MyHomeBrewExperience

The news in the NOLA beer scene is NOLA Brewing Co.. This brewery run by President Kirk Coco, VP Dylan Lintern, and Brewmaster Peter Caddoo. I met all three during my visit a few weeks ago. I lucked out and happened to schedule a visit during the mashing of their first batch of beer ever! It was a very hectic day for them, but the excitement overcame the stress.

NOLA Brewing Co. is located on Tchoupitoulas and Seventh St. here in New Orleans. The warehouse they bought out is very unassuming from the outside, but inside is a developing world of taste and passion. Their brewing system was assembled by the three person crew they have. There is a tasting room next to the brewing facility ready to go for the many tours and guests they will have to entertain in the future.

It was Dylan, the VP, Finance guy, and brewer that lead me around most. Kirk and Peter were dealing with the trials of the first batch. Dylan had his brewing career start in San Diego officially at Firehouse Brewing Co. in San Diego. He is a young and very passionate guy about beer. Just hearing him explain the home brewing operation he and his brother run is impressive. Dylan also has great ideas for the future of NOLA Brewing Co.

To start, NOLA Brewing Co. is making only a Blonde Ale and a Brown Ale. I tasted a small batch version of the Brown at the brewery. It was a very well flavored session beer. Great malt character and very smooth aftertaste. They did a great job of balancing the weight, the malt,and  the alcohol.  It was medium heavy as a Brown should be, but the malt blend was very apparent, despite the low alcohol content.

They are making session beers to begin with, meaning high in flavor but low in alcohol content, a truly artistic feat. I tried the Blonde at Rendezvous bar on Magazine the day it was released, Tuesday March 10. I found it to be a very light, smooth, and creamy beer. I could definitely see drinking these on a hot summer New Orleans afternoon, and I plan on doing exactly that in the near future.

The future plans of the brewery includes quite a few interesting recipes which I’ll leave as a mystery until the brewery releases them, but to say the least, I am excited.

I was able to watch the mashing happen and be a part of a daily task at a brand new brewery. This was dream fulfilled for me.  One day I’ll be the one running around like a mad man trying to get a pump to work or trying to calibrate the thermometers, etc. as my first batch is brewed.  It’s a beautiful thing to see people working so hard for such a great end, new beer.

As Dylan said, they already have quite a few clients ordering beer from there and the new ones keep rolling in.  You’ll be able to find this beer at restaurants and bars all over NOLA and Metairie.  As for a NOLA Brew next time you eat out….they might have it.  For the official list of locations go here.

I see a bright future for NOLA Brewing Co. They are “Only on draught. Only in New Orleans”. I think this is a great way to start. You must go to the bar and have a real beer experience to get their brews. There may be the possibility of buying smaller keg devices for home use, but if you want to drink NOLA, you must do it the right way, the draught way.

I think they are perfectly positioned to further close the gap between the music and beer industries. The platform they are starting from lends itself to such a marriage. As you will be able to follow on my blog, I am trying to intertwine the two industries of music and beer. This will go beyond just simple sponsorship. I want to marry the two together with live events, CD releases, artist representation, etc. The plans are being made. The ideas are being bounced around.

So far, you have to go to a venue to drink NOLA beer. So far, they are the only craft brewery around New Orleans with new ideas, open platforms, and true American microbrew ales. Makes sense to me, but first, gotta make the beer.

New ideas. New companies. New connections.

Enjoy the slides above. All the pics are from my camera.

Enjoy.

So we waited four days past the original bottling date, which is the maximum allowed based on Williams’ Homebrewing instructions.  This wait was due to the desire to get the most possible alcohol out of the brew and also due to some time constraints…we gotta have our labor days not land on Fridays so much.

The density read at 1.012, which is plenty below the required maximum density reading of 1.016.  Each beer has its own density reading which indicates the alcohol content of the beer.  This measurement is made by using a hydrometer, which measures density (also specific gravity).  The higher the density, the higher the alcohol content.  There is an informative article about the hydrometer on wikipedia. Other instruments exist that measure various characteristics of beer that can be very important. Check em out.

But nonetheless, we sterilized and bottled the Belgian Blonde in green bottles today, thanks to the donation of Maria from the Cigar Factory New Orleans. The bottles are now aging and carbonating as they age. In 9 days we will pop one open and take the first official swig. We tried the wort today and it definitely ahs decent alcohol taste as well as a fairly smooth blonde character. It has a somewhat Heffeweisen taste to it, much like the other batches….something to be looked into.

Unfortunately, my digital camera was out of juice today….and of course I figured this out right before I began bottling and had no time to charge it to catch the process. More media to come in the future folks.

Here are the notes I added for today’s progress. Lab note style somewhat, but I’m no scientist like Hunter, just a new brewer.

3/17/09
Bottling:
Checked gravity, reading: 1.012
Rinsed and scrubbed (with bottle brush) all green bottles from soaking tub. Let dry for 4 hrs.

Siphoned Wort into Priming Tank.
Added Priming Sugar.
Lost at least 20 oz. of beer in transfer due to failure to check valve on Priming Tank. Yield was approx. 4 gallons in end.
Bottled all beer into 41 sterile green bottles.
Stored in red crate below new bar position, covered by empty six packs and boxes.
Began soaking 50 brown bottles and 1 clear Corona bottle in soaking tub with fairly highly concentrated bleach solution.

Check out the slideshow of pics my brewing partner Hunter and I took during our last boil of a Belgian Blonde, our first ever. From prep to cooling, we took pics to document the process.

Hunter also takes lab notes for the brew sessions.  Following is the log of our progress on this brew thus far. The bottling process will add to it. But check it out to see how we are approaching the brew for getting the info to you guys. If it makes sense, let me know. If not, let me know. We wanna be as clear as possible and give you guys the best info we can.

“Start Date: 2/18/2009
Purpose: To brew Belgian Blonde from Williams Brewing.
Hypothesis: During the last brew the yeast was not popped until immediately before brewing. This is believed to have resulted in brew which was weak in taste and alcohol. Since the yeast this time was popped on 2/18/2009 and the brew date is 2/25/2009 it is hypothesized and the yeast is very swollen it is believed that the brew should be more flavorful and contain more alcohol.

2/18/2009:
The yeast was popped and placed in an upstairs room.

2/25/2009:
The pot, stirring spoon, and measuring cup were cleaned with hot soapy water and the rest of the equipment was sanitized with bleach and water solution.
Pot set to boil at 8:24 containing 3 gallons of Abita Spring Artesian Water
Temperature at 216º over boil occurred
Added hops once rolling boil was maintain for five minutes
Maintained steady boil
Added second batch of hops fifty-five minutes after first hopping. “

I just read an article I stumbled upon during my search for whether or not beer contains sulfites naturally. The answer to my question is really based upon the beer that you are drinking. Traditions such as the German style following Reinhietsgebot in which you may only use barley/wheat, yeast, water, and hops to make beer there is no occurrence of sulfites. This article also breaks down the specifications for what organic products need to be made from and where to find all that. I am planning on creating my own operation including an organic farm for the beer ingredients, run by my man farmer Steve, read his blog here.

Sulfites are present in products more like wine in which grapes and fruits are used. According to another allergy site I read an article from about sulfites, it is fairly common for people to certain degrees of allergic reactions to foods with sulfites. I personally suffer from anaphylaxis in the form of allergies to dairy, soy protein, and tree nuts. When drinking red wine, I notice that I have stomach issues afterwards. Though I love the taste, it doesn’t sit right.

Maybe some of you out there have issues with sulfites. If so, read these two articles I have linked and get some info.

Enjoy!

I have quite a few exciting posts to add including a new brewery opening here in NOLA and my latest batch of beer I am making….

But first, there is a movie coming out called “Beer Wars” and it is all about the current struggle the beer industry is going through. The war is between taste and waste. Between micro and macro. Between quality and quantity. It’s a war fought by good people who want to do good things in our capitalist society, I plan to be one of the good ones.

Check out the site for info and the trailer.

Let me know what your impression is on this war. Post a comment.

I belong to the culture of “hop-heads”. This has become quite the buzzword lately and I have to admit that it is a perfect descriptor. I choose beer based on hops like I, as a trumpet player, choose music based on horns. It’s not that I always choose hoppy beer or brass-filled music, but without fail, I NEED my fix every so often.

I live in the amazing city of NOLA (New Orleans, LA). I absolutely love it here. I came here to study the music industry and the city has been wonderful to me in that respect. It will always be a part of my future, if not hold my future in its embraces itself.

However, as a beer drinker and “hop-head”, I am always searching the city and the world for some hoppy beer. Though NOLA consumes an exceptional amount of alcohol (especially during the approaching Mardi Gras weekend…wow!), NOLA seems to lack for one…. a large selection of microbrews, and secondly, a good local hoppy brew.

I will list to you the breweries/brewpubs in the Greater NOLA area…. I believe I know them all.

Breweries:
Abita Brewery – Abita Springs, LA
Heiner Brau Microbrewery – Covington, LA
NOLA Brewing Co. – New Orleans, LA (brand new and brewing)

Brewpubs:
Crescent City Brew House
Gordon Biersch
Zea’s Restaurant (All beer made by Heiner Brau)

So that is the list I am aware of. I have tried just about all the brews from all of these places. Here is the hoppy beer breakdown for each:
Abita – Jockamo IPA
Heiner Brau – Basically just has the Category 5 IPA for Zea’s Restaurant
NOLA Brewing – Their beer isn’t released yet, but we can only expect a Brown and Blonde as of now.
Crescent City Brewhouse – Pilsner (hoppiest they got)
Gordon Biersch – Golden Export

So as a hop-head it is very hard to find a nice and super-hopped beer. The Jockamo IPA is decently hopped, but is easily overshadowed by the ever-popular Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Now, I understand that Sierra Nevada has put Pale Ales and their signature West Coast hoppiness on the map as a standard. It is, however, an obstacle to be reckoned with while trying to make a unique and super-hopped beer. It can and has been done several times. I am talking Dogfish Head hoppiness (I’ll settle for the 90 Min IPA as a benchmark, the 120 Min sets pretty extreme standards). The Jockamo IPA does not exceed the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale benchmark.

Henryk Orlik and Brian the brewer of Heiner Brau do make a great rendition of an IPA with their Cat 5 IPA. I have tasted it straight out of the aging tanks as well as bottled in the restaurant. It is a legitimately hoppy beer and a nice smooth IPA. I would have to place this as my favorite IPA of the NOLA area. I would choose this over a Sierra Nevada due to its local production, noticeable hand-crafted qualities, and the fact that it is not an overkill of citrus Cascade hops….however good it may be, the world of hops is too deep to be limited to Cascades. As a traditional German brewmaster typically is, Henryk is low on hops, high on malt. I love his beer and will never say otherwise, but the hops just aren’t there.

As for CCBH (Crescent City Brewhouse), their Pilsner is the only hoppy beer they offer, barring an occasional seasonal that usually lasts for about 3-4 weeks. I would have to say the Pilsner is very consistent. I have been drinking their beer for about four years now, and the Pilsner has been great amongst all the batches I have tried. It’s hoppy, but its a Pilsner too. In my opinion, ales are best for accentuating hoppiness. Though it’s great to pick up a nicely hopped and ice-cold Pilsner on a hot NOLA day, it just can’t reach the hoppiness of a Pale Ale or IPA.

At Gordon Biersch, another fairly traditional German brewhouse, the only slightly hoppy beer is the Golden Export, a seasonal may come up but this is the year round one. It is described as being “lightly hopped with a refreshing finish” and I’d say that is accurate.

Overall, you can see, that the NOLA brew scene is ruled by the anti-hops Germans. To reiterate, I love German beer. I particularly enjoy Heiner Brau’s Amber Lager and Kolsch. But with my hops addiction, I find myself in a bind in NOLA to find my hops. Last week after a long shift at the Bourbon Street Cigar Factory (I do the cigar thing too), I wandered over to Beerfest, one of the few bars in the French Quarter that has a wide selection of beer, however it is insanely up-priced…. after a long day at work, it was worth it.

Wanting hops, I had basically three choices, Long Hammer IPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, and Flying Dog’s IPA. I chose the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, one of the best mass produced hoppy yet amber like brews out there. Long Hammer is no weak brew, but in such a bind for hops, I knew Sierra Nevada would have my back.

As I drink more new beers, though, I hope I don’t need to resort to Sierra Nevada as much. I love the local hoppy brews from the northeast, from the Denver area, out of Portland, from Southern California. Dogfish Head sets the standard for me and it might just get to the point that I need to order cases at a time of the 90 Min IPA or convince them to let me be their representative down here…. because if you are like me folks, you’ll agree that NOLA NEEDS MORE HOPS!

For a good list of ten great hoppy beers, go here….

Drunken Polack always represents.

Though I just stated a problem, there is a fairly simple answer… guess its time to start brewing my own…. to be continued…

Photo curtosy of mygutinstinct.com.

My boy up in Philly is doing a blog of his own. He’s an awesome PR guy with a love for beer equal to mine. Check out this review on Dogfish’s Aprihop here ….

Info is what makes the world turn…. check it out.

Due to the Mardi Gras holiday, as well as a technical difficulty with my yeast, the Belgian Blonde will need to be brewed next week… I am hoping to follow up the Blonde with a darker brew pretty quickly. Bottles have been collected, connections with other brewers have been made. More will come.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery of Milton, DE has put out yet another awesome product, but this one is a video on beer, not a beer.

Go to this link. To see a great video about how the Palo Santo Marron brew is made. It’s quite a process and as Sam Calagione, the founder and major owner of Dogfish Head, said, it probably won’t make sense to most brewers when they look at the cost of such an endeavor, but man is it different and great to have such a rare touch to a great beer.

The Palo Santo Marron is aged in wooden tanks made from Paraguayan Palo Santo wood, probably one of the most dense woods in the world. It adds a very rich flavor to the brown ale and makes this beer truly one of a kind in the world.

The video is very well done and it gives a lot of info. I looked it up on youtube.com, but the video embedded in the Dogfish Head site is much better quality (my link will lead you there). It’s nice to see that Dogfish is promoting itself with multi-media too. Soon you will be able to view two documentaries I have made of about the same length. One if of Heiner Brau Microbrewery in Covington, LA and the other that I am currently working on is about the Cigar Factory New Orleans, the only cigar manufacturer in the state of LA. Both will be posted in the near future.

Enjoy the video and feel free to comment on my site or send Dogfish a comment. You can also share the video with friends by clicking on the share icon in the bottom left corner of the video.

Cheers!

Fermentation is somewhat of a natural phenomenon if you ask me. Yeast, which is alive, eats the natural sugars coming from malted barley to create the alcohol and different levels of flavors in beer. Everything is chemically restructured and made anew….. Check out this link to see 72 hrs. of fermentation happen in an 18 seconds clip….thanks Anchor Brewing of San Francisco (and my boy Steve for directing me towards this site).