Let us understand what chalkboard bottle labels are before we go into why you need them. As can be seen from the name, they are labels to be placed on bottles. You can write what you need on the labels and then erase them as and when you need. However, the advantages of these labels are many.
So what is so different about these type of labels?
The conventional labels we find on bottles are meant for one-time use and cannot be reused whereas chalkboard bottle labels can be reused not just once but for a long time to come. It is permanent in nature and hence an investment worth making. So how is it reusable? There are two sides to this.
Firstly, the surface of the label is made out of gift quality material that is beautiful, and glossy. It allows you to rewrite any number of times by simply erasing whatever is written on the label with a special marker provided along with the labels.
Secondly, the labels can be transferred on to another bottle without any damage to either the label or to the bottle and not leaving any smudges behind. So whenever you wish to shift a label from one bottle to another it can be done without any hassle. You can just erase what's written and write the new information easily and fast. There is no need to throw away the label making these one of the best gifts in the festive season.
Thirdly, if you love to homebrew beer you would love these labels. You can list out the dates when a bottle was manufactured or made or just the ingredients that you have used. There is no way you can forget them now.
Summing it up
You or your loved ones just need one of these if your business revolves around labeling bottles and the conventional labels have been messy and cumbersome. You also need it because of the convenience it brings with it by making an investment that allows you to reap the benefits almost permanently. In the bargain, you save a lot of time, money and can concentrate on larger issues that need your precious time where you can earn good money.
If you are still brooding about the change you need to make; your competitors are all using chalkboard bottle labels and benefitting from its use. It's time you bought one for yourself or your loved one too.
2017年1月4日 星期三
Your Guide to Seasonal Spring Beers
A SPRING MENTALITY
Spring is the opening of life after a long season of cold and hibernation. The first moment your senses are tickled with the fresh aromas of spring air, you are jolted. It's an intense experience for me every year. Spring is a time of excitement--of paroxysm, and I think spring beers reflect that eagerness.. the perfect compliment. Winter ales always strike me as spicy and heavy, like a thick blanket, but spring beers are a step outside, if you will. They are crisp, floral, like citrus--so lightly alive like the scent of new leaves on the trees or flowers in bloom. Here's a list of beer styles perfect for spring:
MAIBOCK
There are many styles of bock beer, but this beer, the Maibock, is made specifically for the transition between the cold winter and warm summer. Mai means "May" in German. The German Beer Institute describes this beer perfectly:
"While most Bockbiers are dark-amber to hazelnut brown in color and exceedingly malt-accented, the Maibock is brewed entirely with pale malts for a warm golden hue. It is also more aggressively hopped than others bocks for a refreshing finish. Thus Maibock, like the lusty month of May, is a transitional brew. It still has some 6 to 7% alcohol as do its wintry cousins, but its brightness and bitterness already foretell the perpetually blues skies of summer when the straw-blond Helles and the pale and spritzy Weissbier predominate."
For this style, after much consideration (because I can't wait to find a good maibock to enjoy this year), I think I want to try Hofbräu München Maibock. Beeradvocate.com rates this beer pretty high relative to the amount of people rating it. It has everything we want: a little malt and fruitiness upfront with a toasted malt finish and a smidge of hoppiness? Sounds delicious.
MÄRZENBIER
Here we have a beer that is medium bodied, with a malty flavor and a light hops profile. You can find a lighter (Helles) Märzen and a darker (Dunkles) Märzen. It is served in a pint glass, mug, or stein, and should be cold.
Märzenbier is as the name suggests: March beer, but the history is pretty interesting. Märzenbier use to be (1500's) the beer used for Oktoberfest. During summer in Bavaria, the temperature was too warm for successfully brewing without air contaminants ruining a batch. To circumvent this dilemma, the Bavarian brewers made extra batches of Märzenbier in the winter for March, before summer. The stored the extra beer in cellars or ice caves to keep cold during the summer. At the end of summer, in October, when the new grains and hops are harvested, the Bavarians had to consume all the leftover Märzenbier so they could put their new batches of beer in the casks. Tada! Oktoberfest!
Since the times don't require the avoidance of summer heat, Märzenbier made in March isn't used in Oktoberfest celebrations. Most Oktoberfest beers are brewed for 6-8 weeks. This doesn't mean we can't enjoy the brew, though! Take this opportunity to celebrate Spring with this beer and its history.
Most labels will read Märzen-oktoberfest, but if that feels uncomfortable, Gordon Biersch Märzen is an excellent option. The Beer Advocate has an excellent list of rated Märzenbiers to try out, too.
LAMBIC FRUIT BEER
What better to celebrate the coming of summer, than with a spontaneously fermented, fruit beer. Most beer we imbibe has yeast strains specifically crafted and carefully transported for the production of beer. Lambic beer, however, is fermented by wild yeasts and bacteria in the air. The wort (the non-alcoholic, grain/malt/barley-steeped liquid prior to the addition of yeast in brewing beer) is left exposed--inviting anything. This often creates a sour, funky, and unique taste. Hops are used, but not for flavor. The hops help protect the brew from spoiling. Lambic brewers use stale hops which don't have much taste.
Lambic fruit beers are a derivative of the original Lambic style. The fruit is added during the primary or secondary fermentation. This is exactly how fruit beers are defined here in the US when breweries add fruit as a predominant flavor to a base beer other than a Lambic.
This is my favorite style of beer to enjoy when the air is starting to warm, but the crispness of spring still lingers. Whew. The first fruit beer I ever tasted was a (raspberry) Lambic Framboise by Lindemans. Tart. Sweet. I love it. It went beautifully when made as a half and half (half one beer on top with a different beer floating on top--like a black and tan). I liked to float Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout over Lindeman's Framboise. SPEAKING OF SAMUEL SMITH, they also have a delicious Strawberry Ale which could make an excellent ale to taste during late spring.
AMERICAN "IPA"
I actually want to label this "American Pale Ale"--IPA, or Indian Pale Ales were named because extra hops were added to the pale ale for preservation during the long trek from India to England. I digress. I choose American IPAs specifically, because American IPAs are so hoppy compared to English IPA's. The smells of fresh hops are floral, citrus-y, intense, and, personally, intoxicating.
When we brew beer in our kitchen, we use Cascade hops, and I love to just sit and take in the scent. These beers capture that invigorating aroma, and despite my distaste for the bitter-ending IPAs leave me with, I keep drinking them. My favorite this year is Rude Parrot IPA by Seven Seas Brewery. It's an all-around intense American IPA that is enjoyable beginning to finish.
DOPPLEBOCK
We're going to start and end this list with bocks.
During spring, Catholics celebrate Lent, a time for fasting. In the 17th century, Monks in Einbeck, Germany decided to brew a beer to aid them through the 40 days of Lent. A high-calorie beer intended to help with their nutritional needs. Hence the creation of bocks beers. The monks, however, wanted something stronger to get them through those 40 days of Lent, so they brewed the dopplebock.
My personal favorite dopplebock is the Optimator by Spaten, or an Ayinger Celebrator Dobblebock. They are dark, full bodied, with a lightly toasted flavor--very fresh.
SEASONAL BEERS SEEM ANTIQUATED, NO?
Well, yes, but who cares? Of course, seasonal beers are no longer physically necessary. Early brewing was in part shaped by the seasons (humidity, temperature). With present day technologies in place, however, the seasons no longer play a domineering role on a brewer's new batch of beer. Any one could brew a winter ale or Oktoberfest year round if they wanted.
Not many do want to brew traditionally seasonal beers year round, though. Breweries have an excellent opportunity to brew experimental, trial batches each season, and beer drinkers like myself love the anticipation for their favorite seasonal brew to hit shelves (which is getting sooner and sooner each year, isn't it?).
Cold weather triggers a desire for a complex Christmas ale (and knit scarves... and Bing Crosby... and eggnog). A hot summer afternoon near water leaves me pining for a crisp pilsner or witbier. The Drizly blog, asked a deserving question, "Do these companies repeatedly force autumnal down our throats, or are our buying habits guiding their marketing behavior?"
I think we can admit both parties are the cause: our love for seasons are rooted in deep nostalgia, and any good company wanting to cater to and profit off its target consumer will exploit this nostalgia. It's catalytic. I don't mind, though. Breweries keep the inventory and options fresh, keeping my attention and deepening my relationship with their product. We all win.
With a fruit beer in hand, here's to spring: to experimentation, new flavors, to fresh notes and the coming of summer. May your adventures bring new delicious spring beers your way:: Cheers!
Spring is the opening of life after a long season of cold and hibernation. The first moment your senses are tickled with the fresh aromas of spring air, you are jolted. It's an intense experience for me every year. Spring is a time of excitement--of paroxysm, and I think spring beers reflect that eagerness.. the perfect compliment. Winter ales always strike me as spicy and heavy, like a thick blanket, but spring beers are a step outside, if you will. They are crisp, floral, like citrus--so lightly alive like the scent of new leaves on the trees or flowers in bloom. Here's a list of beer styles perfect for spring:
MAIBOCK
There are many styles of bock beer, but this beer, the Maibock, is made specifically for the transition between the cold winter and warm summer. Mai means "May" in German. The German Beer Institute describes this beer perfectly:
"While most Bockbiers are dark-amber to hazelnut brown in color and exceedingly malt-accented, the Maibock is brewed entirely with pale malts for a warm golden hue. It is also more aggressively hopped than others bocks for a refreshing finish. Thus Maibock, like the lusty month of May, is a transitional brew. It still has some 6 to 7% alcohol as do its wintry cousins, but its brightness and bitterness already foretell the perpetually blues skies of summer when the straw-blond Helles and the pale and spritzy Weissbier predominate."
For this style, after much consideration (because I can't wait to find a good maibock to enjoy this year), I think I want to try Hofbräu München Maibock. Beeradvocate.com rates this beer pretty high relative to the amount of people rating it. It has everything we want: a little malt and fruitiness upfront with a toasted malt finish and a smidge of hoppiness? Sounds delicious.
MÄRZENBIER
Here we have a beer that is medium bodied, with a malty flavor and a light hops profile. You can find a lighter (Helles) Märzen and a darker (Dunkles) Märzen. It is served in a pint glass, mug, or stein, and should be cold.
Märzenbier is as the name suggests: March beer, but the history is pretty interesting. Märzenbier use to be (1500's) the beer used for Oktoberfest. During summer in Bavaria, the temperature was too warm for successfully brewing without air contaminants ruining a batch. To circumvent this dilemma, the Bavarian brewers made extra batches of Märzenbier in the winter for March, before summer. The stored the extra beer in cellars or ice caves to keep cold during the summer. At the end of summer, in October, when the new grains and hops are harvested, the Bavarians had to consume all the leftover Märzenbier so they could put their new batches of beer in the casks. Tada! Oktoberfest!
Since the times don't require the avoidance of summer heat, Märzenbier made in March isn't used in Oktoberfest celebrations. Most Oktoberfest beers are brewed for 6-8 weeks. This doesn't mean we can't enjoy the brew, though! Take this opportunity to celebrate Spring with this beer and its history.
Most labels will read Märzen-oktoberfest, but if that feels uncomfortable, Gordon Biersch Märzen is an excellent option. The Beer Advocate has an excellent list of rated Märzenbiers to try out, too.
LAMBIC FRUIT BEER
What better to celebrate the coming of summer, than with a spontaneously fermented, fruit beer. Most beer we imbibe has yeast strains specifically crafted and carefully transported for the production of beer. Lambic beer, however, is fermented by wild yeasts and bacteria in the air. The wort (the non-alcoholic, grain/malt/barley-steeped liquid prior to the addition of yeast in brewing beer) is left exposed--inviting anything. This often creates a sour, funky, and unique taste. Hops are used, but not for flavor. The hops help protect the brew from spoiling. Lambic brewers use stale hops which don't have much taste.
Lambic fruit beers are a derivative of the original Lambic style. The fruit is added during the primary or secondary fermentation. This is exactly how fruit beers are defined here in the US when breweries add fruit as a predominant flavor to a base beer other than a Lambic.
This is my favorite style of beer to enjoy when the air is starting to warm, but the crispness of spring still lingers. Whew. The first fruit beer I ever tasted was a (raspberry) Lambic Framboise by Lindemans. Tart. Sweet. I love it. It went beautifully when made as a half and half (half one beer on top with a different beer floating on top--like a black and tan). I liked to float Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout over Lindeman's Framboise. SPEAKING OF SAMUEL SMITH, they also have a delicious Strawberry Ale which could make an excellent ale to taste during late spring.
AMERICAN "IPA"
I actually want to label this "American Pale Ale"--IPA, or Indian Pale Ales were named because extra hops were added to the pale ale for preservation during the long trek from India to England. I digress. I choose American IPAs specifically, because American IPAs are so hoppy compared to English IPA's. The smells of fresh hops are floral, citrus-y, intense, and, personally, intoxicating.
When we brew beer in our kitchen, we use Cascade hops, and I love to just sit and take in the scent. These beers capture that invigorating aroma, and despite my distaste for the bitter-ending IPAs leave me with, I keep drinking them. My favorite this year is Rude Parrot IPA by Seven Seas Brewery. It's an all-around intense American IPA that is enjoyable beginning to finish.
DOPPLEBOCK
We're going to start and end this list with bocks.
During spring, Catholics celebrate Lent, a time for fasting. In the 17th century, Monks in Einbeck, Germany decided to brew a beer to aid them through the 40 days of Lent. A high-calorie beer intended to help with their nutritional needs. Hence the creation of bocks beers. The monks, however, wanted something stronger to get them through those 40 days of Lent, so they brewed the dopplebock.
My personal favorite dopplebock is the Optimator by Spaten, or an Ayinger Celebrator Dobblebock. They are dark, full bodied, with a lightly toasted flavor--very fresh.
SEASONAL BEERS SEEM ANTIQUATED, NO?
Well, yes, but who cares? Of course, seasonal beers are no longer physically necessary. Early brewing was in part shaped by the seasons (humidity, temperature). With present day technologies in place, however, the seasons no longer play a domineering role on a brewer's new batch of beer. Any one could brew a winter ale or Oktoberfest year round if they wanted.
Not many do want to brew traditionally seasonal beers year round, though. Breweries have an excellent opportunity to brew experimental, trial batches each season, and beer drinkers like myself love the anticipation for their favorite seasonal brew to hit shelves (which is getting sooner and sooner each year, isn't it?).
Cold weather triggers a desire for a complex Christmas ale (and knit scarves... and Bing Crosby... and eggnog). A hot summer afternoon near water leaves me pining for a crisp pilsner or witbier. The Drizly blog, asked a deserving question, "Do these companies repeatedly force autumnal down our throats, or are our buying habits guiding their marketing behavior?"
I think we can admit both parties are the cause: our love for seasons are rooted in deep nostalgia, and any good company wanting to cater to and profit off its target consumer will exploit this nostalgia. It's catalytic. I don't mind, though. Breweries keep the inventory and options fresh, keeping my attention and deepening my relationship with their product. We all win.
With a fruit beer in hand, here's to spring: to experimentation, new flavors, to fresh notes and the coming of summer. May your adventures bring new delicious spring beers your way:: Cheers!
The 5 Scary Things That Could Be Lurking In Your Beer
The only bad thing about home brewing: to pour your heart and soul into a batch, only to discover that there are weird flavors in your beer. Let's take a look at some of the culprits that cause these strange flavors, and ways to stop them from wreaking havoc on your beer.
1. Acetaldehyde - The green apple flavor.
1. Acetaldehyde - The green apple flavor.
Cause: Acetaldehyde is a naturally occurring compound during the fermentation of yeast. It's usually converted to ethanol alcohol during the fermentation process. Some yeast strains will produce more Acetaldehyde than others, but it usually means your beer is under conditioned.
Solution: Luckily, this problem is easy to fix. Acetaldehyde usually will take care of itself after some more conditioning. Aging your beer is an important part of home brewing. If you detect apples in your beer, just let it sit a couple weeks longer.2. Chlorophenol - The plastic or medicinal taste.
Cause: The most common reason for chlorophenol to be present in beer is using chlorinated water during the cleaning process. It's also possible that ingredients bought for brewing were stored in an area that may have exposed them to chlorine, although this is less common.
Solution: The best way to avoid this is to just make sure that you never use chlorinated water at any point in the brewing process. This might seem obvious, but many people use tap water to clean equipment, and tap water may have chlorine.3. Diacetyl - The bad butter flavor.
Cause: Diacetyl is another by product of the fermentation process. During healthy fermentation, yeast will break down the diacetyl. However, mutated yeast can cause serious problems. Some yeast will lose the ability to metabolize diacetyl, and leave the buttery flavor in your beer.
Solution: In most cases, just allow your beer enough time to age, so that the yeast can absorb all of the diacetyl. But if your yeast is mutated, this problem will not go away with time. Be sure to always use the healthiest, and highest quality yeast you can find in order to avoid this problem.4. Dimethyl Sulfide - Like vegetables in your beer.
Cause: All malts have a chemical in them called S-methyl methionine or SMM. During the mashing and heating process, this chemical is converted to dimethyl sulfide or DMS. This is the chemical that causes the vegetable taste.
Solution: Luckily, most of this DMS is evaporated during the boiling process. To ensure that higher concentrations aren't present in your beer, be sure to maintain a rolling boiling during the brewing process. Some brewers will boil for 90 minutes to ensure that most of the DMS is evaporated.5. Atringency - Tastes tart, vinagery, or metallic.
Cause: Atringency in beer can be caused by many factors, but it's usually a result of tannins being released from your grains. Tannins are found in all grain skins, and they are released when grains are steeped at too high of temperatures, steeped too long, or when they are milled too finely.
Solution: Be sure to never mill or crush grains too much. Always steep your grains for the correct amount of time, at the correct temperatures, and never boil your grains. These preventative measure will ensure your beer tastes great.
5 Benefits of Chalkboard Bottle Labels
Change is the only thing which is permanent as a cliche. However, in this context one cannot think of anything else. When the change is positive and is not just a fad, it is worth considering it.
Using a chalkboard bottle label
If you are a home brewer, you would probably find a problem that you just cannot get rid of - the problem of keeping a note of all the ingredients you used. It's a lot difficult to know the dates the beers were made if what you write gets erased. What is there was an easier way out of this mess? Did you know that if you are looking for a bottle label that is actually one of the best out there, you need to look for one of those that is waterproof? Here is what a waterproof bottle label can do.
Chalkboard bottle labels help you bring about the positive change in the world of conventional and traditional labeling. No change is accepted without tangible benefit from the existing status quo.
So let us see why and how, changing to chalkboard bottle labels is beneficial.
1.) The primary benefit chalkboard bottle labels brings with it is durability. Conventional labels have a one-time use and are not reusable, whereas these can be used over and over again and hence saves you money and time.
2.) The next benefit is it is easy to apply the label to the bottle unlike the existing methods which is messy and leaves patches behind in case you try removing it from the bottle saves you time and effort.
3.) The other benefit is you can rewrite on the label by simply erasing off the content on the surface when written by special temporary markers provided with the labels. So this can help you retain the label on the same bottle and rewrite the contents on it with great ease.
4.) Remember this is almost a one-time investment and saves a lot of unnecessary expenditure time and again saving money on the long run.
5.) The polished beautiful gift quality labels keep getting better by the day adding value to the brand unlike the conventional ones which deteriorate with time. As a brand building exercise you can rely on this unique product.
The above benefits make your choice of chalkboard bottle labels a wise one saving time and money allowing you to focus and attend to other major concerns.
Using a chalkboard bottle label
If you are a home brewer, you would probably find a problem that you just cannot get rid of - the problem of keeping a note of all the ingredients you used. It's a lot difficult to know the dates the beers were made if what you write gets erased. What is there was an easier way out of this mess? Did you know that if you are looking for a bottle label that is actually one of the best out there, you need to look for one of those that is waterproof? Here is what a waterproof bottle label can do.
Chalkboard bottle labels help you bring about the positive change in the world of conventional and traditional labeling. No change is accepted without tangible benefit from the existing status quo.
So let us see why and how, changing to chalkboard bottle labels is beneficial.
1.) The primary benefit chalkboard bottle labels brings with it is durability. Conventional labels have a one-time use and are not reusable, whereas these can be used over and over again and hence saves you money and time.
2.) The next benefit is it is easy to apply the label to the bottle unlike the existing methods which is messy and leaves patches behind in case you try removing it from the bottle saves you time and effort.
3.) The other benefit is you can rewrite on the label by simply erasing off the content on the surface when written by special temporary markers provided with the labels. So this can help you retain the label on the same bottle and rewrite the contents on it with great ease.
4.) Remember this is almost a one-time investment and saves a lot of unnecessary expenditure time and again saving money on the long run.
5.) The polished beautiful gift quality labels keep getting better by the day adding value to the brand unlike the conventional ones which deteriorate with time. As a brand building exercise you can rely on this unique product.
The above benefits make your choice of chalkboard bottle labels a wise one saving time and money allowing you to focus and attend to other major concerns.
How to Choose the Temperature Controller for Brewery
For craft brewers or for those involved in Homebrewing, the temperature monitoring is one of the crucial stages for obtaining a good beer. There are several steps in the brewing process, which include malting, mashing, lautering, boiling, fermenting, conditioning, filtering, and packaging.
In particular, there are two phases in which the temperature level should be controlled: the mashing (mixing the milled malt with hot water) and the fermenting (the higher is the temperature, the faster and the more turbulent is the fermentation).
According to the different needs it is possible to choose between two paths: the home made devices based methods or the professional devices based methods.
For example, with the open-source electronic platform "Arduino", it's possible to create an home made temperature controller simply with a temperature sensor and a relay module (and, of course, some programming skills).
The integration with Raspberry PI regarding the project "BrewPi" allows more advanced algorithms and real time interactive graphs. In the near future the device may support mash control (BIAB, HERMS or RIMS).
On the other way, for more professional uses it is recommended to purchase a specific temperature controller, in order to facilitate the whole process automation. For instance, we consider the need to control two electric boilers with different time/temperature steps.
If you want to use electric resistances controlled by contactors or on-off static relays and you need to independently manage two boilers (with different time/temperature steps and start times), we suggest a brewing temperature controller enabled to program at least 15 cycles. Hence, the device shall be designed to program cycles/curves with control of the process variable in relation to time. A useful feature may consist in recovery the controller status after a power cutoff, in order to avoid the reset process.
Instead, if you want to manage two boilers with one master controller (where a second slave controller is related to the setpoint value of the first controller, by managing the output independently from the detected temperature), we suggest two programmable controllers, connected with serial interfaces. In industry there are two serial interfaces: RS422 and RS485; check the two controllers have the same interface before buying them. The best thing to do is, of course, purchasing two temperature controllers from the same manufacturer.
Notice that programming an industrial thermoregulator can be easier that you might think: just check if the manufacturer has provided some inherent video tutorials, or ask the numerous PID/PLC communities that may help you about temperature controller using microcontroller.
In particular, there are two phases in which the temperature level should be controlled: the mashing (mixing the milled malt with hot water) and the fermenting (the higher is the temperature, the faster and the more turbulent is the fermentation).
According to the different needs it is possible to choose between two paths: the home made devices based methods or the professional devices based methods.
For example, with the open-source electronic platform "Arduino", it's possible to create an home made temperature controller simply with a temperature sensor and a relay module (and, of course, some programming skills).
The integration with Raspberry PI regarding the project "BrewPi" allows more advanced algorithms and real time interactive graphs. In the near future the device may support mash control (BIAB, HERMS or RIMS).
On the other way, for more professional uses it is recommended to purchase a specific temperature controller, in order to facilitate the whole process automation. For instance, we consider the need to control two electric boilers with different time/temperature steps.
If you want to use electric resistances controlled by contactors or on-off static relays and you need to independently manage two boilers (with different time/temperature steps and start times), we suggest a brewing temperature controller enabled to program at least 15 cycles. Hence, the device shall be designed to program cycles/curves with control of the process variable in relation to time. A useful feature may consist in recovery the controller status after a power cutoff, in order to avoid the reset process.
Instead, if you want to manage two boilers with one master controller (where a second slave controller is related to the setpoint value of the first controller, by managing the output independently from the detected temperature), we suggest two programmable controllers, connected with serial interfaces. In industry there are two serial interfaces: RS422 and RS485; check the two controllers have the same interface before buying them. The best thing to do is, of course, purchasing two temperature controllers from the same manufacturer.
Notice that programming an industrial thermoregulator can be easier that you might think: just check if the manufacturer has provided some inherent video tutorials, or ask the numerous PID/PLC communities that may help you about temperature controller using microcontroller.
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