Base Malt

What is a good base malt?
Depending on what your looking for:

Optic is as malty as you can get.
Pearl is the UK equiv of Rahr pale.
Golden promise has a touch of biscuit but lots of apple.
Halcyon is a very clean UK lager malt w/o the DMS
Dingeman pale is like cross between MO and Optic and a little darker than the rest.

Barley is the fourth most important grain crop in the United States. Barley is one of the oldest cultivated grains. Grains found in pits and pyramids in Egypt indicate that barley was cultivated there more than 5000 years ago.
Half the barley grown in the US gets used for livestock feed. As feed it is nearly equal in nutritive value to kernel corn. It is especially valuable as hog feed, giving desirable portions of firm fat and lean meat. The entire kernel is used in feed, generally after grinding or steam rolling. Malt sprouts from malting as well as brewers grain–byproducts of brewing–are also valuable livestock feeds.
Around 25 percent of barley crops are malted in the US. Of the malted barley some 80 percent is used for beer, around 14 percent for distilled alcohol products, and 6 percent for malt syrup, malted milk and breakfast foods.

September Club Meeting

Fletty passed around some traditional mead from various varietals of honey for sample and discussion, including: raspberry, blackberry, tupelo,  a blend of the 3, and an ’09 fruit mix. Jeff follwed with mystery beers, where we had to guess if they were pro or homebrewed. Some of the comments included…
“This makes my beer taste better.”
– Richard
“Pliny is like Bud Lite compared to this shit.”
– Fletty

Minnesota State Fair Home Brewed Beer, Mead and Cider Competition!

Judging will take place at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on August 19th and 20th. If you’ve never judged the State Fair it’s held at the Creative Activities Building. NOTE: Preliminary judging not open to the general public.

Best-Of-Show Judging and Awards Ceremony will be held during the fair August 27, 2011, 11am – at the Education Building’s outdoor stage, adjacent to the Creative Activities building.