After hearing so much about it, a couple buddies from work (Mat and Genna) decided to brew some beer. I, of course, took this opportunity to join them and fill up my keg. We made the Brewmaster's Red, but added a couple oz of Centennial as a dry hop.
The recipe is as follows:
7.0 Liters Amber Malt Extract
200g Munich Malt Whole Grain
The whole grains were crushed and then steeped at 150 degrees for ~45 minutes.
The Amber Malt Extract was added and a 10 minute boil was required for protein break.
66g Northern Brewer hops were added.
30 minutes later, 30g Fuggel hops were added.
30 minutes later, 30g Cluster hops were added and the heat was shut off to the kettle after 5 minutes.
The wort was cooled to below 80 degrees and transferred to the fermentation vessel, which was vigorously shaken to aerate. 2 packages of Dry Ale yeast were pitched.
Nearly a month later, the fermented beer was dry hopped with 2oz Centennial hops. It was kegged/bottled 5 days later on 10/11/07.
It's not bad. Although I'm not a big fan of reds, this one is not overly sweet and has a nice hop flavor. It's also fairly heavy and chewy. Next time, I think I'll try the Brewmaster's Dark Red and hop the hell out of it.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Texas Brews
Had a great time in Texas. Saw the Stanton Moore Trio in Austin and tried a variety of Texas brewed beers, and a couple others that we don't have in Florida.
First off was a trio from Shiner Brewing in Shiner, TX. The large German population in central Texas spawned a surge of traditional German Brewing. Summer brews were in season while I was there and Shiner Bock was a great warm weather drink. Less hoppy than a Sam Adams, but similar body. Shiner Kolsh was very light in color and body, true to the Kolsh style. The Seasonal Shiner Hefewisen was unfiltered and full of body. Slight diacetyl flavor.
Pearl and Lone Star (founded by Audolphus Busch) are now being brewed by Miller Brewing Company. Both beers are very much in the style of an American Lager. Pearl having a distinct Budweiser flavor and Lone Star having a slightly smoother flavor.
Tecate, while not a Texas beer, is imported from just across state lines. Tecate was named after the city of Tecate, Baja California, where it was first produced. Originally brewed by a local company, Tecate was acquired by Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma in 1955.
Real Ale Nut Brown
Real Ale Rye Pale Ale
Real Ale White Ale
Fireman's 4
Stone IPA
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout
Racer 5 IPA
Austin Draught House Oatmeal Stout
First off was a trio from Shiner Brewing in Shiner, TX. The large German population in central Texas spawned a surge of traditional German Brewing. Summer brews were in season while I was there and Shiner Bock was a great warm weather drink. Less hoppy than a Sam Adams, but similar body. Shiner Kolsh was very light in color and body, true to the Kolsh style. The Seasonal Shiner Hefewisen was unfiltered and full of body. Slight diacetyl flavor.
Pearl and Lone Star (founded by Audolphus Busch) are now being brewed by Miller Brewing Company. Both beers are very much in the style of an American Lager. Pearl having a distinct Budweiser flavor and Lone Star having a slightly smoother flavor.
Tecate, while not a Texas beer, is imported from just across state lines. Tecate was named after the city of Tecate, Baja California, where it was first produced. Originally brewed by a local company, Tecate was acquired by Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma in 1955.
Real Ale Nut Brown
Real Ale Rye Pale Ale
Real Ale White Ale
Fireman's 4
Stone IPA
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout
Racer 5 IPA
Austin Draught House Oatmeal Stout
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Four New Beers
Four new beers? Guess it's about time for an update. The local food jobber has graciously expanded its variety to include two new breweries: Flying Dog and Spanish Peaks.
The only offering from Flying Dog is their Pale Ale, which has become my new staple, not only because I want to encourage the spread of good beer in Florida, but also because it's pretty damn good. It's a well balanced, hoppy APA. Not too spectacular in any one area, but a good session beer and beats most of the staples. Just between us...I like it better than Sierra's Pale.
They've got a good website and a good label artist, Ralph Steadman of Hunter S. Thompson fame. I'm gonna see what I can do to get more of their beer down this way.
Spanish Peaks has two new beers available here, Summer White and Black Dog Ale. The Summer White is a Belgian white; light and crisp, great for the summer. It has prominent citrusy tones, but leads with a strong diacetyl flavor. It is unfiltered, with a lot of yeast in the bottle. The diacetyl flavor is overwhelming; it tastes like you're chasing a mouthful of butter. This characteristic quickly fades though, and the remainder is quite palatable and a nice summer drink.
Black Dog Ale is a malty English style ale. Dark amber in color and chewy, it kind of reminds me of a black and tan. It's good, malty with a nice English style hop balance; nutty and heavy. It tastes almost like it could have been aged in a bourbon barrel.
Just a note on their website; it's another damn flash based site so there's no way to link to their individual beers. You'll have to start from the beginning.
The fourth beer is not really new, just renamed would be my best guess: Red Hook's Longhammer IPA. I haven't had Red Hook in a while, not since their marketing agreement with Anheuser-Busch; which I assume attributes to the name change. It's pretty much the same as it's always been, hoppy but not too bitter. It's not by any means an IPA to write home about; I'd prefer to classify it as an APA. Red Hook describes it as "having a wonderful hop aroma without an overpowering hop taste". What kind of fucking IPA is that? It's a good session beer and one of the best (only) IPA's available at the grocery store, and it's kept cold which facilitates immediate imbibing following a hard day at work...or a day at work.
Red Hook's website is also flash based and, after a few beers, is really starting to annoy me. On second thought, don't buy Red Hook. They're in bed with the king of beers and they don't think and IPA should have hop flavor. I'm disgusted. I'm going to take the rest of the six pack and pour it directly down the toilet...or rather my throat, but I won't enjoy it.
Diacetyl: so I was wondering if I remembered my organic chemistry, and if I was using this term correctly; and by god, sure enough, I was!
The only offering from Flying Dog is their Pale Ale, which has become my new staple, not only because I want to encourage the spread of good beer in Florida, but also because it's pretty damn good. It's a well balanced, hoppy APA. Not too spectacular in any one area, but a good session beer and beats most of the staples. Just between us...I like it better than Sierra's Pale.
They've got a good website and a good label artist, Ralph Steadman of Hunter S. Thompson fame. I'm gonna see what I can do to get more of their beer down this way.
Spanish Peaks has two new beers available here, Summer White and Black Dog Ale. The Summer White is a Belgian white; light and crisp, great for the summer. It has prominent citrusy tones, but leads with a strong diacetyl flavor. It is unfiltered, with a lot of yeast in the bottle. The diacetyl flavor is overwhelming; it tastes like you're chasing a mouthful of butter. This characteristic quickly fades though, and the remainder is quite palatable and a nice summer drink.
Black Dog Ale is a malty English style ale. Dark amber in color and chewy, it kind of reminds me of a black and tan. It's good, malty with a nice English style hop balance; nutty and heavy. It tastes almost like it could have been aged in a bourbon barrel.
Just a note on their website; it's another damn flash based site so there's no way to link to their individual beers. You'll have to start from the beginning.
The fourth beer is not really new, just renamed would be my best guess: Red Hook's Longhammer IPA. I haven't had Red Hook in a while, not since their marketing agreement with Anheuser-Busch; which I assume attributes to the name change. It's pretty much the same as it's always been, hoppy but not too bitter. It's not by any means an IPA to write home about; I'd prefer to classify it as an APA. Red Hook describes it as "having a wonderful hop aroma without an overpowering hop taste". What kind of fucking IPA is that? It's a good session beer and one of the best (only) IPA's available at the grocery store, and it's kept cold which facilitates immediate imbibing following a hard day at work...or a day at work.
Red Hook's website is also flash based and, after a few beers, is really starting to annoy me. On second thought, don't buy Red Hook. They're in bed with the king of beers and they don't think and IPA should have hop flavor. I'm disgusted. I'm going to take the rest of the six pack and pour it directly down the toilet...or rather my throat, but I won't enjoy it.
Diacetyl: so I was wondering if I remembered my organic chemistry, and if I was using this term correctly; and by god, sure enough, I was!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Oh my God that's good.
I exclaimed as I took a sip of Rogue's St. Rogue Red Ale. It's a red, and I'm not too fond of the malty beers, but the huge print of "DRY HOPPED" drew my attention to the bottle. I love Rogue's Santa's private reserve, which I've heard referred to as a double St. Rogue Red, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Wow. I thought Hazed and Confused had some dry hopping going on....this is delicious. Not overly bitter, the dry hops add a wonderful flavor and aroma, balancing the malty red. This beer is very good and like a darker double IPA has both body and an ample amount of hoppiness. Go get yourself some, and also look for Rogue's Brew 10,000 celebrating Maier's 10,000th brew. With IBU's at 83 and 10% alcohol it's sure to be a winner.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Beerthday
Or, that's what I call my 29th celebrated at the local BOP. What else would a birthday be with out a little brewing. I decided to celebrate a day early as to not steal the thunder of all the mothers out there, and I didn't want to share my day with anyone else. Now I know how all those people feel with late December birthdays. Anyway, I did another variation on C3PA. Same recipe, but I put in 1.9Gal extract instead of the 1.7. I boiled the first Chinook hops for 60 min instead of 30, and I used 2.5oz Cascade and 0.5oz Centennial for flavoring. Due to a wheat shortage, I had to use 5.8oz of Caramel Wheat to sub for the lack of regular wheat; don't think it'll make too much of a difference. I also used my last pouch of Pacman. We'll see how it turns out...in 30 days...and...GO!
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Oregon Brewer's Festival
Occurring July 26-29 2007, this year marks the 20th annual Oregon Brewers Festival, regarded as one of the finest craft beer festivals in the nation. Each summer, the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon welcomes more than 50,000 beer lovers to the four-day event. Aficionados come from all over the country and the world to experience this hoproots festival, which began as a way to expose the public to microbrews at a time when the craft brewing industry was just getting off the ground.
All of your festival questions can be answered here.
All of your festival questions can be answered here.
Friday, May 4, 2007
American Brew
I just saw the beer documentary "American Brew" on A&E. I have to recommend it. You can get a copy for $5 here. While you're there, check out the rest of the Here's to Beer site. They've got a couple of original series, Fresh and Thirsty Artist.
New Features
Technology is great, and I find it helpful to be able to get as much information as you can about a certain passion. I intend to fill this blog with links to damn near everything I discuss. If I miss something please feel free to comment. Because I'm so enthraled with the wonderful interweb, I added an interactive tech related beer link section including RateBeer and Beer Mapping's lookup page.
I also put a couple beer maps on the right to show the contrast in number of beer related businesses between Miami and Portland. Thank god I'm moving to Portland.
I also put a couple beer maps on the right to show the contrast in number of beer related businesses between Miami and Portland. Thank god I'm moving to Portland.
New Beer Friday
So, I'm out of MI2PA and I'm getting to the dregs of my Sierra Nevada keg. I decided, it's payday, I should go by and check out Crown's new offerings. I picked up two new beers: St. Peter's IPA and Boulder Beer's Hazed and Infused. Hazed and Infused, is unfiltered (Hazed) and dry hopped (Infused)giving it an amber color and heavy hop aroma and flavor without being overly bitter. It's a little unbalanced with a strong hop aroma (you can really smell the citrusy Centinnial hops) and flavor (strikingly peachy with citrus as well). Good stuff. The IPA will wait for this evening.
Kinda disappointed with their websites. St. Peter's doesn't describe their individual beers and Boulder is all flash, so you can't go to a specific page...bah.
St. Peter's IPA was if nothing else, probably authentic. It tasted like an English beer that had traveled to India by ship a few hundred years ago. Most of the reviews I've seen remark about it's skunkiness and mine was no exception. Not a beer I'd recommend.
Kinda disappointed with their websites. St. Peter's doesn't describe their individual beers and Boulder is all flash, so you can't go to a specific page...bah.
St. Peter's IPA was if nothing else, probably authentic. It tasted like an English beer that had traveled to India by ship a few hundred years ago. Most of the reviews I've seen remark about it's skunkiness and mine was no exception. Not a beer I'd recommend.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Rogue
On our Oregon coast trek, Michele and I stopped in Newport to tour Rogue's Brewery and stay above their downtown pub: Bed and Beer. While the apartment above Rogue was dingy and the brewery's tour guide was uninformed, the beer was delicious. The tour concluded with a complimentary Santa's Private Reserve; a delicious, hearty, seasonal red. We also decided to taste Integrity IPA, Imperial Pilsner, Kell's Irish Lager, Chipolte Ale, Mocha Porter, Hazelnut Brown, Rogue Imperial Stout, and Brewer (perhaps my favorite of all the beer I had in Oregon). We also visited the downtown Newport Rogue Brewpub, as well as the one in downtown Portland. We continued the tastings with Juniper Pale Ale, Imperial IPA, Menage Frog (sweet Belgian tripel, not my style), Organic Brown Ale, Hop Heaven, and Monk Madness (another favorite).
Rogue distributes nationwide and makes very, very good beers. Check the links for more info/history.
From top to bottom: Rogue's Brewery, exterior; Rogue Gift Shop; Palates of Grain; Fermenters, Bottling System; Bottles and Kegs Ready to Ship; The Tasting.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Mapleshade I2PA
On the day of C3PA's bottling, I brewed another batch (Mapleshade Imperial IPA). At the advice of Brewmaster's owner, I decided to bring C3PA into balance and add some more alcohol. To do this, we used the same recipe, but with 2.5 gallons malt extract, up 0.8 gallons from the C3PA's 1.7. This turned out to kill C3PA and created another beast entirely. At first I was very disappointed with the results: a medium bodied, darker, sweet, malty ale. Hop flavor, while discernible, was easily balanced by the malt and the sweetness was very disappointing. This beer is beginning to come of age as of 2/27, a full 2 weeks after kegging/bottling. The sweetness is not as dominant, and the flavors are becoming more complex. It has strayed away from a session beer, as the alcohol is indeed increased. 3 pints does a good job of knocking me out on a weekday. While this beer is growing on me, my next batch will be back to C3PA's original recipe, but I'll boil the first addition of Chinook for an additional 30 minutes (for a 90 minute boil total). This should bring the bitterness to a near intolerable level...just what I'm after.
Mapleshade I2PA is far from dead though, I'm gonna tweak this recipe too and morph it into what it should be. I'll increase the Chinook boil as well in this one, maybe sub a little of the extract for some grain (more Munich?), and maybe add another hop variety. I'll also be out of my Pacman yeast, which is no longer available, and have to sub for another strain (Northwest?). This recipe is going to take some tweaking, but should be really good and complex. Seems like it's going to age really well too, I may add a couple of bottles to the cellar, see what it's like in a few months.
Here you can see the difference: Mapleshade I2PA on the left, C3PA on the right.
Mapleshade I2PA is far from dead though, I'm gonna tweak this recipe too and morph it into what it should be. I'll increase the Chinook boil as well in this one, maybe sub a little of the extract for some grain (more Munich?), and maybe add another hop variety. I'll also be out of my Pacman yeast, which is no longer available, and have to sub for another strain (Northwest?). This recipe is going to take some tweaking, but should be really good and complex. Seems like it's going to age really well too, I may add a couple of bottles to the cellar, see what it's like in a few months.
Here you can see the difference: Mapleshade I2PA on the left, C3PA on the right.
C3PA
December 12, 2006 brought my first recipe, an off-balance IPA/APA. I came up with the name C3PA due to the 3 hop varieties used (Chinook, Centennial, and Cascade). The PA is for the general pale ale distinction. The combination of everything, obviously an homage to the gay droid form the Star Wars series.
Inspired by Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale, the hop bill was adapted to a 14 gallon batch from a 5 gallon clone recipe I found online. IBU's were calculated at around 75. The grain bill was that of Brewmaster's Airman IPA, which also fit into the requirements of an IPA grain bill according to "Designing Great Beers".
The recipe is as follows:
1.7 Gallons Light Malt Extract
15oz Munich Malt Whole Grain
13.8oz Wheat Whole Grain
14.5oz Crystal Malt Whole Grain
89oz Pale Malt Whole Grain
The whole grains were crushed and then steeped at 150 degrees for ~50 minutes.
The Light Malt Extract was added and a 10 minute boil was required for protein break.
2.8oz Chinook hops were added.
30 minutes later, 0.7oz Chinook hops were added.
30 minutes later, 2.8oz Cascade and 0.2oz Centennial hops were added and the heat was shut off to the kettle.
The wort was cooled to below 80 degrees and transferred to the fermentation vessel, which was vigorously shaken to aerate. 1 package Wyeast Labs Rogue Pacman yeast was pitched.
Nearly a month later, the fermented beer was dry hopped with 5oz Cascade and 0.5oz Centennial hops. It was kegged/bottled 2 days later on 1/12/07.
I was very much delighted with the results. An off-balanced bitter/hoppy pale, light in color and body. Hop flavor was obviously dominant providing both citrus and pear flavors. Mouth feel was slightly acidic and harsh. This was a great drinker and in my mind, damn near perfect.
Inspired by Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale, the hop bill was adapted to a 14 gallon batch from a 5 gallon clone recipe I found online. IBU's were calculated at around 75. The grain bill was that of Brewmaster's Airman IPA, which also fit into the requirements of an IPA grain bill according to "Designing Great Beers".
The recipe is as follows:
1.7 Gallons Light Malt Extract
15oz Munich Malt Whole Grain
13.8oz Wheat Whole Grain
14.5oz Crystal Malt Whole Grain
89oz Pale Malt Whole Grain
The whole grains were crushed and then steeped at 150 degrees for ~50 minutes.
The Light Malt Extract was added and a 10 minute boil was required for protein break.
2.8oz Chinook hops were added.
30 minutes later, 0.7oz Chinook hops were added.
30 minutes later, 2.8oz Cascade and 0.2oz Centennial hops were added and the heat was shut off to the kettle.
The wort was cooled to below 80 degrees and transferred to the fermentation vessel, which was vigorously shaken to aerate. 1 package Wyeast Labs Rogue Pacman yeast was pitched.
Nearly a month later, the fermented beer was dry hopped with 5oz Cascade and 0.5oz Centennial hops. It was kegged/bottled 2 days later on 1/12/07.
I was very much delighted with the results. An off-balanced bitter/hoppy pale, light in color and body. Hop flavor was obviously dominant providing both citrus and pear flavors. Mouth feel was slightly acidic and harsh. This was a great drinker and in my mind, damn near perfect.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Florida Brews
Titanic Brewpub:
Best brewpub in South Florida. I had the privilige of brewing with Steve at Titanic. Unfortunately it didn't turn into a regular thing. Their White Star IPA is very good, very hoppy, nice use of Cascade (I love me some citrusy Cascade). I'm probably going to be a little biased toward IPA's throughout this blog, as I'm a self-proclaimed hop head. Their oatmeal stout is also a must drink. Triple Screw Light Ale is just that, and I wasn't impressed by their seasonal wheat (which Steve admitted wasn't all that good). Their seasonal Double IPA is good, but not outrageously different than the White Star.
Indian River Brewing Company makes a couple different beers. The Native Lager, not too interested in. The Eleven Brown Ale needs a tasting. Thunderhead Red is a malty red, nothing to write home about.
Key West Sunset Ale, while no longer brewed in the keys (now also owned by Indian River Brewing Company) is a staple on the islands. Not really good enough to get back in the real world though. Found some applicable descriptions here: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/key-west-sunset-ale/2828/.
That's it for the descent and indescent local brews I've had. Here's what we have in retail:
Many grocery stores sell Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Red Hook ESB and IPA. I've always been a fan of SNPA, smooth with citrus hints from the Cascade hops. Red Hook's ESB is a little too bland for my taste, but the IPA is good in a pinch. Crown Wine and Spirits and Whole Foods carry a broader range including selections from Rogue, Dogfish Head, and Shipyard. Once pointed out to me, the buttery, diacetyl flavors created by Shipyard's yeast put me off to their beers. Dogfish Head makes many delicious craft beers. Their 60 and 90 minute IPA's are my favorite. Lots of sprucy flavored hops (Warrior and Amarillo), not the citrusy, west-coast varieties I love, but good indeed. They use a continuous hopping technique where hops are added continuously throughout the boil as opposed to in stages as is common. Rogue's beers (yummm) will be discussed more in detail later, they really deserve their own post.
What else? Nothing else I've had really deserves much mention. St. Peters Cream Stout is very good. However I really don't know much about it or the brewery. Do your own research.
Best brewpub in South Florida. I had the privilige of brewing with Steve at Titanic. Unfortunately it didn't turn into a regular thing. Their White Star IPA is very good, very hoppy, nice use of Cascade (I love me some citrusy Cascade). I'm probably going to be a little biased toward IPA's throughout this blog, as I'm a self-proclaimed hop head. Their oatmeal stout is also a must drink. Triple Screw Light Ale is just that, and I wasn't impressed by their seasonal wheat (which Steve admitted wasn't all that good). Their seasonal Double IPA is good, but not outrageously different than the White Star.
Indian River Brewing Company makes a couple different beers. The Native Lager, not too interested in. The Eleven Brown Ale needs a tasting. Thunderhead Red is a malty red, nothing to write home about.
Key West Sunset Ale, while no longer brewed in the keys (now also owned by Indian River Brewing Company) is a staple on the islands. Not really good enough to get back in the real world though. Found some applicable descriptions here: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/key-west-sunset-ale/2828/.
That's it for the descent and indescent local brews I've had. Here's what we have in retail:
Many grocery stores sell Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Red Hook ESB and IPA. I've always been a fan of SNPA, smooth with citrus hints from the Cascade hops. Red Hook's ESB is a little too bland for my taste, but the IPA is good in a pinch. Crown Wine and Spirits and Whole Foods carry a broader range including selections from Rogue, Dogfish Head, and Shipyard. Once pointed out to me, the buttery, diacetyl flavors created by Shipyard's yeast put me off to their beers. Dogfish Head makes many delicious craft beers. Their 60 and 90 minute IPA's are my favorite. Lots of sprucy flavored hops (Warrior and Amarillo), not the citrusy, west-coast varieties I love, but good indeed. They use a continuous hopping technique where hops are added continuously throughout the boil as opposed to in stages as is common. Rogue's beers (yummm) will be discussed more in detail later, they really deserve their own post.
What else? Nothing else I've had really deserves much mention. St. Peters Cream Stout is very good. However I really don't know much about it or the brewery. Do your own research.
My kegerator
I have a lot of back logging to do, and I'll try to do it chronologically, but we all know how alcohol affects time, that and I have a steak on the grill. Let me set the stage.....Black Friday, 2005. Brandsmart has a Haier kegerator (stainless steel door of course) on sale. I pursuade Michele to brave the crowds with me at no less that 2 Brandsmarts. Can you believe they had a line to get in? After explaining what a kegerator is to the umpteenth employee, and convincing them that "yes, you actually sell these", we found it. Now, I imagine a bright light and a chorus of angels here, but to each their own. I picked it up at the loading dock, and was on my way home; but not before a stop at the local liquor store for a 1/6 barrel keg of Sierra Nevada. It wasn't long before I added a two tap tower and new CO2 regulator from Micromatic. I also replaced all the fittings with stainless steel and got two Perlick faucets from Northern Brewer. Oh yeah, I got a sweet stainless drip tray to boot.
I'll try to include some links and pictures along the way, so here we go.
Haier Kegerator
CO2 Regulator
Two Tap Tower
Perlick Faucets
Stainless shanks and drip tray with drain were also ordered from http://www.northernbrewer.com
I'll try to include some links and pictures along the way, so here we go.
Haier Kegerator
CO2 Regulator
Two Tap Tower
Perlick Faucets
Stainless shanks and drip tray with drain were also ordered from http://www.northernbrewer.com
Back where it all began...and where the story continues
I've had a love affair with beer since about 1998. I know, you're saying: "Wait a minute, you weren't 21 in 1998." However, my roommate was, and that first six-pack of Red Hook's Black Hook (that I could barely choke down) began it all. Around the same time, I became a regular at the now defunct Kaw River Brewery in downtown Lawrence. Perhaps their downfall could be attributed to their lax age discrimination system. Ah, Kaw River....the first of many microbrews; long gone were the days of the traditional American Piss Brew. Then came Boulevard and Free State, the staples among Lawrence's discriminating taste. By the way, I find Free State's Copperhead Ale and Populist Porter among my favorites, they also make a very tasty Oatmeal Stout.
So I move to Florida, or as I lovingly refer to it as Hell on Earth. Not only is the retail beer selection expensive and limited, but there's only one real microbrewery down here and it's 30 minutes from my house. So I ended up dealing directly with the distributors, educating some of the local retailers, and purchasing a Haier kegerator on a Black Friday sale in 2005. It wasn't long before I gutted that kegerator and added a dual-tap tower and new CO2 system. It was nice to pour frothy goodness on demand from the likes of Sierra Nevada, Shipyard, and Dogfish Head. But my brewing paradigm shift came one evening at an event called Beer Fest. The first couple Beer Fests had been absolute crap; you pay $20 and if you get there a 1/2 hour late all you get are 4oz cups of Budweizer. Anyway, 2006 was different. I happened to know most of the distributors, got a lot of good beer and met a girl that had brewed her own at a place called Brewmasters. This sparked my interest and I sought out this "Brewmasters". I finally found this place and stopped in. "What do you do here exactly?", I asked the gentleman behind the counter. "Why we're a Brew on Premise", the gentleman replied. "What on earth is a Brew on Premise?", I asked. "Well", he said. "You simply select a recipe from my magic book, and turn it into your very own beer". Intriguing, I thought, as I thanked him and left. Now I only need someone to venture into this beer making with. Ah...Ellis, he's Canadian, they drink a lot of beer; perhaps I can convince him to go in with me on my endeavour (that's Canadian for endeavor). Luckily, it really didn't take any convincing. He was in from the word beer. So we made a Liberty Pines IPA (Anchor's Liberty IPA clone), and the rest is history (or rather the humble beginnings of this blog). So pull up some bandwidth and read along. It'll at least be interesting for me.
So I move to Florida, or as I lovingly refer to it as Hell on Earth. Not only is the retail beer selection expensive and limited, but there's only one real microbrewery down here and it's 30 minutes from my house. So I ended up dealing directly with the distributors, educating some of the local retailers, and purchasing a Haier kegerator on a Black Friday sale in 2005. It wasn't long before I gutted that kegerator and added a dual-tap tower and new CO2 system. It was nice to pour frothy goodness on demand from the likes of Sierra Nevada, Shipyard, and Dogfish Head. But my brewing paradigm shift came one evening at an event called Beer Fest. The first couple Beer Fests had been absolute crap; you pay $20 and if you get there a 1/2 hour late all you get are 4oz cups of Budweizer. Anyway, 2006 was different. I happened to know most of the distributors, got a lot of good beer and met a girl that had brewed her own at a place called Brewmasters. This sparked my interest and I sought out this "Brewmasters". I finally found this place and stopped in. "What do you do here exactly?", I asked the gentleman behind the counter. "Why we're a Brew on Premise", the gentleman replied. "What on earth is a Brew on Premise?", I asked. "Well", he said. "You simply select a recipe from my magic book, and turn it into your very own beer". Intriguing, I thought, as I thanked him and left. Now I only need someone to venture into this beer making with. Ah...Ellis, he's Canadian, they drink a lot of beer; perhaps I can convince him to go in with me on my endeavour (that's Canadian for endeavor). Luckily, it really didn't take any convincing. He was in from the word beer. So we made a Liberty Pines IPA (Anchor's Liberty IPA clone), and the rest is history (or rather the humble beginnings of this blog). So pull up some bandwidth and read along. It'll at least be interesting for me.
Why this blog
I have another orphaned blog (http://brianshepard.blogspot.com), much to the schgrin of my dear friend Danny. So I figured....why not write about something that interests me, and keep a log as well. And Brian's Beer Log was created. I've tried to keep notes on various brews, both my own and ones I've tried, but why not take it to the all and powerful internets (a place of wonder and amazement). Thus, here it is: my humble beginnings as a beer lover and borderline raging alcoholic.
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