Reopening the Discussion

It's been almost 2 years since I posted on this blog. Not sure why, I guess I got away from it at a time when there was a lot going on (finishing school, moving, etc) and just never got around to starting up. But after a chat with fellow PintHead Lucas I thought it was time to re-open a forum for discussing beer related issues with friends and family.

Also in that time I've moved from the center of the craft beer universe, Oregon, to Washington (Seattle to be specific). While Seattle has a thriving beer community and is home to a number of excellent breweries (Maritime Pacific, Pike, Elysian and so on) it doesn't feel like beer flows through the veins like it does in Portland or the Willamette Valley. So, the re-opening of this discussion also has a purely selfish element to it; I want somewhere to go and talk about beer with friends.

In my time away from the blog I haven't left behind the home brewing. In fact, I'd say I've been more active. See the 'Currently Serving' section to the right for the latest home brew.

Ok, so enough with the excuses. Let the beer discussion begin.

Chemistry in the Home

It was the start of the term again and so that meant it was time to try and squeeze in a batch of beer before things got crazy. I'd gone back to reading Charlie Papazian and was all fired up to create our own recipe. The thought was to go with something that wasn't overly complex, so we've created what we are going to call "PintHead Red". The recipe includes: roasted barley, light malt extract, Willamette and Fuggles hops, and British Ale yeast.

OG: 1.042
IBU: 30.7

It came out a nice coppery, red color and is happily bubbling away as I type. In another couple of weeks we should be popping the cap on our first original brew... stay tuned for exciting taste test results.

Firkin Fest 2009

This past Saturday was the Oregon Brewers Guild's 2009 Firkin Fest (pictures below) held at the Green Dragon in SE Portland. There were 14 breweries there tasting 15 different beers. Lucas and Greg joined in on the adventure. For a small fee you got a very nice glass as well as eight drink tickets good for a 6oz. taste. There's not much to say about it except there was great beer, a good atmosphere, and good friends. We did get a chance to talk with Ted Sobel, Publican and Brewer for Brewers Union Local 180 down in Oakridge. It's no secret to those around us that Lucas and I have kicked around ideas for marketing our creations and it was good to talk to Ted about his experience. As the brewery idea ferments (pun intended) we'll definitely hit him up for advice, etc.

Below are the beers I tasted and their breweries. I thought about rating them on a 5-point scale, but they were all quality and beer preferences are generally personal. If you were there feel free to leave comments about the beers you tried.

1: Super Dog (IPA) - Lucky Lab Brewing Co... ok I said I wouldn't rate these, but this is a personal favorite and gets full marks in any system.
2: North Fork (Ordinary Bitter - cask) - Brewers Union Local 180
3: Broken Paddle IBA (India Black Ale) - Full Sail Brewing
4: HUB 150 (IPA) - Hopworks Urban Brewery
5: The Hammer Throw (Irish Red Ale) - Eugene City Brewery
6: Workhorse IPA (IPA) - Laurelwood Brewing Co.
7: Spring Rein (Pale Ale) - Ninkasi Brewing Co.
8: Oak Barrel C-Note (Imperial Pale) - Lompoc Brewing Co.
9: Super Dog (IPA) - thanks to Lucas for the bonus ticket

Missed out on beers from: BridgePort, Deschutes, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Roots Organic Brewing Co., Rock Bottom Brewery, and Rogue Ales.

Now or Never

The school term kicked off last week and I and fellow PintHead Lucas decided that we needed to get another brew going post haste or we'd be too distracted by educational obligations. So we got together on Sunday afternoon and concocted an IPA-style beer. I broke down and bought a new boiling pot. The last one was on its last legs and this new one is a bit smaller, perfect for 5 gallons of extract brewing, which fits nicely with my current brew set up.

The ingredients are as follows: 3 lbs Amber malt extract, 3.3 lbs Coopers amber dry malt extract (a first for me), 1lb Munich, 1lb 2-row, 1lb 10L Crystal, 2oz Centennial hops for the boil, 3oz Cascade hops for the finish and an American Ale Yeast. We are also dry hopping with the Cascade hops, so I am fully intending this brew to be uber-hoppy just the way I like it. This is the first time I've tried an IPA, the OG was 1.060. The Beer Traveler has had much success in the area of the IPA, so I'll run it under his nose upon completion to see if it passes muster. Check the countdown clock at right to see when this batch will be ready.

Cheers,

Alex

Beer on the Coast

We were stuck in Corvallis for the holidays thanks to the weather, but that didn't mean we had to be stuck in the house. As soon as the weather cleared up enough we grabbed our cameras and headed out to the coast, Newport is directly west of Corvallis so that seemed like a logical final destination. For more details on the full trip see Kelly's blog. I'm gonna focus on the beer aspect of the trip, a visit to the Rogue Brewery.

The beer was up to its typically high standards. I had a taster to start, just because that's what you have to do when you go to the Rogue Brewery. The atmosphere was really busy, I'm not sure if there was something going on or if that's the typical crowd for the Saturday after Christmas, but the wait crew seemed a bit distracted and it was a challenge to get service. Then when my taster came out they had substituted a Honey Orange Wheat from the Eugene City Brewery when I had asked for a Track Town IPA. She said that I had only written down Track Town (which was true) and that I hadn't said which Track Town I wanted, but as far as I know Track Town IPA is the only one that has "Track Town" for a short name. Oh well, the Honey Orange Wheat wasn't bad, just not what I wanted. I rounded out the taster with an Imperial Pilsner, Dead Guy (cliche, I know) and a Frosty Frog seasonal from the Issaquah group. The Imperial Pilsner was quite interesting, a very robust flavor. I can imagine it would go nice with an order of sushi. I finished the trip with a pint of 100 Meter Ale from the Eugene City Brewery (I was in a sentimental mood for Eugene). Perhaps the best part of the night was the "garage sale" they had going. I scored a new sweatshirt, ski cap, and pint glass, but the best part was the 24 pack of Santa's Private Reserve for $15 and 12 pack of 22oz 100 Meter Ale's for $26, a nice way to close out the trip. I would always recommend a trip out to the brewery if you find yourself in Newport. The facilities themselves are relatively open and there are tours daily at 3pm, which we just missed. But the experience of beer from the source is enough to make the trip worth while.


Cheers,

Alex

Beer in France: Montauban!

The second beer of the trip was a Karlsbrue Amber, or "Ambre" as the waitress pronounced it. Jon, Reza and I had .5L of this beer each. As you can tell from the picture below, it is NOT the typical amber color we have in America. Again, it was a Belgian style beer, light and smooth.



Debbi had a Karlsbrue beer also, but a different variety.

Beer in France!

Beer in France!

Tuesday evening, Debbi, Gerard, Jon and I took a trek to Moissac. We ate at a single level, quaint, local pub, called Au Bureau, nestled amongst old buildings and a large common area. According to our host, Gerard, they have markets in the common area on Saturdays.The pub had a warm, romantic feeling to it. A lot of darker wood comprised the interior, along with a low ceiling and tight walking spaces.

My beer of the evening was an Abbey De Leffe Blonde. It was a typical Belgian beer, light and semi fruity, with little flavor of hops. The color was darker than I expected for a "blond" beer of which I am accustom. The beer was served in a proper glass as seen below.

Further information for those interested can be found here:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/470/2137



Debbi had a Hoegaarden ale. The beer was served in a standard pint glass and accompanied with a slice of lemon. Her beer was very smooth and suited her taste preferences well. The color and texture reminded me of a Widmer Hefeweizen, but the flavor was marginally similar.


Au revoir!