HOPS – Homebrewers Of Pagosa Springs
♫ B - Double E - Double R – U – N, BEER RUN! ♫ Everybody sing!
Man, I love beer. I break forth in infantile song, just at the thought of beer. Beer makes life simple. (A winning combo for simple folk like myself!) I think a lot of times some of the best beer is simple beer. Not necessarily simple flavors, but simple recipes with simple brew techniques. And perfecting the art of simple brew styles to make simple beer is not just for the simple minded! Just because there are people out there that can tell you about barley grain non-specific lipid-transfer proteins (ns-LTPs) in beer production and quality, or about methods to detect anti-metabolic factors in fermentations or even oxygenated sesquiterpenoid fraction of hops in relation to the spicy hop character of beer (yes, that exists, and no, I cannot pronounce it either), just because these people exist out there does not mean that they have to brew a complex brew. Often these people are the ones that help us remember to keep our brews simple. Perhaps they have seen how deep the proverbial rabbit hole goes. Perhaps they can tell us through their own experience that we ‘subordinate’ brewers don’t want to go there. To a point, I agree. Don’t get me wrong, I like to geek out with the best of them, but at some point too much of that stuff makes my head hurt. If I want a headache, I know of much more fun ways to achieve one! (An all-day tasting session of Imperial IPAs, anyone?) So keep the fermentables fun, and when in doubt, keep them simple.
Cheers, and happy fermenting ~
Randini the Beer Spammer
P.S. – If you are actually interested in learning more about that hyper-geek claptrap up there, let me know and I can send you some links.
Tech Tip of the Day: Keep it stupid, simple! Try single hop pale ales, or try reducing the number of specialty grains you throw at a recipe. A lot of times you can really get to know your ingredients better by using less diversity in the recipe. I know of people that will only use one grain (only the base malt) for the entire brew and leave out all specialty malts. Depending on the style, this can work quite well, and I can say, they brew some friggin great beer too!
Quote of the Day: “Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shame. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams .. If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."
~ Jack Handy
HOPS Meetings:
- HOPS – Old Business:
- Changes have been made to the color group sheets. For dues paying members, if you did not receive an email on this earlier in the week please let me know and I will get you the revised sheet with the new Style of the Month updates and contact info.
- HOPS – New Business:
- Next Meeting: This coming Monday, the 22nd is the next HOPS meeting, Pagosa Brewing Co at 6:00 PM.
- Style of the Month: Hefeweizen
- ATTENTION HOMEBREW GIRLS – We need you to show up for Monday’s meeting for a photo shoot. An editor from the Durango Telegraph is doing an article on female brewers and she needs a photo, so it’s time to step up! See you Monday.
- FTO (First Thursday Out) – Last time was at the County Fair. This time around we will meet at DSP Pizza. See you on Thursday, Sept 1st at 6:00!
- Discussion: Some ideas we want to go over include the following:
A) GABF Trip! Who’s with me?
B) State Fair - Foam on the Range Trip! Who’s with me?
RECAP OF PREVIOUS EVENTS:
- Previous HOPS Meeting Recap – Lagers were had, and there were plenty of them! From the lightest, most embarrassing of cans (Coors Light!?! Shhhhh) to some fine samples like Salvator, we had a good time.
- County Fair – If you didn’t make it to the beer tent at the county fair last week, you missed out! Tony with Pagosa Brewing was serving up some great craft brew and there was a steady stream of live music and entertainment. You don’t want to miss it next year!
UPCOMING LOCAL NEWS & EVENTS:
- Monday, August 22nd – HOPS Meeting: This coming Monday is the HOPS Meeting (the fourth Monday of the month). We will meet at Pagosa Brewing Company at 6:00 PM. This month we will be going over some of the upcoming events and agenda items above, along with the Style of the Month. This time around the style was changed to Hefeweizen. Taken from our own HOPS member, Laura Dollar: "The hefeweizen style is particularly noted for its low hop bitterness (about 15 IBUs) and relatively high carbonation (approaching four volumes), considered important to balance the beer's relatively malty sweetness.”
- Monday, August 22nd - ATTENTION HOMEBREW GIRLS – We need you to show up for Monday’s meeting for a photo shoot. An editor from the Durango Telegraph is doing an article on female brewers and she needs a photo, so it’s time to step up! See you Monday.
- First Thursday Out – Sept 1st - The first Thursday of the month we like to drink beer. Ok, we like to drink beer more often than that, but we usually get together somewhere around town, and this time around we will meet at DSP Pizza. See you there 6:00!
- September 10th – Band & Brews Fest: September 10 is the Third Annual "Band & Brews Fest" held in Pagosa Springs' Town Park. Come and support your local brewery and taste beers from lots of others too!
- November 5th – Teach a Friend to Brew Day: National Teach and Friend to Homebrew Day is a great opportunity to have a brew party. Anyone interested in hosting?
- Latest News from Southwestern Breweries: Check out all the latest news from breweries around Durango, Farmington, Cortez, Silverton and beyond at Beer at 6512: http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/. Latest news includes info about happenings in the Durango and Silverton areas.
Pagosa Brewing Company News / Events:
I was in there the other day and the Green Chili beer was back on tap. Get some before it is gone! I tell you what, it tasted great after a day in the hot sun… - Randini
- Coconut Porter is being initially released the first week in September for Mug Clubbers. By the weekend of the Sept 9 & 10, it should be available to the general public. We'll have special Island Food Pairings for our National Champion. Coconut Porter is a dark, easy-drinking Porter with hundreds of pounds of hand-toasted, imported coconut. Our MOST popular beer is only brewed twice a year. Due to it's limited quantity and increase in the costs of coconut, it's served ONLY in draws for general public & pints for Mug Clubbers. No growlers!
- Single Hop is going to debut in late September. A special treat for hop heads! Single Hop is a cross between Pale Ale & IPA with a fresh hop aroma, malty flavor, and aggressive bitterness. It's brewed each year using ONLY a single variety of American hops. This year, we'll be brewing with the Limited Edition Falcon's Flight Hop from our friends at Hop Union. Single Hop is easy to quaff and goes great with our custom pizzas! We only made one batch a year, so stop by for a pint or mug before it's gone!
- Fresh Hopped IPA - we're waiting with baited breath for our homegrown hops to fully mature those beautiful cones. If we harvest in Late September, Fresh Hopped IPA could be ready by mid-October. Anticipation is building for a treat not to miss! Look for our email and Facebook updates and hop it over to the brewery!
- Fall Fest Bier - our Award Winning Oktoberfest Bier is scheduled for release at our Annual Oktoberfest is on Saturday, October 8. Join us under our festival tent for authentic Geman Bier, German Food & German Music! Prizes for best German attire. Sehr Gut & Prosit!
Liquor Stories:
This is a new little section we have come up with to fill you in on what’s available and happening around the Pagosa liquor store scene. Different stores from around town are welcome to submit what new beer & wine they are bringing in, their take on products and anything else they want to share with the local drunks er… enthusiasts I mean. This month we have both the Silver Dollar and Plaza Liquors contributing:
Silver Dollar:
Bombers and 750's we are doing 10% off for all Homebrew Members. Just show your HOPS Club card.
Some of the 750 and Bombers that are in stock include:
Unibroue- Trois Pistoles
La Fin Du Monde
Sierra Nevada Collaboration with the Abbey of New Clairvaux
-Ovila Dubbel
-Ovila Saison
Delirium -Nocturnum
Duvel -Belgian Golden Ale
Nostrodamus -Belgian Brown Ale
Duchesse De Bourgogne -Flanders Red Ale
Ommegang -Hennepin
Lost Abbey -Red Barn Ale
Jolly pumpkin -Bam Biere
Goose Island -Sofie
Moylan's -Kilt Lifter
Greens -Double Dark Ale
-Tripple Blond Ale
Ayinger -Jahrhundert-Bier
-Weizen Bock
Deschutes Brewry -Black Butte XXIII
-Hop In The Dark
Santa Fe Brewing Company -Chicken Killer Barley Wine
Great Divide Brewing -Oak Aged Yeti
-Old Ruffian
Fort Collins Brewing -Maibock
-The Incredible Dark Hop
-Double Chocolate Stout
-Wheat Wine
Odells- -Friek
Avery - Mephistopheles
New Belgium - La Folie
all Lips of Faith Beers
*Also Bombers from Stone Ska Breck and lots more
*New Hoppin Frog Brewry from Ohio- B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout
We are Doing 5% off on the 6pk of the Month (each month starts after the Monday HOPS meeting and applies to that Style of the Month)
This Month is Lone Star
Next Month Paulaner Hefe-Weizen
A few specialty 6pks in stock
Hofbrau -Dunkel Original
Lion -Lion Stout
Green Flash -West Coast IPA (4pks)
-Double Stout (4pks)
-Hoppy Red Ale (4pks)
Victory -Hop Devil
-Golden Monkey
Bear Republic -Hop Rod Rye (4pk)
-Red Rockey Ale
-Racer 5 IPA
Goose Island -Matilda (4pk)
*Plus many, many more
*All HOPS Members also receive 10% off all 750’s and larger of wine and spirits
Plaza Liquors:
Greetings From Plaza Liquors!
Liquor Stores . . . Ground zero of sobriety . . . Recession proof, purveyors of Elixir. Its not easy here on the front lines. Looking at your faces. Next time you're at liquor store ask someone working there. Just ask 'em, "Have you had a 'Liquor Story' yet today?" A 'Liquor Story' for some, is that profound moment, when counting pennies at 9AM Monday for a 200ml purchase of Skol Vodka ($1.99 at Plaza Liquors $2.12 after taxes). I tell myself, "they'll save that for later."
And some of them do.
Being the Fermentation- Fundamentalist that I am, my 'Liquor Story' is that profound moment, when discussing microbrews with some beer snob that thinks they know more about brewing than me. Prick. Needless to say, on a long enough time scale working a liquor store, you see some good brews and you see some bad brews. A lot like life.
Here are a few brews currently on sale at Plaza Liquors 15% OFF with mention of Randy Schnooze, This article, and his cult of Hombrewers. Recently, I had the pleasure of introducing my liver to those very beers. The results were staggering.
First up, Zatec.
What I can only imagine is Czechoslovakian for, "Hold onto your tits, you're about to experience one of the most refreshing pilsners you've ever had." The bottle claims they've been drafting this type of true pilsner since 1004. The bright lager pours clear, but the carbonation could be better. Its not flat, however, you can tell it traveled from Eastern Europe to be with me today. A subtle, almost communist-like, Noble hops aroma accompanies a clean crisp finish. The perfect compliment to the end of summer.
Size: 500ml/1Pt Bottles
Alc/Vol: 4.6%
Price: $3.79
Next up we have, Bridgeport Kingpin-Triple Hopped Double Red
From the Bridgeport Brewing Co in Portland, OR, Bridgeport Kingpin-Tripple Hopped Double Red little known fact: appears in the guinness book of world records only once, for longest microbrew name. The triple hopped part is a bit over exaggerated. Its not a hop bomb so hop heads won't have to change their shorts. It is, however, a meaty double red ale that packs a powerfully interesting malt flavor. Not much of an aroma, but a wonderful pour and head retention. Some earthy hops snap at the end of a predominantly complex malt backbone. Throw your car keys away, and pad the walls if you get hooked on this sauce. It's drinkable, pleasant, and for some unexplainable reason they six packed it into bottles and sold it to the masses for our "responsible" enjoyment.
Size: 12oz/bottle/ 6pk
Alc/Vol: 7.5%
Price: $7.79
Finally we have, Beer 30 Lite
This adjunct infused freak of nature comes from Eau Claire, WI., home of Sasquatch, Paul Bunyon and a couple churches. They must have canned this affliction in the backwoods of nowhere. The packaging is artistically unattractive. Like a grape soda can from the 80's. The amazing thing is that a generation of beer-drinking souls has been lost in vain pursuit of attaining a beer buzz on cheap domestics like Bud-Light, Coors Light, Keystone Lite, Miller LIte, Random-Wonderbread-Beer . . Lite, when they could have saved themselves some coin and just grabbed a 6pk of Beer 30 Lite for $2.99 at Plaza Liquors. Its the same thing.
Size: 6pk 12oz cans
Alc/Vol: 4.20
Price: $2.99
Until next time, when we preview Octoberfest arrivals, a Hazelnut Brown from the Rouge Brewing Co., and Victoria which has the smell of Corona's ugly sister.
Yours,
Jamie Eichmann
mgr. Plaza Liquors
FRONT RANGE & BEYOND NEWS & EVENTS:
- Foam Fest: 2011 Colorado State Fair Craft Beer Competition August 27th: It is too late for entries, but still time to make it to the fair and check out the event. You might even see a surprise appearance by the Great Randini there! Woohoo!
- Enter to Win GABF Tickets - The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) sold out faster than anyone (including us) could have imagined. If you were quick on the draw and have your tickets, then we'll see you in Denver. If not, we have one last chance for you to win not only tickets, but also travel and lodging for the 2011 festival. All you need to do is register as a user on CraftBeer.com for a chance to win. Already registered? Not to worry, the drawing includes all previously registered CraftBeer.com users.
- September 29-Oct 1st – Great American Beer Festival – The GABF is the biggest, baddest beer fest in the solar system. Unfortunately standard tickets are already sold out, but there are still some specialty tickets available. Or, see the bullet above to try to win some! Hope to see you there. http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/