Baker Summer Party Brews

Mr. Baker and I have been busy brewing beer for his annual 4th of July Crab Fest. We brewed the last batch of beer this past Sunday and it is mostly done fermenting now. John asked me to do a brief write up of the four beers we will have on tap, which he includes in the invitations and posts near the kegs on party day. I figured I would post that text here, just so people could see what we have put together.

Hippy Hawk Bohemian Pilsner
OG: 1.055 FG: 1.014
ABV: 5.3% IBU: 40
Bohemian pilsners are more malty and rounded than their dry German cousins, while still retaining the crisp and sharp hop edge that defines the pilsner style. This characteristic roundness is emphasized by a lower mineral content water that provides a softer body that helps bring the malt body in balance with the Czech Saaz hops. Our Hippy Hawk Bohemian Pilsner is named for a hawk we saw circling over the deck on brew day, as well as the Bohemian quality of the beer that will leave you wanting more and more of this beer. Groovy, man . . .

Pissed Black Cat Pale Ale
OG: 1.050 FG: 1.010
ABV: 5.1% IBU: 48
The pale ale style is one that has defined the American craft beer movement. It originally came from England, where its slightly higher alcohol content and lighter color than traditional English bitters and milds made it very popular. American brewers have made it their own by using citrus hop varieties, such as our use of Millennium and Centennial, higher hopping levels, and larger alcohol concentrations. This beer was the crowd favorite from last year, being the first keg tapped on that rainy Saturday. The beer's name came from a previous brew session, where John witnessed my neighbor's black cat urinating on my smoker. I hope she was not commenting on the quality of the smoked dishes I like to cook.

Double Down Scottish 80/~
OG: 1.053 FG: 1.019
ABV: 4.2% IBU: 15
Scottish ales are characterized by a massive, complex malty body that finishes slightly dry to make drinkable in quantity. The ales are meant to be session beers, where their relatively low alcohol concentration enables someone to have several pints in a "session" at the pub with friends and not get overly intoxicated. Scottish ales are named for the number of shillings of tax the brewer had to pay on each barrel at some point in long forgotten history. This beer is an 80 shilling, designated by use of the symbol "80/~" Our beer is named for the two kettle boil overs I had the first time I made this recipe, which created quite a mess.

Midnight Breakfast Oatmeal Stout
OG: 1.064 FG: 1.018
ABV: 6.0% IBU: 36
Oatmeal stouts are derived from dry Irish stouts, though the addition of oatmeal in the grist provides a rounder and less edgy finish, often described as a "slick" feeling on the palate. This has long been a favorite beer style of mine and we have had a version on tap ever since I started brewing for John's party several years ago. Last year, John purchased a stout tap for this beer, which uses a nitrogen/CO2 gas mix to carbonate the beer. It provides a rich and velvety finish to the stout and gives it a dense foamy head. The beer is dark as midnight, but the smell coming off the kettle on brew day reminds me of breakfast oatmeal. Thus, Midnight Breakfast was born.