Beer Diary...

3 More Easy Homebrewing Tricks

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:01:00 +0000

As I continue to homebrew, I discover and perfect techniques that make the process easier, more effective and/or more efficient. Often, simple modification in my equipment or in my brewing procedures at first appear small and inconsequential but are in fact significant in terms of making the brewing day more enjoyable. Today I want to go over three more tricks that I use on a regular basis.

Back in March I listed here some homebrew tricks (go here) to save time and money and those are worth returning to as you review these new items.

As the cooler winter months approach and the temperatures in the area where my fermenters sit (in this case my garage) get cooler, I have found a simple way to keep the fermenting beer from dropping down into the range (below 60f.) that prevents my ale yeasts from performing properly. There is nothing scientific about this technique and it requires some vigilance on my part but it is well worth the effort.

1.) I take an inexpensive, clamp-on utility lamp with a 60w. bulb and place it near the fermenter. This heat source is enough to keep the chill at bay. I will initially moniter the temperature and modify the amount of heat that I apply by moving the lamp closer or further away depending on the amount required. Be careful because you can very quickly over heat using this technique. Once I have the perfect distance/temperature ratio in place I can rest through the night knowing that the cold will not be a factor and the yeast will continue to do their job.

I really enjoy a hoppy ale and in my attempts to brew them I use multiple additions of hops throughout the boil, sometimes dropping as many as five bags of hops into the kettle. Each bag will be added at different time intervals depending on the desired bitterness, flavor or hop aroma. In my preparation for the brew day I measure out and bag all of the hops in advance and stack them in order of first to last additions, to make it easier on myself. Unfortunately, sometimes the bags will get mixed up in the action of brewing. This next trick is something that dawned on me far later than I would have liked. It takes the guess work out of which hops are in which bag.

2.) The nylon or cotton hop bags have draw strings hemmed into the top to tie off the opening and prevent the hops from spilling out into the boiling wort. Rather than try to keep track of which bag to add next by stacking them in order or measuring out the hops as I need them, I will number the bags. I have found that the draw strings are usually long enough to tie 'indicator' knots into them for identifying the bag to be added next. One knot is tied on the string of the first bag to go in the pot. Two knots on the bag string of the second addition, three knots on the third and so on. Now I have a set of hop bags with each one identified with knots.

Lastly, I usually keg my beer but sometimes I want to fill several bottles in order to set aside and condition with priming sugar. These would be beers that I can stash and forget about and let age or submit for contests long after the kegged portion has been drunk. The trick?

3.) Carbonation drops. The simple part here is that as you are racking your beer from the fermenter to the kegs you can easily divert some into sanitized bottles, pop in a carbonation drop and cap. No need for calculating or preparing bottling sugar and you can do as many or as few as you want. These sugar pills are a little expensive but in a pinch it's worth having a bag of them around and you can get them in the less expensive generic version. Now, I can put those beer aside for the future.

I think these ideas will serve you well and I'll keep my eyes peeled for more in my brewery in the future. Others can benefit from your ideas, what tricks do you use in your home brewery? Leave a comment.

Rogue Shakespeare Stout

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:41:00 +0000

My buddy Chris Mc. generously brought over a Rogue Ale's Shakespeare Stout for sampling. The sad part of the story is that Chris had to leave for Washington before we had a chance to share. The happy part of the story is that I didn't have to share. A bitter sweet story kind of like the beer.

Stout gone Rogue

This is a serious American stout with a claimed 77 ibu's to balance the thick malty flavors packed into the 22 oz. bottle. Words that come to mind while drinking this stout are thick and full with flavors of molasses, coffee, tobacco and oak, dry fruits like prune and raisin that linger leaving a sweetness on the palate that is lightly cloying with a bitter sweetness of toffee. It's an imperial like beer in that the flavors are large and bold.

The alcohol content is not stated on the label but the original gravity is 15 plato (1.060), and seems to have finished with some residual sugar or in other words it's not dry at all. So I would make the assumption that the abv is around 6%.

A very enjoyable beer and it's easy to drink a bomber in one sitting.

Brew Fest At The Rio Cafe

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:23:00 +0000

Some brave California souls ventured out into the intimidating Aptos fog today to attend the 2nd annual Oktoberfest at the Rio Cafe. On hand to serve beer were a couple of the local Santa Cruz favorites, Uncommon Brewers and Ale Works.

Uncommon Brewers pleases with pints.

The Ale Works pouring the love.

Uncommon Brewers was serving up their Siamese Twin, Golden State Ale and Baltic Porter to an appreciative crowd while the Ale Works had on tap their classic examples of an American hefeweizen, pale ale, stout and a great IPA.

A few yards down the street were the new kids on the block, Corralitos Brewing Company who was serving no less than 10 different beer on tap including a hefeweizen, Belgian golden, stout, helles, oktoberfest, IPA, IIPA, kolsch, smoked porter and a red ale. I was particularly

impressed with the IIPA with its ample hop flavor and bitterness supported by a big malty backbone. A couple of the brewers, Luke Taylor (no relation) and Michael Smith were on hand to explain to the crowd the differences in the beers as they poured samples from a massive wall of taps. This is a new start up brewery for our area and from the examples on tap today, are showing great promise for the future. I'm looking forward to quaffing a few pints of their ales when they get their operation up to full production early next year. Head brewer Luke Taylor expects to supply his artisans brews to the locals sometime early spring of next year. 2010 is shaping up to be a great year for craft beer in Santa Cruz county. I hope to do a more in depth review of Corralitos Brewing Company in the future with an interview with head brewer Luke Taylor. Stay tuned.

Homebrew Emotions

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:33:00 +0000

Moving is making me sad. Packing up all my stuff again to put into storage means I have to repeat the experience of nostalgia that always comes as I go through some of my more personal items. We'll be heading off to Mexico again for the winter and I can't shake the regret of leaving behind my lovely things not to mention my precious brewing equipment. It gets packed and stored with everything else into the diminishing care and accumulating dust of the 10x12 storage unit.

As I get ready to put my electric guitar in a box I can't help but sling it over my shoulder and start playing off key lead parts to the Coldplay song that pitches out of my stereo. I only stop when I discover it's out of tune and I'm too depressed to fix it. I place it gently in the box and tape the opening closed, all the while getting that 'Christmas is coming to California' sensation as the warm rain falls gently outside the window. Now Norah Jones is singing 'Come away with me' but I don't want to go, not now. I want my selfish desires to come to me, gift wrapped and without atonement.

But this sense of loss is an acceptable if not disagreeable part of the process for the life I have chosen, because there is not enough Mexico here in this quiet, neatly trimmed and well stocked California suburb. Yes, below the current of my present melancholy is the memory of the dry and noisy air of San Miguel and the prospects for brewing like a renegade again. Creating beer related events based on cerveza made with the local ingredients. And this year I'm encouraged with the benefit of knowing the locations in Mexico that provide the essential ingredient, malt. No need to fill most of my luggage with dry malt extract, I can use that space for other brewing ingredients and equipment.

My personal possessions will be packed relatively quickly because some of it hasn't been unpack after my return trip from Mexico last year. I won't pack up my brewing stuff until just before we leave because I have a class to teach next week for one and also, I want to brew twenty gallons of strong Belgian ales to put in the kegerator to lager while I'm gone. Now, as I consider the task ahead of me and the feelings it invokes, I realize that they will pass as quickly as they came followed by the newness of the freedom and possibility of life in Mexico, two things that challenge my sense of safety and comfort found here in the familiar. I'm beginning to recognize this pattern as I begin my third year of heading south for the winter. But recognition does not displace the emotion as much as reinforce, and I am left to let it run its course through me.

If I recall correctly from the last couple years, this current state of mind is coupled with the dread and fascination that comes with what seems like unlimited possibilities, and exhilaration that can only exist alongside a sense of danger. It reminds me of the time when I was a young boy living in rural California. I was perched on the top strand of a barbed wire fence. One hand grasping a split rail fence post while extending the other out into a thicket of blackberry bushes just beyond my reach, trying to pick the dark full fruit. The wire began to sway under my feet and I tried to save myself from the fall by grabbing the wire and jumping back. My hand snagged on one of the barbs on the way down and ripped the flesh from the joint at my index finger and began to bleed profusely. I looked at the wound confused before panic set in. As I desperately ran home along the path that followed the fence I stopped dead in my tracks when I came across a stripped snake sunning itself on the dirt directly in front of me. I was captivated by the beauty of the creature, its scaled skin gleaming, reflecting the late summer sun and I felt the warm earthy breeze. I immediately forgot about my bloody wound dripping into my shirt.

Storing Hops

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

In my preparation for returning to San Miguel De Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico I am gathering some special brewing equipment and materials to take with me. These are items that are difficult or expensive to get down there.

One item that is particularly difficult to get are hops. You can buy them from a couple of homebrew stores like Homebrewing Mexico and Fermentando but their prices are ridiculously high. So, today I spent some time packaging hop pellets for the trip. I have a FoodSaver V2040 food packaging system that is perfect for my task. I buy my hop pellets by the pound from Hops Direct so first I needed to break those down into manageable 4oz. increments, (Hops Direct ships in a foil package that would probably be picked up on the airport scanner as my suitcase is going through so I don't want to use the original packaging). In any case, 4oz. should fit in a legal sized envelope for mailing and lay flat in my baggage without attracting too much attention.

Weighing out the hops

Cut the bags to size and seal one end

Fill the bag with hops and lay open end across the vacuum sealer

The FoodSaver draws the air out of the bag and then seals the other end

Compact packaging

I'm concerned about taking plant material like hops into the country and getting through customs. The last time down I got the red light. Standing in the line watching the people ahead of me I calculated my odds of having my bag searched. I figured a high probability of having to open my case, exposing all my contraband in the form of a variety of different degrees of roasted malted barley.

As it happened I was searched and the grains appeared highly suspect (not to mention bundles of dry malt extract). I pleaded that I be allowed to enter the country with them and soon a supervisor was brought into the equation. He smelled and tasted the grains and concluded that since they were 'toastado' that I could keep them. Well, they may not be as generous if they see vacuum sealed packs of what looks like illegal vegetable matter. So I have a back-up plan, I will place half of the hops in legal sized manila envelopes and mail them down to my p.o. box before I leave the States, thus avoiding the high surcharge or duty on packages entering Mexico and hopefully bypassing any serious inspections. I will plan to mail six envelopes each containing four ounces of hop pellets and take as much in my luggage. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Until then, I'll keep them in the freezer.

Hops ready for the trip

Class Finals At Brew School

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:53:00 +0000

This last Sunday, I ended another great series of homebrewing classes for the Brew School conducted at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California. We had a potluck and homebrew pairing to celebrate. We enjoyed the Hefeweizen, American pale ale and the Dry stout that we brewed during the early classes in this intensive course on homebrewing. And the consensus was that the quality of the beers were in the 6 or 7 range on a scale of 1-10. The judges may have been biased. Additionally, the students brought in food that they thought would go well with the beers and most of the dishes were home made and delicious. One student brought in an exceptional plate of brownies that were made with Guinness stout.

Class of Fall 2009

Most of the students are trying out the lessons learned at school in their own homes and several already have beer in the fermenters or bottles. I look forward to sampling some of these new beers.

In the mean time, I will take the lessons that I learned in teaching this class and put them to use in future classes. I have some revisions to make to the program and also some minor changes to the recipes since we modified them (for the better) in the field as we brewed them. I'm also looking forward to teaching in Mexico and am making preparations to fly down in mid November. Can't wait to get started. If you live in Mexico near San Miguel De Allende, or you're in the state of Guanajuato, contact me to share a homebrew and find out what my Brew School schedule will be while I'm there.

Stone Vertical Epic Ale

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:54:00 +0000

I was in the neighborhood of the Shoppers Corner market and took a look at their selection of beers just for the hell of it when I came across a bottle of Vertical Epic Ale. Stone Brewing Company the makers of 'Arrogant Bastard' in Escondido, California is responsible for this beer. I haven't seen this in any of the other local grocery stores so I picked up a bottle to sample. First I'll tell you my experience with this beer but you can hear all about it directly from the brewer Lee Chase at Stone by clicking on the video at their site.

This is a Belgian style Wit beer with plenty of yeast induced phenols along with peppery spiciness, coriander, juicy fruit gum, sweet orange, light caramel,a hint of alcohol and a lingering bitterness. Moderately carbonated, the head on this beer is small and dissipates rapidly. I fairly enjoyed this beer although from the website I discovered that it is best after aging for several years. In fact the whole premise behind this beer is that you purchase some from its limited release each year so that in the year 2012 you will have 10 samples (one per year) of each to compare. Hence the name 'vertical'.

I didn't know these rules at the time I bought and drank it but it was tasty non the less. I hope I don't get into trouble. I don't really have the capacity to save any beer that long anyway. I do have an Imperial Russian Stout that I kegged in May of 2009 and am hoping to save it until March when I get back from Mexico. But that is a rare circumstance and the needed disciple doesn't invoke in me any particular pride.

If you've tried Vertical Epic tell us about it in the comments.

Beer And Meat Diet

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:05:00 +0000

For all those familiar with my now famous 'beer and popcorn diet', that I developed for reducing increased weight due to the consumption of vast quantities of home brewed beer, you will be pleased to know that I have developed a new and improved diet that is vastly more effective on a number of levels and satisfactorily replaces the 'beer and popcorn diet'.

Introducing the new 'Beer and Meat Diet'.

I have found this new diet to be superior in that it provides the important vitamin, mineral and energy that the popcorn lacked. If you are still on the 'beer and popcorn diet', I apologize for this inconvenient and unexpected announcement, but I think you will find that the 'beer and meat diet' is more effective for reducing the unwanted pounds associated with homebrew consumption. Like the 'beer and popcorn diet' plan, do not consume any calories from carbohydrates other than those provided in your beer consumption. That's right, just eat a moderate portion of meat only for each meal and your normal intake of homebrewed beer. It's that simple. Watch the pounds melt away as you wash down that Tri-tip steak with a pint of pale ale. I've found that half a pound of bacon and a juice glass full of stout for breakfast make for a great start to any day. Caution: an unfortunate side effect of this new diet plan is an increase in the amount of dirty dishes that need to be washed.

At this point you may be asking yourself, "what about exercise? Would that help in any way?" I can't help but laugh when I hear people say that. Sure you could exercise if you want an early death, I'm just kidding. But seriously, I wouldn't recommend it if you're fairly old. Science has proven that a sudden burst of unexpected exercise brought on by health concerns in older men can dislodge plaque or something from your blood veins that will shoot to your brain or heart killing you instantly. I wouldn't even consider exercise of any sort if you're over fifty. But, that's just me, risk it if you feel lucky. In any case, what would be helpful is the following information to calculate the amount of calories that are in your beer.

Credit is given to Peter A. Ensminger. Condensed from the Home Brew Digest website. The number of calories in beer, all of which come from alcohol and carbohydrates, can be estimated from measurements of specific gravity before and after fermentation. The ASBC ["Caloric Content, Beer-33" in: American Society of Brewing Chemists, 1992, Methods of Analysis of the ASBC. American Society of Brewing Chemists; Homebrew Digest 800-9] gives a formula for calculating calories in beer: cal per 12 oz beer = [(6.9 × ABW) + 4.0 × (RE - 0.1)] × FG × 3.55 The first item in brackets gives the caloric contribution of ethanol, which is determined from the ABW and the known value of 6.9 cal/g of ethanol. The second item in brackets gives the caloric contribution of carbohydrates, which is determined from the *RE (see eq. 2) and the known value of 4.0 cal/g for carbohydrates. An empirically-derived constant (0.1) accounts for the ash portion of the extract. Together, these terms give the calories per 100 g beer. This is easily converted to calories per 100 ml beer by accounting for the final gravity (FG, in (g beer)/(ml beer)). In turn, 100 ml is converted to 12 oz by a scalar (3.55, in (100ml/12 oz)).

Example: The original gravity of a wort is 1.070 and the final gravity of the resulting beer is 1.015. How many calories in a 12 oz bottle?

cal per 12 oz beer = [(6.9 × 5.72) + 4.0 × (6.21 - 0.1)] × 1.015 × 3.55 = 230 divide 230 by 12 and then multiply by 16 will give your calories in a pint or 307 (rounded up).

* 2. Real ExtractEthanol has a density of 0.79 g/ml at 20 °C, so its presence in beer, along with the loss of sugars due to fermentation, also reduces the specific gravity of beer relative to wort. The "Real Extract" (RE, in °P) is a measure of the sugars which are fermented and accounts for the density lowering effects of alcohol. The Real Extract is calculated from the initial and final densities (in °P) and an old empirically derived formula from Karl Balling [see Homebrew Digest 880-9]: (2) RE = (0.1808 × °Pi) + (0.8192 × °Pf) Example: The specific gravity of a wort is 1.070 and that of the resulting beer is 1.015 (measured at 20 °C). What is the Real Extract?According to eq. 2RE = (0.1808 × 17.06) + (0.8192 × 3.82) = 6.21 °P

Comment if you can read the fine print.

GABF Pre-Prohibition lager

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:58:00 +0000

While wondering around the convention center watching the crowd move about in beer induced euphoria, I was intrigued by the fact that a relatively large line was forming around the Coors booth. "What the..?", I asked out loud to no one.

With all the exciting, amazing, unique, and mostly delicious varieties of beers available from every state in the Union, why would anyone choose to queue up for a mainstream light American lager that you can get at safeway or 7-11 anytime of the day or night? Well, I had to ask.

Super cold draft?

The answer I got back from a genuinely sincere (if not a little defensive) woman in line was, "...it's just what I want right now."

"O.K. I get it." Was my response. "For you it's the right beer at the right time. I can't argue with that." Although I desperately wanted to. But I wasn't here to point out the great opportunity to experience a hard to find American lager produced by a micro brewery. I was simply observing and willing to accept the the choices people make.

But there had to be more going on here and I dug a little deeper. I asked an attendant who was pouring beer from the slopes of the two story cardboard cut-out backdrop of the snow covered Rocky Mountains, with the Coors name shaved into the simulated snowy peaks.

"Do you have anything special on tap, here at the festival?"

He did. He poured a sample from his pitcher and said it was their Pre-Prohibition lager. This caught my interest and I started to ask a question about it when he pointed to a nearby group of men and suggested I take it up with the brewer. Perfect.

I approached and asked if one of them was the Coors brewer and a couple of them said they were.

Coors Brewers Dave Thomas and Kent Richou

I had a brief conversation with retired Coors brewer Dave Thomas and the current Coors pilot program brewer Kent Richou(sp?) about the Pre-Prohibition lager that was being dispensed. "That's an original Coors recipe. That's what Coors tasted like in 1913." Kent told me with some pride about this pilot program batch. Apparently Kent went back into the Coors archives and found the records to reproduce this beer exactly as it was brewed back then, with a couple of differences. They weren't able to use the same hops.

Kent said, "because nobody grows the same kind of hops then like they do now, so I had to substitute the hops that are in it." He continued, "I think I used New Zealand Saaz, hallertaur... I don't have my list on me." I asked Kent about adjuncts and he said that Coors uses corn but back then it was rice. So They needed to do a cereal mash with rice for this recipe and it comprises about 20% of the grist.

This beer, although still a very light lager has a fuller mouthfeel and higher bitterness than the Coors Banquet. With 25 ibu's it's has about twice the ibu's of the regular Coors.

Comment if you know if I spelled Kent's last name correctly.

Homebrew With Balls

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:45:00 +0000

I came across this as I was leaving the Great American Beer Festival on its final day. It was early Saturday and the throngs had not fully arrived yet so I was able to easily navigate my way past the different vendor booths.

My attention was drawn to the BrewBalls display, which at first I thought it was a gimmick until closer inspection when my thoughts were confirmed. Tom Merline, the representative for BrewBalls was on hand to deflect my suspicions and tried earnestly to stifle my laughter and finger pointing. He's a nice guy and very sincere about the value of his product but still, it was difficult not to tease him.

The idea behind BrewBalls is that as the beer ferments in your carboy, the different density balls sink as the malt sugars are converted to alcohol. This gives you clear evidence that the beer is fermenting properly as you peer through the carboy and observe the sinking balls. Each ball is labeled to indicate the sugar gravity without you having to take a hydrometer sample. The benefit? According to Tom, primarily the prevention of any airborne vectors slipping into the top of your carboy while the stopper is removed, (possibly contaminating the batch) while taking samples for instance. Additionally, it's just plain fun to watch. Based on a survey I did here recently, this makes sense. The survey questioned why as a brewer you use a glass carboy. The largest percentage of responses was "the ability to watch the fermentation process". So, I guess BrewBalls would satisfy many brewers that enjoy that aspect of brewing beer at home. Would you utilize BrewBalls? Leave a comment.

GABF Day Two

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:28:00 +0000

I started to write out my activities from 'Day Two' of the GABF when I realized that I was summarizing a lot of my experience in order to cram it all into a single post, and at the same time, boring myself to death. The amount of self editing that I was doing was necessary because of the scope of my activities and at the same time was limiting my ability to adequately express my experience. This bothered me and so I thought that I would briefly summarize it here and go into more detail in future posts in an attempt to focus on individual events that seemed relevant to this blog and personally interesting. So, in this vain here is the summary part.

After waking early with an intestinal reaction that I believe was caused by some of the homebrewed sour beers I sampled the night before at the KROK gathering, I headed downtown to check out the Great Divide Brewery and meet up with a couple of fellow Zymurgeeks and Jason, the head brewer for Seabright Brewing Company of Santa Cruz for beer samples and to tour the brewery.
We went to Breckenridge for a quick lunch and I had the 2220 red ale which is nicely balanced and quenching. Some friends/homebrewers from Santa Cruz stopped by to visit before we left.
Later in the day I trekked back up to the Cheeky Monk to sample some Belgians. I joined a table of marketers to chat with the old brewer of Achouffe and also the president of Duvel/Ommegang in N.Y. Simon Thorpe, before rolling back down to the festival.
At the festival I was invited to attend the 'Farm To Table' event that paired local food prepared by the Culinary School of the Rockies with a few breweries including Deschutes. I tried the Pork Cheek with a sour red ale from Deschutes that was a perfect match.
Next, back into the mosh pit of beer tasting before again hooking up with friends at the Hyatt for a relaxed pint or two.
Then we swaggered up to the Marriott basement and attended a VIP event to partake of some of the left over beers that were entered into the competition but didn't get opened. We rubbed elbows with some of the GABF brewers while sampling the remaining competition beers and eating pizza.
Finally I caught a taxi back to my hotel for some much needed rest before my final day in Denver.

As I read back over what I just wrote I amaze myself that I was able to carry out this feat considering the entire day and night were fueled with a steady stream of beer, and somewhere in that flurry of inebriated activity are some tales worthy of telling. I'll fill you in. How was your time at the fest? Leave a comment.

GABF Day One

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:59:00 +0000

I only have one word to describe my first day at the Great American Beer Festival 'overwhelming' no; 'audacious', wait, no, it's more like 'scary big'. I walked into what can only be described as pandemonium or just shy of chaos after picking up my press pass and "swag bag". Entering was effortless after getting my press pass, I got into the auditorium through special press pass access doors which avoided the ginormous general admission line that snaked from the front door and around the block. At first, I took in the vastness of the festival. Half a dozen endless lines of back to back beer booths that ran the length of a football field filled the convention center.

Soon, a mob of thirsty beer enthusiast came rushing in and fill the arena to capacity. Pretzel necklaces hung neatly from their parched throats. As the crowd pressed past I managed to sample some beers as I spun in circles, dizzy from the vast prospects that surrounded me. A chance to partake in specialty beers from breweries located all over the U.S. Most I would not get to try on the west coast. But I wanted to pace myself. This first day was for me, about taking in the feel of the event and gaining some equilibrium, get a 'lay of the land' so to speak, and that is what I did. I got a feel for where I want to focus my tastings and what not to spend a lot of energy with tomorrow. I want to target the East coast beers and compare their take on hop flavor compared to what I'm used to in the West.

In the mean time, I tasted my way around the 'Pro-am' table which was serving beers developed by homebrewers and brewed by professionals and landed on a Creme Ale that I judged as the best of the bunch. We'll see who takes first place later on when the actual judges give their opinion.

Later in the evening I ran up the street to the Marriott City Center to see what was happening with KROK (Keg Ran Out Club), the local homebrew club that puts on (this is their 15th year) an educational event in concert with the GABF and who's contributions benefit the Childrens Hospital of Denver. I sampled some homebrew and listened to the guest speaker Michelob brewmaster Adam Goodson.

I ended the evening just on time to miss my shuttle ride back to the Ramada but felt no pain and caught a cab instead. Although I will say that the shuttle driver for Ramada does have an attitude problem, or is just sad/angry and expresses it on her hapless fares. Anyway, I'm writing this post from the Irish pub across the street from my hotel and have to say that they are taking good care of me by filling my thirst and lubricating my rusty writing abilities with Guinness.

Traveling to GABF

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:51:00 +0000

I'm sitting in the San Jose airport waiting on my flight to Denver. I'm heading off to experience for the first time, the Great American Beer Festival. I'll be there for three days of beer tasting and attending some special beer related functions like the 'Farm to Table event and a Samuel Adams Brewery presentation. My plan is to post often and try to capture the excitement of the largest beer festival in the States. Look for daily posts with pictures of the event.If you are in attendance, I'll see you there. I'll be the one with the kielbasa necklace.

Better Than Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:00:00 +0000

I like to make sure that a part of my personal beer inventory is five or ten gallons of my American pale ale. I've tweaked this recipe into submission over the years and am satisfied with brewing it the same with each batch now. I am not apposed to using alternate hops, depending on what I have in stock at the time brew day arrives but I will try to stick with the type that have the characteristic citrus flavor and aroma like Cascade, Centennial and Sorachi Ace. This recipe has a round malt character and full mouth feel with a mid to high balance of bitterness to malt ratio that suits my palate and has a moderate enough alcohol level so that I can comfortably enjoy several pints and still be able to beat Susan at cribbage. Enjoy.

Trout Gulch Pale Ale

10 gal. all-grain (after boil volume is 10.5 gal.)
efficiency - 80%
attenuation - 80%
abv - 6%
srm - 12
IBU's - 36
O.G. - 1.056
F.G. - 1.010

Mash in 150f. for 60 min. with

19 lb. 2-row
1 lb. aromatic
1 lb. carapils
8 oz. Crystal #60

Boil for 60 min. with

1.25 oz. Sorachi Ace @ 11aa - 60min. (27 ibu's)
1.5 oz. Cascade @ 7 aa - 15min. (9 ibu's) include fining's here\
1 oz. cascade @ 7aa - 1 min (- ibu's)

Pitch 2 pkgs of US-05 dry ale yeast and ferment to completion at 65f.

Do you have a standard pale ale recipe? Leave a comment.

What It Feels Like When...

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:41:00 +0000

My yeast isn't working! I look into the open fermenter and see a flat plane of dark liquid reflecting my disappointed image back up to me. What have I done wrong? My thoughts oscillate between this brewing mystery, and my concern of the increasing possibility of infection.

It's been 24 hours since I pitched the yeast and I've got nothing to show for it. Nada. I review my steps leading up to pitching the yeast and I find nothing wrong. The wort was cool and aerated, I used Whitelabs liquid yeast that had an expiration date that told me it was fresh. My mind scans for possible reasons that this batch lacks even the remotest signs of activity. Not even a single cluster of loosely assembled bubbles, gathering to tell me all is not lost. I notice that I'm breathing heavily into my fermenter and so step back quickly pulling the cover back over it to prevent any possible microbial laden vectors from dropping in out of the kitchen air like bomb laden drones bent on destruction. Without active fermentation I fear the next phase is contamination of the worst dimension.

What am I missing here? My process was impeccable and sanitation undeniably cautious but was it enough to keep my beer safe from infection during this lag period? Part of my concern lies in the fact that I pitched two tubes of yeast to guarantee a quick start-up to the fermentation process and yet here it is 24 hours later and not a bit of anything occurring.

"I have no choice." I think out loud. I must act quickly." At which point I jump in my car and speed off to my local homebrew store to purchase two more vials of yeast, concluding that I must have gotten some dead yeast. The frantic look in my eyes alerts the store clerk to my desperation, but I don't explain, I know as much as he does about this obsession I call a hobby and so I, don't solicit any solutions. Besides, I don't have time to stand around yakking, not at this threat level. I dash back home and immediately pitch the additional yeast after warming the tubes by tucking them under my arm pits for awhile. "Should I have been more patient?" "Yes." I answer my own question. But I don't listen to the voice of experience, I react to that worried part of my mind that says, "all is lost if you don't do something quick!"

Two hours later... The beginnings of a nice krausen is forming over the top of the beer and I smile with relief. Of course the freshly pitched yeast has nothing to do with this miraculous growth spurt. I just needed to give my first attempt that little more time that it needed, but I couldn't wait. I knew better but I had to be sure. I had make the extra effort, if not for the actual effect, then to ease my mind of the due diligence that being a homebrewer demands of me. I have to believe that disaster was diverted because of my devoted behavior, whether true or not. Now, I can rest easy tonight knowing all things are right with my latest batch of hefeweizen.

Rest? I wish, seven hours later and it's 3am. I can't sleep. I've gone to the garage to check the fermentation temperature. Am I alone here? Leave a comment.

First Day Of Brew School

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:17:00 +0000

We're off and running in the fall series of homebrewing classes at Cabrillo College and ten gallons of beer is now quietly fermenting, the fruit of our labors today. The class brewed a German hefeweizen and an American pale ale without any problems.

I was struggled a little to keep the brewing process progressing and teaching the students at the same time. I go off script sometimes, loosing track of the points I want to make. It didn't help that I had sampled a lot of homebrew at the Santa Cruz County Fair homebrew contest the day before (took home a 'best of flight' for my Imperial Stout). The worst mistake was that I also forgot to add clarifying agents to the pale ale which could be problematic since next week the class will be bottling this beer without the secondary step, but I forgave myself quickly. My experience tells me that the beer will be completely clear after conditioning in the bottles for a couple of weeks but there is typically a larger yeast layer at the bottom of the bottle than I would prefer. In any case, this is a learning process for the students so any information that comes from the successes and failures in the class are beneficial.

In the end, I was happy that we ended up with the proper volume of wort after the boil and that we hit our target original gravities.

Next week, we brew up a partial-mash stout and bottle beer.

Peter B's Brewpub In Monterey, Ca.

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:42:00 +0000

During a recent trip to visit with my daughter Jennifer who lives in Pacific Grove, California we decided to stopped in for a light dinner and to check out the beers on tap at Peter B's brewpub in the Portola Hotel and Spa in Monterey. This is kind of a classy place located on the waterfront at the end of the main street in old Monterey, but I felt comfortable wearing my old jeans and t-shirt.

(Interesting side note- Monterey was the original capitol of California. I'm guessing that moving the government center to Sacramento was a way of preserving the pristine beauty of the Monterey Bay. Protecting it from all those non-discript square concrete buildings that seem to be the prerequisite architecture for civic structures.)

We ordered a sampler of the beers on tap and soon received an offering of seven different beers. I launched into the lightest after wrestling a lemon slice that adorned (was wedge on) the rim of the glass and tasted a pretty decent American wheat with a nice spiciness and yeast with a light body. I also sampled the Pilsner, Amber, IPA and a Dark Wheat which I expected would have the traditional Dunkel Weizen flavor profile but was like an American wheat with roasted grains. I then tried the Seven Malt Stout (my personal favorite) that was very enjoyable, a classic example of a dry stout and finally the Brown Ale.

Before leaving I got the chance to talk briefly with the brewer Andrew Wyer about the beers we sampled. Andrew has been brewing for Peter B's using the original proprietary lager yeast since the beginning. He says he has been fermenting his beers in the mid 60's temperature range using this yeast very successfully. He seemed confident of the operation he has going there and judging by how clean and shiny the brewing equipment is, I would say he is quite proud of his position as head brewer.

Monterey is a great place to visit and what makes it even better is stopping in at the local brewpub. If you get the chance I would recommend stopping in for a chance to enjoy a tall glass of Seven Malt Stout or any of the finely crafted brews that Andrew has on tap.

The Passion Of The Beer

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:53:00 +0000

Midway through conducting a beer appreciation class with a room full of eager and half drunk students, I was confident of their enthrallment with my even paced delivery as I led them through a profound and inspiring flight of ales with anecdotal stories and the historical origins that brought the beers to life. Right in the middle of giving a moving oration of the advances that yeast brought to the development of modern civilization, a student in the audience said,
"O.K., enough with the sermon, let's move on with the tasting."

At that very moment I realized that there is only so much proselytizing about beer (or anything for that matter) that people will stand for before turning and heading for the nearest exit, like I do when I hear tambourines and see a group of robed chanters heading in my direction at the mall.

I was taken aback momentarily with the comment, and reflected later on the dogma I have regarding my passion for brewing and how my personal history influences the way I relate to beer.

I grew up in a household with five brothers and two sisters. We were raised in what I would consider a traditional Catholic family, which means a mandatory and often painful trip to church every Sunday strictly enforced by my mother, and as far as the rest of the week, 'to hell with it'. We did recite a superficial and rote prayer at the dinner table each evening before the chaos of the food grab ensued, but other than that benign ritual, we didn't go much deeper into the meaning of Catholicism. It was a chore, like your week to do the dishes or pick up the dog stuff from the back lawn. You didn't deserve it but it still it had to be done. More often it felt like a punishment. The first communions, confessions and catechisms are vague memories, now that the years have erased those repetitious but sincere efforts to indoctrinate.

For the most part, what influenced my young life were the survival instincts that naturally occur in a large Catholic family of ten. Such as, who gets the last piece of chicken if passed over by dad at dinner. Avoiding the belt that hung over the back of the dining room chair that was used to dispatch inconsistent discipline. Having a moment alone in the bathroom, or getting "dibs" on the the best spot on the couch for that re-run episode of 'The Rifleman'. If you were lucky or more often quick, you grabbed the spot on one end of the couch, at the arm. That way you only had half of your body touching another person, out of the five or six of us lined up across our brown Naugahyde sofa like the oiled leather fingers of a baseball mitt. Our religious roots had little to do with deepening faith in a higher power. On the contrary, what grew over the years was a deep suspicion of and resentment towards the mandates of piety.

"As long as you live under this roof you will go to church and play by my rules," my mother used to yell at the dinner table when we groaned our complaints about the idea of church the next morning. She'd reach back to snatch the belt and shake it at us, the buckle rattling to emphasise her point. Even so, she could do nothing to stop the inevitable mutiny. She would look toward our father for support but he would simultaneously turn and look out the patio glass door as if he heard an unfamiliar noise outside that deserved more attention. He often missed the morning call for mass, and my mom blamed him for being a bad example for the rest of us. We all eventually abandoned our assumed faith, and once we left home it was all over but for mom's occasional guilt induced nagging over the phone.

That alerting moment back at the beer tasting class got me thinking about how I am drawn to the hobby of homebrewing like it's a spiritual calling. It came on naturally and grew into a fanatical approach to life, one that ultimately explains the reason for the workings of the universe. A kind of intelligent design of beer. Like a religion, it works in mysterious ways but can be the cause of alienation, pushing away long established friendships and family as the rhetoric increases with the passion.

To this day, some thirty odd years after moving out of my parents' house, when speaking on the phone from Michigan, my mom will still listen for evidence that I have returned to a faith I never possessed. She'll ask poignant questions when I complain about some mundane incident.
"Do you pray?" she'll ask. "You know it really works."
There's a pause on the line when I don't respond. The silence that comes as she listens for a clue that the Lord still lives in my heart. He doesn't really, but in an existential way I do have faith. I have faith in many things, actually. I have faith that the yeast I pitched yesterday will do their job to ferment my beer. I have faith that if I have a need for additional brewing ingredients and not a lot of money, they will be provided, not by the hand of God but because that's the way it has always worked for me. I have faith that despite all my mother's failed efforts to instill her Catholic beliefs in me that I still turned out o.k.

"Mom." I'll say quietly into the phone. "Beer is my new religion."
And from the other end of the line comes her sad reproach.
"Don't be an ass."

Bottling Alternative

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:08:00 +0000

I taught a class in extract homebrewing recently and took the opportunity to try an experiment when it was time for the bottling process. I filled several 2 litre plastic soda bottles with the beer we were bottling and screwed the caps on excessively tight.

5 gals. will fill 8.5 plastic soda bottles

My concern was that the bottles would not seal tight enough to contain the co2. Well, as it happens, the plastic bottles of beer carbonated perfectly and were ready to drink in two weeks after bottling, just like 12oz glass bottles. I was very pleased with the results which has encouraged me to move forward with my plans to use this idea while in Mexico this year.

Saving bottles can be problematic down south as all glass bottles are worth money and require a deposit, so people return them to the store where they were bought. This means that it's difficult to collect enough for re-use in beer making without having to buy and consume large quantities of light Mexican lagers(not my favorite beer although Bohemia is pretty good). Whereas the plastic bottles are everywhere and pretty cheap. I could easily afford to purchase some inexpensive soda or water, drink or dump it down the drain and reuse the bottle for my purposes.

dregs

I thought that the amount of yeast dregs (a typical condition that occurs when bottling beer with priming sugar) at the bottom of the bottles would prove to be a murky problem but after carefully serving two or three pints of beer, the yeast cake (US05)remained undisturbed at the bottom of the bottle and didn't make the beer any more cloudy than the first pint drawn off. This will make it a lot easier for me to package beer for beer/food pairings and also to transport to the restaurants.

The down side is that once you open the bottle be ready to consume it all before it looses its carbonation and have a friend or two around because a two liter bottle is a little more than four pints.

Suds On The Bay Beer Festival

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Editors Note:This is guest post writer "Mom" who gives her review of the "Suds On The Bay". Ludington, Michigans first brew festival.

If you have never been to a beer festival now is the time to put it on your "to do" list. My friend Judy and I went Saturday night to "Suds by the Shore" in Ludington, Michigan. The crowd was a bit slim due to rain and cold weather. The ones of us brave enough to attend had such a great time. Spirits were high. Everyone was friendly and anxious to compare beers and discuss the making and adding flavor to the sudsy stuff.

Mom and Judy tasting beers

There were several bands (which were very good) adding joy to the occasion and there were even a few of us ventured to dance. There were 18 vendors. Each booth was decorated to attract our attention. Judy and I started with the light beers as Mark suggested.

Schmohz Brewing: "Pale Ale" (very good) and "Amber Teas" (somewhat bitter)

Kuhnhenn Brewing: "Lunie Kuhnie" (our favorite- light) and "Michigan Amber" (not too bad)

Magic Hat Brewing: "Light Wheat" (Yummy) and "Pale Ale" (close to yummy)

Goose Island Brewing: "Erbin Wheat" (very good and light) and "Matilda Belgian Pale" (also very good)

Founders Brewing: Last tasting and we were starting to not be too sure of things. "Coffee-Chocolate" (at first not so good but it grew on me; Judy not so much) and "Spicey" (very very very good) and it had holapinia (jalapeno) peppers!

Best I can do with my notes having been written in the rain the pen didn't always print and I don't know how to spell those peppers, which I was not going to try cause I don't eat them cause they are too hot. But wanted to complete our tasting and was so glad I did . It was probably our favorite of all the beers we tasted. And I think we tasted them all. Hehehe. We met people from Grand Haven, Spring Lake, and Grand Rapids as well as some locals. Ludington, Michigan city park was a perfect location. I am already looking forward to next years festival. Was it a success? Oh yeah! And best of all the proceeds went to United Way One of my personal charities. Veronica A. Taylor

Take A Homebrew To Work Day

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:36:00 +0000

I was half way through my work day and just happen to be in close proximity to Seabright Brewery. It was a warm clear day and I was a little hungry and needed a break. I walked through the restaurant and headed directly to the patio area and had a seat at a table in the sun. I order the calamari and a pint of cream ale. When my beer came, I took a long drink and sat back to enjoy this satisfying event. I got to thinking about this mid day break and appreciating the freedom of working for myself.

Wieland's Brewery Survived the 1906 quake but brought down by prohibition

Soon my mind wandered back to the days when I worked for 'the man' in the construction industry and I recalled a time when the boss generously took several of us out to lunch. We all sat together and I scanned my menu and my eyes locked on to the beer selection. I looked over the top of the menu and gauged the others. "Would anyone dare order a beer?" Not likely, not with the boss present. The fact is, even without the boss it would be unusual that one of us would risk getting a beer. It was really looked down on, and who can you trust to break the rules when it comes to co-workers anyway? I waited on the boss to order first. If he ordered a beer, then it was as good as direct permission for the rest of us to imbibe. Unfortunately, he ordered a coke and so we followed suit accordingly. I wanted a beer with my lunch and I'm sure others in the group did as well, but it's an unwritten law (I'm assuming that it's unwritten) that there will be no beer drinking during the work day. It's not like I wanted to get drunk, just enjoy a cool reviving beverage with my well deserved break. Still, even a single pint was unacceptable and possibly cause for termination. I, like my fellow co-workers, came to accept, that it just wasn't done.

Now, sitting here at my local brewpub, taking another sip of my beer, I considered how lucky I was to be my own boss. Consistently giving myself permission to have a beer with my lunch. I thought about how it happened that the rules about beer in the work place came to be. Relatively speaking, it was not that long ago in the history of this country that the blue collar work force drank beer with their lunch. It was considered an important part of the break during a hard days work.

Gregg Smith states in his book "Beer - A history of suds and civilization from Mesopotamia to microbreweries" that "...the amounts consumed (beer) during the workday made the three-martini lunch look like a warm-up. It was a custom brought over from Europe where laborers received drink as part of their wages. It was an almost universal feeling that they could not get through their day without refreshment to 'comfortably proceed in their works.'" A ration of ale was common in the work place going into the 1700's. The problems began when the workers increasingly abused the privilege and this behavior would eventually contribute to the temperance movement that culminated in the 18th amendment or prohibition. We're all familiar with the unfortunate history of the 18th amendment(the only amendment to be repealed by the way) which made it illegal to produce or consume alcohol. A cruel imposition that didn't go over too well with the general population and eventually the 21st amendment repealed the prohibition and things went back to the way they were. Or did they?

As I sat back and basked in the glory of a cool beer on a warm afternoon, thinking about how it is that I came to regard a beer at lunch as such a fundamental right. I started my own business and had to leave the security of work in the mainstream before gaining the perspective needed to realize that I was still suffering from the strictures of social norms established hundreds of years earlier. As I reviewed my place, it seemed I had lost a privilege and I didn't even know it except as a pang of guilt when I broke the rule and secretly tossed back a cool one with my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It's a shame really. I had lost my dignity, cowering around my lunch bag, ignorant of the rights that the labor class once enjoyed. A right that was inherent and accepted as proof of our humanity.

But, I'm speaking of my personal experience. Maybe this is not true for most and that I am projecting my bias onto a work force of which I've lost touch. Is it acceptable to have a beer at lunch before returning to the tools of manual labor? Does one order a beer at the working lunch without regard to the bosses sideways glance? I don't really know now that I have been self employed for many years. What I do know is that I will have a beer at lunch and even to this day feel that there is something not quite right about having it. It's feels taboo.

In any case, for my own well being, I've decided that it is time to make a serious effort of repairing the considerable psychic damage that has occurred to me (and the working class if it applies). My desire is to reclaim a small part of the lost liberty and restore a sense of acceptability when enjoying a beer with lunch. For this reason, I have taken it upon myself to proclaim today, Monday August Twenty fourth, 2009 as 'Take A Homebrew To Work Day'.

Do you have a beer with your work lunch? Leave a comment.

Decoction Mashed Dunkelweizen

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:25:00 +0000

This is my typical Dunkelweizen recipe that I went a step further with by performing a single step decoction mash in order to improve on the malty/caramel flavor component. After tasting the first sample of this revised brew, the results of the additional efforts were evident. Improved malt flavors with a smooth creamy mouth feel. The following is the recipe and the steps I took to brew it.

This Dunkel looks lighter because of back lighting

10gals. all-grain recipe.

efficiency 77%
attenuation 78%
abv 5.3%
ibu's 25
o.g. 1.050
f.g. 1.011

8lbs. 2-row
10lbs. malted wheat
.5 lbs. crystal #60
1.5lbs. aromatic
4 oz. chocolate
1 oz. black patent
*2 tsp. gypsum in mash

mash in 5 gal. h2o @120f. for 20 min.
pull 1/3 volume of mash and heat to 160f. rest for 20 min.
next, boil this portion for 20 min.then
add back to mash tun to bring full volume of mash to 154f., let rest for 30 min.
then sparge until you have 13 gals. liquid to begin boil.

60min boil
1.5oz. hallertau @ 7aa for 45min.
1.5oz. hallertau @ 7aa for 10min.

chill to 65f. and pitch stepped up whitelabs hefe IV yeast starter and ferment until complete.
keg and refrigerate/condition for 3 weeks.

This is a great summer time beer. Nice malty character with plenty of spicy phenolic qualities.
Low in alcohol makes this a very quaffable beer.

Stumptown Beer Festival

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:35:00 +0000

In the northern California town of Guerneville, Stumptown Brewery hosted another great beer festival, the Russian River Beer Revival and BBQ Cook Off, with over 30 breweries present and as many booths dispensing BBQ ribs and chicken. The weather was hot and clear as I made my way around to many of the food booths early on to get my belly full and ready to sample the wide selection of craft beers on hand.

Here's to beer!

Wine dipped BBQ oak chips

One of the BBQ booths that stood out, roasted their meat over oak chips salvaged from a local winery. The chips were used in the conditioning of a red wine and consequently had a dry purple powder coated on the exterior, residue from the process. The chef claimed the chips imparted the flavor of the wine into the cooking meat. I tried a piece and agreed although the flavor was subtle.

The crowd

Head brewer Alec Stefansky for Uncommon Brewers (far right)

Uncommon Brewers and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing (a couple of my local breweries) were represented serving up Belgian style beers and organic beers respectively. Uncommon Brewers (dispensing from disposable plastic kegs) had a Baltic Porter that was an excellent example.

Nick Campbell, the brewmaster at Blue Frog was pouring a nice red ale and Dempsey's out of Petaluma had a dry, crisp pilsner on tap and of course, Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing was present with his obligatory 'Pliney the Elder'. Later in the day he poured a

blended sour beer that had the crowd lined up for the limited "Temptation" blond ale that was aged in oak barrels.

Publisher Tom Dolldorf spends a moment with Vinnie Cilurzo

Russian River's Sour Beer

There were other heavy hitters pouring including Bear Republic,Ruth McGowan's, 21st Amendment and Anderson Valley, to name a few. But the brewery that stood in the limelight for me was Speakeasy with their 'Black IPA'. This is an exceptionally tasty west coast style IPA with roasted grain giving the beer the appearance of a porter. I was so impressed with this beer that I had to approach the brewer John Gillooly to ask for the recipe. He was kind enough to give me his email and said he would help me out with reproducing this beer on a homebrew scale. My plan is to brew this at the local county fair where our homebrew club will brew each night of the fair. The day ended too soon but the beer was effecting mysense of purpose so after almost spilling a sample of IPA on Tom Dolldorf's fancy looking camera, I knew it was time to take my leave. We headed back down the central valley towards the smoke ladened hills of Santa Cruz where the wild fires continued to burn out of control.

Ruth McGowan head brewer Glen Uber serves up a 'Monster Brown'

Anderson Valley Brewing serving cans of beer

Every Pitcher Tells A Story

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:54:00 +0000

Random Selection

I randomly reached for a glass from the crowded shelf to draw myself a pint of beer from my kegerator. I looked down at the glass tilted under the tap and saw that it was a Manny's Pale Ale glass from Georgetown Beer and a flood of memories came through that made me smile.

I made a couple of friends after moving up to Whidbey Island, Washington awhile back and taught them how to brew. We became good friends and over the year that I lived there we brewed and drank many good beers. We fished the banks of the Sound for salmon and laughed until the middle of the morning around the bonfire in the back of the house.

Later, I remember sampling beers with them at Georgetown brewing in Seattle one warm spring day. We were heading back to the Island after a run to Larry's Brewing Supply in Kent for homebrew ingredients (they wanted to jump right into all-grain brewing) and took advantage of our proximity to Seattle to stop in for some samples. As we entered the brewery, the excitement of the new brewing hobby shone on their faces and they seemed euphoric discussing the prospects of brewing gallons of home made beer.

Manny's Pale Ale is a favorite of mine, a good quality beer that is easy to quaff and doesn't ask for a lot in return. I enjoyed many a pint of this beer at the tavern in Langley where I lived. While at the brewery, I showed my appreciation by purchasing the pint glass before continuing on north where we stopped at the Diamond Knot Brewery in Mukilteo for an IPA while we waited for the ferry to take us home. The end of a satisfying day.

These memories, the connections to the past, caused me to realize the value of this collection of pint glasses that fill the cupboard shelves. Each glass has its own story to tell, along with events that define me as a homebrewer. They remind me of the pleasures of this hobby in a very personal way. I had this beer at this brewery. They validate the seriousness of my homebrew intentions and are milestones in my journey. They take up a lot of room but not without merit.

Over the years, my wife came to understand the importance of these decaled glasses that represent breweries from my travels but she can't fully appreciate them as I do, consequently, they take up residence in a cabinet in the garage with my brewing equipment. They don't qualify for the mundane respect that the juice glasses and tumblers command. It's a pity, but I understand. You really do have to walk a mile in my shoes to fully appreciate the journey.

Post Chiller - Chiller

mbirdlane@yahoo.com (backyardbrewer.blogspot.com) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:38:00 +0000

If you live in a part of the country (or world for that matter) where the winters are mild and the summers can get quite warm, like here in Santa Cruz, Ca., then you may be struggling with cooling water that is not cold enough to do the job, especially during the summer.

There have been times when my tap water was 70f., causing not only the expense and waste of huge amounts of water to cool the wort, but the best cooling I could expect to get down to for the start of the fermentation was 70f. I had a small immersion chiller laying around in my pile of abandoned brewing gear from earlier days and decided to put it to use to further chill my already cooled wort.

By simply continuing the already cooled wort through a copper coil that is immersed in an ice bath, I can reduce even further temperature of the wort. I refer to this devise as a post-chiller. As you can tell from the images, I pump the hot wort through a brazed plate chiller. I purchased the smaller version from Morebeer.com and it will efficiently chill the wort but not with the pump open all the way. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine chiller but under normal summer conditions, I have to throttle back on the pump to slow the wort down to practically a trickle to get the exposure to the cool water to achieve the temperature that I want, a slow process, sometimes taking as long as an hour and many gallons of water.

(a true confession: I can be a real cheap bastard so I bought the smaller chiller because I didn't want to spend the extra money for the deluxe model thinking I could make the smaller one work.)

However, considering the temperature of the water, even with the expensive 'beefy' chiller, I would still end up, at best, matching the cooling water temperature but with the added benefit of cooling faster and consequently with a lot less water wasted in the process.

In any case, the way I get around this dilemma is by continuing the wort from the plate chiller on through a copper coil that is submerged in an ice bath. I can now pump the wort as fast as my little pump can go and the wort going through the copper coil gets reduced in temperature significantly. With this system of post chilling, I can easily achieve the desired 65f. degrees that I prefer for an ale.

Before using this system it is important that it is sanitized completely. I will use my pump to circulate a solution of sanitizer (iodine/water) from a bucket, though the plate chiller, hoses, post-chiller coil and back into the bucket of sanitizer. After a few minutes of circulation I will leave the solution in place until it is time to pump the wort through. Once I'm ready to chill the wort I attach the hose to the spigot on the boil pot, start the pump and run the wort though until it pushes all of the sanitizer out of the lines and then divert the flow of the wort to the fermenting vessel. I use an aeration devise on the end of the line that basically splashed the wort as it enters the fermenter.

When done, I again use the pump to clean out the chiller by circulating the sanitizer through the system.

I imagine there are other chiller ideas that are used to deal with summer temperatures. What's your process for chillin' in the heat?