Saison Day!

Today, I'm brewing a Saison.  (Pronounced SAY-zahn)

Though not very common in the U.S., it is a favorite style of mine. 

Traditionally, it was brewed to quench the thirst of Belgian farm workers, and was brewed to very low strength (around 3.8% alcohol by volume).  It is also referred to as a Belgian Farmhouse Ale.

Saisons are an orange to amber hued ale which use a special yeast strain giving them a fruity, spicy character.

Sparing no expense crafting this beer, I am using imported Belgian Pilsener malt:

Okay, I lied a little.  There is one expense I spared.  This recipe uses a product called Belgian Candi Syrup.  This is basically a sugar which has been "inverted" or broken down chemically into simpler sugars.  Candi syrup can run about $4-5 per pound and I am using about 35 pounds of it.

I can invert my own sugar through a very simple process.  Regular cane sugar is mixed with a little water, a tiny bit of citric acid and brought to a boil.  The heat and acid break the chemical bond of sucrose (table sugar) into the simpler sugars glucose and fructose.  If you boil this mixture for a long time, the color will continually darken until it is almost black like molasses.  For this beer, I want "clear" Candi syrup, so as soon as it reached a boil, I quickly cooled it off.  I'm left with this:

It is the consistency of corn sugar and tastes a lot like honey.

Finally the last "special" ingredient is curacao orange peel which will add a bit of bitterness and a nice "orangey" flavor.

This seasonal will be available in July.  In the meantime, the Number Nine IPA is getting raves.  Stop and get some before it's gone.

You'll almost never see this....

Three Empty Fermenters??!

Yeah, this doesn't happen very often.

As commercial brewers will tell you, there is a constant juggling act in the brewery.  Consumption and yeast health dictate when and what I will brew next.  Different seasons bring different trends in people's drinking habits.  Sometimes a monthly seasonal beer will cause a drop in consumption of a different beer.

Fear not.  These fermenters will not be empty for long.  Today, I'm brewing our Amber, tomorrow will be a Saison (more on that later) and Friday will be our Weissebier.

Another Weekend, Another Beer Festival

It's a year of "firsts" for me.  The first anniversary of the Brewery, almost my first full year as Brewmaster at same brewery, first homebrew contest, the first time I tried brewing three lagers in a row, tying up one of my fermenters for over three months!

Luckily, I am also involved in serveral other "firsts".  The first of these Firsts is the "First Annual Milwaukee Firkin Craft Beer Festival." 

What's a firkin, you may ask?  A firkin is a type of beer cask, normally about one fourth of a British barrel, or nine gallons.  Firkins are usually cask-conditioned, meaning secondary fermentation takes place inside the firkin, resulting in a low-carbonated ale.  They are often served at cellar temperature, and are dispensed either via gravity or with a "beer engine"--essentially, a pump.  You may have seen these at some bars:

My goal is to get a couple of firkins over at St. Francis and install a beer engine behind the bar.  It is interesting to have cask-conditioned versions of your house beers available to compare.

Anyway, I will be representing the brewery at Firkin Fest this Saturday at Cathedral Square in downtown Milwaukee.  This festival celebrates Milwaukee's extensive brewing tradition.

For details or tickets, please click this link:  http://milwaukeefirkin.com/

In Cleveland, We Called it "Cornhole"....

You know what I'm talking about. 

No, not that!

The game a.k.a. Bags, Beanbags, Beanbag Toss, Tailgate Toss, etc.

Leagues are forming now at the Brewery.  Here are the details:

• 
  
  Two-person teams
• 
  
  $15 per person
• 
  
  Once per week:  Sundays at 3:00, Mondays at 6:30 or Tuesdays at 6:30
• 
  
  Leagues begin 6/20 and run through 8/21
• 
  
  Great prizes for the winning teams

Hope to see you there!

Tapping this Wednesday!

If you're a Mug Clubber, come on down to the brewery Wednesday, June 9 at 7:30 pm.  I will be tapping the "Number Nine IPA".  This is the homebrew contest winner, David Skreczko's recipe. 

Why "Number Nine?"  It was the 9th entry into the contest, and we happened to choose the 9th as the tapping date.  Plus, when a bunch of people ask for them, it will sound like that Beatles song!

If the weather holds, I plan on moving the tapping to the patio.

Not in the Mug Club?  No problem.  Come on into the brewery on Thursday, June 10 to try this winning beer.

World of Beer 2010 Wrap-Up

Cheers!

Well, the World of Beer festival came to a close Saturday evening.  Over 500 folks enjoyed beer from hundreds of area breweries.  I featured our Weissbier, Amber and Pilsner to many wonderful comments.

Here are a few photos of the event:

Grain Delivery Day

I really ought to work on my forearms.

About every month and a half we get our grain delivery.  All of our malt is bagged.  The delivery service drops off the palattes at our warehouse, and I get to break them up and move them by hand to their appropriate spots.  Today, it was just under two tons of grain.

Who needs Bally's??

P.S.  Don't forget, this Saturday is the Milwaukee Beer Barons "World of Beer" festival.  I'll be there serving St. Francis deliciousness.  Look in my archives for further information.