Speedway

As I promised myself, I rise fairly late. After a good, long, deep sleep. It’s done me a power of good.

While I’m in the bathroom I hear a crash. The light next to the door has fallen down. I’m glad I wasn’t standing underneath it at the time.

Having spotted a Rock Bottom brewpub just past that huge column, I trawl along there about noon. I’m not meeting Rick until 2 PM.

On the way, I take a good look at the monument. It commemorates Indiana citizens who fought in a whole series of wars, some obscure and some of which I haven’t heard of. Most interesting is what isn’t represented: WW I and WW II. I suspect the reason was that there was no space left.

They might not offer the most exciting beers in the world, but Rock Bottom brewpubs are pretty reliable, not stupidly priced and have OK food. Good enough for me. Especially as I plan on having a late breakfast here.

Mm. Don’t really fancy any of the food for breakfast. I’ll just have a double bourbon instead. Almost as nourishing as a fry up. I’m sure I’ll be eating with Rick soon, anyway. What’s the worst that could happen?

The footie is on the telly. And the Arses are getting whipped. Teehee.

Rick picks me up as arranged at 2 PM. Our first stop is at Daredevil. Which is out by the speedway. Which we go and take a quick look at.

The speedway is dead impressive. Mile-long stands, it looks like. Unfortunately, it’s pissing it down again. I’m not getting out to take snaps. You’ll have to look it up on the internet. I’m sure it has way better photos than I can take in this gloomy weather.

Daredevil is a cavernous modern space. Brewery one side, taproom the other. It’s a pretty standard layout. That I’m seeing copied a lot in Europe.

We chat with Michael Pearson, head brewer and founder, and drink a couple of beers.

Before leaving, I’m given a couple of cans. That’s a relief. I dare put these fuckers in my luggage. My faith in crown corks has been broken. And I’m sure those cans will come in handy, sometime*. When I don’t fancy lugging a bottle along,

Next stop is Sun King. Who are fairly well-known, I hear, over here.

The weather hasn’t improved. But the colourful muriel lifts my mood. Though really it’s my stomach that needs lifting. I really should have had some breakfast. Still, what’s the worst that could happen?

Excuse me if my brewery descriptions are turning to total crap. I’ve seen so many. Adored my reflection in so much stainless. I’m getting breweries out.

A brewers shows us around. But I’m feeling a little vague. We have eaten haven’t we? I fear not. Still, these beers aren’t that strong, are they?

Why am I lying on my bed fully clothed? Must have nodded off. I blame low blood sugar.

In the lobby I find an almost inedibly dry sandwich and a bag of crisps. Almost inedible. I manage to force it down.

At least they’ve fixed the busted light while I was out.

Where was it I had breakfast again?






* They do, indeed, come in handy.






Rock Bottom  
10 W Washington St,
Indianapolis,
IN 46204.
Tel: +1 317-681-8180
http://www.rockbottom.com/locations/indianapolis-downtown


Daredevil Brewing  
1151 N Main St,
Speedway,
IN 46224.
http://daredevilbeer.com/


Sun King Brewing  
135 N College Ave,
Indianapolis,
IN 46202.
Tel: +1 317-602-3702
http://www.sunkingbrewing.com/


Buy my new Scottish book. It's why I was in the USA.

News (good)

I managed to get the last two pints of SSS in Wildeman last night. And Menno has told me that he'll be brewing my KKK and Russian Stout sometime this month. Hooray!

SA malt question

Quick question for you all.

I suppose I ought to explain the reason asking it first. Menno has hops and is ready to start recreating the past again. Time for me to put a couple of recipes together.

Remember me mentioning 1937 Barclay Perkins Russian Stout? Well, change of plan. Last week in the archives, I found a killer recipe from 1850. It's all malt and hopped crazily. Nine and a half pounds of (all new) hops per barrel. And an OG over 1100. Menno likes the sound of it, so we're going with the 1860 instead of the 1937 version.

But that's not why I need to ask a question. I understand the IBSt grist. Pale, amber, brown, black. A malt in the other one is my problem. The other beer Menno will brew: Whitbread 1910 2KKK. (Great name, eh?) It has loads of something called SA malt in it. PA malt is pale ale malt, MA mild ale malt. It seems logical that SA would be strong ale malt. But what the hell is that?

So anyone know what a modern equivalent of SA malt would be? It was mashed the "SA way".

Whitbread went three ways with their Ales. There was the X way. A "taps" temperature of 143º F. The PA way: 151º F; and SA way: 148º F. If that's any help in working out what SA malt might be.

The first person to point me the right way on SA malt will receive a bottle of both IBSt and 2KKK. Assuming they get brewed. And that you can either pick them up in Amsterdam or live in a country it is legal for me to post them to. Failing that, meeting at the ZBF is a possibility.

My beers (part 3)

From reports trickling in, it appears that my beers are finally hitting the shelves in the US. Great news.

If you've been one of the lucky ones to get hold of some, let me know what you think.

Of course, for the intended educational experience, you need to try both beers. Preferably Porter followed by SSS. Did I mention this before?

My choice of beers wasn't random. They are meant to answer the question: "What was the difference between London Porter and London Stout?" I should know the answer. I've drunk a couple of dozen bottles of each. But it's better if you discover it for yourself.

Borrel met de buren

Here, as promised, is my first report from the edge. The edge of my garden, to be precise. Borrel met de buren. Drinks at our next-door neighbours'.

It was as tense and edgy as only middle-aged, middle-class gatherings can get. And, the guests being middle-aged and middle-class, the drink of choice was wine. My wine drinking is as eclectic as my writing. Basically, I grab anything that comes within my reach. Red, white, pink, green, black. Any colour will do.

This is a good technique to employ at a party where you don't know people that well. Grab a bottle of wine and take it around the room (garden in yesterday's case) and serve fellow guests. Everyone likes having their glass filled. It's a good excuse to approach people. And you keep your own glass full without looking like a raging alkie.

The beer was limited to Amstel Pils. Good enough reason to stick to wine. Though I did notice an empty bottle of Duivels Bier. Quite a good sign. It was Peter's birthday so I took along a bottle of my beer as a present. Another good icebreaker.

Next doors' flat was built as a mirror image of our own (architect Piet Kramer, king of Amsterdam bridges). Divergent refurbishments have left them quiet different in layout. And theirs isn't full of junk like ours is. Dolores won't have a party because of the mess. But what was most striking was how much bigger both their flat and garden appear. I'd swear that hey have 50% more space than us. Compare and contrast the sheds in the photo. Ours, with the emergency corrugated plastic roof, theirs with electricity.

The European Championship is a great boon for social inadequates like myself. It's a great topic of conversation. Football in general is. But a tournament brings it to the fore even more. Of course, when in the company of the Dutch, I'm careful not to express my real sentiments about their team. Because my overwhelming love of Dutch football might embarrass them. Or something like that.

My first venture into the world of extreme drinking was quite successful. We returned with the same number with which we set out: four. Everything else is just a matter of opinion.

Mild but not meek

You may have noticed that May is Mild month. Here's another post in my short series.

It's hard to imagine today, but for most of its history Mild wasn't a weak beer. In Victorian times, X Ales were brewed to a wide range of strengths. Even the weakest, plain old X, was 1055º or more. The strongest, XXX or XXXX, had OGs as high as 1105º. What would such beers have been like?

There have been a few stronger Milds - Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild, for example - brewed to 6-7% ABV. But as far as I know, no-one has attempted to recreate a really strong Mild. Something 1100+. I think you can guess where this is leading. Sounds like a good candidate for my revival series.

They aren't complicated beers. 100% pale malt and a few Goldings. And a relatively high FG. Doesn't sound too difficult, does it? For a London Ale, I guess the water should be soft, too.

Griffin XXX from 1839 looks a good bet. Not quite sure what I'll pair it with. Maybe a Whitbread XXX from the 1920's. That's if they get the nod from Menno. There's no point brewing beers no-one wants to buy. And the next beers in the series, the two Barclay Perkins IBSt's, haven't been brewed yet.

How would I describe one of these strong Milds? Obvious if you think about it: Imperial Mild. I'm sure that will go down well in the US. Or maybe ESM - Extra Special Mild. How about this for Mild categories:

X: Mild, OG 1060
XX: Best Mild, OG 1075
XXX: Extra Special Mild, OG 1090
XXXX: Imperial Mild, OG 1105

Or maybe Single Mild, Double Mild, Triple Mild and Quadruple Mild. Decisions, decisions.

Any thoughts?

How's my Porter and Stout going?

Down my throat really nicely. And quickly. The unseasonally warm weather in Amsterdam and my lack of cold, hard cash have contributed to the diminution of my stash.

Call me weird, but a strong Stout is my favourite warm-weather drink. The only beer I ever put in the fridge is Guinness Special Export. Nothing's better when getting home from work hot and sticky than a couple of cool Guiness's. My 1914 SSS is a more than adequate substitute.

Now they've conditioned properly both the Porter and SSS are a real drinking pleasure. Possibly too much of a pleasure. I'm rapidly drinking my way through the 60 bottles I got of each. What will I do when they're all gone? Well I've been thinking of that.

You'll be pleased to hear that I'm currently thrashing out the details with Menno of my next brewing project: 1856 and 1937 Barclay Perkins IBSt. Working out the right level of hopping is proving tricky. I'm glad I have him to advise me. Unlike me, he knows what he's doing. If we get a move on, they may be ready before I empty the last bottle of the Whitbread beers. Possibly.

Oh, I moticed that Bierkoning still has a few bottles of 1914 Porter. I doubt they'll be there long.

Koninginnendag purchase in action

The wine jug I bought (OK, that Dolores bought) is coming in dead handy for decanting bottles of my Porter and Stout. As you can see from the photo below. What did I do without it.

A picture of happiness

Menno came around with the rest of my beer yesterday. Here's a picture of my happiness:


I'm afraid that is pretty much all the bottles that are left in Europe. I think Menno only has three left.

Art project

I noticed my pages have become almost text only. Time for some more pictures.

Lexie is always drawing and painting. He asked me to join in yesterday. Obsessive that I am, I was only ever going to pick one theme. As you can probably tell, it took me several minutes to complete. But I think it was worth the effort.

I would suggest that Menno use it for advertising, except for one thing. (No, not because it's crap, you cynical git.) SSS won't need any promotion. There's so little of it, many will be disappointed.

Not me, though. I'll be acquiring another 54 bottles tomorrow. Should last me until the end of April. Unless I decide to share. That might sound mean, but I did primarily have the beers brewed for my own personal drinking pleasure. There's nothing stopping you from asking your friendly local brewer to knock up a couple of hundred litres for you. I've plenty of recipes if you lack inspiration.

Should you make a T-shirt from this design, I expect a cut. I need to earn 20,000 euros for the next 10 years to break even on this beer thing. And that's assuming I buy no more books. I would tell you how much I've spent on books, but I worry Dolores might occasionally read this blog. The flat in the Algarve - maybe it had been possible. Or that loft conversion. A kitchen we dare let visitors see. All those things we couldn't afford. At 2 euros royalty per T-shirt, sell 10,000 and I'll be done for 2008.

The results are in

The poll for what I should get brewed next is now closed. The results were:

1856 and 1937 Barclay Perkins IBSt 28%
1880's Guinness Porter and Extra Stout 20%
1901 Whitbread PA and IPA 17%
1800's Burton Ale and Scotch Ale 13%
18th century Stitch and Brown Stout 8%
1869 Barclay Perkins KK and KKKK 7%
1805 and 1862 Barclay Perkins BSt 5%
1839 Griffin Brewery XX and KK 3%
1839 Griffin X and XXX 1%
1881 Whitbread KK and 1923 Whitbread KK 0%
1881 Whitbread X and 1923 Whitbread X 0%

Just as well Menno ordered that ton of brown malt. He'll be needing some for my next two beers: 1856 and 1937 Barclay Perkins IBSt (Russian Stout). I was heartbroken when S & N discontinued Russian Stout after being continuously produced for over 200 years. I'm fortunate enough to have a lifetime's supply. For the rest of you, what an opportunity to try this beer. In my opinion, the best ever brewed.

Now the voting's over I can give you my opinion. The two IBSt's are the beers I would most like to drink, but aren't what I would have chosen to be brewed . I would have preferred either the Barclay Perkins KK and KKKK or 1805 and 1865 BSt (Brown Stout).

If I were a fair man, numbers two and three in the poll would be my next projects. But I'm not a fair man. And brewing three Stouts in a row would be dull. I want to try some other styles.

P & SSS

Forgive me for not posting much this week. Monday I dropped by Bodegraven to pick up some beer. My beer. Six bottles each of Porter and SSS. They've given my evenings purpose.

Words, words, words. I have literally several of them. Not all different, but you can't make proper sentences for long without repeating some. Try it yourself.

"Where can I buy these exciting new beers?" There's a long answer and a short answer to that question. Let's go with the short option. My tea's getting cold (colder, it was already cold when I started eating it). The USA. As you read this, it should be in transit. The Shelton Brothers have bought both batches in their entirety.

Apart from my bottles. One of the main reasons for the whole project was that I wanted to try the beers. Not just a couple of times, but often. So I have my own stash. I'm hoping that I can keep my hands off some of the SSS and let it age a year or ten. I'm an optimist.

And a few bottles will be on sale in De Molen's shop. You'd best be quick. It really is just a few bottles.

To summarise: in Europe, your best chance of getting hold of any is to be nice to me. I'm a weak man. I can be bribed in so many different ways. I'm cheap, too. So it won't even cost you very much. Just listening to me talk about extinct German top-fermenting styles for fifteen minutes would probably be enough. Few last more than 11 seconds voluntarily.

Vote now!

I was going to get all didactic today and tell you exactly why I'd picked those pairs. No, I don't mean pears. Pairs. Of beers. There's an idea behind each.

Then my journey home took three times as long as it should have. Hail and snow, greeted me when I stepped off the sneltram. Even in a tram shelter under a railway viaduct I was still getting wet. So you'll have to work it out for yourself. It's not that complicated.

The poll is serious. The winners will be made. Honestly. Circumstances permitting. Tell me what you'd like to drink.

Only 20 votes so far. And ten of those were mine. Vote now!

What's next?

Restless (rudderless, some might say) as ever, I'm already thinking of my next brewing project. Before my first beers have even been released. That's me all over.

I have a couple of ideas. Alright, I've got lots of ideas. Too many. That's why I need your help. What should I get brewed next? These are the choices:

1. 1839 Griffin Brewery X and XXX
   
2. 1869 Barclay Perkins KK and KKKK
   
3. 1839 Griffin Brewery XX and KK
   
4. 1881 Whitbread KK and 1923 Whitbread KK
   
5. 1881 Whitbread X and 1923 Whitbread X
   
6. 1901 Whitbread PA and IPA
   
7. 1880's Guinness Porter and Extra Stout
   
8. 1800's Burton Ale and Scotch Ale
   
9. 18th century Stitch and Brown Stout
   
10. 1856 Barclay Perkins IBSt (Russian Stout) 1937 Barclay Perkins IBSt Exp
11. 1805 and 1862 Barclay Perkins BSt (Brown Stout)
    

If I can be bothered I'll convert this into a proper poll. Though in the above format it wouldn't fit into the left had column of this page very well.

You can find most of the grists on my ponderously-titled Beer, Ale and Malt Liquor page. That and far too many other details.

SSS Stout

I've finally gotten around to photographing my other beer. SSS Stout from 1914.



It's not ready to drink just yet. To taste it at its best, I would recommend cellaring it for a few months. I'm going to try to hang on to some for a few years.

You should be able to read the details on the label. It's 9.99% ABV.

I'm so excited

And I just can't hide it. It's not Lichtenhainer that's getting me worked. Nor my DDR label scans that I finally found this evening. Something much more momentous is the reason for my excitement.

Tomorrow I'm off to Bodegraven to see one of my beers brewed. Not quite sure which it will be (Whitbread Porter or SSS). It should be a memorable experience even though I do have to get up at some ungodly hour. I'll tell you all about it in tomorrow's post.

Bit of a short post today, so here are some of the DDR labels I meant to share with you earlier in the week.