For millennia, we were primarily an agricultural people. The ebb and flow of the seasons determined much of the rhythm of human culture. In our developed world, agriculture still occupies a lot of land, but the space it occupies in our collective psyche has shrunk almost to nothing.
5 gallons at 1100 (24 degrees P); 96 IBU; 7 to 8.5 percent ABV 20 pounds (kilograms) US two-row lager malt 0.2 ounces (6 grams), black patent malt, added at end of boil Mash one hour at 155 degrees F (66 degrees C), then mash out by adding sparge water to raise the mash temperature... View Article
We think of India pale ales as representing the glory of the British Empire. And indeed, they served as global ambassadors of England at its zenith, shipping to the far-flung corners of the Earth. Everywhere they reached, they made an impression. This pale, clear, hoppy beer was a dramatic change from the darker and less... View Article
“Chick beers,” the beer geeks call them. You know the brews. Pink, fluffy little numbers, a bland wheat beer base dolled up with a drop or two of raspberry essence. Not a bad quencher on a blistering summer day, but not what you’d call profound, or even interesting. We’re talking about something altogether more substantial... View Article
Yield: 5 gallons at 75% utilization Gravity: 1096 Alcohol by volume: 8.5 to 9.5% Color: Deep ruby Bitterness: 29 IBU Yeast: Alcohol-tolerant ale strain Maturation: 2 to 4 years All-Grain Recipe: 7 pounds/2.3 kilograms , 37%, pilsner malt 10 pounds/4.5 kilograms , 53%, Munich malt 1 pound/454 grams, 5%, aromatic/melanoidin (20 to 30 degrees Lovibond)... View Article
A few years back, everybody and his brother were brewing up red ales and naming them after some furry woodland critter, hoping to make a fast buck in the microbrew biz. Most of the brews went skulking back into the forest after the boom faded, and that’s probably a good thing, because many of them... View Article
Yield: 5 gallons Gravity: 1053/13 degrees Plato Alcohol by volume: 5.5 percent Color: red-amber, 14 SRM (estimated) Bitterness: 32 IBU Yeast: German altbier Maturation: 6 to 8 weeks All-Grain Recipe 5 pounds/2.3 kilograms (48 percent) English pale ale malt 3.5 pounds/1.6 kilograms (34 percent) Munich malt 1 pound/454 grams (10 percent) aromatic/melanoidin malt (25 degrees... View Article
I’ve been rifling through a lot of old brewing books lately in preparation for a book I’m writing. My goal, besides detailing some well-known historical styles, has been to determine the outer limits of European brewing traditions, looking for inspiration and techniques that might help us beer explorers find new and different things to drink.
I have a conflicted view of beer styles. As historical artifacts, beer styles are endlessly fascinating to study. They generally represent confluences—and compromises—of technology, agriculture, cuisine and geology that make the most of what a region has to offer. This means that existing styles are usually quite wonderful to drink, and I’m all for that.
