Modern Homebrew Recipes (10 page)

Identifying key ingredients
– The first step in substituting ingredients is to determine which ingredients are supplying the major flavor elements in the beer, and what role each ingredient is performing in the recipe. I provide this information in this book as a discussion point, but most other recipes will not have this level of detail.

Knowing about the basics of beer styles will help you brew as many styles are driven by well-known ingredients. The complexity of the recipe is also key, since the less complex the recipe, the more important an individual ingredients. However, some ingredients can have disproportionate impacts on the flavor profile. Examining the percentages of grist components can tell you relative quantities of grain, but you have to understand the intensity and distinctiveness of each element. This assessment needs to be done in the context of the overall flavor profile of the beer. For example, there may be only one malt in an IPA, but that flavor may be totally dominated by the hops even though it is 100% of the grist.

Dark malts have a large flavor contribution, but huskless equivalents are smoother and can be used in higher proportions. Don’t go by color alone; the individual malt matters. Likewise, don’t go solely by name; there can be a wide range in character for products of the same name (chocolate malt is notorious in this regard, but you can also see a large difference in Munich malts). Some toasted-type malts (amber malt,
brown malt, Victory® malt, biscuit malt, and similar products) can have a disproportional impact on flavor, much more so than crystal-type malts of similar color.

With hops, the flavor contribution depends mostly on where in the hop schedule they are used. Hops that are used strictly for bitterness can generally be substituted at will, provided that they aren’t known to have any other harsh qualities.

When in doubt, use more neutral bittering hops (like Magnum). Aroma and flavor hops are all about oil content; while you might be able to determine relative levels of oils, the overall impression of the hop character is what needs to be most closely assessed. Look for ones with similar descriptors (piney, citrusy, fruity, etc.) and try to use similar varieties. You don’t necessarily have to match country of origin, although it sometimes helps.

Yeast is similar to hops; you have to understand its flavor and aroma contribution, in addition to its fermentation performance. Some yeast are relatively neutral fermenters, and can easily be substituted. Others have distinctive by-products; many Belgian strains produce a complex profile, and some strains are identified as phenol-positive (or phenolic off-flavor positive, POF+). Even some British and American strains are quite distinctive. As with hops, country of origin sometimes helps with substitutions, but shouldn’t eliminate creative choices.

Specific substitutions
– This isn’t an exhaustive list because the possibilities are endless, but remember that using substitutions is an emergency measure; it should not be something you do because of laziness. The results from substitution won’t be as good as using the specified ingredients. However, these may be able to get you closer to the desired flavor profiles if you absolutely must use other ingredients.

Note that in all the examples I give in quantities, the batch size is 5 gallons (19 L) with 10 lb. (4.5 kg) of base malt. Scale accordingly for different size batches. I also provide the quantities in percentages of the grist.

•
Two-row base malt
– This is fairly neutral stuff, so it’s hard to substitute. It’s also very easy to find. If I had to substitute for it, I might go with the most neutral pale ale malt I had and cut it 50-50 with Pilsner malt. The problem is that both of these malts have distinctive flavor, so your goal is to avoid a base flavor that
tastes strongly of either pale ale malt or Pilsner malt. Assuming the two-row malt is North American, using other malts from the same region is better than getting English or German malts since European malts can have more flavor. Blending base malts often either enhances or reduces the dominant character of one malt.

•
Pale ale malt
– American pale ale malt is a little darker, maltier, and grainier than two-row, so I would substitute about 4 oz (113 g) of Munich malt (2.5% of grist) and 1 oz (28 g) of biscuit malt (1.25%).

•
English pale ale malt
– Belgian pale ale malt is probably the closest in flavor, but is also likely harder to find. Try adding 2 oz (57 g) of biscuit malt (1.25%) and 8 oz (227 g) of wheat malt (5%) to two-row.

•
Maris Otter
– This is a premium English pale ale malt with a strong bready and biscuity flavor. If you can get another English pale malt (or Scottish Golden Promise), you can start there and add a little extra biscuit malt (2 oz or 57 g) (1.25%). Otherwise start doctoring up two-row malt. Mix in small amounts of biscuit malt, maybe 4 oz (113 g) (2.5%). Half that amount of light crystal malt, perhaps 20°L, could give it some color and a touch more flavor. You can also lightly toast the base malt at 250°F (120°C) for 15 or 20 minutes to increase the bready-toasty flavors and darken it slightly.

•
Biscuit malt
– Amber malt is a bit more intense, so you can use it but in lower quantities (no more than 25%).

•
Amber malt
– Try toasting pale ale malt for 30 minutes at 300°F (150°C). Biscuit, Victory, or Melanoidin malts would be more distant substitutes.

•
Brown malt
– The flavors don’t exist in other malts, in my experience.

•
Aromatic malt
– Try a 70-30 blend of light Munich and dark Munich malt.

•
Pilsner malt
– This one is difficult because it has a mostly neutral, clean flavor and a light, crackery-sweet quality without being highly grainy or bready. Add 4 oz (113 g) of flaked wheat (2.5%) and 8 oz (227 g) of flaked maize (5%) to two-row as a substitute.

•
Vienna malt
– Try toasting Pilsner malt for 15 minutes in a 300°F (150°C) oven, or use a blend of Pilsner and Munich malts in a ratio that gives the same color as the original Vienna malt.

•
Munich malt
– Add 8 oz (227 g) Aromatic or Dark Munich malt [5%] to Pilsner or Vienna malt.

•
Dark Munich malt
– Difficult to substitute. Try 80% light Munich malt and 20% Aromatic malt. Using a dark CaraMunich (120 or 150 L) can also work.

•
Chocolate malt
– There is such a wide range of chocolate malts, it’s very hard to pin down the exact flavors to duplicate it. I’d use Weyermann Carafa II malt if I couldn’t get chocolate malt, but it’s harder to find. If you know the color (Lovibond or SRM) of the original malt, try to substitute one with a similar color (that will be a closer match in flavor).

•
Crystal malt
– German, English, and Belgian crystal-type malts can be substituted based on color but the flavors won’t really be the same. Blending different colors of crystal malts can approximate the color, but not really the flavor. I’d rather go with a similar-colored crystal malt than blend crystal malts. Selecting an adjacent SRM-colored crystal malt from the same country might work in a pinch. If you want a shade darker crystal malt, you can try toasting your crystal malt for 20 minutes in a 350°F (180°C) oven.

•
Black malt
– Roasted barley or Carafa III could give similar colors, but not really the same flavor profile. You might try taking the darkest malt you have and dry-roasting it in a cast iron skillet over moderately high heat, shaking the pan frequently.

•
Peat-smoked malt
– It’s much better to use a different smoked malt, like German
rauchmalz
instead. To me, this malt tastes like a handful of dirt, a pinch of ground cloves, and a dash of Chloro-septic® cough medicine. I think it has no place in brewing.

•
English Brewing sugars
– Make your own, or use combinations of treacle and invert sugar. See
UnholyMess.com,
¹
which not only explains invert sugar, but also includes a handy calculator for combining off-the-shelf ingredients to approximate invert sugar.

•
Bittering hops
– For hops that are not being used for aroma or flavor purposes, you can substitute hops with a similar cohumulone level, adjusting quantities so that they contribute the same IBUs as the original hops. When in doubt about variety, go with a clean bittering hop like Magnum. Otherwise, pick a higher-alpha hop variety from the country of origin of the beer style.

•
Aroma and flavor hops
– Try to match the general character of the hop (hop pedigree and related information about hops and oil contents can be found in the Hopunion data book or on the web site:
www.hopunion.com
). If substituting hops, always choose fresh hops if you can. There are some very good US substitutes for German and Czech hops. I like Sterling for Saaz, Santiam for Tettnang, and Liberty or Vanguard for Hallertauer. I use these type of hops in English style beers as substitutes for Goldings, particularly when very fresh. Willamette is a great Fuggles substitute.

When looking at American and New World hops, match similar characters (citrusy, piney, stone fruit, tropical fruit, etc.). For instance, Galaxy and Amarillo both have ripe stone fruit characteristics even though the type of fruit is markedly different. We are seeing more hop varieties and blends that are meant to be general-purpose American-type hops, such as Mosaic and Falconer’s Flight, that bring multiple characters in one package. If you can characterize the components of a hop you can’t find (say, grapefruit and pine), then you can try to blend hops that have each individual component (say, Cascade and Chinook). For Summit hops, you could take a head of garlic, wrap it in cabbage leaves, steam it, and store it for two weeks in a bag holding used gym socks.

•
Lager yeast
– If you can’t maintain lager fermentation temperatures but are able to lager, try using a neutral ale strain, fermented cool, then lager the resulting beer.
Kölsch
yeast is a good lager substitute. Or try the California lager yeast (Anchor Steam-derived) that can handle warmer temperatures. Still lager the beer, though; reducing and eliminating esters is an important part of the character.

•
Ale yeast
– Generally look to match character with character; look at the descriptors for the yeast and match keywords, such as malty, dry, minerally, or fruity. Don’t feel that you have to stay within the same country to substitute yeast strains. For instance, two of my favorite ale strains are Wyeast 1272 American Ale II and Wyeast 1968 London ESB. I use the two of those interchangeably at times since they can both be moderately fruity, depending on fermentation conditions. I tend to keep the English yeast cooler and the American yeast warmer, but they can produce a similar profile.

•
Belgian yeast
– Belgian yeast strains bring so much character to beer that they are unique. However, strains can produce different by-products when fermented at different temperatures. I tend to think of Belgian yeasts by their overall character, and I choose my favorites in each family. I pick Wyeast 3787 if I want a spicy-phenolic, Wyeast 1762 or 3522 for a dark fruity-spicy, White Labs WLP510 or WLP515 for a more neutral Belgian character, Wyeast 1388 for a light fruity quality, and Wyeast 3711 or 3726 for
saison
character. So if you want to substitute, think about the flavor profile of the yeast.

•
Yeast substitution by vendor
– The go-to chart for comparing yeast strains from different yeast suppliers is at
MrMalty.com
.
²
The strains won’t always be the same, as each yeast supplier many finalize a commercial strain differently. The yeast suppliers have done a good job mapping their yeast strains to the BJCP style guidelines, so that can often help you choose substitute yeast based on the style of beer you are brewing.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to find the ingredients you need to brew these recipes (or choose a different recipe). Substitutions are an interesting way to learn about the character of specific ingredients, but if you’re trying to match a specific recipe, it’s not always a satisfactory experience. You might be able to use them in a pinch, but keep in mind that you’re making a compromise. With that caveat in mind, let’s move on to the actual recipes.

¹
http://www.unholymess.com/blog/beer-brewing-info/making-brewers-invert

²
http://www.mrmalty.com/yeast.htm

SECTION II

RECIPES

ABOUT THE RECIPES

“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook—try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”

—Julia Child,
My Life in France

Ah, finally some recipes. I expect many of you jumped directly to this section. That’s expected, so don’t feel guilty. I urge you to take a minute to understand the layout and format of the recipes, and how to look up additional information in this book. These are my actual, as-brewed recipes, and I haven’t fiddled with them to put them into standard batch sizes, efficiencies, or methods. You’ll probably need to adjust them a bit to work with your system and processes.