Palm Beach Draughtsmen

Volume53 December, 1995

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In this issue:

December Meeting Agenda............1

Corrections and Pub No-Crawl.......1

Just Say Yes to Wine!.....................2

Brewtech........................................2

Nov. Minutes / From the Pres.........3

Useful Yeast Info! .....................4 -5

Minimeeting..................................5

A Beer Review ...............................5

Voice Mail for the Club!.................5

Beer Trivia....................................6

F.A.R.C.E......................................7

The Beer Gourmet..........................7

Upcoming Events / Quote...............8

Joining the Club.............................8

Corrections! Corrections!

The article in the last letter entitled "Erin Go Brew!" by The Highlander was listed as contributed by dALE. This was not the case as the excellent article was written and contributed by club member Dan Oliver (The Highlander).

Thanks, DanO.

Agenda for December 9th Meeting

Basically just show up and enjoy yourself

and all the food and beer. The "meeting" will kick off around 9 AM and go until the beer, food and accessories run out.

The membership has signed up to bring dishes and the club will buy the meats and condiments.

It will be a long day where, hopefully, several batches of beer will be brewed.

These beers will be coming to future meetings, so kick on in and donate to the cause!

No other club business will be conducted (formally) because the Secretary will probably be drunk.

Irish Times! was a great time!

The Irish Times was great for the last Pub No-Crawl. Fran saved us 5 gallons of the best Porter that I’ve tasted in my life. the food was great as usual, and the hospitality was overwhelming. We will definitely include the Times on any list of stops in the future. Thanks to the whole staff and of course, Fran Andreulivich and Alan Craig.

Next time we have a crawl (or think we want to), don’t wait to sign up and say "I’ll leave room for people that haven’t been before". This seems to be a recipe for a cancellation! Please , ask anyone that you think may want to go, well in advance. After all, we have to pay for the bus two weeks in advance, and the deposit is not refundable.

Oregon Bound!

Jack Thompson, Mel’s son, is moving back to Portland,Oregon this month.

Jack, you will be missed! Good luck in your move and we all hope it works out for the best. We will be sure to forward next month’s newsletter. Be sure to keep in touch.

Just Say Yes To Wine!

(A note from the whinos)

To date we have made Mango, Carambola, Watermelon and the best so far - Banana Spice wine. This month we will talk Banana Spice, next month we’ll talk about the rest.

The Banana Spice was a real surprise for two reasons: (1) It is drinkable so early and

(2) it is not as sweet as we originally thought it would be.We started off with bananas from Sherri’s dad and El Presidente, Dale Howell. The recipe is below. After only two months of aging, we’re proud to offer it, as well as our other fruit wines at the Christmas beer club party. There is a hint of banana initially, but we feel the predominant taste is clove. Although we haven’t tried it, this could be a perfect base for hot mulled wine.

In the works are Grapefruit wine, Orange wine, and Orange Champagne. If anyone is patient enough to make wine, we’ll be happy to share our expertise(HA HA). If you don’t have the patience to wait, the Vintner’s kits at Paul’s store are excellent. Our personal favorites are the Chianti and Beaujolais.

Banana Spice Wine Recipe

Ingredients to make 5 gallons:

15 lb. bananas

12 1/2 lb. sugar

40 oz white grape concentrate

4 Tablespoons Acid blend

5 oz bruised ginger root

2 1/2 teaspoons tannin

2 1/2 oz cloves

1 teaspoon Amylase enzyme

4 gallons of water (more or less)

1 pkg. Sherry yeast

Method:

1. Slice bananas and skins, put into nylon straining bag and tie.

2. Bring to a boil in 2 gallons of water, simmer 30 minutes.

3. Strain and pour hot liquid over sugar in primary fermenter, mix thoroughly.

4. Stir in remainder of water (cold), and all ingredients.

5. Check SG, it should be 1.095. Check Acid, it should be approx. 6%. Adjust if necessary.

6. When temperature is below 85 degrees, add yeast.

7. Cover primary fermenter.

8. Stir daily

9. Check SG, when it reaches 1.040 ( approx. 3-5 days) rack.

10. When fermentation slows and SG reaches 1.000, STOP FERMENTATION.

11. Rack again.

12. Add Sparkaloid to clear.

13. Bottle when clear, and "Just Say Yes To Wine!

Sherri & Margy, signing off!

Brewtech.........

Lead in my beer ?!

If you are worried about extracting lead from your brass brewing equipment, this surface lead can be easily removed. Simply mix a solution of plain white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide and soak the parts in it for 10-15 minutes. Be sure to rinse well. The ratio should be 2 parts vinegar to 1 part peroxide. The brass should turn a buttery gold color, indicating that the surface lead has been removed. From Brewing Techniques magazine.

A New Hop!

There is a new hop being made available this year. It is called ULTRA and is the fourth such aroma hop derived from the Hallertauer Mittelfruh variety. According to Alfred Haunold of the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Oregon, "Ultra has a high content of aroma compounds in its essential oil and also a low level of alpha acids that add bitterness." The new hop offers brewers another choice of aromatic hops grown on US soil at affordable prices. Its Alpha Acid is about 2.9%. I was recently given a few ounces by Fran at the Irish Times, and when I get around to using them I’ll let you know how they work. Thanks, Fran!

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The Palm Beach Draughtsmen Gazette

To write articles or send comments, please forward to the following address:

Editors -Dale Howell and Jan Lubota

Palm Beach Draughtsmen Gazette

2455 Appaloosa Trail, Wellington, FL 33414

Fax or modem to (407)790-1856(Call First!)

Deadline is 23rd of each month!

Minutes of the Meeting

of The Palm Beach Draughtsmen, Inc.

November 14th, 1995

The meeting was called to order by the president, Dale Howell, at 8:10 PM at FJ O’Donnels Saloon in West Palm Beach. As there was no October meeting, the minutes of the September meeting were read by VP Victor Sears.

Old business, Canceled pub crawl, review of the calendar.

New Business. Steve Roberts suggested the club get a voice mail number to keep members abreast of the club functions, et c. This received a positive response. The X-mas party was discussed along with the park brew session. General consensus was that the two events be combined and held on Saturday, Dec. 9, at the no-name pavilion in John Prince Park. A list was circulated for food contributions and the club will buy some meats, et c. to round out the fare. More than one beer will be brewed and the resulting product will be present at future meetings.

Dale asked for contributions to the newsletter. Joe Daugirdas , the editor has moved to New York, and it looks like Dale will be taking over the duties, while searching for help in doing so. Any knowledge in assembling a newsletter will be greatly appreciated.

A future pub crawl was discussed , going to the Miami area and will include some brewpubs as well as pubs. The Abbey has offered their hospitality as well as a free keg of Anchor Steam for the bus. Thanks new member, Fred Ogline.

Jan Lubota was welcomed back to the fold after an absence of more than a year.

A regular meeting place is still being sought and may become the new addition at O’Donnels, starting in January. The hospitality was good at this first meeting, though the noise level was not conducive to a formal meeting. Everyone seemed to like the place.

The upcoming AHA Sanctioned competition was not discussed.

There were Nineteen members present and one guest, for a total of 20 attendees.

The meeting was unceremoniously adjourned at 8:55 by Dale.

From The President!

Membership!

Holy Cow! It’s almost X-mas, again! As many of us realize, it’s almost time for our memberships to renew, again! So get on down to the HBO and sign up, and keep those discounts going. Thanks Paul!

We will be starting our fifth year, and what a good time we have all had! I see the club getting bigger and better. Every beer that has been handed me a lately is much improved over the last year. Congratulations! on making good beer, and sometimes GREAT beer!

This tell me that all our educational efforts of the last year have had some considerable effect. Thanks to all who participate in our educational endeavors, and, as always, keep it up! Merry X-mas everyone!

Meeting Places

Sorry about the confusion lately concerning the meetings. We lost our berth at the Colony Clubhouse. It’s the season and we are always the first to get bumped out for the residents. After

all they live there! So, it looks like we will be at F.J. O’Donnel’s Saloon for the next few regular meetings.

I heard lots of good comments about the place from the membership and the hospitality was very evident. In January, the new 1000sf room should be open and proprietor Carl Hansley has told us that we can go in there and close the door for our future meetings. Both rooms will have eight taps set up and there will be Harp, Guinness, Bass, Bud, Miller, Lite, Heineken and hopefully, a Bitter of some description.

X-mas Beer Competition

Club member Brock Pecknold is sponsoring a beer competition, the first one ever in Miami. Entries should be mailed to 13020 SW 120th Street, Miami, Fl 33186. The deadline is Dec. 17,1995. For more information, call Robert Srodulski at the South Pointe Brewery in Miami

at 1-305-253-3838.

Wyeast Labs Products

Characteristics and Optimum Fermentation Temperatures

Ales

1968 London ESB ale yeast. Highly flocculant strain with rich, malty character and balanced fruitiness. This strain is so flocculant that no additional aeration and agitation is needed. An excellent strain for cask-conditioned ales. Flocculation- High; apparent attenuation 67-71% (64-72*F).

1728 Scottish Ale yeast. Ideally suited for Scottish-type ales and high gravity ales of all types Flocculation- High; apparent attenuation 69-83% ( 55-70*F).

3068 Weihenstephan Weizen yeast. Unique ale yeast which produces the unique and spicy weizen character, rich with clove,vanilla and banana. Best results are achieved when fermentations are held around 68*F. Flocculation- Low; apparent attenuation 73-77% (64-70*F).

1214 Belgian Ale yeast. Abbey style ale yeast, suitable for high gravity beers. Estery.

Flocculation-Medium; apparent attenuation- 72-76% (58-68*F).

3944 Belgian Witbier yeast. A tart, slightly phenolic character capable of producing distinctive witbiers and grand-cru ales alike. Alcohol tolerant, Flocculation- Medium; apparent attenuation 72-76% (60-68*F).

1007 German Ale yeast. Ferments dry and crisp., leaving a complex but mild flavor. Produces an extremely rocky head and ferments well down to 55*F, Flocculation-Low; apparent attenuation-73-77% (55-66*F).

1084 Irish Ale yeast Slight residual diacetyl and fruitiness; great for stouts. Clean, smooth, soft and full bodied. Flocculation-Medium; apparent attenuation 71-75% (62-72*F).

1338 European Ale yeast. From

Wissenschaftliche in Munich. Full bodied complex strain finishing very malty. Produces a dense rocky, head during fermentation. Flocculation-High; apparent attenuation-67-71% (60-72*F).

1098 British Ale yeast. From Whitbread. Ferments dry and crisp, slightly tart, fruity and well balanced. Ferments well down to 65*F. Flocculation- Medium; apparent attenuation- 73-75% (64-72*F).

1056 American Ale yeast. Used commercially for several classic American ales, this strain ferments dry, finishes soft, smooth and clean, and is very well balanced. Flocculation- Low to medium; apparent attenuation- 73-77%. (60-72*F).

1028 London Ale yeast. Rich, minerally profile, bold and crisp, with some diacetyl production. Flocculation- Medium; apparent attenuation- 73-77% (60-72*F).

3056 Bavarian Wheat yeasts. Blend of top-fermenting strains producing mild, estery and phenolic wheat beers. Flocculation- Medium; apparent attenuation- 73-77% (64-70*F).

Lagers

2007 Pilsen lager yeast. A classic American pilsener strain, sturdy and simple to use.

Ferments dry and crisp. Flocculation- Medium; apparent attenuation-71-75% (48-56*F).

2278 Czech Pils yeast. Classic Pilsener strain from the home of Pilseners for a dry but malty finish. The perfect choice for pilseners and bock beers. Sulfur produced during fermentation dissipates with conditioning. Flocculation- Medium to High; apparent attenuation 70-74% (46-54*F).

2308 Munich lager yeast. A demanding strain, but capable of producing some of the finest lagers made. Very smooth, well-rounded and full-bodied. Flocculation- medium; apparent attenuation 73-77%.( 48-56*F).

2042 Danish lager yeast. Rich, crisp and dry. Soft, light profile which accentuates hop characteristics. Flocculation- Low; apparent attenuation 73-77%. (46-56*F).

2206 Bavarian lager yeast . Used by many German brewers to produce rich, full-bodied, malty beers. Flocculation-Medium; apparent attenuation 73-77%. (48-58*F).

2035 American lager yeast. Not a Pilsener strain. Bold, complex, woody, producing a slight diacetyl. Flocculation- Medium; apparent attenuation 73-77%. (48-58*F).

2124 Bohemian lager yeast. A pilsener yeast from the Czech Republic. Ferments clean and malty, with rich residual sugar in full gravity Pilseners. Flocculation- Medium; apparent attenuation 69-73%. (46-54*F).

2112 California lager yeast. Particularly suited for producing 19th century West Coast beers. Retains lager characteristics at temperatures up to 65*F, and produces malty, brilliantly-clear beers. Flocculation- high;apparent attenuation 67-71%.(58-68*F).

Contributed by dALE

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A Beer Review

Samuel Adams Winter

Lager is Great!

This years Winter Lager is out. Don’t miss it! It’s one to remember, with an amber color and a rich toasted malt flavor balanced perfectly with, I’m sure, the noblest of hops from around the world. The sweetness is lingers slightly. It is truly one beer that we will attempt to duplicate in the near future. This is the best one they have released yet!

New phone # for Club info!

For your convenience, the Palm Beach Draughtsmen have set up a new phone voice mail system. Simply call 659-4146 and get the latest updates from the club. There are four boxes and each has a specific purpose. After the system answers, dial 1 for meeting times and locations; dial 2 for special events information;

dial 3 for your own uses; and dial 4 for the latest specials at the HBO!

By your own uses, I mean that any member can call up and leave a message for any other member(s) to pick up regarding sales of equipment, brew sessions, et c. Use it for whatever you need. Up to ten messages can be left at each of 4 locations, and it only costs us about $8.50 per month.

Minimeeting

The next organizational meeting will be on Tuesday, Dec. 5th, at Troy Webster’s home in Wellington. The phone # is 793-8646 and the address is 1825 Lotus Lane. Please, call first, to let him know you would like to attend.

Anyone is welcome and their input of ideas for the upcoming new year will be appreciated. Topics to be discussed will be: the brew meeting in the park; other immediate year end business, and the upcoming 1st Annual South Florida Hurricane Blowoff Homebrew Competition. This event will achieve recognition of this club on a national level, so the importance of this thing coming off well is utmost. It will take a level of planning that we have not previously reached, historically speaking! So let’s get busy! We need your ideas!

Yuengling !

Dave Thompson, from Jensen Beach, has 16 oz. bottles for sale. They are from the oldest brewery in the United States still in operation. That’s right, these are Yuengling bottles from Pottsville, Pensylvania. Dave even has the labeled boxes for these tall boys, and is asking only $5 per case, or $4 per case for the whole lot of 17 cases. Hurry, while the supplies last! Dave can be reached at (407) 334-2224.

contributed by Dave Hudson.

Presidential Beer Trivia

George Washington- Besides being a brewer, coined the phrase "Buy American" during the Revolutionary War, in order to promote buying American Ales over British ales.

John Adams- Was the first cousin of Samuel Adams, patriot and brewer.

Thomas Jefferson- A brewer, donated his brewing library in order to start the US Library of Congress.

James Madison-A brewer, tried to get a bill passed in order to have a national brewery and have a secretary of brewing added to his cabinet.

Teddy Roosevelt- A part owner of a brewery prior to Prohibition.

F.D.Roosevelt- Repealed p[prohibition making brewing legal in 1933.

Ronald Reagan- Appeared in a Las Vegas nightclub act sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon called "What’ll You Have?"

Jimmy Carter- A winemaker, passed a bill in 1978 to make homebrewing ;legal in the United States. Had a beer named after his brother, Billy Beer.

Bill Clinton- Drank beer while a student at Oxford, however, claimed that he didn’t swallow.

All True, I swear!

Mel

Microbrew Demographics

The following information was lifted from an article in the Helenboch Brewspaper that provided what I think are some interesting statistics, from which I think some relevant conclusions can be drawn. I’m sure that the AHA must have similar demographics for homebrewers, and it would be interesting to make a comparison.

Who drinks microbrew? The left column represents all U.S. adults and the percentage of that group that drinks microbrew; the right column shows the percentage of beer drinkers who drink microbrew. (Source: American Demographics.)

All Adults U.S. Average Beer Drinkers Gender

13% 25%

18% Male 29%

8% Female 20%

Education

5% Some High School 10%

8% High School Graduate 17%

15% Some College 26%

24% College Graduate 38%

35% Graduate School 54%

Income

11% Less than$20,000 20%

7% $30,000-$39,999 18%

11% $40,000-$49,999 21%

19% $50,000-$74,999 30%

31% $75,000 or more 50%

Region

17% Northwest 29%

14% Midwest 25%

12% South 18%

20% West 32%

More education and More $ = more microbrew consumed. No shit!! Mel

To the Women

Centuries ago, women were expected to do two things well if she expected to get married. She had to be good at making bread and brewing beer. Beer was safer to drink than water and was the primary beverage at all meals. When she was getting married, a woman would brew a very special ale for all the guests, an this beer was known as The Bride’s Ale. Over time, this was shortened to Bridal, and used to describe anything to do with a wedding; bridal dress, bridal shower, et c.

F.A.R.C.E.

Floridians Against Restrictive Container Exclusions

From Mark Stober, Tampa Bay BEERS (813) 977-0141

"I am currently co-chairing an action committee within the BEERS to bring about a change in Florida’s beer bottle size law." "there are apparently a number of other clubs and individuals around the state that are doing the same thing in their respective areas; contacting legislators and attempting to get this ridiculous law eliminated." "we believe the time has come for us to focus our efforts as a collective group as well. I’m sure that you are aware that the Beer Industry Lobby in Tallahassee is very powerful, and countering their strength will, in my opinion, require the strength in numbers that a grass-roots organization that we are proposing would offer. By organizing as a one group, we will be much better able to draw the attention of

legislators, the press and the opposition." " Sen. Robert Wexler, from Boca Raton, has tentatively agreed to sponsor such legislation in the Senate, but he reports that we need to get a representative to sponsor the same in the House to have any chance at success. Since members of

the House are limited to sponsorship of no more than six bills, and Senators have no limit, getting a Representative to commit to help us is the most immediate task we face. The second objective, once we are assured of action in the next session, is to get word out to the Florida beer consumer to advocate the repeal of the law."

"I am confident that, with this effort, we will see definite results this year and the ultimate elimination of the bottle size law. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience so we can get things rolling!"

Mark Stober Tampa Bay BEERS.

(Excerpts from a BEERS mailing)

The Beer Gourmet

by Drew Griffin

This months choice is a winter warming stew. It is best with venison, but beef or lamb will do fine. I hope it will help keep you warm this winter. Happy Holidays and Enjoy!

Beer and Venison Stew

2# cubed venison

2Tbs cooking oil

1# baby carrots

2 onions, diced

5 large potatoes, cubed

1 tsp each fresh rosemary and thyme

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper to taste

2 bottles Scottish Ale

In a 6qt stock pot, heat oil and brown meat on all sides. Add enough beer to cover meat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add carrots to pot with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 1/2 hour.

Add onions potatoes, rosemary, thyme and garlic. Add more beer to cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Can be thickened with cornstarch, if desired.

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