This brew goes out to celebrate one of the world’s most unique hop growing regions, and our recent ration of Galaxy hops down at the shop.  New Zealand Hops are something we don’t see very often in the part of the world, but the glimpses we get are frequently life changing.  Typically bursting with a myriad of tropical fruit flavors and exotic spice notes, New Zealand hops have many extreme qualities American craft brewers value.  For this recipe I want to focus on 3 hops I’ve been itching to brew with for a while.

Moteuka – A NZ grown Saaz descendent, this mid-alpha hop expresses a broad spectrum of tropical flavors including papaya, kiwi, lime, and a light herbal note reminiscent of its European heritage.  Because of these unique and delicate characteristics, I’ve chosen Motueka to represent the bulk of the aroma for the brew.

Galaxy – Here’s one I’ve used while I was apprenticing at Willimantic Brewing Co., and I’m pumped to have an opportunity to brew with it again.  Galaxy has a super sharp and clean white grapefruit flavor with notes of passionfruit.  This is the type of hop that just excites the palate and invites sip after sip.  I know with a big Galactic expression in the flavor range, this beer is going to win the hearts of many for its unique intensity.

Pacific Jade – This is the heavy hitter of the bunch.  Running 14.2% alpha, I’ve chosen Pacific Jade for my earliest additions with a slight peppering in the finish for a touch of this hop’s unique spicy characteristics.

With the grain bill on this one I want something that is going to add touch of something unique against such an odd hopping schedule, so I’ve chosen to add a small amount of rye for a bit of dry spice.  I chose a base of Pilsner malt because I want the color to remain in the pale gold to yellow range, and I want to shy away from the use of any intensely flavored specialty malt.  I love the simplicity of Pilsner malt and subtle complexity that rye and Vienna will contribute.

O.G — 1.064-1.069 :: IBUs – 85 :: Color – Pale Gold (5 SRM)

Batch Size: 5.5 gallons

All Grain Version:

Preboil Volume – 7.0 gallons

Grain Bill:

71% – 10lbs – Pilsner Malt

18% – 2lbs 8oz – Vienna Malt

7% – 1lb – Rye Malt

4% – 8oz – Flaked Rye

Hopping:

60 minutes – .5oz Pacific Jade – 14.2%

30 – 0.5oz Galaxy – 13.0%

20 – 0.5oz Galaxy – 13.0%

20 – 0.5oz Motueka – 7.1%

10 – 1.0oz Galaxy – 13.0%

10 – 0.5oz Pacific Jade – 14.2%

5   – 1.5oz Motueka – 7.1%

Dry Hop -14 Days – 2.0oz Motueka

Yeast:

Wyeast 2565 – Kolsch

Mash this beer for 60 minutes at 153F.  With just a Pilsner base on this one, we want to retain some body so the hop oils have a foundation to stand on.  Mashing too low on a big IPA like this could cause the brew to come across as one dimensional.  After the mash rest is complete, vorlaugh until the runnings appear clear and free of debris, and begin collecting wort in the kettle.  Since we’re using a big base of Pilsner malt on this brew, we’ll want to boil for a full 90minutes to drive off any DMS precursors that could throw a corn or cabbage taste into the beer (DMS = Dimethyl sulfide.  It tastes like canned vegetables and its precursors are typically at high concentrations in very lightly kilned malts like pilsner.  It is very volatile, so as long as the wort is sufficiently boiled it will not present an issue).  So proceed collecting 7.0 gallons of wort in the kettle and boil for 30 minutes before making the first hop addition.  Once you’re done with the boil knockout to 60-70F and pitch yeast.  Kolsch is going to be a really cool strain on this one, so ferment between 58-62 if you can, but a little higher fermentation temperature will coax out some of the unique esters that would play very nicely with this exotic hop profile.

Extract Version:

Batch Size : 5.5gallons

Preboil Volume : 3.0gallons

Fermentables:

3.3lbs Extra Light LME (Late Addition — 15minutes to end of boil)

1.4lbs Pale LME (Alexander’s Kicker)

3.0lbs Pilsner DME

2.0lbs Pilsner Malt

1.0lbs Rye Malt

.5lb Flaked Rye

Hopping:

Follow the same schedule as above, but add an additional .5oz of Pacific Jade to the 60 minute addition. (1oz Pacific Jade at 60minutes)

This is a simple minimash process that does not require any specialized equipment

-  Bring 1.5 gallons of water up to 155˚F and turn off heat source.

-  Place crushed grains in a muslin bag and begin to steep.

-  In a separate pot, heat 1.5 gallons of water to 165˚F

- After 45 minutes, place the steeping grains into a colander over the brew pot, and slowly pour the additional heated water over them to extract converted sugars.  Dispose of spent grains.

- Begin heating the kettle, and dissolve the DME and 1.4lbs of LME as the water approaches a boil.

- Once the DME is thoroughly dissolved and the kettle is up to a boil, make the first hop addition and follow the schedule above.  When making the late LME addition, turn off heat source and pause the boil timer.  Dissolve the LME well, and turn heat back on.   Once the wort is boiling again, resume the timer and boil for a full 15 minutes.

- Once the boil is complete, chill the wort to 60˚F – 70˚F and add to a sanitized fermenter.  Top off volume in fermenter to 5.5 gallons with clean, cool water.

- Ferment as above, and dry hop for 2 weeks before bottling.

Let us know if you’re interested in trying this recipe or if you have any questions about it!

Cheers,

Dana & Rich

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So its been a while since we’ve featured a recipe, and I think its about time we get that ball rolling again.  Rich and I were discussing the sorts of beers we’re considering brewing up soon to celebrate the clocks moving forward (and the subsequent increase in daily sunshine).  The beginning of spring invites a slew of different beer styles which beckons the palate to water, but for us one reigns supreme.

Imagine a rich, malty lager, deep gold in color, with an ivory head billowing over the side of your glass.  The aroma of lightly toasted malt and peppery noble hops permeates the air around the beer as the spring sun pierces the side of your glass revealing all the secrets of the universe….It’s Maibock season.

As the name implies Maibock is a strong German lager brewed in the fall for the spring season, but for us procrastinators March works just fine.  Ambient temperature is still cool enough for most of us to pull off a lager (and if not German Ale is great), and it gives us something special to present for the beginning of the sunny season.  After some deliberating we’d like to share what our collective mind has constructed.

O.G – 1.071 – 1.075  ::  IBU – 28  ::  Color – 8 SRM

Batch Size – 6 gallons  (To accommodate kettle and ferment loss )

All Grain Version:

Preboil Volume – 7 gallons

Grain Bill :

44% – 7lbs- Pilsner Malt

28% — 4lbs 8oz – Vienna Malt

28% — 4lbs 8oz – Munich Malt

Hopping :

60 minutes – .75oz Magnum 13.5%

Dry Hop (Optional) – 1oz Hallertau – 7 days.

Yeast :

Hella Bock (Wyeast Private Collection).
We’re going to mash this beast for 60 minutes at 152-153F to achieve a medium bodied, high octane lager.  Collect 7 gallons in the kettle and boil down to 6.  If you want feel ambitious go for the decoction mash on this (we’ll be glad to walk you through it) or simulate one by boiling the first gallon of runnings out of the mash for 20 minutes or so.  Cooking of  the first wort develops a touch of color and some of the melanoidins and caramel flavors associated with a traditional decoction mash.  Ferment at 50-55F and raise the temperature about 10F for a couple of days before the fermentation is complete for a thorough diacetyl rest.  Afterwards, rack and condition in the mid 30′s for four weeks or more.

Extract Equivalent :

Batch Volume 5.5 gallons (To accommodate fermentation loss)

Boil Volume – 2.5 – 3.0 gallons

Fermentables:

53 % 5.0 lbs Pilsner DME

29% 3.3lbs Munich LME (Late addition)

18% 2lbs Vienna malt

Hopping:

60 minutes – 1oz Magnum – 13.5%

Dry Hop (Optional) – 1oz Hallertau – 7days

Yeast:

Hella Bock (Wyeast PC)

Steep Vienna malt in 2.5- 3.0 gallons of water at 150F for 40 minutes.  Remove grains from pot, and add Pilsner DME.  Mix the dry malt well and bring to a boil.  Once a rolling boil is reached, begin a 60 minute timer and add warrior hops.  Fifteen minutes to the end of the boil turn off heat and thoroughly mix in Munich extract.  Boil a further 15 minutes, cool to fermentation temperature, and bring up total volume to 5.5gallons with cool water.  Follow same fermentation procedure as with the All-Grain version.  Bottle with 1 1/4 cup of remaining Pilsner DME.

ALE VERSION:

For those of you who aren’t comfortable with the temperature control, feel free to use German Ale yeast on this between the temperatures of 55-68F, and condition as cool as possible for 4-6 weeks.  Its not a true lager this way, but it is nice and clean and tastes awesome.

Also, the Dry Hop is a simple option to push a touch of hop character into the finished beer.  It certainly is not traditional, but if you’re a fan of the hallertau it is certainly a logical step to take.

Dana

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Update:

We’re getting some forward momentum now, and very excited about it! We expect that in the next couple of weeks we’ll be able to announce the move date. Thanks to everyone for the encouraging words. Also… classes and grain brewing sessions to be announced soon!

Original post:

For a couple of months we’ve been very excitedly telling everyone “we’re moving!” This is still true, and we have no reason to think we won’t end up at Cedar St soon. Not yet, though. A few new considerations, a lot more work…

Okay, I submit: it is frustrating. We’re excited for this. C’est la vie, we are making the best of it. We will launch with new kit lines, with new … okay, we’ll keep some surprises.

So what’s going on? We’re moving into a space so big, we fall into a slightly different building code than we were prepared for. Oops! So now we need a different level of precautions. We’re getting them done as fast as possible, and we’ll be very delighted to announce a new date soon. This is still happening, and in the near future, but we need a little more information before we can announce a new date. Expect the next month or two at worst.

Hey, we’re brewers and wine makers — we’re learning what we need to do to make this work as we go. Sorry for the change of plans (no, really, we’re sorry). We promise we’ll take advantage of this time to make it that much better when we get in there!

Cheers!

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The final countdown (hey, don’t cue that music) is upon us, and after nearly two decades Brew & Wine Hobby will leave Pitkin St. We’re off to larger (if not greener) pastures: #12 Cedar St. This is still East Hartford. In fact, it isn’t far away at all — 3 minutes away at most if you find every red light!

What you’ll get when you come into the new space: a sense of how much more we can offer. Lets be honest, we’ve needed to do this! Sometimes we can’t find everything quickly. There are still some products we don’t carry… and there will always be some we choose not to, certainly. We just don’t have room for everything we’d like right now, though.

The other projects will be ongoing, set to open at some point in April. In the meantime, the store will be even more worth the effort of finding us… oh wait, we won’t be on the back side of a building anymore! It will, indeed, be much easier to find us.

Here’s a little guide: how to get there from here

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March 1st is the official launch, but we should be open there Feb 28th.

Grand Opening will be thrown later when the OTHER PROJECTS launch.

We can’t wait either!

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We’ve received the Advintage order, and some new kits are included. Grape skin packs add to these new kits, and these are no small packs. From the French line there is a Pinot Noir with Gamay and a Grenache Syrah Mourvedre. Both come with big skin packs, sure to deeply enhance the wines. The Italian line boasts a pair of wines as well: one is a mystery to me “Gutternio Classico” is said to be a deep and tannic wine, the other is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese.

These kits run in the $150 range, a very good value for the skin addition going into the already high-quality kits. In fact, the skin packs are available on their own for $24.50 each (available in Syrah, Cabernet, or Merlot).

I would recommend trying the skin packs with other Advintage kits, or with Kamil Juices — they could be an excellent addition to the already dense-tasting juices. They will extend the aging, certainly, so experiment with that cautionary warning!

As always, limited supply of Advintage for now. Come in soon for best selection!

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