Love comes in many beers
It’s September 7th, a great day for an anniversary and to re-pledge your love. Today is national beer lover’s day. For fans of the Zymurgical arts, Love comes in many beers. Ale, lager, Pilsner, IPA, hazy, Sour, stout, porter, Lambic, and more are on full display. The beauty of this day is not about the perfection of any one type of beer, but the admirer of the beer itself. Whether you like craft beer, imports, or domestic crap, it’s your day to show that love. But, please, don’t over do it. There are plenty of amateur drinking holidays to do that, like St Patrick’s day and New Year’s eve. We want you to savor your beer as if it were the first time; rediscover what attracted you to it in the first place. Try as many different beers as possible. Maybe like Richie Cunningham.
If you go to a local taproom, brewery, or restaurant that specializes in craft beer, getting a sampler is usually an option. Most offer a minimum of 3, up to a dozen beers in teeny weeny glasses for you to taste side by side and decide which is your favorite. For the best experience line them up by heaviness. Start with a light beer and work your way up to the porters and stouts. Some people contend that the heavier the beer, the better. But, that isn’t always the case. As with most things there are a number of variables. What time of year is it? What’s the weather? Is it lunchtime? Did you have any food? What kind? When people say they only like one kind of beer, they miss a world of nuances. Sure, just like having kids, you can have a favorite. But, be open to others.
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Despite the favorites, Love comes in many beers
The top selling beers in the world are lagers. And, they’re usually lowest common denominator versions. As Monty Python elegantly described, American beer is like making love in a canoe. It’s F’ing close to water. While the mass produced beers still hold to that stereotype, that doesn’t capture the state of modern American beers. Since the 1980’s, craft breweries have promulgated across the country. Thanks to loosening regulations on home brewing and elimination of prohibition era laws, you can now find local brewers in Every state in the union. To differentiate themselves form the pack, each has a unique beer or two. And, in some states, you can find dozens of breweries. I’m lucky to live in New England. There are over 500 breweries in these 6 states. There are 4 in the town I live in alone.
So, if you want sex in a canoe, you can still do that here. But, your beer doesn’t have to be. When I hear people say they either don’t like beer or only like one type of beer, I know they don’t really know beer. Chances are, they tried The beer their dad drank while watching Sports, and either hated it or loved it. And, that became the standard of what beer is. Chances are, it was a lager like miller, bud, or Coor’s light. Ironically, Coor’s light sells like crazy. But, its namesake, the original Coor’s is almost never seen. That’s a shame. When it first came out, the original was a local specialty that people would visit Colorado and a handful of neighboring states just to try. Then, they began nationwide distribution, and it changed. The diet version is the one that emerged as the market leader.
Keep an open mind, for love comes in many beers
When people think of beer, if it doesn’t fit that narrow description of what they expect in a beer, then it’s wrong. We just ask you to open your mind. Don’t compare it to something else. A pilsner may be similar to a lager. But, a porter, stout, even brown ales or IPA’s are extremely different. Open your mind, and remember, love comes in many beers. I recently went into a restaurant and asked what beers they have. The server said do you want a regular or an IPA. By this, the person meant American lagers like Coor’s and bud VS an artisan beer. To this person, beer is beer. Not a good way to sell product, having an uniformed server.
And, this is illustrative of the ignorance of those without an open mind. On a macro level there are over 100 different styles of beer. And, when you get into individual brewers, there are endless variations. While each is technically “beer”, take into account the differences. And, take them for what they try to accomplish. Some are more like fine wines that actually mature with age. Others are best drunk cold and quick before they turn. Remember, Your love of beer doesn’t have to be a marriage. In fact, playing the field is more respectful to your love of the art. Sure, you can gravitate toward a particular style. But, trying different styles is the best way to find love in a bottle or can. And, who knows, you just may be surprised by an unlikely find.
How many different ways can you find love in Beer?
The difference between beers can be quantified to a certain degree for those who want to be stereotyped and classified. In essence, there are really only 2 categories: Bottom fermented (done at colder temperatures) and Top fermented. lagers, pilsners and the like are bottom fermented, meaning the yeast works from the bottom. To achieve this type of beer, temperatures need to be lower. Think of the old adage, heat rises, cold drops. Most of these are the budweisers and millers of the world. But, there are other variations including some stouts. Top fermented usually garner the name ales and, generally, vary more widely. While most cold fermented beers tout their clarity, usually a crisp golden color and taste, most top fermented ales highlight the hops and malts.
The biggest differences, though, come from three ingredients: Malts And other grains, Hops, and the yeast. And, the purity of the water can play into the quality of the beer too (that’s what made coor’s original so special, rocky mountain water). The difference between Stout and other varieties is the dark roast of the malt (and the processing). Think of it like espresso vs regular coffee. If you go to a brewer’s supply store, you’ll see just how many different varieties of the 3 main ingredients there are. Now, multiply those by the myriad combinations of different malts, hops, and yeasts, and you find an endless variety of beer. Give it a try yourself. We have articles on how to home brew. If you already brew: good for you, if not, start today by trying as many beers as you can.
Start here:
If you don’t have your own brewing equipment, visit your local brewer. Try a bunch of different styles. But, don’t get too geeked out when they start talking specific gravity, ABV, etc. Find the beer you love. And, don’t be surprised when you find love comes in many beers.
Here’s a recipe to make your own beer.
Cheers!
Suddenly Last Summer Autumn Ale
Ingredients
- 6 Gallons Water
- 1 Lb Caramel malt
- 1 Lb Dingeman's malt
- 1/2 Lb pale Ale Malt
- 1/2 Cup Green Cardamom Seed
- 1 Pint Fresh Blackberries
- 9 Lb Golden Malt extract
- 1.5 oz Cascade Hops pellets
- 1 Oz Mighty axe Tropica Hops pellets
- 2 Oz Mosaic Leaf Hops
- 1 oz Tetnang hop Pellets
- 1 Each Flocculation tablet or 1 oz Irish moss
- 11.5 g Safe Ale T 58 yeast
- 2 Oz cascade Hop Pellets for Dry Hopping
Instructions
- Sanitize all fermenting and bottling equipment before each step in the process.
- Boil 2 gallons of water in a 5 gallon pot. Place The malts and cardamom in a brewing bag. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- remove the bag and drain it into the wort. Whisk in the extract and the berries. Bring back to a boil. Then add the cascades, mighty axe, and mosaic hops. Boil for 30 minutes. Then add the tetnang hops and flocking tablet. Continue boiling for another 15 minutes.
- Strain the wort well through cheesecloth into a sterilized Brewing bucket. Then, transfer to a carboy. Add clean cold water directly to the wort in the carboy until you get to about 6 gallons. Allow the wort to continue cooling.
- Once it is down to room temperature, add in the yeast. Place a blow-off tube in the top of the carboy to allow excess material and gas to escape during the active period of the yeast. Put the carboy in a cool dry place where it won't be disturbed or exposed to light for about a month.
- After about 3 days, the yeast activity should slow down enough to replace the blow off tube with an airlock. At this time, add the dry hops, and cover with an airlock. Let it ferment for another 10 to 14 days.
- After a couple weeks, there should be little to no yeast activity. You will know this by limited or non existent bubbles in the airlock. At this time, you can bottle or keg the ale.
- Boil 1 cup corn sugar or similar sugar in a cup or 2 of water. Transfer the beer from the carboy to a bottling bucket carefully. Use a Siphon, and be careful not to suck up the sediment from the bottom of the carboy. Going through another filter is a good idea here as well.
- Once the beer has been strained into the bottling tub, whisk in the corn sugar mixture. Then transfer the beer to your bottles or kegs. Cap and allow to ferment for a couple weeks, then open and enjoy.