The Brewing Process

Brewing your first batch can be a confusing process. Well, at least I can say it was for me. I didn't know my hops from the yeast. I recently brewed another IPA and I thought I would take this opportunity to show you the process. Below you will find all the ingredients used, as well as all of the steps to get it fermenting.

Ingredients:

9lbs Ultralight Malt Extract

1lb Bavarian Wheat DME (Dried Malt Extract)

8oz Carapils Steeping Grains

8oz Crystal Steeping Grains

8oz White Wheat Steeping Grains

2oz Magnum Hops (Bittering)

.5oz Cascade Hops (Flavoring)

1oz Cascade Hops (Aroma)

.5oz Cascade Hops (Dry)

1oz Willamette Hops (Dry)

4oz Corn Sugar (used for Bottling)

White Labs California Ale Yeast (Qty - 2)

Directions:

• Sanitize Everything, I repeat EVERYTHING. Anything that's used needs to be sanitized. (you can pick up sanitizer online or from you nearest homebrew store)

• Fill your kettle with 3 gallons of water. Put your steeping grains in a nylon bag and then in your kettle. Heat your kettle to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. It should take about 30min to reach the temperature. If it hits 170 degrees sooner, turn off the heat and let the grains steep until 30 minutes have gone by.

• Remove your steeping grains and heat the water to boil. 

• Once the water is boiling, turn the heat off and add your malt extract. This mixture is called wort.

• Turn heat back on and bring wort to boil. Keep a close eye on it because your mixture will start to foam up. When this happens reduce heat and continue to boil for 60 minutes.

• While the wort is boiling add your hops. Bittering hops for 60min, flavoring hops for 30min to end of boil, aroma hops for 15min to end of boil.

• Once it has boiled for an hour it is time to cool down the kettle to 130 degrees. I use the ice bath method and this involves putting the kettle in ice water.

• When the kettle gets to 130 degrees, transfer its contents to the fermenter & top off with water until it is 5 gallons.

• Add the yeast.

• Seal everything air-tight, for IPA's I recommend using a blow-off tube.

• Place in a dark location where the temperature will remain constant to ferment. Primary fermentation usually finishes in 7 days.

Now I have just walked you through getting your brew in the fermenter. In the posts to follow, I will cover dry hopping and preparing for the bottling process. To keep up with our most recent posts please like and follow us on Facebook & twitter.

This work by Daniel Mapes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://bayareabrews.blogspot.com.

Beer Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni & cheese with bacon is pretty delicious. But how do you make it even better? Incorporate some beer into the recipe. I will show you how to use beer throughout the cooking process to make one amazing macaroni & cheese dish.

Ingredients: 

• 30 ounces beer of your choice (Dax prefers New Glarus Spotted Cow)
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (Dax prefers Nueske’s)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup half and half, or 2 percent milk
• 6 ounces IPA, or your favorite beer
• Cracked black pepper
• 2 cups grated white cheddar cheese
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Combine 24 ounces of beer with the five cups of water and boil the pasta. 
   
2. While that is happening cook the bacon to your liking and crumble it up once it is cool. 
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
4. In a large pan melt the butter then add flour and stir till it’s a nice golden color. 
5. Add the milk and stir till there are no lumps and add the remaining 6 ounces of beer, continue to stir till smooth.
6. Add your pepper and cheese and stir until it’s creamy.
   
7. Throw in the pasta and bacon and mix together until everything is cheesy.  
8. Transfer everything to a cooking dish and put in the oven for 30 minutes uncovered. 
9. Once done slap it on a plate grab your favorite beer and enjoy.    

Is this a recipe you will try yourself? Do you have your own beer recipes? Let us know on Facebook & twitter.

This work by Daniel Mapes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://bayareabrews.blogspot.com.

Pyramid Brewery

 

Sometimes it can be surprising but what seems to be a normal restaurant, is actually beer lovers hangout. Located in downtown Walnut Creek, CA is Pyramid Brewery. While some tap houses tend get muddled together. Once you sample their selection of brews, you will think they have reached the peak.

 The first thing people notice walking in is a huge chalkboard displaying all the beers currently on tap. Lining the bar are growlers, so that if you like the beer you can take some home with you.

 One of my favorites is the Outburst IPA. It has a pretty high alohol volume at eight and half percent but a just right balance of bitterness and hops. One thing to note bout this place is that, while the beer selection is good the food can sometimes be hit or miss. So don’t be scared away from one bad experience, the taste of their beer merits a second chance.

Tap 25

What can seem to be a hole in the wall, is sometimes the best place to be. This is exactly the case with Tap 25. Buried in downtown Livermore, CA. This is a place that can easily be missed if your not looking but is worth the search.

It is not a huge, but is a place that people can really enjoy craft beer. What really makes this place so special is that the beer selection changes everyday. The name might give you a hint but they are always rotating 25 handles of beer, so that you get to try something new every time.The staff is always friendly and willing to talk with everyone about that days beer selection. 

One drawback is that they do not serve food onsite. They do however have a deal with the wine bar next door so that you can order food from them. I have also never had trouble about having pizza delivered, so that is also an option. Also if you like youtube the owners  Carrie & tim Bryan post a series of videos where they review beers on the menu. Have you been here before? Let us know on Facebook & twitter.

Blow-off Tubes

Sometimes when home brewing the fermentation can go a little overboard. If you are using just an airlock this can create quite a mess for you. Using a blow-off tube when brewing is a safe bet you will not have any unwanted messes. They are pretty simple to make and require just a few items. I have also included a short podcast I made to help walk you through the process.
 


Materials:
1. A fermenter
2. Food grade tubing 5/16” is usually a safe size
3. Some type of container to hold fluid like an empty water jug.

Steps:
1. Sanitize everything
2. Attach the tubing to the rubber stopper on your fermenter so it’s airtight. 
3. Then route the other end of the tubing into the water jug with some sanitized water in the jug.