Edicts From the Czar by Ron Solis

Transcription

1 Volume 8, No. 4 Houston, Texas April 2001 April Meeting Carl Scott s House Saturday April 21st 7pm (see page 7) Edicts From the Czar by Ron Solis (zoomv8@aol.com) M y fellow Comrades and Dissidents of the KGB! I will start off by thanking Eric Hendrix and family for hosting the March KGB meeting. It was such an immense undertaking, since we had the Annual Brew Challenge and Chili contest at the same time. I want to commend Eric for all his hard work in making this one heck of a good time. I believe everyone enjoyed it and was very pleased overall. I also wish to thank Kehn Bacon for conducting a technical presentation on the Bitters style and providing commercial examples. I think it was very helpful for those members who participated as judges and helped determine the "best" of style in the Brew Challenge. Congratulations to all the winners and my condolences to the losers (I being one of them, oh well). This year's winner for the Annual KGB Brew Challenge went to Brian Ellis! He gets the honor of selecting the next Brew Challenge style and hopefully it is not a style (ringer) that Brian is famous for? Sorry Doug, if you would have entered, maybe you would have pulled off another great win. I want to con- (Continued on page 2) In This Issue Edicts From the Czar 1 From the Brewski Cellars 1 Overheard In The War Room 4 Ruble Collector s Report 5 The Brewpub Chronicles 6 Recipes 7 Watch This Space 10 ((((((( From The Brewski Cellars American and European Lagers by Eric Hendrix (LochDaneBrewer1@aol.com) W ell, guys and girls, this is my final start as the clipboard carrying Commissar Brewski. It has been my honor to take of for Comrade Bruce in his time of need. I just hope he is getting plenty of homebrew wherever he is. If not, let us all bow our heads in a moment of silence for his quick return to civilization. Also, a few words about our last hoe-down. Don t even think it, MOP. First, thanks to whoever left Roy at my house without his wife to drive him home. The reason I hosted the meeting was so I wouldn t have to drive home. Oh, well. All s well that ends well. Secondly, the local gendarmes thought we were behaving ourselves in a reasonable manner, it was the neighbors whom were not in agreement. Must have been the fireworks. What, no good Irish around to appreciate St. Patrick s Day? All was subsequently smoothed over with no fines assessed. The homeowners association, however, has given me 3 months to sell the house and leave. In proper KGB fashion, I fell on my sword and did not give up the names of the other members in attendance. Now, to American and European lagers. There will be plenty of Budweiser, Michelob, Coors and even Busch at the April meeting. I might even come up with some of the last Lone Star. Anyone for a Billy Beer? To save the day there may be Leinenkugel and Ranier, if I can find it. For the European side of this month s BOM there will be an offering of Becks Harp, Kirin and Lowenbrau. Wait, those are International Lagers. What true European Lagers can we find? Pilsner Urquell, 1 (Continued on page 2)

2 Edicts From The Czar (Continued from page 1) gratulate Keith Ervin for being crowned the "Chili King" for the 2 nd Annual Chili Competition. It was good to see him in attendance, and to pull off a win to boot, well good for him. I also want to thank Wes for providing us some very tasty Barleywine from Two Rows. Wes was able to get Ian Larsen to make a donation of his Barleywine and his donation was great. For those who did not know, last weekend (March 31 st and April 1 st ) was the "Texas Brewers Festival" at the Garden in the Heights. For those I saw over that weekend, I hope you all enjoyed the limited variety of beers available. Compared to the festivals of the past few years, this was somewhat disappointing. Texas in general has continued to flounder in the crafted beer area and the Big Two (Miller and Budweiser) would love it that way. This festival was a prime example. When Budweiser has a booth for their crafted beer, brewed only in Texas, enough said for that. Shiner had their booth with Shiner Blonde, but who in homebrewing really cares for that? Two Rows was the only Brewpub that had a booth, and Ian Larsen provided some very good brews that he is well known for. The Southpark Stout ( It is about 9% alcohol, hoppy with slight roast flavor) was excellent and Don Sajda can attest to that, both he and Roberta were rocking out on Saturday to some pretty good live music. Ian also had his personal favorite IPA and I thought it was very balanced and just hoppy enough (I could use a little more hop bite, but I'm a hophead). Saint Arnold had its booth and serving their mainstay beers and even had Cask Conditioned Amber available. Brenham Brewery had a booth, but no beer! Too bad, since they are suppose to be brewing soon and provide traditional German Pilsners. San Antonio had some beers from their area (Bubba Dog, Granite Red and Wildcatter Stout), but since they are a melding Kuykendahl Houston, TX (281) of two breweries, the beer was okay. My biggest disappoint was not seeing Bradley's, and I know if Phil Endacott was still there, he would of made an effort to hawk his beers! Swamper, what the hell happened? Also, not seeing Max, Tim or Greg shows how much our local brewpubs have faded away. Overall, I know I had a great time and it was just a perfect weekend for it! Not to slight Ken Rich and the Brew Stop, but I need to make sure everyone knows that DeFalco's no longer exists in the Rice Village area! At the close of business on Saturday (March 31 st ), Scott Birdwell moved to his new digs at 8715 Stella Link, not too far north of Loop 610. It is approximately 6 to 7 miles southwest from his original shop. Several of the Foam Rangers, Sherri and I helped Scott move everything possible to the new shop that night. We ended up moving everything in several pickup trucks and one moving truck until 11:30 PM. Scott and Allison (and a few others) worked till 2:00 AM to organize the shop to be able to have his business open on Sunday. After talking to him at the festival Sunday, he indicated that some sales were made, but it will take a little bit to have everything in place. His new digs does not have the Rice Village mys- (Continued on page 9) From The Brewski Cellars (Continued from page 1) Aass Pilsner, Ayinger Jahrhundert, Lowenbrau (the real one) and other Helles style beers whose names I can t come up with right now. There are essentially 3 classes of American Lagers, Pale or Lite, Standard and Premium. The first of these categories is water, CO2 and corn or rice adjunct. One interesting thing I noted, was that some of these beers have a negative FG. Miller Lite is one of those. The Standard category includes the aforementioned Leinenkugel and Ranier, while the Premium category includes those beers we all grew up on; beers like Pabst (my first encounter), Schlitz, and Stroh, as well as those mentioned above. Our esteemed colleague, Mr. Fred Featuring Weissheimer German malts and Muntons U.K. Marris Otter malt Eckhardt, has the following to say regarding American Standard and Premium Lagers: American breweries call their standard beers premium and their premium beers super premium. We will maintain the premium designation as there is absolutely nothing super about any beer in this class, no matter what the type. Premium beers have a lower adjunct ratio, 25-30%, as com- (Continued on page 3) 2

3 From The Brewski Cellars (Continued from page 2) pared to standards with an adjunct ratio of up to 65%; often use a more expensive malt (some 2- row barley in the formula imagine that); and possibly rice instead of corn as an adjunct. Occasionally a brewer will use more hops in his product; for example a 16 instead of a 14. There is often a slightly higher OG (12 instead of 11.5), slightly more alcohol (3.9 instead of 3.7), and richer apparent extract (2.6 instead of 2.1) all of which contributes to a more expensive product image reflected in the price. (I don t think Mr. Eckhardt likes these beers too much. Previous italics are the author s. CCCCB) Interestingly enough there are some American All-Malt Lagers. These are brewed with no adjuncts, hence the all-malt designation. Also, they have little to no hop bouquet and low bitterness (14-19 BUs). All-Malt lagers include, Island Pacific Goldstream (Canada), Okanagan Spring Premium (Canada) and Smith & Reilly Honest Beer. Some of the more assertive American All-Malt lagers include, August Schell Pilsner, Island Lager (Canada), and Sam Adams Boston Lager. Hops used to brew the American Style Lagers include - Perle, Cascades, Northern Brewer (more assertive varieties), Hallertauer, Saaz, and Willamettes. From the BJCP Style Guidelines: Mouthfeel: Very light body from use of a high percentage of adjuncts such as rice or corn. Very well carbonated with slight carbonic bite on the tongue. Overall Impression: Very refreshing and thirst quenching. "Light" beers will have a lower gravity and less resulting alcohol than the standard. Premium beers tend to have fewer adjuncts or can be all-malt. (Continued on page 8) Providing free web hosting to Kuykendahl Gran Brewers From the PC, to the LAN, to the INTERNET. Your ONE SOURCE for the tools to grow your business. Internet Service Provider, Certified Technical Education Center, Microsoft Solution Provider, Novell Gold Partner, CISCO, Compaq, Toshiba, Ascend, et al. KGB member special: one month free dial-up. Dial-up to T1 - Rates as low as $9.95/mo. I-45N & BELTWAY solutions@avatar-cs.net 1A. Light/Standard/ Premium Aroma: Little to no malt aroma. Hop aroma may range from none to light, flowery hop presence. Slight fruity aromas from yeast and hop varieties used may exist, as well as perceptible levels of green apples due to acetaldehyde. Low levels of "cookedcorn" aroma from DMS may be present. No diacetyl. Appearance: Very pale straw to pale gold color. White head seldom persists. Very clear. Flavor: Crisp and dry flavor with some low levels of sweetness. Hop flavor ranges from none to low levels. Hop bitterness at low to medium level. Balance may vary from slightly malty to slightly bitter, but is relatively close to even. High levels of carbonation may provide a slight acidity or dry "sting." No diacetyl. No fruitiness. Visit us on the internet brewery@saintarnold.com 2522 Fairway Park Dr. Houston, TX Ask for us at your favorite Houston pub, restaurant, grocery, or liquor store. Amber Ale Kristall Weizen Brown Ale Come tour the brewery! Saturdays at 1:00 PM (713) FAX: (713)

4 Overheard In The War Room by Adrian AC Cornelius F ellow Comrades! Congratulations to Keith Irvin and Brian Ellis for their first place finishes in the Chili and English Bitter competitions. I would also like to thank everyone that participated in the competitions (entrants, judges, etc.). Last but not least thanks Eric for the use of your house, and the beer you provided. I m sure we are all looking forward to the April s KOM we tapped at the last meeting, hopefully there was some left. Everything came together and we had a very enjoyable event. Well, on to the business at hand. The annual crawfish boil is this month. All-you-can-eat crawfish prepared by our very own in-house gourmet chef, Garret Martin. This is a meeting you do not want to miss. Crawfish (Louisiana Lobster) and beer, what else can you ask for? Now, be reasonable. Carl Scott will be hosting this month s meeting. Direction to his house can be found in this month s newsletter and on the website or call The Brew Stop ( ) for directions. There is no excuse not to attend. Get some practice in because you don t want to fall behind eating crawfish. For non-houston/la natives or first-timers instructions on eating crawfish can be found at The 6th Annual Big Batch Brew Batch will be held on Sunday, June 3 rd at the Saint Arnold Brewery. Judging will begin at 11AM. The style is American IPA. The deadline for submitting entries is the 12 th of May at Saint Arnold's. I hope everyone has already brewed one or more batches of IPA for their Big Batch Brew Bash. How can you not enter when there is no entry fee? As the hosting club we should try to enter as many beers as possible. Lets all keep in mind the heavy hitters award, a keg of St. Arnold s brew for the club with the most entries. Also, we will need volunteers for the preliminary judging, so try to keep your schedules open the week before the BBBB. Our next door neighbors will host the 10 th Annual Crescent City competition and Crawfish Boil. The event will take place at the historic Deutsches Haus in New Orleans (pronounced Nawlins for the grammatically unchallenged) on the 21 st of April. This competition is the second of four competitions in the Gulf Coast Homebrewer of the Year. The contact is Warren A. Chigoy, Jr. wacjr@ix. netcom.com More information can be found at members.nbci.com/wacjr/competition_2001.htm. Also, they will be hosting the LA-TEX event Saturday May 19th at the I-10 Park. Latex is a great event to attend beer, activities, and good people. There will be a chartered bus leaving Houston, however at this time I do not have definite answers. Travel arrangements will be discussed at the next meeting. As far as hotel accommodations Holiday Inn off I- 10 in Jennings is offering a discount which will run around 55 dollars. You will need to say you are with the Homebrewers and call two weeks in advance. There will also be a crawfish boil and dinner, at 20 and 6-7 dollars each. The crawfish boil is all-you-can-eat till they run out. Then you will need to take some string and bacon pieces and catch your own. Ed Moore asks that you contact him if you are planning to make the event so that he can order enough for everyone. Ted Moore, 116 Lyons Street, Lafayette, La 70506, (337) , moore36@youngsville.oilfield.slb. com. The Central Florida Homebrewers will host the Sunshine Challenge May The entries are due May 7, $6.00 per entry. They have requested that entries be sent in 3 unmarked 8-16 oz bottles. The Sunshine Challenge is a 3-day event combining a wide variety of activities. Again this year the Sunshine Challenge will be at the Orlando Delta Resort located at 5715 Major Boulevard in Orlando. The resort is located just a few blocks from Universal Studios Florida. Room rates are $77 per night for up to 4 people, which seems very reasonable considering the area. All events except the pubcrawl take place at the Delta Resort. Stay where the action is. Make your room reservation early (last year they ran out of rooms) by calling or Rooms are blocked off until May 1. Be sure to mention Central Florida Home Brewers/Sunshine Challenge to get the special rate. More information can be found on the website at See you at Carl s House. Laissez les bon temps rouler (Let the Good Times Roll). Be prepared to eat dem bugs. Adrian AC Cornelius Minister of War Events: 4/21/2001 D.E.A. Challenge Greenville, NC Brian Mentzer 3310A Parkway Court Greenville NC stinkeeee@yahoo.com 4/21/2001 Best of Philly & Suburbs 2001 Philadelphia, PAJoe UknalisHomesweet Homebrew 2008 Sansom St Phila PA birman@netaxs.com 5/19/2001 Western New York Homebrew Competition Buffalo, NYBecky Dyster 1296 Sheridan Drive Tonawanda NY ntbrew@localnet.com 5/20/ th Annual Sunshine Challenge Orlando, L Ron Bach 1190 Trotwood Blvd. Winter Springs FL bachian@juno.com 6/3/2001 The 2001 Aurora Brewing Challenge Edmonton, AB Kevin Kaychuk nd. Ave. Edmonton AB T6E 0Y zaychuk@edmc.net ( 4

5 Ruble Collector s Report by Pam Wall (pcw2@pdq.net) G reeting. Comrades! Well it finally happened to me. I guess it happens to every home brewer eventually. After a month of watching, waiting and stewing over a carboy of new brew in the refrigerator it was time to check it out. Time to check the specific gravity, temperature and taste to see if it was ready to go into the keg for aging. It looked a little cloudy but it didn t smell bad. But drinking straight pickle juice tasted better. It has a very sour taste; it hardly tasted like beer at all. What had gone wrong?? From all the books I have and read, sounds like bacterial contamination. I am fairly certain it was not any scratched plastic equipment (primary fermenter) that may have harbored bacteria, although the primary fermenter is two years old. It was what started this whole homebrew thing off. You know, Santa, his sled and lots of toys and goodies like homebrew kits. Maybe it was time to kick the bucket (plastic), since it s getting harder and harder to open, and go ALL glass. They are cheap enough and then I can see what s going on. Well the next batch was ALL glass. Bubble, Bubble toil and trouble and then there was beer. This batch was clear and definitely beer. I am sure the folks on my MS-150 team will appreciate this batch a lot more. O I almost forgot one thing, the BAD batch was a wheat beer. That must explain why it turned out BAD. I never did like wheat beer. Now I have confirmation as to why wheat beer is NO GOOD. This month is election of new officers. My tenure as treasurer is coming to a close. It has been fun, a little work but I have enjoyed it. I hope I have not offended anybody too much or left you out. Duty on the job front calls. With everyone s help especially Ken Rich s, the treasury s bottom line has grown. We now have more money than we started out with one year ago. Lets keep it up. We welcome the following new faces: Al Bunch Ed Condon Dave Brown Andy Dryer And to all a good night. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ HAIL TO THE CZAR! ( Join The Party! Sign Me Up - I want to be a member of the KGB: (please fill in the form below as completely as possible. Be sure to indicate your preferences by checking the appropriate boxes.) Membership cost is $20.00 annually, or two years for $35.00, payable in cash or by personal check (make payable to KGB). Give this completed form to a club officer along with your dues, or mail to The KGB Homebrew Club, c/o The Brew Stop, Kuykendahl Ste. 140, Houston, TX (DO NOT send cash). Paid membership entitles you to full club benefits, including a monthly newsletter & 5% discount on most purchases at The Brew Stop. Name: Address: One Year ($20) Two Years ($35) Renewal Update my Information Significant Other: City: State: Zip Home phone: Address: Homebrewing Experience: ( ) ( ) Work phone: Birth Month: Get newsletter via WWW* * Opt out of receiving the newsletter in the mail and save the KGB some precious money 5

6 The Brewpub Chronicles by Donald Sajda O ne of the biggest parties in Texas occurred this past weekend. Oddly enough, this party was based in Arlington, which is right in the heart of the Bible belt. The occasion was the 15 th annual Bluebonnet Competition. The Bluebonnet has slowly gained ground in overtaking the Dixie Cup as the largest homebrew competition in the world. The NET Hoppers were in charge of running the Bluebonnet this year and I must say they ran one class act. My wife, Roberta, and I arrived at the hotel late Friday evening and lost no time in participating in some of the FREE activities. First off, there were four kegs of brew to wet your whistle after the 255-mile drive. I leaned to something Imperial. Ah, a keg of South Park Stout, donated by Two Rows of Dallas, did the trick. This was their Imperial Stout that earned the bronze metal in this year s AHA. My next choice was a big surprise. As the nectar ran over my palate I detected a familiar taste sensation. Could it be? No, wait! They shut down last July, but it sure tastes like, Hell, it has to be Wildcatter s Crude Stout! Since the Yellow Rose Brewery closed the past summer, there is no way that they could have brewed this beer, it tasted too damn fresh! Well, more on this story later. The best is yet to come. At 9:30 Friday the Bluebonnet had hospitality suites set up by the various homebrew clubs. What a treat, the eleven clubs each had a room, and each club did it s best to out do the other with great beers, great food and wild decorations. I think I lost count, but I do believe that there were over fifty kegs of the best homebrew one could find on this earth. From Mead to IPA, there was something to suit any taste. Of course, how could one just consume large amounts of brew without a few snacks? Gosh, where can I begin? My favorite snack was a piece of spicy homemade sausage topped by a rosemary marinated garlic pod. Yum we also ate a good size portion of highly seasoned pulled pork. Of course there was homemade beef jerky, gulf shrimp, spicy pecans and a ton of other great food treats. In spite of the cold and rain that blanketed Arlington that Saturday, the Bluebonnet shined with an elegance resembling that of the Academy Awards. Once again, there was a nice selection of commercial brews that would make Oscar proud. My heart skipped a beat when I discovered Anchor s Old Foghorn on tap. Can life get any better than this? As the award ceremony progressed I was proud that our Czar, Ron Solis, earned a second place ribbon for his Robust Porter. Way to go Ron! I know that you saved one bottle for me to try. Can t wait for a taste. Finally we got to the last category of the night, Ciders. Well I was truly surprised when they announced my name as the second place winner for my Cherry Cider. I guess you might say that I am a multi-faceted fermenter. I was proud of the refreshing The award winning Sajdas enjoying themselves at last month s Bluebonnet Homebrew Competition. Roberta and Donald both came away with prizes. Don also shows us what several year s of 12-ounce curls has done for his biceps. semi-sweet cherry beverage. The neatest surprise of the award ceremony was when my wife, Roberta, won the Blue Ribbon for her revised Buffalo Chip Stout label. She was definitely a crowd pleaser with her unique design. Mark Rogerson you better watch out, I do believe your KGB title may fall this November. Walking over to try a new keg of beer, I was approached by two gentlemen that noticed me wearing my Buffalo Chip Stout shirt. They both commented on how they loved Roberta s artwork on her bottle design. Then they offered me a taste of one of the kegs. As the brew crossed my palate it bought back a memory of a beer I tasted last night. I looked at them and said this sure tastes great, it s a sweet stout, and if I didn t know any better, I would swear that this is Wildcatter s Crude Stout, but the Yellow Rose Brewing Company shut down this past July. They looked at me, smiled, and said that they were with the Great Grains Brewery. They introduced themselves as Tim and Joe, who are the sales rep and the brewer. They (Continued on page 7) 6

7 Bohemian Pils I n honor of the Style-Of-The-Month, here s Comrade Ron Hamm s award-winning recipe for Bohemian Pils. Batch Size: 9.5 gallons Original Gravity: Final Gravity: Grains: 15.0 lbs German Pilsener 2.0 lbs British Cara-Pils 1.5 lbs Belgian Caramel Pils 0.8 lbs Belgian Aromatic Mashed for 75 minutes at 154 F. Hops: 1.5 oz (60 min) Liberty (5.0% AA) 1.0 oz (60 min) Hallertauer Hersbrucker (4.7% AA) 1.0 oz (30 min) Hallertauer Hersbrucker (7.3% AA) 1.5 oz (15 min) Czech Saaz (3.0% AA) 1.0 oz (5 min) Czech Saaz (3.0% AA) Yeast: Wyeast #2124 Bohemian Lager American Lager I n the interest of fair play and equal time, here s a recipe for a pretty good American Lager (especially for those who like butter on their popcorn) Samuel Adams Boston Lager. The recipe comes from Cloning Brews, a book by Tess and Mark Szamatulski. I ve made a few batches from the recipes in this book and am pretty happy with the resulting beers. Batch Size: 5 gallons Original Gravity: Final Gravity: Grains: 9.0 lbs US 2-row 0.5 lbs US Crystal (60 L) Mash: 30 min. at 122 F then 60 min. at 150 Hops: 1.50 oz (90 min) Tettnanger (4.5% AA) 0.50 oz (15 min) Hallertauer Mittelfrüh 0.50 oz (2 min) Tettnanger 0.25 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrüh (dry hop in secondary) Yeast: Wyeast #2206 Bavarian Lager The Brewpub Chronicles (Continued from page 6) stated that they are happy to announce that they have begun to contract brew the recipes from the Yellow Rose Brewing Company. Both really enjoyed the Bluebonnet and wanted more information about the Dixie Cup. The partying went into the wee hours of the night. As morning came the only evidence of the wild affair was that of the sticky floors leading to the elevators. As we headed back to Houston, my thoughts were I can t wait to return to the Bluebonnet in So Comrades, I would encourage you to attend this event next year. ( Polling Places Actually, there s only one polling place and there s no absentee voting. Be there or shut up. From The Brew Stop, go north on Kuykendahl, left on Louetta, right on Stuebner- Airline, right on Five Forks Dr., left on Smooth Rock Falls Dr., follow the curve around to your right and you ll see Garrett cooking mudbugs on the driveway at Carls house White Tail Dr. Serving homebrewers for umpteen years! 8715 Stella Link Houston, TX (713) For all of your homebrewing needs 7

8 From The Brewski Cellars (Continued from page 3) Ingredients: Two- or six-row barley with high percentage (up to 40%) of rice or corn as adjuncts. Vital Statistics: OG: IBUs: 8-22 FG: SRM: 2-8 ABV: % Commercial Examples: Standard: Budweiser, Molson Golden, Kirin, Corona, Fosters; Premium: Michelob; Light: Bud Light, Miller Lite. Do we count England and European lagers? I guess we have to. Well, at least under the International Lager category, according to Eckhardt. Therefore, let s start with the British lagers since they are closest. From Fred Eckhardt: British lagers, at least those in England, can often be of abysmally low gravity, and this may account for the apathy towards lagers found in that country, because the English version is pretty pathetic compared with the European beers as found in Europe, or even as found in this country. (Mr. Eckhardt chooses to catalog the British lager as American Premium. I guess that says it all. CCCCB) Now we get to the Real Beer in this little journey, the European Lagers. More specifically, Traditional Pilsners and North German Style Lagers, as well as, Dortmund and Helles lagers. Traditional Pilsners and North German style lagers are pale colored beers with medium alcohol ( %), and rich assertive flavor. These are all-malt beers, originally brewed in Czechoslovakia, and brewed according to the purity law with four ingredients: water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. Hop bouquet and taste are impressive. OG of bitterness is usually in the range of and the color is SRM. The malted barley used in these beers is less modified than British or American malts of this variety and require a long (up to 6 hours) triple decoction mash. (Think we could get Ken to stay open that long? CCCCB) Saaz hops are the norm. Examples include Aass lager, Pilsner Urquell and Becks (not for export). Dortmund Style Lagers are very pale, a little stronger than Bohemian, but a little less hoppy. Dortmunder was one of the four great lager beer styles to evolve in Continental Europe during the 19th century. The other three were Pilsner, Munich, and Vienna, all named for their cities of origin. Dortmund is noted for its very hard water (over 1000ppm) exceeded only by Burton-on- Trent water. The water, and its effect on the brewing cycle, is the single most important factor in defining this style. Helles lagers are similar to the Bohemian Pilsner style, but sweeter, heavier, yet similar in alcohol content, literally a pale (helles) version of the Munich beer (dunkel). The taste is more malty, and less hoppy with smooth, almost caramelly, undertones and, higher apparent extract. OG is , alcohol is %. Bitterness runs from and the color is SRM or slightly darker that regular Pils. The style developed in the 20th century as Bavarian brewers finally reacted to the pale beers popular in the rest of Germany and Europe. This beer is popular around Germany, mostly in the south, a little heavier than the Pils type found in the north of Germany. Ayinger Jahrhundert and Nurnberger Actien are examples. From the BJCP Style Guidelines: 2A. Bohemian Pilsner Aroma: Rich with a complex malt and a spicy, floral, Saaz hop bouquet. Moderate diacetyl acceptable. Appearance: Light gold to deep copper-gold, clear, with a dense, creamy white head. Flavor: Rich, complex maltiness combined with pronounced soft, rounded bitterness and flavor from Saaz hops. Moderate diacetyl acceptable. Bitterness is prominent but never harsh, and does not linger: The aftertaste is balanced between malt and hops. Clean, no fruitiness or esters. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, medium carbonation. Overall Impression: Crisp, complex and well-rounded yet refreshing. History: First brewed in 1842, this style was the original clear, light-colored beer. Comments: Uses Moravian malted barley and a decoction mash for rich, malt character. Saaz hops and low sulfate, low carbonate water provide a distinctively soft, rounded hop profile. Ingredients: Low sulfate and low carbonate water, Saaz hops, Moravian malted barley. Vital Statistics: OG: IBUs: FG: SRM: 3-5 ABV: 4-5.3% Commercial Examples: Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus Pilsner, Budweiser Budvar, Staropramen. 2B. Northern German Pilsner Aroma: May feature grain and distinctive, flowery, noble hops. Clean, no fruitiness or esters. Appearance: Straw to medium gold, clear, with a creamy white head. Flavor: Crisp, dry and bitter. Maltiness is low, although some grainy flavors and slight sweetness are acceptable. Hop bitterness dominates taste and continues through the finish and lingers into the aftertaste. Hop flavor can range from low to high but should only be derived from German noble hops. Clean, no fruitiness or esters. (Continued on page 9) 8

9 From The Brewski Cellars (Continued from page 8) Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, medium to high carbonation. Overall Impression: Crisp, clean, refreshing beer that prominently features noble German hop bitterness accentuated by sulfates in the water. History: A copy of Bohemian Pilsner adapted to brewing conditions in Northern and Central Germany. Comments: Drier than Bohemian Pilsner with a bitterness that tends to linger more in the aftertaste due to higher attenuation and higher-sulfate water. Ingredients: Pilsner malt, German hop varieties (especially noble varieties for taste and aroma), medium sulfate water. Vital Statistics: OG: IBUs: FG: SRM: 2-4 ABV: % Commercial Examples: Bitburger, Kulmbacher Moenchshof Pils, Jever Pils, Holsten Pils, Paulaner Premium Lager. 2C. Dortmunder Export Aroma: Low to medium German or Czech hop aroma. Malt aroma is moderate. Appearance: Light gold to medium gold, clear with a noticeable white head. Flavor: Neither malt nor hops are distinctive, but both are in good balance with a touch of sweetness, providing a smooth yet crisply refreshing beer. Balance continues through the finish and the hop bitterness lingers in aftertaste. Clean, no fruitiness or esters. Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation. Overall Impression: Balance is the hallmark of this style. History: A style indigenous to the Dortmund industrial region, Export has been on the decline in Germany in recent years. Comments: Brewed to a slightly higher starting gravity than other light lagers, providing a firm malty body and underlying maltiness to complement the sulfate-accentuated hop bitterness. Ingredients: High sulfate water, German or Czech hops, Pilsner malt. Vital Statistics: OG: IBUs: FG: SRM: 4-6 ABV: % Commercial Examples: DAB Export, Dortmunder Union Export, Kronen Export, Saratoga Lager. 2D. Muenchner Helles Aroma: Grain and malt aromas predominate. May also have a very light hop aroma. Appearance: Medium to deep gold, clear, with a creamy white head. Flavor: Slightly sweet, malty profile. Grain and malt flavors predominate, with just enough hop bitterness to balance. Very slight hop flavor acceptable. Finish and aftertaste remain malty. Clean, no fruitiness or esters. Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation, smooth maltiness with no trace of astringency. Overall Impression: Characterized by rounded malti- ness without heaviness. History: Created in Munich in 1895 at the Spaten brewery by Gabriel Sedlmayr to compete with Pilsner-style beers. Comments: Unlike Pilsner but like its cousin, Munchner Dunkel, Helles is a malt-accentuated beer that is not overly sweet, but rather focuses on malt flavor with underlying hop bitterness in a supporting role. Ingredients: Moderate carbonate and sulfate water, Pilsner malt, German hop varieties. Vital Statistics: OG: IBUs: FG: SRM: 3-5 ABV: % Commercial Examples: Hacker Pschorr Munich Edelhell, Spaten Premium Lager. Tha, tha, that s all Folks! Edicts From The Czar ( (Continued from page 2) tique and history, but I feel his space will be better and the location will provide for more walk-up traffic. Scott has been a great supporter of all homebrewers and I was glad to have helped him get moved to his new location. I am trying to send out a hint here, and those in our club know what I mean! Now, for the final thought! This is my final time that I will write the "Edicts From The Czar." I would like to express to everyone, that it has been a good time, but a lot of work, too. After 3 consecutive years as a club officer (General Secretary for 2 years and Czar for 1 year), it is time for new leadership to take the reigns of the most dynamic and fun homebrew club. We have had our share of ups and downs, but overall the growth of the club has been good. Membership numbers are still strong, new blood has injected enthusiasm for homebrewing, and the club has continued to be strong. I now feel it is time for a leadership change that will bring a new fresh perspective to the direction of the KGB. My personal influence on this club has run its course, but at least I can step down knowing I have contributed in some fashion and tried to keep the traditions of the KGB as a priority. I can now look back and see that we have grown and become an influence in our Houston Homebrewing Community. I would like to think I had a part in that, but in reality it was the membership that really made that happen. From all the goals I wanted to set and achieve as Czar, well I cannot say that every one of them came to be. We did finalize the Brewing Stand, and it has become a useful tool and attraction for our club. Getting us to move elections (after this April election) to November and having the new officers aligned with all other area homebrew club elections was a goal I am glad we accomplished. With the help of several members, we were able to help and play a part in this past Dixie Cup Competition. Our last year's success of (Continued on page 11) 9

10 Watch This Space by Bev D. Blackwood F or those of you who haven't heard, DeFalco's is in some new and flashy digs! Yes, our favorite grungy homebrewing haven has gone upscale. After a month of delays due to permitting issues, Scott has finally settled (presumably for the next 10 years) on Stella Link. The floor is still mottled (the better to hide the homebrew) and the walls are rough for the most part, so it'll take a real effort for a bunch of homebrewers to mess the place up. (but we'll try!) What's changed is the ambience... Gone is the fierce flourescent glow, in its place warm banks of incandescent spotlights highlighting the merchandise. Gone are the dim views of fences and walls out the windows, instead there's a vast sheet of storefront glass looking onto the street. Gone are the paltry five parking places, now there's a whopping 10 or more, plus a whole shopping center across the street. Will those things be missed? Well, a little. After all, the funky hole-in-the-wall character of DeFalco's was a part of its charm, but that charm came at a price and the price was getting higher and higher for Scott. What remains? First and foremost: Scott and his expertise. I'm fond of saying Scott will forget more about homebrewing than I'll ever know and as long as he's running the show, I'll be asking him for his opinion on recipes, equipment and my beers. Second, Scott's staff is still on hand, to answer your questions and find that missing gasket when you can't figure out where it is in the new store. Last, all the same stuff is still there: The malt bin still has a broad range of grains, there's a variety of extracts and lots of fresh hops and yeast for your brewing enjoyment. I must confess I didn't see the "sample" fridge during the move, but I'm sure that it will have a place of honor in the new location as well. So drop by and say hi to Scott, and maybe help him hang a poster or move a few boxes if you feel like it. Moves like this only come every years (we hope!) so there's a lot to be done until we're all settled in the new location. Since this IS the all-houston column, let me be sure everyone knows that Ken Rich and the Brew Stop may not be moving, but it is still a fine place to go shopping as well and Ken knows his beer too! (Not only that, it's in the same place you left it the LAST time you were there!) Ken is also home shop to the KGB whose Big Batch Brew Bash is coming up soon! The entry deadline for your American I.P.A.'s is May 12th, while the competition itself is on June 3rd at Saint Arnold brewery. If you brew a winning beer, expect the admiration of your fellow brewers, a nice gift certificate and the chance to brew with the "big boys." Also in May is National Homebrew Day, May 5th, again at Saint Arnold Brewing. Bring your buckets, your cooler, your "big rig" and whip up a batch of whatever you're famous for in celebration of the legalization of home- brewing. Just remember, if homebrewing hadn't been legalized, we wouldn't HAVE St. Arnold. Brock is fond of reminding his tours (every Saturday at 1:00 p.m.) "Jimmy Carter was our greatest President ever." Why? Because he made homebrewing legal again! So come out, have a beer AND brew a beer! April - May Events: April 14th DeFalco's NEW location, 8715 Stella Link! May 5th National Homebrew Day - Saint Arnold Brewery May 6th First Sunday homebrewer's meeting - Bradley's, Webster, TX 3:00 p.m. May 12th Brew-in At DeFalco's May 19th LaTex - Jennings, LA Contact DeFalco's for information Meetings: Bay Area Mashtronauts: Next meeting: 6:30 p.m. April 10th, at Bradley's in Webster. Nuts and Bolts competition. Brew Bayou: Next meeting: 7:00 p.m. April 18th, at Smithhart's Country Grill in Clute Deja Brew: Next meeting: May 3rd, Location: Kelvin Arms Pub Foam Rangers: Next meeting: 8:00 p.m. April 20th, at DeFalco's NEW LOCATION! Beer of the Month for April is Old Ale, Scotch Ale and Brown Ale. Golden Triangle Homebrew Club: Next meeting: Anyone interested in Golden Triangle events can call Joe Kubenka at (409) nights or (409) days for locations and times. KGB: Next meeting: April 21st, 7:00 p.m, at Carl Scott's house. Annual Disenfranchising of Crawfish and KGB Election. Beer of the Month: American and European Lagers. Competition calendar: April 21, 2001: New Orleans, LA - 10th Annual Crescent City Competition. If attending, they must have your Crawfish dinner order by April 7th! ispreen@home.com Web: (Continued on page 11) 10

11 Watch This Space (Continued from page 10) htm PACK AND SHIP: Thursday, March 29, 2001 at DeFalco's Apr 27-28, 2001: Berkeley,CA - 3rd Annual Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing Competition and Technical Conference Contact: Mike Riddle (707) riddle@sonic.net URL: May 17-20, 2001: Orlando,FL - Sunshine Challenge Entries due: May 7, 2001 Entry fee: $6.00 per entry. Contact: Ron Bach (407) sc@cfhb.org Web: PACK AND SHIP: Thursday, April 26, 2001 at DeFalco's May 19, 2001: Corvallis, OR - 19th Annual Oregon Homebrew Festival Entries Due: May 14th, 2001 Entry fee: $6.00 per entry. Contact: Joel E. Rea, festchair@hotv.org Web: PACK AND SHIP: Thursday, May 3, 2001 at DeFalco's June 2, 2001: Arlington,TX - Celtic Brew-Off Entries due: May 11, 2001 Entry Fee $6.00 per entry. Contact: J. B. Flowers (817) APICT8@aol.com Jun 1-3, 2001: Edmonton, Alberta Aurora Brewing Challenge Entries Due: May 31, 2001 Entry Fee: $6 for first three entries, $5 for each additional entry. Contact: Kevin Zaychuk (780) zaychuk@edmc. net Web: PACK AND SHIP: Thursday, May 17, 2001 at DeFalco's June 3, 2001: St. Arnold Brewery - Big Batch Brew Bash Entries due: May 12th, 2 entry limit. No fee. ( Edicts From The Czar (Continued from page 9) the Big Batch Brew Bash and having enough money in our account is a testament to everyone who made it possible. I can actually say that I wrote an article every month as General Secretary and Czar without exception. Some were good, some were bad, but overall I tried to keep all of you up to speed with the happenings in our homebrew community. My hope is that the new officers continue to keep our newsletter strong, since it is the lifeblood of our club. And Mark Rogerson has been a major contributor in keeping our newsletter published each and every month. Even though he sometimes had to prod and plead for me to get my article in on time, I did get it in. I will continue to write an article every once in a while, who knows, I may continue like always to submit something. As a KGB member for the past 5+ years, I have missed only one club meeting. As an officer I have made it a point to always attend our meetings! I felt it was a necessary for each officer to make it their duty to be there and lead our club. No matter the circumstances I made every effort to be in attendance even at the expense of family, friends and sometimes work! This included altering personal plans, vacations and other obligations to make sure I was there! Without family support, allowing me to pursue this hobby, I could not have been so dedicated. But now a burn out factor sets in, and I have reached a point where now it is time to step back and enjoy my hobby from a different view. Either way, I will continue to be a strong member of the KGB and ready to take my place with the former Czar s of the KGB, Sean Markham, Dean Doba, John Donaldson, Carl Scott and Brian Ellis. So thanks to all of you who have been supporters and did those extra things when I need someone to help me out! Well, enough of this self-promotion, and since I am reflecting on what was, I need to end this, so like I have always said, "this is just my opinion and I could be wrong. Later Brewdaddy! ( May 2001 (Articles due 5-7) Place: The Brew Stop Date: 20th Time: Noon Event: To be announced Our first meeting under the new management KGB Meeting Calendar June 2001 (Articles due 5-21) Place: St. Arnold Brewery Date: 3rd Time: Noon Event: It s The Big Batch Brew Bash! Ad Size Ad Rates No. 0f Issues Rate ¼ page 1 issue $ 15 ¼ page 3 issues $ 40 ¼ page 12 issues $ 120 ½ page 1 issue $ 25 ½ page 3 issues $ 65 ½ page 12 issues $ 190 Please contact the editor to place an ad, or for more information. Ad fees must be pre-paid. All ads include a complimentary newsletter during the subscription period. We reserve the right of refusal on all materials. 11

12 Kuykendahl Gran Brewers c/o Kuykendahl #140 Houston, TX Visit the KGB website at: Fine Print Club Officers: Czar General Secretary Ruble Collector Commissar Brewski Minister of Propaganda Minister of War Newsletter Staff: Ron Solis Jose Rodriguez Pam Wall Eric Hendrix and AC Cornelius Mark Rogerson Adrian A.C. Cornelius Mark Rogerson Contributors: Ron Solis, Pam Wall, Eric Hendrix, AC Cornelius, Donald Sajda, Bev Blackwood The Kuykendahl Gran Brewers (KGB) Newsletter is a monthly publication of the Kuykendahl Gran Brewers Homebrew Club. The subscription rate is $20.00 / yr. or $35.00 / 2 yrs., which includes full club membership. Correspondence and inquiries can be sent to the KGB, c/o The Brew Stop, Kuykendahl Ste. 140, Houston, TX Telephone inquiries should be made to The Brew Stop at , or the Czar at , or the editor at Disclaimer: Articles appearing in this Newsletter are the writings of the editor and/or KGB members, unless accompanied by a by-line or accredited to another source. The articles are presented for general informational purposes, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the KGB Homebrew Club, its officers, or members. 12