Experiments in Homebrewing, part 2

The Dandelion Ale is bottled now. I think it's going to be okay. Even if it turns out sour, it may be a palatable sour ale. I was very happy with the Blonde Ale which I used as the base recipe for the Dandelion Ale. I will continue to brew it and design other beers around it.

The Dandelion Ale was bottled on Friday, June 20. I will let it age for two weeks before sampling it. But, what about the Dry Hopped Bud Light experiment?

I used Natural Light, 'cause really, what is the difference in Bud Light and Natural Light? I had, from right to left, Cascade whole hops, Willamette pellets, Cascade pellets, Hallertau pellets and Northern Brewer pellets. All the individual hops flavors here present in the Natural Light except the whole Cascade hops. This one still tasted like Natural Light and I poured it out.

Willamette: True to style, the Willamette presented very subtle, floral flavors. I got the impression this would be a good hop for wheat beers.

Cascade: This one is a bit chalky from the sediment of the hops pellets and has a pepper like heat. The alpha acids are not as pronounced as I had anticipated but it was certainly more hoppy, and full bodied, than a Natural Light. I will spike the next batch with a bit more Cascade.

Hallertau: I can smell the hops presence and it is quite unlike N.L. The Hallertau  increases the Pils credibility of the N.L. by providing European Pils flavors. There is also a hint of wheat beer flavor. Overall, it is subtle and flora.

Northern Brewer: These pellets broke up and spread all through the beer. The initial impression is very chalky with lots of alpha acids. Much more citrus alpha acid than I had expected from Northern Brewer. Obvious hops aroma and fruity, alpha acid heat flavors.

I intend to do this test again with different types of hops. Next time, I believe I will use a cheap cerveza as the base beer and spike them with Czech and German hops.

The next batch I will be brewing is Charlie P's Wise Ass Red Bitter, from the Complete Joy of Home Brewing.

Northern Brewer Honey Kolsch, extract kit

It's true, what they say about the best beer from any batch of homebrew is the last one. I bottled this Kolsch on Oct. 20th and in the subsequent three months all the homebrew funk has settled out.  My original notes described a vinous smell with plenty of carbonation and head retention. The initial flavor was malty with hops and cider following.

I drank one of these about a month ago and it was still too heavy, malty and hoppy, to be distinguished as a Kolsch. At that time, and all previous samplings, this brew would have qualified as an ale or pale ale style. My notes graded it as a 2 or 2.5 out of 5.

Here's the update: I smelled this before pouring it, there was some vinegar smell and I noticed some hops residue inside the bottle neck. (As for the smell, I've been smelling sour liquids all afternoon.) The pour is clear gold with good head retention.

The first sip is very light but with enough body to distinguish it from an American Pils. (Just like a Kolsch!) The hops are very subtle, becoming more assertive in the body of the beer. The finish is a bit more hoppy. The mouthfeel is light and effervescent.

I still can not grade this beer very highly. I'm not ready to self-promote my brews, but I can give it a grade of 3.5. This was not the last bottle of the Kolsch, I will be able to share some with friends and get unbiased opinions. The boss, Sally, has already said that this is my best brew in years. Let's see if time has improved my Oatmeal Stout?

That's news to me...

Grand Rapids wins 2013 Beer City U.S.A. I found this news today while doing some entree-net related beer research. This is six month old news, did I mention it has been a busy year? I'm not sure what happen to Portland  in this year's poll, but Asheville came in third behind Kalamazoo Michigan. Looks like Sally and I need to add Grand Rapids to our "places to visit" list. Maybe we should visit Kalamazoo too?

Beer reviews will return soon, as soon as I quit loosing my review notes.

Terrapin/Shmaltz ReUnion Ale 2012

This team project between Terrapin and Shmaltz was a benifit brew for the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research. It is described as a dark ale brewed with cinnamon, cocoa nibs and vanilla and the nose knows, it smells like cocoa. As promised, it pours a dark ale with moderate carbonation.

The first sip tastes of coffee and cocoa and reminds me of a Porter. The complex flavors dominate this brew throughout. The carbonation diminishes quickly, also like a Porter style. Reunion Ale remains malty and rich with a mouth-feel of a cola.

In the end, this one is rich, bold and fruity. I sure wish I had a few more bottles of this one.
Grade: 4.95 of 5 possible pints.


And, good news, after writing this review weeks ago, I just purchased the ReUnion Ale '13 at Bruisin' Ales this past Saturday.

Blue Pants Workman Lager

Dang this craft brewing renaissance, causing me so much confusion about beer styles! The info on the bottle describes Workman as a California Common and a Lager, but the beer tastes like an IPA.



This brew has a strong citrus sent while still in the bottle. One of my drinking buddies said it smelled like a Pilsner, which shows how differently we can perceive things. The pour produces an amber liquid with ample carbonation and head. (I tried not to pour aggressively.)  


The first sip gives me the impression of a pale ale. A very well hopped pale ale too. Subsequent sips remain hoppy but easy to drink. My brain is still telling me that I am drinking a pale ale, and I am continuing to enjoy this brew, no matter what the style.  

I'm not sure I'm doing this mouth-feel part right, but I would say the mouth-feel is citrus.

Blue Pants Brewery is in Madison, Al and I found their brew at a local store, Vic's. However, I did not see any of their product available on a recent visit to North Alabama. I am planing to visit the brewery next year, if not sooner.

Grade: Certainly deserving of a high score; 4.9 out of 5 possible pints.

Magic Hat Hicu

Here is, yet another, brewing experiment from our friends at the Magic Hat Brewery. There was only one thing they could name this one because it is concocted with hibiscus and cucumber in the ingredients. They named it Hicu, I guess Haiku was  taken?

The pour produces a caramel, red, brown ale with very little carbonation. I poured it aggressively.  The first sip is dominated by the taste of cucumber. The second sip is just more cucumber and a sour ale hint.


As the beer warms I can begin to smell a brown ale. At this point, I detect the taste of ice tea, but I can't get over the the cucumber taste. If there was a bit of oil involved, I would describe the mouthfeel as salad dressing.

The label invites us to compose a Haiku about Hicu, here's mine. 


Lovely brown ale
tastes like curcurbits
I'll not have another.

Grade: 2 of 5 possible pints.

French Broad, Gateway Kolsch

Here's another craft brew from right over in North Carolina, French Broad Gateway Kolsch. Sally is very fond of the light nature of Kolsch and I am also coming to terms with the style.

Gateway K pours clear, corny gold with better than average head retention. The first sip tastes of light beer and noble hops. The lightness reminds of wheat beer. And, brings to question, how did I miss the whole wheat beer season this year?

I guess I spent the season reconciling myself with the Kolsh style? A conundrum, since it's an ale that drinks like a lager. I have gained renewed respect for our German brewing forefathers who created this light ale which imitates their lagers.

So, as predicted, the mouthfeel is the impression of a Pilsner.

Grade: 3.5 of 5 pints

Moerlein Over the Rhine Ale

Why the sudden interest in Cincinnati brews? About a month ago, Sally and I managed to take a few vacation days and visit Cincinnati. We visited the Christian Moerlein Lager House and managed to bring home a few beers.

Here I'm sampeling their Over the Rhine Ale. It smells hoppy and produces a hazy brown pour. It produced a pretty good head for a bottled beer which was purchased at a grocery store. I imagine it was pretty fresh since Cincinnati is just over 250 miles from Knoxville, Tn.

The first sip is hoppy too but subsequent sips are more balanced.  This is no IPA, it's just a good old "Ale" and an inspiration to would-be home brewers, such as; myself. The hops and malt are very well balanced but the hops remain on top of the tastes, I like this beer more with each sip.

I just got a taste impression that was, very much, mocha, similar to iced coffee. That's what I'm calling the mouthfeel, sweet and sour, like iced coffee.

Moerlien brews are available locally, I will be looking for this one again.

Grade: 4 out of 5 pints.

And, we're back, More beer on Monday!

Slowly but surely, the madness of this fiscal year has brought my blogging to a halt but I don't intend to stay down. It seems only appropriate that the relaunch of Fanatical Recycling should coincide with More Beer on Monday and Hudepohl Summer Pils.

Hudepohl, an old Cincinnati brand that has resurfaced and is available in East Tn., is a simple American pils. There's not much to smell here. It has a very neutral aroma, I feel like I am trying to smell water. Finally I get a whiff and it smells like beer.

The appearance of Hudy Summer Pils is clear and gold. There was one eighth to a quarter of an inch of head which diminished quickly. (I had to take a few pics before I found a good light source.) The taste is crisp and tart with light malt and a hint of hops. I also tasted a hint of lime but the flavor never returned after the first tease. Overall, this tastes like a classic America Pilsner.

My editors have told me that I will be required to mention "mouthfeel" when  reviewing beers. The light nature of Hudepohl Summer Pils creates a moutfeel very similar to water. Perhaps this isn't an appropriate mouthfeel analogy, but it's the one I' going with. Or, I could just say it has the mouthfeel of a light beer.

Now, I'm faced with grading Hudepohl Summer Pils with the discretionary nature of Fanatical Recycling Inc. It has come to my attention that, some times, two grades may be necessary. First, I'll provide a grade for the individual style of beer being graded.

Hudepohl Summer Pils earns 4.5 of 5 pints in the Classic American Pils style. We award it a 3 of 5 pints on the over all F.R.I. beer scale. (Meaning, what we're most likely to purchase for our enjoyment at home or abroad.)

Shiner FM 966 Farmhouse Ale

I really didn't know what to expect from this Shiner Farmhouse Ale and I'm still not certain about it. Shiner's explanation is that the style was produced by brewery workers in their spare time, or something like that?

A sniff provides a sour, vinegary smell. FM 966 pours with little carbonation and a lovely, light golden color. The first sip is light, as expected by the color, but hoppy. This might be a lawn mower beer except for all these hops, definitely reminiscent of a Belgian Farmhouse Ale.

The final sips have hints of wheat malts and banana flavors. I can not rate this one very highly at all.

2.5 our of 5 possible pints.

Schlafly Coffee Stout

It's about time I started sampling beer from a sniffer!

Another great American microbrewery has begun distribution into East Tennessee; this give me the pleasure of sampling Schlaflay's Coffee Stout for all of us. This is another beer that smells and looks like coffee. The pour presents an appropriate beige, brown head with plenty of carbonation. The first sip has definite coffee flavors. This is a bitter stout. It is like a quality roast coffee; not the ground Folgers stuff I drink everyday. The bitterness is a bit shocking at first but the beer seems to sweeten as it is exposed to more oxygen.

This is another beer that I recommend highly, especially  if your a fan of Stout and coffee. I am very glad to have Schlafly in distribution in our area and can't wait for more of their styles to arrive!

Grade: 4.95 out of 5 possible pint glasses.

Magic Hat Heart of Darkness Stout

While I haven't read Mr. Conrad's book this beer certainly inspires me to catch up on my reading. Heart of Darkness pours a dark, creamy brown and smells, much like it looks, of coffee. On further review, I will amend my description of the appearance, this beer pours as dark as night. The first sip  tastes of dark, bitter chocolate with a hint of banana, (This is reminding of something else I recently reviewed.)

This stout is no heavier in volume than a lighter ale but  easily gives the impression of heaviness. Delicious, perfectly carbonated with a subtle but persistent bitterness.Why the many chocolate lovers I know don't like stout I'll never understand? The beer could be described as a liquid chocolate cake, yum!

Grade: A great, great beer and another big "thank you" to Magic Hat. 4.75 of 5 possible pints.

Flying Dog: Snake Dog IPA

As beer distribution changes, and it inevitably does, some of my old favorites have become difficult for me to find around Knox Co. My cherished Flying Dog; Stray Dog twelve-pack and the Magic Hat seasonal twelve-packs are nearly a thing of the past. I do have a few of these beers cabineted away and recently revisited a few bottles of Snake Dog IPA.

As the photo indicates, Snake Dog pours a clear, copper with plenty of carbonation. The first sip is well balanced between the pale malt and citrus like hops. The fruity hops are dominant but remain mild for an American IPA.

Overall, a craftily, if not masterfully balanced IPA. The Snake Dog logo is pretty scary too. I need to stat up this beast for some random encounters.

   Grade: 4.25 of 5 pints.

Brooklyn Brewery: Pennant Ale '55

Since this one is called Pennant Ale I made the assumption that it would be a Summer Ale style. Brooklyn Pennant Ale is not a Summer Ale style but I'm certainly not complaining. Brooklyn Brewery has unique ideas for this tribute to the 1955 Dodgers.

Pennant Ale pours a clear amber color with moderate carbonation and light, bubbly head. The first sip is well balanced but with more hops than a Summer Ale. This is a very traditional Pale Ale, certainly not over hopped, a very palatable and enjoyable beverage.

Grade: 4 of 5 possible pints.

Yuengling Premium Lager

Here's a new drink from the good folks at Yuengling. Apparently "premium" doesn't mean what I think, in regards to beer. I would think that "premium" would mean excellent, or superior, but, in regard to beer, I believe it indicates the beer is brewed with premium cereal grains. ( I gonna look this up when I finish writing this review.)

Yuengling Premium is not the first premium lager which I have sampled. Perhaps the use of "premium" on the beer labels is just code for "Buy this beer Chris!" I can't say that the beer style disappoints me but all the "Premium" beer labels might as well read, "Lite Beer by Miller," as they all seem to be made with light malts, corn and rice and no noticeable barley.

Yuengling Premium seems to be a good example of this style, it's just not one of my favorite beer styles.

Grade: 2.5 out of 5 possible pints.

Depot Street Freight Hopper IPA

This one is from just up the road in Jonesborough Tn. It poured with a thick, mushroomy head. The first sip is a full of hoppy goodness. The hops remain in the foreground with the associated citrus tastes in the body.

I can honestly say that this IPA is sweet, and sour at the same time. The malt is stable and not too sweet and the hops remain dominant. Another great beer from the Southeast U.S.

Grade: 4 of 5 possible pints.

Smuttynose Winter Ale

This brown ale pours with a solid inch of foamy head. The smell is malty and the first sip has a hint of hops in the caramel malt and some chalky aftertaste. I'm concerned about the age of this beer since it's a winter ale and a purchased it at the first of Sept. The date on the bottle indicates May, 2012. This must have been produced at the end of the 2011/2012 Winter Ale production run.

Continued consumption leaves all concerns and chalky flavors to be forgotten. Flavors of cola and dried fruit and balancing hops remain consistent to the end of this surprising winter ale. Smuttynose Winter Ale was much lighter than what I expect from the style. It reminds me of a Belgian Brown Ale with dominant fruit flavor. I'm sure glad I picked this one up while traveling, it's not available in East Tn.

A solid 4 out of 5 pints.

Thomas Creek: Class Five IPA

This beer's name should be pronounced; "I. P. AHHH," and the pitch of your voice should rise an octave to pronounce the letter "A." The first sip is screaming with hops, then it settles to a more moderately measurable pallet. Subsequent sips are a more  balanced blend of fruit and malt influences. The hops never vanish, but after the initial introduction, they do not over power the taste buds.

Class Five IPA is a definite example of the fact that IPA is now an American beer style too.

Grade: Four of five possible pints.

An unfair comparison.

Honestly, nothing could be more fair than this comparison between Ass Kisser; Tight Ass Hefeweizen and Atwater Brewery; Dirty Blonde ale. These beverages both claim to be wheat ales and each is a very distinctive version of the style.

Atwater Dirty Blonde ale pours light golden with a floral smell and pallet. It is clean, bubbly, lightly hopped, all the traditional qualities of a wheat beer. Dirty Blonde even has the banana and butter flavors so frequently associated with Wheat and Hefeweizen styles. Homer J. Simpson could appreciate this one.

Ass Kisser Hefeweizen has none of the traditional wheat beer qualities. I honestly wonder if they put pale ale in this bottle? Hops are the first impression from  Tight Ass Hefe, I'm guessing this is a west coast wheat style. I concede that brewers have the right to throw a new twist on traditional styles but I am, believe it or not, a stickler for keeping the traditional styles recognizable. The Ass Kisser Hefe was hoppy from start to finish and just doesn't qualify as a wheat beer for me.

When shopping for a wheat beer and left with these two choices, I'd take home the Atwater Dirty Blonde.

New Belgium: Shift, Pale Lager

After years of beer drinking, I’m finally coming around to the IPA style. Ironically, the beer that proves this is a lager. But, This is no simple lager, it is Shift by New Belgium of Fort Collins, Co. I tried Shift, at my favorite pub, Union Jacks, and, at the time, didn’t realize that Shift is a lager. It was so hoppy, I assumed that it was an ale. I purchased a few cans of Shift from a local beer store, read the label, and was surprised to learn that this very hoppy drink is a Pale Lager style. 

Shift pours a beautifully clear golden orange which reminds me of a Fosters or a Canadian lager. The pour leaves a nice foamy head which laces the glass. A whiff of Shift gives me a strong hint of grapefruit juice and the first sip is a strong IPA sensation. Yeah, this is an IPA! If this beer were brewed by any other brewery I would continue to argue that it is an ale. 

Ah, another sip and more grapefruit flavoring. Shift is a lager for beer lovers who want something more than some cereal malt in their drinks.  It is very smooth, light a lager, but deceptive with the strong hops presence. The hops certainly are not overwhelming, Shift is a light and refreshing beer. 

One of many reasons I wear New Belgium cap nearly all the time; 4.5 out of 5 pints.