Brewing

[2ndNHDOC]

To any homebrewers out there in the hobby have any of you tried any period recipes. I have been getting more and more into homebrewing and have seen several recipes which appear to be from the period if not even earlier. Just curious.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Brewing

Brian,

This weekend I'll be learning to brew from notable brewer, Justin Runyon, during a WIG meeting at my house. Justin usually has about 2-3 things brewing/aging at his house at any time. He's selected a period porter recipe for this weekend. I wanted to have interesting bottles to put it in when we do that in a few weeks, so I had to drink 40 pints to yield the needed 40 bottles. Tough job, but I got it done!:wink_smil

[crabby]

Re: Brewing

Matt,

He is a very capable teacher. I learned from him, I love making my own (even love drinking it more!).

Sounds like you had a rough job, HAVING to get 40 bottles ready for the brew.!

Crabby

[Charles Heath]

Re: Brewing

Brian,

Don't kick apple cider out of bed either.

[2ndNHDOC]

Re: Brewing

Brian,

Don't kick apple cider out of bed either.

Actually that is my next plan. I need to pick up some pectin enzyme and the cider. It is out of season but I want to try it with store bought before I tried the good stuff.

[unclefrank]

Re: Brewing

I too have a porter on tap for this weekend. All I drink now is my own brew. I suggest reviewing this forum for excellent advice on the subject.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/

also, good places to get your supplies online.

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/

http://www.northernbrewer.com/

Cheers!

[JohnTaylorCW]

Re: Brewing

As well, check out this old thread for more links, and some recipies:

Brewing

[Rob Weaver]

Re: Brewing

A word of warning: measurements in old recipes are inexact for the most part, and you can save yourself some unpleasant results if you cross-reference your period recipe with a modern one. For instance: just how much honey in water will "float an egg?" What is a "teacupful of yeast?" (About 1 quart of honey to a gallon of water, and that's a yeast starter, not dry yeast for the latter.) How much is "a half loaf of white sugar pounded fine?" The frustrating thing about homebrewing with period recipes, whether it be soft drinks like ginger beer, or beers or meads, is it takes a while to find out if you've made a batch of something drinkable or if you've made swill. There are so many variables that just changing one thing at a time probably won't catch what went wrong with the initial batch. Compare period recipes to modern one to get a feel for measurements. Kind of like "Measure twice, cut once."

[Forquer]

Re: Brewing

I too have a porter on tap for this weekend. All I drink now is my own brew. I suggest reviewing this forum for excellent advice on the subject.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/

also, good places to get your supplies online.

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/

http://www.northernbrewer.com/

Cheers!

Add to that Zymurgy magazine, the publication of the American Hombrewing Association. Their website can be found at http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/zymurgy.html .

As Mr. Heath said, hard cider is most appropriate. I'll have to do some digging through my archives, but somewhere I have a recipe for corn beer that came out of a Southern newspaper.

[Greg Barnett]

Re: Brewing

Here is a simple recipe fro corn beer.

"Cold water - 5 gallons;
Sound nice corn - 1 quart;
Molasses - 2 quarts;
Put all in a keg of this(?) size; shake well, and in 2 or 3 days fermentation will have been brought on as nicely as with yeast. Keep it bunged tight. It may be flavored with oils of spruce or lemon, if desired by pouring on to the oils one or two quarts of water, boiling hot. The corn will last five or six makings. If it gets too sour add more molasses and water in the same proportions. It is cheap, healthy, and no bother with yeast."


I am still working on the ginger beer and waiting for Carter and Jasper to supply repro crock bottles. Maybe the AC should produce a period recipe book for sale and use funds for preservation. A nice chapter on period brewing could be included with references....