mba September 2005

mba@thebarn.com

20 participants
35 discussions

by Steve Piatz

Has anyone else taken a look at the new "Brew Like a Monk : Trappist, Abbey, and Strong Belgian Ales and How to Brew Them" book by Stan Hieronymus? I finished going through all but the recipe chapter last night. Lots of interesting history and current info about the Belgian Ale producers. Scattered through the discussion of various producers are some interesting tips and tidbits about the production of the beers. It triggers thoughts on still more experiments I'll have to conduct which will result in still more Belgian beers I'll have to drink, what we do in the name of research in this hobby :-) -- Steve Piatz piatz(a)cray.com Cray Inc. 651-605-9049 1340 Mendota Heights Road cell: 651-428-1417 Mendota Heights, MN 55120

20 years, 2 months

Midwest Homebrew of the Year Update

by Steve Fletty

The standings have been completely updated after the latest competition in the Midwest Homebrewer of the Year circuit and there has been a shake up at the top. Visit the St. Paul Homebrewer's web site for details: http://sphbc.org/ The next leg is coming up: http://prairiehomebrewers.org If you notice any mistakes in the standings, pleast contact me. A few errors have been pointed out and corrected. -- Steve Fletty fletty(a)umn.edu

20 years, 2 months

FW: Eighth year of Queen of BeerWomen's Homebrewcompetition.

by aboyce＠mn.rr.com

Subject: Eighth year of "Queen of BeerWomen's Homebrew" competition.17 Hello Ladies, As a former entrant into the "Queen of Beer Women's Homebrew" competition the Hangtown Association of Zymurgy Enthusiasts (HAZE), Placerville, California, would like to invite you to enter the eighth year of "Queen of Beer". This is a BJCP and AHA sanctioned competition. See Zymurgy Winners Circle article "Queen of Beer" March/April 2005 for an interview with Annie Johnson as Queen of Beer for 2004. The Queen of Beer Women's Homebrew Competition is open to all non-commercial, home brewed beer and meads produced by persons of female gender. Beer produced by or with the assistance of persons of the male gender is not eligible. All 28 of the 2004 BJCP Style categories http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.html are open for entry. Depending on the amount of entries, some categories may be combined for Judging. Cost for entering the competition is $6.00 for each entry. All beer entries will be accepted September 17th 2005 through October 9th at the Wine Smith in Placerville. Entries will also be accepted at Northern California Homebrewers Festival (NCHF) on October 8th 2005. Starting September 10th the QOB Registration Wizard will be available to help you enter your beers into the competition and create bottle labels based on your registration information. Please visit the QOB web site http://www.hazeclub.org/QOB/QOB.html) for registration. Judging will be held on Saturday, October 22th, 2005. Ribbons will be awarded for first, second and third place in each category (if point requirements are met). First place winners in each category will have her beer included in the Best of Show, Queen of Beer judging round. Judging is by invitation and any remaining judge slots will be advertised on JudgeNet in October. Please visit the QOB web site http://www.hazeclub.org/QOB/QOB.html for detailed information not listed here. To contact the QOB coordinator (Steve Seeley) send mail to QOBOrganizer(a)HotMail.com. _________________________________________________________________ -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .

20 years, 2 months

FW: ABR 2005 Participating brewers

by aboyce＠mn.rr.com

Anyone who hasn't got their ticket to the Autumn Brew Review yet should do so soon! http://www.mncraftbrew.org/page3.html - Al Original Message: ----------------- From: David H Berg bergbrew(a)juno.com Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 08:51:20 -0500 To: mcbg(a)mncraftbrew.org Subject: ABR 2005 Participating brewers Since I haven't had time to update the website, here's the list of brewers for ABR 2005 Arcadia Brewing, Battle Creek, MI August Schell Brewing, New Ulm, MN Avery Brewing, Boulder, CO Bandana Brewery, Mankato, MN Barley Johns Brewpub, New Brighton, MN Big Sky Brewing Company, Missoula, MT Boulevard Brewing Company, KS Breckenridge Brewery, Denver, CO City Brewing, LaCrosse, WI Fitgers Brewhouse, Duluth, MN Finnegans Irish Amber, Minneapolis, MN Granite City Food & Brewery, St Cloud, MN Great Divide Brewing, Denver, CO Great Waters Brewing Company, St Paul, MN Lakefront Brewing, Milwaukee, WI Lake Superior Brewing, Duluth, MN Leinenkugel Brewing, Chipewwa, WI Mantorville Brewing, Mantorville, MN Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN OHaras Brewing, St Cloud, MN Pigs Eye Brewing Company, St Paul, MN Rock Bottom Brewing, Minneapolis, MN Rush River Brewing, Maiden Rock, WI Sleeman Brewing, LaCrosse, WI South Shore Brewing, Ashland, WI Stevens Point Brewing, Stevens Point, WI St Croix Brewing, St Paul, MN Summit Brewing, St Paul, MN Surley Brewing, Brooklyn Center, MN Viking Brewing Company, Dallas, WI White Winter Winery, Iron River, WI David Berg Head Brewer, Bandana Brewery President, Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild http://www.mncraftbrew.org -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .

20 years, 2 months

FOAM Cup Competition Results!

by allan.boyce＠usbank.com

Congratulations to Twin Cities winners in the FOAM cup competition in Tulsa, Oklahoma! Not to put any pressure on anyone, but after 5 of 6 competitions in the High Plains Homebrewer of the Year competition, the unofficial tally has Steve Fletty leading Kris England by ONE POINT! I'm in third, and two-year defending champs Curt and Kathy Stock say they have not ruled out a SWEEP in Fargo to vanquish all pretenders and accomplish a Three-peat! It will all come down to the HOPPY HALLOWEEN competition - you won't want to miss THIS one!!! http://www.prairiehomebrewers.org/hoppyhalloween.htm - Al Place LastName FirstName Subcategory 1 Boyce Al 22.A. Classic Rauchbier 1 England Kris 10.C. American Brown Ale 1 England Kris 13.F. Russian Imperial Stout 1 England Kris 18.E. Belgian Strong Dark 3 England Kris 20.A. Fruit Beer 1 Exire LaTour G.L. 04.B. Munich Dunkel 3 Fletty Steve 04.C. Schwarzbier 3 Fletty Steve 06.B. Blond Ale 2 Fletty Steve 12.B. Robust Porter 3 Fletty Steve 15.A. Weizen 2 Fletty Steve 16.D. Biere De Garde 3 Fletty Steve 16.E. Belgian Specialty 2 Fletty Steve 22.C. Wood Aged Beer 3 Henjum James 07.C. Dusseldorf Altbier 2 Stock Curt and Kathy 02.C. Classic American Pilsner 2 Stock Curt and Kathy 06.A. Cream Ale 3 Stock Curt and Kathy 09.A. Scottish 60/ Ale 3 Stock Curt and Kathy 13.D. Foreign Extra Stout 1 Stock Curt and Kathy 25.C. Strawberry/Banana Melomenl 2 Stock Curt and Kathy 25.C. Raspberry Melomel ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Electronic Privacy Notice. This e-mail, and any attachments, contains information that is, or may be, covered by electronic communications privacy laws, and is also confidential and proprietary in nature. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you are legally prohibited from retaining, using, copying, distributing, or otherwise disclosing this information in any manner. Instead, please reply to the sender that you have received this communication in error, and then immediately delete it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. ==============================================================================

20 years, 2 months

Dogfish Brewer Position

by John Freyer

If you have any questions, contact Lisa at Dogfish. In the immortal words of Sergeant Schultz, "I know nothing." John Freyer Are you a commercial brewer - or do you know any? Dogfish Head needs to make more beer and we need help! We currently have 2 positions open at our Milton, Delaware microbrewery. Imagine - working at a great place like Dogfish Head and getting to live in a great place like Delaware's beach region! If you are interested and qualified for either of the two positions listed below, please contact our HR Manager, Lisa Scott-Hatter at lisa(a)dogfish.com. If you know any commercial brewers who might be interested - please pass this along! Brewer We are looking for an experienced brewer... Qualifications: Two years of experienced, professional level brewing and/or the equivalent in formal brewing education, a proficiency in DE filtration, and the ability/desire to work rotating shifts. Oh, and did we mention that this is a positive, upbeat, place to come every day? If this sounds like you, please forward your resume to lisa(a)dogfish.com. We offer excellent benefits, a competitive wage, and a chance to grow and flourish. Supervisor of Cellars and Filtration This is a brand new position and we're looking for the perfect person to fill it... Qualifications: At least two years of practical Cellar experience, some formalized brewer education and supervisory experience required. Proficiency with CIP, sanitation of fermenters and yeast brink, yeast management including cell counts and harvest, dry hopping, fermentation management, and DE filtration is necessary. You must also be confident in your abilities so that you can suggest and implement improvements in procedures, controls, and safety to help in creating a safe, clean and productive brewery. If this floats your boat, send your resume to lisa(a)dogfish.com. We offer excellent benefits, a competitive wage and lots of fun! Thanks for your time and interest - have a great day! Cheers, Mariah Calagione Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

20 years, 2 months

Fw: MNBeer.com

by allan.boyce＠usbank.com

FYI ----- Forwarded by Allan V Boyce/MN/USB on 09/19/2005 09:36 AM ----- "David H Berg" <bergbrew(a)juno.com> Sent by: owner-mcbg(a)mncraftbrew.org 09/19/2005 07:16 AM To mcbg(a)mncraftbrew.org cc members(a)mncraftbrew.org Subject Fw: MNBeer.com Nice website. David Berg Head Brewer, Bandana Brewery President, Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild http://www.mncraftbrew.org --------- Forwarded message ---------- From: ryan anderson <webmaster(a)mnbeer.com> Hello, My name is Ryan Anderson and I just started a website at MNBeer.com. Not surprisingly, its a site dedicated to all of the great beer in Minnesota. You can check it out for yourself, but there are sections dedicated to events, breweries, brewpubs, homebrew shops and some of the beer history for Minnesota. Another feature that friends and I have talked about at length should shape up in the form of MN Taps. On the front page of the site, all of the Minnesota brewpubs will be listed and when you click on the name of the brewpub, the listing will expand and you'll see what's on tap at local brewpubs and be provided with a link to the brewpub's website if one exists. At this point, the site has a ways to go. Right now I'm trying to get people involved. Here's what I'm looking for: Brewpubs: It'd be great to get all of the local brewpub to send updates when taps change. Of course some already send out regular mailings, and if I'm not already a subscriber, I'm willing to subscribe. News, events, etc. can be mailed to me (webmaster(a)mnbeer.com) for listing on the events page and or/the main page of the site. Breweries: Seasonal releases, limited releases, news, events, etc. Again, if you've got a mailing list, let me know and I'll join up, otherwise feel free to send me updates at webmaster(a)mnbeer.com Homebrew shops: News, events, etc. You get the idea. Jobs listings, whatever... webmaster(a)mnbeer.com Everyone: Please check out your listing for any inaccuracies. I've written some 1-2 paragraph overviews, but if you'd like to submit additional information, a replacement, etc. drop me a line. webmaster(a)mnbeer.com Anything else? Don't hesitate to write. The site isn't officially set to launch until October, though you're welcome to check it out as it is right now. Just head over to www.mnbeer.com Thank! Ryan Anderson MNBeer.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Electronic Privacy Notice. This e-mail, and any attachments, contains information that is, or may be, covered by electronic communications privacy laws, and is also confidential and proprietary in nature. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you are legally prohibited from retaining, using, copying, distributing, or otherwise disclosing this information in any manner. Instead, please reply to the sender that you have received this communication in error, and then immediately delete it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. ==============================================================================

20 years, 2 months

Chest Cooler

by Rick Oftel

Cooler geeks, gents, and beer guys, This week-end I burried my freezer. OK, I really didn't bury it but it is completely dead. Having an inquisitive mind, I wanted to find out what caused it to die and felt my observations are worth sharing with the club. When I purchased it 7 years ago, I thought everything was good to go for quite some time. Honestly, I am still lagering in an old Fridigidare that was likely manufactured just after WWII. When the cooling compressor started working longer and longer, I was suspisious. When the beer was not cold, suspisions were confirmed. I did all the usual things. Had the guys add a insert port and added 10 oz of R134A. Cold beer returned for a few short but joyous months. I knew something was wrong. I discovered that what I originally believed was manufactured from aluminum and copper is actually manufactured from painted steel. Sort of like those old Chevy Vegas. They paint it on the show side and leave it untreated on the hidden side. In the normal freezer application, it is too cold to corrode. In the cooler mode, it rusts, gathers moisture, grows mold, and all of that wonderful stuff you really don't want to think about. I am not trying to put the kabosh on converting freezers to work as fridges. Contrary. The real purpose of this message it to advise you that holes you create need to be sealed. The screws you remove (shelves) also need to be sealed. The tap handles etc all cause moisture to condense in the foam and that moisture does cause corrosion. The good news is that this opportunity for improvement is leading me down a path of home refrigerator construction and by Christmas, I hope to have a functional device fitted with 6 tap valves able to cold store either 19 or 24 cornies. The real questiion is does anybody know any folks that work with sheet metal and that also like beer? Thanks. Rick Oftel

20 years, 2 months

Re: Very Useful Phtarrmacy

by Than Claire

PMXLCVCAUV roperianaevieleiagialmbiltrali ecdixtrbrraisenamum iaaaex $3 $1 $3 3.2.7 http://www.ametalatean.com no results. The one calling himself Woland disappeared with all his company and finally a door banged on the fifth floor. Poplavsky froze. Yes, those

20 years, 2 months

Fw: article from startribune.com - Granite City's cluster approach

by Bruce.Butler＠colorspan.com

The full article, with any associated images and links can be viewed here. Dick Youngblood: Granite City founders have recipe for growth Dick Youngblood, Star Tribune Granite City Food & Brewery Ltd. has grown in six years to nine restaurants and more than $30 million in sales on the strength of a made-from-scratch menu complemented by handcrafted beers and a drolly named brewing process called "Fermentus Interruptus." If veteran restaurateurs Steve Wagenheim and Bill Burdick are right about their strategy, however, the growth so far is just a drop in the schooner. The company's founders figure to have 12 stores with on-site brewing facilities operating in seven Midwest states by the end of 2005, when sales are expected to top $37 million. And they are well along on plans to have at least 26 open in the region by the end of 2007, when revenue is projected at $100 million. Those 26 -- or more -- stores would complete the Midwest portion of the founders' growth strategy, which is to expand the company in regional "clusters" to take advantage of operational efficiencies. Once the Midwest is filled in, the partners figure to start a new geographic cluster on the way to creating a national restaurant chain. These are not pipe dreams, it appears. Given a healthy balance sheet, a solid growth strategy and experienced management, securities analyst Nicole Miller of ThinkEquity Partners is carrying a "buy" recommendation on the Granite City stock and sees the potential for as many as 200 stores nationwide. Wagenheim, 51, Granite City's president and CEO, is the former president of the Champps sports bar chain and a onetime restaurant consultant in the Minneapolis office of the Laventhol and Horwath accounting firm. Burdick, the company's chairman, is the former owner of Sherlock's Home, once a popular English-style brewpub and restaurant in Minnetonka. Armed with nearly $20 million in private and public funding since opening their first restaurant in 1999, the two have developed a concept that yields almost as much revenue in small-city locations as it does in metro stores. Thus, stores in St. Cloud, Fargo, N.D., and Sioux Falls, S.D., yield more than $4 million a year -- "big-city numbers," Wagenheim calls them -- compared with about $5 million in its Maple Grove unit. Overall, the chain averages sales of about $4.5 million per store. The company also has restaurants in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Iowa; Lincoln, Neb., and Wichita, Kan. Concept 'has legs' The Maple Grove store, plus one scheduled to open in Eagan in September and two more slated for Kansas City, Mo., at year-end, represent the company's move into major markets after six years focused on smaller cities. The company plans to add the Milwaukee and Chicago markets in the next two years, as well as Madison, Wis. "We started out in smaller markets to prove the concept had legs," Wagenheim said. "I think we've done that." What's the attraction? The key is "non-chain-like food" at affordable prices that yield tickets averaging $15 per customer, Wagenheim said. He's talking recipes you don't often find on chain menus, or adaptations of classic items that add Granite City's own touch. Thus, there's the chicken Caesar chalupa, a baked-flour tortilla brushed with Caesar dressing and topped with sliced marinated chicken, Roma tomatoes and melted mozzarella cheese. And the Overlake sandwich, which offers smokehouse bacon, sliced tomatoes and smoked turkey with Monterey jack cheese. Not to mention the grilled London broil, topped with a caramelized onion and bourbon sauce. Menu updated regularly I tell you, I gained 5 pounds just reading that menu, which lists more than 80 items and is revised twice a year based on sales records that go deep enough to tell management what one server in Wichita served in the past hour. The specials are used to test new items before adding them to the menu. But while food is 80 percent of sales, on-site brewing adds a crucial element to the brand. It might not have happened, however, if Burdick hadn't figured out a way to slash the capital costs that burden classic microbrew operations. "Installing a full microbrewing operation at each location would have been prohibitively expensive," Wagenheim said. So Burdick, whose margins at Sherlock's Home were pinched by the cost of brewing equipment, proposed a central facility to do the most expensive part of the brewing process -- the blending of water, hops and barley to produce a nonalcoholic liquid called wort. Then he designed the tanks, hoses and valves for a special truck used to deliver the wort to the restaurants, where less-expensive equipment is installed and yeast is added to complete the fermentation process. That's where the term "Fermentus Interruptus" came from, and that's the name the partners used in applying for a patent on the process. The strategy is to build one so-called worthouse for every regional cluster of restaurants the company develops. The upshot: When a regional cluster has been filled, the partners figure that economies of scale will reduce their beer-production costs to less than $70 a barrel, better than 40 percent below the lowest cost of major national brands. That, in turn, makes it economically feasible to offer both proprietary beers and the national brands. "We think the synergy between made-from-scratch food and made-from-scratch beer gives us a distinctiveness and creates a proprietary brand," Wagenheim said. That and the regional worthouse concept "represents a significant barrier to duplication" by competitors. Dick Youngblood can be reached at 612-673-4439 or at yblood(a)startribune.com.

20 years, 2 months

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mba September 2005