JEFFERS DROPS ACID…KNOWLEDGE

Courtesy of Firestone Brewing Co

Wild Beer Expert Embarks on Educational Acid Trips This Fall

Buellton, CA: Get ready to embark on a mindbending journey into the world of wild beers as Jeffers drops acid…

Acid knowledge, that is. 

Indeed, Jeffers Richardson—director of Firestone Walker’s Barrelworks wild beer facility—is taking his trailblazing educational show on the road this fall under the banner of “Jeffers Drops Acid…Knowledge,” inviting you to explore how acidity shapes your sensory perception of wild beers.

“When it comes to wild or sour beers, acidity plays more of a role in the taste experience compared to traditional beers, which are more defined by their hop and malt profiles,” Richardson said. “This seminar is designed to explore the role of acidity, and to reveal not only what you are tasting in the beer, but also why.”

Credit Nick Gingold. Jeffers at Center with David Walker at left

Perception vs. Reality

The seminars delve into the differences between pH and total (or titratable) acidity as well as the sensory relationship between smell and taste. Different concentrations of acetic, citric and lactic acids are tasted, enabling you to discover the signature characteristics of each. Along the way, you learn how each of these acids shapes flavor, mouthfeel and overall perception.

Each seminar then ends on a sour note with a special tasting of limited releases from Barrelworks to test your newfound knowledge and reinforce the lesson.

The “Jeffers Drops Acid…Knowledge” seminar series originated at the brewery earlier this year and was met with enthusiasm, prompting Richardson to take it on the road. A recent similar event in collaboration with The Rare Barrel in Berkeley sold out in two minutes.

“The response has been phenomenal,” Richardson said. “Many people are new to wild beers, and this is a really fun way to take a crash course.”

Next Seminar

The next “Jeffers Drops Acid…Knowledge” seminar will take place at The Handle Bar in Chico on October 12 as part of Chico Beer Week. Additional upcoming dates and locations will be announced soon.

Firestone Walker’s Barrelworks is a story of beer, barrels and unintended consequences, of renegade brewers, and of a pet project turning into a wild beast: www.firestonebeer.com/barrelworks

La Piccola A Collaborative Dark Saison To Debut at The Firestone Walker Invitaional Beer Fest

Courtesy of Firestone Walker Brewing Co

VIVA “LA PICCOLA”

Collaborative Cross-Continental Dark Saison to Debut at

Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest

Paso Robles, CA: Multiple versions of the same collaborative dark saison wild ale—called La Piccola—will be unveiled at the 2015 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest on May 30, capping off a year of cross-continental brewing hijinks between brewmasters Agostino Arioli of Birrificio Italiano and Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker Brewing Company.

“With most collaborations, you start the beer together at one brewery, and it gets finished there, resulting in one beer,” Brynildson said. “Agostino and I decided to do something different. We sat down and designed the recipe together, then went back to our respective breweries to brew them on our own. We’ve been emailing back and forth for a year now, trying to replicate what the other was doing.”

It all started at last year’s beer fest, when Arioli and Brynildson hatched their plan to brew a dark saison that would be made with debittered black malt, then soured via secondary fermentation and aged in barrels—and also spiced up with an unlikely twist.

“Like many Italians, Agostino is a true gourmet, and he takes a chef’s approach to brewing,” Brynildson said. “He’s really into exotic spices and he wanted to play around with these Sichuan peppercorns, which are really weird and unique. We had to contact a spice hunter in Italy to get our hands on them.”

After Brynildson brewed his base version of La Piccola, he sent it down to barrelmeisters Jeffers Richardson and Jim Crooks at Firestone Walker’s Barrelworks wild ale facility, where they initiated secondary fermentation and maturation for 12 months in French oak barrels.

In the end, they decided to create one version with the peppercorns (La Piccola Pepe Di Sichuan) and one without (La Piccola Virtuosa). Meanwhile, Arioli is finishing up his own La Piccola made with the peppercorns. All three beers will be first presented at the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest on May 30 in Paso Robles. Bottles of the California-brewed beers are limited to 250 cases each, and two-packs will be available for purchase at the Paso Robles brewery and Barrelworks in Buellton starting at 3 p.m. on May 30.

The base beer was brewed with the same Belgian yeast used to make Firestone Walker’s Opal saison, giving it classic fruit and spice notes. The debittered black malt provided dark color without assertive bitterness. The souring and barrel aging layered in just the right amount of earthy funk. And the peppercorn version presents its own distinctive qualities.

“The Sichuan peppercorns are pretty intense,” Brynildson said. “If you pop one in your mouth, your face goes numb. In the beer, it adds black pepper and lemon zest notes, and it also gives this subtle tingle on the tongue.”

He added, “I can’t wait to try Agostino’s version. It will be fascinating to compare and contrast the final results between the same beer made separately in California and Italy.”

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