Christmas Cheers

I usually try to keep most of the posts centered around beer, education of that subject matter, the micro, chemistry and even engineering that surrounds it. I'll even throw in a cool product test (ie. Guardian Angel strips), interesting trip or just entertaining knowledge. But knowing that Star Wars episode 7 is due out next December, this owned me. Mini-me really enjoyed this and if it makes you feel better, I had a little Maker's egg nog while I watched this one.

El Gordo Surprise

The time had come to drop off our samples (aka The Winners) at Good People brewery for HODO 2015. Upon arrival we noticed activity behind the bar at the front door. It appeared to be a bevy of box opening. Our curiosity got the best of us, and we peered over. What stared back at us was a beer ready to lucha libre our taste buds into oblivion, "El Gordo".

This is the one and only beer listed under Good People's Bearded Reserve List, so we definitely felt like we walked in on something special. The gentleman behind the bar let us ogle the cache. We kissed our lucky stars at our impeccable timing. And then he so politely informed us that all these bottles will be out in distribution and available tomorrow. Oh that's right, no retail sales out the front door to take home. Blast you Alabama Law!!! Still pretty cool to see.

Our Tastes-- Side Project #23 Guano Loco

Side Project #23 from Terrapin was a donation from Junk. The label is spectacular and I may have mentally hyped this beer up more than it needed. Pouring a medium brown with slight red hue in sunlight through the pint glass had me salivating. Nose of sweet chili is upfront and accounted for. But the chili pepper is overly warming for me with regards to the capsaicin in the back of the throat as I waited...and waited for the "brownie" part of this brew to show, to no avail. This concoction has 2-row pale, Victory, special Roast, Crystal 65, Crystal 85, Brown Malt, Chocolate Malt with Super Galena and US Goldings hops. It has the, "I just ate at Taco Bell" feel for me. And one thing's for sure, if there was a chocolate brownie in here the chili peppers ate it and left the 8.6%abv hanging out. I've got the label and the memories for this one.

Tripel Overhead (Bourbon Barrel Aged)

Time again to dive into the collection from "The Great Beer Trek", and taste another sample. Let's see, whadda we got in the 'ol beer fridge. Hmmm, Ahh, here we go, Tripel Overhead from Mother Earth Brewing.  A Belgian-style Tripel, aged in oak bourbon barrels. Seems alright. The label shows the rhythmic waves rolling in on a quiet beach. A tranquil looking scene. Cool man, seems to match the groovy vibe of the tasting room from what I remember. The cork pops, and right away, I get a sweet noseful. My senses transport me to a beach at sunrise, and the breeze hits me just right as I get a whiff of lingering suntan lotion as it mixes with the salt in the air. Or maybe that's the label talking, whatever, I smell some banana and a little bit of coconut. Moving on, the beer pours a beautiful orange with a light off-white head. It is reminiscent of the ebbing sea foam at the end of the day, as the sun warms the dusk sky just before it dips below the horizon. Wow, this label is really starting to go to my head, let's try to stay focused here. Upon first taste, the malt provides a hint of sweetness, but not as much as the nose would have led to expect. As the sip lingers, the refinement of the oak bourbon barrel aging takes over. Not to the point that I feel like I am knocking back three fingers, neat. No, the taste is more subtle, like I'm sipping on a digestif, walking on the shore with my chinos rolled up in a cuff, and a cable knit sweater covering my shoulders from sea air. Now I've really been seduced by the label. Oh well, guess I best sit back and enjoy.

Brew Batche(s) 62* Cherry Wood Porter?

Finally got this behemoth bottled and kegged for HODO. The "porter wine" came in at FG 1.023+0.001 @74F to yield a whopping 10.76%abv. Chery wood porter fell to 1.030+0.001@ 72F to give a nice 6.17%abv. Wyeast 2112 really worked out on these batches. Hope at least one of these two place on 1/19/15!

The Crowler

7 weeks had passed since the great trek to Gotham (aka NYC). With many samples amassed along the way, none were more intriguing than "The Crowler" from Oskar Blues in Brevard, NC. You remember, The Crowler. "It's a can...It's a growler... no, it's The Crowler." Straight from the tap beer in a portable 32 oz can that kept beer fresher, longer, stronger, faster. Ok, lets not get too carried away, we'll just see about that. I commandeered two samples during my visit, one Deviant Dales and one Ten Fidy. I would have gotten more, had the unique spinning thingy machine that sealed the top to the Crowler not malfunctioned, but alas. First up, Deviant Dales, an 8% IPA. Our trepidation about holding carbonation was immediately put to rest as the pop tab opened the the Crowler with a refreshing spritz. Upon first pour, the tiny bubbles rose through the copper hue, and alit themselves in a tight 1/4" head atop the beer. Impressive. A nice maltiness came through on the nose, reminiscent of sweet cornbread. The taste revealed a piney hop flavor that grew and grew like a well stoked furnace on the palate. Whooo! Not for the fainthearted. Regardless of the overwhelming hop profile, it was an IPA nonetheless, the beer was still quite quaffable. Before we knew it, the Crowler had given up all its goodness, and we were left with the smoldering ashes of a pine tree forest fire in the back of our throats. What I was most impressed with though, was the Crowler being as good, if not better, as advertised. But, I will hold off final judgement until we try the Ten Fidy, a well aged Ten Fidy. Think you're up to it...Crowler?

Brew Batch #61* REINKE'S REVENGE 2014

Repeating #44 twice with changes to the LME only, 61* tasted divine. The dark allowed for more of the raspberry tones to come through with regards to the sweetness but the special dark seemed to enhance the bitterness of the raspberry and bring forth more coffee notes as well. These are being entered into this years HODO simultaneously, so it'll be fun to see how the tasting notes are viewed through the same BJCP category. FG 1.016+ 0.001@ 70F 8.66%abv (dark) 1.018+0.001@ 70F 8.93%abv (special dark, but got an extra 1.2lbs of LME). Spot on consistent, if you ask me. On tap near you?

Our Tastes-- Yard's Ales of the Revolution

Well beer did make it back from Andy Mc's initial trip to DE. And in return I got Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale, the spruce and porter were light in supply (wife/girlfriend porter-mouth, how convenient, I'm just throwing that out there like a fly-fisherman, ya know). Look all I can say is T.J. liked it light in color at least on this replication of his 8%abv golden ale. Funny thing about goldens (beers) for me, they always smell, even when fresh/green as past due or slightly skunk. Head poured thick whiteness;) It's wheat, maize, honey based which is true to source, but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the rye availability at the time. May have been readily brewable, but since it sticks so much if not done right nowadays, I find it hard to believe they used it much back then (though cast-iron played a big part then?). Taste is a standard pilsen bitterness with not much else coming forward. Would I take a growler of this over Ben's Spruce or GW's porter, guess we'll never know, (Tootsie pop).

Our Tastes-- Side Project #22 Moonray

Moonray, labeled as a chocolate orange weizenbock and a pick up by Junk and donated to the cause is an oddity at best. I didn't even realize the name of the beer was hidden in the river! All I can say is Butch and Spike know how to spin a recipe for profit and I'm taking note. Pours an extremely particulate heavy orange/brown. Slight tan head dissipates quickly given the 8.43%abv (that's funny, btw) to yield a nose of light orange and cereal. Taste is more citrus throughout than the chocolate sprinkle on the back of the palate towards the end of the swallow. EtOH is noticeable on the whiff but creeps up on you as the bomber loses volume. I'd have it again, but not my favorite Side Project to date .

"I'm on my way"

Minus a few snafus trying to get the CO2 correct across two splitters, the jockey box worked liked a dream, and draught homebrew was enjoyed by all. Comments varied from "Awesome," and "Well Done," to "I didn't want to spit any of them out," and "A magical dream that inspires the bones to dance out of the skin and onto the ethereal plane." Okay? I'll take that as good, sooo Mission complete! Oh yeah, that whole rehearsal dinner and wedding thinga-ma-jiggy went off without a hitch too. Yea! The next day we packed up, and said sayonara to "The City That Never Sleeps." I delivered the Mrs. and Yard Dog Jr. to the airport. Then dropped Mom and Boot-Leg Chuck off at their place, and headed out on the long and winding road. Well, not before I made a few stops along the way of course. First up, DFH. Not the brewpub or brewery, just the local store to stock up. I've been there, done that, and bought a t-shirt (along with many other beers and bits of apparel). So I saved a return visit to SamLand for another time. No, next on tap was Duck Rabbit Brewery, in Farmville, NC. A bit of a drive off the beaten path of I-95, I inadvertently got turned around, and arrived at their doors 30 minutes after they had closed. But, the kind staff reopened their doors just enough to sell me a six-pack of their barleywine, and wish me on my way. Though, I wish I could have stayed and tried a few. Looked like a nice quiet, relaxful place to enjoy a few dark beers.

Since that was a short stop, and I was already out there, why not visit Mother Earth Brewing, in Kinston, NC. I sashayed into the sleepy southern town, and took a front row parking spot along the demure downtown streets. I walked in, and right away was taken back. Were those 70's style bubble chairs in the corner? I fully expected Dr. Evil to swivel around and welcome me to his lair. And the mood lighting on the bar? It seemed more reminiscent of the "Laugh-In" set than a tasting room. Sooo,"Sock it to me," I guessed, and sat down to see what they served up. The Dunkel (aka Dark Cloud) looked mighty tasty, and was I right. I sipped up the malty goodness, as I continued to visually take in the unique decorum of the tap room, when, as luck would have it, one of the owners took a stool next to me. He graciously accommodated me and all my questions about starting a brewery, and even invited me to join him and the group of runners that met at the taproom every week, for a jogging jaunt around the city. Had I dressed and hydrated more appropriately, I would have joined in, but I needed to be moving on. I purchased their Tripel to sample at home, and hit the road. It was getting late, so if I were to visit anymore breweries, I had better pick one that was close by. Carolina Brewery in Chapel Hill, NC fit the bill. I cruised through the streets of the college town, and felt reminded of times long ago. The bustle of undergrads imparted in me a youthful energy, but I was quickly reminded of my aged approach when I entered the brewpub and all its packed enthusiasm. I searched through the crowd for a place to sit, and spotted one free stool over by the servers' station. Short on options, I bellied up and ordered a flight. I refueled on one of their burgers, while I analyzed their handcrafted quaffs, and as soon as the final morsel was washed down with the last sip, I paid my tab, and hightailed it back to the comfort of middle-age-ness. It was time to head home. In the solitude of the truck, I was able to reflect on the journey. What a fun trip it had been. And if starting a brewery was a in the cards, then what a long trip was to come. With miles to go before I slept, the hum of the tires provided a perfect backdrop of white noise. So I turned the radio up, channeled my inner Motley Crue, and sang the rest of the way back, "I'm on my way. Home sweet home."

Checkpoint Foxtrot: NYC

On the top deck of the Verrazanno Bridge, we looked across the Upper Bay. There was Lady Liberty, cast in her signature bluish-green hue, next to the Manhattan skyline. In front of us was the massive sprawl called Brooklyn. We jockeyed through traffic with the greatest of tension, and after a few erratic drivers, and fearless pedestrians (Hey, I'm walkin' here! I'm walkin' here), we arrived safely at our destination. We fastidiously stored the kegs and jockeybox for the rehearsal dinner, and set out on a celebratory meal. We walked through the streets of Brooklyn with a native like swagger, and headed down into the subway system. The Q train blew past us like a yellow blur, and squealed to a stop. We boarded as if we belonged, and rode the click-clacking rails over the East River and into Manhattan. Two stops and a transfer later we arose from the undercarriage of the streets of New York to the heart of it all. With the Flatiron Building to our left and Madison Square Park to our right, we stared directly into, the Lego store! (Oh wait, a little bit to the right) Eataly! Where their rooftop brewpub, "Birreria" and its cask ales awaited us. We entered the 5th Avenue doorway, and right away, the sights and aromas bustled with the feel of an Italian marketplace. Mangia and Bevi was all I could think as we passed the espresso and gelato bars, and glided through the pasta and produce section to a back corner elevator that took us up to the rooftop. The space was cool and open, with the city's warm and welcoming night lights overhead. Wooden casks lined up behind the bar, and offered up "Gaia" a Saison, "Sofia" a Witbier with peppercorns and coriander, and "Gina" an American Pale with thyme. We tasted them all. On their own, each had a unique flavor, but all had less carbonation than the commercial counterparts that I've grown to expect. The Gina had a forward flavor of thyme that took over the beer, but when the "Piatto Misto," (a collection of housemade sausages and other pork delights) came to the table, well, all bets were off. The body of the beer, and thyme flavor cut through the pork like a scalding hot knife through room temperature lard, and after a few bites of the platter, I reflexively ordered another, and then another. Amazing flavor combinations! Soon we were all satiated on sausage and suds, and headed back for some much needed rest. Even with our trek taking us over 1,000 miles, with various stops along the way, we still needed to prepare and serve our goods for the rehearsal dinner. Not to mention, trek the  1,000 miles back home afterwards. So, good night for now.

Checkpoint Delta: The Devil's Backbone

 Check Point Charlie was a quick stop to rest weary eyes in Winston-Salem, NC. We picked-up a sample in the morning at zee Cafe Adler (ie Foothills Brewing), and unlike the harrowing accounts of it's Cold War counterpart, we cruised through, unabated, and headed ENE to the most anticipated checkpoint on our trek, Devils Backbone. This place won the GABF 2012 Small Brew Pub of the Year, 2013 Small Brewing Company of the Year, and 2014 Midsize Brewing Company of the Year. A resume capable of putting the fear or hope of Dionysus (Beer God) into any aspiring brewer. The route required us to diverge off the traveled path to reach Roseland, VA, location of Devil's Backbone base camp. As we ventured on through the country, the road narrowed and curved. Soon we could only see as far the next turn, as the trees and road intertwinded with the landscape into the bowels of the beast. Then as the sunlight reduced to a glint through the leaves, and our expectations heightened to a brilliance, we reached a glen in the woods. There in the clearing was Devils Backbone Brewing Company. It was magnificent. The base camp location gave 360 degree views of the majestic masterpiece of the mountains. A multitude of hunting trophies welcomed us as we eased into our bar stools with a Vienna Lager and a Schwartzbier. With one sip I stared back amazed into the brew, and wondered, "Where have you been all my legal adult life?" Both had amazing up front flavor with the distinct crisp lager finish. Aaron, one of the brewers chatted with us, and encouraged us on our mission, as we sipped on a Tripel, and Pilot Brau (Enjoyed the balance of the Tripel, and the unique flavor of the New Zealand hop varietal in the Brau). This place had it all, great beer (especially technically difficult lagers), gorgeous location, cozy lodge feel, did I mention great beer. Once we cleared our heads, we amassed our samples, saluted the brewers on their marvelous work, and reluctantly left our posts at the end of the bar. Unbeknownst when we may ever return to this place, we decided to make the best of our location, and performed a slight course adjustment. The mission's route was redirected to include a portion of the Blue Ridge parkway just on top of the ridge that overlooked the valley. Once we reached the top, we were pleased with our choice. The straw yellow hues of the leaves were highlighted by the golden rays of the setting sun. A beautiful sight to behold that would give any Beligian Wit drinker, or Red-blooded American goose bumps of glee. Filled with joy we coasted down from the mountaintop into Checkpoint Echo: Blue Mountain Brewery and Hop Farm. With time bearing down on us we were forced to make it a quick stop, which was fine, since the rhizomes weren't as big as I expected (more like a serene hop garden of Cascades and Centennials). There was this cool craft brew map on the wall.

After a quick taster flight, we were off, and once we merged back onto the main thoroughfare of the Northeast I-95 corridor we knew we were ever so close to our ultimate destination.

Brew Batche(s) 62* Cherry Wood Porter?

Having some extra ingredients we thought we'd brew up a double batch of cherry wood porter, but the recipes became a little skewed. Instead of 3 lbs of dark DME we had 6 lbs of dark LME and the usual amount of Munich. Hop additions were the same with slightly different alphas, but the big kicker was in the gravities. First batch was OG 1.076+0.002 @ 76F with the other turning out to 1.104+0.002 @76F! That's why there's a question mark in the title, can you make Porter barleywine?

Our Tastes-- Mikkeller 1000 IBUs

This one had me chompin' at the bit to try and now after having it, if I get to have another bottle OK, if not, eh. A hazy medium to dark orange in color with a head so thick it's own cap rides it. Nose thick of piney soft citrus. But the taste is almost musty it's so dry and hot on the back. Mikkeller, is an interesting (now one man) brewing show. This beer touts good but totally separate ratings on BA and RB, which has me perplexed, but I can see where this would be a beer you love or hate. Many people did that about just the name when it first came out. I take it as just an American Double IPA, 9.6%abv with a given funny name. Not sure I could finish a full glass.

Our Tastes-- Foothills IPA of the Month

 

Oddly enough named, October. YDB Brewmaster, Andy Mc, brought this back from his epic "Beer Mission" you can currently read about on the blog. Pours a light orange (east coast color palate if you will) with a gorgeous white head. Nose is a citrus lemony pineness that thanks to the recovery of my cold, I couldn't quite pin down. Taste is full and well balanced hop, or as Andy put it, "Good Chew". Cascade, Amarillo, Citra and a new varietal Equinox is used in the brewing of this one. 6.8%abv and one I would definitely knock 2 or 3 out of sitting around discussing brew plans.

Checkpoint Bravo: Asheville, NC

With a relative easy pass into the mountains, we cruised into Asheville, NC, and headed to the place called, "Wicked Weed Brewing." Right away, I was allured to the cozy seats around the patio's fire pit. Inside, we were invited to a long table in front of the bar, reminiscent of an Old Country beer hall, where many patrons had already gathered. A mural sized portrait of Henry the VIII gazed over from the far wall, and tempted us to plant roots in this pernicious place.

With one look at the menu, and all of its foodie delights, I could have easily lived out my days wallowing in the beer and food decadence. But we were on a mission, so we bore through all the seductions, and went down stairs to the tasting room. Oh man, another great space accented by a great wall of taps.

The selection varied greatly, with many of the brews following the sour and/or wood aged movement. For me, I partook of the English Infidel: A nitro based porter. Cheers to you Ye "Defender of the Faith." Two tasting flights later, it was time to move on. Oh, we could have spent much more time right there in front of the tap wall, but alas, "of all the losses, time is the most irrecuperable." So we removed ourselves, kicking and screaming, from our bar stoops, and threw ourselves back outside. We explored our surroundings, and were quite delighted by the sights and sounds of Asheville's unique Southern style. A small drizzle began to fall, that led to a light rain. We took a quick turn in hopes of spotting an awning for shelter, but found ourselves down a dark alley. An open door at the end leaked out a faint incandescent light. Oddly, we were drawn to it. We entered and shook the drops off our heads. We were dry from the rain, but were now in a metal staircase that led one way, down. We peered over the railing into the depths, as we clanked our way down the stairs. At the bottom was "One World Brewing", a 1 barrel (Excuse me 1.5 barrel, as I was corrected by the knowledgeable staff) nano-brewery. The basement space was small and dark, but clean and simplistic. Free from any blaring TVs or 37 pieces of flair all over the wall (unless you consider their brew system and fermentors flair). The ambiance was relaxing. What a great place to stumble upon. We tried a flight, and were impressed with the quality of their brews. Pleased with ourselves, and our find, we made our way back to street level. The rain had ceased, and we made one last stop at the Thirsty Monk for, what else, the soup of the day.

"Mmmmm, that sounds good. I'll have that." What a great bar with a downstairs devoted to Belgians. My kind of place. We sat on the couches, sipped on a Belgian IPA (Tough combination to master) and planned our next course of action. Once our wits were about us, we saluted Asheville, a superb beer town, and ventured out under the cloak of darkness to the next location on our mission, Devil's Backbone.

Mission: Beer-possible [Cue Music]

The mission, if we choose to accept, required us to cart homebrew up to Brooklyn, NY. The plot was devised by little sister, to provide libations for her rehearsal dinner the night prior to her wedding. Brewing batches of witbier, pumpkin ale, and Not Your Mother's would be easy. The task of trucking the hooch 1,030 miles, and appealing to the ever so discriminating tastebuds of hipsters seemed much more formidable. Nonetheless, mission accepted. [Cue the message to self destruct] After months of preparations, the cache of kegs was secured in the back of the vehicle, and we set off. We forged through the urban jungle of Atlanta, and ventured on to the Appalachian Foothills. Not to be too distracted by the beautiful fall foliage we arrived at Checkpoint Alpha: Oskar Blues Brewery. Brewery founder, and Auburn alum, Dale Katechis's East of the Mississippi production site provided a safe house for us travelers from his home state.

 As soon as we walked through the archway of empty cans, and up the stairs to the tap room, the great staff welcomed us. After a shared flight, which included an aged sour, aptly named "Golden Sour" that had a chardonnay like aroma, and a "Mole Pils", a cask conditioned version of their "Yella Pils" with cinnamon, coffee, cocoa nibs, and peppers (Still kinda scratching my head on that one) we continued on our route. But not before I ordered a Crowler to go. What's that you ask? What's a Crowler? It's a can. It's a growler. A Crowler. A 32oz aluminum can that can keep straight from the tap beer sealed and fresh for days, weeks, months, and maybe even longer. If that's the case, make it two Crowlers. With samples loaded up and stickers slapped onto kegs like a stamped passport, we left the friendly confines of Oskar Blues and stared straight into the next leg of our journey, The Blue Ridge Mountains. No literally, they were right there in front of us. The brewery is surrounded by these beautiful rolling mountains. Great view.

Brew Batche(s) #61* REINKE'S REVENGE 2014

Racked'em both over onto raspberry purée tonight. Gravities were dead even at 1.022+0.002@ 75F. Massive difference in taste though already. The Special Dark was crazy coffee on the taste. Even the trub was darker and thicker on the rack over. Both should come in around 8% or so. Then shortly thereafter it'll be ProAm decision time.

Inaugural Fall Balls 10K

Sponsored again this year by BlackStone Brewing Co with a medley of Hop Jack, Pumpkin Ale and  APA, the Inaugural Fall Balls 10K takes the unofficial place for the fastest growing 10K in the nation! Hot Balls didn't take place this summer because to be honest it wasn't hot here in the South. As a matter of fact I can't remember a single 100F, non heat factor day this summer. But with attendance up a whopping 200% this year, we feel like we made up for the lack of the summer race. Post celebratory brew included Sam Adams Oktoberfest and Spaten Oktoberfest. Now that the word is out we hope to have an even bigger turnout for Turkey Balls and Snow Balls.

Brew Batch #60 Mongoose IPA

Kegged this one today in the hopes that it'll be ready by next weekend. FG 1.006+0.002 @77F to give a healthy 7.1%abv. Seems to have a cloudy dark straw color that should clear with cold conditioning.

Brew Batch #59 Quadruple Wheatwine

Kegged this one over today and put it on cold storage. FG 1.008+ 0.002@ 78F to give 9.3%abv. Man, this one is going to be great come December.

Brew Batche(s) #61* REINKE'S REVENGE 2014

What you see before you is not one spent grain bag of Reinke's Revenge 2014, but in fact 2! I know it boggles the mind that first of all I am actually ahead of brewing this year, with the original brewing day being October 4th. But there's good reason for this early brewing. In years past I let October slip up on me with football and hunting season blending into the trials of professional life and before I knew it I was months behind getting this annual beast in the kettle. Inspired by Red, I've self imposed a double batch to see if I have the pro-am moxie for GABF 2015. Each batch was simultaneously brewed with Andy Mc's help, but the LME is slightly different. Somewhere along the line the LME I had been using was inadvertently changed to Dark instead of Special Dark. However, the batch I want to recreate well (#44 raspberry) was done with Dark. Unable to decide on which to use, Andy procured some long lost Special Dark and we did them both. Brew time was spot on and the SD came out at 1.086+0.001@ 72F with the D at 1.082+0.001@ 72F. I'll follow the same fermentation times and secondary on purée. Here's to being 310 gallons into this hobby.

Brew Batch #60 Mongoose IPA

I wanted to try a Maris Otter based IPA, most of my others tend to have gold malt LME backbones so this is that attempt. Grain bag looked like a possum's codsack but the LME was healthy. Some crazy Brit hop additions of UK Admiral and First Gold gave way to OG 1.060+0.002 @77F. May bottle some, we'll see.

Our Tastes-- Salty Nut Imperial Moustache Red Ale

Picked up some Imperial Moustache Red Ale while passing through HuntsVegas and have just now gotten around to knocking this growler out. Salty Nut is a new micro in Huntsville, AL that seems to be on the right track with regards to marketing and consistent product. No technical data on the brew via their website but it's a great example of the red ale class. Color is a deep ruby, with a hop nose that's relatively non existent though they tout using extra. Oddly enough the water profile seems neutral to hard like most reds, which tells me they have some good attention to detail on this batch. No hop bitterness on the taste, mouthfeel is full with a slight astringent grain taste of husk. Not sure of the abv, but the contents of the growler disappeared quickly and quietly;)

Baseball and Beer

For me on a hot summer's day, nothing pairs together better than a pro baseball game and a cold brewsky. Throw in some roasted peanuts, and I'm in heaven, or is this Iowa? Nonetheless, what better way to push through the "Dog Days," than to rank the 30 Major League baseball clubs based on their in-stadium Craft Beer selection. That is exactly what this analysis by the Washington Post "The Best Beer in Baseball" did. Each team was scored on the locality, uniqueness, and quality of the craft beer selection in their stadium, which earned them an overall ranking. Much to my surprise, a team I followed since my little league days, mostly due to Chris Sabo and his RecSpecs, (Thanks, for giving us nerd kids some jock cred) the Cincinnati Reds came in 2nd place overall. Nice! They beat out the likes of teams that play at Coors Field, Miller Park, and Busch Stadium. Now, if only they could beat those teams on the field. The article stated, that the Reds increased their suds selection to more than 130 distinct beers, which in turn increased their Craft Beer sales by Three Hundred and Sixty-Three percent. 363!!! Wow, in some stadiums, that's a lazy flyball to the track, but for Great American Ballpark, that's a homerun. Let's hope the Reds can catch a winning streak so the fans can enjoy a few pints of a well crafted Fall Seasonal, or Oktoberfest.

*Also to note, the New York Yankees came in last place overall. So ha, take that Evil Empire! Go home and cry in your watered down American Lagers with your 27 World Series trophies.

Colonial Ale (aka The Benny Frank Ale)

"Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy."  Benjamin Franklin
Ok, maybe that wasn't the exact quote from one of our founding fathers. I think it was something or other about God giving us rain, which falls on grapevine roots, which then, blah, blah, blah brings forth wine and such, and in turn makes us all happy go lucky, or something like that. With 'ol Benny boy being the Francophile that he was, I can understand his logic. But me being the 'ol malt-ophile that I am, I prefer the misquote. I believe Ben did mean all good rain that falls to the earth to sustain vines, grapes, barley, or corn is God given, and intended to make us happy. And I choose to believe George Washington cut down that tree to make an amazing "Cherrywood Porter"  like Beat 12's. So ever since the libation hit the lips, the potation hit the palate, of the Poor Richard's Ale at Bosco's in Nashville, I've wanted to recreate a similar brew at home. One that would make me and our First Post Master General, and the good Lord above happy. But, for no good reason, I procrastinated.  After a few months, an urging voice in my head whispered, "Never leave till tomorrow that which you can do today." Okay? Oddly inspired again, I performed an online search for a recipe. Immediately my search yielded the tercentenary webpage for Ben Franklin. There I found a modern day recipe by Tony Simmons which was chosen at GABF 2005 as a beer "The First American" might have brewed himself. The recipe did call for some new techniques, and a new ingredient. Hmm, I did not feel particularly confident about this brew. May be best to wait on this one, and stick to what I know. "The cat in gloves catches no mice." Wait, what? Sure, I guess I could experiment with this brew, and take the time to figure it out, but... "He who is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else." Alright, alright, already. I hear ya, I must brew a "Poor Richard's," aka "Le Bonhomme Richard," aka "The Benny Frank" Ale. I researched and prepared to do this one right, because, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." I looked at many different recipes and ingredients, all while using Simmons' recipe as a guide, and came up with a plan. On brew day, Beat 12 and I prepped and measured all of our ingredients, and set aside plenty of time to mash flaked maize, and perform a full 90 minute boil. Time went by quickly as we intoxicated ourselves on the smells of steeped malted grains and boiled hops, and before we knew it, we made our final addition of 6oz of molasses at 15 minutes. We chilled the wort, and added our water up to 5 gallons to a perfect 70 degrees F. The OG measured a 1.058 - a little short of expectations, but then I remembered, "Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed." True, true. The color was a wonderful dark brown, and a nutty aroma from the grains came through. With perfect pitching temperature, Beat 12 did the honors of pitching the starter, and within 12 hours, the air lock was full of activity. Excellent! Time to sit back, relax, and let the yeast do its work.  "In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria." Let's just hope my sanitization proves that.

*All Benjamin Franklin quotes provided by GoodReads.com

Our Tastes-- Third Voyage

A fine double IPA that's marmalade in color and slight tan in head. Picked this one up in the Sam Adams Hopology pack this year. I've had it but blogged it not, up to this point. The aroma is almost of sweet must. Originally part of the small batch series, (like Fat Jack), it now appears to roam free whenever Jim has a seasonal IPA bomb to drop. As an homage to Capt Cook and his "3rd" and final voyage, Jim channeled "Sam C" and gave us an IPA with Cascade hops from the UK, New Zealand and the Pacific NW US which follows Cook's path. All being from the same species yet environmentally skewed due to growing conditions. Slap some Simcoe in it and voila. The malt backbone on this one seems pretty big with Two-Row Harrington, Metcalfe & Copeland Pale, Caramalt, Honey Malt with the sweet undertones of the last 2 come through nicely. Funny how brewer's all find inspiration in multiple places or people and brew to them in tribute. That's the ultimate. It's a good 8% easily downable brew that burps straight grapefruit.

Compliments to the Beer Chef

With summer in full swing, full-time daddy duties have been logging overtime hours. With a little bit of planning, and some tag team help from the Yard Dog Mrs, a special beer-food menu for a hot Sunday supper was able to be cooked up. The inspiration for a beer infused menu started by binging on some YouTube "Sip Clips", when I came across a video from the DFH BrewPub that steamed mussels in a beer reduction. The recipe called for 1 cup of a light-medium bodied, malt forward, lightly hopped ale. Well, thank you Junk and Red for your contribution to my birthday. A Picnic Ale from Blackstone Brewery, fit the bill perfectly. The beer's backbone along with the sauteed peppers and leeks created a sauce that complemented the tender, meaty mussels superbly. With everything poured over a bed of Spanish rice, a complete meal was to be had. Well, almost complete. What about dessert?  What's that tucked away at the bottom of the scroll on the Terrapin webpage, a Liquid Bliss Chocolate Cake/Peanut Butter Cheesecake cupcake? Mmm,you had me at Liquid Bliss. The simple shortbread recipe used the peanut butter porter in the chocolate cake portion, but most of the beer's flavor seemed overpowered by the cocoa and coffee. But, what, me complain? I'm eating dessert! Bon Appetit, to me. But before I indulge, here's the food porn money shot pic.

Brew Batch #59 Quadruple Wheatwine

Knocked this batch out today on some hard to obtain yeast Andy Mc procured for me. Wyeast 3864. OG 1.080+ 0.001 @73F gives along way to fall. Right on par with the last batch of this I did in 09' but with a pound of Honey malt. Give it 3 or so weeks on primary and we'll go from there.

Brew Batch #58 Extra Special Bitter

Kegged it tonight after having it cold drop in the new soon-to-be keezer. FG 1.002 +0.001@ 72F to yield 5.25%abv. Tastes is a bit more yeasty than I'd like but we'll see how gad treats, using the new Red method. This was a play batch to brew and try line transfer on. Stay Tuned.

Our Tastes-- Swamp Head DarkWater

On a recent trip to pick up my brother, my dad and I stopped in a Swamp Head Brewery. That day (4/2) DarkWater went on tap and into 750ml bombers. I've waited until now to sample it up, but the bottle is just as good as the tap. Considered a black IPA, but with lighter hues of brown in my opinion. A nice off tan/khaki head that boasts a nose of heavy citrus lemon/grapefruit as opposed to floral/grassy. Mouthfeel is full with bitterness that gnaws away at you. It seems that the malt bill just barely holds up the Northern Brewer, Columbus, Amarillo, Centennial, Cascade, Simcoe hop additions. 65 IBUs and 6.8%abv. One of only a few beers I have had from Swamp Head but their love of the hoppy brews is definitely present.

Our Tastes-- 12th Round Ale

Part of the Junk's Junk series, Andy Mc and I partake of this brew from a city that has a special place in my heart, Midwest City, OK (where my dad grew up and I spent a lot of tornado ravaged summers!) Rough Tail Brewing Co. lays out 12th Round Ale pouring a chewy medium brown. Touted as a strong ale with a heavy malt backbone, this is my first encounter that I know of with Apollo hops and it's a great well balanced hop brew. At 7.6%abv and recyclable cans for the keezer fund, I'd buy this on a regular basis.

Our Tastes-- Beard Beer

Look this was a marketing ploy population campaign by John Maier and I bought it. Beard Beer is exactly what it sounds to be. Since John has had the same beard since 1983 they were able to isolate a wild yeast and ferment a wild ale with it. Pouring a medium straw color and nose of absolutely nothing, possibly a slight yeast. The front end is beer, the backside may have a touch of sourness. Other than that boys and girls, you'll spend $5.99 on bomber (whereas Arto would tell you the glass, crown and screen printed label costed the most) and Rogue will reap the financial gain. I love it. Marketing and name recognition got me to try this one. At 5.6%abv it's an angry wild yeast, but then again what's the alcohol tolerance on those strains? Does it very with the length and thickness of the beard? Idunno, but I'll die with a molecule of it in me.

Our Tastes-- Spencer Trappist Ale

Well Andy Mc's family apparently has a contagious virus, bootleg-itis. It appears to have a genetic component to it, as seen with patriarch Bootleg Chuck and we here at Beat-12 Brewing/Yard Dog Brewing encourage it's healthy spread like Bubonic. (without the gangrene, seizures and the groin knot). Our newest sheep to the flock, (we'll call her Ang?) open heartedly recycled her shipper of Wee Hefty and sent it back with the newest and ONLY Trappists brewery in the US, Spencer. So we poured up our tulips and a golden, orange hue with a thin white head sat there at 45F. At first the pour is a sharp coldness, with only a slight appreciable yeast backbone. Then we let it sit and raise to 61F. This is the temp at which this beer reveals itself (>50F). When swirled a heavier fruity pebbles and slight yeast with more complex ester and phenol nose and palate come forward. It wouldn't hurt my feelings to get a 6er if this every 90 days. With the way fire treats these guys, I may need to beg for more soon. Read the history and you'll get it.

Our Tastes-- SweetWater The Gimp

"A Wide Open Old Ale", The Gimp was quite a beer to start brewing ESB with. Old Ales are best served in English pints or snifters and the class itself is muddy with regards to characteristics but I think this one brings the high notes of the style to light. The color is a spectacular mahogany with ruby highlights that shone in the 80F sunshine. With the abv at 10.3% there is of course no head. The nose gave out plummy, tannin, currant notes and refreshed with each swirl of the glass. It had aged since December 2012 and taste was a complexity of heavy raisin and currants because of the outrageous malt bill for this one that seemed cloying on the tongue. I'm not sure how the guys at SW gt their label approval for this one but check it out at the above link when you get a second. I've got a couple of bottles of this and plan on having the other soon. It seems to be right on for this very broad style?

Brew Batch #58 Extra Special Bitter (ESB)

Didn't pitch this one until morning of 5/18 but I needed a cheap quick recipe that was early summer friendly and cheap to see what fermenting in a keg is like. After about 10 hours the keg had already started to blow off through the gas out tube. Not sure I am comfortable with this process yet and I want to learn how to jump it to another keg to decrease air contact after fermentation but as of right now OG 1.042+ 0.001@ 72F. Simply a batch to further by kegging/transfer skills on and if it turns out ok, we'll all have a growler of it.

Big Brew in Little Milford (Mispillion River Brewing)

In all the excitement of the visit to Delaware, I surprisingly happened upon Mispillion River Brewing. A new brewery in little 'ol Milford, DE. Who would of thunk? Well I'm glad someone thunk it, cause the folks there are brewing up some noteworthy stuff. Just check the winners of the American-Belgo Ales (Category 17) at the 2014 World Beer Cup. Yep, that's their "Beach Bum Joe" Belgian Pale Ale with a Silver Medal. Impressive. Might I also try the Berliner Weisse. Oooh, a hint of fruit, followed by a nip of sour. The crisp finish evokes a white wine quality, the only difference is a bready flavor in the middle. A good choice for a light picnic on a warm summer afternoon. Now, may I have the Black Rye IPA "Big Earl". Mmm, full body, with nice pepperiness hop flavor. Oh, it also comes in a firkin version? (Completely different than that German auto thingy, but try and say that fast 3 times.) And it's aged on oak. I'm sold! The natural carbonation, and oak, smooth out the pepper like a creamy au poivre sauce. My complements to the brewer, and kudos to the folks at Mispillion River Brewing.

Brew Batch #57 Cherry Wood Porter

Into the keg you dark sweet cherry sweet beast! I was a little worried about this batch being of on measurement or guess work but as of right now the swill of the pre-gas keg was a fantastic surprise. Great darkness and the cherry flavor and astringency lended by the wood is spot on. FG 1.010 +0.002@ 75F to give 7.35%.

Mission to Milton

Growing up in Southern Delaware, I took things for granted, beaches in your backyard, crabbing with a piece of twine, and sweet corn on the cob right off the stalk. So now, as my years add up, and my hair subtracts out, I sometimes reflect on and chew over those joys from a simpler life, and I realized how well all of those things go together with good beer. Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, DE provides that piece of the puzzle. The impact that DFH has had not only to the passionate craft and home brewing community, but also to the beer drinking community around the world, always makes me swell with Slower/Lower pride, but when prodded further by my brew friends about what the brewery was like, I had to politely explain, "I've never been." "Wait! What?!?" Although technically, I did graduate in '93, two years before the open of DFH, and high-tailed it out of there for college. I did return on the night before my 21st birthday, to toast my entrance into legal adulthood, with one of those unique beers I had heard so much about. Alas, I was turned away, and told to return after the stroke of midnight. Being more impatient than afraid all the Punkin Ale would transform into a can of swill, I moved on to some other insignificant place to quench my undergraduate lust for ethanol. I have rued my immature decision ever since. So now, with experiences of life and home brewing under my belt, I vowed to take full advantage the next time I was to visit my old stomping grounds. I visited the Brewpub first down on Rehoboth Ave. excited to get a taste of the Schwarzbier style, Stalactite and the Stalagmite. The 'actite was roasty and nutty, but quick finishing. The 'agmite was earthy and smokey, that finished with spice on the tongue. Seemed opposite from the descriptions online, but no matter, I'm drinking beer.

To my surprise, Positive Contact was a hit. As blogged earlier by Beat 12, the light Fuji apple flavor, was quick and refreshing. I was impressed how the light, lime, lager drinkers in the group took to it. A Positive Gateway beer, perhaps. The next day I quietly ate my breakfast, and counted down the minutes until the tasting room at the brewery opened. Only 11 miles from my childhood doorstep, I peered around every turn in the road, and looked for the tall outdoor silos to rise above the landscape, like the large EPCOT orb thingy. Then finally we turned in at the ironwork DFH sign, and there it was, the brewing Utopia I had imagined, and seen countless times online. I felt like I just won the Super Bowl. I marveled at the tree house, and gazed upon the bocce ball courts. I entered in, and tried to gain my bearings. Over to the left was the tap room, where a few patrons sat and tasted. Off to the right was the gift shop. The astute employee at the front, greeted us, "Welcome to Dogfish. Have you visited us before?" Reluctantly and excitedly I answered, "no." She explained the layout, and finished by saying, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask." "Does Sam walk around?" immediately sprung from my mouth, as if I anxiously awaited some life size cartoon character sighting. "Yes, I have seen him walk," she answered. Picking up a hint of sarcasm, with a pinch of cedar wood (Could have been all the wood paneling decorating the place), I toned the giddiness down from 11. We hit the bar for a pour. Some might think it was a bit early in the day, being still morning and all, but heck, it was Friday, and plus there was no line. From behind the bar, Duane, graciously took us through our tasters, as he listened to me clamor on about how cool this place was. Before long I found myself perusing the gift shop, ready to stock up. I emptied my arms at the check-out, and found the same lady who welcomed us, behind the register. We gladly exchanged goods for currency, and as she packed away my 120's, World Wide Stouts, and new bottle conditioned bombers of 75 min, she dropped a Hidden Mickey, "Legend has it, that if you happen to be in the tap room at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon, for Happy Hour, you might catch a glimpse of Sam walking," and she winked at me. Now if I was one sheet to the wind, I might have thought she was coming on to me, but luckily I caught on. I left questioning, "Was this true, or was this some fairy-tale to get me to come back and spend more money." Regardless, I felt compelled to return. What the hell, I can always drink more beer. So with sharpie and bombers in hand, I coolly bellied back up at 4:45 pm. There, through bevy of people, I spotted Sam. I couldn't believe it. Right there across the bar, was the pioneer that created this incredible craft beer empire. I FaceTimed Beat 12, to share my excitement. Duane came over, and welcomed me back. He brought me a 90 min, assessed my glee, and asked, "Would you like to meet Sam." All I did was nod. "Wait here a sec," he said, and he went across the way and talked to the man. Sam finished what he was saying to the group of friends and patrons, and made his way over to me. It was like Duane had gave me a Fast Pass. I provided color commentary and play by play to Beat 12 over the iphone as Sam approached. I reached across the bar to shake his hand, and he said, "Let me come around," and as he did, I inadvertently tensed up. He shook my hand, asked my name, and asked who I was talking to. With my brew buddy's contact name right on the top of the screen, I went into my best Goofy impression and sputtered out, "This is Uh, uh. This is Uh." He politely allowed this stammering crazy person to gather up my words, and struck up a conversation with the two of us of, as he autographed the bombers. After a few minutes, a few sips, and a few laughs, he assured us to keep brewing, and that the beer community needs more folks like Beat 12 and myself in Alabama. I thanked him, and he went on his way. A simple, but invigorating meeting, that got me excited to brew. On the way back home, I started to plan out my next batch, and my next visit to Delaware, when Doc (Yard Dog's better half) asked, "That place is your Disneyworld?"  I nodded.

“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.”--Walt Disney Company

P.S. Here's to aging the WWS I bought for Yard Dog Jr.'s 21st.

Brew Batch #56 cIPA

Kegged this one tonight and I am excited about where this one can go. The taste is that of a solid Big C brew with definite Cascade notes on the back end from the dry-hopping. Light to medium brown, will comment on the nose when fully gassed and tapped. FG 1.004+ 0.001@ 73F to yield and nice 7.22%abv and according to the new calculator I'm using 193 cal/bottle.

Now on Tap, "Not Your Mother's MS"

Time to put NYMMS in a keg. Batch # 3 was brewed and fermented for the sole purpose of seeing how the profile changed, or stayed the same, on the gas. Due to availability, a different extract was used this time. Also due to a miscalculation with H2O addition, the wort was brought up to approximately 5.75-6 gallons in the fermentor. The OG was a bit low (.015 lower, Oopsy Daisy) No worries, chalk it up to the glories of making mistakes in your own garage. Just keep in mind the true goal of this batch, practice kegging it. NYMMS was racked to a keg and charged with CO2. 4 days later, the pressure was decreased for serving. I let Silenus and Dionysus squabble over the first pour, and then served up my own taster. A tannish stratus cloud formed on top. The beautiful tight beige bubbles held form, as roasty aromatic notes wafted outwards. The color was dark, but instead of acting like a greedy Black Hole, sucking in all light, small beams around the edge of the glass liberated themselves with a dark brown color. On looks alone, I would not rebuke labeling this beer a porter. (I know, I know my fault for the H2O miscalculation) Upon first taste, a sweetness, book-ended subtle roasted coffee notes, before a slight hop bitterness kicked in on the back. The mouthfeel was thin, and the levels of flavors were timid (or diluted). However, the lacing down the glass was like an ornately designed web on a dewy morning. Beat 12 noticed halfway through his taste, that with a quick swirl, the tiny bubbles reconstituted, to give the heady haze new life. So as luck would have it, gas seemed spot on, but the brew, ahhh, not so much. Mission sort of accomplished. So now lets put two and two together.

Beer Gnoshing in Nashville

Back in December, a field trip to Blackstone Brewery in Nashville to help with a special brewpub batch was proposed to us (Yard Dog Brewing & Beat 12). Once schedules and spouses were consulted, permission slips were signed, and arrangements were made. We traveled North on the weekend of Feb 21-23 to learn and experience how to brew on a commercial scale. I even danced with the notion of what it might be like to become a professional brewer myself. With the stars aligned in the 12th House of  Carcer (The House of Self-Undoing), we stared back, defiantly, into Pisces's cold glass eyes, and ventured forth through the ominous horizon. As the black night closed in, it wasn't long into our journey that we faced our first test. We knew there was a rain storm headed our way, but that wasn't going to stop us. In fact, we were awed by the brilliant flashes of lightning that illuminated the landscape at he Al-TN border. It felt like we were being chased by the papparazzi, desperate to get an expose on the hottest new brewers in the biz. But when the buzz of my cell phone alerted us with a WEA (Wireless Emergency Alert) of a tornado warning in the area, we contracted the glutes a little tighter. With the threat of an EF-2 tornado looming, we did what any person would have done with visions of hop pellets dancing in their heads. We drove on. Aeolus's gusts did their best to sway us off path, but thanks to the expertise and white knuckle driving of Beat 12 at the helm, our determination and course remained true. After only fifteen minutes of the heavy stuff, we passed through harm's way and cruised into port. With Junk's abode acting as home base for our weekend brewing extravaganza, we set our coordinates to his house. But, due to a dinner date gone well, Junk was indisposed at the time. So, we changed course for the nearest watering hole to wait for our gracious host to make his escape. Cool Springs Brewery provided safe harbor from our travels, and a good setting to get our mind right for the brewing and beer gnoshing about to take place in the Music City. The coconut porter was first up. The coconut oil flavor seemed more akin to a mixed drink on a beach, rather than to a hulking courier I expected. Not for my palate. After only one round, Junk was able to free himself from Calypso's captivity, and guided us to his place. When we arrived, Junk opened up his beer stash, to welcome us. We graciously slurped down a few into a peaceful apathy, when he delivered the news. Due to a procedural hiccup, that led to a change in the brewing schedule, we would not be able to brew that special batch at Blackstone's Brew Pub. We shrugged off any disappointment, and were happy to be sharing a cold one amongst friends. The next day, we set out to the production and bottling facility of Blackstone Brewery, and received the tour. Thanks Arto! We witnessed the bevy of activity of a commercial brewery. I fully expected to spot Laverne and Shirley pop up behind the bottling line. And even though we were not able to get a steam facial from the boil, or stuffed sinuses with hoppy goodness, Head-Brewer, Red, was able to pull off a QC sample for us.

Mmm, tasty. Can't get much fresher than that. Truly the VIP treatment. Thirsty to taste more, we headed to Bosco's for dinner. Immediately, I opted for the Poor Richard's Ale, a recreation of a revolutionary era, Benny Frank quaff. The smooth malty body went exceptionally well with the molasses, and minimal hop flavor. So smooth, in fact, I would have gladly volunteered for the Minutemen militia if they offered a case as compensation to fight those bloody Redcoats. Beat 12 may have blogged about this particular tasting before, but it's worth mentioning again. So with the tap room tasting trail on tap for tomorrow, we headed home to rest up. The next day, once our driver to arrived, we headed out. First up was Yazoo. When we walked in, the tap room was filled with a buzz of people. I felt like I was back in my college years. Was that Bluto over there next to the taps? Even the logo shaped flight board reminded me of some new beer pong game. Moved with the energy of the place, I started in full gusto, and out of the six beers, the Sly Rye Porter came out on top for me. Although, within our group, the much hyped Dos Perros was too light in body and mouthfeel for me. With the first tasting under our belts, we hoisted our sails for the next stop, Jackalope Brewing Company. Actually, we walked. It was right around the corner (0.2 miles to be Goggle Maps exact). Right away, the framed oil paintings, and taxidermed jackalope heads on the wall, toned down the feel. The T-shirt selection had a soft cotton underbelly of vintage chic. If I could liken our first stop to my undergraduate years, this space was more like grad school. A bit more quiet and cerebral to get some serious thinking (tasting) done. I ordered the flight again. I appreciated the minimalist presentation of a board with only burrowed out notches for the tasting glasses, but was disappointed that there was only four. I did enjoy the Bear Walker Maple Brown. The flavor was not too sweet, and gave me a yearning for flapjacks. The Leghorn Rye IPA was nice, but even for this Non-Hop-Head, Malt-Mouth, I felt the aroma and bitterness were too delicate. I was lured back to the aesthetically pleasing apparel line, but my cohorts tied me to the mast, and reminded me that this trip was all about the beer. We moved on. The next stop was a relative new player in the Nashville brewing scene, Tennessee Brew Works. Right away, the well designed tap room gave many options for seating. We of course took our mash paddle flights, and plopped down inside the brewery, at one of the tables next to the vats. I felt like I wasn't in a bar, and for this homebrew geek, that felt cool. I highly enjoyed the Cutaway IPA, in my opinion, the best IPA of the day. I could of had more, but with one more brewery to visit, and the troops on the prowl for the sacred cattle to feed their hunger, we quickly piled into the van. We made our way to Black Abbey Brewing Company. Once again, we found ourselves immersed in a brewery setting, rather than a bar. The enormous space had the fermentors and tuns tucked away on one side, and us corralled in another corner. The wide open spaces I assumed were for expansion. I was blown away by the largest flight selection of the trip, and immediately focused in on the Potus 44. A robust coffee infused beer created in honor of the Commander in Chief himself. Quite delicious. With my own hunger pangs creeping in, and time running short on our driver, this abbey visit was cut all too short. So, regardfully, we made our way home, and slayed our hunger, and more good beer. Thanks, and Peace Nashville.

Brew Batch #57 Cherry Wood Porter

Racked on to 4oz of cherry wood chips. Thought about 6oz, but my experience with hard wood on secondary is light. If 2oz gave Reinke's a noticeable white oak impartment and it was a 9% give or take then 4oz of soft cherry should be just fine. We'll all know in about 2 weeks or so.

Brew Batch #56 cIPA

Changed up the recipe a little last minute and went with 2oz of Cascade hops for the dry-hop addition today. I'll let that sit for a week or ten days, then it'll be kegging time!

Our Tastes-- DFH Positive Contact

A light straw with particulate pours DFH's Positive Contact. The body is so light in color that one wouldn't think anything could be contained within except a slight aroma.  Head is a light white froth and nose of minuscule ethanol apple cider. Initial taste is complex with solid apple cider base but touch of warming cinnamon. There's a good peppery warmth that opens the nares for me but I can't absolutely identify it as cayenne. 9% abv. This one's a +. Part of DFH's Music Lineup, Sam collaborated with Dan the Automator of Deltron 3030 (yeah, I have no idea who he is, hum me a tune of his and maybe I'll know it) to create a Belgian-isque brew with Fuji apples cider, roasted farro, cayenne and late addition cilantro. 9%abv and initially released in a boxed set with a 10" vinyl EP with 4 rare tracks, I bought just the beer release. Call me simple.

Our Tastes-- Enabler's Irish Blonde

I've had this recipe a couple of times and The Enabler and I are finally getting around to laying out some webstastic info on it. Sampling in a tumbler/Sam Adams glass, it pulls forth a nice white light froth head. Color is an even medium cloudy straw. Nose of slight fruity pebble. Mouthfeel medium to full for this style of beer. Great balance as far as malt bill to hop with no note over bearing the other. Bottle conditioning leaves a smooth fine exchange between brew and glass after only 21 days. Abv slides in at 6.5% with Palisade hops.

Our Tastes-- Swamp Head Big Nose

My travels recently had me headed through central Florida with my dad. Oddly enough, the old man had never been to a brewery and with a little helpful reminder from Andy Mc, we were able to stop in at Swamp Head Brewery and buy a "jug" for my mom. It was my idea to fill it with Big Nose IPA. Between me, The Enabler and Andy Mc we were able to finish off the one gallon growler on mini-me's b'day. It poured a monstrous white frothy head with a light orange blossom color. The lattice of a step ladder appeared on the pint glass. Mouthfeel shines through with spectacular great citrus blended with a heavy grass nose from the Centennial, Cascade and Columbus hops (two dry-hop additions) with touch of malt backbone. 7.3%abv and rewardingly and empty "jug" for mom.

Brew Batch #57 Cherry Wood Porter

What started as the possibility of pumpkin porter quickly became cherry wood when the gourds went out of season. I'll make sure to revisit that recipe when the jacks come back into season, but for now a nice sweet porter with OG 1.066+0.002 @78F sits waiting for the lag phase to pass. Hopefully it will start dropping quickly then I've got to decide how many ounces of wood to put it on. Another collaboration in the filling of the keezer that's soon to grace Beat-12 Brewing.

Brew Batch #56 cIPA

Needed an IPA for spring, so I"m banging out an IPA with all Centennial with the help of The Enabler and Andrew Mc. Part of NB's IPA series and a beer that had great sweet spine on the swill taste. OG 1.060+0.00@ 60F, with a phenomenal grapefruit nose. Can't wait to dry-hop this one in a couple of weeks.

Our Tastes-- Leinenkugel Canoe Paddler

 

Canoe Paddler by Leinenkugel  pours an extremely clear beautiful straw. A "Kölsch-style" beer made with rye that lends a slight pepperiness to the finish of what I consider a great pick by Merry. Aroma is mildly citrus and a 5%abv makes this one my new spring/summer favorite. Compared to JJ's it comes at 2nd over Rogue. I am more pleased with my own brew's local use of Auburn wildflower honey. But this one did win gold at GABF 2013.

Our Tastes-- Rogue Honey Kölsch

So as we gather to brew today, I'm putting Jake's Juice up against a couple of readily available kölsch's. First up that The Enabler and Andy Mc help me take notes on is Rogue's Honey Kölsch.
Pours a frothy white head with little change in the overall clarity after a swirled protein bed. The cloudy golden straw haze is appreciable. Bland nose of slight citrus pith and honey. One dimensional flavor profile as Andy Mc put it as compared to JJ's. A nice sweet aftertaste and a beer I would definitely have again or use as a conversion brew. People love to think they're having a great micro and add in the honey bees and all of a sudden they're drinking for the planet! Made with 10 great ingredients and  5.9%abv.

Running + Beer?

I don't normally repost things sent to me unless I feel they have a definitive contribution to the beer education of the world, but this article on beer recovery was sent to me by an unnamed MD and was presented on NPR, so there's some merit here for sure. Oddly enough, there's some great information on protein synthesis and recovery post workout. It' a balancing act and this concoction is better related to O'Doul's or Sharp's with more protein. For the record, I like them both.

Brew Batch #55 Honey Kölsch (aka Jake's Juice too)

With the help of Andy Mc, I bottled Jake's Juice too for my builder. He's a great guy that's always here for me in a pinch and liked his personalized recipe the first go around. The stats were almost dead on from last time. FG 1.000+ 0.001 @ 70F to yield 5.12%abv. Same slightly darker color than expected possibly from the honey addition. Profile should improve profoundly with CO2 and two weeks bottle/keg time. Oh, I didn't mention I kegged 2.5C this time? Must have slipped my mind. Call it that tax deductible marketing QC share. Now to price granite counter tops.

TnDC Field Trip #22 NashVegas Brewery Crawl

So what was to be a brew day at BlackStone Brewpub turned into a magnificent Brew Crawl. Junk graciously put us up at his pad for a couple of bags of homemade pretzels and a pancake recipe. So without further adieu we started with Yazoo Brewing Company (early).

Dos Perros pours a medium brown bland "Mexican" lager tasting beer. The nose is of nothing yet that's how many Mexican beers hit me, having said that, there's also nothing better some days after hours of southern yardwork. A personal fav of The Enabler, it's gotta be the maize. Hefeweizen has a flat head, nose of light clove and bananas. Cloudy thin mouthfeel with a yeasty finish that's sure to take on any citrus wedge well if you're looking to convert a BMC drinker. Gerst Amber ale is a clear bright beer with bitter twang on the sides of the palate. It's bready, that's all I've got, not sure I would seek this brew out in a 6-pack. Sly Rye Porter. I've had it and the bottles aren't as good as draft. Trying draft again with flashbacks of Junk and I being the only souls in his dorm during the Texas/USC national championship. It's a nice dark brown with subtle hints of light smoke. I had forgotten about the good rye pepperiness with sweet porter spine. Pale Ale is more bitter than I'd expect or remember. There's a good white head to it, color is as expected, but again not the best beer. Hop Project #73 IPA. Holy cow, I remember having the first 10 or so, jeeze take your pick with regards to hop profiles and adjectives to describe the nose and flavor profile. This one's very piney. My bonus beer is the Ten Year White IPA. I liked this brew enough to pick up a bomber or 2 because the uses of Mosaic and Citra hops was a great combo for me. I noticed the grassy dull forward to be the mosaic.
Jackalope Leghorn Rye IPA. Fairly well balanced IPA. Not as much rye pick up on the palate initially and is more of an after thought though they used 3 different types. Light brown orange in color. Haven't had it before and would certainly knock down a few tumblers of it. Light head retention. 6%abv 65 ibus.

TN Brew Works. Opening Act Session pours a good white head. But the overall taste is a bland almost skunky golden ale. Made with Glacier hops you can pick up slight mint. Southern Wit pours darker than Opening Act with relatively the same light froth. Good light balanced orange citrus Belgian wit at 5.14%. Cutaway IPA pours up brown with red highlights with a good hop nose (used Warrior, Summit, Apollo, Calypso & TBW hop #3?). Balanced but nothing to write home about.
Basil Ryeman is a TN farmhouse ale. Bland bacterial medium mouthfeel after swishing. Sweet up front with tart as an after thought. Country Roots was black as southern soil. Nose is great of sweet potatoes balanced with toffee coffee. Light body for such a dark beer. Taste though seems over roasted coffee and bitter. It seems they use a good bit of rye in quite a few of their brews at TNBW, which is fine but I was not overly impressed with the beers at this brewery. The tasting area was huge and nice but beers need to catch up to the atmosphere.
The Black Abbey Brewing Company was the final stop in our crawl.
The Rose is a Belgian style blonde ale. Clear wheat fresh made with 6%wheat malt and no head. 5.8% 22 ibus. The Special was their Belgian style mild. Garnet hues paired with a malty backbone. Burps of banana after pouring up a light clear brown. It's ok. Or mild at best. 5.9% 23 ibus. The Champion oddly enough is an American Stock ale. Uh yeah. It's beer. Other than that I'm not pulling anything. 5.5% 40 ibus. Chapter House Belgian style red ale. Red and clear. Nose of heavier cloves but not impressive. 5.1% 25ibus. Potus 44 is a robust coffee infused brown porter that's a great conundrum. Read the description and initially it was labeled a brown ale. So I'm not sure if this is a dedication or degradation. Either way both my eyes drew up upon first sip. I don't pull the differentiation of the coffees. They're there but that's it. 5.54% 25 ibus. Wicket Gate next up is a London stout. Heavy bitter black beer I downed to get rid of. Fortress is they're American black ale at 5.9% 29ibus, but I don't pull very much citrus hop that it's supposed to belie. Fortress through a pineapple was much better.
Special thanks to Junk, Red and Andy Mc for making homemade pretzels, my liver wouldn't have made it without them. Don't stack glasses...ever. Overall, 3 out of 4 pints.