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| Toasting to Mile Marker Brewery with Matt Hopcraft |
The day had finally arrived! … the day I was going to drive
down to Mile Marker Brewery (3420 Agricultural Center Drive - St. Augustine – 904.217.4294) to help brew
for a day! … I was so excited the evening the family there at Mile Marker had
extended this special invitation and I was hoping nothing would occur hindering
me from taking them up on this generous offer.
Head Brewer Dennis Grune had contacted me informing me I
would be assisting them in brewing the last batch of the 1565 Ancient City Reed
Ale. He reminded me to wear clothes which I would not mind getting dirty. I had
also decided to purchase some rubber boots for the experience – glad I did!
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| Measuring out the grains ... |
I arrived at Mile Marker a little ahead of the time we had
arranged – just before 1:00 pm. Matt met me at the door, welcomed me inside and
informed me I would be working that day with him.
There was no time wasted as we started gathering the
ingredients and tools we would need for the day. Dennis made a brief appearance
to say hello on his way out of the brewery on business,
I was exhausted but felt that I had accomplished something
special. Although understanding each of the processes and why certain
procedures were followed, due to Matt's excellent instructions, it would be
difficult for me to re-create each activity in writing. As a rough and
incomplete outline, I offer the following:
I followed Matt's precise directions and:
1) assisted
in staging the grain and malt to be used in the batch – nearby for efficient
handling;
2) weighed
out the exact portions of grain – watching the scale very closely;
3) climbed
a ladder to add the malt into the mash tun;
4) let
set and let water extract (hot water breaks down the grain and extract the
sugars);
5) after
awhile, transferred the run-off from the mash on to the kettle.
Then, I continued under Matt's tutelage by busying myself in
the following processes and activities:
1) recirculation
(checking for color and clarity);
2) sparging
– more heat to extract as much sugar as possible;
3) checking
for gravity – every recipe has a gravity they want to achieve – as the kettles
fill the gravity needs to be 1 Plato less than original weighed out the grains
called for in the recipe gravity;
4) bringing
to a boil;
5) adding
bitter hops
6) adding
aromatics to different stages
7) measuring
gravity
8) knocking
out – taking hot wort, temperature down to fermentation tank
WOW! … eight hours of hot, hard work passed very quickly!
As I was helping to tidy things up, I realized this was a
far cry (for me) from one year ago, Then, I was only familiar and not impressed
with the all the mass-produced (and what I thought was quite tasteless) liquids
being merchandized as “beer”. I would only imbibe with occasional pizza and
barbeque – and I never finished by saying, “Wow, now THAT beer is good!” …
The almost eight hours had flown by and Matt was kind enough
to include me in their tradition of the brewer having a “cold one” at the end
of the day. I believe that afternoon, I had never tasted a better beer than
that one particular Mile Marker Coconut Porter, sitting across
the bar from Matt. However, I am certain that the 1565 Ancient City Red Ale,
available just two short weeks from that day, will be even more satisfying to me.
My heartfelt appreciation to Matt, Dennis, Ben, Mike and the
rest of the family at Mile Marker Brewery for this amazing opportunity of
participating in their brewing process and for providing a most memorable and
cherished Jax Brew Bitch experience!
To view more pics from my day of brewing at Mile Marker Brewing, visit the link below:
Mile Marker Brewing
Tired but proud of my yeast and grain covered rubber boots,
I wanted to venture into downtown St. Augustine to the Rendezvous
Restaurant and World of Beer Bar (106 Saint George St # H – St.
Augustine – 904.824.1090) for a beer – and to show off my “Brew Boots”!
We found a parking spot in a lot not too far from St. George
Street where Rendezvous sits. Entering, there was live music and not too much
of a crowd – not surprising since it was a Monday evening.
David was our bartender and he was quite friendly and
obviously popular with the regular patrons currently enjoying their brews.
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| Lost Coast Brewery's Indica IPA |
I instantly scanned the available draft beer selections and
opted for Lost Coast Brewery's Indica IPA described on Lost Coast's
website:
“Indica is a hoppy, full-bodied ale. It has a higher than
average alcohol content balanced by radical bittering from Columbus hops, then
dry hopped with generous amounts of Willamette and Centennial hop flowers.”
JBB Note: 6.5% ABV – definitely provided the hop jolt
I wanted and served well as the substantial ale I was craving after a day of
brewing!
Although companion and I were sharing the Indica, I couldn't
help but scan the cooler of bottled beer in Rendezvous. HELLO! … they had the Orkney
Brewery's Skull Splitter described on the brewery's website:
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| Orkney Brewery's Skull Splitter |
“Skull Splitter is our strongest ale: which is
named after Thorfinn Einarsson who was the 7th Viking Earl of Orkney.
Sophisticated, satiny smooth with a deceptively light character, it is a
tribute to our colourful forbear.
On the nose, this strong beer has a fruity malt character, with hints of dark
fruit, spicy hop, dates and figs.
On the palate, rich and complex with sweet toasted malt, molasses, fresh and
dried fruit and hints of warming spices.
Appearance
A crystal-clear, rich tawny-red colour beer; a tight, smooth head with hints of
red and amber colour
Aroma
Juicy, almost fruity malt character, together with a medley of fresh and dried
fruits, dates and figs, hints of ginger and cinnamon spice, hints of vanilla
Palate
A rich, fruity, wine-like complexity on the palate includes fresh and dried
fruits, warm exotic spices, and light summer citrus fruits
Key Ingredients
Very best pale ale malt – and plenty of it – together with crystal and
chocolate malts provide a rich, fruity backbone which is perfectly balanced by
the spicy herbal character of East Kent Goldings hops.
JBB Note: I had been trying to locate this beer for
quite some time after an old friend of mine, Ed Schilleci from New Orleans suggested it. Sweet and spicy to me
throughout, this one could be deceptively “effective” with an 8.5% ABV.
The live performers took turns at the mic and entertained
guests as they came and went during our visit. We enjoyed our beer, the
ambiance and the conversations with those around us.
Many thanks to David and Rendezvous Restaurant for providing
a great venue to celebrate first Jax Brew Bitch day of brewing!
To view more photos from Rendezvous Restaurant, visit the link below:
Rendezvous Restaurant and World of Beer Bar
Lost Coast Brewery
Orkney Brewery
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| Outside of Stogies Jazz Club and Coffee Bar |
Leaving Rendezvous, I suggested to companion we go to Stogies
Jazz Club and Coffee Bar (36 Charlotte Street – St. Augustine –
904.826.4008). We have been there a number of times in the past and really
enjoy the setting, cigars, beer and their SPECIAL! … $5 for any draft beer and
one of their house cigars!
Just a quick drive of a couple blocks later, we found a
parking spot in the close vicinity. Turns out my “Brew Boots” are good to wear when
walking the cobblestone streets in the historic St. Augustine shopping
district!
There was a fair-sized crowd gathered outside enjoying their
beer and fellowship. As we entered, I noticed several folks around the bar
obviously having a fun evening. The dynamo behind the bar was Jon, who was
taking care of all his customers. Quite busy, I was impressed with Jon's
ability to keep a smile and friendly attitude while serving and carrying on
dialogues with various customers.
Jon approached and asked what our choices would be that
evening. It's hard to pass up the aforementioned value, so we both opted for
that special. For my beer, I selected:Terrapin Beer's Hopsecutioner IPA
described on Terrapin's website:
“This Killer IPA earns its name by using six different
types of hops while still remaining an aggressive well balanced beer.
ABV: 7.3%
IBU’s: 78
O.G.: 16.3
FG: 3.0
Malt: 2 Row Pale
Malt,Munich, Pale Crystal 24L, Victory
Hops: Warrior, Chinook,
Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade (dry hop)”
Companion's beer preference was Highland Brewing
Company's Oatmeal Porter described on Highland's website:
“A unique Highland creation, this robust beer is black
in color, very malty with hints of chocolate-roasted flavor and a well balanced
hop character.
This style was born on the docks of the Thames of
London where dock workers or porters delighted in the strong dark ales brewed
by the local pubs with roasted malts. This gave rise to the name by which this
style is still known. A porter was traditionally served with oysters, the least
expensive food available to the dock workers. Highland Brewing has taken this
style a step farther with the addition of a judicious amount of flaked oatmeal
which helps attain the smooth silky character of our porter.”
Grains - 2 Row Brewers Malt, Munich, Caramel 40,
Caramel 60, Chocolate, Black & Flaked Oats
Hops – Chinook, Willamette, & Cascade
ABV – 5.9%
IBUs – 35
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Our most fabulous bartender and
entertainer, Jon |
We took our selections and chose an outside table at which
to relax – the evening air was crisp and refreshing – just a slight chill.
After brewing for a day, it felt great. Companion was certainly enjoying the
cigar Jon had lit – while occasionally sipping his Highland Oatmeal Porter. I
was quite content to sit silently with my Hopsecutioner, reflecting on my
earlier brewing activities at Mile Marker Brewing.
Although it was late in the evening, I was invigorated by my
earlier brewing experience - and the tasty beer! … Not quite ready to call it a night, I told
companion I would like one more beer while he enjoyed the cigar I had received
as part of the Special. Keep in mind, the Jax Brew Bitch likes her an
occasional cigar but I rarely smoke more than a third of it - and then give it to companion. This night,
I wasn't in the mood for the cigar, so mine had his name on it.
We re-entered Stogies and found an unoccupied table near the
door. As I approached the bar to have the cigar lit by Jon, I noticed the
talented entertainer was performing much to the delight of the audience! … he
continued to astound me with his choice and performance of song selections from
various genres. At certain times, another musician would join him and it
obvious they were used to performing together.
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| Jon performing The Pixies |
Jon also got into the act ... performing a song from … the
Pixies! … wow! … my era! … and he was quite impressive – obviously very
comfortable on a stage.
During the course of Jon's performance, he introduced the
original entertainer. His name was Chris Woods which, when transferred via loop
pedal to the sound system became “Chris Frickin' Woods” … uh … well … I
COULD have put F****** but that might have been considered by some to be
inappropriate.
So, for the remainder of our visit, we were serenaded by
Chris Frickin' Woods! … no doubt Chris is very popular. Talented and
quite entertaining, the crowd was truly enjoying the performance.
I knew it was a “school night” and we needed to start
heading back to Jacksonville. Companion had finished his second cigar and I was
satisfied I had done an admirable job of sampling brews, so I indicated to companion
I was ready to go home.
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| Matt "LoveChunk" Harvey & Chris "Fricken" Woods |
Upon reaching the door to leave, Chris Frickin' Woods
alleged (in a friendly way) that I had not tipped the musician(s) – but
I confirmed for him with Jon, standing safely at the bar, that I indeed parted
with a small token of my appreciation for the evening's entertainment. I asked
the name of the other young troubadour
and Chris responded that his talented co-performer was none other than Matt
“LoveChunk” Harvey of the band of the same nom de musique orchestre.
Seriously, if you can catch a Chris Frickin' Woods
performance, you will enjoy it – a gifted young musician with a bright future.
Of course, no doubt Matt “LoveChunk” Harvey will snatch the golden ring in the
future, as well. And Jon? … besides being a great bartender – and obviously
being “born for the stage”, he is also quite effective in getting a bar crowd
aroused and on their feet.
A most sincere “Well Done!” to Jon for his experienced,
efficient and effective multitasking during the duration of our stay ! … a
heartfelt Jax Brew Bitch standing ovation for Chris Frickin' Woods and
Matt “LoveChunk” Harvey for their inspired ballads – and a most respectful
“Thank You” to Stogies Jazz Club and
Coffee Bar for providing an atmosphere simply perfect in which to end this very
special and oh so memorable Jax Brew Bitch Prowl!
To view more photos from Stogies Jazz Club and Coffee Bar, visit the link below:
Stogies Jazz Club and Coffee Bar
LoveChunk
Terrapin Beer Co.
Highland Brewing Co.
http://www.highlandbrewing.com/
