Cold Winter Brew Ideas

[permo]

Hi folks, been a while since I posted so I am hoping this generates some good feedback. I make 16 gallon all grain batches and I live in the frozen tundra of North Dakota. I ferment in my garage so I brew seasonally. Right now I can control the temp really good with my garage heater so I can ferment 45-70 degrees.

This being said I have a 6 liter starter of Rogue Pacman yeast ready and waiting. I was thinking of brewing a Maibock style ale with Pale Malt and C20 up to about 1.070 and hopping it up with sterling, crystal and perle hops then cold fermenting at 50 degrees, dropping the yeast and then dropping the temp in my garage and lagering for a month or two.

Thoughts?

 

[thehaze]

You can of course do a lager-style beers with those fermentation temps. You can also go for IPAs, Stouts, and such.

With those temperatures, I would brew something bolder. An Imperial Baltic Porter at around 8-9%? You can dry hop it with cocoa, coffee, vanilla beans, add oak chips, dried/smoked prunes/plums, etc.

If I were to lean onto something more drinkable, then probably a dry, crisp, biscuitty Vienna Lager would do me/you proper. Simple Vienna and maybe a touch of Biscuit malt ( to enhance those dry, biscuitty notes - if to your liking ), Lager yeast or that Pacman you have, 30 IBUs, 5.5% ABV, etc...

 

[permo]

I also have a used bourbon barrel lying around....

 

[thehaze]

That sounds even better... Something dark, roasty, chocolatey, lagered in the barrel, dry hopped to crisp it up before bottling/kegging... Sounds good.

 

[JimRausch]

That sounds even better... Something dark, roasty, chocolatey, lagered in the barrel, dry hopped to crisp it up before bottling/kegging... Sounds good.

A tropical stout is one done with a lager yeast and could be just the ticket to age in that barrel. Commercial examples: Lion Stout from Sri Lanka, Dragon Stout from Jamaica, there's probably others.

 

[catdaddy66]