Rooftop Brew

This recipe is an adapted version of a Bridgeport Porter clone from a 2001 issue of BYO. I had to modify it a little based on my options from the brew shop and the hops I had in the freezer. I switched the recipe to all domestic grains, not for cost, but for principle.

Grain

• 9 lbs 2-row
• 1/2 lbs chocolate
• 3/4 lbs roasted barley
• 1 lbs Crystal (40L)
• 1/2 Munich

Hops

• 1/2 oz. Chinook (12.2% alpha) @ 60
• 1 oz. Chinook @ 5

Misc.

• Fermentis Safale S-04 dry yeast (with 1 liter starter)
• Irish Moss

That’s like the fewest hops I’ve used in a long time, but the Replicator interview with the brewer said to avoid over-hopping it. I figure the folks around me could use a break from hops…. for one beer.

Here’s the qbrew file.

Michelle, Ella and I spent the weekend in Yakima with family. This time of year, several of our family members are busy with one kind of harvest or another. My father-in-law is busy with hops (another post, I promise) and my aunt and uncle are busy with grape harvest. On our way out of town, we stopped in at Windy Point to see how the grapes turned out, and to pick up some wine for ourselves.

The tasting room was quiet, being only ten in the morning on a Sunday, so we did our shopping then headed down to the winery to see what was fermenting. We saw the winery’s first batch of Pinot grapes happily on their way. It was not only the first batch year they had made a pinot noir, it was their first harvest of grapes they’d planted a few years back. If the other wines are any indication, the pinot should be excellent.

I love looking at oak barrels. It doesn’t really matter what is aging in them, the stamped logo of the cooper, the twisting and darting of the grain in the slats, and the stains of the barrel’s contents around the bung. Apparently my ancestors were coopers, which might explain the fascination, but it might just be the wood too. Or the promise of some delicious pay off. I should really try and snag a used barrel once they’re done with it and age some beer in it. Five gallons would disappear into a barrel though, so maybe it would be more effective to take shavings from a barrel instead.

Just outside the winery, bins of merlot grapes were stacking up. Today was merlot day, and we stuck around to see them fire up the de-stemming and crushing machine. My brain thinks of each step as it pertains to brewing, so I’m consistency surprised how much more simple the wine making itself is. The machine was happily de-stemming and crushing the sweet little fruit, Aunt Liz occasionally turning a wheel to adjust how much of the fruit was left on the stem. I helped shovel the fruit pulp around to make sure there was an even layer in the fermenter. Tiny grapes are quite heavy, so we made some excuse to go home. “Well, we’ve got a long drive ahead of us…”

Visited Pause on Interstate tonight with the family and was delighted to find Lagunita’s Hop Stoopid on tap. I tried to glance quickly at the tap handles on the way outside and saw something Sonoma Farmhouse and expected a sour and had to use the internet to connect the whole story.

The beer was terrific. Michelle and I have been quite partial to Widmer’s W ’07, a pale ale made with Summit ™ hops that delivers a robust citrus and melon hop flavor without a bittering finish. Hop Stoopid had the same wonderful intense floral and citrus delivery followed by a round and sweet malt body and nary an off-putting bitter follow-up. The beer was terrific with dinner and I split a second with the table. Really a surprise of a beer and a delight to find on tap at Pause.