The Brewsletter

April 2006

 

 

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

www.hrbts.org

 

 

The President’s Podium – Tom Byrnes

As we March into spring we have experienced a slow down in developments on the HRBTS Brewing scene, but we have some big events on the horizon. 

First, we had a really good meeting last month at Hells Kitchen; if you happened to miss it, you need to check this place out.  The food is really good and Kate seems to enjoy Martini Mondays.  We also welcomed back Diane from the Wynkoop Brewery after narrowly missing a victory in the Beerdrinker of the Year contest.  From what I hear, she was not beaten by superior beer knowledge, but by World Wide Stout.  Apparently there is a point in this competition where you offer the judges gifts of beer and, of course, the winner offered this beer. Maybe next year these judges will find what we already know, there would be no better advocate for beer. 

This month your officers also voted to hold the Transatlantic Showdown 2007. We will be soliciting volunteers for the various jobs around June.  Personally, I am very excited to sponsor this competition again next year.  Remember the Town Point Park Beer festival is rapidly approaching.  We will be discussing our club’s level of participation at the next officers meeting.  Please email me, president@hrbts.org, with your ideas and suggestions.  This months contest was the extractraction.  While CJ will talk about the results, I wanted to say “JP, your ESB was awesome!  Publish that recipe in an upcoming newsletter!”.

Kate and I also have added another member to our brewing family.  We are the proud parents of a bouncing baby kegerator!  It is a modified Sanyo mini fridge that has been very popular on beer boards for it’s ability to be converted.  It holds two corny kegs with a 5 lb tank jammed in the back.  It’s a tight fit but it does work.  On this particular modification, the top is removed, reinforced with wood in the center and then drilled for a tower.  I believe other members have also done similar conversions.

More information on building this can be found on www.brewboard.com and the forum on the northern brewer website, or you can get lucky as I did and find one cheap on Craigslist by a military homebrewer that is being transferred and can’t move it.  You married guys will be happy to know that it’s stainless steel door gives in an attractive look and subsequently a high “WAF” (Wife Acceptance Factor) rating.  I originally learned about this important rating when shopping for stereo equipment and televisions but fortunately, it also translates to homebrewing as well.

The first round of the National Homebrew Competition is upon us and Homebrew USA will be offering a group ship where the shipping costs will be divided by the number of entries.  You, of course, need to pay the entry fees.  Here is an excerpt copied from HomebrewUSA’s newsletter:

“Don't miss your chance to enter THE LARGEST Beer Competition in the World!  Judges recognize the most outstanding beer, mead and cider produced by amateur brewers in the U.S. and Canada and abroad.  We will be a shared shipment from the store for anyone who wants to enter this contest. Deadline to be in the shop is Tuesday April 11th!!!!! In order to participate you need to have your entry forms, checks and bottles wrapped in gallon zip lock bags. More information and the forms may be found at http://www.beertown.org/events/nhc/index.html.” Speaking of HomebrewUSA, their online catalogue is up and running again with a bunch of new and exciting items for your brewing pleasure.. It’s worth a visit to their website.  I often refer to this site to check their inventory before visiting their shop with my recipe list.

Also, Big Brew scheduled on National Homebrew Day is almost upon us.  It is scheduled for May 6, 2006.  In the past HomebrewUSA has sponsored a group brewing session, so call Mike and Mellissa to find out about this year’s details.  I have also included this year's recipes for your information and enjoyment.  Brian Edgar had brewed the Poor Richards Ale for the last meeting, it was really tasty and I know CJ will be devoting some cans of extract to the Kolsch recipe.  Look for his upcoming article on the topic called Brewing on the “Down-Low”.

 

 

April Meeting Location – Diane Catanzaro

 

The April 5 meeting of the HRB&TS will be at Ship’s Cabin Restaurant in Norfolk’s Ocean View, at 4110 East Ocean View Avenue (362-0060).  Ship’s Cabin is under new ownership, and now features Italian and seafood dishes. We have the private banquet room overlooking the Chesapeake Bay; this should be a great location for enjoying a nice dinner and sampling some of club members’ amazing extract brews.

Lots of pasta dishes appear on the Ship’s Cabin  menu, paired with seafood (such as angel hair seafood pasta with shrimp, scallops, and crabmeat, and seafood fra diavolo), or chicken (such as chicken piccata and chicken marsala). There are also several vegetarian or vegetarian-option dishes, such as linguini capriati (pasta with zucchini, red peppers, mushroom, broccoli, and a garlic, olive oil, wine sauce, guaranteed to improve your tennis serve), eggplant parmigiana, and penne a la vodka.  Classic fried shrimp, oysters, and scallops are served with fries and slaw or salad. The health conscious among us will be happy to see that many broiled seafood dishes are offered, as well as salads, antipasto, and simple pasta dishes with marinara sauce. Let’s just say there should be something for everyone!

 

While the beer selection isn’t fancy, they do have the commendable Moretti La Rossa, a malty dopplebock that, with a hearty 7.2% alcohol, pairs beautifully with flavorful tomato-based sauces and hearty Italian fare.

 The meeting begins at 7:30.  Feel free to arrive early for a walk on the bay or a head start on dinner....we have the room reserved for 7 pm.  Don’t forget to bring plenty of homebrew, any style, and leave the commercial beers at home.

 

Directions from VA Beach - Take Shore Drive until it becomes East Ocean View Ave.  Once you cross Little Creek Rd., Ship’s Cabin is on the right in just a bit.  Or take 64 West and exit at Chesapeake Blvd North.  Take Chesapeake Blvd to Rt 60/Ocean View Ave eastbound.  Restaurant is on the left (set back) approximately around 15th Bay St.

 

From the Peninsula - Take 64 East and exit at 4th View.  Left off the exit, then right on West Ocean View Ave (eastbound).  Quickly  veer right at the overpass (actually, an exit) to STAY ON RT 60.  Continue on Rt 60/ Ocean View Ave about 10 minutes.  Ships Cabin is on the left (set back) approximately around 15th Bay St. If you cross Little Creek Rd you’ve gone too far!

 

From Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Currituck -

alternative 1 - Take Norfolk’s Granby St. North, then right onto Rt 60/Ocean View Ave (eastbound).  Ships Cabin is on the left (set back) approximately around 15th Bay St.

alternative 2 - Take I-64 to Northampton Blvd, from Northampton turn right on Diamond Springs Rd. At end of Diamond Springs, turn left on Shore Dr. Once Shore Dr crosses Little Creek Rd it becomes Ocean View Ave. Ship’s Cabin is on the right in a few minutes, just after the go-go bar and Pleasant Ave are passed.

 

 

Miscellaneous Brew Bits – Chris Jones

Diane Catanzaro coulda, shoulda, woulda won the Wynkoop’s 2006 Beerdrinker of the Year Finals.  I’m pretty sure that Diane was the first Tidewater resident, and perhaps only the second Virginian, to do so in the history of the event.  On Saturday, February 25, she and the other two finalists slugged (chugged?) it out in front of seven judges, multiple cameras and a boisterous crowd.  Alas, when it was all said and done, Diane did not win … so I quickly removed the “For Sale” sign from the front of our house. 

My brother went to Charlie Papazian’s house to sip a few beers.  How about that?  Hanging out with Mr. P., chillin’and sipping a few cool ones under a setting Colorado sun.  Marty said Charlie still homebrews a lot of killer beverages, keeps his beer in a large walk-in refrigerator, and is quite the host. 

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout is on tap at the Taphouse Grill in Norfolk’s Ghent.  Available in a seven ounce serving for seven bucks, and a limit of only two of those per person per evening, that is one mammoth beer.  

 

Beef up your Extract – Tom Byrnes

 

Since its extract month, I wanted to update an article I wrote several years ago, but that is still relevant today.  Below are several tips designed to improve your extract brews.  Since the time I wrote this, the quality of beer kits and extracts has significantly improved.

Keep it Clean: As they used to tell me in the Seminary, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”.  While I thought this was just an excuse for cheap labor, this saying can also be applied to brewing.  It is important to keep our equipment and brewing areas clean and free of those nasty beasties that seek to spoil the fruits of our labor.  Whether you use bleach, one-step or iodophor, it is important to sanitize everything your beer comes into contact with. 

Since this article was written, I have switched my sanitizer to Starsan.  It is very easy to use and requires minimal contact time.  I’ve had two brushes with the unwashed, which resulted in the destruction of my beer.  The first was when my cat marked my fermenter.  My beer developed pustules on the top and put off quite a stench.  I  also lost some mead because I relied solely on the dishwasher to sterilize my bottles.  To avoid these kinds of painful experiences, pay attention to sanitation.  Oh yeah, invest in an auto siphon as a starter rather than putting the tube in your mouth.  If you must suck, gargle with vodka or grain alcohol prior to starting.

 

Malt Matters: Choose your malt based on the style you are brewing.  Some malts ferment out completely, while others contain dextrins that are unfermentable but contribute to mouth feel and body.  For example, my extract beers improved greatly when I combined Muton and Fison with Laaglander extracts in equal portions.  The first extract fermented completely, providing alcohol but leaving my beer rather thin in body.  The latter improved the texture, but left me wanting for more in the potency department.  Putting them together gave me the best of both worlds and a balanced beer.  When choosing malt, pay attention to the labels and select malts with a high percentage of quality ingredients (pure malted barley).  Some brands use adjuncts like sugar, rice and corn, all of which affect the flavor.  When buying liquid extract, watch out for swollen cans and expired dates.  Old extract darkens with time, making brewing the lighter colored beers difficult.  My favorite extract names are: Muton & Fison (British), Coopers (Australian), Laaglander (Dutch), Briess and Premier (American).  There are also extracts that are prehopped to simulate specific styles.  One company called Wort Work boasts “we do the mashing so you don’t have to “.  Premier also makes a good American rice beer.  As the quality of extract has improved over the years, kits are becoming popular.  While these ingredients are good, your beer will be better if you follow a recipe using the kit as base malt, rather than following the directions on the can.  Since Mike opened Homebrew USA, I continue to be impressed with his bulk extracts which come from Great Western Maltings in Canada.  Several club members, including myself, have used them with great results.  Remember though that liquid extract is 20% water and requires some additional calculation to find the proper amount.  To use a liquid, take the amount of dry malt extract listed in a recipe and divide by 0.85 to get the correct amount of liquid malt needed., Sugar is controversial because it can contribute a cidery flavor to the beer. ,Most brewers will tell you to substitute Dry Malt Extract for Sugar. ,However it should be noted that sugar is a necessary ingredient for certain beers styles.  Belgian beers use candi sugar and substituting malt will not give you the authentic taste.  The toffee taste of a British bitter or pale ale is sugar like Lyles Golden or Demerara sugar.  The use of sugar in British beers has been well documented by CAMARA and in the writing of Prost and Wheeler.  Also if your extract beer lacks body, try putting in several tablespoons of Malto Dextrin in the boil.  This is totally unfermentable and will add body and contribute to the mouth feel of your brew.  This is a food grade ingredient currently being used to bump up the fiber content in many foods.  It is available at your local homebrew shop.

 

Supplementation: Add grains to your brewing process.  Steeping specialty grains for 30 to 45 minutes will add flavor and complexity to your brews.  I bring my brewing water to 155 degrees insert my grain bag and let it steep.  This step adds so little time to the process and yields a dramatic difference in flavor.  The September 2000 issue of BYO did an interview with John Maier, the founder and brewer of Rogue Ales. His advice is to overemphasize the specialty grains and hops.  Instead of using these grains by the ounce he uses them by the pound.  Taste his beers and judge for yourself . Warning: Never exceed a temperature of 169 degrees or you may extract tannins that will add undesirable bitterness to your beer.

 

Roll On: Good brewing needs to include a vigorous boil of at least one hour. While some brewers and extract makers advocate a lesser time, there are complex chemical changes in both the water and extract that take place during the boil. The quality of your beer could suffer by being skimpy here. If you can, boil all of the wort and force cool rather than boil a small amount and topping up with cold water.

 

Liquid Diet: Dry yeast is easy; just pour the packet into the beer and wait.  The trick to using dry yeast is to rehydrate it with warm water or by making a starter.  Liquid yeast is readily available and lets the brewer brew specific beer styles.  The most common names are Wyeast, Yeast Labs and Whites Pitchable Yeast.  Don’t be fooled by the big XL packs, always make a starter!!! It doesn’t take that long and will increase the number of yeast cells to start fermentation.  When it comes to yeast, the more the merrier.  The quicker your beer starts to ferment, the less time bacteria has to attack your brew.  I typically pitch 1000 Ml’s in my ales. Strong ales and lagers require pitching up to 1 gallon of starter due to the stress placed on the yeast.  To make a yeast starter, place about 1 cup of dry malt extract into the appropriate amount of water (I use 850ml) and boil for about 10 minutes.  Cool the wort and pitch yeast into your container.  It is important that the starter is below 85 degrees and that the starter and yeast are at the same temperature at pitching to avoid shocking the yeasts.  Using White labs yeast I make my started the evening prior to brewing and it is fully involved by the next afternoon.  Wyeast follows the same time line, but you must activate the smack pack prior making the starter.  The rule of thumb is allow 1 day for every month of age according to your package.

 

Give Me Oxygen: Now that you have a lot of yeast cells ready to explode, help them breathe.  Adding oxygen to your wort prior to pitching will dramatically shorten the lag time between pitching and fermentation.  My personal time has been cut down from 24 to 48 hours to between 3 and 6 hours.  Some brewers use an aquarium pump for at least 30 minutes while others use pure oxygen in two or three 30-second blasts.  No matter which technique you use, this one addition will improve the overall quality of your beer.

 

Keep Me Under Control: Temperature control is essential to quality brewing.  Each type of yeast has an optimum temperature for fermentation.  Too high temperatures could result in off flavors; too low could result in sluggish or incomplete fermentation.  Once again, John Maier says the main mistake ale brewers make is not to control their temperatures.  Rogue Brewery ferments ales as low as 60 degrees.  John also suggests fermenting at the low side of the temperature range to make a smoother beer with a fruity aroma.  Cooler fermentation also allows the malt, hop and alcohol to come together for a balanced beer.

 

Free Advice: Sometimes you need a beer consultant to give you those little hints, tricks and tips that only experience can provide.  I received an extract education at a closed homebrew shop owned by one of our members and my beers improved as a result.  Mike is also very knowledgeable about beer and brewing and he has taught me many tricks that have made my brewing life considerably easier.  Local homebrew shops can provide a wealth of information: take advantage of this.  Both shops typically have beers in progress and offer brewing classes.  So next time you go to Homebrew USA or Wine and Cake Hobbies, ask questions.  The Web also provides good information.  There are many sites on the topic, too numerous to mention.  Our club also has certified judges that would be happy to give you feedback on your beer brewing process.  Just ask.

 

Following these steps will make it difficult to impossible to tell the difference between an extract and an all grain beer. If good brewing procedures are used with a high quality extract and a balanced recipe, the finished beer will be as good as an all grain recipe. Can you hear the wails of the all-grain brewers off in the distance?

 

 

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

 

Our monthly contest results:  On March 22, we had a judging session at our house, where we convened to judge Extract recipe beers.  There were entries of every style, shape and color, and there were plenty of them to evaluate.  Seventeen entries in around twelve different categories really put our judges palates to the test.  Tom Byrnes, Diane Catanzaro, Ernie Lang, Paul McCune, Rob Sisson and Will Walker all stepped up boldly to sit down and judge beers. 

 

When the foam finally fizzled, here’s how things stacked up:

First Place, J. P. Messier, with OBX Burton ESB, an English ESB, good for three HRBTS Cup points;

Second Place, Tom Byrnes, with an American India Pale Ale, good for two HRBTS Cup points; and

Third Place, Chris Jones and Diane Catanzaro, with an Imperial Stout, good for one HRBTS Cup point.

In one of the more interesting tasting sessions, I could hear the judges raking one particular beer over the coals because it was a rauch beer (smoky) entered as an English barleywine (which isn’t), and scoring it accordingly.  What made it interesting is that it wasn’t a rauch beer at all, it was an English barleywine made by Brian Edgar that had a special ingredient added to it - bourbon soaked oak chips.  I agree with the judges, it was swimming in smoke, which it apparently picked up from the bourbon.  For an experimental beer, it was way out there and very interesting to taste.  It didn’t fit any style guideline, but neither do most of the beers produced by Dogfish Head, so there’s no crime in that.  Nice work, Brian, that’s what homebrewing is all about, experimentation.

 

2006 HRB & TS CUP STANDINGS (as of 30 March 2006)

 

Name of Brewer(s)

Total Points Accumulated

 

Jason Kuller

7

Chris Jones and Diane Catanzaro

6

Victor Perotti

5

Tom Byrnes

5

Brian Edgar

4

Phil Swanson

4

Mike and Melissa Pensinger

4

J. P. Messier

4

Richard Pidgeon

3

Bill Berry

1

This could easily be you ….

…. if you get brewing

 

 

2006 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 (2006 unless stated otherwise)

Beer style name (and 2004 BJCP beer style category number)

Beer judging date ; usually two weeks before Club meeting)

Winner goes to an AHA Club Only Contest?

January

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

21 December 2005

 

February

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

18 January 2006

 

March

 

American ale (10)

 

15 February 2006

 

April

Extraction (extract recipes only)

22 March 2006

Yes

May

Wheat and Wit (6D, 15, 16A)

19 April 2006

 

June

India Pale Ales (IPA) (14)

24 May 2006

 

July

 

Meads (24, 25, 26)

21 June 2006

Yes

August

 

Stouts (13)

19 July 2006

Yes

September

 

Fruit beers (20)

23 August 2006

 

October

 

Octoberfest (3B)

20 September 2006

 

November

Thanksgiving Ales (an ingredient is associated with the Thanksgiving holiday) (23)

18 October 2006

 

December

 

Belgian (16, 17B-F, 18)

15 November 2006

 

January 2007

Holiday Season beers (21B)

20 December 2006

 

February 2007

 

Barleywines (19B & C)

24 January 2007

 

March 2007

To Be Determined

(TBD)

21 February 2007

 

 

 

Recipe of the Month – Tom Byrnes

An extract brew and an all-grain example, contributed by our beer-soaked President (Tom, not Dubya!).  Happy Brewing!

 

Poor Richard’s Ale – Mini-Mash/Extract Recipe

For 5 gallons, using a 3-gallon boil.
O.G.: 1.068
F.G. 1.018
IBU: 28.3
SRM: 19.3
BU/GU Ratio: 0.41

Fermentables
3.3 lbs. Light Liquid Malt Extract
1.75 lbs. Light Dry Malt Extract
1.5 lbs. Corn Sugar
1.75 lbs. Biscuit (“High Malt”)
1.0 lbs. Special Roast (“High Malt”)
2.0 oz. Black Patent (“High Malt”)
4.0 oz. Dark Molasses ­ 15 minutes before the end of boil

Hops — Whole Flower Kent Golding
1.0 oz. Kent Golding, (5.0% AA), 60 minutes
1.5 oz. Kent Golding, (5.0% AA), 45 minutes
0.5 oz. Kent Golding, (5.0% AA), 30 minutes

Yeast
English – White Labs WLP002 or Wyeast 1968
—OR—
Scottish – White Labs WLP 028 or Wyeast 1728

For historical accuracy, no fining agents should be used; however, if you just can’t help yourself, use 1 tsp. Irish moss.

Process
Steep the grains in 2 gallons of water at 154° F for 45 minutes.  Use 2 to 3 quarts water heated to 170° F to rinse the grains when they are removed.  Stir in the dry and the liquid extract and the corn sugar and bring to a boil.  Add the first hops at the beginning of the boil.  Boil for 60 minutes total, adding the second and third hop additions at 45 and 30 minutes to the end of the boil.  Add the dark molasses at 15 minutes to the end of the boil.  Cool the wort to 68° F and transfer it to a fermenter with 2 gallons of cold water.  Add sterilized water to top up the volume to just over 5 gallons.  Take a gravity reading and then pitch the yeast and aerate well.

Carbonation
Force carbonate similar to an Old Ale or Strong Scottish Ale (1.9 – 2.2 volumes of CO2). 
—OR—
Bottle condition using ¾ cup corn sugar.

All Grain Option:

Replace all extracts with 6.75 lbs Marris Otter or other British 2 row malt.  Replace the corn sugar with 2.75lbs flaked corn.  Mash with all other grains listed at 154° F for 45 minutes or until complete conversion.  Boil 90 minutes, reduce first two hop additions by 50% and add the hops at 60, 45, and 30 minutes per the schedule.  Add the dark molasses at 15 minutes to the end of the boil.  Cool the wort to 68° F and transfer it to a fermenter.  Take a gravity reading and then pitch the yeast and aerate well.

 

 

Summer Kölsch – Extract Recipe

For 5 gallons, using a 3-gallon boil.
O.G.: 1.052
F.G.: 1.006
IBU: 18
SRM: 4
BU/GU Ratio: 0.36

Fermentables
7.0 lbs. Pale Liquid Malt Extract
—OR—
5.5 lbs Extra Light Dry Malt Extract

Hops
1.75 oz. Hallertauer, (4.0% AA), 50 min.
1.25 oz. Czech Saaz, (3.5% AA), 15 min.
¾ tsp Irish moss, added at 15 minutes

Yeast
Wyeast 2112 California Lager Yeast or White Labs WLP810 San Francisco Lager Yeast

Heat 2 gallons of water for liquid extract, or 2.5 gallons for dry extract, and stir in the extract before bringing it to a boil.  At the beginning of the 50-minute boil, add the first hops.  Boil for 35 minutes then add the second hops and the Irish moss.  After the 50-minute boil, cool the wort.  Transfer the wort to a fermenter with 2 to 3 gallons of cold water and top-up to 5 gallons, if necessary.  Take a specific gravity reading.  Pitch the yeast and aerate well.  Ferment at 63° F for one week to 10 days.  Rack to secondary and let sit for a day at 65° to 68° F for a diacetyl rest.  Lower the temperature back to 60 to 63° F for one week.  Keg or bottle afterwards.

Carbonation
Force carbonate at 2.5 – 3.0 volumes of CO2. 
—OR—
Bottle condition using 1 cup corn sugar.

 

All Grain Option

Mash 9lbs of lager malt at 152° F and hold for 60 minutes. Mash out at 170° F and sparge with 170° F water. Collect enough run off to end up with 5 gallons after a 50-minute boil (approximately 6 gallons). Bring to a boil and add the first hops reducing quanity to 1.25oz . Boil for 35 minutes before adding the second hops reducing to 1 oz and the Irish moss.  After the 50-minute boil, chill to 63° F, and transfer to a fermenter.  Take a gravity reading, then pitch the yeast and aerate well.  Ferment at 63° F for one week to 10 days. Rack to secondary and let sit for a day at 65° to 68° F for a diacetyl rest.  Lower the temperature back to 60 to 63° F and for one week.  Keg or bottle afterwards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is your brain on drugs:

Noelle Bush

This is your brain on beer:

Jenna Bush
Drugs bad, Beer good.

 

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.