May « 2009 « Brews and Blues

25May/091

Homebrew – CiderBock

I finally got the CiderBock bottled and ready to go after being in the fermenter for about eight weeks. This stuff is very easy to make and, like any other venture in home brewing, you can get creative with it as much as you like. I wanted to try something a little different with this cider, so I changed up my technique for back-sweetening it after fermentation. The original gravity of this cider was 1.070. I fermented it with Montrachet yeast and the final gravity after eight weeks in the fermenter was 0.996, which gives an ABV of 9.7%. After back-sweetening, my ABV settled down to 8.6%. The difference in back-sweetening on this batch is that instead of using all apple juice concentrate, I used some brown sugar and pure molasses to create a little flavor and color change. If you compare the color of this cider with my original Apfelwein, you can see that it is significantly darker. It has just about the same sweetness level with slightly higher alcohol content. This stuff also has the same "creep up on you and kick you in the arse" trait as the Apfelwein. It goes down way too easy...

Here is a mock-up of the label I printed for this bottle...

Filed under: Beer Reviews, Hard Cider, Home Brewing 1 Comment

24May/092

Samuel Adams Honey Porter

I still have a couple samples left from a mixed Samuel Adams Brewmaster's Collection, so I decided to pop the top on a Honey Porter this afternoon since it's rainy and not particularly pleasant outside. As you can see in the photo, this beer has a nice thick head and the rich dark color you would expect from a porter. From the website:

Samuel Adams Honey Porter is a full-flavored, full-bodied English porter with a substantial roasted malt character, offering a smooth, rounded finish. This beer is brewed with traditional English Ale hops and is dry-hopped with East Kent Goldings, known for their spicy aroma and distinctive, earthy flavor. We brew Honey Porter with Scottish heather honey which balances the spiciness of the hops.

This brew is the perfect complement to glazed ham, spicy chili, and roasted vegetables like beets and carrots, which bring out the herbal notes found in the hops and the sweetness of the honey. Samuel Adams® Honey Porter also pairs well with rich desserts such as baklava and molasses cookies.

As I have said before, Samuel Adams beers (Boston Brewing Company) are some of the few really good beers that you can usually find in your local grocery stores...

Filed under: American Porter, Beer Reviews 2 Comments

22May/090

Lion Lager

I decided to pull another sample from the Beers from Around the World sampler that I received as a gift recently. I went with the Lion Lager from Sri Lanka this afternoon. Overall, this beer is unimpressive, but it does have a rather crisp and refreshing flavor, but absolutely no body whatsoever. It would do slightly better than a BudMillerCoors on a hot afternoon, but it won't get a second look. I sorta figure that this beer is sorta like Fosters. It's not really a choice beer in Sri Lanka, but it's gonna sell in the states because it's an import. There are a few beers like this in this sampler, and I might enjoy one or two more of them, but the Smithwick's Irish Ale is probably going to be the best sample from the pack. There is a bottle of Old Speckled Hen that I'll probably pop open next time around... At least I can re-cap the Lion Lager bottle next time I bottle some home brew :)

Filed under: Beer Reviews, Euro Pale Lager No Comments

15May/092

Howard’s Pub – Ocracoke Island

While I was visiting the Outer Banks Brewing Station Tuesday evening, the bartender suggested another stop for me during my visit to the Outer Banks. We were planning to head down to Ocracoke on Wednesday, so the bartender suggested a stop at Howard's Pub & Raw Bar. After the ferry ride from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island, Howard's Pub is the first sign of life you come to on Highway 12 heading south. Our timing was about perfect, because it was lunch time as we pulled in at Howard's Pub. The food menu looked pretty good with a good selection of sandwiches, entrees, and a nice raw bar. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with a side of fries and onion rings. No complaints... the food was excellent. The surprising part of this stop was the beer list...

Nearly 200 bottled beers and 24 on tap graced the beer list at Howard's Pub. When you visit the Outer Banks, be sure to make this stop. You won't be disappointed. I know you can't read this list, so click on the link to Howard's Pub above and check out their beer list online...

Filed under: Brewpubs 2 Comments

14May/090

Homebrew – Orange Blossom Special

This is my first attempt at a homebrewed wheat beer, and I'm completely impressed with it. I brewed it on February 22, 2009 and bottled it on March 21, 2009. I have been sampling it occasionally with the first sample being four weeks after bottling. As of last week, this beer is prime. I took a bunch of it to my graduation cookout to try on my fellow students, and several of them loved it. That's not too bad considering none of them drink anything beyond BudMillerCoors. The beer ultimately did not turn out exactly like I wanted it to though. I called it "Orange Blossom Special" because I used orange blossom honey and orange peel in the boil. I had hoped the orange peel would impart some slight citrus aroma, but it's too weak in that arena. Maybe I didn't use enough peel. The details of this brew are in my log if you want to check it out. All I can say is that it's very tasty. It rings up at 6.5% ABV.

Filed under: American Pale Wheat, Beer Reviews, Home Brewing, Witbier No Comments

13May/090

Outer Banks Brewing Station

During my trip to the Outer Banks, I stumbled upon the Outer Banks Brewing Station in Kill Devil Hills. I decided to drop in for dinner on Tuesday evening to see what their offerings included. As I browsed the dinner menu, I noticed Shrimp and Grits, and that's one of my low-country favorites, so I gave it a try. It was simply the best Shrimp and Grits I had ever tasted. The grits were REAL grits instead of the instant or quick-cook varieties. It was topped with pan-seared shrimp, green onions, and red-eye gravy. The meal was definitely 4 or 5-star in quality, which isn't something I expected.

I didn't get to sample all of their beers, so I decided to settle for a single glass of Weisenheimer Weizenbock after my meal. This beer was very similar to the Olde Hickory Brewery's Weizen Bock that I tried a while back, but the alcohol content of this brew was a little higher at 8.3%. I asked the bartender what else in the area was worth visiting before I left, and he pointed me towards a dive called "Howard's Pub" on Ocracoke Island. I stopped by there on Wednesday, and I'll post about it later...