This past Saturday, Andy Cox generously opened his home to the Underground Brewers for a decoction brew day. I had been interested in learning more about the technique, and it was an incredibly enlightening experience! Andy brewed up a German Pilsner, performing a double decoction by scooping out a thick portion of the mash into a separate pot, and heating it to boiling on a hot plate. The change in appearance and aroma was immediately noticeable – and the process was not nearly as complicated as I had anticipated. Brew day proceeded without any issues, and I think we’re all looking forward to sampling the results when the beer is finished.
Andy wasn’t the only one brewing though; Pierre brought along a setup for its maiden voyage. Using a Spike Flex as both the kettle (along with a basket to mash in) and as the fermenting vessel, Pierre demonstrated his ingenuity and how capable he is of pushing equipment to its limits. A saison is currently fermenting away in the same vessel it was mashed and boiled in, which is undoubtedly a very cool and unique approach to “mobile” brewing. He even used his own, homemade apple cider vinegar to acidify his beer!
With 4 Underground Brewers in attendance (Andy, Pierre, Paul, and myself), we enjoyed a few beers – some quite old from my garage “cellar” – and Andy’s son David cooked up incredible pizzas in their Ooni oven on the deck. The homemade hot honey was the perfect touch on the pepperoni pizza, and I may find myself seeking out more of that. Mike’s Hot Honey has nothing on Andy’s!
For me, the best part of the day was how we all shared our knowledge and experiences brewing with each other. There is so much that can be learned by reading books or articles, but those face-to-face conversations drive a deeper understanding and spark more curiosity, in my experience. So much so that I found myself ordering a hot plate for this coming weekend… where I will try my hand at brewing a triple decocted Czech Pale Lager. Wish me luck!
