The Brewsletter

November 2005

 

 

The Official Newsletter of the Hampton Roads Brewing & Tasting Society (HRB & TS)

www.hrbts.org

 

 

The President’s Podium – Tom Byrnes

 

November is Porter month.  This English style is significant because it had all but gone extinct and a resurrected by the homebrew movement.  American brewers have also made a significant contribution using American style hops.  A new twist was added in 2004 when the BJCP created a new style called Baltic Porter named for the Eastern European Region from which it hails.  Essentially it has the malty richness of ale, but is fermented at colder temperatures for a crisp lager-like flavor.  Richard Pidgeon will do a short presentation on the style at the meeting to help acquaint members with this style.  Also considering the contest results it looks like we may actually have a “King of Porter” in our midst.

 

Last month’s meeting was the world famous Oktoberfest meeting at Will and Jonna’s, which lived up to, it’s reputation.  It featured all of the traditional German foods along with our style of the month, Stout.  Also we debuted our first silent auction, which was a raging success.  Thanks to Will and Jonna for their hospitality, making this meeting special in the hearts of our members. Also, thanks to Mellissa whose efforts made our silent auction very successful. Your hard work on this task were much appreciated.

 

This month starts the election season.  We typically open nominations at the November meeting and close them just prior to the vote in December.  Our elected offices include: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Libeerian/Marketing Coordinator, Newsletter Editor and Competition Coordinator. Our Meeting Coordinator position is appointed by the president but also has a voice on the board.  I wanted to take this opportunity to encourage all members to consider running for office.  It is through new faces and ideas that our club will continue to grow and evolve.

All nominations can be emailed to me at president@hrbts.org.  Our goal would be to have a majority of the nominees selected prior to the December meeting.

 

Also, November brings “Teach A friend to Homebrew Day” sponsored. by the AHA.  Each year on the first Saturday in November, homebrewers around the world are encouraged to invite non-brewing and brewing friends and family to celebrate Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day and brew a batch of beer together.  Homebrew USA has always been a sponsor of the group brew from this event.  Please call Mike/Mellissa at 459-BREW for specific information and any special offers for that day.  Past year have been very well attended by brewers and spectators.

 

Happy brewing and looking forward to seeing you at the November Meeting Tom

 

 

November Meeting Location – Diane Catanzaro

 

The St. George Brewing Company will welcome the HRB&TS for our November 2 meeting, at 7:30 pm in their microbrewery.  Whether you live in South Hampton Roads or on the southern Peninsula, St. George is truly our area’s “hometown” microbrewery, and a fine one at that.  Brewer Andy Rathman will host our visit and you will be able to see for yourself where the magic happens that produces St. George’s award winning IPA, Golden Ale, and Pilsner, as well as their other beers, such as the delicious Porter and the very special seasonal Fall Bock.  Since this is a brewery, don’t expect the heat to be cranked up…it’s an industrial facility with fermenting ale for Pete’s sake...breweries can be chilly, so dress appropriately.  Also, you may want to bring a chair if you are the type of person who likes to set a spell….breweries don’t have chairs and such hanging around…they would only encourage the brewers to sit and lollygag when they should be mashing, filtering, or sanitizing.  Don’t forget to bring homebrew!  It would be a thoughtful gesture to bring an extra homebrew for Andy as a way of showing appreciation for his support of the club and hosting our meeting!

 

Think globally, but drink locally…..St. George (http://www.stgeorgebrewingco.com)

 is our only local microbrewery …every time that you pick up a St. George six-pack or two at your local Farm Fresh or Harris Teeter, or order St. George at a restaurant, you are helping to support a regional craft brewery that is making wonderful beers right here in Hampton Roads.  The IPA has won medals in International and American competitions and can hold its own against any IPA produced here or in Great Britain.  The Porter is one of the best English-style Porters around, and goes beautifully with steaks and burgers.  And the Golden Ale? I personally don’t think you can find an easy-drinking lighter-flavored beer anywhere that beats the St. George Golden for taste.  If you have a friend who likes lighter beers and has been buying mass-produced industrial lagers, buy them a six-pack of the Golden.  They will thank you for turning them on to an amazingly tasty beer.  Who knows, you may start them off on the golden road to Beervana.

 

In case you were wondering, St George became a folk hero for killing a mean stinky old dragon that was blocking public access to a spring.  The townspeople could not get to the water supply, which meant that brewing beer was pretty much out of the question, unless the dragon was paid off daily with a sacrificial maiden to chomp to death.  The maiden was chosen by lottery, as was the custom in those days.  One day the King’s own daughter was the unlucky lottery winner.  The King, to his credit, sought no exception to policy, unlike many politicians today who would probably ensure that the Princess swiftly joined the National Guard.  Just in the nick of time, a knight named George (ironic or what?), who wasn’t even on a first name basis with the King, rode in on his trusty steed and, after a ferocious battle, slew the evil dragon.  For this heroic feat he got the hand of the comely Princess in marriage.  He didn’t become a saint until much later, after subsequent martyrdom and other unpleasant occurrences.

 

I am not positive exactly how St. George Brewing Company got the moniker, but my guess is it could be because they are slaying the dragon of mass-produced industrial swill beer produced by global conglomerates that are ferociously trying to limit consumer access to tasty craft beers by monopolistic distribution practices and unfair marketing techniques.  Like I said, that is only a guess.  Maybe we will learn the true story on November 2.

 

Directions:

 

From Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and other points SOUTH of Hampton,VA:

From Newport News and other points NORTH of Hampton,VA:

From Chesapeake:

 

 

 

From Suffolk and such:

 

 

Miscellaneous Brew Bits – “C. J.” Jones

 

            * At the Farm Fresh grocery store in Virginia Beach near the TCC campus (Princess Anne Rd. and South Independence Blvd), they have two new (to them) Belgian ales, St. Feuillion Tripel, and Piraat, plus a wheat wine style ale from Smuttynose – a wheat-based barleywine.  In addition, they just received their first shipment of that fine wintertime beer, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout.

 

* There’s a new seafood restaurant in Ghent, A.W. Shucks, located in the Ghent Market Shoppes, 22nd St. and Colonial Ave (757-664-9117).  They have a nice selection of salads, sandwiches, seafood, and an extensive raw bar.  To wash down all that grub, you can find two St. George beers on tap along with Hoegaarten wit, and a really delicious big bottle of Maredsous 8.

 

* The Colley Cantina, located on Colley Ave in Ghent, has a keg of Stone Imperial Stout on tap for a limited time.  At a hefty ten percent alcohol, it is a beer that you want to sip in moderation, but sip nonetheless. 

 

* If you’re looking for Dale’s Pale Ale or Old Chub in your local Farm Fresh or at the Gene Walter’s Marketplace, you’re out of luck.  Farm Fresh is now owned by an out of town conglomerate (OOTG); the OOTG has changed the inventory system for these stores, and someone has to change the assigned bar code for the Oskar Blues products from the old code to the new code.  So far, in six weeks, no one at the corporate level seems to have the skills or the initiative to do that very thing.  Maybe, one day, our ship will come in.  In the interim, fresh Dales and Chubb is waiting for all of us at the Taphouse Grill in Ghent.

 

* Speaking of the Taphouse, Peter Pittman, local area chef, Johnson and Wales instructor, standup bassist, and all around good guy, is a new co-owner there.  Look for changes in the menu, with a greater emphasis on good food that pairs well with their good beers.

 

* The Total Wine location in Ghent (and probably at the other locations, too) has St Feuillion Tripel and Bruin ales on their shelves.

 

 

 

 

 

* And finally, heading to the Outer Banks?  If you drive to the Outer Banks Brewing Station in Kitty Hawk, you’ll find Lemongrass Wheat beer, Altimeter (a hoppy version of an alt), Monk Brown (a hoppy Belgianish brown ale) and a very big flavored Mack Daddy Stout.  All of their beers are under seven percent alcohol, so you can actually head down there, enjoy a couple of beverages with your dinner, and head home without fear of a bad interaction with Johnny Law.

 

 

2005 HRB & TS Beer of the Month Schedule – C.J. Jones

 

Cut this out and tape it to your refrigerator along with those pictures drawn by your children!

 Month (2005 unless stated otherwise)

Beer style name & 2004 BJCP beer style category number

Beer judging date ; usually two weeks before Club meeting)

Winner goes to an AHA Club Only Contest?

January

Spiced Beers (21)

15 December 2004

 

February

Strong Belgian ales (18)

26 January 2005

 

March

Brown ales (10C & 11)

16 February 2005

 

April

Fruit (20) & Cider (27 & 28)

23 March 2005

 

May

Extract (all)

20 April 2005

Yes

June

Mead (24-26)

18 May 2005

 

July

Dale’s Pale Ale clone (n/a)

22 June 2005

 

August

Belgian/French ale (16)

20 July 2005

Yes

September

Lagers (all)

24 August 2005

Yes, for European Amber Lagers (3)

October

Stouts (13 A-E, not F)

21 September 2005

 

November

Porter (12)

19 October 2005

Yes, for Baltic Porter (12C)

December

Holiday ales (21B)

23 November 2005

 

January 2006

Imperial Stout (13F) & Imperial Pale Ale (14C)

21 December 2005

 

February 2006

Doppelbock (5C) and Barleywine (19B & 19C)

18 January 2006

 

 

 

Competition Corner, October 2005 “C.J.” Jones

 

We judged our porter competition at the home of Will and Jonna Walker on October 19, 2005.  There was a palpable, yes, palpable sense of excitement in the air as six porters in three different styles were assessed and evaluated by a group of dedicated HRBTSers.  The beers were brewed by five individuals or groups:  Mike and Melissa Pensinger; Phil Swanson; the OVBC; Diane and myself; and J.P. Messier.  Our tasting panel this evening was lead by Tom Byrnes, Diane Catanzaron, and Will Walker, all credentialed judges, and they were accompanied by newcomer Bill Berry and back-from-Germany, Doug Boyd. 

 

 

 

 

 

The contest was tight, with the top three beers all receiving an average score over 30.  When the glasses were finally lowered and the scores averaged, here’s how things shook out:

 

First Place, Mike and Melissa Pensinger, with a Robust Porter (12B), good for three HRBTS Cup points;

Second Place, Diane and I, with a Robust Porter (12B), good for two HRBTS Cup points; and

Third Place, Mike and Melissa Pensinger, with a Baltic Porter (12C), good for one HRBTS Cup point.

 

The Pensinger’s Baltic Porter will be our Club’s representative in the AHA’s Club-Only Baltic Porter contest.  Good luck, M & M!

 

Here’s your up-do-date HRB & TS Cup standings:

 

2005 HRB & TS CUP STANDINGS (as of 20 Oct 2005)

 

Name of Brewer(s)

Total Points Accumulated

 

C.J. & Diane Catanzaro

29

Mike Pensinger

17

Victor Perrotti

10

Phil Swanson

7

Tom Byrnes

6

The OVBC

5

Richard Pigeon 

5

Paul Shurke

3

Bill Berry

3

Cory Pettiford

1

Doug Boyd

1

Some Lucky Person ….

…. If you get brewing

 

See you at the November meeting.

 

 

Anchor Porter ‘clone’ – submitted by Tom Byrnes

 

This recipe is taken from the book Beer Captured by Tess and Mark Szamatulski. Not only are these recipes outstanding and accurate (I’ve brewed several) but these authors have provided autographed copies for the second place winners of the HRBTS Cup for two years. In keeping with our style of the month here is Anchor Porter, a classic beer from a classic brewery.

 

Steeping grains: 150 F for 30 to 45 minutes

13oz British Chocolate malt

13oz Crystal 60

4oz black Patent

1 oz Roasted barley

In the boil: 60 minute is assumed for extract 90 for all grain

4lb Pale LME

4lb Extra Light DME

12oz Malto dextrin- (for body)

3.4 oz Northern Brewer 9%AA 60 minutes

1tsp Irish moss or 1 whirl loc tablet 15 minutes

Yeast

WLP001 California ale or WYEAST 1056 American ale

 

All grain brewers can substitute 11.25 lbs of pale malt and 6 ozs of dextrin for extract plus all specialty grains and mash at 156F. Boil becomes 90 with same hopping schedule as above.

 

 

About the HRB & TS

The Hampton Roads Brewing and Tasting Society is dedicated to promoting the enjoyment of home brewing.  The annual dues are $20 per individual and $25 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.