Stone Releases Graniac, Latest Stochasticity Project Beer

24 Nov 2015 --- Escondido, CA – The latest release from the Stochasticity Project incorporates newly developed forms of grain yet to be widely used in the brewing world. Malted buckwheat and malted millet were included in the grain bill to create this deep-red, hoppy ale with a unique malt character. Making its debut beginning this week, Stochasticity Project Grainiac will start arriving in 22-ounce bottles and on draft at select retailers nationwide.

Upping the hop factor is common practice for West Coast-based craft breweries, but this beer transpired from a different search, one that eventually led to a small malting facility in Wellington, Colorado. Here, Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele came in contact with Grouse Malting and Roasting Company.

“Earlier this year, we learned about Grouse Malting and their innovative take on these malted grains,” said Steele. “After exploring their unique offerings, we realized that the Stochasticity Project would be the perfect avenue to incorporate them into a recipe.”

With a malt bill composed of seven grains—2-row pale malt, malted buckwheat, malted millet, white wheat malt, CaraRye, flaked oats and flaked triticale—there are distinct nutty and cereal-like malt qualities in the flavor and aroma. Columbus, Chinook, Centennial and Cascade hops (aka the “4 C’s”) were added to balance out the intense malt backbone, resulting in a blend of spice, citrus and pine flavors.

After brainstorming concepts and deciding on the final recipe, what came about next for this multigrain ale was highly unexpected. But then again, that should be expected from the Stochasticity Project, a series of beers intended for exotic notions, ingredients and ideas. A daring, slightly controversial name was proposed by the brewing team that references the title of a Saturday Night Live commercial parody, “Colon Blow.” Stone CEO Greg Koch shut it down. Hard. More names were floated. For a while it was Multigrains of Truth. Then Let It Grain. Someone on the sales team spoke up: “But we LIKE the name Colon Blow. It’s…hilarious!” Since they would be the ones selling it, Greg gave in.

Ultimately, the federal government nixed the name when it was submitted for approval, citing a perceived suggestion of health benefits. Um, OK. Plan B then: Grainiac.

This one-time limited release should be enjoyed fresh in order to fully experience the generous dose of hop character. The story of Stochasticity Project Colon B…errr…Grainiac will live on inside the brewery’s halls and on the back of every bottle.

Beer Data and Vital Statistics

Stochasticity Project Grainiac

Name: Stochasticity Project Grainiac

URL: stochasticity.com/beers/grainiac

Alcohol/Volume: 8.5%

Bitterness: 60 IBUs

Hops: Columbus, Chinook, Centennial, Cascade

Malts: 2-row pale malt, malted buckwheat, malted crystal millet, malted roast millet, white wheat malt, CaraRye, flaked oats, flaked triticale

U.S. Distribution: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico

International Distribution: Australia; Alberta and British Columbia, Canada; Japan; Korea; Singapore; Sweden; Thailand; and United Kingdom

Find Beer: stonebrewing.com/grainiac#extra

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Deep amber with a light-tan head.

Aroma: Aroma starts off with a nutty, spice note from the malts, then slowly evolves into a citrus and resin hop character

Taste: Nice blend of maltiness and hoppiness. Unique nutty and cereal-like malt flavors at the start, then the hops come through with a classic American Amber Ale hop profile, with elements of citrus, pine, and hop resin.

Palate: Full bodied (not sweet) and smooth with a lingering bitterness.

Overall: This beer gave us a neat opportunity to use some grains we had never used before in brewing a beer. We recently learned of Grouse Malting and Roasting Company in Colorado, and as I explored its website and catalog of malted grains, I realized that our Stochasticity Project series would be a perfect place for experimenting with these. We combined malted millet and malted buckwheat from Grouse with barley malt, rye malt, wheat malt, oats and triticale to make a true multigrain ale. Hopped with the classic “4 C’s” this beer is reminiscent of many amber ales I have brewed over the years, but with a slight twist on the malt character.