Brewer's Log:: Noble Trappist Ale

The nice aspect about beer is that it is a pretty easy thing to match with the appropriate season. You don't have to think very hard; mostly one has to think about the types of food that match the season and apply the same criteria to beer. Summer: something light in color and density, a hint of fruit. Fall: a sharp crisp flavor, something that shouts "harvest season." Winter: anything dark and dense, the beer equivalent of a hearty stew.

But Spring is a tough one, the weather is erratic so what does one pick for a beer? Well, this year I took a gamble on a Noble Trappist Ale. Full disclosure: I am not a Trappist monk and this beer was not brewed in a Trappist monastery, so it it is not an official batch of Trappist Ale. But monks are forgiving fellows, so as long as I don't try to make a fast buck off of the stuff, I think they will live and let live.

I started the Trappist Ale on April 29th. The grains were Caramel and Carapils with Hallertau and Styrian Golding hops. But the crazy part was the special fermentable: Belgian Candi Sugar! When took the stuff out it looked like I was smuggling something illegal. It was pretty cool to add something so unique during the boil. Almost immediately I could smell the sweetness over the usual "plant" scents of the boil stage. I did make one mistake of grabbing the wrong type of liquid yeast. Instead of getting the usual pitchable yeast I grabbed a funky brand that requires it to begin fermenting seperately. So I cheated and just pitched it in.

I didn't need to worry because it started fermenting just fine. Infact it fermented a little too well. It erupted three seperate times while still in the 1st Stage. This has happened to me before, the Grand Cru was notorious for it, and usually it is a good sign that the beer will be flavorful and a decent content level. However I was surprised in early May, about a day or two after transfering it to the 2nd Stage, that it continued to overwhelm the airlock. That afternoon I went into the kitchen to release some of the pressure, and when I carefully lifted the airlock a millimeter the Trappist Ale sprayed in every direction, including directly in my eyes!! (Luckily, it did not sting and I didn't even feel the need to take out my contacts.)

By mid May it was bottled and I had begun the next batch. I've tested the Trappist Ale and passed out a couple samples. I'm mostly satisfied with it, but I have set some aside to age a bit longer to see if it sharpens some of the sweetness. As of now I probably won't repeat this batch anytime soon, but I will reserve final judgment after some of it has time to settle. Is it an ideal Spring beer? It's not bad for the season, but the hunt goes on.

[Next Batch: Java Stout]