Big Woods Addition and other Big Woodsy News

The boys have done a lot of construction down in Nashville Indiana's labyrinth area known as Molly Lane and here's the completed result; a new home for Tim O'Bryan and a new brewing system for Big Woods. The extension sympathetically merges with the rest of the building and the neighbors are happy.

The second-floor doors are for receiving grain. Bags are stored upstairs, relieving some of the cramped conditions in the front part – the brewery. The back half of the extension is a walk-in for beer storage and serving manifold systems for 4 taps.

The brewing system has been upgraded for double-batching into the new 2-barrel fermenter. The frame is custom-made with a roll-out mini-stand for access and tilt-forward vessels for easy cleaning. Neat idea. It was fabricated by a local (Nashville) company.

   

Like any good brewery, they are starting some hops on the front porch. Trained on fishing line suspended from old fishing rods and stringer. When filled in they will provide shade and batches of special wet-hopped beer starting in autumn, 2011.

 

On tap now:

• 6 Foot Blonde - Clean starter beer.
• Possum Trot Pale – Nice American Pale  Recommended with food. Tim is still tweaking the recipe but we thought he hit on the formula back in December. (Maybe he'll a touch of honey and some malted wheat for body).
• Big Woods Stout – The Big Woods original. Smooth creamy milk-ish Oatmeal Stout with a very thick tan small-bubble head. Roast but no toast. Just black max.
• Busted Knuckle Red – Tim's secret recipe. Dark, dark red. He'll reveal Crystal and Munich malts with Fuggles hops and some Belgian candi sugar which ramps up the up-front sweetness that is immediately balanced by plenty of bitterness. Has a medium-long finish with a touch of sourness which may or may not come from some strain of Belgian yeast. A sipping double red.

Next up is a Common Ale that is now fermenting.

   

A big Weber grill outside provides much of the food from the recipe book of Spring Smith and Emily Stone. We highly recommend the home-pulled pork, the peppery big-hunk red cabbage slaw, and especially the portabella mushroom sandwich with avocado spread.

Next Monday they will be serving Steak Monday from a happy Angus cow that has been eating the spent grains to prepare for the occasion.

The Woods Abide.

   

Misc News – June 29

Three Floyds Gorch Fock Munich Helles is back on tap at the pub in Munster and will be out in 22oz bottles any day now. World Class Beverages Beer Spy says Sahara Mart and The Keg have it already. 5% ABV. It's almost normal except for the label.

Change-It gets backing of Kroger's for Sunday alcohol sales. article

The Christian Moerlein brewery in Cinci will be opening a tied house at the Riverfront Park. 2-story, 7,500 sq ft. The Lager House will have it's own micro brewery with 5,000 bbl capacity article

 B. United has a new way of getting fresher draft beer to the U.S. They import the beer in refrigerated containers of about 2800 gallons and they fill 30L kegs at their plant in Connecticut. David Frost of BU says there are many advantages.

• The refrigerated container (31 degrees) allows us to ship the beer to arrive in perfect condition
• The quality is better than if kegged at the brewery, as oxidation with such a volume is much less
• We have better control over sanitation
• We have better control over the quality of the keg, itself
• We have better control over consistency of keg size, and coupler type
• We increase availability, because we don't have to ship kegs overseas -- we keep them in the States for continual re-use

AB/Inbev is rumored to be selling Bass to either Molson Coors or Well's and Youngs. article

A while back the Brit supermarket chain Tesco asked the government to ban selling beer below cost. They said it's bad business all around. But a market research firm that looked into it for the Financial Mail found Tesco was the only company doing this. If fact they sold Stella Artois at 6p less than the tax and excise duty, much less anything for the product itself. That's akin to 24 15oz cans for £10 ($15.10)

Zymurgy's 50 best beers in America lists a bunch we can get here in Indiana

1. Pliny the Elder (nope, sorry) 2. Bell's Two Hearted 3. Stone Arrogant Bastard 4. Dogfish Head 90-Minute 5. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 6. Stone IPA T7. Guinness T7. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine T7. Sierra Nevada Celebration 11. Stone Ruination T12. North Coast Old Rasputin T12. Sierra Nevada Torpedo T17. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA T17. Duvel T21. Lagunitas IPA T21. Samuel Adams Boston Lager T21. Saison Dupont

T25. Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout T25. Ommegang Three Philosophers T28. New Belgium Fat Tire T28. Anchor Steam T31. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock T31. Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron T31. Victory Prima Pils T41. New Belgium 1554 T41. Orval T41. Lagunitas Hop Stoopid T41. Rogue Dead Guy T41. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde T41. Deschutes Black Butte Porter T49. Surly Furious T49. Dogfish Head Indian Brown T49. Rodenbach Grand Cru

Misc News – June 28

The grocery and convenience store lobby will try again. Now it's the"Alliance of Responsible Alcohol Retailers". They're actually going to claim the Sunday growler sales at 24 breweries should be used as an example to sell at the 13,000 retailers who are getting short shrift. We're going to have to hear about this for the next 9 months. first salvo

Scott Bort's Northwest Update

A Big Woods growler makes like a red balloon in Paris. slideshow

The Evansville Courier and Press agrees the card-everyone bs is bs.

Abita's new Save Our Shores Charitable Pilsner will raise money for the oil spill cleanup. But it's 7% ABV so it can't be sold in Mississippi and in 22oz bottles so it can't be sold in Alabama. $5/bottle. 75¢ goes to Abita's charity choice.

How not to drink beer in 23 easy lessons

Consumers Reports says "Bargain beer from Costco" Kirland house brand at $19/24 is "Great price, decent beer. "On average, our untrained panelists liked the Cosco beers about as much as the same-style name brand beers). . . . Our consultants said that although the brand-name beers were more flavorful, clean-tasting, and complex, the Costco beers were quite quaffable and, to use the consultants' technical term, 'party worthy'."

Kirkland Amber vs Sam Adams Boston Ale
Kirkland German Lager vs Sam Adams Boston Lager
Kirkland Hefeweizen vs Paulaner Hefe-Weizen
Kirlklnad Pale Ale vs Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

You gotta love the aluminum foil wrapping to "ensure that beer tasters won't know what brand they're sipping". Please don't tell us your panelists drank from the bottle.

Misc News – Jun 26

OK, you've just got back from the hot, hot, hot streets of the Brew-Ha-Ha. You're tired. You're just out of the shower and needed to check your email.

Are you really beered out? Do you need more immersion? Tomorrow, Sunday, June 27th. Anita needs your help. The State Fair Brewers Cup entries are all sitting at Sun King and she and a crew will be starting at 10:30am with the job of checking them in, sorting, assigning numbers, etc. If you are not going to judge at the actual event, you can help. Lunch is provided. Beer is provided (when you're done). Think about it. The temp will be back under 90° and it's inside anyway. Just show up, no reservations needed.

Oh, and they need help at the actual judging. The evening of Friday, July 9th, and all of Saturday, July 10th, they need stewards, bottle carriers, etc. etc. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Awards Ceremony will be your reward. It's interesting. It's fun. And you will get to taste award-winning beers that you won't get anywhere else. You'll thank yourself. Email John Morrical at jmorrica@sbcglobal.net to get a spot.

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Stopped at Power House / Columbus Bar Thursday and finally had Jon's Jack the Bum Pale Ale. He bummed the hop bill from the Diesel Oil Stout to show what a difference the malt makes. Both have the same IBU but balanced malt is the key to DOS while JTB shows off the hops as a quite hoppy ESB. Cloudy tan. Filled to the brim, English style, with a few clusters of bubbles rather than a big head. I was thinking Centennial but couldn't place the hop nose – for a reason. Jon uses Saaz finishing hops, giving it some earthy Czechness. Oh, and Terry loved her Strawberry Salad with mushrooms, spinach, etc.

New Albanian's Public House was fairly quiet Thursday evening. Had a Haggis Laddie – soft and malty, A+; a Biere de Garde brewed for the World Cup pairings they are doing (see The Potable Curmudgeon for updates) – Mild and mildly spicey, quaffable session beer true to the originals, A; and Tafelbier – dark golden, nice feathery head, wonderful aroma with malt coming through the smell of fresh vegetation after a rain shower, earthy taste continues into fresh maltiness, a perfect follow-up to the BdG. Please bottle/can all three so I can have them at home.

At the Bank Street Brewhouse we had a Croque Madame and a daily special sliced steak dish that I think I saw prepared on Good Eats. The later was pretty pricey but it's not an everyday item. Went with a Bob's Old 15B brown ale – pure black, roasty malt with big balance, dry to the point of almost being chalky, 180° from a chocolate porter.

Bob's Old 15B is a leading example of Amateur competition gone right. Way back when, NA and Fossils had a competition and the winner would be brewed in the big boys toys kettles. Bob Capshew (not surprising) won with this beer and it has been on the regular menu ever since. If there's another Indiana Am to Pro that has gone to the full-time menu I can't think of it.

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Newest Seasonals

Alcatraz – Alt
Back Road – Scottish Ale, Belgian-Style Wit
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse – Nit Wit
Bloomington Brewing – Vision Weiss
Broad Ripple Brewpub – Cask Conditioned ESB
Brugge Brasserie – Pooka Boysenberry Wheat
Crown Brewing – Crown lite Light, Weizenhammer Weiss
Barley Island – Golidlocks Belgian Blond
Granite City – Belgian Golden Ale
Great Crescent Brewery – IPA and Blonde Ale – everything else is sold out right now
Half Moon - Summer Wheat Ale, India Brown Ale coming on July 1st.
Lafayette Brewing - Golden Lady IPA
Mishawaka Brewing – Russian Imperial Stout, Nit Wit
New Albanian – Tefelbier, Haggis Laddie
Oaken Barrel – California Common, American Wheat
Ram – Double Deuce Duesseldorfer Altbier
Rock Bottom (both) – Bottoms Up Kolsch
Shoreline – Ly-Co-Ki-We Kolsch, Stella Blue
Sun King - XX Rye IPA
Turoni's – Hefeweizen, Black Light Lager
Upland - Double Dragonfly

You can find at Payless Liquors, I-69 & 96th St. Fishers, and elsewhere: Brew Dog 5AM Saint, Mikkeller Bad/Worst, Well's Banana Bread Beer, Fruli Strawberry. Also in Indiana: Bruery Trade Winds Tripel, Coton Anniversary Ale, Tokio Oak-aged Imperial Stout, Punk IPA, Punk Hardcore Double IPA, Clipper City Smoke on the Water Imperial Porter, Clipper City Summer Ale, Mendocino Imperial IPA, Mendocino Barley Wine, Sergeants American Amber, Thirsty Dog Whippet Wheat, Thirsty Dog Twisted Kilt, Two Brothers Hop Juice.

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Here's a 5-minute trailer for the upcoming documentary about women brewers in the Pacific NW - For the Love of Beer http://vimeo.com/12386945. It includes Marion's Tonya Cornett. Indy's Liz Laughlin, originally an Oregonian, isn't a left-coaster anymore so she's left out of this (but it's been our gain).

 

Tröegs Brewery of Harrisburg, PA is going to build a new brewery in Hershey.With a 5,000 sq ft tasting room (that's not a typo).

Pabst has, indeed, been sold. Now owned by C. Dean Metropoulos. He may sell off some of the regional brands. Schaefer, Carling’s Black Label, Blatz, Colt 45 Malt Liquor, Schmidt, Special Export, Schlitz, Lone Star, Jacob Best, Ballantine, Falstaff, Rainier, Ice Man Malt Liquor, Silver Thunder Malt Liquor and Stroh’s.

Amazon's strangest hits

Inflatable Beer Stein Ice Bucket - $20 – Corona not included.
Beer Hammer - $9.33
Skunkpiss beer can covers - $10/6
Beer mug with audio reordering system - $16

   

Fort Wayne News - June 25

Mad Anthony Brewing Company will be tapping a "double dry hopped Cask Conditioned IPA" today starting at 5p.m. "This beer promises to be one for the hop lovers and won't last long." Also, check out their new website at http://www.madbrew.com/.


Also today is a FREE beer tasting (21 yrs. old and older) at Cap n' Cork, Canterbury location from 5p.m.-7p.m.

Tomorrow is the FREE (21 yrs. old and older) S & V Liquors (Illinois Rd.) Beer, Wine & Liquor Extravaganza from 5p.m.-8p.m. Also, free appetizers provided by Wisconsin Cheese Company.

Misc News – June 24

The Phoenix Theatre Brew-Ha-Ha gets pixels as they and Mike Sprinkle of Crown Liquors talk about it on WISH-TV 6-minute video.

Gina and the Brew-Ha-Ha gets ink at the Indy Star.

Jason visits Great Crescent Brewery.

The coolest beer label yet from Three Floyds (and Half Acre)? They call it "clean & uncluttered grain and hop usage. Filling out at 7.5% abv and closer to straw in color." Re leased July 2nd in bombers and will be on tap at both FFF and Chicago's Half Acre on Lincoln Ave. Release party to come later.

Finally, a good use for a vuvulauvuruathing.

 

The Philly Beer Week had about 1,000 (one thousand??!!??) events in 10 days and there's something to be learned from that. The Beer Blues. Typical comment: "they're absolutely right about too much at once. way too many events at the same time. i got tired just looking at the schedule. i had two pages written out of things i wanted to go to. i maybe went to 6 of the 60 events i wanted to attend. also most of the events i actually went to were canceled. quite disappointing. maybe it should be stretched out longer? so we actually have time to go to the events we want to."

Disposable one-use wine glasses. Selling in the UK for about $3.40 each. No more brown paper bags.

Misc News – June 23

USA 1, ALG 0

Here's how to Win 2 tickets to the Indiana Microbrewers Festival

Here's a man who needs an alt-column just because he said the truth about Bud. Now he can't even give away beer. Wanna blog for us? We don't pay much either.

 Jason visits Turoni's and Gerst Haus in Evansville

Tickets to the Great American Beer Festival are on sale now to BA and AHA members. If you're not one of those, tickets will go on sale June 28th. $45 to $83.

(Via Convenience Store News) The Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association (IPCA) pointed out that beer/wine permits are still available in many towns and cities. It conducted an "unofficial" examination of the online records of the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC), and found that these localities are already at quota:

• For cities over 80,000 residents: only Evansville is at quota.
• For cities between 15,000-80,000 residents: Anderson, Bloomington, Columbus, Crawfordsville, Greenwood, Hobart, Kokomo, Lafayette, Marion, Muncie, New Albany, New Castle, Noblesville, Portage, Richmond, Seymour, Shelbyville, Valparaiso and Vincennes are all at quota.
• For cities under 15,000 residents: Aurora, Brook, Brookville, Chesterton, Greencastle, Greensburg, Huntingburg, Jasper, Lawrenceburg, Lebanon, Martinsville, Mooresville, Mount Vernon, Princeton, Roselawn, Rushville, Salem and Syracuse are all at quota.
• However, notes the IPCA, only the ATC can determine if a permit is available, so retailers should contact the commission at www.in.gov\atc for up-to-date information, since a locality currently at quota may have permits returned.

In the future, La Trappe will be the official name of Koningshoeven. The Dubbel,Tripel, and Quadrupel will be rebadged and sometime this year an Oak Aged Quadrupel will be released in 375ml bottles.

Stone's 14th Anniversary Ale, Emperial IPA is 8.9% and will be here real soon now. They "Burtonised" the water and used Target, EKG, and Boadicea hops.

There was lot of beer on Chicago's Edens Expressway last night. Looks like Miller Lite. article

Misc News – June 20

Congratulations to Indiana winners at the 2010 National Homebrew Competition:

• Keith Baute & John Showalter, MECA, Gold,  American Ale (509 entries – the largest category in the competition)
• Brian Steuerwald, FBI, Silver, Wood Aged Beer (226 entries)
• Andrew Korty, FBI, Bronze, Mild Ale (199 entries)
• Michael Pearson, MECA, Bronze, American IPA (387 entries)

Scott Bort's Weekly Local Craft Roundup tells us

• Crown Brewing will have a Double IPA in mid-July.
• Brickworks Brewing will debut Cornerstone American Pale, O'Mordha Irish Red, and Summer Lager.
• Three Floyds has Jinx Proof and Arctic Panzer Wolf on tap.
• Figure 8 Brewing is putting in a bottling line and will be open on Sundays starting in July.
• Shoreline will repeat their Red White and Brews Festival on July 11th. 11 Breweries are lined up as well as fireworks at dusk.

The Indianapolis City Market is getting a facelift and "expected to open in August, is an all-Indiana beer pub to be run by the Brewers of Indiana Guild -- a key player in efforts to give the market a much-needed evening presence." article

Two Festivals next week (pictures are from last year).

Wednesday the 23rd: The 5th annual Kokomo Humane Society Ales for Tails is at The Quarry. $30 and runs from 5-8pm. World Class Beverages supports this with a very large selection of beers and the Howard County Homebrew Club will have their gas tower pouring. The beer stations have around 6 choices and a food pairing from a local restaurant. Jazz, a silent auction, and a classy clientele makes it a favorite.

Saturday the 26th: Phoenix Theatre's Brew-Ha-Ha at Mass. Ave in Indy is a more raucous affair. 3-7pm. $20 advance / $25 at the door. About 20 breweries will be pouring in this block party on Park St. with bands including Tim Brickley and the Bleeding Hearts, Monkey FIghtin' Snakes (we said more raucous didn't we), and the excellent band The Elect. Food is pizza and stuff but the highlight is the beer and the views. It's a young crowd that revels in the heat and sunshine, yet there is plenty of shade and the porch for the band (bring a chair).

Hey brewers. Saturday is the deadline for getting in your Brewers Cup entries. If you're coming from out of town for the Brew-Ha-Ha, the drop-off point at Sun King is just a few blocks away. Thanks, Tom Stilabower.

Misc News – June 18

Bloomington Brewing's new brewery gets ink in the AP. Carried in the Chicago Tribune, the Kansas City Star, and even the Los Angeles Times. Jeff Meese "says the company has a deal to start selling its beer at three Indianapolis-area bars and will be looking for others. The company could also start selling in some grocery stores next year."

Oaken Barrel's Indiana Amber gets ink in the Post Tribune.

As we said, BJ's will give you a logo pint glass on Father's Day. The Ram will give you a growler (with the purchase of the beer – but that's on Saturday. On Friday, the beer in the growler is half price.

Vine and Table  in Carmel has bottles (750ml) of 92° Mortlach 1938/70 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch. Yipe. 70-year old Scotch. The world's oldest whisky. $15,999.99. Yipe. Too much $$? They also have 200ml bottles for only $4,399.99. Yipe.

The Master of Malt web site says

Appearance: The colour of sun-bleached polished mahogany.
Aroma: A mellow nose, at once waxy and fruity; candlewax to the fore initially, which becomes snuffed candle (a thread of smoke), with Maraschino cherries in Madeira cake behind, and after a while an orangey citric note - fresh and juicy, becoming apricot jam. Flaked almonds and whin flowers, becoming light coconut oil.
Taste: Surprisingly lively tasted straight. A smooth, waxy mouthfeel; a sweetish start becoming moderately dry, but not overly-tannic. Dried fig and tobacco notes, and an intriguing light smokiness. A long finish and, for the first time, a hint of planed hardwood in the aftertaste. With a teaspoon of water, the smooth texture in enhanced. The fresh, light sweetness becoming pleasantly sour ('Soor Plooms'), with sooty smoke in the finish.
Comment: Remarkable! No trace of damp wood or must or bung cloth - a delicate, fresh, vital, fruity whisky, but with unusual attributes of waxiness and smokiness - uncommon today, more usual before the 1960s.

Gotta love a comment there also: "I was presented with a bottle of this fine whiskey as part of a performance bonus working with AIG, worth every penny, I even let a few of my low level grunts fight over the droplets that fell from my moustache."

My least favorite beer bar patio. ==>

Hint: Hey pubs showing the World Cup, I've seen it demonstrated. Use your graphic equalizer to tune out the 235hz and 460hz and you won't lose any voice-over but the stupid buzzing of those stupid horns goes away.

The Zythophile tried maturing some IPA at the natural on-ship temperature of about 105°F. Think about it. That's probably authentic and it works for Madeira.

Alt

Rita's Beer Buzz column in Nuvo this week is all about Alt. She reviews Omar's Alt at Alcatraz ("close to style with a marked smoothness and delicacy"), and Andrew's at Ram ("upfront bitterness gives way to mellowness, but then a second wave of bitterness awakens the tongue for a dramatic finish").  Here's more on the style:

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Altbier may account for only 2 or 3 percent of the beer brewed in Germany but in Düsseldorf when you order a beer you'll get an Alt. If your glass is empty it will be replaced immediately whether you ask or not. Your beer mat will be marked with a slash to count the beers - be sure not to grab any old mat with pencil marks on it when you sit down. Servings are 250ml. Smoothness of an ale but less fruity but still as bitter than a British Ale. Bitterness comes from Noble hops giving a crisp tang. There's a lot of variation between brands, even in Düsseldorf, and even more in brands brewed in Austria and the U.S. The brewing process uses mainly Pilsner Malt and Spalt hops which are common in Pilsners but the specific yeast and conditioning at colder temperatures gives it the distinctive profile. Alt means old. When lagers became the rage some isolated pockets of Germany held onto their old beer traditions and old beer styles. In Düsseldorf the newer pale malts came into use but the old top-fermenting yeast was retained to produce a unique beer. Düsseldorf is just 50 miles east of Belgium and the bustling city on the Rhine is surrounded by some of Germany's finest large parklands. The climate is fairly cool in the summer and brewing could be done all year (as opposed to most of Germany where summertime brought an end to brewing). Ale yeast ferments at a higher temperature than lager yeast which helped year-round brewing. Alt (and Kölsch) beers use a somewhat cooler fermentation for their specific strains of yeast but still noticeably warmer than lagers. In 1860 there were 100 breweries in Düsseldorf. After WWI those numbers were cut in half and the depression in Germany between the wars diminished them to only 18. Today, there are only 2 large breweries in Düsseldorf along with 4 small brewpubs (mainly due to mergers). John Matthias Schumacher opened Brauerei Schumacher in 1838 and was the first to use the term Alt. Their beer was matured in wood casks longer than most other ales. It became a favorite and the company thrived to become a very large concern that is still around today. Altbiers, with some variations, are made today in Venlo, The Netherlands; Hannover, Germany; and also in brewpubs around the world. 30 miles south, in Cologne, Altbier has undergone a transformation into Kölsch. Sticke Alt Sticke means secret in the local dialect, stickum in common German. Most Düsseldorf breweries produce a Sticke which is normally stronger and darker than their usual product. In medieval times, monks would brew a stronger beer for themselves and their better, richer customers. Most Sticke Alts are 5.5 to 6.0% ABV. It is a local tradition to sell Sticke at the regular Alt price. The Uerige Sticke is the most famous of these and is exported in bottles. It comes out on the third Tuesday in both January and October. They also make a Doppelsticke at 8.5% ABV. Think of it as Double Secret Probation Alt. Füchschen puts theirs out as a Christmas beer (Weinachtsbier) served on Dec 24th. Schumacher's is called Latzenbier and is available in late September and late November. It has a lot of Noble hop bitterness and a nutty maltiness. Latzen is the German word for a wooden slat and the name comes from the high storage shelves used to keep pilferage down. It could be called a Top Shelf beer.

The Four Düsseldorf Brewpubs Füchschen Schlüssel Schumacher Uerige

 

Native Territory	Düsseldorf, Germany
Color (SRM)	Pale to deep copper often with some reddish notes. (13 - 19).
Head	Off-white and thick.
Aromas	Some rich malt. Noble hop aroma.
Flavors	Mainly crisp malt start. May have some fruity presence.
Finish	Balanced drying hop that is fairly long lasting.
Mouthfeel	Medium body.
Carbonation	Moderate - does not get in the way.
Alcohol	Not noticeable in the mouth. 4.5 - 5.0% ABV. Sticke Alt is normally 5.5 - 6.0 % ABV.
Bitterness (IBU)	Variable by brand. Clean Noble hop character. (35 - 50)
Serving	Usually in a 1/4 liter straight-sided glass. A Kölsch glass may be more obtainable.
Malts	Pilsner, Munich, Vienna, Wheat. Touch of darker malt such as Black Patent for color only.
Hops	Noble hops. Spalt is the normal base hop.
Yeast	Specialized Alt yeast.
Related Styles	Kölsch
Notes	Fermented cool for an ale (say, 63 - 68°F). Lagered for at least a month at quite cold temperature.

Bob's Pick	Uerige Altbier - Soft, strong, bitter, amber brew served from the wood. (They also make a delicious Hefeweizen of a non-Bavarian style - without banana/clove essences.) Uerige Sticke - Düsseldorf - Rich reddish brown. Strong malt with good balance. Subtle hints of fruit, caramel, and minerals. More alcohol in the mouth than its 6.0% ABV would suggest.
Rare Gems	Alaskan Amber - Juneau, Alaska - Rich malty with a long finish. Well balanced. McNeill's Alle Tage Altbier - Brattleboro, VT - Creamy and rich. Southampton Publick House Secret Ale - Southampton, NY - Big with lots of caramel and a bit of toasty. 5.0% ABV - low for a Sticke.
Widely Available	Diebels Alt - Issum, Germany (just northwest of Düsseldorf) - Possibly the most earthy major commercial example. Available throughout Germany. Frankenheim Alt - Düsseldorf - Deep copper. Sweet malt aroma that dries fully. Schwelm Alt - Schwelm, Germany (just northeast of Düsseldorf) - Darker than any of the others. Nutty, herbal, with caramel notes.

 

Typical 5-gallon (US) recipe
Grains	5.5 lb Pilsner Malt 2 lb Dark Munich Malt 2 lb Vienna Malt 1 lb Crystal Malt 1 lb CaraHell Malt 1 lb Dark Malted Wheat 1 oz Black Patent Malt
Adjuncts, Fruit, Spices	None
Hops	1.8 oz Spalt hops at start of boil 1 oz Hallertau for 45 minutes of boil .5 oz Hallertau for 15 minutes of boil .5 oz Hallertau at end of boil
Yeast	Düsseldorf Alt yeast
Mash	Double Decoction
Boil time	75 minutes
OG / FG	1050 / 1013

More information can be found at the European Beer Guide.

Misc News – June 17

Here's an Exhaustive list of what's new from World Class Beverages. From Abita to Zatec. Our must-read of the day.

Drop by BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse on Father's Day and take a logo pint glass home.

Coming up this weekend and beyond, if you're not going to the National Homebrewers Conference in Minneapolis:

Friday:
Mini Beer Fest. Chalet Party Shoppe, CR 17, Elkhart. 6-8pm. $5 (charity).
Beer Tasting. Liquor Locker, Evansville. 4-7pm
Beer Tasting. Parti Pak, Greenwood. 5-7pm
Beer Advocate A-list Tasting. Vine and Table, Carmel, 3-7pm
Beer Sampling. Norma's Fine Wines. Indy. 6-8pm
Beer Tasting. Cap n' Cork, New Haven. 5-7pm.

Saturday:
Tops of the Hops Festival. Louisville. 2-6pm. $40/$45
Zoo Brew, Mesker Park, Evansville. Turoni's, OVHA, Cumberland, Fred's, WCB, etc. 6-9pm. $25/$30.
Taste of Bloomington. 3-11pm.
Founders Fest. Grand Rapids. 3-11pm

Wed, June 23rd:
Ales for Tails, Kokomo Humane Society. $30. 5-8pm.

Sat, June 26:
Phoenix Theatre Brew-Ha-Ha. Indy. 3-7pm. $20/$25.
Deadline for entries for the Indiana State Fair Brewer's Cup
Junefest. Richmond Depot District. New Boswell will be pouring.
Beer, Wine, & Liquor Extravaganze. S&V Liquors, Illinois Road, Fort Wayne. 5-8pm. Free.

There will be a bus again this year from New Albanian to the Indiana Microbrewers Festival. $85 includes bus, fest tickets, lunch, and "adult refreshments" during the ride. 807-7531 or profgesser@insightbb.com for complete details and reservations.

Tell Stan Hieronymus what you want in his upcoming book "For the Love of Hops" here.

John Holl chronicles the start of the revolution with The Rise and Fall of New Albion Brewing.

Malt Advocate Magazine has been bought by Shanken Communications which publishes Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado. article

Can you spot the illegal activity in this picture? These soccer fans were actually arrested for wearing orange dresses. Why are we talking about this on IndianaBeer? They were arrested because their presence at the game was against Anheuser-Busch's marketing agreement. Makes me thirsty for Bavaria beer. article with bigger picture

The Labor British government commissioned a study that just recommended lowering the BAC limit from .08 to .05. Of course Labor is out and the Conservatives are in and they promise to consider the "economic impact" of such a change. Any bets?

The DeKoninck brewery's sales are down (maybe because they don't bring their great Winter Koninck to the U.S.) and it is rumored to be on the block with potential buyers Duvel Moortgat and, wait for it, Heineken.

Misc News – June 15

Bob Mack reviews Barley Island Barfly IPA.

True Brew is in the warehouse in Bloomington and you'll be able to pick it up any day now. Your favorite brewpub should have copies and Rita should have a booth at the Indiana Microbrewers Festival. Author Rita Kohn has a long schedule of events planned including the a tasting and signing at Powerhouse/Viewpoint Books in Columbus, the Indiana History Museum, and more.

You'll also be able to buy Tickets ($35) to the Microbrewers Festival starting Friday at all Indiana Breweries and at the Crown Liquors stores in Avon, Fishers, Noblesville, 86th and Township Line, 62nd and Allisonville Rd., US 31 South, 96th and Michigan Rd., and Downtown Indy. The VIP tickets ($50 that get you in an hour early) are only available online (where you can also buy the normal tickets).

Breckenridge will have it's Regal Double Pilsner (7.7%) available in Indiana in about a month.

Great Divide Belgica, Double Wit, 16th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA, and Hoss Rye Lager are out any day now. A new Wood Aged IPA, a Tripel and Smoked Baltic Porter will come in August. The brewery in Denver just added 50% to their capacity.

Stolen from Ludwig Roars, the complete Beer Festival Calendar Blog: "Pete Crowley, the award-winning brewmaster at Rock Bottom in Chicago, has moved on to another Windy City brewery, the Haymarket Pub & Brewery. Crowley and his partners hope to have the new brewery up and running by the end of this summer. The brewery is located at the southeast corner of Randolph and Halsted west of the Loop. That is the exact location of the 1886 Haymarket Affair. . ."

Steve Williams has the job you want. He's the Official Beer Taster of London. It even pays, sort of. article

The next Nobel Prize candidate: Philadelphia bar installs Self Serve Tap. article

@Lukafer: Welcome to Indy.

Columbus News

Jon at Powerhouse has brewed Total Eclipse of the Grain for the Microbrewer's Festival in July. He took the Two Dave's IPA recipe, pitched a Belgian yeast strain on it, and added an insane amount of hops. Look for it in the firkin tent.

Powerhouse acquired a keg of Old Rasputin to go on a nitro line, we are all anxiously awaiting the tapping of this amazing beer.

The Powerhouse Bards and Brews held the first Monday of each month has had an amazing turnout. Hosted by Matthew Jackson of the Reservoir Dogwoods, a variety of poets, musicians, and comedians have performed.

Special releases from Three Floyd's have been spotted at numerous Cork locations around town. I have found Broo Doo, Brian Boru, Blackheart, Rabid Rabbit, and Arctic Panzer Wolf.

CACA will be entering an interesting stout in the Woodford Cup, the guys each made a different stout with common grain and yeast and blended them in the barrel. It promises to be tasty.

Misc News – June 12

Gina tells us:

Sun King is installing a Reverse Osmosis system in the next couple of weeks. Their first batch, Johan the Barleywine will be available at a dinner at Chef JJ's Back Yard in mid-July.

Crown Liquors has Three Floyd's Arctic Panzer IIPA, Boulevard Tank 7, Avery 17th Anniversary, and Tyranena La Femme Amere.

Payless Liquors in Fishers has Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch, Three FLoyds Black Albert, Pissenlit Saison, and Stone/Brewdog Bashah.

Barb Kehe tells us Sean McKinley will be be leaving his Assistant Brewer's job at Back Road and Chuck will be looking to fill that vacancy. June's Back Road offerings include Midwest IPA, Scottish Ale, Belgian Wit, and Summer Wheat. Blueberry Ale is also back for the summer.

Rick Lyke has 2 articles in the latest All About Beer Magazine in a Beer Traveler supplement. One is "150 Perfect Places to Have a Beer". He lists them on his blog. Lessee, I've been to 32 of them. No doubt a few Hoosiers can top that. Let me know your total.

The Michigan Brewers Festival will include a Homebrew Competition this year.

Homebrew News – June 12

Anita tells us the Woodford Reserve Cup entries from the 11 homebrew clubs will require only one 12-ounce bottle for judging as it won't go to a best-of-show round (a corney keg or growlers for the reception is still wanted for showing off your club's winning brew). She advises the clubs to fill in the online entry form at BrewersCup.org just as all other entries giving the Club Name and use the 24A category.

The Hop Jockeys and IBADS are going to group brew at Upland on July 24th. Area brewers that want to meet fellows can find them there.

Here are pictures from yesterday's Brew-B-Q, attended by about 75 people from the Bloomington Hop Jockeys, Columbus Area Classic Alers, Duneland Homebrewers Assoc., Foam Blowers of Indiana, Howard County Homebrew Club, Indiana Brewing and Drinking Society, Michiana Extract and Grain Assoc., MECA Brewers, Ohio Valley Hombrewers Assoc., Gambrinus Society, Tippecanoe Homebrewing Circle, and Mad Anthony Serious Homebrewers. We're guessing a over 200 different homebrewed beers, meads, cisers, and ciders were available for tasting.

The FBI set it up again this year with point men Ron Smith and Frank Petrarca smoking the meat. Huzzah.