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THE HOPPY BREWER NEWSLETTER

June 2008 (updated 6/5/08)(revised 6/12)

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May 2008 (updated 5/13)

Brew Masters Series on hold.  The Brew Masters Series, in which I have received clones for recipes from a bunch of local brewers has been put on hold. Basically I cannot secure certain ingredients and dont want to take the liberty of changing a recipe thats isnt mine. So this project will arrive in the fall and trust me, it will be worth the wait.

Holiday Weekend Hours.  Memorial Day weekend we will be open for your brewing needs, but hours will be slightly reduced on Saturday. 12 noon until 3 pm both days.

Hop updates: whats here, whats coming, and whats not.  For a while we have been waiting for certain hops to arrive. Well here is the final (sort of) update of the latest story. I finally have some Czech Saaz in stock. The key word is SOME. This hop will be available in limited amounts and only in conjunction with recipes. Also now in stock is the Aurora  hop, also called Super Styrian. I am still working on securing some German Tradition, a nice noble hop thats great for lagers. I hope to get this in as we will not, I repeat will not, be getting any Hallertau varieties or Tettnang. I was hoping they would come in but alas, no chance. Ending on a good note, one hop that breweries are having trouble getting is Cascade. Its a staple in many beers and breweries are making changes. We at the Hoppy Brewer however have been able to secure a decent amount of this home brewing favorite. Again, lets not get crazy and try to buy them all. I have them and we should be fine as long as we brew as we always have. This is also a good opportunity to look at some old favorites that dont require a lot of hops. Challenge yourself. Brew a pilsner, start your Octoberfest, try a Belgian gold or a honey wheat. The possibilities are endless.

Things for May and Beers to Brew. May is always a funny month. National Home Brew Day, The kick off of summer beer fests, the weather is changing and you want to get in your last few brews. It can be crazy. So may should be a fun month, just chill and brew what you like. Say good bye to winter by drinking the last of your big beers and maybe brew one to save for next year. Start your lagers to drink over the summer or some wheat beer for the next few weeks. Its up to you. We will be having a Loose Cannon IPA Clone contest coming up in about 3 months so you may want to start your testing process now.

Industry News. Here is the technical and the meaty stuff. Not really. Hop news has already been posted and we all now that the cost of gas is just plain silly. Small breweries are hoping this will spike bottle sales since people will be more inclined to stay at home for cook-outs rather than travel this summer, even if 6-pack prices are hitting the *.50-$10 mark. Brew pubs are always a good option too and if you happen to be in Manchester, CT anytime soon be sure to stop into John Harvard's and say hi to the brewer. You should recognize him rather easy, as he is now me. Thats right folks. I have taken a position with JH as head brewer. Im very excited about this opportunity to brew professionally again. The shop will still be business as usual and I hope it will help me in helping you, the homebrewer, with your beers and wines.

Firkin Wednesdays. Wednesday will now be known as Firkin Wednesday at the East Ave Cafe!! They will be tapping a firkin of Shipyard IPA cask ale at 7 pm sharp each Wednesday. For those of you who have never had cask ale, it’s an event!! Cask beer, often referred to as “real ale” is brewed from only natural ingredients and allowed to mature naturally. The unfiltered, unpasteurised beer still contains live yeast, which continues conditioning the beer in the cask (called secondary fermentation) ; this process creates a gentle ,natural CO2 carbonation and allows the malts and hop flavors to develop, resulting in a richer tasting beer with more character than standard keg beers. Served at around 55 degrees, it brings out all that is best about a premium beer. Get there early so you are not shut out! The East Ave is located at 342 East Ave; Pawtucket, RI

MS150.  Dont Forget, Gary and I have started training for this years MS 150. That means we are looking for riding partners and donations. Also the Macedo's are walking for charity. To support team Big Mac, stop by the shop for an info slip.

May update and newsletter (original)

Well its May and its actually Cinco de Mayo and Im drinking Corona and … well that’s a lie. I am actually enjoying some Buzzards Bay Summer Wheat and getting some quick news out and unlike last month, there will be a larger follow up newsletter. So look forward to a new UFO Blog and lots of news about sales and status of hops. We have some new varieties (Super Styrian), secured some old favorites (Saaz), and an update of what wont show up (Hallertau). But for now, here is the short version.

First of all there is a GASS meeting this Thursday the 7th of May. It sneaks up on us early this month. The topic and the contest are open and we will find out who won last months contest.

Also if you are waiting on the 5th and final RQ kit to show up from RJ Spagnols, it is in and on the shelf waiting for you.

The calendar will be updated soon even though we have already missed NERAX and National Home Brew Day. Look for some soon.

Lastly Gary and I have started training for this years MS 150. That means we are looking for riding partners and donations.

More to come soon. Cheers!

April 2008

Welcome to a very quick version of the monthly newsletter. Time is of the essence so this is just a brief reminder of a few things and a full newsletter will come out next week and be posted to the website. Hope you are well and we will see you at the shop soon. Cheers!

 Hop News

We have hops, but not all of them. Traditional American varieties are in and some have had the price REDUCED! That’s right, reduced. However Noble hops such ads Tettnang and Saaz are still out of stock.

 Special Orders

If you have special ordered any wine kits, yeast, or keg parts, they are in.

 Closings and Tastings

We are closed this Thursday the 3^rd for the tasting at Pitchers Pub in Cumberland.

We will also be attending the re-scheduled Morin’s Beer dinner on the 16^th. Feel free to join us but call the shop so we know if we should include you in our reservation.

 Feel free to check the Calendar for more events.

 That’s it for now. Cheers!

 “Uncle” Frank

The Hoppy Brewer

March 2008

March Newsletter 2008

Happy Marzen to all the Hoppy Brewer family. A few points of interest for you to read up on, and more info to be added to the website over the next day or so.

Just in! New hops. These are called Glacier and come in leaf form only. I havent brewed with them yet but research says that this 5.5% AAU hop is the same used in Harpoons Wet Hop 100 Barrel Series beer. It is said to be an excellent new variety with balanced bittering properties combined with a good aroma profile. Possible Substitutions Willamette, US Fuggle, US Tettnang, Styrian Golding. Typical Beer Styles for this hop are Pale Ale, ESB, Bitter, English-Style Pale Ale, Porter, Stout. I only have a few but if interest dictates I can get more.

The beer dinner at Morin’s has unfortunately been postponed. However since most of us cleared that day on our calendars, lets all meet for dinner anyway. I have spoken to a few people and the idea of a “Make Your Own” beer dinner for the same time at a new place. We will be meeting at the East Ave Café on Wednesday the 5th at about 6:30. Its pasta night so I know the food will be good and they have 112 beer selections so Im sure you can find something you like. Hope to see you then!
 

Doherty's East Ave Irish Pub 342 East Ave, Pawtucket, RI (401)725-1800
From the shop the East Ave Café is:
95 S toward PROVIDENCE (Crossing into RHODE ISLAND).
Take EXIT 27 toward US-1 / RI-15 / I-95.
Turn LEFT onto US-1 S / GEORGE ST. Continue to follow GEORGE ST.
Turn SHARP LEFT onto EAST AVE.
End at 342 East Ave
Pawtucket, RI 02860-3821, US

****UPDATED**** This months beer meeting is NOT moving! Since the is no such day as Thursday the 21st I need to clarify whats going. My apologies to anyone who I may have botched your plans. The meeting will be on its regular date and time, Thursday the 13th at 8:30.

The Local Beer Tasting will be on Thursday March 27th (two weeks after the meeting) and we will be closed that day and can be found off site at Pitchers Pub in Cumberland, RI That night will be a tasting of local beers from 7 pm till 9 pm. We will be closed that day so come on up to the Pitchers and join the fun. Think Global, Drink Local.
Pitcher's Pub (401) 658-0058
120 Manville Hill Road
Cumberland, RI 02864
 

Special order wine kits are in.

The RI home show has invited me to do a home brewing presentation on Friday and Saturday March 14 and 15 for 7pm to 9pm. Feel free to come on by!

That’s it for now. Feel free to check back to the website for sale info and stuff like that. Cheers!

Uncle Frank

BEER FACT

English pubs used to bake a whistle into the rims of their beer mugs as a way for customers to order more beer, hence the phrase, “wet your whistle.”

As usual feel free to explore the site for more details on anything mentioned, check the calendar for event dates and this months To receive reminders via e-mail about new newsletters being posted, sign up here so we can add you to the database and tell you about sales, meetings, closings, and important stuff like that.

Cheers!   The Hoppy Brewer

In wine there is wisdom, 
In beer there is strength, 
In water there is bacteria! 

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February Newsletter 2008

Well, as is the norm, I’m late with this month’s newsletter. But that’s OK since nothing has really happened yet. As is also the norm, at least for now, the newsletters are short burst of news and there are always more juicy tidbits that can be accessed at anytime on different places inside our website. So, here’s the sample platter. 

Speaking of sample platters, Morin’s restaurant in downtown Attleboro will be having a beer dinner on march 5^th at 6:30 p.m. The menu is still in the works but as soon as I know what it is it will be posted to the website. If you attended the last one you know how good it was. If you didn’t, well you can’t use the same excuse twice so join us. Call the shop to be entered in the group reservation so we can sit together. 508-223-4677. 

G.A.S.S.

This months meeting falls on Valentines Day, Thursday the 14. If you have already done your V-Day thing over the weekend or plan to do the next weekend, then come share some time with something we all love, beer! I plan to pair beer with chocolate and see what happens from there. Please come and save me from gorging myself on Russian Imperial Stout and Hershey’s! 

Hops

More varieties are starting to show up. We now have some Czech Saaz and some German Tettnang.  We have also been successful finding a suitable replacement for Magnum. Try our new 15% AAU Magnum hop. 

Sales

Dr. Metal’s Dark Lager kits are a benefit kit to support the Station family fund. The Brewmasters series should also finally debut this month with replica offerings from Union Station Brewery, Trinity Brew House, Newport Storm, Buzzards Bay, Codington Brewery, Willimantic Brew Pub, and I’m working on John Harvard’s (Manchester) and Rock Bottom. Check the site for more details in the future. 

Closings

We MIGHT be closed on Thursday February 21^st for a wine event at Gasbarro’s Fine Wine and Spirits on Rt. 6 in Seekonk. If so please come by and see me pouring beer for the wine people and trying to convert them. If you would like to attend this tasting, call Gasbarro’s at 508-336-6869. 

March Madness

The madness is usually reserved for college hoops, but the Brewing News is bringing it to the beer world. Check out the link to http://www.brewingnews.com/nipac/images/NIPAC%20RoundONE.pdf and print out your IPA bracket buster challenge! IPA’s will go head to head to see if it’s something we can make Dick Vitale drink. Well maybe not, but it’s a fun way to drink beer. 

Events

See the Calendar 

 ARCHIVES AND PAST NEWS

Happy Brew Year to all of you out there surfing around on Al Gore’s Internet thingy. I appreciate you stopping by. There is a lot to look forward to in 2008 and here at the Hoppy Brewer we are very excited to be a part of it. Hop challenges are going to create new hop uses and beer inventions, wine is rising in popularity, and global warming is giving us a longer outdoor brewing season. (That’s a joke for all you earth-crunchy people. Please don’t throw sticks.)

Anyway, I am finding this month’s newsletter to be quite a challenge. The newsletter used to tell you what was on sale, events in the area, and even my opinion on some things. But now with the website, each of those things has its own area. Ahh, technology. So I guess this space going forward will be for snippets of those types of things and you can get details on the other pages. Also I can post actual news. Brewery openings and closings, detailed hop news, and other topics that don’t quite fit into a category. Hmm, sounds like the beers I brew. Never to be cataloged or categorized! So read on about some real news (Oh I feel so powerful and official!) and explore the site. We hope to see you at the shop sometime soon. Cheers!

WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEARS BREWING RESOLUTIONS

Every year we make silly resolutions such as getting organized and loosing weight. Instead, make a resolution that you will keep, one that is fun, one that involves beer and wine. Commit to a certain number of batches this year. Try a new style that you have never done before. Repeat a favorite to perfection. Brew a “Wild” beer. Hit a gravity consistently. Try wine, try beer, try mead. Either way you will feel great when you actually keep this resolution. Good luck!

 MORE HOP STUFF

At this point in time we are all well aware about the hop shortage and price increases. Many people and businesses are taking different actions. They only action I can think of is to brew. Brew new, brew exciting, just brew it! All this brewing will demand a need for new knowledge, new styles, new choices, and new beers. How can this not be an exciting time? The following chart is a general helpful guide for what hops to use if a certain one is not available. This isn’t to say we are out of stock. In fact we have many varieties in the fridge. This is in case we run low or if you are brewing at home and want to use what you have on hand.

A quick note regarding substitutes however. I have some issue with references that have been made on what hops can be used in place of others. A great example of this is the Magnum hop. This high alpha bittering hop from the Yakima area of Northwest is now in short supply. According to many sources a good substitute is Northern Brewer. There are 2 issues with this. A) Northern Brewer is also is short supply. But more important is B) the alpha acids are about ½. This means more expense to your brew and more veggie green in your kettle. I don’t like doing that and in my opinion it’s a poor recommendation. At least it should be specified that if using the Magnum for flavor then N.B. is OK, otherwise try another high alpha hop. That is why here at the Hoppy Brewer we are suggesting using Nugget or Brewers Gold. These are also being referred to as Substitutes.

Should Magnums become impossible to get there should be a Replacement. Simply selling one hop in place of another limits choice. This is the “HOPPY” brewer after all and so offering hop choices is what we want to do. That being said, look for a new hop called Millennium to be on the shelf soon. This relatively new U.S. hop is primarily used for bittering with is high alpha acids in the 15% range. We are also looking at securing some German Tradition, Summit, Aurora, and Pilgrim. Details on these will be posted as they come in, as will a list of what is no longer going to be available. Lastly, during this tough time, we ask that you think of your fellow brewers and please do not stock-pile hops, try to assess your specific hop needs, be flexible with the type of hops (pellets/plugs/leaf), and be flexible with hop variety choices.  

 QUICK SALE ITEMS

Books – So you got a brew kit for the Holidays and now need to feed your brain with knowledge. From now until the end of January all books will be 10% off. This includes brewing library standards such as John Palmer’s “How to Brew”, great recipes in “Clone Brews” and “Beer Captured” and the brand new “Brewing Classic Styles” by Jamil Zainasheff that has an award winning recipe for every BJCP category. 

Dr. Metal – Do you need a dark beer that wont take too long or taste too heavy? Then Dr. Metal’s Dark Lager is on sale just for you. This Schwarz bier is mellow and easy drinking, but dark and satisfying for when you don’t want to drink a Russian Imperial Stout.

 CLOSINGS

We will be closed on Sunday January 27^th to attend the CT Real Ale Festival.

OTHER

 The first G.A.S.S. meeting of the year is this Thursday starting at 8:30. Topics 
will be a yeast experiment and hop substitutions. 

Newport Storm is getting ready to brew their annual Limited Release. What 
this means for you is FREE wort. the second runnings will end up down the drain 
in order to keep the good stuff for another high octane brew. 

Also, welcome to all who have signed up for our newsletter. 
Its great o have you aboard. If you sent a work e-mail though and want to have 
this sent to a home e-mail, you can send that request but you must include BOTH 
addresses. Thanks again! 
 

WEB SITE

The web site is up and running. (Obviously if you are reading this) I have eliminated the errors and now will be focusing on enhancements and features. We will not be doing internet sales however. This is for informational purposes only. If you have any ideas or links please feel free to share them.

CREDIT CARDS

We are now accepting all forms of Credit and Debit cards including American Express, Discover, Visa, and MasterCard and bank debit cards with PIN numbers. We cannot however provide the cash back feature.

That’s it for this month. As usual feel free to explore the site for more details on anything mentioned, check the calendar for event dates and this months UFO is truly random. To receive reminders via e-mail about new newsletters being posted, sign up here so we can add you to the database and tell you about sales, meetings, closings, and important stuff like that.

Cheers!   The Hoppy Brewer

In wine there is wisdom, 
In beer there is strength, 
In water there is bacteria!