Happy Holidays From B.O.T.L.!

 The Christmas Party was a huge success!
Thanks to New Holland for allowing us to hold it at their facility and for the wonderful firkin of Cabin Fever!
Good food, always good beer and great friends!
 Merry Christmas from Brewers On The Lake!

OOOPAH!!

 Tracy taps the Chrismas party firkin!!

Take Advantage Of Winter And Brew A Lager Beer!

 There is a bit of extra work, but there are some painless ways to make consistently good lager beer. This is possible regardless of your experience level or whether you brew with extract or all-grain. Cold storage space always seems to be at a premium which is why I make my lagers in November thru January and take advantage of Michigan Winter's cold storage in my garage.
  One of the main tricks to successfully making a lager is to use a good volume of active, healthy yeast. You should always make a starter for lagers, leaving it to build up at room temperature. Remember you are making yeast, not beer, so leave the starter to do it's important work at room temperature. Also, I do not bother to decant the liquid in the starter unless it's a large amount of liquid. If I have adequate yeast with just a few ounces of wort, I pitch the whole thing. If you decide to save your lager yeast at the end of fermantation and use it again, it's important to store it cold to prevent it causing off-flavors. I like to make a light lager (ie.pilsner or helles) and then make another lager and pitch all of that healthy yeast that was built up from the previous beer.

 After you have boiled the wort it is important to cool it down to 50 degrees or less, this will take some extra time, but it is proper to make a clean lager. Pitch the yeast when the wort has been cooled to 50 degrees or lower and oxygenate your wort properly for best results. Do not pitch warm (65 deg) and then cool to fermentation temps. If the lager yeast has contact with warmer wort, even for 24 hours, it can produce off-flavors and esters that will detract from the flavor of your beer. Be sure to keep the primary at a consistent, proper temperature throughout the primary fermentation.  Some lager yeast fermentation temps vary, but if you maintain 50 degrees for 10 days you should end up with a good lager beer.

 There are ways other than a fridge to maintain a cool fermentation. A 'swamp cooler' is an inexpensive plastic tub filled with about 10 gallons of water to ferment lagers at 45-50°. I have one on my cool basement floor and use frozen 2 litre bottles, rotating them occasionally to maintain cool temps.
  One should also perform a diacetyl rest near the end of primary fermentation (8-10 days). Meaning, move the beer from it's ferment "chamber"(~50°) and allow it to warm (~60°) gradually for 3 days. This allows the yeast to clean up certain flavors (buttery, for one) that are produced during the cool primary.
  Next is the lagering phase of placing the beer at 35-38 degree temps for 8 weeks (the amount of lager time can vary). If you don't have refridgerator room then just transfer into a keg and set it in the garage for winter lagering. After lagering, carbonate and enjoy!
  Some other items to note about lagers is a primary will be a little less active than an ale primary. There will probably be less kraeusen on top of the beer and the whole process will seem a bit more subdued which is normal. Also, some lager yeasts will produce a sulphur-like aroma towards the end of primary which should not carry over to your glass of beer. The aroma should begin to fade during the secondary phase and disappear altogether by the time the beer is served.
  Lager styles

A Good Read: Tips From The Brewers

Homebrewing Advice

Winter Beer Festival Tickets - SOLD OUT

 Check Craigslist for scalpers selling.
 The festival will take place 1-6 p.m. Feb. 22, 2014 at Fifth Third Ballpark.  Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Dec. 1, 2013 at the Brewers Guild website only MI Brewers Guild. Price is $45 plus service fees, and designated driver tickets will be available for $5. Each ticket includes 15 drink tokens good for a three-ounce beer sample. You must be 21 and older with valid ID to attend. Michigan Brewers Guild members, or "enthusiasts," can buy a ticket early, via a presale taking place from midnight to 11:59 p.m. Nov. 30. Enthusiasts must have an active membership as of Nov. 1, 2013, and will be able to buy one ticket each during the presale. Price for enthusiasts is also $45, and will be on sale via the Guild site.
There are 6,000 tickets available for Winter Beer Fest. Last year, tickets sold out in 13 hours.

Thanksgiving Stuffing

Beer & Sausage Stuffing - Yield: 10 to 14 servings
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
½ pound spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
2 cups yellow onions, diced
2 cups celery, diced
1 cup leeks, white part only, thoroughly washed and diced
2 cups chicken stock
12 ounces Pale Ale
2 Tbsp fresh sage
2 Tbsp fresh thyme
12 cups bread, diced and toasted to crouton consistency (preferably, a combination of French and rye bread)
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Add the sausage and sauté until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the onions, celery and leeks and cook until the vegetables are translucent but still have crunch, about 6 minutes.
Add the stock, beer, sage and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Turn off the heat. Strain and reserve the liquid. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread and sautéed ingredients.
Stir in ½ cup of the liquid at a time, combining until the bread is moist but not soggy.
Season with salt and pepper, then transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish.
Transfer to the oven and bake, covered, for 30 minutes.
Remove cover and bake until the top of the stuffing is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve.

How Many Homebrewers Are Making How Much Homebrew?

According to a recent survey, there are an estimated 1.2 million homebrewers in the United States, two-thirds of whom began brewing in 2005 or later.

 Survey results include:
•Demographics: The average homebrewer is 40 years old, with most (60 percent) falling between 30 and 49 years old. The majority of homebrewers are married or in a domestic partnership (78 percent), have a college degree or some form of higher education (69 percent), and are highly affluent-nearly 60 percent of all homebrewers have household incomes of $75,000 or more.
•Location: Homebrewers are fairly evenly spread across the country, with the slight plurality congregated in the West (31 percent), followed by the South (26 percent), Midwest (23 percent) and the fewest in the Northeast (17 percent).
•Production: In terms of brew production, homebrewers mainly stick to beer—60 percent of respondents only brew beer at home, compared to wine, mead or cider. AHA members and people affiliated with the AHA on average brewed nearly 10 batches of beer per year, at 7 gallons a batch, which is 15 percent more batches and nearly 30 percent more volume than homebrewers who were not affiliated with the AHA. Collectively, homebrewers produce more than 2 million barrels of brew a year, which represents a small but sizeable portion (1 percent) of total U.S. production.
•Retail: Nearly all homebrewers (95 percent) shop in two local homebrew stores eight or nine times a year, while a majority (80 percent) also shops in three online stores five times a year. On average, homebrewers spend $800 a year—about $460 on general supplies and ingredients, and $330 on major equipment.
The survey was completed by more than 18,000 homebrewers via an online survey from July 30 to September 3, 2013. Of the respondents, 65 percent were members of the AHA, and 35 percent were unaffiliated homebrewers. AHA

Founders Brewing Co. Pays Homage To Gerald Ford

By Associated Press, Published: November 4: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A Michigan craft brewery has created a special beer label to commemorate the christening of the USS Gerald R. Ford.

 Founders Brewing Co. said the special label for its pale ale pays homage to the nation’s 38th president, who grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich.
 Newport News Shipbuilding approached the brewery about creating the label marking the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier’s christening on Saturday. During the week, the special labeled pale ale will be on draft at locations in the Newport News area, along with commemorative postcards. It also will be served at a private christening dinner.
 Brewery co-founder Dave Engbers, who called Ford a hugely important figure in the Grand Rapids community, said the request for the special label was “one of those things that gives you goosebumps.”
 “We make beer. We aren’t in the business of running a nation — nothing near it,” Engbers said. “But we’ve done what we can to build our company on values exemplified by Ford, particularly integrity and authenticity.”
 The Ford is the lead ship in a new class of carriers, which features a new nuclear power plant, a redesigned island, electromagnetic catapults, improved weapons movement and an enhanced flight deck. special-label

So When Was The First IPA Made?

 by Mitch Steele- The Hop Tripper: One of the many surprising things that my research into historical IPA brewing uncovered was the abundance of American brewers that were brewing IPAs before prohibition. Most of the late 1800s IPA brewing was centered in the Northeast United States, as the Midwest was already becoming the stronghold of many of the German-inspired lager breweries that later dominated the American beer industry for many years.

 These IPA brewers in the Northeast took much of their inspiration from the Burton brewing process, which meant that the beer was brewed with only pale malt, and was aged for an extended period in wood. Wood could be in the form of barrels, or large vats-which was the case with Fiegenspan and Ballantine. Hops were typically American Cluster, and Fuggles and whatever the brewers could get from Europe. Beer clarity was very important, I remember seeing old adverstisements for CH Evans IPA that claimed no sediment, no dregs.
 Peter Egleston, John Thompson, and Dave Yarrington from Smuttynose Brewing Co. helped point me in several directions for my research into the Frank Jones Brewery of Portsmouth New Hampshire, one of the biggest IPA brewers back in the day, and recently Peter sent me this piece from the Greenway Brewing Co., which I found interesting:
 I wasn’t familar with the Greenway Brewing Co. from Syracuse New York, but a quick internet search shows that the brewery was one of the biggest in New York State. Not sure if it was bigger than CH Evans of Albany in their prime. Some really interesting things about this sheet on their IPA:

1. The abv is just a hair over 7% by volume (alcohol by weight x 5/4 = alcohol by volume). 7% was kind of the industry standard for IPA in the 1800s.

2. The final gravity, 1.015 is not that dry, a little sweeter than normal for the times. 1.015 Specific gravity equates to 3.75°P, which is about the upper limit of what I’d recommend in an IPA. Some of the English and Scottish versions from the same time period finished as dry as 1.0-1.5 °P.

3. The health claims are not unusual for the times either. In England, IPA was recommended frequently by physicians for those with stomach or sleep ailments. And one can see similar recommendations in the US.

When I was learning about pre-prohibition IPAs brewed in the United States, I focused most of my research on CH Evans from Albany NY, Frank Jones in Portsmouth, Fiegenspan and Ballantine in Newark. But it’s interesting that I was able to find IPA brewing references from many other breweries in that area, though I didn’t have time to research these other breweries as much as I would have liked to.
 Regarding the Frank Jones Brewery, the buildings of the old Frank Jones Brewery still stand in Portsmouth NH.

Fully Automatic Beer Brewing

 A former Microsoft employee and homebrewer frustrated by the difficulty in getting recipes to turn out the same every time, turned to his food processing engineer brother and another Microsoft employee, to create PicoBrew Zymatic.
 Users browse a list of recipes online on their desktop computer or smartphone. Recipes are submitted to the site by users. They they weigh the grain into a plastic tray, add hops to special filters, and water to a small cornie keg (which transfers water back and forth into the device). In 3.5 hours, their brew is finished. (They can even monitor their PicoBrew from their smart phone.)  Add yeast to the cornie keg, refrigerate it for a week or so and the beer is ready.
 PicoBrew Symatic ( picobrew ) soon on Kickstarter. The first machines will sell for $1300 and the second wave for $1500.

The Grateful Dogfish Head??

The Grateful Dead are readying the release of the craft beer the band began developing last year with Delaware brewery Dogfish Head. The special ingredient suggested by fans? Granola, according to Brewbound. More than 1,500 fans submitted suggestions for the "American Beauty" pale ale. The suggestion for granola came from Thomas Butler, a 39-year-old chemist and homebrewer who saw his first Dead show when he was nine.
 The components of granola – honey, toasted grains, oats and fruit – offer a lot from a beer perspective, as said on the Dogfish Head website. The beer is to be a sessionable ale that highlights the oats and honey with a nice 'dank' hop selection.

Perrin & Siciliano's To Host Homebrew Contest

US Government Shutdown Means No New Beer

 There are two main issues for the craft beer industry to deal with during the shutdown. By the numbers, the largest of these issues is the Treasury Department’s Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) ceasing approval of new beer labels and recipes. Beer news site Beerpulse estimates that 400 labels per day won’t receive approvals during the shutdown, based on the over 110,000 labels that TTB had approved over the course of 2013 through the end of September. More immediately detrimental to the health of craft breweries is the Small Business Administration halting approval of new loans for the duration of the shutdown.

Oktoberfest Pasta

Beer Brat Oktoberfest Pasta- (serves 4)
  Ingredients:

6 strips thick sliced bacon

1 sweet white onion, sliced
1 tbs olive oil, plus 2 tbs later
6 bratwurst (raw)
12 ounces brown ale
1 lb spaghetti
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup fresh grated Parmigiano
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
4 large eggs

Directions
In a large pot over medium high heat, cook the bacon. Remove from pan, chop. Pour off about half the pork fat, leaving about 2 tbs still in the pan. Add 1 tbs olive oil and onions, cook over medium heat until the onions start to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes. Remove onions from pan, set aside.
Increase heat to medium high, add the bratwurst, cooking until browned on both sides. Add the beer and reduce heat to medium low, simmering until the bratwurst are cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Slice into rings.
While the bratwurst are cooking, cook the spaghetti in lightly salted boiling water, drain and return to pot.
Add sliced brats, chopped bacon, caramelized onions, tomatoes, cheese, salt, pepper and remaining 2 tbs olive oil to the spaghetti, toss to combine.
One at a time poach the eggs in simmering water until the whites have set but the yolks are still runny.
Divide the pasta between 4 bowls, top with poached eggs. Serve immediately.

Beer Facts

 Beer improves the state of blood vessels-
According to a study, arteries become more flexible and blood flow improves within hours when you drink a pint of beer, Authit Mail reports. A new study states that drinking a pint of beer actually improves the state of blood vessels around your heart.
 Here are some of the benefits:
-Beer is known to decrease the incidence of heart diseases by approximately 20 to 40 per cent. Though drinking beer is okay, you need to have it responsibly. Moderate consumption of beer results in an increase in HDL and a decrease in LDL along with an improvement in both.
-Beer is loaded with vitamins. According to a Dutch study, there was a remarkable 30 percent increase in vitamin B6 in beer drinkers.
-It is also known to decrease kidney stones.
-Beer is also believed to make your head clear. Drinking the right amount of beer is good for your mental health. The New England Journal of Medicine reported a preservation of mental acuity, especially in older women who drink alcohol moderately.
-There have been numerous studies that have shown that the consumption of moderate alcohol also decreases the incidence of Alzheimer's and improves memory, concentration and reasoning.
-Multiple studies have shown up to 50 percent reduction in the risk of strokes in moderate alcohol drinkers. The American Stroke Association have stated that two alcoholic drinks per day can decrease the incidence of stroke... but I'm sure you all ready knew that.

Time To Make Cider!

 Brewing hard cider from nonalcoholic, or “sweet” cider is a simple process, and the inebriating end product is as delicious as it is discombobulating. Here are the steps you’ll follow to make hard cider of your own. how-to-make-hard-cider .
Also here are tips to make your cider great making-cider-tips-from-the-pros.

Smuttynose Coming To Michigan

 Smuttynose Brewing Co. will enter the state of Michigan for the first time this fall through a partnership with West Side Beer Distributing. Beginning in October, the beers will be available in four key markets—Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Detroit. Initial shipments of Finestkind IPA and Big A IPA will be available exclusively on draft, with shipments of bottle packages to begin early next year. Smuttynose will be available across 23 states and Washington, D.C. The company produced nearly 41,000 barrels of beer last year, and will move into its new brewery and visitors’ center in Hampton, New Hampshire in 2014.  shankennewsdaily

So, you want to work in a craft brewery??

This from the Mad Fermentationalist - I detailed a brew day on the brewery's "main" system. So to follow up on that, I thought I'd give an overview of what day-to-day life is like at a startup craft brewery when you aren't brewing. I think many homebrewers don't have a clear image of what goes into working at a new craft brewery...working-at-startup-craft-brewery

Michigan's Best Brewery; Nominate Your Fav

 The nomination process begins today for the best brewery in Michigan.
What are we looking for: The best overall experience, including the variety of beer they produce, quality of menu (if food is offered), ambience and the staff's craft beer IQ.
Bottom line: This has to be a fun place that offers great beer!
• email: gonzo@mlive.com (Put the name of the brewery in the subject field along with a few details about what makes your favorite brewery so great!
• On Tuesday, Sept. 3, all Mlive reporters throughout the state at MLive.com and affiliate website AnnArbor.com, will also post stories online and take your nominations. If your favorite brewery is not in one of our markets, don't worry: We'll take nominations from all over the state, including the Upper Peninsula, the Traverse City/Grand Traverse Bay Region and Southwest Michigan.
• The breweries with the most nominations in each market will be added to our official polls.
• Polls will be published online Thursday, Sept. 5. And readers will get to vote. michigans_best_brewery_

Muskegon Brewery Updates

Unruly Brewing Co.
Where: 360 W. Western Ave., Muskegon, in the Russell Block Building
Owners: Jeff Jacobson, Mark Gongalski and Eric Hoffman
The beers: Unruly will serve a variety of beers, including the Revel Rouser IPA and the Sasquatch double IPA. The brewery will also serve a coffee porter, a cream ale and a California common steam beer.
Unruly has also acquired a small winemaker's license and will make white and red wine, as well as cider in the future.
Food options: The brewery will serve sandwiches from Fatty Lumpkins Sandwich Shack as well as appetizers from local vendors like The Cheese Lady. Eventually, the owners hope to have a full menu.
The space will fit about 150 people inside and an additional 70 people in the outdoor beer garden area.
Expected opening is in November. Unruly has all the licenses to operate and has to undergo a few final inspections before opening.

Fetch Brewing Co.
Where: 100 W. Colby St., Whitehall, in the old State Bank building
Owners: Dan and Jen Hain
The beers: Fetch will have four standard beers on tap, said co-owner Dan Hain. They are:Tree Stump Coffee Stout, the Lazy Eye Rye, the Pitchfork Wheat and a pale ale.
The brewery will also make "small batch stuff" and seasonal brews that will rotate. Hain also said he wants to experiment with produce from nearby fruit orchards.
Food options: Fetch will serve pizzas, paninis and finger foods from Whitehall restaurant Sam's Grille and Pizzeria.
There will also be a second-floor mezzanine area. Hain said the space should accommodate about 95 people.
Expected opening is late December or January.

Pigeon Hill Brewing Co.
Where: 500 W. Western Ave., Muskegon, in the Noble Building
Owners: Joel Kamp, Michael Brower, Chad Doane
The beers: The brewery will start out with large batches of four or five beers when they open and expand their portfolio once the initial rush slows down, said co-owners Joel Kamp and Michael Brower. The bar has space for 10 taps.
The taproom will seat about 80 people.
Expected opening date is unknown.