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The latest trials, tribulations, and thoughts from the club you know and love.

  • Hop of the Month: US Northern Brewer

    07/06/2013 7:42 PM | Deleted user
    By Seamus King

    There's been an expression of interest in renewing hop style of the month. So, with the relaunch of this series, we're making it coincide with the previous month's SMASH hop. Tim has done a great job with the SMASH program, and we hope that his efforts will be meaningfully supported by this.

    The hop selected for the SMASH beer for June 2013 was Northern Brewer, so here's the profile for US grown Northern Brewer.

    Pedigree Bred in England in 1934 from a cross between a female hop of wild American parentage and an English male.
    Maturity Early to mid-season
    Yield 1200 - 1600 kg./ha. or 1000 - 1400 lb./ac.
    Growth Habit Adequate in temperate climates but has difficulty growing when under heat stress.
    Disease/Pest Susceptibility Susceptible to downy mildew, no strong virus reactions. Has resistance to aphids and mites.
    Pickability/Drying/Baling Good
    Cone-Structure Medium-sized cone, only fairly tight. Prone to develop leaves in cones, also called "cock hops."
    Lupulin Medium yellow. Fairly abundant.
    Aroma Medium -strong
    Alpha Acid 8 - 10% w/w
    Beta Acid 3 - 5% w/w
    Cohumulone 20 - 30 %of alpha acids
    Storageability 70 - 85% alpha acids remaining after 6 months storage at 20°C
    Total Oil 1.5 - 2.0 mls/100 grams
    Myrcene 50 - 60% of whole oil
    Humulene 20 - 30 % of whole oil
    Carophyllene 5 - 10% of whole oil
    Farnesene <1% of whole oil
    General Trade Perception A true dual-purpose hop, containing moderate amounts of alpha acids combined with a good aroma profile.
    Possible Substitutions German Northern Brewer, Chinook
    Typical Beer Styles All English-styles, especially Porter, American Ales, Kvlsch, Munich Helles.
    Additional Information A major alpha hop in Germany, but declining in areas in England. Limited acreage in the US.
    Typical Hop Use Dual purpose

  • July Presidential Pint

    07/05/2013 4:57 PM | Anonymous

    By Chris Hummert


    It’s Oregon Craft Beer month which also means that it’s the height of the Beer Festival/Event calendar. I don’t know about you, but this is my favorite beer time of the year. We just got done with the Fruit Beer Fest and the Organic Brewers fest and we have the Portland International Brewfest and the Oregon Brewers Fest coming up. Plus both of these festivals take place in one of the best Oregon weather months of the year. It really doesn't get better than this.


    I want to thank everyone who volunteered to staff the booth at the Organic Brewfest. I actually had the chance to stop by on Friday evening and everything looked wonderful. I want to give a special thanks to Lee for doing such a great job of setting up and organizing everything.


    With that in mind we have an even bigger festival to prepare for with the Oregon Brewers Festival coming up at the end of the month. If you haven’t heard the OBF has expanded from 4 days to 5 days long. The problem for us though is that we need to staff our booth and have someone do a demo for one extra day. If you have a spare day you can take off work or if you’re free that weekend, I’m asking you to please help us staff the booth at the OBF. It’s really not that bad of a job as some people think. In the past few years I’ve always done it with a friend. This is the best situation because one of you can stay at the booth and answer questions while the other goes out and gets beers, plus back at the booth you always have a chair under the shade to sit on. The time flies by as you drink beer and talk to people about the club.


    I also want to give a special thanks to Brian Haslip for building the Dave Cato Memorial Cask Engine Cabinet. If you didn't see it at the May meeting hopefully you will in August, but Brian did a fantastic job building it and making a tribute worthy of the memory of Dave Cato.


    Wrapping things up, I would also like to remind everyone that our next meeting is on July 11th at Widmer Brothers Brewing Company. We will be located in back loading dock area. This is a member’s only meeting so there’s no guest allowed. If you’re not a member yet and you've been on the fence, sign up online and come to one of the best meetings of the year. Our food will be Burgers and Hot Dog so if you want to bring some to accompany that please contact our Burgermeister, Josh Huerta.


    One final note, typically we have had a picnic schedule in August and no regular meeting. For as long as I've been on the board I've though it was silly to have no regular meeting right after we talk to all those people at Oregon Brewers Fest about joining the club. In addition the picnic was always held on the weekend and not that many people had a chance to show up due to busy summer plans. This year we've done away with that and will be having a meeting on August 8th. This will allow us to capture the attention of the enthusiastic people we talk to at the OBF and help get them interested in homebrewing and the OBC. Sorry to all those people that enjoyed the picnic, but if it doesn't work out this year, we can always bring it back next year.


    If I don’t see you at the meeting hopefully I’ll see you at one of the festivals this month.


    Cheers


    Chris Hummert

    President

    Oregon Brew Crew

  • Bottler’s Mausoleum

    07/04/2013 11:31 PM | Deleted user
    Bottler’s Mausoleum Needs Your Help

    By Warren Johnson

    Have you ever visited the historic Lone Fir Cemetery? If not, you’re missing out on some interesting history related to beer brewing in Oregon. Lone Fir, located at Southeast 26th Avenue and Stark Street in Portland, is the final resting place for George F. Bottler - a man that played a role in shaping our beer-loving state. 

    Many people are not be familiar with the early history of craft brewing in Oregon. Portland's first brewery, the Liberty Brewing Company, was founded by Henry Saxer in 1852. In 1856, George F. Bottler established the second brewery, naming it City Brewery. In 1864, Henry Weinhard took over Bottler's interest in the business; Bottler died the following year. Weinhard continued expanding the brewery until it was the largest in the Pacific Northwest.

    Bottler’s mausoleum was erected by his brother in 1865. It is one of the first structures built in the oldest part of Lone Fir and it is now in jeopardy. The mausoleum, which has undergone significant decay, is a brick structure with partially stuccoed exterior walls. The structure is currently fenced off for safety reasons because bricks have fallen off, wall material has cracked and separated from the structure, and portions of the roof are missing. Cemetery supporters are currently working to repair the tomb as a way to raise awareness of Bottler’s contributions to Oregon’s brewing scene. 

    Bottler did not have any other family in this country and, consequently, no one remains to help pay the expenses of restoring this decaying monument. Metro and the Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation are working to repair it, but no funds are in place for its restoration. You can help preserve this piece of Oregon’s history by contributing to the restoration fund. If you would like to make a donate or learn more information about Bottler’s mausoleum, please contact Metro or the Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation.

  • Volunteer at the Oregon Brewers Festival

    07/04/2013 10:16 PM | Deleted user
    By Lee Hedgmon

    This year OBF is an extra day.This means an extra day of fun and opportunities to taste beers from amazing breweries. Our club has a long standing relationship with the OBF and each year we have a wonderful turnout of members to work the booth and who volunteer in many capacities at the festival.

    All volunteers receive mug and tokens for their shift. There are two ways to volunteer:

    1) You work a 4.5 hour shift at the volunteer booth. This includes answering questions about the brewing process, talking about your experience brewing, and showing off your awards or medals (ahem, Mark Easton). We ask that there always be at least one person at the booth at any given time. Volunteers are free to drink at the booth, but we ask that you do so in moderation.

    2) Brewing demonstration each day. We will have our pilot system available to brew on.
    You can brew either all-grain or extract. Contact Aaron.hanson@oregonbrewcrew.org if you are interested.

    If you have any questions or you'd like to volunteer you can go to the events page and register or you can email me at Lee.hedgmon@oregonbrewcrew.org about shifts you are interested in and if they are available. Our Facebook page and the website events page will be updated daily so that members can have as up-to-date information as possible.

    I look forward to working with you.

    Cheers,

    Lee


  • Recap of the OBC Bus Trip to Hood River

    07/04/2013 2:12 PM | Deleted user
    Brewers in the Hood: A bus-n-brew trip to Hood River
    by David Smith

    Early in the morning on June 1, a lucky group of OBCers boarded the bus at the Green Dragon, picked up a second crew in Troutdale and cruised east on I84. We had a big day of research and camaraderie before us, so we fueled up on donuts and breakfast beer.

    Logsdon Organic Farmhouse Ales was our first stop, a converted barn nestled in an idyllic valley with a clear view of Mount Hood. We received tours of the brewery and fields by owner David Logsdon and brewer Charles Porter, then sampled the hand-crafted beers. While the Wit was crisp and refreshing,  the Bretta Seizoen and Oak Aged Seizoen really showed all the dry, fruity spiciness that you would hope for in farmhouse styles.

    Somehow the bus made it back out of the narrow dirt driveway and took us down the road to Hood River to Double Mountain. We got a tour of the recently expanded brewing facility and then had a talk from Charlie Devereux as we sipped some very fresh Cluster F**k from the bright tank. After a rigorous Q&A session (we are experts, after all) we sampled a few more of Double Mountain's brews. Then we were hungry.

    Back on the bus, we headed south again across the Hood River valley and into Parkdale for a BBQ picnic at Solera Brewing, where we were greeted by owner Jason Kahler. Most of us took our pints and plates to the picnic tables out back, where Mt Hood looked on jealously. Satiated, we went back into the brewpub to get a short talk from Jason Stepper from Wyeast Laboratories and an interesting tasting of an experimental beer made especially for us by Solera - a single Belgian blond wort made with four different yeast strains. For those of you keeping track, they were strains 2112, 3739, 2575, and 1469. This was a clear way to taste and feel the decisive character the yeast imparts on the end product, despite identical ingredients. It was also surprising that we could tell the difference after four hours of sampling.

    We weren't finished yet. We climbed back on the bus to trundle back into Hood River for our final stop, the relatively new up-and-comer, pFriem Family Brewers. Located down on the waterfront park, we got a long tour and informal discussion with owner/brewer, Josh Pfriem (yes, the brand is spelled differently). The brewery is surprisingly large, bright and well ordered for a new operation, and the beers lived up to the facility. From the creamy Wit to the big, citrusy IPA, pFriem is producing a range of high quality beverages merging Belgium style and Northwest ingredients.

    From everybody who somehow found the bus at the end of the day for the trip home, hearty thanks to Warren Johnson for organizing the trip, herding the cats, and providing the snacks and water to keep us sharp and on our best behavior.

  • July Competition Corner

    07/04/2013 9:34 AM | Anonymous member
    By Ted Assur

    Style Competition Program Schedule:
    We won't be having an SCP for the July meeting, but please consider entering or judging in the following styles for next few months:

    August: Session Beers (OG 1.040 or under). Celebrating smaller beers for the August heat, we're looking for the best sessionable beers. BJCP Style Categories include:
    • 1A: Light American Lager
    • 1B: Standard American Lager (+)
    • 6B: Blonde Ale
    • 6D: American Wheat or Rye (+)
    • 8A: Standard Bitter
    • 8B: Best Bitter (+)
    • 9A-C: Scottish Ales
    • 11A-C: English Mild and Browns
    • 13A: Dry Stout
    • 17A: Berliner Weisse
    (+) Indicates 1.040 OG is the minimum for the style. 

    For more information on OG and FG info for BJCP beer styles, see this graph.

    September: Belgian Strong. 
    If you picked up and used the special strain of Belgian Yeast we handed out at the April meeting at Columbia River Brewing, this is the competition for that beer. We're looking for BJCP Category 18 beers for this month. If you haven't yet made this beer, you might still pull off an entry using that yeast or Wyeast 3787, in fact I encourage members to do so just to compare beers that have mellowed a bit with newer brews of the style.

    October: TBD.

    November: Baltic Porter (BJCP 12C)



    OBC v. BEERS Update: Round 2, Pilsners:
    We expect to have the final competition location pinned down in the next few weeks. The following OBC members have contacted me to brew Pilsner for this competition. We have a maximum of 12 slots. If you contacted me and are not on this list, I apologize, please remind me. If you're not on the list and want to be, please send me an email.
    R. Strauss
    W. Minderhout
    M. Easton
    T. Assur
    W. Johnson
    C. Hummert
    J. Barker
    A. Schnabel

    At this point I'm estimating beers should be done and ready to ship by late August.

    Local Competition Info:
    Spirits of Baker County: No entry fee. Entries due July 18th.
    Oregon State Fair: Entries Due July 26th.



  • Heart of Cascadia: Murky Depths Release

    07/04/2013 9:20 AM | Anonymous member
    By Ted Assur

    June 19th I had the pleasure of attending the Murky Depths release at the Green Dragon. Murky Depths was the winning CDA from the Heart of Cascadia CDA competition we held earlier this year on April 20th.

    In addition to being a very well attended release, winning home-brewer Daniel Lelievre and brew-master Danny Connors were on site to talk about the beer and their experience in producing it. Rogue representative, Rob Brewer spoke very highly of the OBC partnership with Buckman Brewery and the Green Dragon, and is eager to do something like this with us again.

    We had a special treat of having a small portion in a firkin specially hopped in the keg by the brewers. Naturally, Daniel had the honor of tapping the firkin for the event.

    Murky Depths CDA was released simultaneously June 19th at bottle shops and pubs across Portland. If you missed it or are having a hard time finding it, there was a delayed release at Belmont Station in SE PDX.

    Thanks again to all who participated and volunteered for this very successful event. I look forward the OBC hosting this again next year. 

  • June Meeting Minutes & Bill Schneller's Lambic Brewing Presentation

    06/24/2013 2:38 PM | Deleted user
    By Rick Okamura

    Check them out on the Forum --->

  • SMaSH 10 Results

    06/15/2013 10:24 AM | Deleted user

    By Aaron Hansen

    Mystery SMaSH

    SMaSH 10 – Northern Brewer

    Steve Howard and Dean Reiner selected Northern Brewer as the mystery hop for SMaSH 10.

    This SMaSH was brewed by volunteer Brian Haslip. Thank you Brian!

    Congratulations to our winners: Tom Bowden.

    Thank you all for making the Mystery SMaSH 10 a success. We had 20 forms turned in. There were 35 guesses for the hop and 89 descriptions filled out. Checkout the graphs and data on the Education Page.

    Some of the popular hop guesses were.

    Centennial – 4 guesses

    East Kent Golding - 3 guesses
    Mt Hood - 3 guesses

    The most popular descriptor categories were:

    Vegetable - 8

    Citrus - 7
    Spice - 7
    Woody – 7

    The standout descriptions were:

    Mango – 3
    Orange Peel – 3

    SMaSH 11

    Warren Holmes volunteered to brew this SMaSH. Since we didn’t have any winners for SMaSH 9 Warren also got to select the mystery hop for Mystery SMaSH 11. This will be served at the 2013 July meeting.

    Thank you Warren!

  • Interesting graph on how long it's taken us to recover from Prohibition

    06/11/2013 11:35 PM | Anonymous

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