The Naked Pint (52 page)

FERMENTATION TEMPERATURE

PRIMING SUGAR

In a small pot, heat 3 or 4 quarts of water to around 150°F (bubbles start to form on the bottom). Remove from the heat, and stir in the specialty grains. Cover and steep for 20 to 30 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, fill a large brewpot half full with water, and heat until bubbles start to rise from the pot. Turn off the heat, and stir in the malt extract.

After the grains have steeped, pour the liquid and grains through a strainer directly into the main brewpot. Add some hot water to the small pot, and rinse the grains in the strainer in the hot water to extract as much flavor and sugar as you can from the grains. This is the sparging process. Add this liquid to the main pot.

 

Bring what is now called wort to a full, rolling boil. Watch for boilovers! Once the foaming stops, add the contents of the first hop package, and set the timer for 45 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, sanitize your fermenter, strainer, airlock, and stopper.

 

When the timer sounds, add the second addition of hops, and set the timer for 15 minutes. When the timer sounds, add the last hop addition and turn off the heat.

 

When the boil is done, cool the pot in a sink until the sides are cool to the touch.

 

Pour the wort into the sanitized fermenter, add prechilled water to bring it up to 5 gallons at about 75°F, and pitch the yeast.

 

Ferment in the recommended temperature range for 7 to 10 days or until bubbling in the airlock has decreased to about one bubble a minute.

 

Bottle with dissolved priming sugar when fermentation is complete. (See Step Ten and Step Eleven on page 224.)

 

SPECIALTY GRAIN BILL

MALT SOURCE

HOPPING SCHEDULE

YEAST

FERMENTATION TEMPERATURE

PRIMING SUGAR

In a small pot, heat 3 or 4 quarts of water to around 150°F (bubbles start to form on the bottom). Remove from the heat, and stir in the specialty grains. Cover and steep for 20 to 30 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, fill a large brewpot half full with water, and bring to a boil.

When bubbles start to rise from the pot, turn off the heat and stir in the malt extract.

 

After the grains have steeped, pour the liquid and grains through a strainer directly into the main brewpot. Add some hot water to the small pot, and rinse the grains in the strainer in the hot water to extract as much flavor and sugar as you can from the grains. This is the sparging process. Add this liquid to the main pot.

 

Bring what is now called wort to a full, rolling boil. Watch for boilovers! Once the foaming stops, add the contents of the first hop package, and set the timer for 45 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, sanitize your fermenter, strainer, airlock, and stopper.

 

When the timer sounds, add the second addition of hops, and set the timer for 15 minutes. When the timer sounds, add the last hop addition and turn off the heat.

 

When the boil is done, cool the pot in a sink until the sides are cool to the touch.

 

Pour the wort into the sanitized fermenter, add prechilled water to bring it up to 5 gallons at about 75°F, and pitch the yeast.

 

Ferment in the recommended temperature range for 7 to 10 days.

 

When the bubbling in the airlock is down to less than twice a minute, move the beer to a secondary fermenter. This can be another bucket or glass carboy. This allows the beer more time to ferment and adds another layer of complexity to the flavor profile before bottling.

 

Bottle with dissolved priming sugar when the fermentation is complete.

W
e are big fans of Allagash brews, and have been fortunate enough to share pints with Rob and pick his brain on beer-related subjects. His interest in brewing began in the early 1990s when he worked for Otter Creek Brewery in Vermont. Through Rob’s travels, he had sampled many styles of beer and was struck by the inventiveness and depth of Belgian beers. Though Belgian styles were scarcely heard of in the United States at the time, Rob saw this as an open niche in the micro-brewery market. In 1995, Rob founded Allagash Brewing Company and began his venture with the release of his award-winning flagship, Allagash White. Since then, Allagash has added a number of beers to its portfolio, including a barrel-aged series, a series of philanthropic beers, and a series that uses Allagash’s own proprietary
Brettanomyces
yeast strain.

 

MALT EXTRACT

HOPPING SCHEDULE

YEAST

FERMENTATION TEMPERATURE

PRIMING SUGAR

In a brew kettle, heat 6 gallons of water to a boil. Remove from the heat, and add the malt extract. Return to a boil.

 

After 15 minutes, add the Hallertauer hops, and boil 60 minutes. Add the first Saaz hops, and boil 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the remaining Saaz hops, swirl the contents of the kettle to create a whirlpool, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

 

Cool the wort and rack (move) to your fermenter, leaving as much of the solids behind in the kettle as possible. Use a strainer if you can.

 

Once the wort is at 75°F or below, pitch the yeast, and ferment at the recommended temperature.

 

Add your dissolved priming sugar dose, and bottle when fermentation is complete.

e
P
atrick Rue is one of the brewers and owners of the Bruery in Orange County, Californina, who found his true calling in making beer rather than being a lawyer. The Bruery is spelled so because of Patrick’s last name and because it is a family-run business. The Bruery specializes in Belgian-style ales crafted with a distinctive twist. All of its beers are 100% bottle-conditioned, meaning the beers undergo fermentation in the bottle, which allows a complexity of flavor to arise. We are inspired by Patrick’s use of interesting flavorings, like Thai basil and lavender. His creations step outside the norm and give our palates something to ponder.

One of our favorite Bruery beers is Black Orchard, which is a traditional Belgian Wit made untraditionally with chocolate malt. That combination is quite a unique experience. For the following recipe, Patrick turns the tables on a traditional Saison by using a darker malt, like those used for Dunkel styles. The ABV should end up at around 7.8%.

e
SPECIALTY GRAIN BILL e

MALT SOURCE 3

HOPPING SCHEDULE

OTHER INGREDIENTS

YEAST

PRIMING SUGAR e

Add the grain to a steeping bag, and steep cold in a kettle or pot with 5.5 gallons of water for 20 minutes.

 

Remove the grain. Bring the water to a boil, and remove from the heat. Add the malt extract, and stir well until dissolved. Add the hops.

 

Bring to a boil, and boil 60 minutes. Remove from the heat, and add the honey. Mix well. Add the spearmint and chamomile, and let sit 5 minutes.

 

Chill the wort as cold as possible, preferably to 50°F. Pitch the Belgian Saison yeast.

Let the fermentation temperature naturally rise as high as possible, preferably to 90°F to 95°F. This temperature will be reached after about 2 days of fermentation. If the beer doesn’t get warm enough, wrap the fermenter with a towel to tr y to retain heat.