Rockford Brewing Co.’s Rockford Country Ale: Replicator
Dear Replicator, I have to say that my experience with farmhouse style beers had not been good. I’m more of a pale ale, IPA guy. That all changed when my brewing buddy brought back a growler of Rockford Country Ale from Rockford Brewing Company in Rockford, Michigan. He raved about it and I found out why. It is one of the best overall beers I have ever had. It’s not sold here in Indiana and my buddy says he’s not driving back to Rockford for more. I’m hoping you can give us an idea of how to reconstruct a 5-gallon (19-L) batch. Also, thank you for all you and the rest of the writers at Brew Your Own do; your magazine has been a big help making our homebrews better.
Jim Broder
Indianapolis, Indiana
Jim, I really have to thank you for this request. It allowed me to reconnect with an old friend that I hadn’t talked to in many years. My call to the brewery was answered by Rockford Brewing Company (RBC) Co-owner and Brewmaster Jeff Sheehan. While traveling on business with my former corporate job I had met Jeff in Pocatello, Idaho in 2004. He had been attending Idaho State University planning to graduate with a geology degree. His only previous brewing experience had been with a Mr. Beer kit a few years earlier. At that time, the owner of Portneuf Valley Brewpub, Penny Pink, was in need of an assistant brewer and Jeff took the job. Jeff still holds a great appreciation for Penny and credits her for hiring him and setting him on the path to his brewing career.
Their system was only three barrels, but it gave him plenty of opportunity to learn brewing and to dabble in many different beer styles. Every time I was in Pocatello I would stop by the brewery and sit and sample his latest brews. Many times I would bring one of my homebrews and we would discuss the style.
By 2007 Jeff and his wife Amy decided that it was time to get back to their home state of Michigan. Having developed a real passion for brewing he sought a job with any brewery that was hiring. Fortunately, there was an opening at New Holland Brewing Co. in their production facility. Through perseverance and hard work Jeff eventually advanced to be their Lead Brewer at their Pub Brewery. There he was really able to show his skills brewing on their 10-barrel system. Jeff wanted me to give recognition to John Haggerty, New Holland’s Brewmaster at that time, for further development of his brewing knowledge.
Talks of opening his own small brewery began during his first year at New Holland and in January 2011 he resigned to do just that. At that time the city manager of Rockford informed him that another person had also been inquiring about the same possibility. Seth Rivard, an IT specialist of 13 years, met with Jeff and the two decided to partner. Soon a business plan was being developed. In 2011 a suitable building was located downtown and, many difficult renovations later, a brewpub was born.
In December 2012, Jeff and Seth opened the doors of RBC with the concept of incorporating the natural world around the brewery into their establishment and products. The pub sports a bar top made of Michigan curly maple and a giant window allowing for views into the brewery. More huge windows on the second floor allow a 360-degree view of downtown, the surrounding woods, and river. “We want to promote a healthy, outdoor lifestyle and being right in between the Rogue River and the White Pine Trail State Park does just that,” said Jeff. Future expansion is planned with a full kitchen and a rooftop patio for watching the salmon swim up the river.
Jeff, along with another brewer and a cellarman, produce all of the beers on a 7-barrel system made by Metalcraft Fabrication of Portland, Oregon. A big focus of recipe development is the use of local ingredients. A good example of that is the Michigan beet sugar used in this article’s featured beer. Production in 2014 was 1,000 barrels, and an increase to 1,250 is scheduled for this year. Distribution is limited to kegs, and their beers are only available in Michigan. Currently, 80% of their beer is sold right at the pub. They have experimented with some hand bottling of special beers in 750 mL corked and caged bottles, but further bottling or canning is not planned for the immediate future.
To support the local homebrewing community they team up with one of the local homebrew shops in Grand Rapids, O’Connor’s Home Brew Supply, to conduct an annual competition. Last year there were over 200 entries. The winner gets to brew his/her recipe on the RBC 7-barrel system. The beer is then served during a special beer release night at the brewery.
Jeff talked about Rockford Country Ale and offered some brewing tips. He says that this recipe was designed as a cross between a bière de garde and a saison. It most closely resembles a French farmhouse ale. The idea was to focus more on a complex malt bill with just enough hops to offset any residual sweetness. A low temperature, thin mash ensures a spicy, crisp, dry finish with some fruity esters and herbal, grass-like notes. The finished, unfiltered beer has a bright, golden-colored body with a dense, creamy head. Jeff recommends a long, low temperature fermentation to allow the yeast to fully develop the flavors.
Rockford Brewing Co.’s Rockford Country Ale clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.007
IBU = 28 SRM = 7 ABV = 6.8%
Ingredients
9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) 2-row pale malt
9 oz. (0.25 kg) Munich malt
6 oz. (0.17 kg) white wheat malt
4 oz. (0.11 kg) Caravienne malt (20 °L)
4 oz. (0.11 kg) Victory® malt
3 oz. (85 g) Carapils® malt
9.2 oz. (0.26 kg) beet sugar (10 min.)
5.33 AAU Brewers Gold hop pellets
(60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 7.1% alpha acids)
2 AAU Hallertau hop pellets
(30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4% alpha acids)
1 AAU Hallertau hop pellets
(10 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 4% alpha acids)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss (30 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
White Labs WLP566 (Belgian Saison II) or Wyeast 3711 (French Saison) or Lallemand Belle Saison yeast
3⁄4 cup of corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single step infusion mash. Mix all of the crushed grains with 4.9 gallons (18.5 L) of 168 °F
(76 °C) water to stabilize at 148 ºF (64 °C). This is a medium-thin mash using 1.4 quarts (1.3 L) of strike water per pound of grain. This is designed to help achieve maximum fermentability. Mash for 60 minutes then slowly sparge with 175 ºF (79 ºC) water.
Collect approximately 6.2 gallons (23.5 L) of wort runoff to boil for 60 minutes. While boiling, add the hops, Irish moss and yeast nutrient and beet sugar as per the schedule.
Cool the wort to 75 ºF (24 ºC) and transfer to your fermenter. Pitch the yeast and aerate the wort heavily. Allow the beer to cool to66 ºF (19 ºC). Hold at that temperature until fermentation is complete. This may take 10–14 days. Gently transfer to a carboy, avoiding any splashing to prevent aerating the beer. Allow the beer to condition for an additional week. Prime and bottle condition or keg and force carbonate to 2.7 volumes CO2. Allow the beer to age for two more weeks to fully develop the flavors.
Rockford Brewing Co.’s Rockford Country Ale clone
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.007
IBU = 28 SRM = 7 ABV = 6.8 %
Ingredients
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Briess light, un-hopped malt extract
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) light, dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) 2-row pale malt
9 oz. (0.25 kg) Munich malt
6 oz. (0.17 kg) white wheat malt
4 oz. (0.11 kg) Caravienne malt (20 °L)
4 oz. (0.11 kg) Victory® malt
3 oz. (85 g) Carapils® malt
9.2 oz. (0.26 kg) beet sugar (10 min.)
7.1 AAU Brewers Gold hop pellets
(60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 7.1% alpha acids)
2 AAU Hallertau hop pellets
(30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4% alpha acids)
1 AAU Hallertau hop pellets
(10 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 4% alpha acids)
1⁄2 tsp. Irish moss (30 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
White Labs WLP566 (Belgian Saison II) or Wyeast 3711
(French Saison) or Lallemand Belle Saison yeast
3⁄4 cup of corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Steep the milled grain in 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of water at 148 ºF (64 ºC) for 30 minutes. Remove grains from the wort and rinse with 2 quarts (2 L) of hot water. Add the malt extracts and boil for 60 minutes. While boiling, add the hops, Irish moss, yeast nutrient and beet sugar as per the schedule. When the boil is complete add the wort to 2 gallons (7.6 L) of cold water in the sanitized fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L).
Cool the wort to 75 ºF (24 ºC). Pitch your yeast and aerate the wort heavily. Allow the beer to cool to 66 ºF (19 ºC). Hold at that temperature until fermentation is complete. This may take 10–14 days. Gently transfer to a carboy, avoiding any splashing to prevent aerating the beer. Allow the beer to condition for an additional week. Prime and bottle condition or keg and force carbonate to 2.7 volumes CO2. Allow the beer to age for two more weeks to fully develop the flavors. Bottle or keg as normal.
