Professor Good Ales

Perception of beer bitterness is both genetic and dependent on how hops are infused. Photo: Charlie Papazian

Written by Charlie Papazian

Written by David Falchek for thetimes-tribune.com

A Connecticut beverage marketer has teamed up with the Lion Brewery in Wilkes-Barre to revive a beer brand, bringing Rheingold to the shelves for the first time in 35 years.

Drinks Americas hopes to give people a taste of the past by distributing Rheingold in the Eastern U.S., capitalizing on the coolness of retro products.

Rheingold has a special connection with its customers, said Drinks Americas President J. Patrick Kenny. The brand had dominated the New York metro market for decades, its popularity buoyed by an infectious jingle that began, “My beer is Rheingold, the dry beer.”
Continue reading “Reviving Rheingold”

Sierra Nevada
Chico, CA

Profiled by Ken Carman

Burnished gold. Tons of pillow/rocky head mix. A little chill haze but clear otherwise nice and clear. Cascade bitter and Cascade nose with some malt. The hops are fresh, though not that grass green you get from wet hops, though they claim “wet.” These hops were grown on the estate where Sierra Nevada resides. So is the barley. Everything for this beer came from the estate where Sierra Nevada is.

Hop profile: probably Cascade, Chinook and Citra.

Wax coated packaging.

Obviously this was an attempt to do a beer from scratch. I think it’s an excellent beer and well worth the cost. I recommend it. But “better” than other fresh/wet hop beers? No… and actually not as fresh or wet hop. Perhaps been in the store too long? Not stale, just not the snap one would expect. Sierra has done better, especially with the New Zealand

Written by Brad Smith for beersmith.com

This week it is a distinct pleasure to feature Chris White, the President of White Labs Inc – one of the world’s premiere providers of brewing yeast for both commercial and home brewers. White labs is a pioneer in providing commercial quality yeasts to home brewers.
1.  When and how did you get started in brewing beer?
I was in college at UC Davis in the late 80’s, and one of my roommates made a beer in our kitchen.  He left the beer sitting for months in the carboy, so finally another roommate mine, Pete (now a veterinarian), and I bottled and drank it.  We soon decided to try home brewing on our own.  Thanks Pete for helping me to start home brewing!
2.  You started White Labs in 1995 – what made you decide to start the business?
Want to read more? Please click…

HERE

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

Fine examples of Beaker culture beer bearing vessels

Written by Ken Carman

Topic this edition: The Beakers, the Carmans and BEER!!!

Every time one of the homebrew clubs I am a member of comes bearing beer to a public event I think of my super great Grandpa, whoever the hell he was. We do know that a lot of the Carman heritage dates back to England and, specifically: Wales. Apparently one relative went to Wales and found we had all escaped religious persecution (Perhaps not all, but maybe most?) and there was “no one home.”
Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All”

Picture courtesy grizzlygrowler.com

Buckbean Brewing Company
Reno, NV

Profiled by Ken Carman

Wow. Not my style. But balance, taste, mouthfeel, pour, everything is exactly “as advertised.” Orange-ish copper pour with a head that fades fast. Moderate to light body. Orange blossom honey up front to the taste.

This is a very, very simple beer. But it is what it claims to be. Nice bright orange pint can. Perfect packaging.

Try it.

Can and glass image courtesy thebrewsite.com

Profiled by Ken Carman

With a burnished copper color, great clarity, and long lasting satin pillow head, Caldera’s IPA starts out strong. A nice strong Cascade-like whiff (Centennial, perhaps? Simcoe? Perhaps Amarillo, but most likely the Centennial, or all three combines to do a super Cascade sense.) …meets the nose when you pop the… can. Yes, one of these new craft canners: a great trend. Hey, works in kegs and cornies as long as the lining keeps the beer away from the metallic taste.

Foam and bubble fill the mouth with just the right amount of hop astringency. This is a bit high, bitter-wise, for a tradition IPA; even American, but I like it. Not a Imperial or Double. Malt is a bit thin but adequate: background. Not getting anything but that super Cascade sense one might get when three citrusy hops only add similarities: not the differences. Might be nice to back off a bit and add a bit of complexity with another, perhaps more spicy hop. After taste a bit too astringent.

A strong entry; one of the better examples, except the astringency which might be solved in the hop mix, and perhaps some latter additions hop rather than earlier. That might help with the one note citrus/bitter this three hop beer toots.

The packaging helps too: nice colorful, interesting, cauldron midst somewhat hippie like colors. “IPA” forms from the steam out of the kettle and the hippie colors inside the oval are surrounded by hops. I usually don’t comment about such but, sometimes, creativity with creative packaging does count.