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Sheesh! Sounds like the weather in Florida is heading toward Antarctica while we're stuck heading toward the Mojave Desert here in Pagosa Springs! I like the direction Florida is taking and, judging from the Cigar City brews I had last year at GABF, the craft beer scene is primed and ready down on the peninsula.

Cheers!

Jason

HOPS Brewsletter - June 2012

HOPS – Homebrewers Of Pagosa Springs

 

Hello HOPS Heads,

It’s friggin hot. It’s so hot the birds are taking baths in the Lobster Pot at the Hot Springs just to cool off. It’s so hot the fire fighters are hanging out at the burn areas just to cool down. The cows are giving evaporated milk. The weather service issued a “Fat guys in tank tops” warning. The hobo downtown was holding a “Will work for shade” sign. It’s hotter than sweat pants full of BBQ. I learned that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron, too. It’s friggin hot. When it’s this hot about all I can think about is beer. Then again, weather doesn’t really change that thought process. We brewed a nice n’ tasty green chili beer. I like to serve it up in an ice cold, frosty schooner and then sit back and sip away as the buzzards peck at my rotting carcass because it’s been so friggin hot. Sorry, my turrets are kicking in. But it could be worse. I could live in Florida, a land equally hot but way more humid. A land boiling over with violent reactions to craft beer deprivation (at least that’s what I hear). This is a land where you bring your own koozies to the bar (which I happen to think is pretty cool). A land where people don’t get in fights, they merely high-five each other’s faces (which I also think is pretty cool). Come to think of it, if Florida had more craft beer and an Antarctic climate I may consider moving there. There is a hint of redneckery that beacons that soul, oozing its awesomeness. BWAAH! I’m delirious! Doctor, get me a chili beer, stat! Frosty schooner, check. Green chili beer on tap, check. Comfy chair in the shade, check. Buzzards circling… um, check.

 

Until next time, cheers and happy fermenting ~

 

Randini the Beer Spammer

 

 

Quote of the Day:  Beer is the Danish national drink, and the Danish national weakness is another beer.
- Clementine Paddleford

 

Tech Tip of the Day: What does it cost to produce homebrew? A total beer geek (God bless ‘em) from the Hop Barley and the Alers homebrew club in the Front Range put together the info below about what it costs to brew his beer. I found it quite interesting and I think you may too!

 

On Behalf Of Ryan T
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 5:13 PM
Subject: {SPAM 03.5} [HBAmembers] What does it cost to produce homebrew?

 

Hi everyone,

About this time last year I became very interested in what my actual costs were for producing homebrew.  I decided the best way to find out would be to track what I spent for a year and then average it out per gallon.  My hope was the long time period would smooth out any per batch fluctuations and give me a more accurate total.  Here is what I found.

 

 

 

$/G

% of total

% of non-Cap

 

Total Gallons Produced

341

 

 

 

11 BBLs, 17 batches

Total Expenses

2313.13

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

1022.50

2.998534

44.20%

64.69%

 

Capital Improvements

732.44

2.147918

31.66%

 

kettles, burner, keg washer, barrel

Supplies

233.17

0.683783

10.08%

14.75%

slants, brushes, flasks, filters, buckets, etc

LP Gas (propane)

195.83

0.574282

8.47%

12.39%

 

CO2

107.60

0.315543

4.65%

6.81%

 

O2

21.59

0.063314

0.93%

1.37%

 

All Gases (LP, CO2, O2)

325.02

0.953138

14.05%

20.56%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dollars/G

6.78

 

 

 

 

noncap$/G

4.64

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pint Price total

0.85

 

 

 

 

Pint Price non-cap

0.58

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corny Price total

33.92

 

 

 

 

Corny Price non-cap

23.18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

avg grain #/G

2.23

 

 

 

 

# used

759.82

 

 

 

 

 

So, my answer is around $4.64 per gallon, or $6.78 including the onetime upgrades I did this year.  It appears my biggest potential savings would come from switching to electric instead of propane, and using priming sugar rather than force carbonating.  I found it interesting that gases were such a large percentage of the total cost.

 

Next time your significant other complains about the money you put towards homebrew you can point them to my research and remind them how glad they should be they aren’t married to me.

 

For comparison:

Coors Light Keg = $5.03/G

Sierra Nevada Pale Keg = $7.74/G

Sierra Nevada Pale 12pk = $11.53/G

Stone Ruination 6pk = $31.07/G

 

Cheers,

Ryan

 

 

HOPS Meetings:

 

  • HOPS – New Business:
  • Next Meeting: Tuesday, the 26th is the next HOPS meeting, Pagosa Brewing Co at 6:00 PM. The RED COLOR GROUP is up, so if you are in this group, make sure you have been in touch with your Color Group Leader to find out what is in the pipeline.
  • Style of the Month: Mead & Experimental
  • Discussion: Some ideas we want to go over include the following:

A)      Salida Brewers Rendezvous

B)      County Fair Homebrew Competition – Also would like a homebrew demo! Any volunteers?

C)      Another Bulk Grain Purchase – one is in the works.

D)      Other upcoming events found below.

 

NEED YOUR HELP; AUGUST 25 SAN JUAN BREWFEST IN DURANGO

I just left a meeting with Todd Youngblood, a coordinator for the San Juan Brewfest in Durango August 25th. There is a lot happening here. We need volunteers to judge, steward and for general assistance for the Commercial Division judging. We also need "Table Captains" for the judging that need to be knowledgable about beer style guidelines. The more volunteers we have the better and the more events we can expand on. There will be commercial brewers from all over the state!

For the first time, there is going to be some sort of homebrewer exhibition depending on a) the number of volunteers and b) the legalities involved. I am handling the legal part of this for now.
There could be classes a couple of days before the Brewfest for new brewers, and this could be a way to get the local 4 corners clubs some publicity.

These things depend largely on the raw numbers of volunteers and how much they are willing to do.

I think this can be a huge opportunity for the local clubs to get their names out there and to get to know more of the local brewers and have fellowship with the other clubs in the area. If you have any questions, I can meet with your club and discuss some of the ideas we have. It is all up to you, the local clubs. Contact me, wm_downs@msn.com to volunteer. There will also be a potential homebrew competition if there is enough interest. One more thing, this is a benefit for the local United Way. Let me know as soon as possible what you need to know from me.

Thank you Homebrewers!

Liquor Stories – New Arrivals At Local Liquor Stores

Liquor Stories – New Arrivals At Local Liquor Stores

 

Liquor Stories:

 

      Our tribute to local liquor stores that like beer - and not just crap beer, I mean Real Beer! Not all of them are cool enough to contribute to our kick a$$ club, so be sure to treat the ones that do with some extra business. You might even get a discount!

 

 

 

Mountain Spirits

 

Goslings Dark & Stormy ... a pre mixed cocktail of Goslings Dark rum and ginger beer  8.4 oz    $2.99

 

Shipyard Summer Ale   Maine  6pk     $10.99

 

Fort Collins Brewey 1900 Amber Ale  6pk   $10.59

 

John Smith Extra Smooth Ale   England  4pk  $7.99

 

Breckenridge 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout  4pk  $10.99

 

Blue Moon Vintage Blonde Ale   750ml   $5.99

 

Silver Dollar

 

New 6pks this month

 

Firestone Walker                      DBA

                                                -Double Barrel Ale

 

                                                Pale 31

                                                -California pale ale that is dry hopped

 

                                                Union Jack

                                                -IPA  Jason Cox swears by this IPA

                                                -Double dry hopped  and utilizes over four pounds of

pacific-northwest hops per barrel

 

Breckenridge Brewery              Summer Bright

                                                -Ale brewed with orange and lemon peels

 

Spoetzl Brewery (Shiner)          Ruby Redbird

                                                -Beer brewed with Texas ruby red grapefruit juice and with ginger

 

Bristol Brewery                        Beehive

                                                -Wheat ale brewed with honey

 

New Bombers

 

New Belgium                            Tart Lychee

                                                -56% ale aged in oak

                                                -44% ale brewed with lychee and cinnamon

 

Breckenridge Brewery              Well Built

                                                -E.S.B. aged in Stranahan’s Colorado whiskey barrels

 

Rogue Brewery                        Dad’s Little Helper

                                                -Black IPA  Don’t forget Rogue beers are always brewed

                                                with “free range coastal water”

 

Russian River                            Supplication

-Ale aged in Pinot Noir barrels for 12 to 15 months with cherries added

-when my wife and I were at this brewery 2 months ago we could not get enough of this beer soooo good but pricy $13.99 a 375ml bottle

 

Grand Teton                             Snarling Badger

                                                -Berliner Weisse

-a traditional north German wheat beer that has a refreshingly tart acidity

 

6pk of the Month (always $1 off)

 

Mendocino Brewing                 Eye of the Hawk

 

Bomber of the Month (always $1 off)

 

Unibroue                                  La Fin Du Monde

                                                -One of, if not the best North American made Belgium

Triples

                                                           

Meads In Stock (for the meeting on Tuesday!)

 

Coming on Tuesday 26th of June Redstone Meadery  Sunshine Nectar

 

 

From Star Liquors in Durango:

 

Hi Home Brewers and Beer Lovers!

It’s really already June?!? Wow the year is just flying by.  Plants are coming up in the garden and yes I was one of the unfortunates that lost all my tomato plants to that freeze the last weekend of May (grrr).  But the freezes are over the warm weather is here and it’s time to talk about good beer!  I have great news, Firestone Walker will be released in this area late in June and we will be carrying all the front line 6 packs as well as the summer seasonal and the Double Jack their Double IPA.  As a special treat we have also just put the Parabola on the Shelf which I will start off the reviews with.

 

Firestone Walker from Paso Robles California is the largest barrel aging brewery in the country.  Parabola is Firestones limited release Russian Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.  A truly hearty offering, Parabola is big and roasty, with chocolate, tobacco, coffee and charred barrel flavors blending together with a nice bourbon finish that has a bite, and is a bit boozy.   %12.5 ABV provides a nice warming characteristic.   22 oz of this enticing brew costs $13.49, worth every penny.

Grand Teton Brewing in Victor Idaho has made the Snarling Badger Berliner Weisse a good example of the style.  Bready and lightly sour this beer is a great intro to the world of sours as well as a great summer beer.  Wheat, lemon and gentle yeast notes support a tart citrus body that combine to create a slightly over malty version of a Berliner Weisse but still a great beer for this time of year.  A 22oz bottle is a very doable $9.99, and the label is great.

New Belgium has added another in their Lips of Faith series with the Tart Lychee.  Lychee fruit hales from Asia and looks like a raspberry but larger, the skin is peeled off to expose a delicate white pulp that has a fragrant flavor. 56% ale aged in oak, 44% ale brewed with lychee and cinnamon.  A sweet-sour beer that pairs with a fruit flavor the Western palate is not familiar with.  New Belgium is using the power of a major microbrewery to bring in exotic ingredients and make truly unique beer.  22 oz for $8.49 

Full Sail Brewing from Bend Oregon produces great beer and somehow they are able to produce fantastic bombers at a great price. The Brewers Share series are brewers creations produced in limited quantities, Phil’s Existential Alt is the newest offering.   A 22 oz bottle costs $3.99, tough to beat.  Phil’s Alt is a malty brew that has a moderate amount of toast with a dry, slightly hoppy finish.  %5.1 ABV and 43 IBU made this a very quaffable beer after mowing the lawn.

A fun beer we just got our hands on is a collaboration between Deschutes and Hair or the Dog.  Stoic and Dissident have been blended with Adam and Fred.  Talk about some high end beers.  12oz of this ambrosia is a hefty $10.49, but wow talk about a lot of flavor in a small bottle.  These beers were brewed in March of 2010. One hundred percent of these beers spent two years aging in a variety of oak barrels: Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, used American Oak, new American Oak and new Oregon Oak.  Sweet, sour, dark fruit, barrel and so much more, could be construed as too much, with no defined edges, but this is a beer to drink with buddies and try to dissect it.

Well that’s all the time I have today beer lovers.  Remember if you are looking for something fun and can’t find it let me know and I will do my best to track it down for you.  As always good brewing and cheers!

 

Fist Friday Out (FFO) - Tonight! (And other jazz)

MORE SPAM! I just can't get enough. So many fun beer events, so little spam. Another reminder that tonight is the FFO (first Friday of the month) so we're gonna grab a beer at The Pines restaurant at the Golf Course. In fact, I may get there a little early and knock some balls around on the driving range. I haven't whacked that house off of hole 3 in a while...

 - The Great Randini

Even though I know you love my constant flow pointless emails, I will try to stop sending an email for each individual event. (Yes, I am a spaz. Hey, look! Something shiny! Ooooo.)

Here are some other things coming up:

* Sunday - I'm brewing beer! (Yeah for me)
* June 16th - My birthday! Send me beer. Oh, and it's the Hooch Brew Event in Durango. Bring you prison swill made in your toilet. Actually, this sounds like a fun experimental event on fermenting anything you can get your hands on. Eleanor and I have experimented with stuff like that (not in our toilet mind you) and it is fun. It might be hard for them to get judges, and then, how do you 'judge' that? "I'm picking up hints of..." Nevermnind. If you will be in the area and want more info, let me know (randy@speeddirect.com). It will be at Durango Homebrew Supply. I'll spam you more as it gets closer. :-)
* July 14th - Salida Brewer's Rendezvous: DO THIS! It rocks out with it's Bocks out. I'll be there rockin'. You should see it. The event, not me. 

Aztec Homebrew Club Gathering Tomorrow

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the Homebrew Club gathering in Aztec. We will get together with fellow fellows of the fermented following from Aztez, Bloomfield, Cortez, Durango, P-town and who knows where else. Hope to see you there! It was a blast last time and I'm sure this year will not disappoint. Details below.


 - Randini



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CELTIC BREWERS <celticbrewers@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, May 12, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Subject: Home Brew Clubs Gathering June 2nd
To:


Hello Home Brewers. The Gathering of the Four Corners Homebrew Clubs is ON! Saturday June 2nd at the 4CCHBC World Headquarters 121s Main, Aztec. Doors open at noon, talks start at 3pm. 

 

The Head Brewers from Carvers (Jeff Albarella), Ska (Patrick Jose), 3 Rivers (Peter Fieweger), and Steamworks (Ken Martin) will be giving short lectures on varies aspects of brewing, followed by a Brewers Panel where they will answer questions from us homebrewers, each giving their take on it, so write down any questions you have on brewing.  We will be giving away swag from the Breweries.

 

This is a Potluck event. Bring whatever beers you would like to share, we have 6 open taps if you want to bring a keg.

 

Please pass this along to your brewclub members and anyone else that may be interested. If alot of you brewers can make it, I think the Breweries will continue to support a Gathering and it would be great to make this an annual Event having a different club host it each year.

 

Starting at 7pm in the same building, the San Juan Scottish Fiddle Society will be having a Ceilidh (Gaelic for social gathering) with a live Celtic band, more food and beers and ceilidh dances. This is a fundraiser for the Aztec Highland Games and Celtic Festival in October, a $5 donation is suggested if you can stay for this event.

 

There are some cheap places to stay in Aztec for you out of towners who want to stay for the ceilidh and spend the night, or crash at a brewclub members place, just ask.

 

Also,  Aztec Fiesta Days are going on on this day, just a few minutes walk away, you know the traveling fair thing with rides, games to win stuffed toys, cotton candy, elephants ears, tattoos. Bring the kids!