El Chupa-hop-ra Report

Racked to secondary tonight.  Gravity reading at 1.02.  Great aroma still and a good color.  Stole a taste and ooooooh this baby's gonna be good!

Bottling this weekend.

Brew #2: West Coast IPA - El Chupa-hop-ra?

Admittedly, my brewing schedule is way behind the planned brew-a-month pace.  However, we do what we can, right?  The latest foray was originally going to be a straight-up, American  Pale Ale.  Nothing over the top, just crisp and drinkable and most likely a session beer.

Oh well.

When I arrived at Southern Brewing and started talking to Ben Romano (a fine brewer in his own right), I found myself once again shifting to something little more hoppier.  And then more so.  And then before I could say lupulin, I had a recipe for a hopped-up West Coast IPA in my hands.  Ben convinced me to up the Magnum and Chinook hops.  Such is the burden of a hop-headed homebrewer.

Here is the recipe:

6.6 lbs Golden LME
2 lbs Golden DME
1 lb Crystal 65
8 oz. Vienna

1 oz Magnum (60 minutes)
1 oz Chinook (20 minutes)
1 oz Amarillo (15 minutes)
1 oz Centennial (10 minutes)
1 oz Simcoe (5 minutes)
1 oz Amarillo (end)

I used a dry yeast for the first time, the US-05 recommended by Ben.  My O.G. was 1.07.  According to my BrewPal app, I am expecting an ABV of about 7.2%, and an IBU of 92.  We'll see.  Does this rank as a Double IPA?

After less than 12 hours, the fermenter was bubbling away, and the wafting, bitter hoppiness was floating about.  Going to secondary shortly.  I wish I had some hops on hand to dry-hop with.  Oh well.

Time Flies When You Are Having Sons...

The things that are on my mind this week...

My oldest son turns 10 today.  It doesn't feel possible that a decade ago he arrived in this world (after 5 days of induced labor) and changed my life forever.  That weekend my friend snuck a 4-pack of Guinness cans into the hospital room.  The Nordspawn never developed a taste for beer, unlike his younger brother.  Perhaps that will change over time; I like to think it will.

I am never tired of hearing about collaborations between craft breweries.  Its just one of those feel-good things about the industry that you just don't see much of elsewhere.  The latest release is epic as fas as those involved go.  Fritz Maytag (Anchor Brewing) and Ken Grossman (Sierra Nevada).  Giants in the industry.  Legends.  Icons.  Like Mozart and Bach.  All reports say the 30th Anniversary Fritz & Ken Ale is a fantastic beer.  I expect to have a bottle or two in short order.

Last weekend was the Craft Brewers Convention in Chicago.  I do hope to make it there one day.  Everything I have heard back indicate it was an amazing event, and not just because of the great quality (and quantity) of beer available.  The seminars and speakers alone would have been worth the trip.  And then to be surround by so many kindred souls... sounds like heaven.

The weather is heating up in Florida.  We may very well skip Spring and go straight in to Summer at this rate.  And that means its time for the more refreshing beers to move to the front of the line.  I love my big beers and stouts and whatnot, but there is something special about sitting outside on a warm Florida day with a lovely sessionable pale ale or crisp pilsner.  Time to get reacquainted with them, says I...

Now that we are done with the "first quarter" of the year, it is a good time to take stock and see where we are in terms of the "Brew Year's Resolutions".  Some might need to be adjusted and some may no longer qualify.  Lets take a look!

1. Attend GABF in Denver for the first time. - Well, this is not until September.  So...  Grade: N/A
2. Visit more breweries. - I have been over to Cigar City a few times now, and stop in at Peg's Cantina and Brewpub as well as Tampa Bay Brewing Company, but I need to step it up.  There are a few trips planned for this year, so I will make it a point to get to nearby breweries if at all possible.  Grade: D
3. Start rating beers. - I am doing it, but not often enough.  Grade: C
4. More homebrewing. - To date I have exactly one batch done.  Not good enough, and far short of where i should be so far this year. Grade: D
5. More writing. - That I have been doing, but still not consistently enough for my own taste.  I need to double my efforts on that. Grade: B-
6. More drinking. - Also been doing well with this.  I am trying to make sure i try something new at least once a week.  I have had some really excellent beers, too. Grade: B+
7. More reading. - It seems like the more I read, the more books I add to my list.  I have knocked off several books so far and am loving the knowledge I am gaining. Grade; A
8. Certification and Study, part 1 - Cicerone.  Nothing yet.  I am looking to maybe the summertime to really look at this. Grade: N/A
9. Certification and Study, part 2 - BJCP.  See #8.  Grade: N/A
10. Continue to be a vocal craft beer advocate. - Probably to the point of being obnoxious.  Grade: A

So, there is work to be done!

Beer People Are Good People

I have been deeply engaged and writing about the world of craft beer for about nine months now.  I knew when I decided to focus my efforts on this culture and industry that there was a lot I didn't know and that I needed to learn.  I soon found myself surrounded (virtually and otherwise) with other beer lovers, writers, brewers, and so on, all eager to pass on information and answer any question I had.  And there was no common theme other than beer people helping other beer people.  No one asked "are you a Democrat or Republican".  No one cared how much money I made, if I was married, had kids, owned a home, had a good credit rating, or where I went to school.  The single factor was that I liked craft beer and wanted to learn more.

Everyone I have met has a different background, comes from a different place, and has their own personal tastes and preferences when it comes to beer.  Hop-heads and malt-heads, sour-lovers and "extreme" beer hunters alike love to talk about beer and their experiences... and actually listen to yours!

Recently a hashtag of #beerpeopleRgoodpeople has been circulating on Twitter, and I have to smile every time I see it.  As I have gotten to know more people I am uplifted by how something as basic and seemingly simple as craft beer can bring so many people together from so many different walks of life.  of course there is some healthy competition.  West Coast and East Coast, Yankees and Red Sox, NorCal and SoCal, Portland and Asheville... But I have met someone great from each of those.  And with each new person i meet, be it online or in person, my own knowledge and appreciation of craft beer grows.  I am not only introduced to new beers, but new books, new blogs, new cities, even.  I can go just about anywhere in the country at this point and probably be within a couple hours at most from a #beerpeopleRgoodpeople connection.  There is something fundamentally comforting about this to me.

So my goal - long term, anyway - is to share a craft beer in person with as many of these great beer people as possible.  As spread out as they all are, it is a lofty goal, but a worthy one, I think.

Brewed for Tots

I was recently made aware of a new craft-beer-related blog called Brewed for Tots.  I highly recommend it.

... Out Like a Lamb? Not hardly...

March is nearly done.  End of the Quarter.  Beginning of Spring.  And so on.  To quote the great sage Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Of course, there are choices that have to be made sometimes.  Weighing the lesser of two evils or - if you are lucky - the greater of two goods.  The more I go down the path of beer writer/blogger/advocate the more choices I am presented with and the more opportunities.  And with those choices come compromises.  Balancing those against a regular job and family life and just general responsibilities can be a daunting task.  But undaunted, I press on.

A lot is going on in the world of Craft Beer these days.  New breweries opening, long-standing ones being sold, and new offerings appears on shelves.  Distribution is increasing and beers previously unavailable in certain markets are suddenly there.  Fellow beer writer Ken Weaver described the craft beer situation in America these days as "an embarrassment of riches", and I have to agree.  And its one of those times you have to be happy about being embarrassed.  Here in Florida, the news is encouraging.  More craft breweries opening up, more events being held, and more beers are becoming available.  In fact, the shelf-space is becoming limited for all the new stuff coming in, and buyers are having to make choices about what to stock!  A good problem to have, I suppose, but it got me thinking.

Is there a peak that we might reach where there is TOO much craft beer out there?  How much will the market bear?  According to studies and reports I have read recently, the craft beer industry increased sales over the past few years while macro-beer sales have fallen.  In fact, the craft been industry is one of the few that have actually grown in this uncertain and unstable economy.  If you think about market share, we still have a LOT of room to grow.  But how does that growth happen and what does it look like?  Does it mean more production from the current breweries?  More breweries opening up?  Larger and more far-reaching distribution?  More local consumption?

The future of the industry is unclear, bu not uncertain.  I don't think there is much that could stop the increasing momentum short of another Prohibition, and all signs point to the opposite happening.  Greater acceptance and understanding of craft beer is taking hold, and it is also being recognized as a stable and positive economic addition to any local market.  More and more craft beer is moving up the ladder of respect, and the brewers recognized not only in their niche but in a larger capacity as business people and artisans.

The coming months should prove to be interesting and exciting ones.  I have been invited by the brewer of a yet-to-open brewery to sample some of his recipes, asked to help organize a craft beer pub crawl downtown, and expect to attend a few special events in the area.  Things are happening in St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay, and all of it good!

Now... what beer to serve with lamb...

Festivals and Honors

So out of nowhere, this very blog was selected as "Beer Blog of the Week" by the fine gentlemen of Beer Tap TV.  Eric Boles and Eli Shayotovich host a weekly internet TV show all about beer!  From events to tastings to beer-related news, these guys know their beer and are entertaining to boot!  I hope to raise a few with them someday.  I am very humbled to have been selected.  Thanks guys!

In a Hop Press article this week, fellow writer Brian Cendrowski reviewed his trip to the Chaleston Brewvival beer festival and it made me think about the festivals I have been to and will go to.  This coming weekend is the Florida Brewers Guild Beer Festival in Ybor City, an event I have been to numerous times.  However this time I will be attending as a member of the "press".  Being invited to a festival takes on a different feeling than just attending one.  There is a certain responsibility that comes with it to not only prove that you belong as a recognized beer writer/journalist, but also to represent your sponsor, even if it is just yourself.  In my case I am representing the Hop Press by RateBeer.com, the St. Petersburg Craft Beer Examiner, and of course Beer for the Daddy.  My conduct directly reflects on all three (even more than the following article to a certain extent), and can very well determine future invites.  Drunken, slovenly behavior is not usually appreciated by hosts or sponsors.

That said, these ARE beer festivals. Alcohol is part of the equation.  And when you have twenty five craft brewers from Florida, and god-knows how many other great craft breweries represented, even if one were to only taste a single beer from each ("tastes" roughly being 1-2 ounces)... well, you do the math.

But something I have noticed about myself at recent festivals is that I am being more selective about what I choose.  Maybe it is a sign of being a little more mature, maybe a sense of responsibility... maybe I am actually taking the time to TASTE the beers now.  Yes, intoxication is pretty much a given, but obliteration is not.  Back in my days at the old Harp and Thistle Pub we used to call it "that slightly blessed feeling, where you are oozing good will and compassion."  Its a good state to be in.

Beer festivals have a tendency to bring out a variety of people.  Of course, you have the beer geeks, hop heads, malt-lovers, home-brewers and so on.  Then you have the people in the business... sales reps, distributors, brewers, and bar owners. 

From there things start to go downhill.  Its a toss-up to me which is worse: the frat-boy drunk or the beer-snob.  The frat-boy drunk is the loud obnoxious guy sporting his Hollister shirt (2 sizes too small) trying to drink as much beer as he can and trying to find the highest alcohol beers only.  He does taste, he guzzles.  He probably will try to sound like he knows something about beer by making "poignant" statements like "I'm really into beer these days.  Mostly I like lagers and ales."  He will say this with a straight face.

The beer-snob is at the other end of the spectrum; she knows her beers.  In fact, she knows YOUR beers.  Better than you do.  And she knows what is good, regardless of what you actually like.  She will recite the OG, IBUs, and  ABVs of everything you mention (WTF... seriously...)  And she will tell you she will not enter a bar that serves Budweiser.  She too will say this with a straight face, and probably an upturned nose.

But do not let the inevitable appearance of these two deter you from attending.  They are easy to spot, and easy to avoid.  It is not hard to find the beer geeks and genuine craft beer lovers, and they will most likely welcome you into their conversations, talk about the beers that have tried and liked, and direct you to ones you may not have found yet.

Saturday I am looking forward to tasting many of the Florida craft beers I have not had a chance to sample before.  Swamp Head, Saint Somewhere, and a few I have never heard of are tops on my list.  Most of all, I am looking forward to talking to some of the brewers and hearing their stories and ideas for the future of craft brewing in Florida.  The event proceeds all go directly to moving pro-craft beer legislation in Florida government, spearheaded by the Florida Brewers Guild.