by Jim Simpson
Well here it is! I'm sure you were awaiting this month's newsletter patiently. The recipe below is what most of you tasted at the last two club meetings. The first time I let you try it, it was a bit young and sulfury. After 4 more weeks of aging the sulfur subsided and it had a crisp finish.
Dort 1:
Malts
I did a modified decoction whereby I mashed in only 1/3 of the grain brought it to saccarification for 20 minutes, then up to boiling slowly(constantly stirring), let it boil for 15 minutes. After this I start my main mash and bring it up to saccarification temperature with water and the decoction. This way I don't have to worry about the rest mash being at a protein rest for too long.
Hops
Yeast
Water mineral calculations
Therefore, we need (275mg/l x 38l)/(0.56g x 1000mg/g) = 18.7gr gypsum for a 10 gallon batch. This will also give (18.7g x 0.23 x 1000mg/g)/ 38l = 113ppm calcium ion. Add this to the calcium in your local water supply (NYC- 6ppm) and you have 119ppm with this addition.
For table salt, sodium chloride (NaCl), the calculations go like this:
Therefore, 1 gr will contain 11/28=0.39gr sodium and 0.61gr chloride ions. Since Dortmund contains 100 ppm chloride and NYC has 8.5, we need 91.5ppm chloride ion. Then (91.5mg/l x 38l)/(0.61gr x 1000 mg/g)= 5.7gr of salt are needed for this batch. This will also raise the sodium level (5.7g x .39 x 1000mg/g)/38l = 58.5ppm. NYC has only 6ppm sodium and Dortmunder has 70ppm, therefore we are within the limit.
I told you mineral calculations would be easy!
If you want to make a partial mash version, substitute 0.85 lb. light dry malt extract for each lb. of pilsener malt and mash the Vienna, Munich and other specialty malts.
By Warren Becker
In describing my recent trip to Portland, you have to take into consideration the enormous selection offered by their many brewpubs. Most brewpubs in Portland offer at least 8 to 10 different beers on tap at any given time. By comparison, many brewpubs, and even breweries on the East Coast average 4-6 beers in their portfolios. In my opinion, Portland is easily the brewpub capital of the U.S.
I went to Portland for two main reasons, to judge at the AHA National Competition, and to experience the Oregon Brewers Festival, since both of these events happened to coincide during the same week in July. John Naegele, and Claus Holten joined me on this beer excursion. We ascended on our Naegele proclaimed "Mission from Gambrinus." Our combined beer intake was more than 1,000 beers, with John breaking his previous record with over 430, Claus with over 250, and me with over 350 different beers sampled. For those that are not familiar with the legendary King of Beer, here's the abbreviated scoop. Duke Jean I (1251-95) was the ruler of Brabant, Louvain and Antwerp (in what is now Belgium). It was said that Gabrinus could drink 144 mugs of beer during a single feast. The duration of these feasts are still unclear to this day.
The AHA National Competition judging took place in 3 sessions over a 2 day period, with a 3rd day for the Best of Show judging. There were many good homebrews, however a number of beers appeared to suffer from the lag time between the regionals and the national competition. I was fortunate to get the opportunity to judge the Belgian Strong category, along with Flanders Brown. The Belgian Strong and Oud Bruin that I judged finished 1st and 2nd respectively in the Belgian mini best of show. John judged the Best of Show round for the beers, while Claus judged the meads. The strange irony of the contest was that the Best Show beer was a Coconut Porter. When I produced my Coconut Stout in 1995, many people regarded the combination of a malt driven beer style with the velvety smoothness of a coconut as a bizarre combination. I guess the palates and perceptions of judges today are more open minded toward the non-conventional combinations that work in certain beer styles. Besides the judging, the AHA conference offered seminars ranging from yeast culturing, and differentiating Belgian yeast flavors, to comparing hop styles, and identifying off-flavors. There were local brew club hospitality suites with various style homebrews, some good, and not surprisingly, some bad. I enjoyed meeting, and speaking with the other homebrewers, discussing topics from brewing equipment to commercial beers available in their respective areas of the country.
The Oregon Brewers' Festival took place parkside on Portland's waterfront. The event had approximately 100 breweries and brewpubs, many from the Pacific Northwest, each pouring 1 beer from each of their portfolios. John, Claus, and I visited the pre-event held for those attending the AHA conference the night before the official start. I have to say that many beers sampled that night, as well as the following afternoon, were easily forgettable, though not offensive. Some of the beers that we enjoyed were the Fred Barleywine, named after Fred Eckhardt (an author, homebrewer, and Master Judge from Portland) made by Portland's Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, a Belgian-Style tripel, Bete Blanche, from the Elysian Brewing Company from Seattle, WA, and a full-bodied Rye Whiskey Scotch Ale, by a local brewery that I unfortunately cannot recall.
Earlier, I mentioned John Naegele's proclaimed "Mission from Gabrinus," well here are just some of the many beers sampled at the local brewpubs, their styles, and the favorable reviews offered by John, Claus, and myself.
Our first stop was the Alameda Brewing Company. This brewpub tap list was Siskiyon Golden Ale, Klickitat Pale Ale, Alameda Wheaton, Beaumont Berry, Wasco Indian Summer ISA, Irvington Juniper Porter (very smooth), Turn's Head English Bitter (a traditional Bitter with English Hops), Croft-an-righ Wee Heavy (this Scotch Ale was authentically malt-driven), Black Bear Double Stout (a nice roasty full-bodied stout), and a Gruitberren Kolsh.
We headed over to McMenamin's Kennedy School. This is a brewpub, B&B, & movie theater situated in an old turn of the century grade school. The McMenamin brothers own and operate 45 brewpubs in Oregon (most in the greater Portland area) and Washington State. By this year's end, they will have brought this number up to 50. Quite impressive! To me, back to school never seemed so good. On a return trip , while John and I were having a beer, Claus ran into Sebbie Buehler of Rogue (in town for the festival) in the hallway. Sebbie was staying at the Kennedy School, thought that it was great to sleep in the classrooms converted to bedrooms. But back to the beers. We tried the Terminator Stout (John called it great!! He was unsuccessful in finding Vanilla ice cream needed to make a Terminator float.), a Porter (big coffee flavor), Hammerhead Pale Ale (big hops), Cask Conditioned Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Purple Haze (very berry: Marion Berries & Boysenberries), and a Helles Bock (crisp and clean).
The following day, John and I headed out towards Mount Hood on our quest to experience both Oregon's natural beauty, and their manmade byproduct, beer. We stopped along the journey to see the one of the highest waterfalls in the U.S., a environmentally correct dam that is fish friendly, and of course, Mount Hood. We visited the Full Sail Brewing Company in Hood River, OR. Here along the scenic Columbia River Gorge, John and I were met with an offer we could not refuse. Our famous line for this trip was, "How many beers do you have on tap, and do you have a sampler?" Well, the response at Full Sail was 13, and have a sampler tray that usually charge a $1.00 per beer for a 6 oz. serving, but since it was our first time there, it would be at no charge. I thought John was going to fall over. We enjoyed the sampler in their pub room, at the back of the brewey overlooking the Columbia River Gorge with Mount Hood off in the distance. All this for no charge, pinch me! Here's the rundown on the Full Sail bees: VSP / Very Special Pale Ale (pleasant & clean), Pilsner ( a little fruity, and not dry), Amber Ale (hoppy, a nice session beer), Dark Ale (some grapefruit), Reserve (hops & malty notes), Nut Brown ( a modestly nutty ale), IPA (hops are balanced), Stout (a bit thin), Porter (big & chewy, 7%), Old Boardhead Barley Wine (spectacular! 11.5%), Cask Conditioned Ale (another smooth session beer), Scotch Ale (delicious!!), and Russian Imperial Stout (10.5% outstanding!!!). I felt that to leave Full Sail without buying a beer would a crime, so after to conferring with John, I picked up a growler of the Russian Imperial Stout. I would take 5 days, and additonal people to help John and I kill that growler. On the road, and headed towards Mt. Hood, our next stop was the Elliot Glacier Brewpub. Nestled in a small town off the mountain roadway on a one street town is this pleasant little brewpub. Elliot Glacier has one of the most awesome views of Mt. Hood from their back porch. They had 4 beers on tap. A Belgin Dubbel (very nice), English Bitter (hoppy), Pale Ale (John thought this was actually nice Cream Ale), and a Porter (malty & chewy). I picked up a mason jar of the Dubbel for later enjoyment. Again on the trail closing in on Mt. Hood, we stopped off at the Mt. Hood Brewing Company in Government Camp, OR. They had 7 beers available. The Cloudcap Amber, Ice Axe IPA (John detected grapefruit), Cask Conditioned Pinnacle Extra Special Bitter, Hogsback Oatmeal Stout (smooth), Pittock Wee Heavy (pleasant), Multor Porter - Dark Brown Porter (some chalky notes), and the Cask Conditioned Oatmeal Stout (great!). To finish our day, John and I dined at the Black Rabbit Restaurant at McMenamin's Edgefield. Another McMenamin Brothers property, which is a working winery, lodge, and brewpub. They had a Kolsh, Amber/IPA, Hammerhead Amber (big hops), Raspberry Ale, American Wheat, and a Porter (coffee notes).
After a day of judging, the AHA had a party planned at the nearby BJ's Pizza Grill Brewery. We tried their Altragenius Amber Ale, Whitewater Wit, Leroy's Magic IPA, Columbia Kriek Cherry Ale (awful & vinegar), AHA Special Oatmeal Stout, Cask Conditioned Oatmeal Stout, and Cask Conditioned Magic IPA. BJ's beers were ok, but not very memorable. Next John and I headed to the Horse Brass Pub, a British inspired beer bar that has a piano man dressed in full Cockney regalia, and singing a mixture of old and new pub songs. There were sampled Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale (John loved it), MacTarnahan Scottish Ale (nice malt character), Hair of the Dog Fred Barley Wine (outstanding!), Rogue Brutal Bitter, Fishtail Mudshank Porter (oxidized), Deschutes Mirror Pond IPA (hoppy ale), Flanders St. Oatmeal Stout ( abit thin in body), and Grant's Imperial Stout (bland).
The next day after finishing our judging, John, Claus, and I drove out to the Acropolis. The fact that this bar has approximately 60 beers on tap (mostly local micros) and charges $3.00 a pint and $1.75 for 8 oz. would alone make it a necessary stop on our "Mission from Gabrinus". But it has another motivating force, it is a totally nude strip bar with gorgeous dancers. The girls were very friendly, and perfectly complemented this memorable beer drinking environment. Here's some of the beers sampled, however I was too busy to take notes regarding their qualities: Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Deschutes Obsidian Stout, Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Alaskan Amber, Thomas Kemper Belgian White, Thomas Kemper Weizenberry, Saxer Lemon Lager, Red Hook Double Black Stout, Red Hook ESB, and Red Hook IPA.
The final McMenamin Brothers location we visited was Ringlers. With a live music club next door, and a carnival-like environment, Ringlers was a pleasant stop. They had a Kolsh (thin), Nebraska IPA (high hops), Black Solstice Porter (very good), Cascade Pale Ale, Dry Irish Stout (chewy), and a Xtra Special Bitter (some dryness). We next headed to Tugboat Brewing Company, which had 6 beers to try. A Golden Pale Ale (hoppy), ESB (big hops), IPA (huge hops), Vienna Ale (sour), Brewer's Blend Pale Ale (infected), and a Cask Conditioned Stout (smooth). From there we traveled to the Coyote Bar, a local bar that had 2 nice beers of note. Both the Deschutes Porter and Hales Cream Ale, from Washington were pleasant.
Portland Brewing Company/ Flanders St. Brewpub & Eatery was our first stop after experiencing the Oregon Brewers' Festival. They had 9 nine beers on tap. An Oregon Honey Ale, Haystack Black Porter (black patent dryness), Cask Conditioned Oatmeal Stout (very nice), Portland Summer Pale Ale (a lawn mower beer), Bavarian Style Weizen (a bit bland), Zig Zag Lager IPA (grapefruit), Cask Conditioned Tartan Scotch Ale (pleasant), and a MacTarnahan's Amber Ale (off-flavors dominate). We headed over to the BridgePort Brewing Company in an industrial warehouse district. The sampler included 11 beers: Blue Heron Amber Ale (some sulfur), Cask Conditioned Blue Heron (very good), ESB (dry & chalky), Amber (thin body), Barley Wine (delicious!), Wheat (a clean American Wheat), IPA (pleasant), Cask Conditioned IPA (nice, some grapefruit), Porter (full-bodied), Cask Conditioned Porter (thin & watery),and Black Strap Stout (dry, more porter-like).
Our final day of pub crawling included the Widmer Brothers Brewing Company. We tried the America's Original Hefeweizen (sour & more like an American Wheat), Kolsh (hoppy & slight astringency), Pils (needs more malt), Ray's Amber (thin body), Hop Jack Pale Ale (pleasant), Amberbier Alt (no malt flavor), Big Porter (thin), Milk Stout (some vinegar), Widberry Weizen (very sweet), and a Cider (good, alcohol detectable). Next we ventured over to the Luck Labrador Brew Pub. Their lineup included 9 beers on tap. There was the Hawthorne's Best Bitter (big hops), Reggie's Red (dry), Top Dog Extra Pale (citrus with huge hops), Stumptown Porter (very good), Black Lab Stout (smooth & sweet), Dog Day IPA (gigantic hops), Nitro Best Bitter (smooth mouthfeel), Cask Conditioned IPA (very nice), and a Blitz Light Lager.
Well that's all the beers and pubs that I have decipherable notes about, or ones that I can remember. I enjoyed the Portland brewpubs scene immensely. The sheer numbers are staggering, in more ways the one. Portland is certainly ,in terms of breweries and brewpubs, a land of plenty.
by Bill Coleman
The August Meeting was absolutely indescribable! You had to be there. If you were there, you know exactly what I'm talking about....
Those of you who have heard of Phily's great beer bars in previous issues may be interested in attending a Philly Pub Crawl, Saturday, September 19 (NOTE: THIS PAGE PREVIOUS SAID 9/12. THAT WAS AN ERROR).
Be the first on your block to have the latest edition of the Malted Barley T-Shirt. It comes in gray with a small picture of Salty in the "Yo Brooklyn" mode and a logo on the front, and then, on the back, is a complete, tabloid-sized reproduction of the off-flavor comic strip used in our competition in February. The shirt is only $15 ($25 for 2) if you pick it up at a meeting or a Hop, Skip and Brew. Otherwise, order it via the mail (add $5 for postage & handling, from Hop Skip and Brew, 50-07 Metropolitan Avenue, Ridgewood, Queens, NY.
The Next Meeting of The Malted Barley Appreciation Society will be on Wednesday, September 9, at 8:30 p.m. The guest is not yet known. However, there's always lot's of good homebrew to drink! As usual, the meeting will be held at Mug's Ale House, 125 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. See you there!
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