Tannenbock Spruce Ale

[mtbrewer403]

today i started this ale in a recipie book i have called O Tannenbock Spruce Ale. according to the book this recipie comes from Benjamin Franklin which is what got me interested in the first place.


recipie goes like this here:

for one gallon

1.5 lb pale ale malt
.2 lb flaked barley
.1 carapils

.12 oz chinook hops divided in half
.04 oz simcoe hops

1 six inch spruce tip
1/2 cup molasses

i started out by mashing between 144 and 152 for one hour. the temperature stayed pretty constant at 150 but drifted every now and then. i then sparged at 170 circulating the grains three times. then boiled for 60 adding .06 oz chinook at the start of boil, .06 chinook at 30 minutes, .04 simcoe at 50, the spruce sprig at 55 and finally the molasses at 60minutes before cooling to 70 degrees and adding to fermentor. i then pitched 5 grams of S-04 english ale yeast and put in dark spot to ferment.

one of the interesting things about this one was watching the different color changes at the different steps. at the beginning of the boil before i added the first group of hops it was this really pale color. then after i added the first hops it turned kind of greenish brown and at the end after the molasses was added it turned dark brown

i actually had about a quarter cup too much so i got to sample some. it has a real nice piney molasses flavor. it was kind of bitter but i expect thatll clear out while it ferments


5 gallon variation

7.5 lb pale ale malt
1 lb flaked barley
.5 lb carapils

.6 oz chinook hops
.2 oz simcoe hops

3 six inch spruce sprigs
2 1/2 cups molasses

 

[JJack887]

I'm literally drinking the Yard's Benjamin Franklin spruce ale as I read this. Good stuff.

 

[bucketnative]

I'm literally drinking the Yard's Benjamin Franklin spruce ale as I read this. Good stuff.

I was going to mention that beer as well when reading the OP. It was always one of my favorite beers, from back before the Yards' split. I haven't had it for over 10 years, but every spring, I swear I am going to try to make one like it. Haven't done that yet. I'll keep an eye on this thread to see how this recipe turns out for OP.

 

[JJack887]

I made a blue spruce ale two months ago. Used only 3oz. of tips. Definitely upping that next time. Made the mistake of using a German hop at the end — too subtle. Going all American next time. Still, they're fun beers to brew.

 

[mtbrewer403]

i got it bottled yesterday. dont usually get very many out of one gallon only nine but ill try one in a couple weeks and see how it turns out

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Report!

 

[IloveWorts]

Anyone have a pic of the finished product?

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I've got a pretty blurry pic of my blurry hand holding the blurry bottle after a friend and I sampled about 8 beers before this one - not much help! But, for what it's worth, it's the only beer picture that I took that night, so it must have left a good impression.

But the beer itself was great - I don't remember everything but I was impressed with it. My friend and I decided (after much pondering and elevated discussion on the matter) that if a person didn't know that this was a spruce ale, they might wonder what the heck it is all about - however, when you know what it is going into the bottle, it is a very good ale.

The flavor and aroma are really nice, with the spruce quite noticeable (helped along by the hops, perhaps). It was still pretty young when we sampled it, but I really liked the "old-fashioned" taste that it had. I'd definitely try it again, for sure.

I'll let mtbrewer provide a more detailed update, but I found it to be a good one.

 

[mtbrewer403]

heres a photo of the finished product. turned out real good. the spruce added a little extra bitterness and the molasses flavor was there but not overpowering, almost like an after thought

huh didnt go on again

 

[mtbrewer403]

there we go got it.