Enjoy the Head, beer head that is.

I know I was one of those people that were never properly educated about the positive benefits of having the proper amount of head on the beer I was drinking.  I used to feel cheated even if there was the slightest amount of head on the beer.  I thought the bartender was trying to rip me off.  Then as my knowledge of beer grew I began to understand that the head was actually beneficial to my enjoyment of the beer I was drinking.

                                                                                                                            

Beer head is actually formed by CO2 bubbles being released from the beer itself, mostly being formed during pouring of the beer into the glass.  When the beer is poured with care, the proper amount of beer head will usually form, if the beer is properly carbonated.  Depending on the beer the proper amount varies from a finger width to an inch and a half.  Also beer head can be affected by various other variables including: alcohol content, ingredients, adjuncts and the cleanliness of the glass. 

Usually the higher the alcohol the less head retention there is, because alcohol has a detrimental effect on beer head.  Certain malts are known to help in head retention, one especially known is wheat malt, and because of its higher protein it helps the structure of the head.  Adjuncts are in most cases detrimental or at least neutral since they are usually a sugar or starch with little to no protein.  Lastly if a glass has any soil or soap residue head retention will suffer, because these are organic compounds that attack beer head.

As I had said earlier beer head helps the beer drinker enjoy the beer.  As the CO2 is released from the beer it forms the head and does a couple of other things at the same time.  First the CO2 carries with it aromas and flavors that may not otherwise escape the beer.  Secondly the CO2 helps with the mouth feel and complexity of the beer.

Within the last ten years several English beers have begun using Nitrogen widgets in their cans.  The widget releases the Nitrogen gas when the can is opened and as the beer is poured into the glass it mimics the beer as if it would have been poured on nitrogen gas.  Guinness was more than likely the originator of this method and used it to give the impression of a beer that was actually poured from the tap.  Nitrogen adds a distinctive creaminess to the beer, as well giving the impression that the beer is flatter than a CO2 poured beer.

So next time you are at your local watering hole observe how your bartender and wait-staff serve the beer.  A properly trained bar staff will know how to pour a beer and serve it with the proper amount of head.  If you have questions on the proper amount of head on your beer, do not be afraid to ask your server.  Also if you feel you are being shorted on your beer speak up; a reputable establishment will not mind being kept honest.

Just remember beer head is important to your enjoyment.  Think of it this way a beer without a head is like a human without a head, dead and lifeless!

QC Beerguy

Oktoberfest Amana IA Sept. 30th and October 1

My wife and I along with some friends made a trip out to Amana, IA this past Friday and Saturday to immerse ourselves in their annual Oktoberfest.  Needless to say we had a great time.  Some of you maybe wondering what is there to do at an Oktoberfest besides sit and drink beer.  I can gladly say that there are many other activities to do.

My wife and I arrived in Amana a little after 1pm and our friends had all ready established base camp on the yard of Millstream Brewing.  We have a fold up shelter that we set our chairs in, this year the weather was decent except for the wind on Friday.  Shortly after we completed home base it was time for the first event of Oktoberfest.

At 1:45pm Friday the first keg is loaded, blessed and leaves Millstream for the Festhalle Barn.  As we walked behind the wagon we were lead in song by the Burgermeister.  The keg arrives and is ceremoniously taken into the Festhalle and then tapped.  The first keg is a free keg, so needless to say the tap is never shut off and surprisingly everyone that wanted a beer was able to have one.  It was only a matter of minutes until the keg ran dry.  We stayed at the Festhalle and enjoyed some of the entertainment.

The first band we saw was  Barefoot Becky and the Ivanhoe Dutchmen.  I cannot say if the they were Dutch men, but Becky was definitely barefoot.  After the set was done we were able to get a picture with Becky. 

We headed back to home base to sit back and enjoy some beer, coming from our own 1/6 barrel purchased from Millstream.  Yes of course it was a keg of Oktoberfest and we all agreed it was a very good year for the beer.  The beer was nicely malty and sweet.  It also had just enough hop bitterness to offset the malty sweetness.  The beer was very easy to drink.  While we at home base we were able to commune with many of the people around us at the Millstream biergarten.   After a bit of time we decided to head back to the Festhalle.

At the Festhalle we saw a very fun Polka party band from Minnesota, Alpensterne.  Yes I did say a Polka party band; there is such a thing and they fit it to a "t".  It is a 3 piece band: a singer/ horn player, an accordion player and a drummer.  After a while we decided to head back to the hotel and call it a night.   But before a night was called we made a stop at the hotel bar and surprising to us they had $1 draft beer specials, including Amana's Schild Brau. 

Day 2 we made it up to Amana a short time before the parade was finished, so we had to wait a few minutes before we could head to our home base.  We were able to basically follow right behind the parade and almost become part of it.  Thankfully we were watching the numerous pedestrians in the streets, because they were not watching us.  Eventually we parked, set up our chairs in the shelter and then watch one of the couples race in the Brat race.  It was a relay race that had to be run in a brat suit. Entertaining, but our friends did not make it out of their heat.  We walked around town for a short time and we wound back up at the Festhalle, enjoying the music from new our friends in Alpensterne.  

During the set there was a gentleman signing up people for a bratwurst eating contest.  Two of our friends entered and one of them even placed in the top three.  He wound up eating almost three feet of bratwurst and the buns.  We then headed back to base camp for some socializing and then we had an emergency; the keg ran dry.  Luckily Millstream was willing to sell us another 1/6 barrel.  So as the keg was being secured, most of us went over to the keg toss and log sawing.

Eventually with our group all in attendance several began to participate.  In our group we had the Men's and Women's two-man log sawing champions and the second place finisher in the Women's keg toss.  So we have some athletes in our group. No that does not include me.

Back to home base for a while then off to the Festhalle to see this awe inspiring German Brass Band, Die Freistadt Alte Kameraden, out of Wisconsin.  The highlight of this band is when the Brass section wanders through the Festhalle while playing, it just brings goosebumps to me hearing it.  They finish then it was Alpensterne again playing. 

All through our time at Oktoberfest we keep running into the Burgermeister and his wife.  They are a very nice couple and became very friendly with our group.  So every time we saw them  we always had time for a discussion of how things were going.  So it was no surprise that he came over and stood and talked with us for awhile during a break in the music.

Also I even surprised my wife with my abilities at the Festhalle.  One of friends is a good Polka dancer and had danced with her a couple of times.  But when he was dancing with his girlfriend she decided she wanted to dance a polka, so we went out to the dance floor.  She was surprised that I could hold my own when it comes to the Polka, because otherwise I am far from a good dancer.  So we wound up dancing to several Polkas. 

Overall I know we all had a wonderful time at Oktoberfest.  If you are able to make it to Amana or someplace else I strongly suggest you go and enjoy.  I know my wife and I still have plans to go to the original Oktoberfest in Munich in the future, but that will have to wait for awhile.

QC Beerguy

Millstream hits GABF Gold

A quick hit.  Millstream hits a gold medal for their Oatmeal Stout.  Way to go!

Gaffel Kolsch and Wurzburger Pilsner

In this blog I am going to review a couple of new beers that I tried this week.  First up Gaffel Kolsch, this is a Kolsch that is actually brewed in Cologne, so this is the real thing.  It pours a light straw in color with a quickly forming head, but it dissipates almost as quickly.  Also this beer is crystal clear, nothing to hide.  The nose is moderately low in sulfur and restrained noble hops.  Taste is clean and crisp, moderately low malt but not overly sweet.  This beer finishes dry but not overly bitter.  It is a very refreshing beer.  At 4.8% ABV this is a beer that you can sit back and enjoy again and again.  I give this beer an "A-". If this beer is this good in the US in late September what would it be like fresh in Cologne?  This is a beer made for enjoying while sitting on a patio in the summertime.

Second beer is Wurzburger Pilsner.  This beer pours straw in color with a persistent white head, this beer was not as crystal clear as the above beer.  The aroma is of moderately strong sulfur complemented by a grainy sweetness.  The taste carries through the aroma as well a light but noticeable presence of noble hops.  The beer has a slightly bitter finish and a moderate mouthfeel.  This is a really good beer, again like the above beer probably better in Germany.  I give this beer a "B+" grade.  It just seems to be missing something.

Both of these beers are worthy of trying to find and enjoy.  Better yet head to Germany and try these fresh from the brewery.

QC Beerguy

Glassware makes the Beer

Believe it or not but what you drink your beer from can be the difference of your liking it or not.  Every beer drinker is familiar with the ubiquitous shaker pint glass.   This is the tapered glass with the mouth being the widest part and holding 16 ounces of beer.  Or so you think, there are some "pint" glasses that hold 14 or so ounces.  The secret is the bottom of the glass is thicker than the normal pint glass, so beware. 

Just because a glass is commonly used does not mean it is the best with which to enjoy your beer.  If you are familiar with Belgian beer, you will know that it seems that each beer has its own particular glass to showcase the beer.  Most of the glasses are some type of a tulip glass.  Which is a glass with a bowl on top of a stem and the mouth of the glass is smaller than the bowl.  This allows aromas to be concentrated into your nose as you take a drink from the glass.  

As well there are various glasses used with German beers.  There is the pilsner glass, the hefeweizen glass and a few other special glasses for regional beer.  I best not forget the half liter and liter mug used with Oktoberfest beers.   Each glass has been proven over time to accentuate some desirable characteristic of the beer. 

So needless to say many a beer lover has multiple glasses to in which to properly serve their beer.  I know I have several cupboards full of glasses that mainly go unused.  I find myself almost always using the pint glass.

There is an example of a current brewer using his considerable resources to design a new type of glass.  Jim Koch owner of Samuel Adams a couple years ago spent thousands of dollars to have engineers design a glass to showcase his beers.  The end result was a glass that easily fits into your hand but has a bowl and narrows at the mouth to concentrate the aromas of the beer.  The bowl helps keep the beer at proper temperature since it concentrates the volume of the beer into the bowl.

It truly does make a difference on choosing your glassware as to how enjoyable the beer is.  Also there is a noticeable difference for many people between actual glass and plastic "glasses".  In the QC area several places serve their beer in plastic cups if you are going to sit out on the patio.  Plastic can detract from the enjoyment, because of undesirable aromas or other characteristics.  So sometimes a beer will taste different between inside and outside because of the serving vessel.

Next time you order a beer sit back and think about your beer and the glass it came in.  Could it taste better in a different glass?  Does the place I am having my beer really know how to best showcase the beer I am drinking?  Do not be afraid to ask your server if they are serving the beer in the proper glass.  Most times your server will refer you to the manager on duty to have your discussion.  If they only have pint glasses, then that is how you are able to drink your beer.  So enjoy as much as you can.

One last note on glassware, do not if possible drink a beer from an icy glass.  Ice = frozen water.  So it does a couple of things to beer.  First it slightly dilutes your beer.  Second the glass is at freezing temperatures, so that means it will cool any beer you put into it.  This is not necessarily a good thing.  Some beers are best at temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees.   Cold glasses repress the aromas and flavors of the beer.

QC Beerguy

Moylan's Orange and Black Congrats Ale and Life and Limb Dogfish/Sierra Nevada

I had a couple of really great beers last week.  First up Moylan's Orange and Black Congrats Ale.  It pours dark brown almost black with a thin tan head that does not last.  It has some noticeable dark roast aromas with a hint of orange, clean and no noticeable aromas.  Taste is of the usual dark roast, coffee and chocolate you would expect from a porter.  Also it has a very definite taste of orange, to me almost like it had straight "no pulp" orange juice poured into it.  In a strange way I really liked this beer, it reminded me of those chocolate orange candy things that are out around Christmas time.  It had medium body and at 6% ABV it was not overly alcoholic.  I had it on tap and from what I have read online it tastes different in the bottle, but still worth a try.  I give it a good strong "B+", find it and try it.


The second beer was Life and Limb 2 a collaboration between Dogfishead and Sierra Nevada Brewing companies.  This also was a draft beer.  According to the website http://life-limb.com/ this beer checks in at 10.2% ABV.  The website goes onto describe the beer as strong dark beer that defies style.  On Beer Advocate they label it as an American Strong Ale, sounds good to me.  It pours dark brown almost black with a deep tan head, that does not last long.  Aroma is malty sweet with a hint of spicy esters.  Taste is of maple syrup, chocolate, strong malt and a good bit of hops.  Mouthfeel is medium with a slight creaminess and a noticeable alcohol warmth.  I greatly enjoyed this beer and would recommend this to anyone.  I give it a "A-".    Besides maple syrup they carbonated with Birch syrup, as well they used a blend of both house yeasts from Dogfish and Sierra Nevada.   This is a great collaboration beer, find it and drink it!

QC Beerguy

Munich Helles 1 D

Next up on the BJCP style guidelines is Munich Helles 1D.  This is a beer style that was originated in 1895 at Spaten Brewery in Munich Germany.  Originally created to compete with the pilsner style beers, but more malt accentuated with hops in the background.

Aroma:  Grainy-sweet, clean Pils malt aroma dominates.  Low to moderately-low spicy noble hop aroma and a low background note of DMS (from PIls malt).  No esters or diacetyl.

Appearance:  Medium yellow to Pale gold, clear, with a creamy white head.

Flavor:  Slightly sweet, malty profile.  Grain and Pils malt predominate.  Low to moderately-low hop bitterness supports the maltiness.  Low to moderately-low spicy noble hop flavor.  Finish and aftertaste remain malty.  Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl.

Mouthfeel:  Medium body, medium carbonation, smooth maltiness with no astringency.

Comments:  Malty but fully attenuated Pils malt showcase.  Unlike Pilsner but like its cousin, Munich Dunkel, Helles is a malt-accentuated beer that is not overly sweet, but rather focuses on malt flavor with with underlying hop bitterness in a supporting role.  Made from moderate carbonate water, Pilsner malt and German noble hop varieties.

Numbers:  IBUs(bitterness) 16-22, SRM(color) 3-5, OG (potential) 1.045-1.051, FG (finish) 1.008-1.012, ABV 4.2-5.3%

Examples:  Spaten Premium Lager, Weihenstephaner Original, Hacker- Pschorr Munchner Gold, Stoudt's Gold Lager.

This is a true German style of beer with not many US craft brewery examples.  This is becoming a beer that some craft brewers are finding out that will compete or replace the Pilsners.  A light refreshing beer that can be a session beer or a German lawnmower beer.  This is a beer style worth hunting for, so if you are at a craft brewery and they have it on tap give it a try. 

QC Beerguy