Odell Brewing Co. » pilot

An Ode to our Pilot Brew System

Amanda — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:51:18 +0000

Did you know we cranked out over 75 different brews on our five barrel Pilot Brewing System this year? To honor our hard-working steed, an Ode to our Pilot Brew System (and check out the cool word cloud featuring some of these brews)…

An Ode to our Pilot Brew System
Part kitchen, part lab, part playground it’s true
Our Pilot Brew System is where all can come brew
We use it to craft our new recipe creations
We use it to brew experimental libations
We use it for teaching and tour narrations
We use it quite often for collaborations
Yes our Pilot Brew System is our heart and our soul
Crafting Five Barrel Batches of love is the goal
So won’t you please join us for a pint glass or two
Of a deliciously hand crafted unique Pilot Brew

Brew School – CSU brews with Doug Odell

Amanda — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:16:58 +0000

On October 29^th, the Colorado State University Brewing Science and Technology class along with Professor Jack Avens joined Doug Odell in brewing this semester’s class beer. The class, part of the university’s department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, is now in its seventh year. This is the fifth year the students (all over 21) have brewed with Odell Brewing. “Three Sheets,” a Belgian Tripel, will be tapped on Thursday, November 17th. The brewery will host a celebration for the class on November 17th from 4-6pm. Guests can try the class brew and enjoy live acoustic funk music by Futaba.

Small Batch Revival FAQ

admin — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:38:16 +0000

The Small Batch Revival is nearly upon us, so we’ve put together some helpful info regarding the event.
When: Saturday, May 28th from 3-7pm
Where: Odell Brewing Company
800 E. Lincoln Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Directions and Parking: Please ride your BIKE. We will have ample BIKE parking.
There will be limited vehicle parking in the lot north of the brewery. Enter off Lincoln or Buckingham. NO TRAFFIC on 1st-3rd Streets, and NO PARKING along Lincoln Ave (you will be towed).

Small Batch Revival Parking Map

FAQ’s
How much are tickets?
There is no entry fee, and beer tokens are $4.
Can I buy tokens in advance?
Tokens will be available for purchase in the tap room the week before the event and during the event.
Can I pay with credit or debit cards?
No, the event is CASH ONLY.
Can I bring my kids?
Sure, but keep in mind that this is a beer festival and it may be noisy.
Will there be non-alcoholic beverages?
We will have water stations set up throughout the event.
Can I bring my dog?
NO, we love animals, but please leave your doggies at home.
Will there be food?
YES! Uncle’s Pizzeria, Nordy’s BBQ, and Matador Mexican Grill will be onsite selling a variety of tasty food items.
What if it rains?
This event is Rain or Shine. We’ll have limited tent coverage for guests, so come prepared.
What beers will be available?
We will have over 25 different beers on tap including the following pilot brews:
Town Pump-( “Pail” Ale ) 5.1% abv
A traditional British style pale ale brew exclusively for the Town Pump. The smallest and oldest bar in Ft. Collins. Dry hopped with Centennial whole flower hops, the floral aromas are unmistakable which makes it very drinkable.
Proof (Ale) 5.8% abv
Light in body and color this ale was brewed with the idea that bitterness can in fact be captured without adding hops to the boil. Very generous amounts of hops added post boil and to the hop back results in “Proof” that although the bitterness is mild, it is present and very balanced. A nice and very drinkable beer
Man in Bock-Doppelbock (Lager)
A traditional deep mahogany doppelbock with nice malt, body and light mouth feel on the pallet. Brewed by our wholesale team on Johnny Cash’s birthday. Dare you to “Walk the Line.”
Maibock- (Lager)
Maibocks are the lesser known pale colored Bock brewed to welcome the sunny days of spring. Lighter in color and body then a traditional Bock with a more assertive hop character this Maibock begins with a crisp malty body created with German Pilsen malt and finishes with a clean noble hop character from the Saaz and Tettanger hops.
Full Blown-( IPA ) 9.3% abv
A very hoppy, yet balanced IPA with nice citrus character. Lightly hopped during the boil, but heavily hopped in the whirlpool and dry hopping.
Magnum [(H)oPus] -(Amber Ale) 6% abv
An American Style Amber hopped with 7 American Hop Varieties and 13 hop additions. The hopping schedule creates a multi-dimensional, deliciously complex symphony of hop flavor and aroma that remains balanced and drinkable due to the unique combination of British and American malts.
Helihopter – (Belgian IPA)
Brewed by Doug Odell and the CSU Brewing Science class, this Belgian IPA uses the De Dolle Oro Beir Yeast that our lab captured and propated from a bottle Doug brought back with him on a recent trip to Belgium. Helihopter is heavily hopped with Chinnook, Simcoe during the boil and Dry Hopped with Chinnook and Amarillo to compliment the phenolic characters of the unique De Dolle yeast. Spicy aromatics give way to ripe cantaloupe on the tongue and finishes with soft pepper and tropical fruit hop characteristics. A truly unique beer brewed by an innovative group of brewing students that blends traditional Belgian yeast flavors with an American Craft IPA.
Quick Wit - (Belgian Wheat) 5.4% ABV
This traditional Belgian style wit bier is light and refreshing. It is unfiltered, which gives it its characteristic white color. An original brewed with coriander and orange peel to give a nice citrus zest that is perfectly refreshing.
Vecino – (Dark Lager) 5.5& abv
In celebration of Cinco de Mayo and our featured charities for the month of May-La Familias & Colorado Outdoor Education Center-we brewed “Vecino”, (meaning neighbor en Espaniol) a dark Mexican style lager. It’s an easy drinking ale that has a nice malty/nutty flavor.
Addil-Weissen- (Hefeweizen) 4.8% abv
A light, refreshing, traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen with light banana and clove aromas. Flavor of the beer mostly matches the aroma with hints of bananas and cloves, with bread like characteristics, and some subtle citrus notes. A nice beer to enjoy on a spring or summer day.
Tall Tale - (Brown Ale) 5.5% abv
This ale was brewed by a young boy named Jake and he tamed a giant with this supremely sweet, delectable brown ale- It’s an American Brown brewed with Marrisotter, dark and light crystal, and chocolate malts. The hops used are U.S. Fuggle and English 1st Gold. Fi Fy Fo Fum!
Fish in a Barrel - (Porter) 4.8% abv
Our classic robust porter aged in steamed, toasted oak barrels for 8 months. Toasty, smoke aromas with chocolate, coffee an vanilla flavors for a clean finish.
Wooden Elephant - (IPA) 7.0% abv
Our American style IPA was aged in reused oak barrels. These barrels were used originally for our Woodcut series. We let our IPA age and condition for six months. Discover what different characteristics you get from the oak!
Angel Kisses – (Hoppy Blonde) 5.9% abv
Joined with the Old Chicago staff & the northern Colorado fire departments, Angel Kisses is a brew dedicated for the Angel Faces charity which benefits children who have been injured by fire. Hopped with a combination of Amarillo, Bravo and Simcoe, this beer is bright, light and refreshing.

2010 Colorado Hop Trip!

joe mohrfeld — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:48:21 +0000

This past weekend, in preparation for our upcoming release of Mountain Standard Reserve ’10, A Double Black IPA, we filled a couple Subarus with brewers, beer and camping gear, and set off on a little trip through the hop growing regions of Palisade, Montrose, and Paonia Colorado. With these small artisan farmers growing high quality Organic Hops right here in Colorado, we could not pass up the opportunity to meet the growers, visit their fields, and enjoy some beers with the fine folks who work to produce the ingredients we use to craft our beer. We stopped by a farm we have selected hops from before; Glenn Fuller’s Rising Sun Organic Farms, www.coloradoorganichops.com to see his mature Cascades. We made our way to Montrose to meet with Randy at San Juan Hop Farms, www.sanjuanhopfarms.com, and were very impressed by his beautiful Chinooks. Lastly, we visited the new kid on the block… or rather a new school teacher on the block… Hippie Chicks Organic Hop Farm in Palisade. Julie, with the help of her volunteer Hippie Chicks, is in her first year and is already off to a beautiful start. We were so impressed with her operation that we decided to set up our sleeping bags right in her field and wake up amidst the hops to Palisade’s “Million Dollar Breeze.” We are really looking forward to working with Julie and the Hippie Chicks’ hops in our beers. Check out their story and photos of their “girls” (read: hops) at:

http://hippiechicksorganichops.tumblr.com

And… If you ever find yourself in Palisade, make sure to check out the delicious offerings at Palisade Brewing Co. and Peach Street Distillers… Those Palisade Peaches aren’t bad either. So, after spending the weekend walking through Glenn, Randy, and Julie’s fields of high quality, mature hops we selected beautiful Chinook and Cascade varieties that we contracted from each grower for this and next year. We will be using these hops in our upcoming Mountain Standard Reserve ’10, Double Black IPA. Our motivation with our Mountain Standard Reserve offering is to brew an inspiring beer that uses ingredients from Colorado craft farmers, whenever supplies and quality permit, as well as to support these local craft farmers and ensure the sustainability of hop farms throughout Colorado’s western slope. We had a lot of fun picking these hops and having a beer with these growers, we hop(e) you enjoy our upcoming Double Black IPA which will use these special hops!

Hops, Hops and more Hops!

joe mohrfeld — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:20:27 +0000

We love hops here at Odell Brewing Co. We also love experimenting with how we can add these beautiful little green flowers to our beers to achieve new and previously unobtainable hop flavors and aromas. We have been using whole leaf hops in our hop-back for years. As most people know the hop-back is a traditional English brewing vessel originally used to aid in the clarification of wort by running the post-boil hot wort through a bed of hops on the way to the heat exchange. We re-appropriated the traditional hop-back to serve as a means for adding more finishing hops for our IPA, 5 Barrel Pale Ale, St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale and other special hop-forward releases. So, what are we experimenting with now on our pilot system? How can we fit more hops into our beers through new and unique additions? How about whole flower hops in the mash tun! Our most recent pilot brew, a Double IPA, provides a totally new hop schedule possibility for us, not only with the hop additions in our mash tun, but also with each addition thereafter. If you want to experience a progression in hop flavor and aroma, be sure to stop in the tap room when this beer is tapped. We will announce the tapping of this beer to our fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter, so hop on!

A Glimpse into the Creation of a 2010 Single Serve Release with the OBC Brewers: The First Pilot Brew

joe mohrfeld — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:34:26 +0000

It is exactly why we pilot brew, because sometimes the best laid plans do not always result in what you thought… and because experimentation is a lot of fun! We wrote a recipe for the first pilot brew for our Odell Brewing Co. Strong Belgian Golden that involved a number of ingredients and techniques we personally had little experience with. We were rewarded with a beer much different from beer we “brewed on paper”, but very inspiring to the end goal of the project. Being adventurous and rethinking what has been traditionally accepted about brewing is the reason craft brewers are always progressing while developing new beer styles, brewing techniques, and brewery equipment. Pilot brewing can produce unexpected and delicious results, even if it was not quite what we set out to do!

Belgian Brewers have never played by the rules of style, so it seems a bit ironic to try to emulate a Belgian “Style” of beer. Luckily we are not emulating, but rethinking and brewing what we think a Strong Belgian Golden represents in liquid form. With each step of the process we learn bits about the beer we want to ultimately brew for release as a 750ml Single Serve. Each step, however, can be as, or even more, interesting than the final product. Those fortunate enough to make it in to our tap room and try the pilot brews for this project will be able to taste, smell, and see small nuances each recipe tries to reveal. Nuances that will ultimately make up the whole of the final beer. Derrideans, or any deconstructionists for that matter, rejoice!

The first pilot brew was not without excitement. Due to some minor problems with malt crush due to our mill, (and losing some malt as a result of a malfunctioning diversion tube) our lautering efficiency and simplicity greatly decreased and made for a much longer runoff time and one stuck mash. The brew was otherwise smooth and in the end we achieved the desired pale color. For this beer we imported all of our base malts from the Belgian Maltster, Castle Malting. The Pilsner Malt we use contributed to the dry earthy farmhouse style finish and kept the beer light and pale in color. Being hopheads we naturally added a generous amount of hops throughout the process; First Gold, Tettnanger, Amarillo in the kettle and a hopback full of spicy Saaz. Each hop addition and variety was selected because of its complimentary quality to the yeast characteristic we were desiring. For yeast, we added 3 different strains (2 Belgian and our House) and developed a fermentation schedule to accentuate particular characteristics from each. Although this particular brew is not a Strong Belgian Golden, it is a dangerously drinkable 7% ABV Belgian inspired Pale Ale we like to refer to as De Oogst – “The Harvest.” Van Gogh Painted-We Brew!

Some photos from the first Strong Belgian Golden Pilot Brew:

Op uw gezondheid! – “Cheers!”

Joe Mohrfeld

A Glimpse into the Creation of a 2010 Single Serve release with the OBC Brewers.

joe mohrfeld — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:27:41 +0000

The Single Serve 750ml Series has been fun for us brewers at OBC. Over the past year we have been able to design, develop and brew 5 entirely new beers for 2009. We have also been working on, or have already brewed, numerous beers for release in 2010. We are really excited about developing these new beers and we wanted to let you, the lover of hand-crafted beers, in on the process we go through in developing beers we are excited enough about to serve up to our friends. You can follow our brewers on this Blog as we work on creating and brewing a Strong Belgian Golden for release in a caged and corked 750ml bottle in 2010; from the very first email that started the project, through the various pilot batches, and concluding with the release party in our tasting room.

We are a Brewery of Brewers here at Odell Brewing Co and whenever we come up with a new beer that we release to our friends it is always a collaborative effort here in the brewhouse. For this particular beer, a Strong Belgian Golden, we wanted to give all of you, the lovers of hand-crafted beers, an idea of how we design, develop, and brew our new limited single serve releases. We thought it best to start at the beginning: With the email that began the project.

Over the course of this beer’s development we will post pictures and notes regarding; the pilot brews, creative development meetings, and random insights (including post-imbibing inspired brainstorming sessions) into the creation of an OBC Strong Belgian Golden. We hope you enjoy following us throughout this project on our Blog, Twitter, and Facebook, and we hope that when its ready to be released you will join us in the tasting room for a big Cheers! to the creativity of craft brewing!

The Email as sent:

Subject: Strong Belgian Golden

From: Brendan McGivney

To: Chad Yakobson; Zach Turner; Joe Mohrfeld

Cc: Wynn Odell; Doug Odell; Eric Smith; Joni Deynes

Hello.

As we discussed yesterday, I challenge the three of you to collaborate to create the best Belgian Strong Golden in the world. As a starting point for the project Chad is responsible for brewing a pilot test batch, Zach is responsible for yeast prop and procurement and Joe needs to find some Goldens to sample this Friday afternoon at 4pm.

I encourage you to reach a consensus on all ingredients and processes and make sure you give Phil as much notice as possible to get the ingredients you need.

This beer needs to be unique and distinctive not simply a copy of another good beer. Please reach out to me, Jake, Doug and anyone else for input and advice. Read up, sample, test and prepare to ensure a successful project. You will be asked to present your final beer to the Product Development Team for feedback prior to brewing 100bbls in anticipation of a 2010, Single Serve 750ml bottle release.

Thanks,

Brendan