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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Digest Janitor: pbabcock at hbd.org


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Contents:
  Re: Gluten Free beer, what to expect? (Andrew Lavery)
  Mash efficiency with higher gravities (David Edge)
  Re:  Subject: better bottling procedure? ("David Houseman")
  Saturday is National Homebrew Day! ("Janis Gross")
  AHA National Homebrew Competition First Round Results Update ("Janis Gross")
  RE: Beer Tripping in Napa (Jonathan Koehler)
  AHA National Conference Registration ("Tumarkin ")
  Re: Re: Gluten-Free Beer ("John Mealey")


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JANITORs on duty: Pat Babcock (pbabcock at hbd dot org), Jason Henning,
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Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 16:56:32 +1000
From: Andrew Lavery <alavery at iprimus.com.au>
Subject: Re: Gluten Free beer, what to expect?

Kevin Pratt wrote:

>Gluten free beer has seemed to gather enough attention
>that I saw some in a recent competition.  I admit,
>that I'm curious enough to make one or two, myself.
>
>So, I wonder what the expectations should be for
>making this.  What will be the head retention,
>texture, mouthfeel and aftertaste of a properly made
>version?  How much carbonation is appropriate?  Should
>it be very light in color, or should I toast or roast
>some of the grain for color and character?
>
>How well do these beers take to hopping?  I would
>expect these beers to be light in body, so is hop
>astringence a factor?
>  
>
The term gluten free beer is a very broad concept when you look at the 
commercial examples (there are around 20 or so), there is one stout and 
a couple of amber/brown ales with the rest being pale lagers or pale 
ales.  There is also further variation depending on whether the beer is 
made from raw grains and sugars/syrups or malted grains (only 6), as 
well as which particular grain is used.  I guess it's a style of beer 
defined by what is NOT in it, rather than what is.

After discussions with competition organisers here we agreed that my 
gluten free beer should either be entered as a regular style (eg: 
Dunkelweizen) to compete againt "normal" beer, or entered as a specialty 
(eg: Millet Robust Porter) where the main grain is identified so it can 
be judged as a special feature of the beer.  They felt that judging a 
beer as say, a gluten free robust porter, was meaningless as it gives 
them no idea what to expect.

Here's my tasting experience from the commercial and home brewed 
examples I have tried.  The raw grain and sugar/syrup beers can have 
good flavour/aroma and head retention but tend to be either a bit 
appley/cidery or overly sweet, they also lack body and malt character - 
a nice light, refreshing drink but not enough like a tradional beer for 
my liking.  GFB made from malted grain is much more like the traditional 
expectation, and making them in the style of German wheat and rye beers 
or a Belgian wit can fool judges who don't know what it really is.  
Using malted grains will allow you to get the mouthfeel, body and 
flavour closer to barley beer, it will be different just like a wheat or 
rye beer is different but clearly recognisable as beer.  The malted 
grain beers can cope much better with higher hopping rates as well.

So the short answer is either pick a regular style (like a blonde for 
example) and try to make that, or be creative and make something that 
sounds like a good idea (millet roggenbier - very nice) and go for it.

Cheers, Andrew.
Ballarat, VIC, Australia.


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Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 10:08:51 +0100
From: David Edge <david.j.edge at ntlworld.com>
Subject: Mash efficiency with higher gravities

As we know mash efficiency reduces when higher gravity
beers are made, at least unless one adopts the thrifty practice
of making a second beer.

Has anyone got a rule of thumb for working out how much so.
I'm thinking in particular of ales and thick mashes.


David Edge
david.j.edge at ntlworld.com



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Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 07:01:12 -0400
From: "David Houseman" <david.houseman at verizon.net>
Subject: Re:  Subject: better bottling procedure?

Matt,

This sounds very cleaver.    Even if the sugar melts, that shouldn't be a
problem as the liquid beer will dissolve this sugar.  It would seem similar
to placing carbonation drops/tabs into bottles.   Worth a try to see how
this would work in practice.   Maybe it's a true innovation?

David Houseman




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Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 11:44:05 -0600
From: "Janis Gross" <janis at brewersassociation.org>
Subject: Saturday is National Homebrew Day!

Hi everyone,
Saturday is only a couple of days away; have you registered your Big Brew
site or found a site in your area to attend?  Go to
http://www.beertown.org/events/bigbrew/bbreg.aspx to register your Big Brew
site, or http://www.beertown.org/events/bigbrew/Bigbrewselect.aspx to find a
Big Brew site in your area.

Have a great time brewing on Saturday, and at noon Central time I will raise
my glass on a toast to you all!

Those of you (like me) who are site directors should be sure to fill out the
remittance after the event.  To do this, go to
http://www.beertown.org/events/bigbrew/remit.aspx and fill in the
information.

Let's make this the biggest Big Brew yet!  Here's to homebrewing!!!!!!!
Cheers,
	Janis


 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Janis Gross, Project Coordinator
American Homebrewers Association
736 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 447-0816 x134
janis at brewersassociation.org
www.beertown.org 

AHA National Homebrewers Conference - June 21-24
Early Bird Deadline is May 15! Register NOW!
http://www.beertown.org/events/hbc/index.html







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Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 11:47:41 -0600
From: "Janis Gross" <janis at brewersassociation.org>
Subject: AHA National Homebrew Competition First Round Results Update

Hello to everyone who entered the competition this year!
 
We had a record number of entries this year!  This record number of entries
caused a few regions to add extra judging sessions; however, I'm happy to say
the judging for the 28th Annual American Homebrewers Association National
Homebrew Competition first round is almost complete.  
 
I am getting the results from each of the different regions and those will be
posted on the web site as soon as possible.
 
Score sheets are being mailed to you by the regional competition organizers.
Those of you whose beers placed first, second, or third in the first round
will be informed of the eligibility and requirements for sending those
entries to the NHC Second Round in Florida.  If your beers placed, or
achieved a score greater than 24, you will be receiving ribbons and/or
certificates as appropriate in a separate mailing over the next couple of
weeks (see Part III, paragraph B of the Rules and Regulations for details).  
 
For those whose brews have qualified for the second round,
Congratulations!!!!!  The NHC Second Round will be registered on the BJCP
Competition page today.  
 
The winners of the 28th Annual AHA National Homebrew Competition will be
announced at the Grand Banquet of the AHA National Homebrewers Conference on
Saturday June 24th in Orlando, FL.
<http://www.beertown.org/events/hbc/index.html>  Don't miss this event!!!!
 
Thanks for your patience.
Cheers,
Janis

 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Janis Gross, Project Coordinator
American Homebrewers Association
736 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 447-0816 x134
janis at brewersassociation.org
www.beertown.org 

AHA National Homebrewers Conference - June 21-24
Early Bird Deadline is May 15! Register NOW!
http://www.beertown.org/events/hbc/index.html







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Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 10:46:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jonathan Koehler <jonathankoehler at yahoo.com>
Subject: RE: Beer Tripping in Napa

Phil-
  In my opinion, there really aren't any must-visit
breweries between Sacramento and Napa, although there
are a couple of good ones that you might like to check
out.  

1) Sudwerk in Davis - the working side of the famous
UC Davis brewing program.    

2) Blue Frog Brewing in Fairfield, which is owned and
operated by Marie Callendar's, and believe it or not,
still makes really good beer.  

3) Anheuser-Busch in Fairfield - we all know what the
beer has to offer, so just take the tour if you have
time, and be amazed by the scale of it all.

4) Downtown Joe's in Napa - beer is hit or miss at
times.  Their IPA and amber is mediocre, but the stout
can be great.

5) Silverado Brewing Co. north of St. Helena - good
beer and a beautiful setting.  It's right on Hwy. 29,
so you can't miss it.

If you have time, and would like to sample truly
exceptional beer from the region, you should take a <1
hour trip to Petuluma to the Lagunitas Brewing
Company.  http://www.lagunitas.com/

And if you make it over to Santa Rosa as Jefe
suggests, you might as well go on to Healdsburg and
hit Bear Republic Brewing Co.  They make wonderfully
big, hoppy ales like Racer 5, and Red Rocket Ale.

Have fun.

Jonathan Koehler
Napa, California



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Date: Thu,  4 May 2006 14:06:15 -0400
From: "Tumarkin " <Tumarkin at HogtownBrewers.org>
Subject: AHA National Conference Registration

Hey y'all,
 
It's getting very close to the early bird registration deadline. 
After May 15th the cost of registration for the AHA Conference in 
Orlando this June goes up, so register NOW. The website is:
http://www.beertown.org/events/hbc/
 
And make your hotel registrations at the same time, which is really 
the purpose of this post. The Wyndham is doing something that hasn't 
been done at previous conferences - they are putting all the conference 
attendees' rooms together in a block. This is way cool and a big, big plus. 
But it gets even better. If you're coming as a larger group with your club or
other friends, you can arrange to have all your rooms grouped together.
 
Here's how... when you make your reservation, you'll get a confirmation 
number. Let your club members know that when they make their reservations, 
they can give the clerk your confirmation number & have them linked together.
Not for billing, just for getting the rooms close together. If someone has 
already reserved their room, they can still call back and do this. That way, 
if they're making too much noise late at night in the next room, you'll know
who it is, you can go over & drink their beer and then tell them to shut up.
 
Mark Tumarkin 
Chair AHA Governing Committee
2006 NHC Speaker Coordinator
Hogtown Brewers
 

 


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Date: Thu, 04 May 2006 15:30:57 -0600
From: "John Mealey" <mealey at gw.grand.k12.ut.us>
Subject: Re: Re: Gluten-Free Beer

Dennis O'Brien wrote:

Now if I can find a good source of Millet cheaper than
what I can find on Amazon, I should have the bases
covered.

Sun Organic Farms has sprouting millet for $18.50
for 25 lbs. That seems to be cheeper than any I
saw on Amazon.

Here's the link:

http://www.sunorganicfarm.com/Merchant2/merchant.
mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=GRA 




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