I am a middle school math and science teacher who first stepped foot in the classroom in 1988. My first teaching experience was in Marinette, WI.
In addition, I started home brewing in 1998 and still enjoy the hobby - thus Fieldpointe Brewery.
I am also a licensed amateur radio operator - N0IMJ - and received my "ticket" in 1986 while attending college in MN.
A Sunday in December completed the year challenge of brewing at least once per month in 2024. Once again, the brew session was held at Fieldpointe South.
Frequent readers of this blog know the routine by now. This session wasn’t any different except that the Sheephead nickels that went missing some months back were located. With their rediscovery, this could only mean one thing: 2 handed Sheephead. I am always amazed at the amount of fail dealt me when I am attending to the brew and Mark deals. As he comments, “It doesn’t get old.”
Silent Night is an American Strong Ale. It has a slightly larger grain bill that requires mashing in the 10 gallon cylindrical converted cooler because the electric system is short on capacity for grain bills over, say 13 pounds. The brew session went as anticipated.
Happy Veterans Day (Week, Month, Year) to all our US Veterans who have made all this possible. Thank you for your service! We who live in the land of the free realize that freedom is not free. Your service and dedication is appreciated now and always. Thank you Veterans!
Veterans Day Eve brought the Waubesa Shores Brewing Club together in McFarland for food, fellowship and beer. Senior member brother Paul is a Marine veteran and provided the chow and recipe for Veterans Day IPA. Brother Todd and club President John ran the operation. Jacob stopped in for support and encouragement. It’s debatable what I did or didn’t do there.
What goes into 30 gallons of Veterans Day IPA? Fantastic question – which leads nicely into the next part of this post.
Grains
50 lb – Pilsner 2 Row
11.2 oz – Flaked Maize
3 lb – Caramel Wheat Malt
2 lb – Amber Malt
Hops
8 oz – Cascade @ 60 minutes
4 oz – Columbus @ 15 minutes
8 oz – Us Fuggle @ Flameout / Whirlpool
4 0z – Centennial @ Flameout / Whirlpool
Yeast
Wyeast – #1087 Ale Blend – Starter
Projected Analysis
OG – 1.046
FG – 1.010
Color – 5.4 SRM
ABV – 4.8%
Bitterness – 68 IBU
Special thanks to our US Veterans and to the WSBC. We brew and drink to your service, health and welfare.
Angry Owl is a New England IPA (NEIPA) named solely after a student’s middle school art project. Why the owl is angry I am not sure. Perhaps it is because the moon is a button. Whatever the reason, the Fieldpointe Brew Crew found it useful to name this beer.
This beer was intended to be brewed just before the new school year got underway back in August but I just wasn’t feeling it then and so procrastination set in. Mark reminded me that we needed to keep the brew streak in tact (at least one brew session each month for the 2024 calendar year) and so it came to reality – just a few months later than anticipated.
Once again Mark (and Helen) hosted the Sunday event at Fieldpointe South. It is pretty routine now with the brewing: BM bar, sampling, eating, taking in a football game or two, napping, etc.
Since this was an extract version (keeping it quick and simple) there was no need to open the Dorothy Doors. The weather has been very mild so far this Fall, however the temps have fallen enough to the point where opening the DDs would make the Man Cave a tad on the chilly side. To make it official: The DDs were CLOSED for this event.
The session went as expected. Mark didn’t burn or break anything or fall out of his chair while napping. I think the Pack won their game and a good time was had by all.
Angry Owl NEIPA
Grains
0.6 oz – Pale Ale Malt (steeped)
0.6 oz – Flaked Oats (steeped)
Extract
3.3 lb – Golden Light LME @ 60 minutes
3.3 lb – Golden Light LME @ 15 minutes
Adjunct
1 lb – Corn Sugar @ 15 minutes
Hops
1 oz – Cascade @ 60 minutes
1 oz – Cashmere @ 15 minutes
2 oz – Cashmere @ Flameout / Whirlpool
2 oz – Chinook @ Flameout / Whirlpool
1 oz – Chinook in Fermenter after Primary
2 oz – Centennial in Fermenter after Primary
Yeast
Lallemand New England (Dry)
Notes
Not sure the flaked oats really did much of anything here since there was no mash to convert and there was just 6 oz but they were in the kit and so they got wet.
Projected Analysis
OG – 1.056
FG – 1.014
Color – 6 SRM (Actually is darker.)
ABV – 5.5%
Bitterness – 127 IBU (Yes, I know.)
Here’s to a hootin’ good time with some Angry Owl! Maybe that is why the owl is angry – it didn’t get to try any. Whoooooo knows?
Trying not to forget about this post and let weeks go by on this one as I have done on the previous posts. The Fieldpointe South crew got together this past Sunday and today is just Tuesday – not too bad on the timing – provided I start and finish it now.
We were discussing at the previous brew session that a coffee beer has not made its way into the Fieldpointe brewing menu. The former Racine Brewing Co. had a coffee beer: Cuppa Joe which was a coffee brown ale. I wasn’t a regular consumer of it – not because it wasn’t good – it was – I just usually prefer to keep my two favorite daily beverages separate – the coffee hot in the morning and the beer cold in the evening.
Mark suggested that we give it a go – so why not? I managed to find a beer recipe on the American Homebrewers Association website for Surly Coffee Bender. This, I’m sure, is not the true recipe for Bender but a close clone. Anyway, it served well for the base recipe for Mr Coffee Brown. As always, there are modifications to online recipes to make them uniquely Fieldpointe. Based upon what the Surly website indicates as the basic ingredients for Bender, we have the bases covered. Thanks to Surly for heading us down this one way street in the correct direction!
The day began properly with Sunday morning worship. Always good and proper to start the new week off with priorities in order. God is good. He’s given us beer.
The BM Bar opened at 11 AM to get the brewing event off and running. The BMs were “extra tasty” so two made the rotation for each of us. It was a great day to brew.
While the mash water was heating, the 2nd fermenter of Freudenfest was transferred to a keg. A proper and reinforcing reminder was given that this keg was going to Fieldpointe North. Fieldpointe South has 4 kegs on tap: the 3 “church” beers and 1.21 Gigahops – Doc Brown’s Ale. Despite Mark claiming that the beer mice are getting out of hand and that he needed the Freudenfest keg, no sympathy or compassion was given. It was suggested that he set traps for the beer mice.
Beer mice are everywhere. Some places have higher populations than others. They are responsible for emptying your pint glasses and kegs. Their populations MUST be kept under control. Fieldpointe South has some work to do to lower the rapid consumption and depletion of beer on hand.
Not too long into the session, the home state Green Bay Packer game kicked off at noon. Mark worked hard at relocating view apparatus to the Man Cave and even went so far as to record the game so that it could be paused and played at will during the brewing process. We were happy with the result.
At some point Mark’s wife, Helen, cooked up a pot of chili on the stove – with cornbread. My bowl bottom was covered twice – since that was the theme started with the BMs. Good stuff!
Mr Coffee Brown wrapped up sometime during the thrashing of Dallas by Detroit. Was not sad to witness this. Good to see the Lions making a name for themselves – it’s those Vikings that need to be brought down a step or two. Even Paul’s Chicago Bears are deciding to put some effort into playing this year.
As positive as it all seems, it was not all well in Denmark. Or more specifically, in the world of Fantasy Football. Fieldpointe North suffered death by a thousand paper cuts. This was the closest scoring game of my FF career – and what a tough loss to shoulder. A good Cowboy thrashing would have been easier to take.
What I find interesting is that I lost by the decimal portion of my score. How ironic! Gotta Love It must be doing just that. Sadness & Disappointment.
It should be noted that the Dorothy Doors were not open due to much cooler temps. We really have been spoiled with the fantastic Fall weather so far through the first half of October. (I did manage to open one of the doors to get the spent grain out to feed the residential wildlife and then promptly closed it on my return.)
For the record – today, October 15 made up for the previously mentioned great Fall weather. Rain and temps in the 40s made for a long wet cold sock and shoe day at school. 🙁
Mr Coffe Brown (named kinda after the Black & Decker unit) is an American Brown Ale with, you guessed it, coffee.
I did my part with the brewing of the beer. It is up to Mark to make it shine (or taste great) with his coffee choice addition. It is currently a mystery as to what coffee he is going to go with. Whatever it may be, it better be good.
So you say you want to brew Mr Coffee Brown? Why not? Here you go:
Grains
7 lb – Pale Malt
2 lb – Aromatic Malt
10 oz – Crystal 60°
10 oz – Special B
10 oz – Flaked Oats
8 oz – Chocolate Malt
Hops
0.5 oz – Warrior @ 60 minutes
0.5 oz – Glacier @ Flameout
0.5 oz – Willamette @ Flameout
Yeast
Lallemand – Nottingham
Adjunct
5 oz – Quality Course Ground Coffee added to fermenter after primary (Make sure it doesn’t taste like ground – Mark.)
Projected Analysis
OG – 1.058
FG – 1.014
Color – 24.5 SRM
ABV – 5.7%
Bitterness – 30 IBU
Will this change my perception that coffee and beer should be kept separate and keep to their designated times in the daily routine? Time will tell.
Here it is another two weeks plus one day post brew and I’m now just getting to the post. My apologies if this gives the impression that this isn’t that important. That’s not it at all. Just a lot of stuff going on with school and the like. I blame the principal for the situation as it currently stands. If any of you happen to encounter him, kindly ask him to can ease up on the accelerator a bit.
This last brew session was the annual Labor Day – Staff Infection Fantasy Football Draft – Draught Draft. Attendance was a bit lower this year giving the impression that there are more important things than Football, Food, Fellowship & Beer. I don’t know what they are but they must exist.
As expected, Mark compiled his infamous Blauertkraut for the festive occasion. I’m speculating that this concoction has been itemized in a prior post so I’ll let you do the super sleuthing. Blauertkraut with Mark B Q Sauce along with Helen’s Beer Bread did not disappoint. (Inside Information: The secret ingredient in Blauertkraut is Hamm’s. You didn’t read it here.)
We were blessed with a fantastic day which meant that the Dorothy Doors were full open. This was a welcome opportunity for those in attendance to easily access the Man Cave to admire the recently acquired lager chest freezer. and its contents.
On tap was last year’s brew – a Belgian Quad – made just for this year’s occasion. Rumor has it from the man himself that tonight, Tuesday, September 17, may bring the bottom of the keg into view. I admire his dedication and attention to this beer.
A bonus for those in attendance was a tasting of the three beers that will be on tap in a week and a half at First Evan’s 175th Anniversary Oktoberfest celebration. Faithful readers of this forum will know which of the previous posts these are. I don’t recall much in the way of feedback on them so I will have to wait until the event to see how they fare.
Since the FF draft, two weeks have passed. Just this past weekend was the Super Bowl of the early season with the two Fieldpointe entities battling it out in a close one with Fieldpointe HQ (North) securing the VICTORY!
And just in case you missed it, here it is in another easy to read format. (Pay attention to the season records.)
Perhaps Mark should have drafted a better kicker. Better luck next time buddy.
Following the meal and the FF draft was the Draught Draft. Willing participants each brought what they considered to be good beer for a snake beer draft. I ended up with some 3 Sheeps Oktoberfest along with some New Glarus Staghorn along with some others. I do really like that Staghorn Oktoberfest. That is some tasty stuff and a pleasant forbearer of Fall.
While all the festivities were in full swing, the IBBOS was being handcrafted in the Man Cave. Prior to the brew session, some oak spirals were procured from our friend Mark at Littleport Brewing in Racine. Blauertkraut Mark got his hands on some bourbon and has had the spirals bathing for a few weeks now. It’s getting to be about time to keg this number and then put it out of sight and out of mind until Labor Day 2025.
For those of you who are desiring to brew this beer for your next FF draft, here you go:
Grains
14 lb – 2 Row
1.5 lb – Dark Munich
1.5 lb – Crystal 90°
1.25 – Roasted Barley
1.0 lb – Chocolate Malt
0.75 lb – Black Patent
2.0 lb – Flaked Oats
Hops
1 oz – Columbus @ 60 minutes
1 oz – Challenger @ 45 minutes
1 oz – East Kent Holdings @ 30 minutes
1 oz – Fuggle @ 15 minutes
Adjunct
1 lb – Rice Hulls
2 – Oak Spirals (medium toast)
Bourbon (enough to cover spirals)
Yeast
Fermentis – SafAle US-05
Projected Analysis
OG – 1.111
FG – 1.028
Color – 41.3 SRM
ABV – 11.1%
Bitterness – 104 IBU
Notes
Oak Spirals and Bourbon are added to the keg.
Let keg age one year.
Enjoy!
As an aside, here is this school year’s theme graphic. There is something about it that is somewhat familiar. Still trying to put my finger on it.
“Time flies when you are having fun!” – as they say. I must be having a blast because this beer was brewed over 2 weeks ago and I am now just getting around to the post.
In all honesty, I forgot about it. You see, summer basically ended August 01 for the brew crew as we spent copious quantities of time at school preparing for the new school year. There were fun things like teacher inservice days, registration days, policy / procedure finalization, document updates, and the like. I had so much fun that time just slipped away. Tomorrow puts us midway through the second week of school already. As to not model some middle schooler’s mentality and slip even further behind, or forbid, fall more than one post behind, (Labor Day is this coming Monday where another brew session will take place.) here is the condensed version of what I remember from this brew session:
Location: Fieldpointe South
Weather: Acceptable
Dorothy Doors: Open
BM Bar: Yes
Mark did spend some time in the kitchen, with permission, putting together a pile of homemade subs. There were enough for the meal and then plenty to eat during the week. Each and every one of them was fantastic! (and appreciated)
1.21 Gigawatts – Doc Brown’s Double
Grains
10# – 2 Row
0.5# – Maris Otter
0.25# – Vienna
0.25# – Crystal 20°
Hops
1 oz – Magnum @ 60 minutes
1 oz – Simcoe @ 30 minutes
1 oz – Centennial @ 15 minutes
1 oz – Cascade @ 5 minutes
1 oz – Amarillo @ Flameout
2 oz – Cascade in Keg
Adjunct
1# – Corn Sugar @ 15 minutes
Yeast
Fermentis Safale US-05
Projected Analysis
OG – 1.063
FG – 1.012
Color – 5.2 SRM
ABV – 6.7%
Bitterness – 111 IBU
Need to get the fermenter in the lager freezer to clear and then into a keg – once one becomes available. There is a bit of a surplus on hand due to the 3 “church” beers for Oktoberfest. The Supervisor needs to get busy.
Vater, Brot, Böse (AKA Father, Bread, Evil) is the last of the “special” brews in preparation for the First Evangelical Lutheran Church’s 175 Anniversary Oktoberfest Celebration come September.
The prior two brews are lagers which are currently patiently doing their thing at 32° F in Mark’s Man Cave. Speaking of … Mark and his wife, Helen, recently took a trip to the SE states (Carolinas) and such. As is his custom, Mark paid visit to a number of breweries along the way collecting brewery stickers for the recently added lager chest freezer. He has done a nice job with the initial decoration of the unit. This 18 cu ft freezer has plenty of real estate to. keep him busy for some time to come.
Try this again. The prior two brews are ….Freudenfest (Märzen) and Gemütlichkeit (Helles Bock). Father, Bread, Evil (Dunkelweizendopplebock) is a combination of beer styles – as you can tell from the style – which really isn’t. It is primarily a high gravity weizen with characteristics of a dunkle and dopplebock. Unlike its predecessors, this is being fermented at ale temperature.
On hand for the brewing event were: Mark, Greg and myself. Greg and I met with Littleport Mark to get the goods while Man Cave Mark was readying the Man Cave, Dorothy Doors and Grill for our anticipated arrival.
Per usual, Man Cave Mark had his Bloody Mary bar set and open upon our arrival and we put it to good immediate use before getting going on the brew. In addition, he had a tray of pulled pork nachos at the ready. What a fantastic way to start a brew session!
Not too long into setup, it became very apparent that getting 20# of grain / rice hulls and mash water into the electric system was going to be a problem. After some ideas were tossed around, it was decided to perform a double mash. Roughly half of the grain and rice hulls were mashed and sparged. Following round one, the same procedure was followed with the remaining grain and rice hulls. This procedure added an extra hour to the process but appeared to be an acceptable solution for the capacity situation. It did produce a very fermentable wort.
Following the Bloody Mary bar, we enjoyed various refreshments as the day progressed. Greg contributed Tap Shack Caribbean Lager by Earth Rider Brewery – Superior, WI. Mark, not to be outdone, opened a bottle of 3 Floyds Brewing Dark Lord – Rrari Crochet (2023).
Along with the above mentioned, the Coconut Porter, a brew from about a month ago, was tapped. Disappointedly, the coconut did not make much of an appearance. Some thoughts were shared as to why and will need to be tested on future batches. This is the fun part about brewing.
Greg, being a service minded individual and interested in quality control, taste-tested the keg of Belgian Quad brewed last Fall at the annual Fantasy Football Draft to be served at this year’s event. He visited the keg a number of times ensuring that it poured clear as there is always sediment that accumulates over time. He may have even been enjoying it in the process of quality control as he revisited it a number of times.
Meanwhile, Mark at the grill was putting the finishing touches on Tri-Tip Steak procured from Danny’s Meats. Mark does great work at the grill. Can’t think of a better partnership: Grilled meats and beer. Brew days at Fieldpointe South are always enjoyable!
This was the second brewing of Father, Bread, Evil. You should be able to locate the first session somewhere back on the site. It must have been brewed at Fieldpointe HQ (North) on the propane system which can handle the grain bill. If memory serves, the max capacity on the propane system is 21# of grain and associated hot liquor for the mash. There is also a 10 gallon converted Igloo cooler for mashing if needed. If I simply would have brought it along on brew day the process could have been done in one shot instead of two. Didn’t think of the capacity concern until the supplies were in hand. Visual observations sometimes come in handy. Usually I procure the supplies a couple days in advance but it didn’t work out that way this time.
Gemütlichkeit is a German-language word used to convey the idea of a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness, and good cheer. (Wikipedia)
This is the second in the lineup for the afore mentioned First Evangelical’s 175 anniversary year festivities (Oktoberfest). It is a Helles Bock and should play nicely with the Märzen brewed last week.
Although the last post did not address it, the Bloody Mary Bar is and has been a staple on brew day for some time. Not to be complacent, Mark is seeking new ways to improve the experience. Vodka has been the go to for about…. forever. Mark has experimented with a few new players to the bar: Tequila and Bacardi Rum. We didn’t think much of the Tequila – I tried it once and went back to the familiar. However, Vodka might be taking a back seat to the Bacardi for some time as we both have taken a liking to it. Here is the BBM spread from last Monday’s session.
Speaking of upgrades, the Man Cave has an additional piece of equipment. Last time it was the brew table and this time the new fermentation chamber was added. Mark has a new place for stickers.
But it is not plugged in! Yes, your observation is correct. In order to get this unit transported in the truck, it needed to be rotated 90°. It also had to be rotated again to mount the casters to the bottom. Rules being rules, we have to wait at least 24 hours before powering it up. There is a Blichmann temperature controller that will regulate the temperatures. The 3 fermenters should have plenty of space and there is a beer shelf (compressor) for Mark to load up. In addition, there might be enough additional space for a couple kegs. We are happy to have this available to brew lager beers in the future as it has been talked about off and on over the past couple years. The First Evan 175 gave us the needed push to pursue this adventure.
Back in May of 2023 Mark and I went to our first DarkLord Day at 3 Floyds Brewing in Munster, IN.
We each received a bottle of DarkLord and 3 variants which we have been saving for special occasions. With the new additions, successful brew / grill sessions, gutter cleaning, hedge trimming and maybe a mortgage payoff, Mark brought out a bottle to celebrate: Marshmallow Handjee (MMXXII).
Can’t tell you enough of how we enjoyed this. Thanks Mark for the share.
In other news: The Dorothy Doors have been seeing action now that warmer longer days are here. The patio furniture has come out of hibernation and Mark’s best friends, the chipmunks, are ruling his back yard once again.
Mark’s wife, Helen, has taken up a unique hobby: bird tease. Now let’s be sure to understand that there is no physical contact with birds – they are for looking at and listening to. Helen has a phone app that mimics bird calls. A cardinal (not from St. Louis) has made the back yard its domain and isn’t interested in sharing the territory. Helen amuses herself by occasionally playing the cardinal call on her phone thus drawing the full attention of the resident cardinal who comes to check things out. It is interesting how the bird will come in close attempting to figure out where the fictitious calling bird is.
What does all this have to do with brewing? Probably not much. The brewing process is pretty much routine now so need some filler material. Thanks Helen for providing! It’s all in a day’s brew.
Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. From 1868 to 1970, it was observed on May 30. Since 1971, it is observed on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day History
On this day we give thanks to God for the service men and women who have given their all for the nation and for us. May God richly bless the families of those who have served and those who are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces.
Secondary to the day’s military commemoration is the opportunity for the Fieldpointe Brew Crew to get together with Mark mastering the grill and me at the brew kettle.
Freudenfest “Festival of Joy” is the name of this Oktoberfest Marzen being brewed for First Evangelical Lutheran Church’s 175th anniversary of sharing Word & Sacrament to the people of Racine, WI. It will be served at the planned Oktoberfest celebration come September.
Other than the annual Spring Break Miabock, this will be the first somewhat controlled lager fermentation that the Fieldpointe Crew is attempting. The Miabock has been an uncontrolled (temperature) brew due to the lack of proper lager equipment. The ambient temps of the garage or Dorothy Door Steps has sufficed in years past. This is changing however, as a dedicated chest freezer has been ordered. Unfortunately, it won’t arrive before brew day. (I thought it would be available at the local big box store but is a special order item. We needed to go large – 18 cu ft – in order to get three active fermenters into it. A Helles and Dopplebock are also planned.) The electrical service has been run and the Blichmann temp controller for the freezer has arrived.
The end of the school year (this past Friday) has been a busy time for the crew with all the year end activities taking place. There are year end meetings still to come and a week long science training session for this guy so brew day must go on as scheduled.
There is a slight concern of higher than ideal initial fermentation temps for this lager but this new yeast is developed to cover for that. The freezer is set to arrive within the week. We ask God’s blessing upon this endeavor. Until then, we will have to make do with Mark’s Man Cave ambient temperature. The yeast being used for this brew is a newer player on the market (so it was explained to me) and claims to have a clean fermentation range from 50° to 68° F. Hope this proves to be true and yields positive results come September.
Another aspect of this brew is the first attempt at a decoction mash. This is where a portion of the mash is removed, boiled and returned. Why a decoction? Good question. Here is a link to all you may want to know concerning Decoction Mashing provided by MoreBeer.
A recent addition to the brewery is this two shelve stainless table. It fits in nicely and is a great place to keep the brewing related gear. (And coffee)
Speaking of tables – what did Mark bring to the brew session “table”? Just this: an 8 lb pork shoulder that he smoked / grilled to perfection. This, with Mark-B-Q Sauce, was fantastic! Earlier in the day, Helen put together a chicken pot pie that was also right up there. The Blauerts eat well.
Greg, a long time friend who travels between his place in Racine and his new castle in Nebraska, assisted the cause by loaning us 3 new never been used fermenters. Greg is constructing his brewery at his NB location and got an early start on equipment. His generosity helped the brew crew meet fermenter needs. I have been happy with the single unit that has been meeting fermentation vessel needs and I am sure the Greg will not be disappointed with his purchase. That is once we give them back. Sure hope they don’t get “misplaced”!
The back to back brew day went well. We were blessed with good weather, fantastic food, fine beer and friendship.
With God’s blessings – Freudenfest will be a “Festival of Joy” at First Evan’s 175 Oktoberfest this Fall.
Grains
4 lb – Pilsner Malt
3 lb – Munich Malt
3 lb – Vienna Malt
1 lb – Aromatic Malt
0.5 lb – Belgian Caravienne Malt
Hops
1 oz – Tettnanger @ 60 minutes
1 oz – Tettnanger @ 20 minutes
Yeast
Lallemand Novalager (starter)
Adjunct
1 Whirlfloc Tablet at 15 minutes
Anticipated Analysis
OG: 1.059
FG: 1.015
Color: 12.8 SRM
ABV: 5.8%
Bitterness: 26 IBU
Notes:
Decoction: 40% for 20 minutes
Initial Fermentation: Mid 60s until the freezer arrives
As you can see, May 4th was the AHA “Big Brew” of 2024. This gave the occasion for the WSBC crew (most of us) to get together for beer, food, fellowship and comradery.
This post is going to be in “picture book” style which will make it more enjoyable for certain reader / viewership. Enjoy!
Hope you don’t need help.All American BrewingPrep / SetupHope you find it.The Supervisor
