Malt Extract | All Grain | Extract/Grain
Here are some simple, but good, recipes. I've arranged them pretty much
from lightest to darkest. Besides the usual brewing equipment, you will
need a good sized stock pot (15 litres recommended).
View instructions • Download
instructions
Wheat Beer O.G. 1.045
7lb Wheat Malt Extract
6 AAU Mt. Hood, Hallertau or Tettnang
Liquid wheat beer yeast culture
This is a light, refreshing summer beer, often served with a slice of lemon. For the distinctive clove and banana flavours of German wheat beers, use a liquid yeast culture.
Summer Lager O.G. 1.045
4.5lb Pale malt extract
2.5 lb Liquid Invert Sugar OR 1 KG dextrose
5 AAU Mt. Hood or Cascade - 45 mins
1/2 oz Mt. Hood, Hallertau or Saaz
Finnish Lager Yeast or Nottingham Ale Yeast
A true lager is fermented cold (12-15 Celsius) and aged colder (5-10 Celsius) in the secondary using a pure (liquid) lager culture. If this is not possible, use a neutral dried ale yeast. Typical Canadian Lager, just like the big breweries make. Enough said.
Summer Lager II O.G. 1.045
7 lb Pale Malt Extract
5.25 AAU Hallertau or Mt. Hood (45 minutes)
1/2 oz Hallertau or Mt. Hood (finishing)
Neutral Ale Yeast or liquid lager culture
A true lager is fermented cold (12-15 Celsius) and aged colder (5-10 Celsius) in the secondary using a pure (liquid) lager culture. If this is not possible, use a neutral dried ale yeast. This is a light, hot weather thirst quencher. By using a very light malt extract - light colour means less caramelization and "cleaner" malt flavour - and avoiding the use of adjuncts, this recipe produces a high quality Canadian style lager, similar to Labbatt's classic, or some of the less adventurous microbreweries.
Mexicannish Pilsner O.G. - 1.048
6lb pale malt extract
1.5 lb invert syrup
1 oz cascade (6.1%) (45 minutes)
.5 oz saaz (3.5%) finishing (15 minutes)
.5 oz saaz finishing liquid lager culture or dried neutral ale yeast
This is a dry, thirst quenching lager, a la "corona". Drink with spicy food, on the beach. A true lager is fermented cold (12-15 Celsius) and aged colder (5-10 Celsius) in the secondary using a pure (liquid) lager culture. If this is not possible, use a neutral dried ale yeast. This is a European style pilsner more intense in maltiness, body and hop aroma than my standard Pilsner recipe.
Storm Hurricane India Pale Ale O.G. 1.065
10 lb Pale Malt Extract
18 AAU Centennial or columbus bittering hops
1 oz Willamette finishing hops
.5 oz Centennial or Cascade finishing hops
1 oz Willamette Dry hops Ale Yeast
This recipe is, of course, an extract version of the commercial beer. Storm Brewing uses Gambrinus 2-row pale malt, for which I've substituted pale malt syrup. The original gravity of the commercial beer actually varies from 1.057 and 1.070 depending on the time of year, what kind of mood James is in, not to mention what kind of day the beer gods are having. The whole flower hops that I sell are from the same bales that Storm uses, and I usually have yeast from the brewery available.
Amber Ale O.G. - 1.045 - 1.050
7.25 - 8lb Amber malt extract
9.2 AAU Northern Brewer or other bittering hop
.75 oz Mt Hood, saaz or sterling (15 minutes)
.75 oz Mt Hood, saaz or sterling (finishing)
1 oz Mt Hood, saaz or sterling dry hop (optional)
neutral ale yeast
This is a much hoppier version of the Real Ale recipe. Adding some of the finishing hops 15 minutes before the end of the boil broadens the hop flavour spectrum, and the dry hopping more than makes up for the sacrificed bouquet.
Brown Ale 1.045 7.25
lb Dark Malt Extract
6 AAU Goldings, Willamette or Cascade hops - boil 1 hour
1/2 oz goldings, Willamette or Cascade - finishing Ale Yeast
Dark, sweet, smooth, English classic.
Porter O.G. - 1.050
8 lb Dark Malt Extract
1/2 cup, no more, dark molasses (optional)
8-10 AAU Bittering hop (Northern Brewer, Pride of Ringwood, Willamette)
1/2 oz Willamette, Goldings, Pride of Ringwood finish
Ale Yeast
A rich, creamy, thick, chewy, London Porter. Best served not too cold on a rainy Vancouver winter evening.
Top
1. Fill
your kettle (19 litre stock pot) about half full of water and bring it to a
boil. Set the tub of malt extract in your sink with hot water to soften it
up. When the water comes to a boil, move the kettle off the burner and
stir in the malt extract, making sure that none is stuck to the bottom.
Rinse the container with hot water to get all the malt extract. Your kettle
should now be about 3/4 full. Bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally, and
watching it carefully to avoid a boil over.
2. Yeast Starter (optional): Rehydrate dry yeast in warm water as per packet instructions. When your wort comes to a boil, scoop out about 1/2 cup and put it in a sanitised jar. Cool to 20 – 22 degrees by diluting with cold water, add yeast and cover loosely.
NOTE: you can skip this step and just
sprinkle the dry yeast on your cooled wort after topping up to 23 litres. If
you are using Danstar (Nottingham, Windsor or Munich) I highly recommend
this over their convoluted rehydration and "attemperation"
instructions.
5. When
your kettle comes to a boil, toss in your boiling hops and continue to boil
for 1 hour.
6. At
the end of the hour add the remaining hops and remove from heat. Precisely
when you add the finishing hops is a matter of taste. More than two minutes
of boiling will result in more hop flavour at the expense of aroma, adding
them after removing from heat source will result in maximum aroma but less
hop flavour. In any case, set your pot in a sink full of cold water to chill
the wort while the hops steep.
Change the water often
OR
Set the kettle on a flat cloth over the unstopped drain and turn on
the cold water. Move the kettle until the water is draining at the same rate
that fresh, cold water is filling the sink. If the phone rings, don't answer
it.
Cover the kettle, putting ice cubes on the
lid, and let it cool for about 15 minutes (30 C or so). Topping up your
fermentor with cold tap water should bring the pitching temperature to
around 20 degrees.
7. Pour the cooled wort through a strainer into your primary, top up to 23 litres with cold water, add the yeast and brew as usual.