Wood-aging can be a fickle friend. From our experiments with oak barrels, we know that the subtle play of oak tones ranging from sweet vanilla or caramel notes to mild spiciness of clove or cinnamon to woody aromas and flavors can add dimension and complexity to our ales in a pretty satisfying way. Still, the long amount of time it takes to achieve these flavors from aging in a full barrel sometimes means the compromise of fresher flavors of the hops or malt. Also, our barrels, all former bourbon/wine/brandy barrels, have other flavor components that come into play besides the pure oak.
So, in an effort to see what a little straight oak tones can give to our fresh beers, we recently began experimenting with oak wood chips. Wood chips are small pieces of wood (in our case oak), usually about 2 inches long that have been toasted to varying degrees (untoasted, light, medium, and heavy) to achieve different flavor components. Chips with their greater surface area are able to infuse beers with oak flavors more quickly than barrels, which for us means we can get the oak flavor without losing some of the fresher flavors of our beers.
Brian began by taking growlers of a range of our fresh beers, taken anytime between when the beers had just finished and were conditioning to the point when they were ready to package. “I ran the gamut really: Denog, Barleywine, IPA, Red Eye, Drakonic, Dry Stout, and even a little Hefeweizen,” he said.
He then added a different type of oak-chip to each growler and left them to mellow. Generally Brian said, he likes to taste the beers at 1 week, 2 weeks, up to a month. So, yesterday, at about the 2 week mark of this round of tests, we gathered a seven person panel inside the Barrel House to try what we had.
Overall we came to learn that just a little bit of oak can go a long way. In some of our trials the oak did impart nice flavors but it overpowered the beer, leading us to think that maybe larger chip sizes in smaller amounts could be better. Some of our conclusions were expected—the Drakonic Imperial Stout did well with a hint of oak. Others were unexpected— who knew the Hefeweizen might taste pretty good with a very small dose of heavy toasted oak chips?
Our brewer Alex, noted how she particularly liked how the oak could be used for hoppy beers. “With wood chips, you can retain some of the bitterness and fresh hop character that falls away in the barrels.”
These fresh, oaked beers, Brian explained, could also be use to blend with some barrel-aged beers to further add complexity and freshness. But, he qualifies, “This is Step 1.” There are still many more iterations to come with this process as we work to discover exactly what method, which combinations of chips and ales, and possible what blending options will give us something truly of uncommon deliciousness.
For a more detailed review of oak-aging in general, this article sums things up pretty nicely. –> Using Oak in Beer
We’re guessing at least a few of you out there have met Doug Ashcraft. As an avid homebrewer and certified BJCP judge, Doug has been a staple of the Bay Area beer and homebrewing for a long long time.
Well, in late November, we were lucky enough to bring Doug into the Drake’s fray as our sales rep for the North Bay and Sacramento, and his knowledge of the area’s beer scene and well-honed palette have definitely helped us bring up our game.
Still, even as Doug now traverses from Sacramento to Santa Rosa and back to San Leandro on a normal basis, he still finds the time to get his own brewing in. A few weeks ago, Doug dropped off a couple bottles of his Belgian Golden Strong ale at the brewery for Brian and the rest of the brewers to try, and needless to say, it was a resounding hit.
Sooo… We decided to make some more.
Brian worked with Doug to scale up the recipe for our tanks, and this past Saturday they mounted the brew deck and made it happen.
According to Brian and Doug the beer, the B.D. Golden Peril as they call it, will be hugely effervescent champagne-like ale with touches of spice and peach esters from its Belgian golden strong yeast strain hailing from Brasserie d’ Achouffe in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes. Noble hops, Saaz and German Spalt, will accent the beer with a spicy, earthy character, and the finish will be dry with a pleasantly, lingering floral undertones. Golden, aromatic, delicious, and as the name suggests, perilous at an expected 9% ABV.
Brian already has a few barrels set aside for some of this batch for aging, but the limited release of the young version will be making an appearance likely by the end of this glorious beer month. Can’t wait to try it. Cheers.
An air of excitement hung in the air as the sun rose in San Leandro on Saturday. Cases and kegs of our Hopocalypse Double IPA and Hopocalypse Black Label Triple IPA sat in the cold box waiting for thirsty craft beer fans to arrive and get the first taste of the hoppy-goodness and grab a few bottles for home.
At 8:20 am the first folks arrived to start the line which by the time the doors opened at 10 am had stretched back into our parking lot and started to curve toward the brewery.
At 9:55, the whole crew gathered inside the Barrel House for a celebratory toast of Hopocalypse to start the day, and at 10am sharp the doors opened unleashing a wave of hop-heads anxious to get their first sips and take home 22 oz bombers, growlers, and Brew Rhino kegs of the Hopocalypse Double IPA and the limited release 22 oz bombers of the Hopocalypse Black Label TIPA.
From 10am until 8pm the crowd at the bar never really died down with hop-heads from all over the Bay Area and beyond gathering across the width of our 30 ft. bar to get their Hopocalypse fix. Delicious smells of smoked ribs and tri-tip from Bourbon Bros. BBQ wafted over the patio all day long as folks casually relaxed sipping on both levels of the Hopocalypse or sampling one of the other 22 taps of our beers available in the Barrel House. Brewery tours ran throughout the day giving folks a chance to get a look inside the brewery itself and taste a bit of our next batch of the Hopocalypse DIPA straight from the tank.
The Hopocalypse kegs to-go were the first to go out the door, but do not fret. We will be getting more with each new batch of the Hopocalypse DIPA to come out. So, if you missed your chance Saturday, there will be a few more Brew Rhinos coming. Unfortunately, however, that’s not the case with the Black Label bombers that sold out of our entire supply of roughly 700-800 bottles on Saturday by around 5:30 or 6pm. If you missed your chance to grab a bottle for home, the Black Label will stay on tap here at the Barrel House for a brief while longer, so come on down sometime this week or next to indulge in the latest huge hoppy monster we’ve created.
Live Music got going around 2pm, starting off easy with a low-key acoustic duo and finishing the night with local band Rough Waters who rocked out the Barrel House until the bitter end inspiring some to break out their dancin’ shoes and celebrate the day. Fists of Flour pizza came by round 6 with their killer wood-fired pizza to satiate the dinner crowd and teach us all once again that craft beer and great pizza really were meant to be together.
As the final glass was poured at the end of the day the whole crew heaved a deeply satisfied sigh at the success of the day. We had a tremendous day that exceeded all of our expectations all due to our awesome fans that showed up in force to support and have a great time in the process.
To everyone that made it out, Cheers to you. It’s the craft beer fans out there that make it all possible, and ours are among the best. Can’t wait to see you all next week for SF Beer Week, and really can’t wait for next year’s release.
Ever wonder what we do, when we’re not brewing beer? Well, sometimes we bowl. The whole crew hit the lanes last night and enjoyed some good laughs, good competition, and, of course, a few cold brews.
One particularly interesting moment was a bowl-off between brewers, John Gillooly and Kyle Wilson. Both had managed to wipe out all their pins with the exception of the number 10. Deciding to tackle their mutual foes together, each brewer lined up their shots and let ‘em fly in unison.
They watched in suspense as the balls rolled down the lane- John upright and watchful, and Kyle bent down attempting to Jedi mind trick the ball toward the errant pin.
We can’t tell you whether you need to worry about the Apocalypse in 2012, but we can say definitively that the Hopocalypse is imminent. Clear room in your fridge; designate your driver; and prepare your tastebuds. On Saturday, Feb. 4th, the End is Beer.
Yes, the Hopocalypse hit the tanks today. Jeff stirred the mash of batch number two as Chris gleefully added the last of four massive hits of hops to the batch number one, and the whole brewery buzzed with an energy that comes from brewing this beer.
This seasonal orange beast boasts a hop arsenal of Magnum, Chinook, Simcoe, Citra, and CTZ and a three-hop dry-hop that will convert all who drink it into hop-heads and send its devotees into the beer rapture with its tantalizing, heady aroma and crisp slap of citrus and pine… Alright, so maybe we’re waxing poetic a little… we get that way about this beer.
The Hopocalypse is one of our favorite brews each year, and this year’s batch will the biggest yet. We are set to brew more of the Hopocalypse than ever before, and for the first time we have brewed what we have christened the Hopocalypse Black Label- a Triple IPA at 12.5% ABV with huge amounts of 5 different hops that will be available on draft and in a limited release of 22oz bottles only at Drake’s Barrel House.
Alex brewed the Black Label just before the New Year filling the mash tun to the hilt, but only filling the boil kettle two-thirds full to reach the level of Plato needed to hit the 12.5% ABV mark. Now the Black Label is tucked safely in its fermenter where it will be for the next month slowly transforming into a dangerously, delicious beer.
The Hopocalypse and the Black Label will burst forth from the brewery with force February 4 to greet all you patiently waiting hop-heads with a special all day release at Drake’s Barrel House. Mark your calendar. The Hopocalypse approaches.
Our boil kettle, old faithful, the lady of San Leandro, the keeper of the Drake’s hoppy place, has been churning out 15 barrel batches of excellent beer here for over twenty years, and she’s tired. She’s ready to head to the land of long-loved brewing equipment.
We have her replacement standing in the wings. He’s warmed up and ready with 20 barrels of boil capacity and raring to take his turn at the helm of the Drake’s brewhouse. There is only one problem.
There’s no room for him… yet.
Our solution? We are moving some of fermenters out of the way. Today, five 20 barrel tanks will be migrating just next door into our new cellar-room to join those 60 barrel beauties that arrived at the end of September.
There are still several more fermentors that need to move to make room, but by the end of today we will be one step closer to retiring our old kettle and bringing in the big dog.
Slowly but surely making space.
The Gist: Tank Moving= More Space = New Boil Kettle = More Beer. It’s a Festivus miracle. Cheers.
We’re always keeping busy round here, even when we aren’t technically brewing. “What? Not brewing? But… Why??” you ask? Well, turns out our landlords had some flooding/busted water line issues that needed some attention. They have worked through the night to fix it but it still left us with out water all morning. Such is life. Hopefully we’ll get our brew of the day started before long.
Still, it’s not like we don’t have plenty to keep us busy.
Chris has been working on tank preparation/cleaning, Kyle’s filling kegs, and Jesse and Alex are moving tank components for a big fermenter migration tomorrow. Btw, Alex is sporting one of our new hoodies (just in yesterday and available at the Barrel House along with some other new things).
Also, last night Brian spent a healthy amount of time (likely longer than normal given that he only has one hand right now) filling a variety of barrels with a Belgian Ale he has dubbed Pantry Raid, which is somewhat similar to a Belgian Dubbel. We’ve had great luck with our Belgians in the barrel with successes like Brette Davis Eyes and Amy “Beer-in-Wine” House, which were both Belgian blonde’s aged in wine barrels (Merlot and Chardonnay respectively). Brian filled several different kinds of barrels including Brandy, Chardonnay, Merlot and Port with the Pantry Raid, so with time we will get to see how this Belgian beauty takes to the barrel too.
Somethings different in the brewery these days… Perhaps it’s because where Alex normally stands on the brew deck there is a tall, long haired tattooed fellow manning the mashtun, though he does seem vaguely familiar. It’s George Kumparak from Triple Rock, down here to get a lil training on the bigger system here at Drake’s for a few weeks.
So, where’s Alex?
At Triple Rock of course- hanging with Rodger and brewing some Triple Rock favorites including Tree Frog and Reindeer Ale behind the glass wall at the Berkeley brew pub.
Why the switching you ask?
Why not?
Just thought it may be high time for brewers on both sides of our brewing family to learn the ins and outs of both systems, and needless to say they seem to be enjoying the change of pace.
“I’ve brewed here once before, just after I moved down here from Chico but I’d never worked on a system like this before;” said Alex, “It’s good to be back when I know what I’m doing.”
George, generally the quiet type, didn’t have much to add, but he said he’s enjoying the warehouse atmosphere compared to the fishbowl brewing experience in Berkeley.
Still, in a couple weeks our lady of the brewhouse will be back here in San Leandro and George will get back to business at Triple Rock, each with a little more brewing knowledge in tow.
Just over a year ago Kyle Wilson made his way across San Francisco, over the Bay Bridge, down the East Bay to San Leandro, across the Westgate parking lot and up to the brewery door here at Drake’s to ask a question. Do you guys need any help around here?
He managed talk with a few people round here including our brewer Alex and Rodger Davis (of Triple Rock) and to needless to say they seemed to like the look of him.
A couple weeks later, Kyle was on the floor in the brewery, and now a year later it’s hard to imagine the place without him… which might be because quite often he fills the joint with loud renditions of classic rock tunes and oldies favorites while graining out. It’s quiet on his days off…
But sweet melodies aren’t the only thing Kyle has brought us this year. After learning the ropes as a Cellarman, manning the bottling line, cleaning and racking kegs, and driving the forklift like a pro, Kyle got a chance to create and brew his own recipe this August for our seasonal Festbier offering. Kyle’s Festbier, which became the Drake’s HausFest Festbier was a big hit round here- a lighter style Marzen lager with a smooth caramel malt character and dry mild hop finish which fit perfectly into our Oktoberfest spirit.
So, what do people round here say about Kyle?
Jeff Kimpe, Brewer, “He’s the little brother I’ve always wanted.”
Dow Tunis, Sales Manager, “I’ve admired Kyle’s taste ever since he started bringing in Fatted Calf Sandwiches for lunch… but he’s still never brought me one.”
Kyle Somers, Cellerman, “He has an awesome name.”
Erin Dooley, DBH Bartender, “He’s very nice. Very polite. Loves his mom.”
Gabbi Chan, DBH Manager, “The man of 1000 Drake’s T-shirts and Carhart overalls.”
Thanks for the great year Kyle. Here to many more. Cheers!
All that time, days and nights, methodically sniffing, sipping, blending and reblending out of our nearly 160 barrels, has paid off. Brian has pulled together one helluva arsenal of Barrel-Aged Contenders for the West Coast Barrel-Aged Festival tomorrow in Hayward. This is gonna be a freakin’ killer day for beer. From Drake’s alone, you have selections ranging from Amber/Imperial Stout blends to sour IPA in Syrah barrels to Collab Baltic Porter/Imperial Stout beauties to Belgian Blondes that have spent 18 months in merlot barrels.
Check the line-up:
Sir Francis Dre’s IPA (a.k.a. B.W.A.)- 8% ABV, IPA aged in a Syrah barrel 3+ years. — Straight outta San Leandro, Drake’s West Coast hip-hoppy IPA was chillin’ in a Syrah barrel for a couple of years to let the oak & wine characters express themselves in this beer.
Brette Davis Eyes- 6% Belgian Blonde aged in a Merlot barrel with Brett 1.5 years –She’ll definitely please your taste and smell with a nice tart & zesty zing.
Total Recall 7.5% Imperial stout and Amber blend aged in the same port barrel 2 years –Recognizing that we’ve blended these two beers after aging them seperately in the past, it sounded like a good idea to bypass the two-process theory and see what would happen in a single barrel.
Port of Call 8.0% Imperial stout and Amber beers aged seperate barrels 50% stout aged in a Bourbon barrel w/Brett (new beer introduced each pull) 50% Amber aged in a port barrel (one time fill) 2+ years
Melina 6.5% Amber in a Port barrel. 2 years –We blended for Port of Call, but this one sort of grew on us, so we wanted to include it as well to show one side of the story.
H.R. Balticle (High Water Brewing & Drake’s Brewing) 50% High Water Aphotic Baltic Porter aged in a Bourbon barrel 50% Drake’s Imperial Stout aged in a Port barrel w/brett and blackberries. — No reaching around for each of these ones seperately, these 2 beers are conveniently together in one glass.
