Brewer's Friend » Recipes

Large Batch of American Beer

Larry — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:49:26 +0000

Brewed an 11 gallon batch of my Blitz Wienhard Clone. This is close to what Blitz probably tasted like originally (not the watered down stuff they produce today). Doing an 11 gallon batch is great. It generates twice as much beer in the same amount of time! It also gives the opportunity to try two different types of yeast on the same exact wort. Contrasting the differences in the finished product will be fun and educational.

The recipe is loaded into in the Brewer’s Friend Recipe Builder:
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/637

This batch pushed capacity limits of my 15 gallon kettle and 48 quart mash lauter tun. I am not convinced my 15 gallon kettle actually holds 15 gallons. It is more like 14, sort of like how a 2×4 is not really two inches by four inches… At least this kettle is enough for an 11 gallon batch.

In the picture there is a little over 13 gallons in the kettle which still leaves room for the boil. The actual batch volume is 11 gallons. That way there is room for trub losses. The plan is to keg this directly from the primary fermentor after the yeast completely fall out.

When draining to the fermentors, I took a staggered approach. 2.5 gallons into the first one, then 2.5 into the next, and so on until both were full. That way, if there was any stratification going on in the kettle it was mitigated. In one fermentor Safale-05 American Ale is being used. In the other it is Wyeast 1272 American Ale II.

The plan is to do a blind taste test and see if we can tell them apart. Liquid yeast is more expensive than the dry yeast (yet ironically the dry yeast has more cells). For this sort of run of the mill beer, if the liquid yeast doesn’t wow me, I’ll stick with the dry yeast for future batches. Nottingham is another yeast I have used here with success, and it imparted a nice bready flavor.

Recipe – Golden NW Extra Special Bitter

Larry — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 16:35:24 +0000

This a wonderful tasting British ale that uses Zeus bittering hops. More of a NW + British hybrid really. This Golden NW ESB has a nice balanced malt to hop ratio. A bread like biscuit flavor rolls into medium bitterness over the tongue. It finishes smooth and has drinkability – in that you will want to take another sip of this brew right away. Extra Special Bitter is traditionally served in British pubs, and would cost extra compared to the house ale.

Target Volume: 5 gallons

Grains:
5.25 lb Pale 2-Row
4 lb ESB Malt
0.5 lb Mild Ale Malt
(at 75% efficiency)

Extract brewers:
Steep 1 lb ESB Malt, 0.25 lb Mild Ale Malt
Use 5.75 Light Dry Malt Extract, or 7 lb Light Liquid Extract

Hops:
0.75 oz Zeus, 60 min
0.75 oz Goldings, 20 min
0.75 oz Goldings, 10 min

(Extract brewers may want to use 1 oz Zeus to get correct IBU level.)

Yeast:
Wyeast 1098 British Ale Yeast (aka White Labs WLP007 Dry English Ale Yeast)

Water Chemistry:
Calcium 116
Sodium 89
Sulfates 214
Carbonates (HCO3) 226
Chloride 46
(all numbers in ppm)

My tap water is practically mineral free. I added approximately 1 tsp CaCl, 3 tsp Gypsum, and 2.5 tsp Baking Soda to get these concentrations.

Procedure:
Mashed at 158F for 60 minutes, standard batch sparge. Fermented for 10 days between 62F-68F, racked and let sit for 12 days. Bottled and primed with 3.5oz dextrose.

Batch Stats:
OG: 1.051
FG: 1.011
IBU: 60
ABV: 5.35%

(Freshly filled and capped batch of ESB).

(Nice foamy head on this ESB).

German Lager Recipe All Grain

Larry — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:35:58 +0000

This has to be one of my favorite beers for all time. I have brewed it about 5 times, and it’s just awesome. Talk about a ‘session beer’, that is something most people can drink all evening without a problem. My uncle, who is a German Protestant Minister, smelled the beer, took one sip, smiled, and told me in his thick German accent that it reminded him of beer at home. “Now… that is a good beer!” he said. He proceeded to drink the beer over the course of dinner, and then and ask for seconds. I was completely honored. Being a German, and in the US for the first time, he was honest about his opinion of things, some not so favorable. For example, he said the beer at Rogue was ‘very British’, and he did not order seconds there. My uncle is no stranger to beer. He explained during an annual festival, the Minsters ride tandem bikes through town and people hand them beer. Must be pretty cool.

This German lager, technically a Munich Helles (translates to Munich Light), leaves no heavy flavors on the tongue, but I argue it is robust and complex. The aftertaste has an elusive bread like, smoky quality I love in German beers. I believe this attribute is imparted by the yeast and the lagering process. The aroma and initial flavor has many light, sweet, fruity qualities, which come from the Hallertau hops. The finish is clean and crisp, as it should be in a larger.

All the ingredients in this beer are German (yeast, hops, grain), and they are easy to get at your local home brew store. My Hallertau hops were grown in Oregon, but it was close enough for my uncle, definitely close enough for me.

The style is BJCP 1D – Munich Helles:

Grains:

8 lb German Pilsner
1 lb Vienna
0.5 lb CaraPils
(@ 75% brewhouse efficiency)

You can substitute towards Vienna malt to give it more honey sweetness and malt character.

Hops:

Hallertau, 2 ounces, 60 minutes

I have tried substituting to Mt. Hood instead of Hallertau – it was still a good beer, more spicy, less aromatic, I would say a lot more boring (more like Coors). Tettnanger is another option, or a mix, but I usually put Tettnanger in my Oktoberfest because it is more spicy and less fruity than Hallertau. Saaz is another popular choice but I have not tried it.

First wort hopping may be of interest.

Yeast:

German Lager Yeast
I have used only White Labs WLP830, with great success, but I want to try some of the following:

White Labs:
WLP820 Oktoberfest Lager Yeast
WLP830 German Lager Yeast
WLP833 German Bock Yeast
WLP838 Southern German Lager Yeast

Wyeast:
2007 Pilsen Lager Yeast
2124 Bohemian Lager Yeast
2206 Bavarian Lager Yeast
2308 Munich Lager Yeast

Make sure to do a yeast starter for a lager!

Style 1D stats:

OG: 1.045 – 1.051
IBUs: 16 – 22
FG: 1.008 – 1.012
SRM: 3 – 5
ABV: 4.7 – 5.4%

This Recipe:

OG: 1.050
IBUs: 24 (this is just above the guidelines, but meh..)
FG: 1.010
SRM: 3.6
ABV: 5.1%

Procedure

Mash at 150F (65.5C) for 60 minutes, then 158F (70C) for 30 minutes.

90 minute boil.

Ferment for 3 weeks in the primary, before racking, pull it out of the fridge and let it warm to room temperature for 2 days (dialectal rest). Rack it, and leave it around 36F for 4-6 weeks.

I then keg it, force carbonate, and after about 3 months it is ready to drink. The beer tastes strange when it is green. It really needs the extra time to settle down. Be patient with it!

Deschutes Red Chair NWPA clone home brew recipe

Larry — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:12:08 +0000

Deschutes made a great beer this year, Red Chair NWPA (North West Pale Ale). Besides Ninkasi, this is really the only beer I would buy from the store again. Naturally, I wanted to make a clone recipe. I think this came pretty close for my first attempt, very drinkable beer.

1/30/2011 Update: Based on my experiments I have updated the recipe on this page.

Grains (all grain):
6.5 lb 2-row Pale
1.0 lb Crystal 20L
0.5 lb Carastan (30L)
1.0 lb Munich
1.0 lb Pilsner
0.5 lb CaraPils

(@ 75% brewhouse efficiency, 5.25 gallon batch)

Grains (extract):
Steep the following for 30 minutes at 150F
0.5 lb Crystal 20L
0.25 lb Carastan 30L
0.5 lb Munich Light
0.5 lb Pilsner

6.5 lb of Light dry malt extract
or
8 lb of Light liquid malt extract

Hops:
Zeus, 1 ounce, 60 minutes
Cascade, 0.5 ounce, 15 minutes
Cascade, 0.5 ounce, 5 minutes
Cascade, 1 ounce, 1 minute (flame out)
Cascade, 1 ounce, dry hop

Yeast:
Wyeast 1098 British Ale Yeast

Style 14B (American IPA) stats:

The beer does not qualify as a Pale Ale according to BJCP standards. The IBU’s are up around 60, clearly putting it into the league of IPAs. The gravity is just barely outside what qualifies as an American IPA.

OG: 1.056 – 1.075
IBUs: 40 – 70
FG: 1.010 – 1.018
SRM: 6 – 15
ABV: 5.5 – 7.5%

This Recipe:
OG: 1.055
IBUs: 66
FG: 1.015
SRM: 7.7
ABV: 5.6%

Fermented in the primary for 19 days at 64-68F, then bottled.

Notes:
I updated this 1/30/2011 based on my second try. The beer is much better than the first attempt.

I would highly recommend dry hopping with cascade, and maybe swapping out some of the Zues bittering hops for Cascade, keeping IBU’s the same.

The color, maltniness, and body are spot on, good head retention, and a beautiful golden amber color.

Do not use Centennial hops in Red Chair! That threw me off. Also in the last batch I had one pound of Carastan malt which added a roasted toffee flavor bite. Cutting back the Carastan helped a lot. I also switched to Wyeast 1098 British Ale Yeast (same as White Labs WLP007 English Dry). It is my new favorite yeast. I have never seen a more compacted yeast cake. The beer was drinkable in 3 weeks!

Thanks to the folks at homebrewtalk for input and disccusion on this recipe:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/deschutes-red-chair-nwpa-knockoff-recipe-construction-160178/

More information about Red Chair NWPA:
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brews/seasonal-ales/red-chair-nwpa/default.aspx

Blonde Ale Summer Brew

Larry — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:35:21 +0000

This Blonde Ale is a home brew thirst quencher perfect for summer time. I plan to serve it ice cold on tap for days when it gets above 80F. I named the brew after my wife as she has the most beautiful blonde hair. The Cascade and Mt Hood are a nice light combination, with the Mt. Hood imparting a light spicyness. The Vienna malt gives a sublte honey sweetness. If you want to make it even lighter, use less hops.

The style is BJCP 6B – Blond Ale:

I bought a busshel of Pilsner malt (55 lb) about a year and a half ago. I have been using it for Lagers. I want to use up the Pilsner malt before it spoils so I made an ale.

Grains:

8 lb Pilsner
1 lb Vienna
1 lb CaraPils
(@ 75% brewhouse efficiency)

Hops:

Mt Hood, ½ ounce, 60 minutes
Cascade, ½ ounce, 30 minutes
Cascade, ½ ounce, 5 minutes
Mt Hood, ½ ounce, 5 minutes

Yeast:

American or British Ale Yeast – Kolsch would work well.

I used British II Wyeast 1335 because I had it on hand and was pitching it forward (for free). I think this yeast is better for darker beers now that I am tasting the first few samples, but time will tell.

Style 6B stats:

OG: 1.038 – 1.054
IBUs: 15 – 28
FG: 1.008 – 1.013
SRM: 3 – 6
ABV: 3.8 – 5.5%

This Recipe:

OG: 1.044
IBUs: 24
FG: 1.008
SRM: 3.2
ABV: 4.5%

Fermented in the primary for 35 days at 64-68F, then kegged.

All Grain American Pale Ale Recipe

Larry — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:55:16 +0000

Given what I had in my brewing inventory I decided to brew an American Pale Ale along the lines of a Deschutes Mirror Pond clone. Deschutes is said to use British yeast for their American beers, so I stuck with that and tried a variety that was new to me. This beer will be on the lighter side of pale ales (should live up to its name). I expect a refreshing citrusy finish that is mellowed by the body provided by the munich malt. It should be the perfect brew to enjoy end of spring or early summer.

This is for a 5 gallon batch. Recipe assumes 75% brewhouse efficiency.

GRAINS:
6 lb US 2-row Pale
2.5 lb German Munich 10L
1/4 lb Carpils
Flaked wheat can be added (I did 1/2 lb).

HOPS:
Cascade – 0.5 oz @ 60 min
Centennial - 0.5 oz @ 60 min
Cascade – 0.5 oz @ 10 min
Centennial - 0.5 oz @ 10 min

YEAST:
Wyeast British II 1335
Attenuation Low 73%
Attenuation High 76%
Optimum Temp 63-75
Flocculation High

STATS:
Original Gravity 1.047
Final Gravity 1.010
SRM 5
IBU 30-35
ABV 5
Style 10A (BJCP)

NOTES:
Standard all grain brewing – mash at 150F for 1 hour.
60 minute boil.
Ferment for 3-4 weeks at 63-75F.

I have a blond ale planned for my next batch and then a Red Chair NWPA clone.

The Four Brewing Seasons (2 of 4)

Larry — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:03:47 +0000

Each season has at least one beer style that it is known for, if not several. This season an Oktoberfest / Marzen recipe has been selected. This is part TWO of a four part (season) series about these seasonal brews. Spring is quickly approaching, although much of the country is still in the grips of a deep freeze, it is time to start thinking about warmer days, melting ice and snow and brewing outdoors again!

When I think Spring, I think about March… in like a lion and out like a lamb as my grandmother used to say. When I think of March, I think of Oktoberfest! What…? Maybe some explanation is necessary for some of you. The beers served at the traditional German Oktoberfest in the month of October are actually brewed in the month of March, which is whey they are often called Marzens, or Marzenbier which means March Beer, in German.

Prior to modern refrigeration equipment, cold storage of beer consisted of underground caves and stone cellars. Often these storage areas were near ponds or bodies of water so that ice could be cut during the winter months and used for cooling during the summer months. Marzens, or Oktoberfest lagers, were brewed in the month of March and then stored through the spring and summer months until the Autumn festival.

Marzens are known for their full body, toasty flavor and mild hopping. Deep copper in color with an inviting,rich malt flavor and aroma, this beer is an excellent way to celebrate Autumn. Brewing this beer in preparation for Oktoberfest is an excellent way to welcome Spring!

Oktoberfest/Marzen (5 gallons)
This lager is malty, toasty, smooth, lightly hopped and perfect for those late Autumn gatherings around the fire pit. Brew it now so that it is ready for Oktoberfest at your home this Autumn!

MALT BILL – All Grain:
Vienna Malt 8.00 pounds
Munich Malt 1.00 pounds
Crystal 60L 1.00 pounds

Mash at 152F for 60 minutes

MALT BILL – Extract:
Light dry malt extract 5.75 pounds
Steep:
Vienna Malt 1.00 pounds
Munich Malt 0.50 pounds
Crystal 60L 0.50 pounds

HOP BILL:
Tettnang 1.25 ounce 90 mintues 3.3 IBUs
Tettnang .25 ounce 30 minutes 3.3 IBUs

YEAST:
White Labs 820 Oktoberfest/Marzen
Since this is a lager a starter is needed, click here on information about making a yeast starter.

FERMENTATION:
Primary Ferment at 55F for 3 weeks
Lager from April-October, 4-6 weeks minimum at 35-40F

RECIPE STATISTICS:
OG: 1.053
FG: 1.016
IBU: 20.9
SRM: 11.6
ABV: 4.8

Brew NOW, enjoy at your Oktoberfest celebration!

The Four Brewing Seasons (1 of 4)

Larry — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:12:51 +0000

Each season has at least one beer style that it is known for, if not several. This is part one in a four part (season) series about these seasonal brews. Winter is quickly approaching, and has already placed some parts of the US and other countries in its grip, so there is no better time to discuss winter beer styles and share some recipes.

Winter beers are typically (not always) dark beers with relatively high levels of alcohol (ABV). These beers are not your typical summer quaffers that are made to satisfy a thirst, no, these ales and lagers are typically like a meal in a glass. Full bodied, robust, spiced (or not) and made to be sipped during the cold winter months while they warm you from the inside out. The spiced versions often utilize spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and allspice.

All of this being said, you will find that winter ales and lagers come in all colors, spiced and un-spiced, heavy hitters with ABVs exceeding 10% ABV and lighter quaffers that will come in at or about 4% ABV. Here are a couple recipes, one from each genre.

Belgian White Winter Ale (5 gallons)

This ale is light in body, light in color and just plain refreshing. It is spiced with coriander and bitter orange peel (a famous combination), but also receives some of its spicy nature from the Wyeast 3944 and its phenolic character.

MALT BILL:
Belgian 2-Row 4.00 pounds
Belgian White Wheat 3.00 pounds
Flaked Oats 0.75 pounds
Carapils 0.50 pounds
Flaked White Wheat 0.50 pounds

Mash at 155F for 90 minutes

HOP BILL:
Hallertau .50 ounce 60 mintues 7.7 IBUs
Crystal .50 ounce 60 minutes 6.3 IBUs
Hallertau .50 ounce 5 minutes 1.5 IBUs
Crystal .50 ounce 5 minutes 1.3 IBUs

SPICES:
Bitter Orange Peel 2.00oz 15 minutes
Coriander Seed 1.50oz 5 minutes

YEAST:
Wyeast 3944

FERMENTATION:
Ferment at 68F for 3 weeks

RECIPE STATISTICS:
OG: 1.049
FG: 1.012
IBU: 16.8
SRM: 4.3
ABV: 4.86

Samichlaus Clone (5 gallons) (BYO 150 Classic Clones Edition)

This lager should be brewed in the spring if you hope to have it ready in time for winter sipping, and I do mean sipping. A heavy hitter with the grain bill of a 10 gallon brew, boiled down to 5 gallons and then inoculated with the yeast from a nearly 2 gallon starter… this is the definition of specialty beer.

MALT BILL:
Pilsner Malt 21.00 pounds
Vienna Malt 2.00 pounds
Carahell Dark Malt 1.50 pounds
Cane Sugar 2.00 pounds

Step mash to rest at:
104F for 15 minutes
122F for 15 minutes
140F for 15 minutes
158F for 45 minutes

Collect 13 gallons of wort and boil down to 5 gallons. Yes, collect 13 to achieve a final volume of 5 gallons! If you are using propane to boil, you will need to have a spare gas tank at the ready!

HOP BILL:
Northern Brewer 1.50 ounces 60 mintues 28.8 IBUs
Tettnang .50 ounce 15 minutes 2.3 IBUs
Hallertau .50 ounce 2 minutes .3 IBUs

SPICES:
Bitter Orange Peel 2.00oz 15 minutes
Coriander Seed 1.50oz 5 minutes

YEAST:
WLP 885 (7L starter!!!) The yeast must be treated well, and the size of the starter is not only to manage the high OG, but also to create a large enough cell count to overcome the cool fermentation temperatures of this lager. Remember to oxygenate your wort very well prior to pitching, your yeast will need all the help that they can get. See How to Make a Starter here at www.BrewersFriend.com

FERMENTATION:
Ferment at 52F for 30-45 days
Rack to secondary, add fresh yeast and allow temperature to rise to 60F, then lager for about 180 days at 38F

RECIPE STATISTICS:
OG: 1.139
FG: 1.034
IBU: 31.4
SRM: 15
ABV: 14%

Winter brews are typically specialty beers and therefore the style specifics are wide open. Try one of the above recipes the next time that you brew a winter lager or ale, or formulate something that fits your tastes. Who cares about style points here, brew what you like and offer your friends and family members something special when they arrive for winter visits.

Holiday Spice Ale – Ready in a month

Larry — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:28:44 +0000

A lot of breweries sell a “winter beer” or “Christmas beer”, and they’re typically high-gravity, with complex flavors. Our brewing group wanted something that was exactly the opposite: a low-gravity, easy-to-drink beer that would complement our turkey with cranberry sauce. This is pretty similar to most “holiday spice beer” recipes you’ll find, with one nice difference. Most of those recipes call for cinnamon sticks to be ground and cloves to be crushed, and generally have you doing a lot of work to get your aroma & flavor right. We use allspice; it lets you get those cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg flavors & aromas without having to work at it. The other charm of this beer is its speed. Two weeks in the carboy, two weeks in the bottle, and it’s ready to go. It’s easy to drink, goes well with a meal, and makes a great gift.

Holiday Spice Ale (all grain)

Style: American Ale
OG: 1.048
FG: 1.013
ABV: 4.6%
IBU: 19
Volume: 5.5 gallons

Grain Bill:
5.5 lbs Pale Malt (adjust to suit your efficiency factor)
1 lb Belgian Aromatic
1 lb Honey Malt

Adjuncts:
1 lb Honey
1/8th pound Molasses

Hops:
Bittering Hops: 1.5 oz Fuggle (60 minutes)
Flavor Hops: .5 oz Fuggle (10 minutes)

Yeast: Wyeast 1028 London Ale

Extras: 2 tablespoons ground Allspice, added to the last 10 minutes of the boil.

Recipe OktoberFEAST Ale AG (5.5 US gal.)

Larry — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:07:05 +0000

With fall just around the corner, cooler temperatures and shorter days are on there way. This calls for a maltier, less hoppy, less zingy beer to satisfy us on those cool evenings around the fire. As the temperatures go down, the ABV of seasonal beers goes up. To speed up the process, this Oktoberfest beer is not a classic Maerzen lager, but an ale.

The following recipe is based on 75% brew house efficiency, see an explanation of brew house efficiency here at Brewers Friend.

Style: Maerzen (ale)
BJCP Guidelines:
OG: 1.050-1.056
FG: 1.012-1.016
ABV: 4.8-5.7
IBU: 20-28
SRM: 7.0-14.0

Recipe Targets:
OG: 1.056
FG: 1.014-1.016
ABV: 5.3%-5.5%
IBU: 24.1
SRM: 13.5.
Volume: 5.5 gallons

Malt Bill:
Belgian Pilsner 4.25 lbs
Vienna 2.25 lbs
Munich 20L 2.00 lbs
Aromatic 1.00 lbs
Crystal 20L 1.00 lbs
Crystal 40L 1.00 lbs

Water Profile: Munich water profile to accentuate malt flavor.

Ca: 88 SO4: 11 Mg: 3 Na: 10 Cl: 2 HCO3: 156 Alky: 240

Mash in with 23.0 quarts (2qt/lb) of water at 167F to rest at 158F for 60 minutes. This water was also treated with Five Star Buffer 5.2.

Mash out at 168F utilizing additional infusions or direct heat.

Collect 8.0 gallons (adjust to compensate for your own boil rate) at a SG of 1.039

Boil for 100 minutes with the following hop schedule. (Adjust your qty. to adjust for any difference in AA value)

Hops:
Tettnanger 3.3AA 1.00oz 100 minutes
Tettnanger 3.3AA 0.50oz 45 minutes
Tettnanger 3.3AA 0.50oz 30 minutes

Chill wort to pitching temperature, see an explanation of “no chill” brewing here at brewersfriend.com.

Yeast: SafAle S-04 11g packet.

Fermentation Temperature: 65F

Time in Primary: 14 days

Carbonation: 2.5 volumes