Brewed by the full moon

We made several tests and noticed that the fermentation was more vigorous, more active," explained Roger Caulier, the owner of Brewery Caulier, which began in the 1930s when his grandfather started selling homemade beer from a handcart.

"The end product was completely different, stronger, with a taste lasting longer in the mouth," he said.

The full moon speeds up the fermentation process, shortening it to five days from seven, which adds extra punch to the beer without making it harsh, according to connoisseurs.

The finely balanced, gold-colored beer is 10 percent alcohol by volume, extremely strong by most European or U.S. standards but not uncommon in Belgium, where traditional monk-brewed beers frequently hit 10 or 12 percent.

"It goes down very well, no problem at all," said Joseph Francois, a journalist and beer expert who has tasted the brew.

Brewery Caulier, which uses methods dating from the 1840s and is well-known for its artisanal beers, plans to produce about 12,000 bottles of its full moon beer, called Paix-Dieu (Peace-God), which go on sale on October 31.

The idea came to Caulier after he visited a friend in Alsace, a winemaking region of eastern France, who told him about how he planned his entire production schedule according to the lunar calendar.

Caulier began experimenting and eventually came up with a nine-step process that includes using two types of hops and involves a two-week secondary fermentation process inside the bottle, not unlike the technique used to produce Champagne.

"It gives the product greater fame, a bit like for great vintage wines," he said.

"It could lead to collectors checking the differences between one vintage and another because there could very well be differences between every batch."

Being from a three-generation brewing family, Caulier is fascinated by the science behind the process. But he doesn't discount the mythical aspects of full moon beer either.

"Many farmers are convinced that the moon influences the quality of some of their products," he said.

via Reuters, thanks

Brewed by the full moon

“We made several tests and noticed that the fermentation was more vigorous, more active,” explained Roger Caulier, the owner of Brewery Caulier, which began in the 1930s when his grandfather started selling homemade beer from a handcart.
“The end product was completely different, stronger, with a taste lasting longer in the mouth,” he said.
The full moon speeds up the fermentation process, shortening it to five days from seven, which adds extra punch to the beer without making it harsh, according to connoisseurs.

The resulting beer is 10% alcohol, which is not unusual in Belgium.

We made several tests and noticed that the fermentation was more vigorous, more active," explained Roger Caulier, the owner of Brewery Caulier, which began in the 1930s when his grandfather started selling homemade beer from a handcart.

"The end product was completely different, stronger, with a taste lasting longer in the mouth," he said.

The full moon speeds up the fermentation process, shortening it to five days from seven, which adds extra punch to the beer without making it harsh, according to connoisseurs.

The finely balanced, gold-colored beer is 10 percent alcohol by volume, extremely strong by most European or U.S. standards but not uncommon in Belgium, where traditional monk-brewed beers frequently hit 10 or 12 percent.

"It goes down very well, no problem at all," said Joseph Francois, a journalist and beer expert who has tasted the brew.

Brewery Caulier, which uses methods dating from the 1840s and is well-known for its artisanal beers, plans to produce about 12,000 bottles of its full moon beer, called Paix-Dieu (Peace-God), which go on sale on October 31.

The idea came to Caulier after he visited a friend in Alsace, a winemaking region of eastern France, who told him about how he planned his entire production schedule according to the lunar calendar.

Caulier began experimenting and eventually came up with a nine-step process that includes using two types of hops and involves a two-week secondary fermentation process inside the bottle, not unlike the technique used to produce Champagne.

"It gives the product greater fame, a bit like for great vintage wines," he said.

"It could lead to collectors checking the differences between one vintage and another because there could very well be differences between every batch."

Being from a three-generation brewing family, Caulier is fascinated by the science behind the process. But he doesn't discount the mythical aspects of full moon beer either.

"Many farmers are convinced that the moon influences the quality of some of their products," he said.

via Reuters, thanks

Know your beer chart

Is there much more to say.

Ancient Nubians Made Antibiotic Beer

A chemical analysis of Nubian mummies dating back 1,600 years indicates that the ancient Nubians brewed beer with tetracycline, an antibiotic. Chemist Mark Nelson recently published an article arguing that this activity was intentional:

Nelson found large amounts of tetracycline in the bones tested from the ancient population, which lived in the Nubian kingdom (present day Sudan) between 250 A.D. and 550 A.D. and left no written record.
“The bones of these ancient people were saturated with tetracycline, showing that they had been taking it for a long time,” Nelson said in a press release August 30. “I’m convinced that they had the science of fermentation under control and were purposely producing the drug.”[...]

This study was co-authored by George Armelagos, who asked graduate students to try to brew this type of beer:

To make sure that making the antibiotic beer was possible, Armelagos had his graduate students give it a try.
“What they were making wasn’t like a Bud Light but a cereal gruel,” Armelagos said. “My students said that it was ‘not bad,’ but it is like a sour porridge substance. The ancient people would have drained the liquid off and also eaten the gruel.”

Fried Beer

Ever since the inauguration five years ago of the Big Tex Choice Awards at the Texas State Fair, food vendors have been deep-frying the impossible in their pursuit of the Most Creative and Best Taste awards.

As the Dallas Morning News reports, the Fried Beer was the result of a painful process of trial and error for creator Mark Zamble. His initial efforts kept exploding once they hit the fryer, and he kept getting burned. Zamble has already applied for a patent and trademark for Fried Beer, which appears to be a pocket of pretzel dough filled with its signature beverage

iPad Keg-o-meter

This is both dorky, yet pretty awesome. I'm on the fence.

Beer Can Carrier - Rambo Style

If you remember the movie swordfish, this is the beer can version of a bomb belt.

The Hops Holster Can Ammo Pack($30) includes 12 insulated holsters and each one can hold a single 12-ounce can.

"Next time you're tailgating, camping or attending a BYOB party you can avoid those long, thirsty walks back to the cooler or the fridge by keeping a plethora of your favorite canned beers right on your chest. Warning:Wearing this holster may result in your friends using you as a human pack mule that exclusively carries beer"

Animal Beer Koozie's, 55% alc, $765 per 12oz, WIN!

A Trifecta of extreme's!

BrewDog, the Scottish brewery best known for its 32% ABV (alcohol by volume) Tactical Nuclear Penguin beer, is back at it with another beer that not only shatters their previous alcohol content record, but also claims the title of most expensive brew. Introducing 'The End of History', a 55% ABV beer that costs $765 per 12oz bottle AND COMES IN ITS OWN TAXIDERMIED KOOZIE.

This 55% beer should be drank in small servings whilst exuding an endearing pseudo vigilance and reverence for Mr Stoat. This is to be enjoyed with a weather eye on the horizon for inflatable alcohol industry Nazis, judgemental washed up neo-prohibitionists or any grandiloquent, ostentatious foxes.

http://www.brewdog.com

New Look!

Well its been a while since anything has been posted but I'm back with a fresh new design.

The Wine Rack

Genius! Sneak beer or drinks into a game. A cup turns into a D cup, everybody wins!

bottle opener remote

I need an iphone version.

Lingerie Beer Cans

what more is there to say

Periodic Table of Beer

I’m not sure who is responsible for this chart, especially since there appear to be several versions available online, including a few for purchase. You can view a larger image at the link. If you look at the key in the lower left corner, ABV stands for “alcohol by volume”, IBU stands for “international bitterness units”, and SRM stands for “standard reference method” — a measurement of color.

Click the photo for the full version.

via neatorama

Beer Book

Nice little recycle project by an artist.

So your staring down your latest guy gifty occasion, wondering what to get the man who has everything. Everything, you say? Does he have a beer box book? I thought not! So what IS a beer box book?

Beer box books are made from recycled 6-pack boxes and smaller paper scraps from around my studio (both the inside cover linings and the pages). These eco-friendly, durable little books are handmade and hand sewn by me. Each book has a slotted sewn cover, bound with linen thread. Each book is constructed slightly different, here's the specs:

What is a beer box good for? Besides the usual note keeping and such, I always like to keep one handy for jotting down my favorite beers while out at the bar. It's made me into an (almost) instant beer connoisseur!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26355557

Space Brew

At last, the long awaited Space Barley—the beer made with barley grown in space—is here to take you where everyone has been before: Drunk. Fortunately, nobody can hear you shouting in space, which is good for my hangovers.

What's so special about the Space Barley?

The "space barley" used to make this beer is the fourth generation descendant of the Haruna Nijo malting barley that was developed by Sapporo Breweries and kept in space for five months during 2006 as part of our collaborative research with the Russian Academy of Sciences and Okayama University with the purpose of achieving self-sufficiency in food in the space environment. Since Sapporo Breweries was founded, we have continued to create excellent varieties for raw materials, and we are the only company in the world that operates breeding/research organizations for both barley and hops. This, the world's first sale of this "space beer," is the result of our extended nurturing/development of the required technologies.

Sounds good to me, Sr. Sapporo. The only bad thing is that there are only 250 boxes available, each with six 330ml bottles. I'd gladly pay the $113 to get one of these, but you have to first get into a lottery at the Space Barley page. Which is like hoping to win a ticket to get into the space shuttle's last flight. [Sapporo Beer viaPink Tentacle]

Scottish beer has some big balls under that kilt at 32% Alcohol

A controversial Scottish brewery has launched what it described as the world's strongest beer - with a 32% alcohol content.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin has been unveiled by BrewDog of Fraserburgh.

BrewDog was previously branded irresponsible for an 18.2% beer called Tokyo, which it then followed with a low alcohol beer called Nanny State.

Managing director James Watt said a limited supply of Tactical Nuclear Penguin would be sold for £30 each.

This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance Tactical Nuclear Penguin label warning

He said: "This beer is about pushing the boundaries, it is about taking innovation in beer to a whole new level."

Mr Watt added that a beer such as Tactical Nuclear Penguin should be drunk in "spirit sized measures".

A warning on the label states: "This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. In exactly the same manner that you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost."

However Jack Law, of Alcohol Focus Scotland, described it was a "cynical marketing ploy" and said: "We want to know why a brewer would produce a beer almost as strong as whisky."

The beer has been launched on the day alcohol was at the top of the political agenda with the unveiling of the Scottish government's Alcohol Bill including proposals for minimum pricing on drink.

Meanwhile, BrewDog's plans for a new headquarters to produce millions of bottles of beer a year have been approved by Aberdeenshire Council.

The decision was taken at a full council meeting despite having been recommended for refusal by officers because the site at Potterton, near Aberdeen, is in the green belt.

via bbc

Brewtender

Pretty cool idea. Its a mini tap that is portable to serve cold beer anywhere. This tabletop marvel keeps up to 80 ounces of your favorite brew cold, thanks to a central removable ice chamber that's separated from the beer to stop the watering down process in its tracks. A bar-style front tap keeps things flowing, while an internal illumination system lights your way when the sun goes down.

kegworks.com

Pabst Blue Ribbon for sale

If only I had $300 million - Sounds like a bargain to me.

"MILWAUKEE Pabst Brewing Co., owner of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Schlitz and other old-line beer brands, is on the sale block again.

Pabst's owner, the Kalmanovitz Charitable Foundation, based in Mill Valley, Calif., has hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch to find a buyer willing to pay around $300 million, according to the New York Post, which cited unnamed sources in a Monday article.

Executives at Pabst, based in suburban Chicago, and foundation officials didn't return phone calls seeking comment.

The sale effort is apparently the result of a deadline imposed by the Internal Revenue Service. Federal tax laws don't allow charitable foundations to own for-profit companies.

The IRS initially gave the foundation until 2005 to sell Pabst. That deadline was extended to 2010 when a buyer couldn't be found, according to a 2008 report by the Chicago Tribune.

Pabst, and its predecessor company, Best Brewing Co., was a Milwaukee mainstay for more than a century when it was acquired in 1985 by Paul Kalmanovitz. He bought other declining breweries, including Pearl and Falstaff, that were losing market share to growing giants Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing. Kalmanovitz died in 1987.

Pabst closed its Milwaukee brewery in 1996 and shuttered its last remaining brewery in 2001 after hiring Miller, now known as MillerCoors LLC, to brew its brands. Pabst in 2006 moved its offices from San Antonio, Texas, to Woodridge, Ill., where it has around 30 employees.

Because Pabst doesn't own breweries, it mainly operates as a marketing company, crafting strategies for selling dozens of brands, which also include Old Milwaukee, Stroh's and Heileman's Old Style.

In recent years, Pabst Blue Ribbon has seen revived sales when it was embraced by drinkers in their 20s, who see it as welcome contrast to heavily marketed beers.

Pabst Brewing also successfully relaunched Schlitz with its original formula from the '60s and announced it was bringing back "kraeusening," a process that uses additional fermentation, for Old Style.

Despite those efforts, Pabst Brewing's sales volume in 2008 dropped by 3.3 percent, to 5.9 million barrels from 6.1 million barrels, according to data compiled by Beer Marketer's Insights.

But that was a smaller drop than Pabst Brewing had seen in previous years. And it came as the company saw a big boost during the fourth quarter of 2008, with a 9 percent increase. That was fueled by a big jump in Pabst Blue Ribbon sales and higher Schlitz sales." Chicago Tribune

Beer soap, why not

If you are striving to prove to your loved ones that you are a true, hardcore, 100% dedicated alcoholic, then beer soap is for you. Beer Soap comes in just about every beer style - lager, stout, porters, ales, so there can be no excuses not to own some.

http://www.thebeersoapco.com/

Black Xantus

This looks like an interesting beer.

coffee infused ale, aged in oak barrels.

Looks promising, the video is a little long, but you can probably skip around and still get the point.