Two standout offerings from the fall semester
Although head brewing instructor Cheryl Parker was away on travel for a portion of the semester, the BrewLab did not grind to a halt. They produced two offerings this semester, and I was lucky enough to sample both, and bring home growlers of each.
The BrewLab is at the Durham campus. so it may be a bit of a drive for some readers. Sample pours are not large, so you should be able to try the offerings without becoming impaired.
For the two beers offered to the public this semester, student Quinn Markham did the recipe development. Brewing was done by Quinn with fellow student Connor Still. And Connor did much of the additional cellaring work like transferring and and kegging.
The lab offered four tastings and sale times open to the public, as shown below. The first of their brews was available at the two October time slots, with the second being available in November. I made it to the 9 October slot and the 20 November slot. In my estimation, these sessions were easily more than worth the travel time and effort, offering not only the tasting and growler fill, but also the opportunity to talk with the brewers and instructors. Plus they yielded a bonus discovery, revealed below….
Wildcat Pumpkin Ale
First up was the Wildcat Pumpkin Ale, coming in at 7.87 ABV. This was a very good ale, with a subtle flavor impact from the presence of pumpkin. Some spices were added such that altogether the ale had a bit of a holiday feel, but still subtle and mild, nothing like a Starbuck’s holiday offering that puckers your face with its sweetness. I brought home a filled growler, and I had intentions of going back for a refill two weeks later, but life intervened as it so often does.
Top of the World Porcini Porter
It was six weeks later when I found my way back, for their final tasting and sale of the semester. This time the beer on offer was their Top of the World Porcini Porter, brewed with local porcini mushrooms, yielding a milder 5.7% ABV. I was curious about this one — I’ve had pumpkin beers before, but, so far as I can recall, I’ve never before had a beer brewed with mushrooms.
I can happily report that this was a delightful porter. Had you given it to me blindfolded, and asked me to guess the ingredients, I would not have come up with mushrooms. If asked to describe its flavor, I might well have suggested “earthy,” as there was an element of that.
This mushroom porter was the brainchild of Dr. Christopher Neefus, who teaches a biology class New England Mushrooms: A Field and Lab Exploration. He personally foraged the mushrooms near Top of the World in Sandwich, NH. He was not present for the tasting, but one of his students was there and she happily described his discovery of a wild gathering of these mushrooms.
Over email, Dr. Neefus explained, “In a practical sense the name ‘Porcini’ is used for a group of very closely related species that are difficult to distinguish from each other, but all equally delicious. The mushrooms used in the Porcini Porter were one of this group called Boletus atkinsonii. This species was originally described in 1905 by Charles Horton Peck and named in honor of a fellow American mycologist George Francis Atkinson.
“The mushrooms for the Porter were collected along ‘Top of the World Road’ in Center Sandwich NH. I suggested the beer be called ‘Top of the World Porcini Porter’ and described as ‘crafted from wild porcini mushrooms foraged in the foothills of Mount Chocorua.’
“The idea came about during a conversation with Cheryl Parker after she gave a guest lecture on brewing for a course I teach at UNH called Mushroom, Molds, and Mildews. I thought that the warm, earthy flavor of dried porcini mushrooms would blend very well with the smooth, mellow, rich flavors of a Porter. And the name Porcini Porter has a nice ring. I was proud of what I thought might be an original idea. But like so many things, I was hardly the first person to put these two components together. Searching the web, I found a recipe for Porcini Porter from a brewery in Europe. Oh well, so much for ‘original’. I’ll have to be satisfied with the cliche that ‘great minds think alike’.”
Original idea or not, I am glad that Dr. Neefus and Cheryl Parker along with Cheryl’s students brought this idea to fruition. The results were delicious, and this creativity enriches our local brewing environment.
An Unexpected Discovery
As I was tasting the Porcini Porter, I noticed a group having a lively conversation, clustered around a cooler on the floor. Curious, I joined the conversation. I discovered that the cooler contained vacuum packed 6-oz smoked filets of Steelhead Trout, available for sale. That aroused my curiosity even more. With further discussion I learned that UNH operates a fish farm 400 yards off the coast of New Castle, where they grow Steelhead Trout. The farm was covered in a recent episode of WMUR’s Chronicle, which can be seen here:
In the conversation was David Fredriksson, director of the UNH Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems. Prior to this chance meeting I was unaware that Steelhead Trout are in the same family as salmon, with similar pink flesh, but a milder flavor. Nor did I know that Steelhead Trout are actually the same species as Rainbow Trout. The difference is that Rainbow live their entire life in freshwater, whereas young Steelhead travel downstream to mature in saltwater, where they grow much larger (up to four feet long and 50 pounds). Then, like Salmon, they return upstream to spawn.
I could not resist. Having come for beer, perhaps I was swayed by this delightful unexpected discovery. Also by their pitch that my purchase would help support the Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems. So I bought 4 filets. I had one at home recently, and I can testify that it was delicious. UNH partnered with Boston Smoked Fish Co. to smoke and package the filets for sale. They were smoked with a mixture of brown sugar, tamari, salt, and other spices. All I had to do was heat it up. My mouth is watering as I write. Luckily for me I have more in the fridge.
- Read all about the BrewLab here.
- Read about the Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems here.