Hop Talk

Beer is pretty simple. You mix a little water with some cereal (aka barley). Then you boil it and add the best ingredient ever! Yup you probably guessed it... (no not chocolate) it would be Hops! The Humulus lupulus, is the secret ingredient to good beer (translation: hops makes beer good). The beautiful flower to the right is called Centennial. Hops are used for three main functions. First they are used as a preservitive, it is also used as a bittering agent. One of my favorite aromas is fresh hops! These aromas spill over into the beer. The best part of a beer, is the amazing aroma when you first open a beer. Hops grow on a vine, kind like ivy that grows on the side of an old church.  So the next time you enjoy a cold brew, wallow in the bitter and aromatic goodness that is the Humulus Lupulus.

The Elusive Sculpin

No, I am not talking about a fish! Although the fish it self is quite elusive! I am talking about Ballast Point Brewery's Sculpin IPA. Sculpin IPA is an amazing beer, the balance of hop to malt is perfect. Tastes of Lemon and Apricot hit your pallet at first, then a taste of peach jam. It finishes with a crisp bitterness of hops. It has a medium body to it with a chewy mouth feel. The citrus definitely is picked up on the nose.
I think the reason I covet this beer so much is because it is so hard to get. Short of driving down to the brewery, I have to have 24 hour surveillance on my favorite beer shops to get it! Here is the kicker, the closest beer shop that has it in stock, is 25 miles away! Ballast Point does not distribute north of Los Angeles. If you can spot the elusive Sculpin, catch it right away! It is an excellent beer that will stay on your list of favorites!

The Joys of Being Canned!

    Being a beer snob, I shy away from canned beer. Canned beer brings a stigmata that what's inside is going to be fizzy, yellow and tasteless! One day, while browsing my local micro beer spot, I noticed canned beer had migrated into the micro brew section. This does not happen, micro brew is pure and would never be put in a can! Upon closer inspection I noticed one can was labeled Imperial IPA. I shook my head and picked up my favorite 22oz bombers and left the store.
    Later that night, while enjoying one of my favorite bombers, my mind kept wandering back to the horrors of canned brew. I had to get down to the bottom of this! I did endless research, actually I just went to beeradvocate.com. I found out that Gubna is one of the highest rated IPA's! As a matter of fact it is now one of my favorite Imperials! Check it out at Oskar Blues.

Just Outstanding!

Kern River Brewing Company has been a brewing company since 2006. However, Kyle smith head brewmaster, at KRBC has been brewing beer since 1996. I first met Kyle in 2005, I fought fire with Kyle for the U.S. Forest Service. I recall his closet full of fermenting beer in the barracks at the fire station. Although I worked at the fire station down the road from Kyle, I always found a reason to go visit him (off duty of course) and con him into letting me sample some of his new brews. Kyle is the one who inspired me to try home brewing (I don't think I have ever told him that). One of my favorite everyday beers, is Kyle's Just Outstanding IPA. As you know, I am a huge hophead, but Just Outstanding is not overly hoppy. Kyle has created the perfect balance of malt to hops that translates into a very drinkable and enjoyable beer. This beer is MY everyday IPA and I have never been let down by it. If you are ever in the Lake Isabella area, head over to the north side of the lake to a little town called Kernville. Stop by and have a pint, you may even get to pry a little brew knowledge out of Kyle.

FeBREWary

Bathtub Brew...
Finally, after a week and a half of being sick, I decided to brew some beer. I had some extract left over from my Christmas brew, so I decided to build an IPA around it. I kept it simple, I only played around with the hops. Here is my breakdown.

OG: 1.044
FG: TBA
ABV: TBA
IBU: 80

Ingredients:
3.0 lbs Lil' Devil IPA hopped malt extract (not very hoppy)
1.0 lbs Pale malt extract
14 ozs Canadian malt extract

Boil
0.25 oz Centennial Hops AA 9.7% (45 min)
0.25 oz Columbus Hops AA 14.25%(30min)
0.25 oz Amarillo Hops AA 8.6% (15 mins)
0.25 oz Centennial Hops (0 mins)

Dry Hop
0.25 oz Centennial
0.25 oz Amarillo

Wyeast American Ale Yeast

I will let you know how it turns out!

Sick Days

Sorry about not posting, I have been under the weather for the last week and a half. I know no one likes to be sick, but let me tell you it really sucks! Food doesn't taste the same, I can't smell anything, and it definitely has altered my taste for beer. In fact I feel better today, so I am sampling a Stone Ruination. Taste buds are still off! My hope is to get back to normal by tomorrow, so I can brew an IPA. I wanted to brew last Monday, but my cold got the best of me. So stay tuned for tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some brew pictures!  

Best Craft Beer of 2010

The Award Goes To......
Bootlegger's Brewery!
This DIPA is in my top 10 all time favorite beers! But, now that it has been voted Best Craft Beer of 2010, I can't find it at any of my regular local spots. I thought I had found a gem of a beer that no one new about! Well, I guess alot more people know about it now! If you have not tried this DIPA, GO FIND ONE! It is easily one of my favorite DIPA's!