Porter Kegged, Cranbic and the chocolate mini batch still waiting...

First let me just say I'm enjoying the sun streaming into the room here on a fine Sunday morning. Coffee, laptop, music and a house that's quiet for the moment. Its cold and crisp out there.

About Friday night. With some 2007 Sly Fox Odyssey on hand (mentioned here and here) and one bottle of Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic, Cranbic, we were gonna do something homebrew related. I just can't have a Friday with nothin' goin' on even as a father of three. Settling in with my paper and slippers doesn't do it for me. The Odyssey is a double ipa with a variety of hops. More than that its a yearly batch that caps off the IPA project at The Sly Fox. (click through above to get more info about the celebration). I didnt make it to The Sly Fox for the event, but, I did spend some $$ a couple weeks ago to get a bottle of the 2007 Odyssey. I'll pry open my wallet again for the 2008 version soon I'm sure. Although I've heard it might not live up to last year. I have to say 2007 was delicious. Just make sure you let it warm up a little in your glass and get one of those snifters or similar to really focus all that hop aroma. Reminds me of my visit to San Diego a while back. Ahhhh...the hops.

Cranbic, copyright Brian H., what can I say? Sam Adams just doesn't do this beer the way I think they should. I'm sure that's why it sells, [shrug] ;-). One thing I can say is that I didn't like it over 10 years ago and I still don't. Just too malty. I'd like this to taste like a Cantillion Cranberry Lambic. Not that they've ever brewed one. Which is all the more reason for me to do it. Del and Mr F. pleaded with me to not go there. "Cranberries are just too overpowering.", or something like that was said...anyway, we'll see. I'm kinda pig headed. Brian put me up to the challenge. Lets blame it on him if it goes horribly wrong.

On to the porter (coffee is running low BTW) kegging. Yep, it was there. We kegged it. Tasted it too. Not bad really. (hold on while I grab an ounce or two from the tap) Ahh...here we go. Color is light for a porter, nose is roasty and dark with some ale fruit overtones, up front the taste is of dark dried fruits, it lingers for a moment and then the wheat malt tangy sweetness confuses me, after that a nice chocolate malt finish. So, I like it, but, that tangy sweetness in the middle kinda hangs around as an aftertaste. No bad, just not sure about it. The special B probably makes this porter. After a couple more sips it really reminds me of some kind of trappist ale. No Belgian yeast here. Might be a good mod for this recipe though :-)

Now the question is still, "What to do with that chocolate mini batch?" A chocolate flavor has its place in this beer. The sweet slight tang might play well with the bitterness in the chocolate. I guess I'll just add the chocolate at bottling time in liquid form. Might mix it with the priming sugar. Always flying by the seat of my pants. Gotta love the adventure in it.

Ounce of homebrew gone, coffee gone, Christmas tree waiting outside and time is sliding away. Catch you later. Take the poll. You've read this far, what's another two seconds ;-)