Craft beer fests are great, here is an example of one taking place November 7th in New York. Caitlin Colford of the Huffington Post got a chance to interview Jim Pickett, the NYC Craft Beer Festival's beer curator.
Sadly pumpkin beers are only available in the fall and since the NYC Craft Beer Fest is focusing on winter brews, will we still be able to sample pumpkin beers? Yes. For very selfish interests, if you must know. I love pumpkin beers and think they should be available at least until Thanksgiving -- if not Christmas. They are released way too early in my opinion. Because of that, we will include the best of what is still available in our offerings at NYC Winter Harvest Craft Beer Fest. Our plan is to have the best available fall and holiday / winter beers garnished by a few staples from year-round offerings.
I have to agree with this, I absolutely love pumpkin beers. My favorite being the one dogfish head makes. She asks him other questions, but this one made me instantly like Jim Pickett. At the craft beer festival I went to in Baltimore last Friday I was told by the dogfish head tent that "pumpkin beers are so September bro." Needless to say he did not win my affection.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Homebrewing
This article is about a home brewing club in McAllen Texas;
Julian Ybarra, manager and craft beer specialist of the Blue Onion restaurant, and Jim Thalacker, a long-time Winter Texan from Iowa, will host the first meeting of a new club for residents interested in home brewing beer. The meeting is at 5 p.m. Thursday, at the Blue Onion in Weslaco. Then, on Saturday, Nov. 3, the club will host a national Learn to Homebrew Day event at the same location from 4 to 10 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
This is cool, if you teach people about the ingredients and processes involved in brewing beer they are more likely to drink craft beer. Its argued that home brewers have been the growth catalyst of the craft beer industry.
There are endless possibilities for the ingredients home brewers might use, from chocolate and cherry to cilantro, something Ybarra recently tried. Additionally, the two men hope that with the club, brewers can learn methods from one another, share equipment if needed, save a little by buying bulk ingredients and also save money on drinking beer in general.
Homebrews are usually made in 5 to 10 gallon batches. This allows for experimental beers to be created. On a more industrial scale it can be harder to replicate radical home brew recipes.
Perhaps one of the most attractive things about home brewing is cost. Ybarra estimates that for every five-gallon batch he makes, which equals about 48 beers, the cost is $28. As with any recipe, the cost can go up or down based on the type of ingredients used, Thalacker notes.
I think mine come out to be a around a dollar a beer. I am hoping to drive the cost down as I strive towards all grain brewing. A lot of microbrewery owners start out home brewing, just like these two men who enjoy drinking and brewing beer!
Julian Ybarra, manager and craft beer specialist of the Blue Onion restaurant, and Jim Thalacker, a long-time Winter Texan from Iowa, will host the first meeting of a new club for residents interested in home brewing beer. The meeting is at 5 p.m. Thursday, at the Blue Onion in Weslaco. Then, on Saturday, Nov. 3, the club will host a national Learn to Homebrew Day event at the same location from 4 to 10 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
This is cool, if you teach people about the ingredients and processes involved in brewing beer they are more likely to drink craft beer. Its argued that home brewers have been the growth catalyst of the craft beer industry.
There are endless possibilities for the ingredients home brewers might use, from chocolate and cherry to cilantro, something Ybarra recently tried. Additionally, the two men hope that with the club, brewers can learn methods from one another, share equipment if needed, save a little by buying bulk ingredients and also save money on drinking beer in general.
Homebrews are usually made in 5 to 10 gallon batches. This allows for experimental beers to be created. On a more industrial scale it can be harder to replicate radical home brew recipes.
Perhaps one of the most attractive things about home brewing is cost. Ybarra estimates that for every five-gallon batch he makes, which equals about 48 beers, the cost is $28. As with any recipe, the cost can go up or down based on the type of ingredients used, Thalacker notes.
I think mine come out to be a around a dollar a beer. I am hoping to drive the cost down as I strive towards all grain brewing. A lot of microbrewery owners start out home brewing, just like these two men who enjoy drinking and brewing beer!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Making a Lauter Tun
This past weekend I brewed a cinnamon, brown sugar, oatmeal stout using a mini mash recipe I modified from the book clone brews. I essentially followed the minimash version of Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout and added 8 oz. of brown sugar and 4 tablespoons of Cinnamon. But first I had to make a lauter system. If you have a bottling bucket already, its not difficult to do, you just need an extra five gallon bucket. If you don't have one handy you can buy one from home depot, just make sure whatever you use its food grade (HDPE).
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Using an 1/8 inch drill bit, drill holes in the bottom of your bucket
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with spicket attached, you've just created a lauter tun
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| My dog Abbey approves |
Take notice I use a finer filter placed over my brewing pot to filter anything that gets through the lauter tun.
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It should be noted a modified cooler can easily be modified to mash grains
and store sparge water
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Friday, October 19, 2012
Genome Mapping to Create Better Beer
April Flowers of redOrbit.com wrote an article about scientists mapping the genome for barley to produce better beer.
Imagine a hot summer day, sitting in the cheap seats at your favorite baseball park. You have your hot dog, your giant foam finger, and a beer. Does life get any better than this? Can scientists build a better beer?
An international consortium of scientists believes so, and they have been mapping the genome of barley to help produce new and better varieties, vital for the beer and whiskey industries. Their results have been published in the journal, Nature.
If the genome sequencing allows for production of barley that can improve the conversion percentage of starches to fermentable sugars during mashing this could be of significance. Otherwise I doubt it much matters for beer production.
An international consortium of scientists believes so, and they have been mapping the genome of barley to help produce new and better varieties, vital for the beer and whiskey industries. Their results have been published in the journal, Nature.
If the genome sequencing allows for production of barley that can improve the conversion percentage of starches to fermentable sugars during mashing this could be of significance. Otherwise I doubt it much matters for beer production.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Environmentally Friendly Beer and a Local Brewery Wins Gold
Outside magazine's Will McGough published an article titled Yes You Can (Drink More Environmentally Responsible Beer)
Growing up outside of Philadelphia, it was never much of a decision. There were no mountains to climb. We lived the city life and my upbringing was simple: Good beer came in a bottle, crap came in a can.
Before that, the crap beer came in brown bottles and premium beer (think imports like Heineken) came in green bottles (only in the US). Until they realized the sunlight being emitted through the green bottles skunked the hops.
Bottles have long ruled the craft brew scene in the United States. But that's changing, largely thanks to Dale Katechis, founder of Longmont, Colorado-based brewery Oskar Blues.
I have seen a few others, but Dales Pale Ale definitely comes to mind when I think of craft beer in a can.
Replacing glass with aluminum cuts shipping costs by a third, according to Oskar Blues' research. Oskar Blues fits 100 cases of canned beer on a single pallet, where it could only put 60 cases of bottled beer. The weight of each loaded pallet is the same, but the significantly higher volume on a pallet of cans means transportation costs are lower, as are carbon emissions generated throughout the beer's supply chain.
Regardless of whether an aluminium can or bottle is ultimately better for the environment, cutting shipping costs by a third translates to huge savings for the brewery. People are "going green" so to say. Its an example of good marketing regardless of the actual intention.
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Ryan Sharrow of Baltimore Business Journal wrote about a brewery from my home town winning gold at Great American Beer Festival:
Union Craft Brewing Co., the year-old Baltimore craft beer maker, won a sought-after gold medal at the recent Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
The Clipper Mill brewer’s Balt Altbier took the top prize in the German-Style Altbier category.
Union describes the Balt Altbier as “an old-world German-style copper ale that is malty and aromatic.”
I am embarrassed to say I haven't been to this brewery or tasted their beers. Nor have I even seen their beers in any stores. I will have to see if I can get a hold of some this weekend!
Growing up outside of Philadelphia, it was never much of a decision. There were no mountains to climb. We lived the city life and my upbringing was simple: Good beer came in a bottle, crap came in a can.
Before that, the crap beer came in brown bottles and premium beer (think imports like Heineken) came in green bottles (only in the US). Until they realized the sunlight being emitted through the green bottles skunked the hops.
Bottles have long ruled the craft brew scene in the United States. But that's changing, largely thanks to Dale Katechis, founder of Longmont, Colorado-based brewery Oskar Blues.
I have seen a few others, but Dales Pale Ale definitely comes to mind when I think of craft beer in a can.
Replacing glass with aluminum cuts shipping costs by a third, according to Oskar Blues' research. Oskar Blues fits 100 cases of canned beer on a single pallet, where it could only put 60 cases of bottled beer. The weight of each loaded pallet is the same, but the significantly higher volume on a pallet of cans means transportation costs are lower, as are carbon emissions generated throughout the beer's supply chain.
Regardless of whether an aluminium can or bottle is ultimately better for the environment, cutting shipping costs by a third translates to huge savings for the brewery. People are "going green" so to say. Its an example of good marketing regardless of the actual intention.
......................................
Ryan Sharrow of Baltimore Business Journal wrote about a brewery from my home town winning gold at Great American Beer Festival:
Union Craft Brewing Co., the year-old Baltimore craft beer maker, won a sought-after gold medal at the recent Great American Beer Festival in Denver.
The Clipper Mill brewer’s Balt Altbier took the top prize in the German-Style Altbier category.
Union describes the Balt Altbier as “an old-world German-style copper ale that is malty and aromatic.”
I am embarrassed to say I haven't been to this brewery or tasted their beers. Nor have I even seen their beers in any stores. I will have to see if I can get a hold of some this weekend!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
How to Major in Beer (Fermentation Science)
Appalachian state is officially in the beer making business:
They even have a degree to go with it:
The major is called “fermentation science,” and the field encompasses not only the production of beer, but the making of other fermented products such as cheese, yogurt, bread and wine.
Don't get to exited yet, the course work looks pretty heavy, as it should be:
Dr. Seth Cohen, director of fermentation sciences at Appalachian State University, helped make the program at ASU what it is today. Although ASU has been offering classes in fermentation science for a couple of years, the state granted its approval to the bachelor’s degree program this past summer.
Cohen said that the tendency for students to associate fermentation with the assumption that they will be learning how to drink beer all day is an obstacle that must be overcome.
“It’s a misconception,” said Cohen, who explained that the field encompasses everything from pharmaceutical products to chocolate. “A lot of people don’t understand the broad range of fermentation science.”
So, if your a scientist at heart and have a passion for beer and brewing history fermentation science might be a good fit.
Ivory Tower Brewery — ASU’s educational brewery housed on the bottom floor of the Broyhill Events Center atop Bodenheimer Drive — held a soft opening Oct. 5, offering six draft beers for purchase.
The brewery received federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau permits in November 2011 and N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control permits in July of this year, said Brett Taubman, an assistant professor of chemistry and one of the founders of Ivory Tower Brewery.
Taubman believes ASU is the first college in the country to sell its beer on campus. The University of California-Davis sells beer as part of its brewing courses through an extension program at a private brewery.
They even have a degree to go with it:
June, the University of North Carolina system Board of Governors approved a new bachelor of science degree in fermentation sciences at ASU. The interdisciplinary degree includes coursework in advanced chemistry and biology, math, nutrition and business, as well as wine production principles, principles of fermentation science and brewing science.
I am not particulary exited by the idea of going back to school, but maybe studying something like fermentation science would be cool:
I am not particulary exited by the idea of going back to school, but maybe studying something like fermentation science would be cool:
Beer is a beverage rich in history: there is an annual 16-day festival in Germany called Oktoberfest that centers around its consumption. The Discovery Channel released a documentary in 2011 entitled “How Beer Saved the World,” which attributes the birth of civilization to the beverage’s creation. Beer graces ping-pong tables with its presence on college campuses every weekend. And now, there is a major being offered at a handful of universities across the United States dedicated to the science behind it.
Don't get to exited yet, the course work looks pretty heavy, as it should be:
Dr. Seth Cohen, director of fermentation sciences at Appalachian State University, helped make the program at ASU what it is today. Although ASU has been offering classes in fermentation science for a couple of years, the state granted its approval to the bachelor’s degree program this past summer.
Cohen said that the tendency for students to associate fermentation with the assumption that they will be learning how to drink beer all day is an obstacle that must be overcome.
“It’s a misconception,” said Cohen, who explained that the field encompasses everything from pharmaceutical products to chocolate. “A lot of people don’t understand the broad range of fermentation science.”
So, if your a scientist at heart and have a passion for beer and brewing history fermentation science might be a good fit.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Craft Beer Creating Young Entrepreneurs and Growing
Jeremy P. Meyer of The Denver Post writes that the majority of people benefiting from the craft beer craze younger than 30.
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Charlie Papazian was interviewed on Oct 11th by CNBC in an article titled "Craft Beer Bubble? No way, Says Brewer"
Papazian is the founder of both the American Home Brewers Association and the Association of Brewers, which merged with the Brewers Association of America in 2005 to become the Brewers Association. He's also the author of multiple books on brewing including the "The Complete Joy of Home Brewing," which has sold more than 1.1 million copies since its release in 1984.
I mean how large can the craft segment grow? Charles Papazian answers that question:
"It's an interesting question. There are a lot of people that think we're in a bubble and it's going to burst but we're not in a bubble. We are knee-deep in foam (laughing) and it's rising all around us. By 2017, [the Brewers Association] anticipates pretty confidently that we'll have 10 percent of the volume, and at that point, the momentum will take us pass that."
In the 90s there was a craft beer boom and bust:
"The late 90's, that was a bubble. There were a lot of micro-breweries, and interest in the beers was taking off and a lot of investment people got involved and people were getting into the business for the wrong reasons. They figured they could make some money off of it in the short term. But when you get into the beer business, it's a long-term proposition. Everyone [said] craft beer had hit the wall and it was the end. But we gathered ourselves and kept pounding at our message. People that stayed in the business were serious about it, serious about quality, serious about the beer drinkers, serious about the beers they were producing, their employees and developing their dream business. I think it was about 2005-2006 when we began to see that things were beginning to be on a roll. We went up to 8 or 9 percent growth and then we broke double-digits in 2007, or thereabouts, and we've been in double-digit growth ever since."
Its very cool, the craft beer industry is an example of doing things for the right reasons and creating a quality product that people can enjoy. The bigger companies have tried and will to continue to fail because the craft beer community is unique and locally supported.
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I plan to brew this weekend, I am not sure what type of beer I will make. All depends on the temperature of my fermentation chamber aka my closet and what I am in the mood for when I go to the homebrew supply store. I know I need a better lauter system. The setup I am considering is detailed in this post:
http://www.mainebrews.com/news/2009/04/zapap-lauter-system/
Seems simple enough and I have an extra food grade bucket that could be used as my primary fermenter.
......................................
Charlie Papazian was interviewed on Oct 11th by CNBC in an article titled "Craft Beer Bubble? No way, Says Brewer"
Papazian is the founder of both the American Home Brewers Association and the Association of Brewers, which merged with the Brewers Association of America in 2005 to become the Brewers Association. He's also the author of multiple books on brewing including the "The Complete Joy of Home Brewing," which has sold more than 1.1 million copies since its release in 1984.
I mean how large can the craft segment grow? Charles Papazian answers that question:
"It's an interesting question. There are a lot of people that think we're in a bubble and it's going to burst but we're not in a bubble. We are knee-deep in foam (laughing) and it's rising all around us. By 2017, [the Brewers Association] anticipates pretty confidently that we'll have 10 percent of the volume, and at that point, the momentum will take us pass that."
In the 90s there was a craft beer boom and bust:
"The late 90's, that was a bubble. There were a lot of micro-breweries, and interest in the beers was taking off and a lot of investment people got involved and people were getting into the business for the wrong reasons. They figured they could make some money off of it in the short term. But when you get into the beer business, it's a long-term proposition. Everyone [said] craft beer had hit the wall and it was the end. But we gathered ourselves and kept pounding at our message. People that stayed in the business were serious about it, serious about quality, serious about the beer drinkers, serious about the beers they were producing, their employees and developing their dream business. I think it was about 2005-2006 when we began to see that things were beginning to be on a roll. We went up to 8 or 9 percent growth and then we broke double-digits in 2007, or thereabouts, and we've been in double-digit growth ever since."
Its very cool, the craft beer industry is an example of doing things for the right reasons and creating a quality product that people can enjoy. The bigger companies have tried and will to continue to fail because the craft beer community is unique and locally supported.
......................................
I plan to brew this weekend, I am not sure what type of beer I will make. All depends on the temperature of my fermentation chamber aka my closet and what I am in the mood for when I go to the homebrew supply store. I know I need a better lauter system. The setup I am considering is detailed in this post:
http://www.mainebrews.com/news/2009/04/zapap-lauter-system/
Seems simple enough and I have an extra food grade bucket that could be used as my primary fermenter.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Craft Beer Creating Spinoffs
Steve Raabe published an article in the denver post about the explosive growth of colardo craft breweries generating spinoff businesses.
Kegging, portable canning company, barrel companies, tours, you name it. The craft beer industry is growing and so are spinoff business.
CBS Denver posted that hop farms are popping up around Boulder county. Another example of how craft breweries are generating spinoff businesses and of course for hopheads there is no substitution for fresh hops!
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Mark McDermott published an article in Easy Reader about Brian Brewer . He became a brewer at age 17 out of curiosity.
“I was an experimental youth, interested in science and creating something out of nothing,” Brewer said. “I was always taking things apart and figuring out how to put things back together.”
“If you don’t know the science behind brewing, you don’t really know brewing,” he said. “You don’t need to use it on a daily basis once your get your methods perfected, but if you don’t understand the science you don’t have a way of resolving issues that arise in the brewery and you are going to have a lot harder time developing recipes.”
“I was an experimental youth, interested in science and creating something out of nothing,” Brewer said. “I was always taking things apart and figuring out how to put things back together.”
I think the thing that people overlook most in there home brewing endevears is that it is just as much a science as it is an art. Understanding the process helps you figure out why your beer did not turn out or even why it tastes a certian way.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Finding a Niche
This article is about the competitive and dynamic nature of the craft beer industry. The article mentions that the industry experienced rapid growth in the 90s and then the bubble burst followed by lots of breweries closing. It goes on to say that a repeat is unlikely because of “more sophisticated owners, better beer, a broader audience and savvy breweries carving out new niches.” I think that’s part of it, but they fail to mention the factor the macrobreweries had in squashing out the little guys.
So, to stand out the smaller brewing companies need to find niches. This is true in all industries. They can do things on a small scale that larger companies can’t do. Craft brewers can focus on things like Belgian-style and high-end boutique beers, cask-conditioned English-style ales or more sessionable style German beers.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_21736636/beer-fest-colorados-craft-brewers-keep-raising-bar
So, to stand out the smaller brewing companies need to find niches. This is true in all industries. They can do things on a small scale that larger companies can’t do. Craft brewers can focus on things like Belgian-style and high-end boutique beers, cask-conditioned English-style ales or more sessionable style German beers.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_21736636/beer-fest-colorados-craft-brewers-keep-raising-bar
In home brewing news, yesterday, I racked my pumpkin ale from the primary to the secondary fermenter. It left behind a significant amount of trub (the sediment at the bottom of the fermenter consisting of hot and cold break material, hop bits, and dead yeast). Racking your beer to a secondary fermenter serves as a refining step in the overall homebrewing process. When the beer is racked, it is carefully siphoned away from the trub to a second fermenter in hopes of leaving a majority of that nasty sediment behind. Here is a picture:
And the recipe:
2-3 lbs. Fresh pumpkin or 2 (2lb) cans Libby's pumpkin (no preservatives) 2 lbs. American 6-Row malt
.5 lb wheat malt
.5 lb crystal 20 malt
6 lbs light dried unhopped malt extract
1 cup brown sugar
1 oz. Mt. Hood hop pellets
mixed pie spices (i.e. nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, allspice, ginger in hops bag)
White Labs California Ale yeast
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
This blog will serve as means of me making a contribution and hopefully breaking into the craft brewing industry. I intend to highlight microbreweries, post events related to the craft brewing industry, write book reviews, talk related science and engineering and hopefully determine how I fit into the growing craft beer industry.
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