Belgian Quadruple


"Inspired by the Trappist brewers of Belgium, a Quadrupel is a Belgian style ale of great strength with bolder flavor compared to its Dubbel and Tripel sister styles. Typically a dark creation that ranges within the deep red, brown and garnet hues. Full bodied with a rich malty palate. Phenols are usually at a moderate level. Sweet with a low bitterness yet a well perceived alcohol." as described by BeerAdvocate.

The twist I'll be putting on the brew today is that I'll be adding two pounds of pinot noir juice which will contribute 25% of total extract for the recipe. Going to be aging this on oak for at least a month. Using three types of crystal malt, including crystal rye. Racked to secondary fermentation and added medium toast French oak chips. Quad was at 11% abv when racked.

Smoked Porter


This will be the third variation of a smoked porter I've brewed this year. Brewed the first one back in May and the second one in September. Making some minor adjustments to the grist bill, adding some crystal malt and roasted barley and increasing the percent extract from wheat malt. Keeping the hop additions the same with an addition at sixty minutes and ten minutes. Just mashed in at 152f, letting rest for one hour than mashing out to 168f. Great runoff. Used whole leaf vanguard hops in the boil and fermenting with dry American ale yeast (Safale US-05).

Imperial Coffee Stout


The plan for the night is to brew a strong imperial stout and to add coffee through cold extraction later down stream. Total grist has twenty two pounds of malt. Nine different malts and four different hop variety's. Fermented with second generation American ale yeast. This brew is over 10% abv, with a quarter pound of coffee added to secondary. After three days on the coffee beans I bottled. Smooth cofffee flavors with dark chocolate notes. Can't wait for this to be carbonated and fully enjoyed.

French Saison


Brewing a Saison this afternoon. Using Wyeast 3711 French Saison yeast. It's a yeast that Wyeast releases seasonally. Planning on re-using yeast for a second generation to brew a Belgian Quadruple. The grist for this batch uses pale, German pils, wheat malt, dark Munich, and Amber malt. Hopped with East Kent Goldings (pellet) and Vanguard (whole leaf).

Beer Advocate describes the style, "Saisons are sturdy farmhouse ale that was traditionally brewed in
the winter, to be consumed throughout the summer months. Not so long ago it was close to being an endangered style, but over recent years there's been a massive revival; especially in the US. This is a very complex style; many are very fruity in the aroma and flavor. Look for earthy yeast tones, mild to moderate tartness. Lots of spice and with a medium bitterness. They tend to be semi-dry with many only having touch of sweetness."

American style Amber Ale

Brewed an American style Amber ale yesterday. Scaling up the grains and hops to create a 6.5% abv with 50 IBU's (international bittering units). Using some crystal, and roasted malts to attain the amber color. The hops in this batch are warrior, palisade, and lots of simcoe towards the end of the boil. Fermenting with a dry English yeast to accentuate the malt back bone of this hoppy offering. The English yeast will help to balance the hops and malt.

Cali Belgique



The style of beer I'm brewing today is a completely modern American style of beer. It's a cross between a West Coast style IPA and a Belgian Triple. A great new style that combines the citrus hoppy notes of an IPA with the spicy yeast character of Belgian beers. Stone Brewing makes one that is literally their IPA recipe but with a different yeast. Another example is Green Flash's Le Freak. The grist today is pale, wheat, dark munich, and amber malt. Hopped with warrior, palisade, and amarillo. Fermented with a blend of Belgian yeasts.

White Heat


The idea for this beer has been swirling my mind for quite some time. Brewed with great esteem for the world famous chef Marco Pierre White and his classic 1990 cookbook titled White Heat. Called the first celebrity chef, Marco Pierre rose to fame in the 80's. As famous for terrines as kicking out customers. When he recieved three Michelin stars he was the youngest ever to recieve three Michelin stars. Then made history by giving them all back. Wikipedia describes his career, "On completion of his training in 1987, White opened Harveys in Wandsworth Common, London, where he won his first Michelin star almost immediately and was awarded his second in 1988, before moving on to become chef-patron of The Restaurant Marco Pierre White in the dining-room at the former Hyde Park Hotel now Mandarin Oriental, (where he won the third Michelin star) and then moved to the Oak Room at Le Meridien Piccadilly. By the age of 33, Marco Pierre White had become - at the time - the youngest chef to be awarded three Michelin stars (This record is now held by the Italian Massimiliano Alajmo, who won three stars at the age of 28 in 2002). During these years White had working for him Gordon Ramsay, Eric Chavot (The Capital), Heston Blumenthal (The Fat Duck), Bryn Williams(Odette's), Matt Tebbutt (The Foxhunter), Robert Reid, Thierry Busset, Jason Atherton and in front of house Max Palmer, Claude Douart, Philippe Messy and Chris Jones. Although White worked relentlessly for 17 years to pursue his ambition, he ultimately found that in spite of his accomplishments, recognition and fame, his career did not provide him with adequate returns in his personal life. So in 1999, he retired and returned his Michelin stars. I was being judged by people who had less knowledge than me, so what was it truly worth? I gave Michelin inspectors too much respect, and I belittled myself. I had three options: I could be a prisoner of my world and continue to work six days a week, I could live a lie and charge high prices and not be behind the stove, spend time with my children and re-invent myself. During his early career in the kitchen, White regularly ejected patrons from his restaurants if he took offence at their comments. When a customer asked if he could have a side order of chips with his lunch, White hand-cut and personally cooked the chips but charged the customer £25 for his time."


The brew is a Belgian style Double White brewed with Hot Chilis, Coriander, Oranges, Lemon peel, and Red pepper berries. Get it, White Heat. Never homebrewed with chilis but have had a few beers brewed with this ingredient. Interested to see how and where it burns through this beer. Simple grist bill: pale malt, wheat malt, and flaked oats. Step mash, mashed in at 145 degrees and rest for fifteen minutes. Raise temp to 156 degrees and rested for thirty minutes. Finally mashed out to 168 degrees. Adding all the spices, chilis, and citrus with five minutes left in the boil. The yeast will be 2nd generation from the Tangerine Wit I brewed recently. The yeast was a blend of White labs Wit WLP400 and Safbrew T-58. It was a great brew day.