Homebrew Update - 3.4.09

I have never posted about my homebrewing adventures on this blog, but I figured I'd include it.

Today, I racked my Raspberry Lambic into a new carboy and added some new oak chips to it. I have a new batch of Brettanomyces (sp?) on its way, so I'll start a secondary fermentation with that. For those that don't know, "Brett" is one of the cultures that is used in brewing sour ales. It adds what is best described as a "Wet Horse Blanket" quality to a beer. Now, I know that alot of you probably don't think that that sounds good, but trust me, when it works with the beer, it can be divine.

I started the beer as a basic wheat beer, using a combination of wheat and pale malt extract. I also used artificially aged hops for it. You want to use aged hops so that their bittering qualities have died down. For this style, you want the hops more for their preservative qualities than for their bittering qualities. To do this, I baked the hops in an oven for 30 minutes, then left them out in the open for a couple of days. Not the best way to do it, but if you don't have a couple of years to actually age the hops, its at least quick.

Then, in primary fermentation, I used a Belgian Witbier yeast strain. It added some fruity esters, but not a whole lot. The lack of coriander and orange peel definitely kept those qualities to a minimum. Anyway, after primary, I racked into secondary. In secondary I added 6 pounds of Raspberry puree, oaks chips that had been soaked in Sherry for a week, and a Lambic culture blend that included Brett and three others. That was in October.

So, today I racked over to yet another fermenter. I'll add the next Brett strain on Sunday when I get back home from Saint Louis. Then, the beer will age for another 6 months or so. That will make this beer, all told, about a year long project. But, I grabbed a small "barrel sample", and I think after those six months, this beer could be something very special. It is starting to get a very nice tartness and a very, very earthy nose to it.

So, that's it. I'll keep you all updated on the progress. And, if anyone wants to try it once its done, I will have plenty. Also, hopefully Fitz and I will get back in the swing of brewing soon and I'll more brews to report on. Until later, cheers, all.