Rye PA

Yesterday was brew Sunday! Even though the calendar says it is summer, the weather here in San Francisco feels like fall (bordering on winter!) so we decided to brew a rye IPA. Our last few beers have been Belgian-style, and we wanted something a little more hoppy. We can't wait to taste this beer!

Recipe: 

Grain:
1 lb Moris Otter
1 lb Rye
1/2 lb 60 L
1/2 lb 20 L

Hops:
1 oz German Northern Brewer @ 60 min
1/2 oz  Willamette @ 30 min
1/2 oz German Northern Brewer @ 15 min
1/4 oz Willamette @ 10 min
1/4 oz Willamette @ 5 min
1/2 oz German Northern Brewer @ end of  boil

7.5 lbs Malt extract
Yeast- Safale #5

A beer for the ladies

Buzzerkeley caught my attention in a Draft magazine article because Calicraft Brewing Co. used Champagne yeast to ferment a Belgian style ale.

Pours a light golden amber with buttery nose. First taste reveals a sweet honey and light citrus flavor. Sweet throughout with a biscuity aftertaste.

I certainly recommend giving it a try. It will expand your definition of beer. It's light Belgian ale meets champagne.

7% alcohol. 750mL. $9.99 at Whole Foods San Francisco

Lobster Tail Ale & Lobster Rolls

Throughout our beer brewing adventure, we've enjoyed getting creative and making beers you wouldn't normally be able to grab at your local market. Our inspiration came from a book of beer recipes that our friend Aaron gave us as a gift. The thought of a Lobster influenced beer inspired day dreams about hosting a clam bake later in the summer when its ready to drink. Lobster in beer? You're gonna have to trust us on this one.

All we needed for the brew was the shells, so we were "forced" to eat lobster rolls to consume all that lobster meat. Life is tough as a brewer :)

Lobster Tail Ale

Ingredients: 

Grains: 1lb Vienna, 1lb Pilsner, 1/2 lb Aromatic, 1/4 lb Flaked Barley

6 1/2 lbs Malt Extract

5 Bay Leaves

2Tbsp White Peppercorns

Shells from 3 lobsters (tail, claws and body)
2 oz E.K. Goldings Hops
Belgian Ale yeast

This beer is a Belgian Ale, with white peppercorns, bay leaves, and lobster shells added to the boil. We went to the store and purchased three 1.5lb live lobsters. Once boiled, all the meat was removed and placed in a bowl for the rolls. The shells of the claws, tail, and body were cleaned thoroughly and then baked in the oven to dry and sanitize them.

Midway through the boil the lobster shells were added along with peppercorns, bay leaves and hops for the the remaining 30 minutes of the boil. After cooling the wort, the shells and spices were strained during transfer to the fermenting container. We added Belgian yeast and will have to wait six weeks for the finished product. This may be our most anticipated beer!

p.s. Thanks to Lindsay's dad for suggesting the name, "Lobster Tail Ale"!

Lobster Rolls

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Meat from three 1.5lb lobsters

2 Tbsp butter

2 tsp fresh chives

Salt and pepper to taste

8 slices sourdough bread, toasted and buttered

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Optional- lettuce, tomato and avocado

We wanted to keep the flavors simple to allow the lobster to be the star in this recipe. I am not a fan of the mayo-heavy versions of lobster rolls so once all the meat was removed from the shell, it was tossed with a mixture of 2 Tbsp melted butter, fresh chives, and seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Everyone dressed up their "rolls" with all the fixin's. 

They were more of a sandwich than a roll, since Lindsay is a California girl and made sure there was avocado and sourdough bread, rather than the traditional hot dog bun. This was definitely better than the usual take-out we get when brewing. We are already fans of the Lobster Tail Ale and haven't even had our first sip!

Matilda Style Belgian Ale

Ok, we have kept you waiting long enough.... it is time for our first post on (drum roll please)... 

BEER! 

Over the past 18 months we have brewed nearly a dozen batches of beer. We'll get to some of the earlier brews soon, but for now, the spotlight is on our newest creation: "Matilda Anderson," named after one of our favorites, Goose Island's Matilda, and our friend, Tim. Both Matildas are a Belgian Pale Ale, slightly fruity and a little spicy. It is a crowd favorite. This weekend, we are hosting the tapping party, where friends will enjoy the first sips fresh from the keg. If our friends at The Lederman Kitchen  are lucky, we'll sneak some across the pond.

And now for the star of the show...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Moris Oter Grain

1/2 lb 10-13 Grain

7 lbs malt extract

1oz Styrian golding hops (at 60 mins)

2oz Saaz hops (1oz each at 30 min and 15 min)

Belgian Golden Yeast

Boiling the grain to make the wort.

Adding the malt extract.

Pouring into primary fermenter.

The beer is then transfered to the secondary fermenter, where it stays for 3 weeks, the we transferred to the keg (or you could bottle).

Cheers!

Beef Short Ribs with Stout Beer

In my preparation for the Boston Marathon, I gave up drinking alcohol for the 3 weeks leading up to the race. Since the eve of this fell on a Sunday, we decided to try a slow cooking meal... beef short ribs. We found this recipe, which called for 2 bottles of stout beer. Perfect.

Ingredients

(We doubled this recipe to have lots of leftovers!)

1 pound beef short ribs

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp olive oil

1Tbsp butter

1 onion, sliced (we did not double this part)

1 clove garlic

1 bottle (12 oz) of good stout beer

1 cup beef stock

Directions

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Shake off excess flour. (yes, that's the Brewers foot in the shot. I need to practice my photography skills in the kitchen, bear with me!)

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium - high heat. Cook ribs until browned on each side, about 5 minutes each side. Remove from the skillet and set aside. 

Add the onion and garlic to the pan; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.

Return ribs to the pan and pour in the beer. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, until all of the brown bits have mixed in with the liquid. Pour in the beef stock, cover and simmer over low heat until very tender, about 2 hours.

We served over homemade mashed red potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts (and a glass of red wine for me, the brewer had a stout beer).