Revisiting Krampus AKA Miss Figgy

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Nick Ladd

Krampus in the Glass

Krampus, AKA Miss Figgy, is a beer of strength and contemplation that begs to be sipped. Inspired by traditional English Barley Wines and complemented by flavors of fresh fig and dark rum, this beers packs a punch at over 10% alcohol. Traditional English malts and a long boil are used to give the beer a rich malt profile of unmistakable depth. Subtle spicing is present but fleeting on the palate leaving you questioning whether you’re tasting intentional spicing or simply the play of fruit, malt, and yeast. A light touch of oak becomes apparent on the finish bringing structure to the rich malt profile.

This beer was re-brewed on a commercial scale at Big Time Brewery in Seattle, WA as part of the 2012 GABF Pro-Am Competition. It will be poured during the Friday night session of the 2012 Great American Beer Festival at the Pro-Am Competition Booth. Below I’ve outlined the beer’s recipe as well as tasting notes from a sample of the homebrewed version.

The Recipe

Size: 5.25 gal
Efficiency: 74.0%
Attenuation: 73.0%

Original Gravity: 1.106
Terminal Gravity: 1.029
Color: 20.93 SRM
Alcohol: 10.32% ABV
Bitterness: 49.4 IBU
Mash Temp: 155° F

Fermentables:
13.5 lb Crisp Maris Otter (65.1%)
3.75 lb Weyermann Munich TYPE II (18.1%)
1 lb Crisp Crystal 77 (4.8%)
8 oz Belgian Special B (2.4%)
2 lb Star Thistle Honey (9.6%)

Hops:
28 g Magnum (12.5%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m

Spice:
1 tsp Cinnamon (ground) – added during mash
.25 ea Star Anise – added during boil, boiled 5 m

Other:
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m

Yeast:
1 ea WYeast 1728 Scottish Ale™

Fruit:
4 lb Figs – added dry to secondary fermenter
.5 lb Dark Raisins Soaked in Aged Dark Rum – added dry to secondary fermenter
.5 lb Golden Raisins Soaked in Aged Dark Rum – added dry to secondary fermenter

Oak:
1 oz Oak Cube Blend Soaked in Aged Dark Rum – added dry to secondary fermenter

Notes:
– Build 2800ml 1.040 starter on plate.
– Ferment primary 2 weeks. Start at 58*F and hold 60-62*F. Let ramp up to 72*F at end.

Secondary 1 (Rack to Purged Carboy) (Age 1 month):
4 lbs of figs
1/2 lb of dark raisins
1/2 lb of golden raisins

Secondary 2 (Age 2 Months):
1oz oak cubes

Tasting Notes:

Brewed: 12/4/11
Sampled: 10/7/12
Alcohol: 10.3% ABV

Aroma: This beer presents a great layered bouquet of fruit, malt, and various sugars. Initially apparent is a blend of tart cherries and prunes. As it warms, an earthy fig aroma becomes much more apparent and is reminiscent of biting into the skin of a fresh fig. Flavors of turbinado sugar and molasses sit in the background. There is a light touch of oak which is very vanilla-like. Ethanol is apparent, but not hot or distracting. The aroma is very complex and continually evolves as the beer is consumed. It seems like every sniff presents an opportunity to detect additional aromas. 12 / 12

Appearance: Deep brown with garnet-like highlights. Beer is fairly hazy. Head retention is poor, likely a consequence of the high alcohol levels. 1 / 3

Flavor: First up are flavors of heavily caramelized Belgian candi sugar that have characteristics of dark dried fruit. There is a solid amount of toasty melanoiden-rich malts (like Munich). The sugar flavors leave an impression of sweetness that is balanced with some tart-cherry like flavors. Ripe fig skin blends with some of the vanilla and oak flavors creating an interesting flavor combination. Very smooth balancing bitterness. Alcohol is barely perceptible. 19 / 20

Mouth Feel: Medium body and bitterness with soft carbonation. This beer feels like it could benefit from a heavier mouthfeel to increase its richness. 2 / 5

Overall Impression: This beer is quite nice. There are many layers of flavor which make it an enjoyable sipper that evolves in the glass. When fresh, this beer had a huge earthy fresh fig character that seems to have stepped into the background and become more integrated as the beer has aged. It is amazingly drinkable for the ABV. Really enjoyable beer. 9 / 10

Score: 43 / 50 (Outstanding)

Note: Evaluation done according to BJCP Scoring System. This beer was reviewed as a Category 20 Fruit Beer – English Barley Wine Base.

Spazzy Man Wheat Recipe

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Nick Ladd

A good friend of mine originally exposed me to an amazing beer from New Glarus Brewing called Dancing Man Wheat. This beer, while outside of the OG specification for a traditional hefeweizen is an amazing example of the style. New Glarus’ weizen yeast strain and their processes restrain the over-the-top banana and bubblegum character that dominate most homebrew versions of the style. Instead, it has a great spice character of cinnamon and clove which complement its smooth and creamy mouth feel. In addition, I pick up an almost tropical fruit note, likely a yeast derived flavor.

For this recipe I started with a few things I knew about the beer (like the percentage of oats I took from Brewing with Wheat by Stan Hieronymus) as well as other theories about the way New Glarus brews. I then critically tasted the beer, researched hefeweizen brewing techniques, and brewed my initial batch. After the initial batch, I made a few recipe tweaks, lowered the OG to better fit the style guideline, and then rebrewed using a yeast culture I grew from the bottle dregs of Dancing Man. While not a spot on clone, this beer is very much in the same family as New Glarus’ beer, and is absolutely delicious.

Specifications

Volume: 5.74 Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.054
Terminal Gravity: 1.007
Color: 8.97 SRM
Alcohol: 6.11%
Bitterness: 14.1
Efficiency: 68% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 90 Minutes

Ingredients

6.5 lb (56.5%) Pale Wheat Malt; Weyermann
14 oz (7.6%) Unmalted Wheat
3 lb (26.1%) Bavarian Pilsner; Weyermann
12 oz (6.5%) Oats (Pregelatinized Flakes); Briess
2 oz (1.1%) Caramel Malt 40L; Briess
4 oz (2.2%) Honey Malt
Rice Hulls as Required
30 g (100.0%) East Kent Goldings (4.7%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.75 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
1800ml starter of New Glarus Weizen Yeast – User Wyeast 3068 as a replacement

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
2.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
6.0 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride)
2.0 g Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)

Mash

15 Minute Ferulic Acid Rest at 110° F
Pull Decoction to Raise to Saccharification Rest
40 Minute Saccharification Rest at 156° F
Pull Decoction to Raise to Mashout Rest
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F
Sparge at 170° F and collect sufficient runnings to hit pre-boil volumes.

Fermentation

Chill wort to 58° F and pitch yeast slurry.
Set temp controller to 60° F and allow to rise to this temp.
Ferment at 60-62° F until beer is 2-6 points from terminal gravity then raise temp to 68° F. Hold at 68° F for 2 days.
Chill fermenter to 34° F and package. Bottle conditioning adds an authentic feel to this beer.

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won as a BJCP Category 15a. Weizen/Weissbier:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place

Düsseldorf Altbier Recipe

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Nick Ladd

Alt (‘old’ in German) survives in Dusseldorf, holding on to a lonely buoy within a sea of lagers that is modern-day Germany. Much like its cousin from Cologne Kolsch, this beer is fermented with an ale yeast at cooler than normal temperatures to induce a clean, malty, and firmly bitter beer. This beer features a deep amber color with crystal clarity and garnet highlights. Truly a great beer to both drink and behold. My version is less-sweet than a lot of the homebrew examples that are out there, featuring only 6.5% crystal malt. Instead, this beer receives a toasty (think rich bread crust) melanoidin induced malt flavor from a large percentage of Munich malt as well as a dash of aromatic malt. This is a perfect sessionable beer with enough complexity and flavor to keep you interested, and a low enough ABV to keep your senses.

Specifications

Volume: 6.22 Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.050
Terminal Gravity: 1.013
Color: 15.04 SRM
Alcohol: 4.85%
Bitterness: 43.4
Efficiency: 79% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 90 Minutes

Ingredients

7.5 lb (64.5%) Pilsner Malt; Weyermann
3 lb (25.8%) Munich TYPE II; Weyermann
.75 lb (6.5%) German CaraMunich III
.25 lb (2.2%) Aromatic Malt; Best Malz
2 oz (1.1%) German Carafa II
34 g (54.5%) Magnum (12.5%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
.5 oz (22.7%) Czech Saaz (3.1%) – added during boil, boiled 20 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.5 oz (22.7%) Hallertauer Mittelfrüher (3.4%) – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
1 ea White Labs WLP036 Dusseldorf Alt

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
2 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride)
2.0 g Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)
4.0 g Chalk (Calcium Carbonate)

Mash

60 Minute Saccharification Rest at 151° F
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F (I pulled a decoction to hit mashout temp)
Sparge at 170° F and collect sufficient runnings to hit pre-boil volumes.

Fermentation

Chill wort to 58° F and pitch yeast slurry.
Set temp controller to 60° F and allow to rise to this temp.
Ferment at 60-62° F until beer is 2-6 points from terminal gravity then raise temp to 68° F. Hold at 68° F for 2 days.
Chill fermenter to 34° F. Rack beer off yeast and lager near freezing the 4-6 weeks.

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won as a BJCP Category 7c. Dusseldorf Altbier:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place

Kolsch Recipe

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Nick Ladd

Kolsch is a great, easy-drinking beer that straddles the boundary between ale and lager. Clean pilsner malt, lager-like fermentation characteristics, subtle noble hopping, and hint of sulfur make this a beer than can be drank by the liter (although it tastes better 0.2 liters at a time in an authentic Stange). Fermented cool using a specialized Kolsch ale yeast strain sets this apart from traditional blond ales you might find at your local brewpub.

Specifications

Volume: 6.12 Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.048
Terminal Gravity: 1.009
Color: 3.95 SRM
Alcohol: 5.05%
Bitterness: 24.8
Efficiency: 75% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 90 Minutes

Ingredients

10.16 lb (89.0%) Pilsner Malt; Weyermann
8 oz (4.4%) Pale Wheat Malt; Weyermann
8 oz (4.4%) Vienna Malt; Weyermann
2 oz (1.1%) German CaraFoam
2 oz (1.1%) Acidulated Malt; Weyermann
19 g (57.3%) Magnum (12.5%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
.25 oz (21.4%) Czech Saaz (3.1%) – added during boil, boiled 30 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.25 oz (21.4%) Hallertauer Mittelfrüher (3.4%) – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
1 ea WYeast 2565 Kolsch – 1800ml 1.040 starter on stir plate

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
2.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
6.0 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride)

Mash

60 Minute Saccharification Rest at 149° F
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F (I do a second hot water infusion to mashout)
Sparge at 170° F and collect sufficient runnings to hit pre-boil volumes.

Fermentation

Chill wort to 58° F and pitch yeast slurry.
Set temp controller to 60° F and allow to rise to this temp.
Ferment at 60-62° F until beer is 2-6 points from terminal gravity then raise temp to 68° F. Hold at 68° F for 2 days.
Chill fermenter to 34° F. Rack beer off yeast and lager near freezing the 4-6 weeks.

Keys to Brewing

This is a very clean beer with little room to hide. Good sanitation, pitching a healthy culture of yeast in the correct quantity, and solid temperature control will help ensure a quality end product.
The Wyeast Kolsch strain of yeast doesn’t like to drop bright. I tend to use gelatin to get a beer of brilliant clarity.

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won several awards as a BJCP Category 6c. Kolsch:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place
2012 Best of the Bay – 3rd Place
2012 Evergreen State Fair – 2nd Place

Imperial Vanilla Milk Stout Recipe

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Nick Ladd

Big stouts and vanilla is a natural pair. Add a touch of creamy sweetness, and you’ve got a winner. This recipe has a luscious mouth feel from the flaked barley and crystal malts, smooth roast flavors of coffee and chocolate, subtle dark fruit notes, and a slight sweetness from the lactose. This is a slightly sweet beer, but not nearly as sweet as many commercial sweet stouts.

Specifications

Volume: 5.57 Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.077
Terminal Gravity: 1.028
Color: 34.63 SRM
Alcohol: 6.52%
Bitterness: 39.2
Efficiency: 64% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 60 Minutes

Ingredients

12 lb (63.6%) Maris Otter; Crisp
3 lb (15.9%) Barley Flaked
6 oz (2.0%) Crystal 60; Crisp
8 oz (2.6%) Crystal 120; Crisp
8 oz (2.6%) Special B – Caramel malt; Dingemans
12 oz (4.0%) Chocolate Malt; Crisp
12 oz (4.0%) Pale Chocolate Malt; Crisp
8 oz (2.6%) Roasted Barley; Crisp
.75 oz (42.9%) Magnum (12.5%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
8 oz (2.6%) Lactose
.75 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
1 oz (57.1%) Cascade Leaf (5.7%) – added during boil, boiled 10 m
1 ea WYeast 1968 London ESB Ale – 2400ml 1.040 starter on stir plate
3 ea Madagascar Vanilla Beans – split and soaked in 6oz high quality bourbon – added dry to secondary fermenter

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
2 g Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)
2.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
4.0 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride)
4.0 g Baking Soda ()

Mash

60 Minute Saccharification Rest at 152° F
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F (I do a second hot water infusion to mashout)
Sparge at 170° F and collect sufficient runnings to hit pre-boil volumes.

Fermentation

Chill wort to 64° F and pitch yeast slurry.
Set temp controller to 66° F and allow to rise to this temp.
Ferment at 66-68° F until beer is 2-6 points from terminal gravity then raise temp to 72° F. Hold at 72° F for 2 days.
Chill fermenter to 34° F. Rack beer off yeast into clean container with bourbon soaked vanilla beans (include the bourbon as well).
Age 1 month on vanilla beans before packaging.

Keys to Brewing

Controlling fermentation temperatures and pitching a clean healthy yeast slurry is important in preventing hot alcohols in this beer that would distract from its rich, smooth qualities.
Use fresh high-quality vanilla beans. If they look dried out, they are probably old and shouldn’t be used. Beans should be sticky, almost tacky to the touch. I’d recommend sourcing these online from specific vanilla retailers who move a lot of beans (as opposed to the ones that may languish for months in the homebrew shop).

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won several awards as a BJCP Category 21a Spice / Herb / Vegetable Beer:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place
2012 Novembeerfest – 2nd Place