The Brewsletter

March 2007

 

 

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

www.hrbts.org

 

 

The President’s Podium – Jason Kuller

 

EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT! 

Our very own Diane Catanzaro has been crowned Beer Drinker of the Year by the Wynkoop Brewery.  It is an honor to have her in our club, and the craft beer and homebrew cults are lucky to have her as our Queen as well as an Ambassador to the beer challenged all over the world.  Lacy and I were actually fortunate enough to run into Diane and CJ at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport and share a plane home on Sunday, as they made their way from the Wynkoop in Denver and we headed home from New Mexico.  While in the land of enchantment we visited several breweries and brewpubs in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque, where the craft beer scene is alive and well.  If you ever in the area check out 2nd St. brewery in Santa Fe for a great array of award winning brews and terrific creative pub grub.

            The new website is also up and running!!! It is not totally done but you can check out lots of pictures, newsletters and contact information and it is already looking far better than our previous site.  Thanks to Victor for his efforts in making this happen.

            In other news, The Palm Beach Draughtsmen are hosting the 12th Annual Hurricane Blowoff Homebrew Competition and entries are accepted between March 3 and March 23 for all BJCP styles of beer and mead.  Email me if you are interested in more info and I will send over the flyer that was emailed to me.

            On a final note Troegs has released its special small batch edition of Nugget Nectar, this beer “will take hopheads to nirvana with a heady collection of Nugget, Warrior and Tomahawk hops”.  If it says anything this is definitely one of my favorite hoppy beers around, it is available at Total Wine in Chesapeake but quantities are limited so get yours now.   CHEERS and have a great month.

March Meeting Location – Diane Catanzaro

 

The March 7 HRB&TS meeting will be at Granby North Restaurant in the Ocean View section of Norfolk. Granby North is at the northern end of Granby Street, just a few blocks from the Chesapeake Bay. These good folks are kind enough to dedicate a room (on the left as you walk in) to the HRB&TS for our meeting. This locally owned restaurant has reasonable prices and a varied range of tasty choices. Owner Holly is very hospitable and this restaurant is great to deal with….nice folks all ‘round.

 

Of course bring homebrew! The meeting starts at 7:30, but feel free to arrive around 7 to socialize and get started on dinner and a brew before the crowd shows up.

 

Granby North is at 9619 Granby Street Norfolk, 757-588-6728.

Note: NOT near downtown, this is the northern end of Granby Street!!

 

Directions:

 

From VA Beach:

If you are near Shore Drive, take Shore Drive West, it turns into Ocean View Ave. Turn left on Granby at the light after Judy Boone Realty…you’ll see Granby North on the right in a minute or two.

 

If you are not near Shore Dr., take I-64 to the Granby St exit, then head North on Granby St to Granby North. Stay on Granby, it is on the left a few minutes after you cross the intersection with Tidewater Dr. If you hit Ocean View Ave you’ve gone about 2 minutes too far.

 

From Norfolk:

Take Granby Street North to Granby North. It’s on the left a few minutes after you cross the intersection with Tidewater Dr. Unless you live in Ocean View, in which case just drive there cause you know where it is already!

 

From Currituck & points south:

Take Rt. 168 to I-64 (toward Norfolk) to the Granby St exit, then head North on Granby St. Stay on Granby, it is on the left a few minutes after you cross the intersection with Tidewater Dr. If you hit Ocean View Ave you’ve gone about 2 minutes too far.

 

From Peninsula :

Take HRBT, get off on 4th View exit just after the tunnel. Turn left after you exit.  Then turn  right onto Ocean View Ave (Rt 60).  Almost immediately, you must take the right exit ramp for “Ocean View - Rt 60" to stay on Ocean View Ave. In a couple of miles you will make a right on Granby St, and the restaurant is on the right in a minute or two.

 

 

Hop chemistry

 

 Hops are a critical ingredient in beer.  These flowers from the female plant botanically classified as Humulus lupulus provide beer with the resins and essential oils that give beer its bitterness, aroma and to some extent flavor.  There are a ton of resins and terpenes found in hops.  Each variety of the 50+ types of hops offers a different chemical profile.  The possibilities are endless.  Hops have typically 3 uses in making beer. 1) Bittering 2) Flavor & 3) Aroma.  How a hop is used, depends on how long it is boiled during the brewing process.  Bittering hops are boiled in the wort for at least 60 minutes.  A critical isomerization occurs during this time (see below).  Flavor hops are added during the last 15 minutes of a boil, and aroma hops are added during the last 1-5 minutes of the boil.  The role is determined by how oxidized the hop chemicals get during the boil.

We will just consider the bittering aspect right now.  Hops contain varying amounts of what are known as alpha acids.  Many hops range from 4-15% alpha acids.  Humulone is one example of an alpha acid.  There are of course many others, but they are all phenolic compounds that are only slightly soluble in water.  The alpha acids get isomerized to iso-alpha acids during the boil in the slightly acidic wort.  The iso-alpha acids are more soluble in water and contribute the bitterness of beer.  A good 60 minute boil is necessary to extract and isomerize the alpha acids.  The % alpha acids is a good measure of how bitter a hop will make the beer.

 (Article copyright Belgianshop.com, 2006)

 

Quit throwing away your used yeast vials! – Patty Messier

 

Hey, all you brewers out there!  We need you to save your used White Lab Yeast vials  HRBTS will begin collecting your empty vials and redeeming them with White Labs to earn some great prizes for our raffles.  JP Messier will be collecting them at the monthly meetings as well as the judgings.  So gather those empty vials and hand them off to JP at the next meeting!

 

Competition Corner, February 2006 – Patty Messier

 

We held our monthly judging on February 21.  Tom & Kate Byrnes once again opened up their home to us—thank you so much!!!

 

Scottish Ale month brought out 5 tasty entries.  Our three eager judges, Tom Byrnes, Doug Boyd, and JP Messier, sipped and tasted each entry enthusiastically.  With only 3 judges and 5 entries, the night passed quickly.

 

After the deliberations, the results were as follows: 

 

First Place, Brian Edgar, with his Racing The Wind Scottish Ale, good for three HRBTS Cup points;

Second Place, Tom Byrnes, with his Scottish Ale, good for two HRBTS Cup points; and 

Third Place, J. P. Messier, with his Forever Young Scottish Export Ale, earning him one HRBTS Cup point.

 

Our next monthly judging (March 21) will be for extract beers.  This competition covers all BJCP 2004 beer styles (Categories 1-23).  Extract must make up more than 50% of the fermentables to be eligible.  So all of you extract brewers out there, here’s your chance.  Choose 2, and only 2, of your favorite brewed extract beers and enter them this month!  With 9 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!

 

The current HRBTS Cup standings are in the table, following this text.  Brian Edgar joined the race this month but where’s your name?  Enter some beers!   

 

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

 Name of Brewer(s)

Total Points Accumulated

 

Tom Byrnes

6

J. P. Messier

4

Chris Jones and Diane Catanzaro

3

Brian Edgar

3

Victor Perrotti

2

This could easily be you ….

…. if you get brewing

 

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

 

Month

Style

Category

Judging

AHA

January

Holiday Season

21B

Dec 20th

 

February

Barleywine

19B,C

Jan 24th

 

March

Scottish Ale

9A,B,C

Feb 21st

Y

April

Extract

All

Mar 21st

Y

May

India Pale Ale

14A,B

Apr 18th

 

 

June

German/American Wheat & Rye

 

6D, 15

 

May 16th

 

July

Meads

24,25,26

Jun 20th

Y

August

Fruit Beer

20

Jul 18th

 

September

Belgian Strong Ale

18

Aug 15th 

 

 

 

October

 

European Amber & Dark Lager, Bock

 

 

3,4,5

 

 

Sep 19th

 

 

November

Smoke-Flavored & Wood Aged

 

22

 

Oct 24th

 

 

December

Spice, Herb, Vegetable Beer

 

21

 

Nov 21st

 

January

Stouts

13A,B,C

Dec 19th

 

 

February

Strong Ale & Russian Imperial Stout

 

13F, 19

 

Jan 23rd

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipes of the Month – JP Messier

 

Each month we will attempt to provide the recipes from the contest winning beers from the Beer of the Month judging.  Below are the three winners from the Scottish Ale contest.

 

Downsized Scotch ale

 

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines

09-A Scottish and Irish Ale, Scottish Light 60

Min OG:

1.030

Max OG:

1.035

  

Min IBU:

10

Max IBU:

20

  

Min Clr:

9

Max Clr:

17

 Color in SRM, Lovibond

 

Recipe Specifics

 

Batch Size (Gal):

5.00

Wort Size (Gal):

5.00

Total Extract (Lbs):

8.69

  

  

Anticipated OG:

1.073

Plato:

17.81

Anticipated SRM:

11.5

    

  

Anticipated IBU:

29.2

  

  

Wort Boil Time:

60

 Minutes

  

 

Grain/Extract/Sugar

 

%

Amount

Name

Origin

Potential

SRM

5.8

0.50 lbs. 

Crystal 40L

America

1.034

40

5.8

0.50 lbs. 

Munich Malt

Germany

1.037

8

5.8

0.50 lbs. 

CaraMunich Malt

Belgium

1.033

75

2.2

0.19 lbs. 

Peated Malt

Great Britain

1.038

5

80.6

7.00 lbs. 

Muntons DME - Light

England

1.046

5

 

Hops

 

Amount

Name

Form

Alpha

IBU

Boil Time

0.50 oz. 

Simcoe

Pellet

12.00

26.5

60 min

0.25 oz. 

Willamette

Pellet

5.00

1.5

15 min

0.25 oz. 

Goldings - E.K.

Whole

4.75

1.3

15 min

 

 

Extras

 

Amount

Name

Type

Time

0.50 Oz 

Malto Dextrine

Other

60 Min.(boil)

1.00 Tsp 

Irish Moss

Fining

15 Min.(boil)

 

Yeast

White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast

 

Forever Young Scottish Export Ale

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines

09-C Scottish and Irish Ale, Scottish Export 80

Min OG:

1.040

Max OG:

1.054

  

Min IBU:

15

Max IBU:

30

  

Min Clr:

9

Max Clr:

17

 Color in SRM, Lovibond

 

Recipe Specifics

 

Batch Size (Gal):

5.00

Wort Size (Gal):

5.00

Total Extract (Lbs):

8.25

  

  

Anticipated OG:

1.053

Plato:

13.00

Anticipated SRM:

11.7

    

  

Anticipated IBU:

26.2

  

  

Wort Boil Time:

75

 Minutes

  

 

Grain/Extract/Sugar

 

%

Amount

Name

Origin

Potential

SRM

6.1

0.50 lbs. 

Flaked Barley

America

1.032

2

6.1

0.50 lbs. 

Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt

  

1.033

2

6.1

0.50 lbs. 

Smoked(Bamberg)

Germany

1.037

9

3.0

0.25 lbs. 

Special B Malt

Belgian

1.030

120

6.1

0.50 lbs. 

Aromatic Malt

Belgium

1.036

25

6.1

0.50 lbs. 

Biscuit Malt

Great Britain

1.035

35

6.1

0.50 lbs. 

Briess LME- Weizen

America

1.035

4

60.6

5.00 lbs. 

Generic LME - Light

Generic

1.035

7

 

Hops

 

Amount

Name

Form

Alpha

IBU

Boil Time

0.50 oz. 

Willamette

Pellet

5.00

12.2

60 min

0.50 oz. 

Willamette

Pellet

5.00

6.2

30 min

0.50 oz. 

Goldings - E.K.

Pellet

4.75

5.9

30 min

0.50 oz. 

Goldings - E.K.

Pellet

4.75

1.9

5 min

 

 

Extras

 

Amount

Name

Type

Time

0.33 Oz 

Irish Moss

Fining

15 Min.(boil)

 

Yeast

White Labs WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

 

Time Out of Mind Scottish Ale

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines

05-C Scottish Ale, Export 80

Min OG:

1.040

Max OG:

1.050

  

Min IBU:

15

Max IBU:

36

  

Min Clr:

10

Max Clr:

19

 Color in SRM, Lovibond

 

Recipe Specifics

 

Batch Size (Gal):

4.00

Wort Size (Gal):

4.00

Total Grain (Lbs):

11.85

  

  

Anticipated OG:

1.081

Plato:

19.58

Anticipated SRM:

12.9

    

  

Anticipated IBU:

14.7

  

  

Brewhouse Efficiency:

75

 %

  

Wort Boil Time:

90

 Minutes

  

 

Grain/Extract/Sugar

 

%

Amount

Name

Origin

Potential

SRM

75.9

9.00 lbs. 

Pale Ale Malt (2-row)

Australia

1.037

3

0.8

0.10 lbs. 

Roasted Barley

America

1.028

450

8.4

1.00 lbs. 

Flaked Barley

America

1.032

2

4.2

0.50 lbs. 

Crystal 20L

America

1.035

20

8.4

1.00 lbs. 

Munich Malt

Belgium

1.038

8

2.1

0.25 lbs. 

Smoked(Bamberg)

Germany

1.037

2

 

Hops

 

Amount

Name

Form

Alpha

IBU

Boil Time

0.10 oz. 

Bramling Cross

Pellet

6.00

3.2

60 min

0.10 oz. 

Bramling Cross

Pellet

6.00

3.2

55 min

0.10 oz. 

Bramling Cross

Pellet

6.00

3.0

50 min

0.10 oz. 

Bramling Cross

Pellet

6.00

2.9

45 min

0.10 oz. 

Bramling Cross

Pellet

6.00

2.4

40 min

 

Yeast

White Labs WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

 

 

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.