Big Beer Week

February 22nd, 2010

February is a short month, which is why Theme Week almost slipped away from me—but not to worry! I do have a plan!

Something about February always says “big beer” for me (like when I hosted The Session back in 2008 and declared it Barleywine season): perhaps it’s the depths of winter when a big, warming beer is comfort food, perhaps it’s simply the daylight hours are growing visibly longer and it feels contemplative. Regardless, this month’s Theme Week here at The Brew Site is all about the beers that are “big” in some way—Big Beer Week.

I have plenty of big beers to review—of course, it helps that I splurged some of my Christmas money on some high-strength specialties, and of course everyone’s dying to know how the Jubel 2010 turned out, right? (And needless to say, I won’t be covering the Pyramids this week.)

Received: A sixer of Pyramid

February 20th, 2010

These came today:

A six-pack consisting of two each of (Spring) Fling Pale Ale, Haywire Hefeweizen, and Audacious Apricot Ale, all from Pyramid Brewing. Looks like they came in connection with my Hop Press blogging, though I’m not sure where the reviews will ultimately show up—there or here. Either way, it’s all good.

Great Arizona Beer Festival

February 16th, 2010

I did not know that Arizona has had a “Great Beer Festival” that’s been going on for more than two decades—Arizona not generally being known as a big brewing state—but indeed they do: early next month the 22nd annual Great Arizona Beer Festival is getting underway in Tempe. (I also just posted the press release about it, which caught my eye.)

March 6th and 7th is the Festival, and $40 will get you in and get up to 23 three-ounce tasters. It’s all for a good cause, too: 100% of the proceeds will benefit Sun Sounds Foundation of Arizona, a reading service for people who are blind.

There are a ton of other events besides just beer tasting, too—look at the press release for the list. And you can take a look at their beer list; while there are some big names on that list it looks like there is a very good amount from Arizona brewers (and possibly other Southwest brewers—I’m not as well-versed in my U.S. Southwest brewer geography as I am for the Pacific Nothwest. For obvious reasons).

So you always wanted to own a brewpub…

February 15th, 2010

The Elliot Glacier Public House is for sale. Where is Elliot Glacier, you may wonder? In the small community of Parkdale, about 17 miles south of Hood River. We’ve driven by it, once, but did not stop (we were on our way home with a load of fresh-picked fruit).

Elliot Glacier is a seven-barrel brewpub with—based on the accounts I’ve been reading—a magnificent view of the north face of Mount Hood from their back patio. It was built in 1937 as a theater and was renovated into its current incarnation in 1997. Very casual, as well—with a small open kitchen that only serves up the basics.

The interesting thing is that the building and business both are for sale for only $470,000. That’s not bad at all, it seems to me. I wonder how good business could be in such a small community, of course, but they’ve fared well(?) for 12+ years so far.

Found via Lisa Morrison (the Beer Goddess!) on Twitter.

The Beer Hacker: Brewing on the cheap: Revising estimates

February 11th, 2010

Returning to the series of articles about the economic impact of homebrewing, we re-examine previous cost estimates based on new information.

When I started this series, hops at the local Brew Shop were selling for $5 to $6.50 per two-ounces of whole flowers, and that was what the various estimates were based on. Since then, the price of whole hops has dropped to $3.25 to $3.95 per two-ounce package, so here I present some updated figures.

(Note: the online prices of hops are still averaging around $5-6 per two ounces, so it’s possible that hop prices in your area—if you have a local homebrew shop—are still similarly priced as well. But there is currently a hop surplus (a reaction to the hop shortage several years back), so I would expect to start seeing those prices go down sooner rather than later.)

Without further ado, here’s our updated pricing chart:

Ingredient	Price	Price (online)
Malt extract syrup – 7 lbs.	$18.00	$16.50
Malt extract – dried – 3 lbs.	$11.00	$11.25
Malt extract – dried – 1 lb.	$4.25	$4.40
Grains – per pound	$1.90	$1.45
Specialty grains – per pound	$2.25	~$2.00
Hops (whole leaf)	$3.25 – 3.95	$5.50+
Liquid yeast	$6.50	$6.00 – 10.00
Yeast – dry	$1.25 – 3.95	$1.20 – 4.00
Corn sugar – 1 lb.	$1.25	$1.00 – 2.00

And, here’s an updated table of costs by style:

Style	Price
American Pale Ale	$31.15
English Bitter	$34.77
India Pale Ale	$43.35
Double/Imperial IPA	$54.92
Brown Ale	$31.07
Porter	$37.09
Stout (basic)	$34.40
Imperial Stout	$71.17
Hefeweizen (basic)	$29.95
Cream Ale	$29.15
Belgian Witbier	$35.93
Barleywine	~$70

Not a huge difference from the original estimates, but every little bit adds up.

The next Session: The Good Stuff

February 9th, 2010

Next month, March 5th, is The Session’s third birthday: that’s right, three years ago March, the first Session stormed the internet on the topic of Stouts—”Not your father’s Irish Stout,” as suggested by Stan (who also came up with the idea of The Session).

So it’s entirely appropriate that March’s theme—brought to us by SirRon of The Ferm—is “When to Drink the Good Stuff“:

Finding a drinking occasion that lives up to the reputation of the bottle and the story of its acquisition is not a dreadful struggle to have, but it is a struggle nonetheless. When my good friends are over and we have had a few other beverages, will we still be able to enjoy my cave aged Hennepin that I bought after my tour of the brewery and have cellared for ten years? Will I miss it like I miss that four year old Golden Monkey?

In March, The Ferm has the honor of hosting The Session, a monthly assemblage of beer bloggers to opine on a shared topic. The March 2010 topic is “The Display Shelf: When to Drink the Good Stuff.” The topic is open ended and the rules of The Session are close to nil. You can use your post to be persuasive or therapeutic. You may choose to tell a story of a great bottle you once opened or boast of your own beer collection.

Friday, March 5th. Be there.

Received: Jubel 2010

February 8th, 2010

This came today:

Deschutes Brewery’s newest Reserve Series beer, Jubel 2010 (“Once a Decade Ale”) and a goblet—which is identical to the goblets they were handing out during their Release Party Friday night (I picked up one of those as well, so now I have two).

Incidentally, I can say that Jubel is big and plummy and sweet and sticky, hiding its 10% alcohol really well. But I’ll do a more detailed review soon, from this bottle.

Need last-minute Super Bowl beer?

February 7th, 2010

Follow my suggestions in my Hop Press article yesterday. There’s still time to run out to your nearest bottle shop (or boutique grocery, or wherever sells craft beer in your area) and stock up.

The Session #36: Cask-Conditioned Beer

February 5th, 2010

It’s the first Friday of the month again, and that means it’s time for “Beer Blogging Friday”—AKA The Session, the monthly collaboration of beer bloggers across the world to write about a common topic. All the participating blog posts will then be gathered and summarized by the host for the month (who is also the one who got to pick the theme and set any ground rules).

This month’s topic is brought to us by Tom over at Yours for Good Fermentables and the topic is Cask-Conditioned Beer:

Cask-conditioned ale —or “real ale” as it is called, somewhat boastfully, by the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA), a beer consumer advocacy group in the UK— is defined by that organization as

beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide.

Viewers of this blog have read my opinions on cask-conditioned ale, and probably once too often. So, let’s hear yours, and not only yours. Why not invite brewers and drinkers and bemused casked-spectators to contribute essays for the Session?

Besides that question, Tom suggests a number of other possible discussion points for this month’s topic. Actually he suggests a lot. I expect this month’s Session posts will be good reads.

One of the first things I thought, from his definition of cask-conditioned ale, is that homebrewed beer fits that definition almost perfectly: at least when it’s bottle-conditioned. Bottle-conditioning is essentially a secondary fermentation of the beer in the bottle, naturally carbonating it; you open a bottle and serve it as-is, without the “extraneous” CO₂. It’s like bottles of homebrew are casks!

Beyond that pithy observation, I have to confess a lack of experience in drinking cask-conditioned beers. Not to say I’m completely clueless—I’ve thoroughly enjoyed cask ales when I’ve ordered them, and I’d be happy if every beer I drink could be cask-conditioned. But Oregon overall has a distinct lack of “cask culture”, so to speak, so the opportunities just aren’t there. The only place in Central Oregon that I know for sure offers cask-conditioned beer is Deschutes Brewery (of course)—they have two taps devoted to cask conditioned beers, one of which is always populated with their excellent Bachelor Bitter.

Now, having mentioned Oregon’s dearth of the cask, I do have to point to the one exception: the Brewers Union Local 180, located in tiny Oakridge, Oregon. It occupies a unique niche in the state’s beer scene: it’s the only Real Ale pub in Oregon—that is, all of their beers are cask-conditioned and only cask-conditioned.

They’re serious about it, too:

In order to keep our casks in peak condition, and to serve in an optimum way, we have built a temperature-controlled cellar behind the bar. This temperature will be maintained at 52° F (11° C), a bit on the cool side of the recommended range of 50°—55° F (10°—12° C). The stillage has been built to accommodate 8 casks, six of which can be in service and connected to the six beer engines on the bar at any one time. We are using CypherCo plastic firkins shipped from England that are automatically kept at the correct angle of incline based on remaining volume in the casks by the use of Tilt-a-Cask auto tilt mechanisms from A-Cask, another product shipped from England.

You would have to search far and wide, perhaps involving the journey over a large body of water, to find a more authentic pint.

The blog is also good reading, and I’d water I’ve learned more about cask ales from reading it than anything else.

You’d expect a brewpub occupying such a unique niche to be located in Portland (Beervana), but strangely enough it’s to be found in one of the more out-of-the-way communities in the state—which for me, only adds to the appeal. And since Oakridge is only a mere 97 miles from Bend, one of my goals this year is to take (at the least) a day trip over to check out the Brewers Union 180.

And when I do, I’ll be able to talk a bit more about cask conditioning.

Another Bend Beer Blog

February 4th, 2010

As active as the beer culture is here in Bend, Oregon, there sure is a scarcity of local beer blogs. For the longest time there was just myself (and of course, now my Hop Press blog as well) and Brewerman. Only two of the breweries have blogs: Deschutes and 10 Barrel (though that one hasn’t been updated in nearly a year).

But! There’s a new blog that has popped up: the aptly-name “The Bend Beer Blog.” I’m always glad to see a new beer blog, and one here in Bend is especially welcome!

Now if we could only get a few more, we could have some serious meetups.

Deschutes Jubel 2010 release party

February 2nd, 2010

This Friday, February 5th, marks the Jubel 2010 Release Party at Deschutes Brewery—2pm at the Portland Pub, and 6pm at the Bend Pub. The Bend event blurb reads:

Jubel 2010 beer on tap with special menu items. Bottles for sale (6 bottle limit). First 100 guests will receive a Jubel 2010 commemorative goblet.

Jubel 2010, or “Super Jubel” as it’s locally known when they release it in the pub only each year, is Deschutes’ latest Reserve Series beer, basically a doubled-up version of their seasonal Jubelale. This is only the second time the brewery has ever bottled Super Jubel, the first being in 2000. From the press release, here’s the (apocryphal?) story of how it came about:

Jubel was discovered by accident two decades ago when a clumsy burglar didn’t realize the weight of his stolen keg of Jubelale. He dropped it outside to freeze in the season’s sub-zero temperatures – only to be discovered the next morning by Gary Fish, Deschutes Brewery owner. More than half the liquid in the keg had frozen and the remaining beer was a very cold, highly concentrated “Jubelale on steroids.” It was so good that the brewers set about recreating it, coming up with an annual “Super Jubel” that is aged in Oregon oak pinot barrels.

I can’t speak as to whether the story’s true or not—it’s a good story but seems a little convenient—but I’ve had Super Jubel on tap over the years, and it’s a good beer.

Check out one of the release parties, if you’re in either area; it’ll be packed but still a good time.

Zwickelmania 2010

February 1st, 2010

Zwickelmania in Oregon is back again this year:

This President’s Day weekend, dozens of Oregon breweries and brewpubs will open their doors to visitors for the state’s 2nd annual Zwickelmania. Zwickelmania, hosted by the Oregon Brewers Guild (OBG), is a free statewide event that offers visitors a chance to tour Oregon breweries, meet the brewers and sample their favorite beers.
When: Saturday, February 13th, 2010 from 11-4 pm

It’s a celebration of Oregon’s brewers, and there’s an impressive list participating this year (be sure to check out the details to see what each brewery has planned), including:

• Heater Allen Brewing: “Release of Hugo Bock, free tastes of Smokey Bob out of the lagering tank and $1 tastes of everything else.”
• Oakshire Brewing: “Tours on the hour and 10, that’s right, TEN different beers on tap! Devour will be on hand selling their grilled sandwhiches, soup and tater tots.”
• BridgePort Brewing: “$2.75 pints between 11-4pm along with brewery tours on the hour”
• Deschutes Brewing (Bend): “Guided brewery tours from 12 to 5, samples of 2009 Super Jubel+brewer on hand to answer questions.”
• Full Sail Brewing (both locations): “Take a tour and sample a pairing of “Collin’s Dark Secret” the newest Brewers Share beer and artisian chocolate, a great Valentine’s weekend treat. Guided Brewery Tours at 12, 1, 2, 3 and 4PM”
• Pelican Pub & Brewery: “Meet 3 brewers who will be offering brewery tours and beer samples from the fermenter.”
• Raccoon Lodge: “Sampling beer from the Zwickel+beers from the barrel and promises of alchemy demonstrations as well.”
• Southern Oregon Brewing: “Tour and complimentary flight of tasters for people who take the tour at 4 pm.”
• Three Creeks Brewing: “Brewery tours on the hour and the Brewer will be on-site with tastings and beer discussion all day.”
• Widmer Brewing: “Widmer Brothers Brewing will have free tours of their state-of-the-art brewing facility, offering complimentary tastings and appetizers paired with the beers. They will offer special release beers not available anywhere else along with their standard beers. Kurt and Rob and their brewing staff will be on site giving tours. They will have t-shirts, pint glasses, and other gear for sale.”

Liquid Solutions is closing

January 31st, 2010

I saw this news last week but hadn’t really had time to fully process or address it: online beer retailer Liquid Solutions is closings its doors.

It is with a heavy heart that I am closing the business down after nine years of operation. We are shutting down the website and liquidating our entire inventory out of the warehouse. We are selling all beer, mead and ciders at 10-30% below cost. Hundreds of great beers are available. For a list of products see the post below. Come to the warehouse early for the best selection.

There is also a list of beers available for liquidation, but if you’re able to go there’s no guarantee that any of these will be still available.

Beyond that, of course, is a deeper regret on seeing the site shuttered; while the site itself was a little rough around the edges, it was still incomparable as far as online beer stores go, both in selection and with their vintage auctions. Not to mention that they offered an affiliate program—as regular visitors here have undoubtedly noticed. That alone put them ahead of other online stores I’ve come across.

Definitely a loss to the internet beer community, and they will be missed.

Hop Press: To Age or Not To Age

January 31st, 2010

In case you missed it yesterday, my Hop Press articles is a meditation on the aging of beer.

When does the aging end and the drinking begin? Do you follow the Pliny school of thought, or the Reserve Series? Lately I’ve been drifting a bit from the Reserve Series column to the Pliny column: beer is meant to be drank. But there are some styles of beer that are worth aging; it’s not an absolute either way for me.

Cream Ale Week: Terrapin Golden Ale

January 29th, 2010

Even though they call it “Golden Ale,” Terrapin Beer’s Golden Ale does in fact fit the Cream Ale style bill—and the ratings sites both classify it as such. Intrigued, I contacted Terrapin to find out if they would provide a sample for review; they generously sent two bottles to me. (They in fact arrived just this week—in the nick of time!)

Terrapin is based in Atlanta Athens, Georgia (updated—see comments, and you’d think I’d do my homework more diligently), and this may well be my first Georgia craft beer. So far it’s a nice introduction.

The spec sheet they included with the package indicates an alcohol content of 5.3% by volume (the website says 5%), and has an interesting grain bill: 2-Row Pale, Munich, Vienna, Malted Wheat, Flaked Barley. (The site indicates Carapils as well, but it’s not on the sheet.) The wheat is what caught my eye; it’s not a component of Cream Ales I’ve seen much in commercial beers (though I’ve used in it my own recipe), though it would help to lighten the body and aid head retention.

Appearance: Hazy honey-gold in color with one finger of ivory head.

Smell: Nice malty nose, toasty and a touch floral. A mild fruitiness as well… mango or something tropical?

Taste: It’s got a tart bite punctuated by a wheaty bread crust flavor and a touch of green apple. Tart enough to be dry but not off-putting—a nice thirst-quenching quality to it.

Mouthfeel: Light, slightly puckery, effervescent with a tart, dry finish.

Overall: Definitely grabs you, in a good way—lots of character for a light beer.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores an overall grade of B-. On RateBeer, it scores 2.75 out of 5, and is in their 24th percentile.