American Lambic Style Ale 2013

Pale Wort

After the failure that was my lambic tasting I have decided to modify things slightly. First I will only be using all grain batches, secondly I will be doing primary fermentation with the bugs, and third I will be using the more complex malt bill to feed the bugs. So The malt bill will be pale malt, wheat malt, oats and dextrin malts.

Why that malt bill? It's traditional historic, everything adds something and I am trying to give those bugs a lot of food to do something; something more than nothing. Oats allegedly add mouth feel even after the beer microbes have had their fill, wheat and pale malt are also very traditional.

(Read more after the break to find out what my secret weapon is this time.)

Book Review: Brew Like a Monk

This was a Christmas Gift from my dear mother. Thanks, Mom. It is also a book written by acclaimed brewing author Stan Hieronymus. If you were a fan of Hops, or Brewing with Wheat, you'll probably enjoy this. This book focuses on Belgian beers, and specifically those brewed and derived from brews made in monasteries, hence the title, "Brew Like a Monk". If you were ever curious what you could learn on a trip to Belgium but can't afford to go, this book is for you.

(Please read more about the structure and my personal thoughts on the contents of the book after the break.)

Sampling Sour Batch 002

Awhile ago I brewed a sour brown batch of beer for my home souring experiment. This was soured with dregs from a bottle of  Sang Noir. The time is upon me to do something with this beer so that I can continue to make make and drink sour beers. The malt bill for a sour beer is no more complicated than a conventional beer. As anyone who has read my blog before knows the secret ingredient is time. This beer has had ten months to age and it's time to see where the flavors are at and decide what if any fruit would be appropriate. The pelicle was still intact prior to my moving it, and the colonies of lactobacillus floating on the surface gave me pause that it might not be ready. Was it ready?

(Please read my sampling notes after the break.)

Auto-Brewery Syndrome

I came across this story from NPR about a man who was brewing beer in his gut. He would eat fermentable foods and then the Saccharomyces in his gut would get him drunk. Wild huh? I can't think of a worst brewing-yeast related predicament. I enjoy drinking beer because I like the flavors; truth be told I don't especially like being drunk. This man was eating pasta and getting drunk, yikes. Let this be a lesson folks, don't let the doctor accuse you of being a closet drunk just because you have a few beers now and again. If somethings not right, find a new doctor, or at least lay off the carbs.