March-April 2008
Project
Build a Spice Infuser
Quite a few seasonal beer styles or other specialty recipes call for the addition of various spices, herbs and other flavoring adjuncts that may not be part of your normal brewing regimen.
Recipe
Venkman’s Vit
You can think of this beer as a cross between a wit beer and and a schwarzbier, although it is not quite that dark. Venkman’s Vit is finished with Sterling hops (whose character is seen by some as a cross between Saaz and Mt. Hood hops) and spiced with the zest from an Oro Blanco Grapefruit (which is a cross between a grapefruit and a pummelo) and should appeal to anyone who thinks that “crossing the streams” might be a great idea.
Recipe
Bronze Ale
In the March-April 2007 issue of BYO, I used a beer I called my copper ale as an example in an article on balancing beer recipes. This is a slightly reworked version of that beer that features Vanguard hops.
Recipe
Glutinous Butt (Wheat Porter)
This beer is essentially a porter formulated with a wheat beer base. (The name comes from the fact that wheat has a high gluten content compared to barley and some porters used to be referred to as entire or entire butt.) The Glacier hops give an “earthy” hop flavor to the beer that works well with the roasted grains. Brew this and, at your next homebrew club meeting, everyone will be glad to see your Glutinous Butt.
Recipe
Red Queen Ale
In Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” Alice encounters the Red Queen, who needs to keep running as fast as she can just to stay in place. Like the Red Queen, brewers will be doing some scrambling just to hold their ground in 2008. due to the hop shortage In my Red Queen Ale, I tried to come up with a recipe that made the most of some ingredients that should be plentiful, and of high quality, this year. I chose Santiam and Sterling hops because I liked their spicy character. This year, the US crop of 6-row barley was excellent, whereas 2-row barley crops around the world were variable. This beer is dry and the Nottingham yeast leaves a refreshing crispness.
Recipe
Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwer: De Dolle Extra Export Stout clone
A Belgian stout; this deep, dark colored beer features lots of coffee and chocolate flavors.
Recipe
Kiuchi Brewery’s Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout clone
The Kiuchi brewery’s Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout is like a delicately sweetened cappuccino. Dark roasted coffee with dark fruit notes and the unmistakable aroma and flavor of lactose. For breakfast? Sure, and also lunch, dinner . . . and karaoke!
Recipe
1879 Dublin XXX Stout
Recipe
Traquair House Ale clone
Traquair House is the oldest inhabited house in Scotland. Some say their house ale is the paragon of Scottish Wee Heavy ales.
Article
Behind the IBU
What is an IBU? It’s a simple question — wait until you hear the answer.
Article
Wort Chilling Techniques
Frightened of long cooling times or DMS-laden brews? Unearth the techniques and equipment that will make your wort run cold.
Article
Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
Is it the crystal malt? The English hops? What makes a great ESB? Find out how to put the special in your bitter.
Mr. Wizard
Choosing Specialty Malts
The Wiz gives his two cents on malt madness and helps a brewer whose ales have been beyond the pale.
Article
Kölsch: Tips from the Pros
Tim Etter and Anthony Gibson (Tenaya Creek), Patrick Rowland (Calumet Brewing) and Brock Wagner (Saint Arnold) tell you how to score a KÖ when brewing your next Kölsch.
Article
Growing Hops
You brew your own, why not grow your own?
Article
Hop Substitutions
Strategies to brew recipes using different hops.
Article
Dark Roasted Barley
Roasted barley is not a malt, but it is the stuff of stouts . . . and more. Whenever you need an aromatic, espresso-like flavor or a dark beer with a light head, roasted barley is the key. Plus: four clone recipes
