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.