The Brew Times Homebrewing Blog
Sausage in Beer Broth Recipe
The RV groans around each turn. Climbing the dusty trail through high desert bat country, all I can think of is getting us safely to our destination: Schwarzbier with sausage in beer broth. Some say it's not the destination it's the ride; I say enjoy everything this mad mad world throws at us. With the stabilizers set and the utilities flowing, we help ourselves to smoldering basins of grub and frothy vessels of suds. It's all malt and no bitter with this beer, and that allows all the flavors in the broth to come out. The sausage is the star in this pairing, it's smoky savory juiciness sweetened slightly by the light chocolate and vanilla notes. May the Schwartz Bier With You is our recipe named after the main line in the greatest space RV movie ever made. This is one of our most balanced beers. Slight hops, mellow malt, very sessionable. While brewing this recipe you'll find yourself asking, when will "then" be "now"…soon. Ingredients 1 (12 fluid oz) bottle or can beer 1lb smoked kielbasa sausage 4 red potatoes, unpeeled 3 carrots, unpeeled ¾ head of cabbage, quartered ¾ yellow onion, diced Fresh or dried Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme) Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste Italian parsley for garnish Directions Rinse and quarter potatoes. Place in a large pot. Rinse and cut carrots into ½ inch rounds. Add carrots. Add seasoning, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 50 minutes. Garnish with Italian parsley leaf.
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What is the Difference Between a Porter and a Stout?
One of the biggest mysteries in the beer world: what is the difference between a porter and a stout? At first glance, they are seemingly interchangeable; dark beers with a nice foamy head. To the average palate, they even taste similar. The porter may seem a bit lighter and sweeter, but the difference can be hard to detect. So what is it then that sets these two apart? The answer, it seems, is not so black and white. Instead, you have to go back in history to the 18th century. According to A General Dictionary of Commerce, Trade, and Manufacturers, published in 1810, "Porter may be divided into two classes, namely brown-stout and porter properly so called… Brown-stout is only a fuller-bodied kind of porter than that which serves for ordinary drinking." Simply put, back in the day, a brown-stout was just a stronger porter. The Beer Connoisseur has a fantastic article on the full history of porters and stouts, but we are going to attempt to summarize it for you: In the 18th century, brown-stout was the name for a strong porter, because stout simply meant "strong" beer, and one could still find pale stouts during that time. The arrival of patent malt in 1817 changed the way many breweries brewed porters, since it could now be brewed cheaper using all pale malt. Some breweries began using only pale malt, while some used a mixture of pale, brown, and roast malts for their stouts and porters. In 1844, Whitebread, one of the top London porter breweries, was making 5 different types of dark beer: a porter, a keeping porter, a single stout, a double stout, and a triple stout. Their brewing books show that they were using a ratio of ¾ pale malt to ¼ brown malt for both their porters and stouts, but they were making one strong mash for the stouts, and then using that same mash a second time to create their porters. Therefore, due to the re-used mash to make the porters, the stouts were coming out stronger than the porters, which was the only difference between the two. The legalization of roasted barley as an ingredient in beer in 1880 began to change porters and stouts slowly but surely. While some breweries jumped on the roasted barley train, many others were adamant that the flavor of roasted barley was "inferior." So how does this history lesson play into the different porters and stouts we see now? Well between the 1800's and the craft brewery revolution that began in the 1970's, there was hundreds of years worth of different brewing recipes for both porters and stouts. These recipes all varied in their pale and brown malt ratios, as well as their roasted barley use. Therefore, breweries in the 1970's had thousands of different recipes that had been created over the years to try and replicate, further muddling the hard distinction between porters and stouts. Bottom line? Now a days, porters and stouts are whatever you want them to be. They are both dark, delicious beers, and each brewer can put their own unique spin on them, and label them as whatever the heck they want. And so the mystery continues…
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What are Bung, Diacetyl, and Winy: Brewing Terminology Tuesday
Bung The bung is the stopper for a keg or casket. The bung is placed in the hole that is used for filling up or emptying the keg, and the bung is usually placed in the keg during carbonation. Fun fact: the bung used in a cask for "real" beer, or ale, must be a wooden bung in order to allow the pressure during fermentation and carbonation to be released. Diacetyl Normally referred to as the buttery or butterscotch flavor found in homebrew. Diacetyl is a volatile compound that formulates in early fermentation, but begins to decrease as beers mature. There is a lot of science behind diacetyl and its formation, and understanding that science can help brewers better control it. According to the geniuses over at BYO, "While yeast cells synthesize certain key amino acids — such as valine, leucine and isoleucine — various intermediates are created in excess. In the case of diacetyl, the precursor is alpha acetolactate, which is excreted from the cell as the requirement for valine and leucine diminishes. Once outside the cell, alpha acetolactate can be oxidized to diacetyl." The thing to know is happy, healthy yeast will reabsorb diacetyl. This means that conditioning and maturing your beer with some yeast leftover will greatly increase your odds of removing that buttery smell and flavor from your homebrew. Also keep in mind that fermenting at warmer temperatures increases diacetyl production in your beer. So the best things to do to avoid diacetyl is to pitch healthy, happy yeasts, ferment at proper temperatures, and make sure you condition at proper temperatures to allow leftover yeasts to reabsorb any diacetyl that was created during fermentation. Winy This is exactly what it sounds like: a wine/ sherry type flavor in your homebrew. You might be thinking, "I love wine! What's wrong with this?" However, winy flavors usually result from the oxidation of your beer, and the other flavors that accompany that winy flavor are cardboard and paper. Yummy. Oxidation happens when your beer is exposed to oxygen, which degrades your beers flavors and aromas. Now, this isn't to say that anytime your beer comes in contact with oxygen during the brewing process, you're going to be drinking cardboard and wine later, it simply means that once your yeast is pitched in your fermenter and it has been sealed, you want to avoid oxygen contact at all costs. Same things goes for bottling time: it is best to do so "quietly," meaning you want to avoid any splashing, dumping, or all around agitation of your beer. Simply bottle, seal and leave it alone. This minimizes the amount of oxygen being introduced to your beer, and lowering your chances of oxidization. Our Brewmaster, Josh, will be discussing the oxidization of beer when bottling during this week's Livestream bottling and carbonating demonstration. The Livestream will be held Thursday, February 26th, from 6:00 - 7:00 pm MST. To learn more, make sure you join us using the button below! Plus, we might have a special coupon for those that join us live... guess you will have to tune in to find out! Check out our bottling livestream by clicking here.
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Chicken Poblano Mole Recipe
"Accept the challenges, so you may feel the exhilaration of victory." - George S. Patton. Today, I feel like trying something new, something different, something tough. I gather my ingredients, crank up some Manu Chao and charge in (for your enjoyment, here is Manu Chao's Youtube station, so you can get your groove on while cooking.) Soon, wafts of spice and pollo transform my kitchen into una cocina de la abuelita. My labor of love now complete, I fix a plato, pour myself a Porter Weisse and embark on "El viaje misterioso de nuestro Cocinero Renuente" (an episode of the Simpsons, where Homer eats several "Guatemalan insanity peppers" and goes on a mysterious voyage.) I swoon from the passionate complexity. Banana esters and clove from the brew add to the bouquet of spices in the dish. The porter malt serenades the bittersweet chocolate and toasted chili. Truly, victory never tasted so good. Ingredients 15 dried Mulato Chilies 8 dried Ancho Chilies 2 dried Pasilla Chilies 1 raw chicken, deboned with the heart, gizzard, and neck set aside for stock 3 cloves garlic, peeled 5 sprigs parsley, 2 for stock, 3 for garnish 1 onion, chopped ¾ cup blanched almonds ½ cup golden raisins 4 T toasted sesame seeds, half for puree, half for garnish ½ loaf baguette, lightly toasted and crumbled ½ tsp ground cloves ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp anise seeds 1 corn tortilla, fried and broken up 3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped 1 chipotle chili 1 ½ squares unsweetened chocolate 1 cup lard Sugar, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper to taste Directions The night before, toast the dried chilies, (not the chipotle chili). Remove seeds and connective tissue. Soak chilies in salted water overnight. The day of, Combine 6 cups water with chicken heart, gizzard, neck, ½ cup of onion, 1 garlic clove, and 2 sprigs parsley. Simmer covered for 1 hour. Strain stock and refrigerate. Drain soaked chilies, discard liquid. With a mortar and pestle or blender, grind soaked chilies, 1 cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, almonds, raisins, half of sesame seeds, baguette, cloves, cinnamon, anise, tortilla, and cracked black pepper. Grind until smooth. Set aside. Blend tomatoes with chipotle until smooth. Heat lard in a pot over medium high heat. Brown chicken on all sides. Add chipotle mixture first, then add 2 cups of the chicken stock. Simmer stock until au sec (almost dry). Add soaked chili puree and simmer 2 minutes. Add more stock as necessary to keep hydrated. Simmer until chicken is done. Add chocolate and add sugar and salt to taste. Once chocolate is melted, serve with remaining sesame seeds sprinkled over top and parsley sprig. Serve with rice, beans, and flour tortillas.
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How to Add Fruit to Your Homebrew
First time brewers often think that to add fruit to their beer, they simply add it to their fermenter… but let's stop right there. What is the first rule of brewing good beer? If you guessed sanitation, you were correct. Adding fruit straight to your homebrew without taking the proper steps can lead to microorganisms in your beer that create off flavors. Step 1: Choosing Your Fruit First things first, you will want to decide which type of fruit beer you are looking to brew. This doesn't simply mean what type of fruit, but also which style of fruit you want to brew with. You can brew with fresh fruit, or you can choose pureed fruit. While many people say that fresh fruit brings the best flavor, you must be forewarned that fresh fruit is the absolute hardest to brew with. Why? Not only do you have to prep the fruit before adding it to you beer, but you also have to worry about the wild organisms we mentioned in the beginning contaminating your beer. Your other options are adding pureed fruit, or fruit juice, to your beer. This will allow your brewing to be a bit simpler, and these products are usually sterile due to packaging. However, make sure that the fruit product you have chosen doesn't have any preservatives, as they can mess with your yeast during fermentation. Step 2: Choosing the Amount There really is no easy answer to the question "How much fruit do I add?" The only way to answer is: experiment. The amount of fruit you add to your beer will depend on how strong you want the fruit flavors and the style of beer you are brewing. A rule of thumb is to consider how sweet your fruit is. If you have a very sweet fruit, such as cherries, you will want to add less to your beer. For example, our Cherry Wheat only requires one 16 oz. can of cherries in heavy syrup. That is 1 lb. per 2 gallons of beer. However, our Apricot Wheat calls for 2 16 oz. cans of apricots in heavy syrup. This is 2 lbs. of fruit for 2 gallons of beer. This is because apricot has a much lighter taste, and you need more for the flavors to be present in your finished product. Brewers trick: If you are ever in doubt, visit our homebrew recipes and search for the type of fruit you are planning on using in your beer. Take a peek at some of our recipes and see how much fruit we using. This will give you an idea of how much fruit you should start with. Step 3: Adding Fruit to Your Wort We have had many a brewer attempt to boil their fruit with their wort in order to sanitize it and release flavors. DON'T! Boiling fruit releases the pectin in your fruit and will cloud your beer as well as attribute to off-flavors. Instead, you can steep your fruit in the hot wort, or add it directly to the fermenter. If you are going to steep your fruit, place whole, fresh fruit in a nylon bag and place it in the wort after you have completed the boil (some people will steep before the boil, but we think it is better to do so after the boil.. just personal preference.) You will want to steep for a minimum of 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can add the fruit to the fermenter directly, which is what we do here at Mr. Beer. With our fruit, we puree it in a SANITIZED blender first, and then add that puree to the wort in the fermenter. Let your beer ferment as normal. Pro-Tip: You will get the BEST results if you add the fruit 1 week before bottling instead of adding it to the wort on the first day. The reason for this is that the primary fermentation during the first week can strip flavor from the fruit. Adding the fruit later will also prevent any overflows as a result of too much sugar in the initial fermentation. We usually add a warning label to any of our recipes that contain a high level of fruit stating that your keg may overflow, or even explode, if you aren't careful. When you are adding fruit to your beer, you MUST ferment at very specific temperatures for your style of beer, especially if you added fruit to at the very beginning of the fermentation instead of a week before bottling. If you are wondering what temperature that is, you should again visit our recipe page, find the beer style you are brewing, and check our instructions. Try to stay on the lowest end of the temperature scale for that recipe, if possible. To be on the safe side, when fermenting fruit beers, place your fermenter in an area that, if it does overflow or explode, will contain the mess and not cause any damage.
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What are Acetaldehyde, Conditioning, and Mouthfeel: Brewing Terminology Tuesday
Acetaldehyde Acetaldehyde is a compound that produces green apple flavor and aroma in homebrew, and is a byproduct of fermentation. However, one must remember that you need acetaldehyde in order to have beer! Why is this? Because acetaldehyde is formed during the conversion of sugar to ethanol by yeast. In simple terms: yeast creates acetaldehyde which is a precursor for alcohol… no acetaldehyde, no beer.The most common cause for acetaldehyde is removing your beer from the yeast to early, and not allowing the yeast to completely convert the sugar. If you can smell green apple and/or an acidic acid vinegar smell, you need to keep fermenting. Ways to avoid acetaldehyde being left in your beer after fermentation is too pitch more yeast and to make sure you have good temperature control. If, after fermentation you still taste or smell the green apple, you can still get rid of it with a good, long conditioning. On the flip side, ethanol (created by acetaldehyde) can create additional acetaldehyde through an oxidation process. Therefore, the best thing to do is to avoid oxygen contact post fermentation at all costs! Conditioning Conditioning refers to the time letting you beer mature and "condition." Over time, the flavor profile in your beer will mature depending on the type of conditioning. If conditioned in warm temperatures (room temp.) it will develop the complex flavors in your beer. If cold conditioned, it will develop a cleaner, rounder taste. Conditioning can be done in the bottles after carbonating, or in a conditioning tank where the beer is placed after primary fermentation to mature. When conditioned in a conditioning tank, it will naturally carbonate through second fermentation. Mouthfeel Mouthfeel is a term used when describing beer. When discussing mouthfeel, you are referring to the sensations you feel in your mouth and throat when you drink a beer, not what you taste. Different aspects that can attribute to mouthfeel are the weight on the tongue, carbonation, warmth, and astringency. The overall mouthfeel of a beer ranges from thin to full bodied. For a complete list of terms used when describing moutfeel, check out the wheel below.
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The History of Homebrewing Beer in One Awesome Infographic
Have you ever wondered about the the history of homebrewing and how we came to start making that delicious stuff called beer? Well, Mr. Beer has created the perfect infogrpahic to take you wayyyy back in time to the birthplace of beer... all the way back to 5,000 B.C.!
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Smoked Stout - Barley the Brew Pup's Recipe of the Month
Everyone here at Mr.Beer loves animals... but we have a special place in our hearts for dogs, especially those that come from local shelters. That is why we were thrilled to collaborate with our favorite Instagram dog, Barley the Brew Pup (@barleythebrewpup), for a monthly recipe in which a portion of the proceeds will benefit animals in need. Each month, we will feature a special Barley Recipe of the Month. Besides getting to see awesome photos of Barley brewing the recipe, if you choose to purchase a Barley recipe, 10% of all proceeds will be donated to the Haven Humane Society of Southern Arizona to help local animals find permanent, loving homes. Barley is also passionate about this cause, as he was rescued from a CA shelter by his beer-loving, homebrewing fanatic dog parents. So, without further ado, welcome our first ever Barley the Brew Pup recipe! I Like My Stouts Smoked, Not Stirred There is nothing I like more then on a cold winter's night, snuggling up next to my favorite four legged friend, sharing a bowl of kibble, and popping open a bottle of delicious smoked stout. Smoked beers have been around for thousands of years. Before modern technology shaped how we dry malted barley, old world malters used to dry barley over an open flame. This inevitably imparted a smokey flavor and aroma to the base malts which carried over to the beer. Through the years, brewmasters have been stepping away from smoked beers, and it is becoming a lost art. But don't worry my friends, this pup is here to show you an easy extract recipe to bring back a little old-world flavor with the ease and freshness of modern ingredients. For this recipe, we are using Liquid Smoke Extract. Liquid Smoke is smoke flavor and aroma that has been condensed into liquid form through a very precise heating/cooling process. MMM it's so good! You can add a little to BBQ sauces, gravies, or meatballs to give your food a little kick. Note: Some Liquid Smoke products are vinegar or oil based. You want to steer clear of these and use a Liquid Smoke that has 2 ingredients: smoke and water.) The Recipe: 1 can of Mr.Beer St. Patricks Irish Stout HME 1 bag of Mr.Beer BrewMax Robust LME Soft Pack 1/2 Oz Northern Brewer Hops 1/2 oz Us Saaz Hops 1/2 teaspoon of Liquid Smoke (We are using Wrights all natural Hickory Liquid Smoke) 1 pack Safale S-04 Yeast 1 muslin hop sack 1 packet No-Rinse cleanser Before we get started, you're going to want to find yourself a brewing assistant. I like to keep my Paws off the hot pots and make this guy do the heavy lifting. I fondly refer to him as the upright, the big guy, or the humans. He will pretty much answer to anything... I have him trained pretty well. Now that I have the big guy to do the work, I'm going to assemble all the ingredients. I like to take this time and read through the instructions (two or three times doesn't hurt) and make sure I have all equipment and ingredients I need BEFORE we get started. Well, ok, maybe I can't technically read, but the upright has that part figured out so he reads and collects everything while I watch. It's a pretty good system we have worked out. For this brew, we will be using Wrights Liquid smoke, which is pictured below. This is one of my favorite liquid smokes to use, and I highly recommend it. First, I have my brewing assistant place 6 cups of fresh water into a pot and added the Robust Liquid Malt Extract (LME) to the cool water and stir until dissolved. Note: Place the pouch of Liquid Malt Extract in a bowl of warm water to make it easier to pour. This ooey gooey deliciousness has a mind of its own and likes to drip everywhere, but that's ok, it's my job to clean it up! Next, put the brew pot on the stove and bring the now wort up to a boil on medium-high. You will want to stir constantly to keep the foam in check. During this time, we prepared the first hop addition by putting the 1/2oz Northern Brewer hops in the hop sack. I kept trying to sneak a hop pellet but the big guy says hops are VERY poisonous to dogs so that was a no go. I mean, I thought I was the boss around here, but oh well… After the wort has come to a rolling boil, my assistant turned the heat to low and added the hop sack to the brew pot (we either tie it to the handle or clip it to an edge to eliminate scorching the hop sack). The lack of opposable thumbs made it difficult to set a timer, so I instructed the big guy to set a timer for 20 min. Remember, you want to simmer for 20 minutes, NOT boil. After 20 min, remove your brew pot from the heat and add the remaining ingredients: One can of Mr.Beer Irish Stout Hopped Malt Extract, 1/2 teaspoon of Liquid Smoke, and .5 Oz of SAAZ Hop Pellets. The wafts of malted barley, two hop additions, and liquid smoke will drive your puppy nose crazy, but trust me, you should refrain from charging the brew pot at all cost! *Note: Mr.Beer doesn't reccommend boiling their brewing malts, as it cange the hops that are already in the malt, but for this particular recipe, we are making an exception. I had the big guy use his superior number punching fingers set another timer for 10 min. After the final 10 min boil, remove your brew pot from the heat. Fill your fermenter with refrigerated tap water up to the 4-quart mark on the back, add your wort, and then top off with more cold water to bring it to the 8.5 liter mark. Mix thoroughly with your sanitized brew spoon. One you have ensured your cooled wort is between 66-68 degrees Fahrenheit, take a hydrometer sample (using a sanitized hydrometer sample tube) and pitch your pack of Safale S-04 yeast. You might need some doggles to read the hydrometer. Lastly, and quite possibly the most important step in the ENTIRE brewing process, is once you have tucked your fermenter away in a cool, dark, dry location, and washed all of your brewing equipment, you need to sit down and crack open a nice cold homebrew. Get yourself a brewing journal and jot down any memorable notes from your brew day as every brew is unique and a great learning experience. Also, while enjoying your homebrew, take a look on MrBeer.Com and start planning your next brew. You have to keep the pipeline going! Disclaimer: Don't give your pups beer…WE DONT! Everything you see here is staged for entertainment purposes. Sanitization is very important to us and we recommend following all of Mr.Beer's recommended sanitization process. A much more thorough write up, including sanitization practices, can be found online on the Smoked Stout recipe page. If you have enjoyed this homebrew write up, check me out @BarleyTheBrewPup on Instagram. We updated daily and follow us to see what the uprights have in store for me!
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Pork Belly Banh Mi Recipe
In this swirling vortex of lattes fueling rickshaw taxi horns, the needle of frenzy has been pegged at maximum velocity. In this maddening shuffle good people, the best in fact, can be lost. Find yourself here at this food cart, steam rising from crispy juicy pork belly over crunchy soft baguette. With your banh mi sandwich in one hand, turn around and have a seat at the bar patio, where a mysterious stranger puts a black IPA in the other. Tune out the surrounding hubbub and focus on the balance found here in this pairing. Hops and jalapeno warm the mouth while the malt keeps it in check. The sweet carbonated alcohol and vinegar high notes work together to cut through the fat while the subtle sugariness from the pickled veggies counters the roasted malts. A calm will wash over you as your taste buds hum with synergy. Out here in the desert, the gila monster plods along at a much slower pace. Looking like a black IPA drizzled with Sriracha aioli, this little guy packs the same kind of punch. His spirit is embodied in our Gila Monster Black IPA recipe ingredient kit. Sit with him and enjoy the empowering calm this beer and sandwich pairing can bring. Ingredients 2 ½lbs pork belly 2 T sesame chili oil 5 6 inch baguettes 1 cup mayonnaise 2 T Sriracha 2 cups red cabbage, shredded 1 cup daikon radish, matchstick cut 1 cup carrots, matchstick cut 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar 1 T sugar 1 Cucumber, sliced thin 1 bunch Cilantro, rough chop 1-2 jalapenos, sliced thin Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste Directions Preheat oven to 500°. Cover a baking sheet with wax-free parchment paper. Place pork belly skin side up on sheet. Score the skin in a grid pattern with a sharp knife. Do not cut all the way down to the meat. Rub belly with chili oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake for another 45-55 minutes until belly is crisp and browned on the outside and cooked but juicy on the inside. Cool for 5 minutes. Slice it into thin squares. While the belly is in the oven, prepare veggies. Matchstick cuts are achieved by slicing the radishes and carrots into thin flat rectangles and then cutting those into strips resembling matchsticks. In a large bowl stir rice wine vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt, until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add cabbage, radish, and carrot. Mix and allow 30 minutes for vinegar to permeate. Drain the vinegar. Prepare aioli by whisking sriracha into mayonnaise and using a funnel to put it into a squeeze bottle. With a bit of creativity you can roll a funnel out of parchment paper. Slice baguette and toast lightly. Add a layer of pork belly, a layer of pickled veggies, cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeno. Drizzle with Sriracha aioli and top with the other piece of bread.
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Force Carbonating Your Homebrew
(Blog edited: April 2, 2018; prev. named "Different Ways to Carbonate your Homebrew") Carbonation is more than just adding fizz to your beer; carbonation also carries volatile aroma compounds in your beer up to your nose, giving beers a discernable smell. Carbonation also activates the trigeminal nerve in your mouth, and different levels of carbonation feel differently when they hit this nerve. There are two main ways you can go about carbonating your homebrew: force carbonation and priming sugar. This blog will explain force carbonating, be sure to read our priming sugar carbonation blog for the second carbonation method. Forced Carbonation (The commercial brewery approach) Why: Consistent, easy, fast. How: CO2 pressure forced into a tank until it dissolves in the beer. Best for: Easily reaching carbonation levels in brews that need to be served quickly. With what: You can force carbonate with a uKeg or Kegaroo, among other vessels. How to Force Carbonate First you want to chill the keg of beer. Chilling it will allow the CO2 to dissolve into solution much easier. The colder the beer, the more CO2 it will hold. Then you'll want to purge the keg's headspace of any oxygen. The temperature of the beer will also determine how much pressure is used for carbonation. There are 2 main methods of force carbonating. Set the psi to whatever pressure you're trying to reach (use the chart below as a reference) and leave it for a few days in your refrigerator/kegerator. The CO2 will slowly go into solution during that time. If you shake or roll the keg once in awhile, it will happen quicker. Just be sure to check for leaks so you don't lose a whole tank of CO2 in a day (using a soapy spray works well for this). Also, to prevent leaks, when bringing your beer from warmer temps to cooler ones, be sure to add a few pounds of pressure to the keg. This will assure that the keg's o-ring is seated properly so you don't lose CO2. The quicker method. Set the PSI all the way up to 25-35 psi, lay the keg on its side, and roll/shake the keg for about 5-8 minutes. It's not as accurate as the slower method, but it will carbonate your beer much faster. Be sure to let the beer settle for a few hours (overnight is best) so you're not pouring all foam. Once it's carbonated, set the regulator back to the recommended pressure according to the chart and put it back inside the fridge. After a few hours the keg will equalize with the pressure set on the regulator. If you think you may have overcarbonated your beer, lower the regulator pressure and pull the pressure relief valve. CO2 will come out of solution to occupy the headspace thus lowering the carbonation. Use this chart to find your recommended CO2 levels. Then use the keg carbonation chart below to find the proper temp/psi: Style Target CO2 Level (Volumes) Ale, default 2.5 American Lager 2.5–3.0 American Pale Ales 2.3–2.6 Barelywine 1.5–2.0 British Browns and Bitters 1.5–2.25 Belgian Ales 2.4–3.5 Dark Lagers 2.2–2.5 Lager, default 2.7 Pale Lagers 2.3–2.8 Saison 3.0–3.5 Stout, Porter 1.5–2.0 Wheat Beers 2.6–4.5
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What are Chill Haze, Gravity, and Pitch: Brewing Terminology Tuesday
Welcome to our first Brewing Terminology Tuesday: your go-to source for all the brewing terminology you could ever need to know! There will be three terms a week to help advance your homebrewing knowledge. This week, we'll define chill haze, gravity and pitch as they relate to homebrewing. Chill Haze Simply put, chill haze is cloudiness in your homebrew caused by protein and tannins compounding at low temperatures. Most beers are clear at room temperature, but all you homebrewers out there know that, while your homebrew may taste better than commercial beer, it doesn't always look the same. When beer is chilled, proteins and tannins that are left in the beer compound together and create "clumps" that are large enough to reflect light, causing a hazy appearance in your beer. These clumps are heavier than beer, so if you let your beer sit in the fridge for a long period of time undisturbed, those protein clumps will settle at the bottom of your beer and not reappear until you start drinking it. So how do homebrewers avoid chill haze? According to Brew Your Own, the easiest way "involves using heat and cold in just the right way to drop protein out of the wort." What does this mean? "Boil as hard as you can, and chill as fast as you can." A rolling boil causes the tannins to collide with protein particles, effectively removing them from the beer. Then, the wort is rapidly cooled, the trub forms large particles and drops to the bottom, effectively removing many more of the proteins. For a more detailed description of chill haze and how it can be avoided, check out this article. Gravity First of all, there are different types of gravity referred to in the homebrewing world: original gravity, and specific gravity, or final gravity. You need a hydrometer to take a gravity reading. So what does the term gravity refer to? The total amount of dissolved sugar in your beer. Sugar is consumed by yeast, so as your beer ferments, your gravity will change. The original gravity (OG) should be taken before your yeast is pitched. The higher the reading, the more sugar is in your wort to be converted into alcohol. This means, a higher gravity reading means a higher finished ABV. You than use your specific gravity to track the progress of fermentation. Many recipes will tell you what your gravity should be around when fermentation is complete, or you want to take readings until your gravity has stabilized. Pitch This is our easiest terminology for the day. Pitch is the action of adding your yeast to your fermenter. You will want to aerate your wort before pitching your yeast, which can be done in several ways. One of the easiest ways is to simply stir your wart vigorously with a whisk or spoon. Once the wort is thoroughly aerated in your fermenting vessel, sprinkle your yeast on top of the wort. There is no need to stir… your yeast can eat away at the sugars all on its own.
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Great Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for the Beer Loving Man in Your Life
Valentine's Day is right around the corner ladies! It's time to start thinking about that perfect gift you want to get him this year. We know that sometimes men can be hard to shop for, but if your man loves beer, we are here to make your Valentine's Day shopping a breeze thanks to this complete gift guide for the beer lover in your life! And, if you're boyfriend doesn't like beer, well… we can't help you and you may want to consider finding a new boyfriend. DIY Brewing Kit This is our favorite gift (for obvious reasons.) If your man enjoys drinking craft beer, than he will love making AND drinking his own craft beer! While there are lots of kits on the market to choose from, Mr. Beer is the easiest kit to use, plus it is one of the few kits that includes everything he will need to brew his very first batch of beer at home. The hardest decision you have to make? Which size kit do you buy for him: the LBK, 8Lx or the 24L? Check out our starter kits at MrBeer.com. If he already has a brewing set up, check out some of our brewing recipes. Mr. Beer recipes come with additional adjuncts and additives to take his brewing to the next level. Whether he likes IPAs or Pilsners, there is a recipe for everyone. Check out our brewing recipes here. Handmade Wooden Beer Tote What better way to show off that newly brewed beer than with this handmade wooden beer tote from The Rusted Key? This handcrafted six pack carry case is made from carefully stained wood and featured a side rustic bottle opener. $45 on TheRustedKey.com. Chillsner Forgot to chill your pint glasses or didn't put your beer in the fridge early enough? Don't sweat it! The Chillsner is the only in-bottle, drink-through beer chiller. All he has to do is freeze it, and put it into any standard size bottled beer to enjoy instantly cool, refreshing beer. Chillsner 2 pack, $29.95 on Corckcicle.com. Beer of the Month Club If your man enjoys craft beer, and is looking to expand his palate to beers that aren't available in your area, than the Beer of the Month Club is a great idea. The club focuses on providing quality, freshness, and variety in each pack. They have 4 different subscriptions you can choose from that range from $24.95 per month - $33.95 per month plus $15 shipping and handling. Sign him up at BeerClubMonth.com. Spreadable Beer Does your man love beer so much he wishes he could put it on his food and eat it? Well, his wish has been granted thanks to Spreadable Beer! Each jar contains 40% beer, and is a smooth, gooey texture with an intense hoppy scent. $15.19 on Firebox.com. Beer Nerd: A Beer Tasting Trivia Game Let him test his beer knowledge with this fun trivia game. Players roll the die and move around the game board as they test their knowledge of beer. If they land on a blind taste test, they take a sip and try to identify the brew. The first person to correctly identify the final taste test wins the game. $33.15 on Amazon.com.
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BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe
Honey porter is a rare find, so I figured I would match it with a dish that requires some gumption and patience. You're going to have to earn this pairing. Like homebrewing, smoking meat is an art that can be intimidating at first, but once it's set up, the hardest part is being determined enough to allow the full flavor and texture to develop. You'll be tempted to dive in with a couple of hours (or days with brewing) still on the clock, but stay strong, and you'll enjoy the subtle sweet honey co-mingling with tangy bbq love. If you added the ghost chili sauce, you'll appreciate the honey contrast even more. Porters are less intense than darker beers so the pork's natural flavor will still be there. The malts from the porter heighten the pecan and cherry smoke, while the trace of chocolate will enhance the sweetness of the bbq sauce. Love it or hate it, everyone seems to have an opinion about it. Our POTUS Honey Porter Recipe will start the conversation about the elephant in the room. No matter what side of the fence you are on with this issue, it's best to remain calm and find common ground. We are all friends here. So whether or not you agree with putting honey in a porter (what did you think I was talking about?), it's important to remember, it's just beer. Ingredients 6 pound Pork Shoulder Rub ¼ cup cracked black pepper ¼ cup paprika ¼ cup turbinado sugar 2 T salt 2 tsp dry mustard 1 tsp cayenne Sopping Liquid 2 cups cider vinegar 3 T cracked black pepper 2 T kosher salt 1 T Worcestershire sauce 1 T paprika 1 T cayenne BBQ Sauce 1 bottle ketchup 1 cup honey 1 cup molasses 1 cup white sugar 1 ½ cup apple cider vinegar ¾ cup spicy brown mustard ½ bottle worcestershire sauce ¼ cup minced onion 3 T garlic powder 3 T butter 1 tsp cayenne kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste Add 1/4 tsp of ghost chili sauce (Bhut Jolokia) to crank up the heat. Coleslaw 1 head green cabbage shredded 2-4 carrots shredded 1 cup mayonnaise 2 T apple cider vinegar 2 T white sugar Directions Apply ½ of rub to the pork butt the night before smoking and let sit in fridge overnight. The next morning apply the remaining rub. Leave the pork at room temperature for 45 minutes while you set up your smoker. Using pecan and cherry wood get the smoker to 200°F. Place pork fatty side up on slats away from heat. Smoke for 9 hours total. Prepare sopping liquid and brush it on the pork every time you add wood. Prepare BBQ sauce by sauteeing onions in butter until translucent then mix all ingredients in a bowl. When the pork has 1 hour left prepare coleslaw by mixing all ingredients. When pork is done it should have an internal temp of 200°F. Remove pork from smoker and rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Pull apart with forks, mix in warmed BBQ sauce. Serve with coleslaw on sweet rolls.
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