urban trappist brewery

image of kissed leaf found somewhere on the internet

Biography

In a monochromatic rut (or maybe Who Dey fever), I dreamed up another orange beer, still wilder than Ichabod's Headless Autumn Ale. All previous beers had come from barley/wheat. Though I couldn't break out of my color constraints, I was able to be released from the prison of grains, deriving a fair portion of this mash from sweet potatoes. Being a nanobrew (read; 1 gallon batch), I could also afford to use an amount of maple syrup that actually shone through the final product.

Creation

Transforming tubers into sugar is very different from grains, so I wasn't entirely sure how to treat the yams. First time I shredded/sliced them and just let them boil away with everything else. Second time I baked them, which seemed to yield a greater yam flavor. Brewing a small amount is very, very manageable, and this was quite a clean session.

Stats - Version 2

Style: Yam Mash
Base Grain: Maris Otter
Adjunct Grains: Brown Malt, Victory, Aromatic, Carapils, Melanoidin
Adjunct Starch: Sweet Potato, pre-baked
Hops: Hallertau
Curious Additives: Mace, Cinnamon Stick, Ginger, Coconut, Cloves, Maple Syrup
Yeast: WLP 007 - Dry English Ale
OG: 1.060 / FG: 1.012
ABV: 6.3%
Color: Creamsicle
Head: TBD
Flavors: More maple. Greater amount of syrup really came through this time, both in direct flavor and lingering aftertaste. Also, alcohol burn, as syrup really ferments hot. The starch from the yams really shows up, too, which might not be to your taste. Or mine. Slightly reminiscent of the Pumpkintoberfest debacle, but actually drinkable.

Stats - Version 1

Style: Yam Mash
Base Grain: Maris Otter
Adjunct Grains: Rye Malt, Victory, Aromatic
Adjunct Starch: Sweet Potato
Hops: Perle, Northern Brewer
Curious Additives: Mace, Coriander Seed, Vanilla Bean, Cloves, Maple Syrup
Yeast: WLP 001 - California Ale
Special Processes: Extra Maple Syrup poured into the fermenter after about a week to incite secondary fermentation.
OG: 1.062 / FG: 1.???
ABV: Enough
Color: Bronze
Head: N/A
Flavors: Maple. The spices showed up, but very subtly, which was a nice change. The sweet potato lent a certain fullness of body (also from the rye) and a perfectly earthy complement to the ethereally sweet pure Vermont Maple Syrup.