October promises to be a crazy month, filled with great beer activities for this Beer Fox. Look me up at the King of Prussia Beerfest Royal - Donnerstag Thursday on October 3rd, 2013, where I’ll be pouring Pumpkin Beers and presenting a little education along with them.

I’ll be with my collaborators, Erin Wallace, Marnie Old, Tara Nurin, Dom Capece, John Stemler, and David Wood at Devil’s Den in South Philadelphia on October 4th for the release of Saison de Rose, a pink Saison for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, crafted by Free Will Brewing in beautiful Bucks County, PA.

The Great American Beer Festival Beer Competition in Denver is on the calendar from the 9th to the 11th where I’ll be judging with great sensory experts from all over the world. Then, the Festival itself spans 4 sessions from October 10th through the 12th. I’ll be onstage in the Brewer’s Studio with Tom Dalldorf of Celebrator Beer News and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery for “Michael Jackson Remembered” on Thursday, October 10th.

Be sure to check out “Beer and Spice and Chocolate’s So Nice,” a presentation at the Beer & Food Pavilion. John Stemler and David Wood of Free Will Brewing Company and this Beer Fox will be pairing Free Will Beers with See’s Candies and spicy Beer Fox cookies.

All this, along with brewery tours in Denver, the Beer Barons to Homebrewers Competition and Tour at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia on October 19th, and another Saison de Rose Event at the Old Eagle Tavern in Manayunk on October 23rd.

In the meantime, here are the newest articles at the Beer and Brewing site at BellaOnline.com.

Weyerbacher Althea – Pink Beer for October

Dan Weirback couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art181627.asp

A PYNK Affair Comes to Yards Brewing Company

Tom Kehoe and Yards Brewing Company got it right when they designed their October seasonal, PYNK: A Tart Berry Ale, released to the market in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art181626.asp

Saison de Rose - Intern Lydia Sine Does Quick Biz

Saison de Rose, the Season of Pink beer made by Free Will Brewing Company in southeastern Pennsylvania, was designed by 4 ladies-of-beer in the Philadelphia region.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art181584.asp

Saison de Rose - Matthew Stumpf Targets the Heart

Saison de Rose, A Belgian-style, grapefruit-ginger saison ale, springs from the heart of four professional women-in-beer from the Philadelphia region.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art181561.asp

Saison de Rose - Becky Dublin Delivers the Punch

When four professional beer ladies from the Philadelphia region decided to team-up with the brewing pros at Free Will Brewing Company, magic began to happen.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art181560.asp

Saison de Rose - Erin Wallace on the Personal Side

When you hear the words Saison de Rose, what do you think of? Its meaning, “Season of Pink,” is multi-faceted, much like the Hope Diamond – and in this case, it symbolizes hope for the return to a normal life.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art181547.asp

Saison de Rose - John Stemler Behind the Wizardry

To a brewer, there’s nothing quite like the aroma of fresh ingredients. Few things are more satisfying, except perhaps, if he knows his efforts are part of something bigger.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art181548.asp

Saison de Rose - Dominic Capece Builds the Guts

Dominic Capece - in collaboration with his co-partner John Stemler, Free Will brewer David Wood, and four dynamic women from the greater Philadelphia region - orchestrated the guts of the Saison de Rose project.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art181546.asp

And From the Beer Fox Archives:

Beer at West Laurel Hill Cemetery

As the wind blows gently through the hills of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, it stirs up tales that remain a significant part of Philadelphia’s history. No one knows this better than Pennsylvania Beer Historian Richard Wagner.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art176491.asp

Beer Fox Tip of the Week

Homebrewers, a re you ready to switch from extract to all-grain brewing? Let’s talk about water. According to Charlie Papazian in The Joy of Homebrewing, “total hardness is the measure of bicarbonate, magnesium, and calcium ions present in the water.” Temporary hardness, the measure of bicarbonate ions in the water, easily becomes solid (precipitates out)and can be removed when water is boiled or treated with specific acids.

Permanent hardness refers to the calcium and magnesium ions. This is what is left after water has been boiled. It raises the acidity and helps when brewing all-grain beers by lowering the pH. Enzymes convert starches to sugars at a mash pH of around 5.2.

Beer Fox Laugh of the Week

Two fish are in a tank. One turns to the other and says, “Do you know how to drive this thing?”

Q. What do you call a cow with no legs?
A.” Ground” Beef

A young businessman had just started his own firm. He rented a beautiful office and had it furnished with antiques. Sitting there, he saw a man come into the outer office. Wishing to appear the hot shot, the businessman picked up the phone and started to pretend he had a big deal working. He threw huge figures around and made giant commitments.
Finally he hung up and asked the visitor, “Can I help you?”
The man said, “Yeah, I’ve come to activate your phone lines.”

Beer Fests and Events:

Great American Beer Festival – October 10-12, 2013 – Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado. Click in at:
http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/

Cheers!

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http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=322

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Carolyn Smagalski, Beer and Brewing Editor
http://Beer.bellaonline.com

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