Brewing Procedures

With September just around the corner, it is almost time to begin brewing again. I do like the real old-timers used to do and that is take the summer off from brewing. Summer seems to be a better time to drink the beer than to make it. Well, anyways, I was reading my latest copy of Brew Your Own magazine it it has a great article on the proper procedures for extract beers. The four procedures are:

No-Boil Brewing - I have never tried this but looks like a great time saver. The extract is added at the end.

Concentrated Boil Method - This is what I normally use. You boil a condensed wort and then dilute it in the fermenter.

Extract Late Method - This is where you add the 1/2 the extract towards the end of the boil

Texas Two-Step - This is where you essentially boil 1/2 the wort at 1 time.

On my next batch of beer, I plan on using the No-Boil Method. Bascially to see if it saves time and if that method makes good beer.

If you would like to read the whole article Click Here. There are also 5 recipes that you can try.

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Technorati Tags : Beer, Homebrewing, Methods, Brewing

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Octoberfest Beer

You still have time to start planning and gathering together your ingredients to make your Octoberfest beer. I usually brew mine in late March or early April and let it age until September, but you can make it now and have it ready for October. This recipe will make a 5 gallon batch.

Ingredients:

2 Bierkeller Liquid Amber Malt 3.5 pound cans

1 pound amber dry malt extract

8 ounces 10 degree crystal malt

6 ounces chocolate malt

1 ounce Cascade hops 5.5 alpha

1 ounce Hallertauer hops 4.5 alpha

3/4 ounce Tettnanger hops

1 packet dry yeast or Wyeast no. 2206

1/2 cup of corn sugar to prime

Procedure:

Crush grains and step for about 1 hour.

Strain and pour liquid into brewpot.

Add additional water and begin to boil.

Slowly add the dry malt and liquid malt.

Make sure that you stir the malts so that they don not burn on the bottom of the pot.

Once the wort begins to boil, add the Cascade hops. After 30 minutes, add the Hallertauer hops. At the end of another 30 minute period, add the Tettnager hops for 1 minute.

Chill wort and add the yeast.

Primary ferment for about 2 weeks at 45 to 50 degrees and about another 2 weeks at the same temperature for the secondary.

Rack one more time and ferment for another 2 weeks at 35 to 40 degrees.

Bottle and keep stored at about 40 degrees.

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Technorati Tags : Beer, Homebrew, Octoberfest, Recipe

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