Recipe: Sapwood Cellars Smüzí (Base Beer)
“This is the base for our ‘smoothie’ series of sour beers,” says Michael Tonsmeire, cofounder and brewer at Sapwood Cellars in Columbia, Maryland. “It is strong—9 percent ABV—and dry, since it will be diluted with 30 to 40 percent fruit juice and flavored with cream of coconut, soft-serve powder, spices, etcetera, before packaging.”
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.083
FG: 1.014
IBUs: 0
ABV: 9% (pre-fruit)
MALT/GRAIN BILL
4.1 lb (1.9 kg) Briess Brewers 2-Row
4.1 lb (1.9 kg) Briess Pilsen Malt
1.65 lb (748 g) Best Chit Malt
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
1 tablet Whirlfloc at 15 minutes
1 tsp (5 ml) yeast nutrient at 15 minutes
1 capsule White Labs Servomyces at 10 minutes
13 oz (368 g) maltodextrin at 10 minutes
3.3 lb (1.5 kg) dextrose at 10 minutes
2 tsp (10 ml) White Labs Clarity Ferm at primary
3 tsp (15 ml) Biofine Clear at secondary
0.5 g Hopsteiner Alpha Extract at secondary
YEAST
Lallemand Sourvisiae and Fermentis SafAle US-05
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 148°F (64°C) for 60 minutes. Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes, adding sugars and kettle additions according to the schedule. After the boil, chill to about 66°F (19°C), aerate the wort, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 68°F (20°C), allowing to rise to 72°F (22°C) toward the end of fermentation. When fermentation is complete and the gravity has stabilized, mix in Biofine Clear and crash to 32°F (0°C).
Rack to a CO2-purged keg with Alpha Extract (for head retention), 1.5–2 gallons (5.7–7.5 liters) of fruit juice or puree and any additional flavors you enjoy. (See below for variations.) We usually infuse spices into the base beer, then mix with the fruit. For the soft-serve powders, add about one bag (3.2–4.4 lb/1.5–2 kg) for 5 gallons (19 liters) of finished beer; use a stick blender to combine them with the puree before transferring the beer in. Package and carbonate to about 2.2–2.3 volumes of CO2. One batch of base could yield up to two full kegs of finished beer, depending on losses and fruiting rate.
VARIATIONS
Apple Pie à la Mode: apple puree (from AsepticPurees.com), Shivery Shake vegan vanilla ice cream powder, Madagascar vanilla beans, Saigon cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Orangesicle: orange juice, fresh orange zest, Madagascar vanilla beans, Shivery Shake vegan vanilla ice cream powder.
Piña Colada: Oregon pineapple puree, fresh lime zest, and cream of coconut.
Raspberry Whip: Oregon raspberry puree and Dole Whip Soft-Serve Raspberry powder.
Triple Berry Banana: Banana, blueberry, strawberry, and blackberry purees.
BREWER’S NOTES
Yeasts: You can simply add one packet of each strain, or you can adjust the ratio depending on desired pH (more or less sourness).
Packaging: This beer isn’t suitable to bottle-condition given the simple sugars that remain. However, if you want to bottle just the base beer, you can mix it in the glass at service with your choice of fruit juices, purees, and other flavors!
If kegging with fruit, I suggest large-diameter tap lines and non-flow control taps because these beers can become quite thick and cause problems. Shake the keg regularly before pouring to re-suspend any fruit solids that settle out.
Michael Tonsmeire