So, some time last year, the president of the Menomonie Homebrewers’ club, Andy Gibson, was talking to a relatively new brewer. They were discussing a common flavor in this brewer’s beers. Over the course of the conversation, Andy made the commend he wished he could find someone who brews with extract but kegs their beer. He has always wondered if “yeast bite” might be a flavor some people find objectionable, and if what some people think is extract twang is actually just yeast flavors.
This question has been rattling around inside my skull ever since. I brewed a few batches over the winter, but not as much as I’d like.
When our club starting planning for the 2012 Big Brew, I approached Andy about a collaboration project. He has a kegging system and I bottle-condition my beer. I figured we could tackle this question in a reasonably scientific way.
- We each brew 5 gallons of the same recipe.
- We ferment both batches together in one of my 15-gallon fermenters.
- We keg 5 gallons and bottle the rest on the same day.
Andy liked the idea, so we settled on the recipe for Janet’s Brown Ale from Brewing Classic Styles.
Stay tuned for updates!
