The story goes like this: About three years ago the OBC had a contest for the right to have a beer served at the Horsebrass pub. It was the pub’s 25 anniversary, and they’d asked for beers from many local brewers, but had also worked out a deal for the winner of the OBC contest to have their beer brewed with the people at Laurelwood, and served.
So I joined a team of people and we made a wit beer with chamomile tea. And it won. Triumphs all around, we had our beer brewed with professionals and served to the public, a great day was had by all, right?
Well actually, yes. But it has led to the most commonly asked question by my friends; When are you going to make that beer again?
It was a good beer. Why not try to repeat the success? Except I have been unable to re-brew this beer. Or I have, but the beer has been undrinkable to the point where I have had to pour out five gallons of beer because it tasted like swampwater. Twice.
Granted, my first time brewing this beer was with some people who were far more experienced and certainly their knowledge and skills helped a great deal. I’ve made a few beers since then though, I ought to be able to make this beer again. Or at least come close, right?
So into the breech once more.
These were my steeping grains:
1.25 lb Flaked Oats
1 lb Gambrious Pils
When I strained them out of the wort, they looked like this:
Does anyone want to drink something made from this? I’d already stared having misgivings and the yeast wasn’t even in.
Next in was:
6.67 lb of Wheat malt
.5 lb Dry dark malt
(both extracts)
At the boil, I added the following:
1 1/8ths oz Golding @ 60
1/4 th oz Hallertauer @ 35
just under 1/8th tsp Grains of Paradise
1/4th tsp crushed coriander seeds
1/4th tsp dried orange
less than 1/8th tsp bitter orange
zest of one orange–all @ 5
Finally, I added two packs of Wyeast 3974. What I got was a beer that initially looked like this:
This…this also does not look promising. I mean really; what the fuck is going on there? Two days later, the yeast would tell me what was going on there.
Yup, the thing blew the airlock.
After two weeks the beer has settled down a bit, and I put it into secondary yesterday. It smelled quite yeasty with a slight citrus undertone, so I’m actually hopeful this will turn out well.
A pint for Dionysus 