Categories
September 2025

La Bel Da Qua

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.

La Bel Da Qua

Grains

  • 10 lb – Belgian Pils
  • 7 lb – Belgian Pale

Hops

  • 1 oz – Brewer’s Gold (MagnaMette) @ 60 minutes
  • 1 oz – Hallertau (MagnaMette) @ 30 minutes
  • 1 oz – Styrian Goldings (MagnaMette) @ 15 minutes

Adjunct

  • 1 lb – Amber Candi Sugar @ flameout

Yeast

  • Fermentis BE-256 (1 liter starter)

Projected Analysis

  • OG – 1.081
  • FG – 1.020
  • Color – 14 SRM
  • ABV – 8%
  • Bitterness – 47 IBU

Categories
August 2025

1.21 Gigahops – Doc Brown’s Double

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?

Projected Analysis

  • OG – 1.063
  • FG – 1.012
  • Color – 5.2 SRM
  • ABV – 6.7%
  • Bitterness – 111 IBU
Categories
August 2025

Lakeshore Commons

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:

Blauertcraut – Before
Lakeshore Commons – Before
Blauertcraut – After
Lakeshore Commons – After

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!

Categories
June 2025

Freudenfest

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!

Categories
May 2025

It’s A Major Award!

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. 🍺

Categories
April 2025

Sine Nomine (A Horse in the Desert)

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.

Categories
April 2025

Gemütlichkeit

Easter Monday was a day off from the school teaching gig – AKA Easter Break – and that meant getting ‘r done at Fieldpointe South. The brewing system has been less tasked lately for a good reason.

Owner and proprietor Mark of Fieldpointe South suffered a heart attack not too long ago one morning. Instead of inconveniencing emergency medical services with an escort to the hospital, he patiently waited for Helen to finish an abbreviated morning maintenance agenda before being driven in for service. It appears that the receptionist at the hospital wasn’t initially concerned about Mark’s status by having him complete 3 volumes of registration paperwork. Perhaps the individual thought that Mark was faking it and was just seeking attention? Eventually Mark got the concept of urgency across to the desk receptionist and was given immediate corrective measures. He was definitely not faking.

Investigations indicated that Mark’s “widow maker” had some debris in the plumbing which was corrected by a stent inserted via his wrist. I had no idea that they could do something like that! Thankfully that maneuver did the trick and Mark is still with us ensuring the continued operations of Fieldpointe South. We are all very thankful and appreciative of God’s guidance and healing of Mark through this situation.

Not too long after, Mark had to go in for a stress test. Not surprisingly, he did not study properly and failed. This resulted in another trip to the specialists to have another stent inserted on the back of his heart – again via his wrist. Mark indicated that he was conscious during both procedures. I wonder if it feels like worms crawling through your blood vessels? I have no idea and don’t really have the desire to find out.

Mark is now taking “old people” medications and participates in “therapy” on a regular basis. He is still able to participate in beer brewing (not much of a change there as supervisor) and consuming – as always – within moderation. We are all thankful for the positive outcome of this event.

What to brew on an Easter Monday? Good question. It has been brought to our attention that the church again would like to hold another Oktoberfest in September. Time to get going on another round of “Church Beers” so that they can lager a bit before then. The plan is to brew 2 of last year’s beers: Gemütlichkeit and Freudenfest. To add some creativity to the event, the other 2 “Brothers of the Lutheran Persuasion” have each been invited to brew a beer of their choosing to have on hand at the Oktoberfest celebration. You would better know these “brothers” as Greg: Lone Cedar Brewing and Jerome: C.F.W. Malther Brewing. If you have no idea as to who these guys are, shame on you. You are not a diligent reader of this blog. Now would be a great time to fix this you problem. (After you finish reading this post, of course.)

Present for the brew session was the afore mentioned Greg of Lone Cedar and esteemed special honorary guest John who stopped by to whet his whistle following a grueling session at the daily grind. John is the chair of the festivities and fellowship committee at First Evan and thoughtfully suggested that Fieldpointe again provide the “refreshments” for the upcoming event. Absent was Jerome of Malther who was recovering at home from some “bug” that bit him. It was thoughtful of him to not share his illness with us by passing on this brewing invitation. I’m sure that was a very hard decision to make.

Speaking of sharing, Greg did bring a beer share: WildEdge Everything Nice. WildEdge is a brewery in Cortez, Colorado. This beer is classified as a Belgian Table Beer with cardamom, coriander and orange peel. Let me tell you – if you can get your mitts on this – don’t hesitate.

Now back to the brew. Since this beer has been previously published, you may go back in time, as you desire, to review and refresh your memory of all things Gemütlichkeit. If you lack the desire of the finer details, then continue on for this year’s rendition of Gemütlichkeit.

Grains

  • 10 lb – Pilsner Malt
  • 1 lb – Acidulated Malt
  • 1 lb – Vienna Malt
  • 1 lb – Crystal 40° L

Hops

  • 1 oz – Hallertau @ 60 minutes
  • 1 oz – Hallertau @ 15 minutes
  • 1 oz – Hallertau @ Flameout

Yeast

  • Fermentis Saflager S-23

Fermentation will take place at various temperatures totally dependent on Mark’s ability to operate the temperature controler effectively.

Categories
February 2025

My Bach

Super Bowl Sunday seems like it was a while ago and I am just now getting around to posting the 2025 Super Brew Sunday edition. My college procrastination tendencies are making a comeback as I get older. (Added another trip around the sun in January.) Life has been busy.

Special guest to the event was John – a guy who gets a lot accomplished around school – and makes Mark look good to the general public. John doesn’t have his own brewery but does a great job of visiting others.

Not wanting to wait until the traditional Spring Break to brew the Maibock, Mark suggested it for Super Brew Sunday. Why not? A change of pace from the routine. We can do this type of thing since the addition of the keezer at Fieldpointe South – which is where we were once again gathered.

On tap for the event was Littleport Flynness Stout and Fieldpointe Silent Night. Unfortunately, the beer mice nocked off the keg of Littleport Daley Dopple sometime earlier and I’ve learned that since this event they also drained the Flynness Stout. I find it hard to believe that Mark just sits by and lets this happen. He doesn’t realize the infestation of beer mice at Fieldpointe South – or apparently care.

Per the usual, the BM Bar opened promptly at 11 AM to get the ball rolling. And, because of the season, the DDs were closed – except to feed the outdoor wildlife with spent grains. However, the past two days have seen the mercury rise to the lower 50s so DD season isn’t too far off!

Bring Bach my beer!

My Bach is named in honor of the better half (more like 3/4) of C.F.W. Malther Brewing owner, Jerome. Jer’s wife Abi is involved with the educational lives of the middle schoolers at THE WLS. She is gifted in music and is heavily involved with that program. This year she has been routinely posting “Bachisms” at school. These change every week or so. Each Bachism is accompanied by a related picture. I enjoy viewing and reading them as I pass by on my way to the science room where the real fun is. I’ve yet to see a posting joining Bach and Beer but I’m sure it can’t be too far off. There still is one quarter of the school year remaining. (I tried my hand at it above.)

As indicated, My Bach is a Maibock which has been previously brewed at Fieldpointe South. Traditionally it was brewed over Spring Break and then resided on the DD steps to wait out the arrival of spring. You can go back in time on this site to locate those occurrences. Previously, the two Fieldpointe offerings were thoughtfully referenced as Maibock I and Maibock II. This is one of the two that has been affectionally renamed.

This is a simple recipe and not too hard to mess up as far as the brewing process is concerned. However, Mark is responsible for adjusting the temperature controller on the keezer through the fermentation process. One can only guess as to how that has been going.

Grains

  • 10 lb – Pilsner Malt
  • 3 lb – Munich Malt

Hops

  • 1 oz – Perle @ 60 minutes

Yeast

  • Lallemand – Diamond Lager

Projected Analysis

  • OG: 1.066
  • FG: 1.017
  • Color: 7.7 SRM
  • ABV: 6.5%
  • Bitterness: 31 IBU

If all goes well, My Bach will be ready for Mai. Now if only something could be done about the beer mice.

Adorable mouse holding a beer in a ...
Categories
January 2025

Ale to the Chief! – Presidential Porter

Inauguration Day just happened to coincide with MLK Jr Day which meant a day away from the salt mine to celebrate. Think of it as MLK Jr Day with a twist. And what better way to celebrate the events than to be at Fieldpointe South for the January brew session of the month.

Keeping to the tradition of brewing MLK Jr dark but working in the swearing in of Trump as the next president, Ale to the Chief! Presidential Porter was chosen for this special occasion.

Per the usual, the day’s event kicked off with the opening of Mark’s Bloody Mary Bar at 11:00 AM sharp. New to the BM ingredient lineup was the addition of Dilly Beans which were a fine accessory to the smorgasbord of selections in the CYOBM. Nice addition Mark!

A guest brewer on the scene (not necessarily special) was Greg of Lone Cedar Brewing in Sprague, Nebraska. I’d link you to his website – if he had one. Greg is moving along with his newly established brewery. He has conducted a number of brews and is pleased with the results. Mark and I enjoy the flights that Greg has shared thus far. Greg doesn’t have a www but he does have stickers! I’d be proud to display his logo here but apparently he isn’t.

Another guest brewer to enhance the motley brew crew was owner and operator of C.F.W. Malther Brewing Company – Jeremy (leaning with a tendency towards special – but not quite – mainly due to a music preference). Jeremy did bring some libations to share with the group. I must have missed the selections that Greg brought.

I do have to thank Greg for letting Fieldpointe borrow a keg to keep the operations, well, operational. Greg has been gracious in loaning us equipment to sustain the viability of the brewery. He previously purchased 3 brand spanking new fermenters and let Fieldpointe break them in. They were used for the “church beers” to celebrate the festivities at church in 2024. Not that we drank beer in church (that would be cool) – but close. Anyway, both Greg and Jeremy have their own breweries, brew beer (duh) and are reasonably swell guys. We just need to see more of a C.F.W. Malther representation at these things. This once a year thing doesn’t cut it.

Ale to the Chief! Presidential Porter is new to the Fieldpointe lineup. It’s not that the brewery doesn’t have a Porter recipe in the books already. This presidential inauguration thing only comes about – what is it? – every 4 years. Recycling a past Porter recipe would be like recycling a past president – oh, wait.

Ale to the Chief! Presidential Porter

Grains

  • 10 lb – 2 Row
  • 1.5 lb – Chocolate Malt
  • 1.0 lb – Munich
  • 8 oz – Crystal 120°
  • 5 oz – Black Patent

Hops

  • 0.75 oz – Nugget at 60 minutes
  • 0.75 oz – Willamette at 20 minutes
  • 0.75 oz – Crystal at 20 minutes
  • 0.25 oz – Willamette at flameout
  • 0.25 oz – Crystal at flameout

Yeast

  • Fermentis Safale US-05

Projected Analysis

  • OG: 1.068
  • FG: 1.017
  • Color: 33 SRM
  • ABV: 6.7%
  • Bitterness: 49 IBU
Categories
December 2024

Silent Night Winter Ale

A Sunday in December completed the year challenge of brewing at least once per month in 2024. Once again, the brew session was held at Fieldpointe South.

Frequent readers of this blog know the routine by now. This session wasn’t any different except that the Sheephead nickels that went missing some months back were located. With their rediscovery, this could only mean one thing: 2 handed Sheephead. I am always amazed at the amount of fail dealt me when I am attending to the brew and Mark deals. As he comments, “It doesn’t get old.”

Silent Night is an American Strong Ale. It has a slightly larger grain bill that requires mashing in the 10 gallon cylindrical converted cooler because the electric system is short on capacity for grain bills over, say 13 pounds. The brew session went as anticipated.

Grains

  • 14 lb – 2 Row
  • 1.5 lb – Caramel 60°
  • 1 lb – Honey Malt
  • 0.25 lb – Chocolate Malt

Hops

  • 2 oz – Cascade @ 60 minutes
  • 1 oz – Cascade @ 45 minutes
  • 1 oz – Cascade @ 30 minutes
  • 1 oz – Cascade @ 15 minutes

Yeast

2 Packs – Fermentis Safale US-05