Spruce Boch

Thanks to Maureen, and the folks at the Brooklyn Brew Shop, I have a new approach to brewing -- fermenting in 1 gallon batches. The whole premise behind this method is that people who live in cities typically don't have the space for brewing in large, 5-gallon batches. I like this idea for several reasons:

• Fewer bottles to wash out, sanitize, fill and cap
• Less beer on-hand, especially when the batch was not so great or just plain tired of it
• I don't drink enough beer to go through 5-gallons (and most of my friends don't drink)
• Not as much heavy lifting

Of course with all things good, there are a few downsides to this approach:

• Takes the same amount of time and equipment 
• Have to use smaller amounts yeast and hops (I'm hoping to store and freeze these, respectively)

The first 1-gallon batch I'm attempting is from the Brooklyn Brew Shop's Beer Making Book. This book has 52 seasonal recipes organized by Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter. From the winter section, I decided to brew O Tannenbock Spruce Ale, a dark and piney beer inspired by our fore fathers who were rumored to have brewed with molasses and spruce. This recipe sounds like the perfect winter ale.  I had to forage for the spruce sprig, worrying that our (still hanging) Christmas wreaths might have been treated with some preservative.  I was able to find a sprig at the Presumpscot Elementary school.

The Mash
1 3/4 c water
1.5 lbs pale malt
0.1 lbs carapils malt
0.2 lbs flaked barley

60 minutes @ 152-degrees, sparge with a gallon of water @ 170-degrees.  Recirculate the liquid through the grains once.

Simcoe (L) and Chinook (R)

The Boil
0.12 oz Chinook hops, divided in half
0.04 oz Simcoe hops
1 six-inch long sprig of spruce
1/2 c molasses

Begin the boil.  Once the foam subsides, add half the Chinook hops (I used pellets).  Add remaining after 30 minutes, the Simcoe hops (I used dried flowers) after 50 minutes, and the spruce sprig after 55 minutes.  At the 60 minutes mark, add the molasses and stir to dissolve.  Cool to 70 degrees in an ice bath, about 30 minutes.


Pitch the Yeast
1/2 packet of English ale yeast, Safale S-04

Collaboration with Rob Tod of Allagash, Portland ME

This went into a 2-gallon plastic pail for the primary for a week, and into a 1-gallon glass jug for the secondary.

As I write this, I'm enjoying a Very Speciale Belge.  A collaboration between Rob Tod of Allagash Brewing here in Portland, ME and De La Senne Brewing of Brussels.  This is an excellent Belgian style that is somewhat non-traditional in that it has a fairly high hop rate.  An A+ ale that I highly recommend, although the availability is limited.

Advice for the weekend, provided by my brother Jim. "Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things."