The Truth Behind Hoegaarden, If You Dare to Care

Hoegaarden is and has always been an enjoyable beer for me, among one of my favorite beers. I had no idea the truth until just a few weeks ago. You have to enjoy wheat beers to enjoy this beer. Comparable beers would be Blue Moon (which is actually owned by Coors, though they do their best to keep that secret from you), Weihenstephaner Witbier (The world's oldest brewery, founded 1040), and Celis White (which we'll get to).

So what's the scoop on Hoegaarden?

First, it hasn't been around long at all. It was all started in the 1970's by belgian brewer Pierre Celis. He named it after the town of Hoegaarden, which was producing wheat beers since the 1400's. The town of Hoegaarden had about 13 breweries and numerous distilleries at one point, the last brewery closing it's doors in the 1950's. Wheat beers were the prinicipal beer of this area, with common ingredients of Water, Yeast, Wheat, Hops, Coriander and Orange Peel. This style beer was on its way out until Pierre Celis stepped in during the 1970's.

His operation grew very quickly and he set up shop in an old factory in the town, now able to meet the demand of the customers. To his misfortune, a fire broke out and burnt his brewery inoperable. InBev (under a different name at that time) offered up loans so Celis could buy another building nearby to continue operations. InBev happens to be the largest beer conglomerate in the world now, which also owns Anheuser-Busch.

Celis worked to put his brewery back up in operations, but with ownership (significant loans) from InBev, Celis was under pressure to modify his beer to become more of a mass-market style wheat beer. Based on Celis's actions soon thereafter, I deem him an honorable man; a man of pride. He decided it was best to sell his Hoegaarden brewery to InBev and move on. Sure enough, InBev modified the recipe to make it more commercial to the masses, just as you would drink it today.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Hoegaarden I buy today. It's actually the only recipe I knew since i first had one in.....let's say 1996. The fact that it is owned and operated as a part of InBev doesn't affect any future purchase decisions. I buy mass-marketed beers and authentic microbrew beers. What matters most to me is, 'Do I like this beer'? If I enjoy it, then I'll buy it, or attempt to brew it myself.

But this whole series of events really got me thinking. What did the original Hoegaarden recipe taste like? Was it vastly different than the Hoegaarden we know today? My answer is, 'I don't know, but I'm about to find out'.

Pierre Celis decided to open up a brewery in Austin, Texas during the late 80's, early 90's and brew the beer he knew best. He set up operations quickly, under the name Celis Brewery. He manufactured his beers and contracted distribution to Miller for shares of his brewery. His recipe for the original Hoegaarden was branded Celis White. It didn't last many years, because when it came time to buy back his shares from Miller, he opted to sell the brewery to them. Miller took over ownership of the Celis Brewery, and then closed its doors due to weak revenues sometime in 2001.

That leaves me in a bit of a debacle. The Celis Brewery in Austin, Tx no longer exists. I previously stated that I'm going to try some Celis White soon. I have two ways to go about this, but which will give me a more authentic taste.

1. Attempt to search online for an old, unopened case of Celis White dating back almost 10 years. Would it last? My guess is no, considering the high sedimentation of yeast that wheat beers have. You never know though, if it's stored in the right conditions then it could be like drinking a fresh homebrew.


2. My other option is to find Celis White at a specialty beer store (Canal's in Jersey would probably have it), now revived from Michigan Brewing Company.

Soon after Miller closed the doors of the Celis Brewery in Austin, Michigan Brewing Company bought the Celis brand and continued operations. In late 2002, Celis hit the shelves and pubs in bars all over Michigan. Now, it's all over the place, just hard to find. The question remains, 'Does it taste the same as it did 40 years ago?' Did the Michigan Brewing Company obtain the actual recipe from Pierre Celis, or from Miller for that matter? We're not so sure about that.

I was perusing the web site http://www.michiganbrewing.com/ and they make a claim of "belief" that their Celis White brand represents the authenticity and natural flavors that were used by Pierre Celis 6 decades ago. Also according to the website, Pierre Celis visited the Michigan Brewing Company and agreed that its version was similar to the very original.

I could just continue to drink Hoegaarden, because I do like it, but at the same time I have a strong interest in trying the original Celis White from Austin, Tx. I don't see that happening, so I may just have to try Michigan Brewing Company's version of Celis and bellieve in the claim they make on their website. I may never know the truth.

Fermentation & Yeast

Fermentation & Yeast: The Do's and Don't's of Each




So what's the big deal about fermentation and yeast? Not much really, but if you don't follow these simple tips you ruin your batch of beer. Every batch of beer costs money whether you are brewing 5 gallons or 500 gallons, therefore a loss is a loss. Being that beer takes on average of 6 weeks from start to finish, every ruined batch is 6 more weeks longer you have to wait for the next.

Fermentation is a simple process, and is where the yeast 'feeds' on the fermentable sugars in the wort, converting the sugars into alcohol. During this process co2 is released from the fermentation vessel. A proper airlock with keep any bacterias from entering the fermentation vessel, preventing infection, all the while allowing the escape of co2, allowing the sugars to convert to alcohol. It's a beautiful thing really and without it it would be proof that God hates us all and doesn't want us to be happy. Lucky for us, he does want us to be happy, so this simple phenomena can occur (even at the homebrew level!).

Chronilogically, here is what happens during the brewing and fermentation process: in simple terms.

1.) Steep the grains at the ideal range of 145-158 F. This allows the grains to convert the starches to fermentable sugars. The result of this conversion is called wort.

2.) You then take the wort (malt extract) and add water to your desired batch size, boiling it for 60-90 minutes. A 90 minute boil will allow for a more crisp, dry taste (like a pale ale), versus a 60 minute boil resulting in a creamy, smooth stout (guiness). It affects the body of the beer. This is also where you would add hops and any other additions such as flavorings.

3.) After the boil, you must immediately cool down the wort as fast as possible to about 68 F for ales and 40 F for lagers and then transfer it into your fermentation vessel (typically a closed-lid bucket or carboy).

4.) Once your beer is cooled, you can pitch the yeast (aka, dump the yeast in) and let the fermentation begin. Fermentation can take anywhere from 3 days to weeks and months, depending on the beer.

5.) After fermentation is complete, you then transfer the fermented beer to bottles, adding sugar for carbonation, or to kegs, where you would force carbonate it with co2.

6.) Drink and Enjoy.

As you can see, there are really only a few steps involved in this process. It's because of the simplicity of this process that allowed people to drink beer for thousands of years. Don't be fooled though, it wasn't that easy long long ago. You'd be lucky to have 2 different styles of beer back then. This of course, was long before yeast strains and barleys became part of the international trade system. When thinking about this, think about your regional beers. Germany has a lot of wheat beers, because Germany is home to wheat. England is known for its English Ales because England has Pilsner malt, etc. You get the idea. Each style beer was the only option for beer hundreds of years in that particular part of the world.

And even though it's a simple process we tend to get caught up in the complexity of it all. Take make crazy homemade brewery I have going. I used to make beer using a $40 kit, now I use a handbuilt $.... system. So please, keep these tips for your own success. I've ruined batches before, so I can at least help others from doing it too. However, I'd still bet you my home that you will mess up one time or another.

Tips to Live By:

- Cool down the beer as fast as possible after the boil. The longer it takes to cool down, the more opportunity for bacteria to enter and cause infection. Some people use ice baths to cool down the beer. It can take hours in this process, but sometimes that's the only option. You can buy an immersion chiller http://morebeer.com/view_product/8766//B3-500_Immersion_Chiller_Option for under $60. This will cool the beer down in about 10-15 minutes. You want to cool it down in regards to the yeast you are using. When you transfer the beer to a fermentation vessel, get some oxygen in there, as oxygen help yeast multiply. Pour the beer back and forth from one bucket to another once or twice. That will allow for adequate aeration.

- Use a hydrometer and take a sample of the beer using a sanitized siphon or something of the sort. This is the Original Gravity (OG). Ex. 1.052. You use this number to determine alcohol content and to determine if your beer fermented or not.

-All yeast packages have ideal fermentation temperature ranges, so follow that. Most ales like to ferment between 60-75 F. Most lagers like to ferment at 34 F to 48 F.

- Do not pitch the yeast outside of this range. You can risk killing what were viable yeast cells. A typical dry packet of yeat contains about 200 billion cells, just enough for a 5 gallon batch.

- My personal preference is to ferment in a glass carboy versus plastic buckets. Plastic is porous, and the lids are not airtight. Plus, residues such as soap rinses from glass easier than plastic. You don't want any off-flavors in your beer do you? Oh yeah, you can't see through a white plastic bucket, but can see through glass. I like to watch fermentation from start to finish.

- Look for a layer of krausen (foam) to form within 4-24 hours after pitching the yeast. At this point you MAY or MAY NOT see bubbling occuring in the airlock. It's ok if it does not bubble. DO NOT use bubbling as a source to determine if fermentatin is active. DO NOT!

- After a week or two, take a sample of the beer (with a sanitized utensil!) and check the hydrometer reading again. At this point, the layer of krausen usually recedes and thins out and all airlock activity comes to a halt. The hydrometer reading should be much lower now. Ex. 1.012. This is your Final Gravity (FG).

- Determine alcohol content. Take your OG - FG * 131. In this case, it would be 1.052 -1.012 * 131 = 5.24% ABV. Use your head now. If the ABV is 2.3% then you did something wrong. You have never bought a beer that has that little alcohol, which means your beer is crap. Most beers are 4% or more.

Ok, I could write a whole book on fermentation alone, as well as yeast. So, I have to come back and revisit this topic again. There is too much to talk about, but for the beginner, this should help. We can talk about yeast starters, culturing, harvesting yeast, washing yeast, etc, all at a later time. Just know the key takeaways mentioned above.

Let me know if you have any questions though at any time. Facebook or jkhalbe@gmail.com.

cheers!

SMaSH Brewing - Take One

There will definately be a Take Two, Take Three, Take Four, etc. I'm new to this concept, but this is a concept that has been around for hundreds of years, if not thousands. It's a simple concept, because simple is sometimes the best. So what is SMaSH Brewing?

SMaSH is an an acronym for Single Malt and Single Hop. Every beer I have brewed to date has had some complex grain bill, ie. 40% base malt, 30 % wheat malt, 20% specialty malt, and 10% adjunct malts, plus a varietal hop schedule, ie. 20% cascade hops, 30% hallertau hops, 50% styrian hops, on top of some flavoring additions such as 1 oz coriander seed and/or 1 oz orange zest, for example. As you can see, these beers are complex, requiring a bit of this and bit of that and lot of this and some of that.

It never crossed my mind to do something so simple until Farmer Ian dedicated some of his homegrown hops to my homebrew setup. Because he had homegrown hops, there was some risk associated with the use of hops that had an UNKNOWN alpha acid content. Hops are what determine the level of bitterness, aroma, and flavor are in a particular beer. For example, a 120 Minute India Pale Ale (IPA), continuously hopped through the boil with end up with a bitterness of 141. This number 141 is a defined numerical data point that correlates with the amount of alpha acid in hops. A wheat beer, which is not hoppy in taste, may have a bitterness of 10. This number is referred to as IBU's, or International Bitterness Units. Commercially grown hops are tested for their average alpha acid content, therefore a homebrewer or commercial brewer can accurately set the level of bitterness in their brew. A pale ale could have 40 or more IBU's, etc. It really depends on the style beer. Obviously, a hoppy beer will have a higher IBU score.

So, back to brewing, I decided that since I can not determine how hoppy my brew will turn out, we better play it safe, for economical reasons. I didn't want to dump $40 into 2 cases of beer, or $80 into 4 cases of beer for that matter. Hence, I felt comfortable spending $12 on 2 cases of beer ($6 per case for those mathematically challenged) that way if it turned out a failure I wouldn't be out that much money. This is where the SMaSH beer came to play. Less grains = less costs. By now you are probably asking yourself if you ever consumed a SMaSH beer. Chances are yes if you have ever had Urquell Pilsner.

SMaSH beers are great for beer drinkers and great for homebrewers. It goes down just as good as any other beer (good for the beer drinker) and allows the homebrewer to identify the subtleties of a particular malt and a particular hop. Put your magic to the test and try drinking a specialty beer that has 4 or more hop additions. There is no way you can point out the certain flavors from the different hops, its just too hard to know what each one is. Unless of course you completed the Beer Judge Certification Program (www.bjcp.org). It is the neither the prior nor the latter that appeal to me more, I like to drink beer and I like to further understand how particular malts and particular hops are affecting the flavors of my beer.

Today we brewed the Wet Hot American Ale, consisting of the following SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop).

Wet Hot American Ale
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Boil Size: 6.50 gallons @ 90 Minutes
OG: 1.050
FG: 1.012
Est. ABV - 4.92%
Fermentation: 5 days in primary, 5 days in secondary
Yeast: Safale-05 (American Ale Yeast, dry)
Malt: 10 lbs Vienna Malt
Hops:
1.1 oz Cascades @ 60 minutes
1.9 oz Cascades @ 20 minutes
1.0 oz Cascades @ dryop in secondary fermenter
Single Infusion, Batch Sparge, steeping @ 60 minutes at 151 F, sparging with 168 F water.

We were targeting an original gravity of 1.052 and ended just shy at 1.050. It's good enough for beer, that's for sure. This particular style American Ale requires an OG of 1.045 - 1.060, so we're safe. We're also safe if Ian's homegrown hops have the average 5.5% alpha acid putting this beer at 38.1 IBU's. The American Ale style guidelines call for 30 - 45 IBU's. The color was within range at 5.7, where 5-14 was needed. As long as the FG is within 1.010 and 1.015, then we will have an authentic American Ale. Now, in regards to Ian's homegrown hops, we have no way of testing the alpha acid content. It is very costly to do, so we'll just have to compare beers. I just did a quick google search and found that Budweiser's new American Ale is 28 IBU's, so as along as the Wet Hot American Ale has a pinch more bitterness to it, then we scored. If not, no biggie. That's why I only spent $12 on this batch.

Tune back for an update.

Special thanks to Ian for sharing some of his beloved hops with me.

Bavarian Witbier aka Hoegaarden Blue Moon

Brewed up 10 gallons (4 cases) of a Bavarian Witbier. I missed some of my target gravities but not by too much, it still turned out pretty tasty. We were all drinking some yesterday and I got some decent compliments. My rule of thumb is, If I wont drink it, then no one else will drink it either. So whether I miss my target gravities or not, It's all a matter of whether I drink the product in the end or not. In this case, we are. Here's the recipe:

2 lbs Rice Hulls

9 lbs Pilsner 2-row

6 lbs White Wheat Malt

5 lbs Flaked Wheat

1 oz Cascade hops 60 minutes

1 oz Cascade hops 5 minutes

1 oz Coriander seed 15 minutes

1 oz Bitter Orange Peel 15 minutes

2 pkgs Belgian Wit Ale Yeast WLP400

This style beer calls for an Original Gravity of 1.044 - 1.052. I ended up at 1.042. If i was paying attention, I could have just boiled longer and hit my target. As you can see, I wasn't off by much, so it only minimally affects flavor. In fact, it makes it just a little bit sweeter, leaving more fermentable sugars in the beer. Like I said, I'm enjoying it.

Wheat beers utilize yeasts that are very high in sedimentation. I probably lost close to a gallon of beer in yeast alone. As is typical with wheat beers, I did not ferment in a secondary because unfiltered beer is how these are typically served, resulting in a cloudy, hazy lemon color beer. As a result of high yeast sedimentation, the shelf life for Wheat beers, this one included, is about 4 weeks. Carbonation is very high compared to ales. I'm not sure why the carbonation is set high. It could have something to do with the shelf life, force carbing fast and then drinking fast, or what not. Anyway, here it is.

Brew Your Own Magazine - 250 Recipes

It's not your typical Maxim, Men's Journal, or Sports Illustrated magazine. In fact, I don't even recommend it for beer drinking enthusiasts. I do, however, recommend it to anyone who is into homebrewing or for someone who is contemplating the idea of homebrewing. It's a syndicated bi-monthly publication with tips, tricks, recipes and more all related to the art of beer making. I have been a subscriber for 6 months now and plan on renewing my subscription thereafter. It's this most recent publication I picked up that is probably the most informative and pertinent to me. Let me present you with this special newsstand only issue - 250 Classic Clone Recipes.

Because I truly enjoy the feedback from my 2, repeat, 2 blog followers, I have listed all 250 recipes below. So i call out to my 2 blog followers to leave comments on any beers they wish to sample in the future. When doing so, consider that certain trippels, lagers, and stouts will take months for completion, so consider some good winter brews too!

I have the recipes for all 250 commercially available brews listed below, so take your pick and we'll enjoy together. They are listed by Beer Style

STOUTS

Guinness Draught - Guinness & Co.
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout - Guinness & Co
Murphy's Pub Draught - Murphy Brewery
Beamish Genuine - Beamish & Crawford
Young's Doube Chocolate Stout - Young and Co.'s Brewery
Old Rasputin Imperial Stout - North Coast Brewing Co.
Fish Tale Trout Stout - Fish Brewing Co.
Lookout Stout - Haines Brewing Co.
Snowplow Milk Stout - Widmer Brothers Brewing
Oscar's Chocolate Oatmeal Stout - Sand Creek Brewing
Cappuccino Stout - Lagunitas Brewing Co
Oak Barrel Stout - Old Dominion Brewing Co.
Navish's Oatmeal Stout - The Portsmouth Brewery
Chocolate Jitters - Rocky River Brewing Co.
Double Black Stout - Red Hook Ale Brewery
Slow Elk Oatmeal Stout - Big Sky Brewing Co.
Giddyup Stout - Sweet Water Tavern
Yeti Imperial Stout - Great Divide
Sierra Nevada Stout - Sierra Nevada
Shakespeare Stout - Rogue Ales
Drake's Crude - Erie Brewing Co
Dragon's Milk - New Holland Brewing Co
Sweet Stout Clone - Hitachino Brewing
Extra Export Stout - De Dolle Brouwers
Dragon Stout - Desnoes & Geddes
Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout - Wolaver's
Chocolate Stout - Bison Brewing
Imperial Russian Stout - Stone Brewing Co.
Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout 12th Anniversary - Stone Brewing Co.
Breakfast Stout - Founder's Brewing Co.
Double Stout - Hook Norton Brewery

PORTERS

BridgePort Porter - Bridgeport Brewing Co.
New World Porter - Avery Brewing Co.
Alaskan Smoked Porter - Alaskan Brewing Co.
Fredericksburg Porter - Fredericksburg Brewing Co.
Cutthroat Porter - Odell Brewing Co.
Black Butte Porter - Deschutes Brewery
Vermont Smoked Porter - Vermont Pub and Brewery
Old Leghumper Porter - Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.
Thirsty Trout Porter - Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Total Disorder Porter - Ram Big Horn Brewing Co.
Gonzo Porter - Flying Dog Brewing
Goddess Porter - Big Time Brewing
Old Slug Porter - RCH Brewery
Sinebrychoff Porter - Sinebrychoff Brewery
Darth Porter - Stone Brewing
Smoked Porter - Stone Brewing
Porter Potty Porter - Hank is Wiser Brewery
Edmund Fitgerald Porter - Great Lakes Brewing
Fuller's London Porter - Fuller, Smith & Turner

BROWN ALES

Newcastle Brown Ale - Scottish & Newcastle
Newcastle Brown Ale Old Ale - Scottish & Newcastle
Newcastle Brown Ale Amber Ale - Scottish & Newcastle
Indian Brown Ale - Dogfish Head Brewing
Turbodog - Abita Brewing Co.
Imperial Nut Brown - Tommyknocker Brewery
Capital Brown Ale - Capital Brewery
Carolina Nut Brown Ale - The Carolina Brewing Co.
Tablerock Nut Brown Ale - Tablerock Brewpub and Grill
Bell's Best Brown Ale - Bell's Brewery Inc.
Hazelnut Brown Nectar - Rogue Brewing Co.
Mud Bock Spring Ale - Otter Creek Brewing
Brewhouse Brown Ale - Real Ale Brewing Co.
Otis Alt - Elk Grove Brewery & Restaraunt
Iron Horse Brown Ale - Iron Horse Brewery
Hobgoblin Dark Ale - Wychwood Brewery
Double Bag Alt - Long Trail Brewing
Dragon's Milk Brown Ale - Triple Rock Brewery

RED OR AMBER ALES

Fat Tire Amber Ale - New Belgium
Full Sail Amber Ale - Full Sail Brewing Co.
Hopback Amber - Troegs Brewing Co.
Cambridge Amber - Cambridge Brewing Co.
Arctic Red - Yukon Brewing Co.
African Amber - Mack & Jack's Brewery
Alaskan Amber - Alaskan Brewing Co.
St. Rogue Red Ale - Rogue Brewing Co.
Rainbow Red Ale - Trout River Brewing Co.
Bulldog Amber - Cashmere Brewing Co.
Pinstripe Red Ale - Ska brewing Co.
Anniversary Ale - Amherst Brewing Co.
Glacier Ale - Red Lodge Ales
Abner Weed Amber Ale - Mt. Shasta Brewing Co.
Whistling Pig Red Ale - Jasper Murdock's Alehouse
Runaway Red Ale - Ice Harbor Brewing
Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema - Anderson Valley Brewing
Ten Penny Ale - Olde Burnside Brewing Co.

SCOTTISH & STRONG ALES

Traquair House Ale - Traquair House Brewery
Wee Heavy Scotch Ale - Steelhead Brewing Co.
Hope and King Scotch Ale - Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery
Winter Palace Wee Heavy - Paper City Brewery
Full Curl Scotch Ale - Midnight Sun Brewing
Old Ruffian - Great Divide Brewing
Gale's Prize Old Ale - George Gale & Co.
Black Douglas - Broughton Ales Ltd.
English Style Old Ale - Harpoon Brewery
Oakhill Yeoman Strong Ale - Oakhill Brewery
Merriman Old Fart - Merriman's Brewery

IPA's and BEYOND

60 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
90 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alesmith IPA - Alesmith Brewing Co.
Dreadnaught - Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Hop Rod Rye - Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Racer 5 - Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Pliny the Elder - Russian River Brewing Co.
Imperial IPA - Rogue Brewing Co.
Luginitas IPA - Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Acme IPA - North Coast Brewing
Elissa IPA - Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
Celebration Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Two Hearted Ale - Bell's Brewery
Ruination IPA - Stone Brewing Co.
Harpoon IPA - Harpoon Brewery
Bottleworks IPA - Dick's Brewing Co.
Samuel Smith's India Ale - Samuel Smith Old Brewery
Twin Sisters Double IPA - Left Hand Brewery
Hop-Head Imperial IPA - Bend Brewing Co.
Blue Dot Double IPA - Hair of the Dog Brewing
Stone IPA - Stone Brewing Co.
Torpedo Extra IPA - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Punk IPA - Brewdog

PALE ALES and OTHER LIGHT ALES

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Anchor Steam - Anchor Brewing Co.
Bass & Co's Pale Ale - Bass PLC
Young's Special London Ale - Young & Co.'s Brewery
Fuller's ESB - Fuller, Smith & Turner
Redhook ESB - Redhook Ale Brewery
BAR Pale Ale - BruRm @ Bar
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale - Terrapin Beer Co.
Crooked River ESB - Crooked River Brewing Co.
Mirror Pond Ale - Deschutes Brewery Inc.
Full Suspension Pale Ale - Squatters Pub Brewery
Alpha King Pale Ale - Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Otter Creek Pale Ale - Otter Creek Brewing Co.
Bitch Creek ESB - Grand Teton Brewing Co.
Coopers Sparkling Ale - Coopers Brewery Limited
Tire Biter Golden Ale - Flying Dog Brewery
Red Tail Ale - Mendocino Brewing Co.
Shipyard Export Ale - Shipyard Brewing Co.
Hop Jack Pale Ale - Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.
Clearwater Light - Clearwater Brewery
Gaelic Ale - Highland Brewing Co.
Blue Whale Ale - Pacific Coast Brewing Co.
Warthog Cream Ale - Big Rock Brewery
Wisdom Cream Ale - Big Hole Brewing Co.
Vanilla Creme Ale - Market Street Brewery and Public House
Banks's Mild Ale - Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries
Raven Hair Beauty - BruRm @ BAR
Two Rail Pale Ale - Red Car Brewing Co.
Shelter Pale Ale - Dogfish Head Brewing Co.
Tumble Off Pale Ale - Barley Brown's Brew Pub
5 Barrel Pale Ale - Odell Brewing Co.
Speedy Kiwi 5.6 ESB - Speedway Brewing Co.
Organic Best Bitter - St. Peter's Brewery
Green Lakes Organic Ale - Deschutes Brewery
Stone Pale Ale - Stone Brewing Co.
Summit Extra Pale Ale - Summit Brewing Co.
Summertime Kolsch - Goose Island Beer Co.
Lil Opal - Firestone Walker Brewery
Harpoon Summer Beer - Harpoon Brewery
Brooklyn Summer Ale - Brooklyn Brewery
Hocus Pocus - Magic Hat Brewing Co.
Archers Golden Bitter - Archers Brewery
Dead Guy Ale - Rogue Breweing Co.

WHEAT BEERS

Mueller Wheat - Springfield Brewing Co.
Blue Star Wheat Beer - North Coast Brewing Co.
Oberdorfer Weissbier - Allgauer Brauhaus AG
Easy Street Wheat - Odell Brewing Co.
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen - Paulaner Braueri GmbH & Co.
Double Eagle Ale - Rockyard Brewing Co.
Blue Paw Wheat Ale - Sea Dog Brewing Co.
Schneider Aventinus - G. Schneider & Sohn
American Hefeweizen - Laht Neppur Brewing Co.
Schneider Weiss - G. Schneider & Sohn

BELGIAN or BELGIAN-INSPIRED ALES

DeuS - Brouwerij Bosteels
Hennepin - Brewery Ommegang
Duvel - Duvel Moortgat
Farmhouse Summer Ale - Flying Fish Brewery
Saison Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale - New Belgium Brewery
Ommegang Abbey Ale - Brewery Ommegang
Orval Trappist Ale - Brasserie d'Orval
Westmalle Tripel - Brouwerij Westmalle
BJ's Grand Cru - BJ's Restaurant and Brewery
BJ's Millennium Ale - BJ's Restaurant and Brewery
Brother Larry's Belgian - Salmon Creek Brewing
Ommegang Witte - Brewery Ommegang
Devotion Ale - The Lost Abbey
Allagash Tripel - Allagash Brewing
Pecome Blonde - Red Rod Brewing Co.
Two Brothers Domaine Dupage - Two Brothers
Belgian Grand Cru - Worth Brewing Co.
IPAbbey - Ithica Beer Co.
St. Bernardus Abt 12 60th Anniversary Edition - St. Bernardus Brewery
Pike Tandem Ale - Pike Brewing Co.

LAGER BEERS

Shiner Bock - Spoetzel Brewery
Heineken - Heineken Brouwerijen
Warsteiner Premium Varum - Warsteiner Brauerei
Bitburger Premium - Bitburger Brewery
Ayinger Celebrator - Brauerei Aying
Creemore Springs Lager - Creemore Springs Brewery
Sin City Amber - Sin City Brewery
Sprecher Special Amber Lager - Sprecher Brewing Co.
Labatt Blue - Labatt Brewing Co.
La Conner Pilsner - La Conner Brewing Co.
Eastside Dark - Lakefront Brewery
Saint Arnold Summer Pils - Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
Pilsner Urquell - Plzensky Prazdroj
Sudwerk Hubsch Marzen - Sudwerk Restaurant & Brewery
John Courage Amber - Scottish & Newcastle PLC
See You In Helles - Snake River Brewing Co.
Odell Double Pilsner - Odell Brewing Co.
The Kaiser (Imperial Oktoberfest) - Avery Brewing Co.
Black Wold Schwarzbier - Flossmoor Station Brewing Co.
Munchner-Style Helles - Ham's Restaurant & Brewhouse
Smoke Creek Rauchbier - Great Basin Brewing Co.
Curator - Klosterbrauere Ettaler
Fred's Black Lager - Great Northern Brewing Co.
Organic Pilsner - Butte Creek Brewing
Black Radish Lager - Weeping Radish Farm Brewery
Schlitz - Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co.

SPECIALTY BEERS

Mo' Betta Bretta - Pizza Port Brewing Co.
Sanctification - Russian River Brewing Co.
Cherry Chocolate Beer - O'Fallen Brewery
La Folie - New Belgium Brewing
Midas Touch - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Fraoch Heather Ale - Craigmill Brewery
Highland Heather Ale - Highland Brewing Co.
#9 - Magic Hat Brewing Co.
Patty's Chili Beer - Wynkoop Brewing Co.
Chateau Jiahu - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Temptation - Russian River Brewing Co.
La Roja - Jolly Pumpkin Artisinal Ales
Grand Cru - Upstream Brewing Co.
Spruce Budd Ale - Fort George Brewery

WINTER BREWS

Old Jubilation Ale - Avery Brewing Co.
Winter Warmer - Harpoon Brewery
Powder Hound Winter Ale - Big Sky Brewing Co.
Feast of Fools - Magic Hat Brewing Co.
Cottonwood Frostbite - Carolina Beer Co.
Saint Arnold Christmas Ale - Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
Breckenridge Christmas Ale - Breckenridge Brewery
Samichlaus - Schloss Eggenberger
Full Sail Wassail - Full Sail Brewing Co.
Snow Cap Ale - Pyramid Breweries, Inc.
Summit Winter Ale - Summit Brewing Co.
Winterhook - Red Hook Brewing Co.
Butte Creek Winter Ale - Butte Creeke Brewing Co.
Sam Adams Winter Brew - Boston Beer Co.
Ubu Ale - Lake Placid Pub & Brewery
Avalanche Ale - Breckenridge Brewery
Old Peculiar - T&R Theakston Brewery
Nutcracker Ale - Boulevard Brewing Co.
Black Diamond Winter Ale -Black Diamond Co.

Microbrew Madness!

It's easy to get into homebrewing and easy to get out homebrewing, but I recently found a happy place so that it doesnt matter if I am homebrewing or not. It's not a new phenomena. It's been around for decades now, but I am into it more than ever. It also goes great with homebrewing because it opens up the idea to more recipes and clone-like beers. It's called microbrew, and New Jersey's loose liquor licenses allow me to obtain these beers individually and at cheap costs versus pennsylvania.

Why would I drive to NJ just to get beer? It's simple. I drive to NJ to work, so i just make pit stops to pick up a new brew here and there. I stumbled upon this one particular liquor store that carries a large, constantly varying supply of 22-24 oz individual bottles.

I've been stocking up and am aging some of the better beers, but also have some beers available to me for immediate consumption. I will be posting them as I get them and encourage you to make suggestions to me. I'm always willing to try a beer for the first time.

In the first week, I obtained:

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Specialty Ale - A Healdsburg, California production. It is a high performance, turbo charged, alcohol burnin monster ale with dual overhead hop injection, made with 18% rye. This beer sits at 8% ABV. check it out at www.bearrepublic.com

Status: Consumed! This was an exceptional brew. Full-bodied, heavy beer intended for men with hair on their chests.

Hoffmann Lager Doppel Bock - A Roselle Park, NJ local commodity made by Climax Brewing Co. This lager is brewed with the strict German Purity Law, Rhineheitsgebot. This doppel bock is brown in color with a massive malt profile and soft chocolately notes accententuated by by noble hop aromas and flavors.

Status: Consumed! An amber dark beer, also full-bodied. I kicked back 64 ounces of this high alcohol beer and passed out drunk on the couch. Absouletly recommend it.

Stone IPA - India Pale Ale brewed and bottled by Stone Brewing Co. in San Diego, CA This 6.9% hop overload is just that. To say that this IPA is deliciously hoppy would be putting it modestly. Stone IPA has a big hop aroma and big hop flavor. Combine the two and you get the result of beauty.

Status: Aging

Lagunitas Limited Release Wilco Tango Foxtrot - An incredible name for a beer I must say, this West Coast Petaluma, CA beer is a Malty, Robust Ale with 7.83% ABV. All i can say is, I can not wait until the day where I am thinking WTF, how about a WTF? Wilco Tango Foxtrot, you are my hero and can not wait to consume you.

Status: Aging

Stone Smoked Porter - brewed and bottled by Stone Brewing Co in San Diego, CA. This 5.9% bottle is currently aging, though I have enjoyed this beer many times in the past. This dark, malty, smoky porter is great for BBQ meats and chocolates, cheesecakes, and other rich desserts. In this fantastic porter you will find rich chocolate and light smoky undertones complimented with hints of licorice and dark fruit, and perhaps some caramel.

Status: Consumed and Aging

Chimay Grande Reserve - Brewed at Scourmont Abbey and Bottled by Bieres De Chimay, Belgium. This 9% trappist ale is just that. Certified Trappist. A trappist ale certifies that it was brewed within the walls of an existing trappist monastery under the control of the trappist community. A major part of the sales revenue is used by the monks to support charitable works. This beer was designed partly by the exceptional yeast isolated by Father Theodore. Combine that with the purity of the protected water of the abbey's wells and you have one tasty Chimay. Chimay is aged for a lengthy period and served slightly chilled. I love this beer!

Food for thought - The best brewery to operate is by employing people that don't consume alcohol. This ensures maximized profits. Sell it to me, I'll drink it and enjoy it and in doing so, my buzz helps charities.

Status: Enjoyed and Aging

Noteworthy Remarks

Some noteworthy remarks are in regards to the origins of the IPA (India Pale Ale) and the German Purity Law. India Pale Ale's were simply put, an accident that resulted in great hoppy flavor. English Pale Ale's were shipped over seas to its British soldiers fighting in India a long time ago. It would take months for the beer to be shipped from Britain to India, so brewmasters used extra hops so that the beer would keep fresh for the 6 month voyage. Hops are a natural preservative, so if you add more hops, you are adding more preservatives. The result of a super-hopped English Pale Ale.........an India Pale Ale loaded with hop flavor and hop aroma. Not intended for the MillerLite wussy.

The German Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) is just what it says. The Germans have long held high standards to what is utilized in its beers, so they designed a set of standards. The law states that all German beers must made using water, barley, and hops, and nothing more. Sounds like most beer, right? Wrong. Beers use flavorings, corn maize, brown sugar, dark candi sugar, etc. to produce their beers. This law originates back to 1516 ( I believe King Henry VII). The only odd thing about the original law is that yeast was not mentioned, which was later added to the law in the 1800's. Commercial breweries and even microbreweries love to market their beers as abiding brews of the German Purity Law. Look for it on certain beers.

Conclusion of the Day

Don't think for 30 seconds that the above list are the only beers I have ever consumed, these are beers that I am just recently collecting, aging, consuming, and profiling for my own enhancement in beer flavor, character, aroma, origin, etc. I will surely add more in the near future, so please check back and post any comments below.

Orange Pale Ale

What a delicious beer, and its not even fully aged yet. April 27, a few of us (Rich, Dawn, Jill, Lenny, and myself) brewed an orange pale ale. This was the third batch on the new system. The wheat beer and the cream ale missed their target temps, resulting in uncoverted sugars. This in turn leaves the beer tasting very sweet and having a low alcohol content. Bad news is that I dumped the beers down the drain. The good news is that these 2 beers only cost $15 each to produce, so I didnt lose out too badly. I also learned a lot from these 2 mistakes which has no monetary value to it.

3rd times a charm, right?

It sure is. This recipe was loaded with ingredients, and costly. There was no room for error. Here's the breakdown.

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Safale-04
Yeast Starter: Yes
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: No
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5
Original Gravity: 1.054
Final Gravity: 1.013
IBU: 34
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 9.0L
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 10 @ 60-ish
Additional Fermentation: n/a
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 @ 60-ish
Tasting Notes: Orange/coriander low in the profile, compliment fruitiness from Cascades.


Size: 5.5 gal
Efficiency: 68.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 178.22 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.054 (1.045 - 1.060)
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Terminal Gravity: 1.013 (1.010 - 1.015)
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Color: 6.0 (5.0 - 14.0)
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Alcohol: 5.27% (4.5% - 6.0%)
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Bitterness: 33.78 (30.0 - 45.0)
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Ingredients:
9 lbs Maris Otter
1 lbs Vienna Malt
1 lbs Crystal Malt 10°L
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added first wort, boiled 60 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min
1 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 1 min
2 ea Fermentis S-04 Safale S-04
2.0 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
2.0 oz Orange zest - added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
1 oz Coriander crushed - added during boil, boiled 10 min
Whirlfloc - added during boil, boiled 15 min

I mashed this beer at 155F and sparged at 170F. I nailed these numbers to the money. There were a few differences however. I was supposed to end up with 5.5 gallons of brew, but my evaporation rate is higher than my calculated 14% per hour. After an hour of boiling i ended with roughly 5 gallons beer. Thus, my Orignal Gravity was 1.064. This created a few key differences in the beer versus the recipe.

1.) More alcohol - 6% versus 4.75% (that's good with me)
2.) More potency in orange flavor and hop flavor than intended (not a bad thing either, just not as balanced as original recipe)
3.) Less beer than intended (not a good thing. I like to maximize my ROI on ingredients)

I fermented for 10 days at 68F and with the yeast starter it was off to a ferocious start, bubbling like an active volcano. After 10 days in the primary fermenter, I transferred it to my secondary fermenter and added additional hops (dry hopping) and fermented for another 10 days. The final gravity of the beer was 1.014, a 6% beer.
I then transferred it to my keg and it has been there ever since May 13.

I drank a beer last night and it was orangey and hoppy, however not fully carbonated or aged. It will beome drier and crisper in just a few weeks. Can't wait to enjoy it. I'll have you over.

Cheers!