Original Belgian Ale - Part 1

Original Belgian Ale

A Belgian-Style Ale from Hops, Malts, a Schnauzer
O.G.:  1.084 - 64F
F.G.:  n/a
Estimated ABV: n/a

Ingredients:

• 5.0 pounds Muntons Extra Light Dried Malt Extract
• 2.5 pounds Clover Honey
• boiling hops
• 1.0 oz Summit Hops (leaf)
• flavor hops
• 1.0 oz Crystal Hops (leaf)
• aroma hops
• 1.0 oz Columbus Hops (leaf)
• 1.0 grams (~0.03 oz) Paradise Seeds, freshly ground
• 0.5 oz Sweet Orange Peel
• 0.25 oz Juniper Berries, crushed
• Yeast: WYEAST 3944 - Belgian Witbier
• 0.5 cup Clover Honey
• bottling

Required ingredients for this brew

Instructions:

1. Place malt extract, honey, and boiling hops in brew pot with 2.0 gallons water, bring to a boil, and maintain it for 45 minutes
2. Add 0.5 grams paradise seeds and flavor hops - boil 10 minutes
3. Add 0.5 grams paradise seeds, orange peel, and juniper berries
4. Add aroma hops - boil 1-2 minutes
5. Immediately remove brew pot from heat and cool with wort chiller and 1 gallon ice-cold water
6. Transfer wort to primary fermenter (filter out hops and herbs)
7. Follow standard procedures through bottling process
• include 1 paradise seed in each bottle (sanitize via steaming or microwave)
8. Allow 2 weeks for bottle conditioning before sampling

The wort just before chilling

I've been brewing for over a year now, and felt it was time to design and brew my own recipe. This one features elements similar to the Who's In The Garden Belgian white and Rocky Raccoon honey lager - a very light malt base, high honey content, a mixing of mild hops, and a presence of herbs and spices - but has unique twists as well.

Wort chiller in action - I promise everything remained sanitary!

I decided to use honey derived from clover rather than alfalfa for a couple of reasons. First, I'd never tried it before. Second, clover honey is much more common (the most manufactured honey in the US) and this seemed like an ingredient one should have experience with. Third, clover honey is much sweeter and can give a higher alcohol content. Additionally, the plan is to use honey for the bottling process - something I've only ever read about. It is important to note that as the 0.5 cup honey boils, one must remove the foam as it rises from the boil. Various sources indicate that bottle conditioning will take 10-14 days and other indicate that it will take a full month. I'm planning to test the bottles 14 days in and make a decision based on the conditions that exist at that time.

The brew's herbs and spices

Each of the hop varieties chosen have spicy, earthy character, while the Summit and Columbus hops also have a citrusy quality. The hope is that that these characteristics will mesh well with the spiciness of the paradise seeds and the citrus in the orange peel. So now we come to the juniper berries. Why add them, you ask? Well, mature juniper berries do have a piney, resinous flavor profile, but they also contain notes of citrus. I'm hopeful that the small amount used serve to compliment the brew in a manner fitting to the holiday season.



Assuming I stay on schedule, I estimate we'll be drinking this in February -I'm quite excited to try it!

Palace Bitter & Rocky Raccoon's Honey Lager - Part 2

Palace Bitter
A variation of a Bitter from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.:  1.101
F.G.:  n/a

The 2 oz Kent Goldings hops floating on top of the bitter

Rocky Raccoon's Crystal Honey Lager

A variation of a Lager from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.:  1.084
F.G.:  n/a

2 oz. heather tips resting at the bottom of the carboy

First, an update about brewing conditions: these batches have been fermenting in a basement that keeps them at about ~86 degrees Fahrenheit. I had a little bit of trouble with the Honey Lager. Specifically, the initial pitching of the yeast yielded no fermentation activity after 36 hours, so I ended up having to run to HopToIt's Denver location and picked up an additional yeast packet. After letting it activate and pitching it into the carboy, fermentation activity was well underway within 24 hours.

Transferring the beers from primary to secondary fermenters went extraordinarily smoothly today. I had no issues in terms of equipment failure or human error, and was able to get both batches swapped over in the period of about 45 minutes (this includes sanitation, dry times, addition of hops/herbs, and the actual racking).

One thing I was initially concerned about was the possibility of contamination when adding the hops/heather to the secondary fermenter. Typically, one doesn't need to worry about contamination when adding hops and other ingredients to the beer because it is boiling and any bacteria that find themselves in that situation perish post haste. It seems that contamination during primary isn't likely as the rigorous yeast activity will most likely out-compete any bacteria that make their way into the fermenter, and it is equally unlikely in secondary due to the alcohol content of the beer and the continued discharge of CO2 from the yeast into the carboy. 

So, we'll see how the brews turn out in a month or so - two more weeks of secondary and then bottle conditioning can't come soon enough!

Post-transfer celebratory beer at a local beer garden

Birthday Brews: Palace Bitter & Rocky Raccoon's Honey Lager - Part 1

Today is my birthday, and I decided to brew two batches of beer. Below you will find ingredients and a description of the brewing process. 

Adding the amber malt extract to the Palace Bitter.

Palace Bitter
A variation of a Bitter from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: 1.101
F.G.: n/a

Ingredients:

•  4.5 pounds Munton's Amber Dry Malt Extract
• 12.0 oz Crystal Malt
• boiling hops
• 0.5 oz US Fuggles Hops (fresh)
• 0.75 oz UK Kent Goldings Hops (fresh)
• flavor hops
  • 0.5 oz US Fuggles Hops (fresh)
  • 0.75 oz UK Kent Goldings Hops (fresh)
• aroma hops
  • 0.5 oz UK Kent Goldings Hops (fresh)
• dry hopping
• 0.5 oz UK Kent Goldings Hops (fresh)
• 2.0 oz UK Kent Goldings Hops (fresh)
• Yeast: WYEAST 1098: British Ale
• 0.75 cup Corn Sugar
• for bottling

   

Note that the flavor hops are added in halves (i.e., add 0.25 Fuggles and  0.375 Kent Goldings, boil 15 minutes, then add the remaining hops and boil another 15 minutes). Additionally, the recipe called for a light dried malt extract. HopToIt was out of this, so I decided to substitute an amber dried malt extract.

Chris placing the crystal malt into a muslin bag.

Rocky Raccoon's Crystal Honey Lager

A variation of a Lager from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: 1.084
F.G.: n/a

Ingredients:

•  3.5 pounds Munton's Extra-Light Dry Malt Extract
• 2.75 pounds Colorado Light Alfalfa Honey
• 1.0 oz US Tettnanger Hops (fresh, boiling)
• 2.0 oz Heather Tips (dried, aroma)
• 2.0 oz Heather Tips (dried, dry hopping)
• Yeast: WYEAST 2007: American Pilsner
• 0.75 cup Corn Sugar
• for bottling

  

One will immediately notice that this recipe is very light and simple. The original recipe for this brew doesn't call for any heather tips and requires an additional ounce of hops in order to achieve a very delicate flavor profile. Since heather has bittering properties - it was actually used heavily for that very reason before hops became so prevalent - I reduced the amount of hops and have decided to test out 'dry flowering.' I debated whether or not to try this recipe as originally written before making alterations, but then HopToIt didn't have any additional hops for me to purchase and I made the choice to attempt the heather tips. Maybe this will work out, maybe it won't, but I'm eager to find out!

You've gotta love being able to comfortably heat two brew-pots on one stove!

Two-Stage Fermentation

Where to even begin? I've never brewed two batches simultaneously, and it was much more intense than when I brewed the Whoop Moffit and the Elbro Nerkte on the same day. Chris and I started the process of sanitizing, activating the yeast, etc., at around 6:30pm and didn't finish with cleanup until close to 10:30pm. I know this is a relatively short amount of time if, say, you're doing an all-grain brew, but we weren't and I typically average about 2 1/2 hours for any given brew. Honestly, I think the added time here came from working in a new kitchen (brewed in Denver this time) and working later in the day. It was suggested to me that it could have been the beers we were drinking (Moe's Backroom Pale Ale and Wheat), but one must always have a few beers when homebrewing. In any case, I think we both had a great time and it was my pleasure to introduce Chris to the brewing process. After all was said and done, he echoed what a few other people have expressed after going through the homebrew process: it took away a bit of the mystique of beer (just a little bit, mind you). I understand this viewpoint, but could never get behind it - homebrewing puts you in control of the arcane art of beer-crafting!

In any case, things got off to a relatively smooth start. We began steeping the crystal malt at the same time we began raising the temperature of the honey, extra-light malt, and Tettnanger hops to a boil. I should mention here that I forgot to add the honey until the boil started; it took Chris fiddling with the honey jar and asking when we were going to add it for me to remember. Beyond that, everything went like clockwork. Staggering the hop additions to the Palace Bitter was made easier because we presorted the hops and placed them in muslin bags in order to minimize the amount of filtering required later on. While it took care of that problem, It definitely reduced the amount of wort that made it into the carboy. I think this brewing experience has actually convinced me that muslin bags aren't for me and I will probably do my next brew without them to see how the process compares and determine how I want to continue into the future. 

This was the first time I was able to hook my wort chiller up to a hose rather than a faucet. It made a huge difference! It took probably five minutes or so for the wort to cool to an acceptable temperature while in the past it has taken up to 20 minutes - even in an ice bath. This is definitely the way to go in the future.

Additionally, I'm testing out a new cap'n'hose method that involves using a stopper and airlock, and just attaching a hose to the airlock (see it pictured below). I've had issues in the past with the cap'n'hose in terms of it popping off and have had to hold it in place with rubberbands to ensure that it stays secure. I'll be sure to report back in the next post about how the stopper and airlock method works.

Going into this post I thought I'd have a lot more to say since we were constantly adding ingredients or preparing them during the brewing process, but I think I've mentioned everything that is pertinent to the process at this point. I'll be sure to post updates as the process continues. In the mean time, be sure to grab yourself a homebrew!

Note the two different kinds of blow-off tubes. 

Elbro Nerkte Brown Ale & We're in the Garden - Tasting

A take on a Brown Ale from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: 1.04
F.G.: 1.01
ABV: ~3%

I tried to like this brew... I really did. Unfortunately, whether due to human error, poor ingredients, or just bad luck this batch turned out very badly. That said, I seem to remember the Elbro Nerkte being quite tasty when I first tried it - though I'm not sure if it has deteriorated with age or I had simply consumed too much of the Belgian White prior to tasting it. In any case, I'm not even going to bother doing a full description of the flavors because, honestly, I don't want to taste it again. I will note, however, that most of the poor flavor fades if a warm bottle is consumed.


An impromptu take on a Belgian white from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
ABV: Unknown
IBU: Unknown

We're In The Garden

Happily, unlike the Elbro Nerkte, the Belgian White was a smashing success. The beer has a vibrant amber color with a snow white head and an aroma of honey and a touch of hops. The flavor profile starts out sweet with a warm, nutty citrus taste and finishes with somewhat of a sweet bite. The honey and coriander worked together wonderfully in this brew, though with age the honey taste was largely lost - perhaps the coriander remained so potent due to the coriander seed dropped into each bottle?

After passing this brew around my family, lab group, and friend group I can assure you this will be a staple recipe in my homebrew repertoire. I can count the number of people who had any kind of reservations about this brew on one hand and most of them don't care for beer and tried it because I pushed it on them. I have a feeling this Belgian White will be just what a person needs after a long summer day and hope to make quite a bit of it in the future.

Holiday Beef Carbonade with Singletrack Copper Ale

A modified roast recipe from NPR

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pounds beef brisket, trimmed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 strips bacon
• 3 onions, diced
• 1.5 bottles Singletrack Copper Ale
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch lengths
• 4-6 boiling potatoes (~1-2 inch diameter), quartered

Instructions:

• heat oven to 275 F
• season the brisket with salt and pepper
• cook bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp 
• drain, dice, and reserve bacon - reserve the bacon fat in the Dutch oven
• brown the brisket on all sides in the Dutch oven and  reserve on a plate when done
• saute the onions over medium heat and, after lightly browned, add the beer and deglaze the pot
• add the brisket, beef stock, bay leaves, bacon, and tomato paste to the Dutch Oven
• cover and place in the middle of the oven for 1 hour
• turn over the brisket and cook for 1 hour
• turn over the brisket, add carrots and potatoes and cook for 1 hour
• turn over the brisket and continue to cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour - until the potatoes are tender

Man, it has been a hectic few months! Between graduate work, final exams, and the string of holidays I haven't had time for anything else. Yet, as is often the case with things we enjoy, I found a way to sneak some microbrew into Christmas dinner.


I stumbled on this recipe a few months ago and made it once before using the Primal Porter. The porter lent its toasted malt and spruce flavorings to make the roast come across as something one would desire in the heart of winter - hearty and warming. The Singletrack yielded a different, lighter set of flavors that reflected the caramel malts and  aromatic hoppiness of the beer. I paired the roast with homemade mashed potatoes and an avocado salad with a raspberry vinaigrette. I'd love to give a more detailed description of the roast's flavor, but I'd rather tempt you with the promise that the recipe will yield a delicious meal that reflects the brew that is used.

Steak with Ellie's Brown Ale

A modified beef marinade from The Beer Lover's Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 2 bottles Ellie's Brown Ale
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp freshly grated horseradish root
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 New York strip steaks

Instructions:

• combine all ingredients in a sealable container
• place container in a cool place 
• note that the fridge may be too cold
• after the steaks are allowed to marinate, cook them to your liking

Well, I've been wanting to start adding some beer-related recipes to the blog for a while now and decided that a gloomy weekend was the time to do it. Since starting both this blog and homebrewing in general, I have had the opportunity to cook with my homebrew only once - used the Primal Porter to make a beef carbonade and dill-and-beer bread for a few guests about a month ago. Since I don't have any homebrew in the fridge at this point, I decided to use a brown ale from Avery Brewing in honor of the brown I bottled earlier today.

First put into the marinade.

So to the recipe: I found the cookbook referenced above several months ago, and haven't made anything from it until now. You'll note that I only used it for a marinade, which I think comments on the quality of the contents as a whole. That said, this recipe turned out fantastically.

In terms of preparation, it couldn't have been easier - just throw everything together and let sit overnight. I added a bit more horseradish than called for partly because it smelled so delicious and partly because I was enjoying grating the root. I also added extra lemon juice. I'd recommend simply putting it in a cool place overnight rather than in the fridge so the marinade doesn't separate. 

Cooking the steaks was interesting considering I don't have a grill at my current apartment. I used this griddle-type apparatus that sits on two burners. It worked out well enough, though I missed the added flavor of charcoal. The marinade didn't burn, rather caramelizing slightly with the sear on each side of the steak. 

The marinade flavored the beef wonderfully. The flavor profile starts out with the horseradish, which is followed by a hint of cayenne pepper, and finished by a mixture of onion and garlic. The beer came out to a fair extent as well. Ellie's Brown Ale is largely characterized by a brown sugar maltiness, and this is what came through in the meat. The vanilla and nutty flavors that are somewhat apparent in the brew itself didn't come through at all in the meat. 

Wondering what the sides are? As I already noted, this was a gloomy weekend and I had no desire to go to the store to get the best compliments for this meal. So, I made use of the asparagus and russet potatoes I had on hand. 

Elbro Nerkte Brown Ale - Part 2

A take on a Brown Ale from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: 1.04
F.G.: 1.01
ABV: ~3%

About 2 dozen done, 2 dozen to go!

It has been only seven days since Ramius and I started this brew, and we've just bottled it. I cannot get over just how fast this beer fermented - definitely have a feeling that this will be a go-to brew in the future depending on how it turns out.

I've noted several times in the past how it takes a long time to bottle by one's self, and that held true today. Luckily, it has been quite gloomy out and I didn't allow myself very many distractions during the sanitizing and bottling processes. I managed to bottle everything within about a half-hour period, which is a new record bottling time. Perhaps things went by so quickly because I finally put all the bottles at arms reach rather than all across the apartment (I know this should have been done earlier, but what are you gonna do?).

The final bottle count was four dozen. I changed the amount of beer that I siphoned out of the carboy in an attempt to minimize the amount of extraneous yeast in the final product.

Be sure to check back in about 7-10 days for a description of the final product of this and the Belgian White!

Running out of storage space!

Elbro Nerkte Brown Ale - Part 1

A take on a Brown Ale from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
O.G.: 1.04
F.G.: Unknown

Ingredients:

• 6.6 pounds Breiss Traditional Dark Malt Extract
• 0.75 pounds CaraHell Weyermann malt
• 0.25 pounds Black Patent malt
• 3.0 oz Fuggles Hops
• 2.0 oz boiling
• 1.0 oz finishing
• 4 tsp Gypsum
• Yeast: White Labs Edinburgh Scottish Ale
• 0.75 cup Corn Sugar
• for bottling

Single-Stage Fermentation

Crystal and Black malts steeping

What can I say about this recipe? Well, it's ready to drink in only 14 days! That's right... 14 days. I saw this and couldn't help but try it. Plus, the price tag was about half of what I've spent in the past on ingredients. 

Anyhow, the brewing went by without incident. Steeping the malts without a muslin bag was a change, and not necessarily a pleasant one due to the subsequent straining. Beyond this, it was brewing as usual. Boiled the wort with the starting ingredients, tossed in the finishing hops, cooled the wort with a wort-chiller before straining it into the carboy, and finally topped the carboy off with cold water and the yeast. I will say that this is the first time I'd used a White Labs yeast and after shaking it (as directed) the contents exploded to some extent. I managed to salvage all but a small quantity of the bottle, but it is something to keep in mind during future brewing attempts.

The Brown Ale with fermentation cap and hose. 

Expect an update about bottling in a little under a week and a tasting review in about two, which will be around the time the Belgian White is ready to taste.

We're in the Garden - Part 1

An impromptu take on a Belgian white from The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
ABV: Unknown
IBU: Unknown

Ingredients:

• 5.0 pounds Munton's Light Malt Extract
• 2.0 pounds Colorado Light Alfalfa Honey
• 2.0 oz Hallertauer Pellet Hops
• 1 oz for boiling
• 0.5 oz for flavor
• 0.5 oz for aroma
• 1.5 oz freshly crushed whole coriander seed
• used in two 0.75 oz batches
• 0.5 oz dried, ground sweet orange peel
• Yeast: WYEAST 3944
• 0.75 cup corn sugar
• for bottling

Single-Stage Fermentation

Since our Blackhole Red Ale is gone, Hilary and I decided to try our hand at a light and refreshing beer, and a Belgian white is it! The original recipe is for Who's In The Garden Grand Cru, but due to a lack of supplies at HopToIt!, we had to improvise with the ingredients used above. 

Brewing went extraordinarily smoothly. Using the dry malt extract required a bit more stirring than liquid malt extract to ensure it dissolved completely. The coriander was ground to a relatively coarse grain using a mortar and pestle.

While waiting for the wort to boil, Hilary and I indulged in a couple of Hoegaarden wit ales. This was fitting as the original recipe was meant to mimic this brew. Anyhow, the Hoegaarden was delicious and in a little under a month we'll find out just how delicious this homebrew is.

We're In the Garden with fermentation cap and hose

Rampart Red Ale - Tasting

An Irish Red Ale from Hop To It! Homebrew
ABV 5.0%
IBU 28

On the fifteenth day of bottle conditioning, Hilary and I sat down with the wee Ramius to try the brew. It came out wonderfully! A nice reddish amber colored ale with a white head and an aroma that is strong and malty, with hints of toffee and sweet hops. Tasting, one notes the same basic profile as the aroma with a little more hoppiness coming through. Medium bodied, this ale turned out to be quite sessionable.

A final note: Hilary and I have dubbed this brew BlackHole Red Ale. Guess why and win a prize.

Rampart Red Ale - Part 3

An Irish Red Ale from Hop To It! Homebrew
ABV 5.0%
IBU 28

After 18 days of secondary fermentation, Hilary was back to help bottle the beer. We did this with little incident, however we did run out of bottles after the first 29 12 oz bottles and one 16 oz bottle. We simply ran to the store and bought 12 additional bottles. Thus, our total output was 41 12 oz bottles and one 16 oz bottle. This is the equivalent of just under 4 gallons. I should note that the plastic carboy is less than ideal. It allowed a considerable amount of the beer to evaporate due to a poor seal between the carboy's opening and the drilled stopper. I am seriously considering retiring the plastic carboy and purchasing a second glass carboy.

Our 42 Bottles

Despite worries about the quality of the beer due to our hop-related mix up, we didn't notice anything unexpected or unpleasant when we sampled it during the bottling process. There was no excess hoppiness or skunkiness, and the beer was actually quite flavorful.



Gravity Readings

• Expected Values
• Original Gravity: 1.051
• Final Gravity: 1.013
• Actual Values
• Starting Gravity: 1.03-1.05, 06/12/2011
• Between Fermentations: 1.01-1.02, 06/21/2011
• Final Gravity: 1.01, 07/08/2011

Rampart Red Ale - Part 2

An Irish Red Ale from Hop To It! Homebrew
ABV 5.0%
IBU 28

After 10 days of primary fermentation, Ramius and I siphoned the beer into the 5 gallon plastic carboy using the filtered funnel to remove any remaining hops. We were careful to reduce any splashing or mixing as the beer went into the carboy in order to reduce chances of oxidation. I should note that maintaining a constant temperature was damned difficult considering the lack of air conditioning in our condo, however I was able to keep the temperature below 73 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is a bit higher than is ideal, but oh well.

As Charlie would say: Relax, don't worry - have a homebrew.

Rampart Red Ale - Part 1

An Irish Red Ale from Hop To It! Homebrew
ABV 5.0%
IBU 28

Ingredients:

• Specialty Grains
• 6 oz CaraRed Malt
• 6 oz Medium Crystal Malt
• 4 oz Extra-Dark Crystal Malt
• 2 oz Roasted Barley
• Muslin Bag
• 6.5 Pounds Light Liquid Malt Extract
• 2 oz US Kent Golding Hops
• Yeast: WYEAST 1084
• 5 oz Corn Sugar
• for bottling

Two-Stage Fermentation

My friend Hilary helped us make this Irish Red and, I will say, it was truly a first homebrewing experience. In all, the brewing went well. We followed a mix of the instructions that came with the Irish Red Kit and those outlined in Charlie Papazian's wonderful book The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. Brewing on a mediocre electric burner is less than ideal, but a fair amount of patience and a few White Rascals saw us through it. Everything went swimmingly with the exception of cooling the wort, removing the hops, and activating the yeast in a timely fashion. The wort chiller wasn't functional due to a lack of a garden hose and/or a faucet adapter. Because of this, we had to wait quite some time despite placing the wort into the primary fermentation bucket and filling it up to the 5-gallon mark. I should note that we didn't have a strainer or filtered funnel at the time either, so the hops remained in the bucket for the duration of primary fermentation. The yeast packet takes 3 hours to activate... something we did not know until the point when we needed to put it in. Thus, the yeast was not put in until the following morning since I fell asleep and Ramius was no help in his occasional capacity as an alarm clock.