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This is the HOTV Brewsletter
VOLUME XXII, NUMBER 3
March 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 on Wednesday, March 21, at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Dave and
Stine Benson, at 3075 Quail Court SE, in Albany. Phone: 791-1336
Dave's Directions: From Highway 34, head east towards Lebanon, take a
left on Columbus about 1/2 mile before I-5). Follow this road for about
3-4 miles until you come to Grand Prairie. This is kitty corner from
the park we had the club picnic at last year. Take a right on Grand
Prairie and go about 1/2 mile. Take a left on Lexington (this is the
first left you can take) just past the two churches (one on left and one
on right). If you cross over I-5 you have gone too far. Go up about 5
or 6 blocks and take a left on Quail Court. This is the only cul-de-sac
and it is right next door to a large white house. Ours is a gray house.
>From Highway 20, go straight through downtown after you cross the
bridge. Follow this until it passes by Fred Meyer. Take a right on
Waverly and head down until you reach 21st (3rd light, 1st light from
when it changes from 2 to 1 lane). Take a left on 21st. Then right on
lexington. Then take a right on Quail Court (approximately 4th on the
right). We are the only cul de sac.
We have parking for about 6 cars in the driveway, and after that there
is room on Lexington for many other cars. Please minimize the parking
on the street in the cul de sac.
LAST MONTH'S GATHERING
Our last meeting was held at the home of Scott Caul in Corvallis. Owing
to the excused absence of Derek Whiteside, Scott Leonard courageously
presided over our business meeting. The following matters were
discussed over the din of voices from the kitchen (where all the beer
was):
1) Holiday Beer: The consensus among club members is that we should, as
a club, brew a special beer for our holiday party. This does not
necessarily preclude the club from getting a half keg of Celebration Ale
or some other commercial beer. We also decided, having heard from a
voice of experience (John Sterner) that an oak cask would probably
involve too much time, trouble, and expense. If we want something with
oak flavors, we should simply add oak chips to the carboy, John said.
2) Summer HOTV Picnic: Lee Smith reserved Avery Park in Corvallis for
our summer picnic. The date will be Saturday, August 18, and our
reservation runs from noon to 6:00 p.m. The specific location will be
the Maple Grove Pavilion.
3) Pub Crawl: We are still in the preliminary planning stages for the
annual club-sponsored pub crawl. One of the considerations is whether
we want to return to Portland, or try something different like visiting
the Eugene / Springfield area. Email Derek with any comments and
suggestions concerning the pub crawl.
4) BJCP Exam Training: Derek thought that the Beer Judge Certification
Program would be offering an exam for BJCP certification in Portland
next July. We now know that this is not the case. We discussed the
possibility of having club members conduct another four-week training
class, similar to the one Ron Hall expertly taught last year. In order
for that to happen, we would need at least a half dozen people to sign
up for the class, and someone to volunteer to teach it. Email Derek
with any questions about the BJCP exam.
5) Insurance: Lee Smith held in his hand the policy that provides
liability insurance for the HOTV club. The cost to the club for
securing this policy was $500. Its main purpose is to enable us to
reserve the Benton County Fairgrounds for our homebrew festival in May.
But the policy covers the HOTV for the entire year. Lee welcomed anyone
who is interested in reading the fine print of the policy to take a look
at it. Following his description of the policy and of the insurance
provider, the club membership seemed satisfied that we got ourselves a
good deal. Thanks to Lee and everyone else who participated in the
search for club insurance.
6) Festival Planning: Joel provided an overview of some of the features
of the upcoming Oregon Homebrew Festival. He announced that the founder
of White Labs, Charles White, will be our guest speaker. Next, he
revealed that the Best-of-Show prize will be an opportunity to be
"Brewer for a Day" at the Rogue Brewery in Newport. Joel also showed
off a pair of T-shirt designs that Beto has fashioned. The membership
voted to select the design without a date and have each year's batch of
shirts feature a date and other information on a "heart patch." The
approximate price for a T-shirt will be $13. A show of hands indicated
that everyone at the meeting who was paying attention wanted at least
one T-shirt.
7) Club Education Functions: The club is still looking for ideas and
for volunteers to participate in education functions. These would
include separate meetings and would involve such topics as an all-grain
brewing demonstration, sensory evaluation tips, descriptions of styles
and their history, and other topics related to brewing better beer. If
you have ideas, please contact Derek or Kendall.
Thanks again to Scott Caul for hosting the February meeting. The
turnout was very high, with many seldom seen and former members making a
much welcomed appearance. It was great to see so many old friends.
There were lots of smiles all around.
LITTER PICK-UP SET FOR MARCH
by Lee Smith
Our next litter detail is scheduled for Saturday, March 31st. As usual,
we will meet at Hyak Park at 11:00 a.m. and finish up about 1:30 p.m.
Volunteers already signed up are Eric Nichols, Greg and Angela Kurbis,
and yours truly. Refreshments will follow.
We need four more to complete our crew so here is your chance to finally
become a member of the litter-ati. You can e-mail me at
leebrews@home.com or let me know at the meeting. Thanks.
COOKING WITH BEER by Helen Smith
BEER-BASTED CHICKEN WITH ASIAN FLAVORS
1 chicken or 8-10 pieces
12 oz. of amber beer, lightly hopped
6 green onions, chopped or regular onion
1/2 cup soy sauce or 1/2 cup LIGHT soy sauce
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 TBS (packed) brown sugar
2 TBS chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 TBS oriental toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp cayenne or 1 tsp oriental sweet/hot chili sauce
Combine all ingredients in large plastic bag. Refrigerate 4-12 hours
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees for 15 minutes
Place chicken and marinade in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan, uncovered.
Roast chicken until juices run clear, about 1 hour, 20 min. dark meat -
40 minutes breast------Baste occasionally.
Transfer chicken to platter. Pour pan juices into medium saucepan;
spoon off fat Boil uncovered until sauce is reduced to 1
cup-----about 6 minutes.
Serve chicken with sauce and rice or oriental noodles. (sprinkle
cilantro) chopped peanuts on top optional.
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COMMERCIAL BEER REVIEWS
by Kendall Staggs
NEW BELGIUM BEERS IN CORVALLIS
Have you had any good beers lately? Here are some brief reviews of
beers from one of my favorite breweries in the world, the award-winning
New Belgium Brewery of Fort Collins, Colorado. Recently, these beers
became available here in Corvallis at Shop 'n' Go. I have also seen
them at the Oasis Grocery in Eugene; and I have heard reports of Fat
Tire appearing on tap around town. I was delighted to learn that New
Belgium's beers have made it to Oregon. They are truly special.
1 Bière de Mars: This cloudy, orange-hued ale is based on the French
Bière de Garde style. It features an extraordinary variety of
ingredients, including a special yeast strain, several barley malts,
oats, wheat, and lemon verbena, a fragrant South American herb. This
beer is refreshing and delicious. The brewer's idea was to brew a March
beer that would represent the transition from winter to spring.
2 1554 Brussels-Style Black Ale: At a glance, this muddy, dark brown
beer seems to be some kind of Porter, but the brewers insist that it has
nothing in common with Porters or Stouts. Indeed, it is definitely a
Belgian brew, with fruity, phenolic, and slightly acidic properties.
The brewers say that they use a lager yeast at warm temperatures. They
also admit to using 60 percent specialty malts in the grist, just enough
hops for some bitterness, and some "secret spices." I give 1554 a mixed
review: the beer in one of my bottles seemed oxidized; another was
fresh and tasty.
3 Fat Tire: This Pale Ale is New Belgium's flagship beer. It is made
with Dutch Laaglander malt and has a the flavor of freshly baked
biscuits. It is extremely popular in Colorado and, from what I've
overheard from OSU students, it seems to be taking Corvallis by storm.
Fat Tire is a very drinkable, very satisfying, everyday beer.
4 Sunshine Wheat: This very light Ale is something of a cross between a
Belgian Witbier and an American Wheat. It is golden in color, not pale
and cloudy like an authentic Witbier. Also, the coriander and Curaao
orange peel aromas are very subtle. But it is much more flavorful than
a typical American Wheat. This finely crafted brew makes an excellent
summer thirst quencher.
5 Blue Paddle Pilsener: This is a European Pils, with a clean malt
profile and the nice blend of floral Saaz hops. The brewers point out
that it is an all-malt beer, and in that respect it is superior to most
of Belgium's rather mediocre Pilsners. Blue Paddle has won several
awards, and it ranks among my favorite American interpretations of the
classic Czech lager.
6 Abbey: This is arguably the best American version of the Belgian
Dubbel style. Dark, reddish brown in color, it features a thick white
head, just like its Belgian cousins. The aromas and flavors are also
true to form, with fruity notes ranging from bananas and figs to coffee
beans, caramel, and cloves. It is slightly sweet, with a touch of smoky
phenolics. New Belgium Abbey is strong and delicious.
7 Trippel: This version of a Belgian Tripel rivals some of the best
examples from Belgium. Hazy, light gold in color, it pours with a
chunky white head. Spicy Saaz hops dominate the nose, which also
reveals a genuine Belgian yeast strain. The flavor is dominated by
lightly sweet malt, some woody overtones, and a bit of a citrus bite.
New Belgium Trippel is a delightfully tasty beer that packs a punch.
These are all definitely beers worth seeking.
The following three stories are from the internet site, The Real Beer
Page:
EUROPEANS SHIFTING
FROM WINE TO BEER
Studies by the World Health Organization show that wine drinkers such as
the French, Spanish, and Italians have been cutting back since 1955,
while beer drinkers have nearly doubled their intake. In 1955, French,
Spanish, and Italian alcohol intake was nearly triple that of beer
drinking strongholds such as Germany, Britain and Denmark. "The average
difference between the beer- and wine- drinking countries in total
consumption now appears to be no more than a few deciliters of pure
alcohol per year," according to the WHO.
EUROPEAN BREWERIES WILL
PROMOTE GIANT PUB CRAWL
Dozens of breweries in Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria are
joining forces to create what they hope will be the world's biggest pub
crawl to draw drinking tourists to the three countries. The project has
already secured sponsorship from the European Union cultural-historical
fund. Tourists taking the beer route will be able to learn about the
brewing traditions of countries and sample the products.
RODENBACH HAS PLANS THAT
MAY DELIGHT GRAND CRU FANS
Last year, there was an outcry among beerlovers last year when rumors
spread that Rodenbach Grand Cru might cease production. Michael Jackson
reports that the Belgian brewery is working on plans which, if they are
successful, will surprise and delight devotees of its sweet-and-sour
Grand Cru. For more information, see
http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-001460.html
SLURP & BURP UPDATE by Ted Hausotter, Strange Brew Homebrewing Club
First off, I want to thank everyone who has offered to help judge the
slurp & Burp. It sounds like we will have a good turn out and a great
time! We are looking for 60 judges for the competition.
The location has moved from the Yamhill county fairgrounds to Jane's
Restaurant. The move was required due to complications with the OLCC
and new laws passed this year. Jane's Restaurant has a huge room for us
to judge in and serves great food. It is located at 325 N. Hwy 99,
McMinnville, OR. Please note the new address. Some of the competition
information was printed and distributed before the change of address
occurred.
Judging the entries will start Friday night, March 30, at 7:00 at
Cliff's house, 606 Vermilion Street, Newberg, OR. Space is limited so
RSVP is required for Friday night. The balance of the judging will be
on Saturday, March 31 starting at 9:00 a.m. To RSVP, call Cliff at
503-538-2803 or email me at tednjodie@msn.com.
Beer entries are due by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 26. This year the
prizes surpass last year for both the entries and the raffle. See our
website for the prize listing. http://members.aol.com/slurpnburpor.
AHA CLUB-ONLY
2001 COMPETITION SCHEDULE
from Zymurgy
Let's try to get some entries in this year's AHA Club-Only competitions.
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
Another reminder: the annual Oregon Homebrew Festival will be May
18-19.
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