Upcoming JRHB Events

Wednesday January 14th

Regular Club Meeting at Legends

How to Bottle from a Keg

Wednesday January 21st

Board of Directors Meeting at Legends

Sunday, February 8^th

Legend 15^th Anniversary Party

For updated information and the club forum visit

http://www.jrhb.org/

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Holiday Party

The evening of December 6^th, Mike and Bobbi Lang hosted another great Club holiday party at their residence. There was lots of good food, and Mike produced another of his famous fried turkey’s.

Of course, in what is becoming a Club party norm, there was lots and lots and lots of beer. The entries from the 2008 Ted Warren Cluster Brew(s) were all on tap for sampling, and all were good this year. After a lot of tasting, William Spiesberger’s Coffee Toffee stout was proclaimed the winner, and William now has Cluster Brewer bragging rights for the year!

Thanks again Mike and Bobbi for hosting a great holiday get together.

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December Meeting Recap

The December meeting was called to order by Vice-President Robert Doucet. Approximately 48 were in attendance.

After entertaining any motions for additional nominations for club offices, nominations were closed and the slate of nominated officers was approved by acclamation.

Keith Shelton led a lively discussion and sampling of Winter Warmers, and used a quiz format to gauge results of the blind tasting. Only a very few were able to guess the beers presented and scored well on the quiz. Thanks Keith for a rather humbling presentation.

Dennis Pierce announced that the Legend Anniversary Party will be held on February 8^th.

Dan Mouer’s Saison was selected as the club entry in the Belgian and French Ale Club Only Competition. Good luck Dan!

As a fitting end to the meeting, Robert Doucet then held the club Super December Raffle. Lots of good prizes were available, and competition for some items was stiff.

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New Officers Elected

Club officer elections were conducted at the December 10^th regular membership meeting. New officers starting terms January 1^st are:

Vice President: Dan Mouer

Secretary: Pat Webb

Member at Large: Andy Rolfe

Competition Coordinator: John Van Itallie

Assistant Competition Coordinator: Brian Kinze

Directors: Mark Browski, Robert Doucet, Tim Moran,

Steve Severtson, Eric Shelton, and Ted Smith

The ballad of John Barleycorn

by Robert Burns

(1759-1796)

There were three kings into the east,

Three kings both great and high,

An' they hae sworn a solemn oath

John Barleycorn should die.

They took a plough and ploughed him down,

Put clods upon his head;

An' they hae sworn a solemn oath

John Barleycorn was dead.

But the cheerfu' spring came kindly on,

And show'rs began to fall;

John Barleycorn got up again,

And sore surprised them all.

The sultry suns of summer came,

And he grew thick and strong;

His head weel armed wi' pointed spears,

That no one should him wrong.

The sober autumn entered mild,

When he grew wan and pale;

His bending joints and drooping head

Showed he began to fail.

His colour sickened more and more,

He faded into age;

And then his enemies began

To show their deadly rage.

They've ta'en a weapon long and sharp,

And cut him by the knee;

Then tied him fast upon a cart,

Like a rogue for forgerie.

They laid him down upon his back,

And cudgelled him full sore;

They hung him up before the storm,

And turned him o'er and o'er.

They filled up a darksome pit

With water to the brim;

They heaved in John Barleycorn,

There let him sink or swim.

They laid him out upon the floor,

To work him farther woe,

And still, as signs of life appeared,

They tossed him to and fro.

They wasted, o'er a scorching flame,

The marrow of his bones;

But a miller used him worst of all,

For he crushed him 'tween two stones.

And they hae ta'en his very heart's blood,

And drank it round and round;

And still the more and more they drank,

Their joy did more abound.

John Barleycorn was a hero bold,

Of noble enterprise;

For if you do but taste his blood,

'Twill make your courage rise;

'Twill make a man forget his woe;

'Twill heighten all his joy:

'Twill make the widow's heart to sing,

Tho' the tear were in her eye.

Then let us toast John Barleycorn,

Each man a glass in hand;

And may his great posterity

Ne'er fail in old Scotland!

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Legend brewery to expand

By John Blackwell

Richmond Times Dispatch

January 3, 2009

Fans of locally brewed beer have at least one good thing to look forward to in 2009.

Even with the economy in a downturn, managers at Legend Brewing Co. in South Richmond say they are forging ahead with plans to add production capacity at its brewing operation adjacent to its pub on West Seventh Street.

The microbrewery, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, sells its beer at retail stores in 22-ounce bottles now. But in the next few months, Legend is planning to start selling at least some of its beer in six packs of 12-ounce bottles.

Asked what the recession means for the business, Legend President Tom Martin had a straightforward answer: "There is a lot of bad news in the economy, but people still need to live, and they still want to have a good time."

Consumers typically keep hoisting the beers during a downturn, according to industry observers. The Nielsen Co., a consumer research firm, considers beer one of the most recession-resistant consumer products.

The Brewers Association, an industry trade group, reported that sales of craft beer -- beverages made by more than 1,400 regional, independent breweries in the U.S. -- were up more than 6 percent by volume in the first half of 2008, after growth of about 12 percent for all of 2007.

Alcoholic beverage sales have been "relatively resilient in the face of economic challenges," analyst Judy Hong of Goldman Sachs wrote in an October report, which predicted overall U.S. consumption of alcoholic beverages was likely to grow 1 percent to 1.5 percent in 2008. Hong said beer sales were expected to hold up better than wine or spirits.

Not that the outlook is entirely peachy for small brewers, whose sales also depend on how often consumers go out to celebrate.

"The bars and restaurants are having a tough time right now," said Mark Stepanian, president of Loveland Distributing Co. in Richmond, a third-generation family business that distributes more than 200 brands of beer to bars, restaurants, convenience stores and grocery stores in central Virginia.

"I would say we are more resilient to [a recession], but there are no islands in the stream," said Stepanian, who said business slowed in the third quarter last year. He thinks it will improve by summer.

"It is still an affordable luxury relative to many other items," he said. "I think that is what will sustain us until we sort this [economic] mess out."

At Richbrau, a popular down town Richmond brewpub, President Mike Byrne is more concerned about food sales than beer sales. "Beer aside, the hospitality industry is going into 2009 in very precarious conditions," he said.

In Virginia, pubs and bars must offer food to sell alcohol. Food and fuel prices rose much of last year, and when combined with a downturn in business as the economy soured later in the year, restaurants have suffered, Byrne said.

"Beer is probably the staple thing, in the sense that pretty much everybody will go out and drink a beer," he said. "But spending $20 on lunch or $30 on dinner, or having a retirement party for someone at work, those are the things that are uncertain."

The beer industry saw some turmoil in 2008. A worldwide shortage of hops, along with rising costs for other ingredients such as malted barley, forced many brewers to increase prices. Also, many fans of domestic beer were shocked when Anheuser-Busch Cos., the nation's top-selling beer company with the Budweiser brands, agreed to be acquired by Belgium-based InBev SA. Anheuser-Busch reported that its U.S. beer shipments grew through the third quarter of 2008 compared with the previous year.

For microbreweries such as Legend, the outlook for 2009 depends a lot on whether consumers feel good enough about the health of their wallets to keep buying their favorite craft beers.

"We're optimistic," said David Gott, Legend's sales manager. The brewery's management team says sales were up about 10 percent in 2007 and about 6 percent in the first 10 months of 2008. The company is expecting growth in 2009 but was not specific with a prediction.

The expansion plans include adding a bottling line, fermenters and storage tanks. Plans to introduce six-packs are part of a push to gain more retail sales beyond the roughly 50-mile radius from Richmond, where Legend sells its beer at stores and restaurants.

As the economy slumped last year, the Brewers Association noted that consumers were shifting their purchases away from on-premises, bar and restaurant drinks, to buying for home consumption, a spokeswoman for the association said.

"A 22-ounce bottle is a nice package," Gott said. "But Americans are conditioned to a six-pack of beer. That is really the package that retailers and wholesalers are set up for. In order for us to expand any further, six-packs are the way to go."

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:

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

Entries are due March 28, 2009

May 2009

Extract Beers

Knights of the Brown Bottle club of Arlington, TX

Competition covers all BJCP beer categories (1-23) extract must make up more than 50% of the fermentables.

Entries are due May 2, 2009

August 2009

Amber Hybrid Beers

Ryan Thomas and KROC (Keg Ran Out Club) of Broomfield, CO this competition covers BJCP Category 7 beer styles.

Entries are due August 19, 2009

September/October 2009

European Amber Lagers

Hosted by Angela Cottingham and the Jayhops of Kansas City, MO, this competition covers BJCP Category 3 styles.

Entries are due TBA

BJCP – Beer Style of the Month

Note: The 2008 BJCP Guidelines are available for download at http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.html

12C. Baltic Porter

Aroma: Rich malty sweetness often containing caramel, toffee, nutty to deep toast, and/or licorice notes. Complex alcohol and ester profile of moderate strength, and reminiscent of plums, prunes, raisins, cherries or currants, occasionally with a vinous Port-like quality. Some darker malt character that is deep chocolate, coffee or molasses but never burnt. No hops. No sourness. Very smooth.

Appearance: Dark reddish copper to opaque dark brown (not black). Thick, persistent tan-colored head. Clear, although darker versions can be opaque.

Flavor: As with aroma, has a rich malty sweetness with a complex blend of deep malt, dried fruit esters, and alcohol. Has a prominent yet smooth schwarzbier-like roasted flavor that stops short of burnt. Mouth-filling and very smooth. Clean lager character; no diacetyl. Starts sweet but darker malt flavors quickly dominates and persists through finish. Just a touch dry with a hint of roast coffee or licorice in the finish. Malt can have a caramel, toffee, nutty, molasses and/or licorice complexity. Light hints of black currant and dark fruits. Medium-low to medium bitterness from malt and hops, just to provide balance. Hop flavor from slightly spicy hops (Lublin or Saaz types) ranges from none to medium-low.

Mouthfeel: Generally quite full-bodied and smooth, with a well-aged alcohol warmth (although the rarer lower gravity Carnegie-style versions will have a medium body and less warmth). Medium to medium-high carbonation, making it seem even more mouth-filling. Not heavy on the tongue due to carbonation level. Most versions are in the 7-8.5% ABV range.

Overall Impression: A Baltic Porter often has the malt flavors reminiscent of an English brown porter and the restrained roast of a schwarzbier, but with a higher OG and alcohol content than either. Very complex, with multi-layered flavors.

History: Traditional beer from countries bordering the Baltic Sea. Derived from English porters but influenced by Russian Imperial Stouts.

Comments: May also be described as an Imperial Porter, although heavily roasted or hopped versions should be entered as either Imperial Stouts (13F) or Specialty Beers (23).

Ingredients: Generally lager yeast (cold fermented if using ale yeast). Debittered chocolate or black malt. Munich or Vienna base malt. Continental hops. May contain crystal malts and/or adjuncts. Brown or amber malt common in historical recipes.

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.060 – 1.090

IBUs: 20 – 40 FG: 1.016 – 1.024

SRM: 17 – 30 ABV: 5.5 – 9.5%

Commercial Examples: Sinebrychoff Porter (Finland), Okocim Porter (Poland), Zywiec Porter (Poland), Baltika #6 Porter (Russia), Carnegie Stark Porter (Sweden), Aldaris Porteris (Latvia), Utenos Porter (Lithuania), Stepan Razin Porter (Russia), Nøgne ø porter (Norway), Neuzeller Kloster-Bräu Neuzeller Porter (Germany), Southampton Imperial Baltic Porter

Recipe of the Month

Baltic Porter

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics

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Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00

Total Grain (Lbs): 16.00

Anticipated OG: 1.088 Plato: 21.02

Anticipated SRM: 29.5

Anticipated IBU: 41.8

Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %

Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM

----------------------------------------------------------------------43.8 7.00 lbs. Munich Malt Germany 1.037 8

43.8 7.00 lbs. Vienna Malt Germany 1.037 4

3.1 0.50 lbs. CaraMunich Germany 1.034 57

3.1 0.50 lbs. Brown Malt UK 1.032 65

1.6 0.25 lbs. Roasted Barley UK 1.029 550

1.6 0.25 lbs. Chocolate Malt UK 1.034 412

3.1 0.50 lbs. Flaked Wheat USA 1.034 2

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time

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1.00 oz. Tradition Pellet 6.00 24.9 60 min.

1.00 oz. Tradition Pellet 6.00 11.5 30 min.

2.00 oz. Czech Saaz Whole 2.70 5.4 15 min.

Yeast

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Fermentis W-34/70 Saflager W-34/70

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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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