Panama Homebrew #2: Riverbend Summer Ale

On my most recent trip to Asheville, NC, I was lucky enough to secure 12 pounds of 6-Row Pale Ale Malt from the artisanal maltsters at Riverbend Malt House. The bag of malt accompanied me throughout the rest of my trip -- to Nashville, Atlanta, and on up to Norfolk (by way of a Chicago layover). It was in my luggage for the flight down to Ft. Lauderdale, where I'd pick up my connection back to Panama. It was a little nerve-wracking going through customs with malt, hops, and various brewing chemicals in my suitcase, but luckily I made it through without a hassle.



Brad Kraus, the brewer at La Rana Dorada, was willing to help me mill the malt. He suggested I make a Summer Ale to get a good impression of the malt's characteristics. To take that one step further, I decided to make a SMaSH ale (Single Malt and Single Hop) so that I could get a good evaluation of the malt as well as the classic English strain of hops known as Fuggles, which is popular for its use in English Milds and ESBs.

The Plan: 

12 lbs Riverbend Pale Ale Malt (a heritage North Carolina six-row barley)
19g Fuggles at :60, :15, :5
Safale-04 Dry Ale Yeast

I got nice yields from the malt after a 60-minute mash, but not before adding a solid dose of gypsum to increase water hardness. A strong, 90-minute boil reduced my volume a bit, but I was able to get some nice caramelization to add a little color to the wort. I topped it off with a little agua to end up with a decent amount of brew.

A two-week fermentation, another week or so in the bottle, and it's ready.

The southern access of the
 Panama Canal lies in the distance...

OG: 1.037
FG: 1.008
ABV: 3.8%
IBUs: 21

It's a lighter beer, straw-colored with a frothy white head. There's a touch of fruitiness on the nose, probably due to fermentation temps a bit on the high end, but overall I'm very pleased with how Safale-04 handled this warm climate. The Riverbend malt comes through nicely, very crisp, biscuity, and grainy. The Fuggles hops adds a woody, earthy character, reminiscent of a classic English mild.

I look forward to making this one again!