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On this fine Friday I was invited in by Legends Craft Brewery Head Brewer Jeremy Mayo to check out the new location in Anaheim. It's a blast to get a sneak peek, but I have to tell you, I was impressed with this oasis in an industrial park not far from the Happiest Place on Earth. Jeremy treated me to their lineup of lagers and ales while CEO and Founder Jay Talley fed me cookies and pretzels. The beers: Aurora Red Cherry Lager, Sable Black Lager, American Pils Lager, Tranquility Imperial Stout, Double Karma Double IPA, and Wild Child Belgian Wit. The location: 1301 Lewis Street in Anaheim.  The moment you walk in, you get sense of the craftsmanship of the brewery, from the hand-crafted interior decor, much of it built by CEO and Founder Jay Talley, to the thoughtfully designed and brewed beer.  Natural light drenches the taproom, which is punctuated with design details such as sleek hand-built custom tables with inlaid bottle caps.  Head Brewer Jeremy Mayo has been busy preparing for a taproom opening this November. The six initial offerings demonstrate his flair for not only the classics such as a Pilsner but for a creative take on a bananas foster wheat ale, Wild Child, made with actual bananas.  The obligatory bling shot -- everything shiny and new. Let's brew!
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I used two brewing techniques for squeezing the most aroma and flavor from the hops of this American pale ale: first wort hopping and late wort hopping. First wort hops were added to the kettle immediately after mashing. The balance of the hops were added at 20, 15, 10, 5, 2, and 0 minutes of a 60-minute boil. The hops: Amarillo, Tomahawk, and Simcoe, supported by a rich, malty backbone featuring Maris Otter and Vienna malts. The use of reverse osmosis (RO) water will help me create a clean, refreshing beer to enjoy on these hot post-summer days.  Irish moss is added to the mix of ingredients to help clarify the beer; cold crashing and the use of gelatin after fermentation will also help with getting the pale ale to crystal clarity.  I used reverse osmosis (RO) water for this pale ale. It's a kick to play Poseidon with beer's most voluminous ingredient. Small batch brewing provides the opportunity to use your vial or smack pack of yeast to create more than one beverage -- in this case, an ale and a cider. Why not use the small batch opportunity to go with a theme (or craze, if you're especially ardent): Belgian Tripel or Octoberfest or . . . the possibilities are endless. Below is a glimpse of the Glow-Throated Belgian Tripel ale that I made on day one and the Royal SunAngel "Belgian Tripel" hard cider that I made on day three. The ale and cider share Wyeast Trappist High Gravity 3787 yeast, along with table sugar, on the list of ingredients. For the cider, I used Trader Joe's flash pasteurized, unfiltered apple juice (find it in the refrigerated section). For those who asked about my cider ingredients: I plan to add a tincture of hand-picked pink peppercorns, coriander seeds, and cinnamon in secondary fermentation to evoke the aroma and flavor of a Belgian Tripel. The ale will rely solely on the yeast for its spicy, fruity character. It makes me purr to think about doing a side-by-side tasting once I get these babies bottled.  Fermentation chamber/AKA chest freezer, (L to R): "Belgian Tripel" hard cider, Belgian Tripel ale, Irish ale, brown ale.  Glow-Throated Belgian Tripel ale on brew day.  Royal SunAngel "Belgian Tripel" hard cider, created two days later with the same Wyeast Trappist High Gravity 3787 yeast. Big ciders beguile you to slow down and reflect upon what's good in your life. When sipping an apple wine such as this one will be, I think of my mother and how much she enjoys her brandy at the end of a harrowing day in the entrepreneurial life she shares with my dad. When I made a Belgian Tripel ale a few days ago, I thought it would be fun to concoct a hard cider with a similar vibe. Thus, Royal SunAngel "Belgian Tripel" was born. I placed this baby in the fermentation chamber and active fermentation kicked in within an hour. Hang onto your hat, Peter -- this is a live one!  This "Belgian Tripel" cider was inspired by a Belgian Tripel ale I brewed a few days ago. I hope to capture the spirit with similar ingredients and flavor as well as mouthfeel and aroma. I realize only now that the saisons I have been brewing were the gateway to the Glow-Throated Belgian Tripel. My first plan of attack was to do market research -- drinking iconic Tripels brewed by the great and lesser masters. And I did some reading up. The drinking was more fun.  This Belgian hottie has a hop mix of Saaz, East Kent Goldings, and Hallertauer Mittelfrueh.  This one-gallon brewing is a kick -- every molecule counts!  When you go with one-gallon batches, saving the unused yeast gives you an opportunity for a second batch. This Wyeast Trappist High Gravity 3787 yeast is chilling in a private resort aka fermentation chest freezer.  Every brewer's ennui is the chilling stage. With one-gallon batches, the chilling takes place in the kitchen sink over a period of 10 minutes. Piece of cake. As any Dutiful Daughter of Brewing will tell you, there is a heady excitement around researching, via tasting and other means, the beers you plan to brew. To that end, I was forced by Best Practices to explore the Belgian Tripel, which is scheduled to be brewed this week. Peter and I bellied up to the bar at Wurstküche in Venice, California, for the tasting, and ordered up some heavenly sausages, which we slathered with brown mustard, caramelized onions, and sweet peppers. The double-dipped Belgian fries weren't bad either. Life is rough in Los Angeles, where adventurous eating and drinking habits mean a trip to the gym five days a week. Our tasting included Westmalle Tripel, Gouden Carolus, and Chimay White. We plan a return trip to continue the tasting in earnest; a woman's work is never done, and it doesn't hurt to have a buddy who is happy to compare notes with you.  Shown here: Gouden Carolus, Westmalle Tripel, and, in the stemless wine glass, Chimay White. Brewing beer in one-gallon batches is a blast. I can brew as often as I like and the cleanup takes 10 minutes! What's more, this type of granularity in making beer unleashes my baker's frenzy for precision. I give special thanks to my friends, who answer my seemingly hundreds of questions regarding the particulars of small-batch brewing. For this American brown, I plan to use dried mission figs soaked in Bulleit Bourbon. Whenever I use Bourbon, I think of Gwen Conley of Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey, who is a huge influence in my beer adventures.  One gallon batches can be quite satisfying for those who love the challenge of precision.  This American Brown bathed the house in a delicious malty aroma.
Last Thursday, I was walking the San Francisco sidewalks and it was hot. Nick Schrader told me that Delarosa on Chestnut Street has a great craft beer selection so I bellied up to the bar and ordered a Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale, Le Merle, from North Coast Brewing. A few minutes later, a customer walked in and asked for a beer from Headlands Brewing, a local brewery. He downed the rye IPA in two gulps. When I asked him why he drank so quickly, he said, "I met the brewer and there could be a job in it for me. He suggested I try the beer." My eyes grew wide. I replied, "Don't let the brewer see you drink his beer! Not if you want the job." The bartender, who had been listening, playfully responded, "There's no wrong way to drink a beer." If you have friends with similar drinking habits or who simply want to explore tasting beer, share this video. It unearths some basics: appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and character. BTW, what would you have said to the beer-gobbling customer?
Getting a new chest freezer to ferment your beer is an exciting event in the life of a homebrewer. Why not ratchet it up a notch and go for disco lighting and a tiki hut ambiance? Now fermenting: a Roggenbier and an Irish red ale. For those of you who have been following my chest freezer adventures -- and you know who you are -- let's party!  The new fermentation chest freezer, complete with a computer fan that emits disco lighting and bamboo to keep the fermentation vessels off the bottom, is now in operation. The Thermowell in the Irish red helps with temperature control. I remember the magic of walking with my sister through the Canadian forest in search of fresh berries when we were children. Now that we're grownups, she particularly likes red ales, so I'll bring this one along the next time I see her. The recipe includes dried black currants soaked in Bulleit Bourbon during secondary fermentation for berry action.  Irish red ale ingredients. Dried black currants soaked in Bulleit Bourbon will be added in secondary fermentation.  The grains are added to the pot of hot water, then the pot is placed in a warm oven for the mash.  After the mash, the grain bag is removed and the wort and hops are boiled for an hour. |
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