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

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

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!

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!

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)

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.

Sun Beer

In southern california the sun shines often. Stone Brewing Co., working with Borrego Solar, has invested in a $2.5 million solar system to help with environmental conservation. Stone's 312kw system consists of 1,561 roof-mounted solar modules, plalcing it in the top 12% of solar energy systems in California in terms of size. The system will supply up to 43% of the brewery's energy needs. If you have not visited the brewery, do it. The outdoor patio and garden is quite a treat. Read more about it here.

GABF

Hello, it's been awhile...again. Well today I confirmed my volunteerism to at the GABF. There are many perks, among them are "free" samples during the judging event, free breakfast, lunch, free tickets to the event, a box of randomized beer for each day worked and a "PRIVATE" friday night party. Sweet...I can't wait.