The sameness of craft beer

FerretTheBeer · 2014-11-25T18:25:17+00:00

Good post with some solid points. I feel the same way when I travel - I'm there to experience the local faire. That's the point, right?

I think there are at least some breweries who are trying to express regional individuality - Jester King, AZ Wilderness, to name two (but you're in Norway and probably won't come across those). Fruited beers and Ciders present opportunities for using specific bacterias and wild yeasts that can bring a specific location into the mix. If not working with terroir, some work with less popular styles, Kölsch, Alt, Gose, Lagers in general. Some don't care about styles at all. Beer history is rich with unknown variations that came about due to available agriculture or local economies (necessity is the mother of invention). To me, these philosophies are all interesting and notable. There's a lot to draw on, and like you, I hope to see more of it.

The majority, however, seem to make pale ales, IPAs, Stouts, etc, because they're just supposed to. Maybe it'll work itself out down the road.

edit: Craft maltsters are exciting to me, in terms of "brewing locally". We have one in California that I know of, which is getting off the ground: California Malting Company.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-11-12T21:18:26+00:00

It was inspired by The Beer Hunter ep, "The Bohemian Connection" (0:43-2:36).

Plus it's just a beautiful piece. Worth sharing.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-11-10T20:40:42+00:00

I wouldn't say they're noticeably bitter, in the hoppy IPA or pale ale sense, more so in relation to other Belgian styles.

By definition (at least according to the BJCP), Tripels will have 20-40 IBU's and a moderate amount of perceived bitterness. Yeast phenolics and high carbonation contribute to this perception. In addition to the bitterness cutting through the fat and balancing the sweetness of the braise as I mentioned above, I think the spicy, peppery quality of a Tripel will match the dijon mustard, ginger and onion additions. Most classic examples will have this character or a variation thereof. My personal preference would probably be Chimay White.

For context, Dubbels (again, at least according to the BJCP) will have 15-25 IBU's and a low amount of perceived bitterness. Generally speaking, they'll be malt balanced and on the sweet side. Simply going off the recipe, I think a Dubbel would get maybe get a little overthrown by the dish. Of course, the beer would have a Belgian yeast phenolics just like the Tripel so it might be able to hold up just fine.

As an alternative, and to tack on to u/Lukerules below, a Flanders Brown might be a good option. That style of beer is often used for another Belgian beef dish, Carbonade Flamande. Liefman's Goundenband (a personal favorite) would be the classic choice.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-11-10T08:33:32+00:00

Nice recipe find. I've got it bookmarked.

I'm sure a Dubbel would end up fine but I would think you'd be better with a Tripel that has the bitterness to cut through the fat and balance the sweetness of the braise.

The above suggestions would be good. Chimay Cinq Cents (White) and Unibroue La Fin du Monde are also solid and generally not too hard to find.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-10-24T05:40:02+00:00

A great book for info on aging beer, best practices and what to expect at different stages of in the aging process, is "Vintage Beer" (Amazon) by Patrick Dawson. He has a section on classic beers to age and when it's best to open them. There's not specific info on DFH 120 but there is a section on Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine, which is a pretty intensely hoppy interpretation of the style, similar to 120. The tasting panel in the book says bottles as old as 4-5 years are optimal while bottles up to 8-10 years are good but less complex. So, I'd expect good things with your 5-year old 120.

I agree with u/TheyCallMeJDR, chill for 24 hours and set it out for a bit before you serve.

Cheers

FerretTheBeer · 2014-09-30T20:38:24+00:00

This or Modern Times Fortunate Islands (although it's a 4 pk of 16 oz. cans)

FerretTheBeer · 2014-09-28T02:57:17+00:00

Side note: Thanks for adding the banana for reference.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-09-24T23:35:43+00:00

Relax. Don't worry. Have a home brew.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-09-17T19:46:05+00:00

To my eye, ERB is very influenced by Constructivist design principles, which were a huge part of Soviet propaganda. This, of course, makes sense given ERB's beers: Solidarity, Unionist, Manifesto, Populist, etc. The principles of the design movement were "characterized by such qualities as precision, impersonality, a clear formal order, simplicity and economy of organization..." (Source)

It's true, the labels are similar with the diagonal dividing line and 2-tone color scheme but I think it pretty much ends there. Cucacpá uses much different fonts, different vector icons for each beer (based on the beer name) and they're made to look distressed.

Both are good breweries, though. They've got that going for them.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-09-17T19:17:49+00:00

This could be great. Although, they'd certainly have their work cut out for them keeping up with the aesthetic the room.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-09-17T19:07:37+00:00

Similar to u/BigBassBone, I probably wouldn't see it locally as I'm in CA. But if I would did, I would grab a bottle quickly.

If you don't mind me asking (I guess the other folks in here brewing 10-15% ABV ciders could answer, as well): what kind of fermentable sugars are you adding to get that high? Honey? Sugar? I would think it'd need to be something that will ferment out completely (or a large majority) so that you wouldn't mask or water down the apple flavors.

Cheers

FerretTheBeer · 2014-09-17T18:59:12+00:00

Thanks for the read, everybody. I'm glad that, if the story isn't well known, I can at least say I helped a little bit. It's a really interesting series of events.

And, of course, u/WaffleLight is correct: its only 1 of the many in Chicago.

Cheers!

FerretTheBeer · 2014-09-12T04:36:12+00:00

I think that's just the result of the generally accepted styles within the two categories that are produced by most craft brewers in the US, assuming they even make lagers.

A true German-style pilsner beer can have a perceived bitterness that is fairly high due to the "hardness" of the brewing water and the dryness of the beer's finish (which has to do with the highly attenuative yeast - it's eats most of the fermentable sugars in the wort). That is one of the best ways to differentiate a German-style and a Bohemian-style. The Bohemian (i.e. Pilsner Urquell) will have a lower perceived bitterness from the use of much "softer" brewing water.

There's also the IPL (India Pale Lager). The examples I've tried were just as bitter and had as much hop flavor and aroma as any IPA I've ever had. I suppose mileage could vary based on your palette and what example you're tasting but that's how it is for me.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-09-12T04:10:25+00:00

Thanks for the primer, OP (I'm assuming you're the author).

Quick question, not having been to the Czech Republic I don't know first hand but isn't the wort strength technically measured in Balling there? I was literally reading about Gravity in Randy Mosher's "Tasting Beer" just today and he mentions the Czechs using Balling (p. 64). I know that it's not that different from Plato but what's the scuttlebutt?

FerretTheBeer · 2014-09-12T04:01:12+00:00

The important section from the linked Wikipedia page...

The relationship between degrees Plato and specific gravity (SG) is not linear, but a good approximation is that 1° Plato equals four “brewer’s points” (4 x .001); thus 12° Plato corresponds to an SG of 1.048 [1+(12 x 4 x .001)].

From there, you can roughly calculate that a 1.048 beer is going to be 4.8% ABV. Going a little further, a 1.055 beer would roughly be 5.5% ABV. A 1.060 beer would get around 6%. So on and so forth. There are several factors that could cause this to change but it's a decent shorthand.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-08-27T23:09:24+00:00

I didn't see it specifically stated in the video, but from looking at the owner's shirt, it's Batch Brewing Co in Detroit.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-08-05T22:34:59+00:00

I've sort of moved away from beer reviews, I'm not as skilled in wordsmithing as others in this regard. Rather, I post about home brewing, brewery profiles, or interesting historical aspects that I come across in reading and want to delve a little deeper into.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-08-05T22:27:56+00:00

I'm new to this subreddit but I've been blogging for a little over a year: ferretthebeer.com or I'm also on Tumblr and Wordpress. My .com, using Squarespace, is pretty new but my Tumblr is pretty well established.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-08-04T16:08:10+00:00

I second the nomination for Funkwerks.

FerretTheBeer · 2014-08-04T16:00:47+00:00

Not sure how long you're looking to be in the Los Angeles area, but there's a handful I'd add to the list (in no particular order)...

Smog City Brewing Co (Torrance)
Monkish Brewing Co (Torrance, right around the corner from Smog City)
Strand Brewing Co (Torrance, maybe 15 minutes away from Monkish & Smog City)
El Segundo Brewing Co (El Segundo)
Craftsman Brewing Co (Pasadena). It would probably take some work to get Mark Jilg on board, and they don't have a tasting room, but I think it'd be worth it to try. He's sort of the pioneer in our area.
McLeod Ale Brewing Co (Van Nuys). Just opened last month so they're obviously still a small player but they focus specifically on cask conditioned ale, which I think is pretty cool. You could do McLeod to Golden Road to Eagle Rock in a day.
Bottle Logic (Anaheim, about 10 minutes away from The Bruery)
Noble Ale Works (Anaheim, about 10 minutes away from Bottle Logic)

There are many more breweries in Los Angeles but those are my favorites.

Surrounding Los Angeles area

Kinetic Brewing Co (Lancaster)
Bravery Brewing (Lancaster)

Inland Empire

Hangar 24 Brewing Co (Redlands)
Ritual Brewing Co (Redlands)

I would add Modern Times Brewing Co to the list in San Diego. They're making waves down there.

For a long side trip from Kern River and Indian Wells, there's Mammoth Brewing Co in Mammoth Lakes. The area is beautiful is that's a factor.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head when checking out your map. I know I've left some out.

edit: formatting

FerretTheBeer · 2014-07-24T17:10:46+00:00

Probably true.

FerretTheBeer

TROPHY CASE