This is the HOTV Brewsletter
VOLUME XXII, NUMBER 7
July 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 each month, alternating between Corvallis and Albany. Our next meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on July 17, at the home of Scott and Karen Caul, 2930 NW Mulkey, Corvallis. Their phone number is 757-1190. Here are directions:

From Highway 99W:
- Take Highway 99W to Circle Boulevard.
- Go west on Circle to 29th.
- Go south (left) on 29th to Mulkey.
- Turn right on Mulkey. Scott's house is a yellow house on the left.

From Highway 34:
- After you get to Corvallis, Highway 34 becomes Harrison. Take it until you get to 29th.
- Turn right on 29th. Continue north past the Dari Mart at Grant and 29th. Mulkey is the second left past Grant.
- Turn left on Mulkey. Scott's house is a yellow house on the left.

LAST MONTH'S GATHERING

Many thanks again to Lee and Helen Smith for hosting the post-festival meeting. Lots of great leftover homebrews were available, despite the scramble for beers tp take home. Helen's jambalaya was delicious, the weather was great, and there was a good turnout among the members.

HOTV SUMMER PICNIC
by Lee Smith

It's time to mark your calendars for the annual picnic. The date is Saturday, August 24, in Avery Park, Corvallis. This year we have the Thompson Shelter, which is much larger and better than Maple Grove.

BOB MCCRACKEN SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE
by Lee Smith

Here is the OSU Foundation's response to our fourth $100 McCracken Fund donation. It was addressed to the Heart of the Valley Homebrewers.

"Thank you for your recent contribution to the College of Agricultural Sciences through the Bob McCracken Scholarship Fund. As you know this scholarship fund has been utilized to provide support to a group of very

fine young scholars. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your assistance of the students and programs in Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State. Your support of the College and its students and programs has shown true generosity and is greatly appreciated. Thank you for leading the way with your gift."

Sincerely,
Andrea Chavez, Jennifer Milburn,
OSU Foundation

AMERICAN BEER MONTH

July is here, and that means it's time to celebrate American Beer Month. Over 7000 brands of beer are brewed in the United States, so take the time to appreciate the diversity of the many brews and support your local breweries. It's also time to start brewing the beers that will sustain you through the fall and winter, so support your local homebrew store!

COMMERCIAL BEER REVIEWS
by Kendall Staggs
BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST

Here are some big beers that are still suitable for summer sipping. I purchased the first two at Belmont Station in Portland. The third one came from Liquid Solutions in Tigard. Like Belmont Station, Liquid Solutions keeps all its beers cool and dark; shoppers see only the display bottles along a wall. It has a huge selection of imports and domestics and a knowledgeable staff. I recommend it highly.

Topvar Dark Lager [500 ml, 5 percent abv]
This beer from Slovakia features a dark chestnut brown color and a modest cream head. A brew has all the intense, roasted character of a Stout but the smoothness of a lager. There is a slight burnt quality from black malt. It is very drinkable and satisfying-I recommend it with dark chocolate.

DeLandtsheer Malheur Tripel [750 ml, 10 percent abv]
Here is a delicious Monastic Ale from Buggenhout, Belgium. It calls itself a "blonde, double- strength (20¼ Plato), bottle-conditioned ale with the outstanding flavor of whole hops." I found it spicy, even peppery on the finish, with a very soft mouthfeel. It became even more delicious as it warmed.

Belzebeth [250 ml, 15 percent abv]
Talk about intense-this beer proudly proclaims its potency on the bottle neck foil. The label features a rather nasty-looking, dancing, long-tailed devil. It is brewed by the Brasserie Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc Brewery) in northern France, and it is related stylistically to the Belgian beers Duvel, Lucifer, Satan, Judas, and Hapkin. Unlike its Belgian cousins, it is all-malt (no candi sugar), and at least one beer writer, Roger Prost, has speculated that the brewers use champagne yeast to achieve its strength. Dark gold in color with a big white head, it immediately grabbed my attention with alcohol warmth in the aroma and flavor. Next, a myriad of spices and fruity esters competed for my attention with an intense maltiness. The dry, satisfying finish was also marked by a fairly assertive hop bitterness. Not as thick as you might think, it is nevertheless a sipping beer. It reminded me of Scaldis Noël-a spicy, strong beer in its own right at 12 percent abv. But Belzebeth is in a class by itself. Look for it if you plan to attend the International Beerfest.

OREGON BREWERES FESTIVAL

The Oregon Brewers Festival will be held July 26 through 28 at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. For more information, here is the website: http://www.oregonbrewfest.com/

ARTICLES FROM THE REAL BEER PAGE

MINNESOTA BREWING CLOSES
The debt-ridden Minnesota Brewing Company, one of the nation's last old-line regional breweries, shut down in June. German settlers first made beer on the site of the former Jacob Schmidt brewery in 1855. The brewery faced $14 million in debts, and filed for bankruptcy protection in February. It recently employed up to 160 full-time workers during peak summer months. An ethanol plant, built in 1999 with the help of state subsidies and designed to save the brewery by sharing overhead expenses, will remain open. It employs 14 people. Minnesota Brewing made several brands under contract, but its best known house brand was Grain Belt Premium. That is expected to live on. "Grain Belt did well in the past," said August Schell Brewing president Ted Marti, whose brewery will likely bid for the brand. "It has a strong following. Rumor has it there is lots of competition for the label."

BIG AND SMALL WIN IN WORLD CUP
Wisconsin breweries showed that size doesn't always matter in taking home mounds of medals when the winners of World Beer Cup 2002 were announced during ceremonies in Aspen, Colorado. Milwaukee's Miller Brewing Company, which recently was sold to South African Breweries and will soon be part of the world's second largest brewing company, won seven medals for beers it brews. Miller produced more than 40 million barrels of beer last year. Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing, a Miller subsidiary with headquarters in Chippewa Falls and a large brewery in Milwaukee, won three gold medals. Leinenkugel maintained its status as a regional power last year, brewing 340,000 barrels. Angelic Brewing Company, a Madison brewpub that produced 1,000 barrels in 2001 (that's 1/40th of 1/1000th of Miller's production), won six medals, including two golds. Angelic head brewer Dean Coffey won for beers of all styles, including those of German, Belgian, British, and American origin. What happened in breweries less than 100 miles apart was mirrored in the overall results, illustrating the diversity of beer and the breweries who make it. See http://realbeer.com/spotlight/wbc

OHIO OKS STRONGER BEER
The Ohio Senate has followed the lead of the state house and voted to permit production of higher alcohol beer, doubling the alcohol content limit for beer to 12 percent. Governor Bob Taft has indicated he will sign the bill into law. The legislation was supported by a coalition of the state's 40 microbreweries and brewpubs. Ted Lipovan, marketing manager for Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, said the bill's passage means "the consumer wins" because many more varieties of beer will be available. He said Ohio brewers have been impeded by the fact that surrounding states don't have similar alcohol content limits on beer.

IN PRAISE OF EXPENSIVE BEER
Stephen Beaumont explains why craft brewers might get more respect by charging a higher price for their beer. http://www.worldofbeer.com/features/feature-200207.html

HAMM'S BEAR BOBBLEHEADS BLOCKED
A Minnesota club's plan to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Hamm's Bear was put on hold after objections from the Miller Brewing Company, which owns the Hamm's beer label. The Hamm's Club wants to sell bobblehead dolls to raise $15,000 for a granite sculpture of the icon, made popular in TV commercials. But Milwaukee-based Miller fears that cute beer-related novelties might appear to condone or target underage drinkers. Commercials in the 1950s and 1960s featuring the bear from the land of sky-blue waters put the character among the elite Minnesota-bred ad icons. Miller spokeswoman Lori Barthelemy said the company will donate collectibles that the club can auction off. "But we turned down the bobblehead production because our corporate responsibility policy dictates we neither sell nor market to children, and this may appeal to children," she said.

SPACE BEER-BUT THERE'S A CATCH
The Russian Academy of (Agricultural) Science is developing a non-alcoholic beer for Russia's cosmonauts to drink in space. It is specially adapted with added vitamins and minerals. The non-alcoholic beer was originally created for rescue workers who wanted a drink that would not impair their performance. The science academy is revising the recipe with the idea that it will also to cheer up the cosmonauts.

FREE BEER-BUT THERE'S A CATCH
British volunteers are being sought to drink a free liter of beer a day. The EU-funded research is looking into a possible link between a vitamin called folate-found in beer-and a reduced risk of heart disease. However, potential volunteers may be put off by one catch-the supplied beer is non-alcoholic. The experiment is being carried out at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich. Project leader Paul Finglas said people suffering from heart disease generally have high levels of a chemical called homocysteine-which has been linked to blocked arteries and heart disease. The 80 volunteers will be tested to see if their folate levels increase and homocysteine levels decrease.

OREGON BREWER SWEEPS TOP AHA HONORS
Curt Hausam of Salem, Oregon, a member of the Strange Brew homebrew club, won Homebrewer of the Year Award and the Ninkasi Award at the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) 24th Annual National Homebrewers Conference in Irving, Texas. Quality Ale & Fermentation Fraternity (QUAFF) of San Diego captured Homebrew Club of the Year. See all the winners at http://www.beertown.org/AHA/NHC/02_winners.htm

EDITOR'S NOTE
by Kendall Staggs

As many of you know, I will be moving to Logan, Utah, at the end of this month to take a teaching position at Utah State University. I'm excited about the move, but wistful about leaving behind the great folks of the Heart of the Valley Homebrew Club. This will be my last brewsletter as editor, but I hope to contribute some articles down the road. I also hope to visit Corvallis in the future, not only to see friends, but to find some good beer! Auf Wiedersehen.

PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL BEERFEST
by Ron Hall

The Portland International Beerfest will be held July 12-14, at a park near the Lloyd Center. You may want to get hotel rooms for the weekend or coordinate drivers. The Lloyd Center is on the MAX line, so you can pretty much stay anywhere downtown, as long as you are sober enough to find the train station afterward. I have a room at the Embassy Suites downtown, but have several friends flying in for the weekend, so I can't promise any floorspace or bedspace. Hope to see you there!

The PDX International Beerfest started last year, and has a more intimate, less frat party atmosphere than the Oregon Brewers Festival, which is two weeks later and which many of you have attended. The beers are much more interesting, and they include dozens of Belgian, German, and other international beers on tap and in bottles. It is not on the riverfront, but at a park near the Lloyd Center on the east side of the river. For more information, here is the website: http://www.portlandbeerfest.com/PIB%20Index.htm

GERMAN BEER NIGHT
by Kendall Staggs

On Monday, July 1, Joel Rea and Scott Leonard joined me for an evening of eats and drinks- German style. Joel brought beet soup and rye bread, Scott brought the fixings for green salad and contributed most of these German beers, which he purchased during his last trip to Los Angeles. I provided a few beers and some delicious German food from Gustav's restaurant in Clackamas. We had sausages, chicken schnitzel, hot German potato salad, and sauerkraut. It was all very delicious.

1. Hirsch Hefeweisse (5.1 percent abv) Hefeweizen Privatbrauerei Hirsch, Sonthoffen, Bayern This was good version of the South German Wheat Beer style. It was pale, cloudy, and had plenty of yeast sediment. The aromas and flavors had, according to Joel Rea, "tropical overtones." The ripe banana esters were certainly present, but the clove qualities were muted. I've had better Hefeweizens, but this was a good one.
2. Steingadener Weisse Dunkel (5.3 percent abv) Dunkelweizen Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren, Kaufbeuren, Bayern Joel, Scott, and I were all impressed by the rich, chocolaty malt in this Dark Wheat Beer. It also had some Weizenbier character-bananas and clove. It was very drinkable and very enjoyable. The thousand-year-old town of Kaufbeuren, in southwestern Bavaria, is considered one of the "pearls of the Allgäu region," which is famous for its castles and cheeses.
3. Stifts Weizenbock (7.0 percent abv) Weizenbock Allgäuer Bräuhaus, Kempten, Bayern Unlike most Weizenbocks I have had, this was blonde in color. It was one of two beers we sampled that had problems. It was sour and had some off aromas and flavors. It reminded me a little of drinking water from a garden hose. Scott didn't think it was so bad, but there was still beer left in the bottle.
4. Reissdorf Kölsch (4.8 percent abv) Kölsch Privatbrauerei Heibrich Reissdorf, Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen This very pale beer featured the light, fruity malt characteristic of a genuine Kölsch, and also had a fairly assertive hop profile. It was a well-balanced, easy to drink beer, perfect for summertime. One can almost see the cathedral in Cologne.
5. Weltenburger Kloster Urtyp Hell (4.6 percent abv) Munich Helles Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg, Kelheim, Bayern Here is one of those beers that makes me immediately think "German." Light in color and body, it has a distinctive malt character with honeyish notes, and just the right amount of Noble hops for balance. It was simply an outstanding beer. The Weltenburg Brewery claims to be the oldest monastic brewery in the world, tracing its brewing to at least 1050. It is located near the Danube River town of Kelheim, about 60 miles northeast of Munich. Kelheim is famous for its "Devil's Wall," which was part of the wall the Romans built to keep the Germanic tribes from invading their empire to the south.
6. Hofbräuhaus München (5.0 percent abv) Munich Helles Hofbräuhaus, München, Bayern This beer is similar to the last one, and it comes from one of the larger, more mainstream breweries in Bavaria. Perhaps that it why it seems to lack many of the distinctive qualities that we liked in the Weltenburger Helles. Given the outstanding reputation of the Munich's "court brew house," we were all a little disappointed.
7. Holzhauser Landbier (5.0 percent abv) Munich Helles Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren, Kaufbeuren, Bayern None of us knew what a "Landbier" is, and after I looked up the brewery's website, I still don't know. Under "products" it just showed a picture of nine beer bottles. My guess is that it is a Helles, because it was pale gold in color and fairly light-bodied. It had a nice malt and hop character but could have been more assertive.
8. Jubiläums Pils (5.0 percent abv) German Pils Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren, Kaufbeuren, Bayern This beer was the biggest disappointment of the night. It was murky and chunky-big no-nos for any Pilsner-with traces of sulfur in the nose and some rather unpleasant flavors. We liked all the other beers from this brewery, but this one was not very drinkable.
9. Thurn und Taxis Roggen (4.7 percent abv) Rye Beer Fuersliche Brauerei Thurn und Taxis, Regensburg, Bayern I had tried this beer before, but barely remembered it. It had a beautiful copper color, an enticing malty aroma, a delicious, slightly sweet flavor profile, and wonderful mouthfeel. The rye notes were distinctive-a little smokey and grainy-but they were not overpowering. It was a delicious complement to our German food.
10. Würzburger Schwarzbier (4.9 percent abv) Black Beer Hobrbräu Würzburg, Würzburg, Bayern This was one our favorite beers of the night. The rich, dark malts were the star, reminding me of dark chocolate, but there were also enough Noble hops for a balanced bitterness. Smooth, creamy, and easy to drink, this was just a great overall beer. The city of Würzburg is in Franconia (northern Bavaria), and is famous for once having been the home of the emperor Friedrich Barbarossa.
11. Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock (7.3 percent abv) Doppelbock Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg, Kelheim, Bayern This dark amber beer was my favorite in the session. It featured a wonderful malt aroma and flavor, but was not too sweet. The alcohol was evident but it did not get in the way of the taste profile. Rich and complex, it was a classic Doppelbock.
12. Cambonator Doppelbock (7.2 percent abv) Doppelbock Allgäuer Brauhaus, Kempten, Bayern This full-bodied, dark, malty sweet Doppelbock is from the Allgäuer Brewery in Kempten, a southwestern Bavarian town near Lake Constance, where Germany, Austria, and Switzerland meet. This was a good one, but not quite as good as the Weltenburger Doppelbock. The town of Kempten is on the site of the old Roman settlement of Cambodunum, and this is the inspiration for the beer's name.

BEER ADVERTISING SLOGANS
by Kendall Staggs
Here are the answer's to last month's quiz:

1. "B'Gosh It's Good."
      Chief Oshkosh
2. "The Friendly Beer."
      Grain Belt
3. "It's the Water."
      Olympia
4. "The Beer With the Million Dollar Flavor."
      Champagne Velvet
5. "The Prince of Pilsners."
      Duke
6. "The Champagne of Bottled Beer."
      Miller High Life
7. "Dog Gone Good."
      Frankenmuth
8. "It's Foam Fresh."
      Harvard Ale
9. "The Lusty Brew!"
      Buccaneer
10. "A Case of Good Judgment."
       Edelweiss
11. "The Gem of Fine Beer"
       Pearl
12. "It's Superior."
       Northern
13. "Got It? Get It!"
       Atlas Prager
14. "For Men Only."
       Mr. Lager
15. "Wholesome As Sunshine."
       Elfenbräu
16. "Lazy Aged."
       Old Crown Bock
17. "The Beer With A Purr."
       Princeton Tiger Brew
18. "From the Land of Sky Blue Waters."
       Hamm's
19. "Smooth As Evening Dusk."
       Black Dallas Malt Liquor
20. "A Man's Drink."
       Drewrys Malt Liquor
21. "Hit's the Spot."
       Arrow
22. "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous."
       Schlitz
23. "As Fresh As Mountain Air."
       Alpine
24. "Best Beer in Town."
       Jax
25. "It's the Grain."
       Bub's
26. "A Pip of a Nip in Every Sip."
       Bull Dog Malt Liquor
27. "The Choicest Product of the Brewer's Art."
       Falstaff
28. "The Brew That Grew With the Great NW."
       Schmidt's
29. "A Beer As Proud As Its People."
       Black Pride
30. "The Beer That is Beer."
       Walter's