ICSP/Marche 2017 Beer Tasting - DAT HAZE CRAZE

RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
edited March 2017 in Events

Aw jeah

In the last few years, a trend originating in Vermont and the surrounding region has slowly began to sweep across the nation. These so-called New England-style pale ales and IPAs offer a distinct twist on the style, providing much of the big hop flavors of West Coast IPAs without the intense bitterness, and tending towards Midwest IPA malt levels for balance and body. In addition, techniques to create a hazy, opaque look (derided by unknowledgeable brewers and beer drinkers as lazy) help suspend volatile hop oils and resins in the beer for greater hop flavor. The intense citrus and tropical notes from the hops used leads many to compare these to drinking a glass or orange or pineapple juice.

At this tasting we'll be trying an assortment of these beers along with a few classics which aren't technically in the category but are notable for similar flavor profiles or hop usage.

I'd like to keep this tasting to about 7 other folks but can go up to 9 if needed. Cost will be about $15-20 or so.

I'm thinking Sunday around 5-6pm is going to be the best option overall, so I'm gonna call that timeslot out. Plan your Sunday Nain Daydrinking accordingly.

Please post your 'in' here.

  1. RyanMM
  2. Prag
  3. Linc
  4. Garg
  5. Cola
  6. Aaron
  7. xxx
  8. xxx
WagsFTWTushon

Comments

  • pragtasticpragtastic Alexandria, VA Icrontian

    Oh hey, I drink beer.

    RyanMM
  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian

    In. Whenevs.

    RyanMM
  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian

    I am sure @cola and @Gargoyle are in too, they just are still in kitchen coffee mode.

    RyanMM
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian

    In!

    RyanMM
  • colacola part legend, part devil... all man Balls deep Icrontian

    Confirmed in

    RyanMM
  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian

    Aaron is in.

    RyanMM
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian

    Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.

    Garg
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian

    @UPSLynx said:
    Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.

    Skipping Icrontic events: ALWAYS a bad decision. ;)

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian

    @UPSLynx said:
    Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.

    You played yourself.

    RyanMM
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian

    It had better be platinum-level, Bobby.

    RyanMM
  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian

    If Ryder is still here at that time, he'll be in. Benson is noncommittal. No word from the rest.

    RyanMM
  • DontCallMeKelsoDontCallMeKelso Kelso 'The Great Asshole' San Jose, CA Icrontian

    Wish I could In, but I'm pretty sure I have all the beers

    RyanMM
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian

    @Linc said:
    If Ryder is still here at that time, he'll be in. Benson is noncommittal. No word from the rest.

    Tell @RyanFodder to Icrontian up and commit.

  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian

    I had mentioned to @Gargoyle a good explanation of the haze that was provided by the guy who brews M43, here's his words (the group on FB this was posted in was private, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind it being shared here):

    I can jump in here and recap the comments Matthew is referencing: The style utilizes hops very late in the brew, and in dry hop during and sometimes after fermentation, as everybody knows. There is haze from that, as the active stuff we're looking for from the hops all come packaged in oil. That haze, while real, is academic to the kind of haze most folks expect with these beers. For Old Nation, we use whole wheat and oat malts and grain, ground right with the barley malt (albeit with a bit tighter gap) and mashed in at the same time. We find that the protein and lipids from those grains bond with the more acidic hop oils to create the semi permanent haze we have in the M43 and Boxer at varying levels respective to overall use of each. Each thing (hop oils and grain lipids) will cause some haze. The bonding that seems to happen between them creates a haze that's greater than the sum of its parts, in short. It's also true that Central European wheat beer brewers, and Belgians in particular, have been adding wheat flour to the boil in order to "fool" drinkers into believing that beer is fresher than it is for a long time. I'm sure that folks do it for this style, too, and the pectin/fruit puree seems like a logical choice as well. For me adding flour - although presenting a short term benefit if a visual result is desired- risks too many conversion, refermentation and non-biological issues downstream, and doesn't seem necessary. I think fruit puree could make sense, if viewed in the context of stretching the style a bit. For me, ON and others have really just started experimenting what the possibilities are just using a grain bill that reflects the softness of the "style", water chemistry, bioconversion/biotransformation of hop oils vs. straight dry hop, and a bunch of other necessary stuff before we can say we've totally nailed it with a straight face. I think we've gotten very close but, thankfully, there are breweries out there like Trillium who are pushing themselves constantly and have a huge amount of variants of the style under their belts to take inspiration from, as we do from great brewers of any style or type. We love this process here and, even though I said I'd never brew an IPA again if I didn't have to, I'm happy to be exploring it. It's a technically challenging style if one doesn't take shortcuts and we're just now finishing the complete scale up to 80 bbl batches on the M43. If we run out of ideas with the dozens of appropriate hop varieties and infinite number of hop/malt variations possible within this style of beer making, I'm sure we'll be next in line to add juice. Flour would still bug me, though. Hope that wasn't too long a response, I just like talking about this stuff!

    He also put up a great post he called a "fireside chat" explaining their process in developing and bringing this beer to market. This kind of transparency from a brewery is refreshing considering how many don't give any insight into their operation normally.

    Garg
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian

    Awesome info and tasting, thanks @RyanMM!

    @RyanMM said:

    I think the general consensus with these beers fell into 3 groupings (correct me if I'm wrong, tasters!):

    Tough to call a clear winner, top 3 contenders
    Juice is Loose, Swish, M43

    Statistically tied for second:
    Double Dry Hopped Melcher Street, Bright, This Guy

    Pulling up the rear but still good beers:
    Stormy, Nawt a Cawp, Crusher

    Thanks to everyone who joined in!

    That's pretty close for me, but I'd probably promote the Double Dry Hopped Melcher Street into my top tier, and promote Stormy to second tier for that unique floral character.

    The three I'm going to be on the lookout for are the D.D.H. Melcher Street, Juice is Loose, and Stormy. I'll be in Boston next week, and I might hit the checked bag weight limit due to Melcher Street. :cheers:

  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian

    I'd ad to that that the Yeast used plays a big part on the flavor and appearance of the style. Many brewers/homebrewers shooting for this style tend to use a low flocculating yeast strain as more of the yeast cells will stay in suspension post fermentation. They lend their own flavor profile to the beer and give the hop oils another "thing" to hang on to in suspension that can lend to that juicy hop flavor profile you are looking for.

    GHoosdumRyanMMGarg
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