When The Smoke Clears

For Peat's sake, what am I drinking???


That's how I thought tasters of this beer would react. A smoked beer? What the hell does that mean!? I would ask, have you ever had scotch? Of course the answer was yes. Well, this is like a scotch, only better, it’s beer! The official explanation is that while the malt is in the kiln, peat moss outside the kiln is gently smoked over slow burning coals, allowing its vapors to drift above the malt, thereby giving off smokey flavors and aroma.

This beer in a way signifies my past year. Is it exactly how I pictured it? No. Is it what I really want to drink? Not quite. Did I make it myself and have to deal with what comes of it? Yes. But you know what, it ain’t that bad!

Beer, like women, are plentiful but kind of seem the same after a while. That may seem a little harsh but I am sure all the single ladies can say the same about men! How do you stand out? With so much variety, how does one narrow down the ideal beer? Like a good deposition, you can picture it like a funnel, start with generalities and work your way to the minute detail. Do I like light, dark, bitter, sweet, spicy or fruity? Do I want one that is hard to drink but rewarding for its unique blend of flavors? Or do I want that solid ale that never lets me down but never quite gets me overly excited. Or do I want both; something outside the norm but with a sense of familiarity. A beer that makes your senses confused because you know a recognizable aroma or flavor but your tongue is telling your nose there is something different. A great beer is like a great woman, give me something I know but make it your own. Keep me intrigued and keep me grounded. I don’t like fruit beers but add a little agave and maybe it will peak my interest. I don’t like smoked beers but kick it up with a hint of peat and ill stand at attention.

Personally, I never had a pallet for smoked beer. For that matter, I am not a big scotch drinker either, preferring the spicier rye. I also love putting rye malt in my beer. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the positive reactions to this lightly smoked, sweet caramelly British/Scotch ale. I took a chance and made a beer style I do not particularly like. The beer paired great with ribs and barbecue. I have never used liquid smoke with my food and I wasn’t about to start with my beer. I always believe, for better or for worse, you gotta go with your heart and you can’t be afraid of failure. Well, a lot of people say that. My way is just to go with what feels right. Sometimes it bites you in the ass but hey, at least you went for it. I went for this smokin’ beer and it worked. The caramel malt helped add a predominately sweet overtone and let the peat smoke flavor drift underneath the mild fuggles and goldings hop bitterness for a balanced yet distinctively scotch like taste. To finish it off, a bit of roasted barley was added to deepen the color and simmer the flames. In all, I was incredibly surprised (happily I would add) by the positive response this beer got from non-typical beer drinkers. Usually, I like to heavily hop my beers for that sharp citrusy bitterness that leaves non hop heads wondering why their lips are puckering. This beer though had more than enough malt to keep the casual beer drinkers happy and a touch of smoke to make it interesting. I am not sure what to do with the leftover peat smoked malt but maybe ill make a smoked porter for the fall. That is, if my oyster stout is gone by then!

We all must choose. Man or woman, young or old, lord or peasant, our choices are the same. We choose light or we choose darkness. - Melisandre

Well, this summer Wolfbrew offers you both! At least it was supposed to! The white IPA version 2 hasn’t quite made it into the bottle yet. Lemon, coriander, ginger and some west coast hops made this the ideal summer ale. Technically I have one more month to offer a stout and a white IPA for the summer. It will be done!

Oyster Stout

For the beer is dark and full of oysters.

One little note on perception. When I first told people I was making an oyster stout I received a lot of Whaaaaat? Are you actually putting oysters in your beer?? I explained to the doubters that oysters with stouts or porters have long been a treasured gastronomic combination. For some reason the buttery salty oyster freshly shucked on the half shell invites the chocolaty smooth bitterness of a creamy stout. Then, my friend and esteemed colleague brought back an Oyster Stout from his local brewery, Port City in Alexandria, VA. I looked this beer up and low and behold they put whole oysters in their brew kettle. I thought to myself as I sipped this stout, why not throw oysters in the pot? The liquor is all I really need but who wants to shuck an oyster and not have the pleasure of eating it? Throwing them in whole both opens the oyster and adds some calcium which is always good for the ladies.
Anyway, people were very turned off to the idea of an oyster stout. Apparently people are very turned off by oysters! Craziness for sure but you have to give the people what they like. Or do you? Isn’t it easier to just tell people it’s what they like? It is my opinion that most humans do not want to think if they are not required to. People would rather nod their head up and down or side to side in response to someone else’s idea. For me, this meant I had to change the beer. Did I change the ingredients? No. Did I change what I called it? Yes. The oyster stout morphed into the chocolate stout. The haters became the cravers. A chocolate stout, I love chocolate! Can I try it? And just like that the beer with a half dozen whole oysters became a crowd favorite, even in the heat of this ungodly humid summer. Chocolate and black patent malt, roasted barley, coupled with flaked oats and fuggles hops lent itself perfectly with 6 oysters and some London ale yeast. This British monstrosity was like the Howe brothers storming into New York harbor. But unlike the British Admirals, this beer stopped fighting a negative perception. The chocolate stout was never again to be a disgraced failure. Instead, the friends too scared to drink an oyster happily slurped down this dark creamy ale with no thoughts as to the bivalve mollusks they truly were enjoying.

 

On a less sinister note, the White Wolf IPA should calm the critics of my subtle art of persuasion. This beer’s non fermentable ingredients actually draw casual drinkers into the conversation. I ask them if they like lemon, ginger and coriander and inevitably the question posed is when can I try this? Even if someone says they don’t like beer, I ask, do you like food? Of course you like food! Then of course there is a beer out there you will like. Do you like chocolate, smoked meats, mollusks, or refreshing spices? I imagine there has to be a yes in there somewhere. Beer is made with all sorts of things nowadays- Chili peppers, avocado, any manner of fruit, bacon, tea, pumpkin, hell I even tried a mustard beer once! Not to say these are to everyone’s taste, but there is a taste in here for everyone.


Beer is made by man, wine is made by god. I say that because brewers can put anything they want in a beer. It is like soup, cook it with whatever fits your fancy and it’s bound to be delicious. Wine on the other hand, is dependent on weather and only one ingredient. All man does is pick the grapes he wants and waits. It is like nature over nurture. A beer needs to be lead the entire way from steeping the grains to adding the fermentables, then choosing when to add the hops and what type of yeast; to dry hop or not to dry hop, that is the question, to what glass best suits this style. A beer can’t be made on its own it needs constant love and attention. Wine on the other hand, is like a cat that just wants to be left alone. If you like that sort of thing it works, but if you want man’s other best friend, make a beer.

 

I don’t know how I got on this tangent but it has been so long since I have written a post I must be sorely out of shape. I hope this doensn’t read as badly as my legs felt after my first game of softball this summer. Let’s just say the charley horse wasn’t fun. Anywhooo, the White Wolf IPA has lots of fun citrusy cascade and citra hops with a malt bill of half wheat and half pilsner. IT should make September much more bearable as the summer comes to a close and the wicked winds take hold of our hats and destroy our precious tans.

So as I sit here watching an old friend, RA, pitch in the Bronx wearing a different shade of blue, I can only think that life, like a new beer, is the same but different. I have a new job, but I practice in the same field. I went away but came back unchanged but for being a little darker. I have new beers, and I still enjoy the old ones.

Who knows what the next year will bring. Most likely 2014 will usher in a ton of new beers and hopefully more than a few good ones. So as I wrap up this long soliloquy and ponder my past present and future I know I always have yeast, malt and hops to rely on. It is just a matter of how they are put together! Always the same, but different.

Cheers.

The Forgotten Blog

We last left off so long ago,
When the winds were wicked and the brews were bold.
Now at summer's end we meet again,
Gone past the shore and through the fold.

Reluctant to leave the hot yellow sands,
We trade in our wits with disbelief
For the toil of the cool harvest lands.
At least we know we soon shall hear,
Through the falling leafs

Let's have a beer!

Now who says I can only make liquid art?? (Probably everyone who just suffered through that poem!)
Well, silly verses aside, it's time to get back to brewing.

It's only fitting that I write this on the cusp of reconfiguring the Forgotten Monk. My last post ended with preview of  how my Belgian Stout was supposed to taste. Suffice to say it came out as a Belgian version of the Austin Street Amber. It had all the trappings of a strong Belgian ale with no stout characteristics.

I had not planned on attempting this beer again until I tried a very expensive beer at Waterzooi. My trepidation with this beer began at its asking price of $8.75. Mind you the beer is only 6% abv. I thought to my self, and perhaps mumbled a little too loudly, this beer better be worth nine frikin dollars! The comely bartender assured me it was delicious and proceeded to pour the dark nectar into my tall, stemmed goblet. The brown liquid that filled my glass was nothing short of spectacular. Smooth hints of dark chocolate and black currants mixed with spicy coriander and muted hops made for delightful quaffing. My enjoyment of this superior beverage did not go unnoticed. As I sat at the bar and watched my friend finish her glass of red wine, she turns to me and asks, what beer should I have next? I smile, with the proud knowledge that my enthusiasm has converted her at least for the evening, to a drinker of fine ales. With my beer whisperer senses tingling I order us a bottle of Goose Island Sofia. From first sip the beer is a hit. But alas, the season for saison is creeping further and further away. As the cold weather gears, I realize it is stout season. My liquid journey must begin with the brewing of a Belgian Stout. The monk must not be forgotten!

This monk is going to have some kick to it. Chocolate, rye, and roasted barley to start off followed by some fruity Amarillo hops and finished off with a dose of coriander, nutmeg and ginger. As for god is good (yeast), nothing less then Abbey Ale yeast would suffice. Version 2.0 of the Forgotten Monk should be ready for Thanksgiving and oh how thankful I will be for it!

Quick recap:
Since the last post I have brewed the Forgotten Monk (Belgian Amber), the White Wolf IPA and the Amcoe IPA. The former being my first attempt at a White IPA and the latter my first straightforward IPA. Both came out wildly successful in that they were both crowd pleasing and me pleasing. Inspiration for the White Wolf came straight from a beer festival where I tried Blue Point's White IPA. I was awestruck at its complexity. It was the first of the style I had ever tasted but still to this day, the best. The White Wolf did come out how I wanted it, light and hoppy with a nice biscuity wheatness. The mix of hops and wheat makes for a perfect summer beer. On the nose grapefruit and on the back of the tongue coriander with tangy bitterness. There is something about Belgian Wit yeast that invites semi aggressive hop bitterness. In all, I love the style and can't wait to try more and improve my own.

The Amcoe IPA is a two hopped beer- Amarillo and Simcoe. Figure out the name yet? In the past I made double IPAs, Belgian IPAs, White and Black IPAs but never just an India Pale Ale. The start of summer seemed the best time to have a bitter, refreshing, session type beer easily enjoyed in quantity. The meshing of those two hops worked perfectly. Nothing groundbreaking but sometimes beauty lies in simplicity. This beer is like the  girl who doesn't need to get all dressed up to show that she's hot. Maybe I'm pushing it with the metaphor but you get the point. (I hope).

Now all this talk has got me thinking...

Why not start a beer series and call it the Forgotten Monk. i.e all the Wolf Brew Belgian style beers will be in the Forgotten Monk realm. For instance, the stout that's brewing now will be the Forgotten Monk's Black Death. Sound eerily delicious? I think so.
 
I also had a thought some time ago but never allowed it to come to fruition. Many breweries make single hopped beer in order to accentuate the individual flavor profiles. I have yet to make a single hopped beer, or even a SMaSH beer. (single malt and single hop). But listen to this... for my single hop series I would call it.... get ready..... readier..... get readiest for the Cyclhops  series!   Get it? Cyclops with an H-- eh? Single Hops Cyclops. Sounds like a winner to me. We'll see if it ever turns into anything more then an idea I thought of in the shower.

Anyway, my fixation this summer on IPAs probably came from my trip to San Diego in March. From the 7 or so breweries I visited came an immense appreciation for west coast IPAs. Not that I didn't enjoy them before, as the IPA has long been my favorite style, but having them in the state where they were created and perfected makes a difference. The laid back approach of that city paired with it's omnipresent beer culture is something a man could get used to.

Speaking of a laid back brew culture, Israel has quite the burgeoning beer scene. I had read about the Dancing Camel, the first microbrewery to open in Israel, (opened by none other then a former Brooklynite) but I found an abundance of brands making Israel Pale Ales, stouts, Belgian Wits, etc. At one store my cousin Eitan ran into a guy who worked for a brewery owned by someone my cousin had commanded in the military! Serious small world in the holy land.

Funny that Israel entered the beer scene before Queens! Soon though, Astoria will be home to the best borough's first brew house. Singlecut Beersmiths is supposed to open very soon and may already be opened by the time you fine people read this.

I hope this post hasn't bored you too much. Perhaps you had some free time at work that you spent indulging in my blabbering or maybe even a late night bedtime story. Either way, much obliged for your time.

Oh and no, I probably won't make a pumpkin beer any time soon. Sorry.

Cheers!

A Beer of Malt and Hops

As the smell of burnt bacon drifts across the room followed by a deluge of black ale, my eyes slowly begin to focus as the great orange glow takes hold of the shadows.

I blink twice and suddenly remember that it’s in my blood. No, not the alcohol from last night (well maybe that too), but brewing. As much as the morning light destroys the peace of night, it also awakens the body and mind. I am not in a song of ice and fire. This is a beer of malt and hops.

I am descended from a Keller, who is 93 years young come March . My grandmother was a Keller. Now she is a Wolf. Both names relate directly to the most superior beverage. And how has my grandmother lived so long? She adopted to her surroundings. Whether it be the only Jew in Georgia, or now in a temporary nursing home because of two fractures in her back, she fights on.

And as Ned Stark taught us when his head came rolling off of his shoulders: you either adapt or you die. And as we must adapt to dark from light, from warm to cold, and from a still summer breeze to the winds of winter…

so must we adapt from castle to one bedroom apartment with a crazy neighbors.

I must adapt or go thirsty.

In all stages of the brewing process change does not come easy. From cleaning the equipment in the bathtub and picking the hops out by hand to higher temperatures and tardy fermenting to an overflow while racking, I can only wonder if the taste of the beer will equal the labor it took to make it.

But my alternative? A fridge full of fizzy yellow water or overpriced micros. Not that the craft beer industry is all that bad, I just prefer my own creations. As for the fizzy yellow water… yeah, not going to happen.

But alas, inspiration does come from some of those overpriced micros. And we all know the famous idiom that imitation is the biggest form of flattery. Here I stand flattering the Brooklyn Brewery and Trader Joe’s. Yes, trader Joe’s.

Suffice it to say I spent a lot of money on the latter’s Black Ops, aged it for over a year, and rang it in with the New Year. The taste, from what I remember, was undeniably appealing, but the cost, well I’m glad I aged it for so long…

On the other hand, for five dollars, the TJ’s 2011 Vintage Ale gives you, “an amber-mahogany hue, abundant with coffee-with-cream colored, foam. The ample aromas are of cocoa and malt, with added notes of lemon and ginger. A single sip leads to the true discovery – mildly sweet and malty flavors, with a captivating suggestion of cocoa, citrus and spice.”

That’s right from Trader Joe himself, and I couldn’t have said it any better myself. What really struck me about this beer is not only its high quality and unique flavor, but it’s only 5 FREAKIN BUCKS! Until the Forgotten Monk is ready, go out and treat yourself to a 5 dollar bottle of trader joe’s finest product. Did I mention it’s 9% abv and comes in a 750ml bottle?

But enough about other people’s beers. I still have to learn how to best use my new place during the brewing process.

Suffice it to say, the Austin Amber was a bitch and a half to make. I was not prepared for the shortcomings my new home offered me. However, in hindsight, it was well… the beer turned out great so isn’t that all that matters?

The Austin Street Amber has the approval of Mr. Benedict Arnold.. oh I mean Andrew Schiavone himself. Though his family crest adorns the top of the bottle, one must never forget that the Wolf remains the leader of the pack.

This beer is crisp, easy to drink, not too bitter or too sweet and according to Andrew, doesn’t have an aftertaste. I could probably drink half the batch in a weekend. I think Andrew finally has a beer he can be proud of. He immediately said- you must make more of this! And I shall… as soon as honor is restored among brothers. In other words, when I finally beat him at trivia.

The Forgotten Monk is a Belgian Stout. It will have chocolate overtones with residual maltyness and nice spice from the Trappist yeast. I say ‘will’ because I failed to taste the beer upon racking. Now it sits untested in my closest patiently waiting for bottles. As light and easy to drink as the Austin Amber is, I expect the Forgotten Monk to be more on the heavy and chewy side. It’s got a ton of fermentables in it, including a pound of dark candi sugar and a whole lot of malt. If I get this bottled before the end of winter it will make for a great companion on a snowy night in.

As for my next liquid art... mayhaps a Scotch Ale with Rye or a nice Spring Kolsch. Or is it time to go back to the humulus lupulus and make a big east coast IPA? For now, cheers to 2012. May we all outlive the apocalypse or die with our favorite suds in our gullet.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot… Wolfbrew is coming.

Winter is Coming... so to speak

How does one keep hidden in plain sight?

Well, if you know well those who seek what you wish to conceal it can be a choice location. Just ask C. Auguste Dupin how he found the purloined letter. It’s Poe, look it up!

Generally, a good piece of literature has a theme. The theme is, as they say, pulled by a string through the work. Well ladies and gentlemen, my string likes to meander, and this isn’t a piece of literature, it’s the computer written ranting of a man who wonders if other people actually care about what he has to say. Well this man also believes if you don’t, then stop reading! (Not really; keep reading anyway).

My aim is always to educate and entertain my wonderful readers so I do hope you enjoy this playful banter. As I hate the word “blog” I attempt to avoid it. Therefore, this is a spiel. My spiel. A Wolfenspiel.

I think my last spiel’s theme revolved around darkness and disappearing blonds. Well that’s all well and fun but this one is about avoiding the heat! Not just weather-wise, but the heat of perceptions, assumptions and speculation. But first…. Here’s to summer!

Iggy Wit 20.11

With the past years extreme winter and the current summer, it’s only logical to parallel my beers to the climate. My first written account of beer (or maybe second) announced the birth of the Iggy Wit. Twas a smooth, spicy, classic Belgian Wit: a fan favorite that was quickly drained of its life’s blood. Then something awful happened… Iggy moved away! First upstate and then to our enemies... I mean neighbors to the north. Iggy is all the way in Vancouver but his wit lives on. This time around I added actual bitter orange peel and grains of paradise along with a spoonful of coriander. When I say actual I mean that I went to the beer store and bought 2 grams of each. Last time I just shaved orange and bought ground grains of paradise. The latter I recommend as a stand in for ordinary black pepper.

The affable shopkeeper warned me about the bitter orange and now I know why. It is sharp. The sweet orange peel would have lent a, well you guessed it, sweet flavor to the beer whereas the bitter adds quite a bit of tang. It is a lot like lemon ice (especially homemade). The initial splash of wit tingles the tongue and puckers your lips. Then you realize its 100 degrees out and the tanginess is quite refreshing. At least that’s what I am hoping all you lucky enough to drink this summer nectar will feel. Just tonight I had the Iggy Wit with some dry rubbed grilled chicken and a perfect ear of corn. The beer made an astounding accompaniment, especially to the sweetness of the corn.

My only issue with this beer is the lack of head. We all know my stand on this issue. Gotta have more head. As you can see, the great foam sea is but a still lake. But as one hat said to the other, , 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.' Ba doom pa. I’ll be here all night, folks.

The Purloined Hefe.

Wolf’s Hoppaweizen

Like the Iggy wit, the Hoppaweizen is a rendition of an old classic… only a Stu’s Brews classic. Yes, I take praise for naming the beer, but ole farmer Stu created this monstrously delectable intoxicatingly quaffable adjective-filled beer.

Since the godfather retired from beer making I have humbly carried the carboy, so to speak. In doing so, I have found a new audience that sprouted right up under my nose, or cubicle really, and I intend to keep them thirsty. There is nothing like the trials and tribulations of a no fault attorney to get one in need of a cold and exciting malt beverage. It can be quite stressful having to adjourn so many cases!

To quench that stress I have recreated the hoppy wheat beer. With it come banana and clove notes, piney and citrusy undertones and the newest element, chocolate. This beer is a take on the classic dunkelweizen - a dark German wheat beer. However, I added lots of American hops. The original hoppaweizen was a standard hefeweizen jacked up with massive hops, but added late to the boil. I did the same but of course added dark malts to get that lingering chocolate flavor.

The beer first reminded me of a special brownie. (Not that I really know what one tastes like…) This dunkelweizen has piney, grassy spice with hints of chocolate. I had one earlier today using the proper glassware (as if any of you doubted me), and I really have no complaints. For me, the beer has the classic flavors which remind me of sitting at a park in Munich while simultaneously transporting me back to Portland, Oregon where I supped all manners of hoppy delights. Okay, I’m getting a bit carried away with my puffery. But why not? Beer is good. And at yeast I didn’t make another bad pun…

Dunkelweizen is one of my favorite styles, and when my neighbor made an incredibly delicious one I figured I’d give it a go. The only big difference is that I used some serious American Warrior hops. I was hoping to impart an herbal aroma and a bit of a bitter kick to an otherwise toasty sweet flavored beer. So far so good, as Brian Adams would say. (You guys remember that album? It had summer of 69 and that Robin Hood Song. Admit it, you liked it. Probably still do). Anywhoo, this beer is a favorite of mine because it goes well with the smoked pork I have been dancing with all summer. There is something about the richness of the chocolate wheat mixed with the burnt pork flavor that tickles my taste buds. Yes, it reminds me of sitting in Munich eating sausage and pretzels, but there is something to be said for enjoying a liter of hefeweizen while devouring a bratwurst in the cool German spring. For now, it suffices to melt away on my deck while enjoying the best smoked ribs anyone has ever had. Yes, I am modest to a fault…

AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CHILDREN OF ALL AGES OVER ONE AND TWENTY…. I PRESENT TO YOU…..

LE GRANDIOSE FINALE D'ÉTÉ

The Double Wit

Doesn’t that name just invite bad puns? Well, I challenge you all to come up with the puniest name for this double wit. Remember, it must be “twice as witty” (get it, double wit)….. Let the melee begin.

And in case you are still reading, or perhaps actually care to know what makes up this detectibly droll beer, tis made much like the Iggy Wit, but with lemon zest and ginger in replace of orange and pepper. This beer will also be a bit stronger, hence the title of double. As of this writing, the beer is bottled and stored away in my 80 degree basement. One thing the heat didn’t oppress is the flavor of this brew. I was surprised at how tasty it was, even without carbonation. It actually tasted smoother and lighter than the Iggy Wit. Hopefully, it will help get the faithful through these dog days of summer. Those out by the shore don’t need as much help as us city dwellers. (Yes, I live by the water, but it’s still in NYC so back off!)

To everyone, I hope the heat hasn’t killed you yet. I hope my beers keep you cool and quenched. And if you thought you were done with your weekly reading quota, guess again.

If I were to give you a pint of beer and asked you to create more alcohol, what would you do? More than likely you would pour in some vodka or whisky, cross your arms, grin and say, “There you go, Thomas, more alcohol.”

Yes, you are so cunning. The answer was there all along, right under your nose. But you did not find it. So you look more carefully at your surroundings. Where would I go to create more alcohol? Where would Dupin look? The alcohol is hiding in plain sight.

This all leads up to the bière impossible…. The German Eisbock.

Can it be done? Can a simple home brewer summon the cold powers of the hydromancer? I just made that word up. I figure if a pyromancer can summon fire why not hydromancer water? Go read Game of Thrones and you’ll understand!!!

So an eisbock eh? According to Beeradvocate, an Eisbock is like any other German bock except water is literally withdrawn to add alcohol sans adding additional fermentables. Now I don’t know much about science, but how the heck do you remove water from beer? For one thing, it has to freeze… hence the Eis. Then a portion of ice is removed, thus increasing the alcohol per volume.

Well, much like the inspiration for this chilly potion, tis a prize widely coveted but not easily won. The eisbock may be a callous creature, but there’s no time to be craven so I must carry on.

And just remember …. What song the Sirens sang, or what name Achilles assumed when he hid himself among women, although puzzling questions are not beyond all conjecture. --SIR THOMAS BROWNE, Urn-Burial.

Till next time,

Cheers

Looking Forward

It's been a while. So long that Wolfbrew is out of vogue. Apparently some little British brewery already has the name. But you know what? screw em! Though I am taking another approach. BLIND JUSTICE BREWING COMPANY (soon to have a logo near you).




Is it a coincidence that I started making darker beers lately? All this hooha about blond this and blond that. Yes, the blond hopshell was delicious, but I learned my lesson; nothing is the same the second time around.

The blond hopshell exploded.

My neighbor warned me. Bro, it's a crazy yeast. It does things. It attacks your fermentables like nothing you've ever seen. Oh I wasn't worried. I've done this before. I trust my gut. Ok bro, but at least have a blow off valve ready, you know, just in case. Na, it will be fine.

BOOOM.
shit.
Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way. Even if it takes a couple of tries.

Here's the scene. I wake up. Damn, it smells good in my basement. I walk out of my room. Hmm, why is the towel around the carboy looking really dark. Let me put my glasses on. HOLY SMOKES BATMAN! The blond hopshell has blown! I get a bucket to try and create a quick blowoff. Where is the airlock? Oh, there it is, 5 feet away under my amp. I look up- hops? on my ceiling? Yes. That reddish now brownish towel... full of wort. The best part is, I put the airlock back on (after sanitizing it of course) and it just blows off again! This blondie just doesn't quit! Finally I call my neighbor. He runs over and sees things are finally under control. He just laughs. Told ya brah.
Yep. lesson learned. Listen to people who know what they are talking about!!

Luckily, I didn't lose that much of the beer. When I racked it, maybe a bit less than a gallon was gone. So a few bottles lost and a hard lesson learned. The beer... well... the blond has some bite. It is extremely bitter though it should mellow out a bit. Like everything, time will help. Was I wrong to try it again? I don't think so. Sometimes you ignore warning signs and just hope to at least stick with the status quo. Sometimes it takes an explosion or two to open your eyes.


Now looking forward to dark beers. No explosions so far. I did use the same yeast on my one light colored brew, the Iggy Wit 20II.

So to recap my since last time we spoke.

I remade the blond hopshell. (it exploded if you for some reason skipped to here first)

My first black IPA came out more like a hoppy brown ale. Happy accident.

Black Rabbit 2.0. Well, I tried it tonight. The blast of citra hops lend a piney, grapefruit bouquet.
The limited dark malt still adds a big toasty bitterness. I wonder if the malt will give way to more hop flavor later on. The beer looks just like the mocha porter... but smells and tastes like an entirely different creature. This is why beer excites me more than any other beverage. If you put two red wines next to each other and said tell me specific differences i bet you would say this one is smoother, or has a slightly fruitier flavor. Put two beers that look exactly the same- one smells like grapefruit and the other like coffee! Where else can you find that?


Mocha Porter 2. (remember the Ingvoldstout, well this is her improved cousin). It's rich without being heavy. Creamy without being a guinness knockoff. It's just plain delicious. I'd pair it with spicy asian food or oysters and possibly chocolate cake. If you like that black on black action. you know, dark beer, dark food. No? Ok moving on.

Let's see. My Rye/Wheat/RoughRyeder ale is gone. That must mean it was good. It has a sweetness from all the malt, but the rye cut it a bit and the wheat smoothed it out. I think more micro's should make combination styles. Get creative. Try something new. I'm becoming a big proprietor of beer mashups. I start with a general idea of what type of beer I want and then, like jazz, improvise a bit, and let it all come back together in the end.

I made two wheat beers this month. The first, Iggy Wit 20II. Nothing out of the ordinary- bitter orange peel, coriander, grains of paradise. This is bound to be a crowd favorite. I did find a banana pudding recipe that calls for a wit beer. I'm thinking I may delve into beer infused desserts this summer.

Now for the fun. My Hefeweizen. I started out wanting to make a german wheat beer. However, my neighbor made a delicious dunkelweiss so i thought, i dont want to duplicate that. But I also didn't want to make a plain hefe. The godfather of homebrewing, (mr. stuart) made my favorite wheat beer of all time... the hoppaweizen. So i couldn't just duplicate that. What to do what to do.
Mashup. The hoppy dunkelweizen. Chocolate malt, big bitter warrior hops and enough fermentables to make this 7-8% abv. The name though, what to call it?
I am open to all suggestions.

As Mr Gump would proffer, That's all i have to say about that.

Until next time, which won't be as long, cheers!