Brewing a mystery
Most folks know what goes into baking a cake, or have an inkling of how to combine ingredients for a killer spaghetti sauce or a tasty omelet.
Brewing beer? Now that's a different story.
TV commercials talk about crisp, clear mountain waters, recipes handed down over generations and hops (see related article).
Perhaps this explains the delight on the faces of beer lovers when they discover that the ales and lagers they enjoyed at Oktoberfest can be broken down into recipes that are easy to follow, albeit, recipes that call for a giant kettle with a matching giant paddle to stir the simmering brew.
Such is the case at Gallaghers,' a do-it-mostly-yourself brewery in downtown Edmonds where patrons let their imaginations ferment to produce intriguing new beer blends, or simply flip through 50 tried-and-true recipes to replicate commercial favorites like Mac and Jack's or Fat Tire.
"Part of the fun of this is the mystery of how it's going to turn out because of the little subtle changes you've done," said Norden Cegelske, of Seattle, who was brewing his third batch of the year with friends and family on a recent Friday night.
He peered down into a steaming kettle as his wife, Jean, stirred a mixture thick with malt and grains. Friend Rich Knight, of Kirkland, poured molasses-colored malt into the kettle next-door. Across the room, Cegelske's nephew, Jim Willie, of Arlington, pondered which new recipe to follow with his wife, Wendy.
It was what regulars deemed a typical night at the intimate brewery, abuzz with boisterous conversation and the din of clinking glass, warm with the waffly scent of simmering malts. Many say Gallaghers' has become a second living room, complete with sports playing on the TV, mellow tunes and plenty of friends eager to share a beer.
In one bright corner, patrons filled bottle after bottle with various brews from several spigots, sealing them with a rainbow of caps to indicate type and taste. In the center, a growing crowd that ranged from kids all the way up to grandparents pulled up chairs around a mammoth potluck. At the other end of the room, groups tended to their kettles and gathered ingredients (flaked oats, chocolate grain and honey to name a few) from a variety of plastic containers that at home probably would hold ingredients like flour, sugar and rice.
Dennis and Sandy Gallagher launched their namesake brewery in 1995, sensing that a brew-it-yourself place similar to those popular in Canada could be a hit in microbrew-happy Washington. It took a few years to catch on, mostly by word of mouth. Now scores of mugs dangle from hooks along the brewery's walls, labeled with names of Mug Club members who are among the brewery's most devoted fans. Brides and bridegrooms come in to craft their own brews for their wedding. Boy Scouts and birthday partiers come to brew their own root beer. Local restaurants even carry some of the Gallaghers' brew.
"It is all about being fun. But if that was all it we wouldn't get people coming back for 11 years," Dennis Gallagher said. "We make a really nice product, and we stand behind our product."
Don't take his word for it. Check out his brewing awards on the wall. Or ask any of the regulars, who name Gallagher's own concoction among their favorites on tap.
"After I've tasted this beer, commercial beer tastes flat," said Willie, who introduced his uncle, Cegelske, to the brewery last spring.
"This is better than what you can buy at a store," said Reid Larson, of Edmonds, who was bottling a personal blend, Surreal (that's short for Suzie and Reid Ale), with partner Suzie Schoonover. "They do a lot of the work. We thought about doing this at home, but this is a good social scene."
Steven Goertz, of Shoreline (Mug Club member No. 10), became a regular after he was able to re-create the German-style hefeweizens he enjoys. He called the brewery a family place — the two youngest of his six daughters have known Dennis Gallagher since they were born, he said.
Jeff Nelson, of Brier (Mug Club member No. 12), brews beer several times each year with brother-in-law Jerry Vandergrift (Mug Club member No. 11) and is still sore that Vandergrift is No. 11 on the wall — especially since he paid.
Brewing a batch at Gallaghers' requires about two hours of measuring and pouring and stirring and cooking. Two weeks in the fermentation tank later it's ready to pour into bottles or a keg to go home. Prices average $1.02 per bottle, comparable to a six-pack on sale at the store.
"Making beer is mostly waiting," said Wendy Willie said as her husband added hops, which resembled rabbit food. He was careful to sprinkle slowly, to avoid sending the kettle bubbling over into a rage.
Meanwhile, Cegelske's batch was cooked. He flicked a switch and sent the steamy brew coursing through tubes and into a contraption where it was cooled, strained and fed oxygen. Workers pumped the mix into a plastic barrel and added yeast.
"Beer!" Cegelske cheered, then clasped his hands in the air like a champ. He wrote his name, the date and his brew on masking tape with a marker, and watched as it was rolled back into a storage area where it will ferment. In two weeks, he and his family will return to see how it turned out.
"Why did I wait so long?" he said with a smile as they headed out into the night.
Karen Gaudette: 206-515-5618 or kgaudette@seattletimes.com
Beer brewing
Want to craft your own beer someplace other than home? Head to Edmonds, or to Silverdale in Kitsap County, to try do-it-yourself brewing. If enjoying the fruits of someone else's labor is more your speed, festivals abound in the winter months.
Gallaghers' Where-U-Brew: Open 2 -8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, by appointment only Sundays and closed Mondays. At 120 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds. Visit www.whereubrew.com or call 425-776-4209 for more information.
Heads Up Brewing Co.: Open 1-10 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, noon-10 p.m. Saturdays and noon-7 p.m. Sundays. At 9960 Silverdale Way N.W., Silverdale, Kitsap County. Visit www.headsupbrewing.com or call 360-337-2739 for more information.
Great Pumpkin Brewing Festival: Elysian Brewing Co.'s three Seattle locations will celebrate Halloween with 10 different pumpkin beers on tap this month. The event runs noon-10 p.m. Saturday at Elysian-Capitol Hill, 1221 E. Pike St., Seattle, 206-860-1920; noon-10 p.m. Oct. 28 at Elysian Fields, 542 First Ave. S., Seattle, 206-382-4498; and Monday through Oct. 27 at Elysian-TangleTown, 2106 N. 55th St., Seattle, 206-547-5929. Visit www.elysianbrewing.com for more information.
Winter Beer Festival: More than 30 breweries are scheduled to pour their favorite winter warmers amid holiday dcor, hot cider, holiday music and a gift shop geared toward beer enthusiasts. Noon-10 p.m. Dec. 2 at Hale's Ales Brewery & Pub, 4301 Leary Way N.W., Seattle. Admission is $20 at the door for a tasting cup and six 3-ounce tastes or $20 in advance for a tasting cup and 10 3-ounce tastes. Designated drivers pay $8 admission at the door. Tickets at www.washingtonbeer.com. The Web site also includes details of more upcoming festivals.