Author: Professor Good Ales

Written by Thomas ‘Tom’ Cizauskas

I’m sometimes asked by bar owners about how to install and use a beer engine to serve cask ale, also known as ‘real ale.’ The implication is that this simple hand-pump device will somehow ‘improve’ the cask ale that’s being served, increasing the level of carbonation and extending the lifespan of the beer. That is, of course, patent nonsense. A handpump does neither; it’s simply a hand-pump.

To that point, here’s a guest post by Steve Hamburg, one of the foremost cask cellarmen in the United States. It is taken from Cask-USA, an online forum devoted to cask-conditioned ale in the US, hosted at Yahoo! Groups.

In theory there should be NO difference between a beer served by gravity or handpump, unless you expect all your handpumped beers to be served through a tight sparkler. There’s simply no way that gravity pour can replicate the thick, cascading head, but that doesn’t mean the beer should be flat and lifeless.

The issue, as it almost always is with cask ale, is poor cellaring technique. Too many bars/pubs will over-vent their cask beers (breach the cask and leave the porous soft spile in too long) and then use the handpump and a tight sparkler fitting to artificially compensate for what is essentially a pretty flat beer in the cask.

Continue reading “Gravity Pour Versus Handpump”

image courtesy lehighvalleylive.com

Before After Triple Bock
Brewery Rinkuskiai
Lithuania

The fairy tale image on the label is cute. Flip the bottle and you still get crappy beer. The taste does change as it warms, much like flipping the bottle shifts the perspective on the image to a little better: “winey.” But overall this beer makes the ugly lady cute. The Cinderella lady would puke all over you during the worst moments as it first hits the tongue. At times the hot alcohol sense wants to burn though the tongue.

Can we force this upon Ann Coulter, maybe?

A failed attempt at a traditional Triple Bock. Belgian White candy sugar sense? Yes, but alcohol unsupported by the brew turns into YACK! A light gold. Head is supposed to be rocky and persistent. Rocky? Yes. Persistent? No. Should be for the style. What malt there is is odd. Did they melt a Worthington drop into this abomination? The caramel and the higher alcohols merge a bit at warmer temps. Seems an Americanized version of the style. At 12% the higher alcs make it seem a bit wine like. The recipe might better serve as a sandpaper-ish version of Charmin.

Maduro Brown Ale
Cigar City Brewing
3924 West Spruce Street Suite A Tampa, FL 33607
Phone (813)348-6363 ext 206
Head Brewer: Wayne Wambles

Profiled by Ken Carman

I had this for the first time at the Emerald Coast BrewFest. It stood out amongst many ales and lagers. You have to understand: this is a bit like finding an affinity with a single tree while viewing all of Alaska. So I decided to write this when I could simply get the sense of the tree without the forest.

Still amazing.

Open the bottle and Cascade hit the nose. Not a lot, but a nice whiff. Yet mouth feel and taste were quite different. The deep malt sense is damn near bottomless. The hops pop out as it warms with a nice, yet not too much, bitter. This is a complex quaff that keeps developing.

Deep, deep brown with garnet highlights. Not much head and it fades fast. This is an edgy Brown American Ale. Am I getting some Munich Malt? Brown malt too. This is one of the best beers I’ve profiled and I’m more of a beat the taste buds, high alc kind of guy. This solves that thirst by being edgy.

I met the head brewer: Wayne Wambles, when he was with Buckhead in Tallahassee…

…a location closed long before Buckhead itself went away. Let’s just say I’m not surprised I’m giving such an up review, considering the quality of the brews I’ve had Mr. Wayne had made.

Some sites on the net referred to this as an oatmeal Brown. Nothing on the bottle indicates this, though the body sense could support the premise.

Deserves any awards it might win.

Just a few of the many Russian beers

Written by Kerry Kubilius for About.com

Beer is a popular beverage in Russia, and Russians have enjoyed beer for centuries. Beer is so important in Russia that an exhibit has been dedicated to beer drinking, beer brewing, and beer culture at the Russian Museum of Ethnography in St. Petersburg. While Russian vodka is the national alcoholic beverage, consumption of beer has risen in recent years to the point where officials have had to enact rules to curb advertisers’ ability to catch the attention of young drinkers.
Continue reading “Beer in Russia”

Profiled by Ken Carman

This is not quite your standard American IPA. The hops are a bit more earthy and also Noble in character. There’s also just a bit of high alpha sense: but by no means enough to spoil the style. Just enough to tantalize the taste buds.

Poured with rocky head that faded fast. A bit better, but still faded fast with cold bottle sampled a few nights later.

Light copper with a head that fades fast it has just a bit caramel to nose and the palette. Though some caramel the body is pretty light. Hops dominate. Obvious dry hopping. High alpha are Galena like. Maybe Amarillo, Fuggles and a Saaz twist? Just a few guesses.

The sample I had as I wrote this was warm. I have had it cold: indeed I recommend it that way. Slight astringency noticeable when warm. Hops cling to roof of mouth and linger. Not quite as much cold.

I’m not sure this is an IPA for everyone, but it is an interesting take on the standard Americanized IPA.

Written by Carolyn Smagalski for bellaonline.com

The Silly Beer Laws by U.S. State in the list below are, by no means, a complete list of laws governing beer or alcoholic beverages. They are merely a broad illustration of the range of regulations covered, from the ridiculous to the mundane.

Alabama
Cities and counties can choose to be “wet” or “dry” – 26 of 67 counties do not allow alcohol sales…A statewide ban on draft beer sales requires that cities and counties must take Legislative action to lift the ban in each jurisdiction. However, a section of the law allows draft beer “in rural communities with a predominantly foreign population. . . in accordance with the habit and customs of the people of any such rural community”…Twenty-three counties and cities have abolished the ban against Draft Beer in their districts…Likewise, Sunday alcohol sales are only allowed if a referendum has been passed…Ban on off-premises sale of alcohol on Sundays.

Alaska
In Fairbanks, AK, it is illegal to serve alcoholic beverages to moose.

Arizona
An obviously intoxicated person can only stay for 30 minutes at the establishment that recognized he was drunk.

Arkansas
Ban on off-premises sales of Alcohol on Sundays

California
It is illegal for producers of alcoholic beverages to list the names of retailers or restaurants that sell their products, whether it is in advertising or in newsletters…It is illegal to display alcoholic beverages within five feet of a cash register in a store that sells both alcohol and motor fuel…A server can be convicted of selling alcohol to a minor if the minor uses a false or altered ID to obtain the alcohol.

For further silly laws, please click…

HERE

(Note: there is a second page too: link at the bottom.)

YOS has pondered poverty for most of his life. What to do. What to do. All those welfare queens in their limos that crowd our streets picking up their food stamps for doing nothing. You’ve seen them, right? Why one of those welfare queens almost ran over Scribe yesterday on the way to get his welfare check. DAMN YOU ELTON JOHN! Well, that’s what the vanity plate said.

Those ^%$#@ pansy Liberals won’t let us carve the poor up and serve them for Thanksgiving.

What to do. What to do.

Making beer is cheap.
Continue reading “Ye Olde Scribe Presents: A Beery Good Solution to Poverty”

Profiled by Ken Carman

This is a bit Saison-like. Light. Pale yellow. Nice head. A bit hazy: chill haze? Nose a bit fruity. Head fades fast. Just a bit of orange peel sense and coriander. Light on the palate. Just a bit of an orange nose.

A very pleasing light beverage: the orange and coriander dominate but still light; obviously an ale.

If you’re looking for a strong example of a Belgian beer I wouldn’t go here. More like an Americanized version and very light. The carbonation fades fast and not a lot in the body. This is a wheat beer, but the wheat sense is light at best: very, very background. That pleases me because I’m not a wheat fan, but those seeking a wheat beer may be a bit disappointed… maybe more than “a bit?” The pale malt is far more dominate, as far as the malt sense goes. No hops; so light on the hops at best? Web site says high alpha hops: not much. IBUs low… their site says 16. Seems less than that.

This is more of a beer for those just getting into craft beer, or learning to appreciate it, than those looking for classics of a style, or a stand out version of any style.

Here’s one store owner’s reaction to the changing beer laws: “I’ve got to change my whole store to accommodate this.” This vendor delivers a cart filled with Coors beer to Coors Field in Denver.

Written by Lew Bryson for msnbc.com and portfolio.com

If you don’t live in Pennsylvania, this is going to sound a little weird: When I go to the beer store (a state oddity), I have to buy at least a case of beer.

It’s not because of my terrible thirst; it’s the law. We call it the case law, and it’s been in place for more than 70 years, since shortly after the repeal of Prohibition. You can’t go to the store and buy six-packs, 12-packs, or single bottles.

We can buy six-packs at licensed premises, like bars and ­restaurants — if they offer the service. Not all of them do, although some people buy a bar license and sell only six-packs, an interesting end run around the law. But there’s a catch there too. You can’t buy more than two six-packs at a time — though if you step out the door, you can step back in and buy two more.
Continue reading “Cheers! Stupid Beer Laws Falling Off”