When the temperature hit’s 80F in Bermuda it’s time to reach for a much lighter beer to take to the beach. This beer is best defined as an American Blonde Ale and it comes out a wonderful golden for color. This beer is well attenuated with a lightly malty palate and a subdued fruitiness. Hop character is of the noble variety which leaves a light to medium bitterness. All in all this is a well balanced beer, light bodied and sometimes lager like.
This beer is named after the famous Elbow Bear Resort here I Bermuda where the crew and I hang out at for some great sunsets and music. This is a great beach beer for the summer with only 5.4% ABV and very easy drinking. Truth be told this is my father-in-laws favorite beer and I always try to have some on hand when he’s visiting.
The Elbow Beach Blonde starts with a solid base of 2 Row and Pale Ale malts and then adds some Crystal 20L for color and some Dextrose to mellow it out. Mashed in at 150F for 60 minutes and then batch sparked at 165F for an additional 15 minutes.
The wert is then boiled for 60 minutes adding the noble Tettnang hop per the hop schedule to give it a almost lager like flavor and aroma.
I’ll chill this beer down to 68F and pitch the rehydrated yeast and place it in the fermentation chamber where if further chills down to 65F. After 5-6 Days in the primary fermenter, once it reaches the final gravity, it goes right right in to the keg to be cold crashed down to about 38F and fined with gelatin 24 hours later to give it a great crisp, clear color!
