Brew Masters on Discovery w/ Sam Calagione

[shamrockdoc]

keg kicked and watching right now yessss work is gonna rock tomorrow....you better find that vent tube bitch!

 

[spangltk]

couldn't really get into it. Felt like a docudrama and promotion to Dogfish. I would have rather seen that promotion spread to multiple breweries and what they beerlieve in.

looking forward to next weeks show - hoping this weeks was just an intro to the brewery and their characters.

 

[scrambledegg81]

Plus a name like ******* brew they did a rap video throwing hops all over the place and ****. I felt they could have done more to make it better like some actual ******* and hoes but it is the discovery channel, maybe next time. Quit hatin trickz.

No, just....no.





No.

 

[shamrockdoc]

No, just....no.





No.

+1,000,000,000 to you good sir

 

[Colin86]

I see plenty of mixed reviews on here, but overall I had a positive impression from the show.

I dig Sam and his philosophy, and I think love him or hate him, if wasn't for him and others like him we wouldn't have such a great craft brew culture to take from.

Also, when you think about it if you don't like Sam or DFH, there's really no loss in it for you. At worst, more people will buy his beer, leaving more room on the shelves for your favorite beer. At best, it will inspire more people to take chances and start brewing and drinking better beer.

At the end of the day, if you didn't like it, you could always just brew a better beer and then they will give you a show

 

[JeepDiver]

If it was a country song everyone would probably be saying, "awesome show and cool song at the end, hope they do that again." Well it was clearly a joke and a good one. Since they were working with a record company about the legacy of a musical artist a musical performance would be natural.
Plus a name like ******* brew they did a rap video throwing hops all over the place and ****. I felt they could have done more to make it better like some actual ******* and hoes but it is the discovery channel, maybe next time. Quit hatin trickz.

They have actually been doing the rap thing for a few years at least.

 

[hank1072]

I loved every part of the show. Even the rap video at the end.

 

[Lodovico]

I really enjoyed the show. The rapping was a bit much but still kind of funny. Sam is surprisingly entertaining.

My only fear is I totally see this show headed towards "reality type" emergencies every week at the brewery and that could get annoying. I hope they keep it a good mix of informative and entertaining. Awesome to have a show about beer.

So freaking jealous of these guys.

 

[deezy]

I really enjoyed the show, it fits well for both brewers and beer drinkers. I can't criticize the episode for not enough geek info, they have to reach a larger audience and if a vent tube gets lost every week I'll enjoy watching them scramble. Start saving your spit for next week's episode, Cheers! ;]

 

[Revvy]

OK this looks to be a "Clean" link to a stream of yesterday's episode.

http://willvideoforwings.com/brew-masters-season-1-episode-1-*******-brew/

Looks like you just have to close the gray box that says advertisment and "close to play" on the bottom and it will play with no popups or quizes trying to get your email or wanting to load a player. And it got through my work firefall which is pretty high anyway. But as always use at your own risk.

 

[nvr2low]

i thought it was a great show. it was entertaining, and like rap or not i thought it was a entertaining addition. it looks like that is what they do when they are brewing, and the show is about them so i didnt see a problem with it.

I actually found it somewhat inspirational, i wanted to go brew after watching it. I have always been a fan of out of the ordinary things and watching him come up with out of the ordinary beer makes me want to take more chances with oddball stuff with my brewing.

I think we have to remember that this show is geared towards the masses and accept that. if it catered to us homebrewers the first episode would have been the last as it would have been way too in-depth and not entertaining enough for the masses to be successful. I will be tuning in every week!

 

[passedpawn]

So freaking jealous of these guys.

Me 3.

 

[CoalCracker]

I really enjoyed it. However it had an "American Choppers" feel to it that I didn't quite like. We will see how it turns out.

 

[GweedoeBrew]

I thought it was good... I didn't expect it to be overly beer geeky... But I thought it had a pretty good dose of beer geeky-ness...

I think it was a good insite into Sam the the cooky-ness that goes on there in Milton. I hope that this show has legs.


But did anyone else find it upsetting that the first commercial in the first commercial break was for "Blue Moon" The Big Boys just can't leave it alone...

 

[knotquiteawake]

OK this looks to be a "Clean" link to a stream of yesterday's episode.

http://willvideoforwings.com/brew-masters-season-1-episode-1-*******-brew/

Looks like you just have to close the gray box that says advertisment and "close to play" on the bottom and it will play with no popups or quizes trying to get your email or wanting to load a player. And it got through my work firefall which is pretty high anyway. But as always use at your own risk.

couldn't get the popup box for surveys to go away so i'm downloading the torrent of the episode. Hopefully will be done by lunch so I can watch it then.

 

[wcarter1227]

I thought it was good... I didn't expect it to be overly beer geeky... But I thought it had a pretty good dose of beer geeky-ness...

I think it was a good insite into Sam the the cooky-ness that goes on there in Milton. I hope that this show has legs.


But did anyone else find it upsetting that the first commercial in the first commercial break was for "Blue Moon" The Big Boys just can't leave it alone...

That and the Dos equis commercial that followed later in the show

 

[Revvy]

couldn't get the popup box for surveys to go away so i'm downloading the torrent of the episode. Hopefully will be done by lunch so I can watch it then.

Mine didn't have a survey pop up box come up. Just a gray box with "advertisement" and "click to close" My pop up blocker must block it. It doesn't on other links.

 

[CatchinZs]

I know I enjoyed the show. After seeing the BlueMoon ad, I was actually surprised that more beer ads weren't mixed in but I imagine Molson-Coors could have had a hand in that.
I think it presented the Craft Brew industry in a pretty good light without getting heavy in the corporate side of things...which would be just plain boring to watch.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I generally associate rap more with forties of malt liquor more than craft brew.

 

[Revvy]

FYI, here's some info on Gesho.

Wikipedia

Rhamnus prinoides

Rhamnus prinioides, the Shiny-leaf Buckthorn, is an African shrub or small tree in the family Rhamnaceae. It was first described by French botanist Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle in 1789.[1]

Description

Rhamnus prinioides occurs from Ethiopia to South Africa at medium to high altitudes. They grow near streams or along forest margins. The small edible fruits are shiny red and berry-like.
[edit] Uses

The Rhamnus prinioides plant has many uses amongst the inhabitants of Africa. All parts of the plant are harvested and used for nutrition, medicine or religious purposes. In Ethiopia, where the plant is known as gesho, it is used in a manner similar to hops: the stems are boiled and the extract mixed with honey to ferment a mead called tej.[2] It is also used in the brewing of tella, an Ethiopian beer.

From the "All About Tej" page http://www.pitt.edu/~kloman/tej.html#gesho

6. Finding and Buying Gesho
GESHO IS NOT AN ITEM that you can pick up at your local Piggly Wiggly on the way home from work. You'll only find it in major urban areas that have an Ethiopian population large enough to support an Ethiopian grocery store, and even then, not all stores will carry it (Ethiopians tend to bring gesho from back home when they visit family).

The gesho plant is more or less a staple in Ethiopia, where tej is beloved by all and gesho is essential to its creation. In the 1991 book Plant Genetic Resources of Ethiopia, author Jan Engels has a short entry on gesho:

Rhamnus prinoides. Buckthorn or "gesho" is found growing in the wild all over Ethiopia between 1500 and 2000 m, but it is cultivated well, sometimes even on a larger scale as a field crop. Rhamnus covers about 5000 ha of the land under permanent production (Jansen, 1981). It is a woody bush, whose leaves are used like hops for the preparation of alcoholic beverages such as 'tala" and 'tej,' which are common household drinks in the country. 'Gesho" is widespread all over the country. It serves the needs of the people so well that at least at the moment no improvement is needed.

So far, I have found two online U.S. companies that sell gesho, each with a web site that allow you to order easily:

Revvy's edit- Only this ordering link works.

Habesh Foods, searched "Gesho"of Cantonsville, Md., also sells gesho, along with several other Ethiopian products. Phone: 410.689.8401, 301.605.2531, 571.265.5382. E-mail: Visit the web site for a form to contact the company.

The Washington, D.C., area hosts the largest population of Ethiopians outside of Ethiopia, and it abounds with places to buy gesho over the counter. Surprisingly, I have a hard time finding gesho at grocery stores within the district. But in several Maryland and Virginia towns that abut D.C., gesho is abundant. These shops aren't difficult to find by car with directions from Mapquest. Or you could always call them to see if they're willing to ship you some gesho. (I buy mine in person a few times a year when I visit D.C.) Prices vary, sometimes between grocery stores right across the street from each other.

Here are some places that I can recommend if you're on the market for gesho inchet. I've visited all of these grocery stories and chatted with the owners, who are always very helpful and friendly. I'll also direct you to some gesho kitel, although as I say above, in the section on tej recipes, I prefer the inchet and recommend it for novice tej makers. But be forewarned: The availability of the gesho comes and goes. Sometimes the Ethiopian suppliers are reliable, and the markets run out. Prices, too, can change. In fact, as demand for the product grows, so does the cost.

Nile Market, 7815 Georgia Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. (202.882.1130). During the summer of 2009, this market had some beautiful thick gesho stick for a remarkably low $7.95 a pound. And while you're at it, have a meal at the adjoining restaurant. The veggie combo platter is delicious and generous.

Sheger Market, 912 East/West Highway, Takoma Park, MD (301.270.0200). This tiny market has the best price for gesho that I've found: $13/pound in 2009 (up from $8.50/pound the year before). They sell in bulk from large burlap sacks of gesho, so you can buy as much or as little as you like. The market is just outside the district. It's around the corner from Arada Market, which also has gesho, but at $15/pound.

Woder Market, 7845 Eastern Ave., Silver Spring, MD (301.562.5901). Located just off Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, literally a block from the Maryland/District border, this shop also sold in bulk for the very nice $8.50/pound in 2008, but the market didn't have any to sell when I stopped by in 2009.

Dessie Market/Restaurant, 2655 University Blvd, Wheaton, MD (301.933.5580). Lishan Demekristos, the owner of this homey establishment, sells gesho in small pre-sealed bags. She also has a restaurant adjacent to the market, and her food is excellent, so if you buy your gesho here, plan to stay for lunch or dinner.

Addisu Gebeya, 2202 18th St. NW, Washington, D.C. (202.986.6013). Gesho inchet can be hard to find here: It tends to sell out quickly when they get some in stock. Gesho kitel is a little bit more abundant.

In Chicago, you can find gesho at two locations: Homeland Food Market, 6046 North Broadway (773.973.1445), an African market that sells products from many African countries, and which has some gesho inchet in pre-sealed bags; and Lili Market, 1614 W. Devon St. (773.465.7315), which sells a very fine gesho kitel powder. The powder doesn't make the best tej, but it works. The stick at Homeland is very good, but they don't have a lot of it, and I don't think they restock often. The friendly folks at Kululu Market, 6129 N. Broadway (773.262.3169) sell gesho, but they don't always have it in stock.

The Los Angeles Ethiopian community has a cluster of shops and restaurants along a block on South Fairfax Street that they call Little Ethiopia, and Merkato Market (323.935.1775), in the heart of Little Ethiopia, is rich with Ethiopian products. You can also get gesho inchet online or over the counter from Brundo Ethiopian Spices in Oakland, noted above.

Toronto has a well-developed Ethiopian community. You can find gesho there at Ethiopian Spices (416.598.3014), a grocery story on Kensington Avenue. The company does not have a web site.

Several other U.S. cities have Ethiopian grocery stores, often combined with restaurants. They probably stock gesho, but they have no web sites, so you'll need to order by phone if they do mail order. You can try: Addis Grocery and Deli in New Orleans, 504.891.7500; Merkato Ethiopian Music and Food Store in Portland, Ore., 503.331.9283; Maru Grocery in Houston, 713.665.6662; Hirut Ethiopian Grocery, Dallas (Sachse, Texas), 972.530.5128; and Zuma Grocery, Seattle, 206.781.8600. I welcome information on others. New York City has a surprisingly small Ethiopian community (about 2,500 people) and no Ethiopian markets since Abyssinia Ethiopian Grocery in Harlem closed a few years ago. And finally, there's South End Food Emporium in Boston, 617.536.7172. This specialty shop isn't exclusively Ethiopian, but it sells Ethiopian spices, injera and gesho.

All in all, then, Washington is your best bet for finding gesho. Unfortunately, none of the Ethiopian grocery stores along D.C.'s U Street seem to carry gesho. U Street, which has lately become known as "Little Ethiopia," is lined with Ethiopian restaurants, markets and businesses. It's the place to go to immerse yourself in Ethiopian food and culture in Washington. But alas, you cannot find gesho there - at least, not yet. You can, however, get excellent meals at restaurants like Axum (my personal favorite), Ambassador (across the street from Axum), Madget, and the touristy (but still very tasty) Dukem.

 

[brettwasbtd]

I really enjoyed the show. I definitely believe that Sam leans more on the business side of brewing, not that he doesn't enjoy the brewing process. This has been discussed elsewhere on HBT in regards to his book. This show is great marketing for his brewery and I think it was a good business decision for him. As others of said, I felt the show did a good job of not "dumbing" down the brewing specifics. I thought the wraps were funny and I'm not gonna lie, I want to hear the "Whats your original gravity" rap. If you haven't seen Sam's beer videos that he makes for almost every beer Dogfish Head creates, you may have been surprised by his crazy ways. I think his staff and his personality makes a lot of sense with all of their wild brews. How awesome would it be to own your own craft brewery where you could be profitable and make SO many different batches every year aside from your staple selections? This is what they do, I'm glad I can watch it happen!

I too am curious to how they get this brew to be mellow (or maybe its not) at 9% ABV in 3-4 weeks. Might be stopping by the beer store to pick up some of the brew tonight!

 

[Ti28]

I was torn between this and walking dead. So I ended watching this 1st the catching the rerun of walking dead.

I must say I liked the show very much, I think working there would be awesome. Seems very laid back and fun. Sam seems like a very cool laid back guy.

 

[chapa]

I really enjoyed the show, and think it will definitely create somewhat of a movement of craft brew drinkers as well as new homebrewers.

While I also get the "OCC" feel from the show just because they have to create some drama as far as having mishaps and deadlines, I know they have to build anticipation for the average viewer, as we are now living in a "reality show world", but also an hour show just about craft brew and geek talk would never make it commercially, at least not yet. That said, I thought the glue spill was hilarious, as was searching through a palette of cases for a vent tube.

The raps were entertaining, and its nice to see even when you go BIG, you can still have fun and enjoy what you do.

I don't know about you, but I really want to try one of those ******* Brews...that imperial stout looked delicious!!

 

[smmcdermott]

I also liked the show a lot. It was very entertaining. I am not sure this show will last though, because how many entertaining shows can you put out there about beer. We as brewers love them, but the vast majority of people probably won't. I am crossing my fingers that the show stays on...

Oh, and I would like to see them look at different breweries. Get some insight into what everyone does instead of just one brewery. But that is me...

 

[jbrookeiv]

Great show, very well done. Does anyone know if there is going to be a new episode every Sunday? If so, I'm excited.

 

[Revvy]

Great show, very well done. Does anyone know if there is going to be a new episode every Sunday? If so, I'm excited.

I think it's 10 episodes, since I thought I saw a promo for another show in the same timeslot in 10 weeks. That is Discovery's MO for that slot, short multiple episode series (Top Shot, Swamp People, now this.) And they promoed like I mentioned that next week is all about the infamous chicha brew.

I have a feeling it's going to be 10 weeks of "Indiana Calgione and the Temple of Beer." Next week Sam goes to Peru to understand chicha, the week after someplace else. But I think it's all about Sam for this season.

I think this article he wrote for the huffington post bears this out. Lesser-Known Beer Cultures of the World

There's pictures of him in Turin, New Zealand, Quebec etc. Though it does look like he visits different breweries, there's a picture of Stoudts in the slideshow, and La Fin Du Monde as well.

This may be the best of both worlds!

 

[JewBrew]

I saw it and thought it was too commercialized and televised. I would like to see more of what goes on to making a huge batch of beer, the scale of the equipment, and the automation. The show was just to fake in my opinion, but i guess it wasn't geared for me.

Anyone else watch Brew Masters? What did you think?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I think we need a dozen more threads on this to completely cover the topic.

 

[Revvy]

Time for a mod's thread merge...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/brew-masters-discovery-w-sam-calagione-202853/

This is the one where they are all going to ...

 

[Hammy71]

Yeah.....it was a little corny. But like you said....it wasn't geared for us.