Strong Maple Mild

Springtime in New England brings the odd site of metal buckets hanging from the trunks of maple trees and the slow drip of maple sap falling from iron spiles. Of course, this maple sap is destined for local sugar shacks where it will be boiled ruthlessly until it it transformed into maple syrup. Most of this is done on family farms or larger commercial operations. A friend of mine, however, decided to try this at home this year, tapping the trees in his front yard and boiling down the sap on his propane grill. Back at the end of March, his trees were producing so much sap, he couldn't keep up, so he asked if I wanted some to brew with. Any regular reader of this blog knows how much I like to incorporate local ingredients into my brewing - whether it's cranberries, pumpkins, or wild yeast - so I jumped at the chance of using maple sap. I told my friend that I would need approximately six gallons of sap to replace the water I would normally use for the 3.5-3.75 gallon batches I brew. Not a problem - the sap is flowing like crazy.

While he collected the sap, I put together a recipe and headed out to my LHBS to purchase the ingredients. I had decided to brew an English Mild - I figured something like this would have the best chance of allowing any possible maple flavor from the sap to come through (though I am fully aware that there isn't much maple flavor in the raw sap - it's just too dilute). Unfortunately, shortly after picking up the ingredients, the sap stopped flowing and my friend was only able to collect 3.5 gallons for me. I figured my choices were to either supplement water for the other 2.5 gallons...or just brew a smaller batch. I really didn't want to dilute the sap with water, so I opted to go with a smaller batch size. However, since the grains were already milled together, a smaller batch meant that I was now looking at a much higher starting gravity than originally intended. So, instead of a "regular" Mild, I brewed a Strong Mild - not quite the oxymoron you might think.

It took me a while to get to this beer, so I kept the sap frozen to avoid it spoiling. I used a few cups of sap instead of water to make a yeast starter - I figured that this would allow the yeast to acclimate to the sap and it would let me keep this beer 100% undiluted sap-based. The sap itself had a specific gravity of 1.006. Even though the sap looked, smelled, and pretty much tasted just like water (perhaps a tad sweet if you really looked for it), when it was boiled for the starter and even just heated for the mash it became obvious that it was not the same as water - it darkened slightly and had a noticeable maple syrup aroma. In the end I don't know if any flavor or aroma contribution from the sap will be identifiable in the beer, but I am certain that the sap will add some complexity. Since I didn't want to dilute this beer with any water, I only used the first runnings from the mash. I went with English hops - Bramling Cross, which I really like for its combination of fruity and earthy flavors. Not sure if it was the sap or the use of brown malt or the combination of the two, but this was one of the best smelling mashes and boils I've ever had. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how this one turns out - though given it will probably end up around 8% ABV, it might need to age a little bit before it comes into its own.

Spile Driver
Brewed on 5/19/13

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size: 2.25 gal
Estimated Color: 19.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 42.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 62.00 %
OG: 1.078
FG: 1.017
ABV: 8.0%

Grist
5 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter - 81.6%
8.0 oz Brown Malt - 8.2%
8.0 oz Crystal Malt (77°L; Crisp) - 8.2%
2.0 oz Acidulated malt - 2.0% (for mash pH)

Misc
~3.5 gallons of maple sap (SG = 1.006...I figure the amount of sugar from the sap would be the equivalent of ~5oz of sucrose)

Hops
9 g Bramling Cross [7.00 %] - 60.0 min
9 g Bramling Cross [7.00 %] - 30.0 min
9 g Bramling Cross [7.00 %] - 10.0 min

Yeast
English Ale (White Labs #WLP002)

Mash Schedule
Single Infusion, 150°F, No Sparge

Snake River Stout Tasting

This is my attempt at brewing a clone of Snake River Brewing Company's Zonker Stout. Wish I could compare the two side by side, but, alas, Snake River's beers are not available way out here in New England. Might just have to make another trip out their way!

Snake River Stout

Appearance - Black. Really black. Black hole black. Seriously - no light can penetrate this beer. I held up a flashlight on one side of the glass and I don't think a single photon escaped to the other side. Foamy, tan head that dissipates slowly. Some lacing left behind. Did I mention this beer is really, really black?

Aroma - Smells fantastic. Roasty, as would be expected. Mostly coffee-like with some slight chocolate notes. As it warms up a bit, I get a hint of raisin. Some earthy/spicy hops in the background. The aroma is really what I would expect from a beer like this.

Flavor - Bittersweet chocolate and coffee. Some caramel and raisin notes. There's an acridness that lingers...perhaps a tad too much. I'm not sure the crystal malts are quite enough to cut through the roast and acridity. Firm hop bitterness that combines with the acrid roast and then dissipates, leaving the acridness from the roast behind. This may actually be why the acridity seems too much - you definitely notice it once the hops are gone. Even though this finished at 1.022, I feel like it could use some additional sweetness - or maybe the amount of roast just needs to be dialed back a smidgen. However, as it warms up, the acridness seems to be lessening. In fact, now that the beer has warmed up some, the flavors all seem to work quite nicely together...maybe it needs even less tweaking than I had originally thought!

Mouthfeel - Moderate carbonation and body. Not thin, but certainly not too thick either. I think this would be awesome on nitro...or maybe with a little lactose thrown in to give it some creaminess.

Overall - This is a really good beer that could use some tweaking. I'm certainly nit-picking, but next time I would reduce the amount of roasted malts and/or add additional crystal malt. I wish I could get Snake River Brewing Company's beers out this way to compare this to their Zonker Stout. My version is good, but doesn't quite live up to my memory of theirs...though this could also have something to do with the fact that I don't have the glorious Grand Tetons in my backyard!

Cranberry Brown Ale - Tasting

A mild, "makeshift" brown ale using Brett Trois and local cranberries. I brewed this back in the Fall for Thanksgiving. There's a reason I have held off reviewing it...

Henry Hall Ale

Appearance - Deep brown with some ruby highlights. Clear. Thin, spritzy head that quickly dissipates - I wonder why there's so little foam?

Aroma - Very subdued. What aroma is there is all malt with a little "dark" fruitiness.

Flavor - Also rather subdued. Little hop bitterness, but an astringency that I attribute to the cranberries. Slightly fruity. Dry - probably a combination of the Brett used for fermentation and the cranberries. Honestly, kind of bland. Neither crisp and refreshing nor complexly flavorful. When this was younger I remember it being more fruity and flavorful. Has not aged well.

Mouthfeel - Thin. Low carbonation. Drying. Again, I remember this being not quite as thin or dry when it was younger

Overall - Not a particularly good beer. I had hoped that the cranberries and the crystal malts would play well together, and that the Brett Trois would add some nice fruit notes. I had some hope when it was young. But instead, I think the Brett chewed through the crystal malts leaving behind a thin, dry beer, and the tannins from the cranberries left too much of an astringent bite. All in all, another disappointing result using cranberries. I should probably close the book on using them...except I'm thinking I just may need to try them in a simpler English-style brown ale using an English yeast that will leave behind some residual sweetness to help balance the flavor. A project for the Fall.

Feathertop Pumpkin Ale Tasting

Slowly catching up.  I brewed this pumpkin beer back in September and drank most of it in October and November.  It has aged well, though I feel it was crisper when it was younger.

Feathertop (2.0)

Appearance - A perfect orange-copper for a pumpkin beer; thick off-white head that dissipates quickly.  No lacing.

Aroma - Malty and sweet-smelling (floral) with a nice mix of cinnamon/ginger/nutmeg - no one spice stands out and the whole thing is a rather complex, alluring aroma.

Flavor - Mostly rich malt with general spicy notes.   Hard to tell what is coming from the spices and what is coming from the hops, which is a good thing I think - it probably means I didn't overdo the spice additions. You can definitely tell they're there, but they are not overpowering. I think using small amounts of several spices helps give this beer good flavor complexity without hitting you over the head with any particular spice flavor. Some residual sweetness there as well.  The overall malt profile reminds me of Jenlain Ambrée , the only true bière de garde I have had. Based on what little I know of this style, I imagine I could consider this beer a spiced bière de garde. I suppose the similarity could also be because of the French Ale yeast I used - I have no other experience using this strain so I can't compare it to anything else. There is also a flavor in there that I suppose is the pumpkin, but I don't really don't know if it is just the fact that I know there is real pumpkin in there.

Mouthfeel - Moderately low carbonation and a relatively thick finish gives this beer a creaminess that is nice with the malt and spices. Definitely not dry. I wonder if the raw pumpkin adds to the thickness. Certainly a beer more for the Fall or Winter (as it was intended).

Overall - This is a really nice pumpkin beer with a lot of complexity. It would be tough to drink more than one or two of these (for me anyway) given its intense maltiness and thick mouthfeel. However, I think the malt really needs to be there to help moderate the spice additions - if this were less malty or finished too dry I think the spices would become too harsh.

Brett Trois Farmhouse Ale Tasting

I'm finally getting around to posting up tasting notes for some of the beers I've brewed over the past many months. This one is for my multigrain farmhouse ale fermented entirely with Brett. I brewed it 10 months ago! As seems to be the way with this blog...better late than never, right?

Threshing Ale

Appearance - Pale yellow with thick foamy pure-white head that lingers. Brilliantly clear (as would be expected given this has sat in the fridge for months now). A beautiful beer to look at.

Aroma - Ripe melon and pineapple, some hints of lemon-orange and spicy hops. When this was younger, it was over-the-top ripe tropical fruits. With the combination of the Brett Trois strain and the Motueka hops, it smelled like a fruit salad. It is much more subdued now, but still predominantly tropical fruits with some spiciness.

Flavor - Solid bitterness that lingers, spicy hops, minerally, slightly tart with hints of ripe fruit. No "traditional" Brett flavors. The flavor is the opposite of the aroma - more spicy than fruity. Can't tell if the quinoa or spelt did anything other than add some additional sugars for the Brett to chew on.

Mouthfeel - Super dry and crisp. The Brett has certainly continued to work on this beer as it is drier now than it was earlier. This dryness accentuates the bitterness nicely. Medium-high carbonation also helps the overall crispness of this beer. This higher carbonation is another sign that the Brett continued working in the bottle - I purposely under-primed this beer for just this reason.

Overall - This beer was awesome when I first made it and it has changed, but has held up well over the months. This was a 100% success. The intense fruitiness that was there early was wonderful - I definitely see why this yeast strain has become renowned for its tropical fruit character. As the beer has aged, the fruitiness is more subdued, letting the spicy favors shine through. Easy drinker that I wish I had more of. Will definitely try something like this again.

Strong Scotch Ale - Empirical Series 2013

"Nothing, at first view, may seem more unbounded than the thought of man, which not only escapes all human power and authority, but is not even restrained within the limits of nature and reality."

 

Once again, I am late getting this year's Empirical Series brewed. February, which is when I always plan to have these beers brewed, seemed to speed pass in the blink of an eye. And March almost got away from me too! Luckily, I managed to find the time the other day to get this brew done, the fifth version of this annual tradition.

This year I decided to try a Strong Scotch Ale (aka Wee Heavy) for the first time. For this strong, malty beer I decided to take the more "historical" route with the recipe. Instead of loading it up with crystal malts, I took the first gallon of first runnings and boiled it down to almost three cups. This process took about an hour in a wide shallow pot and resulted in a thick, super sweet syrup. It was really cool to watch the changes take place - especially at the end when, all of a sudden, the reduction began to foam up (as seen in the photo above). Once I saw this, I was nervous about burning the syrup, so I only let it go another couple of minutes before I pulled it off the burner. I then added this reduced wort to the main boil at about the 30 minute mark. Hopping is low for a beer of this gravity, though I targeted the higher side since I want to make sure the hops are still around after some extended aging.  I also added a pound of oats to the mash to give this beer additional body and mouthfeel. To add to the complexity, a week earlier I toasted the oats in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes (I used some organic quick oats we had in the pantry and it worked just fine - I just kept an eye on them and stirred them up every so often).

As I have done with all the past Empirical brews, I added some non-malt sugar to help increase the gravity. This time, I used honey, thinking the delicate honey aromas and flavors would add some additional depth and richness. I really wanted to use some heather varietal honey for this, but I couldn't find any locally and thought all the online sources to be too expensive, so I went with a local wildflower honey instead. I successfully fought off the urge to add some smoked malt to the grist as I was afraid it might take over the flavor of the beer.

I'll let this one ferment for a few weeks before racking to a glass carboy for some extended aging. The plan is to bottle in a few months and then stash those bottles away until the cold weather starts to settle back in again in November.

Mons Aureus (aka David) - Empirical Series 2013
brewed on 3/29/13

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size: 4.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.00 gal (includes reduction of 1 gallon of first runnings)
Estimated Color: 14.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 36.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 73.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
OG: 1.080 SG
FG: 1.018
ABV: 8.2%

Grist
9 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter - 79.1 %
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (toasted) - 8.8 %
1 lbs Honey - 8.8 %
3.0 oz Roasted Barley (432.0 SRM) - 1.6 %
3.0 oz Acidulated Malt - 1.6 % (for proper mash pH)

Hops
18 g Challenger [8.20 %] - 60.0 min
10 g Challenger [8.20 %] - 15.0 min

Yeast
Edinburgh Ale (White Labs #WLP028)

Mash Schedule
Single Infusion, 153°F, Batch Sparge

2013 Altbier

Not sure where February went. And now March is almost half over too. Luckily, I managed to find some time today to brew up this year's Altbier...a bit later than I wanted to, but better late than never.

Last year's Altbier was really quite nice...easily my best one yet. However, I felt like it needed a few things. First, it didn't have the head I thought it should have, so this time I added a protein rest to perhaps help with that. Second, I replaced the pale ale malt with more Pilsner malt, and added some Caramunich after reading some info by Kai Troester about the use of crystal malt in this style. Lastly, and this is the place I debated about the most, I went with a single hop addition of Spalter hops, giving me only approximately 30 estimated IBUs. I think this is a more traditional hopping schedule, even though the IBUs fall outside the BJCP style guidelines.

Last year I opted not to lager this beer. This year, I may not have the choice as the coolest ambient temperatures may already climb into the 50s by the time this is done fermenting (I rely completely on the various ambient temperatures of my garage and cellar, which is why I try to brew this beer earlier in the winter, when I'm reasonably certain to have cool enough temperatures).

Spätfrühling
brewed on 3/11/13

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size: 3.75 gal
Estimated Color: 11.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 32.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 74.00 %
Boil Time: 75 Minutes
OG: 1.048
FG: TBD
ABV: TBD

Grist
4 lbs Pilsner malt - 61.0 %
2 lbs Munich Malt - 30.5 %
6.0 oz Caramunich I - 5.7 %
2.0 oz Acid Malt - 1.9 % (for mash pH)
1.0 oz Chocolate Wheat - 1.0 %

Hops
28 g Spalter [5.00 %] - 60.0 min

Yeast
Dusseldorf Alt Yeast (White Labs #WLP036)

Mash Schedule
Protein Rest - 133.0 F (10 min)
Sacch. Rest - 152.0 F (40 min)
Mash out (via 10 min decoction) - 164.0 F

Water - (estimated)
Ca: 88 ppm
Mg: 1 ppm
Na: 3 ppm
Cl: 37 ppm
SO₄: 156 ppm
Alkalinity (as CaCO₃): 20 ppm (pre-treatment)