Ithaca Beer Brewers Blog

How much snow this morning, one foot?  Two feet?  Who cares, it was IPAbbey day, and you couldn’t keep me away from that brewhouse with Oswego-style snow(and yes, a snowmobile did pass me on the road at 6:15 am)! 

Sometime within the last year one of my favorite brewers, Brasserie d’Achouffe of Belgium, released a beer that reminded me why I fell in love with the art and craft of zymurgy.  It is called Houblon Chouffe IPA Tripel.  American brewers have carved out their place in the beer world largely by reinterpreting (some would say imitating) the styles of  drink which have existed in the “Old World” for centuries.  Raise your hand if you have enjoyed a “Pilsner,” “Kolsch,” “Scotch Ale” or “Russian Imperial Stout” brewed here in the U.S. of A.  Sure, there are now a few that are considered pretty uniquely American, but the global consensus(I’ll avoid drawing any sort of socio-political parallel) is that we tend to take what we like and make it our own.

That is what blew my mind about Houblon Chouffe.  Here are well-respected Belgian brewers advertising that they are making an “IPA Tripel” with DISTINCTLY American Hops (Tomahawk and Amarillo).  If that doesn’t indicate that American style and ingredients are becoming more legitimate on the world brewing stage, I don’t know what will.  Oh, and did I mention that the beer kicks serious ass?  If you like IPAs, or Belgians, or both, you owe it to yourself to try Houblon.  While you are at it, ask for Ithaca’s IPAbbey.  It’s the 2nd in the Excelsior! Series, and it’s our wink back at the European brewers who are nodding at us over here.

The Facts:

Pilsner Malt (51%)

ESB Pale Malt (24%)

Honey Malt (15%)

We sourced each of these 3 malts from North America’s smallest specialty Malting Company, Gambrinus of British Columbia.

Sucrose (10%)

US Simcoe, Amarillo and Czech Saaz Hops used in generous amounts(about 3# per barrel total), with a whole leaf dry hop of all three varieties.

18 Plato, about 65 IBUs. Fermented with the same Abbey Ale yeast as our “White Gold”, krausened and bottle-conditioned.  About 8.5% ABV.  Expect prominent notes of honey, fruit, and spice with a light amber color, and substantial hop aroma.

I’m getting thirsty,

The Chief

 

Next time: more about Excelsior!

 

The first brew in the Excelsior! series. I literally lept out of bed before the alarm to get this one mashed in. Best categorized as a Belgian-Inspired Strong Golden/Pale Wheat Ale(but with that many modifiers, I suggest that it may lie outside of your preconceived notions of style), it draws its heritage from some of my favorite Belgian-style beers, like Duvel, Fin du Monde and Moinette Blond. By no means, however, is it meant to be a clone or knockoff. It is our twist on these classics, featuring both European (French Wheat Malt, Czech Saaz hops) and American (domestic Pilsner Malt, Santiam hops) ingredients paired with an absolute classic Belgian Abbey Ale yeast used by at least two of the world’s most highly regarded Trappist breweries (Westmalle and Westvleteren).

The first moment of truth came when it was time to dump the 300# of sugar into the kettle…. The second when I had to resist setting the uni-tank temperature controls (pitched yeast at 70F, just letting it go up and up)…. The third will come later on when we hand bottle a “still” beer and wait for the yeast to finish the job. Were my gravity calculations going to be correct after the sugar addition? Yes. Is it crazy to run an unregulated primary fermentation? No. Will bottle conditioning produce the desired effect? Probably. As a leap of faith, though, it feels pretty effing good! Was that little “duyvil” on my shoulder telling me to “just brew it” a fantasy that had gone way too far? You can be the judge at the end of March.

The facts:

Domestic Pilsen malt (60%)

French Wheat malt (24%)

Sucrose (16%)

US Santiam and Czech Saaz hops used in equal amounts, from first-wort-hopping through whirlpooling with pellets to whole leaf dryhopping in the secondary fermentation tank.

17 degrees Plato, about 40 IBU, and close to 8% ABV. Fermented with WLP 530, Abbey Ale Yeast. Unfiltered, Krausened, and bottle-conditioned with live yeast. Look for an opaque, glowing, pale-yellow appearance and a zesty but full flavor profile perfect for pairing with a fine meal.

Hope you are as anxious as I am to try it!

The Chief

Next time: IPAbbey, or “life imitating art imitating life”

So, I brewed our pilsner on Friday, 2/2/07!  Guess that was Groundhog’s Day, but I must admit I still don’t know what Punxsatawny Phil saw or didn’t see this year.  I’d like to think that starting to knock out our summer beers means that nicer weather is on the way sooner than later, as winter has finally set in these last few weeks.  7 degrees at the house this AM!

But enough already about the weather, you’re here for the beer!  It’s a German-style Pils, brewed strictly with ingredients from Germany.   Durst Turbo-Pils and Munich Malts, Acidulated  Malt from Weyermann to help mimic the traditionally softer water, and 5(count them, 5) German Hop varietals.  Magnum, Select, Perle, Hersbrucker and Tradition- in 5 kettle additions.  It will also be dryhopped (hey, we ARE Americans) with the latter 4 of those hops at a rate of about 1/2 pound per bbl.  I feel safe saying that it is brewed to the top end of the style spectrum at 12.5 Plato and about 35 IBU, it will have a lot of that great, herbal “noble hop” presence when fresh.  So far,  the German Lager yeast that we brought in is chugging along and this first batch should see the light of day well before the end of March! 

Prost!

The Chief

Next up: “White Gold?”