Bitburger

Posted by Bens Stuff | 12:01 AM | , | 0 comments »

I like to use different resources whenever I'm looking for beer recipes. This recipe is from Brew Your Own magazine and was orginally published in November 2000.


Bitburger Pils Clone
by Scott Russell


Ahh, Bitburger. It’s a long-time favorite of U.S. servicemen stationed in Germany. This beer is made in the town of Bitburg in the Eifel Lake region of Germany’s Rhineland. Bright gold in color, with a flashy carbonation and lasting pearly-white head, “Bit” is a classic northern German and Scandinavian style pilsner. All-malt Bitburger uses a proprietary yeast strain that gives the beer a super-clean finish.

I also had difficulty getting information from the brewery. They would only tell me that they use deep well water, their own yeast, summer barley, Hallertau and local hops. We can guess at Bitburger’s recipe and brewing process. Some German pilsners use a decoction mash procedure. I include a simple step-mash procedure for all-grain brewers who aren’t ready to tackle decoction mashing. For those who are, see “Starter Guide to Decoction Mashing” (BYO, October 1997) or “New Brewing Lager Beer” by Greg Noonan (Brewers’ Publications, 1996) for the best general explanation of this procedure.

Fermentation takes place at cold temperatures (45° to 50° F). The beer is then lagered at near-freezing temperatures (33° to 35° F) for three months or so.

Bitburger Premium

(5 gallons, extract and steeping grains)

OG = 1.045 FG = 1.008 IBU = 38

Ingredients

1 lb. carapils malt
6 lbs. Muntons extra-light malt extract syrup
6 AAU Perle hops (0.75 oz. at 8% alpha acid)
6 AAU Hallertau hops (1.5 oz. at 4% alpha acid)
German lager or pilsner yeast (Wyeast 2007 or White Labs WLP830)
7/8 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step

Steep the carapils (cracked) in a grain bag in 3 gallons of water at 150° F for 45 minutes. Remove grains, add malt extract and stir well. Bring to a boil, add Perle hops, boil 45 minutes. Add 4 AAU Hallertau hops, boil 40 minutes. Add remaining 2 AAU Hallertau, boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat, remove hops.

Cool and top up to 5.25 gallons with pre-boiled, chilled water. At 68° F, pitch yeast. Ferment at 68° F for two days, or until bubbling is sustained. Move fermenter to cooler location, near 50° F, and continue primary fermentation for seven days. Rack to secondary and lager at 35° to 38° F, for six weeks. Warm up to room temperature for a day, prime with corn sugar and bottle. Bottle condition warm for two days, then lager in bottles at 38° to 40° F for four to six weeks.

All-grain option

Crack 1 lb. carapils and 7 lbs. lager malt. Heat 8 quarts water to 136° F, mix in grains and hold at 127° F for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 5 more quarts to 165° F, add after the 30 minutes are up and hold mash at 150° F for 60 minutes longer.

Sparge with 16 quarts at 168° F and proceed from boiling, timing your boil to reduce volume to 5.25 gallons (add more water to the kettle during the boil, if necessary).

Partial-mash option

Mash 1 lb. carapils and 3.5 lbs. lager malt in 6 quarts at 127° F (heat to 136° F) for 30 minutes. Raise temperature to 150° F by adding 3 quarts at 165° F, hold 60 minutes. Sparge with 12 quarts at 168° F. Add 3 lbs. malt extract, proceed as above from boiling.










Noah Body 2008 Scotch Ale

Posted by Bens Stuff | 6:30 AM | , | 1 comments »

It's not even 2008 and the race for the next President is on. Personally, I don't like any of the candidates from either the Democrats or the Republicans. So I've decided to support Noah Body for 2008. Reason why? Because of this great scotch ale recipe. Strong and bold, just like any President should be.

Actually, this recipe is from "The Homebrewer's Recipe Guide" page 110. I just thought it would be great to mix a little politics with beer. Just like during the Revolutionary War days. So grab a tankard and check this recipe out.

10 pounds light malt extract
1 pound crystal malt 40L
2 ounces chocolate malt
1 cup light brown sugar
2 ounces Williamette hops
1/2 teaspoon gypsum
1 teaspoon Irish moss
1 package yeast (Scottish ale is preferred)
3/4 cup corn sugar

Steep crushed crystal and choclate malts at 155 degrees for 30 minutes

Remove spent grains and add the malt extract, brown sugar, gypsum and hops

Boil for 1 hour addint the Irish Moss during the last 10 minutes

Cool wort and pitch yeast

Ferment for 10 to 14 days and then transfer to secondary fermenter for 7 to 10 days

Bottle using the corn sugar and age for about 2 weeks

Learn about the flag by clicking here.











Organic Red Ale

Posted by Bens Stuff | 12:07 PM | 0 comments »

This recipe is from Seven Bridges Cooperative.

ORGANIC BEER RECIPES

Organic 7 Bridges Red Ale

Extract Brew

A medium bodied light amber ale, with a balanced, moderate hop bitterness

Ingredients for 5 gals:

7# Organic malt extract
1/2 # Briess Organic caramel 60 oL malt
1/4 # Briess Organic caramel 120 oL malt
1/8 # Briess Organic chocolate malt
1/2 oz. Organic New Zealand Pacific Gem hop pellets- bittering (34 IBU)
1 oz. Organic American Cascade hop pellets- flavor (6 IBU)
1/2 oz. Organic New Zealand Hallertaur hop pellets- aroma
Ale Yeast: Wyeast #1056 American Ale or White Labs #001 California Ale
For bottling: 1 1/4 cup Dry Malt Extract (DME)*
Optional ingredient: 1/2 teaspoon Irish Moss

International Bittering Units (IBU’s): 40
Original Gravity (O.G.): 1.048- 1.054
Final Gravity (F.G.): 1.010-1.016
Average alcohol content (% by volume): 5.2%

*If you prefer, you may use 1 cup of organic malt extract or 3/4 cup corn sugar (not included in this kit) or kraeusen with 1 quart of unfermented wort for bottling.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BREWING:

For expanded directions, go to brewing procedures for extract recipes.

1. Make a grain "tea" with the grains using a saucepan & strainer or a grain bag.

2. Add the grain "tea" to your brew kettle along with 5 gallons of water .

3. Add the malt extract and bring to a boil.

4. Once the wort has reached a rolling boil add 1/2 oz. NZ Pacific Gem hop pellets (bittering) and boil for 40 minutes.

5. Add 1 oz. American Cascade hops (flavor) and boil for 15 minutes. If desired, add the Irish Moss flakes for the last 20 minutes of the boil.

6. Add 1/2 oz. NZ Hallertaur hops (aroma), boil 5 more minutes, & turn the heat off. Cool the wort to 65- 75 oF.

7. Transfer the chilled wort into your sanitized primary fermenting vessel.

8. Shake or stir (with a sanitized spoon!) the unfermented beer vigorously to add oxygen. Add the yeast and ferment in a cool dark place for 3-5 days at 60- 70 oF in the primary fermenter.

9. If you have a secondary fermenter, transfer the beer to it when fermentation activity has subsided (after 4-6 days).

10. Ferment for an additional 7- 14 days, or until fermentation is complete.

11. Bottle the beer and let condition in the bottle for 1- 3 weeks.




Anchor Steam Recipe

Posted by Bens Stuff | 12:15 AM | , | 1 comments »




Anchor Steam Clone





Ingredients

6 2/3 pounds Light Malt Extract
8 ounces Crystal Malt 40L
1 1/2 ounces Williamette Hops for bittering
1 1/2 ounces Cascade Hops for aroma
1 1/2 ounces Cascade Hops for dry hopping
2 teaspoons Gypsum
1 teasppon Irish Moss
1 Package American Ale Yeast
3/4 cup Corn Sugar for Priming

Place crushed malt in water and steep at 155 degrees for 30 minutes

Remove spent grains

Add malt extract, gypsum, and Williamette hops, boil for 1 hour adding Irish Moss for last 15 minutes

Turn off heat and add 1 1/2 ounces Cascade hops and let steep for 15 minutes

Cool wort and pitch yeast

Ferment for 5 to 7 days.

Transfer to secondary fermenter and add 1 1/2 ounces Cascade hops.

Ferment for 7 days

Bottle using corn sugar and age in bottle for 7 days