In January of 2007, we started home brewing again after a 10-year hiatus. We started in the fall of 2006 with a few batches of hard apple cider. Since the cider turned out so well, we thought we'd try a few ales. From January to May in 2007, we made 13 batches of beer, most of which turned out great.
Fall of 2007 started up the second season of brewing. Our biggest success from spring of 2007, a Kolsch style ale, is the featured ale for this brewing season. We are making two batches of something else and then two batches using Kolsch yeast.
As of February 2008, we've made two batches of organic pale ale, a golden Kolsch, a Negra Modelo clone with Kolsch yeast that we named Negra Wisconsin, a dry stout, a porter, another golden Kolsch, a pilsner Kolsch, a Scottish ale, and a spiced dark ale made with molasses, fresh grated ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Recipes will be posted below as we make them.
We buy all the ingredients at Northern Brewer in St. Paul, MN. Most of the recipes are based on the "Guidelines for Brewing 5 Gallons on Traditional Beer" section in The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charles Papazian.
Kim
March 6, 2008
 | 6 lbs discounted organic light malt extract |
| 1/2 lb crystal malt specialty grains |
| 1 oz Cascade hops (8.5 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/2 oz Willamette hops - flavor |
| 1056 Wyeast American ale yeast |
Moved to secondary fermenter on 11/04/07. Bottled on 11/17/07.
It tasted ok but the discounted malt may have a little off. It was a
little flat.
| 6 lbs discounted organic light malt extract |
| 1/2 lb crystal malt specialty grains |
| 1 oz Cascade hops (8.5 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/2 oz Yakima Goldings hops - flavor |
| 1056 Wyeast American ale yeast |
Used 1 quart the fermenting ale from the previous batch. Transferred to the secondary fermenter on 11/17/07. Bottled on 11/22/07. This ale also tasted a little off, perhaps from the old extract. It was not flat like the first batch.
| 6 lbs golden malt extract |
| no specialty grains |
| 1 oz Northern Brewer hops (6.5 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/2 oz German Perle hops (4.0 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/2 oz Saaz pellet hops - flavor |
| 1/2 oz German Perle hops - aroma |
| 2565 Wyeast Kosch yeast |
Moved to secondary fermenter on 11/25/07. Bottled on 12/29/07. Tastes great!
| 6 lbs amber malt extract |
| 1/2 lb medium crystal malt specialty grains |
| 1/4 lb chocolate roasted specialty grains |
| 1 oz German Perle hops (7.9 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/2 oz Saaz pellet hops - flavor |
| 2565 Wyeast Kolsch yeast |
This was to be a Negra Modelo dark ale clone. We used the Vienna lager recipe in The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charles Papazian. Used 1 quart the fermenting ale from the previous batch. Bottled on 12/29/07. It tastes quite a bit like Negra Modelo.
| 6 lbs dark malt extract |
| 1/2 lb medium crystal malt specialty grains |
| 1/2 lb chocolate roasted specialty grains |
| 1/2 lb black roasted specialty grains |
| 1 oz Chinook hops (12.9 HBU) - bittering |
| 1084 Wyeast Irish Ale yeast |
Moved to secondary fermenter on 01/06/08. Bottled on 01/18/08. Tastes great.
| 6 lbs amber malt extract |
| 1/4 lb coffee roasted specialty grains |
| 1/4 lb black roasted specialty grains |
| 2/3 oz Magnum hops (9.3 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/2 oz Yakima Goldings - flavor |
Used 1 quart the fermenting ale from the previous batch. Moved to secondary fermenter on 01/20/08. Bottled on 01/26/08. Tastes great.
| 6 lbs golden malt extract |
| no specialty grains |
| 2/3 oz Magnum hops (9.3 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/4 oz German Northern Brewer hops - flavor |
| 1/4 oz German Northern Brewer hops - aroma |
| 2565 Wyeast Kolsch yeast |
Moved to secondary fermenter on 01/26/08. Bottled on 02/17/08. Tastes great.
| 6 lbs pilsen malt extract |
| no specialty grains |
| 2/3 oz Magnum hops (9.3 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/4 oz German Northern Brewer hops - flavor |
| 1/4 oz German Northern Brewer hops - aroma |
| 2565 Wyeast Kolsch yeast |
Used 1 quart the fermenting ale from the previous batch. Bottled on 02/23/08.
| 6 lbs amber malt extract |
| 1 lb medium crystal specialty grains |
| 1/4 lb chocolate roasted specialty grains |
| 1 oz Yakima Goldings hops (4.6 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/4 oz Chinook hops (3.2 HBU) - bittering |
| no flavor or aroma hops |
| 1728 Wyeast Scottish Ale yeast |
Moved to secondary fermenter on 02/24/08. Bottled on 03/08/08. Tasted good at bottling.
| 6 lbs amber malt extract |
| 1 lb black strap molasses |
| 1/4 lb coffee roasted specialty grains |
| 1/4 lb black roasted specialty grains |
| 1/2 lb chocolate roasted specialty grains |
| 4 oz shredded ginger root |
| 1 tsp ground nutmeg |
| 1 tsp ground cloves |
| 3/4 oz Chinook hops (9.0 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/8 oz Chinook hops - aroma |
Used 1 quart the fermenting ale from the previous batch. Bottled on 03/08/08. Even warm and flat, this tasted like molasses cookies dunked in coffee, yum!
| 6 lbs Munich malt extract |
| 1 1/2 lbs amber malt extract |
| 1/2 lb toasted munich pilsen specialty grain |
| 1/2 lb Weyermann Caramunich III specialty grain |
| 1/8 organic chocolate roasted specialty grain |
| 1/2 oz Magnum hops ( 7 HBU) - bittering |
| 1/2 oz German Spalt hops - flavor & aroma |
| 2565 Wyeast Kolsch yeast |
As of 3/15, this one is still in the first carboy. Brew in March, drink in fall. The yeast started right away so hopefully, it should be a good one.