In the Fermentor: Prohibition

The Pre-Prohibition American Lager (a.k.a. Classic American Pilsner) is making a comeback. Long before the days of empty and tasteless mass produced beers, American breweries were producing some interesting brews.

Although corn is now used as a cheap adjunct that lightens a beer's body and flavor, it was originally brewed with out of necessity. This is because the six-row barley native to America is harder to work with than European two-row. Unlike two-row, six-row barley is too high in protein to make stable beer. Using 20-30% Corn in the mash dilutes the protein and solves the stability problem.

I've mostly stuck to the Pre-Prohibition plan. The addition of a little CarPils should aid body and head retention, but everything else is where it should be. Most of the hops are the Cluster variety used in many early 20th century American beers. Several articles I stumbled across recommended using Noble hop varieties for finishing and flavor. Following form, I threw in some Tettnanger hops. However, I wanted a little of the Cluster character to come through, so I mixed it with the Tettnanger in the flavor and aroma additions.

If you read my Bohemian Kölsch blog, you'll know that I'm not equipped to lager. To that end, I've pressed Wyeast's Kölsch II yeast back into service. It worked brilliantly in my first pseudo-lager, so I hope it works well here too. Here's the recipe for five gallons of retro fun:

Grains:
7 lbs US Six-Row
2 lbs Flaked Corn
8 oz CaraPils

Hops:
0.5 oz Cluster: 60 min
0.5 oz Cluster: 20 min
0.5 oz Tettnanger: 20 min
0.5 oz Cluster: 5 min
0.5 oz Tettnanger: 5 min

Yeast:
Wyeast 2575-PC - Kölsch II

Mash Schedule:
Saccharification Rest: 150F for 60min
Mashout: 168F for 15 minutes

Original Gravity:
1.053
Estimated Final Gravity:
1.010

IBU: 31
SRM Color: 3

Fermentation Schedule:
2 Weeks Primary
2 Weeks Secondary
2 Weeks Bottle Conditioning

Cost: $15 per case
Commercial Equivalent: Coors Batch 19: $32
Savings: $17

Comments

In the Fermentor: Bohemian Kölsch

Being a brewer on a budget, I don't have an extra fridge to lager in. That poses a bit of a problem, because I love a good Pilsener on a hot Summer day. To my palate, the closest style to Pilsener in the ale department is a German Kölsch . To that end, I've wedded a Bohemian Pilsener influenced recipe with a Kölsch yeast strain to create my Bohemian Kölsch pseudo-lager. I realize that the finished product won't be as clean, crisp and clear as a traditional Pils, but I'm hoping to come close. I want a full five gallons of this beer. Since my kitchen setup isn't conducive to five gallon all-grain batches, I've taken the partial-mash approach. I've also thrown in a bit of Irish Moss toward the end of the boil to help with clarity. Here's the five-gallon recipe: Grains: 3.5 lbs German Pilsener 8 oz Munich 8 oz Crystal 10L 4 oz CaraPils Hops: 1 oz Saaz: First Wort Hopping 0.5 oz Merkur: 60 min 1 oz Saaz: 7 min Extras: 3 lbs Pilsen ...

Out of the Bottle: Porter vs Porter

My Beer My attempt to clone Samuel Smith Taddy Porter is ready to pour. For a change of pace, I've picked up a 4-pack of the real deal to compare and contrast against my efforts. Since I'm not exactly an impartial judge, my girlfriend agreed to blind taste test the two beers side by side in identical, unmarked glasses. I've mixed her notes in with mine. First off, I must say that the beers look remarkably similar. Taddy pours with a slightly larger head, but the beers share the same deep garnet hue. Mine has a bit more carbonation going on. Both beers have good head retention and leave some lace behind. My girlfriend's first comment was that my beer was very similar, but finished quicker than the Samuel Smith. She also noted that the Samuel Smith is slightly more bitter, with more depth of flavor. The first thing I noticed was that my beer has a more roasted edge and is a bit nuttier. It also lacks the unique dark fruit esters that I sense in all of the Samuel...

In the Fermentor: Grodziskie

I'd never even heard of Poland's Grodziskie, until I read about it in a Zymurgy article. Not content to simply read about the beer, I've decided to go ahead and brew one. Besides, who wouldn't want to try a beer made entirely from Smoked Wheat? I've mostly followed the plan laid out in the Zymurgy article. The Mash schedule and hop addition times are as prescribed. However, I don't have easy access to the Lublin hops used in the magazine brew, or the correct yeast strain. In place of the Lublin hops, I've used Polish Sybilla. The beer also calls for a clean ale yeast. I've turned to White Labs ,Dusseldorf Alt yeast to fill the role. In a few weeks my efforts will be rewarded. Here's the five-gallon brew: Grains: 5 lbs Weyermann Oak Smoked Wheat Hops: 0.75 oz Sybilla (6.4% a.a.): 105 min 0.5 oz Sybilla (6.4% a.a.): 30 min Total Boil Time: 120 min Yeast: White Labs WLP036 - Dusseldorf Alt Mash Schedule: Acid Rest: 100F for 30 min ...

Colorado Kitchen Brew

Search This Blog