August 07, 2006
5th Annual Blues'N'Brews Festival
Saturday, August 26
Wyman’s Beach, WESTFORD, MA
FEATURING:
Grammy Award winner Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson
and a full lineup of other award-winning blues bands!
Mouth-watering BBQ
and other great food, Craft & Vendor Booths,
games, raffles, swimming, camping...
And don’t forget the BEER...
30-40 breweries -- over 100 different brews to try!
...and the NERAX table for Real Ale lovers
Tickets On Sale Now!
$25 per person in Advance -- includes beer tasting
Posted by BrewChef at 11:33 PM | Comments (0)
May 21, 2006
Unibroue's Chambly Noire
Like many of Unibroue’s beers, including Maudite (“Cursed”) and La Fin du Monde (“The End of the World”), Chambly Noire even has a dark story behind its creation. The brew is a salute to the Carugbab-Sallières, a regiment under King Louis XIV, known by their black musketeer hats. In 1665, they were sent to wipe out the Iroquois Indians living along the Richelieu River, and to build forts on its banks to ensure peace and prosperity for the colonies of New France. One of these forts still stands in Chambly - just down the road from the brewery itself.
Read BeerAdvocate's tasting notes of Unibroue's Chambly Noire
Posted by BrewChef at 06:43 PM | Comments (0)
Founders of BeerAdvocate.com to Launch Magazine
With a style similar to magazines dedicated to aficionados of wine, food, and cigars, BeerAdvocate magazine, will be both a classy and loud voice for beer and the lifestyle that surrounds it. The monthly aims to introduce its better beer advocacy to those beer drinkers who've yet to experience what craft beer has to offer.
Learn more about the BeerAdvocate.com Magazine
Posted by BrewChef at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)
March 05, 2006
BBC Cabin Fever Ale : My Favorite New Brew
Cabin Fever Ale has got to be my favorite new beer. I started my brew day today mashing in 10 lbs of pale ale malt and a small amount of German Carafa to round off my first Schwarzbier. While waiting for this to extract the sugars I decided to crack open a Berkshire Brewing Company Cabin Fever Ale 22oz bomber. I didn't know what to expect because the label doesn't explain what style the beer is. Was I pleasantly suprised!
This ale is medium bodied and orange amber in color. The focus is completely on the hops. The hop flavor and aroma immediately reminded my of an American IPA or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale with that characteristic citrus flavor. There is no overwhelming hop bitterness so this is a very smooth drinking brew. I can only detect a very small astringency in the back of the throat, but nothing to detract from the balanced hop profile. This is definitely worth adding to the beer list for the next ski trip.
Posted by BrewChef at 12:40 PM | Comments (0)
March 01, 2006
A Good Light Beer? Heineken Premium Light
Could there finally be a light beer brewed with significant flavor? Heineken is about to release Heineken Premium Light (H.P.L) to compete with the tasteless bunch of light beers currently available on the market. They have decided to flood websites popular with their target audience of 25-29 year old males. This beer caught my attention because my waistband is growing as a member of the 30+ crowd and the rest of the light beer bunch just don't cut it for me.
Read about Heineken Betting on the Web to Sell a New Light Beer
Posted by BrewChef at 10:08 AM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2006
Dogfish Head Fort - 18% ABV
This raspberry fruit beer is advertised as the world's strongest at 18 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). The brewers added 20 pounds per barrel of pureed raspberries over the course of primary fermentation. This isn't your typical Lindemann's Framboise lambic!
Read more about Dogfish Head Fort over at Beer Advocate.
Posted by BrewChef at 03:39 PM | Comments (0)
January 17, 2006
Busy Homebrewer not Blogging!
Sorry folks, I must apologize for the lack of updates lately. It has been a busy set of holidays, along with a busy brewing schedule. I have brewed several beers over the past few weeks. I brewed 5 gallons of Vitality Cream Ale two weeks ago and just racked it to keg yesterday. It turned out to have a slight banana fruitiness, which I am surprised by. I also brewed up a batch of Howard's Stern Brown Ale to celebrate the new year with my Sirius satellite radio. Finally, the most recent batch I brewed on MLK day was a caramel stout... or at least I hope so. I had a bit of trouble getting the mash up to 154F, so it may attenuate too much to retain the sweetness.
I also wanted to mention that I will have a short article coming up. This should prove to be very fun for some of you homebrewing enthusiasts on a tight budget. This project involves a wooden hopper that holds 8 pounds of grain, a corona mill, and believe it or not, my KitchenAid 400W mixer! I have plenty of pics and suggestions to share. Check back soon!
Posted by BrewChef at 04:41 PM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2005
Bah Humbug Christmas Ale
I stoked the yule log fire last night and sat down to enjoy a Wychwood Bah Humbug Christmas Ale and a glass of Dalwhinnie 15 year old Single Malt Scotch. The warmth of the hot flames and the smooth Scotch in my belly set me in the perfect mood for such a fantastic beer. If you like a holiday ale to retain some residual sugars, this beer will not disappoint. Bah Humbug has the perfect mix of deep caramel malt and a low to moderate hoppy bite to jazz it up. It pours a reddish-brown with some malt for nose candy. The mouthfeel is full-bodied and the taste is slightly spiced, if not a little raisin-like... although that could just be the anticipation of sugar plums dancing in my head! (Okay, bad joke) This Christmas ale is not one to be missed. The price was a bit steep at $3.99, but once a year it is worth picking up a gift for yourself and saying Bah Humbug to everyone else!
Posted by BrewChef at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2005
Quaffable Chemistry: The Science of Beer Flavors
Homebrewers and beer drinkers alike should find the following article a very interesting read. Here is a quick excerpt:
"Beer brewing is among the tastiest of chemical experiments. Problem is, the reactions that begin with the first manipulations of the barley grain don't stop once the beer is in the bottle. The dynamic molecular world in all stored brews continues to alter flavors, sometimes overshadowing the tastes that a beer drinker loves with other flavors so offensive that they're likened to skunk spray and cardboard."
Read more about Quaffable Chemistry: The Science of Beer Flavors in Science News
Posted by BrewChef at 02:01 PM | Comments (0)
December 08, 2005
BeerAdvocate becomes the largest US Beer Community
Boston, MA - BeerAdvocate has become the largest and fastest growing US beer community both on- and off-line. The popular on-line beer resource, founded in 1996 by brothers Jason and Todd Alström, reached a milestone of 50,000+ registered members worldwide, making it second to the UK-based Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) with 75,000+ members and founded in 1971.
Read the full Press Release about BeerAdvocate becoming the largest US Beer Community
Posted by BrewChef at 08:48 AM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2005
Anti-cancer Compound In Beer Gaining Interest
A compound found only in hops and the main product they are used in - beer - has rapidly gained interest as a micronutrient that might help prevent many types of cancer.
Researchers at Oregon State University first discovered the cancer-related properties of this flavonoid compound called xanthohumol about 10 years ago. A recent publication by an OSU researcher in the journal Phytochemistry outlines the range of findings made since then.
Read more about hops: the anti-cancer compound in beer
Posted by BrewChef at 10:30 PM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2005
Drink Nude Beer by the Pool
Fully nude...beer? My recent Las Vegas trip has proved to be extremely interesting. Nothing short of nude women by the pool! Well, at least the beer brought on the girls. Nude Beer comes in glass bottles with a circular label that says 'Peel Here'. Behind the sticker is a hoppy pale ale and some ta-ta's! This full-bodied beer certainly has got the marketing down. The label itself sells the beer, especially when lounging by the pool in the summer-like heat of Las Vegas.
This pale ale almost comes across as an IPA, with a large hop palate. It has hop flavor and a solid bitter hop background. All around it was a decent beer, but the nude women make the beer worth the novelty alone.
Posted by BrewChef at 10:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 06, 2005
Sam Adams Boston 375 Colonial Ale Reviewed
Sam Adams recently revealed a new brew representative of the colonial American ales one may have found in Boston 375 years ago. I had a chance to sample this prior to the official release at their Jamaica Plain brewery. I found the flavor to be a little sharp as would be expected when a beer is brewed with molasses. When I asked how long they condition the ale, I was suprised to hear it was only aged two weeks. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised... it is a large scale brewery! Anyway, rather than try to describe my small four ounce tasting, I will leave that to Beer Advocate. Here is a snippet of what they had to say.
"Boston 375 Colonial Ale" is a hearty and unfiltered brew made with blackstrap molasses. This traditional ingredient of the colonial-era provided one-third of the fermentable sugars for this brew, turning into carbon dioxide and alcohol, and lending an old-school sweet edge to the beer. To provide some depth, caramel and Munich malts were added, plus a touch of German smoked malt to lend a bit of tradition - as once upon a time all malts were dried over wood flame. The result? You're in luck, as we had a chance to hang with Jim Koch and have a pint.
Read the full review at BeerAdvocate.com: Boston 375 Colonial Ale Reviewed
Posted by BrewChef at 12:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 29, 2005
Duvel Belgian Golden Ale Review
Belgian ales come in many varieties, but Duvel, or the "Devil" as the locals call it, ranks highly among the best. This hazy gold liquid poured smoothly with the most beautiful creamy white head, reminding me of a whipped meringue topping. The sweet candy sugar smell deceivingly masks the potent 8.5% alcohol waiting to warm the belly.
Belgian trappist breweries are known for high alcohol content elixers, especially the well-known trippels. Golden Ales are similar to Belgian trippels but usually are a little more crisp and usually drier.
Duvel presents a floral and fruit aroma with a hint of spice. The characteristic yeasty nose seems to be a bit subdued compared to some trippels I have tried, but the Czech Saaz hops are noticable.
The medium body and crisp bitter flavors are nicely balanced by the sweetness. This is a wonderful beer on the palate and the warming body lingers long after the initial sip. The flavors become more malty and complex as the glass warms up. I would recommend serving this lightly chilled and take your time through the finish. I spent a good half hour savoring the first glass...although the second went down much more quickly!
Duvel Belgian Golden Ale is extremely popular in Belgium and around the world. This beer should not be passed up if you get the chance to try it. Serve it up with a warm French artisinal bread and some soft cheeses and you will be sure to keep coming back for more.
Posted by BrewChef at 09:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 20, 2005
Bartending at Blues n Brews 2005
This years Blues n' Brews festival was subdued and the weather overcast, but the craft brews flowed nonetheless. Blues filled the air and beer filled the belly! I have several pictures to share and made a few notes about some of the best ales in the Northeast.
My wife Leslie, my friend Mike, and I all signed up for bartending the first shift of the day. This was our free ticket into the festival, where tickets were running $30 for ten 4oz. samples. Working as staff basically gave us free access to the all the craft brew samples we could swallow and a chance to chat with the brewers and distributors.
The blues music provided continuous background for many great beers. I paced myself throughout my session, which allowed me to try over 20 different beers. I was sure to try all the octoberfest offerings and any IPA that was available. Mike had a massive headache from a previous night of wine drinking, so he had a hard time with the tasting. Luckily I wasn't around to witness him revealing what he ate for lunch in front of a number of onlookers! My wife spent the day bartending for Bill at Magic Hat, flirting with him and a friendly lesbian that was helping her serve. Sounds like fun to me.
Nobody else seemed to need much help, so I just wandered from booth to booth talking with some of the brewers and grabbing a bag of ice here and there. I think the weather kept the crowd at around 1000 people this year, which pales in comparison to the 2000 in attendance last year.
Here are a few of the pictures I took to capture the celebration.
 Berkshire Octoberfest was my personal favorite out of the five octoberfests I sampled. It had a wonderful malty finish and the hallertauer hops rounded it out nicely. A close second was Newport Storm's Regenschauer Oktoberfest. While I really liked this beer, I thought it was a little bit citrus for the style. |
 Magic Hat had the best display setup by far with hand-hammered metal work.. My wife loved serving up four different beers, including the popular #9. I really enjoyed drinking the Batch 371 they had on draft. |
 Peach beer done right! Paper City really took fruit flavored beer to the next level with 1 Eared Monkey. I have never been a fan of fruit beers, but this brew was perfectly crafted. They also shared a few other beers, including their wheat beer featuring a yeasty banana nose. |
 The Tap came through with several of their quality brews. Scott from Yeasty Boy Inc. also showcased a true cask conditioned belgian dubbel, "almost". He even recommended I swing by some time to pick up extra yeast whenever I need it. :) |
 Dog Fish Head never disappoints. I helped them serve up their 7.0% ABV Punkin' Ale and 60 Minute IPA. Check out their display covered with cascade hops. |
 I didn't get a chance to help out at the Nerax booth. Pictured here is Dave, head brewer at Concord Brewery, priming the beer engine. The casks were tempermental, probably due to being unsettled during transport. |
 Hazed & Infused made a showing, with its heavy dry- hopped aroma, along with their spellbinding Mojo India Pale Ale. |
Posted by BrewChef at 04:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 05, 2005
300 Beers To Try Before You Die!
A Good Beer Blog mentions Roger Protz's new book 300 Beers To Try Before You Die! and their buddy Knut recently got an advanced copy and has reviewed it. Here's a snippet of the review:
British beer writer veteran Roger Protz has a new book out, published through CAMRA called 300 beers to try before you die! It is well worth investing in for anyone with an interest in quality beer. Protz draws on his vast knowledge to give a different type of beer guide, which I think will be of use, both to newly converted ale disciples and to more seasoned drinkers who want to test out beers beyond their usual staples.
The concept is fairly simple: Set up a list of 300 good beers, representing the major categories around the world. Focus on high quality beers from small and medium sized brewers. This could be done by just about anybody, but the author makes the most of this format. Each beer is presented with colour illustrations, most of them of excellent quality. We get a potted history of the beer and the brewery, tasting notes and anecdotes. The web sites of the breweries are also included - very useful if you want to seek out more elusive beers. While this concept naturally focuses on brews worth praising, Protz is not hesitant to criticize producers who are taking short cuts compared to the traditional ways of brewing. He includes Pilzner Urquell as a recommended beer, but points out that the beer was even better 20 years ago...
Read more about Roger Protz's new book
Posted by BrewChef at 09:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 22, 2005
Grolsch Beer Disaster
This is the worst case of alcohol abuse I have ever seen!
Calling this a party foul would be a serious under-statement. Some homebrewers consider grolsch flip-top bottles the holy grail for easy bottling. This is certainly a tragedy of mammoth proportions. Homebrewers everywhere will mourn the loss.
I am not sure where I ran across this picture, so I apologize that I can't link directly to the source. (Click the image on the right to see the full 640x480 image)
Posted by BrewChef at 01:51 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Home Bar Plans Online
Homebrewing can quickly turn into a hobby where building a bar to show off your brews becomes a necessity. If you are looking for taps, bar accessories, draft beer gear, complete bar building plans, or just looking for some inspiration, www.bar-gear.com has it all. I have started with a single tap kegerator, but my plans will soon include three taps. Learn how you can grow your own bar to impress your friends.
Find great Home Bar Plans Online
Posted by BrewChef at 11:56 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Belgian beer fest at Ebenezar's in Lovell, Maine
This week long Belgian beer celebration is certainly worth the trip. Starting on Sunday, August 21st, Ebenezar's Pub will be rotating a serious line up of trippel, golden, lambic, and many other tasty Belgian brews. For a real treat, check out Wednesday night's showing:
Wednesday August 24th- Ebenezer’s biggest event of the year! Opening of Belgian Magnums, Vintage Chimay Jeroboams, and a 9 litre bottle of St. Feuilliens Triple!
Come celebrate the way of the monk... feasting on beer!
Read more about Belgian beer fest at Ebenezar's in Lovell, Maine
Posted by BrewChef at 09:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 12, 2005
The Lager Challenge
Great lager beers can often be lost in a sea of micro-brewed ales with their variety of flavors. The tastes imparted by lager brewing are often much more subtle and clean. Finding just the right one is always a matter of personal preference, but a blind taste test could certainly help find some true winners. That is exactly what the Wall Street Journal reports in the following article.
Find out what beer wins The Lager Challenge
Posted by BrewChef at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2005
Caffiene, Ginseng, Gaurana, Malt = Rasberry Tilt
Anheuser-Busch Goes Full ‘Tilt’ Nationwide With Infused Caffeine, Guarana And Ginseng Beverage
Anheuser-Busch releases a raspberry-flavored caffeinated malt drink. Each 16-ounce Tilt contains 6.6%, 6% or 4% alcohol by volume, depending on state law. It also contains about 70 milligrams of caffeine... more than a can of Mountain Dew!
Read more about Tilt Malt Beverage at Anheuser Busch
Posted by BrewChef at 09:24 AM | Comments (0)
August 04, 2005
4th Annual Blues 'N' Brews Festival
Live blues and craft brews... that's what this celebration is all about. I helped bartend last year's festival, located in Westford, MA, and had the greatest time sampling over 50 beers, including several cask conditioned brews provided by Nerax. The number of attendees last year reached 2500 and they are hoping to top that this year. Come down and join the festivities, soak up the sun, some great suds, and groove out to the blues!
They will also announce the winner of The Blues'N'Brews Homebrew Contest. Beer entries must be received by Sept. 5th. More information about the contest is available at their website.
Find out more about The 4th Annual Blues 'N' Brews Festival
Posted by BrewChef at 11:49 PM | Comments (0)
August 03, 2005
Hops Harvest 2005 - Willamette, Nugget, Mt. Hood
Home-grown hops are perfect for dry hopping because they are so fresh. This is my second season growing hops and these three bines took off fast in early April. It is now just the beginning of August and the Mt. Hood are weeks away from harvest. Read how I built the trellis and what to expect from a first and second year plant.
I originally started by planting 6 rhizomes total planted in June 2004. There were two each of the following varieties:
Willamette (Flavor, Aroma - 3.5% to 6% AA)
-- Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy, fruity, floral, a little earthy.
-- English Fuggle variant bred for disease resistance
-- Works well with all English style ales
Nugget (Bittering - 11% to 14.5% AA)
-- Quite heavy and herbal.
-- High disease resistance
-- Used sparingly for light lagers
Mt. Hood (Flavor, Aroma - 3% to 8% AA)
-- Mild, pleasant, and clean, somewhat pungent and resiny.
-- German Hallertaur variant bred for disease resistance
-- Excellent for lagers, pilsners, and bocks
I built the trellis by digging 3 foot hole, dropping in a cement block (the kind with the 2 holes), and feeding a 16ft pressure treated 4x4 down through the cement block for stability. This stood about 13ft tall and a simply nailed a 6ft length of 2x4 at the top to create a 'T' shape. From the trellis I strung 6 lengths jute twine, in pairs about 4 inches apart from the top to the ground at a 35-40 degree angle. The 4 inch pairs gave more surface area for the hops to spread out and get sunlight. The angle was intended to give the hops extra length to crawl because typical trellis is over 18ft tall.
In 2004, I harvested about a ounce of Willamette and Mt. Hood, and only 1/2 ounce of Nugget. I waited two weeks too long, so the cones were very brown. They smelled great!
In 2005, by April 24th the Nugget and Mt. Hood were over a foot tall already. The Willamette was about 6 inches. Now in early August, the Nugget is last to start budding, and the Mt. Hood is almost ready to harvest! The bines have grown over the top of the trellis and are now hanging down about 5 feet. I am expecting that this will yield about 2-3 ounces each.
I am already planning to brew a Winter Warmer IPA with the Willamette and Marzen or Octoberfest style if the Mt. Hood are ready soon!
Posted by BrewChef at 11:01 PM | Comments (1)
Home Brew Porter Disaster!
What do you get when you combine the yeast cake from a Dry English Ale batch, medium starting gravity robust porter wort, 75F pitching temperature, and a NO blow off tube???
A recipe for disaster!
My 3rd batch of beer was deep reddish brown, opaque, with a thick off-white head, and had quite the explosive flavor!Maybe that is how I should describe this tale of idiocy.
This home brew disaster is certainly a lesson learned the hard way. Although this robust porter explosion happened back in April 2004, the picture still gives me chills.
I had wanted to keep the fermenting temperature around 70F, so I tucked the batch in the corner of my kitchen. I inadvertently forgot that the back of a refridgerator gives off a lot of heat.
I awoke to my wife screaming at me to come in the kitchen. The top to the 6.5 gallon plastic bucket had hit the ceiling and a rained down a cascade of beer foam!
Needless to say, this mess took hours to clean up. I was certain that this incident had ruined the batch, but fortunately the massive krausen had kept out all the bacteria. I suppose this is incredibly good luck... so don't follow my example.
View robust porter beer disaster full-size
Posted by BrewChef at 10:13 PM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2005
Rogue Ales Win 4 Gold Medals!
Oregon's Rogue Ales won a history-making four out of 11 gold medals at the 2005 International Beer Competition in London, England. Rogue also won the title of "Supreme Champion" for its Mocha Porter.
Read more about Rogue dazzles international judges at RealBeer.com
Posted by BrewChef at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)
July 22, 2005
New England Beer Fest: A Celebration of New England Craft Beer!
New England Beer Fest is a celebration of the local New England Beer Scene, featuring tasty craft brews from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. 125+ craft beers from 30+ New England breweries and brewpubs will be on draft just for you... and a few hundred other folks! Tickets are now on sale for this Oct. 29th, 2005 event.
Read more about New England Beer Fest
Posted by BrewChef at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)
Sunset Grill & Tap: Boston's Beer Mecca
Sunset Grill & Tap is one of my favorite bars in the New England area for tasting new and exotic brew.
"We're spoiled by one of the greatest selections of foreign and domestic imports, with well-over a hundred breweries in the New England area. We're talking thousands of beers!"
Read more about Sunset Grill & Tap
Posted by BrewChef at 01:50 PM | Comments (0)
Open-Source Beer: Beer recipes under a Creative Commons License
Beer always tastes better when it's free, or so the saying goes.
So leave it to a group of college students to find a way to make sure their beer is always free. Well, at least the recipe they use to brew it is. A group of students at IT University of Copenhagen have produced what they claim is the first open-source beer.
The recipe and brand of their beer is published under a Creative Commons license, which means anyone can use the recipe for pleasure or profit.
Read more about Open-Source beer
Posted by BrewChef at 12:36 AM | Comments (0)
Homebrew Competition: TopsField Fair 2005 - Saturday, September 10th, 2005
>Beer brewing competitions are always fun. Help judge or steward this years challengers, or consider entering your own homebrew into the comptetion! I took 3rd place in 2004 for my Hoppily Ever After English Style IPA, and I plan on trying for 1st this time around. If you would like to join in the festivities, please email Katie Duggan of North Shore Brewers.
Posted by BrewChef at 12:31 AM | Comments (0)