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| July 2003 | Fermental Order of Renaissance Draughtsmen | Volume 11 Number 7 |
The next meeting will be held back at Bailey's Pub 'N Grille in Dearborn on Wednesday, July 23. Bailey's is located on the southeast corner of Michigan and Mason. Their address is 22091 Michigan Avenue and their phone number is 313-277-3212. As usual, the thirsty hardcore 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.
June's European Lager competition results are tabulated below.
| Brown Ale Competition | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Brewer | Style | Points |
| 1st | Tyler Barber |
Dortmunder |
43.3/50 |
| 2nd | Tyler Barber |
Dortmunder |
43/50 |
| 3rd | Chris Cirino |
N.G. Pilsner |
42.5/50 |
| HM | Tyler Barber |
Helles |
39.5/50 |
| HM | Bob and Kim Barrett |
B. Pilsner |
35.75/50 |
| HM | Tyler Barber |
N.G. Pilsner |
35.25/50 |
This month's competition is Specialty/Experimental/Historical Beers - BJCP Category 24. It is a AHA competition. The details for the club only competition can be found on the appropriate web site. AHA web page. Bottle and entry forms (useful for non-AHA competitions) can be found there too.
24. SPECIALTY/EXPERIMENTAL/HISTORICAL
Any ale or lager beer brewed using unusual techniques (hot rocks, etc.), unique fermentables (such as maple syrup, honey, etc.),unique adjuncts (oats, rye, potatoes, etc.), low alcohol, combinations of fruits and spices/herbs/vegetables, or historical beers (Entire, IPA with Brettanomyces, Louvain Peeterman, etc.). Experimental beers that do not otherwise meet the other established style categories may be entered here.
Aroma: The character of the stated uniqueness should be distinctive in the aroma. Overall the aroma should be a balanced combination of malt, hops and the featured uniqueness as appropriate to the specific type of beer being presented. If the base beer is an ale then general fruitiness and other fermentation byproducts such as diacetyl may be present as appropriate for the warmer fermentation. If the base beer is a lager, then overall less fermentation byproducts would be appropriate. The overall aroma should be balanced and harmonious.
Appearance: Appearance should be appropriate to the base beer being presented and will vary depending on the base beer.
Flavor: The character of the particular ingredient or technique should be distinctive in the flavor profile. Hop bitterness and flavor, malt flavors, alcohol content and fermentation byproducts, such as diacetyl, should be appropriate to the base beer and harmonious and balanced with the distinctive nature of flavors present.
Mouthfeel: Mouthfeel may vary depending on the base beer selected and as appropriate to that base beer. Body and carbonation levels should be appropriate to the base beer style being presented.
Overall Impression: A harmonious marriage ingredients, processes and beer.
Comments: Overall balance is the key to presenting a well-made specialty beer. The distinctive nature of the stated specialty should complement the original style and not overwhelm it. The brewer should recognize that some combinations of base beer styles and ingredients or techniques work well together while others do not make for harmonious combinations. The brewer must specify the underlying beer style as well as the type of unique ingredients used, process utilized or historical beer style being brewed. If the base beer is a classic style, the original style should come through in aroma and flavor. Additionally, whenever multiple fruits, spices, herbs or vegetables are used each should be distinctive in their own way. For historical styles that may not be known to all beer judges, the brewer may provide a copy of the text of references to these beers as an aid to the judges.
Vital Statistics: OG, FG, IBUs, SRM and ABV will vary depending on the underlying base beer.
Due to the fact that I had a last minute business trip, the only newsletter was the web version. This month a paper copy will get mailed out.
Here are the dates:
Entries Due : July 13th - 27th. Entries can be delivered to my home in Westland (38665 Northampton, Westland 48186) or to Adventures in Homebrewing.
Judging : First Weekend in August. Judges and stewards desperately needed.
BOS Judging: Saturday August 23rd at the MI State Fairgrounds in Detroit (4:30 pm).
More information including entry materials can be found at http://hbd.org/michigan/2003/planning.htm .
Sorry, No pictures this month.
Next month's competition has the broad competition category, lawn mower beers. This is our competition for any light bodied beer, including all those light American Styles in this month's competition. Some styles that come to mind include the light ales (BJCP category 3), koelsch (BJCP category 8A), some of the German wheat beers (BJCP category 17 a-c) ; sorry weizenbock is not a lawn mower beer), wit beers (BJCP category 19b), and fruit beer (BJCP category 21). You may very well want to hold on to your Koelsch and Wheat Beers as these will be the subject of later competitions in September and October.
3. LIGHT ALE
3A. Blond Ale
Aroma: Some fruitiness; may have low to medium hop bouquet, principally from American hop varieties. Light maltiness. Low diacetyl OK.
Appearance: Pale straw to deep gold in color. Clear to brilliant. Good head retention.
Flavor: Soft, lightly malty palate, some fruitiness and hop flavor present. Usually balanced with a light to medium bitterness, though the accent tilts towards malt. Hop bitterness low to medium, although some versions are very restrained with hops, making the beer sweet in character. Low levels of diacetyl acceptable.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, though lighter mouthfeel from higher carbonation may be noticed.
Overall Impression: This beer is generally balanced with light hops and malt as an introduction to alternate beer styles for the mass-market beer consumer.
History: Currently produced by (American) microbreweries and brewpubs.
Ingredients: Generally all malt.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.045-1.060
IBUs: 15-33 FG: 1.008-1.015
SRM: 2-8 ABV: 4-6%
Commercial Examples: Catamount Gold, Goose Island Blonde, Bridgeport Pintail 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.
Ingredients: Standard ale yeast. Often 50% wheat malt or more.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.035-1.055
IBUs: 10-30 FG: 1.008-1.015
SRM: 2-8 ABV: 3.7-5.5%
Commercial Examples: Otter Creek Summer Wheat, Anchor Wheat, Boulevard Wheat, Pyramid Hefe-Weizen.
3C. Cream Ale
Aroma: Low hop aroma may be present. Low levels of DMS acceptable. Low maltiness. Some character from the use of corn as an adjunct may be present.
Appearance: Pale straw to pale gold. Clear to brilliant. Good head retention.
Flavor: Low hop bittering. Low maltiness; however, grainy sweetness from corn may be present. Low levels of fruitiness OK. Balanced, clean fermentation. No diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Light body. Well carbonated. Smooth mouthfeel.
Overall Impression: A light, refreshing, thirst-quenching beer.
History: Adaptation of American light lager. Fermented as an ale, followed by cold conditioning or a blending of ale and lager beers, which reduces the fermentation byproducts.
Ingredients: Corn or rice is often used as adjuncts.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.044-1.055
IBUs: 10-22 FG: 1.007-1.010
SRM: 2-4 ABV: 4.4-5.7%
Commercial Examples: Genesee
Cream Ale, Little Kings Cream Ale.
8. KOELSCH AND ALTBIER
8A. Koelsch-Style Ale
Aroma: Light hop aroma, German noble or Czech Saaz hops, giving a light fruitiness. Maltiness none to low. No diacetyl, as this is a lagered beer resulting in a clean finish with just a hint of fruitiness from primary fermentation at ale temperatures. Low sulfur aroma, similar to that of pale continental lagers, is acceptable, particularly in a young Koelsch.
Appearance: Very pale to light gold. Very clear/brilliant. White head lingers as Belgian lace on the sides of the glass.
Flavor: Soft, rounded palate; light hop fruitiness and a delicate dryness to slight sweetness in the finish. Clean fermentation with just a little residual fruitiness from ale fermentation temperatures. No diacetyl. Medium-low bitterness. Balanced toward bitterness but malt character should not be completely overshadowed.
Mouthfeel: Light side of medium body. Medium carbonation. Smooth, crisp mouthfeel.
Overall Impression: A delicately balanced beer with just a hint of flavor/aroma hops and fruitiness that finishes dry to slightly sweet with a crisply refreshing bitterness over a base of smooth, rounded Pils malt flavor.
History: As an appellation, the Koelsch name can only be used for beers brewed in Koeln (Cologne), Germany, where it is a native style.
Comments: Brewed at ale temperatures, then cold conditioned to reduce fermentation byproducts.
Ingredients: European hops only. Pils malt; small amounts of wheat may be used (<25%).
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.040-1.048
IBUs: 16-30 FG: 1.008-1.013
SRM: 3.5-5 ABV: 4.0-5.0%
Commercial Examples: Available in Koeln only: Malzmuehle, Hellers, PJFrueh, Paeffgen, Sion, Kueppers. In the US: Hollywood Blonde.
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.
History: A traditional wheat-based ale from Southern Germany that is a specialty for summer consumption.
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.
Ingredients: A high percentage of malted wheat is used which typically constitutes 50% or more of the grist, the remainder being pale barley malt. Weizen ale yeast produces the typical spicy and fruity essences during a relatively warm fermentation. Hops are used for a small amount of bittering only. Water character will vary.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.040-1.056
IBUs: 10-20 FG: 1.010-1.014
SRM: 2-9 ABV: 4.3-5.6%
Commercial Examples: Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, Pschorr-Brau Weisse, Spaten Club-Weisse, Schneider Weisse, Julius Echter Weizenbier.
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.
Comments: The presence of Munich and Vienna-type barley malts gives this style a deeper and richer barley malt character than Bavarian Weizen. Often, there is less of the tart quality as well.
Ingredients: Wheat malt typically makes up 50% or more of the grist, the remainder being Munich or Vienna-type high-kilned barley malts. Some dark wheat malts may be used. Dark roasted malts are rarely used and then only in very small concentrations. Hops provide a mild bitterness only. Weizen ale yeast is used. Water character will vary.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.040-1.056
IBUs: 10-20 FG: 1.010-1.014
SRM: 10-23 ABV: 4.3-5.6%
Commercial Examples: Pschorr-Brau Dunkel Weiss, Franziskaner Dunkel-Weizen, Schneider Dunkel Weiss.
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.
History: A regional specialty of Berlin; referred to by Napoleon's troops in 1809 as "the Champagne of the North" due to its lively and elegant character.
Comments: Often served with the addition of sugar syrups flavored with raspberry or woodruff to counter the substantial sourness. Has been described by some as the most purely refreshing beer in the world.
Ingredients: Wheat malt content is typically well under 50% of the grist, the remainder being pale barley malt. Lactobacillus delbruckii culture and fermentation provides the sharp sourness, which may be enhanced by blending of beers of different ages during fermentation and by extended cool aging. Ale yeast ferments to a low alcohol level. Hop bitterness is extremely low. Water may have significant hardness.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.026-1.036
IBUs: 3-8 FG: 1.006-1.009
SRM: 2-4 ABV: 2.8-3.6%
Commercial Examples: Schultheiss Berliner Weisse, Berliner Kindl Weisse.
19B. Witbier
Aroma: A sweet and occasionally honey-like character with prominent citrus (notably orange), herbal and spice aromas is characteristic, and is often followed by a mild phenolic aroma. Hop aroma is low to none. No diacetyl.
Appearance: Very pale straw to very light gold in color, and generally cloudy. Head retention should be quite good and of a moussy character.
Flavor: The flavor of unmalted wheat is typically noticeable. Coriander, citrus and mild phenolic flavors contribute to a complex and elegant character. A very slight lactic acidity resulting from a limited Lactobacillus fermentation is present in some examples, providing a refreshing quality, and is absent in others. Hop flavor is low to none. Hop bitterness is typically restrained, and some bitterness may also be contributed by bitter orange peel. No diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium body. Effervescent character of high carbonation. Refreshing acidity.
Overall Impression: A refreshing, elegant, complex, wheat-based ale.
History: A 400-year-old beer style that died out in the 1950s, it was revived by Pierre Celis in the 1960s to steadily growing popularity thereafter.
Comments: The presence and degree of spicing and lactic sourness vary from one brand or brewery to another.
Ingredients: About 50% unmalted hard red winter wheat and 50% pale barley malt constitute the grist; in some versions a small percentage of raw oats is used as well. Spices of freshly-ground coriander and dried orange peel complement the sweet aroma and are quite characteristic; other spices may be used for complexity but are much less prominent. Ale yeast prone to production of mild, clovey/spicey flavors are very characteristic. In some instances a very limited Lactobacillus fermentation, or actual addition of lactic acid, is done.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.042-1.055
IBUs: 15-22 FG: 1.008-1.012
SRM: 2-4 ABV: 4.2-5.5%
Commercial Examples: Celis White, Hoegaarden Wit, Steendonk Witbier, Brugs Tarwebier, Blanche de Bruges.
21. FRUIT BEER
Aroma: The character of the particular fruit(s) should be distinctive in the aroma. Overall the aroma should be a balanced combination of malt, hops and the featured fruit(s) as appropriate to the specific type of beer being presented. If the base beer is an ale then general fruitiness and other fermentation byproducts such as diacetyl may be present as appropriate for the warmer fermentation. If the base beer is a lager, then overall less fermentation byproducts would be appropriate. Some malt aroma preferable, especially in dark styles; hop aroma absent or balanced with fruit, depending on the style. The overall aroma should be balanced and harmonious.
Appearance: Appearance should be appropriate to the base beer being presented and will vary depending on the base beer. For lighter beers with fruits that exhibit distinctive colors, the color should be noticeable.
Flavor: The character of the particular fruit(s) should be distinctive in the flavor profile. Hop bitterness, flavor, malt flavors, alcohol content and fermentation byproducts, such as diacetyl, should be appropriate to the base beer and harmonious and balanced with the distinctive fruit flavors present.
Mouthfeel: Mouthfeel may vary depending on the base beer selected and as appropriate to that base beer. Body and carbonation levels should be appropriate to the base beer style being presented.
Overall Impression: A harmonious marriage of fruit and beer.
Comments: Overall balance is the key to presenting a well-made fruit beer. The fruit should complement the original style and not overwhelm it. The brewer should recognize that some combinations of base beer styles and fruits work well together while others do not make for harmonious combinations. The entrant must specify the underlying beer style as well as the type of fruit(s) used. If the base beer is a classic style, the original style should come through in aroma and flavor. Judges should remember that many fruits dry out classic styles.
Vital Statistics: OG, FG, IBUs, SRM and ABV will vary depending on the underlying base beer.
Commercial Examples: Oxford Raspberry Wheat, Oregon Blackberry Porter, Pyramid Apricot Ale, Rogue 'n' Berry, Brimstone Blueberry Wheat, Oaken Barrel Raspberry Wheat.
Here were the minutes for the June 1998 meeting ......
Our last meeting was held in a new location for us, the Bier Garten in Dearborn, on Michigan Ave, on June 23rd. They had invited the club to try their spot a while back and Rich set things up and it worked out pretty nice.
While their taps were a little light (they did have Guinness Stout draft), they had an excellent selection of bottled beer. Several of us enjoyed Bell's Two Hearted Ale for the first time - hoppy, indeed. The food was good and their prices were very fair. Not quite as large as our normal digs at Chelsea's, but we managed to be a cozy bunch.
Tony Treusch was unable to attend the meeting (he had othroscopic surgery that very day), but as he was being wheeled his last gasping breath's were, "Here Chris, pass out these evaluations to the members, and see, cough, cough, if you can pick up the wheat beers for the June competition. And call Jim to see if he will host the judging competition." "Jim? Jim who? Who do you mean?" I asked. But there was no reply. So, I called Jim Rice to see if he would be willing to host the monthly style competition. He called me back and politely declined, as other commitments made it impossible.
So imagine my surprise when I got a call from Tony. "You're still alive!", I gasped. "Yeah, so is Jim up for hosting the competition?" he asked. Figuring Tony was a goner, I had polished off all the entries, thinking I would just blame Tony for their loss. "Mr. Rice apparently had other plans", I informed him as I tried to figure out a way to get out of this jam.
"Jim Rice? I meant Jim Racine!" Well, there you have it. I'd like to thank everyone for the beer and... OK, so the real competition was held on Tuesday, July 14th at Bill Holmes' home in Ann Arbor. Bill is a BJCP judge who is organizing the Michigan State Fair judging and he agreed to utilize the FORD club entries in a practice session. The results are published later in this newsletter.
We will also be holding over the Label contest for another month to try to get a few more entries. Right now we have about 10 entries from 3 people. We'd like to get a few more entries. So, if you have any labels that you'd like to enter into the contest, please bring them to the July meeting at the home of Doug Geiss.
Rich has purchased the jockey box and awaits final componentry to assemble same. It should be available for inspection at the next meeting.
I re-iterated that the Michigan State Fair Homebrew Competition is looking for a few, good beers. Anyone who wishes to submit their brew is encouraged to do so. You can find the forms at http://hbd.org/michigan/, or Scott Day at Brew & Grow has them available as well. And I will take any completed forms, beer and entries at the next meeting and deliver them for you. The Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Festival at Greeenmead was reviewed (see previous newsletter for additional details).
We are tentatively scheduled to have a joint meeting with the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild (AABG) on Friday, September 11th at Crispy's house. Details will be provided soon.
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| Ye Olde Brew News
published by the F.O.R.D. Homebrew Club |
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| Editor: Tony Tantillo Contributors: Club Officers: |
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. Howard Klix Jr. 24737 Cushing Ave Eastpointe, MI 48021 Phone: (586) 779-1445 Visit our website at: http://www.be.ford.com/brewers/
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