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ENLARGE
Brew Genius, a new weekly feature, profiles some of the homebrewers competing at this year's Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival, which takes place Jan. 7-9 at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa. For more information on the event, visit www.bigbeersfestival.com or call High Point Brewing at 970-524-1092.
This week's brewer is Adam Glaser of Englewood.
1. From a style and/or technique standpoint, where did you start? Where are you now?
I have always appreciated fine beer. I have my father to thank for that. He taught me about high quality beer and responsible enjoyment from the beginning. As a result, I had a bit of an interest since I was 21 in learning more about the art of brewing, but this went unanswered for many years.
I finally got into brewing while I was living with some roommates about two years ago. One of them had a Mr. Beer kit and we decided to make a couple of batches with his kit. I was getting ready to move out at that point and got to thinking that while those batches were not bad, I could probably do better with a higher quality set up.
I purchased my first extract kit then and started brewing up a storm. I graduated to all-grain brewing about six months into starting. Brewing has quickly become my favorite pastime.
I found that I have a bit of a knack for it too, I just won 2nd place at the National Homebrew Competition with a barleywine I made from malt extract.
2. Do you brew alone or with others? Why?
I love to have friends over during my brew sessions to talk beer, catch up and teach them about the art and science of homebrewing. I do, however, prefer to formulate my recipes and perform the actual tasks involved with brewing on my own. I feel that this is my art and my time to be creative, and like to be independent with that.
My brew club, the Rock Hoppers, does an annual collaborative brew where we get together, create a recipe, then go and brew that same recipe on our own systems and then mix it together and let it age in an oak barrel for about a year.
3. What is your favorite beer-related destination?
The National Homebrewers Conference, wherever it is being held. It is an annual event that changes cities each year, where homebrewers from across the country come together to hold a national competition and classes. There is one night for commercial breweries to show off their latest brews and another night dedicated to homebrew only, where any club that wants to have a booth can bring and serve as much of their own beer and they can haul into the place.
4. Favorite commercially produced beer that you discovered this year?
2009 has had a lot of great new beers for me. I would have to say for an international beer, Westvleteren 8. This is a Belgian Dubbel that is brewed by the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus and it is absolutely divine.
For a beer brewed in the US, I think the best beer I had was Odell Brewing's Woodcut 1. This is a oak-aged old ale that has a fantastic young oak aroma.
5. Ultimate beer-food pairing?
Definitely a nice steak and American barleywine. The steak needs to be prepared with a good pepper rub and the barleywine needs to have been properly aged so that the hop aromas and flavors are a bit more in balance with the malt.
6. What are you entering in the Big Beers Homebrew Competition this January?
I have a few entries this year:
• Birthday Barleywine - American barleywine
• Royal Bastard - English barleywine
• Hell Hath No Fury - Belgian golden strong
7. Do you name your beers? If so, tell us about how you come up with the names. What's your most clever to date?
That is half the fun — brewing something then trying to figure out what it should be named. Usually, I try to come up with a name that captures the character of the beer.
I am not a very good namer of beers, but I would have to say my favorite so far is Hell Hath No Fury. It is a Belgian golden strong that has an ABV of 10.7 percent and, like a woman, she is very delicate and complex, but the moment you loose respect for her, she will knock you to the ground.
8. What's the most interesting ingredient you've ever used in a beer?
I am typically more of a traditional brewer; there are some in my club that have used some very wild ingredients including fruits from Africa. I have used agave nectar and recently I made a beer with rhubarb and grapefruit that turned out pretty fantastic, very refreshing and could almost be considered a breakfast drink.
I am currently working on a recipe that is going to use pumpkin seeds instead of actual pumpkin. I am not a fan of pumpkin beers, but love the flavor of the seeds and I'm thinking it should make a great harvest ale.
This week's brewer is Adam Glaser of Englewood.
1. From a style and/or technique standpoint, where did you start? Where are you now?
I have always appreciated fine beer. I have my father to thank for that. He taught me about high quality beer and responsible enjoyment from the beginning. As a result, I had a bit of an interest since I was 21 in learning more about the art of brewing, but this went unanswered for many years.
I finally got into brewing while I was living with some roommates about two years ago. One of them had a Mr. Beer kit and we decided to make a couple of batches with his kit. I was getting ready to move out at that point and got to thinking that while those batches were not bad, I could probably do better with a higher quality set up.
I purchased my first extract kit then and started brewing up a storm. I graduated to all-grain brewing about six months into starting. Brewing has quickly become my favorite pastime.
I found that I have a bit of a knack for it too, I just won 2nd place at the National Homebrew Competition with a barleywine I made from malt extract.
2. Do you brew alone or with others? Why?
I love to have friends over during my brew sessions to talk beer, catch up and teach them about the art and science of homebrewing. I do, however, prefer to formulate my recipes and perform the actual tasks involved with brewing on my own. I feel that this is my art and my time to be creative, and like to be independent with that.
My brew club, the Rock Hoppers, does an annual collaborative brew where we get together, create a recipe, then go and brew that same recipe on our own systems and then mix it together and let it age in an oak barrel for about a year.
3. What is your favorite beer-related destination?
The National Homebrewers Conference, wherever it is being held. It is an annual event that changes cities each year, where homebrewers from across the country come together to hold a national competition and classes. There is one night for commercial breweries to show off their latest brews and another night dedicated to homebrew only, where any club that wants to have a booth can bring and serve as much of their own beer and they can haul into the place.
4. Favorite commercially produced beer that you discovered this year?
2009 has had a lot of great new beers for me. I would have to say for an international beer, Westvleteren 8. This is a Belgian Dubbel that is brewed by the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus and it is absolutely divine.
For a beer brewed in the US, I think the best beer I had was Odell Brewing's Woodcut 1. This is a oak-aged old ale that has a fantastic young oak aroma.
5. Ultimate beer-food pairing?
Definitely a nice steak and American barleywine. The steak needs to be prepared with a good pepper rub and the barleywine needs to have been properly aged so that the hop aromas and flavors are a bit more in balance with the malt.
6. What are you entering in the Big Beers Homebrew Competition this January?
I have a few entries this year:
• Birthday Barleywine - American barleywine
• Royal Bastard - English barleywine
• Hell Hath No Fury - Belgian golden strong
7. Do you name your beers? If so, tell us about how you come up with the names. What's your most clever to date?
That is half the fun — brewing something then trying to figure out what it should be named. Usually, I try to come up with a name that captures the character of the beer.
I am not a very good namer of beers, but I would have to say my favorite so far is Hell Hath No Fury. It is a Belgian golden strong that has an ABV of 10.7 percent and, like a woman, she is very delicate and complex, but the moment you loose respect for her, she will knock you to the ground.
8. What's the most interesting ingredient you've ever used in a beer?
I am typically more of a traditional brewer; there are some in my club that have used some very wild ingredients including fruits from Africa. I have used agave nectar and recently I made a beer with rhubarb and grapefruit that turned out pretty fantastic, very refreshing and could almost be considered a breakfast drink.
I am currently working on a recipe that is going to use pumpkin seeds instead of actual pumpkin. I am not a fan of pumpkin beers, but love the flavor of the seeds and I'm thinking it should make a great harvest ale.
