September 2005
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September 2005 |
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The Barley Whispers Official Newsletter of the Forest City Brewers September 2005 Next Meeting - Wednesday, September 21st, 7:00 PM @ The Olympic Tavern, North Main St.
Table of Contents: Vice President’s Notes Page 1 Summer Recap Page 1 2005/2006 Contest Styles Recap Page 1 Competition Corner Page 1 Random Beer Notes Page 1
Vice President’s Notes: Greetings everyone, and welcome to the Setember edition of the Barley Whispers. I hope everyone is looking forward to our resuming of monthly club meetings, and turnout in force. This fall I will be trying to add reminders that will be sent out prior to club events like our meetings, and Taster’s Guild. Hopefully, we can get great attendance , and encourage some new members as well. I posted a recap of the FCB competition schedule for everyone, and I hope you will support some of the semi-radical choices we have made to liven things up some. For those of you who didn’t already know, my lovely wife Lyn and I are expecting a little brewmaster this fall. We are expecting it to be sometime right around Thanksgiving. Also, props to Pat Cunningham for his donation of materials to help complete my new bar in my basement. I posted a link in an email recently, but for those of you who didn’t get it, check out my pics here:
Although no one showed up for my brew session to check the basement out, I’ll probably give you all another chance sometime soon. Then, I’ll cut you off like arrogant trust fund kids.
Summer Recap:
Flotilla 2005….what happened? I didn’t get the memo. Great Taste of the Midwest wasa solid good time as usual. If you don’t know what the Taste is, you need to ask someone about it, and get yourself there next year. Words and or pictures cannot do this event justice. Although, some pictures….might come close. ( Matt the plumber! )
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’ !
Competition Corner: The Foam Rangers will be hosting their annual competition known as the “Dixie Cup” in houston,TX on October 20th. This is a pretty big event in the homebrew calendar, and competition will be tough. This is the 22nd year of this competition. This year’s special category will be “Clone Wars”. Does your brew have what it takes? Check out the link below for entry info, and make the FCB proud will ya’! http://www.crunchyfrog.net/dixiecup/
The Chicago Beer Society usually holds a Halloween theme contest each year known as “The Spooky Brew Review”. I haven’t seen any details posted yet, but you can be sure they will be doing it. All we need is an excuse to go to Chicago for some beer huh? Watch for details, and get your brews ready.
Random Beer Notes : Just when you thought all the gimmicks were gone…. (Courtesy of Beeradvocate.com)
Grab a Bootie? (Beer) Ah ... No Thanks.
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