taking brewing injuries to another level.

My brother and I laughed about the injury he sustained early in the day (before I even arrived).  He cut his finger (as is normal with our stainless steel fittings), and then promptly and accidentally cauterized this open wound with a searing from our burner.  We thought we were done with injuries with this do and do over injury.


Not to be.  This afternoon I am nursing my injury over a Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge.  I could not go to work today from my brewing injury.  On cold nights, beware the ice on my brother's 45 degree driveway.  I was carrying a bucket of waste down to the street to dump, never even thinking that it might be cold enough for the water to freeze.....sprained ankle.  A serious one with swelling and black and blue contusions.  I could barely shift gears on my car to drive home....but I survived that, and the fact that my brother opened his garage door only large enough for him to walk through....me, being 1/2 inch taller.....well, my balding scull has some scuff marks.  Thank goodness I was wearing a hat....or the garage would have scalped me.


Oh, I bought some nifty brewing gloves.....you can dip your hand in boiling water with no ill effects....dumb, I know.  Pictures need to come from my brother.

the gift of beer....

I have very limited experience tasting home made beer that I didn't make, so it was nice to receive a twelve pack of home brew from my brother-in-law.  He sent me three different kinds, one of which (edit: [I thought])was my Festivus Holiday Beer recipe....


Like a kid at Christmas, I poured [what I thought was] the holiday beer [but actually was a brown ale] into my only tulip glass and enjoyed every drop.  His seemed drier (and likely more ABV) than my first attempt, but lacking any data and relying on my faulty memory, it is hard to tell or remember.  I did enjoy it, it will be extremely difficult to let the remaining bottles age.


Everything is explained now that I know that the brown ale wasn't my beer...I do love brown ale, so it was easy to pretend it was some other brown malty beer I love.

Brew Day revisited.

I just got back from a vacation.  We were supposed to brew the weekend before I left, but had too much to do, so we opted to brew last weekend instead.  We incorporated all of our new tri clamp fittings, and that part of the brewery is working as designed....that is to say, awesome.


We did have problems, however.  It started when assembling the brewery.  I removed an old valve from a kettle, and dropped one of our dial thermometers.  Crash! Crap!  No temperature on the out side of the kettle.  Then we mashed in too high....and only could tell our mash tun in temp....so we really don't know how high it was.


Then our boil kettle's dip tube fell apart.  This made our effort to drain our kettle to our fermenter impossible.  I need to figure out how to make these repairs to the system before our next brew day.


We brewed our Porter and a pumpkin ale recipe.  My brother talked me into trying the pumpkin, and I think I will be glad he did.

three days...no pictures

I am still trying to re-acclimate myself to my normal old boring life after the Great American Beer Festival.  I have so many ideas and observations from my two days of volunteering and the one session my brother and I attended that it is hard to straighten them all out.  I can say, however, that I had a great time, and look forward to next year.  I think that rather than give a blow by blow of three days of mostly standing, talking, and drinking (and peeing), I instead will focus on the major topics.


First, everyone is always interested in the beers.  I didn't keep track of how many samples I had, and until this year, I have no idea how you would go about keeping count.  I served beer to one guy who stopped and wrote down every beer he tried in a notebook (along with what I presume were notes), and another guy who had a counter on his belt that he clicked each time.  Although both of these would be interesting bits of information after the fact (how much you drank, what you drank, and what you liked) it certainly (for me at least) would take away from the fun and social aspect of the event.


As for beers and breweries it is hard to remember everything I liked in specifics.  I did have a method to my madness on what I sampled and what breweries to visit.  First, I don't like standing in line and waiting, so to avoid the feeling of standing in line to get in, we got there really early (almost first) and sat on the steps for the first few hours.  We met some really great beer people (not the yahoos that show up later).  At the event, we tended to avoid the popular breweries that had lines (with some exceptions) and those that we really wanted, we chose to hit early.


What I can remember, is that I really enjoyed a premium light lager from a new Michigan Brewery called Wolverine State.  I served alongside their Director of Sales (I so enjoyed her company and her shameless promotion) at the Michigan Brewers Guild, and she sold out of her case of Premium Light Lager in probably two hours or less.  People kept coming and asking for it.  I am really surprised it didn't win a medal (American Premium or Light Lager gold went to Red Dog....), but as I know, I am not a stylistic encyclopedia.  Maybe it would have done better in a different category.  They have a tap room on the west side of Ann Arbor and their lager is a most excellent boat beer.  I can't get it here in Denver.....and I have never been sad about not being able to get something here....maybe someday.  Maybe someone can pick me up some swag (mens medium...hat...hint, hint) when they visit this brewery?


I served on Thursday night in row O in the Rocky Mountain Region.  I served Pike's Peak Brewing (Chris and Dan were lots of fun to hang out with and talk to).  I had taken my brother and Kent to visit this establishment in Monument (off of I-25 north of Colorado Springs) and especially enjoyed their Mild Ale which was being served.  I also served for Pagosa Brewing, and was very impressed with all of their offerings.


I focused on trying a lot of Oktoberfest beers (since I am an award winner and all), and even got to try the eventual Bronze Medal winner from Sam Adam's for German Style Marzen.  Of most I tasted, mine was better.  We also enjoyed Great Lake's Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.


Of the people.  I nearly (literally) ran into Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head Brewery while in the bookstore prior to the Friday session.  I wanted to tell him that I am currently enjoying his book, "Brewing Up a Business" that I purchased for my ipad, but in three seconds, someone was running up to him screaming (almost) "Sam!!!!" and similarly swooning.  He does seem to be as nice as his persona, however....so I left him alone.  I shook Ray Daniels' hand and thanked him for his book "Designing Great Beers" which give statistics and background on a number of styles of beer and provides some insight on how to craft your own recipes.  It is one of my favorite reference guides.


On Serving.  After finishing serving for the first two nights, I was convinced that I would rather do that than attend, but I had such a great time on Saturday afternoon attending, that I am no longer convinced of that.  In retrospect, I did enjoy serving more than attending, but am not sure if I am ready to give up my Saturday Afternoon Session.  The best part was meeting people and talking about the beer i was serving.  I might dedicate myself to the Guild next year, but not sure.  I will have to search my soul on all of this.


On the Festival.  If you go, take your time, drink what you like, and don't try to sample everything.  There are over 700 breweries serving thousands of beer.  I can't wait to pour you a beer in 2012.


Of the three days....I forgot my camera every day....so, I had a great time, and posed for more than a few photos, but don't have anything for you here....sorry.  Next year, come with me.


Regards,
g

Always a Bridesmaid!!!

Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen

I just got a call from the Brew Hut and Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora, Colorado.  I entered our Oktoberfest in their Oktoberfest Only homebrew competition.  And.....you guessed it....Second!


Second is pretty damn good, considering every beer was exactly the same type and style.  This discounts a preference for a different style of beer.  A second place finish of this type is significant at almost any level.  This means that many agree that this is one damn fine beer.  This is beginning to make me wish that I entered this beer in the National Homebrew Competition last April or May (when I thought the beer was at its best).


Its standing at two back to back competitions also lends itself a nice name....Bridesmaid Oktoberfest.  This is fitting since the festival of Oktoberfest was originally a party to honor the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen in 1810.  I can imagine Therese throwing back a few steins of our beer to ready herself for her marriage.  She had nine kids and then her husband cheated on her.  The bridesmaids are also always the ones you have a chance with when attending a wedding stag.  If you tried our beer....she was very approachable.


Second place, Runner Up, Alternate...Silver.  As Iceman Says: "The plaque for the Alternate is in the Ladies Room."  Second place isn't such a bad place to be after all.

Runner Up

I am pleased to announce that our Oktoberfest will evermore be known as "Our Award Winning Oktoberfest."  I entered a competition at a small local brewery, The Copper Kettle.  We came in as one of two runners up.  We didn't win, but we were in the top three and our beer was considered for the Best of Show.  The brewery owner's called it a "Killer".


Actually, I didn't expect to win.  Although the beer was very good, it was 8 months old, and I felt it was showing its age.  The testament to the quality and craftmanship of this beer is that perhaps it would have won outright if I could have found an easy competition to enter last May.


Since there were two runners up (and they didn't give me any feedback), at best we were narrowly edged out of the Best in Show in a field of 20 or more entries (it is a small competition).  At worst, we were third of 5 or 10.  Still, we have rarely entered and never placed before, so, I will take it.

$600 worth of Stainless.

I just received two shipments from St. Pats of Texas and Stout Tanks of various stainless steel parts.  Stainless sanitary tri-clamp parts are not cheap.  $600 got us 90% of what we need to standardize our fittings (using 2" tri-clamp parts).  After I ordered (thinking I was buying a few extras) I devised a way to set up the brewery so that we don't have to change hoses out....of course, I need two (at least) extra tees ($27 plus shipping at St. Pats).

My brewery is starting to look like a professional brewery...with any hope, we will brew like one.

Beer update: I have the IPA in the can (who doesn't like it in the can), but have resisted the urge to try it (it probably isn't done carbonating yet), the Wit continues to work its way down to final gravity, and I have finally emptied my commercial keg of Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide.  I get to return the keg today for $50, which helps pay for my half of the stainless.

My time in the mountains last week was good for me despite the cold I have and the sinus infection my wife got.  I know it is hard to stomach, but my life can't be all beer.

Lastly, I have packaged our last bottles of Oktoberfest for a local brewery's homebrew competition.  I am six months late in doing this, and the beer probably tastes like crap now.  I expect the feedback to be that it is oxidized or some other age related problem....but I will keep you posted.  I am entering this beer without knowing what it tastes like myself.  This is kind of strange.  I am hoping that I can get some constructive criticism outside of the age of the beer....because like all of us, it was awesome when it was in its prime.  I will keep you posted.