The latest Iechyd Da beer column from the Carmarthen Journal
Oh boy, what has happened to the seasons? It is only a few short weeks to the Summer Solstice?
My brewing calendar tells me that we are now brewing summer beers . . . and the weather says ‘early spring’.
But to hell with it, this month, dear reader, we are going to look at summer beers and the subtleties that make the really great summer beers.
As the temperature rises and the summer weather moves the thermometer north of 15 degrees we start looking for the cooler, golden beers and the thirst-quenchers that give us ale drinkers the pleasant alternative to the fizzy, super-cold lagers.
Therein lies part of the secret of brewing great summer ales, but more of that in a moment.
In Wales, we have water that is perfect for brewing great summer ales. With a few tweaks for certain trace minerals, we can brew beers with subtle malt and hop flavours that produce delicious, slightly spicy, aromatic ales that will match the blander European style lagers.
Each week, we see yet another numbed-out brewer trying to copy the US craft brewers and producing way out ‘Golden beers’, with single hop varieties and a supposed new style of beer.
We at Evan-Evans Brewery are egged on by the quirky ale follower to join this disparate band of brewers.
Not on my watch!
So, here is what I think we should expect from this summer’s Golden beers.
Firstly, Golden beers need to be served two to three degrees colder. They need to be brilliantly bright. By that, I mean not even the vaguest hint of being cloudy. And they need to have that rich mouth-fill, but without being overly full-bodied.
They need to be light, fresh, fragrant, and with an interesting hop character - and that is not the landlady I am talking about!
So, how do we brew that style of beer?
Well, it’s not difficult, but knowing what you are doing is important.
Firstly, you have to select your malts to provide the base flavour from which you work.
With the beer being colder,you have to look for greater head retention, so the raw materials change. As they do, they provide a full range of colours from Golden to straw. And then there is the subtle addition of hops - and in which order they are added to the boil.
That drives the bitterness and aroma that are so important to summer beers. Subtle, but refreshing.
Experience will make the decision as to hops.
So, this year, we have gone searching the world, sourcing some from the US, Columbus, Galena, and Mount Hood. Then, from Europe, we have Saphir, Spalter and, finally, two of my favourites from New Zealand, Riwaka and Hersbrucker.
How we use them is obviously our secret, but each hop will be added to the wort kettle at a different time to maximise their individual character. Then we add further to the mystery with a slight tweak to the process that adds a wonderful fruity finish.
If you think that summer is only about Golden beers, then next month I will take you down another road, of Rye Cold Beers, new wheat beers, and the gentle launch of our new American brand Rock Hopper.
Stand by for action, this summer is going to be great, whatever the weather!
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