Fermentation?

  So, I've been into this home brewing thing for awhile now and I am constantly trying to gather information that will enhance my knowledge of craft brewing. A couple of days ago I questioned myself about the way I approach making my beers. I found it to be really interesting. Even though I've read a lot of written material, listened to many podcast and picked the brains of some of my favorite local brew masters, I found that I ultimately choose what works best for me. Never knew that I could be such a prude!
  Any how I thought it would be neat to start a thread in hopes that we could share our personal preferences when it comes to fermentation portion of the home brewing process. There are many variables that can make or break the final product, so I would really like to know how we approach the matters. I think it's pretty rad that we are basically using the same formula just approaching it differently.
 Okay folks, here we go! (1) Carboy, bucket or keg.(2) Primary vs. secondary.(3) Conditioning of the beer forced carbonation, priming or natural.
  I am looking forward to reading your responses! It should be enlightening because the reality of it all is that we are all trying to produce a really good product to share with our families, friends and associates. Tasty Adult Beverages!
  Until next time. Brew Excellent!!!!!

"Black Friday" Brewday 11/25/2012

Hey guys and gals. Just want to take a minute to thank everyone that participated in the UnderGroundBrewSquad "Black Friday" brew day. The event was definitely a huge success  The gathering gave everyone a opportunity to brew as a collective, share knowledge about the art of home brewing and basically hangout and have a good time.

Extra special thanks to Tom and Anne for opening up the doors of their lovely home in support our first club brew day. Thanks Tom and Anne! You guys Rock!

The brew day showcased 5 brewers that produced 30 gallons of wort  which varied in beer styles and brewing techniques.

Professor & Josh:
   Vanilla Porter (5gal.) partial
   Honey Hefewiezen (5) partial

Tom:
    Double IPA (10gal.) all-grain

Ellamie:
   Belgian Dubbel (5gal.) all-grain

Liquor Claus:
   India Red Ale (5gal.) all-grain

 

 

 

 

Homebrews on tap:
 Brewer: Tom J.
   Birthday Imperial Stout
   Copper Ale
   Porter

 Micro Brews:
  High Water Brewing: Campfire Stout
  Stone Brewing: Black and Blue Cider
  Stone Brewing: Sublimely Righteous Ale

In the upcoming weeks the homebrew club will be scheduling the next group meet-up. The function will take place at a local establishment that pours craft brews and serves tasty eats. Until then be easy  and thanks again for your time and efforts to get this club up and running. It's So. Bro! 

 

 

CHEERS!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bike Dog Brewing Co. to open soon in West Sacramento

If you haven’t yet heard of Bike Dog Brewing, you soon will. They have been active on Twitter and Facebook supporting the local Sacramento brewing scene, and have been active on their own web site, via email, and at their soon to be open new location in West Sacramento.

Bike Dog held an open house of sorts a few weeks ago on June 22 to show their new location, let enthusiasts ask questions of the owners, and to try some of their beers. This was also an event to promote “The League,” which is Bike Dog’s name for the group of early adopters who contribute to the cause of building out what will become Bike Dog's new tasting room.

The night before this event they had had their shiny new 3 barrel brewing system delivered, and even though it wasn’t ready for brewing, it was on full display.

They had a nice representative range of beers available for tasting. A milk stout, a saison, a summer pale ale, an IPA, and a double IPA. In addition to the beer there was plenty of water and snacks. The milk stout was a welcome surprise since that normally seems to be an East Coast style of beer. It was my favorite of the afternoon, with a creamy, roasted flavor that was extra smooth. My second favorite was the summer pale ale with its great hop aroma and bitterness yet low alcohol level at 5.5% ABV.

What was really impressive about the beers is that these were all home-brewed, since the brewery is not yet set up to brew on-site, and each beer was distinct and fell clearly into its respective style.

The owners and staff were very friendly and happy to introduce themselves and talk about their beers. I’d be happy to come back to this tasting room even if the bar and benches remained as sawhorses and plywood. I anticipate this place will be very cool when it is fully built out and just how they want it.

Bike Dog is planning to open its tasting room this September. If you want to try some of their beer before then, they will be at "Beer & Bacon on the Boulevard" on July 20, 2013 at Pangaea Two Brews Cafe in Sacramento pouring their Summer Pale.

Jack Russell Farm Brewery - Camino Ca

On a bright brisk morning , the Lady Ellamie and Liquor Claus are headed East into the foothills, just past Placerville, CA in a town called Camino, where a brew day is starting. Not an ordinary brew day, but one open to a select few visitor-participants. Jack Russell Farm Brewery opened its doors to friends of The Brewmeister, a home brew shop in Folsom. The crunchy gravel begs you to drive slowly up the black berry lined path, and the long open green was just being set up for the Corn Hole tournament.

Inside, the brewer was explaining how the grain, freshly milled and hefted out of 50 pound bags, was being conveyed via an auger shaft into the mash tun. 

   

The hot liquor tank was set to start wetting down the grain as all 850 

pounds of  base malt was dumped into the tun. The hot liquor (water destined to become beer) was in the mid 160 range. At this brewery the mash tun has no means of being heated, and the brewer must determine the temperature of the liquor in order to hit the target mash temp, after fully soaking the grist. If you miss your mash in temp, you risk a less controlled beer. During the mash, many magical things are happening. One of which is the production of Alpha and Beta Amylase. These enzymes convert starch to sugar. Sugar is what the yeast will gobble up and turn into alcohol and CO2, so you can imagine the importance of these enzymes! Their proportions vary, depending on the temperature. A higher temperature range will yield Alpha amylase, which is a predictable starch cleaver. It is selective about where the long carbon chain is broken up into more simple sugars and tends to leave shorter more fermentable carbon chains, resulting in more fully digested sugars and a drier beer. The beta amylase, present at lower temps, chops the chain more randomly, leaving short as well as long chains which require much more time to break down. It is these less digestible chains which are harder to predict and add more (sometimes unwanted) flavors and body to the beer. If you miss your target temp, you may have a drinkable beer, but it may not be what you were expecting.    

            

The mash is then held at temperature for 45-90 minutes, depending on the style and pH. At this time, all the sugars have been pulled out of the grain and into the wort. This denser liquid gets pushed down towards the bottom as the sparge water is applied. The sparge, or rinse water, continues to pull sugars out of the grain. A clarifying recirculation technique, called vorlauf, takes the wort from the base of the tun and pumps it into a cylinder. It is then carefully pumped back into the tun. The grains and husks now act as a clarifying filter. After vorlauf, it is transferred via pump into the kettle. The brewer, who had an impressive CV, had once brewed for Anheiser Busch in Germany. There, he exclaimed, vorlauf continues until the wort is so clear “you could read a book through it”.

 

It is then transferred to one of the uni-tanks which serve as fermenters and brite tanks which hold the beer until they are ready for kegs or bottles. 

Their Italian bottling line was outdated, and required ingenuity on the part of local craftsmen to create the missing parts so they could convert to bottling 22 oz. 

                      

As the boil started we had ample time to take a break and check out the brewery and grounds. Sitting on 5 acres, Jack Russel has a host of berries planted including raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry and enormous blueberries! Do yourself a favor: buy a plastic basket at the bar and pick your berries by the handful. One of the laws of the lands in these parts ensures that breweries and wineries use the crops that they grow. 

 

In addition to beer, they conjure up mead, cider, cyser, melomels, wine and every conceivable blend of the fruit grown on site. In the back there is a hand stucco’ed cave, with an artful bar which was at constant hustle, pouring samples of all 9 creations.

The tap room hosted 13 styles, with tasters, pint sizes and my new favorite, the 8 oz pour.

As you look out past their property and on to the neighbors pasture, you can watch llama and sheep frolic and bleat for hours. Or you can watch the locals cheer each other on in Corn Hole, a game of bean bags toss where the objective is to get it onto the platform and slide it right up into the hole. The names of the types of points awarded are hilarious, and people take this seriously.

Overall, Jack Russell is a fun trip to make. Families are encouraged and food and music are not uncommon, but always check their facebook page for details of the on-goings. Bring a picnic, pick a basket of berries, and try some new beverages! They have locally based juices in the tap room as well.

Thank you to Liquor Claus for photos and company!

Anaheim Brewing Company

A recent unplanned visit to The Anaheim Brewing Company was a pleasant surprise. The driver tried to find a place to drop Lady Ellamie, but it was surrounded by parking, and the entrance was not easily located.  Turns out the entrance is in 'the back', and allows for a much more casual feel. The historic area is in the midst of revival, and what was an over-grown weed-riddled  parking lot in the rear, is turning into a centrally located park, developed specifically for a farmers market. The open air seating anchoring the scene, will be THE place to get your groceries, sip some good beer, and listen to live music. 

The ritual flight was ordered, and the following was tasted: Conrads Kolsch 5.1% - a top fermented wheat fashioned after beers from Koln (Cologne) Germany. It is slightly sweet and refreshing with a closing bitterness that seems just right, a good place to start. Anaheim Gold  4.5% made with honey malt, has a nice full, smooth body, and a lovely honey color. A plain Jane sort of beer, but acceptable by all means.  Anaheim Hefeweizen 5.5% hazy-pale yellow-straw lacking that banana. A questionably green pepper finish. Anaheim Red  5.5% slight roastiness and a grainy nose, carbonated bitterness. 1888 5.5% Tasty and fragrant, almost flowery with a bit-o-malt. Mellowly carbonated, it makes for easy drinkin, and was pint worthy. Coast to Coast IPA 7.0%  this seemed to be the locals favorite, with pints and growlers in constant pour. An East Coast IPA, it is not nearly as hoprageous as the West Coast style, making it much more drinkable (rather than sip-able). Dark Scotch Ale 6.1% - Peat and smokiness take a back seat to the malts, though both were present. 

                     

This was a very friendly place, and while they do not serve food, Umami Burger is right next door, and will happily deliver to the bar, if they aren't slammed. The locals will talk your ear off about, well, just about anything. There is lots of laughter to be heard, even with a small crowd. Many of them walk from the local hood, and are eager to talk to you, if you want them to. Samantha and Amber were very attentive and happy to be there, even when you walk in at closing and ask for three growler fills.

The brewery itself is visible from the bar, and was quiet that Thursday night. While this  probably won't be a regular stop, its hard not to envision having a lovely afternoon with a pint or three while noshing on farm fresh goodies, on a summer afternoon. 

The Bruery - Orange County

The town car picks Lady Ellamie up at the hotel, and after a grueling drive on the smog choked orange highway, a couple of u-turns, and a whole lotta funk, we arrived in a warehouse industrial complex. Were we in the right place? There were not many "signs of life" but there it was, tucked back in the corner.

The Bruery (the spelling is a nod to the founding Rue family) is quite difficult to describe. On one hand, it is similar to many warehouse brewery conversions, with picnic type seating and no table service, or food (outside of the nightly gourmet food trucks). On the other, the beers, are somewhere between magnificent and mind blowing.

The days selections are listed on a board, and beer flight cheat sheets help you figure out just where to start.

Lady E starts with the "Classic" Flight: 

Hottenroth 3.1% Berliner style wheat - a stongly tart nose deceives you, as it is on the low end of the tartness spectrum and has a flirtatious bit of funk. Overall refreshing, but no more than a taster for me.
Tradewinds 8% spiced triple - a hard to place bubble gum tutti fruitiness greets you at the front door and welcomes you in, with its lovely golden sunshine glow. Each sip changes your perception as it warms. Mischeif 8.5% hoppy belgium - oh yum yum yum, the initial hoppiness dissapates quickly and lets the belgo shine. Rugbrod 8% Rye Brown - hold your horses! HUGE roastiness eminates from the humble goblet. Highly malted and sweetly warming, its like hugging grandma (without that soapy smell). Lokal Red 6.9% Pretty copper red, the dense head forming into a walruses' mustache, which means it's going to be a good night. Hop forward, without going agro,  and slight smoke, as if unpacking your tent from last summer, and yet the malty sweetness persists.



Onward, to the "Provision Series" flight! Ichigo Highway uh-oh... it smells like some one let the goat bake a cherry pie in the solar oven, and left it there! And the taste? Lets just say it made me miss the smell! Lawdy Lawd! I wouldn't even put this on my salad. (this is a collaboration with Hangar 24, and was actually strawberries (not cherries) and aged in wine barrels). Premier Hello, sweet baby jesus, you been listenin' to my prayers! The scent alone gives me goosebumps. From what barrel do you cometh? Thank you for bringing me to, uh, 'full attention'. Gunga Gunga  did I mention this place makes it impossible to classify their beers? The brewer is more like a happy chef, who does as he (or she) pleases. Well roasted with a beautiful balance and herbal nose, well carbonated, and over all pleasing (this is made with Kaffir limes and galanga root, started out as a black lager). Burly Gourd  um... I don't know what is going on here, I feel like I'm taking crazy Pils! I feel a burn from the high alcohol (but just sipped a Habi infused Humulus Lager) strong with cloves and cinnamon - oh is this a pumpkin beer? that makes more sense. Mother Funker No!!!! Oh God! What did I ever do to deserve this punishment? My taste buds have imploded, receding from the Atomic Sour Blast (how do you people drink this???). Melange #3 Holy funkin' sheet mengh! This is... Euphoric! Orgasmic! Epiphanous even. Hell No, I ain't sharin. The complexity is up there with Firestone Walker's Parabola.

Overall: This place has brews that will blow the top off your head. They don't care about design guidelines, and happily experiment with the wonders of the world. Never had I experienced so many breathtaking beers in one brewery. The layout is mingle friendly, and the folks were an after work beer geek crowd. The "Reserve Society" is the way to get special beers at first release, and a few select from that group are initiated into the highly coveted "Hoarders Club". The kind of club that comes with swagger. Beer aficionados, make this your pilgrimage. Cheers to new beers, Lady Ellamie

Lady Ellamie in the OC

 The Lady Ellamie is in the OC (she's building a hotel to host the masses in route to Mouse). Luckily, The Pizza Press is within walking distance, and offers 8 taps of local brew (and cider) with a 6 sampler option for those who can't say "No". Below are some notes on brews tasted...

Hangar 24 Helles Lager has that cold conditioned crispness and a bubbly bite. Not 'til the sweet tang of the BBQ sauce smeared on a taste of 'The Times' does the bitterness give you a shy wink from across the room.

Four Headed Hefe, from Craft Brewing Co, is surprisingly tasty (mostly surprising because the staff told me that was the Helles Lager). Belgian in character with low carbonation, banana and cloves in taste and nose. BBQ sauce killed its complexity and left it tasting like a bud. While delicate, the body is fuller than a Pils.

Bootlegger's Golden Chaos: Heeeyyyyy Baby, you can't make sense outta me. Banana cloudiness but a tricky lil' devil to describe, the 8.5 makes you think twice. A certain sweetness permeates, making you feel at home, but damn you, BBQ sauce, must you challenge everything?

Four Headed Hefe

Bootlegger's BLACK PHOENIX - What is this? A robust malty chocolate covered decaf coffee bean rising from the ashes of the chipotle fire pit? THIS is a damn tasty brew. Not overly heavy, a middle weight champ, reclaiming his title...kicking that BBQ @ss!

Speakeasy's Prohibition Ale - hellllooo my hoppy clear eyed Red Friend! I do so love it when we meet, like this, in private....

And Speakeasy's Double Daddy: Aye, Papi! You should ask permission, first. You know what I'm saying? Slapping me around like that. Good thing you got that Big Malty Back Bone to you back you up.

Until the next time, Beer Lover!

Lady Ellamie