Last Updated on Sunday, 4 April 2010 06:32 Written by admin Sunday, 2 November 2008 07:22

Description:
I’ve made a raspberry from canned & hopped malt (kit) with amazing results… Here’s my recipe..
Ingredients:

* 2 cans Ironmaster european pilsner
* 3-5 lbs raspberries (fresh or frozen, be sure to sterilize*)
* 2-4 lbs blackberries (“)
* your choice of yeast
* DME to bring OG to 1.048
* 1 tsp yeast nutrient

Procedure:
That’s the basic recipe.. experiment with it a bit… I throw the berries on top of the wort in primary,and let the primary go until they have leeched all their color out. At that point, I rack to secondary and let it all settle (use finings if you feel the need, I didn’t). By the time it’s done, you have a beautiful red brew that is then kegged, conditioned, and aged for 3 months in the fridge. If you sterilised the berries right, there’s not a trace of haze or cloudiness. It’s almost like a raspberry champagne, and a great dessert beer. The initial taste is beery, and then a lingering fruity aftertaste. I used the pilsner kit for its relatively low hop content, allowing the fruitiness to come out a little more.

(*) Sterilising the berries Because the berries are susceptible to wild yeast on the canes, it is advisable to sterilise the berries by heating them in water to a point a little below 85 degrees centigrade. (adding some dextrose to the water will start leeching out the flavor and color). Any higer, and you will release some pectin into the solution, which will cloud the beer (not critical, it just doens’t look as cool as it does when it’s crystal clear and bubbling).

Last Updated on Sunday, 4 April 2010 06:32 Written by admin Sunday, 2 November 2008 07:22

Description:
I recently attempted to clone Pyramid Apricot Ale.

I just sampled my first bottle. I was disappointed at the relative lack of apricot character. By the way, I used the ‘standard’ apricot essence that I bought from HopTech but is readily available from a number of different vendors.

I tried a side by side comparison with a bottle of Pyramid and noted that the commercial ale had a more pronounced apricot character. Now, I am not looking to make apricot nectar, but I would have hoped for more apricot flavor.
Ingredients:

* 4 lbs. Alexander wheat extract
* 1.4 lbs. Alexander wheat kicker
* 4 oz. malto-dextrin
* 14 IBU domestic Hallertauer (60 minute boil)
* Wyeast # 1056 liquid yeast
* 3/4 cup corn sugar
* 4 oz. apricot essence added to bottling bucket

Last Updated on Sunday, 4 April 2010 06:32 Written by admin Sunday, 2 November 2008 07:21

Description:
This ale is a nice light beer with little bitterness. You can’t really taste the red hots too much, but the are definitely in the aroma. My husband had his doubts about this since the only hops were whatever was in the extract, but he was pleasantly surprised. The red hot candies make a very nice addition to the brew. I think they might be good in some other styles, too.
Ingredients:

* 4 pounds, Mountmellick Brown Ale Kit (Hopped)
* 1 pounds, Light DME
* 1 pound, Honey
* 1/2 pound, Crystal Malt
* 4 pounds, Sliced Winesap Apples (from Purdue Hort. Farms–

Procedure:
Bring 3 gallons water to boil and put in brew bucket to cool. Bring 1.5 gallons water and crystal malt to boil. Remove grain. Add extract, honey, burton salts, and irish moss and boil for 15 minutes. Add red hot candies. Turn heat to low after candies melt. Add apples and cinnamon and steep 15 minutes. Dump into brew bucket, then transfer to primary. (I made malted applesauce out of the apples by the way!)