Beer Diary...

When I stopped off at my local homebrew store (7Bridges) the other day, they were in the middle of pelletizing some whole hops.  I was fascinated with the process and asked about the mechanics of their operation. apparently, this is the only machine in California that can take whole leaf hops and convert them into pellets for use in brewing. Pretty cool but, the question I have is how they determine what the alpha acid of the new pellet hops are after the conversion. In any case, this is a nice rig and for those that love machinery, especially machinery that has to do with brewing beer it's an amazing rig. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

How do the beers of the Midwest stack up against the west coast? I went to Michigan to attend the Suds on the Shore  beer festival to find out for myself. (Oh yeah, and I visited my Mom too.) The use of hops is a definite difference. Not only the types but the amounts used. I sampled beers from a dozen different Michigan breweries and found that the beers were good and the use of hops reserved. I found that, generally speaking, they don't go for the 'over the top' uber biers that I'm used to seeing here on the central coast. They keep the IBU's and the alcohol in check for the most part. But this doesn't stop them from producing some excellent beers with a balanced mix of malt and hops that make for easy drinking. I want to highlight the breweries that stood out for me in this annual beer festival that supports the United Way. Top of my list: Old Boys Brewhouse out of Spring Lake with a nice selection of beers that nailed the style guidelines and frankly...

O n a recent and long overdue visit to my mother in Michigan I took a little time to check out her local brew scene. She lives in a town very close to lake Michigan halfway up the lower peninsula called Ludington. A quaint little town with just over 8,000 people, Ludington grew out of a brief history of logging during the late 1800's that stripped 162 million board feet of lumber from its lands and with easy access to the Great Lakes, the town became a major shipping port. Now, a destination for beach goers and retirees the town comes alive during the warmer months and the place to enjoy a good pint is at Ludington's own Jamesport Brewing Company . The building which was originally built in 1890 has that solid feel that comes with Victorian architecture. Hard wood floors, wainscoting and trimmed columns in the dinning area and a full length bar gave me the desire to hang out hoisting pints for awhile. With a few family members in tow, I pushed my way into this popular brewp...

I thought that I would pass this on. The craft beer and homebrewing scene is really expanding in Mexico and I'm looking forward to participating in as much as I can when I travel to Guanajuato this year. This is an exciting time for the Mexican homebrewing movement and if it progresses anything like it has here in the U.S., expect great things to emerge in cerveza de Mexico. A number of craft breweries have emerged around Mexico, and they will have their wares on display September 1-3 at the World Trade Center in Mexico City during the Congreso Cerveza México 2011: Por La Cerveza Libre festival. You will be able to sample more than 100 beers for a mere $150 pesos/day (with advance registration)! This event is part of the Gourmet Show that happens at the same time/place– check out last year’s pics here to see if it merits a visit. Included as part of this event is a homebrewing competition. Also, thanks to the blog  Midwesterner in Mexico for...

There was a time not long ago when I hated Belgian sour beers. Hated them with a passion. My favorite phrase when referring to something I felt disdain for was 'it stinks like a Belgian ale'. But, as the years roll by for me as a homebrewer and now as a homebrew instructor, I recognized how important beer is in my life and I made a decision to subdued my narrow opinions with the idea of expanding my knowledge and appreciation for all of the styles of beer. Now it's an adventure for me, an adventure into the discovery of my fear of the unusual and how closed minded I can be regarding unfamiliar flavors. Looking back over my history of beer drinking, I didn't spend too much time pondering the taste of the beer I drank. For the most part, if it was cold and refreshing with a mild and pleasant taste, I was satisfied. Having gone through my high school years in Golden, Colorado, my preference naturally was for Coors. Some years later...

This is an update to announce the Fall homebrewing classes I conduct in Santa Cruz, California. The Fall extension brochure has not been mailed out yet but the Cabrillo website is up and taking registrations. This five week intensive course fills up quickly this time of year and I would encourage early sign-up to participate in this class. The maximum number of students that can attend is 18. You can find out all of the details for the class by going to my website here . Or, you can go directly here to register on-line at the Cabrillo College extension program website. I'm looking forward to another exciting class of eager homebrewers. I hope to see you there. You can contact me directly with any questions about these classes. Cheers!

I'll be heading back to Michigan the end of next week for a much needed visit with relatives and of course I have plans for some Midwest beer tasting while I'm at it. I can't wait to do some taste comparisons between what's brewing here on the West coast and beers from the midland. I suspect that they may not be as hoppy as a lot of us Californians prefer but I will keep an open mind. It's not a happy coincidence that the annual Suds On The Shore beer festival will be going on while this short vacation occurs. You may remember the write up from guest writer 'Mom' when she attended in 2009. Here is the press release and a list of participating brewers this year. It'll be nice to sample so many offerings in one location. United Way of Mason County August 5, 2011 The Suds On The Shore Committee in partnership with United Way of Mason County, beneficiary of the proceeds from the event, will be hosting its third craft beer and Michigan wine tasting fe...

Normally I don't pass on press releases but I thought this deserved some space here. This change is overdue and I can think of a couple of new breweries coming to Santa Cruz that will be very grateful. Governor signs brewery tasting room bill AB 1014 reduces unnecessary restrictions on brewery tasting rooms. Sacramento, CA ~ August 1, 2011 -- A bill to make it easier for breweries to install tasting rooms was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown today. AB 1014 exempts breweries from unnecessary and burdensome building requirements that were designed for food facilities but not relevant to improve the safety of brewery tasting rooms. Previously, craft brewers wishing to have a tasting room at the brewery would be required to install several industrial sinks, redo plumbing and electrical wiring among other requirements, simply to provide beer samples. These renovations can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars creating a huge burden for small breweries. “This ...