Tuesday, April 7, 2009

More German Brews-Köstrizter Schwarzbeir and Gaffel Kölsch

Köstritzer Schwarzbeir: (Black Lager)
Excellent malty, smokey, surprisingly light, and smooth drinking. Blacker than night! Claims to be the beer with the black head and blond soul. Fitting. Get some.



The opposite end of the color spectrum is Gaffel's Kölsch. Kölsch is a type of beer only brewed in Köln (Cologne), Germany. Crisp, refreshing, like champagne minus any sweetness. An excellent beer for summer after cutting the grass or for people who think they don't like beer. Get some.

11 comments:

  1. BT - are you buying these in the Indy area? Please tell me where I can find some. Thanks - JD

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  2. I just caught your post on the other thread. The older posts I have to approve to avoid spamming.

    Here are a couple:


    http://www.kahnsfinewines.com/

    Hop Shop‎:
    3855 E 96th St
    Indianapolis, IN 46240
    (317) 846-2337

    You can find Schneider and Weiehenstephaner beers pretty commonly in the average liqour store. There's a liqour store down in greenwood that's supposed to have an awesome selection, but I haven't been there.

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  3. Won't find them in grocery stores.

    Whole foods, Sunflower Market type places carry a decent selection.

    Get a Schneider Aventinus. Usually about 5$ a 17 oz bottle since the dollar dropped last year. Make sure you get the silt out of the bottom of the bottle and into your glass.

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  4. If you like the Köstritzer Schwarzbier, then definitely give Sprecher's Black Bavarian a try. It's the same style and Jeff and I both love it. Sprecher is in Milwaukee but it looks like they sell to distributers in Indiana.

    http://www.sprecherbrewery.com/beer.php

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  5. Thanks for the info!

    $5 for an Avintus ? WOW - We left Germany at the end of 2001 - I was having beer DELIVERED to my door for 1 Dm (.33 liter) and 1.4 to 1.7 DM (.5L) with some "specialty" beers (Seasonal beer, bocks, and just about anything with an "ator" on the end of the name) going for more.

    Guess I will definitely savor each sip! Time to get the homebrew stuff out and fired up I think!
    JD

    p.s. The guy that takes care of the Smallmouth Alliance membership told me you'd know about fishing the Big Walnut - do you check a flow gauge before going (when it's rained recently) and is there a specific flow that you know it too high to bother going? I live very near it. Not looking for anyone's "spot" info - more just general info. Thanks again

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  6. p.s.s. - the silt at the bottom of the bottle - that's dead yeast waste - My German friends also called it "trub" Pronounced troob (not sure of the American word for it) - supposedly, drinking that part provides the "health" component :)
    JD

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  7. Ben, I think I have had Sprecher BB. They sell it down here.

    Jay,

    Beer: you can get most german 6 pack bottles for 9.99-12.99$.

    Aventinus is 17oz and 8.2%. You won't need much more than one. And I was saying until last year, they were only about 3$. But then the US dollar lost value. It's gained since, but no one is quick to lower prices I see.

    Some beers simply have to have the yeast in there for you to get the right taste out of it. Any wheat beers are included. Generally why American wheat beers pale.

    Your question about BW reminds me to write an article about reading guages and applying it. It really is vital to having consistent good trips. If you are close, water clarity is always the big issue. Go take a look, but remember to note the guage height. High water will push big bass closer to the banks. Question is, will they see your baits?

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  8. BT - clarity is very important to me as I will be fly fishing. I am thinking of adding some rattles to some of my flies but if I am not careful I might get carried away with trying to adapt rod and reel attributes to my fly tackle.

    If that happens then I should get the old spinning rigs out and lube and reline em and give that a try.

    So WHERE would I find a gauge? Is it viewable at the creek someplace or do I just have to look at the one on the government website?

    I am going to try to drive by tonight and give it a look - water should be way up right now - not fishable but this will give me a point of reference for when it is. (Not sure what I will use THAT point of reference for exactly but it may be a good thing to know what it looks like in different conditions.)
    Thanks much!
    JD

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  9. Here: Bookmark it.

    http://waterdata.usgs.gov/in/nwis/current/?type=flow&group_key=county_cd

    You are looking for something around 4' on the Reelsville, IN guage. I have fished it above 5' and caught some nice fish. Those were big baits with lots of vibration.

    Note, I just use Reelsville for point of reference flowise. I don't even know where that is.

    Also, just because it is up, doesn't mean it's muddy, some areas of creeks clear faster.

    If you see feeder creeks running clean on a drive by, fish near those in the main creek.

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  10. Thanks for the gauge link!

    Reelsville is a couple of miles from our farm - my cows live about a mile from the tailwater of Lieber /Cagle's Mill, Cataract Lake, - whatever you want to call it- ) and the tailwater merges with the BW coming out of Reelsville and they both dump into the "Eel River" - I don't think there are ANY smallies that far south other than in the Cagle's Mill Tail waters. Too deep, soft bottom, muddy, etc.

    I was planning to take Friday afternoon off to fish - weather dependent. If the creeks are still going to be muddy I may make a trip to the Brookville tail waters to catch some trout. (Or in the creek above Raccoon to try catching some white bass)

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  11. INSA did a river survey of the flood damage from last year's floods on BW. Down to I-74. We of course brought fishing rods.

    There are some smallies, but you get into a lot more Spotted Bass. Slow growing competitors of the Smallmouth. Habitat is impared and more favorable to the Spot.

    Have you tried Mill Creek? Lots of LMB and SMB from what I have heard.

    White bass runs sound fun. I've hit them many times on the Maumee in Ohio.

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