Spring Break is just about over. Good thing the Brew Crew got together yesterday at Fieldpointe South to get something in the fermenter. The pre-meeting polling picked Red Zeppelin for the event. Be advised that there may have been some ballot box stuffing going on. I’ll explain.
C.F.W. Malther’s management is Zeppelin oriented in music. This has caused minor debate at preceding brew sessions with other representing breweries. There may be misinformation out there as to where Zeppelin ranks in comparison to, let’s say, Pink Floyd. Most folks would have that figured out. That’s an easy one – at least you would think. But alas, patience must be extended towards the few who do not. Perhaps picking Red Zeppelin was not the proper way to go as it may encourage more future nonsense. Too late now.
RZ is an Irish Red Ale. Guess that is fitting with St. Patrick’s Day approaching fast. No, this won’t be ready until early next month. That’s OK – we will extend the SPD celebration during April in preparation for the tapping of the Maibock the following month.
In attendance were Greg of Lone Cedar, Jerome of C.F.W. Malther and of course Supervisor Mark of Fieldpointe South.
Mark’s BMB opened promptly at 11 am but the author was a tad tardy attempting to squeeze in some schoolwork beforehand. Greg, being somewhat familiar with the brewing process, stepped up to the plate and had the sparge water heating as well as the strike water in the main unit. This move got him an 11% stake in the brew. That is if the beer mice don’t get to it first.
It is believed that some in attendance may have broken protocol by skipping the Hamm’s Chaser and going directly to Lone Cedar’s beverages. The Fieldpointe South folks follow this well established policy and procedure. Perhaps the BMB should be off limits to the violators until some manners are learned. Just saying.
What did Lone Cedar provide that enticed participants to forgo proper BMB etiquette? Irish Vendetta (Growler) and Prairie Schooner Porter on Nitro (Mini Keg). You can look these up on Greg’s website provided you can find it. He likes to keep it a well kept secret. Something about his beers being proprietary or something along those lines. These are very good beers!
Here Greg is pretending to be distracted by the food stuffs Mark provided. A pint of PSP is in the foreground. We ate well.
“What’s this?” “Are those playing cards on the table?” Why yes, they are! Jerome tag teamed the event with his youngest son, Andre, and introduced him to the wonderful world of all things Sheephead related. Since this may have been his first time, the “rookie rule” was lifted. Folks just learning the game are required to play with quarters before earning the right of passage to graduate to the more common nickels. (Some people even play for pennies but that might be an issue in coming years.) Besides, father and son were going on an adventure to locate establishments with the “claw game” where a minimum of $10 combined must be spent. If remembered correctly, 3 different locations were to be visited to fulfill the activity. Guess that is where all the quarters were going. Mark’s “claw game” apparently is out for repair as it hasn’t been seen for a good while now.
The brew session was fun and went well. I think the same can be said of the clientele – the fun part.
This version of Red Zeppelin is slightly different from its predecessor. For this round, attention was given to the color factor – which normally isn’t a big deal. However, the name kinda dictates that the beer have a hint of red. The trick will be figuring out the combination of roasted barley, chocolate malt and crystal quantities. The goal of course is to get a red tint to the beer and not end up with a brown ale or darker. Another option to try would be the use of what is called Red X malt. Fieldpointe has no experience with this so far. Might need to change that.
Red Zeppelin
Grains
8 lb – Two Row
2 oz – Roasted Barley
2 oz – Chocolate Malt
2 oz – Crystal (80°)
Hops
1.5 oz – East Kent Goldings @ 60 minutes
Yeast
Fermentis US-05
Projected Analysis
OG – 1.044
FG – 1.011
Color – 14.5 SRM
Bitterness – 28 IBU
ABV – 4.3%
Cheers to a fun filled brewing and St. Patrick’s Day!
“The Big Game”, “Super Sunday” or “Game Day” – however you want to reference it, we at Fieldpointe prefer to call it “Brew Day”. This “Brew Day” featured the beer named after a sought after month – May. This is for a number of reasons. One being spring. The other is the end of the current school year. Brewing a Maibock indicates that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and bigger.
It is with appreciation that the NFL enhanced the day by providing this somewhat entertaining event. It tried. Perhaps it is time to go old school and bring back the half time marching band. This was kind of a surprise really because I don’t recall orchestrating anything with the NFL to provide entertainment ahead of “Brew Day”. Some might think it coincidental but there is probably more to it than that. Mark?
What I find interesting is that the NFL decided 60 years back to keep track of this yearly event by using a numbering system – Roman Numerals – as added event enhancement and documentation. This number, as was established, is to be equal to – no more, no less – than the age of the Fieldpointe Senior Manager (FSM). The FSM managed to squeeze out 60 revolutions around the sun this past January. With that accomplishment the SB / BD ID of “LX” was set. The rest, as they say, is history.
Sometimes (perhaps often) it is said of many things in life – it is better to leave well enough alone – or something along those lines. I preface this next part thinking those words, I should have left well enough alone.
Once upon a time brewing was taken very seriously. Not that it isn’t now mind you, however, the priorities have gradually changed over time. After all, there have been 60 years to do this. Not that brewing has been an integral part of all of them as it probably should have. What I mean is this: The books had been read and procedures followed. Timing and temperatures recorded. Quantities carefully weighed. OG and FG taken. Spreadsheets employed. Etc.
What I discovered along the brewing journey at some point is that the tree was getting lost in the forest. Unless, of course, it is just a Lone Cedar somewhere in Nebraska – but that is a different story.
Sure, Fieldpointe accumulated all the gear and gadgets – most of which are used and have made the process more efficient and enjoyable – like brew kettles, mega spoons, mash paddles along with stainless steel connectors and silicone tubing. There has been the addition of electric brewing (which is the preferred method at Fieldpointe South) and even a pump which gets occasional use at Fieldpointe North. These apparati are all fine and good and have been great additions to the brewery. However, at some point it was realized that brewing wasn’t as enjoyable as it once was. Why so? The discovery was that too much was being put into the numbers and all. Don’t get me wrong, math and science are my life – literally. I try my best to teach math and science concepts to the middle school kids that put up with me on a daily basis during the school year. It was just getting too nerdy at this level. Brewing, dare I say, wasn’t as enjoyable as it once was. Then I remembered this guy and his famous quote:
Brewing needed to go back to a simpler time at Fieldpointe. Roughly measure grain. Use ballpark water to grain mash ratios. Employ a standard one hour mash. Time the hop additions but don’t get the knickers in a twist if not exact. A standard one hour boil. Cool. Transfer. Ferment. Keg. Enjoy. Fieldpointe brews beers to savor and enjoy by the chosen few – not the masses. We don’t need no quality control. We don’t have to justify to the bean counters. Don’t make swill of course but KISS it.
Notice that I didn’t address the OG (original gravity) and FG (final gravity) readings. These were skipped in the time of simplicity. Sure, there are the hydrometers and a refractometer but these devices rarely ever are used. Who cares what the readings are? Beer is being produced and the beer mice are giving their approval. (Fieldpointe South still has a problem with that.) Our friend Mark of Littleport Brewing in Racine doesn’t quite understand why this part of the process would be not of a higher priority. “How do you know if you are hitting your expected gravity if you don’t take readings?” People who care about style guidelines care about this stuff – and those who sell beer for a living. (By the way, he has given up asking me this but now this may change. My fault.) But now I’ve gone ahead and ruined it and now I’m thinking I should not have gone down this rabbit hole. Too late!
For the 60th milestone last month (LX), modern technology has been attained in the form of a digital hydrometer – a Tilt Pro Mini device. No real reason why. Something new to mess with. Maybe.
AI has this to say about it:
The Tilt Pro Mini is a compact, high-precision Bluetooth hydrometer designed for smaller, modern, stainless steel fermenters with 1.5-inch dump ports. It provides enhanced sensor resolution (4 decimal places for SG), improved signal strength, and, despite its smaller size, brings the robust, long-range performance of the Pro series, featuring 3–5 year battery life.
Spectacular! Who wouldn’t love such a device? This is going to make brewing even more fun! Or is it?
Simple to use. Just sanitize and plop into the fermenter. Connect to it via the Tilt app on the phone and enjoy the numbers. There is an option to calibrate in water just before use. Thinking this is a good idea, I chose this route for the first trial of the device. Quick and easy. Into the fermenter it went. And …. it worked! However, all is not fun and frivolity. More like sadness and disappointment. Stupid numbers.
Screenshot
OK, so this is the first time in use and despite its ease of use, there may be something that is being overlooked. I’d ask Mark (Fieldpointe) for input but … know better.
Going by the Maibock style guidelines (first problem – ignore, ignore!) the Maibock should have an OG between 1.064 and 1.072. 16# of grain in the brewing software had this at 1.069. OK. Of course there isn’t 100% efficiency so using the default 75% which I consider the low end of the spectrum, the number should be 1.05175 which you can see is the factory “pre-calibrated” number above. Temperature also affects an OG reading but the pre-calibrated temp was very close to the actual when in the fermenter. Might need to see how to go about messing with this aspect. Or maybe I shouldn’t.
As all good Lutherans would ask: What does this mean? It means that if my water calibration is on par, the efficiency is less than 75% – the low baseline. Yikes! Perhaps I should skip the water calibration and just go with the pre-calibration because I really don’t need precision here and those other numbers look better. (Am I being a politician here?) Now this is just the first run at using this device and Mark isn’t any help because it is technology. I’m on my own here. I’ve not been back to FS to get another reading so we’ll just ride this out and see what becomes of it. In the long run, it won’t matter. The beer seems to go somewhere. Beer mice!
Alright, with that nonsense out of the way … It was great to share the event with others – in order of appearance: Mark & Helen, Greg, Jerome & Son, John and perhaps another.
Mark and Helen were, as always, very gracious hosts letting us invade for the day. There was no shortage of food stuffs. Helen’s Ugly German Stew was the highlight of the event. There was a good possibility that beer and hot scotchies were a part of it as well.
Of course, there was the BMB along with a Hamm’s chaser – which is now anticipated and expected to kick off each brewing session and “Big Game”.
Some other bits and pieces to share.
The brewing operation itself went well. The procedure is well routine by now and should produce something respectable for May – regardless of what the true OG was / is. May will be celebrated.
The Makings of MaibockLX
Grains
12 lb – 2 Row
2 lb – Munich Malt
1 lb – Crystal 20°
1 lb – Wheat Malt
Hops
1 oz – Perle @ 60
1 0z -Hallertau Mittelfruh @ 15
Yeast
Fermentis Saflager W-34/70
Brewing Software Analytics– Non Tilt Influenced
OG – 1.069
FG – 1.017
Color – 10.8 SRM
ABV – 6.9%
Bitterness – 33 IBU
The beer was at cellar temp for 2 days to get the fermentation underway since I had neglected to get the “starter” process going on Friday. As far as is known, Mark moved the fermenter to the keezer set at 52° F on Tuesday. In another week or so, I’ll see if I can stop in for a gravity reading and perhaps a beverage or two.
As always, thanks for wasting your time with us. Prost!
Friday, December 26 marked the half-way(ish) point of the 2 week Christmas / New Year winter break. To commemorate the occasion the brew crew gathered at Fieldpointe South to try another rendition of Flex Coconut Porter in case Jolly ol’ St. Nick should happen to stop by on his way to recovery time in the South Pacific.
Supervisor Mark decided to go with this one again reminiscing the local Hula Chaser from Racine Brewing Company. RBC has been gone from Racine’s Main Street but its memory lives on by those who fondly remember quaffing mugs of Hula Chaser. For some of us, that was at weekly Wednesday Sheephead gatherings.
The first run of FCP was OK but not quite what the desired outcome should be. Toasted coconut was added to the finished keg but didn’t impart that classic Hula Chaser coconut porter taste. It also turned into a gooey mush being in the keg for the extended time during serving. In this rendition the Supervisor decided to add the coconut straight to the fermenter. Yup – just dumped it in. The plan is to give the fermentation process the typical couple of weeks to complete; then move the fermenter to the keezer for a week or two so everything settles followed by the transfer to the keg. Time will tell if this procedure produces the intended desired results.
Present to this event were representatives from Fieldpointe North & South as well as head brewmaster Jerome of C.F.W. Malther Brewing Company of Racine.
Despite being “under the weather”, Mark’s wife Helen graciously endured our presence provided we kept our shenanigans contained to the Man Cave – and kept a lid on it. Let’s see… the Man Cave is where the brewing gear and beer are located, so… no problem!
Mark was a gracious host (as always) and went all out to keep his guests feeling jolly and well fed. In addition to beer (duh) Mark had procured these holiday treats: smoked salmon, port wine cheese spread and herring. In addition there was sushi which always should accompany a Bloody Mary – as it did following the standard procedure for kick starting each brew session at Fieldpointe South.
The Ghost of Christmas Present moved Supervisor Mark to open the Bloody Mary Bar 20 to 30 minutes earlier than the usual 10 AM. This suited the attendees just fine as the one guest arrived on the early side of 10 AM – apparently to get situated before all the good seats were gone. As Jerome soon realized, this really wasn’t a concern as there was plenty of personal space available to mill about as one pleased.
While the brew session was under way, Mark thought it a good opportunity to give the keezer a good interior cleaning. This included removing the kegs and wiping the keezer floor. The motivation for this activity was actually initiated by the Lakeshore Common keg. When this beer was kegged, it was noticed that the beer out post was leaking. A new “o” ring was procured and replaced. Thinking this solved the problem, not much additional thought was given to the situation. However, Mark discovered that the kegs were doing the backstroke in the keezer. Mark and Jerome soon had the cleanup completed and lamented briefly over the few pints that were lost. Since the one replacement “o” ring didn’t fix the problem the first time, another was added to the beer dip tube. Following testing and close observation, the keg was cleared to reenter the keezer and as far as this author is aware, is behaving as it should.
As a departing gift, the Supervisor gave each attendee a can of 3 Sheeps – The Wolf which is an Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels. It is very good – one of my most favorite things not in brown paper packages tied up with strings. You may learn more about it here. I do like the quote from 3 Sheeps, “The liquid equivalent of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Yes, it will sneak up and “bite” you if not careful.
Since this beer recipe has been previously posted, I will refrain from reentering it here – unless there is a request for me to do so.
With that, may your 2025 have been great and your 2026 even better.
We are just a few days removed from Thanksgiving and in a few hours it will be December. Of course that means we are knee deep into the holidays.
A few weeks ago the Waukesha Shores Brewing Club (WSBC) got together for a 35 gallon American Porter brewing session at WSBC headquarters – a stone’s throw from Lake Waubesa in McFarland.
From the looks of it, perhaps a few years have transpired since its last production. Just wondering if a revision is warranted: Xmas Ale (2013, 2025).
Like all serious garage brewers, constant science and testing is involved. Recent sessions have included design engineering and experimentation with a hop filter. This filter is located in the inline transfer from boil kettle to the fermenter. This upgraded version received a classification of “better” – kinda like my Fantasy Football score this week. Speaking of FF, just throwing this out there from an earlier matchup this season just in case certain readership is present:
This was matchup #1. Matchup #2 may have been retribution by FS. However, this writer hasn’t procured the visual evidence to substantiate this at this time. (I actually got my butt kicked but good on round 2.)
So, the implemented tube filter was an improvement over the previous shorter design but not quite there yet – at least where pellet hops are concerned. The prognosis is that it should perform very nicely with just leaf hops. Almost all of the leaf hops remained in the kettle following the whirlpool and the few that went to the filter didn’t go any further or cause any problems with flow restriction. The pellet hops didn’t behave so nicely – kinda like some middle school kids I work with. The hop debris didn’t hang out in the kettle and caused flow restrictions despite the larger surface area of this larger (longer) tube filter. A hop spider will need to be used with pellet hops until the time when a redesign and test warrant otherwise – if at all. I could envision this device to be used as a hop rocket for a future brew. (Just throwing that idea out there.) The device would need to be reversed for this concept to have a chance at success. (I would think.) Cleaning it might be a bear though. (Never mind.)
Below is a gallery of images of the event in no particular order. (Unless they automatically post in the order taken.)
Last report was that the porter had been transferred to secondary. (Some people like extra work.) The preliminary OG measurement indicates that the ABV will be a couple to a few percentage points above target. The final fermenter volume should have been 35 gallons. Due to the slow transfer due to the above mentioned reason, an executive decision was made to cut it at 32. This being a “holiday beer” actually makes this aspect appealing in my humble and worthless opinion.
Xmas Ale (2013)
Grains
60 lb – Pale 2 Row Malt
5 lb – Crystal Malt: 120 L
1.5 lb – Black Patent Malt
1.5 lb – Chocolate Malt
Hops
5 oz – Columbus @ 60 min
4 oz – Hallertauer Mittlefrueh @ flameout
Yeast
London Ale starter
Anticipated (but not real) Analysis
OG – 1.050
FG – 1.013
ABV – 5%
Bitterness – 41 IBU
Color – 24 SRM
Some time had passed since the last WSBC brew session so it was good to get together with the boys. Brewing can be a very social activity. Here “giving each other the business” is not only expected, it is enjoyed. Happy Holidays!
September 01 (AKA Labor Day) is better known around these parts as the WLS Staff Infection Fantasy Football Draft Day (WLSSIFFDD). The Blauerts (AKA Fieldpointe South) graciously hosted the annual event as per tradition. God provided us with a day that couldn’t have been better. Mark was busy outdoors with the grill artistically articulating his craft while the brewing business transpired inside down in the Man Cave. Later in the day the WLS staff and associates arrived to enjoy good food, drink and Christian fellowship – and the draft.
Mark’s masterpiece was an 8 lb pork shoulder which he had on the grill around 5:30 AM. He has his procedure worked out well. The guests agreed because at the end of the event there was very little evidence of mark’s hard work remaining. Maybe it was the Mark B Que Sauce that was the hit and the shoulder was just something to put it on? Job well done (pun intended) Mark!
As mentioned, we were blessed with weather made to order for such an event. This time I have the proof that this was so as the Dorothy Doors were open. These doors are super convenient for events such as this and give the occasional glimpse of the glorious outdoors for those confined to the dungeon.
There was no shortage of beverages on hand. Dedicated readers of this forum know by now of the tradition of brewing a beer on this day and keeping it to be tapped 1 year out. Last year’s brew was a Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout which held up nicely. In addition, 3 of the 4 “church beers” were on tap. One was Lone Cedar’s U.A.C. Dusseldorf Altbier, another was Fieldpointe’s Freudenfest Marzen, and the third was Fieldpointe’s Gemütlichkeit Helles Bock. The 4th super secret (because no one has seen it yet) church beer is C.F.W. Malther’s fabrication which may or may not actually exist. The truth will be told in a week and a half at the 2nd Annual Oktoberfest & Church Picnic on the 28th when the beers will be served. This picture is one of the church beers making its way to the keg.
While the grill and brew kettle were hot, the early birds were treated to the Bloody Mary bar. This has become standard procedure to follow at these events and is a great way to keep rolling along.
The beer brewed this day is a repeat of the standard Belgian Quad. Due to the larger grain bill the 10 gallon converted mash cooler (warmer) was used. The intention was to use an external pump to recirculate the mash. However, someone from Fieldpointe North neglected to bring the necessary hoses. Perhaps next time.
Earlier in August, about the time the new school year got underway, C.F.W. Malther Brewing engaged in its hop harvest. I know how difficult it is to work this in at the start of a school year. Fieldpointe North at one time grew Northern Brewer, Willamette and Cascade hops which grew very well. The difficult part was getting the hops picked and packaged with so much other things going on. Somewhere in the picture archives are images of the hop growing operation. In fact, way back when, Brew Your Own magazine had a link to my home hop growing trellis images online.
Anyway, C.F.W. Malther proprietor Jerome gathered his harvest of MagnaMette hops. He calls them MagnaMette because they are a combination of Willamette and Magnum hops. The identity of which one is what had been lost in the relocation of the brewery to Racine from somewhere where Dorothy and Toto once hung out.
Malther was charging $20 / ounce but gave a healthy promotional discount if one mentioned Led Zeppelin Rules at checkout. Since just about everyone knows that Pink Floyd IS the band, Fieldpointe North did not use the promotional code. However, someone from the loosely associated Fieldpointe South organization caved. The end result: MagnaMette hops made their way into La Bel Da Qua.
Other than the forgotten hoses for the pump, the brew day went well and La Bel Da Qua made it to the fermenter.
The evening concluded with the WLS Staff Infection Fantasy Football Draft and Draught Draft. Each participant, as they desired, was encouraged to bring a six pack of a beverage to share with the group. Following the football draft the remaining beverages were then drafted to go home with the day’s participants.
This year I resorted to going “auto pick” for the draft. I did this once before and ended up with auto drafting 2 kickers. Ironically, I ended up winning the league that year! Somewhere there is a trophy with the proof. This past year Fieldpointe North finished in the top 3. Yes, I know 3rd place is 2nd loser.
However, readers may or may not want to note how Fieldpointe South fared. Guess someone needs to be at the bottom of the barrel.
In summary: A good time was had by all. This is a fun way to wind down the summer, wind up a new school year and best of all – look forward to and enjoy another season of football.
Hard to believe that today is the last Friday of summer. Seems it was just a short while ago that we were wrapping up the school year and looking forward to summer break. Guess what they say is correct – all good things must come to an end. For most things this is correct – like summer break. But God gave us the seasons to enjoy in their due time and I actually am looking forward to the new school year because that means Fall and Football are almost here! Fall is such a wonderful transition from the dog days of summer to the wonderland of winter. And football is, well, football!
So how to spend the last Free Friday of summer? How about NOT doing any schoolwork OR homework! I’m in for that. What to do? Brew beer of course! Since the electric system has been the workhorse at Fieldpointe South, the old propane systems has been collecting dust at Fieldpointe North for a good long while. Today that is changing and Old Faithful is currently back in action. Kinda windy but the weather is great and so far it has been a fantastic way to spend today.
But wait! School starts in a few days. Where is your dedication to the future of our society? My dedication today is to the brew pot. Monday the focus will be Back to the Future. Ha!
You see, the brewing at Fieldpointe South mostly stays at Fieldpointe South. That’s the tradeoff of being able to brew regularly and use Mark’s home and utilities. He gets to keep the finished product in return for brewing, the BM bar, snacks, a meal, beer and more! It works for the both of us. This leads to the question that all Brothers of the Lutheran Persuasion ask:
What does this mean?
This means that Fieldpointe North needs to occasionally brew to keep the 4 tap keezer stocked. Not that there is a lack of brew. There always seems to be random open cases and kegs strewn around the man cave. It’s the principle of the thing. Couldn’t tell you the last time a brew session took place here. I know it wasn’t last summer or winter or spring. So I’m back at it and NEED to plan for a winter brew over Christmas Break – the next opportunity.
Readership will note that brewing at Fieldpointe North is not as informative as Fieldpointe South. There could be a BM Bar but that didn’t happen today. It was closed. There are no Dorothy Doors to open. If there were, they would be open. The keezer contents will wait until later this evening for the Featured Friday Pizza and Beer pairing. The most “interesting” thing that occurred so far is that the wind extinguished my burner once. Don’t know how long it was out but that situation was corrected easily. Otherwise, all is going as it should.
Just did a quick look and all is well. 5 minutes remaining in the boil and then free-fall cool down. The “no chill” method is still in use here. For basic review: At flameout the boil kettle is allowed to cool naturally. In this case with the temp being 81° F it will be a slow process. It will sit out back for a number of hours before the flameout hops are added around 170° F, then racked into a container, carried inside down to the man cave and transferred to the fermenter. There it will cool all night and by morning the temp should be good for pitching the yeast. BTW there is a yeast starter of Fermentis SafAle US-05 underway at this time. That should be good to go tomorrow morning as well.
Time to go kill the burner and do some cleanup and prep work.
This beer should be listed somewhere on the site as a previous brew. To make it easier for all and just in case modifications to the recipe have been made, here are the makings of 1.21 Gigahops – Doc Brown’s Double:
Grains
10# – 2 Row Brewers Malt
0.5# – Maris Otter
0.25# – Vienna Malt
0.25# – Crystal 20°
Hops
1 oz – Magnum @ 60 minutes
1 oz – Simcoe @ 30 minutes
1 oz – Centennial @ 15 minutes
1 oz – Cascade @ flameout
1 oz – Amarillo @ flameout
2 oz – Cascade: Dry hop in the serving keg
Adjuncts
1# – Corn Sugar @ 15 minutes
Yeast
Fermentis SalAle US-05 (starter)
As an aside, some weeks back I attended the air show at the EAA in Oshkosh, WI for Teacher Day. While perusing the grounds, what should I stumble upon?
Almost 2 weeks ago (seems a pattern has developed here) the Fieldpointe Brew Crew gathered for a New Teacher Welcome at Casa de Blauert (aka Fieldpointe South). This was a chance for the WLS faculty & staff to get acquainted with some new faces (newbies) and reacquainted with old faces (returning) in a festive light-hearted jovial setting. Actually, it was an opportunity for the Blauerts’ to show off their newly installed flooring – which looks very nice! The area rug makes in look magazine quality!
Lakeshore Commons (LC) was intended to be brewed at home (Fieldpointe North) before the new school year got underway (August 19). However, Supervisor Mark kept me too busy with menial school related tasks so this intention did not take place.
Eventually, this did work out as intended. LC was brewed before the new school year but the brew session took place at the traditional Fieldpointe South (aka Casa de Blauert) location instead. Supervisor Mark made amends by hosting AND providing his World Famous Blauertcraut with Mark-B-Q sauce – which I learned is of the Carolina style. Perhaps I had already been educated on this by Mark. If so, it didn’t stick.
Because I wanted to squeeze this brew session in a limited timeframe, Lakeshore Commons was designed as a partial mash / extract brew (PME). PME brews produce quality on par with the all grain (AG) brews. The benefit of the PME over the AG is the time / effort reduction. So why not brew PMEs regularly? That’s a great question and probably should have been asked as a FAQ. I’ll tolerate it here and give a plausible response. PME beers cost a bit more (actually noticeably) due to the extract part of it and as previously stated, shortens the brewing schedule. More often than not the time restraint isn’t a concern so extended Brew Fellowship (BF) is not hindered with AG brewing. There you go.
A staple ingredient of Blauertcraut is its liquid lubricant: Hamm’s. Why? Not again! You are killing me Smalls! FAQ! Because it is “The beer…refreshing!” and it is “From the land of sky blue waters.” Duh! (Suggestion: think these things through before asking.)
Yes, there may have been one or two of these “lubricants” consumed as is – following the Bloody Mary Bar (BMB). Now that I think about it, Supervisor Mark offered these chasers during the BMB. Not disappointed as BMs and Hamm’s work well together.
At some point I decided to raid Mark’s dedicated beer fridge and found the last of this number:
It had bee a good while since Toppling Goliath’s “Sue” of any variety had entered the gates of paradise so I was glad to have discovered it. Do I feel bad for taking his last one? Goodness – FAQ please! Answer: Not in the least bit. Done and done.
There is a code of conduct – that is policy and procedure that needs to be loosely followed at Fieldpointe. The following rule may or may not have been followed during the brewing of Lakeshore Commons:
I would be amiss if I excluded the Dorothy Door (DD) report for the occasion. You will need to take my word for it as I neglected to take evidence, the DDs were in full open status. Good thing too with the number of individuals making use of the direct access to Mark’s Mac Cave and Depository (MMC&D).
Here are the “Before” and “After ” images of the two main events at Fieldpointe South:
This was a lot of work for the Blauerts and they are sincerely thanked for their generosity and hospitality. God blessed us all with fantastic weather and Christian fellowship. Thank you!
Interested in brewing Lakeshore Common – a California Common style ale? (My question so it can be here.) You are in luck!
Grains
1# – Crystal 40°
0.5# – Special Roast
Extract
5# – Light DME (or 7# LME)
Hops
1 oz – Norther Brewer @ 60 minutes
1 oz – Northern Brewer @ 20 minutes
1 0z – Northern Brewer @ flameout
Yeast
Fermentis SafAle US-05
Projected Analysis
OG – 1.051
FG – 1.013
Color – 13 SRM
ABV – 5%
Bitterness – 47 IBU
Thanks Mr & Mrs Blauert for hosting this event and God’s Blessings to all on the New School Year!
It has been some time since the last update. I thought that when the school year ended there would be plenty of time to mess with all things Fieldpointe related. Ha! I think the last Fieldpointe brew was back in very early June and I am now getting around to the post mid July. Excuses range from continuing to do some school related activities to home projects that never end to attempting to get more miles on the bike. As in my college days, there could also be some procrastination involved. I was a leading member of the Procrastination Club in college. Glorious days!
If you are thinking that you have seen Freudenfest before, you are not mistaken. This was the main beer for the church Oktoberfest last Fall. The event was so successful that I’ve been informed that it will be an annual event for the near future. That being the case, another round of Freudenfest was in order.
In actuality, there are the two beers from last year being served again in September. The other is the Gemütlichkeit which was also part of the gig last year. I personally didn’t think it to be that great but the populous went to that more so than the Freudenfest. Just goes to show that people perceive things differently.
To step the event up a notch this year, two guest brewers have been invited, and accepted to choose, brew and present their beer of choice at the Oktoberfest celebration. At this point I can tell you that Greg of Lone Cedar Brewing – Sprague, NE and Jerome of C.F.W. Malther Brewing – Racine, WI will be represented along side Fieldpointe Brewery. The names / styles of their beers will be in a not too distant post as the event gets closer.
Not having a memory that pays much attention to detail, I don’t remember a whole lot from the brew session. It did take place at Fieldpointe South and the Dorothy Doors were open. Mark had the BM Bar fully stocked. I think Greg stopped by but Jerome may or may not have been present.
With that being said, and so you don’t have to go back and hunt for the original Freudenfest recipe, here it is:
Grain
4 lb – Pilsner Malt
3 lb – Munich Malt
3 lb – Vienna Malt
1 lb – Aromatic Malt
0.5 lb – Belgian Caravienna Malt
Hops
1 oz – Tettnanger @ 60 minutes
1 oz – Tettnanger @ 20 minutes
Yeast
White Labs – WLP830 German Lager
Notes
This again was a decoction mash. Remove and boil (constantly stirring) about 1/3 to 1/2 of the thick mash for 20 minutes and return to sparge.
Ferment at 52° F for 3 weeks, then 64° F for 1 week, then 48° for 1 week and finally lager at 32° F as time permits.
Projected Analysis (Rarely, if ever, measured)
OG – 1.059
FG – 1.015
Color – 12.8 SRM
ABV – 5.8
Bitterness – 26 IBU
Here’s to looking forward to an exciting and fun Oktoberfest celebration!
No, it’s not as prestigious as a leg lamp but the fine folks at Fieldpointe Brewery have achieved and received the Quality Business Award for 2025!
How did Fieldpointe Brewery receive this accolade? Hard work and dedication in not getting bogged down with analytical numbers and complicated procedures. Fieldpointe’s adherence to producing quality beers has made it #1 in Oak Creek in 2025. We brew for the simple pleasure of brewing beer!
Thanks to you – our dedicated reader and patron – Fieldpointe is honored to be your local top tier brewery!
Raising the Bar, One Pour at a Time 🍻
Over the past 12 months, our brewery has consistently delivered excellence across every pint and person we serve — and the numbers speak for themselves. With an outstanding 95% average quality score across satisfaction, reputation, service, and product quality, we’ve not only met expectations — we’ve brewed right past them.
From the first sip to the last goodbye, our commitment to top-tier craftsmanship and unforgettable experiences has earned us the loyalty of our patrons and the respect of the industry. This isn’t just a score — it’s a testament to the passion, precision, and people behind every batch at Fieldpointe.
Here’s to setting the standard. And then raising it. 🍺
They say time flies when you are having fun. I must be in a state of ecstatic euphoria because time is cruising by in overdrive. It’s been a week already since the Waubesa Shores Brewing Club managed to assemble for an overdue brew session of an American Light Ale.
Young hairless buck Todd suggested a nice light American Ale for the summer ahead. Like a moth, he is attracted to the Light: Miller Light, Bud Light, Coors Light etc.
I asked AI if moths are attracted to beer. Looks like they are:
“Yes, moths are attracted to beer, specifically a mixture of beer, brown sugar, and ripe banana. This mixture is often used to attract moths for scientific observation or simply for the enjoyment of seeing them. The fermentation process of the mixture produces an odor that is particularly appealing to many moth species.”
So, it appears that Todd is in fact a moth and is attracted to the light for scientific observation – or for the enjoyment of us seeing him.
Unfortunately, we were not aware that brown sugar and banana aspect of this beer until now. For future reference, Todd will need to make sure that these vital ingredients are incorporated into the next brew session of this American Light Ale to achieve the desired outcome.
The brew crew: John, Paul, Todd, Jacob and myself (not the Beatles) gathered this past Sunday in Majestic McFarland. In addition, a visitor whose name escapes me stopped by because he apparently had too much time on his hands. (I’m sure one of the crew will refresh my memory in the comments section below.)
JD, being a Steam Punk junky had the operation underway upon my arrival. Since Supervisor Mark was not on hand, I tapped a beer and got the job done in his absence.
Brothers Paul and Todd got to mashing in.
JD reminding us to “Just Brew It”.
This is not what you think it is.
Every brew session needs chow. Todd made some smoked pulled pork for the crew. We supplemented with junk and might have had a few on the side.
JD’s not waterproof pump in a slightly damp environment. (Note: JD has weeds.)
The laundry boil kettle. I forgot to ask what type of laundry soap he uses.
Hops Spider is still hanging around.
Hot Scotchies anyone?
New to the system: Inline Filter.
Something ended up in the barrel fermenter.
Other than the wind which seems to be in abundance this Spring, the weather was nice and a good time was had by all – an enjoyable day.
American Light Ale
Grain
35 lb – 2 Row Pale Malt
12 lb – Flaked Corn
3 lb – Cara Pils / Dextrine
Hops
2 oz – Willamette @ 60 minutes
2 oz – Willamette @ 30 minutes
5 oz – Liberty @ 2 minutes
Yeast
1 pkg – White Labs California Ale (#WLP001) Starter
Anticipated Analysis
OG – 1.037
FG – 1.006
ABV – 4.1%
Bitterness – 11.7 IBU
Color – 2.8 SRM
Note: The group should note that the beer cache has been eliminated. I’m working on a pint of Aruba Derci as I type this.
