Author: Ken Carman

Written by Ken Carman

Continue reading “The 2009 Annual Beaver River Station Beer Tasting”

Wow! What a difference a year makes. The large, German beer hall-size, room that Brian showed us last time we were here is now an impressive, americanized, beer tasting space. It’s filled with brewania. I suggested they screw everything down: if I were less than honest I’d be tempted myself. This was confirmed by the fact that 30 of their unique beer steins: glass milk pints, had just been stolen a few days before I got there. Damn shame. I wanted to buy one.

The new tasting digs opened up about two and a half weeks from when we visited mid-August. The attention to detail is incredible if you’re looking for “unique,” which I usually do; like beer coasters made out of shale. Local? I forgot to ask, but I suspect so.
Continue reading “Sprague Farm: Update”

Pensacola Area

We have about 30 boxes of 1.5 liter bottles.

They have not been cleaned and still have labels on them.

There are six bottles in each box.

If you want any of them, come and get ‘em.

FREE

We have had a few people who have moved away and wish to be removed from this list.
I don’t know how to do that. Carolyn is still out. When she returns, she will have to do it.

Paul and Carolyn Baker
The Shady Lady, Inc.
2475B East Nine Mile Road
Pensacola, FL 32514
(850) 476-1221

The Brewery: Rikenjaks

I bought one bottle of this Scottish Ale in the 90s and it was so tainted I tossed the contents. Later on I had a better bottle and found it to be about a 60… maybe closer to 80 shilling Scottish ale that needed just a little more carmelization. Master brewer for McGuire’s at the time, Steve Fried said…

“They really had a problem with that back then. A lot of customers got turned off to micros, thinking this is what a micro tasted like.”

He agreed that it was good when, well, it was good.

After reading the label I can understand why the several bottles I had seemed to vary so much. I’m guess the FG and OG’s were a little wider than claimed, from my experience.

From the label…

Starting gravity: 1.060-1.066
Final gravity: 1.008-1.012
Finishing hop: Goldings

Rikejak’s Old Hardhead is brewed in small batches using only traditional methods and ingredients. This classic Scottish Ale is dark and wonderfully malty.

This Brew Biz- The Adventures of the Venerable Brewer Tim Rastetter and His Ever Thirsty Dog

The time: well over a decade ago.

I was interviewing Tim Rastetter, former brewer at BrewWorks, a recently deceased brewpub in Covington, KY.

I was also discussing beer with Fred Karm, the master brewer at the time for all the Thirsty Dog Brewpubs in Akron, Canton and just south of Dayton, Ohio.

I had also just visited Burkhardt Brewing just south of Akron. This was the location of their brewpub, started after the demise of their much bigger brewery that thrived during the days when Utica Club and Gerst also had big breweries that sold local. Many of these breweries died when the giants in the biz: A/B and Miller outsold what was mostly a one product market. The differences between these various beers were often minimal compare with the distant past and the micro/brewpub boom of the past 20 years.

I was also about to switch from writing under my not so secret identity and change my column to: The Brew Biz, written under my own name. I still use my “secret identity,” but for other purposes. What was it? Shhh! It’s a secret! Besides, I got tired of searching for a phone booth where I can change into that super elderly curmudgeon just so I could write about beer.

“Unkie Ken, what’s a ‘phone booth?'”

Sigh.

A lot has changed since Burkhardt was a large brewery.

A lot has changed since Thirsty was a brewpub.

Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All”

Lift Bridge Brewery was at 1119 Lake Avenue, Ashtabula, OH 44004
Continue reading “From the Beer Bottle Collection: Lift Bridge”

Fish live in the water. Sam Calagione; master brewer at Dogfish, can be controversial. Statements of equal value.

I’ve met Sam. I’ve read more than a few of his rants. No matter what anyone thinks of his opinions about beer; and I admit I agree with most of his rants that I’ve read, we need brewers like Sam to keep speaking out… as much as we need those who defend brewing less extreme. Otherwise we might return to that mostly one style brewing hell we had, back when only pterosaurs drank beer; boring beer.

Yes, I am that old. I’ll skip all the drinking with Barney and Fred stories and the secret life their wives didn’t know about. I’ve typed too much already. Shhh!

Sam does a great job defending extreme brewing in this piece published in The Ale Street News. I did notice those who responded mostly used the overblown weapon used by those who unable to rationally defend their own opinions: the personal attack.

Yawn.

Variety is a good thing.

“In 2008 the U.S. beer industry grew 0.4 percent in barrels, the entire craft beer segment of our beer industry grew 5.8 percent. But according to the IRI study, the Ultra Premium segment of the craft category (where almost all imperial beers reside) grew 17.6 percent in 2008. Three times the growth rate of the Craft Economy segment.”

Link

Continue reading “From the Beer Bottle Collection: Billy Beer”

Written by Ken Carman

This edition’s topic: losing a talented Brewer.

As always Mr. McGuire’s fictional cousin; whose exploits are told throughout both McGuires restaurants, met me at the door…

“Nathan McGuire! Good to see you! I see you’re still wearing the same old lampshade.”
Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All- Troubles Brewing”

They’re trying to custom design how your internal organs work and it all has to do with programming DNA, working to create “on/off” switches: a DNA memory device of sorts using a vast number of genes and DNA/RNA components. One of the perks is that they may be able to trigger cells to both monitor and maintain glucose levels. For the diabetic? Nirvana.

How about an engineered virus that fights disease and illness?

What the hell does this have to do with beer?

Everything…

Continue reading “The Yeast… We Can Do”