brewwitch
07-28-2008, 08:53 AM
Well, my friend and I brewed our first batch of beer yesterday. The recipe comes from the book Extreme Brewing.
Some beforehand notes:
I made my own crystallized ginger. A lot "spicier" than the store bought.
Used leftover sugar from above process to make an amber candi sugar.
The candi sugar was a bit sticky and had a slight ginger essence.
The yeast we noticed was 2 months older than best by date. So, I took 2 cups of boiled (and cooled) sugar water and put the yeast in it.
The next day some yeast respiration was noted so I thought they would be ok. (I use same idea of proofing yeast when I make bread)
OK brew day:
Ingredients:
1lb CaraMunich Malt
1.5 tsp Gypsum
6.6 lbs Light liquid extract syrup
1lb light dry malt extract
2 oz Hallertau Hop Pellets
8oz homemade amber candi sugar
80z light belgian candi sugar (white/clear in color)
1tsp irish moss
1/2 oz styrian golding hop pellets
2.5 ozs homemade crystallized ginger (a little more than mentioned in book)
WhiteLabs Saison yeast
combined water, malt, gypsum. (used less than required 2tsp. because I used less water for the wort).
Stirred every 5 minutes or so. When Temp reached 170, we took out the grain bag.
Brought wort to boil and removed from heat at which time added
malt extracts. To do this I poured and friend stirred with a wire whip. Added liquid malt first.. had no problem getting it to dissolve.
Returned to heat and set to boil.
Added 1 1/2 oz Hallertau hops pellets. and started 60 timer.
After 45 minutes 8 oz homemade candi sugar (amber) + 8oz belgian candi sugar(light) were added and mixed thoroughly to ensure mixing.
Took about 6 minutes to get it all to dissolve then added remaining Hallertau pellets and Irish Moss. After 5 more minutes added Styrian Hop Pellets. And at the end added Ginger.
Wort was stirred for 2 minutes for a whirlpool effect and then set to sit for 10 minutes. After which it was placed in an ice bath and cooled till ~80
Now came tricky part (for me). Big debate between me and friend regarding the sediment. He wanted to try and not pour any sediment in suggesting using cheese cloth. I said no because cheese cloth wasn't sterilized. I also wanted it to ferment with the ginger in it. He was worried of over gingering the brew... I was not as this was not a powder and there remained plenty of ginger taste in the ginger itself. (not all leached out). So, we poured most of wort in bucket but left a bit heavy with sediment out. We measured SG and diluted with bottled water until it reached 1.07. It was hard to tell as the foam was in the way. Then added yeast. In hind sight should have added yeast first the measured SG.
Anyway, this morning CO2 was bubbling happily from fermentation bucket.
So.. any comments? I thought it went prety well but won;t really know until I sit down and open up a bottle of it... Hmmm.....
Some beforehand notes:
I made my own crystallized ginger. A lot "spicier" than the store bought.
Used leftover sugar from above process to make an amber candi sugar.
The candi sugar was a bit sticky and had a slight ginger essence.
The yeast we noticed was 2 months older than best by date. So, I took 2 cups of boiled (and cooled) sugar water and put the yeast in it.
The next day some yeast respiration was noted so I thought they would be ok. (I use same idea of proofing yeast when I make bread)
OK brew day:
Ingredients:
1lb CaraMunich Malt
1.5 tsp Gypsum
6.6 lbs Light liquid extract syrup
1lb light dry malt extract
2 oz Hallertau Hop Pellets
8oz homemade amber candi sugar
80z light belgian candi sugar (white/clear in color)
1tsp irish moss
1/2 oz styrian golding hop pellets
2.5 ozs homemade crystallized ginger (a little more than mentioned in book)
WhiteLabs Saison yeast
combined water, malt, gypsum. (used less than required 2tsp. because I used less water for the wort).
Stirred every 5 minutes or so. When Temp reached 170, we took out the grain bag.
Brought wort to boil and removed from heat at which time added
malt extracts. To do this I poured and friend stirred with a wire whip. Added liquid malt first.. had no problem getting it to dissolve.
Returned to heat and set to boil.
Added 1 1/2 oz Hallertau hops pellets. and started 60 timer.
After 45 minutes 8 oz homemade candi sugar (amber) + 8oz belgian candi sugar(light) were added and mixed thoroughly to ensure mixing.
Took about 6 minutes to get it all to dissolve then added remaining Hallertau pellets and Irish Moss. After 5 more minutes added Styrian Hop Pellets. And at the end added Ginger.
Wort was stirred for 2 minutes for a whirlpool effect and then set to sit for 10 minutes. After which it was placed in an ice bath and cooled till ~80
Now came tricky part (for me). Big debate between me and friend regarding the sediment. He wanted to try and not pour any sediment in suggesting using cheese cloth. I said no because cheese cloth wasn't sterilized. I also wanted it to ferment with the ginger in it. He was worried of over gingering the brew... I was not as this was not a powder and there remained plenty of ginger taste in the ginger itself. (not all leached out). So, we poured most of wort in bucket but left a bit heavy with sediment out. We measured SG and diluted with bottled water until it reached 1.07. It was hard to tell as the foam was in the way. Then added yeast. In hind sight should have added yeast first the measured SG.
Anyway, this morning CO2 was bubbling happily from fermentation bucket.
So.. any comments? I thought it went prety well but won;t really know until I sit down and open up a bottle of it... Hmmm.....