What a Waste!

I don't know whether I'd be pissed or ecstatic. And I'm talking about being the guy holding the glass.  If I were the guy being drenched, I'd be pissed.

According to Yahoo! UK and Ireland Sport: "Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng pours beer over team mate Franck Ribery as the team celebrates their Bundesliga title."

Please Remind Me...

Stop making weird beers.

Look, I like trying new things, but I am making a valiant effort at emptying the pepper beer keg. But it's tough.  I like the beer, but it gets old pretty quick. After the fourth pint, I need something hoppy to cut through things.

The dunkelweiss is good, but I made it after the pepper beer and it's almost gone. It also tastes a lot like the Paint Rock Bock ('cause it's not close to Shiner.  Get it?), which I brewed a few weeks ago, full of chocolate notes.

So, my new resolution is to make a malty beer one time and a hoppy beer the next.

Pedernales Brewing Tasting Room Grand Opening

I visited the Pedernales Brewing Company Tasting Room Grand opening last weekend. They will be open every Saturday afternoon, with live music until Labor Day. 

How Much Did This Cost?

I think I even saw some Tito's vodka bottles on another shelf.

Playing Around with Logos

The other day, I drew a circular logo for Desperate Measures Brewing Company, the brewery Satan wants to open someday.

He hated it, and he was not shy about insulting my ancestors. Until I reminded him they were his ancestors too.

So I went back to the original logo I cam up with a while back and showed him some concepts.  Here's what the pint glasses could look like:

And here's what the work shirt might look like:

Not the crossed mash paddles on the right sleeve.  Satan's former military, so I wanted him to feel at home.

Pedernales Brewing Tasting Room

Citra DIPA Brew Day

Tired of dark, malty beers like Herr Neidermeier's Dunkleweiss, a barleywine, and Paint Rock Bock, I decided I needed to make an DIPA. So I went through the "Can You Brew It?" archives and pulled out the Kern River Citra DIPA.

Citra DIPA

Imperial IPA

 

Type: All Grain	Date: 5/19/2013
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 16.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 84.21 % 1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.26 % 1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 5.26 % 0.50 lb Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 2.63 % 0.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 2.63 % 0.53 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (Dry Hop 12 days) Hops - 0.88 oz Nugget [10.00 %] (60 min) Hops 23.0 IBU 1.16 oz Citra [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 12 days) Hops - 0.71 oz Citra [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 9 days) Hops - 0.92 oz Citra [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 6 days) Hops - 1.00 oz Citra [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops - 0.88 oz Citra [10.50 %] (30 min) Hops 18.6 IBU 0.88 oz Citra [10.50 %] (15 min) Hops 12.0 IBU 0.88 oz Citra [10.50 %] (10 min) Hops 8.8 IBU 0.88 oz Citra [10.50 %] (5 min) Hops 4.8 IBU 1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.069 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.95 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 67.2 IBU	Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 7.0 SRM	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge	Total Grain Weight: 19.00 lb
Sparge Water: 4.31 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, Light Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp 75 min Mash In Add 23.75 qt of water at 161.4 F 150.0 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

Grapevine Craft Brewery Hosts Ground Breaking

After getting their license in April, Grapevine Craft Brewery had a ground breaking the week of May 6, and they hope to have the building finished by summer.

While they do have a supply of beer for Grapevine Main Street Days this week, they won't be at full production until the building is completed.

The building will be at 924 Jean Street, in Grapevine.

Check 'em out on Facebook.

Grand Opening of Pedernales Brewing Company's Tasting Room - May 18

Pedernales Brewing Company, 97 Hitchin' Post Trail, will be offering several food trucks and lots of cold beer! Including a performance from Thomas Michael Riley from 2-4 pm, kicking off the Summer Concert series that will run thru Labor Day....promoting local food, local musicians, and local beer.

Come find me there. I'll be the fat guy drinking beer.

PBC is on US Highway 87 south about a mile from town across from Fredericksburg Funeral Home.

Old MILFwaukee Brew Day

A few weeks ago, I was fed up with dark beer. Fed UP, I tell you! So I decided to rebrew the classic Old MILFwaukee Blonde Ale recipe.

Brew with rice to keep the body in hourglass shape, and wheat for good head.  As soon as I come up with more sexual inuendos, I will bore you stupid with them! And if Satan ever decides to open The Brass Pole, the first combination brew pub and titty bar, this will be our flag ship beer. Well, it will be if it turns out. I'll be kegging this on May 19.

It was a glorious brew day! A small cold front had blown through Paradise, a welcome respite from the hot and humid previous week. When I started brewing it was in the 50s! Aaah!

Old MILFwaukee

Blonde Ale

 

Type: All Grain	Date: 5/4/2013
Batch Size: 6.00 gal	Brewer: Jeff Holt
Boil Size: 7.97 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: Jeff's Brew Pot (15 Gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0	Brewhouse Efficiency: 58.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU 13.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 85.25 % 1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 6.56 % 1.00 lb Rice, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 6.56 % 0.25 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 1.64 % 1.00 oz Cascade [5.90 %] (60 min) Hops 17.5 IBU 1.00 oz Cascade [5.90 %] (10 min) Hops 6.3 IBU 1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [Starter 1500 ml] Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.053 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.33 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 23.8 IBU	Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 4.4 SRM	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge	Total Grain Weight: 15.25 lb
Sparge Water: 5.83 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 19.06 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

Craft Beer in Cans

Hop Talk via www.flickr.com creative commons

I remember back in the early 1990s, craft brewers exploded across the landscape and offered their wares in bottles.  Bottles, for God's sake! The only place to get bottles back then was the liquor store.  Supermarkets pretty much only sold cans.

Craft brewers, though, led the charge to bottles, saying, "The beer tastes better in a bottle!" 

Brewers even told us that their brown bottles blocked the harmful UV light, their tall six pack carriers helped shield the precious nectar inside, so we could experience the true nature of the beer, untainted by can taste. I also remember when Keystone was introduced. It was advertised to have a special liner that acted like glass to protect the beer.

And silly consumers, we bought into it. So much so that Business Insider says that now we have to stop dissing the can so craft brewers, who can finally afford canning lines, are starting to roll out craft beer in cans. Even Sam Adams is getting into the can act!

Now, the craft brewers have to start reselling us on aluminum cans.

Damn! What Was I Thinking

Did you ever have a brain fart? I thought I was caught up to the 10th on this blog.  Silly me.

I promise to get back to the regular schedule.

Meanwhile, here's a photo of the Jester King Tasting I went to a couple of weeks ago.

Satan and I spent a nice few hours there, then another hour or so at the Barber Shop in Dripping Springs.

This Just In: Koozie™s Keep Your Beer Cold!

Normally, I would write: "From the Department of the Blindingly Obvious". However, I'll refrain from it this time. While it is still blindingly obvious, the why is interesting, and a nice contrast to the MythBusters cooling experiments.

As it turns out, the beer holder (Koozie™ is trademarked) does insulate cans, more importantly, it prevents condensation from forming which can cool your frosty brew six degrees in five minutes, much faster than hot air can warm it.


Dale Durran, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington, and Professor Dargan Frierson examined the warming rate of beer in the dry climate of Seattle and the humid beachside climate of Wilmington, North Carolina. They found that the more humid the air, the greater the condensation and the warmer the beer.

You can test this in your own kitchen without letting your beer get warm.  Put a skillet on the burner on high heat and get it rocket hot. If you use a dry towel, you can handle the hot skillet easily. But if the towel is wet, you will drop the skillet on your foot before you can get it to a nice, safe place, because the heat is transmitted through the wet towel almost instantly.

The lesson? Keep a can holder near you at all times.  No one wants warm beer.

Less Beer for More Money - ABInBev says You Demanded It

In the far distant future, a time when there is no US government, just rule by a single multinational corporation with no elected officials who beam advertisements directly into your brain 24 hours a day, someone studied ancient marketing will likely laugh his ass off when he reads about this.

ABInBev has spent millions of dollars developing a more expensive bowtie can that doesn't hold the traditional 12 ounces of beer that we're used to. They say that young adults are craving a more grippable can. (I suspect they are craving a can with a wider mouth that they can use instead of red Solo cups when playing beer pong, but I could be full of it.) So they have given these young adults, less beer for more per ounce than they can get now!

Our future historian won't be laughing at Budweiser, who will in a stroke make millions more per quarter than in the past because of the reduction in volume, but at us for saying, "Golly, gee whiz! Isn't that cool. I should buy a case and sell it on eBay!"