• Beer 1 – Prep Day/Recipe

    February 8, 2009 // No Comments »

    My first beer, from the Brewers Best Bold Series, is a holiday ale spiced with cinnamon and orange peel.

    The Gear:

    ingredient box

    to keep track of exact weights and AAUs I took pictures of each part of the kit:

    Finishing hoppsMalt extractyeastspicespriming sugarA fancy Grainbittering hoppsDried Maltcrushed crystal malt

    oh and it came with caps

    BB Caps

    The majority of the equipment I’ll be using is another Brewers Best Kit dscf2138 with most of the essentials:dscf2139 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 Brew 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)

    1. Sterilize: frementer, lid, air lock, strainer, thermometer, hydrometer, stirring spoon
    2. Bring 2.5 gallons of water to 160-170 degrees Fahrenheit (in the brew pot)
    3. Using cheesecloth like a teabag, put the crushed grains in the water, allow to steep for 20 min
    4. Remove the steeping grains and allow to drain into the brew pot without squeezing the bundle
    5. Bring the water to a boil
    6. Add malt extracts and bittering hops
    7. Siring frequently, being careful to avoid boil over, boil for 40 minutes
    8. Add finishing hops and spice pack
    9. Boil for 15 minutes
    10. Remove brew from heat and cover
    11. Put brew pot in bathtub full of cold water
    12. Strain brew into fermenter with 2.5 gallons of refrigerated water
    13. Take a hydrometer reading
    14. Pitch yeast
    15. Cover, insert/water air lock
    16. 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

    Posted in Prep