Conroe Courier - Features
Foam on the Range
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| Brewmaster Alan Ward, left, and his assistant Donald Lambert pour 165 degree water from a copper kettle into wooden keg to start the beer making process at Brigadoon Brewery at the Texas Renaissance Festival. |
By Brad Meyer
The explosive growth of beer pubs, microbreweries and specialty beers is attracting new fans to the old art of brewing beer and ale.
While technology and commerce have made access to beer as easy as a trip to the local convenience store, beer enthusiasts are rediscovering the benefits of investing a little time and effort provide a better brew.
“Picking up a six-pack may be convenient, but it’s hardly the best quality beer,” said Alan Ward, brewmaster and owner of Brigadoon Brewery. “People are discovering home brewing offers a lot more options for personal preference.
Ten years ago, the New Orleans native received a Mr. Beer Kit for Christmas. He discovered the process of making his own beer was both interesting and rewarding.
“It’s not hard,” he said. “People have been making beer for thousands of years.”
The process is indeed simple. The combination of grain, water and time leads to fermentation and ultimately to beer. Once one knows the basics, home brewers can tinker with the details to create the ultimate beer.
Prohibition killed the beer industry, according to Ward, because it put regional beer makers out of business. When the laws changed, the market became controlled by a few commercial breweries that provide few choices.
“Microbreweries are educating people to the wide range of options available,” Ward said. “The big beer companies are buying them to try to keep up with the trend.”
In addition to his online business offering beer appreciation and brewing services, Ward operates the Brigadoon Brewery at the Texas Renaissance Festival. He offers a “Brewmaster for a Day” course that teaches everything prospective beer makers need to know to start a home brewery.
“We make English and Scottish ales at the festival,” he said. “These are good basics that are easy to make and help people develop their own preferences.”
Ale is basically the same as beer – with a minor variation in the fermentation process. Ward’s brews, however, pack more punch than their commercial counterparts. Budweiser and Miller beers typically have 2 to 3 percent alcohol. Ward’s brews have 4.7 to 8 percent alcohol – and a lot more flavor, he claims.
The ingredients are simple and basic. Hot water is added to a mix of two row barley, crystal malt, chocolate malt and roasted barley and the mixture, known as mash, sits for an hour.
The solids are removed and the mixture is boiled with hops. It then goes to bottles or kegs for another two weeks to improved carbonation before it’s ready for a mug.
“All the big name beers base their fermentation on rice,” said Ward. “It’s cheaper to make, but it doesn’t deliver the full flavor potential of beer.”
While most American’s prefer beer at ice cold temperatures, Ward prefers his brews at higher temperatures where there is a more robust flavor. But that doesn’t mean room temperature, he added.
“In Europe, 45 degrees is where most cellars are kept,” he said. “That’s about right.”
In his TRF location, the Brigadoon Brewery features authentic, handmade beer making equipment that is period-appropriate to the 15th century.
“We try to stay as true to the original art as possible,” he said. “For safety and cleanliness, however, we do take advantage of a few technological advancements.”
Ward uses plastic buckets for fermenting and recommends plastic bottles for first-time beer makers – it’s safer.
Don Lambert, an apprentice to Ward, helps him prepare the ingredients, instruct newcomers and bottle beer at the festival.
“It’s an interesting hobby,” he said. “It’s not like collecting things to sit on a shelf – you get some real benefit from learning to make your own beer.”
Pride is another benefit. Home brewers learn that varying the technique and the ingredients yields different flavor and tone to beer. It’s possible to make a highly personal beer suited to your own tastes.
“You also get to come up with your own names for the various beers,” Ward added. “You can print out your own labels and get pretty creative.”
While home brewing is easy and rewarding, Ward acknowledged that not everyone has the time or patience for the process – at least initially. He suggests those with an interest in better beer visit Two Rows Restaurant & Brewery, located at 2400 University Blvd. in the Rice Village area of Houston.
“They offer a wide range of handcrafted specialty beers,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity to see the different types of beer available.”
Another of Ward’s services is a beer appreciation course where he helps the uninitiated learn about beer through sampling and instruction. His course includes types, styles, proper glasses and much more.
For purists, the vessel into which the beer is poured matters. Mugs, goblets, pilsners, glasses and other containers can impact the head, the body and the overall enjoyment of the beer.
“Some folks want to get very detailed in the experience and some people just want to drink good beer,” he said. “It’s whatever you want it to be.”
In addition to group and individual instruction, Ward offers starter kits, refills and beer making supplies via his online retail store. He finds teaching people about beer an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
“Life is too short to drink bad beer,” he said.
Become a Brewmaster
The Brigadoon Brewery & Brew School offers a hands-on course in which participants learn the basics of turning grain, water and time into beer. Special “Brewmaster for a Day” classes are available on the grounds of the Texas Renaissance Festival through the end of the month. For information, visit www.brigadoonbrewery.com or call (281) 710-7560.
BREW-IT-YOURSELF
While technology and commerce have made access to beer as easy as a trip to the local convenience store, beer enthusiasts are rediscovering the benefits of investing a little time and effort provide a better brew.
“Picking up a six-pack may be convenient, but it’s hardly the best quality beer,” said Alan Ward, brewmaster and owner of Brigadoon Brewery. “People are discovering home brewing offers a lot more options for personal preference.
Ten years ago, the New Orleans native received a Mr. Beer Kit for Christmas. He discovered the process of making his own beer was both interesting and rewarding.
“It’s not hard,” he said. “People have been making beer for thousands of years.”
The process is indeed simple. The combination of grain, water and time leads to fermentation and ultimately to beer. Once one knows the basics, home brewers can tinker with the details to create the ultimate beer.
Prohibition killed the beer industry, according to Ward, because it put regional beer makers out of business. When the laws changed, the market became controlled by a few commercial breweries that provide few choices.
“Microbreweries are educating people to the wide range of options available,” Ward said. “The big beer companies are buying them to try to keep up with the trend.”
In addition to his online business offering beer appreciation and brewing services, Ward operates the Brigadoon Brewery at the Texas Renaissance Festival. He offers a “Brewmaster for a Day” course that teaches everything prospective beer makers need to know to start a home brewery.
“We make English and Scottish ales at the festival,” he said. “These are good basics that are easy to make and help people develop their own preferences.”
Ale is basically the same as beer – with a minor variation in the fermentation process. Ward’s brews, however, pack more punch than their commercial counterparts. Budweiser and Miller beers typically have 2 to 3 percent alcohol. Ward’s brews have 4.7 to 8 percent alcohol – and a lot more flavor, he claims.
The ingredients are simple and basic. Hot water is added to a mix of two row barley, crystal malt, chocolate malt and roasted barley and the mixture, known as mash, sits for an hour.
The solids are removed and the mixture is boiled with hops. It then goes to bottles or kegs for another two weeks to improved carbonation before it’s ready for a mug.
“All the big name beers base their fermentation on rice,” said Ward. “It’s cheaper to make, but it doesn’t deliver the full flavor potential of beer.”
While most American’s prefer beer at ice cold temperatures, Ward prefers his brews at higher temperatures where there is a more robust flavor. But that doesn’t mean room temperature, he added.
“In Europe, 45 degrees is where most cellars are kept,” he said. “That’s about right.”
In his TRF location, the Brigadoon Brewery features authentic, handmade beer making equipment that is period-appropriate to the 15th century.
“We try to stay as true to the original art as possible,” he said. “For safety and cleanliness, however, we do take advantage of a few technological advancements.”
Ward uses plastic buckets for fermenting and recommends plastic bottles for first-time beer makers – it’s safer.
Don Lambert, an apprentice to Ward, helps him prepare the ingredients, instruct newcomers and bottle beer at the festival.
“It’s an interesting hobby,” he said. “It’s not like collecting things to sit on a shelf – you get some real benefit from learning to make your own beer.”
Pride is another benefit. Home brewers learn that varying the technique and the ingredients yields different flavor and tone to beer. It’s possible to make a highly personal beer suited to your own tastes.
“You also get to come up with your own names for the various beers,” Ward added. “You can print out your own labels and get pretty creative.”
While home brewing is easy and rewarding, Ward acknowledged that not everyone has the time or patience for the process – at least initially. He suggests those with an interest in better beer visit Two Rows Restaurant & Brewery, located at 2400 University Blvd. in the Rice Village area of Houston.
“They offer a wide range of handcrafted specialty beers,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity to see the different types of beer available.”
Another of Ward’s services is a beer appreciation course where he helps the uninitiated learn about beer through sampling and instruction. His course includes types, styles, proper glasses and much more.
For purists, the vessel into which the beer is poured matters. Mugs, goblets, pilsners, glasses and other containers can impact the head, the body and the overall enjoyment of the beer.
“Some folks want to get very detailed in the experience and some people just want to drink good beer,” he said. “It’s whatever you want it to be.”
In addition to group and individual instruction, Ward offers starter kits, refills and beer making supplies via his online retail store. He finds teaching people about beer an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
“Life is too short to drink bad beer,” he said.
Become a Brewmaster
The Brigadoon Brewery & Brew School offers a hands-on course in which participants learn the basics of turning grain, water and time into beer. Special “Brewmaster for a Day” classes are available on the grounds of the Texas Renaissance Festival through the end of the month. For information, visit www.brigadoonbrewery.com or call (281) 710-7560.
BREW-IT-YOURSELF
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