the perfect pour

Posted on July 15, 2008 by Brian

I’m sure that we all remember one of the most important lessons we learned in college, how to pour beer into a cup. I’m sure for most of us, this was pouring Bud Light in a can into a plastic cup, or perhaps Natty Light from a keg into a solo cup. What was the most important technique in pouring a beer that we learned? POUR IT DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CUP. Well, I’m here to dispel that practice and let you know there is a better way.

Now that we’re all grown up and drink more sophisticated beers, like Michelob Ultra, I find that many people still pour their beers with the “down the side” method. (Check out this article if you want a super-sciency reason why beer foams less when you pour down the side.) The reason we all do this is to minimize the head on the beer once it has been poured into the glass. Did you know that head on a beer, in moderation, is not a bad thing? In fact, it is beneficial!

Because of the gases that remain trapped in the head, much of the aroma of a beer is captured there. And as you may have heard, most of our sense of taste is actually derived from our sense of smell. So, if you can smell the beer better, you can taste the beer better. And if you’re drinking a good beer that you just paid $5 for, don’t you want it to taste as good as possible?

There are also aspects of mouthfeel and oxidation that head can help with, but we’re not going to go into that much detail. After all, this is meant to be instructional, not a science lesson.

Anyway, now that we’ve explained why you should pour your beer perfectly, we’ll explain how you pour your beer perfectly. There are three aspects to the perfect pour:

  1. a clean glass
  2. pour down the center of the glass, aiming for the center of the bottom, like a bullseye
  3. patience (don’t pour too fast or your head will overflow)

If you are pouring a 12 oz. beer into a pint glass, the goal is to get the head up to the rim of the glass by the time you have poured all of the beer. It’s really a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you pour it perfectly. I’ve included an instructional video to aid you in your quest for the perfect pour. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t get discouraged if your first few beers end up mostly foam and all over your table. Enjoy, and cheers!

Posted in Beer, Practical Beer Tips, Videos | 11 Comments

Upstate Brewtopians

Posted on July 13, 2008 by Brian

Yesterday, the Big Gnome and I made our first appearance at an Upstate Brewtopians meeting. This is the Greenville homebrewers club. Everyone was extremely nice and fun-loving, but this was definitely a case that illustrated “the more you learn, the more you realize you have to learn.” While there were some relative novice homebrewers there like myself, there were also many vets that had years of experience and “brewing systems.” Any time you have a system, you know it ain’t no joke. For instance, our host, Fred, built the system you see to the left. Yes, he built it. By himself.

Just sitting back and listening to these fellow brewers talk about beer and share war stories, it makes you realize just how infinite the world of beer is. At its foundation, brewing beer is actually a very simple process that requires only a little equipment. However, at more advanced levels it can get very precise and complex, and you can sink hundreds and thousands of dollars into this “hobby.”

When I started to think about all the equipment, temperature controls, sanitation, and ingredients, my head started to spin. It can be intimidating when you’re talking to a ten or twenty year vet and you realize how far you have to go. It wasn’t until today that I remembered why I got into homebrewing in the first place, to have fun and make some good beer. It’s easy to forget that when you are constantly planning ahead, thinking about what recipe to try next and what new equipment you need to buy.

Anyone can make good beer. You just need to take it from where you are and have fun with it. Don’t try to compare yourself with other people. Shoot, even my little-ol’ extract IPA got some good reviews from the Brewtopians yesterday. I’m really looking forward to getting more involved in this group and learning from the experiences of all the different members. There’s a long way to go, and I’m looking forward to the journey.

Posted in Homebrew | 6 Comments

Catholic Beer Review blog

Posted on July 10, 2008 by Brian

I wanted to give a hearty recommendation to a beer blog, the Catholic Beer Review, that was found by my brother-in-law while he was up at 4 am tending to his newborn daughter. I love David’s most recent post about a blessing for beer which gets traced back to Rituale Romanum.

Being Catholic myself, I am particularly partial to his perspective on how beer can not only complement, but enhance your faith. After seeing this blog, I thoroughly believe that every parish should have its own priest, deacon, and brewer. I think it would make the church universal much more evangelical and would lead to the conversion of souls. And you think I’m kidding…

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July 2008 – Oskar Blues Old Chub

Posted on July 1, 2008 by Brian

Your eyes are not deceiving you, that is a can on the table next to me. Oskar Blues out of Lyons, Colorado, is one of the few craft breweries that actually can their beer. And don’t let the can fool you, this stuff isn’t PBR. According to their website, in 2002 they became the first microbrewery to can its beer. And why, you ask? “The idea of our bold, hoppy pale ale squeezed into a little can was hilarious. It made us laugh for weeks.” Good enough for me!

Old Chub is a Scottish style ale. Aside from having one of the coolest names of any beer I’ve come across, (don’t you just love saying it? Old Chub…) this is a very tasty, malty beer. The color is very dark, almost like a stout, but it has a little tinge of deep amber. The body is not quite as thick as your typical stout, especially considering this is 8.0% ABV, so it’s a little lighter on the palate if you don’t generally like “dark” beers.

This beer is very malty. Not much hint of hops. The flavor is very chocolatey with a hint of caramel and even smoked flavoring. If you read my blog much, you’ll know that I’m much more partial to hoppy beers over malty ones, but I definitely enjoy drinking the Old Chub. It’s got a nice twist at the end and enough body to give it that extra umph. I probably won’t be slamming many of these at my 4th of July cookout, but I might have one with dessert!

Posted in Beer of the Month | 1 Comment

a week without beer

Posted on June 16, 2008 by Brian

For the past week I was a counselor at Camp Kemo, a weeklong summer camp for children that have cancer and their siblings. Being a children’s camp, alcohol is obviously out of the question and if I wanted to be invited back next year, night-time trips to a local Batesburg-Leesville bar are not an option either. Instead of beer, I turned my substance addiction to coffee. It served me well.

Actually, contrary to popular belief, I didn’t even get the shakes or cold sweats from withdrawal. Although, we had our fair share of pizza and hamburgers, and it would have been perfect to be able to wash it down with an ice cold Budweiser.

But I digress. This was my 8th year as a counselor at Camp Kemo and it was a great week. Having the opportunity to see first-hand the courage and strength of these kids as they battle for their lives is amazing and so inspirational. They are an ever-present reminder in my mind to enjoy each day and to pursue the things about life that I love.

People always say “you never know when it will be taken away” but rarely do people live their lives like that. Listening to the stories of these kids makes you realize that it could happen any day. One day they are playing football for their high school or riding their bikes with their friends, and literally the next day they are undergoing radiation treatment. It can be frightening, but I see it as an opportunity. After all, what do we really have to lose? Why not literally live each day as if it is our last? What are we afraid of?

I am now more dedicated than ever to going after my dreams and making them a reality in my life. My goal is to be successful so that I can give back and help people like the campers that I have gotten to know and love. I hope that you will reach for the stars so you can do the same.

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

unveiling Great Divide’s Yeti Espresso Imperial Stout

Posted on June 5, 2008 by Brian

The Big Gnome and I were privileged enough to attend the east coast unveiling of Great Divide’s Yeti Espresso Imperial Stout at Barley’s Tap Room in Greenville last night. The event was to feature Great Divide’s newest twist on their Imperial Stout as a cask conditioned ale, but due to “circumstances out of their control,” we were treated to it as a normally conditioned beer. I don’t get cask ale very much around here, so I was quite disappointed.

Once we got over the initial disappointment of not getting cask ale, we refocused our efforts on the ordering up a pizza and looking forward to being one of the first in our neck of the woods to try this beer. The anticipation was intense!

After we had finished our pizza, we were ready for the beer to be served at 7:00 sharp. When we received our stouts, we were greeted with a beer that was dark-as-night, much as we expected the Yeti to be. The first sip did not disappoint. The flavor is intense from the get-go. The roasted, bitter chocolate, caramel flavor makes you want to slap your mama. The hint of coffee from the espresso beans was subtle, yet apparent. It’s such a big, bold flavor that one could study it for hours. I studied it for two pints…

Overall, I would rate the Espresso Stout as excellent. However, I would rate the regular Yeti Imperial Stout as excellent as well. I’m not sure if I was able to distinguish the espresso aroma and flavor enough to take it to a whole new level, but it made for a very nice, complex beer. My hat goes off to Great Divide for making flat out great stout.

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high gravity beers losing their “coolness?”

Posted on May 26, 2008 by Brian

Now that’s it’s been a year since the cap on the alcohol content for beer was lifted in South Carolina, we can look back and see what the effect has been on the overall beer climate in the state. Check out this article from the Post and Courier:

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/may/26/hgbeer41984/

The conclusion from the article is not surprising. When the cap was lifted, high gravity beer sales immediately took off and rose for a few months as more and more new beers made their way into the market. Many people were rushing out to try these new beers that they had never been able to try before. As time has past, they have found that the immediate increase in high gravity sales has leveled off, and it has reached more of a niche status.

When you think about it, that’s probably where high gravity beers should be, and the market will dictate that. Once people get over the newness of it, the novelty will wear off and many will go back to the cheaper beers that they are used to. High gravity beers are too intense in their taste and potency to ever be accepted by the masses. But that’s what makes them so good to those who enjoy them. It’s like spicy food. They may not necessarily prefer it, but anyone can eat mild food. Not everyone can handle spicy food.

In my opinion, I would predict that high gravity and craft beer sales in South Carolina will continue to climb slowly but surely over the years. It’s still very early in the game and we started at ground zero. As people get more educated and acclimated to these different beers, I think more and more people will be converted and will the demand for these beers will increase. That’s why it’s my quest to continue to educate and promote these beers. They are just too good not to spread the love!

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head-to-head: Hercules vs. Double Dog

Posted on May 22, 2008 by Brian

Being from South Carolina, I don’t really know if there is a heated rivalry between Denver’s own Flying Dog and Great Divide. Just for fun, let’s pretend there is. To fan the flames across the nation, I wanted to do a head-to-head comparison between Flying Dog’s Double Dog Double IPA and Great Divide’s Hercules Double IPA.

Let’s start with the tale of the tape. Double Dog measures in at a beefy 11.5% alcohol by volume, while Hercules comes in at 9.1%. Both brews claim 85 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). These stats capture the essence of the difference between the two beers. Both beers are crazy hoppy, but higher alcohol content of the Double Dog gives it a slightly maltier, and sweeter, character. (Perhaps in my next post, I’ll explain why a higher alcohol percentage can give a beer a sweeter flavor.) I feel that the maltier character of the Double Dog gives it a more balanced flavor, while Hercules accentuates the hop character more.

The difference is not only shown in the flavor, but also the aroma and color. The Double Dog is slightly darker than Hercules, and the aroma of Hercules is more floral (hoppy), while Double Dog has a sweeter smell.

Both beers are really good and very similar in many respects. I’m a hop-head, so I definitely enjoy the Hercules and I think it is an excellent beer. The floral aroma and lingering hop bitterness is a joy to my senses. However, if I were to pick a winner, I would choose the Double Dog. It is extremely intense, yet very well balanced. It has so much going on that it can satisfy hop-heads, yet brings enough malt to tone down the lingering bitterness of the hops. You can’t go wrong with either beer, and it ends up being a matter of personal preference. Both are excellent, but not for the faint of heart. They will knock you on your ass and won’t apologize for it.

Posted in Beer | 5 Comments

in pursuit of beer

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Brian

The time has finally come. Over Memorial Day weekend, Big Gnome and I are taking a leap of faith and moving to Greenville, South Carolina. We hear there’s more beer up there…

It’s going to be quite a transition for me. I’ve quit my full-time job in hopes of pursuing more of my passions and living out some dreams, which include becoming a certified beer judge, brewing all-grain beer, hiking part (if not all) of the Appalachian Trail, and learning to play the guitar. Since no one is going to pay me to play the guitar for them any time soon, one might ask, “What is he going to do for money?” Well, that’s where the faith comes in. Don’t worry about me. I’m pretty resourceful.

I also hope to become much more active on Untamedbeer.com. I love promoting beer education, and my goal is to make this space more informative and accessible. So here’s to new beginnings! Cheers!

Posted in Untamedbeer news | 3 Comments

May 2008 – Clipper City Loose Cannon

Posted on May 1, 2008 by Brian

The Clipper City Heavy Seas Loose Cannon may be my favorite beer going right now. I don’t think it’s just me, either. It was an offering at a beer tasting I recently MC’d for a friend of mine, and it was by far the most popular choice, even among non beer-geeks.

What makes this IPA so appealing is the unique flavor. It is intensely hopped (using five different types of hops added during the boil, in the hop back, and dry hopped) yet the citrus flavor really comes out when combined with the malt sweetness. It’s almost like drinking grapefruit juice. It’s a fantastic balance and flavor that make it distinct from other over-the-top hoppy beers.

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