Brew Labs, Imperial Porter, the brewing process

This is my lovely face making some beer!

I have been home brewing for right around four years now and I would say that while I know some stuff, there is a tremendous amount of information, techniques, calculations, chemistry, and guidelines that I need to learn.

 In the four years of brewing, I have largely done extract brewing, with a little dabbling in the partial mash technique. Extract Brewing is a technique for brewing that is least effort intensive and will not set you back very far in the pocket book. My lack of experience with grain based brewing ended this past weekend. C took me for a surprise trip to Brew Lab KC in Overland Park.

Brew Lab is not just a beer shop for ingredients and equipment. The shop has a very knowledgeable staff

Three vessel all grain system at Brew Labs

that can literally walk you through the steps of the brewing process. I say literally because the shop also has extensively equipped stations for brewing beer. These stations include three tank systems that heat and circulate water as it transforms into wort. No matter what your experience is with home brewing, the people of Brew Lab can guide you through ingredient selection all the way through the tube hook ups, filtration, and pitching the yeast. I made an Imperial Porter that will be ready in about a month and a half. I learned A LOT about the brewing process, specifically the all grain process.

That's me! You know stirring stuff!

Sidenote: I might need help drinking the Imperial Porter, any volunteers?

Often during tours of commercial breweries a brewer/tour guide will use terms for their equipment that are second hand for them. Everyone taking the tour is in a rush to taste the beer at the end. They seldom ask the question, "Well what does that do? What purpose does that huge tank serve in the process?" Because I finally learned, took the time to ask those questions, while observing the brewing process through this past weekend here are some terms that are important to that brewing process.

• Extract
• A syrup like substance that is the result of water absorb sugars from the malts that would have been used in a batch of beer
• This syrup reduces the steps in the brewing process
• Extract brewers start with the boil instead of starting with a hot liquor tank and lauter/mash tun (Discussed below) 
• This is generally speaking the introductory brewing process for most home brewers
• Partial Mash
• This process is very similar to Extract brewing. While the water for the brewing process is getting hot for the boil, a brewer will place a mesh bag of milled grains into the water. This allows the heating water to rinse the grains of starches that will be converted to sugars during boil
• All grain

• The full brewing process of extracting starches from malted grains and boiling to convert them into dissolved sugars, along with the added hops
• Here are few pieces of the all grain process:
• Hot Liquor Tank
• This is a misnomer for me at least, there is no liquor involved with the Hot Liquor Tank
• This vessel heats water and that is it.
• The Brew Lab had a copper pipe spiral through the HTL from and back to the Lauter Tun quickly warming the wort to the appropriate temperatures
• Lauter tun (AKA Mash tun)
• This vessel is responsible for getting the grains stripped of starches so they can be converted to sugars during the upcoming boil
• This is done by rinsing the grain with hot water
• Sparging is a process to ensure that as much of the sugar is extracted as possible
• I found out there are a few different methods to sparge but for the purpose of this post we will leave it at that the wort is drained from the grains and water is added back to continue washing the grain
• Brew Kettle



A dark Imperial Porter! Yummm!

• This is where a majority of the ingredients are combined and dissolved using the heat of the boil
• Generally speaking this process is 60 minutes
• This time can vary as the whole point of the boil is to dissolve as much of the sugar in wort
• This makes beer a solution and for me the preferred solution
• Fermentation 
• Fermentation is the process of transforming wort into beer
• This is done with the addition of yeast after the wort has cooled from the boil
• Fermentation is usually done in a container that will let carbon dioxide out but not let in the outside air
• This is a delicate process as the beer is very susceptible to infection and going bad
• Yeast 
• Yeast is an organism that thrives on sugars around it
• The yeast will eat sugars in solution and leave behind alcohol and carbon dioxide
• DING! The lingering question about the importance of sugar throughout this process has just been answered
• Different strains of yeast can bring different flavors as they will react differently with the sugars present
• Just know a beer is not beer until yeast has pooped in it. Food for thought
• Adjunct
• Any fermentable ingredient other than malt, water, hops or yeast in a wort that affects the properties of the beer is considered an adjunct ingredient
• This can include anything from vanilla in a vanilla porter and raspberry in a raspberry wheat to yeast nutrient making the yeast more stronger during fermentation to corn and rice that lighten a beer's flavor
• For more on adjuncts reference a good article in Brew Your Own Magazine on Adjuncts

The anticipation as the brew ferments!

This is a lot of information! I am overwhelmed just typing it and I am still getting a hang of some of this jargon. Please ask questions if you have any, or correct me if you feel I have missed something. I would love to learn more. I know that the people at Brew Labs helped me get further down the path of home brewing.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to brew a batch of beer or maybe you want to make a great present for friends and family, then go to Brew Lab in Overland Park.

Robin Williams: My inspiration to write, experience the world around me, laugh, and most of all live

Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be resigned to that. Break out!
- John Keating, Dead Poets Society (1989)

Yesterday this world didn't lose a leader of faith or politics. We didn't lose a warrior or saint. No, this world lost a flame in a darkening cave. The world needs laughs, satire, and jokes of all kinds. We lost renewable source of cheer and hilarity.

You might be wondering why I am writing about Robin Williams. I am a beer blogger. What does Robin Williams have anything to do with beer?!

I have been inspired, moved, and driven me to write about the world around me and seek ways to inspire others. All of this by a comedian no less. One of the reasons I love the English language, is because of him.

Robin Williams was a man of many faces, voices, and talents. With one sentence, he could be telling a G rated children's story full of hope, wonder, and inspiration. In the next he could make you blush with his descriptions of a compromising and humorous situation.

The man was more than his roles, his stand up. He made the words he spoke come alive. Those words become fingers prodding our feelings, thoughts, and aspirations. Whether he made you laugh at his caricature depicting the invention of golf. Or made you forget Apple's attempt at commercialization and branding, instead compelled you to want to see the world and describe the awe inspiring fleeting moments that pass us by on a daily basis.

We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?
-John Keating, Dead Poets Society (1989)

Most of us as kids, if we don't remember him from anything else he acted in, he can most be recognized a big blue genie from the Disney Classic, Aladdin! This was also where I get one of my nick names! Yes, some people call me Laddie.

"Aladdin! Hello, Aladdin, nice to have you on the show. Can we call you Al, or maybe just Din? Or how about Laddie?"
- Genie, Aladdin (1992)

While over the next few days, details about what happened to the man in last hours and theories about the tortured thoughts that ravaged his brain will surface. We will need to remember all of the positives his life brought and not the negatives his death threatens. We will need to remember that he made us laugh at our weakest moments. In some very influential movies, he made us think and challenge ourselves.

All of life is a coming home. Salesmen, secretaries, coal miners, beekeepers, sword swallowers, all of us. All the restless hearts of the world, all trying to find a way home. It's hard to describe what I felt like then. Picture yourself walking for days in the driving snow; you don't even know you're walking in circles. The heaviness of your legs in the drifts, your shouts disappearing into the wind. How small you can feel, and how far away home can be. Home. The dictionary defines it as both a place of origin and a goal or destination. And the storm? The storm was all in my mind. Or as the poet Dante put it: In the middle of the journey of my life, I found myself in a dark wood, for I had lost the right path. Eventually I would find the right path, but in the most unlikely place.
- Patch Adams, Patch Adams(1998)

While Robin Williams has been called home, let us not lose the path and keep on going and not let life pass us by. Let us use our words to not only describe the world around us, but the landscape of what is on the inside. Never feel afraid to describe a hell you may be experience! Always share the joys and blessings you have. You never know who is listening who may need you or you may need them. As long as we keep talking and expressing ourselves, we will never be alone.

Beer Reviews and Sierra Nevada Sampler with friends

My beer reviews are amazing! You should read them and take them as fact! Live your life according to them! 

Watching the Royals and drinking some Sierra Nevada

You may have noticed that I have not done a lot of beer reviews recently. I felt like I was using the same few words to describe beer regardless of how far apart they were in style and taste. I felt like I wasn't giving a value added review and really just telling you about beers I liked and where I had tasted them. However I really do like observing others and their reactions to tasting beers for the first time or hearing how they describe the beer they are drinking. If you don't know me very well, you might not know that I am a people person and I love interacting people whether I know them or not. This is why beer tastings and patios are my favorite events and places to be.

In honor of IPA Day yesterday, I recently had a few of my friends try some India Pale Ales. What's the big deal about this? The three people tasting really don't like IPAs. Most of the time they would scrunch up their face when sipping a hoppy brew. They would normally order something sweet or light. I find great pleasure in helping friends find beers they enjoy that aren't the four major beers. To remedy this hop aversion, I bought a sampler twelve pack from Sierra Nevada of just IPAs. The sampler included Nooner Session IPA, Snow Wit White IPA, Torpedo Extra IPA, and Blindfold Black IPA. How does this solve the problem with people not liking the bitterness of these beers? Just a few years ago, an IPA was an IPA. There wasn’t a lot of variety. Now this could have been my perception towards the craft beer market or actually reality. I felt that the only growing trend was each brewer shaving ever increasing pounds of hops into beer. These brewers called their beers Imperial IPAs. While I thoroughly enjoyed these beers, as I really like IPAs, there was another trend countering the imperialization of hoppy beers. That movement required innovation of what an IPA is. Challenging that idea of an IPA really helped develop different IPAs, white, black, fruit, and session just to name a few styles. I wanted to help broaden my friend’s palates for beer. Though I really had no idea to expect from these and how my friends would react to this selection of IPAs.

Nooner Session IPA

The consensus was that the light flavor of the Nooner Session IPA was refreshing and good for a hot sunny day on a boat, or working in the yard. There wasn’t a lot of hoppiness to the beer, though that’s the point of a session beer. A person should be able to drink a few session IPAs and not have your taste buds shot or to be drunk. We felt that we could drink it, but we might prefer other beers over it.

Snow Wit White IPA

The Snow Wit White IPA had a really good flavor that took on a banana flavor from the Belgian yeast and 7 kinds of hops put into the beer. If you didn’t get the reference I will spell it out for you. Snow wit and the 7 hops? You know like a certain child’s fairy tale. If you still don’t get, I will pat you on the head as I explain it to you over a beer. C really liked this beer and said this was her favorite beer.

Torpedo Extra IPA

Torpedo Extra IPA was a maverick for me. With the word Extra in front of IPA, I fully expected something like an Imperial IPA, however I was surprised there wasn’t a lot of bitterness that those big IPAs have. I had to look up the IBUs and it was only a 65 when the high end IPAs are at 60 and IIPAs get closer to 100. My friends were surprised as well by the drinkability and flavor that wasn’t too bitter. They enjoyed these and were curious about other IPAs like it. I have a few suggestions for them, for future IPAs to try.

Blindfold Black IPA

The last IPA was Blindfold, a black IPA. This one was very malty with only a little of the fragrant notes of hops. My friend Nicky really liked this one. He has found that he likes the darker, maltier beers like browns, porters, and dunkels. This beer fit his mold and his eyes widen with his first sip! He actually asked me, “Are we drinking IPAs?! Are you pulling my leg? Cause these are good!”

After we made it all the way through the lineup, we went back through trying beers back to back to see how the flavors were affected by the previous beer. For example the Nooner was even less flavorful after having the Torpedo or the Snow Wit had a big mouth feel but less sweet after having a sip of the Blindfold.

Overall this was a very good time showing people these beers they wouldn’t normally get. I would suggest you all do the same and keep an eye for sampler packs that might help you find a new favorite beer.

Bus To Mothers 2014

One day during the flurry of emails and productivity at work, I afforded myself the opportunity to look at my phone. I had a message from Central States Beverage.

"You have been selected to join us on the Bus to Mothers!"

There is Kyle! He is pretty much a celebrity!

I was ecstatic and I immediately started making plans with work and family so that I could be gone for the day on Friday June 20th, 2014. I had heard so much about the Bus to Mothers over that past few months. Each time learning a little bit more about what it was all about and why people wanted to get on it. People were doing more and more crazy things to get a seat on that bus. 

So what is Bus to Mothers?

Think of the most awesome day trip you most likely have ever had. Give yourself a designated driver, a bus full of some really cool people... Oh and a very large cooler full of Mother's brewing beers, including Raspberry Imperial Three Blind Mice! One of my favorite beers overall. (Don't tell anyone but I may have been selfish and had the entire bomber to myself. IN MY DEFENSE, I did offer some to others around me)

To start from the beginning of the day, I was told to show up at 9 am on Friday morning. I pulled in and was handed a cup and told to pour myself a beer off the taps while I waited. I started off with a Boulevard Ginger-Lemon Radler, nice and light for early morning. Then we have a pre-bus ride photo opportunity. I am there behind the guy in the plaid shorts. For some reason they put a tall goofy guy in the front and middle. That really wasn't thought out...

Traveling circus heading to @MothersBrewing #BusToMothers14 pic.twitter.com/ftw47Gkeyv
— Central States (@csbev) June 20, 2014

Hey David, Macy, and Adam

Now that I have the full picture (pun intended) of what the Bus to Mother's is, I consider myself blessed to have gotten a seat.

Cheers to my friend Andrew!

While we tasted the good brews of Mother's Brewing on this charter bus, we played a fun trivia game and had a lot of laughs. As we pulled into Springfield, I was shocked that the brewery was a straight shot into town and very easily accessible. If you have a chance to even just drive through Springfield, MO, go to Mother's Brewing Company. Very nice people and a get a beer(or twelve) from their great set of taps. I challenge you to taste all of their beers. I bet you can't do it, I am just saying!

The brewers there gave us a very nice tour. They showed us the normal tour kind of stuff, but then they also showed processes and equipment as we walked by and answered all of our questions, which were a lot even considering how many beer geeks were on the bus. Speaking of being a geek, a walk in cooler there had a door sized sticker of Han Solo frozen in carbonite! That was really cool! If you don't know what that is, one WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING?!?! Obviously, under a rock! Two, its okay that you have been deprived, so let's fix this. Go watch the Star Wars movies. All of them. Start with A New Hope through Return of the Jedi. Then Episode I through III. The way they were made and intended... Wow! I have digressed.

On the actual Mother's Tour! Those are actual barrels!

Anyway, after the tour Central States catered some pretty awesome Mexican food. I wish I had caught the name of the place that made the food, but I am sure that someone will let me know who did that. Either way the food was great.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

The main reason we came down to Mother's was to have a great time. One of the main contributing factors to us having a great time was the Beerlympics that were held in the green space beside Mother's Brewing. A Beerlympics for those novices in the group, is a set of events or games that may or may not have something to do with beer. Each participant will get points for each event and the individual with the highest score wins. There were a few events that were held to determine the Grand Champion of Bus to Mothers 2014.

We competed in four events:

1. Keg toss
2. Bocce ball
3. Potato sack race
4. Beer Pong toss

Had to get a souvenir growler!

There may have been other events but I was beaten so bad in the Keg toss and Bocce Ball toss that I gracefully bowed out and found a beer. The reason I was beaten so bad in these events may have had something  to do with that I am not very graceful and slipped on the grass as I tried to throw each item.

The winner of the competition, my friend Andrew, got a year supply of Mother's! Plus a four pack of MILF on the spot! I am so jealous and I hope to go next year! I will be training for it, now that I know what to expect. Andrew, I am coming for your crown sir! Watch out!

As an added bonus, we stopped at Osceola Cheese Factory on the way home. I got to get some cheese and my favorite soda as a kid at Boy Scout Camp, Peach Nehi. Yes, I participated in Boy Scouts as a kid. Get over it.

I had a blast on this trip hanging out with friends and meeting new people! I cannot wait to get on the Bus to Mother's 2015! Are you going to join me?