April 21, 2008
Brewing Beer
For many years I have wanted to brew beer, but haven't. I just didn't have the space, and I had never done it and had no idea where to start. Today marked the end of that era, as I got together with some friends who are experienced home brewers and we cooked up a batch of ale. It has just started to ferment, and it is going crazy. Of course I have no idea how it will eventually turn out, but the smell of the wort is fantastic. I will report in a few weeks, after it has finished fermenting and carbonating and so forth.
Posted by erik at April 21, 2008 12:55 AMIt's easier and more fun w/ a group. We had 4 in our little gang. That way, the same guy doesn't get stuck w/ washing the bottles, which is the worst part. Using bigger bottles is a good way to go. You want more than 12oz at a time anyway, right?
One tip: homebrewing in the hot months is not advisable, as sometimes the natural air-born yeast will colonize the carboy (jug) before the store bought yeast, often ruining the taste.
Another tip: we used recipes that included some "real" roasted barley malt, not just the extract, which gives you a little more flavor than using the syrup alone.
Homework: learn about Grut, which was the mix of acidic herbs used to preserve the beer before the use of hops became prevalent. Monasteries had the lock on Grut. The German Beer Purity Law (read a Beck's label) came about after the Reformation. Coincidence?
http://www.gaianstudies.org/articles6.htm
If you're brewing beer, you are now officially my friend. Maybe for life depending on how it turns out.
Posted by: at April 23, 2008 11:31 PM