Tags: Black Barley malt, Carmel 80L, Chocolate malt, Flaked Barley, Kent Golding hops, Liberty hops, Maris Otter malt, Willamette Hops, Wyeast ESB Yeast

Tags: 2-row malt, Caramel 40L, Cascade hops, Perle Hops, Wyeast American Ale Yeast

In the same line as a Saison, Bière de Garde (fr. beer to guard, beer to keep) was traditionally brewed as a stronger ale in the north of France during early spring, only to be stored for a period of time (hence the name) and consumed in the fall.  Typically much higher alcohol content than a traditional Saison, a Bière de Garde can be darker and more varied in color as well.  This recipe is modeled on the New Belgian Biere de Mars, which has a brilliant orange hue and hints of lemon and fruit.  This beer was at one point a seasonal brew, it is now part of their newish “Lips of Faith” line.
 Drawing from Biere de Mars, Bière de Mai includes white wheat and flaked oats as well as the traditional Vienna, Munich, and pale malts.  The fruity character is complimented with Cascade and Cluster hops.

Bière de Mai has a darker orange color, complex malty flavor, and is slightly hopped for a beer of this alcohol and malt level.  The inclusion of sweet orange peel and chopped fresh lemon (with peel) adds to the expression of the fruity character.  I tried to track down some lemon verbena to add to the boil as well, but the lemon will have to do.  With proper aging, the beer should be well rounded, but will still be somewhat dominated by the warming alcohol, weighing in somewhere around 9.5% ABW.

Bière de Mai

Grains

2.0 lb Weyermann  Organic Vienna
1.5 lb DWC Caramunich
1.0 lb Flaked Oats
1.0 lb Weyermann Organic White Wheat
1.25 lb DWC Belgian Aromatic 

Extract

6 lb Briess Golden Light DME

Hops

1.0 oz US Cluster - 7.6 % alpha - 90 Min From End
0.5 oz US Cascade - 5.4 % alpha - 30 Min From End
0.25 oz US Cascade - 5.4 % alpha - 15 Min From End
0.25 oz US Cascade - 5.4 % alpha - 0 Min From End 

Yeast

Wyeast 1214 - Belgian

Other

1 T irish moss
1 Whole Lemon, chopped with peel (15 min)
0.25 oz Sweet Orange Peel (15min) 

Brewing Stats

Brewed May 9, 2009

Steeped grains sans grain sack for 90 min at 155°F in 3 gal. water
No adjustment for water, all tasty tap water.
No mash-out 

1st Sparge: 3 gal 168°F (over 80 minutes)
Pre-Boil Volume: 7.5 gal
Pre-Boil S.G.: 1.036
pH: n/a
Boil Duration: 90 min
Post-Boil Volume: 5.5 gal
Additional Water: n/a

Approx IBU (Tinseth): 27.9

OG: 1.092!
Ferment Temperature: 65°F

FG: 
ABW: 
ABV: 

Full Brewing Stats

Continue reading…

Tags: Belgian aromatic malt, Caramunich, Cascade hops, cluster hops, flaked oats, German Vienna malt, Golden Light DRM, lemon, Sweet Orange Peel, white wheat malt, Wyeast Belgian Ale yeast

Although not necessarily my favorite beer variety, Kölsch is a style that I have not tried before, and the clear, bright beer is perfect for mid-spring.  Originating in Cologne, Germany on the banks of the Rhine, Kölsch is top fermented in warmer temperatures then lagered in the secondary.  The beer is slightly hoppy and tends to have a unique tartness; its fermenting method and lightness put it in direct competition with the Altbiers brewed in northern Germany.  Perhaps because of its lightness, Kölsch was traditionally more appropriate for women to drink, thus much of the culture in Kölsch beer halls focuses on inclusion across sexes and economic groups.  Karl Marx once noted that the revolution would not work in Cologne, as all the bosses drank [Kölsch] with the workers.

The local Kölsch beer - Uinta Brewing Company’s Solstice Kölsch Ale - is typically my beer of last choice if anything else is available, so we will see how this turns out.  We will lager the beer for 2-3 weeks, dropping the beer from a fermenting temperature of 55°F down to ~45°F over a period of several days.  And it’s organic to boot - how do you like that, Karl?

Kung Fu Kölsch

Grains

2.0 lb Weyermann  Organic Pilsner
1.0 lb Weyermann  Organic Wheat
1.0 lb Gambrinus Organic Pale

Extract

3 lb Briess Pilsen DME

Hops

1.0 oz US Sterling - 6.0 % alpha - 90 Min From End
1.0 oz Hallertauer - 2.4 % alpha - 15 Min From End

Yeast

Wyeast 2565 - Kolsch

Other

1 T irish moss

Brewing Stats

Brewed April 19, 2009

Steeped grains sans grain sack for 90 min at 155°F in 3 gal. water
No adjustment for water, all tasty tap water.
No mash-out 

1st Sparge: 3 gal 168°F (over 40 minutes)
Pre-Boil Volume: 5.5 gal
Pre-Boil S.G.: 1.024
pH: 6.55
Boil Duration: 70 min
Post-Boil Volume: 4.5 gal
Additional Water: 0.5 gal cold 

Approx IBU (Tinseth): 27.8

OG: 1.052
Ferment Temperature: 55°F

FG:1.012
ABW: 4.2%
ABV: 5.4%

Secondary: Lager at ~45°F for 2-3 weeks

* A bit high on the pre-boil S.G. - probably over what the typical Kölsch would be.

* The hops I wanted has a lower alpha content than desired, but still within the standards for this type of beer.

Full Stats

Continue reading…

Tags: German pilsner malt, hallertauer hops, organic, pale malt, sterling hops, wheat malt, Wyeast Kolsch yeast

A slightly darker Belgian Wit, using Wyeast 3463 - Forbidden Fruit.

Forbidden Belgian Wit

Grains

1.5 lb US 2-Row Malt
1.0 lb US Flaked Soft Red Wheat
0.5 lb US Flaked Oats
0.25 lb Belgian Aromatic Malt

Extract

4 lb Light LME
1 lb Bavarian Wheat DME

Hops

0.75 oz UK Fuggle - 4.5 % alpha - 60 Min From End
0.50 oz UK Fuggle - 4.5 % alpha - 15 Min From End
0.50 oz US Cascade 4.5 % alpha - 0 Min

Yeast

Wyeast 3463-Forbidden Fruit

Other

1 oz Sweet Orange Peel
0.25 oz Crushed Coriander seeds
1 T irish moss

Brewing Stats

Brewed April 4, 2009

Steeped grains sans grain sack for 90 min at 158°F in 3 gal. water
No adjustment for water, all tasty tap water.

1st Sparge: 3 gal cold water
Pre-Boil Volume: 6 gal
Boil Duration: 70 min
Post-Boil Volume: 5 gal

Approx IBU (Tinseth): 15.7

OG: 1.049
Ferment Temperature: 65°F

FG:1.012
ABW: 3.8%
ABV: 4.9%

Tags: 2-row malt, Bavarian Wheat DME, Belgian aromatic malt, Cascade hops, Coriander Seeds, flaked oats, Fuggle hops, red wheat malt, Sweet Orange Peel, Wyeast Forbidden Fruit

To celebrate the “arrival” of spring - five feet of new snow in the mountains while the tulips begin to bud down in town - we put together an IPA with an inventive hop schedule. After playing around with a new kegging setup including a Blichmann BeerGun (which still takes some work to figure out), we were able to bottle about half of the carbonated Red Notebook Rot Weiss. The rest was lost as we continue to control foam, poured straight from the keg, or discarded due to an unknown threadlike growth on the top in the secondary. So no new equipment for the IPA, save a bucket with 1/8″ holes drilled in the bottom, used for a lauter tun for the partial mash recipe we did at the same time.

Overland India Pale Ale

Grains

1lb Belgian Caramel Vienna LME

Extract

1 lb Muntons Light DME
6 lb Coopers Light LME

Hops

1 oz CTZ (Columbus, Tomahawk, Zeus) - 13.7% alpha - 70 min
1 oz Chinook - 12.4% alpha - 10 min
1 oz Amarillo - 9.3% alpha - 5 min

Yeast

Wyeast American Ale Yeast

Other

1 T irish moss

Brewing Stats

Brewed April 4, 2009

Steeped grains sans grain sack for 60 min at 158°F in 3 gal. water
No adjustment for water, all tasty tap water.

1st Sparge: 3 gal cold water
Pre-Boil Volume: 6 gal
Boil Duration: 70 min
Post-Boil Volume: 5 gal

AAUs: 35.4
Approx IBU (25% utilization): 109

OG: 1.054
Ferment Temperature: 65 - 68°F

Rack Date: 4/14/09
FG:1.010
ABW: 6.0%
ABV: 7.602%

Cost: $35.15 - $.73 / 12 oz - $4.39 / 6 pack

Tags: Amarillo hops, Belgian Caramel Vienna, Chinook hops, CTZ hops, IPA, Wyeast American Ale Yeast

To celebrate the 200th Birthday of Charles Darwin, we introduce our Red Notebook Rot Weiss (Red Wheat).  Darwin’s Red Notebook was one of the notebooks he carried with him on the H.M.S. Beagle, and contains Darwin’s first recorded evolutionary statements.  The Red Notebook provided the initial outline of his thoughts that would later in his ‘B’ through ‘M’ notebooks.

The Red Notebook Rot Weiss, a wheat ale made potent with the addition of rye, Carawheat, and red wheat malts, is tough enough to stand up to the antagonizing of ID zealots.  Enjoy.

Technical Specs

Partial Mash, 2.5 gal H20 at 160 degrees F down to 150 for 45 minutes, sparge with 8 qts. 170 degree H20. 1 t Irish moss added at end of boil, cooled, and combined with cold water to make 5 gal. Oxygen added, and yeast pitched.

Grains

1.75 lb. German Pilsner Malt 1.5 lb. Crystal 120L 0.5 lb. red wheat 0.25 lb. Carawheat 0.25 lb Rye Malt

Extract

5 lb. Wheat

Hops Schedule

t-60 min. - 1 oz. Cluster hops (6.4% a) t-15 min. - 0.5 oz. Sterling hops (6.0% a) t-2 min. - 0.5 oz. Sterling hops (6.0% a)

Yeast

White Labs Hefeweizen Ale Yeast

Initial Specific Gravity

1.040

Tags: Carawheat, cluster hops, crystal 120L, German pilsner malt, Hefeweizen, red wheat malt, rye, rye malt, sterling hops, weiss, wheat, White Labs Hefeweizen Ale Yeast