Glee Club Hops

Glee Club Hops

We’re almost done unpacking stuff we stuck away during our grand journey.

Yesterday I hauled out small beer items that decorate the tops of book shelves in the guest bedroom and office, including boxes of hops from the Prohibition era and before. In the 18 months the Glee Club box spent in hiding it became more topical, so here’s a photo.

What did people do with these hops, most sold in boxes that held two to eight ounces? Here are the instructions from a box of Rose Hops packed by E. Clemens Horst Co. in San Francisco, “Largest Hop Growers in the World.”

TO START YEAST-Boil one-half pound Rose Grand Hops in one gallon water, half an hour; strain, and stir in one-half pint fine malt flour, strain again through a coarse cloth, and boil for ten minutes; when lukewarm, stir in one-half pound brown sugar, place in a jug, and keep in a warm place until it works over, then cork tight and keep in a cool place for use.

HOP YEAST-Boil one ounce of Rose Brand Hops in three pints of water, twenty minutes. Strain into a jar, and stir in one teacupful flour, one tablespoonful brown sugar, one teaspoonful salt. When cooled to blood heat, ad one gill yeast. After standing for or five hours, put away for use in jugs, with cork securely tied.

Session #33: Some days you frame the beer

The SessionThis is my contribution to Session #33, and the theme is “framing beer.” Check out I’ll Have A Beer for an explanation and to see what other bloggers are writing.

It’s been a long, busy day and I’ve finally made it to a beer, Great Divide Hibernation, a beer I wrote about for Session #10. Just as good as it was two years ago. (A point of order: I’m drinking the 2009 vintage.)

Still lots of chocolate and spice early, with roasty character (both nuts and hints of coffee beans) on the nose and in the mouth. Caramel and dark fruits, also, their sweetness nicely balanced by an earthy/husky mouthfeel.

At this point in the day — which is already yesterday in the Eastern Time Zone — I have only one thought.

Some days you frame the beer. Some days the beer frames you.

 

Roger was drinking barley wine that night

Indie HopsI’m a sucker for a story that begins . . .

Roger was drinking barley wine that night.

Roger is a lawyer. His partner, Jim, is a former Nike executive whose great-great grandparents farmed hops in Norway.

They are starting a company called Indie Hops to supply Oregon-grown aroma hops to craft brewers.

The Willamette Valley’s rich alluvial soils, long summer days, family operated century farms, and pioneering spirit all combine to create the environment where world-class aroma hops thrive, in a culture that naturally supports craft brewing.

We have invested in the necessary infrastructure and partnered with leading farms to provide 100% Oregon-grown aroma varieties, some familiar and some unique, to craft brewers. Our intent is to earn the honor of being the preferred aroma hop resource for brewers across North America. Please join us in the pursuit of aroma varieties that inspire brew masters to create sensational beer for all to enjoy.

OK, we recently learned the world may be a little long hops right now, but these guys obviously have a long term plan.

And in Oregon, beer makes everything seem possible. The Portland Business Journal has a story about a soon-to-open brewpub, Coalition, one of “15 breweries or brewpubs — which sell beer made on the premises and food — that will have started operating in Portland between summer 2009 and early 2010.” Fifteen new breweries in richest brewery region in the world.

Session reminder: ‘Framing beer’

The SessionSession #33 tomorrow, the theme being “Framing Beer.” Andy Couch has the explanation, because I’ll Have A Beer is the host.

I’m not sure about this part: “Ideally drink something that you don’t think you will like.”

And I’m also not sure if “framing beer” relates to the ongoing discussion about beer as art or the psychological implications of using the words “craft beer.” Actually, I am pretty sure about the latter. There’s a halo around “craft beer.”

How session participants address that could be pretty interesting.

 

More on the myth, or not, of handcrafted

Ashton Lewis, a sometimes book author and “wizard” for homebrewers, but more important brewmaster for Springfield Brewing Co. in Missouri, takes the notion that “manual brewing equipment produces beer with more ‘character’ than beer brewed using automation” to task this week.

His post, titled “Progress Is a Funny Thing”, concludes:

So the next time you take a brewery tour at some a brewery with awesome automation, like New Belgium, Boulevard, Sierra Nevada, Harpoon, New Glarus, etc, etc, don’t bag on this great modern technology. Rather look at all the details of brewing that are given more attention because the brewers are not busy raking out spent grains by hand or manually turning valves that, thanks to modern automation, are being controlled to do what the brewer has pre-determined should be done.

The topic of “hands on” always gives me reason to pause. It’s important to be skeptical about change. But what we should be focusing on is ingredients and process, not if a brewer manually opens a valve or uses a computer to control that valve.