Grumpy Beer Geek

Toronado sent out an email to it’s minions today recapping all of the fantastic events coming to this most hallowed bar during SF Beer Week (2/6 - 2/15/2009).

SF Beer Week Kickoff - Friday, February 6th, 12:00PM

Join Napa Smith brewer Don Barkley as he taps the first keg of “Original Albion Ale” at High Noon. This beer is based on the recipe from the pioneering New Albion brewery, which was founded by Jack McAuliff in 1976. When New Albion closed in 1983, Don moved on to Mendocino Brewing company where he brewed Red Tail Ale, and one of the first “reputation” beers, Eye of the Hawk.

Port Brewing/Lost Abbey Night - Sunday, February 8th, 6PM+

Join Port Brewing’s Tomme Arthur for draft and bottle specials.

On Draft:
Judgment Day
Devotion
Red Barn
Avant Garde
Hop 15
Midnight Sessions
Old Viscosity
Lost and Found
Phunky Duck
and more

Special Bottles:

Veritas 004
Saints Devotion
Cable Car (on premise only)
and more.

Allagash Brewing Night - Monday, February 9th, 6PM+

Join Rob Tod of Allagash.

On Draft:
Curieux
Tripel
Odyssey
Interlude
Hugh Malone
Fedelta
Victoria
Victor
Black
Four

Bottle specials.

Russian River ‘Tion Night - Tuesday, February 10th, 6PM+

Join Vinnie Cilurzo for a night of draft and bottle specials.

On Draft:
Redemption- “Single” Blonde Ale
Perdition- Biere de Sonoma
Damnation- Strong Golden Ale
Salvation- Strong Dark Ale
Rejection- Black Beer
Defenestration- Hoppy Belgian Ale
Benediction- Abbey Double
Mortification- Quadruple

Sanctification- 100% Brettanomyces Fermented
Temptation- Sour Blonde Ale Aged in Chardonnay Barrels (batch 3)
Supplication- Sour Red/Brown Ale Aged in Pinot Noir Barrels (batch 3)
Consecration- Sour Dark Ale Aged in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels (batch 1)
Beatification- 100% Spontaneously Fermented Ale (batch 2)

Bottle specials including Toronado 20th Anniversary (on premise only)

Ommegang Beer and Cheese Night - Wednesday, February 11th, 6PM+

Ommegang Beers paired with a fine selection of cheeses.

Three Philosophers
Chocolate Indulgence
Ommegeddon
Grand Cru Rouge

Cheese pairings TBD

A Night of Ales - Thursday, February 12th, 6PM-9PM

Toronado, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, and the Homebrew Chef present A Night of Ales. Special beer pairings from the Firestone Walker cellar, commentary from brewmaster Matt Brynildson, and a six course tasting menu from chef Sean Paxton. Tickets are $95, available at the Toronado.

Check out the menu at www.homebrewchef.com.

And then, the king, the biggest, the best, and the craziest event of the week. Honestly the reason the SF Beer Week even exists, the Barleywine Festival!

16th Annual Barleywine Festival - Saturday, February 14th, All Day - Friday February 20th

Over 50 barlywines from around the country. Judging on Saturday, February 14th.

My liver already hurts.

My mantra for the week — stay hydrated, stay hydrated, stay hydrated.

If you want to keep up with the goings on at the best freakin bar in the world, join us on Facebook or follow Toronado on Twitter.

Good luck, I’ll see you on the other side.

In case you have been living under a rock, or just don’t know, SF Beer Week is just a few days away from kickoff. There are over a hundred events already scheduled over the 10 days starting this Saturday with the Bistro Double IPA Festival. The main event will be, as it should, the Barleywine Festival at Toronado starting 2/14 and going through the following week.

SF BEER WEEK will be a ten-day celebration of that legacy, showcasing the Bay Area’s brewing heritage with as many as 150 events. The week will be anchored by the Bistro Double IPA Festival, the Toronado Barleywine Festival and will end with a bang at the Celebrator’s Best of the West Beer Fest. In between there will be beer dinners, cheese and beer pairing events, other gourmet food events savoring our world-class cuisine, meet the brewer evenings, homebrewing demonstrations, music, films, and even a museum exhibition exploring the history of Bay Area brewing, from Monterey to Sacramento and beyond.

For a full list of the events, head on over to the SF Beer Week site and start planning out your week. Remember, keep hydrated. It’s a long week!

Here I am, sitting in Magnolia Gastropub, 4 beers deep into their excellent strong beer menu. Only 2 to go, listening to Grateful Dead. oh how I hate the Grateful Dead, but I love this place. It’s, the beer…

Gose To Heaven - imperial hefewiezen? Strong banana flavor, but in a good way. Nice, strong, an sweet.

Man, it’s tough to blog during Strong Beer Month. Drunk wife sitting next to me, making fun of me. iPhone spell correction making a mockery of my prose. Damn hard knock life.

Promised Land Imperial IPA - damn nice double IPA.

Old Magnolia Thunderpussy Barleywine - snicker - a damn nice, if a little less sweet than expected barleywine. Dark, complex, and hot.

Now, speaking of dark. The shining dark star, Smokestack Lightning Imperial Stout. I could drown as a happy man in this amazing beer! Rich, dark, wonderful.

Superbowl? Superbeer!

This just in… Beergeeks celebrating the winter solstice had their celebration ruined by annoying football fans. I wa knee deep in 20+ holiday beers when all of a sudden the Bears / Packers game appeared on the TVs here at Toronado. Instantly a rowdy group of swill drinking (overheard: can I get a Bud?) dorks descended on the bar. As I ordered my first Anchor Christmas ale of the evening, these football fanatics start yelling an shouting a the TVs like the players could hear them.

In other news, football watchers tend to refer to their favorite team as ‘we’ - as if their drinking beer 2500 miles away somehow makes them part of the experience. Unknown why this is - will do more research and report back.

Maybe I need to start some sort of a tag and release program to track their movements.
Mobile Blogging from here.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Interesting that the brand that labels itself as the “American Beer” will soon be part of a Belgian beer maker.  To that end, Samual Adams will, once the sale goes through, be the largest US Brewer and Bud will be just another over-priced import.

Oh how the times have changed.

(Please note, there is a healthy addition of sarcasm in the above post.  Your mileage may vary.)

I occasionally get email from people asking about Cincinnati and Skyline chili — various things. But this email was from someone who has put a lot of really good thinking into developing a Skyline clone recipe. I’ll be using some of these discoveries in my next batch. Thanks for the great insights, Alexander.

——-

FDA requirements about allergen ingredients are not actually laws. Companies are not required to list ingredients that are known allergens. However, product liability torte law has persuaded most manufacturers to list ingredients that are known allergens. Failure to list allergen ingredients frequently leads to losses from product liability lawsuits. Based upon the ingredients listed on frozen Skyline, I concluded that Skyline has adhered to the full disclosure policy. This is the reason why you see the ubiquitous “spices” and “natural flavors” but also see specific trace ingredients. Onions, yeast, and paprika are known allergens. Therefore, they are disclosed. Keeping with this logic, I am comfortable ruling out ingredients such as peanut butter and cocoa (or any other form of chocolate) from the recipe. As you probably know, nuts are known allergens. Thus, I concluded there is not any cocoa in the chili.

FDA requirements also require that ingredients must be listed in order by volume. In instances of identical volume, ingredients are then listed alphabetically. This is useful information in determining how much onion powder, garlic, and paprika are needed.

FDA also requires nutritional information to be listed based upon the source ingredients…not the end product. A company can argue all they want about how their yeast is breaking down the sugar. The original sugar content still must be listed. This little tidbit is the key to unlocking how much tomato paste should go into the recipe. The ingredient order and the carbohydrate information gets you a pretty good lock on the tomato paste content. Once you do the calculation, however, you realize that there can’t possibly be any sugar, molasses, or other carbohydrate source in the recipe. Atkins diet followers love the frozen chili just for that reason.

Chemistry. I took tons of it in high school and college. Then, I had to teach it as part of my first career. I cursed it the whole way. Inevitably, I now consider chemistry in everything I cook. You were on the right track with the sequence of ingredients. There are two ingredients that must have a specific timing. One is the vinegar (for chemistry) the other is the yeast (for biology). The vinegar acts as a tenderizer to break down the meat. BBQ competitors will confirm that simmering ribs in vinegar water before grilling is often a “secret” to fall-off-the-bone ribs. The vinegar must be added early and given a chance to tenderize the meat.

Biology. The yeast must be added at the end after the chili’s temperature has dropped. Cooking temperatures will kill the yeast. You don’t need a tremendous amount of yeast. There isn’t a whole lot of carbohydrate in the recipe for the yeast to feed on. They are feeding on the sugar in the tomato paste. Also keep in mind that beef stock manufacturers use yeast in their product. So, the yeast listed on the Skyline box is cumulative.

Botany. Mr. X’s comment about cinnamon. Very few people know that most of us are buying cassia bark when we buy cinnamon. Cinnamon is made from the bark of a particular species of tree. There aren’t enough cinnamon trees to satisfy the worlds appetite for cinnamon. Enter the cassia. It grows faster and is more abundant than cinnamon. It also tastes fairly similar to cinnamon. However, if you want real cinnamon (which the Skyline people apparently do), you are better off paying a lot for cinnamon sticks. Recently, however, McCormick did us a favor and began selling actual cinnamon. It is labeled Saigon Cinnamon. It costs more. Compare its scent with the 50 cent “cinnamon” and you will see why it costs more. Neat tidbit. In many other countries, especially Asian countries, it is illegal to sell cassia bark as cinnamon. The two spices are labeled differently.

My Batch #5 recipe. All my batches are micro-batches. Pretty darn close. Close enough to fool most people. The real Skyline has more of a creamy texture and a clear pumpkin pie scent. The creaminess is what I am trying to decipher. The various ways I know to improve creaminess involve the use of known allergens.

Mix the following in a pot. Mix well and let stand for 30 minutes without heat. The vinegar will tenderize the meat.
1/2 pound of 93/7 ground beef.
14 oz can of Swanson beef broth. (salt contributor)
1.5 tsp of apple cider vinegar.

Heat on low until the fat melts and rises to the surface. Stir frequently.

Add the following:
1.5 oz tomato paste.
1 Knorr extra large beef bullion cube. (salt contributor)
2 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp onion powder (salt imitator)
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/8 tsp paprika (this is a tricky spice because it acts as a neutralizer)
1/4 tsp ground mustard (awesome find Jeff…I never would have guessed)
1/8 tsp salt (I don’t like to add this, but Skyline is salty)
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp Saigon Cinnamon
1/16 tsp cumin
1/16 tsp nutmeg
1/16 tsp cloves

Mix well. Increase heat from low to 2. Heat uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir often. Should simmer with bubbles.

Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 1 hour.

Remove from heat and wait until chili is very warm.

Add 4 pinches of yeast (not rapid rise). Store in the fridge overnight or longer.

When re-heated, thicken as desired with xanthum gum.

Final notes: According to my nose and tongue, there isn’t any allspice, ginger, turmeric or mace in the recipe. I am conversing with a food manufacturing contact to see if there are such bulk ingredients as pumpkin juice or squash juice. These may explain the creaminess and the pumpkin pie scent.

It’s finally here. After a 2 year break, hosting a homebrew club meeting at our place seemed like the perfect time to post the next version of my Cincinnati Chili recipe. Changes this time include increase in the amount of meat, more cayenne (perhaps a little too much), pureeing the onion and garlic, switching to dark cocoa powder, and a further refining of the spices.

I think the results are fantastic. Perhaps the best ever! Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Cincinnati Style Chili Batch 16

3 lbs lean ground beef (extra fine grind if possible) — 80% lean
2 14oz cans Swansen’s Beef Broth (less salt version) chilled
1 and 1/2 cups cold water

1 can tomato sauce - (16 oz)
1 medium white onion, pureed in food processor
3 cloves garlic, peeled and pureed with onion

First spice addition (at beginning)
1/2 tsp dark cocoa powder (Hershey’s Dark)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp dark molasses
1 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp chili powder (dark)
1 tsp (Morton) kosher salt
4 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Second spice addition (at end)
1 tbsp chili powder (dark)
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper (to taste)
2 tsp (morton) kosher salt (to taste)
1 tbsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp mace
2 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tsp dark cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Gather all the spices, sauces, and etc. for the first spice addition In one container before starting — makes it easier.

If you use frozen ground beef, let sit in the COLD broth until it is matched the temp and it is no longer frozen. Failure to do this will result in lumpy chili. Use a potato masher or heavy whisk to help break it up if needed.

Place broth over medium-low heat and add the ground beef. Stir the ground beef into the cold liquid. Continue to stir as the water is heated. The ground beef will nearly dissolve into the water developing into a paste. Once dissolved, increase heat to high.

Add the tomato sauce, onion puree, and first spice addition and continue to stir until the chili comes to a strong boil. Turn down the heat to maintain a medium simmer. Let simmer for 2 hours covered. You can put it in a slow cooker/crock pot and let go all day for better results.

When nearly done cooking, add the second spice addition, stir for 2-3 minutes to make sure that it is completely incorporated and remove from heat.

Refrigerate for 2-3 days before reheating and serving for best results.  This allows you to pull off the fat which will collect at the top when chilled.  Otherwise try to pull off the top with a ladle.

Serve as traditionally served or as you wish. I prefer over spaghetti with shredded cheese (3-way).

David Keene, owner of Toronado, made an interesting discovery in the basement of the Toronado recently while doing a little clean up. A few assorted kegs close to 20 years old. Some of the original 60 Corny kegs that he bought to transport beer to and from breweries, way back in the beer stone ages, before microbreweries had any sort of distribution. One of those kegs, with a label withered but still readable might have been the first ever keg of Boont Amber.

Hopefully David will be able to find an empty spot on a wall somewhere to display this keg. Any who know what else he might find in that basement?

It’s been a while since I’ve posted an Indiana Sucks post.  I thought I might be free from the pain….  But this one was just too perfect of an example why the red state known of Indiana is at least 75 years behind the coastal states:

Indiana Teacher suspended for giving student a book

Perry Township teacher Connie Heermann a 27 year teaching veteran, was suspended from her job at Perry Meridian High School for a year and a half without pay, for giving her high school English class the book Freedom Writer’s Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them.

Apparently, the book was objectionable to the Perry Township school board because it contains swear words.

Yes, swear words. Oh, my stars and garters. Heavens to Murgatroid.

In addition to said swear words, it also contains inspirational stories of how inner city kids from very poor circumstances were inspired by their teacher’s introducing them to first-person journals from Anne Frank and others to write journals of the poverty and suffering around them, achieve in school, and go on to college. A very worthy book, it seems to me.

If you live there and your are offended by this, write a letter and get out!