Please note that I am particularly fond of India Pale Ales, and would welcome any recipe suggestions you have along those lines.
WHAT'S BREWIN'
KRIEK KOOLAID!
1 lb. of Malted Barley, heat to 135F in 1/2 gallon of water for 5 minutes, place in a plastic container covered with aluminum foil, and little or no airspace, and let sit in a warm room for 24 hours to sour. Boil to sterilize (I'm a wimp). And add 2 oz. of pulverized Willamette hops that have been baked at 200F for an hour to artificially age them. Also add 1 oz. of whole Saaz hops that have been lost behind the vegetable crisper in the 'fridge for 8 months (feel free to substitute if you need to ;->). Allow to cool and add to the fermenter.
2 cans of Alexanders Wheat, Boil 45 minutes
Add 4oz. of Cherry Extract, boil 5 more minutes, cool and add to fermenter
Dilute to 5 gallons with cold water
Add 2 packages of Brettanomyces, and one package of dry ale yeast (started as described below)
Allow to ferment for 2 weeks
Pastuerize 3 lbs of fresh, lightly macerated Cherries at 155F. Use a double boiler to minimize chances of overheating and thus setting the pectin. Pour cherries into a sterile grain bag and place in the bottom of a wide mouth fermenter.
Boil up 1lb of light DME (to kickstart the secondary fermentation) for 30 minutes and add to secondary fermenter.
When cool rack the primary fermenter into the secondary, being careful to leave as much sludge behind as possible.
Let ferment 3 more weeks.
Rack to the final fermenter, leaving behind the bag of Cherries.
Allow to ferment 2 more months.
Bottle with 1 cup light DME, make some of the bottles small so you can check the progress periodically.
Age
Age some more
Nope, not yet
After 6 months or so test a bottle a month.This is not a brew for everyone. It doesn't taste like most Wheat based beers, and it is not distinctly Cherry flavored despite the 4 oz of flavoring and 3 lbs of fresh Cherries. I think it is interesting, though, and even my wife will drink it. It has not killed me (a good sign). This brew has now been in the bottle for 18 months and is still improving. It has gone from an oddity to to being the pride of my beer cellar.
Past Brews
Honey Porter 1 1/2 lbs. English Chocolate Malt 1/2 lb. Black Patent Malt 3.3 lbs. Munton & Fison Dark Malt Extract 2.5 lbs. Honey 1 oz. Northern Brewer (8.4%) 1/2 oz. Willamette (4.3%) 1 oz. Willamette (4.3%) 1 tsp Fermax yeast nutrient 1 tsp. Irish Moss 1 pkg. Edme Ale YeastThe Verdict: Light, for a dark beer, the honey adds a very dry finish. Canadian Bitter 1 Can of Cooper's Bitter Malt Extract (Hopped Kit with Yeast) 1 Can of John Bull Malt Extract (Unhopped) 1 oz. Northern Brewer Hops (6.9%) 1 tsp. Irish Moss 1 tsp. Fermax Yeast Nutrient Priming Sugar to taste (100-150g)
This is the closest thing to instant beer I can find. It is pretty drinkable within 3 weeks of starting it and very good in about 6 weeks. (NOTE: The following dry yeast instructions do NOT work well with Whitbread Ale yeast, I found to my dismay. The Yeast itself is excellent, but works better when rehydrated only about 10 minutes before pitching) I have had bad luck with liquid yeasts ( my only 2 failed batches ) but I have evolved a pretty good system for using dry yeast: put 8 oz. of water and 1 tsp. of Fermax in a 16 oz. mug, cover with a saucer and microwave until it just boils. Allow it to cool until 95F add the dry yeast and stir well. It will be very active by the time your wort has cooled enough to pitch it (<2hrs). Bring the malt extract and 1 gallon of water to a boil slowly. Add Irish Moss. Continue to boil gently for 20 minutes. Add Hops. Boil until just dispersed (1-2 min). Remove from heat. Put it in a carboy with 4 gallons of cold water. Use a plastic carboy with a fermentation lock. Make sure the temperature is below 100F before pitching the yeast. Ferment 1 week at room temp (75F). Prime to the level of carbonation you like. I find 120g is nice, the original recipe called for 150g but that is too fizzy for my taste. Store at room temp for 4 days, then at 60F (basement temp) to age and settle.
Tasty but still a little too dark and little too fizzy. Next time I'll replace the second can of John Bull with something lighter. I don't want to use straight malt sugar as the kit calls for, but I want the appearance to match the taste, if you know what I mean. I must either have mismeasured the priming sugar, or had some unconverted sugar left, last time it wasn't this carbonated.
India Pale Ale 1 Can Light Malt Extract 1 Can Amber Malt Extract 1 lb. Light Crystal Malt .5 lb. Roasted Barley 2 oz. Cascade Hops (4.9%) 1 oz. Galena Hops (11.9%) 1 pkg. Edme Yeast 1 tsp. Irish Moss 1 tsp. Fermax
Start yeast as above. Place Crystal, Barley, and Galena hops in a grain bag and place in 1 gallon of cold water. Heat the water slowly to almost boiling ( this should take at least 45 minutes ). Pull out the grain bag and rinse with 1 quart very hot water. Add malt extract. Return to a slow boil. Add 1 oz. Cascade Hops and 1 tsp. Irish Moss and boil slowly for 20 minutes. Add 1 oz. of Cascade hops and remove from heat as soon as they disperse (1 min. max.). Add to carboy with 5 gallons of cold water. Use a 6.5 gallon glass carboy and a blow-off tube for the first 3 days then remove the tube and replace with an airlock. Keep at room temp (75F) for 3 more days. Prime with 120g of priming sugar ( note that this is for 6 gallons, not 5 ). Keep the bottles at room temp for 3 days then age at 60-65F for at least 6 weeks preferably 8.
Delicious as always. I am going to experiment with different hop varieties, but otherwise I like this recipe as is.
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BEER:omalleyj@eclipse.net