Fermentologists 3rd Anniversary Recap

Last weekend, we had a chance to attend the Fermentologist’s 3rd Anniversary party at the Crafty Fox in Denver. Originally started as a homebrew club in 2013, the fermentation science club now has over 50 members. They focus on (and enjoy) the technical aspects of fermentation. (Check them out at www.fermentologists.com)While we filled up on unlimited pizza from The Crafty Fox (craftyfox.beer) The Note Crackers (@thenotecrackers) played some live tunes on the patio. (Thanks for playing Buck Owens guys!) The pizza was awesome, but more on the Crafty Fox here in a bit.The REAL attraction to the day was the taptakeover from Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales and TRVE Brewing Company. It was definitely a wild/sour/saison beer day and everything was on point. The stars of the day came in the form of saisons. TRVE brought SOLID HEX, a watermelon mixed culture saison that was fermented in French foeders. I really enjoyed the beer as the watermelon was subtle and not overpowering. In a labor of love, the Fermentologists gave each member a vial of 1.040 OG wort and tasked them to place an object into the container. Each member had a different location (but all 100% Colorado) and ingredient that meant something to them. (Fruits, flowers, multiple ingredients) From there, the gang at Black Project extracted and plated the strains in order to propagate the samples into larger batches. Finally, they were all combined into a one-gallon container. The propagation (which had a fruity aroma) was pitched into an empty red wine Syrah barrel and 100% pilsner wort was added. The club helped brew the pilsner with Black Project at the brewery. They left the saison in the barrel for a week which added some slight oak and tropical aromas and called it MICROB. A little birdie told us that once Black Project’s taproom expansion is finished, MICROB will be bottled and sold. Be sure to follow their facebook for an announcement. (If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle…they’ll be sold to members first, with only 150 being bottled.) If you’re looking for a good place to avoid the crowds and find some special tappings, be sure to check out The Crafty Fox during GABF week. Starting on October 4th, each day will showcase a handful of breweries with rare beers at the top of the already large and expansive taplist. (And be sure to try the Baconator when you’re there…three types of bacon, onions, jalapenos and red sauce. Yum!) Denver-area homebrewers: The Fermentologists will be hosting a homebrew competition using 2015 BJCP guidelines for dark beers called “Dias Oscuros”. You have about a month (November 11) to get your entry in. There will be 54 categories this year. The award ceremony will be held at Copper Kettle Brewing Company on November 19th. Check the Fermentologists’ website/Facebook for more information.