Author: Jerry

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.

October 2022

Father, Bread, Evil

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Those familiar with Christian (Lutheran) churches know this as The Lord’s Prayer. It is the model prayer to use at the beginning and end of each day and anytime in-between..

It also is the inspiration for a great beer name. (I can not take credit for this naming – that goes to Jay Selle, a former faculty member at THE WLS.) As the prayer is spoken in the service, a bell is tolled after each of the three words in the title. Why? This is a good question. I borrowed this information from the WWW:

“Medieval monks are credited with the custom of ringing a bell three times during the Lord’s Prayer. The idea was to alert people in the area surrounding the monastery or church that the Lord’s Prayer was being spoken in those buildings and they could join in from a distance.”

This beer was designed a year ago (October 27, 2021) and has taken until today to get under way. Currently, the mash is doing its thing in the brew garage.

Why so long to get at it? Another fantastic question to which I don’t really have a sustainable answer. Sometimes it just takes a while to get at things. A beer with this name needed to be special – nothing hastily rushed into. Many things worth doing well take time.

When I stopped in yesterday to pick up the brewing supplies for this heavenly beer, the attendant at Northern Brewer was amazed at the mish-mosh of stuff going on here. This brew is an integration of many different beer styles – multicultural – if you will. Inclusion is the theme with this one.

As the Lord’s Prayer is for all Christians in all places at all times, so this beer incorporates aspects from many different styles and ingredients from various peoples and places around the world. Yes, this is a beer of heavenly stature. Those who partake of it will certainly be blessed.

Dunkelweizendoppelbock. Yes, that is what this beer is. Why not combine a few great beer styles into one? Why wouldn’t you? This is what makes / keeps the hobby interesting. With the weather / season turning, now is the best time to give it the go. We all could use a little blessing in our lives – especially since the end of the first quarter of the school year was Wednesday.

By the way, this session is taking place at the brewery and I am going solo. It is a wonderfully sunny cool day in Oak Creek (52° F). I should really be on the roof cleaning the leaves out of the gutters but brewing captured my attention more so than the leaf cleaning. Besides, not all the leaves have dropped here in SE WI so that task will wait a bit until that event has taken place.

If you are disappointed that Mark isn’t going to be mentioned (other than now), take heart. Saturday, November 05 is Teach A Friend To Homebrew Day. Since friends can’t be located on this end, time and energy will be invested in getting Mark more involved in the brewing process. He will be brewing his own Happy Hoppy Amber – based upon the suggested brew for the event. I will, of course, be around to lecture him on what he is doing incorrectly. Hope my voice holds up.

It is somewhat disappointing that the online recipe for TAFTH was just for a 1 gallon batch. I suppose for people brand new to the hobby (as is the purpose for the event) investing in a few supplies, etc. to get a feel for it makes sense. However, putting the time and energy into just making 1 gallon of beer is, as Mark put it, like getting the charcoal grill fired up just to make a hot dog. Well put. We are going to go full Monty for a traditional 5 gallon batch. More on that brew session in a week.

The 60 minute mash is about over. There was some concern that the 21.25 lb of grain, the 1.5 lb of rice hulls along with the 7 gallons of strike water wouldn’t fit the 10 gallon Blichmann tun. It did all fit with a couple of inches to spare. Whew! The tun has been filled to the brim once or twice before when a barleywine was on the agenda. It has been a few years since that has taken place.

So what makes this beer the candidate to be named Father, Bread, Evil? All good gifts come from our Heavenly Father. Today’s endeavor is no different. He has given me the ability and this glorious day to brew. Father is appropriate for the fist part of the name.

Our Heavenly Father gives us our daily bread. Beer is liquid bread. Bread is appropriate for the middle part of the name.

Those two are easy to come up with. God is good. But what about evil? This one caused concern. How can evil be a part of this? There is nothing evil about this beer. Or is there….

Although I have the means and way to do so, I don’t take actual measurements (other than temps) on my brews. Not sure why. I guess the numbers really don’t mean much to me in the end. Anyway, there are theoretical statistics listed in my brewing software. Gazing upon the analysis portion of the recipe, evil was easy to figure out. This number has an estimated ABV of 11%. That’s it! Evil it is.

Father: The Author of all good and perfect gifts from above.

Bread: He gives us our daily bread – all that we need for our daily existence. Beer is liquid bread. We need beer.

Evil: Caution! This is NOT a lawn mower beer at 11% ABV.

What goes into a Dunkelwizendoppelbock? Glad you asked! Here you go:

Grains

9.5 lb – Pilsner Malt
0.5 lb – Acidulated Malt
3 lb – Dark Wheat Malt
5.5 lb – Wheat Malt
1.5 lb – Carawheat
1.25 lb – Chocolate Wheat Malt

Adjunct

1.5 lb – Rice Hulls

Hops

1 oz – Chinook @ 60 minutes (11.7% Alpha)
0.5 oz – German Hallertau @ 10 minutes (3.4% Alpha)
0.5 oz – German Hallertau @ 5 minutes (3.4% Alpha)

Yeast

Fermentis – Safbrew BE-256 (1 liter starter)

Theoretical Analysis

Original Gravity (OG) = 1.109
Finishing Gravity (FG) = 1.027
Color = 29.6 Standard Reference Method (SRM)
Alcohol = 10.9% Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
Bitterness = 31.7 International Bittering Units (IBU)

I’ll end this here and continue on with the brew day. So far – so good. I just hope I don’t start to think about beer every time I pray the Lord’s Prayer in the future. And if I do – only briefly.

August 2022

Silent Night

It was Labor Day today and laborious it was. Didn’t get at all the things that I had planned on so that leaves stuff to do on the non-labor days of the year. Started the day with a 67 mile bike ride followed by cutting the grass on a half acre lot with a push mower and then a few small projects. This took care of the day – almost. I’ve been needing to get at this post as it is 8 days past event.

The brew day was anything but silent due to the day’s activities. This is a winter warmer – so the silent part comes during the cold days and nights of mid-winter.

Mark hosted the trifecta of events on Sunday, August 28 at his place. On the agenda for the day was: 1) Brewing (of course). 2) Blauertcraut (been a while since it has made a showing). 3) Staff fantasy football draft for those of us who understood that the 28th was draft day and not this weekend. Right pastor?

Mark and Helen hosted a larger than usual group for this shindig and put a lot of effort into making it a memorable experience. The Blauertcraut and fixing were fantastic. Mark has become the master of the Weber and spent a good portion of the day grilling copious quantities of meat products for the main event. It was worth all the time and effort. Blauertcraut with Mark-B-Q sauce is amazing!

Commissioner Dave directed the NFL Fantasy Football draft. Someone thought it a good idea to have an individual who has expressed indifference towards the league to be the director of operations. Dave did keep the program moving and may have made some decisions (picks) for individuals taking more than 12.5 seconds to make a pick.The “Staff Infection” is 10 strong this year and looking forward to the beginning of the NFL season this Thursday.

While Mark was busy outside with the grill, I took care of the brewing responsibilities down in the Blauert Mancave. The session went well – as far as I could tell. There was an initial concern because the Dorothy Doors were closed upon arrival and continued that way for the mash-in due to the persistent threat of rain. However, the rain avoided the festivities, for the most part, and the DDs were opened as the 60 minute mash ended. This worked out well because open Dorothy Doors makes disposing of the spent grains a lot easier. No one likes sticky dripping all over the floor, up the main stairs, through the kitchen and out the back. Open DDs make outside access easy and quick. Outside guests also enjoyed the easy access to the beer fridge in the mancave.

Silent Night is a higher abv beer due to the addition of honey – a little more than the 2 lb in the original recipe. 3 lb were added because of the container size when purchased. 3 lb sold for $9.99 at the local big box store (which also sells groceries). I was not going to measure out 2 lb so into the brew went the 3. A second change also concerning the honey was when it was added. In the past, the honey was added to the boil somewhere during the last 15 minutes. The conventional reasoning for doing it was to do away with any potential bugs that may be in the honey. In so doing, some of the nuances of the honey were boiled off. I surmise that this is not needed as honey is a very shelf stable product. So, for this batch I put the honey directly into the fermenter and racked the cooled wort on it and added the yeast. I am not concerned in the least bit of anything wonky happening by doing it this way. Of course, time will tell.

Here are the makings of this edition of Silent Night Winter Warmer:

Grains

Common 2 Row – 14 lb
Crystal 60° L – 1.5 lb
Chocolate Malt – 0.25 lb

Adjunct

Honey – 3 lb added directly to the fermenter

Hops

Cascade – 2 oz at 60 minutes
Cascade – 1 oz at 45 minutes
Cascade – 1 oz at 30 minutes
Cascade – 1 oz at 15 minutes

Yeast

Fermentis Safale US-05

The numbers as indicated by brewing software – not measured:

Original Gravity (OG) – 1.101
Final Gravity (FG) – 1.019
ABV – 10.79%
IBU – 94.47
Color – 18.07 SRM (Standard Reference Method)

Here’s looking forward to some cold winter months and some Silent Night Winter Warmer!

August 2022

Doc Brown’s Double

This summer has been a bit lax when it comes to brewing. This may be just the second brew session since school ended just before Memorial Day. Since the new school year is just about here (23rd) it is time to get a brew on while there is still the opportunity.

When deciding what to brew, Doc Brown’s Double was at the top of the recipe list so the decision process ended very quickly – no need to look any further. 1.21 Gigawatts it is.

The grains, hops and yeast were procured from Hop To It in Racine. This is the counter part to Littleport Brewery. Owners Mark and Chris Flynn have been running the Hop To It brewing supplies business for some years now and their Littleport Brewery has been in operation for about 16 months now. Supporting local is what we try to do at Fieldpointe Brewery. It is nice to have these options available.

Today’s post is being typed in “real time” and not the customary days or week post brew. Not having much interesting to convey – this is a solo brew and I’m not very entertaining on my own – I’ll attempt to give the “play by play” action as it happens.

Currently – (8:01 AM) the mash is resting. Target temp is 152° F but close counts. Sparge water is heating to around 170° F. Exciting times.

Update – (9:07 AM) the mash is done doing its thing. Sparging with the previously heated water. Aiming for 7 gallons in the boil kettle. It should be close, which again is good enough for garage / basement brewing.

Slow going – (10:30 AM) the grain bed must have compacted some as the runoff is a slow trickle with the valve completely open. Haven’t had this problem for a while. Perhaps rice hulls are needed for future batches. (I discovered that all I had to do was close and reopen the valve to fix the situation.)

Back in business – (11:00 AM) one hour boil has commenced.

Half way – (11:30 AM) the propane tank is getting on the light side. Hope it holds out for another 30 minutes. There is another tank in the shed but it is, of course, empty from previous brew sessions. I need to plan better.

Boil compete – (Noon) and the propane tank did not go dry. Yea! Didn’t miss any hop additions. However, the 5 minute Cascade hop addition did not play nicely! I have not experienced a boil over at the end of the boil. This one made up for it. What a mess! This was volcano eruption quality action going on. You would have thought I added a box of baking soda to a pot of vinegar for some kid’s science fair project. It looked like most of the hops that were added during the boil ended up on the outside of the kettle, all over the burner and on the floor. Once the wort has been transferred to the fermenter, the kettle and burner are going to get a bath from the outside hose. What a way to end. I am thankful that this happened at the end of the boil. What a headache it would have been earlier on. I’ll need to fire up the burner again to get the water out.That area of the garage floor is going to be sticky for some time. I’ve washed it a few times now and my shoes still make sticky walk noises. Sheesh!

I did use a new app (for me) on my phone: Brewer’s Friend. It appears to be a nice setup however the timer alarms for hop additions do not sound. I was paying attention to the schedule so it all worked out in the end. I guess the app creators are trying to get this bug worked out for future app updates. Otherwise, the app can be downloaded for free and saves recipes among doing other things like strike water additions (which is why I downloaded it).

Just finished (1:45 PM) cleaning up the burner which is a Blichmann Hellfire unit. There are a lot of gas ports on that thing. I had to take a wooden skewer (just the right size) and poke it into every hole because of all the sticky hop goober that baked onto it. After about 20 minutes of run time all the ports had flame again. (No, I did not poke around while the unit was lit.) I’ll let it cool down and then fire it up again just to make sure all the water is out of it. Boil overs just don’t usually happen on my watch. This one got me good – and totally by surprise.

Just about (2:15 PM) done with the cleanup (dishes). This event went a tad longer than it otherwise would have if Mount Vesuvius would have remained dormant. The Hellfire was lit again and all looks good. The gas ports are clear of gunk and water. Now the unit looks like it has been used. Oh well, looks are not everything but it had the appearance of a new unit until today. Like most of the products I purchase – they are to be used and not looked at. I’ll be OK.

This, like many Fieldpointe brews, is a “no chill” brew. It will cool in the fermenter overnight and the yeast will be added tomorrow morning. No, there are no issues doing it this way. It shortens the brew day and cuts down on water usage. Transferring the wort between 170 and 180° F keeps the bugs at bay. The fermenter is a Blichmann 7 gallon stainless steel conical so it can handle the heat.

I believe this is not the first posting for 1.21 Gigawatts – Doc Brown’s Double but here are the makings and estimated analysis so you don’t have to go hunting for it:

Grains

10 lb – 2 Row Brewers Malt
0.5 lb – Maris Otter
0.25 lb – Vienna Malt
0.25 lb – Crystal Malt: 20°L

Adjunct

1 lb – Corn Sugar

Hops

1 oz – Magnum: 14% AA (60 min)
1 oz – Simcoe: 13% AA (30 min)
1 oz – Centennial: 10% AA (15 min)
1 oz – Cascade: 5% AA (5 min)
1 oz – Amarillo: 8% AA (Flameout)
2 oz – Cascade: 5% AA (Dry Hop)

Yeast

Fermentis Safale US-05

Estimated Analysis:

OG: 1.063*
TG: 1.012*
Color: 5.18 SRM*
Alcohol: 6.68% ABV*
IBU: 111.4*

*These numbers are calculated by brewing software and are not measured.

The next anticipated brew session is projected for Sunday, August 28 and will take place in the Blauert Basement Man Cave in connection with the Fantasy Football draft. The beer is TBD.

Thanks for reading!

July 2022

Christmas In July

Today was the big day to celebrate the much anticipated Christmas In July. To commemorate the activity, the Blauerts came through once again by hosting and providing a fantastic meal. Can’t bestow enough accolades on their hospitality: Great fellowship, food and beer. Mark and Helen are fantastic!

Mark stepped it up a notch for this event by decorating his Christmas tree for the occasion and providing party favors. A first on this site: A picture of us celebrating Christmas In July.

Christmas In July

The CIJ event was planned a number of months ago as a time when we would sample two winter beers that were brewed late 2021 and early 2022. These beers were “off limits” until today and again are not to be touched until Christmas in December (Unless someone manages to relocate the holiday to a different calendar date.)

The two brews taste tested: 1) Imperial Bourbon Barrel Stout (Brewdate: December 2021) 2) Bourbon Barrel Porter (Brewdate: January 2022). Both show promise for a festive holiday season in about 6 months. (These brew sessions can be found documented on this site.)

A wonderful and fun time all around! Cheers to Christmas In July!

June 2022

Fabulous Fiscal Finish

The annual End of the Fiscal Year Grill and Brew Fest was held, ironically, on the end of the fiscal year – June 30th. (Yes, this was posted in July. Since June 31 was eliminated from the calendar this year [see below], I didn’t have much time to get at this. Sorry about that.) The only thing “annual” about this event is that June 30th is the traditional end of the fiscal year. The “grill” and “brew fest” part is debatable at this time and can be properly evaluated a year from now. Mark (and Helen) was gracious to host this “annual” event this year for interested participants.

Most of you know that knowledge is power. In Mark’s case, he got his hands on some book about grilling and has been sharing his version of “fact or fiction” regarding all things grill related. He has even been so bold as to attempt some of the ideas that he garnered from said book. On this occasion he gave the old college try on a pork shoulder. I say the “college try” because he needs to work on his focus and dedication to the task. He went big on this task but wasn’t up to the responsibility that was required. Fancy meat thermometer or not, this was a giant leap from grilling a couple brats. A pork shoulder is a “in it for the long haul” event and Mark wasn’t adequately prepared for the endurance needed physically and emotionally. Sometimes knowledge is a dangerous thing (for some people).

The physical aspect is easily enough addressed: Mark needs to chase more chipmunks, rabbits and birds around his property. Yes, he does trek the steps of the Dorothy Doors (when open) but that alone does not equate to the physical stature needed to pull off this undertaking.

The emotional part will need to be addressed himself. His excuses of being distracted because of having to talk to “important people” about some possible career change and move doesn’t fly when it comes to dedication to the grill. As to not heap too many burning (or not) coals upon his head, I will spare some of the details from this dialogue. He may have a delicate side that bruises easily.

When all was said and done, everything turned out just fine – eventually. Good thing everyone (except Dave) was off the clock and could spend the extra quality time with Mark and Helen. It was worth the wait. I hadn’t eaten that well for some time!

Attendees included: Mark & Helen (hosts), Dave, Jeff, Paul, and new to the scene – Branden & Nichole. Jeff and Paul are not too frequent attendees to these spectacular events (not sure why) so it was nice to see them. Branden and Nichole – well, they are new to the area so I guess that might be a reason. Anyway, welcome!

OK I put this off long enough – the eagerly anticipated Dorothy Door Report: The DDs were OPEN! Those who are familiar with Mark’s abode know how important the DDs are. Having direct access to the man cave from outside should not be under estimated. Although, I am a bit concerned about Helen’s nearby roses growing wildly out of control. I fear that they may cover and conceal the Dorothy Doors so that they will be lost for the remainder of the summer season only to be rediscovered when the weather and temperatures are not favorable for DD use. I’m sure Mark will take this into consideration.

Mark isn’t known for much but what he is know for are his FAQs that he creatively adds to his email invitations. In fact, Mark’s FAQs were the inspiration for the FQA section at this site. I find Mark’s FAQs inspirational and entertaining. Others – maybe not so much. To give you a taste of his work, I will include a number of them from his invitation to this event here (with slight editing as needed to ensure safety and happiness). I hope they are not copyrighted because they are being used without permission.

“The annual End of the Fiscal Year Grill and Brew Fest will take place on Thursday, June 30 at my house. You are invited. The Dorothy Doors will be open. Below are the FAQ.”

FAQ

Q What time does this exciting event begin?

A For me it has already started. Things will pick up in the late morning of the 30th and carry through til early evening. I anticipate the primary fellowship opportunity to be from early to late afternoon, approximately 1:38pm to 5:11pm.

Q Where will this awesome activity take place?

A My house (I believe that was covered in the invitation) – N Main St. Racine.

Q What should I wear?

A Suit and tie is not necessary but, as always, I do ask that you dress professional so we can keep up appearances.

Q Why didn’t you send out the invitation earlier?

A Seriously? EVERYBODY knows that we celebrate the end of the fiscal year at the end of the fiscal year! And EVERYBODY knows that the end of the fiscal year is June 30. And EVERYBODY knows that invitations are not supposed to go out more that 48 hours before said event.

Q Why isn’t June 31 the end of the fiscal yearr?

A Look at a calendar

Q What can I bring?

A Great question. I will have lots of beer and grilled stuff but if you feel compelled to bring something, any of the following will be acceptable:

A pound or so of cheese curds.
A bag of pretzels (new bag, not that half empty bag in your pantry filled with stale, partially crushed ones).
A growler of the Winter Warmer, an ironic beer for this time of year.
10 meat sticks from Danny’s – don’t buy five and cut them in half. I will know.
A couple of packages of button mushrooms.
A bag of chips with the same requirements as the pretzels.
6-8 cobs of corn. Make sure it is sweet corn and not popcorn or field corn.
Nickels
4pk, 6pk, or 12 pk of Pseudo Sue. Make sure it’s not expired. Just because it’s been sitting at the bottom of your beer fridge and you didn’t drink it in time means it’s acceptable to pawn it off on the rest of us. I will know.
A bag of large shrimp (20count or so) They need to be the size of a baby’s arm.
Coleslaw – the good stuff, not the leftover half eaten container from when you went to KFC last week.
A pound or two of tiger meat – make sure its the good stuff and doesn’t have any bad stuff in it.
Chips and salsa and/or guacamole – it better be good
A container of Utz pub mix – make sure its fresh and not old stale stale stuff your cat ate out of.
A bag of Chex Mix – again, it has to be a new bag.

Q Since you did not help me move into my apartment on Sunday, is it ok if I just show up and not bring anything?

A Fair enough

Q Is it ok if I bring a nice vegetable tray with healthy stuff like carrots and celery?

A No. Stick to the list or don’t bring anything.

Q If I have another home brew or a really good brew that is not on the list is it ok if I bring it?

A Yes, but you better tread lightly. We have high standards.

Q What are the nickels for?

A Sheephead

Q I don’t know how to play sheephead Is it ok if I just watch?

A Sure. We understand. There is a lot of math involved. It’s not for everybody.

Q What are Dorothy Doors?

A Have you never watched the Wizard of Oz? Your parents have failed you.

Q What beers will you have on tap in your glorious beer fridge?

A Mark’s Magnificent Maibock and Father Bread Evil. You can read more about them atFieldpointe.netAlthough I believe the brewmaster incorrectly labeled them as House Ale and Maibock II (EDITOR’S NOTE: This is NOT the correct address for this brew blog. You greatly disappoint me, Mark. Follow it at your own risk. Correct site: Well, you know it because you are at it now.)

Q Will you have anything else available to drink besides beer?

A An endless supply of tap water

Q What will you be brewing?

A We (and I mean Jerry) will be brewing a Zombie Dust clone which shall be named the Fabulous Fiscal Finish or something else. (Zombie Dust would be another acceptable beer to bring to this spectacular occasion, provided it’s fresh and not been sitting in your garage or the trunk of your car for the past year or so)

Q What will you be grilling?

A TBD We shall see what inspires me tomorrow as I meet with my butcher.

Q Did you already pick up the necessary brewing materials?

A Sort of. Mark at DP Wigley had to substitute some items for what he deemed to be “close enough.” Might be interesting.

Q Since I am a young buck, fresh out of the halls of MLC, what else should I know?

A You may want to bring your ID in case you get carded. Jerry is a stickler.

As indicated above, Mark had the responsibility of picking up the brewing supplies for the Fabulous Fiscal Finish. And yes, he did substitute due to supply chain issues or something other. Regardless, we brewed it and it will be fine. It is going to be a dark IPA – not a Cascadian Dark but definitely a darker version of past variations. For those wanting (or needing) to make the connection, this brew is yet another rendition of the Zombie recipes found on this site.

So what did Mark pick up? Good question. Most of the items I could identify. The exception is the one pound of mystery grain that was not labeled. Here it is:

Grain

1 lb – Mystery (as in not known) – Steeped

Extracts

2 lb – Golden Light DME (Briess)
3.3 lb – Goldpils Vienna LME (Briess)
3.3 lb – Pale Ale LME (Briess)

Hops

1 oz – Citra @ 60 minutes
1 oz – Citra @ 20 minutes
1 oz – Citra @ 10 minutes
1 oz – Citra @ 5 minutes
1 oz – Citra @ 0 minutes
2 oz – Citra Dry – Hop: Fermentor
3 oz – Citra Dry – Hop: Keg

Yeast

2 Packs – SafAle S-04 (Fermentis)

No anticipated analysis has been made for this brew session since readings are rarely, if ever, taken and this recipe has not been entered into brewing software. You are free to do so yourself as you desire.

I was unaware that annual fiscal year end celebrations could be so joyous. Getting together with friends (and Mark), enjoying good food and sharing brews was indeed fabulous.Thanks to all!

May 2022

Field Day

Post author By Jerry
Post date May 9, 2022
No Comments on Field Day

What is Field Day? Glad you asked! According to the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the national association for Amateur Radio in the USA, representing over 170,000 FCC-licensed Amateurs:

“Field Day is ham radio’s open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.”

“ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, thousands of radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.

“Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!”

Amateur Radio is my “other” hobby. I’ve been in radio longer (1986) than I have been in brewing (1998). The two together are utterly fantastic – which is why both occupy this space in this post.

Next month’s shindig is being organized by Fred K9SO. He secured a location for the event and will showcase his remote station operations. From a park pavilion he will be able to remotely operate his two stations: one at Q-SO Corners in WI and the other in Mooresville, NC. (Click on Fred’s call sign above for more information.)

My contribution to the event will be 5 gallons of Field Day brew. The naming rights to it are in the hands of Fred who has solicited many suggestions from the members of the local amateur radio club: Lakeshore Repeater Association (LRA). Since the naming debate is still hot ‘n heavy, I can’t go beyond the Field Day moniker at this time.

This recipe is not my own creation but came from my bother, Paul KD9PM, who brewed this for his Field Day activities. He claims that it will disappear without much encouragement or coaxing. I hope that I can duplicate that with this showing. There were a couple minor tweaks made to his recipe but nothing that should alter it drastically.

The reason I could brew this today, on a Monday, is NOT because school is over for the year. Today was a potential winter weather makeup day. Since this winter was very mild with little in the way of snowfall, today was dedicated to brewing and getting some outside things done – and getting the bike out of the shed putting a couple of miles on it. Finally there was sunshine and warmer temps around here. Although, living such a short distance from the lake does keep things cooler. BTW, the school year DOES conclude at the end of this month – before Memorial Day for a change. Nice!

Here is the makings of Field Day for Field Day in June:

Grains

2-Row Brewers Malt: 6 lb
Flaked Rice: 1 lb
White Wheat Malt: 1 lb
Acidulated Malt: 05. lb
Cara-Pils Malt: 0.5 lb
Caramel Malt 40°L: 0.5 lb

Hops

Willamette: 1 oz (60 minutes)
Saaz: 1 oz (15 minutes)

Additions

Irish Moss: 1 tsp (15 minutes)

Yeast

Mauribrew AB01 (Repitch from Littleport Brewing, Racine)

Preliminary Stats

OG: 1.050
FG: 1.012
Color: 7.12 ARM
ABV: 4.91 %
IBU: 27.7

Here’s hoping for a great Field Day and an empty keg!

April 2022

House Ale

Post author By Jerry
Post date April 20, 2022
No Comments on House Ale

Christ is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!

Easter Monday found us a day off of school and at another brew session in the BMC (see previous posts). What better way to culminate the events of Holy Week than to celebrate our Risen Savior with Christian fellowship and frivolity. (Just to be sure, Pastoral supervision was an integral part of the day’s activities. Thanks Pastor R for keeping the rebel rousers at bay.)

The attendance at this session was better than at previous sessions. I’m not sure what the difference was this time. All I can guess is that Mark did a better job of “talking it up” than he has in the past. That, or people just didn’t have a lot going on. Probably more of that scenario. Anyway, as previously mentioned, Pastor R attended to keep the lid on the project and Dave stopped in to score a free Pseudo Sue – which had been absent for some time – from Mark’s beer stock. (Truth be told, I nabbed one as well – just because I could.) Pastor had to be there for supervision purposes only because he is on some allergenic awareness program (he has a color coded card so it must be legit) where yeast and barley products are flagged items. (Good thing hops and water are still golden.) So, he could not / would not partake in the offerings presented. He lamented that he could not participate at this time but is holding out hope that he will soon misplace the card. He had his own undercover secret elixir and a can with a cashew label on it but who knows what was actually in it. He could be just messing with us. Mark did offer him some seasoned grass clippings from last fall but Pastor declined. Go figure. All in all, it was great that he stopped by.

Other than the free beer, the jury is still out as to why Dave stopped by. Just kidding Dave. You don’t need to take this so seriously. Actually, Dave had some body work that needed to be done (you need to guess where) which he wasn’t really looking forward to. Go figure. As someone once said, “It is good for us to be here.” And it certainly was that both Pastor and Dave attended. I didn’t have to spend all the time alone with Mark.

In addition to the Pseudo Sue, Mark had leftover Stone and Odell Brewing beverages in his beloved beer fridge. Speaking of his beer fridge: He gets a little concerned when we brew because his future coffin needs to be taken off of life support (unplugged) so as to not trip the circuit breaker that operates just about every electrical appliance in the BMC. However, this ever wise one finally observed that there are in fact two circuit breakers marked as basement in the junction box AND discovered that quite possibly an adjacent outlet might be on the second breaker. Low and behold – success! In electric basement brewing there are two apparatus that are simultaneously sucking (sorry – pulling) the electrical lifeblood from Mark’s residence. In the past, this procedure would have been met with rejection and the result being left in total darkness in the cave – which is not out of the natural way of things concerning caves. But not anymore! Both units happily chugged the maximum 1,500 watts (1.5Kw) each with no objections from the circuitry. Fantastic! This operation works because the afore mentioned beer fridge is temporarily removed from the equation. Although it is a temporary disconnect, Mark still gets his knickers in a twist because he is afraid that he won’t remember to plug it back in later. No surprise there. No worries, Mark. I do the thinking for you and have your beloved covered. I am there to help – because I care – more than you..

To show my appreciation for Mark hosting these brew sessions, I am trying to bring a special libation to SHARE. This time I brought a bottle of quite possibly my most favorite brew: Goulden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Imperial Dark. Webnet: goudencarolus.be I stumble upon this once in a great while on my beer runs. It is a hit or miss item – mostly miss but when I find it I score myself a few bottles. The last discovery was at Timers Beverage in Racine. I got my hands on three bottles. Apparently, I’m not the only one who enjoys this number as I had to use my imagination as to what this particular bottle tasted like. By the time I got around to lifting the bottle, it was very light in the heft – consisting internally of nothing but air. Thanks buddy. I did encourage him to partake so it’s on me, I guess. As it worked out, Mark’s wife had prepared some good eats for the Easter dinner the day before and an abundance was shared with me. This was mighty fine with me so I did not object too much about the sudden bottle evaporation. By the way, I got the last bottle of this off the shelf at Timers yesterday so now I have two in my solitary possession.

Yes, the beer brewed was a simple House Ale. Since Mark’s residence has a structure on top of ts foundation, it qualifies as a house and so works. Actually, this is a very close rendition of the first beer I ever brewed back in 1998. That beer consisted of a can of liquid malt extract (John Bull), a pound or two of dry malt extract and an ounce or two of about the only hop available at the time: Cascade. I remember sharing that inaugural brew with my dad who told me that it was good. I thought so too and thus my brewing hobby commenced.

A house ale typically is a beer that an establishment brews on a regular basis to offer its patrons. Obviously, it has to be something that is good and people desire. No, I don’t brew this regularly but if I did, it would be my house ale. My commercial house ale is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I try to keep some of it on hand at all times. During the summer months, I also like to have some Bell’s Two Hearted Ale available. (It probably is about time to pick some of this up again. The weather will eventually get warm?) Drinking either / both at the fire pit after the Friday evening pizza is enjoyable. I’m a friend of fair weather and so far this summer routine is still in hibernation.

As it goes, this brew is a conversion to an all grain recipe with a few more ounces of hops than the original. It is not an IPA but rather a more robust pale ale that fits in the afore mentioned Sierra Nevada and Bell’s family of similar offerings. It definitely would be / is my House Ale. Here is how it looks:

Grains

2 Row Pale Malt – 10 lb
60° Crystal Malt – 0.75 lb
Dextrin Malt (Carapils) – 0.5 lb

Hops

Cascade (1 oz) – 60 min
Cascade (1 oz) – 30 min
Cascade (1 oz) – 15 min
Cascade (1 oz) – flameout

Yeast

Fermentis US-05

Anticipated Analysis

OG – 1.062
FG – 1.017
IBU – 44.4
SRM – 8.6°
Attenuation – 72%
ABV – 6.15%

Here’s hoping that Mark can share some of this with me in the future.

Easter Blessings to you all. He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

March 2022

Maibock II

The long awaited Spring Break has finally arrived! That stretch between Christmas Break and now is a long haul – a 10 week stretch – but we made it – with the help of each other and beer.

What better way to kick the week off than a brew session in the Blauert Man Cave. Once again Mark was the gracious host of yet another gathering at his humble abode. And, as in previous sessions, many were invited but few accepted. (OK, just a few were invited – but still.) One individual who took the invite seriously was our good friend Greg who we got to know via the social aspect of beer but had not seen until recently. He sought us out last Friday at Littleport Brewing in Racine for the “We Made It To Spring Break!” after school festivities. That was when he received the invite for yesterday’s social event and made it work on such short notice. The other invites should be humbled and feel shame. I’d be OK with that. It was good to see him then and yesterday – especially yesterday because we were able to play some three handed Sheephead. It had been a while since the Schafkopf cards had seen any action. He did very well for an old timer claiming he hadn’t played for quite some time. That was a load of bunk. He knew very well what he was doing. Greg did put on a good show though in his act of apparent ignorance. He should consider joining drama club. Thanks for stopping by.

There were two tasks on the agenda for the day: 1) Brew beer (of course) and 2) keg the previously brewed Doppelbock (Super Brew Sunday). On Friday, Mark (Yes, Mark – (he actually did something!)) moved the fermentor from the Dorothy Door step where it has been doing its thing for the past month or so, to the inner sanctum of his basement man cave. The beer (a lager) had not finished fermenting and tasted sweet as a result. The Dorothy Steps were just a tad too cold. Mark should have put a blanket on it but didn’t. (I’m getting old and don’t have the energy to do all the thinking.) The new beer had to occupy the same fermentor so out with the old and in with the new. “It’s what it is.” Into the keg it went and then the beer fridge. However, Mark can’t sample because I neglected to bring him a tap. Oh well, such is life. I’ll get around to fixing this situation sometime. I’m in no hurry – it’s Spring Break!

So yesterday was Pi Day – March 14 – 3.14. The closest thing to pie that Mark had was a 4 meat pizza which kinda did the job. (I prefer pizza pie over regular pie anytime, actually.) I’m not sure if a regular crust pizza actually qualifies as a pizza pie. I would think that a deep dish would have been more appropriate for pie day. Again, “It’s what it is.” and it IS Mark after all.

Time now for the Dorothy Door Report. The DD’s were OPEN. Mainly for Mark to show off some hunks of cast iron in his grill on the back patio to Greg. Not sure what all the hype was about. He just blew this one passed me and went to easier target Greg I guess knowing that all I’d say is, “That’s nice.” Lame reason or not, the doors were open – although the downstairs door was mostly closed for most of the time. Not quite that warm out yet but getting there. Much like seeing the first Robin of the season, open DD’s are a welcome sight and a convenience for transporting dripping spent grains to the back for disposal behind the shrubbery. Have to keep those chipmunks well fed so they repopulate and keep Mark busy again this summer. Sorry for the sticky steps and floor Mark.

The brew was the, I guess annual now, Spring Break Maibock. This was Maibock II because I discovered that I have two Maibock recipes on file. I don’t recall what version was brewed a year ago. I suppose I could go back in the archives here and figure it out but that would entail a little bit of effort. I’m going to go middle school on this one and not care. This one consists of a simple grain bill and just one hop addition. It was racked on the lager yeast from the afore mentioned Doppelbock and a fresh pack of yeast added for good measure. The brew is occupying the same space on the Dorothy Door Steps. With the weather warming up and temps in the 40s and 50s, this one should attenuate better than the last one. Either way, “It’s what it is.”

On a side note, Mark was contemplating how to improve lager fermentation temperatures at his place. He has a unique basement with all sorts of compartments, closets and the like. I’m not sure what the original purpose of these nooks and crannies were and we can’t ask the previous home owners as they moved out before Mark and his wife moved in. (Good move on their part.) Anyway, perhaps a simple setup consisting of a new unused garbage can, ice, water and a constructed (insulation and duct tape) hood could be implemented in one of these basement storage areas. I’m sure Mark will conduct the necessary research on this and come up with a plan as he would like to get an Oktoberfest going for Fall.

Enough of the ramble. Here is the makings of Maibock II:

Grains

Pilsner (2 Row) – 10 lb
Munich Malt – 3 lb

Hops

Perle (German) – 1 oz @ 60 min

Yeast

Fermentis Saflager W-34/70 – 1 pack

Looking forward to Maibock in May. Cheers!

February 2022

Super Brew Sunday

Some of us got together on the day of “The Big Game” to take in some football, fellowship and brewing at Mark’s Man Cave (MMC). (No, I’m not going to throw that stuff at you again.) As much as I protested about having to perform brew duties at yet another event where everyone else sits around while I take care of the beer business, I was reminded that brewing beer was the sole purpose for which I have been and continue to be invited to events such as these. (If they would just offer to assist in any way once in a while. I’d be happy with them taking a slight interest in the process – faking it if need be. But no, “Gimme my beer!” is the pervasive attitude with this bunch. Not sure why I even bother. Guess it gives me something to do once in a while.)

Anyway, as much as I tried to appeal to the slightest hint of empathy and understanding from this bunch, none was to be had and it was decreed that I must get my brew on at this event – which means my participation in viewing “The Big Game” was minimal. In addition, they attempted to play on my emotions by getting overly excited at faux plays by hooping and hollering and then giggle like school girls as I might run over to see what was going on. News flash: I have just two emotions: Hungry and Tired. They were not given the satisfaction of an intriguing response from me. I know better. Besides, I am a responsible brewer who takes the duties seriously. Why would I abandon the kettle to go see what these chuckle heads were up to? I guess it was a good game from what I hear – but I wouldn’t know. Thanks guys.

The problem really was with the lack of pastor supervision at the event. Although two were invited, a total of zero thought it worthwhile to put in the effort to show. Oh yes, excuses were given and perhaps you have heard these before:

A man (Mark) once gave a great banquet (Big Game Gathering), and invited many; and at the time of the banquet (Game) he sent his servant (emails) to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. Yet another said, ‘The keg of Belgian Quad is about to be depleted and since it will probably be gone, I will not come.‘

Well fellas, the Quad was not gone and three additional Fieldpointe brews were available to keep the festivities lively (and tolerable). In addition to Mark’s assorted delicacies of nuts and shrimps, Dave brought two pizza pies. These along with the libations ensured that a good time was had by all (who attended).

‘For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my (Mark, David and Jerry’s) banquet. For many are called, but few are chosen.’

This brings me to the real reason of gathering: the beer. Because of the season, Mark’s Dorothy Doors don’t get much attention this time of year. How to make them still feel appreciated and part of the action during the off season? Answer: Doppelbock! Let’s use the cold to our advantage. Lagers make very rare appearances due to the advanced methods of temperature control needed. This is just the 3rd one attempted. The previous two were Maibocks brewed the past two spring breaks (March). No high tech temp control is used. Whatever the ambient garage temp happens to be at the time has to do. Last year it was on the warmer side but it still turned out OK. The 3rd rendition of Maibock will be brewed soon.

We don’t know what the temp is underneath the Dorothy Doors. I suppose a thermometer would be useful – but only if Mark knew how to read one. He has given up on using many of his life skills – he asks Alexa to do most of his thinking these days.

It is still on the cold side here in southeast WI so this is purely an experiment to see what happens. Provided Mark can leave his hands off, it will be left alone under the doors for the next month to 6 weeks. Wait and see will have to be the strategy employed here.

This brew session went extract to aide in ease and time so at least a few minutes of “The Big Game” could be viewed by this guy. (I think I remember seeing a commercial or two.)

Malts

Golden Malt LME – 6.6 lb
Munich Malt LME – 3.3 lb
Pilsen Light DME – 3 lb

Hops

Hallertauer Mittelfruh – 2 oz (60 min)

Yeast

Fermentis Saflager W-34/70 – 2 packs

Projected Analysis

OG – 1.073
FG – 1.017
ABV – 7.77%
IBU – 29.1
SRM – 8.1°

Here’s hoping for warmer weather soon!

January 2022

Bourbon Barrel Porter

Today is Friday of Martin Luther King Jr (MLKJ) week so I better get some thoughts down before they totally evaporate from my mind. Monday seems so long ago already. I guess it must have been a busy 4 day work week. Thanks MLKJ for the special day and for what you did for all our Brothers and Sisters in Christ (BaSiC).

Yes, Monday, January 17 was Martin Luther King Jr Day (MLKJD) for us – and probably for you as well. This meant a day off from school and an opportunity to fire up the brew kettle for the annual mid-winter brew in the Blauert Basement Man Cave (BBMC) to commemorate the special day.

In keeping with the tradition, and the Black Is Beautiful (BIB) mantra, a dark beverage is always selected to be brewed on the Designated Day Of Appreciation (DDOA). Having a Second Flask of Bourbon and Oak Chips (SFoBaOC) on hand, the Bourbon Barrel Porter (BBP) was revisited as the Honorary Martin Luther King Jr Brew of the Day (HMLKJBotD).

As previously indicated, the brew session was held at the afore mentioned BBMC which brings me to the Dorothy Door Report (DDR). The DDR on file indicates that the Dorothy Doors (DD) were closed. However, this has not been verified by the Commission on Dorothy Door Observance and Report Status Committee (CoDDOaRSC). Perhaps the filing status paperwork has been held up do to COVID-19 (COVID-19) protocols involving the Metropolitan Meaningless Mask M&M Mandate Measure (MMMM&MM). I Don’t Know (IDK). I’m Not Sure (INS).

Anyway, the Brew Day (BD), Monday (M), was our BBMC MLKJ DDOA incorporating the SFoBaOC to be used in the BBP as the HMLKJBotD and the DDR was negative (to review).

Side Note (SN): Some People (SP) confuse MLKJ and Martin Luther (the Reformer) (ML(tR)) as being One in the Same Person (OitSP). This is an Erratum (E). Although both may have been Gregarious Persons (GP), they Lived in Different Eras and Were of Different Ethnic Backgrounds (LiDEaWoDEB). If it were ML(tR) Day (ML(tR)D), than a Totally Different Beer Would Have Been Selected for the Brew Session (TDBWHBSftBS).

To summarize: In the SN SP think MLKJ and ML(tR) as OitSP which is an E even though they could have been GP, they LiDEaWoDEB. A TDBWHBSftBS if it were ML(tR)D instead of MLKJD. Glad to Set the Record Strait on That (GtStRSoT).

OK, Enough of That (OKEoT). Let’s get on with the brew session notes. Mark and I were the only dedicated individuals who took the day seriously. The others were “leakers” who pretended to have “more important things to do” than to spend the day dedicated to the cause. Mark stocked his beloved beer fridge with beverages in line with the theme of the day. Another Side Note (ASN): Mark also had “lighter” selections for those who committed the afore mentioned identity faux pas. Sometimes he is the most thoughtful and understanding brew bud – sometimes. Actually, not quite that often. In fact, very rarely. Now giving it some thought, it must have been purely coincidental. Yes, it had to have been. That’s it.

Thanks Mark for the hospitality, the snacks, the meal, the beer and for hosting. It was a fun day. I am thankful that you have indoor plumbing. It was rather disappointing that no circuit breakers tripped as it would have been fitting. You know – lights out – dark – theme of the day?

Here are the makings of Bourbon Barrel Porter which originally was brewed and housed in an 8 gallon bourbon barrel from Washington state.. That barrel is still around but has been Designated as the Sour Barrel for the Rest of its Life (and Mine) DatSBftRoiL(aM).

Grains

2 Row Pale Malt – 10 lb
Wheat Malt – 2 lb
Chocolate Malt – 1 lb
Crystal Malt (120°) – 1 lb
De-Bittered Black Malt – 1 lb

Hops

Chinook – 1 oz (60 min)
Kent Golding (UK) – 1 oz (15 min)

Yeast

Fermentis Safale US-05

Adjuncts

Oak Chips (Medium Toast) – 2 oz (Keg)
Bourbon – 4 oz (Keg)

Projected Stats

OG – 1.082
FG – 1.02
IBU – 42.8
SRM – 58.1°
ABV – 8.74%

Notes:

This beer and the previous Russian Imperial Stout (RIS) will be in the keg (not the same one) with the oak and bourbon until next Fall / Winter.
This wort was racked onto the previous dregs of the RIS in the fermentor. Additional fresh yeast was added for insurance purposes.
MLKJ day music included “Southern” by Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD) followed by the Blues.
The “Leakers” missed out on Danny’s Meat Sticks (DMS) and Helen’s Pasta Extraordinaire (HPE).