Home Imbrewment
April 2004
The
Official Newsletter of the Hampton Roads Brewing & Tasting Society (HRB
& TS)
www.hrbts.org
The
President’s Podium – Chris “C.J.” Jones
Well, last month we met at the Biergarden in Portsmouth, inside instead of outside on their
porch. It was a fine evening,
characterized by righteous food and even more righteous beer. In addition to all of the usual European
stuff, they had Dogfish head 60 minute IPA on tap, and that beer is mighty
good.
We had an impromptu HRB & TS meeting at Goodfellas earlier this month. About a dozen Club members accepted a ride
in Randy Gore’s Kayak Adventures van
and encouraged my band, Fat Tony, as
we played an hour’s worth of blues music.
Word on the street was that the food was not as adventuresome as one
would like, the beer was better, and of course, the music was the best. Thanks, Randy, and to all the folks that
made the road trip.
I dropped in on both of our local homebrewing shops last
Saturday, and business was booming at each one. For you Cascade freaks, Wine
and Cake Hobbies will sell you Cascade pellets in half pound bags, which
are just enough hops for a pretty fine J.L. Lyon-style pale ale. For you extract brewers, Virginia Beach Homebrew Hobbies sells
extract at a piddly two bucks a pound; sweet! At that price, you cannot afford to not
brew. So get moving, get shopping, and
get brewing. Remember, both of these
establishments give HRB & TS members a ten percent discount.
Our Club mead contest was judged last week. There were sixteen entries, clear proof that
(a) we are brewing like crazy; and (b) designated drivers are a good
thing. I was the double d for us, and I
watched with interest as five folks separated the wheat from the chaff. Who won?
Keep reading, brothers and sisters, I’m not going to give it away.
HRB & TS member Curt Aasen loaned us a copy of “The Virginia Magazine of History and
Biography”, Volume 111, Number 2, from 2003. Why is that news? There
is an article in there by Sarah Hand Meacham titled “They will be adjudged by their drink, what kinde of housewives they are
(gender, technology and household cidering in England and Chesapeake, 1690 to
1760.” Remember, Chesapeake meant
the Bay region, not that town south of Norfolk. In 1656, a man railed against the paltry amount of beer produced
by Chesapeake women, claiming they were “negligent and idle … slothful and
careless.” Slothful! Egad!
Now that “slothful” claim has to be taken with a grain of salt, since whether
or not they were brewing enough certainly depends upon how much their male
counterparts were drinking. English
adults of that era drank a gallon of ale
a day according to Ms. Meacham; Chesapeake men followed suit. That’s more than ten twelve ouncers per
day. Assuming that they slept for eight
hours at least (since there was no cable TV; no cable TV!), that’s approximately a beer every hour and a
half. All day, everyday. What makes this even more interesting is
that beer was probably the safest beverage to drink. The most bountiful alternative beverage, water, was nasty and
would make you sick if you drank it (gee, like modern Chesapeake water). Other available alternative beverages, fruit
juices, fermented in short order.
Remember, this was pre- Virginia Power.
No electricity, so no refrigeration, and there’s no stopping the wild
yeasts from hoppin’, turning your apple or pear juice into cider. How much cider can you drink in a day before
you really need a beer, or a gallon of beer, to wash it all down? Colonists drank in court, and even drank in
church. Maybe that were on the right
track with the latter; some sort of spirit would fill you, Holy or otherwise.
The effort it takes to make a beer is substantially higher
than it takes to make a peary or a cider.
It takes longer to grow barley, hops, etc., than it takes to grow fruit
trees or pick wild fruit. In addition,
every acre of land that wasn’t growing tobacco for the folks back in England
was an acre of land that was underutilized.
And all of this brings us right back to the 21st
Century, and the need for each of us men folk to have a meadwife, just like men around the Chesapeake had in days gone
by. We need a honey working the honey,
a maker of mead, a babe for Beowulf.
I’m fortunate enough to have one.
If you don’t, have your other half call mine and maybe this summer they
can convene a mead school, and make gallons upon gallons of one of the finest
beverages one can put to one’s lips.
Then we’ll quit watching cable TV.
(Note: The haiku contest is being extended for one more
month. So, get those verses down on
paper, send ‘em to me and we’ll publish the results in the May newsletter)
The Next Meeting Location – Diane Catanzaro
Honey, call me a cab. We will be mead-ing at the new Granby
North restaurant in uptown Ocean View for our celebration of the spectacular
fermented honey beverage. Hope your taste buds are feeling adventurous…..the
amazing meads, braggots, ciders, and cysers created by club members made this
month’s judging one of the most exciting ever.
Be prepared for some amazing homebrewed beverages. If you don’t have a
braggot to brag about, a hip hippocras, a prize-winning pyment, or a monster
metheglin, don’t worry…..feel free to bring any kind of homebrew to the
meeting. Of course, if ya got da goods
like a mellow melomel, or a psychedelic cyser, please bring some so others may
taste your creation.
And now, a tribute to that golden elixir.
Nectar of the bee
Where did we get the word BUZZ anyhow?
Tangy orange blossom honey
Sweet clover fields yellow in summer
Mountain spring water
No poisons
Buckets of honey golden flowing in thick tacky strands
I like it…
Zeke Lunder
(zlunder@csuchico.edu)
What an
inspirational beverage! But perhaps Big
Ray says it best ”if it was good enough for ancient druids runnin nekkid
through the wuids Drinkin strange fermented fluids it’s good enough for me.”
(Quotes from www.honeywine.com).
Granby North is a new restaurant that comes highly
recommended by the View Crue. They have some great menu items such as pesto
stuffed pork, pan seared tuna, veggie stir fry, and tortellini pasta (from $14
to $16.50), as well as less expensive items like steamed shrimp, clams,
mussels, and salads, burgers, wraps, sandwiches. Please arrive hungry and order
something to eat to show our appreciation for this cool place giving us their
dining room for our meeting. Pretty nice of them. They also have some nice
beers, including Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Tirebiter, and Newcastle.
Granby North is at 9619 Granby Street in Norfolk. About as
far north on Granby Street as you can go before you hit Ocean View Ave. It is
on the west side of the street, in a small strip shopping center. Phone is 588-6728.
Directions:
From VA Beach: I-64 to Little Creek Rd exit. Left on Little
Creek, right on Granby Street. Or maybe you prefer to just take Shore Drive to
Ocean View, then left on Granby. From Norfolk, downtown – Granby Street North,
just keep heading North.Restaurant is on the left a few minutes after the
curve. Stay on Granby Street!
From the Peninsula: I-64 East to 4th View exit,
not long after you cross the HRBT. Off exit turn left. Then a right on Ocean
View Drive. Then an immediate right exit (sign says Rt 60). This will put you
back on Ocean View Drive (don’t ask me why). Turn right on Granby Street, and
the restaurant is on the right in a minute.
This Year’s Brewing Schedule – C.J. Jones
Cut this out and tape it to your refrigerator along with
those pictures drawn by your children!
|
Month
|
Beer of the Month (BJCP Style #)
|
AHA Club Only Contest (Yes/No)
|
HBBTS Judging Date
|
|
March
|
Brown Ales (10)
|
No
|
2/18/02
|
|
April
|
Mead (25)
|
Yes
|
3/24/04
|
|
May
|
Porter (15)
|
No
|
4/21/04
|
|
June
|
California Common (6C)
|
No
|
5/19/04
|
|
July
|
American Pale Ale (6A)
|
No
|
6/23/04
|
|
August
|
Wheat beer (3B, 17, 19B)
|
Yes
|
7/21/04
|
|
September
|
Stout (16)
|
No
|
8/18/04
|
|
October
|
Octoberfest (9A)
|
No
|
9/22/04
|
|
November
|
India Pale Ale (7)
|
Yes
|
10/20/04
|
|
December
|
Barleywine (12)
|
No
|
11/17/04
|
|
January 2005
|
Spiced beers (22)
|
No
|
12/22/04
|
|
February 2005
|
Strong Belgian Ales (18)
|
No
|
1/??/05
|
|
March 2005
|
Will be decided by 2005
HRB & TS Club Officers
|
Competition Connection- Tom Byrnes
This month we judged 16 meads representing all of the
styles. Our club continues to display a talent for mead making. Hopefully you
will consider entering the Mead Madness contest in Newbern, NC. This is a regional contest in which we could
test our talents for mead making. You should have recently received information
on this via e-mail.
The finalists of the Mead Contest
are listed below:
First Place: CJ/Diane Traditional Still Mead
Second Place: Phil Swanson, Braggot
Third Place Tom Byrnes, Mixed Category Mead
Again thanks to all who entered
and helped with this contest. Please check the BJCP guidelines prior to
entering. These can be accessed at www.beertown.org.
If you would like to hold a
judging meeting at your house, please let me know.
Since we have new members here are the rules for the HRBTS CUP: This years contest will run
from January through December of a given year. Members will accrue points from
entering and winning the contests sponsored by the club. The only criterion is
that multiple entries in the same contest must be different recipes. Points are
as follows: 5 points for 1st place, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd
and 1 point for entry. The entry point is not awarded if the beer places in the
contest. It is intended to encourage entries.
The club officers may also award points for members brewing for special
events. The Competition Coordinator will keep the points. The club president
will be the final arbiter of any disputes.
Here is the current HRBTS Home
Brewer of the Year points.
HRBTS CUP 2004 STANDINGS
|
BREWER
|
CUMULATIVE POINTS
|
|
CJ/Diane
|
23
|
|
Richard Pidgeon
|
17
|
|
Tom Byrnes
|
15
|
|
OVBC (Mike Q, Rob, Erin, John and Catherine)
|
11
|
|
Mike Pensinger
|
10
|
|
Doug Boyd
|
10
|
|
Victor
|
7
|
|
Will Walker
|
4
|
|
Phil Swanson
|
4
|
|
Corey
|
1
|
|
Joe
|
1
|
|
|
|
The National Homebrew
Competition is again upon us. If members are interested in entering this,
the club will pay the shipping charge if you submit your beers for a group
shipment. You are responsible for the entry fees, which are $8.00 for AHA
members and $12.00 for nonmembers and all paperwork. The only restriction is that
you can have only 1 entry per sub style. Entries must be given to me by April
6, 2004 so I can pack for the trip to OHIO. They are due between April 7 and
16. Please consult beertown.org for forms and additional information. Good
luck.
Style
Guidelines- Tom Byrnes
Next month’s
contest will be Porter. The two categories are listed below. Please consult the
guidelines for more information.
|
15. PORTER
|
OG
|
FG
|
ABV
|
IBU
|
SRM
|
|
A. Robust Porter
|
1.050-65
|
1.012-16
|
4.8-6.0
|
25-45
|
30+
|
|
B. Brown Porter
|
1.040-50
|
1.008-14
|
3.8-5.2
|
20-30
|
20-35
|
I would like to remind members
that both Virginia Beach Homebrew Hobbies and Wine and Cake offer HRBTS members
a 10% discount when you pay by cash or check. A similar discount is available
at Homebrew.com. In order to qualify for these discounts you must have your
dues paid up and be on the member list that Doug provides to these retailers.
BIG BREW- Tom Byrnes
is coming Saturday May 1 and once again we will be brewing
in the parking lot of Virginia Beach Homebrew Hobbies. These sessions always
draw a crowd so stop by and brew or hang out. Big brew is an AHA sponsored
event in which brewers across the country get together and brew similar
recipes. This year the recipes represent the new BJCP styles being introduced:
Baltic Porter, Imperial IPA and Irish Red. But you can brew any recipe you
like. The festivities will start around 10. All grain brewers should get there
early to ensure they’ll be finished by 5pm. Mike will be giving a special 10%
brewers discount to all people brewing that day. Hope to see you there.
Recipe Corner- Tom Byrnes
Big
Brew Baltic Porter All-Grain Recipe
14.0 lb Briess Pale Ale Malt
0.5 lb Briess 20 L Caramel Malt
0.5 lb Briess 80 L Caramel Malt
0.25 lb Briess Munich Malt (Dark, 20 L)
0.25 lb Briess Chocolate Malt
0.25 lb Briess Black Malt
0.5 lb Molasses
2.0 oz Polish Lublin Hops*, 4.5% alpha acid (90 minutes)
0.5 oz Polish Lublin Hops*, 4.5% alpha acid (30 minutes)
*You may substitute Saaz hops if you cannot find Lublin.
White Labs WLP830 German Lager or Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager
Yeast
O.G.: 1.089
IBU: 32
Mash grains at 150o F for 60 minutes. Mash out at 170o F and
sparge with 170o F water. Collect enough run off to end up with 5 gallons after
a 90-minute boil. Bring run off to a boil and add molasses-be careful not to
let the molasses burn on the bottom of the pot-and add first hop addition. Boil
for 60 minutes then add second hop addition. Boil 30 minutes more, then chill
to below 75o F, add to fermenter, pitch yeast and aerate well. Ferment at 47-52
oF for two weeks. Transfer to secondary and ferment at 57-62 o F for four
weeks. Lager at 40 o F for two months. When lagering is complete, bottle with
1.25 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract or siphon into sanitized
party pigs with 0.25-0.33 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract in each.
If you are kegging, prime with 0.55 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt
extract or force carbonate.
Big
Brew Baltic Porter Extract Recipe
8.5 lb Briess Golden Light Dry Malt Extract
0.5 lb Briess 20 L Caramel Malt
0.5 lb Briess 80 L Caramel Malt
0.25 lb Briess Munich Malt (Dark, 20 L)
0.25 lb Briess Chocolate Malt
0.25 lb Briess Black Malt
0.5 lb Molasses
3.25 oz Polish Lublin Hops*, 4.5% alpha acid (90 minutes)
0.5 oz Polish Lublin Hops*, 4.5% alpha acid (30 minutes)
*You may substitute Saaz hops if you cannot find Lublin.
White Labs WLP830 German Lager or Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager
Yeast
O.G.: 1.089
IBU: 32
Steep grains at 150 degrees F in one gallon of water for 20
minutes. Remove grains and sparge with 1 gallon of 170 degrees F water. Stir in
extract and molasses then bring to a boil. Add first hop addition. Boil for 60
minutes then add second hop addition. Boil 30 minutes more then transfer to
fermenter filled with 3 gallons of cold water (top-up to 5 gallons if
necessary). When wort temperature is below 75o F, pitch yeast and aerate well.
Ferment at 47-52o F for two weeks. Transfer to secondary and ferment at 57-62 o
F for four weeks. Lager at 40o F for two months. When lagering is complete,
bottle with 1.25 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract or siphon into
sanitized party pigs with 0.25-0.33 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt
extract in each. If you are kegging, prime with 0.55 cups of Briess Golden
Light dry malt extract or force carbonate.
[Ed. Note: This recipe comes specifically for Big Brew from
Tom Nickel of Oggi's, Left Coast Brewing Co., and O'Brien's Pub. Tom gave a
presentation on Imperial IPA at the AOB Craft Brewers Conference April 15,
2004.]
Hop
Juice Double IPA All-Grain Recipe
7.0 lb Briess 2-Row Malt
7.5 lb Briess Pale Ale Malt
1.00 oz Columbus, 15.0% alpha acid (added to end of mash)
1.00 oz Chinook, 13.0% alpha acid (first wort hop)
1.00 oz Columbus, 15.0% alpha acid (first wort hop)
1.00 oz Centennial, 10.5% alpha acid (120 minutes)
2.00 oz Amarillo, 10.0% alpha acid 0 min.
1.00 oz Centennial, 10.5% alpha acid (Dry Hop Primary)
1.00 oz Columbus, 15.0% alpha acid (Dry Hop Primary)
2.00 oz Amarillo Gold, 10.0% alpha acid (Dry Hop Secondary)
White Labs WLP001 California Ale or Wyeast 1056 American Ale
Yeast
O.G.: 1.077
IBUs: 100+
Single infusion mash at 148-150 o F. I like to mash low to
create lots of sugar. Let the alcohol and boil add maltiness and mouthfeel.
About 5 minutes before sparge add Columbus pellets to mash. When kettle is
about 1/3 full add first wort hops, add rest at beginning of boil. Add aroma
hops after boil, during cooling in a hop sack. When wort temperature is below
75 o F, pitch yeast and aerate well. After primary fermentaion is done, dry hop
and let sit for at least 5 days. Rack to secondary and dry hop again for at
least 5 days. Bottle with 1.25 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract or
siphon into sanitized party pigs with 0.25-0.33 cups of Briess Golden Light dry
malt extract in each. If you are kegging, prime with 0.55 cups of Briess Golden
Light dry malt extract or force carbonate
Hop
Juice Double IPA Extract
8.33 lb Briess Golden Light Dry Malt Extract
1.50 oz Chinook, 13.0% alpha acid (first wort hop)
1.50 oz Columbus, 15.0% alpha acid (first wort hop)
1.00 oz Centennial, 10.5% alpha acid (120 minutes)
2.00 oz Amarillo, 10.0% alpha acid 0 min.
1.00 oz Centennial, 10.5% alpha acid (Dry Hop Primary)
1.00 oz Columbus, 15.0% alpha acid (Dry Hop Primary)
2.00 oz Amarillo Gold, 10.0% alpha acid (Dry Hop Secondary)
White Labs WLP001 California Ale or Wyeast 1056 American Ale
Yeast
O.G.: 1.077
IBUs: 100+
Heat 2 gallons of water, remove from heat and stir in
extract. Add 1.5 ounces each of Chinook and Columbus hops then bring to a boil.
Add 1 ounce of Centennial hops and boil for 120 minutes. Remove from heat and
add 2 ounces of Amarillo hops. Transfer to fermenter filled with 3 gallons of
cold water (top-up to 5 gallons if necessary). When wort temperature is below
75 o F, pitch yeast and aerate well. After primary fermentaion is done, dry hop
and let sit for at least 5 days. Rack to secondary and dry hop again for at
least 5 days. Bottle with 1.25 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract or
siphon into sanitized party pigs with 0.25-0.33 cups of Briess Golden Light dry
malt extract in each. If you are kegging, prime with 0.55 cups of Briess Golden
Light dry malt extract or force carbonate..
Hop
Juice Double IPA Extract
8.33 lb Briess Golden Light Dry Malt Extract
1.50 oz Chinook, 13.0% alpha acid (first wort hop)
1.50 oz Columbus, 15.0% alpha acid (first wort hop)
1.00 oz Centennial, 10.5% alpha acid (120 minutes)
2.00 oz Amarillo, 10.0% alpha acid 0 min.
1.00 oz Centennial, 10.5% alpha acid (Dry Hop Primary)
1.00 oz Columbus, 15.0% alpha acid (Dry Hop Primary)
2.00 oz Amarillo Gold, 10.0% alpha acid (Dry Hop Secondary)
White Labs WLP001 California Ale or Wyeast 1056 American Ale
Yeast
O.G.: 1.077
IBUs: 100+
Heat 2 gallons of water, remove from heat and stir in
extract. Add 1.5 ounces each of Chinook and Columbus hops then bring to a boil.
Add 1 ounce of Centennial hops and boil for 120 minutes. Remove from heat and
add 2 ounces of Amarillo hops. Transfer to fermenter filled with 3 gallons of
cold water (top-up to 5 gallons if necessary). When wort temperature is below
75 o F, pitch yeast and aerate well. After primary fermentaion is done, dry hop
and let sit for at least 5 days. Rack to secondary and dry hop again for at
least 5 days. Bottle with 1.25 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract or
siphon into sanitized party pigs with 0.25-0.33 cups of Briess Golden Light dry
malt extract in each. If you are kegging, prime with 0.55 cups of Briess Golden
Light dry malt extract or force carbonate.
Here's
one from the AHA Staff:
Big Brew Irish Red
Ale All-Grain Recipe
7.25 lb Briess Pale Ale Malt
1.0 lb Briess 10L Caramel Malt
3 oz Briess Extra Special Malt
2 oz Briess Roasted Barley
0.5 lbs. Honey
1.5 oz E.K. Goldings, 4.75% alpha acid (60 minutes)
0.5 oz E.K. Goldings, 4.75% alpha acid (15 minutes)
White Labs WLP004 Irish Ale or Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale Yeast
O.G.: 1.050
IBU: 22
Mash grains at 151o F for 60 minutes. Mash out at 170o F and
sparge with 170o F water. Collect enough run off to end up with 5 gallons after
a 60-minute boil. Stir in honey. Bring to a boil and add first hop addition.
Boil for 45 minutes then add second hop addition. Boil 15 minutes more, then
chill to below 75o F, add to fermenter, pitch yeast and aerate well. Ferment at
ale temperature for two weeks. When fermentation is complete, bottle with 1.25
cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract or siphon into sanitized party
pigs with 0.25-0.33 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract in each. If
you are kegging, prime with 0.55 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract
or force carbonate.
Big
Brew Irish Red Ale Extract
4.25 lb Briess Golden Light Dry Malt Extract
1.0 lb Briess 10L Caramel Malt
3 oz Briess Extra Special Malt
2 oz Briess Roasted Barley
0.5 lbs. Honey
2.0 oz E.K. Goldings, 4.75% alpha acid (60 minutes)
0.5 oz E.K. Goldings, 4.75% alpha acid (15 minutes)
White Labs WLP004 Irish Ale or Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale Yeast
O.G.: 1.050
IBU: 22
Steep grains in one gallon of 150 o F water for 20 minutes.
Remove grains and sparge with 1 gallon of 170o F water. Stir in extract and
honey then bring to a boil. Add first hop addition. Boil for 45 minutes then
add second hop addition. Boil 15 minutes more, then add to fermenter filled
with 3 gallons of cold water (top-up to 5 gallons if necessary). When
temperature drops below 75o F, pitch yeast and aerate well. Ferment at ale
temperature for two weeks. When fermentation is complete, bottle with 1.25 cups
of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract or siphon into sanitized party pigs
with 0.25-0.33 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract in each. If you are
kegging, prime with 0.55 cups of Briess Golden Light dry malt extract or force
carbonate.
About the HRB
& TS
The Hampton Roads Brewing and Tasting Society is dedicated
to promoting the enjoyment of home brewing.
The annual dues are $15 per individual and $20 per family. Members are encouraged to support the
reasonable enjoyment of beer and observe the laws of the Commonwealth of
Virginia, the Federal government, and the Golden Rule. Persons attending HRB & TS meetings and
events are solely liable for actions attendant to their participation. HRB & TS maintains a NO SMOKING policy
during all meetings so that members may better enjoy fine beers. Smoking is permitted in meetings held in
restaurants in the facility’s designated smoking areas.
Visit the HRB & TS online at www.hrbts.org.