“Not bad.”

“I like it.”

Or the dreaded, “Interesting.”

You’ve got to hate it when your friends taste your beer and, when you ask them what they think they say something cryptic like, “That’s not something I’ve tried before.”

What does that even mean? Do you mean you’ve never actually tasted this beer before? Home brew, generally? That wet carpet flavor that crept in? What!? I need useful feedback not bland pleasantries, thank you very much.

I’ve been getting a lot of those kinds of comments lately. It’s probably because I’m not hitting home runs with my creations. I’m hitting uninteresting singles or, worse, foul balls.

So it was with some delight when upon tasting my recent kumquat-laden witbier, my buddy, and seasoned beer drinker, Dan said, “I really like that. I thought it was really good. There was a little bit of citrus and it was refreshing. It tasted like a witbier.”

Yes!

It was awfully welcome confirmation for what I’d been thinking but hadn’t dared vocalize. I’ve really been digging this brew and am quite pleased with the outcome of my petite citrus experiment and delighted that my malt mix-up didn’t seem to negatively affect the ultimate product. But I’m too much of a critic to allow myself to think that I’ve actually brewed a decent beer. [My wife often likes my beer but that’s because she’s just about perfect.] So Dan’s praise was positively thrilling. OK, it was more like water cooler chatter at the office but I’ll take it.

There is a definite witbier-feel to this one. The flaked oats that Jamil wisely recommends including did their part – there’s that welcome witbier haze and a lovely soft body.

I’m not sure if the kumquats actually affected the final flavor. It’s hard to know whether the citrus elements come from the fruit, the coriander or maybe the yeast. But I’d like to think that the bright, orangey scent that greets my nose when I lift this to my mouth is thanks to my new favorite member of the citrus family. Regardless, my witty creation has subtle spiciness and the soft body of a proper wheat-based brew.

It just goes to show you that tweaking an established recipe is not only fun but, sometimes, results in an interesting creation. So the next time you see kumquats in the super market grab a carton and get brewing.

As for me, I’m looking for inspiration. This summer has not been conducive to brewing in my house. Our lame air conditioner has me looking longingly to the cooler months ahead and thinking of challenging myself with a bigger brew, maybe a massive IPA or an Imperial something or other…. Gotta get brewing.

Last modified on Monday, 11 February 2013