Lightning Electrostatic Ale

This beer was an experiment at the Lightning Brewery in crafting a high gravity farmhouse-style ale. We do experiments on occasion, maybe not as often as we would like, but we do. What can we say, we like Science and the Scientific Method. That means that we do not just do something to be different. We have an idea about the kind of beer we are trying to craft, think about what we know that relates to the beer style we are crafting, and then make an educated deduction by the application of our knowledge of beer and beer crafting. Electrostatic Ale is the Lightning version of a high gravity or Imperial-style farmhouse ale. We used imported “Pilsnermalt” and malted wheat to make the wort and then added a modest amount of bittering hops to allow further malt perception. We finished the brewing with some spicy hops just to add a bit of hop aroma. Finally, we fermented with a particularly “wild” strain of yeast to add some additional spice to the finished beer. We named the beer according to our now standard method that uses words associated with weather phenomena or more specifically lightning. It is important to note that lightning is made up of electrical current or electrostatic charge that suddenly starts to move and forms a lightning bolt. We thought that what makes up lightning, electrostatic charge, was a good starting point for a beer name. Electrostatic Ale is a big beer within this particular style. It finished stronger in maltyness, slightly sour from the wheat, and lighter in hops than commonly made ales. We found this beer worked out better than our expectations. That is the serendipity of Science: Experiments can work. Electrostatic Ale finished at a remarkably high 10% ABV, but with a smoothness that well balances the malt, hop, and fermentation flavors. This is a big and truly Imperial beer. Try it; just make sure you watch out for sparks!