14 February 2010

For two weeks in January, Belgian brewery workers blocked roads, set fire to beer crates, kidnapped managers and handed out free beer in protest against job cuts proposed by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer.

The company announced the cuts in spite of profits of US$1.55 billion in the third quarter of 2009.

But the AB InBev beer monopoly appears more interested in profit than workers’ rights or even the quality of its beer. Theo Vervloet, the chairman of the Belgian Brewers trade association, said: “AB InBev is thinking on a bigger scale and wants to go for volume rather than quality.”

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ATLANTA — Finally, there’s real science to back up what we’ve long suspected (or hoped): Drinking beer can be good for you.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, say beer is a rich source of dietary silicon, which is key to increasing bone density. They analyzed 100 commercial beers for their levels of silicon, finding the levels varied based on the type of beer and malting process used.

Pale-colored malts have more silicon than darker beers and thus are more effective in preventing osteoporosis.

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Our most popular beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, is a delightful interpretation of a classic style. It has a deep amber color and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. Generous quantities of premium Cascade hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor.

“Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the flagship beer, the one that made Chico famous. It is a flawless beer that opens with bright, perky high notes of maltiness and orange blossom and segues into a delectable hoppiness.”
GOLD MEDAL WINNER
Great American Beer Festival (American Pale Ale: 1995, 1994, 1993;
Classic English Pale Ale: 1992; Pale Ale: 1990, 1989, 1987)

– Elaine Louie, Premier Beer—A Guide to America’s Best Bottled Microbrews

* 1.5 lbs Hopped Light Malt Extract per gallon.
* Approx 8-10 Flavored Tea Bags per gallon.
* Mutons 6 gram beer yeast.

Preparation:

Boil malt extract in 1/3 gallon of water (more if making a larger batch) for 20 mins.

Boil tea bags in seperate pot with similar amount of water, 20 mins.

Combine wort and tea, cool by any means neccesary.

Bring level to a gallon (or to whatever scale) and pitch the cheapest beer yeast you can get your hands on. I used a 6 gram pack of Muttons.

Specifics:

Style Winter Beer
Recipe Type Extract
Batch Size 1 gallon or more.
Original Gravity
Final Gravity
Boiling Time 20 Mins
Primary Fermentation plastic 7 days more if too bubbly
Secondary Fermentation glass until not fermentation halts.
Other Specifics For the “Flavored Tea” I would suggest a Caffiene Free Celestial Seasonings. If you drink like I do at times, that much caffiene is probably not a good thing, or at least so says my wife.

There are several ways to release this gas and return the wine to a true still wine. The simplest way is to simply stir the wine with a wooden dowel or a plastic rod. Stir the wine vigorously for about a minute and then replace the airlock and let the wine settle down for 30-45 minutes. Then repeat the procedure several times until the wine stops giving up CO2 gas. I use a plastic rod used to pull curtains closed. I heated one end of the rod in boiling water for a few minutes, layed the heated end on a wooden cutting board, and gently tapped it with a wooden mallet to flatten the end of it into a narrow “paddle” shape. I sanitize it by standing in upright (paddle-end down) in a 22-inch hydrometer test jar for 5 minutes filled with sulfite solution. I then put the paddle end into the carboy and attach the other end to an electric drill. This is undoubtedly safer than using a wooden dowel because the plastic cannot absorb bacteria or mold the way the wooden dowel can.

There are several products out there which are essentially a long rod with spring-loaded folding blades at one end. The opposite end is inserted in an electric drill and the blade end inserted into the carboy. The blades unfold inside the carboy and the electric drill is turned on. The propeller-style blades are raised and lowered throughout the body of wine to degasse a greater volume. After 30 seconds or so, the drill is turned off and the rod is withdrawn from the carboy. The airlock is refitted and 30-45 minutes later the procedure is repeated. This procedure works much faster and better than simply stirring with a rod or dowel, but my “paddle” works just fine for me and so I’m staying with it.

A word of caution when using an electric drill. Obviously, you do not want to get the electric cord or the electric motor wet, so be careful. Also, when you first insert the paddle or propeller-type device, tap the trigger a few times for just a couple of seconds to see how much gas is in the wine. If there is a lot, foam will erupt from the mouth of the carboy that — at worse — could shoot up into the electric drill before you realize what is happening and electrocute you. Just to be safe, wear heavy duty rubber gloves. At the very least it will be a mess to clean up, and of course will reduce the volume of your wine. Go slowly and be safe — and don’t forget the rubber gloves!

After a wine is degassed, it should sit for a while under airlock to “recover” from the procedure, as degassing a wine tends to “flatten” its taste for a couple of months. After sitting under airlock for the prescribed period, the wine can be bottled.

* 7 pounds, unhopped extract syrup
* 1 pound, chocolate malt, not cracked
* 1/2 pound, black patent malt, not cracked
* 1/2 pound, crystal malt (90 degrees L.)
* 1/2 pound, Sumatra decaf coffee
* 1-1/2 ounces, Cascade hops (boil)
* 1/2 ounce, Cascade hops (finish)
* yeast

Procedure:
Place chocolate, patent, and crystal malts in about 2 gallons of water and bring to almost boil, Sparge into boiling pot. Add 2 more gallons of water. Bring to boil and add bittering hops. 30 minutes into the boil, add 1/2 teaspoon Irish moss. Boil one more hour. Add finishing hops in last 2 minutes of boil. Pour into fermenter and add coffee. Pitch yeast.

If you leave out the largeish amount of crystal malt you will get a product that is more “winey” than “beery”, and kind of thin. If you use a darker crystal malt the malt flavor begins to overwhelm the honey. I like it with the crystal malt in, but a friend of mine prefers it without. Without the crystal you will get an impressively pale product.

Do not use finishing hops, they mask the floral character of the honey. Honey seems to not add much of a taste component, but an incredible aroma.
Ingredients:

* 2 lbs light malt extract
* 2 lbs honey (The more “wild” the better, I have been using Mesquite)
* About 0.5 lb 20l crystal malt
* boiling hops to taste (NO finishing hops)
* Your favorite yeast (Most recently used Yeast Lab’s Dry Australian Ale)

Procedure:
Steep the grains and boil the malt and hops like normal. Add the honey at the end of the boil, like you would with finishing hops. Ferment, bottle and drink.

Malts can be U.S. or continental, including a fraction of wheat malt if desired. Hopping should be continental noble hops. The yeast is the tricky part, as to my knowledge there is no available Kolsch yeast. The Goose Island Brewery in Chicago brews a Kolsch using a Kolsch yeast from Germany. The Free State Brewery in Lawrence, Kansas, brews a Kolsch using Wyeast “European” ale. This yeast is suggested by Fred Eckhardt. I’ve used the yeast from time to time and think it’s a great yeast, so use this in preference to any generic ale yeast.
Ingredients:

* 6 pounds, U.S. 2–row malt
* 1 pound, Vienna malt
* 1 pound, wheat malt
* 1/4 pound, light crystal malt (10 L.)
* 1 ounce, Hallertauer (2.9% alpha) (60 minute boil)
* 1 ounce, Hallertauer (30 minute boil)
* 1/4 ounce, Tettnanger (3.8% alpha) (15 minute boil)
* 1/4 ounce, Tettnanger (2 minute boil)
* Wyeast European ale yeast

Procedure:
I’m assuming 80% extraction efficiency. The hop schedule broadly follows the German method, and you can substitute Perle or Spalt, and mix and match however you want.

Following Fred Eckhardt’s description of Widmer’s mash sequence, mash in at 122 degrees F and hold for 30 to 45 minutes, and then raise to 158 degrees F for starch conversion. Following conversion, raise to 170 degrees F for mash out and hold for 10 minutes.

Primary fermentation should be done in the mid-60s. This beer benefits from cold-conditioning, so rack to secondary and “lager” at 40 degrees for a couple weeks.

* 6.00 lb. Light Dry Malt Extract
* 0.25 lb.lb. Wheat
* 0.50 oz. G. Northern-Br. 6.9% 75 min
* 0.75 oz. American Spalt 4.0% 15 min
* 1.25 oz. G. Hallertau 3.1% 15 min
* 0.50 oz. Czek Saaz 3.5% dry hopped
* 0.50 oz. G. Hallertau 3.1% dry hopped
* 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss
* Kolsch Wyeast

Procedure:
The .25lb. crushed wheat grain was placed in a grain bag, put in the cold water (2.5 gallons), and raised to 165 degrees where it steeped for 10 minutes. I then raised the it to a boil, added the boiling hops (the Northern) and the DME. After 60 minutes I added the flavor hops (.75 oz. of the spalt and 1.25 oz. of the Hallertau) and 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss. I then let this boil for 15 minutes (75 minutes total).

I then put in my primary and added the Kolsch Wyeast (liquid, natch). This is an interesting yeast. I let it ferment at around 62-64 for about 1 1/2 weeks, until it seemed just about done. I then threw it into the fridge at 42 degrees for about 2 weeks. When I took it out, the yeast appeared upset by the sudden temperature change and it fermented rather energetically for about 1/2 day or so, and then it slowed down. I toook a specific gravity and it was 1.08. Done. (I screwed up the starting gravity. Ooops).

I primed and bottled. Let it sit for two weeks, then placed it in the fridge. Let it sit in teh fridge about 1 week before drinking, and MMMMMMMMMMMM…..good stuff.