Since moving here, I've been hampered in the kinds of brews I can make because most beers need to ferment somewhere between 40 and 65F, but I don't have a cool basement, and haven't had the funds to acquire a large fridge that I can temp tune specifically for beer fermentation. I use a small storage space to ferment my beer in, as it generally stays a steady temperature (we keep the A/C on much of the time), but that temperature is usually 70-73F, so I've had to make some adjustments.
Back in March, I brewed Taihei Ale, a recipe I designed for fermenting in Hawaii's warmer climate. Taihei takes it's name from the Japanese word for the Pacific Ocean, named because many of the ingredients were sourced from around the Pacific Rim (Hops from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan), and brewed right smack in the middle, here in Hawaii.
The beer finished in May, and despite my predictions that it would be too light, or might have fermented at too unstable a temperature, it turned out to be rather tasty, and was very popular with the neighbors. They keep asking when I'm going to brew again, so I'm going to go ahead and do it!
This time of year, temps are a little more stable, and tend to be in the mid-upper 70's during the day, so I should have a bit of an easier time keeping temps steady. Taihei wasn't incredibly expensive, either, so it will be easier for me to start this one.
However, I don't want to be stuck brewing the same kind of beer all the time, so I've been scouring the web for more ideas for high-temp fermenting brews. One that's stuck is the Belgian Trappist Ale, brewed by Trappist monks for around three centuries. Like many Belgians, these are designed to tolerate -- or even thrive in -- warmer temperatures, so I'm gonna give these a whirl. One big thing though, is that they need to age. Possibly a year or longer! So this will be a long-term project. Meanwhile, I'll still have Taihei, and whatever else I can think up -- maybe a stout or two. But I'm really excited about this opportunity to brew another age-able beer!
Not only does the beer sound amazing (oh, and they're real tasty too!), I love the story behind it. Trappist monks historically brewed their beers to help provide food and drink to both themselves, and the local community. Like most monasteries, they are non-profit, charitable organizations. A few years ago, as the Trappist style became popular in the west, craft brewers started using their name on their own beers, so the remaining Trappist monasteries formed the International Trappists Alliance (ITA) to protect their brand and ensure quality on anything labeled, "Trappist." True Trappist beer must be brewed in a Trappist monastery, and be subject to specific quality regulations. But this wasn't just a protectionist move: the rules also stipulate that all funds from sale of Trappist beer, in excess of that required to actually produce, distribute, and sell it, must go to charitable causes.
One of the most popular Trappist brewers out there, Chimay, brings in over $50 million a year, nearly 100% of which goes to local charities.
My beer doesn't go to charity. Of course, I also give it away anyway (that which I don't drink myself). But I'm really excited to make a beer style with such a benevolent tradition behind it.
So, back to the beer itself.
Again, the top reason I'm looking at a Trappist style ale is because it can ferment in the 70s. But being delicious also helps. The ingredients are pretty simple, but there's a key difference that helps the beer to stand out among other Belgians and warm-fermenters: candi sugar. I found out how to make it here and its insanely easy. Armed with that, the rest of the beer can be made simply with Pilsen malt, aromatic malt, a couple types of hops, and some Belgian style yeast. (This yeast is a little more expensive than the normal stuff, but is the key to warm-temp fermentation). I love simple; fewer ingredients cost less, and there's less opportunity for error.
Taihei will be the next batch, but after that gets good and going, I'll probably start on the Trappist ale and see where that goes. Updates to come!
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