Upcoming JRHB Events

Wednesday, April 8th

Regular Club Meeting at Legends

Brewing Marzins & how to brew without lagering

AHA Club Only Contest

Extract Beers – Entries due by May 2

Bring entries to April Meeting

May 2^nd, Big Brew Day

Beaverdam Depot

Craft Beer Week, May 11-17th

May 30^th, SAVOR, Washington, DC

For updated information and the club forum visit http://www.jrhb.org/

March Meeting Recap

The March meeting was called to order by President Mike Lang with approximately 40 in attendance. Mike thanked Tom Martin and the Legends Staff for their hospitality.

New guests: Jason from Atlanta, Jack from the bar, Terry & Craig Foster, Mark, Evan and John. Jason has started a new brewclub in the Atlanta area. Many of the new guests joined.

An excellent recap of the Brews Cruz was given by one of the passengers. This year was a huge success and a sold out trip.

In our 5-Minute Brewer presentation, Mark explained alpha acid and why boiling makes bitterness while dry-hopping imparts flavor. If you have any subjects which you would like to see discussed in the 5-Minute Brewer, email secretary@jrhb.org.

National Home Brew Competition entries were due by 3/31. Good luck to all who entered.

Steve Brainard gave an excellent presentation on hops, from root to brew. He brought along with him some rhizomes which he sold at a very reasonable price as well as some hops he grew and dried. Steve explained everything you need to know to successfully grow your own hops, including planting techniques, care of the vines, harvesting, drying, storing and of course brewing with your own hops. He also told us that we don’t want male plants; they don’t produce cones and will pollinate the females and cause them to produce seeds. Harvest is timed before the leaves turn yellow, usually late August or early September. Open the cones and look for a yellow oily substance inside.

Drying is important; dry at 140-145°F with plenty of air movement for 2 to 3 days. Cones should be slightly flexible and not crumbly. When dry, vacuum pack and freeze until ready for use.

The meeting was finished with another excellent raffle with Bob Henderson filling in for Dan. Vanna-Jeanne assisted Bob and we again sold enough tickets to have a nice prize for the April raffle.

Meeting adjourned around 9:15

AHA Club-Only Competition

The March AHA club only contest was beers with O.G.>1.080. Entries included a Russian Imperial Stout, a Sweet Imperial Honey Stout and the winner, an Imperial IPA brewed by Graham Cecil and Joe Moore. All entries were very good and the judges said it was a close decision! Graham and Joe’s IPA was sent on to be judged in the AHA competition.

May’s category is Extract Beers. Bring your entry to the April meeting

April Meeting

The April meeting will be about how to brew Marzens. OK, March is typically when you brew Marzens, but that was only a couple of days ago, so relax, drink a home-brew!

Meeting will start at 7:00, but social time starts at 6:30. Bring a beer to share, get a free raffle ticket. Donate a prize for the raffle, get a free raffle ticket.

Home Brewers Survey

Dear AHA Members,

The American Homebrewers Association is assisting an Auburn University study on homebrewing as a "Serious Leisure Pursuit" in the United States.

In the interest of getting the most representative and reliable the data we can, we encourage as many homebrewers as possible to participate in the study by filling out a brief survey. Please read this informational letter pertaining to the research and if you agree to participate, you can click through to the anonymous online survey.

Your participation is entirely voluntary. Total time commitment is approximately 15 minutes and there are no known risks associated with participating in this study. The survey delivery software will not collect email or IP addresses and/or any other identification markers.

The survey site will remain open through April 30, though we would greatly appreciate it if you could complete the survey in a timely manner.

Please feel free to forward this message on to any other homebrewers you know.

Results from the study will be posted on the AHA website and to the AHA TechTalk forum once they have been compiled.

Thank you for supporting this study.

Gary Glass

Director
American Homebrewers Association

American Craft Beer Week,

May 11-17

The mission of American Craft Beer Week is to encourage beer lovers everywhere to celebrate the accomplishments of America's small and independent craft brewers. The theme of this year's celebration is "Declare Your Beer Independence." Read the Declaration of Beer Independence (PDF file, ~3 MB), if you agree with it, “sign it” by becoming a fan of American Craft Beer Week on the Facebook!  Help us reach our goal of 10,000 fans!  Visit American Craft Beer Week Web site often to find a celebration near you.  Breweries are posting their plans everyday.

****************************************

SAVOR

All 136 craft beer and food pairings have been announced for this year's SAVOR event. Don't miss out on the premiere beer and food pairing event in the U.S. Visit the SAVOR Web site to see not only the amazing line up of beers being poured, but now the mouthwatering sweet and savory appetizers that will be accompanying them (see Beer Selection)! Purchase tickets now!

Bar Bets

A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender, "If I show you a really good trick, will you give me a free drink?" The bartender considers it, then agrees. The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny rat. He reaches into his other pocket and pulls out a tiny piano. The rat stretches, cracks his knuckles, and proceeds to play the blues.

After the man finished his drink, he asked the bartender, "If I show you an even better trick, will you give me free drinks for the rest of the evening?" The bartender agrees, thinking that no trick could possibly be better than the first. The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny rat. He reaches into his other pocket and pulls out a tiny piano. The rat stretches, cracks his knuckles, and proceeds to play the blues. The man reaches into another pocket and pulls out a small bullfrog, who begins to sing along with the rat's music.

While the man is enjoying his beverages, a stranger confronts him and offers him $100,000.00 for the bullfrog. "Sorry," the man replies, "he's not for sale." The stranger increases the offer to $250,000.00 cash up front. "No," he insists, "he's not for sale." The stranger again increases the offer, this time to $500,000.00 cash. The man finally agrees, and turns the frog over to the stranger in exchange for the money.

"Are you insane?" the bartender demanded. "That frog could have been worth millions to you, and you let him go for a mere $500,000!" "Don't worry about it." the man answered. "The frog was really nothing special. You see, the rat's a ventriloquist."

Style of the Month

3. European Amber Lager

3A. Vienna Lager

Aroma: Moderately rich German malt aroma (of Vienna and/or Munich malt). A light toasted malt aroma may be present. Similar, though less intense than Oktoberfest. Clean lager character, with no fruity esters or diacetyl. Noble hop aroma may be low to none. Caramel aroma is inappropriate.

Appearance: Light reddish amber to copper color. Bright clarity. Large, off-white, persistent head.

Flavor: Soft, elegant malt complexity is in the forefront, with a firm enough hop bitterness to provide a balanced finish. Some toasted character from the use of Vienna malt. No roasted or caramel flavor. Fairly dry finish, with both malt and hop bitterness present in the aftertaste. Noble hop flavor may be low to none.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body, with a gentle creaminess. Moderate carbonation. Smooth. Moderately crisp finish. May have a bit of alcohol warming.

Overall Impression: Characterized by soft, elegant maltiness that dries out in the finish to avoid becoming sweet.

Comments: American versions can be a bit stronger, drier and more bitter, while European versions tend to be sweeter. Many Mexican amber and dark lagers used to be more authentic, but unfortunately are now more like sweet, adjunct-laden American Dark Lagers.

History: The original amber lager developed by Anton Dreher shortly after the isolation of lager yeast. Nearly extinct in its area of origin, the style continues in Mexico where it was brought by Santiago Graf and other Austrian immigrant brewers in the late 1800s. Regrettably, most modern examples use adjuncts which lessen the rich malt complexity characteristic of the best examples of this style. The style owes much of its character to the method of malting (Vienna malt). Lighter malt character overall than Oktoberfest, yet still decidedly balanced toward malt.

Ingredients: Vienna malt provides a lightly toasty and complex, melanoidin-rich malt profile. As with Oktoberfests, only the finest quality malt should be used, along with Continental hops (preferably noble varieties). Moderately hard, carbonate-rich water. Can use some caramel malts and/or darker malts to add color and sweetness, but caramel malts shouldn’t add significant aroma and flavor and dark malts shouldn’t provide any roasted character.

Vital Statistics:	OG: 1.046 – 1.052
IBUs: 18 – 30	FG: 1.010 – 1.014
SRM: 10 – 16	ABV: 4.5 – 5.5%

Commercial Examples: Great Lakes Eliot Ness (unusual in its 6.2% strength and 35 IBUs), Boulevard Bobs 47 Munich-Style Lager, Negra Modelo, Old Dominion Aviator Amber Lager, Gordon Biersch Vienna Lager, Capital Wisconsin Amber, Olde Saratoga Lager, Penn Pilsner

3B. Oktoberfest

Aroma: Rich German malt aroma (of Vienna and/or Munich malt). A light to moderate toasted malt aroma is often present. Clean lager aroma with no fruity esters or diacetyl. No hop aroma. Caramel aroma is inappropriate.

Appearance: Dark gold to deep orange-red color. Bright clarity, with solid, off-white, foam stand.

Flavor: Initial malty sweetness, but finish is moderately dry. Distinctive and complex maltiness often includes a toasted aspect. Hop bitterness is moderate, and noble hop flavor is low to none. Balance is toward malt, though the finish is not sweet. Noticeable caramel or roasted flavors are inappropriate. Clean lager character with no diacetyl or fruity esters.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with a creamy texture and medium carbonation. Smooth. Fully fermented, without a cloying finish.

Overall Impression: Smooth, clean, and rather rich, with a depth of malt character. This is one of the classic malty styles, with a maltiness that is often described as soft, complex, and elegant but never cloying.

Comments: Domestic German versions tend to be golden, like a strong Pils-dominated Helles. Export German versions are typically orange-amber in color, and have a distinctive toasty malt character. German beer tax law limits the OG of the style at 14?P since it is a vollbier, although American versions can be stronger. “Fest” type beers are special occasion beers that are usually stronger than their everyday counterparts.

History: Origin is credited to Gabriel Sedlmayr, based on an adaptation of the Vienna style developed by Anton Dreher around 1840, shortly after lager yeast was first isolated. Typically brewed in the spring, signaling the end of the traditional brewing season and stored in cold caves or cellars during the warm summer months. Served in autumn amidst traditional celebrations.

Ingredients: Grist varies, although German Vienna malt is often the backbone of the grain bill, with some Munich malt, Pils malt, and possibly some crystal malt. All malt should derive from the finest quality two-row barley. Continental hops, especially noble varieties, are most authentic. Somewhat alkaline water (up to 300 PPM), with significant carbonate content is welcome. A decoction mash can help develop the rich malt profile.

Vital Statistics:	OG: 1.050 – 1.057
IBUs: 20 – 28	FG: 1.012 – 1.016
SRM: 7 – 14	ABV: 4.8 – 5.7%

Commercial Examples: Paulaner Oktoberfest, Ayinger Oktoberfest-Märzen, Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest, Hofbräu Oktoberfest, Victory Festbier, Great Lakes Oktoberfest, Spaten Oktoberfest, Capital Oktoberfest, Gordon Biersch Märzen, Goose Island Oktoberfest, Samuel Adams Oktoberfest (a bit unusual in its late hopping)

Recipe of the Month

Making an Oktoberfest/Marzen

Water

Barley

Hops

Yeast

1. Water-Richmond water ok
2. Barley

1. Mash-any combination of Pils/Vienna/Munich
2. Crytal (or toast yer own)
3. Extract works-use light or blend light with amber and steep Vienna/Munich/toasted/Crystal stew (mini mash would be best)
4. Mash temp around 152 (or go hardcore and do a decoction)

2. Hops-Continental or American Hallertau Hybrids to about 20 IBUs with no last 15 additions

!!!!NO CASCADE, AMARILLO, SIMCOE, CENTENIAL, OR ANY OTHER GRAPEFRUIT PEEL VARIETIES!!!!

Extract Ale Suggestions for a Fest Beer

1. Either light or amber extract (or blend the 2) to reach target starting gravity of 1.052.
2. Supplement with some Carapils or no darker than 60 deg Crystal and Victory, Special B, or Bisquit Malts (home toasted is ok)
3. Noble, German, or U.S. German clone hops. Hops schedule is last addition 15-30 minutes for Marzen, 10-0 minutes for Vienna.
4. Use a super clean ale yeast and let the attenuation dictate the style.

For example White Labs East Coast Ale for an Octoberfest or California for a Vienna.

5. Ferment as cool as you can to the lowest optimal temperature of your yeast choice.
6. Secondary ferment if possible again at the lowest temperature for your yeast.

For those interested…a Marzen all-grain recipe (65% efficiency)

4 lbs German Pils

4 lbs Maris Otter

2 lbs Munich

1/2 lb 60 deg Crystal

1/2 lb Bisquit

Single Infusion Mash at 152 deg.

starting gravity 1.052

final gravity 1.012

hopping Liberty Plugs 5% alpha

1/2 oz First Wort

1 oz at start of boil

1/2 oz after 40 minutes

(60 minute boil)

Yeast: White Labs Oktoberfest/Marzen fermented at 50 deg for 2 weeks, transferred to secondary and lager at 40 deg for 6 weeks.

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)

The BrewsLeader is the official e-publication of the

James River Homebrewers

Monthly Meetings

All regular club meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at The Legend Brewery, 321 West 7th Street, Richmond, Virginia. Homebrew tasting at 6:30, meeting at 7:00. We thank Tom Martin and the rest of the Legend staff for their gracious hospitality.

Officers and Board of Directors

Officers

President: Mike Lang – president@jrhb.org

Vice President: Dan Mouer – vicepresident@jrhb.org

Treasurer: Mike Hinkle – treasurer@jrhb.org

Secretary: Pat Webb – secretary@jrhb.org

Member at Large: Andy Rolfe – memberatlarge@jrhb.org

Competition Coordinator: John Van Itallie – competitioncoordinator@jrhb.org

Assistant Competition Coordinator: Brian Kinzie – asstcompcoordinator@jrhb.org

Web Master: Joe Moore – webmaster@jrhb.org

Directors

Mark Browski

Robert Doucet

Tim Moran

Steve Severtson

Eric Shelton

Tedd Smith

Web Site

http://www.jrhb.org/

Submit Articles

Articles or other items of interest from the membership are welcome (encouraged) and should be submitted to the Secretary. Email to secretary@jrhb.org.

Dues

Membership dues are $20 per calendar year. Dues will be prorated on a quarterly basis.

Inclement Weather Policy

If the Richmond city Schools are closed due to inclement weather on the day of a regularly scheduled Club meeting, the meeting will be cancelled, and re-scheduled for the following Wednesday – this will be confirmed by e-mail.

Remember

Drink Responsibly -

Don’t Drink and Drive!

Members and guests at James River Homebrewers meetings and events are individually and solely liable for any and all actions attendant to or resulting from their participation.

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