The Vermont Brewers Festival has come and gone and we are in the thick of it at The Alchemist.  The gluten-free beers are both on tap now and are being very well received.  I think that the Celia Framboise will be the direction I take with that beer.  I like the Celia IPA, but the flavor of sorghum seems to be really suited to the fruit and wild yeast.  The next batch is potentially going to be sour-mashed much like the last batch of Wild Child.  Look for that sometime in the early winter…

The Rapture is currently on tap and is flying away as we speak, so come and get it soon.  This years batch of Ouroboros will be ready to go on August 10th, the day after KENNY’S WEDDING!!!! It was a special request by the groom himself.  So if you were lucky enough to get an invitation, you’ll have a chance to drink it before anyone else.  When I get to work today, I’ll be racking this years Hefty Weizen (6.2%ABV).  I was once again able to obtain yeast for this batch from my friend Wil Gilson at Moat Mountain and it will be pouring mid-August into September.  And, as always, we will NOT allow you to put a lemon wedge in it…

Tomorrow morning I will be brewing a new IPA.  I’ve got a can of British yeast, my usual British malt, and an overabundance of Fuggles that must be used.  So it will come in at about 6.5% ABV and it will be absolutely overflowing with hops.  Technically it will be a British IPA, but the hopping rates will be very much American.  Still haven’t been able to come up with a good name, but the working title is Ello Guvnah! (spoken loudly, in a terrible cockneyed accent).  I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

Other than that, I’m just trying to keep up.  The next round of seasonals I brew will be Harvest Ale 2009.  I’ve ordered 100# of wet hops from Washington.  Instead of using them wet( Harvest Ale 2006- not my favorite), I will dry them myself and use them immediately after drying. Should be nice.

The hops on the side of the building have started forming cones and are on schedule to be ready for use in Heretic. ( release date 9/9/09).

Before you know it, I’ll be brewing winter beers;  so stay sharp and stay tuned in…

This year’s Brewers Fest was a hell of a good time. Aside from the part where my dog ran away and was roaming around Burlington for 2 1/2 hours that is. I am happy to report that she was found by Mr. and Mrs. Chef safe and sound. As promised, here is my chili recipe from Saturday:

In a heavy sauce pan or stock pot, sweat in 2 tbsp olive oil:

1 cup diced sweet onion
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp chopped garlic

When the onions soften and begin to appear transparent, add:

1 lb lean ground beef

To the vegetables and beef add:

1 tbsp Hungarian paprika
1 tbsp smoked Spanish paprika
2 tbsp ground ancho chili
1 to 2 tbsp sea salt or kosher salt
1 tbsp toasted ground cumin seed
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice

Stir constantly while the beef cooks through to ensure that there are no big chunks of beef in your finished chili. In the end you want a smooth chili with an even consistency throughout.

To the pot add:

3/4 cup unsweetened tomato paste
12 oz. low bitterness porter
12 oz. low bitterness light ale or lager

Bring the pot to a boil and reduce to slow simmer. Cover and stir occasionally(you will need to remove the lid to do that) for 2 to 4 hours.

To fully recreate the Cincinnati experience, serve the chili over spaghetti and top with shredded cheddar cheese. You can also add diced raw onion and/or red beans to the toppings. For those who are really curious, chili, spaghetti and cheese is a three way; chili, spaghetti and cheese with onion or beans is a four way; chili, spaghetti, cheese, red beans and onion is a five way.

To further recreate the the Cincinnati experience, watch a really bad professional baseball team get their guts stomped out by their opponent. Love ya Griffey!

Enjoy many happy days of chili-making joy and don’t forget to chill down six or thirty of your favorite beers to enjoy while cooking/eating your chili.

My simple recipe is basically the following:

3 Large heads of green cabbage, rough chopped
3 Large heads of napa cabbage rough chopped
2-3 cups of frenched red onion
4 bunches of scallion rough chopped
1/2 cup crushed fresh garlic
1/4 cup fresh grated ginger
2 cups grated carrot
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 large daikon radishes peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 to 1/2 cup good organic chili paste

Toss everything in a solution made of the following:

4 cups of hot distilled water
1/2 cup unrefined sugar
1/2 cup sea salt

Put everything into a 5 gallon bucket and compact it with your hands to remove as much air space between the cabbage leaves as possible. Find a lid or plate just small enough to fit inside the bucket and place it on top of the vegetable mix. Weigh the lid/plate down with a 4 to 5 pound weight. I generally use a large can of tomatoes or something that shape and size. Cover the bucket with a towel or sheet and cinch it tight with rubber bands. Place the whole bucket in a cool dark place for 2 to 4 weeks to allow fermentation. Check periodically to make sure that the top is not dry or moldy. When the green cabbage appears “cooked”, taste some to see if it is fully fermented. When it is fermented to your liking, put it into tightly sealable jars and refrigerate until using.