Sunday, January 22, 2012

Ode to Centennial Hops

As a young brewer I messed around quite a bit. Non-stop brewing around with all sorts of pretty and fanciful hops. Citra, chinook, cascade, summit, amarillo, blah, blah, blah. The list goes on and on, and I fear that I may have even forgotten some of their names. I've come to find that there is just one hop for me and Centennial is her name. For the folks that know me this probably isn't a surprise. She shares the same name as the High School I graduated from. The year she was first released to the public, 1990, was a remarkable year for the young HolzBrew. Grunge music starting to set in and all sorts of alt rock bands hitting the airwaves. It was a match made in Heaven. But seriously folks is there a better hop varietal for an american IPA? Look at some of the bests, Stone IPA, Bells two hearted, and Founders Centennial Ipa, the perfect blend of citrus and floral. Need I say more?

Centennial Millennial
Style: American IPA           
OG: 1.070                                                                                 
Type: All Grain
FG: 1.018
Rating: 0.0
ABV: 6.81 %
Calories: 229
IBU's: 92.88
Efficiency: 70 %

11.00 lbs 83.02 % Pale Malt (2 Row) US 60 mins 1.036
10.00 ozs. 4.72 % Cara-Pils/Dextrine 60 mins 1.033
10.00 ozs 4.72 % Briess 2-Row Caramel 20L 60 mins 1.034
1.00 lbs 7.55 % Turbinado 60 mins 1.044

Hops Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
1.00 ozs 31.62 Centennial 60 mins 10.00
2.00 ozs 38.31 Centennial 20 mins 10.00
2.00 ozs 22.94 Centennial 10 mins 10.00
2.00 ozs 0.00 Centennial 0 mins 10.00
1.00 ozs Centennial 21 days 10.00

Yeasts Amount Name Laboratory / ID
2.00 pkg Safale us-05 (null) Additions

Amount Name Time Stage
1.00 oz Whirlfloc Tablet 15 mins Boil

Mash Profile
Medium Body Infusion In 60 min @ 154.0°F Add 15.31 qt ( 1.25 qt/lb ) water @ 166.0°F
Sparge Sparge 16.47 qt of 175.0°F water over 45 mins
Carbonation Amount Type Beer Temp CO2 Vols 3.7 psi Force Carbonation 35.0°F 1.90

Get hoppy centennial style,

HolzBrew

Monday, January 2, 2012

All Grain Brewing in Close Quarters

Everyone always asks me how I brew in a condo. The answer is that it isn't all that easy. But a little creativity goes a long way. Below is a video of my sparging setup from this past weekend. Sorry for the sideways video, I shot it on my iPod and I have no idea how to rotate it 90 degrees.



I look forward to having a place where I can spread out and brew outside. But until then, brewing in the kitchen will have to suffice.

Holz

Things to Look Forward to in 2012

As the New Year kicks into first gear and 2011 is in the rear view, its exciting to think about the "beery" things to come in 2012. Here are four things to look forward to in the regional beer scene this year:

1. Spacebar in Falls Church

The owners of Galaxy Hut, in Arlington, plan to open a second location in Falls Church across the street from Mad Fox Brewing by the end of January 2012.

Straight from their Facebook page:

"Spacebar will have 24 rotating "craft" beers on tap, about the same amount of bottled beer, and a few wine options. We do not have plans to serve hard liquor.

The food menu will focus on the grilled cheese sandwich, endless varieties of which will be created behind the bar on a five-foot flat top grill. There will also be galaxy hut staples like tots and veggie chili dogs."

2. 3 Stars Brewing Company in DC opens their own brewery

As reported by the Washington City Paper:

"D.C.-based 3 Stars Brewing Company has been cranking out all sorts of suds this year, including a rye-based pale ale called B.W. Rye and a light, spicy farmhouse ale dubbed Syndicate Saison. None of these libations, however, were actually brewed in the District. The local company has been collaborating with breweries in Baltimore, Delaware and other places while its own 15,000-square-foot facility is under construction in D.C.'s Takoma neighborhood."

3. Hellbender Brewing Company

A new brewery planning to open in mid-2012 will focus largely on supply DC bars with kegs. Their flagship beers will include a Kolsch, a red ale, and an IPA.


4. West Coast Expansion East

Both Sierra Nevada and New Belgium Brewing are looking to expand on the east coast by building a brewery here. There has been much speculation about the location of these new brewing facilities, but most of it has centered around the Virginia/North Carolina areas. I respect everything that SN brews and I look forward to enjoying it that much fresher.

How about you? Please feel free to comment on new breweries, bars, brews, etc. you look forward to this year.


HolzBrew