Running the Homebrew Rally

BYOB by Drew Beechum | Aug 2010 | Issue #43

Few things out there can equal the pleasure of an early-spring, Southern California road trip in a convertible. While the rest of the country continues to be buried in snow, the SoCal driver gets the breeze in the hair and a feeling of freedom that begs one to go full Hunter S. Thompson and gun right past the line of rationality. About the only thing better is to know there’s great beer waiting when you pull in, wild and tangle haired.

This past March gave me such an opportunity, as Stone Brewing Company held their second March Madness Homebrew Competition and AHA Rally. What’s an AHA Rally? The American Homebrewers Association teams up with a member of the Brewers Association, the professional parent division. Together, they throw a party for members of the AHA. The party can be as simple as touring the brewery and grabbing a beer, brewing a batch of wort for homebrewers to have their way with or throwing a really big party and finding a new collaborator. The latter is just what Stone’s done for two years now. Last year’s winner was Ken Schmidt’s Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter.

When it came time for the rally, I did what any red-blooded homebrewer would do and promptly forgot to enter! Fortunately, after a long slog on the freeways, there was homebrew to taste. I pulled into Escondido and played “where’s the parking spot.” There wasn’t a space to be found because the joint was jumping with around 310 rally attendees. The Bistro’s garden featured the Stone crew hustling to present each of the 23 entries to the crowd.

After the assembled crowd gets together and votes for their favorites, an esteemed panel of Stone “officials” gathers and picks their favoritest of the top beers. The lucky winner gets moved out of the dinky kitchen and into Stone’s gleaming steel system of steamy goodness. Topping it off, the brew becomes Stone’s official GABF ProAm entry.

With the last glass poured and the grass getting a reprieve from the trampling, Kelsey McNair of San Diego stood victorious with an “only in San Diego” beer concept—the West Coast Bitter. To Kelsey’s way of thinking, there are just so many Double IPAs you can enjoy before the evening gets foggy. What’s a brewer to do when he wants the hoppiness of Pliny the Elder and the drinkability of a session beer? Kelsey found his answer in another San Diego product—Ballast Point’s Even Keel. Both beers are designed to be low alcohol like a bitter, but with a full, West Coast flavor and aroma experience to keep you hopped up.

Stone produces their collaboration beers as a triumvirate, and they left the choice to McNair. He went straight to the source of his inspiration and nominated Colby Chandler of Ballast Point as the third leg. McNair and Mitch Steele (Stone head brewer) joined Chandler at the smaller Ballast Point brewery for a tasting session of the original brew (and rare vintage brews) to work out the details of blowing up the Bitter.

McNair is tickled pink at the opportunity to brew in the big leagues, saying, “This is absolutely one of my greatest brewing accomplishments. I’m a relatively quiet and reserved guy, but the Stone crew has really made me feel like a total rock star! I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of our collaboration brew!” As for Stone, you gotta love a company that fosters a strong bond with homebrewers—after all, I don’t think they’re hurting for sales.

KELSEY’S WEST COAST BITTER
For 5 gallons at 1.042, 50 IBU, 90-minute boil

Malt/Grain/Sugar
88% Rahr two-row
5% Carapils
5% Crisp Crystal 77L
2% honey malt

Yeast
Wyeast 1056 (Ferment at 67˚F)

Mash
Saccharification Rest 158˚F 60 minutes
Mash Out 168˚F 10 minutes
Sparge 170˚F 90 minutes ■

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Tags: American Homebrewers Association, Ballast Point Brewing, Bitter, Colby Chandler, Homebrewing, Mitch Steele, Recipe, Session IPA, Stone Brewing Company

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