Great Taste of The Midwest

WOW, have now finally pieced the day together enough to blog about it.  Man was it a great day!!  Great weather, Great beer and great company.  This is by far the biggest beer festival I have been to.  It was crazy but I have to hand it to those running the show they know what their doing as there was great means of transportation for getting to and from, lines moved quickly and hardly was there ever a long wait for over 500 different kinds of suds on tap.  If you can ever get tickets I highly recommend going, but I also recommend a hotel room and not planning much for the next day!!!

Pre-game tailgating at the Great Dane Pub.  Great Brew Pub with 

a wide selection of Suds and great food. Also free 

shuttle to the GToTM!!

The line to get into the GToTM!!?  Moved Surprisingly fast as 

we moved at a brisk pace and never stopped.

Approaching the gate!!!

We're There MAN!!

And....We're in!! Holy SHIZZ!!!

 First Beer, Mildly Sober!

HOP WHORE!!!!

My mug watching me Pee.  

Dirty ass Mug!!

With a name like that how can you NOT enjoy filling it with Pee and Poo!??

REAL ALE TENT!!!  

Which was really just all kinds of commercial beers 

un-carbonated and warm!?  Plenty left over towards the end!

HOLY HOPS BATMAN!!!

(Gorst Valley Hops)

While I have more Pictures I don't really want to incriminate myself, as after about 2:30 we probably should not have even been operating a camera.  After 4:00pm we prove we couldn't operate a camera.  After 4:30pm I don't really remember much except crashing a wedding ceremony and showering with my shades on.  Enough said!

All in all this a great festival and I hope to be going back on a yearly basis.  I highly recommend trying to get your hands on tickets and making the trip to Madison WI.  Take away its God awful sports and Mad town is a really great place.

Slainte`

PS....I just now remember singing a Go IOWA song in front of the Olde Main Brewery tent and refusing to drink their beer cause they were Cyclones, Funny stuff.  (I have actually had their beer, and Unlike ISU football most of it I can stomach!).

Beautiful day for Brewing!

Here's What's on Tap for Todays Brew Session:

Mastiff Drool Amber

American Amber Ale

 

Type: All Grain	Date: 7/25/2010
Batch Size: 5.00 gal	Brewer:
Boil Size: 6.00 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: Brew Pot (6+gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (5 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 40	Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00
Taste Notes: clean and light mouth feel.  Tingle of bitterness, but quickly off set by roasty toasty malt backbone.  Probably my best Amber, great beer to have on tap as its satisfying and great for commercial beer drinkers to try.
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU 8.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 77.29 % 0.50 lb Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 4.83 % 0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 4.83 % 0.50 lb Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4.83 % 0.30 lb Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 2.90 % 0.25 lb Caraaroma (130.0 SRM) Grain 2.42 % 0.20 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 1.93 % 0.10 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 0.97 % 1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (60 min) Hops 16.6 IBU 1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (30 min) Hops 12.8 IBU 1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (5 min) Hops 10.3 IBU 1.00 oz Tettnang [4.30 %] (0 min) Hops - 0.91 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc 1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.048 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.043 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.008 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.77 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.56 %
Bitterness: 39.7 IBU	Calories: 187 cal/pint
Est Color: 16.3 SRM	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body	Total Grain Weight: 10.35 lb
Sparge Water: 2.45 gal	Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE	Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Medium Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp 60 min Mash In Add 12.94 qt of water at 169.6 F 154.0 F 10 min Mash Out Add 7.25 qt of water at 197.8 F 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Kegged (Corn Sugar)	Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 1.9 oz	Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F	Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
Created with BeerSmith

 Slainte`

TASTE UPDATE: have had this on tap for a few weeks now and I think it has finally matured to its sweet spot.  This amber is very clean and light to medium bodied despite the darker than normal appearance.  There is a slight tingle of bitterness but it is quickly subdued by the Roasty-Toasty malt backbone.  The Roasted barley and Biscuit malt are more upfront to give it a tastey roasted character while the Honey and Caraaroma come on strong late to sweeten.  All around a great Amber to have on tap, one everyone can enjoy and nothing over the top.  Under 5% alcohol I will enjoy many of these in one sitting.

Slainte`

I've Got a Golden Ticket...........

I never thought my life could be
Anything but catastrophe
But suddenly I begin to see
A bit of good luck for me
'Cause I've got a golden ticket
I've got a golden twinkle in my eye

I never had a chance to shine
Never a happy song to sing
But suddenly half the world is mine
What an amazing thing

'Cause I've got a golden ticket

New Suds

So I've been busy the last few weeks, both Brewing and Drinking.  Here's what I got:

• Brewed my first 10 gallon batch in Minnesota this past June (actually it was 15 gallons as I brewed 5 gallons on the side).  Below is my Beersmith stat sheet if you're interested in the recipe.  The honey idea was an experiment as I already had 3 IPA's on tap not to mention I had a few fermentation problems (NOTE:  When pitching onto a Yeast cake ALWAYS be sure to use a blow off tube).  This beer tasted pretty damn good, nice sweet tasting IPA with a fresh hop after taste, kind of like a poor mans Hopslam.  I ended up entering this beer into the Beerdabbler homebrew contest last Saturday at Highlandfest.

 Ceiling Moppers?

Brady's Honey IPA

American IPA

 

Type: All Grain	Date: 6/25/2010
Batch Size: 10.00 gal	Brewer: Brady Brew
Boil Size: 10.00 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 40.0	Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU 6.00 lb Pilsner Liquid Extract (3.5 SRM) Extract 25.21 % 15.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 63.03 % 1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 4.20 % 1.00 lb White Wheat Malt (Pale) (2.4 SRM) Grain 4.20 % 0.50 lb Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 2.10 % 5.50 oz Cascade [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 42.1 IBU 1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (60 min) Hops 19.9 IBU 1.00 oz Simcoe [12.00 %] (10 min) Hops 6.7 IBU 2.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (10 min) Hops 7.6 IBU 0.30 lb Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 1.26 %
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.064 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.063 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.016 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.20 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.79 %
Bitterness: 76.4 IBU	Calories: 281 cal/pint
Est Color: 8.4 SRM	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body	Total Grain Weight: 17.50 lb
Sparge Water: 3.13 gal	Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE	Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Light Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp 75 min Mash In Add 21.88 qt of water at 161.4 F 150.0 F 10 min Mash Out Add 14.00 qt of water at 200.2 F 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar	Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 7.6 oz	Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F	Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
boiled a third of a pound of Honey and added to beer when kegged. placed keg at 64 degrees for 3 days then chilled and carbonated.
Created with BeerSmith

• Attended the above mentioned Beer Dabbler Showcase on Saturday July 17th.  Was a pretty nice beer festival.  Actually had beer classes with brewery experts taking 20 minutes out of their day to talk to those interested about their brews and techniques.  Lots of great beers to try some were ones you could get pretty much anywhere and some I've never seen before.  And while all the big hitters were there, I was pleasantly surprised with a relatively unknown brewery called Northwoods Brewpub out of Eau Claire, WI.  Two beers in particular that peaked my pallate were ones called "Floppin Crappie Ale" and "Bumbl'n Bubbas Buzz'n Brew".  The Floppin Crappie caught my eye with it's label (I'm a sucker for Crappie), and eventually brought me back to try the BBBB.  Both beers were very light bodies beers but for such light beers had great flavor and character.  Could enjoy 8 or ten of these guys on a hot summer day.     Ranking 7/10
  

  
  

Must try........

So I got the following email from the Four Firkins today at 4:18pm that really peaked my palate:

Surly Hell is in! 

 From Surly's website:

"Finally, a Surly beer my German mother will drink. She says this one tastes like a bier from back home. Not unlike a Zwickel Bier from Germany, Hell is our filtered and fermented with lager yeast, American hops takes a back seat to the Pils malt sweetness and fresh bread aroma. The color is well... hell (Deutsch for light). It's fiendishly drinkable, and you don't have to sell your soul to get another."

Just a quick note: Hell is NOT a super hoppy beer like Furious, it is a very well brewed, super sessionable lager. If you are expecting a hoppy, aggressive beer you will be dissapointed. If you like the sound of a great summer lager that is easy to drink then you'll love it.

Last year when this was released we sold our entire allotment in an hour and a half. This year we are going to have more of it and it should last a little longer, I hope!

No holds, first come first served!

Cheers!

 Alvey         

Seeing how I haven't found a Surly beer that I don't enjoy I decided to mosey on down there after I got off work (at 4:19pm).  I arrived at the Firkins and there was already a decent line in the store of fellow Suds connoisseurs waiting to get there hands on at least a 4-pack of this unique beer.  I opted for one 4-pack and now that I have gotten it home I'm wishing I would have picked up more (now as I type I'm downing my second 16oz. can and thinking about the 3rd).  I know what you're thinking it's a light Lager, is it really that good, is it really worth $9.99 a 4-pack (16oz. cans)?  My answer is HELL YES!!!!!

This is unlike any Lager you have ever had, I promise.  Very light bodied, but bursting with malty flavor.  Goes down extremely smooth, so smooth it kind of surprises you.  The Hops are there and at first subtle but then come on late and refresh the palate.  The end taste is very sweet, with a hint of sour apple.  Overall a great refreshing experience, so good you'll appreciate that is comes in a 16oz. can.

Rank: 8.5/10
 Slainte`

Brady's Vitamin C IPA

Brewed this one trying to clone Tyranena's Scurvy.  While the Orange part of this IPA is lacking overall, this has become one of my favorite IPA's I have ever brewed.  Lighter body yet, orange color too it.  Hop aroma is great and the bitterness is right on.  I tried it when it was still young and was not a huge fan as it was bitter with not much maltyness to back it up.  After letting it mello for about 3-4 weeks after kegging, I have to say the flavors have meshed and the malt has come forward just enough to compliment the bitterness.

I may not be the best brewer in the world, but this IPA made me proud.  I may have to enter it into the MinnesotaFState fair Homebrew contest.

Brady's Vitamin-C IPA

American IPA

 

Type: All Grain	Date: 6/20/2010
Batch Size: 5.00 gal	Brewer: Brady Brew
Boil Size: 5.72 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 46.0	Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU 10.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 81.63 % 1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 8.16 % 0.75 lb Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 6.12 % 0.25 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2.04 % 0.25 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 2.04 % 1.00 oz Ahtanum [6.00 %] (30 min) Hops 14.8 IBU 1.00 oz Chinook [11.00 %] (30 min) Hops 27.0 IBU 0.75 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (10 min) Hops 7.4 IBU 1.00 oz Summit [17.80 %] (10 min) Hops 20.6 IBU 1.00 oz Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 10.0 min)  Misc 1.00 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Secondary 4.0 days) Misc 1 Pkgs Denny's Fav 50 labs (Wyeast #1450) Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.067 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.019 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.20 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.95 %
Bitterness: 69.8 IBU	Calories: 222 cal/pint
Est Color: 7.4 SRM	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body	Total Grain Weight: 12.25 lb
Sparge Water: 0.91 gal	Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE	Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Light Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp 75 min Mash In Add 15.31 qt of water at 161.4 F 150.0 F 10 min Mash Out Add 9.80 qt of water at 200.2 F 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar	Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 3.8 oz	Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F	Age for: 30.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
Created with BeerSmith

 Slainte`

What's NEW?

So I haven't been as good as I thought in keeping up on this blog, not that anyone reads this so yeah, Who Gives a Crap?  But really What's new?

• Been busy on the brew front, I currently have one beer on tap and 15 gallons fermenting away!  Yeah Boy!  
• Sweetgrass Pale Ale on Tap, pretty tasty, not as hoppy as I wanted but nice malt backbone too it.
• 5 gallons of a Summer Amber fermenting, 3 days away from kegging.  Nothing fancy about this one just a smooth easy drinking amber to enjoy on those hot summer nights.
• 5 gallons of a Summer Ale bubbling away actually just kegged this one.  Light body with a touch of Orange peel and Ginger root couple with the some citrusy Cascade Hops to give it a refreshing citrus taste, perfect for quenching a mid-summers day thirst.  We'll see how this one turns out once it matures.
• Finally, 5 gallons of an experimental IPA.  I modeled this one after one of my new favorite beers (see below) called "Scurvy".  its an IPA with a twist of Orange!!  Nothing fancy on the IPA side besides Summit and Anthum hops for a little added tangerine Aroma.

• Found a few new beers that were worth mentioning:

• A crazy new venture in the IPA world called "Scurvy" made by the brewers at Tyranena Brewery in Lake Mills, WI.  I'll let the label tell you the story behind this beer, but what I will tell you is this beer is fantastic.  If you like hops and you like Oranges this a great combination, plus you'll get your Vitamin-C, who says beer isn't good for you?

•  I've wrote about this before, but it's worth mentioning as it has quickly become one of my top favorites.  Left Hand Brewery's "400lb. Monkey" is a specially unique beer.  Billed as an English IPA, it's probably one of the few things English that is worth its weight in Hoppy, Golden Maltness!  Definitely should be on your short list of Beers to try!\

• You might have heard of or even had New Holland Brewery's "Mad Hatter IPA".  Something with MAD HATTER and IPA on the label has to be good right?  Well if you have had it you know that looks can be deceiving!  Don;t get me wrong The Hatter IPA is totally drinkable, and not a bad beer by any means, just doesn't seem to live up to its label.  Hence why I was hesitant to try New Holland's Imperial Hatter.  At a reasonable $5 for a 22oz. bottle I figured why not?  22oz. later and a nice buzz (9.2% alc.), I'm glad I did.  This imperial delivers.  Nice hop content but not an enamel stripper like most other imperials,  complementary malts are right on and gives this beer a rich full flavor lightened only by the burst of hop aroma.  Worth every penny, all 500 of them!! 

• Found a new beer store worth checking out. It's called Pairings and while the focus of this place is putting the right beverage with the right meal, Their beverage dept. is totally worth checking out.  They have a wide array of exotic and intoxicating beers here which you can buy by the 6 pack or case. But what is great about this place is that  it lets you mix and match, perfect for those who like to try a wide variety of beers.  Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

*Also, come July 17th I will be a attending a little ShinDig called The Beer Dabbler Highland-Fest.  Check it out as It looks to be a great beer festival, Maybe i'll see you there?  I plan to submit a beer or two to the Homebrew contest, Wish Me Luck!!!!

Slainte`

Brady