It’s official… 2011 is so last year.
I have to be honest, last year wasn’t the best I’ve had. I’m not going into the details here, let’s just say I am not spilling any tears into my lager to see the new year come.
That said, with the way 2011 went I am feeling very optimistic toward the new year… So happy New Year everyone! May it bring you lots of joy and hoppiness! (see what I did there?)
I’ve seen numerous questions on the Internet from home-brew novices asking if they can use the yeast they find at the local supermarket to make beer. What I haven’t seen is any good answers to the question so I’m offering my take on the issue based on what I’ve managed to gather from the Web and my experience.
Baker’s Yeast (the kind you find in the local supermarket) and Brewer’s Yeast are actually from the same family of yeasts, but that is where the similarity ends. Each strain of yeast is bred for attributes that benefit the purpose for which it is being used. Thus, baker’s yeast is typically fast acting so bread will rise faster while brewer’s yeast is cultivated to process slower and thus be more beneficial to the fermentation process. Different strains of yeast affect the beer in terms of alcohol content and flavor.
So can you use baker’s yeast to make beer? The short answer is yes, you can however just because you can doesn’t mean you should. First of all, because baker’s yeast is bred to be fast acting it won’t have time to properly ferment the beer and you’ll end up with a relatively low alcohol content. You also run the risk of flat beer as the yeast will have run its course before it even makes it into the bottle. You might be able to kick-start it by adding a little dextrose during the bottling process, but there are no guarantees. Finally, because brewer’s yeast is bred for the way it affects the flavor of a beer as much as its fermentation qualities, your beer will likely have an off flavor to it. It would be terrible to spend weeks waiting to drink your beer only to find out you have a bad batch. It would be far better to save yourself the disappointment and just use brewer’s yeast from the start and end up with a successful, refreshing batch of beer you’ll be proud to serve your friends and family.
I recently had dinner with my work colleagues at Hopworks Urban Brewery located at SE 29th and Powell in Portland. I’ve driven past it on numerous occasions, but never had the inclination to stop in. The building from the outside isn’t terribly appealing and the neighborhood isn’t exactly one to inspire confidence, but the interior of the brewery is well appointed and much nicer than the exterior indicates it ought to be. My only complaint was the volume. My understanding is that the building used to be a warehouse of some sort, so the acoustics are terrible. I don’t recommend going there if you absolutely must be able to hold a conversation without shouting to be heard.
The food is typical pub fare, mostly burgers and pizza, but they use organic ingredients and aren’t your typical greasy spoon kind of place. You can taste the quality in the food, and I must say that the chicken sandwich and fries I had for dinner were wonderful!
That said, this blog isn’t about the food. I’m sure what’s really on every one’s mind is how good is the beer? The short answer is that it is very good, very good indeed. I had the Hopworks Stout, a dark beer with a nice smooth finish and subtle hints of chocolate thrown in. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they include the IBU’s on their menu so you can get a feel for how bitter the beer will be before you order it (IBU stands for International Bittering Units, and is a numerical value based on how bitter the beer is… more on this in another post). It surpised me to see that some of the most bitter beers on the menu were the lighter beers. It served to illustrate to me that the color of the beer doesn’t necessarily reflect the overall bitterness of the brew.
Hopworks is committed to being carbon neutral and have done an outstanding job of making their business both profitable and environmentally responsible. They have managed to show that you can make a quality beer while also being kind to the Earth.
I’ll drink to that!
I know, I’ve been slacking on my duties and owe my readers an apology. See I’ve been selfish. I’ve been drinking that wonderful Oregon craft beer and not sharing my thoughts.
This is about to change.
Today I’ll offer up my thoughts on the Widmer Brothers‘ Seasonal Ale, aptly named “Brrr”. I had an opportunity to try it over Christmas with my father. I’m not sure it’s still available at this point, although there might still be a few bottles floating around for sale. I’ll admit that for the most part I liked it, although it had a fairly hoppy finish to it that I didn’t really care for. I did, however, notice subtle notes of cinnamon and nutmeg which made me think of gingerbread and pumpkin pie. It seemed appropriate for the season and was a welcome surprise. Overall it is a beer I’d drink again and I hope to see it (or something like it) next year.
On a separate note, my wife brought home a bottle from 10 Barrel Brewing Company located in Bend, Oregon. The name of the brew escapes me at the moment so you’ll just have to wait for my upcoming review once I’ve had a chance to sample it. Their web site doesn’t appear to have been updated in awhile and there isn’t a list of their brews available yet (In fact, the site says they’re only available on tap at the moment which isn’t true as the bottle in my refrigerator can attest). I’m pretty excited to try it and promise to be more diligent about sharing my thoughts once I do.
Finally, I’m starting to get the bug to do a little home brewing again. It’s something I haven’t done in far too long and I intend to share my experiences as I go. I’m thinking about brewing a simple pale ale to start with and then play around with the recipe once I get at least one good batch under my belt… maybe something that combines my two loves… beer and coffee… we’ll just have to see.
Happy 2011 everyone! It’s going to be a most excellent year.
My wife is most definitely not a beer drinker. She tends to tolerate beer and will drink certain kinds but (like a lot of women I know) tends to prefer the fruitier drinks. One of her favorite drinks is a Belgian Framboise, but she has been known to drink the occasional Heffeweizen. Needless to say I was quite surprised when she informed me she had purchased a bottle of beer. It turns out she didn’t buy just any beer, she bought a bottle of Bridgeport Brewery’s “Stumptown Tart”. It’s Bridgeport’s spin on a raspberry framboise and isn’t too bad.
One of the first things I noticed is that it didn’t seem to produce much of a head when poured like most beers. Sure, there were a few bubbles just not the thick rich head one usually expects to see in a beer. The beer has a nice ruby red color and smells slightly fruity which I feel is to be expected from a raspberry beer.
I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I first tasted it. I expected it to be sweet like Lindeman’s, but to me it tasted more like a regular beer with a hint of raspberry. In fact, it reminded me of McMenamins’ Ruby although not quite as sweet. I did, however, notice that over time as the beer sat in my glass it seemed to get a bit sweeter and the raspberry flavor started to really come out. In the end it actually won me over, and turns out to be a pretty good beer. The funny thing is that according to Bridgeport’s web site “Stumptown Tart” is made with Oregon Marion Berries even though the label on the bottle states clearly that it is a raspberry framboise. I don’t think it’s a big deal as it doesn’t change my perception of the beer at all, but it is an interesting side note.
Overall I’d say if you like your fruit beers more… well… fruity, then Stumptown Tart is probably not for you. On the other hand, if you don’t like fruity beers at all it isn’t for you either as it sits comfortably somewhere in between. As for me, I’d classify this beer as one that I’d drink if none of my regular favorites were available. I liked it, but I didn’t love it.
