April, come she will

That's a glass full of winter release from a local craft brewery behind an April caddis for a local trout stream: to everything there is a season. And both inside and outside of beer glasses, it's just about time for a changing of the guard, season-wise.

Even while I sip on this double IPA after a nice cruise across the cross-country ski tracks at the neighborhood golf course, at an hour at which the sun would still be glowing red on the horizon if this was midsummer; even while the city rests under a new coat of snow (should've shovelled instead of skied, prolly); even while the spring creeks I'm already thinking about are encased in Hans Brinker-grade ice, my mind and fermenters bend towards spring, renewal, and the thaw.

There won't be winter seasonals forever, although it might feel that way right now, at the butt end of a long January. These sticky hops and boozy abv%'s will give way to the effervescence and wheatly goodness of Hefeweizens, the vernal funk of saisons, and the the long, slow burbling of Marzens and bieres de garde for fall.

Hang in there. The early season starts in March around here.

Oh man, that glass of winter seasonal double IPA is empty now. How'd that happen?

Fruhlingsweizen (Spring Wheat)
10 gallons, all-grain
Target OG 1.049

Grist:

• 10 lbs Weyermann pale wheat malt
• 5 lbs German Pilsner malt
• 1 lb Munich malt

Mash: 111 F for 15", 119 F for 15", 148 F for 30",  156 F for 15", 168 F for 10"

Boil:

• 2 oz Liberty whole hops (or equivalent) @ FWH
• Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan (or your favorite Bavarian hefeweizen strain)

5 gallon extract version: replace grain malts with 6 lbs Northern Brewer Wheat malt syrup and 1 lb Amber DME.


April caddis
Hook: Tiemco 102Y, #17
Shuck: brown antron yarn
Body: superfine olive dubbing
Underwing: brown antron & olive sparkle yarn
Wing: tan polypro floating yarn
Hackle: golden badger hen