Mystery Hops

I find it hard to believe that we've been brewing for almost a year now; that first canned batch was truly terrible, but many mistakes later (who could forget the floor beer?) our beer is definitely improving.  All we've learned will be tested today, as our latest batch features mystery hops!

Mystery hops prior to a stint in the dehydrator

Approximately 10 years ago my father planted a hop rhizome in his backyard with the intent of using the hops to brew beer.  He never did use them, and in the passing years forgot what type they were.  I only found out about their existence last fall, and by the time I got to them they were well past a usable state but still smelled great.  Being pretty excited about using home grown hops, I was more on the ball this year and harvested 26 oz last weekend.  Comparing the cones to pictures from the internet, our best guess is they're Northern Brewer.  After drying I was left with 9 oz, or a good amount for a batch of Mystery IPA.

They're hops Officer, I swear!

It's amazing how much weight is lost during the drying process.  The vine was is great shape, we had 10+ feet of trellising, and it was a great summer for growing pretty much anything and we only got enough for one batch.  I think if they turn out to taste good, I might try and dig up some of what should be a rather large rhizome and replant it to try and up production for next year.  That should make for a decent blog post sometime later this fall.

Anyway, the brew day is going pretty smoothly so far.  We've recently tried to combat our sub-par efficiency problems by using a 5.2 pH equalizer and a longer mash time, so hopefully that'll get us over 6% ABV.  The recipe is pretty straight forward, with only base malt and some medium crystal for colour and head retention.  This batch is going to be all about the hops, so hopefully they're not terrible.  Hopefully...

Darkside on Tour: Saint John Beerfest

'Excellent adventures' are pretty subjective. Movies have set the bar pretty high, with science fiction buddy comedies in which heavy metal, time travel, and key historical figures somehow combine to preserve a future utopian society. The stakes didn't seem nearly as high when we considered a weekend road trip to the first Saint John Beerfest in mid-April, but the potential for excellence was certainly there. Recognizing this, we made the necessary arrangements and loaded up the Drewbaru (Drew's Subaru, for the uninitiated), setting a course for our Maritime neighbours across the Bay of Fundy.

The last stretch of highway before the NB border.
(Captain Planet approves this image.)

The trip started like any good trip should - with a Timmy's run within 20 minutes of leaving home. We each picked up a medium coffee and 12-grain bagel with cream cheese (standard brew day fare), though we were disappointed to realize we had paid for 'new medium' ('old large') coffees and received 'old medium' ('new small') coffees. If you haven't been to Tim's in the last couple of months, this likely makes no sense to you. Sorry. 

The coffee/bagel combo provided the necessary dietary fuel to get us to Moncton, where we sought out the Tide and Boar Gastropub, our base instincts consumed by the notion of boar poutine. The place was packed, as it was not only the weekend, but also the weekend of the East Coast Music Awards (ECMAs). Luckily, we were able to find a table on the lower level without much trouble. Two boar poutines arrived shortly thereafter, accompanied nicely by pints of Picaroons Dark and Stormy Night. The poutine was tasty, and we really dug the boar, but it was perhaps a bit too fancy for our tastes. There were caramelized onions and a sweet ketchup-type sauce, with a small boat of light and herby gravy on the side... we both kind of wished it was just fries, curds, boar, and a nice dark gravy. Still, tasty stuff, just a little too highbrow, perhaps.

Yes, those are sprouts.

Fending off food comas with another round of road coffees, the rest of the trip to Saint John was pretty uneventful. Drew's mental map proved accurate, and we arrived at the Hilton without incident. Parking underground, we were impressed to see that both Market Square (the venue for Beerfest) and the Saint John Alehouse were readily accessible. Nicely done, organizing committee. Nicely done. 

We checked in quickly, and set out for the Ale House, figuring it would be a good spot to develop a foundation for the night ahead. Despite having eaten boar poutine only a few hours earlier, more food couldn't hurt. Also, a few warm-up beers are important before going into the main event, like stretching before a marathon or zero-gravity training before venturing into outer space (too far?). Of particular note, we tried the Pump House IPA, and were really impressed. Nice hop citrus (we're guessing Amarillo/Cascade) with a biscuit backbone, much like our own Magnitude IPA... so maybe we're a bit biased in our assessment. We also had the opportunity to check out Moosehead Cask Ale, which was light and enjoyable, overall, but pretty bland in comparison to the IPA. One thing that the Cask Ale really had going for it, however, was carbonation - fine bubbles and a thick head that lasted upwards of 20 minutes, with distinct lacing. 

Sufficiently warmed-up, we headed from the Ale House to Beerfest proper, which basically entailed walking up a flight of stairs. The space was great; open and easy to navigate. The show had a distinctly classy vibe, due in part to the presence of members of Atlantic Cirque. Initially confused by the silver people slowly walking around, we were later impressed by their contortion skills... and fire breathing. (Seriously. See below.) While the beer on hand was definitely entertainment enough, the Cirque performers added an interesting and memorable touch.

Thankfully, they weren't part of a Coors Light advertisement.

The Human Torch was denied a bank loan.

High quality food was in abundance, which was definitely a good thing, though we were too full from boar poutine and Ale House fare to really benefit. Lesson learned for next year: go hungry! Initially, we thought that handing out sampling glasses that were actually made of glass may have been a questionable decision, but in the end, there were very few dropped glasses. When accidents did happen, a university meal hall-esque cheer generally arose, to the enjoyment of all except for the dropee, who was suddenly the centre of unwanted attention.

One aspect of the event that really stood out was the presence of three cask ales, brought by Moosehead, Pump House, and Picaroon's. We had tried the Moosehead Cask Ale earlier, but were eager to try the other two, which were both IPAs. The Pump House Cask IPA was in-your-face bitter, seeming like they upped their hop quota significantly for the occasion. It was a palate wrecker, but definitely worth trying. The tapping of the cask itself evolved into quite the spectacle, with a special guest from Ducks Unlimited essentially bashing the spigot repeatedly with a wooden mallet, much to the delight of the gathered crowd.

Tapping a cask, bending the laws of space and time.
Standard Saturday night.

Our favourite, though, was the Picaroon's Cask Yippee IPA. It was fantastic. Dry hopping with Comet hops for 30 days gave the beer a great citrus aroma. It was quite bitter, but still in balance with the malt flavours. The extensive period of dry hopping also imparted a resiny flavour, which added another enjoyable taste dimension to the beer. We had the opportunity to meet and chat with Picaroon's brew master, Andrew, who impressed us both with his brewing knowledge and his Machete-like texting skills. We were very happy to see the Cask Yippee IPA take second place in the peoples' choice voting!

We're still a bit surprised that Saint John-based Big Tide Brewing's IPA won first place. Of the various beers we tried, it ranked among our least favourite. It just tasted... off. Still, we can understand people supporting their home town brand, and congratulate them all the same.

You stay classy, Saint John Beerfest.

All in all, it was a great chance to try some great new beers and meet people from the New Brunswick beer scene. The event was extremely well-organized, and the additions of Cirque performers and a few cask ales really elevated it to a level extremely worthy of a weekend road trip from the Darkside. Here's hoping that Saint John Beerfest becomes an annual fixture on the Atlantic beer festival calendar, and the motivation for more 'excellent adventures' on our part in the future.

Local Beer Review: Propeller Spring Bock

A new month, a new growler-only one-off from Propeller Brewing (this is a tradition we can really get behind). Spring Bock, the third release in 2012's One Hit Wonder Series, started pouring at Propeller's Gottingen St. stronghold on April 2. Unlike last year's traditional Bock (strong, malty lager), this year's release is a Maibock, or Helles Bock, which generally tends to be paler and a bit hoppier. Maibock is a classic Bavarian transition season brew, so the Spring Bock's release this month is right on cue. (As, of course, is its name.)

The One Hit Wonder series has been great for introducing us to new styles, and the Spring Bock is no exception. To give us some basis for comparison, we picked up a bottle of Trois Mousquetaires (TM) Maibock, which (if Beer Advocate reviews are to be trusted) seems to be regarded as a pretty solid representation of the style, but perhaps a bit on the sweet side. We split the 750 mL bottle after a late (and light) breakfast of bagels, confirming that this is indeed a strong lager (the 8% ABV on the bottle somehow wasn't noticed until afterward). We enjoyed the floral hop notes and touch of honey that this golden-hued lager brought to the table, but yeah, it was kind of sweet.

With this as our guide, we broke out our growler of Propeller Spring Bock, acquired from the brewery that morning. Earl was pretty pumped, as he was a big fan of the Bock released in last year's One Hit Wonder series. Pouring two pints, we were presented with something distinctly different from the TM Maibock, amber in colour and lightly carbonated, with a nose of mild cherry. The flavour started with some floral notes up front from the Hallertauer hops, but quickly turned into sweet cherry and malt, with a lingering cereal finish. The body was smooth, but heavy, like an overweight Bavarian lynx, suiting perfectly the brisk climes of early spring.

All points considered, the Spring Bock's bold and malty flavour profile is sure to please those who enjoy such beer. While it isn't something that either of us typically seek out, this release provided a great opportunity for us to gain more familiarity with the style, and we appreciate Propeller putting their own spin on it. Our growlers eagerly await the next release in the One Hit Wonder Series, whatever it may be.

Petebrau: A Celebration Ale

This past Saturday, the condo brewery was abuzz with activity once again, as we began our latest batch. In honour of my father's upcoming 60th birthday, Darkside Brewing has offered to provide the beer for the party. After talking to him about what he likes in a beer, he summarized with, 'I like a beer with flavour and kick.' Knowing that he normally drinks Moosehead Dry Ice provided some additional insight as to what we should brew. It also let us know that the bar was set pretty low.

After giving it some thought, we decided to draw upon my family's decidedly British roots and create a recipe for an English India Pale Ale. We've never used Maris Otter as a base malt, and figured it would be both an appropriate choice and a great opportunity to give it a go. Keeping with (our) tradition, we decided to use a rather large bag of East Kent Goldings (EKG) hops (7 oz. to be exact) to provide the bitter kick that Earl and I both really like. Oh, and my dad... yeah, he wanted something with kick, too, right?

We started by throwing in a significant portion of the EKG for first wort hopping, added more with 30, 15 and 5 minutes left in the boil, and then saved the rest for dry hopping. If anything, this beer should give us a solid understanding of what EKG hops taste like. Hopefully it will be an understanding that they are good. Keeping with the theme, we used a liquid English Ale yeast from Wyeast.

By the end of the brew day, things seem to have gone as planned. With an Original Gravity of 1.044, we were a little lower than we'd hoped, but it should still have the kick that Dad requested. If everything turns out as planned, it should help make for a memorable celebration. 

Local Beer Review: Garrison Schwarz

For a while there, everyone was talking about and brewing Rye IPAs, us included. This was due largely to the fact that this hybrid style was selected for the 2012 Garrison Ultimate Brew-Off, an annual home brewing competition in which the winning entry becomes a limited-edition Garrison seasonal. This year's competition was capped off with an awards gala on March 22, in which Niagara College student Kellye Robertson was named the victor. The gala also marked the release of bottles of last year's winning entry, a Schwarzbier under the label, 'Adam und Eric's Neuschottland Schwarz.' (Neuschottland = Nova Scotia. Nice touch!)

I see your Schwarz is as big as mine!

We were eager to check out this black lager, and picked up a few bottles at the brewery last Friday. We admit that we're not well-acquainted with Schwarzbier, but understand it to be a relative of Dunkel, with which we have some recent experience.

Also known as Schwarzpils, or Black Pils, we expected the Schwarz to be light in body, but darker in colour and taste. Off the pour, it seemed to fit the bill nicely, with a dark auburn colour that picked up a distinct reddish hue in the afternoon sunlight. The head was thick and creamy but dissipated rapidly, with a pleasant (albeit unassertive) roasty-floral nose. Taking a swig revealed a nice bitter nudge up front, which quickly mellowed into a dry, roasty-malt finish. The body and mouthfeel were light and clean, as you'd expect from a lager, giving it a sessionable quality (especially when compared to some of Garrison's other offerings - we're looking at you, Ol' Fog Burner).

Overall, the Schwarz is an excellent representation of the style, or at least what we perceive the style to be. It isn't overly complex, but it doesn't need to be. It's a refreshing lager, and offers a flavour profile that's a welcome departure from most mainstream offerings. When the warm weather from last week finally makes its triumphant return, we look forward to drinking a Schwarz on a sunny patio somewhere in the Darkside.

Local Beer Review Redux: Propeller Double IPA

If it seems like we just reviewed a Double IPA by Propeller last month, that's because, well, we did. The first release in 2012's One Hit Wonder series, dubbed the 2xIPA, enamoured us with its citrus-centric West Coast nose and flavour profile. We wanted more, but such is the double-edged sword of this type of series - they provide a great opportunity for experimentation and discovery, but if you create something truly remarkable, it exists only for limited amount of time. And then it's gone.

Or so one would think. Last week, we were pleasantly surprised by news that Propeller would be releasing a new seasonal Double IPA. Rising from the positive community response to the 2xIPA like a phoenix from a flaming mash tun, the Double IPA is a revised version of its predecessor, released last week in growlers and this coming week in 500 mL bottles. (Apparently an issue with a rogue labeller has delayed the bottle release slightly. If I was an aspiring robot overlord, I'd totally go for the beer supply first... could this be the beginning of the rise of the machines?!)

We picked up a growler of the Double IPA at the brewery on Friday, intrigued to find out how their experience with the 2xIPA and feedback from the passionate Halifax craft beer community had shaped the final product. We were pleased to find that the juicy citrus character was still prominent, as was the surprisingly easy-to-drink body belying a potent 8.2% ABV. We were less pleased, though, that the hop flavours seem to have been toned down somewhat by an enhanced malt sweetness relative to the 2xIPA. Technically, we feel that the Double IPA is more balanced, but we kind of dug the slight bitter imbalance of its predecessor. If you're a fan of something a bit sweeter, though, like Lagunitas Maximus Double IPA, you're really in for a treat.

Overall, our personal preferences shouldn't detract from the fact that the Double IPA is a great beer. It most certainly is, and we plan on stockpiling bottles as soon as they're released (please, labeller?). Kudos to Propeller for listening to the community response and giving us more of what we want!

While we were out

Things have been pretty quiet on the blog lately, as Drew and I found ourselves stretched pretty thin by our respective professional responsibilities. Sadly, these responsibilities were not beer-related, but the associated travel did provide some opportunities to sample great brews elsewhere in Canada and the US. Drew had the opportunity to sample Dieu du Ciel!'s stellar Peche Mortel (apologies for the lack of French accents... I'm afraid to use the French keyboard) on tap at their brew pub in Montreal, while I became more familiar with the American craft beer scene in the Washington, DC, area (more on this in a future post).

Some great things have been happening on the home front while we were away. While the name had been out there for a bit, more details started to emerge regarding Bridge Brewing Company, an environmentally-conscious microbrewery in the vein of Les Brasseurs du Nord in Quebec, slated to begin operation this summer in north-end Halifax. We're very excited to try their Yardstick Ale as soon as possible! (Side note: I believe this beer was previously called 'Conception Ale,' as it is the beer the brewery was conceived upon. Name change due to potential perception as some kind of baby-making brew?)

As well, Garrison recently released their Ol' Fog Burner Barley Wine, and will soon release their Sugar Moon Maple Ale. The latter pairs extremely well with waffles, and is our top pick for a Haligonian breakfast beer. Both we and our waffle makers are giddy with excitement. 

Anyway, while it was great to travel and try some new beers, it's good to be back - we missed you, Halifax craft beer community!