Stacey's Brew Blog
Brewing and drinking beer
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Archive of "Prep" Category
Beer 4 – Jackies Beer – Recipe
Some poking around has lead me the make this recipe for Jackie’s beer (her comments and alterations to follow)
Jackies Route 113 IPA
Brewer: Jackie Email: – Beer: Jackies Route 113 IPA Style: India Pale Ale Type: Extract w/grain Size: 5 gallons Color: 14 HCU (~9 SRM) 
Bitterness: 113 IBU OG: 1.088 FG: 1.014 Alcohol: 9.6% v/v (7.5% w/w) Grain: 1 lb. American 2-row
1 lb. British paleSteep: 25 Min in a grain bag at 160°. Boil: 60 minutes SG 1.147 3 gallons 9.9 lb. Light malt extract
1 lb. Light dry malt extractHops: 3 oz. Nugget (12% AA, 60 min.)
2 oz. Nugget (12% AA, 45 min.)
1.75 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 30 min.)
1.75 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 15 min.)Carbonation: 5oz priming sugar boiled in 2 cups water. Beer 3 – Recipe modifaction/shopping
Went to the home brew shop today, swapped out some of the hops, and made a few minor substitutions in the grain, gonna start cleaning tonight and brew tomorrow.
This web page generated by The Beer Recipator.Beer 2 – Prep Day
I did all the big preliminary work to do my next brew last night. My fermenting bucket still had the smell of my last beer in it but it’s all clean now. All that’s left for tonight is cleaning the brew pot and sterilizing everything.
I think I may switch the roles of my buckets this time around just to keep the wear on them even. They both have spigots but only one has a thermometer stuck to it, we’ll see how it goes.
Scrub a dub dub,
Stacey
Beer 2 – Pre Prep day
Jackie’s boss loved my first beer and ordered a full batch. I got the last of the kit I used at my local shop (Thanks for the assist Andy) and may brew as soon as this weekend.
See you on brew day,
Stacey
Beer 1 – Prep Day/Recipe
My first beer, from the Brewers Best Bold Series, is a holiday ale spiced with cinnamon and orange peel.
The Gear:
to keep track of exact weights and AAUs I took pictures of each part of the kit:
oh and it came with caps
The majority of the equipment I’ll be using is another Brewers Best Kit
with most of the essentials:
Since I saw Alton Brown’s episode of Good Eats on brewing beer, I had the fermenter in my kit swapped with one that was drilled for a spigot and spent a few extra dollars on a second spigot; they swapped the bucket for free.I traded in a poker table I found on the street at a pawn shop and got a big pot:
The thermometer in the equipment kit would probably melt if I attached it to the brew pot so I spent $6 on a candy/fry thermometer that I think will have a useful range for this.
The Plan:
(Largely copied from the directions, modified slightly)
- Sterilize: frementer, lid, air lock, strainer, thermometer, hydrometer, stirring spoon
- Bring 2.5 gallons of water to 160-170 degrees Fahrenheit (in the brew pot)
- Using cheesecloth like a teabag, put the crushed grains in the water, allow to steep for 20 min
- Remove the steeping grains and allow to drain into the brew pot without squeezing the bundle
- Bring the water to a boil
- Add malt extracts and bittering hops
- Siring frequently, being careful to avoid boil over, boil for 40 minutes
- Add finishing hops and spice pack
- Boil for 15 minutes
- Remove brew from heat and cover
- Put brew pot in bathtub full of cold water
- Strain brew into fermenter with 2.5 gallons of refrigerated water
- Take a hydrometer reading
- Pitch yeast
- Cover, insert/water air lock
- Hide in the closet.
Or in timelineish format, 5 minute increments:
0- 2.5 gallons at 160-170 with steeping grains
5
10
15
20- Bring water to a boil, add malt and bittering hops
25
30
35
40
45
50- Add finishing hops
55
60
65- Cool wort rapidly and put in fermenter
70
That’s day one, I’ll go over changes in what actually happens along with pertinent numbers in another post when I actually do this (maybe tomorrow).
Boldly brewing where no one has brewed before,
Stacey