| MAKE YOUR BEST |

HOMEBREWING MAKE IT Grantham Make English Mild If ever you buy specialty specifically for Your Best… a batch, let it be for this one. Fresh crystal and Going beyond the simple question of “what” and instead chocolate malts really make it sing, and at exploring the “why” will help you understand how to such a light ABV, you’ll be able to enjoy all of design and brew better . By Josh Weikert that flavor by the dimpled mug full. English Mild ALL-GRAIN Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters) Brewhouse efficiency: 72% Like chefs who demonstrate their skills by cooking an egg, many OG: 1.040 brewers consider mild to be a real test. It should be light but - FG: 1.010 forward, impactful but not overbearing, rich but not heavy, and low IBUs: 15 enough in ABV to drink by the pint. ABV: 3.9% Style: I once heard someone describe mild as being “like a bitter, but dark.” Wrong. Although the two styles share a country of origin, En- MALT/GRAIN BILL glish mild and bitter are not that similar. Dark mild is a light , but 6 lb (2.7 kg) Maris Otter not in color or flavor. It should be easy to drink and low in alcohol. Go 8 oz (227 g) amber malt easy on bitterness, using just enough to balance the malt flavors, which 8 oz (227 g) brown malt should do most of the work for you. The style allows for a wide range of 8 oz (227 g) chocolate malt malt expressions; the key is selecting malts that reinforce and comple- ment each other, adding complexity without making the beer too bulky. HOPS SCHEDULE Ingredients: Use a good Maris Otter as your base. For the rest, I use 0.5 oz (14 g) Northern Brewer [8% AA] at 60 equal parts amber, brown, and chocolate rye malts. The amber adds minutes a rich biscuit flavor with some caramel notes; it also works better than light crystal, which can taste too thinly sweet. The brown offers YEAST rich, toasted, nutty flavor and a touch of roast, creating an impression Wyeast 1318 London III of dryness. Finally, the chocolate rye is an easy-on-the-palate choco- late malt. Many brewers like pale chocolate, but it can impart more DIRECTIONS roast character, while the chocolate rye is softer and adds some great Mash the grains at 152°F (67°C) for 60 min- secondary spice notes. In such a light beer, there is a risk of it tasting utes. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear, more like watered-down coffee than beer, so I like a substantial dose then run off into the kettle. Sparge the grains of specialty malts that leave behind plenty of dextrins. and top up as necessary to obtain 6 gallons Hops are simple; all we need is a little bittering. Use any hops you (23 liters) of . Boil 60 minutes, following like in a 60-minute addition to get about 15 IBUs. the hops schedule. Yeast is important if you want a bit of ester to come through (it is, After the boil, chill the wort to slightly below after all, English). I like Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III), which can add a fermentation temperature, about 60°F (16°C). pleasant berry ester. It isn’t a great attenuator, so Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered you can be reasonably sure you won’t thin out air and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 60°F (16°C) the beer too much. But we want to be careful of for 4 days, then let the temperature rise to diacetyl with this strain, as it’s both undesirable 68°F (20°C) and hold for an additional 7 days. in this style and unpleasant in this flavor profile. Allow the beer to free rise from there until 2 Process: Optionally, you can add a degree or days after airlock activity ceases, then crash two to your usual mash so that your wort isn’t the beer to 35°F (2°C), bottle or , and

too fermentable. For the sake of repeatability, carbonate to about 2 volumes of CO2. I prefer my standard 152°F (66°C) mash, using grist rather than temperature to adjust body. EXTRACT For fermentation, avoiding diacetyl is your Substitute 6.2 lb (2.8 kg) of pale liquid malt mission, so start cold and finish warm. I pitch extract (LME) for the Maris Otter. Bring 6 gal- this yeast at a brisk 60°F (15°C) and hold it there lons (23 liters) of water to about 162°F (72°C) for the first four days. Then I let it free-rise to and hold. Using a mesh grain bag, steep finish fermentation and clean up any lurking dia- the remaining grains for 15 minutes, then cetyl precursors. With such a low gravity, you can remove the bag and allow it to drain into the be sure of a complete fermentation pretty quickly; wort. Add the LME while stirring and stir un- I usually bottle this beer 10 days after pitching. til completely dissolved. Boil for 60 minutes, Thanks to a highly flocculent yeast, it clears up following the hops schedule. rapidly, and you can serve it almost immediately. After the boil, chill, aerate, and ferment It’s one of the great “speed beers” out there, and it following the directions above. provides big flavor in a small package. PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/MGRAVESPHOTO.COM PHOTOS: MATT

30 | CRAFT BEER & | Libraries can gain access through Flipster, EBSCO's Digital Magazine Newsstand at www.Flipster.com MAKE IT Brett Beer Peach in the Sun Like my granddad says, “You roll the dice, you take what you get.” Instead of designing a special recipe for a 100 percent Brettanomy- Brett ces-fermented beer, I figured, “Why not just take a hoppy recipe I already have, tinker a bit, and see what happens?” Darned if it Pale Ale didn’t work. I can’t promise the same will be true for you—for a Don’t expect barnyard variety of reasons, Brett beers are an exercise in “your mileage may flavors here: WhenBrett vary.” I’m willing to wager, though, that you’ll like what you get, is the sole fermenting even if it’s not what you expect. agent, the result should be Style: Brett beers can use any base style as their foundation. relatively clean. Often, they’re pale and hoppy, but you needn’t be constrained. This recipe happens to be a variation on my Peachtree IPA, but ALL-GRAIN Brett produces flavors complementary to a whole host of recipes. Generally, it should yield a beer that’s drier and fruitier than the Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters) traditional version of that style, often with a few funky notes. Brewhouse efficiency: 72% Those come through more as the beer ages, so you may not notice OG: 1.057 them at first (especially if you go heavy on the hops). This should FG: 1.009 not be an aggressively funky or . IBUs: 52 Ingredients: Although this is an IPA in construction, it may not ABV: 5.9% seem that way upon completion—it tastes more like a straight American pale ale, despite the high IBU load. Its gravity also is MALT/GRAIN BILL modest for an IPA. Two-row pale and a bit of Munich serve as the 9 lb (4.1 kg) 2-row pale base, with dabs of British crystal and flaked . I dropped the 1 lb (454 g) Munich 20L crystal from the original recipe; it adds light caramel sweet- 8 oz (227 g) British medium crystal (45L) ness to the IPA, but dry is the point here. Flaked barley smooths 8 oz (227 g) flaked barley out the mouthfeel. Flaked or flaked would also work. My IPA recipe calls for dry hopping, but here I use those hops HOPS SCHEDULE in the whirlpool instead. I don’t like dry hops in this beer; they 1 oz (28 g) Nugget [12% AA] at 60 minutes distract from the Brett character. 1 oz (28 g) Simcoe [10% AA] at 5 minutes Process: This might be a good time 1 oz (28 g) Amarillo at whirlpool to dedicate a fermentor and a set of 1 oz (28 g) Citra at whirlpool plastics as your “Brett/sour” gear, to minimize the risk of contamination. YEAST Ferment at 68°F (20°C) for four Wyeast 5112 Brett Bruxellensis weeks, then check your gravity. If it’s still above 1.015, wait. Check DIRECTIONS the gravity every two weeks until Mash the grains at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. you get down to about 1.010 or Vorlauf until the runnings are clear, then run off lower, then package. Brett can into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary work slowly, and if you bottle to obtain 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort. Boil for 60 too soon, you can end up with minutes, following the hops schedule. gushers or bottle bombs. A After the boil, chill the wort to slightly below relatively low carbonation tar- fermentation temperature, about 65°F (18°C). get gives you some breathing Aerate with pure oxygen or filtered air and pitch room, but if your finishing the yeast. Ferment at 68°F (20°C) for 4 weeks, gravity is a pretty-darn-dry then check the gravity. If it’s above 1.015, wait and 1.006 or so, go ahead and bump check each week until the number holds steady or it up to 2.25 volumes. drops below 1.015 (preferably 1.010). Then bottle

Bottle conditioning can take a or keg, and carbonate to 2 volumes of CO2. little while, just like primary fermen- tation. Be patient (or just get a keg and TIPS FOR SUCCESS force carbonate). To avoid bottle bombs, be absolutely sure fer- The end result should seem like a lighter, mentation is complete (or gravity is below 1.010)

brighter pale ale with a flavor that is probably clean before packaging. Aim low with CO2 if bottle and fruity at first. Over time it may develop those conditioning to account for any long-term chew- barnyard Brett aromas, but they should com- ing-down of remaining sugars. If it gets as high plement the peach/pineapple charac- as 2.5 volumes, you’ll still be fine. ter. Consider aging a few bottles to see what develops. Roll the dice and see what you get.

CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM | 31 Flavors Farmhouse 58 | pan, heatoilover sauté or steep-sided of golfballs.Ina largecast-ironskillet thesize 1½-inch (3.8cm)balls,about the egg.Oncecombined,forminto meat, onion,parsley, garlic,spices,and mixbyhand theground In alargebowl, stock 2 cups(480ml)chicken 2 tspsugar 5 oz(142g)driedfigsorraisins 1–2 bayleaves 1–2 sprigsofthyme 6 oz(170g)shallots,peeled 8 oz(237ml)bièredegarde vegetableoil 3 Tbs 1 largeegg ¾ tspgroundcinnamon ¾ tspgroundallspice freshgarlic 1 tspchopped freshflat-leafparsley 1 tspchopped 1 mediumyellowonion,finelychopped 1⅔ lb(756 g)groundlamb(maysubstitute Serves: 4–6 Bière de Garde Turkish Meatballs with aka “Two Fat Justins,” share recipes for their cuisine àlabière. juiciness to asimple berrycrumble. Justin Wright and Justin Kruger, savory maindishes, while asplash of sour cherry adds complex Let’s get rustic: French and Belgian country can lighten and brighten |COOKING WITHBEER | COOKING WITH BEER ground beef orpork) ground beef

CRAFT BEER & BREWING | Libraries cangainaccess through 1 cup(240ml)plain Greek yogurt Dash ofsaltand pepper 1 tspoflemonjuiceandsherryvinegar dicedgreenonion 1 Tbs dicedbasil 1 Tbs dicedparsley 1 Tbs dicedchive 1 Tbs diceddill 1 Tbs (see below) and steamed basmatirice. andsteamed (see below) Greek herbed the meatballswith yogurt asneeded.Serveso addsaltandpepper nearly a sauce, reduced to liquid should be forthisrecipe.) isgood evaporation ofalid,assomeliquid the foilinstead foil andsimmeronlowfor1hour. (Use asimmer.and bringto Coverthepanwith untilmeatballsarecovered, stock, chicken Add thyme, bayleaves,figs,sugar, and shallotsinthepan. meatballs andpeeled low.ula andreduceheatto Arrangethe de. Scrape upany spat- awooden bitswith oil fromthepanandaddbiéredegar brown. Changeoilifneeded. sear themeatballsonall sides until golden medium-high heat. Working inbatches, HERBED GREEK YOGURT Remove the meatballs to a plate. The The aplate. Remove themeatballsto Once allmeatballsareseared,drainthe Flipster, Flipster, EBSCO's Dig ital Magazine Newsstandat - beer and stock. Whilethe hopsaresub- and stock. beer enhanced byextra bitofsugarsfromthe the meatballs.Allspiceandcinnamon are which enhancesthebrownedflavor of character, caramelandtoast deeper of arichvegetableflavor, we getamuch Instead garde forthetraditionalstock. For bièrede wesubstitute thisrecipe, What the Beer Doesfor the Dish: Calabaza orBière DeMars. or Bière deMars, orJolly Pumpkin OroDe Avant Garde, OmmegangGrains ofTruth Lost Abbey Gift ofthe find try to Magi or are classicexamplesofthestyle.Otherwise BièreBrasserie Castelain deGarde, those finda to a Jenlain fromBrasserie Duyckor er-ABV versions.Ifyou’re enough fortunate high- a bitoflightalcoholwarmthwith andperhaps ofsweetmaltcharacter touch dry, nearlydryto should be justa with ter, finish themalt. balancingtoward The with minimalhopcharac- oftoffee, a touch abitofbiscuit, shouldbe taste caramel,and onthenose.The notes orpeppery spicy character, some hops,with andsubdued alotoftoasted-bread malt-forward, with color ofthebeer. more Aromashouldbe onthe slightlytan,depending to white mildly hazy, foamthatrangesfrom with profile. Generally, to pours clear beer this causing adarker, moremalt-forward orbrownmalt,ale, butitcanuseamber saisons. Traditionally, thisisastrongpale thantraditional yeastcharacter the spicy region ofFrance. Typically, ithaslessof house stylefromtheNord-Pas-de-Calais isaclassicfarm- forkeeping”) (aka “beer Beer SensoryNotes: A bièredegarde mix well. and Combine alltheingredientsinabowl www.Flipster.com

PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/WWW.MGRAVESPHOTO.COM BEERANDBREWING.COM | 59 | COOKING WITH BEER | dued in this style, they’re present enough are soft, add the asparagus and peas. Sea- to your liking. If too watery, sprinkle 1 tsp to complement the herbs, leaving a slight son lightly with a bit more salt. Cook until cornstarch at a time until the mixture is touch of grassiness to go with the parsley the peas are bright green. Add lemon zest like a thin jam or jelly. and thyme. Overall, the beer enhances the and saison and bring to a light simmer. meatballs with its clean malt and subtle Once broth is simmering, add gnocchi hop character by accentuating, not over- and heat through. Finish with the remain- CRUMBLE powering, the flavors in the dish. ing butter and chopped herbs. Serve with 2 cups (440 g) all-purpose flour the Parmesan cheese. ½ tsp salt 1¼ cups (275 g) brown sugar Ricotta Gnocchi with Beer Sensory Notes: Saisons are amaz- 3/4 lb (340 g) butter (cold and cut into small Saison Lemon Brodo ing food-pairing beers and make great pieces) additions to dishes as well. The archetype and Spring Vegetables is Saison DuPont from Brasserie Dupont, Mix everything in a stand mixer with a and it should be widely available. This paddle attachment until combined and Serves: 4 beer has a beautiful nose of clove, banan- about the size of peas. Preheat the oven to as, and similar flavors from the unique 400°F (204°C). On the stove top, heat a cast- Salt yeast strain and a whiff of fresh-cut grass iron pan over medium heat. Add the fruit 12 oz (340 g) ricotta cheese from Saaz hops. It should be poured into to the pan and sprinkle the crumble on 3 eggs a tulip glass and will appear pale golden top. Immediately put in 400°F (204°C) oven 2 Tbs (or as needed) all-purpose flour in color with a 1–2-inch (2.5–5 cm) head for 15–20 minutes, until the top is golden ⅛ tsp nutmeg of white foam that should linger the brown and the filling is bubbling. Serve Pinch of black pepper entire drink. The mouthfeel is lively, and with vanilla whipped cream or ice cream. Olive oil there is a mild, grassy bitterness. The 3 Tbs butter, cubed finish should be dry, with no lingering Beer Sensory Notes: Simply put, kriek 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced sweetness. What makes saisons pair so (Flemish for cherry) is a lambic beer with 12 oz (340 g) wild mushrooms, picked and well is their unique yeast character, high sour cherries steeped in it for several cleaned effervescence, and dry finish. Other fan- months. What you should get from this 4 oz (113 g) asparagus, sliced in half-inch tastic options are Ommegang Hennepin, type of beer is a very strong sour- pieces Funkwerks Saison, and Boulevard Tank 7. cherry note that dominates the aroma and 1 lb (454 g) sweet peas* What the Beer Does for the Dish: flavors. Pour into a tumbler or snifter, Zest and juice, separated, from 2 lemons Beer is inherently acidic, and the unique and you will get a beautiful dark red or 12 oz (355 ml) saison character of saisons adds brightness to the pink color, with a pinkish-white head. 1 Tbs fresh herb, chopped* dish. Instead of stock, which has onion, The aroma can range from slightly funky, 2 Tbs Parmesan cheese, grated garlic, and other rich vegetable flavors, like barnyard, to almond or marzipan, or *Choose whatever fresh/frozen sweet pea you this beer adds zip from carbonation and just simply sour cherries. The mouthfeel enjoy or that may be in season. We prefer effervescence. The spicy yeast flavors should be lively, acidic, with a strong parsley or chives for the herb, but any soft enhance the herbal notes of the dish. flavor of sour cherries. The sour char- green herb works well. Overall, this dish should be more acidic, acter should linger, but there should be lighter, and more herbal than you get with no sugary “cough syrup” character at Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season a traditional stock. all. It should finish dry, with a touch of the water with salt—the water should lingering sour-cherry character. If you’re taste salty, but not quite ocean-level salty. fortunate enough to find , Boon, Mix the ricotta, eggs, flour, nutmeg, and Kriek-Braised Berry or 3 Fonteinen krieks, buy them; they pepper together in a stand mixer and Crumble are among the pinnacles (see page 90 whip for 15 minutes using the wire whip for our blind panel’s review of 3 Fonteinen attachment. Roll out into ropes, dusted Oude Kriek). Others that may be available with flour around the outside. Cut ½-inch Serves: 4 include Van Honsebrouck St. Louis Fond (1.27 cm) lengths and place onto a parch- Tradition Kriek and Lindemans Oude ment-lined baking sheet. BRAISED BERRIES Kriek Cuvée René. Have a large bowl of ice water ready. In 12 oz (355 ml) kriek What the Beer Does for the Dish: Since small batches, toss the gnocchi in the boil- ½ cup (110 g) sugar this beer is pretty acidic, you won’t need ing water, and time them for 2–3 minutes 2 lb (907 g) fresh berries (blueberries, the traditional lemon juice/zest to bring after they start floating. Remove them raspberries, blackberries, etc.) out the acidity. In addition, the sour cher- from the water and place in the ice-water 1 tsp cornstarch ries add a variable fruit character to the bath to chill for 1 minute. Remove from ⅛ tsp salt other berries, complementing their natu- the ice water and allow to dry on paper ral sugars and acidity—who doesn’t love towels. Tossed with 1 tsp of olive oil, the In a large nonreactive pot, combine the a mixed-berry crumble? The crumble on gnocchi will keep covered in the fridge for kriek and sugar, bring to a gentle simmer, top will have a rich buttery note, offset by a week or in the freezer for much longer. and cook until reduced by one-third or the subtle minerality and phenolic notes For the broth, melt 1 Tbs of butter in a one-half (about 30 minutes). Add the ber- of the beer. For some other fun variations, skillet. Add the shallot and cook over medi- ries, sprinkle the cornstarch and salt over try a (raspberry lambic) with um heat for 2–3 minutes. Add mushrooms top, and lightly simmer until the berries the same mixed berries, or a pêche lambic and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for begin to break down. If too acidic, add 1 with stone fruits such as peaches and apri- 3–4 minutes more. When the mushrooms tsp of sugar at a time until the acidity is cots in the crumble.

60 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING | Libraries can gain access through Flipster, EBSCO's Digital Magazine Newsstand at www.Flipster.com BEERANDBREWING.COM | 61 Learn to Brew With Craft Beer & Brewing Online Classes! Are you new to brewing, or do you want to improve your brewing skills? Craft Beer & Brewing’s online learn- ing platform can help you become a better brewer, one lesson at a time. 40 classes, led by CB&B staff, con- Don’t Miss These tributors, and brewers from renowned , are now available for purchase, either as individual classes New Classes! or through a low monthly subscription price that gives you access to all classes plus a new class every month: How to Fix Sh*t in >> The Secrets to Brewing Great Your with >> Coffee & Beer: From Roasting to Brewing >> Introductory Extract Brewing 2nd Shift Brewing >> Introductory All-Grain & Partial-Mash Brewing Steve Crider, founder-brewer-handy- >> Basics of Yeast Propagation man at 2nd Shift Brewing in St. Louis, >> Kegging Your Beer shares his know-how on keeping a >> Adding Flavors to Beer brewery running, and what to do >> Temperature Control for Lagering when things break down. >> Home Draft System Setup >> Brewing Water >> Wood Aging Your Beer >> Quick Souring Methods Mastering >> Advanced Packaging Methods >> Make the Most of Your Extract Kit Barrel-Aged Stouts >> Fundamentals of Malt with Side Project >> Advanced All-Grain Methods Brewing >> Advanced Yeast Management Side Project Owner/Brewer Cory >> Hot Rod Your Kettles and Mash Tun King teaches you how to brew world- >> How to Build Your Electric Brewery, 1 & 2 class barrel-aged stouts. >> How to Make Great >> Fundamentals of Opening a Brewery >> Hops: How to Best Use the Spice of Beer >> Introduction to Evaluating Beer >> Troubleshooting Your Beer >> Recipe Development From Start-to-Finish >> How to Adjunct Like Weldwerks >> How to Brew Great Stouts >> Introduction to Making Visit now for a free preview beerandbrewing.com/learn

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