When the Fat Tire yeast became available I bought some up, but hadn't decided what I wanted to make with it. Because Fat Tire is finally available in the cities, I didn't really want to make a clone since I can just go get the real stuff. I had toyed with making the Big Ticket Brown Ale in honor of Kevin Garnett, but have decided instead to use it to make a winter ale.
I found a recipe in Charlie Papazian's Microbrewed Adventures book for the Alaskan Brewing Company's Winter Ale. I had this beer over Thanksgiving and thought it was awesome. It's lighter than most winter ales and is brewed with spruce tips. I don't know if I can find any spruce tips, so I think I'm just going to go with the spruce essence extract available at Northern Brewer. I think it'll be good. I'll post the recipe once I make it.
Up next however is my La Libertad, a west coast pale ale using Northern Brewer and Cascade hops.
Anyways, Happy New Year
-The Bearded Brewer
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Winter Ale
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4 comments:
I would not use the spruce essence. I have used it in the past and VERY few people liked the brew. However, when I used fresh spruce tips, many loved it.
In a few weeks you will see the fresh spruce buds growing, and as they break out of the bud they are short and very light green...this is when to get them.
Put in near the end of the boil so as to sanitize, yet not lose all of the flavor...
You will be surprised at how good this tastes.
..Darrell
leavitdg@plattsburgh.edu
Darrell,
Thanks for the posting. I haven't posted my impressions of this beer because it has taken along time to mellow out. I used 2 tsps of extract in a 3 gallon batch and it was way too much. There is a real medicinal essence to the beer that is off putting. Next time around I will try the real spruce tips because it sounds like they may be the way to go.
Thanks!
I am motivated to try a Spruce ale again myself...
I think that if we keep the hops on the low side (20 ibu at the most) then the spruce will come out. As I recall, the last time I brewed this it was a handfull of spruce tips at 30 minutes into the 1.5 hour boil, then the same at 60, then another handfull at 15. I believe that it is the late additions that are most important.
Good luck with yours...and let us know if you brew this with the real tips...
...Darrell
take a look at these new tips...I am going to look for some...
//Darrell
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2425427950066796437uxTDfl
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