Friday, 08 October 2010
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Untitled
Home Brew Recipe - All Extract Black IPA
Original Gravity
1.069
(1.062 to 1.072)
Final Gravity
1.018
(1.016 to 1.019)
Color
69° SRM / 136° EBC
(Black) Alcohol
6.8% ABV / 5% ABW
Calories
228 per 12 oz. malt & fermentables
% LB OZ MALT OR FERMENTABLE PPG °L
81% 9 8 Light/Pale Malt Extract Syrup 36 5
9% 1 0 Sugar, Table (Sucrose) 46 1
6% 0 12 Munich Liquid Malt Extract 36 8
4% 0 8 Weyermann Sinamar Extract 1 3120 USE TIME OZ VARIETY FORM AA
boil 60 mins 3.0 Columbus pellet 15.4
boil 10 mins 2.0 Centennial pellet 10.0
boil 10 mins 1.0 Simcoe pellet 13.0
boil 1 min 2.0 Centennial pellet 10.0
boil 1 min 1.0 Simcoe pellet 13.0
dry hop 2.0 Simcoe pellet 13.0
dry hop 2.0 Centennial pellet 10.0 Wyeast British Ale (1098) info
ale yeast in liquid form with medium to high flocculation.Be sure to checkout our blog for more beer brewing recipes and beer brewing supplies information
Saturday, 11 September 2010
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Beer Brewing Kits
Beer Brewing kits
discussing why kit instructions are often so horrible, and many off site links were mentioned. I figured it would be good to have that kind of information here, maybe stickied or on the wiki, so I figured w/ my horrible newb experience, I could write it as simple as possible, and then place it here for some heavy editing/fixing, and then when done, we could use it to point people to a fairly simple but complete list of steps involved in extract kit brewing. This is now the EDITED version after comments, suggestions, fixes, etc. Later in this thread is a repost of how to do hopped extract brews as well, although this data exists elsewhere as well. Please let me know if you see any further inconsistencies. I'm going to hope for a sticky on this one, so we can get some help for new extract brewers that need a quick list w/ short details to keep their memory fresh. The simple steps to extract brewing. 1. Sanitize everything you'll be using and keep some kind of bucket/sink/container w/ a gallon or two of sanitizing water so you can re-sanitize anything you're questioning. 2. Prep water. If you are using tap water, it is best to boil it for 15 minutes ahead of time to remove chlorine. Letting it cool will also let the harder minerals drop out. But you may want these in your flavoring. 3. For Specialty Grain kits, specialty grains will come w/ a bag and grains. You'll need to crush the grains w/ a rolling pin prior to putting them in a bag and steeping for 30 minutes at 155 degrees F. This creates a "tea" for added flavors to the final beer. 4. Bring the water to a boil. Remove the boiling water from the stove, to avoid a boilover. Mix the malt extract into boiling water slowly and mix well (if you don't mix well you can get scorching of the extracts). Put back on heat and boil for the designated time (usually 60 minutes), watch closely to avoid a boilover so as to avoid a sticky mess. Also at this time add the bittering hops at the start of the boil w/ the malt(s). 5. The last 5-15 minutes of the hour boil will require addition of finishing hops (if any). 6. Cool the wort to yeast pitching temperature, and transfer to your fermenter. Take a sample out for testing the Original Specific Gravity with a hydrometer. (this is the only way you can be positive fermentation has completed) You can then pitch your yeast. To pitch the yeast, read the yeast packets instructions, and this will always work. Dry yeasts usually require mixing w/ warm water for 15 mins, gently stir, then you can pitch the yeast. (Pitching is the "mixing" of yeast w/ the cooled wort) 7. After fermentation is complete (from checking that the Specific Gravity has not changed at all for several days, but can vary anywhere from 10 days to several weeks) after a week or so, you can transfer to a secondary fermenter if you feel the need (this is all brewer preference), or leave in the primary until you're 100% sure the fermentation is done... again the ONLY way to know its done is that the SG readings remain consistent for several days in a row. If you're unsure it will never hurt to leave it in the fermenter for a few more days to a week. 8. Bottle. Bottling requires that you create a corn sugar mixture to add to the fermented beer so that it will carbonate in the bottles. Take the corn sugar, boil, and then add to the bottling pail/carboy. Transfer the beer carefully from the fermenter to the sugar water container making sure to NOT oxygenate the beer at all. Again remember to sanitize everything as mentioned before. Before you put any beer in bottles, make SURE the bottles are sanitized as well!! Use a bottling cane to allow easy bottling, and keep the tube all the way to the bottom and pull out when the bottle fills, this will leave enough headroom for the carbonation to build and yet not cause the bottle to explode. Whenever transferring w/ a racking cane or tube, remember to never use your mouth to create the siphon. It contains bacteria too that are bad for beer. Use an Auto-Siphon, or if you have none, fill up the tube w/ sanitary water, and let that start draining into the sink/some waste bucket until beer comes through, then pinch the tube and move it to the next container for bottling or the bottles themselves.more on beer brewing equipment
Tuesday, 07 September 2010
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History of Trappist Beer
History of Trappist Beer
Trappist ale has its clear origins with Trappist monasteries. From the early middle ages, monastery brew houses produced beer throughout Europe both to feed the community and later for sale to fund other church works. The Trappist order, which took its name from La Trappe Abbey in France, was founded as part of the Cistercian order in 1663, though it did not formally separate from the Cistercian order until 1892. The La Trappe Abbey had its own brewery as early as 1685.
Today there are only seven Trappist monasteries that brew beer and six of them are located in Belgium while one is in the Netherlands. The six in Belgium are the most well known, which is why Trappist ales are categorized as Belgian ales. In the late 20′th century, many breweries worldwide started labeling their beer as “Trappist” in response to the popularity of the ales, forcing Trappist abbeys to form the International Trappist Association who’s goal is to prevent non-Trappist commercial companies from using the name. They created a logo and convention for true Trappist beers, which must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist abbey by monastic brewers, and the gains must go to charitable causes and not financial profit.
Due to the popularity of Trappist ales, many commercial brewers still brew similar style beers which are typically sold under as Belgian Dubbels and Tripels. (Ref: Wikipedia).
The Trappist Style
Trappist beers may be divided into four sub-styles. By tradition, most of the true Trappist ales are bottle conditioned. These include:
- Patersbier – “Father’s beer” which is brewed for the monks and intended for consumption by the monks within the abbey walls. Occasionally this may be offered on site to guests. It is a relatively weak beer in the tradition of Trappist austerity.
- Enkel - “Single” beer which was traditionally used to describe the brewery’s lightest beer. This is a very close relation to the Patersbier. Currently the term is rarely used, and I am not aware of any abbeys that currently produce this style for commercial sale.
- Dubbel – “Double” beer. Dubbels are a strong brown ale with low bitterness, a heavy body, and a malty, nutty finish with no diacytl. These beers have a starting gravity of 1.062-1.075 and 6.5-8% alcohol by volume. Color runs the range from dark amber to copper color (10-17 SRM) and bitterness from 15-25 IBUs. This style is also widely brewed by commercial brewers.
- Tripel – “Triple” beer. Tripel’s are the strongest Trappist ales, running from 7.5-9% alcohol by volume with a starting gravity of 1.075-1.085. They are highly alcoholic, but brewed with high carbonation and high attenuation yeasts to reduce the taste of alcohol. Color runs lighter than Dubbels in the range of 4.5-7.0 SRM and bitterness from 20-40 IBUs, though most Tripels have 30+ IBUs.
Brewing Trappist Style Ales
I’m going to focus on the Dubbel and Tripel styles as these are the only ones brewed commercially today. For both Dubbel and Tripel, Belgian pilsner malt makes up the base ingredient. For Dubbels, sometimes Belgian pale malt may also be used as a base.
For Dubbels, the grain bill can be complex with Munich malts added for maltiness (up to 20%), Special B malt to provide raisin falvor and CaraMunich for a dried fruit flavor. Also dark candi sugar is used both to boost alcohol and add rum-raisin flavors. The sugar also allows for a cleaner finish and less alcohol flavor than would be possible with an all-malt beer. Despite the complex spicy flavor of the finished beer, spices are not used.
Tripels being lighter in color typically use a less complicated malt bill. Starting with a pilsner malt base, they add up to 20% white candi sugar but typically lack the complex array of malts used for Dubbels.
One of the main ingredients that makes Trappist ales unique is the yeast. Both Dubbels and Tripels use special Belgian yeast strains that produce fruity esters, spicy phenolics and higher alcohol. Often the Trappist ales are fermented at higher than normal temperatures for an ale yeast which increases the array of complex flavors from the yeast.
For hops, noble hop varieties or Styrian Goldings hops are commonly used. Occasionally low alpha English hops may also be added. Despite the hop rate of Tripel needed to balance the malt, hops is not a major flavor in either finished beer style. Large amounts of finishing and dry hops are not typically used for this beer for the same reason.
Water used for brewing is typically soft – without a large quantity of hard minerals present. Both styles are traditionally bottle conditioned with medium to high carbonation which adds to the beer’s presentation.
Mashing is typically done with a medium to full bodied mash profile, as Trappist beers are full bodied. Home Beer Brewing
Monday, 30 August 2010
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How to build a home filter
Home Beer Brewing Equipment How to build a hop filter:-A hop filter is a tool that can be used to filter hops and hop sediment from wort, hot or cold, thereby ensuring a clear, sediment free beer with a regulated hop content. Most home brewers have been doing this the old fashioned way, with a stainless steel mesh cooking strainer, but brewers are experimenting with straining out hop sediment using stainless steel mesh in a variety of configurations. Some designs are affixed to the sucking end of the racking cane, some to the pouring end, and some in the middle, as an in-line filter. Most designs tend to be stymied by the clogging action effected by the hop sediment. We will look at a more modern design for the inline hop filter.
For whole hops and hop pellets, really there is no better way to filter than to use the household stainless steel mesh strainer. You can experiment with affixing various formations of stainless steel mesh to the end of your racking cane or suction tube for the big stuff, but using the old fashioned technique of pouring through the strainer will probably be the most efficient use of your time. After this step, a 5 micron filter can be used to get out all sediment, hop or otherwise, from the beer. We will describe a technique for making an inline filter to remove hop sediment during the racking process.
Inline hop filters tend to work the best, and also have the worst problem with clogging. Most designs will clog well before 5 gallons have been pumped out of a keg. Inline filters are very good at filtering, helping to make beer much clearer with each racking procedure, but you should be prepared to switch filters half way through the process – unless you make or buy a really heavy duty one.
If you want to get your beer very clear (down to 5 microns or less) you are going to have to use a pressurized system in order to filter it. To build one, you will require the following parts:
1. A high-grade filter with the proper housing,
2. Plumbing fittings necessary to interface with your beer lines (Nylon reducers and fittings to get from 3/4" NPT to 1/4" hose barb. You may have to use a 3/4" NPT to 1/2" NPT and then step down with a 1/2" NPT to 1/4" hose barb fitting.
3. For cleaning and back flushing - these will be the brass 3/4" NPT male to garden hose male adaptor, and brass 3/4" NPT male to garden hose female adaptor.
4. Some extra beer line surgical tubing (about 6-10 feet)
5. Hose clamps to fit your beer lines (4 at least – always good to have more)
6. A CO2 tank and regulator,
7. Two clean and sanitized kegs with gas hook-ups.The filter is the part that stymies most folks. It is recommended to use a low-end water filter designed for filtering tap water for the whole house. These are available at most hardware stores in the plumbing section. The Omni Company makes your basic whole-house filter which sells for around $36, depending on which fittings come with it. This unit filters down to 5 microns. While you are in the plumbing section, hunt around for the right series of fittings that will allow the filter unit to interface with your beer lines, whichever size you use – and don’t forget to pick up some appropriate hose clamps.
Now take some of your surgical tubing and create the in and out lines with fittings at either end – a beer keg out fitting at one end, and a beer out fitting at the other end. By using a beer out fitting at both ends, you will be able to go from keg, through the filter, and into the final keg without risk of contamination. You will need to hook up the garden hose to back-flush the filter after use. Then, you can sanitize it and store it in the fridge. Depending on the model of filter you use, you may be able to filter up to 100 gallons of beer with a single filter.
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Sanitation in the Home Beer Brewing
In Home Beer Brewing the most frustrating aspect is when a batch goes bad. The only way to improve your chances of avoiding this depressing situation is to maintain the highest degree of sanitation in your home brewery as is possible. There are also some other pitfalls of the modern age that require a closer look, and some basic tools that will give you the best chances of fighting bacterial infestations, vinegar cultures, and rogue yeasts in your home brew.
One factor often overlooked when cleaning and sanitizing home brew set-ups is that of the water used. Tap water in modern cities is sometimes good, sometimes terrible. It is wise to do some research and find out how your city water rates when analyzed for bacteria, harmful chemicals, and heavy metals. The quality of water used in making beer has a very strong connection with the quality of the finished product.
