So after a long–far too long–break, I’m back to getting this thing off the ground and giving the Chicago brews, news and reviews that were completely non-existent without me.
First big news: I successfully brewed a batch of Imperial Pale Ale in late October 2011. Ok, it was from a kit, but it was a big first step and a rousing success.
The first pint of my first homebrew. Delicious.
On deck for the rest of 2012:
I’ve set an aggressive goal of two home brews per month, with some original recipes coming out in October. I’ll be sure to post some notes/ideas/and results here.
Two impending brewery tours: Half Acre in Chicago (which I’ve been waiting for since last February when I made a free tour reservation), and Sun King in Indianapolis. Both should be fun times.
Other than that, I’m working on a long term plan involving this hobby of mine, but no reason to go into details yet.
I’ll also be keeping up with beer industry news and events throughout Chicago.
It’s St. Louis Craft Beer Week, May 30-June 6. That means a week of beer tastings, beer history, and other fun beer things.
If you have the means/time, I recommend checking it out. Especially the beer tasting for wine lovers you can find in events. I’ll be trying to find the time/means, but with St. Louis a mere 5 hours away, there’s really no reason not to check it out.
So, wandering through a Knoxville grocery store, I came across Sweetwater Blue.This brew hails from Hot-lanta, Georgia, and is one of the more interesting combinations I’ve seen, beer and blueberries. The attempt is far better than the execution. The nose is definitely blueberries, and you can detect a hint of that in the finish of what is otherwise a disappointing light ale. Still, this may be a good brew for the summer, especially for fans of Leinenkugel’s many flavor-enhanced beers.
I bought this in Knoxville in an attempt to connect with the south a bit. It isn’t a bad concept, but needs some refining. I don’t like my beer with “natural flavors” added after the fact, but if I have to, this is how I’d want it done.
I never got a chance to pour it, so I don’t know much about the head, color, etc., but hopefully you can forgive me a truncated review.
Some things to think about when planning to make beer:
1) Don’t assume the biggest culdron you have is the required 12-quart minimum to start brewing wort. I found out mine is only 8-quarts, and what was going to be a fun night of brewing has turned into a sad night of staring at my brewing equiptment until the Brew and Grow opens tomorrow.
When I arrived, Doug and volunteer Dave Bleitner were working on transferring wort from the brewing kettle to the fermentation tank to start fermenting. While they were doing that, I was free to wander around the small industrial building they call home. Read the rest of this entry »
Chicago Tonight did an excellent job covering the local beer scene.
I’m a bit shocked that they so easily dismissed the brewpubs in the Chicago area. A lot of these breweries, like Flossmoor Restaurant/Brewery, sell to regional distributors as well as their own pubs. These people are just as influential in spreading craft beer culture as their production focused counterparts.
Tuesday, I took the time to get aquainted with Jonathan Cutler, the brewer at Piece Brewery and Pizzeria in Wicker Park.
Just a man and his tank.
Cutler’s been the brewer at Piece since they opened in 2001 and lost no time in creating great beer, winning bronze and silver medals at the World Beer Cup in 2002.
As Cutler explains, his path to becoming a pub brewer began when he and his college friends began brewing during “my 5th year of a 7 year undergrad.” It was shortly after he began to think his future could be in brewing:
Being the first brewer at a new pub has some unique challenges, including figuring out what the house beers should be. Cutler learned to give the people what they want:
Piece itself is definitely worth a look. Imagine trendy-pizzeria meets tiny (by beer-hall standards) beer-hall and you get an idea. Between 7-9 of Cutler’s creations are on tap at any point during the year, so chances are you’ll find a style you like.
For all beer-lovers and home brewers heading to Chicago Beer Society’s First Thursday this week, be prepared for some bad beer.
This month, CBS is testing “off-flavor” (aka, crappy) beers. Seems strange, but trying something not-quite-award-winning might just help your palate and improve your judgment.
So go and enjoy some off-flavor, followed by an on flavor like the Bourbon County Stout or 312.
So it begins. Thanks to the crew at Brew & Grow for helping me find the equipment. I should be pumping out Weizenbier (as the label calls it) sometime this week.
Baume’ is Half Acre Beer’s first brew in their new digs at 4257 N Lincoln Ave. They moved in last October, but were finally set up to produce beer earlier this year. According to Half Acre’s blog, they tapped the Baume chocolate rye stout on April 22. We’ll, let’s do it:
Smell (1.6): This has a good chocolate smell to it, though compared to the Goose Island stout I sampled last week, it’s a bit lighter on the nose. There’s not much complexity behind the chocolate and roasted smell, but sometimes simplicity is also enjoyable.
Color(1.8): Another good black stout. The head is a also thin, but can leave rings.
Drinks (3.8): This stout feels light when drinking and thinly coats the mouth. Their is a rough flavor of roasted grains that tastes somewhat like Guinness. Still, this beer is more drinkable and would pair well with heavier foods.
Incidentals (1): I like the bottle design, and as the first beer from a new brewery, you feel like your sipping history.
Notes on rating: I use a 10 point system. 5 points for drink, 2 for smell and color, and 1 for “incidentals” which include cost, packaging and my general mood after drinking it.
After a long break, been brewing in 2011 and 2012. Time to get these updates back to regular. 2 weeks ago
In South Bend, drinking a blue moon from a kegerator I set up. It's pretty foamy, but I think we have the CO2 pressure right. Any thoughts? 2009-09-26
Just finished a beer at Twisted Pine in Boulder with @mel_mayhem. The expresso stout is excellent and the Hoppy Man a pleasant palate killer 2009-09-13
Chitownbeer is planning a triumphant return to the blogoverse. Stay tuned... 2009-09-06
