Recipe Spotlight time!
The Brewer
-In 2019, I received an undergrad certificate in Applied Craft Brewing from Regis University and did an internship with Little Machine in Denver. I moved to Spike equipment and haven’t looked back.”
-A three vessel system gives the feeling of brewing commercially. The conicals offer great features at a competitive price. There’s a lot of possibility for experimentation due to the removable lid and number of ports.”
-The name pixelHop was derived from the digital and artistic side of brewing.
The Beer
-I feel a Mexican Lager is a good example of a style which benefits from Spike's conical capabilities, since it can be fermented under pressure to reduce unwanted fermentation characteristics (such as ester production) so you come away with a nice, clean flavor profile.
-This beer was a consistent competition performer for me, earning 2 gold medals, 1 silver, and 1 bronze. It also achieved my highest consensus competition score for the year of 46/50.
The Why
-This was a recipe I made at the last minute before Cinco de Mayo in 2020. I chose the yeast I did because it was supposed to perform well under pressure and I wanted to have the beer finished more quickly.
-After a diacetyl rest, I recommend lowering fermentation temp to 60 degrees F for one day, then dropping by 2 degrees each day until it's at 40 degrees. It can lager at 40 or below for as long as patience allows. Slowly lowering fermentation temp also helps prevent ester release.
@pixelhopbeerco