Enjoy Fridays with a Leinie

Here’s a crazy stat: Americans work longer hours and take less vacation than any other country in the world. And on top that, our total work hours are actually increasing. Leinenkugel’s wants to help change that. That’s why they’ve created the Leinie Friday badge: a little nudge encouraging everyone to leave work early, grab a Leinie with friends, and make the most of your Summer Fridays before they’re gone.

Check-in any Leinenkugel’s beer on a Friday (12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Local Time) between May 1st - August 31st and you’ll unlock the “Leinie Friday (2016)” badge. This badge will only be available to unlock on Friday.

To learn more about Leinenkugel’s line up of great beers visit Leinie.com and be sure to join them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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The Reinheitsgebot: Protective or Pointless? - via AHA

You can expect to hear a lot this year about the Reinheitsgebot. The law’s 500th anniversary was April 23, 2016, and in honor of that, we want to arm you with some knowledge that you can humbly throw out to whomever mentions Reinheitsgebot—whether they celebrate it or vilify it.

Lets take a closer look at this beer purity law. What is it? And does it have any relevance today? No matter where your opinion lands, we suggest a healthy love/hate relationship, because like personal relationships, laws are complicated.

What is the Reinheitsgebot?

“Furthermore we wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, markets and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water. Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance shall be punished by the Court authorities’ confiscating such barrels of beer without fail.” – Reinheitsgebot, 1516

In English, Reinheitsgebot roughly translates to the “German Beer Purity Law,” which, for what it’s worth, is a hell of a lot easier to say. Signed by the Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV into law on April 23rd, 1516, it primarily limited the price of beer, but also limited what ingredients could be used to make beer: barley, hops and water. The original text makes no mention of yeast, malt, purity, or differences between ales and lagers. These were all later additions as knowledge of beer and brewing processes grew.

What most people don’t know is the Reinheitsgebot also regulated beer prices. The primary reason for the law was to keep beer and bread affordable. It’s likely that the bill was not to protect beer as much as it was to protect bakers: wheat and rye were reserved for bread, while barley, a terrible product for bread-making, was given to the brewers. In other words, the decree  limited the price of beer while also keeping brewers’ malty mitts off the baker’s precious wheat.

Why is it called the Purity Law?

That is only the popular modern name, coined by a Bavarian politician in 1918. It’s arguably a mistake about the law’s intentions, since the idea was not necessarily to keep beer “pure” but to keep both beer and bread affordable. Of the 315 worded document, only 31 of them deal with beer ingredients. The rest of the law discusses beer price controls and penalties for violators.

What happens to violators of the Reinheitsgebot?

Well, nothing too devastating despite the feudal and archaic times. Brewers who violated the law had their beer barrels taken by the state and destroyed, and the owner(s) did not receive any money for the lost beer. Stated in the decree, “…Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the Court authorities’ confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail.” This punishment is still around today.

Was it really the first food safety law?

No. Freaking. Way. The decree didn’t address food safety or sanitation. Also, there were earlier local laws in some German cities around beer making. The Justitia Civitatis Augustensis, a civil code of Augsburg, Bavaria, issued in 1156 by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick “Barbarossa,” decreed that a brewer who made bad beer would be punished, and the beer would be destroyed or given to the poor at no charge.

Duke Albrecht IV, Wilhelm’s father, forced all brewers in the city of Munich to take a public oath of faithful allegiance to a 1447 ordinance demanding brewers use only barley, hops, and water in their beers, and Duke Georg the Rich extended the oath of allegiance to the central Bavarian duchy of Lundshut in 1493. All of this was before war reunited Bavaria; the 1516 order is the one that is remembered.

Some also call it the world’s “oldest consumer protection law,” maybe because it is still (somewhat) in effect. The Reinheitsgebot was repealed by the European Union in 1987 on the grounds of its violation of international trade laws. However, many German breweries still uphold it, and label their beers as such.

Is the law still in effect today?

Pretty much. You have to follow it if you want to brew and sell beer in Germany. But, a German company could brew non-compliant beer in another country and import it, or a German brewer could make non-compliant beer, but the brewery can’t market it as “beer.”

What does the law look like today?

Like legal jargon. Today it’s part of the Vorläufiges Biergesetz von 1993—the Preliminary Beer Law of 1993. The law includes a broad, complex, and sweeping set of regulations that touch everything from brewing techniques and cellar processes to recipe design, regulations many homebrewers and craft brewers would have a hard time complying with today.

But the law has evolved over the years, for example, to allow yeast. It also allows the use of wheat, or any other malted grains, as well as sugar, but only for top-fermenting beers (think ales). And there is no prohibition on the importation of non-compliant beers, or else it would violate various international trade laws. However, it still forbids the use of all unmalted grains.

How does it affect brewers today?

Although many Germans and beer lovers worldwide celebrate the law, the old rules can be a buzzkill for startup brewers trying to be creative and innovative. It holds back innovation in Germany’s beer scene. However, the law isn’t burdensome to homebrewers, though some are proud to brew within the law’s limitations.

The Ongoing Debate

The rigid strictures of the Purity law have created a distinct and unique beer culture, especially during the past century.

Homebrewers and craft brewers, with their dedication to brew freely, are now demonstrating to the world how exciting beer can be. In Germany, this divides brewers and consumers into two camps. One one side are those who consider the Purity Law an Orwellian overreach and a form of art censorship. People have brewed for 10,000 years using the ingredients that were available around them. One the other hand, there are those who hold that the Purity Law is a foundation in the defense of a sacred beer culture, worth preserving at all costs against the onslaught of cheap swill.

Regardless of what the future might hold for the Reinheitsgebot and German beer culture, history has shown us that change is inevitable. The particular form that change will take, however, remains to be seen.

Put what you just read to the test in the Tuesday Beer Trivia: Reinheitsgebot!

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Sources:

• The Reinheitsgebot: Is it still Relevant? by Horst Dornbusch, May/June 2016 Zymurgy
• Oxford Companion to Beer by Garrett Oliver
• History of German Brewing  by Karl J. Eden, Special Edition 1993 Zymurgy

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Crush Life with 10 Barrel’s Crush

10 Barrel Brewing Co. wants you to #crushlife. To help you out, they’re bringing you two things: Cucumber Crush in cans and an Untappd badge! This award-winning beer is a crisp Berliner Weisse packed with loads of cucumber flavor that leaves you with a refreshingly tart taste.

So, grab some pals, go somewhere rad, and unlock the ‘Crush Life – Cucumber Sour’ badge by checking in one (1) Cucumber Crush from 5/1/16 – 6/1/16.

To learn more about 10 Barrel, you can visit them online at 10Barrel.com and be sure to follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

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What to Age in Your Beer Cellar - via AHA

Cellaring is the process of allowing a beer to mature under specific conditions to achieve nuances, particularly in its flavor and aroma, that often can only be achieved with aging. What you’re left with after aging beer successfully is what is called “vintage beer.”

Choosing a Beer Cellar Location

Before jumping into some tips on what makes a beer optimal to age (because not all of them are!), it is important to understand the beer cellar environment that is ideal for aging beer for an extended time.

1. Temperature

Arguably the most important aspect of a beer cellar is the temperature. 55°F (12.8°C) has become a widely accepted temperature for aging most ales. Lagers aren’t usual suspects for cellaring, but a good rule to follow is to aim to keep beer cellar temperatures about 10°F below the temperature at which the beer is fermented.

Generally, ales are fermented around 65°F (18.3°C) and lagers at 50°F (10°C). Being able to maintain a temperature in this range with little fluctuation will allow the beer to mature at an appropriate rate. If it’s too cold, the maturation period slows significantly, and if too warm it can speed things up and cause off-flavors.

2. Darkness

The second thing to keep in mind is light. Keep your cellar dark! UV light interacts with hops in beer to create the dreaded light-struck flavor, otherwise known as “skunked” beer. Keep your beers shielded from light in any way possible, especially if they are packaged in clear or green bottles. A cheap way to prevent light-struck beer is to stick them in a sealed box or paper bag.

Those are the basics, but the trickiest part for cellaring is deciding which beers are suitable for aging because, after all, some just aren’t up for the task.

Tips for Picking a Beers to Cellar

1. The more alcohol, the better

When aging beer, it is crucial that there is a preservative present, which will essentially slow the aging process. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a beer that has at least 8% alcohol by volume (ABV). You may think speeding up the aging process is desirable, but in the case of cellaring beer the best technique is a slow-and-steady approach. A preservative like alcohol makes beer more resilient to potential staling flavors, which are typically caused by oxidation. And keep in mind that the booziness that is often present in fresh beers with high ABVs will typically mellow over time, allowing other flavors to come to the forefront.

All of that being said, there are some exceptions to the “more alcohol, the better” rule. The lactic acid in sour beers and the smokey phenols in smoked beers also act as preservatives, lessening the importance of the level of alcohol.

2. Body by beer cellar

During the aging process, the malt proteins present in beer will drop out. This reaction causes the body of beer to reduce over time, and the result is often a very thin and some cases overly-dry beer after it’s been aged. Wheat-derived proteins tend to fall out exceptionally quick, making wheat-based styles very tricky to age successfully. Because of this, it is important to cellar beers that are very full-bodied when they are fresh. This allows the malt proteins to drop out while still retaining some of the body and overall balance.

If a beer seems to thicken, becoming almost syrupy over time instead of thinning, it most likely means the alcohol character has decreased (as mentioned in #1) to the point where it creates the impression that the body thickened.

3. Mind your esters and phenols

The yeast-derived character of both esters and phenols will evolve and change over time, which may or may not be desirable depending on the base style of the beer.

The fruity esters—reminiscent of pears and other tree fruits—commonly found in Belgian and some British style ales will develop into more dark fruit-like character (think raisin and figs). Banana esters, like those common in German hefeweizens, tend to disappear altogether in a fairly short span of time. Esters from Brett will take much longer period of times to change, but have the potential to achieve interesting flavors like pineapple and grapefruit.

Phenols—the spicy yeast flavors that come across as clove or pepper—will evolve into much different flavors, including vanilla, tobacco and leather. In instances where earthy phenolics are present in the fresh beer, there is the potential to achieve complex flavors that are all but impossible to achieve unless done with aging.

4. More hops isn’t always best

Remember when we said beer needs some sort of preservative to be a good candidate for cellaring? Well, despite hops reputation as being originally used for its antibacterial utility, hop bitterness and flavor/aroma are not well suited for aging. Simply put, the presence of hops fades over time, and this can drastically affect the balance of a beer. After all, if a hoppy beer style like IPA was brewed to a desirable balance of malt and hops, then reducing the presence of hops can throw this harmony out of wack.

In some instances hop character not only diminishes but can result in unfavorable flavors left behind. For example, American hop varieties with high levels of alpha acids can leave behind stale, paper-like flavors. On the other hand, English hop varieties with high beta acids, which are said to have a better chance of retaining bitterness, can impart fruity notes similar to pineapple and cherry as they age.

5. Sours

Sours can be a tricky beast when aging, and the results may not be what you expect. First off, the tart, lip-puckering character that puts the “sour” in “sour beer” will lessen with time, diminishing that typically-dominant characteristic. This softening of the sourness can be either a good or bad thing depending on the balance of the cellared beer at the time it’s consumed.

It’s important to note that while the sour character mellows and in some instances evolves (as with Brettanomyces) at a very, very slow rate, it is not uncommon for some sour beers to become even more sour in the first few years it’s being aged. It’s also not unusual for sour beers that have been aged for extended periods of time to appear more sour due to other characters, particularly the malt, diminishing.

Brett (short for Brettanomyces), though slow to evolve in the cellar, can undergo very drastic evolution when aged. Brett is a slow-acting yeast but a hungry one, and it will basically eat through all available fermentable sugars slowly but surely. This means extensive aging can often leave Brett beers bone dry, which can throw off the balance. During this process, the esters can evolve as mentioned in #3, but there is also the potential for aggressive phenolics to develop, which can be undesirable.

6. Keep the yeast in the bottle

Beers that are bottle conditioned, unfiltered and/or unpasteurized are generally better-suited for aging. By having yeast in the bottle, the beer is essentially a living entity that can consume residual oxygen and continue to condition slowly. This opens up a wider possibility of aging produced cellar character that a beer without yeast otherwise might not be able to achieve.

Filtered and/or pasteurized beers can still exhibit character evolution from aging but to a much lesser extent.

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Sources: This post is based on the 2015 National Homebrewers Conference seminar “Crafting Cellarworthy Homebrew” presented by Patrick Dawson, author of Vintage Beer: A Taster’s Guide to Brews That Improve over Time. Download the audio/visual presentation of “Crafting Cellarworthy Homebrew.”

 

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Summertime Ginger Ale - via AHA

To brew the Summertime Ginger Ale, mash grains at 152° F (67° C) for 60 minutes. Mash out at 168° F (76° C), with pre-boil wort volume of 6.5 gal. (25 L).

Bring to a rolling boil for 60 minutes, add hops, honey, lactose, and ginger at specified intervals from end of boil. Chill wort to 65° F (18° C) and pitch yeast.

After 5 days, rack to secondary fermenter and age for another 10 days, adding remaining ginger for the last 7 days.

Keg at 2.5 volumes of CO₂ or bottle condition with 4 oz (113 g) corn sugar.

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Tuesday Beer Trivia: Reinheitsgebot - via AHA

Brewers Publications Presents Wood & Beer: A Brewer’s Guide - Via Brewers Association

Boulder, CO • April 26, 2016 – The use of wooden vessels for storage, transportation, fermentation or aging of beer is deeply rooted in history. The latest release from Brewers Publications, Wood & Beer: A Brewer’s Guide by brewing luminaries Dick Cantwell and Peter Bouckaert, explores the many influences of wood as a vehicle for […]

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May is a Month of Celebration! - via Due South Brewing

May is such a fun month here at Due South. Not only do we celebrate our anniversary during May, but we also get to celebrate this passion of ours for amazing beer with the rest of the country during American Craft Beer Week.

Hope we see you at some of these fun events …
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo at the Brewery with special releases including spicy beers (tapping @ 2) & Tacos Verarcruz (4 – 10)
May 5 – Cinco “Due” Mayo at World of Beer in Coconut Creek – Category 5 will be served 5 different ways!
May 13 – Calm Before the Storm at The Brass Tap in Boynton Beach – A pre-anniversary party to celebrate Due South turning 4 years old.
May 14 – Due South’s 4th Anniversary Celebration at the Brewery with special beers all day, plus Outside the Box & a pig roast with MV My Food Truck
May 16 – Brewery Throwdown at Barrel of Monks Brewing in Boca Raton – Buy your advanced ticket now to get a beer from each brewery with all four courses of food.
May 16 – 22 – Celebrate American Craft Beer Week with special events and discounts all over the country.
May 17 – Totally Rad! at The Mack House in Davie – 1990’s themed party with special beers from Boulevard and Due South
May 18 – The Social House in Lake Worth Celebrates American Craft Beer Week
May 26 – Boynton Beach Food, Wine, and Brews Festival at Benvenuto – Buy your advanced ticket now for unlimited food & drink samples, and it’s under $40!

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A Brewery Update with Swamp Head Brewery

Swamp Head Brewery, one of the original Florida breweries to splash into the craft beer scene, has grown into quite a gem.

Founded in 2008 on the idea of providing Floridians with world-class craft beer and becoming Florida’s brewery, their style and mantra has always reflected the unique culture and natural beauty of the Sunshine State that they call home.

Since their inception in 2008, Swamp Head has grown up quite a bit. The brewery started out on a 10-barrel system, brewing just 700 barrels their first year. With the installation of a four vessel 30bbl system, they are now looking to increase capacity to over 20,000 barrels in their new brewery, says Brandon Nappy, Tactical Marketing Manager at Swamp Head.

With this increase in capacity they are beginning to increase focus in new Florida markets such as Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine.

The brewery’s award winning year round beers include Wild Night Honey Cream Ale, Cottonmouth Belgian Witbier, Stump Knocker Pale Ale, Midnight Oil Oatmeal Coffee Stout and Big Nose IPA. All of these core offerings are known throughout Florida by craft beer lovers as some of the most consistent, bold and balanced beer coming out of the state.

Since moving into their new brewery in early 2015 Swamp Head has been able to increase focus on the sustainability efforts that they have had their eyes on for years. Working with Solar Impact of Florida, Swamp Head became Florida’s first brewery to harness the power of the Florida Sun via a solar power grid on the roof of the brewery.

“We installed an expandable solar grid, starting with over 50 panels, we plan on adding more in the future,” said Nappy.

 

Far beyond the use of solar power, Swamp Head does not take sustainability lightly.  From day to day operations to large scale environmentally focused events, Swamp Head works to protect natural Florida and want to do everything they can to preserve it. From reclaiming energy from the brewing process to feeding the spent grain from each brew to local cattle, Swamp Head does whatever they can to reduce their impact.

With an ever growing demand for craft beer throughout Florida, there is one main question that is plaguing craft beer drinkers everywhere.

“When can we take a can of this delicious liquid beachside, poolside or tailgating with us?”

The answer is, not just yet, but hang in there. Swamp Head wants to do it right. “We are taking the can roll out slowly. Focusing on introducing our draft beer to other markets is a main concern at this time, and keeping up with the demand is of utmost importance. We will be there, we promise,” said Nappy.

You can already find cans of Wild Night, Stump Knocker and Big Nose at the brewery and in their home market of Gainesville, but don’t expect six packs to hit the rest of the state in the immediate future.

In the meantime you can expect some seriously tasty draft beer to hit the market over the next few months(see release calendar).

Along with all the new, great things happening out and about throughout the state, they are also always keeping it fresh at the brewery. Keep an eye out for these, and many other, great events coming up!

Taco Tuesdays: Every Glorious Tuesday

Swamp Head has also started celebrating Taco Tuesdays. Every Tuesday from 4-8 PM and enjoy some tacos and burritos from Burrito Brother Taco Co.

There are lots of exciting things happening already with Swamp Head in 2016, and we cannot wait to see what the rest of the year brings. One thing always remains the same, and that is they are Inherently Floridian, and their beer is inherently delicious.

 

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Ryan Kilpatrick - Via Brewers Association

What’s your current position at your brewery, and how did you get started in the craft brewing industry? I am owner/head brewer at Fiction Beer Company in Denver. I have always been interested in starting my own business. For a time it was a restaurant, but then I started working in accounting for a restaurant […]

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Making the Most of Your Brand with the Media - Via Brewers Association

Garnering media attention can have great impact on your brand and the overall craft segment. Abby Berman Cohen, vice president at The Rosen Group and media relations consultant to the Brewers Association, discusses best practices when working with the media. Julia Herz, craft beer program director at the Brewers Association, discusses spokesperson tips and tricks along with […]

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A Blast of Citrus Peel

As Summer inches closer, it’s time for those amazing Summer seasonals to hit shelves and taps near you. One of the more exciting brews on it’s way to you is 3 Citrus Peel Out from Southern Tier. This high-gravity Wheat Ale is bewed with blood orange, grapefruit, and tangerine, giving it a big citrus blast that rounds out the bitternss of the Mosaic hops. The residual sweetness helps to accentuate the fruity character and masks the 8.5% ABV well.

While enjoying this peel-filled beacon of Summertime, you can unlock our brand new “3 Citrus Peel Out” badge. Check-in one (1) 3 Citrus Peel Out from Southern Tier Brewing between April 22nd - May 1st and it’s yours.

Learn more about Southern Tier Brewing and their full line up of brews over at http://www.stbcbeer.com and be sure to follow along on and Facebook and Twitter!

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Eco-Friendly Brewing - via AHA

by John Moorhead, AHA Project Coordinator/National Homebrew Competition Director

Homebrewing is an excellent way for beer drinkers to help save our planet. Compared to commercial beer, homebrew conserves energy (transporting liquid-filled glass bottles burns lots of fossil fuels), and homebrewers use fewer raw materials for packaging because we reuse bottles and don’t have to pack them into brand new cardboard carriers and cases.

But despite the hobby’s comparatively small footprint, we can always do more. As we become more conscious of energy use in our daily lives, it’s only natural to try to reduce our environmental footprint. Fortunately, there are many other simple ways to brew more ecologically and economically by choosing the right equipment, techniques and ingredients.

Optimize Your Brewing Process

Eco-friendly brewing practices are usually efficient because you use fewer supplies and materials, which benefits both the wallet and the world. So first and foremost, make sure your homebrew tastes good. After you’ve put so much time and energy into your beer, it can feel extraordinarily wasteful and heartbreaking to have to dump it down the drain.

Avoid bad batches by following standard cleaning and sanitation practices, storing your ingredients properly and maintaining a suitable fermentation environment. And even if you think your beer is sewer-worthy, you might just be too self-critical. Offer it to a friend or two before you dump it. Who knows? They might like it.

Some beer is, however, truly not worth saving. If a batch is that unbearable, spread it over a flowerbed or the lawn rather than turn it over to the municipal water authority for cleaning—the nutrients in beer are good for plant growth.

Reduce Your Water Usage

Water is a priority in brewing because beer is about 95 percent water. It’s essential that the water you use is high quality, but it’s also important not to waste our primary brewing resource. As we deplete our water resources, brewing could become more expensive. Thus, our goal is to achieve zero waste, which means that all of the water used to make beer leaves the process as clean as it entered it.

Between cleaning, sanitation and losses to mashing and racking, it can take five to 10 gallons of water to produce one gallon of beer. But limiting water usage isn’t hard, and finding ways to reuse wastewater is easy.

For example, most of the water needed for brewing is used for cleaning and sanitation, not brewing beer. The water we use for cleaning doesn’t need to be the same quality as that we use in the beer itself. Because rainwater runoff in urban areas is a major environmental problem, a rainwater catchment system is a great way to reduce runoff and conserve water. Place a large, empty trash barrel under your downspout and let it fill with rainwater, let it sit for a couple of weeks to clarify, and then use it to clean your brewing equipment.

But don’t just pour that used cleaning water down the drain. Do your cleaning in the same barrel that you used to collect the water. When you’re done, you can use it to water your garden or lawn. If you use a wort chiller, keep the spent hot water and use it to clean your kettles, or direct the outflow into the washing machine for a load of laundry.

If you use ice to chill your wort, stop making a trip to the store to buy bags of ice. Fill some empty plastic water bottles with rainwater and store them in the freezer until you need them again. Fixing leaks and turning the tap off when you’re not using the water are obvious and easy water-saving practices for eco-friendly brewing, too.

Make Smart Use of Ingredients

Use local, fresh and organic raw materials whenever possible reduce transportation and storage costs, as well as toxic chemicals. And it doesn’t get more local than growing your own hops. Nurturing a home hop garden helps you reduce transportation and packaging costs and is a fun and rewarding activity to boot. Other ingredients like herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables are all easy to grow at home, or you can source then locally and organically.

Once your wort is safely in the fermenter, you can do something with the leftover ingredients. Brewing uses less than 10 percent of your grain, so take the remaining 90 percent and make spent grain flour or spent grain pizza dough. You can also use it as compost for your yard—spent grain qualifies as a brown contributor to the compost bin—and create nutrient-rich soil for growing your hops, spices, fruits and vegetables.

Likewise, culturing yeast at home can be easy and cheap. Plus, it reduces shipping and packaging and leaves a few more dollars in your wallet. You can save yourself a lot of time and eliminate some cleaning by racking or kegging on the same day you brew. Just pour fresh wort right on top of the healthy yeast cake that sits on the bottom of your primary fermenter.

Another tip for ingredients and other supplies is to buy in bulk. You’ll reduce the shipping and packaging costs that come with purchasing smaller quantities, and it’ll be much cheaper in the long run. Picking up large quantities reduces the number of trips to the homebrew store, too, saving you time, money and fuel.

Save on Energy

Whether you brew with gas or electricity, it takes a lot of heat to bring several gallons of water to a boil. Water is an unusually energy-dense liquid—it takes much more energy to raise its temperature than it does to heat other liquids like cooking oil. And once you finally get water to the boiling point, even more heat is needed to overcome the “latent hat of vaporization” and finally start boiling.

What determines the energy it takes to bring a batch of wort to boiling? The most important factor is the amount of water you boil. Brewing and boiling smaller batches helps reduce the amount of energy you use.

Equipment

The key with brewing equipment is to salvage used pieces and always consider durability. You can acquire many important pieces for free or for very cheap from people who no longer need them. For example, five- or six-gallon plastic buckets are in abundance at restaurants. Since restaurants have so many of them, you can usually find one or two that are clean and free of abrasions (a breeding ground for spoiling microbes).

Aluminum and stainless steel products, such as brew kettles, are safe, durable, long-lasting and ultimately recyclable. The disadvantage of aluminum and steel is the price tag, but don’t sacrifice quality for price: it could cost you in the end. Check the classifieds in homebrew magazines, websites (Craigslist is a great resource), and homebrew clubs.

Tips for Eco-Friendly Brewing

• Brew smaller batches: Brew three-gallon batches instead of 10-gallon batches, or make two recipes from a six-gallon batch. This will reduce the energy you use on brew day.
• Grown your own hops: Hops can be grown in almost any climate and can be ordered online, or they may be available at your local homebrew supply shop when in season. A mature, healthy bine will produce half a pound to two pounds of dried flowers per plant.
• Use spent grain and reuse yeast: Wash and reuse yeast cakes for future batches. Spent grain can be used to make dog treats, cookies, brownies and bread. Spent grain and other organic materials used for homebrewing can also be composted.
• Brew in groups: By brewing in a group, you use fewer materials while promoting community and the joy of homebrewing. A group brew is also a great way to learn techniques and tricks from other homebrewers. Find a homebrew club to brew with!
• Recycle materials: Reuse bottles or switch to swing top bottles to reduce the waste of bottle caps. Learn to keg your homebrew and phase out bottles completely!
• Transform would-be waste-water into a useful byproduct. For example, reuse effluent from the wort chiller to water the lawn (but let it cool down first!) or to clean your brewing equipment.
• Clean consciously: Use biodegradable cleaning supplies available at your local homebrew supply shop and monitor how much water you use during cleanup. Your cleaning water can be reused to wash your dog, water your plants, do some laundry and even fill your toilet bowl.
• Reduce what you take by only taking what you need. Use renewable resources that minimize impact to the environment and all of the life that inhabits it.

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Blaze a Hoppy Trail!

The newest year-round offering in the Long Trail Brewing family of ales, Green Blaze IPA features big pine, tropical fruit and resin hop notes with a light, biscuity malt backbone. This trail-worthy American IPA comes in at 6.5% ABV and is ready for the outdoor adventure season.

Blaze a hoppy trail through the lupulin landscape to uncover a brand new badge. Check-in one (1) Green Blaze IPA from Long Trail between April 22nd and May 22nd to complete the trek to the “Green Blaze IPA” badge.

Learn more about Long Trail Brewing and their other trail worthy brews at http://longtrail.com.

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May/June 2016 Zymurgy Magazine Now Online - via AHA

The post May/June 2016 Zymurgy Magazine Now Online appeared first on American Homebrewers Association.

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The Patron Saint of Hops

As the Patron Saint of Hops, you would expect nothing but less than great, flavorful hoppy forward beers. St. Arnold’s line up is just that, nothing short of hop filled miracles in a bottle (or glass), with several beer awards to back them up.

Art Car IPA is an American IPA featuring a blend of five different hop varieties from the Pacific Northwest, giving it a tropical and citrus filled explosion. Endeavor, a Double IPA, keep a consistent bitter balance against a peachy flavor and ends with a big bitter bite. Elissa IPA, known as the original Texas IPA, features a malty, bitter profile thats garnered Silver Medals from both WBC and GABF. Finally, a brand new addition to the St. Arnold line up, Icon Green, which is a single-hopped Pale Ale uses an experiment hop from Germany known as Hop No. 2010/72/20, which give it a highly tropical aroma and flavor.

Achieve the blessing of St. Arnold by unlocking the brand new “Patron Saint of Hops” badge. Check-in to two (2) different St. Arnold beers from the following list between April 22nd - Mary 22nd and it’s yours.

• Icon Green (2016)
• Art Car IPA
• Elissa IPA
• Endeavour IPA^2

To learn more about St. Arnold and their full line up of beers head over to http://ift.tt/JnnIMg and be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook!

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Strike Team Chanukah Altbier - via AHA

To brew the Strike Team Chanukah Altbier, mash grains at 152° F (67° C) for 60 minutes. Mash out at 168° F (76° C), for a pre-boil wort volume of 6.5 gal. (25 L).

Bring the wort to a rolling boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at specified intervals from end of boil. Chill wort to 65° F (18° C) and pitch yeast.

After 5 days, rack to secondary fermenter and age for another 25–30 days at 30 to 35° F (−1 to 2°C).

Keg at 2.5 volumes of CO₂ or bottle condition with 4 oz. (113 g) corn sugar.

 

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Josh Van Zee Joins BA Draught Beer Quality Subcommittee - Via Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is pleased to announce the addition of Josh Van Zee to the draught beer quality subcommittee. Josh has worked at New Belgium Brewing Company since 2002, initially as kegging operator and packaging supervisor. He currently serves as New Belgium’s high plains field quality manager and covers a seven-state territory in the Midwest/Mountain […]

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Harrisburg Beer Week is Back!

Harrisburg Beer Week is back, celebrating the growing craft beer industry of the greater Harrisburg area. Festivities span nine days, April 22nd - 30th, and showcase a variety of beer-centric events at local breweries, restaurants, and pubs. Be sure to check out the awesome line up because proceeds from the week go to benefit Harrisburg River Rescue & Emergency Services.

While enjoying the week of celebration, be sure to unlock this years “Harrisburg Beer Week (2016) badge! Check-in to any two (2) craft beers within a 30 mile radius of Harrisburg and it’s your’s.

Learn more and see the full line up of events over at http://ift.tt/1zw5tgj and follow the fun on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

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Brewed the Easy Way: Brewing Your Best Beer with Malt Extract - via AHA

This article is an exclusive online extra from the May/June 2016 issue of Zymurgy magazine.

—

By Dave Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief, Zymurgy Magazine

Picture this.

You’re running late for an important meeting with a valuable client when traffic screeches to a halt. An uninterrupted river of red stretches ahead as far as you can see. You swear for a bit, look at your watch, and pick up the phone.

But before you can call to say you’ll be delayed, something catches your eye. Your navigation system has suggested an alternate route that doesn’t just bypass traffic, but reaches your destination even earlier than you had planned. And the exit you need is just off to the right.

So, without delay, you pull onto the exit ramp, call your client, turn around, and head back home. Meeting’s cancelled! If you can’t get there the long way, you might as well not go at all.

—

Makes no sense, does it? Yet we homebrewers do the very same thing when we cite “not enough time” as our reason for not brewing as often as we’d like. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to brew when you’re big on thirst but short on time.

It’s called malt extract, and it deserves another look.

American Homebrewers Association Director Gary Glass recently encouraged Zymurgy readers to embrace extract as a time-saving convenience that can fill your homebrew pipeline without filling up your Saturday (see From the Glass in the Jan/Feb 2016 issue). Whether you’ve never brewed with extract or are rediscovering its time-saving convenience after many years, we’ve got you covered with a few suggestions for making great beer—perhaps even your best beer ever—from malt extract.

Don’t label yourself

There was a time when most new homebrewers got their start with malt extract. Some continued to brew that way indefinitely, while others learned to mash grain and brew entirely from scratch after having mastered the basics.

The implicit progression from extract brewing to all-grain methods is so fundamentally entrenched in homebrewing culture that our very language reflects it. We don’t add mashing to our toolkit, we “go all-grain.” (Interestingly, Merriam-Webster defines go as “to move on a course” or “to move out of or away from a place expressed or implied.” It evokes getting away more than it does arriving.)

The latest findings in the AHA’s survey of shop owners suggest, however, that increasing numbers of new brewers are skipping extract-based methods and jumping right into the all-grain process. Now, all-grain brewing isn’t terribly difficult, but it is rather time-consuming. After all, you can’t rush science—water takes a while to heat, enzymes need time to liberate sugars, and wort can only flow so quickly from tun to kettle.

Extract eliminates the need to mash, lauter, and sparge, which are by far the most time-consuming parts of the brew day. All you need is a big pot and a heat source, and you’re ready to go. I suggest, then, that we not divide ourselves into extract and all-grain camps. We are all homebrewers.

Mashing is simply a process you use to make sweet wort. And so is dissolving malt extract into hot water. When you remove your self-imposed labels, you free yourself to enjoy the brew day with new eyes.

Get fresh

I think some brewers eschew extract because of bad memories of their early years, when extracts might have sat around for weeks or months before seeing the inside of a brew kettle. Like most foodstuffs, fresher is better when it comes to extract, and tired old cans of malt syrup gathering dust never did anyone any favors.

Nowadays, there’s no reason to suffer through stale extract. Reputable homebrew stores turn over their inventory regularly, and getting your hands on fresh malt syrup is easy. If you find that your shop just doesn’t go through liquid extract that fast (which might be the case for the less popular flavors), then don’t hesitate to buy dry malt extract, which has a much longer shelf life and works just as well as the liquid stuff.

When you get your extract home, keep it away from heat, light, and oxygen to prolong its useful life. Then if your own life gets in the way, you can sleep soundly knowing that it will be ready when you find time to brew. The back of the refrigerator is a great spot as long as you maintain a reasonably clean fridge that doesn’t harbor odors. Just remember to let it come to room temperature before you use it! (The extract, not the fridge)

Be late

The late addition is one of the most useful tools in your extract arsenal. Quite simply, it involves adding part of a recipe’s malt extract at the start of the boil and reserving the remainder for the last 10 to 15 minutes. Because extract is boiled as part of the production process, it doesn’t need to be boiled a second time except for sanitation purposes.

Adding a good chunk of the extract late in the game confers a number of benefits, including

1. Lighter-colored beer. Wort made from extract is almost always darker than the equivalent wort made from freshly mashed grain—that’s just a death-and-taxes-style fact of life. And extract gets darker as it ages. Boiling a late addition for just a few minutes, then, instead of an hour reduces color changes associated with kettle caramelization.
2. Better hop utilization. When hops are boiled, their alpha acids transform into iso-alpha acids, which are the compounds responsible for bitterness. The longer the boil, the more isomerization (transformation) occurs. It’s why we usually boil bittering hops for an hour or more. But isomerization depends on the strength of the wort in which hops are boiled: the higher the gravity, the less efficient the conversion. When you boil bittering hops with a fraction of your recipe’s total extract charge (and thus in less concentrated wort), you improve isomerization.

So how much extract do you add up-front, and how much do you save for later? There’s no right or wrong way to do it, but I like to decide based on boil volume.

Let’s say you’re brewing a 5-gallon (19 L) batch. When I brew from extract, I usually do so on my kitchen stove with a plain old 3-gallon (11 L) stockpot, the same one I use to prepare, well, stock. Including a bit of headspace leaves a boil volume of 2.5 gallons (9.5 L). So, I just add about half of the extract up front and the other half near the end of the boil. I don’t get out the kitchen scale, I just eyeball it.

I also have a 5-gallon (19 L) brew pot that I like to use for higher-gravity extract batches. With some headspace, I can boil about 4 gallons (15 L) in it. In this case, I aim for about 80 percent (4/5) of the extract at the beginning, and I add the remaining fifth at the end.

The fractional volume method is sufficient if you’re mainly concerned with hops utilization. But if beer color is an issue, you might add just 10 to 25 percent of the extract up front. In these cases, consider reducing your bittering hops a bit—thinner wort means improved isomerization, so you need fewer alpha acids to achieve the desired bitterness.

Sweeten the deal

One of the chief complaints that get leveled on malt extract concerns attenuation. Malting companies who produce extract do so recognizing that brewers will use it in a wide range of beer styles. Thus, the fermentability of the product tends to be somewhat middle-of-the-road, a one-size-fits-all composition to suit most beer styles. This means that very dry styles brewed from extract might turn out a little sweeter than intended, high-gravity examples even more so (note that the opposite isn’t a problem—you can always steep specialty malts to boost residual sweetness).

An effective way to improve attenuation in extract-based beer is to replace some of the extract in the recipe with a simple sugar like dextrose (corn sugar) or sucrose (table sugar). Both are 100 percent fermentable, which means that they deliver alcohol and carbon dioxide without any residual sweetness. And when used in quantities of less than 20 percent by weight, you won’t notice any flavor differences.

This trick works well in high-gravity beers and can mean the difference between a cloying malt bomb and a very drinkable wee heavy.

Be playful

Think back to the very first beer you ever brewed. Whether you produced a masterpiece or an unmitigated disaster, chances are you had fun in the process. If you didn’t you probably wouldn’t still be brewing today.

My first homebrew was an English pale ale from a kit, and I vividly recall the day I made it. It was a rainy September afternoon, and spending a couple of hours next to my kitchen stove offered a warm distraction from the dreary weather outside. I followed the brewing instructions to the letter and never once loaded up brewing software. I had a great deal of fun.

Today, when I brew entirely from grain, I spend much of the brew day monitoring process variables, updating infusion temperatures, and generally multitasking so that I can wrap up in time for dinner. But when I brew from extract, I usually sit back and read for an hour (though I do still watch the brew pot out of the corner of my eye: boil-overs are no fun). Sometimes it takes a low-key brew day to supply the beer that inspires me to do a longer all-grain session.

The point is that we should always remember why we brew (see “I Love You, Beer, Worts and All” by yours truly in the Nov/Dec 2012 issue of Zymurgy) and honor that. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.

Brew the easy way

I enjoy brewing all-grain batches of beer; otherwise, I wouldn’t do it. But sometimes there’s not enough time, or I don’t feel like it, or I have somewhere I need to be (or, increasingly, I sleep late). In such cases, I’ve learned that I don’t need to give up brewing. I just need to let go of my preconceived notions of what it means to be a “real” homebrewer.

If you’ve never brewed from extract, I encourage you give it a try. If you gave it up when you “went all-grain,” I encourage you to give extract a second look.

Either way, don’t be surprised when you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands and a little more homebrew in the fridge.

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7 Tips to Improve Your Press Release Emails - Via Brewers Association

By Abby Berman Cohen It’s always exciting for me to see news from Brewers Association members. A new beer. A fun event. An April Fool’s joke. I’ve found myself on many breweries’ distribution lists for press releases. Many are really well done—they are well-written, professional and fun. Some, well let’s just say, I file them […]

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Homebrewers Across the U.S. Unite for AHA Big Brew on May 7 - Via Brewers Association

Thousands to Participate in Worldwide, Simultaneous Toast What In honor of National Homebrew Day (which falls every year on May 7), each year the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) celebrates AHA Big Brew on the first Saturday in May. And guess what? This year, May 7 is a Saturday! Throughout the day, hundreds of bars, breweries, […]

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Funky Buddha Hop Stimulator Hits the Shelves April 19th

Funky Buddha will be launching the newest addition, Hop Stimulator, to their core lineup tomorrow, April 19th!

This Double IPA is big and bold, coming in at 9.5% ABV and featuring citra, amarillo, centennial, and cascade hops. Hop Stimulator is an evolution of Funky Buddha’s Small Axw Big IPA.

Hop Stimulator will be available in four-pack, 12oz bottles and on draft, and will be distributed throughout Florida as a year-round beer starting on April 19th. You can be one of the first to try this new brew at Funky Buddha’s Hop Stimulator release party on April 19th at Funky Buddha Brewery, or at any one of the launch events.

For more info on Hop Stimulator check out this post on Funky Buddha’s blog.

Hop Stimulator Launch Events

Hop Stimulator Launch Party!

When: Tue, April 19, 6pm
Where: Funky Buddha Brewery, 1201 NE 38th St, Oakland Park, FL 33334, United States (map)
Description: Hop Stimulator Double IPA, our newest year-round release is making its debut on April 19th in four-pack bottles and on draft starting at 11:30am in the Tap Room! Hop Stimulator is the natural evolution of our tap room classic, Small Axe Big IPA.

We’ve beefed up the Hop bill to include Citra and Amarillo hops to add distinct fruity citrus, peach, apricot, passion fruit, and flowery notes. All the while adding Centennial & Cascade hops to bolster this bitter brew’s citrus flavors and aromas. Pilsner, munich, caramel and carapils malts provide a sturdy but crisp backbone.

Hop Stimulator will begin terrorizing shelves and tap towers across Florida on April 19th, so keep an eye out at your favorite bars, restaurants and beer retailers for this monstrous brew.
Hop Stimulator Launch at Tucker Dukes

When: Tue, April 19, 10:30am – 11:00pm
Where: Tucker Duke’s Lunchbox 1101 S Powerline Rd, Unit 102, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States (map)
Description: Come try our brand new Hop Stimulator Double IPA at Tucker Dukes on the very first day it’s launched! Wash down a delicious burger with this 9.5% DIPA and follow it with a More Moro Blood Orange IPA or Hop Gun IPA for a hoppy Tuesday!
Total Wine Colonial Drive Hop Stimulator Kickoff Sampling

When: Tue, April 19, 3pm – 5pm
Where: Total Wine & More, Colonial Plaza Marketcenter, 2712 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32803, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at Total Wine Colonial Drive! We’ll be dishing out samples of our Monstrously hopped double IPA Hop Stimulator!
Brass Tap Ybor Hop Stimulator Release

When: Tue, April 19, 7pm – 9pm
Where: The Brass Tap 1600 E 7th Ave E-113 Tampa, FL 33605 USA (map)
Description: Join us at The Brass Tap Ybor for a mini tap takeover! Join us for our release of our new year-round beer, the monstrously hopped Hop Stimulator Double IPA! Muy Bonita will be on draft alongside Floridian and More Moro all to celebrate our newest year-round beer.
Beer :30 Hop Stimulator Kick Off Party

When: Wed, April 20, 4pm – 7pm
Where: Beer:30 – San Marco, 1543 San Marco Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32207, United States (map)
Description: Join us at Beer:30 in San Marco for the kick off of our newest year round beer!

Hop Stimulator Launch at Brewhouse Gallery

When: Wed, April 20, 6pm – 11pm
Where: The Brewhouse Gallery 720 Park Ave, Lake Park, FL 33403, United States (map)
Description: Celebrate 4/20 at Brewhouse Gallery with a hoppy lineup featuring our brand new Hop Stimulator DIPA, More Moro Blood Orange IPA, and Hop Gun IPA! There’s no better way of celebrating the Cannabaceae family than with hops… at least we don’t think there is.
Total Wine Jax Hop Stimulator Sampling

When: Thu, April 21, 4pm – 6pm
Where: Total Wine & More, 4413 Town Center Pkwy, Jacksonville, FL 32246, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at Total Wine Jacksonville! We’ll be dishing out samples of our monstrously hopped double IPA!
Hop Stimulator Launch at Leftovers

When: Thu, April 21, 6pm – 10pm
Where: Little Moir’s Leftovers Cafe 451 University Blvd, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States (map)
Description: Leftovers in Jupiter is launching Hop Stimulator on draft and tapping its hoppy brothers More Moro and Hop Gun as well! Come eat some of the best seafood in town and wash it down with some hoppy goodness!
Total Wine FTL Hop Stimulator Sampling

When: Thu, April 21, 6pm – 8pm
Where: Total Wine & More, 1906 Cordova Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at Total Wine FTL where we’ll be sampling our monstrously hopped new year round Hop Stimulator Double IPA!
Hop Stimulator Launch Event Mack House

When: Thu, April 21, 7pm – 9pm
Where: The Mack House9118 W State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324, United States (map)
Description: Join us at The Mack House! We’ll be launching Hop Stimulator as well as tapping some hoppy kegs of Buddha brews!
Hop Stimulator Launch at Lion and Eagle

When: Fri, April 22, 12pm – Sat, April 23, 2am
Where: The Lion & Eagle Pub 2401 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, FL 33431, United States (map)
Description: Come to the legendary Lion and Eagle and try our new year round brew: Hop Stimulator Double IPA! They’ll also be tapping More Moro Blood Orange IPA, and Hop Gun IPA to celebrate the launch of our new year-round! Hoppy Trifecta anyone? Get amongst it!
Total Wine Boca Hop Stimulator Sampling

When: Fri, April 22, 3pm – 5pm
Where: Total Wine & More, 5050 Town Center Cir, Boca Raton, FL 33486, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at Total Wine Boca where we’ll be sampling our monstrously hopped new year round Hop Stimulator!
Hop Stimulator Sampling at Whole Foods Pompano

When: Fri, April 22, 4pm – 6pm
Where: Whole Foods Market2411 N Federal Hwy, Pompano Beach, FL 33062, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at Whole Foods Market Pompano Beach! We’ll be dishing out samples of our monstrously hopped Hop Stimulator Double IPA!
Whole Foods Boca Raton Sampling

When: Sat, April 23, 1pm – 3pm
Where: Whole Foods Market, 1400 Glades Rd #110, Boca Raton, FL 33431, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at Whole Foods Market Boca Raton! We’ll be dishing out samples of our monstrously hopped double IPA Hop Stimulator!
Whole Foods Sampling PGA

When: Sat, April 23, 1pm – 3pm
Where: Whole Foods Market, 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at Whole Foods Market PGA! We’ll be dishing out samples of our monstrously hopped double IPA Hop Stimulator!
Whole Foods WPB Demo

When: Sat, April 23, 4pm – 6pm
Where: Whole Foods Market1845 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at Whole Foods Market West Palm Beach! We’ll be dishing out samples of our monstrously hopped double IPA Hop Stimulator!
Barley & Vine Orlando Hop Stimulator Launch

When: Tue, April 26, 6pm – 8pm
Where: Barley & Vine Biergarten, 2406 E Washington St, Orlando, FL 32803, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at Barley & Vine Orlando. We’ll be pouring your new favorite, and our new year-round, Hop Stimulator Double IPA.
Crown Liquors Boca Raton Hop Stimulator Sampling

When: Wed, April 27, 7pm – 8pm
Where: Crown Liquor, Boca Raton, FL 33432, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at Crown Liquors Boca! We’ll be dishing out samples of our monstrously hopped double IPA Hop Stimulator!
Funky Buddha Tap Enlightenment at Craft Beer City

When: Thu, April 28, 4:30pm – 7:00pm
Where: Craft Beer City 221 Center St, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States (map)
Description: Join us at Craft Beer City in Jupiter for this special event! They’ll be serving growlers of Imperial Chocwork Orange, Vanilla Espresso Porter, and Strawberry Shortcake! We’ll also be sampling our newest bottle, Hop Stimulator Double IPA along with More Moro, Floridian, and Hop Gun!
Copper Rocket Pub Hop Stimulator Launch

When: Thu, April 28, 7pm – 9pm
Where: Copper Rocket Pub, The Village Plaza, 106 Lake Ave, Maitland, FL 32751, United States (map)
Description: Come out and join us from 7:00 to 9:00 for a Hop Stimulator release featuring Hop Stimulator, There’ll also be a Buddha booth and educational beer conversation. They’ll also have Hop Gun, Floridian, More More and Hop Stimulator on tap all night!
ABC Sunrise Hop Stimulator Sampling

When: Fri, April 29, 5pm – 7pm
Where: ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, 2611 N Flamingo Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33323, United States (map)
Description: Come join us at ABC Sunrise! We’ll be dishing out samples of our monstrously hopped double IPA Hop Stimulator!

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Not Your Typical Pale Ale

This hop-forward session Pale Ale isn’t your typical beer. Not only does it use Mosaic, Glacier and Equinox hops for a pungent blend of peach, mango and tropical aromas, it’s brewed with oats, giving it a thick smooth body you don’t see in most session Pale Ales. With a 4.3% ABV, this new year-round beer is aromatic, approachable and unique.

Experience the difference of oats and unlock the brand new “Bell’s Oatsmobile Ale” badge! Check-in to at least one (1) Oatsmobile Pale Ale between April 18th - May 18th and it’s yours!

See the full line-up from Bell’s Brewery at http://bellsbeer.com and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

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Toledo Beer Week 2016!

Toledo Beer Week starts this Monday, April 18th, with the goal of promoting craft beer throughout Northwestern Ohio. Events are created by local establishments and will feature all that you’ve come to expect - tastings, dinners, special releases, and much more! Funds raised by Toledo Beer Week go to benefit local non-profits.

Celebrate Toledo Beer Week by unlocking the brand new “Toledo Beer Week (2016)” badge. Simply check-in to any beer while at one (1) participating venue listed here between April 18th - April 23rd and its yours!

See a full line up of events at toledobeerweek.org and be sure to follow along on Twitter and Facebook!

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Barry Elwonger - Via Brewers Association

What’s your current position at your brewery, and how did you get started in the craft brewing industry? While I wear many hats at Motorworks Brewing [in Bradenton, Fla.], my official title is marketing director. Before jumping head first into the craft beer industry, I was a project manager for a national engineering firm. I […]

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BA President and CEO Bob Pease Featured in MarketWatch Interview - Via Brewers Association

Brewers Association (BA) President and CEO Bob Pease was recently interviewed by Columnist Jason Notte for a MarketWatch news article. The interview targets key issues related to state and federal affairs, access to market for craft brewers, the BA craft brewer definition and more. In the article Notte states, “The battlegrounds are no longer restricted […]

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Get Into a Summer State of Mind

Get into a summer state of mind with a crisp, refreshing Summer Wheat from our friends at Yuengling. Brewed with a combination of wheat and barley malts, Hallertau hops, and authentic Bavarian-style top fermenting yeast, Summer Wheat has a thick, creamy head with overtones of banana and clove esters. What better way to celebrate the warmer months than sun, sand, and a delicious beer in your hand!

Prepare for summer with a Summer Wheat and earn a brand new badge! Check-in to one (1) Summer Wheat from Yuengling between April 15th - May 14th and unlock the “Summer Love” badge!

Find out more about America’s Oldest Brewery at http://ift.tt/Vb43JU, and be sure to connect on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Curated Tap Lists, Events, and Much More!

Today we are excited to take a big step forward in connecting people with beer they love! Imagine being alerted by Untappd whenever your favorite bars update their tap lists or add new events. That dream is now a reality - launching today on iOS, Android, and our website are our completely redesigned Venue pages! Thanks to our recently launched Untappd for Business platform, you can now view accurately curated tap lists, upcoming events, hours of operation, and other helpful details from verified bars, bottle shops, and tap rooms from around the world on Untappd.

In addition, we’ve enabled alerts for beers. Go to any beer page and you can enable a push notification anytime that beer is added to a Verified Venue’s tap list within 15 miles of your location. Now, there’s no excuse to miss out when your favorite brew is on tap nearby!

We’ve also added the ability to search for Venues, making it much easier to find that bar your friend was telling you about. Simply start typing in the search section and tap the Venue tab.


Do you own or operate a bar, bottle shop, or tap room and want to get your menu and events onto Untappd? Head over to http://ift.tt/1VusRLF for more information and to request a demo.

Curated tap lists, alerts, and events are only available from verified businesses using Untappd for Business. You can identify a Verified Venue within Untappd by the small check mark icon next to their logo.

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Fresh Hop NZ

With the New Zealand hop harvest in full effect, it’s time for the much anticipated fresh-hopped beers, which can only be brewed in a small time period post harvest. Fresh Hop is a celebration of these fresh-hopped beers, bringing together brewers from all over the country to serve these very limited brews. The beers are pouring at all Auckland craft bars throughout the week starting on Saturday, April 16th. There will be a ‘Hop on/Hop off’ bus taking Hop Heads between the 4 larger bars showcasing all these beers on April 16th, so there’s no excuse to miss out!

Show you love of Auckland’s fresh-hopped deliciousness by unlocking the “Fresh Hop NZ (2016)” badge! Check-in to any beer at two (2) participating venues listed here between April 16th - April 22nd and it’s yours!

Learn more and follow all the action on Facebook and Twitter!

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The Sour Sisters Return

Goose Island is bringing back its series of Sour Sister badges for 2016! The first badge, Sour Sisters I – Lolita (2016), will be available starting 4/15/16.

Lolita is a pink rose colored Belgian style pale ale fermented with wild yeast and aged on raspberries in wine barrels. Aromas of fresh raspberries, bright jammy fruit flavors and crisp, refreshing body make Lolita ideal for beer drinkers fond of Belgian Framboise.

To earn the Sour Sisters I – Lolita (2016) badge, simply check-in one (1) of any vintage of the Sour Sisters (Gillian, Lolita, Juliet, Halia, Madam Rose) from 4/15/16 – 5/15/16.

To learn more about each of the sisters, head over to gooseisland.com and be sure to get the latest from Goose Island on Untappd, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

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Celebrating the Small, Independent and Traditional Craft Brewers - Via Brewers Association

American Craft Beer Week (May 16-22, 2016) is a fitting time to reflect on how craft brewers have revolutionized not only the way beer is viewed, but also the landscape of American beer distribution and retail sales in a single generation. Consider that in 1978 there were a mere 42 brewing companies left after decades […]

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Oregon Retail Sales Expansion Signed into Law - Via Brewers Association

Signed by the Governor, House Bill 4053 seeks to expand retail opportunities for brewery licensees to include: retail sales of malt beverage, wine and cider for consumption on or off the licensed premises; selling wine, malt beverages or cider in growlers; holding special events licenses; and holding a full on-premises sales license that allows sale […]

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Oregon Privatization Clears Hurdle - Via Brewers Association

In a bid to privatize Oregon’s liquor sales, Oregonians for Competition (a group that includes grocers, retailers and consumers) has gained approval to collect signatures for ballot Initiative 71, which would end state sales of liquor and allow beer and wine retailers the ability to sell liquor.

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WA Private Tasting Allowance Bill Signed into Law - Via Brewers Association

Signed by the Governor, House Bill 2605 would authorize the Liquor and Cannabis Board to issue a special permit to a beer manufacturer allowing the manufacturer to conduct a private tasting and sales event involving beer of its own production.

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WV Barrel Tax Would Double under Proposal - Via Brewers Association

House Bill 4701 provides for a doubling of the current barrel tax on non-intoxicating beer to $11.00.

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Virginia Agricultural Zoning Clarified Approved - Via Brewers Association

Approved by the Governor, S.B. 578 provides that for a limited brewery licensees located on land on which agriculture is a permitted use.

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Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week Celebrates 5 Years!

Gearing up for it’s 5th anniversary, Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week kicks off April 15th, highlighting the Pittsburgh region’s growing craft beer culture. Promoting the growing love of local beer through education and cooperation, this year’s events will span the gamut from tap take overs to special collaboration releases to food pairings. Be sure to get out and experience everything PCBW has to offer from April 15th - 24th!

Join in the 5th anniversary celebration by earning a new badge! Check-in any beer at three (3) different participating venues list here during PCBW (April 15th - 24th) to unlock the “Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week (2016)” badge. Be sure to add the participating location to your check-in for it to count towards your badge.

To learn more and get a full line up of this year’s events, check out pittsburghcraftbeerweek.com and be sure to follow along on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

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Denizen’s Founder Julie Verratti Testifies in on Tax Simplification and Reform - Via Brewers Association

Earlier this week, the House Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth Taxes and Capital Access held a hearing on small business tax simplification and reform. Julie Verratti, co-founder and business development manager at Denizens Brewing Company in Silver Spring, Md. was invited to testify as a witness for her business and the Brewers Association (BA) on […]

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Pre-Order New “Wood & Beer: A Brewer’s Guide” Book at 40% Discount - via AHA

The Wood & Beer: A Brewer’s Guide member pre-sale ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on April 24. American Homebrewers Association members receive a 40 percent discount off the cover price!

The use of wooden vessels for storage, transportation, fermentation, or aging of beer is deeply rooted in history. Today’s talented brewers are innovating, experimenting, and enthusiastically embracing the seemingly mystical complexity of flavors and aromas derived from wood. From the souring effects of microbes that take up residence in the wood to the wood character drawn from barrels or foeders, this book covers not only the history, physiology, microbiology, and flavor contributions of wood, but also the maintenance of wooden vessels. Explore the many influences of wood as a vehicle for contributing tremendous complexity to beers fermented and aged within it. This book is as much about wood as it is about beer, and the mysteries that arise when the two come together.

About the Authors

Peter Bouckaert: Prior to relocating to the U.S. in 1996 to become New Belgium Brewing Company‘s brewmaster, Peter brewed for a decade at Brewery Rodenbach. When Peter joined New Belgium, the company’s portfolio included five Belgian-inspired beers. He was an early advocate of brewing hoppier beers outside the Belgian tradition, exploring IPAs, Czech-style lagers, fruits, spices, wood-aging and fermentation, and experimenting with yeast and microbe strains from around the world.

Peter earned the equivalent of a Master’s degree in brewing and fermentation technology from the University of Ghent, Belgium, as well as a Quality Engineer degree from CKZ Kortrijk. Peter’s mantle includes awards from Word Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival and a handful of other beer accolades. He was honored to be awarded the 2013 Russel Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing by the Brewers Association.

Dick Cantwell: Dick Cantwell is among the most well-respected and experienced craft brewers, co-founding Elysian Brewing Company in 1996, where he served as head brewer until its sale to Anheuser-Busch in 2015. During his tenure, Elysian was named Large Brewpub of the Year three times at Great American Beer Festival (1999, 2003 and 2004).

In 2004, Cantwell received the Brewers Association’s Russel Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing. Additionally, he has written for various beer magazines, authored Barley Wine with Fal Allen, The Brewers Association’s Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery, Second Edition. Recently appointed the Brewers Association‘s quality ambassador, Cantwell makes presentations across the country at state guild conferences and other places where brewers gather.

The post Pre-Order New “Wood & Beer: A Brewer’s Guide” Book at 40% Discount appeared first on American Homebrewers Association.

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Move That Bus: Brew Bus Brewing Grand Opening on Saturday, April 16

This Saturday, Brew Bus Brewing will be opening their first location in Seminole Heights in Tampa. Ever since they started their business 5 years ago, Brew Bus has dreamed of opening up a “home”. This Saturday, April 16th, that dream is coming true and they will be celebrating with a grand opening ceremony Move That Bus!

 

 

 

The opening starts at 1:30 PM will feature some great beers and Mayor Buckhorn will be there at 1:30 for the ribbon cutting. Danny Brantly will be playing live music plus food trucks and special tappings of our beer and other local favorites throughout the day.

Uber is offering a $10 credit to the first 100 people who use the code ‘MOVETHATBUS’ to get to the party.

New Tasting Room

 

 

 

The tasting room features 20 rotating taps of Brew Bus, Florida Avenue Brewing, and other local selections. There will always be cider and wine options too. The reach-in cooler is stocked for to-go sales of Brew Bus and Florida Avenue cans and bombers. There is plenty of shady outdoor seating, plus cigars for sale on-site and an always changing selection of merchandise.

“We want to extend a huge thanks to all the local artists who helped make everything possible. Rustic Steel Creations created our keg-bus sculpture and tap menu. Built did an amazing job with the carpentry on our bar, stools, high-tops, and community tables. Mural artist Ron Francis and his crew are responsible for the beautiful mural, and Live Work Studios on the custom concrete bar top.”

If you would like see more of the new tasting room you can check it out on the Brew Bus Blog here.

You can RSVP to the Facebook event here, and read more about the Grand Opening here.

 

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Rubaeus Pure Raspberry Ale

From farm to table - with a detour through the fermentation tank. Celebrate the joys of summer year-round with Rubaeus raspberry ale from Founders Brewing Co. This stunning berry–red masterpiece is the perfect blend of sweet, tart, and refreshing. A uniquely delicious beer, there’s no denying this one is 100% Founders.

Find Rubaeus on draft, in 6-pack bottles and the new “Ruby Cube, “ a 12-pack of cans and unlock a brand new badge. Check-in to one (1) Rubaeus from Founders between April 14th - May 14th and earn the “Rubaeus Pure Raspberry Ale” badge! Don’t forget to use Founders’ mobile app to find their beers near you!

Learn more about Founders’ lineup of world-class beers at http://ift.tt/YXSeSY, or find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat (foundersbrewing).

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