The Story of Midnight Combine

We use a mixture of American Oak and French Oak barrels for the fermentation and bulk aging process. These barrels were previously used to age and store red wine in the Napa area, however most of the flavour and aroma of the wine has since been washed away. After adding unfermented or partially fermented beer to the barrels, we inoculate them with either conventional, “clean” Belgian Saccharomyces (Sacch) yeast, or wild yeasts in the Brettanomyces (or Brett) family. The freshest beer used in our blends generally resides in barrels for a few months, however each year’s blend contains a portion of the prior year’s blend, such that even our latest releases include beer that first met oak back in 2019. For 2022 Midnight Combine, we included beer that was 100% fermented in barrels using multiple strains of Brett, which gave this year’s vintage a more twang-y, farm fresh funk.

The process begins at the brewhouse, where we take large amounts of grain and end up with a wort ranging between 17 and 19 degrees Plato over the course of one very long day. Depending on the year, we use either large stainless fermentation vessels or 225L wine barrels for a “primary” fermentation with Belgian Ale Yeast, which can take up to 3 weeks and consumes about 80% of the sugars — this is where the majority of alcohol production takes place. We may then undergo a “secondary” fermentation in wood barrels, each with their own culture of micro-organisms, and sealed to age for anywhere between 3 months and 1.5 years. In recent blends, we’ve forgone primary fermentation with Belgian yeasts in some of the barrels, directly fermenting the entirety of the sugars using Brettanomyces (Brett) yeasts prior to blending with a portion of “clean”, conventionally fermented beer. Finally, we hand bottle this liquid gold – live and unfiltered, with natural carbonation produced as the Brett yeast continues to consume a small charge of sugar.

All vintages of Midnight Combine should be served at a temperature of 8°c – 12°c. If the bottle has been refrigerated, a good rule of thumb is to let the bottle rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before opening. Once open, it can be served in a footed tulip, snifter, or chalice beer glass, or any other glass with a moderate taper such as a red wine glass.

Exercise caution when opening the bottle, as the mushroom cork may have excess pressure behind it and cause it to slip (just like Champagne). Do not point the cork towards anyone when opening. Do not shake the bottle at any point. Take care to pour the bottle gently to avoid swirling up the yeast sediment in the bottom — this sediment is perfectly normal in bottle-conditioned beers, and drinking it has no negative effects other than a slightly earthy taste. If the beer appears quite hazy or you see “chunks” floating in the liquid, don’t worry — that is the result of the sediment being loosened during travel or while pouring. Allow the beer a few minutes to settle in glass and all will be fine.