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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.
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My daughter, Nicolette, gave me this culinary laser thermometer several years ago. Like my trusty Thermapen, this gadget was recruited into the home brewery. While the Thermapen is used throughout the brewing process for assessing liquid temperature, this bad boy is ideal for determining surface temperature. Assessing surface temperature is helpful when you are looking for the right spot to ferment a saison or farmhouse ale -- beers that don't require housing in a chest freezer. An added benefit: This gadget makes me feel like I'm in a James Bond picture.  A culinary thermometer is a helpful brewhouse tool. Bottling a saison, a cider, and a brown, all in one day.  Cleanliness is next to you know what.  Following the bottling SOPs.  The production line. What happens when you brew in the rain? Beer happens. And your view gets prettier. In my quest to make the ultimate saison, the second edition of Blossomcrown Citra Saison proceeded, in spite of inclement weather predictions. The rain never stopped -- and I loved every minute of it.  View from the brew house.  Rain makes everything prettier in the garden.  The boil -- Blossomcrown Citra Saison.  Citra hops at the ready. I'm going to admit it: This brew was challenging from the yeast starter to the brew day to packaging. I call this saison My Runt. Yet, to my utter surprise, the result reveals the heavenly latitude afforded to all homebrewers by the beer goddess Ninkasi. This outcome gives me hope for the potential of Runts everywhere to dominate the world, given time. Blossomcrown has a firm, frothy white head and a glowing orange hue. This beer is a showcase for the Citra hop, with a refreshing, palate-puckering citrusy flavor, balanced by the generous yeasty goodness of Wyeast 3711 French saison yeast. One day, I suppose I will make an undrinkable beer. But not today. I love this beer, My Blossomcrown Citra Saison.  Blossomcrown Citra Saison A black-chinned hummingbird was my constant companion on this brew day. He took up residence on the front porch brewhouse and was welcome company. Blossomcrown Citra Saison explores the goodness of the Citra hop, prized for its intense citrus and tropical tones. I plan to add a tincture of dried culinary lavender from my backyard at packaging. Wyeast 3711 French Saison is the yeast of choice. With the camera in hand to document the development of the saison, I also captured the brewhouse office, where the specifics of each beer are noted and SOPs are updated. The Jambox is just the ticket for mood music . . . was it my imagination or was the hummingbird was singing along with Stevie Ray Vaughan? Only the hummingbird knows for sure, but I can tell you, he was a talker.  The black-chinned hummingbird was there for the entire brew day, defending his territory from Anna's hummingbirds.  The brewhouse office, where every aspect of brewing is noted and SOPs are updated in real time. Innovations are incorporated; if there's a mistake, let's not make it twice.  Blossomcrown Citra Saison in the making. The never ending quest to make the perfect saison. Oasis Saison features rose hips and coriander.  Hop and flavor ingredients, including rose hips and coriander.  Brewing Oasis Saison.  The view from the front porch brewery: the emerald hills of Vista, California. The culinary lavender in the backyard waved in the wind and I walked over to investigate. The bush had a slow start when I planted it months ago, so I was surprised by its growth spurt and profusion of purple blossoms. I dipped my face into the blossoms and the aroma beguiled me to design a saison and perhaps my next kombucha. Spring has arrived early in Vista, California this year, so come by for a beer and a stroll through the yard -- maybe you have some ideas for me on what to plant next.   With the weather in the 80's, a saison was asking to be made, and thus the Shining Sunbeam Saison was born. This is a saison with bay leaves from my sister's yard in San Diego and eureka lemon peel from the Vista Farmer's Market. The hops are Styrian Goldings. Below is the sparging process for this beer, where we look to extract as much as possible from the grains that were ground the day prior. Can't wait to taste this brew and compare it to the last one made, Bee Saison, with honey and pink peppercorns. Excuse me, as it's time to go swaddle this baby with an electric blanket. Life is rough in the beer brewing hotspot of Vista, California.  The sparging process of home-brewed beer. |
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March 2018
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