Underground Brewers of Connecticut

September brought the Underground Brewers to Bridgeport, where Berlinetta generously offered a table (and glassware, as yours truly left the club glassware in the wrong car…) and a wonderful environment to dive into our theme of English Ales. A relatively small gathering with less than 10 members able to make it out meant more whole group conversations, as we enjoyed some beautiful Berlinetta lagers, including their Oktoberfest that many members were seen leaving the taproom with as the night ended.

Whether talking beer, life, or the upcoming SNERHC competition (you are signed up to judge, right?), we always know how to have a good time. So good, in fact, that I don’t believe a single picture was taken throughout the course of the night. Good company, good beers, and good food… truly, a wonderful night out.

Tasting Notes:

• Best Bitter (11B) – Santi: low side on aroma, mostly hops on the nose, lacking some malt. Maybe some bubblegum, maybe sweet phenolic? A little funky. Nice fermentation character. Slightly hazy. Moderate bready malt. More malt than the aroma suggested. Moderately low fruity, pear apple. Slightly astringent, thin. Dries out fast. 7/2/13/4/7 = 33
• Best Bitter (11B) – Andy T.: more fermentation character, ester-y, low earthy hop. Maybe moderate floral fruity. Plum? Not much malt aroma. Good appearance, on the lighter side. Fermentation esters come through in the flavor. Fresh Apple. Moderately high bitterness, but not astringent. A little caramel – caramel apple without being sweet. Super drinkable. Medium light body. Low carb. Dries out without being astringent. 7/3/15/5/7 = 37
• English Barleywine (17D) – Andy C.: eird funky thing at the beginning, slightly tart (like a barrel/oak). Almost dark sour aroma. Vinous. Goes into dark caramel. Dried cherries. Bit of spice on the end. It looks like a 3. Carb is prominent. Dark fruit, fig – balance towards sweetness. Alcohol stands out on the finish. Lychee? Spice on the finish. Toffee, carb and hops balance out the sweetness on the finish. A bit thin on the mouth – carb is too light, probably thinned out from that. A little rough around the edges. Will improve over time. It’s young. 8/3/16/3/7 = 39 *From Andy: bottle conditioned with dried Brett yeast (BR-8), only in the middle for 4 months.
• British Strong Ale (17A) – Andy T.: cinnamon, cherry pit, more than moderate. Wintergreen/menthol note. Dark cherry. Light caramel malts. Maybe medicinal? Gorgeous. A little nutty with the malt, some toasty bitterness. Cherry lozenges, maybe some of that menthol from the aroma. medium bitterness. Taste doesn’t match the nose, flavor not as complex. Not quite medium full, a touch of astringency on the finish. 8/3/14/3/6 = 34 *From Andy: an ESB that “went wrong”
• Pre-Prohibition Porter (27) – Santi: something vegetal in the aroma, spinach/broccoli. Blows off. Low DMS to start. Roasted grainy malt – maybe a touch too high. It smells pre-prohibition. Maybe unburnt tobacco. Pretty amazing flavor. Corn with roasted malt. A touch metallic on the finish. A little astringency – from malt. Carb seems moderate to mod-low. We loved this beer. Noticeably different than a post-prohibition porter. 9/3/17/5/9 = 43 *From Santi: used Thrall 2-row and molasses

A few other beers and ciders were opened and enjoyed as the night came to a close, but after the porter we went back to talking over drinks, rather than about them. Cheers to all who attended! Looking forward to the October meeting at the Huxford’s in Easton!

I had the pleasure of hosting this year’s club potluck picnic… or rather, reaping the benefits of my in-laws home in Easton as the latest venue for our summer bash. We had perfect weather, with abundant blue skies and sunshine without the oppressive August heat and humidity that often accompanies it.

Speaking of abundance, there was no shortage of food and drink options! The buffet seemed to be never-ending, with more choices than one could reasonably sample all of (though many of us tried!). Buffalo chicken dip and deviled eggs, pulled pork and chicken tacos, vegetarian chili and street corn salad… and more. There was enough food to feed us all for days on end, and truly, the party could have gone on for that long. Luckily, there were plenty of incredible beers, ciders, and meads to share as well (both homebrewed and commercial) to accompany all of the food! For those who stayed into the night, we gathered around a firepit, roasting marshmallows and finishing off the last few bottles around the open flames.

Truly, the best part of all was the people. It is always a treat to get together as a club with families included as well – the company is what made the gathering all the more special. A huge thank you to all who were able to attend for making the day what it was – and to all those that couldn’t make it, you were greatly missed! We’re already looking forward to making next year’s event as big of a hit as this one. Cheers!

[Note: Matt, our Communications Director, is currently ill with covid. CommsDir Emeritus Paul fills in for him this month.]

July found us at Tribus Brewing in Milford for the first time. The lovely folks there let us take over their back room for our meeting. Thank you, Tribus!

Summer meetings are usually on the smaller side. Homebrewers take vacations just like normal people. With only about 8 members braving the intense thunderstorm, we decided to run the meeting a little differently. Homebrews were not judged blind; we opted for a bit less judging rigor and more in-depth discussion of each brew. This led to some interesting findings and more knowledge-sharing than usual.

First up was an American Lager from Santi. Crystal clear and lovely, it had a clean aroma of earthy and floral hops with just a touch of sweetness. Maybe a hint of DMS and green apple, but both just at the threshold for identification. Made with flaked corn, Crystal and Willamette hops, and Novalager yeast (at 60F!), it was a perfect lawnmower beer. We gave it a 41.

Next was an American Pale Ale from Cameron. Also crystal clear, it was very fruity, with a little green apple and a low hop aroma. Lacking the bitterness and hop flavor one expects in an APA, we gave it a 33 and decided it would do better if entered as a Belgian Pale Ale. The recipe included wheat and oats, pilsner malt, Nottingham yeast, and no bittering hops – all late hopping.

Mara was up next with a Traditional Mead (still, standard strength, semi-dry) made with coffee blossom honey. VERY floral aroma with some heat and spicy notes. Plenty of acid and tannin. A mere baby at 1 month since pitching, we decided it would become an excellent mead at 6 months, when the heat had settled down a bit. We look forward to trying it again then.

Pierre followed with a Saison made with lemon thyme (that’s one plant, meaning thyme with a lemony flavor) and a hint of mint. Over-carbed but yummy. Just amazing.

Next was a Special Bitter by Santi. So young that it wasn’t really carbonated yet, from which it suffered a little. But quite nice. Bone dry, very fruity, very drinkable.

Andy T presented a Mixed Ferm with peaches which was astoundingly complex yet extremely drinkable. Aromas of florals and perfume, leather, pipe tobacco, and stone fruit. Tart but not sour. Bone dry. Clear and light amber. We could not find a single thing wrong with it except that it had no head. Dinged it one point for that, so it scored a 49. Deserved it.

Pierre ended the night with a different Saison. This one was amber and hazy, with a white head, spicy phenols, fruit, and earthy hops. A little sweet up front with a dry finish. Totally solid – scored a 34. Made with Belle Saison yeast.

With that, we headed out into the post-storm evening.

One thing of note: At some point during the meeting, it became clear that there were several of us who had acquired pH meters and were unsure about their use and care. As our resident expert in quantitative test equipment, Andy T offered to run a class. This will be hands-on; everyone brings their own meters to calibrate and use. Keep your eye on the club calendar for this event.

Each June, Steve Victor generously opens his home to both the Underground Brewers and Brew Haven to share a meal and more than a few outstanding beers and ciders. From classic English pub beers and barleywines, to fruited ciders, lagers, and more, there was no shortage of fermented beverages to enjoy.

Unlike our typical meetings, there was no blind judging. There were many conversations about recipes, techniques, and fermentation choices, and it was clear that everyone learned a lot to take back home for future brew days. In addition to chatting about brewing, we spent a good deal of time talking about our lives outside of being homebrewers. Part of what makes this hobby so enjoyable (for me, at least), is getting to know more about the amazing people who participate in it! From distance bike riding to kids and family, smoking meat to adventures in countries around the world, the conversations over beer rather than about it were the highlight of the event.

Unfortunately, with all the amazing conversation, food, and beverages, I don’t believe anyone took any pictures! If you attended and have some to share, please send them along so we can add them to the post.

Co-written by Pierre Margraff

As the club began gauging interest in a group grain purchase from local malt company Thrall Family Malt, Steve Victor brought up the idea of pairing our purchase with a tour of the facilities, so that we could all learn more about how one of beer’s most important ingredients is produced. Spencer gladly obliged, and I think all would agree that the experience and knowledge shared made the trek to Windsor worth the drive!

After a surprising large number of members and new faces arrived, Spencer Thrall greeted us in the parking lot and the started the visit with an explanation of the growing process. Though the Thrall family, which can trace its farming roots in Connecticut back to the mid-1600’s, is probably best known for their tobacco growing, Spencer and his family began the malting project in 2017. Thrall have been on that land long enough to have their family name on the street, something you just don’t see anymore. Pride of both the farming and malting profession reflects in all aspect of the operation. Rotating crops across their fields between tobacco, cover crops such as soybeans, and grains for malting, has allowed the farm to diversify their offerings and keep the soil fertile. Thrall has over 1,000 acres of farmland, and produces over 750 tons of malted grain each year!

After taking great care throughout the growing process, the grains are cleaned and dried for storage, first processed through a mechanical drum to remove small stones, pieces of the stalk, and any other unnecessary material, before being cleaned of dust and other debris through the use of air. Grain is stored in large silos until it is ready to be malted.

The malting process begins when the dried grains are rehydrated by soaking, typically requiring three separate cycles of water over the course of two days (though huskless malts like wheat and rye can often take only a day). A computer with the company logo handles the cereal hydrator and aerator, one of the many critical components of the process. Spencer shared that this is the most important part of the process – any mistakes made here cannot be fixed. It’s a fine line; you need a high enough hydration percentage (about 44%) to ensure full modification, but you also need to avoid “drowning” the malt.

Once hydrated, the grains are pumped to the germination tanks (which become kilns in the next step of the process – more on that later!). While the tanks are relatively small for the size of their operation, allowing for approximately 3 tons of grain per batch, Thrall has three separate horizontal rotating drums for germination and kilning, where many malting companies would opt for a single tank. This allows Thrall to be able to provide a surprisingly broad portfolio of malts that other small malting operations cannot offer. The germination stage takes between 3-7 days, typically falling into the 5-6 day range. Longer germination leads to higher conversion, but lower starch levels. The control their system offers allows for precise temperature, moisture levels, and rotation to ensure they produce consistent, well-modified malts.

The kilning process is quick, relative to the other steps in the process. The same tanks used for germination are now heated by natural gas to kiln the grains into the malts that we use to produce beer. Time and temperature are key here, allowing Spencer to use the same grain to produce a variety of different finished malts. A malt like their pilsner malt (aptly named Pils Malt) will take more time – about 20 hours – due to its low kilning temperature, while their standard 2-row base malt will finish in 12-13 hours. The malt is then given a final, long, rotation in the drums, before being vacuumed out into large grain storage totes and bags. Once analysis has come back from the lab to ensure everything is within spec, the grain is portioned out into sacks for breweries and homebrewers to use.

The malting operation runs 24-7, and has been operating at full capacity for two years now. In addition to all the malted grain offerings, Thrall also offers flaked malts which are steamed, rolled, and then dried. As mentioned before, the variety of grains offered by Thrall are seemingly endless! From your standard barley malts, including a range of caramel malts and smoked malt, to cereal grains like wheat, rye, and oats, to more esoteric offerings like emmer and triticale, outside of true “roasted” malts (which Thrall does not currently offer), it is likely that this amazing local gem has exactly what you need to brew your next batch of beer.

So, if you’ve stuck around this long, you might be asking yourself the same question that Paul Hayslett asked at the end of the tour: “How does the freshness of your malt impact your beer?” Especially as we consider that grains imported from Europe could be months, if not a year+, old when we receive them as homebrewers, having a local options for fresh, high-quality malt could be a difference maker in the quality of the finished product. “Fresher is better,” offered Spencer, in response to the question posed, although even malt that is a year old (uncrushed) can produce a fine beer.

But now, it is time for the Underground Brewers to put this to the test. As many of us took part in the bulk grain purchase as part of this tour, we now have a wide range of freshly malted grains from which to make our next batches, and to share with one another to see just how locally grown and malted grains can impact our beers. If you’re up in the Windsor area, be sure to give Spencer a call to grab some grain, check out the facility, or even just to drop off a beer. The only thing better than the grain itself is the hospitality offered by Spencer and his crew up at Thrall Family Malt. I’m already looking forward to our next trip up!

May was an exciting month for the Underground Brewers! Pierre generously opened his house to us for our May meeting, where we gathered to judge and select our German Ales for the upcoming CT Club Competition. Food was plentiful, with amazing smoked sausages (which paired beautifully with the beers) and bruschetta.

Jim and Casey sampled the entries, selecting the three top beers in a Best of Show-style judging flight. In the end, Andy T.’s Berliner Weisse, Andy C.’s Weizenbock, and Matt’s Kolsch are moving on to the finals on June 8th at New England Brewing. Awards are being announced at noon – be there if you can. It would be amazing to see the Underground Brewers hold on to the championship trophy for another year!

A number of beers were opened and shared, though notes on many of those were missed as we talked and drank while our German Ales were being judged. After judging, the entries were then shared with all the meeting attendees, without revealing the three selections. Tasting notes are included below.

Plans were made for our visit to Thrall Family Malt (post coming on that soon!). Finally, we got to try the acetaldehyde off flavor, which is often associated with green apple and cut grass. Common sources include fermentation product, stalling or contamination. In this case, it was incredibly obvious, and was picked up by everyone in the aroma. When we diluted it further, the green apple popped out a bit more.

Tasting Notes:

• 10C Weizenbock (Andy C.) – Dark example. Very good. Hits on most style characteristics. Balanced. Lots of fruit. Yeast character (esters – banana) outweighs malt a little. 
• 23A Berliner Weisse (Andy C.) – some sulfur on the aroma, sharp sourness, but not aggressive or lingering. Aroma richer, fruitier, on this batch than the one below. 
  • 23A Berlineer Weisse (Andy C.) – 2nd can – different (keg conditioned – won gold at NEBCO)  – cleaner aroma. Very similar. Some still picking up sulfur on aroma.
• 10A Weissbier (Pierre) – banana runts on the nose. Carb is too low. Maybe a little funk? Meyer lemon pith. More carbonation would really help it. Slightly too hoppy on the finish. It would be a different beer with more bubbles.
• 10C Weizenbock (Steve V.) – hot on the nose. Too hoppy? Something lightly roasty… cocoa powder maybe? A little nutty. Maybe a ferm issue, low mash temp perhaps? Thin, finished really low. Perhaps as a Dunkleweizen would be better. 
• 23A Berliner Weisse (Andy T.) – lemony and floral. Super characterful aroma. Lemon is so fresh. Very tart across the palate. Has some brett character.
• 5B Kolsch (Matt J.) – grainy aroma, malt forward. Honey maltiness. Fresh malt, good body, finishes dry. Good carbonation. Good bitterness. Is it delicate enough?
• 10A Weissbier (Santi) – this is funky. Well conditioned. Lots of bubbles. Peppery, maybe some brett? In the aroma? All Banana… creamy and effervescent. 
• 5B Kolsch (Andy C.) – didn’t do well at Nebco. Too much flavor? We liked it a lot! 
• 6C Dunkles Bock (Jim L.) – really nice beer. Apparently “got killed” at NEBCO. Maybe some cinnamon, fruity. Strong bitterness.

Our April meeting brought us to the house of the always generous (with food, drinks, and knowledge) Andy Tipler, who organized a meeting around all things mead! The spread was incredible, including a ridiculous amount of fresh homemade bread, crackers, chips, cheese, sausage, etc. Totally over the top. Unfortunately, we are a bit out of practice and completely forgot to pass a hat to compensate. Sorry, Andy!

This meeting was a bit different than our typical format, with a tasting of commercial meads, homemade meads (tasting notes below), and a talk about mead (and honey varietal tasting!) from Marina Marchese, with a bit more sampling of homemade meads as the night concluded.

Commercial meads included some from Dragonfire (CT) and Dansk Mjod (Denmark). Some were nice. Some were surprisingly bad. A few were complete dumpers. Hard to believe that they are for sale in the marketplace. The Dragonfire mead was not bad, if a bit too sweet.

Marina shared some great information about honey with the club. Honey should be used as fresh as possible, as it loses volatile aromas quickly. Two years is really the limit! Crystalization of honey is okay, but only as long as it is homogeneous – if the crystalized honey separates into layers of liquid and crystals, you should discard it. Also, honey is hydroscopic, which means it will pull moisture in from the air. Another good reason to keep it tightly sealed and use fresh! Marina also shared that there is a lot of fake honey here – it’s good to buy from reputable sources. Did you know that Italy is the only country with a database of varietal honey characteristics? Most countries have no regulations regarding honey. A huge thanks to Marina for coming out and sharing her knowledge (and honey!) with the group! Tasting notes for the honey varieties are included below the tasting notes.

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate all things mead!

Tasting Notes

• Hydromel by Pierre; honey from Sean Darryl Harris (macadamia?); US-05; still and dry; a little oak. Lovely. Could be improved with some fizz.
• Hydromel by Paul B-S; macadamia honey from Sean; black tea for tannin; fizzy and dry. Somewhat bitter; clean; refreshing.
• Hydromel by Paul B-S; orange blossom honey (from Sean); fizzy and dry. Somewhat bitter; tastes of orange pith; plenty of tannin.
• Standard by Paul B-S; same orange blossom honey; oak for tannin; dry. Smooth; more body than hydromel. Made in June 2021.
• Hydromel by Paul B-S; coffee blossom honey (from Sean); fizzy and dry. More intense than expected for a dry hydromel; explosive carbonation; very drinkable.
• Standard by Paul B-S; same as last but standard strength; young. A little hot; intense aroma; ton of body; fermentation seems to have stopped early.
• Jamaican Sorrel by Andy T; ginger, orange zest, hibiscus, mulling spices, rum-soaked oak; started out at a pH below 2.0 – had to add bicarb before yeast would work. Heaven.
• Prickly pear and lime by Andy T; both juice and zest of lime; vitamin C as anti-oxidant; some tequila-soaked oak. A little hot; tastes of agave; fruit comes out more as it breathes.
• Meads from Superstition (AZ, brought by Jaxson) excellent across the board.
• Cyser by Paul H; Beardsley juice from 2022. Too tannic, almost astringent.
• 20 year old meads from Andy T. Medaled at most recent SNERHC.

Honey Tasting Notes

• Orange blossom: intensely floral.
• Eucalyptus: savory, meaty, salty, gamey.
• Basswood/linden: minty, limey.
• Heather: very dark, smoky, savory.
• Unknown (from student): grape or kudzu; whipped and creamy.
• Autumn olive: dirty water, urine?
• Buckwheat: almost black; cocoa and barnyard.
• Unknown (from Bulgaria): thick and pungent.

Our March meeting brought us down to Stamford for our first (but hopefully not last!) meeting at Hop and Vine. This was an incredible place to have a meeting, with a serve-your-own beer system affording us the opportunity to try tasters of many different beers and styles! The food was great, the meeting was well-attended, and the homebrews were, as always, delicious. This month’s theme was American Hoppy beers, and a few members brought along beers that aligned with the theme (tasting notes below). Tom C. brought along two beers more than 20 years old, both featuring cherries with different treatments. It was a real joy to get to try such unique and old beers!

We had the opportunity to try the beer Andy C. made in the Pinter unit we were sent… and unfortunately the contents just didn’t stand up to much scrutiny, with the primary notes being “thin, ashy, and tannic.” It was a fun experiment, and certainly something we were interested to try out… but I think the majority of our members will be sticking to our current setups. Again, a big thanks to to the folks at Pinter for sending us a unit to try out!

Coming up in just a few weeks is our next meeting at Andy T.’s house, this one focused on mead, with guest lecturer Marina Marchese generously joining to share some knowledge with the club. Hope to see you there!

Tasting Notes:

• Strong Bitter (11c) – Pierre: Grassy hops, asparagus, slightly fruity. Very rich malty nose. Slightly vegetal, corny, tannic, needs more caramel. 8/3/12/4/6 = 33
• American Pale Ale (18B) – Caysey: Floral, clean, fruit pith. American hops. Light nutty note, fruit esters, very refreshing, tannic finish. Good bubbles. All ingredients from SNERHC (Maris Otter + Cascade). 10/3/16/5/8 = 42
• Hazy IPA (21C) – Matt: “It’s got hops in it!” Tropical fruit, sweet aroma. Grassy, flowers. Bright, very bitter. Sweet malt. Too young? Astringent, hop burn. Not bad, will be good. Very very young – kegged 3 days earlier. 7/3/13/3/7 = 33
• American Amber (19A) – Dan: Fruity, green pepper, black better. Phenols, spicy. No caramel, little malt. Boozy. More malt in flavor. Perfume, soap. A little thin a tannic. 6/2/11/3/6 = 28
• Black IPA (21B) – Andy C.: Hop aroma hidden by malt. Clean, balanced. Very roasty, bitter. Harsh finish, but very drinkable. (scored a 32 at TRASH, a 40 and a silver medal at another comp!) 10/3/12/3/7 = 35
• Kriek [Raw Cherry] (23F) – Tom: Green olive, not much cherry. Red wine vinegar. Crystal clear. Acetic acid, yeast stress? Oxidization. No cherry really present. 6/3/10/3/5 = 25
• Kriek [Cooked Cherry] (23F) – Tom: Marzipan, doughy. Cherry, wood, celery. Lots of cherry in the finish. Tart. Much more enjoyable than the raw cherry version! 10/3/14/5/8 = 40
  

This month’s meeting was generously hosted by Spacecat Brewing in Norwalk. We had a great turnout and enjoyed some excellent beers on tap (as well as some great pizza). The night kicked off with our first off-flavor evaluation, as we dosed a beer with diacetyl, to try alongside an untainted sample. Great conversation was had about the different aromas and flavors we picked up, from a buttery aroma, to a more muted overall drinking experience, with lots of flavors dulled by the diacetyl. And, as with most things, everyone had a different sensitivity! A very cool experience that everyone seemed to enjoy. More of these to come at future meetings!

The folks at Pinter.com sent along a demo unit of their beer making kit that we showed off at the club meeting. Pinter is an extract all-in-one unit that you ferment, naturally carbonate, and serve in the single unit. Kits come with liquid extract, yeast, and liquid hops that are designed to be added without oxygen ingress. We are clearly not the target audience for this, but it does represent a well thought out way to introduce new people into the hobby. We voted on trying out the Porter recipe and will judge the resulting beer next month at Hop and Vine in Stamford.

The theme of this meeting was sour beers, and we had two homebrews brought along for evaluation. Pierre brought a wonderful lambic and talked through his process, and how long it takes to make a traditional sour in comparison to the more common kettle sours we often see produced today. I brought a fruited sour featuring cherries, vanilla, and cinnamon – more on these beers (and the lone other entry!) below.

A big thanks to Spacecat for hosting! See you all next month at Hop and Vine – the theme is American Hoppy Beers, so bring along your homebrew to share!

Tasting Notes:

• Lambic (23D) – Pierre: Clove, floral, funkiness in aroma. Bitterness a little high for flavor. Very sessionable. 10/3/15/4/8 = 40
• Fruited Sour (29B – base: 28B) – Matt: Cherries and cinnamon. A little solvent on the aroma. Complex. Assertive adjuncts. A little acetic acid, but not too much. 8/3/14/4/8 = 37
• Czech Dark Lager (3D) – Santi: Not a complex aroma, light esters. Could be richer. Toasted bread, light chocolate, very light astringency. Light body. 8/2/14/3/7 = 35

One of our favorite prizes at SNERHC this year was the chance for a member of a CT-based homebrew club to brew their recipe at Reverie Brewing in Newtown.

Caysey Welton, of the Underground Brewers, won the prize with his Biere de Garde. He and Andy Cox joined Frank Lockwood at Reverie last month to brew a full batch on their system. Cans have been available in stores for a couple of weeks, but the official release was this past Sunday.

Well over a dozen club members, plus dogs, joined us to toast Caysey, thank Frank, and purchase 4-packs to take home. The beer was delicious (and, at 7.5%abv, potent) and most of us intend to stash a few to see how it ages.

Huge thanks again to Frank and Reverie from all of us at SNERHC and the UBC! And congrats to Caysey on his well-deserved win!