Description:
An attempt at cloning Dogfish Head's Ta Henket Egyptian ancient ale. I had a snifter of this ale at Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats. It had a nice yellow color with very little head or carbonation and tasted of bread and honey. Going off its description, the plan is to use an American wheat ale as a base and add grilled aysh to the mash, and Palm fruit (or more likely lychee or honey) and za'tar to the end of boil. I plan on bottling it with 1/4 cup of honey instead of 3/4 - 1 cup of priming sugar that I typically use. For yeast I'm planning on cultivating yeast from a Dogfish Head ancient ale. Since Theobroma is available right now and it is bottle conditioned that will be my best bet (getting an American Hefe yeast as a back up). I tried to find a recipe for an Egyptian za'tar and settled on one that included roasted cumin seed, roasted coriander seed, roasted sesame seed, roasted chickpeas, fresh thyme and chamomile.
On brew day I have a few fingers of cultivated yeast in a growler from the Theobroma, so I split the batch in half and pitched the Theobroma yeast in one fermenter and the Bavarian White yeast in the other.
On brew day I have a few fingers of cultivated yeast in a growler from the Theobroma, so I split the batch in half and pitched the Theobroma yeast in one fermenter and the Bavarian White yeast in the other.
Ingredients:
5# Pale Wheat Malt
2.5# 2 Row Pale Malt
2.5# Pilsener Malt
1 oz. Argentine Cascade Hops
1 oz. Styrian Golding Hops
Bavarian White Yeast W3056 and yeast cultivated from Theobroma
1# Raw Maine Honey
2 oz. Za'tar
Mash:
60 mins - 152 degrees
Sparge - 168 degrees
Boil Schedule:
60 mins - Cascade Hops
15 mins - Styrian Golding Hops
0 mins - Honey and Za'tar
ABV:
Starting - 07/10/2011 - 1.050 SG - 0.0% ABV
Racking - 07/24/2011 - 1.012 SG - 5.1% ABV
Ending - 07/31/2011 - 1.012 SG - 5.1% ABV
Notes:
Mistakes - The aysh was not as present as I would have liked it. The Theobroma version did not turn at as I had hoped.
Changes - Add more aysh to the mash. Try cultivating Midas Touch's yeast next time.
Bavarian Wheat Tasting:
A - Very pale yellow with thin line of white head.
S - Honey and bread.
T - Leads with the sweetness of honey and is followed with hints of bread and sesame. It finishes with the sharpness of wheat and honey.
M - Nice and light bodied with a slight carbonation.
D - Very easy to drink.
Theobroma Wheat Tasting:
A - Golden yellow with a think line of white head.
S - Honey and plastic.
T - Sharp and sour from the Theobroma yeast and is followed by a plastic taste. Has the same finish of wheat and honey as the Bavarian Wheat version.
M - Light bodied and carbonation.
D - Eventually the plastic taste diminishes but the beer remains tart.
