Anheuser Busch Homebrewers Happy Hour!

[tootal]

Fellow St. Louis Home Brewers:

Join Anheuser-Busch Brew Masters and sensory panel experts for an educational happy hour on Tuesday, May 13th at The Biergarten. Home Brewers are invited to grab free Hallertau whole cone hops, enjoy a complimentary beer, and interact with AB Brewing Professionals. Bring your homebrews to taste with our sensory panel experts and fellow Home Brewers for thoughtful, expert feedback.
We’ll be pouring Faust, a newly-released recreation of our early American-style pilsner originally brewed in 1884 for Tony Faust’s St. Louis Oyster House and Restaurant.

Date: Tuesday, May 13 from 5-7pm
Location: The Biergarten (corner of 12th and Lynch St)
Occasion: Hop giveaway and sensory education with brewing professionals in honor of American Craft Beer Week
Bring: Your homebrews for tasting and a bag for free hops!
RSVP: [email protected]


The Biergarten is next to the visitor center and we will be set up in the back. I tasted the Faust last night and it's really good. Should be a good time. You don't have to RSVP but it sure helps us with beer and food prep if we know about how many are coming. Remember to bring a bag for your hops!
Enjoy Craft Beer Week!

Tootal

 

[jekeane]

Is this part of AB trying to pretend they support craft beer? After their efforts to hinder craft breweries in Florida by buying politicians votes and attempting to force through legislation that wouldve crippled craft brewers ill never purchase another AB product.

 

[riceral]

Wow! A bag of hops!

That's about as much as they put in each barrel of Bud

 

[tootal]

A bag of hops in a barrel of Bud!!! Dude, they use 2 bags!!

When they took Bud up to 11 IBU's I could drink it again but since August lV left it's back down to 9.

What Inbev does is out of our control. All I know is we have our own inter brewery home brew club and have a yearly competition. We gave out free hops in November the last few years and we participate with other local brew clubs in festivals etc. This is a local brewery event done by hard working people who just love beer, of all kinds.
One of the brewmasters is our group sponcer and she loves a good Stout or Doppelbock. She really is the encouragement behind this event.

 

[tootal]

For inquiring minds, the hops are 2010 full cone Hallertau that have been kept at -5 degrees until 6 months ago when they came into the basement of the hop house. They are in sealed 35 gallon trash bags. The original Alpha Acid was 8.5 % but I would figure 8% in a recipe.

Looking forward to seeing everybody!

 

[Calichusetts]

 

[wmcc75]

Sounds like it could be cool. Unfortunately I have to work.

Sent from my LG-P870 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Doctor_M]

I may be wrong but this sounds a lot like an event they held last year where people were able to walk away with as much hallertau as they could carry.... like contractor size trash bag full... OP can you confirm?

Here's a thread I found from the past https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/anheuser-busch-homebrewers-group-286340/index3.html

 

[tootal]

The Hop giveaway is in November and yes we gave away a lot of hops but due to ice and snow our turn out was smaller than usual. This new event is for "Craft Beer Week". I don't consider us a "Craft" brewery in general, but we do have a really cool pilot brewery that's exactly 1000 times smaller than the big one. It's 9 stories tall but very narrow and the grains are on 9 and the bottling unit on one so gravity is a major contributor! They do a lot of experiments over there and sometimes something sticks, like Shock Top. They are the ones that made the batch of the Faust. The recipe was so old it was hand written and a little hard to figure out but I think they got it right since five of them went down waaaay to easy!!

 

[Daphne-weizen]

This sounds like a fun event. I lived in St. Louis with my folks for years before finally moving west. Say what you want about AB brewery, I think the beer is awful but, AB is a huge source of pride in STL. Just think of those majestic Clydesdale horses. True Americana. It puts a lump in my throat just humming the AB theme music. I think the next time I'm there I'll go back to Grants Farm.

 

[tootal]

I remember going to Grant's farm when I was a kid. (a long, long time ago!) We loved it because we could use the word Jackass without getting our mouth's washed out with soap! The signs above the Mules said Jackass and mom and dad were getting tired of us repeating it!!

Look, it's a Jackass!! Wow, he's a big Jackass! Wonder how much a Jackass eats in a day? Dad, you ever ridden a Jackass?...

 

[tootal]

Well at 3:30 today yours truly will be schlepping huge bags of cone hops to the Biergarten. If you get there before 5 you might be able to meet Big Jake the largest Clydesdale we have. I'm 6'4" and Jake just looks down and laughs at me!! He's usually there from 4-5 unless it's raining. The biergarten has a roof so rain won't bother the event. They just don't let Jake in the garten, well, just in case...(They follow him with a very large shovel!)

Looking forward to seeing everyone!
Cheers!

 

[tootal]

Thanks to all who showed up to the event. The turn out was light, probably due to the rain and cool temps, but those that made it seemed to really enjoy having their beers tasted by the pros and getting good feedback.

Everyone really like the Faust beer that was given out. I talked to the head brewer responsible and he said the recipe was hand written by Adolphus Busch and was very vague. One example was it just said imported hops. No mention of alpha acids or kind of hop. They just did their best to guess what they were using back then, in the 1880's ! The outcome was very good. Everyone I talked to was really impressed with it.

The brewmasters that attended enjoyed trying everybody's beer and had a lot of good comments. They really enjoyed talking about the ways people brew and how good some of the results were.

Our Group Sponsor was showing me pictures of her son home brewing on the kitchen stove! She was very proud.

Since everything went well there's a good chance we'll do it again next year.
Until then,
Cheers!

 

[Homercidal]

I'm nowhere near there, but I'd be interested in tasting some of that old recipe. I tend to prefer the classic style recipes from the major brewers over their usual light beer.

 

[Spartan1979]

I was told by a friend that attended that the Faust was very good!

 

[tootal]

I'm nowhere near there, but I'd be interested in tasting some of that old recipe. I tend to prefer the classic style recipes from the major brewers over their usual light beer.

Agreed, Prohibition ruined a lot a great beers.

 

[wmcc75]

Do you know if/when the Faust will be available for purchase? I would have liked to try it but was unable to attend.

Sent from my LG-P870 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[tootal]

I don't know what the plan is for it. They made a small batch in the pilot brewery and that's it. It's still on tap at the Biergarten next to the Tour Center even though it's not on the menu. I don't think you'll see it in bottles any time soon unless there's something in the works that I'm not privey to. Since I'm a peon that's completely possible.

 

[seyahmit]

I went to this even and had a great time. The Faust was really good. Talking to the brewers was very interesting as well. I was surprised to learn that most of them homebrew. Hopefully the lighter than expected turnout doesn't keep them from holding something like this again.

 

[tootal]

I went to this even and had a great time. The Faust was really good. Talking to the brewers was very interesting as well. I was surprised to learn that most of them homebrew. Hopefully the lighter than expected turnout doesn't keep them from holding something like this again.

Thanks for the feedback! I hope they do it again. The brewmasters really enjoyed talking to everybody too so hopefully it will continue.

 

[PHXCobra]

Seems like a really cool thing. tootal, you should see if you can find the recipe for the Faust and post it.

 

[Gar]

We’ll be pouring Faust, a newly-released recreation of our early American-style pilsner originally brewed in 1884 for Tony Faust’s St. Louis Oyster House and Restaurant.
l[/QUOTE]

is this gonna be a true recreation of the original or another corn/rice beer? in the 80s i worked for a janitorial company that cleaned bush gardens and i remember reading about faust beer there. this is the only time ive ever heard of someone say anything about it. id be interested in it if they can hold back on the urge to fill it full of garbage

 

[tootal]

Well I did find out a few more things about it. It wasn't brewed in the pilot brewery, they actually made a big batch of it. I talked to one of the brewers and they said it was 30% rice, two row and 60L crystal.

You have to remember, American Lagers were an attempt to make European Lagers with our 6-row malt. It took so much 6-row to make a 5% beer it came out dark and astringent. They learned that rice and corn could be used, along with less 6-row, to make a golden lager that looked and tasted more like a Euro lager. So adjucts have been a part of American brewing for good reasons.

I have brewed Pre Prohibition Pilsners using 30% rice and 6-row along with Cluster hops and it was very popular!

I believe the whole secret to the great flavor of the Faust is the 60L crystal. It gave it some body and mouth feel that we all appreciate. The use of Hallertau hops was more than we normally use and it too was appreciated!

I'll see if anyone is willing to give me IBU's and gravity readings, along with the percentage of 60L crystal. My guess is no, but you never know...

 

[Gar]

I was under the impression that the brewers that came here and brewed beer here was producing beer that was winning awards around the world and this only changed when prohibition ended and the us brewers filled there beers with corn/rice. everything ive always watched/read has said this. this isnt so? not arguing just asking your the first ive ever heard of this.

 

[robfar]

Read the BJCP guidelines for Classic American Pilsner. Adjuncts are a part of the historical style. Like tootal said, it was done to counteract the high protein levels of the 6-row barley malt.

 

[tootal]

I was doing a pre prohibition Budweiser and did a lot of research on the style and looked at what we do today. Combining the two I formulated a recipe that I thought would be close to what it might have been. I ended up at 6% and 19 IBU's. I served it at the Brewing Heritage Festival in St. Louis about 3 years ago and it was very popular. One comment that kept repeating was, if Budweiser tasted like this, I'd buy it!
It was 30% rice with both 6 and 2-row with 5 different hops. I did a cereal mash with the rice and part of the 6-row and added that back to the rest of the malt that was at a protien rest to raise it to 149 F.
Bud is still made that way today only it's 5% and 9 IBU's.

That's what Prohibition did!

 

[rmyurick]

Sounds like a fun event. I spent many hours in the St. Louis starting cellar, helping with the startup while working for an engineering contractor. The Faust sounds good, is it going to be available outside of St. Louis?

I think Bud would be great if they could go up to say 15 IBU & put some aroma hops in. I liked the Anheuser they used to make, which was an all-malt lager. (They called it a Marzen beer).

 

[Spartan1979]

Tootal, do you know if the Faust is still on tap at the Biergarten? I might try to get down there tomorrow.

 

[tootal]

rmyurick, I doubt they are going to package Faust but I'm not "in the loop" for that conversation but if I do hear anything I will let everybody know.

I loved the Marzen too but during that time they also made an Anheuser Pilsner that was better than any Bitburger/Warsteiner/Becks pils. All the old Germans working back then said it reminded them of the "old country"! It was much better than Marzen but marketing liked the trendy name and decided to package it instead. It was good but not the best. Marzen was $25.00 a case back in the 80's and even at that they said it wasn't profitable enough so they quit making it. It later came out as Michelob Marzen but the recipe, although not bad, was not quite as good as the original.

Spartan1979, it is still on tap and should be for a while. I talked to a guy in finishing yesterday and he said they have a whole tank of it up there. I'll keep it touch with him and see whatever happens to it all. Hmmm, may have to find out which tank it's in...now where did I leave my pig tail?

 

[tootal]

rmyurick, I just noticed you're from Akron. I went to boiler school up there years ago at Babcock and Wilcox. I really loved Liberty Street Brewing. Their RIP (Russian Imperial Porter) was awesome. Really sad that when I went back for more training a year later I heard it burned down. I understood that the bar was an actual English Pub that was disassembled and rebuilt in Akron. What a waste.

 

[tagz]

Sounds like a great event.

 

[therealrsr]

Bummed I saw this today and missed it! Say what you want about their commercial offerings, I tend to agree, but the knowledge among AB brewers and their willingness to share with hobbyists are both awesome in my book.

 

[Spartan1979]

We made it to the Biergarten tonight. The Faust is really good. I'd love to see it on tap around town. I tasted the Shock Top Twisted Pretzel Beer. It's really interesting. Tastes and smells like Pretzels. Well done!

 

[tootal]

The pretzel beer was at last years brewing heritage fest and was a big hit. It smells like a pretzel and taste like bread. Pretty amazing beer.

 

[tootal]

The Brewing Heritage Fest is tonight and tomorrow night. I will be in the same tent as Anheuser Busch where they will have the pretzel beer. I will be pouring a Saison brewed by our club Chairman. The rest are an American Brown, American IPA and a Rye IPA aged in a Rye Whiskey barrel. We will only have 2 beers tonight and 2 tomorrow. Our club support was really nill this year. Seems like most of our club is ending up with children and no time to brew!

There will be five homebrew clubs pouring in the various tents. Should be perfect weather and a great time!