Taking the train

 “Do you want to come to Germany with me, Dolores?”

“Where to?”

“Romrod.”

“Where on earth is that?”

“Somewhere in Hessen.”

“Maybe.”

“We’ll be staying in a castle.”

“OK, then.”

“Why are you going there?”

“I’m speaking at a home brewing convention”

“What will I do?”

“Help me sell books.”

“You mean you might actually earn some money?”

“Hopefully.”

“How will we get there?”

“I’ve been offered a lift from Düsseldorf.”

“Great, we won’t have to depend on Deutsche Bahn.”

That seemed to swing it. To avoid any surprises from DB, we decided to take the train to Düsseldorf the day before our lift. And to stay a night close to the station.

Our train is at a bit past 14:00. Meaning I can leave some of the packing until the morning. Our luggage is quite heavy, on account of all the books.

“Better to have too many than too few.” I remark.

“Easy to say when you aren’t carrying them all.”

“Some are in my bag.”

“Some being the important word.”

“I’ve got almost half.”

“The important words there are ‘almost’ and ‘half’.”

We take the tram to Centraal Station and wait patiently on the platform for a while. Towards the end of where the train will be. As we don’t have seat reservations.

“I suppose I’ll have to find the seats.” Dolores remarks. ”As usual.”

“You are good at it. After all that practice as a student in the DDR.”

“You always bring that up.”

“Because it’s true, Plus, I’m old and feeble.”

“Feeble in the brain.”

“Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a compliment,”

“I know.”

The train isn’t that busy and we can easily find seats. It’s not that long a journey. Just two- and a-bit hours. If the train runs the normal route. And isn’t delayed.

In case I get too thirsty, I’ve prepared a drink for the trip. Two half litre cans of Gulpener Gladiator decanted into a litre plastic bottle. It keeps me hydrated for the duration.

Everything runs like clockwork in Holland. Once in Germany, we’re either bombing along at 200 km per hour, or crawling, at near walking pace, where they’re fiddling with the line. It doesn’t delay us too much, and we arrive in Düsseldorf just a few minutes late.

Once checked in, we nip to the Lidl over the road for some supplies. Important stuff like cheese and whisky. I first grab a bottle for 11 euros. Until Dolores points out the one for 7.99 euros. No point throwing money away.

At the checkout, I notice the bloke in front of us has the same whisky.

“He must be a connoisseur like me.”

“Old drunk, more like.” Dolores replies.

“Charming. You think so highly of me”

Shopping dumped in the hotel, we leave again in search of food. Something Asian. As there are lots of Asian restaurants close to the station. We start wandering in the vague direction of the city centre. And come across a Korean place. Sojubar.

“What about here, Dolores?”

“I don’t know. Is there a menu outside?”

“Yes. Here.” I say pointing out an A-board.

“Finally, you’re some use.”

“Thank you.”

Being reasonably priced, we enter. Even though it’s not quite 18:30, it’s quite busy. Which is a good sign. Lots of young people. Not sure if that’s a good sign or not.

 Time for drinks. Dolores opts for a Hefeweizen.

“Ooh, look. They’ve got soju.” I say.

“It is called Sojubar.”

“I hadn’t noticed that.”

“I’m surprised. You’re usually remarkably observant when it comes to alcohol.”

“I wonder which soju I should get?”

“I’m guessing strongest one.”

“The most traditional one.”

“Is that, by any coincidence, the strongest one?”

“Maybe.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” 

Dolores orders a Bibimbap. A bowl of vegetables and meat. While I fancy fried chicken. Still having soju on my mind, I order Soju Go To Hell. And beef kimbap. 

My chicken is quite spicy. Very spicy. Way too fucking spicy.

“This is a bit hot.”

“Why did you order it?”

“Because it has soju in the name.”

“Didn’t you see what it says on the menu? The hottest fried chicken in the world.”

“No.”

“You should pay more attention.”

Dolores isn’t wrong. But I don’t admit that.

I manage to eat one piece of chicken. And my mouth is on fire. The rice in the kimbap helps a bit. A bit. It’s a while before I dare try any more of my soju.

“I’ll pack the chicken up and we can wash the sauce off in the hotel.”

“Good thinking, Dolores. I wouldn’t want to waste food.”

Or destroy my mouth. I don’t say that bit out loud.

When we leave, noticing Oststrasse U-Bahn station, I say: “We must be close to Schuhmacher Do you fancy a beer there?”

“OK.”

Dolores is so wonderful. I can’t imagine a better partner. Especially as she appreciates a good beer. Definitely a keeper.

Schuhmacher is only a short walk away. The main room looks busy. And we only want to drink. So we sit in the small room at the front. It’s sort of like a public bar. Soon glasses of Alt appear in front of us.

I do like a good Alt. And Schuhmacher’s is a really good one. A malty backbone overlaid by a good dose of bitterness. Fresh and very drinkable. Especially as it’s served by gravity from a wooden cask. The way god intended.

We only stay for two Not wanting to be out too late. On the way back, we manage to get a bit lost. But not for long.

Things don’t go so well with the chicken washing. The sink won’t drain and fills up with a red, greasy mess.  After carefully bailing it out and cleaning it up, Dolores goes to reception and tells them about the blockage. After a short inspection, it’s concluded that the sink can’t be quickly fixed and we’re moved to another room.

We don’t stay up too late. Even though we don’t need to be up that early. We’re being picked up at 11:00.

The cheapo whisky works its wonders. Slumber soon embraces me.




Sojubar Dusseldorf
Charlottenstraße 49, 
40210 Düsseldorf.
https://www.sojubar.com/dusseldorf/


Brauerei Schuhmacher
Oststraße 123, 
40210 Düsseldorf.
http://www.brauerei-schumacher.de/

 

A video of the day. 

Let's Brew - 1990 Youngs John Young's London Lager

In the 1970s Youngs brewed a much-mocked Lager called Saxon. Eventually, taking the hint, they introduced a couple of more authentic Lagers. The weaker of which was this beer.

It’s a very simple beer. A SMASH beer in fact. Though there were two types of lager malt from different suppliers. Doesn’t leave me very much to discuss. Other than to remark that it’s interesting that no sugar was involved. And that this beer is Reinheitsgebot-compliant.

The fermentation was relatively cold, hitting a maximum of 55.5º F. The mashing scheme, however, is typically London. Where an initial infusion was followed after 30 minutes by an underlet to raise the temperature of the mash by a few degrees.

The hops were rather old, being from the 1986 season. All of just the one type. I’ve increased the quantities to achieve the bitterness level listed in the brewing record.

I don’t think this was lagered. 

1990 Youngs John Young's London Lager
lager malt	8.25 lb	100.00%
Styrian Goldings 60 min	1.375 oz
Styrian Goldings 10 min	0.50 oz
OG	1038
FG	1011
ABV	3.57
Apparent attenuation	71.05%
IBU	2.7
SRM	24.5
Mash at	147º F
Sparge at	165º F
Boil time	60 minutes
pitching temp	52.5º F
Yeast	Wyeast 2042 Danish lager

Listen to brewer John Hatch explain how they brewed at Youngs in the 1990s.  

Another video of Romrod

 This time with a commentary. Of sorts.

 

The amazing journey

I don’t sleep that well. Imagining all sorts of nightmare scenarios. This could work out very expensive. Dolores will not be happy if I have to fork out a couple of thousand euros for a stupid mistake. All of my own making.

Most of the judges have already left. Only a couple are around at breakfast. I would have my usual. Except that there’s no scrambled egg. Leaving my plate looking rather sad with just cheese. 

One of the staff brings out a plate from the kitchen for another guest. It’s scrambled egg. She notices me looking and gestures asking if I want some, too. I nod vigorously. Phew. Breakfast saved. If only that was my biggest worry.

I’m still doing some heavy-duty fretting. However I look at it, my chances of catching my Amsterdam flight don’t look great. Everything will have to run perfectly for me to be successful. Even the slightest delay could be disastrous. How often have I been on a flight that was 20 or 30 minutes late? Far too often for me to feel comfortable.

I check out at midday. And jump in an Uber to the airport.

It’s three hours until my first flight. I decide not to check in a bag. To make my exit from my arrival airport in Rio quicker. Just as well my check-in bag is small enough for hand baggage.

There are a couple of cafés and bars airside. I’m too stressed for alcohol. I want to keep a clear head, too. I get a baguette from the oddly-named Smell café. I think “aroma” is the word they were looking for.

You have to tick boxes on a form to say what fillings you want. Most of the options, I can’t understand. Which is why I end up with a boiled egg and red onion baguette.

Reassuringly, my flight is listed as on time. Now. Hopefully, that doesn’t change.

I read some Private Eye. And look at the Guardian website on my phone. I’m so modern, now. Just like one of those young people. Whose faces are permanently glued to their phones.

The flight is, indeed, on time. Even better, it’s a little early. Pulling away from the gate 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time. A good start. Still a long way to go, mind. I’m still feeling very stressed.

We arrive in Congonhas early, too. No air bridge, though. Meaning a bus ride to the terminal. My connecting flight is also out on the tarmac. Fortunately, the bus goes from the very next bay. That’s handy. My luck is holding.

I spend no time, really, between flights. And the second one also leaves early. Things are going about as well as they could. I let Jose know that I should be arriving on time. It’s still going to be tight. My heart is racing. Which is worrying.

As soon as we land in Rio, I message Jose. He’ll see me in arrivals.

With no checked-in bag, I walk straight to arrivals. It only takes us a couple of minutes to meet up. We climb into his car at 17:00. I feel relieved. Until Jose points out that the satnav estimates that it will take 53 minutes for the trip. Which is 57 minutes before my Amsterdam flight is scheduled to leave.

When does check in close for intercontinental flights? Forty minutes before departure? I hope so. If it’s an hour, I’m screwed.

The traffic is bad. We often slow almost to a standstill. The satnav estimates our arrival time at 19:53 or 19:54 for most of the journey. But as we get closer, it drops to 19:48. Which is exactly when we pull up at international departures.

I quickly find the KLM desk. It’s very quiet. And there’s a sign saying: “closed”. It doesn’t look good.

“Can I check in for the Amsterdam flight?”

“Yes, you’ve got a minute. Can I see your passport?”

Phew. As my bag rolls away on the conveyor belt relief rolls over me. That was way too fucking close. If we’d been stopped by one more red light, I’d have missed my flight. I’m glad that I didn’t know the cutoff time was 60 minutes. I’d have been worried sick the whole car ride.

That was far too much of an adventure. I get anxious enough just watching Race Around the World. I don’t want to live it.

Boarding has already started before I’m through security. It’s a long walk to my gate. With a couple of minutes’ delay at the duty free, I arrive at the gate 30 minutes before departure.

Once on board, I nip to the bogs to down a couple of miniatures I bought in the duty free. Just to calm my nerves. What a stressful day it’s been. Not one I’d like to repeat.

We take off pretty much on time. Just 10.5 hours and I’ll be back in Amsterdam.

A French-speaking couple sit next to me. They’ve brought McDonald's with them. KLM food isn’t great, but is it that bad?

The main meal – chicken with cheese on top – is surprisingly edible. One of the best meals I’ve had for a while on a KLM flight. Though that isn’t saying very much. The bar is barely at shoe-height.

I start watching some Mission Impossible nonsense. But doze off halfway.

I don’t sleep that well. I can’t really get comfortable. A couple of hours out from Amsterdam I give up and return to Mission Impossible. It hasn’t got any less ridiculous while I’ve been dozing.

The main part of breakfast is a bit weird. On the plus side, there’s some fruit. And coffee and orange juice.

When we arrive, I’m feeling pretty tired. Thankfully, I don’t have to piss around for too long in the airport.

When I roll up at home, Dolores opens the door. Of course, she has tea waiting for me. My first cup in over a week. It tastes so good.

 

Free in Uberlandia

No judging today. And no rush to get up. I rise a little after nine. Then go for brekkie. Happy enough, once more, just to have made it to another day. I no longer take waking up for granted.

Jose and a few others are there. I sit with them and chat. While eating my usual breakfast. Scrambled eggs and the white cheese. Followed by fruit. Can’t forget the fruit.

Jose offers to pick me up from the airport in Rio tomorrow. Which is nice. And take me out for some food and beer. That's dead cool. He’s such a nice bloke. It’s been great spending time with him.

Even after three coffees I feel rather knacked. I consider going back to bed. But instead fiddle on my laptop.

There is an excursion to a coffee plantation today. But, as the start time was stupid o’clock, I gave it a miss. I simply couldn’t be arsed to get up that early. The only other thing on the agenda is the awards ceremony this evening. A free day. Yippee!

My plan is to take things easy. Very easy. I could go out for lunch. What are my nearby options? Mostly buffets. I’m a bit buffeted out. Instead, I think I’ll have a wander to the supermarket and pick up some cheese and salami.

It’s an interesting walk. A bit downhill. Along some really crap and uneven pavements. You could easily do yourself an injury, if you weren’t paying attention. Especially if it’s a bit icy. Then I remember. Not much chance of ice here. Not unless there’s a nuclear war or massive meteor strike. In those cases, I’ll have more pressing worries than an icy pavement.

Not the largest of supermarkets. It does have all the stuff I need. Along with the aforementioned supplies, I buy rolls, bananas and cola. The latter I need to mix with the gut-rot cachaça I brought from Rio.

Luckily, the road only gets really steep past the supermarket. I really can’t be doing with hills anymore. That’s what decades of living surrounded by the Dutch mountains gets you. The only inclined surfaces at home are the approaches to bridges. A rise of no more than a couple of metres.

I play around on my laptop. Doing a bit of writing. And lots of looking at crap on the internet. It's so cold in the room, that I'm wearing my jacket. I can't seem to turn the ac up. Or is it down? Make it fucking warmer in here, that's what I mean.

The gut-rot cachaça is, er, rotting my gut. That’s annoying. Typical that I feel crap on my day off.

It doesn’t get better as evening rolls around. Think I’ll give the awards ceremony a miss. They’re quite stressful – lots of standing up and deafening noise – at the best of times.

Looking at my email, I notice one from KLM. Asking if I want to check in. That’s a bit early. It’s 48 hours until I fly.

At least, that’s what I thought. It seems my flight is booked for tomorrow, 4th March. Didn’t I book it for the 5th? That’s what it says in the document with all my trip details. I originally planned to return on the 4th. But when I changed my departure date to a day later, the KLM site automatically shifted my return to a day later, too. Or that’s what I thought.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck. Fuck. How on earth could I get that so wrong?

Will I be even able to make it? My Amsterdam flight leaves at 20:50. And I don’t get into Rio until 18:50. At the other airport. The domestic one. Two hours for the transfer is really tight. Any sort of delay will completely bugger me.

To make matters worse, I have two flights to get to Rio. With quite a tight connection in Sao Paolo. Lots of room for delays. One of as little as ten minutes could ruin everything.

I message Jose that I won’t be able to meet him for drinks tomorrow. Kindly, He offers to give me a lift between the airports.

According to Google maps, it takes twenty minutes by car between the airports. Even if it’s half an hour, I should be OK. Should be.

I start to do some industrial scale worrying. What the fuck do I do if I miss my flight to Holland? Would I be able to rebook onto the next day’s flight? How much would that cost me? Where would I stay in Rio? As I’ve already cancelled my hotel.

Maybe I could change my flight from Uberlandia to an earlier one. No. GOL only have the one flight a day. Maybe another airline.

I look at Azul. They want around 500 euros for a single. And the times are no better. A Latam flight would be earlier. However, they want 1,200 euros. What the fuck? That’s more than I paid to fly from Amsterdam to Rio and back.

I do some more worrying. Then go to bed. 

 

 

A video report about my time in Uberlandia.

Romrod castle and the Heimbrau Convention

My recent trip to Romrod castle in Hessen to speak at the Heimbrau Convention.

 

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1991 Youngs Oatmeal Stout

After disappearing sometime in the 1960s, Oatmeal Stout made a comeback in the 1990s. To many people’s surprise.

This beer is quite strong for a post-WW II Stout and is around the gravity of pre-WW II Oatmeal Stouts.

Unlike London Oatmeal Stouts from before the war, where the oats content was minimal, there’s a decent amount here. Maybe even enough to be noticeable. Other than that, the grist is quite simple. Just base pale malt and a bit of roast barley. Along with some Young’s Special Mix, a combination of glucose, molasses and caramel.

There’s not much else to say, really.  Just two types of English hops. Again, with no indication of vintage. And I’ve had to double the quantity to hit the bitterness level recorded in the brewing record. 

1991 Youngs Oatmeal Stout
pale malt	10.00 lb	81.17%
roast barley	0.55 lb	4.46%
flaked oats	0.75 lb	6.09%
glucose	0.75 lb	6.09%
molasses	0.25 lb	2.03%
caramel 2000 SRM	0.02 lb	0.16%
Fuggles 70 min	2.25 oz
Goldings 10 min	1.00 oz
OG	1055
FG	1014
ABV	5.42
Apparent attenuation	74.55%
IBU	31
SRM	18
Mash at	149º F
Sparge at	165º F
Boil time	70 minutes
pitching temp	63º F
Yeast	WLP002 English Ale

 

Listen to brewer John Hatch explain how they brewed at Youngs in the 1990s.  

Still judging

I rise at 6:30 feeling much better than yesterday. After a solid eight hours of kip. It’s amazing what a good sleep can do. Just waking up is a positive at my age. You never know when it may not happen. I’m downstairs by 7:15.

I have my usual breakfast. Call me Mr. Boring. I don’t care. It’s what I want to eat. And I’ll fucking eat it. That’s the great thing about being old. Not really having to give a fuck what anyone thinks.

I’m sitting with Jose. The chat turns to yeast with the bloke on the next table who has a yeast company. I meet such interesting people at these things. And learn interesting stuff. In the Anglosphere, the discussion rarely turns to South American beer. A shame.

For me, it’s one of the most interesting regions of the beer world. Lots of very enthusiastic people trying out lots of stuff. Some of which works. Like Catherina Sour, which I think is a wonderful style. So drinkable. And so lovable.

Back over at Überbräu, I’m on the same judging table as yesterday, with Suzanne and Alan. I’m happy with that. We rattled through the flights yesterday. Coming to a consensus without much argument. Which saves much time. And annoyance. Especially annoyance. The last thing I need is extra stress.

In charge of beer service is Matteo. A livelily friendly young man. With whom I chatted a bit at the barbecue yesterday.

Lots of flights this morning. Fortunately, mostly very small flights.

We start with fruited wheat. Just two samples. Both pretty good.

Scotch Ale. One sample. Pretty nice. A perfect breakfast beer. 

American Pale Ale. Six samples. Loads of hops.

Session IPA Not the greatest flight. Lots of oxidation. One or two decent ones.

Dorada Pampeana. One Sample. A type of beer from Argentina. Lucky that we have an Argentinian on the table to explain it to us.

Dutch-style Koyt. One sample. Pretty decent.

German-style Rye Ale. One sample. Tastes right to me. Quite similar to the Thurm und Taxis Roggebier.

We finish at 11:00. Or, rather, we think we do. Matteo gets us one more flight.

Wood and Barrel-aged beers. Six samples, three of which are based on Wee Heavy. The Wee Heavies are so good, I finish all of them. Just to get me in the mood for lunch. My plan works.

We finish at 11:42. A victory for common sense.

Lunch isn’t at the judging location today. We’re whisked off to a restaurant, Boca e Uva, in taxis. At first, I think we’re going back to the hotel, when we pull into the street it’s on. In fact, we’re headed to a place just a little past it. 

It’s a buffet, obviously. This is Brazil and it is lunchtime. A bit more choice than on other days. It’s OK. I get some meat and some salad. Which pretty much describes what I always collect from a buffet. And an orange juice to wash it down.

After lunch, there’s a real treat. Non-alcoholic beers. Six samples. All three sour styles are pretty good. With the Catharina Sour the pick of the bunch. The best non-alcoholic beer I’ve ever drunk. Which may be quite a low bar. Or was. It’s been raised considerably now.

That was much better than expected. Some flights of alcoholic beers were far worse. Not sure what that tells us.

There’s then a long wait for the pre-BOS. Like two fucking hours. Such fun sitting and sweating. Watching Match of the Day helps pass a little time.

I’m doing the pre-BOS of English styles with fellow Dutchman Ferry Wijnhoven. At 16:50. Just four beers arrive:

British-style IPA
Special Bitter
Dark Mild
Robust Porter.

This should be nice and quick. Oh no, that was a mistake. It's actually 14 beers. Fuck.

It does turn out to be fairly painless. Only complicated by the fact that most of the beers are excellent. I quite like the English IPA and the Dark Mild. Though we settle on the Imperial Stout as the winner. It’s a lovely beer.

We’re done at 17:18. And I can fuck off back to the hotel. Totally knacked again.

I have some time to relax in my room. Which I really fucking need. Excuse the swearing. I’m feeling stressed. Weirdly, the hanging around seems to take more out of me than the judging. 

That should be the last stress of the trip. No more judging. Just a couple of days relaxing to come.

Some judges are going to the Madero steakhouse tonight. I decide to tag along.  I could do with some more meat. Can’t remember the last time I ate some. It’s so hard to get hold of here in Brazil.

I bump into Tina Rogers outside the hotel. She’s headed the same way. We share an Uber. 

The restaurant is in a shopping centre. Most of the others haven't arrived when we get there. It’s fairly spacious. Reasonably posh. And not very full.

For a while just Tina and me sit on a large table. Drinking caipirinhas, as they don't have any decent beer. And I like drinking caipirinhas. Who doesn’t? Weirdos, that’s who.  Anyway, I’ve had enough of beer after the last couple of days.

There are ten of us eventually. A very international bunch, a mix of South Americans and Europeans. Which is always fun. One of the reasons I enjoy judging so much, mixing with people from diverse locations. The main reason I love it, now I come to think of it. The actual judging can be as much fun as sandpapering your bollocks.

I order a picanha steak and chips. Medium rare, of course. It's very tasty. And goes well with a caipirinha. Well, anything goes well with a caipirinha. Even better with two caipirinhas. Or three. Or four. Any number, really.

We stay until around 10:15, then get Ubers back to the hotel.

I don't stay up long. Even though I can sleep in tomorrow. Just a quick draught of gut-rot cachaça to push me down the hill to unconsciousness.



Madero Steak House Uberlândia
Av. João Naves de Ávila, 1331
Tibery, Uberlândia
MG, 38408-902.
https://www.restaurantemadero.com.br/pt/restaurante



Disclaimer: Concurso Brasileiro de Cervejas paid for my hotel, some meals and some drinks during my stay in Uberlandia. 

I take the train to Düsseldorf

Me and Dolores take the train to Düsseldorf, eat Korean food and drink Alt in Schuhmacher. 

Back home

The kids keep taking the piss out of me for not learning any Portuguese. Totally incorrectly.

“I know enough.”

“Like what?” Andrew asks.

“Sanitarios? The question mark in the tone is important.”

“Obviously.”

“And knowing where the bogs are is vital when you’re an oldie like me.”

“I don’t need to know that, Dad.”

“Carvalha. That’s oak.”

“Any non-alcohol-related words.” 

“Morango. Strawberry.”

“That’s something that was added to a beer, wasn’t it?”

“Maybe.”

“Learnt any new words that aren’t a fruit or type of food?”

“Er.”

“Got nothing?”

“Mandioca. Cassava.”

“Also in a beer?”

“No.“

“Part of a meal?”

“Possibly. That’s three new words. You should be congratulating me.”

“That’s not even a word a day.”

“Caju. Cashew.”

“You already knew that one.”

“I haven’t told you to fuck off yet, have II?”

“I’ve a feeling you’re about to, aren’t you?

“If it’s that obvious, I’ve no need to.”

“Right.”

“Tapioca. That’s a new one.”

“What does that mean?”

“Tapioca.”

“So the same as in English?”

“Yes. Still counts as a new word.”

“Even though it’s exactly the same as the English word?”

“Yes. It isn’t pronounced exactly the same.”

“You just did.”

“Because I’m not a native Portuguese speaker.”

“I’m going to say it now.”

“What?”

“Fuck off, Dad.”

“I’m glad you said it and not me.”

We have such inspiring conversations. 

Lots more judging

I rise at 6:30 after a shit sleep. A shower livens me up a little. A little.

A coffee helps some, too. But I only get the one before the coffee machine breaks. Bum.

My breakfast main course is scrambled egg and cheese once more. I’m sitting with Jose again.

“I see you’re trying the white cheese. Do you like it?” He asks.

“Yes. Much better than the yellow stuff.”

Which it is.  Like cottage cheese formed into a solid lump. Still very soft. The yellow cheese is very plasticy. And pretty tasteless.

The judges’ bus is at 8:00 again. Sort of. It’s close enough. We’re in South America, after all. No point in getting hung up on exact timings.

I’m on table 7 today. Where Suzanne Schalow is captain. The other judge is Alan Iglesias, a brewer from Argentina.

We start with a mini-BOS of American Malt Liquor. A couple of OK ones. Quite an alcoholic start to the day. Not totally sure about what a Malt Liquor is. Other than a strongish Pale Lager.

Our scores are quite a long way apart. With mine being particularly low. I’m rather a mean scorer. If beers have faults, which many do I’m pretty ruthless.

More Lager next. Slightly weaker stuff: Dortmunder Export. There are a couple of pretty good ones. Rather surprisingly. Pale Lagers are difficult to get right. And quite fragile. Which isn’t great when beer isn’t kept refrigerated the whole time.

We jump up in strength again. With Double IPA. Pretty good generally. With a couple of outstanding beers. Though they’re quite hard on my tastebuds.

There’s no letting up on the strength: English Barley Wine. A couple of real crackers in this set. As I can’t stand wasting good beer, I finish off the best samples.

American Imperial Porter. Another really good flight.

Lunch. I’m not particularly hungry. Not surprising, given all the big, chewy beers I’ve tasted this morning. At least we kept up a good pace. We got through five decent-sized flights. Have we caught up yet? Probably not. I eat some stuff simply as ballast rather than with any great joy.

Back to judging. Fuck. It’s Irish Red Ale. Even less fun to judge than non-alcoholic beers. The six or seven times I’ve judged them, I’ve never had one that was even half decent. This lot aren’t quite as terrible as usual. A couple are almost drinkable. Almost. Out of twelve samples.

Czech Dark Lager. four samples, one quite good.

Followed by an hour wait. Then more flights in quick succession.

Belgian style Witbier. six samples. Some OK ones.

Wild Beer. five samples. Mostly with Brettanomyces. Quite a difficult flight to judge.

West Coast IPA. Eleven samples. Eleven fucking samples! After all the strong beers we’ve judged today. My palate has gone. They all taste the same. Which I hate. I always want to do justice to the beers I’m judging. I defer to the other judges.

I've already packed away my laptop, when we're asked to judge another flight. Aargh. I thought I'd escaped. Fuck. Luckily, it’s a very small flight. Of a style so obscure, even I don’t know what it’s supposed to be like.

Breslau-Style Schoeps. Two samples.

And we’re really done. Just to make sure, I pack up quickly and head for the exit. Don’t want them dragging me into judging yet another flight.

I'm so fucking knacked. We’ve judged so many beers today. And lots of strong ones. I never want to drink beer again. I’m so done with it. I just want to drink some cachaça and sleep.

Back at the hotel, I'm tempted to skip the barbecue at Captain Brew and just get some food from the supermarket. Then I see that it isn't open. I'd forgotten it was Sunday. Barbecue it is, then.

I'm half way through arranging an Uber when another judge asks me if I want a lift. That's handy.

There's the lovely smell of cooking meat when I enter. That perks me up a bit. I get myself an IPA. One brewed here. It’s perfectly fine. Hitting the spot without pummelling it to death. With enough alcohol to keep my interest.

I’m offered a taste of Einbecker Maibock which a German judge has brought over. Then a Bayerischer Bahnhof Gose. 

"It's not sour enough." I complain. As usual. I can be a real pain in the arse. I should learn to keep my gob shut. Particularly when people are giving me beer.

I find myself a seat. because, well, I'm well knacked. Platters of meat appear. And are quickly consumed.

I get chatting to Matteo, who’s been organising the beers for our judging table. A really nice bloke, full of energy. As young people tend to be.

Someone brings around Paraguayan rum. Which is very nice. And nicely alcoholic.

I leave a little after 21:00. Back in the hotel, I sip dodgy cachaça and watch the rest of Match of the Day. And crash out not much after 10. I need sleep.



Captain Brew
R. Marieta de Castro Santos, 135
Altamira, Uberlândia
MG, 38411-004.



Disclaimer: Concurso Brasileiro de Cervejas paid for my hotel, some meals and some drinks during my stay in Uberlandia. 

 

A video of my time in Uberlandia. 

Let's Brew - 1990 Youngs Winter Warmer

A very special beer, this. The last London Burton Ale. Which, by this point, had been a seasonal beer for quite a long while. I’m so pleased that it isn’t one of the many Youngs beers which disappeared after the Wandsworth site closed. Fingers crossed that it survives for a few more decades.

With no Mild to be parti-gyled with, it was brewed single-gyle. With a recipe quite similar to Old Nick. The big difference being the total absence of No. 3 invert sugar. This is basically the same as the Old Nick recipe with the No. 3 removed and everything else left unchanged.

The sugar was all Young’s Special mix. A blend of glucose, molasses and caramel. Whose exact composition varied to his extract and colour specifications.  I’ve gone with what I’m hoping is a typical proportion of glucose 73%, molasses 25% and caramel 2%. 

Two types of hops without indication of vintage. All, seemingly, added at the start of the boil. As with Old Nick. I’ve had to increase the hopping by 0.5 oz. for each type to get the IBU value in the brewing record. 

1990 Youngs Winter Warmer
pale malt	9.00 lb	74.32%
crystal malt 120 L	0.875 lb	7.23%
torrefied barley	0.875 lb	7.23%
glucose	1.00 lb	8.26%
molasses	0.33 lb	2.73%
caramel 2000 SRM	0.03 lb	0.25%
Fuggles 60 min	1.25 oz
Goldings 60 min	1.25 oz
OG	1056
FG	1020
ABV	4.76
Apparent attenuation	64.29%
IBU	30
SRM	16
Mash at	149º F
Sparge at	165º F
Boil time	60 minutes
pitching temp	61º F
Yeast	WLP002 English Ale

 

Listen to brewer John Hatch explain how they brewed at Youngs in the 1990s.  

Judging day

I rise at 6:30. Feeling just about human. And quickly head downstairs. As I want to have a leisurely breakfast. At my age, everything takes a long time. The bus to the judging is scheduled for 8:00.

I sit with Jose. No bacon, so it's scrambled egg and cheese. Which fills a hole. And three cups of coffee wake me up. A bit. 

“Have you tried the white cheese?” Jose asks.

“Do you mean this?” I reply, pointing at the rather anaemic yellow squares on my plate.

“No, the really white cheese. It’s local. Very fresh.”

I check the cheeses when fetching my fruit. There is, indeed, some very white stuff. I’ll have to try that tomorrow. Always good to expand my cheese horizons. Melon and watermelon provide all the fruity goodness I need. Along with orange juice.

The buffet selection isn’t that bad. Other than the absence of bacon. Lots for the cake-eater.

The bus leaves fairly well on time. To Überbräu, another brewery taproom. This time on an industrial estate.

I’m on table 13. That’s lucky. With table captain Tedesko Almeida (from Brazil) and Lisa Matzeu (from Italy).

After a short introduction from Doug Merlot, including a stern reminder not to throw bog paper into the bogs, we’re ready to rock. And rock we immediately do. This is great. No pointless hanging around without beer to judge.

We kick off with American-style Light Lager. Now there’s a style to cheer the soul. The examples vary between fatally flawed and just about acceptable. I'm glad when we're done.

Looking forward to the next set, which is Catherina Sour. Except they don't seem to have them ready. We have a wait. Which becomes a long wait. So frustrating. And likely to leave us finishing rather late. We have to judge 50-60 beers today. After two hours, we've only judged eight. I have visions of us judging into the night.

We wait so long, that lunch rolls around. Which is, surprisingly, a buffet. Quite a small one Not particularly great for the vegetarians. Who have a choice of stodge or salad. Even some of the vegetable dishes seem to contain meat.

Not long after lunch, a second flight appears. Not Catherina Sour, as promised. Instead, it’s Belgian-style Dubbel. A type of beer I’ve drunk quite a bit of. All are a bit sweet for me, but there are a couple of really decent beers. With enough alcohol to rouse my spirits.

There’s a bit more waiting before the next flight arrives. Catharina Sour. One I’d been looking forward to. As usual, some lovely beers. And all are pretty decent. It’s a wonderful style. So drinkable, while still being packed with vibrant flavours.

After lots more doing nothing, it’s announced that we’re done for the day. At 16:00, after only judging three of our scheduled six flights. While it’s nice to finish early, it just means more work tomorrow. As we try to catch up.

I rest a bit in my room, before heading downstairs at 18:00. The plan is to go to the Trema brewery. But a group of people are going first to Bar do Rone for some meat. I decide to tag along. Good Brazilian meat isn’t to be missed.

When I arrive, the others are already there. It’s an unpretentious Brazilian neighbourhood restaurant, very simply decked out. And pretty busy. Which is a good sign. I pull up a chair.

The meat is delicious pork. With a wonderfully crunchy crust. It comes in a big lump which is sliced by a waiter at the table. Yum, yum, yum. I accompany it with a passion fruit caipirinha. Which is also yummy.

There’s a bottle of posh cachaça on the table. Not sure where it came from. However, it would be impolite to refuse a shot. It’s very nice. As I knew it would be. Don’t ask me describe it. Other than that it’s full of cachaça-ey goodness.

The plan is to continue on to Trema. But I'm feeling knacked. Instead, I return to the hotel. Where I chug some cheapo cachaça. And start watching Match of the Day.

After 20 minutes, I'm done and turn in. Tomorrow will be a long day. Lots of beers to judge.


Überbräu Microcervejaria
Av. Espanha, 391
Tibery, Uberlândia
MG, 38405-048.
https://uberbrau.com.br/


Bar do Rone
Av. Seme Simão, 1399
Laranjeiras, Uberlândia
MG, 38410-327.


Disclaimer: Concurso Brasileiro de Cervejas paid for my hotel, some meals and some drinks during my stay in Uberlandia.

 

A video of my time in Uberlandia. 

Why are you still travelling?

Dolores has asked that more than once.

I asked it myself last week, when I had an incredibly stressful journey back from Brazil. All my own fault. 

 My answer: social contact.

The older you get, the harder it is to either meet new people. Or hang onto the ones you already know. As they drift off geographically, spiritually or physically. 

My international beer gigs are a great opportunity to socialise. Meet old friends. Make new ones. Pretend that I'm still a student. 

That's it, really.Pretending to be young again. If only for a couple of days.  

Let's Brew Wednesday - 1990 Youngs Old Nick

Strongest of Young’s regular beers was Old Nick. Another of the casualties of the move to Bedford. Though I’m not sure if it disappeared immediately. 

It was usually a bottled beer. Though it may have appeared in bulk form – cask or keg – as a special. I should ask John Hatch or Derek Prentice. They would know. The label calls it a Barley Wine. (Barley Wine Style Ale in the USA.)

It’s a post-WW II beer. Not sure when they started brewing it. I can’t find it in the 1`960 brewing book. Though there is a beer called XXXX with a gravity of 1077º. And dark in colour. That could possibly an earlier name. Or just the brew house name.

Getting back to this particular beer, the grist is pretty complicated. With four types of sugar. Though three of them – the glucose, molasses and caramel – were bought premixed as Young’s Special Mix. The crystal malt darker, 150 L, than indicated in the recipe. It’s just that BeerSmith doesn’t go any higher than 120 L.

There’s an awful lot of sugar. Almost 30% of the grist.  Most of it in the form of No. 3 invert. Not sure I’ve ever seen quite so much of it in a beer.

Two types of hops. Goldings and Fuggles seem a fair enough guess. Unlike for other beers, no late copper hops are listed. I’ve assumed that they were all added at the start of the boil. Which, at 60 minutes, was short for a beer of this gravity being brewed single-gyle. Maybe that’s why there’s so much sugar.

Unlike for the other beers from this set, I haven’t had to drastically increase the hopping rate to hit the IBUs listed in the brewing record. Only by 0.75 oz. 

1990 Youngs Old Nick
pale malt	10.50 lb	62.28%
crystal malt 120 L	0.75 lb	4.45%
torrefied barley	0.75 lb	4.45%
No. 3 invert sugar	3.50 lb	20.76%
glucose	1.00 lb	5.93%
molasses	0.33 lb	1.96%
caramel 2000 SRM	0.03 lb	0.18%
Fuggles 60 min	3.25 oz
Goldings 60 min	3.25 oz
OG	1088
FG	1032.5
ABV	7.34
Apparent attenuation	63.07%
IBU	61
SRM	26
Mash at	148º F
Sparge at	165º F
Boil time	60 minutes
pitching temp	59º F
Yeast	WLP002 English Ale

 

Listen to brewer John Hatch explain how they brewed at Youngs in the 1990s.  

Another video of Brazil

 Me in Uberlandia in Minas Gerais, Brazil, , where I judged the Concurso Brasileiro de Cervejas.