Suds and Smokes

New Blog

2012-03-30T10:57:00.004-07:00

Apologies for not posting as often. I am in the very slow process of transitioning to an actual domain, separate from blogspot.

My new domain will be even more simple, SudsandSmokes.com!

Now I know this will make things slightly more confusing if you are used to checking out my blogspot page, but I will keep it active for a while until everything is finished.

Drink up!

EDIT: Go to my new website! SudsandSmokes.com!

Global Beer Dinner

2012-02-28T21:24:00.006-08:00

Imagine a well prepared five course meal.

Now imagine a well prepared five course meal specifically created to pair with five different beers.

Recently I was privileged enough to be invited to a beer dinner at Rudyard's in Houston, TX. Five delectable brews from the Global Beer portfolio were selected including:

Wittekerke Double Wit

Biere Du Boucanier Red

Poperings Hommel

Piraat

Troubadour Imperial Stout

First pairing was the Wittekerke Double Wit, which was deliciously calm in flavor.

This was paired with mussels cooked in the beer itself, along with a tostada with classic ingredients plus fried clams.

Second the Biere Du Boucanier Red. This beer has high carbonation and distinct almost Smarties flavors. Quite the experience.

This home-grown dish was a spicy treat. An almost Thai-slaw with Texas grown shiitake mushrooms only touched by hand the day they were picked. This was one of the best pairings, being that both the beer and food accentuated each other.

Third, my favorite, was the Poperings Hommel. This beer embodies everything I desire in a beer (with a Belgian twist). As you may or may not know, my favorite beer style is the pilsner, but only when done well. A full flavored refreshing pilsner in my opinion displays the brewers skills far better than a gigantic full-o-ingredients beer. Either way, this is what I would consider a nice hoppy Belgian version of what a true beer should be. The hops are not intense like in American beers, but subtle and crisp making this (at 7.5% ABV) a great session-able brew.

Now that I have strayed off topic, the dish that was paired with the Poperings.

Eggs. I love eggs... deviled eggs to be exact, made with bleu cheese and prosciutto. The asparagus looking sprigs you see on top are actually HOP VINES! Pickled hop vines were ordered from afar to top this one off.

Next we consumed Piraat, historically an IPA, but more well known now as a tripel. At 10.5% ABV, this one will trick you into drinking far more than you should, plummeting you into an abyss of drunken dreams. Not really, because we are all of course responsible adults.

An almost Hawaiian/Southern fusion accompanied this one. Pork shoulder with a pineapple/passion fruit/mustard seed (and something else) relish, with cauliflower puree. I found that the puree paired very well with the Piraat, while the protein was mainly delicious filler.

And of course last but not least the dessert. Now either I was too consumed by the food (ironic?) or had slipped past the attention barrier, but I did not get the entire description of this one.

The beer that was paired with dessert was the Troubadour Imperial Stout. Sweet and distinctly Belgian in many of its characteristics, including mouthfeel and carbonation, this one is similar to the imperial stouts enjoyed in the USA but with such a great evolution.

The mystery pastry had a puree of what I believe was dates or figs and cherries. The cheese on top was Chimay cheese. Mmmmmm.

All in all I had the best time.

Check out Rudyard's Pub. Each month they have a different beer dinner focusing on a different collections of beers.

Op uw gezondheid!

The Wonders of Drinking

2012-02-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

During the last excursion of drinking, which was based solely around Sake, I and the boys from The Beer Party Show enjoyed many find quality rice wine beverages.

I did a post in March last year about the wonders of this drink. Click the picture to read it.

Now, for those of you who have consumed mass quantities of any beverage, you know the consequences. We all have been in that place of disgrace and discomfort known as (being so mentally beyond repair that everything you do seems like a great idea, even though it isn't) drunk.

Sake for our particular group, is known to do this... times one million! Our perception of right and wrong disappears and we start doing dumb ass shit (to put it bluntly).

We worked our way through the styles of Sake:

Junmai

Junmai Ginjo

Junmai Daiginjo

Nigori

There were others but we didn't have access to them.

By the end of the night, not only had we burned our beards with lighters, and smashed a few heads against brick walls, but had been blasted point blank in the face with mono ammonium phosphate... also known as dry fire extinguisher.

Fire and brimstone that shit hurt. Either way the night was a huge success and you should check out the show once we have it up at:

http://thebeerpartyshow.podomatic.com/

Kanpai mother-f**kers!

Recent Brews and Complications

2012-01-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

I recently brewed two beers up with my brew-buddy.

We made a Rye-Ipa that was almost too simple to brew, and a smoked red.

The one I want to focus mainly on is the Red, because not only did we smoke the malts ourselves, we used partial-mash (bag technique) and I would like to explain how we did it.

First, we smoked the malts, and since we did not have a smoker, we jury-rigged a Turkey pan and some foil, and smoke the wood chips in an open grill.

The next step we took was to clip our grain bag (or a cheap laundry bag from the store) to just hover above the bottom of the pot. This way the grains don't burn for the hour long temperature maintaining spree. We also kept our thermometer clipped in to monitor these readings.

We used a large rubber band to keep the bag floating.

After brewing was complete, we wanted to make sure that any of the grain that sneaked through our bag was filtered. We used a simple colander for this.

The result? A carboy full of delicious smoked red just waiting to be bottled. The main complication that arose was lack of bottle caps. I realized today when I was getting ready to bottle that I forgot to buy bottle caps. This of course puts a damper on my bottling so I will have to postpone a while longer.

Pizza Beer

2012-01-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

I discovered back in college that one of the most amazing combinations that this world has to offer, is a pizza pie and an ice cold refreshing beer.

Now, I feel that this is similar to the nostalgia aspect of traveling (where you grasp onto a beer you had while traveling and enjoy it way more than you normally would because you were having a good time). Of course some people would replace pizza with other foods, like sushi or wings, but in the end the idea is the same.

My first experience with my beloved pizza was with Real Ale's Fireman's #4. This light delicious Blonde Ale was exactly what the doctor ordered, and I have not been able to get away from the combo since!

What is your "pizza beer"?

100 posts!

2012-01-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

This post is to thank you all for reading, and for supporting the wide world of beer and cigars.

Please keep drinking good beer and smoking good cigars! We need you to keep the industry going!

Partial Mash

2012-01-06T01:47:00.000-08:00

So the day finally came. The smoked red we have been planning for months finally came into existence. We partial mashed this mother, and I think it is going to turn out rockin'.

What's a partial mash you say? This is when a good chunk of grain is used to add a more genuine feel to the beer, while the majority of the fermentables come from an extract. This is exceptionally easier than doing all-grain for those who live in apartments.

First step was to smoke the malts. We do not own a smoker and of course didn't feel like buying one for something like this, so we did a little rigging and came up with this. A turkey pan with three large holes. Foil on top with one exit the opposite side of the holes.

Result? A simplified smoker. Now for those of you who want some smokier than the bear malts, skip this and just buy a smoker, but for those who want lightly smoked... this works just fine.

I decided instead of using the classic mash tun to experiment with the grain bag method.

This is when you put your grains to be mashed into a grain bag and let them hover inside of a pot while boiling. This seemed easy, so I gave it a try.

Getting it all started was simple, maintaining temperature was simple (electric stove top), and waiting was of course extremely easy.

The difficult part came when the "sparging" step came into play. The bag of grain was heavy as hell, and to sit there and hold it and squeeze it was a pain in the ass.

Of course with this method, more delicious chunks make their way through all the "well planned" filtration systems, so using a colander to filter is not a bad idea. JUST DON'T FORGET TO SANITIZE!

Either way, our small partial mash was complete, and the brewing began with the extract and hops.

The final result? A carboy full of yummy red ale.

And after about twenty hours?

We will see how it all turns out in a few weeks!

Xikar HC Salomon Limitado review

2012-01-02T17:53:00.000-08:00

I have had quite a few cigars, and thought I knew what a well made cigar was.

I was proven wrong after witnessing the wonders of Xikar HC Salomon Limitado. Don't get me wrong... the other amazing cigars I have had in the past WERE amazing, but so far nothing compares to this gem.

I had no idea when i was buying it that it was a limited release, nor did I think twice at paying ten bucks for this cigar (I had enjoyed other Xikar HC's in the past), but when I tell you that after an hour and a half of delicious chocolate notes from a medium-bodied cigar I was sold.

I had not even hit the halfway point at an hour, and at that point knew what quality was.

If you can find one of these little beauties, and like a medium to full bodied cigar that is extremely well-made, don't think twice about snagging it up.

Try a Belgian!

2011-12-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

For New Years this year, keep one thing in mind. Champagne is sparkly and bubbly, but so are the giant bottles of Belgian beer!

Give something like Unibroue or Duvel a try this year and see how it goes.

This works great for those who don't like Champagne and just want a little something different.

Happy Early New Years!

Spice

2011-12-25T08:27:00.000-08:00

Of course I am not talking about Sand Worms and Melange, but of the massive artillery of spice we have at our disposal to make our carbonated malt beverages festive.

Many Belgian beers use spices and herbs to flavor their beer, especially in the Wit styles. Coriander and orange peel are common, but there are many other additions in festive beers.

Ever pick up a Holiday brew and feel like you were just face punched with mulling spices? It is not unusual, and many people enjoy it.

I prefer to have a good lightly spiced Christmas beer where you can still tell it is beer.

Some good examples of spiced Christmas beer are Karbach's Yule Shoot Your Eye Out, which is strong in ABV and in spice content, and Anchor Christmas Ale (although it is a little different each year).

I discovered a good lightly spiced beer this year, the Ebenezer by Bridgport. It had a good malty backbone but enough hops to consider it a well balanced beer and just spicy enough not to make me need water afterwards.

Either way, enjoy some good brews on this cold ass Xmas day!

Brooklyn Concoction

2011-12-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

The consumption of delicious and enticing brews is what being a beer aficionado is all about. Broadening one's horizons and expanding one's palate is something any beer explorer should be open to.

Condemning a beer just because it is not the kind you enjoy, is just plain ignorant.

If you are looking to expand your taste buds, don't just limit yourself to beer, but taste wine and spirits, and also any foods that you have never had. These things will allow you to understand better the flavors you experience in your beer.

I bring all this up because I was enjoying some good ol' Brooklyn beer recently when I saw The Concoction on tap. Not knowing what it was I ordered it.

The smell was like extremely tart hops. I was a little confused by this but took a sip anyways. I felt at first like I was licking vapor rub... the flavors of menthol and camphor were off the wall.

After a few more sips I started realizing what I was tasting. Peated malts and lemon at first, followed by the honey. This recipe mimics the famous Scotch based cocktail "Penicillin".

I went to Anvil, the well-known cocktail bar in Houston, and did a side-by-side tasting of The Concoction and Penicillin. After a couple sips, they seemed almost identical.

Way to go Brooklyn!

Don't be afraid to try new things. If you are, you are just holding yourself back. Step over your own boundaries and show up when you would rather just sit around.

All-Grain

2011-12-05T23:55:00.000-08:00

Let me take a moment to explain something very new to me (and hopefully throughout this process we can both learn something).

I have been partial mashing and steeping specialty grains for some time now.

Steeping the specialty grains is just like making tea. It will affect the overall taste but not leave much to ferment, while partial mashing will allow just a little of the fermentable sugars to be created while allowing the flavor be imparted.

All-Grain however is something completely different. I have a recipe I have created and the process that I will follow written down, and would like to just go over it a little.

This is the All-Grain crash course from a newbie. Of course if anything needs adjusting please let me know, and at the same time hopefully some will learn from it.

1) Mashing

Strike water is the first batch of water set inside the mash tun which the malts will be soaked in at a given temperature for an hour or so.
Generally 1-1.5 quarts of strike water are used per pound of grain.
The grain will be soaked for one hour in water ranging from 150-158 degrees F
The temperature chosen for the mash will result in different outcomes
The higher the temperature (between 150-158F) the sweeter the malts will be, and the lower the ABV will be.
The lower the temperature the drier the malts will be and the higher the ABV will turn out.
Remember to have the water at at least 10-12 degrees higher than your mashing temperature, because adding the grain will make the temp. drop.
It is a good idea to use 2-row malts for single infusion. This just makes life easier all around. (At least 50% of grain should be 2-row)

Equipment can be purchased or even made. I have seen all sorts of different methods but this one really strikes my fancy. Here is a video by Don Osborn. This is a great reference to check out when you are stuck.

Easy All-Grain Brewing - Batch Sparge Method

(And of course we cannot forget John Palmer and his methods)

Brewing Your First All-Grain Beer

2) Sparging

What I have decided on is 1/2 gallon of around 170 degree water should be over the grains to sparge. This method is the process of extracting the sugars by basically pouring water of mashed grains. Any temperature over 170 degrees could cause the tannins to be more noticeable and therefore causing off-flavors.
There are many methods of sparging. I personally like Don Osborn's technique but just take a look around a decide for yourself.
A good rule of thumb is this. Oversparging will create a more watery beer while undersparging will create a more concentrated beer.

Here is my simplified checklist to follow when I brew my all-grain.

-Boil strike water to 166, pour grains in and close the container for 1 hour. (stir well)

-Cover as well as possible and let sit for an hour.

-Mash Out -Pour a couple gallons of boiling water on top to raise temp (optional).

-Collect some of the wort before letting it fill the container.

-This should give around 3 gallons of liquid.

-Close the container.

-Boil 3 more gallons to about 170 degrees (maybe a little higher depending on how far it will be carried, and pour it slowly over the grains.

-This will give us 6 gallons of wort.

-Start boiling the wort as usual.

-Follow recipe!

A lot to take in and it took me a very long to really comprehend it, but if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at Sudsandsmokes@gmail.com.

I will update the process when the time comes!

Leprechaun

2011-12-03T01:33:00.000-08:00

Recently on our podcast "The Beer Party Show", which you can catch almost every week at http://thebeerpartyshow.podomatic.com, we sampled the up and coming Leprechaun Cider. I was lucky enough to meet the owner himself recently and was so impressed by everything he stood for that I gave it a shot.

The words "Artificial, and concentrate" were used as if they were naughty and so I went on to test this theory.

Leprechaun Cider is by far the most delicious cider I have ever had. I do enjoy ciders from time to time, and consumed many of the well known brands (Ace, Crispin, Woodchuck), and while these are all delicious in their own way, they still lacked the authenticity that Leprechaun puts forth.

Using Cider apples instead of dessert apples was quite an important step in the making of the cider, and the lack of any apple juice concentrate made a world of difference. Many more techniques were used to make this cider what it is, and once again... cider is GLUTEN FREE for those of you that can't take the awesomeness that is malts.

In the end, if you enjoy ciders... or hell, if you enjoy a fine champagne... buy a bottle and give it a try yourself. I highly doubt you will be disappointed.

Houston Beer Week

2011-11-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

Well, this week so far has been a success. I have networked and met some pretty bad ass brewmasters, consumed large amounts of good beer, had a hangover for the past three days, and am just plum tired.

So many events are happening and I have so many more I am going to attend!

If you are coming into this week late, here is the website to check what else is happening and what is coming up this weekend.

Remember, drive safely. I am on the road too and don't feel like having to look out for drunk asses!

Smoked Malts

2011-11-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

There was once a time when malts were dried over open flame. These were harsh times, and the beers created were smoky as hell.

This did not stop our ancestors however, and they continued to make unintentionally smoky beer until one day, someone decided to dry their malts with a kiln. This kept the malts from becoming smoky and burnt.

One country still makes smoked beers however... Germany.

They make such beers as Rauchbier and Roggenbier, in which the malts are intentionally dried over open flame. These styles were not widely accepted until recently, and now the smoked beers are appearing more on the market.

I as well am going to smoke my own malts and attempt to make a couple smoked beers. This process will of course begin when I have the funds to buy all the new equipment and ingredients I need... Damn.

Either way, I will be brewing a smoked red and a Roggenbier. I will experiment and see how different smoking procedures affect the malts.

Status updates will be posted.

The easy-cleanse

2011-11-02T00:21:00.000-07:00

Looking for a cheap alternative to those expensive gut cleansers?

Then look no further!

Flush your pipes with a six pack of tall boys!

Any cheap ass beer will do. Start by opening all six cans and slamming them as quickly as possible. Then sit back and enjoy the ride.

The cheapest Colon cleansing on the market.

Doctor approved!

It's No Use Crying...

2011-10-14T00:21:00.000-07:00

...Over Spilt Beer.

Why?

Because we can always make more!

At least the sewer mutants were happy that night.

Borrowed picture from the Yuengling Brewery website, the oldest brewery in the USA. Check out their website! Yuengling

Better keep the people happy.

Legacy

2011-10-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I read something very interesting in John Palmer's "How to Brew". A segment on yeast was written that speaks of a stirring stick used in Viking times. It states:

"In the days of the Vikings, each family had their own brewing stick that they used for stirring the wort. These brewing sticks were regarded as family heirlooms because it was the use of that stick that guaranteed that the beer would turn out right. Obviously, those sticks retained the family yeast culture."

Pretty amazing eh? They had no idea it was something so complex (yet simple) that caused their brews to taste the same as every other they made, yet different from their neighbors.

To read more about brewing beer you must check out "How to Brew" by John Palmer. I as well as anyone else who homebrews would not think twice to recommend it.

It contains information for first time brewers as well as the veterans who want to brush up on their practices.

Of course, don't try to use your own stirring stick without sanitizing it... unless your'e feeling daring, and wouldn't mind possibly wasting some money.

Beer is eternal

2011-09-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

Our Founding Fathers brewed their own beer.

Mobsters brewed beer during prohibition times, and monks have been brewing beer for centuries.

The ancient Egyptians brewed beer for sustenance (the main reason I drink it of course), and as a way to preserve their grains.

During war times Germany would keep brewing beer to make sure the populace was content and did not suspect anything was out of the ordinary (even though food and grain were scarce).

Beer was even brewed at the beginning of time, by the gods themselves... or so say the texts referring to those times!

Even Dogfish Head has been contracted to brew beers like Midas Touch which is made from ingredients found in drinking vessels in what is presumed to be King Midas' tomb (2700 years ago).

You see, the point is... Beer will be around for as long as we breathe. Brewing dates so far back it is almost inconceivable to think of where it began.

Check out this link to find some historical recipes you can brew on your own. http://brewery.org/cm3/recs/13_toc.html

Chinese and German

2011-09-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

I have consumed many Chinese beers, and many German beers. When I was first getting into the beer world, I thought they tasted like skunk stew.

Noticed when drinking Lucky Buddha (sweet freakin' bottle!) the finishing tastes of honey. Strange how this beer tasted just like a delicious German Kolsch.

After drinking this beer, you rub the belly and get LUCKY!

Either way, I wondered where the connection was and did a little research, noting that this is how Tsing-tao finishes as well.

Qingdao was a German concession, and is located on the Shandong Peninsula, facing Japan and Korea. There are areas that imitate Germany in architecture, and obviously in beer. This is where Tsing-tao is brewed, and many other Chinese export beers tend to taste very similar.

The marriage of two cultures, so different and unexpected, created beer. Nothing wrong with that I suppose.

Busy Body

2011-08-16T22:59:00.000-07:00

Since my life has been completely turned upside down, I just have not made my way to the good ol' blog page in a while.

To keep things simple... a quick update.

USA beer, bacon, blueberries, and pancakes was a big success. Strong and delicious.

Bitters, so far has not seen much carbonation. We will wait and see if it has anything to do with the lower temps in my apt. Damn hot right now outside so I keep it low enough to stay comfortable.

Discovery!

2011-07-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

I have discovered the most phenomenal LIGHT BEER that has ever existed!

Dixie Brewing out of New Orleans has a few decent beers. The one of highlight however is the Jazz Amber Light.

My first thought on this beer was that it was going to be another "diet" beer for the poor saps who think that matters.

I was quickly corrected. It IS a light beer, but actually has a ton of good malt flavor with a refreshing quality that you just can't beat. It has 4.13% ABV and only 92 calories. This is a testament of Dixie's ability to brew a good session beer.

Despite the never-ending snobtastic reviews from the multiple beer reviewing websites, I gave this one a try and am quite pleased.

To all of you who shun a well made light beer, shove it.

Hops

2011-07-09T00:12:00.000-07:00

Hops are an important ingredient in beer. They not only add flavor, aroma and bitterness... but actually improve the shelf life of a beer as well.

There are many varietals of hops. I would even go as far as to say grapes are to wine as hops are to beer. The make-up of a hop is what gives it's different characteristics. For instance a hop with a low alpha acid typically gives a less bitter aspect (or so I have observed). Something like Fuggle hops will not be a serious bittering hop and more of a flavoring hop. A Columbus hop with give a big bitter note.

Check out Northern Brewer to get some ideas on all the different varietals of hops.

There is a simple rule with hops. The time when you add them to a boil will affect the beer.

-Hops added early on right after the heat break correlate directly with bitterness.

-Hops added at a middle point (your choice depending on you beer) will correlate with flavor.

-Hops added toward the end correlate with aroma. Some people steep whole hop leaves in an act called "dry hopping" to add even more aroma. This is done long after the wort boil.

I am going to attempt to grow my own hop vines, so wish me luck!

The Horrifying Tales of Doc Hops

2011-06-30T01:02:00.001-07:00

Thursday, June 30, 2:41PM:

Upon entering my residence I notice immediately the sudden weighing down of my body. There is an acrid energy about and it fills my heart with dread. Being the brave one I continue on to search for what could be causing this upset in the natural order of things.

I walk towards the bedroom, but stop immediately at the sound of quiet sobbing to my direct right. I glance slowly and notice it is coming from the office, and turn to investigate. By now the lump in my throat is enormous but I press on in the name of science.

The door was recently oiled and opened smoothly to reveal at my feet a strange moss where carpet should have been. The smell of fresh hops invades my senses and I am drawn in to this fantastic place. A few steps further reveals to my eyes that the office has been transformed through some fantastic magic into a world of beer!

Giddy as a school girl I run in and start gathering bottles of beer from the beer bushes and chugging them down one by one. The taste is like ambrosia to the gods. With a single blink, everything is dark. I stumble around for what seems hours in search of the exit to this now increasingly frightening environment. An aroma of decaying plant material and stale Busch enter my senses and I begin running.

A spotlight ahead far in the distance draws my attention so I begin towards it. Alone in the center of this spotlight is a refrigerator. On the front, a single note exists.

The note says in such simple writing, "Don't forget the beer". I had forgotten to buy beer at the grocery!

I wake up in a cold sweat, realizing that it was all just a horrible nightmare. I stand slowly and walk to the kitchen to grab a cold refreshing brew. Opening the fridge, I grab a single can of delicious beer and open it...

It is warm!

I wake up again, in an even sweatier state than before.

The end.

Hammer and Sickle Cigars

2011-06-24T01:08:00.000-07:00

Hammer and Sickle cigars are about as strong as the Soviet Union, they are mild to medium but have amazing flavor! They are not your typical mild smokes that taste like burning leaves and ash... they have character!

The Hammer and Sickle Robusto was a trip however, which i would call mild and other sites would consider medium, with a great spice to it! A serious flavor journey and a great (at least) two inch ash that proved the cigar to be well made.

The Berlin Wall however, which had a copper band that was pretty sweet... was even more mild to medium I would dare to say, and still flavorful but not quite as spicy. Smooth flavor and consistent the whole way through. Sweet flavors throughout.

Thanks you... NH cigars for the... fantastic image.

If you desire flavor but not heaviness, try the robusto. If you are looking for a mild to medium check out the Berlin Wall.

The cigars come in crystal and granite boxes. Super nice looking and a great gift if you can talk your local cigar shop into getting the box too.