What? Brudi makes beer that is pale and hoppy and has less than 7% ABV? He does indeed and he thinks that it is a good idea to step out of his comfort zone occasionally in order to challenge his brewing habits. Misty Medley is his interpretation of an American Pale Ale. This style can be regarded as the little sister of the ubiquitous IPA. Never heard of any of them? No problem. Let's have a nostalgic look at the origins of the American craft beer movement. Back in the late 1970s the Prohibition has extinguished most of the American brewing culture. Only big industrial breweries remain that brew Bud Light and other variations of bitter-alcoholic carbonated water. What do you do if you like crafted beers with character? You brew them yourself. There's plenty of homebrew literature from the United Kingdom, the necessary equipment is widely available and the processes of homebrewing are no more difficult than making pasta. Most homebrewers will have started with simple recipes and local, American ingredients. And there is no simpler recipe than one consisting of a pale base malt and local hops. The stronger beers that follow this philosophy are known as India Pale Ales, a remake of an old british style that has conquered the world since its renewal by the American craft beer movement. The American Pale Ale stands in the shadows of the infamous IPAs but is nevertheless an important cornerstone of the craft beer movement. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is its most widely available incarnation and one of the most delicious ones too. American Pale Ales still are the gateway beers to the fascinating world of craft beer for many people. They are pale, light and a little bitter which is appealing to the classical Pilsener fan to whom they offer some extra fruity hop aromas. Craft beer afficionados on the other side love the wide and ever changing range of hop varieties that continue to amaze with new smells and tastes. And isn't that the true magic of beer? It is a drink that brings people together. Lovers of macro-lager thirst quenchers and craftbeer snobs alike.
Alright, enough with the indulgence, let's talk about Misty Medley. It is an interpretation of the American Pale Ale, but like all beers by Brudi Bräu it is brewed with local ingredients. Instead of American 2-Row Pale Ale Malt, the foundation of most American craft beers, a Pilsener Malt from the area known as Hessisches Ried is used. And instead of the American classic hops like Citra, Simcoe and Amarillo, locally grown varieties such as Hüll Melon and Cascade from the Odenwald mountains are used. In order to give the hop aroma the space to unfold, a drinking temperature of 8-10°C is recommended, so take the beer out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you drink it. Misty Medley is a straw-colored, almost clear beer (if we managed to keep the yeast in the bottle...) with a white head. It smells of melon and mango, aromas imparted on the beer by the hops. On the palate, the beer is dry, crispy and effervescent. Its taste is dominated by honey notes from the Pilsener Malt, mango and melon notes from the hops and a restrained bitterness that is noticeable but does not punch people in their faces like that of an IPA would. With 4.9% ABV Misty Medley is relatively sessionable (for a beer by Brudi Bräu) and with its unobtrusive but interesting character its equally well suited for craft beer tastings and house parties on the weekend.
American Pale Ales are similarly versatile when it comes to food pairings. Every "American food" will work well with Misty Medley, especially Burger, BBQ and Tex-Mex. The fruity and bitter hoppyness also suits well with Pizza and Curry.
Misty Medley is made in a 25-liters kettle using the Brew-in-a-bag technique. For about 16 liters of beer you need the following ingredients:
The mash takes 60 minutes at 67°C using 20 liters of water. After mashing, two more liters of water are added. The boil takes 90 minutes. The continental aromatic hops are added after 10 minutes as a bittering addition. Hüll Melon and Cascade are mixed and 10 gramm of that mixture are added 15, 10 and 5 minutes before the end of the boil. The remaining 20 gramms are added at flame-out. Primary fermentation takes two to four weeks at about 20°C. For the secondary fermentation, the beer is bottled and primed with sugar equivalent to 2.5 units of CO2. It is stored for three weeks at about 20°C.
