Bear with me for this story. I find this really interesting.
Have you ever had one of those times when you aren't sure if you dreamed something, or if it actually happened, but your recollection was a little hazy due to ethanol consumption? This is one of those times, and what makes me uncertain is that I don't dream all that often. I have had less than 10 dreams in my life that I remember. I have had many nights of hazy recollections though, but for the purposes of this story, we'll call it a dream.
In this dream, I go with some friends to an unassuming pub on a sloping side street. The pub has an elaborate wheelchair ramp and a publican who explains that the wheelchair ramp is for patrons "who are handicapped by the time they leave." We sit down at a table that looks out of a large bay window overlooking the wheelchair ramp, and I order a pint of a beer whose name I cannot now recall. When said beer arrives, it is deep jade green and I am skeptical. However, the beer has a beautiful aroma like a meadow of fresh hay and wildflowers in spring. The mouth feel is thick and creamy, and the beer has an incredibly good taste... somewhat grassy, but fresh and delicious. I have several.That's where the recollection ends.
I had all but forgotten about this until I stumbled across a "How do I make a St. Patrick's Day Green Beer?" thread yesterday. It got me thinking about whether or not I had ever consumed a naturally green beer, and what it could have been. I looked around and discovered that there are a few commercially available and microbrewed green beers, mostly made with spirulina. I'm pretty sure that these were not what I had.
So, now that I brew, I decided I should try to replicate it. I don't know if anyone else has ever tried to replicate a beer from a dream that may not actually exist, but below is the recipe idea. I would love your feedback. I have also posted a poll so you can help me decide whether I dreamed it or drunkenly forgot it.
for a 2.5 Gal test batch.
ISLAND 17 BREWING "Verdant" Wheatgrass Wheat.
Original Gravity: 1.05 Final Gravity: 1.012 ABV (standard): 4.92% IBU (tinseth): 11.79 SRM (morey): 3.52
Fermentables
4 lb Belgian Wheat Malt
1 lb Belgian Unmalted Wheat
1 lb Flaked Wheat
Boil
0.5 oz Willamette 60 min
6 oz wheatgrass (muddled) 45 min
1 oz Willamette 0 min
Mash Steps
1.25 qt Infusion 152 F 60 min
-- Batch Sparge -- 167 F 10 min
Other Ingredients
8 oz wheatgrass extract Secondary
Yeast
White Labs - Belgian Wit II Ale Yeast WLP410
The thought is this would have a nice grassy/floral nose from the willamette with grassy notes to match from the wheatgrass...and colour to match!
Might try to do this for St. Paddy's Day. What do you all think?
Have you ever had one of those times when you aren't sure if you dreamed something, or if it actually happened, but your recollection was a little hazy due to ethanol consumption? This is one of those times, and what makes me uncertain is that I don't dream all that often. I have had less than 10 dreams in my life that I remember. I have had many nights of hazy recollections though, but for the purposes of this story, we'll call it a dream.
In this dream, I go with some friends to an unassuming pub on a sloping side street. The pub has an elaborate wheelchair ramp and a publican who explains that the wheelchair ramp is for patrons "who are handicapped by the time they leave." We sit down at a table that looks out of a large bay window overlooking the wheelchair ramp, and I order a pint of a beer whose name I cannot now recall. When said beer arrives, it is deep jade green and I am skeptical. However, the beer has a beautiful aroma like a meadow of fresh hay and wildflowers in spring. The mouth feel is thick and creamy, and the beer has an incredibly good taste... somewhat grassy, but fresh and delicious. I have several.That's where the recollection ends.
I had all but forgotten about this until I stumbled across a "How do I make a St. Patrick's Day Green Beer?" thread yesterday. It got me thinking about whether or not I had ever consumed a naturally green beer, and what it could have been. I looked around and discovered that there are a few commercially available and microbrewed green beers, mostly made with spirulina. I'm pretty sure that these were not what I had.
So, now that I brew, I decided I should try to replicate it. I don't know if anyone else has ever tried to replicate a beer from a dream that may not actually exist, but below is the recipe idea. I would love your feedback. I have also posted a poll so you can help me decide whether I dreamed it or drunkenly forgot it.
for a 2.5 Gal test batch.
ISLAND 17 BREWING "Verdant" Wheatgrass Wheat.
Original Gravity: 1.05 Final Gravity: 1.012 ABV (standard): 4.92% IBU (tinseth): 11.79 SRM (morey): 3.52
Fermentables
4 lb Belgian Wheat Malt
1 lb Belgian Unmalted Wheat
1 lb Flaked Wheat
Boil
0.5 oz Willamette 60 min
6 oz wheatgrass (muddled) 45 min
1 oz Willamette 0 min
Mash Steps
1.25 qt Infusion 152 F 60 min
-- Batch Sparge -- 167 F 10 min
Other Ingredients
8 oz wheatgrass extract Secondary
Yeast
White Labs - Belgian Wit II Ale Yeast WLP410
The thought is this would have a nice grassy/floral nose from the willamette with grassy notes to match from the wheatgrass...and colour to match!
Might try to do this for St. Paddy's Day. What do you all think?
