Microbrewed Adventures (41 page)

Prime with sugar and bottle or keg when complete.

ORIGINAL DOGBOLTER ALE—GOOSE & FIRKIN

Based on Colin Summers's original recipe, submitted by David Bruce

• TARGET ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.060 (14.7 B)
  
• APPROXIMATE FINAL GRAVITY: 1.015 (3.5 B)
  
• IBU: ABOUT 48
  
• APPROXIMATE COLOR: 14 SRM (28 EBC)
  
• ALCOHOL: 6% BY VOLUME
  

All-Grain Recipe
for 5 gallons (19 l)

A one-step infusion mash is employed to mash the grains. Add 11 quarts (10.5 l) of 172-degree F (78 C) water to the crushed grain, stir, stabilize and hold the temperature at 155 degrees F (68 C) for 60 minutes. Then raise temperature to 167 degrees F (75 C), lauter and sparge with 4 gallons (15.2l) of 170-degree F (77 C) water. Collect about 5.5 gallons (21 l) of runoff. Add 60-minute hops and bring to a full and vigorous boil.

The total boil time will be 60 minutes. When 15 minutes remain, add the 15-minute hops. When 10 minutes remain, add the Irish moss. After a total wort boil of 60 minutes, turn off the heat and place the pot (with cover on) in a running cold-water bath for 30 minutes. Continue to chill in the immersion or use other methods to chill your wort. Then strain and sparge the wort into a sanitized fermenter. Bring the total volume to 5 gallons (19 l) with additional cold water if necessary. Aerate the wort very well.

Pitch the yeast when temperature of wort is about 70 degrees F (21 C). Ferment at about 70 degrees F (21 C) for about 1 week, or until fermentation shows signs of calm and stopping. Rack from your primary to a secondary fermenter and if you have the capability, “cellar” the beer at about 55 degrees F (12.5 C) for about 1 week.

Prime with sugar and bottle or keg when complete.

Malt Extract Recipe
for 5 gallons (19 l)

Place crushed grains in 2 gallons (7.6 l) of 150-degree F (68 C) water and let steep for 30 minutes. Then strain out (and rinse with 3 quarts [3 l] hot water) and discard the crushed grains, reserving the approximately 2.5 gallons (9.5 l)
of liquid to which you will now add malt extract and 60-minute hops. Bring to a boil.

The total boil time will be 60 minutes. When 15 minutes remain, add the 15-minute hops. When 10 minutes remain, add the Irish moss. After a total wort boil of 60 minutes, turn off the heat.

Immerse the covered pot of wort in a cold-water bath and let sit for 30 minutes, or the time it takes to have a couple of homebrews.

Then strain out and sparge hops and direct the hot wort into a sanitized fermenter to which 2.5 gallons (9.5 l) of cold water has been added. Bring the total volume to 5 gallons (19 l) with additional cold water if necessary. Aerate the wort very well.

Pitch the yeast when temperature of wort is about 70 degrees F (21 C). Ferment at about 70 degrees F (21 C) for about 1 week, or until fermentation shows signs of calm and stopping. Rack from your primary to a secondary fermenter and if you have the capability, “cellar” the beer at about 55 degrees F (12.5 C) for about 1 week.

Prime with sugar and bottle or keg when complete.

BEYOND-THE-ORDINARY ORDINARY BITTER

• TARGET ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.038 (9.5 B)
  
• APPROXIMATE FINAL GRAVITY: 1.007 (1.5 B)
  
• IBU: ABOUT 30
  
• APPROXIMATE COLOR: 6 SRM (12 EBC)
  
• ALCOHOL: 4% BY VOLUME
  

All-Grain Recipe
for 5 gallons (19 l)

A step infusion mash is employed to mash the grains. Add 6 quarts (5.7 l) of 140-degree F (60 C) water to the crushed grain, stir, stabilize and hold the temperature at 132 degrees F (53 C) for 30 minutes. Add 3 quarts (3 l) of boiling water, add heat to bring temperature up to 155 degrees F (68 C) and hold for about 30 minutes. Then raise temperature to 167 degrees F (75 C), lauter and sparge with 3.5 gallons (13.5 l) of 170-degree F (77 C) water. Collect about 5.5 gallons (21 l) of runoff. Add 60-minute hops and rapadura sugar and bring to a full and vigorous boil.

The total boil time will be 60 minutes. When 10 minutes remain, add the Irish moss. When 5 minutes remain, add the 5-minute hops. After a total wort boil of 60 minutes, turn off the heat and place the pot (with cover on) in a running cold-water bath for 30 minutes. Continue to chill in the immersion or use other methods to chill your wort. Then strain and sparge the wort into a sanitized fermenter. Bring the total volume to 5 gallons (19 l) with additional cold water if necessary. Aerate the wort very well.

Pitch the yeast when temperature of wort is about 70 degrees F (21 C). Ferment at about 70 degrees F (21 C) for 24 hours. Then rack/transfer the fermenting beer to another fermenter, aerating by splashing the first 1 gallon. Continue to ferment about 1 week, or until fermentation shows signs of calm and stopping. Rack from your primary to a secondary fermenter and add the hop pellets for dry hopping. If you have the capability, “cellar” the beer at about 55 degrees F (12.5 C) for about 1 week.

Prime with sugar and bottle or keg when complete.

Malt Extract Recipe
for 5 gallons (19 l)

Place crushed grains in 2 gallons (7.6 l) of 150-degrees F (68 C) water and let steep for 30 minutes. Then strain out (and rinse with 3 quarts [3 l] hot water) and discard the crushed grains, reserving the approximately 2.5 gallons (9.5 l) of liquid to which you will now add malt extract, rapadura sugar and 60-minute hops. Bring to a boil.

The total boil time will be 60 minutes. When 10 minutes remain, add the Irish moss. When 5 minutes remain, add the 5-minute hops. After a total wort boil of 60 minutes, turn off the heat.

Immerse the covered pot of wort in a cold-water bath and let sit for 30 minutes, or the time it takes to have a couple of homebrews.

Then strain out and sparge hops and direct the hot wort into a sanitized fermenter to which 2.5 gallons (9.5 l) of cold water has been added. Bring the total volume to 5 gallons (19 l) with additional cold water if necessary. Aerate the wort very well.

Pitch the yeast when temperature of wort is about 70 degrees F (21 C). Ferment at about 70 degrees F (21 C) for 24 hours. Then rack/transfer the fermenting beer to another fermenter, aerating by splashing the first 1 gallon
of fermenting beer. Continue to ferment about 1 week, or until fermentation shows signs of calm and stopping. Rack from your primary to a secondary fermenter and add the hop pellets for dry hopping. If you have the capability, “cellar” the beer at about 55 degrees F (12.5 C) for about 1 week.

Prime with sugar and bottle or keg when complete.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S MEAD

• TARGET ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.138 (31.5 B)
  
• APPROXIMATE FINAL GRAVITY: 1.030 (7.5 B)
  
• ALCOHOL: 14.5% BY VOLUME
  

All-Grain Recipe
for 4 gallons (15.2 l)

Add honey, yeast extract and zinc-fortified yeast to 1 gallon of water, stir, dissolve and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Skim off coagulated meringuelike protein and discard during the boil.

Then add the boiled water and honey to 2 gallons of cold water in a sanitized fermenter for a total yield of 4 gallons. Mix extremely well, introducing as much air and oxygen into the mixture as possible. Original gravity may vary depending on the quality of the honey you used.

Rehydrate yeast by adding the dry yeast to about 2 cups of preboiled and cooled (to 100 degrees F [37 C]) water in a covered sanitized glass container. Let stand for 10 minutes before adding to the honey-and-water mixture.

When temperature of the honey-and-water mixture is between 72 and 80
degrees F (22 to 26.5 C), add rehydrated yeast and ferment at temperatures above 70 degrees F (21 C).

Ferment in a closed primary fermenter until fermentation appears to have stopped and the mead begins to clear. Introducing as little oxygen as possible, carefully transfer by siphoning to a closed second fermenter and let sit for up to a year or until the mead has become crystal clear and there are no signs of fermentation. The mead is now ready to drink or bottle.

With careful bottling techniques and minimizing the introduction of air and oxygen, this mead will age well for several decades, especially if properly corked.

 

St. Bartholomew is the patron saint of mead. His day is August 24, but celebrate every day.

CASTLE METHEGLIN

• TARGET ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.130–1.138 (30.2–31.8 B)
  
• APPROXIMATE FINAL GRAVITY: 1.028–1.038 (7–9.5 B)
  
• ALCOHOL: 14 TO 15% BY VOLUME
  

Recipe
for 5 gallons (19 l)

Formulate the gruit using the following proportions of whole dried herbs (use fresh herbs when available). After the herbs are combined, crush them all to the same consistency. Store in airtight container in your freezer. (Note: 28 grams equals approximately 1 ounce.)

Combine honey and zinc-fortified yeast with 1 gallon (3.8 l) of water and heat to 150 degrees F (65.5 C). Hold at this temperature for 20 minutes. Add this hot honey-and-water mixture to 2 gallons of cold water in your primary fermenter. Add more cold water as needed to achieve 5 gallons total volume. Aerate extremely well and add dissolved yeast nutrient (yeast extract).

When temperature is below 80 degrees F (26.5 C), add rehydrated yeast. Mead is best initially fermented between 70 and 75 degrees F (21–24 C). Ferment until fermentation activity is very low; this may take from 3 weeks to 3 months.

Rack and transfer to a secondary fermenter. Secondary can be stored at cooler temperatures. Add 2 oz. (56 g) gruit. Rack off sediment of herbs after 6 months to a year. Bottle when clear. Cork in wine bottles for long-term aging. Store corked bottles on their side. If using beer or cappable champagne bottles, dip capped bottle top in melted paraffin to prevent air from entering bottle.

This will be sweet, still metheglin mead, whose flavors will blend and balance themselves over the years. It's best after 50 years, but worth indulging in after 1 year.

ANDECH'S WEEKDAY BOCK

• TARGET ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.066 (16.5 B)
  
• APPROXIMATE FINAL GRAVITY: 1.016 (4 B)
  
• IBU: ABOUT
  34
  
• APPROXIMATE COLOR: 19 SRM (38 EBC)
  
• ALCOHOL: 6.8% BY VOLUME