TasunkaWitko
Well-Known Member
Brooklyn Brew Shop's Blackberry Red Ale with Bullberry Substitute - Tips and Advice
The next beer that I will be brewing is Blackberry Red Ale, from Brooklyn Brew Shop:
Actually, instead of blackberries, I will be using a substitute that is very near and dear to the prairie country that is a big part of my heritage: bullberries, also known as buffaloberries.
As with all of my "Tips and Advice" threads, this will be a running account of the experience and the things that I learn during the process.
As usual, I'll start with the particulars:
Informational link: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-making-mixes/blackberry-red-ale-beer-making-mix
Instructions: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn_Brew_Shop_Blackberry_Red_Ale_Instructions.pdf
I actually have the recipe for this beer from Brooklyn Brew Shop's BEER MAKING BOOK, so I will be using that as a resource, as well. If anyone is interested in trying this beer, please shoot me a PM, and I'd be happy to share it.
This all-grain, 1-gallon mix is for a Irish Red Ale that incorporates Maris Otter, Caramel 60 and Aromatic malts in order to deliver "a tall glass of summer perfection ...highly refreshing and not overly sweet." At 6% ABV, it sounds just right to me. This mix uses East Kent Golding hops for bittering/flavour and Columbus hops (Cascade in the recipe book) for aroma, which I suspect will lend a nice, earthy ambience with perhaps some citrusy notes. I like the idea, and think that it should make a good end-of-summer beer, if it is as advertised. The yeast that comes with the mix is a pretty generic, fast acting strain - I think that it is a version of S33 or maybe S05, but please do not quote me on that. In the recipe book, the recommended yeast is Nottingham, and I plan on using that. According to BBS's website, the OG is 1.052 and the FG is 1.013.
From the moment I ordered this mix, I wanted to substitute a local fruit for the blackberries. I wanted something that would be seasonal, and also wanted to keep things within my usual interest in brewing beers with the local terrior in mind. Bullberries, which are a common and much-loved fixture in my area of Montana - as well as my ancestral home of western North Dakota - were a natural choice. The instructions call for the blackberries to be heated and mashed with 1/4 cup of sugar, creating a syrup that will be added to the wort at the very end of the boil, at knock-out; I will be doing the same with the bullberries.
Here is the label that I came up with for this brew, featuring a beautiful watercolour from one of Montana's most famous citizens, C.M. Russell:
As always, I welcome any comments, suggestions or feedback on this - if anyone is interested, please feel free to chime in, or simply follow along.
More as it happens, etc. &c....
Ron
The next beer that I will be brewing is Blackberry Red Ale, from Brooklyn Brew Shop:
Actually, instead of blackberries, I will be using a substitute that is very near and dear to the prairie country that is a big part of my heritage: bullberries, also known as buffaloberries.
As with all of my "Tips and Advice" threads, this will be a running account of the experience and the things that I learn during the process.
As usual, I'll start with the particulars:
Informational link: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-making-mixes/blackberry-red-ale-beer-making-mix
Instructions: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn_Brew_Shop_Blackberry_Red_Ale_Instructions.pdf
I actually have the recipe for this beer from Brooklyn Brew Shop's BEER MAKING BOOK, so I will be using that as a resource, as well. If anyone is interested in trying this beer, please shoot me a PM, and I'd be happy to share it.
This all-grain, 1-gallon mix is for a Irish Red Ale that incorporates Maris Otter, Caramel 60 and Aromatic malts in order to deliver "a tall glass of summer perfection ...highly refreshing and not overly sweet." At 6% ABV, it sounds just right to me. This mix uses East Kent Golding hops for bittering/flavour and Columbus hops (Cascade in the recipe book) for aroma, which I suspect will lend a nice, earthy ambience with perhaps some citrusy notes. I like the idea, and think that it should make a good end-of-summer beer, if it is as advertised. The yeast that comes with the mix is a pretty generic, fast acting strain - I think that it is a version of S33 or maybe S05, but please do not quote me on that. In the recipe book, the recommended yeast is Nottingham, and I plan on using that. According to BBS's website, the OG is 1.052 and the FG is 1.013.
From the moment I ordered this mix, I wanted to substitute a local fruit for the blackberries. I wanted something that would be seasonal, and also wanted to keep things within my usual interest in brewing beers with the local terrior in mind. Bullberries, which are a common and much-loved fixture in my area of Montana - as well as my ancestral home of western North Dakota - were a natural choice. The instructions call for the blackberries to be heated and mashed with 1/4 cup of sugar, creating a syrup that will be added to the wort at the very end of the boil, at knock-out; I will be doing the same with the bullberries.
Here is the label that I came up with for this brew, featuring a beautiful watercolour from one of Montana's most famous citizens, C.M. Russell:
As always, I welcome any comments, suggestions or feedback on this - if anyone is interested, please feel free to chime in, or simply follow along.
More as it happens, etc. &c....
Ron