Modern Homebrew Recipes (44 page)

Steeping spices:

(put in mesh bag, add at end of boil, steep 10 minutes, remove)

The zest of 2 oranges

2 vanilla beans, split, scraped

6 cinnamon sticks, broken up

12 coriander seeds, crushed

1 whole nutmeg, chopped

8 whole allspice, crushed

Water treatment:

RO water treated with ¼ tsp 10% phosphoric acid per 5 gallons

1 tsp CaCl
₂
in mash

Mash technique:

Infusion, mashout, crystal malts and dark grains added at
vorlauf

Mash rests:

154°F (68°C) 60 minutes

170°F (76°C) 15 minutes

Kettle volume:

9 gallons (34 L)

Boil length:

120 minutes

Final volume:

6 gallons (23 L)

Fermentation temp:

68°F (20°C)

Sensory description:
Rich malty base with toasty, bready flavors and deep caramel. Flavor and aroma of spices are prominent, but blend in with the richness. Warming and chewy, with a malty finish.

Formulation notes:
A collection of flavorful malty ingredients sets the base for the spices. The spices are to taste, so feel free to omit any that you don’t like. I would always avoid clove, since it reminds people think of an off-flavor. If the treacle flavor is too strong for you, try light molasses instead.

Variations:
I’ve tried this beer with fresh ginger and didn’t like it (candied ginger might be fine, though). It’s fun to play around with
different blends, sometimes showcasing Indian or Chinese spices, but if you’re brewing a beer for Christmas itself, stick with traditional spices; those seem to be in the flavor memory for most people that celebrate Christmas.

PUMPKIN ALE

I’ve been making pumpkin beers for years. I often take them to Halloween parties and the kegs go dry pretty quickly. If handling the pumpkin wasn’t such a pain, I’d make a double batch.

Style:
Autumn Seasonal Beer (New BJCP Style, Experimental)

Description:
Pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices combine with a malty-sweet, bready, toasty amber base beer that suggests pumpkin pie filling, crust, and even a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

Steeping spices:

(add at knockout in mesh bag, steep 10 minutes then remove)

6 cinnamon sticks, broken up

1.5 Tbsp crystallized ginger, chopped

1 whole nutmeg, roughly chopped

10 whole allspice, crushed

4 green cardamom pods, crushed, husks discarded

Wyeast 1968 London ESB yeast

Water treatment:

RO water treated with ¼ tsp 10% phosphoric acid per 5 gallons

1 tsp CaCl
₂
in mash

Mash technique:

Step mash, mashout, dark grains added at
vorlauf

Mash rests:

131°F (55°C) 20 minutes

146°F (63°C) 20 minutes

151°F (66°C) 20 minutes

158°F (70°C) 30 minutes

168°F (76°C) 15 minutes

Kettle volume:

8.5 gallons (32 L)

Boil length:

90 minutes

Final volume:

6.5 gallons (25 L)

Fermentation temp:

68°F (20°C)

Using Pumpkin:
The pumpkin used in this recipe is canned, unspiced puree (Libby’s or equivalent store brand). Put the puree into a large baking pan, and roast in a 400°F (204°C) oven for 1:00 to 1:15, turning every 15 minutes until fairly dry and caramelized but not burned. Put the roasted pumpkin into a large mesh bag at the end of mash, recirculate on top of it, sparge through it, and then move to the kettle during heating. Remove the bag when the wort starts to boil, but allow the drippings to collect in the kettle.

Sensory description:
Beautiful reddish amber-orange color. Big spice nose. Seems sweet but it’s actually just low in bitterness. Pumpkin is noticeable in the flavor, and recognizable with pumpkin pie spices. Creamy mouthfeel. Medium-full body but dry in the finish.

Formulation notes:
I don’t like to use too many hops in spiced beers, and this one is no exception. The bittering hops are kept low, so as to preserve
the malty-sweet impression. Late hops are not used so the spicing can shine through, unimpeded. Use pumpkin puree instead of wasting time with fresh pumpkins. If you must start with pumpkins, be sure to use pie (sugar) pumpkins, not field pumpkins (the kind you carve for Halloween). Split in half, remove seeds, roast for 1 hour on a baking sheet in a 350°F (177°C) oven. Let cool until you can handle it, then scoop flesh from skins. Puree in a food processor and save for use in recipe. Measure amount by finished pumpkin extracted, not starting weight of pumpkins.

Variations:
If you vary the spices, I recommend leaving out cloves. I know they are a common ingredient in pumpkin pie spice, but experienced beer drinkers will almost always associate it with a flawed beer even if they know it is part of the spicing. I guess the judge training really does sink in. The vanilla is optional. The base beer can be used to experiment with other spices as well. This beer can also be made as into a larger beer (go ahead, make the obvious “Great Pumpkin” joke), but be careful about the alcohol being too bold. I don’t normally drink alcohol along with my pumpkin pie, so try not to associate those flavors too strongly.

LLAMARADA STOUT

While on a trip to Chile in 2013, Kris England and I created this as a collaboration recipe with local brewers. Kris had tasted an espresso drink seasoned with honey and the smoked merkén seasoning and thought this would be a great flavor pairing for a beer. I later brewed it using some of the spice I bought at a market in Santiago. When I had Kris try it a few months later, he said, “You made this?” A Chilean woman at the same event tried it, and got a big smile on her face. “This reminds me of home,” she said as she proceeded to slam down a pint in a few minutes. This recipe is a scaled up version of the original recipe Kris created, but he deserves credit for the concept and original recipe.

Style:
Specialty Beer (Classic BJCP Style, Experimental)

Description:
A foreign-style stout spiced with Merkén, honey, and coffee.
Merkén
is a spice blend using mostly a dried, smoked chili pepper from Chile with a little crushed coriander seed. The spice is made by the
indigenous
Mapuche
people of Chile, but can be purchased from online retailers like Amazon.com. It’s an interesting general purpose spice that I’ve begun using more frequently.

Ingredients:

Water treatment:

RO water treated with ¼ tsp 10% phosphoric acid per 5 gallons

1 tsp CaCl
₂
in mash

Mash technique:

Infusion, mashout, dark grains added at
vorlauf

Mash rests:

156°F (69°C) 60 minutes

168°F (76°C) 15 minutes

Kettle volume:

9 gallons (34 L)

Boil length:

90 minutes

Final volume:

7 gallons (27 L)

Fermentation temp:

66°F (19°C)

Sensory description:
Dark brownish-black color. Roasted, coffee, and chili aroma. Non-bitter, with a big coffee flavor. Spice is low, just a touch in the finish. Low notes of dark caramel. Moderately sweet finish with moderate fruit. Medium-full body. Medium bitterness.

Formulation notes:
It’s hard to substitute for the merkén; it’s not as strong as chipotle. When used as a table seasoning, the blend is about 80% merkén, 10% kosher salt, and 10% crushed coriander seed, but the premium merkén doesn’t include salt. A blend of some chipotle and sweet Hungarian paprika might taste approximately like the spice. The type of honey and coffee can be varied. I’ve listed what I used, and they both tasted great in this recipe. I would avoid using heavily roasted grains in this beer; this version works because of the smoothness of the roast. I would also be careful about using coffee that has a high acidity, as it could cause clashing flavors.

Variations:
This beer already has a lot going on, so I’m not sure how much else you could add before it turns into a trainwreck. The intensity of the spice can vary with age and handling, as well as personal preference. I like it a little more prominent, so I sometimes add a pinch of fresh merkén to the glass at serving time. When I made the recipe, I used the blend with salt and coriander. The premium merkén without salt is a little smokier. When Kris made his commercial version (El Guerrero, or The Warrior), he used 100% indigenous South American ingredients; I think that would have a more rustic but authentic character.

KOKONUT STOUT

This recipe for a foreign export stout with coconut comes to me from longtime friend Keith Kost (who sometimes goes by the nickname Koko). I’ve judged his beer in competition, including when it won Best of Show at the 2014 Brewfest in Mount Hope. Once I found out it was his beer, I immediately requested the recipe. I think the key is that the coconut is recognizable but not so prominent that the beer reminds you of suntan lotion.