The story of an eisbock has a potential beginning, though seemingly steeped in legend. It is said that a German brewery worker in 1890 was ordered one winter evening to bring a batch of newly brewed Bock inside at the end of a long day. Tired and alone, he decided that leaving the beer outside for the night would do no harm. Returning to work the next day, the head brewer discovered that, after a particularly frigid night, the beer had frozen solid. […]
Other Styles
Authentic Christmas Ale
I’ve heard people refer to certain styles of beer as a Christmas ale or winter beer, the real style being referred to is a winter warmer. These are sometimes spiced, and by sometimes, I feel like a lot are. […]
Hodgepodge “Pale Ale”
Every once in a while I feel like getting weird…actually I like getting weird all the time. However, this beer may have surpassed them all in that I decided to brew a beer not planning the recipe or entering any numbers into a program ahead of time. Comfortable about it? No. Still enjoyed it? Yes. […]
Saison with Wood Chips
The use of wood with brewing goes back a ways. Aside from the use of barrels for fermentation and storage, back centuries ago, like Middle Ages centuries ago, certain places around the world would heat their mash and boil wort in wooden vats using hot rocks, the reason being direct fire would burn the wood they were using. This resulting brew became known as “steinbeer.” […]
Raw Ale Attempt #2
This is my second attempt at a raw ale. The first one was a complete disaster, from the brew day, to the fermentation. But I’m a new brewer this time. To quote the great Dr. Seuss: “And will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed).” […]
Jalapeño Pale Ale
I like beers with some heat to it, especially if I can taste the flavors with which the heat is providing. I made a beer a while ago with paprika and it was dog poopie. Way too hot and one dimensional. On the other side of that, I was in Charlotte, NC in August, and had a jalapeño beer from Birdsong Brewery that was a wonderful balance of pepper with mild heat. […]
Peated Hoppy Rye Strong…Thing
I occasionally like to do one of those brew days where nothing is planned. I either go to the home brew store and buy grain, hops, and yeast on the fly, or use whatever I have around the “brew house”…though the later rarely happens because I brew exactly the amounts I buy for most of the time. Regardless of my usual perfect planning, this was one of those beers done on the fly, and with leftover malt I had! […]