Beer begins in the grave. The seed from which barley springs is not meant for us, not for our nutrition or pleasure. Rather, the starch in the seed is meant to feed the seed's own rootlet. The cycle of life and death is anticipated by the seed, and its promise can only be fulfilled when the seed falls to earth and is buried, dead to the world.
Only then does germination take place. The starch turns to sugar, feeding the rootlet which breaks out of the hull and reaches down into the earth for moisture, down to set an anchor for the sprout. From the other end of the seed, the sprout emerges, probes upward, fights up to the sunlight and the air, and begins to grow, to live.
This rebirth is the miracle of spring in its simplest terms, the triumph of life over death, repeated billions of times all over the planet. And so the barley seed carries life forward. It grows and bears fruit, food for the next gener
Jamey Bennett offers up an easy homemade cider recipe
4.5 Gallons of Apple Juice or Cider - you determine your level of involvement here, but remember sugar turns to alcohol, and the better juice you get the better cider you'll have
4 or 5 cans of juice concentrate - the frozen kind, and I like to make one or two of them cherry or raspberry or something just to make it more interesting
The next time you move a batch of beer from the primary fermenter to the secondary fermenter, leave the yeast cake at the bottom of the bucket and make cider right away, like THUS:
Boil the juice for twenty minutes. Cool. (I've never done this, but decided from now on I'm going to boil.)
Pour the cooled "wort" into the fermenter right on top of the yeast cake. Yes, you are reusing yeast. This is okay to do! Add your concentrates (that is, if you didn't boil them). Ferment as you would beer. Pay close attention though, because this will be a pretty strong cider, so you want to make sure you get all that sugar fermented.
Bottle as usual. Remember, though, most commercial ciders are easy on the carbonation, so you may want to scale back your sugar to decrease carbonation. I have occasionally used a can of raspberry concentrate as my priming sugar. This works pretty well, but is less predictable. Also, I like to bottle half my batch and then add a cup of Splenda (won't ferment) to the second half for a slightly sweetened cider.
It's no Woodchuck. But it's fun, it's cheap, it's easy, and it's yours. Cheers!
Credits go to some Internet discussion forum that was roughly this recipe.
Jamey Bennett reviews one of Northern California's finest microbreweries
The San Francisco Breweing Company is the “last of the Barbary coast saloons”. Located in a historic saloon, which burned in a 1906 fire, the saloon reopened in 1907. It was restored beautifully in 1975, and further restored in 1985 as the San Francisco Brewing Company. And what a great job they’ve done!
Subterranean Ale (Seasonal) – Reminiscent of the much darker Pete’s Wicked Ale, this is a nutty ale, easy on the hops, with a delicious twist of licorice and toffee, with a sweet aftertaste. Nose? Distinctly sourdough. This beer makes me wish I was a certified judge.
Bock – Amber hues with a hoppy nip. Michelob’s Amber Bock doesn’t hold a candle to this one.
Shanghai IPA – True to a traditional IPA style – though milder than Stone’s IPA that I’ve been sipping on lately (no surprise, Stone outdoes everyone wherever possible) – the
Jamey Bennett offers thoughts on enjoying California, with an eye on the vine and the hops
Having spent most of my life in California, and spending three years with nothing to do but work, go to school, play concerts, and buy gas, I have traveled up and down the state many times. I was recently asked what would be good to do for a first time visitor to the Sunshine State.
Well, California is a good place to go, and it is also one of the biggest states in the Union. It's the ultimate melting pot in the country, nearly culturally, but especially topographically. Basically, you just have to decide what you want to do: beach, desert, mountains, cows, migrant farm workers, wine, beer, whatever. Decide that and you can narrow it down from there. If I were taking someone for the first time, I'd do so
Jamey Bennett enjoys a delicious IPA from Kern County
The Kern River Brewing Company is a newer, and welcomed, addition to the microbrew world. Nestled near beautiful Lake Isabella in Kern County, California, the Kern River Brewing Company is quickly earning a reputation for great beer.
The Just Outstanding IPA is the first example I've had opportunity to try. And it lives up to its name. Deliciously malty, and refreshingly hoppy, this beer smells great, looks great, and tastes great. At 6.8% ABV, it packs a punch.
Apparently, it is named after a nearby mountain bike trail. But this beer could have earned its name from beer critics, quite easily. Four cheers for the Just Outstanding IPA!
Jamey Bennett reviews the Davenport, Iowa Granite City Food & Brewery
Granite City Food and Brewery is a great experience. It has a fresh and trendy atmosphere and an incredible menu.
As far as the food, I enjoyed the Ale & Cheddar soup. Great for lovers of beer and cheese – which just so happens to be me. The crab cake appetizer was rather delicious, as well. As a sauce lover, I appreciated having three dipping sauces for the crab cakes. The pesto dip was out of this world.
Now to the beer. The light beer is, of course, better than a Miller, but this brew is clearly for those with a less developed palate. Their bock iswithout question the best bock I’ve tasted. The IPA is delicious and true to the style. The stout is deliciously creamy; a classic stout in the tradition of Guinness, GCFB has certainly caputured the Guinness “sour”. The Spring ale is mellow, with a small bite at the end; great for spicy food. Their special “Two Pull” IPA/Bock is a decent beer for a milder mouth that’s not quite ready for a full-on IPA.
Beautiful building, great décor, and good service together with good beer and food make this a worthwhile place to visit. With about 25 locations across the mid-west, you should check out Granite City. I’ll give GCFB four cheers!
Kihm Winship examines the beer battles and the war between Pasteur and traditional brewing methods
Note: This article appeared in the Syracuse New Times, February 25, 1987. The brand information is thus dated, but there are some larger (lager?) issues that are still relevant today.
When a cold beer slides your way, do you think of your old drinking buddies or Louis Pasteur? Sorry, those are the only two choices. And you can't drink the beer until we sort this out.
It's important, because brewers are at war, and draft beer is the next battleground. Your mindset is vital intelligence. The next victory will be won in your heart or in your head. Or maybe even your mouth, although that's a longshot.
Here's your mission briefing: Sales in the brewing industry are flat. Higher drinking ages, more pressure on DWI enforcement and increasing health-consciousness are combining to decrease the demand for beer.
To increase sales, individual brewers need to introduce new products and win customers from their competitors. "Lite" beer was a masterstroke, appealing to aging drinkers and creating a new category for Miller
Franklin Brewers Club Our third meeting was April 20, 2008 from 7:30 - 9 p.m. at McCreary's Irish Pub, Franklin, TN The meeting was a success. Another 15 beer lovers in attendance. Next meeting: May 18, 2008 with special guest Linus Hall of YAZOO Brewing Co.! Same time, same place. Tell a friend. Note: We will meet the third Sunday of each month.
Franklin Brewers Sunday, January 27, 2008, 7:30 p.m., McCreary's Irish Pub, Franklin, TN New homebrew club, first meeting Closed to the public. Homebrewers welcome. Bring your homebrew. Taps are open. Late-night menu available. Email jamey@wittenberghall.com for more information EnjoyingBeer.com is currently home to FranklinBrewers.com
Kihm Winship on the good Mr. Mencken and his brewing habits
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public."
You have undoubtedly heard that phrase before, perhaps in a discussion of politics, television or light beer. I comes to use from Henry Louis Mencken, and alone would have been enough to earn him a place in our collective memory. But he gave us more.
Newspaperman, editor and writer, H.L. Mencken was the foremost literary and social critic of the 1920s, co-founder and editor of The American Mercury magazine, creator of the landmark linguistic study, The American Language, the man who urged Clarence Darrow to defend John T. Scopes in the famous "Monkey Trial," and an ardent foe of censorship, narrow-mindedness and prudery. And so he is remembered by most as a man with a well-sharpened pencil and an equally well-sharpened wit.
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Jamey Bennett reviews one of Northern California's finest microbreweries
Jamey Bennett offers thoughts on enjoying California, with an eye on the vine and the hops
Jamey Bennett enjoys a delicious IPA from Kern County 
Jamey Bennett reviews the Davenport, Iowa Granite City Food & Brewery 
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public."
