Upcoming JRHB Events

Sunday September 23^rd

BJCP Study Group at Mike Lang’s

Wednesday October 10^th

Regular Club Meeting

Octoberfest Beers

Officer and Director Nominations

** Elections to be held at the November meeting this

year will be for the offices of President, Treasurer,

Assistant Competition Coordinator, Web Master,

and 4-6 Directors **

Saturday October 20^th

Hallofest Party at Joe Moores’

Wednesday November 14^th

Regular Club Meeting

Officer and Director Elections

AHA Club Only Judging - Pilsners

Gadget Night

(Bring your different or unique brewing gadgets for show and tell)

For updated information and the club forum go to

http://www.jrhb.org/

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Other Upcoming Events

Our friends at CASK need our support for the…

Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Beer Blitz

October 6, 2007
7 - 11 PM
Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
206 High Street
Olde Towne Portsmouth

Throughout the night, enjoy the Hall of Fame’s exhibits, hors d’oeuvres, live music and a chance to win door prizes. Beer will also be available for purchase, courtesy of St. George Brewery.

Tickets:

$20 – Event admission & two drink tickets (Must be at least 21 years of age.)

$10 – Event admission only

Call (757) 393-8031 ext 23 for tickets and information.

COMPETITION INFORMATION:

AHA/BJCP Sanctioned Competition

Entries will be accepted in the following BJCP categories ONLY for this competition:

· 10: American Ales

· 12: Porter

· 13: Stouts

· 14: India Pale Ales (IPA)

· 20: Fruit Beers

· 24 - 26: Mead

· 27 - 28: Cider

Only one entry per subcategory will be accepted.

ENTRY FEE: $7 for first entry, $5 for each subsequent entry. No limit on entries.

ENTRY DEADLINE: September 29^th.

Entries may be hand-carried to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame at 206 High Street, Olde Towne Portsmouth, ATTN: Joy Kearney, up until 5:00 PM on Saturday, September 29, 2007.  No exceptions.  Anything left at the Hall of Fame after that date and time will not be eligible for judging.

PRIZES

First, second and third place beers in each category will receive a ribbon. The Best-in-Show beer will receive a ribbon, and will be awarded a special grand prize, courtesy of The Weekend Brewer. Additional prizes may be awarded to first, second and third place beers at the organizer’s discretion, based on sponsor support.

CASK is also in need of judges and stewards.

For more information visit

http://www.virginiasportshalloffame.com/beerblitz/index.html

September Meeting Recap

President Mike Lang opened the September 13^th regular club meeting by thanking Tom Martin and the Legends staff for their continuing hospitality. Mike recognized guests including Loyd, Norm, Jen and Chris, and Bryan. Approximately 29 folks were in attendance. Welcome to new members Jennifer Quimby and Bryan “Butters” Davis.

Tim Moran thanked everyone for there help and participation at the Shockoe craft beer festival. We also received a thank you note from Jessica and Tracey at Echelon Event Management for our participation. While hot, a good time was had by all, especially festival goers who were treated to about 45 gallons of JRHB beers. The JRHB table was possibly the most popular stop at the entire festival.

The 4^th Ted Warren Annual Cluster Brew was held on September 8^th at the Weekend Brewer with 6 “teams” participating. Beers brewed included two Cream Ales (one at least will be reclassified), an American Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Rye Ale, and a 60 min IPA. A reminder, each beer must be bottled and delivered to the WeekEnd Brewer no later than November 30th. Two bottles of any kind. Please keep the bottles as clear as possible of all lettering or labels. Each beer should have a piece of paper attached to the bottle, or on a bag with the beer in it, which lists your Team Name, Phone Number, and Beer style. The name(s) of the winner(s) will be added to the Cluster Brew mash paddle trophy following judging by an independent panel of beer experts (and Bob). The mash paddle on the trophy was hand crafted by Ted Warren.

CASK, our brewing compatriots in the Williamsburg area, will be holding a beer blitz Homebrew Competition on Saturday Oct 6^th in Portsmouth. Club members are highly encouraged to support this competition by entering beers, or being a steward or judge. See the Other Upcoming Events section above for more information.

The BJCP study group held their first meeting on Sunday September 9^th and reviewed BJCP Category 1 and 2 (Lagers and Pilsners) at William Spiesberger’s house. The next study session is scheduled for September 23^rd at Mike Lang’s house. There is still time to join in. See upcoming events section above or contact William Spiesberger for more info.

William Spiesberger led an interesting discussion on hops varieties and the timing of hops additions in the boil, and the effect of using mash hopping and first wort hopping. Generally hops added for 45 min or a greater amount of time in the boil add bitterness only, however mash hopping and first wort hoping may lend a rounder less astringent bitterness. Hops added for 30 to 45 minutes of boil will add bitterness and flavoring. Hops added for 30 minutes or less adds both flavor and aroma. Dry hoping adds almost pure aroma but the time the hops are left in the beer should be limited to about 5 days. William also passed around several sample hop teas from hops with varying flavor and alpha acid content (starting with Willamette and finishing with Simcoe). Thanks for an interesting and informative presentation William.

A raffle was held raising slightly more than $--- for the club coffers. Please remember to solicit prizes in your travels, and bring them in for future raffles.

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Brewing News

A Toast to the Beer Hunter

Plans for A National Toast to the memory of Michael Jackson have been finalized. (More details at http://www.beerhunter.com/ )

At 9:00 pm EST on Sunday, September 30, beer drinkers across the continent will raise a glass to the memory of the man who did more than anyone to further the cause of good beer, the one and only Beer Hunter, Michael Jackson.

Jackson, universally known as The Beer Hunter, recently revealed that he suffered from Parkinson's disease and was battling other health problems. He remained active, speaking at beer and whisky events around the world and most recently addressing British beer writers before the Great British Beer Festival. Jackson died August 30 at his home in London after a heart attack.

Jackson began working for a local Yorkshire newspaper in 1958, when he was 16, having even earlier submitted news stories and jazz reviews. Working as both a writer and editor during the next 20 years he contributed to dozens of publications and also made documentary films. In his frequent travels he became deeply interested not only in drinking a wider range of beers, but how they were made and their origins.

Shortly after the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) rekindled interest in traditional beers in Great Britain in the 1970s, Jackson began to write more about beer.

He recalled in a 1996 interview:

"I had nothing to do with the starting of CAMRA, but I joined early on. I'd already traveled quite a bit as a journalist, and I'd tasted interesting beers in other countries. Particularly, I was very aware of the Belgian traditions and to some extent the German tradition. I thought, it's very good that CAMRA is fighting for British tradition, but what about the tradition of these other countries? I think the motivation was almost like the motivation of some of those musicologists like Alan Lomax who went down to the Mississippi Delta in the '50s and recorded old blues men before they died. I wanted to kind of record Belgian beer before those breweries didn't exist anymore. I certainly didn't see it as a career possibility, but I think all, or many, journalists have in them a sort of element of being an advocate."

He published his first book about beer, The English Pub, in 1976, but it was his second, the World Guide to Beer (1977) that dovetailed with a quite young beer and brewing revolution in the United States. The book became a bible for both brewers and drinkers reconnecting with traditional beer.

In the 30 years since his books about beer and spirits were published - he was as much an authorative writer about Scotch as he was beer - millions of copies have been sold. His television documentary called The Beer Hunter remains a cult classic twenty years after it was compiled.

When Michael Jackson visited the Legend Brewery in April 1995, he was already a legend to the beer community. While Michael scribbled his notes and sampled beers served by Legend Brewery owner Tom Martin, Lindsay Weiford from the James River Brewers sat next to the Beer Hunter. To the right leaning on the bar is DC Beer writer Jim Dorsch.

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Craft Brew Sales Up

View the news release at: http://www.beertown.org/

The story on the craft beer segment for the first half of 2007 is that growth increased 11% and dollar sales increased 14%!

• Craft beer growth continues to break records with a volume increase of 11% and dollar increase of 14% in the first half of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006.

• For the first time ever craft beer has exceeded more than a 5% dollar share of total beer sales.

• In the first half of 2007 the beer category sold one million more barrels with 400,000 of these new barrels produced by craft brewers.

• Craft beer sales, in barrels, for the first half of 2007 was 3.768 million compared to 3.368 million barrels sold in the first half of 2006.

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Long Live the Pint!

The British pint is safe forever after the European Commission announced a policy U-turn. The European Union Executive Commission said British and Irish pubs may go on serving beer in pints after 2009, when such measures were due to be phased out.

After consulting industry and consumers, the Commission gave an indefinite reprieve from the legal obligation to use metric units for milk in returnable bottles, and beer and cider on draught in response to widespread public hostility.

"This proposal ... honors the culture and traditions of Great Britain and Ireland, which are important to the European Commission," EU Enterprise Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said in a statement.

A government spokeswoman called the decision "good news for British industry and international trade" and said it was the result of close work between London and Brussels.

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AHA – Club Only Competition

From time to time, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) sponsors competitions based on a particular style. These competitions are open only to AHA-affiliated homebrew clubs. Each club holds a competition on the particular style. The winner’s brew is sent off to be judged with the winners from other homebrew clubs around the country. Bring in five bottles – two for the local competition and three to send off if you win. Note that all competitions will use the 2004 BJCP Guidelines – go to www.bjcp.org for complete descriptions.

2007 -2008 Competition schedule:

November/December 2007 Pilsner

January/February 2008 Dark Lagers

March/April 2008 Perfect Porter Challenge

May 2008 Extract Beers

August 2008 Mead

September/October 2008 Imperial Anything

As the entry dates are set, we will include the date that our local competition will be held in the Upcoming JRHB Events listing. Winners earn Homebrew Club of the Year points for their club.

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BJCP - Beer of the Month

Each month the BrewsLeader will be featuring one beer from the BJCP style guidelines.

13E American Stout

Aroma:

Moderate to strong aroma of roasted malts, often having a roasted coffee or dark chocolate quality. Burnt or charcoal aromas are low to none. Medium to very low hop aroma, often with a citrusy or resiny American hop character. Esters are optional, but can be present up to medium intensity. Light alcohol derived aromatics are also optional. No diacetyl.

Appearance:

Generally a jet black color, although some may appear very dark brown. Large, persistent head of light tan to light brown in color. Usually opaque.

Flavor:

Moderate to very high roasted malt flavors, often tasting of coffee, roasted coffee bean, dark or bittersweet chocolate. May have a slightly burnt coffee ground flavor, but this character should not be prominent if present. Low to medium malt sweetness, often with rich chocolate or caramel flavors. Medium to high bitterness. Hop flavor can be low to high, and generally reflects citrusy or resiny American varieties. Light esters may be present but are not required. Medium to dry finish, occasionally with a light burnt quality. Alcohol flavors can be present up to medium levels, but smooth. No diacetyl.

Mouthfeel:

Medium to full body. Can be somewhat creamy, particularly if a small amount of oats have been used to enhance mouthfeel. Can have a bit of roast derived astringency, but this character should not be excessive. Medium-high to high carbonation. Light to moderately strong alcohol warmth, but smooth and not excessively hot.

Overall Impression:

A hoppy, bitter, strongly roasted foreign style stout (of the export variety).

Comments:

Breweries express individuality through varying the roasted malt profile, malt sweetness and flavor, and the amount of finishing hops used. Generally has bolder roasted malt flavors and hopping than traditional stouts (except Imperial Stouts).

Ingredients:

Common American base malts and yeasts. Varied use of dark and roasted malts, as well as caramel type malts. Adjuncts such as oatmeal may be present in low quantities. American hop varieties.

Vital Statistics:

IBUs: 35 – 75

SRM: 30 – 40+

FG: 1.010 – 1.022

ABV: 5 – 7%

Commercial Examples:

Sierra Nevada Stout; North Coast Old No. 38; Avery Out-of-Bounds Stout; Three Floyds Black Sun Stout; Mad River Steelhead Extra Stout; Rogue Shakespeare Stout; Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout; Deschutes Obsidian Stout; Mendocino Black Hawk Stout.

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Our Compliments to….

The WeekEnd Brewer

Homebrew & Wine Supplies

4205 West Hundred Road

Chester, VA 23831

(804) 796-9760

http://www.weekendbrewer.com/

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