Düsseldorf Altbier Recipe

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Nick Ladd

Alt (‘old’ in German) survives in Dusseldorf, holding on to a lonely buoy within a sea of lagers that is modern-day Germany. Much like its cousin from Cologne Kolsch, this beer is fermented with an ale yeast at cooler than normal temperatures to induce a clean, malty, and firmly bitter beer. This beer features a deep amber color with crystal clarity and garnet highlights. Truly a great beer to both drink and behold. My version is less-sweet than a lot of the homebrew examples that are out there, featuring only 6.5% crystal malt. Instead, this beer receives a toasty (think rich bread crust) melanoidin induced malt flavor from a large percentage of Munich malt as well as a dash of aromatic malt. This is a perfect sessionable beer with enough complexity and flavor to keep you interested, and a low enough ABV to keep your senses.

Specifications

Volume: 6.22 Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.050
Terminal Gravity: 1.013
Color: 15.04 SRM
Alcohol: 4.85%
Bitterness: 43.4
Efficiency: 79% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 90 Minutes

Ingredients

7.5 lb (64.5%) Pilsner Malt; Weyermann
3 lb (25.8%) Munich TYPE II; Weyermann
.75 lb (6.5%) German CaraMunich III
.25 lb (2.2%) Aromatic Malt; Best Malz
2 oz (1.1%) German Carafa II
34 g (54.5%) Magnum (12.5%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
.5 oz (22.7%) Czech Saaz (3.1%) – added during boil, boiled 20 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.5 oz (22.7%) Hallertauer Mittelfrüher (3.4%) – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
1 ea White Labs WLP036 Dusseldorf Alt

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
2 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride)
2.0 g Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)
4.0 g Chalk (Calcium Carbonate)

Mash

60 Minute Saccharification Rest at 151° F
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F (I pulled a decoction to hit mashout temp)
Sparge at 170° F and collect sufficient runnings to hit pre-boil volumes.

Fermentation

Chill wort to 58° F and pitch yeast slurry.
Set temp controller to 60° F and allow to rise to this temp.
Ferment at 60-62° F until beer is 2-6 points from terminal gravity then raise temp to 68° F. Hold at 68° F for 2 days.
Chill fermenter to 34° F. Rack beer off yeast and lager near freezing the 4-6 weeks.

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won as a BJCP Category 7c. Dusseldorf Altbier:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place

Kolsch Recipe

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Nick Ladd

Kolsch is a great, easy-drinking beer that straddles the boundary between ale and lager. Clean pilsner malt, lager-like fermentation characteristics, subtle noble hopping, and hint of sulfur make this a beer than can be drank by the liter (although it tastes better 0.2 liters at a time in an authentic Stange). Fermented cool using a specialized Kolsch ale yeast strain sets this apart from traditional blond ales you might find at your local brewpub.

Specifications

Volume: 6.12 Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.048
Terminal Gravity: 1.009
Color: 3.95 SRM
Alcohol: 5.05%
Bitterness: 24.8
Efficiency: 75% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 90 Minutes

Ingredients

10.16 lb (89.0%) Pilsner Malt; Weyermann
8 oz (4.4%) Pale Wheat Malt; Weyermann
8 oz (4.4%) Vienna Malt; Weyermann
2 oz (1.1%) German CaraFoam
2 oz (1.1%) Acidulated Malt; Weyermann
19 g (57.3%) Magnum (12.5%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
.25 oz (21.4%) Czech Saaz (3.1%) – added during boil, boiled 30 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.25 oz (21.4%) Hallertauer Mittelfrüher (3.4%) – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
1 ea WYeast 2565 Kolsch – 1800ml 1.040 starter on stir plate

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
2.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
6.0 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride)

Mash

60 Minute Saccharification Rest at 149° F
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F (I do a second hot water infusion to mashout)
Sparge at 170° F and collect sufficient runnings to hit pre-boil volumes.

Fermentation

Chill wort to 58° F and pitch yeast slurry.
Set temp controller to 60° F and allow to rise to this temp.
Ferment at 60-62° F until beer is 2-6 points from terminal gravity then raise temp to 68° F. Hold at 68° F for 2 days.
Chill fermenter to 34° F. Rack beer off yeast and lager near freezing the 4-6 weeks.

Keys to Brewing

This is a very clean beer with little room to hide. Good sanitation, pitching a healthy culture of yeast in the correct quantity, and solid temperature control will help ensure a quality end product.
The Wyeast Kolsch strain of yeast doesn’t like to drop bright. I tend to use gelatin to get a beer of brilliant clarity.

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won several awards as a BJCP Category 6c. Kolsch:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place
2012 Best of the Bay – 3rd Place
2012 Evergreen State Fair – 2nd Place

Imperial Vanilla Milk Stout Recipe

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Nick Ladd

Big stouts and vanilla is a natural pair. Add a touch of creamy sweetness, and you’ve got a winner. This recipe has a luscious mouth feel from the flaked barley and crystal malts, smooth roast flavors of coffee and chocolate, subtle dark fruit notes, and a slight sweetness from the lactose. This is a slightly sweet beer, but not nearly as sweet as many commercial sweet stouts.

Specifications

Volume: 5.57 Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.077
Terminal Gravity: 1.028
Color: 34.63 SRM
Alcohol: 6.52%
Bitterness: 39.2
Efficiency: 64% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 60 Minutes

Ingredients

12 lb (63.6%) Maris Otter; Crisp
3 lb (15.9%) Barley Flaked
6 oz (2.0%) Crystal 60; Crisp
8 oz (2.6%) Crystal 120; Crisp
8 oz (2.6%) Special B – Caramel malt; Dingemans
12 oz (4.0%) Chocolate Malt; Crisp
12 oz (4.0%) Pale Chocolate Malt; Crisp
8 oz (2.6%) Roasted Barley; Crisp
.75 oz (42.9%) Magnum (12.5%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
8 oz (2.6%) Lactose
.75 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
1 oz (57.1%) Cascade Leaf (5.7%) – added during boil, boiled 10 m
1 ea WYeast 1968 London ESB Ale – 2400ml 1.040 starter on stir plate
3 ea Madagascar Vanilla Beans – split and soaked in 6oz high quality bourbon – added dry to secondary fermenter

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
2 g Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)
2.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
4.0 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride)
4.0 g Baking Soda ()

Mash

60 Minute Saccharification Rest at 152° F
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F (I do a second hot water infusion to mashout)
Sparge at 170° F and collect sufficient runnings to hit pre-boil volumes.

Fermentation

Chill wort to 64° F and pitch yeast slurry.
Set temp controller to 66° F and allow to rise to this temp.
Ferment at 66-68° F until beer is 2-6 points from terminal gravity then raise temp to 72° F. Hold at 72° F for 2 days.
Chill fermenter to 34° F. Rack beer off yeast into clean container with bourbon soaked vanilla beans (include the bourbon as well).
Age 1 month on vanilla beans before packaging.

Keys to Brewing

Controlling fermentation temperatures and pitching a clean healthy yeast slurry is important in preventing hot alcohols in this beer that would distract from its rich, smooth qualities.
Use fresh high-quality vanilla beans. If they look dried out, they are probably old and shouldn’t be used. Beans should be sticky, almost tacky to the touch. I’d recommend sourcing these online from specific vanilla retailers who move a lot of beans (as opposed to the ones that may languish for months in the homebrew shop).

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won several awards as a BJCP Category 21a Spice / Herb / Vegetable Beer:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place
2012 Novembeerfest – 2nd Place

Belgian Saison Recipe

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Nick Ladd

Saison can be a difficult beer to brew, especially when using the yeast attributed to Brasserie Dupont (Wyeast 3724 or White Labs WLP565) which can be notoriously fickle. In my experience with using solely Wyeast 3724 the beer tends to attenuate about 10-25% in a day or two, and then floc out and take an additional 4-6 weeks of heavy heat to complete fermentation. To overcome this, I’ve designed this recipe to first use the Dupont strain to impart its beautiful ester profile and then the French saison strain (Wyeast 3711) to get the beer dried out in a reasonable amount of time. Additionally this recipe contains a fair amount of acidulated malt to accentuate the beers quenching nature as well as a fair amount of Munich malt to compliment the austere pilsner base. The touch of special roast provides additional character to the malt flavor. I don’t like coriander or other spices in my saisons as I think the yeast gives plenty of spice character on its own.

Specifications

Volume: 6.12 Gallons
Original Gravity: 1.055
Terminal Gravity: 1.004
Color: 8.37 SRM
Alcohol: 6.65%
Bitterness: 24.3
Efficiency: 78% (tweak recipe to match efficiency of your brew house)
Boil Length: 90 Minutes

Ingredients

7 lb (57.7%) Belgian Pils
2 lb (16.5%) Munich TYPE II; Weyermann
2 lb (16.5%) Pale Wheat Malt; Weyermann
6 oz (3.1%) Acidulated Malt; Weyermann
4 oz (2.1%) Special Roast Malt; Briess
.5 lb (4.1%) White Table Sugar (Sucrose)
.5 oz (18.2%) Magnum (12.5%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
.5 oz (18.2%) Hallertau Mittelfruh (3.4%) – added during boil, boiled 60 m
.5 oz (18.2%) Styrian Goldings (3.8%) – added during boil, boiled 20 m
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) – added during boil, boiled 15 m
.75 tsp Wyeast Nutrient – added during boil, boiled 10 m
.75 oz (27.3%) Hallertau Mittelfruh (3.4%) – added during boil, boiled 0.0 m
.5 oz (18.2%) Styrian Goldings (3.8%) – added during boil, boiled 0.0 m
1 ea WYeast 3724 Belgian Saison™ – 1000ml Starter on Stirplate
1 ea WYeast 3711 French Saison Yeast

Water

Carbon-filtered Seattle water which is very soft. All salts added to grist before mashing in.
4.0 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)
6.0 g Calcium Chloride (Calcium Chloride)
2.0 g Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)

Mash

90 Minute Saccharification Rest at 146° F
10 Minute Mashout Rest at 170° F (I do a second hot water infusion to mashout)
Sparge at 170° F and collect sufficient runnings to hit pre-boil volumes.

Fermentation

Chill wort to 74° F and pitch yeast slurry of Wyeast 3724.
Ferment 74-82° F until yeast flocculates and activity drops off.
Pitch smack pack of Wyeast 3711 and keep temperature in the low 80’s. Ferment until beer is attenuated to 92% or so. It may take weeks… be patient.

Keys to Brewing

High attenuation is the heart of Saison’s very nature. Because of this, it is important to push the fermentation with high temperatures and design the grain bill and mash profile to encourage maximum fermentation. Low 90’s percentage-wise is a starting point for a good attenuation rate.
Don’t use crystal malt in your saisons (including carapils). It tastes odd to me and really clashes with the overall nature of the beer. If you want more malt character that is not sweet or caramel like, try malts like Munich, Victory, Biscuit, Special Roast, etc. that add interesting notes without adding lots of unfermentable sugars. If you’re worried about head retention, add some wheat.

Awards

The beer brewed from this recipe has won several awards as a BJCP Category 16c. Saison:

2012 NHC First Round – 1st Place
2012 Best of the Bay – 2nd Place

Five – Blended Strong Ale

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Nick Ladd

Blending Session

Blending is common part of nearly every wine maker’s tool box. It allows them to not only create a consistent product, but also take a mental picture of the wine they would like to make and then assemble individual components to achieve their vision. Outside of one of my favorite breweries (Firestone Walker), very few craft brewers are doing this. This is part of our common brewing heritage (various British ales, Gueuze, etc.) and something I am very interested in as a means to bring another level of complexity to a beer.

Category 23 of the BJCP style guideline (Specialty Beer) is wide open. It offers unlimited possibilities for stretching your creative arms. It occurred to me that a blended beer would be an interesting take for this category.

My Process

I started with the concept of creating a blended desert style beer that is not unlike a fine Port or Sherry. The blended final product would be sweet, but not cloyingly so. From there I looked at what beers I had on hand and pulled samples from the following beers:
– 2 year old Belgian Dark Strong
– 6 month old German Dopplebock
– 1 year old Scottish Wee Heavy
– 2 year old oak aged English Barley Wine
– 2 year old oak aged Russian Imperial Stout
With these samples on hand, each was tasted and then noted for their unique characteristics that could lend an interesting note to the final beer. For example, the Belgian Dark Strong was extremely dry and alcoholic. It featured a unique port like quality as well. It was decided that it could provide a nice balancing dryness to the sweetness of the other beers as well as introduce a nice dark fruit component that could help me achieve a port like quality. The goal was to highlight the strong features of each beer and then use a ratio of each to create a holistic final blend.
With a mental picture of each beer in my head, I came up with a starting ratio to begin with. Using a turkey baster and graduated 100ml cylinder I continually refined the blend until I came up with what seemed to be the superior blend.
With the final blend decided, I used CO2 and a jumper cable to push a portion of each beer into a clean and purged keg. I used a scale to determine how much beer was pushed into the blending keg and keep the ratio of the final blend to the ratio I had determined by taste.
With the blend kegged I let the beer meld and carbonated it to approximately 2.3 volumes of CO2.

Upon tasting the final product, I came up with the following description to be used as the description for my competition entries:

Five strong homebrews of different country origins blended to produce a rich beer with port-like qualities and complexity. A sipper that is designed as an after-dinner dessert beer.

The description worked. The beer placed 1st in the first round of the 2012 National Homebrew Competition in Category 23.