trials and tribulations on beer brewing

It's now been six months since I started all grain brewing. It honestly feels like a world away when I think about it. I still recall the heady days of extract and partial brewing, using liquid malt extract, steeping grains and brewing batches that only suicidal maniacs with no taste buds would dare to drink. Thankfully, those extract days are gone and I now have twenty batches of all grain brewing under my (beer belly) belt.

And although my extract beers of yesteryear sometimes didn't work out, my all grain experience so far has been nothing short of phenomenal. So good, in fact, that at times I felt like sending a Tweet off to Barack Obama telling him that his White House Ale just doesn't cut the mustard compared to my brews. But seriously, I have to admit my focus so far has been directed at my grain bill profiles. How does a particular type of malt fit into my recipe? How does it change the taste of my beer? How much grain should I add?

Grain bill

Already being an extract and partial grain brewer I did understand malts. But I guess moving to all grain was still somewhat of a big step to take. I constantly read, viewed and talked about all grain brewing so that the transition wouldn't be as harsh as I had anticipated. Heck, I've even read truck loads of posts on forums about people screwing up their first all grain.

I didn't want to be that same person screwing up their first all grain. In fact, I needn't of worried about screwing up at all. My good friend and fellow brewer, Kyle, has always been available to chat to me. He'd always point me in the right direction or provide an educated opinion. Mind you, I may not of listened to him half the time but his advice was always there. As it turns out despite a few minor hiccups and an extended first all grain brew day back on Anzac Day, everything went fairly smoothly.

Unlike my first brew day. Ooops!

Fast forward to the present. Right now, I have managed to brew twenty batches of beer. That's not too shabby considering I didn't brew any time during the month of August. Regardless, the first nineteen of those were single batches (approx 19L). However, my latest adventure saw me delve into the realm of doing a double batch (approx 38L). It was something I had wanted to do for a while, but never really got the opportunity.

After finalising my new 70L mash tun it was time to get the ball rolling and do a double batch. It is interesting to note that I was almost as nervous doing this double batch than I was doing my first all grain. Well, I wasn't quite that nervous but I was very cautious in my approach. Trying to boil 47L of wort in a 70L stainless steel pot on a 32 jet Mongolian burner isn't something to mess around with.

70L pot and 32 jet burner

I guess the six and a half hour brew day also had something to do with it, too. Maybe it was the fact I was stone cold sober? Being cautious is great but I eventually managed to sift through the tasks as I would normally without too many issues. I was at least glad that I had chosen to brew my infamous Chocolate Wheat beer. A delicate array of Pilsner malt, Chocolate Wheat, Pale Chocolate and Carafa Special II.

70L mash tun

But sadly, as my twentieth batch of beer was complete I knew in my heart that it would be my last brew for 2012. You see, not only am I off to the USA in a short while but two beers were already about to go in the kegs. I just couldn't justify brewing another batch and throw it in the keg.

Well, I technically could've done another two or three batches. I have a whole bunch of bottles that I could fill, but that requires time and effort. Unfortunately, that time and effort has to be spent finalising my trip. With the trip getting closer it is time to step up a gear by dotting the I's and crossing the t's.

If only I had time to bottle

So, as my brewing closes for 2012 there has been a great sense of achievement. My all grain brewing experience has simply been fantastic. I've learned a lot about different grains, hops and yeasts. I've also managed to learn a bucket load about my equipment and getting to know their idiosyncrasies. 

I freely admit that I'm now looking forward to 2013 and getting back into brewing once I return from the US. There will be so much craft beer to drink, so much to learn, so many ideas to gather and lots of new experiences to absorb. With all that I can come back to Sydney safe in the knowledge that my brewing will become a whole lot better.

The Germans are coming.....

The German folk love Oktoberfest. So do I. In my first year as an all grain brewer it dawned on me that an Oktoberfest beer was needed to be brewed. So, to get into the spirit of things I decided that a nice, sweet malty beer was required. As I love wheat beers the thought of brewing an Oktoberfest Hefeweizen made me lick my lips with joy.

Not only did I lick my lips, I was also wild with anticipation. My newly acquired keg system was going to have another round of beers being introduced to it. I have to admit that it's been a great acquisition. Since my humble beginnings in extract brewing I have bottled from day one. Since August of this year, I have used kegs. It's been a Godsend. That feeling of getting fresh, tasty beer from your own tap has to be one of the best feelings ever.

Beer on tap. Yay!

As feelings go, my newly created recipe for my Oktoberfest Hefeweizen gave me goosebumps. I had tried a malt for the first time: Dark Munich. It was a fortuitous purchase, but it came in handy for this recipe. I had also tried for the first time a yeast strain called: Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan. What was to become of this new recipe, I wondered?

While I wondered how it'd taste, and while I waited for the beer to ferment, it gave me an opportunity to try out another new recipe. This time for a Chocolate Stout for my flat mate who'd requested it. Well, as it happened my Stout turned into a Chocolate Brown Ale. Oops. Beggars can't be chooses, right? I thought I had run out of Roasted Barley, but as I later found out this was not the case. Still, I knew it was going to be a great beer.

German lass not included

And as both great beers completely fermented and were kegged it was time to get into the fun that is Oktoberfest. My mate Dougal and I decided to book a lunch at our local German restaurant, Essen. After all, for $65 per person you get "Half a litre Beer in a souvenir stein, 3 course menu with all the German favourites, German cold cuts with brezels and home made pickles, sausage platters with sauerkraut and dumplings, schnitzel platters with roesti, salad platters, salmon in puff pastry with spinach and ricotta, apple strudel with vanilla sauce."

Full yet? Reading the menu alone made me gain 2kg around the waistline. Still, with our reservation confirmed and our bellies empty we knew that this was going to be a great lunch.  Our only problem was with what beer to start off with? Well, the only thing to do when you're in a German restaurant before a major meal of this magnitude is to start the lunch off with a couple of wheat beers. Boy, was that a great decision. 

Double trouble? Oh, yeah.

Indeed, the decision to attend the Oktoberfest at Essen was made even better by the live music. Lederhosen is a must when German live music is being showcased. Funnily enough, as we entered Essen and sat down at our reserved seating our arms and fists were swaying to the beat of those German tunes made so famous.

As the crowd applauded the perfectly sung German waltz, a voice from behind the microphone yelled: "Thank you, folks. Here's one I'm sure you'll all sing along to." Huh?! It was the most Australian of accents I'd ever heard. An Australian during Oktoberfest in Lederhosen singing in German...at a German restaurant? It was so outrageously funny that I almost wet my pants. I'd really thought I had seen everything.

Actually, I hadn't seen everything. I was made to laugh even more while our entree arrived. Our German waitress wore an apron that pictured big boobs in typical German dress that showed cleavage. As I pointed this out to her, while smiling from ear to ear, she laughed and carried on serving our entrees. I have to admit that she really didn't need any help in showcasing her boobs as they were quite big to begin with! Lucky us, eh?

A great start to Oktoberfest celebrations

And luck was definitely on our side when we started digging into our entree. A combination of breads, pretzels, cold meats, pickles and condiments. What a fabulous start to our journey. The bread was nutty and sweet, the pretzel was salty yet buttery in typical German style, the cold meats delicate and superb while the home made pickles were to die for.

Had we actually died and gone to heaven? Well, if we had gone to heaven then we definitely came to the right place....and we were at least thankful that heaven consists of Germans during Oktoberfest. As soon as we obliterated our entree, next up was the main meal. It was at this point we also had the opportunity to get our half litre of beer in our souvenir stein.

Prost!

That half litre of beer was a Radeberfer Pilsner. A crisp yet malty beer that defines the Oktoberfest quite perfectly. What's more, the main course that came out was something to behold. An overly huge pastry crust that covered salmon with spinach, veal and chicken schnitzel with cream and mushroom sauce and more sausages than you could poke a stick at. Let the feast begin!

But where to begin the feast? The succulent salmon delightfully packaged within a pastry filled with spinach? The veal and chicken schnitzel that looked so beautiful that it made Hayden Panettiere look like a Myer wax doll? What about the sausages? They looked so mouthwatering that my drool could've been used as a third condiment.

The new German frontier

The only way to stop my drooling was to swig a couple of mouthfuls of the Radeberger Pilsner. At least it gave me a chance to decide where to start. As it happens, Dougal took the first step and starting slicing the salmon. Great maneuver. It was split in half, then one half was split again with each piece planted onto each of our plates.

And with that first movement, our eyes wandered to the sausages. Deep underneath the sausages was sauerkraut. So, a few sausages and some sauerkraut later we pinched a smidgen of schnitzel and put a dollop of both cream and mushroom sauce all over our food. It was a degustation of astronomical proportions.

A perfect combination

As our sensations were in overdrive, our taste buds on high alert and our beer drinking skills in top gear the eventful feast fit for two Kings was almost complete. We had just finished our Pilsner and were on the cusp of ordering the same wheat beers to finish off the day. But, before we entered into the final stretch we felt our hearts drop.

Actually, our hearts skipped a beat. It sighed with great sorrow, too. As other guests slowly departed, the music slowing down and our bellies becoming increasingly full a glistening light shone into our eyes that were as glazed as a Krispy Kreme donut.

Wait for us!

We looked out the window and saw a truck with numerous kegs at the back of it. It was a sight to behold. We were so jealous that we were living in hope that these kegs were wheat beers assigned to Dougal and I. But, alas, our hopes were dashed when the truck decided to move on, driving into the distance never to be seen again.

And while were were crying over our lost kegs, the final installment of our 3 course meal had arrived. The magnificence of an apple strudel with vanilla sauce landed on our table with the elegance of a ballet dancer. This divine piece of food craftsmanship was the perfect way to end our superb Oktoberfest lunch.

Ja, danke!

It indeed was a perfect way to end our German feast. Going home after that was just wasn't fair. I had Oktoberfest still in my mind and I needed a fix. But what? Ah, I know! My Oktoberfest Hefeweizen was just the thing to sooth my ever increasing desire to do something "German."

That something German was pouring my first ever attempt at an Oktoberfest beer. It was a recipe I created specifically for this festival and I can definitely say I will be brewing this again. Apart from the fact I didn't pour it correctly, the sweetness obtained from the Dark Munich malt was just enough to make this a very special beer. I was quite pleased at the fact this was one drinkable beer.

Oktoberfest Hefeweizen

Strictly speaking this isn't a Hefeweizen, rather a Dunkelweizen. It's much darker than a Hefeweizen but not as dark as a Dunkel. It's more amber than anything else. Still, at 5.16% alcohol by volume (abv) my Oktoberfest beer allowed me to indulge in my never ending fantasy of all things German.

Ironically, my other beer on tap had nothing to do with Germany or my German theme I had so much attempted to keep. A Chocolate Brown ale the beer my flat mate wanted to drink was indeed a departure. Regardless, at 5.43% abv it ended up that I had a this delicious beer as well. Very subtle notes of chocolate with the blend of specialty grains lifted this beer into the stratosphere.

Chocolate Brown ale. Yummy!

Those stratospheric heights, sadly, ended two days later. That's how long it took to finish off two 19 litre kegs. It took two blokes with two free nights to finish off these wonderful beers. The Chocolate Brown ale was so good that it was the first to go, with my Oktoberfest beer being the next to finish.

But although my Oktoberfest keg has gone, what hasn't gone is the Oktoberfest spirit. In true German style I will brew a pure Hefeweizen and put it on tap. It will allow me to keep the grand memories of Oktoberfest clear in my mind while licking my lips at the opportunity to drink yet another wheat beer. 

Italian craft beer buzz hits Sydney

Italiano SpecTAPular

The Local Taphouse in Darlinghurst, Sydney showcased an impressive lineup of craft beer last night. More impressive was the fact that this lineup was from Italy. Advertised as the "Italiano SpecTAPular" beer festival this event allowed craft beer aficionados to try some 20 different craft beers, 17 of which had never been tapped before in Australia. All levels of this vibrant venue were jam-packed full of people sampling the best that Italian craft beer breweries had to offer. 

To open the night, we took the opportunity to peruse the beer menu and start off with a pint. Our first choice turned out to be Croce di Malto 'Triticum'. It's a unfiltered wheat beer, and it was a good one at that. A lovely, pale golden straw colour that was cloudy, which is typical of the style. It had a sweetness to it that somehow pronounced itself just a little bit too much for my liking. Having said that, it was probably the quickest I ever drank a pint of beer and a great way to start off the night.

Second from Left: Birra del Borgo 'Anniversario 7'

That great start lent its way toward trying the tasting paddles. Well, I don't mean eating the paddles themselves, rather tasting the five beer samples of approximately 60ml provided on each paddle presented. As it turns out the first five choices were mine, so I chose the Pale Ales and IPA's. First up was the Scarampola 'IPA Italian Pale Ale'  at 7% alcohol by volume (abv). It was described as "...a beer with aromas from the added grapefruit and the bitter fruit hops. This beer is a classic Italian slant on the traditional IPA. Persistent with a lovely bitter aftertaste."

I enjoyed my very first Italian Pale Ale, but couldn't rate it just yet. I had to wait to drink the other four before I could do that. However, it certainly did have a grapefruit aroma and the balance between dryness and bitterness was exotic. Next up we had a beer from Brewfist called 'Burocracy' at 6% abv. An IPA that has been "brewed with a mixture of American and New Zealand hops. Citrus and exotic fruits on the nose. Well balanced with a bitter finish." I have to admit that I was impressed with the aroma, but for some reason this beer didn't quite hit the mark for me. Onward and upward we go.

The third installment was a San Paolo Birrifico 'IPE' at 6.5% abv. It's an American Pale Ale that "...uses American hops that give a citrus flavour and floral bouquet. The aromatic complexity of this beer will knock you out." Knock me out? Jesus! What, was Mike Tyson going to pop out of the beer and slap me silly? Thankfully I wasn't knocked out but I was glad to be sitting down while sampling these beers. I was almost tripping over myself (unlike the Italian Football team who tend to trip over themselves in penalty boxes. The round of 16 clash at the 2006 World Cup between Italy and Australia comes to mind!) with the range of hops used in the beers so far. It was a good, solid beer and it rated well.

Italy's like Mitt Romney?

Our next taste sensation was the Birra del Borgo 'Anniversario 7' at 6.5% abv. Another American Pale Ale in this lineup, but with a difference. It was described as '...a celebrative version of the Classic ReAle brewed every year for the brewery's birthday." Although I cannot confirm the validity of the spelling, what I can confirm is that this beer was absolutely fantastic. A beautiful balance of malt and hops that kept me wanting more. It had a "fluffy" feel, had great lacing, was light-medium bodied and had an almost light opaque colour. The aroma was fruity, the bitterness melted with the malt and it easily was crowned as best beer on the tasting paddle.

Birra del Borgo 'Anniversario 7'

And that tasting paddle had one more to go: Brewfist /Beer Here 'Caterpillar'. It is a collaboration brew by Brewfist "...with Danish brewery 'Beer Here'. Combing rye malt and New Zealand hops to deliver a bitter and dry beer with fruity and resinous aromas." My research tells me that Motueka and Columbus hops were used in this beer. OK, my "research" means I'm typing into Google and finding an "answer". It's not scientific research here, folks. Just me rambling on about beer. So take what I say with pinch of salt....and a handful of Apollo hops. For me,  this beer tended to lean toward a very bitter and dry finish. Not something I'm too keen on, but maybe others were? It somewhat overpowered the drinker with this excessive dryness.

Paddle #2, but I missed a taster!

Apart from the appalling picture taken by yours truly, (you can see four tasters, not five. Was I drunk already?!) thankfully for us when we were up beer creek we did have a paddle. The next paddle to arrive on our table was, dare I say, specTAPular. We were now hitting the heady heights of the abv spectrum. The Birricio Troll 'Shangri La' at 8.5% abv was our next taster. This barleywine had some kick, and even more kick than an angry mule at an angry mule convention! Based on the picture you see, the barleywine has disappeared from the right. But that's OK. I remember it being lightly coloured, had a sweet taste and packed a punch. It certainly classifies itself as a winter warmer.

When will this sentence end?

Next on the agenda was an Extraomnes Tripel at 8.6% abv. This Abbey Tripel (above, far right) really amazed me.  "Lightly golden with a creamy foam, this beer has delicious floral but spicy aromas persistent with the delicious warm sensation of alcohol but well balanced with a lovely dry mouth that cleanses the palate and leaves you ready for more." Phew! I almost drowned reading that sentence! Heard of punctuation, beer writer extraordinaire?! Probably not! Now that my exclamation mark awareness program has ended, I couldn't help but notice the taste and aroma similar to that of Apricot? Either way this was a cracker of a beer.

Continuing on the taste testing journey, up come the Croce di Malto 'Triple XXX' at 5.8% abv. This Belgian Strong Ale was a "winner of 'Mondial de la Biere'" and was "inspired by the traditional Belgium Strong Ales produced by the Abbey monks." I grew up wanting to be somebody, but when I tasted this beer I wanted to be a monk so I could brew this beer. It was that good. It had spicy notes and, in my opinion, hints of orange zest. It was a goddamn beauty of a beer that made me shiver with excitement every time I took a sip of this gorgeous drop. It certainly ranked highly from all the tastings so far.

Cascadian Dark Ale. Meow!

The next taster in line was the Birra del Borgo 'Hoppy Cat'. Personally, I was half expecting a cat to jump out and scratch me with its wild claws. What I got was a fantastically smooth and hoppy beer. It was the first time I had ever tried a Cascadian Dark Ale, which I think has only been recently declared a beer style. Strangely, it was described as "a brown, coffee coloured Dark IPA (aka Black IPA)..." I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure. What type of beer is this, anyway? I'm confused. Meanwhile, back at the ranch.....

Again, it was the balance between malt and hops which made this beer one of my favourites. The final beer in this paddle was another from Brewfist: 'Fear Milk Chocolate'. "Fear" Milk Chocolate? Well, I don't drink milk so should I fear it? Possibly. I have to admit that this was one of two surprise beers for me. I didn't expect to like it as my memory of Young's Double Choc Stout rings in my brain since I'm not a fan of it.

But I was a fan of this one. This stout had a roasty aroma, was silky smooth but wasn't heavy, rather lighter bodied. It's officially described as "sweet, complex and with its own unique taste. The lactose and cocoa beans give it a fantastic hint of chocolate." Well, I couldn't detect the chocolate but it certainly was roasty and I could easily tell the silky smoothness was due to the lactose. Overall, it was a solid representation for a beer I wasn't expecting to like whatsoever. Don't you just love surprises? There was still yet more surprises as we continue our drunken...sorry, drinking journey at Italiano SpecTAPular.

Paddle #3

Our third paddle provides the story for the day. Not that I can tell stories, though. I mean, if you're this far into my blog I must be doing OK? We enjoyed our first beer of the night so much that we included it in our third paddle tasting. So, that was first up.....again. The Croce di Malto 'Triticum' (far left in paddle #3) probably doesn't do itself any justice with my photographic skills but it is a good beer nonetheless. What surprised me was the next beer: Another collaboration beer, this time Birra del Borgo and Dogfish Head came together to brew 'My Antonia' at 7.5% abv.

You see, I'm a fan of Dogfish Head. When I began home brewing three years ago I came across Dogfish Head on the Internet. I was immediately hooked and wanted desperately to try their beers. I was lucky enough to experience that while in the USA back in 2010, which you can read all about on my other blog under the 'United Beers of America' tag line. My first beer from Dogfish Head that I tried was their 60 minute IPA in San Francisco. Although a little disappointed, I was still stoked at drinking their beer. I also drank their Midas Touch beer, which is "somewhere between wine and mead." So, to see this type of collaboration and knowing that it has never been tapped in Australia brought a tear to a grown man's eye. Seriously.

Back to 'My Antonia', this beer is an Imperial Pilsner and has "...a highly perfumed nose combined with floral and resinous notes that blend harmoniously. The honeyed malt and peppery hops blend with a bitter end taste to make an extremely elegant beer." I almost wet my pants drinking this beer. Not because I had to go to the toilet, but the fact that this beer was really, really good. I know a few of the boys didn't like it but I must admit that this beer made my day. One, the fact that I'm drinking a collaborative beer from Dogfish Head and, two, the fact that I'm actually brewing a Bohemian Pilsner myself that I can match this against. This beer certainly made the top two of the tastings so far.

So, number 3 of paddle 3 was from Brewfist again. This time we had the pleasure entering 'Jale'. No, not Jail but 'Jale'. Either these Italians cannot spell or it's a play on words. I'd take the latter approach. An Extra Special Bitter at 5.6% abv (third from left in above picture) describes itself as a "deep red colour with notes of roasted caramel accompanied by the aromas of traditional English hops and a bitter well balanced finish." Although the puncuation police have already booked and fined the editor, needless to say that I didn't get much of anything from this beer. I do believe the phrase "this tastes like nothing" came from one of the boys.

Next was the Extraomnes 'Zest' at 5.3% abv. This Belgian Pale Ale reminded me of the time I tried to do a Pale Ale with lemon rind. Problem was I put too much lemon rind in the mix and the beer turned out to be more sour than an actual sour lemon itself. Thankfully, this had a hint of it and blended in quite well, although the description didn't show any signs that it purported to be. I admit that my tongue felt like it had helped lick a shaggy dog's balls.  My taste buds weren't the best, admittedly. Nonetheless, we soldered on and moved onto our last offering in this paddle.

Croce di Malto 'Temporis' at 6% abv had been labelled a Speciality Seasonal Ale. Quite frankly, it was sour despite it being described as "a special seasonal beer produced and dedicated to the spring, offering an explosion of flavours ranging from fruits to herbaceous notes. Contains a mixture of special herbs and spices developed after long nights of research." Herbs and spices? This isn't KFC, you know....and it wasn't SO GOOD after tasting it. Heck, those shaggy dog's balls were kinda tasting nice after this one. 

Paddle #4. Kaching!

Our final paddle, number 4, saw yours truly lose the plot. Not only were my tasting notes unreadable, they were unreadable from an iPhone notepad application. WTF?! Seriously, it disappoints me to say that the next in line, the Croce di Malto 'Hauria' at 5% abv, had the word "nice" in my tasting notes. As Kolsch's go, it was damn nice indeed but, sadly, that's about as much as I can say about that beer. I do recall, however, that it was one of the better Kolsch-style beers I had tasted. Next was Birra del Borgo 'Duchessa' at 5.8% abv. This Saison-style beer was "lemony". Yeah, my notes aren't worth a cent but the description of this beer puts it in a much better light saying it is "brewed with barley and spelt flour traditionally grown in the mountain region of the Duchess Regional Park. Golden, with a rich and creamy foam. Fruity, floral and with a peppery nose."

Although I hadn't been aware that beers had pepper-like objects for noses, it's nice to know that this description far outweighs mine. Sure, the punctuation and spelling police have now officially locked up the editor (now wearing orange overalls at Long Bay Correctional Centre) it is nice to read a more eloquent approach to tasting notes. And though there were five samplers in this paddle, only three were unique. The last two were beers we had already tried. So, onto our last unique beer sampler for the night. Birra del Borgo 'Keto Reporter' is a tobacco porter at 5.2% abv. Since yours truly cannot read the tasting notes on his iPhone, let our beloved editor of these brew notes described this beer.

The 'Keto Reporter' starts by "adding 'King Porter' Kentucky tobacco leaves 'Toscano' (the same ones used for production of the famous cigars). The result is a dark beer with an extremely rich nose of tobacco scents mixed with spices and a hint of toasted hazelnut." I'm guessing that the nose bought some lottery tickets if it's that rich, but I can assure you that when I tried this beer there was no hint of hazelnut. A great beer, but it was more of a roasty aroma with a light to medium body. Sadly, after all the excitement of trying all this beer we managed to miss one. To my disappointment, the one we missed was the Maibock by San Paolo Birrifico 'Buxus'. And, for those counting, there was one other beer that we couldn't get our hands on  since it was sold out quite early. The Honey Ale by Sao Paolo Birrifico 'Robinia' had been drank fairly quickly by the fans, so this, too, didn't make our list.

Beer of the night

To end the short night that I had there was only one way to complete it. That was to buy a pint of my favourite beer of the night, which was the Birra del Borgo 'Anniversario 7'. In second place was the collaboration betweeen Birra del Borgo/Dogfish Head that brewed the Imperial Pilsner called 'My Antonia'. To wrap up the ratings, third place went to Croce di Malto for the 'Triple XXX' Belgian Strong Ale. All in all we had an array of fantastic beers (apart from the shaggy dog's balls comments) and were greatly impressed by the variety these Italians could deliver.

Being at The Local Taphouse and tasting all those craft beers was a great way to experience the best of Italy. It was noteworthy to mention that Dogfish Head played a part in this event. It was a perfect way to enjoy a very cool night in Sydney, drinking craft beer and enjoying the different flavours, textures and aromas these beers had to offer. Thanks to The Local Taphouse for putting on a fantastic night of craft beer tasting. We shall return for more!

PS: I'm sure the punctuation and spelling police are after me, too. For now, read this 'as is' and enjoy.

hold the chicken and grab me another beer

Duff's. Hot enough for ya?

When I think of chicken I usually think of KFC, Red Rooster or Oporto. What I don't think about is chicken wings and the million and one sauces it can be made with. Back in 2010 it just so happened that our trip to Buffalo, New York gave us the opportunity to visit the Buffalo Wings Festival, which you can read about here. It also gave me an excuse to try  different beers. Heck, I really don't need an excuse to drink beer.

Bottled version. Mine was on tap.

So here we are in the middle of Buffalo, New York walking into a bar and trying to order a beer. I asked the lovely lady behind the counter to help me choose (she probably knew from my accent) as I wasn't from these neck of the woods. She pointed out that the Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat beer felt like a good choice. When in Rome.....

I pay for the beer and leave her a tip. I walk outside and I tried the beer. Oh dear. I didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, the concept is a fascinating one but the problem here is the concept didn't materialise into a good beer. Ever tried the syrup from a can of cherries? Well, imagine that taste plastered all over your tongue like a bad tradesman painting the Sistine Chapel. You may as well have got a stick of gelignite, placed it in a can of paint and put it in the middle of Sistine Chapel, then detonated it. The beer was that much of a calamity.

Long Trail Pale Ale. Nice!

After that train wreck of a beer I was hoping this wasn't going to be a bad beer tasting town. I needn't of worried. Turns out that I come across one of my favourite beers while I was in Buffalo. We stopped for petrol (gas, if you're reading this in the US) and bought some items. I happened to see some beer that I hadn't tasted and bought a couple of different six-packs. Little did I know that one of those six-packs I was holding in my hot little hands was Long Trail Pale Ale. What a bloody gem of a beer!

And I guess my hot little hands were indeed very, very hot. Spending a whole day at the Buffalo Wings Festival gave me the opportunity to try chicken in a new and original way. Better still, why not eat a chicken wing called "Homicide"? Surely that has to be good for you? Eating all those hot chicken wings can make an Aussie man thirsty. So, while at Coca Cola field I drank the only beer that I vaguely liked: Labatt Blue.

Homicide. It's to die for!

It's a good thing I drank Labatt Blue, too. You see, Labatt Blue is the majority owner of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team and it had only been the day before that we hit Toronto, Canada. From Buffalo it's just a couple of hours away, so it was quite easy for us to cross the US-Canada border without too much trouble. It was here that by pure fluke we bumped into a brewery.

That brewery was Steam Whistle Brewery, which happens to be more green than the Incredible Hulk. It's also a brewery that brews the best Pilsner in Canada. I have to admit that, at the time, I wasn't a great Pilsner fan. I've drank Heineken, Beck's and similar beers in the past but rarely enjoyed them. So, for me, drinking this beer was somewhat of an experience in itself. I will admit, though, that the brewery tour, the staff and everything about Steam Whistle was extraordinarily brilliant.

Steam Whistle's Pilsner.

I was more impressed at how environmentally friendly they were more than the beer itself. Our brewery tour guide even told us how they recycle most things in the brewery (where possible) and how it benefits the community. It's such a pity I didn't fancy the beer. Ah, but how life changes and bites you (actually, me) in the ass. As I type, and we're talking July 2012, I can proudly state that I love my Pilsner beer.

I had the opportunity back in December, 2011 in Hobart, Tasmania to go on another "world beer tour" (in Hobart?!) that saw me have quite a few craft beers. I was lucky enough to come across a Bohemian Pilsner at a local tavern. This knocked my socks off - and almost my kneecaps! It was at that moment I realised the true Pilsner taste, one that I had been longing for. But I digress. Back to Toronto, Canada we go.

Duff's. We got the Mild.

The Steam Whistle brewery was fantastic and I even managed to get a couple of souvenirs to take back home. Pretty cool stuff. But I know what wasn't cool were these damn chicken wings I was eating all the time. Everywhere I walked in Buffalo there were menus full of chicken wing meals. I recall sipping that Steam Whistle beer and thinking to myself: 'I may not like this beer, but it'd sure as hell go down nicely after a bunch of spicy hot chicken wings'.

Now if only I did have that Steam Whistle beer while I was at Duff's, where the Mild chicken wings were hot enough to use as a paint stripper. I probably would have celebrated long enough to toast Barack Obama, who actually visited Duff's while on the road prior to his Presidential win. To be truthful, though, I don't really need to toast anyone to have a beer. Beer is everywhere in the US, and I found some good ones in Buffalo. Problem was,  the more chicken wings you eat the more you drink beer. With that in mind, you really don't need an excuse to drink beer.

Ich liebe den Geruch von Bier in den Morgen

Two Harbors, Minnesota on Lake Superior

I love the smell of beer in the morning. Particularly when that morning is on holiday in the United States of America. More specifically, Two Harbors, Minnesota. Back in 2010, my second trip to the US, we booked a log cabin right next to the spectacular Lake Superior, which you can read all about here. I have to say that this trip was an amazing experience.

Even more amazing was the choice of craft beer available. Not necessarily in Two Harbors but the US in general. Coming from a country where the craft beer scene is just starting to take off, arriving in the US and being able to absorb all the different styles of beer was something to behold. I didn't start to appreciate the depth of quality these US beers had until I tried them myself.

City Beer Store, San Francisco

Hitting San Francisco in the first few days was simply incredible. I managed to drink my first ever Dogfish Head beer. My mate and I somehow managed to find the City Beer Store, which serves multitudes of craft beer. That first beer was a Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. I had heard a lot about Dogfish Head and was chomping at the bit to sink one down. Before I could say Rumpelstiltskin, next up was a Midnight Sun Sockeye Red IPA from Midnight Sun Brewing.

Sockeye Red IPA, Midnight Sun

If I could have made love to a beer, that would have been it. I truly hadn't tasted a beer like it in my life. I guess that is how depraved we are in Australia by not having great beer like that around. Could this place get any better? Actually, it did. My next beer was, for all intents and purposes, the best beer I had ever tasted: Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing. What a gorgeous, sexy bit of loveliness it really was.

Pliny the Elder was an IPA of such magnitude that I was lucky I had been sitting down drinking it. I am sure that had I of been standing up my knees would have buckled and I'd fall flat on my butt. And then it hit me. City Beer "Store"? It was actually like a normal corner store but for beers. It wasn't any bigger than a small apartment but you had a bench for the bar, some chairs at the bar to sit down, two or three tables and a bit of space left over for a few people to stand up, chat and drink beer. Of course, you had the plethora of shelves housing bucket loads of craft beer.

Pliny the Elder. Wow.

And being able to try a bucket load of craft beer was a mission of mine well before the trip began. But I never really did get over the fact that there was an endless list of beers that I never got to try. In my rough estimates I tried some 80+ different beers in just 9 weeks of travel around the US. To me, that's a fair amount. Problem was that it barely scratched the surface that are brewed in the US. As I type now, that still makes me shake my head in disbelief of the amount still on offer next time I visit the US.

Congratulations from Old Chicago!

One thing I don't have to shake my head in disbelief is my fantastic effort at Old Chicago. A limit of four beers per day can be marked off your World Beer Tour membership card. You can drink as many as you like, but only four will be recorded per day. I managed to put down 40 different beers, which earned me a magnificent Old Chicago bottle opener. Here sits a bloody proud Australian!

Don't I wish we had something like that in Australia. Sure, we have some brewpubs about Sydney and they are very nice places to drink. The only problem is there's no incentive to keep going. No points awarded, no real customer rewards and nothing making the customer want more. That's a major letdown if you ask me. I have nothing against any of our brewpubs, I'm merely saying that there is no reward-based system in place to keep the customer coming back for more.

Original Gravity Black IPA (Odell Brewing)

I tell you what, though. I'll be coming back for more craft beer in the US later this year. My only regret is that I will not be able to try my all time favourite beer: Original Gravity Black IPA from Odell Brewing. It was a limited release batch from Odell Brewing that was made available at Old Chicago. Gee whiz, such awesomeness, such monstrous aroma and flavour that I am sure I drank that limited batch dry.

Coffee Bender from Surly

But, like most things in life, I have to move on. Move on to the next big and beautiful beer. Talking of beer, I was introduced to an amazing beer by a good friend of mine: Coffee Bender from Surly Brewing.  Their slogan: Beer for a glass. From a can. Well, that was pretty obvious when I picked up a six-pack of their beer. Large, slender pint cans that made me drool like a mouth being numb post injection at a dentist's clinic.

Thankfully, that drool was wiped up by my left arm....all the while my right arm was picking out another six-pack of beer to try. I was also lucky enough to visit Summit Brewing and do one of their brewery tours. It was interesting in the fact that for the very first time I had to sit through a slide show on how beer was made. I recall the tour guide being very knowledgeable, warm and friendly towards everyone that attended. I'm not sure how they do their tours now but it certainly was an unique and fascinating way to do your introductory tour.

We eventually got to the nitty-gritty end of the tour: the beer tasting. By that stage I was actually dying of thirst. I was so thirsty that I could have drank a camel's hump and still had room for more. I used my tokens wisely. Well, when I say wisely it means I ran to the bar like a typical Australian and in my dodgy accent asked for an Oatmeal Stout. Something that, at the time, they weren't selling but did have available for tasting during tours.

It was a great beer, let me tell you. Smooth, rich, chocolatey, roasty. It was everything you wanted in a stout and more. It was just a shame that I didn't have many tokens left. But there was another brewery tour I did that had plenty of beer tokens: Surly Brewing. Yes, I mentioned them earlier in reference to their Coffee Bender. Since I tried a Surly, I just had to go on one of their tours. Organising a tour, though, was difficult. These guys are popular!

But once the tour was booked it was nothing short of brilliant. Most brewery tours start with an explanation of the gear, how they brew, what ingredients they use, etc. Not Surly. They give you 5 tokens and get you to try their beer first! Simply awesome! It was made even better by the fact that someone had "lost" a token, which meant I got 6 beers. It certainly made for an interesting tour post drinks, that's for sure.

Buffalo, New York

Strangely enough, the most interesting brewery tour was in Canada, which we went to during our Buffalo, New York trip.  That was certainly a trip I will never, ever forget for reasons which shall remain a secret until my next blog. That's the thing, there were so many fantastic experiences during my 2010 US trip that it inspires great memories right to this very day. Until next blog....

dannbrew