Aleumination Batch #3

[Ray Grace]

I feel like it's time to start talking about what Aleumination batch #3 is going to be, I know I'm anxious to get going on something. Any ideas? Since we've recently passed the "unofficial" start of summer my thoughts tend towards easy drinking, thirst quenching ales. How about a saison? Plenty of opportunities for experimentation, accessible to the novice, and very tolerant of summer temperatures during fermentation. Just my opening thoughts. Let us know what you think? Other ideas?

[Rob DeNunzio]

Aggressively-hopped saison with brett. SAY NO MORE.

[Ray Grace]

Great idea and for those who don't have the additional equipment to dedicate to a brett fermentation, you can just do a primary fermentation with one of the saison strains and package that or maybe split the batch, one w/brett one w/out. Ooh I like.

[Rob DeNunzio]

With a special blend of secret herbs and spices?

[gisbrewmaster]

I don't mean to be picky but why do we keep going international on the beers we brew. Why don't we go good old American. Such as a Pale Ale, American wheat, or California Common. Use American hops, American malted barley/wheat and American yeast. Just my thoughts! Though I do like a good Saison.

GISBREWMASTER
Matt C.

[Rob DeNunzio]

Point well taken. I imagine part of it stems from an assumption that those (pale ale, wheat, etc.) are the beers that make up the lion's share of the average American (since the Aleuminati is international, after all) homebrewing experience and we're looking for these experiences to stretch our skills a little. Consider your post a vote for something US in nature, though. Have any suggested recipes?

[gisbrewmaster]

I am trying to get into recipes but I only have one of my own at the moment. It is an all Glacier hop American DIPA brewed with British Ale Yeast. I have only made it once and I want more hops next time.

[Useless Brewing]

I'm in, Tho I'm still conditioning the ESB (#2). Will post on the #2 page for that tho.

I like both ideas, and have recipes for both.

If we go with the Saison, it may limit some because of possible Brett infections in later batches. Cleanliness is Godliness after all!

The American wheat sounds promising also. How about a WIT, something in the 3-4% ABV range would be a challenge to most everyone! Getting a good balance of hops & spices that aren't covered up by malt sounds GREAT to me!

I have another idea for our your approval on this batch.
What do you guys think of a Blind Recipe? Where only the criteria like style and types of malts are specified. Spices would be up to the brewer. Sounds Fun? Your Thoughts?

[Shawn, the Beer Philosopher]

I'm game for any/all of this. Selfishly, I really dig the Saison idea simply because it lends itself well to brewing this time of year and ... well, it happens to be one of my favorite styles. I also like to idea of granting a little bit of lattitude to each brewer to take the recipe their own way, bound only by some basic parameters/ingredients as Preston suggested.

Call me inspired. I just enjoyed a New Glarus Imperial Saison this last Monday night and I thought it was amazing. So what if "Imperial Saison" seems like an oxymoron and a smack across the face of tradition. I dug the beer.

My point is, if we set a common recipe in terms of ingredients only, then each brewer can go their own way - some may brew the more traditional low ABV versions and others might try to pull sometyhing off like the New Glarus example. Ingredients were specified, not quantities of ingredients ... ...

This may, of course, pose a challenge for those who aren't comfortable formulating their own recipes in terms of quatity of malt, etc ...

One last note on the brett issue ... I thought I had read somewhere, sometime that Orval adds the brett strain at bottling. Anyone ever tried this? Seems like this might be a way to go brett without the risk of contaminating your primary (or only) brewing rig? Wouldn't know how to dose it, but thought I'd throw that out there. Hmmm.

[Ray Grace]

I'm open for any and all the ideas, keep them coming. I love the idea of something of a blind recipe, I thought it was great that we varied the yeast on #2, being able to put your own spin with spices, different hops, brett, oaking whatever, to the same basic grain bill regardless of the style sounds great to me.

[Useless Brewing]

BTT
Oak Saison? Hmmmm..... :P

Anyone else have any ideas or input?

Preston

[Homebrew_Rob]

I want to brew the next batch also but had a question. Are the recipes for all-grain only or can someone break it down to extract for me once you decide? And are the other 2 batches available in extract recipe form? Thanks and Hoppy Brewing!!

[Ray Grace]

We'll definitely post extract, partial and full mash recipes for batch 3, if you check the streams for batches one and two have all three recipes also.