1728

Or "12 cubed"....my 12.12.12. beer is being brewed a bit early this year. I'll be in Vermont teaching the little on to ski and ride on the 12th, so here we go on 12/2.

This is the biggest beer I've done by grain bill to date. I've pulled off some high gravity Belgians, but they have a lot of sugar added to increase gravity. I plan on collecting more wort than normal as well as starting the boil after the first runnings in order to add a bit of caramelization to the wort and hopefully increase the complexity of the first taste, which will be in about 4 months.

Here it is, 12 different ingredients too by the way...I just experienced hotbreak at 10:05am, and I plan to boil 90 minutes:

Grist:
15lbs Rahr Pale Ale Malt
.5lbs Roasted Barley
.5lbs Crisp black Malt
.5lbs Crisp Chocolate Malt
.5lbs Crisp Medium Crystal
.25lbs Briess Crystal 40l
.4375lbs Coffee Malt

Additions:
1.50 oz Summit 60 minutes
.5 oz Glacier 30 min
2 oz Cascade 0 minutes
1lb Organic 365 brown sugar 0 minutes

Yeast:
Wyeast 1028 London Ale Yeastcake from my Rye Porter (Sandy's Porter)


I mashed in with 6 gallons of at 7:30 am and mashed for 90 minutes.
I mashed out with 3.5 gallons of water and collected just under 8 gallons of wort.
Since I'm using a good quantity of hops, I plan on leaving a bit of hotbreak and hops back in the kettle, hopefully the brown sugar will compensate for the loss in target gravity by only boiling down to around 5.5 gallons.
Target OG 1.088
Actual OG 1.084
let r rippp....cheers!

Humulus Lupus C-quel

2nd attempt at this IPA using this year's homegrown centennials. I am going to throw just a wee bit of Chinook in at 30 min since I have some left over from my last Pale Ale.

Grist:
10.5 lb Briess 2-row
.5 lb Briess Caramel 40
1.5 lb Weyermann Munich Malt

Hops:
60 min 3/4 oz Centennial
30 min 3/4 oz Centennial,1/4 oz Chinook
5 min 2 oz Centennial
Dry Hop 1 oz Centennial (7-10 dats)

Yeast:
S-05 Split yeast cake from Freckled Holstein ( the other half will ferment an Irish Red with a bit of honey)

Mash in 5 gallons 166 degree water, target 153, 75 minute mash.
Mash Out 3.5 gallons 160 degree water

Controlled fermentation @ 64 degrees 1 week
Ambient (basement temps 66-68 3 weeks)
condition @50 1 week

"Red"

Gobble gobble...Happy Turkey Day!

This is a malt forward, hop balanced red beer brewed for both Christmas and St Patrick Day. Simple enough recipe and put together to utilize the other half of the Freckled Holstein S-05 Yeastcake, strong enough to make a statement that it's not ONLY about hoppy beers in America.

Grist:
8lb Briess Pale Ale Malt
1lb Weyermann Cara Aroma
.5 lb Weyermann Cara Foam
.5lb Weyermann Mleanoidin

Hops:
1 oz Crystal FWH
1 oz Cascade 30 min

Other:
20oz  Honey @ flameout

Yeast:
Partial S-05 yeastcake

Mash In 4.5 gallons 165 degree water, target 154
Mash Out 3.25 gallons 160 degree water
Boil 60 min
Controlled fermentation 64 degrees 5 days, then ambient basement (66-68) for 15 days.
Condition @ 52 for 3 weeks

Sandy's Porter

Being a weather weenie has its perks. I was able to mash in tonight around landfall, knowing I was going to get a lull in the weather as the eye moved over South Jersey, Northern Delaware and as I type this, I am 30 minutes into the boil and although it's raining steadily outside, it's eerily quiet with minimal wind. 

So here is Sandy's Porter.

Grist:

7lb Rahr 2-row

2lb Rye malt

2lb Dark Munich malt

1lb crystal 40l

.5lb English black malt

Hops:

.50 oz Nugget 60 min

1oz UK Fuggle 30 min

1.5oz Cascade 5 min

Other Additions:

4oz Lactose 10 min

yeast nutrient 10 min

Yeast:

Wyeast London ale #1028

Mashed in at 7pm with 5 gallons 166 degree water, target 153.

Mashed out with 3.5 gallons 170 degree water

Hotbreak 8:55pm, Nugget

fuggles 9:25

yeast/lactose 9:45

Cascade 9:50

chill to 74 degrees, 9:55 to 10:20.

Target OG 1.052

Actual OG 1.050

Better Bitter

First one in, last one out, years of toiling and boiling have turned me into an inventory guru of sorts, too many ingredients laying in wait, make some beer...this led to the birth of Leroy Brown and tonight I introduce the Better Bitter. A 90 minute boil to enhance caramelization of the malt, an initial charge of Warrior and some dry hopping of extra Glacier hops morphs into modern take on the classic British Bitter in the comfort of my humble abode. This ale gets it's intense toast and marmalade character from British malt and American hops enhanced by virgin Well water from Warren, Vermont.  Dry hopping with Glacier brings an added dimension of floral and citrus aromas not normally found in ordinary bitters....introducing the Better Bitter.
Grist:
4 lb Fawcett Optic
3lb Pale Ale Malt
.75 lb Naked Oats
.005 lb Roasted Barley (sorry, all I had left)
.35 lb Medium Crystal (sorry all I had left)
Hops:
.25 oz Glacier  FWH
.5 oz Warrior 90 min
1.75 oz Glacier 0 min (flameout)
Think I had way too much Glacier in my refrig?
2.5 oz Gacier Dry Hop
That would be yes...
Yeast:
Wyeast #1335 British Ale II
Finished this up at 3:00am 10.21.12, I. Need. Dominos.
Target OG 1.040
Actual OG 1.044

Freckled Holstein

Beer is a pretty basic thing. People make it in their homes. People made it in their homes 1,000 years ago. "Scientist" was only coined as a term in 1834. Events at that time were moving fast. Yet, we have to cope with knowledge and science and stuff like that. But does beer need any more of it? Really? I am a bit worried... well, I am "slightly aware" of the idea that science might seek to improve but, as it often does, bugger up what nature takes care of very nicely, thank you very much. Yet, could science recreate something that is beyond nature's ken? Like the yeast or malt or hops that got away? Perhaps diastatic kilned oatmeal brown malt?. Or pre-industrial English pea beer? Do we really need science to go beyond that? Should beer - or at least good beer rather than popular beer - accept that limitation? Is that part of what makes good... good? If not craft?

So I'm brewing a pretty simple beer tonight....a Spotted Cow clone by New Glarus Brewing in Wisconsin. I'm using the venerable cluster hop or big "C" as it used to be called prior to the introduction of the Cascade. First, a bit on the history of American hops. The first British settlers, beer-oriented as they were, had hops in the ground by 1629 and there was a commercial market for them by 1646. 

 These were English hops--or possibly English and Dutch--but they were pretty quickly crossed with local natives. (I doubt anyone knows if this was intentional or accidental.) What ultimately emerged from these early crops was Cluster. By the turn of the 20th century nearly every hop grown in the country was Cluster (96%). After Prohibition, Clusters continued to dominate. American hops weren't prized; they had high alphas, high cohumulone, and were regarded as pungent and harsh. Brewers used American hops for a bitter charge and then scented and flavored their beers with the sweet nectar of low-alpha, low-cohumulone hops from Europe. For 350 years, American brewers bought in to the notion that their local hops, which definitely differed from European hops, were inferior. As that all changed, mainly when American craft brewers began to discover that local hops were indeed tasty and aromatic, and the Cluster hop--the original "C" hop--faded from sight.
Oh, anyway, back to the beer...a review of the infamous Spotted Cow and one of the reasons I love the craft beer movement in America. This really is a simple Cream Ale hybrid that has a cult following that makes it to be so much more than it really is...a really clean, crisp, low ABV, Cream Ale:
An offering from New Glarus Brewing Co. that I have had on many occasion while living in Madison. Finally decided to review it.

A - The Spotted Cow has a faint hazy yellow gold color, mainly due to the yeast left in the bottle. It also poured a very white fluffy head, about an inch that dissipated at an average pace.

S - On the nose I get light fruits, a little citrus from the hops, barley malt, yeast, and the unmistakable hint of corn.

T - On the palate I got exactly what I smelled on the nose, and that hint of corn on the finish adds a distinct sweetness, but not too much.

M - Medium-bodied on the palate, carbonated very well while conditioned in the bottle.

O - A fantastic offering from New Glarus. Each time I have a Spotted Cow, I understand more and more why this beer is their staple. It i a fantastic Wisconsin farmhouse ale with an unmistakable character. I do like it much more on tap than in the bottle, but it doesn't detract from this great brew. Great from start to finish.

And the New Glarus description:
Cask conditioned ale has been the popular choice among brews since long before prohibition. We continue this pioneer spirit with our Wisconsin farmhouse ale. Brewed with flaked barley and the finest Wisconsin malts. We even give a nod to our farmers with a little hint of corn.

Naturally cloudy we allow the yeast to remain in the bottle to enhance fullness of flavors, which cannot be duplicated otherwise. Expect this ale to be fun, fruity and satisfying. You know you're in Wisconsin when you see the Spotted Cow. 

lol...seriously...it's beer...a 1.042 original gravity beer...very low by today's standards...regardless, I did enjoy it immensely while in Wisconsin, so here's my attempt to replicate.
Grist:
8 lbs Rahr 2-row
.50 lbs Briess carapils
.25 lbs flaked barley
.25 lbs flaked corn
Hops:
.60 oz cluster 45 min
.20 cluster 20 min
.20 cluster 10 min
Yeast:
Safale US-05
Mash temp 153
ferment temp 63
Cheers!

Mr. Brownstone

Grist:
8 lb Pale Ale malt
2 lb Aromatic
3/4 lb English Crystal-medium
3/4 lb Belgian Special B
3/4 lb Simpsons Naked Oats
1/4 lb English Choc Malt

Hops:
1/2 0z Willamette FWH
1/2 oz Columbus 60 min
3 oz Willamette flameout

Yeast:
Wyeast 1335-British Ale II

Notes:
Mashed in 5 gallons 170 degree water, target 154, came in a little high, so I added some room temp water.
Mashed out with 3.25 gallons 170 degree water

I captured over 7 gallons in the kettle, so i boiled for 75 minutes.

Target Starting Gravity 1.060, actual SG 1.060, 5.25 gallons.

Hot summer temps are really impacting ground water this year. I could barley get the wort below 80, so I set it in the fridge for a bit. I pitched around 75 degrees, which is higher than I like to do, but about the temperature of the yeast. I placed it in a temperature controlled environment at 64, I plan on lowering it to 60 when I see activity, wyeast 1335 can get away from you in the off-flavor dept if it ferments too high.
Update:
Already good activity at 3pm (pitched last night around 11:30pm), so  I lowered the fridge to ambient 61 degrees. (That's chinooki finishing up behind him)

Bier De Solstice

 8 lbs. Belgian Pilsner 

12 oz  Gambrinus Honey Malt 

Hops:

1 oz tradition 60 min 4.0 AA

.25 Hallertau 30 min 4.3 AA

Other:

8 oz Orange Blossom honey 0 min

Yeast:

Wyeast 3725 Bier De Garde

Target OG 1.045

Ferment at 70, raise to 80 over 1 week.

Last beer of the summer.....French Farmhouse Ale, low gravity, workerbee beer..

Actual OG 1.043, 5.7 incorrectly estimated boil off evaporation today, low humidity I guess, wound up with a bit much in the kettle.  not significant.

Cent-Sational Blonde

Simple, easy drinking summer beer, will be my first keg! This beer was so easy to brew, i mowed the lawn while brewing it. Gives new meaning to the term lawnmower beer. 


Grist:
7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
0.75 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
Hops:
0.40 oz Centennial [8.10%] (60 min)
0.40 oz Centennial [8.10%] (30 min)
0.30 oz Cascade [8.80%] (20 min)
0.10 oz Citra (20 min)
0.20 oz Cascade [8.80%] (5 min)
0.10 oz Citra (5 min)
Yeast:
1 Pkgs S0-5 American Ale


Mash in 3.75 gallons 160 degree water, target 150 degrees for 60 minutes.
Add 1.0 gallons 180 degree water at 60 min, stir for 10 min
Vorlauf, drain
Mash out with 3.50 gallons 170 degree water for 10 mins, vorlauf, drain


Target OG 1.040
Actual OG 1.042


Ferment at 65 degrees for 3 weeks, cold crash and KEG!

Saison du Summer

8.50 lb Belgian Pilsner
3 lbs Rye Malt
4 oz rice hulls to prevent stuck sparge

Mash in 5.25 gallons 160 degree water, target 152
Actual 150.9

batch sparge 3.50 gallons 180 degree water

Boil 80 min (pilsner malt), collected 7 gallons, target was 7.25, so reduced boil time by 10 minutes

Additions:
1.90 oz styrian golding 3.4% 60 minutes
1/2 teaspoon yeast nutrient 10 minutes
12 oz dark candi sugar 5 minutes

Wyeast #3711, French Saison 2 packets

OG Target 1.060
Actual OG 1.061
Target Final Gravity 1.006
Ferment at basement ambient for 4-5 weeks

Pretty simple recipe, looking for a nice blend of spiciness from the Rye with peppery, floral and citrus from the hops/yeast in a very drinkable farmhouse ale.

Belgian Mild

This was originally a 5 gallon starter beer for a Rochefort clone I want to brew later this spring for drinking next Christmas. Same grain profile, same hop prifie, same yeast. No Belgian sugar, low gravity, session beer. I changed my mind on the yeast and already brewed the Rochefort clone, so it's just going to be a Belgian session beer.
Volume 5.25 Gallons
Efficiency 75%

Grist:

Belgian Pilsner 8 lbs, 0 oz
Special B 0 lbs, 8 oz

Hops:
Styrian Golding Pellets 1 oz @ 60 mins
Hallertau Pellets, German .5 oz @ 30 mins
Hallertau Pellets, German .25 oz @ 5 mins

Other:
Orange blossom honey 8oz

Yeast:
Wyeast Labs Trappist High Gravity #3787

Mash in 3.5 gallons 165 degree water, target 152.
Mash out 1.25 gallons 170 degree water
Batch sparge 3.5 gallons water
Initial volume target = 7 gallons, going to boil a bit longer to reduce DMS in a mostly Pilsner grist.

Target OG 1.045
Actual OG 1.044

Update 6/7-very clove'y, FG 1.004, scary, going to let it sit for a while, but this might be my first dumped beer in a long time. Very disappointed in the thin body, the yeast chewed through this like a Saison yeast.

Santa's Little Helper-Trappist Inspired Strong Dark

Grist:

11.00 lbs. Pilsner Belgium

1.50 lbs. CaraMunich  Germany

0.25 lbs. Carafa Special Germany

0.50 lbs. Special B Malt Belgium

0.50 lbs Briess flaked corn USA

Sugars:

16 oz D-90 Dark Candi syrup-5 minutes

8 oz Tart cherry syrup-5 minutes

8 oz Belgian Rock candi-amber-5 minutes

Hops:

1.50 oz Styrian Goldings 60 minutes

.60 Hersbrucker German 30 minutes

.30 hersbrucker German 5 minutes

Other:

.20 oz Coriander Seed, crushed, 5 minutes

90 minute boil

Target OG 1.078

Actual OG 1075

Less evaporation rate than usual, ended with 5.75 gallons, so the gravity is a little light.

This beer was brewed for Christmas 2012 and will be cellared for 6 months. 

I'll update the progress, cheers!
Controlled fermentation through day three was 66 until active fermentation began (8 hours), then 62 for 48 hours. 


Update:
Gravity 5/10 1.013
Gravity 5/25 1.009 Est ABV 8.6%
Crash cooling today, 5/30 at 46 degrees for a week or so, then bottling

Big Timber Kriek

Grist:
10 lb Belgian Pale Ale
1 lb White Wheat
1 lb Flaked Oats
1 lb Flaked Corn
6 oz Aromatic
1 ox Flaked Barley

Hops:
1 oz Czech Saaz 3.0% AA 60 min
.25 oz Tettnang 4.3% AA 60 min
1 oz Czech Saaz 3.0 AA 5 min

Other:
4 oz amber candi sugar 1 minute
24 oz tart cherry syrup 1 minute

Yeast:
Wyeast Belgian Abbey 11 2 packs

90 minute boil, otbreak 1:49 am, hops 2:19am, 3:14am, sugars, 3:18am
chill to 70
Target OG 1.070
Actual OG 1.072

Bye Bye Miss American Rye

Summer session beer with the spicy taste of rye.

Grist:
6.25 lb rahr 2 row
1.75 lb Briess rye malt
.75 lb Briess caramel 40l

Hops:
1 oz liberty 60 min AA 3.9%
1 oz sterling 15 min AA 7.1%

Yeast:
S-05, ferment ambient (approx 65)

mash in 3.25 gallons 162 degree water 60 min 9:10pm
mash in 1.25 gallons 155 degree water 10 min 10:10pm
mash out 3.50 gallons 170 degree water
hotbreak 10:40pm

Target OG 1.042
Actual OG 1.044

one done, one to go, 12:16am

April-cot Ale

Grist:
8 lbs Briess 2-Row Brewer's Malt
2 lbs Crisp Maris Otter
8 oz Gambrinus Honey Malt
Hops:
.5 oz Centennial Pellets @ 60 min
.25 oz @ 30 mins


Apricot Flavoring- 1 can Vintner's Harvest Apricot Puree (49 oz) 2 to 3 days into fermentation

Yeast :
Wyeast Denny's Favorite 50

Bottling:
2-4 oz natural apricot flavoring added to the bottling bucket depending on desired flavor profile.

Mashed in 6:10pm, 4 gallons 166 degree water, target 154
Mash out 1 gallon 170 degree water
Sparge 3.5 gallons 168 degree water
Actual temp 6:20pm, 153.1
Mash out 1 gallon 170 degree water
Hotbreak 7:16pm
Chill 8:20pm
68 degrees 8:35pm

Update 3/28:
pitched 1 can Apricot puree at 8:30am and the yeasties went wild!

Update 4/22:
Bottled today, had almost 6 gallons of beer, so I may come in a little light in carbonation, and i used all 4oz of extract

Leroy Brown

An American Brown Ale incorporating a lot of left over grains and hops, fermented with two different yeasts.

Grist:
12lb 2 row
1lb white wheat
1lb crystal 40L
8oz chocolate malt
8oz flaked barley

Hops:
2 oz northern brewer 60 min
1 oz northern brewer 30 min
1.5oz cascade 10 min
1.5oz cascade 1 min

1-2 oz centennial dry hop (I'll evaluate it after I taste it and see how much of this potpourri flavor profile I need to have covered up.

Other:
3 oz belgian candi syrup left over from other brews 10 min

Yeast:
Wyeast PACMAN
Wyeast 1028 London Ale

Target OG 1.070
Actual OG 1.068

MASH IN 5.75 gallons 168 degree water, target 154, actual 153.8 degrees at 9:19pm, 152.4 9:55pm
MASH OUT 3.40 gallons 170 degree water
Pre boil volume 6.65 gallons
Post boil volume 5.50 gallons, but left some back in the fermenter due to the copious amounts of hop trub.

Update:
I racked this to a secondary and dry hopped with 1oz centennial on 04.27.12. Crash cooled it on 5/6 to 40 degrees and i am bottling it today at 45 degrees. Tastes pretty amazing right now, I'm really interested to see how these two yeasts played with one another.

Humulus Lupus C

Grist:
11 lbs 2-row
1 lb crystal 40

Hops:
.7 oz C 60 min AA10.6% 10pm
.9 oz C 20 min AA 10.6% 10:40pm
2 oz C 5 min AA 8.1% 10:55pm
1 oz C dry hop AA 8.1%
1/3 cup belgian dark candi sugar 10 min 10:50pm

Yeast:
Safale US-05 (American Ale) 2 packets

mash into 5.00 gallons 166 degree water, target 154 (actual at 10 minutes 154.8)
mash out 3.5 gallons 170 degree water
Target OG 1.064
Actual OG 1.061 (5.75 gallons of wort, my boil off rate was way low tonight, must be the warm air so early in the year, too much in the kettle for this recipe.)
I didn't use bags for the hops, so I'll purposely leave 1/2 gallon or so of wort behind.
Ferment at ambient basement temps, right now 64 degrees.

Update 4/22:
Bottle today, very malty, nice beer so far.

Rusty Pail Ale

8lb 2row pale malt
2lb vienna malt
.5 lb crystal malt
Dough in with 4.0 gal water
Mash 152 60 min
add 1 gallon 170 degree water
Vorlauf
Drain
Add 3.5 gal water stir
Vorlauf
Drain
1oz cascade 60 min
.5 oz cascade 30 min
. 25 cascade 15 min
.25 cascade 5 min
Cool, pitch yeast
dry hop 10z citra for 5 days in the secondary.
Target OG 1.052
Actual OG 1.051-I was left with about 5.75 gallons in the kettle, so the efficiency makes sense for my system. It's actually ok, since I plan on leaving about 1/4-1/2 gallon in the kettle.

Update, I dry hopped this with 1.25 oz citra

Update 4/22, almost fully carb'd, very tropical!!!

Kale and Quinoa

2 cups salted water
1 cup quinoa
1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into 1" lengths
1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced
2 scallions, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.
2.While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, olive oil , pine nuts, and goat cheese.
3.Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed -- the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if need

Dubbell Lite

Grist:
Briess 2-Row Brewer's Malt 6 lbs
Gambrinus Dark Munich 1 lbs
Special B 12 oz
Weyermann Cara Munich II 8 oz
Weyermann Melanoidin 8 oz
Aromatic 8 oz

Hops:
Tettnang, German Pellets
.75 oz @ 60 mins 4.4% AA
Hallertau Pellets, German 4% AA
.5 oz @ 60 mins

Other:
Malto Dextrin - 8 oz 10 min
D-90 Dark Candi Syrup 8 oz O min

Yeast:
Wyeast Labs Belgian Ale

mash in 157 for a bit more body, Belgian Ale yeast tends to attentuate high and dry out beers.
Actual 157.4
heat 4.5 gallons strike water to 173.
mash out with 3.5 gallons 170 degree water
pre boil volume 6.80 gallons
post boil volume 5.45 gallons
Target OG 1.048
OG 1.053. I may have added 10oz of the candi syrup, either way, came in high on efficiency. Certainly not going to be a session beer, but by Belgian standards, should be fairly light in ABV as long as my fermetables are down a bit based on the higher mash.
Update 3/6, bubbling away, trying to keep ambient temps between 63-65 for a few days to minimize the chance of a fusel bomb. I'm going to move this upstairs into the 70's over the next few days (warm spell here in NJ for March)and then let if finish out back inthe 60's. I'm not trying for anything particular with flavor here since this isn't meant to be a high gravity, complex Belgian.

Harbison Tasting

I had a chance to visit Jasper Hill Farm in early December, the caves are a pretty incredible sight once you find them tucked under a hill just off a back country road.

Origin: Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vermont
Style: Bloomy rind, wrapped in birch bark
Milk: Pasteurized cow's milk
Aged: 3-6 weeks

Tasting Notes

Harbison is an unusual cheese, and unusually tasty! For starters, it is wrapped in Vermont birch bark. This bark helps impart woody, savory flavors into the cheese. Harbison can be served either by peeling away the top rind and scooping from the top, or in slices, bit don;t eat the mold infused bark! The cheese is a luscious, soft, fluid paste that still manages to be slightly tacky in your mouth. The paste covers your tongue and finished with a flavor reminiscent of a grilled cheese with mustard.
Harbison is an American creation by the Kehler brothers of Jasper Hill Farm. The brothers created this soft, bloomy rind cheese, wrapped in Vermont birch bark, and named it after the town's "grandmother," Anne Harbison. The Kehlers met Anne Harbison during their youth when they would visit Greensboro for the summer. Years later, and all grown up, the brothers both returned to Vermont with their families in tow to open Jasper Hill Farm. Their herd is made up of Ayrshire cows, known for producing milk high in protein and fat. The milk is also very consistent and clean tasting. The herd grazes on fresh grasses during the warm months and local hay during cold, harsh months.
With their farm prospering, the Kehler brothers decided that they could do more for their community. Vermont is a very special place and Vermonters have created a mindset and vocabulary to discuss their state’s prosperity, which they call "the working landscape." That means keeping farms hugging roads and rivers, keeping towns small without sprawl, and keeping the mountains filled with many types of trees. In order to accomplish this, those farms need to be working farms. That’s where the Kehler brothers come in. They want to help current dairy farmers and local cheesemakers maintain their rural lifestyle.

To do this, the Kehlers created the Cellars at Jasper Hill. The Cellars is an aging facility that offers small cheesemakers a place to age their cheese and a way to get their cheese to market.

Favorite Pairings
A nice dry French or American Saison, like my Miss Saison.

Hopped Scotch Ale

5.5lb Golden Promise4.75lb Rahr Pale Ale.5lb flaked barley.25lb German Munich Malt.25 Briess Caramel 20.25 Crisp Chocolate Malt.25 English Medium Crystal.125 Roasted Barley.1875 Belgian Special BAdditions:.30 Centennial 9%AA 60 min3 oz UK Fuggle 4.6%AA 10min (used 3.25 ounce in a bag)Wyeast #1098 British Ale 2 packs, no time for starter(Superbowl Sunday)Mash 153ferment low end of range 63-65, bulk cold conditioned at 50 degrees for 4 weeks, bottled 3/18, pretty tasty 3/25.

Eazzy Pizza Crust

3 3/4 unsifted cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping the dough
1/4 teaspoonactive dry yeast
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups water

1.In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and, with a wooden spoon and/or your hands, mix thoroughly.

2.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow it to rise at room temperature (about 72°) for 18 hours or until it has more than doubled.

3.Flour a work surface and scrape out the dough. Divide it into 4 equal parts and shape them. For each portion, start with the right side of the dough and pull it toward the center, then do the same with the left, then the top, then the bottom. (The order doesn't actually matter; what you want is four folds.) Shape each portion into a round and turn seam side down. Mold the dough into a neat circular mound. The mounds should not be sticky; if they are, dust with more flour.

4.If you don't intend to use the dough right away, wrap the balls individually in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Return to room temperature by leaving them out on the counter, covered in a damp cloth, for 2 to 3 hours before needed.