How to Talk Like a Beer Geek: Decoding Acronyms!

Acronyms are something that really get my goat on a daily basis at the ol’ day job. Someone calls looking for information pertaining to the A.C.H.R.G.P.C.... Uhhhh, what the hell does that mean!?! And why does this person think everyone they talk to would know what that means? I am an admin assistant answering a phone, not an A.C.H.R.G.P.C. specialist... if that even exists...

In beer geek speak there are several acronyms. But fear not, I am going to decode a few of them for you so the next time they come up at your favorite watering hole you will know what the beer acronyms mean instead of wondering if it is a medical condition, or a type of accountant, or part of your car’s emission system.

The first one is A.B.V. I am sure many of you already know what A.B.V. is, but I have been pretty surprised by how many beer drinkers have no clue about this one. A.B.V. is Alcohol By Volume. Basically, it’s how strong alcohol wise the beer is. This is one of the most important things to pay attention to for your own safety and for your party’s longevity. Think about if you didn’t know what this meant and you were slammin’ down Bent Brewstillery’s Dark Fatha (11.7% A.B.V.) like it was Lucid Air (4.5% A.B.V). Every one Dark Fatha is like drinking two and a half Airs! If you don’t pace yourself with the higher A.B.V. beers, you could be in for a rough night and an even rougher morning!

Next Up; IBUs. Some mornings after having too much fun at a taproom the night before, "Ibu..." is all I can manage to mumble to my wife as I am holding my head praying for the sweet relief from a few ibuprofens. That is NOT what we are talkin about here.

IBU(s) stands for International Bittering Unit(s). This is the measure of bitterness of a beer from the alpha acids released by the hops in your beer. This can be used a bit as a rule of thumb for you to estimate how hoppy a beer is going to be, but remember there are other factors that can counteract this estimation. Like, how balanced the beer is with maltiness or other sugars like honey, etc. Theoretically you could have two beers with the exact same IBUs, but one could be SUPER HOPPY and one could be very well balanced and not too crazy hoppy. But, generally a higher number of IBUs = hoppier while a lower number would be less hoppy.  

The final one is SRM. This stands for Standard Reference Method. SRM determines color of a beer by measuring the amount of a specific wavelength of light that passes through the beer. I’ve always thought this one was a little silly. It’s kind of like a weather guy telling you it’s raining while you are outside wearing your goulashes in a steady downpour. I can see this stout is black... I can see this nut brown is brown... But then again, if you are just reading a beer review you would be able to understand a bit better the color of this beer if you understand this measurement. As well, you can’t see through cans at the beer store!

Low SRM = lighter colored beer; Higher SRM = Darker colored beer. For instance, a Pilsner may clock in at about 3 SRM, an English Brown Ale may clock in at about 15 SRM, and an Imperial Stout may clock in at about 40+.

Well, there you go. A few acronyms so you can keep up with those beer geeks that are living life way too fast to use whole words! Hit the taprooms and show em what you got!

How To Talk Like A Beer Geek: Tiny Bubbles!

Today let’s talk tiny bubbles! There are several different means of carbonating beer. Knowing the difference is pretty important as the different ways of carbonating beer can affect your beer drinking experience a TON.


First up, NITRO! We’ve all seen on tap lists a beer we have drank before, but it is listed as “on nitro”. What this means is that the beer is carbonated with a mixture of around 70% nitrogen and 30% carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of just straight CO2. The result is a cascading look to the beer as it is settling and a much creamier beer with a thicker mouthfeel as opposed to the usual sharper carbonation found in most beers. Nitro was typically used just on stouts, but now is also used on IPAs and some Scotch Ales. Give it a try, especially with a good stout!

Next up let’s do a two-fer! BOTTLE CONDITIONED and FORCED CARBONATION. These are two ways that brewers carbonate beer. Forced carbonation is exactly like it sounds. CO2 is artificially forced into a beer vessel which causes the CO2 to be absorbed into the beer. Bottle conditioned on the other hand is more of a natural process. The beer is bottled often with a sugar to feed the viable yeast still in the beer. The yeast eats the sugar and gives off CO2 as a byproduct. Since the bottle is capped, the CO2 can’t escape. As pressure builds up, the only place for the CO2 to go is back into the beer. BOOM! Carbonation!

The final bubbly term is actually not so bubbly, HAND PUMP. A hand pump is a manual means of getting beer into your glass. These are fairly rare as it is a pretty old school way of doing things. Normally it will be some sort of specialty beer that is on a hand pump. The result is a pretty much flat beer, and often not very cold. I have had two beers from two different places from a hand pump. Honestly, not my thing and I probably won’t be giving this a third try. It is a neat novelty, but I like my beer good and carbed up!

There you go, all you need to know about bubbles and the ways they get into beer. Time to go take those fancy tap lists by storm!

Brew Year's Resolutions: 5 Things To Broaden Your Craft Beer Horizons In 2015

In my opinion, New Year's Resolutions work about as well as two story outhouses.  Get to the gym more.  Eat fewer non-complex carbohydrates.  Eat more riboflavin.  This is what has been bombarding my Twitter Feed and Facebook Page over the past few days and I am sick of it.  Very few of the resolutions that I have seen over the last couple of days have looked appealing or achievable, much less appealing and achievable.  Perhaps even more egregious, very few of the resolutions I saw mentioned anything about craft beer.  So, let me present you with a couple of things to add into the mix in 2015 that up the gravity on your beer geek goals.  Whether you are a Certified Cicerone or just dipping you toe in the craft beer pool, you will hopefully find something to ponder as we move forward and into the new year.



Brew Year's Resolution #1-Try a new beer style.  We all have our favorites.  We are partial to certain qualities of those brews, but why not try breaking into a new direction?  You would be surprised (I know I was) about exactly how many different beer styles and sub-categories are out there.  My own foray into this resolution will be the ESB category.  ESB stands for Extra Special Bitters.  When I first heard of this style, I thought that it meant that it would be very hoppy and bitter.  That is actually not the case and, in fact, this beer style is remarkably balanced and drinkable.  If you are curious about where to find information about different beer styles, start with Beer Advocate or BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) as some great resources.  Not only will you see that there are a myriad of styles out there, there is usually a list of style representations that you can pick up at the local liquor store.  Read up on your favorite beer style and then try something that is similar to it.  You will be broadening your horizons while still staying in a palate and flavor profile that you are comfortable with.

Brew Year's Resolution #2-Order a new beer every time you are out at a bar or restaurant.  This is much easier than biking with a blindfold on and will allow for the same level of excitement.  As more and more bars and restaurants are catering to the needs of craft beer drinkers, they are providing us with more options for enjoying a pint.  Gone are the days where all you see are mainstream domestics on tap.  Both in the Twin Cities Metro area as well as in greater Minnesota, the tap lines are becoming more interesting and diverse.  Some of my favorite places in the Twin Cities are Republic and Muddy Pig.  These places have a great selection of local and regional craft beers as well as staffs that are intelligent and willing to help you pick the right beer for you.

Brew Year's Resolution #3-Try a new taproom.  With taprooms popping up like prairie dogs in a South Dakota summer, this is extremely doable.  The other night I went to Northgate's taproom for the first time and I absolutely loved it.  I got a chance to try their Parapet ESB and that helped me work on my first resolution.  The vibe is great there and with each different taproom, you are introduced to a collection of new and exciting beers.  We have some hidden gems in this state and each one has a vibe and feel that is unique.  There are no cookie-cutter taprooms that I have seen and I have been to my fair share.




Brew Year's Resolution #4-Hit the books.  While there is much beer geek knowledge that can be gleaned from going out and trying new beers in taprooms and bars, if you really want to up the gravity of your beer knowledge, you need to check out some of the great titles that have been written about craft beer.  One of my personal favorites is Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide To The World's Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher.  This is one of the most accessible books about everything one needs to know about tasting, understanding and evaluating beer.  If you are looking for something more of the narrative variety, Microbrewed Adventures by Charlie Papazian has you covered.  Papazian's writing style is engaging and humorous and you read wonderful tales about his beer travels all over the world.



Brew Year's Resolution #5-Build Your Own 6-Pack.  One of the most common obstacles in trying new beer is the intimidation factor.  I have heard people become hesitant to spend anywhere from 8-12 dollars on a 6-pack of beer they are not sure they will like.  Well, most liquor stores have began to cater to the new craft beer enthusiast and they will usually have a section of single bottles that you can use to build your own 6-pack.  This is a wonderful way to expand your beer geek horizons.  Most liquor stores that have a build your own 6-pack will also be more than willing to help you fill it up with great beer that you will really like.

While the new year can bring a lot of pressure to set goals that may or may not be realistic or achievable, these 5 Brew Year's Resolutions are definitely something that you will have fun attempting to achieve.  Craft beer is not just something you drink, it is a means to social interaction and discovery.  So, get some friends together and try to work on these together.  I will be right out there with you trying to mark these off my list, all the while, having a great time meeting new people and drinking delicious craft beer.  Prost!

How To Talk Like A Beer Geek - Go Strong!

Today on How to Talk Like a Beer Geek we go STRONG with our beer terms! Let’s crank this thing up to 11% and get started!

The first term is IMPERIAL. This has nothing to do with Kings and Queens... Well, maybe back in the day it did, nor does this have anything to do with the Costa Rican beer by the same name. An Imperial is a version of a beer style that has a much higher Alcohol By Volume than the original beer style. This is why Imperial beers are usually always served in a smaller glass.... They are just trying to save you from yourself!

An example would be a Stout vs. an Imperial Stout. An average Stout will be in the 5%-6% A.B.V. range where an Imperial Stout could have anything up near 9% and even higher A.B.V. A good but obviously a bit rough rule of thumb is that an Imperial will be close to double the A.B.V..... Which leads us to our next beer term!


The next beer term is DOUBLE (Note: not Dubbel... although...well...we will cover that another day). This basically means the same thing as Imperial in the beer world. This term is much more common with IPAs that have the higher A.B.V. Basically, an Imperial IPA would be a Double IPA... Get it? IIPA... Two “I”s... Double I... PA... ok, I’m done, sorry about that. Double IPAs can also be a bit hoppier than a normal IPA.

The final beer geek term is TRIPLE (Again, please note: Triple, not Trippel. Again another day). This again just means a bigger A.B.V. beer (much bigger) but there is a hitch included in this one. Triple can also mean that the higher A.B.V. beer has a higher bitterness as well. Like a Triple IPA. It will have higher A.B.V. and higher bitterness to it. These aren’t super prevalent, but they are out there. If you are going to try some Triple IPAs, be ready for a solid buzz and a hop-puckered mouth!

Imperials, Doubles, and Triples can be damn delicious! But now that you know the terms, you can tread lightly so you don’t end up like Drinky Crow all hunched over in the corner with Xs over your eyes!





How to Talk Like a Beer Geek: All About the Hops!

Welcome to the latest installment of How to Talk Like a Beer Geek. Today, it’s all about the hops! Whether you like super hoppy beers or malty beers with very little hoppy flavors, hops are a major player in every beer. Just ask the Reinheitsgebot! Ummm... Yeah, we will get to the Reinheitsgebot another time.... for now, let’s get HOPPY!

The first term for today is NOBLE HOPS. There are four noble hops out there; Saaz, Tettnanger, Spalt, and Halltertua. These hops all have low bitterness and are hops with lots of aroma. Some specific beers must be brewed with these noble hops to be considered “genuine” for their beer style. Also, lots of people will tell you that to be considered true noble hops these hops must be grown in a specific region. This whole noble hops thing sounds a bit stuffy to me and elitist, but we gotta know the terms so we can scream out our beer geekiness!

The next hop term is FRESH HOPPED/WET HOPPED. These terms mean the same thing. Basically it is using hops in a beer that have been very recently picked and have yet to be dried out. This brings different levels of oils in the hops to the beer and really can make a hug difference in a beer, even from using the same hops but ones that have been dried out. You see fresh/wet hopped beers seasonally around fall each year after the hops have been harvested.

The final term for today before we... ummm... hop outta here... is DRY HOPPED. No, this isn’t what your neighbor’s dog is trying to do to your leg, but rather dry hopping a beer is the brewing practice of adding hops to a beer after the boil. Usually hops are added at different stages during the boil, depending on if the hops are used for aroma or bitterness. But dry hopping again will give different flavors and aromas than a beer that is just hopped during the boil. It’s all about getting different stuff out of the same ingredient by using it in a different way!

So there you go! A few hoppy beer geek terms for all you hop heads out there. Now, hop on over to your local tap room, have a beer, and talk hops!

How to Talk Like a Beer Geek; Beer in Your Beer Hole!

Today we are going to talk about a few terms that have to do with your beer hole! The best thing about beer, plain and simple, is putting it in your mouth. But once that beery goodness is in there, a lot goes on. So let’s talk about a few things going on up in there!

The first term is mouthfeel. This word is basically the way the beer feels when it is all up in your beer hole. Is it sparkly feeling from lots of carbonation, creamy feeling from being a nitro beer, or maybe a bit of an oily coating feel from an abundance of hop oils? A lot of things can contribute to this including sugars, hops, proteins, adjuncts, carbonation method and amount, the list goes on and on.

The next term is surprisingly not the end of your mouth’s drinking experience:  The finish! The finish is how the beer tastes and makes your mouth feel right after you swallow that big gulp of deliciousness. Does it have a malty finish, a hoppy finish, a dry finish...? The big finish has a big effect on your mouth’s beer happiness level.

The final mouth piece of drinking your beer is the aftertaste. Many people would say this is the same as the finish, and I guess this is partly correct, but partly not. Aftertaste is more the lingering tastes that stick around for a while after you are done with your beer or are done with a gulp of it. The main reason why I disagree with those who say that finish and aftertaste are the same thing is that every beer has a finish, but not every beer has an aftertaste to it.

So there you go, aspiring beer geeks! Three beer terms that help make your beer hole happy; mouthfeel, finish, and aftertaste... Just to make sure you have these three terms covered I think it’s time for you to go put some beer in your mouth!

How to Talk Like a Beer Geek!

(Yep, I guess I’m a beer geek...)

How to Talk Like a Beer Geek is a new blog series here on Beerploma. Reading beer reviews and talking to a beer geek can sometimes seem like a separate language. When I started getting into craft beer there were times I would read a blog or a review of a beer and walk away knowing even less about the beer the reviewer was telling me about!

My idea of a great beer review was “dang this beer is tasty!”, or, “I wouldn’t drink that with your mouth!” Over the years I have learned what these weird and sometimes unnecessary terms mean. And, I am going to share them with you so you can cut through the jargon us beer geeks use and get the actual info you need!

Our first beer term today is QUAFF/QUAFFABLE. I know, quaff kind of sounds like it should be some sort of unpleasant bodily function. What it really means is to drink heartily. Like you can get er down. Nice full gulps. I see this a lot with session beers. Here is an example: “This low A.B.V. session beer is highly quaffable.” or "Mmmm... I'd quaff that!"

Speaking of SESSION BEER, let’s just get that one out of the way as well! The meaning of this one had eluded me for quite a while into my craft beer beginnings. At first I thought that it was a big robust beer that you could only drink a little bit of during a tasting session... I don’t know, just made sense to me. I was wrong. It is actually the opposite. A session beer is a very easy drinking low alcohol beer. Basically you can sit down for a good long beer drinking session and have plenty of session beers without getting just completely obliterated or burnt out on any intense robust flavors. I was close right?!?!

The last beer geek term for today is LACING. Nope, this doesn’t have anything to do with your shoes, nor does it have anything to do with the ruffles on your fancy underpants! Lacing is the way the foamy head clings to your beer clean glass as you drink it. A beer with a good head served in a properly cleaned glass will leave some of the head clinging to the glass. It almost has a lace-like pattern, hence lacing!

 

(Some lacing on a Bent Brewstillery Acclivity at Ward 6)

Well, there you have it! Your first three terms to help people talk like a beer geek. One thing to always remember though; if beer tastes good it tastes good, and if it doesn’t it doesn’t. There is really only one way to actually find out... Drink it!

Brews and Reviews: Tin Whiskers Brewing Company

Since becoming an avid craft beer drinker in 2005, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for a brewery with a unique concept and brand.  I am drawn to creative names for beers and eye-catching tap handles.  There is something comforting and familiar about being able to pick a favorite beer brand out of a lineup of a myriad of taps at a bar.  From the names of their beer all the way to their robot logo and tap handles, Tin Whiskers is a recognizable brand that will only continue to grow, and it is in large part to the approachability of their beer.

The Tin Whiskers taproom is in the Rossmor Building downtown St. Paul.   The vibe of the taproom evoked memories of the taprooms in Colorado.   The abundance of windows and exposed brick provide a very industrial and clean feel which fits very well with their engineering-themed brewery.  The bright lights and long communal tables make this a natural space to gather and meet people.  They also have a nice long bar that you can belly up to and enjoy some nice conversation with other patrons, or the knowledgeable beertenders.  If you are hungry, the brewery shares the same building as Black Sheep Pizza, Sawatdee and Key’s Cafe.  If takeout or delivery is not your thing, then they encourage you to bring a picnic if you crave something to nosh while you imbibe.  The name, Tin Whisker, comes from an electrical engineering term for a soldering failure on a circuit board.  However, let me assure you, there are no failures when it comes to their portfolio of approachable beers on tap.  The lineup of beers at Tin Whiskers have several things going for them: approachability, depth,  and drinkability.  There is truly something here for everyone.  

If you are into hoppy beers, the Flipswitch IPA comes in at 6.2 ABV and 63 IBU and has plenty of hop presence.  Chinook, Citra, Warrior and Centennial hops are used in the boil and then the beer is dry-hopped with Citra and Warrior hops.  This beer is big on earthy, citrus and floral aromas and has a nice malty presence to make it a very drinkable and balanced American IPA.  The hop bitterness is not heavy-handed for this beer and I tend to prefer that when it comes to American IPAs.  

If you are into something refreshing, the Wheatstone Bridge American Style Wheat ale is something that is perfect for those Minnesota summer days.  What separates this from other wheat beers is the use of honey and chamomile which give it a very pleasant and complex flavor and aroma.  This beer is orange in color and is slightly cloudy.  The beer is light and effervescent and at 5.4 ABV and 20 IBU, it will appeal to a wide range of beer drinkers.  

If you are in the mood for a pilsner, the Parity Pilsner is a nice option.  This is a very balanced beer with a slight sweetness and just enough hop bite to give it a great flavor.  The slightly sulfuric yeast character, which I find incredibly pleasing in this style, is present and accounted for.  The beer drinks crisp and bright and is a nice addition. This beer is 5.8 ABV and 29 IBU, making it very drinkable and approachable.

Moving towards their malty selections we have the Ampere Amber.  I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of amber beers, so I was not expecting a whole lot from this offering.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that instead of the overbearing malty sweetness that I have come to dislike in amber beers, the Ampere Amber has a distinctly roasted malt character which makes the beer crisp and gives it an edge.  This beer, like most of their others, is very drinkable 5.3 ABV and 48 IBU and perfect for fall.

The Boolean Brown is one of my favorites from Tin Whiskers.  It has a roasted malt aroma that is so rich and inviting.  The flavor has a very nice biscuity and melanoidin flavor which balances out the sweetness from the malt.  The mouth feel is a little dry and the roasted malt gives it a nice bite that makes you want to enjoy another pint of this delicious beer.  

As we are entering fall, nothing says warm me up like a nice and flavorful stout.  In my opinion, the Short Circuit Stout (5.3 ABV and 31 IBU) embodies everything right about this style.  It is robust and roasty.  It is velvety and slightly sweet from the chocolate and lactose.  This is what I will definitely come back and have several pints of because it hits on all cylinders from flavor to mouthfeel.  If that wasn't enough to get you to put the coordinates in your smartphone and head on down there; Short Circuit is also available on Nitro!  Yes, imagine all the velvety goodness I described and add in the cascading smoothness of my second favorite gas.  Well, I don’t need to tell you that you know what you are going to do when the weekend hits.  

You can also order a Short Bridge, which is a half and half pour of the Short Bridge Wheat and the Short Circuit Stout.  Believe it or not, the chocolate from the stout and the sweetness from the wheat beer play very well together.

As a St. Paul resident myself, I cannot say enough about how excited I am to see Tin Whiskers putting out the beer that they do.  Whether you are a beer connoisseur or are just dipping your toes in the craft beer pool for the first time, you will find something to enjoy at Tin Whiskers
The atmosphere of the taproom is a great place to eat, drink and be merry.  

Rise of the Beer Baron Pt 5: A Homebrewer Is You!

It's been a while since I blogged about the beginnings of my love for craft beer.  So when we last left off I had just gotten my first homebrew kit.

 







This was my introduction to how beer was made.  Even with the first batch I learned A LOT about the mechanics of brewing.  Here is a quick list of lessons that I learned:

1. Brewing the beer is easy, it's the pre-cleaning, post-cleaning, and bottling is hard.
2. You will learn to clean EVERYTHING.
3. Repeat step 2 in case you missed it.
4. No really, read step 2 again, it's important.
5. Having and empty plastic jug on hand for water is a nice to have
6. Don't even bother with the plastic bottles that comes with the kits.  Move right into glass
7. If you start with Mr. Beer and love it, you will quickly want to invest in a more mature kit
8. You will want to watch your beer every day, note, I didn't say need to.  You will just want to to make sure it is okay.
9. In the end, you're entire job is to make yeast cells happy.

In the end I was very happy with my first beer.  It was a style I had never had at this point (a Vienna style ale), well carbonated, and wasn't too bad.  But I know I could do better.  I quickly moved to the next step kit from Midwest Homebrew Supplies.

I did a lot of beers with honey during this phase.  I even got creative with a batch of beer, using my Mr. Beer kit to experiment.  Here is the recipe that I used:

2 Cans of Stickey Wicket Stout (from Mr. Beer)

2 Packets of Brewers Yeast

1 pouch of booster

14 oz of coconut in the fermentor

3oz. of chai tea per 22oz bottle during bottling.

Yeah.  I know it sounds a little strange, but it was one of the best beers I ever brewed.  Not enough beers utilize coconut....

So now the fire was lit.  I was beginning to understand the basics of brewing, beer styles, and proper beer handling.  It was time to see how the big boys play, it was time to start meeting the great brewers of Minnesota!

Wisconsin's Finest!

Life has been pretty busy this summer. My wife and I really needed to hit the open road together for a short vacation and some beer. Since my wife’s favorite beer, as well as one of mine, is Spotted Cow from New Glarus Brewing it was easy to decide where to go; New Glarus, Wisconsin.

New Glarus is a small town nestled in the rolling hills of south central Wisconsin which boasts a deep sense of Swiss tradition. In fact, it is often referred to as “Little Swiss Town”. It really is this town’s thing. A majority of the buildings look like chalets straight out of the Alps. They have a Swiss bakery, a Swiss chocolate shop, a Swiss meat market, and a great Swiss restaurant which was oddly called the New Glarus Hotel. I say oddly because it was not a hotel and they have no rooms. Figure that one out! While we really enjoyed the town that was not why we were there. We came for the brewery!

(New Glarus Hotel Restaurant)

The New Glarus Brewery is absolutely beautiful! It has almost an old farm type feel to its architecture but has landscaping that will just blow you away, like the huge stone stairs and creek leading to the entrance. We were already amazed and we had barely gotten out of the car!

(Me standing outside New Glarus Brewing)

(My wife, Vicky sitting by the creek in front of the brewery)

The front of the place is nothing compared to the back. They have a huge patio beer area with vast views of the rolling hills and farmland below. Forget taprooms, forget little beer patios, this was bar none the best beer drinking area I have ever seen associated with a brewery. Words can’t describe it, heck pictures barely describe it. In person it was breathtaking.

(The view from the beer drinking area)

 (Drinking beer on the New Glarus Patio)

We grabbed a couple of tasters and headed into the actual brewery for a self-guided tour. New Glarus was brilliant when putting this place together. Basically you walk through a glass hallway where you can see all the inner workings of the brewery, but you get to go at your own pace with a beer in your hand. Plus, no overhead of tour guides for the brewery! It’s very clean, dry, and quiet, which if you tour breweries often you probably know this isn’t always the case.

(Cheers from inside New Glarus!)

(It's working!)

 (Great words to live by inside the brewery)

But back to the beer, which is why we came in the first place. It was a little bit spendy, but for such a beautiful environment for beer drinking I was fine with it. A taster flight of 3 beers of your choice was $3.50, which isn’t a bad price when you add in that you get to keep your taster glass. If you wanted a pint it would cost you 5 bucks (refills were a couple bucks cheaper), but again you walk out with a nice pint glass out of the deal. Heck, they will even rinse it out and wrap it up for you. Talk about attention to customer service and detail!

The most expensive beer we had was a pint of Serendipity. Man, was this beer great! It is a fruit sour ale made with cranberries, cherries, and apples. It was a creation which came about due to a Wisconsin cherry crop that was devastated by a drought in Wisconsin. Thus, instead of making their usual cherry sour beer they used some different fruits and Serendipity was born! It’s fruity, sour, dark, thick and perfect! It came in at a whopping 9 bucks for a pint, but consider that this is a beer that you will pay around 10 or so for a bomber of it at a liquor store. And of course, you keep the glass.

(Vicky enjoying a pint of Serendipity on the beer patio at New Glarus)

We didn’t want to leave, but there was more exploring to do in town and if we didn’t want to have to walk the couple miles back to our hotel room it was time to go. Lucky for us, New Glarus has a beer cave where we could buy some brews to go!

We hit the beer cave and found, among other beers, a strawberry rhubarb beer. It was amazing. It’s a wild fruit ale that had a great tart and sour taste of rhubarb balanced out with the sweetness of strawberries. It reminds one of summer time picnics with strawberry rhubarb pie. What a creative beer!

New Glarus Brewing only sells its beers in Wisconsin. In fact they have a motto, “Drink Indigenous.” Lucky for me I am in Wisconsin almost every weekend.

I did have one beer I did not like, but it had nothing to do with New Glarus Brewing. We went to dinner at a Swiss restaurant. They had some pretty good food, but I think I took the whole Swiss thing too far when I tried the one Swiss beer they had on the menu. It was bad. I couldn’t really tell you anything about this beer because the label is not in English. I drank it, but it was just plain not a good beer. But, when in little Swiss town… right?

(Yuck)

We had a great time in New Glarus, WI and at New Glarus Brewing in particular. The area is beautiful, the town is beautiful, the brewery is beautiful, but most importantly the beer is spectacular! The brewery is worth the drive to New Glarus and the beer is definitely worth the drive to the Wisconsin border.

One last thing! If you enjoy reading  our blog, whether it's for Adventures of a Beginning Home Brewer, Rise of the Beer Barron, our Brewery Series, or just for beer reviews, please take a moment to nominate us (beerploma.blogspot.com) for the best beer blog in the Kind of a Big Deal awards. Just click on the link here, http://growlermag.com/nominations/  and go from there. It only takes a minute and would mean the world to us!

Adventures of a Beginning Homebrewer: Upgrade to Make Life and Brew Better!

Adventures of a Beginning Homebrewer

Upgrade to Make Life and Brew Better!

So you have made a few batches of beer now with your basic brewing kit, you got the hang of it and things are tasting good. Where do you go from here? One word… Upgrades!

There are so many upgrades you can add to your home brewery to make life easier and to make brewing quicker. The list is virtually endless. I am going to concentrate on a couple of relatively inexpensive upgrades that I have made that have helped my home brewery become more efficient. After all, brewing takes time, so efficiency opens up time to make even more beer!

The very first upgrade I made to my set up was a wort chiller. After you do your boil you want to be able to get your wort temperature down below 100 as soon as you can. The longer this process takes the more susceptible your wort is to infection by bacteria and such in the air.

When I first started brewing I had a HUGE bucket that I would fill halfway with ice, then set the covered brew kettle in the ice bucket, top with ice, and then wait…. and wait… and wait… and… you get the picture. Sometimes this could take up to an hour plus! What a waste of time, not to mention I wasted a lot of cash on 20 pound bags of ice.

So, I got myself a wort chiller. A wort chiller is a coil of copper or steel tubing you set in your wort that hooks up to your faucet. Crank on the cold water and it forces the cold water through the tubes, thus chilling your wort quickly. And I mean QUICKLY! It now takes me less than 20 minutes to have my wort to a suitable temperature. My wort is in the elements for a much shorter amount of time and I can go about my day sooner… or start the next batch sooner!



There are several different types and sizes of wort chillers. You can pay anywhere from 70 to 200 bucks for one. I purchased the cheapest one I could find and it works great and has been used on countless batches of beer. If you are rich, you can get yourself the $200 model, but if you are reasonable, just get the basic one and save your cash for other upgrades.

The other upgrade I swear by is a larger siphon and hose. Most brewing kits come with a 5/16” auto siphon. But, for a mere 14 bucks and a few bucks for new hose you can get a 1/2” auto siphon. Maybe it doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but trust me when I tell you; this thing makes racking beer a breeze! It cuts the time it takes to rack beer in half. It is worth every penny, especially for a guy like me who usually has more than one batch to rack at a time.

These two upgrades probably save me about an hour per batch and they didn’t break the bank. Anybody else out there have an upgrade you have made to your brewery you can’t live without?

Cheap wort chillers: 

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/standard-chiller-3-8-x25-with-vinyl-tubing.html

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/stainless-steel-immersion-wort-chiller.html

Larger auto siphons:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/brewing-equipment/siphoning-equipment/racking-canes/auto-siphon-1-2.html

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/1-2-auto-siphon.html