Modern Homebrew Recipes (45 page)

Style:
Spiced Beer (New BJCP Style)

Description:
Foreign Extra Stout with Coconut

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:

152°F (67°C) 70 minutes

168°F (76°C) 15 minutes

Kettle volume:

14.5 gallons (55 L)

Boil length:

90 minutes

Final volume:

11 gallons (42 L)

Fermentation temp:

68°F (20°C) 3 days

72°F (22°C) 10 days

Sensory description:
Rich roasty stout with significant chocolate and coffee (mocha-like). Supportive, but not aggressive, bitterness. Coconut is apparent, but not over the top. The coconut enhances the chocolate and coffee flavors, much like coconut goes with chocolate in a Mounds candy bar.

Formulation notes:
Keith says the key to making this beer is to brew a double batch, and only add the coconut extract to one keg. The two kegs are blended together for serving (or for competition). That way, the balance can be adjusted before serving since the flavors and balance can change over time. You are aiming for a final beer where you can just taste the coconut; anything more is too much (unless you’re a coconut fanatic). Blend the beers at a 1:1 ratio to start; adjust as suits your taste. The beer tastes best between two months and six months old.

Variations:
You can leave the coconut out entirely for a killer stout. Anything nutty would taste good in this beer. Once in Australia, I had a beer flavored with toasted macadamia nuts; those would blend well in this beer. As it goes when brewing with any nuts, the challenge is getting the nutty flavors without head-killing fat. In this case, a natural coconut flavoring works best. Keith bought as many different kinds of coconut and extract that he could, and tasted them all in the stout. He then picked what tasted the best and was easiest to use. I’ve done similar experiments and very much support this method of trial-and-error.

SPICED BELGIAN STRONG ALE

This recipe is a worst-to-first story. I love Belgian Dark Strong ales, and tend to make them every year. One year, I decided to try spicing my normal recipe. The spices were quite strong, but I liked the general balance. In the first competition I entered it in (when it was way too young), I got a very low score and the judges didn’t care for the way the spices and the alcohol clashed. Being patient and aging it a proper amount of time for a 9% ABV beer lets the spices mellow and blend better. It really started peaking between one and two years of age. It eventually took Best of Show at the Mountain Brewer Open in West Virginia, which is pretty excellent for a beer I had considered dumping.

Style:
Spiced Beer (Experimental)

Description:
Malty, strong, dark Belgian ale with spices.

Ingredients:

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
, no sparge

Mash rests:

145°F (63°C) 15 minutes

151°F (66°C) 60 minutes

160°F (71°C) 15 minutes

170°F (77°C) 15 minutes

Kettle volume:

8 gallons (30 L)

Boil length:

60 minutes

Final volume:

6.5 gallons (25 L)

Fermentation temp:

75°F (24°C)

Sensory description:
Strong, malty, rich, subdued bitterness, with a strong spice component when young, which balances as it ages. Spicy, fruity yeast character complements the malt and supports the spices.

Formulation notes:
The spices can be fairly strong at the start, so let this beer age. The added benefit of aging is that the beer will mature and the
alcohol will smooth out. It became very good at two years old. If you want to enjoy the beer sooner, cut the spicing level in half and omit the ginger. If the spices seem too low, make a tea with the same proportion of hops, then blend the tea with the beer after it cools.

Variations:
This can make a solid Belgian Dark Strong if you omit the spices altogether. Using only the coriander makes it more like a traditional Belgian beer. Using coriander and orange peel gives it more of a
witbier
-like finish. Star anise and orange peel give it a deep, pungent character. Going a different route with more Christmas-like spices is an option, playing up the cinnamon and nutmeg. Or, to make it more exotic, pick some spice combinations from your favorite ethnic foods, especially ones that hail from Asia (Indian, Chinese, Thai, etc.).

CHRISTMAS SAISON

I came up with this recipe after I made several enjoyable
saisons,
but still wanted something different and special for cold weather. While the combinations are new, the basic components are tried and true.

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

Description:
A strong, dark
saison
for the winter season, spiced with orange peel, coriander, and thyme.

Ingredients: