So a little while ago I was bored, browsing netflix and came across this documentary called "How Beer Saved the World."
The
documentary was equal parts ridiculous and interesting. Basically it
talks about different aspects of how Man's love of drinking beer has
played a direct role in the development of major technologies and
traditions.
Some pretty remarkable and unjustified claims are
made in the movie (such as beer is solely resposible for the development
of agriculture, civilization, mathematics etc) most of which I would
strongly discourage people from believing but I support them as
hypotheses and topics worth thinking about.
Some of the other more
specific topics seem a lot more viable and evidence-backed such as the
fact that the wort-making process actually pasteurizes the water
providing people with a fairly clean and nutritious alternative to foul
drinking water in the middle ages. Also in the documentary a chemist is
interviewed who (possibly) finds traces of the antibiotic
"tetracycline" in the residue in old brewing vessels from thousands of
years ago as a natural byproduct of brewing making beer a legitimate
medicine at the time.
Like I said, the movie had a lot of
ridiculous aspects to it and the narrator jumps to some pretty lofty
conclusions making it hard to watch at times but I did feel like I
learned something from it and gained a deeper appreciation for beer from
watching it so I'll link it to you guys (it's on youtube) here if you
want to watch it:
Friday, August 2, 2013
Running Log of All Official HBK Beers
I thought it would be a good thing for members and followers of the HBK if somewhere easily accessible to everyone there was a running log of all the HBK beers listed in chronological order. I expect it will start out as a pretty simple list of the beer types and names and I can add on details as suggested by any members/readers: let me hear your suggestions! In other words this particular post will be continually updated as new beers are made and as more particular information on the beers is requested (i.e. ingredients, %Alc etc...)
So here it is folks! I'll addend the list shortly with brew dates and %Alc.
So here it is folks! I'll addend the list shortly with brew dates and %Alc.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
A quick tidbit about "Skunking."
There is truly an enormous amount of information to learn about beer making. This is part of why it intrigues me. Things that are overly simple and can be learned or mastered quickly bore me because I live for a challenge. Imagine how dull life would be if suddenly you knew everything there was to know and suddenly had no more questions!
That being said, if you're like me at some point you've asked or at least wondered aloud "why do we always bottle our beer in brown bottles? And why do we cover our carboys up with warm cozy blankets?" Well it turns out that the answer sounds like this: "To prevent skunking." Then I'm like "Ooooh, okay. Wait- what's skunking?"
This is where the complexity of all the chemical processes in brewing comes in. I am NOT going to pretend to understand them well, but to the lay-person like myself there is some information out there that can give you an okay feel for what's going on inside that glass enclosure.
Apparently there are compounds that are extracted or derived from hops during brewing called "isohumulones." I don't know what role these are supposed to play but I've learned what role they're supposed not to and that involves skunking! So what is it? Isohumulones are broken apart by Light in the Ultraviolet range of frequency, which the sun and light bulbs shoot out tons of. These now broken up molecules are very eager to bind with traces of sulfur suspended in the beer somewhere to make new sulfur-containing compounds that apparently taste wretched and somewhat... well... skunky. So beer that has been exposed to too much light changes unfavorably in chemical makeup to make a nasty flavor.
Bottling beer into brown bottles and covering carboys with blankets helps filter out some of the UV rays and mitigate the process of skunking.
This information provides a very basic answer to why we use brown bottles. But after all that: There are some types of beers where a certain amount of the production of sulfur-containing molecules is desirable. (Certain kinds of lagers, I read)
So I come full circle to that satisfying sense of dissatisfaction where now that I sort of have an answer I have several more questions. Such is the way of life.
Skunking everyone... skunking.
That being said, if you're like me at some point you've asked or at least wondered aloud "why do we always bottle our beer in brown bottles? And why do we cover our carboys up with warm cozy blankets?" Well it turns out that the answer sounds like this: "To prevent skunking." Then I'm like "Ooooh, okay. Wait- what's skunking?"
This is where the complexity of all the chemical processes in brewing comes in. I am NOT going to pretend to understand them well, but to the lay-person like myself there is some information out there that can give you an okay feel for what's going on inside that glass enclosure.
Apparently there are compounds that are extracted or derived from hops during brewing called "isohumulones." I don't know what role these are supposed to play but I've learned what role they're supposed not to and that involves skunking! So what is it? Isohumulones are broken apart by Light in the Ultraviolet range of frequency, which the sun and light bulbs shoot out tons of. These now broken up molecules are very eager to bind with traces of sulfur suspended in the beer somewhere to make new sulfur-containing compounds that apparently taste wretched and somewhat... well... skunky. So beer that has been exposed to too much light changes unfavorably in chemical makeup to make a nasty flavor.
Bottling beer into brown bottles and covering carboys with blankets helps filter out some of the UV rays and mitigate the process of skunking.
This information provides a very basic answer to why we use brown bottles. But after all that: There are some types of beers where a certain amount of the production of sulfur-containing molecules is desirable. (Certain kinds of lagers, I read)
So I come full circle to that satisfying sense of dissatisfaction where now that I sort of have an answer I have several more questions. Such is the way of life.
Skunking everyone... skunking.
Bottling: A landmark in the individual brewing process...
I can't really classify different steps in the process of making a home-brewed beer in terms of importance partly because I'm still very new to the process and partly because it just seems wrong. But I can stress how satisfying it feels to have finally completed the bottling process. Basically, once the beer is in the bottle, all the work is done. This is of course unless you consider drinking the victory beer some weeks later to be work but I don't think many people would take that position.
The process of bottling, while it certainly is work, is fairly simple and straight forward compared to everything else up to this point.
You basically just need a rudimentary pump to get beer out of the carboys (giant glass bottles where the wort was fermenting into beer) and into individual bottles. In HBK historically, we've used 22oz bottles and 750mL latch-top bottles. Some people have their own "growlers" that they bring to be filled, which is basically just a 64oz latch top bottle. The nice thing about growlers is that they 're huge. So there's lots of beer all in one place. The bad thing about them is that they're huge. So all your beer is in one place. You see what I mean? Once you open that puppy you've committed to 64 oz. of rich, scrumptious home brew that, in the HBK at least, tends to be pretty high gravity compared to the store bought stuff. So it's good or bad... or both, depending on how you want to look at it.
Anyways, the latch tops are really nice in that they come with everything they need. You just pump the beer into the bottle and latch it up when it's full.
The 22oz bottles require new lids for each use but it's not a big deal.
The only real concern during bottling is cleanliness. Obviously you don't want to pour fresh beer into a filthy bottle. The beer is still an ideal place for bacteria and competitor fungus to grow, so that's why it's so important to rinse your empties out with hot water before returning them to HBK for refill! (hint hint)
Beyond a good rinsing, we also rinse the bottles, caps our hands and all other equipment that may come in contact with the beer in an iodine solution. This acts to sterilize the equipment by penetrating the cell wall of any bacteria or fungus and messing it's sh** all up. So that's cool.
The process of bottling, while it certainly is work, is fairly simple and straight forward compared to everything else up to this point.
You basically just need a rudimentary pump to get beer out of the carboys (giant glass bottles where the wort was fermenting into beer) and into individual bottles. In HBK historically, we've used 22oz bottles and 750mL latch-top bottles. Some people have their own "growlers" that they bring to be filled, which is basically just a 64oz latch top bottle. The nice thing about growlers is that they 're huge. So there's lots of beer all in one place. The bad thing about them is that they're huge. So all your beer is in one place. You see what I mean? Once you open that puppy you've committed to 64 oz. of rich, scrumptious home brew that, in the HBK at least, tends to be pretty high gravity compared to the store bought stuff. So it's good or bad... or both, depending on how you want to look at it.
Anyways, the latch tops are really nice in that they come with everything they need. You just pump the beer into the bottle and latch it up when it's full.
The 22oz bottles require new lids for each use but it's not a big deal.
The only real concern during bottling is cleanliness. Obviously you don't want to pour fresh beer into a filthy bottle. The beer is still an ideal place for bacteria and competitor fungus to grow, so that's why it's so important to rinse your empties out with hot water before returning them to HBK for refill! (hint hint)
Beyond a good rinsing, we also rinse the bottles, caps our hands and all other equipment that may come in contact with the beer in an iodine solution. This acts to sterilize the equipment by penetrating the cell wall of any bacteria or fungus and messing it's sh** all up. So that's cool.
Monday, February 4, 2013
It's Great to be Back!
Jester HBK reporting:
First of all let's hear it for the Queen Bee Kelli, that entry about secondary fermentation was seriously awesome.
So I figured for the sake of making this blog active again I'd bring it and myself up to date on what's been happening in the HBK since I dropped off nearly half a year ago (jeez).
I'm glad to say that things have most obviously not been idle! We've (you've all) made a lot of really impressive beers and other beverages a couple of which I've already had the pleasure of enjoying first hand.
Since my departure shortly after HBK-9 Eartha's Own Sweet Corny Ale (sorry, Eartha) we brewed the ClaraBale Amber ale (HBK-10) - pick of Cary. This was the first brew session that we've started using two separate types of yeast for two separate containers of the same wort (pre-beer). The purpose of this is to be able to explore first hand how different kinds of yeast affect the flavor and overall properties of the beer. This concept I find mysterious and fascinating - it is inevitable that I will post about it later. It also seems worthwhile to note that this beer, the ClaraBale Amber Ale was the most popular beer to date of the HBK in terms of how quickly it was distributed out to the group, so it must have been very good, though I never had a chance to try it myself.
Next we got started on a Cider (HBK-11) picked by "The Welder" (Adam). If my understanding is correct it is still currently in fermentation waiting either to be witched into a secondary or bottled: a decision yet to be made.
In October also, by a stroke of Tim's whim, he began brewing the famous (to me) Imperial Cascadian Dark Ale (ICDA) at U-Brew, a totally awesome spot for homebrew information and supplies. He ended up making an entire keg (15 gallons). This ICDA ended up being for Tim's 30th Birthday and you know it was a hit because they finished all but two gallons of it at the party. Also, the ICDA has no HBK number.
Moving on - November's pick belonged to the "Queen B" (Kelli) and she picked a Pumpkin Ale. But of course the CEO Tim has to put his touch on the beer and make it a Imperial Pumpkin Ale! Now two different types of yeast were used (London ESB Ale & Belgian Strong Ale) in two separate carboys for this brew. I believe there are still plenty of November HBK-12 beers of both yeasts left so pick some up on your next share, yo!
The January beer is one I am personally very excited about. I had the distinct pleasure of helping formulate the recipe, or at least I think I helped. It was the pick of Lauren "The Spark" and is HBK-13: Hardcore Vanilla Porter. Sounds awesome doesn't it? It will be. In addition to our usual base malt, we're using two very dark very tasty malts that are have already given this beer a terrific color and surely a great flavor as well. We also brewed it with oatmeal which I really think is going to add to that thick, smooth flavor we look for in a good porter. So I'm stoked on that one. It's still in the primary carboys to be switched soon into the secondaries.
And so we come at last to the next upcoming brew. HBK-14 will take place on the 10th of this month and I am looking forward to it! The pick goes to Jaime and it will be a German Wheat Beer. Tim's going to buy the ingredients Saturday before the brew (2-9). Since the Welder has up the game we will use his mill. We'll be using two different kinds of yeast again: Belgian wheat & Weihnstephan Weizen.
Anyways, most of this information I'm sure the HBKers already knew about. I guess it has been mainly to announce my return and the reactivation of this blog. So hello everyone! I look forward to many more awesome brew sessions with you all.
~The Jester
First of all let's hear it for the Queen Bee Kelli, that entry about secondary fermentation was seriously awesome.
So I figured for the sake of making this blog active again I'd bring it and myself up to date on what's been happening in the HBK since I dropped off nearly half a year ago (jeez).
I'm glad to say that things have most obviously not been idle! We've (you've all) made a lot of really impressive beers and other beverages a couple of which I've already had the pleasure of enjoying first hand.
Since my departure shortly after HBK-9 Eartha's Own Sweet Corny Ale (sorry, Eartha) we brewed the ClaraBale Amber ale (HBK-10) - pick of Cary. This was the first brew session that we've started using two separate types of yeast for two separate containers of the same wort (pre-beer). The purpose of this is to be able to explore first hand how different kinds of yeast affect the flavor and overall properties of the beer. This concept I find mysterious and fascinating - it is inevitable that I will post about it later. It also seems worthwhile to note that this beer, the ClaraBale Amber Ale was the most popular beer to date of the HBK in terms of how quickly it was distributed out to the group, so it must have been very good, though I never had a chance to try it myself.
Next we got started on a Cider (HBK-11) picked by "The Welder" (Adam). If my understanding is correct it is still currently in fermentation waiting either to be witched into a secondary or bottled: a decision yet to be made.
In October also, by a stroke of Tim's whim, he began brewing the famous (to me) Imperial Cascadian Dark Ale (ICDA) at U-Brew, a totally awesome spot for homebrew information and supplies. He ended up making an entire keg (15 gallons). This ICDA ended up being for Tim's 30th Birthday and you know it was a hit because they finished all but two gallons of it at the party. Also, the ICDA has no HBK number.
Moving on - November's pick belonged to the "Queen B" (Kelli) and she picked a Pumpkin Ale. But of course the CEO Tim has to put his touch on the beer and make it a Imperial Pumpkin Ale! Now two different types of yeast were used (London ESB Ale & Belgian Strong Ale) in two separate carboys for this brew. I believe there are still plenty of November HBK-12 beers of both yeasts left so pick some up on your next share, yo!
The January beer is one I am personally very excited about. I had the distinct pleasure of helping formulate the recipe, or at least I think I helped. It was the pick of Lauren "The Spark" and is HBK-13: Hardcore Vanilla Porter. Sounds awesome doesn't it? It will be. In addition to our usual base malt, we're using two very dark very tasty malts that are have already given this beer a terrific color and surely a great flavor as well. We also brewed it with oatmeal which I really think is going to add to that thick, smooth flavor we look for in a good porter. So I'm stoked on that one. It's still in the primary carboys to be switched soon into the secondaries.
And so we come at last to the next upcoming brew. HBK-14 will take place on the 10th of this month and I am looking forward to it! The pick goes to Jaime and it will be a German Wheat Beer. Tim's going to buy the ingredients Saturday before the brew (2-9). Since the Welder has up the game we will use his mill. We'll be using two different kinds of yeast again: Belgian wheat & Weihnstephan Weizen.
Anyways, most of this information I'm sure the HBKers already knew about. I guess it has been mainly to announce my return and the reactivation of this blog. So hello everyone! I look forward to many more awesome brew sessions with you all.
~The Jester
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