Matt's Chats: The Right Yeast for Summer Brewing

By Matt Ross

I still have not acquired a fermentation chamber so for the time being my fermentation temperature continues to remain at the will of the weather. Fortunately summer is my favorite time to brew. It is now warm and consistent enough that I can ferment with Belgian yeast in the heat and also use American yeast in the cooler areas of my home. There are a few things I have learned over the years that have generally improved the quality of my brews.

First off, fermentation temperature is one of the most crucial things throughout the entire brewing process. It can be difficult to ballpark ambient temp. At my current location I have what I consider a warm spot and a cooler spot. One thing I do to get a better idea of temperature consistency is leave a glass of water in the room I plan to ferment in. I will periodically check the temp with a trusted thermometer at different times to see what sort of variations may occur. I typically base the beer I am making off the temperature ranges observed.

This weather has finally turned a corner. I mentioned that I love fermenting with saison yeast and the season is upon us. The 3711 from Wyeast is their French saison yeast and is one of my personal favorites. There are a couple of things worth mentioning about this yeast. First it is an absolute beast that attenuates very high, particularly under warmer temperatures. This yeast produces spicy peppery esters that when paired with a simple malt build create a bold yet refreshing beverage.

The next thing I do is a pretty common practice that never fails to get funny looks but is worthy of mentioning regardless. The fermentation process produces small amounts of heat. To encourage consistent temperatures, I usually wrap my vessels as an added form of insulation. There is no better way to get curious eyebrow raise from a new houseguest than to have a bucket wrapped in old clothing sitting in the corner of your room. As a side bonus, this helps to prevent light from reaching the beer as well.

As a follow up to the last fermentation discussion, I have been taking my own advice and fermenting within my means. I made a rye beer using smoked malt and the Wyeast 1007 German Ale yeast. All in all it is a clean finishing ale yeast that can ferment cooler. My primary fermentation occurred around 59 degrees and was shockingly aggressive. It was my first time using that yeast and it will be added to the lineup of winter/spring yeasts.

For those of you who share my temperature control issues I've included a list of yeast (see below) that are versatile and don’t mind moderate heat. Come in and share your experiences with seasonal brewing with any of us at Siciliano’s Market. Brew on.

• Wyeast 3711 French Saison
• WLP 550 Belgian Ale
• Danstar Belle Saison
• Wyeast 1010 American Wheat
• WLP 400 Belgian Wit Ale

Misadventures in Homebrewing: Safe and Sane on Brew Day

By Matt Ross

I try to learn from my mistakes and not repeat them. Unfortunately, most mistakes on brew day are beer related since, as we all know, you must drink beer to make beer. Most rules start after someone did something regrettable. (Ever wonder why there are signs surrounding electric fences reminding you not to touch them?) My regrettable moment: I connected my corny keg to an open faucet and pushed beer all over my feet and floor. Now I don’t drink beer until I am done with the boil.

I digress. Not all of my mistakes are that dramatic and more often than not they turn out fine. I suppose the purpose behind this blog post is to laugh at myself and point out avoidable pitfalls to help your brew day run without a hitch. 

• If you are using glass anything, do not leave it in your murky Star San. I broke a lab thermometer (filled with mercury) in a plastic fermenter filled with sanitizer. It is now a compost bucket.
• Never ferment 5 gallons of wort in a 5-gallon glass carboy unless you have a blow-off tube. This one is pretty self-explanatory.
• If you have a boil pot with a valve and screen, be aware of protein production and the power of Irish moss. I clogged my screen while making a beer that was 40% rye and using a Whirlfloc tablet. It was a mess. 

A large portion of brewing is controlling variables to the best of your ability. Sometimes life intervenes and you’re caught with your pants down. Moments like these are humbling and make me sympathize with Homer Simpson (D'oh!). My stories are mostly laughable but as brewers we are responsible for gallons of boiling wort and powerful chemicals, which is to say: Be safe and brew smart.

Brew of the Month, May Edition: Matt's 30 Minute IPA

By Matt Ross

May’s Brew of the Month recipe was created to fill a void in my palate. Beer of all styles appeal to me and I can appreciate almost anything, but lately I’ve just wanted to punish my tongue with hops. May’s Brew of the Month recipe was crafted to do just that. I present the 30 Minute IPA.

The beer I've been craving has a light malt presence with moderate attenuation and almost no yeast character. It's obviously hop forward but not extremely bitter. I prefer more flavor and aroma, specifically tropical fruit, citrus and pine. I studied award-winning homebrew IPA practices and through my research as well as conversations with other homebrewers, I decided on doing a hop stand, and first wort hopping. These are probably considered “advanced” methods but in my experience, timing and patience are the most important points.

To explain, first wort hopping is an old German technique where you add a small amount of your bittering hops (up to 30%) to the wort in your kettle when you begin draining your sparge water. This does a number of things. According to the folks at Beersmith, it will increase your overall IBUs by 10% but produces a more well-rounded bitter instead of a tongue scraper. It should be noted that this recipe and method were used on an all-grain system. I have read but cannot confirm that similar results are gained in extract brewing when you first wort hop at the same time you add your malt extract.

The grain bill on this recipe is pretty no nonsense with mostly pale malt and a bit of C40, Victory and flaked barley. Total grain weight came to 13.88 pounds and I mashed at 153° for an hour. Prior to draining the mash tun of sparge water, first wort hops (.25oz of AU Topaz) were added to the kettle. Once the sparge water was drained off I took the collected wort and boiled it for 45 minutes. I call this brew the 30 Minute IPA because I did not start adding kettle hops until the 30-minute mark. Starting at 30 minutes I added one ounce of hops every ten minutes until the boil was done. I then began chilling the wort along with the hop stand process.

A hop stand occurs after the boil when you chill your wort down to 175° or lower and add hops. 175° is important because that is the temperature that hops isomerize (create IBUs). In short, you are making bitterless hop tea. Brewers will often stack techniques and whirlpool during this stage but it is not necessary. I went with one ounce of Simcoe for 30 minutes. From here it was a pretty standard fermentation around 65° with US-05 and dry hopping for 5 days in secondary with one ounce each of Citra and Mosaic.

All in all, this beer was very fruit forward. It has intense tropical fruit aroma and flavor that finished with a sneaky bitterness that was not overwhelming. I chose Topaz, Simcoe, Mosaic and Citra because my palate enjoys the big fruit flavor they lend. If you prefer a different flavor profile change up the recipe to make it your own. Hope you enjoyed this edition of Brew of the Month. Brew on.

All-Grain Recipe

• 12 lbs Briess Pale malt
• 0.75 lbs Briess Caramel 40L
• 0.75 lbs Briess Flaked Barley
• 0.38 lbs Briess Victory
• 0.25 oz Topaz FWH
• 0.75 oz Topaz 30 min.
• 1 oz Simcoe 20 min.
• 1 oz Topaz 10 min.
• 1 oz Citra @ Flameout
• 1 oz Simcoe Hop stand 30min (under 175°)
• 1 oz Citra Dry Hop 5 days
• 1 oz Mosaic Dry Hop 5 days
• Safale US-05 American Ale Yeast

Extract with Specialty Grains

• 1.5 lbs Briess Amber LME
• 7 lbs Briess Pilsen Light LME
• 0.75 lbs Briess Caramel 40L
• 0.50 lbs Cara-Pils
• Hops: See Above
• Yeast: See Above

The staff at Siciliano's is always eager to answer your homebrewing questions. Stop by for help developing custom-made recipes like this one!

Anchorage Brewing Company Whiteout Wit

Review by Matt Ross

To pick up where we left off with Anchorage Brewing, I present my review of their Whiteout Wit. Traditionally this is a pretty straight-forward style that thrives on subtly: pilsner and wheat malt, conservative hop additions and wit yeast. Spices are optional. Anchorage took these basic guidelines and indulged in all departments. They added lemon peel, coriander and black peppercorn. They also added brettanomyces. It is aged in French oak Chardonnay barrels. It is also 6.5% ABV. Up front it seems like there is a lot going on.

The first thing you notice is the pour. This beer is very carbonated. Pleasantly carbonated. The color is stunning. It is a beautiful hazy pale straw in color. The aroma is subtle but dramatic. If you are not paying much attention it would be easy to overlook. Up front it had a wonderful bright sour pineapple from the brett. Upon closer investigation I found earthy and mild citrus character mixed with white wine. The first sip was a roller coaster. For everything that was put into this beer I was shocked at how well it was balanced. The brett was not too tart. You could taste each spice’s unique addition. Overall I found this beer to be incredibly quaffable and fun to drink.

Witbier is a style that is notoriously tough to make well. In my opinion Anchorage knocked this one out of the park. They did their own take on a classic and it paid off. This is a great beer for sitting on the porch and watching time pass with friends. Siciliano’s is currently selling the Whiteout Wit in 750-ml bottles for $14.39 while supplies last. Despite this beer referencing a “whiteout,” it is perfect for shaking off the cobwebs from winter hibernation and to welcome spring. Brew on.

Matt's Chats: Picking the Right Yeast for Spring Brewing

Welcome to Matt's Chats, a new monthly Buzz series featuring the homebrew adventures of Siciliano's staffer Matt Ross.

I love my homebrew system but it is lacking temperature control fermentation. This has been a gift and a curse because it has made me become creative but has also caused me a sizable amount of heartache. There are few things more frustrating than having a perfect brew day spoiled by inconsistent fermentation temperatures. Needless to say it's for this reason that spring is my least favorite time of the year to brew.

I chewed on this for a while and decided I am probably trying to brew the wrong beers at the wrong time. More specifically, I need to use a flexible yeast that is alright with some change. Spring is a huge transition in weather. Everything is melting and the snow is gone but we still live in Michigan so there is always a chance to have 65° outside one day and 35° the next. My home generally sits around 62° this time of year but with outdoor fluctuations it is common for me to come home to 57°. This does not bother me but yeast is a little more temperamental.

I know that I am not the only one out there who has had yeast stall out or had an off flavor because of fermentation temperatures. I know what styles I like to make and am the first to admit that I can be stubborn about it. The yeast in my wheel house include saison and American ale yeast. Neither one of these has any business being pitched at 57° for the ambient temperature.

Part of working smart is using the right tool for the right job. In this case the right tool would be a different strain of yeast. Underneath this rant are 4 yeasts that can create very different beers and have a temperature range from the mid 50s up to the 60s (some into the 70s). I am making an effort to expand my fermentation horizons and brew a style of beer that I normally would not. As always, we at Siciliano’s encourage our patrons to do the same through experimentation. Try something new and make a recipe your own. Brew on.

• Wyeast Kolsch - "This strain is a classic, true top cropping yeast strain from a traditional brewery in Cologne, Germany. Beers will exhibit some of the fruity character of an ale, with a clean lager like profile. It produces low or no detectable levels of diacetyl. This yeast may also be used to produce quick-conditioning pseudo-lager beers and ferments well at cold 55-60°F (13-16°C) range. This powdery strain results in yeast that remain in suspension post fermentation. It requires filtration or additional settling time to produce bright beers" (source).
• Wyeast Scottish Ale Yeast - "Our Scottish ale strain is ideally suited for the strong, malty ales of Scotland. This strain is very versatile, and is often used as a “House” strain as it ferments neutral and clean. Higher fermentation temperatures will result in an increased ester profile" (source).
• White Labs San Francisco Lager/Steam - "This yeast is used to produce the "California Common" style beer. A unique lager strain which has the ability to ferment up to 65 degrees while retaining lager characteristics. Can also be fermented down to 50 degrees for production of marzens, pilsners and other style lagers" (source).
• Wyeast German Ale Yeast - "A true top cropping yeast with low ester formation and a broad temperature range. Fermentation at higher temperatures may produce mild fruitiness. This powdery strain results in yeast that remains in suspension post fermentation. Beers mature rapidly, even when cold fermentation is used. Low or no detectable diacetyl" (source).

Stay tuned for more articles on homebrewing from the Siciliano's staff. Have a question you'd like to see answered on the blog? Leave it on the comments section below.

Alaska Relived with Anchorage Brewing Company

Matt tours the brewery

By Matt Ross

Anyone who has been to Alaska will tell you it is truly wild. For me it resembled Michigan but replace deer with moose, hills with mountains and add a sense of unknown adventure.

While traveling from town to town the friendly locals were more than willing to share great camping spots along with locations of their favorite watering holes.  It felt like walking into a surprise party at an unfamiliar location where everyone had been waiting for you.

To make all of this relevant, I was in Alaska this past summer for a wedding and became very nostalgic recently when Anchorage Brewing Company hit our shelves. Anchorage Brewing artfully uses Belgian Saison yeast and brettanomyces for the backbone of their beers and then they add fruity American hops to compliment the yeast character. These unique brews take bold flavors and make something special that left me wanting more.

My excitement about these great beers has spread throughout the staff at Siciliano's. Over the next few weeks we will be doing reviews of their beer to help spread the word about this great brewery. We are currently selling the Mosaic Saison and the Galaxy White IPA ($14.39/750ml) as year round releases (when available through distribution), but they are also putting out seasonals such as the Whiteout Wit. Keep on the lookout for collaborations with other breweries like the Invasion IPA with Mikkeller. Stop in to find out more about this great new brewery. Brew on.

Bellying up at Anchorage Brewing

Where the magic happens

Alaska!

Ball Lock to American Sankey Conversion Kit

By Matt Ross

As an avid homebrewer I’m always on the lookout for ways to make my brewing and kegging systems more efficient. While perusing through one of our whole catalogs recently I was excited to find that there’s an easy way to convert my homebrew kegging system into a setup that can also be used to dispense commercially produced beer.

Siciliano’s is now carrying the hardware that enables an American Sankey coupler to be used with ball-lock disconnects. That’s right folks. You can now push commercial craft beer through an American Sankey using your Cornelius kegging system. This setup is ideal for homebrewers looking for an easier transition between homebrew and commercial kegs. Stop in and ask any of our staff about these handy conversion kits which retail at Siciliano’s for $36.99. Happy Holidays and brew on!

Please note that the American Sankey couplers ($44.00 at Siciliano’s) are sold separately.