On Tuesday Texas lawmakers put up a group of bills, on half of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, that aim to change these laws, which would allow  Texas breweries to be more competitive:

• On-site sales : Production breweries such as Ranger Creek, Branchline and Guadalupe would be allowed up to 5,000 bbls each year for on-site sales, although this would be in the form of pints or flights. Growler fills and bottle sales would still be prohibited.
• Off-site sales: Brewpubs such as Freetail, The Granary and Blue Star would be allowed to self-distribute up to 1,000 bbls each year for off-site sales. Exceed that and brewpubs would need help from distributors for anything up to 12,500 bbls. That 12,500 would be a hard cap though and could still limit brewpub growth.
• Distribution: For purposes of self-distribution, breweries producing up to 125,000 bbls each year would be allowed to self-distribute up to 40,000 bbls per year.

These Senate Bills 515, 516, 517 and 518 go along way to change the current landscape, but are they enough? Knowing that this is still an uphill battle in Texas, it seems that a softer approach was taken this session. That may be the smart play this go around, considering the opposition in 2011 from the distributors lobby, but as with the recent suit brought against the TABC (Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission) by Jester King in Austin, perhaps a strong message needs to be sent. One that shows we’re not backing down from the overall battle.

I would not be surprised if  within the next few months these bills are either amended, or additional bills are introduced that would address on-site sales for consumption outside the brewery. With laws still on the books that restrict the import of international beers, consumption at beer festivals, as well as issues of certain adjectives on labels used to describe beer, we clearly have more work to do in the coming years.

This is a great start to the year and it’s exciting to be apart the change that will eventually come.

Such is the case with soon to be open Branchline Brewing Company (Formerly known as Old Boxcar Brewing Company or OBBC) in San Antonio, Texas. The San Antonio based microbrewery was set to open its doors next month as Old Boxcar Brewing Company. Before they had a chance to brew batch number one on their newly installed system, Pennsylvania based Boxcar Brewing Company served OBBC with a cease and desist order. The order stated that Old Boxcar’s name was too close to Boxcar Brewing and would confuse consumers. They requested the name be changed . Bear in mind, Box Car Brewing Company is comparable in size to Branchline, is in a state on the East Coast and their product isn’t distributed in Texas. Nonetheless, Boxcar Brewing Company (who have been in business two years) felt that OBBC was infringing on their trademark.

Branchline founder Jason Ard advised that he made attempts to discuss the issue with the folks at Boxcar Brewing, but to no avail. After lengthy discussions with their attorney, it was decided that the likelihood a victory in court was slim. Reluctantly, OBBC began to mull a new name, one that would still reflect their personality.

Boxcar Brewing Company meant a lot to Ard. He grew up listening to the sounds of boxcars and train whistles from the two branch lines running by his grandfathers farm and thought it only appropriate to pay tribute to his grandfather. Coming up with another name that fit the bill wasn’t going to be easy, but Ard settled on Branchline Brewing Company, adding that the new name “holds a lot of meaning in what we are trying to do with our beer, branching out of our three main styles to create some pretty amazing beers. It also still stays in tune with our history and story of how we came to starting this brewery.”

Ard announced the change last month on the brewery’s Facebook page and that the change would be immediate.  The changes to the website will take a little longer though and likely won’t be up and running until after the brewery opens. “Fortunately we’re only going to be out approximately $3,000 and we can recover from this mishap.” and advised the best way folks can support them is by participating in the brewery’s Kickstarter campaign. Kickstarter campaigns have become popular recently, with several new breweries participating. These campaigns aren’t meant to fund the breweries completely, but are often used to help fund special projects, such as expansions. More information can be seen on their Kickstarter page.

It saddens me to see anything like this, especially in the craft beer community, a community known for its laid-back approach and cooperation amongst breweries. After all, we’re in this together. Even though craft beer has made significant strides in the last few years, especially in Texas, the overall percentage of independent craft breweries is around 6% when compared to the combined 94% from Miller/Coors, Anheuser-Bush InBev and others.

Photo courtesy of Branchline Brewing Co

We’re supposed to be building up support for small, independent brewers of artisan beers, not trying to tear each other down. That’s what the big guys do. There are more than enough people out there to consume far more than the beer being produced now. There is so much creativity out there for all to share, that there’s no reason for any of this. Sure the names Old Boxcar Brewing Company and Boxcar Brewing Company are close, but using this logic, any business with boxcar in its name could sue both breweries for use of the name. Where does it end? Legal action between breweries will likely continue as craft breweries seek to expand.

That being said, I can understand the other side of the equation. I spoke recently with Jaime Robinson from Boxcar Brewing in Pennsylvania. Robinson advised that Boxcar Brewing has been incorporated for 5 years, and open for business the last 3 years. They have a similar font and railroad theme. Co-founder Jason Kosher’s family has been apart of Pennsylvania railroad history. The similarities are there. Robinson explained that they “have current expansion plans into other markets, with California and other states coming online soon’” and went on to say that “Texas is a logical step for us and we have concerns about the confusion it would cause with two similarly named breweries selling in Texas.” Robinson also said that they didn’t wish to file the cease and desist order, but felt it was the only option when OBBC, now Branchline, was reluctant to make a name change. “We wish them a lot of success with their product and would even be willing to offer them advice and assistance as they get started” said Robinson.

Unfortunately, this has happened in a multitude of other instances in the craft beer industry and it’s likely not to end. Arizona based brewpub SanTan Brewing received a cease and desist from craft beer giant Boston Beer Co, makers of Sam Adams, over the shape of their pint glasses, alleging that SanTan’s glass was too similar to the now distinct Sam Adams glass and folks would get confused. San Tan lost this fight, not having the resources to fight the potential suit. Last December, they introduced their new hand blown glass design. San Diego area brewery Lost Abbey filed a cease and desist not long ago against Northern California based Moylan’s Brewing for their use of a Celtic cross tap handle. Moylan’s had been in business longer and the handles aren’t quite the same. Needless to say, both breweries have retained their respective tap handles.

There are many more examples that are too numerous to put in one article, but the moral of the story is this: starting a new brewery, or any business for that matter, takes just as much research into the industry as it does capital and a good product. Every business owner needs to research, research and research to make sure that every part of their business doesn’t conflict with another established business in their industry. That being said, despite the legal action that is present in he industry there is much more collaboration than there is litigation from craft breweries (I hope our friends at Avery Brewing and Russian River don’t mind me borrowing that tag line).

The image of most American craft breweries is often perceived to be that of laid back, long-haired brewers with beards who are not afraid to brew what they want, styles be damned. While that image is not far off the mark in many cases, each brewery has its own unique personality that reflects all the individual personalies that make up the brewery. I had the opportunity to listen to several great representatives of the craft brewing community on this subject last month at the Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego, Ca.

In a seminar on craft beer marketing, New Belgium Brewing Co CFO, Kim Jordan, said that the ‘effort you put into your brand shows the care you place into your product.’ For craft breweries, Jordan said ‘brands should be seen as stories. Lose your story and you lose your soul.’

Wynkoop Brewing Co’s resident evangelist and beer bard, Marty Jones says ‘Beer of the past lacked soul. Craft beer comes along and it’s the Sex Pistols and the Ramon’s all rolled into one. It will offend people. We’re not afraid to shake things up’.

Jones is one-third of the group, The Gourdians, The craft beer rock group dedicated to helping craft brewers to “reach out and boldly market where no brewers have gone before”. Jones is joined by Stone  Brewing Co CEO and co-founder Greg Koch, and Elsian Brewing‘s Dave Buhler who all got up to discuss marketing your brewery without compromise. The group surprised the audience of brewers, media and distributors by playing their rendition of Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ entitled ‘Enter Beerman’ and joined by guest guitarist Kerri Kelli, lead guitarist for Alice Cooper.

Buhler and Koch discussed having a Willie Nelson approach to marketing a brewery. There’s nothing wrong with self-promotion, they advised, pointing out that Willie Nelson often wore his own t-shits. They went on to say that however, that ‘to be Willie Nelson every day, you have to look into yourself.’ Going back to a breweries brand being tied to their story, this is an important point I think. As Buhler points out, craft breweries are also in the entertainment business to an extent, but if your brand doesn’t reflect who you are, your customers will notice and your bottom line will to.

To this point Elysian Brewing looked into itself and came to the realization that their original approach to marketing, to include their labeling, no longer reflected who they’d become. Realizing that local is the biggest thing going, Buhler advised they had to reinvent themselves. They spent time coming up with new label designs that more reflected the breweries attitude and the beers the were brewing. Focus was also put on events. Not to fear Buhler says, they’re not afraid to upset people if need be.

Jones advised that Wynkoop too had issues with their brand. Newer generations were not wanting to drink the same beer their fathers had. They had to look at keeping themselves relevant. With a new brewer, a new approach to packaging their beers, and new types of promotions, Wynkoop has been able to keep the customers coming in.

Koch advised too, that it’s important to hire only those who are really into what you do and to make sure you hire folks who are passionate about beer, or it won’t work. Koch went on to say that a brewery must do what it believes in, to do what it wishes to and not worry about what others think. In fact, he posed the question ‘what if you only made beers you were proud of?’ Jones added saying to this ‘Sometimes one of the best things you can do is upset your customers. Have the guts to do what you want to do. You’ll lose some customers, but gain more.’

The lesson learned from all of this is that to be successful, you must remember a few things. Know who you are as a brewery; have a clear vision of what you hope to accomplish, be flexible throughout the life of your brewery, and never compromise who you are. To slip on any of these is to put in jeopardy the success of your brewery.

Photo credit: Brewers Association

This year saw the most entries in each category, with approximately 3,921 beers entered in 95 style categories. According to the Brewers Association, this was a 17.7 percent increase over 2010.

World Beer Cup boasts the most judges of any competition (211 brewers from 27 countries, with around 67% outside the U.S.) in the world and handed out a total of 284 awards this year. It is an honor indeed to get an award from the World Beer Cup, when you consider it is an international competition and those judging were professional brewers and industry professionals, bringing a wealth of experience and professionalism to the event. Many brewers proudly display their World Beer Cup award(s) at their brewery.

The Brewers Association saw an increase in the number of entries per category, stating this year “the average number of beers entered per category was 41. The category with the most entries was American-Style India Pale Ale, with 150 entries. The second most-entered category was Imperial India Pale Ale, with 93 entries. The German-Style Sour Ale category had the fewest number of entries at 11.” They go on to say that “The 2012 World Beer Cup saw substantial growth of entries in the American-Style India Pale Ale category. Category entries grew 41.5 percent over 2010 to make it the largest category of the 2012 competition.”

Photo Credit: Brewers Association

In addition to style awards, the Brewers Association hands out five Champion Brewery/Brewmaster awards. This years winners were:

Small Brewing Company Category
Brauerei Michael Plank, Michael Plank

Mid-Size Brewing Company Category
Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Matthew Brynildson

Large Brewing Company Category
AB InBev, Claudio Ferro

Small Brewpub Category
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant-Media, Iron Hill Brewery Team

Large Brewpub Category
Pelican Pub & Brewery, Darron R S Welch

Not about to go unnoticed, Texas came in big with Houston’s Saint Arnold’s Brewing Co taking home a silver for their Pumpkinator in the Pumkin Beer category, as well as a bronze for Santo in the American Style-Dark Lager category and a silver for Endeavor in the Imperial IPA category. Austin newcomer Hops and Grain took home a gold medal in the German Style Brown Ale category the for their ‘Alt-Eration and proving they still have what it takes, Austin’s Live Oak Brewing took home a silver in the South German-Style Weizenbock category. Shiner based Spoetzel Brewery Brought home a silver for their flagship beer ‘Shiner Bock’ in the American Style-Dark Lager category

With all of the competition in the World Beer Cup, the odds were stacked against the breweries of Texas, a state long known for being the second largest in overall beer consumption and only 48th in craft beer. Clearly the rest of the world is seeing what we in Texas already know: Texas is on the rise, the rest of the world beware. It was incredible to witness my first World Beer Cup. To hear the judges talk of all the great beers submitted and to see the increased participation was phenomenal.

Alas, there’s one result that that caught my eye. Seasonal favorite Bigfoot, from Sierra Nevada Brewing, took home a silver in the Imperial Red Ale category. Bigfoot has long been known as a Barelywine both by Sierra Nevada and the rest of us. Past medals for Bigfoot in the California State Fair, Great American Beer Festival and Great Alaska Beer & Barleywine Festival, were all in the Barleywine category. But the judging at the World Beer Cup works a little different “…Judging is blind, with no brand knowledge of any kind provided to judges. Beer entries are judged solely on their merits.” said the Brewers Association. Barleywine’s can have some similarities to an imperial version of an Irish Red, showing that being smart about what category your beer is entered in can make a difference.

For a complete listing of winners, visit the World Beer Cup page.

A great World Beer Cup it was this year. See you in two years in Denver!

Essentially the Federal court states that breweries in Texas can now: label a beer a ‘beer’ and an ale, an ‘ale’, regardless of the ABV; advertise where their beers are sold; as well as describe the alcohol content of their beers with words like ‘strong’. “In a remarkable (though logically dubious) demonstration of circular reasoning” Judge Sparks states in his ruling filed yesterday, the “TABC attempts to defend the constitutional legitimacy of the Code through an appeal to the statutory authority of the Code itself.” Referring to the required use of the terms “beer”, “ale”, and “malt liquor”, he writes “TABC’s argument, combined with artful legislative drafting, could be used to justify any restrictions on commercial speech. For instance, Texas would likely face no (legal) obstacle if it wished to pass a law defining the word ‘milk’ to mean ‘a nocturnal flying mammal that eats insects and employs echolocation.’ Under TABC’s logic, Texas would then be authorized to prohibit use of the word ‘milk’ by producers of a certain liquid dairy product, but also to require Austin promoters to advertise the famous annual ‘Milk Festival’ on the Congress Avenue Bridge.’”

The lawsuit contended that several beer laws in the State of Texas were unconstitutional and violated the first amendment, as well as equal protection clause. Under the current system mandated by TABC Code, everything brewed over 4% alcohol by weight must be labeled an “Ale” or “malt liquor” and everything brewed at or below 4% A “beer”. This can cause what is brewed to be labeled something different than the style itself is called. It’s like calling an pale ale below 4% a pale beer. Stone Brewing Co in Escondido, California has not brought their ‘Levitation Ale’ into Texas for this reason.

State law also prevents breweries from using words that accurately reference alcoholic strength like “strong” or “low alcohol”. If you like a Belgian Dark Strong Ale and wanted one from let’s say Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling in San Antonio, you’d almost have to ask if they had it, as it wouldn’t be mentioned on the bottle. This goes for advertising as well.

Other inequities named in the suit, but not overturned: breweries are not allowed to sell on site, while wineries are; brew pubs can not bottle and distribute off premises; and prohibition against overseas breweries selling to distributors in Texas, who already have a license and instead require them to obtain a separate license. Although these issues fall under the Equal Protection clause and are considered tougher to fight, Judge Sparks reasoning for not ruling overturning them is less clear to me, however in his ruling he does go on to say that the State of Texas is fortunate that the burden of proof rested with the plaintiffs, or they may have come out worse in the suit.

Reaction from the brewing community all over the United States has been swift and emphatic towards the ruling. I spoke to Dean Brundage, brewer and co-founder at New Republic Brewing in College Station, Texas, who said he’s please with the ruling, but would have been ecstatic if the judge had ruled favorably on the points related equal protection clause. On twitter Greg Koch, Stone Brewing Co’s enigmatic co-founder and CEO, said “Hooray to @jesterkingbeer & their noble efforts in Texas. Well done guys, well done! Thx for fighting for all brewers’.

Although not everything was overturned, it’s at least a start in changing laws that do not reflect the current times, do not provide equal protection and commerce to breweries that wineries enjoy and sends a message that laws dating back to prohibition and before need to be changed.

Although the wine industry still has some issues with state law in Texas, they enjoy a far better climate in Texas than breweries. It’s a money issue only for malt beverages in Texas and that’s not equitable. I’d like to walk into my local store an pick up,a six-pack of beer from a brewpub like Freetail Brewing in San Antonio, Texas. I’d like to be able to visit Avery Brewing in Boulder, Colorado or Ranger Creek in San Antonio, Texas, and pick up a bottle of a special release I can’t get in the store. The time has finally come for Texas craft beer.

If the Federal government can see the inequality in the laws, it gives us some hope that the state government will soon as well. I don’t see that they have much of a choice in the matter. In fact, Judge Sparks states in his ruling the TABC defense counsel admitted that the state did not submit much in the way of summary judgement and thus didn’t meet their burden of proof. It’s only a matter of time before it all changes in Texas. Laws might be slower to change here, but when it’s right, it’s right. The State of Texas can’t truly argue the moral, legal or economics of this forever and expect it not to change. There’s no logic or real support for their position to laws passed generations ago. The economy and the world have changed, it’s time to pony up.

While Herz kicked off the luncheon, attendees were treated to a wonderful Belgian white from Taps Fish House and Brewery in Brea, California. Soon after the first course arrived, Roasted Beet Salad with fennel, green apples, goat cheese and bacon with vinaigrette. Paired with this was a Vienna style lager from Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen in Bellingham, Washington, as well as a Belgian Saison from Mckenzie Brewhouse in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery founder Sam Calagione, spoke briefly at the luncheon about his brewery’s start as a brew pub and that although they have grown tremendously since their humble beginnings in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the brewpub remains the heart and soul of Dogfish Head.

It’s Sam!

While attendees were still enjoying Roasted Beet Salad, Colorado Governor John Hinkenlooper stopped by to discuss the current state of brewpubs in the United States. Gov. Hinkenlooper has a history with brewpubs in Colorado. He started the Wynkoop Brewing Co in the LoDo (Lower Downtown) area of Denver back in 1988 when the area was undergoing a revitalization. He was able to obtain the property the brewery currently calls home for $1 per square foot as a result of the recession at that time.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper

Herz advised the BA defines Brewpubs as a restaurant/brewery that sells at least 25% of its beer on site, with the beer being brewed primarily for the restaurant and bar. Beer is often available in to go containers, such as Growlers, and distributed offsite where allowed by law. With their beer being brewed primarily for their restaurants, Herz went on to say that brew pubs are truly experts in house beers and that brewpubs helped kick start the craft beer and food pairing movement.

2010 saw a 6.9% increase in brewpubs from 1,015 in 2009 to 1,033 in 2010. What’s amazing is that there were 1,759 total breweries in the U.S. in 2010. That’s means brewpubs accounted for more than 59% of all breweries in the U.S. and were producing an average of 728 barrels. By August of this year, there were 1,829 total breweries, with 760 more known to be in the planning stages.

Bob Pease, BA Chief Operating Officer, discussed current legislation affecting small brewers. Two bills are currently in both the Senate and the house, HR 1236 and S 534. The bills seek to stimulate job growth in the industry and recall rate the current tax structure that has been in place since 1976. Pease advised that originally the Federal Excise Tax was enacted to help pay for the civil war and although it has been revised over the years, it does not accurately reflect the impacts to the small and independent brewer or the large gap between them and the large breweries. The bills seek to increase the current definition of a small brewer from 2 million barrels per year, to 6 million, thus closing the gap with large brewers whos annual production has increased to 105 million barrels per year since 1976. By lowering the excise tax and increasing the barrels per years, revenue for small and independent brewers would increase 153 million in the first year and 865 million over 5 years, with Federal revenue decreasing only 81.9 million over 5 years. All this would increase jobs in the industry by 5,600 over that 5-year period.

Surrounding the great updates on the industry were presentations from each of the breweries whos beers were featured during the luncheon, along with some absolutely incredible foods, truly highlighting Herz’s earlier point that brewpubs know what they’re doing when it comes to beer and food.

Freetail Brewing Co owner Scott Metzger

Other pairing highlights for me were: Grains of Paradise seared lamb loin, ginger forbidden rice with apricots and raspberries paired with Melange A Trois a Wood aged Belgian Strong Ale from Nebraska Brewing Co; A wonderful pairing of Freetail Brewing Co’s Bandito, a Flanders Red Ale aged in wine barrels with several American Artisan cheeses presented by the American Cheese society, who also gave a state of the union address on the cheese industry in the United States. However, the blst pairing by far was the Pumpkin Bread pudding with Ska Ten Pin Porter caramel and Left Hand Brewing ESB ice cream paired with Turmoil, an American Black Ale from Barley Brown’s Brewpub in Baker City, Oregon and Twilight, a Robust Porter from the La Jolla Rock Bottom. If I could have gotten my hands on seconds and thirds of this pairing, I assure you I would have.

Pumpkin Bread pudding with Ska Ten Pin Porter caramel and Left Hand Brewing ESB ice cream

30 years ago the American Home Brewers Association (AHA), the precursor to the Brewers Association, was in its 4th year of existence, having formed in 1978 when the federal government officially legalized home brewing. Coming up on(Approaching) its fourth annual conference, AHA decided to hold a festival celebrating American craft breweries. This was a momentous occasion, as the beer scene in the United States was virtually non-existent since prohibition ended and the U.S. was only recently seeing a resurgence of breweries opening up, with Jack McAuliffe’s New Albion Brewing having kick started the revolution in the mid 70′s. Although New Albion lasted only a few years, Jack inspired many to start their own breweries, most notably the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

In 1981, Charlie Papazian, co-founder of the AHA, was invited by a friend, and notable beer guru Michael Jackson, to attend the Great American Beer Festival in England. Wondering why we couldn’t have a festival like that in the U.S., Papazian quickly organized 24 commercial breweries and 50 volunteers to have the first ever Great American Beer Festival. The event was held in a 5,000 square foot ballroom at the Hilton Harvest House in Boulder, Colorado. The event was a huge success and saw 800 attendees sample 47 American craft beers over 5 hours.

Since then the festival has blown up and has come to rival the Great British Beer Festival. In its 30th year, GABF saw 49,000 thirsty fans of craft beer make their way to the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver, Colorado to sample 2,400 beers from 466 breweries around the United States. Packed into a room spanning 290,000 square feet, it took many months of preparation and around 3,300 volunteers to make the 3 day festival a giant success.

Of those 47 beers served at GABF in 1982, Anchor Steam, Anchor Porter, Genesee Cream Ale, Killian’s Irish Red Ale, Leinenkugel’s, Rainier Ale, Rolling Rock Lager, Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale and Stout, Stevens Point Special Lager, as well as Yuengling Brewery’s Premium, Lord Chesterfield Ale and Porter are all still served today. Of the 24 breweries that participated in 1982, Anchor Brewing Co., Boulder Beer Company,F.X. Matt Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Stevens Point Brewery Co. still participated this year.

I was fortunate enough to attend again this year, and although I am a Colorado native, it was only my second opportunity to attend. It certainly will not be my last.  Despite all the craziness that ensues during the festival and over the days leading up to it, it is a rare and incredible opportunity to sample and learn about beers from all over the U.S. in one hall. An opportunity most would never get to try in our lifetimes. Not to mention the camaraderie of being with those passionate about good beer and those who make it. It is an event like no other. Cheers to Charlie Papazian and all those past and present who bring this amazing example of the American spirit.

My thanks to the Huffington Post,; Julia Herz, Program Director at the Brewers Association; Spencer Powlison, Marketing Director at the Brewers Association, and the Brewers Association for their contributions to this article. More to come!

I confess, I probably brewed at least 4-5 all-grain batches before I finally felt ready to try my hand at creating my own recipes. I was scared to death. Trying someone else’s proven recipe is safe and if you make a mistake or two, it’s likely to be close enough. Working on your own recipe puts the added stress of not getting the recipe right. That can make or break your beer, even if your brew day is perfect.

There are dozens of books out there that will assist with recipe formulation and getting to know everything that needs to be considered, however there are a few in particular that I keep close at hand: Ray Daniel’s ‘Designing Great Beers’; Randy Mosher’s ‘Radical Brewing’; and the recently published ‘Brewing better Beer’ from Gordon Strong. I suggest looking at these and any others as your resources.

Ok, so where to begin? You first have to decide what you want your beer to be, starting with the style. From there, you need to decide what character your beer will have. If it’s a Porter, will it have more chocolate flavors, or do you desire more roast character? How hoppy do you want your beer? Does the malt character you’re looking for fit the style or do you plan to deviate a bit?

The next step is to determine your grain bill, as well as your mash technique.  This is the basis for the character of your beer and determines your total fermentables. These days most malts are heavily modified, so you will be able to use a single infusion mash at a temperature usually between 148 – 154 depending on style. I say this, because each grain produces a different amount of fermentables and the temperature used affects the body of your beer and how much sugar you get from it, which also can affect your yeast attenuation down the road.  As such, you will need to consider the fermentables produced by each malt and how they work together to help you decide what base malt you will use, what specialty malts are needed.

Almost as important is your water profile and the amount of water needed. The minerals in the water can add a very distinct flavor to your beer. You’ll want to find out the profile of you local water, what the minerals are in the style your brewing and what will be needed to treat your water. I’ve gone back and forth on this issue and I know many brewers who have as well. If you’re wanting to brew an exact clone of your favorite beer, or match the water to the style, then duplicating the brewing conditions, to include water profile of the area where that beer is brewed, will be important. Although I have treated my water a couple of times, most often I used the local water untreated for my brewing. Using the untreated water in my area, is what helps make my beer…mine.

You’ve decided what you want to brew, selected your grains and thought about your water. Now comes the time to decide what flavor and aromas you want in your beer and the IBU’s (International Bitterness Units). You have a couple of choices. You can set your IBU’s to style or set them based on what you are looking for. Ask yourself if you want more aroma, more bitterness or a balance between the bitterness and the aroma. Take into account your grain bill as well and make sure the hops don’t overpower your malt (unless you’re brewing a double IPA, then it’s game on).

It’s been said, often by me, by many that the yeast chosen is what truly defines your beers identity. You can brew two batches with the same grain bill, water and hops, but if you use different yeast for each batch, you’ll get two similar but very different beers. I’ve brewed a Black Saison and a Rye IPA several times with different yeasts and have turned out great, but different beers. Choosing yeast for the style you’re brewing and what flavors you’re looking for is important. You’ll need to take into account the OG (original gravity) of your beer and estimate what your target FG (final gravity) will be, to ensure the yeast chosen has an attenuation that suits this.

After your yeast has been chosen, take into consideration what you’ll use as a fermentation vessel. Will you use an airlock or blowoff tube? What’s the temperature you’ll need to keep the beer at and how will you control it?

Lastly, look at how you’ll clarify and carbonate your beer. To clarify your beer, there are several ways to accomplish this, Irish moss and Worflock tablets being two. Clarifying your beer can be very important if you’re entering your Homebrew in a competition, but just for yourself, that’s up to you.  Personally, I always strive the the best clarification I can get. However, if it’s not quite where it should be once all is done, it still gets consumed. Most often this does not affect flavor.

Once your beer is ready, you have two decisions as to how you want to disperse and carbonate it: kegging or bottling. For many new home brewers, bottling is the easiest and least expensive. You need only to calculate the proper sugar/water mixtures based on your volume of beer and the style, so as to reach the appropriate level of carbonation; a bottling bucket and wand. Another benefit of bottling, is that if you plan to gift some of your Homebrew or send it to a friend, you already have a vessel for this. Bottling can be tedious, often takes several weeks to fully carbonate and often made me dread the process.

Kegging your beer has its pros and cons as well. However in my opinion, the cons appear in the beginning. To keg, you’ll need to buy a keg, CO2 tank, and CO2. The cost can be around $200 to start, but once these are purchased it’s only a matter of refilling your CO2 tank. The cost to refill a standard 5-7.5 gallon tank is around $20 and can last several months. After you’ve purchased these items, simply rack the beer from the fermentor to the keg, shake it around a bit and hook up the CO2. Set your CO2 to about 25psi for a few days and at that point, the beer should have absorbed plenty of the CO2. You can dial it down to about 10psi for everyday serving. This method gets you enjoying your beer sooner.

That’s it in a nutshell. As I was working on a recipe for a pumpkin Porter, I really got to thinking about my approach to formulation and how much I enjoy tinkering with a recipe. This certainly isn’t all encompassing, nor is it meant to be, but can serve as a guide to formulating you own recipes. I want to thank Randy Mosher, Ray Daniels and Gordon Strong for the invaluable information in their books that helps me day to day, as well as with this article.

Strange, I know to even ask much question. Too much craft beer? Isn’t this what we want? It is indeed what we want, however, Austin’ population is only around 800,00 after all. Seems like enough doesn’t it? Texans do have quite a a thirst for this fine malted beverage, but depsite the increase in craft breweries lately, Texas remains mainly a Budweiser, Miller and Coors state. The question becomes, can Austin and its surrounding towns able to over come this and support the craft beer boom?

There are now around thirteen brewpubs and breweries in the Austin area, fourteen if you consider Real Ale in Blanco, with more seemingly opening every few months. Jester King Craft Brewery opened within the last six-months, as well as Black Star CO-OP and Circle Brewing, and many more are slated for sometime this year. This adds to an already extensive list in Austin.

Slightly more veteran breweries in Austin are continuing to grow too. NXNX recently opened their new location in Northwest Austin, Uncle Billy’s has opened a second location and Independence Brewing is looking to build a new brewery, doubling their current production.

The concern is that although many breweries are doing well initially and many are expanding, will craft beer in the Austin area get to the point that the city can not sustain what it has? Will there be more beer available than folks can consume? I hope not, but it needs considering. If it gets to that point, and some breweries have to close, what effect will that have on Austin’s economy and for the  future of craft beer in Texas?

As far as Texas itself is concerned, I think we’re far from The point of saturation. Although Texas ranks 48th in consumption of craft beer, it ranks only second behind California in overall beer consumption. If we can increase the beer palet of the states population, craft beer has so much room to grow.

Austin isn’t quite the size that Houston, San Antonio and Dallas are and yet is almost as many breweries and brew pubs than those cities combined, so is there a point where despite the college crowd, Austin could see brewery closings? Eric Braun, who writes the beer column in the San Antonio Express-News, said that in regards to Austin area craft breweries and brew pubs that ” they can distribute widely and Texas has a lot of room to grow. When the other cities catch up it could be trouble.”

Although some cities in the U.S., like San Diego, Denver and Portland, could see an issue with saturation, Austin seems to be more than able to support craft beer for the forseable future and if the laws change soon, it’s no holds barred for Texas craft breweries.

Day one of the conference really began the night before with the welcoming ceremonies which were held at the California Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park. Sponsored by Briess Malt and Hopunion, it featured beers poured by Moylans, Beach Chalet, Russian River. It was an amazing night and a great way to ease everyone into the task at hand:  establish life long business relationships that would allow growth with America’s beer culture and expose brewers big and small to industry best practices.

Fritz and Ken Reminiscing - Photo courtesy of the Brewers Association

Keynote Speakers for this years conference were Sierra Nevada founder and pioneer Ken Grossman and Fritz Maytag, former owner of Anchor Brewing and often thought of as the father of craft brewing in the United States. Grossman and Maytag sat in lounge chairs sharing a beer together, while regaling the audience with tales of their beginnings. Rather than just giving the usual stand at the podium speech, they engaged in a conversation with each other that was as educational as anything you could ever watch.

Over the course of the 3 days, attendees, who included brewers, brewery owners, distributors , wholesalers and media, were treated to seminars covering a wide variety categories, such as: Technical Brewing, Government Affairs, Brewpubs, Productions Breweries, Export Development and Brewery Start-Ups. The seminars themselves covered topics such as: Yeast, Increasing Brewhouse Efficiency for Small Brewers, Getting Your Brewpub Open, The Versatility of American Hops, How to Raise Equity: From Start-Up to Regional Brewer and How to Protect and Advance Small Brewer Interests in State Legislature. I truly enjoyed the seminar on yeast, as well as listening to craft beer pioneer and San Antonio resident, Jack McAulliff, talk about his days opening New Albion Brewing in Sonoma, California. That mans desire was Un-paralleled in his day. It is truly a pleasure to be in the same homebrew organization with him here in San Antonio.

The seminars were great, no doubt and a lot was learned by all, however no price could be placed on the benefits gained from just meeting with Brewers and owners from around the United States. There was plenty of time between seminars, in the morning and at days end to socialize. It really showed that despite the occasional dispute, an example being Sam Adams suite against San Tan Brewing over glass design, this is a tight nit community that looks out for each other and is interested in helping when they can. From an observational stand point, it was great to see brewers asking each other questions about how they do things and showing genuine respect for each other. We are all in this together was the feeling.

Welcoming Reception at the California Academy of Science - Photo Courtesy of the Brewers Association

Surrounding the seminars were many off-site events around town that were sponsored by various breweries. I attended events for Deschutes at Toronado San Francisco and City Beer Store, as well as a Lagunitas event at the historic Filmore and a Stone event at the Public House by the AT&T Center where the San Francisco Giants swing their bats.

Taking a Break in the Hospitality Suite - Photo Courtesy of the Brewers Association

Needless to say, a lot was learned, friendships made and the craft beer cause furthered in San Francisco. Times are tough with the economy, and micro-breweries/brewpubs  closing each year. What is encouraging is that more are opening than closing, a total of 152 in 2010, bringing the total of  micro-breweries/brewpubs to 1,716 ! Although the market share has not changed, craft beers sales are up and sales of the big guys are down, with 2011 looking even more promising. Cheers!