jennie, Author at Brewing Specifics

updated on December 29, 2020December 6, 2020Recipes

All Grain Recipe: How to Brew Pale Ale

For this type of brew, you will need 8.5 pounds of 2-row base malt, 1.5 pounds of crystal malt, 0.5 pounds of carapils, 1 tsp. Irish Moss or another fining agent (15 minutes), 0.65 ounces of Centennial hops (11%AA) for 1 hour, 0.5 ounces of Centennial hops (11%AA) for 15 minutes, and 0.5 ounces Centennial hops (11%AA).
For the yeast, you should go for either Fermentis SafAle US-05, Wyeast 1056, or White Labs WLP001. Once you have all the ingredients, the brewing process may then commence. After the brew, bottle or keg at least 2.5 volumes of carbon dioxide. Drink and enjoy.
The Vanilla Porter
To make a vanilla porter…

updated on December 29, 2020December 3, 2020Recipes

Brewing Sour Beer

For most homebrewers, sour beer is close to a failed brew, and that is why it is a scary risk. The idea behind a sour beer is that you introduce outside bacteria and wild yeast into your brewing mixture. Because of this, you have to change your whole equipment or face the risk of having all your pale ale become a hopped up lambic.
With wild yeast, patience is crucial. You will need time. Lots of time. You will have to pitch a lambic blend of pedio, brett, and Lacto. These ingredients take time to mature and finish their flavors. You will also need US-05, but only to ensure that your primary fermenter is preserved from contamination…

updated on December 29, 2020November 30, 2020Brewing Techniques and Advice

3 Homebrew Styles For Amateurs

The American Wheat Ale
This is the American version of German Hefeweizen which originated from Germany. The beer has a certain fluffy characteristic due to the balance of the grain bill which is 50%-70% wheat. Its body ranges from light to medium, and it has a somewhat cloudy appearance with a hint of banana, citrus, and clove.
American Amber Ale
A favorite of the American populace, this beer is very well-balanced. There is not a single ingredient of this beer that overpowers the rest. While this type of ale takes on the aspects of any ingredient added, this beer is relatively simple for novices and has a lot of …

updated on December 29, 2020November 27, 2020Brewing Techniques and Advice

Why Brew Beer When Craft is in Abundance

In some locations, tap beer is very common. In others, a lot of beer is in the market. With so much beer available for purchase, why should you homebrew at all?
For one, though the equipment for beer brewing is expensive, if you are an avid consumer and lover of beer, you can save a lot of money in the long run. It is still cheaper to brew your beer than to purchase beer from your local store. This is still because beer ingredients are getting more and more expensive.
As a homebrewer, you can incorporate your tastes and preferences in your beer. Although there are a lot of varieties in the market, beer brewing still has a lot…

updated on December 29, 2020November 15, 2020Brewing Techniques and Advice

The Relationship Between Hops, Malt, and Yeast

For the past years, the priorities of hops growers have noticeably changed. It may be due to the hops themselves changing, or perhaps the palettes of people have changed. Nevertheless, the protection of fragile aromas and flavors is a very significant concern. While hops are a major ingredient to good quality beer, the beers of Mark Hastings of Uberbrew focuses on malt.
According to Hastings, malt is just as important to beer as hops. Even when added in small quantities, specialty malts are an interesting addition to your beer. In beer, your focus can’t just be solely on aroma and no bitterness. It has to be a complete balance of …

updated on December 29, 2020November 13, 2020How to Brew Beer Guides

Dry-Hopping Your Beer

After the completion of primary fermenting, you then add hops back to the beer for it to steep. This is called dry-hopping.
One of the most fundamental ways to dry-hop your beer is to simply siphon it from the fermenter into another fermenter and then add hops. Through dry-hopping, the beer enhances its aroma. The question is, for how long should you dry-hop your beer?
24 hours of dry-hopping can already add a good amount of aroma. This will be more pronounced after 48-72 hours. After that, the aroma being added gets little and little. Leave it for several weeks, and the beer develops a slightly odd flavor. This should be …

updated on December 29, 2020November 10, 2020How to Brew Beer Guides

Using a Hydrometer

A hydrometer is a tool to measure the density of a liquid in comparison to the density of water. In beer brewing, the hydrometer will show you to what degree the yeast is converting sugar to ethanol. The following are the steps involved in using a hydrometer:
Sampling and Inserting the Hydrometer
You take the first measurement after the cooldown. Retrieve a sample of the wort then place your hydrometer and allow it to rest. Wait until all the air has ascended. It is highly recommended that your hydrometer is positioned vertically.
Obtaining the Original Gravity Reading
There are specific gravity points that …

updated on December 29, 2020November 5, 2020How to Brew Beer Guides

Carbonating Your Beer

One good way to carbonate your beer is by force carbonation. From a gas cylinder, you directly infuse CO2 into your beer. This is called forced carbonation or what others refer to as force-carbing. Overall, this is a much faster process than naturally creating CO2 in the bottle by putting leftover yeast in additional sugars.
The materials and equipment you will need in this process include a gas cylinder filled with CO2, a gas regulator, proper keg post liquid and line fittings, an unpressurized homebrew-filled keg, and a kegerator.
In this method, you need to use a lower level of CO2 pressure and carbonate the beer longer. …

updated on December 29, 2020November 3, 2020How to Brew Beer Guides

How to Brew Beer

It is quite a scientific and an artistic feat to brew good beer. The process of doing so has a definite set of strict rules, but at the same time, these same rules are contrastingly flexible. This is why brewing beer is influenced by one’s creativity and personal interpretations. It does sound quite challenging, is it not? Well, truth be told, it is fairly simple.
You just have to follow these steps:
Sanitation/Cleaning
As for all food and beverage processes, cleaning is always the first step. This also holds true for brewing beer.
All equipment must be thoroughly sanitized and cleaned. This is a very …