Homebrew Tasting: 100% Brett Drie - 100% Nelson Hops

I really built this 100% Brett Drie/ 100% Nelson Hopped beer up in my head and I think it lived up to the hype. I was so excited about it that I gave it to several people to try, plus I poured it for a QUAFF meeting to all the members. It got very mixed reviews, but I think mostly because people were expecting tradition Brett flavors from the beer. I tried to explain how this was a primary fermented Brett beer and the yeast performs differently than when used in secondary. It was the last beer poured at the meeting so attention spans were limited. I am going to have another group of homebrew friends over on June 9th to get their opinions (if you read this and want to come email me, I'll be sharing a lot of beers written about from the last 2 years).







Throughout fermentation this beer was giving off great smelling tropical fruit flavors. My initial comment about smelling like POG (Passion Orange Guava) was dead on. And once I dry-hopped the keg with Nelson hops the flavors were even more intensified.  I just kept venting the keg so I could smell it. The one issue I had with this beer was clarity. The Brett did not want to flocculate out of suspension. I cold crashed the primary keg and transferred to another keg. At that point I added some gelatin to help get better clarity and after the 4 or 5 beers then it started looking very nice (as shown in the pic above). I also think it helped to sharpen the flavors and got rid of a bit of hop astringency. See me detailed review below.

I will definitely be making more of these beers throughout the year and try new hop flavors and malt grists with my house Brett Drie strain.

Cooking with Beer: Pomegranate Beer Braised Short Ribs

It has been a while since a cooked a meal using beer and I had a rare weekend afternoon free. I decided it was about time to crack open the new beer books I got last Christmas:

The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.
San Diego's Top Brewers.

The recipe that got my attention was for Beer Braised Short Ribs, I kept seeing people make these on Top Chef this season and I have been wanting to try them. Surprisely, they are very easy to make and sort fool proof.









In a big pot (or dutch oven would be better) heat oil and then brown all the short ribs

Add carrots, celery, garlic, onions, and a chile of your choice (I used Ancho, which are my favorite). And saute until tender.

De-glaze the pot with stock (your choice), Balsamic vinegar, Beer (I chose my Imperial Stout), and this recipe called for some pomegranate juice. Use your homebrewer mentality and think of flavor combinations you would like to pair with red meat.








Add ribs to pot and make sure that the liquid covers the meat. And cook at 350 for 2 -2:30 hours. The meat should pull apart with a fork when done.

When finished, pour liquid through a strainer and reduce in a small sauce pan. The sauce is a good thickness when a thin layer sticks to the back of your spoon. I could drink this stuff it was so good.

I served the meat with a side of fingerling potatoes (tossed with oil, salt, pepper and put in the oven the last 30 minutes), fresh green beans and garlic bread (melt the butter in a shallow pan, cook garlic till golden and then dip bread and broil just before serving).




Tips:

• Buy high quality meat that has a lot of marbling - more fat = more flavor + more moisture. Or use the short ribs with the bone in.
• Use beer that already has a big richness and complexity and a low bitterness (think aged Imperial Stout, Old Ale, Belgian Dark Strong)
• And pair your dinner with a similar beer you used in the stock (I drank my Scottish 80/- aged for a year on French Oak)

Brew Shuffle: An Online Homebrew Trade Website

I just found a new website that I think has some great potential. It is called Brew Shuffle. Currently, there are not many homebrewers signed up (at least locally in San Diego). With the number of homebrewers (AHA estimates 1,000,000 homebrewers in America) currently brewing this could be a great way to try unique beers and find new inspiration.

The site is pretty well setup and looks very straight forward to me. You start by creating a Profile page and then you start to add brews. For each beer, you add the basic details and then decide how many beers you are willing to share or "shuffle". 

I like the search function because it allows you to filter the results in many helpful ways including seeing available "shuffles" on a functional map.

Plus I also think this site will make my blog much more interactive. With each recipe I post I will make sure to post some shuffles to Brew Shuffle so readers can try beers that they are particularly interested in. 

Here is the link to my Profile Page so you can choose to follow me - Brew Shuffle - Bikes, Beer & Adventures. Plus I will add a link on each recipe post.