Stonehenge

In ancient times...
Hundreds of years before the dawn of history
Lived a strange race of people... the Druids

No one knows who they were or what they were doing
But their legacy remains
Hewn into the living rock... Of Stonehenge

I just couldn't resist a Spinal Tap reference for a beer that is a revival of an "ancient" English beer style. English Dark Milds can be some of the most interesting and satisfying of session beers. They can have a rich and complex malt depth while still have a light and refreshing body. Stonehenge is no different with its deep ruby brown color accented by roasted malt lending a touch reminiscent of coffee and sweet finish.

Pumpkin Pie Stout

It was ten years ago this autumn while brewing at IncrediBREW in Nashua, NH that I formulated my first ever brewing recipe, Pumpkin Pie Stout. So with the harvest season upon us and the dreaded thought of brewing the traditional old pumpkin ale I went back to my Hall of Beer Records and dug up my virgin brew. Ten years gone things are bound to change including tweaking this recipe slightly to marry a more modern approach to brewing as well as increasing the batch size from 15 gallons to 310! This recipe was quite fun to create and brew, but not to cleanup after. For those of you in the know the first attempt at brewing this beer was met with a bit of disaster. While trying to bring the wort to a boil in the kettle I had some mechanical issues with the brew house and couldn't generate steam flow into the kettle to bring it to a boil. This resulted in the infamous home brew Stout giveaway....more on that story to follow. So with a few repairs made we were back up running the following week and the results can now be tasted for yourself here at Franklin's. The recipe utilizes English Maris Otter malt for a rich malt profile,along with Crystal,Roasted and Chocolate malts giving this beer a rich black color,tan head and full body. The nose is a blend of pumpkin,spices(cinamon/nutmeg) and roasted malt. Sipping through the creamy nitro pour you'll be awakened by liquid pumpkin pie, minus the whipped cream. Roasted malts balance the sweetness as the pumpkin coats and your tongue sizzle with the dazzling of seasonal spices. Enjoy it now bef0re your Mom gives your relatives the leftovers to take home.

Hop E Soul

The Hippity Hoppity Series
Volume 3

Beer glass beer glass on the bar
Tell me beer glass have I gone too far?
Could it be this watering hole
Or is it just my Hop E. Soul
What I brew ain't make believe
I brew it honest that's no lie
But when it comes to being Hop E
It's just me myself and rye



The third installment in the Hippity Hoppity Double IPA series is Hop E Soul. This beer is probably the most unique so far in the series as it utilizes a large percentage of malted rye in the grist bill which brings out an interesting spice character. Combined with heavy handed usage of Chinook,Liberty and Columbus hops it electrifies your palate with green bitterness,floral and citrus accents. Orangey-copper in color with a thick light tannish head, the aroma hits your nose with floral,citrus and spice. Its full body stickiness coats with an impression of bitter oranges and spicy grain as its 8.7 % ABV warms your mouth as it trickles towards its final resting place.

Saison

Well here we go, a Franklin's farm exclusive...Saison. OK, so I know we're not a farm brewery, but the spirit of this beer definitely is. Saison, which is French for season, is a rustic Belgian Farmhouse ale. Traditionally brewed by Wallonian(Southern Belgian)farmers during the fall and winter so that they could be consumed during the warmer weather. They are in short Belgian Pale Ales that are highly hopped (for Belgian standards),sometimes spiced and always very refreshing as they were consumed by farmhands who's access to potable water at the time was limited.

Our version is a pretty straight forward entry, made with 100% Pilsner malt, Saaz hops and a yeast from a classic Saison brewery in Belgium. Its moderately higher carbonation really helps the esters and hops come forward to your nose. On the first sip it attacks you with a pleasant bitterness,citrus, a touch of tartness and a subtle sweetness in the finish.

Miami Weiss-Version 2.0

Great literature isn't written, it's rewritten...

We just tapped our new batch of Miami Weiss yesterday, a slight reformulation from the version we introduced this spring. This time around I added twice as much Orange Blossom Honey and three times the sweet orange peel. In addition I changed the hopping to try to bring a little more citrus into the fold. In the end I think we are closer to the vision of a South Florida orange grove in your mouth,fortified with barley of course. This version has a bit more honey upfront and in the nose, while the citrus zest from Centennial hops have a lingering finish. American Wheat beers don't all have to be boring, this one is far from it...though far from perfection, stay tuned.

Overdue Oktoberfest

Hey all a quick shout out since I'm overdue on an update, we just tapped our Oktoberfest tonight (September 22 2010).I'm very happy with the way this beer turned out considering all the issues we had this summer. This pseudo lager was fermented at 55 degrees and lagered for three weeks at near freezing temperatures. Its crisp,clean with a toasted malt backbone and balanced with enough hops not to be cloyingly sweet. It checks in at 5.7% but is extremely quaffable, come on in and tell me what you think yourself.

As you all know we've had some issues here at the brewery this summer, but I'm happy to say things look they are in the clear . We now have full temperature control of all our fermenters and I've already started the exciting process of brewing and filling them up. Right now we've got Oktoberfest batch #2 lagering, Hop E Soul (double rye IPA),Sierra Madre and a Belgian Saison that's pumping in as I type.Upcoming beers include Miami Weiss version 2.0, an undecided upon Stout and bigger beers for the cooler months...stay tuned.

Malty Mark and the Hoppy Bunch

The Hippity Hoppity Series
Volume 2

Come on sniff it.
Come on sip it.
It's such a good emanation.
It's such a bitter sensation.
I've a got my pint so get yours.
I wanna see lupulin comin' out your pores.
Strictly High Alpha-Hop boy, I ain't slingin' this.
I’m sippin’ this.
Bringing this to Franklin’s nation.
Come on come on.
Sip it sip it.
Taste the sensation.

The second installment in the Hippity Hoppity Double IPA series is Malty Mark and the Hoppy Bunch. As the name would suggest, a malty profile was sought for this beer, so almost 50% of the grain bill was Munich,Vienna and Cara-Vienna malts. This helped bring out a richer malt character to go up against a bunch of hops (pun intended). Kettle additions were Warrior,Centennial and the unlikely Saaz. Saaz is a noble hop of Czech heritage with a profile that typically resembles earthy,herbal and spicy flavors/aromas. Its not really known for its use in IPA, but I've had some really nice Imperial Pilsner done with Saaz and wanted to try it out myself.The beer was later dry hopped with a blend of Saaz, Centennial and Amarillo, the latter two giving off more of that familiar Pacific Northwest character of fruity citrus.

The result is a double IPA with a rich orange color and white head. The nose is a unique blend of herbal spice and mellow citrus. The flavor hits you with a big bitterness and warming malt sensation, leading into a long lingering bitter finish. Overall, this Double IPA is unlike anything I've ever brewed before, it truly has its own unique hop character and I encourage you to try it for yourself and give me your feedback.