The brewmaster’s bible: The gold standard for homebrewers

602 Pages·1997·5.14 MB·English

by  Stephen Snyder

T B B
HE REW MASTER>’S IBLE
THE GOLD STANDARD FOR HOMEBREWERS
STEPHEN SNYDER
DEDICATION
To Melissa, for years of inspiration,
support, and boundless optimism
C
ONTENTS
Dedication
Preface
Introduction
How to Use This Book
The World of Beer
BASIC BREWING PROCEDURES
An Introduction to Brewing: Your First Batch
Basic Tips for Better Homebrewing
PARTIAL MASH AND ADVANCED BREWING
Partial Mash Ale Brewing
Partial Mash Lager Brewing
All-Grain Brewing: An Introduction to Advanced Techniques
Single-Temperature Infusion Mashing
Step-Mashing
Decoction Mashing
Fermentation and Lagering
Bottling Procedures
General Conditioning Procedures
General Kegging Procedures
Brewing Record & Evaluation Form
Carbonation Chart
Advanced Tips for Better Homebrewing
UNDERSTANDING BEER
The Major Beer Styles
Beer Styles at a Glance
Malt, Adjunct, and Specialty Grain Profiles
Malts, Adjuncts, and Specialty Grains at a Glance
Hop Profiles
Hops at a Glance
Yeast Pfofiles
Water
Additives
Sanitizers and Cleansers
RECIPE FORMULATION
Beer Design
ALE RECIPES
Brown Ale
Old Ale
Mild Ale
Pale Ale
Irish Red Ale
India Pale Ale
Bitter
Porter
Stout
Oatmeal Stout
Scottish and Scotch Ale
Barley Wine
Altbier
Kölsch
Weizenbier
Witbier
Abbey Beers
Lambic
Oud Bruin
North American Ales
LAGER RECIPES
Pilsner
Dortmunder Export
Munich Helles
Vienna
Märzen/Oktoberfest
Bavarian Dark
Bock
Mai/Helles Bock
Doppelbock
North American Lagers
SPECIALTY BEER RECIPES
Bavarian Specialty Beers
Christmas and Holiday Beers
Fruit-and Spice-Flavored Beers
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
FORMULAS
DIRECTORY
CONTRIBUTORS
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Other Books by Stephen Snyder
Copyright
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
P
REFACE
Initially, this book started out as a resource for my own personal use, but as I
began collecting helpful brewing data to put in a notebook with my own recipes,
I realized how much more I needed to learn, and also how much contradiction
existed in the information available on brewing products. By soliciting
information from over two hundred homebrew supply shops and dozens of
professional craft brewers in an effort to gather information, I was finally able to
resolve many discrepancies, and in the process found that these shops had a lot
of great recipes that they were graciously willing to share. It was then that I
realized that this was information other homebrewers might find useful as well.
My hope is that this information will help you have more fun and grow as a
brewer, but remember, these recipes are not sacred and do not have to be strictly
adhered to. Feel free to use them as an outline for your own recipes; they are a
map to guide you in discovering what works and tastes best for you. Don’t forget
that the foundations of homebrewing lie in trusting your own instincts,
expressing your creativity, and most of all, exercising your freedom to brew the
beer you want.
Last, but not least, I want to preface this manual by thanking the many beer
writers who shared their vast knowledge, but especially the professional craft
brewers and homebrew shops who generously lent their recipes and expertise for
the creation of this book. They, as my aunt Ethel would say, “didn’t know me
from a sack of turnips,” but they took the time to send me recipes and other
information, often during their busiest time of year, proving the old adage, “If
you want to get something done, ask a busy person to do it.” I owe them a huge
debt of gratitude.
I
NTRODUCTION
There is an old saying, “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” This is
nowhere more appropriate than in the world of beer, despite the fact that all beer
has roots in just four simple ingredients: water, malt, hops, and yeast. Even the
name of our beloved beverage is a source of contention and confusion. Many
people prefer to call warm-fermented beers “ales” and cool-fermented beers
“lagers.” Others take issue with this, however, because lager merely comes from
the German verb meaning “to store” and has nothing to do with color, content or
method of brewing. German altbiers are ales, after all yet they are cold-lagered;
German wheats are often fermented with ale yeast then bottle-conditioned with
lager yeast. Further-more some even feel the word beer should be used only to
identify products where the yeast settles to the bottom during fermentation
(bottom-fermented) and “ale” should be used exclusively for a product where the
yeast rises to the top during fermentation (top-fermented). In fact, “beer” itself
was once a term specifically used to differentiate malt beverages flavored with
hops from ales, which were once flavored exclusively with other bitter herbs and
spices.
The long and short of all this is that the lines between beer styles cross and
crisscross, have two or more names, or have varying fermentation and
conditioning methods from country to country and region to region. Therefore,
in order to simplify matters for the practical purposes of homebrewing, I refer to
all beverages herein as “beer” and have divided the recipes (for five gallons,
unless otherwise noted) into three main sections: Top-fermented beers will be
termed “ales” and bottom-fermented beers will be classified as “lagers.” There is
also a shorter third section of “Specialty Beers” that includes rare Bavarian
styles, seasonal “Holiday Beers,” or beers that use fruit or spices as flavoring
agents; this section includes both ales and lagers.
You’ll notice some of the recipes may fit into more than one category,
particularly American versions of the classic styles. Some of these are included
in the appropriate “American” sections, others in the “European” sections; in
most cases, the ingredients used, especially the yeast and hops, were the
deciding factors in where the recipes would be placed. You’ll also see that brand
names or specific products are recommended in some recipes. This is not for
promotional purposes or because we’ve received a kickback from the
manufacturer but because it was the product used in the original recipe, it is the
best one for the job in the brewer’s humble opinion, or it is true to the style of
the beer due to the physical properties of its ingredients (that is, a “continental”
American malt for a steam beer or a “maritime” German malt for a helles). The
same is true for the hop alpha acid percentages given. Since it may be difficult in
future years to find hops with the exact alpha acid percentage (AA%) as given,
use the HBU/AAU/IBU formulas to adjust what alpha acid percentage you have
to the ones given in the recipe. Otherwise use whatever you have available and
what suits your personal taste. Good luck and happy homebrewing!