Beer Advent: Days 11-14

Day 11
Two Hearted - Bells Brewing Company
ABV - 7.0%

Down the Hall - Bell's Two Hearted Ale!  What an all around excellent brew.  I have to say this is one of those beers that I've been familiar with for a long time and it really never gets old.  Great balance, great aroma, really everything you'd want in an IPA.  Plus, it's not so overpoweringly bitter as to chase any hop-averse drinkers away.  What do you think, a good gateway to IPAs? 

I also love the label.  It's so delightfully random.  As it turns out, the beer is named after the Two Hearted River in Michigan's upper peninsula.  So I guess that helps make sense of the fish.

Beer Advent: Days 8-10

Day 8
Whale's Tale Pale Ale
ABV - 5.6%

Hacksaw
Whale's Tale Pale Ale brought a solid experience for me. Thankfully it was brewed without the harming of whale's anywhere! I found more malty flavors than I was expecting in a pale, but the slight hop flavor and mild bitterness were there on the finish. I felt like Moby Dick was splashing my taste buds with a wave as I was swallowing each time.

Down the Hall
Yeah, looks like the Whale's Tale Pale Ale substituted rhyming for actual whale parts.  Probably for the best there.  Definitely more of an English pale ale with more malt body and slightly understated hop character.  I can't really say anything bad about it, it was a solid pale, easy drinking, and a really pretty pour to boot.  I love the canned craft beer wave, so extra props for that.  But it wasn't particularly inspiring.  I do like gaining experience with some of these beers I've seen before but never tried.  It does make me curious to try some more of Cisco's brews.  On a separate note, with this beer I crested 500 unique check-ins on Untappd!  I'm now legendary or something apparently.

Homebrew Recipe: New Year's Hopsolution IPA (All Grain)

There's nothing quite like hop puns in beer names is there?  Next time you're a little bored, try to think of some that haven't been used.  Then hit the Google and see how you did.  At any rate, not wanting to be left behind in the hop and holiday pun category, last year's New Year's IPA got it's own pun.  Truth be told, I never checked to see if that one had been used before...

Beer Advent: Days 5-7

Day 5
Namaste - Dogfish Head
ABV - 4.8%
Hacksaw
It looks like at long last I've found a Dogfish Head that I'm not super happy with. Namaste was refreshing and bubbly but the spices were overpowering. I think I'd prefer a little less spice and a little more of the Belgiany fruitiness some White Ales put forward. Was it too much for you?

Down the Hall
I didn't mind the Namaste too much.  I think the spice kind of complimented the season a bit, invoking the feel of a warm fire rather than a summer cookout.  That said, the style itself is not my favorite, and this one didn't win me over.  I would say I appreciated this beer, and enjoyed it even though it won't make it on to my list of go-to's.
On a separate but related note, Namaste was one of the several Dogfish Head offerings that I'd been curious about, but unwilling to drop $10-$11 on a six-pack just to try out.  So from that perspective, it was instructional and an worthy addition to the pack.

Beer Advent: Days 2-4

Day 2
Wookey Jack Black IPA - Firestone Walker 
ABV - 8.3%

Hacksaw
Day 2 brings Wookey Jack from Firestone Walker. Although I personally have not fallen in love with the Black IPA style this beer was very enjoyable. The sniff test revealed loads of citrusy hops and the taste seemed like a pot of coffee had been poured over a bowl of fruit. Except it managed to all blend fairly well and be balanced.

Homebrew Recipe: The Great Thanksgiving Porter

The Great Thanksgiving Porter

Thanksgiving at the Hacksaw Household. Expecting 17 people total with 10 of them likely to be consuming some beer I vowed to have 2 dedicated kegs for this grand event. It was the big unveiling of many of our projects and a time to show off my beer cave and home brewing expertise. Several family members had suggested a nice smooth porter and I tried to craft this recipe to fit that bill. As an indicator of this beer’s success – let me just share that the full 5 gallons were gone before the weekend was over. A keg kicking is sometimes sad, but other times it is satisfying to know people enjoyed the brew. This was the latter without a doubt.

Beer Advent: Day 1

Rude Elf's Reserve - Fegleys Brew Works
ABV - 10.5%
Beer Advent Day: 1

Down the Hall
Happy December, Hacksaw!  More importantly, Happy Beer Advent!  I'm glad your calendar showed up just in the nick of time to get started.  And Jiminy Christmas did it get started.

Beer Advent: An Introduction

Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone.  I can no longer fight the Christmas season.  The first week of December comprises the acceptance phase for me, and I'll eventually get excited about the coming holiday.  One thing helps though... Beer Advent.

Whether you've grown up punching out the days on the advent calendar and getting your chocolate fix or you've only seen the calendar on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, you're probably familiar with the concept.  In a traditional advent calendar, there's a little cover over each day, and behind that cover there's a piece of chocolate to eat that day.  The beer advent calendar is exactly the same thing, just a different beer every day of December leading up to Christmas.

Last year, a friend of mine told me about this idea that his brother had concocted.  As soon as I heard the details it was a no-brainer, I wanted in.  After last year's fantastic beer selection, I didn't even mind a price increase to get back on that wagon this year.  I even convinced Hacksaw to join in since field was expanded from 24 to 48 participants.  Formally styled "ADVENTures in Beer," the beer advent calendar is a great opportunity to try a variety of new beers and even discuss them among the other participants (also an excuse to have a beer every day of December).

One of my favorite parts last year was the surprise each day.  The case is wrapped such that with a tiny bit of self-control, you can avoid revealing which beer is up for the day until it's actually time to partake.  My wife actually played a big part in this, placing each brew in the refrigerator in the morning after I left for work.  Then when I got home, that sweet mystery brew would be sitting right in the front of my fridge waiting for me.  A beautiful thing.  This year the Christmas day entry is a bomber with construction paper strategically taped over the label.  It's basically a present under the tree!

This year, in addition to padding our Untapd stats, Ben and I will post our reactions and progress a couple of times per week so that you, dear reader, can come along on this journey with us.  Even though today is already the first of the month, it's not too late to set a goal to try one new beer every day in December!  I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to wrangle up 25 quality brews for your holiday enjoyment.

So happy December to everyone and check back in to see what craft brewed excellence we encounter along the road to Christmas Day.  I am already getting excited to try beer number one this evening.

Cheers,
Jacob

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day everyone!  I hope this Thanksgiving finds you hungry and with a delicious brew in hand.  I for one am starting my holiday off with a brew day.  I mean, if you're frying a turkey for later, you might as well just leave the burner out, right?  Anyway, we all ultimately have beer to thank for creating Thanksgiving as we know it.  The first "pilgrims" coming to America ran out of beer on the way over, so they stopped in the northeast rather than continuing on their intended course.  Who knows what would have happened if they hadn't?

So, whether you're unbuttoning that top button after a wonderful meal with family, or hiding in the bathroom to get a little peace and quiet, grab a craft brew, maybe indulge and spend way too much on a bottle to share.  Enjoy the people you love, even if they drive you crazy.  After all, those people are what makes drinking beer fun, right?

Cheers!
Jacob

Beer Tasting: Pliny the Elder

Pliny the Elder

8% ABV

Enjoyed 11.15.14

Background: The quest for Pliny the Elder is something many an East Coast dwelling beer nerd has taken on. I can't remember exactly when I first heard about Pliny, but it is often discussed as an almost mythical and legendary type of beer that only the rarest of heroes has the privilege of drinking. It is placed upon a high mighty pedestal for Imperial IPA's and frequently thrown in conversations as the best beer people have ever had. Years have gone by since I've been into homebrewing without so much as seeing a bottle of Pliny. I have read reviews and even based recipes on what people claim would be similar to Pliny - yet I had never even tasted it! Finally on 11.15.14 Down the Hall delivered a bottle that he picked up on his California Beerventure to be consumed during an NC State tailgate.

Japanese Adventure - The Beer Slant Rant

Japan. A country filled with efficient cars, beautiful mountains, exotic foods, trains that run on time - oh yeah - and the worst selection of beer known to man. I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 weeks in Japan, but it wasn't because of all the amazing beer I had. Of that much I can assure you.

I did my research before heading across the Pacific, and it seemed as though Japan was experiencing a craft beer revolution. New breweries and innovations were popping up all over the place. Blog articles have been written about the top Japanese beers to try while you're there. Let me bring you to reality. Unless you are actually visiting a brewery or are at a bar that specifically specializes in selling craft beer then you can just forget about getting anything other than a rice lager.

In the US you can go into just about any restaurant these days and get something that won't make you want you want to spew or be reminded of yellow fizz. Even at Applebee's you can usually find a Sam Adam's Seasonal or possibly a Blue Moon. I'm not saying those are the best beers out there - but when compared to American light lagers they are downright amazing. After going to Japan I will never again take this for granted. Ever.

A typical Japanese restaurant has 1 beer on tap. If they have a bottle selection it is a rarity. You know what that 1 beer is likely to be? After the first week I could guess with 95% certainty with only 3 tries. It would be Kirin, Asahi, or Sapporo. You've heard of at least 2 of those most likely. You may even have tried one of them while at a Japanese restaurant and felt you were being culturally festive.

Let me help you wake up to reality. These are cheaply made, mass produced rice lagers that taste awful. Pretending you can tell the difference between them and claim one is superior is a pointless game. Wait - you can tell the difference between Bud Light and Miller Light? Holy crap - let me give you an award - and a punch in the face. Those are both awful beers and you shouldn't be disgracing your taste buds with them (unless they are free).

I kind of gave up trying to find good beer midway through my first weekend. I had a brief moment at a restaurant when I found a brown bottle in a fridge that said "HOPPY". All the other characters were Japanese and I couldn't read them but I told the waiter I wanted one of those. He brought out the bottle as well as a glass full of what looked like water with ice in it. I was confused seeing as how you don't typically mix beer and ice water together. I proceeded to drink this "HOPPY" beer only to be very disturbed that it tasted like a very old and skunked amber or brown ale. I later found out when sipping the "ice water" that it was in fact some gin and tonic water. The "HOPPY" is supposed to mixed in to this as flavoring.

The one saving grace was that I received as a gift on my next to last day some beers from Kiuchi Brewery. They started out making Sake many years ago and about 20 years ago starting a beer brewery as well. Their flagship beer is the "Hitachino Nest Beer". It is flavored with orange juice and spice, but after 2 weeks of rice lagers this was like getting rain in the desert!

These 2 pictures below kind of sum up the readily accessible Japanese beer scene.

Selling Asahi beer in a vending machine. No ID required. Just put your Yen in and get your crap beer out.

Budweiser is available at the local Seven Eleven. Yes. It made it across the world tasting no better than it left the USA.

Never take the US beer scene for granted.

-- Ben

A Brief Guide to Christmas Shopping for the Homebrewer

It’s getting to be that time of year again.  Tis the season for giant blow-up Santas, awkward family encounters, and grown adults pulling each other’s hair to get a deal on a TV.  Since Black Friday is a week from today (and Cyber Monday follows it), we decided to put out a list of a few homebrew-related gift ideas.  Whether you’re a brewer and don’t know what you want, or your favorite brewer has sent you this link a few times, hopefully we can assist in making this Christmas a very happy one indeed.  Also, just in case you haven’t been bulking up or doing wind sprints in preparation for Melee Shopping Day, we’ve embedded links to some of this stuff to allow you to do your shopping safely and with a beer in hand.

Homebrew Recipe: Red Ryder Christmas Ale

Red Ryder Christmas Ale

I got this crazy urge last year to brew a beer that tasted like Christmas. I was bringing kegs to my in-laws for Christmas vacation and I wanted something that was seasonally appropriate. This was my first attempt in what I expect to be an ongoing Christmas ale tradition. Many breweries make a Christmas time spiced winter warmer of some sort and they change up the spices a little each year. I envisioned this as being something similar.

Beer Tasting: Allagash Black

Allagash Black

7.5% ABV

Recently one of my local haunts hosted an Allagash tap takeover weekend.  I had limited experience with Allagash's beer, but knowing their reputation I had determined that I couldn't miss it.  Sure enough, the beer was phenomenal and led me on a hunt to basically buy any Allagash that I'd not had before.  I found this little guy, which played ever so nicely into the Belgian kick that I've been on recently.  

Hacksaw Hop Harvest Failure

I know I promised a post on the 2nd half of the Hacksaw Hop Harvest. However... due to my 2 week trip to Japan (future post on that coming) and a week of vacation in Palm Springs California - my hops reached peak picking! Unfortunately I wasn't there to pick them when they were ready and they proceeded to die on me.

Growler Fills: An Inner Turmoil

Draft beer is awesome. Draft beer to go is also awesome. Draft beer to go at the same price as draft beer to stay? Not so awesome. On the one hand, I love the enthusiasm for local and craft beer that comes along with the “growler movement”.  It has even allowed breweries with smaller setups to succeed and gain traction with a lower initial investment and little to no outside distribution. On the other hand, when you look at the ounce to ounce price comparison of beer at the grocery store and beer in a growler, you can’t help but scratch your head a bit.

Homebrew Recipe: Black Gold Imperial Stout

Black Gold Imperial Stout

Brewing Premise: I seem to get involved in lots of trades and swaps involving the exchange of beer for other goods and services. I've even traded homebrew for help replacing brake pads in the past –  but this particular beer was crafted to trade for some old homebrew equipment! A co-worker of mine used to be into homebrewing and has since had multiple children and taken up other hobbies. He still loves craft beer and a good homebrew so I asked him what he’d like in exchange for all his old equipment. He wanted an imperial stout that wasn't over the top on the alcohol. As a new All-Grain Brewer I couldn't wait to figure this one out. I only had a 5 gallon mash tun at the time so the recipe is tweaked a little to help me get the ABV up since my tun wasn't large enough to hold all the required grains.

Beer Tasting: Ommegang Valar Morghulis

Ommegang Valar Morghulis Dubbel

8% ABV

We often will put descriptors in front of the word "nerd" to delineate between a certain field and a complete lifestyle. One prime example, which fits well with this blog, is the "beer nerd". We've covered this fairly extensively, but what happens when you start combining specific types of nerd-dom? I'll tell you what happened to me. I've known about Ommegang's Game of Thrones themed beer series for a while now, but I've never had the pleasure of tasting any. So when I saw this one on the shelf, it was a collision of worlds and an utter no-brainer--it was coming home with me.

Hacksaw's Apartment Brewing Adventures

So you have jumped into homebrewing and are dominating with your extract brewing. You're making good beer and are into the hobby for the long haul. Perhaps you really want to convert to all grain brewing because you've realized it isn't that hard, it will save you some cash, and you feel it will make you more awesome in general (all three of which being obviously valid reasons).

The Dos and Don’ts of Planning a Beer-venture

As craft beer and its corresponding culture continue to gain steam in the US, “beer tourism” has not only become a thing, but a big thing. There was a time where a brewery would open primarily to distribute beer in the local, regional, or even larger markets. These breweries would frequently squeeze in a tasting room for anyone who wanted to see where their beer is made, and maybe get a growler filled. In that business model, the taproom was far from an integral piece of the profit stream.

Today, it is common for breweries to open with taproom as the lynchpin of their business plan. These places are geared heavily or exclusively to sell their product on premise, making them basically a bar that makes what they serve in house. This model is far less financially prohibitive than jumping right into a production brewery, and as such they, along with the bigger upstarts, continue to pop up all around the country.

What does all of this mean? It means that no matter where you are, you’re probably within a short drive of a brewery hotbed. This in turn means that you can and should dive in to the beer tourism world head first with an epic beer-venture!

Homebrew Recipe: Kung Fu Panda California Common

Kung Fu Panda California Common (Extract)

For the past few glorious weeks, the MLB playoffs have been consuming the evening airwaves. For that past couple weeks, I've had the pleasure of explaining to people here on the East Coast why San Francisco Giants fans are frequently seen wearing panda hats. It is certainly a valid question. It's not like pandas are indigenous to the Bay Area. The panda paraphernalia came about after one of the Giants' fan favorites, Pablo Sandoval, was awarded the moniker of "the Kung Fu Panda". Sandoval is a bigger guy, yet he is astonishingly nimble in the infield and quick around the bases. So, there you go, connect the dots and pandas abound.

Beer Tasting: Boulevard Long Strange Tripel

Boulevard Long Strange Tripel

9.2% ABV, 23 IBU

It’s funny how we all go through phases in various aspects of life.  In everything from how busy you are at work to what beers you end up with in the checkout line.  Of late, I’ve been on a bit of a Belgian kick.  I’m not entirely sure why, I suppose they seem to compliment the changing leaves and dropping temperatures rather well.  I was hitting the double IPAs pretty hard a few months ago, now it has been a lot of dubbels and tripels, and who knows what the early throes of winter will bring?

Hacksaw Brewing Top 10 Extract Recipes

For the first 2 years of my brewing career I was an extract brewer. I highly recommend starting out this way as there is a very small learning curve and great beer can be made. This list is my ranking of the top 10 best extract recipes I made or was involved in making during my career. A couple of these are joint brews that Down the Hall was involved in the brewing and recipe creating. We are both usually involved in each other's recipes - and I'd love to be involved in YOUR recipe too!

Feel free to check back as these recipes are posted I will link to them. My (our) #1 extract recipe is still to be released :)

Anniversary Weekend Beerventures

Last weekend my wife and I celebrated our 5^th wedding anniversary.  Since we both possess an affinity for beer, the weekend was destined to feature its fair share of fancy and delicious brews.  The plan was to head west into the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains to stay at a friend’s cabin, take in the fall colors, and flat out relax.  Our road was going to take us through one of the pockets of breweries around the Charlottesville area, so we decided to stop for lunch at Blue Mountain Brewery.  With a huge patio, lovely view, and respectable food and beer offerings, this was a great start to the weekend.

Homebrew Recipe: Sleeping Grizzly IPA

Sleeping Grizzly IPA (Extract)

We might as well call this one throwback Thursday because it takes me way back to the beginning of my brewing career. If I recall correctly, this was one of the first beers that I could objectively say was good. So it is near and dear to my heart. It is also a very easy and standard IPA recipe that could be tailored to your own taste.  I remember feeling a little shaky after my first two batches, but decided I'd try my hand at my favorite style, the IPA. After some minimal research, I learned the value and importance of steeping grains to the quality of the end product. Even that single pound of caramel malt really makes a difference in flavor, texture, and even appearance. But that is just one of the many reasons homebrewing is the best hobby ever. There is so much to learn and always another brew day to put those lessons into practice.

New Belgium Saison Harvest Ale Tasting

New Belgium Saison Harvest Ale

6.5% ABV,  36 IBU

Enjoyed 10.11.14

Background: An NC State football gets postponed leaving 2 men stranded at friend’s house with a fridge loaded with craft beer that needs to be sampled. There are worse scenarios I have imagined in my lifetime to say the least. Hacksaw and Down the Hall got to team up on drinking this delicious offering from the consistently solid New Belgium. Although our sampling and tasting notes were certainly influenced by the myriad of other beers consumed on this day – we did our best to focus while enjoying this one so an objective review could be given.

Good Hops Brewing Company Visit

Hidden down at Carolina Beach off the main strip is a little gem I discovered just recently. They have only been open a few months, but I can't believe it's taken me until now to hit them up. A pint night offered just the opportunity I needed! 8 half pours for 10 bucks? That's the kind of deals the craft beer nerds love to see. Maximum tasting for minimum dollars.

To Keg or Not to Keg?

So, you've gotten the hang of this brewing thing and you're thinking the hobby might stick. You're brewing good stuff, you're getting good feedback, and even saving money over buying craft beer. The only thing that you just can't stand is bottling. I have never met a homebrewer who enjoyed bottling day. Most see it as a necessary evil at best. Is there any hope of deliverance from the torturous tedium of bottling day?

The answer is YES! If you've picked up the hobby and enjoy beer, chances are you've at some point fantasized about having your own beer on tap any time you want. Salvation from bottle-covered counter tops and beer covered floors lies within that very fantasy. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Intuitively it is far easier to put 5 gallons of beer into one keg than 50 12-ounce bottles.

So you may be wondering why there is any question of whether or not you should switch to kegging. Well, before you go and throw out your stash of empty, label-free bottles, we'll go through some of the pros and cons.

PROS

Easy cleaning: No more scrubbing of 50 individual bottles or sanitizing caps.

Easy transfer: One vessel to sanitize, fill, and seal.

Beer on draft: I mean, come on, who doesn't like a fresh pint poured straight from the tap? You'll be the envy of all your friends, and find it much easier to convince them to hang out at your place.

Force carbonation: No more priming solution, or waiting a fortnight for the beer to bottle condition. While there is a bit of an art to this process, it is possible to cut the carbonation time down to days instead of weeks. Plus you never have to worry about putting too much priming solution in and making bottle bombs.

No yeast cake: You understand that there's nothing wrong with a little bit of sediment at the bottom of your bottles, but convincing your friends isn't quite as straightforward. Whether you pour it straight from tap to glass or bottle from the keg, you no longer have to explain to friends that they should leave a quarter inch of beer in the bottle to avoid getting that sediment.


CONS

Cost: Probably the biggest con of kegging vs. bottling. Bottles are basically free, and the cost of caps and everything else to execute a bottling day is very minor. For a lot of people, the upfront cost of a keg system can be prohibitive. At minimum, you need a keg, CO2 tank, regulator, lines, faucet, and a way to keep it cold. I'm not sure that there's a ceiling to how much you could put into a draft beer system.

Loss of portability: This has never really stopped Hacksaw or me, but I thought I'd throw it in for the sake of completeness. When you have 50 bottles just sitting in the basement, it is easier to just grab a six pack when you head to a party. With the keg, there has to be a bit more foresight, either to fill some bottles or growlers, or actually mobilize the keg.

So there you have it. Really, the biggest downside is the upfront cost. If you are going bare bones and trying to score an old minifridge, put one keg with a picnic tap in it, and call it a day, you're still probably looking at a couple hundred bucks. That being said, having made that transition myself, it is so worth it. Whether you buy a commercial kegerator, or convert a craigslist buy yourself, it is wonderful to have fresh draft beer on demand.

There are hundreds of ways you can set up your kegging system. If you've got the budget, the only limit to how many kegs to get is how much space you have and how much time you have to brew. For starting out, getting a system as a whole, like this one, with as many kegs as you need is a good way to go. This ensures you get the right connections, lines, regulators, etc.

The 5 gallon Cornelius kegs, especially the ball locks, have gotten a bit more expensive since I built my kegerator, but I have nothing but good things to say about the used soda kegs, and even have some upgrades planned to add a few in the near future. Another quick note. If you do get old soda kegs, don't worry if they're a little beat up, or even have some syrup still inside. A good cleaning and a couple of batches of beer will take the smell of Cherry Coke away in no time!

At the end of the day, a kegging system is a fantastic investment for the regular brewer. We will post something with more emphasis on a kegerator/keezer build in the future, but for now if I've sold you on the idea, check out sites like homebrewtalk for ideas and help with your particular build or buy.

Cheers!
Jacob

Homebrew Recipe: Bury the Bulldogs Amber Ale

Bury the Bulldogs Amber Ale

Brewing Premise: This was another “Carter-Finley” brew that we teamed up to make. The first CF Brew recipe I shared was here if you’re interested. This beer was actually part of a Double Brew Day and made at the same time as another of the CF brews I’ll share at a later date. With the theme of making fun of our opponents through our beer names we dubbed this Bury the Bulldogs as we were playing Citadel. At the outset we knew we wanted a good amber but weren’t positive how to get there. The hop schedule on this one lends itself to being a little more a hoppy amber – but don’t let that scare you IPA haters! This is an excellent amber with some added complexity. We’ve modded this recipe over the years as it proved a great starting point.

Beer Tasting: Dogfish Head Saison du BUFF

Dogfish Head Saison du BUFF

6.8% ABV
Enjoyed on 10.5.2014

So technically Saison du BUFF isn't exclusively a Dogfish Head beer.  It's actually a collaboration between them, Stone Brewing Company, and Victory Brewing Company.  I just happened to grab the Dogfish Head version.  As Hacksaw and I have done our share of collaborations, when the big boys get together, I'm always excited to see what they come up with.

Gameday Visit: Raleigh Brewing Company

NC State Football. It brings out the best in us - it brings out the worst in us. This particular gameday brought about a fun adventure to Raleigh Brewing Company. After a robust tailgate of BBQ chicken and some hombrew we walked over to RBC. After making this walk I was struck again by just how much I wish this place had been open when I was at NC State. Both Down the Hall and myself lived less than a quarter mile from RBC. Yes - that's stumbling distance for the reasonably athletic people out there!

You Might Be a Beer Nerd If...

Craft beer is infiltrating nearly every facet of life these days.  From bars, to weddings, to sporting events, you just can’t get away from it, even if you wanted to.  So, how can you tell if you’ve been caught in the wonderful riptide of craft beer and sucked out into beer nerd-dom?  Here are a few telltale signs.

You might be a beer nerd if...

Homebrew Recipe: Bold Beach House Brown Ale

Bold Beach House Brown

This was the third beer I made in my career, and of the first three it was by far the best. I brewed this recipe from the Northern Brewer Caribou Slobber kit I received the Christmas that homebrewing officially became cemented as a solid hobby. I was very pumped about this kit because it provided a lot more specialty grains – which at the time were fascinating to me. This is one of the more heavily advertised kits on Northern Brewer, and if you are a beginning brewer this will provide excellent results.

Happenings at Hacksaw Brewery

Everyone once in a while a lot of homebrewing related activities seem to happen all at the same time. This past Thursday was one of those days so I wanted to show you just how much you can get done in one evening if you're prepared!

The brewery workday started out with pulling every single bottle out of my wonderful Beer Cave. The label stripping and cleaning of these bottles was done over the last couple brew sessions. I was thankful to have all that done and just be able to pull the bottles out.  Also went ahead and got all my bottling equipment and the beers out. All of this would be needed for the tasks at hand.

Lagunitas Maximus Tasting

Lagunitas Maximus Double IPA

8.2% ABV, 72 IBU

Enjoyed 09.27.14

Background: Drinking on an NC State Football gameday always seems to bring out the best in me, or at least the best beers in my fridge… I have had Maximus sitting in the fridge for over a month and Down the Hall had been raving over it for much longer than that so finally I decided to crack her open after an NC State touchdown. Good thing I popped it when I did because it may have been the last touchdown my team will ever score. On to Maximus!

Brewery Visit: The Unknown Brewing Company

Whenever I travel, be it for business or pleasure, I always experience an inextricable desire to find and visit new breweries wherever I might be.  This is part of what makes me a beer nerd I suppose, but I also find that visiting a city’s breweries is a quick and easy way to experience the culture of the city as a whole.  Granted, different breweries might embody different parts of the city’s identity, but it is still always a fun and revealing endeavor to experience a slice or two of that pie. 

Homebrew Recipe: Pappy's Ol' Cough Medicine

Pappy's Ol' Cough Medicine Bourbon Imperial Stout (all grain)

Ah, the fall.  The time for pumpkin bread, pumpkin beer, and pumpkin spice lattes. Wait, those things already happened two months ago? Oh. Well, in that case, it's the perfect time to start planning your winter beer!  Truthfully though, if you're looking for a nice, warming, high gravity beer to enjoy all through the winter months, October is your time to get brewing. That was my motivation a year ago when I set out to brew a bourbon aged imperial stout.  In fact, one of the great things about big beers like this is that they will keep for quite some time. I even have a few more in the basement that I'm looking forward to enjoying by a campfire as the evenings get cooler (since it's actually fall now).

Sierra Nevada - Beer Camp 2014

As a Master’s graduation gift my mother in law bought me the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp pack. She didn’t know exactly what it was but she knew I would like it. It was an amazing gift that kept my tastebuds guessing all through the month of September as I worked my way through the wide range of styles. I’m just going to share a few notes on this journey. I’d love to know what you thought of the Beer Camp this year and if your experience was anything like mine!

Beer Tasting: Firestone Walker Double Jack

Firestone Walker Double Jack (Double IPA)

9.5% ABV, 85 IBU

Enjoyed on 9.28.2014

Ah, Firestone Walker.  I can’t say that I’ve ever had one of their beers that I didn’t enjoy.  This particular one, like many of the beers I write about, was another gift from the wife.  It had been in the fridge (and the back of my mind) for several weeks, so after a long drive back home from Charlotte, NC, I figured the time was right.  The foil wrapper on top makes you feel extra fancy and builds anticipation for this delightful brew.

Hacksaw Homegrown Hop Halfway Harvest

Finally time to harvest one of my hop plants! Please don't ask if I'm harvesting the Nugget or the Centennial because I still haven't figured out which is which. Harvesting your own hops is one of the most exciting things you can do when you have a very small amount to harvest. My growing technique this year was to cut back all bines and only keep the two strongest. This strategy is going out the window next year. I'm letting them all grow wild and free and I will train any bine that gets long enough up a trellis.

Brewery Visit: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Thinking back to before I knew anything about craft beer, if someone were to ask me at that time to name a “craft beer”, I would have to say Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  Chances are your experience is similar.  Whether you started your beer drinking career on the good stuff or pounded Beast Light throughout college, you've probably seen that green label sitting next to light beer city, even at that lovable dive bar down the street.

Homebrew Recipe: Matty Mike Homegrown Amber Ale

Matty Mike Homegrown Amber Ale

Brewing Premise: My homegrown centennial and nugget hops needed a place to be showcased. I didn’t have very many, but what little I had, I wanted to be on display in a beer as the aroma feature. Mrs. Hacksaw’s brother had an upcoming birthday and so I crafted an amber ale that would then be a tad bit hoppy (I hoped) with the addition of my hops at the end of the boil. One  a side note – Birthdays are an incredible way to share your homebrew and bring joy to people. Anybody who halfway enjoys craft beer typically loves having a case of beer that had the recipe and label and name crafted specifically for them.

Brewery Visit: Howard Brewing Company

Nestled in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains lies the city of Lenoir.  City really only describes the governmental structure of this little town of about 18,000 people, but what it lacks in size, it certainly makes up for in charm.  Once a prominent player in the furniture industry, consolidation efforts by furniture companies shut many of the area facilities down and robbed Lenoir of one of its major employers.  Driving around town, its industrial past is still quite evident in the shape of abandoned factories and unused shipping facilities. 

Beer Tasting: Natty Green Freedom IPA

Freedom IPA – Natty Green Brewing Company

6.5% ABV, 70 IBU

Enjoyed 08.16.14

As the Father of homebrewing said about a zillion times – “Relax, Have a Homebrew!” This has been expanded by homebrewers everywhere to imply that you ought to be drinking beer while brewing. What better time to drink that while making beer? I always feel my palette is heightened during brew sessions so I will try to review beers every time I brew. This particular brew sesh was a pale ale I’m making for an upcoming celebration dinner. I picked up the Freedom IPA from Natty Green because I honestly didn’t even realize Natty Green made an IPA! I do believe this is a seasonal offering so grabbing it while it’s available was hard to pass up. I’m an NC Beer connoisseur and pride myself on trying as many beers from NC breweries as I can.

Brewery Visit: Aviator Brewing Company

After sweating out a Wolfpack victory (in every sense of the word) on opening day at Carter-Finley stadium, it was time to cash in on last year’s Christmas gift.  My mother-in-law had gotten me a Groupon for a tour and a bunch of SWAG at Aviator Brewing Company in Fuquay Varina, NC.  In addition to the joys of visiting a brewery and getting a bunch of free stuff, Aviator was one of the stops on 2012’s Beerventure and I was excited to see how they had changed since last I visited. 

Homebrew Recipe: Shadow of the East Black IPA (Extract)

The black IPA is kind of like the liger of the beer world.  Except lions and tigers are at least kind of similar.  Black IPAs fuse two styles that really just don’t seem like they would work together.  So naturally, I was a bit apprehensive when I was putting this recipe together.  I didn’t want it to be dominated by hops, but I didn’t want it to just be a bitter stout either.  So, the only thing really to do was to jump in and give it the ol’ college try. 

Wort City Brewers - September Meeting

Back to Wilmington Homebrew Supply Store for the September meeting and the members of the club really turned out. Maybe it was because they knew we would be sampling all the IPA entries from the quarterly competition? Maybe it's because sitting around and drinking homebrew while discussing homebrew is just plain awesome.

Sometimes this is a forum for people to show off and provide inspiration to fellow homebrewers. This night was no exception with one member bringing a giant bag of Zeus hops he had grown. He has so many hops he brought some in just so everyone could get a smell of them. If that isn't inspiring - I don't know what is. Makes me want to plant about 10 more hop plants and run trellises from the second story of my house!

Beer Tasting: Duck Rabbit Milk Stout

5.7% ABV

Enjoyed on 08.28.14

Football season. I think I drink twice as much beer during late summer/early fall due to football season.  So with the kickoff game between South Carolina and Texas A&M on the newly founded SEC Network, I knew it was time to pop the top on a beer I've been saving. Good thing I opened it before trying to get the game on - because the SEC has apparently decided that Time Warner customers will not be able to watch its prized new network on the WATCHESPN app.  No worries, I had this delicious brew to keep me company and plenty more football to watch later.

See One. Do One. Teach One.

I bought my brother a brewing kit for his 21^st birthday. He hasn’t fully embraced brewing like I had hoped, but I hold out hope. Labor Day weekend he wanted to come down and it was the perfect opportunity for a little teaching session.  Things really got interesting when he brought along a friend who was interesting in learning how to brew.

Newly Wedded Wheat - The Adventure

When I found out from Mrs. Hacksaw that it had been requested for Hacksawing Brewing to provide beer for the wedding in which she was to be the Matron of honor - I was ecstatic. This was the highest honor I had received as a homebrewer and knowing I was being given the opportunity to be part of making their wedding day awesome was exciting.

Homebrew Recipe: Chop Down Wheat Forest

Chop Down Wheat Forest

A few football seasons ago, Down the Hall and Hacksaw teamed up to create some homebrews for consumption during tailgating of NC State games. We jokingly called ourselves Carter-Finley Brewing after the NC State stadium name. While the attendance at our tailgating parties wasn’t great - we had a ton of fun putting together recipes and theming them around the opponents. This particular brew was for the Wake Forest matchup which happens to be where Mrs. Hacksaw’s sports loyalties truly lie. The goal of this beer was to make a classic hefeweizen that could be morphed into a blue moon with the addition of a fresh orange.

Brewery Visit: Northern California

Okay fine, Northern California isn’t a single brewery.  I’m on vacation out on the ol’ left coast, and I’ve been able to drag my family to quite a few breweries along the way.  I’ll be out here through the end of the week, but since the first week was riddled with beer sampling in the Bay Area, I thought I’d write a brief update.