Label for my latest creation, "Reverend Stucco Toast's Brimstone Mead".
Excerpts from The Pocket Guide to Beer . MJ's comments on some of my favorites.
Some notes that I've made on my own homebrew method and how I got started. Warning: still under construction.
A LaTeX brew sheet that is very useful for organizing your recipes. I keep these in a notebook so I can replicate brews that turn out well. Click here to get an idea of what the output looks like.
ENJOYING HOMEBREW
Homebrewed beer is often "bottle-conditioned"; as a result most bottled homebrew contains a thin sediment of dormant yeast. Homebrew should be poured carefully --- slowly, and all at once; if you stop and bring the bottle upright, the sediment will be disturbed. Pour slowly with the bottle kept horizontal; when you get down to the last half inch, you'll notice the sediment starting to flow towards the neck of the bottle. Stop before the sediment leaves the bottle.Homebrew should be stored upright in a cool, dark place. Let it settle for a day or so after transporting or otherwise disturbing the bottles. Let your homebrew refrigerate for at least a day before you drink it.
Depending on the style of brew, the optimum serving temperature varies. Most ales are best served at about 55 degrees, while lagers are best at about 45 degrees. For ales, leaving them out of the fridge for about 10-15 minutes will bring them to proper drinking temperature.
CURRENT FAVORITES
All of these beers are made with the standard Papazian "specialty grains" extract brew procedure, and either a 1 pint yeast starter made 24 hours in advance or dry yeast rehydrated before pitching.
"Fuzzy Rockoff Amber"
A little wilder than my usual ale, to celebrate
a visit from my favorite (and only) Australian
homeboy from Jersey. Make a 4.5 gallon batch for
maximum effect. A potent hopfest featuring
the best from 3 great hop-growing traditions.
6.6 lb Munton & Fison Extra light malt extract
1.0 lb amber dried malt extract
1.0 lb American crystal malt (dark)
1.5 oz Goldings plug hops, 7.8 hbu (60 minutes)
1.0 oz Cascade leaf hops (steep)
1.0 oz Hersbrucker plug hops (dry, 1wk in 2ndary)
Yeast Bank A06 "Dusseldorf Alt" liquid yeast culture
"Altitude Ale"
This beer reminds me of Anchor's Liberty Ale
because the hop aroma and flavor is outstanding.
6.6 lb Munton & Fison Extra light malt extract
1.0 lb German crystal malt (light)
1.5 oz Goldings plug hops, 7.8 hbu (60 minutes)
0.5 tsp Irish Moss (10 minutes)
1.0 oz Cascade leaf hops (steep)
Yeast Bank A06 "Dusseldorf Alt" liquid yeast culture
"Black Duncan Imperial Stout"
This is a killer brew. Brew it in August to have it
ready at XMas; great black+tan with "Altitude Ale."
7-8% alcohol, so be careful. Leave plenty of headspace,
because this baby takes off fast!
6.6 lb Munton & Fison Old Ale kit
3.3 lb Munton & Fison light malt extract
0.5 lb black patent malt
0.5 lb roasted barley
2.0 oz Nugget pellet hops, 22.2 hbu (60 minutes)
3.0 tsp gypsum
1.0 oz Cascade leaf hops (steep)
Yeast Bank A05 "Irish Ale" liquid yeast culture
"Father Framboise"
A strong, golden Belgian-style ale fermented with
raspberries. To be sipped slowly by the fire.
3.3 lb Brewferm Diabolo Kit (follow inst. for 9l)
24.0 oz Food Club frozen raspberries (steep)
0.5 kg dextrose (as per kit recipe)
Yeast Bank A08 "Trappist Ale" liquid yeast culture
"Buster Brown Ale"
Really tasty dark ale with a nice hop aroma that ages
very nicely.
6.6 lb Munton & Fison amber malt extract
1.0 lb crystal malt dark
0.5 lb chocolate malt
2.0 oz Fuggles plug hops, 8.4 hbu (60 minutes)
1.0 oz Goldings plug hops, 5.2 hbu (60 minutes)
1.0 oz Hersbrucker plug hops (steep)
Whitbread Ale Yeast (rehydrated from the packet)
MEAD
Favorites:
1 gallon water
2 lbs honey
2 lbs frozen blackberries
- or -
2 lbs frozen raspberries
optional: handful of aroma hops
Boil honey briefly to make the scum rise and scoop
it off. Remove heat, steep fruit in pot, strain off
or ferment on fruit as you prefer. Ferment with a
dry mead yeast (I use a Yeast Lab culture) and bottle
with dextrose to get a sparkling "champagne"-style
mead.
CIDER
Here's my best recipe so far:2.0 gal local apple cider (not filtered) 2.5 pkg Food Club frozen raspberries 1.0 bag Ocean Spray cranberries (fresh) Thaw raspberries, chop cranberries in blender. Mix with cider. Toss in some yeast (e.g., sediment from a couple of homebrew bottles). Ferment to completion, chill in fridge to drop yeast, siphon carefully and bottle. Age for a month or so. Can be made with 1-2 pounds of honey to add more alcoholic kick; as it is, a great table beverage. Tart and refreshing.
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17-Dec-94 by ehn@cs.cmu.edu