2010 Beer of the Month Schedule

March 6, 2010 · Posted in Annoucements · Comment

We will discuss the following styles of beers during the remaining months of 2010. The styles featured with a * are linked to an American Homebrewers Association Club-Only Competition. We will accept and judge entries for the club-only competition during that month’s meeting.

March - American Ales*
April - Extract Beers*
May - Homebrew (bring what you’ve brewed)
June - Fruit Beers
July - Mead*
August - Sour Ales*
September - German Wheat & Rye Beers
October - Strong Ales*
November - Wood Aged Beers (Prep for AHA Competition in May 2011)
December - English Pale Ales*

Lager Beers

February 21, 2010 · Posted in Meetings · Comment

Jim researched February’s beer style of the month, Lagers, and Sean filled in for him by giving the presentation and sharing somem examples. We learned that Lagers are defined by the process used to brew them. They are distinguished from Ales by a relatively slower fermentation at cool temperatures followed by a relatively longer period of cold conditioning. Lagers originated in Bavaria and spread throughout the world because of its clean, crisp underlying flavor profile.

The four examples that we sampled were:

Bud Light: This light American Lager is known as the King of Beers. It was introduced in 1982 and is the world’s best-selling beer.
Shiner Bock: A traditional bock, slightly sweet and strong. Bock beers are brewed in the winter in order to be consumed in the spring.
Licher Pilsener: A fluffy white head with sweet citrus and malt aroma.
Kostriker Black Lager: A Schwarzbier made with pale malt, Munich malt, and roasted malt. It is hopped with Huller and Hallertau hops.

For more information on this beer style, please see the Beer Style Guide at CraftBeer.com.

Hop Cultivation

February 21, 2010 · Posted in Homebrewing, Meetings, Supplies · 1 Comment

At the February Club Meeting, Don shared some tips and techniques on growing and harvesting your own hops. Although Central IL is not known as Hop Country, they grow really well here - as many members can attest. Not only is it fun to chat with your neighbors about your hop garden, it gives you control over an additional aspect of your beers.

Here are some of the tips that were shared:

Plant your rhizomes in early spring, after the last sign of frost
Plant in rows running east-west (facing south)
Plant in well-drained soil (consider burying a large container to keep the runners in check)
Trim lower leaves to keep pests and mildew away
Harvest when cones have a papery feel and are very fragrant
After drying the hops, freeze in vacuum-sealed bags
Compare your hops to something that should be comparable before using in the boil (or use them for dry-hopping only)

Some of the sources for hop rhizomes include:

Midwest Supplies

Adventures in Homebrewing

Other Club Members!