35. Imperial Rauch Tripel

It’s been a busy week. On top of running the brewery on my own, this week I had the added extras of meetings with 3 malt suppliers, a risk review from our new insurer, a journalist visit, a film crew, two job interviews, getting everything ready for Jean-Marie’s visit, looking at some automation for our cask racking operation with Microdat, adjusting operations to take account of 85% more growth than expected, sorting out a microbiological problem for a small local brewer, trying to get common sense from Alfa Laval, a review with the board, getting things ready for America and covering for my Engineer, Captain Chaos who is sunning himself in grease in Greece.

This week I am creating Imperial Rauch Tripel

• Imperial means relating to an emperor or empire 
• Rauch is German for smoke
• Tripel means times three in Flemish, but let’s not worry about that

I am very conscious that I have failed to accord the very important word imperial its necessary respect on my blog of late. This beer is imperial in the truest sense because it is brewed as a tribute to an emperor. Haile Selassie I was the emperor of Ethiopia and the messiah of the Rastafari. The smoke used to rauch the grains is generated in a way which is in accordance with the practices of the Rastafari and hence a befitting the Lion of Judah. The exact herb favoured by the Rastafari will not be used as a police raid would be an unwelcome addition to my current working life. Instead I will burn a close relative, readily available in breweries to make the smoke. Smoking my own malt is worryingly Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall as I have never cold-smoked grains before. Burning hops also feels a bit wrong but I will make sure that I torch an unfashionable variety. No Citra were harmed in the production of this beer.

Tech Spec:

Malt: Cannabinaceae-smoked pale and sucrose syrup

Hops: Hersbrucker, Saaz, Bobek

Yeast: Belgian abbey

Spices: Smoke

OG: 1087