Just a Beer, Please...

With all of the double, imperial, quadruple, wet hopped, continuously hopped, torpedo hopped, oaked, brett fermented, extreme, spiced, double digit percentage alcohol beers on the market these days, it can be easy to forget that sometimes people need “just a beer.” There are seven taps in by basement. I like keeping one or two of the above-mentioned beers around at any given time, but for the most part, people that come over to visit want to drink something that I’ve brewed, and they usually want to have more than one. So sometimes I simply need to brew an enjoyable beer that can be safely consumed one after the other. Ideally this beer is something that I can crank out relatively quick.

Recently I brewed such a beer – an Ale that I call the “Red Loin.” Despite the red designation, it does not fit, nor is it intended to fit, into any particular style guideline. Last month as my beer supply was getting dangerously low, I just started jotting down a recipe off of the top of my head for something to get on tap as a standard offering. The recipe is pretty arbitrary as you can see below. I enjoy brewing these spontaneous beers, because when I shoot for something specific, I am often disappointed. (It is hard to duplicate beer, especially those from the other side of the globe.) But I almost always enjoy the results of a randomly brewed beer for which I had no pre-conceived notions. Here is the recipe if you are interested:

89% Weyermann Vienna
5% Crisp “Light Crystal” (15L)
3% Crisp “Medium Crystal” (45L)
1% Crisp “Dark Crystal” (75L)
1% Castle Special B (145L)
1% Roasted Barley (~500L)

60 min boil – Northern Brewer (enough for 20 IBUs)
40 min boil – Northern Brewer (enough for 17 IBUs)
20 min boil – Willamette (enough for 8 IBUs)
Knock Out – Willamette (I used 1 oz for a 6.25 gal batch)
Dry – East Kent Goldings (I used 1 oz for a 6.25 gal batch)

Wyeast 1028 – London Ale

Mash: 122 degrees for 20 minutes, 154 for 40 minutes, and 168 for 10 minutes.

O.G.: 1.055
F.G.: 1.013
Alcohol: 5.5% abv
Apparent Attenuation: 75%

The percentages given above are by total grist weight. Use your own calculations to achieve the listed IBU for your system and volume. I open ferment in an 8 gal enamel pot, but you can ferment any way you desire! And that is not a typo above; I used Vienna as the base malt. Normally I would have used Marris Otter, but I wanted this beer to be different. Vienna is a great alternative, because it has a bit more character than a standard 2-row malt, and like Marris Otter, it adds a touch of color. Though seldom used, I believe it makes a great base malt. Maybe it gets no respect because it is caught between Pilsner and Munich malt?

The Red Lion turned out very nice. It pours a dark copper/light red color with a solid off white head. It has a pleasant earthy hop aroma with a touch of yeast character, a soft, round flavor that is fairly mild with nothing dominating, but a solid hop backbone along with a range of malt flavors. And it finishes with a smooth malt note and a subtle dry hopped EKG finish. Overall it is a very easy drinking beer with good character. Perfect to have on tap for when friends come over to visit. If I were to change one thing I would probably darken it up a touch. You can achieve this by adding a bit more Special B or roasted barley to the mash. Play around with it!

Speaking of all of those over-the-top beers that I mentioned above in the first sentence, do any of you have recommendations for my upcoming snow cave camping trip later this month? It is a bit of a hike (through the snow), and relatively cold, so I am looking for something strong and compact that will warm me up around the fire. (And it has to compliment Laphroaig 10.) Please provide any suggestions – I’m always looking to try new beers.

Vintage Beer

Flüssiges Brot is one of the terms Germans use to describe beer. (liquid bread) And for the most part, beer is very much like bread. When it comes to freshness, most beers are intended to be consumed as soon as possible after they are made. Just like bread, fresh is better. Once the brewer filters and packages his/her beer, it will only diminish over time. Even some bottle-conditioned beers are intended to be drank immediately. One example I can think of is Hefeweizen. Weißbier yeast are very temperamental and definitely change the character of the beer over time. When a Weißbier brewer distributes his/her beer, it is at its peak and intended to be promptly enjoyed.

With all of that said, there are some beers that benefit from aging. Some are even intended to be “laid down.” Most examples of this fall into the category of very strong bottle-conditioned ales. Unpasteurized, bottle-conditioned beers are still alive, and the yeast will continue to slowly work away for years when subjected to the proper conditions. And the character of the beer will continue to change over time. When aging a beer, just make sure not to store it too cold. My basement fluctuates seasonally between 58 and 65 degrees, which is about perfect. A cool, stable temperature like this is ideal.

This leads into a beer I just had last night – J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2000. This 11.5% abv beer was brewed on December 1st, 2000, so not quite a decade old, but getting close. I’ve enjoyed their Harvest Ale before, so I knew it would be a treat. I served the Harvest at 55 degrees to make sure no flavors were suppressed. It pours garnet with a firm, but short lasting tan head. (Probably due to the high alcohol content.) The nose is intense and packed with the aroma of raisins and caramelized malt sugar. Age only concentrates this characteristic of the beer. Full bodied, the flavor picks up where the aroma leaves off with very sticky malt and dried fruit notes. The alcohol is not dominant at all. Almost scary for a beer of this strength. The Nachtrunk lingers and slowly fades with toffee, malt sugar, and lots of raisin character. This is a wonder must-try beer! It is not a hop-head beer, rather a beer for lovers of old school strong ale. These beers can be hard to find, but if you do stumble across them, buy enough to set a few aside to compare tasting notes as they age. J.W. Lees also bottles special editions of this ale matured in sherry, port and Islay Whisky casks. I find these offerings to also be great, but I tend to like the original the best. (As much as I love smokey Whisky!)

My friend Chris Cross and I brewed a strong ale in November of 1998 to be consumed at the turn of the millennium called, appropriately, Millennium Ale. Over time that beer matured in a similar manner to the Harvest Ale. The older it got the more the yeast slowly added character to the spirit - with almost the same pungent raisin character. We did enjoy this beer on 1/1/2000, but we also hid a number of these bottles away. When the beer was over six years old I entered it in the AHA Nationals and it took first place in our region. Now we will usually open one bottle per year at the New Years gathering hosted by Joycelyn and I. Currently I only have one bottle left – so I have a big decision to make this year.

To sum up, don’t be afraid to lay down some of these strong, bottle-conditioned ales. There are many styles now from England, Belgium and right here in the U.S. that are well suited for this treatment. And take notes so you can track how these beers mature over the years.

The Brew Crew TV

The Brew Crew is a gang of beer lovers that are working to develop a pilot for a potential Cable TV program. They wanted to use Denver’s oldest craft brewery, the Wynkoop, as the model for their pilot. In conjunction with the Wynkoop coverage they wanted to do an interview with me as the Beerdrinker of the Year. The excellent results of their efforts are now posted on YouTube and on their own web site:

Beerdrinker of the Year Interview: http://thebrewcrew.tv/2009/12/31/drink-free-beer-for-life/

Wynkoop Video: http://thebrewcrew.tv/2010/01/06/a-look-at-denvers-oldest-brewpub/

They are looking for investors and feedback, so please leave them a comment at the bottom of the page!

2010 Beerdrinker of the Year - Bill Howell

Bill Howell of Sterling, Alaska was anointed 2010 Beerdrinker of the Year at yesterday’s National Finals held in the Mercantile Room of the Wynkoop Brewery. All three finalists (the other two being Phil Farrell of Cumming, Georgia and Logan Perkins of Denver, Colorado) proved that they were more than worthy to be on the national stage with their deep knowledge of all things related to beer. Bill used a combination of wit, knowledge, passion, and a strong commitment to improve the beer culture in the remote Kenai Peninsula community to edge out the competition.

As the winner Bill will receive, among other things, $250 to spend at his home pub (St. Elias Brewing Company in Soldotna, Alaska), a beer brewed in his honor by the Wynkoop for next year’s competition, free beer for life at the Wynkoop Brewery, and worldwide recognition. It is always tough to not win, but Phil and Logan should be very proud of their performance too. Both were entertaining and exhibited great beer passion and knowledge. I really enjoyed spending the weekend with all three of the finalists.

This year was much less nerve racking for me than last year. Driving in from Golden to Denver with Joycelyn for the finals, all I could think of is how much of a mess I was last year. I’m relieved that I won last year on my first attempt in the Finals, and that I don’t have to be a contestant again. This year I was one of the six judges and did my best to help make the competition fun, educational, and tried to ask relevant questions. It was fun being on the other side with such a prestigious panel. (The other five judges were Andy Brown, Wynkoop Head Brewer, Jill Redding, Brewer’s Association, Tom Ciccateri, 2005 winner, Jamie Magee, Yankee Brewing News, and Rich Grant, Visit Denver.) Keep an eye out for more photos and footage of the competition that will come out in the next few days. Beertap TV was back this year filming, the Wynkoop will soon put out a press release, and there were a number of other press organizations in attendance covering the event. And once again, congratulations Bill!