2nd Annual Beer Fest "Beer on the Bay" in Erie, PA
Sponsored by the Erie Brewing Co
I attended this event last year. This years date is Saturday, July 25, 2009. If you enjoy microbrews, you should seriously consider attending this event. The grounds are very spacious and the number of tickets to each session are limited. No lines waiting for beers and live entertainment is provided. This year they will have food vendors. Last year the event was catered. Over 25 micobreweries will have tasting tents. This is a rain or shine event. Visit www.eriebrewingco.com for more details.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Dry Hopping Techniques for home brewing
My next beer will be a clone of Dale's Pale Ale from Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, Colorado. I will brew the extract with grains version. The recipe calls for 1 oz of Cascade Hops in the secondary. ( i.e. Dry hopped).
After much research, I have decided to use my primary fermentation bucket from my starter kit and just throw in the hops. I think the pellets will sink to the bottom and transferring to the bottle bucket should be a clean process. It worked well with the Raspberry Ale, so why not.
This beer is in the primary today. I plan to dry hop next week. We will see how it turns out in about a month.
www.everythinglicensed.com
After much research, I have decided to use my primary fermentation bucket from my starter kit and just throw in the hops. I think the pellets will sink to the bottom and transferring to the bottle bucket should be a clean process. It worked well with the Raspberry Ale, so why not.
This beer is in the primary today. I plan to dry hop next week. We will see how it turns out in about a month.
www.everythinglicensed.com
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Raspberry Wheat Ale - Using real fruit in home brewing.
I just made a Red Raspberry Wheat Ale. The question always seems to be - how do you use real fruit in the recipe. Should I just use a fruit extract? Fruit extracts are OK, but I had to try using real fruit.
The opinions of home brewers seem to be all over the place on how to use real fruit. After reading on the subject, I decided to use frozen red raspberries. I simply racked to a secondary after about 10 days of primary fermentation. I used my plastic bucket from my original starter kit and placed the frozen strawberries on the bottom. I racked the beer on top of the berries and let it sit another 10 days. Here's what I got.
I did not know what to expect when I lifted that lid. I had read that using real fruit was messy, hard to rack, etc. When I pulled that lid off, the smell of red raspberries was amazing. All the raspberries were now white and floating on the top. My golden wheat color had turned to this light red color. Racking was very easy with no mess. All the berries were floating on top, so no clogs in racking cane. I racked to a 5 gallon glass carboy for another 7 days for clearing, but this beer really didn't need much clearing. Now for the taste and recipe
My base recipe was for a very light wheat beer using malt extract with grains . We used 1/2 lb. of 20L crystal malt, and 6 lb Wheat Malt extract syrup and 1/4 oz Hallertau hops 60 minutes before end of boil. We came in with on OG of 1.048 and a FG of 1.010. I tasted before racking onto the berries, and this would be a great lawnmower beer. The recipe called for 12 oz of frozen raspberries, but I decided to use 36 oz.
I could not wait to taste, so I popped one open only 3 days after bottling. It had not carbonated yet, but the raspberry taste was out of this world. For me, it was too much raspberry. The next time I make this, it will be with the 12 oz of berries version. I like my fruit beers to taste like the base beer with a hint of fruit flavor. If you like a strong fruit flavor, you have to try this recipe.
www.everythinglicensed.com
I just made a Red Raspberry Wheat Ale. The question always seems to be - how do you use real fruit in the recipe. Should I just use a fruit extract? Fruit extracts are OK, but I had to try using real fruit.
The opinions of home brewers seem to be all over the place on how to use real fruit. After reading on the subject, I decided to use frozen red raspberries. I simply racked to a secondary after about 10 days of primary fermentation. I used my plastic bucket from my original starter kit and placed the frozen strawberries on the bottom. I racked the beer on top of the berries and let it sit another 10 days. Here's what I got.
I did not know what to expect when I lifted that lid. I had read that using real fruit was messy, hard to rack, etc. When I pulled that lid off, the smell of red raspberries was amazing. All the raspberries were now white and floating on the top. My golden wheat color had turned to this light red color. Racking was very easy with no mess. All the berries were floating on top, so no clogs in racking cane. I racked to a 5 gallon glass carboy for another 7 days for clearing, but this beer really didn't need much clearing. Now for the taste and recipe
My base recipe was for a very light wheat beer using malt extract with grains . We used 1/2 lb. of 20L crystal malt, and 6 lb Wheat Malt extract syrup and 1/4 oz Hallertau hops 60 minutes before end of boil. We came in with on OG of 1.048 and a FG of 1.010. I tasted before racking onto the berries, and this would be a great lawnmower beer. The recipe called for 12 oz of frozen raspberries, but I decided to use 36 oz.
I could not wait to taste, so I popped one open only 3 days after bottling. It had not carbonated yet, but the raspberry taste was out of this world. For me, it was too much raspberry. The next time I make this, it will be with the 12 oz of berries version. I like my fruit beers to taste like the base beer with a hint of fruit flavor. If you like a strong fruit flavor, you have to try this recipe.
www.everythinglicensed.com
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Growing hops in the garden : How to grow beer hops
We just planted our hops this weekend. This is our first try. We found this information to be very helpful with the process.
Location for Growing Hops
Select an area with plenty of sun. Hops need at least 6-8 hours of sun a day, so the South facing side of your home or an exposed site is a good location. Hop vines (called bines) can grow to over 25 feet and weigh over 20 pounds, so vertical space for a trellis is important as well.
Hops prefer well-aerated soil that is rich in nutrients and has good drainage. If you are going to plant several varieties, keep them well separated in your garden. Hop roots will spread quickly and take over the garden unless you separate them and trim the roots each season.
Hop Planting and Care
Hops should be planted in the Spring, late enough to avoid a frost. Fertilize liberally before planting. Plant your hops in a mound and aerate the ground by turning it over several times to aid drainage, enhance growth and prevent disease. Place the rhizomes about 4 inches deep, and make your mound of soil about a foot high to aid drainage. Place the root side of the rhizome down. Cover the mound with some straw or light mulch to inhibit the weeds.
The hop bines grow vertically and require some kind of trellis. Your trellis could some heavy rope or twine going from ground level to your roof, or a few poles securely mounted in the ground. If using rope, select rough twine-like rope so the bines can grab onto it. Keep in mind that the hop bines can be 25+ feet long and weigh 20+ pounds. The trellis should be strong and secure.
Hops also enjoy lots of water and sunlight. In the dry climates or the heat of summer, they may need to be watered daily. Once the hops begins to grow, select the best bines and wrap them around your trellis to train them. You will need to train the hops for a few days, but eventually they will begin growing in a clockwise direction from east to west around your trellis. Train the best shoots and trim the rest off.
Harvesting and Drying your Hops
Your hops will continue to grow throughout the summer, and will be ready to harvest by late summer. The harvest in the first year may not be huge, and in fact it could be very small - hops don’t reach peak yield in the first year.
To determine when to harvest, you need to examine the cones. Mature hop cones will be dry to the touch, springy, have a very strong aromatic hop odor, and leave yellow lupulin powder on your fingers. Check the cones every day or two, and when you think they are ripe, pick one and open it. It should be filled with thick yellow-gold lupulin powder if it is fully ripened.
The hops may not all ripen at once, but you need to harvest each as it ripens. Dry the hops out in a warm dry spot in your house, and keep them away from sunlight. Sunlight can seriously damage picked hops. A paper bag is a good place to store them while drying. The hops should dry out in a week or two. After that, place them in a sealed bag and store the hop cones in your freezer. Remove as much oxygen as possible from the bag to avoid oxidization.
Maintenance of Your Hops
Cut the bines back to 3 feet or so after harvesting. The winter frost will kill off the bines, after which you can cut them back further and cover them until Spring. When Spring comes, take a spade and cut around the rhizome to trim the roots back to about a foot. Trimming the roots will prevent the hops from consuming your entire garden, as they tend to spread rapidly. Add some fertilizer, fresh mulch and a new trellis and you will be ready to grow hops for a fresh new season.
Reference
BYO Magazine: “Hop Growing”, March-April 2008, Vol 12, No 2
Location for Growing Hops
Select an area with plenty of sun. Hops need at least 6-8 hours of sun a day, so the South facing side of your home or an exposed site is a good location. Hop vines (called bines) can grow to over 25 feet and weigh over 20 pounds, so vertical space for a trellis is important as well.
Hops prefer well-aerated soil that is rich in nutrients and has good drainage. If you are going to plant several varieties, keep them well separated in your garden. Hop roots will spread quickly and take over the garden unless you separate them and trim the roots each season.
Hop Planting and Care
Hops should be planted in the Spring, late enough to avoid a frost. Fertilize liberally before planting. Plant your hops in a mound and aerate the ground by turning it over several times to aid drainage, enhance growth and prevent disease. Place the rhizomes about 4 inches deep, and make your mound of soil about a foot high to aid drainage. Place the root side of the rhizome down. Cover the mound with some straw or light mulch to inhibit the weeds.
The hop bines grow vertically and require some kind of trellis. Your trellis could some heavy rope or twine going from ground level to your roof, or a few poles securely mounted in the ground. If using rope, select rough twine-like rope so the bines can grab onto it. Keep in mind that the hop bines can be 25+ feet long and weigh 20+ pounds. The trellis should be strong and secure.
Hops also enjoy lots of water and sunlight. In the dry climates or the heat of summer, they may need to be watered daily. Once the hops begins to grow, select the best bines and wrap them around your trellis to train them. You will need to train the hops for a few days, but eventually they will begin growing in a clockwise direction from east to west around your trellis. Train the best shoots and trim the rest off.
Harvesting and Drying your Hops
Your hops will continue to grow throughout the summer, and will be ready to harvest by late summer. The harvest in the first year may not be huge, and in fact it could be very small - hops don’t reach peak yield in the first year.
To determine when to harvest, you need to examine the cones. Mature hop cones will be dry to the touch, springy, have a very strong aromatic hop odor, and leave yellow lupulin powder on your fingers. Check the cones every day or two, and when you think they are ripe, pick one and open it. It should be filled with thick yellow-gold lupulin powder if it is fully ripened.
The hops may not all ripen at once, but you need to harvest each as it ripens. Dry the hops out in a warm dry spot in your house, and keep them away from sunlight. Sunlight can seriously damage picked hops. A paper bag is a good place to store them while drying. The hops should dry out in a week or two. After that, place them in a sealed bag and store the hop cones in your freezer. Remove as much oxygen as possible from the bag to avoid oxidization.
Maintenance of Your Hops
Cut the bines back to 3 feet or so after harvesting. The winter frost will kill off the bines, after which you can cut them back further and cover them until Spring. When Spring comes, take a spade and cut around the rhizome to trim the roots back to about a foot. Trimming the roots will prevent the hops from consuming your entire garden, as they tend to spread rapidly. Add some fertilizer, fresh mulch and a new trellis and you will be ready to grow hops for a fresh new season.
Reference
BYO Magazine: “Hop Growing”, March-April 2008, Vol 12, No 2
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Little Know Facts About Beer - Why we call it the Honeymoon
Amaze your friends with these little know facts at your next home brew party.
- There are 19 different versions of Guinness.
- The first beer cans were produced in 1935.
- George Washington had his own brew house on the grounds of Mount Vernon.
- According to a diary entry from a passenger on the Mayflower, the pilgrims made their landing at Plymouth Rock, rather than their destination in Virginia due to lack of beer.
- In English pubs, ale is ordered in pints & quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's & Q's".
- Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding yeast. Too cold, and the yeast wouldn't grow. Too hot, and the yeast would die. This thumb in the beer is were "rule of thumb" comes from.
- A barrel of beer contains 31 gallons of beer. What Americans commonly refer to a keg is actually 15.5 gallons or a half barrel.
- The Budweiser Clydesdales weight up to 2300 pounds and stand nearly 6 ft. tall at the shoulder.
- 12 oz. of typical American Pale Lager actually has fewer calories than 2% milk or apple juice.
- It was accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, the period was called the "honey month", or what we know today as the honeymoon"
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saint Arnold - The Patron Saint of Brewing
Saint Arnold - Patron Saint of Brewers
Have you sent your entries in for Samuel Adams' Longshot Contest. If not, say a prayer to St. Arnold first. It may help.
"From man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world" - St. Arnold of Metz.
Saint Arnold was born to a prominent Austrian family in the year 580. Even back in those days the Austrians were famous for their love of beer, and admired for their brewing prowess. Beer was a proud Austrian tradition that was not wasted on young Arnold.
As a young man, Arnold entered the priesthood and began moving his way up that earliest of all career ladders. At the age of 32, he was given the title Bishop, and in 612 was named "Arnold, Bishop of Metz." (Metz is in France.)
He is said to have spent his life warning peasants about the health hazards of drinking water. Water was not necessarily safe to drink during the dark ages, especially around towns and villages. Nasty stuff. Arnold always had the well-being of his followers close at heart.
Beer, on the other hand, was quite safe. Arnold frequently pointed this out to his congregation. He is credited with having once said, "From man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world." It goes without saying that the people loved and revered Arnold.
In 627, Saint Arnold retired to a monastery near Remiremont, France, where he died and was buried in 640.
In 641, the citizens of Metz requested that Saint Arnold's body be exhumed and carried from the monastery to the town of Metz for reburial in their local church - The church where Arnold had so frequently preached the virtues of beer. Their request was granted.
It was a long and thirsty journey, especially since they were carrying a dead bishop. As the ceremonial procession passed through the town of Champignuelles, the tired processionals stopped for a rest and went into a tavern for a drink of their favorite beverage - Beer. Much to their dismay, they were informed that there was only one mug of beer left, and that they would have to share it. That mug never ran dry and the thirsty crowd was satisfied.
Every Saint needs a miracle. That's how the Church decides you are a Saint. The story of the miracle mug of beer spread and eventually Arnold was canonized by the Catholic Church for it.
Saint Arnold is recognized by the Catholic Church as the Patron Saint of Brewers. He is recognized by Beer Church as a top-notch, supernatural beer stud.
Have you sent your entries in for Samuel Adams' Longshot Contest. If not, say a prayer to St. Arnold first. It may help.
"From man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world" - St. Arnold of Metz.
Saint Arnold was born to a prominent Austrian family in the year 580. Even back in those days the Austrians were famous for their love of beer, and admired for their brewing prowess. Beer was a proud Austrian tradition that was not wasted on young Arnold.
As a young man, Arnold entered the priesthood and began moving his way up that earliest of all career ladders. At the age of 32, he was given the title Bishop, and in 612 was named "Arnold, Bishop of Metz." (Metz is in France.)
He is said to have spent his life warning peasants about the health hazards of drinking water. Water was not necessarily safe to drink during the dark ages, especially around towns and villages. Nasty stuff. Arnold always had the well-being of his followers close at heart.
Beer, on the other hand, was quite safe. Arnold frequently pointed this out to his congregation. He is credited with having once said, "From man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world." It goes without saying that the people loved and revered Arnold.
In 627, Saint Arnold retired to a monastery near Remiremont, France, where he died and was buried in 640.
In 641, the citizens of Metz requested that Saint Arnold's body be exhumed and carried from the monastery to the town of Metz for reburial in their local church - The church where Arnold had so frequently preached the virtues of beer. Their request was granted.
It was a long and thirsty journey, especially since they were carrying a dead bishop. As the ceremonial procession passed through the town of Champignuelles, the tired processionals stopped for a rest and went into a tavern for a drink of their favorite beverage - Beer. Much to their dismay, they were informed that there was only one mug of beer left, and that they would have to share it. That mug never ran dry and the thirsty crowd was satisfied.
Every Saint needs a miracle. That's how the Church decides you are a Saint. The story of the miracle mug of beer spread and eventually Arnold was canonized by the Catholic Church for it.
Saint Arnold is recognized by the Catholic Church as the Patron Saint of Brewers. He is recognized by Beer Church as a top-notch, supernatural beer stud.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Samuel Adams Longshot Contest
I will be entering the Samuel Adams Longshot Contest this year for the first time. My four entries were sent today. They consist of a Belgium Blonde Ale, Berlin Wheat, Russian Imperial Stout and one secret brew I will disclose later. I will tell you it's in the Fruit Category.
I have been brewing for just about one year. I use the extract with specialty grains method and will start with partial mash soon. When you read about the level of experience, and the complexity of some of the brews homebrewers are making, I think there will be little chance of being judged into the final four with an extract brew, but one never knows. Plus, it's free to enter.
Entries must be mailed or dropped off from April 15 - May 1, 2009. My entries arrived on April 22 according to my tracking. So far no response or confirmation for Longshot staff. Hope everything was OK. Tracking report did not have any messages like " box was delivered wet". That has to be a good sign.
I entered my first three brews in a local contest last August and won ribbons for each. That was fun. Now it's a passion.
This is my first blog. I hope to continue blogging about my homebrew passion. Visit me at my other passion http://www.everythinglicensed.com/. I have an ecommerce store full of licensed merchandise at great prices.
Till next time
Bubba's Brew
I have been brewing for just about one year. I use the extract with specialty grains method and will start with partial mash soon. When you read about the level of experience, and the complexity of some of the brews homebrewers are making, I think there will be little chance of being judged into the final four with an extract brew, but one never knows. Plus, it's free to enter.
Entries must be mailed or dropped off from April 15 - May 1, 2009. My entries arrived on April 22 according to my tracking. So far no response or confirmation for Longshot staff. Hope everything was OK. Tracking report did not have any messages like " box was delivered wet". That has to be a good sign.
I entered my first three brews in a local contest last August and won ribbons for each. That was fun. Now it's a passion.
This is my first blog. I hope to continue blogging about my homebrew passion. Visit me at my other passion http://www.everythinglicensed.com/. I have an ecommerce store full of licensed merchandise at great prices.
Till next time
Bubba's Brew
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