Maple Bacon Stout Brewing

I'm back!  I know it has been a rough month for the constant influx of viewers.  Unfortunately other priorities are supposed to come before beer (horrible, I know) and therefore have been suspiciously absent on the interwebs.  That being said, I am back to brewing!  Well... somewhat.

Over Thanksgiving I went home and was able to temporarily get back to brewing.  Since it was Thanksgiving and I haven't brewed in a while, I wanted to do something special.  BOOM!  Bacon.  What is more American than to brew a bacon beer at Thanksgiving time?  Nothing I say, nothing!  I thought about using smoked malt again but decided against that, and besides. I didn't want five gallons of bacon beer.  Instead, I remembered Rogue trying to make a maple bacon porter yet underwhelming most people when it was released as a maple bacon brown ale.  I decided to one up them and make a maple bacon stout.

The recipe I used was based off the recipe I did for the pumpkin sweet stout (please do not judge me) earlier, but with some tweeks:

10 lbs English Maris Otter
0.75 lb English Black Malt
0.75 lb Briess Caramel (80 L)
0.50 lb Fawcett Pale Chocolate
1 lb Lactose sugar

Yeast: Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale

Mash in: 152 degrees
Sparge: 175 degrees

Original gravity: 1.062
Final gravity: 1.022

Apparently all the time off from brewing made be a little lazy and forgetful.  I didn't have time to make a yeast starter and the yeast nutrient container in the smack pack wouldn't break upon smacking.  Sigh.  As well, I forgot to add the sugar to the boil and had to improvise adding it after.  That being said, upon moving to secondary it tasted dandy... for now.

12/30: Split the batch into two 3 gallon glass carboys and added 24-32 oz of maple syrup each.  Mosher's radical brewing stated that adding maple syrup to the secondary will give a bigger maple syrup smell.  I obediently listened.  Will be adding my bacon fat wash when bottling next week and will update with a post about the process.  The other half will just be a maple sweet stout.  Joy!  Happy new year!

1/4: Tried my first attempt at fat washing

Deschutes Fresh Hop Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Well I was lucky enough to be the recipient for a couple of beers the other week.  I guess I can temporarily hold off any sarcastic remarks towards you this week.  Don't expect this to last for long though.  Also, I'm aware that I haven't exactly been on top of getting that Chicago beer to you.  Uhhhhhh..... sorry?

Anyways, I have been wanting to try Deschutes for a really long time so when I saw the name on the bottle I jumped a little bit.  A little excessive?  Maybe, but I have been known for worse so you should be happy.

Deschutes Fresh Hope Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Appearance- Golden-orange in color with an off white head.  The head holds strong as sticky lacing grabs to the side of the glass with all its might.

Smell- The citrus hops attack the nostrils immediately with a bit of a pine and resin afterthought.  Although the hops are strong, there is a caramel malt balance to help remind you this is a Pale Ale rather than an IPA.  Beneath the citrus hops a little bit of pear also just inches through.

Taste- A delicious citrus hop flavor comes through in the beginning with hints of grapefruit dotted along the way.  A decent maltiness balances in the middle but the taste fades a little towards the end.  It almost taste a little woody, I’m leaning towards saying it has some astringency.  Bitterness builds towards the middle and continues towards the finish, only reaching moderate levels.

Mouthfeel- Medium to medium-light body with moderate carbonation that is slightly prickly on the tongue.

Overall- Nice start from Deschutes.  Now if only I could get everything else they offer…

Well Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope it is wonderful.  This time of year means I get to listen to my family explain how Notre Dame football has let them down for another year.  I must admit that the insults have not been as fun since Charlie Weiss left, but I suspect that this year could bring something special.  Call me an optimist.  I hope everyone else has wonderful conversation as well!

Haymarket Pub & Brewery

Apparently someone was so upset from not reading any new wonderful posts from me that he had to complain about it.  Unfortunately, being a real person is quite the drag and other priorities needed to be taken care of first.  That being said, I'm back after the short break so everyone can stop worrying.  I know my time away was detrimental to your well being.

Last weeks adventures brought me to Haymarket Pub & Brewery.  I had passed it multiple times and now I wish I would have ducked in much sooner.  The inside is pretty similar to any restaurant, but with the exception of their brewing system being quite visible behind glass and with doors open.  This does let some of the brewing smell out, but really not that much.  More importantly, it tempted me to sneak in.  My curiosity fortunately did not trump my not wanting to get thrown out.

Haymarket seems to have a focus on Belgian beers, and they do them quite well to say the least.  All of the beers (except for the barrel aged) are available in multiple sizes: 12 oz., 16 oz., 20 oz., and I believe a smaller sample but I can't remember at the moment.  I started with the ill-named Angry Bird Belgian Rye I.P.A. and needless to say I was blown away.  After tasting it, I wasn't surprised to look up and see the giant banner telling me it won the gold medal at the  2011 Great American Beer Festival for the American-Belgo -Style Ale.  I have yet to taste an example with better yeast flavor development and just enough hop balance without either being overbearing.  Fairly soon I looked down to find I drank mine at an alarming rate and needed another beer.  Opps...

The food menu was mostly burgers and sandwiches, once again keeping with the theme I have apparently picked up with the places I visit.  Unfortunately, their sandwiches don't come with any sides (fries, chips, vegetables, etc.) yet keep the same price you would expect them to have if they did.  I also think it was around $4 to add a side of fries.  Settle down, Haymarket.  Is there a potato shortage or something?  Adding on to that, a growler fill is around $40?  I want nothing more than to fill your sweet growlers with Belgian I.P.A. but you are making it quite difficult.  Don't you know I have no money?  More people should tailor to my demands.

I plan to make it back to Haymarket in the future and hopefully they will let me to lay directly beneath their Belgian I.P.A. tap.  Please?  Also, their website apparently voices their support for Drinking & Writing.  Fans of Fitzgerald and Hemmingway, Haymarket?  I have a great idea, you support my writing by giving me growlers of your delicious beer!  That way I'll seem more like a tortured soul when I attempt (poorly) to write things down.

Also, a couple days following this I was able to see Paul Simon in concert because of the generosity of a friend.  Although it was missing a certain Garfunkel factor, it rounded out the weekend quite nicely.

Chicago Beer Hoptacular

On Saturday I went with a couple of friends to the Chicago Beer Hoptacular at the Aragon Ballroom.  Festivals are great and beer is fantastic, so adding them together could never go wrong.  I got there 15 minutes late to see a line stretching around the block and into the parking lot of a shopping center around the corner.  Luckily, this was not appreciated by the shopping center so someone from Aragon grabbed the end of the line and led us through an empty parking lot cutting off half the people in line.  This reaffirms my belief that my ability to show up late is a blessing.

Upon entering Aragon we were presented with our 2 oz. tasting glasses and let free to taste all the beers our heart desired.  The floor was absolutely packed with different brewery stands and people.  I think they may have been trying to push the limit with how many tickets they sold.

That being said, I was able to taste a good amount of local beers that I haven't had the chance to (I know I encourage drinking local, but making negative money doesn't give me that many chances to explore).  Piece and Wild Onion were both there along with Half Acre and I enjoyed all of them.  I apologize Piece, I have been saying I will go visit you for quite some time, but maybe my enjoyment of your beers will give me the extra push I need.  Maybe you should give me a free growler to seal the deal?  Yeah?  Wink wink, nudge nudge.  No?  Alright, I'll stop talking.

On the larger end, I was really glad to see New Belgium included two of their installments in the Lips of Faith Series instead of just Fat Tire while Goose Island included Matilda, Sofie, Lazarus, and Bourbon County.  I'm sure they had some others, but its safe to say were my eyes were fixed.

Besides the beer, a local coffee place called Dark Matter Coffee was there giving away free coffee.  Upon further investigation, the interwebs tells me it is from Starlounge Coffee Cafe.  They have a link for Dark Matter Coffee, but I'm not really seeing the connection...  Anyways, when I cam up they didn't have any coffee brewed so they offered me a shot of espresso instead.  Don't mind if I do!  It seems they are pretty dedicated to local preparation and such and maybe a future visit is in order?  I'll be sure to bring my computer and write the next Great American novel as I laugh at the uncultured people passing by.  Ha!  How sad are they?

Jak's Tap

New month and more importantly, happy no shave November (or Movember, whichever you please)!  Facial hair holidays are the best, unless you are anyone that has to look at me.  My school has a mustache contest for charity, so this year I can actually use an excuse.  Take that family at Thanksgiving!

I have been meaning to post something about Jak's Tap seeing as it is right next to me, but it has slipped my mind the past couple of weeks.  I wandered into Jak's Tap shortly after I moved to Chicago for a quick bite to eat and found a selection of beer that was a pleasant surprise.  A place next to me that sells delicious beer?  It is only with the greatest self restraint that I am still in school and possess money.

Jak's is the first place that I had Lost Abbey and can supply a nice fix of Gumballhead should the occasion arise.  Hey, when's the last time you had Gumballhead constantly on tap right across the street from you?  Never you say?   Bummer.  A good amount of the American craft beers linger around $5 with some dipping below, a surprise I wasn't expecting.  Apparently Jak's makes up for this by gauging their prices for any beer with the label "import".  $8.25 for a Weihenstephaner hefe is the most expensive I have seen the beer in the city so far.  It makes it even worse that I like this beer, but I might as well get it somewhere else.  Come on Jak, step your game up.

On the food side, there is a selection of the basic bar food that most people are used to.  I haven't ventured to far as a result of not possessing vast amounts of money, but the carnita tacos were loaded and delicious while the burger was nothing special.  The burger did come with the option of jalapeno mac and cheese.  Anything with peppers in it tickles my fancy, but it seems there may have been a slight mix up between "jalapeno" and "pepperjack."  *Sigh*

With everything said, Jak's is a solid place if you are looking for more mainstream bar with more selection, but lacks what makes a great beer bar.  Don't worry, as long as you keep the Gumballhead a pumpin', I'll keep a comin' (I hate myself).

Now.... let the beard growing begin!

Lost Abbey Inferno Ale

This is the first bottle of Lost Abbey I have bought although I have had a couple of their other offerings on tap.  I didn't realize it is perfect timing that I drink a beer with a devil on it and it only hit me when I placed the bottle of Mischief next to it in the fridge.  Unconscious me must be awesome.

Although I am sure the vast crowd reading my blog would like to hear more about how awesome I am without realizing it, I will get to the beer instead.  I know I know, that's not what you wanted to hear.  Don't worry, I'll continue to supply you with more of my eccentricities in the future.

Lost Abbey Inferno Ale


Appearance- Hazy gold color with a billowing white bubbly head. Retains very well with patches of sticky lacing all over the glass.

Smell- Sweet and phenolic clove in the front. Citrus builds with lemon rind flowing throughout. Slightly bready/yeasty with a spicy and peppery finish.

Taste- Malty front before the phenols come in. The middle brings a herbal and medicinal flavor, maybe rosemary? The citrus falls behind the herbal flavor while an underlining bread is retained throughout. 

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Very dry finish.

Overall and Notes- Good first review for Lost Abbery. I could have done without some of the herbal character, but nonetheless a solid beer.

As Thanksgiving approaches, it reminds me that I need to get rid of a bunch of beer I have brewed that is currently sitting in my parents basement.  Friends, you want some?  The rest of you?  Hello?  IS ANYBODY EVEN READING THIS THING!?!?

Burger Bar Chicago

On Thursday, our group made the usual venture to a new place in Chicago.  This past week brought us to the Burger Bar.

After an interesting bus ride and a short walk, we came across the Burger Bar.  From the outside it looks like a hole in the wall that is nicely juxtaposed against the incredibly well lit Apple store across the street (Seriously, how much electricity are you guys using to light that?)  The inside has a lot more atmosphere but in general keeps the vibe of a smaller place, which is no problem with me.

The tap list isn't terribly extensive, but does offer some local selections and covers a lot of bases with the bottle menu pretty much sweeping up the rest.  Thursday happened to be the right night to come as specified drafts and bottles were a couple dollars off their normal price, lucky us.  They did have Dogfish 120 min. I.P.A. on tap, but I passed as I was in a mood for more than half a beer (it helped knowing a friend offered to split a bottle with me anyways).  I went with the Left Hand Milk Stout and Bell's Two Hearted.  Hadn't had Bell's since I left Ohio and well, I felt it was time to return to an old favorite.  It didn't hurt that it was one of the marked down beers either.

As can be guessed from the name, the main entree here is *gasp* BURGERS.  Who would have thunk?  The burgers ranged from your typical cheeseburger to more adventurous offerings with funky cheese and guacamole.  I went with a burger topped with brie cheese and caramelized onions myself.  Oh sweet sweet stinky cheese, how I adore you.  I would give the name of the burger, but apparently they don't want to list the actual menu on the website and my memory is slipping in my old age.  It was also nice to find out later that the Burger Bar supports local farmers, always a plus in my book.

The burgers were great, beer is always wonderful, and the place didn't mind idiots like myself.  If I'm alright, I'm sure everyone else will be more than welcome.

Cheers!

Half Acre Daisy Cutter

Well this week brought the "listening party" for Tom Waits's new album, and anything Waits related gets me pretty excited (who knew he was going to be serious?).  As well, I finally picked up some Half Acre Daisy Cutter for the fridge.  With Half Acre being a well respected local brewery, I admit that I am mildly ashamed of myself.  Please don't judge me.

That being said, I was so excited to have this one again (had it on tap last week) that I almost indulged last night.  I had to remind myself that warm beer is no fun.  That being said, on to the review!

Half Acre Daisy Cutter


Appearance- Hazy orange with an off white one finger head. Head disappears almost completely with a patchy center and ring around the glass remaining. Small traces of lacing.

Smell- A lot of hops in this one. Piney and resiney to begin with that is thrown in with a citrus hop aroma as well. Tropical fruits jump up with grapefruit the most noticeable. More a a piney/grassy hop comes in again towards the end.

Taste- Smacked in the face with hops. Grassy, piney hop flavor prominent from the get go with a bread and biscuit base underneath. The hops flavor is splashed with citrus throughout, but the grapefruit isn't as noticeable as in the smell. Bitterness rises in the middle and peaks in the end at the higher range for an American Pale Ale.
Mouthfeel- Medium, smooth body with moderate carbonation. Dry finish that keeps you grabbing for another sip.

Overall and Notes - In your face hops and a decent base make this an easy drinking beer. I had this on tap the other week and I think it was even better then.  Half Acre didn't disappoint.

Also, does anyone know what is up with the black can holders that craft breweries have been using?  I can't imagine they are cheaper.  Trying to stop birds from getting stuck in the ring?  Instead of me using word play to introduce more Tom Waits, I'll just throw in another.

Revolution Brewing

Yesterday I was able to visit Revolution Brewing for the second time during my stay here.  For some reason I thought I posted something about it, but found as per usual, I was mistaken.

Revolution Brewing is only a short walk from the California stop on the blue line making it a fairly conveniently located for most people to get to.  Inside there are two floors for dinners, both equipped with their own bar.  Our group started downstairs, but more people showed up than originally thought and we had to go through the ordeal of moving tables.  Sorry waitress!  Fortunately, the people at Revolution were accommodating to our inability to count and I thank them for that.

Revolution has twelve of their own beers on tap with a couple of guest taps if I remember correctly.  Almost all of the beers seemed to be enjoyed by everyone with the exception of one.  The Barrel Aged Skara Braesweet, a scottish ale aged in whiskey barrels, seemed a little too boozy with the whiskey and oak dominating while allowing little of the malty scottish ale to come through.  I personally went with the Backyard I.P.A. and the Diggity Dunkelweizen.  The Backyard I.P.A. was the first choice and the first beer I have had with Galaxy hops.  It was slightly sour (the description said there was some "backyard" flavor) that was interesting with a different type of citrus provided by the Galaxy hops (or so at least I am assuming).  It was closest to a Belgian I.P.A. but certainly distinct and enjoyable.


The food is mostly sandwiches and pizza with the burgers being large enough for you to momentarily forget about the price.  I went with the hombre burger, a spicy selection with poblano pepper, avacado, as well as a couple of other toppings to knock up the spice.  Although not my favorite burger, it was worth the price and I would certainly get it again.

Once again, Revolution Brewing doesn't let me down and I'm sure that I'll be back again.  I suggest anyone in the Chicago area to pick up a growler of beer and have a good night!  How I wish I had more time with the city.

*Update: For friends and previous readers (assuming there are any of either), the rest of the Soda Pop Stop selection was just as good as the other.  I actually have a couple left so I guess I shouldn't be so quick to judge, but it's almost certain I'll be ordering more from there in the future.  The rest of the beer of the month club on the other hand, meh.

Galco's Soda Pop Stop and Beer Floats

I read my last post and laughed at my ability to take something like beer and  subject it to a rant.  As a result, I decided that I needed to post something a little different.  Then on Friday a package I ordered arrived to fill that void.

A couple of moths ago I found this video on the internet and was immediately intrigued.  This man seems like the happiest person in the world and I won't hear anything else.  If someone has actually been to the store and can say that he actually isn't like this, please don't tell me.

Anyways, one of my friends was lucky enough to move to L.A. from Ohio months ago for new job opportunities so I repeatedly yelled at her to visit the Soda Pop Stop and tell me how it was.  Fast forward months later and I was still yelling at her to do the same thing.  This time I decided to see if they had a website, because apparently my simple mind couldn't come up with that idea in the first place, and was fairly happy with what I saw.  Not only did they have a website, but there was also the opportunity to order beverages from them!

After being overwhelmed at the number of choices, I mostly turned to the video to make choices.  My selection: rose, cucumber, espresso coffee, root beer brewed with sassafras, double cola, blackberry, and another made with vanilla beans.  The shipment of these cost more than I am willing to admit, but I justified it by saying I needed to taste roses in a drink since I plan to brew with them later.  I have only tried the rose flavor so far, but it was great and I look forward to the others.  I encourage everyone to look into buying from Galco's as they seem like a great business and they wrote numerous words of thanks on my box.  It also doesn't hurt that their website indicates they have quite the beer selection as well.

Since I feel obliged to talk about beer for a little bit, I also found an interesting article online.  This isn't the first time I have heard of combining beer and ice cream for a beer float, but it did remind me that I need to do this.  Maybe Southern Tier Creme Brulee and vanilla ice cream?  Oh, if only I wasn't so poor and could afford to put beer in ice cream.  So thanks article for reminding me that I can't do interesting things and that I miss D.C.

Yuengling and Musings

This week (I believe Monday?), Yuengling began distributing to Ohio.  Being from Ohio, I had the pleasure of hearing everyone's excitement over the new distribution and heard news of lines at stores as well as limiting the number of cases people were allowed to buy.  Really?  Limiting the number of cases of Yuengling?  Sigh.

I get the appeal of Yuengling, it is a relatively inexpensive alternative to Bud and Miller and provides a little more flavor.  When I was interning in D.C., having it priced the same as Bud or Miller was appreciated after realizing when I got off work that I was still not being paid.  That being said, how is this the beer that people celebrate?  Unfortunately I don't think many of my Ohio friends realize they do have some great brew pubs as well as good distribution that will get them better beer for the same price or slightly more.

I hate being the person to tell people what to drink, and I should emphasize that I am more upset with the unbridled excitement over finally having access to a beer when they have had access to great beer for some time.  Drink what you please, just be adventurous.  If you still prefer Yuengling at the end of the day, no problem with me.

I just ranted on the interwebs.... I think I am officially a blogger.  Oh no!  My parents are going to be so disappointed...

In other news, I keep thinking about getting my hair cut but then it would ruin a potentially awesome Robert Smith halloween costume.  Think of how awesome it could be.  In 30 years I could get a bunch of weight and do it again!  I think my hair must have overheard my intentions as I have been on an unprecedented Cure run the past couple of days.  Maybe.... I'm becoming Robert Smith....

Beer of the Month Club

Happy October everyone!  I am also officially declaring it sweater season in Chicago.  I could be getting ahead of myself, but what the hell.  Flannels lay just beyond the horizon.  Sweaters and sweatshirts and flannel, oh my!  This may be the only better time.

October means that I am steadily getting closer to brewing again.  I also swear that some place around my apartment smells like dry malt extract.  I think I may be going crazy with brewing deprivation.

I thought of ranting about everyone in Ohio's craze over Yuengling's new found distribution, but I decided to leave that for another day.  It's sweater season!  No reason not to be happy.  So thank your favorite sweater if you are unlike enough to find yourself reading this.

Instead I am sharing the beer of the month club that I have recently been registered in.  Although I have been hesitant to pay for this myself, a friend got me this as a gift and since I love free things I didn't complain.  I have to imagine this is an attempt by friends to shut me up, but since I received beer newspaper clippings in the mail from my mother today, I think everyone has just accepted that I am a lost cause.

Each shipment consists of twelve beers overall with four unique beers (three of each for all you math whizzes out there).  This month brought RJ Rockers Patriot Ale and Bell Ringer as well as Sebago's Hefeweizen and Frye's Leap India Pale Ale.  None of the selection has blown me away so far, but it hasn't necessarily let me down either.  I do have notes for the beer, but I don't think I will throw them on the blog unless someone gets overly bored with their life and for some reason requires them.

I'll keep this up to date with the two subsequent months as I believe I have three total.  I also have something similar to this that I will be updating on in a week or so that is surprisingly not beer related.  Don't judge me.

Look at the clarity on the photo.  I swear, I'll get a real camera....soon....ish.

Oh, and in awesome news, Arrested Development is coming back to T.V.  Take that, world!

Pumpkin Smashing

Every year around this time pumpkin beers are in full swing.  Every year at this time I am also simultaneously tricked into trying another pumpkin beer.  Funny coincidence, no?

Whenever an individual finds out that I like beer, I am bound to be asked about a particular pumpkin beer that I need to have tried.  When I respond that pumpkin beers aren't my favorite, there seems to be an immediate glossing over of their eyes and I can almost hear their thoughts that their original suspicions were right, and I am indeed an idiot.

It's not that I dislike pumpkin beers, but I dislike most of the people that make it.  Fortunately for some brewers, the presence of a bunch of spices will knock out any troubles of making a good base beer.  The result is a mouthful of pumpkin pie spices with little depth to the beer.  Sigh.  Instead of ranting about this "dilemma," it's probably more constructive to put forth a couple of beers that are worth it in the fall (or in the middle of July since that seems to be when these beers now hit the shelves).

Some of the classic styles that actually make a well rounded beer in my opinion are Dogfish's Punkin Ale, Southern Tiers Pumking, The Bruery's Autumn Maple (although I believe this beer is made with yams), and of course my pumpkin stout (Sweet fedora, high school me!).  On the more experimental side is Jolly Pumpkin's La Parcela and although I have not tried it yet, I heard that North Peak is making a hoppy pumpkin beer.  I may have included Cape Ann's Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout, but I mistakenly paid $23 for a bottle of it at a bar in D.C. last year and I have not forgiven them quite yet.

I personally picked up a Pumking and a La Parcela.  The Pumking gives the great pumpkin pie in a bottle taste while not neglecting a solid base beer, while La Parcela is minimal on the spices, while developing the classic Jolly Pumpkin funk and sour character.  Fun fact: Last time I had a La Parcela, it was right before playing a show with a band I was in at the time.  I am under the impression that the video evidence of this performance was destroyed, I pray this is true.

In all honesty, I understand the love of the pumpkin beer (sometimes I get giddy when I get a pumpkin spiced latte), but I try to gravitate to those breweries that don't slouch with their novelty beers.  Really, just drink what you enjoy and relish in your new found confidence in my stupidity.

In other news, Jack White made another song with the Insane Clown Posse!?! It must be my lucky day!  I guess you could even say.... it's a miracle.

Native Cultures

The lack of any beer fun from me results from my diverted attention to law school.  Apparently that is supposed to be my sole attention, something about my future being important?  Unfortunately, using the word tortfeasor is only fun for so long and my Contracts professor can only use so many puns (I guess you could say the milk business was going sour).  I'm the weird kid that laughs in class.

Fortunately I have been able to throw academia off my shoulders for a short period of time so I can write an entry no one will read.  Last months BeerAdvocate Magazine included an article about the new practice by American breweries of using native wild yeast cultures.  Since I am a fan of all things funk related, this of course immediately appealed to me.

The basic theme of the article deals with the new trend of American breweries using the natural fermentation style of the Belgian lambic.  For those unfamiliar, the wort of a lambic is usually placed in a coolship (a wide shallow tank) and exposed to air overnight.  The wild yeast in the air then make their way to wort and begin its funky transformation over the next year to a year and a half.

This was largely thought to only be possible in specific areas of Belgium as the wild yeast used in different in each area of the world.  Lately, American brewers have challenged this idea and moved the process to the states.  Most notably, Russian River and Allagash have ventured successfully into the wild fermentation area, with Allagash even building their own coolship to match the fermentation techniques of the Belgian brewers.  Some such as Mystic Brewery are even going as far as isolating particular strands and experimenting with the vast array of wild yeasts available.

Although the results may not be considered the classic lambic, the American Wild Ale has emerged as its own distinct (and delicious) beer.  The best part is, any homebrewer can try their hand at spontaneous fermentation with the results being unique to the area you brew in.  For some more instructions, check out the attempts of The Mad Fermentationist.  Although this process is a little unpredictable, the experimentation is worth it for a unique beer.  I would love to try this myself, but I suspect that wild yeast found in Chicago may not be quite what you should be looking for.  Shucks.

Hey!  I didn't have to use a crappy camera for this post!  Phew, now you only have to deal with the abundance of brown in the blog!

Hopleaf

This past Friday I ventured back out into Chicago in order for more beerventures.  Lately, my studies have put a damper on my beer parade, but the only way I'll switch from beer to coffee permanently is if they put it in a stout.  Then I'll accept it rather happily.

So my travels to Hopleaf brought me the selection I was looking for as well as randomly running into my cousin.  I only stayed downstairs, but was impressed with what they had to offer.  Besides the great selection of beers, they also have three beers dinners coming up (hosted by breweries) as well as a raffle that cost $20 a ticket for a vertical of Dark Lord.  Hell of a price if you ended up winning, and if not, proceeds went to Chicago schools if I remember correctly.

I ended up being bought an Ommegang Belgian Pale Ale to begin with, but it would be my next beer that would surprise me the most.  Three Floyds Zombie Dust.  A beer with a zombie theme?  B-b-but that's my M.O.  There is only one explanation: the one blog visit that I get every other day must be Three Floyds and they saw the zombie posts!  Lets keep going with the self satisfying truth rather than logic in order to rationalize my hopping mad (zing!) reaction.  Fortunately, it seems Three Floyds is incapable of bad zombie puns though.  Phew!

All kidding aside, Hopleaf was a great place I will go back to again as well as Zombie Dust being a delicious beer.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any notes so everyone is left with my bad attempt at humor instead.  Oh, and I had something from Lost Abbey, but I will have to try that one again before I can jump on the anti-Tomme Arthur band wagon.

New Belgium Lips of Faith: La Folie

I had heard of this beer, yet sadly living in Ohio had prevented me from trying it.  So I decided to show Ohio and move, take that you bastard of a state!  Today seemed like a good day to try it because I hadn't had a sour beer in almost five days.  Oh the humanity!

New Belgium Lips of Faith: La Folie

Appearance- Red burgundy color that is slightly hazy when held up to the light.  Small tan head at initial pour that becomes patchy although does not disappear completely.

Smell- A big whiff of sour and tartness.  More of a vinegar character and not surprising as it should be acetic acid going to work.  Dark fruits and some sour cherries noticeable in the back end.  Oak is mixed throughout.  The end brings some very slight alcohol.

Taste- Holy crap that is a nice amount of sour!  Once again for acetic with the vinegar character than lactic.  There is a sweet and sour back and forth that works very nicely.  Oak picks up after the puckering sour start with the tart cherry flavor developing into the finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium light body with a very dry finish.  Very light amount of carbonation on the tongue.

Overall and Notes- Soury goodness, how I have missed you.  Great beer and suggest picking up one if you get the chance. Although, I wouldn't be an idiot like myself and drink this first.  No way better to ruin the palate for the night.  I think anyone reading this blog is getting the sense that I was the kid that would shove a package of warheads in my mouth at birthday parties.  You would be correct.

Side note:  I really need to get a camera.... seriously.  Like.... literally.... and I mean literally in the literal sense of the word.

Berliner Weisse Comparison

Back in February I brewed a batch of Berliner Weisse with White Labs Berliner blend.  Decided a little over a week later to brew another five gallons and then throw it on the yeast cake.  The fresh berliners really lacked the sour character you would expect from a classic example and had a prominent fruit/phenolic taste.  Decided to let them sit, and here we are today.  Hopefully they have aged well.

Berliner #1 (Batch 10)

Appearance- Golden yellow in color with a foamy white head.  Slightly hazy, but not overly so.  Sticky lacing on the glass.  Head wasn't too big to start, but was persistent.  

Smell- Sweet/sour lemony start with a kick of tart lactobacillus following behind.  Has a little more punch than the last time.  That being said, there seems to be some light banana and clove lingering behind and more than what I was hoping for.  Slight earthy character towards the end.

Taste- Slight lemon taste accompanied by a slight tart.  After the very subdued tart/sour taste the fruit esters and phenols come back once again being a little too strong.  Earthy/musty to finish.  All around, fairly boring and disappointing.  

Mouthfeel- Medium thin and moderate carbonation.  Dry finish.

Berliner #2 (Batch 11)

Appearance- Color is mostly the same, but the difference lies in the head.  Small white head to begin the pour, but it then becomes very patchy.  No lacing noticeable as only a small ring around the glass persists.  

Smell- Not as strong of the tart kick, but earthy and slightly musty smell is more prominent.  Lemon character is once again noticeable and then fruit ester/phenolic smell seems a little stronger, but that may be because there is less of the tart smell covering it up.

Taste- Lemon once again starts the taste, but a much higher spike of sour follows.  The fruit esters and phenolic can be noticed in the background, although not as prominent as the first.  Once again, the slight earth and musty finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium thin and moderate in carbonation.  Finish is very dry, more so than the first.

Overall and Notes- I wouldn't feel comfortable entering either of these into a competition, but this was partly a learning process.  Rather than the Berliner mix I should have done the 5 :1 lactobacillus:brewers yeast approach as a result of the lacto not working as fast.  These did get a little better with age (which speaks to just how disappointing they were fresh), but not cutting it.  I bet I can give these to some friends and they won't be too disappointed with the results though.

Weihenstephaner Korbinian

Between study sessions I have been trying to find new beers that weren't available to me in Ohio.  Well either that or listen to this new tune.  FINALLY!  And I thought Jack White and Insane Clown Posse would never collaborate.  That being said, I still like to grab some beers that weren't foreign to me in my home state.  Today that brings us to Weihenstephaner Korbinian.

Appearance- Reddish brown color and when held up to the light you can tell it is brilliantly clear as well as containing ruby highlights. Thin tan head sticks around, but small patches form.

Smell- Nose is full of sweet toasted malt, full and complex. Some hints of coffee in the middle hinting at some roasted malt. Surprising amount of fig in the end.

Taste- The toasted malt comes through prominently with a bready character taking over the middle. Caramel helps to compliment the big malt taste. The fig rises in the middle and becomes slightly sharp taking away from some of the clean character. Some alcohol comes out at the end.

Mouthfeel- Medium-full body will moderate carbonation. Sweet in the finish.

Overall and Notes- Overall, another great dopplebock. I think it is missing some of the overall clean character that you find in Celebrator, but still delicious.  Highly suggest pairing with some sweet ICP tunes.

Allagash White

Although new posts are becoming a little more hurried with my new study, the show must go on.  Unlike a certain someone, I won't insist the show must go on and then skimp out.  Yeah, I'm talking to you.  That being said, new city brought new beers.  Being forever with held from Allagash, I thought I'd dive in.

Allagash White


Appearance- A very hazy pale yellow as a result of the poured yeast with a white frothy head.  Thin layer stays with the beer after the pour.  Some noticeable lacing sticking to the glass.

Smell- Distinct wheat and bread/yeast base that sets the tone right.  Phenolic clove, slight hints at banana, and a bubblegum smell as well.  Definitely leaning towards the clove on the phenolic/fruit esters spectrum. The end brings some spiced corriander to finish it off.

Taste- The phenolic and bubblegum (slightly more pronounced than then smell) shoot up from the beginning and hold throughout the beer.  Once again the wheat and bready hold a steady background in the taste with a little more grainy character coming through.

Mouthfeel- Light body with moderate bubbly carbonation on the tongue.

Overall- Great witbier and one that I wish I had all summer rather than just on the tail end of it.  Can't wait to try some of Allagash's funkier stuff.  And look at that picture quality!  Between the pictures and the design of the blog, I certainly am something else.  I shouldn't quit my day... education?

Zombie Beer Labels

He's a hop head, get it?  See what I did there?

So, I'm back on zombies.  In all honestly, I'm surprised it took me this long to return to the topic of the undead.  Although I am currently unable to brew beer (ha! what a brewing noob), I figured "Why let that stop me from designing some labels.

Normally. I leave all brewed beer unlabeled, but what is the point of naming beers after clever zombie puns if no one will be any the wiser of my creative work?  Solution: Throw some pictures of zombies on there.

Now I wouldn't consider myself quite the artist, so this process wasn't expected to go off quite as planned.  That being said, I was generally satisfied with the first designs of some beer labels (Especially Zombie Hopocalypse).  Some of this is a mere rip off of the styles of The Walking Dead graphic novel, so there will most certainly be changes before actually making the labels (which there is no tentative date for at this time).  I figured I needed a basis of drawing zombies before I went full force, and what better place to start?  As I think of some more ideas, I'll put them on paper and throw them on here for presentation.  Any ideas for sticking pen to paper, let me know.  Once again, bad puns encouraged.  That being said, enjoy some more zombie action.

Also, I don't care what anyone says, I want to try this beer.  The awesomeness of bacon + beer + maple syrup = This?  I don't even want to hear your complaints as the possibility of trying this with the doughnut at Voodoo Doughnut of its inspiration is almost too much to bear.  Come to me, Portland.  I want to try it really, really hard.

Samuel Adams Utopias

This weekend, one of my friends in the city told me he had gotten his hands upon a bottle of the ubber expensive Samuel Adams Utopias.  Much more surprising was the generous invite bestowed upon myself to partake.  Lets just say that if given that invite, I am surely not going to be turning it down.  Therefore, here we go!

Samuel Adams Utopias


Appearance- Mahogany in color with very noticeable ruby highlights throughout the beer.  No head or carbonation, but that was known before I even poured.

Smell- BOOZE.  Although this is not the only thing, its hard for it not to be the first thing you observe (and not surprising at 27% alcohol).  Beneath the alcohol is maple syrup sweetness as well as figs and strong dark fruits.  At the finish of each whiff is a stinging alcohol in the nostrils.

Taste- Strong dark fruits; figs, plums, and raisins.  Sweet taste throughout the beer, best description I could give is it is that it is very "rich".  Although the alcohol is quite noticeable from the get go, it rises towards the end with a strong bite on the tongue and a warming sensation with each sip.  A very interesting and enjoyable maple syrup aftertaste.

Mouthfeel- A certain creamy feel even with the alcohol bite (if that makes sense) in the beginning which is followed up with a finishing hard alcohol bite on the tongue.  No carbonation, warming alcohol sensation.

Overall and Notes- This, as expected, was a very different beer.  Incredibly rich with an interesting alcohol bite that would intrigue those who enjoy sipping on bourbon.  Seeing the high price on this beer gives me the lingering suspicion that I have tried it for both the first and last time.  What a foreboding feeling.

CHICAGO

Well, it may have taken me a little to get the post up, but I have now moved from my humble abode in the Midwest to the ... Midwest.  That being said, it is a little more exciting in this second stop, not that I will get to experience any of the excitement with my new course of study.

You may have noticed (although that would mean that you would have noticed the existence of this blog, something I seriously doubt) that there is a lack of "brewing" tags in any of the new posts.  Unfortunately, as is the result of the move, I have to take a temporary leave from brewing.  Truly a nightmare and something this guy I am sure will not let me live down.  That being said, I hope the next months will temporarily move to exploring the beer adventures of my new city until I am back on my brewing feet.

My short amount of time here has led to a couple explorations, but nothing substantial.  Fulfilled my Chicago pizza urge with a trip to Gino's East which resulted in the Great American pastime of overeating. Besides that, I headed over to Binny's to pick up a six pack for my new apartment and was pleasantly surprised with the selection as well as all the new treats I am able to get now that I am out of Ohio.  Hopefully will be finding a couple places before the studying heats up too much including: The Map Room, Piece Brewery, and Revolution Brewing.  Any other suggestions welcome.