The mystery continues...

http://www.vimeo.com/trillium

New post series: Sneak Peek

After racing the sunset down rte. 128, I was able to spend a good hour out of doors after work this evening, kicked off the work that's going in to the new series of Trillium Brewing blog posts. While I won't go in to the details, let me just say that I am pretty darn excited at how this is developing, and the content I started to assemble today.

The following picture isn't exactly a particularly well veiled hint to what's in store.

...but I just wouldn't sleep well if I posted nothing tonight.

Leon: (formerly) a pig and a double IPA

Thinking about naming the soon-to-be brewed double IPA after the 200lbs + pig raised at my uncle's farm, as he'll likely be the low and slow smoked accompanying meal to the beer:

Leon

13 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 84.38 %

8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 3.13 %

8.0 oz Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 3.13 %

1.75 oz Chinook [13.00 %] (90 min) Hops 67.6 IBU

1.75 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (90 min) Hops 72.8 IBU

1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (45 min) Hops 33.2 IBU

1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (30 min) Hops 29.9 IBU

1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -

1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -

2.50 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (Dry Hop 10 days) Hops -

1.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (Dry Hop 10 days) Hops -

1.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 10 days) Hops -

1 lbs 8.0 oz Cane (Beet) Sugar (0.0 SRM) Sugar 9.38 %

1 Pkgs Chico strain (Fermentis #US-05) Yeast-Ale

Est Original Gravity: 1.079 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG

Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 8.64 %

Bitterness: 237.2 IBU Calories: 359 cal/pint

Est Color: 7.0 SRM

Trillium Brewing Fall/Winter Schedule: Sneak Peek

Now that the wedding has come and gone, and the coffers are woefully under stocked, it’s time to ramp up brewhouse production.

First on the docket is a west coast double IPA, based on from the Nov 2008 BYO ‘Hop Hammer’ recipe, as originally conceived by Vinnie Cilurzo at Russian River. It is a slightly higher ABV version of oh-so-popular (but, as yet, unavailable in the Boston area) Pliny the Elder.

Best man Jason and I are looking to co-brew this one in the coming weeks, so it will be peaking for a soon-to-be planned November Leon pig roast.

The hops used will be mostly with fresh 2009 harvest, so I really hope this will be as fresh of a DIPA I could ever hope for at home, using commercial acquired hops. Just put in the order under the group buy deadline with the Boston Worts. The Simcoe will need to be ordered through freshops.com, as the much less expensive Peterbaugh Farms run hopsdirect.com website doesn’t have any available. Prices have PLUMMETTED since last year, and availability is driving us all to pull the trigger on these hop bombs that we’ve been craving, but may have been putting off for other comparatively hop-light styles.

Speaking of Russian River, I’m finally looking to take my first foray in to the bugs w/ a harvest from the dregs of a bottle of RR’s Temptation. I’ll slowly build up a healthy starter, and then dump my under carbed and woefully under attenuated quad, which will hopefully drive the level of complexity up and the gravity down from the nosebleed 1.035 section. This is strictly a research and rescue mission, not pinning too much hope on anything fantastic.

Other planned brews involve an Orval’d Belgian pale ale that have asian pears . My three trees have been pushing out more and more fruit every year, so I’d naturally love to experiment with a few pounds of these in a beer. They have been infinitely more flavorful, juicy and complex than the expensive and limited grocery store selections, and I'd love to see what they lend to a crisp Belgian pale ale.

Also, I’ve got a Temptation influenced hybrid wine/wild ale in development. This beer will feature fresh chardonnay grapes from a hands-on harvest effort that will occur next month at Saltwater Farm in Stonington, CT. Toasted French oak will be employed, of course. More details on these experimental and other beers to follow in the weeks and months ahead.

Lastly, I've got some grand plans for a more detailed series of blog posts in the works, involving collaborative efforts with Boston/New England area folks who pride themselves on local and artisan foods. It may take a little while to develop the content, but once it starts, look out!

Stonginton Pale Ale: September Pick on justinmarantz.com

This was a fun find...