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| Palm Beach Draughtsmen | |
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JACK, MAY YOU REST IN PEACE My annual trek to the Oregon Brewers' Festival this summer was not to happen as on Sunday night, July 20 I received a phone call from my son, Jeff that Jack, my oldest son and fellow Palm Beach Draughtsmen, had been killed in a hiking accident on some cliffs near Portland. Jack lived life to the fullest, he was a risk taker and did not spend time in front of the TV. He loved good beer and brewed several batches while he lived in Florida. When confronted with the arduous task of cleaning out his house, I was comforted by the stock of good beer in his refrigerator. Jack was buried with a new Palm Beach Draughtsmen T-shirt under his suit and a Wurzburger Hofbrau mug at his side. Next time you have a beer, please raise your glass in memory of Jack. Prost! I wish to sincerely thank all of you who have reached out and supported me during this time . We don't realize how much we need our friends until faced with crises. You have my gratitude. Mel
Ever wonder what specific ingredients do to your beer ? For example, how different would your steam beer taste if it had 30 IBU's of Fuggles instead of the 30 IBU's of Cascade hops you used ? Or, how different (or not different) would your pale ale have been had you used the London Ale yeast as opposed to the ESB yeast, or dry Edme ale yeast ? If you have wondered about the subtle or not so subtle differences ingredients can make in a beer, and do not want to take the next 10 years learning it all by yourself, then you'll want to join in the Draughtsmen's test brew experiments we will be conducting. It's actually pretty simple and very interesting: we will brew with light malt extract, some specialty grains, hops and yeast. For each "experiment", we will vary one ingredient, (say, hops, for the first experiment), but nothing else. Everyone will use the same malt, water, specialty grains and yeast. We will fol
low the same fermentation temperatures and schedule. By varying only the hops in this batch, we will be able to identify what each hop contributes to the beer. The sky is the limit when it comes to experimentation ! In future batches, we will vary the yeast, specialty grains, adjuncts such as spices and fruit, fermentation temps and/or schedules, the water, even the malt. Of course, the more participation we have, the more ingredients we can evaluate.
So if anyone has a tasty, yet quick and easy extract recipe, bring it along to the meeting on the 11th , where we can discuss all of the details (recipe, batch size, temp to ferment and who will brew with which hops). We will shoot for brewing the first batch in mid October and sampling at the December or January meeting. Thereafter, we will run these experiments every three to four months. See you on the 11th !
Andy Rodusky
It's that time of the year again and with Oktoberfest just around the corner, lets visit the Vienna-style amber colored lagers that we will be sampling on the 27th at Okeeheelee Park.
More popularly known by the current "Vienna", or "Oktoberfest/Marzen" styles, these lagers were brewed in the Austrio-Hungary region of Europe during March, stored in caves during the summer for extended lagering, and served....when else ?? (in the beginning of October/end of September, of course). Viennas are known as the standard Viennese-style brew, while Oktoberfest/Marzens" are called "festbiers", because they are stronger versions of the Vienna, which are still brewed for the famous German and Austrian Oktoberfest celebrations. The Oktoberfest, in case you are wondering, is a celebration of the return of cooler fall temperatures and the start of the brewing season in the years before refrigeration.
If you are new to the style, or feel like brewing one and have not done so before, some style knowledge and patience are good things. Both styles are complex, with an equal balance of malt and hops - one should not dominate the other. This brew should be a soft copper to a deep amber in color. If brewing as an extract, high quality light dry and light malt extract are in order. Light and dark German crystal, and maybe even a little caramel malt should be added. If making as an "all-grain", only primo 2 row Continental malt should be used, six row lager malt is straight out ! Again, primarily 2 row pilsner malt, with some light and dark German crystal added for good measure is the ticket. For a standard Vienna, an original gravity of 1.050 - 1.055 is what you are after. For an Oktoberfest/Marzen, a starting gravity in the upper 1.050's to mid 1.060's is in order. As for the hops, it is not uncommon to use several types of the "noble" aroma hops, Saaz, Tettenang and Hallertauer are highly recommended (no Cascade !). These hops create a floral nose, similar to those of their famous neighbors, the Czech Pils. Between 20-25 IBU's of bitterness is the target to balance the
malt. Adjust your hop additions slightly upward or downward in this range, depending on the starting gravity you obtain.
On the water and yeast scene, as long as the water you use doesn't have a lot of sulfates, it should be fine. Adding a few grams of chalk (calcium carbonate) to your water will add some "softness" to the finished beer, a very good thing for this style. For you all-grainers, gypsum in the sparge water is a no-no (remember the sulfates - we do not want them), go with calcium chloride as an acidifying agent instead. A high quality liquid lager yeast is in order. The Bavarian Lager yeast (#2206) does a nice job, but can be sluggish. Of course, being that this beer is a lager, primary fermentation should be in the upper 40 to low 50 degree (F) range, for 8-12 days, followed by a four to eight week secondary lagering in the mid 30 degree range (that's where the patience comes in handy)1. This style is considered by many to be one of the more challenging styles to make, so don't skimp on the ingredients - it will be worth your effort !!
If you can't wait until the Oktoberfest bash to sample some of these beautifully complex beers, Hacker-Pschorr, Paulaner and Spaten make fine examples of the style. Negro Modelo, a Mexican amber, is considered by some to be a good new-world example of a Vienna2. Since we are almost into "fall", we should be starting to see fresh stock on our shelves very soon.
References
Vienna/Marzen/Oktoberfest. Fix, G. and L. Fix. 1991. Brewers Publications, Boulder. 109 pp.
Michael Jackson's Beer Companion. Jackson, M.
1993. Duncan Baird Publishers, London. 288 pp.
Oktoberfestin' in September
By Mel Thompson
One of the simplest ways to start cooking with beer is with a roast chicken: Simply pour one bottle of a flavorful beer, such as a Marzan or porter, under the baking rack and let it mix with pan drippings; add corn starch or flour and fresh beer when done, for a wonderful gravy.
If you are new to beer and want to experiment with your own recipes, try using the following:
One of the most incredible awards is getting your homebrew replicated and sold by a nationally distributed brand.
Three brands do this: Pete's Wicked Brewing Co. (for a seasonal brew), Boston Beer Co. (for winners of worldwide contest marketed as "Longshot"), and Goose Island Brewing Co. (in conjunction with Beer Across America).
These homebrews are among the best and
most distinctive brews you can find and a real tribute to
the skill and creativity of homebrewers. A tribute that
pays royalties, no less!
For the curious (Yellow?) among you, there were six beers entered in the Extract Only event on July 26th. Moi (Victor) took first and Jamie Latimer and Dan (the Dano) Oliver took 2nd and 3rd respectively with their raspberry ales. The winner was sent to the Extract Extravaganza Club Only Competition on Aug. 9. No results yet, but I'll keep you posted.
Also, don't forget to brew up a Weissbier for the club only event (weiss is nice) at the end of October.
Hasta, El Hefe
Note to El Hefe: Please refrain from entering
any competitions that might put you in the position
of closing another great brewery, Thanks!
Germany has no shortage of festivals. To attend one is to experience what Germans call gemutlichkeit, a distinctly German easy-going, genial good time. At the top of the heap is the revered and sometimes reviled Oktoberfest.
Ironically, this most famous
fest ends on the first Sunday in October, having begun the second-to-last
Saturday in September. All Oktoberfests began as harvest-time country
fair, but Munich's Oktoberfest bears little resemblance to a country fair
today. Over six million people attend the event every year, the majority
of whom do not live in Munich- or Germany! Reservations are
essential (full meals are served, and you can drink only when sitting down).
Many travel agents sponsor all-inclusive tours; check with yours.
Some "country fair", i t even has its
own World Wide Web site:http://www.munich-tourist.de
The next regular meeting will be held on Sept. 11, 1997.
The meeting will be held at Castaways located at the Family Golf Center, 5850 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach.
Meeting will begin at 8 PM but you are asked to show up around 7:30 PM so you may chat and order food or beer (if you wish).
As always, friends and relatives are welcome at all meetings.
Please bring a perspective member and introduce them around. And don't forget that you were once a new member so search them out and make them welcome.
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