Blow off from the Prez
Welcome to the May edition of Blow off from the Prez. A lot has been going on, so let’s catch up to speed. The Regional round of AHA National Homebrew Competition has come and gone, as well as the 15th Annual Palm Beach Draughtsmen Hurricane Blow off. Members of SAAZ had entries in each competition, but unfortunately, no medals. In case you haven’t entered a competition before, it is a great way to get unbiased, objective, and suggestive feedback on your beer. It seems that your friends will always tell you the homebrew you give them is the greatest beer they have ever had. However, judges at competitions will/should be giving you feedback on our brewing process, ingredients, etc. so you can make your beer better.
The recent brewing events at Sunseed went very well. I brewed an extract only, organic IPA for the Earth Day celebration. As I write this, it is still in primary, but I plan to transfer it and dry hop it soon. Most recently was the American Homebrewers Association Big Brew. This is one of two big brewing events throughout the year. For those of you who are not members of the AHA, I strongly encourage it. They have a great email thread for questions and a great magazine, Zymurgy. Not to mention, several pubs give AHA member discounts (see below for more details)!
Florida Wine and Spirits in Viera has been very busy bringing in product and distributor representatives for a variety of tastings. Most recently was their IPA night on April 27. They sampled 10 different IPAs and Double IPAs from various distributors. My two favorite were Bell’s Two Hearted IPA and for a little more hop kick, Stone’s Ruiniation. I hear talk of a Belgian tasting in the future. Be sure to check out their website and the newsletter for more information.
In case you missed it, the last meeting was at World of Beer in Viera. Don Ferris presented the similarities and differences of the Germal Pilsner, Kolsch, and English Bitter. If you have any ideas (or would like to volunteer) for educational topics for upcoming meetings, please let us know.
A couple of weeks ago, we brewed our Commander SAAZ Interplanetary Homebrew Blastoff Commemorative Beer. Chris McCall at Cocoa Beach Brewery was nice enough to let us use his system. With that, and the help of Glenn Exline and Matt Backus, we brewed roughly 20 gallons of weizenbock. It started fermenting almost immediately, and I believe Glenn can tell you exactly how exciting fermentation was.
One last thing that was brought to my attention was members looking for places to buy brewing supplies and equipment. While I would encourage you all to check our local shops and sponsors, I realize there are times when that isn’t possible or they just can’t get what you want. There has been more than one occasion where some of our members have ordered online and had horrible buying experiences. If you are considering ordering from an online dealer, check their reputation, especially if they aren’t one of the “big ones” like More Beer, Northern Brewer, etc. Furthermore, feel free to ask other members if they have ordered from that supplier before. I am sure that you will get good, honest feedback from any member on their online buying experiences.
Continue to read further for more information about the things I mentioned. I will see you all at the May Meeting, if I make it back from Hogtown alive!
Next Meeting
This month’s meeting will be held at The Broken Barrel Tavern in Palm Bay.
Sunday May 16, 2010 at 2:00 pm.
4700 Babcock Street Northeast
Palm Bay, FL 32905-2838
(321) 728-4755
Notes on the meeting:
This is the third time we have had a meeting at the Broken Barrel Tavern. For those of you who may not have been there before, Kevin has done an excellent job in selecting over 40 beers on draft and just about every bottle you can get in the area. Therefore, let’s leave the commercial beer at home for this meeting and only bring homebrew. The Broken Barrel is a great place, for meetings and in general, so let’s make sure we show them the courtesy and support of the great club sponsor they are.
Dues:
OK, I lied, there are some people who I know want to remain active members in the club that have not paid their dues. If you haven’t paid your dues, please do. For 8 regular meetings and 4 parties worth of great beer and fun membership would be cheap at twice the price!
Individual Membership = $15
Couple’s Membership = $25
Lifetime Membership = $150
Dues can be paid to the Treasurer at any club meeting or online at www.saaz.org via PayPal (it’s on the right side of the homepage!)
You don’t want to miss out on the benefits of membership!
Raffle
Do you have some homebrew supplies that you don’t use anymore? Maybe you upgraded or maybe you prefer another product? Consider bringing your dusty supplies to the next meeting for the raffle. We have brewers of all experience levels, so I am sure we can put any brewing supplies to use!
AHA Discounts
As mentioned above, AHA members receive discounts at participating pubs. Here is a list of a few in the area: Florida Beer Co (YES, the one on US1 in Melbourne), Big River Grille & Brewing Works – Disney, BJs Restaurant & Brewery, Orlando Brewing Partners, Inc. Check the AHA website for more information.
Upcoming Competitions
SAAZ members are highly encouraged to investigate, and enter competitions on their own. Places to find out about upcoming competitions include the AHA
(http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/events.asp), and the BJCP (http://www.bjcp.org/compsch.html). You can also find out information on brew-monkey (http://www.brewmonkey.com/events.php). MCAB specific information can be obtained at the Official MCAB site (http://www.masterhomebrewer.org/)
Next Florida completion is just around the corner in Gainesville. It is the 2010 Hogtown Brew-Off and takes place on May 14-15th. This is one of the best competitions in the Florida Circuit to attend. They always have a good time, and while the Best of Show judging is going on (a very lengthy process), they have a people’s choice award for the Wild Boar Keg-only contest. More information at the link below.
http://www.hogtownbrewers.org/Brewoff/BrewoffFrames.html
There is only one more MCAB qualifying competition before Commander SAAZ Interplanetary Homebrew Blastoff! So, dust off your brewing equipment and put it to good use.
Next in the Florida Circuit: CASK’s (Jacksonville) 3rd annual First Coast Cup! July 30 and 31. Entry window is July 5-16.
May Birthdays
Nicole Frisch
Casey Revell
Karen Stresau
T-Shirts
There seem to be some people that are experiencing fading on the new T-shirts that were ordered. If this is happening to your shirt, please bring yours, with a piece of paper pinned to it with your name, to the May meeting. We are going to work with the vendor to see if there is something that can be done to correct this. I can’t promise what will happen, but let’s hope for the best.
Local events
NEW Beers at World of Beers:
New Bottles
Bison Honey Basil, 6% (California)
Dogfish Head Immort, 11% (Delaware)
Magic Hat Wacko, 4.5% (Vermont)
Shipyard Summer Ale, 5.1% (Maine)
Shipyard XXXX IPA (Pugsley’s Signature Series), 9.3% (Maine)
New Drafts
Ace Joker Cider, 8% (California)
Brooklyn Summer Ale, 4.5% (New York)
Dos Equis XX Amber, 5% (Mexico)
Erie Ryebender Ale, 6.8% (Pennsylvania)
Erie Smokebender, 6.8% (Pennsylvania)
Kelly’s Raspberry Cider, 5% (Florida)
He’Brew Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A., 10% (New York)
Charlie & Jake’s A1 Draft Stout Competition
We are soliciting your best Stout beer to be the A1 Stout Beer at Charlie & Jake’s. Entries will be judged and the top three entries will receive awards and prizes. From the three metal winners the brewery staff and management will select the A1 Stout. The brewer of this beer will be invited to work with our brewery staff to tailor this recipe to our system and produce a 7 bbl batch for the public to enjoy.
Requirements and Schedule
Entries to be judges against the 2008 BJCP Style Guidelines
Style
13 Stout
13A Dry
13B Sweet
13C Oatmeal
13D Extra
13E American
Sorry no imperial Stouts
These recipies should all be grain compatable with a single infusion brew and have no more than a 500# grist bill. Other technical details available upon request.
Three samples per entry. Minimum 12 oz each. A recipe should be included for each entry. Cost $3.00 per entry. No limit on entries. Entry forms and bottle labels.
http://www.homebrewerassociation.org
***Beer News Beer News Beer News***
New Beers in Florida
Lagunitas has done it again. This time it’s Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale. They brewed this especially bitter ale in remembrance of the 2005 St. Patrick’s Day Massacre….and in celebration of their subsequent 20 day suspension in January 2006.
9.75% ABV
Sierra Nevada has their Summer Beer in, as well as their Kellerweiss. Also look for their 30th Anniversary collaboration, Fritz and Ken’s Ale. A premium Stout especially made beer by Fritz Maytag, (former) owner of Anchor Steam and is regarded as the founding father of the craft beer movement. He agreed to guest brew this very special ale with Sierra Nevada in honor of their 30th anniversary. This is the first in a series of specially crafted beers from Sierra Nevada. 9.2% ABV
Magic Hat Summer Ale finally making their entry into the market place with their summer fare. This is a light and has a mild citrus bite to it.
Education
AS PUBLISHED IN CRAFT BEER QUARTERLY
A Perspective on Bacteria and Wild Yeast
By Tomme Arthur
I can’t remember when I first got interested in bugs … the thing is, I detest insects with lots of furry legs. However, that being said I am enamored with the creepy crawly critters in the brewing world – those nasty beasts known as wild yeast and bacteria. To me, these buggers make some of the most fascinating flavored beverages and create depths of interest not seen in pure yeast cultured beers.
I am quite certain that my first commercial encounter with these critters was a bottle of Orval. At the time, I had only read of “wild yeasts” and knew very little about their role in brewing. My notion of wild yeasts was exclusive in such a way that we as brewers strove not to include them in our beers. This comes from a scientific brewing heritage where brewers are taught about the big three and I am not referencing the largest brewing companies in this country.
The big three I am referring to are Brettanomyces, Pediococcus and Lactobacillus, all of which are considered to be beer spoiling micro-organisms. Each of them is uniquely capable of tainting beers with flavors most brewers consider highly undesirable.
At the Pizza Port in Solana Beach where I am employed, we are consistently stretching the proverbial limits of our creativity and have come to realize that many of our wildest imaginations can only be achieved through the use of such critters. These animals are harbored in our own private zoo consisting of tanks and barrels that contain our brewing bugs. Some of our more interesting beers are made in these oak barrels we have inoculated.
One such beer that we created is our infamous and somewhat elusive Cuvee de Tomme. This beer has been called Rodenbach on steroids but we have yet to find any vials or jars of “The Clear” in our brewery. The beer is modeled after the Sour Red and Brown ales of Flanders. In order to achieve many of the flavors associated with these beers, we began inoculating a base beer with three separate strains of Brettanomyces.
We initially started working with Brettanomyces because of the three beer spoiling micro-organisms, it is the easiest to grow and maintain. It is classified as a wild yeast and as such, it has similar requirements and nutrient makeups like that of traditional saccromyces brewing strains. With this in mind, we have been able to keep and maintain our own strains of Brettanomyces in the brewery with very little effort. We are currently maintaining three separate strains of Brettanomyces for our brewery in Cornelius Kegs. Other breweries including Russian River in Santa Rosa, Calif., are keeping multiple house cultures of Brettanomyces going in glass carboys. Maintaining the strains means using them on a regular basis and propagating with fresh wort when more yeast is needed. In this way, a consistent pitching quantity will always be on hand.
Since Brettanomyces is a wild yeast, there are numerous examples available with each offering different flavor possibilities. The three most common strains of Brettanomyces found in beer are Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, Brettanomyces Lambicus and Brettanomyces Anomolus. The most common flavor associated with each of these yeasts is the proverbial horse blanket and sweaty flavors found in “nature.”
Brett Bruxellensis has been isolated from beers in both the lambic world as well as more classically the culture that is used in the secondary fermentation of Orval. This robust Trappist ale is the most unique Trappist Ale produced in Belgium with its use of Brettanomyces for a secondary fermentation. This strain of Brett is quite dominant and produces a “cleaner” brett aroma than other Brett strains.
Brett Lambicus has been isolated from the Lambic Producing region of Belgium. It has a more robust character then the Bruxellensis and is responsible for much of the super attenuation that occurs in Lambic and Sour Ales of Belgium. This strain produces the funkiest aromas with heavy Brett notes of sweat and classic “barnyard” esters. This one is not for the faint of heart.
Brett Anomolus has also been isolated from Belgian Brewing Cultures as well as some of the Stout Cultures from Irish Breweries. It is in this sense sometimes referred to as the “Stout Strain” of Brett. It produces an ester that is more mild and somewhat less “horsey” than Bruxellensis and Lambicus.
In April of 2004 we conducted an experiment at Pizza Port in Solana Beach and brewed Moe Betta Bretta, a 100% Brettanomyces Anomolus Fermentation. This collaborative beer developed and brewed with Peter Bouckaert of New Belgium Brewing Co. tested the potential for 100% Brettanomyces Anomolus fermentations. The finished product was quite aromatic with notes of pineapple and passion fruit. A much more reserved quality of barnyard esters was perceived due to the Anomolus fermentation.
Bouyed by our success, Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa created Sanctification – a 100% Brettanomyces fermented ale made with a blend of Brett Lambicus and Bruxellensis. The beer is now part of the Russian River line of bottle conditioned products with an impending release of what has previously been a draft only product.
The possibilities of brewing with Brettanomyces in the future are quite numerous. Further to the East, both Southampton Publick House and Mackenzies Brewhouse continue to brew Belgian Style Pale Ales with secondary fermentations yielding beers with similar hop and Brettanomyces qualities similar to the ones in Orval.
Whether it is a primary or secondary fermentation with Brettanomyces, the use of wild yeasts to create interesting and in the case of our Cuvee, signature aromatic and flavor profiles is something that more and more courageous brewers are engaging in. White Labs will be working very closely with brewers in the coming months as new Brett strains are released and brewers are given yet another tool in their proverbial arsenal of agents whose job it is to seek and destroy malt based sugars.
Style of the Month:
| LAMBIC ALE The Lambic style can trace its roots back over 400 years, and has remained mostly unchanged from its introduction. I have heard the first written lambic recipe is dated 1516, ironically the same year that Reinheitsgebot – the German purity law – went into effect over all of Bavaria. In fact, in ancient Mesopotamia a beer that could be thought of as the “roots” of lambic was brewed 5000 years ago. Sikaru, the premium beer of the day, was brewed from 60% malt, 40% raw wheat, used wild fermentation and was flavored with spices. Although it is impossible to absolutely confirm the origin of the word “lambic” it is most likely a distortion of Lembeek, a present and historic lambic producing town. Its status as the center of Lambic brewing was diminished in the early 1900’s when much of the developed world decided distilled spirits were a bad thing. Scotch ales and Trappist beer offered a better alternative to hard alcohol than Lambics because of their strength. The oddities of the style are many. Like its ancient Middle Eastern predecessor, the grist is composed of as much as 40% unmalted wheat. The hops are aged to curtail the introduction of hop character. The fermentation is also wild — that is the wort is left open to the night air for inoculation. These two aspects of lambic production are part of a Royal Decree of 1965 (sort of an anti-Rienhietsgobot!). Lambic requires several years to come of age, during which time dust and cobwebs are encouraged to cover the wooden fermenting vessels. Production is usually confined from mid-October to May, allowing for the wild yeast and beer to party during the summer. Its interesting to note that lambic consumption has been a favored subject of Flemish artists. Brueghel, Teniers, Pierre Paul Rubens and Jacob Joardens have all depicted this in works like “Village Fair”, “Village Wedding” and “Peasants Dance” GUEUZE: Belgian law leaves loop holes for interpretation. Use of grain adjuncts and inoculation is allowed. The blending of old and young pure lambic and bottle aging is the traditional way to make gueuze, but artificial carbonation is not uncommon. Filtration and pasteurization can occur. Gueuze is golden to light amber in color. Carbonation can be champagne-like. They are sour, acetic and sometimes harsh, usually without bitterness. FARO: Character of young lambic with slight candi-sugar sweetness. KRIEK: Orangey to deep red in color. Combines the character of gueuze with fresh fruit and pit aromas and some residual sweetness. Usually flavored with syrups. FRAMBOISE: Ruby red with huge raspberry aroma. Traditionally dry and astringent, but mainstream stuff is sweet. PECHE: Patented by Lindemans. Made with peaches. CASIS: Made with black currents. Very aromatic and rich. MUSCAT: Made with grapes, purplish, wine-like. Look for these great styles available at your local craft beer stores. |
Conclusion
Well it is looking like we will have another great month in May. There seems to be plenty of craft beer in the market right now and I am sure there is plenty more coming. I hope everyone’s brewing is going well and you are preparing for a great Commander SAAZ this year. Let’s get brewing and have a great showing this year. Here is to a cold one I am sure we all are going to need one as it heats up.