Original Cinn: Cinnamon Vanilla Porter

A few home brew club meetings ago one of the Triune founding members posed a challenge to the group in which each member would brew a beer using the same ingredient (a la Iron Chef, or "Iron Brewer" as it were). Although club members profess varying levels of desire to experiment with their home brew, all agreed that an Iron Brewer competition could be very interesting. It would help some of them branch out in their experimentation, while allowing the rest of us to tap into our desire to win bragging rights of "best brewer."

We each put the name of an ingredient in a hat, which we later discovered included things such as fish sauce, pubic hair, bugs, and curry power (see future post). Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your ilk), the ingredient drawn from the hat was cinnamon. This ingredient would prove to be every bit of the challenge intended by the club member that created the challenge. Cinnamon, at first blush, may seem a bit pedestrian. We think of it as a "sweet" or "warm" spice in our baked goods or as a scent in candles, but infrequently if ever consider its phenolic, medicinal, bitter, woody, or tannic characteristics. It seemed to me that it would be this "darker" side of cinnamon that, depending on how it is applied, may come forward in a beer.

In a perfect world my first thoughts of recipe construction of a cinnamon beer would attempt to pair the cinnamon with other ingredient(s) to complement desirable flavor/aroma characteristics and suppress undesirable ones. We don't live in a perfect world, however, but in one where the victor gets the spoils and the privilege of writing popular history. Therefore, my thoughts began to coalesce into:  "How can I shock and awe them?" "How can I brew a beer that will strip from their taste buds any lasting memory of the beers that precede or follow mine?" So I began thinking along the lines of adding other outlandish ingredients:  hot peppers, coffee, fruit, etc. I had even created a cream ale recipe that would employ the use of a syrup made from cinnamon Red Hots. I've had some success with this tactic in the past (the shock and awe strategy), so I thought it could be the way to go once more.

There remained a part of me, however, that was unsatisfied with bastardizing the genuine (and, potentially, lovely) characteristics of cinnamon for my own, personal gain. I wanted to highlight the glory that cinnamon could be without forcing it to conform to my plans for home brew club domination. The actual recipe that resulted was an attempt to meld a few significant flavor combinations without making the beer too busy and overwhelming. (That said, there are quite a few different malts in this beer. It is not a simplistic grain bill.) In my mind, cinnamon seemed to be a good match for a bit of chocolate, a bit of roast, and the softening powers of vanilla. I have experienced all of these flavors individually, or in some combination, in darker beers, namely porters. My cinnamon porter would need to be mashed at a higher temperature to encourage the soft mouth feel I desired, and to discourage any harsh flavors that might be extracted from the cinnamon. In addition, I included some honey malt in the grist to increase residual sweetness (accentuating the cinnamon yet again) and to add mouthfeel. I also wanted the beer to have above average strength to stand up to the warmth of the cinnamon as well as the chilling cold weather my neck of the woods has endured this season. Please enjoy the resulting recipe and pictures below.

Original Cinn:  Cinnamon Vanilla Porter (Est. OG:  1.075; 32 BUs)

Grist:

1# Pilsen Light DME
7.25# Maris Otter
1.25 Biscuit Malt
1# U.S. 2-Row
1# White Wheat Malt
.5# Carafa III (525 SRM)
.5# Chocolate Malt (350 SRM)
.5# Honey Malt
.25# Black Patent Malt (500 SRM)
-Yes, I know that's 9 different malts. It was a bit of a grain bin cleansing recipe. Most of my recipe formulation process revolved around leftover grains I had on hand and asking, "What kind of beer can I make with that...and put cinnamon in it?"

Hops:

1 oz. East Kent Goldings (Leaf; 5.0% AU)-90 min. first wort hops; 17.2 calc. BUs
1 oz. Styrian Goldings (Pellet; 5.0% AU)-45 min.; 14.9 calc. BUs

Yeast:

2 Sachets Nottingham Ale Yeast

Cinnamon/Vanilla:

1 stick in boil (30 min.)
1 stick in primary
3 sticks in secondary (1 ground in spice/coffee mill; 2 whole) 7-10 days
1 vanilla bean split and scooped in secondary; 7-10 days

Procedures:

Mash @ 156; 50 min.
Mashout @ 168; 10 min
Boil 90 min.

-A beautiful Autumn brewday

-Setting up

And we're mashing...

-Lautering/First wort hops

-Boiling/Chiller at the ready

-Chilling

-OG:  ~1.072

-Racking to secondary

-More cinnamon!

-In a pint glass

-In a snifter

You may be wondering who won the competition. I am sad to inform you that my Original Cinn Porter got second place to a Christmas beer, a slightly tart old ale that was very nicely balanced and well received. Voter judgment may have been compromised by its high alcohol content and warming mouthfeel, not to mention we were meeting in its brewer's home that evening. (Go figure!) Runner-up out of six entries was a good showing, I felt. Of the six beers, only four received votes. Each of those four beers was a good example in its own right, but only first and second place made best use of the "Iron ingredient" (one homebrewer's opinion). Lower scoring brewers either overestimated the flavor potency of their cinnamon, brewed beers whose extra ingredients minimized the cinnamon's perception in the overall flavor profile, or were very new to brewing (extract "twang") and will be likely to improve as they continue to gain brewing experience.

Overall, I view the competition as a success and look forward to future Iron Brewer competitions. These competitions may even become a platform on which to build brewing and tasting skills, with brewers each brewing a given style category, etc. I would also like to see the voting process evolve into a more sophisticated ordeal with "official" scoring sheets that yield meaningful feedback for the brewer. Also, a traveling trophy will be essential. Club members are invited to comment on their experience of the competition, as well as make suggestions for future competitions. Well, that's enough babbling. Until next time, Be Fermentive!

Pulled Pork. No Smoker

Don't let me trick you into thinking that roasted meat sans smoker can be made to taste the same as roasted meat avec smoker. Many other(s) have shared exhortations on the art of smoking all manner of thing. It is definitely possible, however, to prepare excellent pulled pork in a conventional oven that approximates that of smoked pork, albeit without the smoke flavor a smoker imparts.

Why bother slow-roasting pork in your oven instead of in an outdoor smoker? Maybe you don't have time or patience to manage your smoker setup all day. Maybe you don't want to smell like smoke or breathe smoke all day. Maybe it's cold, wet, or both outside. Maybe you don't like the idea of ingesting carcinogenic char. There are all sorts of reasons. But I know what you do want:  pulled pork! Here's how you do it (or, how I do it).

Ingredients

-1 pork loin roast (or roast of your choice)
-Enough dry rub of your choice to cover outer surface of meat
   -many rub variations are possible, but, generally speaking, rubs consist of some variation of 1 part sugar (white, brown, or other), 1 part salt, herbs/spices to taste (including but not limited to:  onion/garlic powder, black pepper, red/hot pepper, sweet spices, paprika/sweet powdered peppers). Wet marinades are also, of course in bounds, which may include liquid smoke if desired.
-garlic cloves

Equipment

Pan/baking sheet with with sides to contain any juices
Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Small kitchen knife
Conventional oven set to 250F-265F.

Preparations

1. Completely thaw meat (if frozen)
2. Dry meat/remove excess moisture with paper towels
3. Marinate meat (if desired)
4. Re-dry meat
5. Set atop enough foil to wrap meat and seal ends by crimping foil
6. Using knife, cut garlic clove-sized slits (approx. every 2") in top of meat deeply enough  that garlic will not be visible
7. Insert garlic cloves into slits.
8. Spread dry-rub over meat, and "rub" into surface. In a perfect world, the rub will be allowed to marinate the meat for a time before roasting, but this delay of your gratification is optional.
9. Wrap meat in foil and crimp tightly at ends of loin.
10. Place in oven (250F-265F) on pan/baking sheet for the entire day.

I prepare the meat before going to work in the early A.M. and take it out when I get home in mid-late evening. The low cooking temperature should reduce the chance of boiling over, catching fire, or over-cooking. The long, low-temp cooking method creates a tenderness identical to smoked, pulled pork, and the foil-wrapping encourages caramelization of the outer layer of the meat which a moist crock-pot discourages. Foil wrapping also retains enough moisture so that the meat is not dry.

Here are more pics of the final product. I apologize for my lack of preparation pictures, but hopefully my instructions are thorough enough that pictures are not needed.

Here are my leftovers as well as my unwashed baking pan. Notice how clean it is.

Enjoy! Be Fermentive!

Hop Harvest Ale: Brewday & Recipe

Seems that just a few weeks ago (as it happens this time of year), with the advent of the hop harvest, fresh hopped beers were all the rage. This is not to say that they are not and would not be all the rage if there were still fresh hops to be had. In my neck of the woods, however, there are no longer any fresh hops to be had. The changing of the seasons ushers us from the Marzen-Vienna-Oktoberfests, pale ales, and lagers of Summer and early Fall into the stouts, porters, DIPAs, and barleywines of impending Winter. Enter the Harvest Ale, a beer of autumnal tradition that has historically used freshly harvested ingredients. This traditional style does not have to be particularly hoppy, though most commercial fresh hop beers seem to be more hop forward.

I wanted to create a beer along these same lines with my fresh Chinook and Nugget hops, a low-gravity, session pale ale. Because I had to travel 3 hours one-way to harvest my hops, I had no desire to deal with the time and logistics required for an all-grain brew. Instead, I opted for extract. Originally, I had it in mind to make a double IPA, but decided even that would be too involved. A very simple recipe resulted.

Before I get into the recipe, I want to give credit to my friends, Galen & Archie Strole, who took care of my hops after I moved from Illinois to Michigan this Summer. I also got their help with harvesting the hops for this beer, as well as the use of some of their equipment for the brewing of this beer. I got to Illinois late afternoon on brewday and met Galen & Archie. Apparently a storm was brewing to the north, so we got right to work harvesting the hops. Here are some pics of the storm and our harvesting efforts. The pics don't really do justice to the weather, but notice how dark some of the pics are as well as how blurry. We were really trying to work quickly and dodge lightning bolts as we picked hop cones next to 18 ft. vertical steel poles.

For this recipe, my goal was to use a small bittering charge, and throw in a whole bunch of fresh hops at the end for a hop stand. I picked half a 5-gallon bucket full of cones, mostly Chinook and a few Nuggets.

Here is a nice pic of my hop stand:

We had a few homebrews during the boil. Here's one of my Pilsners:

And one of their cranberry wheat beers (I think. I know it was some kind of fruit. Like I said, we had a few homebrews.):

After the hop stand, it was time to chill down the wort.

Here is the recipe:

Hop Harvest Ale:

5 gallon batch; OG: 1.045; ABV: 3.9%; BU: 45 (not including isomerization of hop oils during hop stand)

Extract:

3.3# Light LME
3.3# Amber LME

Hops:

1.00 oz. Simcoe (13.2%) FWH (first wort hop) @ 60 min.
approx. a 1/2 full 5-gallon bucket fresh picked Chinook and Nugget hop cones
0.50 oz. Citra (14.1%) Dry-hop 7 days

Yeast:

Fermentis US-05

Procedures:

Add one can LME as water comes to a boil. Add second can LME with 15 min. remaining (to get better hop utilization). Add first wort hops right away. Boil 60 minutes. Add fresh hops at flameout. Let steep covered for 30 minutes. Chill wort to pitching temperature. Ferment in the low-to-mid 60sF. Add dry hop charge in secondary or when primary fermentation is complete.

I'll save the boring tasting notes for another beer. You've sucked on a fresh C-hop cone, right? It tastes kinda like that. Citrus, pine, mango, bitter, spice, low-carbed cool, soft refreshment. Until next time, Be Fermentive!

Jaden James Brewery: The Little Brewery That Does

In my ongoing series of posts exploring Grand Rapids area breweries I have tried to discover each brewery's unique attributes. Jaden James microbrewery has been one of my more surprising finds. At first blush, one would not even recognize this "urban winery," microbrewery, tasting room, and home vintner/brewing supplies retailer for what it is. Located in a commercial/industrial park, it is non-descript save some white lettering that reads, "Cascade Winery," on the front of the suite facing a four-lane, divided highway near the Gerald R. Ford Airport. In the smallish tasting room, patrons stand around a U-shaped bar or sit at a few adjacent tables. Award winning wines, glassware, decor, and accessories are also available for sale in this area. A bookable party room with many more tables and another room with home vintner and brewing supplies is located off the main tasting room. Wines are poured at the bar and beer is served from taps in a kitchen behind the main bar. Decor is somewhat spartan, but includes wine-related signs and a hand-painted mural of various grape varietals.

Though I cannot fully vouch for their wine (not my area, but what I've had, including a chocolate and jalapeno wine, yes, that's right jalapeno wine, was tasty), their beer is quite good. For it's size, Jaden James brewery makes some of the best ales and lagers I have tried in the greater GR area. I introduced myself to one of the owners, Bob, who aspires to "have the smallest brewery in Michigan." Jaden James' beer is only available at the brewery, served in glasses, howlers, or growlers. Rose, another owner, manages the bar and is great to chat with. There is also Roger, who makes wine and cider, runs marathons, and does some of the brewing. There is also a brewer who does most of the brewing (I believe), but I have not met him. From what I've gathered on several visits, they have a 2-barrel brewhouse and have genuine lagering capabilities (the Oktoberfest and Black Lager are both very nice). Regular offerings include a Gluten-free beer, Cream Ale, one or two lagers, an India Pale Ale (90 IBUs and as good as I've had in these parts), four flavors of hard cider, and a root beer. Rotating and seasonal offerings I've enjoyed include a Rye IPA, India Brown Ale, Little Full Lotta Sap (a tree beer brewed with a pine branch; sounds strange, but pretty good), and a Russian Stout (their most popular beer and very good).

I see Jaden James/Cascade Winery as a great place to go if you are a beginner to the world of craft beer, or to take friends who like wine or cider but aren't sure about beer. This place has it all, and it's all good. When I have been in attendance, I've seen several parties of Groupon-ers come and go. So, because it's a small place and infrequently crowded, it can be fun to listen to what people are saying about what they are drinking. Unlike other places I've been in the city, there is a very low (or non-existent) snob factor to tarnish the drinking experience. Jaden James has Happy Hour on Thursdays 4-8 with $1 off 12 oz. and 16 oz. beers. Rose frequently offers free pretzels to snack on, but chips, crackers, cheese, and salsa are also available for sale. Tuesdays are $2 off growler fills, which I've taken advantage of once so far. I have a lot of my own beer at home to drink though, so I doubt I'll be indulging much in the near future. Overall, Jaden James seems to be my kind of place. Great beer, cider, and wine; a bright, cheery atmosphere; friendly owners, employees, and patrons; and, a convenient location and prices that keep me coming back. Here's some pics of some of their beer and cider in action.

International Stout Day: A Recipe and Tasting Notes

So apparently today is "International Stout Day," whatever that means. I guess, for me, that means I'm going to post a stout recipe. But not just any stout recipe. A great big ol' Smoked Rosemary Russian Imperial Stout. It's quite a mouth full. That's what she said? This was back when I brewed with less restraint, so the original beer included grain, LME, honey, and the boiled down third runnings of another (now forgotten) dark beer (there's also enough oats to make it an oatmeal stout). As such, some of the ingredient types and amounts are estimates. I will not be offended (much) by your substitutions or omissions. Enjoy!

Smoked Rosemary Russian Imperial Stout-5 gallon batch

Est. OG:  1.120  BU:  50  13.2% ABV

Grist:

5.5# Maris Otter
3# Flaked Oats
3# Cherry wood smoked malt
2# White wheat malt
.75# Crystal 80
.75# Roasted Barley
.50# Chocolate wheat malt
2# Pilsner LME
1# Amber LME
1# Honey (secondary)
Hops (spices):

3 oz. Willamette (5.5%) @ 60 min.
1 oz. Willamette (5.5%) @ 5 min.
5 g. Fresh rosemary @ 5 min.
1 approx. 5 in. sprig fresh rosemary (secondary)

Yeast:

Safale S-04 English Ale Yeast (make a large starter or use multiple sachets)

Procedures:

Beta glucanase rest @ 118F for 15 min.
Protein rest @ 122F for 20 min
Saccharification rest @ 154F for 40 min.

I achieved these steps by adding volumes of hot water, but one could also achieve similar results by increasing the full mash temp via RIMS, HERMS, direct heat, etc.

For the oats:  Buy bulk "old-fashioned" oats from grocery or natural/health food store, etc. Spray with water so they are rather damp, but not soupy. Put oats in oven safe bag (turkey bag) and seal tightly. Place in oven at 140F-160F for 30-40 min. Remove oats. Spread on cookie sheet(s). Place in oven at ~300F until golden brown. This method gives them an almost oatmeal cookie flavor and adds complexity to the beer.

Tasting Notes:

I brewed this beer the end of January 2012, so that makes this last bottle (I think, anyway) roughly 1 year, 8 months old. Early on, I recall the beer being quite cough syrup-y (from the smoked malt) and medicinal (the rosemary didn't diminish that). It's rather bitter, too, so the roasted malt had to work quite hard to push through. Definitely more of a "hey, taste this crazy, over-the-top beer I brewed" beer than an enjoyable, sip-it-slowly-because-you-want-it-to-last beer. The alcohol was hot, the flavors too bold, the hops too forward. With age, however, let's just say the beer is still all of those things, but SO much better.

Appearance-DARK brown, with reddish highlights at the edge of the glass. Despite rather high carbonation, a 3/4"-1" medium-bubbled head compacts to a lasting 1/2" tan head that clings to the glass in sticky lacing.

Smell-spicy, molasses cookie, sweet, low alcohol aroma, menthol, almost Andes mint chocolate but not quite.

Taste-still cough syrup-y, but not nearly as much as in the past; that can't-quite-put-my-finger-on-it Christmas-y, spicy but not cinnamon or ginger flavor, perhaps some woody elements; slight carbonic bite; bitter, dark chocolate; roasted malt; hops come through, but fairly well-balanced after the cherry fades; flavors linger.

Mouthfeel-Beautifully soft despite the high carbonation; silky, viscous, mouth-coating; warming in back of throat; pleasant tongue tingle.

Overall-I'm quite pleased with how this has aged. The body has lightened, but a softness remains. The flavors have married and are balanced, with cherry smoke being more forward. This beer is not for everyone, but (in fairness) my wife seems to enjoy it just fine. At this age, it is also dangerous. Light enough to be quaffable for a big beer, but hides its 13.2% like a 6%-8% beer. Try it! You might like it! Be Fermentive!

Blog Re-post from Homebrewfinds.com: BIAB (Brew in a Bag)

Here's a really nice easy to follow blog post from Homebrewfinds.com about BIAB (Brew in a Bag) brewing. Something I may be considering soon. FYI, Hombrewfinds.com is a really great site/blog. They keep up with all the latest homebrewing deals and trends. It's a valuable bookmark. I should be publishing some new posts soon on a variety of topics. Take care and Be Fermentive!

Brewery Vivant

I pulled up to Brewery Vivant a few weeks ago after visiting O'Connors Homebrew Supply Store for some acid malt. The brewery and pub occupies the historic former Metcalf Funeral Home in the trendy (and equally historic) East Hills neighborhood just east of downtown Grand Rapids. Largely unassuming, one fails to realize what activity lies behind the large, wooden "chapel" doors until broaching the threshold of a venue which, in years past, bore witness to eulogies and darkly-clad mourners. Only much later, after having got all caught up in the reverie of quaffing Belgian-style pale ale under stone arches and roughly hewn wooden trusses out of a glass illuminated by stained-glass windows, did I recognize the poetry of juxtaposing Brewery Vivant (French for "to be living") with an old funeral parlor. The pub does, indeed, live in the chapel, furnished with long, wooden tables and benches, and high-backed booths in the transepts. The bar, encased in marble, is a great, wooden, U-shaped elbow rest about where an altar might be positioned. Behind the bar, the bartender works tirelessly serving patrons as a minister might bless, break, and serve sacraments to parishioners of a Sunday morning communion service. Although I did not try any food during my visit, one can be assured that any of Brewery Vivant's artisanal, house-made offerings easily make the Body and Blood of Christ seem like the flat wafer and cheap juice that they are. The place appears to be frequented by a significant majority of hipster types (as one might guess), but the clientele also includes humorous businessman naive to craft beer, couples, groups of capri-wearing girlfriends in Crocs, curiously austere-looking retirees, and pacifists in Birkenstocks. It is the type of place that truly lives up to the dismissive explanation, "you had to be there." So, I encourage you to go "be" there. The beer is good, mainly Belgian in inspiration if you've got a yen for a nice saison or dubbel. Enjoy these pics.