Great Tip - Oak Chips

This was one of the more interesting beer making tips I learned. Do you realize that during the secondary fermentation you can add wood chips soaked with alcohol/juice/or any type of liquid. Apparently many brewers use this method to add a whiskey/bourbon flavoring to their beer. They type of wood also adds a distinct flavoring.

Here is some more reading on using oak chips:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/question-oak-wood-chips-105682/
http://beersmith.com/blog/2012/02/20/oak-in-your-beer-oak-chips-and-barrel-aging/
http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=27223
http://www.fermentarium.com/homebrewing/brewing-beer/add-oak-to-beer/

This is an Oak Spiral, which can be re-used to flavor your beer.

E. C. Kraus

I came across another great online beer/wine making supplier. They sell everything from supplies, kits, to ingredients. I liked there selection of beer kits. I saw a lot of Belgium beers, a milk stout, a saison, and even gluten free beer.

The highlight for me was their blog. Which features beer recipes and how to articles. The day I stumbled upon the blog, there was a feature on adding sugars to beer. Sugar can be added to increase the gravity of the beer, and turn your beer into an imperial beer.There suggestions include can sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup amongst others.

Check out their website at the following link https://www.eckraus.com/

My First Beer

In April 2013, I was able to brew my first beer. I was surprised how easy this actually was. Once you have steps to follow and have the right equipment, home brewing can be relatively easy. I brewed a Blonde Ale Pilsner,  which I purchased from Love2Brew as a starter kit. I added Strawberry syrup at the bottle stage to create a beer I called "Strawberry Blonde Pale Ale."

To my surprise, everyone who tried my first brew loved it. That has given me a lot of confidence, and the desire to get started on my second batch. While talking to other home brewers, I received several tips. I learned of one gallon kits from Northern Brewer and Brooklyn Brew Shop. I have selected Brooklyn Brew Shop's "Chocolate Maple Porter" to be my second brew.  I purchased this kit for only $15 from the Brooklyn Brewery website. This brew is described as; "Thick, rich, creamy, and just a little sweet, our Chocolate Maple Porter gets its dark chocolate flavor from a handful of Chocolate Malt. The addition of maple syrup at the end of the boil makes for a smooth and creamy flavor."

After doing a little more research online I realized that many craft breweries also post their beer recipes, so you can try your hand at making these beers yourself. While they don't sell the kits, the ingredients are easy to find online.

  

This picture is during the bottling stage after 3 weeks of fermentation.

Event- Brew at the Zoo Saturday June 29, 2013

On June 29, 2013, from 6-9PM, The Turtle Back Zoo will celebrate its 50th anniversary by hosting a craft beer festival.   "Brew at the Zoo" will feature live entertainment, twenty-five brewers, and a selection of fifty craft beers.

Tickets are $50 in advance, and $60 day of. To purchase tickets follow the link below
http://brew-at-the-zoo.ticketleap.com/brew-at-the-zoo/
Only guests ages 21 and over will be permitted.


Turtle Back Zoo
560 Northfield Avenue
West Orange, NJ 07052

Event - Repour the Shore Sunday June 9, 2013

On June 9, 2013 from noon to 10pm, The Spot Pizza Grill  will host "Repour the Shore". 10% of all food & beverage sold that day along with profits from NJ craft beer $5 pint specials and $20 t-shirt sales will be donated to Shore 2 Recover's Rebuild Program. Local musicians will be preforming through out the day. 


The Spot Pizza Grill
1506 Richmond Ave (Route 35)
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
(732) 701-8303

Event - Sea Isle City Craft Beer & Rock Fest June 8, 2013

   

On Saturday June 8, 2013 from 3pm to 7pm, Sea Island City will host a beer and music festival.
Tickets are only $40 until June 6th,and then $50.
Tickets include sampling of over 100 beers. Follow this link for the beer list.
Tickets must be purchased in advanced by following this link 
http://runningofthesantas.ticketleap.com/craft-beer-and-rock-fest/

Sea Island City Beer & Rock Fest
63rd & Landis Avenue
Sea Isle City, NJ 08243

Recipe - Honey Drinks

I recently stumbled into "Follow the Honey" while on vacation in Cambridge, MA. This is a specialty store dedicated to all things honey, including beauty products and mead. I was really surprised by the huge selection of honey from around the world. I was treated to a honey sampling at the Honey Bar. While I was treated to many great, amazing, tasty honeys, I was most interested in honey that I could use in mixed drinks.

I purchased Mariangel Prunotto's Mint Blossom honey. I have used this to make drinks with whiskey, bourbon, and brandy. So far I feel this goes great with any of those liquors, it really brings out the flavoring in the liquor. I would recommend this honey also be mixed with milk or cream, it would go well in a Brandy Alexander.

They also have honey on tap, that you can jar your self. This honey comes from local Autumn Morning Farm in Barre, MA. I particularly liked this honey for mixing as well.

If you are in the Boston/Cambridge area I definitely recommend checking out this store.
Follow The Honey  

Harvard Square
1132 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138
 (617) 945-7356

Review - Samuel Adams' Porch Rocker

I recently attended a private Samuel Adams' craft beer tasting featuring some of their limited release beers. One of my favorites was "Porch Rocker." I would describe this as a light beer, similar to summer ale, with hints of lemon and a refreshing lemonade flavor. This beer is Samuel Adams' take on the Bavarian Radler. This beer is 4.5% ABV, with 161 calories per serving. I highly recommend it.

The Bavarian Radler originated in 1922. It's a beer-based mixed drink, usually mixed with soda or lemonade. It typically consists of a fifty-fifty or sixty-forty mixture.

To read more about Samuel Adams' Craft Beer follow the link below:
Samuel Adams Craft Beer