{"id":1514,"date":"2011-12-27T17:35:15","date_gmt":"2011-12-27T22:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/192.168.50.23\/wordpress\/blog\/?p=1514"},"modified":"2018-04-07T16:38:03","modified_gmt":"2018-04-07T20:38:03","slug":"winter-brewing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forths.com\/index.php\/2011\/12\/27\/winter-brewing\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Brewing"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the holidays, I decided to review my brewing log and was surprised to learn that I hadn’t brewed a batch of beer in 18 months. \u00a0I’m sure that’s mostly due to the previous batch tasting like turpentine (but good<\/em> turpentine). \u00a0That batch was experimental, where I pushed the honey content upward to increase the fermentable sugars, which bumps the final alcohol level. \u00a0I also went crazy with the hops, certain that more was better. \u00a0The result was horrible, unless you needed something to remove rust. \u00a0Those bottles lingered in the basement, forgotten, until they were discovered while cleaning. \u00a0The bottles were emptied into the basement sink before Christmas. \u00a0So much for experimentation.<\/p>\n

Recalling the better batches I made before getting “creative”, I decided to pick up a box of ingredients from Cap ‘n Cork<\/a> in Macomb, MI. \u00a0It was time to get back to basics, so I selected a box of American Brown Ale<\/a> ingredients. \u00a0On December 27, with the snow finally blowing sideways in Alden, I brewed a 5 gallon batch.<\/p>\n

In the world of home brewing, I’m an amateur. \u00a0The purist<\/em> brewers are “all-grain brewers”, using only a boat load of malted barley grains, hops and water (and lots of equipment and time) to brew their beer. \u00a0I’m in the minor leagues, an “extract brewer”, getting my malt from a can or a bag. \u00a0To improve flavor and\u00a0complexity, a batch of specially mixed malted barley grains are included for “steeping”, looking like a 5 pound tea bag.<\/p>\n

The brew boiled on the stove for 60 minutes, with hops added at four precise points during that time to get the right amount of bittering and flavoring. \u00a0That hour of boiling fills the house with a sweet, nutty scent.<\/p>\n

The brew is fermenting now, so during the next 2 weeks the yeast will convert the sugars to alcohol. \u00a0After that, the beer is bottled and is ready for drinking a few weeks later. \u00a0This should yield 2 cases of yummy ale.<\/p>\n