Day Two - Checkin them seals, checking them twice, gonna find out what needs to be replaced

 I realize it doesn't rhyme.

I'm checking the kegerator CO2 connections. My last batch went flat fairly fast so there's a leak in there somewhere. Yes, I do plan on replacing all the o-rings but if I can find a specific valve, or perhaps the diffuser, I need to know.

 

I have returned

 Just in time for me to be rushing around like a madman, I've decided it's been too long and I need to get back to brewing.

A lot will be coming soon.

I Don't Make Beer, Yeast Does.

I keep forgetting to do this but maybe you'll remember. The next time you brew try this little experiment. Before dumping the wort sample you use to take initial gravity put it in a sealed container. Once fermentation is complete taste both samples side by side. What flavor effect did the yeast have on the wort? What do you taste in one but not the other? You'll notice a huge difference between the wort and beer.
Let me know what you find and brew on!

Book Review - Ambitious Brew by Maureen Ogle

An interesting book. A little dry at times but there are very interesting facts about the US's brewing history. There's even some great looks into the politics of the past and how beer held an important roll in the shaping of our country.
It also has some insight into why the US is stuck on Budweiser. Adolphus Busch and company created it for the US not to be the cheap flavorless lager it is today but a light low alcohol beverage for the "capitalist on the go". It actually cost a lot more to make it at the time. I'm happy we Americans are slowing down a bit and enjoying our food and beer.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S

Real Irish lager from Ireland. Slainte!

Southern Tier 2xIPA

This is the best IPA that I've had in a long time. It beats 90 Minute from Dogfish Head, Stone Ruination, Bells Hopslam (waiting for the lightning and haters) , and even the Ohio brewed GLBC Lake Erie Monster.
 I picked up a sixer of this for around $10 at a local wine and beer shop off of 161 and Sunbury called Wine and Brew Emporium.  It's a double IPA so I was under the impression it might be a little more but I wasn't going to pay a Hopslam price. $18 for Hopslam, seriously Bells?
  It has a perfect blend of citrus hops and malt that finishes extremely clean. The 8.5 abv is diabolically hidden and leaves only a warmth that wrapped me in a cozy bed of hoppy goodness. This will be cloned! Until then it will be a staple in the kegerator and always recommended to anyone who favors the Pacific coast hop.
Seriously go get some before I clear the shelves!

Sinbrychoff - Baltic Porter

I picked this up at The World of Beer, in the brewery district, downtown Columbus. Porters* are among my favorite styles and I had never heard of this brand let alone it coming out of Finland.

It's a black ale with a very assertive dark chocolate and coffee aroma. Thick and creamy the taste is fairly sweet. It kind of reminded me of dark fruits like plums or raisons until it finished. As the last bit goes down the hints of coffee and roasted malts come out but too little too late. In my opinion it's a little too "fruity" and needed more of the roasted goodness I love in porters. The alcohol is hidden very well so be careful of the second round as it may sneak up on you.

I enjoyed it but wouldn't get it a second time. There are much better porters. Who might you ask? Smuttynose and Flying Dog are excellent choices.

* Porters are a dark ale that predates stouts and some would say that if it weren't for porters stouts wouldn't exist. A good example of a porter will have very little hop flavor or aroma, be very roasty, almost coffee-like, and very smooth going down. They'll go great with smoked foods like barbecue, prime rib and even chocolate cake.

Big Reason to Get a Blow Off Tube

1st, drain the hops out of the wort, 2nd, get a blow off tube! I remember the 1st Imperial IPA I made doing this. Too funny. Hope it turned out all right. It should have worked out.

The New T's Are Created - Check out the Shop

I spent a good portion of Friday and Saturday of last week creating some new t-shirt designs for the club. Check them out at Skreened (Columbus owned!)
New beer reviews coming soon!
O'Fallon Cherry Chocolate.
Dogfish Head - Bitches Brew
Genesee Cream Ale (yes I'm serious)
I'll be finished with another book soon so stay tuned for that as well.

Brew On!
Fred

Beer Review - 2012 Christmas Ale Challenge

Please note, all of these beers are judged according to Christmas flavor and seasonal "feelings". In my opinion all of these are great beers. We aren't professional judges we're just guys who like great beer. I always say go out and experiment, judge for yourself and use these, as well as other reviews on this site, as a template. Everybody's pallet is different. On to the tasting!

Barley's 
Fred - 2.5 
Brett - 2
Paul - 2
Keith - 2
Chris - 2
Anchor Christmas Ale 2011
Fred - 4 I love this. A very different style Christmas Ale. Subtle Christmas flavor with strong pine. It's like chewing on a Christmas tree...a tasty one without the ornaments. 
Brett - 2
Paul - 2 "Not for me."
Keith - 4
Chris - Not present
JB's Winterfest (Trader Joe's)
Fred - 3.5 (semi-pro review later)
Brett - 3
Paul - 4
Keith - 3
Chris - Not Present
Bell's Christmas Ale
Fred - 3.5
Brett - 3
Paul - 3
Keith - 3
Troegs Mad Elf (heavy alcohol warning! 11%)
Fred - 4
Brett - 4
Paul - 4.5
Keith - 4.5
Chris - 4
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (not a Christmas Ale but an IPA)
Fred "you guys know this is an IPA right?" - 1 (but it's a GREAT IPA)
All others gave it a 1 based on the Christmas Ale tasting but it's an IPA all of us liked. Don't be fooled by the name OR the label. Cheers!
Schlafly's Christmas Ale
Fred - 4.5 Almost perfect! Too bad I can't get it in Columbus.
Brett - 5!
Paul - 5!
Keith - 5!
Chris - 3.97 (Always gotta be one in the crowd)
Way to go guys!
Great Lakes Brewery Christmas Ale
It's "the one", "the only", and the most talked about Christmas Ale on YouTube and in Ohio!
Fred - 3.5
Brett - 4.75 (Great but not as good as Schlafly)
Paul - 4
Keith - 4
Chris - 4
Wow, looks like the "other guys from Saint Louis" came out on top.
Breckenridge Christmas Ale
Fred - 2 (ouch!)
Brett - 1
Paul - 2.5
Keith - "OK, why do I like this?" 2
Chris - 2
Moerlein Christkindl
Fred - 3
Brett - 1
Paul - 2
Keith - 2
Chris - 2
Avery Old Jubilation
Fred - 3
Brett - 4
Paul - 0! Our only zero of the night. I don't have any explanation.
Keith - 2
Chris - 1.5
Thirsty Dog's 12 Dog's of Christmas
Fred - Loved it! 4.5
Brett - 4.5
Paul - 4
Keith - 4
Chris - 4
One of the best Christmas Ales out there and it's local to Ohio! (Akron)


And the Winner is:
Hoppin' Frog Frost Frog
Unbelievable. Christmas in a bottle. Find it, drink it! (share it with me, hey I helped you find this right?)
Fred - 5
Brett - 5
Paul - 5
Keith - 5
Chris - 5

13 Beers, 5 tasters, 4 hours of laughing, drinking, and avoiding Paul's unique "outside voice" of his observations of female anatomy has brought you a helluva list for beer this Christmas season. Buy some for the beer snob in your life, buy some for you, but go out and judge for yourself! Life's too short for crappy beer. 

Beer Review - Bells Java Stout (plus a Video!)

I hope this made you thirsty, it's one of many video's I'll be posting in the days to come. I have 3 cameras and a few extra minutes per day to put these together. This was the initial run of my 1st attempt using my Nexus 4g and FujiFilm S700. I also have a microcam I'm going to use soon too.

Now, did I like it? Definitely. It's going to be a staple in my kegerator. (Way to go Bells! :)) Smooth creamy espresso and light cream (wheat? oatmeal?) made this go down too easy. If you like dark, very bold coffee you will be in heaven with this. Hops are virtually impossible to detect since the espresso flavor is so on top. There are hints of cocoa from some black patent malt (just a guess) but that bold espresso knocks everything else out of the park. Don't misunderstand me, it remains a very balanced beer. I've had others that taste like someone dropped a shot of coffee in a glass of beer and tried pulling it off as a "java or coffee" beer but Bells Java Stout is nothing of the sort.

Another "freebie" given to me by Bill.....thanks for the brew!

Coming soon (tomorrow) The Christmas Ale tasting. Beers included:

Bells - Christmas Ale

Anchor - Christmas Ale 2011

Schlafly - Christmas Ale 2010

Hoppin' Frog - Frosted Frog Christmas Ale

Troeg's - Mad Elf

Avery Brewing - Old Jubilation

There will be more but the rest of the bums aren't getting back to me. I hope Ogi brings his home brewed Christmas Ale. Stay tuned!

Barley's Smokehouse Maclenny's Scottish Ale (off the beer engine and dry-hopped)

Review to follow.

Scott's New Kegerator

Another "I'd Tap That" original upgrades to a kegerator. Congrats Scott!

Beer Review - Great Lakes Christmas Ale

Enjoying the glass of the month at the Winking Lizard on Hutchinson off 23. I can't believe they have it available, afterall its the 4th! /sarcasm intended
$4.75 for the pint and $6.95 for the glass. A bit expensive in my opinion but I liked the glass.
I've never had anything bad to say about Great Lakes brew and it'll stay the course in this review.
The color was a deep amber with a very nice head that didn't last very long. The aroma was filled with honey and Christmas spices, yes, it smelled like Christmas. Cinnamon, clove, caramel in the finish. Malty with a slight bite near the end but nothing to complain about, in fact I enjoyed it and it warmed my spirit. If I had to make a guess at the hop addition I would say some noble German hop like Hallertau or Saaz. This time of the season is my favorite for beers and this is among the top. It's very good and worth a try. If you can find it pick up a sixer and give it a shot. I'm still working on next years Christmas Ale because I've been busy over at the Graydentech blog working on inputting Microsoft's SCCM into my computer lab at home. I know I know, beer is helluva a lot more fun but it's not bringing in the Benjamin's (yet).
Stay tuned for the upcoming I'd Tap That Christmas Beer Tasting Extravaganza! I'm getting together a small group of beer snobs for a group tasting. Each of us will be tasked to pick up a six-pack, bomber, or growler of the Christmas Ale of their choice. We'll divide and conquer from there and try all of them. I'll post the results within 2 weeks so stay tuned!

Book Review - Yeast The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation by Chris White with Jamil Zainasheff

If you're interested in how wort is turned into beer and how a tiny  molecule called Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S.carlsbergensis can turn that sugar water into the flavorful creation from the gods than this will be a great read. Without getting too technical Chris and Jamil explain the history, care, biology, and growth of brewers yeast. From making the perfect starter to reusing the same strain, to pro-brewing labs this book makes a great opener into the realm of that magical molecule.

Beer Review - Bells Cherry Stout

I was given three of these by a friend. He asked me to give my honest opinion since he wasn't a fan.
I like them. The aroma is baking chocolate, oak, and cherries. When served chilled right from the frig the cherry is very tart but it calms down as it warms. The longer I let it sit and warm the stronger the chocolate and oak comes through. It reminds me of chocolate cake drenched in boozey cherries.
Its a good desert beer and I could drink one occasionally.
Next up Bells Java Stout, and after that I plan on mixing the two.
Thanks Bill, without your kind donation I doubt I would've ever picked this up.

Pouring the Perfect Pint

Glassware is important too. Just say no to the shaker pint! :)
Drink up brothas and sisters and have a safe Friday night.

Book Review - Brewing Up a Business by Sam Calgione

 Ah to dream. Seems as though Sam hit it at the right time and moment. It's not a book about how to start brewing or a brewpub but a book about how HE started and his trials. Trials and tribulations, humorous and inspirational this is a good read for almost any entrepreneur.

A good read but nothing about actually brewing beer.

Beer Reviews - Guinness Black Lager

(normally picture goes here) - Sorry but it seems the Android didn't like the fantastic picture I took and deleted it.

Given to me by one of the OB (original brewers)  from I'd Tap That HomeBrewClub, I was finally able to sit down and crack this open.
Black patent malt is very obvious in the aroma and taste. Strong black coffee is very dominant. Hops don't make up a lot of the flavor (if I had to guess I'd say cascade or saaz) . If you're looking for a lager version of the famous Stout then its close but its very light and not as creamy.
All in all for a schwarzbier I've had better. I'd drink this again but I wouldn't spend money on it. Remember, I'm no pro try it yourself and you might like it!

Book Review - Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher

Great book for everyone interested in beer culture, tasting, and history. Randy hits each subject with passion and manages to get very detailed without losing the interest of the reader. From the introduction of hops to the reason I cringe when someone hands me a frosted "shaker pint" with beer in it. I could barley (intended) keep this book closed.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in getting away from the typical beers that have been offered over the past 60 years.