This is the HOTV Brewsletter
VOLUME XXI, NUMBER 1
January 2001

PRESIDENT:
Derek Whiteside
(541) 791-5083
VICE PRESIDENT:
Scott Leonard
541-791-3291
NEWSLETTER EDITOR:
Kendall Staggs
(541) 753-6538

THIS MONTH'S MEETING

The Heart of the Valley Homebrew Club meets on the third Wednesday of every month, alternating between Corvallis and Albany. Our next meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on January 17 at the Oregon Trader Brewery. The brewery is located at 140 Hill Street, in Albany, at the corner of Hill and Water Streets. From Corvallis via Highway 20, cross the bridge into Albany and turn left on 2nd Street. Proceed until you cross a set of railroad tracks. Go to the second cross street (Hill) and turn left. Go two blocks and you will see the brewery on your left. Park on the street or diagonally across from the brewery in an open lot. DO NOT park across the street from the brewery as this is private and the owner is hostile. From Albany, head toward the bridge on Lyons, turn right on 2nd Street and proceed as above.

LAST MONTH'S GATHERING by Kendall Staggs

Last month, Sam Holmes once again graciously hosted our annual Holiday Party. It was well attended and everyone seemed to have a great time. The food was great, and I understand the beer was, too. I only had a few sips because I served as a designated driver. Michael Villiardos managed the ring toss for beers, which served up some great prizes. Joel Rea provided some delicious pairings of quality beers and fine chocolates. With able assistance from Scott Leonard, I organized and presented the annual Name That Beer competition. There was much jocularity, and Sam and Dave (weren't they a Soul duo in the Sixties?) treated us to fun music.

RESULTS OF THE NAME THAT BEER COMPETITION by Kendall Staggs

Here are the official results of the Name That Beer Competition:
First place: 75 points, Ron Hall
Second place: 68 points, Mark Taratoot
Third place: 64 points, Jerry Malloy

The beers were:
Ayinger Bräu Weisse
Samuel Smith Taddy Porter
Saxer Jack Frost Winter Doppelbock
Old Boardhead Barley Wine [1999]
Duvel (Belgian Strong Golden Ale)

Thanks again to Scott for all his help, and thanks to everyone who participated for making the contest a lot of fun. A motion was made to bar Ron Hall from all future Name That Beer events. Another motion was made to have a special "shoot out" competition between Ron and me next year. Sounds OK to me, as long as we handicap it. Perhaps Mark Taratoot should be included, too.

TREASURY REPORT from Lee Smith

Of our 56 members, 18 (about a third) have paid their annual dues. That's pretty good for this early in the year. If you have not yet paid your dues, please remember to bring your checkbook - or cash - and do your duty. HOTV dues are still a modest $12 per member. In comparison, the Crescent City Homebrew Club has dues of $30, and most other clubs have dues in the $18 to $24 range.

DECEMBER LITTER CREW GETS LUCKY AGAIN! by Lee Smith

On Saturday, December 9, the fearless HOTV Litter Crew performed its job. The day started out damp, chilly, and generally nasty, but not so bad as to discourage our determined gang. Then, just as we suited up and were ready to hit the road, the clouds scudded off to the east, the sun came out, and blue skies were smiling. The temperature nudged up enough so that most of us were overdressed and almost too warm!

Our newest members, Greg and Angela Kurbis, joined Doug and Mare Goeger, John Sterner, Jim Cantey, and Lee Smith in ridding Oregon of 29 big bags of litter and assorted junk. Greg and Angela were quick to volunteer for this important club activity and, in doing so, set a fine example for new and old members alike. (Scott Malvitch and his daughter turned out, as well, but Scott was unaware that ODOT prohibits anyone under 16 years of age to participate in the highway program. Sorry, Scott, but thanks anyway).

Naturally, our efforts were not without reward. When our work was done, good conversation and India Pale Ale awaited us. Try to join us in March.

COOKING WITHOUT BEER: Helen Smith's Chocolate Chip Pie

Since so many at the party wanted the pie recipe, here it is. Here's a little history: when Lee and I first got married almost 50 years ago, a neighbor gave me this recipe, and it's been a hit at every function. Chocolate chips were just on the market in 1951. Double for 2 pies. Can be frozen.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHIFFON PIE

12 ounce package of real chocolate chips
3 eggs-separated
3 TBS sugar
3 TBS milk or cream
l tsp vanilla

Directions: Separate eggs, placing the 3 yolks in a bowl
Add the sugar, milk and vanilla and beat them
Whip the 3 whites till stiff
Melt the chocolate chips in microwave or over double boiler till very smooth and soft.
Remove from heat and immediately beat in the egg yolk mixture, then FOLD IN the beaten whites.
Pour into your favorite homemade baked crumb crust. I used chocolate graham crackers and butter.

*For the crust, follow any crumb crust recipe-push into pie plate and press to mold. Bake 10 minutes at 350. Cool.

Top pie with REAL whipped cream or ready made.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW from Lee Smith

Kent Cruzan is one of our oldest members and has always stayed current even though he moved to Astoria many years ago. Along with a dues check, his wife Kay sent a holiday card with the following note:

"All is going fine here. Kent has had no cancer for six plus months. He has tiredness, etc., but we seem to be ready for a new beginning. In November, he even got a batch of pumpkin beer made. It turned out great - guess he hasn't lost his touch! Warm wishes to everyone."

signed Kenton & Kay Cruzan

SEATTLE BREWPUB SCENE by Beto Zuniga

I have not been out as much as I would like to check out the brew scene in Seattle, but I would like to mention a few things. While looking for another place I could not find, I stumbled onto the Hill Top Ale House in the Queen Anne section. It had about 15 brews on tap and I was not impressed with their selection. I ate there but was not impressed with the food, either. I will have to back to check them out again because I like to give any place two visits before I diss them too much.

Next I went to Pike Brewing downtown close to the Pike Street Market. The place was trendy and loud. But this was not why I was impressed with the place. Their guest taps were tremendous! While Anne opted to a Pike Scotch Ale, I went for the Ayinger Celebrator on tap. They also had four Lindemans Lambics on tap. We had a chocolate brownie dessert with the Framboise. It was so fresh! It was so strong with raspberries that it reminded me of the Celis Raspberry on tap back at the Ginger Man in Houston.

Another spot I visited was the Big Time Brewery on the "Ave" in the University District (the street is also know as University Way). I was immediately reminded of the Twenty Tank Brewery in San Francisco. I have learned that Big Time was associated with the now out-of-business Twenty Tank; the two owners were brothers. Big Town has about 12 brews on tap. I tried their Amber, Porter and Stout. The Porter is nice when it is fresh. I had it twice. The Big Time Brewery is Seattle's oldest brewpub, established in 1988. Their brews when I was there included Bhagwan's Best IPA, Atlas Amber Ale, Prime Time Pale Ale, Coal Creek Porter, Redemption Nitrogen Ale, Sunbreak Blonde, Old Rip Oatmeal Stout, Beam Me Up Scottish Ale, Lift Ticket Winter Ale, Hopfest Ale (featuring Mt. Hood hops), and a cask-conditioned version of one of the above brews.

I also visited a brewpub in Bellingham: the Orchid Street Brewery. I tried a sampler and was impressed with the Golden Ale they had. It had a lot of flavor for a Golden. It reminded me of the first time I tasted Celis Golden in the land of "Buhbuh beer" back in Houston again. The rest of the beers were alright but their Holiday Ale was way too overspiced for me.

I promise to taste more beers soon.

AHA CLUB-ONLY 2001 COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Let's try to get some entries in this year's AHA Club-Only competitions.

March - Stout: Category 16, Stout and Category 12c, Russian Imperial Stout hosted by Keith Curtachio and the Niagara Association of Homebrewers

May - Bockanalia: Category 14, Bock hosted by Elaine Seely and the Cincinnati Malt Infusers

August - Wit: Category 19b, Belgian Witbier hosted by Donna Bettencourt and the Gold Country Brewers Association

October - California Common: Category 6c, California Common hosted by John Aitchison of the Maltose Falcons

December - Mild: Category 10c, Mild hosted by Bruce Bennett and Brewers United for Real Potables (BURP)

OREGON HOMEBREW FESTIVAL from Lee Smith

It's not too early to mark your calendars. The next annual Oregon Homebrew Festival will be May 18-19, 2001.

COMMERCIAL BEER REVIEWS by Kendall Staggs CALIFORNIA UNCOMMON

Have you had any good beers lately? Here are some brief reviews of a few beers from the Golden State (you know, the one south of us). Some are available at Burlingame Grocery. Others were courtesy of beer hunter Scott Leonard, who recently made a California trip. There are some good beers "south of the border." There are some bad ones, too.

1 Firestone Double Barrel Ale (Firestone Walker Brewing, Los Olivos, CA) This amber ale featured a solid malt profile from five different kinds of malts and good hop balance from Saaz and East Kent Goldings. The label claims that the beer's "distinctive complexity" is "brought about through our exclusive, patented, oak barrel fermentation." I don't know how exclusive the process is, but a few oak notes appear on the nose and the palate. This is a nice, drinkable beer and is well worth seeking. (5.0 percent alcohol by volume)

2 SLO Amber Ale (SLO Brewing, Paso Robles, CA): This was a better-than-average amber ale with plenty of hop aromas and flavors. It went well with spicy Korean food. This brewery used to have a mediocre reputation; apparently they have a new brewer and this year they won a silver medal for their Oatmeal Stout at the Great American Beer Festival. The brewpub is in San Luis Opisbo; the brewery is in nearby Paso Robles, near the central California coast. (alcohol unavailable)

3 Prohibition Ale (Speakeasy Ales and Lagers, San Francisco): This was a fairly strong, hoppy ale with some caramel malt notes. Joel Rea reported that the beers were rather mediocre at the brewpub, but Scott and I found this bottled example to be very tasty. (6.1 percent alcohol by volume)

4 Ragwater Ale (Lagunitas Brewing, Petaluma, CA): This beer features the slogan, "Keep it Dark." It did indeed pour dark and a little murky. Fresh hops dominated the aroma. The flavors, unfortunately, were not very appealing. The malt was missing, the hop flavor and bitterness were too assertive, and the beer had a dry, scratchy, cardboard character. Scott and I were unable to finish the 22-ounce bottle. This brewery makes some good beers, but my advice is to stay away from the aptly named Ragwater. (OG 1.056; 47 IBU; alcohol unavailable)

5 Lagunator Solstice Ale (Lagunitas Brewing, Petaluma, CA): This beer features the slogan, "I'll Be Bock," but it is definitely an ale, not a true Bock. It was a good, hoppy, West Coast Ale, with a noticeable alcohol punch. Nevertheless, it was dangerously drinkable. (OG 1.072; 36 IBU; 6.8 percent alcohol by volume)

6 Double Bastard Ale (Stone, San Marcos, CA): This whopper of a beer from the San Diego area is an even stronger version of the notoriously potent Arrogant Bastard Ale. There is lots of malt, even more hops, and even more warm alcohol notes. The label features the warning: "If you can even contemplate, on any level at all, the remotest possibility of consuming a fizzy yellow beer in your miserable future, then DO NOT buy this bottle. Instead, leave it for a worthy soul who has already matriculated to the sublime ecstasy of what those who are in the know lovingly call Liquid Arrogance." This is a relatively expensive brew at $5.25 for a 22-ounce bottle. (10 percent alcohol by volume)

7 Tahoe Organic Amber Lager (Truckee, Truckee, CA): This beer features the slogan, "The way it was in 1862" on its attractive, colorful label. It also says that the beer is "faithfully brewed with certified organic malt and hops, yeast, and clear mountain water, with no preservatives, additives, or pasteurization." After all that, I must dutifully report that neither Scott nor I could drink more than one mouthful of this brew because it had an overpowering diacetyl aroma and flavor. Something went dreadfully wrong somewhere. (alcohol unavailable)

DESCHUTES DESCRIBES JUBEL 2001 from the Deschutes Brewery webpage:

This year the brewers at Deschutes brewed a special, strong version of Jubelale to celebrate the Millennium. Actually, they produced two special brews. This is how it went:

In early February a Jubelale with the traditional grist bill was mashed in and a second batch of Jubel was milled in right behind it. The first brew was lautered to kettle with minimum sparging so that it filled only half of the kettle. While this first brew was boiling in the kettle, the second batch was lautered to fill the kettle (50 barrels). The result was a high-gravity version of Jubelale that contained approximately 50 percent more extract than the normal Jubelale. During the boil, a double dose of Jubelale hops comprised of Galena, Willamette, Cascade, Tettnang, and East Kent Goldings was added to achieve a final level of about 3 pounds of hops per barrel.

This first batch was fermented for three weeks, repitched with fresh yeast, and allowed to ferment for another two months. The brew was then racked into new, American oak casks. The casks were prepared with a medium roast and the staves were fire bent. The beer was aged in the oak casks in the cold for four months.

While the beer was aging in oak, a second "double brew" batch of high gravity Jubelale was brewed and fermented. After the four months of oak aging, the first batch was racked from the casks into a small tank containing East Kent Golding dry hops. As the casks were emptied, they were immediately refilled with the second batch of strong Jubelale, which was subsequently aged for in the cold for another three months.

Finally, at the end of October, the two batches were blended in a larger tank, again dry hopped with East Kent Goldings. The beer was packaged two weeks later in specially labeled 12-ounce bottles for release around Thanksgiving. There were only about 1000 cases produced, so don't hesitate to buy the beer if you are interested.

The final beer is stronger (about 9 percent abv) than the original Jubelale and has a distinct character coming from the oak. We have found the beer to be most suitable for drinking now, but it should also age quite well. Enjoy!

Editor's note: Jubel 2001 is truly a remarkable beer, and I congratulate the brewers for their willingness to undertake a project of this magnitude. It is definitely darker and richer than the regular Jubelale, with more chocolate notes on the nose and the palate. A vanilla-like oak flavor is also evident. Although it is assertively hopped, the hop flavors and bitterness do not overwhelm. A more obvious trait is the alcohol component, which reminds me of whiskey. It compares very favorably to Fred, one of our club's favorite beers. Like Fred, Jubel 2001's price reflects all the effort and expense in making it; at $3.15 for a 12-ounce bottle, it is definitely a beer to save for a special occasion.

Fearless Beer Hunter Scott Leonard contacted the brewery to compliment them on the Jubel 2001 and received this reply from Lesley Walthew:

Thank you for contacting Deschutes Brewery. I am happy to hear you like the J2K, as we call it at the brewery, and no, I don't think it's a one time thing. The brewers are trying to decide what to work on next year. Keep your ears open, something will be coming along.

Cheers www.deschutesbrewery.com

MILLER TO SELL CELIS - COULD IT BE BACK TO CELIS? from the Real Beer Page

Miller Brewing Company plans to sell the Celis Brewery and its trademark and close the Austin, Texas, brewery by the end of the year. Pierre Celis, visiting Austin on Friday, said that his family might be interested in repurchasing the rights and recipes to their specialty beer. But they would need a partner. "If there is another brewer, I would be ready. I think that is the best solution," Celis told the Austin-American Statesman. "At my age (he is 75), it is difficult to start alone the brewery. If I have a partner to help, I would able again make the quality beer." The Celis Brewery has 10 employees and sold 15,000 barrels in 1999, a tiny fraction of Miller's overall sales of 44.1 million barrels. Miller bought a majority stake in the Celis Brewery in 1995, then in April purchased the Celis family's minority interest in the business. That sale occurred when the Celis family exercised an option that required Miller to buy their share. http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-001419.html

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION by Kendall Staggs

I hereby promise to brew more homebrew this year. I also promise to drink lots of good homebrew this year.