The Brewsletter

November 2007

 

 

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

www.hrbts.org

 

 

The President’s Podium – Jason Kuller

 

Thank You!, to Will & Jonna for once again hosting the club’s annual Oktoberfest party last month.  As always, it was a great success with delicious traditional German eats and lots of great beer for everyone to sample.  The meeting also spotlighted the 3rd annual HRBTS silent auction which featured all kinds of interesting items to bid on, from a fermentation cooler to hot sauce made with beer.  The auction was a great success yet again and many thanks go out to all of the club members that put in time, effort and donations to support HRBTS!

 

This month starts the 2008 officers’ election season.  We will open nominations at the November meeting and close them just prior to the vote in December.  Our elected offices include: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, and Competition Coordinator. Our Meeting Coordinator position is appointed by the president but also has a voice on the board.  I want 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.

 

November also plays host to the annual “Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day” sponsored by the AHA.  This annual event will be held on Sat. November 3 and everyone is encouraged to participate by either lending their homebrew skills to help those not versed in the art of brewing or by those non-brewers to get with it and start the hobby that very well could take over your life (and I mean that in a good way!).

For more information check out http://beertown.org/events/teach/index.html Happy brewing, whether teaching or learning it is bound to be the start of a beautiful thing!

 

Finally, I would like to turn everyone on to a couple of pretty stellar beer finds of late.  If you are not a hop-head you may want to fast forward to the next section.  First off, Sierra Nevada has just released its 11th annual “HARVEST” Fresh Hop Ale.  This is a beer that is made with hops that are harvested and brewed with on the very same day for a very tasty hop experience; it is in better beer stores now, but since it is seasonal and limited, you better get it before it is gone.  The second brew may well be my favorite beer ever and comes from the guys at Stone Brewing.  Stone’s 11th anniversary Black IPA is an absolutely phenomenal beer, crafted with an amazing hop profile that will make you grab for something stable as your legs go rubbery and your body starts to tingle with joy!  The beer is so amazing to me because it is damn near black in color, but is so clean and smooth and hoppy you would never guess it in a blind taste test.  This one you must truly try for yourself, if you dare!

 

Happy Brewing and Cheers

Jason

 

 

November Meeting Location – Diane Catanzaro

 

Our November 7 meeting is at a new venue for the HRB&TS…the Blue Crab Restaurant on the marina near East Beach in Norfolk’s Ocean View.  We will meet in the bar, which will be designated nonsmoking from 7 to 10.  When Chris and I dined at the Blue Crab in late summer we were impressed by the beer selection.  However, the Blue Crab has recently come under new ownership.  This is a good news-bad news story.

 

The bad news is that the new ownership seems to be discontinuing many of the better microbrews in favor of Bud-Miller-Coors type macrobrews and faux-micros like Jack’s Pumpkin and Skipjack, both Anheuser-Busch products, and Molson-Coors’ Blue Moon).  The good news is that they are selling off the good micros at special prices.  ASK to see the “Special Beer menu” which is a separate menu listing various micros at fire-sale prices.  You will see a couple of Flying Dogs for $2.00; for $2.50 you can sip Rogues (Amber, Dead Guy, and Mocha Porter) or Old Rasputin. Several beers from Samuel Smith’s lineup are $3.00.  The “regular” beer menu has some nice choices for $4.00, like Acme IPA, Left Hand Sawtooth Ale, Redhook’s Longhammer IPA, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  They also have Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (over 10% alcohol) and Seadog Blueberry Wheat; prices not available at press time.  Doug will be happy to know they have Guinness.  On tap, enjoy Harpoon IPA, Dominion Lager, and Widmer Hefeweizen (“wussyweizen”).  Happy hour is over at 7 pm and only applies to the “regular” beers so a few folks might be early enough to get their order in before 7.  But with the “special” prices on the close-out beer menu it’s not worth being too concerned about happy hour (IMHO)!

 

The bottom line is the bottom line.  When a restaurant like the Blue Crab offers great beers the community (hey, that’s us!) needs to support them.  Of course, the restaurant also needs to train the staff, promote the beer menu, and suggest beer-food pairings.  I only wish we had met here sooner and spread the word…”A locally owned restaurant with an attractive location on the water, good food, and excellent beers.”  

Once the better beers are sold off, it seems the Blue Crab will still have some good micros under the new ownership, but not as many.  If you like the Blue Crab, consider returning soon with friends and enjoying some of the better micros they should continue to have available, as long as people vote with their wallets for quality craft beer.

 

The food menu is pretty extensive and should have something that fits most moods and budgets.  Appetizers, soups and salads for the lighter appetite include crab dip, fried calamari, oyster stew, and Portobello mushroom caps topped with veggies and mozzarella.  A baby spinach salad with carmelized onion, roasted pecans, and Madeira-poached pear is $6.00.  A dozen hushpuppies or cranberry cornbread is $2.

 

Seafood entrees include crab cakes ($21), flounder “Blue Crab” is topped with lump crab and hollandaise sauce ($19), citrus-fennel wild salmon ($20).  You can get a burger for $9 and top it with lump crab for $2. Granny Smith apple chutney pork chops ($17) and smoked chicken carbonara ($18) are other interesting offerings.

 

As usual the meeting is at 7:30, but we have the bar beginning at 7 so feel free to join the early-birds for a head start on ordering dinner before the crowd shows up.

 

The Blue Crab is located at 4521 Pretty Lake Avenue in Norfolk. Phone is 757-362-3133.

 

Directions:

 

From Currituck/Southern Chesapeake/southern Suffolk

Take Rt 168 N to exit 15A onto I-64 W (toward Virginia Beach).

Exit at Northampton Blvd. Stay on Northampton about 1.3 miles.

Turn left onto Diamond Springs Road.

Turn left onto Shore Drive. This becomes Ocean View Avenue. Pretty Lake Avenue is at the light after your cross the water. Turn right on Pretty Lake Avenue, and the marina and restaurant are on your right in a minute.

 

From Northern Suffolk

Take I-664 South to exit 15A onto I-264 East.

Take I-64 West toward Richmond.

Exit at Northampton Blvd. Stay on Northampton about 1.3 miles.

Turn left onto Diamond Springs Road.

Turn left onto Shore Drive. This becomes Ocean View Avenue.

Pretty Lake Avenue is at the light after your cross the water. Turn right on Pretty Lake Avenue, and the marina and restaurant are on your right in a minute.

 

From Virginia Beach near Shore Drive

Take Shore Drive until it crosses into Norfolk and becomes Ocean View Ave. In a couple of minutes, you will cross the water and be at the intersection of Ocean View Ave and Pretty Lake Avenue. Turn right on Pretty Lake Avenue, and the marina and restaurant are on your right in a minute.

 

 

 

 

From other parts of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake

Take I-64 W to Northampton Blvd.

Exit at Northampton Blvd. Stay on Northampton about 1.3 miles.

Turn left onto Diamond Springs Road.

Turn left onto Shore Drive. This becomes Ocean View Avenue in a few minutes.

Pretty Lake Avenue is at the light after your cross the water. Turn right on Pretty Lake Avenue, and the marina and restaurant are on your right in a minute.

 

From downtown Norfolk/Ghent

Take Granby Street North to Little Creek Rd.

Turn right on Little Creek Rd (East).

When Little Creek ends at the base turn left onto Shore Drive/Ocean View Ave.

After you cross the water, take a right on Pretty Lake Avenue. The marina and restaurant are on your right in a minute.

 

 

Competition Corner November 2007 – Patti Messier

 

Our monthly judging took place on October 25, at the home of Tom and Kate Byrnes, thank you once again!  We had the unique category of smoked and wood-aged beers this month, actually only judging many wood-aged but only one smoked!   Our esteemed panel of judges (Tom Byrnes, Jason Kuller, Diane Catanzaro and J.P. Messier) tasted many fine wood-aged IPA’s as well as some other interesting combinations, even a wood-aged lambic! 

 

After the deliberations, the results were as follows: 

First Place,  Tom Byrnes with his Oaked IPA, good for three HRBTS Cup points;  

Second Place, JP Messier with his Currituck Straight Lambic, good for two HRBTS Cup points;  and 

Third Place, Jason Kuller with his Oakey Dokey IPA, earning him one HRBTS Cup point.

 

We have one final judging left for this competition year and it will be Spice, Herb and Vegetable beers (Category 21), perfect for the holiday season! 

 

If you have not entered a judging yet this year, it is time to start thinking about the 2008 competition year.  Start planning now …January is Stouts (Category 13 AB&C), February will be Strong Ale and Russian Imperial Stout (categories 13F & 19) and March is Porters (Category 12). Start brewing now so you will be ready when these judgings roll around!

 

The current HRBTS Cup standings are in the table, following this text.  Enter some beers and join the ranks!  

 

 

 

2007 HRBTS CUP STANDINGS (as of 31 October 2007)

 Name of Brewer(s)

Total Points Accumulated

 

J. P. Messier

25

Chris Jones and Diane Catanzaro

17

Tom Byrnes

15

Gus Gustafson

5

Jason Kuller

6

Brian Edgar

4

Victor Perrotti

3

Tim Hobbs

3

This could easily be you ….

…. if you get brewing

 

 

 

Quit throwing away your used yeast vials! – Patti 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!

 

 

Quit throwing away your used yeast vials! – Patti 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!

 

 

 

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 –J.P. Messier & Tom Byrnes

 

1st Place Tom Byrnes

Oaked IPA #1 – Tom Byrnes

14-B  India Pale Ale, American IPA

Min OG:  1.056   Max OG:  1.075

Min IBU:    40   Max IBU:    72

Batch Size (Gal):         5.00   

Total Extract (Lbs):      9.50

Anticipated OG:          1.069    Plato:              16.8

Anticipated SRM:           9.8

Anticipated IBU:         130.4

Wort Boil Time:             60    Minutes

 

Grain/Extract/Sugar:

   %     Amount     Name                                 Origin

21.1     2.00 lbs. Muntons DME - Light           England       

68.4     6.50 lbs. Generic LME - Light            Generic       

5.3       0.50 lbs. CaraPilsner                            France        

5.3       0.50 lbs. CaraMunich 40                     France        

 

Hops:

   Amount     Name                              Form    Alpha  IBU  Boil Time

  2.00 oz.    Chinook                           Pellet    13.00  116.9  60 min.

  0.50 oz.    Cascade                           Pellet     5.75   6.6  30 min.

  1.00 oz.    Cascade                           Pellet     5.75   6.9  15 min.

  1.00 oz.    Amarillo Gold                 Pellet    10.00   0.0  Dry Hop

  0.50 oz.    Cascade                           Pellet     5.75   0.0  Dry Hop

 

Extras:

  Amount         Name                           Type           Time

  1.00 Tsp       Irish Moss                     Fining    15 Min.(boil)

  1.00 Unit(s)  Servomyces                  Other     10 Min.(boil)

 

Yeast:

White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast

 

Notes:

1.  Oak chips soaked in Jack Daniels for 1 month, discard liquid before placing in secondary.

2.  The 6.5# LME was a late addition and added last 15 minutes of boil.

3.  Dry hop: .5 cascade, 1oz amarillo and 1oz american oak for 1 week.

OG=1.066

 

 

2nd Place – JP Messier; Currituck Lambic – Oak Aged;

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines

17-D Sour Ale, Straight (unblended) Lambic

Min OG:

1.040

Max OG:

1.054

  

Min IBU:

2

Max IBU:

10

  

Min Clr:

3

Max Clr:

7

 Color in SRM, Lovibond

 

Recipe Specifics

 

Batch Size (Gal):

5.00

Wort Size (Gal):

5.00

Total Extract (Lbs):

9.75

  

  

Anticipated OG:

1.063

Plato:

15.45

Anticipated SRM:

14.2

    

  

Anticipated IBU:

22.0

  

  

Wort Boil Time:

60

 Minutes

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grain/Extract/Sugar

 

%

Amount

Name

Origin

Potential

SRM

10.3

1.00 lbs. 

Generic LME - Light

Generic

1.035

7

51.3

5.00 lbs. 

Generic LME - Wheat

Generic

1.037

5

10.3

1.00 lbs. 

Vienna Malt

America

1.035

4

5.1

0.50 lbs. 

Aromatic Malt

Belgium

1.036

25

5.1

0.50 lbs. 

CaraMunich Malt

Belgium

1.033

75

2.6

0.25 lbs. 

Special B Malt

Belgian

1.030

120

10.3

1.00 lbs. 

Acid Malt

  

1.033

9

5.1

0.50 lbs. 

CaraVienne Malt

Belgium

1.034

22

 

Hops

 

Amount

Name

Form

Alpha

IBU

Boil Time

1.00 oz. 

Goldings - E.K.

Pellet

4.75

22.0

60 min

 

Yeast

White Labs WLP570 Belgian Golden Ale in Primary

White Labs WLP655 Belgian Sour Mix in Secondary

Notes

 

Irish Moss - 2 tsp at 30 mins.
Calcium Chloride - 1 tsp at 30 mins.
White Labs Blended Brett in Secondary along with oak chips for 2 months.
Bottle condition.

 

 

 

 

 

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.