Brain Enema of a Savage Mind

The Art of the Brew

Since the completion of my new mash tun my desire to homebrew has been back on the rise.  Over the years it’s come and gone.  There have been periods where I was making a couple beers every month.  Then suddenly I’d go half a year without brewing.  I’m sure there were any number of factors involved, but I know that my last falling out with homebrewing had to do with the fact I was really tired of doing extract batches, and my previous couple of all-grain batches had been absolute failures.  Those failures were not procedural in nature, but were due to poor equipment and setup.  So I sort of shelved the whole homebrew thing for a bit.  Last month I got all the pieces to put together a new mash tun, and my first brew with it had pretty damn great efficiency - creeping up towards 80% which is more than I could have hoped for.

I’ve already gotten in on the recent group buy for bulk grains.  Now that I can do reliable all grain mashes and no longer just mini-mashes, 55lbs sacks of my base malt are going to be essential.  For now I think I’ll be going with Maris Otter, but that may change later down the road.  I’ve always liked Maris Otter – it’s a very clean grain with good extraction.  I’ll also have to start picking up some 10ish pound bags of speciality malt so I can give my beers all the character that they deserve.

My first all grain batch with the mash tun was an IPA primarily using Ahtanum hops.  I’d been wanting to try these for awhile so I figured an IPA was the best way to showcase them.  I also decided to try and get a little bit fancy with this IPA and put about 8 ounces of Gambrinus honey malt in to it. I’ve heard people saying the honey malt barely adds any honey flavor, to people saying that even a tiny amount imparts a huge taste.  I guess a lot of it is a matter of perspective and soon enough I’ll find out how I feel about 8 ounces of the malt.

The IPA just went in to the keg today so now it’s chilling down and carbonating.  Come this weekend I’ll get to taste test my first all grain batch that actually fermented like a mad demon.  It smells great, it looks great, and I can’t wait to find out this weekend if it tastes great!

Big Orange Mash Tun

All the parts arrived over the weekend for my new mash tun.  My old setup was a five gallon cooler with a half-assed home made false bottom and some plastic fitting.  Not at all an ideal setup, but did a decent enough job for partial-mash stuff.  Still I had been itching to get back to all grain brewing, but knew I needed a better setup if I was to get decent enough efficiency.  Plus with only a five gallon cooler I could really only do about 10 or 11 lbs of grain in a single mash.  A lot of my all grain recipes are over that amount, or else right around it so all grain had always been a pain in the past.

With this new setup I should be able to do approximately 24 pounds of grain in a single bash.  That means I can pump out some high gravity monsters of five gallon batches.  I’ve got all the ingredients lined up today for making an IPA.  14 pounds of grain are all crushed and ready to go in to the mash in just a little bit.  This will only be my second brew since Gabriel was born, and my first all grain batch in I can’t remember how long.

Mirror Mirror: The Super Bowl Edition

It’s here, that magical time of year in America known as Super Bowl Sunday.  It’s the high holiday of the American belief system.  It’s that day when we celebrate spandex clad warriors smacking one another on the ass in celebration of moving the sacrificial pigskin that extra yard down the field.  How we, the fans, will cheer, jeer, and explain why the coaches have no clue what they are doing and offering our suggestions on how each and every play should have been run if the guy calling the plays was even in the least bit confident.  Because, after all, merely being a fan of the game fills us with an infinite knowledge of all things football, elevating us to a superior plane of existence then those mere mortals who tout their actually experience as if it were some sort of qualification for coaching a team.  Fools.

So today we find two great adversaries about to do combat in a pre-selected arena that spares no creature comforts for our fine warriors.  From the barren wastelands better known as Pittsburgh comes the Steelers who are of course led by Omar Epps Mike Tomlin who, despite not sitting in his recliner and drinking beer whilst enjoying a hearty bowl of nachos and yelling at the television, has some vague notions about what it takes to lead his team to victory.  Yes, how the down-trodden denizens of the Three Rivers cry “Huzzah!” every time this man steps on the field, clip board in hand, ready to bring glory to their once mighty kingdom.  It is fair to say that there are some other guys who help him out, but most of them aren’t routinely mistaken for being a Hollywood star.

Opposing these might men of steel are the Arizona Cardinals.  That’s right, Arizona is home to a professional sports team.  They are, in fact, home to no fewer than 4 professional sports teams, all of whom share the defining quality that no one really cares.  That is, until now.  Oh how the Cardinals have lifted the hopes of those nomadic peoples of the Arizona wastes, waking them from their dreary slumbers as the scratch their heads wondering “Wait, when did we get a professional football team?”  Arizonaites, you have arrived!  With your none-to-menacingly named Cardinals you shall march out on to the field of battle prepared to show the entire world you really are a state!  Arizona is led by their quarterback, Kurt Warner, best known as “the guy who was in a bunch of ads for soup.”  This journeyman quarterback has inspired the hopes and dreams of two guys who work concessions at the stadium and is now ready to bring his team to the big game.

I for one wait with baited breath, beer in hand as I mentally prepare myself to witness the Super Bowl spectacle.  While those all knowing odds makers his sit high in their neon lit Vegas towers have bestowed their blessing upon the Steelers I can’t help but wonder if once again the Cardinals are being overlooked, or downright forgotten.  In fact the entire NFC forgot about them, but time and time again they reminded them that indeed, really they have a football team, and apparently a good one at that!  My heart often goes out to the underdogs, but as I am also afraid of incurring my mothers wrath I find it hard to bestow my own blessing upon either of these champions.  Today one team will emerge victorious, lifted upon the shoulders of their adoring fans, many animals sacrificed to barbeque pits in their names.  The other team will leave the field, their heads hung low as they limp back to their multi-million dollar homes, forgotten and unloved by those fans who have been wearing their lucky logo emblazoned t-shirt, unwashed all season long in order to help elevate their team.  

Yes, it is here, the Super Bowl.  No matter who reigns triumphant we all wish for the same thing, some really kick ass commercial spots.  Because after all, what’s the Super Bowl without the commercials?

Drinking in the cold.

When you think of beer in the winter your likely to think of robust porters, rich and malty doppelbocks, or the classic thick and heavy stouts. These are all fabulous styles of beer with a myriad of interpretations all across the country as many breweries seek to craft these fine brews for the winter months. While there are many people who enjoy these beers, there are many more who shun the darker styles working under the false assumption that every dark beer tastes like that Guinness they tried and didn’t like once. Guinness is only one variation on a style that had a very diverse range of flavors. However, as it is Guinness has a brand recognition as the defacto dark beer. This all contributes to the mindset that beer isn’t a good cold weather drink. Industry numbers back that up with there being a sharp decline in beer sales through the winter months. My first hand work at the brewery makes it obvious that even amongst many craft beer fans beer is something best consumed in warmer temperatures.

Of course myself and other dedicated beer fans disagree with this sentiment. Beer has such a wide range of flavors and diverse complexity that there are beers that go perfect with any ocassion. Those who are turned off by the dry, bitter roasted flavors of a Guinness may want to try something like the Chocolate Induldgance from Ommegang. It’s thick rich body helps to shake off the winter chills. The flavor is filled with a sweet roasty taste along with big fresh chocolate notes thanks to the fine Belgian chocolate used in the brewing. If chocolate isn’t your think might I suggest one if the many beers out there that have been aged in whiskey barrels. Ithaca Beer’s Old Habit has all the complexity of a fine bourbon with a nice smooth finish and a soothing warmth from the generous ABV. There are also some great malt bombs out there filled with delicious caramel sweetness and toasted flavors. I could go on and on, but you get the point. There’s a lot out there with trying and drinking all year round.

There is still a lot of education that needs to happen to elevate beer from it’s status as the blue collar drink meant for throwing back on a hot summers day. I experience this all the time a I’m on the front lines of beer education. So instead of mixing yourself another Manhattan or other such drink, stop down at your local brewery or fine beer store and try something new this winter.

Some things about beer.

People have asked me before why I don’t write more about beer; especially reviews of beers or breweries. The subject is actually a bit of a dilema for me since I work for Ithaca Beer. I’d hate for comments I make to come off as attacks on other breweries if I wrote anything but the most positive of reviews. And should I write an exceptionally glowing review it could come of as me attempting to be polite or worse in this day and age when even our personal lives are mired in politics. With the position I’m in itnjust wouldn’t be prudent for me to do more indepth looks in to specific beers or breweries. I certainly have plenty to say on the subject, andni like to think I have a fairly informed perspective on it, but for now I will save those conversations with a good friend over a beer somewhere. Don’t worry, I’ll still share when I find something truly outstanding out there, or all sorts of talk about homebrewing, but indepth commentary and reviews of the microbeer world just isn’t something you’ll find here. Fortunately there are plenty of good sites where you can get you beer reviewing fix.