The BrewsLeader

Upcoming JRHB Events

Wednesday, May 13^th
Regular Club Meeting at Legends
Subject: How to Judge Beers

Wednesday, May 20^th
Board of Directors Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
Legends Brewery; members welcome

Craft Beer Week, May 11-17^th
Beer Dinner at CapAle Downtown

May 30^th, SAVOR, Washington, DC

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

April Meeting Recap

The April meeting was called to order promptly at 7:00 with no technical difficulties from the PA system. Mike thanked Tom Martin and the Legends Staff for their continued hospitality. With approximately 55 people in attendance, we welcomed new guests Ken, Mike and Buck and a returning member Jeff Hewett. Jeff holds the record for the longest sitting club secretary, having served in that position for 6 years and has published 96 BrewLeaders! Don’t worry, Jeff, I have no intention of challenging that record!

Mike read the proposed changes to the Club Bylaws which add the position of Head Steward to the Board of Directors. The purpose of this office is to support the Assistant Competition Coordinator and the Competition Coordinator. The amendment was passed with a unanimous vote.

Next, Matt gave our 5-Minute Brewer demo, discussing his new and improved brewing heat stick. This handy device aids in obtaining the necessary rolling boil when the brewer is confined to using the average home kitchen stove. Matt strongly advocates using a GFCI outlet for your own safety and has concluded thru extensive experimentation that a 4500w, 240v element run on 110 current does a great job without scorching your wort. He has also modified the shape of the element so that the entire heating surface is submerged. Thank you, Matt, for risking life and limb for the betterment of home brewing! It is no wonder that Matt won the gadget contest last year!

For our main presentation, Steve Severtson and Tedd Smith led a fabulous discussion on brewing Marzen/Octoberfest Beers. Yes, this was April and Marzens are customarily brewed in March, but this is, after all, a home-brew club, so relax, drink a homebrew and go with the flow! Octoberfest was traditionally the last beer brewed during the brewing season and then it was stored in the ice caves to age. All Octoberfests use the same style of yeast. They usually have an amber color and are malty in character and not overly hoppy. Since this style is typically lagered, Steve gave a demonstration on how to keep your wort cool if you do not have an ice cave (or lagering refrigerator) at your disposal. Get yourself a BBT (Big Blue Tub) from just about any home improvement store and put your carboy in the tub. Cover the carboy with an old cotton T-shirt or towel and add water to the tub so that the cotton material is hanging into the water. The shirt/towel will wick up the water and as the water evaporates from the cloth, it will cool your wort. The evaporative effect can cool your brew to as much as 10°F lower than the ambient temperature. This effect can be aided by a fan. The cotton part is important as synthetic materials will not have the same absorbency. There was also a discussion about the need for a diacetyl rest. The general consensus is that if you are patient and let your beer age long enough, there is no need for this. Many thanks to Steve and Tedd for their informative presentation and the samples provided!

After the presentations, John passed around a sign-up sheet for Big Brew Day encouraged participants to enter their resulting brews in the Dominion Cup this year.

Mark your calendars for the 2009 Dominion Cup on August 29, folks. We would like to top the club record of 153 total entries from last year. Start looking at your beers with a critical eye and decide which ones are tasty enough to enter. If you need help deciding, bring them to a meeting and there will be plenty of volunteers to assist you! Not to mention, if you bring a beer to share you get a free raffle ticket.

Finally, another excellent raffle was conducted by Dan and we generated enough capital to ensure a great prize for May’s raffle.

AHA Club-Only Competition

The May AHA contest category was Extract Beers. There were 4 excellent entries and the winning brew was a Heffeweizen made by Mark.

The next AHA Club Only Competition is not until August and will be Amber Hybrid Beer. Entry deadline is Aug. 19^th so entries may be brought to the August meeting.

Big Brew Day 2009

The first Saturday in May is designated by the American Home Brewers Association (AHA) as Big Brew Day. Thousands of people all around the world join in a mass brewing of designated recipes with the intent of enlightening the non-brewing world about the joys of home-brewing. JRHB held their Big Brew event at the Beaverdam Depot in beautiful Downtown Beaverdam.



Several teams showed up and braved the threat of rain in order to further the cause and we smashed a few coins in the process! The Beer Gods smiled on us and the rain stayed away until after we were done. We had a very good reception from the locals, all of whom enjoyed the samples. We may be seeing some of them at future club meetings! There is talk among the folks from the Depot Association of repeating this next year. I will post more pictures on the club web site.




The AHA holds many events, including the Club-Only bimonthly competitions and publishes the Zymurgy Magazine. JRHB members are encouraged to join AHA.

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Club Member Places 3^rd in National Homebrew Competition IPA Category!

Congratulations to John for his excellent placement in the AHA National Homebrew Competition First Round Judging, held April 10-26^th. . John placed 3^rd in the South Region for his entry in the IPA category. This is a major accomplishment since there were 45 entries in this division! Way to go John…we hope to sample some of this brew at a future meeting! For all the results go to the AHA website First Round Results page for the South Region.

May Meeting

The May meeting will be about judging beer. Come and learn about how to properly judge beers and what the judges look for when you enter your brew in a contest.

June Meeting

At the June meeting we will hold our intra-club competition. 2 beers are needed to enter and will be judged in house by all attending the meeting. This is your chance to get feedback on those potential Dominion Cup entries! The contest is open to all beer categories (sorry, no mead).

Meetings 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.

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.

Local celebrations include:

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Richmond, VA
www.dogfish.com
888-836-4347

Description: Join Sam Calagione, owner and founder of Dogfish Head brewery for a one-night only beer dinner at the downtown Capital Alehouse in Richmond, VA! May 11th, 7pm. Visit www.capitalalehouse.com for tickets and more information

SAVOR

SAVOR is sold out…if any members are attending and would like to relate their experience to the group, please let me know!

Man Eats Underwear to Beat Breathalyzer

By D’Arcy Rickard

For The Advocate


STETTLER – An 18-year-old Stettler man tried to eat his underwear in the hope that the cotton fabric would absorb alcohol before he took a breathalyzer test, provincial court heard this week.

David Zurfuh was subsequently acquitted of 2 charges of impaired driving because he blew .08, the legal limit.

But the testimony broke up people in Judge David MacNaughton’s provincial court here Thursday afternoon.

Mr. Zurfluh was collared by RCMP Const. Bill Robinson after he ran from his vehicle, which had been seen weaving down the highway.

While sitting in the back of the patrol car, Mr. Zurfluh tried to eat his shorts, Const. Robinson told the court.

Mr. Zurfluh said he ripped the crotch out of his shorts, stuffed the fabric in his mouth and then spit it out.

A class of law students from William E. Hay Composite High, in court as observers, was removed by the teacher when testimony enlivened the proceedings. The Grade 11 and 12 students had difficulty maintaining composure.

“People were leaving the courtroom with tears in their eyes, trying not to laugh,” said RCMP Const. Peter McFarlane.

NOTE: JRHB does not condone any actions related in this news story! Please do not try this at home boys and girls!

Style of the Month

10A. American Pale Ale

Aroma: Usually moderate to strong hop aroma from dry hopping or late kettle additions of American hop varieties. A citrusy hop character is very common, but not required. Low to moderate maltiness supports the hop presentation, and may optionally show small amounts of specialty malt character (bready, toasty, biscuity). Fruity esters vary from moderate to none. No diacetyl. Dry hopping (if used) may add grassy notes, although this character should not be excessive.

Appearance: Pale golden to deep amber. Moderately large white to off-white head with good retention. Generally quite clear, although dry-hopped versions may be slightly hazy.

Flavor: Usually a moderate to high hop flavor, often showing a citrusy American hop character (although other hop varieties may be used). Low to moderately high clean malt character supports the hop presentation, and may optionally show small amounts of specialty malt character (bready, toasty, biscuity). The balance is typically towards the late hops and bitterness, but the malt presence can be substantial. Caramel flavors are usually restrained or absent. Fruity esters can be moderate to none. Moderate to high hop bitterness with a medium to dry finish. Hop flavor and bitterness often lingers into the finish. No diacetyl. Dry hopping (if used) may add grassy notes, although this character should not be excessive.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body. Carbonation moderate to high. Overall smooth finish without astringency often associated with high hopping rates.

Overall Impression: Refreshing and hoppy, yet with sufficient supporting malt.

Comments: There is some overlap in color between American pale ale and American amber ale. The American pale ale will generally be cleaner, have a less caramelly malt profile, less body, and often more finishing hops.

History: An American adaptation of English pale ale, reflecting indigenous ingredients (hops, malt, yeast, and water). Often lighter in color, cleaner in fermentation by-products, and having less caramel flavors than English counterparts.

Ingredients: Pale ale malt, typically American two-row. American hops, often but not always ones with a citrusy character. American ale yeast. Water can vary in sulfate content, but carbonate content should be relatively low. Specialty grains may add character and complexity, but generally make up a relatively small portion of the grist. Grains that add malt flavor and richness, light sweetness, and toasty or bready notes are often used (along with late hops) to differentiate brands.

Vital Statistics:	OG: 1.045 – 1.060
IBUs: 30 – 45	FG: 1.010 – 1.015
SRM: 5 – 14	ABV: 4.5 – 6.2%

Commercial Examples: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Stone Pale Ale, Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale, Bear Republic XP Pale Ale, Anderson Valley Poleeko Gold Pale Ale, Deschutes Mirror Pond, Full Sail Pale Ale, Three Floyds X-Tra Pale Ale, Firestone Pale Ale, Left Hand Brewing Jackman’s Pale Ale

Recipe of the Month

Mac Truck Backed Up
Recipe by Steve Webb

Ingredients:
Pale Ale Malt (2-row) 16 lb
Munich Malt 4.5 lb

Hops:
Horizon Pellets .75 oz 50 minutes
Amarillo Whole leaf 2.5 oz 20 minutes
Amarillo Whole leaf 2.5 oz 10 minutes

Yeast:
White Labs Cry Havoc

Brew efficiency 69%
O.G. 1.052 F.G. 1.011
IBUs 52
Fermentation Temp. 65°F
Boil time 60 minutes

This is a clean American Ale showcasing the Amarillo hops. It makes an easy-drinking summertime beer. The yeast, licensed from Charlie Papazian, has the ability to ferment at both ale and lager temperatures allowing the brewer to produce diverse beer styles. When fermented at ale temperatures, the yeast produces fruity esters reminiscent of berries and apples. Hop character comes through well with hop accented beers. Diacetyl production will be very low when proper fermentation techniques are used. When fermented at lager temperatures, esters are low in high gravity beers and negligible in other beers. Pleasant baked bread-like yeast aroma is often perceived in malt accented lagers. Slightly extended fermentation times may be experienced compared to other lagers. Some fermentation circumstances may produce sulfur aroma compounds, but these will usually dissipate with time. Good yeast for bottle conditioning.

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

www.jrhb.org

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 Rolf – memberatlarge@jrhb.org

Competition Coordinator:

John Van Itallie – competitioncoordinator@jrhb.org

Assistant Competition Coordinator:

Brian Kinze – asstcompcoordinator@jrhb.org

Web Master: Joe Moore – webmaster@jrhb.org

Directors

Mark Browski - mbroski23@comcast.net

Rober Doucet - rodoucet@yahoo.com

Tim Moran - tgmoran@comcast.net

Steve Severtson - sdgjpk@msn.com

Eric Shelton - ericandjulie@embarqmail.com

Tedd Smith - tsmith@helloinc.com

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.