Beer Diary...

This beer turned out really good and so I'm passing on the recipe that I used. All of the hop additions were late in the boil and I think it made for a smooth flavorful beer without any of the harsh bitterness that can come from some of the high humulone hops that get added for a full boil. This beer also has a nice caramel and fruity quality and a crisp clean finish that I'm really enjoying. Make it. I guarantee a delicious beer. Late hopped pale ale This is an 11 gal. recipe with a mash efficiency of 88% Mash grain in 5.5 gallons of 150f. water for 60 mins. Sparge to ach ieve 13 gallons for a beginning boil volume  and reduce during boil to 11 gallons. Eff. 88% Atten. 81% Abv. 5.5% Srm 8 IBU's 29 O.G.1.049 F.G. 1.009 15lbs. 2-row 1 lb. Aromatic 1 lb. carapils 1 lb. Crystal #60 .5 lb. Crystal #40 Boil vigorously for 60 minutes Hop schedule: 1 oz. Galaxy 12% Alpha Acid for final 20 minutes (17% utilization for 14 IBU's) 1 oz. Columbus 17% Al...

Santa Cruz County gets to boast the addition of a sixth brewery to their list. The latest is Sante Adairius Rustic Ales which just had it's soft opening attended by a large and enthusiast crowd. This new brewery is located in the city of Capitola, and it's owner Tim Clifford is excited to be producing small batch Belgian style ales and barrel aged sour beers.  After spending a couple hours sampling what he had on tap I can say that he's on to something special. Here's what they have to say for themselves: "We focus our attention on brewing rustic, unfiltered, aromatic beers that are approachable and unique. We pull from our home brewing background to build beers that pay homage to tradition, but break new ground in American brewing techniques and flavors. We are brewers of big ideas in very small batches." I started out tasting (that is, I had a full glass of) the Saison Bernice which was crisp, spicy and very flavorful. ...

Today I launch my Kickstarter Beer School Project. Please follow the link to find out what I''m trying to raise funds for. There is a short video that best explains my plan. I am hoping to raise enough money through your generous support to make my dream a reality. I am also asking that you forward this post or the Beer School link to all of your email, Facebook and Twitter friends. The more exposure the better the odds of reaching my goal. I really appreciate your help and thank you in advance. Any amount helps! Click here: The Kickstarter Beer School Project

A trip with my wife to The City is always an opportunity to check out breweries. I agree to look at art that seems to go on for ever (not that there's anything wrong with that) and in exchange, she agrees to go sample beers with me afterwards. Getting ready for this day I used the Beer Finder on my own Beer Diary... blog and did a search for breweries near the area we would be in. As I browsed through my options I noticed a brewery I'd never heard of before and after scanning through what kind things the Yelpers had to say about it, I printed up a Google map and we headed North for art and beers at Southern Pacific Brewing . Located on 620 Treat Ave. in the Mission district, SPB is housed in a 10,000 square foot warehouse type building near the old rail lines of the Southern Pacific Railroad. With an industrial feel from corrugated steel siding and an over sized commercial fan that hangs from a lofted ceiling, this onetime tur...

I'm not very comfortable asking for help. I get the feeling that I come across as weak or that it may cause the people in my life to distance themselves from me. It's not rational, but still, it's how I roll and I spend most times trying to get by on my own. But, I'm very enthusiastic about a venture that I'm taking on right now and so I'm making myself move past my anxiety as I try to realize a dream. While in Mexico this last year I came up with an idea to develop a homebrewing school. Once this idea was fully formed I decided to move forward with a plan, the first part of which is to generate some funding. Over the last several months I've been extremely busy getting ready to launch my Beer School project with Kickstarter . (Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects.) My focus has been on the creation of a video, story line and graphics that explain what I'd like to do. This posting is to give all of the Beer Diar...

The big news on the beers scene today is the announcement of the World Beer Cup winners and the most noteworthy (at least for this humble blogger) is the Gold metal placement for a Mexican craft brewery  Cerveceria La Chingoneria . They took gold for their "Hazmela Rusa" in the Chocolate beer category. This is exciting news and a tribute to the efforts that the Mexicans craft brewers are making as they try to break out from the mass produced stereotypical Modelo/Corona swill. I have to say Congratulations to them, I'm a big fan of their beers and am glad to see they are being recognized in this way. Winners List Category 7: Chocolate Beer, 34 Entries Gold: Házmela Rusa, La Chingonería, Mexico City, Mexico Silver: X-1 Chocolate Imperial Rye Porter, DuClaw Brewing Co., Bel Air, MD Bronze: Odin’s Raven, Alpine Beer Co., Alpine, CA Here is the complete list of winners for the 2012 World Beer Cup submissions.

There's a new kid on the block here on the Monterey bay and he wants to help you brew better beer. Duane Shima opened a homebrew store in Seaside called  Bottoms Up Homebrew Supply in September of 2011, serving the homebrewing community of South Monterey Bay. I drove down to have a look and meet the owner for a brief chat. Duane Shima Duane Shima comes across as an unassuming man with a polite but excited attitude about his new homebrew supply business. Located just off the busy main street in Seaside, this small but well stocked retailer is an oasis for the local homebrewers that prefer to shop where they live rather then make the 40 minute drive to Santa Cruz for their brewing needs. Focusing on selling to the local homebrewing community in Monterey, Duane is putting off any ideas of on-line sales for now. He's interested in serving those living and brewing on the bay and is a big part of the committee that is trying to organ...