Holiday Ale

Posted by Ben Evert | 6:57 AM | | 0 comments »

Fermentables:

7 lbs. light DME
.5 lb. chocolate malt
.5 lb. light crystal malt
BrewTek Belgian Ale #2 from slant (1 qt. starter)
1 lb. orange blossom honey
28 IBU Hops
 Other Ingredients in the recipe:
1.5 tsp. grated orange peel
1.5 oz. fresh grated ginger
9 inches cinnamon stick
Yeast

Add 1 oz. fresh grated ginger, 6 inches cinnamon stick, and 1 tsp. orange peel in last
15 minutes of boil.

Before bottling simmer 1/2 ounce ginger, 3 inches cinnamon, and a 1/2 tsp.
orange peel (simmer for 5 minutes and then strained the resulting tea though a coffee filter and
added it to the bottling bucket.)

If you are looking for a great holiday beer recipe then the Holiday Ale is just what you need.  You holiday guests will be amazed at your home brew skills and it is sure to bring that holiday cheer to everyone.








Krausening Home Brewed Beer

Posted by Ben Evert | 9:56 AM | 0 comments »





Krausening is a traditional German method for carbonating beers without using sugars or other adjuncts. Instead actively fermenting malt wort is added to the fermented beer to provide the malted sugars needed for carbonation.
The History of Krausening


The “Reinheitsgebot”, or German purity law, originated in Bavaria in 1516. It specifies that beer may only be made from the three basic ingredients: malt, hops, and water. Interestingly yeast was left out of the original law as it was unknown until Louis Pasteur discovered microorganisms in the late 1800’s. It was recently replaced by the “Biergesetz” in 1993, which also allows the use of malted wheat and cane sugar, though the term “Reinheitsgebot” is more commonly used.


Since sugars were not allowed in beer, malt wort was used instead. Krausening was widely used in Germany particularly for lagers. Many lagers are cold fermented and aged, often causing the yeast to go dormant. By adding actively fermenting wort for carbonation the lager could be properly carbonated. Krausening was less commonly used in Kolsch or Alt, as these ales were fermented at warmer temperatures leaving active yeast.





Read More at: Krausening Home Brewed Beer | Home Brewing Beer Blog by BeerSmith