Time to Keg BFM v2

Today is the day for Black as Fucking Midnight version 2 to head to the keg for carbonation.  We brewed this one on December 26, 2011.  It was in primary ferment for about 2 weeks then moved to secondary for about 50 days.  I was waiting to kick the high test that was on draft...lol.  BFM v2 had an OG of 1.090 and finished with a disappointing 1.030.  This gives it about 8.5% ABV.  Don't know what happened here but I am thinking I may have to start aerating my worts better.  I put it under 20 PSI CO2 at about 37F.  Will leave it for 2 days or so and see how it carbs up.  Check out this link for the recipe.  Cheers!

mybeerbuzz.com - Bringing Good Beers & Good People Together...: Terry Hawbaker / Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø Cabinet Arti...

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Waldorf Beer Club on 2/21/2012

We are doing fruit beers tonight.  Actually looking forward to this one.  The line up should be pretty interesting. I'll try to remember to comment on them after the tasting.

Sam Smith's Organic Raspberry 5.1% ABV
Floris Framboise 3.6% ABV
DFH Noble Rot 9.0% ABV
DFH Tweason'Ale 6.0% ABV
Shipyard Applehead 4.5% ABV
Lost Coast Tangerine 5.0% ABV
400 lb Monkey 6.8% ABV<==not sure how this fits in with fruit beer, but whatever...lol.

All excellent beers except for the Tweason'Ale (technically not beer).  The Tweason'Ale was a gluten free offering with sorghum used as the primary fermentable instead of base malts.  This coupled with the honey gave this brew a pretty odd flavor.  The strawberries didn't really come through on this one, sadly.  Perhaps it was the lack of grains in this one that just caught me unprepared.  I am also not sure what to make of the Noble Rot yet so will not comment just yet on it.  I have a bottle in the fridge, so I will have to partake in another tasting of this one.

The Samuel Smith's Organic Raspberry was awesome.  This was a total surprise since I had written off Sam Smith's years ago as a mediocre English brewery.  This beer was bursting with raspberry notes all over the place.  It was a little on the sweet side, similar to Lindeman's but with more body and a little heavier mouthfeel.

The Shipyard reminded me of their Pumpkinhead but with apples instead of pumpkins.  It had a similar spice profile.  I got more cinnamon on the initial taste but a sort of cidery apple flavor came in on the finish.  Overall not a bad offering.

The Floris Framboise was a little disappointing since I was hoping for a lambic.  Nice raspberry flavor though.  This was lighter than the Sam Smith's Raspberry just a little drier and not quite as sweet.  Not too bad really, just not earth shatteringly good either.

The real surprise of the night has to be the Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat Ale.  I don't even really like tangerines.  But this beer was bursting with tangerine flavor.  I kind of expected something that tasted like Miller Lite but with tangerine flavor and it was NOTHING like that.  The wheat beer base was really quite subtle which really allowed the tangerine to shine.  I was totally pleasantly surprised with this one.

Overall, another very nice night at the Waldorf Beer Club.  Well done to all involved!  Cheers!

Stein Beir 2 with Scranton Brewers Guild 2/18/2012

Saturday's Stein Beir 2 was a roaring success.  Despite the snow and the rain, Sean brewed a Schwartzbeir with the rocks and Rick and I brewed a Belgian Imperial Stout the old fashioned way.  That shit was straight hillbilly. Great times with great friends!
Click here for the Belgian Imperial Stout Recipe.
http://scrantonbeersnob.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

1st Annual NEPA Home Brew Competition

So I just wanted to comment on the 1st Annual (and hopefully last) NEPA Home Brew Contest and say that it was pretty much of a FAIL.  All of the things that were promised to competitors never came to fruition.  For an exorbitant $20 entry fee, competitors were to receive a complimentary brunch buffet, food and beverage discounts, and free admission to the event later after they started charging a cover ($5) to get in.  At least some of us actually got a free breakfast out of the deal.  But the food and beverage discounts never happened and they never started charging a cover.  In addition to ALL of this, people were supposed to have been treated to a "gourmet" menu from Top Shelf Catering, who was the organizer of this debacle.  Sorry Top Shelf, your food sucks.  I can honestly say that I did not hear one good thing about the "gourmet" vittles.  I ordered what was supposed to be a Beer Battered Cod Po' Boy with Crabmeat crust, Chopped Shrimp, and a Sriracha Remoulade.  When my food got to our table, the "crabmeat" crust was actually imitation krab, there was no shrimp, and no sriracha remoulade.  The fish was overcooked and it certainly wasn't fresh.  Needless to say, it got sent back to the kitchen along with my regards to the chef.  Any "chef" that uses imitation krabmeat in a dish should be ashamed of themselves. Then to add insult to injury, Andy Gavin's has a crappy beer selection and what they do have is expensive (paid $6 for a bottle of Ommegang Hennepin).  So it wasn't until a couple of us snuck outside to enjoy some home brew that I actually had a decent beer.  Thanks Kurt and Steve!  You guys were life savers.  :o)

The home brew competition really fared no better with 5 categories, almost 50 entries, and only 4 judges (poor guys).  It was poorly organized and the cash prizes that were promised never materialized.  Instead, the winners for each "style" (Ale, Lager, Wheat?, Stout, Specialty) were given a $100 gift certificate for Top Shelf Catering (woo hoo!) and the overall runner up (and winner of the stout category) received a $100 gift card to Andy Gavin's (the host venue).  Still haven't heard if the overall winner actually got a cash prize.

So after paying $20 to enter one of my beers, get a so so breakfast, get none of the discounts that we were all promised, eat crappy food, and have our beers judged by what criteria no one seems to know, it was not the worst day I've ever had nor (shockingly) the worst event I've ever attended. You live and you learn.  Definitely won't be participating in this event if there actually is a next year. Cheers!