The Brewsletter

Febrewary 2007

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

www.hrbts.org

The President’s Podium – Jason Kuller

Our last meeting was held a at Lock’s Pointe Restaurant, where we got the chance to try some Holiday Season beers from our fellow brewers in the party/ banquet room, as well as taste some of the many offerings from this fine establishment in Great Bridge. Everyone was also kind enough to fill out a short survey so that we could learn a little more about the club and the level of participation of individual members as well as their ideas and aspirations for the club.

The feedback was terrific and a few things were made quite obvious after reviewing these surveys. It is clear that an overwhelming majority of club members want there to be more club organized beer and brewing related trips throughout the year. I think this is a great idea and it brings back fresh and hoppy memories of our recent annual trip to craft beer central and the honorary hop capital of the east coast, The Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton DE as well as Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats in Rehoboth Beach, DE. All who made the pilgrimage up the beautiful eastern shore were very well rewarded. We were given a tour of the newly expanded 100-bbl brew house by none other than Sam Calagione himself as well as a few of the other terrific employees at Dogfish. After stocking up on deeply discounted brews we headed over to the hotel to unload and soon after made our way to the brewpub. A terrific time was had by all while we enjoyed awesome wood grilled food and a slew of Dogfish’s extensive array of beers. Later in the evening there was live blues, 60 min, pool swimming, 90 min, pool playing, 60 min and even rooftop hot tub dipping (most likely accompanied by 60 and 90 min). Some of us were even able to get up and have breakfast and stroll around the beach town before heading home the next day.

If you were unable to make it up, don’t worry we already have tentative plans for a Baltimore trip in the spring and there is no doubt that we will go up to Dogfish again next year-so mark your calendars now!

A few of the other things that stood out from the survey was a great deal of interest in more brewing education and even the idea of giving “1^st time brewing demos” for tasters and new brewers. We are taking all of this into consideration and there are already ideas in the works for implementing more informational and technical brewing information into the newsletter and club activities so stay tuned as we strive to keep making this club the best it can be. Please email me with any more ideas and input at president@hrbts.org

Stop the Presses!! Late-Breaking News!!

Diane Catanzaro has made the finals of the Wynkoop's Beerdrinker of the Year contest for the second year in a row!  Yes!  She's off to Denver at the end of this month to try and drag the title back to Tidewater.

Febrewary Meeting Location – Diane Catanzaro

You, perhaps, have heard that the highly respected Beer Advocate website compiles a list of the “Top 50 Places to Have A Beer” in the good ol’ U. S. of A. One of these esteemed beer emporiums is right here in Hampton Roads, a bona fide shining-point-of-beer-light in our very midst. Ranking #48 in the entire nation is our own lip smacking, beer-a-licious house of beer worship, The Bier Garden.

The Wednesday, February 7 meeting will be at this very establishment, the Bier Garden in Portsmouth! This family-owned German-style Bistro has a stupendous selection of German and Belgian beers and ales. This past week a ‘scouting’ visit by your faithful meeting coordinator discovered Achouffe Houblon double IPA, Maredsous 8, St Bernardus Wit, St Bernardus Abt 12, Aventinus and Aventinus Eisbock, Gulden Drak, Trois Pistoles 2005, and DFH 90. Of course the taps are regularly rotated, however you know the tap selection will be amazing.

On the other hand, many of the Belgian beer are actually even better in the bottle. Bottle conditioning and aging can contribute character and flavor. For example, the other day Chris and I compared the Achouffe Houblon tap and bottled versions. While both beers were tasty, we felt the bottled version won this contest hands down. The bottled beer selection at Biergarden is the best anywhere in this region; the choice of Belgian ales is better than you’ll find at many places in Brussels! Trappists, traditional lambics, saisons….this is a great place to expand your knowledge of beer by trying something different. And, you can always share with your friends!!

Check the beer list on the Bier Garden website at www.biergarden.com, although they do not always have everything on the list; many of these beers are extremely hard to find and ever harder to keep in stock. Choose a few backups!

Meeting begins 7:30 but show up as early as 7 to get a head start on dinner and a seat together if you travel in a posse. As the Biergarden website says, “stuff yer face!” They make German specialties including bratwurst, knackwurst, bauernwurst, weiner schnitzel, leberkaese (German meatloaf), sauerbraten, linsen spatzel, and strammer max. Veg options? My favorite is the vegetarian “special spaetzel” which is spaetzel with sautéed mushrooms and onions and melted cheese….very tasty and it costs only $7. More familiar items include hamburgers, various sandwiches (reuben, chicken, turkey, veggie burgers, etc.), salads, cheese and fruit plate. Pickled herring is a great palate refresher! Preview the menu on the website.

We have reserved the main dining room for our club meeting. The Bier Garden requests one tab per table, and so if you order beer or food while ‘traveling’ the room, be sure to let them know which table has your tab. Yes, we may bring homebrew, and please do! However, of course no commercial beers of any kind can be brought in. In addition to being illegal, it would be like bringing coals to Newcastle!

The Bier Garden is located at 434 High St. in Olde Town Portsmouth (393-6022), right across from the Commodore Theater. This location is central to all of Hampton Roads and the Peninsula.

From VA Beach: Take 264 W to the Downtown Tunnel. Stay in tunnel right lane and take first exit, at Effingham St. Stay on Effingham several blocks, then turn right on High St. The Bier Garden is at the corner of High and Dinwiddle. To park, turn right off High St. at end of block, onto Court St. Take the 2^nd right onto County St. See free parking lot on your right. There is also on-street parking for the lucky.

From the Peninsula: Take the Monitor-Merrimac toward Portsmouth. Take exit 9 onto Rt 164 toward Portsmouth. From 164, follow signs to downtown Portsmouth. Turn left onto High St, and it is a few miles up on the left in the 400 block. Parking tips are above.

From Norfolk: Take the Downtown Tunnel to Portsmouth and exit onto Effingham Street right after the tunnel. Follow directions above under ‘Va Beach.’ OR instead take the Midtown Tunnel, once through the tunnel keep straight/left toward Rt 58, once you hit High Street turn left and it is a couple of miles up High Street.

From Chesapeake: Pretend you are going to take the Downtown Tunnel to Norfolk, but exit before the tunnel, onto Effingham Street. Take Effingham toward Old Town Portsmouth, turn right on High Street and look for the 400 block.

Beer News from Around the World – Will Walker

Beer for Dogs?

What about beer for ... dogs?

After a long day hunting, there's nothing like wrapping your paw around a cold beer. That's why Terrie Berenden, a pet shop owner in the southern Dutch town of Zelhem, created a beer for her Weimaraners made from beef extract and malt, C-news posted on January 22, 2007.

"Once a year we go to Austria to hunt with our dogs, and at the end of the day, we sit on the veranda and drink a beer. So we thought, my dog also has earned it," she said.

Berenden consigned a local brewery to make and bottle the non-alcoholic beer, branded as Kwispelbier. It was introduced to the market last week and advertised it as "a beer for your best friend."

"Kwispel" is the Dutch word for wagging a tail.

European Booze Study Results

Over the past decade, there has been a steady stream of scientific reports trumpeting the benefits of certain alcohol-containing beverages. Although there is much research pointing to assorted perks of alcohol consumption and red wine in particular -especially in the area of heart health - it's time to dispel the myth that it's an artery cleaner. Whether you reap the benefits of alcohol depends on a number of factors, including how much you drink, your sex and your health status, publishes theNational Post.

In the battle against cardiovascular disease, all types of alcohol - beer, wine or liquor - provide certain protective effects. For one, alcohol boosts levels of the beneficial HDL-cholesterol. Alcohol also decreases the stickiness of red blood cells, making them less likely to clot and result in a heart attack or stroke.

Before you scratch your head in confusion, the quantity question is one factor that has an impact on whether an individual garners alcohol's benefits or suffers adverse consequences. Moderate alcohol consumption is considered to be one drink a day for women and one to two per day for men with a total per week not exceeding nine for women and 14 for men. One drink is defined as twelve ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor.

Here's where the interpretation gets blurry. For some people, the average of one or two drinks a day translates into little alcohol through the week and then maybe three to four drinks a day through the weekend. But averaging out the number of beverages imbibed in this way doesn't yield the reported health benefits.

Moderation is definitely a key to reaping alcohol's benefits. To help moderate your intake, consider having one or two alcohol- free beverages in between each alcohol-containing one. Not only will you drink less over the course of an evening, but you'll be less likely to suffer the dehydrating effects of the alcohol -a hangover - the next day.

(Articles copyright Belgianshop.com, 2007)

Competition Corner, January 2006 – Patty Messier

We held our monthly judging on January 24 at the home of Jason and Lacy. Several of us braved the muddy, rugged terrain to enter Jason’s inner sanctum. Jason was actually kind enough to clear a parking area for those of us without 4-wheel drive!

I would like to thank the brewers of all six of our entries this month. By using the Bottle ID forms (which everyone had all set and ready), it made my job ten times easier!

Then came the tasting of the barleywines! We actually had lots of judges (see, people DO go to Chesapeake)! Tom Byrnes, Diane Catanzaro, Will Walker, JP Messier, Jason Kuller, and Lacy Kuller (participating in her first judging as an apprentice) were rewarded by tasting some fantastic barleywines as well as some of the worst beers ever (electrical fire flavors and UFO’S - unidentified floating objects?)

After the beers were judged and some were enjoyed, the results were tallied and here are the winners!

First Place, Tom Byrnes, with his English Barleywine, good for three HRBTS Cup points;

Second Place, Victor Perotti, with his American Barleywine, good for two HRBTS Cup points; and

Third Place, J. P. Messier, with his Stinky Foot American Barleywine, earning him one HRBTS Cup point.

The current HRBTS Cup standings are in the table, following this text. We keep seeing the same names over and over again!! Where’s your name? Enter some beers! With 10 more competitions to go, it’s time for YOU to step up and brew some amazing beers! Look and plan ahead so you too can enter these monthly challenges and join the competition!

2007 HRB & TS CUP STANDINGS (as of 28 January 2007)

Name of Brewer(s)	Total Points Accumulated
Tom Byrnes	4
J. P. Messier	3
Chris Jones and Diane Catanzaro	3
Victor Perotti	2
This could easily be you ….	…. if you get brewing

2007 HRB & TS Beer of the Month Schedule – Patti Messier

Month (2007 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	Holiday Season beers (21B)	20 December 2006
February	Barleywines (19B & C)	24 January 2007
March	Scottish Ale (9A, B & C)	Feb 21^st	Y
April	Extract (All)	Mar 21^st	Y
May	India Pale Ale (14A & B)	Apr 18^th
June	German/American Wheat & Rye (6D, 15)	May 16^th
July	Meads (24,25,26)	Jun 20^th	Y
August	Fruit Beer (20)	Jul 18^th
September	Belgian Strong Ale (18)	Aug 15^th
October	European Amber & Dark Lager, Bock (3, 4, 5)	Sep 19^th
November	Smoke-Flavored & Wood Aged (22)	Oct 24^th
December	Spice, Herb, Vegetable Beer (21)	Nov 21^st
January 2008	Stouts 13A, B & C)	Dec 19^th
February 2008	Strong Ale & Russian Imperial Stout (13F, 19)	Jan 23^rd2008

Recipe of the Month – Will Walker

An extract recipe and an all-grain choice for you to try!

Scottish II

Brewer:

Two TKE's Brew

Email:

gte859e@prism.gatech.edu

Beer:

Scottish II

Style:

Strong Scotch Ale

Type:

Extract w/grain

Size:

5 gallons

Color:

68 HCU (~27 SRM)

Bitterness:

27 IBU

OG:

1.075

FG:

1.020

Alcohol:

7.1% v/v (5.6% w/w)

Grain:

4 oz. American crystal 20L
4 oz. Roasted barley
4 oz. Peat smoked barley
2 oz. Belgian Special B

Steep:

Steep the grains for 15-20 minutes at 150° -155° .

Boil:

60 minutes

SG 1.075

5 gallons

9.9 lb. Light malt extract

Add 1 tsp. Irish Moss at last 15 min.

Hops:

1.5 oz. Fuggles (4.75% AA, 60 min.)
1 oz. Kent Goldings (5.1% AA, 30 min.)

Yeast:

Scottish Ale Yeast- Wyeast #1728

Carbonation:

2.3 volumes

Corn Sugar: 3.93 oz. for 5 gallons @ 70°F

Pride of the Clan Scotch Ale

I love a good malty scotch ale. This recipe should have a nice rich malt
character with just enough hops to balance the sweetness and a mild smoky
flavor. Just the thing for those cold highland nights.

Brewer:

Christopher McMath

Email:

mcmath@colorado.edu

Beer:

Pride of the Clan Scotch Ale

Style:

Scotch Ale

Type:

All grain

Size:

6 gallons

Color:

39 HCU (~18 SRM)

Bitterness:

20 IBU

OG:

1.057

FG:

1.018

Alcohol:

5.0% v/v (3.9% w/w)

Water:

10 gallons dechlorinated water with a little gypsum

Grain:

8.5 lb. British pale
.5 lb. Wheat malt
1 lb. British Munich
.5 lb. Dextrine malt (Cara-Pils)
1 lb. British crystal 70-80L
.25 lb. British chocolate
.5 lb. Peat smoked malt

Mash:

75% efficiency

Infusion mash at 158 for 70 min, followed by a mashout at 170 degrees for 20 min.
Sparge with 175 degree water over 60 min.

Boil:

90 minutes

SG 1.049

7 gallons

Irish moss last 20 min.

Hops:

1 oz. Fuggles (4.75% AA, 90 min.)
.5 oz. Kent Goldings (5% AA, 25 min.)
.5 oz. Kent Goldings (aroma)

Yeast:

Wyeast scottish, 1 qt starter

Log:

ferment cool for three weeks and bottle age for 1-2 months.

Carbonation:

1/2 cup sugar for light carbonation.

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. Visit the HRB & TS online at www.hrbts.org.