FUNKY CHICKEN BREWING

Sam the Eagle’s ‘Murica Session Ale

In honor of our nation’s 237th birthday, we’ve brewed up a patriotic, easy drinking session ale that’s best enjoyed in large quantities at a cookout.  Using all Liberty hops, along with some Victory malt, this beer is what Steven Rogers enjoys after a nice day of kicking Red Skull and Loki’s collective asses.  This is the beer that Sam the Eagle drinks to ease the pain of being surrounded by a gaggle of idiots.  This is the beer that Benjamin Franklin chugs so he can swap his bifocals for beer goggles and get to bedding down old ladies.

After two ridiculously complex brew-days, this one was a breeze.

8.25# 2-Row

1# Victory Malt

.25# Caramel 60L

Mash at 152

1oz Liberty First wort hops

2oz Liberty boil 60 min

1oz Liberty aroma steep 30 min

California Ale Yeast

We’ll ferment this in the primary for one to two weeks, and then use the yeast cake for another strong silly-named beer.  After two weeks in the secondary we’ll bottle it with our American Flag bottle caps.

Mmmm, so patriotic.

After nearly a month in the primary, we racked our Strong Belgian onto some Fine Tokay soaked oak chips, and tossed in a little cranberry and cherry extract for the hell of it. We tasted the base beer and it was amazing by itself. The oak chips will really compliment the flavor, and the fruitiness of the Tokay and extracts should make this reminiscent of Ommegang’s Quadruple. #beer #homebrew # home brewing # belgian

A few days ago we finally bottled the S’mores Stout, adding a cup of lactose and some chocolate and vanilla extract in with the priming sugar. The sample, though obscured by the late extract additions, tasted reminiscent of the Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro that I later enjoyed. A couple weeks in the bottle and our ridiculous malt bill will shine through. We got a pretty good yield: 50 bottles. That should last a couple days.

Liquor stores closed on Sunday, and no wine for the pasta sauce? No problem, just pour a whole beer in there! I can’t wait to spill this all over myself— I mean eat this delicious pasta.

The Mark HOPpus blink-182 Double IPA. 

Ever since our first date with brewing an IPA, we’ve tried to figure out what went wrong— they were good, just boring.  So we decided to throw in hops with reckless abandon.  At 182 IBUs, you might say we’ve gone a bit overboard on the hops.  Well, shut up.  If you’re down for some hops, then you’ll be feeling this.  Yes the puns are obvious.  Yes, we’re pathetic.  But this seriously is the most delicious DIPA I’ve ever had— intense aroma, a smooth bitterness that leads into amazing hop flavor, and finishing on a dry note that gives you good reason to want more.  Beware, the 8.5% abv will have you fighting the gravity.  New to this recipe were a number of small things, most importantly first-wort hopping that really punched up the flavor and aroma.  Chad and I have agreed to brew this always, because dammit, it’ll be gone way too soon.  I miss you already.  What’s that you say, Dysentery Gary? We’re too old for this music?  What’s my age again?

Got a custom pour at the Casual Pint. A mix of a Nude Beach, Doggy Style, and Kasual Hump (Little Hump mixed with Kashmir IPA). I am so mature.

Blistering Barnacles! The Belgian Pale Ale was a resounding success, despite being made up on the spot by Chad and I. Everything works— the Pilsen malt is crisp and finishes dry; the hops and yeast compliment each other with a spicy, funky deliciousness; and the 7% abv hides itself in this sessionable brew. Enjoy this brew after a long day of chasing that sea gherkin Rastapopolis around the world, or maybe let your intrepid dog Snowy have a sip, but keep it away from Captain Haddock— he prefers Loch Lomond anyways.

After a week of fermentation, we added a pound each of corn sugar and candi sugar to the Belgian.  Another two weeks in the primary, and then on to the secondary with the oak chips I’ve been soaking in Fine Tokay.  In the meantime, we’ll come up with a name for this thing… and maybe even figure out what kind of Belgian we’ve been brewing.  Maybe.

In addition to the S’mores Stout, we wanted to have an awesome Belgian done before Brandon left.  After much deliberating and on-the-spot grain-munching changes, we managed to come up with this totally boss recipe.

3.5# Munich 10L

3.25# Pilsen

3# Vienna

8oz Aromatic Malt

8oz Special B Malt

5oz Cara45

3oz Caramel 120L

Mash at 152 for 75 minutes, 90 minute boil

1oz US Saaz 8.1% boil 60min

.5oz US Saaz 8.1% boil 20 min

.5oz US Saaz and coriander seed boil 5min

Belgian Ale Yeast WLP550

After a few days of fermentation we will add 1# Dark Candi Sugar and 1# Corn Sugar.  After approximately three weeks total fermentation, we will transfer to a secondary with Fine Tokay soaked oak chips for another three weeks.

While this was mashing Brandon and I bottled the blink-182 DIPA, which from the uncarbed sample promises to be a hop-head’s wet dream.

During the brew, our friends Adam and Mike braved a monsoon to come over and enjoy an awesome steak dinner with some homebrews (and an always disappointing Sam Adams summer pack).  Our Peach Mango Pale Ale has been a hit; it’s a perfect spring/summer ale— a mix of hoppy and fruity, yet sessionable and refreshing.

We also tried a one-week old bottle sample of our Impromptu Belgian Pale Ale, which was amazing.  The yeast and the hops meld together with nice spicy notes; if you like Houblon Chouffe, you’d love this.  This was probably one of my favorite brew nights in recent memory— a wonderful mix of beer, friends, food, and Sleigh Bells blared way too loud way too late at night.