No beer here

 Home brew clubs in Oregon are no longer allowed to have home brew at their meetings! Public beer and wine competitions, like those commonly held at the state and county fairs are now considered illegal too.  The clubs can live on, but they have to be ‘dry’. Takes all the fun out of it, and the chance to learn and share about brewing (which is the whole point). The Oregon law had been on the books for 30 years, but it was not enforced or interpreted in this way until now.
 The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) and the Oregon Department of Justice have decided to shut down beer and wine competitions, and remove home brew from home brew clubs. Excerpt from the law: ‘No person shall brew, ferment, distill, blend or rectify any alcoholic liquor unless licensed so to do by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. However, the Liquor Control Act does not apply to the making or keeping of naturally fermented wines and fruit juices or beer in the home, for home consumption and not for sale.’” http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/471.html
 The problem with the competitions and home brew clubs is, the home brew is taken out of the home, and then consumed by the ‘public’. Sounds down right naughty doesn’t it?? People, sharing home brew and discussing it?? Under the law, even though the home brew is not sold, it is still illegal to have members of the ‘public’ drink the home made alcoholic beverages. Judges are considered members of the public under the new interpretation as well.
 This means it is illegal to drink home brew anywhere in Oregon, except at home.
In order to get home brew clubs, and beer/wine competitions going again, the state legislature would have to amend the law. Oregon has some pretty big budget items to address this year, so we can only hope for the best.
Interestingly enough, competitions for canned preserves, pies, etc are still legal at fairs. It is the mystique of alcohol that causes all the trouble for brewers and vintners. If the argument is for public safety, there are more dangerous strains of diseases in improperly canned foods than in a bad batch of home brew.
For the clubs in Portland, Oregon that are impacted, I predict new brewing clubs will be formed just over the river in Vancouver, Washington!
For more details, go to:
http://www.kval.com/news/business/97335294.html

Concert venue to open beside new brewery downtown G.R.

A Pyramid Scheme is emerging in a moldy old downtown building on Commerce Avenue.
Share Something might be brewing next door, too. But these aren't the shady dealings that the block might have seen in decades past.
Instead, they're the work of bar owners intent on expanding downtown's offerings.
Mark and Michele Sellers, the husband-wife owners of three downtown bars, are partnering with the brother-sister team of Jeff and Tami VandenBerg, who own The Meanwhile Bar at 1005 Wealthy St. SE, to launch The Pyramid Scheme, a live music venue and bar, inside the former Maxi's Bar at 68 Commerce Ave. SW.  Next door, at 62 Commerce, the Sellerses plan Beatnik Brewing, a brewpub, in what is currently an office building.  Both places are expected to open in early 2011 after about $2.4 million worth of improvements.  The openings are contingent upon receiving approvals from the city and the state Liquor Control Commission.
 The Pyramid Scheme would hold about 450 people for rock and alternative rock shows along with another 175 people in a separate bar and patio.
Mark Sellers said the idea for Beatnik grew out of his love for craft brews and what he sees as a relatively small number of places brewing their own beer in Grand Rapids.
"There are 43 brewpubs in Portland, Ore., and in Grand Rapids, there are about five, and Grand Rapids is more than half the size of Portland," Sellers said. "Plus, in Grand Rapids there is not a restaurant-brewpub except for Grand Rapids Brewing Co., and that serves a different market."
Beatnik will have more of a food focus than Hopcat, which offers its own brews and dozens of selections from around the world.
Sellers also said he hopes the place will attract families to its second floor, where he wants to install an eight-lane miniature bowling system.
"The lanes are 40 feet, you wear street shoes -- you don't have to wear bowling shoes -- and it's a 5-pound ball so kids can compete with parents."
The brewpub also is expected to include a deck on top of 68 Commerce along with a private event space available for groups being served by any of the Sellerses' bars.

Bell's Two-Hearted Ale

Zymurgy readers poll: Bell's Two-Hearted Ale is the second best beer in the United States.

2010-zymurgy-best-beers-in-america-poll

Zymurgy, the journal of the American Homebrewers Association, released the results of its annual poll of "Best Commercial Beer in America" and Kalamazoo's Bell's Brewery Inc.'s Two-Hearted Ale came in second.  Two-Hearted, an IPA, finished behind Pliny the Elder, a double IPA from the Russian River Brewing Co., of Santa Rosa, Calif. Pliny the Elder also won last year.  About 22,000 readers of Zymurgy from around the world voted in the survey, which is in its eighth year. Votes were tallied for 1,192 different beers from 450 different breweries.  Also making the list was the Kentucky Breakfast Stout from Founders Brewing Company, of Grand Rapids. It tied for 25th.  Bell's was ranked as the seventh best brewery, jumping ahead of the Boston Beer Co. (Samuel Adams). Founders came in 22nd.  In terms of best portfolio, Bell's was tied for fifth, behind the Boston Beer Co.; Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Rogue Ales and New Belgium Brewing Co.  In the Spirit of Homebrew category, one recognizing the smaller producing breweries, Dexter's Jolly Pumpkin Ales tied for third.

Smell Like A Brewery All Day Long

The morning after a long night of drinking, the memories of the alcohol consumed that night come back to haunt you as the creep out of your pores in an unpleasant sweat. If that weren't bad enough, you become more nauseous because that permeating smell doesn't do much to help a hangover. Bet you've never thought about replicating that experience, minus the alcohol; have you? Well, apparently you should because you can now thanks to one business.

 Smell like you've been up drinking all night long at your very own brewery by purchasing soaps from Dogfish Head Beer Soap Company. You might normally be showering and scrubbing desperately the next morning to get rid of that brewery smell but if you're one who lives for the status that comes with it, you can get it without the hangover thanks to this unique business.
It is an actual brewery that makes this soap using many of the same ingredients as beer - so with that in mind, use this weird soap at your discretion when going to work. Your boss may not believe you next time you try to say that you weren't sneaking in a beer on your lunch break.

BOTL got bling

 Congratulations to Andrew Zinn, BOTL member, who won Best of Show with his pale ale at the Siciliano's 2010 homebrew judging.

(above some Botl members show off their awards)

A notification to all brewers who own a dog.

Here’s a friendly notification to all brewers who own dogs: 
If a dog eats hops it can be fatal!
A study conducted by the National Animal Poison Control Center, University of Illinois in Urbana in 1995 showed this to be true. Of the eight dogs, all cases were fatal. The dogs had ingested spent hops. Dogs are attracted to the sweet wort covering the hops. Cases of dogs eating raw hops and getting sick or dieing have been reported on brewing forums.When a dog eats hops the onset of Malignant Hyperthermia occurs. Not to be confused with hypothermia, hyperthermia means the dog’s body overheats uncontrollably (2 degrees Fahrenheit every five minutes). The dog will begin panting heavily, display a rapid heart rate, and may have muscle spasms.
The best way to prevent against a dog eating hops is not to compost the spent hops or trub. Put the spent hops and trub in the trash or down the garbage disposal. When it comes to growing hops, if you want to be extra careful, plant them in an area the dog is not allowed in. Also be careful during harvest when the cones are being collected and potentially dropped on the ground.

Why men invented the answering machine

Oh Thank Heaven!!

7-Eleven Inc. is set to roll out "Game Day," as its own private-label beer. After introducing Yosemite Road proprietary wine to enthusiastic reviews last year, the world's leading convenience retailer thinks it has another winner with Game Day, a new store-brand premium lager beer.

Comparable in taste and quality to the top-selling national brand beers, Game Day is available in two varieties – Light and Ice – and two package sizes – 24-ounce singles and a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans.

Suggested retail price is between $6.99 and $8.99 for a 12-pack, and $1.49 and $1.89 for a single. Prices vary based on distribution costs and state and local alcohol beverage taxes.

"American beer drinkers are seeking great-tasting beer at an affordable price," said Dan Skinner, 7-Eleven® category manager for alcohol beverages. "Even more so in this tough economy, they're looking for value and ways to make their dollar go further. Game Day satisfied two of a beer drinker's interests by offering a premium lager beer at a below-premium price."

Award for the the 2010 World Beer Cup

2010 World Beer Cup® is Largest Commercial Competition Ever

BOULDER, Colo.• April 10, 2010—Brewers from six continents earned awards from an elite international panel of judges this week in the 2010 Brewers Association World Beer Cup—the world's largest-ever commercial beer competition. The eighth bi-annual competition announced awards to brewers from 19 countries ranging from Australia and Italy to Iceland and Japan.
 This year, 642 breweries from 44 countries and 47 U.S. states vied for awards with 3,330 beers entered in 90 beer style categories. The entries in each category were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards. Judges presented a total of 268 awards.
 The 2010 World Beer Cup eclipsed the record of the Brewers Association's own Great American Beer Festival (GABF) to become the largest commercial competition ever. There were 3,308 entries judged in the 2009 GABF, compared to the 2010 World Beer Cup's 3,330 entries judged.
 "Brewers from around the globe participate in the World Beer Cup to win recognition for their creativity and brewing ability," said Charlie Papazian, the U.S.-based trade association that has put on the competition every two years since 1996. "For a brewer, a World Beer Cup gold award allows them to say that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world."
2010 winners list

Below are the Michigan winners, the category and the total number of entries submitted.

Category 6: Herb and Spice Beer or Chocolate Beer (109 entries)
Bronze: Black Licorice Lager, Short’s Brewing Co., Bellaire

Category 42: Belgian-and French-Style Ale (57 entries)
Silver: Saison du Bastone, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak

Category 61: Robust Porter (64 entries)
Silver: Founders Porter, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids

Category 62: Sweet Stout (25 entries)
Silver: Cream Stout, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint

Category 66: Old Ale (15 entries)
Gold: Fourth Dementia Olde Ale, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren

Category 67: Strong Ale (26 entries)
Silver: Dirty Bastard, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids

Category 70: German-Style Brown Ale/Düsseldorf (26 entries)
Silver: The Detroit Dwarf, The Detroit Beer Co., Detroit

Category 82: American-Style India Pale Ale (104 entries)
Gold: Norm’s Raggedy-Ass IPA, Big Rock Chop House & Brewery, Birmingham

Category 82: American-Style India Pale Ale (104 entries)
Silver: Centennial IPA, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids

Category 83: Imperial India Pale Ale (69 entries)
Silver: Bonnie’s Raggedy-Ass Imperial IPA, Big Rock Chop House & Brewery, Birmingham

Category 89: American-Style Imperial Stout (37 entries)
Bronze: Imperial Stout, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids

Michigan Beer Cellar now open!

 SPARTA -- A microbrewery is now open at 500 E. Division St., site of the former Vi's Restaurant.
Dan Humphrey will not only make beer at the new Michigan Beer Cellars, but wine, vodka, rum, whiskey and brandy.  "I'm turning my 12-year hobby into a business," he said.
 Humphrey is remodeling to create a 3,000-square-foot tap room. He said he plans to serve light appetizers along with drinks. Later, he said, he might add carryout.
The village supported a liquor license, and Humphrey is finalizing paperwork with the state.
michigan beer cellar

 Now hiring bartenders!

Five must-try beers for your Brewvival list

New Belgium NBB Love
A hazy, tart ale brewed in the style of Flanders Red. "They never release this one," says Scott Shor of the Charleston Beer Exchange about the Colorado brewery's specialty. "I will not get to try all of the beers, but the NBB Love is one that hell will freeze over if don't get a sample of it. I'm a sourhead. The good sour beers are my arena of personal consumption."

Foothills Sexual Chocolate
A full-bodied imperial stout with notes of espresso, blackstrap molasses, toffee, and dark fruit, brewed in Winston-Salem, N.C. "It's too hard ... it's like picking children," says Jaime Tenny of COAST when asked for her must-drink pick. "My mind instantly goes to a regional brewery who I'm friends with. Sexual Chocolate is really good. There's actual baking chocolate in it, but it's not just a chocolate bomb. It's still beery."

Duck-Rabbit Cherry Madness
A very dark sour ale aged in casks, utilizing Montmorency sour cherries. "Duck Rabbit produced the first beer from N.C. that made it onto the RateBeer.com's Top 50 list," says Brandon Plyler of the CBX. "They play around with braggots [a beer/mead blend] and sour beers. They deserve more acclaim. They've tried specialties before many others in the Southeast have tried them."

Bell's Oarsman Ale
A domestic ale brewed in the uniquely tart Berliner Weissbier style by Bell's Brewery in Michigan. "This will be the first time [Bell's Oarsman Ale] is in the state. It's draft-only," says CBX's Rich Carley. "We all love Berliner Weissbier here in the store, and there are only a few domestic micros who make it. Some people add woodruff or raspberry syrup, but I like it just like it is."

Palmetto Chocolate Bock
City Paper beer guy T. Ballard Lesemann will be looking for the brand-new bock from Charleston's Palmetto Brewing Co. where brewers Michael Davis and Ed Falkenstein use roasted cocoa beans in their rendition of the dark, malty Bavarian-style lager. "The chocolate flavors and aromas aren't so pronounced, like some beers," says Davis. "It's much more subtle." It's one of four new specialties from Palmetto that will be available for sampling at the Brewvival.

Brewery Vivant

Something's brewing at 925 Cherry St. SE -- or, should be by fall.

 Locus Development has partnered with Jason Spaulding, co-founder of New Holland Brewing Co., on a $3 million project that will bring a new micro brewery and other shops to a black hole in the otherwise vibrant Cherry Street business district.

 View full sizeCourtesy Locus Development/Cornerstone ArchitectsThis rendering shows the view from Lake Drive of Locus Development's planned redevelopment of the former Spectrum Health childcare site. The project would be anchored by Brewery Vivant. If all goes according to plan, Spaulding will open Brewery Vivant by next fall in a former funeral home chapel and neighboring repair shop that most recently served as a Spectrum Health childcare center.

 "When this property came available I had already written my business plan and it fit this setting to a T," Spaulding said. The brewery's specialty will be Belgian and French-style beers that combine unique strains of yeast with hops, grains, spices and fruits. Spaulding also expects to secure a wine-making license for small batches of wine.
 The name reflects those roots with vivant meaning lively or alive in French. "We want to evoke living the good life by enjoying good beer," Spaulding said. Locus will renovate a house on the property to lease to other as-yet unsigned tenants. It also plans two new commercial buildings on the eastern and western ends of the site's Cherry Street frontage.  Locus partners John Green and Andy Winkel have the property under contract and hope to close the deal soon.  They will be applying for state and federal historic tax credits along with Michigan business tax credits to help facilitate construction financing.
 "This is kind of the heart of the East Hills neighborhood and we want it to be a good community-feel project," Green said.  They hope to begin construction on the brewery portion of the project in the spring.
Brewery Vivant will include a 140-seat taproom and restaurant inside the chapel portion of the building.
A partially covered outdoor beer garden and piazza will face Cherry Street.  A barrel-roofed building that was once a repair shop will house the brewery where Spaulding hopes will produce up to 5,000 barrels of beer a year.  By comparison Grand Rapids' largest brewery, Founders Brewing Co., produces around 30,000 barrels a year.  "We're not striving to be a larger brewery," Spaulding said. "We want to be neighborhood brewery and not grow much beyond that."
 Spaulding expects to hire up to 50 employees within the brewery's first year.  He plans to emphasize local ingredients in the brews and on the restaurant menu when possible.
 Since selling his shares in New Holland two years ago Spaulding attended a brewing school in Munich, Germany to help him hone his abilities.  He's also been developing new recipes. A trial run of a brew he dubbed Zaison was served at Ann Arbor's Zingerman's Roadhouse, where Spaulding had been serving as bar manager.

Best Beers of the United States 2010

  Best Beers of the United States 2010 according to ratebeer.com
1. Cigar City Bourbon Barrel Aged Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout  Cigar City Brewing
 2. Three Floyds Oak Aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout Three Floyds Brewing Company
 3. Three Floyds Vanilla Bean Barrel Aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout  Three Floyds Brewing Company
 4. Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout Three Floyds Brewing Company
 5. AleSmith Speedway Stout AleSmith Brewing Company
 6. Russian River Pliny the Elder Russian River Brewing
 7. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout Goose Island Beer Company
 8. Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS) Founders Brewing Company
 9. Bells Bourbon Barrel Double Cream/Expedition Stout Bells Brewery
10. AleSmith Kopi Luwak Speedway Stout AleSmith Brewing Company

For the rest of the U.S. top 50 click here
http://www.ratebeer.com/RateBeerBest/table_2010.asp?title=Best+Beers+of+the+United+States+2010&file=usa_beer_2010.csv

Malt Conditioning

Malt conditioning is a very simple process which consists of adding a very small amount of water to your grain bill prior to milling. The addition of water to your un-crushed malt results in more resilient grain husks. The husks take on a more “leathery” feeling. They are less dry and brittle, which means that they will remain much more intact during the milling process. Why would a brewer care to leave their grain husks more intact during the milling process? There are several reasons that would lead one to consider malt conditioning:
•Pulverized husks can lead to tanning astringency in beer
•Intact husks will create a more free flowing grain bed (fewer stuck sparges)
•You can crush finer to increase conversion efficiency without shredding husks.

Items you will need are a bottle for misting the malt, a scale, preferably digital (to accurately measure the water you are about to add) and a large spoon or paddle (to thoroughly mix the malt).

You will want to add 2% of the weight of the malt bill, in water, to the grain. For example, if you have a 10 pound grain bill, which is 160 ounces, multiply this by .02 (2%) and your result will be 3.2 ounces. This is the WEIGHT of water that you will want to add to your grain bill for conditioning. By doing so, you will thoroughly wet the grain husks, but you will not create a sticky mess in your rollers.

Malt conditioning is easy. Mist the surface of the grain, and stir until you have added the calculated weight of water to your grain. When complete, allow 10 minutes for the husks to absorb this water

As you add water to the grain, it will become more difficult to stir. You may find it easier to add the water to half the malt, or a third of the malt, at a time. If by chance you notice grain sticking to your rollers after milling, you can simply run a handful of dry malt through the rollers to clean them. Also, this could be a sign that too much water may have been added to the malt. You can adjust the water proportions accordingly for your process. Feel free to experiment with 2%, 1.5%, etc,.

Beer Style Series Guide

27 part - Beer Style Series guide and table of contents.

 Technical science is a tool to create it, psychology markets and helps sell it, but its essence will always be a form of art. Stylizing beer is the art of combining hundreds of factors to create a consistent combination of beer characters.

http://www.examiner.com/x-241-Beer-Examiner~y2009m12d14-Beer-Style-Series-Table-of-Contents--Bookmark-this-page

The Secret to Healthy Yeast: Making a Starter

You might have heard brewers talking about starters and how important they are for making great beer. Proper fermentation is what sets apart great beers from just OK beers, and starters can help by ensuring a beer with the correct appearance, flavor, body and aroma profile. The resulting beer is also clean, complete, consistent and reproducible.
read more...
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/1235/MAzym07_YeastStarter.pdf

Homebrewers Unite!

A big THANK YOU to New Holland Pub for hosting what was an awesome event. The homebrewing demo event was a great time!

BeerCloud Mobile App

GreatBrewers.com Launches BeerCloud Mobile App for Android
Powered by GreatBrewers.com, BeerCloud is a revolutionary mobile app that helps you pair beer with food, track down your favorite beers in your neighborhood, and pull up a full description of any beer with a scan of its barcode. Whether you're a beer consumer who could use some guidance in making a well-educated purchase, a food lover who wants to discover new ways to enhance a meal with a suitable beer pairing, or a traveling beer enthusiast who wants to instantly map the closest stores, bars, and restaurants carrying one of your favorite beers, BeerCloud is the quintessential mobile beer app.The app was developed by Eric MacKay, Jingsheng Wang and Tom Byrne and right now is only available for Android phones. To download to an Android phone to to the App Market and search for "BeerCloud."
An iPhone version of BeerCloud is currently under development and, according to MacKay, should be available in the next 30 days. GreatBrewers.com also hopes to have a web based version for all other mobile devices, including Blackberry, Palm and Windows Mobile OS devices by the end of 2009!

A unique beer from Dogfish Head

Dogfish Head Chicha (chee-chah) is most closely based upon Peruvian brewing traditions. With the most authentic interpretation possible: organic pink Peruvian pepper corns, yellow maize and organic Peruvian purple maize. They also use strawberries - a traditional chicha ingredient. The most exotic and unique component of this project, from the perspective of the American beer drinker, happens before the beer is even brewed. As per tradition, instead of germinating all of the grain to release the starches, the purple maize is milled, then moistened in the beermakers mouths and formed into small cakes which are flattened and laid out to dry before adding to the wort.
see Sam's video...http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/brewpub-exclusives/chicha.htm

How many homebrewers want to replicate this recipe?? Mmmm maize.

Beer Aeration, Oxidation and Mitigation

Oxidation is not the same as aeration. Aeration is the process by which oxygen is introduced to your beer or your wort, oxidation is the outcome, it is what happens to your wort or beer when exposed to oxygen at the wrong point in the process. Aeration of COOL wort (<80f)>read more... http://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/08/22/beer-aeration-oxidation-and-mitigation/