onebeer

Roggenbier!

2008-05-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm somewhat ashamed to admit I tried my first Roggenbier on Monday night. Essentially Roggenbier is a Dunkelwiessen made with rye instead of wheat. Rye, while familiar, generally sees little use in mainstream homebrewing and you'll certainly have to go out of your way to find a commercial example in your local bottle shop. This example was a coppery brown. Rye was noticeable but not overstated, and the typical weizen yeast profile of spice and banana was obvious but not dominant (leaning toward spice as opposed to banana). It is a darker beer, but has a moderate Original Gravity and is quite drinkable, so it should be a good one for the upcoming summer months. Thanks to Dan Sherman of DOZE for sharing his fine creation. BJCP lists Paulaner Roggen and Bürgerbräu Wolznacher Roggenbier as style examples for those interested in searching. Bear Republic of Racer 5 fame has their Hop Rod Rye, though this isn't a Roggenbier (more of an IPA with Rye). Looks like the only real option for a Roggenbier is to fire the burners and get brewing.

March Maintenance

2008-03-03T10:58:00.000-08:00

I suppose it's possible that I'm the only person in the world that
didn't realize March pumps require periodoc oiling. Shameful but true, I've been listening to my pumps occasionally squeal for months. After a little digging (much thanks to the helpful folks at Homebrewtalk.com) I found a pdf document from the manufacturer describing what oil, where to add, and how often to do so. My pumps are again smooth and quiet, just like their first use. So here's a heads up to all brewers with magnetic drive pumps...oil those guys twice a year with 20W non-detergent oil (4 to 5 drops in each resevoir will do). Happy brewing.

Interesting find

2008-02-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Last week I discovered a beer I never seen before. Sitting at the bar in Walnut Creek's Maria Maria restaurant, I found myself scanning the tap handles and bottled beer as I usually do. I typically order any beer I've never heard of. This day I was in for a treat as I asked the bartender "What's that beer with the diamond shaped label hiding in the back of your cooler?" Xingu, was her response...to which I replied, "Say that again?" Apparently it's pronounced (shin-goo), and it's an interesting beer. I don't know what I was expecting from a Brazilian beer, something wild and earthy I suppose. But that wasn't the case, this very dark beer is smooth. It's labeled a Black Lager, but I suppose it could also be a Schwarzbier. Hop aroma is light, and malt aroma is medium. Some carmel and toasty notes come through, with an apparent sweetness that is balanced (not cloying), and a killer smooth finish. I'll definitely buy this beer again.

From Russia With Love

2008-01-17T07:54:00.001-08:00

St. Pauli Girl Beer has a new 'St. Pauli Girl' for 2008. Meet Irina Voronina, a Russian model and actress who now calls Los Angeles home. Her resume includes recent roles in movies such as Reno 911: Miami, Epic Movie and Balls of Fury, as well as series regular appearances on Cartoon Network’s “Saul of the Mole Men”. Qualities not necessarily translated to a resume include blond hair, blue eyes, 5'10" height, and 35”-25”-36” measurements. Irina will soon be on her promotional 2008 tour (details not yet announced).

More photos of Irina, as well as past St. Pauli Girls from 1977 to present can be found on the St. Pauli Girl website.

Late hopping - aroma therapy

2008-01-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

I blogged a while back after a trying a new (well, new to me) IPA from Avery Brewing. I enjoyed the malt to bitter balance of this beer, but what made an impression on me was the aroma: big in the nose with a great hop bouquet. After some brief correspondence with the brewery I learned they employed late hop additions without the use of dry hopping. This was welcomed news to me, as I've always found dry hopping a pain. In this spirit I made an IPA based on a past recipe I've had success with. Instead of dry hopping, I used combination of first wort and late additions. For this 5 gallon recipe I slammed 4 ounces in the last 5 minutes, 3 ounces of which were at flame-out (or 0 minutes boil).
I fermented this IPA on a yeast cake from a Pale Ale and it took off with a vengeance. The bubbling stopped after 3 days. Today (Day 8) I racked into a bright tank where it will settle at 34F for a week or so, then time to carbonate. I'm hoping to retain a big aroma in this beer and maybe stop dry hopping altogether.

Your mother was a hamster...

2008-01-11T08:08:00.000-08:00

...and your father smelt of elderberries! That's right, elderberries. As a follow up to my cider experiment, see Cider Times Two below, I'm making a fruit cider from a combination of apple juice and elderberry juice. Why elderberry? Why not. I found a health food store close to home that sells local, organic, and unfiltered juice made from heirloom apples picked in Sebastopol, CA. Originally I had planned to make the fruit cider with pomegranate juice, but when I found the elderberry I just had to try it. The color prior to fermentation is a beautiful deep ruby. If the cider clears properly it should be one pretty drink. OG was 1.067, and I'm fermenting with Red Star Cote des Blancs from Lesaffre Yeast Corp.

Goodbye beerstone: A shameful admission

2008-01-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia, "Beerstone is a scale of calcium oxalate (C₂CaO₄) that can occur in tanks, kegs and other metal components used to brew or store beer." After today's brew session (a seriously hopped IPA at over 80 IBU's) I decided to finally clean the beerstone that had accumulated in my brew kettle. I'd like to say I do this every brew, every other brew, or even once a month. The sad reality is I tend to let it build up enough that I just can't do another brew until it's clean (I'm guessing every 10-12 brews, which is about 6 months for me). A nice soaking with PBW at 160 degrees for around 15 minutes was all it took to loosen up the muck enough so that I could easily wipe it with a sponge. The kettle is clean now, and hopefully I won't wait quite so long to do it again!

Cider times two

2007-12-30T09:20:00.001-08:00

Let the cider experiments begin. I've encountered many recipes that include raisins, cherry juice, cinnamon, sugar, and clove, but I want my first attempt to be straight forward. My only experience with hard cider was a cider tasting at my homebrew club. We tasted around 12 hard ciders (though a few were perry as I recall). This tasting was years ago, but I do remember gravitating toward the sweeter ciders with high carbonation and residual apple flavor. Excessively dry or sour ciders didn't suit my palette, so I'm trying to make a sweeter example that retains some apple profile. I bought organic, unfiltered apple juice that contains no preservatives from a local fancy pants grocery. The juice's OG was around 1.040, so I bumped it up to 1.055 with apple juice concentrate. I split the juice into two 1-gallon batches, using two yeast strains: Cote des Blancs dry yeast, and Saison Ale yeast. It should be quite interesting to see the differences based on yeast alone. I will monitor gravity closely, and stop it early to retain my desired sweetness and flavor.

Big Boys Take Notice

2007-12-18T08:12:00.000-08:00

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Miller will be releasing three new versions of Miller Lite to test markets in the US. Starting in February 2008, Charlotte, San Diego, and Baltimore will serve as a test bed for Blonde, Amber, and Wheat beers bearing the Miller Lite label. These beers are targeted to gain some of the growing craft beer market share, yet retain the lower carbohydrate and calorie levels that make Miller hugely popular.

Knee jerk reactions from homebrewers and craft beer enthusiasts will likely be to scorn 'Big Beer' for entering our world, but there could be another angle. It's unlikely any 'lite' craft beer can sufficiently satisfy a true craft beer lover. That's not say these new beers won't be good (and nothing against Sam Adam's Lite) but they certainly will be no Pliny the Elder or Bell's Two Hearted Ale. I don't think many craft beer loving drinkers will switch to lighter, lesser versions of the beers they like. Amber Lite could however become a sort of gateway beer, serving as a catalyst to encourage adventurous BMC (Bud/Miller/Coors) drinkers into trying more flavorful and satisfying beers. With any luck, some BMC fans might then find their way to other 'fuller' craft beers from smaller brewers, eventually boosting craft beer altogether.

I'll be interested to try one of these new Lites, but it could be a long time. You certainly won't see me driving to San Diego just for an early preview.

Brew Day with Dad

2007-11-24T18:20:00.000-08:00

Today Dad joined me in the brewhouse for our first Bohemian Pilsner. Nice to have a brew partner with so much knowledge of the brewing process. We had a minor mishap with a stuck mash, but I was able to quickly clear the dough-ball and recirculation went normally after that. Target gravity was a few points off, but perfectly acceptable for the style range (1.049). I skipped the mash out step this time (something I normally do) and I'm guessing that's where those points were lost. All in all a great brew day with Dad, and I'm really looking forward to trying this Pilsner.

Classic American Pilsner (CAP)

2007-11-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the November meeting of a relatively new brew club in Dublin, CA. The guys were nice enough to share their beers and include me in the evening's discussion topics as well as the judging for their submission to AHA Club Competition for Pilsners in late November.

We tried two beers, a German Pilsner and Classic American Pilsner. Both beers were excellent, cleanly brewed, and perfectly appropriate to style. While I never think of CAP when planning my recipes, I was reminded last night of just how good a CAP can be. For those unfamiliar with the style, you can find full guidelines here. This is certainly not a watered down, mass produced American Lager from the fridge in your local 7-11. CAP is a recently revived (and nearly lost), American version of a German Pilsner. Maltier, with adjuncts as were available when Germans settled portions of America, combined with higher hopping makes for a truly drinkable brew. For the hophead who scoffs at lighter beers and lagers this could be their gateway beer.

I'll be making a mental note to put this style in the queue for one of my next lagers.

Craft beer prices, expect price hikes

2007-10-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

The beer industry is a buzz with recently announced increases in hops prices. In short, we're in the midst of a worldwide hops shortage that will surely send craft beer prices on the rise this year. Poor weather, warehouse fires, and reduced growing acreage all contribute to this year's harvest deficit. For detailed information, see this article at Star-Telegram. It would appear large breweries like Bud, Miller, and Coors will be minimally impacted at most. Having contracted their prices years in advance coupled with the fact that their beers contain only trace amounts of hops, BMC will surely weather this storm without damage. The impact will hit craft brewers, who typically brew intensely hopped beers and operate on smaller margins. Bigger, well known craft brewers are likely to have pricing contracts as well, with the smaller, lesser known local breweries fighting for leftovers. In fact, many predict small local breweries could be priced right out of business. Only time will tell, but I think you can bet on see some different beers at your local brewpub this year. Double IPA's might well become a rarity, being replaced by lagers and lesser hopped ales like English Bitters, wheat beer, and other milder varieties. Likewise, I would look for unique new recipes utilizing hops varieties that are available to smaller craft breweries. Analysts predict the hops crops to rebound in a few years, so hopefully the situation is only temporary. Who knows, maybe the shortage will force some brewing creativity resulting in some new and interesting styles.

First Wort Hopping

2007-10-02T10:44:00.001-07:00

First Wort Hopping (FWH) is not a new concept, nor is it completely understood. The practice is to add a portion of your hop bill to the boil kettle while you collect sparge runnings. The 'steeping' of these hops at 140F-160F alters the way hops contribute both bitter and aroma to the finished beer. One theory is that hops become more soluble at these lower temperatures, making them less volatile with more aroma retained as the wort hits higher boiling temps that normally drive off aromatic compounds. Others feel the bitterness from FWH is more rounded and increases the perceived hop character in the finished beer.

I've never been too compelled to experiment, that is until I had an IPA from from the Avery Brewing Company last week. I was so blown away by the hop profile of this beer that I started Googling before I'd even finished the first pint. Factual or not*, several beer forums indicated that Avery utilizes first wort hopping in their IPA - which was all the motivation I needed to experiment. Sunday night I brewed an Avery inspired IPA, of which I attempted to get ~30% of my total IBU's from a FWH addition. For me, this was .5oz of 12% AA Simcoe hops for a 6 gallon batch. This experiment is relatively "loose", relying entirely on taste perception - but I'm still anxious to try this beer.

See these links for FWH information: Baccus & Barleycorn, The Brewery

*After first writing this post I contacted the nice folks at Avery, who promptly responded they do not first wort hop. Ah well, the experiment must go on.

Meet "Dozilla"

2007-09-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

My homebrew club (DOZE) was seeking a better way to serve multiple beers at festivals and events. Being a gadget man at heart, I was happy to volunteer finding a better solution. Behold, Dozilla, a 6 faucet tower with 6-way gas manifold. All lines are color coded to eliminate confusion of what keg goes to what line. Six kegs should fit nicely under the table in a large ice-bin, and eventually a custom banner with logo will wrap around the table front to hide kegs and lines. More photos here.

New calculator

2007-08-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

I've always had difficulty finding a way to predict Pre-Boil Gravity when creating my recipes, so it's a variable I've never really taken into account when I brew. I typically sparge until I have the proper wort volume in the kettle, then do a 60 minute boil, and if my Original Gravity is low or high, then so be it. However, armed with the knowledge of what my Pre-Boil Gravity should actually be, I might have some options to actually hit my Original Gravity instead of guessing. Similarly, if I knew my Pre-Boil Gravity I should be able to calculate a prediction about Original Gravity and make any necessary alterations to achieve my target numbers. September's issue of Brew Your Own magazine has an article by Bill Pierce that sheds some light on boil mechanics and calculations. I used his calculations to create an automated calculator for pre and post boil gravity. If you haven't read his article I think you will find it alone is worth the cover price. My version of the calculator is here.

Reduced mash times

2007-08-15T13:27:00.001-07:00

Brew Your Own magazine (article not web published) recently printed an article about reduced mashing times. A rude summary is that today's highly modified malts really don't need the extended mashing periods that lesser modified malts of previous generations required. I've heard many people say the vast majority of starch conversion takes place in the first 20 minutes. I'm sure this could be charted by periodic gravity testing over a mash cycle, but that's an experiment I'm not really interested in conducting. Last weekend I brewed an American wheat. I doughed-in, raised my mash temp to 152 degrees and rested for 35 minutes (45 total including the 10 minute dough-in and temperature step). I recirculate constantly through my mash, so no need to vorlauf. At 45 minutes I started the sparge (around 30 minutes for 7 gallons pre-boil). I ended up with an OG of 1.048, with my target being 1.049. A difference of .001 is within my range of tolerance, particularly when efficiency is around 76%. Conclusions? Nothing concrete, that is for certain, but I can say that reducing my overall mash time by 25% had no ill effects on gravity.

BJCP Update

2007-08-09T08:21:00.001-07:00

Well I attended my first official class of the BCJP (Beer Judge Certification Program) last night at Morebeer. The purpose of the BJCP is to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer, and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills. Most if not all sanctioned beer competitions in the US are administered by BJCP certified judges. Last night I learned about the rather rigorous study requirements and was given some insight into the exam (which includes evaluation on knowledge of beer styles, beer history, ingredients, troubleshooting, and judging). The exam is reported to take 3 hours to complete, and while not hard to pass, is very difficult to score well. We tried a gamut of ales from pale to amber to IPA to IIPA. My sensory skills need honing, and by the end my palette was shot. Lots to learn....more as the class progresses.

Bravo Hops: Revisted

2007-08-05T18:36:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about the new Bravo hop (see the July 12 post below on this page). This week I had the opportunity to try two different beers, both made with 100% Bravo hops. EJ Phair in Concord, California has a new seasonal IPA called Johnny Bravo. This is their all-Bravo IPA made especially for Drake's Bravo competition this summer. The second beer, Bravo IPA, was from Half Moon Bay Brewing Company in Princeton-By-The-Sea, California. Both IPA's were very similar, though the HMBBC version was a little darker in color and slightly maltier. I don't profess to have the world's finest palate, though it's something I'm working on. What I found common to both these beers was an almost vegetable characteristic that I can only describe as onion and garlic (HMB's website describes Bravo as "orange and melon" but I'm not buying it). Clearly these aren't flavors normally associated with beer, but I truly enjoyed both all Bravo beers. I wouldn't put them in the 'every day' IPA category, but pair them with a fat slice of pizza or half rack of ribs and you're in business. Bravo for Bravo.

Fruit?

2007-07-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I spent some time with old friends who were serving a well known Mexican beer. Now I'm no beer snob and have no issues drinking most any beer, but this whole fruit business I find disturbing. There are two places one should never see fruit: on pizza or in beer. The pizza thing requires little discussion. Meat, cheese, vegetables...fruit is simply inappropriate under any circumstances. The fruit in beer question is a little more interesting. Wheat beer and Mexican lagers are the most common offenders, that being lime in Mexican beers and lemon or orange in wheat. To my knowledge you won't find a lemon served in any wheat beer in Germany, and asking for one is clearly indicates "ugly American". So why do we need them here? Mexican beers are often the choice for hot summer days (and not a bad one), but have you ever had the last few sips of a luke warm Corona that tastes mostly sour with a bit a pulp clogging your teeth? Modelo is a perfectly acceptable beer on its own merit, so why ruin it with citrus? Next time you're served a beer with fruit cocktail, try removing it and see if you don't actually find it more enjoyable.

Boulevard Wheat Beer

2007-07-24T10:06:00.001-07:00

While in Kansas City last weekend I followed my usual practice of sampling whatever local beer I can get my hands on. My general rule of thumb when traveling is to order the first beer I've never heard. This time it was Boulevard Brewing Company's Wheat Beer. This beer is an American Wheat as opposed to a German Weizen. Two things I noticed right off were the lack of hop character and fullness of body. I tend to find wheat beer a little thin, and was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected body. I also liked the lower bitterness levels (personally I brew my American Wheat to 27 IBU's which is the top of the range). After some Googling I found Boulevard's Wheat beer to be only 13 IBU's, using Magnum and Simcoe. Of particular interest was their use of red wheat malt. More research found a general consensus that red wheat malt offers a more rounded and fuller wheat profile (something I certainly detected) and a sometimes 'floury' contribution that I interpreted as 'bready'. Interestingly, I found neither of the top two homebrew supply vendors offer red wheat, though several smaller internet shops do. I don't know when I'll brew my next wheat beer but I'm certain it will contain at least a small percentage of red wheat malt. Let the experimentation begin.

CO2 prices

2007-07-18T07:09:00.001-07:00

Last week I went to the welding supply shop to exchange some empty CO2 tanks for full ones. I've yet to find any shop in my area willing to fill my tanks, so exchange seems my only option. I had three 20lb tanks and one 5lb tank. Oddly the price for a 5lb tank trade was $15, while the price for a 20lb trade was only $17. I guess the cost reflects labor, not the gas. I went searching for some information on the beer forums I frequent and found a post from fellow homebrewer that works in the gas industry. According to him it costs supply companies roughly $.06 per pound of CO2. Now I understand there are other costs involved (like certifying tanks, regulatory charges, etc) but that's a pretty solid markup. Maybe I'm in the wrong industry.

New kid on the block - Bravo hops

2007-07-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

Drake's is one of my favorite local beers. Recently I found an ad for their annual Washoes Tournament and Festival that will include 20 regional breweries who will all be pouring beers made from a single hop variety BRAVO. Apparently this hop variety is very new and difficult to find any information on. Hopsteiner (S.S Steiner) has the patent application for this variety, however their website makes no mention of the variety. Googling has provided little information, other than it being a cross breed and very high in alpha acids. I'll keep a lookout for it (I know Jenny Talley at Squatters is using it in her Rye beer). More to come as I learn about this new mystery hop...please feel free to comment if you have the scoop!

Stainless fementer option

2007-07-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

I don't own one of these (yet), but I'm always on the lookout for new equipment ideas. I've been scouring eBay and other internet locations for a suitable stainless vessel that could serve as a low cost alternative to stainless conical fermenters. I've come close, but haven't been able to find the right geometry, or something available in quantity so that I could assemble and sell online. Looks like someone has already beat me to it (again). I found this one yesterday . I would like to see the price point under $100, but at first glance it appears a solid piece of equipment and good alternative to the $500 stainless conicals on the market. I would also prefer the volume be at the 7 gallon mark, but 6.6 gallons should probably work (though excessive wheat beer fermentation might benefit from more head space). Obviously yeast harvesting won't be as easy as a conical, but you get all the ease of a plastic bucket combined with the advantage of stainless steel. No more replacing buckets every other year or worrying about scratches and the harboring of nasties.

Last of the Oak IPA

2007-07-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we drank the last two bottles of my Oak IPA. After almost a year of aging, the oak contribution had a mellow but detectable presence in the beer. Hop character was surprisingly lively for it's age, more so than I'd expected. I really enjoy the complexity that oak brings to a hoppy beer. So much in fact that I may split my IPA (now dry hopping) and oak half of it. The only problem I see is my lack of patience. It takes time for the oak character to mellow and really get good. I'll need to have plenty of beer on hand so I'm not tempted drink it before it's right.

Ordinary Bitter & Low Alcohol Beer

2007-07-02T12:51:00.001-07:00

This weekend my Dad and I talked a little about Ordinary/Standard bitters, and other low gravity - low alcohol beers. I really enjoy an English Bitter beer, and particularly like the lower alcohol content for those weekday nights. Some evenings you really want to enjoy that second or third pint, but can't afford the 'slightly off' morning that sometimes follows three pints of Double IPA (does this make me officially old?). I usually have a Bitter or English Mild on tap for this very purpose, however it's somehow fallen out of my recent lineup. It's summertime and I'm primed for Pilsners, Wits, and Cream Ales....just maybe I'll sneak a bitter in there somewhere.