Ye Olde Brew News

July 1994 Fermental Order of Renaissance Draughtsman Vol. 2 No. 6

This Issue:

Last Months Meeting 1
Fine Print 1
Competition News 2
Member News 2
New Members 2

Habermans corner 3

What's New 3
Beer B Cue 4
Brewers Profile 5

Last Months Meeting

Well, last months meeting was another small group, 6 I believe. I was one of the non attendees so I can't say a lot, but I was on vacation, out of the state so I couldn't very well show up, but where were the rest of you?? Just as a reminder folks, we are charged $40 a meeting for our room (tip fee) so if only 6-10 people show up, the per-person fee can get pretty big! It's understandable that your level of brewing drops off in summer time, but we would still enjoy your company at each meeting, remember, there are new and old brewers alike that gain valuable information each time a group of us get together and start talking. I don't want to appear to be standing on a beer keg (O.K., soap box) but we are up to 32 paid members, so where are you? Since I wasn't there I don't have a whole lot to report about the meeting, how's that for journalistic integrity, if I was really getting paid for this, I would make up a whole bunch of neat stuff, but here it is.

The Ye Olde Brew News is the monthly publication of the Fermental Order of Renaissance Draughtsman, otherwise known as the Fermentals. The club meets once a month on the 4th Wednesday at 6:00 at the Traffic Jam & Snug brewpub in Detroit, unless a special meeting is to be held elsewhere. Our fiscal year begins Jan 1st and dues are set at $25 a year for new members, and $15 a year there after, members joining after July 1st pay $17.50 for the 1st year. Joint memberships (same household only) are $40 the first year, and $20 there after.

President: Neal Petty, 84-50491 (work), 382-1166 (home)

vice-president: Tom Herron, 33-79993 (work), 558-6825 (home)

Treasurer: Sandy Bruce, 32-25367 (work), 563-1881 (home)

Secretary: Rich Byrnes, 32-32613 (work), 558-9844 (home), 390-4520 (fax)

Librarian: Doug Geiss, 33-73791 (work)

Special Events Coordinator: Doug LeCureaux, 32-38385 (work), 757-6329 (Home)

Competition News

Well folks, I must sincerely apologize at this juncture, I got the last competition results from Neal, but at this very moment as I look out the window and see the heat waves rising from the bar-b-que (too bad I'm not cooking anything at the moment) I can't for the life of me think where I put the damn notes. The competition was summer light beers, and if memory serves me there were only two entries, so I apologize profusely for not knowing the winner is but congratulations to you. I will publish the winner and their recipe in next months news letter, I promise.

This months competition is wheat beers and the winner will go on to the national AHA club only contest. There are 4 types of wheat beer allowable for this competition they are as follows:

a) Berliner Weisse-pale, light body, dry, sharp lactic sourness, fruity/estery, between 60 & 70% malted wheat. Very low bitterness, no hop flavor or aroma, effervescent, no diacetyl. O.G 1.028-32, Alc/Vol. 2.8-3.4%.

b) Weizen/Weissbeer, Pale to golden, light to medium body, about 50% wheat malt, clove and slight banana character. Fruity/ estery, clove, vanilla, nutmeg, smoke and cinnamonlike phenolics permissible, mild sourness O.K. Highly effervescent, Cloudiness O.K., low bitterness, low hop flavor and aroma O.K., no diacetyl. O.G 1.048-56, Alc 4.8-5.4%.

c) Dunkelweizen- Deep copper to brown, dark version of weizen. Chocolatelike maltiness evident, banana and cloves and other phenolics may still be evident but to a lesser degree. Stronger than weizen, medium body, low diacetyl OK, low hop flavor and aroma O.K.. O.G 1.048-56, alc/vol. 4.8-5.4%

d) Weizenbock- Usually deep copper to dark brown, but light versions can be amber to copper. Medium to full body, alcoholic strength evident. Maltiness high, low bitterness. Hop flavor and aroma absent, banana and clove character apparent, low diacetyl OK. O.G 1.068-80, alc 6.5-7.5%

Congratulations to the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild, they tied for 3rd place for Homebrew club of the year in the 1994 AHA national Homebrew Competition,

Member News

Chris Gerou has found a source of petri dishes and agar so if anyone is interested in culturing your own yeast, you will need an inoculating loop and some test tubes to round out your equipment. There is an excellent article in the current zymurgy about culturing your own yeast.

The petri dishes are plastic and will probably sell for $1 per dozen and the agar is about $1.50 -$2 per tube, but Chris isn't sure yet how much each tube will make, more details to follow.

Tom Herron is recovering well from his hip surgery and will be at this months meeting.

The Pico brew at Neal's house went well (so I'm told), a group showed up and I believe Neal & Co. brewed two 10 gallon batches. The Fermentals wish to thank the Detroit Mackinack brewery for the grains.

New Members

The Fermentals welcome Dale Pleszko and Bob Satay to our group, they joined at Neals Pico brewing and should be at the next meeting. I also think John Habermann and Kerry O'Donahue will be joining us this month.

Haberman's Corner

This is the unofficial name of a new monthly feature written by John Habermann. John works(worked?) at Wine Barrel plus as the Homebrew manager. The focus of this months column is summer brewing:

Summer Brewing:

The Summer 1993 Zymurgy had an excellent article by Ray Daniels on summertime brewing ideas. Daniels indicated that higher temperature ferments produce esters and fusel alcohols that can negatively affect beer flavor. Using that fact to your advantage, why not concentrate on styles that would be enhanced by these qualities like some of the high gravity ales. Lager beer styles are not improved by esters, and therefore, should not be attempted in the summer without temperature control.

Brewing ale in the 58 to 68 degree Fahrenheit range will produce higher levels of esters and fusel alcohols that are consistent with barley wine, Belgian strong ale, old ale, scotch ale, and stout styles. Daniels suggests the use of Chico/American Ale yeast, as this yeast strain performs well at higher temperatures. Chico/American will create ester flavor profiles ranging from fruity to solvent like, as well as the winelike fusel alcohol taste which is objectionable in lighter styles.

Even choosing an appropriate style to brew is no guarantee of success without some attempt at temperature control. If you must attempt brewing at this time, choose the coolest place in your house to ferment, like a garage, basement, or root cellar. If you have central air, no problem. If not, try keeping your carboy cool with wet towels, or submerged in a water bath. Remember that your primary fermentor will generate it's own heat which should be dissipated in some way.

(Editors Note)

I would like to take this opportunity to throw my $.02 in concerning summer brewing. One word, SANITATION! The summer months bring a plethora (neat word, huh?) of airborne beasties so I offer the following advice.

AIR) use a disenfectant spray such as lysol in the areas you will be grain crushing, mashing, cooking and especially handling yeast.

SURFACE) after you spray the air, wash down any countertop surface you will be using, there is a new anti bacterial cleaner out (I can't remember the manufacturer) or wipe down the surface with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.

HANDS) there are several anti bacterial pump soaps out on the market (Dial, Irish Spring, Lever 2000) and I strongly suggest washing your hands and even scruubbing with a nail brush before you start handling any ingredients.

This all may seem like overkill but why risk an infection (unless you are trying to make a Michigan Lambic and in that case, ignore all the above suggestions.)

If anyone has any suggestions for future articles they would like to see, or any columns they would like to submit, please, please contact me!!

What's New

There is a new Merchants Warehouse opening next month in Dearborn, no news yet if there will be a homebrew section or not.

Merchants Warehouse of Royal Oak is planning a brewers swap meet this fall so start taking inventory now (buy, sell swap!!!)

Beer-B-Cue

Well Gang, this is it, the last meeting before the beer-b-cue, months of planning and it all comes to a pinnacle on Saturday August 6th. Only a handful of people RSVP'd that they wouldn't be able to attend, that's unfortunate and I hope we can do this next year again if all goes well. We plan on about 40 members and guests to converge on Tom Herrons house (map to follow) starting at around 2 ish.

Plan on bringing your own lawn chairs and coolers/ice for your homebrews. We will have a volleyball net set up so plan on getting sweaty and having a lot of fun! The party IS a potluck as we have discussed all along so plan on bringing a dish. In order to keep a variety of dishes I have included a list of dishes for you to "sign up" for, please call me asap with your dish, call me at work 32-32613 or at home 558-9844, please have a backup dish in mind if your first dish is already taken. If you have asuggestion that isn't on the list, please feel free to let me know that too!

Salads

Tossed (dressing)

Seven Layer

Potato

Pasta

Coleslaw

Taco/Mexican

Vegetables

Baked Beans

Corn

Green Beans

Veggie Platter

Desserts

Brownies

Pie

Cheesecake

other...

Misc

Chips & Dip

Chips & Salsa

Punch?

Pop (6 2l. btles)

cheese/crackers

Plasticware/plastic plates/Napkins

Remember that this is an outdoor event so plan on bringing ice to keep your dishes cool until serving time. I will be bringing 3 beer cookbooks to the next meeting if you want some ideas.

I will have maps made up to bring to the meeting, and I will mail out maps to anyone who doesn't make the meeting. The general area is 12 mile and Dequindre in Warren.

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