In February 1979 President Jimmy Carter signed a law repealing federal prohibitions on homebrewing.   Two decades later, homebrewing has come to the White House itself!

The beginning of the month, the Obama Foodorama blog reported that the Obamas had served their guests at the White House Superbowl party a honey ale brewed on premises using honey from the White House beehive.   However, contrary to reports that followed on other  sites, it was not President Obama himself who brewed the beer, but the White House kitchen staff.    However, it is the first time that there is any record of beer -or any alcoholic beverage- being brewed in America’s Executive Mansion.

How to brew beer in a coffee maker, using only materials commonly found on a modestly sized oceanographic research vessel

Beer brewing is the delicate and dedicated blending of art and science.  Finding the perfect balance of grains, hops, malt, adding just the right flavoring agents, boiling for exactly enough time to release the tannins, starches, humic acids from you wort, activating enzymes to break down those starches, forging the perfect mash from the ether of sobriety to give birth to that most glorious pint, these are skills that take a lifetime to master. Perfect beer is meticulously planned and carefully crafted.

Screw that.

You’re six days into a 2 month expedition, and if you were lucky enough to not be on a dry ship, it’s de facto dry by now anyway. You’re eying the ethanol stores, the crew is eying each other, and all hell will break loose if y’all don’t get some sweet water soon. This is no time for artistry.

This is not, as a rule, a terribly good beer (though, with a good brewmaster on board, it can be). This is a beer to pass the time and ease the pain of life at sea. I can guarantee that if you are careful, it will be at least as good as the cheapest commercial alternative.

Materials

The tools you need are simple: an electric drip coffee maker with hot plate, a coffee filter, [...]

Yes, you read that correctly.

Full article:  http://www.southernfriedscience.com/?p=1419

Mike Riddle wanted to share the details for an upcoming brewer’s dinner at the Calistoga Inn in Calistoga (duh). See http://napabeer.com/blog/ for details.

This year’s planning meeting will be at EJ Phair on Tueday, January 18th.

This is a open invitation for members looking to get involved and/or willing to share ideas for the upcoming year.  Holler if you have questions.

-E

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