I have had some good chocolate stouts in the past and wanted to try my hand at some chocolate beer. So I started doing some research. Most of what I was seeing was using Hershey's chocolate syrup but that just goes against my principals, but I did find some places saying that you could use any form of chocolate from bean to nibs to powder to bar or chunk. Most recommended between 2 - 8 ounces and using less if using powder. I have read use in every stage of the process, bean in both the mash or boil, nibs and powder in both boil and just fermenter, the bar or chunk was typically suggested to be in the boil around the last half or so.
I want to point out the importance of the selection of a quality chocolate what every way you go because you never know what mineral oil will do to a beer. So the closer to the natural state you can get your chocolate the better.
I chose to go with Dutch process cocoa powder, bought from my local market. One whole pound of it. Thats right I did say earlier that most people suggest using less than a half pound and less for powder but nobody said you had to, also those guys were using hops. I used one ounce of spearmint bought from my local herb shop. And last but not least the ferment-able sugar, 7.75 lbs light malt extract.
Now to the process.
I brought 1.5 (ish) gallons of water to a boil, then removed it from the heat to add the malt extract. Once the malt extract was mixed in well I placed it back on the burner and brought it back to a boil. Then I added the Spearmint with cover on for 30 minutes. Then added 1/2 the chocolate stirring vigorously for about 5 minutes.
After the boil I poured the rest of the chocolate into the primary bucket and dumped the wort (mint and all) on top added about another gallon warm water and stirred that up, then added the rest of the water cold.
I snapped the lid on to the bucket and shook it for about 3 minutes to aerate (something I almost all-ways forget to do) then put a twin bubble airlock in the grommeted hole and let it cool till morning
Sat. Feb 19 2011
Starting gravity at room temp (64) was 1.064 and I poured the dry Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast into the bucket.
That night
Bubbling nicely, I cant wait to for the first racking so I can get my first tasting.
Saturday Feb 26
The bubbling of the twin bubble airlock slowed from once every 8 seconds to every 12 seconds to every 2 minutes (well I saw it bubble and waited 2 min till I said "It's done" and stopped watching). So I grabbed my hydrometer and took a reading 1.018. "Woohoo" I said and racked to the secondary carboy. This is where I tell you why everyone only suggests a couple of ounces of chocolate powder. The sludge was so thick that I was forced to start the siphon with the racking cane suspended in the bucket (meaning I could not just let the racking cane tip rest on the bottom of the bucket, I had to start with it off the bottom and slowly lower it to the bottom). I was able to suck off more of the liquor than usual but there was also about 3 times the troob.
I took a sample of it when it started to run "clear" (after the initial bout of troob pickup after setting down the racking cane but before the second troob pick at end of transfer) and it was really REALLY chocolaty with a very powerful hit of spearmint in the nose and on the front of the tongue. although there both really strong in their respective flavors neither is stronger than the other so it is balanced. the only problem really is that all the sweetness is gone. it is almost like eating dry mint leaves and bakers chocolate.
Its in my glass carboy down in the basement now, current ambient is around 50 but the weather is about to change now so it may be a little warmer but should not go above the upper 50's. I hope this cooler secondary fermentation helps drop some of the suspended matter because right now it looks like mud. Another week or three and Ill bottle this
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Spiced Mead
Thurs. Feb. 17 2011
I am trying my hand at another mead. Its going to be kinda small but that will be okay. I have 5 lbs of raw honey from Honey Gardens and I'm making 3 gallons.
Recipe
10 3inch long pieces of cinnimon stick (broken)
3 nutmeg (chopped)
2 tablespoon (approx.) whole all spice
5 lbs honey (raw)
3 gallons water (VT well)
I boiled the spices in half the watter with top on for 1 hour then strained. Used the hot decotion to "melt" the raw honey. poured the mixture into the 3 gallon carboy and added cold water from tap (no I'm not worried about contamination) till full (well the top line at least, I need to leave some head room).
Starting gravity was 1.062
The next morning
I popped off the rubber cork and airlock off and just pour the dry Red Star Premier Curvee yeast straight in. I replaced the cork and went to work.
That night
Fermentation had officially started.
I am trying my hand at another mead. Its going to be kinda small but that will be okay. I have 5 lbs of raw honey from Honey Gardens and I'm making 3 gallons.
Recipe
10 3inch long pieces of cinnimon stick (broken)
3 nutmeg (chopped)
2 tablespoon (approx.) whole all spice
5 lbs honey (raw)
3 gallons water (VT well)
I boiled the spices in half the watter with top on for 1 hour then strained. Used the hot decotion to "melt" the raw honey. poured the mixture into the 3 gallon carboy and added cold water from tap (no I'm not worried about contamination) till full (well the top line at least, I need to leave some head room).
Starting gravity was 1.062
The next morning
I popped off the rubber cork and airlock off and just pour the dry Red Star Premier Curvee yeast straight in. I replaced the cork and went to work.
That night
Fermentation had officially started.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Spent Grain Cookies
So I was looking at the spent grains one of the times I had them and decided to make cookies with them. I will pass on the recipe and tips to those of you out there.
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup spent beer grain
2 (ish) cups flour (add slowly and adjust if need be, you may want about 1/2 to 3/4 more)
Start by putting the grains through a food processor to get the hulls smaller, otherwise they might get stuck in your teeth (my kids did not like that part)
Soften the butter and mix in the sugar. Next mix in the grains, then add the flour until it becomes slightly sticky. Scoop this out with a spoon onto a cookie sheet making small lumps and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Leave them on the sheet for another 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Enjoy.
Just to let you all know you can put spent grains in just about anything. Use them in bread to add flavor (substitute 1 cup grain for 1/2 cup liquid and 1/2 cup flour). Cakes (banana and zucchini "bread" come to mind) and to add body to soups.
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup spent beer grain
2 (ish) cups flour (add slowly and adjust if need be, you may want about 1/2 to 3/4 more)
Start by putting the grains through a food processor to get the hulls smaller, otherwise they might get stuck in your teeth (my kids did not like that part)
Soften the butter and mix in the sugar. Next mix in the grains, then add the flour until it becomes slightly sticky. Scoop this out with a spoon onto a cookie sheet making small lumps and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Leave them on the sheet for another 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Enjoy.
Just to let you all know you can put spent grains in just about anything. Use them in bread to add flavor (substitute 1 cup grain for 1/2 cup liquid and 1/2 cup flour). Cakes (banana and zucchini "bread" come to mind) and to add body to soups.
Yarrow Barleywine
My wife @sidheherbal bought me a book called "Sacred and Healing Herbal Healing Beers". In it is a entire chapter on Psychotropic beers. I wanted to try my hand at Gruit but I'm unable to easily locate two of the ingredients, so I went with just one. Yarrow.
I did not have the fresh Yarrow (although it grows rampant in my yard) and since it is my first time using a even slightly Psychotropic herb (in brewing), I decided to use a little less than that recipe calls for, and since I was already changing the recipe I just went for the gusto and totally changed it.
7 3/4 lbs light malt extract
1 lb American Munich
1 lb Chocolate Malt
1 lb Flaked Wheat
1 lb Flaked Oat
1 1/2 ounce Yarrow
I am not sure what temp I mashed the grains at, I just brought 2 1/2 gallons water to right before a boil and dumped the muslin bag of grain in then set my electric stove on low and left it for an hour.
Then I used my fermenter bucket and a large strainer as a cheap batch sparging system. I then used 2 gallons hot water from my tap and rinsed the grains, then poured that back into my brew pot.
I know most say to boil your wort for at least an hour before chilling but I'm lazy. I brought my wort to a boil (which took at least 30 minutes) then tossed 1 ounce of yarrow into the pot and turned off the burner and put on a lid. I let that sit for 45 minutes before transferring to the fermenter bucket where I had 1 gallon cold water from my tap (keep in mind I have a well and it wicked cold out there) .
I am going to let that sit until tomorrow morning when I will pitch the yeast. I usually do a starter but I think this beer is big enough that I wont this time, I am just going to open the pack of dry yeast and toss it in
-Next Morning-
After some coffee and a bagel I check gravity. It reads 1.052. It's a little low for what my calculations said but no matter to me. I cut open the packet of yeast and pour it into the fermenter, snap on the lid and put in an air lock.
-That Evening-
It is bubbling away nicely. I hope there is enough head space and I don't wined up with a mess.
-Update Jan. 30 2011-
Just finished transferring to secondary. It probably could have gone another 2-3 days but as I have stated earlier I am an impatient brewer and that is probably my downfall. The hydrometer test was at 1.28 as of now but since I lost the bottom of my raking cane more troob went into the secondary than usual so there is still plenty of room for improvement. I will let this set in the glass secondary until it's clear (or I "deem" it clear) which I hope will only take a week but it may take longer. I still do not know what I want to prime (if I want to prime) with. I might get some maple syrup or maybe get an extra 1/2 cup malt from my next batch, or maybe just use some turbinado sugar. Ill take suggestions and consider them seriously.
-Update Feb. 15 2011-
Well its been longer than a week but hey its all right. So I finally bottled the Yarrow Barleywine that did not really turn out a Barleywine. It got stuck around 1.024 for the last week so I only used 1/4 cup maple syrup to prime with. It may not be enough or it may be too much only time will tell. Stay tuned for the first tasting.
I did not have the fresh Yarrow (although it grows rampant in my yard) and since it is my first time using a even slightly Psychotropic herb (in brewing), I decided to use a little less than that recipe calls for, and since I was already changing the recipe I just went for the gusto and totally changed it.
7 3/4 lbs light malt extract
1 lb American Munich
1 lb Chocolate Malt
1 lb Flaked Wheat
1 lb Flaked Oat
1 1/2 ounce Yarrow
I am not sure what temp I mashed the grains at, I just brought 2 1/2 gallons water to right before a boil and dumped the muslin bag of grain in then set my electric stove on low and left it for an hour.
Then I used my fermenter bucket and a large strainer as a cheap batch sparging system. I then used 2 gallons hot water from my tap and rinsed the grains, then poured that back into my brew pot.
Added the extract.
I know most say to boil your wort for at least an hour before chilling but I'm lazy. I brought my wort to a boil (which took at least 30 minutes) then tossed 1 ounce of yarrow into the pot and turned off the burner and put on a lid. I let that sit for 45 minutes before transferring to the fermenter bucket where I had 1 gallon cold water from my tap (keep in mind I have a well and it wicked cold out there) .
I am going to let that sit until tomorrow morning when I will pitch the yeast. I usually do a starter but I think this beer is big enough that I wont this time, I am just going to open the pack of dry yeast and toss it in
-Next Morning-
After some coffee and a bagel I check gravity. It reads 1.052. It's a little low for what my calculations said but no matter to me. I cut open the packet of yeast and pour it into the fermenter, snap on the lid and put in an air lock.
-That Evening-
It is bubbling away nicely. I hope there is enough head space and I don't wined up with a mess.
-Update Jan. 30 2011-
Just finished transferring to secondary. It probably could have gone another 2-3 days but as I have stated earlier I am an impatient brewer and that is probably my downfall. The hydrometer test was at 1.28 as of now but since I lost the bottom of my raking cane more troob went into the secondary than usual so there is still plenty of room for improvement. I will let this set in the glass secondary until it's clear (or I "deem" it clear) which I hope will only take a week but it may take longer. I still do not know what I want to prime (if I want to prime) with. I might get some maple syrup or maybe get an extra 1/2 cup malt from my next batch, or maybe just use some turbinado sugar. Ill take suggestions and consider them seriously.
-Update Feb. 15 2011-
Well its been longer than a week but hey its all right. So I finally bottled the Yarrow Barleywine that did not really turn out a Barleywine. It got stuck around 1.024 for the last week so I only used 1/4 cup maple syrup to prime with. It may not be enough or it may be too much only time will tell. Stay tuned for the first tasting.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Willow Wine
I know what your thinking, your thinking "What the hell is this guy doing? He's making a mockery of homebrewing!"
Your probably right, but oh well. I do have a good reason for this though. Willow contains salicylic acid which is the main part of aspirin. Also my wife @Sidheherbal makes Tinctures out of herbs and grain alcohol. I figure if I can brew a wine out of the herbs then maybe that would be cheaper (and I would get to brew more often).
I decided to go with a simple willow bark wine to start with (because we are running out of the tincture). I boiled 3 ounces of willow with 2 gallons of water for 30 minutes, then transfered that to the carboy. I then made a simple sugar solution of 1 gallon of water and 7 lbs of white sugar. To make the solution just heat until it becomes clear. I then put that in the carboy.
I wanted to use the troob of the pine wine since it was still a little active and I was transferring that to a secondary but I don't think it was quite enough so I also pitched in (two days later) the saved troob from the volcano mead and the apple cider I had made earlier.
I made this on New Years Day.
I tasted it today, there is a faint alcohol smell under the bitter earthy smell of the willow. There is no alcohol taste and it is still way to sweet, I also cannot taste the willow in it as strongly as I thought I would but maybe it will come out later after it ferments out some.
So it's Tuesday march 1 and I have learned another lesson, even if a "wine" seems to be stuck at 1.022 for two weeks, it probably isn't. I had bottled this about 2 1/2 weeks ago and its carbonating nicely. I did not mean to carbonate it but it's doing it. I have lost one bottle, but it may have been bottle fatigue or cracked earlier I'm not sure what happened.
As for the taste it is wonderful. it could be a little dryer but it is still very good. the willow taste is even less than prior but so is some of the sweetness. The smell is still the same as prior.
Your probably right, but oh well. I do have a good reason for this though. Willow contains salicylic acid which is the main part of aspirin. Also my wife @Sidheherbal makes Tinctures out of herbs and grain alcohol. I figure if I can brew a wine out of the herbs then maybe that would be cheaper (and I would get to brew more often).
I decided to go with a simple willow bark wine to start with (because we are running out of the tincture). I boiled 3 ounces of willow with 2 gallons of water for 30 minutes, then transfered that to the carboy. I then made a simple sugar solution of 1 gallon of water and 7 lbs of white sugar. To make the solution just heat until it becomes clear. I then put that in the carboy.
I wanted to use the troob of the pine wine since it was still a little active and I was transferring that to a secondary but I don't think it was quite enough so I also pitched in (two days later) the saved troob from the volcano mead and the apple cider I had made earlier.
I made this on New Years Day.
I tasted it today, there is a faint alcohol smell under the bitter earthy smell of the willow. There is no alcohol taste and it is still way to sweet, I also cannot taste the willow in it as strongly as I thought I would but maybe it will come out later after it ferments out some.
So it's Tuesday march 1 and I have learned another lesson, even if a "wine" seems to be stuck at 1.022 for two weeks, it probably isn't. I had bottled this about 2 1/2 weeks ago and its carbonating nicely. I did not mean to carbonate it but it's doing it. I have lost one bottle, but it may have been bottle fatigue or cracked earlier I'm not sure what happened.
As for the taste it is wonderful. it could be a little dryer but it is still very good. the willow taste is even less than prior but so is some of the sweetness. The smell is still the same as prior.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Just Mead
I've had a professionally made Elderberry and Currant mead that was in the wine category, and I have had my homebrewed Elderberry Mead (that used wine yeast). But I had not had the pleasure of drinking a plain mead, just water, honey, and yeast.
I put a air lock on top and set it off to the side with one of the handmade carboy covers on it on Thanksgiving day at 12:30 in the morning.
On December 12th I bottled it straight out of the primary fermentor. I had taken a sample a few days earlier and decided to bottle it early to keep the sweetness.
I was not expecting this level of carbonation to be there. That cap is actually popped out not dented in. I will at least do a month or so in a secondary fermentor the next time around if I use the same yeast. I may try just a ale yeast, or and ale yeast then a wine yeast, oh the possibilities. Anyway this is a very simple recipe and very good (of course that depends on how good your honey is too). Enjoy.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Pine Wine
It seems that I have been neglecting my poor blog immediately after starting it, and so much has happened too!
I have brewed and bottled a mead (recipe log coming soon (I promise)) and right now I am brewing a Pine Wine.
I boiled a double fist full of pine needles off the White Pine in my front yard in a gallon of well water (I put the needles in the pot then poured the cold water over them) for thirty (30) minutes.
While this was going on I put three (3) cups white sugar in the gallon carboy.
After the 30 min. passed I strained the wort and poured that hot over the sugar and stirred with a long stick.
I poured one (1) cup out into a large measuring cup. Then I rinsed out the pot and put the carboy in that and filled the pot with cold water to cool the wort faster. Once the set aside cup cooled I poured the 1/5th packet of Red Star "Premier Cuvee" wine yeast in it. Then I sprinkled one (1) tablespoon white sugar in that to help speed that up.
When that got frothy and the carboy was cool enough I pitched the started yeast into the carboy and set it aside in a bakeing dish (to help catch any spill over) with the carboy cover over it and a air lock on it.
I have brewed and bottled a mead (recipe log coming soon (I promise)) and right now I am brewing a Pine Wine.
I boiled a double fist full of pine needles off the White Pine in my front yard in a gallon of well water (I put the needles in the pot then poured the cold water over them) for thirty (30) minutes.
While this was going on I put three (3) cups white sugar in the gallon carboy.
After the 30 min. passed I strained the wort and poured that hot over the sugar and stirred with a long stick.
I poured one (1) cup out into a large measuring cup. Then I rinsed out the pot and put the carboy in that and filled the pot with cold water to cool the wort faster. Once the set aside cup cooled I poured the 1/5th packet of Red Star "Premier Cuvee" wine yeast in it. Then I sprinkled one (1) tablespoon white sugar in that to help speed that up.
When that got frothy and the carboy was cool enough I pitched the started yeast into the carboy and set it aside in a bakeing dish (to help catch any spill over) with the carboy cover over it and a air lock on it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)