American Cream Ale

American Cream Ale: light-bodied beer with plenty of hop character produced by the Hallertau hop. Difficulty: the kit came with Vanguard hops because of the hop shortage this year.

The Deutschlander will be sitting in primary/secondary for a about six more weeks, and I was looking for a little more immediate feedback on my brewing process. I’ve elected to start a second batch that should finish up within a couple of weeks. This was the perfect justification to run out and buy an extra carboys for primary as well. I needed to get one for secondary, anyway.

This is a basic kit. It’s an all-extract recipe with a can of plain light malt extract, 2lb bag of light dry extract, 1.5 oz Vanguard bittering hops, and 1/2 of vanguard finishing hops and a packet of Windsor dry yeast. This is a cream ale recipe, which is sort of a hybrid brew. It uses lager yeast at ale fermentation temperature. Thus, it’s one of the few ale styles you can put into secondary.

The plan is to give this one two weeks in primary, and then rack straight into bottles for conditioning. The instructions suggest a secondary period, but some of the research I’ve been doing suggests that there are some benefits to leaving the brew on the yeast cake after primary has finished up,. This would allow the yeast more time to clean up the by-products from the activation phase. In fact, it’s been suggested that the extra time in primary actually performs the same proccesse as secondary, without the added risk of infection, if the secondary was going to be short.

It’s snowing out as I’m boiling the batch, and it’s challenging keeping the heat up. I’m going to give it a longer boil– maybe by as much as a half hour or as long as the propane holds out. I’m also rehydrating the yeast now, though I started with slight cooler water that I’d intended to. One of these days I’ll treat the wee yeasties right.

It also seems like I didn’t add enough water to the brew kettle, and have ended up shy of 5 gallons in the primary. Now I’ve added too much water by about 1.5 quarts, and my starting gravity is a little low. Looks like I’ll be brewing light beer this time around.

Starting gravity is 1.036.

Update 1/12/09: The airlock was bubbling along like crazy earlier yesterday, but seems to have quit sometime in the afternoon. What krausen there was has since laid down. Will give it another few days before I check gravity and possibly re-pitch.

Update 1/18/09: Took a gravity reading of 1.016. Still a little high for this late in the fermentation. I gave it a swirl, and will try raising the temperature a bit to rouse the yeast. I’m not working with a thermometer on this one, so the yeast may have gone dormant on me. I was going to leave it in primary for another week anyway, so the additional time may knock off a few more points. The sample tastes fine, with a stronger hop flavor than I’d anticipated. Still, I’m looking forward to drinking this one!

Update 1/24/2009: Bottling day! Final gravity was 1.015. I managed to fill exactly 32 12oz bottles, and 18 500mL bottles. I had wanted to give the beer some time to settle in the priming bucket, but there was a slow leak at the spigot, and I had to hurry through the bottling. It was still a little cloudy in the bottles, but should hopfully settle out through the week.

The Analysis 1/31/2009: I finally get to try my own, first homebrew. I’m impressed with how well it came out, this being my “first” attempt, though it’s certainly not winning any awards. It’s lightly carbonated after one week in the bottle, but has enough fizz to give it a nice head in the glass, if only briefly. No lacing to speak of. It comes through with a golden-amber color, and has much more clarity than I was expecting. It has a light aroma, with medium body and good mouthfeel. There are notes of corn that probably from the DME, as this particular batch fermented cool and didn’t get all the way to its intended final gravity. The malt flavor is nicely balanced with the hop character, with hints of corn and some mild fruity esters. The finish has a distinct hop character that reminds me a little of Sam Adams’ Boston Ale.

Deutschlander Lager

Golden to amber in color, medium body, refreshingly hopped. Representative of the old German style. Respectable alcohol level.

Brew day! I probably could have found a more difficult beer recipe to get started with, but I would actually have had to try. I’m starting with a Deutschlander Lager that uses specialty grains and several hopping charges. It’s hardly the most complicated brew, but it’s going to be a little more involved than I’d expected, which was basically to boil some wort, chill it, pitch it and stick it in the basement for a couple of weeks. Looks like I’ll be steeping some grains and doing a couple charges of hops as well.

Deutcshlander Lager

  • 0.33# Crystal Malt 40L
  • 0.33# Munich Malt
  • 2.25qt Pale malt extract
  • 0.25qt Adjunct
  • 1.33oz Hallertau hops (bittering)
  • 1.0 oz Hallertau hops (finishing)
  • 2tbsp Irish moss
  • 0.75oz Hallertau hops (dry)

OG was 1.058 (or thereabouts). This recipe doesn’t indicate brewery efficiency, so I’ll have to assume somewhere between 75 and 80%. Looking for a FG of somewhere between 1.011 and 1.014.

I also made a bunch of rookie mistakes. For one, I left the brew pot partially covered during the boil. This is because I was boiling outside, and didn’t want crud falling into the kettle. Unfortunately, I positioned the lid to let the condensate drop back into the wort, and may not have boild off as much of the sulfides as I might have liked.

I also did not get a good reading on the OG. I recall having pointed out potential 8% ABV to someone, and am therefore assuming I started around 1.058, which is about right for lagers, if a little on the high side.

I may also have pitched the yeast a little warm. The wort was cooled to around 75 dF. I also did not think to rehydrate the yeast before I pitched it– it just went straight into the primary from the packet. There was also a thick head of foam on the wort from when I poured it to the primary. That could either help or hurt.

But, its in the basement now, and the airlock is starting to bubble, so maybe it’ll all turn out OK. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Update: 1/5/09: Fermentation appears to be under way, bubbles every 5-15 seconds, and smells of rising bread.

Update: 1/8/09: Still bubbling 5-15 seconds, but starting to smell a little sulfur.

Update: 1/12/09: Bubbling seems to have slowed down in the airlock to < 1 in 3 minutes since yesterday afternoon. Took a gravity reading this evening of 1.018. Still a little farther to go. Will check again in a couple of days. Took a sample taste too; strong hop character I’m hoping will mellow in secondary. Lacks nose, but will dry hop in secondary. Malt finish suggests sweetness, but it actually was not very sweet. Update 1/24/09: I racked over to secondary today, and pulled a gravity reading of 1.016. I’ve also added the dry hops, and will let this stand for another few weeks while I collect more bottles. I must say, I’m looking forward to trying this beer. It’s got a nice amber hue to it, and has much more clarity than the American Cream Ale did after two weeks in primary. I’m assuming this is the effect of the Irish Moss, and will certainly be using it in my recipes from here on out! Even without dry hopping and carbonating, this beer is developing very well. There is a distinctive hop character that almost overwhelms the malt flavor, and it lacks nose in the finish, but I expect those characteristics to improve in secondary. I understand I can let this thing go for the next three to seven weeks, so I’ll just wait and collect more bottles. I’m really looking forward to trying this one out when it finishes.

Lemon drop martini

I was drinking these out at The Melting Pot for for my birthday. They are deceptively smooth.

Lemon Drop Martini

  • 3 oz Stoli
  • 3/4 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
  • 1.5 oz simple syrup
  • 1.5 oz part fresh lemon juice
  • Shake over ice and strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with table sugar

The Cointreau can be a little overpowering in this drink, so use it sparingly. This is even more true of the Triple Sec.

Homebrew!

I’ve been meaning to start fooling around with brewing beer at home, so I gifted myself with a homebrew kit for Christmas. It’s a basic setup: 7 gal bucket primary fermenter, 7 gal bottling bucket, auto-siphon, racking cane, bottle brush, tubing, bottling wand, bottle caps, capper, powdered sanitizer, hydrometer and a sample tube.

I’ll still need to pick up bottles, a 30 qt. stainless brew kettle and a few other niceties, but this should at least get me started. For now, I’ll see how things work out using the turkey fryer kit I picked up last month.

I also picked up a Lager recipe to get me started. Now I just need to drink my way through a couple cases of Grolsch so I’ll have some bottles. I think I’ll need 40 to start.

Perfect Manhattan

We wandered over to Clydz today after work, where I’ve redisovered the Manhattan cocktail. According to the Wiki link, the Manhattan is a cocktail comprised of whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters, though there are many variations on the drink. I don’t happen to like sweet vermouth so much, but found a dry Manhattan to be a little too much.

The traditional choice for the whisky element is rye, but pretty much anything will do these days. I’d asked for Makers Mark specifically, and enjoyed several before it was time to go. Still, I was curious as to how it would taste as originally intended, so I tracked down a bottle of Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Rye Whisky and got to work.

This variation is called the “Perfect Manhattan” (not my name):

  • 3 oz Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Rye
  • 3/4 oz sweet vermouth
  • 3/4 oz dry vermouth
  • splash of grenadine
  • dash of Angustora aromatic bitters
  • stir over ice and strain into a cocktail glass

Limoncello

I was introduced to this liqueur last summer, and had forgotten about it until a recent conversation with a co-worker. It is very popular in the Mediterranean, and is, informally, the national beverage in Italy. This relatively simple and tasty beverage is best served ice-cold on a warm summer evening as a digestif.

This simple recipe requires a long time to prepare, but not a lot of work. You will need between 8 and 12 lemons, and an overproof, neutral alcohol. Any alcohol will work, but select a base with a high proof and a neutral flavor. An overproof vodka will work, but will introduce additional flavors into the final product. Lower-proof alcohols will result in a lower-proof final product, as the alcohol is diluted in the process. For an ideal product, select Everclear, or a similar, neutral grain spirit.

Limoncello

  • Requires 8-12 lemons, 750ml Everclear, and 750 ml simple syrup in 1:1 ratio
  • Select lemons with smooth, thick skins. Ripe lemons are slightly heavy for their size, and will have a firm texture. Avoid lemons with nicks, cuts, bruises, rough skin and discoloration. Also avoid lemons with stamps, as the ink may penetrate deep into the flesh.
  • Thoroughly wash the lemons, removing any wax and
  • Remove the zest with a citrus zester or microplane rasp. Be sure not to remove too much of the flesh, as the pith (the white part of the rind) may impart a bitter character to the final product.
  • Combine the zest and alcohol in a large, sanitized mason jar.
  • Allow 30-45 days to steep. Longer steeping times allow for a more mellow final product.
  • After suitable steeping time, fiter the mixture into another sterile vessel through a coffee filter. The spent lemon zest should be white, and the filtered liquid should be distinctly yellow.
  • Combine the filtered alcohol product with 750 ml of simple syrup, made in a 1:1 volume ratio. The alcohol is now at its final proof.
  • Seal the vessel and allow to condition for 30-45 more days. Again, longer conditioning times allow for a more mellow final product.
  • After suitable conditioning time, remove the liqueur product to two sterilized 750 ml bottles, or package as preferred. Finished product may be stored in a cool place, away from sunlight, or may be refrigerated.
  • Serve ice cold.

Cooking with OIL!

I’ve been hearing a lot about fried turkey over the last few years. Mostly what I had been hearing was, “ZOMG you’ll burn your house down! Don’t do it!!” Naturally I was intrigued when I saw the turkey fryer kits at the local hardware store. I decided to throw caution to the wind and fry us up a turkey for Thanksgiving. I mean, how dangerous can it be, really? People down on the bayou have been doing this for a long time, and they don’t burn their houses down. Clearly I had fallen prey to the fear mongering in the nightly news. Yes, my manhood was being challenged.

I acquired the fry kit, and set about researching what would be needed to safely bring this bird home to roost. I watched a number of how-to videos using strongly-worded, dire warning about the dangers of accidental injury, property damage and even death. A wet or frozen bird would not be suffered. A common theme among all the videos was that this was not to be approached lightly, and would, in fact, require infrastructure. At minimum, it would require a fire extinguisher and safety gear in the form of aprons and heavy gloves. Construction of a gantry incorporating a system of rigging would not be uncalled for. Clearly, this project was taking on the overtones of a moral imperative. I set about acquiring my materials and got to work. My turkey gantry takes shape.

The recipe, then:

  • 1 turkey, 14lb, thawed and rinsed
  • Add to a large vessel: 2 gallons cold water, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1 cup of maple syrup. Stir to dissolve the ingredients.
  • Immerse bird in the brine solution, and cover with ice. Top off with more cold water to cover the bird. Set aside for 8 to 18 hours.

For the fry:

  • 5 gallons canola oil heated to 325-350 dF. Be sure not to overheat the oil.
  • Dry the turkey inside and out
  • Rub down with salt and pepper
  • Lower the bird SLOWLY into the deep fryer
  • Fry at 325-350 dF for approximately 45 minutes, or 3 minutes per pound.
  • Remove bird when a thermometer reads 150 dF from the breast and thigh.
  • Place bird in paper bag, and place paper bag in plastic shopping bag to absorb extra oil.
  • Allow 30 minutes for carry-over to head the bird to 160 dF

This year’s turkey has to have been the most succulent, juicy turkey I’ve ever had. We didn’t even use the gravy that was on the table.

Fresh Basil Pesto

Requires a mortar & pestle, or a food processor

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
  • 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions (mortal & pestle)

  • Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, in a mortar and pound into a grainy paste with pestle
  • Add cheese to mortar and combine
  • Add oil in teaspoon increments and combine into smooth paste
  • Add salt & pepper to taste

Instructions (food processor)

  • Add nuts to food processor and pulse several times until nuts are pulverized into a coarse meal
  • Add basil and pulse several times until finely chopped
  • Add cheese and pulse to combine
  • Add oil in teaspoon increments and pulse until well blended
  • Add salt and pepper to taste

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Yield: Makes 1 cup.

Shamelessly stolen from Simply Recipes.