Category Archives: Competitions
The next Iron Brewer Challenge is due during our regular June meeting at Union Craft Brewing on Sunday June 8th. The theme is FRUIT-- make your best beer containing any kind of fruit for a chance to grab the *new & improved* Iron Brewer Stein trophy! See you there!
July is a tough month for a meeting with many folks popping in and out-of-town. Diamondback is hosting a homebrew event on Saturday, July 27th that several members were interested in supporting. The brewery is looking to grow the event from last year. We are going to forgo the regular club meeting in favor of encouraging members to support this event.
There will be NO MEETING at Union on the second Sunday this Month.
Congratulations to Kevin for taking home the Iron Brewer stein! His co-fermentation of the Union Wort with red white and saison yeasts won the day!
Many thanks to Becky for coordinating the sensory panel. The group "enjoyed" the off-flavor panel and there was a lot of great conversation as we level set our palettes.
In previous meetings we've talked about the potential of rebranding the club to be more inclusive in that we enjoy all manners of fermentations, not only brewing beer (although that is still the primary focus). Max is going to send out a questionnaire to gauge interest/opposition in the idea and solicit potential names from those who want to move forward. Be on the lookout.
July is a tough month for a meeting with many folks popping in and out-of-town. Diamondback is hosting a homebrew event on Saturday, July 27th that several members were interested in supporting. The brewery is looking to grow the event from last year. We are going to forgo the regular club meeting in favor of encouraging members to support this event. Becky is reaching out to Diamondback and will distribute information.
Cheers!
There is no general membership meeting in April since Brübakes returns Sunday, April 21st 2-4 PM at the Checkerspot Brewing Company! Proceeds to benefit the Station North Tool Library. Attendee tickets are available at https://baltibrew.ticketspice.com/brubakes-v.
Brübakes is returning again this spring! Join us on Sunday, April 21st 2-4 PM at the Checkerspot Brewing Company for a competition that pairs homebrewers and bakers to celebrate spring, sustainable brewing practices and the DIY spirit! Proceeds to benefit the Station North Tool Library.
Attendee tickets are available at https://baltibrew.ticketspice.com/brubakes-v.
Competition Overview
- Brewers must design a Belgian-style Saison ale to be served with a baked good. The catch? Bakers are required to use spent grain from the brewers' mash (at least 10% of the dry ingredients or 5% of the total ingredients, by weight) to create their counterpart.
- Those who are up for the challenge may act as both brewer and baker.
- Competitors need to bring at least 5 gallons of homebrew and about 120 baked good samples (Expecting about 70-90 attendees).
- Recommend freezing your spent grain after brew day.
- Baltibrew will provide ice. Dump buckets and water pitchers will be available.
Attendee Overview
- Must be 21+ years old to attend.
- All you can sample homebrew and baked goods.
- Ticket includes a Baltibrew Brübakes Belgian-style sample glass.
- Ticket proceeds will be donated to the Station North Tool Library.
Voting
- Best Brew by Judge vote
- Best Baked Good by Judge vote
- Best Pairing by Judge vote
- Best Overall Favorite by popular Attendee vote
Location & Time
- Checkerspot Brewing Company (1421 Ridgely St.Baltimore, MD 21230)
- Sunday, April 21st, 2024 - Competition runs from 2-4 PM.
Presented by Brübakes IV
If you’re here with us at Brübakes IV today, we thank you for attending and for your interest in learning more about the foundations of our event!
Saison Beer History
The early history of Bière de Saison (beer of season) is fuzzy because documentary evidence is scarce until the late 19th century. Since the beer originated from the farmlands, urban writers didn’t pay much attention to it and farm brewers didn’t keep many records.
The current understanding is that the style dates back to at least the 18th century in the French-speaking Belgian region of Wallonia (also known as the Walloon Region). It was primarily imbibed by the farmers and seasonal workers (saisonniers) during and after they toiled in fields during the warmer months.
The brewing of saisons served multiple purposes:
- The beer was brewed during the winter months when the fields were idle.
- It would be ready in time as a refreshment for the workers in the fields during the warmer months.
- The spent grain would be used as livestock feed.
The ingredients in the beer would probably vary from farm to farm and year to year based on what was available and often including herbs and spices. Additionally, the mixed strains of yeast were likely shared and swapped among farmers/brewers, depending on what worked best.
Since the original saisons were designed to be “laid down” for some months, it is thought they were highly hopped and had an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 7% or higher to help with preservation. Then when it was time to be consumed, the beer was either diluted or blended to a lower ABV before being consumed. It probably would not be prudent to provide farmhands a strong beer when they are expected to be productive in the fields and wield sharp tools. Additionally, the tax system of the time favored lower-strength beers.
Saison Style Characteristics and Recipe Formulation
The saison style is fairly open to interpretation and can have a range of characteristics. Some recipes may include herbs and spices, or dry-hopping additions for flavor and aroma. Darker versions of the style will have more malt characteristics. Meanwhile funkier versions exhibit mild sourness and tartness.
Aroma
The aroma of the saison style should be fruity and spicy. Typically a saison yeast strain will produce phenolic (spicy), fruity, and earthy notes when fermented at 80-90°F. Spicy notes will be typical of black pepper, and not clove. Common fruity notes are citrus, pome, and stone fruit.
Appearance
Saisons are typically pale gold to deep amber in color. They should have a long lasting, dense, ivory head.
Flavor
Saison flavors are a balance of fruity and spicy yeast, hoppy bitterness, and grainy malt with moderate to high bitterness and a dry finish. Due to the high attenuation of the yeast strain, saisons do not have a sweet or heavy finish. A bitter, spicy aftertaste is noted.
Mouthfeel
Saisons are light to medium-low bodied with very high carbonation.
Recipe formulation
- Base malt - 2 row, pilsner, munich
- Cereal grains - wheat, oats
- Hops - noble, styrian, east kent golding (earthy, spicy, black pepper, fruity)
- Optional sugary adjuncts - belgian candi sugar, honey, etc
- Yeast - spicy-fruity belgian saison yeast
Common style misconception
Which is it? Saison, or Farmhouse Ale, or both?
As the name suggests, Farmhouse ales have their humble origin from homegrowing grain-to-glass on the family farm. However in the modern market, the name has become a descriptor for a beer with characteristics and flavors that mirror the types of beers historically brewed on these farms in France and Belgium, sometimes using traditional methods.
Today, Saison and Farmhouse are often used interchangeably when describing a beer, as they are now brewed all over the world in and out of the farm. In a historical context, all Saisons are Farmhouse ales, but not all Farmhouse ales are Saisons.
Farmhouse is a larger umbrella category that includes many other types of regionally brewed beers, including:
- Saison (strong, pale beer from Wallonia region of Belgium)
- Bière De Garde (“beer for keeping”, Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France)
- Bière de Mars (low alcohol last runnings of lambic wort, Belgium)
- Grisette (low alcohol subset of Saison, brewed for local miners)
- Sahti (Finish origin raw ale with juniper branches and baker’s yeast)
- Gotlandsdricka (viking era beer from island of Gotland, Sweden, smokey)
- Keptinis (baked, raw ale from north-eastern Lithuania)
Some of these styles can share similar characteristics, but with each differentiating themselves from their neighbors with certain key flavors, mouthfeel, origin, and brewing methods evolving into their own regional styles. Some are funky, some are sweet, some are smokey, some are effervescent, some are tart, some aren’t even boiled. The list goes on. Understanding what makes a Saison a Saison can easily set them apart from their fellow Farmhouse ales.
Baking With Spent Grain
What is spent grain exactly?
Spent grain is the byproduct of brewing that contains barley grain husks and insoluble residues such as wheat or maize. It may be a beer product, but it is actually healthy due to the presence of fiber and protein in every grain. We also can’t forget the low carbohydrate count spent grain possesses.
Fiber is essential for lowering sugar levels, monitoring total calories, and maintaining proper body weight.
Take a look at some diseases fiber can combat:
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Take a look at some of the benefits that proteins offer:
- Burns calories and fat faster
- Boosts muscle mass and overall strength
- Improves appetite and decreases hunger levels
- Regulates proper weight loss
Spent grain has LITTLE TO NO CARBS at all. A low carbohydrate diet can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the possibility of having cardiovascular diseases.
Proper storage of your spent grain is key!
You must make sure your grains are 100 percent DRY if they will be stored. You may achieve this by either storing in the freezer immediately which will remove the moisture. Alternatively, you can use a dehydrator or an oven at a very low temperature for 7-8 hours. If you would like to use your fresh spent grains “wet” in a recipe, you must account for the extra moisture.
Now you can process your grains into spent grain flour. Grind your grains into flour using a blender or a grain mill attachment to a stand-up mixer. Store in an airtight container. Something to note - this is not a one-to-one comparison with regular flour. It will be a smaller component of the recipe.
What can I do with my grains?
You could add the grains to your recipe directly, or you could mill them. Below are examples of how they can be used.
- Spent Grain Flour
- Spent Grain Banana Bread
- Spent Grain Sourdough
- Spent Grain Pretzels
- Spent Grain Pie Crust
- Spent Grain Pizza Dough
- Spent Grain Granola
- Spent Grain Granola Bars
- Spent Grain Crackers
- Spent Grain Muffins
- Spent Grain Cookies
- Spent Grain Pancakes
- Spent Grain Dog Treats
- Spent Grain for Chickens
- Spent Grain Horse Treats
- Spent Grain Compost
Sources
- “Saison: A Story in Motion”, Craft Beer & Brewing; https://beerandbrewing.com/saison-a-story-in-motion/
- “The Season for Saison: The Story of Farmhouse Ale,” Anchor Brewing; https://www.anchorbrewing.com/blog/a-saison-for-the-season-the-story-of-farmhouse-ale/
- "Belgian-Style Saison", Craft Beer; https://www.craftbeer.com/styles/belgian-style-saison
- "What Exactly Is a Saison?", Hop Culture; https://www.hopculture.com/what-is-a-saison-farmhouse-ale/
- "Saison", Beer Judge Certification Program; https://www.bjcp.org/style/2015/25/25B/saison/
- “How to Make Spent Grain Flour,” Craft Beering; https://www.craftbeering.com/how-to-make-spent-grain-flour/
- “18 Awesome Spent Grain Recipes for Your Baking Needs,” Homebrew Academy; https://homebrewacademy.com/spent-grain-recipes/
Images
Brübakes is returning again this spring! Join us on Sunday, April 23rd 2-4 PM at the Duckpin Room at Union Craft Brewing for a competition that pairs homebrewers and bakers to celebrate spring, sustainable brewing practices and the DIY spirit!
Attendee tickets are available at https://baltibrew.ticketspice.com/brubakes-iv.
Competition Overview
- Brewers must design a Belgian-style Saison ale to be served with a baked good. The catch? Bakers are required to use spent grain from the brewers' mash (at least 5-10% by weight) to create their counterpart.
- Those who are up for the challenge may act as both brewer and baker.
- Competitors need to bring at least 5 gallons of homebrew and about 120 baked good samples (Expecting about 60-80 attendees).
- Recommend freezing your spent grain after brew day.
- Baltibrew will provide ice. Dump buckets and water pitchers will be available.
Attendee Overview
- Must be 21+ years old to attend.
- All you can sample homebrew and baked goods.
- Ticket includes a Baltibrew Brübakes Belgian-style sample glass.
- Ticket proceeds will be used to fund future Baltibrew events, gatherings, and charitable donations throughout the year.
Voting
- Best Brew by Judge vote
- Best Baked Good by Judge vote
- Best Pairing by Judge vote
- Best Overall Favorite by popular Attendee vote
Location & Time
- Duckpin Room @ Union Craft Brewing (1700 West 41st Street, Baltimore, MD 21211)
- Sunday, April 23rd, 2023 - Competition runs from 2-4 PM.
Our spring homebrew and baking competition returns this year as "Brübakes" unites Homebrewers and Bakers to celebrate spring, sustainable brewing practices and the DIY spirit!
Tickets available on Eventbrite!
About this event
Competition Overview:
- Brewers must design a Belgian-style Saison ale to be served with a baked good. The catch? Bakers are required to use spent grain from the brewers' mash (at least 5-10% by weight) to create their counterpart.
- Those who are up for the challenge may act as both brewer and baker.
- Competitors need to bring at least 5 gallons of homebrew and about 120 baked good samples (Expecting about 60-80 attendees).
- Recommend freezing your spent grain after brew day.
- Baltibrew will provide ice. Dump buckets and water pitchers will be available.
Attendee Overview:
- Must be 21+ years old to attend.
- All you can sample homebrew and baked goods.
- Ticket includes a Baltibrew Brübakes Belgian-style sample glass.
- Ticket proceeds will be used to fund future Baltibrew events, gatherings, and charitable donations throughout the year.
Voting:
- Popular Vote in 3 categories (Best Brew, Best Bake, Best Overall)
Location:
- Duckpin Room @ Union Craft Brewing
A Chili and Homebrew Competition benefiting Baltimore Youth Arts!
You be the judge! Sample all you can eat and drink, and vote for the best Chili Con Carne, Vegetarian Chili, and Homebrew beer, mead, cider, or wine! Benefiting Baltimore Youth Arts, a grassroots Baltimore organization providing artistic and professional opportunities for youth in Baltimore, with a focus on youth involved in the justice system.
Date: October 11, 2019 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Location: Zion Lutheran Church (near City Hall)
Tickets @ Mission Tix: https://www.mt.cm/chilibrew-xiii
Competitor Tickets @ Yapsody: https://chilibrew.yapsody.com/event/index/452761/chilibrew-xiii-competitor-ticket
Thanks to everyone that helped make our first ever Brübakes competition a great success!
Competitor teams joined forces to brew a Belgian Saison and baked goods incorporating spent brewing grain. Thank you to everyone that entered, there were many excellent brews & baked goods had by all. Thanks also to De Kleine Duvel for generously hosting, and to everyone that attended and voted for your favorite team! We're already looking forward to next year.
- First Place: Max & Becky Reed with their Hoppy Table Saison and Cookies
- Second Place Split: Christoph Lepper with his Hoppy Standard Saison and Sourdough Bread
- Second Place Split: Jake Quaytman & Caiti Sullivan with their Lavender Saison and Challah with peach jam
Join us every 2nd Sunday @ 3PM
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