30 October 2011

CYBI Brown Shugga

Recently, Lagunitas Brewing Company announced it would not brew their regular fall beer, Brown Shugga because they didn't have the capacity. Since I would have to go without this year, I thought I would brew the Can You Brew It? Brown Shugga clone recipe done by the fine folks over at The Brewing Network.

It is a pretty big beer, so I will need a big starter. Four liters big. So first I will brew Donn's Famous Horse Cram It In, and repitch the yeast in the Brown Shugga, two weeks later.


CYBI Brown Shugga Clone
American Barleywine

Type: All Grain Date: 11/22/2011
Batch Size: 6.00 gal Brewer: Jeff Holt
Boil Size: 7.97 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Jeff's Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU
18.67 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 69.86 %
4.43 lb White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 16.59 %
1.23 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 4.58 %
1.17 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 4.37 %
0.62 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2.31 %
1.55 oz Williamette [4.10 %] (90 min) Hops 13.8 IBU
0.75 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
0.75 oz Centennial [8.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
0.75 oz Liberty [4.40 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
1.10 oz Williamette [4.10 %] (45 min) Hops 8.4 IBU
0.35 oz Nugget [12.70 %] (45 min) Hops 8.3 IBU
0.12 oz Nugget [12.70 %] (1 min) Hops 0.1 IBU
0.80 oz Centennial [8.00 %] (1 min) Hops 0.6 IBU
0.40 oz Liberty [4.50 %] (1 min) Hops 0.2 IBU
0.61 lb Brown Sugar, Dark (50.0 SRM) Sugar 2.28 %
1 Pkgs English Ale (White Labs #WLP002) Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.101 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.032 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.06 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 31.4 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 18.6 SRM Color:
Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 26.11 lb
Sparge Water: 2.94 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 32.64 qt of water at 165.9 F 154.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 4.5 oz Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F Age for: 56.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
Created with BeerSmith

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posted by hiikeeba at 07:00 2 comments

28 October 2011

Jester King and TABC questions

I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, so I have questions about the recent announcement that Jester King will be suing TABC over the Alcoholic Beverage code.

Before I begin, I support Jester King's goal.  I just question their choice of targets.

Since TABC is a law enforcement agency, they do not write the laws they enforce. So isn't this a bit like Al Capone suing Elliot Ness for Prohibition?

I posed the same question at Lee Nichol's I Love Beer Blog, and he said it would prevent TABC from enforcing the current laws.

That's all well and good until the next Legislative session in 2013 when WBDT has their employees in the legislature write new laws which will start the whole thing all over again. Right?

Is it really as simple as to make TABC stop enforcing those particular laws?

posted by hiikeeba at 11:01 0 comments

26 October 2011

Growler Sales on the Rise in Maine

Two years ago, if you wanted a growler of beer from a Maine brew pub, the pub had to have a separate store with a separate entrance. I won't go into the bizarre laws states enact to keep craft beer out of the consumer's hands while keeping products from the Big Three in them. Growler sales have grown in Maine.

Interestingly, one of the reasons cited for the popularity of growlers was ecology: "Consumers like growlers because they're green — they're reusable and don't contribute to the waste stream. . ."

Who knew I was green?

Breweries and bars are even getting on the growler bandwagon.

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posted by hiikeeba at 07:00 0 comments

24 October 2011

Jester King Sues TABC

From the Jester King blog.

Austin, TX — Jester King Craft brewery, maker of artisan farmhouse ales in the beautiful Texas Hill Country on the outskirts of Austin, has filed suit against the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). On Wednesday, attorneys representing Jester King Craft Brewery and two other co-plaintiffs filed a motion for summary judgment in federal court asking that the case be decided in our favor.

We have sued the TABC because we believe that its Code violates our rights under the 1st and 14th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. Under the Code, we are not allowed to tell the beer drinking public where our beer is sold. We are also not permitted to use accurate terms to describe our beers. We are often forced to choose either to label them inaccurately or not to make beers that we would like to brew. Under the bizarre, antiquated naming system mandated by the TABC Code, we have to call everything we brew over 4% alcohol by weight (ABW) “Ale” or “Malt Liquor” and everything we brew at or below 4% ABW “beer”. This results in nonsensical and somewhat comical situations where we have to call pale ale at or below 4% ABW “pale beer” and lager that is over 4% ABW “ale”. The State has arrogantly and autocratically cast aside centuries of rich brewing tradition by taking it upon itself to redefine terms that reference flavor and production method as a simple shorthand for alcoholic strength.

At the same time, the State prohibits breweries from using other terms that accurately reference alcoholic strength like “strong” or “low alcohol”. That means you will not be seeing any Belgian or American Strong Ale in Texas. Further, the State restricts the context in which we can communicate the actual alcohol content of our beers. We are not allowed to put the alcoholic content on anything the State considers advertising, which includes our website and social media. We are simply seeking to exercise free and truthful speech about the beer we make and strongly believe that the State has no interest in keeping you from knowing the type of beer we make, how strong it is, or where it is sold.

Our claim under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, maintains that breweries, like wineries, should be able to sell their products directly to the public. Right now in Texas, we cannot sell our beer at our brewery. We can only sell beer through a retailer or distributor. When people visit Jester King and ask to buy our beer, we have to tell them, “Sorry, that’s illegal.” Brewpubs are faced with an equal and opposite restriction. They can sell beer on-site, but cannot sell beer through a retailer or distributor. Texas wineries on the other hand are allowed to sell on-site and through retailers and distributors. We are suing because the State has no rational interest in maintaining special restrictions aimed at limiting the sale of beer.

Finally, the lawsuit challenges the State’s requirement that every foreign brewery wishing to sell beer in Texas obtain its own separate license. Foreign wineries and distilleries are not burdened by this requirement. They may simply sell their products in Texas through an importer that has one license for all the wine and spirits it brings into our state. The result is that small, artisan beer makers often have their beer kept out of Texas by unduly burdensome fees.

When we started Jester King, part of our plan was to help other small, artisan brewers, from both the United States and abroad, sell their products in Texas. This is something that we remain interested in doing at some point, which is where our material interest in this part of the case comes into play. Our much larger interest, however, is in allowing Texas beer drinkers to have access to the beers that helped shape our desire to build an authentic farmhouse brewery in the Texas Hill Country and that have had a direct influence on the type of beers that we have set out to brew. Many of these beers are from small overseas breweries whose products are currently being sold elsewhere in the U.S., but not in Texas because of exorbitant licensing fees. We would like to have the ability to purchase these beers in our local market and would like for all Texas beer drinkers to be able to do the same.

We have chosen to pursue these matters in federal court after witnessing the lack of progress that has resulted from previous attempts to address the inequities of the TABC Code legislatively. During the last legislative session, there were bills aimed at giving breweries and brewpubs similar rights to Texas wineries, but these bills never even made it out of committee.

We cannot say how likely we are to succeed in this lawsuit. The State has only to show a rational basis for restricting our freedom and the freedom of beer drinkers in this matter. However, as long as there is a TABC Code in Texas that discriminates against and puts undue burdens on breweries both home and abroad, we will continue to do everything in our power to fight for a more just and free system for us and for beer drinkers in our state.

posted by hiikeeba at 15:31 2 comments

Jul Øl 2011

I got this into the fermenter last Tuesday and it is merrily chugging along.

2011 Jul Øl
Christmas/Winter Specialty Spice Beer

Type: All Grain Date: 10/8/2011
Batch Size: 6.00 gal Brewer: Jeff Holt
Boil Size: 7.97 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Jeff's Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU
12.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 69.57 %
2.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 11.59 %
2.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 11.59 %
0.25 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 1.45 %
2.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] (45 min) Hops 63.9 IBU
2.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.60 oz Cardemom Seed (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.20 items Vanilla Bean (Boil 0.0 min) Misc
1.00 lb Brown Sugar, Dark (50.0 SRM) Sugar 5.80 %
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.066 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.070 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.36 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 8.50 %
Bitterness: 63.9 IBU Calories: 310 cal/pint
Est Color: 24.2 SRM Color:
Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 16.25 lb
Sparge Water: 4.84 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 20.31 qt of water at 165.9 F 154.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 4.5 oz Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
Started kicking within 4 hours of pitching yeast.
Created with BeerSmith

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posted by hiikeeba at 06:00 0 comments

22 October 2011

Marginally Drinking Related Qoute

Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors--and miss.
--Robert Heinlein

posted by hiikeeba at 10:20 0 comments

20 October 2011

Funk'n Sour Gravity Fest at Jester King October 29

From the Jester King Brewery blog:

On Saturday, October 29th from 1pm to 6pm we’ll close out Austin Beer Week 2011 with our first ever Funk’n Sour Gravity Fest at Jester King. We’ll have available an assortment of funky, sour beers from our barrel room that are naturally conditioned in German gravity kegs. We should be able to get a few guest beer gravity kegs as well, which we’ll keep you posted on. We’ll also have live music, a food trailer and a face painting booth.
Admission is $10, which will get you a tour of the brewery and a souvenir glass. See you there!

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posted by hiikeeba at 11:44 0 comments

18 October 2011

Three Good Reasons to Drink Beer

Men's Health UK published three health benefits for beer:

Pale Ale: Due to a high level of silicon,  pale ale can reduce your chances of having a fracture, by slowing down the process of bone thinning.

Stout: Can reduce blood clots

All beer, consumed in moderation, increases HDL.

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posted by hiikeeba at 10:36 0 comments

16 October 2011

Update: Glock & Zahn Brewing - Victoria 1860-1875


An update from Historic Texas Breweries.

Glock and Zahn c. 1860-1875
Brewing at Glock and Zahn was a family business.

In 1853, Herman Zahn married Alvine Glock, daughter of A. Glock. In 1860, A. Glock was living with his daughter and son-in-law and both men were listed as brewers. Alvine's brother, Albert, is not listed on the 1860 census.

In 1861, Albert joined the 4th Texas Cavalry and was mustered into the Confederate army in Sipley's Brigade, and took part in the ill-fated New Mexico Campaign. Albert appears on the 1870 Census, living with Apaline Glock and Frdinca Glock (Age 70. possibly his grandmother?), and he is listed as a brewer.

In 1880, after Glock and Zahn closed, Albert is found living in Gillespie County as a brewer. He is boarding with the Pressler family, and is listed as married although his wife is not listed. In 1920, he was listed as an inmate in Austin, Texas. Presumably a nursing home, or hospital. He died there in 1923.

Herman Zahn and his wife are only listed in the 1860 census and on the Marriage rolls when they married in 1853 in Victoria.

There are two other brewers listed on the 1860 Census for Victoria County: G. Bridermann, from France, and G. J. Kraph from Germany. They must have been employed at Glock and Zahn Brewery.

I assume that Glock and Zahn was sold to L. F. Mack. Anyone in Victoria have any more information?

Labels: ,


posted by hiikeeba at 08:47 0 comments

15 October 2011

Brewing With Satan


posted by hiikeeba at 12:50 0 comments

14 October 2011

Eola School Brewery

Stopped by to visit Mark and see what he's been up to. He was prepping for a band playing tonight and needed help running extension cords. He has a nice black IPA on tap.

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posted by hiikeeba at 15:04 0 comments

Texas Distributors Looove Texas Craft Beer

Over the weekend, I read an article about Silver Star Distributing offering a bounty on No Label Brewing tap handles to their sales reps (Up to $300 a tap handle).  Sales reps are offering cash and free kegs to get those upstart beers out of Houston bars. Here's another article about it.

Of course, that's illegal.  But look for WBDA to push a bill a bill through the Texas Legislature making it legal for foreign breweries to do it.

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posted by hiikeeba at 04:31 0 comments

12 October 2011

Update: Micheal Cellmer Brewery - Yorktown 1878-1891

Another update to Historic Texas Breweries.


Michael Cellmer 1878-1891
A lager beer brewery. Micheal Cellmer was born in Prussia, in what is now known as Poland, in 1851. He emigrated to Texas before 1878. He was married to Mary, and their first son, Nicholas, was born in Texas. His brother-in-law, Frank Notzon also worked at the brewery. After the brewery closed, Micheal turned to farming. He died in 1935.

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posted by hiikeeba at 14:32 0 comments

10 October 2011

Stop It! Just Stop It!

One hundred bottles of Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout have found their way to eBay and have netted $10,000 for the bootleggers. If you pay $135 for a bottle of CBS, you are a part of the problem.  You are as much a part of the problem as the breweries who intentionally under produce these beers.  You are as much a part of the problem as the bootleggers.  Stop buying beer on eBay!

posted by hiikeeba at 14:12 0 comments

05 October 2011

J. J. Knott Brewery - Laredo, Texas

I have had the Texas Breweries website for several years.  There has always been a question about the brewery I have listed as Llano.  I haven't touched the site, except for a few minor updates, in a couple of years.  Recently, I have been working on our family's geneaology, and thought I would use the access to Ancestry.com to look up a few people. One of those people was J. J. Knott.


A John J. Knott is listed in the 1870 Census as a school teacher in Atascosa County (Southwest of San Antonio). Born about 1832 in England, the household contains:
John J Knott 38
Eliza Knott 37
Charles J Knott 13
Mary P Knott 11
Eliza A Knott 9

J. J. Knot is listed in Atascosa County owning 160 acres on 18 July 1876, owning 160 acres on 18 July 1876.

A John I. Knott is listed in the 1880 Census as a hotelier in Laredo, Webb County, Texas.  The household contains:
J. I. Knott   50
Eliza M. Knott  48
Patience M. Knott 20
Eliza Knott 18
Ida Knott        15
Henry W. Knott 12
Robt. Carman 30
  Reese 30
D. L. Joint 28
George H. Jurkosky 34
Anna Jurkosky 12
R'o Custhulda 16

I checked the image of the original census, and it is quite obvious that the "J" initial and the "I" initial were identical.  It could either be I. I. or J. J.

So I believe that J. J. Knott operated a brewery from his hotel in Laredo (I suspect the original "Lando" is a bad reading of Laredo in 19th century handwriting.) in 1878-1879, maybe longer.

Any Laredo readers who are versed in the local history want to chime in?


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posted by hiikeeba at 21:54 0 comments

02 October 2011

Pub Crawling and Jobs or The Lack Thereof

The Brewers of Europe recently released a study that showed a correlation to falling pub sales and increasing unemployment.  73% of the jobs in the European beer industry are outside of the brewery: wait staff, bartenders, etc.  So as consumption declined 8% last year, the related jobs fell by 12%, a 260,000 loss.

This loss of jobs are contributing to the growing debt crisis across Europe. And as consumption declines, governments collect less taxes.  Some say that some of the consumption decrease can be laid squarely at the feet of steep value-added taxes added by many countries.  Especially Greece.

(I've written about this before. Using excise or value-added taxes to discourage a behavior is bad policy if you start depending on the revenue.  The United States uses cigarette taxes to fund child insurance programs AND they want people to stop buying cigarettes.)

Things are looking up now.  As microbreweries proliferate across Europe, cashing in on the craft beer boom, people expect beer consumption to rise. Pierre-Olivier Bergeron, secretary general of the Brewers of Europe, thinks consumers will begin to choose to drink beer with their meals rather than more costly wine. I don't share that expectation.  In the US beer is losing ground to wine, since wine is thought to be more "High Class."  But that's another post.

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posted by hiikeeba at 06:00 0 comments