Beer Brewing: Difference between revisions

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measured specific gravity out of the secondary carboy and found it to be 1.01
measured specific gravity out of the secondary carboy and found it to be 1.01
* 04/21/2012: put into keg with molasses water solution


== Ginger Ale ==
== Ginger Ale ==

Revision as of 16:36, 23 April 2012

Objective

Brew beer at Noisebridge! In addition to drinking it, we can learn about yeast, microbiology, wild fermentation, gruit and beer styles before the German Beer Purity law...

Brettanomyces Saccharomyces Lactobacillus Sour Cherry Salvia Ale

Procure microbes or cultivate isolated microbes found growing wild in fruit peels. We can also purchase laboratory microbes or borrow microbes from beer. Brettanomyces (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brettanomyces) is another type of yeast and it can produce fruity and acidic flavors. A Lactobacillus species could be selected to product lactic or acetic acid. I believe this type of beer should be left in the secondary for several months. I suspect this bacteria would prefer a warmer ambient temperature instead of a chilly wine cellar.

borrow microbes from beer

1. purchase Sour Belgian red ale (Rodenbach Grand Cru or similar)

2. pour 200ml of ale into a gallon jug and drink the rest

3. procure starter solution of malt extract and water (2 pints water 1/2 cup malt extract)

4. put room temperature malt solution into jug with the ale; put on airlock

5. cultivate microbes at room temperature for a few days

6. add more malt solution

7. after a few more days it should be ready to pitch into a beer wort

add fruit or fruit juice

Fruit or fruit juice could be added to the wort before primary fermentation or it could be added to the carboy during secondary. Many variables to experiment with... I cannot find fresh Sour Cherries so I've been using decocted dried Sour Cherries.

Black Sage alcohol extract fortification

Make an alcohol extract of Black Sage (Salvia mellifera) 1:2 @ 95%

fresh herb alcohol extract

1. Place 1 part fresh herb and 2 parts 95% alcohol into glass jar.

2. Press herb down below the fluid surface and seal jar tightly.

3. Store in dark cool cellar for 10 days.

4. Strain and press herb.

5. Store alcohol extract in sealed amber glass (e.g. a beer bottle with cork)

fortification

1. Figure out the ale to alcohol extract fortification ratio by tasting various ratios

2. add alcohol extract to ale at bottle or keg time


Yerba Matte Ale

Ingredients:

starting specific gravity 1.055; 6.9% potential alcohol
yeast pitched on March 24th, 2012 @ 5:30pm
measured specific gravity out of the secondary carboy and found it to be 1.01

  • 04/21/2012: put into keg with molasses water solution

Ginger Ale

Simple... starting specific gravity same as above more or less ;-( ending specific gravity after secondary is 1.01

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds of fresh ginger
  • 8 pounds of malt extract; we used Munich and Amber malt syrups
  • 4 gallons of water; we used tap water
  • 1 liquid vile of Dry English ale yeast (wlp007)


Procedure

  • simmer malt extract and water for about 30 minutes
  • decoct ginger in a pot of water
  • add strained decoction to malt extract solution
  • let it cool in the large stockpot with the lid on
  • check specific gravity
  • siphon into 5 gallon glass carboy
  • pitch yeast; pitced on March 23rd, 2012
  • attach bung and hose + jar of water for an airlock with overflow
  • 04/21/2012: put into keg with molasses water solution

the half full glass carboy

Extra wort from the Ginger Ale was put into a different 5 gallon carboy and a different yeast (Danstar Nottingham) was pitched.

03/24/2012: added extra wort from the Yerba Matte Ale into this carboy... so now it's a Yerba Matte Ginger Ale.

04/22/2012: bottled with brown sugar.