I’ve been playing a lot of the browser based game Fallen London lately. It’s a sort of cavern-punk RPG where you get to hang out with demons from hell and collect lucky weasels. There are a number of mystery storylets where you solve cases at a location called Ladybones Road. For some reason, this all inspired me to brew an American style Blonde Ale despite the favoured libations in Fallen London being mushroom wine and absinth that moves on its own accord.

I’m still getting the hang of milling my own grains. I was happy with the crush for this brew and also added some raw red wheat berries that I pulverized in a blender (no cereal mash for this brew, but I’ve experimented with that subsequently). The sparge proceeded like a greased lucky weasel despite the wheat. I brewed 38L so that I could use half of the wort for post fermentation adulteration by adjunct. In keeping to the beer’s theme I choose 2 separate additions that would bring to mind bloody murder: Raspberries and a hibiscus tisane. What can I say, I’m a concept brewer.

Recipe Details Batch Size Boil Time IBU SRM Est. OG Est. FG ABV 38 L 60 min 23.6 IBUs 4.5 SRM 1.048 1.009 5.2 % Actuals 1.048 1.01 5.0 % Fermentables Name Amount % 2-Row 7.5 kg 89.07 Wheat, Raw 500 g 5.94 Honey Malt 420 g 4.99 Hops Name Amount Time Use Form Alpha % Northern Brewer 40 g 60 min Boil Pellet 8.5 Northern Brewer 20 g 5 min Boil Pellet 8.5 Yeast Name Lab Attenuation Temperature San Diego Super Yeast (WLP090) White Labs 80% 18°C - 20°C Mash Step Temperature Time Mash In 66.67°C 60 min Download Download this recipe's BeerXML file

It has been fun doing flights of this with the different varieties. I’ve taken the same approach with my most recent brew as well, a Robust Porter. I really enjoyed the honey malt and will definitely be using it again as it’s difficult to secure prisoner’s honey topside.

If you decide to venture into the neath, I’m known as Slarthington in Fallen London.