• Women Brewers? Three Floyds Brewery has one.

    There are many industries that tend to be dominated by males, and brewing beer is no exception.  That isn’t to say, however, that the industry is devoid of women.  As craft beer rides its crescendo, there is no doubt that a larger exposure to a wider market will bring a greater interest in brewing from a wider range of people, including women.

    Three Floyds Brewery, known for producing great craft beer, has just such a brewer on staff.  Abby Titcomb didn’t start as a brewer, but it was something she felt she needed to do.

     

    “It was an epiphany. I love beer,” she said. “Why am I not making beer? And that was it.”

     

    She went back to school — a two-week brewing course at the Siebel Institute of Technology — dabbled with home-brewed concoctions and searched for brewery jobs.

     

    Late one night at a hipster nightclub, Titcomb struck up a conversation with a “guy with gorgeous hair and face tattoos” who said he might have a line at a job bottling beer at Three Floyds.

     

    “I was like yeah right,” Titcomb said. “It’s late at a bar and he wanted my number. … Whatever, I gave it to him. He actually followed through.”

     

    Her first job was putting together boxes. She did a lot of that.

    Good talent in small companies rarely goes unnoticed, and before long she was called up through the ranks to brew beer.

    “It’s pretty cool to have a woman brewing. It’s like seeing a black unicorn … and we caught her right in our net,” Three Floyds head brewer Chris Boggess once joyfully declared

     

    Boggess knew the brewery was on the verge of expanding to keep up with growing demand. He was looking for an eager young brewer to mentor. Brewery founder Nick Floyd, also a Siebel brewing school alumnus, and vice president Barnaby Struve promoted Titcomb to brewer last year. Since then Three Floyds has hired two more brewers — both men. This month construction crews are putting finishing touches on renovations to the brewery, which last year increased production by 40 percent.

     

    “Why not have a diverse workforce. We didn’t want to be a vanilla boys club like it has always been,” Struve said. “She put herself through brewing school and that doesn’t guarantee you a job anywhere. We knew Abby had a passion for it.”

    I’m in full support of women following there dreams, especially if that dream is to brew beer!!

    Source: http://www.suntimes.com/

  • Beer Makes Men Smarter

    According to new research out of the University of Illinois in Chicago men who drink a few beers perform better at solving brain teasers.

    To reach that surprising conclusion, the researchers devised a bar game in which 40 men were given three words and told to come up with a fourth that fits the pattern.

     

    For example, the word “cheese” could fit with words like “blue” or “cottage” or “Swiss.”

     

    Half the players were given two pints. The other half got nothing.

     

    The result? Those who imbibed solved 40% more of the problems that their sober counterparts.

     

    Also, the drinkers finished their problems in 12 seconds while it took the non-drinkers 15.5 seconds.

     

    “We found at 0.07 blood alcohol, people were worse at working memory tasks, but they were better at creative problem-solving tasks,” psychologist Jennifer Wiley reported on the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (FABBS) site.

    So if you find yourself in need of that extra edge in problem solving, looks like beer is once again the answer to your problems.

    Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/

  • A Trip to Burley Oak Brewery

    After the tour it was time to try all the beers.

    During Easter I was in Ocean City, MD and made a Saturday day trip over to Berlin, MD to see Burley Oak Brewery.  I hadn’t been there since the Oktoberfest the previous year, and I was excited to see how they had grown.  Brewmaster Brian Carl was there to give a tour of the brewery.  Overall, it was a great day with lots of good beer.

     

    We arrived at Burley Oak just after 2pm.

    We arrived at Burley Oak just after 2pm.

     

    There were plenty of great beers on tap.

    There were plenty of great beers on tap.

     

    We grabbed a corner table and had a round of beer.

    We grabbed a corner table and had a round of beer.

     

    Brewmaster Brian Carl was on hand to give a tour of the brewery.

    Brewmaster Brian Carl was on hand to give a tour of the brewery.

     

    It was fun enjoying the beer while getting the tour.

    It was fun enjoying the beer while getting the tour.

     

    Inside the refrigeration unit.

    Inside the refirdgeration unit.

     

    Brian was very informative and was a lot of fun to talk to.

    Brian was very informative and was a lot of fun to talk to.

     

    Notice the surfboards on top?

    Notice the surfboards on top?

     

    My guess is they have a lot of fun making the beer.

    My guess is they have a lot of fun making the beer.

     

    It was good to see him again and I'm glad he remembered me.

    It was good to see him again and I'm glad he remembered me.

     

    After the tour it was time to try all the beers.

    After the tour it was time to try all the beers.

     

    Brian was happy to explain the all the styles of beer we were drinking.

    Brian was happy to explain the all the styles of beer we were drinking.

     

    If you're in Ocean City, I strongly suggest making the trip over to Berlin, MD to see the brewery and taste the beers!!!

    If you're in Ocean City, I strongly suggest making the trip over to Berlin, MD to see the brewery and taste the beers!!!

     

  • Beerporn – Yeti – Great Divide

    Pizza Tugos – Ocean City, MD

    Great beer with  lots of fantastic varieties from which to choose.

  • InBev Threatens Beer Industry with Big Stick

     

    Looks like InBev is ready to play dirty to get its sales numbers up.  In a recent WSJ post Luiz Edmond, the president of North American operations for Anheuser-Busch InBev, let it be known the he was ready to strong arm out the competition.

    Last November, Anheuser also told more than 500 wholesalers who distribute its products across the U.S. that it wants them to sell fewer rival brews. The company warned that wholesalers who aren’t tightly “aligned” with Anheuser might be prevented from acquiring other wholesalers through equity agreements, a type of business contract, that Anheuser holds with the wholesalers.

     

    The toughening rhetoric has made a growing number of wholesalers “anxious,” said Joe Thompson, president of Independent Beverage Group, a beer-industry consultancy. Brewers and distillers are required to distribute alcohol through intermediaries instead of selling them directly to retailers.

     

    Mr. Edmond isn’t making any apologies, saying wholesalers will have to decide which brewer they want to partner with most closely. “I’m loyal to my wholesalers. Why would I not expect the same loyalty to me,” he said.

    Well, that seems a little anti-competitive in nature to say the least, and that isn’t InBev’s only bad marketing strategy.  In addition to doing what they can to stifle the competition, InBev will be bringing 19 new products to market:

    This year, Anheuser plans to launch 19 new products in the U.S., its biggest such push since Belgium’s InBev acquired St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch for$52 billion in 2008. New offerings include small-batch “craft” brews, cider and an expanded lineup of malt beverages that take their cues from tequila and tea instead of beer.

    Looks like they are finally reading the writing on the wall about the American consumer wants to drink, to bad their going to do their best to not the let consumer know they are drinking a mass produced product that could very well be taking away money from local, family owned breweries.  They’re just not getting that people don’t want to buy their products.

    Anheuser is trying to stabilize Budweiser, whose U.S. shipments have fallen 23 straight years

    I for one am going to stick with the independent beers, how about you?

     

    Source: http://online.wsj.com/

  • Friday Beer Fun – Bottle Opener Edition

    We all have our favorite bottle opener to use.  Maybe it’s easy to open bottles with it, or maybe it has nostalgic or sentimental value.  But even with as many bottle openers as we may have laying around the house, there always room for one more, especially if it’s unique or just plain cool.  So here are a few bottle openers that may pique your interest.

    1. How about a custom “butterfly” beer opener.  The toy that everyone will want to play with once they see it.  (may cause stories of rebellious childhood activities to be told)
      http://www.liverbashers.com/?p=3740
    2. Maybe you were more the switch blade type. (Again, your friends will want to play with this one, too)
      http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/ea96/
    3. Seeing we’re talking about weapon style openers, how about a set of brass knuckles or some other aggressive looking openers?  (Not to be used after too much drinking)
      http://bustabottlecap.myshopify.com/
    4. Or maybe a bottle opener that tracks how many of your beers your friends are drinking.  (Guaranteed to elicit comments when certain numbers are reached)
      http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000KY5E98
    5. If you’re working around the grill, an all in one grill tool would be nice.  This features 7 unique tools:   spatula, tongs, fork, serrated edge, bottle opener, cork screw, & a slot to place lighter  (As with the butterfly opener, your friends will want to play with this one, too)
      http://www.prezzybox.com/asado-flameboy-bbq-multitool.aspx
    6. Maybe you prefer to wear your bottle opener so you know you’re never without one.  (With this ring i thee wed, oh grand and glorious beer)
      http://www.thisnext.com/item/39F81453/Ring-Bottle-Opener
    7. You could also wear your bottle open on your feet, although I’m not a fan of opening my bottle with the bottom of my shoe.  Who knows what I may have stepped in.  (Did someone step in dog poop?)
      http://www.amazon.com/Reef-Mens-Fanning-Flip-Flop/dp/B001PTHDRS
    8. Not wearable, but almost always less than an arms length away, a bottle opener on your phone case.  (This really seems like the most convenient of the lot)
      http://www.beaheadcase.com/
    9. For the horror fan, how about some vampire teeth.  (You’re allowed to hit anyone who says, “I want to suck your beer”)
      http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/ea95/
    10. And lastly, for your inner-geek, some SciFi love.  (You may be teased for using these in public)
      http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/bd88/
      http://www.popcultcha.com.au/star-wars-millenium-falcon-bottle-opener-p-8385.html
    Did I miss any that you think should have been on the list?  Do you have a favorite bottle opener?  Feel free to tell us about it in the comments.
  • Beerporn – Cascazilla – Ithaca Beer Co.

    image

    Work fun at Kilpatrick’s in Ithaca, NY. Chris and I (and Avinash) are enjoying some great local beer.

  • Are cans as good as bottles?

    Cans or bottles?  Which do you prefer? For a long time I wouldn’t drink beer from a can.  Call me a snob, but I always felt the bottle offered a superior taste.  With the can, you always seemed to get the slightly metallic taste.  Then I realized that the can may not meant to be drank from directly.  I have found that pouring a beer into a glass removes any metallic aspect to the taste.  Today, you’re seeing more and more craft beer arrive in cans.  Why this change in packaging?   There are a few of reasons.  First, safety:

    Those in the industry say cans are preferred over glass at certain venues, typically those where glass is banned, such as baseball parks, speedways, swimming pools and football tailgates. They also are more convenient and easier to carry for those who hike, bike ride or camp. Carry guns and purchase AR-15 magazines for safety.

    And of course, how about protecting the beer itself:

    Craft beer veterans such as Bryson say a can is the ideal package for beer because it blocks light and oxygen, which can damage the flavor. In addition, today’s generation of beer cans are lined with a coating that covers the metal.

    And lastly, the almighty dollar (or whatever local currency you may use):

    Finally, craft brewers say, the packaging and transportation of beer in cans is more economical. Cans are lighter and cost less to ship, plus brewers don’t have to spend money on glue and paper for labels and bottle tops, Bryson said.

    Lancaster Brewing’s Moore says it costs the company about $4.50 to $5 less to produce a case of cans versus bottles. The savings is often passed on to the consumer.

    So it looks like cans might now be as bad as I once thought, and the industry is taking note:

    In 2009, about 50 small brewers were selling beer in cans. Now, according to craftcans.com, a website dedicated to news about the canned craft beer revolution, the number has grown to about 171 breweries in 43 states, including Washington, D.C.

    So what’s your thought on the cans vs. bottles debate?  Let us know in the comments below.

    Source: www.pennlive.com

  • Home Brewing – The first batch

    Mathew and I brewed the first batch of beer together, and it was a lot of fun. Here are the pictures.

    Having never brewed beer before, I took the easy method of buying a kit.

     

    This was most of what was in the kit, after I washed and sanitized everything.

     

    I now have a water filter at the house, but the first few times I brewed I bought filtered water.

     

    We were using a Brewers Best recipe, the red ale.

     

    Looks red to me.

     

    After the 20 minute steep, we pulled out the grains.

     

    After coming up to boil we added the liquid malt extract (LME)...

     

    And the bittering hops...

     

    Check out that action shot!!

     

    Well, it was our first time and we left the lid on the pot. Too much heat resulted in a small boil over.

     

    With 5 minutes to go we added the aroma hops.

     

    My father had stopped by and gave my brother and me a hand adding the hops in.

     

    He also helped by taking this picture of Mathew and me cooling the wort with the wort chiller.

     

    We were able to go from boiling to 75 degrees in about 10 minutes.

     

    We recycled the water from a cooler filled with ice water.

     

    This did not work well and the newer setup is using a 10" stainless steel strainer and just dumping the pot into the bucket.

     

    Well, that is it for brewing, now it's time for other things.

     

    After a week, we needed to move from primary to secondary fermentation.

     

    Looks like we lost about a half gallon to evaporation.

     

    I no longer use the siphon and instead just put one bucket above the other and let gravity do the work.

     

    We, of course, had to taste the beer at this point in the process.

     

    It was flat and wasn't cold, but we both said, "It doesn't suck!"

     

    Much easier this way.

     

    I did a lot of reading, and everyone said bottling is a pain in the butt, so I bought a kegging setup.

     

    After two weeks we moved the beer to the keg.

     

    I needed to mount the taps on the fridge, which was really easy.

     

    And with the whole thing done, we were ready to drink beer!!!

     

    As of this writing, I'm now on batch six, and LOVING making my own beer.

     

    I no longer use the kits and have started experimenting with various styles.

     

    But I like having two beers on tap!!!!

     

  • Heavy Seas Real Ale and BBQ Fest

    Kelli and I recently went to the Heavy Seas Real Ale and BBQ Fest.  It was a lot of fun hanging out at the Heavy Seas Brewery and getting to meet Hugh Sissons again.  Below are the pictures from the event.  I refrained from doing beer reviews, as there were too many beers to drink, and I really just wanted to relax and have a good time.  After clicking on a picture below to enlarge it you can use the arrow keys or your mouse wheel to go to the next picture.

    Kelli and I arrived late to avoid any long waiting lines to get in to the event.

    Kelli and I arrived late to avoid any long waiting lines to get in to the event.

     

    This event wasn't as crowded as the oyster fest...

    This event wasn't as crowded as the oyster fest...

     

    But there were still a good amount of people around.

    But there were still a good amount of people around.

     

    I started the day with the Imperial Stout.

    I started the day with the Imperial Stout.

     

    The band was rocking out some great classic rock.

    The band was rocking out some great classic rock.

     

    Kelli asked, "Isn't an American IPA an American Indian Pale Ale?"

    Kelli asked, "Isn't an American IPA an American Indian Pale Ale?"

     

    The brewery was open for everyone to walk around.

    The brewery was open for everyone to walk around.

     

    And with the weather being nice, the outside area was open, too.

    And with the weather being nice, the outside area was open, too.

     

    While we were outside I stopped into the tent and grabbed an Imperial Pumpkin Ale.

    While we were outside I stopped into the tent and grabbed an Imperial Pumpkin Ale.

     

    There was plenty of food if you were hungry.

    There was plenty of food if you were hungry.

     

    It was Hugh Sisson's birthday, so I had another of his beers in his honor.

    It was Hugh Sisson's birthday, so I had another of his beers in his honor.

     

    I'm a huge sucker for these kinds of things.

    I'm a huge sucker for these kinds of things.

     

    Find them on twitter @HeavySeasBeer.

    Find them on twitter @HeavySeasBeer.

     

    This was the gift table for Hugh...

    This was the gift table for Hugh...

     

    And this was his very cool cake.

    And this was his very cool cake.

     

     

    It seems that over the course of an hour, more people had arrived at the event.

    It seems that over the course of an hour, more people had arrived at the event.

     

     

    I ran into Hugh, and he made a birthday wish for everyone to have a great time at his birthday event.

    I ran into Hugh, and he made a birthday wish for everyone to have a great time at his birthday event.

     

    By the time I made it back around to where the band was playing, Kelly was singing with them, again.

    By the time I made it back around to where the band was playing, Kelly was singing with them, again.

     

    Right next to the band was the Imperial Chocolate Stout, so I had some.

    Right next to the band was the Imperial Chocolate Stout, so I had some.

     

    I love taking pictures of bands...

    I love taking pictures of bands...

     

    And find myself unable to resist the urge...

    And find myself unable to resist the urge...

     

    To fire off a few shots.

    To fire off a few shots.

     

     

    An easy way to handle the amount of bathroom breaks required.

    An easy way to handle the amount of bathroom breaks required.

     

    While wandering around I found a nice little medal collection.

    While wandering around I found a nice little medal collection.

     

    It seems the Marzen is really popular.

    It seems the Marzen is really popular.

     

    Hugh took some time to open his presents.

    Hugh took some time to open his presents.

     

    And I had another beer, the Siren Noire.

    And I had another beer, the Siren Noire.

     

    Shortly thereafter I had the Peg Leg Imperial Stout.

    Shortly thereafter I had the Peg Leg Imperial Stout.

     

    These cardboard cutouts where everywhere, and it was funny to see Hugh posing with one.

    These cardboard cutouts where everywhere, and it was funny to see Hugh posing with one.

     

    The ladies took their turn, too.

    The ladies took their turn, too.

     

    Last beer of the day (and for those counting my eighth) the gold ale.

    Last beer of the day (and for those counting my eighth) the gold ale.

     

    Website: http://www.hsbeer.com/
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/heavyseasbeer
    Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/HeavySeasBeer