Acer ESB & Wit

The early sap run this year provided a jump on brewing some batches with maple sap. For 2012, I was fortunate to have Chris give me enough sap for two recipes. I decided to try and repeat the Acer ESB but also give one of my standbys, Belgian White, a try. I was torn between that and a Pilsner but decided to stick with something I have a pretty good track record with instead of risking a skunked beer, wasting some of Mother Nature's sugary elixir.

The Acer ESB is pretty similar to last year's recipe (as near as I can tell because for some foolish reason I didn't document what I did...)

• 2 lbs. Muntons amber DME
• 2.5 lbs. Muntons light DME
• .75 lb. 45 Degree Crystal Malt
• 1 oz. UK Fuggles (4.2% AA) @ 60 min
• 1 oz. UK Fuggles (4.2% AA) @ 30 min
• 2 tsp. Irish moss @ 20 min
• 1 oz. US Golding (4.9% AA) @ 7 min
• .5 oz. US Golding (4.9% AA) @ 1 min
• Wyeast 1272 American Ale II

As I brought the sap into the cellar to keep it cool during the freak 70 degree March weather we had, I removed the frozen rings of water that had developed. I am hoping this concentrated the maple flavors a little more than last year, when I just melted the rings into the wort.

I steeped the crystal malt in one gallon of sap and sparged with another gallon or so. I then brought added more sap until I estimated I had about 7 gallons in the brew kettle. I added all of the ingredients as indicated above, chilled, pitched the yeast, and am waiting now to find the time to bottle. I plan on priming again with maple syrup that Chris and Kelly made from this year's sap.

The Acer Wit is made using a tried and true recipe, with a few adjustments. Instead of the Belgian Abbey yeast, I went with Wyeast 3944 Belgian Wit. I also used coriander we harvested from our garden last year after the cilantro went to seed. And obviously I used maple sap in place of water - about 8 gallons. This, like the Acer ESB, is waiting to be bottled and will be primed with Somerlot Maple Syrup.