This is the HOTV Brewsletter
VOLUME XXII, NUMBER 1
January 2002

PRESIDENT:
Royal Willard
(541) 752-1314
VICE PRESIDENT:
Scott Leonard
(541) 752-0780
NEWSLETTER EDITOR:
Kendall Staggs
(541) 753-6538
CLUB TREASURER:
Lee Smith
(541) 926-2286
FESTIVAL DIRECTOR:
Joel Rea
(541) 758-1674

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 16 at the Oregon Trader Brewery. According to Joel Rea, "Gene is happy to have us at the Trader, especially since Tuesday and Wednesday evenings are happy hour. That means $2 pints! It's OK to bring some homebrew to share and taste, but also remember to support your local brewery!!"

The Oregon Trader 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 parking 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 so were the beers. Especially tasty was our homebrewed club specialty beer, a true group effort featuring plenty of rich malt, hops, and a hint of oak flavors.

The winner of the Name the HOTV Holiday Ale competition was Dave Wolf, who gave the beer the straightforward but appealing moniker, "Snow Plow." His prize was two double-magnums of Hair of the Dog Adam, plus a six-pack of beers from the Netherlands.

Michael Villiardos ably managed the ring toss for beers, which served up some great prizes. Dave Wolf and Mark Taratoot 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. Twenty people participated.

RECIPE FOR THE HOTV HOLIDAY BEER
by Lee Smith

A number of club members asked again about the recipe for the club-brewed holiday beer, "Snow Plow," so here it is:

Grains:
18 lbs two-row
1 lb 20 L Crystal
1 lb 40 L Crystal
1 lb 80 L Crystal
1/4 lb 120 L Crystal
1/4 lb Roasted Barley
2 lb Wheat Malt
1/2 lb Chocolate Malt

Hops:
0.5 oz Nugget, 90 minutes, aa 12%
0.75 oz Cascade, 90 minutes, aa 4.9%
1.0 oz Cascade, 60 minutes, aa 4.9%
1.0 oz Willamette, 60 minutes, aa 3.1%
1.0 oz Willamette, 30 minutes, aa 3.1%
0.5 oz Willamette, 5 minutes, aa 3.1%
0.5 oz Mt. Hood, 5 minutes, aa 4.9%

Yeast: #1056 American, White Lab,
Three vials (in starter)
OG  1.072          FG  1.020
Kegged  9/10/01

History:
8/11 Racked to secondary; added oak chips in large S/S tea balls. Stored 24 hours at 68F, then moved to 40F for 29 days.
9/10 Racked to tertiary, removing oak chips. Began forced carbonation and returned to 34F until 12/8 (date of party).

RESULTS OF THE NAME THAT BEER COMPETITION
by Kendall Staggs

Here are the official results of the 2001 Name That Beer Competition: First place (tie): 75 points, Michael Villiardos and Ryan Jameson Third place: 73 points, Tony Smith (a newcomer)

The beers were: Einbecker Mai Ur-Bock / Fuller's ESB / Alaskan Smoked Porter / Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale / Chimay Cinq Cents

Congratulations to all the winners. Thanks again to Scott for all his help, and thanks to everyone who participated for making the contest a lot of fun. Just for grins, Derek arranged a a special "shoot out" Name That Beer competition for Ron Hall and me, featuring such common, everyday beers as Meteor (a skunky, green-bottled, French Pilsner), Negra Modelo, Pike IPA, and Moose Drool Brown Ale. Ron and I did well enoughÑor poorly enoughÑto call it a draw. On the flip of a coin I was declared the winner. My prize was a 40-ounce bottle of Coors Light. I will leave it in my trunk, and if I ever need to persuade any hillbillies to let me pass unmolested through their county, I can offer it to them as bribe.

DECEMBER LITTER REPORT
by Lee Smith

Well, it finally happened! The weather really caught up with us. Wind blowing, 46 degrees and rain. In fact, our litter bags reminded me of a drag 'chute. But did that stop us? No way! Like the postmen in the motto, we persevered through it all and wound up with 25 bags of trash. The stout-hearted (no pun intended) volunteers were Scott Leonard, Jim Cantey, Ryan Jameson, Michael Villiardos, Scott Malvitch, Dave Benson, and Lee Smith. Our reward? Knowing that Oregon is a little bit cleaner (and some of Oregon Trader's "Somethin' Light" was ready to warm us up). Can't wait for March....

Editor's Note: Last December, Lee wrote about how nice the weather was for the litter pick-up, under the headline, "DECEMBER LITTER CREW GETS LUCKY AGAIN!" I guess we can't be lucky every year.

BEER RECIPE
from Christina Zelazek

Multi-Grain Beer Bread A dense sort of bread, great with butter, warm from the oven. Or with soup on a cold, rainy Oregon night.

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup bran (oat bran or wheat bran)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
12 oz beer

Preheat oven to 375. Mix dry ingredients. Add beer and stir until combined. Bake in a greased loaf pan 55-60 minutes.

ARTICLES FROM THE REAL BEER PAGE

Last month, RBP readers were asked, "If you could drink beer brewed in only one region of the United States, which would you choose? A robust 48 percent of the respondents picked beers from the Northwest, while the Northeast was a distant second with 18 percent of the vote, followed by Colorado, California, and other regions.

3800-YEAR-OLD BEER RECIPE

British, Belgian, and Syrian archaeologists have unearthed 3800-year-old Babylonian beermaking instructions on cuneiform tablets at a dig in northern Syria. Abdel-Massih Baghdo, director of the Hassakeh Archaeological Department, told the Associated Press that the 92 tablets were found in the 14th layer of Tell Shagher, a site just north of Hassakeh. He said the tablets showed beermaking methods and tallied quantities of beer produced and distributed in the region. Hassakeh, 400 miles northeast of Damascus, is known these days for its wheat production.

IT'S NEVER TO EARLY TO
THINK ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
by Joel Rea

It is time to get ready for the 20th Annual Oregon Homebrew Festival! All folks willing and wanting to participate in making sure this phenomenal event succeeds are encouraged to help. "But wait, what is in it for me?" you might ask. Prosperity, more free beer, slaps on the backs, and many here-heres and hootie-hoos!

At this point in the game, I am going to assume that I am the only person on "The Committee." If you have always had intentions or would like to intend to volunteer for a position than now is the time to step forward with your commitment. The official day of the Festival is Saturday, May 18th. Committee members need to plan on the week before the event to be available for various activities and for occasional meetings throughout the winter and spring.

Positions need to be filled and I am hoping that folks from last year will once again consider repeating. Here are the positions: Festival Chair: Joel Rea / Head Steward / Raffle Acquisitions / Floor Security / Lunch Maker / Judge Coordinator / Judge Training / Publications / Finances / Beer & Raffle entries.

New Position: Beer Brewer! The last few years have been relatively dry during the beer registration period. We desperately need someone to ensure that there is a keg of homebrew available for the hardworking souls during beer registration!

Now that is over and done with, I want to chat about the 21st Annual Oregon Homebrew Festival (2003). I'd like to make the 21st more of a birthday party. Let's open the floor to beer, some good music, lots of people, homebrewing demonstrations, raffle, best-of-show tastings, awards, food booths, etc. I'd like to see the actual beer judging take place one week earlier. For judging this would mean moving up the pick-ups one week and spreading the judging out over the week. This would mean that more of the beers would be judged by more of the club members and not so much with the help of other clubs or people on the street.

How can we cover the costs? Allow the breweries present to pay a booth space and cover charge event goers. Sure that is the nut shell version and much of the fine details need to be wrangled out by a committee. We may even need the assistance of someone who has done a beer event promotional to make sure we pull it off. This 21st Birthday idea is also, as far as I can tell, pushed by me. If the club does not want to take this turn of events for the following year now is the time to decide that. If the club does, well than, we're looking for folks to help plan this one out!

COMMERCIAL BEER REVIEWS
by Kendall Staggs
VERMONT BEERS

Here are some brief reviews of ten beers from Vermont, provided by my good friend Shawn Murphy.

1 Heart of Darkness Stout (Magic Hat Brewing, South Burlington, VT): The bottle features a really cool label, a trademark of Magic Hat beers. Another is that they are brewed with home-grown hops on the banks of the Ottauquerchee River (try saying that three times after one of these beers). Inky black in color, this Oatmeal Stout has a nice, creamy white head. It starts off with dry, roasty aromatics. In the flavor there is a delicious undercurrent of bittersweet chocolate. It has the character of a Foreign Extra Stout, and reminds the beer writer Garrett Oliver of bottled Beamish. Its body is light, but sufficient. It is slightly smoky, and some hop flavors and bitterness are evident before a very dry finish. Fred Eckhardt reviewed it and wrote that it go well with Ghiradelli dark chocolate; Michael Jackson wrote that it would go well with oysters. It is brewed with English 2-row Pale, Crystal, Cara Wheat, and Chocolate malt, plus roasted barley and rolled oats. The hops are Target, U.K. Progress, and North Down. Orignial gravity: 1.056. Alcohol: 5.3 percent by volume.

2 Blind Faith India Pale Ale (Magic Hat Brewing, South Burlington, VT): Another awesome label. This India Pale Ale has a golden amber color and a dense, rocky head. The hops are certainly evident in the aroma, flavor, and bitterness, and they are pleasant enough. What is missing is a solid malt base. Both the flavor and body are too thin, leaving a watery impression. It's not bad, but not great. It is brewed with all English malt, including 2-row Pale, Crystal, Chocolate, and Wheat. The hops are Willamette, U.K. Progress, and lots of Cascade. Original gravity: 1.056. Alcohol: 5.9 percent by volume.

3 Double Bag Ale (Long Trail Brewing, Bridgewater Corners, VT): The folks at Long Trail say that DŸsseldorf brewers sometimes brewed stronger versions of their Altbiers, and with this in mind, Long Trail has come up with a malty, full-bodied "Double Alt." They also call it a "Stickebier" (German slang for "secret brew"). This beer is dark amber in color. It is rich, malty, and full-bodied. The brewers insist that they used noble hops, but it reminded me of a lot of Pacific Northwest beers. It is fruity, with plenty of hop flavor, but not too much hop bitterness. I consider it a better-than-average Barleywine. Alcohol: 7.2 percent by volume.

4 Hibernator Ale (Long Trail Brewing, Bridgewater Corners, VT): This winter specialty is a Scotch Ale brewed with five different malts, brown sugar, and dash of honey. It was complex and warming, with plenty of malt flavor. It was very tasty, but it did not make me forget the better Scotch Ales from Scotland.

5 Stovepipe Porter (Otter Creek Brewing, Middlebury, VT): This Porter sure tastes a lot like a Stout, and its ingredients indicate that it should be called one. The head was thick with beige foam. Roasted coffee aromas dominate, while the flavors are rich, slightly sweet, and complex. The finish is rather burnt and moderately bitter. I really enjoyed this beer. It is made with Munich, Carapils, and Chocolate malt, plus roasted barley; it has Chinook, Cascade, and Willamette hops. Original gravity: 1.054. Alcohol: 5.4 percent by volume.

6 A Winter's Ale (Otter Creek Brewing, Middlebury, VT): This was supposed to have been a Scottish Ale. This was supposed to have been pleasantly sweet, full of caramel notes, and mildly hoppy. It was, instead, an undrinkable beer, with lots of unpleasant vegetative aromas and a combination of oxidized and sour flavors. Original gravity: 1.060. Alcohol: 5.8 percent by volume.

7 Trout River Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (Trout River Brewing, Lyndonville, VT): This black beer with a moderately thick white head starts out with some good Stout aromatics: a mixture of roast and chocolate. The flavors are rather weak, however, and it further suffers from being thin-bodied. Roasted barley is evident, but the finish is unpleasantly tart. I've had much better homebrewed Stouts.

For more on Vermont beers, see http://www.vermontbrewers.com/tourmap.html

TUSCON BEER TOUR
by Christina Zelazek

A recent trip to Tucson would not have been complete without visiting the local breweries. Our former Corvallis pals Chester and JoAnn took us to Nimbus Brewery at 3850 East 44th Street. It is located in a warehouse district, an area obviously chosen for its low rent and not its trendiness. It's a funky place, where the pub is smack-dab in the middle of the brewery. The space is large and you can view the fermenters and bottling equipment as you consume your beverages. We were there on a Monday night and shared the pub with a few patrons and some of the Nimbus workers who were enjoying the fruits of their labors. The loading dock door was open to let in the night airÑwatch your step! Maybe that's the drunk test? The price was right: $2 a pint during happy hour. I sampled the Belgian White, which was perfect. I can also vouch for the flavorful and roasty Oatmeal Stout and the well-balanced Brown Ale. I didn't care for their lighter beer, but that's not to say it wasn't goodÑjust not my taste. Dave liked the IPA, which I thought was unremarkable, but OK. They bottle the Brown and IPA and sell it in stores all over Arizona. The bartender was a friendly fellow, happily giving me good-sized samples at no charge. They offer a simple menu of sandwiches and pizza. We found the sandwiches to be cheap, big, and good. They have music there on the weekends. Great, friendly, homey place. Check it out if you are in Tucson. Here's their website: http://www.dakotacom.net/~alpha/beer/nimbus.html

About a block from the University of Arizona is Gentle Ben's brew pub at 865 East University Boulevard. This is a newer, hipper, happening sort of college place. I did the sampler for $3.95 which had seven or eight tastes, nicely presented on a mini spiral-staircase holder. No one at our table liked the Porter, which was kind of sour and not very robust. Dave loved the IPA; it is reminiscent of Anderson Valley. I thought it was too hoppy (which means most you would like it). Their Raspberry beer was quite good, light and fruity, perfect for the hot weather. The Oatmeal Stout was rich and full. The Brown Ale was a little too light for my taste, but not bad. I liked the American Pale Ale the best, which I believe is called Copperhead. It was slightly reddish, well balanced and quite delicious, with complex flavors. The highlight! Unfortunately, I didn't keep notes on the rest of the samples and my memory faded with each pint. The food was extremely good: excellent meat burgers, veggie burgers, sandwiches, and pastas in the $7 range.