Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg Texas

One word for the experience....excellent (like the bill and ted kind)! Fredericksburg is a small town - relatively. But there's one thing you notice right away when you get your soles on the pavement: the people of Fredericksburg are all about the celebration. I meandered through a few small shops, shoulder to shoulder with everyone else, and didn't buy a single thing. The shop owners and managers were still courteous and kind. That set a good mood which was only enhanced when you got to the town square - yes it's literally an old school town square - and found out that anyone who didn't have to be working to keep their business open was gainfully employed at the actual Oktoberfest! And they too were bright and smiling, and unusually helpful - based on my experience with such events. Let's get to the meat of the issue though, this Oktoberfest has it all. Beer, by the barrel; not the keg, the barrel! Wurst, schnitzel, and sauerkraut enough to feed all of Texas. And more tubas than the Macy's day parade. There were three separate stages which all had live music. A play ground for kids which makes the "family outing" much more legitimate. And a number of vendors to give you something to gander at while the first 3 or 4 pints start to kick in. Speaking of pints, the beer itself was very reasonably priced! It came to $5 for ANY import and the selection was vast! I actually had so many I can't honestly remember which was my favorite. I know it was my second one, and I know it was German, and it was definitely a Marzen/Oktoberfest...I suppose I have no other option but to go again next year! I am going to cast my vote for Oktoberfest Fredericksburg as being the number 1 underrated event in Texas. Next year EVERYONE should go! It will stay firmly seated as a destination event for the Unofficial Texas Beer Tour!

Get ready for the BARLEYWINE!!!
Jack

Texas Beer Tour Update

Spent a night in Fort Worth this weekend. Turns out there is a pretty sweet Draft House there called the Flying Saucer. I wish I could say it was awesome...but they had a cover. Lame. Very very lame. And the service was a little slow to boot. Now that I got that out of the way, the rest of the experience was pretty good. They have HUNDREDs of different brews on type from all over the world and in every possible style you could want! It's about $5.50 a pint for pretty much anything and if they don't have what you ask for they are quick to suggest a similar brew you may not have tried. They also had a small bar menu if you're hungry, although I didn't look at it too closely. If you're in the area, or looking for a destination where you can get good brews try Fort Worth (or any of their other 5 locations in Texas!) and the Saucer. It will be permanently added to the UTBT!!

The Unofficial Texas Beer Tour

I have to admit, spending five years in Colorado I was more than a little spoiled when it comes to good beer! And just as spoiled when it came to "beer tours," beer festivals, and just the sheer amount of beer produced in Colorado. I have had this notion in my head that Texas was significantly more deficient in beer and, even worse, beer festivals. I am very happy to report that neither of these facts are true. And in order to help dispel this unsavory myth I've created the Unofficial Texas Beer Tour. It focuses on the best and biggest; there's more to do and taste, but everything has to start somewhere. Let's take a look at it in chronological order starting in the now time frame:

Beer Festivals:
          - Oktoberfest Fredericksburg Sept 30th through Oct 2nd; Fredericksburg is a true German town, as such this celebration is pretty damn authentic. The menu is incredible, the entertainment runs all day, and there is plenty of beer; German and otherwise. There will be a full report on this one in the future, as there will be for.....

          - Wurstfest  Nov 4th-13th; New Braunfels is another German settlement north of San Antonio. This celebration is the largest, AND longest, in Texas. It also has the greatest volume of brautwurst and sausage, as well as good beer!

Breweries:
          - (512) Brewing Company is a MicroBrew based in Austin, they have a number of different beers including two versions of their Pecan Porter. One being a double which is aged in whisky barrels. Personally, I'm looking forward to trying some of their "ONE" Belgian Strong Ale.

          - Spoetzl Brewery is perhaps the most well known of Texas' breweries being the producer of Shiner Bock, named after the town the Spoetzl Brewery calls home. It's also the oldest independent brewery in Texas, which along with its notoriety makes it an easy addition to this list.

          - Wicked Beaver Brewery, currently producing Wicked Beaver Black ale, is a Craft Brew in Lubbock. According to their website they designed their brew kettles, mashtuns, etc. themselves and had them custom fabricated by a steel fabrication shop. I find that reason enough to make the visit since it means getting a look at something a little different than every other brewery tour out there.

          - Thirsty Planet Brewing will be the last "brewery" on the tour for now. Also located in Austin they currently serve three beers; an IPA, a Wheat, and an Amber. And not only do these guys serve beer, they are also green and give back to the community (community being a worldly noun in this case)!

- Brew Pubs/Draft Houses
           - Fredericksburg Brewing Company is "the oldest and most acclaimed" brewpub in all of Texas! You can find it in, yep you guessed it, Fredericksburg, TX and get this: they're a "Bed and Brew"!!! That means that you may even be able to get by claiming this is a romantic getaway for you and your other half, in case they are less beer inclined. They brew in 500 gallon batches, with up to 7,500 gallon capacity, and currently are serving 6 different brews!

           - Cypress Street Station and Abiline Brewing Company offers a selection of rotating craft brews throughout the year. The brew house has the capacity to have 3 brews tapped at any time with their 3 five-barrel tanks (that's 155 gallons of beer in case you were wondering!!). This touted as "Abiline's Landmark Restaurant and only Brew Pub!"

           - The Draught House Pub and Brewery just made it to the TOP of the Upship! Unofficial Beer Tour list. Here's why: They have a number of house brews on tap, including a cask ale! Not only that, they've got standard pub fare, including real pizza made to order - which hits a soft spot for me. This place has over 50 different beers on tap, and just shy of 20 more available bottled. Bonus! - they have daily specials including, $2.75 pints, buy a pint keep the glass, and free brautwurst day!
           Awesome.

           - Blue Star Brewery located in San Antonio also serves cask beer - another "Awesome." Additionally, they've got 6 other brews currently on tap, and you can take a 1/2 gallon growler for $10. And interestingly enough, they've even got full kegs you can take home. Still better - more pizza, and a huge selection of additional food on the menu...and, yep, wait for it...live music! These guys have probably figured out the equation for the perfect beer drinking atmosphere, and I'm excited to test that theory.

           - The Flying Saucer in Fort Worth is a pretty sweet draft house. I wish I could say it was awesome...but they had a cover. Lame. Very very lame. And the service was a little slow to boot. Now that I got that out of the way, the rest of the experience was pretty good. They have HUNDREDs of different brews on type from all over the world and in every possible style you could want! It's about $5.50 a pint for pretty much anything and if they don't have what you ask for they are quick to suggest a similar brew you may not have tried. They also had a small bar menu if you're hungry, although I didn't look at it too closely. If you're in the area, or looking for a destination where you can get good brews try Fort Worth and the Saucer.

Biergartens:
           - The Auslander Biergarten and Restaurant is located in Fredicksburg, but unlike the Oktoberfest they're open all year round...meaning good food and beer can be had all year round - German and otherwise. Finally, not only does The Auslander look like it was literally plucked out of a small German Dorf it's another establishment that provides live music regularly too.

And for now ladies and gentlemen, I will leave it at that. This, for the moment, is the Upship! Brewing "Unofficial Texas Beer Tour." Disclaimer: admittedly, many fine establishments have surely been left out, and less surely one or two herein listed may not quite live up to our unquestionable taste, but that is the point - to add, modulate, and perfect the "Unofficial Texas Beer Tour" to truly experience it. After all it's not the destination that makes for a good time, it's the experience, so get out there and fill your gullet with good food and great beer! And report your findings for others to enjoy!

Prost!
Jack

Oktoberfest Bottled!

I'm back! Quite a bit to update. Bottled the Oktoberfest today, after 4 months lagering in the converted freezer of the side-by-side "beer fridge". It was worth it from the small sample I had! Additionally, I used a whole new crop of bottles for this brew, which the process of bottling both more enjoyable and much more efficient. The bottles, seen below, are 1Liter Flip Tops. I have 12 of them which is almost enough to bottle an entire 5 gallon batch using just those bottles. I also used my 2Liter Flip Top.

Using these larger bottles cut down on the time of the entire bottling process, from cleaning and sanitation to the actual bottling. Because there were only 12 bottles to clean and sanitize - in addition to the bottling equipment of course - it took only about 25-30 minutes to clean and sanitize everything for the bottling process. That's an improvement of over an hour - JUST for prepping the equipment! To prime the brew I added 1 and 1/4 cup of Dark Vienna Dry Malt Extract to keep the purity of this famous beer style.

After that I siphoned it all into the (NEW!) bottling bucket and about 15 short minutes later I had all five gallons bottled. No bottle caps, capping equipment, or extensive time hunkered down next to the bottle filler. Compare that to about an hour to an hour and a half to fill 64 12 ounce bottles. Effectively I shaved nearly 2 whole hours off the entire act of bottling the brew, thereby bringing the entire experience back to a wholly enjoyable experience sans tedium. Next up/FINALLY I'm going to make a crisp, clean, Coors Light copycat.
And I've got 4 bottles of Lager Slurry to make another lager of some sort - hopefully no one drinks it before then!

Til next time,
Keep 'em cold!
Jack

Coconut Porter is in the bottle!

And thank goodness it is! Every time I bottle I want a kegging system more and more. Or more of my big flip-top bottles - I purchased a 2 Liter flip-top last time I was at Home Brew Party and it, alongside 5 of my Grolsh bottles, put a big dent in this batch.

Eight more of those big boys and I can bottle a whole batch in them in under twenty minutes! In addition to all that, I used a 2 Liter pop bottle - not experimenting again like with the bottle of rum don't worry - I'm just going to serve that on Saturday at a little get together I'm having at my place. Instant feedback on this porter. I think it tastes great flat, so two days of carbonation can only make it better!

And, now that the equipment is all freed up I suppose it's time to...make more beer! And guess what, YOU, whoever you are, picked it. A Pilsner it will be! Winning with one vote...which is a small crowd but a crowd none-the-less. In addition to the pilsner I'm also going to run a light beer in the bucket fermenter concurrently. Yes I agree 10 gallons of beer is a lot, but then again most of you haven't met my friends. Speaking of which my two pals Oku and Hokuto have already come up with a stellar name for the light brew - Jackweiser. And so it shall be. Oh, and whoever you are that voted, send me a message so I can get you that beer! Finally, please let me account for my slower moving posts - I have "gone back to school" if you will and have little time anymore. I'm getting settled in though so I'll try to keep it a little more regular!
Until next time...
Jack

A Plethora of Topics

I've been AWOL the last two weeks - but that's not to say I haven't been brewing! Indeed I have been. Also, of the two people to comment on the previous post, I have randomly chosen a winner...and the lucky commenter is: kimesl! (I'll send you your shirt ASAP Aunt Kim! - and some beer?!). There was no favoritism either I promise - the other person who posted was my roommate. Now, let's get to the beer end of things. Of the people who I sent some of my beer two - from batch number one that is - I've heard nothing but good things. As a matter of fact many were surprised at the quality of the beer. That being said, I would like to reiterate how easy this brewing business is; really fricken easy! Furthermore, it's pretty gratifying when someone says they like YOUR beer. In that light I'm encouraging you to try brewing for yourself if you're interested!
This weekend I started a Porter, with the help of my trusted, and did I mention gorgeous?, Beer Making Assistant. It's already fermenting rapidly courtesy of more white labs yeast, this time regular old California Common Ale, 001 if you want to pick some up. The ultimate goal is to create a Coconut Porter, a clone of the Maui Brewing offering - I've honestly never had this beer but it sounded like a delicious summer brew and a great way to try something new.

The process involves a few pounds of coconut shavings roasted in the oven and then added to the beer after primary fermentation and prior to bottling. I'm pretty excited for this brew!

On the lager side of business I moved the oktoberfest to a secondary fermentor and moved it to the freezer (only way to get the temp down to 34 degrees F). Prior to the transfer however I briefly raised the temperature of the brew to 60 degrees for approximately 36 hours, what is known as a diacetyl rest. The purpose of the diacetyl rest is to allow the yeast to consume fusel alcohol which will create off-taste in the beer, a buttery or butter-scotch flavor, and more importantly can lead to some nasty headaches!

NOW...more FREE STUFF!
Once again I am going to put the power in your hands to vote for the next brew! Look to your right for a chance to vote on the next Upship! brew. After you vote comment on this post and I'll put your name in the hat to win a free six pack of that brew when it's ready! I've provided four choices for you again this time: George Killian's Irish Red (Clone); IPA, APA, or a Pilsner. Let the voting begin!

Oktoberfest!

Last night I brewed my first lager, an Oktoberfest brew. I am very excited about this one both because it's my first lager, and I love Marzen style beer. The brewing process went well, I did not have any boilovers and made very little mess in general. Cooling the wort is the only part of the process that worries me - everything I read focuses on the importance of cooling quickly to minimize the risk of bacterial infection in my beer. The ice water in the sink method is not working. It took almost 25 minutes to cool the wort to 120 degrees last night, I which point I funneled it into the carboy which had cool water in it already. I then poured another half gallon of cold water on top and then took a sample. At this point I ran into a problem - my turkey baster wouldn't reach the wort in the new 6 gallon carboy, sooooo I had to siphon it, which was a pain, but it worked. My OSG was a little low at 1.041 instead of 1.056-1.058 so we'll see how that turns out. My suspicion is that I am adding to much cool water to the wort. A suggestion I have and will be using from now on is to measure out 5 gallons of water and pour it into all of your carboys - then mark the level. That way you know exactly when to add and stop adding water to your wort. Another difference between this brew and the first two was that I used the fabled StarSan sanitizing solution, a no rinse sanitizer. When you talk to people about it, or read about it, most people tell you "not to fear the bubbles". They aren't kidding. This stuff foams like a rabid dog, but I went on with the process, there were still some suds in the bottom of my carboy at transfer time and it does worry me. Mostly on account of the fact that it's a sanitizer and I don't want it killing the yeast. After that I pitched the yeast at 70 degrees and put the fermenter in the fridge at 50 degrees.

This morning there was no sign of active fermentation - adding to the worry of the starsan. However, many publications say that it can take up to 48 hours for the yeast to get moving in a lager so I'll wait it out and let you know how it goes.

A few more details about the brew: I used 6.6 pounds of Munich LME, 1 pound of Amber DME, and steeped 8 oz. of cracked Caramel Malt 60L with 4 oz. of cracked Caramel Malt 20L for 20 minutes prior to boil. For hops, I used 1 oz. of Willamette boiled 60 minutes for  bittering and another ounce of Willamette boiled 20 minutes for flavoring. The yeast used was White Labs' WLP820 Oktoberfest/Marzen.

And for the moment that's that.

Now, as I've mentioned I'm going to give you a chance to win your very own Upship! Brewing T-shirt. Here's the deal. I'm going to simply draw names out of a hat - literally. In order to get your name in the hat you need to comment on this post and in addition to whatever else you'd like to say you need to reveal your favorite style of beer. I'll draw the names sometime next week. So get commenting!