Paul’s Brewsletter

I’m pleased to announce that beginning in January 2009, a new microbrewery for the New Orleans area will begin producing New Orleans’ latest local beer! The microbrewery is called Nola Brewing, and they will be initially offering two varieties of beer: blonde ale and brown ale.

Also, if you’re in the Metairie or Greater New Orleans Area, there will be a beer tasting taking place at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie on Friday October 24th. The event is called “Up on the Roof” and will feature a large selection of beers along with food and some music! Proceeds from this event benefit the EJGH Foundation. Check this website for more details and admission prices: http://www.nolabrewing.com/news.htm

By Michael Russell

Let me start out by saying that nobody should host a bear tasting party unless all the participants are over age and there is a designated driver for each person. That way you are assured of nobody getting arrested for underage drinking or driving under the influence. Having said that, what exactly is a beer tasting party and how do they work?

A beer tasting party is just that. You bring a number of people over to your place and have them sample a variety of beers. At the end of the evening the beers are ranked from best to worst. There are many variations you can do on this such as having friendly wagers on what beer you think will come in first. Of course gambling for money is illegal so the wagers would have to be for something other than.

It’s best, when having a beer tasting party, to have a small group. The reason for this is simple. With a small group, the tasting party is just that, a tasting party. With a larger group, it tends to become a party, period. And parties with large groups can become quite rowdy. So if you want a serious tasting party, keep it small.

The next thing is the selection of the beers themselves. How do you go about doing this? A good tasting party will have about eight to ten different kinds of beers, all very distinct in taste. You should probably select a beer by its brewing style rather than by its country of origin. You should mix up your beers between beers that are expensive and beers that are cheap. You don’t want to have two beers that are very similar. This way you are sure to get a more accurate ranking of the beers. If all goes as it should, the cheap beers should end up at the bottom with the premium beers coming in first.

Because this is a tasting party, you don’t need a lot of beer. Probably a six pack of each beer will be more than enough and you’ll still have plenty left over after you’re done. If you’re on a tight budget and don’t want to buy whole six packs, then figure one bottle of beer for every three people at the party. This way you can pull off your party without going broke.

Because you don’t want your guests to get rip roaring drunk, it is a good idea to have food at this party. What kind of food? You want foods that will go well with the beers, like cheese and bread. These things won’t interfere with the tasting process itself. And if you want, you can even turn this into a combination cheese and beer tasting party. They make great fund raisers.

Finally, there should be a certain order to the tasting itself. You want to taste your beers from the lightest beers to the heaviest, making sure that you take a bite of cheese or bread in between each beer so that the taste of the previous beer is gone.

Your guests should rank each beer on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. All scores for each beer should be added together and then divided by the number of tasters. This will give you an average score for each beer.

By following these simple steps, your beer tasting party should go off without a hitch.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Beer

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beer—Tasting-Parties&id=235602

By Michael Russell

Let me start out by saying that nobody should host a bear tasting party unless all the participants are over age and there is a designated driver for each person. That way you are assured of nobody getting arrested for underage drinking or driving under the influence. Having said that, what exactly is a beer tasting party and how do they work?

A beer tasting party is just that. You bring a number of people over to your place and have them sample a variety of beers. At the end of the evening the beers are ranked from best to worst. There are many variations you can do on this such as having friendly wagers on what beer you think will come in first. Of course gambling for money is illegal so the wagers would have to be for something other than.

It’s best, when having a beer tasting party, to have a small group. The reason for this is simple. With a small group, the tasting party is just that, a tasting party. With a larger group, it tends to become a party, period. And parties with large groups can become quite rowdy. So if you want a serious tasting party, keep it small.

The next thing is the selection of the beers themselves. How do you go about doing this? A good tasting party will have about eight to ten different kinds of beers, all very distinct in taste. You should probably select a beer by its brewing style rather than by its country of origin. You should mix up your beers between beers that are expensive and beers that are cheap. You don’t want to have two beers that are very similar. This way you are sure to get a more accurate ranking of the beers. If all goes as it should, the cheap beers should end up at the bottom with the premium beers coming in first.

Because this is a tasting party, you don’t need a lot of beer. Probably a six pack of each beer will be more than enough and you’ll still have plenty left over after you’re done. If you’re on a tight budget and don’t want to buy whole six packs, then figure one bottle of beer for every three people at the party. This way you can pull off your party without going broke.

Because you don’t want your guests to get rip roaring drunk, it is a good idea to have food at this party. What kind of food? You want foods that will go well with the beers, like cheese and bread. These things won’t interfere with the tasting process itself. And if you want, you can even turn this into a combination cheese and beer tasting party. They make great fund raisers.

Finally, there should be a certain order to the tasting itself. You want to taste your beers from the lightest beers to the heaviest, making sure that you take a bite of cheese or bread in between each beer so that the taste of the previous beer is gone.

Your guests should rank each beer on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. All scores for each beer should be added together and then divided by the number of tasters. This will give you an average score for each beer.

By following these simple steps, your beer tasting party should go off without a hitch.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Beer

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beer—Tasting-Parties&id=235602

By Graham Williams

Belgium beer is one of the most varied collections of beer in the world. Beer making in Belgium has its origins in the Middle Ages when monasteries produced beer. Belgian beer often has a higher alcohol content than other beers. This is due to a law that prohibited the sale of spirits in pubs, causing them to make beer with higher alcohol content so they would no longer be classified as spirits. The law was lifted in 1983; however, many breweries still produce beer with an alcohol content between 6% - 8%.

Beer experts have a high esteem for Belgian beer. There are 125 breweries that produce about 500 different types of standard beer.

Trappist beer is a top-fermented beer, which is brewed at a monastery. In order to qualify as a Trappist beer the entire brewing process must be overseen by or carried out by Trappist monks on the monastery site. There are only 6 monasteries in Belgium, which qualify for this categorization.

Lambic beer is unique to Belgium. It is produced using spontaneous fermentation using wild yeasts, which are found in abundance near Brussels. This is the only beer to be produced this way. The fermentation process takes place over a rather long period of time, from 3 - 6 months for some to over 2 or 3 years for others.

Fruit beers are a variation of Lambic beer. Fruit beers are made by adding fruit or fruit concentrate to Lambic beer. The most common type is Kriek, which is made with cherries. Other common fruits used are raspberry, peach and black currant. The fruit is used to trigger a second fermentation in the brew.

White beer is made with wheat hops and contains spices. Typically it is made with orange peel and coriander and is often served with a slice of lemon. Flemish Red is a strong fruity beer that is a reddish brown color. Other Belgian beers include Dubbel, Tripel, Blond, Brown and Amber. Each has its own specific brewing method and ingredients which cause a distinct flavor. Each type of beer has its own specially shaped glass. The Belgian pubs are called cafes, and they use these beautiful different glasses.

Graham Williams is the owner of http://www.gw-ebooks.com this site is full of books that are about hobbies such as Brewing your own beer, Camping, Bird watching, Beekeeping. While your there don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter and you will receive monthly discounts in any new book that is added each month you can visit my site here http://www.gw-ebooks.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Graham_Williams
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beer-Making-In-Belgium-Has-Its-Origins-In-The-Middle-Ages&id=795943

By Graham Williams

Beer has been a staple in England for centuries, dating back to the days of Chaucer. The most popular type of beer in England is ale. Ale is a type that is brewed using hops and malt, making it strong and rather bitter. The English prefer ale (darker beer that uses more hops) to lager type, which is popular in America.

In England, beer has traditionally been kept in the cellars of the many pubs. Although not refrigerated, the temperature is cooler than room temperature. The English prefer their beer to be only slightly cool, while those in the United States drink beer as cold as possible.

English pubs also sell a good amount of stout and porter. Stout is a darker, heavier hopped ale that has a creamy head when poured into a glass. Porter is a dark beer, which was often known as the workingman’s drink.

In the past, English pubs were tied to specific beers because they were owned by that brewery. In recent years the laws have relaxed, allowing pubs to offer many types of beer. Still, many of the local pubs are owned and operated by breweries. The most popular of these are Whitbread, Bass and Guinness.

In England the term “light beer” is used to refer to a pale beer, such as a light colored lager. Beer is made using hops. The dried flowers of this plant are used to impart a slightly bitter flavor to beers and ales. In England, hop shoots are widely available and are cooked and served as a vegetable.

Stout is a dark beer that originated in the British Isles. Stout has a strong hops smell and is made with dark-roasted barley which gives it a deep dark color and slightly bitter taste. Pale Ale is also common, which is a slightly lighter in color. The darker the color of the beer the more hops and barley have been used in the brewing process.

Beer does not age as wine does and is best consumed as fresh as possible. Beer is usually low-alcohol, typically less than 5% by weight. Water makes up most of the beer or ale, so the taste of the water used will make a distinct difference in the taste of the finished product. This may explain why people often prefer the beer brewed closest to their home.

Graham Williams is the owner of http://www.gw-ebooks.com this site is full of books that are about hobbies such as Brewing your own beer, Camping, Bird watching, Beekeeping. While your there don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter and you will receive monthly discounts in any new book that is added each month you can visit my site here http://www.gw-ebooks.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Graham_Williams
http://EzineArticles.com/?English-Beer&id=795949

By Gregory McLaw

The homebrewer has two types of yeast to choose from; liquid yeasts or dry yeasts. For some this argument is similar to a “taste-great less filling” debate or “Ford versus Chevy” discussion and is just a matter of preference while others are very passionate about their preference. Good beer can be made from both dry and liquid yeast and both have their advantages and disadvantages. While many homebrew enthusiast claim that dry yeasts are a poor fermenter and can produce undesired flavors since they are not as pure a culture as a liquid yeast others favor the convenience and lower cost that dry yeast offers.

Dry yeast is inexpensive, convenient, hardy and does not require a starter. However most experts agree that a starter would be beneficial when using a dry yeast. A simple starter to rehydrate your dry yeast is available right in your brew kettle. A starter will create a larger number of yeast cells that are added to the wort resulting in a more efficient the fermentation process. A more efficient fermentation results in a better quality beer with less likeliness of contamination. To create a starter simply remove 1 cup of wort 30 minutes before the end of the boil and allow to cool in a covered container. Add the dry yeast and allow 10-30 minutes to proof. After this time the yeast should be visibly churning and/or foaming, and is ready to pitch. I also find the addition of a good yeast nutrient to your wort to be very beneficial. The best nutrient is actually dead yeast cells in the form of Vegemite or Marmite yeast extracts. The addition of a yeast nutrient to wort promotes a healthy and hearty fermentation resulting in a beer with a lower final gravity. You can use the trub from your kettle as an excellent yeast nutrient.

Dry yeast also stores easily and it is hardy. Dry yeast tends to produce a more solid yeast cake making racking easier and producing a clearer final product. Also, dry yeast is much cheaper than liquid yeast. Liquid yeast can run 25% of the total cost to brew. Fermentation with dry yeast starts quickly and helps prevent your beer from getting an infection due to lag time. Since dry yeast can be stock-piled you won’t find yourself running out to your local brew shop to pick some up if you accidentally forgot to purchase it.

However, the selection of good dry yeasts is quite small, and therefore limits the range of possible beer flavor profiles you can get with the yeast. Liquid yeasts are pure cultures or blends of pure cultures and come in a extremely wide range of choices allowing a lot of possibilities when it comes to affecting the flavor profile of your beer (and if you want to make a lager, liquid yeast is your only option). There are a many wet yeast strains available. Each produce a distinct tasting beer. There are only a few dry strains available. Simply put, all of the subtle flavors offered by wet strains are simply not available in dry form. Some of the most popular ones are, but certainly not all. With liquid yeast you can propagate, split, and reuse wet to get your costs down, if you are careful about sanitation and want to take the time to do so. You can split, and re-split to get the cost on a per batch basis to less than half that of dry yeast. But, this takes a lot of time and effort.

For the absolute best beer, there is no question that liquid yeast is a superior product and worth every bit of the extra cost. But like so many things, we have time, money, and quality from which in many cases we can only choose two. If you want high quality and want to save time, buy a liquid smack pack with a higher price tag. If you want high quality and want to save money, propagate from a liquid smack pack which takes a lot of time. If you want to save time and money, buy dry but recognize the fact that you probably won’t get all the subtle flavor choices you desire and possibly a lower quality, but nevertheless a good, beer.

About the author
Gregory McLaw is a regular contributor to www.makebeerathome.info
and enjoys brewing and drinking his own beer. For homebrew related supplies try www.brewbuddies.com or www.perfectbrewing.com.

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Find beer gifts at http://www.prhsolutions.com/brewsletter/beer-gifts/

I’m going to tell you something a little shocking - beer makes a great gift. Whoa! Did that stun you? Okay, maybe that statement is just a tad obvious. I have recently used beer, specifically homebrewed beer, as a thank you gift for a neighbor and let me tell you, that goes a long way.

My wife and I took a trip out of town over the summer. We asked this particular neighbor of ours to keep an eye on things while we were gone. You’ve probably done something similar time and time again. While you’re away, the neighbor collects the newspapers, mail, etc., that arrives at your house and gives it to you upon your return. Many times as thanks or repayment, you offer the same service to your neighbor when they leave town. After all, that’s what neighbors do, right?

That’s correct, and it should be that way. But how about going an extra step in saying thanks?

For under $50, you can get a kit to make good beer in your home that you can:

a) enjoy yourself
b) share with neighbors as thank you gifts or just gifts in general

This kit comes with simple to follow instructions, and all the ingredients you need except for water and maybe a few extra bottles (used beer bottles or soft drink bottles will do). It doesn’t get much easier than that!

The look in my neighbor’s face when I handed them a six pack of beer that I made for them to enjoy said it all. Do something nice like this for your neighbor and yourself, you’ll both benefit.

Keep this in mind too for the Holiday Season: giving someone a unique gift that you personally made, like homebrew beer, is a really nice touch that shows you went the extra mile and didn’t just get something quick and easy from the store.

Get yourself started at http://prhsolutions.com/thankyoubeer

Today, I write this post not as your friendly musician or home brewer, but as a concerned individual.

The Deutsches Haus, a New Orleans based German social hall and gathering place open since 1928, is in danger of being closed down due to a recent designation of the tract of land on which it sits to a medical center to be built by LSU.

http://www.savethehaus.org/

The Deutsches Haus is a great place to go for German food, beer and music. I’ve been going to the Deutsches Haus for several years now and I always have a lot of fun there. They have great get-togethers every weekend during the month of October, with live Oktoberfest music, plenty of German food and of course the best German beer money can buy: Warsteiner, Paulaner, Beck, etc.

Here’s the website for the Deutsches Haus: http://www.deutscheshaus.org/ I’ve been fortunate enough to play in bands at the Deutsches Haus for different events like their Oktoberfest Parade, Big Band Swing Night and their Quarterly Membership meetings. While they do have a membership system, access to the Deutsches Haus is not limited to members. Their Oktoberfest parties are open to the public for a nominal entrance fee.

In New Orleans, you’re not going to get much more German than the Deutsches Haus. A petition has been created as part of the “Save the Haus” movement, and I invite you to sign it and help the efforts to preserve this important part of New Orleans History.

You can find the petition to Save the Haus here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savethehaus

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By Alan Kenyon

Many of the studies that document the beneficial effects of alcohol have highlighted the virtues of red wine. Only recently has beer come to the foreground as a health-giving beverage. The published research papers cited below provide ample evidence that beer, when consumed moderately, may be even more salutary than wine.

Healthy Effects of Alcohol

The overall picture that has emerged is that consumption of alcohol in moderation is good for the cardiovascular system. Its consumption is associated with elevated levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Many drinkers have also been found to have less fibrinogen, a protein thought to be a culprit in the occurrence of strokes and thromboses. Alcohol has also been known to lower insulin levels, which in turn lessens the risk of atherosclerosis, a condition in which the arteries harden.

Several experiments, such as one conducted at the Institute of Epidemiology at the University of Münster in Germany, suggest that beer may lessen the risk of coronary disease. But a number of other studies demonstrate that the benefits of beer go beyond those attributed to the alcohol it contains.

Research from the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute in the Netherlands showed that levels of vitamin B6 in beer drinkers increased thirty percent while those who regularly consumed gin and red wine gained by only half that rate.

Study findings published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition’s July 2001 issue suggest that the presence of folate, the anion form of vitamin B9, is responsible for some of beer’s healthful effects. Folates have been known to fight cardiovascular disease.

One study conducted at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and published in a 2001 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that beer consumed in moderation aided in the preservation of mental capacities in older women.

A study from Tufts University in Massachusetts shows that drinking beer, be it light or dark, helps to maintain the mineral density of the bones. The leg bones among elderly people are prone to thinning.

Risks Associated With Beer

What about the health risks associated with beer consumption?

There is enough evidence from research about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to warrant prohibiting women from drinking alcohol. A baby may suffer from brain disorders if the alcohol consumed by the mother passes through the umbilical cord and through the milk in her breasts.

Gaining weight can be a concern for beer drinkers. While beer contains no fat, one glass will have 150 to 450 calories, depending on the kind of brew. Counted in terms of volume, this amount is lower than the calories found in apple juice or red wine in a glass of similar size.

Other known adverse effects of excessive beer drinking include liver damage and stress on the kidneys. Amount of intake is, of course, a key factor in whether beer becomes a healthy or unhealthy drink.

Immediate Effects

Coffee is an example of a beverage that contains a less-than-desirable substance (caffeine) yet immediately provides benefits when taken in the right amount. The alertness that caffeine causes can be advantageous at work and when driving.

Drinking beer in excess does result in lowered mental acuity in the immediate aftermath, making automobile driving a high-risk undertaking. But when intake is moderate, beer becomes a relaxing drink that provides relief from stress, a known causative element in many diseases. It helps to remember that the drawbacks of intemperate drinking outweigh the advantages of controlled alcoholic beverage consumption.

The alcohol in beer provides modest B vitamins amounts, plus more useful quantities of magnesium, selenium and other trace elements. Beer is mostly water, which along with the alcohol, helps to cleanse the kidneys. Alcohol and the brewing process also help destroy bacteria in the water.

Needless to say, no single study or report on the health effects of beer can be considered definitive. But most suggest, that when taken in amounts exceeding no more than two 12-ounce glasses a day, beer will almost always be a great benefit, rather than a risk, to one’s health.

For more information on the Health Benefits of Beer visit the Beer Guide, a popular site for beer drinkers and homebrew enthusiasts. Discover the history of beer, how it is brewed and the many types of beer on offer around the world.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Kenyon
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beer-Drinking-Tips—The-Health-Benefits-of-Beer&id=498975

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By Orson Johnson

The ‘world city with heart,’ Munich is your destination for “beer festival.” Beer festivals are the festivals in which a variety of beers and often other alcoholic drinks are available for tasting and purchase. Beer festivals are organized in a number of countries. There are several big and small beer festivals celebrated in Germany all over the year, but the Munich beer festival is the oldest and the largest beer festival in the world.

The Munich beer festival, known as Oktoberfest, is a two-week festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany during late September and early October. Oktoberfest is one of the most celebrated events in Germany. It is largest fair in the world, with some six million people attending every year.

Traditionally, Oktoberfest takes place during the 16 days up to and including the first Sunday in October. The festival takes place on the area known as “Theresienwiese” (Field or meadow of Therese), often called “d’ Wiesn” or “d’Waasn” for short. Beer is the key note of the festival. The festival begins with a keg of beer tapped by the Mayor of Munich who declares in Bavarian tone “O’zapft is!” (It’s tapped!).

The first Munich beer festival took place on October 12, 1810 when “Oktoberfest” was organized to commemorate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, from whose name the name of the festival ground, “Theresienwiese” came. On the first “Oktoberfest,” a great horse race was organized.

People brew special Oktoberfest beer for the occasion; the beer is slightly darker and stronger, in both taste and alcohol. It is served in Maß, a one-liter-tankard. The first bulk of beer is served to the Bavarian Minister-President. Beer is served by only local Munich breweries that are allowed to serve this beer in a Bierzelt, a beer tent which is large enough for thousands. People also consume large quantities of food, most of it traditional hearty fare such as sausage, hendl (chicken), käsespätzle (cheese noodles), and sauerkraut, along with such Bavarian delicacies as roast ox tails.

Oktoberfest became the enormously world-famous festival by 1960, but the year marked the end of Horse races. The Japanese, Americans, and New Zealanders discovered the festival and often traveled to Germany during late September and early October to enjoy the Munich beer festival. Munich became the world famous city, and traditional German dresses, such as Sennerhut, Lederhosen, and Dirndl became extremely famous world wide.

There are often problems associated with the people who can’t hold large amounts of alcohol. Sometimes some people fall sick due to drunkenness, and there is often a medical tent to treat drunks as well as sick people. The concept of the “quiet Oktoberfest” was developed in 2005 to undermine the violence in the festival. The music played in the afternoon is limited to 85 decibels. The tents only play quiet music, traditional wind music until 6:00 PM, and Schlager and pop music are played later.

The Munich beer festival is still one of the most famous festivals in the world. So, if you are planning your tour to Germany and you love drinking, do plan your tour during late September and early October to make yourselves part of the world famous Oktoberfest.

Orson Johnson writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing listings for apartments, bed and breakfasts, Munich holiday apartments hotels and Munich vacation rentals

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Orson_Johnson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Munich-Beer-Festival&id=634886

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