HOMEBREW Digest #2528 Sat 11 October 1997

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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Digest Janitor: janitor@hbd.org
		Many thanks to the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers of 
		Livonia, Michigan for sponsoring the Homebrew Digest.
				URL: http://www.oeonline.com


Contents:
  enough pointy headed drivel! (Andy Walsh)
  Home Depot Coolers (Mark_Snyder)
  1997 Capitol District Open (Ray Renner)
  Tips on force carbonation (Steve Scott)
  Adding Pasteurized Fruit to Secondary ("Robert D. Dittmar")
  RE: Steeping Grains and Low Carbonation (LaBorde, Ronald)
  geez, i touched a nerve (Jeff Sturman)
  GABF, AHA and $$$ (Jeff Sturman)
  Yeasts (Charles Hudak)
  Trials and Tribulations in the Commercial Brewing World (Kinney Baughman)
  steeping volume (Al Korzonas)
  filters for chloramines (kathy)
  Creativity - there is no disagreement (Samuel Mize)
  Boiling point vs altitude. (Ian Smith)
  I'M ALE'in ("WG05 Janssen Skylard L. A01")
  sour me brown (Dave Sapsis)
  The Jethro Gump Report ("Rob Moline")
  3rd Annual KROC World Brewers Forum (John Adams)
  1997 Great American Beer Festival (John Adams)
  Re: Mike's Pumpkin Ale Question (Jim Bentson)
  GABF Report ("Louis K. Bonham")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 20:42:01 +1000 From: Andy Walsh <awalsh at crl.com.au> Subject: enough pointy headed drivel! After the Great Britain Beer Festival, in London, all the brewery presidents decided to go out for a beer. The guy from Corona sits down and says "Hey Senor, I would like the world's best beer, a Corona." The bartender dusts off a bottle from the shelf and gives it to him. The guy from Budweiser says "I'd like the best beer in the world, give me 'The King Of Beers', a Budweiser." The bartender gives him one. The guy from Coors says "I'd like the only beer made with Rocky Mountain spring water, give me a Coors." He gets it. The guy from Guiness sits down and says "Give me a Coke." The bartender is a little taken aback, but gives him what he ordered. The other brewery presidents look over at him and ask "Why aren't you drinking a Guiness?" and the Guiness president replies "Well, if you guys aren't drinking beer, neither will I." Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 08:18:37 -0500 From: Mark_Snyder at wastemanagement.com Subject: Home Depot Coolers Mark Snyder 10/08/97 08:18 AM Greetings, all! Just a short note to the collective: I continue to hear references to Home Depot's 7 gallon cooler. However, I have checked HDs as I travel, seen pallets of the things in stores and have found nothing but the 5 gallon coolers in Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. I even checked with a sales rep/clerk to see if the 7 gallon was even available, and they could find nothing but the 5'er. What gives? Where are you boys located that have the 7 gallon available? I'd love to have a 7 gallon for the same price as a 5, but I'm about to throw in the towel and buy the 5 gallon at MacFrugals for $14.99! Thanks for your help. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 09:57:42 -0400 From: Ray Renner <Renner_R at mediasoft.net> Subject: 1997 Capitol District Open Announcing the 1997 Capitol District Open A Washinton, DC Homebrew Competition Saturday, November 15, 1997 Sponsored by: Dulles Regional Brewing Society (DReBS) Brewers Association of Northern Virginia (BANOVA) Entries will be accepted from October 27, 1997 to November 11, 1997 For entry forms, visit http://www.mediasoft.net/renner/DReBS.htm For more information contact: Ray Renner Phone: (703)834-5000x2032 Email: Renner_R at mediasoft.net We are also looking for judges for this event. If you are interested contact: Jay Adams Phone: (301)435-0056 Email: AdamsJ at gwgate.nhlbi.nih.gov Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 10:01:38 -0400 From: sscott at lightlink.com (Steve Scott) Subject: Tips on force carbonation I recently got a kegging setup and didn't have very good luck at my first attempt at force carbonation. I'd sure appreciate what works well for you. I'm especially interested in ways that work time after time. Please e-mail responses as well if you could. Thanks in advance. ** The problem with the average family today is that it's=20 impossible to support it and the government on one income. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 09:11:36 +0000 From: "Robert D. Dittmar" <Robert.D.Dittmar at STLS.frb.org> Subject: Adding Pasteurized Fruit to Secondary HBD Collective: I have been tempted into making fruit beers recently by the near giveaway prices on fresh fruit at the local farmer's market. I currently have a blueberry porter in the secondary, but have yet to bottle it. I like the idea of adding fruit to a secondary fermenter so that the yeast has a chance at it. When making my porter, I tried pastuerizing the fruit by bringing it to 150 degrees F and holding it at that temperature for about half an hour. My question to those who have tried this method of using fruit is: Do you let the fruit cool down after pasteurizing it, or do you just rack the beer onto the hot fruit? I just racked onto the hot fruit for my porter, and as I said, I have yet to know whether that was ill-advised or not. Before I try it again with 11 lbs of strawberries at 150 degrees F, I hoped for some advice on the subject from those who have been successful with pasteurization. Thanks for the advice. Rob Dittmar Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 09:46:10 -0500 From: rlabor at lsumc.edu (LaBorde, Ronald) Subject: RE: Steeping Grains and Low Carbonation ...Nicholas Bonfilio asks about low carbonation when bottle priming... Could be several things affecting the carbonation: First, you mention 3/4 cup of corn sugar. When I put sugar into a cup, the packing of the granules can make a big difference. So try filling the cup, then rapping it sharply on the counter and notice how the compaction affects the measurement. Try to pack it more and see if it helps. (Ever try to put coffee grounds back into a factory packed bag?) Second, your bottle caps could be slowly leaking. Try as a comparison to bottle a few Grolsh type swing top bottles with the rubber washers and see it you have better carbonation. Third, you did not mention if you kept the bottles at room temperature for the two weeks of carbonation - do. Fourth, are you rinsing all the sanitizer out of the bottles? Fifth, etc... surely must be more reasons I don't know. Happy Brewing Ron Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 09:59:19 -0700 From: brewshop at coffey.com (Jeff Sturman) Subject: geez, i touched a nerve Apparently my guesstimated home brewing figures rubbed some people the wrong way, and as always some people completely misinterpreted my intentions. Even some small people attacked me personally. I love the HBD (read every one since about march 1994). I love all grain brewing, and I strongly urge anyone interested to go all grain. I love chemistry and biology, especially as they relate to brewing. I wasn't knocking the HBD or anyone associated with it. I owe a great deal to this forum as it has helped me immensely in my own brewing as well as in the operation of my home brew shop. But I stand by my guesstimates (+/- 10%) (That oughta really irritate some people :) ) As for the Zymurgy survey, that survey was answered by Zymurgy readers. I'll guarantee that at least 1/3 of my customers has never read a single paragraph from Zymurgy magazine. And I know for a fact that less than 10% of my customers subscribe to Zymurgy (or any other brewing magaizines for that matter.) That survey is hooey when it comes to the total home brewing community. The one thing I do regret is stating: >...but by no means should we ever credit ourselves for the advancement of >the >hobby, for we don't very closely represent the hobbyists. What I was trying to say is that the industry is *driven* by the hobbyists (ie sales and profits). HBD-types surely are responsible for most of the advancements made in home brewing during the past 20 years, but HBD-types are an extremely small percentage of the home brewing population. Sorry I came across otherwise. One thing I might suggest, even though I dread the potential results, is to print out my guesstimates and take them down to your local home brew shop and ask the owner/manager if they agree with them. If not, which ones and why. I would be quite interested in getting some feedback, both for and against my guesstimates. All feedback welcome, even personal attacks from the small people. Here they are (revisions in brackets): ~ 98% + of my home brewing customers use extracts [usually with specialty grains but not always, but no mashing involved] ~ 50% use dry yeast [some occasionally use liquid yeast for a weizen or a steam beer, but mainly this 50% uses dry yeast] ~ 5% know what amylase is; The other 95% don't want to know. [Actually, maybe 10% know, 90% don't care] ~ 33% ferment in plastic, single stage ~ 25% brew with untreated tap water ~ 25% don't own a single home brewing book or magazine [this may be a little high, but it is at least 10%] ~ 95% sanitize with bleach and tap water ~ 90% would quit brewing if they were required to understand any chemistry or biology [beyond basic fermentation science, temperatures, etc] ~ 98% are male [< 10% of home brewers subscribe to any home brewing magazines] Again, sorry for offending the collective. I was just trying to put this hobby into perspective. Jeff casper, wy Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 09:59:27 -0700 From: brewshop at coffey.com (Jeff Sturman) Subject: GABF, AHA and $$$ First, the GABF went up to $30/session this year. Then they won't replace a broken glass at the festival, but instead charge for a new one, even though some drunk person bumped into me and made me drop my glass. Last year, and years previous, they replaced broken glasses for free. They outlawed backpacks/sacks last year but fortunately provided bags for festival goers. This year they were too cheap to even provide bags. Now the latest issue of Zymurgy, the special issue, went up to $9.95 per copy. Charlie must have built a big house... jeff casper, wy **************************************************************** * Basement Brewin' Home Brew Supply Shop * * 2637 East Second Street (Hilltop Shopping Center) * * Casper, Wyoming 82609 * * Full Line of Beer Brewin' and Wine Makin' * * Equipment and Ingredients * * Open 7 days a week * * Professional and Freindly Service and Assistance * * http://www.coffey.com/~brewshop/BBHome.html * * brewshop at coffey.com * * Jeff Sturman, owner * **************************************************************** Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 10:15:16 -0700 From: Charles Hudak <cwhudak at gemini.adnc.com> Subject: Yeasts Hey gang, FYI, there's a new yeast wrangler in town! Check out http://www.whitelab.com This guy sells to alot of the brewpubs and micros here in San Diego. His standard packages are pitchable quantities for 5G batches so you don't need to make a starter. He also does pitchable amounts from 1BBL to 15BBL or more for a lot cheaper than Wyeast. His prices are *very* reasonable and he'll ship. Charles Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 13:25:31 -0400 (EDT) From: Kinney Baughman <krb at porter.appstate.edu> Subject: Trials and Tribulations in the Commercial Brewing World Greetings all: Wow! Has it been this long since I've contributed to the HBD!? I used to look forward to this forum everyday and now I hardly have time to read it. Clearly, my priorities have gotten skewed. Much of that, though, is due to the fact that I decided to make the jump from homebrewer to commercial brewer and my spare time got zapped in the process. For several months, I've been meaning to post the final installment of the "Tumbleweed Report" (which should now be called the "Cottonwood Report") to sum up my experiences in the wild and wacky project that was Tumbleweed/Cottonwood. Part of what I wanted to share had to do with the muck and the mire that can be the commercial brewing world. This will have to suffice in the meantime. The recent misfortunes of my good friend and colleague, Rob Moline has prompted to put my .02 in about the increasingly hostile climate of the commercial brewing world insofar as the brewers are concerned. For as Bill said in his post today I, too, find myself out of a brewing job. (BTW. I've been consulting for a brewpub [Huske Hardware House Brewing Company] in Fayetteville, NC and not Richmond, VA.) After 5 years of putting my heart and soul (and did I mention money?) into "my" brewery, when it came time to finally cash in on all my and my staff's hard work, the owner misrepresented himself to the wallet-guys who wanted to build a full-scale brewpub in town, negotiated himself the "head of brewing operations" while I was out of town at the AHA national conference and effectively squeezed me out of what I (naively?) thought should have been my job. Oh, sure. I was given an opportunity to become a part of the "team". Bart Conway, the owner of Cottonwood the restaurant, was given major ownership in the establishment so he could "run" the brewery. (Mind you, a man who's never brewed a batch of beer in his life and wouldn't know a mash tun from a ton of bricks.) I was offered 3% ownership if I could come up with $25000. "Oh! You don't have the money? That's OK. We'll pay you $100 a month, apply the rest of your fee towards purchasing your fair and just 3% and we'll all be one big happy family!" My reply to that insult was: "Boys, I just *look* stupid!" Thus, a memorable chapter of my life came to a close. I found myself standing on the sidelines as a brand new 15 bbl. 1/4 million dollar brewhouse was built under the name "Cottonwood", a name I and my staff (Brian Lee and Craig Seaver) helped put on the map. One of the many ironies in this sad story is that I couldn't even get Mr. Conway to pay me on time much less spend the least amount of money on the old Cottonwood brewery. All told, we only had about $2000 in the old brewhouse!! It was a hard and bitter pill to swallow, I'll tell you. It's been hard to talk much less write about. So for all of you aspiring commercial brewers, please, please, please learn from the guys like Rob Moline, Thom Thomlinson of Tom Cat Brewing Company in Raleigh, NC (who also just recently got the axe) and myself, you cannot take the attitude of a homebrewer into the commercial brewing world. As homebrewers, we're all anxious to help each other out, devote our time to helping others make better beer and generally do all we can to spread the word about our craft. But the wallet guys who run the commercial brewing world don't give a rat's a$$ about anything except the bottom line. They don't care about the people who make them whatever success they have achieved. They only care about money. Honor? Loyalty? Gratitude? How does that figure on the bottom line? If you get the opportunity to brew commercially then be afraid, be very, very afraid. Get a good lawyer. Draw up an iron clad contract and don't ever, ever do any f*&#*g owners any f*&#*g favors! They'll laugh at you behind your back for being an ignorant, stupid fool. It still makes my skin crawl when I think about the brewpot I got for Bart and didn't charge him for it. For the time I spent building the custom hop backs and chillers and finding dirt cheap kegs ... and didn't charge him for it. He's been laughing at me for years ... all the way to the bank. Congratulations go to Rob for his scholarship to Siebel. There's no one who deserves it more. Rob and I first met in these electronic halls 7 years ago. About 3 years ago he called me one day to ask permission to use my .sig line, "Beer is my business and I'm late for work" on some T-Shirts he was doing at Little Apple. Now, in the past, I've had a most difficult time keeping people from using my slogan as their own. Rob Moline is not only the only man on the face of the earth to ever give me proper attribution but he's also the only man to pay me a "royalty" for its use. When we finally met face to face at the GABF 2 years ago, he says: "Kinney Baughman, I'm Rob Moline and I've got something for you." At that point, he deftly reached into his pocket, pulled out an already signed check and placed it securely in my hand! Ladies and Gentleman, that's a class act! So last year, when I ran into him again, he pulls out the only Cuban cigar I've ever seen and says, "Let's go smoke this puppy". I said "I can't right now. We'll wait until you win that Gold!" And damned if he didn't!! Cheers and more luck to everyone than we've had. ___ ----------------------------------------------------------- ___ | | Kinney Baughman | | | | krb at porter.appstate.edu | | \ / \ / | "Beer is my business and I'm late for work" | --------------------------------------------------------------- Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 12:43:00 -0500 (CDT) From: Al Korzonas <korz at xnet.com> Subject: steeping volume Charley writes: >Nick, when you are merely extracting colors, flavors and existing sugars >from the grains, steeping is fine and I believe can be done in as much >volume of water as you wish. My brother is an extract brewer and he steeps >his specialty grains in 7 gallons as the water at 160F for 30 minutes. Whoa! It depends greatly on your water. I have medium-"carbonate" water (105ppm carbonate/bicarbonate) and I moved to full-boils before I moved to all-grain. So, during that period, I was steeping my crystal and specialty malts in 6.5 gallons of water. I was also getting comments from judges that my paler beers were astringent. "Pish posh" I thought at first, but then checked the pH of 1 pound of medium crystal in 6.5 gallons of water: 7.8!!! Yikes! Since then if I ever steep grains, I never use more than one gallon of water per pound. You can get away with more if your water has less carbonate/bicarbonate or if you are using dark malts which actually acidify your steep. By the way, I also had an irritating chill haze during that period. Al. Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL korz at xnet.com My new website (still under construction, but up-and-running): http://www.brewinfo.com/brewinfo/ Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 08:15:46 -0500 From: kathy <kbooth at scnc.waverly.k12.mi.us> Subject: filters for chloramines Check with your supplier about carbon filtering out chloramines. This thread ran a couple of years ago with a manufacturer rep/tech person saying it takes a special type of carbon filter to do the job. I personally talked to the tech person at the manufacturer of carbon filters for Sears, and he agreed that their carbon filters didn't remove chloramines. Cheers....jim booth, lansing, mi Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 15:02:37 -0500 (CDT) From: Samuel Mize <smize at prime.imagin.net> Subject: Creativity - there is no disagreement Greetings to all, and especially to: > HOMEBREW Digest #2525 Wed 08 October 1997 > From: Jim Cave <cave at psc.org> > Subject: Alan Moen's article > > I know Alan Moen and have enjoyed numerous discussions, debates, and > judging sessions with him in the past. ... I also think he's a pretty good brewer and judge. That's great! I don't recall any posting suggesting otherwise -- if one did, let me join you in deploring it. > I read his article and I agree with his sentiment on this issue. I think you agree in philosophy with Doug Moyer (with whom I agreed). The disagreement is on what Mr. Moen intended to say. I haven't read the article, so I can't judge that. Mr. Moyer's understanding of the article was that beers should not exceed the existing style guidelines, NOT that beers should be labeled properly. Mr. Moyer asked: > What do the rest of you think? Is it a cardinal sin to brew beers that > don't fit into a particular style? And your reply said: > Would you be happy if someone sold you pot roast under the name of > "tenderloin"? ... > If you really want to get creative there is always the Specialty > category. So the points of agreement seem to be: * If you label a beer to be of style XXX, it should BE of style XXX. * If you're brewing outside of, or ignoring, style guidelines, you should NOT use standard designations, or you should make clear to your consumers the difference. For instance, Texas has weird labelling laws that require certain designations and disallow others. So you might label something as "A Pale Ale, but with a smoky character" instead of just the legally required "Ale" or "Pale Ale." * If you don't mislead people, go for it! Brew that pumpkin and spruce stout! You might win a contest with it -- but you definitely SHOULDN'T win if you call it "American Standard," no matter how good it is. Best to all, Sam Mize - -- Samuel Mize -- smize at imagin.net -- Team Ada (personal net account) Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 14:10:14 -0600 (MDT) From: Ian Smith <rela!isrs at netcom.com> Subject: Boiling point vs altitude. Does anyone know at what temperature water boils in Boulder, CO. altitude 5360 feet ? I would prefer a chart, table or equation if possible. I would like to calibrate my thermometers so the value should be as accurate as possible (within +/- 0.1 deg C ???). Cheers Ian Smith isrs at rela.uucp.netcom.com Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 12:30:41 -0700 From: "WG05 Janssen Skylard L. A01" <SJanssen at vinson.navy.mil> Subject: I'M ALE'in I'm new to H/B world with 10 batch to claim, all of which are ALE extract and specialty gain brews. I live in a apartment so all my bottled beer is stored outside in my shed after conditioning indoors 3-4 weeks. With winter coming on and the temps starting to drop below 45 and lower will this have any adverse effects on my Ale's. SINCERELY, I'm ALE'in Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 14:33:39 -0700 From: Dave Sapsis <DAVE_SAPSIS at fire.ca.gov> Subject: sour me brown Jim Cave, while defending the Alan Moen op/ed piece in the recent Brewing Techniques, opines: >but a brown ale that has soured and gone off is = >a far cry from a Flanders brown or a Roddenbach and it is simply = >dishonest to attempt to fool judges into thinking or judging otherwise. Now, I too am in agreement with Jim, regarding the *intent* of Alan's piece. I do not beleieve that he in any way meant to stifle the general creativity of brewers. However, their is both a historical context, and a consumer expectation that goes along with styles, and lately the NA craft beer market has been besieged by bastards of style that to my mind do not speak toward creativity. They basically are attempting to coattail on to traditions and expectations that have been earned through a long process of development and sale. There are a lot of people out there getting into the business that really have no sense of historical indebtedness, not any commitment to the consumer that bases his/her choices with that history and expectation in mind. That said, I presume that Jim, in the example above, means that the sour brown has "gone off" does not taste like a repectable Oid Bruin, rather than the chance that , by accident, the brewer did actually end up with a representative product. Personally, some of my best efforts have been serendipidy in a glass. There are few places out there in the aroma/flavor space that are not at least remotely occupied by some style designator. Push the envelope if you choose, just do not defy the historical context by which styles developed and became understood. Just my musings, mind you. Incidentally, if any of y'all ever make a really fine Oid Bruin, either by luck or intent, let me knnow. Gotta be the toughest style on the planet. Cheers, - --dave in Sacto David Sapsis Fire and Fuels Specialist CDF Fire and Resource Assessment Program 916.227.1338 dave_sapsis at fire.ca.gov Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 97 16:46:23 PDT From: "Rob Moline" <brewer at ames.net> Subject: The Jethro Gump Report The Jethro Gump Report Making Cider... The recent issue of the legality of making cider for sale, and my recollections of Bert Grant's situation prompted me to take advantage of his presence at GABF, and ask about it. He stated that when the ATF threatened to shut his brewery, if he did not desist from making cider, he immediately ceased production But, he also said that he wished the ATF would get rid of the law, as there apparently have been deaths attributed to these small roadside farmer's cider. The problem is that some producers include the use of apples that have fallen from the tree, and are scarred and in some cases have rotten portions, and have laid on ground which may have been fertilized with animal manure, and in this manner, introduce E-Coli to the product. Bonus Time... For the benefit of an HBD'r that was unable to attend the GABF, I have in my possession the AHA/ Falling Rock Banner canvas banner, approx. 2' by 3', that was donated toward this little project by Brian Rezac and Chris Black, owner of Falling Rock. The idea was to give it to a HBD'r that couldn't attend, but I think it more appropriate to offer it to a member of a club, such that it might be displayed at club meetings. It says, "AHA and Falling Rock Welcome Internet Homebrewers," (yes, really, I heard it myself!), with the 20th Anniversary AHA logo on each of the 4 corners. It has 4 brass grommets for hanging. So, let's set it up this way......the fifth person that e-mails me, and asks for it, shall receive it! All I ask, being currently un-employed, is that the recipient send me the funds for shipping. Once the winner has been selected, I will go and find out how much, and let you know, and off it will go. I sort of think it will be nice for it to go to a foreign club member, but this issue will be decided by the luck of the draw, as it were. OK? And I hope it does get to hang in a club meeting room, not just on the wall of someones garage, but, of course, this is beyond my control. While I am cleaning out the Closet..... I also have a German "Beer King" Mini-Keg CO2 tapping setup that's gathering dust. The fella that gave it to me said it needed a new gasket or spring or something, but apart from that it's all there, with instructions, and in the original box. I know I will never use it, so same deal, you pay for postage, and it's yours. First come first served. Cheers! Jethro Rob Moline Brewer At Large brewer at ames.net "The More I Know About Beer, The More I Realize I Need To Know More About Beer!" Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 16:10:52 -0600 (MDT) From: John Adams <jadams at pipeline.cnd.hp.com> Subject: 3rd Annual KROC World Brewers Forum 3rd Annual KROC World Brewers Forum The 1997 event continues to build upon the success that the 3-year-old Keg Ran Out Club (KROC) started in 1995. This years KROC World Brewers Forum was the biggest and best of them all with well over 100 professional and amateur brewers and beer lovers attending. This years speakers included Fal Allen of the Pike Brewing Company discussing Barley Wines and Sean Franklin of Roosters Brewery and Outlaw Brewing Company, Yorkshire England on English Ales. Fal gave an in-depth presentation describing how in older times barley wines were produced from the first runnings of the wort while the family beer was made from the second runnings. The barley wine style is not rooted geographically like many older styles (e.g., Munchen Helles or Kolsch), and therefore the style parameters are more widely defined. Fal also spoke of the history of brewing the style, the strong need for highly aerated wort, how to keep the yeast active during the entire fermentation process, and various theories concerning hopping. He also compared and contrasted many of the most popular barley wines on the market today. Sean gave a wonderful presentation on the English Ales in a very different and refreshing perspective. He described the four types of beer drinker, two types of beer quality, and the need to bury aromas and other flavors within the drink. Sean described the two types of quality--Commercial Quality and Pure Quality. Commercial Quality embodies what we traditionally judge: clarity, head retention, attractive aromas, balance, and lack of any faults. Pure quality is beyond this. [It includes] all the things that make a commercial quality but more intensity and complexity of aromatics. Not one aroma but several like a pile of coloured paper, removing one reveals another, and the final aromatic taste should not only be pleasant but complex, intense, and long lasting. Something important to a great beer is the need for a flavour hook. Putting too much of any given flavor, as fruit beers often do, will leave the informed drinker satisfied too quickly and looking for the next beer. The hook should be entertaining but at the same time something the beer drinker has to chase after repeatedly. Attending this year's KROC World Brewers Forum were the following noted local, national, and international brewers, authors, and Great American Beer Festival PPBT judges: * Mark Dorber (The White Horse on Parson's Green, London) * Bill Seibel (Seibel Institute of Technology, Chicago) * Fred Eckhardt (Fred Eckhardt Communications, Seattle) * Alastair Hook (Mash Brewing Co., London) * Grant Johnston (Third Street Ale Works, California) * Gary Edsall Jr. (Wild Goose Brewery, Maryland) * Ken Scheirberg (Oldenburg Brewing Co., Kentucky) * Brad Kraus (Wolf Canyon Brewing Co., New Mexico) * Ken Peil (Lonetree Brewing Co., Denver) * Brian Dunn (Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver) * Garret Oliver (Brooklyn Brewing Co., Brooklyn) Thanks to the members of The Keg Ran Out Club who furnished the seven kegs of beer and the food (including a great Barley Wine and a wonderful Belgian Wit). Also a special thanks to the American Homebrewers Assoc., the Birko Corporation, The Homebrew Hut, and many local breweries and homebrew suppliers for their contributions. - -- John Adams KROC WBF '97 Director Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 1997 16:19:16 -0600 (MDT) From: John Adams <jadams at pipeline.cnd.hp.com> Subject: 1997 Great American Beer Festival 16th Annual Great American Beer Festival This year's Great American Beer Festival was the biggest and best to date. With over 1800 beers being judged and 1700 beers on the floor, beer is my job and I am late for work. Because this was my fourth year involved with the GABF as a Table Captain I had the opportunity to go for a behind-the-scene's experience. Monday evening was the GABF Professional Panel of Blind Tasting (PPBT) judges orientation and reception. It was nice to see many of the judges again. I chatted with Bob Brewer (Anchor Brewing) about plans, after a 4 year hiatus, to re-start the Old Foghorn party. I had the chance to become acquainted with Sean Franklin (Roosters Brewery, Yorkshire) who spoke at my homebrew club the following evening. I talked with old judging buddies Alex Vigil (Gluek Brewing), Jim Martella (Pumphouse Brewery), and Eric Warner (formerly of Tabernash). After a recent series of articles in the Homebrew Digest concerning Steinbeirs, I talked about my own attempts at the Steinbeir-style with the master, Chuck Skypeck (Boscos). Bright and early Tuesday morning was the start of the PPBT judging, and boy did that alarm go off early! In the morning sessions I was involved with all three flights of the single largest category, American-Style Pale Ales, with 109 entries. In the afternoon, we had the American- Style Browns (47 entries) and American-Style Specialty Lagers (22 entries). Tuesday evening was one of two best nights of the Fest, due to the 3rd Annual KROC World Brewers Forum. This event's organizer is my homebrew club, The Keg Ran Out Club, with myself again returning as the event director. After two speakers, seven kegs, and over $800 dollars in give-aways, all participants had a fantastic evening! Wednesday mornings alarm continued with the tradition of being too loud and too early! Wednesday sessions included: Pilseners, Munchener Helles, and American-Style Lagers. After talking with Sean Franklin and Mark Dorber (White Horse at Parsons Green) the night before about baseball, I took the two English gentlemen to Garts Sports Castle for baseball and fishing equipment. Wednesday evening was the big Brewers Banquet at the Adams Mark with roughly 2000 in attendance. The Brews Brothers (a wretched band of brewers) played cover tunes twisted into beer songs. Afterwards I talked briefly with Tom Doldorf (Celebrator) and Michael Jackson (the Beer Hunter). After the second band drove everyone away I headed out with Sean Franklin, Mark Dorber, and Jim Homer (AHA National Judge) for some delicious Mexican food and a couple more brews. Thursday morning was a bit easier to wake up to and included the very nice final sessions of Belgian-Style Ales and Belgian-Style Specialty Ales. I had the very pleasant opportunity to sample some very, very nice Lambics, Diamondback Brewings Gueuze Lambic and Fremont Brewings KAZ Lambic. Thursday evening was the AHA Members-only tasting session and awards ceremony. This was a very relaxed evening and the other fantastic evening of the beer fest. I chatted with Fal Allen (Pike Brewing), Carol Stoudt (Stoudt Brewing), and Dave Miller (Blackstones) concerning their GABF awards. Afterwards the private Anchor Old Foghorn party started with Geoff Larson (Alaskan Brewing) furnishing the delicious smoked salmon! I sampled a few very delicious meads furnished by Jason Goldman (Spassmacher Brewing) and Glenn Colon-Bonet (PPBT manager) and proceeded to cap a perfect day! Fridays two sessions included the Business of Beer and the first of three public sessions. After drinking my way into the Thursday night session I was quite sleep deprived, but my motto is if you go out and play with the boys, you must wake up with the men so off I went! I talked with an old beer friend, Fred Eckhardt (Fred Eckhardt Communications) and Ken Schierberg (Oldenburg Brewing) about his Beer Camp. I discussed the possibility of Gary Edsall and Wild Goose Brewery sponsoring next years KROC World Brewers Forum with some cask- conditioned ales. I also tried some dry-hopped Buds and Michelob Wheats (which tasted very good) at the Anheuser-Busch educational booth. At 10:00, after the public fest closed, many of the PPBT staff headed over to the Falling Rock Tavern to keep the ball rolling. I hounded the church key master, Brian Rezac (AHA Administrator) well into the evening (anyone got a bottle opener?). I talked with a few local homebrewer friends gone pro and met a few of the Homebrew Digest poster children including the infamous Rob Moline (opinionated is an understatement). Because Saturdays sessions started later than the previous days, I was finally able to catch up on a little sleep; but at 2:00pm I was back at the trying a few new beers and trying to get the last sample of my newest favorites. Many of the brewers have now left but a few hard- cores still remain such as an old beer friend Bruce Joseph (Anchor Brewing). Tom Majorosi (Atwater Brewery) gave us a few tips on what good German-styles to try. By the end of the evening, having replaced my bodily fluids with beer, I knew it was time to call it a week. All and all this was by far the best Great American Beer Festival to date and I am already looking forward to next years event and this springs World Beer Cup in Atlanta. - -- John Adams GABF PPBT Table Captain Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 21:34:52 -0400 From: Jim Bentson <jbentson at htp.net> Subject: Re: Mike's Pumpkin Ale Question On: Wed, 01 Oct 1997 Mike Uchima wrote:>Subject: Re: pumpkin > (snip) I used 1 large (33 oz) can of pumpkin in a *3* gallon batch of ale >about a year ago (so assuming you did a 5 gallon batch, the ratio of >pumpkin to beer in my case was more than 3x what you had). Very little >of the pumpkin flavor remained in the beer by the end of fermentation. >IMO, it was still a pretty nice spiced ale, but unless you knew ahead of >time that the pumpkin was there, it was pretty easy to miss. I regularly make pumpkin ale around this time of the year when fresh baking (tan not orange) pumpkins are available. I use about 4 lbs of baked fresh pumpkin in a 5 gal batch. I get a truly good tasting beer with incredible color. Although I switched to all-grain 1 1/2 years ago, I still brew my pumpkin beer using Northwestern Gold extract. The brewpub that I worked in last year used to make a large amount of pumpkin ale, and it always was a nightmare to sparge. We almost always had to underlet the mash to finish. I found that 6.6 lbs of Northwestern Gold extract + 4 lbs of baked pumppkin leads to a beer with a noticable pumpkin taste and avoids all the heartache of a pumpkin sparge. I have been told that canned "pumpkin" is often butternut squash rather than pumpkin. This may be the cause of the lack of pumpkin taste. If anyone wants the recipe e-mail me. If enough requests come I will post it. >Oh yeah, and a question for anyone else who's done pumpkin beer: Did >your fermentation really reek? I got some really awful smells during >fermentation of my pumpkin ale... sort of like a mixture of rotten eggs >and dirty diapers. And this was with a yeast (1056) that normally >doesn't seem to produce a lot of bad smells while it's working. I also use Wyeast 1056 and have never noticed the off-aroma you mention. On another note, I just came back today from a trip to Burlington Vermont and was lucky enough to catch Greg Noonan when he was at his Vermont brewpub there. Greg is a true gentlemen. Although we had never met, he let me tour his brewery at an off-time after he heard I had been working in a brewpub on Long Island. We got to spend a good 45 minutes sitting and talking beer. I had a real pleasant Wit and an Octoberfest to go with the excellent food while there. If you are ever in the area, stop in. Greg's infectious love of beer and brewing is so apparent when you meet him. Jim Bentson Centerport NY - -- Registered ICC User check out http://www.usefulware.com/~jfoltz Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 19:41:33 -0600 From: "Louis K. Bonham" <lkbonham at phoenix.net> Subject: GABF Report The Homebrew Lawyer's GABF Report Well, it's the Wednesday night after the GABF, and I've retreated to a friend's cabin near Breckenridge for a few days of R&R. While sitting on the deck after a fine meal, watching the sun go down over Peak 10 and enjoying a Blue Moon Nut Brown Ale and a pipeful of Penzance English Flake, I feel that's there's still something missing . . . some need unmet. So I do what anyone in this position would do: ask my wife if she was able to borrow a laptop so I could check my e-mail! Thanks to my ever-resourceful spouse, even in a remote mountain cabin I'm still in touch. Oh yeah, the GABF. Contrary to popular rumor, the AHA did not have a hit man waiting for me in Denver. Indeed, Jim Parker and Brian Rezac were paragons of hospitality, as the HBD'rs who came to the receptions at Falling Rock can attest. (BTW, Falling Rock is a great multitap beer bar near Coors Field; Chris Black (formerly of the Gingerman in Houston) runs a first-class operation. Worth a visit.) Thanks guys; c'mon down to Houston and I'll return the favor. OK, the beer. So many beers, so little time. Can't say I tried even a major fraction of the 1400+ available, but among the highlights I found and suggest people trying are: Brooklyner-Weisse, The Brooklyn Brewery (Gold, German-Style Wheat). A hefeweizen that's a real tour-de-force. According to George Fix, who was on the judging panel, it simply blew away everything else in its class. While I didn't sample all 83 beers in that category, it was a clear standout among the 25 or so weissen, hefeweizen, and dunkelweizen I did sample. Alaskan Smoked Porter, Alaska Brewing Company (Silver, Smoke- Flavored). I'd heard about this one for years, but this was my first chance to try it. Rich unmistakeable alder flavor that complements, rather than overwhelms, everything else in the beer. Definitely not to be missed if you get the chance to try it. Summerfest, Saint Arnold Brewing Company. OK, so it didn't win a medal, and the brewmaster is a friend of mine. Still an absolutely awesome Bavarian-style lager, even in comparison with many of the medal winners. And die-hard decoction snobs can't believe it's made with a single infusion mash. Belgian Red, New Glarus Brewing Company (Gold, Fruit Beer). I usually take a pass on fruit beers (except lambics), but on Rob Moline's suggestion I tried this one. Wow. Cherry from every direction, but with a balancing body and mouthfeel not typically found in fruit beers. Highly recommended. Twisted Amber Ale, Twisted Pine Brewing Co. Won gold at last year's GABF in American Amber Ale; didn't place this year in this hypercompetitive category (102 entries!). Still a great beer that I liked better than many of the winners. Classic European Zebra Lager, European Zebra Beers. Their description claims a "low diacetyl level." In fact, it's got more diacetyl than a lot of the heavily "doped" beers I've had at beer seminars. What's strange is that, for some reason, it works with this particular beer. I kept finding myself getting a sample of it every time I went past their booth trying in vain to figure out how this lager with a high diacetyl level can taste so good. Quite interesting; worth trying. Bigfoot Barley Wine, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Silver, Barley Wine). While the gold medal winner (Bearded Pat's Barley Wine, Bluegrass Brewing Co.) was very good, this old standby still blows away all but a tiny number of competitors, and was my personal choice for Best of Show. I just wish I'd had the chance to try Rob Moline's winner from last year -- people are still talking about it. But the real highlight of the GAFB for me was not a beer, but the chance to visit for a few hours with the HBD's own Jethro Gump, Rob Moline. Folks, lemme tell you something -- this guy's a real class act. When he gets back in the biz (and I predict it will be sooner rather than later), make a point of stopping by wherever he's brewing: everything good that's been said about him is true. There's much more to report (highlights of the MCAB organizational meeting, results of my efforts to obtain access to the AOB's 1996 Form 990 (unsuccessful), my thoughts following lengthy and candid discussions with Cathy Ewing of the AOB), but methinks I've used enough bandwidth for one day. Louis K. Bonham lkbonham at phoenix.net Return to table of contents
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