CraftPittsburgh Issue #7

CraftPittsburgh CraftBeerMagazine Issue #8 Oct. - Dec.

BREWERY

BOOM Keith Kost brings home nhc gold THE PITTSBURGH

BEERLADIES

plus

• remembering tom pastorius • have you tried...

• cooking with beer • upcoming beer events

CraftPittsburgh.com

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'B' HERE FOR OUR ANNUAL TRADITION

KEGS ’N EGGS ON BLACK FRIDAY

Join us November 23, 2012 at 8 AM Breakfast menu until 1pm (Full menu available) First 50 customers enter to win $100 in Bocktown Bucks and door prizes Beeried Treasures, exclusive taps, Aletails featuring beer-mosas Debut of new tee slogan and seasonal beers

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EDITOR LETTER

Tom Pastorius I wanted to use this space to talk about Tom Pastorious, the founder of Penn Brewery who passed away in early September, but outside of what he’s done with Penn and how it’s helped the brewing community in Pittsburgh, I don’t know very much.

Rather than patronize the man’s legacy, I asked a friend who has been acquainted with Tom since the brewery opened. The following is what he gave me: Thomas Vaughn Pastorius (1925 – 2012) Tom Pastorius and Pittsburgh were a good match for one another.

One wanted to make quality German beer and the other was looking for a future. When Tom came back to Pennsylvania from serving his county in the Army he wanted to continue his service. But he came to the wrong state to open a brewery that would allow people to enjoy a pretzel and a pilsner. After completing his master’s at Penn State, Tom wanted to not only open a brewery but he wanted to serve small snacks to go with the beer. The controlling authorities of the Commonwealth said “nein.” But Tom wouldn’t accept their ruling.

He worked hard to change the law, allowing him to open state’s first brewpub in 1989, the Allegheny Brewery and Pub. His efforts made it possible for other brewpubs to open and in the process restored several vacant structures. The Eberhardt and Ober Brewery was brought back to life becoming what is now the Penn Brewery.

Once Tom discovered the vacant property on Pittsburgh’s North Side, he started to rebuild, brick by brick, with his own hands. Tom did a lot of the work, but he had the wisdom to have the copper brewing kettles made in Germany. Shipped over along with the installation workers, they were assembled at the brewery and proudly stood for all to see.

When “The Beer Hunter,” the late Michael Jackson, first came to Pittsburgh, he called the assembly of piping and kettles at the brewpub “spectacular”.

I first met Tom before the brewery opened. At the time, Penn Pilsner was bottled under contract and Tom traveled the area selling his product. One stop happened to be the house of where we were holding the meeting for our local homebrew club. Tom popped in to say hello with two cases. What a swell way to say hello!

As the owner of a brewery and restaurant, Tom was perfect for the role. He would get to know his customers very quickly. When you came back in, he was always there to chat, knowing you by name.

Many times he would just grab a few beers and sit at a table with customers. Even if he were too busy, he’d always find the time to at least say hello. I can’t say if he enjoyed brewing the beer more than drinking it. But I do know that he enjoyed having us over for one.

Tom would often get on the floor and cultivate an atmosphere of friendship and togetherness. Strangers would sit family style on benches clanging steins of cold beer, pulling hot baked pretzels apart, singing in German without ever having a lesson. So many people have fond memories of marching through that restaurant, hands on hips to the tune of “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” And doing the chicken dance was never so much fun. And who of us was there on opening day when he came out in a kilt playing the bagpipes?

We should remember Tom for the memories we have of him. They may be faint or unimportant at the time but they are all we have now.

Ruhe in Frieden, Tom. Ed Vidunas Sláinte,

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 8

Tim Russell

TABLE OF CONTENTS on tap

SPECIALS

THIS ISSUE

pg. 16

6 PGH’s Brewery Boom

Newcomers and veterans tackle the challenges of expansion

Beer Ladies 14 PGH “We’re ladies, and we

love beer... GOOD beer.”

Gold 16 N HC Local brewer Keith

THE REGULARS

Kost brings it home to Pittsburgh

4 Upcoming Events 5 Unfiltered 10 Beer Review 18 Cooking with Beer

pg. 6

pg. 14

PUBLISHER Craft Media, LLC

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Tim Russell • Tim@CraftPittsburgh.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Mike Weiss • Mike@CraftPittsburgh.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Rob Soltis • SoltisDesign.com For information on contributing editorial content or placing display advertising please contact us at info@CraftPittsburgh.com Craft Pittsburgh is issued quarterly by Craft Media, LLC. All information and materials in this magazine, individually and collectively, are provided for informational purposes. The contents of this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Craft Media, LLC., nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without expressed written permission from the publisher. Advertisements are subject to the approval of Craft Media, LLC. Craft Media, LLC. reserves the right to reject or omit any advertisement at any time for any reason. Advertiser assume responsibility and complete liability for all content in their ads

CraftPittsburgh.com

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SILVER AWARD WORLD BEER CUP ® AMERICAN-STYLE INDIA PALE ALE 2012

2010 SILVER MEDAL & 2011 BRONZE MEDAL GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL® AMERICAN-STYLE INDIA PALE ALE

UPCOMING EVENTS ®

Award winning Beer handcrafted for you HUNT IT DOWN!

check our calendar at

CraftPittsburgh.com for even more regularly updated events

october 6 Barks and Brews 13 Brewing Up a Cure 13 Tangled Up in Brew 13 Nemacolin Rocktoberfest 14 Gear and Beer 27 RSG1 Fall Harvest Beer Tasting 27 Reverse Keg Ride november Beer Dinner with 1 Harvest Stone Brewing at Bigelow Grill 10 Butler Homebrew Fest 17 Pittsburgh Rugby Club Brewfest 23 Kegs and Eggs 24 “Support Your Local Brewer” Day december 5 Repeal Day Celebration You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 8

-Frank Zappa

UNFILTERED

The Great Pumpkin

H

By Melinda Urick

ere I am again, drinking a beer in August. Nothing much unusual about that activity. Except that it’s a PUMPKIN BEER. Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin, for anyone that’s curious. Fall and its pumpkin beers are in stock. Sure, it’s delicious and exciting.

But after having that beer, I’m not ready.

At the onset of a new season, we all need a little comfort in readjusting. Just the same, we need to slow down and enjoy the best of what it brings. This trend in premature releases speeds up a year that’s seemingly gone too quickly. And that’s the last thing that should be associated with the craft beer industry.

Where’s the fire pit and 50-degree temperatures? Where’s my fleece?

Hell, the leaves haven’t even started falling. These things will all naturally happen. But they’ll happen without a pumpkin beer.

For one, when the temperature cools, I’m looking to add back in my warm, spicy beer jacket, but to deviate prematurely doesn’t give pumpkin beer its full allure. Plus, this fleece coat is all kinds of ridiculous when it’s still 80 degrees. There are still summer things to be done, people!

Two, because I’m not motivated enough to run to the beer store to stockpile ‘em before they’re sold out. See: lazy days of summer.

Last year I noticed (and I think may have written about – that’s how seasonal columns work sometimes) pumpkin and fall spiced beers being released earlier than I remember. I often fail to remember the past because of said delicious fall beers. But this year, confirming that pumpkin brews were available in summer seems... wrong. And by the time the trampy {enter costume characters here} trot, the pumpkin beers are gone.

GONE.

Just in time for those other spiced holiday beers to arrive: Christmas.

And while I’m never going to hate on a bar for having certain Xmas leftovers on tap July, who the hell wants to think about actual winter in October?! It might happen, but I can ignore it.

September is already a month in flux -- we enjoy our last few opportunities for outdoor activities and drink through our inventory of summerfests and ales. My former life working in the retail industry essentially killed most holidays for me because of their premature expectations: I dismiss Back to School; I abhor Christmas. Valentine’s Day can go suck a Cupid’s arrow. But thank the midwestern marketers that Sweetest Day hasn’t pushed its way to SW Pennsylvania, for serious. Yet somehow I kept a part of my heart devoted to fall holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving (save for the sweet potatoes. Gross.).

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Fall is my favorite time of year. I love pumpkin-flavored lattes, pumpkin pies (and I hate pie!), pumpkin breads,pumpkin rolls, carving pumpkins (you can keep the seeds, however).

Coincidentally, it’s also my favorite season for beer. So, now we need to hoard our fall beers in advance of an entire season just like cans of pumpkin because the supply rarely meets the demand. And that is probably why the Great Pumpkin Beers are so covetable in the first place.

DAMMIT.

Sure, the inevitable will happen: seasons change; snow makes everyone crazy (or are they drunk?). Is it wrong to drink beers out of order? Wrong, perhaps, is too strong of a word. But it tastes like the death of a season to me.

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Phone: 412-381-3698 CraftPittsburgh.com

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Rivertowne

By Brian Reed

“THESE ARE GOOD PROBLEMS TO HAVE” a phrase you’ll often hear coming from the mouth of Bob McCafferty, founder and owner of North Country Brewing Co. in Slippery Rock, PA. Although folks like Bob are experiencing some daunting challenges resulting from the unprecedented level of growth currently taking place in the craft beer industry, most are able to keep things in perspective. Some problems are simply worse than others.

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newcomers and veterans tackle the challenges of expansion As you may have expected, things are a bit hectic for Bob these days. Between managing the pub and restaurant, getting North Country’s new production facility up and running, working his farm (it is calving season, after all), and opening a new coffee shop across the street from the pub, to say that Bob and his wife Jodi’s plates are full would be a gross understatement. “There’s a lot going on,” McCafferty said. “It can be a little stressful, but these are all good problems to have.”

The McCaffertys purchased and began renovating an old building — formerly a funeral home — on Main Street, Slippery Rock in the spring of 1998. After an enormous amount of work and plenty of time spent living in the unfinished project, Bob and Jodi managed to create a uniquely rustic and eclectic feel while still maintaining much of the charm of the historic store front.

With nearly a decade and a half of experience under their belts, North Country

is now poised for a grand expansion.

Upon visiting the new production facility (conveniently positioned roughly a mile from the pub) it becomes abundantly clear that this project is no small task. The enormous commercial space is nearly filled with the makings of a 30 bbl. brewhouse and bottling line, purchased and delivered on a series of trucks from Iowa. With the combined efforts of the brew pub and new production facility, North Country is expected to approach 15,000 bbl. annual capacity. The production space alone boasts eleven 60 bbl. fermentors, and one 30 bbl.

Piping, kettles, boilers, and miscellaneous hardware of all manners lay in designated spots throughout the building. Brewing manager Jim Hicks, formerly of Erie Brewing Company, and North Country’s Brewmaster Sean McIntyre are the bold souls charged with the staggering task of completing this enormous, industrial puzzle. “I don’t pretend to know where everything goes,” said Hicks, although

Helltown it’s clear he has a pretty good idea. “Sean knows how he wants to put it together.”

Hicks also explained their decision to sell off the newly acquired bottling line and opt for a canning line instead; a popular decision among craft brewers in recent years. “When you’re making that kind of investment, you need to think about what’s best for the beer,” he said.

North Country’s current 7 bbl. system is working beyond overtime in the pub.

McIntyre and his brewing staff are forced to turn over batches much quicker than they’d prefer due to restrictions in fermentor space; a challenge faced by a great many rapidly growing breweries.

Brewing operations at the pub will remain the same even after the production facility opens; however, the radically increased fermentor space will afford the pub staff a few luxuries they’ve not enjoyed in quite a while. Not only will the production space provide for much more creativity in the brewhouse, but it will also allow the staff to maintain a consistently full draft list at the pub with a wider and more varied lineup; a feat that simply wasn’t always possible in recent years. Also due to the previous time/space restrictions, beer styles and recipes which require longer fermentation and conditioning times were simply not feasible to produce (i.e. lagers and higher gravity beers). According to MaCafferty, this level of brewing freedom will be very much welcomed by all. “We definitely want to do Sean’s pilsner,” he said. “It’s been at least five years since we’ve been able to do that.” And with the addition of the production facility, they’ll be able to do a lot of it. Combined with the pub operation, North Country will be capable of cranking out approximately 17,000 bbl. annually.

recalled. “Then about a year after that it was on us, on us HEAVY, and everything started to get tricky; scheduling, staffing, materials…’

Smith hatched a creative, successful, and well-publicized investment program which allowed him to purchase the facility and equipment the company so desperately needed. Nearly a year later, East End is all but moved in to its new location just down the street from the old brewery; near the corner of Frankstown Ave and Julius St. in Larimer, on the east side of Pittsburgh.

“We’ve cleared out some of those bottlenecks, changed the strategy of what we sell to get more out of what we’ve got, and have been riding out the rest, while working and pouring all our attention and resources into get the new place open as soon as possible,” Smith said.

Although the building is still nondescript from the outside and production and growler sales have not yet been shifted to the new facility, an incredible amount of work has already been poured in to readying the new space. The nearly assembled 20 bbl. brewing system (double the size of the old one) and three new 40 bbl. fermentors share the brewhouse floor with lumber and metal fixtures abound.

Although a host of volunteers and parttime help often assist with events and ‘growler hours’ at both at the brewery and at East End’s growler shop at the Pittsburgh Public Market, the day-to-day operations of the business are still handled almost exclusively by Smith, while nearly all the brewing tasks are handled by brewer Brendan Benson.

Hick’s expects the crew to be up and brewing on the new system sometime in December and craft beer consumers can expect to see North Country brews on draft throughout western PA and four selections in cans by early 2013. In addition to the pilsner, aptly named ‘Slimy Pebble’, the canned offerings will include Buck Snort Stout, Paleo IPA, and Firehouse Red.

Balancing the demands of a project of this magnitude is not an easy task; especially when a huge amount of the work falls squarely on one set of shoulders. “My wife and kids have been out of town this week so I’ve spent probably fourteen to sixteen hours a day in the brewery this week, just trying to get things done,” said Smith. “But I’m pretty sure this is the last move East End Brewing will make. They’ll have to carry me out of this new place in a box.”

East End Brewing Company’s Scott Smith is no stranger to growing pains. He has been attempting to manage steady, sustained growth since he opened his (initially) oneman operation in 2004. Smith has gone from truly living up to his reputation as Pittsburgh’s ‘MICRO-est Microbrewery’ to becoming the poster boy for Pittsburgh’s rapidly developing craft beer scene, while still clinging fiercely to his roots. Less than a decade in to his trek, it became evident that expansion including a new, larger system and facility was unavoidable. “About three to four years ago I saw it coming, projecting our growth numbers,” Smith

Smith is optimistic that the new space will be fully operational within the next two or three months. The expansion will allow for wider distribution of draft beers (East End currently has roughly 70 regular draft accounts and nearly that many rotating ones) and more special release bottled

Helltown

The new location will include an exponentially larger growler shop for beer to-go as well as tastings. The (dare I say) industrial chic space will also be home to Common Place Coffee Co. who will be roasting and selling their premium, small batch coffee on site (in addition to their own already existing locations).

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East End

offerings. Smith also has aspirations of installing a packaging line somewhere down the road. “The canning line would eventually take up this area,” Smith said as he motioned toward an area of the brewhouse floor currently inhabited by salvaged lumber, hardware, and an elevated walkway.

In addition to the commercial space where the brew system currently sits, the new building recently housed a series of offices and a small call-center area that, combined, are nearly the same size as the entire old brewery. The additional space will allow Smith a number of luxuries that only a brewer can truly appreciate; a designated yeast lab and plenty of space for barrel-aging.

East End isn’t the only rapidly expanding brewery in the area to begin experimenting with a barrel-aging program. Helltown Brewing’s Shawn Gentry has a small room crammed with barrel-aged and sour offerings as well. After launching his brand in the summer of 2011, Gentry’s moonlighting operation has consistently produced exceptional and unique offerings that have wowed craft beer junkies and casual imbibers alike.

In to his comparatively tiny facility on the outskirts of Mount Pleasant, PA, Gentry has managed to squeeze as much function as possible. Upon its inception, his relatively modest 15 bbl. system was accompanied by two 15 bbl. conical fermentors. As his list of accounts and inquirers grew, Gentry quickly acquired two more 15 bbl. tanks, then recently 2 more 30 bbl. conicals. “Fermentor space is my biggest limiting factor,” said Gentry. “I’m hoping to get one or two more 30 bbl. fermentors by the end of the year.”

Although Gentry has sold his strong Belgian pale ale—named ‘Devious Ale’—in corked and caged 750 ml. bottles as well, currently the vast majority of his beer leaves the brewery in kegs. With the help of friends and family, Helltown self distributes to roughly 80 draft accounts, many of which regularly request his wildly popular IPAs. “I wish more people wanted the brown ale,” he chuckles. “It’s just so much easier to turn over.” With the rampant following that the style has developed in recent years, it’s no mystery why IPAs are among his top sellers. “A ridiculous amount of hops go in to that beer,” Gentry said of his Double IPA. And he’s not exaggerating. He estimates that 118 lbs. of hops are used in the boil and dry-hopping additions for each 28 bbl. yield.

Expect wider distribution from Helltown as the operation grows. In fact, Gentry is expecting to introduce a few new bottle-conditioned offerings to the market in the near future; including a Saison, Russian Imperial Stout (debuted at this year’s Big Pour), and a special first anniversary brew. The increase in bottled brands is an impressive task in and of itself, considering that every bottle is filled, capped or corked/caged, and labeled by hand.

As a tedious day of packaging winds down, a delivery truck pulls up to the brewery and drops off a series of small nondescript boxes. Gentry tears in to one of the boxes like a small child on Christmas morning.

“Haha, nice!” he exclaims. “I think I know what this is.” He reveals what look like small flower pot-shaped hunks of Jaggery—a variety of unrefined sugar—which he’s had shipped from India. A brewer beaming with anticipation at the possibilities that a new ingredient brings is an inspiring sight indeed.

You don’t have to look very hard to see that same sense of anticipation in the eyes of Andrew Maxwell, owner and head brewer at Rivertowne. As we walk through the enormous 20,000 sq. ft. brewing and packaging floor in what used to be a colossal machine shop in Murrysville (not very far from the Rivertowne Pour House), it becomes clear that this expansion is truly the culmination of 14+ years of hard work for Maxwell.

“It’s been a long time in the making,” he admits.

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 8

East End

Although the business has already gone through several expansions, the new production and retail space is an entirely different animal. In addition to the current 15 bbl. system at the Pour House, the new facility will house a brand new four vessel, 30 bbl. system which will bring an enormous capacity for production. Features of the new facility include a state-of-the-art recirculation system, a vapor condenser for water preservation, an enormous amount of fermentation space, a 35 canper-minute canning line, a retail space and sampling area, and 4,500 additional sq. ft. for offices and a yeast

lab. When asked about the drastic jump in technology and capacity from the current system to the new one, Maxwell assured that the same level of attention will be paid to every batch’s quality before and after the expansion. “[The new equipment] takes some of the stupid day-to-day struggle out of the picture, but it doesn’t change what we do,” he said.

Managing the operations and packaging for the new facility will be Chris Rafferty, an 18 year brewer and veteran of the industry. Rafferty brings a wealth of award-winning creativity and production experience to the party. Although Rafferty is a PA native, he has accumulated his brewing experience all over the country (Nashville, TN; Arlington, VA; Chicago, IL; etc.). When asked about the development of the craft beer scene here in Pittsburgh, he compared and contrasted the different tendencies that coexist in the market. “It’s very traditional in a way. People are loyal to their brands, but at the same time if they don’t consistently deliver, then they’ll move on and try something new,” said Rafferty. “It’s fairly advanced in its motivation as a market.”

East End North Country

Although Rivertowne did briefly offer several of their brands in bottles, making the jump to their own production facility and canning operation was a nobrainer. “We got the opportunity to test the market with bottles and they were received pretty well. Now we want to do what we think is best for the beer,” said Maxwell. “We’ve wanted to do cans for a while. A lot of people are moving in that direction. Sierra (Nevada Brewing Company) moving in to cans was a real validation.”

When asked about whether or not the role of the Rivertowne Pour House will change once the production facility opens, Maxwell and Rafferty were sure to confirm that things at their flagship location and brewpub will go wholly unchanged. They explained that integrating the brewing staff at the Pour House in to the new facility and constantly experimenting with new beers on the brewpub level will remain a priority.

“The Pour House will always be our pilot system,” said Rafferty.

Maxwell expects that consumers will see Rivertowne cans on shelves before Thanksgiving. The initial canned offerings will feature reliable brewery standbys, as well as some relative newcomers; including Babbling Blonde, RT Lager, Old Wylie’s IPA, Maxwell’s Scottish Ale, Grateful White (a Belgian Wit), and Hala Kahiki (a light, fruity ale aged on pineapple.

It is safe to say that nearly every craft brewery in the region is experiencing expansion or growth to some varying degree. The industry is booming, plain and simple. When industries boom, people make a lot of money, and when people start making a lot of money the gloves come off. I like to think that most of the people in the craft beer industry are in it for a few different reasons. We love beer and we are thankful that we can use it to make a living. It’s difficult (especially for the uninitiated) to understand how there can be this number of players in the industry and still have enough room for everyone to grow and prosper. For folks involved in the craft beer industry (especially in Pittsburgh), it’s no surprise at all. The innumerous individuals who form this tight knit community of like minds understand how our industry works. Nurturing craft beer, no matter who brews it, sells it, packages it, or drinks it, is good for us all.

North Country CraftPittsburgh.com 9

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 8

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?

BEER REVIEW

e v a H You d e i r T

FLYING DOG GONZO Imperial Porter

Described as “deep and complex,” a likening to its namesake, the journalistic style of the great Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Gonzo Imperial Porter is considered a turbocharged version of the Road Dog Porter with more of a hop kick (85 IBUs) and a 9.2% ABV.

Ratebeer: 99

STONE BREWING Levitation Ale

At only 4.4% ABV, this sessionable amber ale from Stone is far from Stone’s typical offerings on the alcohol scale, but still as complex. Levitation is rich in malt flavor, but at 45 IBUs it still has a noticeable amount of hop character.

Ratebeer: 94

UINTA BREWING Hop Notch IPA

New to the Pittsburgh market, Uinta Brewing’s flagship IPA, Hop Notch, is balanced with a medium body and malt character. Hop Notch has 82 IBUs at 7.3% ABV.

Ratebeer: 96

MISSION BREWING

Dark Seas Russian Imperial Stout

This seasonal Russian Imperial Stout from Mission weighs in at 9.8% ABV and is described as having a rich, roasty aroma with notes of plum and port.

Ratebeer: 98

O’FALLON 5-Day IPA

O’Fallon’s 5-Day IPA is dry-hopped with 4 domestic hop varieties for, you guessed it, five days. It has a hazy, amber pour with notes of caramel and citrus in the aroma and flavor.

Ratebeer: 83 12

Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 8

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PGHBEER Ladies

By Melinda Urick

Two years ago, the concept of a female-oriented beer lovers group was brewing. Colleen Perrin, who organized the West Chester Beer Ladies (in its namesake city across the state), had so much success in her city that she talked Angela Maffesanti, a Wilkins Township resident, into starting a similar group in Pittsburgh.

“There had to be other like-minded women here in Pittsburgh.” said Maffesanti. “Turns out there are... a lot!”

Maffessanti, 38, a stay-at-home mom, loved learning about and trying new beers. A self-described “hop lover” and fan of Belgians, doesn’t have a favorite, but her interest in craft beer has grown in the last five years thanks to friends, homebrews, and Perrin.

Founding the Pittsburgh Beer Ladies became personal. In an industry focused on the male drinker (see: every beer commercial, ever), there was a need to disassociate themselves from that chauvinistic generalization -- and to take ownership of their demographic.

“We are a group for women who love beer. We separate ourselves for a couple of reasons: women were (and in some cases still are) thought to not to have much of an interest in beer.” Maffessanti said.

Then added, “It’s good to have something of our own.”

Their first event was held at Penn Brewery on June 3, 2011.

Heather Walsh, 40, co-founder of LivingPittsburgh.com and from Shaler Township, joined a few months after the group’s inception.

A craft beer drinker for nearly 10 years (she’s a “total hop head”), she found out about the group through a friend.

The word “beer snobs” enters the conversation. “I’m completely fine with that!” said Walsh. “We’re ladies, and we love beer...

GOOD beer.”

She added, “Being with the Pittsburgh Beer Ladies is like hanging out in a man cave that’s been overtaken by estrogen. I mean, I haven’t cried about hurt feelings over a good beer with anyone from the group yet, but I definitely won’t be shocked when it happens.”

That’s the determined passion behind the Pittsburgh Beer Ladies.

Recently celebrating their one-year anniversary -- returning to Penn Brewery, the home of their first meet-up -- the turnout for regular events continues to increase.

“I am constantly amazed at how big Pittsburgh Beer Ladies has become. It went from me thinking the group would just be myself and a few friends trying new beers to having currently 174 members,” said Maffessanti.

The group of ladies includes all ages and experience levels. “Some of us are 25 and just learning about craft beer. Some of us are 50 and seasoned brewers. Yet we all come together with this common bond, this love of craft beer,” said Maffessanti.

They are women busy with careers and children, but when they go out, they just want to relax and socialize. Meeting every 4-6 weeks, each event brings in approximately 20-30 women. The main topic of conversation is beer, naturally: how it is made, how to pair it with food, and how to taste it. That’s the Ladies’ main intention -- to bring women together to try new beer -- but also to include an educational aspect to the meeting. And their clubhouse standard has remained firm since the beginning: no boys allowed!

“It has come up once or twice about whether or not to allow men attend certain events. Each time the subject arises, the women are adamant.” warned Maffessanti.

Walsh added, “It’s so easy for people to picture a stereotypical scene with a group of men sitting around bonding over a cold one, but female interest is really becoming a big part of what’s making the scene so successful these days.”

Because of the overwhelming interest and growth, Maffessanti needed some planning relief. “There is now a committee who meets to discuss events and locations -- open to any women interested in planning events.”

Walsh is also involved with this aspect of the club, “I’m actually in the process of planning our first road trip brewery tour right now.

We’re headed up to northern PA in late October... to hit about 8 breweries and brew pubs in 2 days - from Slippery Rock to Erie.

We’re even staying overnight at a ‘brew farm.’”

There is no membership fee, but some special events have a cost associated with them (those special tastings or pairings). The fees

are generally determined by the venue, said Maffessanti, and her planning committee attempts to keep special events at $25 or under. Occasionally, there are casual meet-ups of the “pay for what you drink” variety and beer swaps.

While their meetings are not particularly theme-based, this past February, Carson Street Deli set up a beer-and-chocolate tasting for the ladies -- a stand-out event, per the group’s members. Walsh wants to see the group implementing a lot of other great ideas: [more] dessert beer tastings, mix-and-match bottle swaps, tours, and a fundraising event to support a female-related cause.

Both Maffessanti and Walsh think the Pittsburgh craft beer scene is on the right path. Maffessanti’s initial hopes were seemingly simple: that more restaurants take an interest in local brews and for the city to see a devoted Craft Beer Week -- both of those have been realized.

Said Walsh, “Pittsburgh is obviously making it clear that we love our craft beer because establishments keep adding more and more into their rotations. More brew pubs and bottle shops are opening up all over the city, ‘beer-centric’ events and festivals are becoming incredibly easy to find on a regular basis; we even have a brewery in a small neighborhood like Millvale now... it’s great.”

WE HAVE THE OPPOSITE IF MICRO WHEN IT COMES TO SELECTION

Maffessanti concludes, “A year ago, I thought this would just be a few of my friends and I getting together to try new beers. I never imagined it would get this big!”

Find out more about the Pittsburgh Beer Ladies and upcoming events at: pghbeerladies.blogspot.com

4102 CLAIRTON BLVD. PITTSBURGH, PA 15227 (412)881-4002 WWW.ZOESBEER.COM CraftPittsburgh.com

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HOME BREWING

local brewer

KEITH KOST Brings NHC Gold Home to Pittsburgh!

By Brian Reed

T

here is a wide array of possible reasons why normal, respectable beer drinkers decide to take that leap of faith and begin homebrewing.

They decide to volunteer their Saturday afternoons to clean carboys, grind grist, and stir boiling kettles of wort; tasks that surely don’t sound like a tremendous amount of fun to the average, unsuspecting American. Ok, so we are a different breed. I don’t think many would argue that. Many adopt the hobby for its scientific or creative outlets. Others enjoy the camaraderie that often comes with a brew day. But most folks just enjoy having fresh, homemade beer on hand. For local homebrew-guru Keith Kost, the answer is probably ‘all of the above.’ However I’d venture to say that when he first made the decision to brew his own, I doubt the idea of standing on a stage in front of an enormous banquet hall of his peers, holding a gold medal, and posing for a photo op with Brewer’s Association President Charlie Papazian crossed his mind.

Keith has amassed an impressive homebrewing resume including nearly 300 individual medals and ‘Best In Show’ awards. He even has an acknowledgement in Gordon Strong’s new book Brewing Better Beer: Master Lessons for Advanced Homebrewers, and—possibly above all—he recently became the first Pittsburgh area brewer to win a gold medal at the National Homebrewers Conference.

The 2012 NHC was held outside Seattle, WA and drew 7,823 entries from 1,733 homebrewers from all over the US and Canada. A mere 889 of these entries were passed on to the second round of judging, which took place during the conference.

NHC Director Janis Gross illustrated the gravity of this level of competition. “For homebrewers, winning a medal in the AHA National Homebrew Competition is the ultimate achievement,” she said. “With nearly 8,000 entries, the National Homebrew Competition is by far the toughest and most prestigious homebrew competition—the medal winners can truly take pride in knowing that they brew among the best beers in the world.”

Of Keith’s 31 total entries, ten were passed to the final round—a staggering percentage. Even more impressive, despite his 17 years of brewing experience, this was only his third time entering the NHC. To his elation, his coconut stout had taken gold in the ‘Fruit Beer’ category. The winning beer, which had started life as a foreign extra stout, was inspired by Church Brew Works’ coconut stout.

In addition to his competitive success Keith has played a pivotal role in nurturing the Pittsburgh homebrewing scene throughout the years. As Pittsburgh’s only Master BJCP Judge, he has helped in leadership and organizational roles for an innumerable amount of beer and brewing related events and groups. Simply put, I don’t think any brewer worth his weight in grain would argue that there is a more deserving individual; and despite the hobby’s rapidly growing popularity and even more rapidly growing number of competition entries, I think it’s safe to say that Keith’s not done winning medals.

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Photo© Brewers Association

Keith’s Coconut Stout Batch Size: 11 gal.

Boil: 90 min.

OG: 1.065 FG: 1.015 IBU: 41 SRM: 44

GRAIN BILL

23 lbs. Pale Ale Malt 1.5 lbs. Caramel 60L 0.5 lbs. Caramel 150L 2.25 lbs. Roasted Barley 3 lbs. Flaked Barley

MASH

Single infusion – 70 min. @ 152 degrees

HOPS

1.4 oz. Nugget (14.5% AA) – 90 min.

FININGS/MISC.

1 Whirlfloc tablet – 10 min.

Yeast Nutrient – 10 min.

0.8 oz. Coconut extract added in keg

YEAST

Wyeast 1318 London Ale III

FERMENTATION

Primary – 8 days @ 68 degrees *Force-carbonated in keg CraftPittsburgh.com

17

COOKING WITH BEER

IPA PIZZA DOUGH

By Mindy Heisler-Johnson

I

love pizza. If you told me I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life that would be one of the options that would flash through my mind. Granted, it would be one of about a hundred, but it still made the list.

It’s not, in my experience, possible to duplicate an actual pizza shop pizza easily at home.

Instead I made up my own with 21st Amendment Bitter American, an aggressively hopped pale ale. The yeast & malt from the beer add depth and the fruitiness of the olive oil is amped up by the hop bitterness. I mixed the dough with my mixer - the machine does all the kneading, but it is also completely ok to mix it by hand. If mixing by hand, you must be sure to knead it until the dough is tightened and smooth on the exterior before allowing it to proof.

This is enough dough for four - 14”-ish pizzas.

I bake them on a stone in a 450 degree oven. Put your stone in the cold oven and let it pre-heat with the oven beforehand or else the dough will stick to the cold stone.crusty bread.

IPA PIZZA DOUGH

1 2oz IPA or Hoppy Pale Ale room temperature 1 pkg Dry Yeast 1 Tbsp Salt 1 Tbsp Sugar 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 4-5 cups Flour

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warmed beer and stir with a whisk until it is dissolved, let it foam then add the oil and salt, stir to dissolve the salt.

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 8

Put the bowl on the mixer with dough hook. Mix in 4 cups of flour, add more as you need to so that dough develops and stops sticking to the sides of the bowl. Let the machine knead the dough until the outside is smooth and it starts to creep up the hook, around 5 minutes.

Take the dough out of the bowl and shape into a tight ball. Drizzle bowl with olive oil, roll the dough around until it’s coated & cover with plastic wrap.

Rest it until it doubles in size. This should take about an hour.

After it’s doubled, cut it into 4 pieces. Round each piece and let them rest for another 15 minutes or so. Now roll your shell; flip it over and work both sides of the dough to prevent sticking. I use my rolling pin to get it to an even thickness 8-10” disk then hand stretch it to the finished 14” round. The shell should be about 1/2” thick and as evenly round as you can make it.

Transfer your shell onto whatever you are going to place it on the stone with and build your pizza with your toppings of choice. Shake it up a bit before trying to slide on to the stone, that isn’t a surprise you want to be cleaning off the bottom of your very hot oven, not that I would know anything about that, and gently slide on to the hot stone Bake for 18-20 minutes. Check about half way through and spin if necessary.

Remove to a platter with spatula & eat!

You’re in for a Brewed Awakening.

COOKING WITH BEER

R O B IN

SON

VOT E D BEST B IN P IT OT T L E S H O TS B U P RG H B Y

Hundreds of domestic, import and craft beers now available in over 30 and cafés in western PA. For store locations or more information, please visit: GiantEagle.com/Beer Not all items available in all locations. Restrictions apply. See store for details.

CraftPittsburgh.com

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Craft Pittsburgh | Issue 8