Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Thank you contributors!

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the September edition of Fermentation Friday! I tried to choose a topic that was unique and made people think a bit. I not only look forward to the next time I host, but also to the October Fermentation Friday edition. The next FF will be hosted by Rob @ Pfiff! We await his choice of topic.

A few beer events upcoming in San Diego:

Oct.1 Taproom: cask of Stone - chipotle smoke porter
Oct.2 O'Briens: cask of Alesmith - X extra pale ale
Oct.3 Beer for Boobs events II @ Port Brewing - $10 = pint glass & 2 fills
Oct.3 Hamiltons 2nd anniversary release (Pallet Wrecker-W.C. IIPA by Green Flash)
Oct. 9-11 GABF
Oct.25 Ballast Point 12th anniversary party
Nov.8 San Diego Brewers Guild festival
Nov. 15 Green Flash 5th anniversary party
Dec. 5th Pizza Port Strong ale festival

Friday, September 26, 2008

September Fermentation Friday!

Well, this month I am the host of Fermentation Friday, and the topic I chose was:

"What indigenous brewing ingredient have you used or would you like to brew with and what style would that beer be?"

It's never to late to contribute so to learn the rules of Fermentation Friday click HERE to learn more from Beer Bits 2 (the Creator!).

My indigenous brewing ingredient would be a type of food I grew up eating and is only found in a localized area, green chile! No, jalapenos I mean New Mexico Green Chile's. They are long, green (sometimes red) and can be found in mild, medium or hot spiciness. You can have this ingredient with anything eggs, burgers, pizza, quesadillas, pasta, burritos, steak well you name it. The green chili especially the extra hot version are very strong in flavor and can stand up to the caramelized flavors of grilled red meat. It is indigenous to southern New Mexico because NMSU germinated this tasty chile. Green chile is also healthy for you.

(antimicrobial capsaicin in chiles controls the growth of bad bacteries in our intestines. The capsaicin also stimulates tissues inside our stomach, widens the blood vessels, and fixes blood flow too, to prevent us from irritation. has the ability to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure)

Now, on to the beer! Naturally, in New Mexico there have been a few breweries who make green chili beer that range super spicy hot to a roasted green chile flavor. Their harvest beer there is the green chile beer, as the green chile is harvested this time of year. I have since moved from New Mexico, but often go back to get my fix as green chile is very addictive!

My recipe and style would naturally be a pale ale with the green chile added during the boil (seeds taken out). I would experiment with a small 1 gallon batch and add some green chile as a dry hop. I also think a saison, kolsch or fruit beer would make an interesting beer. For example: an apricot fruit beer with green chile would be tasty.

Where can you find New Mexico Green Chile? Since its a seasonal agricultural product it can be found in abundance in September and in New Mexico year round. Otherwise, your probably out of luck. Although, I have seen that Whole Foods market is selling the NM Hatch Green Chile as far as New York on a 1 day basis. Good luck on sourcing this limited product.

Below are the crazy indigenous contributers to the September Fermentation Friday!

Rob @ Pfiff: Where the wild things are

Steph @ brew.cook.pair.joy: Apple Ale

John & Mike @ BrewDudes: Indigenous Brewing Ingredients

Bunz @ The Panhandle Beer Snob & Redneck Brewery: Indigenous Ingredients

Chris @ B.O.B.'s Place Brews: Fermentation Friday

Damon @ Life With Beer: Mushroom Beers

keep em' coming:

Bryon @ HomeBrewBeer.net: Pumpkin Ales

Keith @ Brainard Brewing: Homegrown & Homemade

Matt @ A World Of Brews: Indigenous Brewing Ingredients

Jon @ The Brew Site: Fermentation Friday

Jim @ Lootcorp 3.0: Avocado


Thanks for all who have contributed, please keep them coming as it is never to late, Indigenous Cheers to everyone!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Il Vicino Brewing Co.

Il Vicino beers I had when I visited their brewery recently...

Seasonal Milk Stout

Award Winning I.V. IPA
Award Winning Slow Down Brown

Monday, September 22, 2008

This Friday is Fermentation Friday!

Bust out your pens and join us this friday for Fermentation Friday! It is about homebrewers who blog about well homebrewing! Each month there is a different host and a different topic. This month it is me and the topic is:

What indigenous brewing ingredient have you used or would you like to brew with and what style would that beer be?

Please provide some history and description of ingredient.

Submissions can be sent to: mcat91@hotmail.com

Saturday, September 20, 2008

2nd saturday at Hamiltons

Every 2nd Saturday Hamilton's Tavern, in South Park, celebrates a local brewery by ONLY serving their beers on their taps, including casks!

This time around was all 3 Pizza Ports! So much beer and NOT enough time.

Hamilton's Tavern in South Park, CA

Check Out the Tap List
(usually its a large chalkboard)

Pouring the cask beers

The cask runneth empty

Friday, September 19, 2008

Pictorial of TMBC

Turtle Mountain Brewing Co.

View of mash tun by manway

Bill (asisstant brewer) during grain-out

Spent Grain

Cool view of yeast inside a conical fermenter

Me during grain out

Thursday, September 18, 2008

September 26th is glorious FF!

Hello Fermentation Friday participants!
I will be hosting the next episode on the 26th. I wanted to choose a fun unique topic. One that would represent a bit of where you live. The special ingredient may be something that grows wild, is a (unique) agricultural product in your area or maybe you grow it yourself. So you here it is:

What indigenous brewing ingredient have you used or would you like to brew with and what style would that beer be?

Please provide some history and description of ingredient.

Submissions can be sent to: mcat91@hotmail.com

Cheers!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

BYO - October

I just picked up this months BYO (brew your own mag) and the main topic is Green Brewing. the style of the month is a Roggenbier, which I am very interested in, and there is a great article about partial mashing. I think I may want to start partial mashing again, because I just don't have the time and energy these days to devote an entire day to all-grain brewing. I remember when I was brewing "partially" (sounds funny) the beer tasted great. Also, I sure do miss brewing and I would like to get back to it. I hope this magazine will help get me kick started in that direction.

Cheers Mates!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Turtle Mountain Wrap-up

I am now back from my trip back home and my day at Turtle Mtn. Brewery. It was an early start and a fun day. The brewers at TMBC treated me like a super star and made sure that my glass was always full. There were some delicious beers I had and some of my fav's were: The Bilsner Pilsner, an Imperial Pilsner named after wild bill "The man who sticks it to the man". Also, their IPA has won many awards and very drinkable. The Triple Play Pale Ale is also very drinkable, nice caramel flavors and balanced hop flavor/bitterness. And, their kolsch was clean with lots of flavor.

After drinking a couple pints I paid the piper in that I helped with grain out. (Pics to come). The brewery is fairly big and there is lots of room to move around without getting in each others way. I had a lot of fun and can not wait to get back and taste their newest creations. One experiement that they were trying was an IPA with muscat grape juice. That could be a tasty!

P.S. They also gave me two beers they bottled for experimentation: 1) their award winning IPA with oak 2) the Red Barn (a sour ale)

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Helping the Turtle

I am back home visiting the parents this weekend. While at the World Beer Cup I was able to bump into a couple of breweries from back home. I have contacted them and as a result I am getting an up close and personal tour of their breweries. Also, on monday I will be helping the Turtle Mtn. Brewery brew their award winning IPA! Pretty Sweet. These guys were fun to hang out with at the WBC so I'm sure monday will be a lot of fun. Pics and updates from the breweries I'm visiting and helping out will come soon after.