Spruce Tip Ale

The spruce trees are starting to put out new growth, and that means a chance to try making a new homebrew.

I haven't tried a spruce tip ale (either brewing it or drinking it), but I have read good things about them. It's supposed to be a very flavorful beer. It's also nice knowing that at least one ingredient came from near my house and was picked the day before it was used.

Here's the recipe used for a 5 gallon batch. I worked with an employee at Homebrew Exchange to create this recipe. It's a variation on a Pale Ale.

7 lb Light Malt Extract
8.0 oz Cystal Malt 20L
4.0 oz Roasted Barley
1.0 oz Cascade Hops (bittering)
1.0 oz Fuggles Hops (aromatic)
3.o oz Spruce Tips
Wyeast 1098 (British Ale)


Steep the grains at 160F for 30 minutes.
Remove grains and rinse with 2 qt hot water.
Add malt extract.
Bring to boil and add bittering hops and spruce tips.
Add aroma hops at last 2 minutes of boil.
Cool wort to around 75 F.
Add wort and water to fermenter to total 5 gallons.
Pitch yeast.

Lobster Mushrooms

Yesterday, we dropped the dogs off at Club K-9, and drove out to the Salmon Huckleberry Wilderness, on the southern side of Mt. Hood.  On the hunt for more mushrooms.  We discovered and identified some chanterelles, bloody milkcaps, and lobster mushrooms.

Lobster mushrooms aren't exactly a mushroom.  It's a parasite, that attacks other mushrooms and completely takes over.  They smell and taste like lobster (or what i imagine lobster to  smell and taste like, i've never actually had lobster).  You can buy them in the supermarket for around $15/lb.  Or you can gather them for free in the woods.  They are really easy to identify and due to their bright colors, pretty easy to spot. 

Willis made a delicious tofu and lobster mushroom dinner.  He found the recipe here.  Below is his version (very similar with a few modifications).

Tofu and Lobster Mushrooms in Ginger Broth


1 ounce lobster mushrooms
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon mellow red miso
1 cup wild rice, cooked

In a medium-sized saucepan, simmer the mushrooms in the water for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms to a cutting board and pour the mushroom broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough water to reach the 2-cup mark, and return the broth to the pan. Chop the mushrooms and add them to the pan, along with all ingredients except the miso.
Simmer on very low for 15 minutes. Stir miso into 1/4 cup water until it forms a smooth paste and add it to the tofu. Stir gently and return to heat for about 1 minute, and then serve over rice.

i'm a fungi!

Yesterday, we went with Courtney and Nick to hunt for wild chanterelles (currently sold in the market for $16-20/lb.).  We went in the late afternoon and had only a few hours to snatch them up before sundown.  None of us were expecting to find very much.  Courtney and Nick were amazing at spotting them from a distance.  We returned home after an hour and a half with 2.5 lbs!  We hope to return in the next few weeks to find some more.

Tonight, Willis made a delicious Chanterelle Mushroom Barley Risotto for dinner.

Barley Risotto with Chanterelles

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 cups "medium" barley
1 cup good quality dry white wine
6 cups chicken stock
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 handfuls chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crème fraiche



Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, then add the onions, shallots, garlic, and salt and saute, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.

Add the barley to the pot and stir until coated with a nice sheen, then add the white wine and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes, until the barley has absorbed the liquid a bit. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle, active simmer.

In increments, add about 6 cups of stock, 1 cup at a time, letting the barley absorb most of the liquid between additions; this should take around 40 minutes altogether. Stir regularly so the grains on the bottom of the pan don't scorch. Add the mushrooms with the 4th or 5th cup of stock, so that they will get cooked, but not get mushy. You will know when the barley is cooked because it won't offer up much resistance when chewing (it will, however, be chewier than Arborio rice).

When the barley is tender remove the pot from heat. Stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan, and crème fraiche. Add salt to taste.