All Posts in The Evolution

March 2, 2016 - 1 comment.

Introducing: Giggle Splash IPA

 

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Giggle Splash is my first attempt at a highly aromatic American IPA. American IPAs are marked by their bright, citrusy hop aromas, and high bitterness. Giggle Splash sits at around 57 International Bitterness Units (IBU) which is considered moderate according official guidelines. For comparison, Budweiser and Molson Canadian sit at around 10 IBU or so (plus or minus a few units). So yes, it's quite hoppy.

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January 13, 2016 - Comments Off on Eisbock! Ice-Beer! Accident averted!

Eisbock! Ice-Beer! Accident averted!

Well this was an interesting experiment...

eisbock

Eisbock is typically a term given to beers that have been created by freezing off a portion of the beer's water and then discarding it so as to increase its percentage of alcohol and elevate its maltiness. Typically an eisbock (German for ice strong-beer) has an alcohol percentage of around 10% or more. The alcohol levels levels for this beer however were much lower. This beer had a huge problem that needed a solution.

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January 7, 2016 - 2 comments

The Silly Sir Museum Part II

As promised, here is part two of my post which where l explain the brewing and design choices behind the Silly Sir beers and labels. Today we have: Pickle Tournament beer, Vanilla Infused Porter, and our Cranberry Juniper Stout.

It seems every time I mention the words "Pickle Tournament", I am met with looks of utter confusion as people attempt to process what they just heard. The annual Pickle Tournament is exactly as it sounds - a gaming tournament dedicated to upholding the integrity of, and respect for... pickles.

6 of the 24 official competitor badges...

6 of the 24 official competitor badges...

It's great silly times. The third annual Pickle Tournament is slated for late summer 2016, and lucky you: you're invited! Obviously a gaming tournament of this magnitude and as silly as this requires an official sponsor and signature beer. Lo and behold the Pickle Tournament Pale Ale:

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January 5, 2016 - Comments Off on The Silly Sir Museum

The Silly Sir Museum

I'm all about extravagance, indulgence, and over-the-top, unjustifiable ceremony. I think that it can be a lot of fun, and can disarm people. With this in mind I am proud to announce the Silly Sir Museum!...

...just a few from my collection...

...just a few from my collection...

... these brews are displayed in consecutive order from earliest to most recent, and each beer was designed carefully with something special in mind. Starting from the left we have:

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December 22, 2015 - Comments Off on He’s British NOT Australian

He’s British NOT Australian

Back in September I attended a GTA Brewclub meeting at Rainhard Brewing Co. and sampled a ton of fantastic beer. There was one beer in particular that really stood out to me: a Belgian ginger-saison that was brewed by a man whom I had mistakenly assumed was Australian because he had an accent and an an awesome Akubra hat:

Yes, that's him! Yes, the one who looks Australian!

Yes, that's him! Yes, the one who looks Australian!

... so anyways he's British not Australian. I think I was just enamoured by his wicked Aussie-style hat and jean jacket. He's been brewing for over fifteen years, and his beer quality was on a different level. The ginger flavours were fresh and bright, and left a subtle kick as it went down. He explained his process. I listened attentively.

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December 7, 2015 - Comments Off on Silly Sir Sara’s Cider

Silly Sir Sara’s Cider

Well really, this cider has very little to do with Silly Sir because Sara did 90% of the work (although we are a team). She decided to make a cider today using about 10 crushed apples, cinnamon sticks, a whole nutmeg seed, and cloves, as well as a couple oranges and a bit of brown sugar towards the end. "It smelt great!," Sara just said two seconds ago. It only yielded about half a gallon of cider, which was somewhat disappointing. Initially it was just going to be a regular cider, but I suggested we ferment it to give it some punch.

Looks freaking amazing, right?

Looks freaking amazing, right?

True to Silly Sir form, we experimented and messed around without caring too much about the end result because there's so much learning that goes on through experimentation (I'm a scientist at heart). We used a bread yeast rather than an ale yeast which according to research could produce a "bready" cider depending on the brand. Regardless it should flocculate (drop out) nicely, and if we let it clean itself up for a couple weeks, it should taste crisp and clean. I'm excited to see how this tastes.

cidershake