For those looking for upcoming beer events in the Bay Area, here's what's coming up in September!
September 5 - Hangar 24 Tap Takeover - Original Gravity Public House, San Jose
September 6 - Calicraft Presents: Wet, Hopped, and Wild!!! - Original Gravity Public House, San Jose
Note to self....visit Original Gravity Public House in San Jose.
September 6 - The Jug Shop Barrel Aged Beet Fest - The Jug Shop, San Francisco
September 7 - Bone Brewfest & Street Fair 2013 - Pyramid Alehouse, Berkeley
September 7 - Speakeasy's 16th Anniversary Block Party - Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, San Francisco
I love Speakeasy beers so I'd definitely recommend this event!!
September 12 - Brewery Ommegang Tap Takeover - Original Gravity Public House, San Jose
September 12 - Oktoberfest - Pyramid Alehouse, Walnut Creek
September 14 - Morgan Hill Brew Crawl - Granada Theater, Morgan Hill
September 14 - Petaluma River Craft Beer Festival - Historic Downtown Petaluma
September 14 - Zwanze Day 2013 - Bar Mikkeller, San Francisco
September 19 - San Jose Museum of Art Meet-Up Mashup - Original Gravity Public House, San Jose
September 26 - 21st Amendment Pint Night - Original Gravity Public House, San Jose
Cheers to the month of September! Oktoberfest begins in Munich on September 21. Prost!!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Trudging Across the Tundra (Mile Afte Mile) White IPA
While at Central Coast Brewing in San Luis Obispo last weekend, I stumbled into a copy of Southwest Brewing News (August/September 2013). White IPA has been a style I've enjoyed in the past (see My Favorite Beers: Chainbreaker White IPA). I wanted to post this recipe here since it's one that I'll definitely brew in the next few months, but probably won't get to very soon. If you're able to brew this one in the meantime, let us know how it turns out!
This is a relatively new style of IPA. According to beeroftomorrow.com, the style was first introduced to the craft beer world in 2010 when Deschutes and Boulevard Brewing (Kansas City) brewed a collaboration batch that went by the name Conflux No. 2. Apparently, the beer was a huge success and was very difficult to find. Several craft breweries are now brewing their own variations of a White IPA including Sam Adams (technically a craft brewery), Deschutes, Sarnac (New York), and Anchorage Brewing. Additionally, Founders Brewing (Grand Rapids, MI) and Green Flashing Brewing (San Diego) have created a collaboration batch in this style. I personally enjoy the balance between bitter and spiciness that this style offers thanks to the Belgian style yeast
Here's the recipe! Enjoy!
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Grains:
6 lbs Belgian Pale Ale or Pilsner Malt
6 lbs Unmalted Wheat
1/2 lb Oatmeal
1/2 lb Cara-Pils
1/2 lb Rice Hulls
Hops:
1 oz Centennial - First Wort Hops (FWH)
3/4 oz Citra - 10 minutes
1/2 oz Cascade - 0 minutes
1/2 oz Cascade - Dry hop in secondary fermenter
1/4 oz Citra - Dry hop in secondary fermenter
Other Additions:
1/2 oz Orange peel (sweet, bitter, or fresh dehydrated on top of your AC unit) - 2 minutes
1/2 teaspoon crushed coridander - 2 minutes
1 package Burton Water Salts (I have never used these before, but I'm not a big fan of changing your water unless it tastes bad....proceed at your own risk!)
Yeast:
This is a relatively new style of IPA. According to beeroftomorrow.com, the style was first introduced to the craft beer world in 2010 when Deschutes and Boulevard Brewing (Kansas City) brewed a collaboration batch that went by the name Conflux No. 2. Apparently, the beer was a huge success and was very difficult to find. Several craft breweries are now brewing their own variations of a White IPA including Sam Adams (technically a craft brewery), Deschutes, Sarnac (New York), and Anchorage Brewing. Additionally, Founders Brewing (Grand Rapids, MI) and Green Flashing Brewing (San Diego) have created a collaboration batch in this style. I personally enjoy the balance between bitter and spiciness that this style offers thanks to the Belgian style yeast
Here's the recipe! Enjoy!
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Grains:
6 lbs Belgian Pale Ale or Pilsner Malt
6 lbs Unmalted Wheat
1/2 lb Oatmeal
1/2 lb Cara-Pils
1/2 lb Rice Hulls
Hops:
1 oz Centennial - First Wort Hops (FWH)
3/4 oz Citra - 10 minutes
1/2 oz Cascade - 0 minutes
1/2 oz Cascade - Dry hop in secondary fermenter
1/4 oz Citra - Dry hop in secondary fermenter
Other Additions:
1/2 oz Orange peel (sweet, bitter, or fresh dehydrated on top of your AC unit) - 2 minutes
1/2 teaspoon crushed coridander - 2 minutes
1 package Burton Water Salts (I have never used these before, but I'm not a big fan of changing your water unless it tastes bad....proceed at your own risk!)
Mash & Sparge:
Mash 4.0 gallons of water at 152 degrees F (strike temperature 168 degrees F). Sparge at 170 degrees F to collect 6.5 to 7 gallons of wort.
Fermentation:
Ferment at 70 - 75 degrees F until fermentation slows. Transfer to the secondary fermenter and add the dry hops.
OG = 1.063
FG = 1.015
ABV = 6.3%
Fermentation:
Ferment at 70 - 75 degrees F until fermentation slows. Transfer to the secondary fermenter and add the dry hops.
OG = 1.063
FG = 1.015
ABV = 6.3%
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
San Francisco Bacon and Beer Festival
San Francisco Bacon and Beer Festival....need I say more! Who ever came up with this idea is awesome...actually, awesome doesn't really do them justice. All I know is that everyone loves beer and everyone loves bacon.
There will be many San Francisco restaurants serving up delicious bacon based dishes. Also, there will be many local breweries such as 21st Amendment, Speakeasy, Lagunitas, and Half Moon Bay to serve beer to pair with your bacon. My mouth is watering just thinking about this....
Unfortunately, I'll be doing other manly, testosterone inducing activities this weekend and cannot attend (though I doubt it will match the testosterone produced form eating bacon and drinking beer at the same time for 2+ hours). If you or anyone you know is going to this event, please send us some pictures or comment on this post to let us know how great the event is.
There will be many San Francisco restaurants serving up delicious bacon based dishes. Also, there will be many local breweries such as 21st Amendment, Speakeasy, Lagunitas, and Half Moon Bay to serve beer to pair with your bacon. My mouth is watering just thinking about this....
Unfortunately, I'll be doing other manly, testosterone inducing activities this weekend and cannot attend (though I doubt it will match the testosterone produced form eating bacon and drinking beer at the same time for 2+ hours). If you or anyone you know is going to this event, please send us some pictures or comment on this post to let us know how great the event is.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Fresh Orange Saison
I'm really enjoying the articles, posts, and links that John is producing on the EastBayBrewing blog. Keep up the great work, John!
I'd like to post a recipe I brewed on the second day of Summer this year. It was seasonably hot so I chose a beer style that typically employs a higher fermentation temp, provided of course I chose the right yeast. Fortunately my recipe worked, the beer was delicious, and provided a nice break from the sweltering heat.
My Fresh Orange Saison recipe is derived from combining two different Saison recipes, one of which is from the Sacramento-based Hops To Table Magazine:
http://www.hopstotable.com/2013/04/19/saisonrecipe/
and the other recipe from notable San Francisco brewer Bennett Buchanan:
18 lbs Belgian Pale (could also use domestic or English 2-row)
Wyest French Saison yeast 3711 (or White Labs Saison II or Belgian Saison Blend)
Wyeast 3724 Belgion Saison (pitched at 80 degrees F)
Brewday Notes:
Happy East Bay Brewing -
Justin
I'd like to post a recipe I brewed on the second day of Summer this year. It was seasonably hot so I chose a beer style that typically employs a higher fermentation temp, provided of course I chose the right yeast. Fortunately my recipe worked, the beer was delicious, and provided a nice break from the sweltering heat.
My Fresh Orange Saison recipe is derived from combining two different Saison recipes, one of which is from the Sacramento-based Hops To Table Magazine:
http://www.hopstotable.com/2013/04/19/saisonrecipe/
and the other recipe from notable San Francisco brewer Bennett Buchanan:
18 lbs Belgian Pale (could also use domestic or English 2-row)
Wyest French Saison yeast 3711 (or White Labs Saison II or Belgian Saison Blend)
Wyeast 3724 Belgion Saison (pitched at 80 degrees F)
Brewday Notes:
4 lbs white wheat
1.5 lbs acidulated malt
1 oz Magnum (60 min)
1 oz Magnum (60 min)
1 oz Hersbrucker (15 min)
1 oz Hersbrucker (flame out) (we've also done it with 2 oz at flame out, depends how much hop aroma you want)
Both of the above recipes are for 10 gallon, AG batches. My homebrew system allows for 5-6 gallon yields, so I reduced various ingredients by approximately 50% from each recipe above and developed my own "Fresh Orange Saison" with the intent of producing a crisp, easy drinking, session beer. I achieved my goal with the following hybrid recipe:
9 lbs Belgian 2-row
Both of the above recipes are for 10 gallon, AG batches. My homebrew system allows for 5-6 gallon yields, so I reduced various ingredients by approximately 50% from each recipe above and developed my own "Fresh Orange Saison" with the intent of producing a crisp, easy drinking, session beer. I achieved my goal with the following hybrid recipe:
9 lbs Belgian 2-row
2 lbs White wheat
0.75 lbs acidulated malt
7 oz flaked oats
Mash grains with 3.5G of 172 degree F water for one (1) hour.
Mash grains with 3.5G of 172 degree F water for one (1) hour.
Sparge 5.5 gallons of 172 degree water for another hour.
Hop additions for a 60 min boil were:
Hop additions for a 60 min boil were:
1 oz German Magnum (60 min) (see Brewday Note #1)
0.5 oz Hallertau Hersbrucker (15 min)
a snuff-sized pinch of Irish Moss (15 min)
0.5 oz Fresh Orange Peel (5 min) (see Brewday Note #2)
#1. Approximately half of the G. Magnum (60 min) boiled over within a minute of the hop addition. As an emergency back up I added 1/4 oz of Styrian Goldings (at 55 min). I am known to make mistakes like this on brewday, and I always try to document those mishaps!
#2. I picked the last orange of the season off a neighborhood tree earlier that morning. I peeled the orange, removed the majority of the pith (white, spongy tissue on the inside of the peel) and quickly dehydrated the peel by placing it above the air conditioning unit in the 100 degree plus heat. It worked great, the peel was completely dried within a couple hours.
Fermentation occurred for the first week in a 6.5G glass carboy. I racked to a secondary 5G carboy after 7 days, and racked again to another 5G carboy after 14 days. During the 2nd racking I added 1/2 teaspoon of Knox Gelatin to 1 cup of boiling water, see John's gelatin link here: http://eastbaybrewing.blogspot.com/search/label/Gelatin%20Clarifying
I then poured the water/gelatin into the tertiary carboy and gave the 5G vessel a swirl to distribute the gelatin throughout the beer. A week later the result was a semi-clear beer (pictured) that became clearer after a week in the keg at 16 psi. Unfortunately I have no idea what the ABV was because I forgot to take an OG reading. Lesson learned! I sure tasted like it may have been in the 4.0 to 4.5% range. Perhaps some of you can tell by the picture below what the ABV is ;)
#1. Approximately half of the G. Magnum (60 min) boiled over within a minute of the hop addition. As an emergency back up I added 1/4 oz of Styrian Goldings (at 55 min). I am known to make mistakes like this on brewday, and I always try to document those mishaps!
#2. I picked the last orange of the season off a neighborhood tree earlier that morning. I peeled the orange, removed the majority of the pith (white, spongy tissue on the inside of the peel) and quickly dehydrated the peel by placing it above the air conditioning unit in the 100 degree plus heat. It worked great, the peel was completely dried within a couple hours.
Fermentation occurred for the first week in a 6.5G glass carboy. I racked to a secondary 5G carboy after 7 days, and racked again to another 5G carboy after 14 days. During the 2nd racking I added 1/2 teaspoon of Knox Gelatin to 1 cup of boiling water, see John's gelatin link here: http://eastbaybrewing.blogspot.com/search/label/Gelatin%20Clarifying
I then poured the water/gelatin into the tertiary carboy and gave the 5G vessel a swirl to distribute the gelatin throughout the beer. A week later the result was a semi-clear beer (pictured) that became clearer after a week in the keg at 16 psi. Unfortunately I have no idea what the ABV was because I forgot to take an OG reading. Lesson learned! I sure tasted like it may have been in the 4.0 to 4.5% range. Perhaps some of you can tell by the picture below what the ABV is ;)
Justin
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Central Coast Brewing Co.
My wife and I stopped by Central Coast Brewing in San Luis Obispo last night. As you can see, we had the sampler flight of nine beers.
The sampler includes blonde, red, and brown ales, several different pale ales and IPA's, and a stout as well.
Catch 23 - This was a very interesting beer. The brewery described it as a Dark Rye IPA. I was caught off guard by the slight coffee flavor, but I felt that it was well balanced by the hops. This was probably my favorite of the three since I was surprised by the coffee flavor!
Love mobile beer and the four taps on the side of the truck!!
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| Sampler Tray at Central Coast Brewing. In order from back row and left to right, Topless Blonde, Topless Red, Topless Brew-Nette, Golden Glow Pale Ale, Stenner Creek Stout, Rotunda Centennial Session Ale, Luck Day IPA, Terrace Hill Double IPA, and Catch 23. - 8/17/2013 |
My favorites from this brewery were the Topless Blonde (who doesn't like a topless blond?), Rotunda Session Ale, and Catch 23.
Topless Blonde - Great, easy drinking beer and very smooth. Sometimes this style can be too sweet for me, but not this one.
Rotunda Session Ale - A very enjoyable pale ale. This beer reminded me a lot of Bitter American from 21st Amendment in San Francisco.
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| Rotunda Centennial Session Ale - 8/17/2013 |
Also they had a Tactical Thirst Response Unit, which is awesome....
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| Mobile Beer Truck! - 8/17/2013 |
Great trip! I will be back to this place next time I'm in SLO.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Livermore Beer Explosion!
Here's a link to a great article about the rise of beer in Livermore valley.
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Beer-explosion-hits-Livermore-as-ground-zero-4720997.php
There are several new breweries in Livermore, Altamont Beer Works, Brotherhood Brewing Co., and Workman Brewing Company. Looks like a great excuse to go pub hopping in Livermore!
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Double Keg Monday
Had a great Monday evening last week moving the raspberry wheat beer from the secondary fermenter to the kegs. The batches produced about 2.5 to 3 gallons each. When I kegged last month I tried the patient approach for carbonation (lower pressure for a week to 10 days), which I decided took too much time. This time I'm setting the kegs at a higher pressure (28 psi) and I'm going to check them every day until the carbonation starts to take. Hopefully, this will result in quicker carbonation without getting over carbonated.
I kegged this batch after two weeks in the secondary fermenter. After the first week I decided to try a new clarifying step. I had heard about the using gelatin as a clarifying agent for some time and had never tried it. The method I read about required 1 teaspoon of knox gelatin added to 1 cup of water. I let the cup sit for about 20 minutes to allow the gelatin to react with the water. I then heated the mixture until it cleared up and added that mixture to each carboy (I made two separate gelatin mixtures at 1 cup each). I needed to swirl the carboy a little bit in order for the gelatin/water mixture to blend in with the fermenting beer. It seemed to really help the beer settle down and clear up, but the wheat yeast batch seemed to respond better than the champagne yeast batch. In the photo below you can see some "weirdness" floating on top of the beer. Not sure if this is trub or something else.
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| Kegging Raspberry Wheat - Champagne Yeast 7/29/13 |
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| Kegging Raspberry Wheat - Wheat Yeast 7/29/2013 |
Thursday, August 1, 2013
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