5 gallons OG 1.060 0.5# Black Patent malt 0.5# CaraAroma malt 1# CaraMunich malt 3# Weyermann rauchmalz 7# Pale ale malt Mash at 150° F for one hour 7.5 AAU East Kent Goldings for bittering 1.0 oz East Kent Goldings for aroma Ferment with London or American ale yeast For extract brewing, mash the rauchmalz... View Article
5 gallons OG 1.060 6# Weyermann rauchmalz 6# Munich malt 0.5# CaraMunich of your choice is optional for depth and color Mash at 152° F for one hour 6.5 AAU Tetnanger or Hallertauer hops for bittering 0.5 oz Tetnanger or Hallertauer hops for aroma Ferment at standard lagerbier conditions with German lager yeast. For extract... View Article
Thoughts of a crackling fire, a smoky slab of salmon, and glass of smoked porter are sure to stir primal reflection as the permeation of smoke melds food and ambiance. Smoked brews are not particularly common, but are easily crafted. Some styles fairly beg for a dose of smoke as a complement to toasty or... View Article
The allure of leaping into all-grain brewing is all too often discouraged by unnecessary trepidation. There is the notion that is it cluttered with calculations and technical expertise, coupled with an air of alchemy and magic. It takes a little of both, but isn’t nearly as unforgiving and complicated as it seems, and in fact,... View Article
For most brewers, our notions of beer are strongly shaped by classic beer styles. Beers like pale ales, stouts and bocks are convenient landmarks, beacons of stability in a sea of possibilities. We tend to jump from style to style, and in doing so they give us support as we learn to brew.
It’s ninety-eight in the shade and the sun is beating down with the heat of a freshly made TIG weld. The blue smoke of small engines chokes the air. Thirst rules. The barley wine can wait until the first snowfall. Forget sipping. I need something to quaff!
Picture yourself living in a pre-industrial Northern Europe. You and the rest of the village have toiled through a long, hot summer in the fields drinking screechy small beers and the last precious remnants of the March beer. Eventually, the new barley is ready to harvest, but you still have to wait for its long... View Article
It must be something about the Reinheitsgebot. This ancient and hallowed document, scribed onto goatskin, the symbol of all that is Germanic brewing, has intimidated us all into keeping to the straight and narrow—even though it technically doesn’t even apply to Germans themselves anymore. While we Americans seem willing to twist venerable British styles into... View Article
One of the great frustrations of researching beer history is not being able to actually taste the beers. You can try to brew a facsimile, but the further back you go, the less certainty you have. Prior to about 1600, you sometimes have just a few words to go by. Earlier than 1750 or so,... View Article
