Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

A tart, refreshing ale brewed with our dear friend Luc Bim Lafontaine, formerly of Dieu du Ciel! Lime, hibiscus and blood orange in a mixed fermentation.

Heat 28 L of brewing water to 74°C. Mash in crushed pilsner, wheat malt, and flaked oats to target mash temperature of 66°C. Hold at 66°C for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even conversion.

Heat and mash

Raise mash to 76°C for mash out (10 minutes). Sparge with enough water to collect ~28 L of wort in the kettle (accounting for boil-off to yield ~20 L final volume).

Mash out and sparge

Bring wort to a vigorous boil. At 60 minutes remaining add bittering hops (20 g). With 10 minutes remaining add aroma hops (10 g). At flameout shut off heat and allow trub to settle for 10 minutes, then chill wort rapidly to souring temperature (see next section).

Boil and hops

Cool wort to 38–42°C for kettle souring. Transfer to a sanitized vessel. Oxygen exposure should be minimized from this point. Pitch Lactobacillus culture (per manufacturer dosage). Maintain 38–42°C for 18–36 hours and monitor pH until target pH 3.3–3.5 is reached. This will produce the characteristic tart backbone.

Cool to lacto temperature and inoculate

After reaching target pH, bring the soured wort to a boil for 15–20 minutes to kill lactobacillus and drive off volatiles. This also helps to coagulate proteins. Cool quickly to 20–22°C.

Boil after souring

Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter. Pitch neutral ale yeast (optional) to provide an initial clean fermentation and a Brett strain (pitch per manufacturer instructions). Seal fermenter with an airlock. Ferment at 20–22°C for one to two weeks until activity slows.

Pitch yeast and primary fermentation

While primary fermentation winds down, sanitize a secondary fermenter. Zest blood oranges and limes, removing only the colored outer peel (avoid bitter pith). Lightly toast hibiscus in a dry skillet for 1–2 minutes to enhance aromatics (optional). Sanitize zest and hibiscus by steeping in neutral 40% ABV vodka (enough to cover, ~150 ml) for 10–15 minutes OR gently pasteurize in a small sealed pot by heating to 70°C for 10 minutes, then cool quickly. If using Campden tablet, add to cooled beer per manufacturer instructions to reduce wild yeast/bacteria prior to fruit addition (note: this will also inhibit Brett/Lacto if used — include only if you plan to cold-stabilize without microbes).

Prepare citrus zests and hibiscus

Rack beer to the sanitized secondary fermenter, leaving heavy trub behind. Add the prepared hibiscus infusion and the fresh blood orange and lime zest directly to secondary. For a pronounced fruit/hibiscus character, add all hibiscus (60 g), blood orange zest (80 g) and lime zest (40 g). If you prefer more subtlety, split additions over two weeks. Seal with an airlock.

Transfer and add adjuncts

Allow beer to condition on zest and hibiscus at 18–22°C for 2–6 weeks. Brettanomyces will slowly ferment remaining sugars and develop complexity — longer aging (several months) yields more funk. Taste periodically; when desired balance of acidity, fruit character, and Brett complexity is reached, proceed to packaging.

Secondary fermentation with Brett

If bottling and you want consistent carbonation, add priming sugar (100 g dissolved in 250 ml boiling water, cooled) to the beer and bottle. If kegging, carbonate to 2.2–2.6 volumes CO2. If you used a Campden tablet earlier to sanitize adjuncts, allow sufficient time before bottling to ensure any residual sulfites have dissipated (and that Brett activity is appropriate).

Stabilize (optional) and carbonate

If you desire clarity and to settle particulates, cold condition at 2–4°C for 3–7 days, understanding this will slow Brett activity. Many mixed ferment beers are served slightly hazy — adjust to taste.

Cold condition

Serve chilled (8–10°C) in a tulip or pilsner glass to accentuate tartness and citrus notes. Expect a tart, refreshing ale with bright lime, floral hibiscus, and blood orange aroma and a restrained Brett funk. Shelf life: flavors will evolve over months.

Serve

Pilsner malt

Wheat malt (crushed)

Flaked oats

Rice sugar (dextrose)

Hallertau or Saaz hops (bittering)

Hallertau or Saaz hops (aroma/late kettle)

Hibiscus flowers (dried, food grade)

Blood orange zest (fresh)

Lime zest (fresh)

Brew water (target 20 L batch post-boil ~18 L fermenter charge)

Gypsum (calcium sulfate)

Calcium chloride

Ale yeast (neutral, e.g., SafAle US-05 or Wyeast 1056) - optional starter

Brettanomyces (e.g., Brett bruxellensis)

Lactobacillus (Kettle souring culture or lacto blend)

Priming sugar (if bottling)

Campden tablet (optional, to stabilize before fruit addition)

Hill Farmstead + Grassroots Brother Soigné

Make Hill Farmstead + Grassroots Brother Soigné Recipe in just 24h . A tart, refreshing ale brewed with our dear friend Luc Bim Lafontaine, formerly of Dieu du Ciel! Lime, hibiscus and blood orange in a mixed fermentation.

Hill Farmstead + Grassroots Brother Soigné

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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