BTB Sweet Auburn Tripel

Not being wary of the deep end of the pool (maybe I should be), I followed Kevin into grain brewing.  After an attempt with the Oatmeal Stout kit, I felt the need to up the ante to something really challenging: Tripels.  Of whole grain brewing Tripels (Belgian) are some of the most difficult but have very distinctive flavors and are not as hop centric as most craft Ales and lagers can be.

Below is a good description from Beeradvocate.com

• The name "Tripel" actually stems from part of the brewing process, in which brewers use up to three times the amount of malt than a standard Trappist "Simple." Traditionally, Tripels are bright yellow to gold in color, which is a shade or two darker than the average Pilsener. Head should be big, dense and creamy. Aroma and flavor runs along complex, spicy phenolic, powdery yeast, fruity/estery with a sweet finish. Sweetness comes from both the pale malts and the higher alcohol. Bitterness is up there for a beer with such a light body for its strength, but at times is barely perceived amongst the even balance of malts and hops. The lighter body comes from the use of Belgian candy sugar (up to 25% sucrose), which not only lightens the body, but also adds complex alcoholic aromas and flavors. Small amounts of spices are sometimes added as well. 
• Tripels are actually notoriously alcoholic, yet the best crafted ones hide this character quite evil-like and deceivingly, making them sipping beers.
• Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 8.0-12.0% 

After doing some homework I began my journey into home brewing a Tripel using a recipe from Beer Smith called She Devil.  I began brewing in late August and was very excited to begin.  The recipe called for 16 lbs of grains (14 lbs of 2 row and 2 lbs of caravienne malt).  Which is a lot and a single infusion approach which for me was water at a similar temperature is infused through the grain bag as you pull it out of the pot.  The grain is cooked to about 168/170 (any hotter would burn the grain releasing tannins which makes the beer taste extremely bitter and undrinkable) in about 3 gallons of water.  The infusion picks up any remaining good beer stuff while adding 2-3 gallons of water back to the pot.  Whenever doing whole grains it takes about 75 minutes from start to finish so be prepared, cause the boil has not even begun yet.

For the first batch I did not let it reach a rolling boil (220 degrees or higher) but kept the temperature between 190-200.  I added molasses, cane sugar (instead of Belgian Candy Sugar) and Northern Brewer hops at the beginning of the boil. Towards the end I added Mt. Hood hops and clove.  I recently did a second batch with ginger and clove that smelled awesome cooking but there was a slight mishap in transferring the batch to the fermenter that may cause it to be lighter in both body and ABV than I would want.  

I really enjoyed making this brew and I will continue to refine the Sweet Auburn Tripel in the coming months for both ABV, flavor and balance.  The first batch came out well and was my first keging attempt.  Although I did not give it enough time for CO2 infusion, it still came out pretty good. Instead of sharing what I thought of it, I'll ask my Brothers That Brew cohorts to share their opinions.

Mother Earth Smoked Lager

I (William) decided to grab a bite and brew tonight at the Drafting Table, a good watering hole near MLK, Jr. MARTA station (in the Pencil Factory Lofts commercial space at the corner of Decatur Ave. SE and Hill St. SE). Tonight's special is the Mother Earth Smoked Lager (Kinston, NC). I've hadthe  ME Endless River Kolsch and Sisters of the Moon IPA which are really good.

A great flavor beer for those who like smokey things. Although it is a first for me, I liked it. Excellent clarity with a light amber color. Good lacing from the head and carbonation. Great smokey scent and very little hops. Clean taste with smoke on the back end on the tongue.  At 6.4% ABV a good first step for me into smoked flavored beer.  

If you want to try something new that's not over the smokey edge, head by the Drafting Table and try the ME Smoked Lager. Ran into an old friend, Jim Brooks, too. 

Intown Market - Pencil Factory Lofts

On a Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago I (William) saw a sign stating "200 Craft Beers" across from the MLK Jr MARTA station and decided to head into the Intown Market at the corner of Decatur and .. I had heard good things about their hand made sandwiches but this time I was only there for the beer. 

As I walked in the back door, that you access from the parking garage, I was pleasantly surprised to see a growler station with 8 taps. This is good news

For the craft beer drinkers on the southeast side of the city because to get a growler you have to head a little north to get one.

As I rounded the corner, I saw a very good selection of wine with diverse price ranges and quality. There were some craft beers spread around but much to my pleasant surprise there was much more in the back and in the cooler. From Singels to Tripels, Bochs to Stoudts, Lagers, IPAs, and many more. Intown Market has a really good selection and  they have hit a sweet spot that was lacking in Intown East Atlanta.

And they have two of my favorites, Golden Monkey and Arrogant Bastard.

Check out Intown Market for a growlers or to take care of your craft beer fix. I certainly have and will.

Hop City Home Brewing Class

Enjoying Hop City's home brew class with 15 aspiring home brewers. Very good class by Keaton who's an avid home brewer and has experimented with most styles. He made a Wit today, that had mixed grain with oats, Pilsen light and Bavarian wheat. He did a quad malt that had caramel, wheat, chocolate and victory malts. Hops included pacific jade and a Soriachi Ace that has a good dill flavor and aroma with a hint lemon. Keaton added some tangerine peel at the end of the boil. Yeast used was forbidden fruit. I'll have to come back in a month to taste. The beer will be kegged which we will be attempting to do soon if we can find a barrel keg.

Double IPA #2 Bottling

This week we bottled a repeat of the Double IP with orange and bourbon chips that we brewed a few weeks ago that had two fermentation cycles.  This was one of our first brews that we all liked but we added some citrus to see how the flavors mix.  In Corb and my  enthusiasm to get it bottled, we forgot the priming sugar which is key to helping the beer keep its carbonation when bottled.  Fortunately, we only bottled 4 before Kev saved the day with the priming sugar.  With a good bottling rhythm with the help of Derick next door and storage in a cool place (around 70 degrees) we will be ready in 2 weeks for another tasting of the 50 bottles we prepared today.  

Hit us up if you would like to become one of our volunteer tasters. Our vision is to make great beer for y'all, not just us.

Jalapeño Red Ale Bottling Day

The Brothers experimentation phase 2 is bottled. After a 14 day 2nd fermentation we are excited to unleash something new. You can smell the jalapeño everywhere. It will definitely have a different flavor and taste.

The crew is getting everything ready, sterilizing bottles, etc. for another first: Jalapeño Red. We'll have some taste testers trying it out that will post about it this coming week.

6/2 Brew Day - Double IPA

While Corby was in Oakland having fun, Kevin and William decided to keep the brewing going with a Double IPA. We are getting the hang of home brewing because each time it gets a little easier and we're beginning to branch out on flavors.  In brew #4 Kevin added 

Oranges to the steeping process and molasses to the boil.

The rain almost got us, but we got it done and brew #4 is now fermenting.  

The Jalapeño red ale, got transferred to begin it's 2nd ferment and looked and smelled excellent. Bottling brew #3 in about a week.

Fire Tiger Red Ale

On Sunday, May 26, 2013, William decided to go out of the box we his first brew.  It was our second recipe innovation after Kevin's Jackson Stoudt with Bourbon chips. William added... JALAPEÑOS for heat and flavor during the last 12 minutes of the boil. At the end of the boil we added 3 tablespoons of brown sugar for added sweetness and possibly boost the abv. We are measuring the abv with this brew as we want to get the next batches between 8-9% abv.

According to Kev (who lets the beer ferment at his crib), the brew smelled good during the first week of fermenting. Now we're gearing up for the 2nd ferment that will take about 2 weeks before we bottle and unleash pin he world. 

Welcome to Brothers (and a Sister) That Brew

Anita, Corby, Kevin and William (me) are gearing up to share our craft beer experience for men and women of color that are interested in learning more about craft beer, brewing, tasting and what makes beer cool.  As African American craft beer lovers, we wanted to connect with others that share our love of beer and our dream to one day open a brewery of our own.  Please join us on our journey to share the wonders of beer and possibly (cross our fingers) to opening of our own brewery.  This is a open post blog so we want to hear from you all on what you like about beer and your brewing experiences.

Each week, we'll share our thoughts and feel free to share yours on different craft beers, different tastes of beers, and local beer spots that highlight craft beers.

This photo is after one of our brew sessions. Corby is making an American Amber Ale and we'll let you know the results next week.