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Last night, I brewed a 1-gallon batch of Brooklyn Brew Shop's Jalapeņo Saison:
Description ---> http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-mak...eno-saison-mix
MUST SEE video ---> https://vimeo.com/47335883
Instructions ---> http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directio...structions.pdf
A couple of interesting twists on this beer are that it is brewed with agave syrup and that it incorporates a jalapeņo for a spicy aroma and flavour; Brooklyn Brew Shop describes this saison as the "world's best nacho beer," and I must admit that this tagllne is what convinced me to finally try it.
This was my sixth Brooklyn Brew Shop brew, and as I gain experience, my brewing procedure gets more efficient and my confidence grows. This brew was the first time that I deviated from the instructions just a bit: since the "green" aroma and flavour of jalapeņos and green peppers has always been very unappealing to me, I decided to use a fully-ripe "red chile pepper" that our local grocery offers (perhaps one of the ChileHeads out there can help me with the exact type?). It's not a very radical change, but it will allow me to flex my wings a bit and see where the variation goes.
Things went mostly well with this brewing session. One lesson learned is that if the temperature gets a little high during the mash, simply remove the vessel from the heat and let it cool on its own. I added some water to mine in order to cool it down, and managed to turn my normally oatmeal-ish mash into more of a soup. It wasn't too excessive, but I noticed that it seemed to make temperature control a little difficult during the remainder of the mash. I did manage to keep it in the 144-152 range, but it was a challenge.
Because of the above factor, I also ended up with a little extra wort at the end of the boil. A bit of a more-vigorous boil might have prevented this, but I was always taught to keep the boil gentle. Once again, not too big a deal, but it is something to keep in mind going forward.
The little bit of extra wort did allow me to get a small sample, and I think I've got a winner here. There is a definite spiciness to it that seems to be a natural fit for the malts and hops, and the chopped chile definitely added to this, providing a noticeable kick that was just restrained enough to not be obnoxious. The sum of the whole is that this is certainly going to be a "complex" beer as the video in the opening post describes, in a good way. There was an extra something underneath that I can't really describe - it was definitely nice, though, perhaps a bit of peppery bitterness that balanced really nicely with the sweet. I believe that my choice of using a red chile was the correct one, as its natural flavour had very good balance to its own spice and that of the beer, without the disagreeable (to me) "green" taste found in jalapeņos. Definitely a good decision, in my estimation. I didn't know what to expect when I started this beer, because it is very far from what I am accustomed too - but I like it!
I checked my fermenter this morning - the ambient temperature was 72 degrees and there were definite signs of fermentation. The fermentation did not seem as vigorous as I was expecting, but it was definitely there. Besides, we were only about 6 hours into the process when I checked, so there is still plenty of time for it to take off. I expect fermentation to go well.
I must admit, the first time I learned of this variety, I really didn't think it would be a good match for me; however, that phrase, "world's best nacho beer," sparked my interest, so I took a chance. Based on what I've seen, smelled andtasted so far, I can easily see the accolade being well-deserved! I can't wait to get this bottled so that I can try the finished product.
Description ---> http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-mak...eno-saison-mix
MUST SEE video ---> https://vimeo.com/47335883
Instructions ---> http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directio...structions.pdf
A couple of interesting twists on this beer are that it is brewed with agave syrup and that it incorporates a jalapeņo for a spicy aroma and flavour; Brooklyn Brew Shop describes this saison as the "world's best nacho beer," and I must admit that this tagllne is what convinced me to finally try it.
This was my sixth Brooklyn Brew Shop brew, and as I gain experience, my brewing procedure gets more efficient and my confidence grows. This brew was the first time that I deviated from the instructions just a bit: since the "green" aroma and flavour of jalapeņos and green peppers has always been very unappealing to me, I decided to use a fully-ripe "red chile pepper" that our local grocery offers (perhaps one of the ChileHeads out there can help me with the exact type?). It's not a very radical change, but it will allow me to flex my wings a bit and see where the variation goes.
Things went mostly well with this brewing session. One lesson learned is that if the temperature gets a little high during the mash, simply remove the vessel from the heat and let it cool on its own. I added some water to mine in order to cool it down, and managed to turn my normally oatmeal-ish mash into more of a soup. It wasn't too excessive, but I noticed that it seemed to make temperature control a little difficult during the remainder of the mash. I did manage to keep it in the 144-152 range, but it was a challenge.
Because of the above factor, I also ended up with a little extra wort at the end of the boil. A bit of a more-vigorous boil might have prevented this, but I was always taught to keep the boil gentle. Once again, not too big a deal, but it is something to keep in mind going forward.
The little bit of extra wort did allow me to get a small sample, and I think I've got a winner here. There is a definite spiciness to it that seems to be a natural fit for the malts and hops, and the chopped chile definitely added to this, providing a noticeable kick that was just restrained enough to not be obnoxious. The sum of the whole is that this is certainly going to be a "complex" beer as the video in the opening post describes, in a good way. There was an extra something underneath that I can't really describe - it was definitely nice, though, perhaps a bit of peppery bitterness that balanced really nicely with the sweet. I believe that my choice of using a red chile was the correct one, as its natural flavour had very good balance to its own spice and that of the beer, without the disagreeable (to me) "green" taste found in jalapeņos. Definitely a good decision, in my estimation. I didn't know what to expect when I started this beer, because it is very far from what I am accustomed too - but I like it!
I checked my fermenter this morning - the ambient temperature was 72 degrees and there were definite signs of fermentation. The fermentation did not seem as vigorous as I was expecting, but it was definitely there. Besides, we were only about 6 hours into the process when I checked, so there is still plenty of time for it to take off. I expect fermentation to go well.
I must admit, the first time I learned of this variety, I really didn't think it would be a good match for me; however, that phrase, "world's best nacho beer," sparked my interest, so I took a chance. Based on what I've seen, smelled andtasted so far, I can easily see the accolade being well-deserved! I can't wait to get this bottled so that I can try the finished product.
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