Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers, Study Finds
By JOHN CLOUD John Cloud Mon Aug 30, 6:55 am ET
One of the most contentious issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don't drink actually tend to die sooner than those who do. The standard Alcoholics Anonymous explanation for this finding is that many of those who show up as abstainers in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred health problems associated with drinking.
But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that - for reasons that aren't entirely clear - abstaining from alcohol does actually tend to increase one's risk of dying even when you exclude former drinkers. The most shocking part? Abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers.
Moderate drinking, which is defined as one to three drinks per day, is associated with the lowest mortality rates in alcohol studies. Moderate alcohol use (especially when the beverage of choice is red wine) is thought to improve heart health, circulation and sociability, which can be important because people who are isolated don't have as many family members and friends who can notice and help treat health problems.
But why would abstaining from alcohol lead to a shorter life? It's true that those who abstain from alcohol tend to be from lower socioeconomic classes, since drinking can be expensive. And people of lower socioeconomic status have more life stressors - job and child-care worries that might not only keep them from the bottle but also cause stress-related illnesses over long periods. (They also don't get the stress-reducing benefits of a drink or two after work.)
But even after controlling for nearly all imaginable variables - socioeconomic status, level of physical activity, number of close friends, quality of social support and so on - the researchers (a six-member team led by psychologist Charles Holahan of the University of Texas at Austin) found that over a 20-year period, mortality rates were highest for those who had never been drinkers, second-highest for heavy drinkers and lowest for moderate drinkers.
The sample of those who were studied included individuals between ages 55 and 65 who had had any kind of outpatient care in the previous three years. The 1,824 participants were followed for 20 years. One drawback of the sample: a disproportionate number, 63%, were men. Just over 69% of the never-drinkers died during the 20 years, 60% of the heavy drinkers died and only 41% of moderate drinkers died.
These are remarkable statistics. Even though heavy drinking is associated with higher risk for cirrhosis and several types of cancer (particularly cancers in the mouth and esophagus), heavy drinkers are less likely to die than people who have never drunk. One important reason is that alcohol lubricates so many social interactions, and social interactions are vital for maintaining mental and physical health. As I pointed out last year, nondrinkers show greater signs of depression than those who allow themselves to join the party.
The authors of the new paper are careful to note that even if drinking is associated with longer life, it can be dangerous: it can impair your memory severely and it can lead to nonlethal falls and other mishaps (like, say, cheating on your spouse in a drunken haze) that can screw up your life. There's also the dependency issue: if you become addicted to alcohol, you may spend a long time trying to get off the bottle.
That said, the new study provides the strongest evidence yet that moderate drinking is not only fun but good for you. So make mine a double.
One of the most contentious issues in the vast literature about alcohol consumption has been the consistent finding that those who don't drink actually tend to die sooner than those who do. The standard Alcoholics Anonymous explanation for this finding is that many of those who show up as abstainers in such research are actually former hard-core drunks who had already incurred health problems associated with drinking.
But a new paper in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research suggests that - for reasons that aren't entirely clear - abstaining from alcohol does actually tend to increase one's risk of dying even when you exclude former drinkers. The most shocking part? Abstainers' mortality rates are higher than those of heavy drinkers.
Moderate drinking, which is defined as one to three drinks per day, is associated with the lowest mortality rates in alcohol studies. Moderate alcohol use (especially when the beverage of choice is red wine) is thought to improve heart health, circulation and sociability, which can be important because people who are isolated don't have as many family members and friends who can notice and help treat health problems.
But why would abstaining from alcohol lead to a shorter life? It's true that those who abstain from alcohol tend to be from lower socioeconomic classes, since drinking can be expensive. And people of lower socioeconomic status have more life stressors - job and child-care worries that might not only keep them from the bottle but also cause stress-related illnesses over long periods. (They also don't get the stress-reducing benefits of a drink or two after work.)
But even after controlling for nearly all imaginable variables - socioeconomic status, level of physical activity, number of close friends, quality of social support and so on - the researchers (a six-member team led by psychologist Charles Holahan of the University of Texas at Austin) found that over a 20-year period, mortality rates were highest for those who had never been drinkers, second-highest for heavy drinkers and lowest for moderate drinkers.
The sample of those who were studied included individuals between ages 55 and 65 who had had any kind of outpatient care in the previous three years. The 1,824 participants were followed for 20 years. One drawback of the sample: a disproportionate number, 63%, were men. Just over 69% of the never-drinkers died during the 20 years, 60% of the heavy drinkers died and only 41% of moderate drinkers died.
These are remarkable statistics. Even though heavy drinking is associated with higher risk for cirrhosis and several types of cancer (particularly cancers in the mouth and esophagus), heavy drinkers are less likely to die than people who have never drunk. One important reason is that alcohol lubricates so many social interactions, and social interactions are vital for maintaining mental and physical health. As I pointed out last year, nondrinkers show greater signs of depression than those who allow themselves to join the party.
The authors of the new paper are careful to note that even if drinking is associated with longer life, it can be dangerous: it can impair your memory severely and it can lead to nonlethal falls and other mishaps (like, say, cheating on your spouse in a drunken haze) that can screw up your life. There's also the dependency issue: if you become addicted to alcohol, you may spend a long time trying to get off the bottle.
That said, the new study provides the strongest evidence yet that moderate drinking is not only fun but good for you. So make mine a double.
Friday, August 13, 2010
*Gulp* -- Are Beer Prices About to Go Up?
Published: Thursday, 12 Aug 2010 8:17 AM ET
Text Size
By: Cindy Perman CNBC.com Writer
A little bit of an alarming headline out of the UK this week: “Beer prices to surge.”
The price of a pint is about to jump to 4 pounds (US$6.30) there due to poor harvests in Europe and the Russian wheat crisis, the London Telegraph reported.
So, *gulp* — what does this mean for beer in America?
First, you’ll be relieved to know that most of the hops and barley used in the U.S. comes from North America. So, unless European brewers start ordering from the U.S., the issues over there shouldn’t have much of an impact on prices in the U.S.
Now the bad news — U.S. beer prices are up 2 percent year to date, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. And Harry Schuhmacher, publisher of the Beer Business Daily, said they’re going to go up again in September.
That’s due to two reasons: 1) Inflation in consumer beer prices (CBI) has lagged the increase in producer beer prices (PBI) in the past few years, and 2) Consolidation.
“[N]ow, brewers in the U.S. are much more consolidated and are putting profits over market-share gains,” Schuhmacher said.
In fact, the two largest brewers, AB InBev and MillerCoors already have price increases planned for the U.S., he said.
But Chris Ericson, owner and brewmaster of the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, said it won’t be a steep increase.
“I think what we’ll see is a little bit more of a creep up in U.S. beer prices,” Ericson said. "I don’t see any dramatic spike.”
Still, both he and Schumacher agree that it’s a pretty good time to be a beer drinker.
“I think it’s an unbelievable time to be a U.S. beer drinker,” Ericson said. “You’ve got a lot of good choices — and a great value,” he said.
In the words of Homer Simpson: Mmmm … Beer.
Clarification: The two percent rise in beer prices this year is according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. An earlier version of this story cited the source as the Beer Institute.
Text Size
By: Cindy Perman CNBC.com Writer
A little bit of an alarming headline out of the UK this week: “Beer prices to surge.”
The price of a pint is about to jump to 4 pounds (US$6.30) there due to poor harvests in Europe and the Russian wheat crisis, the London Telegraph reported.
So, *gulp* — what does this mean for beer in America?
First, you’ll be relieved to know that most of the hops and barley used in the U.S. comes from North America. So, unless European brewers start ordering from the U.S., the issues over there shouldn’t have much of an impact on prices in the U.S.
Now the bad news — U.S. beer prices are up 2 percent year to date, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. And Harry Schuhmacher, publisher of the Beer Business Daily, said they’re going to go up again in September.
That’s due to two reasons: 1) Inflation in consumer beer prices (CBI) has lagged the increase in producer beer prices (PBI) in the past few years, and 2) Consolidation.
“[N]ow, brewers in the U.S. are much more consolidated and are putting profits over market-share gains,” Schuhmacher said.
In fact, the two largest brewers, AB InBev and MillerCoors already have price increases planned for the U.S., he said.
But Chris Ericson, owner and brewmaster of the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, said it won’t be a steep increase.
“I think what we’ll see is a little bit more of a creep up in U.S. beer prices,” Ericson said. "I don’t see any dramatic spike.”
Still, both he and Schumacher agree that it’s a pretty good time to be a beer drinker.
“I think it’s an unbelievable time to be a U.S. beer drinker,” Ericson said. “You’ve got a lot of good choices — and a great value,” he said.
In the words of Homer Simpson: Mmmm … Beer.
Clarification: The two percent rise in beer prices this year is according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. An earlier version of this story cited the source as the Beer Institute.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Did you hear the country song...
... by Billy Currington?
Pretty good at drinkin' beer!!!
I WASN’T BORN FOR DIGGIN DEEP HOLES
I’M NOT MADE FOR PAVIN LONG ROADS
I AINT CUT OUT TO CLIMB HIGH LINE POLES
BUT I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN BEER
I’M NOT THE TYPE TO WORK IN A BANK
I’M NO GOOD AT SLAPPIN ON THINGS
DON’T HAVE A KNACK FOR MAKIN MOTORS CRANK, NO
BUT I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN BEER
SO HAND ME ONE MORE
THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR
I’M BUILT FOR HAVING A BALL
I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE
I LOVE MY BUDLIGHT
I LIKE ‘EM COLD AND TALL
I AINT MUCH FOR MOWIN THICK GRASS
I’M TOO SLOW FOR WORKIN’ TOO FAST
I DON’T DO WINDOWS SO HONEY DON’T ASK
BUT I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN’ BEER
A GO GETTER MAYBE I’M NOT
I’M NOT KNOWN FOR DOIN’ A LOT
BUT I DO MY BEST WORK WHEN THE WEATHER’S HOT
I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN’ BEER
SO HAND ME ONE MORE
THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR
I’M BUILT FOR HAVING A BALL
I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE
I LOVE MY BUDLIGHT I LIKE ‘EM COLD AND TALL
I WASN’T BORN FOR DIGGIN DEEP HOLES
I’M NOT MADE FOR PAVIN LONG ROADS
I AINT CUT OUT TO CLIMB HIGH LINE POLES
BUT I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN BEER
I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN BEER
(SPOKEN) O HAND ME ONE MORE BOYS… THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR
Pretty good at drinkin' beer!!!
I WASN’T BORN FOR DIGGIN DEEP HOLES
I’M NOT MADE FOR PAVIN LONG ROADS
I AINT CUT OUT TO CLIMB HIGH LINE POLES
BUT I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN BEER
I’M NOT THE TYPE TO WORK IN A BANK
I’M NO GOOD AT SLAPPIN ON THINGS
DON’T HAVE A KNACK FOR MAKIN MOTORS CRANK, NO
BUT I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN BEER
SO HAND ME ONE MORE
THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR
I’M BUILT FOR HAVING A BALL
I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE
I LOVE MY BUDLIGHT
I LIKE ‘EM COLD AND TALL
I AINT MUCH FOR MOWIN THICK GRASS
I’M TOO SLOW FOR WORKIN’ TOO FAST
I DON’T DO WINDOWS SO HONEY DON’T ASK
BUT I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN’ BEER
A GO GETTER MAYBE I’M NOT
I’M NOT KNOWN FOR DOIN’ A LOT
BUT I DO MY BEST WORK WHEN THE WEATHER’S HOT
I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN’ BEER
SO HAND ME ONE MORE
THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR
I’M BUILT FOR HAVING A BALL
I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE
I LOVE MY BUDLIGHT I LIKE ‘EM COLD AND TALL
I WASN’T BORN FOR DIGGIN DEEP HOLES
I’M NOT MADE FOR PAVIN LONG ROADS
I AINT CUT OUT TO CLIMB HIGH LINE POLES
BUT I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN BEER
I’M PRETTY GOOD AT DRINKIN BEER
(SPOKEN) O HAND ME ONE MORE BOYS… THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Pratt Street Alehouse Cask Night
I finally got myself to a Pratt St Alehouse Cask Night this past Tuesday. They were tapping two new beers and I just had to try them out. Since I can’t think of a better way to phrase it myself, I’ll simply clip their description from the announcement:
The Bishop’s Indulgence, an 8% stout brewed with cocoa nibs and vanilla beans (see the blog archive for details of the brew). As well as having a kilderkin of The Bishop’s Indulgence aged on American Oak on the beer engine, we will have a glass ended firkin of Best Bitter dry hopped with Maryland Chinook on gravity pour in the lounge for a more “interactive” cask ale drinking experience .
The Bishops Indulgence:
This is a great beer… if you like heavy chocolaty stouts… and I certainly do. Deep, dark and rich… Very much like a Guinness in weight but with a heck of a lot more flavor. The dark chocolate flavors and aromas were very prevalent with a hint of caramel sweetness to offset the bitter. Its oak aged, but I really didn’t detect much of the oak flavor but I think the chocolate overwhelmed it.
It was served in a 10oz glass which is fine for a beer like this. Believe me, you won’t want to chug this beer. It’s meant to be sipped and savored, like a fine Bourbon. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to risk drinking more than one glass of this delicious, but very potent, brew.
On a side note, one of my fellow patrons drove up from Annapolis simply to try this beer and he loved it. I appreciated the irony when I discovered he’s a Lutheran Pastor.
The Dry Hopped Best Bitter:
I’m already a fan of the standard Oliver Best Bitter. A Bitter is probably best described as the British equivalent to the American Pilsner. Light in alcohol it’s the perfect beer to drink if you’re going to be hanging out with some friends and drinking a few pints. It’s the perfect example of a Session Beer. However, unlike the American Pilsner, the British Bitter tastes great… Like most Brit Ales, Bitters tend to be low in hops. However, in this case they dry hopped it with Chinook hops.
I like using dry hops in my home brewing because while I love the flavor and aroma of the hops, I don’t necessarily enjoy the bitterness. Normally you add the hops to the brew kettle during the boil. The boil will release more alpha acids, and increase the bitterness of the final brew. Unfortunately, the boil will also cause the flavor and aroma components to boil off. With dry hopping you add hops to the beer after the fermentation is complete and let them sit for a while and leach the hoppy goodness into the brew. In this case you can see the big bag full of hops floating off to the right side of the firkin. (please note the artistic back lighting… very nice…).
Anyway, the beer itself was great. Nice and light weight wise, but full of the citrus flavor and aroma of the Chinook hops. Unfortunately I don’t know if they’ll make this one again, but I certainly hope they do.
I'd also like to point out the cool springloaded stand that the firkin is sitting on. As the firkin was drained, the springs were unloaded and tilted the firkin up at an ever increasing angle, thereby always providing the perfect pour.
As always, the atmospere and service was great. Plus I finally got a chance to meet, and have a pint, with Steve the Brewer. Good times!
The Bishop’s Indulgence, an 8% stout brewed with cocoa nibs and vanilla beans (see the blog archive for details of the brew). As well as having a kilderkin of The Bishop’s Indulgence aged on American Oak on the beer engine, we will have a glass ended firkin of Best Bitter dry hopped with Maryland Chinook on gravity pour in the lounge for a more “interactive” cask ale drinking experience .
The Bishops Indulgence:
This is a great beer… if you like heavy chocolaty stouts… and I certainly do. Deep, dark and rich… Very much like a Guinness in weight but with a heck of a lot more flavor. The dark chocolate flavors and aromas were very prevalent with a hint of caramel sweetness to offset the bitter. Its oak aged, but I really didn’t detect much of the oak flavor but I think the chocolate overwhelmed it.
It was served in a 10oz glass which is fine for a beer like this. Believe me, you won’t want to chug this beer. It’s meant to be sipped and savored, like a fine Bourbon. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to risk drinking more than one glass of this delicious, but very potent, brew.
On a side note, one of my fellow patrons drove up from Annapolis simply to try this beer and he loved it. I appreciated the irony when I discovered he’s a Lutheran Pastor.
The Dry Hopped Best Bitter:
I’m already a fan of the standard Oliver Best Bitter. A Bitter is probably best described as the British equivalent to the American Pilsner. Light in alcohol it’s the perfect beer to drink if you’re going to be hanging out with some friends and drinking a few pints. It’s the perfect example of a Session Beer. However, unlike the American Pilsner, the British Bitter tastes great… Like most Brit Ales, Bitters tend to be low in hops. However, in this case they dry hopped it with Chinook hops.
I like using dry hops in my home brewing because while I love the flavor and aroma of the hops, I don’t necessarily enjoy the bitterness. Normally you add the hops to the brew kettle during the boil. The boil will release more alpha acids, and increase the bitterness of the final brew. Unfortunately, the boil will also cause the flavor and aroma components to boil off. With dry hopping you add hops to the beer after the fermentation is complete and let them sit for a while and leach the hoppy goodness into the brew. In this case you can see the big bag full of hops floating off to the right side of the firkin. (please note the artistic back lighting… very nice…).
Anyway, the beer itself was great. Nice and light weight wise, but full of the citrus flavor and aroma of the Chinook hops. Unfortunately I don’t know if they’ll make this one again, but I certainly hope they do.
I'd also like to point out the cool springloaded stand that the firkin is sitting on. As the firkin was drained, the springs were unloaded and tilted the firkin up at an ever increasing angle, thereby always providing the perfect pour.
As always, the atmospere and service was great. Plus I finally got a chance to meet, and have a pint, with Steve the Brewer. Good times!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Green Flash West Coast IPA - Hospitality Suite is OPEN.
Well, I just restocked the Hospitality Suite with a full 15.5 gallons of Green Flash West Coast IPA!
I picked the keg up from Racers (but forgot to drop off a keg for the exchange so I had to pay the $30 deposit--no worries, though, I'll get it back).
Racers had quite a selection of kegs, mostly half kegs like the one I picked up. I think the selection this time was much better than before--a lot of beers I had never tasted.
Green Flash West Coast IPA is one that I hadn't tasted before, but the guy behind the counter recommended it.
I got it home and hooked everything up, and poured a small glass. The beer had been splashed around during the ride home, so the pour was very frothy. I did get a nice taste, though.
It's very hoppy--but in a good way. Full of smell and the hoppy taste is right there with it. I'll add more thoughts after I have enjoyed more of it. Overall, it's well-rounded, with a light body. The hops carries well through the tasting, but will likely turn off people who are not hops fans.
In the meantime, swing by the Hospitality Suite to try some.
I picked the keg up from Racers (but forgot to drop off a keg for the exchange so I had to pay the $30 deposit--no worries, though, I'll get it back).
Racers had quite a selection of kegs, mostly half kegs like the one I picked up. I think the selection this time was much better than before--a lot of beers I had never tasted.
Green Flash West Coast IPA is one that I hadn't tasted before, but the guy behind the counter recommended it.
I got it home and hooked everything up, and poured a small glass. The beer had been splashed around during the ride home, so the pour was very frothy. I did get a nice taste, though.
It's very hoppy--but in a good way. Full of smell and the hoppy taste is right there with it. I'll add more thoughts after I have enjoyed more of it. Overall, it's well-rounded, with a light body. The hops carries well through the tasting, but will likely turn off people who are not hops fans.
In the meantime, swing by the Hospitality Suite to try some.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Amsterdam "Beer Bikes"?!? Why didn't I think of this?
Amsterdam lets "beer bike" ride on, with limits
Sat Aug 29, 6:00 pm ET
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The beer bike will ride on in Amsterdam.
The outsized bikes, seating groups of people around a central bar, are something of a fixture in the city's center. But two accidents within two months prompted the city councillor responsible for transport to launch an investigation in June.
Following that review the city has decided to allow the bikes to carry on riding, a city spokesman said Saturday.
They will, however, need permits from the various city boroughs, and those permits are likely to come with restrictions on hours of operation and requirements for a sober driver.
While non-drinkers already typically steer the bikes, their size has also been an issue in some cases on the city centre's narrow streets. One of the better-known operators, PartyFiets.nl, offers two-hour tours on bikes that seat up to 22 people and carry 30 litres (7.9 gallons) of beer.
(Reporting by Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Sat Aug 29, 6:00 pm ET
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The beer bike will ride on in Amsterdam.
The outsized bikes, seating groups of people around a central bar, are something of a fixture in the city's center. But two accidents within two months prompted the city councillor responsible for transport to launch an investigation in June.
Following that review the city has decided to allow the bikes to carry on riding, a city spokesman said Saturday.
They will, however, need permits from the various city boroughs, and those permits are likely to come with restrictions on hours of operation and requirements for a sober driver.
While non-drinkers already typically steer the bikes, their size has also been an issue in some cases on the city centre's narrow streets. One of the better-known operators, PartyFiets.nl, offers two-hour tours on bikes that seat up to 22 people and carry 30 litres (7.9 gallons) of beer.
(Reporting by Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Finally.... I brewed.
Well, it has been quite a while since I last brewed, but I made the time on Saturday to brew a simple Dry Irish Stout kit from northern Brewer.The kit, as I recall, cost about $25, and came with all the necessary ingredients.
# # #
I have been looking for a decently priced propane burner to add to my brew kit so I don't have to brew in the kitchen.
The kitchen works just fine, but the beer fridge is in the garage, so I have to leave the house to get a beer while I brew. Clearly, not the best set-up.
Ideally, a propane burner would allow the kitchen to stay in order and almost certainly be more efficient (I doubt my stove's best burner can put out the heat of a decent propane burner).
Here's the set-up--not sexy, but it works:
# # #
This kit was very, very easy. Beyond the simplicity of extract brewing, everything was added at the beginning of the boil.
So, since I had about 60 minutes to kill while occastionally stirring and making sure there was no boil-over, I trudged out to the garage (aka "The Hospitality Suite") for a beverage. I chose a delicious Natural Light. Mmmm.
# # #
Well, after an uneventful 60 minutes, I moved on to cooling the wort.
I don't yet have a wort chiller, so I use the method of dumping my wort into a fermentor filled with ice.
It does cool it down, but it does take some time. The tough part about this way of cooling, in my mind, is that I'm adding non-boiled water to my brew which could contain contaminants. The other down side is that I'll have no ice cubes for about a day, as the ice maker goes into overdrive to replenish the supply.
My little helper woke up from his nap and decided that he wanted to help me, so we hung out wating for the wort to cool so we could pitch the yeast.
We eventually pitched the yeast, and the bubbles in the airlock were going like gangbusters for about a day.Things have slowed considerably, but there is still action in there....
After about a week, I'll move it to a secondary and I plan to add some vanilla extract. I'm going with extract for two reasons: it's immediately accessible and I know precisely how much I'm adding.
I'm hoping to retain the stout weight and flavor, but have a background hint of sweetness from the vanilla.
More to come.
Thanks for reading, and please share any comments and suggestions.
Cheers!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Bourbon Barrel Porter
I promised details on the Bourbon Barrel Porter in an earlier post, so here you go…
I got this kit from the ever reliable Northern Brewer. I was looking for something different and this beer really fit the bill. They took an already interesting porter, and made it even more intriguing with the addition of bourbon, and bourbon soaked oak cubes.
The base porter recipe is something I hadn’t seen before. The fermentables consist of 2lbs of Wheat dry malt extract (DME) and 6.3lbs of Dark liquid malt extract (LME). Your basic homebrew usually only contains 6.6lbs of LME so you know you’re already making a more potent than average beer. Another interesting twist was that the recipe called for boiling only the Wheat DME for the full hour and then adding the Dark LME for the last 15min of the boil. Normally you’d boil the whole batch for the full hour. I’m not sure what the purpose of this was, but it all worked out just fine in the end.
Of course, the real fun of this kit came from the Bourbon Barrel part. Included in the kit were two ounces worth of toasted oak cubes. On brew day I threw these cubes into a 32oz growler and then added 16oz of Makers Mark Bourbon. I let them soak for a week while the beer fermented in the primary, and then combined the porter, oak cubes and bourbon into the secondary fermenter. I then let the beer age in the secondary for a month before bottling.
How’d it all turn out? The beer has a nice aroma with a hit of the bourbon sweetness, and a little edge of the oak. This translates right into the taste as well. The bourbon and oak flavors are definitely present, but in a nice subtle way. Between the wheat malt and the bourbon, the beer is very smooth but with a definite weight to it. It tastes best when it has warmed up a bit and if you drink it in small sips so that you can savor the flavors. All in all, it’s a really excellent beer.
Alcohol-wise, I’m not really sure what the percentage is in this beer. I know I should take initial and final gravity readings, but I haven’t done that in years. I put the fermentable numbers for the base porter into an online brew calculator and it came up with a theoretical final alcohol content of 6.3%. However, the bourbon adds a bit of a twist. 16oz in a 5gal batch doesn’t sound like much, but my quick calculations say that this translates into .4oz of bourbon per pint of beer… which is about half a shot. While I don’t know what the final figure is I can personally attest that after a pint of the beer,you’ll definitely have a nice buzz.
I got this kit from the ever reliable Northern Brewer. I was looking for something different and this beer really fit the bill. They took an already interesting porter, and made it even more intriguing with the addition of bourbon, and bourbon soaked oak cubes.
The base porter recipe is something I hadn’t seen before. The fermentables consist of 2lbs of Wheat dry malt extract (DME) and 6.3lbs of Dark liquid malt extract (LME). Your basic homebrew usually only contains 6.6lbs of LME so you know you’re already making a more potent than average beer. Another interesting twist was that the recipe called for boiling only the Wheat DME for the full hour and then adding the Dark LME for the last 15min of the boil. Normally you’d boil the whole batch for the full hour. I’m not sure what the purpose of this was, but it all worked out just fine in the end.
Of course, the real fun of this kit came from the Bourbon Barrel part. Included in the kit were two ounces worth of toasted oak cubes. On brew day I threw these cubes into a 32oz growler and then added 16oz of Makers Mark Bourbon. I let them soak for a week while the beer fermented in the primary, and then combined the porter, oak cubes and bourbon into the secondary fermenter. I then let the beer age in the secondary for a month before bottling.
How’d it all turn out? The beer has a nice aroma with a hit of the bourbon sweetness, and a little edge of the oak. This translates right into the taste as well. The bourbon and oak flavors are definitely present, but in a nice subtle way. Between the wheat malt and the bourbon, the beer is very smooth but with a definite weight to it. It tastes best when it has warmed up a bit and if you drink it in small sips so that you can savor the flavors. All in all, it’s a really excellent beer.
Alcohol-wise, I’m not really sure what the percentage is in this beer. I know I should take initial and final gravity readings, but I haven’t done that in years. I put the fermentable numbers for the base porter into an online brew calculator and it came up with a theoretical final alcohol content of 6.3%. However, the bourbon adds a bit of a twist. 16oz in a 5gal batch doesn’t sound like much, but my quick calculations say that this translates into .4oz of bourbon per pint of beer… which is about half a shot. While I don’t know what the final figure is I can personally attest that after a pint of the beer,you’ll definitely have a nice buzz.
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