Author: Steve Thanos
While perusing social media after work one evening earlier this year, I was confronted with the heartbreaking news that a buddy from my homebrew club, Dan Sergeant, would soon succumb to the cancer he’d been fighting for the past few years. His incredible wife encouraged friends to reach out to Dan with uplifting messages to help during his final moments. I immediately messaged Dan, and to my surprise, he asked if I would brew a final batch with him, the resulting beer of which would be shared with family and friends at his upcoming celebration of life get together.
This felt like such a huge responsibility, one that I was honored to accept. Dan wanted to brew a house specialty he’d been making for several years, an Imperial Cream Ale he called Tattooed Bull. With Dan’s blessing, I sent an open invite to all of our fellow club members to join us for this brew day with the goal of providing mutual support during this emotional time.
We scheduled the brew day for the soonest date we could, and while Chicago winters can be rough, the weather on this day was uncharacteristically warm and sunny. Dan, his wife, some former colleagues, and a bunch of club members showed up for this final brew day and bottle share, during which ample amounts of coffee, beer, and whiskey were consumed alongside tasty food offerings. It was a day to remember, to say the least, and it went off without a hitch.
| Making Tattooed Bull Imperial Cream Ale |
Inspired by New Glarus Brewing’s Spotted Cow, Dan developed his Tattooed Bull recipe to be similarly as clean and drinkable with a touch more potency.
Tattooed Bull Imperial Cream Ale
Recipe Details
| Batch Size | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 gal | 60 min | 17.3 | 3.6 SRM | 1.06 | 1.01 | 6.56 % |
| Actuals | 1.06 | 1.01 | 6.56 % | |||
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pale 2-Row Malt | 9.5 lbs | 88.37 |
| Carapils | 10 oz | 5.81 |
| Flaked Barley | 5 oz | 2.91 |
| Flaked Corn | 5 oz | 2.91 |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Form | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cluster | 19 g | 45 min | Boil | Pellet | 7 |
| Cluster | 9 g | 15 min | Boil | Pellet | 7 |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Attenuation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship (A07) | Imperial Yeast | 77% | 0°F - 0°F |
Notes
| Water Profile: Ca 36 | Mg 12 | Na 9 | SO4 27 | Cl 17 |
Download
| Download this recipe's BeerXML file |
After collecting the full volume of filtered water and adjusting it to the desired profile, we lit the flame under the kettle then proceeded to weigh out and mill the grain.
Once the water was adequately heated, the grains were incorporated then we checked to make sure it was at the target mash temperature.
Following the 60 minute mash rest, the grains were removed and the wort was brought to a boil. Since this was Dan’s recipe and final batch, he made the kettle hop additions.
At the completion of the 60 minute boil, the wort was quickly chilled before a refractometer reading was taken showing it was at a respectable 1.060 OG.
After transferring the chilled wort to a fermenter, it was placed in a chamber set to maintain a fermentation temperature of 68°F/20°C, at which point it was hit with a pouch of Imperial Yeast A07 Flagship.
With signs of fermentation activity absent a week later, I took a hydrometer measurement confirming FG had been reached.
The temperature of the beer was reduced to 36°F/2°C where it sat for a couple weeks before I transferred it to a sanitized keg, which was placed in my fridge and left to condition for another couple weeks before it was ready to serve.
| IMPRESSIONS |
One of the things I love so much about beer is that it brings people together, whether that’s over a pint at the corner pub, during a backyard BBQ, or sharing unique creations at a homebrew club meeting. In this particular case, it brought together family and friends of an incredible man, Dan Sergeant, who sadly lost his battle with cancer on April 17, 2023, just 6 short weeks after we brewed one of his favorite recipes, but not before he had the chance to try it for himself.
Cream Ale has never been a style I’ve felt particularly passionate about, but I was thrilled with how this batch of Tattooed Bull turned out. The light maltiness, clean fermentation character, crisp mouthfeel, and subtle sweetness made this beer surprisingly crushable for its strength, while the Cluster hops provided just the right amount of bitterness and basic hop character without getting in the way of anything else.
Having had the opportunity to brew and sample Dan’s final beer with him was incredible on its own, but sharing the finished product with his family and friends, and knowing it left something for them to remember Dan by, was a truly humbling experience. As those last few drops of Tattooed Bull were enjoyed, I realized Dan’s legacy, built by the love and friendship he shared with so many, will live on far longer than his time on this planet.
Cheers, my friend!
If you have thoughts about this recipe or experience making something similar, please feel free to share in the comments section below!
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10 thoughts on “Brü It Yourself | Dan Sergeant’s Tattooed Bull Imperial Cream Ale”
You are a good man, Steve. Thanks for sharing this very personal story.
Thanks Dave.
I am sitting in Canada reading this and your story really touched home as I have three friends facing terminal cancer! I also have dedicated my time with my work crew of nine in a cancer camp for kids for 14 years. Sadly my right arm no longer likes to be above my head. At 77 I retired on May 23, 2023! May Dan RIP. I will brew this and dedicate it to all who are facing this disease!
Norm, thanks for the kind words. Cheers!
What an incredible way to honor your friend. Thanks for sharing this story.
Thanks Drew. Cheers!
A great sentiment and a lovely article.
I’d be keen to do a similar strength beer using 20% maize and as a lager.
Thanks Thomas! Let me know how your brew day goes if you get around to brewing this one. Cheers!
I just read this. Made me cry. I can’t tell you how much I miss my son. His beer is here just waiting for the right time. Maybe the 4th? Maybe when he is officially interred at the military cemetery south of Joliet.
I was never much into beer but he was always having me try his concoctions. Kinda funny. I try it and usually end with an “UGH”. then his nephews and Dad would try it and think it was great.
Bud and I cooked together. He was always experimenting with stuff I’d never heard of. Most of his experiments were pretty good. The Wednesday before he left us we took a side trip on the way back from his medical appointment to find ramps at the local Preserve. shovel in the car, as well as some cardboard boxes and on we went with my forever ‘partner in crime’. I shielded his ‘theft’ with my car while he dug them up and put them in the car. There were hundreds of them so pretty sure they weren’t missed. All the while on our little expedition we talked about stuff we could make with them.
I planted some of them here at my house, but so far they haven’t grown. I think I may have waited too long. I was heartbroken less than a week later when he lost his battle. But I do look at the beer you guys made and it makes me smile and think about how much he admired you all and the fun he had in the last days.
)Pretty sure the hopps that we grew here are still sending out vines. I keep pulling them and they keep coming back.
Thank you for this post. I’m going to save it, print it, and put it with his prized possessions.
I’m still trying to adjust to life without him and my daily conversations and texts. I can’t understand why the best of us have to leave us so soon. I try to tell myself he’s in a better place with no pain, none of life’s worries etc but selfishly I want him to still be here. with me. with us. laughing and talking about his ‘adventures’ in all sorts of stuff. He really was a good guy and genuinely cared about others.
Thanks for reading and responding, Mrs. Sergeant. I’m very happy you were able to see this. I think we can all strive to be a lot like Dan; I know I do.