The next meeting will be held back at Sisko's in Taylor on Tuesday, April 25. Sisko's is located on Monroe (between Telegraph and Southfield), just south of Vanborn. Their address is 5855 Monroe and their phone number is 313-278-5340. Sisko's also has a website at http://www.siskos.com/. The competition for April is "Weiss is Nice". I believe that this includes BJCP category 3b, American Wheat, and all of category 17, Bavarian Weizen, Bavarian Dunkel Weizen, Berliner Weisse, and Weizenbock. As usual, the thirsty hard-core who want dinner will start arriving around 5PM, people will drift in for an hour or so, and we will start our meeting around 6PM.

April's competition is "Weiss is Nice". The BJCP descriptions follow.

3. LIGHT ALE

3B. American Wheat
Aroma: Characteristic of wheat with some graininess. Bavarian Weizen's clovey and banana aromas are inappropriate. Hop aroma may be high or low but if present will be from American hop varieties.Appearance: Usually pale straw to gold. Dark versions approximating Dunkel Weizens are acceptable. Clarity may range from brilliant to hazy with yeast approximating the hefe Weizen style of beer. Big, long-lasting head. Flavor: Light graininess. Bavarian Weizenbier flavors such are banana esters and clove-like phenols are inappropriate. Hop flavor may be from low to high. Hop bitterness low to medium. Some fruitiness from ale fermentation acceptable; however, the use of a fairly neutral American ale yeast usually results in a clean fermentation. Little to no diacetyl.Mouthfeel: Light to medium body. Higher carbonation is appropriate. Mouthfeel will appear lighter than actual body due to higher levels of carbonation.Overall Impression: A light, refreshing beer that exhibits balanced hop and wheat maltiness.

17. WHEAT BEER

17A. Bavarian Weizen
Aroma: Vanilla and clove-like phenols and fruity esters of banana are common. Hop aroma ranges from low to none. No diacetyl. Some aroma of wheat may be present. Appearance: Pale straw to dark reddish-gold in color. A very thick, long-lasting head is characteristic. High protein content of wheat may impair clarity in an unfiltered beer, and clarity can be deliberately cloudy in a Hefe-Weizen from suspended yeast sediment. The filtered Krystal version is quite clear. Flavor: The soft, grainy flavor of wheat is essential. Hop flavor is low to none and hop bitterness is very low. A tart character from yeast and high carbonation may be present. Spicy clove phenols and fruity esters, most prominently banana, are often present. No diacetyl. Mouthfeel: The texture of wheat imparts the sensation of a fluffy, creamy fullness that may progress to a surprisingly light finish. A high carbonation level is typical. Overall Impression: A pale, spicy, fruity, wheat-based ale. Comments: These are refreshing, fast-maturing beers that are lightly hopped. The Hefe-Weizen version is served with yeast sediment stirred into it. The Krystal version is filtered for excellent clarity.

17B. Bavarian Dunkelweizen
Aroma: Gentle aroma of Munich malt supported by fruity, notably banana, and clove-spice aromas. No hop aroma. No diacetyl. Appearance: Light amber to light brown in color. A thick, long-lasting head is characteristic. High protein content of wheat may impair clarity in an unfiltered beer. Flavor: Melanoidins and caramel character of Munich and Vienna-type malts is prominent, along with some wheat flavor. There may be some spicy, fruity flavor as well. Roasty character is rare and very restrained if present. Low hop bitterness. No hop flavor. No diacetyl. Mouthfeel: The texture of wheat imparts the sensation of a fluffy, creamy fullness that may progress to a lighter finish. However, the presence of Munich and Vienna-type malts provides its own sense of fullness. A moderate to high carbonation level is typical. Overall Impression: A dark, malty, spicy, wheat-based ale. History: A dark version of Bavarian Weizen.

17C. Berliner Weisse
Aroma: Slightly fruity; a sour aspect may be quite noticeable. On occasion a mild Brettanomyces yeast aroma may be present. No hop aroma. No diacetyl. Appearance: Very pale straw in color. Clarity ranges from fair to cloudy. Despite high carbonation, head retention can vary from moussy to low. Flavor: Lactic sourness dominates and can be quite strong, but some wheat flavor should be noticeable. Hop bitterness is very low. Mild Brettanomyces yeast character may be detected occasionally. No hop flavor. No diacetyl. Mouthfeel: Light body. High carbonation. Overall Impression: A very pale, sour, refreshing, low-alcohol wheat ale.

17D. Weizenbock
Aroma: A powerful aroma of ripe fruit is very common. Aroma of alcohol is also common. Some clove-spice aroma may be present. No hop aroma. No diacetyl. Appearance: Light amber to dark brown in color. High alcohol level may impair what would otherwise be a thick, long-lasting head. Wheat protein content may impair clarity. Flavor: Concentrated wheat flavor is dominant. Malty complexity, including smoky or raisin-like essences, may be present in darker versions. A fruity character is common, and some clove-spice flavor may occur. Well-aged examples may show some sherry-like oxidation as a point of complexity. Hop bitterness is well controlled to allow wheat and malt flavors to dominate the balance. No hop flavor. No diacetyl. Mouthfeel: Full-bodied. A creamy sensation is typical, as is the warming sensation of substantial alcohol content. Moderate carbonation.Overall Impression: A strong, malty, fruity, wheat-based ale.

OK, same offer as last year's - I will volunteer to deliver entries destined for the "Over The Mill" homebrew competition. To avoid inordinate amounts od discussion on this point, let me make this simple...

If you are with the AABG Club AND you have your entry forms properly filled out AND you have the correct amount on the check AND all I have to do is hand it over to the competition director, bring your entries to Fridays meeting.

If you are with the F.O.R.D. Homebrew Club AND you have your entry forms properly filled out AND you have the correct amount on the check AND all I have to do is hand it over to the competition director, bring your entries to the April 25th meeting.

I will not have extra entry forms, do not want to meet you at a Bob's Big Boy parking lot on the way home to pick up entries, don't have any additional information that goes beyond what is on the web page (and I don't have that info ready at hand).

Don't mean to sound too militant, just have had an inordinate amount of special requests, basic questions, etc., whenever I volunteer this sort of thing. You are either on the bus or off

Entry Form

Bottle Form

[I have reprinted some information from Pat Babcock's article in the last newsletter. If you somehow forget to bring your entries to the meeting to give to Chrispy, the address to Rochester Mills is given. - The editor]

Each entry must include a completed entry form, two bottles and the appropriate entry fee. Competition Registration Fee is $7.00 for the first entry. Add $4.00 for the second entry, $3.00 for the third entry, and $2.00 for each additional entry thereafter up to a total of $24.00 (8 entries), at which point you may enter as many beers as you like for no additional charge. Make checks payable to Rochester Mills Beer Company. Do not send cash in the mail. Cash will be accepted only if hand delivered.

Two bottles of any size or color per entry. Bottles must not show any obvious identification marks. Each bottle must have a Bottle Identification Form rubber banded around it. Do not glue Bottle Identification Form onto the bottles OR THEY WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

Send or deliver your entries to
Rochester Mills Beer Company
400 Water St.
Rochester, MI 48307
Attn. Over The Mill.

All entries must be received between April 24, 2000 and 8:00 p.m. May 5, 2000.

You may enter your beer in any of the 26 1999 BJCP defined style categories and sub-categories you think your beer will do well in, or category 27, Over the Mill, defined as too big to fit in any BJCP style defined category. We reserve the right to consolidate categories with low turnout to assure sufficient entries in each final judging category.

First round judging will be take place Sunday May 7, 2000. Final round judging will take place Sunday May 21, 2000. All entrants are encouraged to join us at the Mill for the final round and OTM Awards Ceremony Banquet. The Homebrew event will feature special pricing for homebrewers, special OTM merchandise, tours, tastings, banquet pricing and door prizes. Ultimate award winner must be present to win.

Jim Racine

The brewing Demo at Adventures in Homebrewing was a success. We had great weather , great beer , plus we got to brew. David Cords was there brewing Chrispy's Nearly Nirvana on his new brewing system. Hats off to David, what a great system he's built. Talk about brewhouse envy. Jason and Jon from Adventures also made a Nearly Nirvana on their system. Tony Tantillo used the club pico system to brew a special wheat beer. Jim Racine brought his system to brew a barley wine. Doug Geiss and Kathy Loftus brewed a robust porter. Many other member's stopped by to help out and observe. Thanks to everyone who helped.

Chris Frey

2000 National Homebrewers Conference
June 22nd-24th - Livonia, Mi.

That's right folks, this is right around the corner. Our very own Gabrielle Palmer has been doing the web pages for this upcoming, neighborhood event, and you can find out more details about speakers (which include several area brewsperts, including Larry Bell, Peter Blum, Mike O'Brien, Dan McConnel, Rex Halfpenny and others) events and other details by pointing your browser to http://www.hbd.org/miy2k.

I will be attending the entire conference and would like to hear from others who are planning on attending. We have space for five kegs for our club's two hour shifts at the hospitality suite, so if you are planning on bringing a keg, please let me know that as well. Actually, the club is lending the 12-tap bar system to the convention, but we are told 5 kegs per 2-hour shift should be ample. There is also the chance that we might get tapped to pull additional shifts, based on how many other clubs end up participating.

The club night is Thursday night, and we need to discuss any "theme" we may want to present for our clubs munchies. I have heard from other clubs that have put out quite nice spreads with smoked meats, wonderful snacks, etc. Club night is sort of in lieu of an actual dinner, so I want to hear from some creative people who enjoy wiping up a batch of ? for the masses.

I am proposing that the club approve expenditures of approx. $250 for these munchies. All for this, come to the meeting and vote Aye! All opposed, the meeting evening has been changed to Thursday, see you there ;-)

I will have more details at the next meeting, but you should consider booking your room at the Holiday Inn soon. Their phone number is 734-464-1300. ID yourself as a participant of the American Homebrewer's Conference and the rate is $84 a night.

Seperatly, to register for the conference you can go to the web site and book it on line. The full conference cost is $175 if you register before May 15th and you are an AHA member, $225 if you are not a member (you can buy the 1 year membership with your package for $33, so it cost effective). Prices go up after May 15th. There is also a breakdown of each event if you do not want to attend the entire conferrence.

See ya at the next meeting!

Lallemand is sponsoring a scholarship for one lucky American Homebrewers Association member to attend a brewing course to be determined by Lallemand and the AHA. This course is valued at $2,500. The winner will also receive $1,000 for expenses.
*All current AHA Members are eligible for the scholarship.
*Increase your odds of winning just by sponsoring new members. You will receive one additional entry for each new member you sign up.
*The winner will be drawn at the 2000 AHA National Homebrew Conference in Livonia, Michigan June 22-24.

Submit the following to paul@aob.org NAME ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP MEMBER ID# PHONE E-MAIL

http://beertown.org/AHA/lallemand.htm

Rich Hampo also had good news that he relayed to Chris Frey on the last week of March.--
"I am off work this week due to the arrival of a new assistant brewer (baby Lindsay was born last week)."

CZECH PM PLANS TO PROTECT QUALITY OF BUDVAR
When it comes to privatization of the country's businesses, Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman is all for it, as long as the quality of the country's beer is not involved. Zeman believes that privatizing the state owned Budejovicky Budvar brewery, producer of Budweiser Budvar beer, could result in lower quality beer. "As you know, American beer is not so good," Zeman said at a meeting of the Portuguese Industrial Association, "so this is the only case where we are wary of privatization -- in the name of good Czech beer." Zeman indicated he was afraid that privatization may lead to the purchase of the brewery by a large, multinational company such as Anheuser-Busch.

SIEBEL INSTITUTE TO REOPEN DOORS
Siebel Institute of Technology has been saved. The Chicago brewing school will resume brewing classes this month. Siebel, the last of the founding brewing schools of the 1800s, closed its classroom doors in January. Alltech Inc. of Nicholsville, KY, has acquired Siebel and will assume control of the day-to-day operations. Bill Siebel reports that some changes are ahead, "all of which will be for the better." He added, "We are very excited now as we move into this new millennium that we do so with even more vigor. We look forward to the Siebel Institute growing for the next 128 years." Alltech, founded in 1980, is a pioneer in the application of biotechnology to livestock and poultry production. The company uses biochemistry, fermentation technology, and scientific principles to develop, manufacture and support feed ingredients to improve animal health and performance.

EU RAIDS OFFICES OF EUROPE'S LARGEST BREWERS
A European Union investigation into possible price-fixing agreement by European brewers widened last month when European Commission investigators raided the offices of several brewers. The officials raided the Dutch offices of Heineken, Carlsberg, Interbrew and Grolsch, among others. They also searched Heineken offices in Italy and are examining Peroni and Carlsberg in Italy, as well. "There are suspicions about possible agreements between the big brewers concerning fixing prices, sharing of the market and exchange of commercial information," said commission spokesman Michael Tscherny. "The investigation is not limited to Italy and The Netherlands -- some big companies like Heineken are present in several countries, so there may be cross-country links." The probe casts a shadow over the proposed takeover by Scottish & Newcastle of Kronenbourg, Danone's brewing operation.

GENTETICALLY MODIFIED BEER HAS MORE FOAM
German researchers are working on a genetically modified beer with a long-lasting froth, New Scientist magazine reports. Ulf Stahl and a team of scientists at the Technical University in Berlin have produced a brewer's yeast used in the fermentation process that is enhanced with a gene called LTP1 to produce a better froth. The genetically modified brewer's yeast secretes so much of the froth-making protein, the beer will produce the same amount of foam regardless of the quality of the barley. Stahl said German brewers had expressed interest in his work but at the moment they don't think there is much of a market for the beer because of the German public's opposition to genetically modified food.

'GOT BEER?' CAMPAIGN LASTS ONLY A FEW DAYS
Pressure from anti-drunken driving activists forced an animal-rights group to discontinue its "Got Beer?" advertising campaign after only a few days. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it stopped the campaign out of respect for concerns raised by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The "Got Beer?" campaign -- parody of the dairy industry's "Got Milk?" advertisements -- generated plenty of attention for PETA. In it the group urged college students to replace their milk mustaches with beer. PETA contends that milk cows and their calves suffer on factory farms and that the fat and cholesterol in milk make it less healthy than drinking beer. Although the campaign makes it clear that juice, water, soda and soy milk are preferable to beer, it was quickly attacked by MADD.

"MADD got their message out; we got our message out," said Bruce Friedrich of PETA. "Our goal was always to raise awareness about the suffering of cows and their calves, and we've certainly done that." The Norfolk-based group will give MADD $500 collected from employees and include a link to MADD on its website as goodwill gestures.

PHILADELPHIA BAR OWNERS BOYCOTT GUINNESS PRODUCTS
The Associated Press reports a growing number of pubs in Philadelphia boycotting some products from the Guinness Import Co. At least 10 bars, mostly Irish, have joined the protest of the company's involvement in starting new Irish theme bars around the country -- particularly the Philadelphia area. Most of the pubs have discontinued the sale of Bass and Harp, which Guinness also imports, but four have even taken the popular Guinness Stout off tap. The bar owners are upset with Guinness's commercial development division and its relationship to the Irish Pub Co., which has built hundreds of Irish theme pubs around the world since 1991. The pubs represent new competition for existing Irish pubs.

MILLER ROLLS OUT PLASTIC BOTTLES
Miller Brewing Co. has begun selling Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft and Icehouse beers in recyclable plastic bottles, making it the first brewer to offer widespread distribution in plastic in the United States. "We understand the skepticism," Miller spokesman Scott Bussen said. "There is a longstanding emotional bond between adult beer drinkers and that glass bottle. We don't see plastic replacing aluminum or glass. But we do think there is a place for it. It offers a flexible packaging choice we think was missing in the beer industry." Recycling officials point out that the bottles are not totally "recycling friendly." The Miller plastic bottles are brown, and brown plastic bottles cannot be recycled with other plastic soda and water bottles. The cost of separating the brown bottles will be economically unfeasible for many recycling programs.

GEORGIA STRONG BEER LAW DIES
Georgia beer lovers will have to wait at least another legislative session to enjoy beer stronger than 6% by volume. The bill that the state's House passed, which would have permitted sale of stronger beer, died in a Senate committee. The House voted 126-42 to alter Georgia's definition of "malt beverages" and allow stronger beers to be sold. Currently, state law prohibits selling beer that contains more than 6% alcohol by volume (Budweiser is 5%). The measure passed by the House would boost the limit to 14% and charge twice the state tax on the stronger beers. After the House passed the bill it received considerable attention, causing neo-Prohibition organizations and church groups to protest. That gave it little chance of getting out of committee in an election year.

FIRST LIME, NOW LEMON
Anheuser-Busch continues to roll out malt beverages that don't resemble traditional beer, last month launching Tequiza Extra and in May introducing a lemon-flavored alcoholic drink called Doc Otis. Tequiza Extra has a stronger tequila flavor than Tequiza. Tequiza -- whose name is derived by combining "cerveza," the Spanish word for beer, with tequila -- is made by blending beer with blue agave nectar and a natural flavor of lime and imported tequila and has been wildly successful since debuting last year. Doc Otis is made with real lemon juice.

NATIONAL HOMEBREW DAY FEATURES 'BIG BREW'
The American Homebrewers Association (AHA) will hold its third annual Big Brew Celebration on May 6, which is National Homebrew Day. For last year's Big Brew, 2,180 registered participants gathered at 265 brewing sites in 47 states and 8 foreign countries. During Big Brew, home brewers from around the world gather at local sites for a day of brewing and celebration of the hobby. Participants will brew from the same recipe and share in a simultaneous toast at noon (CST). The official Big Brew 2000 recipe is based on the 18 attempts of Chris P. Frey of the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild and Fermental Order of Renaissance Draughtsmen (FORD) to emulate Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

OHIO BANS MANNEKEN PIS LABEL
The Ohio Division of Liquor Control has banned the label for Manneken Pis beer because it was deemed "offensive and not in good taste," according to a Paulaner North America and Intermountain/RKH press release. The label portrays a statue of a little boy urinating. Manneken Pis has been one of Belgium's best selling beers, and the statue is one of Brussels' oldest landmarks and is considered its official mascot. Ohio officials stated that the label depicted the statue of a "child who is obviously relieving itself" and that the name of the beer was a "play on words." The label was banned in Pennsylvania two years ago.

American Beer Month
-- July 2000 has been selected as American Beer Month by the Institute for Brewing Studies. The national promotional campaign is designed to raise awareness of the variety and quality of American craft beers through beer festivals and beer dinners.

Brewer to Pay Damages to Alcoholic Employee

Updated 1:11 PM ET March 23, 2000

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A Brazilian beer maker won a court case against his former boss Brahma brewer, arguing that years of "tasting" up to 12 liters (3.2 gallons) a day had turned him into an alcoholic, officials said on Wednesday.

A top Brazilian court on Tuesday ordered Brahma to pay moral damages to its former senior brewer Bernd Naveke, who had spent 20 years at Brahma's service before being forced to retire at the age of 40 due to his drinking problem. Beer quality tests were part of the job.

Naveke was awarded about $30,000 in damages and a monthly pension for life equal to his old salary of about $2,600.

"Brahma brewing company will have to compensate its senior brewer ... for inability to work due to alcoholism acquired during his 20 years of work in which he had to conduct beer quality tests," a court in Brasilia said in its ruling, posted on its Web site.

The court quoted Naveke's lawyers as saying the brewer had to drink six to eight liters, equal to 1.6 to 2.1 gallons, of beer each day starting early in the morning. Ahead of weekends and holidays, his daily intake was as high as 12 liters (3.1 gallons).

The court, which upheld an earlier decision by a lower court in Rio de Janeiro, said Brahma's main crimes were failing to warn Naveke of the risks associated with his profession and failing to conduct medical tests.

Brahma had challenged the Rio court's ruling. Company officials were not immediately available for comment and it was unclear whether the company was planning to take the case to the Supreme Court.

I got this article from someplace on the web about a year ago. I've been useing this method since then and it has worked REALLY well! I thought ...it might be good for our newsletter.

NO TEARS BOTTLING

Gregg A. Howard Denver, Co. 102012.3350@compuserve.com

This is an outline of my method for priming and bottling beer with a minimum of hassle, oxygenation and exposure to the elements. I came up with this in response to the miserable time I had following Papazian's sketchy instructions in TCJOHB for my first bottling session, which was a grotesque comedy of errors that left beer spilled all over and the batch hopelessly infected. This file does not cover bottle preparation, and also assumes that you have bottled before and know the basics.

Briefly, this method allows you to rack green beer out of your fermenter and into a covered bucket to be primed without sucking on the hose to start the syphon, then lets you fill your bottles by gravity feed without sloshing the beer around or exposing it to any more of the cruel world than is absolutely neccessary. Any feedback -- positive, negative, or indifferent -- is appreciated.

To start with, an equipment list:

• A *new* 6- or 7-gallon food-grade bucket with lid
• Racking cane with the little stand-off doohickey on the end
• 7 feet of 7/16" OD 5/16" ID vinyl tubing
• One of those little tubing clamps that squeeze the tubing to control or stop the flow
• A bottle filler wand
• An 18" length of 2x2 or 2x4

Ideally your bucket should have a "reusable" lid, that is, one that fits like a Tupperware lid and can be removed without a crowbar. Packaging dealers stock these along with the buckets. Try looking in your local yellow pages under "Drums & Barrels". I paid $6 for a 6 gallon bucket and lid. Any lid that can be removed without too much wrestling will do.

With your bottles and caps ready to go, boil and cool your priming solution. Run hot water on one end of the tubing and force about an inch of it into the hole in the bucket. String the clamp thingamabob on the tubing. Put the racking cane on the other end of the tube. Sanitize and (if neccessary) rinse everything. Hang the racking cane over a cupboard door above the counter and with the bucket tilted toward you on the counter, pour your primer into the bucket with a minimum of splashing. Put the lid tightly on the bucket. Prop up the side of the bucket opposite the hole with the block of wood so that the primer is pooled over the end of the tubing.

Now, slowly and carefully lower the tubing below counter level so that the primer flows into the tubing without bubbles. Hold the cane upside down while you slowly lower it so that the liquid fills it to the tip. Clamp the tubing tightly with the clamp thingamabob. Pop the cane into the fermenter on the counter and open the clamp. When about an inch of beer has syphoned out of the fermenter, set the bucket gently on the floor to continue racking.

When the fermenter has been drained, hold the cane and tubing up so that the tubing empties into the bucket as much as possible. Remove the cane and install your bottle filler in its place. While doing this, allow most of the tubing to fill with beer again. Don't allow air trapped in the tubing to bubble back into the bucket. Carefully lift the bucket onto the counter again. Make *very* sure you are not standing on the hose while you do this. With the filler held upside down and using a sanitized glass to hold the valve tip open, purge the line of air as you did the racking tube before. Tuck the excess tubing into a counter drawer so it's not in your way, squat on the floor and bottle your beer. When you're about 80% done, prop up the side of the bucket opposite the tubing with the block of wood again to get every last drop.

Some observations and opinions:

While this no-stir technique sounds like a perfect recipe for over- and under-primed bottles, I have never in 60+ batches bottled in this fashion been able to detect such an effect. I think that the flow into the bucket is such that any tendency of the (higher gravity) priming solution to collect unmixed at the bottom is counteracted. Actually, I'm not sure why it works so well, but any difference in priming level between bottles is below the the threshold of discernment.

Make sure your priming solution is below 120F when you put it in the bucket. A small amount of boiling water won't hurt the bucket, but it will turn your racking cane into a racking corkscrew. I use a small covered saucepan to boil my solution and then set it in the freezer for 15 minutes to get it down to a reasonable temperature.

Test your system with water beforehand and make sure your bucket lid allows a bit of air seepage like mine does. This is critical. If it doesn't, it won't allow the beer to flow in and out. If the lid fits airtight, drill a small hole in it. You can tape a piece of coffee filter paper over the hole to keep out the larger dust motes as the beer drains.

I use 5/16" ID tubing because it fits the 3/8" cane and wand snugly. Any size that works for you is fine. Just drill the bucket hole 1/16" smaller than the OD.

I specify a new bucket to minimize the chance of beasties lurking in any scratches, but any bucket you trust will do. I take great care in cleaning my bucket and don't use it for anything but bottling. The interior still looks brand new and I expect it to outlast me.

Make a plug for the hole from a 4" piece of tubing thusly: Fold over an inch of the tube and bind it down with a rubber band wrapped around it tightly. Cut the free end diagonally to make it easier to insert. I use this when cleaning the bucket and also keep it close at hand while bottling just in case I should ever trip over the tubing and pull it out of the hole.

I know that this system still allows outside air to contact the beer, but it does minimize such contact and also keeps out insect life, sneezes, wandering pets, and generally allows you to relax and take your time with bottling knowing that nothing is going to leap into your beer if you get up to stretch your legs, answer the phone, pour yourself another, etc. It also really limits aeration, but the main thing is that, for me at least, it's easier than anything else I've tried.

Oldcastles Farm, Scotland.

Authentic Grists "News Letter"

Dear Fermental Order of Renaissance Draughtsmen,

Further to my last newsletter we have been actively looking at the possibility of making available malt which brewers in both Scotland and England use for their best lagers and beers.

This has come about as a result of my previous newsletter regarding the need to match the malt chemistry with the mashing liquor chemistry of the brewery in order to improve the grist balance and maximize the yeast potential during fermentation. This is in addition to the malt specification and certainly not instead of it.

We have never progressed to the stage that the maltster is able to advise his customer from one batch of malt to the next, or from differing beer qualities being brewed, exactly what strengths or weaknesses are in the malt which require to be addressed before brewing commences. Odd but true!

I believe that this information could be easily arrived at and presented to you. If the brewer accepts it then he has a better chance of trying to replicate the beer of the country of origin from where he bought his raw materials. He/she will also be better advised to anticipate quality improvement in his/her final beers/lagers regardless of the above.

Most water suppliers provide an analysis on request and we have the malt analysis before it leaves the maltings. The question is would you welcome arrangement whereby with your analysis to hand we could then recommend the mashing liquor treatment to suit the malt.

I would be very interested to know how you water supply company reports their analysis to you in terms of ion content, temporary hardness, permanent hardness, pH etc.

Assuming that I can arouse enough interest in the above topic then I believe that we should consider starting with the primary malts and not be distracted by the specialist adjuncts. Hopefully this will come in time once we have tried to help with the balancing act!

On this assumption I have researched the possibility of supplying Maris Otter, Golden promise, Halcyon, Pipkin, and Chariot Lager malt into North America. A bigger task than I had anticipated but the following is a workable route if the budget prices are acceptable.

The best port of entry is Charleston for a one off consignment. The average value of the above malts is approximately $28 per 25kg bag ex Charleston. (If there are enough people interested in this proposal then the price becomes very volume sensitive and can only go down. Any savings we would be happy to pass on but we must start some where) The next section is longwinded with so many States but must be communicated to produce the whole picture. The States are "zoned" as follows:

Alabama, Georgia (2) Florida, N Carolina, S Carolina (3) Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, W Virginia, (4) Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,

Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, S Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin (5) Colorado, New Mexico, N Dakota, Wyoming, (6) Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Utah, (7) California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, (8)

I asked for distribution prices for single bags which then appeared prohibitive for long distances. I have therefore shown budget prices for larger loads of 500 kg and 1000 kg to see what savings could be made.

The following chart indicates the best average prices that could need some honing: -

(Zone) (Single Bags $) (Price per bag $) (Price per bag $)

(USA) (Minimum order 1) (Minimum order 20) ( Minimum order 40)

(2) (9.41) (6.28) (4.97)

(3) (11.83) (9.5) (7.66)

(4 ) (13.75) (11.52) (9.88)

(5) (17.05) (13.94) (11.71)

(6) (21.30) (17.74) (14.88)

(7) (26.20) (18.27) (15.81)

(8 ) (31.15) (20.57) (17.81)

The questions is would these budget prices be of interest, would the joint interest in liquor treatment be an unwelcome interference and if not what form would you present me with your water analysis?

I look forward to hearing from you,

Kind Regards,

Nick Harris.

For those of you looking ahead to May. May's competition is "German Lagers". This includes lages from the European Pale Lager Group (BJCP Group 2), European Dark Lager (BJCP Group 13), and Bock (BJCP 14). We are not including the German Amber Lager category (BJCP Group 9) since the Oktoberfest Competition is later this year. Anyway the BJCP miniguidelines are below.

2. EUROPEAN PALE LAGER 2A. Bohemian Pilsner [Editor's Note -- Yes, I know that Bohemia is in the Czech Republic, but we are not going to turn away any for judging !] Aroma: Rich with a complex malt and a spicy, floral, Saaz hop bouquet. Moderate diacetyl acceptable. Appearance: Light gold to deep copper-gold, clear, with a dense, creamy white head. Flavor: Rich, complex maltiness combined with pronounced soft, rounded bitterness and flavor from Saaz hops. Moderate diacetyl acceptable. Bitterness is prominent but never harsh, and does not linger: The aftertaste is balanced between malt and hops. Clean, no fruitiness or esters. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, medium carbonation. Comments: Saaz hops and low sulfate, low carbonate water provide a distinctively soft, rounded hop profile. Overall Impression: Crisp, complex and well-rounded yet refreshing.

2B. Northern German Pilsner
Aroma: May feature grain and distinctive, flowery, noble hops. Clean, no fruitiness or esters. Appearance: Straw to medium gold, clear, with a creamy white head. Flavor: Crisp, dry and bitter. Maltiness is low, although some grainy flavors and slight sweetness are acceptable. Hop bitterness dominates taste and continues through the finish and lingers into the aftertaste. Hop flavor can range from low to high but should only be derived from German noble hops. Clean, no fruitiness or esters. Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, medium to high carbonation. Overall Impression: Crisp, clean, refreshing beer that prominently features noble German hop bitterness accentuated by sulfates in the water. Comments: Drier than Bohemian Pilsner with a bitterness that tends to linger more in the aftertaste due to higher attenuation and higher sulfate water.

2C. Dortmunder Export
Aroma: Low to medium German or Czech hop aroma. Malt aroma is moderate. Appearance: Light gold to medium gold, clear with a noticeable white head. Flavor: Neither malt nor hops are distinctive, but both are in good balance with a touch of sweetness, providing a smooth yet crisply refreshing beer. Balance continues through the finish and the hop bitterness lingers in aftertaste. Clean, no fruitiness or esters. Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation. Overall Impression: Balance is the hallmark of this style. Comments: Brewed to a slightly higher starting gravity than other light lagers, providing a firm, malty body and underlying maltiness to complement the sulfate-accentuated hop bitterness.

2D. Muenchner Helles
Aroma: Grain and malt aromas predominate. May also have a very light hop aroma. Appearance: Medium to deep gold, clear, with a creamy white head. Flavor: Slightly sweet, malty profile. Grain and malt flavors predominate, with just enough hop bitterness to balance. Very slight hop flavor acceptable. Finish and aftertaste remain malty. Clean, no fruitiness or esters. Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation, smooth maltiness with no trace of astringency. Overall Impression: Characterized by rounded maltiness without heaviness. Comments: Unlike Pilsner but like its cousin, Munchner Dunkel, Helles is a malt-accentuated beer that is not overly sweet, but rather focuses on malt flavor with underlying hop bitterness in a supporting role.

13. EUROPEAN DARK LAGER

13A. Munich Dunkel
Aroma: Munich malt aroma, with sweetish notes or hints of chocolate and toffee also acceptable. No fruity esters or diacetyl should be detected, but slight hop aroma is acceptable. Appearance: Medium amber to dark brown, often with a red or garnet tint. Creamy light tan head, clear. Flavor: Dominated by the rich and complex flavor of Munich malt. May be slightly sweet from residual extract, but should not have a pronounced crystal or caramel malt flavor. Burnt or bitter flavors from roasted malts should not be perceived. Hop bitterness is low but perceptible, with the balance tipped firmly towards maltiness. Hop flavor should be at the very edge of perception if perceived at all. Aftertaste remains malty, although the hop bitterness may become more apparent in this last phase of flavor perception. Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-full mouthfeel, providing a firm body without being heavy. Overall Impression: Characterized by depth and complexity of Munich malt and the accompanying melanoidins.

13B. Schwarzbier (Black Beer)
Aroma: Primarily malty, with low aromatic sweetness and/or hints of roast malt often apparent. Low hop aroma may be perceived. No fruity esters or diacetyl. Flavor: Rich, full malt flavor balanced by moderate bitterness from both hops and roasted malt, providing a bitter-chocolate palate without being particularly dry. Low hop flavor and some residual sweetness are acceptable. Aftertaste tends to dry out slowly and linger, featuring hop bitterness with a complementary subtle roastiness in the background. No fruity esters or diacetyl. Mouthfeel: Low to medium body. Overall Impression: A beer that balances rich dark malt flavors with a perceptible bitterness from hops and roasted malts.

14. BOCK

14A. Traditional Bock
Aroma: Strong aroma of malt. Virtually no hop aroma. Some alcohol may be noticeable. Diacetyl or esters should be low to none. Appearance: Deep amber to dark brown color. Lagering should provide good clarity despite the dark color. Head retention may be impaired by higher-than-average alcohol content. Flavor: Rich and complex maltiness is dominated by the grain and caramel flavors of Munich and Vienna malts. A touch of roasty character may be present but is rare. No hop flavor. Hop bitterness is generally only high enough to balance the malt flavors to allow moderate sweetness in the finish. Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied. Low to moderate carbonation. Overall Impression: A dark, strong, malty lager beer.

14B. Helles Bock/Maibock
Aroma: Moderate to strong malt aroma. Hop aroma should be low to none. Aromas such as diacetyl or fruity esters should be low to none. Some alcohol may be noticeable. Appearance: Golden to amber in color. Lagering should provide good clarity. Head retention may be impaired by higher-than-average alcohol content. Flavor: The rich flavor of continental European pale malts dominates. Little or no hop flavor. Hop bitterness is generally only high enough to balance the malt flavors to allow moderate sweetness in the finish. Perception of hops may be more apparent than in darker Bocks. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Moderate carbonation. Overall Impression: A relatively pale, strong, malty lager beer.

14C. Doppelbock
Aroma: Intense maltiness. Virtually no hop aroma. While diacetyl or esters should be low to none, a fruity aspect to the aroma often described as prune, plum or grape may be present due to reactions between malt, the boil, and aging. A very slight roasty aroma may be present in darker versions. Appearance: Gold to dark brown in color. Lagering should provide good clarity. Head retention may be impaired by higher-than-average alcohol content. Flavor: Very rich and malty, infrequently a touch of roastiness. Invariably there will be an impression of alcoholic strength, but this should be smooth and warming rather than harsh or burning. Presence of higher alcohols (fusel oils) should be very low to none. Little to no hop flavor. Hop bitterness varies from moderate to low but always allows malt to dominate the flavor. Mouthfeel: Full-bodied. Low carbonation. Overall Impression: A very strong, rich, lager beer.

14D. Eisbock
Aroma: Dominated by malt. Definite alcohol presence. No hop aroma. No diacetyl or esters. Appearance: Deep gold to dark brown in color. Lagering should provide good clarity. Head retention may be impaired by higher-than-average alcohol content. Flavor: Rich malt and concentrated alcohol. No hop flavor. Hop bitterness just balances the malt sweetness to avoid a cloying character. No diacetyl or esters. Mouthfeel: Full-bodied. Carbonation low. Overall Impression: An extremely strong lager beer.

If you are stumped for a recipe, I have included links to the Cat's Meow 3 and Gambrinus' Mug Recipe Databases.

World Wide Web Links to Recipes

• The Cat's Meow 3 Lager Chapter
• The Cat's Meow 3 Barleywine and Doublebock Chapter This is for all of you who like really strong lagers (and strong ales that are not in May's competition)
• The Gambrinus' Mug Recipe List

Beer Events, Meetings & Competitions Gabrielle Palmer

• April 24, 2000 - May 5, 2000. Entries for Over the Mill competition due at the Rochester Mills Brewery. Details in this month's newsletter.
• April 25 (T) - FORD Meeting at Sisko's in Taylor, "Weiss is Nice" Competition (AHA), Category #19 a, b, c & d.
• May 6 (S) - National Homebrew Day.
• May 21 (Su) Final judging for Over the Mill Competition, at Rochester Mills Beer Company, Rochester, MI.
• May 24 (W) - FORD Meeting at Sisko's in Taylor, German Lager Competition, Categories #13 a & b; #14 a & b; and #15 a, b & c.
• June 22 thru 24 - 2000 National Homebrewers Conference in Livonia.
• June 27 (T) - FORD Meeting at Sisko's in Taylor, Porter Competition, Category #9 a & b.
• July 26 (W) - FORD Meeting at Sisko's in Taylor, Pale Ale Competition (AHA), Categories #5 a & b and #6 a, b & c.
• August 22 (T) - FORD Meeting at Sisko's in Taylor, Lawnmower Beer Competition, All light-bodied beers will be accepted.
• September 22-24 (F-Su) Beer Camp - see the notice in February's Issue
• September 27 (W) - FORD Meeting at Sisko's in Taylor, "Best of Fest" Oktoberfest Competition (AHA), Category #17 a & b.
• October 24 (T) - FORD Meeting at Sisko's in Taylor, Stout Competition, Category #11 a, b, c, d & e.
• November 15 (W) - FORD Meeting at Sisko's in Taylor, Historical Beers Competition (AHA).
• December 12 (T) - FORD Meeting at Sisko's in Taylor, Holiday Beers Competition, All Style Categories.

Too Many --------

Chrispy walks into the front door of a bar. He is obviously drunk, and staggers up to the bar, seats himself on a stool and, with a belch, asks the bartender for a Nearly Nirvana Pale. The bartender politely informs Chrispy that it appears that he has already had plenty to drink, he could not be served additional liquor at this bar, and could a cab be called for him?

Chrispy is briefly surprised, then softly scoffs, grumbles, climbs down off the bar stool and staggers out the front door. A few minutes later, Chrispy stumbles in the SIDE door of the "same" bar. He wobbles up to the bar and hollers for a Sierra Nevada. The bartender comes over and, still politely but more firmly, refuses service to him due to his inebriation, and again offers to call a cab. He looks at the bartender for a moment angrily, curses, and shows himself out the side door, all the while grumbling and shaking his head.

A few minutes later, Chrispy bursts in through the BACK door of the bar. He plops himself up on a bar stool, gathers his wits and belligerently orders a pint. The bartender comes over and emphatically reminds him that he is clearly drunk, will be served no beer, and either a cab or the police will be called immediately. Chrispy surprisingly looks at the bartender, and in hopeless anguish, cries - "MAAANNN! How many bars do you work at!?!?!"

Crispy's Original Terse offer:

OK, same offer as last year's - I will volunteer to deliver entries destinedfor the "Over The Mill" homebrew competition. To avoid inordinate amounts of discussion on this point, let me make this simple...If you are with the F.O.R.D. Homebrew Club AND you have your entry forms properly filled out AND you have the correct amount on the check AND all I have to do is hand it over to the competition director, bring your entries to the April 25th meeting.

I will not have extra entry forms, do not want to meet you at a Bob's Big Boy parking lot on the way home to pick up entries, don't have any additional information that goes beyond what is on the web page (and I don't have that info ready at hand). Don't mean to sound too militant, just have had an inordinate amount of special requests, basic questions, etc., whenever I volunteer this sort of thing. You are either on the bus or off the bus...

Jerry's Response:.

Hi Chris, hey how are ya doin? I was wondering if you could help me out. I think I'd like to participate in this OTM competition. I know you don't have any entry forms, but if you could just take the beers down there for me, well that'd be perfect. Oh, I guess there's one little problem...we're not going to be at the meeting this month as we will be out of the state. So if we could drop the beers off at your place before instead? Thanks! I really appreciate this, I mean I know you have lots of stuff to do and all. Well, maybe just one more thing. We've been busy too, and with Dale being sick (nothing serious, just a cold) well, we just didn't get around to bottling. So if we dropped off the wort, could you bottle it for us? I know there isn't time for it to condition, so just pressurize it with CO2, it'll be fine. Thanks! Well, actually we didn't get around to brewing. But we have the ingredients! So if it's not too much trouble... I mean we don't have a Pico system, so how about if we drop off the ingredients, and you can take it from there. You know, while I'm thinking about it, you know, you live kinda out in the stix, if you know what I mean (no offense), so how about if you brew our beer now, and we'll bring out ingredients next time we come, you know, to save time. Say, did I say thanks? I really, really appreciate it. I guess, since you don't have those darn entry forms, could you, you know, ask around and find some? Just make sure to spell our names right. Johanne gets kinda sensitive. (you know how she is) Let us know if we win. By the way, instead of coming all the way down to our place to drop the rest of our beer... well Johanne's been goin a little heavy on the homebrew lately (don't mention it to her, like I said, sensitive), so if you could drink it for us it'll save our waistlines. Thanks, I mean it! Don't drink it all at once though, we like to enjoy our homebrew. Besides I get a hangover if I drink too much. Thanks again Chris, and see ya soon. Jerry.

Subject: An Irish Tradition
An Irishman walks into a bar in Dublin, orders three pints of Guinness and sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more. The bartender approaches and tells him, "You know, a pint goes flat after I draw it, it would taste better if you bought one at a time." The Irishman replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in America, the other in Australia, and I'm here in Dublin. When we all left home, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. So I drinks one for each o' me brothers and one for me self." The bartender admits this is a nice custom, and leaves it here.

The Irishman becomes a regular in the bar and always drinks the same way: He orders three pints and drinks them in turn. One day, he comes in and orders two pints. All the other regulars take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't I want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your great loss." The Irishman looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eye and he laughs. "Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains. "It's just that me wife had us join that Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking. Hasn't affected me brothers a bit though.

Ye Olde Brew News published by the F.O.R.D. Homebrew Club

Editor: Tony Tantillo Contributors: Pat Babcock Bob Barrett Chris Frey Gabrielle Palmer Jim Racine Rich Byrnes Al Czajkowski Kerry Havener Howard Klix, Jr. Gary Shewchuk Tony Tantillo Club Officers: Al Czajkowski, President Jim Racine, Vice President Howard Klix Jr., Secretary Chris Frey, Treasurer Tony Tantillo, Newsletter Editor Gabrielle Palmer, Webmaster Sue Merritt, Photographer/Historian/Beer Mooch Mike Arend, Librarian Jim Rice & Tyler Barber, Special Events Coordinators Tyler Barber, Equipment Manager Rich Byrnes, Business Manager

F.O.R.D. is a private, non-profit organization of homebrewers. The main goal of this club is to promote awareness and appreciation of the quality and variety of beer; to share information regarding technique, equipment and skill required to brew quality homemade beer; and to encourage responsible use of beer as an alcohol-containing beverage. Correspondence should be directed to: Howard Klix Jr. 34711 Aquarius Dr., Apt. C Sterling Heights, MI 48310 Phone: 810-795-0512 Email: raistlin01@home.com Visit our website at: http://www.be.ford.com/brewers/ or external to Ford at: http://hbd.org/ford/ current circulation... 125