Brewing: Son of Lights Out Stout

When I brewed my first batch of homebrew nearly a decade ago, I invited a bunch of friends over and started the batch on our electric stove. We were midway through the event, with a house full of folks, when the kettle boiled over and shorted out the stove, kicking the breaker and darkening the entire apartment. We got the lights back on, but the burner never really worked correctly again. That first brew, an Irish Stout served on St. Paddy's Day, was forever known as Lights Out Stout.

It was with that brewing misadventure in mind that we set out on a more recent journey. I've turned a lot of folks onto the joys of homebrewing, most notably my brother and my cousin. Both brew exclusively using extract, and when I mentioned that I had done some all-grain brewing, they were interested in a demo. For the non-beer-geeks (although I can't imagine any have gotten this far into this blog), the difference between extract and all-grain brewing is like making orange juice from concentrate vs. fresh squeezed. All-grain isn't all that much more complicated, but it is a serious time commitment, which is why I don't do it all that often.

This batch (recipe below) went off a lot better than its name sake, at least in the original brewing. The process took forever because my lauter tun runs slowly, but after 8 hours and more than a few high-test samples along the way, we pitched the yeast slurry.

That's when the problems started.

See, the more yeast you use, the better your beer is likely to turn out. In addition to fermenting the beer, yeast overwhelms the bad stuff that can grow in beer, making it less likely to spoil. The more yeast, the better. So, I had been creating a yeast starter, slowly growing up the number of yeast cells for almost a week, and rather than a small vial of yeast to start with, I had more than 1/2 of a gallon.

But, I forgot about one thing. Volume control.

The fermentation vessel I used holds nearly 7 gallons. The beer filled about 6. The yeast filled another 1/2 gallon. Usually, there's enough head space in the carboy that the yeast, which gives off a thick, sludgy head called krautsen, has enough room to expand. So, imagine my surprise when I opened my closet door and the krautsen had shot its way through the airlock and all over the closet floor. And imagine my frustration when I realized that the previous owners of the house had drilled a hole to pass the cable through the floor, meaning that in addition to everything that had covered the closet floor, there was another mess waiting for me in the basement.

A bucket of oxyclean, a few disapproving stares from my wife, and a new overflow airlock installed and all was back to normal. The beer has been fermenting for about a week and will go into the keg next weekend, with enough time to be ready for this year's St. Paddy's Day celebration. Hopefully this batch will be worth the trouble, but don't look for Grandson of Lights Out Stout any time soon.

Son of Lights Out Stout (All-Grain)
8.59 lbs 2 row pale malt
1 lb flaked barley
1 lb roasted barley
2 oz Perle hops (6.5% AA) at 60 min
1 oz Perle hops (6.5% AA) at 60 min
White Labs WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast

Mash for 90 min at 153
90 min boil

Technorati Tags: beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

News: H.R. 4278 = Craft Beer Stimulus

From a post on the BeerAdvocate Forum (you'll need to be a member to read the thread, but I'm hoping no one at the site minds my re-posting of this article, since it behooves us all to get the word out. Thanks for RicoBrew for originally posting.):

H.R. 4278 the "Small Brewers Stimulus"

Imagine that, bipartisanship can happen as long as craft beer is involved. HR 4278 is a graduated excise tax reduction bill introduced by Rep. Neal (D-MA) and Rep. Brady (R-TX)

The wording of the bill will give brewers who produce less than 60,000 barrels/year a federal excise tax cut from $7/barrel to $3.50/barrel. Between 60,000 and 2,000,000 barrels per year will get a rate cut from $18 to $16 per barrel produced.

The bill is currently trying to make its way through the Ways and Means committee (which Rep. Neal is the Chairperson). The Brewers Association is busy trying to get their member breweries mobilized and calling their representatives to cosponsor the bill. Info can be viewed here:

http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/government-affairs/current-issues/show?title=graduated-excise-tax-legislation-introduced

Also a nice video from News 4:

http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=67298@kcnc.dayport.com

Will this mean cheaper beer? No. But it'll help your favorite brewery grow and thrive despite this down economy and also create jobs.

Technorati Tags: craft brewers, beer tax, tax, H.R. 4278, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

Belgian Beer Review 9: Struise Mikkeller (Elliot Brew)

Mikkeller, which started as a collaboration between two homebrewers, and is now solely run by Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, is a self-described "gipsy-brewer, who brews at different breweries in Denmark, around Europe and the United States."

His brews garner a lot of attention, and I was fortunate to find a collaboration with a Belgian brewer, which meant I got to include it in this Belgian experiment (despite the fact that Mikkel is himself a Dane). Not only a collaboration, but apparently his first collaboration.

If Belgium and other European countries, are steeped in old brewing traditions, Mikkeller is at the forefront of changing those perceptions. Belgian beers run the gamut of styles, and this one fits into none of the pre-established or expected categories--it's more Belgian than Belgians.

Brewery: Mikkeller/De Struise Brouwers
Brewery Location: Belgium
Beer: Struise Mikkeller (Elliot Brew)
BJCP Style: 16E. Belgian Specialty Ale
Serving: Bottle

Appearance: The beer pours a cloudy amber with thin tan head.

Smell: The nose starts with huge hops--a mix of citrus and earthy hop spiciness. The underlying malt is caramel, and there is a slight alcohol presence. Hints of pineapple, mango, and Belgian Candi sugars.

Taste: I had been expecting Double IPA hop bomb (and that's how Beer Advocate has categorized it), but this is more subtle, complex. It could be that this is a retired beer, and one that has been aging for a while, so the character may have changed--the hops somewhat subdued (although not much) and the malt coming forward more. As with the nose, there's a sweet citrus upfront, layered upon dark malty sugars, but beyond that, it's hard to describe in absolute terms. In relative terms, think West Coast Pale Ale meets Trappist Dubbel meets Belgian Strong Golden Ale and that gets you somewhere close to this beer.

Mouthfeel: A full-bodied beer--it is thick and sweet without descending into not syrupy or cloying.

Drinkability: This is a fantastic beer, but a bugger of one to describe. I can't chuck this into a given category, thus why it's in the catch-all of Belgian beers--Belgian Specialty. Think of it as a quintessential collaboration--two beers that, when combined, create something larger than the sum of their parts. It's a little cliched, but there's a truth to it with this beer. I'd say go try one yourself, but in researching this beer, realized that it was a retired style that I absentmindedly and accidentally stumbled into.

Technorati Tags: Mikeller, De Struise, Elliot Brew, Belgians, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

Belgian Beer Review 8: Ichtegem's Grand Cru

When a lot of folks think of Belgian beers, they think Trappist or Abbey style ales--big, bold, complex, spicy and sweet. Occasionally lambics make the cognitive register, but, at least for me, styles like Oud Bruins or Flanders Reds are not at the top of one's mind. All the pity, as I am discovering. I am finding that I really enjoy these sour ales. As complex as their bigger, bolder cousins, but more easily consumed and generally better at truly quenching a thirsty palate. One might be surprised to think of a sour beer as a thirst-quencher, but much like a cold glass of lemonade on a hot day, a well-balanced sour ale does the trick.

This particular beer, like many sour Belgians, is a mix of fresh beer and beer that was spontaneously fermented. The spontaneous fermentation results in the sour notes, while cutting in the fresh beer provides balance and keeps the sour from overpowering.

Brewery: Brouwerij Strubbe
Brewery Location: Belgium
Beer: Ichtegem's Grand Cru
BJCP Style: 17C. Flanders Brown Ale/Oud Bruin
Serving: Bottle

Appearance: dark auburn with ruby hues when held to the light; thin tiny head

Smell: The sour notes hit first, with with hints of sweet malt and fruit--strawberry, cherry, and raspberry

Taste: Not as sour as nose suggests, with sweet berry and malt upfront. The sour blends well and balances out the finish, keeping it refreshing and not cloying. Although this beer is oak aged, the wood-imparted flavors are minimal. The BJCP guidelines (see link above) suggest darker fruits and more mellow malt, but the fruits in this example are brighter--more summer than fall.

Mouthfeel: Dry, fruity, and effervescent; slightly sweet, reminiscent of cherry cola, although not nearly as sweet.

Drinkability: A malty, fruity, aged, somewhat sour Belgian-style brown ale that is refreshing and bright. While it isn't the life of the party, it's a guest you consistently invite because you know their presence adds something intangible to the room.

Technorati Tags: Belgians, Ichtegem's Grand Cru, Oud Bruin, Flanders Brown Ale, sour ale, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

News: If It's February, It Must Be NIPAC Time

Every February, Brewing News launches bracket picks for the National IPA championship this month. One hundred and twenty-eight IPAs go head to head for the national title in rounds similar to the NCAA tourney. Get your picks in soon--the first round starts Feb 12th.

Technorati Tags:Brewing News, NIPAC, IPA, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

News: Mike Schwartz Interviews Eric Wallace of Left Hand Brewing

This post is a bit overdue, but with all the Belgian beers, I've barely been able to keep up. A few months ago, the local craft beer purveyor/homebrew store, Belmont Party Supply, expanded, building out an adjacent storefront strictly for homebrewing and cheese making supplies. Belmont and Miami Valley BrewTensils, as the new space is called, have been stepping up their web presence as well, with a Twitter feed, a relaunched and easier to use website, and now what one hopes is the first of many brewer interviews. Below is the Vimeo feed from Mike's interview with Eric Wallace, of Left Hand Brewing. And if you are in Dayton, be sure to check out the store fronts. Even before the move, Belmont had one of the best beer selections I've ever seen--and now, with the homebrew equipment in its own space, there's plenty of room to expand even further.

Belmont Party Supply Interview with Eric Wallace from Schwartzbeer on Vimeo.

Technorati Tags: Belmont Party Supply, Left Hand Brewing, Schwartzbeer, Eric Wallace, Miami Valley BrewTensils, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew

News: Beer Wars Movie Gets Digital Distribution

Exciting news from the intersection of independent film and craft beer. Anat Baron's full-length documentary, Beer Wars, which chronicles the plight of two independent beer companies' struggles to make it big (including great footage of Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head fame), is now available for on-demand or digital download.

I waited eagerly to see the movie when it made its one-night, one-showing stop here in Dayton. The film is accessible for non-beer geeks and yet still engaging, enlightening, and entertaining for those of us who have stashes of rare beers aging in boxes under the cellar stairs. Anat does a excellent job demonstrating the trails for getting a beer to consumers in a market dominated by giants, a message that resonates with any entrepreneur vying for survival.

Check it out for yourself: I've included the trailer, some clips, as well as the text of the press release. I'll also host a banner ad, so you can download your own copy.






From the press release:

I’m thrilled to announce that starting Monday, February 1st Beer Wars will be available to a mainstream audience. If you have a TV or a computer (or even a gaming console), you will be able to rent or buy the movie from the comfort of your home or office!

How did this happen? Well this David (me) made a deal with Goliath – Warner Bros. – to distribute the film. You should know that very few independent films, let alone documentaries, ever get this far, especially without a big name like Michael Moore or major festival buzz. I am humbled and elated that this movie will be available to tens of millions of people.

But I still need your help. Just because it’s available doesn’t mean that people know anything about it. Without word-of-mouth it could just sit there without any takers. So please, tell everyone you know by forwarding this email, or posting on Facebook and/or tweeting on Twitter. We even have web banners should you want to display them on your site or blog. You’ll not only be helping this indie filmmaker, but you’ll help convince studios like Warner Bros. to continue supporting these kind of films.

And here are the details:

In the U.S., Beer Wars is available to rent on demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Cablevision, Charter, Insight, Bresnan, Verizon FiOS, AT & T U-Verse, Dish Network and DirecTV. It is also available for download on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Xbox 360 and PS3.

In Canada, the film is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Rogers Cable, Cogeco, Videotron, Sasktel and Shaw.

The film will also be available through Netflix either through streaming or DVD. And you’ll be able to buy the DVD from Amazon. As well as the movie’s website.

Technorati Tags: Beer Wars, Anat Baron, independent film, Dogfish Head, digital download, Sam Calagione, beer, craft beer, brewing, homebrew