dreaming of summer

My family goes up to a cottage in northern Wisconsin around the fourth of July every year. And I guess they want me to bring some homebrew. I know it's very early, but with all the snow we've been getting I can't help thinking about summer.

I'm thinking about doing two brews: an APA and a wit. If I were to add a third beer, I'd consider a porter as it can get a little cool in the evenings and a dark beer around the campfire could be nice.

What would you brew for such an occasion? (I don't have a set-up to do lagers, which are obvious summer beer choices.)

My fear is that with the hop shortage I won't be able to get enough hops for the pale ale. Is this concern legitimate? Or should I start stocking up on hops now (and if I do will they keep ok in my freezer?)?

you should be able to get the hops you need. you'll just pay more for them this year.

Do a nice belgian wit and an english mild brown ale.

My Blue Balls wit is easy, requires low amounts of hops and the english mild, while it's a brown and flavorful beer, is low hopped and low alcohol. It would make a nice summer (cool) evening beer because there'd be no regrets in the morning.

As long as we're talking about belgian wits, I think I've stumbled through the style more by luck than by skill.

I HATE Blue Moon. It's way too sweet and just too fruity for me to enjoy more than a few sips. What parameters do I need to watch to keep my beer from tasting like Blue Moon? I imagine keeping my fermentation on the low side would prevent ester formation.

Besides that...?

Use an American wheat yeast (Wyeast 1010) rather than a Belgian wit yeast (3944).

Where is the cottage? I know several people here on HBT come up this way in the summer.

I'm thinking if you hate Blue Moon (as I do) you might not really enjoy a wit that much. I don't like wheat beers in any way, though, so I'm probably not a good judge. I'd do a cream ale, or lighter flavored beer like the Fat Tire clone rather than a wit.

Blue Moon is not a very good representation of the style in my opinion. There are a lot of good wits out there you can try, try Allagash White if you can get it.

david_42 said:

Use an American wheat yeast (Wyeast 1010) rather than a Belgian wit yeast (3944).

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Coincidentally, this is what Blue Moon does.

When I give people a home brew for the first time, one beer that goes over good is a nice amber beer. Just something about this style seems to please new people about home brew.

Jack said:

I know it's very early, but with all the snow we've been getting I can't help thinking about summer.

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but, I don't blame you. It's -1° F. here, and snowing. It's suppose to get worse tonight and tomorrow, but I just read an entire seed catalog last night, and am abrady dreaming about the changes I'm going to make to my garden this year.

Come on spring

Professor Frink said:

There are a lot of good wits out there you can try, try Allagash White if you can get it.

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Oh Yeah. On nice think about living in the Portland Me aria, Allagash at all stores and bars:rockin:

I don’t have a “set up” for lagers either but its cold enough in my basement to do it. Do you have a basement or garage?

Yeah, I was actually inspired to brew the style by allagash white. That's some great beer. Come to think of it, I should really see if I can find any clone brew recipes for it.

The cottage is outside of Pembine, Wisconsin... which is close to the Wisconsin-UP border. Clearly if any of you are nearby, I'd be happy to get together.

Unfortunately, I live on the second floor of an apartment so I don't have easy access to either the outdoors or a cellar. I've been thinking about doing a "half-a**" lager attempt by filling a big tub with ice and throwing my carboy in. But I'm not sure if that would work yet.