Evolution is the secret for the next step. Back in December, I wrote about the unoriginal concept of perpetually repitching my foraged yeast into future batches of farmhouse ales. The project, aptly named the Evolution Series, seeks to embrace the natural, spontaneous mutations within yeast over numerous fermentations. Three Evolution batches were brewed in 2016…(Read More)
It’s no secret that my approach to brewing is more imitation than innovation. I am largely influenced by both commercial brewers and, especially, homebrewers. I do my best to gather, digest, and consolidate as much information from as many resources as possible. But I also recognize that I do not have to reinvent the…(Read More)
“It is not the strongest of species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin was probably not a brewer, but his contributions to the science of evolution certainly apply to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the 150 years since Darwin first introduced natural selection, commercial and homebrewers alike have…(Read More)
I am fortunate to have great friends at Bootleg Biology. In May, Jeff Mello and Isaac Brannon returned five lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates from a variety of local yeast project captures I sent them earlier in the year. Each isolate was evaluated in the Foraged Bacteria Pilot Batch (blog post forthcoming) and my favorites…(Read More)
Over the years, Third Leap Brewing & Blending has evolved quite a bit. In 2010, I started with two large spaghetti pots, an old Coleman cooler, and the kitchen stovetop. That lasted all of one batch. The first equipment upgrades came in the forms of an outdoor propane burner, 7-gallon pot, and immersion chiller…(Read More)
Table Ale #3
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While the table ale has been trending in the right direction, it is still a work in progress. Batch #1 was underwhelming; lacking bitterness, carbonation, and depth of flavor. After making changes to the recipe, water chemistry, and mash/fermentation temperatures, batch #2 (tasting notes forthcoming) was more in line with my vision. However, despite…(Read More)
The inspiration behind Third Leap was drawn from many sources. Regarding wild ales, I am specifically fond of Black Project’s perspective. Essentially, Black Project produces either “spontaneous” or “wild” beer, but the monikers vary quite significantly from current commercial brewery use. The “spontaneous” term is self-explanatory (beer made without adding cultured microbes whatsoever…(Read More)
Farm Bière
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I have had the fortunate opportunity to try some of today’s best commercial farmhouse ales; Sante Adarius Saison Bernice (#6 on Beer Advocate Top Rated Beers: Saison / Farmhouse Ale) , Hill Farmstead Arthur (#10), Fantôme Saison (#11), Side Project Saison du Blé (#12), and Logsdon Seizoen Bretta (#16), just to name a few. While…(Read More)
Batch #2 of the farmhouse ale recipe was intended to be nearly identical to batch #1, save for different yeast. This version was also brewed after my farmhouse ale tasting, meaning that I was able to incorporate desirable characteristics from well-received commercial examples. The general consensus from that tasting was the homebrewed farmhouse ale…(Read More)
Table Ale #2
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The first attempt at a table ale was underwhelming but provided enough substance to build upon for the next iteration. I typically try to limit the number of changes in subsequent batches to one or two (tops), but for this second version I implemented (gasp!) six: Higher mash temperature (increase FG and body) Lower fermentation…(Read More)
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