Wild ales from Irondequoit Bay? Unexpected K2 Brothers Brewing series adds new wrinkle

K2 brewers captured yeast from Irondequoit Bay for its new wild ale series

If you happened to drive past K2 Brothers Brewing in Penfield last year and noticed a solitary oak barrel sitting by the side of the road, you probably did a double-take.

But it was all part of the plan for K2 head brewer Adam Keith. Keith put a barrel alongside Empire Boulevard, just opposite Irondequoit Bay, in an attempt to capture wild yeast from the area. Keith succeeded and cultivated a unique yeast culture.

And now K2, most unexpectedly, has released three mixed fermentation wild ales in this new series.

“I’ve been a big fan of wild ales for a long time now,” said Keith, a native of the United Kingdom who moved to Rochester in 2009 to work at the Old Toad pub on Alexander Street. “They are definitely under-appreciated and they are actually very difficult to do. It’s something that I’ve done a fair bit of research into. Last summer, we had an empty oak barrel — it had whiskey and it had beer in it before. We decided to give it a go.”

Earlier coverage from the D&C (2017): Bonded through beer: Penfield’s K2 Brothers Brewing opens.

Each of the first three beers was fermented in oak and then bottle conditioned with champagne yeast to add livelier carbonation and a pricklier mouthfeel. The first in the series was a sour golden ale. It was super lemony, crisp, and refreshing. Next came a peach wild ale, which was again fermented in oak with fresh peaches from DeFisher Fruit Farms in Williamson, Wayne County.

Keith concocted an incredibly imaginative bourbon barrel-aged sour meant to mimic an old fashioned cocktail as a special, private release for the Rochester Elite Barrel Pickers club. That one featured candied orange peel, along with cherry and orange juices. All of the releases I’ve tried have been supremely balanced and not overwhelmed with acidity.

The peach wild ale is currently available at K2.

The K2 wild ale series features its own house yeast strain now and is a direct reflection of its environment (since the yeast was propagated in the brewery front yard).

“No one else could replicate this,” Keith said.

“We literally left the barrel open to the atmosphere for three days and let it happen,” K2 co-founder Brad Kennedy added.

K2 also uses a modified coolship, an old homebrewing kettle, to produce wort. A coolship is a traditional Belgian brewing vessel, which is typically shallow and allows wort to cool while capturing wild yeast and bacteria. And due to our geography, Keith said they have access to a wide assortment of fruits and other local ingredients that can be showcased in the wild ales. The wild ales are produced one barrel at a time, making the yield pretty limited, but also allowing Keith to blend and flex a little more creative muscle.

Most of the wild ales have originated with the process of collecting wild yeast spontaneously. They can then be dosed with the culture Keith has captured to make sure they maintain a similar flavor profile or character.

The K2 team admits this is an unexpected project but adds that it allows the brewers to do something different. It’s a departure from the vibrant fruited sours, decadent stouts, and hazy IPAs the brewery is known for.

“We’re definitely known for our sour beers, so this is just a new twist,” said Keith, who has worked at K2 for four years, including the past year as head brewer.

“We always like to push the envelope, too,” Kennedy added. “People know us for our spicy beers…”

(Interjection: I’ll never forget the time Brad and Kyle Kennedy, the K2 brothers, snuck a pour of the the brewery’s XXX Cream Ale into my flight while I was there for an interview. The imperial cream ale is dosed with ghost peppers and I can say the heat hurt, lol. But the Kennedys love heat and have done a hot pepper beer challenge multiple times to celebrate the brewery’s anniversary.)

“In general, we like to do fun, new stuff,” Brad said. “And Adam has taken on this new project. I love that the yeast came from the bay. Literally, no one else has this yeast. It has developed really well.”

Keith said he has a number of different wild ales and blends currently aging, including one in a gin barrel. Expect those to be released in the coming months. A potential expansion would include space devoted to barrel aging and wild ale production, the Kennedys said. Keith added the brewery is expecting to take delivery of its first oak foeder in the coming weeks, too. That aging vessel will be devoted to more funky beer releases. He said he hopes to make a funky version of the brewery’s award-winning Blue Razz quick sour in the foeder.

And expect some wildly exciting news about K2’s future, on multiple fronts, during that same timeline. (When there is news to share, you know you’ll be able to learn all the juicy details in this newsletter.)

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