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Mac’s Brew News – July 2, 2023

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Yes, I know it’s been over three years since I last posted.  For this I apologize profusely!

So much has happened that kept me away and took up my time.  First COVID, which gave me time to do LOTS of projects I had been putting off (e.g., painting the garage), so I ignored my “Mac’s Brew” responsibilities.  Then we did a complete exterior remodel . . . more projects.  New brewing equipment (brewhouse and fermentors), which resulted in me facing a learning curve to become proficient.  Family health issues were a major roadblock (all of 2022 up to the present time) as well.

Now, what does any of this have to do with me not sending out newsletters (at least occasionally)?  Nothing, really; these are just my pathetic excuses offered up so you don’t hold me responsible for my inattention (lack of commitment, really).

Well anyway, here’s my first Mac’s Brew News in 3½ years, and I’ll try to keep it interesting.  As usual, I strongly urge you to PLEASE READ RESPONSIBLY!

First, I must inform you about my brewery upgrade.  In early January, 2020, I purchased a 1-barrel (1-BBL[1]) jacketed conical fermentor.  I had been previously using a 14 gallon conical fermentor (for fermenting 10-gallon batches), but although it had cooling and heating capabilities, the cooling method was inferior and it was difficult to effectively cold crash a batch of beer.  As many of you have heard me say, “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing,” so I overdid it and bought the new “jacketed” fermentor (a glycol cooled cavity surrounding the stainless steel interior, then covered with another layer of stainless steel, a layer of insulation and then another stainless steel skin).  It was expensive, but well worth it.

This new brewery addition did create a problem, however.  My old brewhouse was only capable of making 15-gallon batches.  This is unacceptable because the fermentor would be only half full, which creates a whole new set of problems.  For several batches, I would double mash on brew day, use a 22 gallon boil kettle and a 15 gallon kettle to end up with about 25 – 27 gallons of wort in the fermentor.  This was a lot of work (long brew day) and inefficient, so I decided to get a new brewhouse with a 1-BBL capacity.

I bought the new brewhouse (Ss Brewtech, 1-BBL electric, all hard-piped, no hoses) in November 2020, and brewed my first batch on it on January 02, 2021.  This brought a pretty steep learing curve as it was so different than my previous system.  Brewing the 1-BBL batch was easier, but the cleaning was more involved, so ultimately no time saved on brew day.  Oh well, it’s still worth it.

Mac with his new 1-BBL brewhouse.

After learning the new brewing procedures and protocol, I really love brewing on this system.  However, I still was not done modifying/expanding Mac’s Brew Pub.  My youngest daughter (Rosie) announced her engagement in 2022 and asked me to brew the beer for her wedding reception.  She and her fiancé wanted two different beers – a hazy IPA and a Blonde Ale.  In order to have both beers available and as fresh as possible (expecially important for the IPA), I really needed to have a second 1-BBL fermentor so that both batches could ferment and condition simultaneously.  What was the solution?  Purchase another 1-BBL jacketed conical fermentor of course.  This I did in May 2022.  Unfortunately, with the high inflation rate and supply chain issues between the two purchases, it cost me almost 50% more to buy the second fermentor.  OUCH!

Glycol chiller, two fermentors, 1-BBL brewhouse and “Mac’s Brew” logo in the brewery.
Glycol chiller and two 1-BBL fermentors (ferementing, conditioning two beers for Rosie’s wedding)
Valve control panel for cooling and heating fermentors

Not only did I add the second fermentor, I also finished remodeling the brewery (the third car garage is now dedicated to Mac’s Brewhouse).  Vents for the glycol chiller, a valve panel for the cold and warm glycol for both fermenters, an epoxy floor with “Mac’s Brew” logo and of course the 220 volt circuit (with 220v outlet, dedicated GFCI breaker, and safety shut-off, all added before I could use the brewhouse for the first time in 2021).

Well, Mac’s Brewery is a thing of beauty and wonder (in my opinion).  Now if I could just figure out how to make good beer with it, the cycle would be complete, and I would feel vindicated in regards to all the money I spent.

Well, there’s much more to write in order to bring you up to date on Mac’s Brew Pub for the last few years, but in the interest of time (mine and yours), I’ll end it here for now.  I’ll post more soon to fill you all in, and to amaze you with Mac’s adventures in brewing, and all things beer related.  For now, I think I’ll have a beer on this fine Sunday afternoon.

Sláinte!

[1] 1 BBL = 31 US gallons.

Mac’s Brew News – November 3, 2019

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It’s time for Mac’s Brew News again.  What can I say?  I’ve got a lot of news to share with all you beer lovers out there, but I’ll try to keep it short.  Please read responsibly!

I have only written about one beer I brewed in 2019 – “Reefer Nearness”, so I will try to catch you up on what has been created this year (so far) at Mac’s Brew Pub.  I’ll try to be brief about each beer – after all, I don’t want you to lament that you didn’t get any.  For information about Reefer Nearness, see Mac’s Brew News – January 26, 2019.

Goldihops (And the Free Beers): Brewed February 18, 2019.  5.2% ABV, 14 IBU.

I brewed this honey blonde ale in collaboration with Martin and Marty Gilberstadt.  It’s my usual honey blonde ale, and this time I brewed it specifically for the Orange County Fair homebrew competition.  When I entered this a beer few years ago, it won second place and the judges made suggestions for improvement.  Well, this time I followed their advice and revised the recipe slightly, per their suggestions.

The beer turned out very good but didn’t score as well.  Normally there is a section to write comments about the beer when entering it into the competition (all entries are completed online).  But his year, there was no allowance for comments in this category.  The judges dinged me for off flavors that were intentionally brewed into the beer (honey, sweet orange peel, coriander seed).  They perceived the nuance of honey and the citrus notes as imperfections and scored the beer accordingly.  Oh well, c’est la vie!

San Andreas Malt: Brewed March 6, 2019.  5.5% ABV, 43 IBU.

I brewed this lager in collaboration with Sam Simpson.  I added just a bit more hops than I did in the original iteration because I suspected that the hops were a little old and might not have the alpha acid content indicated on the package.  I was wrong, however, and San Andreas II turned out just a bit hoppier and more bitter than the original (see Mac’s Brew News – January 26, 2019 for details about the original SAM).  Although it was very good, I’ll go back to the original recipe next time I brew this.

Mac’s Apricot Wheat/Cherry Wheat: Brewed April 23, 2019.  5.6% ABV, 15 IBU.

My standby summertime wheat ale brew.  I normally brew a 10-gallon batch of wheat ale and split the fermentation in two – 5 gallons of fruit-wheat ale, and 5 gallons of Bavarian style hefeweizen.  This year I decided to divide the fermentation and make two different fruit beers – apricot and cherry.  Both turned out delicious.  I still have some cherry wheat on tap, but the apricot has been gone for a while (it’s a little more popular).

Woolly Bugger Blonde (Every Fisherman Should Have a Couple): Brewed April 30, 2019.  5.2% ABV, 14 IBU.

“Goldihops (And the Free Beers)” by any other name is still Mac’s Honey Blonde Ale, and that’s exactly what Woolly Bugger Blonde is.  I brewed a 10-gallon batch of this beer for a fund raiser that we hosted on June 1, 2019, at Mac’s Brew Pub.  The event benefited Wild Warrior Adventure, a group that takes wounded combat veterans (including those suffering from PTSD) on fly-fishing retreats in wilderness areas of the Western U.S.  In an effort to encourage mental and spiritual healing and renewal, the men are removed from the stresses of daily life, where they spend their days fly fishing in pristine rivers and streams.  They are encouraged to build meaningful relationships by engaging in deep conversations with the other veterans and the retreat guides/facilitators.  Wild Warrior Adventure has been eminently successful in helping these wounded veterans gain a new and healthy view of life.  The costs associated with the retreat and the transportation expenses to get to the wilderness venues (airfare, ground transportation, etc.) are covered by this organization, so the participants are charged no money for the experience.  [Note: Don Evans (my brother-in-law) is on the Board of Directors, and Paul Cunningham (an acquaintance) is the Director of Wild Warrior Adventure.  For additional information about this fine organization, refer to their website at: https://www.wildwarrior.us/ ]

Woolly Bugger Blonde (aka: Goldihops) is easy drinking and refreshing.  I always have it on tap during the summertime; it’s Mac’s most popular brew.  But what is a “Woolly Bugger” you ask?  It’s a fly fishing lure (or fly).  In fact, it’s one of the most common lures found in a fly fisherman’s tackle box (thus the slogan attached to the name of the beer . . . “Every Fisherman Should Have a Couple.”).

Fat Ass in a Glass: Brewed July 6, 2019.  12.0% ABV (so far), 72 IBU.

This is an English style Barleywine, the same recipe (scaled up) that won first place at the Orange County Fair homebrew competition in 2017, and brewed commercially at Phantom Ales in Anaheim, CA.  This time I brewed a 15-gallon batch (in collaboration with my young friend, Dave Hollandbeck) in order to age it in a 15-gallon oak bourbon barrel.  The beer was conditioned, post fermentation, in three 5-gallon carboys for three months.  It went into the Few Spirits Bourbon barrel at 12% ABV on October 23, 2019, where it will remain for 6 – 8 months while developing a smooth Bourbon character.  I tasted a small sample when I racked it to the barrel – it’s quite good, sweet (as per the style) and smooth for such a big beer that’s this young.  I will have it on tap (on nitrogen) sometime in late spring or early summer 2020.

Hurricane Mac: Brewed July 24, 2019.  7.2% ABV, 45 IBU.

Our homeowners association has an end of summer block party each year.  They asked me to brew a batch of beer for the party; this year I brewed 10 gallons of Hurricane Mac (a Category 5 Tropical Hop Storm).  I brewed this recipe once before (for Mac’s beer appreciation party in September 2018), but I couldn’t get the same hops this time (Zythos was unavailable), so I substituted with Mandarina Bavaria.  I think this was a good choice – the beer was delicious, with loads of citrus, tangerine, grapefruit, melon, berry and mango flavors.  Unfortunately, all the neighbors were thirsty that day and drank most of the 10 gallons.  I was left with just a few pints for myself, so I brewed it again on October 15th (this time with fellow brewer Jeff Nash).  It’s currently dry-hopping, and I hope to have it back on tap by mid-November.  If you spend Thanksgiving Day at Mac’s Brew Pub, you can have as much Hurricane Mac as you like, and then you will be truly thankful!

Strange Addiction: Brewed May 30, 2018.  13% ABV (est.), 78 IBU.

I’ve written about Strange Addiction for over a year, and now it’s finally on tap.  This is a 15-gallon bourbon barrel aged English style Imperial Oatmeal Stout.  After barrel aging (in the Few Spirits Bourbon barrel) for 7 months I racked it to three 5-gallon kegs in April 2019.  I added coffee to one keg (Strange Addiction – Coffee), and coconut to a second keg (Strange Addiction – Coconut).  The third keg was left as the unmodified base beer (Strange Addiction).  Strange Addiction and Strange Addiction – Coffee were carbonated and then pressurized with nitrogen for dispensing in April.  SA – Coconut required extra attention.

It took me about 3 months of experimenting with the coconut version and sampling it for the flavor development.  Finally, in August (2019) I carbonated it and put it on nitrogen with SA – Coffee.  I removed the unmodified SA from the nitrogen tap and bottled it (500 ml bottles).  I now have three versions of Strange Addiction available at Mac’s Brew Pub.

[A quick side note about Strange Addiction: The name of this beer originates with an Australian fellow I met at the 2018 Kentucky Derby, Peter Chapman (refer to Mac’s Brew News – June 26, 2018 and Mac’s Brew News September 17, 2018 for full details about the brewing, aging and naming of this incredible beer).  I told him I would ship one bottle of each version of Strange Addiction to him when it was all ready.  I filled three bombers (one of each version) and when I contacted FedEx to send them to Australia, I learned the shipping charges would be a minimum of $230 USD.  Being the cheap bastard that I am, I backed out of my agreement with Peter and instead sent him a Strange Addiction tap handle (about $40 for shipping via US Postal Service).  Hey Peter, my apologies, mate, but if you make it over to the colonies any time soon, you’re welcome to come by Mac’s Brew Pub and have as much Strange Addiction as you want – if I still have any by then.  Thanks for your understanding!

BREAKING NEWS ALERT!

I entered Strange Addiction – Coffee and Strange Addiction – Coconut into the Southern California Regional Homebrewing Championship (October 19, 2019).  SA – Coconut won gold, and SA – Coffee won a silver medal.  I knew these were excellent beers, but I didn’t know how well they would compete.  Beers on nitrogen have a special consistency and creamy smooth mouth feel that add a lot to their enjoyment.  HOWEVER, when bottling a nitrogen dispensed homebrew, something is lost in the translation because the nitrogen effect is lost (commercial brewers can effectively bottle nitrogen beers because they have expensive, specialized equipment that allows nitrogen carryover in the container).  So, I increased the volume of CO2 in the Strange Addiction variants for a couple of days prior to filling a few bottles for the competition, hoping that it wouldn’t seem to be completely flat when the judges opened the bottles and sampled the competition beer.  I guess it worked, or maybe it made no difference as the beer was so good that it didn’t matter.  Whatever the case, it pleased the judges.  When I get the score sheets with comments, I’ll look to see if they mentioned anything about the carbonation level.

That’s about it for all the latest news about Mac’s Brew.  However, I must give a “Shout Out” to a couple of fine young fellows I met on Friday (November 1st) at Fullerton Brew Company in downtown Fullerton.  I walked into the establishment for Friday afternoon Happy Hour when a group of about 8 – 10 young men started shouting at me, “They have Pliny on tap, they have Pliny on tap!”  In my arrogance I assumed they all knew I was the award-winning Mac of Mac’s Brew Pub, and they wanted to gain my favor by informing me that the nearly impossible-to-find Pliny the Elder (Russian River Brewing) was available on tap.  Well, it turns out that I’m not so famous after all . . .  they had no idea who I was (nor did they care) but were just being helpful and courteous when they saw I was wearing a Russian River Brewing “Pliny the Younger” shirt.

Later, after having two pints of PTE, I went over to their table to thank them for their kindness in notifying me.  By then most of the group was gone and only two remained – “Condor” and “G”.  I struck up a conversation with these two delightful young men and found out they are Firefighters for the City of Fullerton (this was also when I learned that they didn’t know who I was, but informed me about the PTE because of my shirt).

At Fullerton Brew Co., November 1, 2019. Deb, “G”, Mac, and “Condor”; Rose is center, front row.

So, “Condor” and “G”, I offer a huge THANK YOU for the heads-up about the PTE at Fullerton Brew Co.  Also, thank you for your service to the community – I wish all the best to you, and admonish you to be safe out there.  Oh, and you are always welcome at Mac’s Brew Pub (just contact me through this website and I will give you the taproom location where the award-winning beer is plentiful, cold and free).

Sláinte!

Mac’s Brew News – October 27, 2019

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Greetings beer seekers.  It was a long busy summer at Mac’s Brew Pub, and I have a lot of information for all you readers to catch up on, so I’ll get right to it.  Please read responsibly!

As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, we went to Belgium and Netherlands for a couple of weeks in April.  As many of you know, Belgium is widely considered the beer capitol of the world, so this was a trip that I was excited to make.

We were in Belgium for only a few days; most of our time was spent in Netherlands.  However, I would say that Belgium and Netherlands are almost like one country – they share a common border and a common language (Flemish), so the beer scene is similar in both countries (though it is more important and prevalent in Belgium).  I’m not wild about Belgian style beers, but since Belgium is the beer capitol, I was determined to embrace it.

All of the well-known Belgian beers that we can easily obtain here in the US were available and plentiful there (Stella Artois, Chimay, Duvel, Westmalle, Rodenbach, etc.).  I was more interested in drinking the local and lesser known beers, i.e., those unavailable in the US.  I had several good ones.  One thing I found interesting is that each of the breweries has their own glassware.  If you go to a bar and order a Chimay, it will be served in a Chimay glass; if you order a Westmalle, it will be served in a Westmalle glass, etc.

In Netherlands, the beer scene is very similar.  Heineken is ubiquitous (it’s also one of the largest breweries in the world), and the other well-known Dutch beers are widely available (Amstel, Grolsch, etc.) in restaurants and pubs.  I didn’t bother with any of this type of beer while we were there.

The craft beer scene in Belgium/Netherlands is quite limited but will hopefully expand.  It’s not like the US, where new breweries are opening all the time, and the existing beer styles are rapidly evolving and with new styles frequently added.  I think that in Europe they are very much steeped in tradition, and change is resisted.  Craft beer has a very small market share and low growth trajectory.  People want to drink what they’ve always drank, and are not too interested in trying something new, so the demand for craft beer is not high.

We toured Brouwerij de Hemel (Brewery of Heaven) in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and sampled their beer.  It was good, though not great (Caveat: I’m spoiled by all the great breweries and beer in Orange County, Southern California, and the West Coast, so European craft beer is at least 20 years behind us).  Brouwerij de Hemel is quite small (they brew on a 3-barrel system), and is only distributed in the immediate area, so you won’t find their beer very far from Nijmegen.

Our travel group of eight sampling beer at Brouwerij de Hemel on April 8, 2019. Clockwise from left: Don & Donna Evans; Kristie & Jim (Jr.) Ott; Barbara & Jim Ott; Sheila; Rose Evans. (Mac not pictured)

We also went to Jopen, a brewpub in Haarlem (near Amsterdam).  This brewery is fairly large and is housed in a former brick church building (their slogan – “Crafting Devine Beer”).  We ate lunch there.  The food was good, and the beer was quite good – we all had a flight of three beers, and I had a pint of “Yankee Punch”, a New England style Double IPA, brewed with American hops.  This was really good, and a very pleasant surprise.

Brouwerij Jopen. Notice the stained glass windows – this building used to house a church.
The beer selection at Jopen – April 12, 2019

On Sunday, April 7, while the rest of our group (including Sheila, Rose and Donna) were shopping in Maastricht, Don (my brother-in-law) and I found a small bar, Twee Heeren, where we were surprised to find an IPA.  This was a solid IPA, but one would never confuse it with Pliny the Elder.  I would love to tell you the name of the beer and the brouwerij (brewery), but the bartender spoke limited English and the label on the tap said, “BIER VAN DE MAAND”.  I thought this was the name of the beer, but later learned that ”BIER VAN DE MAAND” simply translates to “BEER OF THE MONTH”, and thus I have no idea what beer this was.  Good one, Mac!!

Beer of the Month at Twee Heeren in Maastricht, Netherlands on Sunday April 7, 2019. It was an IPA (NFD, due to my ignorance of the Dutch language).

So, here is my informed opinion of the craft beer scene in Belgium and Netherlands:

  • It’s in its infancy, compared to the US.
  • The selections (styles) are limited.
  • The brewers are not too bold – no one is pushing the envelope.  For example, what they consider a hoppy IPA would barely qualify here as an American style Pale Ale.
  • You would be hard pressed to find experimental beers, “one-offs” or non-traditionals (pumpkin beer – unlikely; coffee beer – forget it; pastry stout – don’t even think about it; etc.).  I saw some of these styles on tap at Jopen, but no bars or restaurants had anything like them.

Having said that, I will say this:

  • If you’re going to run a brewery, you have to sell your product, or you won’t be in business very long.  I don’t think the market is there (yet) in Belgium/Netherlands.
  • Think about the American craft beer scene 30 years ago – it was in its infancy, and no one at that time could conceive of the craft beer that is available today (e.g., the original bourbon barrel aged beer, brewed by Goose Island in 1992, Bourbon County Brand Stout, was packaged and released to the public for the first time in 2005.  Before that there was no bourbon barrel aged beer.).
  • I think the Belgian people consider all of their beer to be craft beer, and rightfully so.  It’s really good stuff (if you like the Belgian style) and will never be confused with “Fizzy Yellow Beer.”  Therefore, they don’t see the need to expand their repertoire.
  • The young people of Europe imitate Americans.  Unfortunately, when it comes to beer, that means Budweiser and Coors, which are popular there.  That’s a shame!
  • Give them some time . . . well, I should say, give them a lot of time, because entrenched cultural phenomena change slowly, and the beer culture is very entrenched there.

I’ll sign off for now, lest this newsletter gets too lengthy and you lose interest.  BUT, watch for another newsletter very soon with some very exciting news about Mac’s Brew.

Sláinte!

Mac’s Brew News – June 18, 2019

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Greetings beer lovers.  I must apologize for not posting a newsletter sooner – I know, I always say that.  I need to get off my dead butt and produce more than I have been the last year or so. I beg your indulgence, and please forgive.

My last newsletter was almost 5 months ago, and a lot has happened since then, so I will attempt to bring you up to speed as quickly as possible.  Here is what has been going on at Mac’s Brew since the last newsletter.  Please read responsibly!

In February I went to Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, CA, for our annual Pliny the Younger trek.  On the way up to Santa Rosa (it’s 500 miles), we stopped for the night in Paso Robles.  That afternoon Sheila and I went to Barrel House Brewing for beer tasting, then drove about 2 miles over to the Firestone Walker Brewery/Taproom/Restaurant, for dinner and more beer.  If you ever have occasion to go through Paso Robles, you really need to visit these two breweries.

Sheila and Mac enjoying a beer at Barrel House Brewing Co., in Paso Robles, CA, after a long drive. February 4, 2019
Our flight at Barrel House Brewing Co.

Now on to Santa Rosa . . . last year I went with my Dad, then met Uncle Kevin and my cousin, Jordan Schiller, at Russian River Brewing (refer to my newsletter of February 18, 2018 for details).  This year, we had a party of 12: Mac, Bob, Sheila, Mike, Deb, Kevin, Steve, Jordan, Bryce, Ryan, Scott, and Ryan).  It was absolutely a riot!  We learned from last year about how to get in with the first wave of seekers, so we got in line at about 10:15 AM and were seated before 11:00 AM when they open (I think they wanted to impress the legendary Mac).

With a party of 12, one might think it would be difficult to get a table.  Au Contraire!! We were given the table of honor – on the stage, under the PTY sign (see photo; again, this could be because of Mac’s reputation).  They treated us like royalty, and the Pliny flowed!!  Here are the details . . .

We’re all drinking PTY. Clockwise starting front left – Ryan, Ryan, Jordan, Bob, Kevin, Steve, Mike, Deb, Sheila, Mac, Bryce and Scott. Cheers!

Bob, Sheila, Mac, Mike and Deb met for breakfast at a The Parish Café (a New Orleans style restaurant a couple of doors down from RR) at 9:00 AM (yes, we had beignets!!) and were in line at Russian River by 10:00 AM.  The rest of our party joined us within a few minutes, and we were seated at about 10:50 AM.  My sister, DEB, is not a beer drinker, but could not resist the mystique of PTY, so she joined us for the day (more on how that worked out in the next paragraph).  My good friend and sometime brewing partner, Bryce Lowrance, also joined us with three of his friends (Ryan, Scott, and Ryan, aka, Rone).  Uncle Kevin came from Seattle, his good friend, Steve, came all the way from Santa Rosa, and my cousin, Jordan, came from San Francisco. This was a memorable day with a fun group.

The food was good, and the Pliny the Younger was GREAT!!  Now, about my sister, Deb.  She does not drink beer, but wanted to participate . . . [Here is how the PTY thing works: when you get into the pub, they give you a wrist band with three tabs – you are allowed to have 3 x 10 oz. pours of PTY.  The server takes a tab from your wristband each time a PTY is ordered.]  Deb ordered her first (and only) PTY along with everyone else at our table.  When it was delivered, she drank a few sips but couldn’t take any more (as I previously stated, she’s not a beer drinker, and PTY is not a novice beer).  SOOOOOO, her husband (my brother-in-law), Mike, drank the rest of her PTY.  During the course of the event, he also drank his own allotment of three PTY’s, plus Deb’s allotment of PTY.  That means he drank about 5 ½ PTY’s that day.  He then complained that someone was stealing his PTY and consuming it while he wasn’t looking.  Nice try, Mike, but that’s not working here!  NOW, I say all that to say this, Mike had (almost) twice as much PTY as anybody else at our table, but claimed that he only had about ½ as much. You’re killing me MIKE!!  Oh, and even though Deb doesn’t drink beer (and didn’t like PTY), she had a sour ale that she enjoyed (Supplication).  Cheers, Deb!

Mike, Deb, Sheila and Mac at Russian River Brewing. February 6, 2019.

We ate lunch at Russian River Brewing while we drank our PTY and then we all went over to Cooperage Brewing a couple of miles away.  The beer at Cooperage was also quite good.  We spent about an hour there (I had a flight) then called it a day.

The quest for Pliny the Younger was quite involved – a long drive, waiting lines and coordinating our party to get everyone in line at the same time.  But it was well worth the effort, and I plan to repeat this next year.

The opening of the Russian River facility in Windsor seemed to have a very positive impact on the event.  The lines definitely seemed shorter.  I do believe that going mid-week and arriving before the pub opens also helps to speed up the wait times.  I considered going to the Windsor location to get The Younger, but decided against it after consulting with Kevin McCaffrey (we were both on the same page on this one, and the decision was an easy one).  Good call, Kevin!

After saying goodbye to Santa Rosa, Sheila and I went to Pacific Grove for a few days, where we were joined by Mom and Dad.  On Saturday February 9, Dad and I went on a little brewery tour in Monterey while Sheila and Mom shopped.  We visited Fieldwork Brewing and Alvarado Street Brewing where we had flights of delicious beer.  The taproom at Fieldwork is outdoors, and we got a bit of rain that morning; fortunately we had a table that was sheltered, so we managed to stay dry while we drank our beer.  Due to the rain and the limited seating under cover, we were joined at our table by a delightful young couple from San Carlos, Nick and Stephanie Fustar.  [Nick, and/or Stephanie, if you are reading this newsletter, you have a standing invitation to join me at Mac’s Brew Pub for free beer any time!]

Mac enjoying a flight at Fieldwork Brewing in Monterey. February 9, 2019.

After the rain let up, we walked to Alvarado Street Brewing, a popular brewpub just down the street.  We enjoyed some appetizers and a flight of Alvarado Street beers, and then drove back to Pacific Grove.  Yes, Dad and I missed out on a Saturday full of shopping with the women, but a few fine beers assuaged our disappointment.

After Pacific Grove, our next stop was Cambria. If you have ever travelled to the Central Coast area of California, then you know that Firestone Walker beer is ubiquitous and plentiful.  It’s no different in Cambria, but we also found lots of other good beer in town. Dad and I went to the 927 Beer Company, a nano brewery and taproom.  The Robust Porter and the Oatmeal Stout were very good.  The West End Bar and Grill is always on our agenda when we go to Cambria – they have about 15 beers on tap, and their Halibut Fish and Chips are delicious. On the East end, the Cambria Pub and Steakhouse is the place to go for beer.  They have a nice selection of local beers (including offerings from Firestone Walker and Barrel House Brewing) and reasonable prices.

After Cambria, vacation was over and so we returned home to regular life at Mac’s Brew Pub (but not for long – see details in the upcoming newsletter of our Belgium/Netherlands vacation in early April).  I did a lot of brewing this spring, and I will provide details in the next newsletter, but this one is already too long, so I’m signing off before you lose interest.  I promise to get the next newsletter out within a few short weeks, so stay tuned.

Sláinte!

Mac’s Brew News – January 26, 2019

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Greetings All.  You’re on this blog site because you’re interested in good beer, and especially good beer from Mac’s Brew.  To satisfy your demand for beer knowledge, here’s all the news you need to know (for now).  Please read responsibly!

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I’ve been so busy that brewing here has slowed down to the point that I currently have only three beers on tap (in 2018 I only brewed 8 batches/85 gallons of beer).  I know, that’s just not right, but I’m taking steps to correct that problem.

We had a Thanksgiving celebration here, with extended family present.  Then on December 15thRosie graduated from Art Center College of Design (in Pasadena).  We had a graduation party that night with family and friends in attendance.  With these two parties, we emptied 3 out of 6 kegs, which is why we currently have only 3 beers on tap.  But, the 3 beers are very good.  I brewed an IPA three weeks ago, but it won’t be on tap until February.

In early February Sheila and I are leaving for Santa Rosa.  Yes, for the second year in a row, I will be going to Russian River Brewing on a Pliny the Younger quest.  Last year there were four people (including me) in our party and we had a great time. This year our party has grown to nine people, and we plan to trek over to another Santa Rosa brewery after having our ration of PTY at Russian River.

I was fortunate to meet three young fellows on Black Tuesday at The Bruery this past October.  These men were from Santa Rosa and suggested that I visit three small breweries in town – Plow Brewing, Cooperage Brewing, and Moonlight Brewing. It just so happens that all three of these breweries are close to each other, and just a few miles away from RR. Unfortunately we won’t have time to visit all three, so we’ve chosen to visit Cooperage Brewing.

If you were not aware, Russian River Brewing has opened another facility (brewery and bistro) a few miles up the road from their Santa Rosa location.  We are hoping that the new facility (much larger than their SR brewpub) will draw off a significant portion of the crowd from Santa Rosa, resulting in shorter wait times.  I’ll let you know how that works out for us.  And, by the way, this year Sheila is attending the PTY madness with us at Russian River (last year she went wine tasting while I was beer tasting).  She will be the sole female in our group that day, but I have no doubt she will be able to hold her own (and she loves IPAs).

I’m sure you’re all anxious to know what is currently being offered at Mac’s.  Here is the current and soon-to-be available beer list.

Maktoberfest: Brewed June 22, 2018.  5.5 ABV, 26 IBU
This is one of my most requested and sought after brews, second only to Goldihops (Honey Blonde Ale).  It’s really easy drinking with the low alcohol and bitterness, and Oktoberfest style beers are very popular.  I brewed this alone, so I had 10 gallons for consumption at Mac’s Brew Pub, and that’s why it’s still on tap (since the beginning of September 2018). For additional description, see my newsletter of September 17, 2018.

San Andreas Malt: Brewed September 19, 2018.  5.4 on the Richter Scale, 43 IBU.
This is a California Common style lager brewed in collaboration with my friend, Jeff Nash (see Newsletter of September 17, 2018, for additional information on this beer style).  This was a new recipe and first time brewed.  That usually means tweaking the recipe and process for subsequent batches in order to get the beer I envision.  However, this turned out fantastic and I don’t plan on changing anything with future batches.  It’s a medium amber color with a slightly malty aroma, but not sweet.  The flavor is clean, crisp and hoppy, but with a nice moderately rich malt foundation (bread, toast, caramel and grainy) and dry finish that makes it well balanced (but definitely on the hoppy side).  It’s very similar to (but not a clone of) the standard bearer in this style category – Anchor “Steam Beer”.  San Andreas Malt is so good it’s shaking my world!

Wide Awake Drunk: Brewed November 7, 2018.  5.0% ABV, 45 IBU.
This is an annual fall brew at Mac’s.  It’s an English style oatmeal stout with cold brewed coffee and conditioned with cacao nibs for a nice mocha flavor.  It’s dispensed on nitrogen, so it’s creamy smooth with very little carbonation bite. It really tastes like a big stout, even though it’s only 5% ABV.  This brew was a collaboration with my young brewing friend, Dave Hollandbeck.  [Note: Dave, I need to get you over here to have WAD on nitrogen.]

Reefer Nearness: Brewed January 6, 2019.  7.1% ABV (so far), 127 IBU.
Designed and brewed in collaboration with another young brewing friend, Bryce Lowrance, this is a West Coast style IPA using Nugget hops for bittering, and Azacca and Idaho 7 hops for aroma and flavor.  It’s currently dry hopping and in the final stages of conditioning.  When I last checked (11 days ago) it was 7.1% ABV, but could possibly go just a bit higher – I’ll know when I keg it on January 31st.

I’m sure you all want to know where the name of this beer (“Reefer Nearness”) comes from, so here’s the story.  Is there anyone in this country who hasn’t seen, or at least heard of the movie, “Reefer Madness” (a 1936 propaganda film)?  Of course not.  What is not so widely known, however, is that hops (Humulus Lupulus) are a close cousin of cannabis.  Yes, it’s true (next time you have a chance to smell some hops, note the pungent “skunky” aroma), but of course hops have no THC, the psycho-active component of marijuana.  My point is this: hops are very NEAR TO MARIJUANA.  Because of this close relationship I’ve always wanted to name an IPA something along the lines of “Reefer Madness”, but of course it’s not actually reefer.  Thus, “Reefer Nearness– The Bitter Pill That Makes Life Sweet” was born.

Reefer Nearness is still conditioning, so I have not yet tasted it.  I only hope it’s good enough to cause as much of a stir as its namesake (“Reefer Madness”).

I think my next brew will be Goldihops.  I plan to brew it in mid-February after returning from Santa Rosa.  I need to start looking for a brewing partner for this one.

In 2018 I did not enter any brewing competiions – we were too busy travelling.  I plan to enter some of my brews into a couple of competitions this year. The American Homebrewers Association national competition is coming up soon and I think I will enter San Andreas Malt and Maktoberfest.  I’m considering Wide Awake Drunk, and I may enter Reefer Nearness, depending on how it turns out.  If I can get Goldihops brewed in time, I will also enter that into the national.  The Orange County Fair competition is coming up in May, so I have to start thinking about entries for that competition as well.

Well, that’s all I have time for now, and of course, that’s about all you have time to read today (sorry this got so lengthy). Check in again soon, or subscribe to macsbrew.com to get all the latest news and beer reviews.

Sláinte!

Mac’s Brew News – December 23, 2018

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Greetings Beer Lovers.  It’s been awhile since my last newsletter, but now it’s time to bring you all up to date about what’s happening at Mac’s Brew.  Please read responsibly!

Fall is a busy time at Mac’s Brew.  Football games, travel, brewing beer – it all adds up to a very hectic schedule.  My favorite football team laid an egg this season.  Oh well, better luck next year.  I brewed only two batches of beer this fall (San Andreas Malt and Wide Awake Drunk).  Both are currently on tap.  More about those in my next newsletter.  Our travels were the highlight of the fall season.

Sheila and I went to Italy for a couple of weeks in October, along with Rose Evans (mother-in-law), Don Evans (brother-in-law) and Donna Evans (sister-in-law).  While there, I went on a craft beer quest – after all, I need to keep current on worldwide beer trends.  Good craft beer is not easy to find in Italy, but it is available if you seek it out. Most everyone has had Birra Moretti and/or Peroni – two well known Italian Pilsner Lagers that are available everywhere in the United States.  Of course they are ubiquitous in Italy, and I did drink some of it while I was there (they were the only things available in some of the restaurants where we ate). Those are typical Pilsners, although I would argue that they only rank as so-so in that style category.  Oh well, it was beer.

As a side note, just a couple of short years ago, Don was strictly a Coors Light drinker.  He has significantly expanded his horizons since then, and has become quite a discriminating craft beer lover (I hope I had something to do with that transformation).  Donna, on the other hand, is still a Coors Light girl.  To her credit, however, she was game and sampled much of the craft beer that Don and I drank in Italy.  Some she didn’t like at all, and several others drew this comment from her, “Well, I don’t hate it.”  And then there was actually one that she liked (noted below).

Now, about the beer in Italy (Craft and otherwise) . . . here is what you need to know about it.  I will provide very limited details of the beers I consumed while in Italy. Rather than giving you detailed beer reviews, I will just touch on the highlights and include them in this newsletter. I list them in the order I found/drank them, and offer just a few details of each one.  [Note: This is not an exhaustive list.  I had some non-craft beer that is not included here – I have no notes, and it was pretty forgettable.]

Our first stop in Italy was Venice.  As everybody knows, instead of streets, they have canals in Venice, as the city is built on swampland.

Theresianer Vienna: Antica Birreria Di Triesta.  5.3% ABV
(Silver at 2011 Chicago World Beer Championship; Bronze 2015 International Beer Challenge)

I can’t find my notes on this beer. This is a Vienna Lager.  Think Samuel Adams Boston Lager, but not that good. Sorry I can’t be more specific, but know that it’s decent beer, and shines compared to Birra Moretti.  I drank this at the bar in the Hotel Bauer in Venice (its where we stayed).

La Rossa: BirraNatura.  6.0% ABV
La Rossa means red.  A lot of Italian breweries put out a “La Rossa”, including Birra Moretti (the best La Rossa I had in Italy).  I don’t have my notes from this tasting, which occurred at the train station in Venice.  It’s a dunkle lager, but (because I couldn’t read the Italian printing on the bottle while drinking this one) I don’t know much more than that.  I can say this, however, it was altogether forgettable.

We took a high-speed train from Venice to Milan, then hired a shuttle to take us to Bellagio, on Lake Como.  The following three beers I drank at Far Out in Bellagio. Far Out is a small restaurant tucked in an alley just up from the lake, and adjacent to our hotel.  The restaurant offers a selection of craft beer. Don and I went there after dinner on Friday evening, 10-12-18, to sample the beer.   The proprietor, Roberto, was a gracious host who knew craft beer and made suggestions.  He spent quite a bit of time with us and informed us about a craft beer bar (Gambrinus – more on that below) within walking distance.  We enjoyed our experience there so much that evening that we returned there for lunch the following day with Sheila, Rose and Donna. They enjoyed the food and beer as well, and Roberto again treated us as if we were royalty.  Salute, Roberto!

Roberto and Mac at Far Out in Bellagio.

MILF Passion: Birrificio Legnone.  7.0% ABV
An English style Strong Ale.  Deep Amber in color with a light beige head.  Quite malty, and pretty good.  I drank three bottles of this at “Far Out” restaurant/bar in Bellagio (Lake Como).

Yes, I really had MILF Passion in Italy.

Monkey Planet IPA: Birrificio Legnone.  7.0% ABV
An American style IPA, but of course, brewed in Italy.  It was decent, though not terribly exciting.  There’s no doubt it is a mild IPA, but Americans are spoiled by the HUGE selection of outstanding IPAs we enjoy in our country.  This is one of two IPAs I found in Italy.

Spiga Di Legno: Birrificio Legnone.  5.0% ABV.
Golden Ale; very mild.  Low alcohol, easy drinking.  I visited this once, but that was enough.  Donna, a Pilsner drinker, really liked this one.

On Saturday afternoon, 10-13-18, while the girls were shopping, Don and I went to Taverna Gambrinus.  We sat outside in their beer garden and sampled some of their wide selection.  It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, and this is where I had the best Italian beer of the entire two-week excursion in Italy.  Don and I returned to the tavern on Sunday evening for a nightcap or two, and spent our time inside the bar talking to the owner, Fabio.  The place was rather small, but charming, and they had a large selection of craft beer (ok, not like Yardhouse or Heroe’s, but there were about a dozen beers on tap).  Over the course of my two trips to Gambrinus, I sampled the five beers listed next.

Don and Mac at the Beer Garden. Don is drinking Bibock; Mac is having Nigredo. Salute!

Sampling the selections on Saturday afternoon at the Taverna Gambrinus Beer Garden.

Nigredo: Birrificio Italiano.  6.5% ABV
This is a dark lager (schwartzbier), but a bit higher in alcohol than is typical for the style.  Good beer, not great.

Reale Extra: Birra del Borgo.6.4% ABV
American style IPA (hoppy).  Very good.

Bibock: Birrificio Italiano.  6.2% ABVB
This is a German style Bock beer.  It’s malty but mild and balanced.  Not as big as most German bocks, but very tasty. Both Don and I really liked this beer.

Big Sharp: Draco’s Cave.  8.6% ABV
This is a barrel aged strong ale with Brettanomyces. It’s sour but not overwhelming. Oak is noticeable in both the flavor and aroma.  It’s chestnut brown with an off white 1” head that lasts for quite some time in a tulip glass.  It’s very drinkable, not too sour.  This beer is EXCELLENT, and was the best beer I had while in Italy.

Big Sharp – the best beer I had in Italy.

Ghisa: Birrificio Lambrate.  5.0% ABV
This is a smoked stout on nitrogen.  It’s chocolaty with just a hint of smoke. It’s creamy smooth, which adds to the enjoyment of this stout.  I’m a sucker for nitrogen stouts, but this one was pretty forgettable.  Guinness, anyone?

Mac in front of Taverna Gambrinus.

After Bellagio, we moved on to Milan.  I really didn’t find any local craft beer there, but drank some “Craft” type offerings from Birra Poretti and Birra Moretti.  I found one craft beer while on a day trip to Verano.  There we ate lunch with our tour guide for the day, and our driver (for our entire stay in Milan), Fabio Marsala.

2969 Monpier de Gherdeina: Birrificio Gardena SRL.  5.0% ABV
This is a Helles style lager, brewed by Birrificio Gardena in the Dolomites region of Italy (near the German/Austrian border). The printing on the bottle was in both Italian and German.  It is dry hopped with Citra and Amarillo hops, which gives it a hoppy aroma, but the taste is more on the malty side.  This beer is pretty good, but the flavor is light.

In Milan Don and I each had a 1 liter Birra Porettiat a sidewalk café outside of Basilica Milano.  It’s a Pilsner lager, available everywhere, and not memorable.  Think Budweiser or Coors, but not as good.  I’m not going to waste any words describing this beer.  If you’re interested, you mightfind it at any Italian restaurant in the U.S.

Don and Mac having liters of Birra Poretti in the Duomo, Milano.

We ate dinner at a restaurant called Mozzarella e Basilico (right behind our hotel) where we had some pretty good Birra Morreti.  In addition, the servers brought us some delicious variants of Lemoncello – melon flavored and pistachio flavored liquor.

La Rossa: Birra Moretti.  7.2% ABV
As I already mentioned, there are a lot of “La Rossa” beers in Italy.  This was by far the best La Rossa I had.  It was a draft pour at Mozzarella e Basilico.  Deep amber in color, with lots of dark fruit and raisin notes.  Smooth drinking and the relatively high alcohol content was well hidden.  Very good beer.

From Milan we flew down to Sicily, where we stayed in Palermo.  Rose’s grandparents immigrated from Bisacquino and Santo Stefano, two little villages on the island of Sicily.  We went to the Roman Catholic Church in the village square (Bisacquino) where Rose found baptismal and wedding records of her grandparents and earlier ancestors dating back to 1829.

In Palermo we stayed at Grand Hotel Villa Igiea, one of the nicest hotels in town.  They had a bar where Don and I found several Italian Craft beer offerings (all were in 750 ml bombers).

Ulysses: Birraficio Dell’Etna.  5.7% ABV
This is a “Birra Bionda” (American Pale Ale). It’s hazy yellow with a subdued citrus hoppy aroma.  The flavor was grapefruit, but not strong.  It’s a nice enough pale ale, but will not be challenging Sierra Nevada anytime soon.

Polyphemus: Birraficio Dell’Etna.  6.6% ABV
A “Doppio Malto” (Double Malt) ale.  Based on the aroma and flavor, I would say it’s a Belgian Dubbel.  It’s cloudy light brown with a light head.  It has a sweet/spicy aroma and flavor – not too strong, but definitely Belgian.  I’m not a fan of Belgian style beers, but this was pretty good.

Ephisto: Birraficio Dell’Etna.  6.5% ABV
Birra Rosa Doppio Malto (a Belgian Dubbel Amber, bottle conditioned).  It’s hazy red with a white head.  Spicy sweet Belgian aroma and flavor.  The spicy-sweet notes are pretty strong.  It’s definitely a Belgian.  Not my style.

Alla Siciliana: Birra Moretti.  5.8% ABV
Blonde Ale with flower blossoms.  Alla Siciliana is deep yellow with a white head.  It has a sweet aroma with just a bit of orange. The flavor is clean and somewhat fruity, with light spicy and orange notes.  Very tasty beer.

On Saturday 10-20-18 we went into downtown Palermo to see the famous Opera House.  Around lunch time we stopped at a sidewalk café.  I had an ice cream sandwich with pistachio and hazelnut gelato. It wasn’t like our ice cream sandwiches in America.  They cut a bread roll in half and put scoops of gelato between the two pieces of bread. Delicious, if not unusual.  I also had another Italian craft beer.

La Rossa: Birra Vulcano.  6.0% ABV
The label says this is a Belgian Amber ale. It’s amber in color, but I didn’t really detect any signature Belgian flavors or aromas.  It’s sweet with some notes of raisin and dark fruit. Carbonation level is high (it’s bottle conditioned).  Pretty good beer.

The beer (Birra Vulcano) was forgettable, but the ice cream sandwich was delicious. In Palermo.

Well, that just about sums up my quest for craft beer in Italy, but I add one final beer tasting.  On the Alitalia flight home, I had my last Italian beer of the trip. I’m not sure, but it could be the same beer I had on tap at the sidewalk cafe in the Duomo in Milan.

Luppoli 4: Birrificio Angelo Poretti.  5.5% ABV
I just had to try it.  It’s a light colored Pilsner style lager with a nice sweet aroma. The flavor is mild, slightly sweet. I could have had more, but one was quite enough.

My Final Italian beer. It’s likely to be awhile before I have another.

We had lots of fun in Italy – the uniqueness of Venice, the beauty of Lake Como, the bustle of Milan, and the terror of driving in Palermo.  I could write a lot about the sights, but this is a beer blog, after all, and so you all get to hear about the craft beer scene (or rather, the relative lack thereof) in Northern Italy and Sicily.  By far, the best beer in Italy was in Bellagio at Far Out (thanks, Roberto!) and at Taverna Gambrinus (thanks, Fabio!).

I need to give a shout out here to our wonderful driver in Milano.  Fabio Marsala drove us all around the region for four days in a Mercedes Benz van.  He worked long hours, took us to out-of-the-way places, made food and restaurant recommendations, and was always kind and courteous.  Fabio, if you ever read this, know that all five of us (Rose, Sheila, Don, Donna and I) really appreciate your attentiveness.  You’re the bomb!

Our last night in Milano. Donna, Rose, Sheila and Don with our fantastic driver, FABIO.

That’s it for now, beer lovers.  Stay tuned for more beer reviews coming soon.  Merry Christmas.

Salute!

Mac’s Brew News – September 17, 2018

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Greetings, beer fans.  It’s been way too long, but I will try to catch you up without getting too lengthy.  Please read responsibly!

Well, where to start?  How about an update on a couple of items from the previous newsletter . . .

Maktoberfest– Brewed June 22, 2018.  5.5% ABV, 26 IBU. (Now on tap)
I brew this malty German Märzen each year in late June to have on tap during the Oktoberfest season.  It features a caramel sweet flavor with enough German noble hops to give it some balance.  This is an easy one to like.

Strange Addiction– Brewed May 30, 2018.  12.1% ABV (so far), 78 IBU.
When I last wrote about Strange Addiction in the previous newsletter, it was conditioning in glass carboys on cacao. I finally racked it to the bourbon barrel on Friday September 7, 2018.  It conditioned in the carboys for about 2½ months, which was about a month longer than I had planned, but there’s a good reason for the extensive cacao aging.

At the end of June I was planning to add some fresh bourbon to the barrel for a few weeks to get it ready for the stout. I first thought to fill it with water to confirm that it was watertight.  Good thing I didn’t just put the bourbon in the barrel without checking – that would have been an expensive mistake.  It leaked like a sieve.  Yes, I let it sit dry for too long (I bought the barrel at the end of November, 2017), and who knows how long it had been dry before I got it?  It took me about a week of filling the barrel with water and draining it each day before it was leak-proof.

On July 5, 2017 I finally added the bourbon to the barrel – 1.75 liters of Maker’s Mark (not the good stuff, their lower end bourbon).  I rotated the barrel daily to infuse the entire barrel with fresh bourbon.  I thought the entire amount of bourbon would be absorbed, but it never was, and although I couldn’t really tell how much was still in the barrel, it sounded like a lot when I would slosh it around each morning.  Finally on Friday September 7 I decided enough was enough, and removed the remaining bourbon so I could fill the barrel with beer.  Much to my surprise, there was only 300 ml of bourbon left when I drained it.  [Now, the question is, how much of that 1450 ml was absorbed by the oak, and how much was lost to evaporation.  I can’t know for sure, but I’m thinking most was absorbed, as it wasn’t really in the barrel for that long, and it was well sealed.]

I racked the 15 gallons of Strange Addiction to the barrel and topped it off with the 300 ml of bourbon that I had just removed. I also checked the gravity to see if it had changed at all during the 2½-month conditioning.  I expected no change, as I had not seen any evidence of slow fermentation during that time.  I was very pleasantly surprised to find it had dropped a couple of gravity points to 1.027, which raised the alcohol level to 12.1% ABV.  Now if I can just be patient for a few months and let this beast develop the sweet bourbon and oak notes; that’s not going to be easy.  I’ll start tasting it in early January to assess its progress.

Strange Addiction’s home for the next few months.

Strange Addiction is aging in this “Few Spirits” bourbon barrel

So much for the old news.  Let’s get to the recent stuff.

Hurricane Mac: Brewed July 30, 2018.  7.0% ABV, 110 IBU. (Now on tap)
I’ve brewed numerous IPAs (my own recipes), but not one of them has been to my satisfaction.  Although most of them were pretty good, they just never turned out like I wanted them  . . . until now.  Finally, I nailed an IPA.

Hurricane Mac is a Category 5 Tropical Fruit Hop Storm. It’s a New England style IPA (juicy and slightly hazy), with overwhelming tropical fruit and citrus notes. In spite of the relatively high IBU level (this is per BeerSmith, my brewing software, and I suspect it’s not really that high), I used only 1½ oz. of hops in the boil (12½ gallons volume post-boil).  Instead, I saved most all of my hop additions for whirlpooling and dry hopping – 21 oz. of Citra, Mosaic and Zythos.  It’s not a bitter bomb.  In fact, as I noted, it’s actually a tropical and citrus fruit bomb.  It’s delicious, and very refreshing (but watch out, at 7% alcohol, it can put the hurt on you).

San Andreas Malt: Brew day September 19, 2018.
This is my first attempt at a California Common style lager.  So you’re not sure what that style is?  Think Anchor Steam Beer (thanks to Fritz Maytag for rescuing this style from the dustbin of history when he purchased Anchor Brewing in 1964).  Although this is not a clone of Anchor Steam, I am hoping to get it pretty close – caramel malty, but dry, with noticeable hop bitterness and flavor.

What’s more common in California than earthquakes, huh?  That’s why I’m calling it San Andreas Malt.  We’ll see how it turns out.  I’ll brew in a couple of days, then ferment and condition for several weeks (it’s a lager, so fairly lengthy cold conditioning is required).  This is a collaboration brew with Jeff Nash (he’s been brewing for awhile, but it’s his first foray into all grain brewing).  I should have it on tap in early November.

I put on my annual Beer Appreciation Party on Saturday September 8, 2018 (we missed it last year due to extensive backyard remodeling and construction).  There were about 60 people in attendance.  The theme this year was IPAs.  Sheila and I provided some; several attendees supplied many more. We served samples of 13 different IPAs over the course of the evening – from Anchor’s Liberty Ale (the first post Prohibition American IPA), to Hurricane Mac, to Pliny the Elder (the IPA game changer, and still the IPA standard bearer).

Of note, Don and Donna Evans came from Utah to attend the party, and Rose Evans came from Arizona to attend.  Now that’s a real commitment to beer!  Don brought Underbite Double IPAfrom Big Dog’s Brewing Company in Las Vegas, Nevada.  It’s a double IPA that’s not available in California (or anywhere outside of Nevada).  There is an interesting story behind this beer getting all the way to Mac’s Brew Pub, the brewer, (Amanda Koeller), and the dog who inspired it (Sorrel). I will enlighten all of you when I post a beer review on Underbite Double IPA very shortly.  You won’t want to miss it.

Don Evans (with Mac) presenting Underbite Double IPA at Mac’s Beer Appreciation party, September 8, 2018.

Well, that’s all I have time for right now, and this newsletter is getting longer than I had intended.  Check back real soon, because I plan to post some beer reviews, including the review of Underbite (since I just teased you with a little introduction) in the next few days.

Sláinte!

Mac’s Brew News – June 26, 2018

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Greetings beer lovers.  Allow me to impart some wisdom about beer and about Mac’s Brew.  Please read responsibly!

It seems like my last newsletter was ages ago. I’m so sorry for depriving all of you, as I know you have been eagerly anticipating the beer news.  As I stated in the last update, I had not brewed for quite some time.  It ended up being almost five months, but finally I had enough time between vacations that I was able to fire up the brew kettle again on March 7, 2018.  I’ve been on a binge since then, brewing five times in an attempt to catch up.  Before I give you the details about my recent brews, I need to provide a little background so you can appreciate the full story behind the Imperial Stout.

In May, Sheila and I went to the Kentucky Derby with Rose Evans (Sheila’s mother), Don Evans (brother) and Donna Evans (sister-in-law).  You know, this is sort of a bucket list thing, and who wouldn’t want to go to the world’s most famous horse race?  I watch it on TV every year, and we all wanted to go.  So we went to Louisville, attended the Derby and drank mint juleps.

Don, Donna, Rose, Sheila and Mac in Aristides Lounge at the Kentucky Derby

While at Churchill Downs, we hung out a lot in Aristides Lounge and met a fascinating Australian couple, Peter Chapman and Tasia Hull.  Peter owns several thoroughbred racehorses and he came all the way to Kentucky from Australia to attend the Derby.  His most successful horse is “Strange Addiction,” who won numerous races, but is now retired. When Peter told me about this animal’s exploits, I asked him if it would be OK to name a special beer after his special horse.  He agreed of course, and so my newest BIG brew is called “Strange Addiction” (more on that below).

Strange Addiction – Peter Chapman’s racehorse.

Thank you Peter, for allowing me to name this extraordinary beer after your extraordinary horse.  CHEERS, MATE!  [Note: Peter, being a thoroughbred horse owner and involved in the horseracing industry, was much more familiar with horseracing and betting than anyone in our group.  He helped us with tips and information for betting at Churchill Downs on Friday (at the Kentucky Oaks) and Saturday (at the Kentucky Derby).  Thanks so much Peter, your insight was invaluable!]

Don, Mac, and Peter at the Kentucky Oaks, Friday May 4, 2018

Now that you have a little bit of background on one of my latest brews, here’s the lowdown on what’s been happening at Mac’s (probably more than you may want to know).

Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy– Brewed March 7, 2018.  7.8% ABV, 113 IBU
Great name for an IPA, right?  Unfortunately after I decided to name this beer, “Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy” I considered that the name had likely been taken by another brewery already.  Turns out I’m not so clever, and I was right – there was already such a beer. However, as far as I can tell, the brewery (Riverside Brewery & Restaurant) made this beer in 2014, and has since gone out of business (or at least has changed names).  I have found no reference to “Don’t Worry Be Hoppy” IPA since 2014 on Google.  That’s good enough for me – I’ll use the handle for now, but won’t be arrogantly boasting about the clever name of this beer.  [Caveat: you can find lots of merchandise (t-shirts, etc.) on the internet with a “Don’t Worry Be Hoppy” slogan.]

So what about this beer?  It’s a double IPA, my latest recipe makeover for “Smack Down.” This wasn’t just a recipe tweak, however, it was a major overhaul. – that’s why I couldn’t call it “Smack Down” this time. In this case, IPA stands for “India Pale Accident” because it didn’t turn out the way I intended.  I completely changed the hops used in the recipe, which resulted in more of a tropical flavor than a citrus flavor. Although I intentionally went away from the three “C’s” (Cascade, Centennial and Chinook), I didn’t expect to get such a tropical note.  The flavor and aroma is somewhat on the sweet side, with notes of pineapple and melon. At first I was disappointed, not wild about the flavor, but Sheila LOVED it.  She says it is by far the best IPA I’ve ever brewed.  After drinking a couple of pints and realizing DWBH follows the hops profile, I have to say I’m really starting to like this beer. There’s no doubt it’s an IPA as the bitterness is very apparent, but the fruity notes really shine through. Enough said about this one.

Mac’s Apricot Wheat– Brewed April 9, 2018.  6.2% ABV, 15 IBU
My annual summertime fruit beer.  This year it’s apricot.  This is a 10-gallon batch of wheat beer, brewed with German noble hops. It’s just a basic wheat beer recipe; no changes in the last few years.  I split the fermentation into two 5-gallon batches to make an American style wheat beer, then added the apricot to one of the fermenters late during the fermentation.  The result is a very light and refreshing wheat beer with a strong (but not overwhelming) apricot presence.

Mak’s Bavarian Hefeweizen– Brewed April 9, 2018.  6.2% ABV, 15 IBU
This is the other 5-gallons from the wheat beer brew day.  I used a German hefeweizen yeast to get this Bavarian classic with the necessary banana-clove notes.  I have this on tap every summer at Mac’s Brew Pub.

The Apricot Wheat and the Bavarian Hefeweizen are both great “lawn mowing” beers – light, easy-drinking, refreshing and not too high in alcohol.  I usually have the hefeweizen after I mow the lawn on these hot summer days (twice a week from June thru September – no, this beer won’t last that long, nor will the Apricot Wheat, but it sure is nice while it lasts).

 Goldihops (And the Free Beers)– Brewed May 11, 2018.  5.1% ABV, 13 IBU
This is another summertime stand-by.  This is one of the only beers for which  I have never changed the recipe since the first time I brewed it.  Of all the beers I brew, this is the biggest crowd pleaser, and the keg that empties the quickest.  It’s brewed with honey (for this batch I used Orange Blossom honey), sweet orange peel and coriander seed, for a subtle orange/citrus aroma and flavor.   This year I collaborated with a terrific young man, Johnny Bryant.  Johnny has been brewing for over 20 years, so I had to make sure to bring my “A” game to brew day – can’t embarrass Mac (the arrogant and condescending beer geek who talks like a man with a paper asshole), right?  Anyway, it was a real pleasure to brew with such a pleasant young man.  I hope you’re enjoying Goldihops, Johnny.

Strange Addiction– Brewed May 30, 2018.  11.8% ABV (final ABV is TBD), 78 IBU
This is the monster of Mac’s Brew.  I didn’t mention in previous newsletters that I bought a 15-gallon bourbon barrel in November 2017.  That means I needed to brew a 15-gallon batch of beer to age in said barrel.  Well, Strange Addiction is that beer.  This is the same base recipe I have used the last couple of years to brew Wide Awake Drunk (see previous newsletters for more on Wide Awake Drunk).  However, in order to make this an Imperial Stout (that just means REALLY big) I use a 10-gallon grain bill to make a 5 gallon batch. That’s not so easy to do on my 10-gallon system, so I bought a larger mash tun and then brewed a double batch on brew day.

So, what is it like to brew a double batch on brew day?  I have been putting this off for several months because I knew it was going to be a BIG job.  I talked a lot to my good friend and homebrewer extraordinaire, Bryce Lowrance, to get some ideas on how to shorten and make brew day go smooth, as he also bought a 15 gallon bourbon barrel and brewed an Imperial Stout to fill it (Thanks, Bryce, your input was invaluable!!!).  Alright, to answer the question I posed in the first sentence of this paragraph, it was the longest, hardest brew day of my life.

I started at 5:30 AM, and finished at 11:00 PM that night.  And even at that, I wasn’t really completely done, as all of my equipment was (mostly) clean, but not put away (that took a couple of hours the following day).  So what about the wort I made that day? [Not sure what “wort” is? – refer to “Terms and Definitions”, published in this blog on May 4, 2012.]  Original Gravity (see “Term and Definitions”) was 1.117. Final Gravity was 1.029 (for 11.8% ABV). It’s currently conditioning in glass carboys on cacao nibs to increase/accentuate the chocolate notes. I tasted it when I racked it from the fermentor to the conditioning carboys – it’s really good, although a bit boozy right now.

After about a month or so in the carboys, I will transfer it to the bourbon barrel, where it will age for several months. How long?  Well, that will be determined by taste, as the beer matures in the barrel.  With the bourbon absorption from the barrel, I anticipate the final ABV will be somewhere between 13% – 14%.  Stay tuned.

15+ gallons of Strange Addiction – Mac’s Imperial Oatmeal Stout.

This beer was a lot of work!!  Was it worth it?  That remains to be seen, but I’m confident it’s going to turn out very well. I will say this however, it’s going to be a long time before I undertake another endeavor like this again (a double batch in one day).  Now that should make Mrs. Mac very happy!

Note: A shout out and special Thank You again to Bryce Lowrance.  As I mentioned, he is a very talented homebrewer.  So much so that he is going pro.  He has accepted a position as head brewer for Far Field Beer Company, a start-up brewery in Los Angeles.  Congratulations Bryce!  I’m wishing you and Far Field Beer Company all the best in this endeavor.  I’m sure you will be a great success, and I hope to be there on opening day to sample your beer!

Maktoberfest– Brewed June 22, 2018.  ABV – TBD, 26 IBU.
My annual Märzen (Oktoberfest) brew.  No recipe change on this one; I think it’s dialed in.  Malty, sweet, with German noble hops.  It’s currently fermenting and progressing as expected.  This will be on tap in late August or early September.  I’m going to have 10 gallons for myself, so maybe you all should stop by for a pint or two.

Well, so much for the beer I’ve been brewing the last few months.  Keeping in mind that this newsletter is already too long, let me mention (briefly) a couple of other newsworthy items.

  • I hope to remodel the pub in the next month or two. I hope I can find the time.
  • I recently got some new equipment; I know I’m a beer geek, but this is really exciting stuff!More about this in another newsletter.
  • I’m not sure what to brew next, but I’m thinking of a couple of other lagers – a schwartzbier (black lager – think Köstritzer) and a Vienna lager (think Samuel Adams Boston Lager).
  • Sheila (Mrs. Mac) REALLY deserves special recognition for putting up with me and all the brewing/beer activity here. She really is a keeper (I love you sweetheart!).

Well, that’s it for now.  I have so many pages of notes about beers I’ve sampled that I really need to get to writing/posting those beer reviews.  So sorry to deprive you beer lovers of this critical information; please forgive.

Sláinte!

Mac’s Brew News – February 18, 2018

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GREETINGS, BEER AFICIONADOS. The holidays are over, and I’ve been on two vacations since the beginning of 2018. Now it’s time to bring you some beer wisdom. Please read responsibly!

I haven’t brewed since October (Lights Out, black IPA). I was too busy with our outdoor fireplace project and then the holidays. In mid-January, we went to Italy and Spain for a couple of weeks, then the first week of February I went to Santa Rosa to score some Pliny the Younger. I’m hoping to brew in the next couple of weeks. I really need to get going because I’m running out of beer at Mac’s (only 4 beers on tap right now, with two taps empty and a third nearly empty).

Ok, so what about Italy and Spain? Sheila and I were on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, with stops in Italian and Spanish ports of call. We were travelling with Rose, Don and Donna Evans.

Well, the beer scene there leaves much to be desired. There is a well known craft brewery in Northern Italy (Baladin), but we never made it to the north, and I was unable to find Baladin anywhere in Tuscany, Rome, or Southern Italy, including Sicily. The beer was pretty much limited to Peroni and Birra Moretti (both are so-so, uninspiring lagers available stateside; don’t waste your time – I didn’t). Heineken was also widely available. Now if you’re looking for wine, that’s a different story – it’s everywhere, and it’s very good. I much prefer red wine, with it’s more complex and robust flavor, to white, and I certainly had my fill of it in Italy.

On board the ship, they had a great black lager (Köstritzer, 4.8% ABV), a porter (Carnegie Porter by Carlsberg, 5.5% ABV) and a Belgian double amber (Grimbergen Dubbel Ambree, 6.5% ABV), so I was able to have some good beer for part of the trip. My go to beer on board was Köstritzer, but I also drank the Carnegie Porter on occasion. Don (my brother-in-law) and Sheila drank the Grimbergen almost exclusively (it was good, but not my style). Donna stuck with a light colored draft Pilsner (I believe it was Carlsberg). Note: Donna – we gotta coach you up and expand your horizons; there’s a lot of good beer out there waiting for you to sample.

In Spain the beer situation is a little better, but still underwhelming. San Miguel brews some decent beer, but doesn’t offer much variety. In Madrid I drank some Cruzcampo Gran Reserva. It was a good (not great) amber lager that had a little more flavor than a typical pilsner. I had never heard of Cruzcampo, but have since learned it is Spain’s largest beer producer. This Gran Reserva was the best beer I found in Spain, but I don’t plan on looking for it at home.

Mac and Don having a San Miguel and tapas in Madrid. January 26, 2018

Now let’s talk about some real beer. On February 5, 2018, I left home on a pilgrimage to Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, California, in order to secure some Pliny the Younger – a triple IPA. This beer is consistently rated among the top five beers in the world. It is brewed once a year and is served on tap only, beginning the first Friday of February and for two weeks thereafter. There are a VERY few locations in Orange County where this wonderful beer is also available during this time, but the waiting lines are prohibitively long, so I have never tried.

If you want to get some PTY at Russian River, plan on going to the brewery during those two weeks in February, and waiting in line for a couple of hours (or up to 6 – 8 hours on the weekend). I went with my father, Bob Waddell, and met my uncle, Kevin McCaffrey (from Seattle, WA), and cousin, Jordan Schiller, at Russian River Brewing.

Mac, Kevin, Bob and Jordan waiting in line at Russian River Brewing. February 7, 2018

Going to Santa Rosa and drinking PTY was a bucket list thing for me, and is something Uncle Kevin and I have been talking about doing for 3 – 4 years now. After driving over 500 miles and waiting in line for more than two hours, I must say the reward (three ½ pints of PTY) was worth all the effort, and I will definitely do it again in the future. Pliny the Younger is marvelous!

Mac and Jordan drinking Pliny the Younger at Russian River. February 7, 2018

If you’re an IPA lover and have ever had Pliny the Elder, you know how good it is and how loaded it is with juicy citrus flavors. We shared a pint of Pliny the Elder to taste alongside our Pliny the Younger. Although PTE itself is a hard and hoppy punch in the mouth, it tasted washed out compared to PTY. I say that to say this: If you like Pliny the Elder, you’re gonna love Pliny the Younger. You just gotta have some. It’s hoppy and bitter, but has a huge malt foundation that sweetens the bitterness and creates a very complex IPA. The hoppiness is bigger than PTE, but I would also say it’s more balanced due to the increased maltiness. The body is also heavier, thicker and smoother, lending additional complexity to the brew. The ABV is 10.25%, compared to PTE, which is 8.0%. The higher alcohol is not prevelant in the flavor, but is definitely warming in the throat and thus is more noticeable. If you’re and IPA lover, this beer is a dream come true.

Bob and Kevin raising a glass of Pliny the Younger at Russian River Brewing. February 7, 2018

After heaping all this praise on Pliny the Younger, in all fairness, I must ask myself, “Do I rate it so highly due to the ‘mystique’ surrounding the beer?”

  • Is it really that good, or am I responding to all the hype, the difficulty obtaining it, and the time and effort involved?
  • Would I rate it so highly if it was easy to obtain (like, for example, Lagunitas IPA)?
  • If I didn’t know that it is annually rated among the greatest beers in the world, would I still gush over it?

Of course my answer is only speculation, but I believe I’m being objective when I heap all the afore mentioned praise on Pliny the Younger, and when I say it is definitely as good as advertised, possibly even better. I have an idea . . . why don’t you go to Russian River Brewing next February, have some PTY and decide for yourself. Then you can be the judge.

Well, I need to close out this newsletter before it gets so long that you lose interest. I need to come up with a recipe for my next brew (an IPA), and spend some time posting more beer reviews. Sooooooooo, that’s it for now, but check back soon for more of Mac’s beer wisdom. Better yet, subscribe to Macsbrew.com now and you’ll be notified whenever a new post is added.

Sláinte!

Mac’s Brew News – December 18, 2017

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Greetings, beer lovers. Sorry I’ve been away so long. I have been busy with some backyard remodeling projects. These projects have cut into my time for blogging and brewing. Now that I have a little time, I’ll catch you up on what’s developing at Mac’s Brew Pub. Please read responsibly!

Rob Gundling is a friend of mine; he also owns Phantom Ales in Anaheim. Phantom Ales is a small craft brewery and homebrew supply shop (best prices around for brewing supplies!!). Rob sampled Fat Ass in a Glass and liked it enough that he requested the recipe in order to brew it at Phantom Ales. I gave him the recipe with the proviso that he allow me to participate on brew day.

Rob and I brewed a 3-barrel batch of Fat Ass on August 9, 2017.   It finished at 12.2% ABV and was on tap at Phantom about a month later. Rob chose to name it “Duck Waddle” (c’mon Rob, “Fat Ass in a Glass” is a great name for a big beer – but you’re running a business, so I get it). I brought a bottle of Fat Ass to Phantom so Rob and I could sample it along side of Duck Waddle. They tasted very similar, although there were some subtle differences. I thought Duck Waddle was very good (though it would have benefited from some aging), and it sold out in a couple of months. I don’t know if he will ever brew it again, but let’s hope he does.

Thanks, Rob! I appreciate that you were willing to take the chance and brew this recipe. And to any of you homebrewers in North Orange County who are not purchasing your supplies at Phantom Ales, you’re paying too much.  Oh, and the beer is very good too, so get on over there for some good times. ( http://phantomales.com)

One of the backyard projects I just recently completed was a barbeque island. The island includes a two-tap Perlick kegerator. I have reserved this kegerator for nitrogen dispensing – that means I will be pretty much limiting it to stouts and big beers. I have to say, it’s really cool to have nitrogen beers at home. That dispensation adds so much character to certain beer styles.

Well, I currently have 6 beers on tap at Mac’s Brew Pub, although I haven’t brewed anything for two months (too busy). Here is what’s currently being served.

Maktoberfest – Brewed 06-23-2017. 5.3% ABV
I brewed 10 gallons, and am currently on the second keg (5 gallons). It’s delicious and much in demand.

Smack Down – Brewed 08-19-2017 7.9% ABV (123 IBU)
I brewed this in collaboration with Dave Hollandbeck. This is a completely revised recipe. I cut way back on the crystal malts and changed the hop varietals, leaving this version much less malty sweet, and more citrusy. It’s the best Smack Down I have brewed, but still is not where I want to take it. More revisions to come.

Goldihops (and the Free Beers) – Brewed 07-24-2017. 5.5% ABV
I brewed 10 gallons with my neighbor, Barry Pulis – 5 gallons for the neighborhood block party, and 5 gallons for Mac’s Brew Pub. Same old recipe. The keg lasted about two hours at the block party, and the keg at Mac’s is almost empty.

Lights Out IPA – Brewed 10-22-2017. 7.3% ABV (122 IBU)
This Black IPA is a collaboration brew with Bryce Lowrance, a talented and award winning young brewer whom I am proud to call my friend. This is Bryce’s recipe, and I gotta say it’s a keeper. It’s got the roasty and slight chocolaty notes of a small stout, but with the hoppiness of an IPA.

This style (Black IPA) was quite popular a few years ago, but has kind of lost some of its following. It’s not as widely available as it once was. When Bryce offered his recipe for our collaboration, I jumped on it. It turned out wonderful – slightly sweet and roasty, but without the grainy bitterness of a typical stout.  Then add lots of hop character, and it’s a great flavor sensation. Good job Bryce!

Phat Head – Brewed 06-03-2017. 11.7% ABV.
This is my chocolate coconut imperial oatmeal stout. I brewed this in early June, then conditioned it for four months. I added the toasted coconut when I kegged it in mid-October. It’s on nitrogen in my outside kegerator.

This beer is REALLY good! Very chocolaty and thick like a milkshake. The coconut flavor was very pronounced, but faded after about a month (when it was first put on tap, it was like drinking a mounds candy bar). I toasted another ½ lb. of coconut and added it to the keg a week ago. I plan to leave it in the keg for another week to infuse additional coconut flavor, and am hoping that it will stand up to extended keg storage.

Wide Awake Drunk – Brewed 09-30-2017. 5.4% ABV
This is my annual coffee stout brew. This year I brewed it in collaboration with Martin and Marty Gilberstadt. I think this is my third collaboration with Gilberstadts – it’s always such a pleasure to brew with these guys.

Wide Awake Drunk is also on nitrogen. As always, I added cold brewed “Black House” coffee from Modern Times Brewery/Coffee Roastery. There’s a reason why I keep brewing the same recipe year after year without revision – it’s really good. This year however, it’s better than usual because it’s on nitrogen. Thick and creamy from the oatmeal and nitrogen, it’s like a mocha latte. Come over to Mac’s and get some if you have the time.

Well, that’s what’s on tap at Mac’s right now. If any of these sound appealing to you, come on down to Mac’s Brew Pub for a pint (or six). Unfortunately, with the backyard projects (not quite done yet), the holidays, and upcoming travel plans, I’m not going to be able to brew again until late February. That means I’m going to end up with empty faucets on my kegerator before I have more beer available. It also probably means I won’t have anything to enter into any homebrew competitions in 2018. Oh well, such is Mac’s plight. So much for being retired and having all the time in the world. . .

That’s about all I have time for this newsletter. And I know you’re glad, because you have only so much time for reading superfluous drivel such as this. I have numerous beer reviews to publish, but I have to find the time. I promise to get to that real soon. That’s it for now. Christmas is one week from today, so Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Sáinte!