The Palm Beach Draughtsmen's

Brews News

Keeping the Traditional Art of Brewing Quality, Hand-crafted Beers Alive Through Education and Promotion

Volume 6, No. 10

November 1999

A November to Remember?

Contributed by Andy Rodusky.

November is shaping up to be a busy month for the club. The first Saturday (the 6th) features the first pub crawl we've had in some time.

We'll be visiting two of the newer brewpubs to the south. The Sporting Brews makes several fine beers, and I've heard good things about the beer at Titanic, so here is a great opportunity to sample some locally-made beer. The itinerary looks like this:

10:45 Leave WPB

11:30 - 12:30 Crash the FLAB (Ft. Laud. Area Brewers) picnic

1:00-3:00 Lunch and sampling brews at the Sporting Brews in Weston

4:00-6:00 Sample the wares and dinner at the Titanic

brewpub in Coral Gables

7:30 Return to WPB.

We will be touring the brewing facilities at Titanic and also, (hopefully), at the Sporting Brews. We also may make a quick stop at Hurricane Reef to check out their brewing facilities. There is still room, so join us! I need to have the final head count by 11/2, so let me know by then if you plan on going.

At the general meeting on Thursday (the 11th), we will sample and discuss seasonal brews as we start to prepare for the holidays. Seasonal brews are those which can have various spices such as ginger, spruce, nutmeg, allspice, and often have more malt, ROH (alcohol) content and flavor than your regu

lar brews.

If anyone has recently found a place with a good selection of the winter warmers, fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas brews, please let me know, I'd appreciate it!!

November 13th brings the first club-sponsored BJCP judges exam to Brewzzi's Brewpub in Boca. The exam is open to all and is a great way to learn how to evaluate beer and learn how to spot the good qualities and flaws found in the various beer styles.

The exam consists of a 10 question essay section, intermixed with evaluating 4 beers.

A score of 60 in each section is required to

pass, but it probably is not as hard to pass as you may think!

The exam gets underway at 8 am and will be followed with lunch and some of Fran's excellent brews! I was recently able to try his pale ale and Vienna, and both were excellent!

The exam costs $50 for first timers, and $30 for the repeat customers. For those who have taken the exam in the past, you also have the option of taking either section - you do not have to take the entire exam if you are looking to improve your score only in one area. Again, let me know by the general meeting if you want to take the exam. We will schedule a study session that will best fit everyone's schedule (e.g. maybe the night before or the prior Sunday). Remember: if I can pass it, it must not be that difficult!

Dan Oliver, editor

(Brewers Press-Jupiter) It's official, a Hurricane is coming and is forecast to score a DIRECT HIT to South Florida. The Y2K Palm Beach Draughtsmen Hurricane Blowoff will be held Friday, March 31st and Saturday, April 1st at the Home Brewers Outlet and the Jupiter Civic Center (JCC).

The JCC is located right on the beach at the North end of Carlin Park in

Hurricane Warning !!!!!!

Jupiter, and will be an ideal spot for the Draughtsmen to stage a HOWLING post-judging celebration.

Ok, I know this is early notice, but we had to rent the JCC well in advance to secure the date. We have already talked with Neil Avdellas of Hurricane Reef Brewing Company who has enthusiastically agreed to be a sponsor of the Y2K Blowoff.

Gourmet cook Debbie Howell (wife of Dale) has agreed to help plan the dinner menu, which will be prepared by our own club members and reflect the true atmosphere of a South Florida beach party.

So put this date on your calenders and plan to make a day of it. The JCC is literally right on the

beach in Jupiter so bring your beach towels, sunscreen and whatever else you need to enjoy the day.

One thing we definately will need from every club member will be a little bit of help to pull this off. We will be forming different "task forces" to get the job done and pull off a Blowoff that we can all be proud of.

Page 2

The Gormeister Speaks

Let Me Tell You Somethin'. . .

We are closing in on the end of the year and before we know it, the Millennium will be here: Big Party Time!!

I wasn't able to make the Lantana Octoberfest this year--somebody had to work.

I hear the fest was as usual, but the beers were not-- no Octoberfest beers, except Sam Adams-- maybe next year.

Thanks again to Greg Pope for hosting the Christmas brew-off.

The weather is

getting cooler and all club members should be brewing more. LET'S START BREWING!! Competitions will be starting soon. (Anyway the shop needs the money).

Good Brewing, Gormeister

The Palm Beach Draughtsmen's Brews News

Dan Oliver Editor

710 Colonial Rd.

West Palm Beach, Fl. 33405

[email protected]

Betty Turso Editor

4294 Empire Way

Lake Worth, Fl. 33463

[email protected]

Bill Eubank Assistant Editor

Officers

Gorman Selph......................President

Andy Rodusky..................V. President

.........................Secretary

Andy Rodusky......................Treasurer

Committees

Education.........................Victor Sears

Activities.......................... Betty Turso

Dan Oliver

Oktoberfest....................Troy Webster

Vince Yeck

Hurricane Blow-Off......... Dan Oliver

Dave Mathews

Web Page..........................Jan Labota

Membership Information

Applications for membership

Applications for membership are available at

Homebrewer's Outlet

1618 Latham Road

West Palm Beach 33409

561-686-4019

or write to

Palm Beach Draughtsmen, Inc.,

P. O. Box 2101

Royal Palm Beach, Fl. 33411-1074

Visit our website at: http://fourtunecity.com/littleitaly/giotto/175/news.html

For Club Informations:

Gorman Selph (561) 793-4054

What Ales You?

Dan Oliver

Dear Ale Breath-My beer turned out completely flat and quite frankly, I'm stumped. I followed my normal bottling procedure, draining out all the sanitizing material from the bottles and bottling bucket, used the normal amount of priming sugar, left the bottles at room temperature for a week, and NOTHING!! The only real difference in my procedure was that I was using a different kind of yeast than I normally do. Could that have been the culprit?? Feeling Flat in Florida

Dear Flathead: It may have been. Let's all remember that yeast is a living thing and all are not born alike, nor do they act alike. Usually a week is all it takes for most

ales to carbonate in the bottle, but, and this is a BIG BUT, there can be exceptions. My advice would be to give your new beer and its yeast a little more time to do its thing. Sometimes a cold secondary storage will drop out a large amount of yeast, and make carbonating in the bottle a longer process. Or maybe your yeast was a little pooped-out at the end of fermentation. Either way, there is still yeast left in your beer and it should start working sooner or later.

Dear Readers- This is your columnist calling. What I'd really like to see are MANY MORE QUESTIONS AND OR COMMENTS FROM YOU!!! SO

PLEASE, EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT, E-MAIL ME QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

AT:

[email protected]

page 3

Oktoberfest-Lots of cheer, but what's up with the Beer?

Hurricane Irene delayed the start of Oktoberfest at the German/American Club, but didn't wash it out. A good showing of Palm Beach Draughtsmen were on hand Saturday, October 23rd for the opening ceremonies and the tapping of the free keg. Some members of FLAB (Ft. Lauderdale Area Brewers) chartered a bus and dropped by as well.

But there was something missing... fest beer.

With a new distributor in charge this year, or so I'm told, there was no actual Oktoberfest style beer such as Spaten, Paulaner or Hacker Schorr. Correction; the ONLY Oktoberfest style beer available for purchase was Sam Adams. Sorry. Doesn't cut it, especially at an event like this.

Now the food was actually very good, although it cost $9.00 for a bratwurst, roast pork, mashed potatoes & gravy, sauerkraut and a pickle. (Did I order too much?) And there was good beer as well, such as Warsteiner, Bitburger, Diebels Alt, and my favorite, Kostritzer.

The authentic German band was great and we had a lot of laughs. Oh, and by the way, Vince worked out

a deal with one of the servers to fill up a gallon-sized pitcher for only 13 tickets, so we got a deal. And come to think of it, maybe that's why we had so many laughs. So on average, a couple can expect to blow about 50 to 60 dollars at this event. Would I do it again? Sure, why not? But it does make me appreciate the Palm Beach Draughtsmen Oktoberfest even more.

"Macht Nicht O'Zapft Ist, Prost!"

This phrase is proclaimed by the citizens of Munich when reminded that Oktoberfest, the world's oldest and largest beer festival, actually begins in September. The Phrase means, "It makes no difference, the beer is tapped. Cheers!"

BEER FACT: Egypt and the Middle East, particularily Sumeria and Mesopotamia are recognized as the birth place of beer.

DUE TO INCREASING PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION,BEER MANUFACTURERS HAVE ACCEPTED THE FDA'S SUGGESTION THAT THE FOLLOWING WARNING LABELS BE PLACED IMMEDIATELY ON ALL BEER CONTAINERS.......

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like an asshole.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell the same boring story over and over again until your friends want to SMASH YOUR HEAD IN.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may cause you to shay shings like thish.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to telephone them at four in the morning.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your pants.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with other members of the opposite sex without spitting.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may make you think you have mystical Kung Fu powers.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may cause you to roll over in the morning and see something really scary (whose species and or name you can't remember).

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter and more handsome than some really, really big guy named FRANZ.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may cause an influx in the time-space continuum, whereby small (and sometimes large) gaps of time may seem to literally disappear.

WARNING: Consumption of alcohol may actually CAUSE pregnancy.

'Round Town

Brewer of the Month

page 4

ful eye, these brews are very drinkable. Ask any of the 25 people at the bar what they are drinking and they'll say, "Abbey beer."

The brown is a Belgian style, the IPA needs more hop (the Mel in me said that). The Oatmeal is dark and chewy, and the Swartz would make Paul Wilson proud.

Ray was a good host and let me taste all 4 beers. The pub also sells wine, cigars, and food. The sign above the bar informs the hungry, THE KITCHEN IS ALWAYS OPEN. Try the homemade empaniadas, beef, chicken or veggie are all great.

Ray's Parting words were "TELL THE DRAUGHTSMEN TO COME ON DOWN AND DRINK MY BEER."

The Abbey Brewing Co. (305)538-8110.

Andy Rodusky

Contributed by Chuck Andersen

From the ornate lights on the wood walls to the carved braces that hold a shelf full of beer bottles from around the world; THE ABBEY BREWING CO. is an interesting place. Located on 16th St. and Alton St. in Miami Beach (South Beach), this hole in the wall pub caters to the locals. The beer selection is eclectic. PU, Rouge, Anchor Liberty, Sam Smith, Lambic, Erdinger Weizen, and Paulaner Salvator Duppel Bock are in bottles and on tap. Additionally, they also sell their own beer.

The owner; Ray Rigazio, has been brewing for 18 years. His 4 beers: Swartz, Abbey Brown, IPA, and Oatmeal Stout are contracted out to Ybor in Tampa. Brewed to his specs and under his watch

Nickname and origin: "Beligmo", which is short for belligerent. Given to me during the early college years, for a propensity to wrestle when drunk, and to be brutally honest and not, shall we say, be very diplomatic with how I express opinions, especially during debates/arguments. However, a term which describes the excretion of liquid nitrogenous waste seems to be gaining in popularity recently. . .

Profession: I've been able to convince my employer and colleagues that I'm a freshwater biologist.

I started brewing: March of '91, brewing a perfectly nondescript bitter. I've expanded under the Beligmo Angstrobrewery moniker to make many perfectly nondescript ales and lagers.

Favorite beer to drink: There are too many to mention.

Favorite beer to make: Any of the oddball brews containing spice/fruit/vegetables.

Most people don't know that I am: From another planet, sent here to spy on your sorry race! duh! there goes my cover.

Pet peeves: (how many hours do you have?) Some of the biggest are: the attitudes of those who take brewing and competitions way too seriously - it is a hobby after all! not being able to laugh at oneself, no brewpubs downtown, people who drive SUV's like they are invincible, our stupid bottle law, standing on the sidelines telling others how much better of a job they could have done had they been in charge, but then they never get involved to prove their point . . .

If I was a beer, I would be: An Octoberfest, as they have reached beer nirvana, that perfect balance between hops and malt, with a delicate flavor profile. In other words, all of the things I wish I was!

Good-by to an Old Friend

Contributed by Andy Rodusky

I was recently downtown for the first time in several months (babies will do that to you) and wanted to let you know, in case you hadn't heard, that the Beef and Ale has closed up and been sold.

Starting approximately 3.5 - 4 years ago, this bar had 40 tap handles and many excellent micros on hand that you could not find anywhere else. It was really nice to be able to find something besides the usual imports, and nary a Bud, Miller or Coors product could be found there.

Unfortunately, for

reasons that are still unclear to me, the community did not support it and the number of taps devoted to the more obscure brews slowly declined over the time that the Beef and Ale was with here. The bar has been torn down, but there is no indication as to what will take its place. This leaves downtown West Palm with one remaining place where the "off the beaten path" brews can be found, and that is Lost Weekend. Fortunately, Lost Weekend is a college hangout, so its future does not appear to be in jeopardy. Anyway, I ask that you please join me in a final toast to the Beef and Ale, may she rest in peace!

page 5

The Beer Diet

Contributed by Mel Thompson

'TEACH A FRIEND

TO HOMEBREW' DAY

POSTPONED

It seems that a lot of people are dieting recently, trying everything from an all-carbohydrate to an all-protein mix. I have another suggestion, one that has worked through the ages: the "Beer-Me" diet. Personally, I have a "liquid dinner" every time I go to the club on Friday night! FACT: A lite beer has between 70 and 100 calories, is almost all water, and the part that isn't water is almost pure carbohydrates. FACT: The average diet recommends a daily caloric intake of 1,200 calories for women, 1,500 for men, if you want to lose the medically safe two to three pounds a week. On the "Beer-Me" diet, that equates to at least 12 beverages a day for women, and 15 for men. A measurable goal. FACT: The alcohol in beer is a diuretic, which causes the water to flush out almost immediately, leading to a consistent workout regimen including deep knee bends (getting out of the chair), fast walking (very good for your heart) and squats (as the case may be) FACT: Drinking beer actually helps you sleep-even when you aren't necessarily tired. All that added rest is certain to help any problems you may have experienced in sleep deprivation, counting calories on those other fad diets. In addition, you may experience the occasional "How did I get here?" when you wake up, which always makes for lively conversation, and possibly additional exercise if you have to sneak out and run home. FACT: The "Beer-Me" diet is good

for your heart. After just one day of consuming your required 12-15 beers, you will certainly want to consume some aspirin, which is medically proven to help prevent heart attacks. FACT: On the "Beer-Me" diet you can eat anything you want. The only rule is that you cannot consume any food until you have consumed at least half of the day's required beers. This way the food will probably only stay in your body a short time, until you again exercise the deep knee bends, quick walk and, this time, the "lean-over-and-hurl" stomach crunches. FACT: Beer drinking is often done in bars, where other forms of exercise are common. Dancing, for example, is a good way to build up a thirst, as is chasing members of the opposite sex. If you really want to maximize your workout, try actually walking up to the bar, versus using a waitress. To take this to the extreme, you could even get up and get someone else a beer-perhaps someone who is newer to the diet plan than yourself. Based on these facts, let's run through a given scenario for diet implementation. CAUTION: This is a weekend diet plan, and should be attempted during the work week by only the staunchest of dieters. MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: Eat junk food, and basically be a slob. FRIDAY: Feeling "huge," swing by the liquor store and stock up. Go to favorite place of beer drinking and begin the consumption process (remember -> 12 for women, 15 for men). SATURDAY: Wake up (as

The date of "Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day" has been changed from September

18 to November 13. The change was made to take advantage of the holiday brewing season.

"For many brewers, mid-November kicks off the holiday brewing season," said Paul Gatza, director of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA). "We feel that `Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day' will experience greater suc

cess if scheduled for November."

The AHA is teaming up with the Home Wine and Beer Trade Association (HWBTA) to present "Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day." The AHA and the HWBTA want homebrewers to find an interested friend who has not brewed before, take them to a local homebrew supply shop, help them select ingredients, and then brew a batch of beer together Nov. 13.

required) and lounge around all day, feeling slightly smaller after expunging any food that you may have accidentally consumed (particularly if it involved beef jerky from 7-11). Take aspirin. Notice that you have absolutely no interest in food, anyway. SATURDAY (p.m.): Restart cycle, noticing that your appetite has still not returned. Perhaps only meet half of your consumption goal due to an ongoing discussion with "the dog that bit you." This is a good thing, as only half-consumption means less than 1,000 calories for the day, and you still don't feel hungry. SUNDAY (a.m.): Wake up for mandatory sports day.

This is a very convenient diet during football season, but it can be successfully implemented year round. There is some major professional sport being played every day of the year except the day before and the day after the Major League All-Star game (fact-look it up). Consumption on this day should be paced to cover the entire day-you don't want to peak too soon. Again you notice a lack of appetite, and are feeling thinner all the time. Don't forget the aspirin. MONDAY: Return to work, feeling thinner, well rested, and surprisingly mellow. Mark your log book, and begin preparation for the upcoming weekend. Happy dieting.

Bubba & Earl Been Drinkin'

Great American Beer Festival Results

Contributed by Greg Kline

Two hillbillies, Bubba and Earl, were driving down the road drinking a couple of bottles of beer. The passanger, Bubba said, "Lookey thar up ahead, Earl, it's a po-lice roadblock! We're gonna get busted for drinkin' these here beers."

"Don't worry, Bubba." Earl said, "we'll just pull over an finish drinkin' these beers, peel off the label, stick it to our foreheads, an then throw the bottle under the seat."

"What fer?" asked Bubba.

"Jus' let me do the talkin', okay? said Earl.

Well, they finished their beers, threw the empty bottles under the seat,

and each put a label on their forehead. When they reached the roadblock, the sheriff looked at them and said, "You boys been drinkin?"

"No sir," said Earl, "we're on the patch."

As you probably know, the GABF is being held in Denver this weekend. I'm not sure that anyone from the club is attending, but news is available. . . I just checked the results; you can see them all at http://beertown.org/GABF/99gabf/99winners.htm. The big news for fans of Titanic and her brews is the following:

Category 8: Specialty Beers

- 26 Entries: Gold: Island City Wild Rice Lager, Minocqua Brewing Company - Minocqua, WI. Silver: Erie Nights Pumpkin Brew, Crooked River Brewing Company -Cleveland. OH Bronze: Captain Smith's Rye, Titanic Brewing Company - Coral Gables, FL. Congratulations to Jamie & the Titanic!

Upcoming Club Events

11/6 Pub Crawl-Call HBO or Andy Rodusky

11/9 BJCP Study Session @ Andy Rodusky's

103 Milago St., Royal Palm Beach, Fl.

@ 7:00 PM

11/11 General Meeting @ HBO, 7:30 PM

11/13 BJCP exam @ Brewzzi's

11/18 Business Meeting @ Red Lion, 7:30 PM

12/9 General Meeting @ HBO, 7:30 PM

12/11 Christmas Party- Betty's and Bill's

12/30 Business Meeting - to be announced

3/13-3/25 Accepting entries for the Blowoff @ HBO, NOTHING ACCEPTED AFTER 3/25!!

3/31& 4/1 Hurricane Blowoff

Put these events on your calender!!!

Official Palm Beach Draughtsmen T-shirts $12.50 each

100% Cotton Pocket Tees

Logo on back and front pocket

All sizes available

See Mel or place order at next meeting

Official Palm Beach Draughtsmen Pint Glasses $3.00 Available at HBO

HURRICANE WARNING!!!!!

Attention Draughtsmen: Looking for ideas & designs for this year's Hurricane Blowoff T-shirt. For example: I got blown away at the Palm Beach Draughtsmen's Hurricane Blowoff!! GET CREATIVE !!

Don't forget the Pub Crawl November 16th!!!!!!!

Be at the November 11th meeting at HBO. We will be finalizing the Christmas Party plans and the Hurricane Blowoff Details!! Come out and support your local beer brewer.

Palm Beach Draughtsmen's

Brews News

4294 Empire Way

Lake Worth, Florida 33463