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HOMEBREW Digest #0157
HOMEBREW Digest #157 Tue 23 May 1989
FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Re: Homebrew Digest #155 (May 20, 1989) (Darryl Richman)
Homebrew Digest #156 (May 21, 1989) (ferguson ct 71078)
Re: Sam Adams Double Bock (Mark Gryska)
Homebrew Digest #156 (May 21, 1989) (ferguson ct 71078)
Sam Adams ALE - made in Boston! (Mike Fertsch)
Send submissions to homebrew%hpfcmr@hplabs.hp.com
Send requests to homebrew-request%hpfcmr@hplabs.hp.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 May 89 11:50:46 PDT
From: Darryl Richman <darryl@ism780c.isc.com>
Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest #155 (May 20, 1989)
From: prcrs!bstar4!qa@uunet.UU.NET
"We were discussing the single stage vs. two stage fermentation. From
"what I have read, it sounds like the best way to go is two-stage
"fermentation. (I have the equipment; food grade fermentor, glass carboys).
"The idea is to seperate the trub from your beer after the initial foam
"settles down (1-2 days).
"
"This gentleman stated that he felt that single stage was better and the
"goal was to reduce the amount of trub formed. He stated that if you
"limit your boil to 20 minutes their would not be as much chance for the
"protein to coagulate; thus less trub.
He is probably correct that there will be less trub, although any boil
with hops will tend to precipitate some. On the other hand, you are
asking for a hazy, nay cloudy, beer as a result. This will likely be a
beer with less stability and a greater likelihood of infection and
oxidization as it ages since you are leaving great quantities of
protien in the beer, which make very good food for marauding invaders,
and tend to oxidize readily. You will also need more hops to achieve a
given levelof bitterness since you'll be converting far fewer of the
alpha acids into their soluble iso-alpha form, from which the actual
bitterness in your beer is derived.
"Also, in Miller's book he said to stay away from using aluminum as a
"boiling pot. I have a new 6 gallon aluminum pot and wonder if I should
"heed his advise.
The major reason (that I have heard) that people advise against using
aluminum is that large quantities of it in the brain are linked with
Alzheimer's disease. There is, however, no evidence that this aluminum
concentration has anything to do with dietary intake. Aluminum may
have an advantage if you cool your wort by putting the pot into a
sink--aluminum transfers heat much better than steel, and so cools the
beer quicker. Since this is an area where the information is not
complete, you're on your own. I used an 8 gallon aluminum pot for a
couple years, until I graduated to a 15 gallon brewery last fall.
--Darryl Richman
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 May 89 17:22:13 EDT
From: ferguson%X102C@HARRIS-ATD.COM (ferguson ct 71078)
Subject: Homebrew Digest #156 (May 21, 1989)
>From: Darryl Richman <darryl@ism780c.isc.com>
>Subject: re: Sam Adams
>
> The bold print says "Sam Adams
>Was An Ale Drinker!" Of course, lager beer was unknown before the 1840's--
>it's a creation of mechanized refrigeration.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ?????
Warning: Novice comments follow.
I have no idea when lager was first brewed or whether it was a product
of mechanical refrigeration. However, I have seen or heard of several
old breweries that were located in caves (sometimes man-made) because
of the cooler temperatures there and I always assumed that the beer
brewed in these caves was a lager or lager/ale hybrid. For example,
the now defunct Wolf brewery in Stillwater, MN was in a man-made cave
carved into a solid limestone rock at what must have been considerable
expense. If these caves were not for lagering, what the heck were
they for?
As an aside, I had no idea that mechanical refrigeration was available
circa 1840. Are you sure about this?
I find this beer brewing history stuff fascinating. Does anyone know
of an interesting and readable history of the subject?
Chuck Ferguson Harris Government Information Systems Division
(407) 984-6010 MS: W1/7732 PO Box 98000 Melbourne, FL 32902
Internet: ferguson%cobra@trantor.harris-atd.com
uunet: uunet!x102a!x102c!ferguson
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 May 89 18:17 EST
From: Mark Gryska <GRYSKA@cs.umass.EDU>
Subject: Re: Sam Adams Double Bock
Kevin McBride asks for our opinions of Samuel Adams Double Bock in
HOMEBREW Digest #152. He offers his own: "My major complaints are 1)
It's too light, and 2) it's far too sweet (almost sickly sweet.)"
Until recently I would have agreed that this beer was not a Bock.
Last month our Homebrew Club (Valley Fermenters) got together to
select the best Bock beer (brewed by one of our members) to represent
us in the "Bock is Best" competition. A little research on the subject
revealed that Bock beer encompasses a wide variety of beers. We have
Bock, Maibock, Eisbock, Weizenbock and Dopplebock.
Michael Jackson describes Bock in his S&S Pocket Guide: "The German
term for strong beer. If unqualified, it indicates a bottom-fermenting
brew from barley malt. In Germany, a bock beer has more than 6.25
percent alcohol by volume, and may be golden, tawny or dark brown..."
Fred Eckhardt writes: "...Original extract required by German law
must be at least 16-Plato/1064 to be designated bock..." "Dopplebocks
are required to be brewed at 18/1074, with 6/7.5% alcohol (wt/vol).
There is a level of sweetness present in most, as evidenced by the
hefty apparent extract of some at 4-6/1016-24. Malt flavors
predominate, and hop levels are relatively unassertive, althought
noticeable..." (from The Essentials of Beer Style)
Personally, I like Samuel Adams Double Bock. I would describe it as
having a caramel color, a nicely balanced nose with malty overtones
and a slightly sweet flavor which leans to the malty side and finishes
toward the hops / alcohol. (OK so I'm not Michael Jackson ;-) If you
haven't tried it I recommend that you do. I think that calling it a
Double Bock is not quite accurate, but it does have a Bock character.
A side note: I first tried this beer at the Great American Beer
Festival last year. I spoke with James Koch and learned that the color
in the beer came entirely from caramelization during the boil and that
no dark grains were used. I don't know if they used the same recipe
for the current Double Bock.
- mg
Mark Gryska gryska@cs.umass.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 May 89 17:22:13 EDT
From: ferguson%X102C@HARRIS-ATD.COM (ferguson ct 71078)
Subject: Homebrew Digest #156 (May 21, 1989)
>From: Darryl Richman <darryl@ism780c.isc.com>
>Subject: re: Sam Adams
>
> The bold print says "Sam Adams
>Was An Ale Drinker!" Of course, lager beer was unknown before the 1840's--
>it's a creation of mechanized refrigeration.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ?????
Warning: Novice comments follow.
I have no idea when lager was first brewed or whether it was a product
of mechanical refrigeration. However, I have seen or heard of several
old breweries that were located in caves (sometimes man-made) because
of the cooler temperatures there and I always assumed that the beer
brewed in these caves was a lager or lager/ale hybrid. For example,
the now defunct Wolf brewery in Stillwater, MN was in a man-made cave
carved into a solid limestone rock at what must have been considerable
expense. If these caves were not for lagering, what the heck were
they for?
As an aside, I had no idea that mechanical refrigeration was available
circa 1840. Are you sure about this?
I find this beer brewing history stuff fascinating. Does anyone know
of an interesting and readable history of the subject?
Chuck Ferguson Harris Government Information Systems Division
(407) 984-6010 MS: W1/7732 PO Box 98000 Melbourne, FL 32902
Internet: ferguson%cobra@trantor.harris-atd.com
uunet: uunet!x102a!x102c!ferguson
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 May 89 15:40 EDT
From: Mike Fertsch <hplabs!uiucdcs!adc1.RAY.COM!FERTSCH>
Subject: Sam Adams ALE - made in Boston!
Daryl Richman states:
> I hear that the Boston market is tightening and that SA is getting hurt
> because the opposition is claiming "the only beer brewed in Boston."
> Perhaps the truth will win over ad hype. We can hope...
Sam Adams recently introduced a new ALE, available only on draft in selected
taverns in Boston. It is quite a good ale, and compares favorably with other
microbrewed ales in Boston (Harpoon and Commonwealth Brewing). I find the
story behind this interesting, and makes me dislike Sam Adams' approach to
selling beer even more.
Jim Koch (alleged great-great-great grandson of the real Sam Adams)
introduced his Boston _Style_ Lager four or five years ago. Jim found the
recipe in his grand-father's attic. The beer is made in Pittsburgh, but
Jim sold his beer as Boston's own beer. Later, when it became obvious Sam
Adams is a contract beer, Jim said that Pittsburg was only temporary until
he got his own brewery built in Boston. He later cancelled his plans for a
large brewery, but not until after newspaper and magazine coverage showed
Jim in his Boston brewery.
In the meantime, a small (but REAL) brewery began making Harpoon Ale in
Boston. Beer wars began. Harpoon claimed that theirs is the only "beer
brewed and bottled in Boston" and re-emphasised that Sam Adams is a
Pennsylvania beer. Koch retailiated that Harpoon lacked quality control,
were infected and not worthy of the beer-drinker's business. Sam Adams
followed Harpoon's lead and started selling draft around two years ago.
It seems to me that Sam Adams is pushing Harpoon out of the draft market.
I believe the reason for this is Sam Adams aggressive sales approach,
rather than a better product.
The latest chapter shows Boston Brewing making tiny quanities of Sam Adams
Ale, made in Boston. Apparently his grand-father has a large attic, with
lots of unique recipes. The ale draft only, and is not widely distributed.
I'm sure is made at a loss just to remove Harpoon's claim as the only beer
made in Beantown. Chalk another one up for advertising!
I really like Sam Adam's beers (all of them!), but I can't bring myself to
buying any because of Jim Koch's marketing approach. Until recently I
thought SA was sold only in New England - I've recently found it in
Pennsylvania and California and heard it is in Colorado. Will this become
the first contract-brewed national brand?
Mike Fertsch
PS - apparently the real Sam Adams was a maltster, not a brewer. He didn't
make his own beer.
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #157, 05/23/89
