The Beer Tap

Thoughts on GABF Winners

Over the weekend, I finally had the time to print out and ponder all of the winners from last weeks GABF.  I saw a few familiar names, but mostly lots that falls into the category of "Never even heard of".  Let's start with the familiar...

In the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beers category, Temptation by Russian River took the Silver.  They also picked up another Silver for Blind Pig in the American-Style India Pale Ale category.  Russian River is a brewery that you can trust to put out very enjoyable beers and I certainly missing having access to them now that I am no longer on the West coast. 

The brewery that helped "raise" me in my craft beer drinking ways, St Arnold, won Gold in the German Style Kolsch category with their Fancy Lawnmower beer.  In the hot Texas summers, an easy drinking beer is a must.  Luckily they approach easy drinking without sacrificing taste!

Moylan's Brewing took Gold and Silver in the Imperial or Double IPA category for Hopsickle and Moylander respectively.  My first Moylan's experience came years ago on a trip to San Fran for New Years with Kilt Lifter.  A malty Scotch Ale that I always add to the cart when I see it!

Other winners I enjoy: Hog Heaven by Avery (Silver in Imperial or Double Red); Big Bear by Bear Republic (Silver in American-style Stout); Alaskan Smoked Porter 2004 (Bronze in Aged Beer); Four by Allagash (Bronze in Belgian-Style Abbey Ale); Double Cream Stout by Bells (Gold in Sweet Stout) which I have a clone recipe for and love to brew!

And of course the larger brew pubs also had a good showing with various locations of Gordon Biersch, Rock Bottom, and BJ's all taking home a medal.  Its great to see that they encourage the development of new recipes and experimentation even in these more corporate chains.  However, something tells me if they tried to keep the brewers down, there might be a revolt!

The award for complete domination of a category goes to Miller in the American Style Specialty Lager with Icehouse, Mickey's Ice, and Mickey's Malt Liquor winning all of the medals.  With 16 total entrants, I am wondering who else entered outside of the big three. 

So what about the less familiar?  To be honest way more than I'd like to admit fall into this category.  On a positive note...that means there are many more great beers to taste.  Places to seek out when I travel.  One has to have goals in life and it looks like trying to taste every beer made in the US is going to keep me busy!

Also, I found it interesting to discover how many categories there are: 75.  Since I have been digging into the world of finer American beers, there have always been a large number of style categories.  It feels like the list only continues to grow each year.  In no way is that a complaint!  Merely an observation.  Innovation in the brewing world has driven some of that increase.  Look at Barrel-Aged for example.  It was normal practice to store beer in barrels back before stainless kegs, but many of those were coated with pitch and not exposed to the wood.  Now beer is being fermented and stored in barrels after being used in the production of liquor and wine.  And some of those beers are normal alcohol level, strong, or sour leading to three categories just for the use of wood.  The strong ale category was popular as well with 72 total entrants.

The most entered category should be no surprise with 120 in American-style IPA.  Other popular categories among brewers include American-style Strong Pale Ale at 91 entrants, Double IPA and Red near 70, and American-style Pale Ale at 68.  Hops and higher alcohol are always a good direction for me.

Most important observation from studying the list of winners...going to the GABF is the better way to go.  I'll see you in Denver next Fall!

Long weekend brewing

Summer officially begins this weekend and that has me thinking about what beers to brew with the extra day off.  So many styles go well with the warm weather: wheat beers (both Belgian and German), lagers, lighter IPAs and Pale Ales, and fruit beers.  As I was shopping online for yeast, I noticed Kölsch and knew I had found a winner.

For one, Kölsch is a quaffable beer that goes down smoothly on a hot summer day.  In fact, Saint Arnold brews Fancy Lawnmower Beer which falls into this style and as the name says its perfect to enjoy after activity outside on a summer day.  But do not let the name fool you...in no way does this mean that the style lacks flavor.  Quaffable, yes...tasteless and watered down, no.  Subtle fruit flavors and aromas combine with mild malt sweetness to create a very enjoyable beer.

Second, if I am going to brew a Kölsch I need to do it now before the temperature in my basement gets too warm.  The hybrid ale yeast used to make Kölsch likes temperatures closer to that of a lager and my basement probably won't give me that too much longer. 

And finally, I need to follow up fermentation with a 6 week lagering period.  Doing the math...2 weeks to ferment + 6 weeks to age = 4th of July Kolsch.  Perfect!  For those worried about patriotism, don't.  I will be brewing American style ambers and IPAs over the weekend as well to aid in the celebration!  No English beers...I promise!

With styles that I do not brew frequently, I like to look at the history of how the style came about so that I can be sure to incorporate any traditional methods or ingredients.  Kölsch is an appellation designation similar to Champagne that is protected by the Kölsch Konvention and is restricted to the breweries in and around Cologne(Köln), Germany.  The Konvention defines the beer as a "light, highly attenuated, hop-accentuated, clear top-fermenting vollbier."  The Kölsch style as it is brewed today is less than a hundred years old, but there has been brewing in the city of Cologne, Germany for at least a thousand years.  The precursor to this style was called keutebier and was made from mostly wheat.  Over time, the amount of wheat has been slowly reduced to the point that the beer is produced almost exclusively from malted barley.  The grain bill today for producing a Kölsch consists of Pilsner malt and 0-10% wheat malt.  With that knowledge in hand, I'll probably try about 5% malted wheat to provide some character as I think 100% Pilsner malt will probably be lacking in some of the depth I would prefer.

Back in college when I was traveling Europe one summer, I had the pleasure of visiting one of the approved Cologne brewers, Fruh.  Here we were able to experience Kölsch served in the authentic Kölsch glassware by the dedicated beer server as is the tradition.  Each beer comes in a tall, cylindrical glass of 200 mL like the one pictured at the top of the post.  The specially designated server walks around with a special tray of full glasses delivering them to those who are ready for a refill.  From what I remember, the small glass never lead to situations where I was without beer! 

In a related note, as I was writing this post, a friend forwarded this article from the NY Times that details a writer's recent trip to Germany that includes an exploration of Kölsch.  He does a wonderful job of explaining the Kölsch experience.  He also happens to have a great job...traveling around Germany, drinking beer, and writing about it.  Sign me up!

Smoke it up

First off...let me apologize for the lapse in posts over the last few weeks.  I have been on the road for work and there just wasn't the time to dedicate to a proper post.  In each city I set out to try some new beers, but I have to report back that what I found didn't impress me.  But now I am back home and have made another $100 trip to the beer store.  I have several new beers in the queue and should be able to start pumping out reviews....as soon as I kick the cold I caught traveling.  I went to the fridge tonight and pulled out a bottle (Mom stop reading here!) and decided to power through and taste a beer anyways.  Then I remembered that cold medicines make it very hard to assess a beer's aroma and thus also its flavor.  So I put the beer back, cried a quick tear, and decided to reminisce on a beer from the weekend.  It was one worth some reflection.

Rauchbier is a German beer style and literally means "Smoke Beer".  Yes...I realize that this may seem very strange but I can assure you that it is quite tasty and pairs well with food.  The smoked flavors in Smoke Ale by Rogue come from two grains that have been smoked as part of the malting process: Chuck's Alderwood Smoked Munich and Bamberg Beechwood Smoked malts.  But fear not, this beer is not completely dominated by the smoke flavors and is supported by sweet, nutty malt flavors and a healthy dose of hops.  Rather than power through as a dominant flavor, the smoked flavors becomes more apparent as the beer finishes on your tongue.  Of course you won't be surprised by the smoke as the aroma hits you long before the first sip crosses your lips.

Now comes the exciting part...pairing it with food.  It was Cinco de Mayo and I wanted something with either Tex-Mex or Southwestern flavors.  After some searching I found a recipe for a Lime-Cumin-Cilantro dressing by Bobby Flay that sounded like a perfect fit.  I grilled up some chicken and tossed it on a salad with jicama root, black beans, green onions, and a mixture of Mexican cheeses.  I could not have imagined a better flavor combination as I washed down bites with the Smoke Ale.  This Rogue beer combined especially well with the black beans (think smoked bacon and beans...yum!) while contrasting nicely with the honey, vinegar and lime flavors in the dressing.  Another good choice for this dish would have been Rogue's Chipotle Ale which provides both the smoked flavors and the heat of the jalapeno.  With beers like this out there, why settle for a skunked Corona with a lime?!?!? 

Slow boat to India

If you read my last post, you are expecting another description of a brewery and/or tour.  Unfortunately the tour was sold out (45 minutes in advance!) and I was not able to make it.  So instead I decided to talk about IPAs.  I brewed an IPA on Saturday and thought that it would be fun to look into the history of the style.  I have heard the basics about shipping the beer to India, but wanted to dig a little deeper.  Thanks to Ray Daniels and his book “Designing Great Beers” and Wikipedia for the details…

The British Empire appointed its first governor to India in 1774.  With this event, ships began to regularly travel back to England with spices and silk.  Since India was self-sufficient, the ships often traveled from England to India without any cargo.  George Hodgson of the Bow Brewery in East London recognized an opportunity to take advantage of low freight rates on these empty vessels and began shipping his specially developed IPA in the 1790’s.

Why the special formulation?  The long, hot journey proved a difficult one for the dark ales and porters that were common in England at that time. Ships typically left London, sailed south past the equator along the coast of Africa, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and then crossed the Indian Ocean to reach India.  It was a 6 month trip across many climates and the rough waters of southern Africa resulted in an extremely violent voyage.  The standard, sweet ales and porters of England surely would have spoiled along the way.

In order to make the trip, Hodgson modified one of his existing “paler” ales.  First, the new beer was highly hopped to take advantage of the preservative nature of the hop acids.  Whole hops were often added to the pitch-coated casks for additional protection during the journey.  The second change was to reduce the original gravity of the beer and to use paler malts.  Doing so created a more fermentable wort allowing the yeast to consume a larger amount of sugars. The finished “dry” beer contained less sugar for bacteria and wild yeast during the long voyage.

Fast forward 200 plus years and the style is still alive today.  Many of the IPAs available in Britain today are actually closer to a regular pale ale than their cousin of the past.  In America, however, the style has taken firm roots among the craft and microbrew communities.  And in typical American fashion, they have pushed the limits of bitterness and alcohol content to the point of creating a new category, Double IPA.  Another interesting note about modern day… from what I can tell, IPA is not sold in India today. They are drinking lagers almost exclusively.  Their loss!

So here is the low down on my American IPA.  A slight modification on one of my regulars that has a bit of a following among friends:

• OG: 1.065
• Malts: Pale (American), 60 L Crystal, Cara-Pils, Biscuit
• Hops: Chinook (A strong hop to help give me the bitterness necessary for the style), Cascade (For flavor and aroma, dry hopping to follow) 
• Yeast: White Labs California Ale Yeast – High attenuation (Ferments up to 80% of sugars)
• Vessel: Glass with heater and jacket to help keep the yeast happy, no wood or pitch!

Pumpkin in my beer?

If you have been beer shopping over the last few weeks, you have probably noticed at least one pumpkin beer on the shelves.  This seasonal offering seems to be gaining in popularity.  Even Anheuser-Busch is getting in on the game!

Pumpkin as a brewing ingredient is hardly a new phenomenon.  Back in colonial times, brewers often used pumpkins as a source of fermentable sugars.  Barley was still grown back in Europe and was either scarce or expensive.  Deprive a man of beer and its amazing what he is willing to try to get a good buzz.  These old recipes often called for dried pumpkins.  I have no idea what that would taste like, but I cannot imagine that it would be great.  Pumpkin by itself can often be pretty bland until you add that magic pie spice.   

Today, pumpkins are roasted and added to the mash to provide both flavor and some sugars, but only as an addition and not as the primary source of fermentables.  Modern beers also add flavor from the inclusion of brown sugar or any number of the spices that make up pumpmik spice: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, mace, and clove.  For the pumpkin flavors to shine through, the addition of these ingredients needs to be subtle.  From what I have tasted, the beers offered today offer a wide range of flavors.  Anywhere from really sweet and spicy to subtle.  Grab a few today for the Halloween weekend and see which one you prefer!

Here are just a few brewers offering a pumpkin beer:

• Shipyard - Pumpkinhead Ale
• Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale
• Anheuser-Busch - Jack's Pumpkin Spice
• Lakefront Brewery - Pumpkin Lager
• Buffalo Bills Brewery - Pumpkin Ale

Oktoberfest Beer Part 2

This is an excerpt (with a few deletions and rewordings on my part) of the official BJCP guideline for the Marzen/Oktoberfest style.  Not all beers that are called an Oktoberfest will fit perfectly, but they should be pretty close to be considered “on style”.  By the way…the BJCP is an organization that trains people to judge and score beers for competitions (typically among homebrewers).

• Aroma: Rich German malt aroma (of Vienna and/or Munich malt). A light to moderate toasted malt aroma is often present. Clean lager aroma with no fruity esters or diacetyl. No hop aroma. Caramel aroma is inappropriate.
• Appearance: Dark gold to deep orange-red color. Bright clarity, with head lasting.
• Flavor: Initial malty sweetness, but finish is moderately dry. Distinctive and complex maltiness often includes a toasted aspect. Hop bitterness is moderate, and noble hop flavor is low to none. Balance is toward malt, though the finish is not sweet. Noticeable caramel or roasted flavors are inappropriate. Clean lager character with no diacetyl or fruity esters.
• Overall Impression: Smooth, clean, and rather rich, with a depth of malt character. This is one of the classic malty styles, with a maltiness that is often described as soft, complex, and elegant but never cloying (i.e. excessively sweet)

Vital Statistics:

OG	FG	IBUs	SRM	ABV
(1.050 - 1.056)	(1.012 - 1.016)	(20 - 28)	(7 - 14)	(4.8 - 5.7%)

A little help with some vocabulary from the Vital Stats….

• OG (Original Gravity) is a measure of the amount of sugar present before fermentation.  It is measured relative to the density of water
• FG (Final Gravity) is a measure of the unfermented sugar in the finished beer.  The higher the number, the sweeter and thicker the beer will taste.
• IBU (International Bitterness Unit) is a measure of the beer’s bitterness.  It’s a number determined in a lab and can be somewhat misleading since it is not absolute in terms of taste.  A higher IBU measurement may not always lead to a higher perceived bitterness.  It depends on the beer style, ingredients, final gravity, carbonation level, etc.
• SRM is a measure of the beer’s color.  The higher the number, the darker the beer.
• ABV (Alcohol by Volume) tells you how many of these you can drink and still walk a straight line afterward.

Up next…I’ll share a list of beers to add to your grocery list in preparation for the celebration.

Oktoberfest Beer Part 1

Since brewing began with the rise of early civilizations, brewers throughout time have been forced to create novel solutions to problems that modern technology has since easily solved.  The Germans may be best known for techniques and innovations in the creation of lager beers.  In this post we’ll look at only one of these innovations.  Back in the day, brewers of the old world did not have refrigeration to then keep the beer fresh.  Instead, they relied on caves and cellars to store beer at an appropriate temperature…about 45-55 deg F.  Since they lacked the ability to control temperature, these brewers stopped producing beer in the warmer months of the year. 

      

In March, the brewers would brew a beer slightly higher in alcohol to store in the caves for consumption later in the summer.  This is where the term “lagerbier” originated: the word “lagern” is German for “to store”.  The last beer produced in the spring before the summer was called Märzen, which is German for March.  As fate would have it (or maybe it was planned…I’m not sure), the marriage and first Oktoberfest as described in an earlier post, took place late in the summer when this beer was being pulled from the cellars for consumption.  As beer and concessions became part of the festivities in the few years after the original celebration, this beer was eventually called Oktoberfest.  The origins of the modern day Oktoberfest style according to the BJCP: “Origin is credited to Gabriel Sedlmayr, based on an adaptation of the Vienna style developed by Anton Dreher around 1840, shortly after lager yeast was first isolated.”

      

Up next…what does an Oktoberfest taste like?  I’ll follow that up with information on modern commercial beers to try.