Cricket Hill imperial stout pre-release

Go big, go imperial, go to Cricket Hill.

Just in time for the yule season and New Year's Eve, the Fairfield brewery will pre-release the Russian imperial stout it produced from the winning homebrew recipe in Cricket Hill's pro-am contest.

The stout is getting the teaser roll-out at brewery tours (5-7 p.m.) this Friday and next Friday (Dec. 30) before hitting store shelves in 22-ounce bomber bottles in January as a Cricket Hill reserve series beer.

Shepherded through production by Assistant Brewer Patrick Lynch and contest winner Bill Kovach, the brew debuts as Reserve No. 16. Bill's entry bested nearly three dozen other submissions in Cricket Hill's 2010 competition to land in the pantheon of Cricket Hill brews. At 10.5% ABV, it's one of the biggest Cricket Hill has made over its decade of existence.

Brewery co-owner John Watts says the stout will be coming back around as Reserve No. 18 after it gets some bourbon barrel time. That version will be very limited and will be available only at the brewery.

Tun Tavern homebrewer contest

The Tun Tavern in Atlantic City has details on the homebrewer contest it's sponsoring with The Press of Atlantic City's At The Shore entertainment publication.

The top prize is a chance to scale up your recipe and brew it on the Tun's 10-barrel system under the guidance of brewer Tim Kelly. The finished beer will be served at the Atlantic City beer festival, April 1-2 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. It will also be on tap at the Tun.

If you're interested in entering here's what you need to know:

• Entrants must submit six bottles of their homebrew (or the equivalent of 72 ounces).
• All bottles must be clearly labeled with the homebrewer's contact information (name, phone number and email) and the style of beer.
  
• Entries must be dropped off at the Tun Tavern by Monday, Feb. 7. (The Tun is located in same building as the Sheraton hotel, across from the convention center. The phone number there is 609-347-7800)
• Judging will take place Thursday, Feb. 10.

Meanwhile at Cricket Hill

The brewery says it's turning a homebrew recipe into a 2011 specialty brew (see beernews.org brief here). The Russian imperial stout is the creation of homebrewer Bill Kovach and will become one of the reserve beers the Fairfield brewer releases four times a year in bomber bottles.

Kovach's brew was crowned champ out of 33 entries in a homebrewer contest sponsored by Cricket Hill. His American pale ale also landed him in a three-way tie for second place.

A Russian imperial stout marks a step away from the beer philosophy and business model on which Cricket Hill was founded 10 years ago.

Although it has in the past included a maibock among its seasonal offerings and some whiskey barrel brews, the core of Cricket Hill's lineup has generally been session beers: its East Coast Lager, American Ale and an IPA that trends on the lower side of alcohol content, to name a few.

The brewery has even branded itself as making transition beers for people ready to step away from lighter beers, like Bud and Miller. So an imperial stout – which would be, generally speaking, twice as strong as some of Cricket Hill's year-round brews – could indicate a transition for Cricket Hill itself.

Best of Show 2009

When you mention a beer, some folks want details. Well, here’s the profile for Andrew Meravi’s New Jersey State Fair Best of Show Russian Imperial Stout:

• Malt: Maris Otter, roasted barley, chocolate malt, munich malt (two types), crystal, Special B and flaked barley.
• Hops: Magnum for bittering, a dash of Centennial and East Kent Goldings for flavor and aroma. The brew scrapes the IBU ceiling at 100 (beneath a lot of malt, though).
• ABV: 10.25%

That profile represents a few tweaks Andrew made from a version he brewed last year that won second place in the homebrew competition's Imperial Stout category. (The stout was his sole entry then.) This year, he says, he was just trying to sharpen the stout a little to win the category. “I guess I got that and a little more.”

Andrew, who’s 34, took up homebrewing after a friend in New Hampshire helped broaden his horizons with the wide array of craft beers that are out there. (His palate was practically there, since at that time, he was enjoying beers like Bass.) A pale ale made by friend in New Jersey showed him what could be accomplished by homebrewing.

That was four years ago, and in that time he stepped up from brewing with malt extracts to all grain, turning out 10-gallon batches, unless it’s a big beer (like the imperial stout), in which case he’ll do half that volume.

Andrew took six beers to the 2009 State Fair and did rather well, even if you factor out his Best of Show title. His American pale ale won a gold medal; a breakfast stout made with oatmeal and a light-roast organic coffee took silver, and a Belgian golden ale went bronze.

And now he joins the pantheon of State Fair champs whose bragging rights include reproducing their winning ways for the taps at Krogh's.

And the winner is ...

A Russian Imperial Stout claims the Best of Show title in the 13th Annual New Jersey State Fair Homebrew Competition.

That means, like Best of Show winners before him, Andrew Meravi of Boonton will get to scale up his recipe and brew it on the 5-barrel system at Krogh's brewpub with the help of Krogh’s brewmaster, David Cooper.

Krogh's puts the Best of Show beers on tap when it can squeeze them into its brew lineup, and past winners have seen their beers land tap space over the late winter and mid-spring.

Meanwhile, rounding out the winners list:

• First Runner-up was an American IPA brewed by Robert Giaquinta Jr. of Sparta.
• Second Runner-up was a doppelbock crafted by the 2008 defending champs, Pequannock brewers Mike Wenzel and Steve Moen, joined by Glen Celmer.

Congrats to all.