Wort's Going On Here?

Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale

2009-12-08T10:43:00.001-06:00

Appearance (0-3): Pours up and amber/gold with a dense off-white head that lingers and lingers. A bit cloudy, though. 2 points
Aroma/Bouquet (o-4): Malty, bready aroma, but no hops detected. I know it's dry hopped. Shouldn't the hops come through more? 3 points
Taste: Hop/Malt Balance (0-4): Starts off with a nice citrus hop bitterness at the front, and finishes with the biscuity malt flavors. Very nice. 4 points
Aftertaste (0-3): Finishes with an astringent bitterness at the back of the throat, tea-like. 2 points
Mouthfeel (0-3): Medium bodied with light carbonation. Perfect. 3 points
Overall Impression (0-3): Very Bristish pale ale. I was expecting something more west coast--a bit more hop flavor and aroma. Still extremely drinkable and a fine beer. 2 points
16 points

Don't get me wrong. I like this beer a lot. The day I reviewed this I was looking for a DIPA. When I decided to brew an IPA, I chose the clone recipe of this beer.

Bloody Bastard Ale

2009-12-06T08:08:00.001-06:00

I'm a fan of Graham Sanders' podcast "Craft Brewer Radio." A few weeks ago, he gave a recipe for a beer he liked. He wound up injuring himself during the course of the brew day, hence the name of the beer. His was a lager, but mine will be an ale, using some clean fermenting ale yeast.

Bloody Bastard Ale
OG 1054 | 6 gal | 30 IBUs | 60% eff.

9# 8 oz German pilsner
2# Munich Malt
2# rauch malt
1# CaraMunich
8 oz Chocolate
1 oz Hallertauer/ 60 min
1 oz Hallertauer/30 min
1 oz Hallertauer/10 min
Irish Moss/10 min
WLP 001

Mash at 154°F for 60 minutes. Boil 90 minutes.

I collected about a gallon and a half less than expected. The pump never would empty the kettle. It pumped for a good two minutes getting nothing. Don't know if the pump head was clogged. The pressure of the pump is a bit higher than gravity, so I developed a wort leak on the input side of the counterflow chiller. I expect most of my gallon was lost there, plus what was in the chiller and tubing when I quit pumping. And I did notice slightly higher evaporation rate today. Most days a 1.5 hour boil only loses me a gallon. Today it lost me almost a gallon and a half.

So this is a steep learning curve.

Shiner Fröst Coming soon

2009-12-05T08:39:00.003-06:00

Tip of the hat to BeerNews.org, we know what will replace Holiday Cheer when it sells out: Shiner Fröst: “Frost is the first offering in Shiner’s 2010 seasonal portfolio and our first Dortmunder-style brew. It has an appealing profile with a pale golden color and notes of honey and subtle floral hops. And like our Texas winter, it’s crisp and refreshing – like a frosty morning.”

Drinking Beer Helps Your Heart

2009-12-04T07:36:00.000-06:00

A recent study reported that light drinkers (a bottle of beer every other day) have a 35% less chance of a heart attack than neo-prohibitionists. Moderate drinkers (a couple of pints of ordinary bitter a day) had a 54% lower risk. Heavy drinkers (those drank up to six pints a day) had similar results. And even people like me who might consume more every day have a similar result.

Well. As on of my friends put it: "It is comforting to know that my heart will keep beating until the cirrhosis kicks in."

Thanks to the Brookston Bulletin for the heads up about this article, and check out the comments for a very interesting discussion about binge drinking. If you are concerned about Neo-Prohibitionist's attacks on alcohol consumption, you need to be reading the Brookston Bulliten.

More Texas Breweries?

2009-12-03T09:23:00.007-06:00

As Jester King Brewery and Circle Brewing start up, there is word that there soon may be other breweries, including: Pedernales Brewing Company in either Spicewood or Fredericksburg (depending on where you look) is restarting their fundraising, though their website is a bit sparse, there's a few more details floating around on the web; No Label Brewing Company in Katy (Thanks to Texas Beer for the heads up) has found a location for their brewery; Barbed Wire Brewing in Austin is in their fundraising stage; and new entrant Hops and Grain in Austin has just appeared on the landscape.

A friend of mine has some details about Pedernales Brewing and promises to share it with me shortly. Anyone have any details to share?

Louisiana Eyes Beer tax Increase

2009-12-02T08:38:00.002-06:00

I've written about it before. Raising excise taxes is a self-defeating exercise. The evidence is all around us, and yet politicians still see these regressive taxes a a magic bullet that will fund all their largesses and end the offensive behavior being taxed.

In Louisiana, more politicians are jumping on the excise tax bandwagon to make up for budgetary shortfalls brought about by the recession. Here's a nice article that explains the perils of excise taxes.

As craft beer drinkers, we need to inform our elected criminals, uh, I mean, elected officials that these taxes will only hurt the brewing industry, and remove a source of tax revenue from the rolls.

I'm Not Completely Imcompetent

2009-11-30T07:39:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Satan's timely arrival and assistance, I put a March pump in a toolbox. I finally got some additional fittings, and now, she is complete!

I will use this when I brew Bloody Bastard Lager. More on that later.

De Proef Brouwerij Saison Imperiale

2009-11-28T10:33:00.001-06:00

Appearance (0-3): Pours up a cloudy brown with ruby highlights and a thin tan head. 2 points.
Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Aroma of green apples with some sweet malt in the background. 3 points
Taste: Hop/Malt Balance (0-4): Sweet malt, dark fruits with cardboard notes and that imported beer flavor. 2 points.
Aftertaste (0-3): Leaves hints of fruit (plums, etc.) in the finish. 2 points
Mouthfeel (0-3): Full bodied with lots of malt and warming alcohol. 3 points
Overall Impression (0-3): Not bad. Tastes old, though. Still a good beer. 2 points

14 points

Grape Juice Now Open in Kerrville

2009-11-27T10:51:00.002-06:00

Grape Juice is a retail wine and beer shop with close to 400 different selections, a wine and beer bar with 20 different beers on tap, and a restaurant in Kerville at 523 Water Street. That could make it the store with the largest variety in the Hill Country! Has anyone checked it out?

Mirror Pond Clone Sorta - Kegging Day

2009-11-26T12:01:00.000-06:00

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, I kegged the Mirror Pond Pale Ale clone. Looked good. Tasted good. Smelled medicinal. OG was 1.060, FG is 1.014 which is about 6.1% abv. I put it in the fridge and have attached the CO2 to it, so hopefully it will be carbonated by Sunday when Satan comes to visit.

Beer Saves Three Men Lost at Sea

2009-11-25T10:55:00.001-06:00

Three men survived six days on a capsized boat in the Gulf of Mexico. They survived by drinking beer. "It kept you full. Made you feel full," one of them said.

Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas Endorses Rick Perry

2009-11-24T07:32:00.000-06:00

Lee, over at I Love Beer, recently announced that the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas just endorsed incumbent Governor Rick Perry in next year's election. If you are a supporter of craft beer and a Republican, I think your mind has just been made up.

Saison D'Hiver part Quatre

2009-11-22T04:42:00.000-06:00

After three months in secondary, I kegges the Saison d'Hiver. Clear amber/orange with bourbon and cinnamon notes. 9.4% abv. Should be awesome in a few weeks. Even better next year! Even though this in my employer's Christmas beer, I will bottle a six pack for Nationals, and 4 22 ounce bombers for next year.

Part Cing will be the serving!

Independence Brewing

2009-11-20T08:40:00.000-06:00

From Beer Town Austin.

Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter Review

2009-11-18T10:23:00.001-06:00

Manny, one of the Basin Brewers, gave me a bottle of the Ken Schmidt-Maui Brewing-Stone Brewing collaboration, Kona Coffee macadamia Cococut Porter. To save time typing it over and over again, I'll call it Ambrosia.

Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter

Appearance (0-3): Pours up jet black and opaque, with a thick tan head that lingers and lingers. But the bubbles were a bit large, especially as it dissipated. 2 points
Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Starts with a strong roast coffee aroma. Hints of chocolate, cream in the background. I can't tell if there's coconut, but who cares? Amazing aroma! 4 points
Taste: Hop/malt balance (0-4): Great balance, exactly as expected. 4 points
Aftertaste (0-3): Leaves a nice coffee finish with a lingering creamy sweetness on the back of the tongue. Some of it may be coconut, but it's hard for me to pick up. 3 points
Mouthfeel (0-3): Thick, full-bodied beer. Like a milkshake!! 3 points
Overall Impression (0-3): There are not enough superlatives for this beer. It's smooth, creamy and delicious. I enjoy coffee stouts and porters, but not the bitter roast that coffee can often give. Fredericksburg Brewing Company's Coffee porter is more like a cup of coffee, and made me wish for scrambled eggs. So did the Breakfast Stout at Back Country Brewing Company in Frisco, Colorado. This is a desert beer. This would have been great with the chocolate mousse I had at NHC in June. 3 points
Total: 19 points

Allow me to summarize, please. I do not believe there is a 20 point beer. Some approach it, and this is definitely one of those beers. I do not use half points or quarter points to judge beers. So 19 points is likely the highest score I will ever give. But, if I did do partial points, the score would be 19.9. An amazing beer. Wish I could get it here.

Jester King Fully Funded

2009-11-16T10:17:00.006-06:00

From the Press Release (photos from the Jester King site):

Jester King Craft Brewery is excited to report that it has completed fund raising, found a location and purchased a warehouse. After eighteen months of planning, fund raising began in June and finished this November with $500,000 raised. A 6,000 square foot warehouse has been secured, which is in the process of being disassembled and moved to the site of the Jester King Brewery.

The brewery will sit on four acres of ranch land in southwest Austin off of Fitzhugh Road. In addition to the brewery, the land will be the site of an olive grove. It should be a wonderful destination for artisan food and beer and local music.

Jester King is currently in the process of purchasing brewing equipment and becoming licensed. It projects to open in six to nine months during the spring or summer of 2010.

Congratulations to Jeff Stuffings, and thanks for putting the brewery on my side of town!

Circle Brewing Company Reaches First Financial Goal

2009-11-16T08:57:00.000-06:00

Circle Brewing Company in Austin reached their first financial goal, and ordered their 30 barrel brew house. They're still looking for investors, but they are on their way!

Basin Brewers Kegerator Crawl 4

2009-11-14T09:20:00.000-06:00

Mark! Say it ain't so!

2009-11-13T20:27:00.002-06:00

My favorite brewpub in Eola is for sale on eBay!

NOOOOOOO!

Black Star Co-op Announces their Location

2009-11-13T05:25:00.001-06:00

The Board of Black Star Co-op has announced that the first cooperatively owned brewpub in the world will be located at North Lamar and St. Johns, north of the University of Texas Campus, in the Midtown Commons. Midtown Commons is Austin’s first transit-oriented development, which will include Capital Metro's light rail. If it ever gets off the ground (CapMetro that is, not the Commons).

Basin Brewers Kegerator Crawl 3

2009-11-12T09:19:00.000-06:00

Barbed Wire Brewing Company in Austin

2009-11-11T10:44:00.002-06:00

Yet another brewery is in the early stages of planning. And it's in Austin, too. Barbed Wire Brewing Company has a website that is clearly under construction. Anyone know anything else?

Basin Brewers Kegerator Crawl 2

2009-11-10T09:17:00.000-06:00

Mirror Pond Clone Sorta - Brew Day

2009-11-09T13:26:00.003-06:00

Ninkasi smiled again. No major problems. Hit my numbers in the mash and pre-boil gravity. Collected about 6 gallons, and got an OG of 1.050. I was shooting for 1.046. Close enough for Gubmint work, I suppose.

Four days in the fermenter and then I add the dry hops. Age another week and a half and into the keg!

Any prayers to Ninkasi on my behalf are gratefully accepted.

Basin Brewers Kegerator Crawl 1

2009-11-08T09:16:00.000-06:00