Beer Delivery Systems and the Enjoyment of Homebrew

I copied this from a Web site about home brewing.

If you have been to Leener's you have seen the large variety of drinking glasses designed for beer. First impressions might be that every brewery is trying to look different and all the fancy shapes and sizes are nothing more than marketing. While marketing and presentation is a factor, it is not the reason for so many drinking vessel choices. To understand the beer glass we must understand glass and its influence on beer.
Drinking beer requires the delivery of beer to the mouth. Who would think that something so simple would need to be engineered, that’s right engineered! God gave us cups, cupped hands that is, and they work fine for gulps of water. But their not very practical for beer. Hollowed out gourds work a little better but they are not durable. Clay pots hold up better but if you have ever had three or four clay pots of beer you know that all that lifting can wear you down. To avoid such unpleasant exercise during an activity who’s purpose was not to exercise, the ancient Egypt’s designed a beer delivery system which allowed multiple individuals to suck beer directly from the fermenter. An invention that later became the hookah and thus the phrase ‘sucking down a few beers?'. May be.
The stone jug eventually gave way to the wooden bowl. Light and durable but requiring two hands. At this point in history beer drinking became a ceremonial function as well as a good time. The need to use two hands to drink left the drinker defenseless in a time when life was cheap. With both hands full and all vision obstructed by the bowl, the offering of drinking to someone health was actual a show of trust. Ceremony and protocol lead to embellishment. The wooden bowl became as important as the drink itself. The rim of this bowl was inlaid with gold and the vessel was called a mazer. For the connivance of the drinker the mazer was fitted with two handles at opposite sides of the bowl. This was great for protocol but the problem of two fisted drinking while trying to enjoy a roasted boar and watch your back, all at the same time remained. A stem and foot were added and mazer began to look like a chalice. Witness the birth of stemware?
At this point it must be noted that this is not a world history of the invention of drink ware. Different cultures certainly developed different solutions to this common need of delivering beer to the mouth. I tend to get lost in history and lore. Home brew will do that to you. Lets get back to the glass.
Until the Industrial Revolution, when the mass production of glass came about, beer was served in clay, wood or metal vessels and it was a good thing. Beer was not an attractive beverage and the vessels concealed the hazy, murky liquid within. Then came glass. The advent of glass put the beer on display. Suddenly the beer drinker was forced to look at what was being consumed and it wasn’t pretty. The brewing industry was about to change.
All beer is brewed by the consumer. If the consumer likes it there will be more. If not, there will be less. Brewer’s had to respond to the demands of drinkers with cleaner, brighter beer. This resulted in new technology such as secondary fermentation, laagering, cold conditioning, filtration and improved mashing methods. It is obvious that the brewers did their part and a lot more. Glass is a flexible medium for the artist. Any shape, any size, any design. Beer is a flexible medium for the brewer. Aroma, flavor, texture, alcohol, body. Why not match the design of the glass to the character of the beer. Why not let the glass punctuate the brew, accent the colors, highlight the high points and accommodate the flaws.




There are two reasons to drink beer and neither of them is drunkenness. The first is because you like it. The second is the sensations it gives you during the drinking. Think of the beer glass as a turbo charger on these sensations. Technically the beer glass is far more than a delivery system to the mouth. The sensations and enjoyment of beer are far more complex than the tongue and taste alone. They start with the eyes. The glass made appearance important and brewers made appearance impressive. Taste starts with smell. The nose prepares the taste buds.
Overtime, the matching of beer styles and drinking glass has been refined. Refined to the extent of being nationalistic and even trademarked. The word Pilsner automatically recalls the image of tall slender glasses designed to demonstrate the beers carbonation with rising bubbles and concentrate the delicate aroma of Nobel hops without overpowering the malty sweetness of a refreshing beer.
Belgium has been called the Disneyland of Beer and the Abbey Ale brewers accent that image by drinking from bowls, giant snifters and large chalices. The brewer monks who live on beer alone during fasting don't want to miss a thing. Their glassware is designed to put your whole face in the beer. Belgian Ales are actually felt with the eyes, nose and mouth.
Glassware is not without controversy. In England the traditional dimpled mug with handle is now near its end. Pub owners concerned more about space than beer, are using the mixer or top hat instead. This glass is the one used in most American brewpubs too. With it's wide mouth, slanted sides and narrow foot the mixer does offer the drinker access to the hop and ale yeast characteristics made famous by English Ales. But then their purpose is storage. When stacked upside down and right side up next to each other they take up little space compared with the dimpled mug but the mug is still better for enjoying English ales.

Poor Kirby-Poor Nancy and Gary

Kirby is a dog that loves to run and chase in the woods. Last night, he came home after being gone for almost two hours smelling pretty skunky. Needless to say, he is tied outside and I have to go to town to get "the remedy". He will be getting a bath in the following:
1-Quart Hyrogen Peroxide
1/4 Cup baking soda
1 TSP Dish Soap
Wish me luck!

This is where I have been this week! My back and butt is sore!

Back in the Brewing Biz

I haven't brewed since we moved from our old place in St Paul to our new place in Eagan. All the brewing supplies got put in a dedicated brewing supply room (more like a root cellar) and there they've sat since, nearly two and a half years. But over Memorial Day weekend I harvested some fresh hops from the plant I have at my in-laws and that put the brewing bug back. So this weekend, we're brewing!

I got the makings for an Extra Pale Ale tonight at Northern Brewer. The recipe is:
1 lb Dingemans Caramel Pils grain
6 lbs Gold Malt Syrup
1 oz Chinook hops
1 oz Cascade hops

My plan is that I'm going to try dry hopping with the fresh hops. So after adding the Chinook hops at the beginning of the boil and the Cascade at the end, I'll move the wort to the primary fermenter. Then, when it's time to move to the secondary I'm going to add some of the hop flowers to the fermenter. It shouldn't make the beer any more bitter, but it should make it an extremely hoppy variety. Should be interesting!

Clarence and Verna

Clarence was one on the first guys we met after moving to Turtle River. He was a jack of all trades but made his living as a plumber and we were constantly in need of one. Clarence was the same age as Dad(Bryce) and he would work circles around most guys in the trades. When he was 72, he built his own house. Not "had it built" but he built it. I helped roof a big steel pole barn after he finished his house. The last full year he worked he plumbed 12 NEW homes and would open/close about 40 lake cabins for people plus run plumbing service calls. He worked up to couple of months before his death earlier this this year. Clarence loved his family very much and took care of Verna as long as he could. He had saved a bit of money for his old age and ended up using most of it for Verna's care. People told him he should put Verna in a nursing home, because she was in a wheel chair and it was difficult for him to take care of her. He would not have it. He privately paid for people to come into the home round the clock to help take care of Verna.
One of their favorite things to do was sit around the kitchen table and enjoy splitting a couple of beers and talking about the day. One day he invited me to join him and I did but I brought a home brew. Verna loved it and so I stopped by from time to time to enjoy a home brew and visit with them. She said it was just like her dad made.
I was called on Sunday about Verna's death (she ws 85) and was asked to help at the funeral, carrying the coffin from the church. This was a sad day for me.

CD Mix up

The pictures of the 60th that I sent out got a bit mixed up. Did everyone (except Bonnie) get two different CDs and are the different? Let me know and I can send you the correct one you may be missing.

Nice View

This is what you see when you are eating supper at Nick's and Scott's house! We had a great time and I just wanted to share these photos!

The Fair

Just to wrap up this year's State Fair, the good folks at Belly du Jour have a nearly six minute video homage to the variety of food on a stick available at the Minnesota State Fair. The boy at the end's comment about his deep fried candy bar is your reward for watching the whole thing.

The United Way

We had our "United Way" company auction today. Our company goes out and collects donations then auctions the items off.
Nancy and I donated 4-six packs of home made beer (some is not even cooked yet) and three bottles of Chianti. They auctioned them all off for a grand total of $137.00! Isn't America great!

Ain't it the truth!

Fall Gardens

This picture is NOT MY GARDEN but ours does look a bit like this. The flowers are still blooming and we have not been touched by frost. But you can see the life draining slowly out of the irises and petunias.The veggies are mostly done and the grass is not growing nearly as much.The trimming and mowing has slowed.
We are going to Duluth this weekend to see Nick and Scott (and their new home) and we hope to go up the north shore and see a few colors.

Wedding Pictures

Nathan sent me the link to look at wedding pictures. If anyone would like to see the pictures that the photographer took, leave me your email address and I'll forward the email on to you.
Anna

Beer, Beer, Beer....Wine

Nancy and I have made a couple more batches of homemade beer. The first one is a Strawberry Red Ale. We will bottle that on Sunday. The next one is a Winter Ale. It called for a Whole Pound of bakers chocolate. Lots of spices and it really should be great by Thanksgiving. The next one we'll brew tomorrow is an Octoberfest brew. We will get that one going a bit quicker the the month of October.
We also made 6 gallons of Chianti wine...so far so good. This was Hannibal Lechner's favorite with...you know ...us.

Yellowstone

We uploaded the pics from our recent trip to Yellowstone Nat'l Park. If anyone wants to take a gander, add a comment with your email address and I'll send you an invitation.

The trip was really nice.

Matt

More from Paul Bunyan Amusement Park

I remember going to the amusement park one year with Pete. I was young enough where I've forgotten the details, so Pete will have to correct it if I've messed it up.

Pete and I were at the amusement park by ourselves. We were trying to win goldfish at one of the booths and, as luck would have it, we won one (or two). When we were done at the amusement park, we had been told to give Grandma Saunders a call to come pick us up, but for some reason we couldn't get a hold of her from the payphone. I remember us walking home from the park along Birchmont Dr. with our plastic bag of newly won goldfish in hand. I believe we ended up naming them Jaws I and Jaws II. This began a trend, and over the next few years Jaws III through VII came along. We were very creative with the names, don't you think?

Interesting Reading

The Good Wife’s Guide

As Appeared in Housekeepig Monthly
May 13, 1955

A good wife:

Has dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.
Is prepared. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.
Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc., and then run a dustcloth over the tables.
Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give him a lift, too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small) comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing their part. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.
Be happy to see him.
Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first – remember, his topics of information are more important than yours.
Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.
Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.
Don’t complain if he’s late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor as compared to what he might have gone through that day.
Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
A good wife always knows her place.

Deep in the Heart (disease) of Texas

I went to the fair this year and ate more than my fair share of deep fried junk. To be precise:
deep fried pickles
pronto pup
deep fried cheese curds
Sweet Martha's Cookies
tater tot hotdish on a stick
other stuff I can't (or don't want to) remember

But the Texas State Fair may have gone and outdone the Minnesota State Fair. How can tater tot hotdish on a stick be topped, you ask? Three words: Deep Fried Coke.

I'll let that roll around your brain a bit.

OK, here's what it is:

Abel Gonzales Junior's Fried Coke includes Coca-Cola flavored batter that is deep fried and with Coke fountain syrup drizzled on it.

That's topped with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a cherry.

Link for sharing with your friends

Friday Nights

Paul Bunyan Amusement Park & Friday Nights

I remember Dale & I taking our kids to the waterfront on Friday nights because it was not only a fun night for the kids, but the price was right. We bought 10 tickets for $1 & the kids got to ride for about an hour or more. Then the price went up...10 tickets for $1.50! I thought it was cheap when our kids were young. I think we celebrated Alicia & Katie's birthday one year at the Park...we rented a video camera & captured it on tape.

But, another wonderful thing happened on those Friday nights. While the kids were riding, the parents were visiting with each other, so an enjoyable night was had by all.

I loved the ferris wheel, too, because of the view. I also remember when we ate "Herb's Popcorn," and watched the Bemidji Belle dock.

And, this is going way back, but I also remember when they had the "bunyan bikes" & people pedaled around on the lake.

Another era put to rest...a bittersweet time for our community.

The Sun Sets on Paul Bunyan Amusement Park

For those who have not heard....The small lakeside amusement park located next to the statues of Paul and Babe near downtown Bemidji will close permanently after this summer season...the family that owns it are calling it quits.
My favorite ride was the Tilt-a-whirl and the Ferris Wheel. They have had lots rides and made lots of memories for me and many others. Please share you memories of this great little park! It's last day was Labor Day 2006. Soon they will be auctioning all the rides except the train. They plan to keep the train, miniature golf and concessions.

Some things I'm not going to do on Labor Day

Here are a few things I am NOT going to do today.

• Work in the yard
• Work in the garden
• Work Cleaning (anything)
• Building a fence/painting a fence
• Worry about what I should be doing (today is Monday, a workday)

What I think I will do is:

• Spend the day with Nancy
• Have a great cup of Good Coffee
• BBQ
• Drink (see Carols Margirita Recipe)
• Bottle my new beer (is that work or is that my hobby)
• Relax outside
• Talk with the twin girls next door
• Have a Campfire (great moon tonight)
• Relax