Home Brew Review-- Hopped Porter Cider or "Graf" (Oh bother).

Last night after a long drive to see a close friend who's wife went to a vineyard for a night with her friends, we opened one of my home brewed Hopped Porter Cider bombs (yes, I know, it's what some beer-Sci-Fi-Horror geekanoids are calling "Graf" on the internet (see the link footnote) based on a Stephen King's "Dark Tower", but I like names that include the beer style being mixed with cider to make ghoulish "Graf", that like, literally describe the beverage... here... man). 

Please do volunteer for that conversation after trying to ordering "Graf" at your local Craft Brewery that's blasting heavy metal with the staff that appears to be working for beer rations.  Be sure to explain the part about Dark Tower by Stephen King.*

Nevertheless, this was a "Graf" batch that I made in October after boiling out a 5 gallon pot of malted porter style barley I had laying around for the purpose, and adding several rounds of hops, and dry hopping the whole thing with what I had left with hops I also had lying around for years-- in ziplocks in the fridge. 

The wort was mixed with fresh pressed Apple must from a NY State vineyard.

It was outstanding. It came out much better than I thought, everything about it was why one should take the time, effort and expense to home brew. It was thicker than any cider (and did not give me a headache like EVERY cider), it was just slightly malty, almost imperceptible in fact, it smelled fresh and great, and hoppy but sweet, not cheezy and sour.  It was lingering on the palate in a good way, sightly bitter after the gulp.  The head was clean and lovely.  

Love this stuff-- it's simple to make too.  Boil malted porter for 40 mins, add hops at lower heat for another 15 mins, let cool, add hops on top of the must, and mix in an organic apple cider, which can cool it down enough to reach the 90s... 90F which is when you can add Nottingham yeast as I did, or something similar-- Saison, or even EC1118, a white wine yeast that would not make me mad at you.   Wait 10 days and put in bottles (use PET plastic-- no BPA to keep it really simple, which I did not do-- I bottled mine with American flag caps and the very fancy label you can see in the photo here. 

I only got one photo, because me and my chum were talking, laughing and drinking this and a few wine-- including one I made last October too...  a great mix of 3 grapes I'll post about when I get some photos (he thought it was still too young and acidic).


*See also:

https://youtu.be/KLbRBl6p4Ec

Matthew's Brewing Lake Worth FL *****

Fun spot tucked away near junk yards and auto service centers that probably will not try to confiscate and impound your car if you refuse to get a $850 brake job in order to pass inspection (That's kind of a hiccup about bringing the car to the Sunshine cartel state).  But I digress.  Sorry, when auto mechanics shaked down your 89 year old father it tends to stick with you.  

Nevertheless,  you walk up on a give sunny day, the music is blasting and that lobster truck is on shark tank is sitting out front selling lobster sandwiches made out of The real McCoy-- none of those sea legs with miracle whip from the supermarket. 

The beer machine cask beer is called an "English Dark Mild Ale" today and it's not freezing but well below room temperature (thank you for doing it the American way) It's dark like Pepsi, but not malty, and balanced like production grade beer. Carmel, little chocolate riffs the whole way down.

The head was frothy giant bubbles that disability quickly to flattened mode. 

Aroma?  Nearly bready, but kind of whiskey wood.  ABV--  4.5%.   IBU, just 25, which is just enough to make it take on the stumilus for a liquid PICA rate of intake.  Again-- well done.  

Texture-- feels like my tongue is wearing a light cardigan sweater.   There's a Listerine after taste that I love-- as if after we go those times I wish I could drink Listerine, I finally have an excuse. 

Clearly, Matthews knows what they are doing.  Very clean, week capitalize back room-- tanks are split shine with spotlights on it, the stars of the show.  There is a funny, Pink Floyd The Wall themed mural, my other 4th favorite Floyd. 

I'd say this place is worth a trip from anywhere in Florida based on the beer machine alone.  Real Beer served here!

 

The Pick 4 for $11 are:

Black Mettallic Nitro-- beautiful, dry, frothy, roasted, nearly thick and creamy but cut in 2 by its Ethanol, with an pleasant after taste-- again, like inspiration for another liquid PICA problem. Something tells me these guys are chemists. 

Junk Yard Dog is completely odorless and undetectable as a Serbian Hitman. Brown, malty, NUTMEGish.  Also Beautiful. Marris Otter put to good use.  There's a bourbon finish. Not due how it why, chemistry or casks.  Carmel coated malty texture.  I love it as true to style.  Is like more malt, but grains are not free and it's a god damn pandemic, so, let's keep it 100%.  Thanks guys. 

"Florida Haze", is frightening!  I'm so excited I thought i was going to piss myself for fun. Aroma aroma aroma.  This must have been dry hopped with these 4 thug hops: Galaxy Amarillo, Warrior and Motueka?  Wtf-- in the pandemic?  These guys must own a hop farm in Oregon. I have not even tasted this beer yet and it's at 10 out of 10. 

Haze yellow, the head is as sustainable as organically farmed tilapia.  Taste-- bodyslam.  Hulk Hogan took his vitamins when they made this. Exactly as advertised. What a beer. FU. ABV 7.2%, so I'm done a 3 oz.  IBU?  59, Not lying.  What a beer.  Medicinal really, for the soul.  Bitter, fragrant, flawers and fruit, but taste like a Ritz-Carlton not a crappy gift basket from that company that sends out old carved edible fruit dipped in cheap chocolate.  

"Accelerate"-- another IPA, ABV 6.9%, IBU-- 69, a filthy number to contemplate. The nose is understated-- lurking like love sick stalker after hours outside a strip club. Not really "aromatic" per se, but close... Too close for comfort. Probably not dry hot. Clear unlike the hazy ipas they have on sale. Amber. Bitter as F. Love it. Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo and Centennial, or is I like to call them The four IPA horsemen. 

Bottom line-- this place gives Cigar City, a kick in their crotches. 

Could not agree more

 https://beerandbrewing.com/brew-it-dark-and-hoppy-the-balancing-act/

Adirondack Brewery in Lake George, NY

Let's not mince words-- Adirondack Brewery is a great destination for Beer fans, dead of winter, a very solid selection of world class selections apart from their own brews.  All well balanced, and great counterpoint to the menus of food for about every taste. We had two great beer that inspired this bleery photo shoot-- it seems the Imperial Stouts do come on faster than anticipated. 

New Holland's Dragon's Milk Boubon Barrel Imperial Stout is just an outright iteration of the style, and outstanding winish bourbon at 11% leviathan ABV.  To be sure on second pull, I recall thinking "the Halls have unleased a new circle of hell on Earth with this Bourbon barrel stuff".   

The Petrus Cherry Chocolate Nitro Belgian Quad (8.5%) was a thing to behold, 6 malts, apart from the Cherry and the cocao for that matter, and so our group beheld 3 each, which required a cooling off period before the freeze walk back to our rooms, not feeling the cold much either way. This beer is like a new Yes album, if you will. 

Thick, rich, nitro frothed mouth feel is notable, the exception to 9 of 10 beer out there. The ethanol in these beer was the least interesting element, but these Wine-beers are the trends, and these were both good friends. One wonders if the Cherry juice is fermented with the malt, or added later, like flavoring.

I'd say the New Holland and the Petrus were "Amazing and Delicious", "tasty" and the latest foodie buzzword for extraordinary if enough hadn't been said about them already.  Anyway, they were right. 

Adirondacks Wave IPAs are more than swell-- hazy cold and humid, just they way I love it, featuring various configurations of high Alpha hops-- simcoe, crystal, eureka... the grain bill composed of red wheat and flaked oat. Their beers are indeed "Nice Liquid" as the slogan reads-- their IPAs were fresh with a bite like that North wind coming off the lake, that should not faze you much after one or two with some Stout to follow it up. 

You'll find them here:  https://adkbrewery.com/beer/lgipa/

 

Royal Palm Brewing, Wellington FL

 

Royal Palm Brewing in Wellington is a interesting little nondescript shopping center operation, tucked away next to a resort community, offering strange flavors on what looks like chainsaw furniture.  So the surroundings are casual and fun, and as I'd come to find out, the beers are a bit strange and tropical themed, using native fruits and grains-- from Mexican corn (Millera time), Mango, to Key Lime, to... um.... Gatorade, made from their local, fresh, organic available... Gator-fruit? 

Let's be clear-- this is not Cigar City, and prolly isn't trying to be.  It's Wellington-- Horse themes and Winter Polo are more fitting anyway, not that they draw from the terroir too much anyhow. 

Nevertheless, that IPA was a nice brisk combo of my favorite Hops, that is, basically too much hops, less boiled and bitter than fresh and lovely.  However, the malted leg of that three legged stool was a bit weak for the Jomammy mouth feel. I'd drink that on hot days-- it's light enough to keep you sober like a Pils, but hopped up enough to savor the mad pine flavaz.

I took a nip of everything here, from Peanut Butter porter to a Gartoraide Gose, which was way too far beyond the pale ale for me.  I had to send it back. It really did taste like Gartoraide, brand high carbo loaded sports drink. 

But what's right at Palm Beach is the Key Lime Gose-- absolutely on of the top 3 Gose I've ever had.  I can't say enough about it and should not have to because great is great, and you'll have to experience it yourself.  The lime after shock is everything Corona with a Lime wised it could be, 100s of years after "Limeys" (English Navy) used cheap available high vitamin C limes it to fight off scurvy on and off the high seas on their way to the plantations.  Basically-- it's how the lime got in your beer bottle when you got to college. I can not account for the way an Orange got into your glass of Blue Moon with an interesting historical tid bit-- that was just pure genius meeting pure marketing-- orange flavored soda on tap with guaranteed perception of freshness built right in, floating atop your pull, whether that Bar back sliced Orange was free of all the nitemare sprays and GMO design or safe, Organic, grown in Roundup free to chew zones.  I have not dug too deep to consider if Blue Moon is made with Organic grains, so don't quote me when I say, it strikes me as soda beer, where Palm Beach's Sour Key Lime Gose does not.  They even have a canning machine-- 32oz for $10 clams, as you watch the bartender do it by hand, one at a time.

So basically, if you're within 30 miles of Palm Beach Brewery, it's better to drive over than to just sit in some pub drinking bottles of Diego or BudMillerMolson on soda jerk taps.   It's an comfortable place to get out of the midday sun, with an interesting fun array of attempted innovations, that you can't fault for their trying.  I suggest a 3oz glass before ordering up some of these new flavors. 

The brew tanks that I peeped on the way back to the WC looked clean, neat and orderly, which is a thing in and of itself. 

I can't vouch for the food as I had none.  I think they had burgers and salads, but the Website will correct if I'm wrong: https://www.royalpalmbrewing.com/

Wheat Wacker Dandelion Sorghum Pils

Drink one, smash one, save one, go!

I though I'd just need one or two of these today, but watching Dobbs pass away Tenn victory over the Sooners has been enough to drive one to drink.

Only one of these beer is American now.

The storied skunky Dutch brewer Heineken has purchased 50% of @langunitasbeer, plowing deeper into America's taste for highly hopped, rich, cheesy sour flavors first introduced by those college dudes parading around their daylight skunked cases of green "Hinies".  I guess it's safe to say skunk flavors grew on us (the Dutch do), and Tony McGee, who some people are calling the PT Barnum of brewing, has done it again... okay, well, nobody is really calling him that, but I thought it would be funny.


Wheat Wacker
Speaking of skunky flavors, what started with Italian dandelion I grew, a few pounds of malted sorghum and wheat, turned out well and way better beer than I thought it would with this Wheat Wacker Sorghum Dandelion Alt Factor.  It ended up with a very thin Belgium-ish (ie, New Belgium) taste with a dry distinctively aromatic, bitter finish, different from hops, but surprisingly agreeable, like a hand full of other hop alternatives, whether it be Heather, or Pine.  

Most Sorghum beers are promoted as an alternative to the evils of gluten, so wheat is usually not part of the grain bill on these brews.  Not so here-- fusion baby-- it's a little like ketchup and mustard on your hot dog, which I know is a sin in parts of Chicago, but a little patience and understanding go a long way... remember those those great Cuban-Chinese restaurants that used to be all over NYC?  

I hopped the beer with fresh dandelion flowers late in the boil, the way I've done Heather in the past to give it an Alt aroma and it worked well.  It ended with big frothy bubbles, that didn't last long.

This batch turned out great, which is to say, worth repeating. 

I drank that bomber in two sittings and it was better the second day... it also put me in the tank.

The Letter F is for Fall, Football and Fermentation

So as you're there, standing in the grain isle designing a new batch of beer by hunch with just 20 minutes to select and grind up the grains, you realize your hunch is based on a taste for something very bready, all hopped up and maybe with a red tinge, remind me what I'm drinking if the label falls off one later on.   

So here is my list of starters:

 

  
In addition, I know I'm using 5% Rice Hulls to clear it up, and Dex to raise the ethanol. 


I pulled Centennial and Amarillo out of their fridge to make as hoppy as need be. Nevertheless, even though I literally had the brewing software opened (BeerSmith), and the pot on the stove, I backed it down.  Didn't feel right.  I'm still not so sure, or ready to cook it all up, so needs more time to search, research, incubate and scheme.  

But soon... soon.

And recently had this Smuttynose at a Lobster Bash in upstate NY, and it was as inspirational as it was, well, frankly..  debilitating... yes, it required walking around town for a hour or two before lighting out. You can find the skinny on Homunuculus here.  It's a very hoppy, Belgian style monster that rocks out at 9.48% ABV, which will may just have you circling the parking lot too.  To hop it up, they use Bravo, Sterling, and Calypso, which sounds a little like directions from air traffic control, to be sure.

I also picked up this blast from the past months ago, and finally got around to it.  All it needed were a set of Lawn Jarts and 30 M-80s, just like 4th of July, circa 1979.