If you asked 100 different people their definition of Jazz or Barbecue you'd get 100 different opinions.
In the world of beer, Jazz is otherwise known as Saison.
I can never truly say enough about Saison as its not only the most interesting beer style but also one of my favorites. Its the one style of beer that's less about style and all about artist interpretation. While styles like Kolsch and Pilsner have little room for creativity and focus on execution of process, Saison is about executing the process of creativity. In a nutshell Saison can be whatever you want it to be...well within reason...though that could be argued as well.
At Franklin's I produced as Saison in the early fall of 2010 and now again in summer of 2011 with one concept in mind, to make the most complex beer possible out of the least amount of ingredients and process.
The players in this were 100% pilsner malt,Saaz hops,Belgian Saison yeast and of course the terrior of the brewing world, the local water supply. This combination of straight forward ingredients along with allowing the yeast to do something that if 99% of yeast strains in the world were allowed to do would produce detrimental results. The process or lack there of is a simple free climb in temperature with no cooling whatsoever. Normally when a yeast consumes sugar during fermentation one of the byproducts is heat. In a enclosed space like a fermenter the thermal mass can get quite warm and as a result if it isn't cooled (typically between 60-70ish degrees Fahrenheit) the yeast will produce off flavors in the beer that in essence contaminate it making it very unpleasant to drink.
The exception to this in the brewing world are Belgian Saison yeast strains, which researchers speculate might have derived from wine yeast strains which seem to perform well closer to blood temperature. So here on Baltimore Ave we allow the yeast to start fermenting and because we have turned off the controls to our glycol cooling jacket on our fermenter what results is a fermentation the build higher and higher temperatures each day. Typically I've seen the digital thermometers read as high as 88 degrees Fahrenheit and I've heard of other breweries hitting 95. Maybe next year we can turn off the AC in the building and see how high we can get the fermenter...just kidding.
This years version in my opinion is a much better example of what I'm shooting for as its substantially drier than last years version enabling the yeast and late hop additions to shine in the glass. I hope you can find the simply joy in a very straight foward exotic beer.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Mic Czech
Pils, glorious pils. Since its inception in the Czech Republic in 1842 this beer has been brewed and changed the world of beer like no other style. It has inspired many great Pilsner beers since and many not so great, regardless it has produced along with its red headed step child offspring the number one style of beer consumed in the world today.
In Mic Czech we pay homage to the original, Plzeňský Prazdroj, better known world wide by its German name Pilsner Urquell. Our Bohemian style pilsner is the result of a long and delicate handling process. Using high quality Bohemian Pilsner malt, Saaz hops and one of the world's oldest and most notable lager strains this beer was the result of seven weeks of patience. We think its worth it and hopefully you do to as you enjoy its light body packed with crisp malt and hop flavor.
In Mic Czech we pay homage to the original, Plzeňský Prazdroj, better known world wide by its German name Pilsner Urquell. Our Bohemian style pilsner is the result of a long and delicate handling process. Using high quality Bohemian Pilsner malt, Saaz hops and one of the world's oldest and most notable lager strains this beer was the result of seven weeks of patience. We think its worth it and hopefully you do to as you enjoy its light body packed with crisp malt and hop flavor.
Cruel Summer
The Washington D.C.'s metro area has an incredibly brutal summer season with blistering heat and humidity so fowl that even your sweat droplets have sweat droplets. To counter this I thought it would be a good idea to have a summer thirst quencher on our menu. Though marketed as an English pub ale on our menu, this recipe is nothing more than my take on English Ordinary Bitter.
That's right, "ordinary bitter"- its truely one of the awful style names that the world of beer has established and stuck to. First off these beers are not bitter,especially in the light of the modern appreciation for pale ales and I.P.A. and they can be far from ordinary when made right. Its been my experience that American beer drinkers don't take well to certain English monikers like bitter,mild or ordinary so....Cruel Summer it is.
Serving this beer via our nitro tap keeps this beer creamy and light in carbonation making it extremely quaffable since the alcohol is only 3.9%. An array of malted grains including a touch of wheat and British crystal malt help keep this beer light in body and give a touch of sweetness to balance the use of Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops, two of the most traditional hops used in English brewing. Our house English yeast strain helps provide fruity esters to round out the beer making it a very refreshing bevergae because it's a cruel ... cruel ... cruel summer.
That's right, "ordinary bitter"- its truely one of the awful style names that the world of beer has established and stuck to. First off these beers are not bitter,especially in the light of the modern appreciation for pale ales and I.P.A. and they can be far from ordinary when made right. Its been my experience that American beer drinkers don't take well to certain English monikers like bitter,mild or ordinary so....Cruel Summer it is.
Serving this beer via our nitro tap keeps this beer creamy and light in carbonation making it extremely quaffable since the alcohol is only 3.9%. An array of malted grains including a touch of wheat and British crystal malt help keep this beer light in body and give a touch of sweetness to balance the use of Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops, two of the most traditional hops used in English brewing. Our house English yeast strain helps provide fruity esters to round out the beer making it a very refreshing bevergae because it's a cruel ... cruel ... cruel summer.
Brewmaster Flash and the Furious Five Hops
The Hippity Hoppity Series
Volume 6
Don't drink me cause I'm close to the edge
I'm trying not to lose my head,
It's like a hop jungle sometimes it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
From having watched people in this area take a simple dish and spice it up with Old Bay I think this beer was no different. A simple yet solid malt base with abundance of wrist flicked hop seasoning sprinkled throughout.
Belgeastie Boys
The Hippity Hoppity Series
Volume 5
No Sip til’-Brookland…
Hop on the petal never brew with nettle
My thirst brewing hotter than a boiling kettle
My job's ain't a job it's a damn good time
I'm an East Coast hop boy climbing the vine
While you're at the job working nine to five
The Belgeastie Boys in the beer garden cold drinkin' it live
For the fifth edition to the Hippity Hoppity series we have without a doubt the most complex and intriguing recipe so far, a American Double I.P.A. fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. This was probably the most fun I’ve ever had mashing in the grist bill for a any beer that I’ve made. Wait, did I say grist bill, I meant grist/hop bill because I did something I had never done with a beer before, I mashed hopped. Yeah, you read that right, nearly 20 pounds of Centennial and Amarillo whole leaf hops were added to the mash tun for what was the greatest smelling mash of my brewing career.
Then in the kettle, Chinook was added at the start of the boil and in the whirlpool along with more Centennial. The aroma coming out of the kettle at this point would have made for a great air freshener. Things weren’t over just yet though since the wort still had to ferment with our house Belgian yeast strain and then later it was dry hopped with both Chinook and Centennial again.
The finished product was a cross cultural combination of grapefruit/orange-citrus, spice, mild herbal notes and a smooth bitterness.
Dank U
I first met Pierre Celis in a hotel lobby while in Denver for the 2004 Great American Beer Festival in Denver. He had just finished a meeting with what appeared to be a group that was anxious to import "Celis" branded beer into the states. After the meeting I stopped Pierre in the lobby and had a brief conversation about his upcoming beer projects and a brief stroll down memory lane about his former breweries and of course his revival of Wit beer. In under three minutes he educated me, made me laugh and most importantly made me fall in love with brewing all over again.
A year later back in Denver at the Colorado Convention Center I saw him again. Pierre was autographing his new autobiography "My Life" and taking pictures with fans. I stopped over and said hello, picking up a few copies for him to sign for me and a couple of friends. He remarked that he thought we had met before and I mentioned it was about a year ago here in Denver. As if he had a "eureka" moment he said "in a hotel right"? I smiled and said "yes, you've got a good memory", we both smiled and then he asked how my wit beer recipe was progressing. I was a bit startled that he remembered our brief conversation and I responded that it was coming along but was no where as good as his. Pierre then told me something that stuck with me, that hard work is rewarded and to keep working on it, but not to forget that the only way to make a wit beer better than his was to make it my own. That even the greatest imitators will always just be that, be original.
When I learned of his passing this spring it once again reminded me of his advice to be original and make something my own. Our wit beer here at Franklin's is greatly inspired by Pierre's wit beers, but to honor him with another rendition of something his name is synonymous with seemed a bit redundant. Instead I choose to brew something more original and my own. The idea was to re-pitch our Wit beer yeast from our Witty Twitty ( a yeast originating from his original wit beer in Belgium) into a Porter recipe unlike any other I had ever created.
This recipe started with 2-row barley malt, melanoidin, malted oats,Vienna malt,flaked oats( oatmeal) smoked malt,caramunich, two types of crystal malt,biscuit,chocolate and black patent malt, that's right, a dozen different grains. In addition cane sugar was added to the kettle to increase the gravity and American,English,German and Czech hops were added to the boil.
The end result is a Belgian inspired porter that checks in at 7.45 % ABV with notes of chocolate roast,subtle smoke and fruitiness on a body of good malt depth. In addition to what we tapped I have reserved a 60 gallon wine barrel of which was inoculated with multiple strains of Brettanomyces and other funk inducing microbes, so be on the lookout for special release from our funk cellar in the future.
A year later back in Denver at the Colorado Convention Center I saw him again. Pierre was autographing his new autobiography "My Life" and taking pictures with fans. I stopped over and said hello, picking up a few copies for him to sign for me and a couple of friends. He remarked that he thought we had met before and I mentioned it was about a year ago here in Denver. As if he had a "eureka" moment he said "in a hotel right"? I smiled and said "yes, you've got a good memory", we both smiled and then he asked how my wit beer recipe was progressing. I was a bit startled that he remembered our brief conversation and I responded that it was coming along but was no where as good as his. Pierre then told me something that stuck with me, that hard work is rewarded and to keep working on it, but not to forget that the only way to make a wit beer better than his was to make it my own. That even the greatest imitators will always just be that, be original.
When I learned of his passing this spring it once again reminded me of his advice to be original and make something my own. Our wit beer here at Franklin's is greatly inspired by Pierre's wit beers, but to honor him with another rendition of something his name is synonymous with seemed a bit redundant. Instead I choose to brew something more original and my own. The idea was to re-pitch our Wit beer yeast from our Witty Twitty ( a yeast originating from his original wit beer in Belgium) into a Porter recipe unlike any other I had ever created.
This recipe started with 2-row barley malt, melanoidin, malted oats,Vienna malt,flaked oats( oatmeal) smoked malt,caramunich, two types of crystal malt,biscuit,chocolate and black patent malt, that's right, a dozen different grains. In addition cane sugar was added to the kettle to increase the gravity and American,English,German and Czech hops were added to the boil.
The end result is a Belgian inspired porter that checks in at 7.45 % ABV with notes of chocolate roast,subtle smoke and fruitiness on a body of good malt depth. In addition to what we tapped I have reserved a 60 gallon wine barrel of which was inoculated with multiple strains of Brettanomyces and other funk inducing microbes, so be on the lookout for special release from our funk cellar in the future.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Spring Blog Cleaning
I'm guilty of letting things getting a little dusty over the end of the winter months here on the blog, but I hope to make better strides in the future. So after getting emails about some of the beers we've tapped in the last couple months and unfortunately I haven't posted much information about them...so here goes.
Batch 500- Wanting to make something unique for our 500th batch I really pulled from a lot of different influences. This beer started with pale malt (88%), special aromatic malt ( 11%) and crystal -120 malt (1%). The goal was to make a rich amber colored hue with a little malt in the background. Sugar was also added to the kettle to lighten the body and increase the gravity. German grown Tettnanger hops were used at 60 minutes and 5 minutes before "flame out" as well as bitter & sweet orange peel,lemon peel,coriander and chamomile flowers. These spice/floral additions were made in very small amounts as to not become noticeable in the finished product other than adding some depth and complexity. During the kettle whirlpool buckwheat honey was added which gave the wort additional sugars as well as further complexity.After fermentation, a secondary fermentation was sparked with the addition of Merlot grape must and blackberries. This addition not only raised the alcohol slightly but also gave the beer unique fruit note and some esters that would best be described as wine like. Finally the beer was then transferred onto medium toasted french oak where it sat for 30 days before serving.
Nelson Ha Ha- This beer was probably one of the biggest hits in my tenure here at Franklin's while being one of the simplest concepts. The Nelson Sauvin hop was developed,grown and first released in New Zealand in 2000. Descriptions of the hop's essential oils described it as “fresh crushed gooseberries” which is often used for the grape variety Sauvignon Blanc, thus where this hop variety got its name. The small production of this hop combined with demand of it in craft beer brewing community makes it really hard to attain. Our 11 pound box was result of a trade with Hill Farmstead Brewery in Vermont for which we are very thankful. The beer was designed to do one thing, show case the Nelson Sauvin hop, so with that in mind the grist bill was 100% Pilsner malt. This simple base allowed the hop to shine in all of its kiwi glory without being interfered with by rich toasty or sweet caramel malts which are often used in pale ales and I.P.A. styles. The Nelson Sauvin was divided up into three stages in the beer after a hop called Warrior provided the bittering hop addition. Nelson was added twice towards the end of the boil and then again as a "dry hop" after fermentation was complete. In the end we were left with a golden colored pale at 5.9% ABV which with its firm bitterness and distinctive hop character that showcases white wine like citrus and fresh tropical fruit rind. I've had a lot of requests to make more of this beer and/or to showcase this hop again in another beer, but until we can get our hands on more Nelson we'll just have to wait.
Hop Madness '11- This year's version was quite the improvement over last year in my opinion, simply from the fact that I didn't screw up the grain bill. There's people out there who believe you should never admit when you've done wrong and to never apologize. I'm not one of those people and because of that I can admit that the inaugural batch of Hop Madness that we released a year ago in March of 2010 was not what I had envisioned before making it. I made a mistake in reading printing on a bag of malt and accidentally added a very dark caramel malt to the beer and in proportions that added too much color, caramel sweetness and left it with too much body. So this year I felt the best way to ask forgiveness was to pay my penance with a more appropriate version of my original concept. Hop Madness '11 started out with the same pale malt,carapils,biscuit and Munich malts but did not included any of the caramel malt from last year. The result was a much better foundation to hold up to the copious amounts of Simcoe and Columbus hops that were used in this beer. Now that we're back on track with this recipe I look forward to the '12 release as I think there are a few ways we can make this an even better double I.P.A..
Hammer of The Gods- The first true lager that I've brewed since starting here and the first time I had ever attempted a Baltic-style Porter. This beer style is not extremely well known but has been steadily building ground in the craft beer community over the last few years. The first time I had ever tried a Baltic-style Porter was in 2004, Perkuno's Hammer, compliments of the now defunct Heavyweight Brewing Company of Ocean Township, New Jersey. A collaboration between owner/brewer Tom Baker (now of Earth Bread Brewery) and beer writer Lew Bryson. After that I discovered some imports of the style including Zywiec, Carnegie and Baltika, which have all been go to examples to this day when I'm craving this dark lagered beer.
97 Pound Weakling- Angelo Sicilano was born in Italy then after moving to the US and getting sand kicked into his face at the beach by a bully he transformed his scrawny 97 pound frame into his legendary muscled physique and changed his name to Charles Atlas. America has always taken inspiration from the world and made it its own. Barleywine is no different, originating in England as a high gravity ale then making its way to the States and transforming itself into an aggressively hopped strong ale. American ingenuity also brought us a new take on the American strong ale years later in the wheat wine which simply replaced a large percentage of the barley in the grist with wheat. Wheat lightens the body and adds a light tartness to the beer, but its liberally hopped in the kettle with Warrior and Liberty to provide an assertive bitterness and dry hopped with Cascade for a pleasant citrus and pine aroma. At 10.5% its deceptive in its strength as its light orange body coats the pallet with a touch of malt sweetness but reinforces hop dominance long after it dissipates.
We will reserve a small portion of 97 Pound Weakling for a future tasting to see how it ages.
The Hatchet Job- DC's National Cherry Blossom Festival brings people to the area to appreciate the beauty of nature and rouse the spirit of community. At Franklin's we feel the same way about community and what better way to celebrate nature than by drinking it. We've noticed that many area breweries brew a "cherry flavored" beer for this event so we chose to go against the grain (pun intended). Thanks to Greg Ouellette of Martha's Exchange Brewing Company in Nashua N.H. who without his vision this beer never would have come to fruition. Greg has made 2011 'the year of the wood" at Martha's as he's using various types of wood including cedar and Douglas fir. The Hatchet Job is a beer designed with one purpose in mind, to showcase wood,in this case cherry wood. Starting with a base of Maris Otter pale malt then adding touches of Vienna, Melanoidin,Oat Malt and De-husked Carafa III this beer leans towards a copper-brown color with complex and full malt flavor. Hopped to balance and allow the cherry wood to come through with subtle fruit and mellow tannin. Checking in at 6.1 % ABV The Hatchet Job takes charge with is toasted bread-like malt body, fruity wood notes and dry finish.
Batch 500- Wanting to make something unique for our 500th batch I really pulled from a lot of different influences. This beer started with pale malt (88%), special aromatic malt ( 11%) and crystal -120 malt (1%). The goal was to make a rich amber colored hue with a little malt in the background. Sugar was also added to the kettle to lighten the body and increase the gravity. German grown Tettnanger hops were used at 60 minutes and 5 minutes before "flame out" as well as bitter & sweet orange peel,lemon peel,coriander and chamomile flowers. These spice/floral additions were made in very small amounts as to not become noticeable in the finished product other than adding some depth and complexity. During the kettle whirlpool buckwheat honey was added which gave the wort additional sugars as well as further complexity.After fermentation, a secondary fermentation was sparked with the addition of Merlot grape must and blackberries. This addition not only raised the alcohol slightly but also gave the beer unique fruit note and some esters that would best be described as wine like. Finally the beer was then transferred onto medium toasted french oak where it sat for 30 days before serving.
Nelson Ha Ha- This beer was probably one of the biggest hits in my tenure here at Franklin's while being one of the simplest concepts. The Nelson Sauvin hop was developed,grown and first released in New Zealand in 2000. Descriptions of the hop's essential oils described it as “fresh crushed gooseberries” which is often used for the grape variety Sauvignon Blanc, thus where this hop variety got its name. The small production of this hop combined with demand of it in craft beer brewing community makes it really hard to attain. Our 11 pound box was result of a trade with Hill Farmstead Brewery in Vermont for which we are very thankful. The beer was designed to do one thing, show case the Nelson Sauvin hop, so with that in mind the grist bill was 100% Pilsner malt. This simple base allowed the hop to shine in all of its kiwi glory without being interfered with by rich toasty or sweet caramel malts which are often used in pale ales and I.P.A. styles. The Nelson Sauvin was divided up into three stages in the beer after a hop called Warrior provided the bittering hop addition. Nelson was added twice towards the end of the boil and then again as a "dry hop" after fermentation was complete. In the end we were left with a golden colored pale at 5.9% ABV which with its firm bitterness and distinctive hop character that showcases white wine like citrus and fresh tropical fruit rind. I've had a lot of requests to make more of this beer and/or to showcase this hop again in another beer, but until we can get our hands on more Nelson we'll just have to wait.
Hop Madness '11- This year's version was quite the improvement over last year in my opinion, simply from the fact that I didn't screw up the grain bill. There's people out there who believe you should never admit when you've done wrong and to never apologize. I'm not one of those people and because of that I can admit that the inaugural batch of Hop Madness that we released a year ago in March of 2010 was not what I had envisioned before making it. I made a mistake in reading printing on a bag of malt and accidentally added a very dark caramel malt to the beer and in proportions that added too much color, caramel sweetness and left it with too much body. So this year I felt the best way to ask forgiveness was to pay my penance with a more appropriate version of my original concept. Hop Madness '11 started out with the same pale malt,carapils,biscuit and Munich malts but did not included any of the caramel malt from last year. The result was a much better foundation to hold up to the copious amounts of Simcoe and Columbus hops that were used in this beer. Now that we're back on track with this recipe I look forward to the '12 release as I think there are a few ways we can make this an even better double I.P.A..
Hammer of The Gods- The first true lager that I've brewed since starting here and the first time I had ever attempted a Baltic-style Porter. This beer style is not extremely well known but has been steadily building ground in the craft beer community over the last few years. The first time I had ever tried a Baltic-style Porter was in 2004, Perkuno's Hammer, compliments of the now defunct Heavyweight Brewing Company of Ocean Township, New Jersey. A collaboration between owner/brewer Tom Baker (now of Earth Bread Brewery) and beer writer Lew Bryson. After that I discovered some imports of the style including Zywiec, Carnegie and Baltika, which have all been go to examples to this day when I'm craving this dark lagered beer.
97 Pound Weakling- Angelo Sicilano was born in Italy then after moving to the US and getting sand kicked into his face at the beach by a bully he transformed his scrawny 97 pound frame into his legendary muscled physique and changed his name to Charles Atlas. America has always taken inspiration from the world and made it its own. Barleywine is no different, originating in England as a high gravity ale then making its way to the States and transforming itself into an aggressively hopped strong ale. American ingenuity also brought us a new take on the American strong ale years later in the wheat wine which simply replaced a large percentage of the barley in the grist with wheat. Wheat lightens the body and adds a light tartness to the beer, but its liberally hopped in the kettle with Warrior and Liberty to provide an assertive bitterness and dry hopped with Cascade for a pleasant citrus and pine aroma. At 10.5% its deceptive in its strength as its light orange body coats the pallet with a touch of malt sweetness but reinforces hop dominance long after it dissipates.
We will reserve a small portion of 97 Pound Weakling for a future tasting to see how it ages.
The Hatchet Job- DC's National Cherry Blossom Festival brings people to the area to appreciate the beauty of nature and rouse the spirit of community. At Franklin's we feel the same way about community and what better way to celebrate nature than by drinking it. We've noticed that many area breweries brew a "cherry flavored" beer for this event so we chose to go against the grain (pun intended). Thanks to Greg Ouellette of Martha's Exchange Brewing Company in Nashua N.H. who without his vision this beer never would have come to fruition. Greg has made 2011 'the year of the wood" at Martha's as he's using various types of wood including cedar and Douglas fir. The Hatchet Job is a beer designed with one purpose in mind, to showcase wood,in this case cherry wood. Starting with a base of Maris Otter pale malt then adding touches of Vienna, Melanoidin,Oat Malt and De-husked Carafa III this beer leans towards a copper-brown color with complex and full malt flavor. Hopped to balance and allow the cherry wood to come through with subtle fruit and mellow tannin. Checking in at 6.1 % ABV The Hatchet Job takes charge with is toasted bread-like malt body, fruity wood notes and dry finish.
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