134 Beers Brewed. What's Next?

As a homebrewer, you always have the ability to branch out and try something new or different.  You don't really have to please anyone except yourself, so the rewards of successful experimentation far outweigh the risks.  If a particular beer comes out different than expected then you learn something from the process that you can manage for the next time.  If it's absolutely unpalatable then you pawn it off on brewing friends and dump the rest down the drain; you're only out of pocket an average of $20.

I've been slowly cycling through the many beer styles in the style guidelines and every once in a while I like to look back and take stock of what's been brewed and make decisions about what's to come.  Here's a breakdown of all 134 beers I've made in the past decade:

	STYLE					TIMES BREWED
2B	Bohemian Pilsener					1
3A	Vienna Lager					1
3B	Oktoberfest/Marzen					1
4B	Munich Dunkel					1
4C	Schwarzbier (Black Beer)					1
5B	Traditional Bock					1
6D	American Wheat or Rye Beer					1
7A	California Common Beer					1
8A	Standard/Ordinary Bitter					1
8B	Special/Best/Premium Bitter					2
8C	Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)					1
9D	Irish Red Ale					1
10A	American Pale Ale					10
10B	American Amber Ale					8
10C	American Brown Ale					7
11A	Mild					3
11C	Northern English Brown Ale					1
12A	Brown Porter					2
12B	Robust Porter					9
12C	Baltic Porter					2
13B	Sweet Stout					1
13C	Oatmeal Stout					3
13E	American Stout					2
13F	Russian Imperial Stout					3
14A	English IPA					1
14B	American IPA					18
14C	Imperial IPA					7
16A	Witbier					3
16B	Belgian Pale Ale					3
16C	Saison					6
16D	Biere de Garde					2
16E	Belgian Specialty Ale					5
17B	Flanders Red Ale					4
17D	Straight Lambic					1
17E	Gueze					2
18B	Belgian Dubbel					1
19C	American Barleywine					2
21A	Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer					1
23	Specialty Beer					6
24A	Dry Mead					1
24C	Sweet Mead					1
25B	Pyment					2
26B	Braggot					1
28D	Other Specialty Cider or Perry					2

It's easy to see that my focus has been on American beers, especially IPAs and Pales.  There are also plenty of beers and styles I haven't even started to explore.  Likewise, I should mention that I've included Dregs beers that I've made (10 so far) which are either approximations of styles or complete anomalies depending on what base beer and yeast are combined together.  Some of my favorite homebrews have been lagers, which is interesting because I rarely seek out commercial examples.  Maybe it's all of the time and effort it takes to make them come out right.  I realize that I need to make more beers with fruit and spend more time working on mead and braggot recipes-drinks that I really enjoy.  

For the last weeks of 2013, I plan to make a blackberry cyser, a lambic (number 2 in a series meant for a gueuze), a hibiscus metheglin and a barleywine (recipe to come).

Squashing My Inhibitions About Harvest Beers

10# butternut squash

I'm not an especially picky eater, but there are a few things I don't really care for.  Usually the reason is textural and not connected to flavor.  Eggplant, watermelon and most squash (excepting zucchini) are all high on the list.  So, I generally steer clear of harvest beers and have avoided brewing the compulsory fall seasonal pumpkin ale that so many brewers despise but feel inclined to make.  I subscribe to the rationale behind brewing pumpkin beers as a use of fresh seasonal ingredients and a way to celebrate a change in the season, I just never liked them much.

The only similar beer I've actually enjoyed has been Hair of the Dog's Greg.  On a trip to Portland, OR a few years ago, Greg stood out among a ton of excellent beers that I tried.  It's unique in that it doesn't have any hops in it, and has a very simple grain bill.  The beer is different than any other I've tried.  It has a wheat-like cloudiness and a big pilsner flavor and aroma, but the squash adds a mild sweetness that's really complimentary.  It seems like unorthodox ingredients often get marginalized in an attempt to minimize their quirks, but retain the novelty of their use in a beer.  The simplicity of the Greg recipe allows the three (four if you count water) ingredients to stand out and enhance each other.   Alan, the owner, was kind enough to share some information about the recipe with me, and I went ahead and brewed it as best I could.

Greg (courtesy of Alan Sprints from Hair of the Dog)

15# German Pilsner    

10# Butternut Squash

WLP028 Edinburgh Scottish Ale Yeast

Greg making a mess in my fermentation chamber

I made a large starter the week prior to brewing as the gravity potential is pretty large in the recipe.  On brew day I peeled, seeded and cubed the squash, then roasted it in a 375 degree oven for an hour and a half.  The squash started to brown and soften, as the sugars caramelized.  I mashed all of the grain and the squash together for an hour at 152 degrees, then gathered the wort and sparged the grain/squash bed to round out the volume.  A 90 minute boil got me to the gravity I wanted (1.070), and the starter was pitched after chilling through the Chillzilla.

It was strange brewing without hops.  I set the pot boiling and didn't have to add anything else until flame out.   Their contribution to beer is one of my favorite aspects of recipe formulation, so I felt like I was ignoring an important process.  I also learned while looking into this beer that Butternut squash provides a better pumpkin flavor than actual pumpkin and that it is often used as a substitute for the real thing in pumpkin beers.  The starter I pitched got the beer going quickly, and I expect it to be done in time for Halloween.

Lagers, a Black IPA and a Pyment

Much has happened in the past two months but I haven't been able to coalesce it all into something coherent until now.  I embraced the opportunity to set drinking and brewing aside for a time while my now annual lager brewing escapade evolved itself into a drinkable product.  During that hiatus I suffered a debilitating ankle injury hiking the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, BC, started working again, traveled to Joshua Tree National Park, and bought a pop up trailer, among a myriad of other things.  Today I bottled both my Amarelle Tart Cherry Bock and the Nordic Porter that I brewed in early June.

The Amarelle Tart Cherry Bock received a solid 7+ pounds of Montmorency tart cherries over two weeks ago.  The result is a sparklingly clear, bright red, malty fruit explosion that weighs in at a drinkable 5.3 percent ABV.  I'm not too sure if I can still call it a bock, but I plan to anyway.  In any case it's drinkable and pleasant, with beautiful aroma and color.

The Nordic Porter evolved away from my original funky intention.  While tasting it sporadically over the past 8 weeks, I started to question whether the addition of Brett in secondary was warranted, and that I might just dose it at bottling.  As it improved with lagered age, I started to wonder whether Brett at bottling might only muddle what turned out to be a very cleanly fermented porter.  In the end I bottled it all without any bugs.  Maybe it'll have some success in competition as a straight and narrow Baltic Porter.

In between, I found time to brew a Black IPA.  With a hop schedule loosely based on Blind Pig, I thought that I'd try to really accentuate the difference between expectation and reality with an SRM of 27 and a strictly IPA aroma and flavor profile.  Danzig Black IPA was dry hopped yesterday and will be on tap in another 10 days when my kegerator comes back online.

Tomorrow I'll be making a new mead.  My very first mead will turn 10 years old in roughly 9 months, and I regret not making meads more often.  The past few that I've made have ended up sweet and cloying for my taste.  This next mead will focus on a better balance of desirable characteristics.  It will officially be a pyment (or is it a melomel?), with 12+ pounds of Cabernet grapes from my friend Steve asserting themselves next to 8 pounds of raw clover honey sourced by Lewy in a honey buy I made last month that included my brother Jeff.  I plan to add some acid blend at some point (if warranted), and finish it off with a white oak spiral to try and increase the underlying complexity of the final mead without making too much of a specific flavor impact.  Lalvin 71B will probably provide the magic.  Check out the recipe below:

Oaked Cabernet Pyment

Summer Lagering | NHC 2013 2nd Round Results

Summer Lagering

The weather's heating up and it's time to brew a lager or two.  This will be the fourth summer in a row that I have taken the kegerator offline and dropped the temperature for lagering.  It gives me a break from drinking (kegerators are incredibly accessible for the brewer prone to over-indulgence) and a chance to branch out and try some different beer styles.  Last summer I felt like I really nailed down the lagering process, so I plan to apply those lessons to these next two batches.  Being comfortable with the process means I also feel confident in pushing the envelope and doing some non-traditional things.  Here are the beers I plan to brew next week and the recipes that go along with them:

Amarelle Tart Cherry Bock

Traditional bocks are dark and strong with a malty profile.  Munich and/or Vienna malts make up the bulk of the flavor components, with hops and yeast playing secondary roles.  The clean lines in a traditional bock should make a good platform for the addition of tart cherries, and I plan to push the SRM envelope a little to make the color match.  I'll brew the base beer with mostly traditional ingredients and processes (my second try at decoction mashing), and then add the cherries as lagering finishes.

Malts and Grains

5.50 pounds	German Pilsen Malt (2-Row)	46% of grist
5.50 pounds	Belgian Munich Malt	46% of grist
0.75 pounds	Crystal Malt 90L	6.3% of grist
0.20 pounds	American Chocolate Malt	1.7% of grist
11.95 pounds	Total Grain Weight (Water Amounts)	100% of grist

Adjuncts

9.00 pounds

Fruit - Cherries, Raw or Frozen

Hops

2.00 ounces	Hallertauer Mittlefruh 4.2% Pellets @ 60 minutes  Type: Bittering Use: Boil	8.4 AAUs
2.00 ounces	Total Hop Weight	8.4 AAUs

Boil

Total Boil Time:

60 minutes

Yeast

Name:	German Bock Lager
Manufacturer:	White Labs
Product ID:	WLP833
Type:	Lager
Flocculation:	Medium
Attenuation:	73%
Temperature Range:	48–55°F
Amount:	500 ml

Brett Nordic Porter

I had success with 30 Fathoms Baltic Porter last summer.  I also really enjoyed Chad Y's 100% Brett B Baltic Porter.   I want to sort of combine ideas from each, leaning more toward a ttraditional lager fermentation but still incorporate Brettanomyces into the mix.  The recipe will mimic 30 Fathoms with the addition of non-fermentables to increase the perception of mouthfeel and a dosing of Brettanomyces near the end of fermentation or at bottling.  I'm hoping for something very digestible and lager clean.  I'm not sure what strain of Brett is most appropriate but will probably try and use something I haven't tried before (i.e. not Brett Drie).

Malts and Grains

6.00 pounds	German Pilsen Malt (2-Row)	34.8% of grist
3.50 pounds	German Vienna Malt	20.3% of grist
3.50 pounds	Belgian Munich Malt	20.3% of grist
1.25 pounds	German Dark Munich Malt	7.2% of grist
0.50 pounds	Crystal Malt 80L	2.9% of grist
0.50 pounds	Black Malt	2.9% of grist
0.50 pounds	Crystal Malt 120L	2.9% of grist
0.50 pounds	American Chocolate Malt	2.9% of grist
1.00 pounds	Flaked Oats	5.8% of grist
17.25 pounds	Total Grain Weight (Water Amounts)	100% of grist

Adjuncts

0.50 pounds

Brown Sugar, Dark

Hops

2.00 ounces	Perle 8.1% Pellets @ 60 minutes  Type: Bittering Use: Boil	16.2 AAUs
1.00 ounces	Spalt 2.6% Pellets @ 10 minutes  Type: Aroma Use: Aroma	2.6 AAUs
1.00 ounces	Spalt 2.6% Pellets @ 1 minutes  Type: Aroma Use: Aroma	2.6 AAUs
4.00 ounces	Total Hop Weight	21.4 AAUs

Boil

Total Boil Time:

60 minutes

Yeast

Name:	German Bock Lager
Manufacturer:	White Labs
Product ID:	WLP833
Type:	Lager
Flocculation:	Medium
Attenuation:	73%
Temperature Range:	48–55°F
Amount:	500 ml

NHC Results

I had some good fortune in the Second Round judging at the National Homebrew Conference this year.  My KTG Russian Imperial Stout earned a third place finish.  I couldn't be more pleasantly surprised.  While I think the beer is fantastic, there's certainly a large degree of luck involved as subjectivity in judging beer is impossible to eliminate completely.  More than anything else I'm excited to see the score sheets and read the comments from some of the most talented and experienced judges in the world.  I made my version of the beer after being inspired by Lewy's, a great beer in its own right.  I'll be rebrewing it in the near future.  I just wish I had more than one bottle left...    

Janet's Brown: A Classic Recipe

Mike "Tasty" McDole

There are some classic homebrew recipes out there that have carved a name for themselves in the community over time.  Their prowess is passed on by word-of-mouth (or click-of-mouse) and they represent both a legacy of innovation and a snapshot of past moments in homebrewing's evolution.  Two examples that come to mind are Dave Brockington's Sister Star of the Sun IPA and Charlie Papazian's Goat Scrotum Porter.  Many people have brewed them and they have gained notoriety and/or cache in the process.  They have staying power because they are groundbreaking.  Both recipes above have been around for decades.  While I haven't brewed Goat Scrotum Porter, I made my own version of Sister Star of the Sun, and it's not hard to see why homebrewers consider it special.  How many times has this beer been brewed? Thousands upon thousands of times, I would imagine.

I'd like to add Mike "Tasty" McDole's Janet's Brown Ale to the list of classic recipes.  It's a hoppy version of an American Brown Ale, and it features some classic American hops in Northern Brewer, Centennial and Cascade.  With an ABV above 7%, it falls into the fictional style category: Imperial Brown Ale.  I first tried this beer in homebrew form as made by Lewy in 2011.  It's smooth and nutty, with a slight creaminess to it that belies its ABV.  The color is a complex 28 - 30 SRM and the hops make themselves known in both the aroma and taste.  At NHC 2011 in San Diego I had a chance to talk with Tasty and he explained some of his thoughts about the recipe, most notably his attempt to keep the different flavors in balance.  I think he did an excellent job formulating his hop additions, and that it's the way that the hops combine that sets Janet's apart from imitators.  In 2012 I had a chance to try Janet's on tap as interpreted by Vinnie Cilurzo.  On a trip to the Bay Area, I stopped by Russian River and had a glass of Janet's that was one of the better beers I've tasted in a long while.

I brewed Lewy's version (#5) of Janet's Brown Ale earlier this month and have since started to condition it.  All signs point to it being a great (maybe even classic) beer.

NHC 2013 First Round Results

The more that I brew, the more specific feedback I need to get better.  A decade ago, when I made my first few beers, I just wanted to make something palatable.  If it tasted good enough and the ABV was at a healthy level, I was pretty happy.  In the course of brewing the past 600+ gallons, my idea of a good beer has changed significantly.  After reading The Mad Fermentationist's recent post about The Four Stages of Homebrewing, I'd like to think I'm somewhere between Advanced and Expert (and probably more the former than the latter).  In addition to those close to me developing the experience, familiarity with terminology and palate sensitivity to provide higher quality notes and constructive criticisms, my recipe refinement has started to rely on the palates of others beyond myself and my circle of friends.  Most of the beers I make are good, but not all of them are great.  When I make changes to a recipe or process, it's generally a small tweak or a minor ingredient adjustment.  That's one reason why entering beers into competitions has been enlightening.  The feedback that I get is more technical and accurate and the bias (my own or that of friends) is removed, making for an honest assessment of the beer.

NHC 2013 First Round Scoresheets

I entered my third competition last month, submitting two beers to the First Round of the National Homebrew Competition.  NHC requires 5 bottles, and I usually keg, so I entered beers that I thought were good and that I had enough of.  I entered KTG into Category 13F - Imperial Stout and III into Category 17B - Flanders Red Ale.  I love both beers, and I got some great feedback from judges and a result I was happy with: KTG advanced to the Second Round of the Competition with a 3rd place score of 40.5 in the Stout Category.  Here's a sampling of the judge's perceptions in their own words:

BEER: KTG - Imperial Stout (13F)

AROMA: medium-low malt aromas; dark chocolate and coffee; fig, plum, dark cherry; some sherry

APPEARANCE: pitch black with black highlights; opaque in clarity; head has a creamy tan silk texture

FLAVOR: dark chocolate and roasted coffee; complex ester profile; no detectable hops; alcohol detectable; sherry-like quality, possibly age

MOUTHFEEL: medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation; no astringency

OVERALL IMPRESSION: complex and delicious; additional hops for more complexity

SCORE: 40.5/50                    PLACE: 3rd out of 45 entries

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEER: III - Flanders Red Ale (17B)

AROMA: moderately fruity; tart cherries, rd plums, cassis; woody, piney, no hops; funky aroma evident but not overwhelming

APPEARANCE: slight haze; medium tawny, no head

FLAVOR: good restrained level of tartness; dark fruit; could use more residual malt character

MOUTHFEEL: fuller body with low to no carbonation; somewhat syrupy

OVERALL IMPRESSION: good example; each taste reveals new levels; could use a more complex malt bill

SCORE: 33.5/50                    PLACE: none

3rd place finish

Unsurprisingly, my own biased opinion assigns a higher score to III, but I think most of the things that the judges shared were accurate.  When both judge sheets mentioned  greater malt complexity, I realized that I had been tasting its absence without really identifying it.  I have high hopes for KTG in the Second Round: new judges and fresh perceptions, but stiffer competition to be certain.  If it doesn't go any farther, I'd still be happy.  I want to rebrew both beers and make those small changes that turn a good beer into a great one.          

Ringing the Final Bell

Foaming out of the chiller.

My Dad retired about a month ago.  He and I have been working together for a decade, and seeing his face and connecting with him on a daily basis has been a blessing that few children are able to share with their parents.  My Dad's a pretty amazing guy, too.  He has a huge heart.  He's tireless and passionate about his work, almost to a fault.  I'm happy to say that I'm a little bit like him.  Working with him changed the dynamic of our relationship and made us closer, and his absence is something that I feel acutely.  If I really think about it, I realize that we became adult friends at work.  When you're trying to raise your kids you can't be their friend.  You can be friendly, but that authoritative distance has to be maintained if you really want the best for them.  My Dad was never overbearing or domineering, but as I grew up and we worked together, I had the chance to see him in a different light.  We became friends, and his absence makes me realize how special that relationship is.

He asked me to brew a beer for his retirement party this summer.  His request? Amber Ale.  He's a fan of Sierra Nevada, so I decided to make adjustments to a tried and true Pale Ale recipe, adding additional color and hop presence.  The result is Final Bell Amber Ale:

Malts and Grains

11.50 pounds	American Pale Malt (2-Row)	89.5% of grist
1.25 pounds	Crystal Malt 60L	9.7% of grist
0.10 pounds	German Carafa I De-Husked Malt	0.8% of grist
12.85 pounds	Total Grain Weight (Water Amounts)	100% of grist

Hops

0.33 ounces	Magnum 13% Pellets @ 60 minutes  Type: Bittering Use: Boil	4.3 AAUs
0.50 ounces	Amarillo 8.9% Pellets @ 30 minutes  Type: Flavor Use: Boil	4.5 AAUs
1.00 ounces	Cascade 5.5% Pellets @ 10 minutes  Type: Aroma Use: Aroma	5.5 AAUs
1.00 ounces	Cascade 5.5% Pellets @ 0 minutes  Type: Aroma Use: Dry Hop	5.5 AAUs
2.83 ounces	Total Hop Weight	19.7 AAUs

Boil

Total Boil Time:

60 minutes

Yeast

Name:	California Ale
Manufacturer:	White Labs
Product ID:	WLP001
Type:	Ale
Flocculation:	High
Attenuation:	76%
Temperature Range:	68–73°F
Amount:	35 ml

I brewed this beer over the course of an afternoon and it went exactly as planned.  I mashed at 153 degrees F for an hour and gathered 5.5 gallons of wort.  I'm hoping the addition of Amarillo hops will give this beer additional complexity.  I may dry hop it if it seems appropriate after primary fermentation.  Next up?  Cascadian Dark Ale and a rebrew of KTG.

BJCP: "It's Tough But Fair"

I passed the BJCP Tasting Exam last August and have been slowly immersing myself in the process of evaluating beer objectively.  When people unfamiliar with craft beer talk to you about being a beer judge, the reactions are pretty typical of what you might expect.  People think you get paid to drink beer or that judging is an excuse to over indulge.  The truth is that being a beer judge is actually pretty challenging.  For the uninitiated, I thought I'd share some information about the BJCP, and maybe provide some insight for those of you thinking about judging beers, too.

The Process

The BJCP has gone through some changes recently and the process of becoming a part of the BJCP has been steamlined significantly.  Becoming a judge is a three part process, but continuing education and experience is an essential component.

Entrance Exam

This online assessment consists of 200 questions that have to be answered in one hour (over 3 questions/minute!) and covers the BJCP Style Guidelines and other beer and brewing topics that are essential knowledge for a judge.  I studied for the test for a solid week, spending time each night after work reading through the style guidelines and thinking about/tasting beers in different styles.  I was able to pass the first time, but it was a lot of questions in a short period of time.  Having the style guidelines around as a reference was helpful, but going into the test without any preparation would have been disastrous.

Tasting Exam

After passing the Entrance Exam you're eligible to sit for the Tasting Exam.  The exam involves tasting 6 different beers and evaluating them as you would in a beer competition.  You have 15 minutes to judge each beer, a process that involves the application of sensory skills to the beer and ends with those interpretations being communicated on the judging sheet.  You're told the beer style, just as you would be in a real competition, but everything else is on your own.  Beers can be doctored to make them taste different or can be miscategorized.  You're not allowed any notes or aids during tasting.  Passing scores on the Tasting Exam play a part (along with Experience Points) in determining your BJCP rank.

Experience Points

When you participate in a beer competition as a judge, proctor or organizer you earn experience points which help you advance through the ranks of the BJCP.  This makes sense, as the most capable judges are the most seasoned and practiced.  Here's how the rankings shake out:

Rank	Tasting Exam Score	Experience Points
Apprentice	Less than 60%	N/A
Recognized	60-69%	N/A
Certified	70-79%	5
National	80-89%	20
Master	90% or above	40

There are additional rankings associated with Grand Master and the levels of Grand Master that one obtains with additional experience and service to the BJCP.

Judging table at AFC

So what's it like to judge beer in a competition?  I judged the first round of the San Diego section of the NHC last week.  I also judged the America's Finest City Homebrew Competition earlier in the year.  A month before you get an email from competition organizers asking you to participate and inquiring about your style preferences.  Before the competition date you are told what style you'll be judging.  Everyone meets at a certain place (in this case an Episcopal Church) at a certain time.  There's a bunch of socializing, talking and some homebrew sharing.  Then they serve a meal and go through the procedures related to judging appropriately.  You spend the next hour(s) drinking beer with a partner, writing down individual thoughts and impressions and then discussing your results with that person.  It's a pretty enlightening experience, as you basically bounce your thoughts and opinions off of another person/palate.  Beers that score well are set aside for a mini Best Of Show (BOS).  The most experienced judges in a style category drink and compare all of the selected beers, making a final decision about which is best.  And that's it.  You're hand is cramped from writing.  Your mouth is dry from eating saltines to cleanse your palate between beers, and your knowledge base has been expanded.

One of the best things about beer judging is the chance to meet people who have a similar passion for beer and brewing.  I learned a lot from the judges that I worked with both times and I look forward to judging more.  It's interesting to think about the role of labels and categorization in something like beer that has so many variations and is so dependent on individual taste.  On the one hand, it's impossible to compare beers and learn more about them without guidelines to follow.  On the other hand, many of the most interesting and exciting beers are those that ignore (or explode) the superficial parameters we use to categorize them.  Philosophical concerns aside, it's all part of the process of enhancing one's knowledge and finding new ways to enjoy something that has innumerable variations.  Judging beer properly is challenging.  I suppose that's why the BJCP website features the slogan: "It's Tough But Fair."

There's a wealth of additional information to be found on the BJCP's website.  It's valuable for those interested in being part of the BJCP or for those just interested in learning how to evaluate beer:

http://www.bjcp.org/index.php