Month: March 2012

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The Lighter Side of Dark: Debunking the Myths Surrounding Dark Beer

Written by Ashley Routson for craftbeer.com

I get a kick out of messing with unsuspecting folk at trade shows and beer festivals. When they ask me for a taste of my lightest beer, I always pour them my Stout. And when they look at me like I’m crazy, I laugh and explain that, although dark in color, the Stout is lowest in alcohol, lowest in calories and lightest in body. Often times, this gets them to at least taste it. And more often than not, I watch people have an epiphany…“I usually don’t like dark beer, but this one is good.”

Oh poor dark beer, always being judged by the color of its malt. Unfortunately, most people have the misconception that the color of beer is directly related to its weight. In the mind of most consumers, dark beers are rich, heavy and full of calories. And conversely, they think that the paler in color a beer is, the lighter it is in body, alcohol and calories. Although both are not entirely wrong assumptions, I have made it my mission to debunk the myths surrounding dark beers.
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Beer Profile: Ruthless Rye, Sierra Nevada

Profiled by Ken Carman for Professorgoodales.net

Aroma: citrus grapefruit Cascade/Centennial-ish, But there’s a subtle rye sense: spicy; seems to balance the citrus with a hint of pepper: probably the rye. Visual: copper, pillow head with a hint of rock. Clarity good.

Mouthfeel caramel chewy: slight malt heaviness but, to be honest… this is moderate in body. Sweet, yet firm dry sense without being over bearing.

I have had many Sierra beers, but this is one of the best balanced when it comes to Specialty. It’s a nice IPA with a good background spicy rye sense: a bit peppery.

This beer is deceptive: you would think a rather simple brew… but not. There’s a great body and a nice background rye sense that merges well with the American-citrus-like hops

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Beer Town: Session beers breaking out all over

Written by Bob Townsend for ajc.com (Atlanta)

For years, session beers — loosely described as flavorful lower alcohol beers — have been a hot topic among craft beer aficionados.

Malt Advocate magazine Managing Editor Lew Bryson even started a blog called the Session Beer Project.

 

But recently several companies, including 21st Amendment, Samuel Adams, Founders, Terrapin and Wild Heaven, have given a bigger boost to the cause with offerings that are rekindling the debate over the precise definition of a session beer.

According to the Brewer’s Association, a session beer is any style of beer that “can be made lower in strength than described in the classic style guidelines. The goal should be to reach a balance between the style’s character and the lower alcohol content. Drinkability is a character in the overall balance of these beers. Beers in this category must not exceed 5.1 percent alcohol by volume.”
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Culturing Yeast from a Bottle Conditioned Beer

Let it never be said there a lack of CULTURE here at PGA!!!

Note: might want to lower that temp a tad… 95 is a bit hot for yeast! Just remember that ale yeast works best around 70 and lager yeast in the 50s… though for a starter the 50 is a bit cold, yet higher temps could create yeast driven defects. This method best for ale yeast, the Professor assumes. And watch the flame on the bottle: could crack. -The Professor

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Brew Biz: Werts and All

Written by Ken Carman for Professorgoodales.net

Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay Salt City and Music City Homebrewers, who has been interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast for over 10 years.

The Topic: Tasting for the Test

For the uninitiated, let me start here with a very brief: incomplete, synopsis. Judging at BJCP beer competitions is somewhat regulated by the BJCP who has a test that ranks you as a judge. I am Certified: which is in the middle of the rankings. One does not have to pass the test to judge, you become an apprentice. One doesn’t even have to take the test to judge: you simply check “experienced,” or “unranked,” or whatever they happen to have on the current official judging form. Most of the time you won’t be head of the table, which technically means you have a boss: the highest ranked judge at the table. I don’t tend to run it that way unless necessary, and I’ve never had to. The only time we came close is when one judge insisted we sit in utter silence through all 11 or so beers… (A bit high for one round of judging, but that’s what we had.) ..and only go back over; adjust scores so we’re within a certain spread… often 3-7 points. I thought it not the best approach, so the other Certified judge and I compromised.

Recently the BJCP has changed the test, at least the parameters on the test, again. I’d like to focus on one aspect of that change.
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Ye Olde Scribe’s Sucky Cider Report’

 

Crispin Hard Cider with Irish Stout Yeast and Molasses

If ya like carbonated black strap molasses you should love this. Scribe had to dump his last glass out, it was so annoying. There is an apple background, but it’s like putting a pretty picture behind a molasses plugged commode. The yeast is even more distant: pretty much lost. Deep brown. No head. No clarity, but none expected with the molasses: especially this much. Viscosity hefty, as one would expect with carbonated molasses. A bit of a carbonic bite: there’s carbonation in the mouth, but the sea of molasses washes all away with… barf! BACK OFF ON THE MOLASSES FOOLS!