Professor Good Ales

One of the world’s oldest, continually-brewed styles of beer is the Finnish farm-style sahti. Rich with Nordic tradition, this centuries-old style has overcome many twists and turns throughout its history to remain a prevalent yet ancient style.

The Story of Sahti

The earliest written records of sahti only date back a few hundred years to the late 18th century, but casks of the traditional Finnish style were found aboard a sunken Viking ship dated back to the 9th century. Some historians even claim ancient beer styles like sahti were the motivation behind developed agriculture in Scandinavia.

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Just this morning, I was reading a list of tweets and a couple of comments from a person who shall remain anonymous. The comments and tweets leaned heavily on this theme:

“Dear US Craft Beer: You are trying too hard.”

“The reason for calling something “craft beer” is an additional $2 – $4 a six-pack.”

“@GABF In terms of German styles, not winning a medal would appear to be more of a badge of honor than winning one. Embarrassing.”

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Written by Franz Hofer for A Tempest in a Tankard

Coke or Pepsi. Bud, Miller, or Coors. Many a craft beer aficionado has railed against brand loyalty, criticizing the consumption of advertising over what’s in the bottle. And rightly so.

But a specter haunts the craft beer world –– the specter of style loyalty. A chicken in every pot and an IPA in every fridge is one thing. Entire lineups of IPAs?

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Chris Swersey and Chuck Skypeck currently serve as technical staffers at the Brewers Association (BA). Both had long careers as craft brewers before joining the BA staff. As brewers at Mickey Finn’s (Libertyville, Illinois), Leinenkugel’s Ballyard Brewery (Phoenix, Arizona), and Boscos (Tennessee and Arkansas), Swersey and Skypeck racked up 14 Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup medals in various German-style wheat beer categories ranging from the light Leichtes style through Bavarian Hefeweizen and on to Dunkelweiss.

Consider these tips from the (former) pros next time you fire up your burners to brew a traditional tasting German-style wheat beer.’

1) Pick the Right Yeast for the Job

Select your yeast strain carefully to develop the flavor profile you desire. Different stains produce varying amounts of the esters and flavor compounds associated with German-style wheat beers. Choose a strain that emphasizes the characteristics you desire.

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We all know that hops are a major component of craft beer, but it turns out they have another important function—saving the world’s honey bee population! Researchers have discovered that the beta acids of Humulus lupulus can be used to repel plant pests, including the varroa mite, which is a main contributor to the colony collapse disorder (CCD) that has been destroying the bee population in recent years.

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When you first start to homebrew, it seems like there are a million people telling you a million different things you HAVE to do to make good beer. Fortunately, as you get more experience, you start to figure out how things work and what really matters. Now, while I may not have as much experience as some homebrewers, I’ve brewed 493 batches since I began in March 1998. And since my brewing is driven by my laziness, I’ve used that experience to figure out what matters and what doesn’t.

If you’ve read the writings (Experimental Homebrewing or www.experimentalbrew.com) or listened to the podcast (“Experimental Brewing,” available on iTunes and others) I do with my co-author, Drew Beechum, you might think my tips come down to: 1.) Brew like me and 2.) Don’t brew like him! But that leaves out the other 8, so here’s a list of my Top 10 Tips for Brew Day.

1. Plan and prepare….I like to think about my recipe at least a week ahead of brew day and get my ingredients prepped at least the day before. Even if you’re doing a spur of the moment brew, take a few minutes to calmly think through what your brew day will be like and get your brewing supplies mise en place….that’s French for “aggregate your fecal matter.” 🙂

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This is part 3 in the Style of the Month: Trappist Ale series (part 1). See part 2 to discover the history of Trappist monasteries and breweries. 

In 1950, Saint Joseph’s Abbey was founded on the crest of sloping hill blanketed in trees just north of the town of Spencer, Massachusetts. The Roman Catholic monastery is home to the monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, which you may know better as Trappists.

It is common for Trappists to produce goods and provide services to help fund their monastery and support charitable efforts. Since 1950, the monks at Spencer Abbey have packaged jams and jellies for such purposes, but it wasn’t until more recently that the Massachusetts abbey decided to pursue brewing traditions that have long been rooted in the Trappist monasteries of Europe.

After spending much time researching brewing practices and visiting some of the most well-known Trappist breweries, Spencer Trappist Brewery opened its doors in 2013 becoming the United States’ first, and currently only, ITA-recognized Trappist brewery.

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