Release & Recipe: Nectranomicon
BattleMage Brewing's Homebrew Summer pro-am beer is a mouthful...of Nectaron!
When we launched our annual Homebrew Summer program back in 2021, one of the most eager local breweries to sign up was BattleMage Brewing. The pair of homebrewers who founded that Vista operation worked at local homebrew supply outlets and appreciate the enthusiasm and experimentation exhibited by amateur brewers, so much that they’ve participated in Homebrew Summer every single year. This time around, they selected the recipe for Nectranomicon, an IPA devised by local homebrewer Josh Akin which harnesses the vibrant fruitiness of the outrageously popular Nectaron hop, while utilizing a brand new varietal called Emerald Spire. You can check out the recipe for Nectranomicon here, then venture out to BattleMage where the beer will go on tap this Friday, August 11!
New pro-am beers will continue to debut on a weekly basis over the rest of the summer, so be sure to check back to San Diego Beer News on a regular basis (or subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter and we’ll send all the recipes and release information straight to your inbox). Cheers and happy homebrewing!
Josh Akin
Homebrewer
How long have you been homebrewing and what inspired you to submit recipes for Homebrew Summer?
I brewed my first batch last fall, joined QUAFF around the same time and have been going strong ever since. This was the third recipe I ever brewed and my wife likes it, so I must be doing something right. After brewing some fantastic recipes from last year’s Homebrew Summer (shout out to Second Chance Beer Co. and Home Brew Mart), I wanted to give back to such a great event.
What did you learn during your collaboration brew day at BattleMage?
As a microbiologist by trade, I have a great respect for the sanitation practices required for brewing. Commercial production is no exception, and it was cool seeing the meticulous processes in place to assure quality from grain to glass. I also enjoyed debating the merits of Final Fantasy versus The Legend of Zelda. That could only happen at BattleMage!
Ryan Sather
Co-founder, BattleMage Brewing
What inspired you to sign up for Homebrew Summer for a third straight year and select this particular recipe?
Homebrew Summer has been a great opportunity for homebrewers to experience the commercial production side of brewing, and for commercial brewers to be refreshed by the constant ingenuity of the homebrew community. We selected this recipe because we have really enjoyed Nectaron lately, and we were excited to pair it with a new hop we had never used. We’re excited to see how the Emerald Spire pairs with a strong hop like Nectaron.
How did the brew day for Nectranomicon go?
It was a blast. Josh was very involved. Sometimes people come in and just want to hang out during collab day, but you could see he was a passionate brewer and wanted to engage throughout the process. We made a couple of malt adjustments based on the maltsters we normally have available and cut back a bit on the wheat to push it a bit more towards the newer style West Coast IPA. We then had to adjust the hop schedule and grain bill a bit due to the higher utilization and efficiency you get from a commercial system. The main adjustment for the hop schedule was because we don’t water back, so our whirlpool hops get a fair amount of isomerization. This leads to not needing a lot, if any, early hop additions because the hops are isomerizing during the whole whirlpool, rets and knockout. With a homebrew setup, normally the knockout is much quicker and the whirlpool uses an immersion chiller that quickly drops the temperature of the wort below 180 degrees, cutting down the isomerization. We explained all these changes with Josh and kept an open dialogue so that he could understand our reasoning for any adjustments.
Why does San Diego’s homebrew community hold such a special place in your hearts?
My partner, Chris Barry, and I were both active in the Society of Barley Engineers (homebrew club) for years, and worked at homebrew shops before making the plunge into opening BattleMage. I think San Diego has a fantastic homebrew community that has continually been a launching point for dozens of great San Diego breweries. When you are first getting into brewing, your friends drinking your beer for free will tell you it’s amazing, but at a Barley Engineer or QUAFF meeting with more discerning palates, you will start to get more honest and critical feedback that will help you grow as a brewer.
