The Brewery in the Closet: What's Brewing?

The end of the term is approaching and despite my increasing work load, I've sneaked in a few brew sessions over the past couple of weeks. I have also been tweaking my methods to improve the quality of the finished product by adjusting my tap water with different salts, and I have been experimenting with longer sparges (see the "Tripel" entry for more information) to maximize sugar extraction. Water is the main ingredient in beer and the mineral ions in solution have significant effects on enzyme function, yeast health, and the accentuation of malt and or hop bitterness. Think about how a bland meal can be transformed by simply adding salt; it works the same with beer. My tap water, which I had tested by a water chemistry lab, has very low levels of dissolved ions, so the addition of salts is crucial.

Some of the different salts used to adjust my tap water

The two most recent beers I've brewed include a porter, which had a small amount of peat smoked malt added to the mash, and a clone of Dogfish Head's Midas Touch. The porter was interesting to brew because I adjusted my water to match London's, which is known to be perfect for darker beers.

Milling the grains for the porter

About to boil Photo by: Christian Wagner

Hops enjoying a hot bath Photo by: Luke Madden

Even though alcoholic beverages may have been enjoyed for more than six-thousand years, the oldest recipe to have been recovered dates back 2,700 years. In Turkey, arqueologists recovered drinking vessels from King Midas's tomb. Scientists analyzed the residue in the vessels and determined that it contained grapes, honey, barley, and saffron. Dogfish Head then recreated the recipe, which they called the Midas Touch. Chalese and I love this beer especially after a long day of skiing.

Saffron in beer? I'm excited.

I love the process of brewing, but sanitizing and bottling can be boring when its done alone. I procrastinated bottling a couple of batches--a Belgian quadrupel and the tripel--and I finally bottled them last week with the help of some friends. The quadrupel is a cloned recipe for the Trappist brewery Westvleteren's 12. I haven't had the chance to try the commercial version because the monks have not condoned the sale of their beer outside of the brewery. Their beers don't have any labels, and the brew master at Westvleteren once said that if they ever designed a label, all it would say is "Don't export to the USA." The 12 is rated the top beer in the world by multiple beer rating websites, and I think it may end up being the best beer I've brewed to date. I brewed it with my friend Blake Davis in the fall and then let it sit at 34 degrees for 4 months before bottling. Next week will be the first tasting.