Say Hello to My Little Friends!

Two, count 'em---two, forward-seal faucets! Finally got these up, almost running. My birthday was a few weeks back and that meant goodies! Got two faucets, two 4" stainless steel shanks, tail pieces and nuts, etc. The shanks were on backorder so it took a little while for them to get in but well worth the wait. Personally, I'd rather have beer in contact with stainless steel than chrome-plated brass. More durable, will never have to be replaced. Plus the stainless shank is only roughly $7-8 more. The faucets, on the other hand, are more than twice as much but eliminates the sticking that rear-seal faucets get and are more durable as well. In my opinion, if you're going to drop the coin to do something like this, do it right!!

Installing taps means making a wood collar for the beer freezer (temp-controlled kegerator) so you don't have to drill through the top of the freezer. Some 2x4s and some nice oak 1x6s to cover does the trick nicely. Then just hook up the beer line and let 'er rip!

Maybe by the end of summer I can have 4 of them up and running!

Another win!!

I got the results back from the SoFB---my Kölsch got 2nd place in category!!! That's the third ribbon that beer's won, 2 1st-places and a 2nd! Great feedback on the BJCP form, got a 42/50 (Excellent).

Speaking of which, I need to make more! Time to get a-brewin'!

More on comps

Speaking of the National Homebrew Competition, I just learned last night that my friend and fellow brewclub guy Bill has placed twice in the first round! Bill got 2nd place for his English Pale Ale (which he said was his first time brewing it) and 3rd for his American Ale. Likewise, another brewer from my club, Dave, got first place in the American Ale category. And in the West, a few compatriots of mine (Jamil and Jason) scored as well---Jamil, not suprisingly. The guy was a Ninkasi Award winner, among other awards.

Dave also beat me out last night at our club's Oktoberfest/Märzen/Vienna competition---he got 1st, I got 2nd. One of the judges told me the 1st and 2nd places were very close, almost to personal preference, which was humbling as Dave is one hell of a brewer!

Congrats to all!!

Cheers!

National Homebrew Day

I'd certainly be amiss if I didn't mention the fact that today is National Homebrew Day! Many homebrewers will either be teaching a friend to brew, brewing at one of the many registered locations, or just hanging out at home with the kettle boiling. Me, I have a 3-1/2 year old and a 17 month-old to watch, no brewing for me today. Such is parenthood at times.

At any rate, Happy National Homebrew Day!

Cheers!

Competition time!

Invariably, the spring and following summer seasons mean beer competitions. There are a few in the fall and even less in the winter, but the warmer months seem to be high time. The American Homebrewers Association has their annual National Homebrew Competition in April through June---the first round being in April and the finals being at the National Homebrew Convention.

Last month I entered 3 beers---a Maibock, an Oktoberfest, and a Kölsch---in a local brewpub competition. The competition wasn't AHA sanctioned and asked for only -one- beer per entry. There was no entry fee either. The winning beers were a Coconut Porter, a Weissbier, and a Honey Ginger Ale. Then it dawned on me: this was a People's Choice competition; in other words, the brewmaster picked the beers he/she thought would be most marketable for their brewpub, as the winner got to assist with the brewing of that beer on the brewpub's 4.5 barrel system. Part of what makes competitions so great is the invaluable feedback you get. Presumably, as this is not an AHA-sanctioned competition and was just a way for the brewpub to drum up sales, I probably wont' be seeing any score sheets. Kinda sucks, but it was free so I can't complain.

Oh well, there's plenty more comps!

Of note is the Spirit of Free Beer competition hosted by Brewers United for Real Potables (BURP), a Metro DC homebrew club. The club's 15th annual competition is being held next Saturday, May 12th and my entries are in!

Another interesting competition is the Sam Adams Long Shot. Unlike the competition mentioned in the first paragraph, this is not what the brewmaster feels will fill his pockets the best. The winner gets a one-time $5,000 royalty and has his beer produced for a Long Shot specialty line that's brewed once a year after the competition. You even get your mug on the label! Last years winning beers were a Boysenberry Wheat, a Dortmunder Export, and an Old Ale. Again, these styles were judged by category---notice, no "kitchen sink" beers here!

Jim Koch has always been a big supporter of the homebrewing community, being a former homebrewer himself. Maybe I'll send one off afterall...

Cheers!

The flaws of beer rating sites

Currently there are two beer rating sites on the 'net (at least that I'm aware of), RateBeer.com and BeerAdvocate.com. Personally I prefer the former, due in part because after several instances, I find one of the proprietors of the latter to be less than a nice guy. But they're both choc-full of good information insofar as content. Both contain information about what beer is what and where to find it, be it store/pub/etc. Links to maps, etc. A wealth of knowledge.

Then we come to ratings and the inherent problems associated with many users who may or may not have any Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) training whatsoever. With some users, it's "this beer tastes great" and it gets a high rating without further elaboration or analysis; likewise, an otherwise decent beer (or one that may just be a flawed batch and not the best example of the beer) may get a "this tastes like shit!" and congruent ratings.

To me, a user's ratings should carry a weight given by their experience. For example, a newb with only their limited personal tasting experience should carry little weight and should increase as the user gains experience, while someone with BJCP training (ie. a National Judge) should carry A LOT of weight. A nice descriptor of "aroma of honeysuckle and raisins" is good but it does little to tell about how the beer fits into it's style category.

Probably more peoples' choice than stylistic accuracy...

Luckily, there are ways with computers to address that sort of thing---to an extent. Both show ratings and the number of users who have rated them, and RateBeer even gives a standard deviation, straight from your Stat 101 class. But neither can address the discrepancy between a newb and a trained beer judge.

So enjoy the sites, use the info but take it with a grain of salt. Remember, human nature plays a huge part here.

Cheers!

DUNKEL!

Today I racked the dunkel over to the kegs for lagering. Came in a little high at 1.018 FG but it didn't taste overly sweet---malty yes, cloying no. That's good. I will say the hydrometer samples (two fermenters) didn't last long!!

This Saturday is National Homebrew Day!! Lots of homebrewers will be brewing up a batch of something, think maybe I'll brew up some dry stout, haven't had any of that on tap for a while. Hopefully a Guinness-fanatic coworker/friend of mine can stop by and assist. Here's the recipe:

Murphy's Law Dry Stout

Batch Size (Gal): 10.00 Wort Size (Gal): 10.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 19.00
Anticipated OG: 1.050 Plato: 12.27°
Anticipated SRM: 37.1
Anticipated IBU: 34.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

15.00 lbs. Pale Malt (2-row)
1.00 lbs. Chocolate Malt
1.00 lbs. Flaked Barley
1.50 lbs. Roasted Barley
0.50 lbs. Crystal 55L

1.50 oz. Target (Whole, 10.00%AA) 60 min.
0.40 oz. Goldings - E.K. (Whole, 4.75%AA) 15 min.

WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast

Cheers!!