Brew Day - Saison

Memorial Day Weekend - long, hot, and perfect for brewing. Late Sunday morning we cranked the propane on the new burner and started a batch of Saison du Grasslippare. Saisons were originally brewed to quench the thirsts of French and Belgian field workers on hot days (not unlike this weekend). They are full of flavor but very refreshing. A few interesting ingredients - Belgian candy sugar, grains of paradise, coriander, and bitter orange peel.

A lower starting gravity then I had hoped (1.044) but I didn't have to add any top off water to the fermenter. Essentially, a solid full boil.

Ingredients:

3.3 lbs of Pilsen LME
3.3 lbs of Wheat LME
1 lb. clear candi sugar
8 oz. Cara-20 and 8 oz. unmalted wheat speciality grains
2 oz. US Goldings hops (flavor and bittering)
1 oz. US Saaz hops (aroma)
1/4 tsp. grains of paradise
1 oz. bitter orange peel
1/2 oz. whole coriander

Welcome Back

The brewing has finally restarted in our new town of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Yes, with Troegs, Stoudt, and Lancaster Brewing in such close proximity one might ask, "What can you bring to the table?" The simple answer, "More Beer!"

Although we've been here for several months, the brewery has been generally inactive. But now brewing is ready to commence. The brewery has moved to a larger and more efficient space (the "Bat Cave"): shelving separates cases of empty bottles from conditioning beer, equipment is more easily accessible, and I actually have a workspace that doesn't double as a tool bench. Additionally, we've stepped up to a (much) more powerful propane burner (150,000+ BTU), which should improve boils.

In celebration of the new brewery, Forbidden Ale will be officially uncapped this weekend. This beer was brewed in the beginning of the year, followed up by the maibock (the first beer to be bottled in PA.) So, cheers and welcome back!