What to brew… what to brew?

The basic home brew kit

For Christmas or for your last birthday your wife/parents/kids bought you a homebrew kit. Maybe you treated yourself to that collection of the odd assortment of equipment: a bucket, a kettle, a thermometer, a hydrometer, maybe a couple of carboys. You want to brew a beer.

You love beer. You especially love that Pale Ale brewed at your local brewpub or that Kölsch brewed at the microbrewery just down the street. You want to make beer that tastes as good as that, or better. You know you can do it. You are all psyched up for that first brew day. You’ve read Papazian; you’ve read Palmer (twice); you’ve digested Brew Chem 101. You are ready to make your first batch.
For a minute or two you contemplate making some Goat Scrotum Ale just so you can hand your buddy a bottle and say, “Here suck on some Goat Scrotum,” but you start to think you need a better reason to pick a recipe than the potential for beer-belly laughs from your mates — you’re going to make 40 pints of this stuff after all and you want it to be good. What should you brew? Read the rest of this entry »

Belgian Bombshell-Blond Ale – Extract homebrew recipe

You never forget your first blond… A first place recipe!

Similar strength as a dubbel, similar character as a Belgian Strong Golden Ale or Tripel, although a bit sweeter and not as bitter. Often has an almost lager-like character, which gives it a cleaner profile in comparison to the other styles. Belgians use the term “Blond,” while the French spell it “Blonde.” Most commercial examples are in the 6.5 – 7% ABV range. Many Trappist table beers (singles or Enkels) are called “Blond” but these are not representative of this style. Read the rest of this entry »

…Yet another Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (SNPA) home brew clone recipe.

Here is another Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (SNPA) home brew clone recipe. Though I’ve not brewed this recipe, several people who have tried it really liked it!

Fermentables:
6 lbs. light malt syrup (or 6.6 lbs if you are using cans)

Specialty Grains:
1/2 lb 30L Crystal Malt
1/2 lb Carapils Malt

Additional: Read the rest of this entry »

Another Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone recipe

There are more SNPA home brew clone recipes than you can shake a beer at. This one though, is extremely simple and pretty close to the goodness that Sierra Nevada Pale Ale delivers.

Fermentables:
7 lbs Light Malt Extract
1 lb Light Dry Malt Extract

Specialty Grains:
1/2 lb 60L Crystal Malt
1/4 lb Carapils Malt Read the rest of this entry »

How to make beer (and I mean really good beer…)

It all starts with a decision – “I want to make my own beer!”, you are here, so I’ll assume your mind is made up. Let me start by welcoming you to the elite, proud group of home brewers.

When I discuss home brewing to my non-homebrewing associates, many of them have a stereotypical, preconceived notion that homemade beer is a world of gushing-fizzy bottles of nasty, yeasty, swill that only a mother could love. I enjoy proving them wrong. Ah, but I digress…

Please note, I will try to be as economical as possible, but I’ve read many “how to” articles that really promote skimping on equipment just to save a few bucks. The right tool for the right job not only makes life easier, but will help to make a better finished product.

Read the rest of this entry »

Belgian Trippel Style Homebrew Recipe

And now for something completely different… Spicy and earthy, but smooth. It goes down real easy but packs a wallop – drink with caution.

Fermentables:
DME light (or extra light) – 8.0 pounds
Belgian Candi Sugar Light – 1.5 pounds

Specialty Grains:
Belgian CaraVienne – 1.0 pounds

Hops:
1.5 oz.  Hallertaur……………..60 minutes
1 oz. Saaz……………..2 minutes

Read the rest of this entry »