Monday Rant (On a Tuesday): More of This

As most of you know, I'm an ardent supporter or corn in craft beer. I don't view adjuncts as these unworthy ingredients in beer. I think if done well adjuncts like corn and rice in a beer can catch on. The only problem is that there aren't many in the craft beer community.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that East End Brewing just outside of Pittsburgh was planning on putting a Cream Ale on tap at the brewery location in Larimer. I finally got a hold of some of said Cream Ale and must admit that it's fantastic. Sweet, but not too sweet. Nice and malty. Perfect if you're worn out and/or thirsty. This gets the job done.

It doesn't look like the strongest beer in the world, but it doesn't have to be that way to get the job done. These types of brews need to catch on. Especially in the Pittsburgh market. Maybe the East End offering can be the one to ignite the flame?

I sure as hell  will do my best to spread the word about how good this beer is with an ingredient(s) that are usually frowned upon. I also think it's worth mentioning once again that East End is making a habit out of using corn in beer and thus making me happy. Corn was also used in the Pennsyltucky Uncommon special brew that was released during the 2013 edition of Pittsburgh Craft Beer week.

Monday Rant: Taproom Eavesdropping

Trust me. The title I've chosen for this post will probably not go in the direction that you might expect it to. Some people out there have a notion that eavesdropping should be considered bad or rude. I'm quite the opposite. I love eavesdropping mostly based upon the fact that I'm good at it. I can pick up conversations from half-way across a bar or office. Not much gets past me. Like my uncle I'm quite astute.

A growler of this, please.

To stop "Rambling On" as the famous prophet Robert Plant once said I'll quickly get to the point of what this post intends. I stopped up at East End Brewing  yesterday afternoon to fill up my two growlers and nab a bottle of the elusive Toaster Imperial Stout. As it usually works out when people go there, the brewery can't legally sell you a pint of beer in the taproom. Still, you can try a few sample glasses worth of whichever brews you very well choose (I promised that I'd work the phrase "very well" into my personal vocabulary).

Sometimes the people that work there talk to some of the visitors/customers that come in. That's a good think. I've met some cool people at breweries. I overheard, or eavesdropped to fit in with the title I chose, a conversation about a beer East End intends on releasing in the taproom within the next week or two. The two words that grabbed my attention? Cream Ale.

I haven't came across many Cream Ales in the Pittsburgh area let alone the craft world. Those two worlds excite me. Why do they excite me? Because of adjuncts. I know many of you hate it, but adjuncts in beer are once again the subject of yet another rant on this blog.

I also rudely picked up another word in the conversation I was listening to - corn. Possibly one of my favorite beer adjuncts. East End has been one of the leaders in the area with using corn in beer. A case could also be made for Straub in St. Mary's. I'd argue that it's close enough to Pittsburgh.

To put it simply, I might be making a trip to East End for a second week in a row if I catch wind of this Cream Ale tapping at the brewery. You can bet the farm that I'll be back on here being an internet tough guy arguing that corn in beer is a good thing.

Beer Review: Coors Banquet Beer

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: Five percent

Appearance: A very light gold color in the body with a decent amount of carbonation bubbles floating around in many directions. There was a slight haze that made me think there was actually some body to this, but it was just a tease. It faded away quickly leaving a weak golden color. The head was white and fizzy like pop/soda for a few seconds and fades back into almost nothing.

Smell: Sweet corn and a bit of grain. Slightly fry sent to it. Not much else to write home....or on here about.

Taste: The grain and corn flavors were very prevalent up front. I really couldn't pick out much else. The dryness of the beer helped a bit, though. The fizziness of the bubbles helped as well, but the fact is that it's kind of a watered down beer. Still, there's something about that corn flavor that is a little intriguing about beers like this sometimes.

Overall Rating: 

This is as light as I can go when it comes to beer. I always try to keep some on hand for when a non-fancy beer drinker visits. It has an obvious watery taste and feel to it. There aren't many layers of flavor even though I'm fond of the corn taste. The beer isn't very active in terms of foam or lacing either. A little crispness to it, but not much else.

Monday Rant: Word Play

Behold. The definition of the word I screen-capped from a quick Google search.

I mentioned last week about the disdain I have for the use of the word "adjunct" in the beer community nowadays. It doesn't make me very happy. In some facets brewers and breweries have been outcast by using ingredients that are sometimes considered adjuncts i.e. corn and/or rice. Corn I really enjoy in certain brews. On the other hand, rice doesn't get me nearly as excited.

That's not to exclude any regular malt that's used in many breweries. I love some Crystal and Biscuit malt more than I do the corn. I just like going against the grain once in a while.

If an adjunct is truly something that is added to only be a supplementary part rather than an essential one, how come hops never fell under the same category? Maybe it's just that I'm one to believe that hops should always be a compliment to the final product? Ah, word play is fun.

Adjunct Adventures

I wrote about the pluses of corn in beer earlier this week. Once I finished the blog post, I posed a quick question on Twitter asking if anyone knew any brewers in Western Pa. that had or still use corn in any of their brews. I was surprised at the response I got. Here are some of the informative tweets I received.

@BurghBeerSnob Straub does. Technically, it's part of the American lager style.
— Craft Pittsburgh Mag (@CraftPittsburgh) November 5, 2013

@CraftPittsburgh @BurghBeerSnob yuengling uses corn syrup....
— Jake Johnson (@jacobecody) November 5, 2013

@CraftPittsburgh @BurghBeerSnob @StraubBeer uses flaked corn in Amer. Lagers as per their 140 yr. tradition. They also brew craft styles w/o
— Michelle Reid (@Pourthing) November 5, 2013

. @BurghBeerSnob @CraftPittsburgh We've also brewed w/corn: Pennsyltucky Uncommon, Classic American Pilsner, and S.W.I.L.L. all had it.
— Scott at EastEnd (@EastEndBrewing) November 5, 2013

Craft Pittsburgh and an old college friend were the first to note that Straub has and always used corn in the American Lager. So, I went ahead and double-checked. They both were correct. Flaked corn was on the malt bill in St. Mary's. As for the East End brews, I did recall uncovering that the Pennsyltucky Uncommon that was made for Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week included corn in some capacity. I just didn't recall it being used until that tweet jogged my memory, so to speak. The thing that stands out to me about the East End response is that none of those beers (or the brewery) was vilified or outcast for using corn.

Douglas from Baltimore commented on the post that initiated all of this corn stuff and mentioned that as long as the beer is well-crafted it shouldn't really matter. He has a strong point.

In case you haven't noticed, I don't care for the way the word adjunct gets thrown around. Or maybe that it's the way certain beer ingredients have been logged under that category. What I hate the most is that if a brewery uses it, there are some out there that don't consider said beer or brewer "craft" or "crafty enough."

Still, I don't feel as if I'm done on this subject. Adjuncts in beer might be a great topic for my usual Monday post. Eventually I might do a post on some beer's I;ve tried and enjoyed with corn in them in some form. We'll see. Stay tuned.

Corn in My Beer

It took a few viewings for the new Esquire show Brew Dogs to grow on me. My guess was that it would be solely about hops and IPA's, but then again I'm a cynical old man in the body of a 25-year-old. The first episode confirmed my fears for the most part. It pitted both hosts (James Watt and Martin Dickie) in San Diego. On the west coast where the hop revolution in American craft beer , for the most part, was born.

Each episode has the main objective of the two hosts seeking out the best and most unique ingredients in the area they are visiting and brewing a beer that best represents said area. If you put two and two together, you can deduce that the IPA was the beer of choice. There are other aspects of the show that are educational in terms of beer. They meet with local chefs/restaurants to help make great beer pairings as well as ranking top brewpubs and breweries in each area.

I kept watching and was pleasantly surprised to see them actually explore different styles of beer as they traveled to each location. I especially enjoyed watching the episode in Seattle where they set out to make the world's most caffeinated brew in the form of an imperial stout. My favorite episode to date, by far, is the one in Eastern Pa. when they chose to brew the most "American Beer" ever. If I recall correctly, it was a pale ale which included the use of colonial ingredients such as corn and molasses. Two ingredients I enjoy seeing in modern brews albeit a rare occurrence.

Watt and Dickie milling corn on my television.

The two actually milled the corn they were to use in the beer. I've tasted the sweetness of corn in some beers, but I had no idea that it could provide a roasty profile to a beer once it has been milled. That's mind-blowing.

I've disagreed with the Brewers Association's stance that if you use adjuncts such as corn in your beer that you shouldn't be considered a craft brewer. If craft is supposed to be creative then how can that even make sense? I find it hilarious that Watt (who shared is own take on the craft beer argument a few weeks ago) and Dickie's beer might not even be considered craft by some of the craft upper echelon here in the states. That's what we call irony, folks.

With all of that said, I think I made the right decision to watch the show. I've learned quite a bit about some of the beer culture around the country.

Monday Rant: Definitions, Definitions

As I'm a well-known cynic, I take exception many things in both life and society.I complain like an old man. Everyone tells me that I'm pretty much a 60-year-old man in the body of a what is now a 25-year-old. Many issues irk me within the beer community. I threw a fit when there was a big push to exile the English Shaker Pint. I did much the same when everyone drooled at the thought of purchasing the Dogfish/Spiegelau hop-forward glass which we eventually found out was simply an updated wine glass.

One issue that makes me have to remind myself to breathe, as comedian Lewis Black would say, is the craft vs. craft debate and defining of craft beer, craft brewers etc.

I came across a CNBC article that kind of pointed out that the definition of a craft brewer has been expanded to cater the growth of certain brewers such as Boston Brewing Co. At least, that's what I took from reading it.

I'm just tired of the Brewer's Association laying down it's own law. It's all just beer. Who cares how many barrels a brewery produces per-year? Why does it matter if a brewery like August Schell uses corn as an adjunct in some of its offerings?

The Brewer's Association says that you can't be considered a craft brewer if you use corn or rice. The major American companies use corn and rice, but most of the beer that comes from said companies simply is repulsive. I've had beer with corn that tastes great. Craft beer should be a very loose term. A personal definition for each of us that drinks beer we like. That's what craft should be.

Beer Review: Schell's Pils

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 5.3 percent

Appearance: This pilsner poured something close to a neon gold. The color was quite vivid. The body was hazy, but the majority of the haze seemed to settle towards the upper portions of the glass. The bottom portions of the brew were a bit more transparent. The body was crowned by a half-inch head that came off as a lemon meringue color. The head would end up leaving tiny, intricate rings of lacing on the inside of the glass.

Smell: Initially, I picked up loads of grain and sweet corn. I instantly recalled the Brewers Association fiasco that involved August Schell Brewing Company and the use of adjuncts such as corn. I generally don't mind corn in my beer, but this was as close to a bag corn in the barn as I've been when drinking beer. It was interesting, but not totally sure if I enjoyed it. Consider me on the fence.

Taste: A positive of the corn came through in the taste department for me. The corn provided plenty of sweetness on the front. This beer also had a biscuity, bitter and very noticeable hop bite on the back.  The bitterness was a nice compliment to the sweetness and lingered in the aftertaste for quite a while. I couldn't see much carbonation due to the haze, but it was very noticeable once I started drinking. The texture of this beer is crisp and fizzy. I enjoyed it.

Overall Rating: 

The only thing I was feeling odd about was that I felt like I was opening a bag of corn on a farm and sniffing it. Maybe the corn was a bit too potent for me? The head and the body also had intriguing colors to gaze at. The taste left me refreshed as well. I'm glad I have a few more of these left from the sampler I bought.

Beer Review: Brooklyn Pilsner

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 5.1 percent

Appearance: This pilsner had a real crisp appearance to it. It was really a classic look. Clear, yet golden body with a half-inch thick head. The head was bright white, foamy and ended up leaving a lot of thick lacing inside the glass. As most of us enjoy in brews of this style, there was a lot of carbonation rising towards the top and feeding the head of the beer.

Smell: For me, this was nice and grassy. It was even a bit grainy to my nose. There was also an intriguing floral hop aroma that I took in.

Taste: I actually got a touch of sweet malt on the front. That surprised me and tasted kind of odd once the rest of the beer's flavors hit me. Overall, this brew tasted very crisp and sweet. This is a German Pilsener. So, I expected to get a bit more hop content than I actually did. There was a bit of zing to this, but what I mostly tasted was crackers and maybe even a touch of corn.

Overall Rating: 

I'm not completely opposed to corn in my beer. I'm all for trying different styles of beer. Especially ones that are broad interpretations of a style. This seemed to be one of the latter. A quality beer. I just wanted a little more bite on my tongue. Definitely an interesting one, though.