BetterBeerBlog

With a ton of craft beer activities this weekend, it was hard to choose just one. Unfortunately, we had constraints. We were babysitting our little niece and I still had to prepare for a few things. So, Mrs. BetterBeerBlog and I decided to stay local and stay South Bay by visiting El Toro Brewing Company for their Augtoberfest event.

Augtoberfest ran from 3pm - 7pm and we didn’t arrive until 6pm. It was good to see El Toro full of people and their families hanging out. The Internationals were playing a wide variety of music ranging from German polka to classic rock to Spanish music. While I didn’t even notice it at the time, El Toro owners Geno and Cindy were working, behind the bar and in the dining area respectively.

The Augtoberfest Event consisted of a specialized menu featuring some traditional-ish German cuisine, a commemorative stein and three, German-style, El Toro beers: Morgan Hill Pils, Maifest Märzen, and El Chivo Weizenbock.

Mrs. BetterBeerBlog and I ordered the German sausages served with sauerkraut with bits of bacon and a side of herbed, potato salad for her and fries for me. The sausage was okay, not thing spectacular, slightly overcooked if anything. The sauerkraut was equally bland, even with the bacon bits. Her herbed, potato salad was the same and my fries were incredibly salty. I spent most of my time wiping salt off of my fries. Unfortunately, the beers weren’t too much better.

Morgan Hill Pils, 4.6%

Clear gold color with a thin, white head. Flavor is surprisingly malty, cracker-like, almost bready. Hop flavor is slightly earthy, Noble hop-ish while hop bitterness is medium/medium-high. Medium bodied, crisp with high carbonation.

Mrs. BetterBeerBlog and I both feel that a really good pilsner should be clean and crisp with the balance leaning more toward the hop side but not overwhelmingly so. Morgan Hill Pils had a noticeable hop front, not much middle and an assertive hop, almost harsh hop bitterness.

Herman’s Hefeweizen

Cloudy, gold color with no head. Flavors are muddled, nothing stands out. Surprisingly bitter, lasts into the finish.

Mrs. BetterBeerBlog ordered this beer and she couldn’t finish it. I couldn’t finish it. All the good things that make hefeweizens special; banana esters and flavors, yeasty, clove-like spiciness and a soft, wheat malt sweetness; were missing. In it’s place was a big, lemony-citrus character that neither of us were sure came from the beer or the squeezed, lemon wedge that came with the beer.

Maifest Märzen, 5.87%

Clear, amber color with a thin off-white head. Flavor has a slight Munich malt flavor supported by a medium hop bitterness and resiny hop flavor. Lightly buttery? Medium body with medium carbonation.

An improvement over the other two beers but, as far as Märzen’s go it’s not as complex or layered as other examples.

El Chivo Weizenbock, 7.47%

Dark amber in color, hazy with a white head. Flavor is malty, light wheat character with medium-high hop bitterness with some alcohol warming.

Once again, the depth and complexity I’ve seen in other examples is missing from this beer.

El Toro Blackraspberry

Hazy, dark brown in color with a white head. Sweet berry aroma echoed in the flavor. Hop bitterness is low. Body is medium-low with high carbonation.

Mrs. BetterBeerBlog felt this tasted like medicine. I begged to differ, this beer had a lot of fruit character in both the aroma and the flavor. On the drive home, we both felt that the really good fruit beers have the fruit playing second fiddle to whatever the base beer style is. After all, we want beers brewed with fruit as opposed to fruity beers. For what it’s worth, this was the “best” beer of the evening.

I really don’t like to dwell too much on the negatives but it must be said the food at El Toro was ‘meh’ while their beers were very rough around the edges and lacked any sort of finesse. Yet, the idea of Augtobefest is great; the staff at El Toro really set the mood as the men were dressed in lederhosen while the women were correspondingly dressed in dirndls. Even the commemorative steins, long sold out by the time we arrived, were a very nice touch. Even seeing the Internationals playing was cool. In a small town like Morgan Hill, it’s good to see the lone brew pub bringing beer culture to their people.

After experiencing back-to-back triple digit temperatures, the Bay Area is in for a weekend of fantastic weather. We’re talking about this is why I pay through the ass to live in the Bay Area kind of weather. The timing couldn’t have been any better as this weekend has a slew of craft beer-related festivals and events. Let’s get right into it.

Friday

Special Facebook Tasting at Wine Club

Who: Wine Club
What: Facebook Half-Price Beer Tasting
Where: 1200 Coleman Avenue Santa Clara, CA 95050 map

When: Friday, August 27, 2010 @ 4pm - 6pm
Cost: $2.50 for Facebook fans… for 12 beers! Criminal! Socially irresponsible! If you’re not a Facebook fan, then it’s a bank-breaking $5! Insane!

Notes: Here’s what they’re pouring

• Czech Rebel Pilsner
• Weihenstephaner Vitus Weizenbock
• Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock
• Wells Banana Bread
• Hofbrau Munchen Dunkel
• Fruli Strawberry Beer
• Greene King Old Suffolk Vintage Ale
• and 4 more TBC…

Growler Fills and Beer Friday at Devils Canyon Brewing

I’ve been to Devil’s Canyon’s beer Fridays and they are fun events. They usually have a live band playing and Devil’s Canyon caters the event. I don’t normally “advertise” them because they don’t need it; the event is always packed. If you go, I advise you get there early and enjoy a few leisurely pints back before the crowd comes in.

Who: Devil’s Canyon Brewing
What: Growler Fills & Beer Friday
Where: 111 Industrial Way, Belmont, CA 94002 map
When: Friday, August 27, 2010 @ 4pm (Growler fills), 6pm (Beer Friday)
Cost: Growler fills cost for new growlers is $18.00 ($25 for Specialty Beers); Refills: $12.00 ($19 for Specialty); Full Boar Scotch Ale, Deadicated Amber Ale, Silicon Blonde, Lager Diabla and Root Beer ($15 New, $9 Refill).

So you want to know about “Beer Friday”. . . Beer Friday is family friendly. You can bring your kids. You can bring your pet. We have catered food available so we ask that you do not bring food or drinks. Devil’s Canyon Brewery is a brewery and is generally not open to the public. We sell our beer to bars and restaurants up and down the peninsula. However, on the last Friday of the month we open our doors to the public at 6pm. There is no cover charge. Your first drink of the night is $8.00. You get to keep the Devil’s Canyon pint glass. After that, drinks are $4.00. Wine, Soda and water are also available. We typically have at least 2 bands. If you are registered on the website you will receive a monthly email, usually the week of Beer Friday letting you know who is playing and what’s going on. Otherwise, We post the bands on the website a day or two before Beer Friday. Want to know more information about one of the bands that have played at the brewery? We now have a complete listing and will continue to update the list online as we bring in new talent. Most of this is covered briefly in the Devil’s Canyon FAQ and throughout the website. We do not advertise. If you are at Beer Friday you are probably a friend of a friend. We like it that way. See you there!

Wine vs. Beer Dinner at the Duck Club Restaurant

I’ve covered this event in greater detail on a previous post. Not sure how much, if any, room is left but this is where we’ll be heading on Friday night.

Eat Real Festival

Who:Eat Real Festival
What: Eat Real Festival
Where: Jack London Square, Oakland, CA map
When: Friday, August 27, 2010 @ 2pm - 9pm; Saturday, August 28, 2010 @10:30am - 9pm; Sunday, August 29, 2010 @10:30am - 5pm
Cost: There is no admission fee to the festival but you have to pay individual vendors for whatever you purchase. There is a craft beer shed serving beer from approximately 26 different craft breweries that accepts drink tickets. Click here for the list of participating breweries and drink ticket cost.

Notes: We attended last year and I’m a little bummed that we’re not going to be able to make it this time around as there was a little something for everyone - craft beer for moi and gardening stuff for Mrs. BetterBeerBlog. Maybe next year.

Saturday

Eat Real Festival

See above.

Napa Blues, Brews & BBQ

Who: Downtown Napa
What: Napa Blues, Brews & BBQ
Where: Downtown Napa, First Street map (approximate)
When: Saturday, August 28th, 2010 @1pm - 6pm
Cost: Free admission. You need to pay for your own food and drinks though.

Notes: If you happen to be there, look for the Beer Connoisseur booth as my buddy Jason will be manning it. Go up an give him crap. Tell him I sent you.

El Toro Augtoberfest

Who: El Toro Brewing Company
What: Augtoberfest
Where: 17605 Monterey St, Morgan Hill, CA 95037 map
When: Saturday, August 28th, 2010 @3pm - 7pm
Cost: Not listed.

Notes: We’ll probably make an appearance here as my sister-in-law lives nearby. Here’s the event description lifted directly from Facebook.

Loads of German Food: Chicken Schnitzel with Spaetzle; German Meatballs; Marzen steamed Brats with German Potato Salad; Apple Strudel!!! Arrive early to buy an El Toro Logo Stein filled with Morgan Hill Pils / Maifest Marzen / El Chivo Weizen Bock and wear your Lederhosen / Dirndl if you have em!! Prost!!

Sunday

Eat Real Festival

See “Friday” above.

Sunday Beer School - Belgian Ales

Who: Wine Affairs
What: Sunday Beer School - A hosted tasting of 6 Belgian Ales
Where: 1435 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126 map
When: Sunday, August 8, 2010 @5pm - 6pm
Cost: $20/pp, call 408-977-0111 to make your reservation today! Walk-ins also welcome.

By the time I showed up to Firehouse Brewery & Grill, the party was pretty much in full swing. There were a surprising amount of people I knew at the bar—a combination of Firehouse regulars, craft beer fans, homebrewers and an unpaid assistant brewer—all hanging out and enjoying the cask conditioned pale ale. It’s good to see the community come out and support not just Firehouse but Firehouse brewmaster Steve Donohue. He’s an award-winning, yet unhearalded, brewer who has a well-earned following that continues to grow despite his best efforts.

“I try and brew beer people won’t like,” says Donohue. Judging by the amount of people at Firehouse last night, he’s not doing a very good job. And I’m OK with that.

Cask conditioned Pale Ale dry-hopped with Citra

Cloudy, pale amber in color, with a thin white/off-white head. Aroma is pungent, slightly earthy, with light citrus character and resiny. Malt flavor has caramel flavors but citrus, funky, resiny hop flavors are more dominant. Hop bitterness seems at the upper limit for a pale ale, but isn’t harsh. Low carbonation,  smooth, medium-low body.

Quite possibly the only downside to last night was the band playing upstairs. Despite how loud they were, I liked many of the covers songs they played but it made for a lot of yelling and leaning in close to hear what your neighbor was saying. If we where having trouble hearing what was going on downstairs, I can only imagine how difficult it was to hear anything upstairs. Speaking of upstairs…

The band was part of the Wine & Beer Tasting Event the brew pub was concurrently hosting in the brewpub’s upper level. Firehouse General Manager Leticia brought me upstairs prior to the event starting to show me how things were set up. The event set-up was relatively straightforward: the band greeted you at the top of the stairs while additional seating was to the right of the band. To the left of the band, a couple of tables were set-up featuring several wineries that were separated by a robust spread of various cheeses and fruits. The lights were dimmed, perhaps a little too much, to set the mood. I hope they had a decent turnout. Since I am admittedly not a huge wine fan, I never went back up to see how things were going.

If you didn’t make it to this Cask Ale Night, the next one is tentatively set for September 16th or so.

Another benefit of your local homebrew club is the opportunity to visit great local beer venues with like-minded enthusiasts. Periodically throughout the year, most clubs will host bus tours, brewery tours, pub crawls, etc.

Recently, I sampled some of Oakland’s finer beer venues as part of the Worts of Wisdom Summer Pub Crawl. Actually, the Worts refer to it as a stumble, not a crawl, and not without good reason. Suffice it to say, public transportation plays an important role for these kind of events.

The Worts Getting Started at Pacific Coast Brewing, Oakland

There may be other places in Oakland that deserve attention, but of the places we visited, The Trappist and Beer Revolution were the two standouts. Either one alone would be worth the trip to Oakland from the South Bay, but when both are in walking distance to each other (and to BART), well, let me just say you owe it to yourself to get to Oakland!

The Trappist has over 2 dozen rotating taps featuring “Belgian, local (California), and several specialty micro brews from the US.” They also have a bottle list of “approximately 100 Belgian, Dutch, Scandinavian and American craft brews.”

I personally tried the De Ranke Guldenberg which was amazingly hoppy for a Belgian Trippel. It was also well deserving of it’s high scores on both RateBeer and BeerAdvocate.

I also sampled perhaps a half a dozen other beers and would have been happy to have ordered any of them.

The Worts and Friends Enjoying The Trappist, Oakland

One interesting thing about the Trappist is that each beer is “served properly at the correct temperature and in the correct glass.” This is more than just marketing fluff. Many of the beers were served in glasses with a logo of the brewery in which it was brewed, and of the dozen or so beers being served at our table, it seemed that not one of them was in the same glass! No generic bar-ware here.

Beer Revolution is another Oakland gem. Aside from the dozen or so beers on tap, they also have 3 large coolers lining one wall with singles priced to go. If you want to drink it there, it’s only $1 more. Prices are as good as any other location I’ve seen craft beer for sale and the selection is excellent. I was able to take home a bottle of Saison Rue from The Bruery.

It was surprisingly busy for a Saturday afternoon - the place was literally packed. But then, our group alone was at least a dozen people. The owners (Rebecca and Fraggle) were pouring and serving and are some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. Another great thing about Beer Revolution is their outdoor patio. It was the  perfect day to sit outside and enjoy a craft beer at a great venue.

The Revolutionary Worts at Beer Revolution, Oakland

I highly recommend checking out both of these venues as well as enjoying a pub crawl (or stumble) with a homebrew club near you!

Brian the Rabid Brewer

Jack’s Brewing Company is having a Mid-Summer’s Brewery Dinner this week. Check out the details below:

Who: Jack’s Brewing Company (San Ramon location)
What: Mid-Summer Brewer’s Dinner
Where: 2410 San Ramon Valley Blvd, San Ramon, CA, 94583 map
When: Thursday, July 29, 2010 @ 7:00pm
Cost: $45/person. For reservations call: 925-362-1059

Menu

First Course

Blackened Ahi Salad

Second Course

Summer Squash Risotto

Third Course

Salmon Cake

Fourth Course

Amber braised short ribs

Fifth Course

Dark chocolate raspberry cake

I apologize for not having more information regarding this event, especially what beers will be paired, but this is what I was able to pull from their Facebook page. If you plan on attending, remember that this is their San Ramon location; Jack’s also has a brewpub (the original, I believe) in Fremont.

I was able to pay them a visit some months back where I was able to talk with Jack’s brewmaster Will Ericson. Travis Smith, set up the interview for me. He is currently working part time as the assistant brewer at Jack’s but he’s also an avid homebrewer that I met during the last series of BJCP classes I attended.

In any event, I don’t think Mrs. BetterBeerBlog and I will be attending this dinner. We’ve had to reign in our spending and two beer dinners a month is going over our limit. That being said, if you have the time and money to go, I suggest you do. Now more than ever, we need to be supporting our local business, craft beer or otherwise. If you do go, I’ve love to hear how it went.

Instead of writing a bunch of smaller posts, I’m just going to go and combine them all into a single post. There are a few craft beer-related events happening this week that I’ll be heading to. I hope to see some of you around. Check out event details below.

Port Brewing Tasting at Wine Affairs

Who: Wine Affairs map
What: Special Beer Tasting featuring beers from Port Brewing
Where: Wine Affairs, 1435 The Alameda, San Jose, CA‎ map
When: Tuesday, June 6, 2010 @ 6pm - 8pm
Why: Because these beers taste good.
Cost: $8/person, FREE if you’re a Wine Club member.

List of Beers:

• Port Brewing Hot Rocks Lager
• Port Brewing Midnight Sessions Lager
• Port Brewing Anniversary Ale
• Port Brewing, Hop-15
• Port Brewing, Wipe Out IPA

Gordon Biersch Sommerbrau Tapping Party

Who: Gordon Biersch (San Jose)
What: Sommerbrau Tapping Party
Where: Gordon Biersch San Jose Brew pub (should be at all the GB locations though), 33 East San Fernando St. San Jose, CA map
When: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 @ 6pm - 8pm
Why: ‘Cause it’s summer, the weather is great and you’re thirsty.
Notes: Sommerbrau is kölsch-style beer. With the weather finally warm, I expect this event to be one of their most successful this year. After trying the kölsch from Faultline Brewing, I’m interested to see how they compare with each other.

Beer Maker’s Dinner featuring Firestone Walker

Who: The Duck Club Restaurant
What: Beer Maker’s Dinner featuring Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Where: The Duck Club Restaurant in the Lafayette Park Hotel, 3287 Mount Diablo Boulevard
Lafayette, CA 94549 map
When: Friday, June 25, 2010 @ 6:30pm
Cost: $75/person (exclusive of tax & gratuity). Call 925-283-7108 to make your reservations.

This is pretty much a repost of information I wrote about before. Check out the full menu.

It’s all downhill from here. Today was the Summer solstice; the longest day of the year. If I have any regrets from the year so far, it is that I haven’t been able to hop on my bike and go for some rides. At least I can take some comfort in that summer has officially started and there’s still some time left.

On the heels of Brian’s previous post, I decided that Brian and I should meet up today at Faultine Brewing in Sunnyvale to try their beers out. Many of their beers did medal at the California State Fair Pro-brewing competition and I thought it would only be fair to head over there and give them a shot. While I have been critical of Faultline in the past, my latest experience there was a good one. I was curious to see if that trend would continue.

Kölsch, 4.7% ABV

Brilliantly clear gold with a thin, white head. Aroma has a hint of fruit character and a slight sulfur note in the background. The beer has a slightly sweet pilsner flavor, with a little bit of grain-like sweetness followed up by a med-low hop bitterness for balance that doesn’t linger long on the palette. This is a medium bodied beer with high carbonation and a dry finish.

Out of all the beers I had this long evening, this was the only one I ordered a full pint of. I had walked to Faultline from work and by the time I found myself a seat in their bar area, I was sweatier than anticipated. The kölsch went down smooth, crisp and refreshing. Great way to start the evening. I let the beer warm up a bit to see if any off aromas or flavors would develop but I was greeted with more kölsch goodness.

Hefeweizen, 5.2% ABV

Cloudy gold color with a white head. Very aromatic; lots of banana, a bit of lemony citrus, slight clove notes and even a little bit of bubblegum. The flavor echoes the aroma; I initially taste the fruity/banana portion, followed by slight lemony/citrus flavors, then a slight bit of spicy, clove-like flavors with a little bit of bubblegum in the finish. This is a medium-low/medium bodied beer with a spritzy carbonation and light astringency.

I actually like this hefeweizen, well, there’s no “actually” about it: I like this hefeweizen. There’s a lot going on, especially with the fruity ester just radiating in the aroma and the body feels fuller than it really is with all the yeast floating about. Many places will do an American style hefeweizen but this is a decent German style hefeweizen. If I have any critique about this beer, it may be that it’s not as balanced as the European styles I’ve tasted as the character leans towards the fruitier side but then I’m not sure if I’d like it as much.

Pale Ale, 5.1% ABV

Clear amber colored beer with an off-white head. Balanced beer; toasted malt aroma with a light roasty charcter and a bit of caramel sweetness. The beer has a medium-low/medium level of hop bitterness. The aroma echoes the flavor. Medium bodied with a prickly carbonation, the beer finishes dry and is slightly astringent in the mouthfeel.

If you’re looking for a big, hoppy American pale ale, expect to be disappointed if you order this beer. It’s not that this beer is poorly made, it’s just that this is an English Pale Ale. The result is a more balanced beer with a more complex malt profile and, when compared to it’s American counterparts, subdued hop profile. So far, these three beers have been a hit and just what the doctor ordered for this warm summer evening.

Belgian White, 5.5% ABV

Cloudy as the hefeweizen but with a white hue to its color and matching head. Some initial fruit flavors, pear-like (?) with some peppery yeast flavors and a sweet, wheat malt present in the finish. Hop bitterness and flavor are both low. This is a medium-low/medium bodied beer with an effervescent carbonation and slightly dry finish. I let the beer warm up some before I took notes on the aroma and I found the aroma to have a predominantly yeast/sulfur character with light fruit and yeast-derived spiciness.

After three good beers, this one was a little bit of a let down. Such a pity as it looked like what a witbier should be. In particular, the aroma was a little unsettling; I expected fruity, citrus, wheat and spice but got more sulfur instead. The aromatics were there, just overpowered. The flavor was solid but I didn’t pick up any of the citrus or corriander character this style is known for. Even though I’m being kinda critical of this beer, it wasn’t bad, just not as good as the ones before it. If you’re a fan of Blue Moon, then you would like this witbier.

Batch 1000 - Oak Aged English Amber, 5.5% ABV

This beer was brewed to commemorate the 1000th batch of beer brewed at Faultline. That’s one helluva milestone to reach. 1000, as I’ll call it, poured out a slightly hazy brown color with amber highlights and an off-white head. Toasty, almost roasted malt flavor with bits of caramel and oaky flavors… maybe a hint of whiskey as well. The aroma follows the flavor closely. This was a medium bodied beer with high carbonation and an oaky astringency.

For a milestone beer, I thought it was solid; it didn’t “wow” me but it had an interesting flavor, no noticeable flaws and was drinkable. I’m happy that they still had this beer around as I wanted to stop by last week to give it a shot but just couldn’t make it. It worried me that it was no longer on their website but when I walked in, there it was. As the beer warmed up, I found it a little harder to finish. I will be the first to admit that this could’ve been because I reached my limit; it could’ve also been palette fatigue. I pushed through and finished it anyway.

Overall

The first three beers were solid while the last two stumbled a bit. Yet I left Faultline not only pleased but encouraged with what I found. These beers continued an upward trend went a long way to restoring my faith in this brewpub. My first few visits left me wanting and now I can say that I want no more.

Keep in mind though that many of the beers brewed here, perhaps all of them, are brewed in a European style. What does that mean? Well, it means that the beers are going to be balanced and not too bitter. In an age defined by, “Bigger. Better. Faster. More”, it is a pleasant surprise to find a brewpub making sessionable beers. The strongest ales we had tonight topped off at 5.5%, which bode well for my ability to stay up and write this post.

The other thing I really love about Faultline is that you can order “smalls” of their beers. Instead of a full pint glass, you received a smaller pour, maybe about 3-4 ounces less. While they may not be cost effective, I was able to try 5 beers altogether without feeling too drunk to work. At this stage of my drinking “career” if you will, I receive more enjoyment out of trying a wide variety of beers as opposed to a lot of a single, type of beer.

For food, we ordered the fried calamari and the blueberry crème brûlée. The calamari was “okay”; pieces were a little big and not as flavorful as others I’ve had. The crème brûlée was pretty good but didn’t go well with the Belgian White we were drinking at the time. The service started off well but there was a point where my glass stayed empty for about 15 minutes. <sarcasm>The nerve!</sarcasm> Well, in a way the level of service did drop off in the later part of our stay but that just allowed me to process all the beers prior; a blessing in disguise if you will.

While I didn’t review it, I did try their cask-conditioned IPA and found it to be fantastic. It’s an English IPA so don’t be expected a huge hop bomb but the aromatics reminded me of guava. Gotta find out what kind of hops they used for this as I think it would’ve complimented the lychee pale ale we’re currently brewing.

In any event, we had a good time at Faultine and I’m looking forward to coming back.

While searching for the results of the California State Fair Homebrew Competition, I happened upon the results of the Craft Brew Competition and found a surprise: Faultline Brewing Company of Sunnyvale took a number of awards and in various categories.

I’ll admit that I was at first a bit cynical in thinking there probably wasn’t much in the way of competition.  But then I saw that their Pale Ale beat out Firestone Walker’s Double Barrel Ale to take gold in the Special Bitter category! That was indeed a surprise.

As a homebrewer, I’ve come to respect craft breweries that can truly create something I consider an artistic expression of our craft. Firestone Walker is one that does so with passion and has won a number of awards including the World Beer Cup Champion Mid-Sized Brewery 3 years running.

So, to see a local brew-pub create a beer of this caliber means that I’m long overdue in checking out what the Faultline has to offer.

Here’s a list of Faultline awards from the fair.

• Pale Ale - 1st in Bitter Ordinary/Special/Best
• Belgian Abbey - 2nd in Belgian Blonde & Dubbel
• Belgian Tripel - 3rd in Belgian Trippel
• Kolsch - 3rd in Cream Ale & Kolsh
• Dopplebock - 3rd in Dopple & Eisbock
• Best Bitter - 3rd in English Pale Ale
• Stout - Honorable Mention in Sweet & Oatmeal Stout

Judging from their website, all of them are currently pouring except for the 2 belgians and the dobblebock.

For the complete list of awards from this years California State Fair, checkout the California Brewer’s Guild website.

Cheers!
Brian (The Rabid Brewer)

A few weeks ago I helped Firehouse Brewery brewmaster, Steve Donohue, brew up some beer. I walked into the brewery and already found Steve mashing in the grains for the beer we would be brewing that day, a Belgian IPA called “Pete’s Support”. Interesting name for a Belgian-style beer, no? Most breweries would name their Belgian-style beers with some soft of monastic reference to them. “Brother”, “Abbey” or some kind of “tion” suffixed word. After all, many of the most beloved Belgian ales today were originally brewed in an abbey. “Pete’s Support”. Huh.

Say it out loud. Again. If you’re a craft beer lover who’s been to San Diego in the past 5 years, the name should sound familiar. Pete’s Support.

If you haven’t already gotten it, let me spell it out for you: “Pete’s Support” is a homophone, a word (in this case a phrase) that sounds like another but has a completely different meaning. In this case, “Pete’s Support” is both a play on words and a cheeky reference to the highly acclaimed Pizza Port chain of brewpubs located in the greater San Diego area.

As much as I would like to say that I’m the “Pete” in “Pete’s Support”, I am not. If anything, I’m the “support”; and by support, I mean I raked out the spent grains, well, most of them. I did have a little help. The “Pete” in question is Pete Slosberg who not only put the “Pete” in “Pete’s Support” but the “Pete” in Pete’s Wicked Ale. He’s quite the popular guy.

This brewday, from a process standpoint, wasn’t too much different from my inaugural brew day. Grains were milled the day before and stored in the giant grain hopper above the mash tun. On the day of, the grains were mashed in, vorlofed and the resulting wort boiled for 90 minutes with generous hop additions tossed into the boil kettle at the appropriate times. To help boost the alcohol level of the beer, Belgian Candi Sugar (light) was added in during the final half hour or so. As usual, Steve did most of the work; it is his system and besides, I think OSHA would have some issue with us playing with caustic or boiling hot water untrained.

The real difference from this day and the first time I brewed was we had a lot more “help” this time. Not only was Pete Slosberg there, but his son and his son’s friend were in attendance as well as fellow “Support” Arie. Mike Pitsker from the Celebrator was there as well as Chad from The Brewing Network. Kasim, owner of the Rose & Crown, paid a visit to the brewer as well as shared a bottle of his homebrewed Eisenporter. At it’s peak, there were about 10 of us hanging out in the brewery while Steve was working making for a 9:1 hangout-to-work ratio. It was like working for the State of California (zing!). Pieces of Portuguese sausages were being shared while beer was being drunk (both from the bottle and directly from the fermentors). Good times.

As quickly as the party started, the party was over. What was once a bustling and loud brewery was eerily quiet as only four of us remained: Steve, Pete, Arie and myself. At one point, I thought I saw tumbleweed made of of grain husks and errant hops roll by. It would appear that I didn’t pay enough attention to the brewing process as once the wort was pumped to the boil kettle, it was time to rake the spent grains from the mashtun. Of the four left behind, Pete wasn’t going to rake out any spent grains from his namesake beer. Steve, who up until now had been the only one working, was on a break. How convenient. Arie did help a little but those hands of his were better suited to manning the camera. So who was left? The guy who didn’t grab lunch when he had the chance, that’s who.

I’ve since stopped into Firehouse several times after the “Pete’s Support” brew day ended. I’ve had the chance to try the unfinished “Pete’s Support” in those times and I can say it’s going to be a good beer, a very good beer. Steve has also dry-hopped the beer further for additional aromatics and flavor. While I will not be able to stop by the brewpub for the inaugural tapping, I will be there early next week for a full review. In the meantime, enjoy the many photos below taken by Arie Litman from the “Pete’s Support” brew day.

So, it’s American Craft Beer Week and I decided to do my part to support the cause by paying my local breweries a visit. A year ago, I decided to support American Craft Beer Week by paying Tied House a visit. Unfortunately when I arrived, the doors were shuttered and there was a huge, gaping hole in the building where they took out the brewing equipment. This year? Fully open doors and a bustling dinner crowd.

There are a variety of events happening in junction to American Craft Beer Week. The Tied House in Mountain View brewed up an American Red Lager for the event. Well, sort of.

Tied House, American Red Lager, 5.0% ABV

This beer pours out a clear, deep brown color with amber highlights and a thin, short lasting white head. The American Red Lager is primarily malty; it is slightly sweet with a toasted malt component. The aroma is similar. The beer has a medium-low/medium body with a medium level of carbonation. While I didn’t pick it up initially, new BetterBeerBlog scribe The Rabid Brewer, pointed out the beer had a slight DMS note in the form of corn-like flavors. Overall, this is a malty, drinkable beer.

The American Red Lager is one of those style-defying beers. In fact, there is no style category for an American Red Lager in either the BJCP or the Brewers Association. Or I just didn’t look hard enough. As a homebrew, I can only speculate that this beer may have started off as an American Red Ale that ended up fermented with a lager yeast. Since the brewing staff wasn’t in house at the time I was there, speculation is all I got.

Tied House, “Rock Out with your Bock Out” Maibock, 7.5% ABV

The Tied House Maibock pours out a pale brown/amber color with honey-colored highlights and a thin, short lasting white head (I’m starting to see a pattern here). The aroma of the beer is slightly sweet, estery with spice notes. The flavor is sweet, with a moderate toasted quality. The hop flavor takes a back seat to the malt quality of the beer but it’s there for balance. There is also a noticeable spice character that I can be attributed to either the types of hops used in the beer, the alcohol or both. The Maibock is medium-full in body with a medium carbonation level. Even though the beer rings in at 7.5% ABV, it’s not overwhelming or hot. Despite being slightly out of style, this is a good drinking, flavorful beer.

It’s great to see the Tied House make the effort to support American Craft Beer Week. As a community, craft breweries are much stronger when we have a unified front supporting a common cause. Since the Tied House is one of the older breweries in the Bay Area, I almost expect them to take a leadership role in supporting causes like this. No pressure guys, no pressure.