The Brewsletter
December 2005
The Official Newsletter of the Hampton Roads Brewing & Tasting Society (HRB & TS)
The
President’s Podium – Tom Byrnes
Now
that Thanksgiving is a recent memory, it’s time to focus our attention on
Holiday or Christmas Beers, which is the theme of our upcoming meeting and
competition. Christmas beers represent
that special class of beers, which showcase the creativity of the brewer. They are usually big and malty, highly
hopped and contain numerous spices.
Judging from what is available in the stores, we should have a nice
selection of seasonal ales this year. I
believe that CJ will do a Holiday beer-about-town article in this newsletter,
but I think between Total Wine, Bon Vivant Market and the Farm Fresh on South
Independence, your seasonal ale needs will be satisfied. Finally, it would not be Christmas without
the annual brewing of the “whale” which has reached legendary status in our
club. Victor will provide more
information about the day but I think it will be tricky to schedule this year
given the short vacation schedule of the public schools.
Last
month we had a well attended meeting at St. George Brewing Company, which
featured their Fall Bock, which was spectacular. Also on tap was their classic IPA, Porter and I believe Brown
Ale. Thanks again to Andy Rathman for
allowing us to come to sample their wares and his continued support of our
club. Also, be on the look out for
their new “Dragon Pack”, which will be a nice assortment of their beers
once they get ATF approval for their artwork.
This
month Diane has booked us into a new venue that has a great beer selection and
food, all at reasonable prices. Since
this is our Christmas meeting and also elections, we ask that all members make
an effort to attend. This will not only
allow you to cast your vote for new officers, but will impress the Station-2
management, paving the way for a return meeting. Diane works very hard recruiting these venues, so please reward
her efforts with a good turnout.
Speaking
of elections, it’s hard to believe that another year has gone by already! So far we have people running for each
office and will even have some competition for several of them. In reflecting back to my first presidential
article, I believe that we have had a good year as a club. We have brewed a lot of beer, recruited new
members, sponsored a few beer related activities, participated in the Town
Point Park Beer Festival, made money, increased our BJCP judging pool and
coordinated our regional competition to be held in February. That is not to say we don’t have room for
improvement in areas like participating in more Regional and National contests
but that will be up to the new group of officers. Perhaps the best-kept secret this year is our club website which
includes articles recipes, newsletters, discussion boards and a list
serve. Mike has done a great job on
this site www.hrbts.org and in making
communication easier, now all we need is a little traffic. So, on that list of
new years resolutions, visiting the club website is a worthy contender.
Finally,
I wanted to thank the people that made this year successful. Your current officers are Richard Pidgeon,
Mellissa Pensinger, Mike Pensinger, Will Walker and Chris Jones. Also Diane Catzanaro has served in the
appointed position as meeting coordinator.
Richard has worked hard to help set the club goals and pitch in
whereever needed, like cooking Bubba burgers at the summer picnic. Mellissa
increased the treasury, collected raffle prizes and conducted our first silent
auction. Mike has promoted the club,
recruited numerous new members and improved our communication ability. Will has changed the format of the newsletter
and managed to increase the content of each issue. CJ has stepped up to the plate and conducted our club
competitions every month. Diane has brought us new and exciting places to hold
our meetings. I also wanted to thank
John Mitchell who left the club earlier this summer. John was responsible for training our 4 new judges and initiating
the concept of sponsoring a regional competition. Be sure to let these individuals know that their efforts have
been appreciated.
Happy brewing and
looking forward to seeing you at the December Elections Meeting!
December
Meeting Location – Diane Catanzaro
When you're alone and life is making you lonely
Come and drink some beer - downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
The homebrew club can help - downtown
Just think about the taste of Christmas ales in the city
Come to Station 2 where neon beer signs are so pretty…
Have some great food….
The beers are so tasty there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown, December 7th
you're
Downtown – join us for dinner there
Downtown – HRBTS is waiting for you….
Recorded by Petula Clark
Lyrics originally by Tony Hatch
Lyrical adaptation/mutilation by DC
Ok, by now you’ve probably figured out our December 7 meeting location is in happenin’ downtown Norfolk. Station 2 has most graciously offered to host our Holiday-Spice-Christmas beer meeting in the private upstairs balcony of their beautiful restaurant that, in days of yore, was a fancy hotel, a jewelry store, and in more recent times housed the Aroma Café & Grill. This place has it all….great atmosphere, super food, and probably the best beer selection in downtown.
Tap beers include DFH 60-Minute IPA, Bass Ale, Newcastle Brown, and Guinness. The bottled line-up includes Chimay Blue, Rogue Dead Guy, Woodchuck Cider, Aventinus, Paulaner Hefe, Flying Dog In Heat Wheat and Tire Biter……but don’t forget to BRING HOMEBREW!!!! Holiday-spiced ales are the BOTM, but feel free to bring ANY KIND of homebrew! Please don’t bring any commercial beers as these cannot be brought to restaurant-meetings.
The meeting will start promptly at 7:30 pm and the elections for club officer positions will commence soon thereafter.….please feel free to show up early, like around 7, to get a “head start” on a bite and a brew and beat the rush! Station 2 has plenty of good choices for dinner or a nosh, including some interesting appetizers (coconut fried shrimp, mussels steamed in beer, broiled oysters, jumbo lump crabcake, all under $10), salads (baby spinach and endive with asian pears-goat cheese-walnuts, a feta and mixed greens salad, Caesar plain or topped with calamari, chicken, or oysters, prices range from $4.50 to $9.50), and entrees (fish & chips = $12, homemade meatloaf = $15, spinach-feta roasted chicken breast = $15, penne pasta = $11, pan seared salmon = $17, grilled ribeye with Yukon potatoes and gorgonzola = $20, vegetable strudel $12). This is just a sample of their menu, which has many other items, soups, and desserts. Please order something to eat and/or drink, because the restaurant is helping the club by not charging us for the use of their room which is pretty darned nice! If you don’t order something, our next meeting is automatically at your place!!
Station 2 is at 233 Granby Street. They are one block off Waterside Drive/Boush Street. Their website is www.station2.net and phone is 747-9097.
Directions: Get thee to Downtown Norfolk! You probably already know the way….if not please email me at meetingcoordinator@hrbts.org and tell me where you’re coming from!
A little-known, top-secret fact is about to be shared here….parking meters in the City of Norfolk are all FREE after 6 pm. So, feel free to park without paying in a metered space on the street if a space is available. However, parking at the garages is pretty cheap, and extremely convenient, so why fuss?
Location: Station 2 is at 233 Granby Street; it is very close to the 219 Restaurant, a few minutes walk from MacArthur Center, and one block off Waterside Drive/Boush Street. It is in the block between Brooke Avenue (ie: Union Mission) and East Tazewell Street.
Directions from Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Currituck – Get thee to I-264 into downtown Norfolk, and exit at Waterside Drive. From Waterside Drive/Boush street, as soon as you pass Waterside and then Nauticus you’ll see City Hall Avenue. Turn right on City Hall Avenue and park in the parking garage that will be on the left side of the street in that block. (Parking garage details* below!).
Directions from other parts of Norfolk, Ocean View, and the Peninsula: Take Granby Street and eventually you’ll pass Station 2! Then turn right on City Hall Avenue and park in the parking garage on your immediate right.
Another secret fact is about to be revealed….these 2 parking garages are extremely convenient, cheap, and close to all the downtown action on Granby Street, including the Roper Theater, Wells Theater, Granby Theater, restaurant row, and Station 2. The only weird thing is that the city doesn’t have big signs on nearby streets directing you to the garages. You just have to be in the know and, after reading this, you will be. I think the City of Norfolk does not clearly mark these giant parking garages because they make a lot of $$ off people who park illegally and then write hissy-fit letters to the editor, complaining that they got a ticket or were towed, and it ruined their night at the theater, anniversary, relationship, life, etc. However, there are several cheap, convenient garages, and for some reason, lots of people don’t seem to realize this. You may just want to clip and save this section for future reference! But don’t tell too many people or they’ll want to park in the parking garages and our little secret will be spoiled.
Top secret
Parking Garage Details* revealed!
Park at the Boush Street Garage, at 112 W. City Hall Avenue, located on the corner of Waterside Dr/Boush Street and City Hall Avenue. The garage entrance is located on City Hall Avenue. Cost is only $2.50 for 3 hours. Park here, and Station 2 is just a block north (left) on Granby Street. Most convenient! Right near Nauticus, the Pagoda, and Town Point Park.
There is also a parking garage at the intersection of Boush and Freemason Street, on the block between Boush and Granby. You can enter from Freemason or Boush. If you park here, exit from the south-west corner of the garage, and Station 2 is about 2 blocks south (right) on Granby Street. Also convenient. We always use this garage, which we call the ‘stealth garage’, for visits to the NORVA, Roper Theater, Granby Theater, etc.
Miscellaneous
Brew Bits –Will Walker
* 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. Dipping a thumb into the beer
is where we got the phrase, "rule of thumb".
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and 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. That is where we get the phrase "Mind your P's and Q's!"
Treasurer’s
Report – Mellissa Pensinger
Where has the year 2005 gone? Just yesterday we were at the German Pantry
on “Election Day” and now here we are again… wow!
At last months
meeting we were blessed with some great raffle gifts and had a huge success,
$96.00 on the raffle and 65.16 in new membership dues. Thanks again Andy from
St. George’s for your gracious hospitality!
Member
of the Month: Rob Sisson by
Mellissa Pensinger
Rob has been brewing and a member of HRBTS for 10 years! Rob is an extract and partial mash brewer. John and Mike of the famed OVBC brewers introduced Rob to the art of brewing. When asked what kind of beer he normally drinks, he informed me he likes IPA’s and Seasonal Brews (didn’t take you for a hophead Rob).
For many years he only brewed Meads.. which meant a big pot, honey and yeast… now a portion of his attic holds his brewing equipment… a little more than that big pot I’m sure!
Rob says he asks others for ideas and that recipes are guidelines that you can change to suit your own beer… guess that’s why we call it homebrew J
What changes has he made over the years? He now uses a partial mash brew and has numerous brewing toys. His brewing goal is to get a kegging system up and running soon!
Rob is a Special Educations Teacher with the Virginia Beach school system and was married on June 27th to Jodi. They have a mixed breed named Gizmo and his hobbies are music, coin collecting, canoeing, brewing beer, and yard work… (hey Rob come to my house, I hate yardwork)!
Welcome New Members: We’d like to say welcome to the following new members: Rob and Jen Adams; Glen Canterbury & Ann Marie Myers; Mike & Terri Connell; Lawrence Sharp; Robert Camlin; Mark Feldman; Robert French; Shawn & Diana Iman; and Matthew Murphy!
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 |
|
[Editor’s note: During the officer’s meeting
of 23 Nov 05, it was noted that the current 2006 BOTM schedule did not leave
enough time to brew an American Ale for entry in the April 06 AHA contest. Therefore, the officer’s voted on and passed
a motion to add American Ale to the March BOTM. See the competition coordinator for more details.]
Competition Corner, December 2005 “C.J.” Jones
It’s that time of year when Holiday ales are hopefully inside each of our refrigerators, giving each and every one of us a reason to rush home after work. In the appropriate spirit, three credentialed judges, Tom Byrnes, Will Walker, and Diane Catanzaro, all took a seat at the table in our dining room and evaluated eight entries in our Club’s holiday ale contest. Two other Club members, J.P. Messier and Paul McCune, also tasted each of the beers; they didn’t want to judge the beers, but they did want to taste them, so since we had enough to go around, they used the evening to “audit the class”, so to speak.
The entries were brewed by: Tom Byrnes; Diane and myself; J. P. Messier; Mike and Melissa Pensinger; Victor Perotti; Paul Shurke; Phil Swanson; and Will Walker. The contest was tight, with all eight of the entries scoring between a 29.3 and a 24.7, all in the “good” range. When the glasses were finally lowered and the scores averaged, here’s how things shook out:
First Place, Victor Perotti, with a BFig Holiday Ale (21B), good for three HRBTS Cup points;
Second Place, Diane and I, with an Xmas Ale (21B), good for two HRBTS Cup points; and
Third Place, Will Walker, with a PA (21B), good for one HRBTS Cup point.
Well, folks, that wraps up the HRB & TS Cup for 2005. Congratulations to each of our brewers who participated in the Cup contests, whether you earned points or didn’t, because it is having your beers honestly assessed that leads to their eventual improvement. Many thanks to the members who participated in the monthly judging sessions; without your enthusiastic participation, none of us would get any feedback. Here’s your final HRB & TS Cup standings:
2005 HRB & TS CUP STANDINGS, FINAL
(as of 28 Nov 2005)
|
Name of Brewer(s) |
Total Points Accumulated |
|
C.J. & Diane Catanzaro |
31 - Win |
|
Mike and Melissa Pensinger |
17 - Place |
|
Victor Perotti |
13 - Show |
|
Phil Swanson |
7 |
|
Tom Byrnes |
6 |
|
The OVBC |
5 |
|
Richard Pigeon |
5 |
|
Paul Shurke |
3 |
|
Bill Berry |
3 |
|
Cory Pettiford |
1 |
|
Doug Boyd |
1 |
|
Will Walker |
1 |
|
Next Year this could be You …. |
…. If you get brewing |
See you at the December meeting.
Recipe
of the Month – Will Walker
An extract brew and an all-grain example, excerpted from the Beer Recipator website. Happy Brewing!
Steve’s Chrismas Ale
|
Brewer: |
Steve Jensen |
Email: |
|||
|
Beer: |
Steve's Chrismas Ale |
Style: |
herb/spice beer |
||
|
Type: |
Extract w/grain |
Size: |
5.0 gallons |
||
|
Color: |
|
Bitterness: |
16 IBU |
||
|
OG: |
1.066 |
FG: |
1.020 |
||
|
Alcohol: |
6.0% v/v (4.7% w/w) |
||||
|
Water: |
bottled spring water |
||||
|
Grain: |
.5 lb. Dextrine malt (Cara-Pils) |
||||
|
Steep: |
mash grains at 133deg. Let rest for 30 min. Raise temp to
149-152deg. and hold for 90 min. for starch convertion. Mash out for 10 min
at 170deg. sparge with 1 gallon of 170deg. water. |
||||
|
Boil: |
60min minutes |
SG 1.111 |
3.0 gallons |
||
|
4 lb. Light malt extract |
|||||
|
Add 2 tsp gypsum, malt extracts, candi sugar, corn sugar,
all spices (see note*)and 1oz of fuggle. After 20 min of boil add 2 tsp irish
moss. At the end steep 1/2oz of fuggle. *1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2tsp cardimon, 4
sticks of cinnamon, 1oz ginger root, 1oz sweet orange peel, and a dash of
vanila extract. |
|||||
|
Hops: |
1 oz. Fuggles (4.75% AA, 60 min.) |
||||
|
Yeast: |
#1187 wyeast ringwood ale |
||||
|
Log: |
Ferment for 1 week at 68deg. Then rack to secondary for 2
weeks at 68deg. prime with 3/4 cup corn sugar and bottle, age for 6 weeks. |
||||
|
Carbonation: |
3/4 cup corn sugar |
||||
|
Tasting: |
This beer has a nice sweet aftertaste with just a hint of
the spices. I could not get enough of this one mmm good to the last drop. Got
much better with age. Just drank the last one. |
||||
Scottish Spiced Ale
|
Brewer: |
Kathryn and Larry Moss |
Email: |
|||||
|
Beer: |
Scottish Spiced Ale |
Style: |
- |
||||
|
Type: |
All grain |
Size: |
5 gallons |
||||
|
Color: |
|
Bitterness: |
26 IBU |
||||
|
OG: |
1.062 |
FG: |
1.016 |
||||
|
Alcohol: |
6.0% v/v (4.7% w/w) |
||||||
|
Water: |
Moxee, WA city deep well water (~pH 7.7, 100ppm Ca).
Acidify 5.6 gal |
||||||
|
Grain: |
8 lb. British pale (Maris Otter) |
||||||
|
Mash: |
80% efficiency |
||||||
|
Single step infusion at 153 degrees F with 3.5 gal
untreated |
|||||||
|
Boil: |
60 minutes |
SG 1.057 |
5.5 gallons |
||||
|
Add 1/4 tsp Irish Moss at 15 minutes to end of boil. |
|||||||
|
Hops: |
1 oz. Willamette (4.5% AA, 60 min.) |
||||||
|
Yeast: |
Wyeast British Ale #1098. Make 1/2 gal starter in 1 gal
jug with airlock. Boil some hops, 1 cup dried malt extract, and 3/4 gal water
(boils down to 1/2 gal). Strain and cool. Add bulged contents of yeast
packet. |
||||||
|
Log: |
Ferment at 65 degrees F. Decant to secondary after 7 days
and add "spice tea" to secondary. For "spice tea": in 1 quart
water simmer for 10 minutes, 1 ounce grated ginger, 2 broken cinnamon sticks
(~3-in each), zest of 2 orange, 1 tsp crushed cardamom, 4 whole cloves; at
end of simmer add dash nutmeg, zest of 2 oranges, 1 ounce grated ginger, 2
broken cinnamon sticks. Ferment 12 days at 65F. |
||||||
|
Carbonation: |
Prime with 3/4 c corn sugar and bottle. |
||||||
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.