I want to make a set of paired beers, one robust porter and one kolsch (can't get to lager temps consistently). Anyone care to look at the recipes? The names are Gavin Bryars tributes "Satan Blood Never Failed Me Yet" Vanilla Porter "Nothing Like the Sun" Kolsch I want to add some kind of chocolate to complement the vanilla in the porter besides the 1oz of chocolate malt.
Things I don't understand: What do you mean by paired beers? Why maple syrup? "Did not make grist because we have too many deer already?" "Sealed, bubblered, and stored in the basement." OK. The last one I think I get, but at first I thought you were adding seal blubber.
Paired as in can be made into a complementary black and tan Maple syrup for an added bit of flavor that pairs well with vanilla Grist, I believe meant the leftover grains. I live in the woods and have far too many deer in my yard as is to throw them some more food. Apologies, wrote that part for folks who know me.
Ahh. For black and tan, I'd go with an English pale ale for the tan part rather than a Kolsch. If brewing extract I might use a Muntons light extract and about 5% English crytal malt, and a combination of bittering and aroma additions to get me to ~35 ibus using Challenger and EKG. I' might use Windsor dry yeast or any number of white labs or wyeast English ale strains. You could add that little bit of chocolate malt here, but if I were intent on Kolsch, I would skip it, or simply add it to the porter instead. Furthermore, if intent on the Kolsch, I would cut the carapils way back to 0-0.5 #s. My own experience with maple syrup is that it ferments out and leaves very little maple flavor. If you have a different experience or just want to give it a try, you should use it. I compost my spent grain grain. It becomes next years early season soil dressing for my veggie garden. But trust me, I'm not on a high horse. In reality, it is just a different approach to feeding deer. Maybe seal blubber in a different beer? Good category 23 ingredient.
I agree. A black and tan with a kolsch might be a bit odd. But if that's what you want, it's your project! One thing... 8 vanilla beans? I used two, soaked in vodka, added to taste and I only used about 3 oz of vodka for 3 gallons of beer. Just curious as to the methods, not necessarily criticizing.
Well I wanted a pilsner, not a kolsch, and thought a pale ale wouldn't have that crisp kick to it. or, it could, but it's not the first pale I want to brew. I feel like a kolsch combines the parts I'm looking for best, and would be fun to drink on its own anyhow. the vanilla beans came 8 to a package, and i just absolutely love vanilla. apparently i applied them wrong in many ways though, so likely not much will come through. i wanted the porter to be an homage to Appalachian Brewing Company's seasonal vanilla porter, which is insanely coated in vanilla. pweis, thanks for the advice on the kolsch. i will look through the recipe a good bit more. the porter is already brewing, so all I have there is secondary. i still plan on using the maple syrup if only to try it, but yeah, i've heard it only really has a big effect if you open up the bottles before conditioning is done.
I was just being silly about the blubber. More about the Kolsch: I didn't say anything about the hops earlier, but I think this beer will be hoppier than a typical Kolsch in both the bitterness and the aroma department. A qualified BJCO beer judge would perceived this as a deviation from style, but if you are not worried about such things, go for it. You said you were thinking about a pilsner, and I think the hopping level is more in line with a pilsner than with a Kolsch. The Brewer's gold is not traditional for a German beer, but, as a bittering hop, I don't think it will come across as out of place.
