The Barley Whispers

Official Newsletter of the Forest City Brewers

 

Special Edition- Summer 2005

 

Table of Contents:

Vice President’s Notes                Page 1

Meeting Notes                                   Page 1

Club Event Notes                             Page 1

2005/2006 Contest Styles             Page 1

 

Vice President’s Notes:

This special edition of The Barley Whispers will recap our last meeting and review some events for summer and beyond. I will also have a preview of the Fall 2005/ Spring 2006 Contest Styles.

 

Meeting Notes:      

The May meeting was held at the Olympic Tavern. Unfortunately, we were once again pushed to the side. Hopefully, by the time our Fall meetings start we can find a way to get the fireside area reserved for club meetings. We started the meeting with a brief discussion of upcoming summer events, and decided upon locations for Taster’s Guild meetings until September. We also announced the upcoming contest styles for the Fall 2005 meetings and beyond, then sampled some fine brews. As usual, the club thanks those who participated in our monthly competitions.

Contest results were as follows:

Style Contest – Belgian Saison                                                                           Open Contest

1. Ryan Cooper                                                                                                        1. Ryan Cooper – Scottish Ale

2. Lynn Foster                                                                                                        2. Steve/Anita – Apricot Mead

                                                                                                                                       3. Chuck Nolen – Smoked Porter (tie)

                                                                                                                                      3. Allan Novak – English Mild Ale (tie)

 

Great job everyone!

 

Club Event Notes:

The Taster’s Guild locations for the summer months will be at:

June 1st – Old Chicago

July 6th – Der Rathskeller

August 3rd – Garrett’s Bar and Grill

September 7th – Carlyle’s Pub

 

Watch your email for information regarding the upcoming Forest City Brewers Summer Picnic.

“FCB Flotilla 2005” will likely be hosted as usual by Jim and Cookie on the Rock River sometime around July 4th. The club thanks Jim and Cookie in advance for their hospitality!

 

The “Great Taste of the Midwest” beer festival will be in Madison in August as usual. The bus trip coordinated by Jim Didier is sold out as usual. The tickets to the event are sold out as usual. (Note: I am trying to procure a small quantity of tickets for club use! Wish me luck!) The Chicago Beer Society does run TWO buses to the event. You can look for details at Chibeer.org if you like.

Although the Forest City Brewers does not hold formal meetings during the summer months, some members have expressed interest in continuing to meet on the third Wednesday of each month at the Olympic throughout the summer. There will be no agenda, or contests, but since they are homebrew friendly, you could still have some good eats, and share a few brews with whoever shows up. The Stateline Brewing Society of Beloit, Wisconsin would also like to extend an invitation to all FCB members to join us for our summer meetings. The SBS meets at 7:00 on the SECOND Wednesday of each month at Suds O’Hanahans in scenic downtown Beloit, WI. The meetings are held informally, usually in a round table manner for discussion and sharing of Homebrews. Plus, they got a big barrel of peanuts. We love those peanuts. Feel free to contact me (Ryan Cooper) for more information. Then, come watch Andy Friedl drink whatever the special $2.00 swill beer of the month is! 

 

Fall 2005/ Spring 2006 Contest Styles:

The FCB executive committee has chosen the upcoming styles for our Fall and beyond club contests!

September – Honey Beer – Run wild with this non-style category contest. Try a Honey Wheat, or Honey Porter. The possibilities here are only limited by your imagination!

October - Mocha/Coffee – That’s right, Octoberfest is cancelled this year! Shake things up with another non-style  category contest. Try your hand at the ever popular Coffee Stouts, maybe a Mocha Porter ala “Rogue Brewing Co.”. Maybe you’ll make something completely new. Maybe an Imperial Irish Cream Stout with Espresso Beans ? Think outside the coffee can my friends!

November – Belgian Dubbel/ Trippel – In order to encourage more entries we are doubling up the style on this one. Make your favorite Belgian Dubbel or Trippel recipe, and arrange for a designated driver. Gotta love those crazy monks! See BJCP.org for style details.

December – Spiced Beers/Holiday Beers – Although  this is a true BJCP category, it is wide open to interpretation and creativity. Many Winter Ales use nutmeg, cinnamon, or cloves for added characters and flavors. So, spice things  up! Try to find Randy Mosher’s spiced ale recipe from “Radical Brewing”, it’s crazy good!

January – Biere De Garde – From BJCP.org , “..Name literally means "beer which has been kept or lagered." A traditional artisanal farmhouse ale from Northern France brewed in early spring and kept in cold cellars for consumption in warmer weather. It is now brewed year-round. Related to the Belgian Saison style, the main difference is that the Biere de Garde is rounder, richer, sweeter, malt-focused, often has a "cellar" character, and lacks the spicing and tartness of a Saison. “ Yummy!

February – West Coast Stout – Again from BJCP, “A hoppy, bitter, strongly roasted Foreign-style Stout (of the export variety)” . For the Stout Lovers among us, this category would include the likes of Sierra Nevada Stout, North Coast Old No. 38,  Three Floyds Black Sun Stout, Rogue Shakespeare Stout, and Bell's Kalamazoo Stout among other popular favorites.

March – Munich Dunkel – A popular lager variety featuring a pleasant malty smoothness. From the BJCP.org guidelines, “Dominated by the rich and complex flavor of Munich malt, usually with melanoidins reminiscent of bread crusts. The taste can be moderately sweet, although it should not be overwhelming or cloying. Hints of caramel, chocolate, toast or nuttiness may be present in the background. Burnt or bitter flavors from roasted malts are inappropriate, as are pronounced caramel flavors from crystal malt. Hop bitterness is moderately low but perceptible, with the balance tipped firmly towards maltiness. Noble hop flavor is low to none. Aftertaste remains malty, although the hop bitterness may become more apparent in the medium-dry finish. Clean lager character with no fruity esters or diacetyl”.

April – Imperial IPA – Hop lovers, get em out! This can be up to 100 IBU’S! A BJCP description…”A recent American innovation reflecting the trend of American craft brewers "pushing the envelope" to satisfy the need of hop aficionados for increasingly intense products. Category may be stretched to cover historical and modern American stock ales that are stronger, hoppier ales without the malt intensity of barleywines. The adjective "Imperial" is arbitrary and simply implies a stronger version of an IPA; "double," "extra," "extreme," or any other variety of adjectives would be equally valid”.

 

May -  Rye Beer – That’s Roggenbier to you Geramnic types! Our last non-style category contest. This one is wide open! Rye Stout? Rye Pale Ale? (Rye PA!) The Rye beers are becoming increasingly popular. This was evidenced by the selection of Denny Conn’s legendary Rye IPA as a featured recipe for the AHA National Homebrew Day “Big Brew”. If you haven’t had em’, find some and try em’ !

 

That is all for now fellow brewers.

Have an excellent summer, and watch your email for summer event updates!