Author: ryan

Ryan Anderson (that's me!) is the editor & founder of MNBeer. Much has changed since the fall of 2005 and I'm proud to have been a part of it all. Sometime I'll tell you about my grand theory that links craft brewing to punk rock. Just ask.

8th Annual Upper Mississippi Mash-Out

By on December 22, 2008in homebrew

There is only a week until registration opens for the 2009 Upper Mississippi Mash-out.  Here a preliminary schedule of events and a few of the rule changes this year.

  • There is no limit on the number of meads you can enter in the individual categories as long as they are different.
  • There is no limit on the number of ciders you can enter in the individual categories as long as they are different
  • There is no limit on the number of Eis Anything you can enter in the individual categories as long as they are different.

For more information visit http://www.mashout.org/

Key Dates

  • Dec 29 2008 – registration for all entries, volunteer sign-up and banquet ticket begin
  • Dec 29 2008 – Jan. 10 2009, entries accepted

Schedule of events

Friday January 23
8:00-9:30 am – Setup and Registration
9:30-noon – Judging Session 1
noon-1:30 pm – Lunch for Volunteers – Kirby Nelson of Capital Brewery talk
1:30-4:00 pm – Judging Session 2
4:00-6:00 pm – Judging Session 3
6:00-7:00 pm – Dinner for Volunteers
7:00-9:00 pm – Judging Session 4
9:00-midnight – Indoor Pub Crawl; Kirby Nelson will introduce some beers he brought pre-crawl

Saturday January 24
8:00-9:00 AM – Breakfast for Volunteers
9:00-11:30am – Judging Session 5
11:30 AM-12:30 pm – Lunch for Volunteers – Seminar – TBD
12:30-3:00 pm – Judging Session 6
4:00-6:00 pm – Specialized Mead training
(4:00-5:00 pm – Best of Show Judging (Closed to Public))
6:00-7:30 pm – German Theme Beer Banquet
7:30-9:00 pm – Awards Presentation

Additional judging sessions may be added on Thursday January 22nd as needed.

Volunteer sign-up is first come first serve, so if you plan on helping out sign-up early to reserve you spot to judge or steward.

We will also be organizing a “beds for judges” program again this year.  If you need somewhere to say send and email to info@mashout.org and we will work on finding you a place to stay.

Big Beer Night at Mackenzie

By on December 22, 2008in bars/restaurants, beer events

Who: You!
Where: Mackenzie’s Pub 918 Hennepin Ave
When: Tuesday Dec 30  @ 5pm
What: Big Beer Night
Why: Specials on Tyranena Devil Made Me Do It, Flying Dog Barrel Aged Gonzo, Dark Horse Scotty Karate (All on draft!)

There will also be specials on any bottles from these 3 breweries!  So come down and beat the deep MN freeze with some nice high alcohol beers!

Thanks Joe!

Schell’s Anniversary Series #5: Hopfenmalz

By on December 18, 2008in breweries

Schell’sHere’s the skinny on the next beer in the Anniversary Series from August Schell.  The release date is Jan 19, the birthday of Emma Schell (August and Theresa’s daughter). She became President of the brewery in 1934 when her husband, George Marti passed away.

12.7 Plato
36 IBU
10 SRM

Hopfenmalz is an amalgam of our favorite beer styles:  the elegant drinkablity of a Pilsner, the bready maltiness of a Vienna Lager, and the hopping of a Pale Ale.  The malt backbone was created using a large amount of Vienna coupled with judicious amounts of Caramunich and Caravienne.  In the kettle, we agressively hopped it with Cascade and Tettnang from the Pacific Northwest.  Finally,  just to ensure we used enough hops, we dry hopped it also.  Hopfenmalz was fermented with one of our old world lager yeasts at a higher temperature to add some flavor complexities.  Finally, we aged it for
6 weeks to provide the crispness that is only found in a lager.  Prost!