Tarakena Summer Ale, and Cascadian #1 results

Lots of things happening since the last post. I have a feeling these pieces are going to get much more involved in the near future. Next week, is looking like two beers in two days, both of which are to be entered in the Maryland Oktoberfest homebrew competition: A smoked weizenbock (affectionately called ‘Two Smokin Barrels), and a remake of the gold medal pumpkin ale. Beer crazy? Maybe. I just like learning and beer. Thankfully, brewing provides plenty of both.

So first off, I should address the result of the Cascasdian Ancestral (#1).  Though the number should be enough to signal my intentions, It bears stating that I plan on making another batch. It has perfect color, could use some clarity, but definitely needs progress on taste. As of now, it’s a toss up on what I’m thinking needs improvement, but one fault I’ve nailed down. Thanks to my excruciatingly detailed brewing notes, I know exactly where the off flavor came from.

Looks how I wanted, but full of things I didn't anticipate. A cruel mistress....

When I first tasted it, I thought I had some overly-fruity notes, as well as some diacytal. When I brought a six-er with me to a Maryland getaway with friends, I noticed that the fruity notes had disappeared. Probably just premature opening/not enough conditioning. The diacytal remained, however, which really surprised me considering the fact that I left the fermentation to go a bit longer than I thought was necessary. It’s nothing offensive, but not David Wood-worthy.

A hint of oxidation is present from my lack of bottling nozzle. I had to use nothing but the faucet on the bottling bucket to fill the bottles up. The lesson from that experience may be overkill to some, but for me, it’s nothing short of necessary. I’m getting a keg setup for the next brew. No questions asked.

Regarding the next brew, I’m quite excited about this one. As I mentioned before, I’ve been eager to recreate Coronado’s Saison by the Sea. While not really a saison, it was a super drinkable beer that had all sorts of delicious summer-appropriate flavors in it. The only ‘recipe’ I had to go on was what I recalled from the ingredient listing on the bottle I had a year ago. Reliable? Not really. Potential for individuality? Extreme.

I figured my summer beer of choice is in fact the Saison, so I chose the malt profile I used for the one I made in New Zealand. It is very simple, but gives a good body for a summer beer. The other ingredients I knew I wanted (/somewhat recalled) were chamomile, spearmint, ginger, and orange. The way to figure out how much of each to use was a bit of a task. It eventually finished with a taste test of the most unfamiliar ingredients soaked in hot and warm water for an hour and a half.

The luke-warm samples. And 8 disassembled tea bags.

The results were actually quite informative. The chamomile in hot and warm water worked well, but delivered brilliant aroma and taste in the hot water in small quantities. I figured from that I’d use it in the boil, around 15 minutes. Through another method I figured a ½ tsp per gallon was a good amount (based on the teabag size/cup). As for the spearmint, the hot water was out of the question. It produced a brutally offensive flavor that would be unbearable (or at the very least not even a remotely close) flavor for the beer. In the luke-warm water however, it gave off a hint of a mint taste, as well as a tinge of aroma. Dry-hopping was definitely the answer for the spearmint.

All of the boil additions. Minus the ginger....

As for the ginger, I completely forgot to add it in the boil. My solution is to dry hop it (shave the root then dry it, so that the beer rehydrates it), with the spearmint. Hopefully that will give it a mild ginger tinge, but nothing offensive or too powerful.

While the other ingredients were an easy choice (thanks to my memory of the Coronado label) the hops took a bit of thinking. I had a few things in mind, but it really all came together when I noticed that there was a perfectly appropriate amount of hops from New Zealand left in stock at the store to produce a nice Summer ale. Pacific Jade was my bittering, and NZ Hallertau brought up the aroma and flavor. I also tossed in a few extra PJ in the flameout for a (hopeful) extra citrus.

As for the yeast, I wanted to try something different, yet complimentary to what I was looking for in taste. I chose a Belgian Golden ale strain to accent some of the fruitier characteristics. Hopefully that’s what it will do. This is a new yeast for me, and using unknown yeasts is always an adventure…

A little sparge-porn for you hedonists.

I had also tossed around names for this brew for a while, but it really came to me after I made up my mind on the hops. The beer is something I want to have fruity, juicy, citrusy characters, as well as a hint of flowers, and a touch of earthy (balancing) bitterness. The best way I can sum it up is to say that it should taste Teal. Like the color. Seriously. Think about the color teal. If it helps, think about it in context to a tropical ocean—not in a HOT location, but one like New Zealand, where it is cool—thanks to the wind. The ocean breeze and the blue waves come up and crash against the rocks on a partly cloudy day, and its just paradise. THAT kind of teal. Cool, refreshing, quenching.

While thinking all of these things, a single spot came to mind. I made a point to take a break there every time I did my 30 mile bike circuit around Wellington city. When you ride uphill for a good while in Seatoun, you’re suddenly greeted by a narrow pass cut through a hillside. Following the road, you’re assaulted by the view of the south sea (next stop, Antarctica), and a blast of fresh sea air. Open ocean spreads out before you, and it is nothing short of perfection.

Tarakena Bay. If I can make a beer anywhere near as fulfilling as that spot, I’ll consider myself well on my way to being a reputable brewer.

End note: I felt like experimenting with the copious amounts of grains I was using. So I made a  couple of loaves of beer-grain barley bread. It. Tastes. Brilliant.

I really do not understand why more people don't get into this hobby

Tarakena Summer Ale
Beglian Two-row Pilsner, Vienna, Torrified wheat

Pacific Jade, New Zealand Hallertau
Belgian Golden Ale (WLP570)
(Chamomile, Spearmint, Ginger root, Orange peel/zest)