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Carolina BrewMasters’ Newsletter

Quarterly Publication

www.carolinabrewmasters.com April 2007

Beer: in our DNA or a Passion?

by Brian Beauchemin

What does it mean when your little girl scrunches up her nose and makes sniffing sounds every time she sees you smell your beer and wants to participate in the routine as well? Or when she mimics Daddy checking brew color by holding her sippy cup up to the light to make sure the milk is white? What does it mean when Scott Wallace’s highschooler over hears a brew session conversation on torrified wheat and breaks into the room with some answers after going online? Or when Bill Lynch’s son shows up for his brew session and knows to walk in with a Double IPA and not the default college-age beer? Is this entire beer experience we live literally in our blood? Is it in the DNA that we pass on to our children? Or do we pursue our hobby with such enthusiasm that those

round us soak up everything - whether it be

ur hobby is not a short term infatuation.

er legacy may begin in Germany or

he lady’s appearance ranges from sultry

any are multi-dimensional and the

er traits wander from lightly dry and

ome exude richness, soft and sweet. Others

aTable of Contents

Beer: in our DNA or a Passion?.......... Pg. 1 Steeping Grains…………………… …Pg. 2 Scottish Ales………………………… Pg. 4 Making a Brew Kettle………………. Pg. 7 Harveys Brewery, UK………… ……. Pg. 9 Brew Review………………… ……. Pg. 12 Calendar……………………… …… Pg. 14

through osmosis, they have no choice or they really want to learn? OOur delight in beer, and brewing, borders on obsession; a passion that our wives, husbands, or significant others allow us to have and interact with. The only questions that remain are of what forms does this passion – beer - possess? The characteristics of this lady vary and can be quite complex. HBelgium; others possess an English, Irish or Czech heritage; while some evolved over time to form unique American personalities. Tred to foreign blond to dark haired with ruby highlights. Does her expression change whether she radiates in copper or sparkles in gold? Mstrength and character of this lady varies widely: assertive to restrained, intense to subtle; brilliant and bright to nutty. Hcleanly crisp to assist with summer heat while others combat snow and cold with a big and strong winter warming. S

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prefer to bite you with a lingering bitterness one still enjoys. You know you’re in for a treat (or surprise) if she prefers to be sour or tart or is named ‘Brett’. Traditional and established Noble backgrounds flourish while others are even considered Imperial with an ancestry of complex, deep and luscious characteristics.

Sometimes like the smell of freshly baked bread, a number of them bestow toasty and biscuity traits while others employ multidimensional fruitiness. And as with some ladies, instances abound when unpredictability swoops in like chocolate - hitting from different directions – sweet or bitter.

Others lure us to their side with their tempting perfumes, capturing our imagination with floral, fruity, spicy and minty scents. They cast our minds back to memories of woodland picnics with their piney, grassy and earthen aromas. Some smoke, enveloping our senses in lush rings of smoldering playfulness.

While one lady shows wonderful poise & balance, others thrive on countering equilibrium by leaning toward either the sweet side or the spicy side of life. Regardless, they remain irresistible.

They reveal their bodies in various forms of dress; some unique to their style alone – long slender stange, tulip, goblet, chalice, flute, stein, snifter. Most tempt us, exhibiting staying power and leaving a little leg behind. Like any of us, age creeps into their lives. Some mature well and grow old gracefully, standing up to the test of time. Others perform with vigor while younger and fresher. Many adhere to today’s styles while others prefer to break trends and exhibit uniqueness. Some visit year round while others sneak into our lives at different

seasons to tease us and then steal away equally fast leaving us longing for more. Our individual preferences of this wonderful passion we share are many; not only do they vary from person to person but they probably change throughout the time of year as well. So, what do we do with all these amazing stylistic personality traits? How do we meaningfully incorporate them into our lives, and those around us? It’s simple – embrace them; recognize them for what they are (whether you like them or not); enjoy them and most of all share them. Especially with those amongst us who are our first loves and allow us to trespass with another love that is also near and dear to us.

Steeping Grains

By Bill Lynch

Homebrewers today are quite fortunate in that they have access to a greater variety of fresher, high quality ingredients than ever. This is particularly true for those of us who choose to use malt extract to brew. Excellent award winning beers can be created using fresh malt extract, a style appropriate liquid yeast and a small amount of steeped grains. The judicious use of a small quantity of fresh steeped grains will allow you to control the color and flavor of extract beers by extracting sugars and flavored compounds from the husk. But under the wrong conditions excess tannins can be extracted leading to astringent flavors in the beer. There are a few things you can do, however, to keep from extracting excess tannins while steeping. What Grains Can Be Steeped? There are basically two kinds of malts: those that need to be mashed and those that don't. Mashing is the hot water soaking process that provides the right conditions for the

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enzymes to convert the grain starches into fermentable sugars. Specialty malts like caramel and roasted malts do not need to be mashed but are wonderful for steeping. These malts have undergone a special kilning process in which the starches are converted to sugars by heat right inside the hull. As a result, these malts contain more complex sugars, some of which do not ferment, leaving a pleasant caramel-like sweetness. Other grains are lightly toasted, like carapils, Victory or biscuit malt. These grains often give off a nutty taste. Steeping these grains will add body and unfermentable sugars to your beer. Some recipes actually call for malts such as pale malt, Munich malt or pilsner malt to be steeped. These would be acceptable when performing a mini-mash (to be covered in a later newsletter) but I stay away from use of these malts in the steeping process as they provide little or no character to the finished product. What Method to Use? There are a few different methods of steeping grains. I will address the method that has brought me considerable success over the years. If you are using another method and are satisfied with your results, by all means continue to use it. However, one aspect of steeping that I feel very strongly about is to steep in either a grain bag or a muslin bag. Personally I use muslin bags because they’re easy, disposable and retain the grains nicely.

Steeping specialty grain is like making tea. The crushed grain is soaked in hot 150 - 155°F degree water for 30 minutes. Even though a color change will be noticeable early on, steep for the entire 30 minutes to get as much of the available sugar dissolved into the wort as possible. The grain is removed from the water and that water (now a wort) is then used to dissolve the extract for the boil.

Size Matters The biggest mistake that beginning homebrewers make is that they steep their grains in a quantity of water that is too great, therefore extracting all of the goodness from the grain too quickly. The sugars from the grain will dissolve quickly and you will extract a lot of color and flavors from the husk. But you will also extract excessive tannins from the husk. This will produce a beer which will have a mouth puckering, dry astringent quality. The rule of thumb that I always follow is to use 3 quarts of water for every pound of specialty grains that I am going to steep. I rarely exceed a pound and a half of steeping grains The Process My process calls for the following equipment:

• A pot separate from my brewpot for steeping

• Muslin bags to hold the grain • A large strainer • A small pot into which a small

amount of rinse water can be heated Let’s assume that the recipe calls for a pound and a half of steeping grains. Heat 5 quarts of water to 155 degrees. Place the bag containing the grains into the water and bring the temperature back to 155 degrees; the addition of the grains will cause the temperature to drop. Ensure that water completely surrounds the grains and steep for a minimum of 30 minutes. Steeping up to an hour is acceptable, especially if you’re steeping a larger quantity (I’ve never steeped more than two pounds of grain) but do not exceed an hour and maintain the temperature between 150 – 155 degrees. When you’ve completed steeping, remove the pot from the heat and proceed to heat a pint of water to 150 degrees. Once this water is heated, remove the bag of grains,

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holding it above the water in which they were steeped and carefully place it in your strainer. Allow it to complete dripping. Under no circumstances should you squeeze the bag as this will likely release unwanted tannins from the now spent grain. Pour the heated water over the grains to extract the remaining goodness. At this point you are simply rinsing the grains thus a small quantity of water will suffice. Remove the strainer and add additional water into which you will add the malt extract and hops once the boil commences. As previously mentioned, there are other methods employed to steep grains. One calls for adding the steeping grains to water into which the full volume of malt extract has been added; another calls for the grains to be added to cold water and the water brought to a boil at which time the grains are removed. The method described above has proved to be very successful over the years and it’s a method that I will continue to use.

SCOTTISH ALES

By Jason Teeter

Anybody who loves full malty beers owes it to themselves to try some Scottish ales. Heck, anybody who loves beer owes it to themselves to try some Scottish ales. Caramelly sweet but not cloying, sometimes slightly nutty and often with a hint of smoke along with an unexpected dryness at the end, these beers make a perfect accompaniment to a chilly evening in front of a fire with a good book. With all this going for them, it's no wonder many brewers make brewing the perfect 80/- or Wee Heavy a worthy obsession. At first glance, Scottish ales appear similar enough to their English cousins. Once you have tasted them, however, you will have no doubt that they are a unique family of beers, fully deserving of their own style classification.

Scottish ales are subdivided in a manner roughly parallel to the English family of bitters. The nomenclature commonly used is based on an antiquated pricing system based on gravity. The symbol “/-” means “shilling,” The following are the 2004 BJCP Style Guidelines for Scottish Ales: 60/- “Light”: OG 1.030- 1.035 10-20 IBU 2.5%- 3.2% ABV 70/- “Heavy”: OG 1.035- 1.040 10- 25 IBU 3.2%- 3.9% ABV 80/- “Export”: OG 1.040- 1.054 15- 30 IBU 3.9%- 5% 120/- “Wee Heavy”: OG 1.070- 1.130 17- 35 IBU 6.5%- 10% ABV. Flavor profile: The 2004 BJCP guidelines give the same description for all the substyles except for wee heavy. I too will treat them the same, differentiating only by gravity and alcohol content. Here is what they have to say on the matter: “Malt is the primary flavor, but isn't overly strong. The initial malty sweetness is usually accentuated by a low to moderate kettle caramelization, and is sometimes accompanied by a low diacetyl component. Fruity esters may be moderate to none. Hop bitterness is low to moderate, but the balance will always be towards the malt (although not always by much). Hop flavor is low to none. A low to moderate peaty character is optional, and may be perceived as earthy or smoky. Generally has a grainy, dry finish due to small amounts of unmalted roasted barley.” MALT Scottish ales, first and foremost, are all about malt.They should start malty, follow up malty and finish malty. Some of the best

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barley in the world is grown in Scotland and the local brewers are not shy about showing it off. Rumors circulate that another alcoholic beverage is made in Scotland from this lovely barley, but they have yet to be confirmed as of this writing. Even a 2.5% 60/- ale should be decidedly malty. This is much easier to accomplish than it sounds when you are using a high quality imported malt, one with enough character to assert itself when used in small quantities. Needless to say, the selection of your base grain is of paramount importance. While some passable Scottish ales have been made by American micros using US grown barley, they lack the depth the imported and homebrewed examples brewed from UK barley exhibit. Fortunately for us homebrewers, the price difference for a five gallon batch between American 2-row and UK pale malt is easily affordable for even the most destitute brewer. As far as varieties go, there are several good choices. The British standby, Maris Otter, is of course well suited here, as are Optic, Halcyon, Pipkin and plain old “British Pale Malt,” which is usually Pearl. Special mention should be made of Golden Promise, as early tests & extensive sampling indicate excellent results. It has a lighter, less nutty flavor than Maris Otter, and it caramelizes with a “purer” flavor, for want of a better term, that is in no way lacking the depth that has rightfully made Maris Otter the de facto standard UK base malt for homebrewers. Several Scottish breweries use Golden Promise as their base malt, as does Timothy Taylor for their lauded Landlord Ale. Extract brewers need not worry, as the DME sold by the vast majority of suppliers (including our local source) is Munton's, an English brand of the highest quality. The malt profile of Scottish brews needs to have a strong caramel component. This should come not from excessive use of crystal malts but from the combination of

high mash temperature and significantly greater than average kettle caramelization. There are a couple ways to go about achieving this. First is to extend the boil. Extract brewers actually have an advantage here, as the higher gravity in the kettle of a partial volume boil will caramelize more & faster than the equivalent all-grain full volume boil. Three to eight hour boil times are not unheard of. Another technique for all-grain brewers is to turn on the burner as soon as the first runnings are in the kettle, boiling rapidly while lautering. The most popular, as well as one of the more effective ways to get a strong caramel flavor, is to transfer a portion of your wort to a smaller pot & boil it rapidly on the stove until it has reduced to a thick syrup, adding it back to the main kettle when caramelized to your liking. Special care must be taken when utilizing the last two techniques, stirring & smelling constantly to ensure you don't scorch the concentrated sugars, adding a most undesirable burnt flavor. Crystal malt, while not used in traditional Scottish breweries of yore, does have a place in Scottish ales made today. It should be used in quantities less than the high final gravity would suggest, as that is a result of a combination of a dextrinous high temperature mash, unfermentable caramel produced during the boil and low attenuating yeast fermented at the cool end of the temperature range. When used, most brewers don't go over 5%, and never more than 10% of the grist. Like the base grain, imported crystal malts give much better results here. Munton's & Thomas Fawcett crystal are available locally and are of excellent quality. I have had good results with the pure, light, caramel flavor contributed by Belgian Caravienne, too. A critical and often underreported part of the grain bill is roasted barley. This is thought to originate in that legendary Scottish frugality. Commercial breweries used to malt their

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own grains. A certain percentage of the grain would fail to germinate, and since the brewer paid good money for all of the grain, it was not to be thrown out. Instead, it was roasted in the kiln, then added into the mash with the rest of the grains. Usage is typically between ½% to 2%, never exceeding 3%. These are not roasty beers by any stretch. Instead, the roasted barley contributes color and a dryness that helps balance the very sweet, lightly hopped wort. Finally we come to the biggest argument regarding Scottish ales: the issue of smoke. Debate raged back and forth for years as to whether any sort of smoked malt is appropriate in a Scottish ale. Rather than rehash the debate, I'll sum up the consensus that was reached in the brewing community: while peated and/or smoked malt are not at all traditional in Scotland, they have become part of the emerging American interpretive tradition. Scottish yeasts throw a smoky phenol (guaiacol for those of you taking notes), and the roasted barley & kettle caramelization also contribute to the perception of smoke in these beers. If you do wish to add some peated or rauch malt, use it sparingly if you are trying to stay within style guidelines. HOPS: This section, much like their use, is minimal. Scotland is a very cold place and hops simply do not grow there. That means they must be imported, making them very expensive. Adding insult to injury, they were most often imported from England, the target of long standing animosity from much of the Scottish population. This adds up to minimal usage for the traditional styles, just enough to keep the sweetness of the malt profile from becoming cloying. The varieties are usually the highest quality available, typically East Kent Goldings and/or Fuggles. They are added once at the beginning of the boil. Late hop character is rarely apparent in traditional interpretations. The late Bert Grant made a Scottish ale with an assertive hop presence, as befit his hop

loving personality. While a truly excellent beer, it would fare poorly if entered into competition. YEAST: As with most traditional beer styles, a pure yeast culture from the region of origin is the best approach. This is less of a concern with Scottish ales than most other beer styles. The most important yeast contributions are a low ester profile and low attenuation, both of which can be achieved using an ale yeast at the lower end of its temperature range. Many fine Scottish ales have been made using English yeasts fermented cool. The two Scottish strains most commonly available to homebrewers, White Labs 028 and Wyeast 1728, both produce excellent results. Fermentation should take place cooler than is typical for other strains, in the mid to upper fifties if possible. This will result in a longer primary fermentation period, along the line of two to three weeks. If you have the capability, an extended period of cold conditioning greatly improves these beers, although it is by no means necessary. My own experience with these two yeasts has been that the White Labs strain is cleaner tasting, while the Wyeast version can ferment about five degrees cooler and gives more of the smoky phenol. The smokiness requires considerable age to really become noticeable. I like to age my 80/- & Wee Heavies for a year to really accentuate this characteristic. Tying it all together To sum it all up, keep the following guidelines in mind when brewing your next Scottish ale: - Use high quality UK malt/extract, along with a touch of roasted barley - Caramelize the wort - Use only bittering hops, and use them sparingly - Ferment cool, preferably with a Scottish strain - Use a light hand if adding peated/smoked malt

Additional Reading: Many great sources of information exist out there for those who wish to learn more about this wonderful family of beers. Here is a very incomplete list:

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- ”Designing Great Beers” by Ray Daniels has an excellent chapter on Scottish ales. - ”Scotch Ales” by Greg Noonan, from the “Classic Beer Styles.” Unfortunately this one has yet to get the overhaul that others in this series have. The information contained within is still solid, however. - 2004 BJCP Style Guidelines, available @: www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category9.html

Making a Homemade Brew Kettle

by Scott Wallace

This article will guide you through the process I go through when I build a brew kettle. The first and most important thing to think about when doing this kind of work is SAFETY. Eye protection and ear protection are required. The metal will be flying and it will be extremely loud. The power tools you will need are a Reciprocating saw, a heavy duty hand grinder with a hard rock disc and a 3/8” Variable Speed drill.

The drills shown here will be needed to drill the holes that will allow you to get the saw blade through the keg top to start cutting. You will also drill a hole for the fitting and ball valve.

I made a template out of cardboard to trace the circle. Measure the inside of the lid you will use and make a template to that diameter.

Center the template on top of the keg and trace the template using a Sharpie marker. Be careful the template doesn't move around.

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Look at the circle you traced to make sure it is reasonably centered and round. Mark 3 or 4 holes equally spaced around the perimeter of the circle not less than 7/16" from the edge of the circle. Drill pilot holes with the center drill. Drill through with the 7/8" step drill. If you are using a larger step drill be sure to stop at the 7/8" mark. Or be sure that the distance from the edge is no less than half of the diameter of the drill you are using. Push hard when you drill, the unibit has to cut continuously or it can burn up. Cool the bit intermittently with cold water.

Now you can get the blade of the saw in the keg. Cut around the circle. Be sure to stay inside the line. Be sure the keg is secure when you cut as it vibrates a lot. I usually use a corner of my brickhouse to shove it into. Keep the blade cool with some cold water. All of this can be avoided if you have access to a plasma cutter. If not, start sawing.

After the keg is cut and the guts have been extracted, you will grind it until it is round and smooth. I rest my hand against the inside of the top ring and use it to guide the grinder in a nice circular motion. Check the hole size with your lid periodically to insure a good fit. After this step some finish sanding will be needed.

The kettle should now look like this. Yes, I said kettle. It's not a keg anymore. Use your hands to make sure there are no sharp edges you will cut yourself on later when you’re brewing. I recommend wearing gloves when you do this. Be careful.

Now it's time to drill the 7/8" hole for the valve. Be sure it is high enough above the weld to accomodate whatever type fitting you will use. Drill it so that the hole is centered between the handles of the keg. Remove any burrs from around the hole.

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Be sure all threads are wrapped with teflon tape. Which can be bought at any hardware or auto parts store.

Here we used a 2" long 304 Stainless 1/2" NPT nipple. Stainless welding is tricky. We recommend that you have a professional do your stainless welding for you. Here we ther. We

Well, here it is:

avoided welding all togeused a Weld-B-Gone fitting from Zymico. The kit comes with full instructions.

One finished brew kettle ready for brew day.

Harveys Brewery, UK

Harveys Brewery of Lewes, E. Sussex, UK

On September 4th after two retirement

ours are only offered on two occasions per

By Jason Randall

After enduring 30 years in the volatile Mental Health system it seemed best to celebrate with a month in Europe.

parties I flew to London Gatwick. I often visit my sister and her family who have lived in the UK for almost two decades before exploring further. One of the first things she told me was that she had a tour of Harvey’s Brewery booked for me and her husband Clive. I had longed desired to tour the classic brewery that has a dominant position in the town of Lewes on the river Ouse. Tmonth and usually booked a year or two in advance. I had toured the great King and Barnes Brewery of Horsham years earlier before a group of speculators bought the brewery just to get its attached pubs and

then promptly closed the brewery. Harvey’s is among the last of its kind.

“The name of Harvey has long been associated with the supply of beers, wines and spirits in Sussex. Records of 1794 recall the delivery of Old Red Port, Sherry and Claret within a twenty mile radius of the medieval town of Lewes. However, it was under the management of John Harvey (1784-1862) that the Bridge Wharf Brewery was established on its present site by the River Ouse, overlooking Cliffe Bridge, Lewes.

In 1880 part of the original Georgian Brewery was rebuilt and this portion, the Tower and Brew House, dominates the scene from Cliffe Bridge. This is a beautiful example of a country brewery in Victorian Gothic Design. Behind it stands the other half of the brewery, the Georgian fermenting room, cellars and Vat House. The fermenting room and cellars structurally have remained unchanged although they now house modern plant and equipment. The same applies to the Brew House, but the Vat House has now been converted into a modern bottling hall.

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In 1984 a second brewing line was completed, doubling the production capacity from 25,000 to 50,000 barrels a year. The building for this new plant has been added in front of the Tower in a similar Gothic style, right down to the arched ironwork window.

Today, Harveys remains an independent, family company with a seventh generation of Harvey's descendants involved in its affairs. Selecting the finest quality Pale and Mild Ale malts, together with the choicest Kent and Sussex hops, brewing from our own fresh spring water, and a yeast which has remained unchanged in the brewery for four decades, has resulted in a range of beers which have delighted the people of Sussex and neighbouring counties for many years.” http://www.harveys.org.uk/

Year round cask conditioned ales include: Sussex Best Bitter, Armada Ale and XX Dark Mild.

Harveys produces 18 bottled beers, mostly on a seasonal basis, some of which are also available on cask. The seasonals include their historic porter (based on Henry Harvey’s 1859

brewing journal), Elizabethan Ale (barley wine), Russian Imperial Stout and their Christmas Ale. They also feature some commemorative ales such as Armada Ale (originally commissioned by the National Maritime Museum for defeat of the Spanish), Tom Paine – commemorates the bicentennial of Tom Paine’s “The Rights of Man” and Fire Boy – brewed to commemorate the fire brigade during the brewery fire of 1996 and is brewed for Lewes Bonfire celebrations each year. Harvey’s has been producing beers with their own signature yeast that has not

changed in the past 40 years. They produce one of the widest arrays of specialty beers while also producing a consistent Bitter that is distributed within a 30 mile radius. The brewery sells only to pubs that take good care of their real ale.

“Harveys were delighted to announce that on Tuesday 1st August 2006 in an unprecedented repeat victory at CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival, Harveys won the Best Bitter Category for the second successive year.”

Sussex Best Bitter - “Brewed for a Sussex palate using four different hop varieties, this has 38 units of bitterness. It's a resiny, floral, spicy hymn to the hop. It's all about sublime, classic English hop varieties. The maltiness is balanced by tart fruit and hoppiness, dry in the finish. Simply superb.” From Barry Neild – CNN – “Six of the Best”. Harveys uses only aged Kentish and Sussex hops which are considerably more expensive than continental or their American counterparts.

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Our tour was guided by Hamish Elder, co-manager/director of Harvey’s and a descendent of the original founder. His tour was the best brewery tour I’ve had period. He knew extensively about the history of Harvey’s and about every aspect of brewing, keeping and serving their product. Their fermentation room has large open fermentation tanks which have a thick layer of yeast on top. By demonstration, a lighter held nearby will be snuffed out from the escaping CO2.

After the excellent tour of Harveys we descended to the cellar where the kegs are filled. Here we were treated to an extensive tasting of most all the beers they produce. Finding a small family run brewery in England – particularly one that has a long history is becoming increasingly rare. The well known CAMRA organization has been the major force in traditional pubs taking pride in serving real ales. One should avoid the chain pubs that rarely have traditional ales and if they do they aren’t well taken care of and are usually noisy and unappealing. It is also discouraging to see that many of the young blokes drink lager and with little care or appreciation for their native brews. On the other hand, despite buyouts and closings of many breweries, the microbrewery movement is alive and well in Britain thanks to a tax break they now take advantage of and numerous beer festivals. It is heartening to see a number of guest ales from very small operations served in many of the better pubs. Re-educating the public is a constant job – wouldn’t you agree? In the next newsletter- Part 2 “The Baltic Fleet Brewpub of Liverpool and C.K. Browar of Krakow, Poland”.

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The Brew Review In the Brew Review, contributing writers all gathered to taste and judge beers at my house (Brian). Willing participants included Bill Lynch, Jason Randall and Jason Teeter. We conducted head-to-head blind tastings of two different beers from each of 5 styles. In the first four tastings, one beer in each style was brewed in its ‘homeland’ and competed against an American-brewed equivalent (i.e. German pils brewed in Germany vs. German pils brewed in the USA). In addition, since we were in the middle of March Madness we had a “Final Four” bracket of 4 US-brewed IPA’s that competed in 2 semifinal rounds eventually leading to an overall winner. BJCP guidelines were used and all of our written comments are combined here. So without further ado, here is the Brew Review. German Pils Bitburger vs. Victory Prima Pils Bitburger – Brilliant light gold, very clear. Fine, spicy, clean noble hops aroma. Balance on hops both in aroma and flavor. Sweet, buttery (not diacetyl) full German malt flavor with minty noble bitterness. Excellent beer. Crisp noble character, hop bitterness, high sulfate water. Dry, classic pils. Victory Prima Pils – Clear light gold color. Mild aroma, somewhat fruity, yeasty with less hop impact. Huskier malt flavor with nice toasty finish. More hop flavor. Softer, less crisp and clean than Bitburger, but well made. Very drinkable and refreshing. Winner: Bitburger – classic, elegant German Pils. Irish Red Smithwicks vs. Retro Red (Fort Collins) Smithwicks – Light brownish-red color. Malty nose with no hops. Slightly toasty with caramel. A light roast finish; classic

roast barley cutoff. No hop flavor. Dry finish. Well balanced. Slight diacetyl. Much more delicate than domestic competitor. Clean and smooth. Retro Red – Red in color. Malt nose and fruity/sweet smelling. No roast with sweet, hoppy flavor. Slight vegetal. Poor balance, too much crystal. Low hop bitterness, nice malty caramel character. Hop flavor and sweet malt a bit extreme – fighting for control of brew. Medium sweet flavor. Winner: Smithwicks – Enjoyable, stylish Irish Red Belgian Dubbel Chimay Red vs. Ommegang Abbey Ale Chimay Red – Dark amber with reddish tints. Spicy aroma with sweet taste that is yeast-driven. Slight astringency in nose. No hops. Subtle malt with medium–sweet malt taste; some raisins but no dominate fruity esters. Some caramel and burnt toffee. Clove/allspice. Medium-full body. Finishes dry and digestable. Subtle and typical to style. Ommegang Abbey – Brown with garnet tinges. Sweet nose, hot and intense. Fruity, with cherries, plums and some raisin. Robust aroma and flavor. Alcohol fumes rise. Malty, roast, sweet initially with semi-dry to dry finish. Fuller body & slightly cloying. Yeast character over-ridden by the malts. Retains warmth. Even after more than a year of cellaring this brew proved more adventurous and pushed everything to the limit; maybe too much so for the style. Winner: Chimay Red – too elegant of a dubbel to ignore. Baltic Porter Stepan Razin vs. Flying Dog Imperial Gonzo Stepan Razin – “from Russia with love”- Dark reddish-brown color. Aroma includes

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chocolate, fig, raisins, and slight cherries, plum, prunes. Sweet caramel flavor with some roast and slight alcohol. Initial sweetness, dark fruity flavors, port-like, chocolate and licorice. Slight hop flavor. Clean lager and less alcohol than Gonzo. Imperial Gonzo – “from Denver with love” – Thick, deep, dark brown, almost black color. Big malt aroma with lots of chocolate and some dried fruit (fig), medium hop aroma. Rich/complex malt flavor with chocolate, caramel/toffee, dried fruit, roasty and enough hops (but not obtrusive). Well balanced. Creamy but with alcohol warmth. Black patent clear and ale yeast. Smooth and silky. A little less to style with the hops vs. Razin. Winner: This was a toss up. Although significantly different from each other both were well made and within style guidelines. Personal preferences entered the fray and the vote said “Go Gonzo”. Barley Wine Sierra Nevada Bigfoot vs. Anchor Foghorn Bigfoot – 2005 vintage. Rich malty nose. Assertive citrus and piney hop aroma and flavor but well balanced with malt. Intense malt with caramel, fruity medium-sweet flavor. Strong hop bitterness lingers. Clear alcohol presence. Very complex and full tasting in all aspects of malt, hops and yeast. Excellent beer. More intense than Foghorn. Foghorn – 2004 vintage. Sherry aroma and flavor from oxidation prevalent throughout tasting. Balance is with malt, with less hop aroma/flavor than Bigfoot. Sherry-like, fruity on palate, nutty malt, raisiny. Sweeter and smoother and less bitter than Bigfoot. Slightly higher alcohol presence probably from oxidative notes. Winner: Bigfoot – who could complain about that?

Hop Madness – IPA Final Four To prevent any “arguments” the next time you see any of us: these “Final Four” beers are not necessarily what we consider the best from each region but 1) are very good/enjoyable brews that would give most a run for their money and 2) they were available locally at the time of purchase. East vs. Mountain Weyerbacher Hops Infusion vs. Avery India Pale Ale Hops Infusion – Slight yellowish to gold color. Perfumy, resiny, hop-laden aroma with clean malt in background. Complex hop flavor and bitterness is exquisite (both American and English hops). Bitterness hits with medium impact but lingers on the tongue. Malt supports wonderful hop bitterness. Slight alcohol present and finishes wonderfully. Avery – Yellow to medium gold color. Off aroma and flavor, almost mildewy; ‘smells like socks’. Light hop aroma; more malt. Not necessarily pleasant. Hop/malt flavor balanced but thin body and weak hops. More like an APA. Not your typical Avery product and probably abused in shipping or storage as faulty aroma/flavor were clearly evident. Winner: Hops Infusion – hands down. South vs. West Highland Brewing Kashmir IPA vs. Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ Kashmir IPA – Golden color. Solid balance of malt and hops (both American and English hops). Classic grassy aroma/flavor; mild clean malt aroma. Medium hop flavor – earthy/spicy. Medium malt supports hops. Crisp bitterness with dry finish. Sulfate in water? Hop Ottin’ – Dark gold color. Simcoe, Amarillo hops, heavier crystal/caramel malt profile than Kashmir. Disappointing nose

with lack of hop aroma and more sweet malt. Plenty of citrus hop flavor (more lemon vs. grapefruit) backed by strong malt flavor; well balanced. Medium-high bitterness. Medium body with dry, but smooth, lingering finish. Slight alcohol presence. Hoppier and fruitier than Kashmir. Winner: This wasn’t as easy a decision as the first semifinal but after a brief discussion and vote, Kashmir advanced to the finals.

Hop Madness Champion Weyerbacher Hops Infusion – far and above the best of the IPA’s we tasted. Fantastic, complex hops throughout (they use 7 different types of hops in this brew) with the perfect balance/support of malt. If we didn’t have to work the next day we probably would have drunk more!

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CALENDAR

May 2nd – CBM club meeting May 5th - Big Brew May 11 – 12, National judging AHA Club-only – Extract beers (CBM round held at April meeting) May 12, US Open – Carolina Beer & Beverage June 6th – CBM club meeting June 21 – 23 AHA National Homebrewers Conference Denver, CO July 11th – CBM club meeting (probable since July 4th would be the regular date) August 1st – CBM club meeting September 5th - CBM club meeting September 29th Charlotte Oktoberfest – 9th Annual

CBM Officers

Brian Beauchemin - President Jeanette Smith – VP Oktoberfest Ray McCoy - VP Education Ben Dolphens – VP Social Rick Benfield – VP Recruitment Charles Scheffer – VP Competition Felton Dengler – Treasurer Gary Cathey – Web Master

If you have any interest in learning more about the BrewMasters’ Officer Positions please contact us. We’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

www.carolinabrewmasters.com

For local homebrew supplies please visit: Alternative Beverage

114 Freeland Lane Ste E Charlotte, NC 28217

http://www.ebrew.com/ 704.527.2337