Hi All,
New to brewing and I am getting ready to bottle my first batch Irish Red Ale next week…
For my Next batch I am looking to brew a nice spring type beer./ Will probably brew around last weekend of Feb to be ready by April… Any suggestions?
Thanks! :cheers:
Spring is the one season that doesn’t really inspire me to brew specific styles. I typically use spring to finish off my winter stuff and start brewing like mad for summer.
If you are limited to ales, I love a maltier saison/farmhouse ale or American amber in the mud of spring, but my favorite has to be a steam beer on the maltier side.
Also, while great all year round, something about the aromatics of an English bitter (pick your strength (ordinary, premium, or ESB…ALL are great styles) just says ‘spring’ to me personally.
What styles do you like to drink? Are you trying to expand your universe of styles as well? That definitely happened to me when I first started out. Ie I didn’t like ‘steams’ until I brewed one!
Yeah, I would think you would have to narrow down your choices as spring could really be nice for so many styles. A bock instantly comes to mind but that’s a lager so there’s that part of it. What do you envision drinking in the spring? I could easily see blonde ale, the aforementioned steam/California common/west coast lager (easily brewed by ale-only brewers), a marzen or festbier, a hoppy pale ale, an amber… Geez, almost anything goes to be honest. Tell us what you envision and I guarantee someone here will have a suggestion that sounds good to you.
I’d go with a pale ale, a fest beer or similar light amber of some type.
A nice Pale for the cool mornings and a Kolsch or Hefe for the warmer days.
Just finished the pale and will have the burner on for a honey kolsch in a few days. :cheers:
I like to have several cases of “warm weather beer” in bottles by the 1st of May. Those warm days come too soon and I don’t like ferementing in the 70’s. :shock:
This doesn’t really fit into your criteria for timing, but… I brew a Belgian Wit every spring. Usually around mid/late April. It’s a quick turn around, usually going from grain to glass in 14-17 days.
1/3 Pils
1/3 Wheat malt
1/3 Flaked wheat
Single 60min addition for 15-20 IBU (I use Perle)
2g grains of paradise
1/2oz coriander
orange zest from 2-4 oranges depending on the size
(sweet and/or bitter orange peel from the brew shop will work too)
All added during the last 5min of boil.
For the yeast, I’ve used Forbidden Fruit and Witbier. They both work well. Last year doubled the batch and fermented 5gals with Forbidden Fruit and 5gals with Wibier then blended back together. Was my best batch yet!
I shoot for somewhere around 5% ABV.
I’ve brewed this beer several times over the last 4 years and am very happy with this recipe. I BIAB so the large amount of wheat isn’t an issue.
No oats or chamomile leaves at FO in your recipe dobe?
wit is a great call. I typically like it more in the summertime, but a good one tends to have a little more body than your average american/belgian wheat beer, so its not a ‘summer-only’ beer by any means.
a few problems though for the OP:
1.) I am assuming he is extract brewing, and I understand that wits can be tricky/impossible to brew well with extract
2.) The wit I made last year is one of the best beers I’ve ever made, but I did a double decoction and it was a PITA to lauter
3. I used zest of 2 oranges, 2 tangerines, a tangelo, and a grapefruit, and about 2oz of dried chamomile @ flameout.
EDIT: I suppose he could do a steep/minimash of oats, pilsner malt and flaked wheat and use wheat extract
[quote=“Mroberto1010”]For my Next batch I am looking to brew a nice spring type beer./ Will probably brew around last weekend of Feb to be ready by April… Any suggestions?
Thanks! :cheers: [/quote]
Might I suggest the Speckled Heifer? It’s one of my spring favorites.
[quote=“Pietro”]No oats or chamomile leaves at FO in your recipe dobe?
wit is a great call. I typically like it more in the summertime, but a good one tends to have a little more body than your average american/belgian wheat beer, so its not a ‘summer-only’ beer by any means.
a few problems though for the OP:
1.) I am assuming he is extract brewing, and I understand that wits can be tricky/impossible to brew well with extract
2.) The wit I made last year is one of the best beers I’ve ever made, but I did a double decoction and it was a PITA to lauter
3. I used zest of 2 oranges, 2 tangerines, a tangelo, and a grapefruit, and about 2oz of dried chamomile @ flameout.
EDIT: I suppose he could do a steep/minimash of oats, pilsner malt and flaked wheat and use wheat extract[/quote]
I like the idea of using several different fruits and chamomile. I may have to try that this year. I always thought chamomile sounded nasty in a beer. Then my buddy brewed a Saison with chamomile. It was very good.
Springtime seems to scream “kolsch!” for me. I’m also brewing a Vienna lager. Pale ale is great this time of year (as always). I like IPA in the winter, Pale ale in spring, and now I’m planning a “session IPA” for summer.
Leinenkugel’s Canoe Paddler
I don’t have a clone recipe for this (and haven’t searched for one), but it is a Kolsch style beer with rye.
Check out their site to see the beer stats and ingredients. May be a fun project to clone.
[quote=“TJHatchit”]Leinenkugel’s Canoe Paddler
[/quote]
see my avatar.
j/k, to each their own :cheers:
vienna lager - 97% vienna, 3% caramunich, 20-25 ibus hallertau mittlefruh at 60, WL833 yeast.
Since the OP said he’s new to brewing, and was getting ready to bottle his first batch, shouldn’t we be encouraging him to do an easy, simple recipe? Some of the suggestions in this thread are pretty advanced for a new brewer.
Very true. I personally think a pale ale is perfect for spring. So is a basic amber ale, and either one is pretty easy to brew well.
Norther Brewers Extract Cream Ale Kit is a proven winner, and perfect for summer. :cheers:
as a fellow newb that only has two batches under his belt, I have to suggest one of the easiest and better tasting brews out there. The Caribou Slobber!! To me, the brown ales are a year round affair. Not too thick and malty like a stout or porter, not to light and airy. Just the right amount of umph for any time! Thats my two cents. What ever you choose, happy brewing to you!!
:cheers:
Everyone, thanks so much for the suggestions and feedback on a spring/summer beer. I just purchased the Cream Ale Extract Kit and the Witbier Extract Kit … Still learning so I am hoping after a couple more extracts I can move into the BIAB and someday try all grain.
I am hoping to have a pic of my first Irish Red pint up in a couple weeks.
This forum has helped me out a lot and I have found a new obsession!
Cheers, :cheers:
Just got a delivery of the Cream Ale, Extra Pale Ale, and Honey Kolsch kits along with a 2nd fermenter today. Plan on brewing the cream ale this weekend which will be my 2nd batch. I have the American Wheat that came with my kit bottle conditioning and should be cracking the first one open next weekend.
