Every Season is Beer Season

I'm thinking it will get colder eventually. Maybe we'll get snow by March, who knows. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying the bike trails and whatever beer finds me. Lately I've been making my way through a mixed case of Troeg's, Shenandoah, Penn Brewery, and Flying Fish. Here's a few of my favorites so far:

Troegs Brewing Co. - Dream Weaver Wheat - A nice, creamy take on the German hefe with a slightly lighter body. Very much like a beer creamsickle. [3.85/5]

Troegs Brewing Co. - Pale Ale - Lots of orange, grapefruit, and apple hops flavors without much bitterness. Tasty, but almost too smooth. [3.95/5]

Flying Fish - ESB Ale - A great session beer with a smooth caramel malt body and finishing note of herbal and grassy hops. Yum. [3.75/5]

Philly Beer + Parsonage Beer

Big weekend for beer. Saturday saw a trip through outer Philly with McKenzie Brewpub, Victory Brewing (dinner at right), The Beer Yard, and General Lafayette. Sunday has a late, as usual, batch of pumpkin beer brewing.

The highligh was McKenzie's Vautour Saison. Complex, spicy, hoppy, barnyard funk - everything you want in a great saison.

Here's the recipe for the pumpkin ale. It vaguely follows my recipe from last year of using a brown ale. I'll probably add spice as needed at bottling.

5# Marris Otter
3# Munich
1# Rye
1# 60L
.5# Wheat
.25# Special B

Mash at 150 for 2 hours
Add cooked meat of two small pie pumpkins to lauer tun

1 oz. Golding(4.5% AA) @ 60 min
.5 tsp Irish Moss @ 15
2 tsp yeast nutrient @ 15
Wyeast American Ale II
OG: 1.054
FG: 1.012

Spice at Bottling:
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger

Best Pilsner Yet

I'll announce it now: Since this spring, I've been on a quest in search of awesome pilsners. Tonight I had the best yet: Buzzard Bay Pilsner from Mass.

Mmm, hoppy, but with a touch of malt too. I have to hand it to this beer. It manages to pick up on the subtle, earthy and odd tastes of a true Czech Pils, while still amping up the hops a touch. Yes, I do like this beer. I should also mention this beer has a great appearance, a touch darker than normal, but with great head retention and lacing usually reserved for a wheat beers. Find this beer if you love a good pils. [4.15/5]

Find and drink it if you can. It's damn fine. More on this beer and the brewery.

Super Saison

This one's going to be good. I think. Probably, as long as it doesn't explode like the Grand Cru I made a year ago.

Super Saison
5# German Pilsner malt
3# Belgian Pale
2# Belgian Munich
1# Wheat
1# Light Candi Sugar

1 oz. Styrian Golding (4.2% AA) @ 60 min
.25 oz. Crystal (5.1% AA) @ 30 min
1 oz. Saaz (3.4% AA) @ 10 min
1 oz. Saaz @ 0 Min

.5 Tsp Irish moss @ 10 min
1 Tbs crushed coriander @ 10 min
2 Tsp yeast nutrient @ 10 min

OG: 1.076
FG: 1.007
IBU: Maybe I'll figure it out later
ABV: 8.6%

This might be ready around Thansgiving, or Christmas.

(That's not my exploded beer. Mine looked similar, but there was less foam on the fermenting bucket and more on the ceiling.)

Brooklyn: Beer and Gladiators

I was in Brooklyn the weekend NBC held try-outs to be a contestant on the new American Gladiators. I can't say I tried out, but I was there to enjoy the show.



No idea who he was. He said his middle name was "Bison." The girl is a professional fitness model. Yeah.



You're not American unless unless you wear it on your shorts. Check out the lion roaring in the background.

Krogdog (sp) comes to Allentown

Matt Krogstad (seen at right as Gene Frenkel) swung through Allentown on his East Coast adventure and good times were had by all. I mention his visit here because if we and Krog are hanging out, there's going to be good beer close by. And damn, was there ever.

Here's the greatest hits of his visit:

Great Divide's Hades Ale - An awesome, yet American-made Belgian pale ale. American brewers usually seem to go too heavy on the added sugar and lose the subtlties, but this beer rocks.

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale - Find this limited release IPA while you can. It's got a great hop complexity (grapefruit, apricot, orange) but without a killer bitterness. Easy to drink and tasty.

Allentown Brew Works' Pigtail Ale - A slightly bolder take on the English ESB (extra special bitter) style. The malt profile hits some great caramel and toffee flavors and is topped off by a bit of citrus hops.

Summer Brewing

I've been busy, but not too busy to brew. Here's what's in the works:

S07-1: Apricot Wheat Redux
Brewed 7/14/07

4# Weyermann German Wheat
3.5# Briess Pale 6-Row
.5# Caravienne
.8 oz Crystal Hops (5.1 AA) @ 60 Min
4 oz. Apricot flavor at bottling

Mash @ 150 F
Wyeast Activator 1010 American Wheat
OG: 1.045
FG: 1.007
ABV: 4.7%
IBU: 16

Currently: Bottled and should be ready in a week. Flavor is an interesting mix of sour german wheat, banana, light caramel malt, and apricot


S07-2: Simple Saison
Brewed 8/6/07
9# German Pilsner Malt
1# Caravienne
1# Wheat
1 oz. EKG (5% AA) @ 60 Min
.5 oz. Hallertau (3.2% AA) @ 15 Min
.5 oz. Hallertau (3.2% AA) @ 5 Min
1 Tablespoon of cracked corriander @ 15 Min

Mash @ 150 F
Wyeast Activator 3724 Belgian Saison
SG: 1.056
IBU: 25

Currently: Just transfered to secondary fermentor at 1.016 (high). Tastes like a Belgian pale ale with a light black pepper and spicy hop kick.


Best beer I've had recently: Ayinger Celebator - An awesome dessert beer and only 6.7% abv for a doppelbock. Enjoy this with cake or ice cream, really, it's all good.