The Brew Times
Reuben Sandwich Recipe
A meaty, sloppy, cheesy Reuben has so many intense complex flavors that just any old beer won't do. So how about one of the oldest brews still in existence? Doppelbock's high alcohol content will cut right through all that fat and flavor, peeking through to the other side with malts and grains mixing with toasty rye. Prepare to be fully satisfied as this brew alone was designed to get German monks through the fasting period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.The late 1600's and early 1700's were a good time to be a Paulaner monk. These Italian transplants in Germany had figured a way around the strict rules of Lent, which required one to fast for 46 days. Next to no solid food was allowed to pass their lips, so they concocted this "liquid bread." Feeling a mite guilty over the matter, they sent a batch to the Pope for approval. Beer transport was nothing like it is now, so of course it arrived sour and undrinkable. He decided that it would do them some good to drink such a trying beverage so he approved, and they celebrated. For over a hundred years the Paulaner monks held a secret connection to their "Salvator," or Savior, until finally letting us in on the secret. We have passed the secret to making this sustaining brew on to you with our German Doppelbock. Ingredients 1 T butter, softened 2 slices Rye bread 2 slices Swiss cheese ¼ lb pastrami, thin cut ¼ lb sauerkraut 1/8 cup Russian Dressing Russian Dressing Mix the following: 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 ½ T ketchup 1 ½ tspn prepared horseradish ½ tspn Worcestershire sauce Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste Directions Butter one side of a slice of bread. Place bread butter side down on a piece of wax paper on a cutting board or counter. Add a slice of Swiss cheese and half of the pastrami. Remove excess moisture from the sauerkraut with a paper towel. Add sauerkraut, Russian dressing, another layer of pastrami, second slice of cheese, finally second slice of bread. Add butter to the top. Preheat a sautee pan to medium heat. Cook sandwich on one side until bread is golden brown. Flip sandwich with a spatula and finish cooking on the other side. Cut sandwich in half and serve. * Note: It comes out best if you allow the pastrami, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut to set out for about 10 minutes before building sandwich. Original recipe from Simply Recipes: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/reuben_sandwich/
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Smoked Goose with Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe
When looking to pair with a dark, imperial stout, it is extremely difficult to find foods that can stand up to the stout's bold taste. In most cases, stouts will overpower the meal, leaving the food you have so lovingly prepared tasting bland and boring. However, there is one bold contender in the stout-food pairing arena: smoked goose. A rich layer of smoky fat on top, followed by cooked-to-perfection meat, will have your taste buds singing. This recipe also includes a delicious wild rice stuffing. Pair all of this with your favorite dark stout, and you have yourself a real heavyweight contender of a meal. If you are really looking to explore the dark side, try brewing this Dark Forset Stout. Hints of raspberry and cocoa give this roasty stout a wonderful complexity, and will pair wonderfully with the bold flavors coming from your smoked goose. Ingredients 2 whole wild geese (3 pounds each) 2 tablespoons butter, softened Goose Stock 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 carrots, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1 onion, cut in half 1 turnip, split 1 garlic bulb, cut in half 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns Reserved goose bones Stuffing 2 tablespoons butter 1 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 carrots, diced 2 tablespoons marjoram 3 tablespoons fresh sage, torn into pieces 2 cups dry red wine 2 cups cooked wild rice 2 cups rye bread cubes 1 cup roasted chestnuts, shelled 1 egg 1 tablespoon caraway seeds 1 cup goose stock (see above) Directions Turn geese upside down and cut out the backbone using poultry shears. Then, carefully slit along both sides of the rub cage with a boning knife to remove the breast plate, scraping away meat as you cut. Grab the thigh bones from inside the goose and pull the leg towards you and out of the socket, leaving meat attached to the body. Finally, severe the wings at the joint as close to the body as possible. Reserve the wings and bones for your stock. Slice the breast of each goose open in order to insert the stuffing. Rub the entire surface of each goose with 1 tablespoon of softened butter. To prepare goose stock, place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the goose stock vegetables and saute for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, including bones, and cook for 1 hour. To prepare the stuffing, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and herbs (excluding caraway seeds), and saute for 5 minutes. Then, add your wine. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Add your wild rice, rye bread and chestnuts. Scrape mixture into a large bowl, blend int he egg, caraway seed and 1 ladle of goose stock and mix until evenly coated. Spoon stuffing into the goose and tie securely with butchers twine. Rub the outside of the goose with butter, sage, and marjoram. Smoke the geese in a stove top or conventional smoker at 200-225 Fahrenheit for one to two hours, or until the internal temperature is 170F. Note: the bigger the geese you are smoking, the longer it will take to reach the appropriate internal temperature.
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Barleywine Ale and Cheese Pairing
Some tips for a perfect cheese plate: Keep it Simple - In order to keep from confusing your palate choose no more than three or four cheeses. Crackers or toasted baguette slices should be not be heavily seasoned so as not to distract from the main attractions. Make sure they have a touch of saltiness so they don't become a black hole of flavor. Less is More - Don't be intimidated by high per pound prices. Usually for four or five people a ¼ pound of each is plenty. Temperature Control – The aroma and consistency of a cheese is greatly enhanced by being left out at room temperature for a half hour or so before plating. Don't leave it out too long though as it may "sweat" too much, or if left out for days becomemoldy. Accessorize – To add additional flavors or provide something to try in between cheeses, add any of the following: cured meats, fresh or dried fruit, nuts, or jams. Be sure to make sure they work with the pairing. Build to a Strong Finish – Whether its beer or cheese, always arrange from mildest to strongest. That way you don't overwhelm your palate and lose the ability to taste the more subtle flavors. From the Reluctant Chef: I was standing there at the door waiting for my friend to answer, when I began to examine the invitation more closely. Cheese and wine pairing?!! I didn't wear a tie or a sport jacket. My friend opened the door, saw the expression on my face, laughed and beckoned me in. Upon entering the main room, I peered through the relaxed crowd and quickly realized my mistake. Next to mirrored plates piled high with cheese and charcuterie were mugs of barleywine lined up and waiting. Eager to begin, I grabbed a handle of brew and selected my first cheese, an alpine cheddar. The salty nuttiness stood up well with the strong malty stone fruit flavors of the heady concoction. Though the taste of the cheddar survived the blast of liquid complexity I had subjected it to, it was changed, with crystalline sweetness now dominating. The rest of the night became a dancing, swooning blur of cheeses, meats, and fruit, as the high alcohol content of the Barleywine swept me higher and higher to the stars. I woke the next day with vague sweet memories and a scrap of paper to remind me. Scrawled within… The first word inscribed on my tasting scroll was Burleywine. Ah yes, it was a Mr. Beer recipe I'd enjoyed the night before. It had lagered for 4 months giving it a slight hoppy edge.Consulting my stained parchment, I saw I had indulged in increasingly stinky cheeses. The blue was a cave aged Roquefort style that became briefly creamy after sipping, then peaty like a fine scotch, due to the hops. The penultimate was one that literally smelled like feet. It and the barleywine armwrestled, until I broke the tie with Medjool Dates and some fig jam. Caramel and turbinado sugars oozed out of my next quaff. My last notes trailed off with rumors of cured meat rejuvenated by the witches potion. I decided it was time to start my own batch of Burleywine. Only five months until the next tasting!
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Mission "Giveback": A Look at Mr. Beer's 2014 Community Involvement
In 2013, Mr. Beer made it their mission to give back to the community wherever they could. Usually, this comes in the form of donating kits as raffle prizes to help raise money for charities and nonprofits from around the country. This year, Mr. Beer was fortunate enough to work with several nonprofits and charities such as Boston Children's Hospital, Caitlin's Smiles, Suzanne Bronson Children's Trust, Youth on Their Own, The Zoological Society of Milwaukee, and Unstoppable Heroes. On August 23, 2014, Heather Tobin helped raise money for Boston Children's Hospital by hosting Heather's Challenge for 2014 at Hingham Beer Works. This event hosted a silent auction in which all proceeds benefited Boston Children's Hospital, one of the top pediatric institutions in the world. Mr. Beer was thrilled to donate a kit for the silent auction, and to help out an organization that gives hope to so many kids and families, and is continually working to treat and cure an incredible variety of diseases. Caitlin's Smiles is dedicated to sharing smiles and laughter with children facing chronic or life threatening illnesses. Founded in 2004 in memory of Caitlin Hornung, the nonprofit organization distributes arts and crafts kits to hospitals, giving kids an outlet for creativity during such a difficult time in their lives. This October, Caitlin's Smiles hosted A Night of Smiles Art Auction at the Radisson Hotel in Camp Hill, PA. Mr. Beer donated a kit for their silent auction, and all proceeds went towards the continued efforts to provide hospitals with arts and crafts bags. Throughout the holiday season, Unstoppable Heroes will be hosting auctions on Ebay that directly benefit the organization. Unstoppable Heroes is an amazing non-profit that represents over 250 Wounded in Combat Veterans, most of whom are single, double, and even triple amputated. Their goal is to keep these young men and women involved in activities that help them re-adjust to civilian life, as well as to assist them in finding a career in order to help them gain a sense of belonging. Unstoppable Heroes will be hosting these auctions all month long. If you would like to support this wonderful organization, please visit their Ebay account to see all of the items up for auction: http://www.ebay.com/usr/unstoppableheroes?_trksid=p2047675.l2559 This past May, the Bronson family lost a beloved wife and mother to her third battle with cancer. Suzanne Bronson was a dedicated military wife, mother, and an elementary school teacher, and her untimely passing left her family in an emotional and financial struggle. In order to ease the financial burden that had fallen upon the family, Suzanne's brother created a local fund raiser that would directly assist Suzanne's two children's educational fund. Mr. Beer gladly donated a homebrewing kit to be used as a raffle item in the fundraiser. Chris Magistri, the founder of the Suzanne Bronson Children's Trust fundraiser, said that with the help of the local community, along with generous corporate donors, they were able to raise $3,000 to benefit Suzanne's children. In addition to the nonprofits we work with around the country, Mr. Beer tries to give back to the local Tucson community as much as possible. In 2013, Mr. Beer donated $1000 to a great local nonprofit, Youth on Their Own (YOTO). YOTO is a dropout prevention program in Tucson that supports the high school graduation of homeless unaccompanied youth who are in 6th-12th grade. YOTO provides students with financial assistance, basic needs and guidance as they work to obtain their high school diplomas. Mr. Beer has a wonderful relationship with YOTO, and tries to support their cause whenever they host local fundraisers. Mr. Beer has also donated kits to events that are still in the works. The Zoological Society of Milwaukee will be hosting Puttin on the Ritz February 5, 2015 at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. This annual event is a night filled with gourmet food, premium cigars, drinks, live auction, and amateur boxing. Last year's event raised more than $154,148 for the Zoological Society and their support of the Milwaukee County Zoo, and this year's event is sure to be hit. If you are a non-profit or charity looking to raise funds through an auction or raffle, please contact Customer Service to discuss the possibility for Mr. Beer involvement.
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Mr. Beer Makes the Perfect Gift for Any Guy in Your Life
I received a sample for this review/feature. Opinions expressed are my own. There's nothing quite as satisfying as a cold beer. After a long day at work, or when you're barbecuing, a beer is the perfect drink to unwind and relax. My husband is a serious lover of beer. He's always trying new brands, flavors, and is always open to drinking any type of IPA. Surprisingly enough, he's never thought to make his own beer before. When I saw the Mr. Beer kit, I knew he just had to try it. Our Mr. Beer kit came with everything we needed to make our beer: 2 gallon fermenter with lid and tap Instructional videos and easy to follow brewing instructions Mr. Beer Carbonator Drops Bottles with caps and labels No Rinse Cleaner Can of Hopped Malt Extract (the beer) Yeast The first thing you need to do is to assemble your keg and fill it with water to check for leaks. I can't imagine anything worse than having a leaky keg full of beer. After you've assembled and checked, it's time to sanitize. Sanitizing is actually an essential step because it kills bacteria and yeasts that could be in your keg or on the items you're using to make the beer, which can produce off-flavors in your beer. Using the No Rinse Cleanser that comes with the kit was easy to do and the best part was I didn't have to rinse or dry anything off after using. Now comes the fun part – brewing! There will be a yeast packet inside of your can of hopped malt extract (HME) that you need to remove. You boil water, add the HME, and stir. The HME is really thick and takes a while to completely come out of the can so be patient with it. Once it's thoroughly mixed, you add it along with water to you keg. At this point in the process, your unfermented beer is called wort. Once it's all in the keg and thoroughly mixed again, you add your yeast and then screw on the lid. Place the keg in a location with a consistent temperature between 68 and 76F and out of direct sunlight. We stored ours in a closet that we don't use and then 14 days later, we were ready for the next step. Before you bottle your beer, be sure to use the No Rinse Sanitizer solution with the bottles. Once they're sanitized, add a Mr. Beer Carbonation Drop or sugar into the bottles and fill them up. Put the cap on and gently turn the bottle upside down – no shaking. Once the bottles are all filled up, store them again for another 14-21 days so the beer can carbonate. When the bottles feel hard like a rock, they're ready to drink. Just make sure to chill them first for the best flavor. My husband was so excited to try them out, that he even had it marked on his calendar when to check on them. I've never seen him so giddy to open a bottle of beer before – he was like a kid in a candy store. Needless to say, he loved his beer. He said it had an excellent flavor and was a great IPA. He's already searching for which type of beer he will be brewing next because he wants everyone to try them at our Christmas dinner. He's one seriously proud beer brewer. Mr. Beer kits are the perfect gift for any beer loving person in your life. They have so many different types of beer, and even ciders and root beer for those who don't really like beer, that there is something any budding home brewer would love to try. You definitely do not have to be a pro to use their kits and the instructions were detailed, yet easy to follow. The best part about Mr. Beer is their brewing malts are Non-GMO and 100% natural without any additives or preservatives. They offer a variety of different kits depending on your brewing needs. The Mr. Beer kit made brewing easy and fun and I know my husband can't wait to get started on his next batch. Mr. Beer kits are available for purchase this holiday season at Kmart, Sears, Target, and Cabelas. Connect: You can connect with Mr. Beer on their website, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and @MrBeer on Twitter. Article originally posted at: http://outnumbered3-1.com/2014/11/mr-beer-makes-perfect-gift-for-any-guy
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Porterhouse Steak Recipe
The train stops in the middle of 19th century United States. The tracks still rattling off in your head you set your weary sights on a nearby hotel/restaurant. Inside, you order a steak and a beer. A mug of dark ale, and a large t-bone land in front of you. A bite. A chug. Caramel on caramel. Bitter grill marks over buttery fat and bittersweet cocoa. A porterhouse steak and a chocolate porter. You're not home yet, but you never want to leave. Ingredients 1lb Porterhouse Steak 6 T Canola Oil 2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper Mesquite Charcoal Directions Ignite the grill to preheat the grates. Light the charcoal to allow it to burn down for 30 minutes. Once the coals begin to burn, rake the majority of the coals to one side of the grill, leaving a small single layer of burning coals on the other side of your grill. Light a gas grill to medium-high by turning the left burner to high heat, middle burner to medium-high heat, and leaving the right burner off. Bring the steak to room temperature. Don't leave it out longer than two hours to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Season the porterhouse steak with salt, pepper, and oil blend. Cover the top loin and tip of the steak. A generous amount of salt will help ensure that the steak is tender after it is finished grilling. Brush oil blend on the grilling grates generously. This helps to prevent the steak from sticking. Place steak at a 45 degree angle to the grate on the hottest part of the gas or charcoal grill. Sear for one minute then rotate it 90 degrees. After searing for another minute, flip and sear for another minute. If any flare-ups occur, spray flame with a little water. Move the steak to the cool side of the grill. Close the lid of the grill. Grill the steak for 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. The internal temperature will reach 130 degrees.According to guidelines, a safe cooking temperature is 165 degrees for a steak. However, the cooking temperature will vary according to an individual's tastes. Remove the steak. Let it rest for 5 to 8 minutes.
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Traditional Irish Stew Recipe
In the shadowy corners of many Irish brewpubs, people can be found huddled over steaming bowls of stew, clutching half empty pints of stout, muttering stories to themselves and any who'd listen. Pull up a chair and let me tell you about meat and vegetables in a dark sturdy broth, melding with the malty blackness until all that is left is a desolate bowl, a void glass notched with creamy reminders of each deep quaff, and the stories. Stories of heavy caramel and browned meat; Of tender lamb and the creamy malt keeping watch over it. But don't listen to me, experience it for yourself. Our Shameless Stout recipe brings all the dark roasty flavors an Irish stout should. It has a noticeable bitterness that when combined with this stew, will suss out hidden ingredients, like the cabbage. With our recipe you can write your own story; After all, there is no fireside like your own fireside. Ingredients 1 lb mutton or lamb cutlets 2lb red potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters 1 cup onion, roughly chopped 1 cup leeks, cleaned and finely sliced 1 cup carrots, roughly chopped 3 cups liquid beef stock ½ cup Irish stout 3 cabbage leaves, thinly sliced ½ cup all purpose flour 2 T vegetable oil Kosher salt and crack black pepper to taste Directions Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut lamb into ½ inch cubes. Sprinkle cubes lightly with salt and pepper. Dredge lamb in flour. In a large pot, heat oil to hot but not smoking. Sear cubes turning every minute until all sides are browned. Remove lamb and set aside. Add a bit more oil and allow it to heat up. Add onions and leeks. Saute until onions turn golden. Deglaze with stout. Simmer for an additional minute. In a large pot add potatoes, carrots, lamb and onion/leek/beer fusion. Add beef stock and water to cover ingredients. Set heat to medium and cover with a tight fitting lid. Lower heat to low before it begins to boil. Simmer on low for 1 hour. Add cabbage. Simmer on low for additional hour, adding water to ensure ingredients stay covered. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
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Turkey and Vegetable Chili Recipe
You've got a Pumpkin Lager in your hands and you're wondering what to pair it with. The abundant autumn flavors of this warming turkey vegetable chili would make an wondrous choice. A ripe garden of color and taste comes together, sweet and vibrant San Marzano tomatoes, crisp and vivid squash and pumpkin, all inviting and comfortable. The subtle Oktoberfest caramel malts and relaxing mulling spices of our Punkin Lager recipe will pull a greater sweetness out each of the vegetables and enliven it's bouquet. Ingredients 2 cups diced yellow onions (about 3 medium onions) 2 T olive oil 1 medium zucchini, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 pounds ground or leftover turkey, shredded 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes 1 (14 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (could also use kidney beans) 5 T chili powder 1 T cumin 1 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp kosher salt 3 T chopped cilantro Squash blossoms for garnish Directions Bring oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion, zucchini and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until softened. If using ground turkey, add and continue to cook for another 6-7 minutes, stirring to cook evenly and breaking up the meat until the meat is cooked through. If using leftover turkey, add with ingredients in next step. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and cilantro and stir to combine. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about an hour to thicken. Top served portion with squash blossoms.
Read moreInterview with Jeremy Hilderbrand of Sentinel Peak Brewing
We had a chance to sit down and share a pint with Jeremy Hilderbrand, Brewmaster and Co-Founder of Sentinel Peak Brewing. We chatted about his start in homebrewing, how Sentinel Peak came about, and the challenges he faced opening up his own brewery. Check out the full interview below! Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and Sentinel Peak: My name is Jeremy Hilderbrand, and I am Head Brewer and Co-Founder of Sentinel Peak Brewing Company located in Tucson, AZ. Sentinel Peak is a 3 BBL (90 gallons-at-a-time) nano-brewery/brewpub which opened its doors on January 9th, 2014 and is owned by myself, Matt Gordon, and Taylor Carter. We are all full-time firefighters and, of course, craft beer enthusiasts. Q: Tell us about your first brewing experience: After experiencing great German beers while serving overseas, apparently I complained to my wife too much that I couldn't find any good Dunkels in America. So... she bought me a homebrew kit for Christmas and told me to "do it myself!" I had never brewed a beer before, and it was pretty messy, long, and a bit overwhelming. But in the end.. the beer was great because I made it myself! Q: What has been the biggest challenge in the transition from homebrewing to opening your own brewery? The biggest challenge in the transition was being able to hit the correct numbers at every stage of the brewing process in order to achieve a product with consistent quality. Because of our small batches, there are going to be minor differences from batch to batch, but consistent quality is something we always strive for. Q: What is your favorite beer to brew? I love brewing our 1811 Desert Blonde Ale. This is the beer that I introduced at a local Firefighter Charity Brew Off and got fantastic feedback. It's the one that made me think I could open a brewery. Q: If you could share a beer with one person, who would it be? Hands down I would have to say Han Solo. Come on. That guy is so cool. Q: Any advice for new homebrewers? Any advice for homebrewers looking to take the next step in opening up a brewery? Advice for new brewers: Make what you like. You are going to be the one drinking it, so you better like it. And of course..... DO IT! Advice for anyone looking to open a brewery: DO IT! And of course, make what you like, because you are going to be the one drinking it!
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Mr. Beer and Sentinel Peak Brewing Company Celebrate First Pint Night
Mr. Beer would like to invite the Tucson community to Sentinel Peak Brewing Company November 20thfrom 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, to celebrate our first ever Pint Night. Patrons who purchase a Mr. Beer pint glass for $5 will receive a refill of Mr. Beer brew for only $1 each all evening long! Mr. Beer currently has a Dortmunder on tap which was brewed using Mr.Beer ingredients at Sentinel Peak Brewing Company. Dortmunder is a deep gold-colored lager with cleansing bitterness levels and subtle malt aromas that balance perfectly with the lighter body. Besides the Dortmunder, Sentinel Peak has a variety of their craft beers on tap for patrons to enjoy, including their Icebreak IPA, Heissertag Oktoberfest, and LOVE Session Pale Ale. Sentinel Peak Brewing Company, located at 4746 E Grant Rd., is a locally owned nano-brewery/ brewpub that offers a rotating selection of craft beers as well as a few house favorites. They opened their doors January 2014, and have quickly become a local favorite due to their high-quality craft beers and delicious brewpub menu. Come on out November 20th from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm to enjoy some local craft beers, great food, and to help support a local Tucson brewery. November 20th is also Open Mic Night at Sentinel Peak, so visitors will be able to enjoy local talent along with their beers.
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Brown Ale Beer-Battered Fish and Chips Recipe
Leave it to the English to combine their love of beer with the readily available supply of cod surrounding them. An order of fish and chips and a brown ale is standard ration in some parts of the Atlantic Island. This is certainly one of those "some for the recipe and some for me" occasions. Ingredients 1 quart vegetable oil for frying 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup Brown Ale (we'd suggest Churchills Nut Brown Ale) 1 pound cod fillets, cut into pieces Directions Heat oil in deep-fryer to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, garlic salt, garlic powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix in beer until no dry lumps remain. Dip the cod into the batter, allow some of the excess to run off, then carefully place into the deep-fryer. Cook until golden brown and crispy on the outside, and the fish is easily flaked, about 8 minutes. Cook the fish in several batches to avoid over loading the deep fryer. Don't forget the chips (fries) and malt vinegar!
Read moreThe Real Deal - Ale or Nothing: One Man's Adventures in First-Time Homebrewing
By Michael Craig July 8, 2014 When my editor asked if I wanted to brew a batch of beer and write about it, I immediately said yes. Three of my favorite things were involved: beer, writing and money. Plus, the gig required a brewing novice, and I was spectacularly qualified. Up until then, I thought beer came from a cocktail waitress. Choosing my kit On Amazon, I found a pair of frequently reviewed starter kits, Mr. Beer and Brooklyn Brew. I had to decide which would guide me on my alcohol adventure: Mr. Beer Premium Gold Edition Beer Kit ($53.71) This set includes a 2-gallon fermenting keg with lid and tap assembly. You also get two brew packs, eight reusable plastic 1-liter bottles and caps, labels, instructions and a DVD. The kit makes two batches totaling 4 gallons. Brooklyn Brew Beer Making Kit ($39.95) With this, you can make 1 gallon (9–10 12-ounce bottles) of beer. The kit includes mix (grains, hops and yeast), a 1-gallon glass fermenter, chambered airlock, glass thermometer, racking cane, tubing, clamp, screw-cap stopper and sanitizer. No bottles are included. Bummer. Winner I chose Mr. Beer. Not only does it brew more gallons than Brooklyn Brew, but Mr. Beer also describes the equipment in simple, comfortable terms like "keg," "bottles" and "caps." In retrospect, I'm sure Brooklyn Brew would've been fine, but I got intimidated by the sound of the "chambered airlock" and "racking cane." (Did I tell you my wife, Jo Anne, refers to our kitchen as my "wreck room?" That's a little foreshadowing for you.) The supplies Mr. Beer provides a good set of starter tools. The plastic keg and bottles are easy to handle. The equipment and ingredients are packaged and labeled well and include a how-to DVD and detailed instructions (easy to read, though with more footnotes than a Harvard Law Review article). According to Mr. Beer, "Brewing beer is the process of combining a starch source (in our case malt extract) with yeast. Once combined, the yeast eats the sugars in the starch, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide." So by using the can of malt extract, I wouldn't have to brew beer from a pile of barley and hops. I was getting a shortcut. And for me, it was a wonderful shortcut. You can't go from prepping a can of SpaghettiOs to making your own pasta, nor can you go from drinking a can of Schlitz to malting and mashing your own barley to extract the sugars. But if you're feeling ambitious, websites like Northern Brewer sell hundreds of varieties of barley, grains, hops and yeasts, all of which impart a unique character to the beer. But do know that the alternative to Mr. Beer's aforementioned can of sweet, sticky malt extract requires racks, tubes, wort chillers, burners, kettles and pots. Whew! Other sites selling ingredients and equipment include Adventures in Homebrewing and Monster Brew. The brewing process The actual brewing proceeded smoothly. I boiled 4 cups of water, poured in the can of hopped malt extract and stirred thoroughly. (This unfermented mix is called wort, by the way.) I filled the keg with 4 quarts of water, poured in the wort, added water to bring the total volume to 8.5 quarts and mixed vigorously. Finally, I sprinkled in (but did not stir) the yeast packet and screwed on the lid. I quickly discovered, however, two things that complicate home brewing. First, the main ingredient in beer, I learned, must be disinfectant. Surely as an adult I could hygienically boil water, open a can and stir with a spoon. Far from it. Almost two of the six panels of the Mr. Beer instructions concern sanitizing: Sanitize the keg; pour the sanitized water in a bowl; put all the equipment in the sanitized bowl. Afterward, I was terrified that in between uses I may have contaminated the whisk. The next ingredient in beer is patience. I had a long time to ponder my bacteria-laden life because the following instruction was "ferment for 14 days." Fourteen days? That's an eternity! During the next few days, I could see the fermentation process in action by shining a flashlight on the keg. It felt reassuring to see bubbles rising to the surface. Anticipation, sedimentation and more sanitation I filled the next two weeks with positive mental images. I foresaw myself inviting friends to taste my beer; I anticipated pairing the beer with great food; I envisioned everyone being so impressed while I insisted, unconvincingly, that it was no big deal. Then it was time to bottle and carbonate my beer (after, of course, sanitizing the bottles). My first mishap spawned from uncertainty over the size of the bottles. Carbonation requires adding sugar to the bottles prior to pouring in the beer. And even though Mr. Beer comes with pre-measured carbonation drops, otherwise known as sugar cubes, the instructions introduce ambiguity, because the same instructions serve several kits, which may come with different-size bottles. The size determines the amount of sugar needed for carbonation, but the bottles themselves weren't marked.Sigh. Were these bottles half-liter, 750-milliliter or 1-liter? I poured a half-liter of water into an empty bottle. It looked half full, but the neck was narrower than the base. Better pour in another half-liter. The water soon filled the bottle but, inexplicably, I kept pouring, spilling water all over the counter. "The instructions," I thought. "Save the instructions!" I scrambled around, knocking empty bottles to the floor, a potential biohazard. (That I could not competently pour water did not augur well.) A layer of sediment formed on the bottom of the keg. According to footnote 14 of the instructions, this "trub" is a byproduct of the yeast. The trouble with trub (heh!) is that you shouldn't move the keg during bottling, which I learned only after carrying the keg from the coolest, darkest place in the house (above the laundry-room fridge) to the kitchen. I also neglected footnote 15, which recommended that I taste a small amount of beer from the tap. "If it tastes like flat beer, it's ready to bottle. If it tastes sweet, give it a few more days in the keg. Do not do this more than once." All bottled up Finally, I got the carbonation drops and beer into the bottles. I hugged those bottles like children, which, in retrospect, was strange because my children, who had been helping me at the start of this adventure, were now nowhere to be found. Sullenly, I performed the required (re)sanitation. I got to worry for another 14 days as the carbonation took place. I had run out of positive images and could only imagine the consequences of my clumsiness, impatience and squalor. For instance, I read someplace that one kind of bacteria can make the beer smell like a Band-Aid. After that, everything in my house smelled like a Band-Aid. When I foist this foul brew on friends, will they be spitting and vomiting? Or worse, would these people, suddenly like strangers, mumble excuses and pour the beer down drains and out windows? Will I have to give up drinking beer? Will I have to find new friends? Last-minute details Three days before the tasting, I moved the bottles to the refrigerator. I bought and chilled beer mugs. (I purchased the mugs on the day of the tasting, and I got curious looks from Bed Bath & Beyond employees when I asked if there was an appliance that would instantly chill glasses. Funny because these people work at a store that has a giant display for a device that allows you to make a bowl out of a pile of bacon strips.) I improvised a potential emergency plan if things turned bad. I knew about dropping a shot of whiskey into a glass of beer (Boilermaker, Irish Car Bomb), so I figured I could kill the flavor that way if necessary. But I had no whiskey; all I had was a bottle of rum. Nor did I have any shot glasses, just a few Dixie cups in a bathroom dispenser last filled, I think, by the prior owner of my house. The tasting It was a hot Arizona evening, so I insisted we drink outdoors. I brought out the bottles in an ice-filled bucket along with the chilled mugs. I also handed out the best of my stash of Cuban cigars, a diversion or a bribe—you can decide. Per the instructions, I slowly poured the beer into the mugs, careful not to introduce any hints of sediment that can form at the bottom of the bottles. The beer looked good. It smelled good. It foamed but not too much. The color was clear, a light amber similar to Corona Extra. The taste was also clean and light. It had just enough bitterness to let me know it was beer. No bacteria clouds, no "young flavors of green apple or yeast" and not a Band-Aid in sight or smell. For the first time in a month, I could relax and enjoy a good cigar, a warm evening with friends and a beer. My beer. I didn't have to resort to my backup plan, the Dixie Cup Bomb. I didn't have to relocate to a new state. My friend Randy, a real home brewer, even offered to let me use some of his expensive equipment if I wanted to take things to the next level. Now that the evening is behind me—guests impressed, sanitation of the bottles and equipment completed—I am actually considering his offer. ARTICLE FROM The Real Deal by Retail Me Not: http://www.retailmenot.com/blog/brewing-beer-at-home.html
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Fig Stuffed Pork Chops with Apple Juice Pan Sauce Recipe
The winter wheat crop is planted…perfect time to crack open a cloudy Weissbier and dig into some mouthwatering pork chops stuffed with figs. The banana and clove notes from the German "white beer" are right at home with the earthy tones of figs and apples from this fall dish. Take it a step further with our Pumpkin Weissbier Recipe. The ever evolving pumpkin and mulling spice flavors will enhance the autumn goodness found in this dish. Watch the wheat grow and the foliage change with a Pumpkin Weissbier in your hand. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ingredients 4 loin pork chops, 1 1/4 inch thick (Berkshire if available) 2 tbs butter or margarine 1/2 cup finely shopped celery 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1 small clove of garlic, minced 1 cup soft bread crumbs 1/2 cup chopped dried figs 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning Kosher salt and black cracked pepper 2 tsp vegetable oil 2 tsp apple juice Directions Trim any excess fat from pork chops. Cut pocket in each pork chop by slicing thickness in half from fat side almost to bone edge. Melt butter in skillet. Add celery, onion and garlic; cook until tender. Remove from heat; add bread crumbs, figs, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine. stuff mixture into pork chop pockets. Heat oil in skillet; brown pork chops on both sides. Drain excess fat. Add apple juice. Cover pan tightly and simmer 40 to 50 minutes or until pork chops are tender. Remove chops and keep warm. Skim fat from pan liquid. Cook stirring until liquid is slightly thickened. Spoon sauce over chops.
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