I'm on vacation this week, but I have a short lull, so I decided to post. I visited family earlier in the week, stopping at my sister's house for a day. She came through with some seasonal varieties of Saranac that I had not tasted before. First up was their Pumpkin Ale, with the clever jack-o-lantern label. This pumpkin ale reminded me of the Blue Moon version I tried a little while ago. It was kinda subdued as far as spices were concerned. I could taste some pumpkin, but I like my pumpkin ales to taste more like pumpkin pie in a bottle. The second bottle I tried was their Octoberfest Lager. This was a sweet malty Octoberfest - very tasty. It had some caramel flavor, and low hop levels. The glass in the picture contains Octoberfest. The two beers were very similar in color, a medium amber. The pumpkin had a slightly larger head than the Octoberfest, but neither one lasted very long. My sis also supplied me with some Saranac to take home with me including their Black Diamond Bock, which I'm looking forward to. More to follow on that one!Thursday, October 9, 2008
Saranac Pumpkin Ale and Octoberfest Lager
I'm on vacation this week, but I have a short lull, so I decided to post. I visited family earlier in the week, stopping at my sister's house for a day. She came through with some seasonal varieties of Saranac that I had not tasted before. First up was their Pumpkin Ale, with the clever jack-o-lantern label. This pumpkin ale reminded me of the Blue Moon version I tried a little while ago. It was kinda subdued as far as spices were concerned. I could taste some pumpkin, but I like my pumpkin ales to taste more like pumpkin pie in a bottle. The second bottle I tried was their Octoberfest Lager. This was a sweet malty Octoberfest - very tasty. It had some caramel flavor, and low hop levels. The glass in the picture contains Octoberfest. The two beers were very similar in color, a medium amber. The pumpkin had a slightly larger head than the Octoberfest, but neither one lasted very long. My sis also supplied me with some Saranac to take home with me including their Black Diamond Bock, which I'm looking forward to. More to follow on that one!
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4 comments:
Hi, I stumbled across your page and had a homebrew question. I saw that you once made a maple wheat beer. I'd like to make a english brown ale with some maple syrup. I've found lots of people who recommend using maple syrup in homebrews, but I can never get a clear answer about when it should be added. I'm thinking in the last 15 or so minutes of the boil. Any suggestions?
Matt,
Thanks for reading my blog! I usually add all the sugars near the end of the boil, around the 10 or 15 minute mark (from the end that is). That helps to keep the sugars from darkening too much, which would cause the wort to darken. I also frequently prime with Maple syrup to give the beer another little kick of Maple. I've even read a suggestion in a brewing book that says to add the Maple syrup 2-3 days after fermentation begins. That makes me a little nervous regarding possible contamination, so I have not tried it. Good luck with your brown ale! Sounds yummy!
Your blog is making me thirsty for a beer!
Smile - I guess my blog is a success then!
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