Pirate Lager

One of the best parts about brewing at home is that you can make whatever you want. I mean anything. I decided that I wanted to make a Black Lager that is pirate themed. I had read somewhere that Guinness makes a special export stout for the Caribbean and since pirates lived in the Caribbean I would use that for my jumping off point. In order to spice the beer up a bit I also wanted to spike it with some black strap rum to try to give it a little more pirate feel.

This is what I came up with.

3.25 pounds Pale Malt
1.25 pounds Flaked Barley
0.25 pounds Black Patent Malt
0.25 pounds Acidulated Malt

Mashed at 150 F with 2 quarts/pounds and sparged at 178 F

Boiled 0.5 oz of Perle hops (as in the Black Pearl) for 60 minutes

Total volume was 3 gallons with an OG of 1.045

Pitched dry lager yeast

6/10
Bottled beer with rum to taste

7/3
Tasting

Aroma- Malt predominates with a nice coffee and chocolate background. The aroma is very sweet if that is possible. There is also some roasted smells present.

Appearance- This beer is black with a wonderful fluffy white head that lasts.

Taste- Beer is very sweet, maybe should have tried to get the gravity a little lower before I bottled it. I also taste some toast and roasted coffee. Rum does not come through very well.

Mouthfeel- Nice and silky, coats the mouth well and goes down very smooth.

Overall- For a beer that is not trying to be anything other than itself I am rather please. It is a little too sweet but that is something that will be easy to fix the next time that I brew this beer.