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#32:  Summer Solstice Ale (Spiced Summer Ale)
  • Brewed during the long summer days surrounding the Solstice, where we get more than 20 hours of daylight in Fairbanks.
Chris Swingley 
19-Jun-2004

Recipe (for 5 gallons final volume)
5.75 pounds (48%) Crisp Maris Otter Pale Malt
4.0 pounds (33%) Dingemans Pilsner Malt
1.25 pounds (11%) Flaked Maize
1.0 pound (8%) Flaked Wheat

3.0 ounces   U.S. Goldings whole hops, 4.3% AA (60 minutes)
1.0 ounce   U.S. Goldings whole hops, 4.3% AA (5 minutes)

0.3 ounces   Coriander seed, ground (5 minutes)
0.3 ounces   Grains of Paradise, ground (5 minutes)
0.5 ounces   Candied ginger, diced (5 minutes)

  • White Labs WLP022 Essex Ale Yeast, pitched at 76°F
  • Starter: 3 quart starter built up from a slant (20 ml -> 300 ml -> 3 quarts), cooled, decanted, warmed
  • Aeration: Drill aerator for two minutes after pitching
  • (Wort cooled in kegerator down to 70 after four hours)

Water
  • Fairbanks city water
  • 38.25 quarts  water treated with:
    •  1 Campden tablet.
  • 18 quarts mash water treated with:
    • 3.6 ml 88% Lactic Acid.
  • 20.5 quarts sparge water treated with:
    • 3.3 ml 88% Lactic Acid.

Mash
  • 18.0 quarts water @ 157°F, grist ratio of 1.5 quarts:pound @ 148°F (Held 90 minutes)

Sparge
  • 9.5 quarts water @ 210°F, drain
  • 10.75 quarts water @ 168°F, drain

Boil
  • Boiled 8.0 gallons for 75 minutes to yield 6.5 gallons wort
  • I wound up discarding a fair amount of wort, which explains my low efficiency. The pre-boil gravity was 1.042, which should have yielded an SG of 1.061. Sparge less volume or boil longer.

Fermentation
  • Primary: bucket, 7 days, 68°F
  • Secondary: glass, 14 days, 62°F

Packaging
  • Kegged with 80 grams dextrose
  • Conditioned for 3 weeks
  • Ready to drink on 31-Jul-2004

Properties
Starting Gravity: 1.053 Final Gravity: 1.016
Original Extract: 13.1°plato Apparent Extract: 4.08°plato
Real Extract: 5.79°plato
Alcohol: 4.8% by volume (3.8% by weight)
Apparent Attenuation: 68.9% Mash Efficiency: 66%
Bitterness: 47 IBU Color: 5 SRM
BU:SG: 0.89 BV: 1.67

Tasting Notes
  • 17-Oct-2004 (17 weeks) -- Excellent light summer ale. It was a little harsh and cidery tasting initially (like for the first three months!), but it has mellowed into a great beer. Refreshing, crystal clear and nicely balanced. Hint of sweetness balances the bitterness without feeling heavy. Spices are muted and only the ginger comes through.
  • 28-Nov-2004 (28 weeks, last pint) -- This turned out to be a fantastic beer once it had aged a few months. I didn't detect the coriander or grains of paradise directly, but that may be because I don't really know what they taste like. The ginger was a great complement to the hop and corn flavors that dominated the flavor profile.

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