Upcoming JRHB Events

Wednesday July 9^th

Regular Club Meeting at Legends

Brewery Tour

AHA Club Only Competition - Mead

Wednesday July 16^th

Board of Directors Meeting

7:00 p.m. at Legends

Wednesday August 13^th

Regular Club Meeting at Legends

Saturday August 30^th

Dominion Cup Competition

Capital Ale House (downtown music hall)

For updated information and the club forum visit

http://www.jrhb.org/

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June Meeting Recap

President Mike Lang called the June 11, 2008 club meeting about 7:00 p.m. with approximately 27 folks in attendance. Mike thanked Tom Martin and the staff of Legends for their continued support, and recognized a large number of guests who had joined us for the meeting.

A sign-up sheet was passed around for those interested in serving beer at the Colonial Downs Rhythm Bets and Brews event on Saturday June 21^st. Members were reminded that the summer party will be held at Dan Mouer’s on Sunday June 29^th.

New club t-shirts have arrived and are available on a first come first serve basis for $ 10.00 each. Since some sizes have been already been exhausted, additional shirts have been ordered and are on the way.

With June temperatures running in the upper 90’s this year, Dan Mouer’s talk on summer beers was quite timely and tasty. For the hot summer months Dan looks for a beer that is low in alcohol, has low to moderate hop bitterness, has a generally crisp clean finish. Summer beers typically have low to moderate malt sweetness and can be a bit more tart or sour.

Dan served a number of beers for the membership to try that can be considered summer styles which included:

Kolsch – Gaffel Kolsch, Harpoon Summer Beer, and Pyramid Curve Ball.

Wheat or Rye Ale – A nice Roggenbier brewed by Ted Smith

Belgian White or Witbier – Hoegaarden

Berliner Style Weisse – Weihenstephan 1809

Bavarian Style Wheat – Sam Adams Summer Ale

Shandy - Leinenkugels Summer Shandy

Dunkel - Podkován Výčepní Tmave

Dry Stout – Guinness Draught

Thanks Dan for yet another of your well researched and tasty presentations.

To wrap up the meeting Robert Doucet held another of his great club raffles with a number of nice prizes for the evening. The grand prize was a ball lock corny keg won by Tim Moran.

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Rhythm Bets and Brews a Soggy Ordeal

Sixteen JRHB members volunteered to pour beer at the Colonial Downs Rhythm Bets and Brews fest on June 21^st, most of whom managed to show up for their appointed shift, with several members working the entire festival. A number of good beers were on tap including a tasty Espresso Stout from the brewers at Richbrau, Starr Hill Jomo Lager, and the Tavern Ale and Olde Richmond #11 IPA from the fine folks at St. George Brewing Company.

A cold and drenched but cheery JRHB group at the 2008 Rhythm Bets and Brews Festival at Colonial Downs.

A pesky thunderstorm decided to camp out over the track for several hours, trapping festival goers in the brew tent, drenching any who tried a dash to the loo, and generally giving the JRHB volunteers quite a soggy workout at the taps. At least it wasn’t hot for the second half of the afternoon, and all had their fill of some good beers.

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Summer Party at Dan’s a Bash

What do you get when you mix wine with beer? A party of course!

Sunday June 29^th saw an eclectic mix of Central Virginia Wine Makers and James River Homebrewers assemble at Dan Moeur’s home with copious amounts of wine, beer, and delicious homemade foods. Dan cooked up another batch of his famous BBQ for all to enjoy (Dan’s BBQ smokes Buz and Ned’s). JRHB members toted in something like 30 gallons of home brew so there was more than enough beer to go around. Some of the kegged varieties debuting at the party included a Milk Stout brewed by Mike and gang at the north side club brew, a tasty Belgian Wit brewed by Keith and company at the south side club brew. Bob brought a Smoked Roggenbier, Graham and Joe brought a Dark Mild, Steve brought and English Abby, John brought a Hefe, and the list goes on ….!

Dan’s back porch turned into a popular spot to discuss the finer points of beer brewing.

Dan was even coerced into opening a few samples from his cellar including a bottle of well aged mead. A great time was had by all.

Thanks Dan and Robin for having us all over!

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Japan to brew space beer

A Japanese brewery is planning the first "space beer," using offspring of barley once stored at the International Space Station.

Researchers said the project was part of efforts to prepare for a future in which humans spend extended periods of time in space — and might like a cold beer after a space walk.

Japanese brewery Sapporo Holdings said it would make beer using the third generation of barley grains that had spent five months on the International Space Station in 2006.

"We want to finish the beer by November. It will be the first space beer," Sapporo executive Junichi Ichikawa told reporters.

The company will have enough “space grain” to produce about 100 bottles of beer but has no immediate plan to make it a commercial venture, Sapporo officials said.

The company teamed up on the project with Okayama University biologist Manabu Sugimoto, who has been part of a Russian space project to explore ways to grow edible plants in space.

Barley can grow in relatively tough environments, such as high and low temperatures, and is rich in fiber and nutrients, making it ideal for space agriculture, the associate professor said.

"In the future, we may reach a point where humans will spend an extended period of time in space and must grow food to sustain ourselves," Sugimoto said.

As of now, scientists have not detected any differences between Earth-grown and space barley, said Sugimoto, who will present DNA analysis of his findings before a conference in Canada in July.

"In the long run, we hope our space research will be not just about producing food, but about enjoying food and relaxing," Sugimoto said.

It was the latest space experiment with food.

South Korea's first astronaut, Yi So-Yeon, brought kimchi into space last month, while Japan has previously sent noodles into orbit.

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VCU janitors uncover Egyptian-student built beeramids in dorm room

Janitors cleaning out vacant dormitories at Virginia Commonwealth University have discovered what appear to be three large beeramids said to have been built by several Egyptian students, school officials confirmed today.

While numerous theories exist as to how the beeramids were constructed, VCU spokeswoman Beth Cook said the structures appear to have been made roughly 37 days Before Christmas, stacked nearly nine feet high with roughly 10,500 aluminum beer cans previously consumed by the foreign-transfer students.

The can homage remained in the dorm room after the Egyptians left school for the summer.

“Based on what we know so far, we believe these great beeramids were some form of monument to an Egyptian god, or quite possibly built as the tomb of

a king,” Cook said. “There is also evidence that the Egyptians may have just been fooling around and creating a neat structure from empty beer cans, as college students sometimes do.”

VCU said the beeramid findings account for some of the largest structures ever created on campus out of empty Natural Light and Pabst Blue Ribbon cans, though experts of ancient beeramid mythology said the finding - however immaculate - is rare.

“A lot of people have accepted the idea that building a beeramid is as simple as drinking a bunch of beer, moving the cans into place in a pyramid-style fashion, talking to one another about how awesome the structure is, and letting it sit for a few days before tossing a running shoe directly at the center and laughing loudly as it falls to the ground and makes a bunch of noise,” said 25-year-old Brandon Copty, a Richmond beeramid historian and daily beer consumer. “For the most part, they’re right.”

Copty said Egyptian-student built beeramids are considered some of the most well-made beeramids on the planet, more so than Mayan drinkers can create.

However, beeramids aren’t the only fascinating structures built from college-related artifacts, he noted, and it doesn’t just happen at VCU.

In 2003, University of Richmond janitors found a Leaning Tower of Pizza Boxes about to topple over in the suite of four Italian students. And in 1989 at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, three Asian students, using photos from Penthouse, were caught in a dorm hall building a structure that they called “The Great Wall of ‘Gina”.

Tobacco Avenue is Richmond, VA’s most accurate source of misinformation.

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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 then sent off to be judged with the winners from other homebrew clubs from 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 2008 BJCP Guidelines.

As the entry dates are set for national events, we will include the date that our local competition will be held in the Upcoming JRHB Events listing. Beers winning national competitions help earn Homebrew Club of the Year points for the JRHB.

http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/schedule.html

2008 -2009 Competition Schedule:

August 2008 – Mead

Minnesota Homebrewers Association of Edina, MN

Entries are due 7/25/2008

September/October 2008 Imperial Anything

Clinton River Association of Fermenting Trendsetters (C.R.A.F.T.) of Macomb Township, MI

Entries are due 10/11/08

November/December 2008

Celebration of the Hop (IPA)

Scioto Olentangy and Darby Zymurgists (SODZ) club of Delaware, OH

This competition covers BJCP Category 14 styles.

Entries are due TBD

January/February 2009

Belgian & French Ales

Silverado Homebrew Club of St. Charles, IL

This competition covers BJCP Category 16 styles.

Entries are due TBD

March/April 2009

Beers with OG > 1.080

Prairie Homebrewing Companions of Fargo, ND

This competition covers the following beer styles 5C, 5D, 9E, 12C, 13F, 14C, 15C, 16C, 16D, 16E, 18C, 18D, 18E , 20 Fruit Beer over 1.080 OG,

21 Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer over 1.080 OG,

22B Other Smoked Beer over 1.080 OG, 22C Wood-Aged Beer over 1.080 OG, 23 Specialty Beer over 1.080 OG

May 2009

Extract Beers

Knights of the Brown Bottle club of Arlington, TX

Competition covers all BJCP beer categories (1-23)

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BJCP – Beer Style of the Month

Note: The 2008 BJCP Guidelines are available for download at

http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.html

16A. Witbier

Aroma: Moderate sweetness (often with light notes of honey and/or vanilla) with light, grainy, spicy wheat aromatics, often with a bit of tartness. Moderate perfumy coriander, often with a complex herbal, spicy, or peppery note in the background. Moderate zesty, citrusy orangey fruitiness. A low spicy-herbal hop aroma is optional, but should never overpower the other characteristics. No diacetyl. Vegetal, celery-like, or ham-like aromas are inappropriate. Spices should blend in with fruity, floral and sweet aromas and should not be overly strong.

Appearance: Very pale straw to very light gold in color. The beer will be very cloudy from starch haze and/or yeast, which gives it a milky, whitish-yellow appearance. Dense, white, moussy head. Head retention should be quite good.

Flavor: Pleasant sweetness (often with a honey and/or vanilla character) and a zesty, orange-citrusy fruitiness. Refreshingly crisp with a dry, often tart, finish. Can have a low wheat flavor. Optionally has a very light lactic-tasting sourness. Herbal-spicy flavors, which may include coriander and other spices, are common should be subtle and balanced, not overpowering. A spicy-earthy hop flavor is low to none, and if noticeable, never gets in the way of the spices. Hop bitterness is low to medium-low (as with a Hefeweizen), and doesn’t interfere with refreshing flavors of fruit and spice, nor does it persist into the finish. Bitterness from orange pith should not be present. Vegetal, celery-like, ham-like, or soapy flavors are inappropriate. No diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body, often having a smoothness and light creaminess from unmalted wheat and the occasional oats. Despite body and creaminess, finishes dry and often a bit tart. Effervescent character from high carbonation. Refreshing, from carbonation, light acidity, and lack of bitterness in finish. No harshness or astringency from orange pith. Should not be overly dry and thin, nor should it be thick and heavy.

Overall Impression: A refreshing, elegant, tasty, moderate-strength wheat-based ale.

History: A 400-year-old beer style that died out in the 1950s; it was later revived by Pierre Celis at Hoegaarden, and has grown steadily in popularity over time.

Comments: The presence, character and degree of spicing and lactic sourness varies. Overly spiced and/or sour beers are not good examples of the style. Coriander of certain origins might give an inappropriate ham or celery character. The beer tends to be fragile and does not age well, so younger, fresher, properly handled examples are most desirable. Most examples seem to be approximately 5% ABV.

Ingredients: About 50% unmalted wheat (traditionally soft white winter wheat) and 50% pale barley malt (usually pils malt) constitute the grist. In some versions, up to 5-10% raw oats may be used. Spices of freshly-ground coriander and Curaçao or sometimes sweet orange peel complement the sweet aroma and are quite characteristic. Other spices (e.g., chamomile, cumin, cinnamon, Grains of Paradise) may be used for complexity but are much less prominent. Ale yeast prone to the production of mild, spicy flavors is very characteristic. In some instances a very limited lactic fermentation, or the actual addition of lactic acid, is done.

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.044 – 1.052

IBUs: 10 – 20 FG: 1.008 – 1.012

SRM: 2 – 4 ABV: 4.5 – 5.5%

Commercial Examples: Hoegaarden Wit, St. Bernardus Blanche, Celis White, Vuuve 5, Brugs Tarwebier (Blanche de Bruges), Wittekerke, Allagash White, Blanche de Bruxelles, Ommegang Witte, Avery White Rascal, Unibroue Blanche de Chambly, Sterkens White Ale, Bell’s Winter White Ale, Victory Whirlwind Witbier, Hitachino Nest White Ale

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Beer Recipe of the Month

Witbier

Keith Shelton shares the finer points of Belgian yeast rehydration with Joe Moore while brewing a Witbier during the South Side Club Brew.

Celis White Clone

An award winning all grain Celis Clone recipe by brewer Jeffrey Dalziel.

A ProMash Recipe Report

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Batch Size (Gal): 11.50

Wort Size (Gal): 11.50

Total Grain (Lbs): 22.50

Anticipated OG: 1.050 Plato: 12.31

Anticipated SRM: 4.2

Anticipated IBU: 16.6

Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

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Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM

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48.9 11.00 lbs. Pilsener Germany 1.038 2

33.3 7.50 lbs. Wheat Malt America 1.038 2

15.6 3.50 lbs. Flaked Soft White Wheat

America 1.034 2

2. 0.50 lbs. Aromatic Malt

Belgium 1.036 25

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time

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1.50 oz. Willamette Whole 4.90 14.8 70 min.

0.50 oz. Willamette Whole 4.90 1.3 15 min.

0.25 oz. Cascade Whole 6.90 0.6 5 min.

Extras

Amount Name Type Time

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1.00 Lbs Oat/ Rice Hulls Other 90 Min.(mash)

1.00 Tsp Corriander Seed Spice 15 Min.(boil)

0.75 Oz Cuacao Orange Peel

Fruit 15 Min.(boil)

1.00 Tsp Corriander Seed Spice 1 Min.(boil)

0.50 Oz Cuacao Orange Peel

Fruit 1 Min.(boil)

Mash Schedule

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Mash Type: Single Step

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.25 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 149 Time: 90

Mash-out Rest Temp : 168 Time: 30

Sparge Temp : 168 Time: 30

Yeast

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WYeast 3944 Belgian White Beer (takes two weeks to ferment out)

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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/

River City Cellars

Beer, Wine and Gourmet Foods

2931 West Cary Street

Richmond, VA 23221

(804) 355-1375

www.rivercitycellars.com

(10% Discount for JRHB Members with JRHB Membership Card Only)

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