is a traditional gueuze that has been refermented in the bottle using the Methode Champenoise. This is the traditional French method of making sparkling wines. Not only do these bottles have a cap but they are also corked.

Gueuze are fermented the same way as other lambics, spontaneous fermentation. This means that instead of the brewer pitching yeast, the beer is left in open vats that allows the micro flora of the region and in the brewery to settle on the top of the cooling wort. This fermentation can take anywhere from one to three years. Before finally bottling the beers are blended. In the case of the Grand Cru the ratio is 2/3 young Lambic to 1/3 old Lambic. This gives the beer its distinctive flavor.

What you can expect: Sherry, citrus (Lemon), cider, slight notes of vanila, They can be sour but a balance between the malt and sour is more common.

The glass in my hand:
The color is a pale gold, hazy due to the bacteria and barrel aging. It poured with a decent amount of foam but it dissipated quickly. The first thing that jumps out at you is the sour. Even knowing that it will be there going in it can shock you. It is acidic but not overly so. Lemons with hints of vanilla are the main flavors I pick up as I drink it. The vanilla notes keep it from tipping into the lemon drop sweet and sour flavors. On the back end I pick up a richness that plays under the acidity.

This is the kind of beer you want on a hot summer day. I feel almost wrong for drinking it on a cold winter day. Overall, this is a great example of what a classic sour can be (Rated at 91 on beer advocate if those numbers mean anything to you).

Time for a pint...

Video: Oxtail Soup

2013-02-18T21:28:00.000-05:00

Based on how often the muscle is used and what not can tell you the cooking methods needed to bring out the best of that particular piece. Many of our cooking traditions have developed because of this. Even now we have developed a tradition that no longer uses the entire animal. Much goes to waiste or possibly to animal feed because we are enlightened. We are better than our predecessors.

As we move away from certain traditions we lose so much of what brought us to where we are now. This isn't always a good thing. When we view ourselves without the light of our own enlightenment we realize that we are actually wasteful and disrespectful.

Am I suggesting that we should make it a point to explore those things that might be markedly different than what we grew up with, solely because they are older traditions? No, I am saying that it is important when you have the opportunity to explore older traditions, to actually check them out with an open mind. You may find something that you did not expect.

With that in mind I bring you my take on oxtail soup.

The tail is a heavily worked muscle. It is not a good candidate for many of the cooking styles that we use on a daily basis. Instead it is perfect for braising. The tail not only has meat but also ligaments and tendons that bring quite a bit of gelatin and flavor to the final broth, similar to a shank but with a bit less meat. In the end you have a rich stock that is the base of a great soup or stew.

Recipe (ingredient list)
1lb or more of octail
3 carrots
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
8 oz mushroom
1/3 cup (pre cooking) Bulgher wheat
1 Tablespoon italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
wine or beer to deglaze (in this I used about 1/2 cup of a sour ale)
1 quart stock

Method:
Give the oxtail a hard sear then remove from pan. Add the veggies to the pan and sweat them. This can be done in stages to give the veggies room to caramelize. Add herbs to pan and then deglaze. Return the oxtail to the pan and add the stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or the oxtail is tender.

Remove the meat from the oxtail and chop then return to pan. Add the cooked bulgher wheat and bring up to temp. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a baguette or if you must, crackers.

Time for a pint...

Questions of Note: Charlie Bamforth

2013-02-15T22:14:00.000-05:00

Stolen from the UC Davis Website

For quite some time there have been only 2 official brewing schools in the United States; the Siebel Institute in Chicago and UC Davis in California. Though this might seem obvious, UC Davis has been the only program run through a major university. There are some popping up in other schools now, but these two programs are the leaders.

Through a long career in different areas within breweries, Charlie Bamforth has written books (among these Beer: Tap Into the Art and Science of Brewing and Beer is Proof that God Loves Us are just a start) and a large number of articles involving the science behind everything from flavor stability and foam to articles on malting science. He is currently the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Brewing Science at UC Davis.

Let's spend a few minutes with him...

5 Questions of note and 1 lame one

1. What was the beer moment, when you knew you wanted to become involved with the craft beer renaissance?

When I was invited to move to California as the beer professor at Davis and I met the likes of Ken Grossman, Fritz Maytag, Dan Gordon and Vinnie Cilurzo for the first time.

2. If you could have any drink in your hand right now, what would it be?

I write this at breakfast time, so a hefeweissen

3. Can you describe your beer life in a song lyric/title? If so what would you choose?

Stairway To Heaven

4. Do you have a steady beer, or do you like to "play the field?"

I play the field – just as I don’t sit down to eat curry for every meal

5. Crowded smoky bar or back porch watching the clouds float across the sky?

Back porch

And the lame one…

If tin whistles are made of tin, what do they make foghorns out of?

Old Foghorn is of course made of malt, hops…….

Books: Farmhouse Ales

2013-02-14T21:48:00.000-05:00

Brewer's Publications printed three books that essentially form a series a while back. Each of these books deals with the varied types of beers that are brewed in Belgium. The obvious book to talk about right now would be the book Wild Brews, but I am leaving that for another day. Today we will explore the book Farmhouse Ales by Phil Markowski.

Farming and brewing have been entertwined for most of recorded history. It is believed that beer was the catalyst for civilization; we needed organized farming communities to grow the grain for the mash. At the same time spontaneously fermented beers and sour beers have grown from these early traditions. These traditions are still followed in Belgium and France.

Until recently, the US has not had as much of a farmhouse tradition. The US traditions for beer and brewing have stemmed from English and German traditions. Though those cultures do have some sour beers, the styles were not as highly sought as they have been in their recognized homes.

Link to Amazon

So now, let's get into this book a bit shall we. The majority of Farmhouse Ales is spent discussing two styles of beer, Saison and Bier De Garde. When you look up either of these beers in the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) guidelines, you will find that neither of them fall within the sour beer category. I can already hear you asking what this has to do with sours then?

As we read along in the book we come to find that the Belgian tradition for beer is less about cut and dry defined styles. In the US where there is a place for everything and everything has a place this can be a bit disconcerting. Both Saison and Beire de Garde are clearly defined, but then the names they are defined as have meanings far different than what we expect them to. Saison is a word for season. These beers are seasonal changing just as the seasons change. Biere de Garde roughly means beer for storage. This is a beer meant to be aged. Again neither clearly defines the styles they represent. Unlike a stout where you know exactly what to expect or an IPA. The one thing that can be counted on, Bier de Garde is the French interpretation of the Saison, and vice versa.

In the origins of both of these beers we find the methods of storage (traditionally oak barrels) lends itself to souring bacteria. It can be just as common to find sour versions of these beers today as non soured versions. And both versions will be true to style.

In the study of not only the beer styles of Belgium but also sour beers, this book is a must read. There is enough history in the book to keep even non brewers entertained.

Time for a pint...

Souring Bacteria

2013-02-13T22:49:00.000-05:00

While reading up on souring bacteria I ran across an article from 2005, written by Tomme Arthur of Lost Abbey Brewing. You can find the article here, it is well worth your time to read it. The title of the article is "A Perspective on Bacteria and Wild Yeast."

He mentions the different wild yeast and bacterias used for creating sours (though focuses mostly on the different versions of Brettanomyces in the article as well). While in a spontaneous fermentation there are quite a few different strains of wild "critters" involved in the process, cultured strains tend to fall on these different microorganisms.

Brettanomyces: is a power house that tends to be used more than others since it was originally cultured. Some flavors associated with this one are smokey, spicy, horsey, or even barnyard. An interesting tidbit: according to the wiki this was also the souring agent used in Guinness before they changed their formula in the 80s. This was done by adding a portion of old stout in with new stout before bottling.

Lactobacillus: This bacteria is best known for naturally fermented foods such as sauerkraut or yogurt. It can live saltier environments than many harmful bacterias, which is why it has been a strong force in food preservation, many bacterias die in the acidic environment it creates. This bacteria is part of the natural flora in the human digestive system. When you have run a course of antibiotics it is a good idea to eat foods like yogurt that still have life cultures. These live cultures will replenish the good bacterias in your system that the antibiotics have killed off.

Pediococcus: This is a good bacteria that works with Lactobacillus. A flavor that it brings to beers and even wines is a buttery or butterscotch note. In a non-sour beer this can be a sign of an infection (an infection is when you don't want these flavors present) but it is something that can add to the complexity of a sour beer.

Acetobacter: This bacteria turns ethanol (the alcohol in wine and beer) into acetic acid. The main purpose of this bacteria is the creation of vinegar. All vinegar comes first from a form of alcohol. When this bacteria infects a wine it can make it too acidic for drinking. When it infects a sour beer it can add to the complexity of the beer overall.

Time for a pint...

Barrel Aging

2013-02-12T23:01:00.000-05:00

It seems to come up more and more about barrel aged this and barrel aged that. Barrel aging is the new IPA of late (That sounds horrible doesn't it?). Usually when you hear about barrel aged something it pertains to some over the top stout that a brewery thought needed something even more, so why not age it in a bourbon barrel for several months. And on that note there are a few highly chased beers that are barrel aged. It gives them a bit more than the non-barrel aged versions.

Barrel Program at Bell's Kalamazoo Brewery

But I can hear you right now. This is our month of sours, why are we wasting time talking about barrel aged beers. The reason for this is because long before we had stainless steel to do our fermentation in, wooden barrels were the norm.

Stainless is so much easier to not only clean but also sanitize. It also is not permeable. When you think of most modern breweries and their use of wooden barrels, most of them only use the barrel once after they have made their special beer. Stainless steel also allows for forced carbonation. The more durable metal can withstand higher pressures than wooden barrels.

Coopers (the name of those who build wooden barrels) are now considered an artisnal trade. There are few of these craftsman left. Aside from the skills required to make wooden casks, stainless steel can be mass produced instead of waiting for a forest to repopulate. But these reasons only tell us a bit of why there was a switch, completely skipping the importance of wooden barrels in the creation of sour beers.

Barrels used for Paw Paw Brewing's Red Barn Sour

Long before the advancement of stainless fermentation vessels and kegs, pretty much everything was done in wood and copper. Copper fermentation vessels had many of the same properties of stainless but still a high cost. Wood at the time was cheaper and more prevalent but it had some of its own drawbacks.

Microbes are able to make their home in the wood and set up shop. Wood is also permeable allowing the beers to breathe, all the sugar that beer yeast is unable to devour is now open to microbes that have a more versatile digestive system. These traits were a hindrance for the average brewer and needed to be taken into account for the freshness of their beers. For those who make sour beers this is a bonus.

All of the beers at Jolly Pumpkin's production

brewery In Dexter Michigan are barel aged

Instead of using barrels only once, when making sour beers, the brewer will continuously use the barrels allowing the proliferation of microbes to multiply. This gives the barrel its own unique qualities. This means a bit more work in that blending is important for consistent quality between batches of beer.

Blending the beers aging in different barrels is a requirement when a brewery is making sours. The qualities of wooden barrels mean the beers in each one will be at different stages than the others around them, even when they were from the same original batch of beer.

Sour beers are gaining popularity but the concept is still something that most drinkers are not quite ready for. As our pallettes stretch a bit more, we find our desire for the unusual flavors grows.

Time for a pint...

Tours: Artisan Maple Syrup

2013-02-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

Maple syrup is a tradition of the Native Americans. It was a survival skill taught to the early settlers, in the process it has become part of our tradition now. Though just as with much of farming we know less about how it is done than we think we do. Even worse, much of what you might find in the grocery store now is only maple flavored sugar syrup. This stuff you find almost but not quite entirely unlike real maple syrup.

My wife's uncle has been making his own for a number of years now. What started as a simple question, his son had asked what kind of trees they had on their property years ago, has become a hobby he looks forward to every spring. This hobby has the added advantage of keeping old world artisan skills alive and well as he teaches area youths about collecting sap and turning it into syrup.

The question: What kind of trees do you have on the property? This led to them doing a general survey, counting the trees and to gain a rough idea of what was there. What they found was a large amount of sugar maples, the best kind of tree for maple syrup.

Usually maple season is at the start of spring. The cold nights cause the sap to run down to the roots of the trees and the warmer days cause the sap to run up to the branches. After drilling a hole into the trunk the spile is used to fill collecting buckets. The more trees available means more sap to harvest. At this time he is working with roughly 100 taps.

He works with roughly 80 gallons of sap at a time. This sounds like quite a bit, until you realize the trade off is roughly 40 to 1. It takes at least 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. So far this year with how the weather has hovered around freezing, he has been able to do two batches already.

From the collecting buckets he pours the sap into large plastic trash cans. It has been cold enough recently for some of the sap to freeze. Or at least for the water portion of the sap to freeze, sugar doesn't freeze. This can make some of the work easier as you can pull the ice out instead of having to boil out the water.

The sap is boiled over wood fire to remove most of the water. After it reaches a small enough level he pours it into smaller pots to boil over his kitchen stove. Granted the process takes quite a while (roughly 10 to 13 hours) it doesn't require full time involvement. As it boils down you can spend your time working on other projects while being mindful of your fire and ensuring that everything is going as it should be.

The process that he uses adds smoke to the syrup giving it a unique flavor profile that you won't find in anything store bought.

While he has some working in the boiler he has more sitting in pots getting warm so he doesn't have to wait for it to come to a boil. Time savers are very important in this lengthy process.

Aside from just being great on pancakes, this is a great addition to brews like cider or even various beers. It brings a flavor that you won't find anywhere else.

Time for a pint...

Questions of Note: Cori Paige

2013-02-08T21:49:00.000-05:00

Stolen from their site

This weeks QoN is with Cori Paige from Under My Host. What is Under My Host you ask? In their words, "At Under My Host we drink, talk & learn about boutique wines, craft beers, and small batch/artisanal spirits with the winemakers, brewmasters and distillers who make them. We're not the experts - they are!"

As the host of the podcast Cori Paige has the rough job of wrangling their guest in and getting them to talk about something we all love (rough job of course). Recent guests of the show have included Ska Brewing, 21st Amendment Brewing, and Los Pilares Wines. But before you run off to check them out, lets spend some time with Cori with this weeks questions.

5 Questions of note and 1 lame one

1. What was the beer moment, when you knew you wanted to become involved with the craft beer renaissance?

I was immediately hooked, but it was years before I turned my passion for small production alcohol into Under My Host.

2. If you could have any drink in your hand right now, what would it be?

We recently did a show with Florian Kuplent, brewer of Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, and I am still craving more of his DAFT (barrel aged barley wine).

3. Can you describe your beer life in a song lyric/title? If so what would you choose?

Personally:

Wasn't she a beer drinkin' woman?

Don't cha know, man, don't cha know?

She was a beer drinkin' woman

And I don't want to see her nor more. - Memphis Slim

Under My Host:

The Underdog - Spoon

4. Do you have a steady beer, or do you like to "play the field?"

For many years I drank Trappist beer almost exclusively, and then I saw the light. The "field" is a lot more fun!

5. Crowded smoky bar or back porch watching the clouds float across the sky?

Back porch... preferably with (at least) one good friend.

And the lame one…

If tin whistles are made of tin, what do they make foghorns out of?

Rush Limbaugh's rear or gob. I can almost never tell which end is which.

Time for a pint...

Styles: Sours

2013-02-07T21:26:00.000-05:00

I mentioned recently that I will be doing a monthly study of beer styles, a featured style every month. The way I will be approaching this is I will start with a post that talks about the style so we have a frame of referrence as we work our way through the month (from a technical aspect you can expect to find style articles on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Though there will be other articles mixed in those days based on what is happening in the beer world). The style we are focused on for the month of February is Sours.

The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) lists sour beers as style number 17 in their guidelines. Within this category there are 6 sub styles. Before we get into that too much lets examine what it is we are looking at when you talk about the style sheets.

The BJCP style guide was created as a frame of referrence for not only professional brewers but also for ameteur competition brewers. With defenite paramators in place it is possible to objectively evaluate beers and score them to how they meet the criteria of the style. For the most part these guidelines are not going to tell you if a beer is good or not (that is a subjective appraisal). What they will tell you is how close to the style the brewer was able to brew their beer. Technical merit is very important in competition.

Now the substyles for 17 sour beer follow:

17A Berliner Weisse: This is a sour beer originating in Berlin Germany. The fact that it is a weisse lets you know that wheat is involved in the grain bill for this beer. Like many of the beers in this category there should be little to no hop aroma or flavor present. Napolean has been quoted for calling this the Champagne of the north as it is highly effervescent.

When served it is commonly flavored with a fruit syrup or with woodruff (making it flourescent green). The fruit addition is allowed per the Rheinheitsgebot because the flavoring is added to the finished beer instead of during the brewing process.

17B Flanders Red Ale: Originating in West Flanders (the most famous from the Rodenbach brewery). This is a reddish ale that is fruit flavor (from the process not from actual fruit flavorings) forward with a mild malt back bone. Based on the beers age it can be mildly acidic to intensely acidic (picture the difference between a gummy worm and a war head sour candy). Again there will be little to no hop aroma or flavor.

This is a medium bodied beer with low to medium carbonation. There can be a sweet finish but not always.

17C Flanders Brown Ale/ Oud Brown: Another sour from Flanders. This beer tends to be a bit darker than the red ale and less acidic. You will find a much richer malt character with a fruit back bone. Fruit notes can include figs, dates, black cherries and prunes. But also expect the toffee and caramel notes you would expect from an English brown as well.

The body is generally medium to medium full with low to moderate carbonation.

17D Straight unblended Lambic: With this we move into the pride of Belgium. Lambics are spontaneously fermented beers. These beers can take anywhere from 1 to 3 years to mature, the microbes that ferment these beers tend to be slow workers. A typical lambic is mixed at a seperate facility outside of the original brewery. Straight lambics carry a house character of the originating brewery as they are not blended with any other beers. These beers will be sour/acidic but this will lessen as they age.

Hops as used in lambics tend to be older hops with no ability to add aroma or flavor to the beer. They are used almost exclusively for their stabilizing ability. They will have a light to light medium mouthfeel with almost no carbonation.

17E Gueuze: This is a blended lambic usually a blend of young to old lambics creating a more complex flavor than you would find in the unblended. Again this is a spontaneously fermented beer. With a gueuze you have the opportunity to taste the skills of the blending house in creating a well balanced yet complex beer. They will be acidic/sour. Flavors stemming from the characteristics of the bacteria used in the process will come forward more.

These are still light to light medium bodied but they tend to also be highly carbonated.

17F Fruit Lambic: In the brewing process fruit is added to bring out a more complex beer. These tend to carry flavors similar to wines. And still this is a spontaneously fermented beer. It has been more common now to add fruit flavoring after the brewing process to sweeten the finished beer.

It wasn't that long ago that this was the first introduction most would have to the world of sour beers. The typical one would have been a Lindeman's Framboise. As we have become more accustomed to the vast array of flavors possible in beer and the world of sours we are finding bigger and bolder offerings available.

This list isn't the all inclusive list of what is happening in the world of sours today. Knowing the spirit of experimentation that is common with brewers, the BJCP also has category 23 Specialty Beers. This category leaves it open to interpretation as to how it is possible to make variations on a beer category that take a beer a bit outside its normal designation. We will look at some of this variation as we progress through the month.

Time for a pint...