Speaking of Beer

Let’s make some beer! Besides being easy and fun, brewing is the single best way to develop a deep understanding of and appreciation for beer. Part art, part science, part cooking, part sport (if you want to take it there), homebrewing is satisfying on just about all levels. Plus, it’s a hobby that gives you a wicked buzz!

THE STUFF YOU’LL NEED

Regardless of the type of beer you’re going to brew, certain basic equipment and materials are necessary. For brewing with malt extract, we’re talking:

1 – 6.5 Gallon Plastic Fermenting Bucket w\ lid & #2 Stopper
1 – 6.5 Gallon Plastic Bottling Bucket w\ spigot
a capper and bottle caps
1- 24 inch Racking Cane w\ 5 foot Siphon Hose
1 – 15 inch Spring Loaded Bottle Filler
1 – 3 Piece Airlock
1 – 4 Oz. Bottle of BTF Iodophor No Rinse Sanitizer (1 TBL spoon per 5 gallons Cold Water)
a hydrometer (a device that allows you to predict the beer’s strength)
a cooking thermometer

You’ll also need a good stainless steel or enamel pot in which to boil what will become your beer. Your pot should have at least a 4 gallon capacity. Finally, bottles round out the equipment list. For a five gallon batch, you’ll need about 54 12 oz bottles. You can buy them outright from a homebrew supplier, or simply rinse and save your empties, provided they are NOT screwtops. Screwtop bottles are thin at the top and tend to break come bottling day.

Of course you’ll also need some information. Simple “first brew” instructions, which will be followed on Speaking of Beer for Batch #1, are available at Brewer’s Connection by clicking this link. Eventually, more in-depth study is both warranted and richly rewarded. I strongly recommend The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian as a fun and informative next step.

Most importantly, let’s have us some fun. Your beer is going to kick ass!

BEER #1: THE NEW GUY, an American Pale Ale (starting with show 22)

6 lbs of Light Dry Malt Extract
1/2 lb 60 L crystal malt (for flavor)
1/2 lb Carapils malt (for body)
2 oz Cascade hops (for hoppy goodness)
ale yeast (e.g. Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast)
irsh moss
dextrose sugar (for bottling)

All of the above is included in the “First Born Pale Ale” kit available at Brewer’s Connection, or you can look at your own local homebrew shop or online homebrew supplier.

BEER #2: MONKEY BASTARD, a “West Coast” American Strong Ale (starting with show 32)

Ingredients and instructions are here.

BEER #3.1 RUINED NATION, a double IPA (starting and ending with show 45)

Ingredients:

Procedure: This is a “partial mash” rescipe, meaning some grains are steeped at an appropriate temperature to draw out flavor and sugars before the “extract” is added.

Beer #3.2 SAMUEL L. JACKSON BADASSSSSSSSS STOUT, ’nuff said (starting and ending with show 45)

Ingredients & Procedure: CLASSIFIED, MUTHAF@#KUH!

Prebeer Preamble: The beer style known as American Pale Ale (A.K.A. “APA”) is popular, easy to drink, and great candidate for a homebrewing project. With that in mind, today we pop the top on a couple of “extra pale” commercial examples, to see what it’s all about. I’m joined yet again by SoB veteran co-drinker Eric, as we venture beyond the pale…ale…

Beer #1: Eric and I start with some Green Flash Extra Pale Ale. From a San Diego brewery that’s NOT Stone, this new kid on the block seems to be getting pretty popular. Does it strike that critical balance between bitter and sweet, or does the West Coast’s love of Humulus lupulus skew the drinking experience?

Interbeer Interlude: Build-A-Beer Workshop.”The Return.” After more than half a decade, I’m returning to my beloved hobby of homebrewing, and I’m taking SoB along for the ride. Today I visit my old stomping grounds, a supply shop called Brewer’s Connection, to brush up on the basics. I talk with helpful employee Amy and find out excactly what a newbie needs to brew a batch of beer so tasty that they’ll want to do another one. Follow my saga for its sheer entertainment value, or even brew along! Details can be found by visiting the “Build-A-Beer Workshop” page on this blog.

Beer #2: We now turn to a more established example of the moderately-hopped APA, Mad River Brewing Co.’s Steelhead Extra Pale Ale. Another California brew, another extra pale ale. Is this one just a retread of the first, or does the APA style contain enough wiggle room for two very different drinking experiences?

Beer Geek Moment: “Homebrewing.” For as long as there’s been beer, people have been brewing it at home. These days there’s little in the way of excuses for beer geeks to not also be homebrewers. We take a look at various approaches to the craft, so you can decide which one is best for you.

Postbeer Postscript: And now…the scores! Just because both beers are “extra pale”, do they score the same? And will Eric and I ever have a knock-down, drag-out argument over our ratings? Tune in and find out!

 

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Folks have been sending in beer-related links like crazy lately, so I thought I’d round some up.

First up, Kristen gave me the heads up on an MIT study that suggests that knowing the ingredients actually changes how you taste beer. It’s fascinating stuff for any number reasons, but mostly for the question of when do MIT students actually have any time to do the drinking. The link is here, but you may have to sign up with the New York Times to read the whole article.

Next, Mad Marv hooked me up with an extensive list of the carb and caloric values for many, many beers. Interesting fact: Total carbs (a.k.a. “body”) for Guinness: 9.9 grams. For Budweiser: 10.6 grams. Combine this information with the MIT study above, and maybe you’ll stop thinking Guinness is so dang intense. It isn’t.

Finally, Brian has good news for Thomas from Flagstaff’s dog. Congratulations pooch, you now have your own beer!

We’re heading back to America’s left side for these beers. The show theme may OR MAY NOT be what is glaringly obvious in the beers’ names.

Green Flash Extra Pale Ale

and

Mad River Brewing’s Steelhead Extra Pale Ale

Each beer is an alternative for the other, quite frankly. To have a similar drink-along, you can sub either or both with the following: Three Floyds’ Extra Pale Ale, Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale, Bridgeport Blue Heron, Anchor Liberty Ale, Shipyard Export Ale, or any American Pale Ale that’s not hopped out the wahzoo.

Prebeer Preamble: Today, we risk the wrath of The Ranting Scotsman as we tackle beers brewed in and inspired by ruggedly beautiful Scotland, where the signature style is the beer equivalent of comfort food. I’m joined by my friend Robert Short, last heard from on show 11, as we settle into the not-completely-unlike-the-Scottish-moors environment of my back porch to sample these brews.

Beer #1: Rob and I first try an American beer, brewed in the scottish style: Three Floyds’ Robert the Bruce, from in Munster Indiana. A strong, malty ale sounds good on a night like this, but just because he shares its name, does Rob warm up to the beer?

Interbeer Interlude: Beer As Folk: “Listener Questions” We kick off 2007 looking back at the fundamentals. I tackle three listener questions: How many types of beer are there: two, five or what? What’s the deal with bottle color? And the last one…well…you just have to hear the last one…

Beer #2: A biting cold wind whips up as Rob and I reach for our second beer, Traquair House Ale, brewed in a storied landmark right in the heart of Scotland. Folks, it don’t get more real than this…so…uh…we really like it, right?

Beer Geek Moment: “Malt” The backbone ingredient of beer is also one of its most poorly understood, outside of the realm of brewers. What malt is, and where it comes from, gets sorted out in this little nugget of brew knowledge.

Postbeer Postscript: In this corner, the feisty young upstart, flush with American craft-brew success…and in THIS corner, the original scotch ale, draped in tradition! Which one emerges victorious? Tune in and find out!

 

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’nuff said.

Thanks to J.R. Murdock for the pic!

Someone sure has too much time on their hands:

I’ll skip trying to write with a highland brogue, and just say find these beers:

Three Floyds’ Robert the Bruce Scottish Style Ale [alternatives: Four Peaks Kiltlifter, Oskar Blues' Old Chub, Odell 90 Shilling Ale]

and

Traquair House Ale [alternatives: AleSmith Wee Heavy, Moylan's Kilt Lifter, Orkney Brewery's SkullSplitter, McEwan's Scotch Ale]

Iron that utili-kilt and start boiling the haggis…we’re drinking Braveheart-style!