Wort's Going On Here?

Pedernales Brewing Tasting Room

2013-05-18T17:13:00.001-05:00

Citra DIPA Brew Day

2013-05-18T11:27:00.000-05:00

Tired of dark, malty beers like Herr Neidermeier's Dunkleweiss, a barleywine, and Paint Rock Bock, I decided I needed to make an DIPA. So I went through the "Can You Brew It?" archives and pulled out the Kern River Citra DIPA.

Citra DIPA

Imperial IPA

Type: All Grain

Date: 5/19/2013

Batch Size: 6.00 gal

Brewer: Jeff Holt

Boil Size: 7.97 gal

Asst Brewer:

Boil Time: 60 min

Equipment: Jeff's Equipment

Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0

Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00

Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount	Item	Type	% or IBU
16.00 lb	Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)	Grain	84.21 %
1.00 lb	Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)	Grain	5.26 %
1.00 lb	Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)	Grain	5.26 %
0.50 lb	Honey Malt (25.0 SRM)	Grain	2.63 %
0.50 lb	Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM)	Grain	2.63 %
0.53 oz	Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (Dry Hop 12 days)	Hops	-
0.88 oz	Nugget [10.00 %] (60 min)	Hops	23.0 IBU
1.16 oz	Citra [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 12 days)	Hops	-
0.71 oz	Citra [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 9 days)	Hops	-
0.92 oz	Citra [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 6 days)	Hops	-
1.00 oz	Citra [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 3 days)	Hops	-
0.88 oz	Citra [10.50 %] (30 min)	Hops	18.6 IBU
0.88 oz	Citra [10.50 %] (15 min)	Hops	12.0 IBU
0.88 oz	Citra [10.50 %] (10 min)	Hops	8.8 IBU
0.88 oz	Citra [10.50 %] (5 min)	Hops	4.8 IBU
1 Pkgs	California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)	Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.069 SG

Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG

Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG

Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.95 %

Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %

Bitterness: 67.2 IBU

Calories: 43 cal/pint

Est Color: 7.0 SRM

Color:

Color

Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge

Total Grain Weight: 19.00 lb

Sparge Water: 4.31 gal

Grain Temperature: 72.0 F

Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F

TunTemperature: 72.0 F

Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE

Mash PH: 5.4 PH

**Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge**
Step Time	Name	Description	Step Temp
75 min	Mash In	Add 23.75 qt of water at 161.4 F	150.0 F

Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).

Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Kegged (Forced CO2)

Volumes of CO2: 2.4

Pressure/Weight: 21.6 PSI

Carbonation Used: -

Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F

Age for: 28.0 days

Storage Temperature: 52.0 F

Notes

Created with BeerSmith

Grapevine Craft Brewery Hosts Ground Breaking

2013-05-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

After getting their license in April, Grapevine Craft Brewery had a ground breaking the week of May 6, and they hope to have the building finished by summer.

While they do have a supply of beer for Grapevine Main Street Days this week, they won't be at full production until the building is completed.

The building will be at 924 Jean Street, in Grapevine.

Check 'em out on Facebook.

Grand Opening of Pedernales Brewing Company's Tasting Room - May 18

2013-05-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pedernales Brewing Company, 97 Hitchin' Post Trail, will be offering several food trucks and lots of cold beer! Including a performance from Thomas Michael Riley from 2-4 pm, kicking off the Summer Concert series that will run thru Labor Day....promoting local food, local musicians, and local beer.

Come find me there. I'll be the fat guy drinking beer.

PBC is on US Highway 87 south about a mile from town across from Fredericksburg Funeral Home.

Old MILFwaukee Brew Day

2013-05-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was fed up with dark beer. Fed UP, I tell you! So I decided to rebrew the classic Old MILFwaukee Blonde Ale recipe.

Brew with rice to keep the body in hourglass shape, and wheat for good head. As soon as I come up with more sexual inuendos, I will bore you stupid with them! And if Satan ever decides to open The Brass Pole, the first combination brew pub and titty bar, this will be our flag ship beer. Well, it will be if it turns out. I'll be kegging this on May 19.

It was a glorious brew day! A small cold front had blown through Paradise, a welcome respite from the hot and humid previous week. When I started brewing it was in the 50s! Aaah!

Old MILFwaukee

Blonde Ale

Type: All Grain

Date: 5/4/2013

Batch Size: 6.00 gal

Brewer: Jeff Holt

Boil Size: 7.97 gal

Asst Brewer:

Boil Time: 60 min

Equipment: Jeff's Brew Pot (15 Gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)

Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0

Brewhouse Efficiency: 58.00

Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount	Item	Type	% or IBU
13.00 lb	Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)	Grain	85.25 %
1.00 lb	Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)	Grain	6.56 %
1.00 lb	Rice, Flaked (1.0 SRM)	Grain	6.56 %
0.25 lb	Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM)	Grain	1.64 %
1.00 oz	Cascade [5.90 %] (60 min)	Hops	17.5 IBU
1.00 oz	Cascade [5.90 %] (10 min)	Hops	6.3 IBU
1 Pkgs	California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [Starter 1500 ml]	Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.053 SG

Measured Original Gravity: 1.050 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG

Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG

Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.33 %

Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %

Bitterness: 23.8 IBU

Calories: 43 cal/pint

Est Color: 4.4 SRM

Color:

Color

Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge

Total Grain Weight: 15.25 lb

Sparge Water: 5.83 gal

Grain Temperature: 72.0 F

Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F

TunTemperature: 72.0 F

Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE

Mash PH: 5.4 PH

**Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge**
Step Time	Name	Description	Step Temp
60 min	Mash In	Add 19.06 qt of water at 165.9 F	154.0 F

Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).

Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Kegged (Forced CO2)

Volumes of CO2: 2.4

Pressure/Weight: 21.6 PSI

Carbonation Used: -

Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F

Age for: 28.0 days

Storage Temperature: 52.0 F

Craft Beer in Cans

2013-05-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hop Talk via www.flickr.com creative commons

I remember back in the early 1990s, craft brewers exploded across the landscape and offered their wares in bottles. Bottles, for God's sake! The only place to get bottles back then was the liquor store. Supermarkets pretty much only sold cans.

Craft brewers, though, led the charge to bottles, saying, "The beer tastes better in a bottle!"

Brewers even told us that their brown bottles blocked the harmful UV light, their tall six pack carriers helped shield the precious nectar inside, so we could experience the true nature of the beer, untainted by can taste. I also remember when Keystone was introduced. It was advertised to have a special liner that acted like glass to protect the beer.

And silly consumers, we bought into it. So much so that Business Insider says that now we have to stop dissing the can so craft brewers, who can finally afford canning lines, are starting to roll out craft beer in cans. Even Sam Adams is getting into the can act!

Now, the craft brewers have to start reselling us on aluminum cans.

Damn! What Was I Thinking

2013-05-08T10:43:00.002-05:00

Did you ever have a brain fart? I thought I was caught up to the 10th on this blog. Silly me.

I promise to get back to the regular schedule.

Meanwhile, here's a photo of the Jester King Tasting I went to a couple of weeks ago.

Satan and I spent a nice few hours there, then another hour or so at the Barber Shop in Dripping Springs.

This Just In: Koozie™s Keep Your Beer Cold!

2013-05-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Normally, I would write: "From the Department of the Blindingly Obvious". However, I'll refrain from it this time. While it is still blindingly obvious, the why is interesting, and a nice contrast to the MythBusters cooling experiments.

As it turns out, the beer holder (Koozie™ is trademarked) does insulate cans, more importantly, it prevents condensation from forming which can cool your frosty brew six degrees in five minutes, much faster than hot air can warm it.

Dale Durran, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington, and Professor Dargan Frierson examined the warming rate of beer in the dry climate of Seattle and the humid beachside climate of Wilmington, North Carolina. They found that the more humid the air, the greater the condensation and the warmer the beer.

You can test this in your own kitchen without letting your beer get warm. Put a skillet on the burner on high heat and get it rocket hot. If you use a dry towel, you can handle the hot skillet easily. But if the towel is wet, you will drop the skillet on your foot before you can get it to a nice, safe place, because the heat is transmitted through the wet towel almost instantly.

The lesson? Keep a can holder near you at all times. No one wants warm beer.

Less Beer for More Money - ABInBev says You Demanded It

2013-05-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

In the far distant future, a time when there is no US government, just rule by a single multinational corporation with no elected officials who beam advertisements directly into your brain 24 hours a day, someone studied ancient marketing will likely laugh his ass off when he reads about this.

ABInBev has spent millions of dollars developing a more expensive bowtie can that doesn't hold the traditional 12 ounces of beer that we're used to. They say that young adults are craving a more grippable can. (I suspect they are craving a can with a wider mouth that they can use instead of red Solo cups when playing beer pong, but I could be full of it.) So they have given these young adults, less beer for more per ounce than they can get now!

Our future historian won't be laughing at Budweiser, who will in a stroke make millions more per quarter than in the past because of the reduction in volume, but at us for saying, "Golly, gee whiz! Isn't that cool. I should buy a case and sell it on eBay!"

Yeast Can Treat Malaria

2013-04-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Malaria kills 655,000 people a year, mostly in Africa. Most antimalarial medicines are made from the sweet wormwood tree, but it's availability fluctuates from year to year.

Researchers funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has come up with a new way to engineer the yeast to make more antimalarial compound artemisinin, than previous methods.

Amyris Inc. (AMRS), an Emeryville, California-based renewable chemicals and fuels company have donated the intellecutal property rights for nonprofit use.

Source

The Horror! The Pub Owner Allergic to Beer!

2013-04-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Imagine waking up one day, after months of feeling ill, and learning that you are allergic to the product you sell.

Shudder.

Alistair Scott was the first beer sommelier in the UK two years ago. He travels around the country matching beer and food for pub owners, and he own two pubs himself.

After months of feeling ill, he learned he was allergic to yeast. So now, instead of full pints, he has to sip the beer.

The poor bastige.

"It could have been caused by drinking too much of it. I mainly drink ales and they are very heavily yeasted so I may have just overloaded my body," he said. So he's switching to lagers, though he would prefer to give up bread.

Karbach Rodeo Clown Double IPA - Review

2013-04-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

This is the last of my Dallas beers. If any of my readers in Dallas or Houston come to Paradise, bring me some of this, please.

Appearance (0-3): Pours up an almost opaque orange with a thin off-white head that disappears quickly. 1 Point

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Starts with a malt sweetness and finishes with a mild citrus aroma. There are some alcohol notes. 2 points

Taste (0-10): An almost brown sugar start, replaced with a spicy hop flavor that travels from the front to the back of my tongue, finishing bitter at the back of my throat. Medium to thick bodied, good carbonation. There's a nice hit of the alcohol, too. 7 Points

Overall Impression (0-3): Not a bad Double IPA, but not a great one. Besides the clarity issues, it finishes a bit too sweet. It reminds me of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, and that is not a bad thing. I also like the can design. If it were available here, I'd give it 2 points. However. . . 0 Points

Total: 10 points

The Beer Diaries - (512) Brewing Company

2013-04-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

A Taste of Beer Triggers "Reward" Chemical In Brain

2013-04-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Why doesn't anyone ever ask me to do things like this?

Forty-nine 24 year old men at the University of Indiana were given a tablespoon of beer or Gatorade every 15 minutes and had their brain scanned using positron emission tomography, looking for signs of dopamine release. (The small amount of beer would not have enough alcohol to affect the brain scan.) There were signigicantly higher dopamine levels in the men who received beer versus those who had Gatorade, even though many preferred the taste of Gatorade over beer. The result suggests that this reponse could be a hereditary risk factor for alcoholism. in other words, if there's alcoholism in your family, you will produce more dopamine.

According to one story, "Dopamine has long been associated with substance craving, with anecdotal evidence suggesting it can be triggered by the sound, sight or smell of a pub."

The Completely Wrong Thing to Say

2013-04-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Roots Bistro, an organic, vegetarian-friendly restaurant in Houston, put "Beer should be like violence: domestic" on the marquee under their sign after an employee spotted it on the Internet on another businesses sign.

It only took 10 minutes for the shitstorm to commence. Pictures were put on Facebook and Twitter criticizing the sign. So down it came, replaced by "Seriously, focus your energy on equal rights."

That didn't work out so well either.

People were even angrier because Roots Bistro didn't appear to take the issue seriously.

Finally, on Sunday, the restaurant's new message was "Sorry a million times over Houston."

They last thing you want to do is to connect beer to domestic violence. That's more ammo for the neo-prohibitionists!

The Temptress Imperial Milk Stout Reviewed

2013-04-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Another of the beers bought in Dallas weekend before last is The Temptress, an Imperial Milk Stout from Lakewood Brewing Company in Dallas.

The Temptress

Appearance (0-3): Pours up jet black, opaque. A thin, off-white head dissipates quickly to a thin layer of bubbles. (Since the bubbles aren't tan to dark brown, there aren't a lot of roasted malts in this beer.) 2 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Sweet aroma with a hint of the alcohol. Some chocolate and roast, but no hops detected. 4 points

Taste (0-10): Starts starts slightly sweet, but is replaced with a roasted malts with a nice hop bitterness in the finish. Medium-full to full bodied with nice carbonation. I'd like a bit less hops, but they do help cut through what could be a sickly sweet beer. 8 points

Overall Impression (0-3): A very nice beer that clocks in around 9%. The label has a red tag that says this beer pairs well with robust bleu cheese, chocolate, and sin. I can see the sin. In a perfect world this would get a 3. But, I can't get it in Paradise, so: 0 points

Total: 14 points

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA

2013-04-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Another beer picked up in Dallas. I've been looking forward to this beer ever since I heard they were coming to Texas. I quickly contacted the distributor's rep for our area, and asked how quickly he could get it here. A couple of days later, he told me it was only going to be in Dallas and Austin. Only. Not in San Antonio, Houston, or here in Paradise. Bastards! No link for them!

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a crystal clear orange with a creamy white head that lasts forever. 3 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Slight malt sweetness, with citrus overtones. Well balanced. 4 points

Taste (0-10): Medium heavy body with a nice crisp carbonation. Starts off with some malt sweetness, quickly followed by the bitter hops on the sides of my tongue. Spicy, piney hops, but smooth. Finishes with a smooth bitterness. 9 points

Overall Impression (0-3): Sigh. A truly great beer. Too bad that Firestone Walker does not want it distributed outside of Dallas and Austin. It would have been a 19 point beer. 0 points

Total: 16 points

TV Interview

2013-04-15T15:44:00.001-05:00

A Mexican TV crew stopped by to film. They're in the area for a boxing match.

Deep Ellum IPA - Reviewed

2013-04-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

At the Big Texas Beer Fest last weekend, one of the longest lines was a the Deep Ellum booth, and I can see why: great beers and great variety. Before we hit the festival, we stopped at the Spec's up the street from the hotel. I didn't have enough money to buy everything brewed in Dallas, so I picked up some Karbach, Firewheel, and Deep Ellum beers. (And yes, I did pick up some Firestone Walker.) More reviews to come.

Deep Ellum IPA

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a slightly hazy orange with along lasting white head. 2 points

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Nice citrus aroma, some malt sweetness. I put some behind each ear, it smells so good. 4 points

Taste (0-10): Good medium body mouthfeel, with good carbonation. The hops tend to dominate, but the malt is right there to support it. The citrus is there in the taste, but subdued. Finishes with a bitterness at the back of my tongue, but not too bad. In fact, it tastes an awful lot like I should have bought a case of this stuff! 9 points

Overal Impression (0-3): O! M! G! A nice West Coast-style IPA brewed here in Texas! This is one of my favorite beers. I would bathe in this stuff! There aren't enough exclamation points on the Internet! But, according to my rule, it is not distributed in Paradise. If it were I would give it three points. 0 points

Total: 15 points

Big Texas Beer Fest

2013-04-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, by brother and I went to Dallas for the Big Texas Beer Festival at the State Fairgrounds. We arrived a couple of hours early, remembering the chaos that occurred last year.

The organizers had made an addition, barriers that created three lanes for people, but all three lanes were open at the entry vestibule.

As more and more people arrived, the first words out of anyone's mouths were, "Is this the VIP line?" Someone told us that no, this was the General Admission line and pointed to the middle door of the Automotive Building. So, lemminglike, two dozen people traipsed down to the middle door and found someone who said the VIP entrance was at the door on the other side of the barriers. So the pack of VIPs walked back the other way, only to be told by a very angry organizer that get back in the chutes, leave us alone because we're having a meeting.

As our pack of lemmings waddled back to the chutes, I said out loud, "They make these things called signs. . ."

Eventually all was explained and soon we were inside.

The fest had some nice changes: Live music was outside, six food trucks, and a great selection of beer! I'd made a point to hit all the Dallas area breweries, and was impressed with all of them. Once while waiting in the long line for Deep Ellum beers, I noticed that the organizers did indeed have signs!

Too bad they didn't put them up.

Unfortunately, by the time the riff raff (GA, as the organizers affectionately referred to them) got in, the lines got ridiculously huge, and the noise of so many people talking in a barn was deafening! The organizers should have hung baffles along the ceiling.

Over all, we had a very good time, and are looking forward to next year.

Another New Beer Social Network - Beer Thirty

2013-04-10T10:18:00.000-05:00

Someone sent me a link to beerthirty.com and asked me what I thought.

I tried to sign up for an account, but the login process would not accept any username or email address, so the registration process failed every freaking time I tried. There is a sentence that says "Login with Facebook," but there's no link do that. About the only thing you can click on are the ads.

I clicked on the community tab and, after noticing the photos of topless ladies holding beer and learning I can't view them because I'm not logged in, realized why I can't log in. The last post was twenty-two weeks ago! They aren't letting anyone sign up.

The question remains, though, with BeerAdvocate, Rate Beer, More Beer Buzz, Aleuminati, and Untapped, do we really need another brewing social network?

The answer, of course, is Yes, if they show boobies!

So I switched from Chrome to Internet Explorer and got a completely different registration page! So I entered all my info and tried to register, but not a single Captcha code was valid! Twenty-two attempts!

Why oh why do you make it so difficult to register, BeerThiry?!

In IE, there is a button that says "Login in with Facebook." This will do it, I thought!

Nope. I get an error message telling me, "Someone recently tried to log in to your account from an unrecognized computer or mobile browser. Because you enabled login notifications, your account is temporarily locked. Please complete the following steps to regain access to your account."

But I am still able to use Facebook in Chrome. WTF?

I guess we'll never get to see the treasures withing BeerThirty.com.

Old Ruffian Clone Tasting Notes

2013-04-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

So the Old Ruffian clone has been in the fridge for a couple of weeks, so I decided to sample it.

Old Ruffian Clone

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a hazy dark brown with reddish highlights. There's a thick, dense head that takes a few minutes to fall to a thin cap of bubbles. 3 points

Aroma (0-3): Sweet malt aroma, maybe bready with hints of alcohol, but very low hop aroma. 2 points

Taste (0-10): Starts off with a malt sweetness that is soon replaced with a hop bitterness on the sides and back of the tongue--not entirely pleasant. A little thin bodied, with good carbonation. 7 points

Overall Impression (0-4): First, it is not a Old Ruffian clone. It's a good barley wine, but not as hoppy as Old Ruffian. I hope I can get into bottles before I drain the keg. 2 points

Total: 14 points

Coffee is Good for Your Liver

2013-04-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you are a regular consumer of alcohol, you should probably start drinking coffee. Especially if you are a man.

Finnish researchers measured the liver enzyme gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) of 19,000 Finnish men and women between ages 25 and 74. Drinking alcohol raises the level of GGT. Men who drink 3.5 drinks daily had the highest levels, which can lead to alcoholic liver disease. But among those heavy drinkers who consumed more than five cups of coffee a day showed a 50% reduction in GGT versus men who didn't drink coffee. But don't get cocky! The researchers aren't sure if this decrease in the enzyme leands to health improvement or a decreased risk of liver disease.

Oh, and smoking, older age and being overweight can also raise GGT levels.

Herr Niedermeier's Dunkleweiss Tasting Notes

2013-04-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've been drinking a lot of IPAs lately. I love hops! But I'd been hankering for a pint of dunkelweiss. Generally, I only drink when I work at Oktoberfest here in Paradise, even though I can get it a Judy's Liquor, my local honey hole, and HEB on a regular basis. And I am a big fan of Shiner Holiday Cheer, a dunkleweiss with pieces and pecans (And no, I will not try to replicate it. Maybe. I have an old family recipe for peach cobbler that I once made with Holiday Cheer. I might rebrew this and add some peach extract at bottling.)

Anyway, Herr Niedermeier has been sitting in my fridge under CO₂ for a couple of weeks. So I thought I'd give it a try.

Herr Niedermeier's Dunkleweiss

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a slightly hazy brown with a thin and quickly fading off white head. I know there should be some yeast in suspension, but I'm not a big fan of a lot of suspended yeast. 2 points

Aroma (0-3): There is some faint clove, some spice, and a hint of banana and chocolate in the nose. No noticeable hop aroma. 3 points

Taste (0-10): Slightly sweet malt flavor, with notes of chocolate, banana and (of all things!) coconut. It finishes dry. No noticeable hop flavor. It finishes sweet on the back of the tongues. Slightly under carbonated. 8 points

Overall Impression (0-4): I like it, but after a couple of pints, it's a little too sweet. I know I will be brewing it again. 3 points

Total: 16 points

An Apology to Ben E. Keith - For the Moment

2013-03-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

About 3 pm yesterday, I got a text from Kevin at Ben E Keith, telling me they had delivered Saint Arnold Divine Reserve 13 to the local Honey Hole, enough that I snagged two six-packs. (They had a couple of cases, but since I despise the Chase Card Mentality, I decided to let other people have some. But if they aren't fast enough, those beers are mine! )

So I will amend my previous rant about Ben E. Keith. Instead of "Motherfucker!" I will use "Sonuvabitch". But, they do have an employee who cares about the Great Texas Craft Beer Desert.

Mea Culpa.

For now. Founders is still on the horizon.

Thanks, Kevin!