Comments for chromosphere http://www.chromosphere.co.uk Graeme Coates Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:54:01 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on “Craft” or “Not craft”? That is the beer question. by Ali http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2012/01/27/craft-or-not-craft-that-is-the-beer-question/comment-page-1/#comment-54011 Ali Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:54:01 +0000 http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/?p=646#comment-54011 You did a good job as a steward, and I hope you got something out of it! In the UK, the argument over what is craft beer is messy, and somewhat pointless. In the US, however, the term actually has a legal meaning which was defined in the 1994 Microbrewry Bill passed by the Clinton Administration and pushed for by the Brewer's Association. The definition of a Craft Brewery is production of less than 6,000,000 US beer barrels (700,000,000 L) a year, and there is significant tax relief for these breweries (hence why US craft beer is not punished for production at high ABV). In many ways the 'commercial does not equal craft' stance in the UK is informed by the fact that it is scale of production that is the determinant of the status of a craft brewer in the US. All of this said and done, it really all has to be about quality. I've had good and bade beer from both large commerical brewries and tiny craft brewers. It's the quality that is important, not the scale of production, but small brewers must be allowed to play in the market. You did a good job as a steward, and I hope you got something out of it!

In the UK, the argument over what is craft beer is messy, and somewhat pointless.

In the US, however, the term actually has a legal meaning which was defined in the 1994 Microbrewry Bill passed by the Clinton Administration and pushed for by the Brewer’s Association. The definition of a Craft Brewery is production of less than 6,000,000 US beer barrels (700,000,000 L) a year, and there is significant tax relief for these breweries (hence why US craft beer is not punished for production at high ABV). In many ways the ‘commercial does not equal craft’ stance in the UK is informed by the fact that it is scale of production that is the determinant of the status of a craft brewer in the US.

All of this said and done, it really all has to be about quality. I’ve had good and bade beer from both large commerical brewries and tiny craft brewers. It’s the quality that is important, not the scale of production, but small brewers must be allowed to play in the market.

]]> Comment on “Craft” or “Not craft”? That is the beer question. by Graeme Coates http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2012/01/27/craft-or-not-craft-that-is-the-beer-question/comment-page-1/#comment-54008 Graeme Coates Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:49:30 +0000 http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/?p=646#comment-54008 I think you've missed the point. This was a response to the ongoing "what is the definition of craft beer" debate on the blogs and on twitter, which is most often about commercial breweries... Do I care what that festival was called? No, not really. It could have been called the London &SE Home Brewing Festival, or a Festival for Beers Brewed on Non Commercial Equipment for all it matters. Would I still have given up my day to help and steward if that wasn't called a craft beer festival? Yes of course I would. I hope I did a half decent job, and if required, wouldn't hesitate to offer my help again in any way. For what it's worth, the "craft beer" there was frequently a darn sight better than some of the "craft beer" found on sale in the UK... I think you’ve missed the point.

This was a response to the ongoing “what is the definition of craft beer” debate on the blogs and on twitter, which is most often about commercial breweries…

Do I care what that festival was called? No, not really. It could have been called the London &SE Home Brewing Festival, or a Festival for Beers Brewed on Non Commercial Equipment for all it matters.

Would I still have given up my day to help and steward if that wasn’t called a craft beer festival? Yes of course I would. I hope I did a half decent job, and if required, wouldn’t hesitate to offer my help again in any way.

For what it’s worth, the “craft beer” there was frequently a darn sight better than some of the “craft beer” found on sale in the UK…

]]> Comment on “Craft” or “Not craft”? That is the beer question. by Billy Bigarms http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2012/01/27/craft-or-not-craft-that-is-the-beer-question/comment-page-1/#comment-54007 Billy Bigarms Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:31:47 +0000 http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/?p=646#comment-54007 Could you have given a stuff on Saturday 12th Nov when you were stewarding at the London and South East Craft Brewing Festival in Wimbledon? Could you have given a stuff on Saturday 12th Nov when you were stewarding at the London and South East Craft Brewing Festival in Wimbledon?

]]> Comment on “Craft” or “Not craft”? That is the beer question. by Dredpenguin http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2012/01/27/craft-or-not-craft-that-is-the-beer-question/comment-page-1/#comment-53937 Dredpenguin Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:52:15 +0000 http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/?p=646#comment-53937 Most coherent post on the subject I have seen. Most coherent post on the subject I have seen.

]]> Comment on High Strength Beer Duty – Some Thoughts by An open letter to my MP & MEPs on beer tax « Probably Due To Network Congestion http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/10/26/high-strength-beer-duty-some-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-52231 An open letter to my MP & MEPs on beer tax « Probably Due To Network Congestion Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:47:59 +0000 http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/?p=581#comment-52231 [...] http://blog.buntingfordbrewery.co.uk/?p=202 http://www.camrgb.org/7point5/ http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/10/26/high-strength-beer-duty-some-thoughts/ [...] [...] http://blog.buntingfordbrewery.co.uk/?p=202 http://www.camrgb.org/7point5/ http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/10/26/high-strength-beer-duty-some-thoughts/ [...]

]]> Comment on Tomcat 5 on Fedora Core 5 by junkiest http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/linux/tomcat-5-on-fedora-core-5/comment-page-1/#comment-52150 junkiest Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:47:50 +0000 http://newsite.chromosphere.co.uk/installing-tomcat-5-on-fedora-core-5/#comment-52150 Nice tutorial.... thanks !!! Nice tutorial…. thanks !!!

]]> Comment on London & SE Festival; Brewing Low Gravity Beers by Dredpenguin http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/11/14/london-brewing-low-gravity-beers/comment-page-1/#comment-52127 Dredpenguin Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:13:39 +0000 http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/11/14/london-low-gravity-beers/#comment-52127 What about mashing at a higher temp (say 70) and going for a higher OG and lower attenuation? Or even crashing the beer before it has fully completed hits fermentation leaving it a few points higher then it would normally come down to? What about mashing at a higher temp (say 70) and going for a higher OG and lower attenuation? Or even crashing the beer before it has fully completed hits fermentation leaving it a few points higher then it would normally come down to?

]]> Comment on London & SE Festival; Brewing Low Gravity Beers by Graeme Coates http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/11/14/london-brewing-low-gravity-beers/comment-page-1/#comment-52124 Graeme Coates Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:44:47 +0000 http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/11/14/london-low-gravity-beers/#comment-52124 In terms of cell count? No, but it was a single tube, 3 months old (stored in fridge), into a 1.4L stirplate starter. Crash cooled after 2 days and decanted the spent starter. EDIT: That was for 23L. I tend to simply follow the mrmalty.com pitch rate calculator. In terms of cell count? No, but it was a single tube, 3 months old (stored in fridge), into a 1.4L stirplate starter. Crash cooled after 2 days and decanted the spent starter.

EDIT: That was for 23L. I tend to simply follow the mrmalty.com pitch rate calculator.

]]> Comment on London & SE Festival; Brewing Low Gravity Beers by David wilton http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/11/14/london-brewing-low-gravity-beers/comment-page-1/#comment-52123 David wilton Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:51:33 +0000 http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/11/14/london-low-gravity-beers/#comment-52123 Do you have any idea of what your pitching rate was and what you plan to do in the next beer? Please keep me updated with your progress. David Do you have any idea of what your pitching rate was and what you plan to do in the next beer? Please keep me updated with your progress.

David

]]> Comment on London & SE Festival; Brewing Low Gravity Beers by Graeme Coates http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/11/14/london-brewing-low-gravity-beers/comment-page-1/#comment-52122 Graeme Coates Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:48:12 +0000 http://www.chromosphere.co.uk/2011/11/14/london-low-gravity-beers/#comment-52122 Strangely enough, I just tried using their fermentation profile myself (17->19->17->crash) on a beer I racked last night that used WLP002. It s possibly the closest that I've got to their yeast derived flavours, but it's still not quite there, so I suspect yeast pitching rates. Still pleasant beer, finishing at 1010 from 1042 (backing up my 75% attenuation again with this yeast). I harvested slurry for use again this weekend in a low gravity bitter - time to perhaps put some of the theory into practise... Strangely enough, I just tried using their fermentation profile myself (17->19->17->crash) on a beer I racked last night that used WLP002. It s possibly the closest that I’ve got to their yeast derived flavours, but it’s still not quite there, so I suspect yeast pitching rates. Still pleasant beer, finishing at 1010 from 1042 (backing up my 75% attenuation again with this yeast).

I harvested slurry for use again this weekend in a low gravity bitter – time to perhaps put some of the theory into practise…

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