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The Champagne of Blogs (4 unread)

Fort George Brewing in Astoria

Posted: June 24th, 2008, 7:29am CEST by Dave
This solstice, Sarah and I celebrated 5 years of marriage by taking a weekend vacation at the coast. We spent our evenings in Gearhart, but took a day trip up to Astoria on Saturday to check out the town, and especially, Fort George Brewing Company.

We had intended to eat lunch at the brewery, but less than stellar weather and a growingly, growlingly impatient dog left time only for a sampler tray and a growler fill. I really liked their tray aesthetic as a woodworker, and it contained some pretty stellar beers.

On tap, clockwise from top left were:
- Quick Wit (very spicy and pretty refreshing)
- π Beer (Strawberry rhubarb wheat? What? Are we teenagers?)
- Sunrise Oatmeal Pale (great beer with subtle bitterness, nice mouthfeel and biscuity malt: liked it so much I attempted a clone)
- Nut Red Ale (astrigent, kinda nutty, but not in a good way)
- Vortex IPA (solid IPA, lots of citrus and floral; this was what I ended up filling the growler with)
- Panamax Porter (don’t remember flavor, but color was more like a brown or even a red)
- Cavatica Stout (again, memory fails, but I don’t recall it being bad)
- Illuminator (a doppel bock brewed last fall and aged in Jim Beam barrels. You can probably imagine what this tasted like, but picture a few more bananas, and if you had two or three pints, those bananas would be dancing. Tasty)
Because we were pooched, we sat outdoors, but went in occasionally for bathroom breaks and the like. The interior was very Northwest, with lots of exposed beams and creative use of industrial materials. There were a lot of locals inside, which is always a good sign. Guest taps from Rogue I2PA, Hopworks DOA, and Mad River DIPA. That’s a lot of acronyms. Did I mention the bathrooms? This one was a trompe l’oueil miner’s shanty. Even the “hand washing sign” had been aged. Thankfully, the toilet paper was new.

All in all, a great little find in Astoria. Next time, I’ll try the food, and bring along a second growler. We polished the first one off the night we got home!
Beers Across America: July 4th Tasting

Posted: June 17th, 2008, 8:00am CEST by Dave

Sarah and I spent some time this evening at Belmont Station assembling our lineup for this year’s Independence Day party and beer tasting. Last year, you may recall that we went with a “Red, White and Blue” theme, including such beers as Pabst Blue Ribbon, Allagash White, … you get the idea.

This year, being an election year, we’re going with a “Red vs. Blue” state theme. Sarah and I assembled two beers in each of six styles (so far). One of the beers is from a red state, and the other is from a blue state. We’ll pour the styles blind, side-by-side, and ask tasters to vote on which beer they think is better. Arbitrary? Yes. Simplistic? Sure. Does a two-party system lead to knee-jerk reactions on complex issues? We’d better keep the rhetorical questions out of this blog …

I’m holding the full list of beers back until after the tasting to prevent abuse, but I will share with you this one observation, based on a limited sample of one beer store: blue states produce a lot more craft beer than red ones. I know, I’m shopping in a blue state, nestled in a craft beer sandwich between Washington and California, but … I’m just saying.

So far, the red states are Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, Louisiana and Colorado. We’re trying to avoid duplicates, but we would like to include one or two more red states. Anyone know of other red states with beers distributed in Oregon? Extra points if you know of a “red” from a red state.
Temporarily? Disabling the Beer Calendar

Posted: June 3rd, 2008, 3:54am CEST by Dave

I have been swamped beyond belief at work of late, and haven’t had much time for updating the calendar of Portland Beer events that used to be over there in the sidebar and perhaps in your iCal. If anyone would like to take up the mantle, please raise your hand in the comment area below … I have some good ideas for it, but too little time to implement.

Further bulletins as events warrant.
Smokenator Review: Dang Awesome

Posted: June 1st, 2008, 9:28pm CEST by Thom
A few weeks back, I traded in my aging propane grill for a spankin’ new Weber. The first charcoal cookout was great, but I immediately wanted a few accessories (like hooks for hanging tools. How are hanging hooks not standard?). In poking around on Amazon.com, I came across The Smokenator. It’s a sweet little device that converts your Weber grill into a smoker. I’ve had some pretty amazing smoked BBQ at Dave’s, so I got one.

The Smokenator

The Smokenator works by restricting the air that gets to the coals and wood. You control the temperature with the vents at the top and bottom of the Weber. The water pan that sets in the coals puts steam throughout the kettle (read: juicy meat) and acts as a heat-sink for the entire contraption.

Having used the Smokenator a couple of times now, here’s the positives.
1. It’s tiny. No extra smoker or grills cluttering up the back yard or the garage.
2. It smokes really well. I’ve done pulled pork, sausages and, just this past weekend, brisket. Awesome.
3. It holds a lot of fuel. I typically drop glowing coals into the Smokenator every two hours or so, but depending on how hot you run it, apparently you can go a lot longer.
4. It’s damn inexpensive. $49 for a smoker? Sign me up!
5. The directions and instructions that come along with the Smokenator are simple and thorough.
And I love the DIY aspect of the Smokenator. It’s a small operation in California run by inventor Don Thompson:

BS Brewing: How did you come up with the idea?

Don: I wanted to do a turkey with out charring the heck out of it. Also a 20 lb turkey won’t fit on top of the food support grill (of a Weber). If you put (the turkey) on the coal support, a typical char-basket or charcoal rail will crisp the turkey. Foil is “ok” but the shield works better. Way better.

BS Brewing: What sort of design tweaks have you made to it over the years?

Don: The only innovation was to put the water pan into the coals. This make the device incredibly versatile. From total humidity in the kettle to a dry environment. In the manual, it covers both so you as a chef have real options. Chicken and turkey come out incredibly moist when using the pan. A turkey doesn’t even have to be basted! it just is moist, but only if you cook it with water in the pan throughout the entire cook.

BS Brewing: What’s the key to success in using it?

Don: Reading the quick start guide and manual. Then loading it up with about 45 coals and wood chunks and firing up 12-15 coals, setting the vents properly and preheat to 230 deg F dome and then go. Check temperature every hour or so and water.

The other key is to realize that the kettle will now operate in complete dryness or near saturated with steam. Nothing out there to my knowledge does this.

BS Brewing: What are common mistakes?

Don: Not putting lid back down firmly and seating it. Not being accurate with your upper vent settings. Putting too many lit coals in to start with.

So, with my tiny back patio, the Smokenator works because I just can’t imagine having a full-sized smoker. And my wife can’t justify $250 for something I might use, at best, twice a month for four months of the year. Being able to just use my same Weber is rockin’.

When you’re using it, there are a few “limitations” to get comfortable with:
- You’ll need to check on the water pan every hour or so. I just got into the habit of refilling it everytime I open the lid. The hotter you run it, the more often you need to check it.
- If there is one drawback to this product, it’s the way you add coals. I find it hard to add more coals without removing the main rack of the grill, so I got into the habit of cleaning off a place to set the food rack to when adding more coals. You can rotate the rack so the handles are over the holes, and squeeze a coal at a time. But it’s easier to just lift the rack and food off, put it somewhere clean, load up with coals and wood, then put the rack back on. Note, if you’re just using the charcoal rack, it’s a moot point.
- I would find one of those hinged food grates from Weber. I bet that would make it a lot easier to put the coals in.
- Get yourself a good digital thermometer for smoking. I got the two-probe Maverick electronic thermometer. I set a range of temperatures. If it gets too cool, I know I closed down the vents too much. If it gets too hot, I know that the water pan is probably empty.