Catching up & more travel: Silver Springs, Md., Beer Scene

It’s been a while but I’ve been on the road. I know, no excuse but I’m sorry. Coming soon will be a read on some great bars and places in Philadelphia, a revisit to Long Beach, Calif., and the Seattle/Port Angeles, Wash., area. But first I need to catch up.

I drove up to Silver Springs for a week-long class on April 8. Being Easter and the fact that it was Maryland where you can’t get a beer in a grocery store I was at a loss. I needed to stock the fridge in the hotel room for the week and didn’t have any options. I decided to wander and see if I could find a store that was open.

Thank the gods for Adega Wine Cellars & Cafe. Not only were they open on Easter Sunday but they had some great beer. After grabbing an Oliver Breweries 19 Anniversary Stout (which was awesome by the way) to sip on and buying some Port City Brewing Essential Pale Ale, a Leffe Blonde and few others that I have not yet consumed, I headed off to get dinner.

My choice for the evening was the Fire Station 1 Restaurant and Brewing Co. The food here is ok, typical bar food and the beer was the same as I remember from the first time I was there. I had:

Daily Crisis IPA
Avenue Golden Ale
Something Red
Stoney’s Stout

I was not a huge fan of their beers…sorry.

A brief stop at McGinty’s Public House for a Port City Porter and I was back to my hotel.
The week didn’t go well since my class was canceled as I walked in the door so I headed home.

A quick shout-out and honorable mention goes out to Whole Foods in Alexandria, Va., for having a great beer selection and a growler filling station…very cool.

Bottling your first brew

You’ve patiently (or not) waited the two weeks for the fermentation to finish. If you are like me you probably took a peak each day to watch the yeast bubbling away. Now the time has finally come to bottle your brew.

Since I only brew a gallon at a time I only have to fill 6-10 bottles at a time. The bottles I use are 16 oz grolsch bottles in cobalt blue. I get 6 and 3/4 bottles of beer off of a one gallon brew.

The first step is washing and sanitizing the bottles. I wash the bottles inside and out using a bottle brush then I throw them in the dishwasher for a full cycle to make sure they are really clean. After they dry I soak the bottles in a sanitizing solution and place them back in their case, upside-down wrapped in paper towels. I really should get a bottle tree since it would make this step a lot easier.

To prime the bottles I use some maple syrup mixed with some water to thin it out. This is according to the instructions on the kit recipe.
I then siphon off the beer from the carboy into the pot with the primer. I’ve been pretty successful with my auto siphon for this step.

The hard part for me is trying to not get a lot of sediment out of the carboy. I have been really careful about not letting the siphon hose touch the bottom and I usually leave a little too much brew at the bottom but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

I next set up my bottling line in the kitchen with the primed pot on the stove at an angle and my empty bottles on a tv tray next to the stove. This puts the bottles at a lower level than the pot on the stove.

The first time I bottled I only had my auto siphon and my hose with a clamp. I got the hang of filling the bottles before I started by practicing with water and a bottle I wasn’t going to use. I figured out the hose clamp was harder to close than I thought.

Six and 3/4 bottles filled in about 20 minutes and they went back in the closet for another two weeks. Waiting is still the hardest part.

Long Beach, CA, Beer Scene: The Congregation Ale House

I saved the best for last when it comes to the Long Beach beer scene. Due to unexpected circumstances I ended up with a day off to myself. After a good work out and taking care of a phone call to the Yard House (see the previous post here and the follow up here) I went out to explore.

After a good work out my first stop was Rock Bottom Brewery. I just stopped in for one beer at this nation-wide chain. At least I know what I’m going to get when I go to a Rock Bottom. The beer is usually pretty ok (read as “I’ll drink it but it’s not my first choice”). I sat at the bar and tried to decide what to have.

I decided on their Brewmaster Select tap which happened to have the seasonal I had been eying on the menu. Cupid’s Arrow is a red malty smooth beer that made me think of Valentine’s Day. Wish I could have stayed there and drank it all day. Kudos to brewmaster Hayley Shine has a winner with this one.

After walking around for a bit and a brief stop at Cold Stone Creamery for some salted-caramel and twix ice cream I went to meat some friends at the Congregation Ale House.

Let me start by saying any place that calls happy hour “daily mass” wins cool point in my book. If I could claim beer appreciation as a religion I would be at least a deacon. Double cool points for “Midnight Mass” Sundays through Thursdays and Palm Sunday ($4 Palm by Palm Breweries).

This local chain of three locations has a great theme of a church for beer appreciation. The interior of the Long Beach location has high ceilings, exposed beams and a great stained glass piece behind the taps at the bar. The bar is small with about eight chairs and embedded chill coasters to keep your beer cold. It was funny to watch people try and move the metal plates as if they were paper.

The food is all ala carte but their fries and the port wine burger special was amazing…it made my night. As for the beer they have a great medium selection of bottles and rotating drafts.

I began the night with a Flanders Red, one of my favorite styles of beer, Strubbes Grand Cru Oud Bruin Flemish Red. Cherry, smooth and a little sour mixed with champagne-like bubbles.

Beer number two was ordered just because of its name. Shallow Grave Porter by Heretic Brewing was a robust porter that lived up to its name. Another beer I wish I could drink all night this one was caramel and chocolate with a smooth mouth feel. Reminded me of the earthy smell of a fresh dug grave…good Samhain beer.

Beer number three was my disappointment for the evening. I usually like a scotch ale but the Scotch Isle Ale by Craftsman Brewing really did not sit well with me. The flavor seemed off with an astringent taste. This was one of the few times I’ve ever left a beer sitting on the bar. Sorry guys…

Well that’s my beer trip to Long Beach, CA. Overall good beer selections that will make your time worthwhile. It’s always good to see old friends, catch up and share sea stories.

Coming up soon on the blog…bottling your first homebrew, labels and bottle fermentation. Stay tuned and remember if you don’t like the beer you’re drinking…brew your own.