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Brew Q & A: Piña Agria

We caught up with Brewhouse manager, Bill Beymer, to discuss our latest Cellar Series release Piña Agria. Here’s what we learned:

Q: What was the inspiration behind Piña Agria?

A:  Our Resident Engineer, Matt Bailey, dreamed this one up more than two years ago.  He had a feeling the pineapple fruit would work well with the sour brewing process so he put together a recipe.  He first brewed this beer on his home brew system and he realized how well the flavors complement one another.  He then scaled the recipe up and brewed it on our 5 Barrel Pilot System and voila! A new Cellar Series beer was born.

Pina Agria 1

Q:  What are some key flavors you taste in this beer?

A: Pineapple is the first thing you smell when you bring it up to your nose and it mingles harmoniously with the sour lactobacillus and the earthy brettanomyces in the beer.  As your tongue first touches the beer you receive a pleasantly acidic shock to your tastebuds and immediately after you will begin to feel a warming sensation working its way through your entire body.  The pineapple and lactobacillus continue to dance pirouettes on your taste buds as you experience other tropical flavors like guava and passion fruit.  You may also taste the subtle sweet breadiness of the malt as it vies for your attention amidst the pineapple tartness.

pineapple-1456368-1279x959

Q: How was the brewing process for this different from the typical brewing process?

A:  The sour brewing process is not always an easy one to execute, and it can take a long time.  There are always a lot of variables that can make it extremely difficult and it is critical that we keep the entire process isolated and controlled.  The base beer is brewed and initially fermented just like most of our other brews in our brew house.  Once primary fermentation is complete, we introduce a “cocktail” of lactobacillus and pineapple juice and the souring process begins.  This cocktail or sour stock is made up separately from the base beer and we make sure that the acidity and flavor of it is exactly the way we want it.  The sour stock will sometimes be a mix of samples from other barrels that we have aging in our Woodside facility.  In the case of the Pina Agria, it began with a small sample from just one barrel.  While tasting Friek barrels last year, Matt identified one barrel that would be perfect for his original pineapple sour so he collected a small portion of it to use with his homebrew.  Once you have developed your ideal blend, you can add unfermented wort to it and grow it to the volume necessary to sour the entire large batch.  All along the way, you have to maintain proper temperatures to enable the lactobacillus to stay healthy and you have to be vigilant with cleanliness in and around the vessel it is residing in.  Ultimately, the process can take many months and sometimes years to complete but sour beer fans will all agree, it is well worth the wait.

Pina Agria 3

Check our beer finder to find Piña Agria near you!

Frieky Friday

Frieky Friday poster

Here at Odell Brewing Company, we take Halloween pretty seriously. We’re also pretty serious about our beer, and great things happen when the two collide. Enter Frieky Friday.

Friek was first released in 2010, and won a gold medal at Great American Beer Festival in the Wood & Barrel Aged Sour Beer category in 2011. Chalk it up to the extensive brewing process and careful ingredient consideration. First, multiple Kriek Lambic-style ales are fermented with wild yeast and tart cherries, and later moved into oak barrels to age, sour, and take on the cherry flavors. As the beer matures, framboises (raspberries) from Schroyer Family Farms in Fort Collins are handpicked and readied for the beer. The fresh raspberries are added immediately prior to the final blending, and the outcome is a sweet and tart beer that lingers on the tongue.

Friek barrels 7

Friek 1

Friek group

We thought such a special beer deserved its own special party, so we’re throwing a Frieky Friday bash for this year’s brew. Lucky for us, it coincides with the holiday we wait for each year. On Oct. 31, the tap room will release Friek at 11 a.m., along with a few tapped pumpkins filled with Oh My Gourd pumpkin ale and other yet-to-be-revealed pilot brews. Devin James Fry will take the music stage at 4 p.m., and La Piadina Food Truck will have Italian flat bread sandwiches available  for purchase. As usual, costumes are strongly encouraged and the best will be rewarded with tons of OBC gear giveaways. Other spooky surprises may take place throughout the day – it is Frieky Friday, after all!

Costumes 3

Costumes 2

Costumes 1

Brew Q&A: Fifty Niner

Eli 59er

To celebrate our deep Colorado roots, we’re paying homage to the gold rush of 1859 with the July 11th release of our latest Cellar Series beer, Fifty Niner. This Brett Golden Ale is bottle conditioned with 100 percent Brettanomyces—in fact, we used a wild strain of the yeast grown in our lab—and finished in a stainless fermentor filled with oak staves. The process created an ale that is creamy and robust, with hints of vanilla, almond, graham cracker and subtle fruitiness.

Quality Control Manager Eli Kolodny, along with Lab Technician Tony Rau and a plethora of other Odell Brewing folks, put a lot of passion into this project. He chatted with us about the process, in hopes of helping beer enthusiasts better understand what makes this brew a rush of gold on the palette.

Q: What was the inspiration behind Fifty Niner?

A: One of the Woodcut Series beers was aged with Brettanomyces and we really loved the way it turned out, so we wanted to replicate that. This one is the first beer that we’ve 100 percent bottle conditioned with Brettanomyces.

Q: How does the Brett yeast affect the beer?

A: It takes a lot longer in the bottle than our normal conditioning yeast, and it produces almost all of the aroma compounds that you get. All the fruity characteristics and all the fruity aroma compounds are yeast derived. So it’s a defining characteristic of the beer. A lot of our other bottle conditioned beer is just [bottle conditioned] to provide bubbles. This is more about the character of the yeast.

Q: What other unique ingredients did you enjoy working with while brewing Fifty Niner? How did they change the brewing process?

A: We used Belgian Candi sugar and light- and medium-toast oak staves. If you’re a chef, and all you’ve been cooking with is vegetables, but then you throw chicken in there, it’s another whole level of complexity you can develop characteristics with. It’s a completely different color palette.

59er final

Want to learn more about your favorite Odell beer? E-mail us a Brew Q & A request!

A Jaunt in Time

Back in 2012, we threw the most recent rendition of our Small Batch Festival here at Odell. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Small Batch, it was more or less a big ole’ party at the brewery. Akin to your typical backyard afternoon social, but with an extended invitation to the whole neighborhood. As brewers, we supply the brew, and with the goal of offering things that we had squirrelled away a few kegs of here and there. One such brew was “Totes McGoats”, a project that I had the good fortune to work on. It was, to my knowledge, the brewery’s first foray into wine hybrid brewing. We used Riesling grapes from the Western Slope of Colorado, and a blend of staves suspended in a tote added to a wheat based beer. This was the genesis of what would later become Amuste, and returns full circle to you today as Jaunt. The only difference is, we didn’t use a tote, but a stainless fermentor with the staves suspended in it. That, and we played a little with the malt, and stave combination. So it’s not exactly the same, but hey, we are craft brewers after all and as such, are never satisfied. Riesling grape adds a distinct light tree fruit note, as well as a delicate aroma of perfumed honeysuckle and touch of acidity to the finish. The oak staves provide a background balance in the form of light vanilla, almond, and Dr. Pepper-esque characters, with a lingering tannin structure. Sadly we’re not able to bring back Small Batch this year. Hopefully, those of you who were able to attend in 2012 (and those who were not), will get a small taste of what Small Batch was.

Jaunt Label TTB

– A Quality Guy

Eli 59er“01001001 01100110 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 00100000 01110010 01100101 01100001 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00101100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01101101 01111001 00100000 01101011 01101001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01101110 01100101 01110010 01100100 00101110. It’s binary code for, ‘If you can read this, you are my kind of nerd.”  (Eli Kolodny is the QA/QC manager for Odell Brewing). 

They Say Our Footprint Grew Three Sizes That Day

The craft brewing industry is a popular place to be these days. Breweries are opening left and right all across the country. Some with the aspiration to be a national brand, some are content with the brewpub life. In between exist breweries like Odell, known as Regional Craft Breweries. We don’t have a desire to be in every state, but we can get restless at home and have a tendency to wander. As such, opening a new state to bring our beer to is a very big deal. So big in fact, we decided to commemorate it by digging back into the recipe book. What we reached for first, was Footprint.

Originally released in 2012, this 9.6% ABV ale has an ingredient added from each state in our distribution network, aka footprint. Internally, we had been talking about opening another state for years, specifically Texas. Since we completed our brewhouse expansion, allowing us to subsequently launch distribution into Texas, we decided what better way to welcome a new family member than with a beer. It’s kinda our thing. The recipe remains largely unchanged, but with a kiss of grapefruit from our new Southern cousin. Not to mention prickly pear, green chiles, wheat, oak, and a slew of other constituent complexities. Join our wanderlust, and search it out starting April 19th.

Footprint 2014

– A Quality Guy

Eli 59er“01001001 01100110 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 00100000 01110010 01100101 01100001 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00101100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01101101 01111001 00100000 01101011 01101001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01101110 01100101 01110010 01100100 00101110. It’s binary code for, ‘If you can read this, you are my kind of nerd.”  (Eli Kolodny is the QA/QC manager for Odell Brewing). 

Peachy Keen!

The Western Slope of Colorado is the source of many a bountiful harvest. The unique geography and soil provide for the perfect fruit growing seasons. If you’re from Colorado you know the year isn’t complete until you have a Palisade Peach. Palisade is a tiny town in the heart of the Western Slope’s agricultural scene. They love peaches. We love hops. When they come together it’s a beautiful thing. Tree Shaker is our attempt to bring a little of that Colorado love to our loyal fans. We dropped some Rakau hops that were chosen from New Zealand into the whirlpool, which naturally lend a peach character to the beer. With Amarillo and Crystal hops bringing a touch of citrus to the nose, this beer introduces a bit of peach jam from a 6,000 pound peach addition that is quickly cleared by an assertive bitterness that one would expect from an Imperial IPA. The perfect companion for a warm Colorado spring day.

Odell Brewing will celebrate the release of Tree Shaker this Saturday, April 6th with a party in the Tap Room. Guests can try the brew and  enjoy live music by Hectic Hobo as well as tasty eats from Common Link.

– A Quality Guy

“01001001 01100110 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 00100000 01110010 01100101 01100001 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00101100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01101101 01111001 00100000 01101011 01101001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01101110 01100101 01110010 01100100 00101110. It’s binary code for, ‘If you can read this, you are my kind of nerd.”  (Eli Kolodny is the QA/QC manager for Odell Brewing). 

 

 

Finally, Amuste is born!

After spending so much time working on the beer, it’s a bit overwhelming to hold this bottle in my hand. Hear me out on this, but I imagine it’s a bit like seeing your first child born. You know the baby is coming, you go to all these doctor visits, breathing classes, read up on countless books, take advice from friends and family. You start to feel like you have some sort of innate knowledge of what to expect. Then when it actually happens, your mind gets turned to mush and your heart melts. Everything you thought you know gets blown out of the water. You fail to care if you’re living a cliche, because your life is forever changed by the beauty and simplicity of it all.

There is a little bit of ourselves in every beer we make. We are a family here, and it isn’t much of a stretch to say that we think of the beers we make as our children. It is my sincere hope that you, constant blog reader, enjoy in whatever way works for you this latest addition to our ever growing family. Chocolate and roast greet you on the nose, with hints of juicy grape, cherry, and plums. The body is down right curvaceous, and slips into the tannic nature of the barrels as the dry wine finish lingers just long enough to keep you thirsty. Letting the beer warm rewards you with more of the nougat and almond nature of the barrels. Amuste will pair well with strong peppered meat, and nutty cheeses. Experiment with pairings as a red wine substitute. Amuste is 9.3% ABV and will be available within our 10 state distribution network. For those around Fort Collins, a release party is on for tomorrow in the Tap Room from 4-6pm.

 

Eli 59er– A Quality Guy

“01001001 01100110 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 00100000 01110010 01100101 01100001 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00101100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01101101 01111001 00100000 01101011 01101001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01101110 01100101 01110010 01100100 00101110. It’s binary code for, ‘If you can read this, you are my kind of nerd.”  (Eli Kolodny is the QA/QC manager for Odell Brewing). 

 

A New Hope (or “The streets will run red with the juice of our grapes”)

They say it takes a lot of good beer to make great wine. After two years of research and development, I can honestly say that the opposite holds just as true. Right in the middle of the two is a beautiful Venn diagram of deliciousness. Odell Brewing Company is very fortunate to have been founded in a progressive agricultural haven. We have access to a wide array of farm and ranch products within the state itself. Below is the movement of some very special Colorado grown free run grape juice into a wine press, and the subsequent pressing of said juice. Expect more updates as things progress into the realm of amazingness.

– A Quality Guy

    

 

   

Melding the Meddler

Seen as a just another arrow in the cure all quiver for bad brewing practices, blending has gotten a bad rap. This is most unfortunate, as blending was oft the saving grace for many a small brewer and vintner alike. There is a roundness to beer, a balance that we as brewers and beer drinkers alike yearn for. Some beers can achieve this right out of the fermentor, but certain styles demand a softer touch. After over a year of barrel aging, we finally have hammered out the kinks in our attempt at a traditional Oud Bruin. Burgundy hued, with sweet caramel up front that fades to clean tartness. Hints of dark fruits linger well after the initial sip, supported by the cinnamon and coconut tannic structure. It’s like a trip to the Flemish region of Belgium, without the hassle from the TSA.

A Quality Guy

FernetPorter Label 1

Shenanigans baby – yeah!

Trial and error = #EpicWIN

We like to have fun experimenting on our Pilot Brewing playground… Like, a lot. So much so that we consider play one of our secret ingredients. Enter Shenanigans, a beer that was never meant to be. We were working on a Woodcut project, and a few barrels weren’t exactly what we were looking for. They were still awfully yummy, so we inoculated them with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It was about that time when things went deliciously wrong. Pineapple juice married with spicy phenols emerge first from the glass. Followed by the full malt body of a 9.1% crimson ale, and rounding out the tail end the oak tannins battle for supremacy with the tart finish provided by just a dash of lactobacillus. Try a bottle for yourself and savor the complexity and subtle nuances of our brewery shenanigans. (Join us Saturday, March 24th for the Tap Room Release Party!)

– A Quality Guy

We Love Beer & Food (our recent co-worker beer dinner)

A couple of weeks ago, our tap room co-worker Ryan, a culinary mastermind, graciously offered to cook for us. Over two nights, we gathered to dine on the locally sourced cuisine paired with a variety of Odell Brewing beers. Denver Off The Wagon beer writer extraordinaire, Jess Hunter, joined us the first evening, and described the night beautifully. Check out her full story.

Ryan was also kind enough to share his recipes. Enjoy!

Seared scallop with orange mango butter sauce paired with Hiverrano New American Wild Ale:Scallop

Juice 2/3 mango to 1/3 orange, blend, and strain using a sifter.

Add about a half cup of white wine

Add 1/4 cup of water

Salt to taste

Warm liquid on stove top

When warm add 1 to 1 and a half TBS of flower whisking it in until sauce is thick.

Remove from heat

Add softened butter slowly while whisking constantly until sauce taste rich yet still tart and fruitful.

Sear scallop

Top with sauce and fine chopped chives.

MoucoHoney glazed apple bruschetta paired with Myrcenary Double IPA:

Cut Golden delicious apples into thin slices

Cut baguette into small diagonal half inch thick slices

Zest one orange

Mix honey with just a little orange juice

Cut MouCo Camembert cheese or brie into 1/4 inch thick slices

Spread apples on bake tray and brush them with honey mixture

Set oven at 350 put apples in for about 3-4 minutes

Put bread in oven about 3 minutes

Place apples on top of bread and cheese on top of apples bake until cheese is soft and just a little melted

Top with small pinch of orange zest

Colorado rack of lamb, wild rice, with Cutthroat porter Demi-glace sauce, shiitake mushrooms and a fresh vegetable medley paired with Bourbon Barrel Stout:Lamb

Demi-Glace:

Roast about seven beef bones, two cut in half onions and three carrots on a greased pan in the oven at 350 for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours

Remove from oven and put ingredients in a stock pot

Put Bake try on stove top burner and de-glace with Cutthroat porter

Let simmer on pan for 5 minutes while scraping the bottom of pan to get all the nice gristle to rise

Pour into stock pan

Add Cutthroat porter to stock pan until vegetables are covered simmer for 3 – 4 hours stirring every so often. If liquid drops past vegetables just add more beer or some beef stock

Pour through strainer into another stock pot let simmer and reduce for 2 – 3 hours or until slightly thick

Cool in fridge

After cooled remove fat that rose to the top with ladle

Rack of lamb:

Finley dice fresh rosemary

Spread fresh rosemary, pepper, and sea salt on both sides of lamb

Sear to about 100 and cool

Wild rice:

Saute about two scallions

Mix scallions with water before adding rice

Salt to taste

Cook covered until soft

Put racks in oven until they temp at 140 let rest 5 minutes

Warm butter untill just nutty, add brown sugar. Saute onion, yellow squash and green squash until soft

Saute diced mushrooms

Reduce demi glace in saute pan until thick

Cut rack place on top of rice, spoon sauce on lamb, place diced shiitake on lamb, and place vegetables on side of dish

Intermezzo:

1/4 Gallon Easy Street Wheat

1/8 Gallon water

1/4 cup sugar

3 lemons

Put Easy Street and water into a pot and bring to a slight roll. Add three lemons worth of zest and one and a half juiced lemons. Let this cook until carbonation is gone. When carbonation is gone add sugar to taste. Strain liquid into baking tray and put in freezer combing with a fork about every two hours to form crystals.

FriekDessertSheep Ricotta cheesecake with hazelnut crust and a pomegranate raspberry tart sauce with Friek:

Good luck finding sheep ricotta, so any cheesecake you make will do

4 Pomegranates

1/2 bag organic raspberry’s

1/8 cup sugar

Put all pomegranate seeds and juice into a blender with raspberry’s and blend them smooth. Strain juice through sifter into a pot. Warm sauce and add sugar whisking constantly until sugar is melted. Cool sauce.