Recipes - Brewer's Friend

Amarillo and Brown Sugar IPA, 2008

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

Amarillo hops impart a citrus grapefruit note to the aroma and flavor of the beer they are used in. This IPA recipe highlights the Amarillo hops and creates an IPA that is fairly mellow compared to some of the stronger IPAs.

This recipe is quite complex and deviates a bit from standard recipes. Using 6 pounds of DME, and the brown sugar later, I decided to dilute the primary to 6.5 gallons. Otherwise the beer would have been 6%+ alcohol by volume. This way there is more of it, but lugging the carboy around when it is full is harder.

After three days I added brown sugar directly to the primary fermenter. The sugar was dissolved in near boiling water and cooled before being added. This boosted the SG and darkened the beer slightly. It did not make the beer sweet since it is all eaten by the yeast. Adding sugar during primary fermentation is a trick to boost gravity. The yeast took off when I added the sugar. A blowoff tube was definitely needed.

In the secondary I dry hopped with more Amarillo. The results were awesome, this is one of the best beers I have crafted. Next time I will try a different type of yeast (this is the only thing I would dare change).

Target Volume (Gallons)	6.5
Total Cost	$39.51
Yield (ounces)	800
Cost per 12 oz bottle	$0.59
Boil Time	60	min

*GRAINS*	Pounds	Points/Gal	Total Points	Cost
Extra Light DME	6	46	276	$18.00
Steep – 30 min at 150 F
German Melanoidin 30L	1.5	15	22.5	$1.79


Light Brown Sugar – organic	0.5	46	23	$1.00



*HOPS*	Ounces	Alpha Acids	Boil Time (min)	Cost
Magnum	1	14.60%	60	$3.00
Cascade	0.5	6.00%	30	$2.12
Cascade	0.5	6.00%	15
Amarillo	1	8.40%	15	$4.00
Amarillo	1		Dry, Secondary


*YEAST*	White Labs California Ale			Cost
Attenuation Low	73%			$6.95
Attenuation High	80%
Optimum Temp	68-73 F
Flocculation	Medium
Starter	No

*STATS*
Expected Original Gravity	1.049
Expected Final Gravity Theoretical	1.01 – 1.013
Expected Final Gravity Actual	1.01 – 1.013
IBUs	39.13
Apparent Attenuation	79.59%	AA = 1 – FG / OG
Alcohol By Volume – Theoretical	5.18%
Alcohol By Volume – Potential	5.12%

*BREWING:*	Squeezed out hops bags medium
	½ tbs Irish Moss at start of boil			$0.10

Water Source Wort	Pure water filter – 3 gallon boil
Water Source Dilution	Pure water filter


*DATES*	Date	SG	Cum. Days	Notes
Brewed	07/27/08	1.049	0	Added ½ lb of brown sugar 3 days later (boosts SG by 0.005). definitely needed blowoff tube
Racked	08/05/08	1.015	9	Racked into 7gal bucket w/spigot. Nice clean bitter taste, can’t taste sugar, light body, no gelatin
Bottled (SG pre bottling)	08/15/08	1.010	19	bitter ‘hit’ has dropped off a lot, lighter flavor than expected
				Used half of the oxygen protector caps to see if there is a difference.
OK TO DRINK BY (60 days):	09/25/08

*BOTTLING*
Priming Method	5 oz Corn Syrup			$0.30
Caps, cleaners, etc				$2.25

Container	Capacity	Qty	Total Volume
Bottle	12	34	408
Lagunitas	22	5	110
Half Liter (Deutsch)	17	13	221
Jug	64	1	64

		Total Bottled:	803


*TASTING*
	08/20/08	24		A bit green but ready to drink, plenty of fizz and head.
	10/01/08	66		Grapefruit notes from the amarillo hops, nice balance
	10/15/08	80		I’m actually glad I diluted this because it is lighter drinking and I got more of it! I do notice a difference from the oxycaps.

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Orange American Hefeweizen II, 2008

Sunday, October 5th, 2008

After brewing my first orange hefeweizen about two months ago I wanted to fine tune the recipe.
This time I used sterling hops instead of cascade to reduce the biterness. Some people mentioned it was pretty bitter (not a bad thing for me). I had originally set out to replicate the Eugene City Brewery’s Honey Orange Wheat, I thought that would be the next logical step. I also used half the amount of sweet orange peel. The results are closer, but this beer still has way too much flavor. To replicate ECB’s beer, I would need to cut the hops in half again, and probably cut the orange in half too.

One thing I have noticed about both times using coriander, after about 75 days the flavor really starts to settle down. I think these beers were better when they were the freshest. It could also have been oxygen taint. That said, this beer is ready to drink in about 4 weeks!

I brought a growler jug (64 oz) to a party and it was gone in 45 minutes with people asking for more. It is a beer that non beer drinkers can try a little of and enjoy.

Target Volume (Gallons)	5
Total Cost	$38.32
Yield (ounces)	620
Cost per 12 oz bottle	$0.74
Boil Time	60	min

*GRAINS*	Pounds	Points/Gal	Total Points	Cost
Extra Light DME 60/40 wheat	6	46	276	$18.00
Honey – Wild Flowers, Oregon	1	35	35	$4.32
Steep – 30 min at 150 F
Honey Malt, Domestic	0.5	28	14	$0.80

Sweet Orange Peels – 1/2oz (10 minutes)				$1.00
Coriander – 1 oz crushed, (10 minutes)				$1.00

*HOPS*	Ounces	Alpha Acids	Boil Time (min)	Cost
Sterling/Saaz	1	5.00%	60	$4.00
Sterling/Saaz	1	5.00%	10


*YEAST*	White Labs American Hefeweizen Ale			Cost
Attenuation Low	70%			$6.95
Attenuation High	75%
Optimum Temp	65-68F
Flocculation	Low

Starter	No

*STATS*
Expected Original Gravity	1.065
Expected Final Gravity Theoretical	1.016 – 1.02
Expected Final Gravity Actual	1.014 – 1.017
IBUs	15.71
Apparent Attenuation	75.44%	AA = 1 – FG / OG
Alcohol By Volume – Theoretical	6.69%
Alcohol By Volume – Potential	5.64%

*BREWING:*	Squeezed out hops bags medium
	½ tbs Irish Moss at start of boil			$0.10
	*Used wort chiller for 1st time!*
Water Source Wort	Filtered water – 3 gallons
Water Source Dilution	Filtered water

*DATES*	Date	SG	Cum. Days	Notes
Brewed	07/15/08	1.057	0
Racked	07/22/08	1.028	7	Lost some beer due to jostling carboy, got a lot of yeast uptake
Bottled (SG pre bottling)	08/06/08	1.014	22	Late bottling due to continued airlock activity
OK TO DRINK BY (40 days):	08/24/08
OK TO DRINK BY (50 days):	09/03/08

*BOTTLING*
Priming Method	6 oz Corn Sugar			$0.40
Caps, cleaners, etc				$1.75

Container	Capacity	Qty	Total Volume
Lagunitas	22	12	264
Half Liter (Deutsch)	17	0	0
Bottle	12	19	228
Mini-keg	169	0	0
Jug	64	2	128
		Total Bottled:	620


*TASTING*
	08/12/08	28	Very fragrant of oranges, not bitter at all, but starting to develop some body after early bottles.
	08/28/08	44	Citrus and slight orange flavor still present, very soft biterness. Holds head.
	09/14/08	54	Citrus and slight orange flavor still present, very soft biterness. Holds head.

Posted in Recipes | 4 Comments »

German Kolsh Ale, 2008

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

White labs offers a Klösh yeast for making a German ale. It is not as robust as a lager, this beer is light and a bit sweet. It’s a respectable easy drinking beer. If you want to lighten it up even more (like Budweiser or Coors), try substituting a pound of rice solids in place of a pound of DME. For me, it is so light there is no need to take it further. This is a great beer to brew for your first time. It is very simple with only one hop addition at the beginning.

Target Volume (Gallons)	5
Total Cost	$29.45
Yield (ounces)	630
Cost per 12 oz bottle	$0.56
Boil Time	60	min

*GRAINS*	Pounds	Points/Gal	Total Points	Cost
Light DME	5	46	230	$15.00
Steep – 30 min at 150 F
German Pilsner Malt	0.5	28	14	$1.00


*HOPS*	Ounces	Alpha Acids	Boil Time (min)	Cost
Domestic Hallertau	2	3.90%	60	$4.25



*YEAST*	White Labs German Ale Kölsh Yeast			Cost
Attenuation Low	72%			$6.65
Attenuation High	78%
Optimum Temp	65-69 F
Flocculation	Medium

Starter	No

*STATS*
Expected Original Gravity	1.049
Expected Final Gravity Theoretical	1.011 – 1.014
Expected Final Gravity Actual	1.01 – 1.012
IBUs	21.85
Apparent Attenuation	75.00%	AA = 1 – FG / OG
Alcohol By Volume – Theoretical	4.96%
Alcohol By Volume – Potential	4.33%

*BREWING:*	Squeezed out hops bags medium
	½ tbs Irish Moss at start of boil			$0.10

Water Source Wort	Pure water filter – 3 gallon boil
Water Source Dilution	Pure water filter
At racking, gelatin as a clarifier				$0.20

*DATES*	Date	SG	Cum. Days	Notes
Brewed	06/13/08	1.044	0
Racked	06/23/08	1.012	10	Added ½ tsp gelatin, lighter in color, tastes bready excellent, no syrupy flavor
Bottled (SG pre bottling)	07/01/08	1.011	18	Wow that takes awesome, crisp, not carmely at all, light mild bitter finish

OK TO DRINK BY (60 days):	08/12/08

*BOTTLING*
Priming Method	5 oz Corn Syrup (1 cup)			$0.50
Caps, cleaners, etc				$1.75

Container	Capacity	Qty	Total Volume
Bottle	12	11	132
Corny Keg



		Total Bottled:	132


*TASTING*
	07/04/08	21	Put it on tap, could not resist to try, tastes weak and sweet, need to wait more
	07/20/08	37	This is getting less sweet, very clear and light colored.
	08/08/08	56	Everybody likes this beer, it is light flavored, a bit sweet, very refreshing.
	08/15/08	63	Refreshing crisp and light, beer is improving with age.
	09/15/08	84	Sweetness has let up a lot, very refreshing and thirst quenching.

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English Pub Bitter, 2008

Sunday, September 7th, 2008

I wanted to try making something similar to the run of the mill beer in England. I found out from this batch, most of the flavor differences are due to the hops and yeast. Everyone who tried this beer really liked it.

Target Volume (Gallons)	5
Total Cost	$33.18
Yield (ounces)	630
Cost per 12 oz bottle	$0.63
Boil Time	60	min

*GRAINS*	Pounds	Points/Gal	Total Points	Cost
Light LME	7	37	259	$16.54

Steep – 30 min at 150 F
British Pale	0.5	28	14	$0.84


*HOPS*	Ounces	Alpha Acids	Boil Time (min)	Cost
Northern Brewer	2	8.30%	60	$4.25
Yamhill Goldings	1	4.00%	10	$2.00


*YEAST*	White Labs British Ale			Cost
Attenuation Low	63%			$6.95
Attenuation High	70%
Optimum Temp	65-68F
Flocculation	High

Starter	No			Shake up this kind of yeast next time.

*STATS*
Expected Original Gravity	1.055
Expected Final Gravity	1.016 – 1.02
IBUs	47.63
Apparent Attenuation	64.58%	AA = 1 – FG / OG
Alcohol By Volume – Theoretical	4.94%
Alcohol By Volume – Potential	4.07%


*BREWING:*
	½ tbs Irish Moss at start of boil			$0.10
	Burton Salts			$0.25
Water Source Wort	Pure water filter – 3 gallon boil
Water Source Dilution	Pure water filter

*DATES*	Date	SG	Cum. Days	Notes
Brewed	05/22/08	1.048	0
Racked	05/28/08	1.020	6	Fizzy on the tongue, very hoppy, a bit syrupy still
Bottled (SG pre bottling)	06/07/08	1.017	16

OK TO DRINK BY (60 days):	07/21/08

*BOTTLING*
Priming Method	6.5 oz Corn Syrup			$0.50
Caps, cleaners, etc				$1.75

Container	Capacity	Qty	Total Volume
Lagunitas	22	6	132
Half Liter (Deutsch)	17	10	170
Bottle	12	22.5	270
Jug	64	1	64
		Total Bottled:	636



*TASTING*
	06/19/08	28	Almost no head/carbonation, caramely flavor, not up front bitter, and nice sour finish.
	07/02/08	41	The goldings hops characteristic flavor is nice, I would call it a little earthy and sour, mixes well with the malt and bitterness
	07/30/08	69	This beer is getting good, should have waited and not drank so much… Had 2 near bottle bombs, some have more sugars than others?
	08/12/08	82	The bitterness is coming through more, not as sweet, friends liked it!

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Orange American Hefeweizen, 2008

Saturday, September 6th, 2008

The Eugene City Brewery has a honey orange wheat beer that inspired me to brew this. This beer is much heavier in flavor and body, which I ended up liking better. You can still drink a ton of it one setting, and it was perfect for my bachelor party. The coriander comes through really nicely in a bright citrus flavor. As the citrus flavor falls off the potent cascade hops hit the tongue producing an excellent bitterness.

Target Volume (Gallons)	5
Total Cost	$37.88
Yield (ounces)	628
Cost per 12 oz bottle	$0.72
Boil Time	60	min

*GRAINS*	Pounds	Points/Gal	Total Points	Cost
Extra Light LME 60/40 wheat	3.5	37	129.5	$7.16
Light DME	2.3	46	105.8	$7.66
Honey – Wild Flowers, Oregon	1	35	35	$4.32
Steep – 30 min at 150 F
Honey Malt, Domestic	0.5	28	14	$0.84

Sweet Orange Peels – 1oz (10 minutes)				$1.35
Coriander – 1 oz crushed, (10 minutes)				$1.00

*HOPS*	Ounces	Alpha Acids	Boil Time (min)	Cost
Cascade	1	6.00%	60	$4.25
Cascade	1	6.00%	10	–


*YEAST*	White Labs American Hefeweizen Ale			Cost
Attenuation Low	70%			$6.95
Attenuation High	75%
Optimum Temp	65-68F
Flocculation	Low

Starter	No

*STATS*
Expected Original Gravity	1.057
Expected Final Gravity Theoretical	0.75 – 1.017
Expected Final Gravity Actual	1.012 – 1.014
IBUs	15.71
Apparent Attenuation	79.17%	AA = 1 – FG / OG
Alcohol By Volume – Theoretical	6.15%
Alcohol By Volume – Potential	4.99%

*BREWING:*	Squeezed out hops bags medium
	½ tbs Irish Moss at start of boil			$0.10

Water Source Wort	Tap water – 3 gallons
Water Source Dilution	½ gallon filtered, rest tap water

*DATES*	Date	SG	Cum. Days	Notes
Brewed	05/26/08	1.048	0
Racked	05/30/08	1.025	4	Fizzy on tongue, very orange flavor – nice, a bit bitter though, might have racked a bit early, the plastic fermenter threw me off
Bottled (SG pre bottling)	06/10/08	1.010	15	Tastes more bitter than I would like, orange flavor diminished quite a bit

OK TO DRINK BY (60 days):	07/25/08

*BOTTLING*
Priming Method	11 oz Light DME			$2.50
Caps, cleaners, etc				$1.75

Container	Capacity	Qty	Total Volume
Lagunitas	22	5	110
Half Liter (Deutsch)	17	9	153
Bottle	12	11	132
Mini-keg	169	1	169
Jug	64	1	64
		Total Bottled:	628


*TASTING*
	06/22/08	27	Lots of carbonation, bottle almost fizzed out, refreshing orange citrus flavor at first, then the ‘sweet’ orange, then a bitter ale finish, perhaps too bitter, but very refreshing. The DME priming has been amazingly aggressive.
	06/25/08	30	OMFG this beer is good! For me, I say leave the hops in, maybe less sweet orange next time.
	07/09/08	44	Very tasty beer, upfront sweet orange is powerful, bitter finish is excellent, plenty of head
	07/13/08	48	Parents and Grandma all liked it
	08/02/08	68	Out of min-keg at party it was very brackish… not sure if lifespan of orange flavor is limited
	08/14/08	80	The orange flavor has definitely diminished, holds head well, could have been oxygen taint.

Posted in Recipes | 1 Comment »

Barley Wine, 2008 Recipe

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

I will brew Barley Wine every spring so it is ready by winter. Next time I will try using champagne yeast a few days into the primary fermentation to get the final gravity down. Extra hops would help give it a more awesome bitter flavor. A full wort boil would also get the utilization of the hops higher. I created the IBU calculator on this site after I brewed this batch, had I checked it I would have known to add more hops. This is an expensive batch of beer and it takes a long time to ferment and age in the bottle, but it is worth waiting for. It is not a beer you can drink a lot of in one setting. It is more of a beer you drink from a snifter to finish off the night.

Target Volume (Gallons)	6
Total Cost	$62.55
Yield (ounces)	712
Cost per 12 oz bottle	$1.05
Boil Time	90	min

*GRAINS*	Pounds	Points/Gal	Total Points	*Cost*
Light LME	16.7	37	617.9	$32.57
Honey, stonewood hallelujah	0.05	35	1.75	$0.00
Dark DME	1	45	45	$3.85
Steep – 40 min at 150 F
Crystal 20	1	28	28	$1.00
Crystal 80	1	28	28	$1.00
Chocolate	0.25	28	7	$0.25
Special B	0.25	28	7	$0.45

*HOPS*	Ounces	Alpha Acids	Boil Time (min)	*Cost*
Domestic Magnum	2	14.90%	90	$4.00
Amarillo	1	9.60%	60	$4.00
Amarillo	1	9.60%	10
Centennial	2	9.30%	10	$4.50
Yamhill Goldings	1		dry hop secondary	$2.00


*YEAST*	White Labs California Ale			*Cost*
Attenuation Low	73%			$6.58
Attenuation High	80%
Optimum Temp	68-73 F
Flocculation	Medium
Starter	No

*STATS*
Expected Original Gravity	1.122
Expected Final Gravity	1.024 – 1.03
IBUs	52.31
Apparent Attenuation	68.18%	AA = 1 – FG / OG
Alcohol By Volume – Theoretical	11.48%
Alcohol By Volume – Potential	9.84%

*BREWING:*	Squeezed out hops bags thoroughly
	½ tbs Irish Moss at start of boil			$0.10

Water Source Wort	Pure water filter – 3 gallon boil
Water Source Dilution	Pure water filter

*DATES*	Date	SG	Cum. Days	Notes
Brewed	05/08/08	1.110	0
Racked	05/19/08	1.050	11	Smelled honey in the yeast, yummy
Dry Hopped	05/26/08	1.038	18	1 oz Yamhill Goldings, loose
SG Sample	05/28/08	1.038	20	Lots of yeast particles floating still
Racked II	06/01/08	1.036	24	Tastes great! still a bit syrupy, excellent complex bitter finish
Bottled (SG pre bottling)	06/07/08	1.035	30

OK TO DRINK BY (180 days):	11/04/08


*BOTTLING*
Priming Method	6.5 oz Corn Syrup			$0.50
Caps, cleaners, etc				$1.75

Container	Capacity	Qty	Total Volume
Bottle	12	54	648
Jug	64	1	64
		Total Bottled:	712



*TASTING*	Date	Days
	06/22/08	45	No carbonation or head, excellent malty flavor, not as bitter as I would like, the goldings really comes out and the spices from the Amarillo hops are nice.
	08/15/08	99	Not as bitter as before, chocolaty and a little sweet rich malty flavor.
			Creamy in the mouth, with a complex hop finish.