Beer Keeps Your Muscles Strong in Old Age

A recent study by Tokushima University, a substance found in hops, 8-prenylnarigenin (8-PN), appears to help prevent muscle deterioration in rats. This promises to help astronauts on long space missions keep muscle tone.  Good, right?

Well, not so much. Turns out you would need to drink 22 to 5,000 gallons of beer a day.

Here's a start!

Deep Ellum Brewing Company Bottles Now on Sale

On Friday, September 21, Deep Ellum Brewing Company bottles went on sale for the first time. At 5 p.m. four Sigel's locations and Spirits Liquor Company started selling the first 185 cases.

I know where I'm going next time in Dallas!

Japanese Sake Brewers Switching to Craft Beer

As a true 親日, I following the news from Japan, especially regarding beer, whiskey and sake. So when I spotted an NPR article about sake brewers beginning to brew craft beer, well, I was enchanted!

The Kiuchi Brewery makes Hitachino Nest Beer and has been brewing beer for 15 years, and exports to the United States. Fujizakura makes a World Beer Cup champion rauchbier.

I might have to start planning another visit to Japan.

Zymurgy Chainbreaker White IPA Clone

I finally managed to squeeze in a brew day! The recipe called for a step mash, but I couldn't figure out how much water to add in each step, so I did a single infusion mash.

Chainbreaker White IPA

American IPA

Type: All Grain	Date: 9/23/2012
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 9.75 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 62.27 % 3.38 lb White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 21.56 % 2.16 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 13.80 % 0.91 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 36.0 IBU 0.61 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (0 min) Hops - 1.20 oz Citra [13.00 %] (0 min) Hops - 1.20 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (0 min) Hops - 0.41 oz Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 min) Misc 6.00 ml Lactic Acid (Mash 60.0 min) Misc 14.40 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 min) Misc 0.37 lb Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 2.38 % 1 Pkgs Trappist Ale (White Labs #WLP500) [Starter 500 ml] Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.059 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.051 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.92 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 36.0 IBU	Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 4.6 SRM	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge	Total Grain Weight: 15.29 lb
Sparge Water: 5.03 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 19.11 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: Kegged (Forced CO2)	Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 21.6 PSI	Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F	Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
Created with BeerSmith

Westvleteren 12 and a Blind Taste Test

For a long time, I've been saying that you should take the scores on RateBeer and BeerAdvocate with a few grains of salt. I written extensively of the folks who believe that the harder to get a beer is, the better it is.

Jeff Alworth, over at Beervana, recently conducted a taste test of some of BeerAdvocate's highest rated beers:

• Westvleteren 12 [BeerAdvocate rating 100]
• Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) [95]
• Rochefort 10 [99]
• La Trappe Quadrupel (Trappist) [91]
• Straffe Hendrik Quad [89]
• Saint Bernardus 12 [99]
• Urthel Samaranth [90]
• Ovila Quad [87]

In a curious turn, out of twelve tasters, only one chose Westvleteren 12 as the top beer in the flight. Nine tasters choose Rochefort 10, Straffe Hendrik, and Ovila as the top beers, voting evenly split amongst them. And Chimay was at the back of the pack.

Jeff didn't post a ranking (which would have been interesting) but I think the point is made: Don't automatically trust the scores on review websites.

Shiner Prickly Pear Review

A couple of weeks ago, I ran across a review of Shiner Prickly Pear in Draft magazine, and I began composing my usual "Why Can't I Get That Here?" rant. Then the clerk at my local told me, "It's in the Family Reunion pack."

Ahem.

Since I will be experimenting with prickly pears for the next few batches, I was interested in trying it. So, here's my review.

Shiner Prickly Pear
"Brewed with Prickly Pear Fruit with natural flavor added"

Appearance (0-4): Pours up a crystal clear dark amber/red with a thin, off-white head, similar to other Shiner beers, which dissipates quickly. 3 points

Aroma (0-3): Notes of cherry and raspberry aroma. Kinda Kool-Ade-y in a good way. A quick read of the label shows that Citra hops were used.  Hmm. Recipe adjustment coming up. 3 points

Taste (0-10): Thin bodied with good carbonation. A little fruitiness (Crunch Berry) in there. Faint bitterness in the taste that's hard to describe. Maybe it's the Citra used early in the boil? Otherwise, no hop flavor detected.  I wonder if they dry hopped this?  Jimmy Mauric, Shiner's head brewer, will be at Oktoberfest. I wonder if I will be able to talk to him and ask. 7 points

Overall Impression (0-3): I hope this is the next Shiner Black, the new year round beer.  It's good and drinkable. And it's tickled my fancy. 3 points

Total: 16 points

Rain?!

Okay, I was planning to brew Monday.  I was going to brew the Chainbreaker IPA From a couple of Zymurgy's ago, but it started raining on Friday. By Sunday evening, we had 4.85" of rain. That means the brewday was, pardon the expression, a wash.

I brew outside and if the ground is too muddy, I mess up the house.

Sigh.

So I went to the brew pub that afternoon, instead.

Beer Glass Shape Affects Drinking Speed

If you're a true beer snob, it's likely that you have a different glass for different beer styles. You know, hefeweizens in tulip glasses, German Lagers in a maß, Belgian beers in a chalice, or Sam Adams in a Sam Adams glass. Turns out, the glass shape influences how quickly you quaff.

A recent study discovered, after watching people drink while watching TV, that folks who drank from straight sided glasses took 13 minutes to drink their beer, while those who drank from curved glasses slammed theirs down in less than eight.

It took me three tries to read why this happens but never could quite figure out what they were saying. Then I found a Gizmodo article on it: "drinkers, the scientists claim, pace themselves according to how quickly they reach the half-way point down their drink. In a fluted glass, it's more difficult to work out where that is, so self-moderation flies out the window."

Base Recipe for the Texas Beer

It's that time of year again, when the paddle cactus starts bearing red prickly pears, so next week, I'll head off to Satan's ranch in Central Texas and harvest some prickly pears and start experimenting on my Texas Beer. So I came up with this recipe to use as the base for my experiments.

First, I'll prepare the prickly pears and add them to the kettle at 15 minutes.

Second time I brew it, I'll add the pears in secondary. I want to see which has the best flavor.

Then I'll decide which flavor I like better. Shiner Prickly Pear, now in the Family Reunion package, has a nice flavor and uses Citra. So the third time I'll add them at flameout of whatever version of the beer is.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Base Blonde Ale

Blonde Ale

Type: All Grain	Date: 9/10/2012
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 14.38 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 95.80 % 0.63 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4.20 % 1.25 oz Williamette [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 20.1 IBU 1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [Starter 500 ml] Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.054 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.49 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 20.1 IBU	Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 5.0 SRM	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: My Mash	Total Grain Weight: 15.01 lb
Sparge Water: 9.77 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
ERROR - All Grain/Partial Mash recipe contains no mash steps
Mash Notes:
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
Created with BeerSmith

Real Ale Beer Dinner at Navajo Grill - 9/21

From the Navajo Grill Newsletter:


Navajo Grill & Real Ale Brewing Company will team up on Friday, September 21st for the ultimate beer lover's dream, a beer tasting dinner.

Meet & hear from the owner of Real Ale, Brad Farbstein!

Join the party & get to know your community! Dinner will promptly start from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, outside under our covered patio.

$50 per person, tax & gratuity not included  

Being featured are...

5 locally-inspired courses &

5 locally-crafted beers  

paired by Executive Chef Josh Raymer    

Here's the Sneak peek ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Citrus & Rucola Salad polenta croutons, blueberries, preserved lime vinaigrette paired with Fireman's 4 Blonde Ale

Josh's Famous Wood-fired Pizza confit of chicken, pecan-roasted mushrooms, melted leeks paired with Brewhouse Brown Ale

Pan-roasted Mussels with spicy citrus - tomato soffrito broth paired with Oktoberfest

Niman Ranch Beef Short Ribs braised with sweet onions, wilted market greens, olive oil whipped potatoes paired with Devil's Backbone Tripel

Chocolate Chipotle Truffle
El Rey chocolate truffle, cocoa nibs, coffee caramel tuile paired with Imperial Stout

Some dishes are subject to change due to freshness of the season.  

GO LOCAL OR GO HOME!!

Call to make your reservations soon, seating is very limited & is already starting to fill up.

Call (830) 990- 8289

Seeley Axe White Ale - Tasting notes

I recently brewed Seeley Axe White Ale, and after a couple of weeks in the keg, I thought I'd try it out.

Sure, it's probably young, but so far I like it.

Appearance (0-3): Pours up slightly hazy with thin, quickly fading head.  1 point

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): A hint of spice and some hop notes. 2 points

Taste (0-10): Starts off with a hint of malt, and finishes bitter on the back of my tongue. Sorghum does have a spicy note, I've read, so it may be that. Lightly carbonated (as I expected after a week or so on CO₂), medium bodied. I'm not picking up much of the spice, or orange peel. I'll check back on this regularly.  It probably will be perfect a week after I drink it all. 6 points

Overall Impression (0-3): I like it. I'll probably cut back on the hops a bit, and then use grapefruit peel instead of dried orange peel. But I am brewing this again. It's a quick brew day, and the turnaround time is good, too. 2 points

Total: 11 points

If you want to try out the recipe, the only place I found that had light sorghum extract and brown rice syrup was High Gravity Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies. I didn't want to order on ingredient from one source and another from another.

Does Your Fat Tire Taste of Wildfire?

I recently ran across an article about New Belgium Brewing Company's water problems caused by the wildfires.  Every time it rains, the local river runs black from the ash on the mountains. The propeller heads at New Belgium have figure out the six compounds that contribute to the flavor. The company decided not purchase a million dollar filter that would remove those compounds.  Instead, when tainted water flows into the brewery, the brewery will stop production until the city cleans the water. Then they will flush the system and resume brewing.

I would never have thought about the impact the wild fire would have on a brewery.

Square Beer Bottles

The Huffington Post asked if I would drink beer from a square bottle.

No. I would drink one from a cube, though.

I don't know why they would have to ask that question. I drink water from cubes sometimes, especially when camping, say. (Although, like Gallagher, my idea of roughing it is black and white TV.)  The container the drink comes in makes no difference to me.

Malting Symposium at Eola School September 29

Mark Cannon is planning a malting symposium on September 29 at the Eola School Restaurant and Brew Pub. (It looks like the site is down at the moment.) He's hoping to have a couple of speakers on base malt and specialty malt. Everyone can take barley home to malt. Mike from Horny Toad microbrew in Rowena is bringing kegs for the participants. (Horny Toad hopes to be up and running this month sometime.) Give Mark a call if you're interested in participating. (325) 469-3314. He's also looking for speakers, if you want to show off your knowledge. I'll probably be there. Mark told me that he has a Super Citra Single Hop Pale Ale and a robust porter on tap.

". . .and Generalissimo Francisco Franco is Still Dead."

From the Department of the Blindingly Obvious:

College binge drinkers are happier than non-bingers, mainly because of the status of binge-drinking, and the social aspects of it, a study has reported.

They found that students who were in high-status groups — wealthy, white, male, participating in Greek life — were more satisfied socially than those in low-status groups — less wealthy, racial minorities, female, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer (LGBTQ), not participating in a fraternity or sorority.

The study further found that high-status students were far more likely than low-status students to be binge drinkers. It also found that low-status students could boost their social satisfaction so it was about the same as that of high-status students by binge drinking. Conversely, high-status students who didn’t binge drink had lower levels of social satisfaction than did high-status binge drinkers.

In other words, binge drinkers aren't binging because their depressed. They are binging because they are trying to improve their social standing.

The Awesome Tower of Beer

It's too late for me, but. . .
From: RothIRA.com