hops

Beer Ramblings

beer ramblings

  • IPA’s

What delectably bitter libations!  liquid grass for some, but the freshness…ahhh!  Some like the hops on top, nosey, and some like the peppery undertones with citrusy implications.  One of the best moves of microbreweries these days is to make a delectable session IPA.  Keep the bigness, but have two (or three).  I love the anticipation of beer-thirty when I know I have a home-brewed IPA in the fridge.  It is a type of peace that is rarely found anywhere else.  Big grain bottom with the heaven of nature: all in one glass.  Try some of Great Divide’s offerings, but if you can find it, Hall’s Farmhouse IPA  is the way to go!

  • Pale Ales

These often looked to ales are the base for so many others.  The lowly Pale often plays second partner to the more speciality brews, but if one takes time, better yet: brew your own, the Pale is a patient partner.  Be picky here as these brews range from “meh…” to “Why!  WHY!?”  When that sweet taste of liquid gold is needed the Pale will come through.  Malty with numerous levels of moderate hops are the basis’ of many a fine glass.  Again, Hall’s makes a great Red Ale (a Pale of a different color).  Experiment with these, they are patient and often very satisfying basic beers.

  • ESB’s

While the Pale Ale is a basic beer, its grandfather is probably the ESB.  Ah, what malty goodness awaits anyone with an Extra Special Bitter in mind.  Beside the IPA, I would probably cozy up to one of our home-brewed ESB’s.  Not too cold!  Let the malty goodness speak volumes and it will, especially when shared with friends!

  • Porters and Stouts

Oh these black beauties… often mistaken for being heavy handed and alcoholic.  Not so!  Smoky characters they are, and perhaps they take time to get to know.  But once a true friend is made, you will have a friend for life.  I don’t cotton to the coffee varieties, pure malty black magic for me.  Also, keep the vanilla in the ice-cream.  Although these beautiful and mystical beers can hold up to the adjuncts that we often add, it is a shame to miss out on their simple goodness.  Equally good on a hot summer’s day or cold winter’s night.

  • Lagers

Cold-hearted as they may be, lagers are the fresh morning dew on the grass; early in the morning just as the birds are beginning to wake.  You might not want to drink one at that time, but the freshness of a good lager is bound to quench the thirst of anyone after a hard day of simple living.  Clear, with nothing to hide, sometimes wheat-natured and often abused by the industrial-aged beer magnates.  Don’t bother, there are much, much better beers to be found if you look around.  Oskar Blues’ Mama’s Little Yella Pilsner is a good one.  Better yet, brew your own, but make sure to have a cool place to let it get going. It’ll put a smile on your face and ideas in your head if you’re not careful!

  • Drinking beer?

In my humble opinion, beer is a nectar that is too often diluted by adjuncts: water, grain, yeast and hops are all that is needed.  Savor the taste of the beer you drink; like life, the bottom of the glass comes sooner than you think.  Don’t complicate things, keep your thoughts pure and your wants simple.  Take pleasure in picking the beer you will drink and drink the beer you pick with a conscious and deliberate state of mind.  Smile and nod, but don’t always listen.  This is your time, and your beer will draw those precious seconds out just a little longer!

More Beer Please

beer

Haven’t brewed beer in awhile. This is a problem! The garage fridge, although not completely empty, does have shelf space and in the world of home brewing this is not good. I bottle my beers (simplicity and all that), and on top of fridge space I have an ample supply of empty beer bottles awaiting the next nectar to fill their empty spaces. It seems I cannot go into the garage without hearing their pleas to be filled.

It’s not just the logistics of beer that is problematic. The act itself is important. I’ve put wheels (with locks) on my brewing tables and stands that haven’t been tested yet. I have not heard the hiss of the propane burner under aluminum pots in while. I have not smelled the delicious aroma of mash and wort. I’ve not taken in the beauty of my home brew system in all its homemade, rough-hewn glory. I’ve not wondered at the tubs of hot water and cleaner, the chemist’s tools, and the tubes…oh the tubes.

Brewing beer is, well, more than just brewing magic. It is also drinking home brew early in the morning. It is finding local barley, and using homegrown hops. It is note-taking and smelling. It is breakfast and talk of the beer to come. It is realizing that sometimes what we think is most important is not. In beer brewing, that realization comes with the act of cleaning constantly. It is an all-day brew and feeling tired after you’ve done something that you know is good. It is also watching the carboy for baby bubbles and waking up the next morning to a foam-filled breather and the smell of bananas with a smile on your face.

Brewing beer is not just the day of the brew. Its pleasure continues. I think that brewing beer is one of those things that never end. It is much like music: a musician never gets good enough. I like the process and the realization that the process is ongoing. Bottling the beer, the waiting game begins. And finally…finally the first taste, the anticipation and worry; pouring over your notes and writing tasting notes, I like to share the first taste: more taste-buds the better, and anyway what is beer without friends.

I plan to rectify the problem soon. What better way to bring in a new year than to brew some beer!