Extra Farmhouse Ale

This beer is inspired by some of Fermentery Form’s brewers’ favorite French farmhouse ales, but in their case, it is made with a mixed culture. The hopping rate is high for a mixed-fermentation beer, but this makes for a long, graceful maturation in the b

ALL-GRAIN

Batch Brewhouse size: 5 efficiency: gallons (19 liters) 80% OG: 1.056 FG: 1.000 IBUS: 66 ABV: 7.5

MALT/GRAIN BILL

7.08 lb (3.2 kg) Weyermann Pils 2.12 lb (962 g) Weyermann Vienna 2.12 lb (962 g) Weyermann Wheat malt

HOPS SCHEDULE

2.05 oz (58 g) aged Styrian Goldings [2% AA] at 90 minutes 2.86 oz (81 g) Willamette [4.7% AA] at 90 minutes

YEAST

We use a house mixed culture of wild yeast and souring bacteria. In lieu of that, we recommend pitching Wyeast 3711 French Saison, Wyeast 5112 Brett Brux, and a sour blend that includes both Lactobacillus and Pediococcus all at once in primary.

DIRECTIONS

Mash at 148°F (64°C) for 60 minutes. Vorlauf and run off, then sparge with 180°F (82°C) water. Boil for 90 minutes, following the hops schedule. Chill to 68°F (20°C) and aerate the wort thoroughly in the carboy. Pitch the yeast.

We don’t control the fermentation temperature at all, so start at 68°F (20°C) and let it free rise until FG is reached. Then package the beer. It’s usually not totally bright, but it will be very clear in the bottle after a month.

BREWER’S NOTES

The aged hops we use are very old, but anything aged more than 3 years will do. We take the lids off our fermentors during primary, using only a muslin cover to prevent fruit flies from getting into the wort. If you do that, once krausen has fallen, put a lid and airlock on for the remainder of fermentation. Ferment to absolute dryness. This typically takes 3 to 6 weeks. This beer has a robust bitterness and herbaceousness when it’s young, but after about 8 months in the bottle, it mellows and becomes very elegant. Bottles can be kept for several years in good storage conditions.