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Recipe: Alesong Terroir
With thanks to Brian and Doug Coombs and Matt Van Wyk, cofounders of Alesong in Eugene, Oregon, here’s a homebrew-scale recipe for the base beer that they use for their co-fermentations with local fruit.
Photo courtesy Alesong Brewing & Blending
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As with most of Alesong’s fruit beers, this includes an unusual “pseudo-turbid” double-mash regime, to produce a more dextrinous wort for the mixed fermentation.
For more about inoculating beer with freshly picked fruit, see Fruit Without Fear. For more on Alesong’s approach to mixed-culture fermentations and barrel-aging, check out Podcast Episode 253: Matt Van Wyk and Brian Coombs of Alesong Stay Focused on the Barrel.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.051
FG: 1.002
IBUs: 8–12 (see Brewer’s Notes)
ABV: ~6.5% pre-fruit
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As with most of Alesong’s fruit beers, this includes an unusual “pseudo-turbid” double-mash regime, to produce a more dextrinous wort for the mixed fermentation.
For more about inoculating beer with freshly picked fruit, see Fruit Without Fear. For more on Alesong’s approach to mixed-culture fermentations and barrel-aging, check out Podcast Episode 253: Matt Van Wyk and Brian Coombs of Alesong Stay Focused on the Barrel.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.051
FG: 1.002
IBUs: 8–12 (see Brewer’s Notes)
ABV: ~6.5% pre-fruit
[PAYWALL]
MALT/GRAIN BILL
First Mash
1.5 lb (680 g) pilsner
1.5 lb (680 g) raw wheat
8 oz (227 g) flaked wheat
3.5 oz (99 g) acidulated malt
Second Mash
5 lb (2.3 kg) pilsner
8 oz (227 g) raw wheat
1.5 lb (680 g) flaked wheat
3.5 oz (99 g) acidulated malt
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
1.5 oz (43 g) aged hops at 90 minutes [10 IBUs]
1 tsp (5 ml) yeast nutrient at 10 minutes
10 lb (4.5 kg) local fruit at primary
YEAST
Native yeast from the fruit skins
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains for the first mash and mash at 132°F (56°C) for 30 minutes. Recirculate until your runnings are free of particles, then run off 2–3 quarts (1.9 to 2.8 liters) of dextrinous wort into the kettle and heat that wort to 180°F (82°C) to halt enzyme activity. Mill and add the grains for the second mash atop the first mash to make one homogenous mix. Mash at 158°F (70°C) for 40 minutes. Recirculate until your runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 120 minutes, adding hops and yeast nutrient according to the schedule. After the boil, chill to about 66°F (19°C), aerate the wort, and add the crushed fruit (or yeast—see Brewer’s Notes below). Ferment at 68–74°F (20–23°C), leaving the beer in contact with the fruit until fermented to dryness, then rack to another vessel. Let the beer mature until a complex but balanced acid profile has developed. Package and carbonate to about 2.75 volumes of CO2.
BREWER’S NOTES
Malt: We use local malts and grains, including Oregon-grown pilsner from Skagit Valley Malting and raw and flaked grains from Camas Country Mill just outside of Eugene. We often use a mixture of local, raw grains for a more complex malt bill.
pH: We target a knockout pH of 5.0 or slightly lower. Use food-grade phosphoric or lactic acid to adjust, if needed.
Hops & IBUs: Our target here depends on acid preference, with 8 IBUs allowing more acidity while going up to 12 IBUs can help to inhibit the lactic-acid production. If you can’t get aged hops, use a low-alpha variety and target 10 IBUs.
Yeast: Obviously, fresh-picked local fruit is not always an option. Alternatively, you can ferment this wort in primary with your favorite Brett strain for extended aging on wood, then rack onto your favorite fruit for secondary fermentation.
Fermentation: If the fermentation is sluggish or stalls, re-inoculate with yeast and add nutrient.
