October Meeting Notes - by Kevin Brown

1. Wiessen Brau
Or meadow brew as in the meadow in which Oktoberfest is held (supposedly also originally held) after many complaints from locals for a lighter more easily drunk beer some of the brewery’s have started to brew Wiessen Brau instead.

2. Höfbrau München (HB) - Donated by Kybecca
Joe - “Smell the aroma carefully. Sharp and pungent then immediately behind that, something like concord grapes, sweet like taste, Saaz.”
Dave - “Like a Heineken Plus.”
Joe - “That’s what Heineken is take the to the lowest common denominator and you get Heineken.”
Dave - “eh… I'm an ale guy.”

3. Weihenstaphaner Festbier
Hallertauer - more malt sweeter

4. Saranac Oktoberfest
Honey in the nose, toatsy and thin

5. Lancaster Oktoberfest
Diacetyl - Diacetyl is a product of yeast more so in lagers and the way you get rid of it is bring the temperature up to 60°F for two days and the yeast will consume a lot of the diacetyl.

6. Mendocino Oktoberfest
Very dry, like the way it pours, nice crowned head

7. Dominion Oktoberfest
Little old, roasted barley is obviously used to bring up the colour

8. Legend Oktoberfest - Donated by Kybecca
Dave - “I note something about diacytel, its got ass right in the middle of it."
Kevin - “When diacytel is really strong like this it kind of reminds me of strawberries and cream, like the fake flavour used in processed food."

9. Blue and Grey Oktoberfest
It's an old bottle when fresh this years was amazing, but this was a disappointment.

10. Stoudt’s Oktoberfest
It's decocted (take the thickest part of the mash and boil it and throw it back into the kettle, this converts a portion of the sugars to malliard browning reactions.
Dave - "Man that’s good shit."

11. Dogfish Head Dogtoberfest
Very nice, honey

12. Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest
All Hallertauer, identifiable as the Märzen

13. Paulaner
The malty cousin of Hacker-Pschorr with very similar flavours.
Joe - “Very nice.”

14. Spaten Oktoberfest

15. Clipper City Balto MärzHon
Acetalaldehyde (green apple) and a lot of acetone.
Dave - “Asselaldahyde, Assetlyahyde!"

16. Bell ’s Oktoberfest
Lyle “2nd best made in America. I say 2nd because Victory Festbier is first.”

17. Victory Festbier
Toast not roast. It got a gold in Vienna category.
The depth there... that’s the decocotion. It gives such a depth that it shows dramatically the significance of decoction.

** Other discussions **
Schneider und Sohn is the first non-Royal brewery allowed to brew wheat beers as before only royalty could brew with wheat, (Hopfen Weiss by Brooklynn and Schneider, but its for a very specific tongue you either love or hate it, very hoppy and very phenolic.)

Biergarten in Portsmouth has Eisbock on tap (the Aventinus Eisbock is where they take their weizenbock and freeze it removing the ice from the beer thus concentrating the flavor and alc % )

There are three main stays for supplies: B3 or Beer Beer and More Beer (www.morebeer.com), www.Williamsbrewing.com, and Homebrew USA (this one is for those events “oops I brew tomorrow and I need this”). A few others such as Northern Brewer and My Local Homebrew Shop (in DC 7 corners).