Hoppy Pale Wheat

Hoppy Pale Wheat or Wheat IPA? It is a style that I have not brewed often enough to find what I am looking for in an end result. I can't even say that there are many commercial examples that I have had. A few years ago one of my local bottle shops parted with a 3 Floyds Gumballhead. We never see 3 Floyds in PA (not even in Philadelphia). It was great beer none-the-less. I guess Lagunitas Lil-Sumthin Sumthin weighs in on this category also despite the higher 7% ABV. I am sure that there are plenty of others, but I don't seek out too many of them unless they are on tap somewhere.

Brewing a low ABV hoppy brew gets a bit confusing for me and has been requiring tweaking recipes multiple times before brewing, especially with a grain bill that has very little specialty malts and wheat as the predominate base malt. By the way, the OG on this brew was 1.042. On our Session IPA a few months ago we used a pound of hops, but with a Vienna/ 2 Row base, Crystal 60, and Honey Malts there was plenty for the hops to mellow out with. The grist for this brew was Wheat (50%), 2 Row(45%), Crystal 40 and Caravienne and Simcoe,  Cascade, Amarillo, and Citra for Dry Hopping. Overall 8oz of hop madness. I've also been washing my yeast whenever possible. My 2nd generation Cali Yeast was used for this.

Drowning in Wheat - John Kinsella

They’d been warned

on every farm

that playing

in the silos

would lead to death.

You sink in wheat.

Slowly. And the more

you struggle the worse it gets.

‘You’ll see a rat sail past

your face, nimble on its turf,

and then you’ll disappear.’

In there, hard work

has no reward.

So it became a kind of test

to see how far they could sink

without needing a rope

to help them out.

But in the midst of play

rituals miss a beat—like both

leaping in to resolve

an argument

as to who’d go first

and forgetting

to attach the rope.

Up to the waist

and afraid to move.

That even a call for help

would see the wheat

trickle down.

The painful consolidation

of time. The grains

in the hourglass

grotesquely swollen.

And that acrid

chemical smell

of treated wheat

coaxing them into

a near-dead sleep.

No-Boil Berliner Weisse

I love Berliner Weisses, however the irony is that I have not had many of them. Locally I have loved Nodding Heads Berliner Weisse. It is beautiful, crisp and tart as can be. 1809 is the classic example and it is an amazing beer to use as a comparison against any. When I come to think about I have primarily enjoyed and had only locally brewed examples: Earth Bread and Brewery, Tired Hands, Round Guys and Dock St. Dogfish Head's "Neo" Berliner, Festina Peche is probably the most accessible.

So my Berliner was a shot in the dark. I went for the no boil method and single decoction. This was my first time decocting and I hit my target temp nicely upon return. However, no boil or not, this Philadelphia summer heat is killing me and cooling down with 10 pounds of ice isn't any easier. Getting below 90 degrees is the issue without an extra 20 mins of the hose/ice bath method. I do look forward to attempting a sour mash next time, but it has to be in the Fall or Spring. Berliners aren't just a Summer treat for me. 

I racked after 11 days. I used the White Labs Berliner Weisse blend. I eased into this batch. I read about a lacto starter and dry yeast in conjunction for those who have brewed before and didn't get the tartness that they were expecting. I am in no hurry, so with a few months at a nice basement temp, I have my fingers crossed. I threw in 8ozs of Acid Malt too. It was my first time using it and after noshing on the grains before cracking them, I am hoping that time will really take hold of it.

That Old Tart Spring Again

Rae Desmond Jones

Offering your usual false promises,
You have arrived early this year like a blousy aunt
In a voluptuous taxi of light,

Draped in those bright loose fashions -
Far too tight at your age,
Flashing your heels as you trudge the backyard,
flirting outrageously
As you sway indelicately between the stones.

Despite your long record of hypocrisy & corruption,
& still uninvited, yet you are welcome,

So croon your perfumed defiance into the bitter winds,
Flirt with the exhausted winter flowers
As they rise in rows from the dark trenched earth.

Despite ourselves we are cheered by your cheap rhetoric,
Anaesthetized yet again by your charm & certain of betrayal. 

Berliner Weisse

Pils, Wheat, Acid Malt

Tettang Hops

WLP 630 Berliner Weisee Blend

Tasting: Dark Farmhouse Funk

For months now I have referenced this "Dark Farmhouse Funk" beer that was brewed in a while back. I had all intentions on brewing up a Black Saison. Low and behold I popped into my LHBS and they were out of saison yeasts. It was a Sunday and I really wanted to brew on Monday night. I never write about homebrew stores or owners, but Barry's Homebrew in Fishtown hasn't let me down yet. Granted I did want a Saison yeast, but the recommendations I got back were a bit more up my alley and kicked off my funk and sour brews that I just haven't yet made.

So the Bastonge Belgian strain from White Labs was what I was offered. Read about it. It is the Orval Strain. As for the grain bill, I is fairly complex and fun. Pils malt, Special B, honey, late addition raisins and orange rind and the dregs from two bottles of Jolly Pumpkin during primary fermentation. I mashed low (150) and boiled for 90 mins. I just upgraded my mash tun when brewing this and the extra thick walls hold the heat nice without any insulation and mashing out is quite nice with a false bottom.

The beer itself is dark brown with a nice funk, horse blanket aroma and raisiny, dark fruit upfront taste. It's s lightly acidic with a sweet honey finish. Hops are virtually non existent. I added an ounce of Amarillo at 60 mins hoping that there would be enough funk to hold this beer up. I am pleased as punch for this first attempt.


Dark Farmhouse Funk 
Pils Malt, Vienna Malt, Crystal 60, Honey Malt, Special B, Carafa II
Orange Blossom Honey, 8oz Raisins, Orange Rind
WL520 Bastogne Belgian Ale , 1lt starter (Dregs from JP La Roja)

Tasting: Imperial Black

Imperial Black Death. 11.4% ABV

I aimed pretty high when making this Imperial Black Ale. It was one of the bigger experiments that I have taken on. It was my first time attempting an ABV > than 10% without a pound of extract for safety. It was also my first time fermenting on a yeast cake. I didn't have a real comparison at what I was going for. What I ended up with is a rich, jet black, sweet and pungent ale.

The roasted grains are cut by the pound of Orange Blossom Honey. It wants to be astringent, at least more astringent, but the honey is a bit over powering. It is boozy. There is no doubt about that. It took  longer than expected to carbonate. It wants to be served above 55 degrees. Think red wine. Take it out of the fridge and enjoy something comparable before hand. I wasn't sure how much I enjoyed it until the temperature was right. The Galaxy Hops play a nice encore. Dark, dank beers and grapefruit need a something like Simcoe to roll hand and hand together. I would have enjoyed another two ounces of hops, preferably Simcoe during the dry hopping. The Motueka Hops get a bit lost. Before Dry Hopping it was a bit more mellow. You almost didn't believe that the ABV would climb over 10.5%, and if it did, you would encounter some trouble. It drank too easily. Plums and raisins and other dark fruits surface as it warms. Again, think red white or Imperial Stout. There is more going on then if it was extremely hopped.

Tasting: Single Hop Citra Pale Ale

It is going on almost two solid weeks of above 90 degree days in Philadelphia. Every time I prepare to make a yeast starter, exhaustion sets in and the last thing I want to do is brew. It is pretty sad. Almost pathetic. What is even sadder is that in about a week, the Belgian Pale and Session IPA kegs are gonna kick.

The Citra Pale Ale that Tim and I made is now bottled, carbed and is down to the last few bottles. We split the batch and my other half has been indulging a bit too much without me. Writing this post has been the first time that I have been able to sit down and pick it apart. The hops play a huge part in both the aroma and backbone of this beer. The pound of White Wheat gets pretty cut by the 8oz of Victory. I like nutty Pale Ale when a hop like Citra is so dominant. It is a beautiful golden color, perfect against the room darkening shades to keep the sun out of the house. So it is pretty much a cave beer. We kept the ABV lower on this. 4.8%. A bit astringent, nice carbonation, but over all straight forward Pale Ale. It would benefit from another ounce hops (either late addition or dry hopped). It would be nice to age on any summer fruit. I am thinking peaches and I am thinking that this will happen during the month of July. A year ago I made a Peaches and Cream Ale aged on Vanilla Bean. It was a great beach beer that my non beer drinking family thought tasted like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Belgo/ American Pale and Session IPA Tasting

Belgo/ American Pale Ale

This Belgo/ American Pale Ale was brewed for a small, non BJCP, friendly competition during Philly Beer Week. I am certainly not a fan of competitions, but I sure do like when you get to sample the other brewer's beers. It was the 3rd year for the Oakmont Cup in Havertown, PA. Year to year the style changes, but the comp. is a one style challenge. This was the year for Belgians. Dubbels, Triples, Sours, Pales, Saisons. Uggh. It seems like too many for one to stand out over another. But...it is a friendly competition. A nice night to sit and  drink a dozen or so beers for free.

This style seems to be Julian's favorite. A month prior to brewing this one, I think that he found the recipe that most fit his palate, then I walk in with an Ardennes yeast and no candy sugar. After brewing this style for the first time, I am now more of a fan. I love the fruitiness of this yeast strain and sweetness from the Munich works well with the American Hops, but still leaves a good amount of spice to linger. I wouldn't change much on this recipe, but would love to play with different yeasts and more late addition hops.

Pic by Jonathan Slingluff

Our session IPA was a nice trial run for the style. This was brewed as an Anniversary Ale for the Slingluff Gallery in Philadelphia. The gallery is sandwiched in between and around some terrific beer bars and with a beer fest mere 4 buildings down the street, it seemed like a good idea to brew something for the occasional stumbler as well as an afternoon delight beer that doesn't weight in too heavy. This IPA clocked in around 5% ABV. Not guideline sessionable, but with a pound of hops and great conversion, this recipe has so much to play with when brewing it again. Our first hop addition wasn't until the 30 minute mark, with most being added at and after 5 mins. I've never used Vienna as a primary base malt, and it without a doubt provides a smooth, biscuity addition. Galaxy Hops and Citra really do play nicely together. Citrus and Summer Fruit bombs to say the least.

Watermelons: Charles Simic
Green Buddahs
On the fruit stand.
We eat the smile
and spit out the teeth.

There are a boatload of Tasting posts to come in the next few weeks. Single Hop Citra Pale Ale, Imperial Black IPA, Dark Farmhouse Funk are all conditioning nicely. As for recipes for the Session IPA and Belgo/ American, here ya go.

Belgo/ American Pale Ale
Pils, 2 Row, Munich, Caravienne Malts
Warrior, Centennial, Cascade, Amarillo Hops
Wyeast Belgian Ardennes


Session-Style IPA
Vienna, 2 Row, Crystal 60, Carapils, Honey Malts
Citra, Centennial, Cascade, Galaxy
White Labs San Diego Super Strain

Tasting: Table Saison

This is the 5th saison that I brewed over the past year. I haven't found the right mix and match until now though. A German Pils base malt was attempted in two of them. An American 2 Row in another. I usually use a a Wyeast Belgian Saison and have tried both American citrus hops and Noble variety. Some I have herbed with sage and some with coriander and pepper. I have oaked and fruited some and usually feel underwhelmed with my overall expectations.

I aimed for a 4.5%< on this one. My first few uses on my new mash tun left me with very poor efficiency. I first thought that it was due to heat loss when using under 10lbs of grain. The false bottom also threw me off with my water to grain ratio. Insulating the pot helped in no way shape or form. I now find the direct heat method works wonders. A low maintenance flame and stirring every 15 mins as done the trick.

The yeast/ hop combo is what I am most pleased about with this recipe. I used a saved/ washed White Labs 510 Bastogne Belgian Ale with EKG hops and 60 mins and Sorachi Ace at the end of the 75 min boil. I currently have 2 other batches fermenting on this yeast ( a dark farmhouse-style with JP dregs and a Strong Belgian Pale w/ Brett B). Neither recipe says much about the primary yeast strain anymore, however, the Farmhouse is coming along nicely and just about ready to be bottled.

This saison has a very light body, spicy upfront with a nice lemon aftertaste. The Sorachi Ace work nice with the honey malt. A slightly higher mash temp kept it from turning out too dry and primary fermentation was at around 72-75 degrees. My saisons brewed mid summer are always fermented around the mid-80s. With this saison ready before Summer officially hits, I am sure that it will be gone by before July comes around.

Table Saison (Saison Lan)
Belgian Pils, Honey Malt, Caravienne, Wheat
EKG and Sorachi Ace
WL 510 Bastogne Belgian Ale