As mentioned on Tuesday, we are on to the second Pale Ale for the week in this month of Great Divide beer reviews.  Today we have the American Pale Ale of the pair.  Since I enjoy borrowing previously written content (and it makes as much sense with this post), I will say again that it is probably time for me to do a series explaining and defining the different beer styles for both my education and yours, but for today I will just say that the English Pale Ales tend to be more balanced and “drinkable” than their hoppier American cousins.  Now on to the beer review . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Fresh Hop

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 6.1%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.

Aroma: Full, citrusy hop aroma with a low malty sweetness.  The hops dominate the really nice overall aroma.

Appearance: Light amber color with some golden character.  Two finger (plus), off-white head that is frothy with good retention and a laced trail.  Clear with consistently rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Medium (toward high) citrusy hop flavor up front with a bit of grassy profile underneath that.  Very slight toasted maltiness in back.  Balances to hops with good amount of bitterness toward end (moderate/not too much).  Some dryness at the finish with some lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium(ish) body with moderate carbonation (really just right).  Smooth with no harshness.

Overall Impressions: I think my palate leans toward the DPA  (of the two) . . . Fresh Hop is as good as DPA, but very different.  Really enjoy the hops character(s), though I have to be in the mood for it because they are really prominent.  The hoppiness grew on me as the glass emptied and it definitely lands on the “buy again someday” list.  Do not drink too cold.

Grade: B

Great Divide Brweing Co. - Fresh Hop

It seems that it is going to be a Pale Ale kind of week with the Great Divide beer reviews.  Today we have the English Pale Ale of the pair.  Don’t worry though, the American Pale Ale with be represented on Friday.  It is probably time for me to do a series explaining and defining the different beer styles for both my education and yours, but for today I will just say that the English Pale Ales tend to be more balanced and “drinkable” than their hoppier American cousins.  Now on to the beer review . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Denver Pale Ale

Style: English Pale Ale

ABV: 5.4%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.  $1.99 for 12oz.

Aroma: Moderate hop aroma with a low fruity profile and a medium, somewhat sweet (caramel-like) malt aroma.  The two are almost of equal strength.

Appearance: Golden in color with a bit of copper/orange to it.  One finger, cream color head  that is frothy with good retention and trail.  Clear with some rising bubbles and small particulates visible.

Flavor: Good maltiness up front (bit of nutty profile?) with medium bitterness (more middle through end).  Moderate dryness at the finish without lingering.  Pretty well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium (to low) carbonation.  Has creaminess that gives the impression of a more full body.

Overall Impressions: The bitterness builds on the palate and becomes more prominent as the glass empties.  The hop flavors and aromas are just enough without being at all overpowering.  Really very drinkable . . . the characteristics work well together making it better as I drink.

Grade: B to B+

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver Pale Ale

The changes to the site are coming along pretty well and I am excited about the new options I have with the current format.  I hope that the new look is well received by you all as well.

If you are keeping track, it should become obvious that I have come to the point in working through my backlog of reviews where I was drinking a mixed pack of Flying Dog beers.  Though I have not purchased a mixed pack of anything recently, it is a pretty good way to sample different styles and find out which ones you like enough to buy again.  At the same time I hesitate to by some mixed packs knowing that there are some included that I would just prefer not to force down.  What a dilemma!

Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery (Frederick, MD)

Name: Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.5%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.

Aroma: Moderate hop nose with a slight bit of fruity esters.

Appearance: Light to medium amber color.  Two finger, off-white head that slowly dissipates with some trail.  Very clear with many visible bubbles.

Flavor: Medium hop flavor with some bitterness in the middle and through the end.  Some malt underneath and some dryness at the finish.  Pretty well balanced overall.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with high carbonation.  Some slight astringency at finish.

Overall Impressions: Refreshing and easy drinking with a nice amount of hops.  Not fantastic, but pretty good.

Grade: B (maybe to B+)

Flying Dog Brewery - Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale

If I had known that in getting through my backlog I would be doing such a concentration of Ommegang reviews lately I might have just dedicated the entire month of January to them.  I would have needed to grab a few others to fill out the lineup of evaluations, but that would certainly not have been a bad thing.  With that thought, I think February may just have to be dedicated to a brewery or kick off something different for the site.  Stay tuned!

Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)

Name: Rare Vos

Style: Belgian Pale Ale

ABV: 6.5%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge and served in my Ommegang glass (tulip-like).  $5.99 for 1pt. 9.4oz.

Aroma: Slightly sweet malty aroma with a bit of citrus present.  Some spiciness in the background.

Appearance: Light copper to amber in color.  Four finger, cream color head with large, quickly dissipating bubbles that leave some trail. Very clear with visible rising bubbles.

Flavor: Smooth malty flavor with light spiciness.  Some (orange zest-like) fruit flavor.  Slightly dry finish with a hint of hoppy bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with very noticeable carbonation that gives some early bite.  Smooth and very drinkable with the slightest hint of warmth.

Overall Impressions: Very easy drinking and perhaps a bit lighter in body than some other Belgians tried recently.  A bit higher in alcohol than typical for style (4.8-5.5% via BJCP).  Quite good and probably is only graded this low because my palate favors other Ommegang brews.

Grade: B to B+ range

Brewery Ommegang - Rare Vos

Though I have really only gone through the brewing process a handful of times I have noticed that my efficiency has improved dramatically.  There are many steps along the way that you just cannot rush through, but bottling isn’t one of them.  I have that routine down pretty well and bottling the few cases I have for each brew goes by very quickly.  Even as I evolve my brewing to a larger setup and different techniques it is good to know that at least the bottling should go smoothly.

Since the bottling process was already covered in more detail in Part 3 of the Honey Porter, this will really just be an update on how my two experiments are doing with a few pictures thrown in to prove that all of this actually happened.

Sanitized and ready for duty

Racking one last time

My version of a drying rack

The brew that I have been referring to as the IPA clocked in at just over 4% ABV which was about what I expected with the previous readings being what they were.  Though it is tough to tell exactly how the flavor is when flat, this one seemed to be a bit more of a pale ale than an IPA when I gave the sample a try.  The hop flavor was definitely there though as confirmed by The Wife making a face after one sip.

Done with one and on to the next

The pineapple and grape infused Pale Ale came in at just under 5.25% ABV and, judging by my small sample, seemed like it would be a nice light(er) bodied beer when fully carbonated.

Since that time I have opened a bottle of each to try because I wanted to give some out to friends before the holidays hit.  Neither of the two I sampled were fully carbonated but they were drinkable, which is my rock bottom standard for handing out to others.  So I packed up a case and a half of my Pumpkin Ale (soon to be reviewed here), a few of the “Practice Makes Porter,” and some of the two recently bottled to hand out to some guinea pigs.

There is something about beer (especially when free) that just makes people smile and every bottle was gladly accepted.  Hopefully some of them like some of the beer and if not all I ask is to get the empties back so that I can use them to bottle the next batches.  It certainly felt good that others were willing to drink what I made and I thank them for helping me clear room to brew some more!

Before getting to the next step in my most recent home brewing adventures, I need to draw attention again to the beer review posted yesterday.  Please be sure to take a look at the comment from Travis at Dunedin Brewery confirming my suspicions of the bottle I opened and also clarifying their bottling process.  I was never going to shy away from their brews based solely on that sample (anyway) and I have every intention of giving the Red Head Red Ale another shot.  A nice response like that directly from them is very much appreciated.

Moving on . . .

Fortunately for me (and likely for you reading this), there is less explanation necessary as I go through each (rather basic) recipe of home brew since it has been written here previously.  As my equipment evolves, my methods become more complex, and my ingredients get a bit more adventurous I will need to go through things in more detail.  For now though, if you are interested in the specifics of racking the wort from a primary to secondary fermenter check out the video in “Pumpkin Ale – Part 2” on the “Brewing” page above.  In this post I will simply highlight the specifics of these two brews to keep you up to date on what is happening.

Chief of Sanitation checking out the setup

Just sit back and watch

The IPA was the first to be transferred.  It came in at a specific gravity of about 1.0111 giving it a current ABV of roughly 4.26%.  The original gravity of this one was lower than expected so this was not exactly a surprise.  As I tasted the sample taken for hydrometer use I did notice some nice hop aroma and flavor, though not as prominent as hoped.  My thought is that the carbonation will certainly amp up the hop aroma, but I am not sure where the flavors will end up.  Though fermentation has seemingly not continued, this beer is currently clarifying in the secondary fermenter.  Maybe I will bottle this one a day or two ahead of the Pale Ale?

Before

After

Job well done!

The pineapple, grape, and Cayenne infused Pale Ale was next to go.  Before starting, I boiled about 1.5 cups of light brown sugar in roughly 2.25 cups of water for a few minutes so I could add it to the mix.  After cooling, that went into the secondary fermenter so that it would be thoroughly mixed in during racking.

Just floating around

All that is left

Since I had to deal with quite a bit of fruit floating in the wort, I decided to take the specific gravity ready before it was added to the brown sugar.  It clocked in with about a 1.0101, giving it and ABV in the neighborhood of 5.67%.  It may gain or lose some with the addition of the brown sugar and I will just have to wait and see.  The sample of this one had a pretty clean aroma, light body, and slight sweetness.  I really did not have much of an idea of what this one would turn out to be, but it was a bit lighter on the palate than I would have guessed.

I could not bring myself to eat one.

Everything is back into the bathtub and if all goes well I plan on bottling sometime this weekend, which will likely be followed shortly thereafter by another two batches.  It seems I am a bit addicted and I am OK with that.

Back to the bathtub with you!

There is one last thing as a note to myself and also a warning to others.  It is not a great idea to put your head anywhere near the bucket directly after taking the lid off, especially with a lot of fruit in the mix.  It will clear your nostrils, and your head in a hurry, possibly taking a few brain cells out with it!

It also needs a "Don't put your head over it when opening" warning!

It is not as if I have mastered basic brewing at any level, but I felt the need to branch out a bit from the straightforward recipe brewing for my next beers.  So I ordered supplies for an American IPA and decided to split it into two 2.5-gallon batches so I could experiment a bit.  With that, I also purchased an extra primary and secondary fermenter so that brewing two batches at once could become the norm for me.  Waiting for one to finish before starting another became frustrating since I want to practice and get better at brewing.

I am going to focus on what was different this time, so I will likely pass over some of the basic processes.  If you are interested in more in depth description of those, check out “Part 1” of the “Honey Porter” or “Pumpkin Ale” on the “Brewing” page above.  Hopefully this will all be clear as I try to recap two beers in one post.

The 1 pound of Crystal 60L Malt and 2 pounds of 2-Row Malt was split into halves (1.5 pounds each) and I took .5 pounds of one half and roasted it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  In an attempt to keep the to batches straight here, the one with the roasted grains will be referred to as the Pale Ale and the other as the IPA.  I was basically taking half of the recipe and staying very close to the IPA instructions and using the other half as more of an experimental Pale Ale.

Roasting some grains

Each half of the crushed grains was steeped in 1.25 gallons of 155 degree water for 45 minutes.  Exact temperature control continues to be a bit of an issue for me, but 155-160 degrees was the general range for that time.  Each half was then rinsed with a quart of 170 degree water before removing the grains entirely.

For both batches 3 pounds of the Extra Pale Extract was added and dissolved before returning the mixture to heat.  Each was brought to a controlled, rolling boil before adding 2 ounces of Yakima Golding hops to the IPA and 1 ounce of the same to the Pale Ale for bittering.  After 45 minutes .75 ounces of Cluster hops was added to the IPA and .25 ounces to the Pale Ale for flavoring.  Ten minutes later the same amount of Cluster hops was added to each for aroma along with .25 teaspoons of Cayenne to the Pale Ale.

Just some of the hop pellets

After the boil, the IPA was cooled to prepare for pitching the yeast.  To the Pale Ale I added 20 ounces of chunked pineapple (including juice) and 1 pound of halved seedless red grapes and allowed them to steep for 15 minutes (or so).  The fruit was actually put in the freezer for a bit to cool them before adding to the pot.  I wanted to temperature to drop a bit to allow the fruit to pasteurize without boiling.  If the fruit were to boil, the pectin can cause problems with clarity and the higher heat can also give you different flavors that you may not be looking for.

No cutting to be done here

Many grapes to slice

Cooling continues to be another issue for me, but it was much easier with these small batches and I was able to get the temperature down without much of a problem.  Each batch was put into a primary fermenter and water was added to roughly 2.625 gallons.  The original specific gravity for the IPA was 1.0436 and the Pale Ale came in at 1.0534.  The Pale Ale was pretty close to what I was looking for but the IPA was pretty low, possibly a result of adding too much water at the end or maybe just a result of halving the recipe.  Neither was a reason to be upset.

Just some of the strained hops

This was also the first time that I decided to use dry yeast.  That doesn’t always work out because the selection of dry yeast is more limited, but there was that option for this recipe.  To prepare for pitching, the yeast was added to 1 cup of warm (previously boiled) water and allowed to sit for 15 minutes.  One teaspoon of sugar was boiled in a small amount of water, cooled and then added into the yeast mixture.  After covering and allowing to sit for 30 minutes it was clear that they were alive and ready, so I split the mix into halves.

As it came

Half of the beasties

I don’t know exactly how the dry yeast will alter the end product, but active fermentation started earlier than ever before and was actually more vigorous.  It was also cheaper than buying it in liquid form, so if it works out well I will likely use it as often as it makes sense in the future.

Ah, the lovely sound of a bubbling airlock!