Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest: Introducing Teresa’s Pineapple IPA

Each year, one of the three winning Longshot beers comes from a Samuel Adams employee. We had a chance to chat with this year’s winning Samuel Adams employee homebrewer, Teresa Bury, to learn more about her Pineapple India Pale Ale.

Q: What do you do at Samuel Adams?

A:  I work on our Brewery Operations team and help make sure the brewery runs smoothly  and to make sure we brew  the right amount of beer so we have enough for all our drinkers!

I left my previous job at the age of 42 to pursue my passion for beer and it has been one my best choices I’ve made! It is very feasible to pursue your passion and to find a job that encompasses that passion.

Q: How long have you been a homebrewer? Do you have a particular style that is your go-to homebrew?

A: I have been homebrewing for about four years. I love to drink beer, but I really wanted to get into the process of making beer to help gain a deeper understanding of the brewing process – how it works, the ingredients, etc.

In terms of favorite beer styles, I’m a hop head and I love IPAs, especially when they’re brewed with west coast hops. For one of my most recent batches, I brewed a coconut IPA.  One of my favorite Samuel Adams IPAs is Latitude 48.

Q: What inspired you to brew a Pineapple IPA?

A
: I had just recently started adding fruit into my beers. I don’t like sweet things, but I like tropical flavors and wanted to play off of those flavor characteristics. When a brew comes out the way you meant it to taste, you know you’ve made something that is worth sharing. I was proud of the beer and  knew that I had a great recipe.

The pineapple was a challenging ingredient because of the acidity from the fruit – I couldn’t put it in the boil because it would kill the yeast.  I had to add it in the secondary fermentation. I thought I nailed it on the first and second batches, but definitely had some failed batches in there because of the added challenge of using pineapple.

Q: What does it taste like?

A: It is brewed with four different American hops including Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe, and Chinook, which gives it a burst of grapefruit character that’s mellowed and complemented by the tropical fruit notes from the pineapple.

Q: Do you have any advice for homebrewers who are just starting out?

A: I have three tips for people who are just starting out:

1)      Cleanliness is of utmost importance. I have been lucky enough to never have spoiled a batch of beer!

2)      Use quality, fresh, and reliable ingredients.

3)      Be passionate about what you’re brewing. Let your creative side take over and don’t be afraid to screw it up.

Congratulations to Teresa and our other winning brews  – Russ Brunner’s American Stout and Cesar Marron’s Grätzer (we’ll have more with them later). You can find these beers for a limited time in our LongShot Variety 6-Pack!

Do you want to have the opportunity to have your homebrew featured in next year’s LongShot Variety 6-Pack? Learn more here as our 2014 LongShot American Homebrew Contest is under way now through May 24, 2014!

– See more at: http://blog.samueladams.com/longshot-american-homebrew-contest-introducing-teresas-pineapple-ipa/#sthash.uF60HCZM.dpuf
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