Summer 2011 Indiana ReplicAle

The last big hurrah for the Winter 2011 Indiana ReplicAle is this Wednesday (details below). The next ReplicAle event will coincide with the Indiana Microbrewers Festival in Indianapolis on Saturday, July 16th. The Brewers of Indiana Guild are working on the Summer 2011 Indiana ReplicAle recipe.

Hoosier Beer Geek wants to know: what beer would YOU like to see the Indiana brewers tackle? The past two ReplicAle recipes have been reproductions of historic Indiana beers. Do you want to see that trend continue? Is there a particular style that you would like to see? What would excite you most and push you to hang out at the ReplicAle tent during the Microbrewers Festival? If you are a homebrewer, do you have a favorite recipe?

Leave a comment if you have any thoughts. We will share them with the festival's organizing committee.

There will be a tapping of Indiana Winter 2011 ReplicAles on Wednesday, February 23rd at 6pm at the Tomlinson Tap Room in the City Market, 222 E. Market Street, Indianapolis. The recipe is a recreation of the Imperial Double Stout that was brewed by the defunct Ackerman’s Brewery in New Albany. Jared Williamson from New Albanian Brewing Company will be on hand to talk about recreating historical beers.

Along with tapping a firkin of New Albanian’s Ackerman’s Imperial Double Stout, other versions will be on tap, including: Broad Ripple Brewpub, Crown Brewing, Great Crescent Brewing Company, People’s Brewing Company, Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant – both College Park and Downtown, Sun King Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, and other Indiana breweries to be confirmed.

The Indiana ReplicAle program is presented by the Brewers of Indiana Guild with support from Brewers Supply Group and Briess Malt & Ingredients Company.

***

Ackerman’s Imperial Double Stout recipe, as recreated by Jared Williamson and Jess Williams:
Original Gravity: 20 degree Plato
Alcohol By Volume: Circa 8%
International Bittering Units: 35 – 40

Grist Bill: 80% Rahr 2-row Pale Malt
5% Briess Aromatic Malt
5% Briess Dark Chocolate Malt
5% Briess Roast Barley
2.5% Briess 80-degree Caramel Malt
2.5% Briess Cherry Smoked Malt

Hops: Single addition at boil of your choice of hop, to achieve 35 - 40 IBU

The Hoosier Beer Geek Six Pack: Jared Williamson, New Albanian Brewing Company

For each Brewers of Indiana Guild festival, a ReplicAle recipe is selected. For the 2011 Winterfest, the recipe was created by New Albanian Brewing Company's Jared Williamson. In advance of the ReplicAle tapping at the Tomlinson Tap Room on February 23rd (see details below), we decided to ask Jared about the recipe and the ReplicAle program:

What can you tell us about the Ackerman brewery?

Ackerman’s, also known as The Southern Indiana Brewing Company, operated from 1933 to 1935 at the site of the former Paul Reising Brewing Company premises on the corner of West 5th and Spring Streets in New Albany. NABC has recreated several of the historic beers created at that location including Kaiser Pre-Prohibiton Pilsner and Hop-O Common.

How did you find out that Ackerman did a Double Imperial Stout?

We have had a copy of the label for as long as I have worked at NABC, and it is also mentioned in Louisville Breweries: A History of the Brewing Industry in Louisville, Kentucky by Peter R. Guetig & Conrad D. Selle.

How did you determine the recipe for the re-creation?

Based on info found in the book, and what types of malt were common in that era, the recipe design was meant to replicate American brewers going extreme during that time period. So several specialty malts were chosen to provide a depth of character to the body. The inclusion of smoke malt was not to make a smoked stout, but rather to add the notion that dark roasted malts inevitably had a bit more smokiness back then due to the roasting techniques than their modern counterparts. With the hops, I figured that brewers of that era often had to use what they had available instead of being able to pick and choose varieties like modern brewers, so it was left to the participating brewers to decide. And for a final touch, I decided to cask condition the entire NABC batch to keep with the historical nature. I also have a Bourbon barrel filled with Ackerman's, because being as close to Kentucky as they were, they probably had a few Bourbon barrels hanging around.

What did you think of the final result?

The beer has a full, robust body with just a slight hint of smoke lingering in the background. It has the characteristics of what would have been a very big beer by historical standards, but more tame by modern extreme beer standards. Which for me was the intent. Yes, we could have made a 14% monster stout, but that would have been taking the original idea way out of its historical context. In the end, I am quite pleased with results and feel the stout is a honorable tribute to our brewing forefathers.

Have you had a chance to try others' ReplicAles?

I did get to try several of the replicales at Winterfest and was impressed at the overall similarities found in each. Of course my palette was overloaded that day so I look forward to tasting these again at the Tom Tap room event.

What do you think about the ReplicAle program? Why is it a good program to have? And what should the drinking public discover with ReplicAles?

I'm a big fan of looking back and recreating historical beers, and was honored that the Guild wanted to go with my suggestion. Indiana has a wonderful brewing history and there are so many beers that could and should be recreated. With our ever expanding Guild, it may be some time before NABC gets to design another, but I look forward to seeing what my fellow brewers dig up and bring to the table for future replicales.

And to me that is the essence of the project: knowing and replicating our past brewer's achievements, and allowing the public to share in our collective celebration of brewing treasures of yesteryear. We really have an amazing brewing culture here in Indiana.

There will be a tapping of Indiana Winter 2011 ReplicAles on Wednesday, February 23rd at 6pm at the Tomlinson Tap Room in the City Market, 222 E. Market Street, Indianapolis. The recipe is a recreation of the Imperial Double Stout that was brewed by the defunct Ackerman’s Brewery in New Albany. Jared Williamson from New Albanian Brewing Company will be on hand to talk about recreating historical beers.

Along with tapping a firkin of New Albanian’s Ackerman’s Imperial Double Stout, other versions will be on tap, including: Broad Ripple Brewpub, Crown Brewing, Great Crescent Brewing Company, People’s Brewing Company, Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant – both College Park and Downtown, Sun King Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, and other Indiana breweries to be confirmed.

The Indiana ReplicAle program is presented by the Brewers of Indiana Guild with support from Brewers Supply Group and Briess Malt & Ingredients Company.

***

Ackerman’s Imperial Double Stout recipe, as recreated by Jared Williamson and Jess Williams:
Original Gravity: 20 degree Plato
Alcohol By Volume: Circa 8%
International Bittering Units: 35 – 40

Grist Bill: 80% Rahr 2-row Pale Malt
5% Briess Aromatic Malt
5% Briess Dark Chocolate Malt
5% Briess Roast Barley
2.5% Briess 80-degree Caramel Malt
2.5% Briess Cherry Smoked Malt

Hops: Single addition at boil of your choice of hop, to achieve 35 - 40 IBU

ReplicAle tapping at the Tomlinson Tap Room

There will be a tapping of Indiana Winter 2011 ReplicAles on Wednesday, February 23rd at 6pm at the Tomlinson Tap Room in the City Market, 222 E. Market Street, Indianapolis. The recipe is a recreation of the Imperial Double Stout that was brewed by the defunct Ackerman’s Brewery in New Albany. Jared Williamson from New Albanian Brewing Company will be on hand to talk about recreating historical beers.

Along with tapping a firkin of New Albanian’s Ackerman’s Imperial Double Stout, other versions will be on tap, including: Broad Ripple Brewpub, Great Crescent Brewing Company, People’s Brewing Company, Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant – both College Park and Downtown, Sun King Brewing Company, Upland Brewing Company, and other Indiana breweries to be confirmed.

The Indiana ReplicAle program is presented by the Brewers of Indiana Guild with support from Brewers Supply Group and Briess Malt & Ingredients Company.

***

Ackerman’s Imperial Double Stout recipe, as recreated by Jared Williamson and Jess Williams:
Original Gravity: 20 degree Plato
Alcohol By Volume: Circa 8%
International Bittering Units: 35 – 40

Grist Bill: 80% Rahr 2-row Pale Malt
5% Briess Aromatic Malt
5% Briess Dark Chocolate Malt
5% Briess Roast Barley
2.5% Briess 80-degree Caramel Malt
2.5% Briess Cherry Smoked Malt

Hops: Single addition at boil of your choice of hop, to achieve 35 - 40 IBU

Announcing the next Indiana ReplicAle

An Indiana Microbrewers Festival tradition continues. The summer ReplicAle has been selected! It is a Bavarian Dunkel/Schwarzbier and Dave Colt from Sun King Brewing provides some background:

The summer ReplicAle recipe this year comes from the very first comercially brewed beer in the state. Here is some info about the brewer and beer:

The name of the brewer was George Bentel. His house is still standing in New Harmony. The Harmonist brewer and cooper, George Bentel, was born November 3, 1781 in Iptingen, the same village in the Swabian kingdom of Württemberg where George Rapp was born. Bentel lived at the northeast corner of Brewery and Grainery streets, where his house remains today, as upright as when Indiana's first brewer marched out to make his beer almost two centuries ago.

The German utopian communalists in New Harmony were Indiana's first significant brewers. Beginning in 1816, the Harmonists eventually brewed enough to sell all the way up to what is now West Virginia and down into lower Illinois. From the historical record, it appears the Harmonists brewed a porter-like dark beer. It must have been pretty good beer: An educated German, Ferdinand Ernst, stopped in New Harmony during his journey through the frontier region. “They served me a stein of beer,” Ernst wrote, “and I was not a little astonished to find here a genuine, real Bamberg beer.” He gushed that the Harmonists “must be happiest people of entire Christiandom.” A Louisville agent for the Harmonists reported, “Mr. Breeden, the most celebrated porter seller in the place says the strongest part of it would almost pass for porter and is the best beer he has ever seen in this country….”

Look for the Replicale from various Indiana breweries this summer at the Indiana Microbrewers Festival (tickets are available here: http://www.brewersofindianaguild.com/buytickets.html).


The George Bentel House in New Harmony, Indiana

Indiana Beer Week Closing Ceremonies - Replicale Faceoff

What's the story behind the Indiana Replicale Faceoff? Scientists may never know. Legend has it that brewers Dave Colt and Clay Robinson from Ram provided a common recipe for 70 Shilling Scottish that the contestants then prepared in their own special way in a contest of brewing brawn and brainpower. Are there prizes? Who's judging? Who knows? At Hoosier Beer Geek, we don't sweat the small stuff. We just drink.

In case you missed it, there's ten of us now. Nine of us showed up at Spencer's Stadium Tavern (802 South West St. Indianapolis 317-916-8888) last Wednesday and sampled selections from five breweries. We had an added bonus - a flight of five samples only cost $2. Or you could have a full pint of any for that same $2 - and I suspect they'll remain that way until the beer runs out. Perhaps it's run out already? If you've stopped in to Spencer's lately, let us know.

Here's what we thought, complete with beer rankings:

Gina

1. RAM - sweet
2. Oaken Barrel - creamy
3. Alcatraz - hot
4. Rock Bottom - smoky
5. Broad Ripple Brewpub - feet

Jim

Gina's going with one word reviews. I'm going with two. My rankings and notes, with the clarification that all of these were good beers.

1. Broad Ripple Brewpub. Berries, herbs.
2. Oaken Barrel. Hops, caramel.
3. Rock Bottom. Sweet, drinkable.
4. (tie) Ram and Alcatraz. Balanced, mellow.

New Chris

Agreed that all were definitely drinkable.

4 words (mostly)

1. BRBP - hoppier, chocolate, lightly bitter
2. 'Traz - bitter, creamy (lactose?), balanced
3. Oak B - chocolate nose, marshmallow taste (s'mores!)
4. Ram - toasty malt, whitewash sweet
5. Rock B - passable dirty stinky feet

Matt

...and with a personal record turnaround time, I'm submitting my two word reviews.

1. Broad Ripple Brew Pub - pleasant lavender
2. Oaken Barrel - cloudy malt
3. Rock Bottom - pruny nose
4. Alcatraz - yay hops
5. Ram - malt light

Other Matt

1. Ram: Exactly what I wanted.
2. Rock Bottom: toffee and caramel
3. Oaken Barrel: Down in Fuggle hops?
4. Alcatraz - Orville Redenbacher Butter
5. BRBP - Fruity Esters

I was doing some more research on the style as well, and I found that the butter flavor I was tasting in the Alcatraz could have some from malt and might not be diacetyl. I am now really curious if it was from the malt or actually diacetyl.

Rod

1. Alcatraz: Dark Chocolate Baby Powder
2. Rock Bottom: Malty Brown Greek Cheese
3. Broad Ripple: Watery Roasted Hazelnut Bitter
4. Oaken Barrel: Blackberry Caramel Light Beer
5. Ram: Nutty Slight Malt Liquor

Jess

1. Alcatraz: chocolate
2. Oaken Barrel: berry
3. Rock Bottom: feta
4. Broad Ripple: dishsoap
5. Ram: blah.

Mike

1. Broad Ripple: Raspberry, Vanilla.
2. Ram: Grape bubblegum, A hint footy.
3. Rock Bottom: Bitter, Peppery.
4. Alcatraz: Caramel, Soap.
5. Oaken Barrel: Sulfury, Cardboard.

And so by combining all rankings and haphazardly doing some of that math stuff, we come up with final combined rankings that looks like this:

First Place: Broad Ripple Brew Pub
Second Place: Oaken Barrel
Third Place: Alcatraz
Fourth Place: Rock Bottom
Fifth Place: Ram

Of course, we're not judges. But if anyone's asking, that's how our legend of Indiana Beer Week 2008 ends.

Indiana Beer Week Bar Hop - Day One - Operation Chaos

Beer #1: Broad Ripple Brew Pub for Replic Ale - 80 Shilling Scottish


I don't know who these people at our table are, but I suspect they'll play a heavy role in our future
Since it is Indiana Beer week, and we're Hoosier Beer Geeks, it only makes sense that we spend the week exploring Indiana beer.

Although the originally scheduled program called for Broad Ripple Brew Pub to be carrying Lafayette's Tippecanoe Common on tap, something went wrong along the way. Luckily the brewpub is also currently carrying the 80 Shilling Scottish - this year's Brewfest Replic Ale. This recipe, put together by Dave and Clay at Ram, is 5.7% ABV, creamy, and.... creamy. A bitter but mild english sort of hop finish rolls out. Nice, but not much going on here - in both the beer and the crowd at the brewpub. Everyone's hanging out on the porch, but we're inside. I guess it's Monday.

Beer #2: Brugge Brasserie for New Albany's Saint Radegund's ESB



A larger and livelier crowd awaits us at Brugge. Despite a full house, we are quickly seated. Although there has been a delay in the opening of Brugge's new upstairs addition, they were able to get something from a guest brewer on tap - a fine brew from Indiana's southern edge. The folks at New Albanian aren't exactly "to style" brewers, but they haven't ever let us down. A nose that resembled wintergreen Skoal in a can led to a full on the tongue, bitter, buttery/apple brew. Chewy but not heavy.

There are those that will tell you that butter notes in a beer are a bad thing - but in this case it just works. This is a 4+ mug beer. Happy customers all around our table.

Although nothing has been to plan, we've had a rewarding evening. Looking forward to the next time around.

Tomorrow Night: Spencer's Stadium Tavern for New Albanian Community Dark

Indiana RelicAle at Spencer's

From our good friend Spencer:

2nd Annual Indiana ReplicAle Tasting Thursday July 26th

"This weekend is the Indiana Brewer’s Festival and right on its heels will be our now annual microbrew event, The Indiana ReplicAle Tasting Thursday July 26th. As you may know a ReplicAle is when a group of brewers agree on the same recipe and then they each produce a batch of similar, but slightly differing tastes due to brewer’s choices.

Last year’s event was the first time the Indiana ReplicAle’s were available to be tasted side-by-side. It was also a really huge success with a full room of great beer geeks and great food from FOT Tyler Herald.

More than 6 brewers are participating and we’ll have their designer creations for $2 per half-pint. If you enjoy comparing and contrasting subtle taste sensations in beers, then don’t miss this."