OBC MEETING @ FH STEINBARTS MAR. 13TH Brew Crew News VOLUME 37, NUMBER 3 MARCH 2014 The Presidential Pint OBC BOARD OF DIRECTORS By Ted Assur Winter keeps hanging FH Steinbart is hosting the President on into March this year. complimentary OBC Basic Brewing Ted Assur [email protected] Schlenkerla’s Rauchbier Class for all our members who are just Märzen is an ornery getting started in our delicious hobby. Vice President Will Minderhout sort of beer to match Speaking of picking up steam, I wanted [email protected] my feelings towards to take a moment to thank the members Treasurer the weather and the of your OBC Board for all their efforts Dylan VanDetta irritating shortness of in keeping up the energy and spirit of [email protected] February. If you want a the club: I find myself being sent out of Secretary nice crisp märzen with state for work a bunch this month and Rick Okamura a side of bacon in it, this [email protected] am comforted to find the club in great one’s for you. Burgermeister hands when I’m not around. Each time Jason Barker On the flip side, I am we meet they’ve got good news to share [email protected] thrilled about all I have or exciting ideas to try out. The great Education Committee Chair learned from folks about attitude and spirit of volunteerism in Chris Hummert the OBC this last month: each of them makes this club one I’m [email protected] As we get closer to submitting our entry thrilled to be a part of. Please be sure Competition Committee Chair Joel Sherman for the inaugural Radegast Club of the to offer them a hand if anything they [email protected] Year Award with the AHA, I have had do interests you: just a couple of extra Festival Coordinator a chance to speak to so many great hands makes their jobs so much easier. Lee Hedgmon former and current members and our Were I making beer right now, it would [email protected] partners in the industry that maintain be a Dry Irish Stout. It’s by far my Communications collaborative attitudes with each favorite session beer to make, and I favor Committee Chair other and with us, the homebrewing Warren Johnson tossing in just a touch of Acidulated Malt [email protected] community. I wanted to personally thank when I make it. It’s a simple and pleasant all who came to last month’s meeting beer to brew, and I find I need to make with John Harris of Ecliptic to join in larger batches of it, as it seems to flow showing off what makes this club the quickly from my taps. greatest. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Rumor has it, I may be allowed near a Things are picking up steam this month brewing rig again sometime this month, The Presdential Pint 1 with activities you’ll likely want to know and will be able to share some with you Competition Corner 2 about, and they won’t slow down until soon. How to Bottle Beer from a Keg 3 the end of summer: I leave you with a little Irish Brewers’ Ask Mr. Know-It-All 4 Former OBC Presidents Mark Easton Blessing: Burgermeister 6 and Chris Hummert are kicking off our Secretary’s Report 7 next BJCP class and test exclusive to May your runnings all get to your kettle. Festival of the Dark Arts 8 new judges in order to get some more May your hops never be cheesy. Ask a Brewer 9 folks in the pool to handle our chronic May your boils always be full. Use & Care of Oak Barrel 10 regional shortfalls. And your gravity always hit target (or Mark Your Calendars 13 Strange Brew’s Slurp & Burp comes better). And until we meet again, around early this year, kicking off the May you enjoy good beer with great 2014 competition season and will be friends. www.oregonbrewcrew.org held at 13 Virtues Brewing on Mar. 15th. VOLUME 37, NUMBER 3 PAGE 2 Competition Corner Calling All OBC Judges, Stewards and Volunteers! The NHC 1st Round in Seattle needs your help. If you have not already done so, please register to judge, steward or volunteer for Friday, April 4th at 5:30 PM and/or Saturday, April 5th at 8:30 AM. Location is Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant at 1201 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134. Check out the Bolt Bus for cheap travel up and back, and the Silver Cloud Hotel - Seattle Stadium for discounted accommodation. (Use group code HOMEBREW and password SEATTLE to get the discount). NHC Comp entries will be accepted at FH Steinbarts until the time of the OBC Meeting on March 13th and at Brew Brothers until close of business on March 17th. OBC March Style Competition Cascade Brewers Cup Small Beers Saturday, April 26 | Triplehorn Brewing Thursday, March 13 | Start of OBC Company, Woodinville, WA general meeting, 7:00 PM | Entry Deadline: Saturday, April 19 FH Steinbart Company Registration and judge information is Bring one (1) bottle of your beer to the available here meeting. Prizes will be awarded to the AHA Rally & Homebrew Competition top three beers. The winning beer will Sunday, April 27 | 1:00 PM | be brewed up by BunsenBrewer and Green Dragon, Portland available on tap during our April out Show up, drink beer, and vote for the meeting there! Please email Joel official OBC beer brewed by our own Sherman if you plan on entering a small Chuck Macaluso! This event is free to beer and/or would like to judge. AHA members. Register here. Slurp & Burp Open 2014 Saturday, March 15 | Check in 8:30 AM | Heart of Cascadia - Cascadia Dark Ales 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM | and Northwest Red Ales Saturday, May 13 Virtues Brewing Company 17 | Check in 8:30 AM | 9:00 AM to Entry Deadline: Friday, March 7 3:00 PM | Green Dragon Register your beers and to judge here Entry Deadline: Thursday, May 1 Entry and judge registration Capitol Brewers Homebrewers Classic information to follow Saturday, April 12 | Gilgamesh Brewing, Salem Entry Deadline: Friday, March 28 Registration and judge information is available here. BREW CREW NEWS VOLUME 37, NUMBER 3 PAGE 3 How to Bottle Beer from a Keg By Jason Barker This is how I get my beer from my keg into • Insert the wand into the bottle about 1/2” bottles. Many people use the Blichmann from the bottom to minimize turbulence Beer Gun to bottle their beers. But, when once the beer gets flowing. I first got into this hobby I wasn’t sure I • Press the lever on the picnic tap full wanted to invest the $75-100 for this tool, so blast, do not try to feather it. Once you I researched and found this cheap setup that start flowing, don’t stop. You want one has served me well over the years. So well in continuous smooth flow until it’s topped fact, that I have no desire to buy a Beer Gun. up where you want it. Here’s what you’ll need: • Have your caps and capper sanitized and • one of those cheap black plastic picnic/ 100% ready to go so when you’ve filled a cobra type taps ($4-6); bottle you can immediately cap it on the foam that should be slowly erupting out • a clear plastic tube from a bottling wand the top. It’s ok if a little beer/foam spills ($4). Buy the wand, then just pull the valve out the top, in fact you should plan on it. off the end, you don’t need the valve; • The #1 problem beginners have with this • a “beer out” quick disconnect fitting to method is too much foam. If it’s foaming connect a beer line from your keg to your too much then review the steps above, picnic tap ($5-6); and otherwise maybe your beer is over • a length of beer line, I use about 4 feet. carbonated to begin with. Longer will help with foaming issues due Some people don’t like this method due to to increased friction ($4-5). not purging the bottle with CO2 prior to All of these parts are readily available at filling, meaning your beer is coming in direct FH Steinbart or Brew Brothers. contact with air while it’s being bottled and Push the beer line onto the barbed ends could get oxidized and adversely effect of the picnic tap and the keg fitting. (Dip flavor. My opinion is that for the time and the beer line in hot water for a minute to surface area that the beer is exposed, soften it up and make it easier to slide on there’s not enough oxidation happening to the barbs.) You don’t need hose clamps for make any difference. Certainly not enough these ends. Then shove the clear plastic difference to take on the additional expense wand into the pouring nozzle of the picnic and fighting with the extra hoses and fittings tap, CAREFULLY! If you jam it too hard, you that a Beer Gun requires. The beer that does will crack your new tap. Just push it in while come in contact with the air has a layer of twisting it a little. foam on it, doesn’t it? What happens to that “contaminated” layer of foam? That’s You are ready to go once you’ve assembled right, it gets pushed right out the top of the and sanitized your new bottling apparatus, bottle before you cap it.