Feb. 16 Club Shop Brew Session - Dortmunder Adambier

Falcons, you won't want to miss the next monthly Club Shop Brew Session, coming up on Sunday, Feb. 16, as club president John Aitchison takes on a very rare and special beer - Dortmunder Adambier. John is a certified beer judge, and he leads the club's Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) training course, and he's won five medals with this recipe, so this is a terrific opportunity to learn from an a highly accomplished brewer. 

A Dortmunder Adambier is a malt-dominated strong ale from Northern Germany. No one can be certain on the origin. Dortmund was one of the cities in the 14th Century Hanseatic League best known for their beer. With the advent of lagers, this type of beer fell out of favor among German beer drinkers, and is now very difficult to find. Even the BJCP abandoned the style when they revised the guidelines in 1998, but last year re-listed it in the 2013 Great American Beerfest. 

John says his first exposure to Dortmunder Adambier was when he was judging European Ales in the mid 1990’s. There was this wonderful strong beer that tasted like a cross between an English Barley Wine and a Dopplebock. It's all about the malty flavors. The esters from the ale yeast and hard water bring out the malty flavors even more. The malt is caramelized and roasty, coming from a long boil and fermentation, not roast or caramel malts. As it ages, it will display pleasant oxidation, sherry, vanilla, or oak notes. Traditional German versions often have a sour lactic character from ageing in wooden barrels. An Adambier really isn’t ready for a year and reaches its peak after 3 or 4 years, so this beer requires commitment.  

Sign up now for what promises to be another great brewing day! 
 
All Brew Crew members will be brewing on the Falcons' 40-gallon all-grain brew system located at the Home Beer Wine and Cheese Making Shop in Woodland Hills. Crew members will participate in all aspects of the brewing process from measuring and crushing the grain to clean up and fermentation. Each participant will pitch in for the cost of ingredients (usually $10-$15), and take 5 gallons of wort to ferment at home. So it's very economical and a great opportunity to get some hands-on brewing experience on a larger, more sophisticated brewing system than most homebrewers have access to, learn new recipes, and, of course, a chance to hang out with your fellow Falcons and share brews and snacks. Remember to bring some cash for your share of the ingredients and a carboy or a bucket for your wort. 

To participate, you must be an up-to-date, dues-paid Maltose Falcons member. Your membership status will be verified prior to your spot being confirmed on the brew crew. 

You must sign up here by clicking the "Sign up for February Club Shop Brew" link below. Please email me your FULL NAME and CELL PHONE NUMBER at publicity@maltosefalcons.com so we can confirm your membership and contact you if there is any problems with your membership or with the brew day itself. No exceptions.

We welcome new members, or members who have not yet been on a Brew Crew, to sign up for this event. If you have been on a Brew Crew within the past 3 months, you are not eligible to be on this crew unless spots are left empty by brew day. Signups are at the end of this event posting. No sign ups will be accepted via the yahoogroups or email to the crew leader or the publicity director. There are only 7 spots on the Crew, including the crew leader, since we're setting aside a Falcon's share for the club's 40th anniversary events. Please volunteer to babysit the Falcon's share! 

Signups are on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the crew is filled, there may be a waiting list in case a crew member can't make it on brew day. Brew Crew Members, please arrive on time and be prepared to stay until brew day is over, which includes cleaning and stowing all equipment, utensils, work area, and classroom. That may be after 4:00 pm.

Of course anyone who is interested in observing the all-grain brewing process is welcome to come by the shop to hang out and chat with the Crew. Beer and snacks to share are always welcome.

Cheers!
Matt Myerhoff
Publicity Director, Maltose Falcons Board