APPENDIX D
Standard Brewing Processes

Steeping Grains and Extract Process

This profile covers the basic procedure used in brewing extract beer with steeping grains. The recipes in the book are converted for this procedure as well as all grain. To do so, use the amount of malt extract specified in the “extract” section of the recipe and subtract the specified amount of malt from the grain bill.

For instance, a recipe calls for 17 pounds of Maris Otter Malt. The extract section calls for 12.5 pounds to replace 16 pounds of Maris Otter. Use 1 pound of Maris Otter in your steep and 12.5 pounds of LME for the boil.

If you wish to use DME and LME is specified, remember you only need 80 percent as much DME. Multiply the LME weight by 0.8 to calculate the amount of DME needed. In the above example you could substitute 10 pounds of DME (12.5 pounds × 0.8 = 10 pounds).

Steeping Grains Instructions

1. Heat 3 quarts of filtered water to 165°F. Turn off the heat. Have 3 to 4 gallons of filtered water chilling in the fridge or freezer.

2. If using, place the crushed malt into a grain bag and submerge the bag in the steeping water. If not using a grain bag, stir the crushed malt into water. Steep for 45 minutes

3. While the grain is steeping, heat another 3 quarts of filtered water to 170°F

4. With loose grain, line a colander with several layers of cheese cloth or use a fine-mesh strainer. With a grain bag, put the bag in a colander. Suspend colander over your boiling pot (20 quarts or larger) and pour the steeping liquid through the colander.

5. Rinse the grains with the heated water. Remove the colander and grains and bring your boil kettle to a vigorous boil.

6. Remove the kettle from the heat and stir in the extract. Stir thoroughly, making sure that all the extract is dissolved and the pot bottom is free of any residue. Return to the boil.

7. Once at a boil, begin timing your boil and add hops as specified in the recipe. For instance add the 60 minutes hops when 60 minutes are remaining in the boil. (This is typically the start of the boil, but some recipes do specify longer boils of 75 to 120 minutes. Start counting down and when you hit 60, add the hops.)

8. At boil’s end, add any last-minute hop additions. Vigorously stir the pot to create a whirlpool effect, place the lid on and wait 10 minutes. Chill the beer to 90°F to 100°F with a chiller or place the pot in a sink full of ice and barely running cold water.

9. Pour the lukewarm wort into your sanitized fermenter and add chilled water to bring to the desired volume (5.5 gallons typically). Seal the bucket or insert a sanitized stopper in the carboy and shake the beer for 10 minutes to mix.

10. Open the fermenter and grab a hydrometer sample to record your original gravity. Add the yeast to the fermenter.

11. Refer to the Fermentation and Packaging section of this appendix.

Late-Extract Variant

To brew a paler-colored extract batch, during Step 6 only add a third of the total extract to the kettle. When there are 15 to 20 minutes remaining in the boil, add the remaining extract, making sure to dissolve it completely.

Full-Boil Variant

For a major step up in attenuation and hop character, boil the full beer volume with a larger pot. After rinsing the grains with hot water, add enough water to the kettle to equal your target volume plus 1 gallon per hour of boil time. For example, in a recipe yielding 5.5 gallons with a 60-minute boil clock, fill the partially filled kettle to 6.5 gallons. For a 90-minute boil, fill to 7 gallons. The extra volume compensates for water lost during the boil. To chill rapidly, it is advisable to invest in a chiller instead of cold water baths

For extra-pale beer, you can combine the full boil and late-extract variants.

Single-Infusion Brew Process

Single-infusion mash is the simplest and most versatile mash schedule used extensively in the British and American brewing worlds. This mash regimen takes advantage of the complete conversion of modern barley malt. Before developing better strains of barley and malting techniques, more complicated mash regimens were needed to convert the mash.

Single-Step-Infusion Mash Instructions

1. Measure out strike water based on the amount of malt in the mash. The typical strike ratio used in the book’s recipes is 1.25 quarts per pound of malt. (So, for a grain bill of 10 pounds you strike with 12.5 quarts of water.) In a separate vessel, measure an equal or greater volume of sparge water.

2. Heat the strike water to approximately 12°F above the desired mash rest temp. (For instance, heat to 164°F for a mash rest of 152°F). This differential will vary from system to system. Also heat the sparge water to 170°F.

3. Mix the grains thoroughly and stir to break up any clumps. Rest for 10 minutes and take a temperature. Adjust with cold or hot water (or direct heat in a pot) to settle at the rest.

4. After 60 minutes, slowly drain a quart of cloudy grainy liquid and pour onto a plate or foil on top of the mash. Continue this process until the liquid runs clear.

5. Divert the runoff to the boil kettle and top up the tun with sparge water approximately 1" above the grain bed.

6. Collect enough runnings to equal the target volume plus 1 gallon for every 60 minutes of boiling (for example, 6.5 gallons for a 5.5 gallon recipe boiled for one hour). Check the runnings as you sparge and stop the flow if they drop below 1.010.

7. Once at a boil, begin timing your boil and add hops as specified in the recipe. For instance, add the 60 minutes hops when 60 minutes are remaining in the boil. (This is typically the start of the boil, but some recipes do specify longer boils of 75 to 120 minutes. Start counting down and when you hit 60, add the hops.)

8. At boil’s end, add any last-minute hop additions. Vigorously stir the pot to create a whirlpool effect, place the lid on, and wait 10 minutes. Chill the beer to 60°F to 75°F with a chiller.

9. Transfer the beer to the fermenter and take a gravity sample. Add aeration or oxygenation and then pitch yeast.

10. Refer to the Fermentation and Packaging section of this appendix.

Multistep Brew Process

As mentioned above, older malts and the few under-modified malts left on the market require more complicated mash rests. Belgian breweries often employ a multistep mash to encourage more attenuative worts.

Multistep Mash Instructions

1. Begin as in the Single-Infusion process. Complete your first rest at the lower temperature (up to Step 3).

2. To raise the mash temperature by infusion, refer to Appendix C to calculate the amount of water needed to push the mash to the next rest temperature. Kettle mashers can raise temperature via direct heating. Fire up the burner and stir the mash continuously for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir thoroughly, and check the temperature. Repeat until at target.

3. Repeat Step 2 for as many rests as required. When the last rest is completed, resume the Single-Infusion Process at Step 4.

Decoction Brew Process

Instead of relying on infusions of hot water or application of heat, the traditional decoction mash is the German way. The brewer takes a third of the mashed grains out of the tun and raises them to a saccharification rest temperature for a brief period. The grain is then boiled and added back to the main mash. Traditional schedules involve up to three different pulls to achieve final resting temperatures.

Decoction Mash Instructions

1. Begin as in the Single-Infusion process. Complete your first rest at the lower temperature (up to Step 3).

2. While the main mash rests, pull a third of the grain to a pot. Leave most of the liquid in the mash tun. Heat the pulled portion to saccharification temperature between 150°F and 156°F and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. After the rest, ignite the heat and stir the mash continuously. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes while stirring. Add this boiled pull back to the main mash, stir thoroughly to incorporate the heat, and raise the overall mash temperature to target.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for as many rests as required. When the last rest is completed, resume the Single-Infusion Brew Process at Step 4.

Fermentation and Packaging

1. For most normal-gravity beers, allow the beer to ferment in primary for a week or two until the gravity is no longer changing. Rack to secondary if desired or to dry-hop or spice the beer. Fermentation temperature should be varied to the optimum values indicated by the yeast manufacturer

2. To bottle, clean and sanitize fifty-four 12-ounce bottles. (To keg, follow instructions in text.)

3. Prepare a sugar solution of ¾ cup (approx 4.5 ounces by weight) Priming (corn) sugar and ¾ cup filtered water. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes and add to sanitized bottling bucket.

4. Rack beer onto sugar solution to mix thoroughly.

5. Fill each bottle to approximately 1.5 to 2 fingers’ width from the top and cap

6. Store bottles in the seventies for two weeks. Chill one bottle and check the carbonation level. Wait one more week if carbonation is not as desired.