A Guide to Craft Brewing E-Book

John Alexander

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

A Guide to Craft Brewing explains how to brew your own beer in clear and straightforward terms, making this popular and rewarding hobby accessible to all. This practical book covers twenty-eight types of malts, thirty-one adjuncts and thirty-three hops, and includes how to treat water to match a beer type and yeast necessary to create your own unique style. It explains each step for the novice with tips and advice, but also includes advanced techniques and ideas for the more experienced home brewer.

Leseprobe

DEDICATION

To Kelly

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am indebted to the following, who have made a contribution to the success of this book: Gilbert Dallas, MBE BSc; John Peacock and Andy Janes of Muntons; Simpson’s Malt; Bairds Malt; Brulab Ltd, County Durham; Charles McMaster, MA, Scottish brewing historian; Dr Stuart Rivers; George Howell, Head Brewer, Belhaven Brewery, Dunbar; Cooper, Dave Thorton; Dr Iain Bruinvis, Amsterdam; Colin Johnson, BAcc CA; James Mackrill, Botanix (formally English Hops) Paddock Wood, Kent; National Hop Association of England; Dr Rosemary Douglass, San Francisco; Dr Keith Alexander, Oregon, USA; Keith Robson, BA; Neil Kerr, Frank Wallace; Dave Martin of Edina Home Brew, Edinburgh; Forfar Home Brew; Robert Burton, BSc PhD MBA, Production Director; Caledonian Brewery, Edinburgh; Dr Les. Howarth; Bill Cooper; Ian McInally; Derek Blackie; Stevenson & Reeves (Hydrometers) Edinburgh; Harris Filters; Ritchie Products Ltd; Young’s Home Brew; Clive Donald of Brupaks; Kelly Filmer BSc MRSC and David Johnstone BSc. F. I. Brew, for kindly reading my first draft and his help and suggestions. However, despite such input from such a notable forum, any faux pas herein are my responsibility.

CONTENTS

Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Introduction

1 British Beer Styles

2 Building a Brewery

3 Barley, Malting and Malts

4 Adjuncts: ‘The Controversy of Beer’

5 Hops: ‘The Heart of a Good Pint’

6 Brewing Liquor

7 Preparation of the Grist

8 The Production of Sweet Wort

9 The Production of Bitter Wort

10 Yeast and Fermentation

11 Beer Finings

12 Traditional Draught Beer

13 Bottled Beer

14 Head Formation and Retention

15 Beer Recipes

16 Continental Beers and Beer Recipes

17 By-Products and Infections

Glossary

Bibliography

Copyright

INTRODUCTION

Home brewing is as old as man himself. It is thought to have originated in Mesopotamia, ‘the land between the rivers’, the Tigris and Euphrates, at least 7,000 years ago. In the first great civilization, Sumeria, maltsters and brewers were held in high esteem. Their beer was made from mashed bread that was strained and left to ferment by the inoculation of wild yeast. The resultant brew was flavoured with spices and dates, and sweetened with wild honey; it was considered to have had medicinal properties. The brewers had their own guild, and had certain obligations to the temples and the Gods.

With each subsequent civilization, the craft of brewing eventually spread throughout the Middle East and Europe. The British, too, have always been home brewers, and were fermenting beverages from barley in the first century AD. The monasteries were largely responsible for the continuation of brewing in Britain, and strangers were welcomed in for the night with ale and bread, the staple diet of the day. It is recorded that the monks of St Paul’s Cathedral brewed 60,000 gallons (272,000ltr) per year (that’s 480,000 pints!), and that the Canons had a weekly allowance of 34 pints per day!

Many noted brewing centres today owe their origins to the early monastic establishments, and many breweries still draw their liquor from wells sunk by monks centuries ago. Eventually we brewed in the home, on the farm, in alehouses, taverns, inns and colleges, and by the nineteenth century on a gigantic commercial scale. Queen Victoria summed it all up thus: ‘Give my people plenty of beer, good beer, cheap beer, and you will have no revolution amongst them!’

As the brewing industry grew, many styles of beer evolved and Scotch ales, Burton ales, bitters, India pale ales, pale ales, porters, stouts, light ales, amber ales, brown ales, mild ales and, eventually, Pilsner-style lagers satisfied the thirst of every social class. Although the craft of home brewing waxed and waned over the years, it never died out in Britain. Until 1963, home brewers were obliged to pay tax on their brews, but how successful the Inland Revenue was in collecting it, one can only guess.

Today, the craft of home brewing is ever gaining in popularity, with a professional back-up that underpins the aspirations of the budding artisan brewer. The home brew industry has spared no effort in its desire to ensure that high quality ingredients and equipment are obtainable. The local home brew shop, too, is the bedrock of the craft, and what they don’t stock, they will get for you.

There is also great interest in researching and brewing the beers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Today, craft brewers can produce any style of beer with fairly modest equipment, and yet turn out a product with the highest degree of excellence!

CHAPTER 1

BRITISH BEER STYLES

Traditional beer styles vary throughout the country with local and regional variations, and it is this great diversity that makes British beers so appealing.

TRADITIONAL BRITISH BEER STYLES

Burton Ale

This ale is the English equivalent of Scotch ale, and in nineteenth-century London it was offered as an alternative to Scotch ale, although many pubs sold both beers. The characteristics of Burton ale are its high gravity, OG 1070–1110, a very red colour, full dry-hopped flavour and an enticing aroma. Old Burton (barley wine) was a much stronger brew, with an OG of up to 1145!

Bitter

The term historically evolved as a colloquialism in order to distinguish between highly hopped mature ‘bitter’ beers and the ‘mildness’ of less hopped beer. The quality of palate in today’s bitters is more associated with hop character and aroma than actual bitterness, and such spicy floral fruitiness gives them their pleasing charm. Their typical profile is a straw to amber colour of 15–25 EBC°; an ABV of 3.5–4.4 per cent; and bitterness, 20–35 IBUs.

Best Bitters

When brewed to full gravity, this is one of England’s finest beers. The colour may be straw to amber, the palate malty, well balanced with hop bitterness and, perhaps, a touch fruity, with a slight bitter edge. ABV 4.5–5.5 per cent; IBUs 28–55; EBC° 15–30.

Light Ales

These ales are refreshing, low gravity, bottled bitter beers. They were sometimes sold as ‘family’ or ‘dinner’ ales, are usually pale amber in colour, with a dry hoppy finish, lively condition and good head retention. Sadly, ‘light’ is rarely brewed today. Colour is 8–20 EBC°, ABV 2.9–3.4, IBUs 10–15.

Pale Ales

Traditionally in England, pale ales were the bottled equivalent of draught bitter. The character varies on locality due to the water, brewing tradition and local taste. The colour may be straw to rich amber, and the flavour medium malt with good hop character and aroma. Top fermenting practices might influence some estery notes in the finish. The condition should be lively with a fast-rising bead, producing good head formation and retention. Colour is 10–30 EBC°, ABV 4.5–5.5 per cent; bitterness 20–40 IBUs.

India Pale Ale (IPA)

This is the illustrious colonial beer of the nineteenth century. Due to the Trent Navigation Act, Burton brewers successfully exported porter and ales to Russia and the Baltic. The strength of such beers, plus the cold northern sea routes, meant that they arrived in sound condition. After Napoleon’s Berlin Degree in 1806 designed to disrupt British commerce, the German and Baltic ports were no longer an option and British brewers were forced to look elsewhere.

The answer came from an unlikely source: India. To produce ale that would survive the long, hot, tortuous sea journey – half way round the world, crossing the equator twice – and arrive in good condition was no mean task. But as luck would have it, George Hodgson’s stock pale ale was ideal: it was brewed high in alcohol and was very highly hopped, providing plenty of antiseptics. Crates of bottles and casks were stored well below the waterline, acting as ballast; this also kept the beer cool and sound as it matured during the voyage.

Here is a description of this ale, entitled ‘That Tender Froth’, from the Cornhill Magazine, March 1891:

The drinking of a glass of Bass’s pale ale, iced in India, in the hot weather; how it diffuses itself through you! It would produce a soul under the ribs of death. The clean, hoppy perfume. What bouquet of wine ever equalled it? And as you hold the glass lovingly up before you, what ruby or purple of what wine ever equalled that amber tint? The beaded bubbles winking at the brim of a glass of champagne, what are they compared to that tender froth?

IPA may be straw to vivid amber in colour with good malt flavour, balanced by a clean hop bitterness and a seductive floral bouquet. Modern strengths vary from 4.5 to 5.5 per cent ABV, with hopping rates of 40–60 IBUs; colour typically 8–15 EBC°.

Mild Ale

Mild ale is the only English beer with an unbroken antiquity stretching back to the Middle Ages. By the eighteenth century it developed into a strong, immature, lightly hopped beer, often brewed at quick notice during the summer months as a stopgap brew to augment diminishing stocks of October beers. It was often blended to freshen up the remaining stocks of ailing winter brews. By the middle of the twentieth century, the gravity and price had fallen, largely making mild a working class beverage, rejuvenating the thirst and energy of low paid, manual workers. Mild ale today is usually dark, sometimes deep amber, and rarely pale; it is low in alcohol, mildly hopped and sweet, particularly from caramel priming sugars. ABV 2.8–3.5 per cent; IBUs 10–25; EBC° 20–55. Strong mild: OG 1055; IBUs 20–35; EBC° 30–55.

Brown Ale

This ale is the bottled equivalent of mild, but it is usually fuller bodied and stronger. It, too, varies according to locality and was sometimes referred to as ‘home brewed’. London browns are sweet and malty, low in hops and with a deep brown garnet colour; traditionally they were referred to as ale, sometimes mild or simply beer. 3–3.5 per cent ABV, 15–20 IBUs. The northern example, such as Newcastle brown ale, first brewed in 1927, is less sweet, amber in colour, and with a bitter character. ABV 4–4.4 per cent, IBUs 15–25; London EBC° 30–40; Northern EBC° 20–25.

Old Ales

The appellation ‘old ales’ refers to strong, dark beers that are well matured; they are sometimes called Burton. The original gravity might be as high as 1065, producing about 6 per cent ABV. IBUs 25–30.

Barley Wines

Barley wines are extra strong ales with original gravities of 1075–1100, producing some 7–9 per cent ABV. The colour may be rich amber to tawny, the palate rounded but vinous, the aroma rich and fruity. Due to the high alcoholic content, head retention is usually light and short-lived. Hopping varies, but should be about 40–60 IBUs. EBC° 28–45.

Porter

Porter is the weaker progenitor of stout that evolved in London during the reign of King George I. It was an immediate success, and the great London brewers all made their fortunes due to its popularity. Many attempts have been made to identify the source of the name ‘porter’, the most accepted version being that it was popular with working-class Londoners, many of whom were porters.

Alternatively, the name might actually derive from the strong wine known as ‘port’: we know that porter was acidified during storage by Brettanomyces and other microflora, and acquired a piquant flavour. Alfred Barnard, the Victorian brewery historian, referred to porter as being vinous, and various writers have claimed that high gravity stouts acquired a port-like quality with age. In 1820, Accum referred to porter brewed with pale malts as ‘Old Hock’, and visitors to Britain sampling porter initially thought it was wine; so perhaps this vinous, port-like drink acquired the colloquialism ‘porter’. The colour of porter may be deep garnet to black, hopping at 20–40 IBUs; ABV 4–6 per cent; EBC° 40–60.

Stout

Stout was originally called ‘stout-porter’, due to its greater strength and robust character. The colour is liquorice, with a creamy oatmeal head, strength about 4–6 per cent ABV, and a woody, or iron-like palate. IBUs 30–60; EBC° 80–90.

Scotch Ales

These ales are robust beers with OGs of 1070–1130, and they were brewed to several gravities numbered from 1 to 6. The mashing heats were high, typically at 70°C, influencing high permanent gravities, about one third of the OG, producing an ABV of some 6–12 per cent. The hopping rates were only sufficient to check the residual sweetness, creating a full, malty, rich palate. Fermentation temperatures were low, usually 10–15°C, keeping esters and diacetyl low. Brews with the suffix ‘L’ were destined for the London market and might be less strong, but more highly hopped for the English palate.

Scottish pale malt at this time was kilned to a higher degree than English pale malt at 7–9 EBC°, and due to the huge amounts used, the colour of the brew would be quite dark. This is born out in The Younger Centuries by David Keir, where there is a reference to Oxford boat crews being allowed beer during training. The brew was Younger’s Scotch ale, and it is described as nut-brown ale. Today the colour of Scottish beers ranges from mellow gold through rich amber to dark brown.

Historically they were classified by what became known as the ‘shilling terminology’ (shillings =/-). The shilling terminology related to the invoice price per barrel, the real price being determined by taking into account duty and the discounts offered by the brewers. The discounts could be substantial, and some publicans might negotiate a discount of 50 per cent per barrel! Hence the invoice price was only an indication of the type of beer. Consequently, publicans were very secretive about what they paid for their beer in order to steal a march on their competitors.

In the late nineteenth century, mild ales retailed at 40/-, 42/-, 60/- and 70/- strong mild, and pale ales from 48/-, 56/- and 80/-, all of which referred to the price per barrel (36 gallons). Beer delivered in a hogshead (54 gallons) was usually for bottling by the publican and underwent a change in designation; thus 42/- mild retailed as 3 Guinea ale, 56/- ale became 4 Guinea ale, 60/- mild became 90/- ale, 70/- strong mild became 5 Guinea ale, and 80/- pale ale became 120/- ale. Strong ales also sold as 10, 12 and 15 Guinea ales.

Over time, the terms became meaningless, although they remained in force as a trade means of identifying a type of beer. Due to economic circumstances after 1945, the beer market underwent rationalization, and with less beer being produced, the terminology gave way to ‘light’, ‘heavy’ and ‘export’, although the shillings’ rating was resurrected with the ‘real ale’ crusade in the 1970s. Today, all the descriptions are used indiscriminately and do not always reflect the strength or character of the traditional beer styles.

60/- Ale

This ale is a light beer of OG 1033-35, ABV 3–3.5 per cent. The colour may be mellow gold to dark amber in colour at 25–40 EBC°. It has a light, malty, sometimes estery palate balanced by low hop bitterness, about 10–20 IBUs, and a light malt aroma. It is rarely brewed these days.

70/- Ale

70/- ale now retails as ‘heavy’, but might also be described as ‘light’ in some localities. The OG is about 1035–40, ABV 3.5–3.8 per cent. The colour might be pale, amber or dark brown at 25–75 EBC°. Medium maltiness, balanced with a light hop character with 15–20 IBUs. A good session beer; however, production is in decline.

Export, or 80/- Ale

Export retails as 80/- Ale, but might also be referred to as ‘heavy’; it is the most popular style with a full, malty palate, tempered with a degree of soft bitterness at 15–25 IBUs. The colour varies from pale to amber to antique copper at 25–75 EBC°. The OG 1040–55, with ABV 3.8–5.4.

MIXTURES OF BEER

Beer mixing used to be a very common practice, as the drinker could liven up a flat pint with sparkling bottled ale. Also, mixing two types of beer produced another quality, and the sweetness, or bitterness, could be altered to taste. Here are some old favourites:

Across the Taps Equal amounts of best bitter and ordinary bitter.

Black and Tan A half pint of draught bitter, or pale ale, perked up with a bottle of sweet or dry stout.

Black Velvet A bottle of sweet, or dry, stout topped up with an equal amount of cider, or champagne.

Port and Guinness A pint of Guinness and a tot of port added.

Dublin Depth Charge A pint of Guinness and a measure of rum.

Boilermaker (Brown and Mild) Half a pint of mild ale, livened up with a half-pint bottle of brown ale.

B & B Equal amounts of bitter and Burton.

Half and a Half Half a pint of mild and bitter.

Half and a Half In eighteenth-century London, a half of ale and porter.

Half and a Half In Scotland, a nip of whisky and a half pint of beer as a chaser.

Happy Day Half a pint of bitter, or pale ale, plus a bottle of barley wine.

Light and Bitter (Light Split) Half a pint of bitter and a small bottle of light ale.

Horse’s Neck A pint of beer, plus a nip of whisky.

Light and Mild Half a pint of mild, perked up with a bottle of pale ale.

Mild and Bitter (M & B) Equal amounts of mild and bitter.

Mother-in-Law (Old and Bitter) Half a pint of old ale (or Burton) and bitter.

Stout and Bitter (Also Mother-in-Law) Use equal quantities of each.

A Granny (Old and Mild) Half a pint of old ale and half a pint of mild.

Stout and Mild Half a pint of mild and a bottle of sweet stout.

Dog’s Nose A pint of beer and measure of gin.

Lager and Lime A pint of lager and a dash of lime juice cordial.

Lager and Blackcurrant A pint of lager and a dash of blackcurrant cordial.

Tops Almost a full pint with a dash of lemonade.

Shandy Equal measures of beer and lemonade.

Shandy Gaff Half a pint of mild and a small bottle of ginger ale.

Scotch Shandy Gaff Half a pint of Scotch ale and a small bottle of ginger beer, plus a nip of whisky or brandy.

Dragon’s Blood A bottle of barley wine and a tot of rum.

Moscow Mule A pint of lager plus a large measure of Vodka added.

The craft-brewing process. Commercial practices are closely followed.