Inside This Issue:
pg.2	Beer Styles – Michael Jackson
pg.5	Kalamazoo and Drinking,  Too!
pg.4	RECIPE – Barley Wine
pg.7	Noteable Quotes
	and more...

The May 12^th meeting of the KOBB will be held at the:
Homebrew Shop
900 E. Copeland, Suite 120
Arlington, TX 76011
7:30 pm
Phone: 817-792-3940
 

The Knights of the Brown Bottle Homebrew Club is a group of people interested in brewing and enjoying quality beer. The regular club meetings are held monthly at 7:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at

Dr. Jeckyll’s Home Brew Supply
2304 W. Park Row #18
Pantego, Tx.
817-274-7405

Visit the Knight’s Webpage at:   http://hbd.org/kobb/

President : Steve Wesstrom
VicePresident: Larry Jarvis
Secretary: J.B. Flowers
Treasurer: Jim Case
Competition Chairman: "just Dave" Girard
Newsletter Editor: Byron Eastwood

Some of Britain's finest brewers are also wine merchants, having originally imported the grapey beverage to stock alongside their beers in their own pubs and hotels. A notable example is Adnams, with its brewery by the lighthouse in the tiny resort of Southwold, Suffolk. As East Anglia is the Grande Champagne of English barley-growing, it is doubly appropriate that Adnams' brewery makes a particularly good "wine" from this grain. The hard-to-find brew, called Adnams Tally-Ho Barley Wine, is produced only in winter. I hope its foxy name does it no harm in the present climate of opinion. Equally, I pray that the old-established beer-style Barley Wine survives. The designation does seem to be vanishing from many brewers' ranges, perhaps the victim of its own quaintness. Similar brews, sometimes darker and more chocolatey, often less strong and frequently on draught, are known as Winter Warmers or Old Ales (Britain has no fewer than 120 of the latter). On other occasions, the term "Strong Ale" is thought to suffice, particularly in the case of paler, drier brews. The terms overlap. Within the broad selection of

strongish winter brews, a barley wine is usually at the upper end of the scale, between 6.0 and 12.0 per cent alcohol by volume, or even slightly more. Traditionally, it came in small, nip bottles as though to protect the drinker from excess. In the days before the strengths of beers appeared on labels, barley wine was the stuff of myth and legend. In those innocent times, the jazz musicians of my provincial youth were addicted to nothing more sinister. The ratio of potency to volume removed the risk of needing a loo (bathroom) in mid-solo. The origins of the designation barley wine are not certain. The notion of producing a beer to match "foreign wines" was mentioned in Britain as early as 1768, and the term seems to date from the early 1800's. My guess is that it especially implied a beer with a strength approaching that of a wine, though it could also suggest a vinous flavour. Colour can vary from a Sauternes-like gold to claret or Burgundy. Even if the palest of malts are used, the density of grain required to produce a strong brew can make for a full colour. This same density can require a longer boil in the brew-kettle, and that also makes for some caramelisation. Brewers producing a barley wine often seek to balance this sweetness with a hefty dosage of hops. The result can be a complex of powerful flavours. Even a wine yeast finds it hard to create alcohol levels of much more than 12-14 per cent and beer cultures are less muscular. The problem is that the yeasts get drunk on their own alcohol, and go to sleep. The traditional means of awakening the yeasts was to roll the barrels round the brewery yard once a week. Alternatives are to "rouse" the brew in the fermentation vessel with a paddle, or pump oxygen through it.

When the yeast is thus encouraged to return to work, it begins to create flavours that are fruitier and winier than in a conventional beer. Some barley wines have as long as three months' fermentation and maturation at the brewery.

A conventional beer, once put into a cask, will last only a few weeks - and only days after it has been tapped - before souring. A barley wine, protected by its great strength, will not only survive, but gain in complexity, in an unbroached cask. Its malt sugars will further ferment, and its flavours meld, while' its richness and sweetness may even be better balanced by a hint of acidity. An Adnams Tally-Ho from the winter of 1996 was stored in the cask for a year at the famously fastidious White Horse, of Parson's Green, London. I tasted it the other day, and found it creamy, nutty, cherryish and winey, with tightly combined flavours. The beer's alcohol content is listed at 6.5, but its original gravity (the measure of malt sugars in the original brew) suggests that it could, over time, reach nearer 7.5. Judging from the sensation of mellow warmth it produced as I sipped, I think it was on target.

A couple of miles from The White Horse, the Young's brewery produces a classically fruity barley wine, almost a banana liqueur, at around 7.0 per cent, under the name Old Nick. These days, this is less well-known in Britain than in the American market, where its name and evilish label cause splendid offence in the Bible Belt. Young's also has a Winter Warmer, at 5.0-plus, with a suggestion of black treacle. Local rival Fuller's has no fewer than four strong ales. Fuller's 1997 Vintage Ale, with a secondary fermentation and yeast sediment in the bottle, is hugely complex, with rooty aromas and flavours that are almost gin-like (probably from the Target variety of hop). The similar Golden Pride, filtered and pasteurised for bottling, is more flowery and honeyish. Both have 8.5 per cent. Fuller's bottle-conditioned 1845 Celebration Strong Ale, at 6.3 per cent, is sherbety, with lemon-pith notes (Goldings hops), crisp and astonishingly drinkable. At a mere 5.3, Fuller's Old Winter Ale is more soothing, with nutty, vanilla-like, malt notes. One of the fruitiest and most expressive of barley wines is Elizabethan, at 8.0-plus, from Harvey's, of Lewes, Sussex.

Next door in Hampshire, the Gale's brewery has its famous Prize Old Ale, at 9.0 per cent, with the fruitiness and warmth of a Calvados. This is a notable example of a beer that will develop in the bottle. So is Thomas Hardy's Ale, at 12 per cent, from Eldridge Pope, of Dorchester. The latter, though, seems to have lost some of its meatiness since a change in ownership of the brewery. When endless wars with the French cut wine supplies during the 1700s, Dorchester strong ales became famous in many parts of England as an alternative. In those days, every town had its own distinct style of beer. For many decades of the present century, the barley wine best known nationally was Bass No 1, made in England's brewing capital, Burton-upon-Trent. Production of this brew ceased in recent years, but it has now been revived as a periodic speciality, made in Bass's museum. At 10.5, and with a chestnut colour, it is a robust, oaky, oily, hoppy potion. The paler Gold Label Barley Wine, from Whitbread, is easier to find nationally.
 
 

Barley Wine

You’d better get your equipment in order, have your brain on hand and, in general "get your shit together", before you brew this one! First, you’ll want to make sure that your mash-tun will handle 22.5 pounds of grain. If not, or if it looks like it would be close, I wouldn’t recommend trying this. The result could be a very expensive mess! Secondly, you’ll want to prepare your brain for the huge hop rate, and two hour boil time that will be required to get a meager 5 gallon batch from your effort.

Thirdly, when you’re ready to cool this bad boy, you will serve your new Barley Wine best by giving it a healthy dose of oxygen. The reason behind this is because you will be asking your yeast to ferment a tremendously high gravity wort that will peak out at about 12% alcohol. Yeast must be "warmed up" to fermenting and have healthy cellwalls in order to achieve such a feat.That means your yeast will need to start at a very vigorous fermentation and continue to do so for extended periods. Where a " normal gravity" wort (1.050), normally takes seven to ten days to fully ferment, a Barley Wine will ferment for several weeks or perhaps even months before racking to the secondary is necessary or recommended.

Lastly, Upon racking this beast of a brew, you’ll want to have a healthy frothing one to two quart yeast starter on hand for re-pitching. Also, Ray Daniels recommends that you blast the partially fermented wort with another dose of oxygen before replacing the airlock.

I used a yeast from a bottle of Thomas Hardy Ale (Hence the name of the recipe below) that took about two weeks to propagate up to a two quart starter. It worked VERY well.

Scottish Ale yeast is very good for this purpose also because of it’s high attenuation characteristics. Give it a try but remember the words of handy man Bob Villa, " Preparation is 90% of the job". IF YOU DON’T PREPARE FOR THIS ONE, IT’S GONNA BE A LONG BREW DAY.
 

Olde Fookin Dead Dude - Barley Wine

Category : Barleywine
Method : Full Mash
Starting Gravity : 1.125- 1.130
Ending Gravity : 1.031
Alcohol content : 12.1%
Recipe Makes : 5.0 gallons
Total Grain : 22.50 lbs.
Color (srm) : 20.0
Efficiency : 75%
Hop IBUs : 115.6

Malts/Sugars:
1.50 lb. Brown Sugar
19.00 lb. Pale Ale
2.00 lb. Crystal 20L

Hops: (Whole Hops)
3.00 oz. Challenger 8.0% 99 min 4.00 oz. Kent-Goldings 5.0% 60 min
2.00 oz. Centennial 11.4% 30 min
2.00 oz. Kent-Goldings 5.0% 10 min

Boil temperature of water: 212F
Grain Starting Temperature: 68F
Desired Grain/Water Ratio: 1.25 quarts/pound
Strike Water: 7.03 gallons of water at 167F
First Mash Temperature: 152F
Water Absorbed by Grain: 2.25 gal
Water Evaporated during boil: 2.00 gal
Wort Left in Brewpot: 0.33 gal
Add 2.55 gal of water to yield 5.0 gal of wort

Notes:
Single-infusion mash at 152 degrees for 30-90 min.
Collect only the first-runnings. After first runnings are collected, begin sparge and bring volume in pot to 7 gallons.
Bring to a boil and add first hops. Follow hop schedule.
Boil for 120 min.
Pitch yeast slurry when cool.(Thomas Hardy Yeast?)
Add Fuggles or East Kent Goldings dry hops to secondary. (2 oz)
Bottle once clear and properly(?) aged.
Pitch one package of fresh Scottish Ale yeast or another Thomas Hardy starter at bottling.
Your Barley Wine may be good at six months but will become better and more complex in flavor after about 1 to 2 years. The bottle of Thomas Hardy Ale that I got my yeast from was 7 years in the bottle! Be patient and drink all of your other beer first. Resist all temptation to open these gems and you’ll reap the reward later.

Byron

On February 20, 1999, our team of intrepid explorers (Team Leader Phil Perdan and Navigator Holly "Are You Sure You Know Where We Are?" Perdan) set off on a journey into the wilds of Michigan from home base in South Bend, Indiana. Meteorological conditions being fair to middling, the trip was accomplished in less than an hour and a half, and the first stop in Kalamazoo was located after fewer than three times around the block in the downtown area.

Olde Peninsula Brewpub and Restaurant is located in an historic building that has housed, among other things, a book bindery. The building was hit by a tornado in 1980 and recuperated well. To the delight of the expedition, the native guide at this stop was a fellow homebrewer, Joe, who was going to bottle a chocolate wheat beer when he got off work that afternoon. Joe is renowned locally for his Garbage Can Ale. The brews at Olde Peninsula were well crafted. All brews could be sampled for a buck each in mini pilsner flutes with further dosages available in 16 oz glasses, pints, half yards and full yards. The food was excellent - brewpub dip consisting of artichokes, sundried tomatoes, and asiago cheese; cheddar ale soup that was rich, sweet, and full of carrots and mushrooms; spicy chicken taco salad with a good southwest zesty dressing; big burger with beer fries (great batter, fries too skinny). Now for the beers.

Haymarket Ale - nice American wheat.
Rockin’ Razberry Wheat - good German wheat with nice wheat characteristics, good esters and strong but not overpowering raspberry flavor (from extract but most acceptable).
Sunset Red - decent amber ale; a good session beer.
Tornado Pale Ale - sufficient hops to make Phil happy yet still balanced.
Midnight Stout - my kind of porter; murky dark brown color, dry finish, lots of chocolate and coffee, lovely balance; lacked roasty characteristics.
Winter Wheat - much like Haymarket, but a lighter version; less hoppy; slightly acetic which is to be expected from using winter wheat. Downtown Brown - too hoppy for style but very drinkable.
Olde ESB - nice example of style; bitter, bitter, bitter.

The bottle selection at Olde Peninsula was impressive, especially for a brewpub; it included Lindeman’s Framboise, Duvel, Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon (American brewery producing Belgian styles) and Goose Island (superb brewery in Chicago). The selection of single malt scotches and single barrel bourbons was tempting, but the expedition had to push on.

The next destination was Kalamazoo Brewing Company, home of Bell’s beers. After consulting with native guide Joe, the expedition only circled the block twice before finding the parking lot. A quick bivouac at the supply shop netted hot sauce, port from a Michigan winery, Belgian candi sugar, and two six-packs of Bell’s to take home - Cherry Stout and Double Cream Stout. The pub itself was located with help from the supply shop guide who pointed a finger and said, "Across the parking lot and up the stairs." No map was required for this arduous hike. The pub itself is really nifty. Among other unique features were a small blackboard and chalk in the ladies room (I didn’t ask), interesting colored slate floor tiles, and the coolest stained glass windows ever discovered by an expedition; actual beer bottles were part of the windows.

Because this was a waystop, the full selection was not sampled.

Two Hearts IPA - plentiful Centennial (?) hops and just enough malt to balance; beautiful red-gold color; superb brew.
Double Cream Stout - espresso aroma, full-bodied and fortifying.
Third Coast Ale - pale gold, dry, hoppy, light body; refreshing and delicious.

Setting forth again, the team followed a highway, then took a scenic tour through vineyard country (too small a scale on the map) to Lawton, Michigan, and discovered a unique and delightful bar called the Old Hat. Numerous items of headgear, some rather strange, hung on the facade over the bar. The bar surface is copper sheet and is a major piece of work to clean. The bartenders, Shawn and Scott, were such gems that they were invited to home base for further anthropological study the next time they needed a road trip. Old Hat is associated with Bell’s and carries several of their brews on tap as well as their own.

On premises brews –

Alt - yes, a real one; balanced, medium body, lovely acetic finish.
Kolsch - nice nose; to style; overly banana; dry finish.
Hefe Weizen - ja!

Bell’s brews:

Spiced Ale - somewhat old; mild pale ale with coriander in the background.
Milk Stout - good flavor but light body.
Third Coast Old Ale - comparable to Old Foghorn; godawful good.

The team will have to return to the Old Hat for further research and has promised to bring along some of the stronger brews from home base for consumption by the native barkeeps.
 

A special thanks to Holly Perdan for the great article!!!

The mission of the Knights of the Brown Bottle and this newsletter is to serve as a forum to promote public awareness and appreciation of the quality and variety of homebrewed beer through the collection and dissemination of information regarding the art and science of homebrewing, and to promote the responsible use of beer as an alcohol - containing beverage.

The club newsletter is published monthly and highlights the events and meetings of the club, local beer events and technical information that will help everyone brew better beer. Items for publication are welcomed and encouraged. They should be directed to Byron Eastwood.

Byron’s e-mail: eastwood@intrinsix.com

(submitted by Richard Graham)

A few weeks back I was watching Good Morning America. Charlie Gibson was talking with Diane Sawyer:

Dianne to Charlie: Men have 20 million more brain cells than women. What do they do with them?"
Charlie to Dianne: "We drink beer!"

The best Norm quotes from "Cheers"!

"What's new Normie?"
"Terrorists, Sam.
They've taken over my stomach & they're demanding beer."

"What'd you like Normie?"
"A reason to live. Give me another beer."

"What'll you have Norm?"
"Well, I'm in a gambling mood Sammy. I'll take a glass of whatever comes out of that tap."
"Looks like beer, Norm."
"Call me Mister Lucky."

"What's the story Mr. Peterson?"
"The Bobbsey twins go to the brewery.
Let's cut to the happy ending."

"Hey Mr. Peterson, there's a cold one waiting for you."
"I know, if she calls, I'm not here."

"Beer, Norm?"
"Have I gotten that predictable? Good."

"What's going on Mr. Peterson?"
"A flashing sign in my gut that says, '
Insert beer here.'"