Final 12 months in January, Brenda and I had our first brewing expertise because of Mike Castiglione at Stiggs Brewery & Kitchen in Boyne Metropolis. We brewed up a improbable candy stout which we named Tenting With Uncle Charlie. Stiggs shared our beer on the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer fest in Grand Rapids in 2022. We had loads of enjoyable and hoped we may brew it once more.
Quick ahead to September and Mike talked about that he had brewed one other batch of Tenting With Uncle Charlie with the Stiggs Homebrew membership for the Detroit Fall Beer Fest. He then invited us again as much as Boyne to brew one other batch for the 2023 Winter Beer Fest. We, in fact, advised Mike we might be there and set a brew date for January fifth, 2023.
This 12 months, we had the pleasure of sharing the brewing expertise with the Stiggs Homebrew membership. The membership members in attendance included Gabby, Bob, Steve, Lisa, Barbara, Mike, and Matt.
We requested Bob when the homebrew membership was began, Bob requested “What number of years has Stiggs been right here?”
“5 years,” Gabby mentioned.
Bob smiled, “So we have been doing this most likely, I betcha, no less than 4 years. Me, Mike (Castiglione), and Alexa began this, and we have been doing it most likely for a great six, eight months, after which Steve got here and simply form of expanded it.”
Whereas speaking with the Stiggs Homebrew membership, I realized about Tuesday Brew Days at an area farm.
“Each Tuesday night time, we brew out, I believe, 15 faucets on the market,” Gabby mentioned. “And at Christmas time, six of them have been mine. I believed that was fairly good.”
Mike’s spouse, Barbara just isn’t a beer drinker however enjoys the brewing group. She additionally prolonged the welcome to return out.
“All of us convey a plate to go — crackers, dip, you understand?” she requested rhetorically. “Within the summertime, they’ve guitars and banjos enjoying exterior. We even have a hearth pit exterior within the summertime. It is simply loads of enjoyable.”
Discuss to somebody with the Stiggs Homebrew membership and in case you are round on a Tuesday night time, they may invite you to hitch them.
The brewing was nicely underway once we arrived. Mike had the firepit roaring. In the meantime, David Osterhouse (brewer at Stiggs together with proprietor Mike Castiglione) collected the wort from the mash after sparging into buckets which he hauled to the brew kettle to boil.
This newest version of Tenting With Uncle Charlie goes to be an enormous high-octane beer. Mike and David doubled the marshmallows and added 50% extra graham crackers together with the chocolate, brown sugar, lactose, and native honey from Black River Apiary in Cheboygan. The hops are additionally native Magnum hops from Hop Alliance.
As David mixes within the chocolate and honey, the fireplace smoke causes tears to circulation down his cheeks.
“He is crying, making beer,” Bob mentioned as he seems over and smiles. “He loves it a lot. I’ve cries.”
With the wort boiling laborious, it’s time for the marshmallows and graham crackers. Luggage of crackers are handed out and crushed earlier than including to the kettle. 4 baggage of marshmallows are poured on high. The kettle seems like an infinite mug of scorching chocolate. The aroma is delicious.
“Each time we make this beer will get a bit extra ridiculous,” David mentioned whereas smiling with teary eyes.
With all of the added components — adjuncts — the beer is delivered to a boil earlier than the kettle is faraway from the fireplace to chill. David units up a chiller within the kettle. Now we await the beer to chill sufficient to pitch the yeast. Somebody asks how you will know when the beer is cool sufficient. David mentions he has a thermometer useful. Nevertheless, he and Mike use the hand-on-the-kettle technique to get a really feel (no pun supposed) on when to verify the temperature.
Final 12 months the brewing took us all day. The skin temperatures have been close to zero and getting the kettle to boil took hours. Right this moment is a cinch. The beer is within the keg with the yeast in about 5 hours after placing every little thing collectively.
A part of what makes brewing with the homebrew membership enjoyable is sharing beers, speaking about beers, and telling tales. Bob opens a growler of his strawberry wheat which is barely hazy with a pinkish hue. The aroma of strawberries is delicate and intriguing. The style is superb. Steve shares his bottle of cran-apple lambic which has been bottle conditioning for 2 years. Steve’s lambic has a good looking apple aroma and wonderful dry end.
As we stand across the brew kettle, having fun with beers, the subject turns to beer making. Subjects reminiscent of mash temperatures, sanitizers, most popular malts, and yeast strains wander across the hearth pit. If you’re a first-time brewer or seasoned veteran, there’s something to share and be taught.
Whereas speaking with Mike Castiglione on the finish of our brew day, he talked about that he loves the primitive brewing facet of those brew days at Stiggs. It reminds him of the homebrewing journey that led to him opening Stiggs Brewery & Kitchen. With the ability to share the expertise with nice individuals is what it’s all about.
Chuck Marshall’s journey into craft beer started within the early 90s with a visit to Seattle. The invention of beers reminiscent of Sierra Nevada, Pete’s Depraved, and Pink Hook led him to hunt out craft beer in his beginning state of Michigan. After 30-plus years, Chuck continues to be having fun with scrumptious Michigan beer and is a tireless advocate for the business, group, and tradition.
During the last 10 years, Chuck has been writing about and photographing breweries and beer festivals alongside together with his spouse Brenda Marshall on LifeInMichigan.com. When Chuck is not at a brewery or beer fest, you’ll find him within the picture pit masking native and nationwide music acts.