El Rojo Stinger

On May 3, 2014 the Salvation Army of Dallas-Fort Wort held its first annual Most Good Race in Trinity Groves. Each runner would brave a 5k obstacle course to support charity. The parking lot of Four Corners Brewing Co was full. A celebration of 125 years in community service was underway!

Inside the brewery was much quieter. This first Saturday of May was also the 3rd annual NTHBA brewday at the brewery. We celebrated National Homebrew Day by running the pilot system as a test batch. The brewing process was also a demonstration for the public. Supporting craft beer and the community Four Corners has invited the North Texas Homebrewers Association (NTHBA) each year. This year we brewed while managing a growing crowd of exhausted runners. The brewery's trademark "all day ales" was put to test in the taproom. Their flagship ale the Local Buzz made with rye and honey proved to be all day refreshment. Judging from the crowd most people's pints were golden. Another favorite was the Block Party Porter a medium body dark beer with notes of chocolate. The "Worker Bee" is my new found wonders. The beer is a blend from the taps consisting of 50% Block Party Porter topped with an equal 50% of Local Buzz. Buzzing about the Dallas news the "Worker Bee" is gaining popular vote.

My vote goes to the brewery and its staff for rolling out the red carpet entrusting commercial equipment to a group of talented homebrewers. I'd like to think craft is inspired in small batches ever before it goes professional. While we brewed founder SP chatted of his homebrewing as inspiration for a red American Amber. The brewery's Red Roja has an unmistakable history.

Team NTHBA set forth a small milestone. The audience was captured. The crowd increased. We milled grain, set the mash, and boiled wort with hops. Once the wort was transfered and the equipment cleaned we left exhausted. Share takers filled carboys then headed home for fermentation. The team at Four Corners prepared a batch for serving in the taproom. The beer is a Tamarind inspiration with Habanero. I've labeled it "El Rojo Stinger" -not to be confused with the El Super Bee (a.k.a. the Local Buzz on steroids fermented with Saison yeast).



CH is the creative behind this recipe. The Tamarind addition introduces the palette to a tangy romance of chutney. The spice presence can be adjusted; the heat can go as far as you can bare. CH suggests making Habanero tea by boiling peppers in water then adding to the beer while kegging -more pepper for increasing sting.

CH's Tamarind Habanero Beer: El Rojo Stinger
Brew Eff: 85% | OG: 1.061 | 28 IBUs | Fermented with yeast

61% | Pale Two-Row
18% | Wheat
11% | Munich
10% | Crystal 80
75-Min Convert | 150F

60-Min Boil | Columbus Hops
10-Min Boil | Tamarind Paste
10-Min Boil | Coriander Seed
Flame Out | Cascade Hops






What is your favorite Spice, Herb, or Fruit beer?

Works Cited:
Photos by Casey
Many thanks to all who helped!
http://www.fcbrewing.com/elsuperbee.html
http://www.fcbrewing.com/redsroja.html
http://www.fcbrewing.com/localbuzz.html
http://www.fcbrewing.com/blockparty.html
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityofate/2014/04/four_corners_brewing_bee.php
http://www.salvationarmydfw.org/p/307
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/aha-events/national-homebrew-day/

German Brewmaster Chats

A conversation happens once a year when my local homebrewing club meets at the Franconia Brewery. Each year we are greeted with some new equipment. This year the 6000 square foot brewery was is fitted with a bottling line. Dennis Wehrmann and his loyal crew have been on the scene six years and counting. New equipment means more beer for the masses. As a homebrewer I've learned better questions get better answers on brewery tours. When quizzing a German brewmaster those questions should also be proper for making long-term-pure-beer not trend-seeking-thrill-beer. Those terms I completely made up but you get my point. I seek to understand the classic styles in an effort to harness creativity. Last year's conversation was about the merit of professional brewing programs. We touched on volunteer training and brewing operations. This year we chatted about the billowing Dallas beer market its challenges and its hope. I'd like to understand tap capacity, keg prices, market share, and brand overload. The current tap space seems limited for the amount of breweries coming online. This year alone 20+ breweries were approved by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Shelf space and tap space will be even more limited. Yet the race for space continues. My question: How will the new comers fare in this brand sensitive industry? I want to know which beers will stand market clasp? I'd also like to know if it's safe to get in? Well fortune tellers that's a million dollar question for palm readers. My hope is simple "Get In Where You Fit In" –stop there with the rapper quotes.

I believe the Dallas area breweries are here to stay. I'm in agreeance with consistency being far more reaching than hype. German styled beer have been around for a very long time. Their merits seem lackluster to thrill seekers yet there is no replacing repeatable quality and craft. The beers I like the most are creative. I am learning on a production scale thrill-beers can also expand or cripple a market. Specialty has its price. I'd like to see this creativity continue by way of local agriculture. The farming industry could use more local support –back to beer. The limited almost nonexistent damned if you don't Franconia IPA will return. This time with organically grown hops. Thank head brewer Cam Horn for that one. I'm looking forward also the Franconia Triple Dunkel. At some point I think the craft beer industry started making things up not for creativity but just so we over zealous types could fumble for words. I also believe this is thrill marketing. Post shake down Dallas craft beer will have some long term beers to be proud of.

After the club meeting I walked away with 10lbs of base malt and some aged hops. This screams sour beer but I have reason to make session beers. My next homebrew will be a well styled malt tilted classic. The hops I will saved for sour brewing.

Works Cited:
photo by Abhishek
http://franconiabrewing.com
Malt gifted by BB of dallashomebrew.com
Aged hops gifted to NTHBA.org club members
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityofate/2014/02/brewing_questions_with_francon.php
http://www.texascraftbrewersguild.org/our-members/
https://label.tabc.state.tx.us/esd3-tlabel/

Strangelove

Strange Brewing Company   

The 10 Barrel Brewhouse   

This is a brewery I am proud to see. It's gem that is hard to locate but well worth the visit. On first glance into the cold room sits a 55gal drum of Wisconsin cherry juice. These cherries are hard to get. In fact brewmaster Tim Myers quite possibly has the largest stash outside of the state. Dan Carey of New Glarus Brewing has made them popular amongst the fruit beers. Rumor says they go into everything at Strange but the truth is only three of the 16 taps available contain cherry. I am fond of the Cherry Bomb Stout. The brewery's history began using a 20 gallon homebrewing system. The icon is still in use however more pints are filled using a 10BBL Specific Mechanical brewhouse. Rightful for the production of Dr. Strangelove. The award wining 2012 GABF bronze & 2011 GABF gold barleywine. Bottles are aging nicely behind the counter for those collectors of limited releases. Having shared the full list the Gluten Free Lemon Pale was not for me. The Zythos hopped Oatmeal Rosemary Agave pale ale was quite refreshing.

Beer Board Tap List   

The Very Strange Flight   

Doctor's Orders   

Works Cited:
http://www.strangebrewingco.com/about.html
http://www.strangebrewingco.com/

German Brewing

Prost Brewing Company   

Copper Mash Tun   

The Prost Brewing company is Denver's first German-style brewery. Brewmaster Bill Eye & the copper kettles produce beers in accordance to Reinheitsgebot. The German beer purity law demands ingredients used for the brewing must be water, barley, hops and yeast. The 1516 law is adopted for all Prost beers. Their Keller Pils is an unfiltered Franconia pilsner. The flavor is clean hop forward with a sweet malt finish. The aroma is of yeast and spicy hops. Their Weißbier was the best of the flight its yeasty flavor of banana is exceptional. Having won GABF sliver & gold medals the Hefeweizen has reset my standard for the style. Peeking around the 70BBL brewery was a quick lesson on the merits of German brewing. The use of decoction for the mash extracts flavor from the grains by boiling. The copper from the kettles also reacts with hydrogen sulfide in the boil to reduce sulfur compounds. This benefits fermentation as the copper is yeast nutrient.

The Brewmaster's Cockpit   

Works Cited:
http://www.mbaa.com/districts/rockymountain/events/Pages/2013-02-06.aspx
http://blog.prostbrewing.com/2013/10/21/the-german-bier-that-took-the-gold/
http://www.prostbrewing.com/beers.html

Beer Boots

Echo Brewing Company   

CH & I will be here for the week polishing stainless while also learning more about wort production. The process from grains to pint glass. The nights will be spent enjoying the Denver beer scene. There are 190 breweries in this state alone. We are looking at brewing setups along the way. The goal being to foster a community of brewers who share the same passion. Returning to Dallas I will be hard pressed not to brew on my own tiny system.

Flight of Ales: Odd 13 Brewing     

Odd 13 Brewing Company     

Brewery Operations Manual by Tom Hennessy     

First Stop Denver

The Source Denver   

Lost, abandoned, and empty could be the start of a modern cultural revolution. The concept of America re-investing in her own youth to recover the creative genius that has blunted its hope with digital. The talented hands-on generation of Artisans. Those who have tried of suiting up and would rather un-plug to return to craft. I am examining Denver's culture at The Source. While sharing the full list of Crooked Stave sour beers. What I like the most of this space are the hipsters. The chatter is of art and culture. Great Vibe.

Works Cited:
http://denverurbanism.com/2012/02/rino-rising-part-l.html
http://denverurbanism.com/2013/10/the-source.html
http://denver.eater.com/tags/the-source

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project   

The Sour Hammer

Every great beer has a simple beginning water, malt, hops, and yeast. The rest is in the hands of the brewer. When we look at the brewing regions claims can be made that Germans are the most technical brewers while the Belgians are the most patient and the Americans are extremist. All great qualities for the aspiring home brewer determined to make better beer. This attention to detail will distinguish your creations from the beers of the crowd.

When The Peticolas Brewery hit Dallas's beer scene. The family brewery presented an extreme beer called The Velvet Hammer. The acute use of malt and hops make this beer special. Hidden behind the malt is 9% alcohol by volume balanced by lots of hops (85 IBUs).

After an extended passage as laymen to the brewmaster Michael Peticolas trusted CH and I with the last runnings from the Velvet Hammer grist mash. This is the low gravity wort just before the grains drain out. In the brewery this wort is discharged so that no grains flow into the boil kettle. In the old world these runnings would have been collected to make beer for laymen. The King's beer was made from strong wort called first runnings. The Velvet Hammer is made from strong wort hopped, boiled and fermented.



The Sour Hammer was made with laymen's wort (malt extract). The low gravity mash out gave us as homebrewers brewmasters an opportunity to make beer fitting for the King. We took the small amount of wort boiled it down and hopped it. The result was rich and flavorful at 15 Plato of 7.5% ABV potential. In an effort to create distinct sours the wort was fermented with with several strands of wild yeast with Brettanomyces. Two gallons were inoculated sour blends from the regions of Belgium. The funk is developing nicely. However, sour beers mature over time like Belgian brewers we are practicing patience while planning a private release. There are only 10 gallons so the event must be elitist by nature. Stay Tuned!

White Dog

This weekend I toured Firestone & Robertson's Distillery. I had stumbled upon their website in search of all things fermented. Head distiller Rob Arnold is preparing a Texas Bourbon whiskey fermented with wild yeast. The oak aged product is scheduled for release as early as 2014. However, tour guests are offered samples of pure whiskey off the still. I've noted the "White Dog" as a bouquet of fruity esters with a sweet corn finish. The one ounce sample regulation was gone before I could gather my own words.

Here are notes from Rob the distiller:

Color: Perfectly clear
Nose: Floral and fruity, graham cracker and banana
Taste: Butterscotch, orange zest, black cherry, very smooth
Finish: Fruity, viscous, warm

http://frdistilling.com/whiskeys/StraightBourbon/2

As you can imagine the yeast is dominating the nose and the finish. Rob has done a great job by isolating the saccharomyces cerevisiae strain from a Texas pecan. The yeast has been named Brazos or RHB-422. Even more work is done maintaining a pure pitch. At F&R each 1000 gallon batch is fermented with 40 gallons of fresh Brazos. Going from plate to pitch is a job itself. The mash is conducted much like craft beer using local corn & wheat with a small amount of U.S. six-row malt. The entire grist is then cooled and fermented in open vats. The resulting mash yields a 9% ABV wash for distillation.

Thou shall not covet another brewers' yeast!

Works Cited:
http://frdistilling.com/blog/rob-arnold-begins-pursuit-of-a-wild-texas-yeast-strain-full-time
http://frdistilling.com/whiskeys/StraightBourbon/2
http://www.vendomecopper.com/obbatch.htm

Black Forty, Miles from Home

There are many reasons to leave home. I left to find a job and to establish new life. When I visit home now it's to seek the friends and family who remain. After driving 12 hours yesterday I rested with a southern meal and a tall glass of piss-lite. The beer was the best I could do in the small town comfort of Alabama. Today I've found the best pub around and a local brewery. Craft beer is here folks!




I stopped at the brewery first to see if they would allow a traveler to pass the gates. After brief chat I was sent on my way with note to come back later. I had two hours to spare and so filled time at Blackstone Pub & Eatery two blocks south for the brewery. The pub is the best place within forty miles. They served four Black Forty selections. My favorite of the bunch was unexpectedly the Freckled Belly IPA. The hops were presence but not pallet wrecking. The malt profile read more amber ale and the beer was cleanly finned. The runner up was the luscious Naked Pig pale ale. The beer was lighter on the hops with a rounded malt bill. Think cream ale with a touch more hops. I ordered an IPA pint along with a "Fire on the Mountain Pizza" with grilled buffalo chicken, jalapenos and feta cheese. Great Pair! I admired the list of other beer pairings on the bottles. I'd dare not order bottled when draft is offered.

Golden Pints

The last two weeks have been deeply stressful and negative. I have taken vacation this week to embrace the art of beer brewing.

I am volunteering at a brewery in Dallas. Brewmaster Michael Peticolas owns and operates the soon to be famous Peticolas Brewing Company. Located in the design district the brewery's first release an Imperial Red ale "The Velvet Hammer" has been named Best Beer in Dallas. At the 2012 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) Peticolas was awarded a Gold Medal for its "Royal Scandal" an English pale ale. If you have been around beer for more than five seconds you will know this is an unique achievement! It makes me happy to see Mr. Peticolas a self-invested newcomer rolling out kegs of uncompromised craft beer.

At the brewery I've been assigned a long list of chores. The most troubling has been scooping spent grains from the mash tun. The repetitive motion of keg washing was so mind numbing I had no complaints. However, reaching into the mash tun sweaty and sticky for the last bits of grain is far less rewarding than filling kegs. Our days are ended cleaning the brewhouse and chatting over beer. I had brought my own homebrew today. We shared and discussed the brewing process. I learned some things about running a microbrewery. Mr. Peticolas seemed to like the home brewed Bier De Garde with Brettanomyces. We measured its 3.64 PH and closed with pints of Gold Medal English pale ale. I was exhausted —no longer stressed about life or work.

One for me -1. 4. U

A great host can make the most of any situation and make you feel comfortable with little effort. This style of service is returning to Dallas in the form of a little brewery that could.

This Labor Day weekend I had the opportunity to visit with Brewmaster Drew of Deep Ellum Brewing Company (DEBC) in Downtown Dallas. The invitation was somewhat open but somehow I was to bring home brewed beer to this glorious event. Members of North Texas Homebrewers Association (NTHBA) were invited to the Labor of Love Fest of Ales sponsored by the brewery. The catch was your home made beer would be poured alongside commercial craft beer. In return for our effort Deep Ellum supplied base malts and Bravo hops so we may brew again.



The best seat in the house was offered up to club members in a measure unheard of. We could spend the day touring the brewery while also attaining valuable feedback from consumers & established brewers about our beers. I had prepared the American Pale Ale assigned to tap #4. It's name was "Continuous Confidence". The batch was freshly brewed three weeks prior using Deep Ellum's malts and hops. The challenge for me was to prepare a less than hoppy beer agreeable to hop lovers. The Bravo hop is a newish (second generation) supper hop. At four times the Alpha Acids than traditional hops Bravo can be described as pungent. For me its profile was a complete palette killer with spicy flavor and floral aroma. I wanted to tame this by presenting a balanced beer. I would use 1 ounce of the hot side and finish the beer with 2 ounces of the hops on the cold side. I wanted less bittering and less lupulin extraction. The hop schedule seemed wasteful. I'd leave much oils and resinous powder behind dry hopping cold but I also wanted to produce a beer I could drink if nobody else would.

I arrived with two beers. The other was an Imperial Southern Brown from my efforts with Team GBU. OG offered his reserve knowing I was running low on beer. The imperial was more my kind of beer. Hop balanced with enough malt to know quality and selection. The beer was not imperial in the sense of ABV at 5.2% it was only fuller than your typical brown ale. It was served from a jokey box alongside JB's Black IPA. We had fun with comparing hops to malt. I left with empty kegs nonetheless. Once things slowed down I was able to catch Deep Ellum Brewmaster Drew Huerter for a private pour. Direct from the fermentation tanks Drew served an exceptional Rocktoberfest. The beer is an Oktoberfest brewed with rye. I left for the night inspired.