The Brew Times Homebrewing Blog
The Best Homebrewing Tips from Industry Experts
It's a rare opportunity to be able to chat with a variety of industry experts and pick their brains about homebrewing... so we have done it for you! We sought out the best of the best, and asked them, "If you could give one piece of advice to homebrewers, beginner and advanced alike, what would it be?" So here you have it, ladies and gentlemen, learning how to brew from the our industries leading experts. Jamil Zainasheff, Owner of Heretic Brewing Co. & Yeast Expert Jamil Zainasheff is owner and brewer of Heretic Brewing Co. He is co-author of Brewing Classic Stylesand Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation. He writes for Brew Your Own, Zymurgy, and hosts The Jamil Show and Brew Strong on The Brewing Network. His advice for brewers? "I would recommend people focus on two things: yeast health and sanitation.For yeast health, treat the yeast packs carefully. Store them at refrigerator temps. If using dry yeast, rehydrate carefully at the right temperature. Not rehydrating properly will kill about 50% of the yeast. You don't want to add dead yeast to your beer. For sanitation, think of everything that touches your beer as being dirty. Clean and sanitize everything that touches your beer, even if you think it must be clean already." Trust us, if anyone knows yeast, it's Zainasheff. If you want to learn more advanced information on yeast, check out his book Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation on Amazon.com. Chris White, President and CEO of White Labs Inc. Chris White is the President and CEO of White Labs Inc. Chris founded White Labs in 1995 to manufacture yeast cultures and provide fermentation services to the brewing, wine, and distilling industries. Chris has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego and a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Davis. His advice for new brewers is fermentation temperature control. "Fermentation temperature is one of the key things to get a great tasting beer from fermentation. Too low a temp and the beer may not finish out and be too sweet. Too high (even a couple of degrees-yeast are small!) and there will be too many fruity apple like esters and higher alcohol flavors." Eric Crigger, Owner and Brewmaster at Rocket Republic Brewing Company As the owner and brewer at Rocket Republic Brewing Company, Eric knows a thing or two about brewing. Even better? He started several years ago with a Mr. Beer kit. Thanks to the foundations Mr. Beer helped him build, he was able to start his own successful brewery in Huntsville, AL. His advice for brewers is very simple and to the point: "Make bold choices…always keep experimenting. Not all batches are going to be winners- they only become winners through trial and error." Simply put, don't give up! Sometimes it can be frustrating, but the best beers come from lots and lots of practice. If you want to learn more about Eric and Rocket Republic, we interviewed him in October 2014 about how he got started in homebrewing (spoiler alert: it was a Mr. Beer kit!) and what it takes to open your own brewery. Check it out here. Shawn Halstead, Sales Manager at Coopers DIY LLC Mr. Beer by Coopers is lucky to have someone as knowledgeable as Shawn on staff. Shawn has been brewing for over 8 years, and was previously the President of the Tucson Homebrew club. His advice for brewers is a point that we here at Mr. Beer try to stress as often as possible: "If you have to choose one thing and one thing only to become obsessive about, as a brewer, choose to the cleanest brewer that you can. This philosophy applies to both new and experienced brewers alike and will serve you well in the future. You may hear complaints from other brewers about: off flavors, bad smells, ruined batches, etc. These sorts of complaints are usually the result of unsanitary practices on the part of the brewer. A complaint you will never here is 'this beer is off, because I was a little too clean' or 'being too sanitary is why this beer tastes funny.' It simply does not happen. As you begin to brew and begin to develop habits, being sanitary is the habit you want and any reputation you earn because of it will be one you can be proud of. " For more great information on homebrewing, check out our blog 4 Homebrewing Tips to Become an Expert. To get advice from brewers of all levels, visit our Mr. Beer Community Forum. It is full of brewers who are just waiting to share their knowledge and experience to help you become a better brewer.
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Interview with Jeremy Roberts of 903 Brewers
We had a chance to interview Jeremy Roberts, Owner and Brewmaster of 903 Brewers in Sherman, TX. We partnered with 903 Brewers in January to create their Sugar on Top IPA as a Mr. Beer Craft Brewery Series recipe. We chatted about his start in homebrewing, his favorite beer to brew, and the challenges he faced opening up his own brewery. Check out the full interview below! Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and 903 Brewers: Honestly I am the luckiest guy in the world! I am married to my best friend Natalie, and own a brewery! Somedays I wonder if i am going to wake up and find out it was just a dream. Q: Tell us about your first brewing experience: My first brewing experience was a lot like my first date. I was so nervous of doing the wrong thing I forgot to enjoy the moment. I still have a bottle from my first batch. It was a English Brown ale that at the time I thought was amazing! Unfortunately I was the only one. Everyone else dumped it out. Q: What has been the biggest challenge in the transition from homebrewing to opening your own brewery? Not much. I finally get paid to do what I love. Q: What is your favorite beer to brew? Sasquatch! It's our imperial chocolate milk stout. I drink it year round. Q: If you could share a beer with one person, who would it be? My papaw. He passed away when I was 5. Q: Any advice for new homebrewers? Any advice for homebrewers looking to take the next step in opening up a brewery? For new brewers my advice would be keep pushing the envelope! Don't brew to style. My advice for someone looking to open their own brewery is just do it! It's a lot of work, but if it's your dream go for it!
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Homebrewing Guide for Beginners
Before we discuss the beginning steps to homebrewing, it is best to first understand what beer is and how it is made. What is Beer Made Out Of? As explained by Roger Barth in The Chemistry of Beer: The Science in the Suds, beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the saccharification of starch and fermentation of remaining sugars. Huh? Simply put, beer is made by the fermentation of grain. The most common starch used to brew beer is barley; malted barley to be exact. To begin brewing, the brewer takes milled barley and steeps it in hot water, called "mashing," to create a wort. After you have created your wort, you can add additions such as hops to give a variety of flavors to your beer. After you complete the boiling, you rapidly cool your wort and then add yeast to consume the sugar and release alcohol and CO2. After the yeast has finished eating all the sugars in the wort, you can bottle your beer and add additional sugar to create carbonation, which can take another few weeks. Then violà, you have beer. Homebrewing Guide - Getting Started Now, there is obviously more to brewing your own beer than that one paragraph could explain, and this knowledge comes with experience and research. However, if you are looking to get started in the world of homebrewing, you will need a few basics to get you started: A heat source (a stove will do) Boil pot Stirring spoon Measuring cup Can opener (if using malt extract like what is provided in the Mr. Beer kits) Fermenting vessel Bottles and Caps As for ingredients needed, you can choose one of two directions: malt extract brewing, which is concentrated sugars extracted from malted barley and allows you to skip the "mashing" process (see our beer recipes), or grain brewing. You will also need yeast, water, and priming sugar. If you are grain brewing, you will also want hops as well. Step 1: Sanitize your equipment. This is the MOST important step in homebrewing. Why? Microorganisms that can live on your equipment have the potential to create off flavors in your finished beer. Check out this Mr. Beer video on how to properly sanitize before brewing. Step 2: Boil water. If you are using malt extract, you will remove the pot after the boil and add the malt. If you are using grains, you will add the grain to the boil and begin your mash on the heat source. You will also add your hops during the boil if you are using them. Then, you will chill your wort and add it to your fermentation vessel before pitching your yeast. Step 3: Lastly, you will use sugar to carbonate your beer. This can be done in bottles, or in a bottling bucket that siphons the beer into your bottles. The whole process of brewing can take anywhere from 4 weeks to several months depending on the type of beer you are brewing and how long you want your beer to condition before drinking.
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Chocolate Ginger Cookies Recipe
Whether you are in the frigid blustery northeast, or the a-bit-nippy southwest this time of year, chances are you are enjoying time with your family and friends. Sharing stories of the old, promises of the new and hopefully a cookie and a brew or two. Dark spiced ales are aplenty and ginger cookies warm plates in piles. The gooey chocolate oozes together with the roasted malts and the snappy sweet ginger joins the mulling spices in a rousing chorus sure to bring your party to a revel. With the addition of Tettnanger hops and almond extract,our Spiced Christmas Ale brings a couple of extra friends to the celebration table. Even if one is a little bitter and the other is a bit nuts, we love them still because they fit right in with our pairing get-together. That touch of hoppyness rings in unison with the bitter aspect of the cocoa, while the smooth almond backnote finds the vanilla. Original Recipe from Port and Fin: http://portandfin.com/chocolate-candied-ginger-cookies/ Ingredients ¼ cup shortening ¼ cup butter, softened ½ cup white sugar ¼ cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder ¼ tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp Kosher salt 1 cup chocolate chips 1/3 cup candied ginger, chopped Directions Preheat oven to 350° In a small mixing bowl combine combine dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ground ginger and salt; set aside In a larger mixing bowl, whisk butter and shortening until smooth. Whisk in white sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Add dry ingredients into wet mixture until blended well. Mix in chocolate chips and candied ginger. Roll into small balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes. Serve warm.
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Reuben Sandwich Recipe
A meaty, sloppy, cheesy Reuben has so many intense complex flavors that just any old beer won't do. So how about one of the oldest brews still in existence? Doppelbock's high alcohol content will cut right through all that fat and flavor, peeking through to the other side with malts and grains mixing with toasty rye. Prepare to be fully satisfied as this brew alone was designed to get German monks through the fasting period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.The late 1600's and early 1700's were a good time to be a Paulaner monk. These Italian transplants in Germany had figured a way around the strict rules of Lent, which required one to fast for 46 days. Next to no solid food was allowed to pass their lips, so they concocted this "liquid bread." Feeling a mite guilty over the matter, they sent a batch to the Pope for approval. Beer transport was nothing like it is now, so of course it arrived sour and undrinkable. He decided that it would do them some good to drink such a trying beverage so he approved, and they celebrated. For over a hundred years the Paulaner monks held a secret connection to their "Salvator," or Savior, until finally letting us in on the secret. We have passed the secret to making this sustaining brew on to you with our German Doppelbock. Ingredients 1 T butter, softened 2 slices Rye bread 2 slices Swiss cheese ¼ lb pastrami, thin cut ¼ lb sauerkraut 1/8 cup Russian Dressing Russian Dressing Mix the following: 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 ½ T ketchup 1 ½ tspn prepared horseradish ½ tspn Worcestershire sauce Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste Directions Butter one side of a slice of bread. Place bread butter side down on a piece of wax paper on a cutting board or counter. Add a slice of Swiss cheese and half of the pastrami. Remove excess moisture from the sauerkraut with a paper towel. Add sauerkraut, Russian dressing, another layer of pastrami, second slice of cheese, finally second slice of bread. Add butter to the top. Preheat a sautee pan to medium heat. Cook sandwich on one side until bread is golden brown. Flip sandwich with a spatula and finish cooking on the other side. Cut sandwich in half and serve. * Note: It comes out best if you allow the pastrami, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut to set out for about 10 minutes before building sandwich. Original recipe from Simply Recipes: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/reuben_sandwich/
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Smoked Goose with Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe
When looking to pair with a dark, imperial stout, it is extremely difficult to find foods that can stand up to the stout's bold taste. In most cases, stouts will overpower the meal, leaving the food you have so lovingly prepared tasting bland and boring. However, there is one bold contender in the stout-food pairing arena: smoked goose. A rich layer of smoky fat on top, followed by cooked-to-perfection meat, will have your taste buds singing. This recipe also includes a delicious wild rice stuffing. Pair all of this with your favorite dark stout, and you have yourself a real heavyweight contender of a meal. If you are really looking to explore the dark side, try brewing this Dark Forset Stout. Hints of raspberry and cocoa give this roasty stout a wonderful complexity, and will pair wonderfully with the bold flavors coming from your smoked goose. Ingredients 2 whole wild geese (3 pounds each) 2 tablespoons butter, softened Goose Stock 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 carrots, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1 onion, cut in half 1 turnip, split 1 garlic bulb, cut in half 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns Reserved goose bones Stuffing 2 tablespoons butter 1 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 carrots, diced 2 tablespoons marjoram 3 tablespoons fresh sage, torn into pieces 2 cups dry red wine 2 cups cooked wild rice 2 cups rye bread cubes 1 cup roasted chestnuts, shelled 1 egg 1 tablespoon caraway seeds 1 cup goose stock (see above) Directions Turn geese upside down and cut out the backbone using poultry shears. Then, carefully slit along both sides of the rub cage with a boning knife to remove the breast plate, scraping away meat as you cut. Grab the thigh bones from inside the goose and pull the leg towards you and out of the socket, leaving meat attached to the body. Finally, severe the wings at the joint as close to the body as possible. Reserve the wings and bones for your stock. Slice the breast of each goose open in order to insert the stuffing. Rub the entire surface of each goose with 1 tablespoon of softened butter. To prepare goose stock, place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the goose stock vegetables and saute for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, including bones, and cook for 1 hour. To prepare the stuffing, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and herbs (excluding caraway seeds), and saute for 5 minutes. Then, add your wine. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Add your wild rice, rye bread and chestnuts. Scrape mixture into a large bowl, blend int he egg, caraway seed and 1 ladle of goose stock and mix until evenly coated. Spoon stuffing into the goose and tie securely with butchers twine. Rub the outside of the goose with butter, sage, and marjoram. Smoke the geese in a stove top or conventional smoker at 200-225 Fahrenheit for one to two hours, or until the internal temperature is 170F. Note: the bigger the geese you are smoking, the longer it will take to reach the appropriate internal temperature.
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Barleywine Ale and Cheese Pairing
Some tips for a perfect cheese plate: Keep it Simple - In order to keep from confusing your palate choose no more than three or four cheeses. Crackers or toasted baguette slices should be not be heavily seasoned so as not to distract from the main attractions. Make sure they have a touch of saltiness so they don't become a black hole of flavor. Less is More - Don't be intimidated by high per pound prices. Usually for four or five people a ¼ pound of each is plenty. Temperature Control – The aroma and consistency of a cheese is greatly enhanced by being left out at room temperature for a half hour or so before plating. Don't leave it out too long though as it may "sweat" too much, or if left out for days becomemoldy. Accessorize – To add additional flavors or provide something to try in between cheeses, add any of the following: cured meats, fresh or dried fruit, nuts, or jams. Be sure to make sure they work with the pairing. Build to a Strong Finish – Whether its beer or cheese, always arrange from mildest to strongest. That way you don't overwhelm your palate and lose the ability to taste the more subtle flavors. From the Reluctant Chef: I was standing there at the door waiting for my friend to answer, when I began to examine the invitation more closely. Cheese and wine pairing?!! I didn't wear a tie or a sport jacket. My friend opened the door, saw the expression on my face, laughed and beckoned me in. Upon entering the main room, I peered through the relaxed crowd and quickly realized my mistake. Next to mirrored plates piled high with cheese and charcuterie were mugs of barleywine lined up and waiting. Eager to begin, I grabbed a handle of brew and selected my first cheese, an alpine cheddar. The salty nuttiness stood up well with the strong malty stone fruit flavors of the heady concoction. Though the taste of the cheddar survived the blast of liquid complexity I had subjected it to, it was changed, with crystalline sweetness now dominating. The rest of the night became a dancing, swooning blur of cheeses, meats, and fruit, as the high alcohol content of the Barleywine swept me higher and higher to the stars. I woke the next day with vague sweet memories and a scrap of paper to remind me. Scrawled within… The first word inscribed on my tasting scroll was Burleywine. Ah yes, it was a Mr. Beer recipe I'd enjoyed the night before. It had lagered for 4 months giving it a slight hoppy edge.Consulting my stained parchment, I saw I had indulged in increasingly stinky cheeses. The blue was a cave aged Roquefort style that became briefly creamy after sipping, then peaty like a fine scotch, due to the hops. The penultimate was one that literally smelled like feet. It and the barleywine armwrestled, until I broke the tie with Medjool Dates and some fig jam. Caramel and turbinado sugars oozed out of my next quaff. My last notes trailed off with rumors of cured meat rejuvenated by the witches potion. I decided it was time to start my own batch of Burleywine. Only five months until the next tasting!
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Mission "Giveback": A Look at Mr. Beer's 2014 Community Involvement
In 2013, Mr. Beer made it their mission to give back to the community wherever they could. Usually, this comes in the form of donating kits as raffle prizes to help raise money for charities and nonprofits from around the country. This year, Mr. Beer was fortunate enough to work with several nonprofits and charities such as Boston Children's Hospital, Caitlin's Smiles, Suzanne Bronson Children's Trust, Youth on Their Own, The Zoological Society of Milwaukee, and Unstoppable Heroes. On August 23, 2014, Heather Tobin helped raise money for Boston Children's Hospital by hosting Heather's Challenge for 2014 at Hingham Beer Works. This event hosted a silent auction in which all proceeds benefited Boston Children's Hospital, one of the top pediatric institutions in the world. Mr. Beer was thrilled to donate a kit for the silent auction, and to help out an organization that gives hope to so many kids and families, and is continually working to treat and cure an incredible variety of diseases. Caitlin's Smiles is dedicated to sharing smiles and laughter with children facing chronic or life threatening illnesses. Founded in 2004 in memory of Caitlin Hornung, the nonprofit organization distributes arts and crafts kits to hospitals, giving kids an outlet for creativity during such a difficult time in their lives. This October, Caitlin's Smiles hosted A Night of Smiles Art Auction at the Radisson Hotel in Camp Hill, PA. Mr. Beer donated a kit for their silent auction, and all proceeds went towards the continued efforts to provide hospitals with arts and crafts bags. Throughout the holiday season, Unstoppable Heroes will be hosting auctions on Ebay that directly benefit the organization. Unstoppable Heroes is an amazing non-profit that represents over 250 Wounded in Combat Veterans, most of whom are single, double, and even triple amputated. Their goal is to keep these young men and women involved in activities that help them re-adjust to civilian life, as well as to assist them in finding a career in order to help them gain a sense of belonging. Unstoppable Heroes will be hosting these auctions all month long. If you would like to support this wonderful organization, please visit their Ebay account to see all of the items up for auction: http://www.ebay.com/usr/unstoppableheroes?_trksid=p2047675.l2559 This past May, the Bronson family lost a beloved wife and mother to her third battle with cancer. Suzanne Bronson was a dedicated military wife, mother, and an elementary school teacher, and her untimely passing left her family in an emotional and financial struggle. In order to ease the financial burden that had fallen upon the family, Suzanne's brother created a local fund raiser that would directly assist Suzanne's two children's educational fund. Mr. Beer gladly donated a homebrewing kit to be used as a raffle item in the fundraiser. Chris Magistri, the founder of the Suzanne Bronson Children's Trust fundraiser, said that with the help of the local community, along with generous corporate donors, they were able to raise $3,000 to benefit Suzanne's children. In addition to the nonprofits we work with around the country, Mr. Beer tries to give back to the local Tucson community as much as possible. In 2013, Mr. Beer donated $1000 to a great local nonprofit, Youth on Their Own (YOTO). YOTO is a dropout prevention program in Tucson that supports the high school graduation of homeless unaccompanied youth who are in 6th-12th grade. YOTO provides students with financial assistance, basic needs and guidance as they work to obtain their high school diplomas. Mr. Beer has a wonderful relationship with YOTO, and tries to support their cause whenever they host local fundraisers. Mr. Beer has also donated kits to events that are still in the works. The Zoological Society of Milwaukee will be hosting Puttin on the Ritz February 5, 2015 at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. This annual event is a night filled with gourmet food, premium cigars, drinks, live auction, and amateur boxing. Last year's event raised more than $154,148 for the Zoological Society and their support of the Milwaukee County Zoo, and this year's event is sure to be hit. If you are a non-profit or charity looking to raise funds through an auction or raffle, please contact Customer Service to discuss the possibility for Mr. Beer involvement.
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Mr. Beer Makes the Perfect Gift for Any Guy in Your Life
I received a sample for this review/feature. Opinions expressed are my own. There's nothing quite as satisfying as a cold beer. After a long day at work, or when you're barbecuing, a beer is the perfect drink to unwind and relax. My husband is a serious lover of beer. He's always trying new brands, flavors, and is always open to drinking any type of IPA. Surprisingly enough, he's never thought to make his own beer before. When I saw the Mr. Beer kit, I knew he just had to try it. Our Mr. Beer kit came with everything we needed to make our beer: 2 gallon fermenter with lid and tap Instructional videos and easy to follow brewing instructions Mr. Beer Carbonator Drops Bottles with caps and labels No Rinse Cleaner Can of Hopped Malt Extract (the beer) Yeast The first thing you need to do is to assemble your keg and fill it with water to check for leaks. I can't imagine anything worse than having a leaky keg full of beer. After you've assembled and checked, it's time to sanitize. Sanitizing is actually an essential step because it kills bacteria and yeasts that could be in your keg or on the items you're using to make the beer, which can produce off-flavors in your beer. Using the No Rinse Cleanser that comes with the kit was easy to do and the best part was I didn't have to rinse or dry anything off after using. Now comes the fun part – brewing! There will be a yeast packet inside of your can of hopped malt extract (HME) that you need to remove. You boil water, add the HME, and stir. The HME is really thick and takes a while to completely come out of the can so be patient with it. Once it's thoroughly mixed, you add it along with water to you keg. At this point in the process, your unfermented beer is called wort. Once it's all in the keg and thoroughly mixed again, you add your yeast and then screw on the lid. Place the keg in a location with a consistent temperature between 68 and 76F and out of direct sunlight. We stored ours in a closet that we don't use and then 14 days later, we were ready for the next step. Before you bottle your beer, be sure to use the No Rinse Sanitizer solution with the bottles. Once they're sanitized, add a Mr. Beer Carbonation Drop or sugar into the bottles and fill them up. Put the cap on and gently turn the bottle upside down – no shaking. Once the bottles are all filled up, store them again for another 14-21 days so the beer can carbonate. When the bottles feel hard like a rock, they're ready to drink. Just make sure to chill them first for the best flavor. My husband was so excited to try them out, that he even had it marked on his calendar when to check on them. I've never seen him so giddy to open a bottle of beer before – he was like a kid in a candy store. Needless to say, he loved his beer. He said it had an excellent flavor and was a great IPA. He's already searching for which type of beer he will be brewing next because he wants everyone to try them at our Christmas dinner. He's one seriously proud beer brewer. Mr. Beer kits are the perfect gift for any beer loving person in your life. They have so many different types of beer, and even ciders and root beer for those who don't really like beer, that there is something any budding home brewer would love to try. You definitely do not have to be a pro to use their kits and the instructions were detailed, yet easy to follow. The best part about Mr. Beer is their brewing malts are Non-GMO and 100% natural without any additives or preservatives. They offer a variety of different kits depending on your brewing needs. The Mr. Beer kit made brewing easy and fun and I know my husband can't wait to get started on his next batch. Mr. Beer kits are available for purchase this holiday season at Kmart, Sears, Target, and Cabelas. Connect: You can connect with Mr. Beer on their website, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and @MrBeer on Twitter. Article originally posted at: http://outnumbered3-1.com/2014/11/mr-beer-makes-perfect-gift-for-any-guy
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Porterhouse Steak Recipe
The train stops in the middle of 19th century United States. The tracks still rattling off in your head you set your weary sights on a nearby hotel/restaurant. Inside, you order a steak and a beer. A mug of dark ale, and a large t-bone land in front of you. A bite. A chug. Caramel on caramel. Bitter grill marks over buttery fat and bittersweet cocoa. A porterhouse steak and a chocolate porter. You're not home yet, but you never want to leave. Ingredients 1lb Porterhouse Steak 6 T Canola Oil 2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper Mesquite Charcoal Directions Ignite the grill to preheat the grates. Light the charcoal to allow it to burn down for 30 minutes. Once the coals begin to burn, rake the majority of the coals to one side of the grill, leaving a small single layer of burning coals on the other side of your grill. Light a gas grill to medium-high by turning the left burner to high heat, middle burner to medium-high heat, and leaving the right burner off. Bring the steak to room temperature. Don't leave it out longer than two hours to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Season the porterhouse steak with salt, pepper, and oil blend. Cover the top loin and tip of the steak. A generous amount of salt will help ensure that the steak is tender after it is finished grilling. Brush oil blend on the grilling grates generously. This helps to prevent the steak from sticking. Place steak at a 45 degree angle to the grate on the hottest part of the gas or charcoal grill. Sear for one minute then rotate it 90 degrees. After searing for another minute, flip and sear for another minute. If any flare-ups occur, spray flame with a little water. Move the steak to the cool side of the grill. Close the lid of the grill. Grill the steak for 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. The internal temperature will reach 130 degrees.According to guidelines, a safe cooking temperature is 165 degrees for a steak. However, the cooking temperature will vary according to an individual's tastes. Remove the steak. Let it rest for 5 to 8 minutes.
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Traditional Irish Stew Recipe
In the shadowy corners of many Irish brewpubs, people can be found huddled over steaming bowls of stew, clutching half empty pints of stout, muttering stories to themselves and any who'd listen. Pull up a chair and let me tell you about meat and vegetables in a dark sturdy broth, melding with the malty blackness until all that is left is a desolate bowl, a void glass notched with creamy reminders of each deep quaff, and the stories. Stories of heavy caramel and browned meat; Of tender lamb and the creamy malt keeping watch over it. But don't listen to me, experience it for yourself. Our Shameless Stout recipe brings all the dark roasty flavors an Irish stout should. It has a noticeable bitterness that when combined with this stew, will suss out hidden ingredients, like the cabbage. With our recipe you can write your own story; After all, there is no fireside like your own fireside. Ingredients 1 lb mutton or lamb cutlets 2lb red potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters 1 cup onion, roughly chopped 1 cup leeks, cleaned and finely sliced 1 cup carrots, roughly chopped 3 cups liquid beef stock ½ cup Irish stout 3 cabbage leaves, thinly sliced ½ cup all purpose flour 2 T vegetable oil Kosher salt and crack black pepper to taste Directions Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut lamb into ½ inch cubes. Sprinkle cubes lightly with salt and pepper. Dredge lamb in flour. In a large pot, heat oil to hot but not smoking. Sear cubes turning every minute until all sides are browned. Remove lamb and set aside. Add a bit more oil and allow it to heat up. Add onions and leeks. Saute until onions turn golden. Deglaze with stout. Simmer for an additional minute. In a large pot add potatoes, carrots, lamb and onion/leek/beer fusion. Add beef stock and water to cover ingredients. Set heat to medium and cover with a tight fitting lid. Lower heat to low before it begins to boil. Simmer on low for 1 hour. Add cabbage. Simmer on low for additional hour, adding water to ensure ingredients stay covered. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
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Turkey and Vegetable Chili Recipe
You've got a Pumpkin Lager in your hands and you're wondering what to pair it with. The abundant autumn flavors of this warming turkey vegetable chili would make an wondrous choice. A ripe garden of color and taste comes together, sweet and vibrant San Marzano tomatoes, crisp and vivid squash and pumpkin, all inviting and comfortable. The subtle Oktoberfest caramel malts and relaxing mulling spices of our Punkin Lager recipe will pull a greater sweetness out each of the vegetables and enliven it's bouquet. Ingredients 2 cups diced yellow onions (about 3 medium onions) 2 T olive oil 1 medium zucchini, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 pounds ground or leftover turkey, shredded 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes 1 (14 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (could also use kidney beans) 5 T chili powder 1 T cumin 1 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp kosher salt 3 T chopped cilantro Squash blossoms for garnish Directions Bring oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion, zucchini and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until softened. If using ground turkey, add and continue to cook for another 6-7 minutes, stirring to cook evenly and breaking up the meat until the meat is cooked through. If using leftover turkey, add with ingredients in next step. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and cilantro and stir to combine. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about an hour to thicken. Top served portion with squash blossoms.
Read moreInterview with Jeremy Hilderbrand of Sentinel Peak Brewing
We had a chance to sit down and share a pint with Jeremy Hilderbrand, Brewmaster and Co-Founder of Sentinel Peak Brewing. We chatted about his start in homebrewing, how Sentinel Peak came about, and the challenges he faced opening up his own brewery. Check out the full interview below! Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and Sentinel Peak: My name is Jeremy Hilderbrand, and I am Head Brewer and Co-Founder of Sentinel Peak Brewing Company located in Tucson, AZ. Sentinel Peak is a 3 BBL (90 gallons-at-a-time) nano-brewery/brewpub which opened its doors on January 9th, 2014 and is owned by myself, Matt Gordon, and Taylor Carter. We are all full-time firefighters and, of course, craft beer enthusiasts. Q: Tell us about your first brewing experience: After experiencing great German beers while serving overseas, apparently I complained to my wife too much that I couldn't find any good Dunkels in America. So... she bought me a homebrew kit for Christmas and told me to "do it myself!" I had never brewed a beer before, and it was pretty messy, long, and a bit overwhelming. But in the end.. the beer was great because I made it myself! Q: What has been the biggest challenge in the transition from homebrewing to opening your own brewery? The biggest challenge in the transition was being able to hit the correct numbers at every stage of the brewing process in order to achieve a product with consistent quality. Because of our small batches, there are going to be minor differences from batch to batch, but consistent quality is something we always strive for. Q: What is your favorite beer to brew? I love brewing our 1811 Desert Blonde Ale. This is the beer that I introduced at a local Firefighter Charity Brew Off and got fantastic feedback. It's the one that made me think I could open a brewery. Q: If you could share a beer with one person, who would it be? Hands down I would have to say Han Solo. Come on. That guy is so cool. Q: Any advice for new homebrewers? Any advice for homebrewers looking to take the next step in opening up a brewery? Advice for new brewers: Make what you like. You are going to be the one drinking it, so you better like it. And of course..... DO IT! Advice for anyone looking to open a brewery: DO IT! And of course, make what you like, because you are going to be the one drinking it!
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