Columbia Beer Enthusiasts

I know that I've mentioned their events before on this blog, but I can't imagine where my beer drinking and brewing would be without the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts. Every community should have a beer club.

I have learned a ton about great craft beer and homebrewing. Some beers that I would have never tried or even heard of have touched my lips thanks to some of the generous members of our crew. All that and I now have a solid pack of drinking buddies, something I've never really had.

This past Sunday, the CBE had a picnic at Cosmo Park in Columbia. At first, I figured people would bring a few decent, summertime craft brews, a lot of wheat beers. However, to my surprise, folks came proper with an impressive collection of beers, some I've never had before.

I brought a Boulevard Pilsner which was OK. Also, there was my Simcoe-Dependency which still receives rave reviews. There was the Victory Hop Wallop so that I would not disappoint other members who supplied great beers. Additionally, I whipped up a batch of my Expedition Stout chocolate ice cream. It seemed as though folks like the dessert.

It was a nice evening to hang out with so many beer enthusiasts. It really made me appreciate this community of beer drinkers, collectors, and brewers here in Columbia. Even Lucia had a good time...

Adventures in Homebrewing

Last year, I jumped into the craft beer scene head-first. This year, I've begun to brew my own beer. I'm now two batches in and I'm already planning numbers three and four. Here's what I've done so far...

My first attempt (below) was with the Three-Hearted Ale from Northern Brewer. I knew a lot of people who tried this extract mix from NB who all had successful batches. I thought I was getting a Two-Hearted clone, but this beer is rather different. Either way, it turned out to be a very drinkable brew. Anyone who tried it liked it. I was pleasantly surprised myself.

The last beer of my first batch was enjoyed this week.

My only issue with that first batch is that it wasn't really my beer. Sure, I boiled, fermented, bottled, and fermented again, but I did not create this recipe. It felt like I just mixed a box of ingredients and made some beer. I wanted my second batch to go further.

I came up with the idea of a Simcoe-only IPA after enjoying single-hopped beers by Mikkeller and Weyerbacher. There's something about the Simcoe hop that really appeals to my taste buds. It's one of the more grapefruity hops out there. It also works well as both a bittering and aroma hop. I figured a little tweak to the Three-Hearted recipe would yield a drinkable beer.

Besides altering the hop, I used a dry extract that was much lighter than the first batch's liquid extract.

The results of this new beer have been positive. I loved how pronounced the hop flavor has been in this beer. I didn't think it would be possible for me to improve my brews with such minor adjustments to a simple recipe.

I even created labels (as seen above) this time around. My friend Jeff came up with "Simcoe-dependency" as a way to play on a hop-head's addiction to hops. After finding a template online, it was easy to design a label featuring the name and a photo of - what else - hops.

Overall, the entire package was enjoyable to put together. This was my own recipe. I recreated a beer by other brewers I had enjoyed. The labels were just a fun extra.


The best part has been Simcoe-dependency's reception so far. A fellow hop-head proclaimed it to be a tasty beer and I caught him several times smelling the hops, informing me that the little experiment with Simcoe had worked. Also, we had people over for dinner. One of our guests was floored by the beer. He proclaimed it the best homebrew he had ever had. While I don't know that this is true, I do appreciate the hyperbole. The real test will happen once I share the beer with some fellow Columbia Beer Enthusiasts on Monday.

Anyway, here is the recipe. It's so simple that anyone could recreate it. I bet it would even be easy for all-grain folk to come up with something similar.

Simcoe-dependency:

• 1 lbs. Briess Caramel 40 (specialty grain)
• 9.15 lbs. Briess Golden Light DME
• 1 oz. whole leaf Simcoe (60 min.)
• 1 oz. whole leaf Simcoe (20 min.)
• 2 oz. whole leaf Simcoe (5 min.)
• 1 oz. whole leaf Simcoe (dry hop)
• Wyeast #1084 Irish Ale Yeast

Beers: June 8-14, 2009

Here are the beers I had this week...

Bell's Expedition Stout
Did you read about my ice cream? It is so good. The best part is that I finished the half of the beer that did not go into the dessert.

Chimay Tripel (White)
R and I actually had a date night. I passed on a mediocre beer for dinner mostly so I could truly enjoy this great beer at the 'Tag.

Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
The sitter and I enjoyed this beer together...Don't worry. She's old enough. She likes brown ales. I thought this was a brown ale. It turns out that it's so much more.

Avery IPA
I have actually never had this beer before. We were out for dinner with friends. This was the only beer on the menu that interested me. It's a solid IPA.

Dogfish Head Festina Pêche
I pulled this beer out of the stash to wet my whistle and start my Friday evening off right. I don't want to drink a ton of these, but they are so refreshing. My taste buds are so primed after a Festina Pêche.

Orval Trappist Ale
My brother-in-law claims this was his favorite beer while traveling through Belgium. It certainly is nice with the bubble gum, bananas, and honey dominating my tongue.

Southern Tier Hopsun Wheat Ale
What a great summertime beer this is. I'd put this one up there right next to my usual summer favorite Oberon. What sets this beer apart from its wheaty brethren is the presence of pale ale-like hops. It is possible to enjoy hoppy bitterness in the sun.

Pisgah Vortex I DIPA
This beer was sold to me by another CBE member who travels to the Carolinas from time to time. There may be a couple of DIPA's I'd place ahead of this beer, but none are more balanced. And head was incredible. Check the pic.


Jamie's Breakfast Stout
Two of my three favorite brewers in Columbia are home-brewers. Jamie is one of them. His stouts are rich and chocolaty. No one should be able to do this in their driveway.

Josh's IPA
This is the other home-brewer. Josh happened to bring a growler of this excellent IPA. It stood up on a day of several top-notch IPA's.

Josh's Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy
By Josh's admission, this is no wee heavy. I'm not sure what it is, but it's good.

Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA
This is one of those breweries that seems to popping up in these parts. This DIPA was different than so many other DIPA's, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Either way, I'm glad my fellow brewers shared.

Green Flash Imperial IPA
Unassuming beer. I've maybe heard of Green Flash in conversation with beer geeks, but this was yet another nice DIPA from the Northwest.
Russian River's Pliny the Elder

Moylan's Ryan Sullivan's Imperial Stout
I am so glad Moylan's decided to come to Missouri. This is a great addition to the many great imperial stouts available here.

Three Floyds' Oat Goop
This is a wheat wine. This is the only wheat wine I've had. I'd describe a wheat wine as the sweeter, fruitier, lighter younger brother of a barley wine. I loved this beer and it may ruin my ability to enjoy any other wheat wine ever again.

Same as Last Week: Stone Ruination IPA, Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard, My Three-Hearted Ale

My thoughts on the week: Wow! Two weeks in a row of a wicked list of beers, many not available in this state. Eventually, this will slow down and my list will be in single-digits with one or two rare beers included.

Brew Day

Sunday was brew day for a few Columbia Beer Enthusiasts. I did not participate, although I did brew my own batch later. Instead, I hung out while Jamie and Josh brewed a couple of Belgian-style beers. Jeff was there as well, giving input where needed and consuming his share of the beer.

It was a nice to watch a couple of experienced home brewers do their thing. Josh brewed a Belgian Ale and Jamie had a Saison and IPA on the docket. Unfortunately, Jamie's IPA was lost to a shattered carboy. A little too much drinking led to no cooling for the IPA. For some reason, it seemed like a good idea to just place the carboy in some ice water. The halved carboy would beg to differ.

I'll do a post on the whole process once I'm done. For now, here are some pics from the day. Notice the carboy cozy my mom made for me.

Beers: June 1-7, 2009

Here are the beers I had this week...

Schlafly Kolsch
I was in STL for a beer event at The Wine & Cheese Place. After doing some shopping, I had time to kill. I chose to do this at a nearby pub. I went with the Kolsch from Schlafly. It was light, crisp, and refreshing. That was all I needed.

Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
So, the first beer tried at said beer event was this fine scotch ale. Usually, scotch ales don't hold enough scotch nor ale to meet my needs. This beer is the exception and should be the example for others to follow.

Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale
Right next to the Dirty Bastard, they poured me this old ale. That's a heavy beginning to a tasting if you ask me. The event was for MOBev folk. I won a drawing with STL Hops that allowed me to sit in. The Founders rep explained that the vanilla flavor in this beer comes from the tea bags of oat chips they throw into the fermenters.

Founders Centennial IPA
This beer is named for the hops that go into the brew. Founders have slowed their production rather than use another hop while supplies are low. I had one of these the week before and it tasted off. Thankfully, Wednesday's sample did not disappoint.

Founders Red's Rye
Rye might be the new sour. Ryes are popping up everywhere. This one is one of the best I've had. Although it is a relatively new beer, it is quickly becoming Founders' best seller.

Founders Porter
I have a hard time liking porters. You get the coffee and chocolate notes associated with some stouts, but it's really subtle. Some beer snobs call this "smooth". I just think it's a bland style. Founders blew me away with this aggressive porter. This is by far the best porter I've had.

Founders Double Trouble Imperial IPA
I am a hop head. I'll admit it. So, I can't get enough of double IPA's. DT is a fine example of a Midwestern hop bomb that stands up to the big boys out west.

Founders Cerise
I really don't like fruit beers. Normally, I would never try Cerise, but it was offered at the Founders event. So, I tried it and was really impressed. I promptly bought a four-pack before leaving STL, knowing that R would like this beer on a hot Missouri day. That day arrived today, and she was impressed.
Coney Island Sword Swallower
I brought this over for a friend while we watched infant twins, a three-year-old, and Lu. This is the hoppiest lager I've ever had. It almost feels like a hoppy pale ale, not a lager.

My Three-Hearted Ale
Due to the name and style, most folks think this kit from Northern Brewer is a clone of Bell's Two-Hearted Ale. While I'll admit to similarities in the bitterness of the hops and that my execution as a brewer is suspect, this beer barely resembles Bell's IPA. For one thing, the amber coloring is nothing like the golden glow of one less heart. Also, the floral aroma at the nose is a little green compared to the original. Either way, I like my first attempt at brewing and will brew again.

Sam Adams Long Shot Double IPA
I actually had a class on Friday night and Saturday morning in STL. When class was over, I headed over to a friend's for the night and brought along some beverages. Since I don't like to keep IPA's (or doubles) around for too long, I grabbed this beer along with a Founders and one of my home-brews. I love this beer and am sad it's gone. There are no more Sam Adams Long Shot Double IPA's in my stash. It is a sad day.

Arcadia Hop Rocket
Once I returned home on Saturday, I needed a beer. I've comitted to drinking up some IPA's in order not to miss out on their hoppy goodness. This was a purchase in STL earlier in the week. Though Hop Rocket tastes like a typical double IPA, it did add a little spice that was not expected. I will savor the other three bottles in this pack for sure.

Stone Ruination IPA
Mom brought me some beer. Ruination is my favorite. Judging from the taste, this one's been on the shelf for a while. I may have to drink this sixer of Ruination quicker than others. Oh well.

Caldera IPA
My Saturday was an all-IPA event. We attended some friends' tenth wedding anniversary party. It was a nice night and the hosts provided their guests with some excellent refreshment. Caldera IPA (the one in the can) was available at the bar. I had two.

Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard
After a long Sunday afternoon in the garden weeding, I rewarded myself with another beer delivered by my mother. The Founders event made me aware of the vanilla brought on by the oak chips. I love the AB, but the vanilla just makes it another beer. So aggressive, so complex. I am so lucky to have ten more bottles of Stone brews (not counting bombers of imperial stouts and barley wines) in my stash.

Avery Brabant
I was wary of this wild ale brewed in Zinfandel barrels. The nose smelled funky, but the rest of the beer showed no signs of the sourness found in something like La Folie. This beer is way more complex than most sours I've had.

My thoughts on the week: This was a jam-packed week of beer-drinking. The Founders event made it look as though I had a shit-ton of beer, but most of those pours were maybe a couple of ounces. Normally, I don't have a Stone beer, but this week I had two. There were a lot of IPA's and DIPA's, plus a sour. This was a good start for this little project. I can't wait to see what I drink next week.

Breweries Sampled: Schlafly, Founders, Northern Brewer, Sam Adams, Arcadia, Stone, Avery, Caldera, Schmaltz/He'Brew