Ocean, New Jersey, we like it there. Summer memories of the Jersey Shore, fishing, music, friends, and….suds.
(credit photo to Kane Brewing Company)
Yesterday afternoon, the American Homebrewers Association (http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/), in collaboration with Kane Brewing Company (http://www.kanebrewing.com/), held a rally at Kane Brewing Company’s headquarters. As a perk, Michael Kane gave away 5 gallons of wort to each AHA member, a tasting glass, and tickets for what I would consider to be a lot of free beer. The event was heavily attended, with homebrewers dragging in everything from plastic fermentation buckets to half barrel SABCO fermenters. We couldn’t wait to taste the beers and to learn about the wort which was about to be poured into our fermenters (yes, we were the nerds with the SABCO half-barrel fermenters).
The wort provided was called “AHA Rally IPA“, an American IPA Brewed with Experimental Hops, with the following recipe:
Grist:
- 85% Canadian Superior Pilsner
- 5% Flaked Wheat
- 5% CaraPils
- 5% CaraMunich
Hops:
- 90 Minutes: 13 IBU : HBC 342 (AA 11.2%)
- 30 Minutes: 18 IBU : HBC 342 (AA 11.2%)
- 10 Minutes: 12 IBU : HBC 342 (AA 11.2%), 430 (16.6%), 436 (AA 18.6%)
- 0 Minutes: Aggressively Hopped with HBC 342, 430, 436
General Statistics:
- SRM: 5.4
- IBU: 43
- OG: 16.5 (Plato) 1.068 (SG)
- Expected FG: 2.5 (Plato) 1.010 (SG)
- Expected ABV: 7.4%
- Boil Time: 90 Minutes
- Mash Temperature: 151°
- Mash Rest & Vorlouf: 50 Minutes
We have the opportunity to select the yeast(s), and have decided to use S05 (American Dry Yeast) on the first 5 gallon batch and a Kõlsch yeast on the second 5 gallon batch.
The highlight of the afternoon was tasting the Kane beers. We were lucky to taste the AnTead (acronym for A Night to End All Dawns), a Chocolate Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout weighing in at an impressive 12.4% (http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26676/91153/). This heavy weight keg kicked midway through the event, and was a choco-bomb with a heavy bourbon kick resulting from a 12 month aging in Four Roses barrels. The Ripple, a session ale at 4.6% ABV, was excellent, with a fruity nose and a citrus finish (http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26676/98659/). We also tried the 1095 and the Hop Lab (http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26676/138090/?ba=acurtis) and were, overall, very impressed with the breadth and quality of the Kane Brewing beers.
Overall, this was an excellent Rally, thank you to the American Homebrewers Association and to Kane Brewing Company. The exposure to your facility, the tastings and the wort (and the resulting beer – already beginning to ferment) will keep Kane Brewing Company on our lips and in our minds as we remember a great day. We missed Michael Kane, who was lucky enough to have the opportunity to receive an invitation to join Sierra Nevada at their 2nd Annual Single, Fresh, Wet & Wild Harvest Festival in Sierra Nevada’s Hop Field in California (http://www.sierranevada.com/sfww). Congratulations for the progress you and your team have made since launching the brewery in August, 2011.
TheBrewSherpa 