Brewed Beverage of Choice: A pint of Silver Moon IPA and Bend Brewing Bohemian Pilsner
I am not much of a beer writer. Never was it my intent to spend my waning hours critiquing this ale or that lager; waxing poetically on my brew day. My intent was to allow my mind to flow freely as I rode the commuter train to work, walked the dog around the neighbourhoods of Portland; or merely hung out with friends or as a monk with cold pints (something I am currently doing in my new “home” of Bend, Oregon.) But life changes as if it were an eroding landscape. To follow suit, my writing changes as well.
I was no longer sitting on a train for forty minutes a day as I had been for the three plus years. With a new engagement came the “freedom” of driving to work. With that new freedom came the chaotic world of traffic. My mind did not flow as free as the train, or as free as Monk the piano. It started and stopped mimicking the traffic on 26. And much to my dismay, the grumpiness ensued. Thankfully, our move to Bend has changed all that. I have slowly melted into my new environs. My feet rooting in the ground like the plum tree in our back yard, creating a calmer thought process. With that calm comes Confucian brewing.
My first study or treatise came in the form of a coffee stout. Several weeks ago we were asked to send a brew to a tent making its ceremonial debut at this year’s Oregon Brewers Festival. After much deliberation, my fellow brewer and I decided to send a coffee stout because, after all, the new tent was dubbed the “Buzz Tent.” To tell you the truth, I have made a keg or two of coffee stout with the basic company stout recipe, but never a full batch. A full batch with a specific recipe to complement the coffee was new to me, and like any good Confucian, I began by studying.
After finding out how two or three brewers made their particular coffee beers, I decided that a cold-pressed coffee added to the secondary fermenter was our best option. We had decided on one key method. We had decided on a style. Now before we finalized the recipe, we had to find the coffee. Before you make a recipe, one has to decide the final desired taste…At least that is what chefs have told me as well as brewing books. A good coffee stout must have the beer complementing the coffee. Far too often the coffee takes over and there is no resemblance of beer. It takes, well, like a cup of coffee. If I wanted a cup of Joe, I would order it.
When we initially thought of the coffee stout, my first inclination was to get organic coffee from Strictly Organic Coffee Roaster here in Bend. Think Local. But as luck would have it, I was able to attend Deschutes 21st Anniversary celebration, and on my trip home I stumbled (not literally) upon Lone Pine Coffee Roasters: a small coffee roasting company located conveniently enough a block from the brewery in a non-descript alleyway. How Confucian! Fortunately for me, the roaster/owner was behind the counter batch sampling a roast he was creating. I introduced myself and explained what I was attempting to create and would he be interested in the partnership. Scott Witham, the owner, leapt and the chance and by the following Tuesday handed us a sample of a cold-pressed Sumatran roast.
A word about Scott. He knows his coffee. I have been to cuppings and have done some studying on his trade, but he knows his trade. We discussed what the final desired taste to be. I believed that the best option would be a fruitier roast, something that would stand out in a dark, heavy brew. He knew, instinctively, what I needed, what would be best in such a beer. Ironically, I found a “Confucian” roaster to fulfill the needs of the brew.
With the coffee selected, said Organic Sumatran Roast, it was time to create a recipe. Stouts are not my forte, let me just get that out in the open. My instincts were to pack a lot of malts into the recipe to create a meaty beast of a stout. But after some peaceful mountain rest and some more Confucian-like studying, the signs pointed to a much simpler recipe consisting of three types of malt culminating in the use of a French Kiln Black Malt that contributes a lot of colour but less roastiness than its British counter part. After years of working in this business, I find I like the barley malts from France much more than the U.K. The only thing left was the hop schedule. I left that to my counterpart. He suggested the black currant flavour of the Brewers Gold, and it was the finest choice I must say.
I am satisfied with the final result as were the patrons of the Buzz Tent. It was coffee-ish with a complement of stout. The fruits of the coffee and hops sood out while the malts added the meat. It is a combination of three students of their ingredients, because as a brewer and coffee roaster, our ingredients teach us and NOT vice versa as many macro brewers believe. If you are in Bend, seek out Lone Pine Coffee Roasters. I wish I had the guts to open up a brewpub in such a non-descript location. And while you are here, have a Base Camp Coffee Stout. Another lesson for me in Confucian Brewing.
Prost!
the confucian brewer