FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
		Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator


Contents:
  Re: Homebrew Digest #901 (June 12, 1992)  (aew)
  hopeless hops (dave ballard)
  hop tea vs dry hopping (donald oconnor)
  Reinhard Munker and Amsterdam (Keith Winkeler)
  bitter beer (John Bergquist)
  Bitter Beer (reply)
  Re: Water opinions (Michael J. Tuciarone)
  RE: Homebrew Digest #890 (May 28, 1992) (Dances with Workstations)
  Yeast Growth, Krauesen ("John Cotterill")
  mashing (Dave Herd)
  mild ale malt, regression (long) (Rob Bradley)
  UPLOAD: AHA.CON (Robin Garr)


Send articles for publication to homebrew at hpfcmi.fc.hp.com
Send UNSUBSCRIBE and all other requests, ie, address change, etc.,
to homebrew-request@ hpfcmi.fc.hp.com
Archives _were_ available from netlib at mthvax.cs.miami.edu
(Stay tuned for info on a new archive site)
**Please do not send me requests for back issues!**
**For Cat's Meow information, send mail to lutzen at novell.physics.umr.edu**


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 92 08:43:35 -0400
From: aew at spitfire.unh.edu
Subject: Re: Homebrew Digest #901 (June 12, 1992) 

Nils,

   Try Anchor's Liberty Ale! From the same people who make Anchor Steam and
Anchor Porter. I've had this many times and really liked it because
it's very hoppy. They use dry-hopping in brewing it and 3 kinds of
hops. I've been able to get it a Leary's in Newburyport MA (Only 35
mins from York Me.) but you should be able to get it in any store that
has a good selection of Gourmet/Import beers.

   By the way, I live in NH on the seacoast. Where in ME do you live?
Do you belong to any brewing clubs? Where do you buy supplies? There
are about 10 people here at UNH (where I work) that brew and sometimes
we get together for an informal tasting. Not really a club but we're
toying with the idea of starting one. Interested?

 -Al
===============================================================================
Allan Wright Jr.            | Pole-Vaulters Get a Natural High!  | GO Celts!
University of New Hampshire +--------------------------------------------------
Research Computing Center   | Hello, My name is Inigo Montoya. You Killed my
Internet: AEW at UNH.EDU       | father. Prepare to die. -The Princess Bride
===============================================================================

Return to table of contents


Date: 12 Jun 1992   8:34 EDT
From: dab at dasher.cc.bellcore.com (dave ballard)
Subject: hopeless hops


hey now-  did anyone else get hop rhizomes from matucheski farms in
wi this year?  a friend and i ordered a bunch at the end of march
and received them at the end of april.  there was a problem with 
the weather in wi at the time so their harvest was late.  anyway, 
we've had these things in the ground for like six weeks now and 
have seen no signs of life.  i even dug one up yesterday to see
what was going on and the rhizome looked the same as it did when 
i planted it!

now this really bums me out.  all i wanted out of life was to be able
to sit on the patio next to my hop garden, slurp homebrew, and listen
to dead tapes.  i'm easy to please.  i've got the brew and the tapes
but no hops.  my friend has had the same results (or lack thereof).
so what is it?  is it da hops?  is it da good piscataway soil?  is it
da shoes?  

i never saw a rhizome before these arrived, so i don't know how thick 
they're supposed to be.  the ones we got were _really_ skinny, like
much thinner than my pinky.  were they anemic or something?  if anyone
has had problems with hops from this place, lemme know...

later
dab

=========================================================================
dave ballard			"Life may not be the party we hoped for,
dab at dasher.cc.bellcore.com       but while we're here we should dance."
=========================================================================


Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 12 Jun 92 08:23:05 -0500
From: oconnor at ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (donald oconnor)
Subject: hop tea vs dry hopping


Several hdb'ers have commented on the great hop aroma and flavor they get
from dry hopping.  the method that lynne and I use most often is to
make a hop tea at bottling.  The results seem very similar to dry-hopped
beers of our friends.  I think hop teas are a little trickier but 
perhaps give the brewer a little more control over the amount of 
flavor vs aroma.  Our experimental approach has led us to conclude that
there are several important variables in hop teas.
		        1.  steep time   6-8 minutes seems to be best.  too long and you
lose the aroma; too short and you don't get much of anything.

	      2.  amount of water.  1/2 gallon seems to be about the minimum.  too
little water prevents the components from dissolving.

	      3.  obviously, the amount of hops.  we use 1/2 to 2 ounces.  i usually
suggest 2 oz as a place to start with either hallertau or cascade because
you will have no doubt about your success.  then step down to suit your
taste.

Does anyone know of commericial breweries that use dry-hopping?  my 
recollection is that Sam Adams and Liberty Ale dry-hopped.  any others?
In the video the Beer Hunter, Michael Jackson tours an English brewery
(whose name escapes me) and they effectively use a hop tea.  The
hot wort is poured over hops on the way into the chiller.  Seems like the
same idea as a hop tea.  I think I recently read that Sierra Nevada does
this as well.  Is that true?


Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 12 Jun 92 08:49:05 CDT
From: winkeler at eagle.natinst.com (Keith Winkeler)
Subject: Reinhard Munker and Amsterdam


I have two questions:

1) Has anyone heard of the company Reinhard Munker (u is umlauted)
   or VOND Automation Ltd. that sells microbrewery equipment to 
   restaurants or cafes? Their setup requires 100 sq. meters and
   can produce 100,000 liters/yr if you brew once a week.
   Presumably they are located in Germany.

2) Where are good brewpubs in Amsterdam? Or, where in the archives
   can I find such info? Email to me and I'll summarize if it is 
   interesting to others.

Thanks in advance,

Keith Winkeler


Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 12 Jun 92 10:50:58 CDT
From: jeb at hemlock.cray.com (John Bergquist)
Subject: bitter beer

Subject: Bitter Beer (reply)

>I like my beer bitter and hoppy.  So far the bitterest, hoppiest
>beer I have found is Geary's Pale Ale (brewed right here in Maine :).
>Is there any commercial beer which can beat Geary's in these areas?
>-Nils
- ---------------------------------
I haven't had the pleasure of trying Geary's, but the hoppiest domestic 
beers I've tasted are from Grant's in Yakima, WA.  I think I read a claim 
that their Imperial Stout is the hoppiest beer in America.  I'm sure 
you're aware of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, which is as hoppy as  
anything you're likely to find in general distribution.
 -John

Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 12 Jun 92 09:02:14 PDT
From: tooch at auspex.com (Michael J. Tuciarone)
Subject: Re: Water opinions

Although I, too, am a Mountain View (CA) homebrewer, I'll try to make
my comments as general as possible to avoid boring and irritating most
of you out there in the heartland.

First of all, if you're genuinely interested in the fine points of your
brewing water, you should get a water report. If you get city water,
then you may get an annual water quality report automatically in your
bill.  That's the case in Mountain View, and I wouldn't be surprised if
that's common elsewhere. Even if you don't, I'll bet your water company
will mail you one if you ask them.

If you have a well, then you're on your own, but you should still have
your water analyzed periodically anyway. (My Dad used to have it done
every ten years or so; I don't know what the official recommendation
is.) You'd hate to discover someone's septic field seeping into your
well supply, for instance.

The report can tell you all sorts of interesting things like mineral
content and so forth. But you should take it with a big grain of salt,
since it really represents averages or typical values. In Mountain
View, like many other places, the city water supply is created by
blending water from the SF Water Department (Hetch Hetchy--which is
*really good* water, by the way), the Santa Clara Valley Water
Department, and sometimes from city wells.  The water that comes out of
your tap depends on where in the city you live and what's going on in
the pipes that day. So the actual tap water is very variable, and this
is likely to be the case in your community if your city is not blessed
with a large and consistent natural water supply.

City water is clorinated and treated to a greater or lesser degree (see
above), often noticeably. I think this is the most important
consideration..."it's the water," after all, isn't it?  This is the
main reason I use bottled water for brewing. It's very consistent and
clean-tasting. (Maybe I could get the same effect by just bottling the
tap water and letting it sit for a week. Hmmm.) I also don't think it
makes that much difference to me, since my tap water isn't that bad,
but there are people living in places where the tap water has a lot of
sulfur or alkali or god-knows-what in it. You choose.

t

Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 12 Jun 92 12:25:47 EDT
From: Dances with Workstations <buchman at marva1.ENET.dec.com>
Subject: RE: Homebrew Digest #890 (May 28, 1992)

Mark Easter is brewing a batch with:

> 4 oz cocoa powder
> 4 oz freshly ground coffee (Costa Rican)
> 1 cup unsulphered blackstrap mollases

That's a lot of strong flavors for one batch. I used two ounces of coffee
beans (unground) in 5 gallons of stout: the coffee was easily noticeable
(and good), but another ounce would be pushing it. Experience from others
on this digest says that 1/2 lb. would make your entire batch taste like
fermented coffee.

> From: Pat Lasswell <patl at microsoft.com>
> Subject: Re: Pumpernickel Porter Recipe
>
> I suspect that dry-hopping with coffee would destroy any head the beer
> might have, since (good) coffee contains a not insignificant amount of oil.
> . . .  The activity of fermentation would probably flush out some of the
> aromatics, so it's anybody's guess as to what it would taste like.  (Anybody
> done it?)

In the batch mentioned above, the two ounces of coffee beans were added when
the yeast was pitched. The stout develops a great head; head retention isn't
very good though. Coffee aroma is noticeable, and taste is pronounced.

>      Now for a question.  I've got a weizen in the secondary which I intended
> as a dunkelweizen, but it isn't as dunkel as I'd like.  I'm considering
> steeping a couple ounces of black patent malt with my primings in hopes of
> adjusting the color at bottling time.  Has anyone tried anything like this?
> Does it seem like a reasonable idea?  Any drawbacks I should consider?
> 
> Ooogy wawa,
> Dr. John

In a batch of bitter, I added black patent "tea" to darken the brew several
days before pitching and achieved the desired results. If you try to add it
at priming/bottling time, you'll have to decrease priming sugar to allow for
the extra fermentables in the bottle to avoid overcarbonation.
				Cheers,
					Jim Buchamn
					buchman at marva1.enet.dec.com

Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 12 Jun 92 10:27:48 PDT
From: "John Cotterill" <johnc at hprpcd.rose.hp.com>
Subject: Yeast Growth, Krauesen
Full-Name: "John Cotterill"

Thanks to all who have responded to my questions regarding yeast growth in
starters (etc).  I had a pretty good idea of the growth process that yeast
undergoes during the brewing process.  However, the difficulty I am having
is determining when (or how to tell) a particular phase is occuring.
Specifically, how can you tell when 'high' krauesen occurs in the yeast 
starter.  As I watch my starters progress, its kind of like watching grass
grow (or a golf game on TV).  Not a whole lot happens.  In fact, it is 
difficult to really see anything going on.  I definitely don't get any foam
cap on top of the base starter.  At most its a few floating bubbles.  All
the information that I have come across suggests that it is 'very' obvious
that high krauesen is occuring by the large amount of foam on top.  This is
true in my batch of brew, but I have never seen anything remotely close to  
'a lot' of foam on top of my starter.  I just usually pitch after 1-2 days
of starting.  So whats the deal?  Does anyone out there get a good head
in a 12oz starter.  Not worrying, just curious (and feeling a bit insecure).
John
johnc at hprpcd.rose.hp.com

Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 12 Jun 92 10:53:02 PDT
From: Dave Herd <kai at palace.ign.island.com>
Subject: mashing

CHUCK <UNDERWOOD at INTEL7.intel.com> writes:

> 	The whole process took about 6 hours [...]

Yea, sounds about how long it takes me.  I think you can do it a
lot faster if your using a big gas burner -- I'm using an
eletric stove top, which is damn slow at heating anything that
big.

> 	         Anyone care to send me some hints?  Recipes, how much
> 	grain, water, extract, etc.

I use between 2 and 4 hoppers* of pale, along with at least one
hopper of medium (~40 l) crystal, in 3 or 4 gallons of water to
mash, and I sparge with a similar ammounht.  Also, I often add 
to my mash a mixed hopper of wheat malt and rolled oats.  I very
seldom use any extract.

* A "hopper" is my unit of measure for grain.  It's however
  much it takes to fill the hopper of a Corona grain mill to
  the top.  This is somewhere between 1 kilo and 2.5 pounds.

I heat the stuff to 150 deg F, or a little more, as fast as my
stove will allow (this takes an hour and a half, or so).  Once
the mash is up to the temperature I want, I put the whole thing
in the oven, preheated to 150 - 200 deg F.  I turn the oven off
*before* placing the mash. (My intent in preheating the oven is
not that the oven should heat the mash, but rather that the 
mash should not have to heat the oven.)  Anway, the oven, being
an insulated box, can keep the mash temperature stable for
hours and eliminates the need for constant attention (stirring).

> 	                             Also all of Papazian's recipes
> 	called for a step mash compared to the straight 150 deg mash?

The model I've got for enzyme and related activity isn't too 
well developed yet, but it does include a fair set of heuristics.

  -- Reactions go faster when it's hot because all of the 
     molecules are moving faster, and so can find their
     appropriate partners in crime more quickly.

  -- Enzymes are big, complex, and therefore delicate things; 
     they are easily dammaged by high temperatures.

  -- Starch turns into dextrin (thick, clear, non-fermentable,
     gooey stuff) when it gets too hot. 

  -- High temperatures tend to produce thick, sweet beers, 
     while low temperatures tend to produce thin dry ones.

  -- If the temperature's way too low, stuff'll grow in it.
 
A straight 150 deg mash isn't really just 150 deg's (unless you 
go to a lot of trouble to make it so); you get the cumulative
effects of mashing at *all* of the temperatures your wort passed
through on its way to 150 deg.  By doing a stepped mash, you're
just making for a larger porportion of the time being spent at a
few selected temperatures.  The purpose of this is so you can
come a little closer to being able to choose which kinds of
sugars and dextrins will be in your wort.  To do this really
well, you need either a way to change the temperature of your
mash quickly and precicely, or you need to be able to calculate
the effects that not being able to do this would include, or
both.

> 	He also mashed the crystal, specialty grains, too.  Why?

All of the grains, except for the really dark ones, can add to
the total yeald of sugar, if you put them in with your mash.


     Kai
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|kai at palace.ign.island.com                  |          Brew Naked           |
|{sun,uunet,moon}!island!grenada!palace!kai | (the wort will keep you warm) | 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Return to table of contents


Date: Fri, 12 Jun 92 16:35:46 -0400
From: bradley at adx.adelphi.edu (Rob Bradley)
Subject: mild ale malt, regression (long)

Has anybody out there had much experience with `Mild Ale Malt'.  I have
purchased it from Lil' Ol' Winemaking Shoppe in the Chicago suburbs on
two occasions.

At first I bought enough for one batch, just to try it out.  Having
drunk mild ale in the north of England (the first time was in
Carlisle during a blizzard, heading from the Lakes to the Highlands),
I was expecting a dark malt.  Dave Line (_BBB_) describes it as:
"malted barley roasted slightly more than pale malt.  The higher kilning
temperature tends to give a fuller flavoured beer and results in a darker
coloured malt with a slightly restricted diastatic activity".

The stuff turned out to be much paler than I had imagined.  To the eye
it was only just noticably darker than pale malt.  It smelled nutty and
toasty, though.  It was easy to differentiate from pale malt with the
sense of smell.  I believe it to be 2-row.

Dave Line's recipes call for a total of about 2/3 lb.of darker malts to
make a 5-pound batch.  i tried the following, and it turned out
_extremely_well_:

         Mid-West Mild Ale
         -----------------
 6    lb.  Mild Ale Malt
 4    oz.  Chocolate Malt
 1.5  oz.  Fuggles (pellets) - boil
 0.5  oz.  Fuggles (pellets) - finish

   5 gallons  at  1040 (!)
 final gravity 1014

Bottled on day 13.  At it's best fresh; weeks 3-6.

I believe the original gravity figure (which sugests more than 80%
efficiency) was in error.  Around 1037 seems more likely (see below).

This took place in the winter of 90-91.  In September 1991, gearing up
for the season that has just passed [no basement or air conditioning :-( ]
I ordered 30 pounds more.  I used it in 6 batches, sometimes alone and
sometimes in combination with US 6-row (much cheaper).  I used it as I
would have pale malt in 3 pale ales, a stout, a Scotch Ale and a winter
warmer.  In all cases (except possibly the stout), it added extra
character and complexity to the beer: a sweet maltiness and a slight
roastiness in the nose, a nuttines in the flavour.  It shone best,
perhaps, in the scotch ale (which was unfortunatley over-hopped and so
not really true to style; more like a pale ale).

Because my mash/sparge technique was the same in all 6 batches and the
array of other ingredients was limited, IO thought this would make a good
data set for estimating the yield from mild ale malt.  I got 30 gallon-points
per pound, by which I mean that if I brewed a 5 gallon batch using 8
pounds of maild ale malt, I would get expect

    (8 lb. x 30 gal.-points/lb.)   240 gal.-points
    ---------------------------- = --------------- = 48 points,
              5 gal.                 5 gal.
or an original gravity of 1048.

This rule-of-thumb method for predicting OGs has been widely discussed
in past issues.  It is a reaonable linear model of a non-linear process,
but it's reliability depends upon the numbers being calibrated for your
process.  Depending on how you mill/mash/sparge, you may well get more
or less that 30 galllon-points per pound.

The best way to come up with numbers is to run a linear regression.
This way, errors in measurement (both of wieghts and OG) will tend to
cancel out.  The larger the sample size, the better, but you must always
have more batches than numbers of ingredients: that is, if you use 2-row
malt, 6-row malt, crystal malt and black malt, you must get data from at
least 5 batches...more if possible.  On the other hand, since you are
measuring an aspect of your brewing process, you should only include
data from batches where the method is the same.  If you change your
lautering system or your mill, or you start using more sparge water,
you won't get reliable figures using data from old bathces.

There are many software packages, including Mathematica, which can
do the calculations for you.  (Always run the regression
_without_constant_term!!!)  If interested on how to do it with
mathematica, post to me.

With my 6 batches I used 4 ingredients and got the following data:

Ingredient                gallon-points per pound
- ----------                -----------------------
mild ale malt (2-row?)           29.8
6-row US pale malt               28.8
6-row UK crystal malt            25.0
roasted barley                   15.6

The accuracy of a homebrewer's procedures suggest we round to 30, 29, 25
and 16 respectively.  If you brewed a batch with 3 # mild, 4 # 6-row and
1 # crystal, you would expect:

 (3 x 30) + (4 x 29) + (1 x 25)    231
 ------------------------------ =  ---  = 46.2 points.
               5                    5
In fact, I got an OG of 1046 with this brew (lucky!).

My best batch of the winter, _highly_recommended_:

          Long Island Winter Warmer
          -------------------------
7    lb.  mild ale malt
3    lb.  US 6-row malt
2    oz.  Cascade (leaf) - boil 75 min.
1    oz.  Cascade (leaf) - boil 30 min.
0.5  oz.  Cascade (leaf) - boil 15 min.
0.5  oz.  Cascade (leaf) - steep for 15 min. after the boil
0.5  oz.  Cascade (leaf) - dry hop in the secondary
          ale yeast

  5 gallons  at  1057
final gravity 1020

The Cascade hops were fresh and _very_ aromatic, from the fall '91
harvest.  Alpha acid was about 5%; alas I didn't write it down.
I used Edme yeast, although I doubt if I would ever again use dried
yeast on a beer like this (or any beer?).  Fortunately, I got no
infections.  I drank the last bottle on June 6  (brewed Jan. 25).
It was still in great shape: spicy on the nose and `creamy' and
full-bodied in the mouth.

Try this mild ale malt stuff....it's really good!

Cheers,

Rob
(bradley at adx.adelphi.edu)

Return to table of contents


Date: 13 Jun 92 17:09:20 EDT
From: Robin Garr <76702.764 at compuserve.com>
Subject: UPLOAD: AHA.CON


          1992 AHA NATIONAL AWARDS AND CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT

    (This is the transcript of CompuServe Beer Forum's live online report from 
the American Homebrewers Association's annual National Awards presentation at 
Marc Plaza Hotel in Milwaukee on June 12, 1992.  Beer Forum Associate Sysop 
Robin Garr was on hand for the presentation, reporting "gavel-to-gavel" 
coverage in the Beer Forum's Conference Room 5 (The Brewery) using a portable 
computer set up alongside the dais.)


 <Transcript begins>

 Charlie Papazian has JUST walked up front. He's wearing a tux! and a...
 tall silk hat like Abraham Lincoln!
 OK!  We're under way here, gang.
 Charlie has just asked if we're relaxed, not worrying and having a...
 homebrew. The crowd is pleased.
 Charlie is going through some routine announcements, and the crowd...
 is getting a little unruly.
 Charlie called up Jeff Mandel, of the AHA, and is giving him a round...
 of applause for all his work ... he's driven 2,000 miles around the...
 Upper Midwest this week, collecting all the FREE BEER for the...
 convention.  The crowd, of course, is giving Jeff a ***Standing...
 O***.
 Now they are chanting, MORE BEER! MORE BEER! MORE BEER!
 Charlie is now recognizing Karen Barela of the AHA.  "I want to make...
 sure everyone knows, Karen is the one who's responsible for...
 everything that has happened here during the past four or five days...
 and including tomorrow. Karen, I want to give you a hug." <he does so>
 The crowd likes it. :-)
 Charlie is now making an announcement about tomorrow's Just Brew It...
 festival in Milwaukee's Old Heidelburg Park, 11-5. Shuttle buses...
 from the hotel, etc.
 More announcements: AHA's new Competition Committee meeting tomorrow...
 morning.
 Charlie:  "If you haven't had enough beer by the time this is over,...
 there are three Hospitality Suites tonight."  <cheers>  He announces...
 their locations.
 There is a LOT of homebrew around here, folks.
 Continuing, Charlie makes more announcements.  A wort chiller is...
 being raffled off tonight. It goes to the person who has a STAR on...
 their menu. Some guy in the back yells, "Yeah!"
 Now everyone's applauding Michael Matuchev <sp?>, who made the...
 special conference beers, served with dinner:  Two raspberry...
 lambics, one called "Wild Rose," one called "Dirty Rose." More...
 applause.
 All these announcements are preliminary to the awards.  We're... 
 coming up on them in just a couple of minutes.
 Charlie is explaining to the group right now that we're on...
 conference. (Jeff Frane, looking over my shoulder, says "hi"...
 to the online participants.)
 And now.... Charlie is speaking:
 "Without any further delay, Mr. Hombrew Competition himself, Dave...
 Welker."
 Dave, competition director for the past five years, is coming up to...
 the front now.  The awards ceremony is under way.
 (Russ W. just walked up and said howdy to the gang online.)
 Dave is taking the mike and shuffling his notes. This is Dave:
 Welcome, everyone!  I'd like to start off with Karen, who gave me...
 some statistics at lunch. Anyone want to hear em?
 <mumbles from the audience>
 I think they're really interesting. (This is Dave talking)
 There were 2,400 entries, double last year.
 56 from Canada, Australia, Japan, Sweden and the Virgin Islands,...
 most of them from Canada.
 California had the largest number of entries, 636 -- one-fourth the...
 total. <hisses from the audience>
 Colorado was next with 200. <cheers>
 Dave: I know you guys. Bunch of drunks.
 Illinois was next with 140. Then Wisconsin with 133.
 One of the things we've enjoyed here is how friendly everyone from...
 Wisconsin has been. Thank you very much.
 Every subcategory had entries, even the dry beer this year; none...
 last year, had four entries this year. <hisses>
 901 different brewers were responsible for the 2400 entries, an...
 average of 2.6 per brewer. One brewer entered 27 beers: Ron Page,...
 from Connecticut.
 First round, we had 150 judges in 26, three-hour judging sessions,...
 around 12,000 judging hours.
 As far as receiving, unpacking, sorting, registering, that consumed...
 about 920 hours and distributed through the four different sites.
 Total number of hours related to the judging, over 13,000, or about...
 5 12 hours per beer. 
 The crowd is getting a little tired of this, starting to rumble.
 Dave is naming all the best-of-show judges.
 Now, I'd like to get into the actual winners!


      THIRD PLACE WINNERS:

 Barleywine, Harry Clayton, Seymour, Conn.
 Belgium-Style, David Suda, Boulder, Colo.
 Brown Ale, Ron Page, Middletown, Conn.
 English-style Pale Ale, Rick W. Guthrie, Livermore, Calif.
 American-style Pale Ale, Steven and Christina Daniel, League City, Texas.
 English and Scottish Bitter, Alex Puchner, Hermosa Beach, Calif.
 Porter, John Arends, Calistoga, Calif.
 English and Scottish Strong Ale, Don Gosselin, Winthrop, Mass.
 Stout, Paul Hale, East Northport, N.Y.
 Bock, Brian and Linda North, Franklin, Wis.
 American Dark, Christopher Hansen, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
 Dortmund Export, Bill Murphy, Brookline, Mass.
 Munich Helles, Chris Harding, Ketchum, Idaho.
 Classic Pilsener, Richard Rosen, Andover, Conn. 
 American Light Lager, Jim Lopes, Fresno, Calif.
 Vienna/Okfest/Maerzen, Tom O'Connor, Rockport, Maine.
 German-style Ale, Donald Weaver, New Freedom, Pa.
 Fruit Beer, Thom & Diane Tomlinson, Boulder, Colo.
 Herb Beer, Ron Page, Middletown, Conn.
 Specialty Beer, Neil Gudmestad and Ray Taylor!!!!! of Fargo, N.D.!!!!
   Yeeah! (Ray and friends are online from Fargo.)
 Smoked, Tom Altenbach, Tracy, Calif.
 California Common, Larry Fergison, Brooklyn, N.Y.
 Wheat Beer, Harry Clayton, Seymour, Conn.
 Traditional Mead, Micah Millspaw, Oakdale, Calif.
 Melomel/Cyser/Metheglin, Walter Dobrowney, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
 Cider, Robert Gorman, Waltham, Mass.
 Sake, Fred Eckhardt, Portland, Ore.


      SECOND-PLACE WINNERS

 Barleywine, Rob Brunner, Windsor, Colo.
 Belgium-style, Rick Larson and Paddy Giffen, Sebastapol, Calif.
 Brown Ale, Charlie Milan, Baton Rouge, La.
 English-style Pale Ale, Robert Drousth, Madison, Wis.
 American-style Pale Ale, Michael Chronister, Norristown, Pa.
 English and Scottish Bitter, Ross Hastings, Edmonton, Alta., Canada
 Porter, Jack Spence, Alexandria, Va.
 English and Scottish strong ale, Dale James, Fresno, Calif.
 Stout, Randy Gremp, Calistoga, Calif.
 Bock, Vern & Darlene Wolff, Esparto, Calif.
 Bavarian Dark, Steven and Christina Daniel, League City, Texas
 American Dark, Steven and Christina Daniel, League City, Texas
 Dortmund Export, Greg Walz, Pittsburgh, Pa.
 Munich Helles, Steve and Christina Daniel AGAIN.
 Classic Pilsner, James Cannon, Williamsburg, Va.
 American Light Lager, Steve and Christina Daniel
 Vienna/Okfest/Maerzen, Ray and Maureen Taylor, Fargo, N.D.
 German-style ale, David Rose, Yountville, Calif.
 Fruit Beer, Daniel Jodoin, Livonia, Mich.
 Herb Beer, Wayne Greenway, Oakland, Calif.
 Specialty Beer, Rob Lillard, Lyons, Colo.
 Smoked, David Woodruff, Sebastopol, Calif.
 California Common, Rob Reed, Kokomo, Ind.
 Wheat Beer, Rick Larson, Sebastopol, Calif.
 Traditional Mead, Mark Quade, Port Aransas, Texas
 Melomel/Cyser/Metheglin, Dave Resch, Colorado Springs, Colo.
 Cider, Steve Mclaughlin, Orwell, N.Y.
 Sake, Jim Long, Sacramento, Calif.

 And NOW!


      FIRST-PLACE WINNERS!

 Barleywine, Greg Leas, St.Charles, Mo.
 Belgium-style, Mark Richmond, Springfield, Ohio.
 Brown Ale, Randy Gremp, Calistoga, Calif.
 English-style Pale Ale, Kevin Johnson, Pacifica, Calif.
 American-style Pale Ale, Bill Draths, Chicago, Ill.
 English and Scottish Bitter, John Arends, Calistoga, Calif.
 Porter, Dennis Kinvig, Toronto
 English and Scottish Strong Ale, Jim Campbell, San Jose, Calif.
 Stout, Dick Van Dyke, Park Forest, Ill.
 Bock, Steve Dempsey, Fort Collins, Colo.
 Bavarian Dark, Stu Tallman, Rochester, Mass.
 American Dark, Craig Beifus, Milford, N.J.
 Dortmund Export, Norman Dickenson, Santa Rosa, Calif.
 Munich Helles, Brian and Linda North, Franklin, Wis.
 Classic Pilsner, Patrick Drigans, Buffalo, Minn.
 American Light Lager, Steven & Christina Daniel, League City, Texas
 Vienna/Okfest/Maerzen, Keith Weerts, Windsor, Calif.
 German-style ale, Tom Young, Loyaltor, Calif.
 Fruit Beer, Dan Robison, Salt Lake City.
 Herb Beer, Eric McClary, Carson City, Nev.
 Specialty Beer, Bob Barson, Chicago, Ill.
 Smoked, James Cannon, Williamsburg, Va.
 California Common, Phil Rahn, Cordova, Tenn.
 Wheat Beer, Eric Warner, Lafayette, Colo.
 Traditional Mead, Byron Burch, Santa Rosa, Calif.
 Melomel/Cyser/Metheglin, Vern & Darlene Wolff, Esparto, Calif.
 Cider, Charles Castellow, Edmonds,Wash.
 Sake, Tina Long, Sacramento, Calif.

 (Suddenly, scores of people in the ballroom strap on Charlie Papazian masks!
 This is really weird! A looney figure in in white mental-hospital garb and...
 a fright wig has just rushed on stage, yelling, "I need a beer! FREE...
 BEER!"
 Charlie is nowhere to be seen.
 More Papazian masks are breaking out all over the room.
 They hustle in a gigantic beer keg ... and out pops the REAL...
 Charlie, wearing a velvet cape and pouring himself a homebrew.
 This is real, stone strange, folks. ;-)
 All of this, of course, is aimed at building up the tension before...
 they announce the Best of Show winners.
 

      CLUB AWARDS

Charlie now takes the podium, and they break away to announce the...
 nation's top homebrew clubs, based on competition points, before...
 naming the best-of-show winners.  
 Here's Charlie:
 "Over 25 clubs entered this year's competition as a club to gather...
 points for the coveted trophy sponsored by De Falco's of Texas." 
 Charlie will announce the top 10 clubs, based on judging points,...
 starting with 10. To put us on the edge of our seats, he says, the...
 top two were separated by ONE point.
 Starting in tenth place, the Brewers of South Suburbia, Brewtown...
 Brewmasters and Ithaca Brewers Union, all with four points.
 Then, the Gold Country Brewers Assn Calif, and Underground Brewers of...
 Connecticut, tied with 5 points.
 With 6 points, Washoe Zymurgists.
 With 7 points, San Andreas Malts -- they're No. 4.
 In third place, with 8 points, Hop Barley and the Alers, Boulder,...
 Colo.
 And in second place, with 25 points, The Boston Wort Processors
 In first place, with 26 points, for the sixth or seventh year in a...
 row, the Sonoma Beerocrats (Calif.)  <cheers, mixed with a few boos>
 Byron Burch comes up to receive the award. 
 It's a silver cup, big enough to hold a jug-o-wine.
 No hisses now, just a big round of applause.
 

      BEST OF SHOW

 Now, Charlie presents the the major awards. 
 "Dave, do you have an envelope for me?"
 
 SAKE MAKER OF THE YEAR: from Sacramento Calif., Tina Long.
 CIDER MAKER OF THE YEAR: from Edmonds, Wash., Charles Castellow.
 MEAD MAKER OF THE YEAR: (Sparkling Traditional Mead), from Santa...
 Rosa, Calif., Byron Burch.
 Byron sez: "Charlie tried to get me interested in mead several...
 years ago. I wasn't interested at that point. He was right. I was...
 wrong."
 This year, Charlie says, "We have a new award, the NINKASI AWARD...
 (named for the ancient Sumerian goddess of brewing). In addition to...
 the Best of Show, for homebrewer of the year, the Ninkasi Award goes...
 to the person who won the most ribbons in this competition, based on...
 three points for a first, two for second, one for third. With 14...
 points, it's Steven and Christina Daniel.

 Charlie: Well, there were 2,400 beers, and this is what it all boils...
 down to: Best of Show, sponsored by Munton & Fison. The judges...
 really had a hard time picking 'em, more than ever.
 This year's award goes again, second year in a row, to the dunkel...
 category, Bavarian Dark, Munich Dunkel. 
 Stu's Brew, the Boston Wort Processors, Stu Tallman, the 1992...
 HOME BREWER OF THE YEAR!


 This concludes the presentation, the first LIVE Beer Forum conference
 coverage from the AHA Nationals.  Thanks to all who attended the online
 session.


Return to table of contents



End of HOMEBREW Digest #902, 06/15/92