Basic Pilsner

"This is the most straightforward of lagers, the German Pils. Agressively hopped with German noble hops (Spalt and Saaz). It is light and dry and refreshing. It is the most popular style of beer consumed in Germany."

6 2/3 pounds light malt extract

2 1/2 ounces Spalt hops for bittering

1 ounce Saaz hops for aroma

1 teaspoon Irish moss

1 package Munich lager yeast

3/4 cup corn sugar for priming



Bring water to boil and add malt extract and Spalt hops.

Boil for 1 hour adding the Saaz hops and Irish moss for the last 10 minutes.

Cool wort and pitch yeast.

Primary ferment at 50 to 55 degrees for 5 to 7 days.

Transfer to secondary fermenter. Lager for 3 to 4 weeks.

Bottle using corn sugar. Age in bottle for 7 to 10 days.



Technorati Tags: beer, homebrewing, Pilsner, German, recipe

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Cornmeal Wine

Fourth in the Series

"Cornmeal wine is initially a bit slower to ferment than many other wines, so be patient with it. Once the fermentation gets going, it makes a good dry wine."

Makes 1 gallon.

2 lemons
3 oranges
1 1/2 pounds cornmeal
2 1/4 pounds sugar
3 pints grape juice concentrate
1/4 ounce ground rice
1 Campden tablet
1 package wine yeast
1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
1 1/2 cups orange juice at room temperature
1 teaspoon pectic enzyme


Grate the outer rinds of the oranges and lemons, discard the solids and the white outer rind. Squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemons into a 2 gallon plastic container. Add the grated rind to the container, along with the cornmeal, sugar, grape juice concentrate and rice. Add enough water to make 1 gallon. Add Campden tablet and let mixture sit, well covered, for 24 hours.

In a jar, make a yeast starter culture by combining the wine yeast, yeast nutrient, and 1 1/2 cups orange juice. Cover, shake vigorously, and let stand 1 to 3 hours, until bubly, then add to the must.

Add the pectic enzyme. Let the mixture sit for 30 days, loosely covered. Strain out the solids, transfer the liquid intoa 1 gallon airlocked fermenter and allow to ferment for 30 days. When fermentation is complete, bottle the wine, cork it and store in a cool cellar.

Wait at least six months before opening the first bottle.


Technorati Tags: Wine, Winemaking, Cornmeal, Recipe

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Quince Wine

Third in the Series

This is a nice dry wine with hints of pear and apple in its flavor. For those who have never seen a quince tree, the fruit is yellow to yellow-green---it resembles a pear in color, though it doesn't have the classic pear shape. (The fruit looks something like a fat doughnut, with depressions where the whole should be on either end.)

Makes 1 Gallon

20 ripe quinces
2 1/4 pounds sugar
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon pectic enzyme
1 Campden tablet
1 package wine yeast
1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
1 1/2 cups orange juice at room temperature


Grate the quinces as near the core as possible. Boil the grated peel and pulp in enough water to cover, for a maximum of 15 minutes. (Don't over cook the fruit or you may have trouble clearing the wine.)

Strain the mixture and pour the juice onto the sugar in fermenter. Add the juice and zest of the lemons. Let the mixture cool then add the pectic enzyme. Add a capmden tablet and let the mixture sit, well covered for 24 hours.

In a jar, make a yeast starter culture by combining the wine yeast, yeast nutrient, and orange juice. Cover, shake vigorously, and let stand 1 to 3 hours, until bubly; then add to must.

Add enough water to make 1 gallon and allow the mixture to ferment for 48 hours. Rack into an airlocked fermenter and let the wine ferment to completion (about nine months), racking at intervals as needed to clear the wine. When you are sure that fermentation is complete, bottle, cork and cellar the wine.

Age for at least six months before sampling.



Technorati Tags: Wine, Winemaking, Quince, Recipe

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Basic Stout

This is the fourth in a series of recipes taken from The Homebrewer's Recipe Guide.

"Dry stout is one of the most popular styles of beer (thank you Mr. Guinness.) It is also one of the most rewarding homebrews. A bottle of this thick, rich brew is a wonderful sight in your refrigerator on a cold winter evening"

Ingredients

6 2/3 pounds dark malt extract

1 pound crystal malt (40L)

1 pound roasted barley

1/2 pound chocolate malt

1/2 malto-dextrin powder

1 1/2 ounces Bullion hops (bittering)

1 ounce Irish ale yeast

1 1/4 cup dry malt extract for priming


Procedure

Place crushed crystal malt, roasted barley and chocolate malt in water and steep at 155 degrees for 30 minutes.

Remove spent grains and add malt extract, malto-dextrin and Bullion hops.

Boil for 1 hour.

Cool wort and pitch yeast.

Ferment for 10 to 14 days.

Bottle using dry malt extract.

Age for 7 to 10 days

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