Bohemian Pilsner

Posted by Bens Stuff | 5:45 AM | , | 0 comments »




Here's a recipe that I got from one of the very first books given to me about brewing beer. The recipe, Bohemian Pilsner comes from Fearless Brewing by Brian Knuath. This recipe should make a 5 gallon batch with an original gravity of 1.048.

Ingredients

Wyeast #2278 Czech Pils lager yeast
1 can Alexander's Pale
3 pounds Laaglander Extra Light Dry Malt Extract
10 Home Bittering Units of Saaz hops (Consult a HBU chart for this) for bittering
1 teaspoon Irish Moss
2 ounces Saaz hops
1 tablespoon gelatin
1/4 cup corn sugar for bottling

Steps

Pop yeast pack 48 hours before brew day
Prepare yeast starter 24 hours before brew day
Bring water to boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the extracts. Return to boil.
When boiling starts add the bittering hops. Boil for 60 minutes total.
Add Irish moss for the last 30 minutes.
Add 1/2 ounce of Saaz hops for the last 15 minutes
Add 1/2 ounce of Saaz hops for the last 5 minutes
Cool wort quickly and add yeast starter
Primary ferment at 50 degrees F for 10 to 14 days.
Rack to secondary and dry hop with 1 ounce of Saaz hops.
Lager for 4 to 6 weeks at 40 to 45 degrees F.
Add gelatin 2 days before bottling.
Bottle with priming sugar.




Pumpkin Ale

Posted by Bens Stuff | 6:51 PM | | 9 comments »


That time of the year to start thinking about making a batch of pumpkin ale for your Halloween party. If you never tried pumpkin beer your in for a treat. It's like drinking your pumpkin pie but with a little kick.


(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains and pumpkin)

OG = 1.048

FG = 1.012

IBU = 19

SRM = 6

ABV = 4.6%


Ingredients

1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) Muntons Extra Light dried malt extract
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Northwestern Gold liquid malt extract
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) 2-row pale malt
1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) CaraPils malt
5–6 lbs. (2.3–2.7 kg) pumpkin (cubed)
5 AAU Cascade hops (60 mins) (1.0 oz./28 g of 5% alpha acids)
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dried ale yeast
0.75 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Boil pumpkin cubes in water for 15 minutes. Heat 0.75 gallons (2.8 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C). Place crushed grains in steeping bag and steep grains at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes. When pumpkin is ready, add chunks to grain bag and add cool water (to maintain 152 °F (67 °C) temperature). Combine grain and pumpkin "tea," dried malt extract and water to make 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the start of the boil. Add liquid malt extract and spices with 15 minutes left in the boil. Cool wort and transfer to fermenter. Top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with water. Aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 69 °F (21 °C).

All-grain option:

Replace malt extract and 1 lb. (0.45 kg) 2-row malt with 8.0 lbs. (3.6 kg) 2-row pale malt. Boil pumpkin cubes in water for 15 minutes. Mash grains and pumpkin chunks at 153 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops with 60 minutes left. Add spices with 15 minutes left in boil. Ferment at 69 °F (21 °C).