I have been swamped at work lately and, as a result, the ol’ blog has been feeling a might neglected. You’ll have to trust me that this is the lesser of two evils though. And though most of my waking hours have been spent slashing through decade-old C Basic code, I have been able to sneak in a couple brew sessions.

I’ve been on a rye kick for a while now, so when the local market ran it for $.70/lb, I picked up a sizeable amount of the spicy grain. Not surprisingly, it has since worked its way into both of my recent brews. The first is a big NW IPA, judiciously hopped with Chinook and Columbus.

Rye IPA aka Eye-P-A of the Storm

Batch Size: 5.0 gallons
Boil Volume: 6.5 gallons

4.25 lb Great Western 2-Row (34%)
4.25 lb Weyermann Pilsner (34%)
1.5 lb Great Western Organic Munich 10L (12%)
1.5 lb Flaked Rye (12%)
1.0 lb Chinese Candi Sugar (8%)

0.75 oz Chinook (10.9 AA%) @ 60
0.75 oz Columbus (14.5 AA%) @ 30
1.0 oz Chinook (10.9 AA%) @ 15
1.0 oz Columbus (14.5 AA%) @ Flame Out (steeped 30 minutes)
1.25 oz Chinook (10.9 AA%) @ Dry-hopped, 7 days in secondary
1.25 oz Columbus (14.5 AA%) @ Dry-hopped, 7 days in secondary

Wyeast 1469 – West Yorkshire Yeast

Estimated Efficiency: 70%
Estimated Attenuation 75%
Estimated OG: 1.066
Estimated FG: 1.017
Estimated ABV: 6.3%
Estimated IBU: 83
Estimated SRM: 7

Mash @ 156º(F) for 1 hour.

The Rye IPA was the fifth beer I fermented with the same culture of Wyeast 1469 (Timothy Taylor); Oatmeal Stout -> English Bitter -> English Brown -> Heather Ale -> Rye IPA. I had planned on dumping the yeast after my Heather Ale finished, but it looked so damn healthy in the bottom of the fermenter that I couldn’t help but feed one more time. Initially, this was going to be a British IPA, chock-full of Fuggles goodness. But after looking over my brew logs I realized that a straightforward American IPA had yet to grace my kettle. I went rummaging through the freezer for some big, pungent NW hops and emerged with several ounces of Chinook and Columbus.

For this beer, I made a couple adjustments to my usual brewing process. I have been having a problem with my beers all finishing very dry. This wasn’t much of an issue with my Belgian’s, but it has left my English brews feeling a little thin. In an attempt to remedy this, mash temperature has been slowly creeping up with each consecutive brew. My Heather Ale, for example, which was mashed at 155º(F) and contained around 16% caramel malts, still felt a little too light in body.

My next thought was to change my mash out procedure. During most brews, my small mash tun is nearly full. To mash out, I fill the tun to the brim with boiling water. This is usually far less that the amount required to push the temperature above 170º(F) and stop the enzymatic activity. Since I don’t start heating the wort until the sparge is complete, the collected runnings sit in the 160-164º(F) range, where activity could potentially continue. For this brew, I mashed very thick, ~.8qt/lb. This afforded me enough room in the tun to bring the mash out temperature to 172º(F) with a larger infusion of boiling water.

This seems to have down the trick. At kegging (after a 3 week primary and 1 week secondary), the gravity had stabilized at 1.016. The beer feels nicely round and has retained a subtle malty sweetness. By avoiding caramel malts entirely, the hops shine through; bright, clean and spicy. The only downside to the brew is that even at 12% of the grainbill, the rye is almost completely hidden behind the hops. So much so that I probably would not have detected it had I not knew it was there. If I were to re-brew, I would sub out the sugar for additional rye, bringing it up to 20%.

The name Eye-P-A of the Storm was coined by Jesse and is a reference to the brewday. When we started heating the strike water, the sun was out, the sky was clear and I was feeling

guilty about not mowing the lawn. By the time we were mashing in, the sky was black, the rain was coming down sideways and we were forced to construct a windbreak from spare lumber and bricks to keep the propane burner from going out. Almost as if the gods knew I had something else I was supposed to be doing.

My second rye-cipe (ahh, wordplay) was a dark, hoppy rye ale featuring the new Falconer’s Flight hop blend.

Dark Hoppy Rye Ale

Batch Size: 5.0 gallons
Boil Volume: 6.5 gallons

6.0 lb Weyermann Pilsner (60%)
2.0 lb Great Western Organic Munich 10L (20%)
1.5 lb Flaked Rye (15%)
0.5 lb Crisp Pale Chocolate (5%)

0.5 oz Falconer’s Flight (10.5 AA%) @ 60
0.5 oz Falconer’s Flight (10.5 AA%) @ 15

Wyeast 3333 – German Wheat Yeast

Estimated Efficiency: 70%
Estimated Attenuation 75%
Estimated OG: 1.051
Estimated FG: 1.013
Estimated ABV: 4.9%
Estimated IBU: 33
Estimated SRM: 14

Mash @ 149º(F) for 45 minutes.

Decoction using ~1/3 of mash volume, boil for 10 minutes.

Return Decoction to main mash to reach 172º(F) mash out.

Ferment @ 62º(F)

Originally, I had intended to use Weyermann Chocolate Rye, which the Maltster has listed at 180-300L on its website. When I arrived at the LHBS, the grain was marked at 400-500L. I felt this would be too roasty for the beer I had imagined, so I went instead with Crisp Pale Chocolate, the roasted malt with the color closest to my original recipe.

The Falconer’s Flight hop blend was also an on-the-spot substitution. Since enjoying a couple pints of Union Dew, from a firkin Ted brought down from the mountain, I’ve been set on brewing something with lemony Sorachi Ace hops. Unfortunately, none were to be had come brewday, so I reached into the depths of my memory bank and pulled out a little factoid about Falconer’s Flight. The blend contains Sorachi Ace, along with Simcoe, Citra and a slew of other recently fashionable hops. Being the closest thing at my disposal, I picked up a few ounces and continued on my deviated path.

The odd chose of yeast is yet another example of a last minute change. The beer was going to be about 40% flaked rye, with a starting gravity north of 1.070. Something like an Imperial Roggen-wit for those of you inclined to classify everything. Wyeast 3333 seemed like a great choice for such a recipe, with its restrained banana flavor and high flocculation. Too bad I forgot to pick up rice hulls, forcing me to abandon a large percentage of the flaked rye.

Despite the recipe setbacks, the brewday went great. In fact, it was the first time I’ve brewed rain-free this year. And following my “if it ain’t broke, use a bigger hammer” philosophy, I abandoned all that I learned brewing the Rye IPA, I opted for a decoction mash. Unlike a traditional decoction schedule, I used the process only to take the mash from saccrification rest to mash out. One-third of the mash was pulled after 45 minutes and quickly brought to a boil. After ten minutes, the boiling mash was returned to the tun, bringing the main mash up to 172º(F).

The decoction worked perfectly and I ended up with a full 5 gallons of 1.056 wort in the fermenter, a few points higher than anticipated. The German Wheat Yeast tore through the wort in about 4 days, taking the beer down to 1.018. This is a few points higher than expected, probably the result of too much caramelization during the decoction or too long sitting at 172º(F) while I cleaned the kettle and heated sparge water. I fermented at 62º(F), an attempt to coax out the clove flavor while keeping the banana esters in check.

The beer has been in the tank for about two week, but I haven’t quite decided what to do with it. From early samples, I’m not happy with the hops. The bitterness is quite bracing and and the hop flavor is muddled. I have a feeling I should have moved the 15 minute addition to flameout. I still have an ounce or two of the blend, so dry-hopping is an option, but I’m still vacillating over whether or not the beer can handle it. Anyone out there with experience using the blend care to chime in?

In any case, the beer will definitely be drinkable, and I’m sure the harshness will subside given time. I am planning to take another run at the recipe as initially intended. Basically, the chocolate malt will be switched to .25 lb of Chocolate Rye, the flaked rye increased to 5.75 lbs. and the hops switched for Sorachi Ace.

Cheers!
Kevin

Somehow, amid the indulgences of Eugene Beer Week, I managed to squeeze a homebrew session into the first week of May. After several months working with the Timothy Taylor (Wyeast 1469) yeast, followed by a quick stint with a German Wheat (Wyeast 3333) strain, I decided to return to brewing Belgians. More specifically, I revisited the first beer I ever brewed, a Belgian-style IPA.

Now, being my first brew, my Belgian IPA had several fatal flaws. First, it contained an obscene amount of carapils, crystal and biscuit malts, about 10% of each. And not fully understanding how hop additions affect beer flavor and aroma, I didn’t include a flameout or dry-hop charge. Equally ignorant on the topic of yeast, I let the beer sail into low 80º’s for the better part of its active fermentation. Welcome to bubblegum city. Still, when I cracked open the first bottle, a plastic 20oz Pepsi bottle mind you, I thought I’d created magic. Oh how quickly we evolve.

A little older and hopefully a little wiser, this time around, I wanted something much cleaner, much drier and much hoppier. While the first Belgian IPA was an attempt at Stone Cali-Belgique, Urthel Hop-It, Auchouffe Houblon and fresh De Ranke XX Bitter were all inspiration for this brew.

Belgian Bitter

Batch Size: 5.0 gallons
Boil Volume: 6.5 gallons

4 lb 11 oz Great Western 2-Row (44%)
4 lb 11 oz Weyermann Pilsner (44%)
1 lb 4 oz Flaked Maize (12%)

0.68 oz (19 gm) Columbus (14.5 AA%) @ 60
1.0 oz Styrian Golding (3.8 AA%) @ 15
1.0 oz Czech Saaz (5.5 AA%) @ Flame Out (steeped 30 minutes)

Wyeast 3522 – Belgian Ardennes

Estimated Efficiency: 70%
Estimated Attenuation 75%
Estimated OG: 1.056
Estimated FG: 1.014
Estimated ABV: 5.4%
Estimated IBU: 48
Estimated SRM: 3

Mash @ 149º(F) for 1 hour.
Boil for 100 minutes, start adding hops after 40.
Ferment @ 66º(F).

A pretty simple grain bill, mashed low to create a very fermentable wort. A long boil was used to retain a touch of sweetness and give a dash of color to the extremely pale ale. For yeast, I had thought about pulling the Duvel culture from my original Belgian IPA back out of the bank, but decided instead to give the Achouffe (Wyeast 3522) strain a try. From my experience with Achouffe beers, this yeast provides a nice spiciness, along with some faint fruit notes.

To keep the fruitiness in check, I fermented near the bottom of the strain’s temperature range, at 66º(F). The yeast took off quickly, but stalled around 1.030. and fell out of suspension. I ended up having to raise to temperature a few degrees and rouse the fermenter a time or two to get the beer to finish out. At 18 days in the tank, the gravity is now down to 1.012. Using my slightly higher than estimated starting gravity of 1.058, this puts the beer at 5.9% ABV and the yeast attenuation at 80%.

I am still trying to decide whether or not to dry-hop this beer. From the samples I’ve pulled, the Saaz flavor is coming through nicely, but I’d like a little more of it in the aroma. On the other hand, the low fermentation temperature resulted in a soft Belgian yeast character and I’d hate to mask it completely with another shot of hops. I suppose I still have some time to make a decision. I am out of free kegs at the moment and the beer fridge is completely full of bottles. This one will be sitting in a fermenter until something clears up. Yeah, I know, tough situation to be in.

Cheers!
Kevin

Now that my brain and liver have both had a few days to recover, I thought I would take some time to reflect on Eugene’s Inaugural Beer Week. First off, it was a hell of a lot of fun. It is a rare occasion that two beer events occur in the same week in Eugene. Multiple events in a single day was not something my beercipital lobe was ready to process. While I managed to make my way to a couple beer releases, the Brewpublic Wine Barrel Aged Fest, the Hellshire release and the Sasquatch Brewfest, I regretfully missed out on some other great events like Oakshire dinner at Sfizio, Full Sail’s John Harris at The Bier Stein, beer cocktails at Izakaya Meiji Company and the beer tasting lessons with Jamie Floyd at Ninkasi. Utter madness.

I also had to skip the blind IPA flight at The Bier Stein, where ECB’s 200 Meter bested a field of local IPAs which included Steelhead’s Bombay Bomber, Oakshire/Bier Stein’s Missing Link (People’s Choice), Hop Valley’s Alphadelic, Oakshire’s Watershed and Ninkasi’s Total Domination. Not to worry though, the swirling maelstrom of fermented goodness that was Eugene Beer Week quickly caught up with me.

At the Brewpublic Wine Barrel Aged Fest, my two favorite beers were the largest and smallest in attendance. Tipping the scale at 13% ABV, Gilgamesh’s Abandon, an Imperial Cranberry Ale, fermented with Saison yeast and aged in Pinot Port barrels, was completely nuts. The beer (or wine?) was served still (uncarbonated) and at room temperature. A mix of tart, sweet, bitter and salty, followed by a deep burn. If they somehow figured out how to squeeze umami in there, they could bottle it as an experience in taste nirvana. Speaking of which, Abandon will be getting the bottle treatment, packaged still and sold for around $25.

While Abandon thoroughly assaulted my senses, well, with abandon, Flat Tail’s Corvaller Weisse delivered a precise, lactic-soaked punch to the face. Dave’s take on a Berliner was split into two batches, half fermented with Kolsch yeast and Lacto, half with 100% Brett, both aged in French oak Pinot barrels. The two beers were then blended back together to form an immensely sour, slightly funky, vinous, 3.5% knock-out. This was hands-down my favorite beer of the week.

 

Well, hands-down might be a bit of a stretch. Bourbon Lickspigot Barleywine, one of Flat Tail’s Sasquatch offerings, was damn fine too. Vanilla and Oak upfront, with a rolling bourbon-twinged heat. I probably should have started off the brewfest with something other than this 13% monster, as it severely hampered my palette for the next several beers. This was not too much of an issue though, as the next several brews I sampled all featured the Falconer’s Flight hop blend from Hop Union, which I am completely disenchanted with. But that is a topic for another day.

Sasquatch itself felt a little more disorganized than usual, or maybe hectic is a better word. Many of the beers listed in the program were nowhere to be found, while several taps on the floor were void of label or description. Despite this, I still stumbled across several tasty libations, including the aforementioned Bourbon Lickspigot Barleywine, Fort George’s Coffee Girl Stout and Maritime Pacific’s Dry-hopped Portage Bay Pilsner. Gilgamesh’s Orgamine, a Hef brewed with Jasmine tea, would have probably gone over better had I not spent the last week drinking Frederic’s Lost Arm, which is a much more elegant fusion.

Sasquatch was a great way to close out a busy Eugene Beer Week, but this year, the real fun occurred in the wee hours before the festival, at Oakshire’s Hellshire I release. After overhearing much strategizing, involving tents and large recreational vehicles, I decided to show up early to the Hellshire release, to document the die-hards. I was shocked when I strolled up at 7:00 a.m. and found that I was the first in line. Within a couple minutes, I was joined by a few compatriots and we started the mist-ridden wait.

 

When the gates opened at 8:00 a.m. our small tribe had grown to 50+. And for my ability to wake up early and navigate an automobile, I got to purchase the first bottle of Hellshire I and was awarded a swanky baby-blue Line Dry Rye tee shirt. After completing the business portion of my visit, I got down to the pleasure part, which included many trips to the taps, where all manner of Oakshire rarity was being dispensed. Ambient Noise, Imperial Overcast and Bourbon Kilted Badger (on Nitro) were all flowing. As was the last 1/6 barrel of Heart Shaped Box, the Valentine’s Day Bourbon barrel Stout, brewed with cherries, espresso, cocoa nibs and vanilla beans.

I had a chance to talk to several people from Portland and even a few from Seattle, who all endured a dark-filled drive for their chance at liquid gold. Most people squirreled their new-found treasure away in their cars, but a few brave (or impatient) souls cracked open their bottles onsite and got right down to business. Mike Coplin was one such individual, who, doing his best Jesus impersonation, handed out sample after sample from what seemed like a bottomless bomber.

Speaking of Mike, the man is due a raucous round of applause for his efforts in getting the Beer Week ball rolling and keeping the whole thing so organized. When he first announced the plans for Eugene Beer Week, I was a little worried that participation would fail to stretch beyond 16 Tons, The Bier Stein, Ninkasi and Oakshire. Mass involvement is one of those critical unknowns that can make or break an event like this. I was quite relieved as the weeks progressed and more and more breweries, restaurants and stores signed on. In all, about 40 events were held, spanning 7 days and 14 venues. A great Freshman effort and I can’t wait to see what will develop next year.

Cheers to everyone who helped make Eugene Beer Week a reality!
Kevin

by Kevin @ beerandcoding.com

Redhook and I have always had an interesting bond. Perhaps this is due to the brewery’s conception coinciding with my own, or its ESB being an early and frequent participant in my foray into craft beer. No matter the reason, we have both arrived at the precipice of 30. And while it appears I have regressed a bit as of late, once again letting my hair grow long and spending all too much time toiling away in the latest Pokemon game, Redhook is all eyes forward. 30 years is a huge achievement for a modern craft brewery and Redhook is using its pearl anniversary as an opportunity to do some major brand re-imaging.

New bottles, new packaging, cans and new beer. I had an opportunity to pass along some questions to Robert Rentsch, Redhook’s Brand Manager, about the brewery’s 30th Anniversary and its recent changes.

Q: 30 years in craft brewing is a huge milestone. Does Redhook have any parties or events planned to celebrate the special occasion?

A: We’ll be celebrating all year long! But more specifically we are planning BIG birthday parties at both of our brewery locations (Woodinville, WA and Portsmouth, NH) for later this summer. Stay tuned for details.

Q: Redhook’s press release mentions that the new packaging makes the beer easy to spot on the aisle. Is the high-contrast packaging and labels a response to customer concern that products did not stick out enough on store shelves?

A: This change is more about doing what feels right for Redhook, and going back to our core values and roots of making great beer and having fun doing it. Part of this is packaging that is more straightforward and simple with no pretensions.

(I wouldn’t be surprised to see more breweries make the change to highly visible, minimalistic, “Ninkasi-style” packaging as the battle for shelf space intensifies.)

Q: “Floral notes and mouthfeel?? Hey, we’re just drinking beer here.” While I completely agree with this statement, I’m sure it will cause a beer geek or two to wince. Can you explain or elaborate on this idea?

A: There seems to be a movement within the craft beer community where a lot of breweries are trying to ‘out craft’ each other. Redhook isn’t about that. Of course we’re brewing great beer, but we’re just as interested in having a great time. Redhook is about pure and simple enjoyment and lack of pretense.

(Bill’s Beer Review Generator does a great job illustrating my pet peeve with the way people describe beer. I feel it makes the culture appear elitist and inaccessible. And while I enjoy the practice of dissecting a beer with like company, I have come to the understanding that most of my friends would prefer I just quiet myself by drinking it.

As an aside, I wonder if this attitude is the beginning of the craft beer equivalent of Nouvelle cuisine. Barrel-aging, exotic ingredients and multiple strains of yeast and bacteria have become the norm. Maybe we are on the cusp of a shift back to stripped-down beers, brewed to showcase a flavorful hop or malt. Nouvelle Biere.)

Q: Redhook Pilsner is being released next week (Mar. 21st.). Is this a return of last summer’s Rope Swing, or an entirely new lager? And will Redhook Pilsner be a seasonal release, or an addition to the year-round line-up?

A: Pilsner is a return of Rope Swing and will be a part of Redhook’s year-round line-up.

Q: Speaking of lagers, last year’s Rope Swing was a first for the brewery. Is there a reason it took Redhook nearly 29 years to release a bottom-fermented beer? Will we see more lagers in the future?

A: Redhook has actually experimented with Lagers in the past and many years ago produced a small run of Pilsner that was sold in our pubs and in draught.

Q: Next month, Copperhook is being released in cans. What was the reasoning for choosing Copperhook over the flagship ESB as the Redhook’s first canned beer? If a success, can we expect other Redhook beers to follow?

A: Copperhook is real crowd–pleaser. It’s the perfect balance of smooth, rich, malty flavor you’d expect from a craft brew with a lighter body and hop profile that make it a perfect “session” beer for all the outdoor pursuits and occasions where it will be enjoyed.

(We may need the fact checkers for this one, but as far as I know, Redhook is the first craft brewery to go can with something other than their flagship beer. It will be interesting to see how this is received.)

Q: While other craft breweries have been consolidating their core offerings, Redhook is expanding its line-up. What has allowed for this to happen and can we expect further changes to Redhook’s line-up in 2011? And any information you care to share about Redhook’s 2011 Limited Releases?

A: We’ll still have 4 core year round offerings. ESB, Long Hammer IPA, Copperhook, and Pilsner. We will continue to release Seasonals, as well as an upcoming series of exciting limited run beers.

(I was under the impression that Redhook added both Blonde and Big Ballard to its year-round line-up last year.)

Press Release:

Redhook Unveils New Look for 30th Birthday

Craft beer pioneer goes back to its roots to ring in new decade

Woodinville, Wash. – March 14, 2011. This month, Redhook Brewery (www.redhook.com) , one of the nation’s founding domestic craft brewers, is celebrating its 30th birthday by unveiling a new look, including bottles, labels, bottle caps and packaging.

The new look is all part of Redhook’s effort to get back to its roots. “There seems to be a movement within the craft beer community where a lot of breweries are trying to ‘out craft’ each other,” said Robert Rentsch, brand manager of Redhook Brewery. “Redhook isn’t about that. Of course we’re brewing great beer, but we’re just as interested in having a great time. We think our new look reflects our personality well.”

The Beginning

Just like other pioneering brands such as Starbucks and Microsoft, Redhook was born out of the energy and spirit of the 80’s. In 1981, founders Paul Shipman and Gordon Bowker (who happened to be a co-founder of Starbucks) thought the people of Seattle deserved their own beer; one that offered more flavor than the lighter tasting domestics and imports that were available at the time.

Redhook started brewing beer out of a converted transmission shop in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. After achieving local success with Ballard Bitter (known today as Long Hammer IPA) and ESB, Redhook became the first nationally distributed craft beer brand. Then came the identity crisis. “We realized we weren’t celebrating the big personality that Redhook is in the way it deserved to be celebrated,” said Rentsch.

The Evolution

After some soul-searching over a few beers, Redhook decided it needed its exterior to match its personality. The new look includes:

· Packaging/Labels: Easy-to-spot labels and packaging across all Redhook beers helps consumers quickly grab and go in the beer aisle. Every beer style is identified by a unique color scheme and Redhook’s simple beer-o-meter on the side helps pick between refreshing, smooth, bold, or dark.

· Bottle/Bottle Caps: To go back to basics, Redhook created a no-frills bottle, while the bottle caps all depict iconic images and phrases of Redhook’s colorful 30-year history, so you can drink while you reminisce. Genius.

Cheers to 30 years!
Kevin

from Kevin at Beer and Coding

That’s right kids, in a couple months lil’ Eugene will play host to its first Beer Week! 16 Tons co-owner Mike Coplin has been hard at work organizing the inaugural beer week, which promises to be 7 days of craft events, anchored by the Annual Sasquatch Brewfest.

Release:

 

Eugene Hosts Its Own Beer Week May 2nd-May 8th.

Eugene, Oregon, March 9th, 2011

From May 2nd to May 8th, Eugene Oregon will host its first annual beer week. Eugene Beer Week will celebrate craft beer culture in the Willamette Valley.

The US craft brewing industry has been growing steadily and cities across the country have been organizing beer celebrations to promote the industry. These beer weeks include a great number of beer tastings, brewers dinners and other events celebrating craft beer. Breweries, retailers, bars, restaurants and beer writers participate in beer weeks by helping bring greater awareness to a region’s craft beers. Cities such as Seattle, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Chicago all boast successful beer weeks.

Eugene Beer Week’s objective is to bring a greater awareness of craft beer in the Willamette Valley. They aim to accomplish this goal by providing a website that beer drinkers can peruse and locate beer related events taking place during the week. Eugenebeerweek.org will also provide a forum for businesses to promote their beer week efforts. Eugene Beer Week culminates with the Sasquatch Beer Festival that celebrates the life of one of Eugene’s former brewers, Glen Falconer.

For more information contact Mike Coplin at 16 Tons and visit eugenebeerweek.org.

Contact:
Mike Coplin
16 Tons Beer & Wine
(541) 953-2530
Eugene Beer Week
eugenebeerweek@gmail.com
http://eugenebeerweek.org

Eugene Beer Week is Coming « Beer and Coding in Eugene.