Acushla Red Ale-Gluten Free - Archived
This beer will have you singing “oh my darlin’, oh my darlin’ sweet red ale” so we had to name it Acushla, which means my darling or my pulse. This beer has some mild malty notes and a pleasant hop character. Once you brew this it will have you wrapped around its finger and you will be brewing it over and over again.
What You Get
1 Can Sorghum Brewing Extract (LME)
1 Packet of Belgian Candi Syrup D-45
3 Packets of Nothern Brewer Hops
1 Muslin Sack
1 Packet of Nottingham Yeast
1 Packet of No-Rinse Cleanser
Brew Specs
Flavor: Balanced
Original Gravity: 1.065
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV: 6.98%
SRM: (Color): 13
IBU: (Bitterness): 21
STEP 1: Sanitizing
Cleaning is one of the most important steps in brewing. It kills microscopic bacteria, wild yeast, and molds that may cause off-flavors in your beer. Make certain to clean all equipment that comes in contact with your beer by following the directions below:
1. Fill clean keg with warm water to line mark 1 on the back, then add ½ pack (about 1 tablespoon) of No-Rinse Cleanser and stir until dissolved. Once dissolved, the solution is ready to use. Save the remaining ½ of No-Rinse Cleanser because you will need it for bottling.
2. Screw-on lid and swirl the keg so that the cleaning solution makes contact with the entire interior of the keg, including the underside of the lid. Note that the ventilation notches under the lid may leak solution. Allow to sit for at least 2 minutes and swirl again.
3. To clean the spigot, open it fully and allow liquid to flow for 5 seconds and then close.
4. Pour the rest of the solution from the keg into a large bowl. Place your spoon/whisk, can opener and measuring cup into the bowl to keep them cleaned throughout the brewing process. Leave them immersed for at least 2 minutes in cleaning solution prior to using.
5. After all, surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned, do not rinse or dry the keg or utensils. Return lid to top of keg, proceed immediately to brewing.
STEP 2: BREWING
Brewing beer is the process of combining a starch source (in this case, a malt brewing extract) with yeast. Once combined, the yeast eats the sugars in the malt, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2). This process is called fermentation.
1. Place 2 packets of Northern Brewer pellet hops into the hop sack tying it closed, then trim away excess material
2. Using the measuring cup, pour 1 gallon (16 cups) into a 1.5 gallon or larger pot.
3. Open the Jar of sorghum Extract and the pouch of Candi syrup and pour the contents into your pot. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Bring this mixture to a boil stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
4. Once the mixture has begun to boil, add the hop sack containing the two packets of pellet hops, this will boil for 30 minutes total.
5. Once the mixture has been boiling for 25 minutes add the last packet of pellet hops with no hop sack, stir and boil for the remaining 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat. Remove the hop sack you added and discard it.
7. Fill your fermenter with cold tap water to the mark 1 on the back. If using any other fermenter this would be approximately 1 gallon of water.
8. Pour the wort into your fermenter, and then bring the volume of the fermenter to mark 2 by adding more cold water. (If you have a different fermenter top it off with cold water to the 8.5-liter mark).
9. Stir your wort mixture vigorously with your sanitized spoon or whisk.
10. Sprinkle the Nottingham yeast packet into the keg, and screw on the lid. Do not stir.
Put your fermenter in a location with a consistent temperature between 68° and 78° F (20°-25° C), and out of direct sunlight. Ferment for 14 days.
STEP 3: Bottling & Carbonating
After 14 days, taste a small sample to determine if the beer is fully fermented and ready to bottle. If it tastes like flat beer, it is ready. If it’s sweet, then it’s not ready. Let it ferment for 3 more days (17 total). At this point, it is time to bottle. Do not let it sit in the fermenter for longer than 24 days total.
1. When your beer is ready to bottle, fill a 1-gallon container with warm water, then add the remaining ½ pack of the No-Rinse Cleanser and stir until dissolved. Once dissolved, it is ready to use.
2. Distribute the cleaning solution equally among the bottles. Screw-on caps (or cover with metal cap if using glass bottles) and shake bottles vigorously. Allow to sit 10 minutes, then shake the bottles again. Remove caps and empty all cleaning solution into a large bowl. Use this solution to clean any other equipment you may be using for bottling. Do not rinse.
3. Add 2 Carbonation Drops to each 740-mL bottle. For 1-liter bottles, add 2 ½ drops; for ½-liter bottles add 1 drop. Alternatively, you can add table sugar using this table as a guide.
Carbonation drops are made with glucose that is derived from wheat starch. Because these drops do not actually contain protein (gluten), they are generally well tolerated by those that are considered “intolerant”. Please keep in mind that these carbonation drops may not be suitable for those with Celiac or wheat allergies. If this is the case, granulated sugar is recommended for the bottle priming step.
4. Holding the bottle at an angle, fill each bottle to about 2 inches from the bottle’s top.
5. Place caps on bottles, hand tighten, and gently turn the bottle over to check the bottle’s seal. It is not necessary to shake them.
6. Store the bottles upright and out of direct sunlight in a location with a consistent temperature between 70°-76°F or 21°-24°C. Allow to sit for a minimum of 14 days. If the temperature is cooler than suggested it may take an additional week to reach full carbonation.
Tip from our Brewmasters
After the primary carbonation has taken place your beer is ready to drink. We recommend putting 1 bottle in the refrigerator at first for 48 hrs. After 48hrs. give it a try and if it is up to your liking put the rest of your beer in the fridge. If it does not taste quite right, leave the bottles out at room temp for another week or so. Keep following this method until your brew tastes just how you like it.
This process is called conditioning and during this time the yeast left in your beer can help clean up any off-flavors. Almost everything gets a little better with time and so will your beer.