Member Highlight: Katarina Martinez

Brewmie: Katarina “Kat" Martinez

Hometown: Castle Rock, Colorado

Favorite Beer to Drink: How to choose?!  I miss a lot of the craft brews from back home that aren't distributed out here. In particular, Denver Beer Company's Kaffir Lime Wheat. I just got back from SoCal and found a new favorite though from Barley Forge Brewing Co. called "The Patsy", a Rye Stout brewed with coconut. Threw quite a few of those back...

Years Brewing: 2ish years

Type of Brewer: All-grain + Extract

Brewing Volume Capacity: I typically brew 5G batches, occasionally 2.5G when I'm experimenting.

Currently Fermenting

  1. "I Am Not Your Father" Coconut Porter
  2. "Open Heart" IPA (Citra-Galaxy-Galena)

What’s on tap or in the fridge

  1. "Naked Mike" A Kölsch experiment that went awry because of temperature control issues, but my non-homebrew friends love for some reason...
  2. "Grumpy Mort" Amber Apple Ale
  3. Brewmies Pale Ale SMaSH experiment with Azacca Hops!

Where can we follow you: You can see most of my brew ventures + mischief on all of the social medias:

What do you do when you’re not brewing? I work in mobile + server product at Adobe Systems, so typically tech nerd things. But I love love love SoulCycle and will be running my third half marathon in October :) I also love sketching the art for my beer labels and giving them quippy names. Some of you know my funny beer naming schema = bad date stories. Hit me up for a good one!

How did you start brewing? Well, being from Colorado, there are two things you have to know how to do from a young age: ski + brew beer ;)

But really, I went to school in Boulder and did an early marketing class project with Upslope Brewing when they first were going public in 2008. They rewarded our work with a keg of their IPA (fyi: don't ever give college students a keg of great 7.2% ABV beer with a hand pump). Watching them go from a small two beer operation to what they are now totally inspired me to learn more about craft beer.

Where do you want to go with your brewing? I am one of those crazies that would love to start my own brewery someday, once I get out of the tech/software game and once I learn a whole lot more :)

What recipe would you like to share? 

Going away from the grain (pun intended), I'm going to share an extract Coconut Porter recipe that I concocted for my Dad as a gift on Father's Day. Turns out that he's not a fan of anything except Guinness + Fat Tire, hence the name, "I Am Not Your Father" Coconut Porter. Regardless, I think it turned out pretty well and I have adjusted for the things that didn't (lots o' oil):

Specs

Batch Size: 5gal 
OG: 1.055 SG
FG: 1.014
Alcohol: 5.5%
Color: 40 SRM
IBU: 35.5 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients

Grains + Extracts
2oz Black Malt 500°L
6oz Carabrown Malt 55°L
6oz American Crystal 120°L
6oz Munich Malt 10°L
6oz Carapils
9oz American Chocolate Malt 350°L

3.3lb Wheat liquid malt extract
3lb Light Dry malt extract

Hops
1oz UK East Kent Golding    7.2%AA   60min
.5oz Willamette                     5.7%AA   30min
.5oz Willamette                      5.7%AA  15min

Yeast
1 package Safale S-04 English Ale Yeast

5oz of Organic Coconut Sugar for priming (I don't think this makes a difference flavor wise, but I like the idea of it. I compensated for the slightly lower dextrose levels.)

Other
16oz Organic Coconut (flaked if possible, as shredded gets through and clogs things up)
Toast it? I haven't yet, but I think you should, at least for secondary.
Add equal parts at mash, boil, and secondary