All Posts in Brewing

March 17, 2016 - 11 comments

Introducing: Klifferd the Big Red Ale

Top o' the mornin' to yeh! Or evenin'... ♩ Lar-de-dar-de-diddle de-dum de-dee! ♩ *clicks heels in the air*

*ahem* excuse me... sorry. I sometimes (err...often) get carried away. I was typing in an Irish accent if you didn't follow. I hope you read it that way. If not, I'll give you five seconds to go back and read it again with an Irish voice in your head... Done? Good. The Irish always seem so chipper, with St. Paddy's Day finally here, there's much to be chipper about. For instance, Silly Sir Brewing Co. (a.k.a. me) is proud to announce the release of it's second Irish Red ale: Klifferd the Big Red Ale. It's big, it's Irish, and it's a whole lot of deliciousness capped and trapped in a bottle.

IMG_6951

Rapidly chillin' the wort with copper coils

Man, I've typed so much, yet said so little. Alright, let's get down to brass tacks, shall we?

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March 2, 2016 - 1 comment.

Introducing: Giggle Splash IPA

 

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Giggle Splash is my first attempt at a highly aromatic American IPA. American IPAs are marked by their bright, citrusy hop aromas, and high bitterness. Giggle Splash sits at around 57 International Bitterness Units (IBU) which is considered moderate according official guidelines. For comparison, Budweiser and Molson Canadian sit at around 10 IBU or so (plus or minus a few units). So yes, it's quite hoppy.

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January 26, 2016 - 5 comments

May the Schwarzbier With You

Special thanks to Brulosophy's Marshall Shott for the awesome recipe and name. This beer is a damned good simple, and inexpensive beer to brew. Very clean, and surprisingly crisp. I think the low fermentation temperatures were key to this. I wish there was more head retention, and it may have to do with carbonation levels at this point (they're still a bit low) but I'm wondering what I can do to up the head retention without adding wheat.

Stay silly and may the schwarzbier with you,

Matti

January 22, 2016 - Comments Off on Introducing Silly Sir’s Spiced Ginger Saison

Introducing Silly Sir’s Spiced Ginger Saison

Very sketchy...

Very sketchy...

It is ready: Silly Sir's first saison!

Saison beers are typically consumed during the summer, and are usually: highly carbonated; moderately high in alcohol; light to moderate in colour and bitterness; and full of beautiful esters that impart distinctive notes of banana, cloves, and spice. If this sounds like it's your jam,  contact me and I'll let you test one in exchange for critical feedback. The distinctive aromas of this beer form due to the warm temperatures required for optimal fermentation by this particular strain of yeast. This beer fermented at around 88F for about a month which is a much higher fermentation temperature than most yeast strains are used to.

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January 13, 2016 - Comments Off on Eisbock! Ice-Beer! Accident averted!

Eisbock! Ice-Beer! Accident averted!

Well this was an interesting experiment...

eisbock

Eisbock is typically a term given to beers that have been created by freezing off a portion of the beer's water and then discarding it so as to increase its percentage of alcohol and elevate its maltiness. Typically an eisbock (German for ice strong-beer) has an alcohol percentage of around 10% or more. The alcohol levels levels for this beer however were much lower. This beer had a huge problem that needed a solution.

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January 7, 2016 - 2 comments

The Silly Sir Museum Part II

As promised, here is part two of my post which where l explain the brewing and design choices behind the Silly Sir beers and labels. Today we have: Pickle Tournament beer, Vanilla Infused Porter, and our Cranberry Juniper Stout.

It seems every time I mention the words "Pickle Tournament", I am met with looks of utter confusion as people attempt to process what they just heard. The annual Pickle Tournament is exactly as it sounds - a gaming tournament dedicated to upholding the integrity of, and respect for... pickles.

6 of the 24 official competitor badges...

6 of the 24 official competitor badges...

It's great silly times. The third annual Pickle Tournament is slated for late summer 2016, and lucky you: you're invited! Obviously a gaming tournament of this magnitude and as silly as this requires an official sponsor and signature beer. Lo and behold the Pickle Tournament Pale Ale:

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January 5, 2016 - Comments Off on The Silly Sir Museum

The Silly Sir Museum

I'm all about extravagance, indulgence, and over-the-top, unjustifiable ceremony. I think that it can be a lot of fun, and can disarm people. With this in mind I am proud to announce the Silly Sir Museum!...

...just a few from my collection...

...just a few from my collection...

... these brews are displayed in consecutive order from earliest to most recent, and each beer was designed carefully with something special in mind. Starting from the left we have:

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December 22, 2015 - Comments Off on He’s British NOT Australian

He’s British NOT Australian

Back in September I attended a GTA Brewclub meeting at Rainhard Brewing Co. and sampled a ton of fantastic beer. There was one beer in particular that really stood out to me: a Belgian ginger-saison that was brewed by a man whom I had mistakenly assumed was Australian because he had an accent and an an awesome Akubra hat:

Yes, that's him! Yes, the one who looks Australian!

Yes, that's him! Yes, the one who looks Australian!

... so anyways he's British not Australian. I think I was just enamoured by his wicked Aussie-style hat and jean jacket. He's been brewing for over fifteen years, and his beer quality was on a different level. The ginger flavours were fresh and bright, and left a subtle kick as it went down. He explained his process. I listened attentively.

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December 18, 2015 - Comments Off on “Dry Hopping” – What is it?

“Dry Hopping” – What is it?

Hops - the main bittering ingredient in beer - are the perennial flowers of the Humulus lupulus plant. They are added during the 60-90 minute wort boil to balance out the sweetness of the malt. Without them, beer would be far too sweet, and wouldn't taste like beer.

There are many strains of hops that have been genetically modified to suit the preferences of the brewer. Some types are used primarily for bittering and some used to enhance aroma.

Dry hopping is all about enhancing aroma. The rule of thumb is: the later the hop addition, the greater the aroma you get from the hops. Some variants are used at the beginning of the wort boil primarily for bittering purposes while others are added in the last few minutes to enhance aroma (and have a much smaller impact on the bitterness). Can you guess when dry hopping occurs?

CORRECT GOOD FRIEND! After it's already fermented for a week! Dry hopping is all about aroma, and so the hops are added directly to the fermentation vessel (a pail, or glass carboy) after the yeast has fermented the sugars to alcohol.

I've been doing this with my most recent kegged beers and it enhances the taste and aroma substantially. Henceforth, nearly all of my beers are likely to be dry-hopped. You get an A+ for already knowing all this.