microbrew

Guide To Microbrews

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Below, you will find a guide to some of the best brews
out there.

Long Trail Brewery - Bridgewater, Vermont This brewery offers several brews that will easily quench your thirst. The long trail ale is a very good choice, as it's very tasty and not too heavy, just right. The hibernator is also good, although
it's winter seasonal and high in alcohol. With a pinch of honey, the pollenator provides a thirst quenching solution to a hot summer haze.

Catamount Brewery - White River Junction - Vermont The best seller here is the Catamount amber, as it is very tasty. The Catamount gold is also good, as it is lighter than the amber and offers plenty of refreshment on a hot day. For winter months, the Catamount Christmas ale offers a crisp taste for the cold.

7 Barrel Brewery - New Hampshire
The 7 Barrel Brewery is a restaurant as well as a brewery. The best brews here are the Dublin brown ale and the red 7 ale, although you really can't go wrong with any of their offerings. They also offer live music every Friday night with many
great bands.

Vermont Pub - Burlington, Vermont
This pub is the sister brewery of the 7 Barrel Brewery. They offer a great bar that serves two rooms, with plenty of fresh and tasty beer. The brown ale and dog bite bitter are the best, as they are both very tasty.

Magic Hat Brewery - Burlington, Vermont This brewery offers some of the best in the state of Vermont - as well as the entire United States! Their well known popular number 9 can be found on taps around the state. When you visit, don't
forget to look under the cap, as they call it "Magic Hat" for a reason!

Equipment For Microbrews

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Before you can start brewing beer, you'll need to have the right equipment. If this is your first time brewing, you should start simple. Before you begin, the first thing that you'll need is a brewpot. Before you rush out and buy one, you
may already have one that will work just fine.

The pot should hold at least three gallons of liquid. The next thing you'll need is a fermenter. For the average five gallon batch, the fermenter should hold six gallons or more, allowing space for a foam that will form during the vigorous process of fermentation.

For this stage, a glass carboy or food grade plastic bucket is often used. You'll also need an airlock for your fermenter to allow the C02 to escape while also keeping the air out. A siphon hose is also needed to transfer beer from the fermenter when it's ready, without having to mix air into it.

A bottling bucket will also help to make the process much easier. Bottling buckets are similiar to fermenters, except the fact that they have a spigot at the bottom that allows you to fill the bottles directly, which makes the entire process less messy and gets things done much quicker. You'll also need a capper to seal your bottles; as bottles and caps or even a keg will be needed to store and serve your
brew.

If you look around, you may be able to find a kit that will contain everything you need. You can purchase kits on the internet, many of which offer the top quality equipment you'll need to brew. All you have to do is look around the net, as there are many different web sites that offer equipment for microbrews.

If you don't want to buy a kit, you can always buy each piece of equipment seperately. This tends to be a bit more expensive than buying a kit, although you'll be able to pick each piece of equipment yourself, without having to take what's included in the kit.

Once you get all of the necessary equipment together, you should know how to use it before you get started. This way, you won't run into any problems once you start brewing. The equipment needed for brewing is easy to use, so you shouldn't have any problems.

Brewing microbrews can be both fun and exciting, especially when you start brewing your own creations. You can drink the brew yourself, or serve it to friends and family. Microbrews are fun to drink and create - which makes having the proper equipment all the more while.

Discovering Microbrews

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Brewed on every continent around the world and enjoyed in every nation, beer can quench every type of thirst and go down as easily as spring water to thick, heady concoctions that resemble that of the thickest oatmeal.

Just as the gourmet blends have conquered a large portion of the coffee business, handcrafted brews continue to keep a firm hold on the most serious of beer drinkers. There are hundreds of thousands of brews out there, which are sure to please even
the hardest to please.

When it comes to the gourmet types of microbrews, there are some things to keep in mind. If you are new to microbrews and gourmet types, you'll find the tips below to be very beneficial.

Start light
When you go to a pub or just out to drink, you should start off light with a basic lager, pilsner, or wheat beer. After that, you can work your way towards the full flavored beers, such as porters and Oktoberfest beers. These can be very potent,
especially for those who don't really drink that much.

Starting light is also good for your overall tolerance, as drinking light will prepare you for the more potent drinks. This way, you can enjoy plenty of microbrews without having to worry about stopping too early.

Brewpub
The ideal way to try new types of beer is to pay a visit to a local brewpub. Many of these small brewery/restaurants will offer samplers, which feature small glasses with four to five of their most popular beers.

This way, you can experience a variety of beer tastes without having to spend a lot of money. Once you have tried a couple of the beers, you'll know what to order.

Dark beers
If you are a casual beer drinker or can handle your tolerance, you shouldn't be afraid in the least to try dark beers. The dark color doesn't mean that the beer is heavier or contains more calories, it simply means that the malt in the beer is roasted longer or roasted to a more darker color than most.

Small business
Small businesses and small businessmen are yet another reason to get into microbrewed beer other than the taste. Local microbrew producers brew their beers in small batches, so you'll be helping to keep the business afloat, rather than supporting
the large giants of the industry.

When you know that your money is going to help the little people, you'll normally find the brew to go down much smoother. Small microbreweries need all the help they can get to continue brewing, which is reason enough to support them. You'll get
a great beer for your money - and you'll be supporting those that actually need your help.

Discovering Microbrews

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Differences Between Keg And Cask Ale

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Over the years, keg beers have gotten a lot better. If a cask beer is in poor condition, it's actually possible for a fresh keg beer to be much better tasting. Even though this may sound absurd, it's very common for someone who's unfamilar with cask ale to not be able to taste the difference between keg and cask beer.

The warm temperature that cask beer is famous for doesn't apply in the summer months all that often these days, as temperature control units in pubs have beer run through coolers. The fact is, some pubs will run cask ale lines through lager chillers in order to get the beer below the maximum temperature required, so cask ale may very well end up just as cold as a keg lager.

This isn't really a good thing, as ale requires a cool rather than very cold temperature to bring out all of its flavors. In a well run pub however, the cask ale will be served at the right temperature - cool but not too cold.

The smell of cask ale is much fresher and more wholesome than keg beer. Keep in mind, the aroma of cask ale doesn't have the stored up impact of bottled type beers, as this beer has already been exposed to the air for a couple of days - meaning
there is no impact when you transfer it to your beer glass.

Normally, the aroma wil be released into the air when it has been warmed up, which will probably happen when you get near the bottom of the glass.

The flavor of cask ale is very similiar to the aroma in it, which is very fresh and delicate. Unlike other bottled beers, the flavor of cask ale is even more noticeable than the aroma. At first,the aroma is very slight, although the flavor more than makes up for it.

The intensity of the flavor will depend on the style of beer. The CO2 bubbles themselves will have very little flavor, therefore a mass of bursting bubbles against your tongue will prevent the actual beer from making contact.

With cask ale, there is little to no carbonation, so more of the flavor will connect with your taste buds. You should be able to note the fruity taste up front, with balance in the middle and bitterness in the end. The flavor of a cask ale is much more noticed than keg or even bottled beer.

Bottle conditioned beers will also have this type of flavor profile, although they'll need to be prepared and conditioned well in advance, meaning that the bottle will need to be opened and allowed to settle for a while. Cask ales offer the conditioning being done fro you, so you won't need to do it.

The most important aspect of cask ale is how it feels in your mouth. It shouldn't be fizzy. If it is, it's either a keg beer or a cask ale that's been put on too soon. There will be a natural feel in the beer, a life that makes you want to drink it.

Clipper City Microbrew Company

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The Clipper City Brewing Company was founded by by pioneer Hugh Sisson, with the intention of restoring a rich brewing tradition to the entire Baltimore area. By focusing on the classic styles of beer that are made with fresh ingredients and
high standards, Clipper City is the largest brewing company in Baltimore, giving the entire Bay area residents reason to celebrate.

After the inception of craft brewing in Baltimore, Hugh immersed himself in developing and market recognition of both Sisson's brewpub and all of its beers.

The Clipper City Brewing Company produces three regular offerings year round - Chesapeake lager, Chesapeake amber, and the Chesapeake gold ale, which was chosen as the official beer of the Baltimore City bicentennial. Clipper City also includes a line of specialty beers under the Clipper Reserve heading.

These types include a Pilsner which is available in May, Irish stout available in February, Oktoberfest available in September, and a winter ale that's available in late November. Clipper City also manufacturers a seperate line of beer, known as
the Oxford Brands, which include an English pale ale and a refreshing summer blend made with real raspberries known as the Oxford raspberry wheat.

For many years, Clipper City has proven that they are the dominant brewing company in the entire Baltimore area. Residents of the area enjoy the many varieties this brewing company offers, as they have everything for the seasons.

Even if you don't live in the Baltimore area, there are other ways to get the excellent beers that Clipper City has to offer. There are several bars
and pubs that carry their beers, although most are in the Baltimore and surrounding areas. If you've been looking for a brew that is different from the rest, you can count on the Clipper City Brewing Company to deliver everything that you've never
thought possible about beer and microbrews.

Brewpub Heaven

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Everyone knows that if your looking for the best in coffee, you go to Seattle. For wine, you go to California. When it comes to the best in beer, you go to Portland Oregon, where your never more than 15 minutes away from a quality brewpub.

The Williamette Rive in western Oregon has been the center of hop growing and brewing since the days of the pioneers. When the microbrew revolution began, the history and the hops were already there, along with the spring water, the grain, and the fruit for summer beers. As a result, regional brewers and microbrewers began to pop up all over the place.

After that, it didn't take long at all for the brewpub to follow. These beers weren't just for washing down food anymore. The hand crafted beers could be used in cooking, just like wine. In the brewpubs of Portland, the beer also forms a base for salad dressing, spices up marinades, and even helps to sweeten the desserts as well.

Many brewpubs will offer a sampler of the best in beer tasting. You can think of it as wine tasting without the snooty steward. You sip on small amounts of a variety of brews to see what the brewer can do, from the light and hoppy to the
dark yet sweet brews.

What to expect
1. Good head on the beer. Good head ensures that you'll get a strong smell of the
brew, so be sure to pour it into your glass very carefully.

2. Always use a glass. You should always use a clean glass, a very clean glass. In most brewing establishments, the glasses are always hand washed and air dried to ensure that there isn't a speck of grease in the glass to deflate the head
and leave soapy looking bubbles behind.

3. The English are right. As the English know, refrigerated beer is too cold to fully appreciate the taste. In brewpubs, the beer is served at temperatures that are cool but not that cold. The iced and chilled glasses are saved for
martinis.

4. Vocabulary. Beer has a mouth feel, which describes the body of the brew - light, medium, and full. The color can be misleading, as even light bodied beers can be full bodied.

Anytime you are looking for the best in microbrews, you can count on Oregon to deliver the best in beer. There are hundreds of brewpubs here, with
everything you could ever want. Anytime you are in the area, don't hesitate to stop off and see why the microbrews here are easily among the best in the United States - or the world for that matter.

Beer Ingredients

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The main ingredients found in beer are water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. There are other ingredients such as flavoring, sugar, and other ingredients that
are commonly used. Starches are used as well, as they convert in the mashing process to easily fermentable sugars that will help to increase the alcohol content of beer while adding body and flavor.

Water
Seeing as how beer is mainly composed of water, the source of water and its characteristics have a very important effect on the character of the beer. A
lot of beer styles were influenced by the characteristics of water in the region. Although the effect of minerals in brewing water is complex, hard water is more suited to dark styles, while soft ware is more suited to light styles.

Malt
Among malts, barley is the most widely used due to its high amylase content, and a digestive enzyme that facilitates the breakdown of starch into sugars. Depending on what can be cultivated locally, other malts and unmalted grains can be used, such
as wheat, rice, oats, and rye.

Malt is obtained by soaking grain in water, allowing it to germinate, then drying the germinated grain in a kiln. By malting the grain, enzymes will eventually convert the starches in the grain into fermentable sugars.

Hops
Since the seventeenth century, hops have been commonly used as a bittering agent in beer. Hops help to contribute a bitterness that will balance the sweetness of the malts. They also contribute aromas which range from citrus to herbal.

Hops also provide an antibiotic effect that favors the activity of brewer's yeast over the less desirable microorganisms. The bitterness in beer is normally measured on the International Bitterness Units scale.

Yeast
Yeast is a microorganism that's responsible for fermentation. Specific strains of yeast are chosen depending on the type of beer produced, as the two main strains are ale yeast and lager yeast, with other variations available as well.

Yeast helps to metabolise the sugars that are extracted from the grains, and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide as a result. Before the functions of yeast were understood, all fermentations were done using wild or airborne yeasts.

Clarifying agent
A lot of brewers prefer to add one or more clarifying agents to beer that aren't required to be published as ingredients. Examples include Isinglas finings, which are obtained from swim bladders of fish and Irish moss, which is a type
of red alga.

Since these ingredients can be obtained from animals, those who are concerned with either the use or consumption of animal products should obtain detailed information from the brewer.

Beer Culture

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Social context
Many social traditions and activities are very associated with drinking beer, such as playing cards, darts, or other games. The consumption of beer in isolation and excess may be associated with people drinking away their troubles, while drinking in
excess with company may be associated with binge drinking.

Around the world
All over the world, beer is consumed. There are several breweries in the Middle East countries as well, such as Iraq and Syria. There is also breweries in African countries and other remote countries such as Mongolia as well.

Glassware serving
Getting an appropriate beer glass is considered desirable by some drinkers. There are some drinkers of beer that may sometimes drink out of the bottle or can, while others may choose to pour their beer into a glass. Drinking from a bottle picks
up aromas by the nose, so if a drinker wishes to appreciate the aroma of a beer, the beer is first poured into a mug, glass, or stein.

Similar to wine, there is specialized styles of glasses for some types of beer, with some breweries producing glassware intended for their own styles
of beer.

Temperature
The conditions for serving beer have a big influence on a drinker's experiences. An important factor when drinking is the temperature - as colder temperatures will start to inhibit the chemical senses of the tongue and throat, which will narrow
down the flavor profile of beer, allow certain lagers to release their crispness.

Pouring
The process of pouring will have an influence on the presentation of beer. The flow rate from the tap, titling of the glass, and position of the pour into the glass will all affect the outcome,such as the size and longevity of the head and the
turbulence of the bar as it begins to release the carbonation.

The more heavily carbonated beers such as German pilseners will need settling time before they are served, although many of them are served with the
addition of the remaining yeast at the bottom to add extra color and flavor.

Beer rating
The rating of beer is a craze that combines the enjoyment of drinking beer with the hobby of collecting it. Those that drink beer sometimes tend to record their scores and comments on various internet websites.

This is a worldwide activity, as people in the United States will swap bottles of beer with those living in New Zealand and Russia. The scores may then be tallied together to create lists of the most popular beers in each country as well as
those throughout the world.

Anheuser Busch And Microbrews

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Beer brewing has always been the core business of the Anheuser-Busch company. An industry leader since 1957, Anheuser-Busch currently owns over half of the domestic beer market.

The market share has grown so much that Anheuser- Busch now has a bigger portion of the market than the next four competitors, with the international sales being no different. Anheuser-Busch remains the leading exporter of beer from the United States, with sales in more than 60 countries.

Microbreweries, or microbrews for short, have been gaining a lot of attention in the past several years. Microbrews are best classified as breweries that produce less than 15,000 barrels in a given year.

The strength of microbrews is found in their philosophy that beer should be of the highest quality. Therefore, microbrews are only brewed with malted barley, hops, water, and yeast, which are the only four ingredients found in the purist German beers. Mass bottled beers normally add rice and corn to help lower costs.

The only drawback to microbrews is what they cost. The more expensive ingredients found in microbrews cost on average 60% higher than the mass bottled beers.

Beer isn't like wine, which tends to get better with age. Beer is instead a food that should be consumed as soon as possible after production. With this in mind, pubs or microbrews that produce beer on the premises are the hottest new trends, with four new pubs on average popping up each and every week.

Each year, sales of microbrews goes up an average of 40% each year. This figure is very impressive when you consider that the market is shrinking as a whole. Even with this amazing success, the microbrew sales represent around two percent of
the entire beer market.

In their pursuit to continue dominating the entire beer market, Anheuser-Busch has tapped into the trend of microbrews. They recently purchased a stake in the Seattle based Red Hook Ale microbrewery. The new products they released
into the beer market include Red Wolf, Elk Mountain Red, and Elk Mountain Amber Ale.

Microbrews are normally produced regionally, therefore Anheuser-Busch is developing regional manufacturers and distributors. By doing this, they must decide on the best possible way to handle their short term cash needs for purchasing inventory in these tiny plants.

With their recent transition into the world of microbrews, you can count on Anheuser-Busch to make quite the impact. They will be offering more microbrews in the future, which is great news for beer drinkers. If you like the wild taste of microbrews, Anheuser-Busch is more than worth your time and money.

Alaskan Brewing

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The Alaskan brewing company is the oldest operating brewery in Alaska, with their amber beer being their most popular brand. They produce two other brands as well, pale ale and Alaskan frontier amber. If you enjoy fresh amber beer, Alaskan
brewing is what you want.

As you may already know, brewing beer in Alaska is very hard to do. The coastal community of Juneau doesn't have road connections to the lower 48 states,
so everything arrives and leaves by water or air, with weather always having the final say.

In 1986, the Alaskan brewing company became the 67th brewery to operate in the United States and the only one to operate in Alaska. Since that time, Alaskan brewery has received more than 30 major medals and awards, including the best beer in the nation award during the 1988 Great American Beer Festival.

The popularity of their beers has led to a great amount of efforts to keep up with the demand from consumers. They also hold the unnofficial record for the production on a 10 barrel brewing system, which produces an amazing 42 batches a week.

The Alaskan Brewery offers several different styles of brew as well, which are listed below:

1. Amber - This is the company's flagship beer, based on a turn of the century recipe that was used to quench the thirst of the miners during the Gold Rush era. It provides a smooth, malty, rich taste that goes well with meals - or friends.

2. Pale - Pale is fresh, crips, and inviting. Alaskan pale is great with crab, pawns, and salads. The floral aroma of the hops is derived from dry hopping the tanks during the entire fermentation process.

3. Stout - The oatmeal style beer of stout doesn't have the harshness of other stouts. Great with chocolate and hearty meals, stout is also ideal to enjoy while walking in the snow.

4. ESB - If you like hops, the infusion of hops in this delight will amaze your nose while the refreshing cascade hops will provide a wonderful crispness to both the flavor and the finish. This beer is great with spicy food, wild game, and other
wintery food.

5. Smoked porter - Very exclusive, Alaskan smoked porter has a world class reputation for its excellence. Brewed in the fall, this beer is ideal for storing in the cellar for later enjoyment.

6. Winter ale - This tender brew of spruce trees has been used for brewing in Alaska since the late 1700s.