QC Beerguy

Oktoberfest/ Marzen 3B

2012-03-02T19:19:00.000-06:00

The beer of Oktoberfest! Oktoberfest was the originally the celebration of Crown Prince Ludwig marrying Princess Therese. Then it evolved into an every year occurrence, which Munich is now famous for. Another bit of info is that Oktoberfest runs from mid-September to Early October. The beer itself has been traditionally brewed in March, which in German is Marzen, to be served during Oktoberfest in September and October. Domestic German versions tend to be golden, like a strong Pils-dominated Helles. Export German versions are typically orange-amber in color, and have a distinctive toasty malt character. Needless to say we in America almost always drink the malty amber version. Also unlike many of us think this beer is typically on the lower end of ABV scale. Remember Oktoberfest is a party over almost two weeks and goes all day, so slamming down high ABV beers is not a good idea.

Aroma: Rich German malt aroma, Vienna and/or Munich malt. A light to moderate toasted malt aroma is often present. Clean lager aroma with no fruity esters or diacetyl. No hop aroma. Caramel aroma is inappropriate.

Appearance: Dark gold to deep orange-red color. Bright clarity, with solid, off-white, foam stand.

Flavor: Initial malty sweetness, but finish is moderately dry. Distinctive and complex maltiness often includes a toasted aspect. Hop bitterness is moderate, and noble hop flavor is low to none. Balance is toward malt, though the finish is not sweet. Noticeable caramel or roasted flavors are inappropriate. Clean lager character with no diacetyl or fruity esters

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with a creamy texture and medium carbonation. Smooth. Fully fermented, without a cloying finish.

Comments: Smooth, clean, and rather rich, with a depth of malt character. This is one of the classic malty styles, with a maltiness that is often described as soft, complex, and elegant but never cloying.

Numbers: IBUs (Bitterness) 20-28, SRM (Color) 7-14, OG (potential) 1.050-1.057, FG (finish) 1.012-1.016, ABV 4.8-5.7%

Examples: Paulaner Oktoberfest, Ayinger Oktoberfest-Märzen, Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest, Hofbräu Oktoberfest, Victory Festbier, Great Lakes Oktoberfest, Spaten Oktoberfest, Capital Oktoberfest, Gordon Biersch Märzen, Goose Island Oktoberfest, Samuel Adams Oktoberfest (a bit unusual in its late hopping)

Origin is credited to Gabriel Sedlmayr, based on an adaptation of the Vienna style developed by Anton Dreher around 1840, shortly after lager yeast was first isolated. Typically brewed in the spring, signaling the end of the traditional brewing season and stored in cold caves or cellars during the warm summer months. Served in autumn amidst traditional celebrations. Domestic German versions tend to be golden, like a strong Pils-dominated Helles. Export German versions are typically orange-amber in color, and have a distinctive toasty malt character. German beer tax law limits the OG of the style at 14°P since it is a vollbier, although American versions can be stronger. “Fest” type beers are special occasion beers that are usually stronger than their everyday counterparts. So if you are wanting to host an Oktoberfest party, get your brewery out and brew your Marzen to age until late September.

If everyone else likes it ...

2012-02-19T17:37:00.000-06:00

When discussing and tasting beer from many different breweries, it seems like I am the only person not wild about Brewery X or Y. I know I am not the only person that thinks that but I might be in the minority when it comes to my thoughts on the brewery. No, I am not saying that the beer from the brewery is bad, but there are better beers out there. Liking beer from a brewery or not is a personal opinion, but when the brewery in question garners rave reviews in print, online and from your friends, you may begin to wonder if you are crazy. Do not worry you may be crazy, but probably not from disliking a brewery or a beer from a certain brewery.

For myself I have a few breweries that come right to mind: Brewdog from Scotland http://www.brewdog.com/, Mikkeller from Denmark http://www.mikkeller.dk/ and Nogne from Norway http://www.nogne-o.com/. All have received rave reviews and much print about their beers. I have tried numerous beers from each of these breweries and all of the beers were good, but none I would say outstanding. They have made numerous out of the ordinary beers as well as beers to style. Some of their beers include single hop IPAs, a coffee stout using coffee that was eaten by a civet, a 41% ABV quadruple IPA and numerous beers using herbs, spices and twigs. Of the beers I tried all were good but none were awesome; however they are all sold at a premium price. With that said to me it makes no sense to pay more for a good beer than an outstanding beer I all ready buy.

Also I find I have the same feelings about some flagship beers produced by some really good breweries. A couple quick ones are Spotted Cow by New Glarus http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/index.cfm/beers/OurBeers/Beer/spotted-cow and Fat Tire by New Belgium http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/detail.aspx?id=7c5b394b-d7b7-486a-ac9a-316256a7b0ee. Thankfully there are a whole bunch of people that love these beers, so that enables each brewery to produce all of the beers that I do like.

I am not saying that only my opinion counts, since I have friends that disagree with me on some of my favorite breweries. One big one that comes to mind is Stone Brewing Company http://www.stonebrew.com/ and their flagship Arrogant Bastard. To one friend the beer and brewery are good but nothing outstanding. Needless to say each beer drinkers tastes are different and no one beer is better than any other.

That is pretty much my point that every beer drinker has their favorite beer or brewery and there is no right or wrong. Another point is do not like a beer or brewery just because it seems like every other beer drinker loves a specific beer or brewery. Believe it or not not every well reviewed beer or brewery is as outstanding as advertised. Needless to say, like what you like and if you feel you are the only one that is not blown away by the beer, just remember more than likely you are not.

QC Beerguy

Time for something familiar

2012-02-09T16:12:00.001-06:00

Every now and then I find my self just wanting a familiar beer or beer style for an enjoyable quaff. Not that I do not enjoy the quest for those beers or beers styles that are extreme, different, hard to find or just down right odd. Sometimes just kicking back and relaxing with a beer near and dear to my heart and palate can be as big of a thrill as finally cracking open a bottle of that rare Imperial Stout, Double IPA or that special Sour beer I have been searching for. Even a run of the mill every day beer can be an adventure unto itself.

I came to these thoughts while I was enjoying my dinner with a personal favorite of mine, Schmaltz's Alt from August Schell Brewing http://www.schellsbrewery.com/ourbeers_info.php?id=9. This is to me a wonderfully malty, slightly chocolatey alt beer, that I enjoy while it is in season. Another "comfort" beer to me is Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale http://www.samueladams.com/enjoy-our-beer/beer-detail.aspx?id=93fe771b-3f68-4b4d-8de8-ebf83f9bff4e, another seasonal beer that I enjoy every time I have it.

I am sure that even the most intrepid beer explorer has to put their quest on hold to cleanse their palate and mind with an enjoyable "comfort" beer. These time outs can be a great way to refocus and reevaluate what beers you are looking for. The "comfort" beer does not need to be something exciting to anyone but yourself. When the urge arises do not fight it go with the flow and have that very familiar, enjoyable "comfort" beer. I know I am looking forward to later this year when I have my Dumbass Kolsch on tap and I can just sit back and enjoy a couple of pints.

After I have quenched my desire for something familiar, I find I enjoy those new exciting beers even more. So if you feel you have hit a wall in your quest, stop and enjoy a few "comfort" beers and refocus on your quest. Then go out and hunt down those beers you desire.

QC Beerguy

Water: The body of beer

2012-01-29T19:03:00.001-06:00

I am talking water in my continuing exploration of the main ingredients of beer. Some may read the title and wonder what I mean with water being the body of beer. We all have had a glass of water and there is not much there when it comes to body and structure, water can leave some wanting for a more substantial drink. But stop and think for a bit though, beer is well over 90 % water. So that means when you quaff a beer you are drinking all most all water with a relatively small amount of malt, alcohol and a few other compounds.

To go a bit further, water is just not water when it comes to beer. This was especially true before the revelations of water chemistry, allowing brewers to change their water to suit the beer styles they are brewing. When you think of the classic pilsner, what city comes to mind? Correct, Pilsen. The same can be said for the home of IPA, Burton-on-the-Trent. These cities had the water that was naturally perfect for the type of beer the city became famous for. "Soft" water in Pilsen for a wonderful pilsner and "hard" water in Burton to help bring out the strong hop presence. In present times when brewer salts are added to water by a brewer for an IPA it is referred to as "Burtonizing".

Over the centuries brewers have perfected the style of beer that is best for their local water. They quickly learned what beer style was best with their local water. If you look at a report for your local water, you will see many salts and compounds dissolved in it. Water is a very good solvent and is able to keep compounds in suspension with in it. Try this experiment, take a drink from a glass of distilled water not much there just water. Now take a drink from a glass of mineral water, there are flavors and structure in that drink. The same is transferable between brewing with "soft" and "hard" water. Water with dissolved compounds in it does have body.

When the influx of German brewers immigrated into the United States, what was their first concern to make beer? Water of course. The natural water was what made brewing cities such as Milwaukee, St. Louis and Golden. In the 1800s the science was not there to change the water profile, so they had to utilize the natural water of a region. Even the American Lager has cities where it is best made today.

A prime example of this is Saint Francis Brewery in Saint Francis, WI http://www.stfrancisbrewery.com/. Last year we did a bus trip to the Milwaukee area breweries and Saint Francis was our first stop. Several of us where just blown away by the quality of the brewer's Kolsch and Dortmunder. Both were clean, fresh, nicely malty and had a hop snap. In discussing the beers with Scott, the brewer at Saint Francis, he told us when he brews those two beers he uses straight municipal water. To us this was an outstanding revelation of the quality of the water in the Milwaukee area even today.

Water is much more than just something that quenches your thirst. It is the "body" of beer. Without the differences in local water source we may not have the current range of beers we have today. Water now can be played with by brewers to produce any beer they wish, but remember that centuries ago brewers brewed with their local water. So some styles were better made in certain regions, thankfully creating many different styles of beer.

QC Beerguy

QC upcoming events

2012-01-25T19:12:00.000-06:00

Here are some upcoming events that I am aware of:

Saturday, January 28th from 3-7 pm the Moline Bier Stube is holding Winterfest. Lots of winter themed events and drink specials. For more information go to www.bier-stube.com.

Friday, February 3rd 6-8pm at the Rock Island Hy Vee Valentine's Wine and Beer Tasting. They will sample over thirty wines and beers and pair them with a delicious display of appetizers. Register at the Customer Service counter or call (309)793-0684. Admission is $15 per guest. Must be 21 years of age to attend.

Friday, February 3rd 5:30-8pm First Friday at Mississippi River Distilling Company. They will be releasing their latest creation, Windmill Rye Whiskey. Also they will have tastings of food and mixed drinks made with their products. For more information go to http://www.mrdistilling.com/.

Sunday, February 12th 3-6pm at Grape Life in Davenport will hold Winter Wine Fest. More than 80 great wines from all over the world will be available for tasting as part of the Grape Life Winter Wine Festival, Sunday, Feb. 12, from 3-6 p.m. The fest will be held at the Rock Island Holiday Inn and will feature everything from big reds to crisp whites and sweet dessert wines. A wide range of wine friendly foods will also be included. Tickets are $25 if purchased before Feb. 8, $35 after. To make your reservation or more information call the Davenport Grape Life at 355-7070 or the Rock Island Grape Life at 788-7070. Also visit their website http://www.mygrapelife.com/.

Saturday, February 18th 12:30-4:30 pm Dubuque on Ice Brewfest at Mystique Community Ice Center in Dubuque, IA. 20 breweries, 7 wineries and 2 distilleries are signed up to be there, could be more to come. As well various makers of cheese, meat and chocolate will be present. Three tickets levels provide different samplings. For more information and tickets go to http://www.dubuquebrewfest.com/

Those are the upcoming events I am aware of.

QC Beerguy

Help Wanted ( You too can work for your local Brewery)

2012-01-24T17:35:00.001-06:00

This past week and weekend our friends at a local brewery were busy canning beer they made on contract for a brewery that is starting out. Since the new brewery does not have their equipment operational they had to contract the beer they needed the beer for a festival starting later this week. A call went out asking for help in finishing the canning process. I have no clue as to the exact number of cans produced, but from what I saw on Sunday there were multiple pallets of beer. Many of my friends were able to work more than I was but I know any help was much appreciated. Also everyone was "paid" well and did not go home thirsty. True I was not paid any money, nor were any of the other volunteers, but still I felt like I was working for the brewery.

Anyone can "work" for your favorite brewery or brewpub. They love having free volunteer labor and greatly appreciate you giving up some of your free time to assist them around the brewery. For the most part they will not give you the jobs that require the most grunt work, unless you are willing to do it. The jobs you can do vary from cleaning, scrubbing, hauling spent grain, carrying bags of grain or even helping to brew a batch of beer. As many of you probably know brewing is probably at least 90% cleaning and maintenance and actually less than 10% brewing. So helping at a brewery may not be all that glamorous, but it is hard work and very rewarding when the work is done.

I have had the good luck to help brew a batch of beer at two of the four local brewpubs/breweries in the Quad Cities. I believe a few friends of mine have been able to help brew a batch at all four. To me this is great fun and well worth the hard work I had to put into it. Most brewers really love having assistants when it comes to moving spent grain, since it is dirty, hot and wet work. They do not mind sharing this job with eager helpers.

Also depending on the brewery/brewpub you can be up and working in the early hours of the morning. One local brewpub starts to brew at 2 or 3 a.m. since the brewhouse is located right behind the bar they serve the beer. Other breweries have the serving area and brewing area separated and start at a more reasonable hour like 6 or 7 a.m. I have found out especially in the summer it is best to brew earlier in the day since the brew process does create a lot of heat.
Brewers will gladly accept help at any time and to do just about anything in the brewery. Do not be afraid the next time you go in and have a seat at the bar ask the brewer if there is anything you can do to assist him or her. They may not have something for you that day, but be persistent and open with your availability and they will take you up on your offer.

Volunteering to work is a great way to get your foot in the door and sometimes even leads to a volunteer becoming an actual paid employee. So if you are thinking about working at a brewery or even starting your own brewery, volunteer at a local brewery/brewpub. Even better if you are in an area with multiple breweries/brewpubs, volunteer to work at as many as you can. That way you gain experience on different brewing systems and with different brewers, since no two systems are the same and no two brewers are the same either. I know a couple people locally that started out working for free and then they became paid employees. Also there are numerous examples around the United States of volunteers become paid employees. So if this is something you want to do, go for it.

Some people may be thinking I want to help my local brewery but really do not want help brew beer. Well there are other things you can do as well. Many breweries/brewpubs are willing to do in kind exchange with skill laborers such as electricians, carpenters, pipe fitters or other skill trades. They will "pay" you in product for your trade skill on a project that they do not fill comfortable doing. So if you are a skilled laborer check with your local brewery/brewpub if they have any such projects.

Other ways to help are low skill like what I did on Sunday within a matter of seconds I was able to man my position in the canning process. Some of the positions required a bit more training but none of them were rocket science.

Another way is to volunteer to assist at a beer festival the brewery/ brewpub is attending. This is a very fun experience, plus it is not overly difficult. Each festival has their own set of ground rules so pay attention to those, but overall it is a matter of pouring beer for the fest goers. The brewery/brewpub staff at the event will gladly accept the extra hands, that way they have an opportunity to wander the festival grounds and experience the various beers offered by other brewers. One thing I enjoy is being able to help spread knowledge and understanding of the beer you are helping serve. Needless to say it helps to have some knowledge of the beer you are pouring, but the more important thing is to be a willing server.

I know this is not a complete list of ways someone can "work" for their local brewery/brewpub, but it should give you a good idea of the many ways you too can work for your local brewery. Some require hard physical work some do not. The main idea is to get in there and do some work. The "pay" will be well worth it!

QC Beerguy

Plainfield, IN

2012-01-22T08:08:00.003-06:00

My wife and I escorted our daughter back to the Indianapolis area for another round of job testing. This time we were in Plainfield, IN and we were able to visit two brewpubs and a winery all within a mile of each other. Needless to say this pub crawl can certainly be a crawl if you stay in one of the well located hotels.
Friday night we arrived and found our hotel, then went out for dinner. We decided to go to the Black Swan Brewpub http://www.blackswanbrewpub.com/index.html, which is located in a strip mall. As with many brewpubs that are located in strip malls, the inside is much more inviting than the exterior. The bar area is divided off from the main dining area. It has a slightly upscale feel but it is comfortable as well, dark wood is the predominate feature. Also featured on the wall is some local art work.

We were quickly seated and did our usual by ordering a sampler of their beers. The sampler included 10 beers (actually 9 beers and 1 cider) 7 from Black Swan and three guest taps. The seven beers from Black Swan were an IPA, ESB, Porter, Tafel, Cream Stout, Scottish Ale, EKG and a Pale Ale. All of the beers were well made but some stood out to me more than others, my favorites were the IPA, Porter, Cream Stout and Scottish Ale. The IPA is a very good American IPA with a good amount of hops in the aroma as well in the taste a good malt backbone which offsets the hops to balance the beer. The Porter is almost black in appearance, with noticeable chocolate malt notes and just enough hops to balance the beer. The Cream Stout is black in color, with a good roasty fullness that is played off of with lactose that smooths out the beer. The Scottish Ale became my favorite as it warmed up and the flavors came out. It had a really nice crystal malt flavor and became more complex as it warmed.

The food was every bit the equal of the beers. The menu has notes of typical pub food, but also goes above and beyond that. There are sandwiches, salads and dinner entrees so your whole group can find something they would like. Towards the end of our meal the chef, Nick Carter, walked up to our table and engaged us in an entertaining conversation for several minutes. His love of his food and the beer that they produce was very evident from talking to him. If you are in Plainfield, the Black Swan is worth a stop.

Saturday our first stop was at Chateau Thomas Winery http://www.chateauthomas.com/ . This is the second winery in the Indianapolis area that we have been to and much to our pleasure this winery features grape wine not fruit wine. My wife and I walked into the tasting room and we were greeted by Bill and he explained the tasting process. For $5 you receive 5 tastes of their varietal wines, for $7 you receive 5 tastes including their reserve wines. We went for the $7 tasting. They had their wines broken down by general styles Dry Whites, Dry Reds, Sweets, Slender Series and Reserve Wines. The Dry Whites included Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Dry Gewurztraminer and Dry Riesling. The Dry Reds included Tosca, Merlot, Teroledego and Petite Verdot. Sweets included Riesling, Sweet Sherry, Vintage Port, and Blackberry Merlot. The Reserves included Malbec, Family Reserve, Late Harvest Viongier and Vidal Blanc Ice Wine. The Slender Series is a line of wines that is proprietary to this winery. It has no carbs, no fat and is sweetened by a non-caloric sweetener. It has been given out in the gift baskets at the Academy Awards.

All of the wines are well made and the ones we sampled were very good. My wife and I had a few favorites among them the Sweet Sherry, Vintage Port and the Dry Riesling (it is considered dry because it has low sweetness, but it is slightly sweet). We purchased a bottle of the Sweet Sherry and are looking forward to enjoying it. Thanks to variable state laws they may or may not be able to ship to you, check their website for further shipping information. This is a winery worth a stop, since they have around 40 wine varieties my wife and I only scratched the surface with our visit.

Upon leaving the winery we took a short drive to Three Pints Brewpub http://www.threepintsbrewpub.com/index.html. It is in a standalone building, which in a previous life was probably a drive in restaurant. The inside is small and probably seats no more than 50 people, including a small bar that seats about 8 people. Upon being seated we ordered a sampler of their beers, which was a total of 4 beers. The beers were Plainfield Pale Ale Version 2.0, Retired Red, Oktoberfest and Yoshi's Nectar. Yoshi's Nectar is brewed as a California Common, think Anchor Steam, neither my wife nor I liked the beer. I am not much on Cal Commons and she did not like the hop profile. The Oktoberfest was a bit thin and bitter; I just wonder why they still had an Oktoberfest on tap in mid-January. My wife like the Retired Red best and ordered a pint, it was noticeably malty with a note of hops and was an easy drinker. I ordered a pint of Plainfield Pale Ale; it was by far the hoppiest beer they had and was fairly malty so it met my needs.

The food was pretty much your typical bar food burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads. I do have to say that the food was very good. Unfortunately the beer has a ways to go to make it to the level of good. It was worth a try but I think we will skip it if we ever go back to Plainfield, IN.

After we finished our lunch and beers we headed back to Black Swan Brewpub for a beer each. I ordered the Scottish Ale, which I liked from the previous night, which was very enjoyable. My wife ordered a Roggenwein, it came only in a half pint since it was 10.5% ABV. It is a barleywine made with 50% rye malt. It was medium full bodied with an interesting spiciness from the rye malt and finished fairly dry. Both my wife and I liked it. As we were just about done we received the call to pick up our daughter, so we finished the beers and headed out.

To recap our mini tour: Black Swan very good beer and upscale bar food, Chateau Thomas Winery very good wine, with only one fruit wine, Three Pints Brewpub very good bar food but average at best beer.

QC Beerguy

Mexican Vacation

2012-01-15T20:33:00.002-06:00

My family went to an all inclusive resort in Rivera Maya Mexico the first part of January and had a great relaxing vacation. The resort we went to advertised "Premium Beer"; however we found out that meant Corona on tap at every bar on the resort. My wife and I kept asking at every bar if they had something else and we were told no. So I'm sure Anheuser Busch InBev paid a pretty penny for that, since Corona is in their stable of beers. Finally we did find one bar in the lobby that had "Premium Beer". This meant Pacifico, Negra Modelo, Modelo, Sol, Dos Equis, Leon and Victoria. All of those except for Sol are very good drinkable Mexican beers.

A couple of them Leon and Victoria were new to me. Leon is a Munich Dunkel style beer, which my wife and I enjoyed. It had a good toasting, Munich malt aroma with little hop aroma. Flavor was slight toasty malt, a sweet brown sugar note and as my wife put it, it had a slight tea bag like taste. Medium bodied with low carbonation, almost no head out of the bottle. After reading my description you may wonder why I liked this beer, but it was a much enjoyed difference from Corona. My next duty is to find it here back home if I can and see if I still like it. I am looking forward to that challenge.

Victoria, the other new beer, is a Vienna Lager. We both had this beer at a restaurant/ bar in Playa Del Carmen on the suggestion of our waiter. Again it was a beer we enjoyed and not your typical Mexican beer. It had a slight malty sweetness with little or no hop aroma. Flavor was noticeably malty with a hint of sweetness. It paired well with the Mexican food we were eating. I will be on the lookout for this beer as well to see what I think of it when I am home.

Both of these beers are from Grupo Modelo which is in the Anheuser Busch InBev stable as well. Remember though that there are only really two brewery groups in Mexico so it is hard to get away from beer that is owned by the big guys. The other brewery in Mexico is Cerveria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma which is owned by Heineken. So the big guys make almost all of the beer in Mexico, but to their credit they do it so well that there is no difference bottle to bottle of their beers.

In wrapping up my thoughts on our Mexican vacation and Mexican beer, if you have a chance go to Mexico it is eye opening and enjoyable. As far as the beer is concerned look for something new to you or stay with the brands that you like at home. At all cost try to avoid Corona, even though it is everywhere. Corona is really for the tourists, the average Mexican does not touch the stuff.

A couple last pointers learn these words Cerveza and Gracias. The locals really appreciate it when a tourist uses some of the Spanish language. Also be wary of your resorts definition of "Premium Beer".

QC Beerguy

Investors buy majority share of Schlafly Beer

2012-01-04T18:03:00.000-06:00

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/dining/bars-and-clubs-other/hip-hops/st-louis-investors-to-buy-majority-stake-of-schlafly-beer/article_3b5adc60-36fa-11e1-b8a2-001a4bcf6878.html

Ok what is it about St.Louis Breweries selling out? At least from the above article it looks like this is not a sale to a foreign corporation. The investment group is St. Louis based and the current owners Tom Schlafly and Dan Kopman will retain their positions. This sounds like a sale to keep Schlafly Brewing going and producing great beer for at least 20 more years.

To this I say congratulations to all involved in this sale and thank you for the anticipated leadership into the future!

QC Beerguy

Appanoose Rapids Brewing Company Revisited

2012-01-04T17:48:00.000-06:00

I am revisiting Appanoose Rapids Brewing Company http://www.appanooserapidsbrewingcompany.com/ a little less than a year after my first visit. To my eye not many changes have been made. The interior looks the same, still features a few very cool tile inlay displays, two of which are for Anheuser Busch. I found a seat at the bar, which was not to difficult since only one seat was filled. The bartender quickly greeted me and told me about their beers on tap. This time they had three beers on tap, a Brown Ale, California Pale Ale and a Centennial Blonde. I ordered a Brown Ale and overall it was a decent beer. Comparing it to my notes on the Brown Ale previously http://qcbeerguy.blogspot.com/2011/03/ottumwa-ia-appanoose-rapids-brewing.html it is much improved. The beer was clear and an amber color, perhaps a bit light in color for a brown ale. As the beer warms a grainy note is in the aroma along with a bit of dark fruit. Taste is malty sweet with a slight roast, no yeasty flavors in this beer. To me I would like a bit more body and carbonation. The beer came with no head and seemed to be a bit under carbonated.

Since this is the only beer I had this evening I am very impressed that they seemed to have improved the quality of the beer. If the brown ale is any sign of the beer they now make they are definitely making strides to make better beer. Maybe in another year the beer will be even better.
The menu seemed to be the same as I read the first time. I ordered a cheeseburger for dinner. It was a very good burger, definitely worth trying.

Appanoose Rapids Brewing Company has made some strides that are impressive. I hope they continue to make more improvements though. One I would like to see is more than three of their twelve taps being their own beer. To me a micro brewery should have at least five or six core beers with a few seasonal beers, hopefully they can achieve this. This may be difficult since they brew on a SABCO system, which at most they can only brew ten gallons at a time.

So if you find yourself in Ottumwa, IA give Appanoose a shot. They have decent beer and a very good food menu.

QC Beerguy

Indianapolis- Part 2

2011-12-24T09:13:00.000-06:00

My wife and I headed on to New Day Meadery http://newdaymeadery.com/, it was recommended at both Easley Winery and Sun King Brewery. Since we both love mead it was a natural to make this stop. The meadery is located in a corner building, with the inside designed around the tasting bar. We went to the tasting bar and were quickly greeted and given the run down on how the tasting worked. For $5 per person you received seven samples, on Saturday they had nine total meads to try. If you are with someone and willing to share the samples, you could try every mead.

The meadery is run and owned by a husband and wife team. They make their own mead out of local ingredients. New Day opened in 2006 and seems to be going strong, since while we were there around thirty other people went in and out of the doors. Currently they use wildflower honey only in their meads, but are looking at using varietal honey for their straight meads.

The meads we had to choose from are as follows: Johnny Chapman, actually a cider, Washington's Folly, a cherry mead, Free Thinker, a spicy mead, Dry Blueberry Mead, Semi- Dry Mead, a straight mead, Semi-sweet Plum Mead, Semi-sweet Blackberry mead, a bottle came home with us and a mulled mead. They are very good meads, but we both agreed that it they switch to varietal honey for their meads the level would jump up to great. This is another place worth visiting in Indy when you visit.

Last place for the day was Fountain Square Brewing Company, recommended by people at both Sun King and New Day. In fact the owners of New Day said to tell them "hello". This friendship and willingness to interact with other craft beer, wine and mead outlets was a nice to see. Yes these places are vying for probably the same customer base, but wish no ill to the other businesses.

After a short walk we arrived at Fountain Square Brewing Company http://www.fountainsquarebrewery.com/. This brewery just opened its doors at the beginning of this month, so they are still making finishing touches on the tasting room and brewery. In fact their yeast lab is currently little more than a room that has yet to be finished. They have a great tag line "Bringing Science to Art." The owners felt it was fitting since they all have a science background in microbiology, chemistry and automation. With that background they feel they have what it takes to beer great beer consistently.

We walked up to the bar in the tasting room and were greeted by one of the owners; he serves beer as well as running a brewery. Since this was our fourth stop of the day and had to pick up our daughter and drive back to Bettendorf we just asked if we could sample the beers. We were told that we would be more than welcome to just do that. They have six beers on tap: four house beers Blonde, Pale Ale, Amber Ale and Porter, also two seasonal taps IPA and Oatmeal Stout. For each beer we both received about a three ounce sample and we were able to discuss the beer with our server. Since they were recently opened he was very interested in feedback. The porter was a brown porter so it featured chocolate more than roast and was slightly sweet with an offsetting amount of hops. The pale ale was based off of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, so needless to say it featured Cascade hops. The IPA was very hop forward in the aroma but was far from overly bitter; in fact it leaned towards the malt side with a noticeable sweetness that balanced the hops. This is an IPA that my wife liked, which is saying a bit since she is not a hop head. The oatmeal stout was roasty, but very smooth and easy to drink.

Somewhat surprisingly they have their beer all ready on tap at least twenty establishments in and around the Indy area. Another surprise to my wife and I was that the six samples we each had cost a big fat zero. We were told it is just a part of doing business. Pint prices were not out of line if I remember correctly they were priced around $4 for a pint. Another worthy stop when you are in Indy.

Of the four places we stopped at I would gladly revisit every one of them again. Also during our day we found out that there are around eleven breweries in the Indy area. This just begs for more exploration in Indy, hopefully we can talk some friends into making the trip over with us next time. Indy is not one of the cities known for great beer or a great craft scene, but from our quick one day visit I would suggest it is working its way into being one. Possibly within the next five years Indy will be a must stop for a beer pilgrimage. Just remember where you heard about it.

QC Beerguy

Idianapolis- Part 1

2011-12-20T17:32:00.006-06:00

My wife and I had an opportunity to go to Indianapolis this past Friday and Saturday. We arrived in Indianapolis Friday night and decided to go to the Ram Brewery and Restaurant http://www.theram.com/ . This is a chain brewpub with over fifteen locations in five states. My wife and I had previously eaten at one and knew that we would find good food and decent beer, which was necessary since we had our eldest daughter with us. They delivered on that thought. My wife and I split a sampler of their six core beers; it comes in a holder the shape of a ram's horn. The six beers were Big Horn Blonde, Big Horn Hefeweizen, Big Red Ale (an IPA), 71 Pale Ale, Buttface Amber Ale and Total Disorder Porter. These are all at least decent beers and some in our opinion are better than others. Both my wife and I thought that the beers overall were a bit thin in body. We did not care for the blonde and the Hefeweizen became more complex as it warmed. My favorite was the porter and my wife liked the amber best. After we finished the sampler my ever sharp wife noticed that they had four seasonals as well. The four were a weizenbock, which I had a pint of, a Black IPA, an American Wheat and a java porter. The weizenbock was good, but not exceptional; they call it S'no Angel Winter Weizenbock. It did have a bit of roast and was malty but just did not go the extra bit to be a great beer. We all had our fill of good food as well. Ram is a good brewpub chain, but there are better chains and better independent brewpubs.

Saturday afternoon we dropped off our daughter at her interview and decided to do a bit of exploring of Indy. (I hope the nickname is allowable because typing Indianapolis takes too long.) First stop was to suppose to be Sun King Brewing after we read that they had won eight medals this year at the GABF (Great American Beer Fest), but the driver was not paying attention and missed the turn, so instead I pulled into the winery across the street. We had thought about visiting Easley Winery since it was located close to our intended stop and afterwards we were very happy we did.

Easley Winery http://www.easleywinery.com/ is not your normal Midwest fruit based winery. They truly make only grape based wines, no fruits added. To accomplish this feat they use grapes from California, New York and Indiana, which they press on site to make their thirteen wines. My wife and I were greeted quickly and asked if we wanted to go on the tour for $3. The benefit was the tour ending with a tasting of eight wines. The tour was lead by Larry whom had good information to pass along and kept the tour fast paced. The tasting part is well thought out, the first six samples a person could chose between a pair of wines, so if you are there with someone else you can share and try them all. The seventh sample was the same for everyone and the eight was a bonus of mulled wine, they included for the season. We enjoyed the wine sampling very much. A couple of the standouts were the Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2008 Chardonnay. I forgot we actually had nine samples because they added the 2008 Chardonnay during the tasting. We purchased a bottle of the 2008 Chardonnay to bring home, for $8 it was a steal. We bid our adieu to the winery and walked across the street to Sun King Brewing Company http://sunkingbrewing.com/.

As I mentioned this brewery did something basically unheard of by winning eight medals at GABF! Just do the math; it is a huge accomplishment. Eighty-three categories and three medals in each category means that they won eight out of two hundred forty nine medals. Not even breweries such as Firestone Walker or Dogfish Head can match that. Unfortunately for my wife and me currently none of the medal winning beers were on tap, but we did bring home a four pack of Wee Muckle which won a gold medal at GABF. We also brought home a four pack of Osiris Pale Ale and Wee Mac, a Scottish Ale.

When you walk in the door you are quickly greeted and provided four tickets and two can tops, once they verify that you are over 21. Yes they card everyone, even old people like me! We walked into the tap room and are introduced to the process of sampling the beers. The tickets are good for their house beers and the can lids are for the seasonal/specialty beers. While we were there they had three house beers and three seasonal/ specialty beers, so again we shared the seasonals and tried all three. All of the beers were delicious. The house beers were Sunlight Cream Ale, Wee Mac and Osiris Pale Ale. The seasonals were Sink the Clipper, an Imperial ESB, Cowbell, a milk porter and a Vienna Lager. Sink the Clipper was both of our favorites. Plus it has a great back story. To be quick, they named the beer and was served with a cease and desist order by Clipper City Brewery, thus the name Sink the Clipper.

Besides the beers there is an opportunity to tour the brewery, so needless to say my wife and I jumped at the opportunity. The tour was lead by Chris or better known as Moose and Mark, the cellar-man, was along as well. Right away Chris asked if there were any homebrewers in the group so besides my wife and I there was one other gentleman. We were then admonished to be good and let other people in the group answer and ask questions. Which we did. They have a thirty barrel brewhouse and this year are scheduled to double what they produced last year and much more than what they produced in the initial brewing year of 2009. This brewery is growing at a great rate and unfortunately they do not distribute outside the state of Indiana.

My wife and I greatly enjoyed the tour and had a chance after the tour to talk more with our guide and the cellar-man. It was interesting to see the passion these people have for beer and their company. I would highly recommend making it to Sun King for the beer and to see the brewery.

Watch for part 2 as I finish our day in Indianapolis.

QC Beerguy

Malt- the backbone of beer

2011-12-16T12:05:00.000-06:00

Continuing on in my ramblings of the 4 ingredients in the German Beer Purity Law, I will discuss Malt. As stated in the title, to me Malt is the backbone of beer, actually it is more like the whole skeletal system, but the backbone will work. Often when a beer is being judged in a contest you will hear a phrase like "the malt backbone..." or "malt structure..." or something else along those lines. They all mean basically the same thing; the malt provides the structure to build a beer on.

As you may be thinking malt is more than just a backbone or a structure to build on. Without various colored malt, beer would be just one color, whatever that might be. Just imagine a world where beer was so harmonious, unfortunately that is not too difficult to imagine. Also malt is the main sugar that the yeast uses to turn the alcohol in the beer. Malt provides various flavors for you to enjoy in your beer. So yes malt is probably more than a backbone, but to me that is the best image I can come up with.

Malt simply stated is the kernel of grain that was soaked and allowed to sprout. Then at the proper time of growth it is dried and then kilned to a desired outcome. You may notice that I said "kernel of grain" and did not say barley, since just about any grain can be malted. Also various malts are kilned a different amounts of dryness. Caramel/ Crystal malts are kilned fairly wet allowing for the sugars to become "caramelized" during kilning. There are many different methods and tricks malt makers use to come up with the desired malt.
Before I get to much further I want to point out that the term malt is used in regards to the malted grain used in all grain brewing. Also there is the term malt extract describing the syrup or powder used by extract brewers. I will try to clarify what exactly is malt extract. A few malt producers take the malted grain and run water through the grain bed to produce wort, a sugar filled liquid that is fermented by yeast to produce beer. Once they have the wort they handle it one of two ways to produce malt extract. Liquid malt extract is produced by boiling the wort in a vacuum to concentrate the wort. Dry malt extract is produced by spraying the wort and is dried as it falls and by it hits bottom it is a dry powder. They both are readily used in extract brewing; it is totally up to the brewer to chose which one or both to use.

Back to malt. There are companies around the world that make malt. A few of the more recognizable names are Briess, Simpson, Rahr, Weyermann, Crisp and Fawcett. Each maltster has its own way of producing malt, so one companies Crystal 90L may not look or taste the same as another companies malt. So if you have a favorite beer and want to "clone" that beer try and find out what brand of malt the brewer used to make the beer. Also you can try different brands of malts to brew the same beer and find out which brand you prefer. So there is a lot of experimenting a brewer can do to find the "perfect" beer.
Besides different brands there are different types of malts, from light roasted to the heavily roasted malts. A good place to see the various colors and types of malts is at http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/brewing-ingredients/grain-malts. The lighter roasted malts are usually used as base malts. Longer roasted malts are used in smaller amounts due to their attributes, such as color, taste and the caramelization of the sugar in the malt. For an example a beer such as a stout will have around 85% base malt and various amounts of different dark malts to add color and flavor. For a good primer on what malts are and how to use them go to http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Homebrewing/Products.htm . Briess malt is a name recognized by most brewers and they do a good job in plain English explaining the malt.

Barley malt makes up the majority of the malt used in brewing and by strict application of the German Beer Purity law the only malt that can be used in beer. There was an exception for wheat malt to be used in the German wheat beers. Other grains that I am aware of that have been malted for usage in beer include wheat, oats, corn, sorghum and milo. I'm sure there are many more around the world that I am unaware of.
I have only just scratched the surface of malt and its usage. If you want to find out more I suggest going to the above websites to start with and then explore on from there. Like the backbone, malt does carry the beer and allow the other ingredients to build upon it and produce a beer.

QC Beerguy

Vienna Lager 3A

2011-12-11T12:37:00.002-06:00

Category 3 European Amber Lagers are more exciting and flavorful than the previous two categories in the BJCP style guidelines. History has it that this beer was developed by Anton Dreher and has become nearly extinct in the land of its origin. Thankfully the style continues to be made in Mexico; the style immigrated there with Austrian brewers in the late 1800s. Many of today's examples are using adjuncts which lessen the rich malt complexity of the traditional examples. Traditionally the beer was made with a Vienna malt and a triple decoction brewing process.

Aroma: Moderately rich German malt aroma. Light toasted malt aroma may be present. Clean lager character, no fruity esters or diacetyl. Noble hop aroma may be low to none. Caramel aroma is inappropriate.

Appearance: Light reddish amber to copper color. Bright clarity. Large, off-white, persistent head.

Flavor: Soft, elegant malt complexity is in the forefront, with a firm enough hop bitterness to provide a balanced finish. Some toasted character from the use of Vienna malt. No roasted or caramel flavor. Fairly dry finish, with both malt and hop bitterness present in the aftertaste. Noble hop flavor may be low to none.

Mouthfeel: Medium light to medium body. Moderate carbonation. Moderately crisp finish. May have a bit of alcohol warming.

Comments: American versions can be a bit stronger, drier and more bitter, while European versions tend to be sweeter. Many Mexican amber and dark lagers used to be more authentic, but unfortunately are now more like sweet, adjunct-laden American Dark Lagers.

Numbers: IBUs (Bitterness) 18-30, SRM (color) 10-16, OG (potential) 1.046-1.052, FG (finish) 1.010-1.014, ABV 4.5- 5.5%

Examples: Great Lakes Eliot Ness, Boulevard Bobs 47 Munich- Style Lager, Negra Modelo, Capital Wisconsin Amber

Vienna malt provides a lightly toasty and complex, melanoidin-rich malt profile. As with Oktoberfests, only the finest quality malt should be used, along with Continental hops (preferably noble varieties). Moderately hard, carbonate-rich water. A brewer can use some caramel malts and/or darker malts to add color and sweetness, but caramel malts shouldn’t add significant aroma and flavor and dark malts shouldn’t provide any roasted character. This beer does pair well with Mexican food, as the malt sweetness helps off set some of the spiciness in traditional Mexican food. Many times Negra Modelo is served with a lime, which is not really necessary in my opinion. When made properly this is a good style of beer to enjoy.

QC Beerguy

RIBCO (Rock Island Brewing Company)

2011-12-10T09:14:00.000-06:00

This past Wednesday night RIBCO held a special tapping of local craft beers. The beers featured were Bent River's Jingle Java Stout, Blue Cat's Count Magnus Belgian Dark Strong and Great River's 7 Reverends Abbey Ale. As usual with the special tappings, the beer is featured in logo glass ware that the customer gets to keep. These tappings are a good time to try some beers that are normally not available or are available in such small quantities that most craft beer drinkers do not get to try them. In the past such beers as Canadian Breakfast Stout, Kentucky Breakfast Stout and the lineup of Stone Brewing on the release night in Illinois. Keep an eye out for the next special tapping; they usually post the tappings on their website http://ribco.com/ or on facebook.

This is the Quad Cities premier beer bar that is not is not a brewery! The name is a bit of a misnomer since they do not brew any beer. What they do have though is a really nice selection of craft beer both on tap in cans and bottles. They have at least 10 tap beers and well as over a 100 beers in the cooler. Some of the beers they have are not available anywhere else in the Quad City area, so if you are looking for a specific beer there is a chance that it is at RIBCO.
RIBCO is more than just a craft beer bar, they also have serve food and are known for their concerts. The food is along the lines of typical bar food but for some reason it not your typical bar food in taste. So a person can go enjoy some good craft beer as well as some good food. The highlight for many people is the concerts held at RIBCO. Half of the building is built to show off the bands, with an ample stage and multi-level seating to watch the action. Also during the warmer months of the year they move the concerts outside to the plaza in front of RIBCO, allowing more people to enjoy the music.

I really like RIBCO and enjoy their efforts to be the premier craft beer bar in the Quad Cities. If you are looking for good beer, good food and good music this is your place. The only drawback for me is that they do not open until 5pm, which means I cannot enjoy a favorite craft beer and a burger for lunch or watch a football game and have a craft beer. If they opened up say at noon in that would make them the perfect craft beer bar in my opinion. I am sure that they know better than I do though so I will defer to their experience as far as their hours.

QC Beerguy

Classic American Pilsner 2C

2011-12-04T13:10:00.000-06:00

Continuing on with the BJCP Style Guidelines, I find it is time to do Classic American Pilsner 2C. This is one of the styles I find myself asking why it is included instead of some other styles. Why you ask? Here is why it is not commercially available other than a chance production by a brewpub or microbrewery. Basically for all purposes this style of beer is dead, so why include it if it is not being made?

Yes it does have a storied history of being made by the wave of German Immigrants that came to the U.S. and used the local U.S. ingredients to make a Pilsner. Beyond its historical importance why include it in the style guidelines? As a beer judge when this beer is entered into a contest it is very difficult to judge since I have no commercial examples to call up in my memory. Ok enough of my rant now onto the beer style itself.
As I mentioned this is a beer that immigrated with the influx of Germans coming to the U.S., but was made using the traditional process and yeast but U.S. ingredients. The evil experiment known as Prohibition helped kill this beer, which is now mainly being produced by homebrewers. Prohibition led to a great public anti-German up swelling that caused many things associated with Germans to die out.

Aroma: Low to medium grainy, corn or sweet maltiness may be evident. Medium to moderately high hop aroma, often noble hops. Clean lager character, no fruitiness or diacetyl. A hint of DMS is acceptable.
Appearance: Yellow to deep gold color. Big, long lasting white head. Bright clarity.

Flavor: Moderate to moderately high maltiness similar to Continental Pilsner but a bit lighter due to the use of up to 30% flaked corn or rice. Slight grainy. corn-like sweetness from use of corn offsets the hop bitterness. Rice-based versions are drier, crisper and lack the corn-like characters. Medium to high hop flavor from noble hops. Medium to high hop bitterness. No fruitiness or diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and rich, creamy mouthfeel. Medium to high carbonation.

Comments: A substantial Pilsner that can stand up to a European Pilsner, but exhibits native U.S. ingredients. Refreshing, the hops and malts stand more than in American light lagers. Corn lends a grainy sweetness, while rice lends a crisper, neutral character. The CAP (Classic American Pilsner) had some differences pre- and post-Prohibition, namely a drop in OG and IBUs post-Prohibition.

Numbers: IBU (Bitterness) 25-40, SRM (Color) 3-6, OG (Potential) 1.044- 1.060, FG (Finish) 1.010- 1.015, ABV 4.5- 6 %

Examples: Occasional Microbrewery or Brewpub specials.

Six row barley with up to 30 % corn or rice. Native American hops, noble hops or modern noble hop crosses are also used. Modern American hops such as Cascade are inappropriate. You should avoid high mineral water to avoid harsh off flavors. Since there are not widely available examples of this style it is difficult to say much more about this beer. One thing I can say is that most of the examples I have judged have been less than stellar. I believe that is mainly due to no commercial examples being available for reference. So if you feel like trying to brew this style I wish you luck.

QC Beerguy

This Coming Weekend

2011-12-01T19:56:00.000-06:00

Just a few things in the local craft scene happening this coming weekend.

First up on Friday, December 2nd Mississippi River Distilling will be holding their monthly "First Friday" Event at the distillery. The event runs from 5:30 - 8PM and will be featuring the release of their Cody Road Bourbon. As usual they will have samples to try and some inventive food recipes to samples as well. If you like bourbon and want your own bottle I would suggest arriving early since they only will have 120 bottles at the distillery at the open of business Friday. My wife and I are looking forward to this event.

Also on Friday, December 2nd the Rock Island Hy Vee will be holding a Scotch tasting starting at 6 PM in the Club Room. Beside sampling 9 varieties of Scotch they will have light food pairings to sample. Cost is $15 per person and the class is more than half sold. Call 309-793- 0684 for more information.

Another Friday event is Great River's Cellar Man's Series Tapping starting at 3pm. They will be tapping a Pen (5 gallon cask) of real ale, meaning that the beer is naturally carbonated and will be served at cellar temperature. This tapping will feature a Pale Ale aged with Lavender.

On Saturday, December 3rd Great River will be hosting a tapping of their 7 Reverends Abbey Ale at the brewery. Golden keg is at 1pm and the party runs from 2 - 6 PM. Bring a dish to pass and enjoy the day.

Those are the events I am aware of for this weekend, so head out and enjoy as many events as you can.
QC Beerguy

RIBCO's Drink Local Special Tapping

2011-11-27T09:31:00.000-06:00

RIBCO (Rock Island Brewing Company) in the District in Downtown Rock Island will be hosting their next special tapping night on December 7th at 8pm. This time around they are featuring the local guys! With tappings of Blue Cat's Count Magnus Belgian Strong, Bent River's Jingle Java Stout and Great River's 7 Reverends Abbey Ale and of course they will be served in logo glasses that you can keep. Make sure to come out and support your local favorites and enjoy some really good seasonal brews. A big plus is that representatives of each brewery are scheduled to be there to discuss the brews and answer your questions.

As well RIBCO will be offering a $1.00 off on their selection of micro brew in bottles and cans. Also on Wednesdays they feature a special on wing baskets. To find out more info please go to http://www.ribco.com/ or http://beeradvocate.com/events/info/50137. I am looking forward to this one and plan to be present if I am in town. Hope to see a lot of people there enjoying some local craft brew!

QC Beerguy

Hops: The soul of a beer

2011-11-22T20:53:00.000-06:00

As the German Beer Purity Law states beer can only be made of four ingredients: malt, water, hops and yeast. Beer is not beer without hops. True there were fermented malt beverages before the use of hops, but drinking a Gruit is not the same as enjoying an IPA. As many of you may have, I have had the opportunity to have a gruit or two and can readily say that I am glad that the simple little hop cone was introduced into the brewing process. Beer would not be nearly as good nor would it be in as many varieties. Could you imagine an Imperial Stout bittered bog myrtle or wormwood, I can't either.

Earliest mentions of hops were by the Romans and Babylonians and eventually made it into Europe and over the years became an integral part of beer. The "noble" hops are all of European origins; also the largest hop growing region is in Central Europe. There are four hops that are considered to be "noble" hops Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger Tettnang, Spalter Spalt and Saaz. A number of other hops make it into the discussion of "noble" hops, but not everyone agrees.

Noble hops are far from the only hops used in the beers styles of Europe and around the world. Hops are grown around the world; the leading hop growing areas are in Europe, North America, New Zealand and Japan. Different growing regions lead to different characteristics in hops, so that means if a certain hop variety is grown in Europe and in New Zealand they could be totally different even though it is genetically the same.
Also hop varieties are broken up into bittering and aroma hops. Usually hops that are high in alpha acids, the thing that makes beer bitter, they are labeled as bittering hops. Hops that are labeled aroma hops have unique aroma characteristics. As craft brewers and homebrewers become more daring the lines between bittering and aroma hops have become blurred. An example of this is the Hydra Kolsch I helped brew this year; we used Sorachi Ace as a bittering hop. It is usually used as a flavor hop in most beers.

There are numerous varieties of hops grown around the world, too numerous for me to list here. Probably the most complete list I know of is at Hop Union, http://www.hopunion.com/17_HopVarietyHandbook.cfm?p3=open, the hop variety handbook goes into great detail of hop varieties.
The numerous hop varieties lead to being used to make numerous styles of beer, different beers utilize different hops. Most beers are brewed with regionally available hops, ie, Saaz hops in a Pilsner, Cascade hops in a West Coast IPA.

Hops are the soul of beer, without hops beer would be bland and lifeless. They go beyond the mere physical presence in a beer and become almost mystical. A soul is sad to be nearly weightless and in the scheme of a beer a few ounces of hops is the equivalent. The end result of hops in a beer is greater than just the addition into the brewing process. The introduction of hops at different times in the brewing process lead to different characteristics emphasized and shining through in the final beer.
Without hops, beer is not beer. A big thank you goes out to those first intrepid brewers that decided to throw some hop cone into their beer.

QC Beerguy

Bohemian Pilsener 2B

2011-11-21T20:15:00.000-06:00

Next on the BJCP guideline is Bohemian Pilsener 2B. This is the original version of a Pilsener (Pilsner), first brewed in 1842 in Pilsen, Bohemia. Pilsner Urquell, the original Pilsener, is still produced in Pilsen today! Also another famous pilsener is Budweiser Budvar, the original Budweiser, which is sold as Czechvar in the US, due to an ongoing legal battle between Anheuser Busch and Budweiser. These were some of the first mass produced lager beers, being that most beers before them were ales. A lager is made with a bottom fermented yeast and fermented in cool caves for an extended time.

Aroma: Complex malt and spicy, floral Saaz hops. A slight presence of diacetyl is acceptable. Otherwise clean, no fruity esters.

Appearance: Pale gold to deep gold, brilliant to very clear, with a dense white, long-lasting, creamy head.

Flavor: Rich, complex maltiness combined with a pronounced yet soft and rounded bitterness and spicy flavor from Saaz hops. Some diacetyl is acceptable, but need not be present. Bitterness is prominent but never harsh, and does not linger. The aftertaste is balanced between malt and hops. Clean, no fruity esters.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation.

Comments: Crisp, complex and well-rounded yet refreshing. This was the original clear light-colored beer. Uses Moravian malted barley and a decoction mash for rich, malt character. Saaz hops and low sulfate, low carbonate water provide a distinctively soft, rounded hop profile. Traditional yeast sometimes can provide a background diacetyl note. Dextrins provide additional body, and diacetyl enhances the perception of a fuller palate.

Numbers: IBU (Bitterness) 35-45, SRM (Color) 3.5-6, OG (Potential) 1.044- 1.056, FG (Finish) 1.013- 1.017, ABV4.2- 5.4%

Examples: Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar, Czech Rebel, Golden Pheasant

Soft water with low mineral content, Saaz hops, Moravian malted barley, Czech lager yeast. The first batch of this style has been attributed to Burger Brauerei on October 5, 1842 brewed by Josef Groll. As I mentioned this is probably the first and some say the best style of lager beer. Unfortunately here in the US we do not have a readily available source of fresh Bohemian Pilsener, since they are shipped from Europe to the US. As I have mentioned on other styles if a beer is good here in the US after coming over on a ship, it must be excellent in Europe! The two best examples in my opinion are Pilsner Urquell and Budvar, both are best on tap since they both come in green glass bottles. The tap versions avoid the problem of being light struck and becoming skunked.

QC Beerguy

Land Of the Muddy Waters Homebrew Competition

2011-11-17T17:50:00.000-06:00

Friday night and all day Saturday the homebrew club I belong to held its annual Homebrew Competition called Land Of the Muddy Waters. A very fitting name for our event, since we are a bi-state club that has members from both sides of the Mississippi River, the Muddy Waters itself.

This year we had 325 entries into our competition, which was a sizable jump over last year's number of 276 entries. Thankfully we were able to pull in judges from the Bi-state area of Iowa and Illinois as well as a couple from Milwaukee and even one judge from California. This made sure that all of the entries were judged by at least one Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) ranked judge.

Over all the competition went well with only some minor inconveniences that come up with any event. I know the event organizer and the assistant event organizer, me, were very thankful for that. From my recollection the event was a success. I hope that the judges and stewards felt that way as well at the end of the day.
A big thank you goes out to Dan brewer/owner of Blue Cat Brewpub for allowing us to use the upstairs area for our contest. I would be very difficult to hold a contest without a willing host and a place that has a refrigerated area large enough to handle over 600 bottles of beer. Also a big thank you to all of the sponsors and raffle item donors, again we could not do it without them.

The results are available at http://lotmwhome.brewcompetition.com/index.php; congratulations to all of the winners in each category. Also big congratulations to the best of show winners: Phil Sullivan with an Oktoberfest from Underground Brewers (Detroit, MI) and Rich Harris and Joe Weitlispach with a Sweet Mead from MUGZ, members of the homebrew club I belong to.

Since I was the assistant event organizer, I am learning to run the event in 2013 and 2014. This means I was a jack of all trades. Filling in where needed, I judged in the first round Saturday, running to get this or that, and just making sure everyone present was as happy as possible. Also since I have a loud mouth and a voice that carries, I became the official PA system. I look forward to next year when I will become more familiar with the nuts and bolts of running a successful homebrew competition.

Maybe next year I may even have a beer that will place in the event. For the past couple of years I have entered beers in this and other events and cannot crack into placing at my home event, but have placed in a few other events with the same beer. Someday my luck will change, I hope.

QC Beerguy

Everybody Has One, Gateway Beer that is.

2011-11-09T18:26:00.000-06:00

I know when I was in college and at my fraternity I drank pretty much AB products, Bud, Bud Light and Busch, with the occasional Miller or Miller Lite. I had a friend that was a Phi Sig and their house beer was Old Style, since they were mainly from Chicagoland and that was a nasty hangover the next day after the uptown party. So as you can see in college I drank mainly mass produced beer. Until the import craze finally hit Macomb, IL in my senior year. I found the exotic taste of Corona with a lime stuffed in it; yes this was my gateway beer.
What exactly is a gateway beer you may be asking? Well a gateway beer is the beer that made the connection for you to good craft or import beer. It can be as complacent as Corona or something as exciting as Pliny the Elder. The gateway beer is the beer that opened the door to enjoying good beer. It may or may not be a good beer itself; it just leads you to find good beer. So don't worry that beer is not something you may be proud of, just look at mine. Corona, really?
Everyone probably has that beer that made the connection for them. Some people are still waiting to find their gateway beer. I have friends that probably will never find a gateway beer and will continue to drink their Busch Light. As I grow in my beerself, I have learned not to judge them. It has become a bit of a challenge to find a gateway beer for them. Like my neighbor across the street. My wife and I found out that he loves a good Kolsch, even though by choice he does buy Busch Light.
If you have or have not found your gateway beer, as Charlie says "Relax and have a homebrew", or in other words it is all good. There is no need to hurry and find that beer to be your gateway beer. If you are still drinking one of the mass produced beers you still have time to find your gateway beer.
It is no big deal if you are still drinking one of the mass produced beers. I know there are many craft or import beers that will give you the taste of your mass produced beers. The best way to find a gateway beer is just try a beer that is outside of your ordinary repertoire!

QC Beerguy

Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut- Down Ale and Brown Shugga Ale

2011-11-03T20:49:00.000-05:00

Tonight I am tasting a couple beer from Lagunitas Brewery. First up Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale. The beer poured a light amber with a off white head, great clarity. The aroma was a mixture of sweet caramel and citrus hops. The flavor brought the hops and caramel to your mouth as well as noticeable alcohol notes. There was also a slight biscuity, graininess in the background. Overall the flavors intermingle and result in a great beer. It is a medium bodied beer with medium carbonation and noticeable alcohol warmth. The beer checks in at 9.87% ABV; so this is a beer to sit back and enjoy. I give this beer an "A-", I maybe biased since I like almost all of the Lagunitas beers.

Second beer up is Brown Shugga Ale; which upon visiting the Lagunitas web site I found some sad news for 2011. They did not have the brewing capacity to brew Brown Shugga this year. Luckily the bottle I have is from 2010. The beer poured medium copper with a off white head. The aroma is of brown sugar, slight caramel and light bit of citrus hops. The noticeable notes of aroma carry over into the flavor. As well there is a noticeable taste of alcohol present, with a slight hint of bready notes. The sum of the parts blend to make this a lively beer that is a wonder to drink. It is a medium full bodied beer with medium low carbonation. This beer is another big beer at 9.84% ABV, so another beer to enjoy and savor. I grade this beer with an "A-", another great beer from Lagunitas.

QC Beerguy

How to find Beer Places

2011-11-01T20:09:00.000-05:00

Those of you that have read my blog may have wondered a time or two how I find the breweries and beer places I go to. Well here is the low down. I use two main sources Beer Advocate http://beeradvocate.com/ and the Beer Mapping Project http://beermapping.com/. Both are a valuable source to my beer travels. They provide me with great information on finding somewhere to go when I am not overly familiar with the place I am staying. Each on has it's strong points, which I will cover in individual detail.

Beer Advocate, as the name proclaims, this website is pro beer. This website was started by two brothers that really love beer and anything related to the beer industry. For locating a brewery or beer place I look down the left hand column under the heading Travel and Events, then click on Directory. This will lead you through a few levels to find where you maybe. First is country, click on United States, then you can click on the state you are in. It then leads you to choose the city your are currently in, when you select the city you are presented with a list of breweries, beer bars, beer stores and homebrew stores. The cool thing about this list is that each place listed is usually reviewed by other Beer Advocate users, so there is an opinion that you can base your choice off of. Also if possible they have a link to the establishments web site and a map showing the location of the establishment. This is valuable especially if you have not been to a place before. I have yet to really find a set of reviews that have lead me astray.

Also Beer Advocate has many other uses they have reviews of beers, an event calendar, a forum and an educational area. I use the beer reviews to see how my thoughts correspond or not with other people on the beers I am tasting. Also the event calendar is useful to find events in areas where you maybe in or soon to be going to. This is a cool website that has many uses besides locating a place to go have dinner and a beer at.

The Beer Mapping Project is predominately a website that lets the user search a region or country for breweries and brewpubs. On the left hand side under Map Selector there are two areas to make a selection in the first is Brewery Maps and the second is City Beer Maps. The Brewery Map allows you to select maps of 12 countries. If you choose the American Map it is further broken down into regions of the United States, so you can pin point the city you are in. If you choose one of the other 11 countries it provides a map overview of the entire country.

The City Beer Maps are a collection of the larger metro areas within the United States. Needless to say you can get a very good idea of the relation of establishments to each other, so it makes your adventure easy to plan out. Also there is a forum on the website and the user can review the places they go to. So this is another valuable tool to my arsenal in searching for great places to have beer.

Hopefully you will find these websites as useful as I do and you may have your own favorite site you use. I am not saying these are the only or even the best websites, but they work for me. If you do not like them no biggie, I hope you have your own way to find good beer and good food.

QC Beerguy

German Pilsner (Pils) 2A

2011-10-30T08:40:00.000-05:00

Next up on the BJCP Beer Styles is German Pilsner (Pils) 2A. This is a drier, crisper version of the Bohemian Pilsner that the German breweries adapted. The first German Pilsner has been credited to Aktienbrauerei Zum Bierkeller of Radeberg in 1872. An interesting factoid, France became an important export market for the German Pilsner. Pilsner accounts for two thirds of all the beer sold in Germany. There is noticeable variations between North and South German Pilsners. The Northern variation is zesty, citrusy with up front hop bitterness, while the Southern variation is mellower and emphasizes the hop aroma.

Aroma: Light grainy Pils malt character with distinctive flowery or spicy noble hops. Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl. May have hints of sulfury aroma through out.

Appearance: Straw to light gold, brilliant to very clear, with a creamy long lasting head.

Flavor: Crisp and bitter with a dry to medium dry finish. Moderate to Moderately low maltiness, although some graininess and Pilsner malt sweetness are acceptable. Hop bitterness dominates taste and lingers into the aftertaste. Hop flavor can range from low to high but only should be of German noble hops. Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied, medium to high carbonation.

Comments: Crisp, clean, refreshing beer that prominently features noble German hops bitterness accentuated by sulfates in the water. Modern examples of German Pilsner tend to become paler in color, drier in finish, and more bitter as you move from South to North in Germany.

Numbers: IBUs (bitterness) 25-45, SRM (color) 2-5, OG (potential) 1.044- 1.050, FG (finish) 1.008- 1.013, ABV 4.4-5.2%

Examples: Victory Prima Pils, Bitburger, Warsteiner, Konig Pilsner, Left Hand Polestar Pilsner, Spaten Pils

Pilsner malt, German hop varieties ( noble varieties such as Hallertauer, Tettnanger, and Spalt for flavor and Aroma), medium sulfate water, and German lager yeast make up this beer. Victory Prima Pils is considered to be the best example of this style of beer brewed in the US, the good thing is this beer is available throughout a majority of the US. Also if you can find a good German version grab it, just be wary of the green bottled ones, they can be skunky if improperly stored.

QC Beerguy