In The Tank

On this edition of Me and the Homebrews, we talk about the Patersbier, literally "Father's Beer". Finally, after much talk and no action I've put the Patersbier in the carboy to ferment.

The O.G. is 1034 which is a bit off the intended mark of 1047. In plain terms this means the beer won't be as high in alcohol content as it could have been. This brew day was marred by several factors. My brother came over to help me with the brew on Friday night. The Wyeast smack pack has been in the refrigerator for several months, so when I took it out, let it warm to room temperature and smacked it to activate it -- nothing happened for 4 hours. My brother and I canceled the brew, because it is easier to buy new yeast, than all new ingredients.

Next morning, I awoke to find the yeast fully activated and ready to go. This necessitated doing the brew solo. Unfortunately, Nub kept us up all night crying and I didn't get to sleep until after 5:30 am. Needless to say I was cranky.  My second mistake was in not taking the pot off the heat while I added the malt syrup, so I think it caramelized a bit which means the beer is now brown, not blonde. Finally, my hops timer accidentally got reset, so the second hops addition (the floral nose) got added too soon. Likely the beer will be a little more bitter/hoppy than intended.

Nevertheless, the fermentation continues apace, and I think based on wort sampling that it will be tasty anyway. It just might not exactly match the description below. On the other hand, the new brew hauler straps and carboy handle work like a champ. Six weeks to the moment of truth.

Patersbier:  Stan Hieronymus (author of Brew Like a Monk) and Kristen England (BJCP Continuing Education Director) bring you this very special kit. "Brouwerij'ed" on the left side of the Belgian town Malle solely for consumption by the reverent Cistercian brothers. This ale is not served or sold to the public, making it one of the rarest beers in the world. Made only from pilsner malt, hops, and yeast, the complexity that results from these simple ingredients is staggering: perfumey floral hops, ripe pear fruit, sour apple, spicy cloves, candied citrus and a slight biscuit character on the drying finish ... a monks' session beer.