We've been brewing beer for a few years. Charlie Papazian is our favorite resource. Charlie, next time you are in Portland, look us up and come have a beer with us. 🙂
We made beer this weekend!! 🙂 In a few weeks we will be welcoming the season with Pumpkin Ale!
First step, I scrub and sanitize the kitchen, including the carboys and all tools we will be using.
Then the grains go into mesh baggies.
The grains smell SO good, and both Jason and I took an allergy pill before starting! 🙂
The grains going into our pumpkin ale were Maris Otter, Munich, Wheat and Biscuit Malts.
Steep at 150 - 155 degrees for one hour in about 8 quarts water. This is called the mash, where we are making "yeast food" (converting the complex starches to simple sugar).
While this is happening, I played with hops.
The hops we used are Hallertau. I just know they smell good. 😉 I divided them into two 'socks', one ounce each.
Once the grains have steeped for an hour, prepare the 'wort'. Remove the grain baggies, add some of the adjuncts (in today's recipe, the ingredients that went in immediately include one ounce hops, five pounds pumpkin, two pounds brown sugar, one pound of rice hulls and seven pounds malt extract).
Boil for 50 minutes. For the last 10 minutes, add the other ounce of hops (finishing hops). After 10 minutes, remove from heat, remove the 'socks' of hops and hulls, and add spices.
It then goes into the primary fermenter:
We added another 2.5 gallons of spring water also. Cool to 70 degrees (warmer will kill the yeast).
Once it reaches 70 degrees, add the yeast (this recipe we used Pac Man + ½ cup DME - dry malt extract). Secure "bubbler" to top and store an area that stays around 68 degrees.
Pac Man
Measure the liquid density with a hydrometer.
Our beer? 1.060.
Basil watching from a distance.
We will prime and bottle this batch in two weeks, ready to drink in three - on my birthday! We didn't even plan that part! 🙂
Our house smells so spicy and good right now. I wish this blog had smellevision. 🙂
Are you a beer drinker? What is your favorite?
Cheers! Have a great short week!
Joslyn @ missfitbliss says
Yes! You are such a blog rockstar;) I love it!
Nicole (runningaroundtherock) says
Very cool post... thanks for sharing 🙂
lindsay says
Oh fun! My brother brews his own. A lot of dark ales, similar to Guinness.
couchpotatoathlete says
I'm not a huge beer drinker, but my brother in law just recently started brewing. Too bad he lives in TX or I'd be able to test some. 🙂
christina says
that is so cool!! i suck - my favorite is coor's light..yeah i know, i need to branch out.
EmbraceYourSkin says
Holy cow! Please save some of this for when I come to Portland! 🙂
Lynn says
MMMMMmmmmmm, beeeeeeer 🙂 I love beer!!! I love a good North West IPA. Although Im not a flavored-beer lover, with this weather taking a turn into the fall the pumpkin sounds pretty good! Maybe I'll be taking a trip to Portland in 3-4weeks! 😉
LiveForTheRun says
DANG IT WOMAN! Share, share, share, haa.
This is friggin amazing. You rock!! Pumpkin beer float?
Dorry says
Love that y'all brew your own beer! I'm not a huge beer drinker in general but I'm always open to trying specialty brews. Love the timing for your birthday...I've already thought about the fat that I'll be out of the country on your birthday but I will not forget about it! 🙂 🙂
Pam says
Nope, not a beer drinker, but we make wine and the process is always so much fun! Enjoy your's, it does look yummy!