Mouthgasm 2011

    Jennifer Litz, head of the Texas chapter of the Girls Pint Out ladies craft-beer appreciation secret society, approached me about wanting to do a beer and food pairing class with her group at our brewery. As we talked about it, I found myself continually drooling over the idea of the dishes that my wife and I had dreamed up. My lips quivered, my tongue pulsed, my throat swelled.... I was on the verge of a mouthgasm.
  
    On January 22, 2011 my wife, Keely, and I are hosting Mouthgasm 2011- a beer and food pairing experience. At Mouthgasm, we will be walking guests through the basics of beer and food pairing principles- balance, contrast, emphasis- and discussing the ins and outs of beer in the culinary realm. We're not professional chefs, food critics, or even foodies. We're food porn fetishists- we get our jollies on jellies, and so forth. Keely and I have been concocting concoctions in our kitchen for several years, and have found personal success, enjoyment, and beervana in our adventures, and in our mouths. We will be showing you how simple beer and food pairing is, and how incredibly fun and enriching it can be.

    After a short introduction and explanation of beer and food pairing, the evening will begin. You will be taken through a 4 course meal where each course is designed to be paired with a specific Ranger Creek beer. Soup, salad, entrée 1, entrée 2, all cooked up with care by 2 Tarts catering. We dreamed up the menu, and they are executing it for us. After we've walked through the dinner pairings, each beer will be return with 4 different desserts, each specifically crafted for that beer, to show the versatility of food and beer pairings, and how a single beer can accompany the sweet and the savory.  In case your interest isn't already piqued, here is the menu:

Course 1- Soup: Merguez Sausage Gumbo paired with South Texas Lager (Dortmunder-style lager)
Course 2- Salad: Bitter greens topped with gorgonzola and balsmaic vinaigrette paired with La Bestia      
                Aimable (Belgian-style dark strong ale) 
Course 3- Entree 1: Bison sliders w/Cotswold cheese and homemade OPA mustard paired with Oatmeal
                Pale Ale (American Pale Ale)
Course 4- Entree 2: Venison and roasted root vegetables paired with Mesquite Smoked Porter (mesquite smoked Robust Porter)

Dessert courses:
Homemade "Stadium" ice cream (vanilla-Dortmunder ice cream with caramel ribbon, salted peanuts) paired with South Texas Lager
Thai-style Coconut Curry Oatmeal Cookies paired with Oatmeal Pale Ale
Figs topped with goat cheese and honey paired with La Bestia Aimable
Decadent Chocolate cupcakes topped with dark chocolate ganache and brined bacon crumbles* paired with Mesquite Smoked Porter
* uncured bacon brined in Mesquite Smoked Porter and mesquite smoked sea salt, then cooked with mesquite smoked sea salt


    This evening of mouthgasmic proportions will take place at the Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling facility (4834 Whirlwind Dr. Ste 102, San Antonio, TX 78217) on January 22 at 6 pm. The cost is $35 per person and is open to anyone wanting to have a mouthgasm, or learn more about beer and food pairing. To RSVP, contact Jennifer Litz- jennifer@girlspintout.com. 30 spots available, so RSVP today!

This year I am thankful for the 5 senses...

    "I can't believe we celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday of unity and peace. If I had my way we'd all dress in black, and daddy would serve up the white meat..."
- Everything I Ever Wanted to Learn About Genocide I Learned in the Third Grade, by The Broadways

    Ah, it's that time of year again... The time when we sit around and gorge ourselves on food, pretending to remember that we're celebrating something. Me, I cut to the chase. We raped, pillaged, and outright stole this land from native people, so I don't celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday of unity and peace. I do, however, take the time to enjoy being with my family. And my family is awesome; we don't fuck around. My wife, son and I love to cook and create, we love to eat together, and we love the shit out of some beer. This year, on top of being thankful that I have such a beautiful, loving, and supportive wife, and a rad, fun, amazingly deep son, I am thanking the heavens for the 5 senses. What is enjoyment if we had no senses with which to enjoy??

Image borrowed from somewhere online...

    So, I have here before you our Thanksgiving day menu. Much of our menu is inspired by the Homebrew Chef (though we have taken artistic license on quite a bit), and the rest is inspired solely by flavor. The stuffing we are making we made the last two years, and it is amazing. The spicy, dry, herbal character of a true Belgian tripel combines in a heavenly way with the earthy spice of fresh sage. I love me some sage. For dessert this year, we are skipping the pumpkin pie and the sweet potatoes and going comfort food, plus we had to figure out an awesome way to incorporate our Mesquite Smoked Porter. You only have a few days of preparing left, so here it is. Get going, goddamit!


Ranger Creek Belgian Dark Strong Ale Brined Free Range Turkey (serves ~10, depending on size of bird)
    The rich flavor of turkey pairs wonderfully with malty beers like Oktoberfest, Munich dunkel, brown ales, etc. However, there is also a succulent sweetness in the meat and a rich gamey character that tastes incredible with earthy vegetables and herbs. To highlight these flavors we are using our Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale which has subtle herbal notes, peppery spice, earthy yeast complexities, and deep, dark fruit character from the malt and candi syrup that compliments the bird's sweetness. Adding just a little more of the candi syrup helps the brine to have a rich pruny sweetness, and also gives the bird a bit of glaze.
1       gallon    Ranger Creek La Bestia Aimable
1       gallon    ice water
1/4    C.          sugar
1/4    C.          Dark Belgian Candi Syrup
Handful          fresh picked sage leaves
Handful          fresh thyme sprigs
3       ea.         Bay leaves
2/3    C.          sliced carrot
2/3    C.          sliced celery
1/2    C.          sliced leeks
1 1/2 C.          chopped onion
2       ea.         tangerines, halved
6       ea.         garlic cloves
In a large pot simmer beer, sugars, herbs and vegetables for 10 min. Remove from heat and add ice water. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until cold. Place turkey into brine bag (or ice chest) and fill with brine. Refrigerate for 48 hours (add ice if using ice chest). Remove turkey and dry well. Roast turkey at 350º F until internal temperature of thickest part of leg is 165º F. Let sit for 30 minutes for juices to distribute evenly, keeping the turkey moist.

Sage and Tripel Stuffing (serves 8-10)
    As mentioned above, the herbaceous, earthy spice of a Belgian tripel pairs swimmingly with sage. This rustic stuffing allows these flavors to perfectly marry, and is an excellent accompaniment to the above turkey recipe, though stands alone as a tasty dish. The addition of sausage or giblets can add more complexity and flavor, but believe me when I say this stuffing is the shit.
8      C.      crusty bread, cubed (we use locally made French-style Batard)
4      C.      cornbread, cubed

• 1/4   C.      chopped Italian parsley
• 3      Tbsp  chopped fresh sage
• 1       tsp    sea salt
• 1/2    tsp    fresh cracked black pepper
• 1       C.     unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 C.     onion, chopped
• 1       C.     celery, chopped
• 2      ea.     eggs, beaten
• 1/2    C.     chicken broth
• 1/2    C.     heavy cream
• 1/2    C.     Belgian tripel, preferably Westmalle

Place bread, herbs, salt and pepper in mixing bowl. Melt butter in skillet, then add onion and cook until softened. Add celery and cook about 5 min. Pour into bread bowl and toss. Add eggs, stock, cream, and beer mix thoroughly. Place in baking dish and bake at 325º F covered for 30 min. Uncover and back 30 min more or until browned. 

Mesquite Smoked Porter Bread Pudding (serves 8-10)

    Seriously, this recipe speaks for itself. Dark chocolate, smoke, custard and cream...

1 loaf rustic bread, cubed (we used Central Market's cranberry walnut bread)
2 C. Ranger Creek Mesquite Smoked Porter
1 pint heavy cream
4 eggs

1/4 C. brown sugar

1/4 C. white sugar
 Beat eggs, beer, cream, and sugar to combine. Toss in bread and hand mix. Allow to sit until bread absorbs the custard. Spread evenly over buttered baking dish. Bake at 350º F for 45 min. 

    In addition to these dishes we will also be making the Homebrew Chef's Garlic IPA mashed potatoes, using Ranger Creek OPA, and his Cranberry Wit Sauce. 

    Enjoy your Thanksgiving, don't celebrate our horrible American past, but do be thankful for your loved ones, and for craft brewers. 

The LOCAL Trend- Far more important than yuppies know... (PT 1)

    So, it's been pretty hip to eat and drink local for a while now. And like most folk, I never stopped to really think about the ramifications and importance of eating and drinking local. Not, that is, until I started to brew beer commercially.
    There is a big waste factor for commercial brewers: all of those spent grains... What to do with them? Well the brewery I work for, like most I know of, gives their spent grain free of charge to local farmers for animal feed and compost. As we have begun to develop a close, personal relationship with the farmer who takes our spent grain for us, I have begun to realize just how important dealing with local producers is. It isn't just the corporate giant versus the little independents. It's far more deep rooted than that.
    It begins with the economy. When you spend money at locally owned, independent businesses, or spend your money on locally made products, that money is more likely to stay in our local communities. Findings from several different studies on local versus national chain retailers (which you can find here) shows that the money you spend at a local business, or on local products, is more likely to get pumped back into the local economy, whereas money spent at a national chain retailer gets taken out of state, being funneled back to corporate headquarters elsewhere. This helps local businesses stay afloat, who employ local people, and help strengthen our local communities. Furthermore, roughly 18 cents of the cost of produce goes to the grower, whereas 82 cents goes to distributors and other middlemen. By buying local we are ensuring the support and sustainability of our local farmers and local economy.

Image totally stolen from http://cleanhippie.wordpress.com

    The same goes for locally grown and locally made products. When we buy locally grown produce, locally raised meat, dairy, etc, we are supporting our local economy. However, there are also environmental benefits as well. According to this article, "It is estimated that groceries travel an average of 1,500 miles before they reach the consumer’s table." The amount of energy, fuel, and pollution that goes into bringing Fuji apples from Chile, or greenhouse tomatoes from the other side of the country is asinine when you stop and think about how little it takes to get produce grown locally. Large scale agribusiness is a wasteful industry, both in terms of energy and direct pollution. Our soils are continually being over farmed, weakened, and filled with toxic fertilizers that get into our drinking water. Knowing who and where your food comes from is an important part of being a consumer that we have gotten too far away from. By turning back to local farmers we are ensuring that our communities are strengthened by developing a system that is sustainable. 
   I know that it all sounds preachy and maybe a little hippy-ish, but please realize that we take a ton of this shit for granted. Certainly there is alot of luxury that we enjoy now, but we have to face reality and realize that we have been living under the false pretense that this lifestyle will support us forever. We have to be informed and make important choices that affect us directly. 
   A large part of the craft brewing movement is independence and freedom, and that is both in the methods we brew and the way we produce. There is a quality that is guaranteed when you choose a local beer. Local brewers and farmers are both big parts of our local communities, but they rely on each other, and upon local consumers to survive. 


There is tons more great info about local produce, etc at LocalHarvest.org, a website with which I am not personally affiliated. 


Up next: The Local Food System- How Brewers, Farmers, and Cooks can collaborate and innovate.

Why You Should Become a Cicerone, Too

    I spent the last two years of my life managing a great independently owned beer bar chain in San Antonio and Austin, Texas called the Flying Saucer. The powers that be were always pushing us store managers to further our beer knowledge, to become more than just beer retailers and beer advocates, but rather to become certified beer judges and homebrewers, beer connoisseurs that could validate our establishment. When the Cicerone Certification program came along, they said anyone that took the exams would be paid for by the company. At the time, I had no idea what the program was, but I knew deeply as a beer server just how important it was. Any bar, any person, can pour a beer for someone. It takes a real understanding of where the beer came from, what type of glass to put it in, and most importantly the quality of the beer being poured and cleanliness of the glass it's being poured into to transform "any person" into a real craft beer advocate. I was up to the challenge.
    One morning when I was the opening manager, I hopped online and took the Certified Beer Server exam. Fifteen minutes and three cups of coffee later, I was a Certified Beer Server. It felt good, empowering, to know that I just put my knowledge to the test and proved to myself and my peers that I had the goods. Instantly I wanted more, though. There was a certain mystique and allure to the next (and at the time, highest) level of the Cicerone Certification Program. It seemed almost unattainable, and a challenge I wasn't sure I had what it took to complete. So I set to the task of developing my beer knowledge by reading, home brewing, and most importantly, drinking beer. Over the next year I worked hard at training my pallet to be able to indentify off-flavors, notice subtle nuances in beer aroma and flavor (all of the background notes), and learning more about the origins of beer styles. At times I felt dizzy with information, saturated with original gravities, cities of origin, food and beer pairing. It was the first time in my life that I ever had the zeal to study for an exam, to actually soak up knowledge, the first time chemistry and biology made sense to me. (Where were you in high school, Cicerone?!) Then in November, 2009, my time had come.
    I took my exam in Austin at a brewpub, proctored by another Texas Certified Cicerone™, with a coworker of mine. We had been sharing information and encouraging one another in anticipation of the exam. That afternoon we carpooled and shared last minute thoughts. We found ourselves the only two people taking the exam, but somehow I was at ease, confident. This was the biggest, longest, most involved test I have ever taken. When I took the ACT the one semester I went to college, I had multiple choice. This was all short answer and essays. There were certainly some questions I did not know the answers to, but I flew through the written portion thirsty for the opportunity to identify diacetyl and oxidation during the tasting portion. When I finished, I turned it in, said a silent prayer to Ninkasi, and hoped like hell that I didn't have my head up my ass.
     Just after Christmas I received an email from Ray Daniels. It was like getting a letter from a college you had applied to (I assume. I never applied to any...). I read the top and couldn't bring myself to go on. I didn't want to know if I failed, so I was ready to not know if I passed. With more curiosity than courage, I glanced down, past the word "Congratulations," to the part that had my scores. Holy cuss. I passed.
    Being a Certified Cicerone™ is awesome. Certainly there is a prestige and allure to it, but I'm not that cocky goddamit. I love being a Cicerone because it reminds me everyday that my beer knowledge has been certified and that I now have a duty to share that knowledge. When I was at the Flying Saucer I made sure that every glass that went out was clean as a whistle (beer clean), that the draft lines we poured from were cleaned regularly, that any beer that came back with the complaint of an off-flavor was checked for quality. I want to make certain that people enjoying craft beer can absolutely enjoy it. It may sound arrogant, but I mean it sincerely. Certified Cicerone™'s ensure quality.
    As a craft beer drinker, it is empowering to know that there are Certified Beer Judges and Certified Cicerone™'s out there making sure that beer is being made well, beer is being stored well, poured properly, and that I will receive the best possible beer when I go out. As a craft brewer it gives me confidence that my beer will be poured in clean lines and clean glassware at proper temperatures so that people can enjoy it how I intend it to be.
    The Cicerone Certification Program is all about education, and that is the difference between craft beer and crap beer. If we educate ourselves and educate each other, we become more of a community where choice and quality are amenities, not nice-to-haves. If you haven't, check out the Cicerone Certification Program, started by Ray Daniels (author of Designing Great Beers and Seibel Institute faculty) at Cicerone.org. The more Certified Cicerone™s there are out there fighting the good fight, the more certain we all will be that our beer will be fresh (or properly aged), and served with quality and integrity in mind.

Other Texas Certified Cicerone™s are: Brian Tarver (beer buyer at NW Military HEB and the first in TX)- San Antonio; Sam Wynne (Beer Guru at Flying Saucer)- Austin; Jeff Fryman- Richardson; Matt Quenette- Fort Worth

Your First Pint (4 of 10)

     Ladies and gentlemens, my latest Your First Pint featuring Aaron Chamberlain, the mastermind behind Craft Austin, My Last Pint, and the inspiration for this very blog. Aaron is a totally way rad dude, a huge supporter of craft beer and local breweries and beer bars.

Banner used without permission- sorry dude.

    "The first beer that really got me digging craft beer was Brooklyn Lager. But it was not just one Brooklyn Lager, it was many over a few months of drinking them around NYC. I was 23 and had just moved to Brooklyn with my new wife, Sofia. It took a while, but eventually it sunk in that I was dealing with something wholly different than the usual beer fare. Most of the pints along that path were with Sofia. A cast of other characters, friends and acquaintances were also there at some points. Brooklyn Lager  was (is) ubiquitous in NY, but most of those pints were had at The Gate, a pub a few blocks from our apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I miss that place so much, but the Draught House has made a great replacement. Before that, I had other nonfizzyyellowwater beer. I had always liked Guinness. I drank my fair share of other craft beers, like Rogue, in college. But before Brooklyn Lager I never really stopped and enjoyed the beer. It was the first beer to grab me and make me pay attention."


You can also follow Aaron on Twitter via: CraftAustin, MyLastPint, and ElMachuca

Your First Pint (3 of 10)

    In honor of their Labor Day event in Houston, I'm posting my third installment of YFP featuring Jennifer Litz, mastermind behind Texas Girls Pint Out, amongst a number of other beer related journalistic things. She was kind enough to share with me her introduction into craft beer.

Craft Beer and the Women Who Love Them
by Jennifer Litz

    "My first pint was a bottle, really. I'd always been a whiskey girl, before my best friend Desi insisted I drink Shiner or I wasn't from Texas.

    But that wasn't the pint that "blue" my mind. THAT "pint" , rather, was Chimay grande reserve. I don't remember the exact circumstances of my first taste -- think I was bein' adventurous at the San Antonio (Flying) Saucer -- but I half-remember many happy recurrences. It was such instant love I barely blinked at the price tag, even though I was a broker-ass editor than now.  That beer turned me into the Belgophile I still am today."

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    Texas Girls Pint Out is a Houston-based women's craft beer group who focuses on beer education, appreciation, and advocating craft beer, with a focus on Texas beer. Women are finally beginning to be respected as members of the craft beer community (we've come a long way since Susan B...), and Jennifer and the Girls Pint Out group is one of many female-focused craft beer groups around the country. To get involved with, support, promote, etc the Texas Girls Pint Out, follow Jennifer on her blog, and on twitter (@txgirlspintout). Women are people, too. 

Your First Pint (PT. 2 of 10)

Is it too soon? What the hell...

   Here is my second installment of Your First Pint featuring Scott Metzger, owner of Freetail Brewing in San Antonio, TX. Scott is a huge champion of craft beer and is always fighting to make Texas laws easier on craft beer producers. His brewpub has been a godsend to San Antonio as they continually make intriguing, delicious, and off-the-beaten-path craft beers. He was kind enough to tell us about his craft beer awakening:

One of the many great beers at Freetail Brewing

    "Excluding the countless beers consumed out of plastic cups as a minor while I was a student in San Marcos, I think the beer(s) that really thrust me into this world were over my first few days living in the D/FW area for my first job after college.  Since I was the only person within a 15 year radius of a couple of co-workers, we immediately became friends and they invited me out to a Rangers game my first week on the job. 

    We met up at Humperdink’s in Arlington (I’m not sure if they still brew there) and my friend Jay recommended I try a hefe.  Being about 115 degrees outside and my palate being uneducated (I was only recently 21) – it was a pretty life shattering moment.  I can still remember my thought process running along the lines of “Holy shit, beer doesn’t always have to taste like piss!”  After running the gamut of Humperdink’s beers that night we visited the Flying Saucer in Addison the next night as the guys were showing me the area’s cool spots.  The night before had filled me with wide-eyed ambition to try new things, and it was a McEwans Scotch Ale that fully cemented my love for beer.  That sweet, caramel, toffee maltiness blew me away.  To this day my favorite thing to hear people say is “Wow, I never knew beer could be like this!” and it’s probably because I can remember the moment I said those very words.  It’s an even more amazing thing when someone says it about one of your beers."

Stay tuned for more YFP's!

Your First Pint (PT. 1 of 10)

    So, I must say that this is one of the least original ideas to come up with. Saying that this was all my idea would be like saying it was my idea to start brewing beer in Texas. I'm way behind...
    The idea stems from two places: First, my wife Keely, my brother Peter, and I were having a conversation late one night over some beer that I can't quite remember... I think it may have been a Rogue Shakespeare Stout. At any rate, we were telling each other the story about the time we had that first beer, the one that gave us The Thirst*.  Pete and Keely both had interesting, captivating, and inspiring stories riddled with detail of surroundings, company, etc. Mine was similar, and we were all inspired and excited by each others account of that first beer. I thought it would be neat to hear other people's stories of their first beer. A friend of mine, Aaron Chamberlain, who is a beer enthusiast and beer writer, started a website not too long ago called My Last Pint where he asks people involved in the craft beer industry what the last beer they would drink before they die would be, who it would be with, what they would eat, etc. The stories and answers are always interesting and inspiring. I am a sucker for this concept and Aaron's execution of it is awesome.
   So, yes, I am biting Aaron's style a little bit, but I made sure it was cool with him first, and then I set out asking a bunch of folk these questions:

What was your first pint? Who was it with? Where did you drink it? What about the beer and the experience gave you The Thirst?


   Getting the answers back from people has been interesting and fun to read. Everyone's experience is different, some built over time, some a distinct moment of revelation, steeped in detail. My first response was from Chris Troutman at BeerTownAustin:

"Poppin' My Craft Cherry or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Beer" 

An essay on my eye opening experience with crafted beer by Chris Troutman

As way of introduction, my name is Chris. I am married and have a day job. For fun and in my free time I brew beer in my backyard and run a local beer site in Austin, TX. All these things keep me busy and happy.

I didn't drink at all during high school and not much in college. When I did drink it was fruity, bubbly and sweet. In my college town of Belton, TX good beer was slim pickings. I considered Red Stipe and Dos Equis Amber pretty fancy. I eventually made the move to Shiner Bock and Fat Tire. I was stuck here for a while. It was ok. I even considered myself a pretty educated imbiber. While most of my friends were killing suitcases of Keystone Ice and Miller High Life I was looking down on them from my high tower built of Shiner and Fat Tire bottles. It felt pretty damn good.

I would have stayed aloof on my tower alone if it were not for a job I got in 2005. My buddy hooked me up with a technical training gig for an elections solution company. This afforded me lots of travel. I spent the summer of 2006 jetting between Colorado and Washington state. During these months I tried a lot of new beers. I liked them and sought them out for their "guess what new beer I tried on the road" appeal. I didn't even know what I was drinking half the time.

Then one evening in Chelan County, WA someone shared a Deschutes Black Butte Porter with me and started me on path to respecting, appreciating, brewing and advocating crafted beers. 

Photo Courtesy of Chris Troutman

After traveling for several months with only short weekend trips home once or twice a month, I was beginning to lose touch and burn out. I spent more nights in hotels than my own house. More time with strangers than friends. One evening when I was feeling particularly lonely the Chelan County Elections Official invited myself and my coworker out for dinner. She and her husband took us to the small European mountain town of Leavenworth nestled in a river valley. After dinner they invited us out to visit their home and cherry orchard. On the drive there we came upon their son, a train engineer, who stopped his freight train to allow me to ride in the engine with him. He explained that I was seeing parts of the river valley and surrounding mountains that were only accessible by rail. Once we arrived at the cherry orchard they took us on a tour of the grounds, let us soak our feet in the natural irrigation from the river and stand and pick and eat cherries ripe from the trees. It was incredible. Upon returning to the house our host brought out a bowl of fresh picked cherries, some local wine, and a few bottles of Deschutes Black Butte Porter. I normally preferred "lighter" beers, but that night the dark beer seemed right. 

Sipping on that porter complimented with fresh ripe Washington cherries surrounded by such gracious hospitality left a lasting impact on me. I'd had good times drinking beers with friends before, but I think it was having this great of an experience with relative strangers that really made it remarkable. I know there were several variables going into the grandness of that evening, but the only one I can still consistently reproduce is the beer. After that evening I had a much different attitude towards beer. It wasn't something that set me apart or made me "better" than other people, it was something magical that could draw me together with other people over a common experience. It wasn't about separation, it was about sharing and coming together.

My first weekend back in town I went to Austin Homebrew Supply and purchased a homebrew kit and began making my own beer. I was still on the road alone and tired for several more months after that, but it was ok. 

Appreciate Your Local Brewer

    Well, it's the night before the big day, and I am sure that this post is jinxing it, but tomorrow is slated to be the first full batch at Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling. I'm excited, a little anxious, but not really nervous, surprisingly.
    Lots to think about, sleep to get, and tons to do in the morning to get to brewing. Our boiler is not yet fully automated, so it's going to be a shitload of running back and forth checking to make sure it's pulling water, the pressure is right, etc, meanwhile trying not to get my flesh seared as I wriggle beside and behind it. Fun stuff, but it's part of what makes it craft, right? Hands on, potentially life threatening, full force-sweat drenched, and buck wild. That's how I roll.
    Commercial brewing is awesome. It's a challenge and it's rewarding, and while aspects of it are easier than homebrewing, many people don't appreciate fully the amount of labor, stress, and sweat go into making a single batch of beer. You may appreciate the beers and the good folks who made 'em, but think of each step being taken:
For a 10 bbl (310 gallon) batch of my lager that I'm making tomorrow, I need to mill over 600 lbs of grain, or 11- 55lb sacks of grain. That's the lightest of my 4 beers. Each of those sacks of grain is getting picked up by a brewer and dumped into a mill to crack the grains and ready them for mashing.
At the brewery I work at, there's no a.c. in the brewstillery, and I know most breweries of our size and in our area don't have a.c. either. Know why? It's costly and ineffective to try to cool a place that's exposed to the outside air, and has hot equipment working all day. Today in San Antonio it was 106ºF with the heat index. Add a steam boiler, hot liquor tank, mash tun, and boil kettle, and you've got yourself a regular sweat lodge.
Post mash, a brewer is left with a big steel pot with hundreds of pounds of hot, wet grains that need to be shoveled out into big containers for farmers to take away for their livestock. These wet grains weigh, literally, twice as much as they did dry. And they are over 100ºF hot. More sweat...
    On and on through the process the brewer works to bring you some good juice to enjoy with loved ones. Like I said, it's rewarding to do- but quite difficult. One slip up in time, temperature, pH, gravity, cleanliness, etc, and it's all for naught. Now don't get me wrong, I don't say this to make me look good or pump myself up. I haven't done it on my own yet. I'm saying, next time you pour a cold local brew, sip deep in admiration and appreciation of the artistry, talent, and hard-goddam-work that the good folks at Live Oak, NXNW, Uncle Billy's Independence, (512), Southern Star, Real Ale, Freetail, Blue Star, Saint Arnold, etc, etc, etc put into that single libation. Awesome, right? I stand in awe of it daily, and I am humbled and honored at the ability to do it myself and join these brewers that have done it before me. Who the fuck am I but the new kid in town. Well, I hope I sweat enough and pay enough attention to the process that the good juice you drink in a few weeks is worthy of the Texas craft beer drinker's lips. Again, I am honored to have this job and be able to bring you some awesome beer soon, and believe me when I say I intend to do just that.
    Don't just support your local craft brewer, appreciate the shit out of them. Drink their beer and help them be successful, and they will reward you with some good juice.

Tomorrow I'll be rocking my Austin Homebrew Supply t-shirt as I brew my first batch at Ranger Creek. If it wasn't for the patience and sage-like wisdom, kindness and communal spirit of all the guys who have known me by name for years, I'd be far from where I am. Ed emailed me today wishing me luck on my first batch tomorrow. That's fucking nice, and encouraging as all hell. I love the community spirit of craft beer!

-Ranger Creek Rob

I get by with a little help from my friends...

Walking my dog around the sleepy town of New Braunfels tonight, I got to thinking about how far I've come in life, especially lately. Getting to brew at a brand new production brewery is a dream and a huge honor. Getting there took a lot of patience, education, and hard work. It also took a lot of support from some really awesome people I am honored to know. So, thanks:

Chris, Jib, Shawn, and Josh at BeerTownAustin- These guys are huge supporters of craft beer, especially local beer, and homebrewing. Their passion and thirst for good beer has gotten them involved in many beer events, festivals, and breweries. They are always reporting on goings on, and getting the word out for local beer makers and drinkers alike. They have been a huge support to me, so follow them on Twitter and read their blog. They're good guys spreading the good word.

Aaron Chamberlain, who does a few blogs including Craft Austin and My Last Pint, is another Austinite who promotes, supports, and writes about craft beer, with a focus on local. Aaron has always been a friendly face and an avid supporter of things beer, and has been a great support to me. I was lucky enough to have the honor of doing a video interview for his My Last Pint blog, which is a very cool idea, and very fun to read and watch.

Kevin Brand and Nate Seale at (512) Brewing in Austin have always been welcoming to me as well. They have always had an open door for me, allowing me to come in and ask them questions about large scale brewing, where to find equipment, vendor suggestions, and even help with some DIY brewing spreadsheets. Nate let me come in and brew with him on several occasions, and often burned cd's of bitchin' new jams for me to listen to while making suds. These two guys are both great people and deserving of their success.

Amy and Rob Cartwright and their staff at Independence Brewing, also in Austin, have also been kind and welcoming to me as well. They let me come to their brewery, gave me suggestions for places to get bottles, print labels, and even let me help on bottling day to get to know the bottling line. (We purchased the same model that they have.) The Cartwrights have always been good friends, makers of fine beer, and completely supportive, encouraging, and working towards making Austin, and Texas, a beer community.

My good friend Chris Cherry at Live Oak always gives me great, detailed, and technical insight into the brewing industry, dealing with draft accounts, sales, and building business. He has let me come to the brewery to observe, go on deliveries with him, and even gave me my first lessons in driving a forklift. Chris is an awesome human, and another great person hoping for more of a community in Texas craft beer.

Scott and Jason over at Freetail Brewing in San Antonio are a great pair of guys. They have been nothing but supportive since we announced we were opening a brewery in the town they built, and I have to give them "mad props" (the kids still say that, right?) for what they have achieved. Scott and Jason have proved in the last 2 years that San Antonio is more than a Bud Light Lime type of place, as can be seen with their sell-out imperial stout and incredibly inventive specialty beers like a wheatgrass witbiere. These guys are good allies, and Scott is always making a big push to get legislation in Texas changed to make it easier to produce, sell, and buy beer. These are good guys working for good things, so please go drink their beer. I hope we can keep working together to make San Antonio more of a beer town, and work with all the other breweries in the state to get some legislation changed. (Write your lawmakers daily telling them to throw out their outdated laws and give us a break. Right now, brew pubs can only sell beer to people that come to them, and production breweries like Ranger Creek and (512) can only sell to bars, restaurants, and grocery-type stores to sell to people. We can't sell it if you come to our breweries. I know, pointless.)

There are TONS of other people who have been supportive  of me in my brewing endeavors, so don't be offended if you are not specifically named. I do want to thank the good folks I have worked with at the Flying Saucers in Austin and San Antonio, and all of the other beer writers who have been kind enough to reach out to me and write about us.

Lastly, if my wife were not a huge lover of beer (and an amazingly creative baker with beer), I would not be dong what I am doing. She is the most selfless and supportive lady I have ever known, and she makes awesome ice creams and baked treats with the beers I brew, and she's also done a good amount of homebrewing as well.

I also have to thank Assistant Pete, my brother and assistant brewer at Ranger Creek, for all of his hard work, dedication, thirst for knowledge, and support. He'll be the guy you see lifting those heavy ass kegs of beer that you'll be buying and drinking pretty damn soon. (He's also single and is into cycling and eating awesome natural foods.)

The lesson to learn here: We are not shit without the support of the people around us, and if we don't support them back then we have failed as a community. And strong community is what we need, suckas.

This calls for a celebration!

 At Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling, the brewstillery I brew at in San Antonio, we recently received our TABC and TTB permits, allowing us to make and sell spirits and "ale" in the great state of Texas. To put it mildly, we are fucking excited as shit. I've been hoping and anticipating this day for so long, my wife and I have been sitting on some gems for a while now.
    So to celebrate we are gathering here at the facility on Saturday to drink some beers we've been aging that marry the spirits and beer sides of our business. I don't often have the luxury of possessing beer good enough to brag about, so I'm admittedly a bit tickled about this awesome list:

1999 J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Lagavulin Cask)
2006 Avery Samaels oaked strong ale
2007 Flying Dog Wild Dog Imperial Porter (Stranahans whiskey barrel aged)
2008 BrewDog Paradox Scotch cask
Lost Abbey Angel's Share bourbon barrel aged American strong ale
Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza strong golden aged in oak barrels
Great Divide 16th Anniversary Oak Aged IPA
BrewDog Tactical Nuclear Penguin Batch 002

That list is making me drool. What vintage goodies have you got? We're still sitting on a 2008, 2009, 2010 DFH Red and White, a 2004&2007 Fuller's Vintage Ale, and some other goodies. We're also amassing one vintage of J.W Lees Harvest Ale from 2008 on to 2026- 18 years of beer- to crack open for our son's 18th birthday. (I hope they keep making it that long.)

Cheers!

Why is homebrewing a family value?

     With all of the great beer blogs out there, why another one? Why the fuck not, you know? My name is Rob Landerman, husband, father, brewer. I have been a homebrewer for 6+ years, now brew professionally, and I feel like adding to the conversation, helping to explain why beer and brewing are valid and necessary parts of American society.
     This isn't going to be a blog solely about homebrewing, but will rather focus on many different aspects of beer, brewing, and their places (read: importance) in our lives. I do not aim to aggrandize nor over simplify these themes, so bear with me as this is obviously in a very infantile state currently, and I have yet to get in a groove. (I'll take this time to name drop...) If you're looking for a more established beer blog with a clearly defined path, please check out my good friends at Beer Town Austin, Craft Austin, My Last Pint, Texas Beer Blog, I Love Beer blog, and Texas Girls Pint Out, amongst a trillion other good ones.
   Having said that....
     Why "Homebrewing Is A Family Value?" Simply, because it is. The basest principles of homebrewing are:

• cleanliness
• education
• understanding
• patience
• responsibility
• respect

    These are the same principles we aim to build our communities upon. The communal gathering of homebrew clubs can, and should be translated to the home and family. Gathering as a family or community to make, discuss, and drink beer together is, for my money, the best way to build togetherness. The relaxing effect of beer, the conversations started from the mere experience of tasting, and the communal pride of sharing knowledge and anecdote is a beautiful thing. Teaching our children that it is fine to drink beer, that it is not taboo but rather a healthful part of our day, gives them a greater understanding and respect of it. In my home we treat it like the food that it is, not like a porno magazine. There is no shame in drinking or sharing it with your children.

    When you look at homebrew clubs, competitions, educational programs, communal brew sessions, and the beer bar of today, it's like looking back in time when beer was a deep rooted part of society, that social lubricant that loosed good folks' tongues after a long day of work and gave them common ground to walk on. Homebrewing has helped, to me, revive a part of society we have been missing for a long time. The folks I know that brew, or just drink in appreciation and awe of this artfully crafted beverage, are some of the best I've ever known, and if this big surly country had more of 'em, perhaps it'd be a bit better of a place. Homebrewing is a symbol of community and good standing. (Believe me, I know some homebrewers are know-it-all dicks, but that's where patience and respect come in...) Next time you crack open a cold coffee-raisin-tofu-saison, or whatever your newest abstract self expression is, revel in the company you share it with. 

Stay tuned for less poorly written persuasive essays!

-Rob