free beer

I pulled this recipe from the Beertown website for the association of homebrewers.  The recipe was created to commemorate Michael Jackson (the beer guy - not the performer).  He was a bit of a hop-head and I do believe this recipe would satisfy his tastes.

Chiswick Bitter, in honor of Michael Jackson – Extract with Specialty Grains 5 gallons (19 L) yield with a 3-gallon (11.4 L) boil

Fermentables
6 lb (2.7 kg) Pale Liquid Malt Extract
0.35 lb (160 gm) Crystal Malt (120° L)

Hops
0.6 oz (17 gm) UK Target, (11% AA), 60 minutes
0.25 oz (7 gm) UK Northdown, (8.5% AA), 15 minutes
0.25 oz (7 gm) UK Challenger, (7.5% AA), 15 minutes
0.5 oz (14 gm) East Kent Golding, (4.75% AA), dry hop in primary fermenter
0.5 oz (14 gm) East Kent Golding, (4.75% AA), dry hop in secondary fermenter
0.5 oz (14 gm) East Kent Golding, (4.75% AA), dry hop in keg/cask

¾ tsp (3 gm) Irish moss, added at 15 minutes

Yeast
Wyeast 1968 London ESB Ale Yeast or White Labs WLP013 London Ale Yeast

Directions for Extract Recipe
Steep grains in 2 quarts (1.9 L) of water at 150º F (66º C) for 30 minutes, raise temperature to 170º F (77º C) then strain and sparge with 2 quarts (1.9 L) of hot water. Add an additional 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) of water then stir in extract and bring to a boil. At the beginning of the boil, add the first hops. Boil for 45 minutes then add the second and third hops and the Irish moss. Boil for 15 more minutes. After a 60-minute boil, cool the wort to 63º-68º F (17º-20º C). Transfer wort to fermenter and top-up to 5 gallons, if necessary. When the wort temperature is down to 63º F (17º C), pitch the yeast and aerate well. After 3 or 4 days, add the first dry hop addition. Continue to ferment at 63º F (17º C) for a total of one week to 10 days. Rack to secondary with the second dry hop addition for three weeks [if you have the capability, cool to 50º F (10º C) for aging]. Rack to keg and add the last dry hop addition in a hop bag. If you are bottling rather than kegging, add the second and third dry hop addition to the secondary, and then bottle as you normally would.

Carbonation
Force carbonate at 1.0 – 1.5 volumes of CO₂.
or
Bottle condition using 1/2 cup (117 ml measure) corn sugar.

NOTES:

I sparged the grains with 170 degree water - but I steeped the grains in 2 gallons then added another gallon of water and brought it to a boil.  I extended the boil time by 15 minutes.  I added the first round of hops when it first got to the boil and I added the last hops 15 minutes from the end of the boil.

I am happy to note that my homebrew supply store had all the hops I wanted.  I was a bit worried that the house would be too warm in summer for the yeast to really enjoy themselves - so I filled a cooler with about 7 or 8 inches of water and set the primary in there.  It keeps it at about 68-70 degrees depending on the temp of the room.  I am happy to report that the airlock is bubbling away.

Pictures:

These are just some random pictures from the brewing process.

Here are some miscellaneous past completed beers/ cider:

Winter Ale.  This was my first drinkable beer.  It was tasty

Thats the first Maibock I made based off of a Dead Guy Ale clone.  It did not taste like Dead Guy in the slightest - but it was still good.

Thats the second attempt at the Dead Guy Clone.  It was better than the first attempt (I changed the amount and time of the hop additions).  It didn’t taste like Dead Guy - but it was still delicious.

Above is a picture of the hard cider I made.  It was also good - and I still have a half gallon left that I am saving.  I threw the cider in the keg and zapped it to make it kind of an cider-champagne.

This is kind of a funny take on a Dead Guy Ale clone.

Maibock #1:

Original Gravity: 1.073

Final Gravity: 1.014

Estimated ABV: 7.8%

Boil Time: 60min

Malt: 6lbs light DME

Other Sugar: 1lb Grade B Maple Syrup @30 minutes

Hops: 1oz Perle @ 55min - 3/4oz Saaz and 1/4oz Perle added from 15min to end of boil

Grains: 13oz Blegian Cara-Munich - 13oz German Munich - 40L Crystal - All grains in bag and begin steeping at 120 degF until heat reaches 160degF. Turn heat off and allow to steep 20min.

Yeast: WPL001 California Ale Yeast

Yeast description from WL: This yeast is famous for its clean flavors, balance and ability to be used in almost any style ale. It accentuates the hop flavors and is extremely versatile.
Attenuation: 73-80%

Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 68-73°F
Alcohol Tolerance: High

Other Steps: Add charred red oak jack soaked wood chips to secondary

BATCH NOTES:

The finishing hops I added continuously from 15 minutes until the end through to the completion of the boil. The oak chips I cut myself, charred with a blow torch, and soaked in Jack Daniels for two weeks. I added these chips to the secondary.

Primary - 10 days
Secondary - 5 weeks
Keg - Force Carbonation

Enjoy.

Pictures:

Steeping the grains:

Have a beer while the grains steep:

Be sure to lay out all your ingredients before you start:

Do NOT squeeze the grain bag. Lift the bag out of the pot and let it drain. Get a neighbor to do the lifting like I did. Thanks, Mark.

Add the wort to the primary fermenter. Sitting on the left are sterile tools. Sitting to the right is the secondary where it will be siphoned to after 10 days.

If you are at all concerned that your seal on the primary isn’t air-tight - put a condom over the airlock and see if it inflates once fermentation gets moving.

After 10 days rack to your secondary using a siphon. Try to minimize the introduction of air to the beer at this time.

SECONDARY FERMENTER:

These next pictures are of me cutting the red oak and charring it in the driveway. You can purchase oak chips online - or just buy a slab of NON-PRESSURE TREATED WOOD. (if you get pressure treated wood and try this your beer will have arsenic in it and you and your friends will be poisoned. It will be bad disco.)

Oh yeah - don’t blow yourself up with the blow torch.

Once the charred chips are in your tupperware - add some Jack Daniels until the chips are submerged. If they float - don’t worry about it - they will still soak up the jack over the course of a couple weeks.

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what a luxury beer should taste like