// API callback
related_results_labels_thumbs({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$blogger":"http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643"},"updated":{"$t":"2025-05-10T10:56:29.768-04:00"},"category":[{"term":"Mad Fermentationist"},{"term":"Beer"},{"term":"Tasting"},{"term":"Brett\/Sour"},{"term":"Recipe"},{"term":"All-Grain"},{"term":"Fruit"},{"term":"Poll Result"},{"term":"Barrel Aged"},{"term":"Stout"},{"term":"Modern Times"},{"term":"IPA"},{"term":"Saison"},{"term":"Smoke"},{"term":"NEIPA"},{"term":"Book Review"},{"term":"Lager"},{"term":"100% Brett"},{"term":"Porter"},{"term":"Wine"},{"term":"Mead\/Honey"},{"term":"Weird\/Other"},{"term":"Dark Saison"},{"term":"Bread\/Sourdough"},{"term":"American Sour Beer Book"},{"term":"Rant"},{"term":"Gruit"},{"term":"Sapwood Cellars"},{"term":"Weizen"},{"term":"Coffee"},{"term":"Fermentationette"},{"term":"Kvass"},{"term":"Travel"},{"term":"Vegetable"},{"term":"Beer Math"},{"term":"Foraged"},{"term":"Hard Cider"},{"term":"Craft Brewing"},{"term":"Farmer's Market"},{"term":"Flowers"},{"term":"Sake"},{"term":"Extract"},{"term":"Beer Pairing"},{"term":"Cheese"},{"term":"Kombucha"},{"term":"Vinegar"},{"term":"Charcuterie"},{"term":"Pickles\/Sauerkraut"},{"term":"State of the Blog"},{"term":"Tree"},{"term":"Yogurt"},{"term":"BIAB"},{"term":"Collaboration"},{"term":"Ginger Beer Plant"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Mad Fermentationist - Homebrewing Blog"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"A record of my successes and failures with all things fermentable (aimed at people who have at least a basic knowledge of beer brewing). While I focus on beer and sour ales especially (Lambics, Flemish Reds, Berliner Weisse, as well as my own creations), I also touch on many other fermented beverages and foods including sourdough bread, charcuterie, sake, wine, mead, not to mention cooking in general."},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/-\/Mad+Fermentationist?alt=json-in-script\u0026max-results=5"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/search\/label\/Mad%20Fermentationist"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/-\/Mad+Fermentationist\/-\/Mad+Fermentationist?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=6\u0026max-results=5"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07379932734747507258"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"24","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCZU_tvtMjQbxLZN516l14I1C8GT9fZ2IlyLxXrFbSRlRx08oE3hoBM5mYCtdohvosXovcJMZFY5FwM9JcqTqBqeRdsQk8EYieT7J7d3C0YxgeM37HFnztZ-gPP_RHm2E\/s1600\/*"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"812"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"5"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-1030330227932626239"},"published":{"$t":"2024-08-09T10:11:00.009-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-08-09T10:27:51.622-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mad Fermentationist"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Stout"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tasting"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vinegar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Wine"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Inventing Cocktails Inspired by Craft Beer"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg9K0Dw6xWsFMcqK-0pbRBhlFnVEIkEBh6zrLPNb_3uPmhBnVchpia9cl_VUMEXDBYiyt3rNiFUbDaEmUSWWm4OmN5R-mzKMC9kWoPvli8ZoELM7Cbhd3aVbjgX2-9-u8ysad72hJid6S7-q_8Vh2uhmCPR8KOqNtBxtw_yU6rAtjJzt8XMCQjvEM9SVQ0\/s4032\/Rum%20Cocktails.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"4032\" data-original-width=\"3024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg9K0Dw6xWsFMcqK-0pbRBhlFnVEIkEBh6zrLPNb_3uPmhBnVchpia9cl_VUMEXDBYiyt3rNiFUbDaEmUSWWm4OmN5R-mzKMC9kWoPvli8ZoELM7Cbhd3aVbjgX2-9-u8ysad72hJid6S7-q_8Vh2uhmCPR8KOqNtBxtw_yU6rAtjJzt8XMCQjvEM9SVQ0\/w480-h640\/Rum%20Cocktails.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;\"\u003EAs someone with a \"beer-centric\" palate, it is often difficult for me to find cocktails that I enjoy. When I go to a cocktail bar and order something that sounds interesting, the flavors are often overwhelmingly concentrated, and the balance tends to be either super-sweet or super-boozy. The 20-30+% ABV of most cocktails also makes them rough to drink at the same rate you would a beer...\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;\"\u003ESo, I thought it would be interesting to invent a few cocktails inspired by the balance and flavors of some of my favorite beer styles. If you want to drink something that tastes exactly like a beer… drink a beer! These cocktails are “inspired” by the flavors in the style and the overall balance of the style in terms of alcohol-bitterness-sweetness, they aren’t meant to be “ringers” for drinking a given beer. I'm also trying to avoid \"uncommon\" ingredients... although some of these may take a little searching at a specialty grocery\/liquor store or online. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;\"\u003EI’m not an experienced bartender or mixologist, if you try one of these let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhKx3EMyz4nevUXrhm37lrRpaalSUWwAX670e21RfBfKqTnmODKtbjxfO_oNnyItfZl7SA6vAHj1t0wrPjEreWKBPSlyx1whZyd_hJPeF0Zzj949kCcLepL8enuHmw3AXsf30AnghdDbkhNgX7UDu7yfxgLiB85a0hXH_F5z1E9PuBriPDq6rWTyMH_DmI\/s2728\/Hazy%20Gin%20and%20Tonic.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2672\" data-original-width=\"2728\" height=\"626\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhKx3EMyz4nevUXrhm37lrRpaalSUWwAX670e21RfBfKqTnmODKtbjxfO_oNnyItfZl7SA6vAHj1t0wrPjEreWKBPSlyx1whZyd_hJPeF0Zzj949kCcLepL8enuHmw3AXsf30AnghdDbkhNgX7UDu7yfxgLiB85a0hXH_F5z1E9PuBriPDq6rWTyMH_DmI\/w640-h626\/Hazy%20Gin%20and%20Tonic.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003ERamos Gin Fizz... Hazy IPA\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EGin and Tonic is my standard cocktail order because it isn't too strong or too sweet, and the bitter\/herbal notes are something I appreciate. I also find Ramos GIn Fizz to be a fun one, with the added body of an egg white and cream, and more citrus from lemon juice and orange blossom water. In this \"Hazy IPA\" inspired riff, I swapped out the tonic for aromatic hop water. To replace the malt sweetness and enhance the juicy flavors from the hops I added orange juice. To keep it from being too one-note orange, I added New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which contains high concentrations of many of the aromatics produced by Thiolized yeast and found in New Zealand hops. An egg white helps to add haze, foam, and body.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecipe\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EIn a shaker, combine:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E1.5 oz Bombay Dry Gin\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E1.25 oz Orange Juice\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E1.25 oz Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E1 Egg White\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EDry shake 10 seconds\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EPour into a glass, then top-up with:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E6 oz Hop Water\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E6.7 % ABV\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EIngredient Notes: The Hop Water you choose is up to you. I've enjoyed the ones from breweries as well as places like Hoplark. You can also make your own with carbonated water and some hop terpenes (I like the ones from Abstrax). Use pasteurized egg white if you are worried about the risk of salmonella. If you don't like orange, try mango or another juice that appeals to you.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETasting Notes\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmell\u003C\/strong\u003E - Winey tropical-citrus. Slight herbal from the hops and gin. Doesn't read obviously juniper. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAppearance\u003C\/strong\u003E - Very pale, very hazy. Great sticky head. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETaste\u003C\/strong\u003E - Pleasantly sweet. Good balance of the juice and wine, without either dominating. The gin provides some depth, but again not overtly gin-y.\u0026nbsp;The hop water brings herbal complexity without dominating the other ingredients with \"hops.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMouthfeel\u003C\/strong\u003E - Medium-light body, light carbonation. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrinkability\u003C\/strong\u003E - Light and bright, citrusy. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"color: black; font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChanges for Next Time\u003C\/strong\u003E - Certainly could add a few drops of hop terpenes if you want to send it more hoppy. Some hopped bitters could be a nice addition if you like a little more bitterness. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiI6KkbYC79w5ugkhqIK_HRRt7E47z5I9q7_XBMpWNAq54OBeqDYqouT8R6dXxfRYeNlLfXF402N55V-SVsjaEkKeXroNRqWLl8HZ6ENBZ3BRllWlcQyhUpm0tSVBAa3R68WU2i1ps1LsiSNDYpWoD9LhTeNFUvrLrUWrMdnluw0d67Ok8t_Jr7ELiEv70\/s2524\/Rye%20Barrel%20Barleywine%20Cocktail.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2148\" data-original-width=\"2524\" height=\"544\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiI6KkbYC79w5ugkhqIK_HRRt7E47z5I9q7_XBMpWNAq54OBeqDYqouT8R6dXxfRYeNlLfXF402N55V-SVsjaEkKeXroNRqWLl8HZ6ENBZ3BRllWlcQyhUpm0tSVBAa3R68WU2i1ps1LsiSNDYpWoD9LhTeNFUvrLrUWrMdnluw0d67Ok8t_Jr7ELiEv70\/w640-h544\/Rye%20Barrel%20Barleywine%20Cocktail.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003EThe Charleston... Rye Barrel English Barleywine\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EThanks to Audrey, I've really come to enjoy fortified wines like Port, Sherry, and especially Madeira. It's traditionally made by halting fermentation with an addition of brandy to preserve the sweetness of the wine, then aged at elevated temperatures. The result is a like a concentrated barrel-aged English barleywine, woody, with dried fruit, and pleasant oxidative notes. I added Rye Whiskey to elevate the vanilla notes. Malta is essentially unfermented wort, but tends to have big caramel and malt extract notes from pasteurization. It helps by lowering the alcohol without thinning the cocktail, adding a little carbonation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecipe\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003ECombine together:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E.5 oz Bulleit Rye (95 Proof) \n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n1 oz Broadbent 10 Year Verdelho Madeira \n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n1 oz H\u0026amp;H 10 Year Sercial Madeira \n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\nStir, then top with:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E2 oz Malta India (or Malta Goya)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n14.0% ABV\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EIngredient Notes: Madeira comes in various sweetness levels, the really sweet ones are too sugary for my tastes in this. Sercial is the driest and Verdelho is off-dry, but find ones that work for your palate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETasting Notes\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmell\u003C\/strong\u003E - The vanilla\/oak of the rye leads. Rich dried fruit behind it. There is some maltiness there, but definitely tastes like a really aged-out barleywine without any fresh graininess. Boozy, hotter than I'd expect from an English barleywine. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAppearance\u003C\/strong\u003E - Deep leathery brown. Good clarity. No head. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETaste \u003C\/strong\u003E- The Maderia really gives it an \"aged\" character, lots of raisin and date. The Sercial especially gives it a fun oxidative weirdness, and a faint acidity. There is a \"sugary\" sweetness, along with some alcohol warmth. Subtle bitterness. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMouthfeel\u003C\/strong\u003E - Almost flat, \"barrel sample\" generously.\u0026nbsp;Not quite as full as a real barleywine, but not watery or thin by any means.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrinkability\u003C\/strong\u003E - This is one of the more evocative ones, really has a lot of the flavors you'd expect from a barrel-aged barleywine. It's a little sweet for me, but so are a lot of barleywines. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"color: black; font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChanges for Next Time\u003C\/strong\u003E - Wish it had a little more carbonation. Otherwise it really satisfies that English Barleywine itch. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgEEygXPt9EKXLokP-F5QgJlFGftCdwWwjsofGxabed7jimJkrBJEVKSmvEPopWMneiGtlKfVEhVydkfzp-6zVFrZolpeNvbVBjkJvbdxbJ5y9Ub3OMvrI73jIvXxMFcuYjrm2gPaKtLWjW6vhvHv6ejVEHCTS9pwEYOFHC6vxXl7wk0zMl8ZAC4ZwdMoA\/s2283\/Flanders%20Red%20Cocktail.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2283\" data-original-width=\"2190\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgEEygXPt9EKXLokP-F5QgJlFGftCdwWwjsofGxabed7jimJkrBJEVKSmvEPopWMneiGtlKfVEhVydkfzp-6zVFrZolpeNvbVBjkJvbdxbJ5y9Ub3OMvrI73jIvXxMFcuYjrm2gPaKtLWjW6vhvHv6ejVEHCTS9pwEYOFHC6vxXl7wk0zMl8ZAC4ZwdMoA\/w614-h640\/Flanders%20Red%20Cocktail.jpg\" width=\"614\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003ESherry Shrub... \u0026nbsp;Flemish Sour Red\/Oud Bruin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EOne of the classic inclusions in the microbe blend for Flemish Red\/Browns (e.g., Wyeast Roeselare) is Sherry Flor. This oxidative yeast forms the pellicle on sherry and produces the characteristics aldehydes that give sherry a nutty\/fruity aroma. Oloroso is more \"microbe\" forward, funkier, while PX is more sweet and dried fruit (especially raisin). The acidity of the grapes needs a little help to mimic the classic examples of the style, so inspired by shrubs I added both vinegar and kombucha. The blend of sherries, sweetness of the kombucha, and amount of vinegar are all variables you can adjust.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecipe\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003ECombine together:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E.5 oz Lustau Oloroso Sherry\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n.5 oz Lustau PX Sherry\n \n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n.25 tsp Balsamic Vinegar\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EStir, then top with:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E3 oz Wild Bay Elderberry Kombucha\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E4.6% ABV\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EIngredient Notes: The kombucha choice is tricky, a cherry kombucha is a nice choice if you are looking to replicate a fruited version of the style. For my palate I'd avoid those kombucha with stevia or other non-sugar sweeteners. Cream Sherry is a blend of Oloroso and PX and could be a stand-alone replacement (although you the flexibility or tweaking your blend).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETasting Notes\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmell\u003C\/strong\u003E - Fun mix of red fruit and raisins. A little oak\/almond. The elderberry works well compared to some other kombuchas since it isn't as distinct as cherry, strawberry et al. I like the Wild Bay since it doesn't have stevia or other non-sugar sweeteners. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAppearance\u003C\/strong\u003E - Clear, more amber than red. Color is about right. Not much foam. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETaste\u003C\/strong\u003E - Pleasantly sweet. Tart, with just a touch of vinegar. It has a good blend of fresh and dried fruit flavors, plum, fig, raisin etc. A little oaky. Has that classic Belgian Red balance with sugar balancing the acid. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMouthfeel\u003C\/strong\u003E - Medium body, pleasant low carbonation.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrinkability\u003C\/strong\u003E - This is a super interesting result for low ABV. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"color: black; font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003EChanges for Next Time\u003C\/strong\u003E - Misses the maltiness of the real version, but it has the fruitiness, acid, oak, age. For a low ABV cocktail it really delivers, with the fermentation of the kombucha helping stretch the Sherry. \n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhjMZTjRyzrgGnEbKDUeMEErf2F4Vptq28khqVmVU9nneUaXsS-V6C0QNqb-eatX35PeFAD8u5OPFkSYojkeOb6tvRLZBsHie1Y1uUh1muvkKMeKufGsDXKg2F9BOMkBGVEY7ODFyE03eEtoZgeQ5nHGh3UNDuUWBcEVFxuuHKhgSHxcZIkocutcfwhyphenhyphenlg\/s3084\/Coffe%20Stout%20Coctail.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2904\" data-original-width=\"3084\" height=\"602\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhjMZTjRyzrgGnEbKDUeMEErf2F4Vptq28khqVmVU9nneUaXsS-V6C0QNqb-eatX35PeFAD8u5OPFkSYojkeOb6tvRLZBsHie1Y1uUh1muvkKMeKufGsDXKg2F9BOMkBGVEY7ODFyE03eEtoZgeQ5nHGh3UNDuUWBcEVFxuuHKhgSHxcZIkocutcfwhyphenhyphenlg\/w640-h602\/Coffe%20Stout%20Coctail.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 class=\"text-build-content\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003EEspresso Martini... Coffee Stout\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EFlavored beers are one of the \"easiest\" points of entry since they already have big flavors that aren't from malt, hops, or yeast. That said, it seemed like a waste of time to make a smoothie sour cocktail. Coffee stout is still a stout, and seemed like a nice place to work in bourbon since it usually includes some barley and brings big oak aromatics that work well in stouts. A little Malta again provides body, sweetness, and a touch of carbonation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecipe\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003ECombine together:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E4 oz Cold Brew Coffee\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E1 oz Kahlua\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E1 oz Bourbon\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003EStir, then top with:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E2 oz Malta India\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E7.5% ABV\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003EIngredient Notes: I should probably have sourced a \"better\" coffee liquor, but Kahlua is what we had on hand. Homemade cold brew would work just as well, if not better.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETasting Notes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmell \u003C\/strong\u003E- Big coffee nose, with some vanilla. It reads caramel malty, but not roasty.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAppearance\u003C\/strong\u003E - Deep brown, with red at the edges when held to the light.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETaste\u003C\/strong\u003E - Has a pleasant sweetness, certainly sweeter than a typical coffee stout thanks to the simple sugars. Nice note of bourbon woody\/vanilla in the finish\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMouthfeel\u003C\/strong\u003E - Medium body, light carbonation.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrinkability\u003C\/strong\u003E - I really like this one, more coffee-focused than a stout usually is, but the other notes round it out.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"sans, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChanges for Next Time\u003C\/strong\u003E - I think this one straddles the line between traditional coffee stout and pastry stout.\u0026nbsp;A little sugary compared to a classic stout.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial;\"\u003EConclusion\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EThis has been fun for me to work on the last couple months. I'll probably make a Part #2 if there is interest... already playing around with a West Coast Grapefruit IPA, Pastry Stout plus plans for Wit, Rauchbier, and Saison!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"text-build-content\" style=\"line-height: 17px;\"\u003EShoot me a line if you try any of these out, or if you have suggestions or other ideas!\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/feeds\/1030330227932626239\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment\/fullpage\/post\/8066877917844499643\/1030330227932626239","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/1030330227932626239"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/1030330227932626239"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/2024\/08\/inventing-cocktails-inspired-by-craft.html","title":"Inventing Cocktails Inspired by Craft Beer"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07379932734747507258"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"24","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCZU_tvtMjQbxLZN516l14I1C8GT9fZ2IlyLxXrFbSRlRx08oE3hoBM5mYCtdohvosXovcJMZFY5FwM9JcqTqBqeRdsQk8EYieT7J7d3C0YxgeM37HFnztZ-gPP_RHm2E\/s1600\/*"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg9K0Dw6xWsFMcqK-0pbRBhlFnVEIkEBh6zrLPNb_3uPmhBnVchpia9cl_VUMEXDBYiyt3rNiFUbDaEmUSWWm4OmN5R-mzKMC9kWoPvli8ZoELM7Cbhd3aVbjgX2-9-u8ysad72hJid6S7-q_8Vh2uhmCPR8KOqNtBxtw_yU6rAtjJzt8XMCQjvEM9SVQ0\/s72-w480-h640-c\/Rum%20Cocktails.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-270331908651522524"},"published":{"$t":"2024-04-18T08:50:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-04-18T09:37:52.870-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Barrel Aged"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Brett\/Sour"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mad Fermentationist"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Brewing Hoppier Sours for Aging: Barrels of Rings"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThis is the first in a series of posts each covering an aspect of brewing mixed-fermentation barrel-aged beers where my opinions have changed significantly since I wrote \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1938469119\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN=1938469119\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=themadferm-20\u0026amp;linkId=7MFVKA4HRLQNC6WV\"\u003EAmerican Sour Beers\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E. Each post will focus on our process, recipe, and results for one of the beers in the \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/subscriptions.tavour.com\/sapwoodcellars\"\u003ESapwood Cellars Shipping Club\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/b\u003EThis one covers Barrels of Rings, aka our 40 IBU hazy pale ale (Rings of Light) fermented in barrels with house microbes, then dry hopped with Citra Cryo.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjjunYb2NRurmo4jAUQ-ZkqOXL5zXA0FBm5iOXlVFwoHeqiBWWBcFRFT_dm4AYQMi6q1a2zUKDjaO9U7s94bt2_7FeA_mZhpNdRz5f-6wurak5tYkK63nkwJQKE5bxQwjUwfOedxaJcaLmMfdhSi3Tx4XtWegOOfrqkeXCHL40uTHn4ZSY6ZccDcO67tXA\/s1200\/Barrels%20of%20Rings%20Pour.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjjunYb2NRurmo4jAUQ-ZkqOXL5zXA0FBm5iOXlVFwoHeqiBWWBcFRFT_dm4AYQMi6q1a2zUKDjaO9U7s94bt2_7FeA_mZhpNdRz5f-6wurak5tYkK63nkwJQKE5bxQwjUwfOedxaJcaLmMfdhSi3Tx4XtWegOOfrqkeXCHL40uTHn4ZSY6ZccDcO67tXA\/w640-h640\/Barrels%20of%20Rings%20Pour.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe longer I brew mixed-fermentation beers, the more I appreciate just how important the hopping rate is. Controlling lactic acid production by inhibiting lactobacillus is hops' most well-appreciated function in sour beers. Hop compounds become more effective at inhibiting Lactobacillus as the pH drops, creating a natural \"limit\" on their lactic acid production. What it took me a long time to appreciate was how much hop compounds (beyond IBUs) lead to a greater expression of what I think of as classic Brett \"funk.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhen Scott and I began the mixed-fermentation program in 2018-2019, generally our issue was beers not souring enough. I started pulling levers (lower hopping rates, higher mash temps, less attenuative primary strains etc.) By 2020-2021, we were having excessive acid production... Most non-fruited beers were dropping to a firmly-acidic 3.1-3.3 pH, while fruited beers were often difficult to drink in quantity at 3.0-3.1 pH with some dipping to \"obnoxiously acidic\" high-2s.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EFruit contributes simple sugars, which Lactobacillus love, and at the same time dilute the hop compounds in the beer. This can cause a precipitous pH drop. With so much beer already in barrels, my first maneuver was to begin dosing alpha acids into the beer along with fruit when there was already enough acid. We started with reduced iso-alpha-acids (e.g. tetralone\/hexalone), but have moved onto \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.hopsteiner.com\/alpha-extract\/\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHopsteiner Alpha Extract 20%\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E since it doesn't add perceived bitterness. About .1-.2 g per gallon stops acid production for our bacteria. These products don't significantly change the flavor or add additional aromatic complexity. As a side benefit, they enhance head retention. A small dry hop at this stage would be another option if you wanted stop acidification and add hop aromatics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEj-sI3UqEIawXpbt4V34qZBFqf5oG5v9O0MIQ5_s1PEcDn7MVdV-MIOwPwdl6a4JBvyEz2MP7uuFajaBVCet4Xaty90_-T2kthsd7JzunS3TqN9aFlLytENEZEqs3MXMoNS-Ed1S3EI_kZZHxpPKc7qyJoELsZY2_j3cZngBMCeBuiAcdL-evPw9CtszdA\/s4032\/20170825_162625.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"3024\" data-original-width=\"4032\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEj-sI3UqEIawXpbt4V34qZBFqf5oG5v9O0MIQ5_s1PEcDn7MVdV-MIOwPwdl6a4JBvyEz2MP7uuFajaBVCet4Xaty90_-T2kthsd7JzunS3TqN9aFlLytENEZEqs3MXMoNS-Ed1S3EI_kZZHxpPKc7qyJoELsZY2_j3cZngBMCeBuiAcdL-evPw9CtszdA\/w640-h480\/20170825_162625.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt this point we started upping the aged hop rate, or aiming for higher IBU targets when using fresh hops (~15-20 IBUs). At the same time (~2021) Scott and Ken (our head brewer) wanted to try barrel-aging more aromatically hoppy beers... I was resistant. I love hoppy-sour beers, I did a whole talk about them at the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/2016\/06\/homebrewcon-nhc-2016-baltimore-and-me.html\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2016 National Homebrewers Conference\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. Generally my approach had been to make sure the hops go into the beer as close to serving as possible (e.g., dry hop a barrel-aged sour after aging, brew a quick-turn hoppy Brett saison, add a whirlpool addition after kettle souring). I'd tasted too many barrel-soured IPAs and pale ales from great breweries that smelled like \"old hoppy beer.\" That said, Ken and Scott convinced me! At our scale it is a relatively low risk to divert a few barrels of pale ale to see what happens.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhrg4C9M9388oL0r3TJhNf_6OkkwGPny6DfxptrWuuIpDEFdjd_lJHn3Fxn5p5gZSsgp6BpICrkqXZmwrMURL06P86mRKenHm7df0MlWCzoPShnBYzbz2kfMVaWYUNSROZyvG5K4TOh_YH3kwclxi-P85tjSzhF77dilk5gzatsGv9h0rLdTVLrLAOI5zM\/s1440\/FB_IMG_1679148706871.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1440\" data-original-width=\"1080\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhrg4C9M9388oL0r3TJhNf_6OkkwGPny6DfxptrWuuIpDEFdjd_lJHn3Fxn5p5gZSsgp6BpICrkqXZmwrMURL06P86mRKenHm7df0MlWCzoPShnBYzbz2kfMVaWYUNSROZyvG5K4TOh_YH3kwclxi-P85tjSzhF77dilk5gzatsGv9h0rLdTVLrLAOI5zM\/w480-h640\/FB_IMG_1679148706871.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe're already \"aggressive\" with our measures against oxygen pick-up (purging barrels with carbon dioxide before filling, purging the barrel-tool between each fill, purging the bottles before filling etc.), but when we fill barrels with pale ale wort we pull out all the tricks. Most importantly, we selected barrels that could be refilled without rinsing, leaving several gallons of \"house culture\" at the bottom of each. Our goal was to start the secondary fermentation as quickly as possible to protect the delicate hop compounds. I was amazed how good the resulting beer tasted!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat has really intrigued me is that the hoppier bases have almost universally produced finished beers I'd describe as more Brett-forward (earthy, funky, fruity, horse blanket). What I don't know is why! In \u003Ci\u003EAmerican Sour Beers\u003C\/i\u003E I cited research that Brett can free glycosides in hops, so that could explain the fruity. Maybe hops are just inhibiting Lactobacillus, giving the Brett a healthier environment (in lambics Brett tends to thrive before Pediococcus dramatically lowers the pH). Maybe I'm just being fooled and higher hopping rates (aged or fresh) are adding key compounds that I associate with the \"funk\" in a Cantillon, Orval (and many of my favorite American mixed-ferms)! These days our typical hopping rate is .5 lbs\/bbl of aged hops at the start of the boil, and .5 lbs\/bbl or fresh low alpha-acid hops in the whirlpool.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhKdxo3oM_-ecohY6dNRvKjDZDXC2GshjcUEIeH8FFLxIBwHvZo0yEiVE-f47dUUqY30ckr4Ppip9tnRiR1E5eaTf7YnHYElgfSB0antTEphspZ4l_GEmclqFmt4-3iN_eS1sADyLyS1eL15RQZo1AFytICDMqVieHiH531I2t-ioVP5tqCmwZOYDrw-Hs\/s4624\/20220602_154334.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2604\" data-original-width=\"4624\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhKdxo3oM_-ecohY6dNRvKjDZDXC2GshjcUEIeH8FFLxIBwHvZo0yEiVE-f47dUUqY30ckr4Ppip9tnRiR1E5eaTf7YnHYElgfSB0antTEphspZ4l_GEmclqFmt4-3iN_eS1sADyLyS1eL15RQZo1AFytICDMqVieHiH531I2t-ioVP5tqCmwZOYDrw-Hs\/w640-h360\/20220602_154334.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarrels of Rings is one of the bottles included with the first shipment of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/subscriptions.tavour.com\/sapwoodcellars\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003ESapwood Cellars Shipping Club\u003C\/a\u003E. It\u0026nbsp;started as \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/2018\/10\/rings-of-light-hazy-pale-ale.html\"\u003ERings of Light\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003Ebrewed summer 2022, racked into barrels after primary fermentation, but before dry hopping. After 10 months of aging, we transfer directly from the two wine barrels into our blending tank (purged with 5.5 pounds of our selected Citra Cryo already in there). We agitated\/roused and allowed to settle for a couple days, dropping the hops. Then we primed with sugar and rehydrated wine yeast (as we do for most of our barrel-aged sours) and partially carbonated the beer. As with the barrel fill, we're relying on CO2 purging of the bottles and the rapid refermentation to scavenge oxygen and preserve hop aromatics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCrDQZjTduMLkDhRqE9iVkdiTO5Xoy8iNKi0qvim4pOs8usiC-VQawZ_TbQQyGPjZQgFGRkAiqXgk5qg71s5zmeLYwE6sYOHnZp2WmJ15Cdq3UrQFrbsZj0FaWcOJk5mLQ-jCyOmevxucs_sY1anhk-JKdgQa8lhBpeW1UeGZYL8aW6Gc_wNgI4sNWIbs\/s2839\/Rings%20of%20Light%20Cans.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2839\" data-original-width=\"2558\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCrDQZjTduMLkDhRqE9iVkdiTO5Xoy8iNKi0qvim4pOs8usiC-VQawZ_TbQQyGPjZQgFGRkAiqXgk5qg71s5zmeLYwE6sYOHnZp2WmJ15Cdq3UrQFrbsZj0FaWcOJk5mLQ-jCyOmevxucs_sY1anhk-JKdgQa8lhBpeW1UeGZYL8aW6Gc_wNgI4sNWIbs\/w576-h640\/Rings%20of%20Light%20Cans.JPG\" width=\"576\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecipe: Barrels of Rings\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOG: 1.063\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E65% Briess Brewer's 2-row\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E14% Great Western Malted White Wheat\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E13% Grain Millers Flaked Oats\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E8% Best Chit Malt\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIBUs: 40\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E.5 lbs\/bbl Meridian @ Whirlpool (212F)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E1 lb\/bbl New York Cascade @ Whirlpool (180F)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBravo Salvo Hop Extract\u0026nbsp;@ Whirlpool (180F)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFermentation with Omega Cosmic Punch (the barrel sheet below is incorrect)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFG (Primary) 1.022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrewed\u0026nbsp;8\/5\/22. Barrels filled 8\/11\/22\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarrel #6: Fifth-fill Chambourcin red wine barrel that previously held our original barrel-aged pale ale, Measure Twice. That barrel was started with dregs from our collab with Free Will (Erma Extra), but along the way it was filled with bases that had dregs in primary from various American saisons (Casey and Holy Mountain).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarrel #125: Second-fill Chardonnay white wine barrel that previously held a cider fermented with the Bootleg Biology Biology Mad Fermentationist Saison (plus we added the dregs from a stellar bottle of Barrique Wet Hop Reserve after filling).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E6\/21\/23 116 gallons of beer from the two barrels transferred onto 5.5 pounds of 2022 Citra Cryo. 1.5 oz\/gallon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarbonated to 2.05 vol, reyeasted with Premier Cuvee (rehydrated on a stir-plate with StartUp Nutrient), primed with enough glucose to add 1.1 vol of CO2 (~3.1 vol total in bottle).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinal pH: 3.65\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinal Gravity 1.009\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E7.1% ABV.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiYqxfO6ng4jjfOkt8EA8zinnedSnYiDz9E618X8QnxGFjy0cyX8RJNXS4oYLJLO6pd-BHWqUB8UCh6cbehacwRZzmb8XahmbZCevN2yuCtRwJDtBG2cQWfCF1yfvLWxldw-lcWAYRq9xbb7OMxXHsNVkPaOQrCJwqwPYTUFsSr5ajTV4gZ3aeK8awJPoc\/s4032\/PXL_20230621_185131725.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"3024\" data-original-width=\"4032\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiYqxfO6ng4jjfOkt8EA8zinnedSnYiDz9E618X8QnxGFjy0cyX8RJNXS4oYLJLO6pd-BHWqUB8UCh6cbehacwRZzmb8XahmbZCevN2yuCtRwJDtBG2cQWfCF1yfvLWxldw-lcWAYRq9xbb7OMxXHsNVkPaOQrCJwqwPYTUFsSr5ajTV4gZ3aeK8awJPoc\/w640-h480\/PXL_20230621_185131725.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETasting Notes: Barrels of Rings\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(My personal notes from a few months ago)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESmell \u003C\/b\u003E- Nice blend of citrus (orange) and earthy-Bretty-funk. Still really fresh, no oxidative or old-hop aromatics. Really varied nose with a little pine sap, hay, and melon. Another hoppy base that got funkier than most of our bases.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAppearance \u003C\/b\u003E- Big dense white head, good retention. Light haze, very pale yellow.\u0026nbsp; Attractive.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETaste \u003C\/b\u003E- Light lemony tartness, but not sour-sour. Very saison-y. Some bitterness, but it doesn’t clash with the light bitterness.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMouthfeel \u003C\/b\u003E- A touch of astringency. Great sptrizy carbonation. Medium-light body.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDrinkability \u003C\/b\u003E- Really nice. The bitterness does give it a different impression than a classic low-bitterness sour base. More saison-like.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EChanges for Next Time\u003C\/b\u003E - Really good, not much to change on this one. Gin barrels would be fun.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhokbT7JTGECZWk_bJ2kgnyZ98_1oanKBkfOq9Z0tHCjin9jgGYEo-be5BjaR4UXBXoLRCCLr2huRzwq4Rv1BhcVU0fzLHX1vRvyDzcbalVw23wqz9UryiMIL3M5dIIt12wL7aJyD0P3uKOtA2XO1BXx8PmLfkJ8aegeckQRXr32UYlt8l8djESpOsW9EI\/s960\/347240488_1454453495372961_6298141449229434148_n.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"960\" data-original-width=\"720\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhokbT7JTGECZWk_bJ2kgnyZ98_1oanKBkfOq9Z0tHCjin9jgGYEo-be5BjaR4UXBXoLRCCLr2huRzwq4Rv1BhcVU0fzLHX1vRvyDzcbalVw23wqz9UryiMIL3M5dIIt12wL7aJyD0P3uKOtA2XO1BXx8PmLfkJ8aegeckQRXr32UYlt8l8djESpOsW9EI\/w480-h640\/347240488_1454453495372961_6298141449229434148_n.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhen visiting \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/epochal-barrel-fermented-ales.myshopify.com\/pages\/about\"\u003EEpochal Barrel Fermented Ales\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E in Scotland last year I was blown-away by how by how good (owner\/brewer) Gareth Young's wild ales were aged on whole hops in the barrels for the entire secondary fermentation. I really enjoyed the first beer we did with it, Violet You're Turning Violet (Mosaic in the barrel, finished with a blend of wild and cultivated blueberries). It seems like a good option especially if you want variety in the hop intensity of a base, e.g., start with a more moderate hopped base and add hops to some barrels for blending options.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjHpkSxAemL21mijI2Psc4YC5h3_dGb5Jl9yLT-eAcZK6GztUyhGCfneF-jx_XF3G-FULeyvCwT1mfN-gcq8IZFz7Ao8lcwhamjWZZpEaYVkUPfuEJ1aoA9lLRsn_Yw4RAlf1x-2pzWmUj4ijUJwxJwe3nEBS5BrVYLDPtwxyLNBGcSB2rV5RkKmmJuNnc\/s2000\/Violet%20You're%20Turning%20Violet.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2000\" data-original-width=\"2000\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjHpkSxAemL21mijI2Psc4YC5h3_dGb5Jl9yLT-eAcZK6GztUyhGCfneF-jx_XF3G-FULeyvCwT1mfN-gcq8IZFz7Ao8lcwhamjWZZpEaYVkUPfuEJ1aoA9lLRsn_Yw4RAlf1x-2pzWmUj4ijUJwxJwe3nEBS5BrVYLDPtwxyLNBGcSB2rV5RkKmmJuNnc\/w640-h640\/Violet%20You're%20Turning%20Violet.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/feeds\/270331908651522524\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment\/fullpage\/post\/8066877917844499643\/270331908651522524","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/270331908651522524"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/270331908651522524"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/2024\/04\/brewing-hoppier-sours-for-aging-barrels.html","title":"Brewing Hoppier Sours for Aging: Barrels of Rings"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07379932734747507258"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"24","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCZU_tvtMjQbxLZN516l14I1C8GT9fZ2IlyLxXrFbSRlRx08oE3hoBM5mYCtdohvosXovcJMZFY5FwM9JcqTqBqeRdsQk8EYieT7J7d3C0YxgeM37HFnztZ-gPP_RHm2E\/s1600\/*"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjjunYb2NRurmo4jAUQ-ZkqOXL5zXA0FBm5iOXlVFwoHeqiBWWBcFRFT_dm4AYQMi6q1a2zUKDjaO9U7s94bt2_7FeA_mZhpNdRz5f-6wurak5tYkK63nkwJQKE5bxQwjUwfOedxaJcaLmMfdhSi3Tx4XtWegOOfrqkeXCHL40uTHn4ZSY6ZccDcO67tXA\/s72-w640-h640-c\/Barrels%20of%20Rings%20Pour.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-2784664616801839563"},"published":{"$t":"2024-04-12T07:50:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-04-18T10:31:30.972-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"American Sour Beer Book"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Barrel Aged"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Beer"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Brett\/Sour"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mad Fermentationist"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Did I Wreck Sour Beer in America?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EMy book, \u003Ci\u003EAmerican Sour Beers\u003C\/i\u003E, is turning ten next month!\u0026nbsp;I wrote it from the perspective (and experience) of a homebrewer. I wanted to experiment and learn. I really didn't know much about brewing commercially, creating consistent blends, adapting recipes as a barrel program matured, developing flavors that would sell etc. Looking back I have to ask, did my book help launch 1,000 barrel programs, without providing the knowledge brewers actually needed to succeed?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEj77oEEGP_yvsX2avOA0P2Zgw0FEYppO4C4qVkU4vvcO0R9t6mPbDnhdK6sMAUw1Ld4UfZkjImndpSHMf2fbjXypEkX9HtLWMjoaJLMbuZ3rEZMjGpxiS5WnY-p1I5TdtwUKQmsWi4fo5FzIDHNJ-6TyMO_Wzyd6kZfUxG_SUcp77jZtniNu40_APpqWso\/s3000\/American%20Sour%20Barrels.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2000\" data-original-width=\"3000\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEj77oEEGP_yvsX2avOA0P2Zgw0FEYppO4C4qVkU4vvcO0R9t6mPbDnhdK6sMAUw1Ld4UfZkjImndpSHMf2fbjXypEkX9HtLWMjoaJLMbuZ3rEZMjGpxiS5WnY-p1I5TdtwUKQmsWi4fo5FzIDHNJ-6TyMO_Wzyd6kZfUxG_SUcp77jZtniNu40_APpqWso\/w640-h426\/American%20Sour%20Barrels.JPG\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the last decade American craft brewing had an explosion of breweries ramping up barrel-aged sour production, followed by a pretty rapid decline (including multiple mid-sized breweries closing their programs and sour-focused breweries closing). Part of that is the inherently less-predictable nature of mixed-fermentation (when you order a cherry sour beer, what are you expecting? Kriek, cherry juice, cherry vinegar etc.). Compare that to a bourbon-barrel vanilla-bean stout where you have a pretty good idea of what the intent was. I suspect at least part of it was the oversaturation of the market combined with the high prices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite brewing my first sour beer in 2006, becoming a brewery consultant in 2011, writing a book in 2014, and opening a brewery in 2018... I haven't been consistently happy with the barrel-aged mixed-fermentations I made until the last couple years. I certainly never released a beer that I thought was bad, but there were certainly had batches that were too sour, muddled, under\/over carbonated, or just didn't \"pop.\" During that time we've also released some amazing beers that I still love!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/sapwoodcellars.com\/\"\u003ESapwood Cellars\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E we've relied on our local\u0026nbsp;club members, and the people who walk in the door to buy ~10,000 bottles of barrel-aged sour beer a year. That may sound like a lot, but it's less than 5% of our production (and we're a pretty small brewery). There really hasn't been much interest in barrel-aged sour bottles in our limited distribution range. They tend to be beers that sell best when you can explain them directly to the drinker, rather than just have them sitting on a shelf! If only there was a way I could talk directly to beer drinkers interested in sour beer...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEih3RX-h7a-xsSvI09b9GGdbkVtphbJx4FOKuPf27K70bmir-vNlOXEiHBuZ8fxV35ykAfgH4HKATf7RGny-2GGAqGheIuhwp6zOVGRqe3RMDfrGSylhS8jMLygc9k40xJieiQGVWQqW2SiFMb9couFKUeoA2pnOv5kVAS_2vhGviJq_yJCO2vvVoCUSJk\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"407\" data-original-width=\"560\" height=\"233\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEih3RX-h7a-xsSvI09b9GGdbkVtphbJx4FOKuPf27K70bmir-vNlOXEiHBuZ8fxV35ykAfgH4HKATf7RGny-2GGAqGheIuhwp6zOVGRqe3RMDfrGSylhS8jMLygc9k40xJieiQGVWQqW2SiFMb9couFKUeoA2pnOv5kVAS_2vhGviJq_yJCO2vvVoCUSJk\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERather than bury the lead more than I already have, Sapwood Cellars barrel-aged mixed-fermentation sours are now available for shipping within much of America through a \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/subscriptions.tavour.com\/sapwoodcellars\"\u003EMembership Club\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E administered by Tavour! Shipping is available to: WA, CA, OR, NM, NV, CO, MN, NY, DC, CT, NE, MA, FL, PA, NH, NJ, ID, TX, KS, IN, WI, MO, IA, IL, MI, ND, VA, RI, NC, SC, and MD.\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first installment of the club is $146 (including shipping) for one 500 mL bottle each of six beers:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGrowth Rings 2023\u003C\/b\u003E: Three-year-blend of barrel-aged Sours, essentially our cuvee of bases, barrels, and microbes showing off our house character. This one isn't refermented with wine yeast, so the dregs would be a good option if you are looking for microbes! It was the \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/awards.untappd.com\/top-beers-in-united-states-2023\/?selection=top-beers-in-united-states-2023\"\u003Esecond highest-rated\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E \"Gueuze\" on Untappd in 2023!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhBIcULY9cBpjPiytDa_xhk_UFU4H_gvhLgXfRmLmwKGesL1sE5eSmkSKUCpAoGLSFQ6vu0VRyBoigybHN-84xprllh-heZog8xOc3BKpX7U9zo0ausIzmdktNoDpWrdMC83LQ_GmYm-Hwsujls9u322K5rXJim-41Q5wKpNqnavF7eUzG1EO_Ak8LZlfQ\/s3322\/Growth%20Rings%202023%20Pour%2045%20Degree.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"3322\" data-original-width=\"3322\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhBIcULY9cBpjPiytDa_xhk_UFU4H_gvhLgXfRmLmwKGesL1sE5eSmkSKUCpAoGLSFQ6vu0VRyBoigybHN-84xprllh-heZog8xOc3BKpX7U9zo0ausIzmdktNoDpWrdMC83LQ_GmYm-Hwsujls9u322K5rXJim-41Q5wKpNqnavF7eUzG1EO_Ak8LZlfQ\/w640-h640\/Growth%20Rings%202023%20Pour%2045%20Degree.JPG\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBarrels of Rings\u003C\/b\u003E: Our pale ale base, mixed-fermented in wine barrels and then dry hopped right before bottling. Citrusy-funky with restrained acidity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhTKwUsZRxODU_3Oq8VnrLnmNdhjo3DhCLzv_v44KvT-3Um4tlpNpA8GSpYg1eBpvKK23D3dinek983pRQLZ97-r3WNCI6Ml8rles3adxXLxddMpChtBjx4svxSQ6nywsDeNDsOnziWPNddKXu3Slte-pejRSX21llIMbQGd9Jmk5uH0afalEaNnnzc1ck\/s1200\/Barrels%20of%20Rings%20Pour.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhTKwUsZRxODU_3Oq8VnrLnmNdhjo3DhCLzv_v44KvT-3Um4tlpNpA8GSpYg1eBpvKK23D3dinek983pRQLZ97-r3WNCI6Ml8rles3adxXLxddMpChtBjx4svxSQ6nywsDeNDsOnziWPNddKXu3Slte-pejRSX21llIMbQGd9Jmk5uH0afalEaNnnzc1ck\/w640-h640\/Barrels%20of%20Rings%20Pour.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJammiest Bit\u003C\/b\u003E: Our homage to Hommage, a barrel-aged sour on loads of sour pie cherries and red raspberries. Fruity, funky, tart etc.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiay-SB9R3KE-WlJ_crkVUhw593jime6L6ztwhWt1j8fGLrNI1c9OKEshbTn8qaVAl1JJX_YV0l0dgod_OIJim-f3YP9bhu99hsC_KmNH-2IEOtPnBANfvk2OVLasqOuh01vaYQXJ_IzBDVVqLhbTAKF9t37fDmg6vVoum6itQsSB26SsPYYpxqDcrqkXE\/s1200\/Jammiest%20Bit.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiay-SB9R3KE-WlJ_crkVUhw593jime6L6ztwhWt1j8fGLrNI1c9OKEshbTn8qaVAl1JJX_YV0l0dgod_OIJim-f3YP9bhu99hsC_KmNH-2IEOtPnBANfvk2OVLasqOuh01vaYQXJ_IzBDVVqLhbTAKF9t37fDmg6vVoum6itQsSB26SsPYYpxqDcrqkXE\/w640-h640\/Jammiest%20Bit.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBotanicia\u003C\/b\u003E: A blend of pale sours aged in gin barrels that we then infused with dried limes and quinine. A weird play on a gin-and-tonic... but with a lot more acidity and funk!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEidjdYo_lOs5-YNaHgA_0bfzbKlmBgfyEKOPn3KK7-jpSvWSdvnyBpYVPx6MoZez9kj-ZqJsbjt5vDIcB_EZV1vebAVpIZLM3TBZRrZv11uNm81bhfdxehtU0x4kSOT02W2IT6F3Dxp6kX9qqpKUXnn4kq4EleeDl7RN5dEMHJHVllM-XhURloCErbWHJA\/s2500\/Botanica%20Pour%20Gin%20Dried%20Lime.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2500\" data-original-width=\"2500\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEidjdYo_lOs5-YNaHgA_0bfzbKlmBgfyEKOPn3KK7-jpSvWSdvnyBpYVPx6MoZez9kj-ZqJsbjt5vDIcB_EZV1vebAVpIZLM3TBZRrZv11uNm81bhfdxehtU0x4kSOT02W2IT6F3Dxp6kX9qqpKUXnn4kq4EleeDl7RN5dEMHJHVllM-XhURloCErbWHJA\/w640-h640\/Botanica%20Pour%20Gin%20Dried%20Lime.JPG\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EElliptical Orbit 2023\u003C\/b\u003E: A continuation of the \"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/search\/label\/Dark%20Saison\"\u003EDark Funky Saison\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\" series still with my original collaborator and homebrew buddy Alex. For this one he roasted Geisha coffee beans and we infused the barrel-aged dark sour with Geisha cascara (dried coffee cherries).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg9hVXYibLJh0wlUO_ky6uDHZls22MfrK2tWQ0KBJ8i-KbIspupD3fMI5PrS0jfdWe_f88OahBlAth4rpAcC5c3YXUaiSFKVItyCFo-5_qSxuQw_Hy80DLvV57SC8Y7KIc1_sZKnSGndrPlcdO7f_iR0RVYlEGu6jChdiASKGKhMGP3zzMRVtMLXeosml8\/s1837\/Elliptical%20Orbit%202023.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1837\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg9hVXYibLJh0wlUO_ky6uDHZls22MfrK2tWQ0KBJ8i-KbIspupD3fMI5PrS0jfdWe_f88OahBlAth4rpAcC5c3YXUaiSFKVItyCFo-5_qSxuQw_Hy80DLvV57SC8Y7KIc1_sZKnSGndrPlcdO7f_iR0RVYlEGu6jChdiASKGKhMGP3zzMRVtMLXeosml8\/w418-h640\/Elliptical%20Orbit%202023.JPG\" width=\"418\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFruit of Many Uses\u003C\/b\u003E: We sequentially racked the same barrel-aged tart\/funky base onto second-use Chardonnay wine grapes, cherries, raspberries, and white nectarines. All of the fruit was whole\/local.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiOvYes37JIqhm0TYrkNOdON_YSAhfu_-tF29-yXjpDBHOgD-PKQfeZBmw9g0qu7QuUfgNpjHwwlHCbFgLjO0qykvR3urDNQEJxJd808NuwtyXNhfMIVaIypXdCvGauFqifbHfb8mMLcGiNnnuUkFIAI9GU5xTMEupEUWnCBitoEs-4b1JmJ8IWC1Mdxn8\/s2000\/Fruit%20of%20Many%20Uses%20Pour.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2000\" data-original-width=\"2000\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiOvYes37JIqhm0TYrkNOdON_YSAhfu_-tF29-yXjpDBHOgD-PKQfeZBmw9g0qu7QuUfgNpjHwwlHCbFgLjO0qykvR3urDNQEJxJd808NuwtyXNhfMIVaIypXdCvGauFqifbHfb8mMLcGiNnnuUkFIAI9GU5xTMEupEUWnCBitoEs-4b1JmJ8IWC1Mdxn8\/w640-h640\/Fruit%20of%20Many%20Uses%20Pour.JPG\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the next couple weeks I'll be posting my detailed tasting notes on each of the beers, along with recipes, lessons learned, and suggestions for brewing something similar at home! I'll repeat for each club release, assuming enough people sign-up for the club to make it viable.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the last five years it isn't \"one simple trick\" we learned that improved our beer. It's the accumulation of 100 little things from ingredient selection, to blending, to process refinement, to equipment that we've figured out. It's sitting down with each beer, drinking, thinking, taking detailed notes, and iterating. So much of it is not doing it by myself, having Scott, Ken, and Spencer to push to do things I wouldn't have (Botanica was Ken's baby, and Barrels of Rings was Scott's). Both are delicious, and they are certainly beers I would not have brewed if it was all up to me!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgb7KWOYzrpqIZLfOK69E-UDhN7Ew8cIsY3wl8p1buFBBKf-QNLLGa25bmxCZra9Tq4pwvWqGDgBd6DoeonCY-55Ya789d1X4Sui93p4wwmh5Eh8eJRlxRfKjzX_suIrGoIYN2lpu5lN2B3aEliVHErzwyofQpdCBTWdtu21PH0z_UinYj7T9h_C8wq6Fg\/s1243\/Scott%20and%20Mike%20at%20NHC.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1008\" data-original-width=\"1243\" height=\"520\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgb7KWOYzrpqIZLfOK69E-UDhN7Ew8cIsY3wl8p1buFBBKf-QNLLGa25bmxCZra9Tq4pwvWqGDgBd6DoeonCY-55Ya789d1X4Sui93p4wwmh5Eh8eJRlxRfKjzX_suIrGoIYN2lpu5lN2B3aEliVHErzwyofQpdCBTWdtu21PH0z_UinYj7T9h_C8wq6Fg\/w640-h520\/Scott%20and%20Mike%20at%20NHC.JPG\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgaPSU9BgsVwCKGUBfdNoxFlLhwxOQjVWSHANFgC433oCMwfAopwWTPEnmf_5znETAPEj3uBimuS_p0YHLwDjiXIjQgA3sY0v4Ft9z0JjvvXxetViNbv-MK_453y-o1JC99wi8Hm7gCOEYmXOeZXxH1bOuMl8Mx_UqkuTqLxZxx9Z1FcPauy2T3_SqMxzk\/s1600\/Scott%20and%20Mike%20Posing%20with%20barrels.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"833\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"334\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgaPSU9BgsVwCKGUBfdNoxFlLhwxOQjVWSHANFgC433oCMwfAopwWTPEnmf_5znETAPEj3uBimuS_p0YHLwDjiXIjQgA3sY0v4Ft9z0JjvvXxetViNbv-MK_453y-o1JC99wi8Hm7gCOEYmXOeZXxH1bOuMl8Mx_UqkuTqLxZxx9Z1FcPauy2T3_SqMxzk\/w640-h334\/Scott%20and%20Mike%20Posing%20with%20barrels.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/feeds\/2784664616801839563\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment\/fullpage\/post\/8066877917844499643\/2784664616801839563","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/2784664616801839563"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/2784664616801839563"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/2024\/04\/did-i-wreck-sour-beer-in-america.html","title":"Did I Wreck Sour Beer in America?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07379932734747507258"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"24","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCZU_tvtMjQbxLZN516l14I1C8GT9fZ2IlyLxXrFbSRlRx08oE3hoBM5mYCtdohvosXovcJMZFY5FwM9JcqTqBqeRdsQk8EYieT7J7d3C0YxgeM37HFnztZ-gPP_RHm2E\/s1600\/*"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEj77oEEGP_yvsX2avOA0P2Zgw0FEYppO4C4qVkU4vvcO0R9t6mPbDnhdK6sMAUw1Ld4UfZkjImndpSHMf2fbjXypEkX9HtLWMjoaJLMbuZ3rEZMjGpxiS5WnY-p1I5TdtwUKQmsWi4fo5FzIDHNJ-6TyMO_Wzyd6kZfUxG_SUcp77jZtniNu40_APpqWso\/s72-w640-h426-c\/American%20Sour%20Barrels.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-2618635998455849086"},"published":{"$t":"2023-04-25T14:32:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-04-25T15:56:39.174-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Barrel Aged"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Beer"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Brett\/Sour"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Craft Brewing"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mad Fermentationist"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sapwood Cellars"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Lessons from Five Years of Bugs, Barrels, and Brewing"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThis July marks five years since I left my day job with the federal government to brew full-time. We filled our first barrel with mixed-fermentation saison before opening the tasting room at Sapwood Cellars. Since then, we are up to 80 oak barrels with a dedicated suite for mixed-fermentation. So, I thought it would be a good time to sit down and reflect on the lessons that Scott and I have learned over the years! The things we got right, the things we got wrong, and where we are going from here!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuckily, we've had a pretty good run so far! We've cultivated a great group of supporters in our Wood Club. Neologism (gin-barrel-aged Cascade\/Simcoe Cryo dry-hopped pale sour) was named one of \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/beerandbrewing.com\/best-20-beers-in-2022\/\"\u003ECraft Beer \u0026amp; Brewing's Top-20 beers of 2022\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E by way of winning a massive blind tasting. Despite the pandemic we've been able to modestly expand (production, staff, and space)! We're even shipping beers around the US through\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/7rw4.adj.st\/brewery-details-page\/71599?adj_t=8jfarev\u0026amp;path=breweries\/71599\u0026amp;adj_campaign=Sapwood+Cellars+Brewery\u0026amp;adj_adgroup=brewery:71599\u0026amp;sentBy=1173071\u0026amp;adj_creative=user:1173071\"\u003ETavour\u003C\/a\u003E!\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI recently realized that Google discontinued Feedburner in 2021... which is why you haven't gotten an email from me in a while. I've changed The Mad Fermentationist over to a new email service, so if you've signed up you should get emails for new posts going forward! If you want more emails from me, I write the near-weekly \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/sapwoodcellars\/sapwood-cellars-email-list\"\u003ESapwood Newsletter\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E (with details on new beers often including info on ingredients, process, and equipment)!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCrY3A6Akxvp6kbzxhRkGO-H7XlCiTm1Z1vbnmUsHi1fYew_mG94poSRvplYXA0T623aSIFcuIMgX8iKWdQC5wO6UfG3_z_nZtebx1XeZ02QL32sv7W4sNCCxwIetb7p1tWv0P35PxABKuJQ7jlDLIeWmjpySKOESCoTQPmGRNDkZ9267r_3TCbCSH\/s1600\/Scott%20and%20Mike%20Posing%20with%20barrels.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"833\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"334\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCrY3A6Akxvp6kbzxhRkGO-H7XlCiTm1Z1vbnmUsHi1fYew_mG94poSRvplYXA0T623aSIFcuIMgX8iKWdQC5wO6UfG3_z_nZtebx1XeZ02QL32sv7W4sNCCxwIetb7p1tWv0P35PxABKuJQ7jlDLIeWmjpySKOESCoTQPmGRNDkZ9267r_3TCbCSH\/w640-h334\/Scott%20and%20Mike%20Posing%20with%20barrels.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Things We Got Right\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDiverse Microflora\u003C\/b\u003E - It is certainly simpler to have a single \"house\" culture. It allows for relatively worry-free blending, but doesn't leave as much room for unique flavors. Maintaining multiple cultures, we have to worry about the microbes from one barrel over-attenuating in the bottle if they are more attenuative than others in the blend. However, the variety of flavors expressed and the options for blending is worth the effort at our scale. We've been even happier since we started selecting our favorite barrels and using them to inoculate subsequent batches. Now we can select which character fits a pale sour vs. a sour red.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast week we blended our second batch of Growth Rings (three year blend). To ensure all the microbes have time to get to know each other, we blended the four barrels (all different pale base beers) into a tote. They'll sit there for a couple months to ensure the gravity is stable before priming and bottling.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEioAKpyyG6lS35qmaZnHjMjNLC1ldihDRK90VT4VrZ5V_3A67eevIeMCkYhDuLOLrGXCfjK4di635kRMPgJWh2UqiahSvtsa0By-ZvKCS1Ect0VjEFzP_GjeBEE-1s-fR-CLd8mI7JMCHpsiauvBRsdI3K0dqjV0PKiXY4Si802P64CEmOuQc3PwNu8\/s4624\/Brett%20Kegs.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"3468\" data-original-width=\"4624\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEioAKpyyG6lS35qmaZnHjMjNLC1ldihDRK90VT4VrZ5V_3A67eevIeMCkYhDuLOLrGXCfjK4di635kRMPgJWh2UqiahSvtsa0By-ZvKCS1Ect0VjEFzP_GjeBEE-1s-fR-CLd8mI7JMCHpsiauvBRsdI3K0dqjV0PKiXY4Si802P64CEmOuQc3PwNu8\/w640-h480\/Brett%20Kegs.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBalancing Planning and Creativity\u003C\/b\u003E - We started 2023 with a rough timeline of the 20 or so barrel-aged mixed-ferm we'll release. However, when we fill barrels there generally isn't a specific plan for which barrel will be in which beer. Pale, wine-barrel-aged beer can be delightful on it's own, or serve as a great base of fruit, herbs, or dry hopping. When we taste them, we get to decide what will make the best possible beer. However, it's also nice to have unique bases\/barrels earmarked for a particular purpose. Some examples of those include Opulence (sour red with dried sour cherries in the bourbon and red wine barrels), a Brett'd Belgian Tripel in Calvados (apple brandy), or Port barrels for There Are No Edges (Vin de Céréale).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjYSI2tGxB44VbUwPahRht0E5mykVg0QeywEfzpTKOJRoS828WGx1WIAoeTEiQjKNB23WMcVqZVYUat88gwrdq_vAgZlDyxzFaWsB88EeI6BEWgYrbu4cyCZTaddNAolzp2EtyaDP2ZSDN5ws7ndDm8m2EZ_putC1xmrhQbvxzLPGCluwL01OSx6K22\/s2294\/Neologism%20Editors%20Choice%20CBR%20(1).JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2294\" data-original-width=\"2294\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjYSI2tGxB44VbUwPahRht0E5mykVg0QeywEfzpTKOJRoS828WGx1WIAoeTEiQjKNB23WMcVqZVYUat88gwrdq_vAgZlDyxzFaWsB88EeI6BEWgYrbu4cyCZTaddNAolzp2EtyaDP2ZSDN5ws7ndDm8m2EZ_putC1xmrhQbvxzLPGCluwL01OSx6K22\/w640-h640\/Neologism%20Editors%20Choice%20CBR%20(1).JPG\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETracking Barrels\u003C\/b\u003E - Using Google Sheets has worked out well for us. I can sort based on fill date, final gravity, base beer etc. It allows me to sit on my couch at home and look at what beers we have in need of fruit, blending, packaging etc. Barrels still fall through the cracks (nothing is more heartbreaking than tasting a barrel that is old\/stale and seeing a note about how good it was six months ago). Sometimes a beer is delicious, it just doesn't fit into a blend.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjm9g_TQ13Fyds3W8KF51UCWhk1NUmKQ80u8-1DCH4k2nv3eZw2paYte6XLMepsoi-Xogm5TDAov4JnRAi_G672n1KMt1wsPOr_mErni7Bf1hWdQvucUpEAqwxOpHQKWSCU_6p3bYGqnX4qaeEIMh6C8k1WW-2PoOnEWgLjIos-wh8qIKutHfIdhA9A\/s1911\/Barrel%20Tracking%20Log%20Spreadsheet.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"819\" data-original-width=\"1911\" height=\"171\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjm9g_TQ13Fyds3W8KF51UCWhk1NUmKQ80u8-1DCH4k2nv3eZw2paYte6XLMepsoi-Xogm5TDAov4JnRAi_G672n1KMt1wsPOr_mErni7Bf1hWdQvucUpEAqwxOpHQKWSCU_6p3bYGqnX4qaeEIMh6C8k1WW-2PoOnEWgLjIos-wh8qIKutHfIdhA9A\/w400-h171\/Barrel%20Tracking%20Log%20Spreadsheet.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBlending with Others\u003C\/b\u003E - Whether it is our tasting room manager (Spencer), Lead Brewer (Ken), homebrewing friends, fellow brewers (e.g., the brewers from Other Half for a collab) etc. Tasting barrels with other people helps improve your palate, riff on ideas, and make more broadly appealing results. We all have flavor \"blind spots\" and it is a good idea to have other people looking too. It's fun to riff off other people's ideas and come up with flavor combinations that neither of you would have made on your own.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgyA3FHISFadm9dvzfLOTdfsIOjsTbakkyUfcMCsmjzjTtLLsPdZtBecZNBi6V9B4q9F9WWmD7u2JuX4WBRSYsFxaYScXUuGWdc8XYjBFHvGlAabScDrhtjZXeGiey73ts0_n9HlvHiO5eFmy1tjvJAaT52cGgwPdKxNv3zmgeqKfKgJryxyTz_hrIV\/s1200\/Toppling%20Goliath%20blending.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgyA3FHISFadm9dvzfLOTdfsIOjsTbakkyUfcMCsmjzjTtLLsPdZtBecZNBi6V9B4q9F9WWmD7u2JuX4WBRSYsFxaYScXUuGWdc8XYjBFHvGlAabScDrhtjZXeGiey73ts0_n9HlvHiO5eFmy1tjvJAaT52cGgwPdKxNv3zmgeqKfKgJryxyTz_hrIV\/w640-h480\/Toppling%20Goliath%20blending.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPackaging \u003C\/b\u003E- Our general approach to packaging has been a big success... once we started measuring the dissolved CO2 in the beer rather than relying on time\/temperature\/pressure. We blend barrels or transfer fruited beers to our blending tank and cold crash. The day before bottling we'll push in sugar (boiled in water) along with Premier Cuvee champagne yeast (rehydrated with a small amount of Start-Up\/GoFerm nutrient). We then carbonate the beer to ~2 vol of CO2, with the sugar and yeast taking the beer the rest of the way. We fill on a bottler (\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.xpressfill.com\/\"\u003EXpressFill\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E) that purges and counter-pressure fills. So far it's resulted in relatively quick\/clean refermentations with reliable carbonation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiIS1B4aYusu0kroKm3vjcsoNLX_gVwxzRutBCSJVVrjG4CJ8pqJq7Ped1UfDYrE9YVQ1hbiAOSbuRU7OE2WzZn5guL9ny3Tg2qDO4BCqGWgtGC8UeAgL7kKDOw3BdylyacJ4n2awFuCSEgqjKYug7SI76zrySTV9TIXeGuXJ6mg7SHKH92CFAB4OWk\/s4624\/Blue%20Rasp%20Berry%20Bottling.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"3468\" data-original-width=\"4624\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiIS1B4aYusu0kroKm3vjcsoNLX_gVwxzRutBCSJVVrjG4CJ8pqJq7Ped1UfDYrE9YVQ1hbiAOSbuRU7OE2WzZn5guL9ny3Tg2qDO4BCqGWgtGC8UeAgL7kKDOw3BdylyacJ4n2awFuCSEgqjKYug7SI76zrySTV9TIXeGuXJ6mg7SHKH92CFAB4OWk\/w640-h480\/Blue%20Rasp%20Berry%20Bottling.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Things We Got Wrong\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENot Allocating Time\u003C\/b\u003E - It is easy to put-off barrel-aged beers for more pressing concerns. When there are DIPAs to dry hop, Pilsners to can, and excises taxes to exercise the sour beers are often pushed to the side. It's rare that a week or two of aging in one direction or another makes a dramatic difference... but it's hard to get the most out of a barrel program if it is always at the bottom of the priority list. We're getting better at it, but I still wish from the start I'd blocked off a specific time\/day each week to taste barrels, trial blends, source ingredients, prop microbes etc.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEieCWt9fY-1dmGX8tTSLILslfqrObfNoRqNuSHPMDJTsxbpF5Rk2FwAEiYc37W2DYpWbAQvQqRz6bkppMTXGdivZu40i8sFSA7ESj8-MZaJAN410ANT7cpdb9rgpeWe8otvfgDQJg52UPix0V_6m4a9XcuiNE_0qC7ZkP7qGiM81_uN-4I2rK-2ESE0\/s1080\/FB_IMG_1603637490434.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1006\" data-original-width=\"1080\" height=\"596\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEieCWt9fY-1dmGX8tTSLILslfqrObfNoRqNuSHPMDJTsxbpF5Rk2FwAEiYc37W2DYpWbAQvQqRz6bkppMTXGdivZu40i8sFSA7ESj8-MZaJAN410ANT7cpdb9rgpeWe8otvfgDQJg52UPix0V_6m4a9XcuiNE_0qC7ZkP7qGiM81_uN-4I2rK-2ESE0\/w640-h596\/FB_IMG_1603637490434.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOver-Correcting\u003C\/b\u003E - Initially we weren't getting enough acidity in some of our beers, so we started pulling levers... colder rinsing barrels, lower hopping rates etc. Then our beers started becoming too sour, so we started veering back in the other direction. Managing a barrel program is like driving a cruise ship, it is difficult to pivot quickly! It's difficult to step back and tell if there is something causing one specific batch from being too sour (or not sour enough) or if there is a systemic issue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI think we would have been well served to do a better mix starting early (some barrels cold or no-rise, more with just Brett etc.). This would have given us more options when it came to blending over- or under-soured beers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjMXjVO1QHY72P_C6Vh6t9EXf0iYbarhkVnw82q4Rj7y7ql_KP8bpJmND9vGtRtp1Z8O0KF_a9kuo1Wt5MgeBjdnIqCPf87jSCcW3yVRq7yF8oNxpXMw7qu7TBpPeD3ZQXwXV4OngLA_owzHNNvZy1337kdDpPmhAIWmyvZ5xsFDZm6KanklcEgXh6n\/s2944\/Barrel%20Lifter%20Straps.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2604\" data-original-width=\"2944\" height=\"566\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjMXjVO1QHY72P_C6Vh6t9EXf0iYbarhkVnw82q4Rj7y7ql_KP8bpJmND9vGtRtp1Z8O0KF_a9kuo1Wt5MgeBjdnIqCPf87jSCcW3yVRq7yF8oNxpXMw7qu7TBpPeD3ZQXwXV4OngLA_owzHNNvZy1337kdDpPmhAIWmyvZ5xsFDZm6KanklcEgXh6n\/w640-h566\/Barrel%20Lifter%20Straps.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAppreciating the Impact of Fruit On Acidity\u003C\/b\u003E - Early on to help out some of those under-acidified beers, we went onto fruit. I was surprised how little additional acidity they picked up from refermentation. Sure adding a really acidic fruit (e.g., black currants for Fellow Feeling) contributed acidity, but just refermenting on wine grapes or peaches did not. However, as our cultures \"matured\" we suddenly had beers dropping from a tart pH of 3.5 to an obnoxiously-acidic 3.0 after going onto the fruit (2.8 pH was the lowest I measured). That's despite pitching rehydrated wine yeast to ensure a healthy and quick refermentation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI thought maybe our resident lactic acid bacteria were becoming more hop tolerant, and the dilution of the beer with fruit was allowing them to kick into action. To test this we began adding a small amount of hop extract with the fruit (we use a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.hopsteiner.com\/alpha-extract\/\"\u003E20% alpha extract\u003C\/a\u003E from Hopsteiner). Our fruited beers stopped dropping pH nearly as much, and as an added benefit the head retention improved considerably.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEifBpdqo3Gj1xHnNRM8J3K1hKWVE9S0sbct77sXsZELiW4y6ypMUaatdQLouAwxdUV0QqQLKgXtCbuPuwve-kxySj2vggK_SqcAD_oJM3QQcNct2LBvAAhQGEGhPvWsUs32Kj_N2It1r1H-Cy_hPRrx3OQJ1Mn4yHzDMFmHp74Jq1PSe1BfiATsTyA-\/s1200\/Galactic%20Swirl.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEifBpdqo3Gj1xHnNRM8J3K1hKWVE9S0sbct77sXsZELiW4y6ypMUaatdQLouAwxdUV0QqQLKgXtCbuPuwve-kxySj2vggK_SqcAD_oJM3QQcNct2LBvAAhQGEGhPvWsUs32Kj_N2It1r1H-Cy_hPRrx3OQJ1Mn4yHzDMFmHp74Jq1PSe1BfiATsTyA-\/w640-h640\/Galactic%20Swirl.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHot Side Hopping\u003C\/b\u003E - I didn't appreciate how much of the classic funky lambic\/saison profile originates with the hops. While we've always used a \"restrained\" dose of aged hops at the start of the boil (~.5 lbs\/bbl), that just wasn't enough to give the beers the aromatic depth I was looking for. Recently we've been experimenting with a similar size whirlpool addition of cold-stored hops. So far the results are promising! I should have noticed that many of my \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/2015\/07\/alsatian-funky-saison-tasting.html\"\u003Efavorite homebrewed Brett Saisons\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E had big whirlpool additions and\/or dry hopping... but those were all relatively quick turn-around and not barrel-aged. I'm glad Scott and Ken pushed to age some of our pale ales (pre-dry hopping) in barrels, an idea I wasn't excited about... but the results have been really delicious!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhere We\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAre\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHeaded\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarrel-aged sour beer seems to be a wide\/shallow market at the moment. The people who love them are still searching them out, but the average beer drinker seems to have moved on to less \"challenging\" more \"reliable\" styles. It's hard to know how much the rapid expansion of the segment played into this loss of interest. I've heard of quite a few breweries down-sizing or eliminating barrel-aged sour beers... Luckily we still have 150 people in our Wood Club, which is a great way for us to get these beers into the hands of our biggest supporters and a base-level of sales for eight releases a year. We're aiming to make our mixed-ferm beers more \"delicious\" the sorts of beers that people want to drink a whole bottle of, not just drink an ounce or two at a share.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, as we've ramped up the mixed-ferm bottle release schedule (2019 - 8, 2020 -11, 2021 - 13, 2022 - 16, and hopefully ~20 in 2023) we occasionally have bottles to spare. Rather than distribute them locally, we've \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/7rw4.adj.st\/brewery-details-page\/71599?adj_t=8jfarev\u0026amp;path=breweries\/71599\u0026amp;adj_campaign=Sapwood+Cellars+Brewery\u0026amp;adj_adgroup=brewery:71599\u0026amp;sentBy=1173071\u0026amp;adj_creative=user:1173071\"\u003Epartnered with Tavour\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E (which ships to many states).\u0026nbsp; They just released Homegrown Rule, a \"Marylanbic\" base with homegrown lemon verbena (from my yard) and pineapple sage (from Ken's garden). It's tart and snappy, with plenty of our house microbe character, augmented by the citrusy-green notes of the herbs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhh4JYR1T8VWK6k3rjZUVdfADd6_a-M0zNARWbDxpGqy0bKyyPIbjwYFcnJT_5tZQfc6exoxecjrq-REIpiSbs3oDiXAuedxNeJQ2kXu-tFJzkxhnr9NZHnATSKGol9cJnXhSffRhAOb2WGYcq0HvXep1Y-lbumBpmiDnxNCgGOhR3HtfUi8aNSNQVx\/s2152\/Ken%20and%20Mike%20and%20Herbs.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2152\" data-original-width=\"2084\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhh4JYR1T8VWK6k3rjZUVdfADd6_a-M0zNARWbDxpGqy0bKyyPIbjwYFcnJT_5tZQfc6exoxecjrq-REIpiSbs3oDiXAuedxNeJQ2kXu-tFJzkxhnr9NZHnATSKGol9cJnXhSffRhAOb2WGYcq0HvXep1Y-lbumBpmiDnxNCgGOhR3HtfUi8aNSNQVx\/w620-h640\/Ken%20and%20Mike%20and%20Herbs.jpg\" width=\"620\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEguUTBpeOOctfAbNZz-oViD5DNAJuBZOXAFcmBX_w-_DXBoTFZc0KQPpLdtWZ9fTShLc5HZzrl6CmILWUPh7ts8WsyrIse5NlixukH1-RWAJsUOtCjRe5Tuw1x8msbcXox13WmTdX8XQ5t1xWvMG56_QUJ0yXMtR6BdibBPBfZ2Fs5fnTdowTHjED8t\/s1200\/Homegrown%20Rule.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1200\" data-original-width=\"1200\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEguUTBpeOOctfAbNZz-oViD5DNAJuBZOXAFcmBX_w-_DXBoTFZc0KQPpLdtWZ9fTShLc5HZzrl6CmILWUPh7ts8WsyrIse5NlixukH1-RWAJsUOtCjRe5Tuw1x8msbcXox13WmTdX8XQ5t1xWvMG56_QUJ0yXMtR6BdibBPBfZ2Fs5fnTdowTHjED8t\/w640-h640\/Homegrown%20Rule.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/feeds\/2618635998455849086\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment\/fullpage\/post\/8066877917844499643\/2618635998455849086","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/2618635998455849086"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/2618635998455849086"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/2023\/04\/lessons-from-five-years-of-bugs-barrels.html","title":"Lessons from Five Years of Bugs, Barrels, and Brewing"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07379932734747507258"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"24","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCZU_tvtMjQbxLZN516l14I1C8GT9fZ2IlyLxXrFbSRlRx08oE3hoBM5mYCtdohvosXovcJMZFY5FwM9JcqTqBqeRdsQk8EYieT7J7d3C0YxgeM37HFnztZ-gPP_RHm2E\/s1600\/*"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCrY3A6Akxvp6kbzxhRkGO-H7XlCiTm1Z1vbnmUsHi1fYew_mG94poSRvplYXA0T623aSIFcuIMgX8iKWdQC5wO6UfG3_z_nZtebx1XeZ02QL32sv7W4sNCCxwIetb7p1tWv0P35PxABKuJQ7jlDLIeWmjpySKOESCoTQPmGRNDkZ9267r_3TCbCSH\/s72-w640-h334-c\/Scott%20and%20Mike%20Posing%20with%20barrels.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-218649694890327110"},"published":{"$t":"2022-11-05T10:17:00.010-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-11-25T19:11:02.878-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Beer"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mad Fermentationist"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sapwood Cellars"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Small Craft Brewery Yeast Management"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhen it comes to brewing delicious beer, there are few aspects more important than the yeast. A healthy fermentation allows the malt, hops, and adjuncts to shine. Pitching the right amount of healthy cells helps ensure that the finished beer has the intended alcohol, expected residual sweetness, and appropriate yeast character.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the last four years at Sapwood Cellars we've slowly improved our yeast handling. We've noticed improved fermentation consistency, and better tasting beers. Most of our process is excessive for a homebrewer, but it might give you some ideas!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHarvesting Yeast\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWe harvest yeast from moderate gravity beers when possible as these cells are less stressed and healthier as a result. Our general rhythm is to brew a pale ale with a fresh pitch, and harvest from that tank for an IPA and DIPA the following week. Once the pale ale fermentation is complete (repeated gravity readings, and no diacetyl or acetaldehyde sensory) we can and soft-crash to 56-58F (13-14C). Cold and dissolved CO2 encourage the yeast to settle out. Specific temperature and time are strain and tank dependent, but that works for most of the English-leaning strains we use (Boddington's, Conan, Whitbread, and the Thiolized-variants).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOnce the beer has been cold for 24 hours, we attach a 1\/2 bbl brink to the bottom of the tank and pasteurize through the line and brink with 180F (82C) water from our on-demand. 25 minutes hot ensures there aren't any stray microbes that will be passed onto the subsequent batches. After pushing out the water with CO2 pressure we spray the brink with cold water then pressurize it and the tank to ~10 PSI.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWe then dump about a gallon (4L) from the T until the yeast looks good (creamy, off-white) and then begin collecting into the brink. You don't need to dump a large volume of yeast. By keeping steady pressure on the tank and slowly releasing pressure on the brink through the valve at the top we ensure that the yeast won't come out of the cone too quickly (which could punch through pulling in more beer than yeast) and won't foam up in the brink. It takes 10-15 minutes to fill the brink. Usually we are able to collect 110-130 lbs (50-60 kg) before yeast starts coming out the top of the brink.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWe collect yeast before dry hopping to avoid having hops mixed in with the yeast. We also prefer the \"less rough\" flavor we achieve by dry hopping cold. If you dry hop early-mid fermentation and want to harvest, drop as much of the hops out as you can before crashing and harvesting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjHRJx-68il4Hfy4PZs9WPVQ6W14hQB58vIGj87vpY4x9FZ-UXE1pXjm-epdiTQYawve7cCv7Uy9pW3AKS8LTrKbg7VY_wbGLIqxcYMtkHAhyzN-JVsRZZ7sDWLxFChxgh7w5UxcYz5xJQbJbnba7d9U5zdX1Uqt1rUyXevXWepdZ3jSbT1GnOGapdU\/s2168\/Yeast%20Brink.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2084\" data-original-width=\"2168\" height=\"616\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjHRJx-68il4Hfy4PZs9WPVQ6W14hQB58vIGj87vpY4x9FZ-UXE1pXjm-epdiTQYawve7cCv7Uy9pW3AKS8LTrKbg7VY_wbGLIqxcYMtkHAhyzN-JVsRZZ7sDWLxFChxgh7w5UxcYz5xJQbJbnba7d9U5zdX1Uqt1rUyXevXWepdZ3jSbT1GnOGapdU\/w640-h616\/Yeast%20Brink.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYeast Storage\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhenever possible we pitch within 72 hours of harvest. Larger yeast cultures generate more heat and thus tend to lose viability more rapidly. Store the yeast as cold as possible, which for us is ~36F (2C) in our walk-in. Ideally that would be closer to 32F (0C) to further slow its metabolism. Shake twice a day to dissipate hot-spots and vent down the pressure to knock-out CO2. If storing the yeast for more than a few days, attach a blow-off line to prevent pressure from building.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThere are\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/9105917\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Estudies about various additives\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for maintaining high yeast viability. We've added phosphate buffer to prevent a drastic pH drop. It's difficult to tell from a single data point, but viability dropped from 95% to 89% after a week of storage. We've seen closer to 10% reductions the handful of times we've stored yeast that long previously.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWe generally won't harvest and repitch beyond three generations (although recently we went to five). That's because with our limited number of tanks, variety of yeast strains, and canning schedule we'd eventually have to hold onto yeast for a couple of weeks before pitching or harvest from a strong beer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhkuKjAK0FDicGFD6tdTWG1aXvB4TCrNN_0GPuYMwTD5btEStcml4bvZFhcFTzxsZOMwOdO7FnhyRDhxoLWi2qms2VP1qiDlXClOdOybKGPyu4P2o955jReWVTyDr_GHGcUUm8nZ1pvOnE\/s2048\/Yeast+Pitch.JPG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1365\" data-original-width=\"2048\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhkuKjAK0FDicGFD6tdTWG1aXvB4TCrNN_0GPuYMwTD5btEStcml4bvZFhcFTzxsZOMwOdO7FnhyRDhxoLWi2qms2VP1qiDlXClOdOybKGPyu4P2o955jReWVTyDr_GHGcUUm8nZ1pvOnE\/w640-h426\/Yeast+Pitch.JPG\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDetermining Cell Count and Viability\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThere are plenty of successful brewers who pitch a standard weight by barrel\/gravity, but knowing how many live cells you actually have is a great way to improve consistency. It's especially valuable if you use a variety of strains or want to bring in a new strain. Our harvests of the same strain can vary by as much as three times in terms of live cells per g of slurry (~.5-1.5 billion cells). The cost of all of the equipment required is ~$500, less than a single commercial 10 bbl yeast pitch from some labs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EStart by shaking the brink to homogenize the culture. Then run a cup of yeast out, dump it (to avoid counting the cells packed around the port) and then pull a sample. The next step is to dilute the culture to a \"workable\" concentration - 1:100 for us. Too many cells packed together makes for a culture that is impossible\/laborious to count, while too few raises the chances luck will throw-off the count. For a long time I diluted by volume, performing two sequential 10X dilutions with a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B07P8LBQXQ\/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;psc=1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emicropipette\u003C\/a\u003E. This had two drawbacks. First getting an accurate volume of yeast slurry is tricky because it is foamy and has small bits of trub that can plug-up the pipette. Second, we pitch by weight, so there was always some estimation when it came to converting the volume to a weight or the extra step of determining the physical density of the slurry by mixing with water in a graduated cylinder on a scale. What we do now is dilute by weight, which gives us cells per gram rather than cells per milliliter.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOur scale is accurate to .2 g, so weighing 1 g of yeast into 99 g of water has a ~20% margin of error. As a result I do 490 g of water with 5 g of the yeast slurry. This reduces the maximum margin of error to ~4%. After pouring the diluted culture back and forth to mix, I take 9.9 mL of the diluted culture with the micropipette and add .1 mL of a stock dye solution of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00DYO9VWM\/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;psc=1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EErythrosin B\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B01BKWPGJ6\/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;psc=1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ephosphate buffer\u003C\/a\u003E (1 g in 50mL of buffer). This results in a total dilution of 100X. You could go even further, a 10X dilution by weight (50 g yeast with 450 g of water) followed by a 10X dilution by volume (1 mL of the diluted culture with 8.9 mL water and .1 g of dye).\u0026nbsp;Live cells are able to expel the\u0026nbsp;Erythrosin B so they won't be stained, meaning any red yeast cells are dead. You can use a variety of other stains, but Erythrosin B is a food coloring and much safer to handle than\u0026nbsp;methylene blue or trypan blue. Here's a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/escarpmentlabs.com\/blogs\/resources\/safer-yeast-cell-viability-erythrosin-b\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Epost from Escarpmant Labs\u003C\/a\u003E on using it inspired by my Tweet (which was in turn \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.hemocytometer.org\/viability-dyes-trypan-blue-vs-erythrosin-b\/\"\u003Einspired by this\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ELuckily the Boddingtons-type strain we use for most of our batches isn't \"excessively\" flocculent. When we fermented a run with Whitbread we ran into issues with the cells being too clumpy to count. Luckily BrewKaiser has\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/braukaiser.com\/blog\/blog\/2012\/10\/03\/yeast-un-flocculation-for-cell-counting\/\"\u003Ea whole post\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;on additions you can add to help. Phosphoric acid worked OK, but a local brewer suggested disodium EDTA, which I plan to buy before we do another run with a similar strain.\u003Cspan face=\"\u0026quot;Helvetica Neue\u0026quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"\u0026quot;Helvetica Neue\u0026quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiFok5agVIS_3HgsJFkVhg8Dl3FtFM3MUrc93JXYH8wvp0RDff1ZrUFkYlhNKWonaLNqpCfDq_4g5dbAQ3e_nzSvYPhxcDiod8x00_81HOgbg_0wYr50F6iL3JsWm4FKPEafWj1VOdVqUc\/s1280\/WIN_20210319_13_06_17_Pro.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"960\" data-original-width=\"1280\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiFok5agVIS_3HgsJFkVhg8Dl3FtFM3MUrc93JXYH8wvp0RDff1ZrUFkYlhNKWonaLNqpCfDq_4g5dbAQ3e_nzSvYPhxcDiod8x00_81HOgbg_0wYr50F6iL3JsWm4FKPEafWj1VOdVqUc\/w640-h480\/WIN_20210319_13_06_17_Pro.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ENext, place a couple drops on the diluted culture a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00SJLBFDS\/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s04?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;psc=1\"\u003Ehemocytometer\u003C\/a\u003E, apply the slide cover, and stick it under a microscope (we have an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/itm\/121360779546\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EOmax\u003C\/a\u003E). Count the live and dead cells in five squares (each made up of 25 small squares) - four corners, and center. This provides a large enough sample size to avoid undue randomness. A small \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B071W3QTBX\/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;psc=1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Etally counter\u003C\/a\u003E helps keep track. The standard rule is to count cells touching the left and top lines, but not the right or bottom. Count connected cells as two only if the daughter cell is more than half the size of the mother. Then I plug the totals into \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/inlandislandyeast.com\/lab-services\/yeast-cell-count-calculator\/\"\u003EInland Island's Yeast Cell Count Calculator\u003C\/a\u003E. Usually our harvests are 80-90% viable off a fresh pitch, and they tend to go up from there on subsequent generations (90-95%). If your viability isn't great it could either be that the yeast isn't getting enough nutrients\/oxygen, your initial pitching rate was too high or low, or that you are waiting too long to harvest.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThere are automated solutions for yeast counting, but with some practice the whole processes will take less than 10 minutes.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh6E7HNTM24pFN9jzCrWAXTURsrLjUNUWc8_tX3Z4y30joQsUftg09Mm-Xi_a-HvQS0J-fBFYcwoMMh5yla68imHQZIUtlNbhjb-8_4KoKTkoAmYgM413Ndv0ZZPczIWh5K4GrTuPOgViB0t9qno4lngQSQqHn2OtDoZOaaDUhLhqCg20dFb9KD2z6A\/s892\/Inland%20Island%20Yeast%20Count.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"892\" data-original-width=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh6E7HNTM24pFN9jzCrWAXTURsrLjUNUWc8_tX3Z4y30joQsUftg09Mm-Xi_a-HvQS0J-fBFYcwoMMh5yla68imHQZIUtlNbhjb-8_4KoKTkoAmYgM413Ndv0ZZPczIWh5K4GrTuPOgViB0t9qno4lngQSQqHn2OtDoZOaaDUhLhqCg20dFb9KD2z6A\/s16000\/Inland%20Island%20Yeast%20Count.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPitching Yeast\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ETo pitch, we attach the brink to a T inline during knock-out. With the brink on a scale we use CO2 to slowly push in the desired weight of yeast (calculated based on the cell count, wort gravity, and volume). We pitch during knock-out so the yeast mixes with the aerated wort as it goes into the fermentor. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.whitelabs.com\/AsepticTransferSystem?id=66\"\u003EWhite Labs advocates\u003C\/a\u003E using a pump to pitch their fresh yeast inline to achieve better mixing with the wort. Best practice is to do another cell count off the tank once knock-out is complete to validate your process (we did it a few times, but now trust our approach).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhen we started brewing more double batches to fill our 20 bbl tanks, we were pitching enough cells for 20 bbls along with the first 10 bbls of wort. Our thought process was that the yeast wouldn't do much in the 3-4 hours before the second half of the wort went in. However, we found our fermentations were less reliable, often dragging towards terminal gravity, and the yeast from those batches had much lower viability than expected. Both of these issues improved significantly once we switched to pitching only enough cells for the initial knock-out volume. This allows for more growth and thus a higher proportion of younger yeast cells.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EHopefully this overview of our process is helpful for someone starting a new craft brewery, or looking to take their yeast management to the next level. As with anything in brewing, the more variables you can track and control the more consistency you'll have in your results. Yeast management isn't a \"fun\" topic, but it is one of the simplest things a brewery can do to increase consistency, improve flavor, and save money!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjaHAaXr7WSyYefx8JlyynuFzSpnPQmLdXQJToMo25VldfQvygHpgl9xNlebQX-fiXmqfGGFtm8hict8zqli-GWl-0-tSEtoV7k08PukR7XszyGIqdk-AstRh7C03ZiG3nQtA1ycfXt8dufkQAH4ylDQelKQOnuL10GHmrQJUi284Nenj58uEz5g46j\/s2368\/Yeast%20Sightglass.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2368\" data-original-width=\"2084\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjaHAaXr7WSyYefx8JlyynuFzSpnPQmLdXQJToMo25VldfQvygHpgl9xNlebQX-fiXmqfGGFtm8hict8zqli-GWl-0-tSEtoV7k08PukR7XszyGIqdk-AstRh7C03ZiG3nQtA1ycfXt8dufkQAH4ylDQelKQOnuL10GHmrQJUi284Nenj58uEz5g46j\/w564-h640\/Yeast%20Sightglass.jpg\" width=\"564\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/feeds\/218649694890327110\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment\/fullpage\/post\/8066877917844499643\/218649694890327110","title":"9 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/218649694890327110"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8066877917844499643\/posts\/default\/218649694890327110"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.themadfermentationist.com\/2022\/11\/small-craft-brewery-yeast-management.html","title":"Small Craft Brewery Yeast Management"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07379932734747507258"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"24","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgCZU_tvtMjQbxLZN516l14I1C8GT9fZ2IlyLxXrFbSRlRx08oE3hoBM5mYCtdohvosXovcJMZFY5FwM9JcqTqBqeRdsQk8EYieT7J7d3C0YxgeM37HFnztZ-gPP_RHm2E\/s1600\/*"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjHRJx-68il4Hfy4PZs9WPVQ6W14hQB58vIGj87vpY4x9FZ-UXE1pXjm-epdiTQYawve7cCv7Uy9pW3AKS8LTrKbg7VY_wbGLIqxcYMtkHAhyzN-JVsRZZ7sDWLxFChxgh7w5UxcYz5xJQbJbnba7d9U5zdX1Uqt1rUyXevXWepdZ3jSbT1GnOGapdU\/s72-w640-h616-c\/Yeast%20Brink.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"9"}}]}});