In a nutshell what is Voodoo Ranger IPA? ……….. Origin: 2017 as Voodoo Ranger IPA and Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA. Since then it has grown to about 20 variations in the theme in the Voodoo Ranger series. You can even buy all things “Voodoo from the Vootique. Official gear of epic beer. https://www.vootique.com/……….. My order is in and it will be epic!
Today is a hot and “sweltery” (New word that I will submit to the “Funkin’ Wagnels” 2023 updated edition) and humid Houston, TX day. Insert smiley face here ……….. yes, an attempt at humor, laughter of course is your choice. I am a beekeeper, so some of my sweat today is related to honey stuff, condensing partial 5 gallon honey buckets into 1/2 gallon jars and cleaning sticky equipment.
Yum!!!!!!
To ease the pain of the heat and effort, I made an attempt to rehydrate.I enjoyed a really juicy Voodoo Ranger Juice Force IPA……Gotta say it helped but oh my, starting off with a 9.5% beer for the day may not always be a wise choice. It does bring a smile or as my wife describes it, a goofy grin.
Seriously Juicy and very refreshing……
Had to have another but Voodoo Ranger was no longer on my shelf so I went local…..Galveston Island Brewing……Citra Mellow and yes I was…… great day got a lot down and the shower will feel really good.!
Even though it has been ages since my last post I want to make sure the record is is still clear, I love Beer….Maybe I should say like rather than love……and thanks to Tom T. Hall I have an anthem that I could sing….if of course I could sing……Here it is and next time, if ever I sing Karaoke I can request it!!!!!!!
I would make a substitution for the word song or songs and replace it with blog or blogs…..wonder if the flow would go well, Hmmmmmmmmm
In some of my songs I have casually mentioned The fact that I like to drink beer This little song is more to the point Roll out the barrel and lend me your ears
I like beer, it makes me a jolly good fellow I like beer, it helps me unwind and sometimes it makes me feel mellow (Makes him feel mellow) Whiskey’s too rough, Champagne costs too much, vodka puts my mouth in gear This little refrain should help me explain as a matter of fact I like beer (He likes beer)
My wife often frowns when we’re out on the town And I’m wearing a suit and a tie She’s sipping vermouth and she thinks I’m uncouth When I yell as the waiter goes by
I like beer, it makes me a jolly good fellow I like beer, it helps me unwind and sometimes it makes me feel mellow (Makes him feel mellow) Whiskey’s too rough, Champagne costs too much, vodka puts my mouth in gear This little refrain should help me explain as a matter of fact I like beer (He likes beer)
Last night I dreamed that I passed from the scene And I went to a place so sublime Aw, the water was clear and tasted like beer Then they turned it all into wine (Awww)
I like beer, it makes me a jolly good fellow I like beer, it helps me unwind and sometimes it makes me feel mellow (Makes him feel mellow) Whiskey’s too rough, Champagne costs too much, vodka puts my mouth in gear This little refrain should help me explain as a matter of fact I like beer (He likes beer)
I may get frisky one of these days, with the help of a few beers and record my rendition>>>>>>
I will add some sad news, my local beer supplier succumbed to the challenging business environment post Covid and closed the doors, The business owner, Preston Brown was a walking and talking encyclopedia of all things beer. Well, actually more than that, he knew, Kombucha, cheese making, wine making, equipment, hops, yeast and everything in between…….. and of course everything brewed. Probably the most helpful shop owner of any business I have ever entered. He was a mentor and freely gave gave lessons on the fly. I wish him well in his new direction, whatever it may be and I know full well he will be an asset to wherever he lands.
I lament the loss of The Grain Cellar …….. I wish the very best for you Preston and your wife. May God Bless you both.
Let’s start with Great Change Brewery in Bakersfield, California. My wife Kathy had arrived in Bakersfield a few days earlier to care for her mother. The evening of the 14th of November we met up with an old friend and his wife at the brewery. Kathy and I had arrived a bit early so I started on a flight and Kathy had a pint of Poncherello Pale Ale.
The Idaho Fresh Squeeze IPA was up first. Day Ride – a nice 7% American IPA with cascade and Simcoe hops…. I really enjoyed it. The Spotted Pony Session IPA was easy drinking at 5%. The Yo Mr. White is a double IPA that is smooooth. The malt bill is like a Belgian Wit beer and nicely hopped with Amarillo, Idaho 7 and Simcoe.
Sassy Red Ale, 5.2% ABV – not overly hoppy but very nice.
This is a post that got lost in the editing process. Several of the beers I had that night are not in production now but looking through the current list of beer available it seems to be very well rounded.
I began brewing beer with a few neighborhood buddies around 1991 in Bakersfield California……and we are still friends! LOL Along the way we have learned a few lessons, the first was to not boil the wort in the kitchen……when the wife is home! That actually took several lessons, not necessarily very painful but she does have leverage!
My current brewing adventure is a Bell’ s Two Hearted clone recipe. I will have to admit that every step in the process I have been pleased with flavor and color. The words of A Beer Connoisseur describing the breweries offering of the Bell’s Two Hearted Ale- “ A fairly clear orange-amber beer with a low white head offers a very complex aroma that speaks of American hop varieties – floral, citrus, pine and a little orange. Gradually, some caramel notes appear. “ Those would have been my words exactly during the process.
My hen scratch but it came out wonderfully so far! Bought and suppled from The Grain Cellar in Humble, TX
I mentioned earlier that I was a brave man. Bravery. Hmmm, what is it? Courage is a word that usually comes to mind!
“ Courage is not the absence of fear. Courageous people do feel fear, but they are able to manage and overcome their fear so that it does not stop them taking action. They often use the fear to ensure that they are not overly confident and that they take the appropriate actions. “ https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/courage.html
So how does apply to me, today? Well…… today is November 25th, 2021, Thanksgiving Day in the US. It is a very busy day in the kitchen and it also the day I chose to keg my Two Hearted clone on and around the same kitchen space being used to prepare our Thanksgiving Feast. Now, I am not completely stupid so I started early, while smoking the turkey and drinking a beer……yes it was 5 O’clock somewhere. I strove to overcome my fear……fortified with an adult beverage, maybe a couple!
At the kitchen counter and bravely going into the breach!Siphoning the finished beer of into the keg below I tilt the carboy to try and get the most liquid beer and not siphon up the yeast sediment I am wise enough and know well enough to not anger my wife…..and to been with me for nearly 40 years she must be fairly tolerant…or has given up on the minor skirmishes but will still prevail in the major battles. Please note towel on the floor just in case!!!!!!!!…LOLKegged and force carbonating the beer. First official taste test was yesterday, November 30th and the thumbs were definitely strong up for this beer. I actually opened a can of Bell’s Two Hearted beer form the brewery and the tasters agreed that mine was actually more to their liking. Now that may mean I failed in brewing a clone or wildly succeeded in brewing a very good beer. Just a bit more than a thin white head….but a lovely head and full of great aromaIt went down so easy that it just begged for a refill……and I didn’t argue.
It was a bit of a surprise when I learned that earlier in the month, Mr. Bell sold the brewery. I some respects i admire and respect Larry Bell’s journey to create and build an iconic brewery. I love his beers. I am including a link to article describing the sale. He did not sell out to and Anheuser-Busch type…..and the great beers brewed by Larry Bell will still be true to his craft.
I want to report out on the 2020 best beers according to Zymurgy magazine. Not familiar with Zymurgy? Zymurgy is the publication of the American Homebrewers Association. The 20 best beers are the opinions of American Hombrewers Association, AHA, members and may not reflect the opinions of drinkers of swill. Swill may be a harsh term but there really is a flavor, aroma, mouthfeel and quality difference for the beers in this list.
I am pleased to report that a handful of my go to beers, including 3 at the top of my list are in the top twenty.
Number 1…. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, from Bell’s Brewery in Comstock, MI. I was introduced to this beer on one of my many work trips to North Dakota and it is now being distributed in Texas…..yes, it is in my fridge. Two Hearted is brewed year round.
Number 2….. Pliny the Elder, from Russian River Brewing Co. It is a double IPA coming in at 8% but….. drinks very smooth with an incredible mix of aromas and broad but smooth bitterness. I have only been able to have this beer on three occasions and can probably give you date, time and location when I was able to enjoy this beer! It really is that good. Drawback, very hard to find……gotta know somebody! Available year round but…..only in limited quantities.
Number 3…… Pale Ale by Sierra Nevada. This was probably my first exposure to real beer nudging me away from my usual swill….the beer came out in 1980, it probably was late 1980’s before I was treated to the wonderful, bottle conditioned ale featuring, new at the time, Cascade hops. Confession, I did experiment with non swill in the late 70’s, Anchor Steam beer after it was reintroduced in 1971.
Number 4……..Heady Topper by the Alchemist in Stowe, VT. This beer has not blessed my lips, but…….I am on the hunt now. This is a double IPA and according to the recommendation printed on the can…..it is best consumed from the can. According to the review in Zymurgy that is to “allow your senses to enjoy the maximum hop experience.”
Number 5……. Hopslam Ale from Bell’s Brewery….. my go to Double IPA. It is best consumed fresh……..but I have hoarded it far into the year, hidden away from the local beer gnomes that raid my stash. Very high on my list. Mark your calendar, this beer is distributed in January and February……then the dearth sets in. Dearth, a beekeepers term when nectar is not available for the bees and also appropriate for this nectar of the gods hoppy beer. At 8% it will help make you toasty….nice!
Number 6 …….. Zombie Dust by Three Floyd’s Brewing Company, Munster, IN. Three Floyd’s describes it as “intensely hopped”. That description places it on my list of beers to hunt down. The Zymurgy review calls it “Insanely drinkable”….. sounds like a gotta have beer. Only 6.2%…..yum.
Number T 7……. Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale, by Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, MO. Very nice beer coming in at 8% …..very good hoppy aroma and and hop flavors. I have been able to track this one down, although not in my top list I would never turn it down.
Number 7 T……. Kentucky Breakfast Stout, barrel aged, by Founders Brewing, Grand Rapids, MI. It is a strong Imperial Stout that I find Rivals my favorite Imperial Stout, the barrel aged Parabola from Firestone Walker. It is 12.3 % and best shared in 4-5 ounce glasses with good friends. Complex flavors and aromas and really warms going down. Patting myself on the back, my home brewed Imperial Stout, also aged on toasted and bourbon soaked oak, is on par with this beer.
Number 9………Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR. This is a beer that almost always graces my fridge. Two of favorite hops are used for this beer, Citra and Mosaic, both during the boil and during fermentation. It is a very fresh and clean drinking beer.
Number 10…….Old Rasputin, North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg, CA. I have had an opportunity to sample this beer and it is treat for the palate with wide variety of flavors and complex set of pleasant aromas. At 9% ABV it will warm you up nicely.
The remainder of the top twenty; Treehouse Julius, sounds delicious, Founders All Day IPA …..a go to session ale loved by me and my beer drinking partner, Focal Banger by Alchemist….I know nothing of this beer but need to hunt it down, Jai Lai by Cigar City….I have had it a couple of times and it is a very pleasant beer, Celebration Ale by Sierra Nevada…..damn good beer, I really like it! Pseudo Sue by Toppling Goliath, the reviewers were very complimentary of this beer – yep another one to chase down, White by Allagash Brewing, apparently a real nice example of the classic Wit Bier style, Sip of Sunshine by Lawson’s Finest Liquids, this is a NEIPA this is an 8% beer, Odell IPA, , been there, done that beer many times and bought the shirt, the Odell IPA knocked my socks off the first time I tried it! Very yummy! Hazy Little Thing by Sierra Nevada Brewing……I love this beer, great aromas and flavors…yum
On hand as of yesterday. My beer order was off a little as I was not specific enough. I am still on my walker due to hip replacement. The Double Bell’s Two Hearted is a nice sub as is the Odell Mountain Standard IPA! A look into my patio beer fridge. Home brews in bottle include Mosaic SMaSH IPA, Honey Blonde with my Honey and a real nice Wit Bier for my wife. Don’t believe the tap handles….. I have my Juicy/Hazy IPA on one, my West Coast IPA on another and Scrimshaw Pils on another. Waiting to brew again for the number 4 tap.
I have a couple of new brews to share and a kegerator build to share.
No, it is not a Shiner Juicy IPA. It is my first one that I have ever brewed, my first to grace my new kegerator and…. it is pretty damned good.
Since the Wit Bier i wrote about last, I have brewed and bottled a Honey Blonde Ale using honey from one of my apiary locations. Next up was a deviation from anything I have brewed in the past, it was a New England style hazy and juicy IPA. I didn’t bottle it but it is the first beer into my new kegerator…..see photo above.
The Wit Bier was a success but, ……… the choice of Citrus zest was not as good as the prior batch, at least according to my wife. Others tasting the current batch give it high marks but don’t have the reference point of the prior batch.
What made the prior batch special? The zest for the Wit Bier makes a bigger impact than I would have expected. I used a store bought grapefruit as well as a store bought Blood Orange. The lemon was a homegrown Meyer Lemon, sweet and very aromatic. At my wife’s request no coriander is ever used in my Wit Biers due to her dislike of it from my very first batch. The current batch was brewed with all store bought citrus. The brew store Guru, Preston Brown, down at “The Grain Cellar” in Humble, TX, has suggested using all blood orange in the future. Interestingly, if it is not in the stores it can be brewed with blood orange purée. I may have to research this approach.
Let me turn my attention to the kegerator. I toyed with the idea of using a chest freezer but finally settled on in upright refrigerator with the freezer on top. I brainstormed a little with myself, small storm and no sparks, and decided that top freezer portion could be used as a chalkboard as well as a magnet surface. I used chalk paint and framed it as if it were a real chalkboard. The space will be used to note which beer is on each of the 4 taps.
Chalkboard painted surface surrounded by 1X4 cedar boards. Should be more than adequate space.
The interior of the bottom portion will easily hold 4 Cornelius kegs as well as one or two commercial style 5 or 7.5 gallon kegs along with the Cornelius kegs. One concern is tap handle clearance for opening the freezer where frosty mugs will be located. I measured concern and maybe twice…… I decided to run a horizontal center line on the third 1X4 below the freezer.
The lucky mistake…..I sat down, drew the lines and drill hole locations and drilled the fourth board down, not the third. Crap! If I had drilled the third board down I would have intersected a molded obstruction not allowing me to properly secure the taps! That molded strip would have caused an epic fail! It was a very lucky accident. Four Cornelius kegs easily fir with plenty of clearance. Now…. to brew and keg!
First up was the aforementioned New England Style IPA. Lots of hops, very little up front for bittering, a good dose at flame out, another good dose steeped after the boil and three rounds of dry hopping. I have learned the this dry hopping schedule give the beer it’s haze and the citrusy hops provide the “juicy” part of the flavor profile.
Scientifically speaking, “haze is a combination of polyphenol and protein molecules that associate via hydrogen bonding and become visible,” explains John Palmer, author of How to Brew. Suspended yeast, which is different than protein-polyphenol haze, also causes cloudiness. There are some banter back and forth on this style, but to me it comes down to you and your preferences. Me, I can drink almost any and every style…….except for Sours……not for me!
First pour off the kegerator, the Hazy Juicy IPA……..not the Shiner version…..I just happened to score the tap handle, actually a box of various ones, from my Denver based daughter. (Repeat of top photo)A toast to Texas and a hazy IPA.
In the fermenter now is a West Coast style IPA. “West Coast IPA — West Coast IPAs are known for the huge hop aroma bursting with notes of citrus and tropical fruits. Their malt character is understated, and they finish dry to let the layered hop flavors and aromas take center stage.” By JOHN VERIVE, Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2014.
This brew will be heavily dry hopped and should mirror the description from the Times article. Chinook for bittering, then good doses of Citra, Simcoe and Amarillo hops for very late addition, steeping and dry hopping. Should be kegging it in about 12 days!
I am brewing beer for my wife again. The time has come and the last two bottles of the Wit Bier that I brewed for her are chilled and begging to be consumed. It is an all grain recipe with one key difference from a standard Wit Bier, she doesn’t like the flavor of the coriander seeds in most Wit Biers. The flavorings are just confined to the zests of grapefruit, lemon and an orange. Potential variations suggested for a future match will be to use the zest of 6 blood oranges. They are a seasonal thing…..usually early winter into spring.
I have the 5.5 gallon batch in the primary fermenter and it is bubbling away nicely. It was brewed a couple of days ago in conjunction with extracting 65 pounds of honey…..yep, honey. Once the honey was in the bucket the prep work started for the beer….clean the equipment and have everything laid out and ready.
Actively bubbling away and smells delicious.
Today, I am taking the grains and making a spent grain loaf of sourdough bread. I will freeze a bunch and take the remaining grains over to my apiary location where the property owner has chickens. When they see me coming they come running to greet me.
I have 5 apiary locations all within about 20 miles of each and the variation in color and flavor is significant. One location has a darker color and according to my wife, a sweeter flavor. In the planning process is a honey blonde ale……the question is, which honey to use???
This is a 3 bottle representation of the variation in color, less obvious is the flavor differences. I call it “hyper local” because I bottle by the zip code of the apiary location.
While writing this post my ADHD kicked in and I had to check out honey blonde ale recipes. The honey is a fermentable sugar and actually ferments out without leaving honey notes. Using honey in the wort would also drive off the aroma of the honey……that said, I found a recipe where the honey is added after primary fermentation has slowed. The brewers follow up notes on tasting the beer were pretty positive, not much in the way of honey aroma in the beer but it did come through while drinking the beer. The brewer also suggested some hopping variations……it is now on my list. I will keep y’all posted on the progress.
I have started a dialog with the owner of my brewing supply store. Heis the guy who convinced me to make a “bochet” with a 6 pound jar of honey that I warmed up a bit too much. Fortunately it caramelized rather than scorched. From 1393 – an archaic and delightful description of my intended effort.
“BOUCHET. To make six sesters of bouchet, take six pints of fine sweet honey, and put it in a cauldron on the fire and boil it, and stir continually until it starts to grow, and you see that it is producing bubbles like small globules which burst, and as they burst emit a little smoke which is sort of dark: and then stir, and then add seven sixths of water and boil until it reduces to six sixths again, and keep stirring. And then put it in a tub to cool until it is just warm; and then strain it through a cloth bag, and then put it in a cask and add one chopine (half-litre) of beer-yeast, for it is this which makes it the most piquant, (and if you use bread yeast, however much you like the taste, the colour will be insipid), and cover it well and warmly to work. And if you want to make it very good, add an ounce of ginger, long pepper, grains of Paradise and cloves in equal amounts, except for the cloves of which there should be less, and put them in a cloth bag and throw in. And after two or three days, if the bouchet smells spicy enough and is strong enough, take out the spice-bag and squeeze it and put it in the next barrel you make. And thus you will be able to use these same spices three or four times.” -Le Menagier de Paris, France, 1393”
First taste report gave it rave reviews. Complex, hint of spice and caramelization!
Sunday afternoon and I am enjoying a warm slice of bread made with the spent grains from the SMaSH IPA, I brewed during a nice thunderstorm late Friday afternoon. The beer is destined to be good! Why? The grains were in the mash tun and there was a big flash and a powerful boom from very nearby lightning. Almost immediately AC/DC came up on my playlist…………and yes, it was Thunderstruck! A very good omen.
The recipe for this beer is well known to me, I have it three prior times. Simple all grain recipe, 12 pounds of Marris Otter malt and 6 ounces of Mosaic hops. One ounce at the start of the 60 minute boil, 1.5 ounces at 10 minutes and another 1.5 ounces at flame out. Two ounces are reserved for dry hopping. WLP 1051 yeast and it is off and running. I ran it through Beer Smith and used a single infusion with two step sparge I also hate to throw spent grains away so all 12 pounds will be used. I have composted them in the past but I think they have more value.
I hauled a gallon bucket of spent grains over to one of my nearby apiaries that has chickens on the property……the chickens seem to recognize me or maybe it’s the gallon bucket full of grains, regardless, they come running for the sweet treat. I bagged 4 bundles of grain, again about a gallon each and placed them in the freezer…….future treats for the chickens. I kept about 2 quarts to partially dry and make ready for use in bread making.
I have been diligently making sourdough during our social distancing exercise and I am getting pretty good at it. Yes, I am patting myself on the back. I searched the web for a simple and straightforward sourdough recipe utilizing the spent grains………. I’m a simple guy and I got lucky – finding a simple recipe within my skill set! See below.
1 cup sourdough starter 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour – I used 3 and it was just enough. 1 cup spent grain, still a bit wet 2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 – 2 cups water – varies depending on how wet the spent grains are.
Combine the starter, 3 cups of the flour and enough water to allow the dough to just come together, in shaggy strands(I didn’t know what that meant so I googled for images). Knead about 5-6 minutes( I used dough hook) and let rest in a bowl, covered with a towel. Keep in a warm place and let sit for 1 hour. Fold in the mash with your hands and dust on the remaining flour as you combine it to help keep dough from being too sticky( I used my stand mixer and a dough hook). Form dough into a long, oblong loaf (or put it in a prepared loaf pan, I had a 5X9 loaf pan, sprayed a little Pam on the sides and coated the top of the dough with flour. I did a couple rounds of stretch and fold like do with my regular sourdough prior to the final rise. Let sit in a warm place covered with a towel for an 1 hour or so. Score deeply before placing the oven.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. I used a big pizza stone that was also preheated. Bake for about 20 minutes, monitor, I used a thermometer to chick internal temperature. It took an additional 10 minutes to reach 200 F. Remove and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes before eating. My wife didn’t want to wait…… I held my ground and gave her the first warm slice with butter. She forgave me!
During one of the several stretch and folds. Doesn’t that look good? Very nice crust, very nice crumb ….. wife loved the crust and the nice soft texture inside.
Yes, there really is such a thing. I decided to look into it and I think the event is a great way for “we” beer drinkers to help inject some $$$$ into breweries and associated businesses that may be having a tough time during this Covid-19 pandemic. There is a button to Commit to Give Craft Beer…..to go beers where available, gift cards, delivery or merchandise. https://www.craftbeer.com/news/american-craft-beer-week. Check out the link and be generous if you can!
Commit to Give
American Craft Beer Week (May 11-17) is the annual nationwide celebration of small and independent U.S. craft breweries. Join the celebration and support independent brewery businesses by giving the gift of craft beer through delivery of beer, beer-to-go, gift cards or merchandise. Use our nationwide list of to-go beer options by breweries to find craft breweries that are offering to-go or delivery options near you
I hope by copying and pasting I am not committing a faux pas. Prior to this craft beer week I have been filling at least a 64 oz. growler once a week or more in addition to purchasing a gift certificate from my nearby taproom…….something I encourage all y’all to do!
Shout out to my two local taprooms, The Cove on Hamblen in Forest Cove, TX and The Hop Stop in Humble, TX…..FYI the H is silent in Humble!
Being a Texas transplant, arrived in 1996 and wish I hadn’t waited that long, I have become a fan of Beaver Nuggets. I have also become a fan of Buc-ee’s……cleanest restrooms that you could possibly imagine, not that I am that picky…….but my wife certainly is. “ Happy wife – Happy Life”….. wisdom and truth in one phrase!
Ok, so why Beaver Nuggets in a beer blog? Panther Island Brewing in Fort Worth has a beer aptly named, “ Road Trip Snacks” made with Beaver Nuggets! I don’t suggest you drink and drive but I do recommend driving and snacking on Beaver Nuggets and once you arrive……drink some – “ Road Trip Snacks”!
I need to give credit and a shout out to a blog called “ The Beer Thrillers”. “Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers.” Enough of the use of quotation marks….. they might make English majors giddy but I am over with them, until of course the voices in my head tell me to use them! https://thebeerthrillers.home.blog/2020/05/08/beer-review-road-trip-snacks-panther-island-brewing/
What’s next on my Brew list you might ask? My SMaSH IPA made with 12 pounds of Marris Otter malt and 6 ounces of Mosaic hops, 5 gallon batch and generously dry hopped. I just need to check with Preston down at the “Grain Cellar” ding, ding, ding……..just had to use them again, to see if his Friday delivery included Mosaic hops.
Thanks The Beer Thrillers for the fun read……buy some damn Beaver Nuggets and satisfy your curiosity…..finger lickin’ good.
Bishop's Beer Blog 