NYE 2011

Well, all the preparations are complete for this Saturday's NYE bash at the homestead.  I have all the beers brewed, fermented, and bottled or kegged for copious consumption.  For some of the readers that need a refresher course on beer nerd jargon, here ya go:

Original Gravity (OG): The Original Gravity is the specific gravity measured before the commencement of fermentation.

Final Gravity (FG):  The Final Gravity is the specific gravity measured at the completion of fermentation.

ABV:  Alcohol by Volume, stated as a percentage (e.g 6.5%). Most brewers and consumers are used to having alcohol content reported by volume (ABV) rather than weight. Interconversion is simple but the specific gravity of the beer must be known.

IBU - International Bittering Units : This is a measure of the actual bitterness of a beer as contributed by the alpha acid from hops. Because the apparent bitterness of a beer is subjective to the taste of the drinker and the balancing malt sweetness of the beer this is not always an accurate measure of the "hoppiness" of a beer. But, generally speaking, beers with IBUs of less than 20 have little to no apparent hops presence. Beers with IBUs from 20 to 45 are the most common and have mild to pronounced hops presence. Beers with IBUs greater than 45 are heavily hopped and can be quite bitter.

Example:

"Not knowing that the barleywine had an IBU of 68, Rachel took a big swig from the glass then twisted up her face as the hops assaulted her taste buds."

And now, the LeGrue's NYE Tap Lineup:

Triple Rhino:

• Belgian style Abbey Triple, originally brewed by and for Trappist monks in Europe.
• Light in color, malty, effervescent, very aromatic and deceptively strong. 
• Examples: Unibroque "Fin du Monde", Chimay "Triple"
• 32 IBU 9.2% ABV.

2011 Winter Weizenbock ( pronounced "veye-tsen-bock")

• Strong wheat ale, seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Bready and balanced, with hints of banana bread and clove and a dry finish.Similar to Brooklyn Brewing's Winter Ale, but with a traditional weizen yeast character and dry finish.
• 12 IBU, 7.6% ABV

Brad's Big Bad Black IPA

• A black Imperial IPA, made with debittered dark malts that impart a black color and roasted flavor without the burnt toast astringency of a stout.  Think "hop-bomb" in technicolor.
• This is a HUGE beer, very flavorful and aromatic. It has a citrusy hop- forward nose, and a clean, balanced hoppy bitterness throughout the palate.
• Examples of the Black IPA or Cascadian Dark Ale style would be Stone Brewing's "Sublimely Self- Righteous" and Dechutes' " Hop in the Dark".
• 106 IBU, 9.8% ABV........ Bring it!

Pumpkin Pie Porter 2011

• My annual holiday offering that includes fresh roasted pumpkins and toasted spices, all wrapped in a smooth, malty porter package.
• Dark reddish brown color, and the aroma is all pumpkin pie.  The flavor is on the sweeter side, and has a caramel, toffee, toasted bread quality that is very nice. Great after a holiday meal, or any time if you're Brad.
• 36 IBU, 7.8% ABV

LeGrue's 2011 Winter Warmer Cask Ale

• This a my riff on the traditional beers brewed for cold months in Britain.  Medium- strong, roasty, malt forward with a nice, full body and holiday spices to make things interesting.
• Enhanced mouthfeel and low carbonation due to 3 weeks conditioning in a cask, and served in the traditional style.
• Similar to Saint Arnold's Christmas Ale with spices.
• 42 IBU, 7.4% ABV

Reminder

Greetings,

Just a reminder, Saint Arnold is tapping the last cask of Christmas Ale 2011 at the Stag's Head Pub tomorrow night at 7:30 pm.  Be there!

Cheers,

Mason

Black Bulldozer 2011

The Brewery has some production news.

Black Bulldozer 2011, my Black IPA,  is in the fermenter and should be ready by New Year's Eve.  It weighs in as 98 IBU and an O.G. of 1.086, so this MONSTER beer is not for the faint of heart. Thanks to my Brother-in-law Brad for the brew day help. I pitched my standby Wyeast 1056 American Ale strain and will ferment at 65 F. I'll keep it in primary fermentation for 5 days then transfer to secondary to dry hop on 2 oz. of Citra Hops until the 28th. Chill, Carb, Serve, Enjoy.

The Wizenbock is in the keg and chilling down to force carbonate.  Great ester aromas, and a final gravity of 1.008.  Great beer!

Winter Warmer in in the firkin and conditioning for the NYE party as well.  I decided to forget the oak in the cask, as there's not enough time to get the correct oak character for this batch. My next cask aged beauty will be a British Bitter pub ale.

Tripel Rhino is in a secondary and still very active, even after a week and a half of fermenting at 64 F.  Crazy yeast, guys.  I'm going to bottle half of this and the rest will be on tap for NYE.

Cheers, and leave some stinkin' comments already!

All-Grain or Bust

It's finally winter here in Houston, and the cool weather has gotten me frisky to brew.  I have some real news for you guys, so bear with me while I give you the rundown.

First and foremost, I became a new Dad in July!  It might explain my absence in the blogospere of late.  Bennett came a little early, but he's more than made up for lost time in his first four months.  Here's the little guy on Thanksgiving.  He's not too much help on brew day yet, but we're working on that.

Next, my loving and eternally supportive wife saw fit to approve a few capital equipment expenditures for the LeGrue home brewery. Do you think I can write that off under the Obama tax plan (Branden, check that out for me)?  Regardless, we have new toys! LeGrue's is officially all systems go for ALL-GRAIN brewing, just like the big boys!  Had to do some modification, but all in all it is a killer setup for 5 gallon all-grain batches.  I'll have a post that shows the system in action at a later date.  Moving on....

We are also delving into the mysterious world of cask- aging my beer.  The little guy to the right is a stainless steel firkin, only in miniature (know as a "pin", for the beer nerds in the crowd).  It holds 5.5 US gallons and will let my serve cask ale or "Real Ale", which is defined as a beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide".^[1][2] The heart of the definition is the maturation requirements. If the beer is unfiltered, unpasteurised and still active on the yeast, it is a real beer; it is irrelevant whether the container is a cask or a bottle. If the yeast is still alive and still conditioning the beer, it is "real". 
The inaugural LeGrue's cask will be tapped at our New Years Eve party this year, and it will be a delicious Winter Warmer Ale with fresh spices and aged over toasted oak for vanilla/ honey notes.

Now on to production news.  I've got 4 batches in different stages of maturation right now. My annual Pumpkin Beer is on tap right now, and  I currently have a Weizenbock ready to bottle.  My brother in law Ryan was clutch this past weekend, helping me brew two batches in a day for the New Years Party: the Winter Warmer and a Belgian Tripel.

On a side bar, that damn belgo beer almost exploded in my kitchen!  The yeast was so active that the krausen sealed up the air vent in the top of the fermenter, and as such it began to build pressure.  When I took it outside to clean the airlock, it went off like a bottle rocket and sprayed yeast about ten feet high.  The loud "whoosh" it made when I removed the stopper was very dramatic, and it scared the dog.  I had to move it to another vessel and then put the rest in a1 gallon jar so that it would have room to expand this time.

Lastly, I made another Rye beer that I did a split fermentation with.  I did half with a Weizen yeast for a traditional German Rye beer, the other half I pitched a Farmhouse Ale yeast for different effect.  Next, I split the Farmhouse batch again and dry hopped 1 gallon and added oak to the other gallon, and bottled the rest as a control.  Did you get all of that?  In essence, I have 4 different beers from the same 5 gallon batch, with the goal of doing a side by side tasting of all 4 and comparing.  I know it's nerdy, but it should be fun!

Yes, for those who were counting, I have 25 GALLONS of fresh beer available.  Will I be able to find all of them good homes?  Only if you all do your parts!

Next up, Black Bulldozer Imperial Black Ale with a little Brettanomyces surprise, and an American Blond Ale for those who need training wheels.  I'll leave you with the newest version of my logo.  Let me know what you think! Shout out to Jeff Grant, the graphics genius that helped me to design this baby.

http://www.jeffreygrant.com/

Cheers!

Summer 2011 updates

Sorry for the long absence, kids.  Been kind of crazy with work/ culinary school/ 8 month pregnant wife.  Anyhow, enough apologies. My creative juices that have been flowing big time, and I've got some exciting stuff on the docket for the summer 2011.

First is Saison DeGrace, an American Farmhouse ale that I brewed last week.  The malt bill includes barley, wheat, oats and rye and should have a ton of depth and complexity.  It was fermented at 76F to maximize the yeasty effects, and I chose Wyeast 3711 French Saison because of it's ninja- fast attenuation and complex flavor.  This batch will be bottle conditioned for at least a month, so look for it in mid August.

Next up, my Imperil Pilz.  This is a monster lager, OG around 1.080 and heavily hopped w/ noble cones.  Nothing fancy, just wanted a BIG beer that would be warm weather friendly.  Should be ready in a month or so.

Lastly is a creation that I am super excited to try.  It's an American-style Rye Ale that I'm going to age for 2 months on toasted French Oak.  It's going to be hard to wait, but this beer should be AWESOME.  Bottle conditioned only.

Taking requests as well.  What LeGrue's brew would you like to see?

Cheers!

Letter to TX House Committee

Mike Hamilton (R), District 19
Chairman- House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee

Dear Representative Hamilton,

As a lifelong resident of Missouri City, TX, I am deeply interested in the growth and vitality of our City as well as Texas as a whole.  We all agree that it is in our state’s best interest to find constructive ways of addressing our budgetary challenges while still fostering a positive environment for small businesses to flourish.

That brings me to the reason for my letter.  I am writing you today regarding House Bill 660, relating to the sale of malt liquor, ale, and beer by the holder of a brewpub license, filed by Representative Mike Villarreal of San Antonio. This bill would allow Texas brewpubs the right to make their products available for sale off-premise, a right that out-of-state brewpubs already enjoy within the borders of Texas.  It is unfathomable that in this economic climate that our statutes would so greatly restrict local small businesses; the very businesses that will help us out of this recession.

The craft brewing industry in the US is booming, showing double digit growth annually despite the country’s economic trouble.  Even in light of the current repressive laws, Texas craft brewers are beginning to garner national attention and acclaim.  Just imagine what Texas brewers could accomplish with laws that enable new brewers to more competitively sell their products!  One needs only to look at Oregon or Colorado to see the potential in job opportunities and tax revenues.  Oregon has permits for “Brewery public houses” that allows brewpubs to sell to distributors and/or self-distribute up to 200,000 barrels per year, and their industry has flourished. Oregon produces over 1 million barrels of beer per year, employs over 5,000 people in breweries, and generates an estimated $2.2 billion per year for the local economy. 

In Texas, the wine industry experienced extraordinary growth after the legislature loosened restrictions preventing wineries from selling to consumers on-site. In 2003, the Texas Legislature changed the law to allow wineries to sell to consumers in addition to the previously allowed activity of selling to distributors; much like what HB 660 attempts to do (though from the opposite direction – brewpubs can already sell to consumers but seek the ability to sell to wholesalers and distributors). Since then, the number of wineries in Texas have increased from 46 in 2001 to 181 in 2009, jobs increased from 1,800 to over 9,000, and the economic impact has increased from $132 million per year to $1.35 billion in 2009 making Texas the 5th largest wine producing state in the US.

Opponents of this bill say that it would open the doors for the unregulated sale of alcoholic products in dry counties, to minors, and other such “sky-is-falling” nonsense.  Let’s address these arguments so their lack of logic can come out.  The sale of alcoholic beverages in dry counties or to minors would be impossible because the brewers sell to either distributers or direct to retailers.  That means that the wholesaler and/or retailer would have to be complicit in the illegal sale to the public.  Why would a wholesaler or retailer purchase a product that they can’t sell to the end user or endanger their ability to sell at all by selling to minors?  The answer is that they would not.

HB 660 would help Texas brewpubs, most of which are privately owned, grow and remain competitive in a rapidly growing industry. The benefits don’t stop there, however.  This bill would allow Texas wholesale permit and distributor's license holders meet the exploding  local demand for craft beer, enable retailers by allowing them to highlight local products, give Texas consumers greater access to the products they want, and help the state by creating new jobs and increasing tax revenues.  In fact, an Economic Impact study conducted by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild found that statutory reforms like HB 660 could result in $680 Million of new annual economic activity, 6,800 new jobs created, and an estimated $57 million of tax revenue generated annually.  Can we really afford to miss out on these benefits given the current job market, economic climate and budget deficit in Texas?

Our laws must not prevent our own small businesses from having the tools they need to be leaders in this industry– especially to the benefit of out-of-state businesses who are currently able to do what our own breweries cannot.

I trust you will vote Yes for HB 660 when given the opportunity in committee or on the house floor.

Thank you for your time and service to our great state.

Sincerely,

 Mason D. LeGrue

PS: see this letter in The Loop Scoop

History of Beer

Here's a pretty cool timeline I found on the history of my favorite beverage. Enjoy!

HB602 Rally 2/25/11 at St. Arnold Brewing Co.

 

  

Come to Saint Arnold for a Friday Evening Tour to Support HB 602.

 

Yes, they are going to have a tour on a Friday evening! People will also be there with computers to help and encourage you to email your state legislators to support HB 602 and 660. Here are the details:

 

Date: Friday, February 25
Time: 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Cost: $10 per person (everything else is like a regular tour)

They will use any funds raised this evening in our effort to support HB 602 and 660.

 

Support your local brewery!!

 

 

 

AHA Rally Feb 27th at St. Arnold Brewing Co.

To all the LeGrue's Brew faithful,

Join me and our malted barley compatriots for the Houston area American Homebrewer's Association Rally.  Details below:

Saint Arnold Brewing Co. AHA Rally
Sunday, February 27 , 2011

Time: 1:00-3:00 pm
Address: 2000 Lyons Ave, Houston, TX
Web: http://www.saintarnold.com/
Space is limited, please RSVP.

AHA Rallies are free to current AHA members.
Non-members can join now or sign up at a discounted rate at the door.
Learn more about AHA Membership Benefits.
Entrance includes:
• VIP brewery tour!
• Meet and greet with Brock Wagner, owner, and Gary Glass, AHA Director.
• An opportunity to mingle with other Texas homebrewers.
• A chance to win great prizes from the AHA and Saint Arnold Brewing Company!

Chai Spice Ale- Soon for the tap

For those of you who are new to my malted misadventures, my favorite way to push the bounds of gastro- brewing is to deconstruct my favorite flavors of food and drink and reinterpret them in beer form. My latest experiment in,Chai Spice Ale, will be ready for consumption in a few day and I can't wait to see how it turned out. 

I used the spices you see in the picture, as well as Ginger and Orange Peel.  I added a little Lactose (milk sugar) as an homage to the traditional way the beverage is served, and finished with honey after the boil.

Stats are as follows:

OG 1.064; FG 1.014
ABV= 6.7%

Definite cinnamon on the nose, not too much of the cardamom is perceptible but that could be due to the temperature.  Honey flavor is light as well, might need to add some now that fermentation is complete.
However it turns out, it was a neat experiment!

Cheers

Beer Laws in TX need to change!!

Texas House Bill 660, filed by Representative Mike Villarreal in the 82nd Regular Session of the Texas Legislature, would be a game changer for Texas Craft Beer.

Currently Texas brewpubs are not allowed to sell to wholesalers, distributors or retailers for resale. That means you can't find beer from any of Texas' amazing brewpubs at your local grocery store, restaurant or bar. Meanwhile, out-of-state brewpubs are free to have their beer distributed all over the state.

HB 660 would finally allow Texas brewpubs to play on an even playing field. The exact specifics of the bills are:

*Would allow Texas brewpubs to sell to wholesalers and distributors for resale
*Change the existing 5,000 barrel/year limit to apply only to on-premise sales to the ultimate consumer
*Lift the overall production limit to 75,000 barrels/year

*Allow brewpubs to self-distribute to retailers so long as their total annual production is less than 10,000 barrels.

The law will not only help our state's brewpubs (which are almost all independently owned small businesses), but it would give distributors incremental sales volume, allow retailers to highlight local products, and give consumers access to the products they desire.

Facing a $27 billion budget shortfall, HB 660 also benefits our State by increasing the tax base as breweries grow.

Please pass HB 660 and support our state's small businesses. Click the link below to sign the petition in FAVOR of HB 660!

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?TXHB660

Competition Updates, with a side of Verbiage

For those who are following the drama of my 2011 competition aspirations, I have the updates you've been waiting for!

1. I've moved the Sour Wheat to a keg and have it at room temp so as to let the Lacto bugs do their thing as fast as possible.  Tomorrow, I'll chill the keg and force carbonate so I can bottle them on Friday morning.
2. Chai Ale is in a secondary fermenter and ready to move to the keg to be carbonated on Wednesday this week.
3. No-go on the Oatmeal Stout for Bluebonnet Brew-Off, but maybe I'll enter it in later competitions this year.

It has also come to my attention that I might be getting a little to techno- jargon on my posts with talk of F.G, ABV %, and the like.  I'll try to refrain from too much brew- speak, but just in case I HAVE to give updates, I've decided to outline some of the more commonly used acronyms and jargon I use in these postings.

Wort: Wort, pronounced /ˈwɜrt/, is the liquid extracted from the mashing process during the brewing of beer or whisky. Wort contains the sugars that will be fermented by the brewing yeast to produce alcohol.
In beer making, the wort is known as "sweet wort" until the hops have been added, after which it is then called "hopped wort."

Gravity: Refers to Specific Gravity, or the ratio of the mass of a solid or liquid to the mass of an equal volume of distilled water at a given temperature and pressure.  For brewing, we use 60 deg. F. In short, the higher the Gravity of a beer, the denser or "thicker" it is.  Gravity, in the context of fermenting alcoholic beverages, refers to the specific gravity of the wort at various stages in the fermentation process.
At various stages in alcohol fermentation, the density of the wort varies. Depending upon the depth that the hydrometer falls into the wort, the percentage of alcohol can be determined.

Original Gravity (OG): The Original Gravity is the specific gravity measured before the commencement of fermentation.

Final Gravity (FG):  The Final Gravity is the specific gravity measured at the completion of fermentation.

ABV:  Alcohol by Volume, stated as a percentage (e.g 6.5%). Most brewers and consumers are used to having alcohol content reported by volume (ABV) rather than weight. Interconversion is simple but the specific gravity of the beer must be known.

Hops: Hops are the female flower clusters (commonly called seed cones or strobiles), of a hop species, Humulus lupulus.^[1] They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor.  Hops are used extensively in brewing for their many purported benefits, including balancing the sweetness of the malt with bitterness, contributing a variety of desirable flavors and aromas, and having an antibiotic effect that favors the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable microorganisms. Particular hop varieties are associated with beer regions and styles, for example pale lagers are usually brewed with European (often German and Austrian, since 1981 also Czech) noble hop varieties such as Saaz, Hallertau and Strissel Spalt. British ales use hop varieties such as Fuggles, Goldings and Bullion. North American beers use Cascade hops, Columbus hops, Centennial hops, Willamette hops and Amarillo hops.

Alpha Acid (% Alpha):  Alpha acids are a class of compounds primarily of importance to the production of beer. They are found in the flowers of the hop plant and are the source of hop bitterness. Iso-alpha acids are typically produced in beer from the addition of hops to the boiling wort. The degree of bitter flavor produced by the addition of hops is highly dependent on the length of time the hops are boiled. Longer boil times will result in isomerization of more of the available alpha acids. The alpha acid "rating" on hops indicates the amount of alpha acid as a percentage of total weight of the hop. Hops with a higher alpha acid content will contribute more bitterness than a lower alpha acid hop when using the same amount of hops. High alpha acid varieties of hops are more efficient for producing highly bitter beers.

(Thanks to Wikipedia for letting me plagiarize my lazy tail off.)

I hope these definitions help for anybody feeling left out of the lingo conversation.

Cheers!

Gambrinus 2.0

The Belgian Aromatic Ale (hereafter called "Gambrinus") was a great hit with everybody that tried it, so I'm making another batch next week.  Should hit the ground before St. Patty's.  Reserve your bottle today via comments below!

2011 Competitions

Chai Spiced Ale (nickname TBD, I'd like ideas) is happily fermenting away, as I have continued my break- neck brewing pace to have everything ready in time for this year's Home Brew and Pro/ Am competitions. OG was 1.064 @60f, and I expect the Whitbread yeast to finish somewhere between 1.010 and 1.013.  That will yield a good, solid 6.8- 7.2% ABV.

Brazos River Barelywine is aging gracefully, and should be a real contender for 2011 competitions.
I put the Berliner Weisse into a secondary fermenter this morning, and it's about 2.8% ABV (by FAR my smallest beer to date, but perfect for the style). I'll let it hang until yeast activity is done and then bottle it in the next day or so.  From there, the Lacto bugs can work their magic. I'm calling it "West Bay Sour Wheat" as a homage to the part of Galveston Island where we spend time in during the hottest months of the year.  The style is light, effervescent and tart, perfect for fishing or floating in the bay.  I hope its developed enough sour character by March 5th and Bluebonnet Brew Off judging. If you're in DFW on the last weekend in March, check out the festivities!

 
March 25-26, 2011
Westin DFW Airport
4545 W. John Carpenter Freeway
Irving, TX 75063
Telephone: 888-627-8617

Other Texas competitions you'll find me at this year include:


SOUTHERN STAR BREWING'S 2011 Pro/ Am- Late April, 2011
Southern Star Brewing Co.
1207 N. FM 3083 E.
Conroe, Texas 77303



BIG BATCH BREW BASH- May 15, 2011
Saint Arnold Brewery
2000 Lyons Ave. Houston, TX


DIXIE CUP- October 13-15, 2011
Location TBD

See ya there!!

Crunch time! (aka, I thought I wrapped that pipe?)

So this week I've learned what it's like to make beer in the tundra (slight exaggeration). 

The Arctic Blast 2011 has put a serious cramp in my zymurgy, mostly due to frozen water supplies.  That, in turn, means no wort chillers, and a batch takes FOR-EV-ER to cool off enough to pitch the yeast.  I know, I know... you're thinking " But Mason, if it's cold out it would cool it off faster?".  I'd answer "WRONG.  5 gallons of 200 degree wort takes HOURS to cool in an ice bath, and much longer at 30 degree air temp. And I might add, I don't like your snotty tone".

But then you might aslo ask, "Why must you brew during this wretched weather?".  "Because", I'd answer in an annoyed, grouchy way, "the beers I'm entering in the Bluebonnet Brew Off are due on the 18th and I've got 3 more to complete by that time.  Brewed, fermented and in glass by 2 weeks from now."  I might be screwed.

These are the times when a brewer's meddle is tested.  I don't like to lose, especially before the competition even begins.  Wish me luck!

Anyway, CHEERS!

Adventures in Meatiness

Charcuterie:

the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork. Charcuterie is part of the garde manger chef's repertoire. Originally intended as a way to preserve meats before the advent of refrigeration, they are prepared today for their flavors derived from the preservation processes. (from wikipedia)

Charcuterie is an obscure and in many ways obsolete food preparation craft involving the butchering, curing and aging of piggy goodness. This practice also happens to be the most recent exit I've taken on the superhighway of Flavor.  The more I read and learn about the craft, the more intrigued I become!  The symphony of salt, meat, fat and smoke is, in my opinion, one of the highest forms of food craft around.

That brings me to my latest endeavour:

 

Home made sausage!!  My first try was a venison/ wild boar breakfast sausage with garlic, ginger and fresh sage.  I also made an Italian sausage of the same wild boar meat.  Admittedly, I did use some fatback from Allen Harrison of Harrison Hog Farms (they're at all the local farmers' markets!), but overall they were all hewn from animals shot this deer season.  As I didn't have a stuffer, they were both "loose" sausage that I cryo-vac'd.  They should be outta sight!!

Barleywine Update

The barleywine is bottled and peacefully cellaring until March, 2011.  Final Stats:

1. Beautiful copper- mahogany color and wonderfully clear; that 1056 American Ale yeast strain does a great job!
2. With a F.G. of 1.020, this beer is nice and full bodied, but not syrupy.  Makes nice legs on the glass.  Perfect for the style. Attenuated to 12.1% ABV, for those who are counting!
3. American hops are assertive and balanced, but not overpowering. ~92 IBU.
4. Long, lingering finish that sticks to you cheeks and continues to spread the toasty caramel and toffee flavors across the palate. A very complex brew that should be fun to taste monthly and make notes about how it ages.

Next in the Keg:
Belgian Aromatic

Next in the Kettle:
Chai Spiced Ale

Cheers!

Introducing: Belgian Aromatic Ale

Hello dedicated beer knurds!

As I mentioned in the previous post, I was so inspired by that spice ale I tried in DC that I decided to take a crack at the concept.  I started with a base recipe for lighter Belgian Strong Ale, and then toned back some of the Candi sugar to lower the OG a hair.  Next, I used only 1 oz. of Glacier hops at 5.6% Apha at the beginning of the boil as the only hops addition, and added 3/4 oz. each toasted Rose Hips and Corriander seeds, as well as a 1/4 oz. or Paradise seeds for a fragrant, herbal nose in the beer.  I utilized the Wyeast 1762 Abbey II for a delicate, fruity ester profile and that classic Belgian finish.

Should be very cool, but time will tell on that.  I'm hoping for a bright, effervescent brew that makes you sniff twice before the first sip.

Stay tuned, I'm finalizing the Chai Spice Ale this week.

You heard me right... chai spice

Cheers!

New Year, New Beer

I hope all of your holidays of choice were safe an enjoyable!  Brooke and I enjoyed our time in New York and Washington, D.C., but we're glad to thaw out again in Houston.  This new year brings some interesting new ideas that I'm itching to try.

While I was in DC, we ate at a place called Birch and Barley (check it out!!), and I had a beer that was made at an Abby off the coast of Canada.  The brewers use only items that grow on the island where the beer is made, so that means a mixed grain bill and no hops.  Instead, they spice the beer with ingredients like rose hips and other aromatics, and it's fermented with a wonderfully fruity Belgian yeast strain.
It was like a cross between a nice herbal tea and Belgian golden ale.  Outstanding!

If you've been reading this blog, you know by now that I'm all about deconstructing the flavors of items I like to eat/ drink and referencing that in a beer. To that end, I had to take a swing at my favorite non-fermented beverage, Chai Tea.  Where to begin?  I'm thinking a malty English brown ale grain bill with little to no hop bitternes, and additions of Chai spices, honey and lactose. More to come on that!

The next order of business is to bottle and cellar the Brazos River Barleywine, and then fire up the brewery to make a Belgian Strong Ale (easily a favorite) and Berliner Wiess (a sour wheat ale that's my first attempt at funky beers).

As always, feel free to comment and help steer the direction of our malted adventure together.

Cheers!