Anderson Valley Summer Soltice Cerveza Crema

[user 40839]

I drank the last 2 bottles from my first batch about 2 or 3 weeks ago. It was really really good. The vanilla had really mellowed out. I wish I would have saved more of it.

Anyway I liked this beer so much I brewed up a 10 gallon 2nd batch. This time I went with vanilla extract since it is much easier to get the right amount.

Well, this one is this weekend's project - just out of curiosity, how much extract did you end up using?

 

[Mpez]

Since I ferment in 5 gallon pails I placed 1.5 oz in one and 2.5 oz in another. It has only been in the bottle a few weeks now but I currently prefer the version with 1.5. Over time that might change though.

Have fun brewing it. Whichever amount you end up adding I am sure you will really like the end result.

 

[Bsquared]

I just saw this thread,I have been a big fan of the summer solstice for quite a few years now. I even had a few cases at my wedding, a Big hit with everyone. and this year for my anniversary we went up to boonville for the weekend.

This years batch was extra sweet, so on the brewery tour my wife asks if they changed the recipe, and the guy giving the tour was a little taken back. He told us that they upped the "Secret ingredient " by 500ml in a 3300 gallon batch, thats 12491.85L. I'd say that they doubled the amount to vanilla from the year before, and it seemed to me like for 2010 they will be cutting back on the amount of vanilla.

 

[scottland]

I'm digging up this old thread. I've got a batch of Summer Solstice bottle conditioning right now. I decided to go with Pure Vanilla extract at bottling, as I felt it would give a more controlled amount of vanilla. Used 1.5oz. I've extremely excited to see how it turns out. Bottled it on Monday.

 

[user 40839]

Mine was pretty harsh, with 2oz of vanilla in there (5 gallon batch). Next time (and I WILL brew this again!) it'll be half that. Actually, I'll probably go the scraped and chopped bean in vodka route.

 

[midfielder5]

I had one this weekend. I couldn't id the spice; a chef (good taste buds) at the party said it was a birch taste.

 

[austinb]

I worked in the cellar at the Anderson Valley Brewing Co for a brief period of time. The spice is vanilla, we would put vanilla extract in a corny keg and use Co2 to push it into the filtered beer in the bottling tanks before force carbing it. As far as I know vanilla is the only spice they use but I didn't work in the brewhouse so i'm not positive as they could have put something else in the kettle. They also put vanilla in their Winter Solstice Ale.

 

[scottland]

That was my best guess, Vanilla extract. I'm pretty excited to give it a try. I used the BYO all grain recipe with the addition of the vanilla.

 

[scottland]

Ok, I tried a bottle last night(7 days in the bottle). It turned out VERY, VERY well. I added my hops with 10min left, and then created a strong whirlpool, and let it sit for 30min to let all the trub collect. .5oz of vanilla in the primary, and 1oz at bottling. The vanilla isn't too strong, but it's noticeable. The beer is already quite clear, but I'll be excited to see how it clears up in a week or two.

 

[BucksPA]

hmmm, i picked up ingredients today for a 10 gallon batch. i had to go with 40L and 90L crystal vs 40 and 80L, other than that, no changes in recipe. im going to put a yeast starter together tomorrow (i always use yeast starters) and then brew on friday. I wasnt able to get a definitive amount of vanilla on this thread so i think when i split this brew into 2 carboys I will use 1 oz of homemade vanilla bean extract in one batch and 2 ounces in the other. Then i'll compare! looking forward to it.

 

[Sea]

I've still got some of this from months ago, because neither I, nor any friends can stomach the stuff.

Unfortunate since AVB makes my favorite normal drinking beer: Hop otten IPA.

 

[scottland]

Next time I brew this, and I will brew it again soon, I'll skip the vanilla in the fermenter, and just use .5-1.5oz of vanilla extract.

 

[scottland]

Mine is fully carbed now, and it turned out very good. I'm quite happy with this brew.

 

[DustBow]

Resurrecting an old thread...
My brew buddies and I were going to try this recipe this weekend - so what is the consensus on the vanilla? 1.5 oz of extract? Added to primary or to botting bucket?

Also, with late whirlpool/flameout hop additions, do you let the wort settle and stir for 20 minutes before any chilling? Or should we start the IC right after boiling as normal, just make sure to let everything sit for at least 20 minutes?

thanx

 

[user 40839]

Dust:

I used 2oz of vanilla extract, and I thought it was WAY too much. I'd use 1oz. Maybe even a little less, 0.75oz. I'd recommend a secondary for this: rack it into another carboy after two weeks, add the vanilla, then let it relax for another two weeks before bottling.

In terms of your whirpooling, you can fire up the IC right away (to the best of my knowledge)

 

[DustBow]

Thanks, we have a 5 gal. carboy we hardly ever use (too small for a primary and we usually just do 3 weeks in the primary) so this will work out nicely - and free up the primary a week early

 

[DustBow]

The recipe in my "book" at home also says 90 minute boil - is that really necessary?

 

[user 40839]

90 minutes? Really? I certainly didn't boil that long, just a standard 60 minute.

 

[BucksPA]

I've still got some of this from months ago, because neither I, nor any friends can stomach the stuff.

Unfortunate since AVB makes my favorite normal drinking beer: Hop otten IPA.

I agree. I almost brewed this beer without ever trying it and switched up my grain bill to make a pale ale. I am so glad I did! I bought a 6 pack of this today and am saving the remaining 5 beers for people who disrespect me at my house. This is literally the worst beer I ever consumed. I'd rather drink infected homebrew anyday over this garbage.

 

[philrose]

Wow those are some strong feelings

Look, I'm not saying that I'll sit and shotgun the stuff but once in a while it's nice to switch it up from a huge ipa or a dry, german pils to something else with a different flavor.

 

[944play]

I had a(n imperial) pint of the commercial beer on draft last night. I loved it! Maybe it was just that it was very fresh and unusual, doing the literalnet "cream ale is like cream soda, but beer" thing. It also tasted very orangey to me; I took this to be citrusy hops, but it could have been fruit. The orange and vanilla came together like a creamsicle, reminding me of being a kid at summer camp.

Definitely a nice change of pace and a great example of the mutability of the interpretation of beer style..

 

[philrose]

ditto on the change of pace!

 

[user 40839]

I have to say, I'm not digging this summer's version at all. I had one the other night, and literally had to choke it down. (It could have been that I completely burned myself out on the "crema" finish by drinking 2-3 cases of their Winter Solstice over the winter...)

 

[VikeMan]

bump

clone recipe is in this months BYO

OG 1.053 FG 1.011, 5 IBU, 5.6% ABV

8# 2 row pale
13 oz crystal 40
11 oz crystal 80

Single infusion at 150*

2.3 aau Cascade at 15 minutes

Wyeast 2112/WLP810 lager yeast at 65*

I wonder if there is something missing from the recipe. I thought BYO recipes assumed 65% mash efficiency, but the above grain bill would need close to 80% efficiency to get to the 1.053 FG specified.

 

[DustBow]

vanilla. it's in the beer but not the clone recipes

edit: I see you are talking about OG, vanilla isn't going to help there....

 

[bolus14]

Reviving an old thread since I haven't gotten a response in this thread, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=198631

Planning to make the Winter Solstice version from the thread above this weekend, with a slight modification to the grain bill. AV's site states they use Munich malt too, so I plan to drop the 2-row to 12lbs and add 1lb of Munich 10L.

Their site also lists Liberty hops, I'm planning to just go with Northern Brewer this time around, given it's only 6 IBU and being added at 15min I don't think there would be much different. Maybe on the scale AV is brewing it adds something but on a 5 gallon batch I don't know that it would change much.

 

[bolus14]

So, I only picked up the yeast today. Forgot this is a lager strain and will need a bigger starter. Planning to do a 1L tonight, let it build up until Friday night, put it in the fridge for a couple days, decant, add another 1L of wort, give it 48 hours, put it in the fridge, and decant. Then on brew day pour some in to a mason jar to save, and pitch the rest.

If anybody has some thoughts on a quicker start so I can brew this weekend let me know, otherwise I'm waiting a week from the looks of it.

 

[bolus14]

Yeast starter more or less set to go, see pic below, going to let it ferment till late tonight, that'll be 24 hours on the second step of my starter,3L, the refrigerate so I can decant Sat or Sun before pitching. She kicked off within a couple hours, pic is at the 10 hour point. Wort had come out of the top overnight, but the cap and saran wrap stayed on, thankfully. Never gotten that much krausen in my starters before, I usually get half an inch at most.

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