Da BEERS!

So this post is about beer, why not, right? While runs counter to the working out I'm doing... I have no problem saying, "I work out, so I can drink."

Two beers worth mentioning today. Back on November 8th I decided to take my Cole Porter recipe, and make a MA version. Prospect Hill Stout was born. In a fit of inspiration, and because I had extra materials I made a small beer, long since dubbed Pumpkin Smalls. (Which I'm pouring in the above shot.)

The stout (I still refer to it as a porter, but it's much darker and toastier due to the brew shop lacking some really common barleys.) has been successfully bottled after 88 days in secondary, and upon tasting, it has a slight coffee note, some good darkness from the toasted barleys, and just a touch of bitter from the hops, but nothing too ostentatious. The added oats also give a nice slightly viscous feel in the mouth. I think this is the best version of this recipe I've made to date. In about 3 weeks I'll be able to see it in its carbonated glory. I think this one is only going to get better with bubbles.

The small beer, Pumpkin Smalls was really an after thought, and an experiment. On brewing day I threw a roasted pumpkin into the pot with the leftover materials from the stout. After 5 days in primary fermentation it had finished, so I gave it a week in secondary, tasted and bottled it. On the bottling day it was very "floral" tasting almost like it was a pumpkin essence tea. It tasted less of beer, and more of the smell of a good pumpkin. I promptly forgot about it, having written it off as a failure. Until a couple days ago.

I gave it a taste a couple days ago, and somehow, it grew character! Slight toastiness from the barleys, a touch of grassiness from the hops, mild bitterness, and it tastes like a mouth full of pumpkin. No sign of the cinnamon stick I put in the kettle as well, which is great - pumpkin beer should taste of pumpkin, not pumpkin pie.

It pours well, dark, and with a relatively stable head. (I have little luck keeping a stable foam on a beer.) It looks great, tastes great, and is about 2% alcohol if my brew software is to be believed.

The Prospect Hill Stout will be ready to drink in about 3 weeks, 21 days, or on Friday the 26th. It comes in at 5.24% abv, and should be a great elixir to scare off the cold of winter!

If someone is interested in making either of these, I have recipes in ProMash format available.