1. Choose a deity that is important to brewing and write and perform a ritual to honor them that includes the brewing of a fermented beverage. The ritual should be in an ADF format.
a. Submit the text of the ritual and comments on how the ritual went (200 words minimum plus text of ritual)
While a full ritual was performed, it was all impromptu and no liturgy was written. What follows is my best recollection. This is the second ritual brew I did for this requirement, and both came out similar.
Center myself with 9 breaths
2 Powers meditation
I have come to honor the gods.
“Blossom Lifter, Stone Creed Grove”
Earth mother, blossom lifter
Bless what we eat,
Bless what we drink,
Bless what we harrow,
and bless what we sow.
Earth mother, blossom lifter
Bloom with the wheat,
Bloom with the rye,
Bloom with barley,
And bloom with all grains.
Earth mother, blossom lifter
With all these things,
Let us rejoice...
You give to us,
And we give to you.
Earth Mother, Accept my Sacrifice (grains)
“Portal Song, by Ian Corrigan”
By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high.
By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high.
Come we now to the Well, the eye and the mouth of Earth,
Come we now to the Well, and silver we bring,
Come we now to the Well, the waters of rebirth,
Come we now to the Well, together we sing:
By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high.
By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high.
We will kindle a Fire, Bless all, and with harm to none,
We will kindle a Fire, and offering pour,
We will kindle a Fire, A light 'neath the Moon & Sun,
We will kindle a fire, our spirits will soar.
By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high.
By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high.
Gather we at the Tree, the root & the crown of all,
Gather we at the Tree, Below & above,
Gather we at the Tree, Together we make our call,
Gather we at the Tree, In wisdom & love.
By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high.
By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high.
Sleipnir! Brother!, Son of Loki, Steed of Odin! You travel all nine worlds bearing Odin on your back, bringing messages with you as you go. Beautiful Stallion of Odin, you travelled to Hel to bring back Balder and yet only brought back a message. Sleipnir, aide me in bringing my words where they need to go. Bring back to me what I need to hear. Sleipnir, aide me as my gatekeeper tonight.
Sleipnir! Accept my Sacrifice (grains)
Now, Sleipnir, join your magic with mine. Let the well open as a gate, let the fire open as a gate, let the tree be the crossroads, open to my voice and open to the spirits. Let the Gates Be Open!
“Nature Spirit’s Invocation, unknown author”
Brothers and Sisters,
Honor we bring you.
Humbly we ask you,
Welcome us here.
We sing your praises,
Soul of the forest.
Bringers of beauty,
Throughout the year.
Nature Spirits, Accept my Sacrifice! (grains)
“Mothers and Fathers of Old, by Sabel”
From far beyond this mortal plane, mothers and fathers of old,
We pray that you return again, mothers and fathers of old.
To share with us the mysteries and secrets long untold,
Of the ancient ways we seek to reclaim, mothers and fathers of old.
Ancestors, Accept my Sacrifice! (beer)
“Hail all the Gods, (Words: First verse, Trad.; Second verse, Richard MacKelley; Bridge section, Gwynne Green. Music: Paul Maurice, Sean Miller, Gail Williams.)”
Hail all the Gods,
Hail all the Goddesses,
Hail all the Holy Ones,
We dwell together.
Powers of the sky,
Powers of sacred earth.
Powers of the underworld,
We dwell together.
Hail all the Gods!
Hail all the Goddesses!
Hail all the Gods...and Goddesses
Shining Ones, Accept my Sacrifice (beer)
Aegir! You are the brewer of the Gods! You sent Thor away to find a cauldron large enough to brew for all at once. He came back with Hymir’s cauldron and a new respect from the giants. It was you who hosted the feast where Loki had his quarrel.
I call on you now, as brewer of the Aesir. I brew this brew for you. I will give the first draught to you.
Aegir, Accept this brew as a sacrifice to you! Aegir, Accept this grain (spread grains on ground)! Aegir! Accept my Sacrifice!
At this point, I brewed the beer. At the start of the boil, 3 runes were added to the brew to spell ALU (Ansuz, Laguz, Uruz, the strong waters of deity, also old Norse for Ale). These were removed when the brew was filtered prior to fermentation.
Now for the omen. What blessings do I receive? (paper with the omen has been lost, I forget what they were.)
Ancient and Mighty ones. I have given to you, and in good *ghosti tradition, a gift deserves a gift. (start pouring water into horn) Fill these waters with (state omen). Behold the waters of life! Behold the waters of life! Behold the waters of life! (drink waters)
And so now, I thank all that have aided me in my works tonight.
Aegir! Brewer of the Aesir! I have given to you. I have brewed for you. I now give you my thanks. Aegir, I thank you.
Shining Ones! Gods and Goddesses that look over me, Gods and Goddesses of this land, and Gods and Goddesses of elder days, all known or unknown to me. I give you my thanks.
Ancestors! Blood of my bones, blood of my kin, blood of this land. All who have walked this world before me, I give you my thanks.
Land Spirits! Fur and feather and scale and skin. Leaf and twig and flower and stem. Seen and unseen, the elves, the dwarves, the weights. I give you my thanks.
Sleipnir! You have aided me once more and have taken my words far and wide, and brought back what I needed to hear. Brother, I give you thanks once more. Now, join your magic with mine again, and let the well become but water. Let the fire become but flame. Let the tree become a tree once more. Let the Gates Be Closed!
Earth Mother! You were there at the beginning, and you will be there at the end. Without you, there would be no life. Earth Mother, I thank you, and return to you all that is left unused.
b. Write a short essay about the deity you chose, why you chose them, and the role or importance of them to brewing. (500 words minimum)
There really is not much lore available on Aegir as he appears very few times in the Eddas. His appearance in the Poetic Edda is very much as an accessory and only in passing, never being what the story is about. In the Prose Edda he is the counterpart of Bragi who in the Skaldskaparmal tells us all about the language of poetry. Aegir asked the questions, and Bragi obliged with answers.
Aegir is known mostly as the God of the Sea. This can be seen in the Prose Edda (Sturluson 91-2) where the kennings for the sea are laid out as “husband of Ran, father of Aegir’s daughters, and Aegir’s jaws” among others. To further support him being a deity of the sea, his daughters are referred to as the nine waves (Sturluson 141).
When it comes to brewing, he is the brewer of the Aesir. The Poetic Edda tells in Hymiskvida of the Gods wanting to have a winter feast, and compelling Aegir to brew for them, and host the feast (Larington 78-83). At first Aegir says he cannot do it as he does not have a pot large enough to brew in for all the Gods. Thor and Tyr go to collect a cauldron large enough from Hymir, and eventually brought it back to Aegir to brew with. With that, the Gods had a winter feast at Aegir’s hall every year. The winter feast at Aegir’s hall and the alcohol he produced a likely cause of Loki’s tongue-lashing in the Lokasenna. This feast is also the setting of Skaldskaparmal.
The reason I chose Aegir is mainly because he is the only deity that is mentioned as being a brewer. On top of that, he is the brewer of the Gods. This, to me, would suggest that he is a very capable brewer to brew such quantities. He also must be able to brew a very drinkable brew that the Gods liked, otherwise they would have found someone else to brew.
As Aegir is a deity of the sea, the connection with water is also an important reason. Water can be an important variable in brewing. If there isn’t quality water used, especially in brewing beer, the resulting brew will be poor. Calling on a deity of water to aide in the brewing was to me just logical. Calling on Aegir was to me akin to calling on him to bring good water.
Aegir also reminds us of our social contracts and responsibility as brewers. In the Hymiskvida he is imposed on to brew for the Gods. This is potentially a reflection of the Scandinavian royal practice of the king enforcing his authority by showing up and demanding that he be feasted. Aegir tries to get out of this obligation, but that ultimately failed and he was then obligated to host this feast yearly.
Another responsibility that we are reminded of is moderation. In the Lokasenna we see the effects of alcohol through the actions of Loki. While he shows up, presumably sober, he does drink throughout the entire piece, and what he says gets progressively harsher. This story serves to remind us that we should drink and serve alcohol in moderation.
c. Once the beverage is ready to serve, provide comments on the results of your beverage including whether or not it turned out as you had planned, and how it differed. (200 words minimum plus recipe)
Mugwort/Heather ale:
10 Lbs Pale Ale malt
1 Lb Crystal 120 malt
1 oz Mugwort
2 oz Heather tips
1 tube White Labs British ale yeast, WLP005.
Mash at 154 F for 90 min, sparge to 6.5 gallons and add mugwort. Boil for 1 hour then cool to 70 F and pitch the yeast. Ferment at room temperature 2 weeks, then rack to secondary and add the heather tips. Let it sit in secondary for 2 weeks then rack once more to clarify the beer. Keg and carbonate.
While the above recipie was followed, no specific gravities or actual temperature readings were taken, but done completely by instinct and experience.
Aroma:
This beer smelled mostly of Heather and a hint of malt in the background. Upon warming up, the smell of mugwort could be detected, but it really was in the background. No alcohol aromas, no fruity aromas, no off aromas.
Appearance:
The beer was clear, yellow/gold, and had a low white head.
Flavor:
This beer’s flavor changed as you drank it. At the start you got a strong mugwort bitter. By the third sip, it was less bitter, and the flavor of the heather and malt came out. The aftertaste was a lingering bitter from the mugwort. There was a bit of malt sweetness. No fruity flavors and no off flavors were tasted.
Mouthfeel:
The beer was of moderate body and medium carbonation. Some astringency from the mugwort, but not unpleasant.
Overall:
Interesting beer. Very drinkable, and the heather/mugwort combination compliment each other well.
This beer came out much as I expected. I expected there to be a big aroma of heather from the “dry hopping” of it. I did expect more of a mugwort aroma/earthy smell then came through. The flavor surprised me. Every time I tasted it, the first three sips changed from a strong mugwort astringency/bitter to a more pleasant heather flavor combined with the mugwort. I am not sure what is happening here, possibly the flavor of the heather needs to be built up on the tounge, or needs time to be warmed up in the mouth before it comes through.
Overall, it had the flavor I wanted it to have, and it was a very drinkable and popular beer that will be produced again.
2. Discuss the importance of fermented beverages in the ADF liturgy. (300 – 500 words)
Fermented beverages and the products of fermented beverages (distilled spirits) have many roles and purposes in the liturgy of ADF. Probably the largest role for these beverages is as a sacrifice to the various beings we call on. When making a sacrifice, there are essentially two things one has to consider.
The first, is this sacrifice appropriate for this occasion. As historically fermented beverages were available year round they could have been appropriate for the occasion. Obviously though, if one was doing a ritual dealing with temperance alcohol would not be appropriate.
The second consideration when making sacrifices is whether or not the being it’s being given to would like it. If the being is known to detest beer, you would be wise to not give it beer. If they are known to be a big fan of mead, it would be wise to give them mead. As much of the lore has references to the beverages of the Gods, and we can find historical evidence for the drink of the people of that culture, we can usually figure out what is appropriate for whom. That being said, distilled spirits were not known in ancient times. From our own experimentation though, we have found that many of the Kindred do enjoy distilled spirits. This can only be found through experimentation though.
When one in dealing with making the sacrifices, one also has to keep in mind the nature of the sacrifice. High water alcohols, such as beer, mead, and wine, should not be poured on a small fire as they will put the fire out. These are best to be poured around the fire. Distilled spirits though are very good to be poured on the fire as they are flammable. Because they are flammable, or highly flammable in some cases, one has to be careful with how it is poured on the fire as you can catch on fire.
The other major role of fermented beverages is the blessed waters. This is again connected to the lore. We can find examples of various fermented beverages being sacred drinks in various cultures. One example of this is the Soma of the Vedic culture. This drink was a holy drink of their religion, and it is postulated that one drinks looking to have divine qualities bestowed on the drinker (Soma). This is exactly the same as what we are trying to do with our blessed waters.
While having fermented beverages offered as our blessed waters is very traditional for ADF and historically consistent, one must be conscious of modern views and laws regarding alcohol. It is highly recommended that if an alcoholic beverage is offered to be drunk by the people that a non-alcoholic beverage also be blessed and offered. This will take care of any legal issues of providing alcohol to minors. It also takes care of issues of people that don’t drink for one reason or another.
In the end though, alcohol is traditionally an important part of ADF liturgy, both as a sacrifice and as the blessed waters of life. One must know the audience though, and only give what the receiver will receive well. My personal experience is that the Norse Kindred respond much better to alcoholic offering than anything else.
3. Explain where your brewing water comes from; what waterway is nearest to your home, and where its source is; where it drains; if there are any large bodies of water (lakes, ocean) near your home; what you know about the quality of water in your region; and what the major concerns in your area regarding your water supply are. Also obtain a water analysis for your brewing water that contains at minimum the pH, hardness, and ppm's of the following ions: Ca+2, Mg+, CO3-2, HCO3-, SO4-2. . (300 – 500 words, cite references)
Based on the e-mail I sent to the water department, alkalinity (hardness) was 45-50 ppm as CaCO3 and Magnesium (Mg) levels were 15-21 ppm, Carbonate (CO3-2) levels were 8-10 ppm, and Bicarbonate (HCO3-1) levels were 28-38 ppm. Based on the 2007 annual water report, the Calcium (Ca+2) was 16.8 ppm, and Sulfate (SO4-2) was 11.8 ppm (Albany Water Board).
The water in Albany comes from four sources, Alcove Reservoir, Basic Creek Reservoir, Loudonville Reservoir, and the Feura Bush Water Treatment Facility. On average they output 20-25 million gallons a day, or about 7.4 billion gallons per year (Albany Water Board). This means that in general, Albany’s water is surface water. This goes a long way to explain why the water here is so soft. The water does not travel through the earth, absorbing minerals on the trip from the surface to the subterranean aquifers. The waste water and street runoff from Albany gets treated and released into the Hudson River, or tributaries of the Hudson River.
These reservoirs though are not the main water features of this area. The two biggest water features of the area are the Mohawk and Hudson rivers. The Mohawk river, which has mostly become the eastern most part of the Erie Canal, empties into the Hudson River at Cohoes, a few miles north of Albany. The Hudson river runs from high in the Adirondaks down past Albany, and eventually it empties into New York Harbor. An interesting fact of the Hudson river is that as far north as the first locks of the Erie Canal system, which is a few miles north of Albany, the river is a tidal body of water.
As these are major bodies of water in this area, there are communities around here that do get their water from the rivers. Unfortunately, they are not as pristine as one would want though. Industry, in the Albany area it was specifically GE, has polluted the rivers and tributaries by dumping chemicals into them. As a result, in the Albany area, GE and the EPA are going to start cleaning up the Hudson of PCBs starting this year unless schedules change again. The river from Albany south also is a major shipping river which causes it owns pollution issues.
4. Define and describe why we sometimes use the following (50 words minimum each):
a. Decoction mash
Decoction mash is the process of brewing beer where you raise the temperature of the mash by removing some of it, normally the thick part of the mash, and heat it up to a higher temperature then return it to the mash. This is the traditional way of raising mash temperatures to reach the various rest temperatures. A side effect of mashing like this is that some of the sugars are directly heated and start to caramelize, adding a bit of caramel/sweet flavor to the brew.
b. Infusion mash
This is the most common way of getting your mash temperature where you want it. It’s done by adding specific amounts of water to the grains or mash to reach a certain temperatures. It is common to see many brewers use a single infusion mash which is only one addition of water to reach an ideal temperature for the amylase enzymes. It can be done multiple times so that a mash can hit the various optimal temperatures for the various enzymes.
c. Protein rest
This is the temperature the mask is brought to so that the protease enzymes are working at peak performance. This is normally considered to be around 122 F. This used to be a very common rest to use as malts were not as highly modified as they currently are. As a result, there was more protein present, and to get a lower head and clearer beer one had to do a protein rest. This is still true when talking about 6 row malt which is much higher in protein than the standard 2 row. With modern 2 row malt though, if you use a protein rest, you will end up with a very low head and very thin beer. You will also increase the amount of Free Amino Nitrogen, which can lead to the over growth of yeast and give you off flavors from the yeast.
d. Starch rest
This is the temperature range where you keep the mask that is optimum for the amylase enzymes. These enzymes break down the starch to sugar, and is the main reason we mash the malt. There are two enzymes that do this. Beta amylase works at the lower temperature range of 145-155 F and will break down the starch in 2 sugar unit sizes. This enzyme produces exclusively fermentable sugars. Alpha amylase works best up to 160 F, and possibly even 170 F. This enzyme also breaks down starch into sugars. It is different than the Beta amylase in that it will break the starch wherever it attaches, and not necessarily produce fermentable sugars. If one was to choose an optimum temperature for both of the enzymes to be active, it would be 154 F.
e. Pectin enzymes
Pectin is a protein that one finds in fruit juices. This protein will denature and unravel into a long chain upon heating. It is this feature that one uses when making fruit jams and jellies. This will produce a haze though in wines. In the event that there is a pectin haze in a wine, one way of getting rid of it is to add pectin enzymes. The enzymes will break down the pectin and eventually make the wine clearer.
f. Aeration
We need to aerate our wort and must because the yeast need the oxygen. When yeast is pitched, the first thing it does is reproduce. To do this, it needs oxygen for aerobic respiration. It also needs the oxygen to produce sterols, which are incorporated into the cell structure. Without oxygen for the sterols, the yeast can only divide on average 2-3 times before reproduction is shut down.
5. Define the following kinds of hops, how you would use them, and give 3 examples of each kind. (50 words minimum each)
a. Bittering
Bittering hops are hops that contain a high percentage of alpha acids. Most people consider hops over 10% AA to be good for bittering only. These hops are used at the beginning of the boil, and sometimes are also added in the middle of the boil. They rarely are added at the end as they don’t tend to provide much desirable aroma. Examples of bittering hops are Centennial 9.5-11.5% AA, Galena 12-14% AA, and Warrior 15-17% AA.
b. Dual use
Dual use hops are hops that have both a useable quantity of alpha acids, and also have desirable aroma qualities. Most people would consider most hops between 5 and 10 % AA to be good dual use hops. This is by far the most subjective category as desirable aroma is very subjective. These hops can be added at any point throughout the boil. At the start they will give you a respectable bitterness, and at the end or when dry hopping they will give you a good hop aroma. Examples of dual use hops are Amerillo 8-11% AA, Cascade 4-7% AA, and Perle 6-8% AA.
c. Aroma
Aroma hops are usually the very low alpha acid hops. If you were to try to use them as a bittering hop it would be prohibitively expensive. They do have a very desirable aroma though. As a result, they are best used at the end of the boil and as dry hopping. Examples of aroma hops are Crystal 3.5-5.5% AA, Fuggle 4.5-5.5% AA, and Liberty 3-5% AA.
d. Noble
Noble hops are the traditional hops one would find in continental Europe. These are varieties that have been around for centuries. As a result, the stock has become weaker through the years, and we are now finding that they are producing lower yields than the newer varieties. In general these hops tend to be low in alpha acids and other essential oils. Ultimately this means that they tend to be on the low end of the dual use hops, and often could be considered only aroma hops to a high bitter brewer. Examples of noble hops are German Hallertau 3.5-5.5% AA, Czech Saaz 3-4.5% AA, German Spalt 4-5% AA, and Tettnanger 3.5-5.5% AA.
6. Describe how three of the following ingredients are harvested with attention given to any environmental impact of cultivation and harvest. (50 words minimum each)
a. Grapes
Grapes are a perennial vine that normally takes a few years from planting until they are able to be harvested. As with all crops though, there are environmental impacts one has to consider. The vines are also susceptible to pest and are often sprayed with pesticides throughout the growing season. As these are crops that cannot be rotated, the soil may also require some fertilizing.
Harvesting of the grapes tends to be one of two methods. There are still plenty of vineyards that harvest their grapes by hand, which will yield the highest quality bunches, and cause the lowest environmental impact. The grapes can also be harvested by machine though. This leads to more bruising of the grapes, and of course the exhaust produced by the machines have an environmental impact.
b. Honey
Honey is probably the most beneficial crop to produce. Commercially, the bees usually are transported from farm to farm to pollinate various crops. This is how the apiarist can control what kind of honey is produced. This does have an environmental impact from the exhaust of the trucks, but it also has a huge benefit from the pollination. Another environmental issue though is that the bees often have to be inoculated from various pests, just like crops have to be hit with pesticides.
Harvesting the honey is just a matter of removing certain cones from the hives, breaking up the comb, and centrifuging out the honey and filter it. While this can be done by hand or gravity, machines make it much more efficient with little environmental cost.
c. Grains
The cereal grains have a huge environmental impact. As these are annuals, they have to be planted yearly, so crop rotation can occur and limit the amount of fertilization, but many farmers do not do that. They are very labor intensive crops, and most of the labor is now mechanized creating vehicle exhaust. They also are prone to many pests, so there has to be pesticides sprayed on them often. Harvest is also mechanized. On top of all of this the grains have to be malted prior to use. This involves soaking them in water to germinate them, drying them, then kilning them, all of which involves a great deal of energy.
d. Hops
Hops are another perennial crop. They are grown on vertical lines that grow over 15 foot tall. As these are also plant, it is common for them to be fertilized and have pesticides sprayed on them, both of which have a detrimental environmental impact. As some of the stocks get older, the yields of the crops also tend to be going down, which is detrimental to the environment as it requires us to plant more plants to get the same quantity of hops we got a decade earlier.
Harvest of hops is now mostly mechanized, although there are some that still harvest by hand. Of course, this produces its own environmental impact from the use of the vehicles and machines. Hops also need to be dried before use which has a major energy use just like grains going through their kilning. After drying, hops are packaged either as whole hops, or are ground and pelletized.
e. Other fruits and plant parts
Most other fruits tend to be grown on perennial bushes or trees. There are some that are annuals, such as strawberries. Overall, these suffer from the same downfalls of all crops. They require some sort of pesticides and fertilizing throughout the year which has a big environmental impact. Harvest also tends to be mostly mechanized these days which while saving on labor, does produce exhaust. Overall, all crops, unless they are being done organically, have a big environmental impact on the area they are grown in due to the fertilizers and pesticides that are used.
7. Prepare a brew that you can split into at least 4 batches. Use a dry yeast, "smack pack" yeast (ie WYeast), a tube yeast (ie White Labs), and a yeast that you created a starter. All your yeast should be of the same variety and you should treat each brew the same. Describe what yeast you used, how you created the starter(s), and what the differences and similarities are between the different yeast labs as far as their effect on the process and final products of your brew. (200 words minimum)
The starter was made by pitching a package of Munton’s Ale yeast into about 1 liter of ~1.040 wort made from dry malt extract. This was aerated and allowed to go overnight. It was then pitched into the wort about 24 hours after it was first pitched. The dry yeast for this experiment was the same variety and pitched directly into the wort. The white labs tube was shaken and pitched directly into the wort. The WYeast Activator pack was “smacked” the night before, shaken, and allowed to start itself overnight. After about 18 hours, it was pitched into the wort.
The brew I did was an English Pale Ale, Ordinary Bitter. I have to say, it was quite surprising how different the beer tastes based on the yeast used.
I knew that this would happen, but I didn't think it would be this pronounced, especially when dealing with the dry vs starter that were of the same strain. I thought I'd pass on a couple notes as to what I noticed. I used Munton-Fison dry yeast for both the dry and starter, White Labs British Ale (WLB005), and WYeast London Ale (1028). The wort was a 1.040 starting gravity and ended about 1.010 for all 4 beers, give or take 2 points. All were bottle conditioned for about a month.
In general, I found the dry yeast added directly to the wort to be the worst overall. Little to no flavor, aroma, or carbonation and very low mouthfeel.
The starter made from the dry yeast was much better, and gave a better hops aroma and flavor, and more carbonation. The mouthfeel was also more moderate than the dry yeast, but not as full as the other two. There was little to no fruitiness one would expect from an ale though, almost tasted like a lager, but even if the yeast was a lager yeast (I think it was an ale yeast though) fermentation at room temperature should have produced low fruity aromas even for a lager yeast.
The WYeast came out good, the hops were more pronounced, there was a light fruity aroma, but I couldn't place the fruit. The mouthfeel was moderate, and carbonation noticeable but still low to medium.
The White Labs came out similar to the WYeast. The hops were more pronounced than either of the first two, and there was a similar fruity aroma that I couldn't place. Carbonation was also low to medium and the mouthfeel was also moderate.
Overall, this to me tells me that you get what you pay for. The two more expensive yeast, White Labs and WYeast both produced a much more drinkable and flavorful beer. That didn't really surprise me. What did surprise me is that all 4 beers used the exact same wort, yet the hops that came through varied greatly. Maybe it was due to the carbonation, I don't know. But, the more expensive yeast actually brought the hops out and featured them more like they should have been than the cheeper yeast.
Tasting notes:
Muntons Ale Yeast, dry yeast:
Aroma:
Low hops, low alcohol nose, overall low aroma.
Appearance:
Gold, clear, very low carbonation with no head
Flavor:
Low bitter at first, bready flavor, lingering dryness at the end
Mouthfeel:
Dry, low mouthfeel, almost no carbonation
Overall:
Very drinkable, dry session beer, but very little flavor associated with it.
White Labs British Ale (WLP005) yeast:
Aroma:
Hops and fruity esters at first, only hops after warming up. Overall, a low nose.
Appearance:
Gold, clear, low carbonation with no head
Flavor:
Pronounced hops at first, low bitter at the end, and a bready/malty middle. The bitter was noticeable throughout.
Mouthfeel:
Medium/low mouthfeel, some carbonic bite.
Overall:
Nice, hoppy session beer.
WYeast London Ale (1028) yeast:
Aroma:
Low hops and some fruity aroma, but cannot place the fruit.
Appearance:
Gold, clear, low carbonation with no head
Flavor:
Low hops at first, malty and bready in the middle, and a dry low bitter finish. Bitterness was noticeable throughout.
Mouthfeel:
Medium/low mouthfeel, no carbonic bite
Overall:
A very nice, hoppy, session beer.
Muntons Ale Yeast from starter
Aroma:
Earthy and low hops aroma
Appearance:
Gold, clear, low carbonation with no head
Flavor:
Hoppy at the start, light fruity flavors in the middle, and a dry low bitter end. Bitterness was throughout.
Mouthfeel:
Medium/low mouthfeel, carbonic bite
Overall:
Good, drinkable session beer with a low hop bitter.
8. Pick 3 yeast varieties and describe what the differences are in brewing (temperature, pH, attenuation, alcohol tolerance, flavor, etc), a little history on each yeast and the styles that they are appropriate for. (100 - 500 words, cite references)
WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast
This is the yeast from one of the oldest stout producing breweries in the world. It produces a slight hint of diacetyl, balanced by a light fruitiness and slight dry crispness. Great for Irish ales, stouts, porters, browns, reds and a very interesting pale ale.
Attenuation: 69-74%
Flocculation: Medium to High
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 65-68°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium-High (White Labs)
The Irish Ale yeast is most commonly used to brew styles the first appeared in Ireland and the rest of the British Isles. The most common example of this is the stout. The stout came out of the London Porter style around the turn of the twentieth century. Originally the name stout came out of the colloquial of ordering a “stout porter” meaning a fuller, higher alcohol porter (Daniels 303).
The strain from White labs is from the Guinness brewery, which is world renowned for their stouts (England). From my own experience, this yeast ferments well around room temperatures and gives a very light fruity aroma and usually a very dry finish. Normally the fruity aroma does not come through though due to the rich aromas that a stout has. I have never detected diacetyl.
WLP810 San Francisco Lager Yeast
This yeast is used to produce the "California Common" style beer. A unique lager strain which has the ability to ferment up to 65 degrees while retaining lager characteristics. Can also be fermented down to 50 degrees for production of marzens, pilsners and other style lagers.
Attenuation: 65-70%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 58-65°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium-High (White Labs)
This strain of yeast comes out of the Anchor Steam , Anchor Brewing company in San Francisco, CA (England). This style has a unique history. Due to the location of the brewery, it was not possible to get refrigeration when they started brewing the Anchor Steam. They wanted the clean flavor of a lager yeast, but they had to ferment it at their ambient temperature. What resulted was they used “cool ships” which were large, shallow, open fermenters and brewing near the coast for the fermentation, along with a lager yeast (Daniels 191).
From my experience with this strain, it gives a very clean beer overall. The fermentation of the yeast at ale temperatures as recommended gives a low degree of ale characteristics such as esters, but overall it provides a rather clean nose and flavor, although the traditional beer to be made, the California Common, is so full of Northern Brewer Hops that it is tough to smell any kind of yeast based aromas.
WLP029 German Ale/ Kölsch Yeast
From a small brewpub in Cologne, Germany, this yeast works great in Kölsch and Alt style beers. Good for light beers like blond and honey. Accentuates hop flavors, similar to WLP001. The slight sulfur produced during fermentation will disappear with age and leave a super clean, lager like ale.
Attenuation: 72-78%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 65-69°F
Does not ferment well less than 62°F, unless during active fermentation.
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium (White Labs)
This yeast comes from a brewery in the traditional home of the Kölsch style, PJ Früh, Colonge, Germeny (England). This yeast was designed for the exact opposite of what the previous yeast was. In this case, we have an ale yeast that works well at the low end of the Ale temperature range. The yeast is also one that gives you a very clean nose with very few ale characteristics (Daniels 129).
From my experience, this yeast is almost the same as a lager yeast. It produces a very clean beer with very little yeast flavors. If it is used to brew a light beer, like the Kölsch traditionally is, you may smell a very light fruity aroma, but it is often very slight, and when comparing a Kölsch to a Pilsner, it is usually near impossible to tell them apart.
9. Write a description of how to brew the following. Include typical ingredients quantities used, and what kind of results you would expect out based on the ingredients you suggest (dry/sweet, alcohol content, smells and flavors, etc). (100 words minimum each)
a. Meads:
i. Straight and varietal
18 lbs honey
Water to make total volume 6 gallons
1-2 teaspoons of citric acid
1-3 teaspoons of yeast nutrients (use amount recommend on packaging)
1 package of Champagne yeast.
Dissolve the honey, yeast nutrients, and Citric Acid in the water and heat to a boil for 10 minutes to sanitize the must. After this time, cool down to under 70 F, transfer to a carboy, aerate, and pitch your yeast and add an airlock. Ferment around 70 F for 3 to 4 weeks, or when bubbling from the airlock stops. At this time, transfer to secondary fermenter to clarify. If the mead doesn’t clarify, you can chill to force the yeast to settle out, and transfer to a new carboy to clarify. Let age for a total of 6 months to 2 years then bottle in wine bottles and serve chilled.
This should give you a very dry to a semi-dry mead out. The major aroma should be the honey that you used, and the flavor will taste like a thinner version of the honey used. The dryer the mead comes out, the higher the alcohol content, and this can reach over 15%, so alcohol aroma and burn may be present. Also, the dryer the final mead, the thinner the body. If you continuously taste the mead throughout fermentation and the initial bit of secondary, you can stop this at the dryness you desire by sulfiting.
ii. Metheglin
18 lbs honey
Water to make total volume 6 gallons
1-2 teaspoons of citric acid
1-3 teaspoons of yeast nutrients (use amount recommend on packaging)
Spice(s) of choice
1 package of Champagne yeast.
Dissolve the honey, yeast nutrients, and Citric Acid in the water and heat to a boil for 10 minutes to sanitize the must. After this time, cool down to under 70 F, transfer to a carboy. At this point, make a strong tea out of your spices. Beware that spices may provide more flavor than you desire, so taste before adding. Add this tea to the carboy, aerate, pitch your yeast and add an airlock.
Ferment around 70 F for 3 to 4 weeks, or when bubbling from the airlock stops. At this time, transfer to secondary fermenter to clarify. Also taste during secondary as the flavors of the spices may not be in balance as you would like. If they are not enough, make another tea and add it in to flavor. If they are too much, dilute the metheglin with more of a straight mead of similar alcohol content. If the metheglin doesn’t clarify, you can chill to force the yeast to settle out, and transfer to a new carboy to clarify. Let age for a total of 6 months to 2 years then bottle in wine bottles and serve chilled.
This should give you a very dry to a semi-dry metheglin out. The major aroma should be the spice(s) that you used with a hint of honey. The flavor will taste of the spice(s) you used, and there will be a hint of the honey. The sweeter the metheglin, the more honey will be noticeable. Color wise, the color of the tea will be the color of the metheglin. The dryer the metheglin comes out, the higher the alcohol content, and this can reach over 15%, so alcohol aroma and burn may be present. Also, the dryer the final metheglin, the thinner the body. If you continuously taste the metheglin throughout fermentation and the initial bit of secondary, you can stop this at the dryness you desire by sulfiting.
iii. Melomel
9 lbs honey
2-3 gallons of fruit juice
Water to make total volume 6 gallons
1 package of Champagne yeast.
Dissolve the honey in water to a volume that when considering the addition of the fruit juice will reach a total of 6 gallons. Heat the water to a boil for 10 minutes to sanitize the must. After this time, cool down to under 70 F, transfer to a carboy, add in the fruit juice, aerate, pitch your yeast and add an airlock.
Ferment around 70 F for 3 to 4 weeks, or when bubbling from the airlock stops. At this time, transfer to secondary fermenter to clarify. Also taste during secondary as the flavors of the fruit juice may not be in balance as you would like. If they are not enough, you can add in more juice to flavor, but be aware that this will likely re-activate fermentation. If they are too much, dilute the melomel with more of a straight mead of similar alcohol content. If the melomel doesn’t clarify, you can chill to force the yeast to settle out, and transfer to a new carboy to clarify. Let age for a total of 6 months to 2 years then bottle in wine bottles and serve chilled.
This should give you a very dry to a semi-dry melomel out. The major aroma should be the fruit that you used with a hint of honey. The flavor will taste of the fruit you used, and there will be a hint of the honey. The sweeter the melomel, the more honey will be noticeable. The dryer the melomel comes out, the higher the alcohol content, and this can reach over 15%, so alcohol aroma and burn may be present. Color wise, the color of the fruit juice will be the color of the melomel. Also, the dryer the final melomel, the thinner the body. If you continuously taste the melomel throughout fermentation and the initial bit of secondary, you can stop this at the dryness you desire by sulfiting.
iv. Braggot
10 lbs pale ale malt
8 lbs of honey
Water to make total volume 6 gallons
1 package of Champagne yeast.
Crush the malt and mash in 5 gallons of water at 154 F for 90 min. Sparge with 170 F water to a total volume of 5.5 gallons. Dissolve in this the honey and boil for 10 min to sanitize it. After this time, cool down to under 70 F, transfer to a carboy, aerate, pitch your yeast and add an airlock.
Ferment around 70 F for 3 to 4 weeks, or when bubbling from the airlock stops. At this time, transfer to secondary fermenter to clarify. Also taste during secondary as the flavors of the honey may not be in balance as you would like. If they are not enough, you can add in more honey, but be aware that this will likely re-activate fermentation. If the braggot doesn’t clarify, you can chill to force the yeast to settle out, and transfer to a new carboy to clarify. Let age for a total of 6 months to 2 years then bottle in wine bottles and serve chilled.
This should give you a semi-dry braggot out. The major aroma should be the malt you used with a strong aroma of honey. The flavor will taste of the malt you used, and there will also be a strong flavor of the honey. The sweeter the braggot, the more honey will be noticeable. The dryer the braggot comes out, the higher the alcohol content, and this can reach over 15%, so alcohol aroma and burn may be present. Color wise, the color of the malt will determine the color of the mead, in this example it should be golden. Also, the dryer the final braggot, the thinner the body. If you continuously taste the braggot throughout fermentation and the initial bit of secondary, you can stop this at the dryness you desire by sulfiting.
v. Include advantages and disadvantages of boiling and sulfiting.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both boiling and sulfiting.
With boiling, you have the advantage that you are not adding any extra chemicals to your beverage. There are some people that would greatly appreciate this as they are allergic or sensitive to sulfities. The disadvantage of this is that you do boil off some of the nose, hence why you should boil as short a time as possible.
With sulfiting, you have the advantage that you lose nothing of the nose because you are not boiling it off. You can also use sulfites to stop fermentation whenever you find the flavor is what you want. The major disadvantage of sulfiting is that some people are allergic or sensitive. In general, if following the instructions on a homebrew scale, most people will not have any issues, especially if you let the beverage age out over many months after sulfiting.
b. Wines:
i. Grape red wines
5-6 gallons of red varietal grape juice (traditionally, this would be crushed grapes with red skin, but red grape juice is commercially available)
1-3 teaspoons of Citric acid (to lower pH to around 4)
Wine yeast suitable to variety of grapes
Sodium Metabisulfite (campden tablets)
Take your raw juice and sulfite with the campden tablets per directions. Shake vigerously and let sit 24 hours. Shake vigerously again, aerate, pitch your yeast, and add an airlock. If doing it traditionally, this would be done with the whole, crushed grape, and the solids would be filtered off prior to secondary/aging.
Ferment around 70 F for 3 to 4 weeks, or when bubbling from the airlock stops. At this time, transfer to secondary fermenter to clarify. If the wine doesn’t clarify, you can chill to force the yeast to settle out, and transfer to a new carboy to clarify. Let age for a total of 6 months to 2 years then bottle in wine bottles and serve warm.
This should give you a semi-dry wine out. The major aroma should be the grape you used. The flavor will taste of grapes you used. The dryer the wine comes out, the higher the alcohol content, and this can reach over 15% depending on the original gravity and yeast strain, so alcohol aroma and burn may be present. Color wise it should be red, the color of the grape juice used. Also, the dryer the final wine, the thinner the body. If you continuously taste the wine throughout fermentation and the initial bit of secondary, you can stop this at the dryness you desire by sulfiting.
ii. Grape white wines
5-6 gallons of white varietal grape juice
1-3 teaspoons of Citric acid (to lower pH to around 4)
Wine yeast suitable to variety of grapes
Sodium Metabisulfite (campden tablets)
Take your raw juice and sulfite with the campden tablets per directions. Shake vigerously and let sit 24 hours. Shake vigerously again, aerate, pitch your yeast, and add an airlock.
Ferment around 70 F for 3 to 4 weeks, or when bubbling from the airlock stops. At this time, transfer to secondary fermenter to clarify. If the wine doesn’t clarify, you can chill to force the yeast to settle out, and transfer to a new carboy to clarify. Let age for a total of 6 months to 2 years then bottle in wine bottles and serve warm.
This should give you a semi-dry wine out. The major aroma should be the grape you used. The flavor will taste of grapes you used. The dryer the wine comes out, the higher the alcohol content, and this can reach over 15% depending on the original gravity and yeast strain, so alcohol aroma and burn may be present. Color wise it should be golden, the color of the grape juice used. Also, the dryer the final wine, the thinner the body. If you continuously taste the wine throughout fermentation and the initial bit of secondary, you can stop this at the dryness you desire by sulfiting.
iii. Other fruit wines
5-6 gallons of fruit juice of choice
1-3 teaspoons of Citric acid (to lower pH to around 4)
Wine yeast of choice, normally a white wine yeast works well.
Sodium Metabisulfite (campden tablets)
Take your raw juice and sulfite with the campden tablets per directions. Shake vigerously and let sit 24 hours. Shake vigerously again, aerate, pitch your yeast, and add an airlock.
Ferment around 70 F for 3 to 4 weeks, or when bubbling from the airlock stops. At this time, transfer to secondary fermenter to clarify. If the wine doesn’t clarify, you can chill to force the yeast to settle out, and transfer to a new carboy to clarify. Let age for a total of 6 months to 2 years then bottle in wine bottles and serve warm.
This should give you a semi-dry wine out. The major aroma should be the grape you used. The flavor will taste of grapes you used. The dryer the wine comes out, the higher the alcohol content, and this can reach over 15% depending on the original gravity and yeast strain, so alcohol aroma and burn may be present. Color wise it should be the color of the fruit juice used. Also, the dryer the final wine, the thinner the body. If you continuously taste the wine throughout fermentation and the initial bit of secondary, you can stop this at the dryness you desire by sulfiting.
iv. Include at least 2 reasons you should never boil fruit juices.
v. Include a way that you can take care of the Pectin Haze if you do boil the fruit juice.
There are two general reasons why one should never boil fruit juices. The first is that boiling may drive off some volatile compounds and you will lose some of the nose of the final wine. The bigger reason to not boil fruit juices is because you will end up with a hazy wine.
When you boil fruit juices, there is a protein in them called pectin. Upon boiling, this will denature and create a long stringy compound. This long chain will slowly link up with other chains and will form a haze in the final wine. It is this principle that one uses when producing jams.
To clarify a hazy wine like this you have two options. One is to filter the wine before bottling. The other is to try to add pectin enzymes and hope that they break up the haze. The first is nearly guaranteed to work, if you own the proper equipment. The second may not be successful but is worth the try if you are concerned about the haze.
c. Beer:
i. Light color beer (Under 20 SRM) (i.e. pale ale, pilsner, kolsch)
Kolsch
10.00 lbs. Pilsener malt
2.50 oz. Hallertauer hops
White Labs WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch yeast
Mash the grains at 154 F for 90 min. Sparge with 170 F water to a total volume of 6.5 gallons. Bring to a boil and add 1.5 oz of hops. Add another 0.5 oz of hops at 30 min, and the last 0.5 oz of hops at 50 min. After 1 hour of total boil, remove from heat and cool down to 70 F. Transfer to carboy filtering off all solids, aerate, pitch the yeast, and add air lock. Ferment around 65 F if possible. After fermentation is complete (5-15 days depending on temperature) transfer to secondary to clarify. When clear (usually 2 weeks or so) transfer to keg and force carbonate at 15 PSI. Alternatively, add priming sugar tablets to each bottle per directions, and bottle. Serve cold.
This should give you a very clear, crisp, light yellow beer with low hops throughout aroma and flavor. There may be slight fruity aromas, but overall it’s a very clean nose and neutral tasting beer. It will taste and look very much like a pilsner.
ii. Dark color beer (over 20 SRM) (i.e. bock, stout, browns)
Irish Stout
9.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row)
0.50 lbs. Roasted Barley
0.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt
0.50 lbs. Black Patent Malt
0.75 lbs. Flaked Barley
1.00 oz. Fuggle hops
0.50 oz. Galena hops
White Labs WLP004 Irish Stout yeast
Mash the grains at 154 F for 90 min. Sparge with 170 F water to a total volume of 6.5 gallons. Bring to a boil and add 0.5 oz of Galena hops. Add 0.5 oz of Fuggle hops at 30 min, and the last 0.5 oz of Fuggles hops at 50 min. After 1 hour of total boil, remove from heat and cool down to 70 F. Transfer to carboy filtering off all solids, raise to 5.5 galons, aerate, pitch the yeast, and add air lock. Ferment around 70 F if possible. After fermentation is complete (4-7 days depending on temperature) transfer to secondary to clarify. When clear (usually 2 weeks or so) transfer to keg and force carbonate at 15 PSI. Alternatively, add priming sugar tablets to each bottle per directions, and bottle. Serve cold.
This should give you a very dark beer. The aroma should be a combination of low hops and malt in aroma. The flavors should be a good strong malt flavor, with hints of the roasted barley. There should also be a strong bitter throughout, and will end up with a dry bitter finish. Overall, this should taste a lot like a Guiness extra stout.
iii. High hoped beer (over 50 IBU) (i.e. IPA, American Pale Ale, American Brown)
American Pale Ale
6.50 lbs. Muntons Dry Malt Extract – Light
1.00 lbs. Crystal 60L Malt
2.00 oz. Northern Brewer hops
2.00 oz. Cascade hops
White Labs WLP001 California Ale yeast
Crush and place the crystal malt into a mesh bag and make a tea by heating between 100 f and 170 F in 1-2 gallons of water for 30-60 min. Remove the grains and add the DME. Raise the volume of the wort to most of the pot volume or 6.5 gallons, whichever is smaller. Bring to a boil and add 1.0 oz of Northern Brewer hops. Add 0.5 oz of Northern Brewer hops and 0.5 oz of Cascade hops hops at 30 min, and again at 50 min. After 1 hour of total boil, remove from heat and cool down to 70 F. Transfer to carboy filtering off all solids, aerate, pitch the yeast, and add air lock. Ferment around 70 F if possible. After fermentation is complete (4-7 days depending on temperature) transfer to secondary and dry hop with 1 oz of Cascades hops. After 2 weeks, transfer to another carboy to clarify. When clear (usually 2 weeks or so) transfer to keg and force carbonate at 15 PSI. Alternatively, add priming sugar tablets to each bottle per directions, and bottle. Serve cold.
This should give you a very hoppy, amber colored beer. All you should be able to smell in the aroma is hops, specifically Cascade and likely Northern Brewer too. There may be a bit of malt aroma in the background. The color will be amber in color. Flavor wise, it will be very bitter and resinous in flavor. There should be enough malt sweetness though to not make it unpleasantly bitter, but hops will dominate the flavor, to a dry, bitter finish.
iv. High alcohol beer (over 7% ABV) (i.e. Barleywine, IPA, Old Ale, Dopplebock)
American Barleywine
10.00 lbs. Muntons DME - Amber
4.00 oz. Cascade
White Labs WLP001 California Ale yeast
Dissolve the DME in 1-2 gallons of hot water and raise the volume of the wort to most of the pot volume or 6.5 gallons, whichever is smaller. Bring to a boil and add 1.5 oz of Cascade hops. Add 1.5 oz of Cascade hops at 30 min, and 0.5 oz Cascade hops at 50 min. After 1 hour of total boil, remove from heat and cool down to 70 F. Transfer to carboy filtering off all solids, raise to 5.5 gallons, aerate, pitch the yeast, and add air lock. Ferment around 70 F if possible. After fermentation is complete (4-7 days depending on temperature) transfer to secondary to clarify. When clear (usually 2 weeks or so) transfer to keg and force carbonate at 15 PSI. Alternatively, add priming sugar tablets to each bottle per directions, and bottle. Serve cold.
This should give you a very hoppy, amber colored beer. Most of what you should be able to smell in the aroma is hops, but you are likely to also smell some malt aroma and alcohol in the nose. The color will be brown in color and if you swirl the beer, you should notice substantial legs indicating high alcohol. Flavor wise, it will be very bitter and resinous in flavor, but there will be substantial malt to support this bitter. It should end with a sweet, bitter finish.
v. Include the differences between the following methods and the advantages or disadvantages of each.
vi. Extract
The major advantage of brewing extract only (Barleywine example above) is that you do not need to do a full volume boil. As a result, you can brew a beer in a smaller pot and still get out a larger volume of beer, such as brewing the beer in 2-3 gallons total volume, then raising to 5.5 gallons of final product. You also are not limited by the size of your mash tun as you are not using one and all your sugar comes from the malt extract.
There are two main disadvantages with extract brewing. First, due to the natural darkening of malt extract with drying or aging, it is near impossible to get an extremely pale beer out. As a result, most pilsners, wheat, and similar beers will be a bit darker than the styles dictate. The other issue with using extract only is that you miss out on some of the flavors that you can get from the specialty malts. As an example, using extract only brewing, you’ll miss out on the roasted flavors of the black malts that are the defining characteristic of Porters, and a large component of Stouts.
vii. Mini-mash
As with extract brewing, the major advantage of mini-mash brewing (American Pale Ale example above) is that you do not need to do a full volume boil. As a result you can get a larger volume of beer from a smaller boil. An advantage of doing a mini-mash over doing extract is that you can add in the specialty grains and get the full range of flavors in your beer.
The main drawback of mini-mash brewing is that as with the extract only, you can only go as light as your malt extract will allow you to. As a result, your palest styles will be darker than the styles dictate. Overall though, for most homebrewers, this is the ideal way to brew as it gives you the most versatility with the minimum investment in equipment.
viii. All Grain
All grain brewing is by far the most versatile in what you can get out. As you are not dealing with malt extract, unless you’re adding it to raise the sugar content above what your equipment can produce, you can brew the lightest beers. You also can get the full range of flavors that you do in the mini-mash methods.
The disadvantages though tend to be around the cost. While the cost of brewing stays about the same, the cost and need of equipment greatly increases. You need a mash and lauter tun (combined is possible), you need a pot that is larger than your final volume (7 gallon pot works well for 5.5 gallon batches). You also have a greater time commitment when brewing as you need to mash the grains and sparge them. In general, all extract takes a bit over an hour to brew, mini-mash takes up to 2 hours, and I have yet to get all grain under 4 hours.
10. Take part in at least one tasting of multiple beers, wines, or meads. Submit your notes on each brew and how they conform to style guidelines (BJCP for beer or mead http://www.bjcp.org/ ). Notes should be made on aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression. (100 words per beverage or 1 BJCP score sheet per beer or mead http://www.bjcp.org/scoresheet.pdf )
The following were taken as part of my BJCP training class.
Ayenger Celebrator (Dopplebock)
Aroma:7
Malt dominates
Some alcohol notes
Slight off smell, fruity, almost wine like, possibly a sign of oxidation.
Appearance:3
Dark, golden brown
Good head
Flavor: 16
Very malty, with caramel notes
Low hop flavor yet bitter/acidic
Bitter after taste
Alcohol is noticeable
Dry finish
Mouthfeel:5
Creamy, medium/full body
Alcohol warmth
Overall:5
Pleasant to drink, could be maltier though. Some oxidation was observed in the aroma, but not the flavor
Total score: 36
Harpoon Munich Dunkel:
Aroma:8
Malt and alcohol is noticeable
Low to no hop aroma
Appearance: 3
Clear
Mahogany/dark golden brown
Taste: 15
High malt
Very low bitter
Slight astringency
Slightly nutty, but not overpowering
Good malt aftertaste
Mouthfeel: 5
Full body
Alcohol warmth, but not too high
Overall: 8
Good malt flavor throughout. It could use a bit more hop aroma though.
Total score: 39
Warnsteiner German Pilsner:
Aroma:9
Malt is noticeable, bready in character
Very low hops aroma
No alcohol, no esters
Appearance:3
Clear
Straw yellow
Low white head
Flavor: 17
Very neutral flavor overall
Bready/malt up front
Low hops at start
Bitter throughout
Mouthfeel: 5
Medium body
Crips with slight carbonic bite.
Overall: 8
A very nice, crips, neutral drinkable beer.
Total score: 42
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale:
Aroma:10
Hops dominate, resionous in nature (American)
Malt is noticeable in the background.
No noticeable esters or alcohol notes.
Appearance: 3
Golden
Good, white head
Clear
Flavor: 16
Hops are very noticeable, resinous in flavor, almost like drinking a pine tree.
There is good malt to back up the hops.
Beer is predominately bitter though, and comes to a dry bitter finish
Mouthfeel:5
Medium body
Crisp beer overall
Some carbonic bite
Astringent due to hops
Overall:8
A very bitter, drinkable beer that is geared to the hops, but is very well balanced overall.
Total score: 42
11. Brew a beer, wine, or mead specifically for at least 4 high days. Explain why you chose that style of brew for that holiday, and how it was brewed. Submit detailed recipes and comments on the brew and how they worked with the high day they were brewed for. (200 words minimum each)
Samhain
For Samhain, I brewed an Octoberfest/Marzen style beer. I chose this style as it is traditionally a style that is released in Germany around this time of year. As this was being brewed for Samhain which has traditionally been a colder time of year in this area, a malty and warming brew is what I wanted to make. As a result, what I attempted to do was go for the high end of the style as far as gravity goes.
I brewed this beer at the traditional time, late spring. While I did not brew this in a ritual, I did brew this with prayers. When I started, I called on Aegir to aid me with the brew. I also called on the deities that I planned to call on at Samhain, the Morrigan and the Dagda, and told them that this brew was being made for them, and to ask their blessing on the brew. I then brewed using my normal all grain method. When I got to the boil, I added the runes Ansuz, Laguz, and Uruz to the pot, also drawing them over the pot.
The outcome of the brew was a good, malty beer. The alcohol content was lower than I originally wanted, but it felt right for the occasion. The deities seemed to like the beer as part of their sacrifice and gave a good omen.
Recipe:
4.75 lbs. Pilsener
4.50 lbs. Munich Malt
1.38 lbs. Crystal 60L
1.00 oz. Hallertauer 60 min.
0.50 oz. Hallertauer 10 min.
White Labs WLP820 Octoberfest - Marzen
Mash at 154 F for 90 min, sparge with 170 F water until 6.5 total wort. Boil 60 min with the above hop schedule. Fermented 2 weeks at cellar temp, transferred to secondary to clarify for 2 weeks. Kegged and force carbonated. Aged in the keg for 4 months.
Imbolc
For Imbolc, as it is in the middle of the winter, I decided to brew a Winter Warmer type beer. The idea behind this was that a strong, malty beer would be very welcomed in the cold of the winter. To me, this style of beer reminds me of a kind of beer that would be sipped and enjoyed by a fire, but not really something that would be drunk year round. I also have the feeling that Brigid, the deity we normally call on for Imbolc, would be a great fan of this kind of beer.
As with Samhain, I again called on Aegir to guide my hands and aide me in brewing this beer. I also called on Brigid as she was going to be the deity of the occasion at Imbolc. I called on her to bless this beer. I then brewed using my normal all grain method. When I got to the boil, I added the runes Ansuz, Laguz, and Uruz to the pot, also drawing them over the pot.
The outcome of the brew was a very malty and alcoholic beer. Due to the mixture of malts used, and the Belgian ale yeast, it had a very complex sweet and fruity flavor throughout and a very warm finish due to the alcohol content.
Recipe:
5.00 lbs. Munich Malt
8.00 lbs. Pale Malt
1.00 lbs. Crystal 120L
1.00 oz. Fuggle 60 min.
0.50 oz. Fuggle 30 min.
0.50 oz. Fuggle 10 min.
White Labs WLP570 Belgian Golden Ale
Mash at 154 F for 90 min, sparge with 170 F water until 6.5 total wort. Boil 60 min with the above hop schedule. Fermented 2 weeks at room temp, transferred to secondary to clarify for 2 weeks. Kegged and force carbonated.
Beltane
For Beltane, I have had the tradition of brewing a mead on the previous Beltane, and releasing it for the next one. The idea behind this is to capture all the energy that is raised at Beltane into the brew, and bring that into the next years ritual to heighten the energy even more. Another reason I do a mead for Beltane is because there is this subconscious idea that mead and sexual energy go hand in hand (think about the tradition of the honeymoon).
For this brew, I brew it during a ritual weekend. I call on Kvasir, as he’s the mead of inspiration, to aide me in my brewing. I call on Bel and Danu, who are our usual deities for Beltane to bless the mead. I then brew the mead as normal. I then bring the raw must into ritual to gather the energy of the rite, and then pitch the yeast post ritual.
The outcome of the brew was a very dry, high alcohol and warming mead. The mouthfeel was a bit thin due to the dryness. The flavors of the honey did come through though. It was received very well by the deities, and the participants loved it.
Recipe:
18.0 lbs Clover honey
1 tsp citric acid
1 tsp yeast nutrients
Red Star Champagne yeast
Dissolve the honey to a total volume of 6 gallons. Raise to a boil and remove the foam that forms. Add the citric acid and yeast nutrients. Fermented 4 weeks at room temp, transferred to secondary to clarify for 10 months. Bottle and age 1 more month.
Lughnassadh
For Lughnassadh, I decided to brew a Heffeweisen. This is a great summer ale that is full of flavors from the yeast. This is also a beer that highlights wheat which is one of the grains that is harvested at this time of year, and as this is a grain harvest festival, I felt it was very appropriate. Also Heffeweisens are traditional beers to be drunk during the summer, and is a summer festival.
I again called on Aegir to guide my hands and aide me in brewing this beer. I also called on Lugh as he was going to be the deity of the occasion at Lughnassadh. I called on him to bless this beer. I then brewed using my normal all grain method. When I got to the boil, I added the runes Ansuz, Laguz, and Uruz to the pot, also drawing them over the pot.
This beer came out very bready in flavor, with very strong esters from the yeast featuring the typical banana aromas and flavors. This was a very crisp and drinkable beer that was perfect for summer drinking. Lugh and the participants seemed to enjoy it.
Recipe:
5.00 lbs. Wheat Malt
5.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row)
0.50 oz. Hallertauer 60 min.
0.50 oz. Hallertauer 10 min.
White Labs WLP380 Hefeweizen IV Ale
Mash at 154 F for 90 min, sparge with 170 F water until 6.5 total wort. Boil 60 min with the above hop schedule. Fermented 1 week at room temp, transferred to secondary to clarify for 2 weeks. Kegged and force carbonated.
12. In addition to the previous requirement brew 6 more beverages. All can be from commercial kits or from own formulations. Submit detailed recipes and your comments on the final product. (300-500 words each)
a. One wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
6 gallons of juice from Corrado’s.
~1 oz wine acid blend
~1 tbs yeast nutrients
pH was ~ 3.4
3 metabisulfite tablets, left over night.
Lalvin Bourgovin RC 212 yeast, 5g
OG 1.090
Ferment at room temperature 6 months
FG 0.990
Transferred to secondary with 3 oz oak and 2 tablets campdon.
Aged with oak 3 months and bottled.
Aroma:
Wine smelled of the variety of grapes used and a hint of oak, no off aromas.
Appearance:
Blood read, clear and still
Flavor:
Tasted like the grape variety. There was a good flavor of oak, but it was in the background and supported the grape well.
Mouthfeel:
A nice, full bodied wine with an alcohol warmth and dry finish.
Overall:
This wine was a very nice, dry red that went down easy. The alcohol warmth was pleasant and did not detract from the wine.
b. One mead
Straight Mead:
18 lbs clover honey
1 tsb Citric acid
1 tsb yeast nutrients
OG 1.125
Dissolve the honey to a total volume of 6 gallons. Raise to a boil and remove the foam that forms. Add the citric acid and yeast nutrients and boil 10 min. Cool to room temperature and add yeast.
Ferment at room temperature 3 months
FG 1.010
Transferred to secondary and aged 7 months at cellar temperature then bottled.
Aroma:
This mead smelled exclusively of the honey and alcohol.
Appearance:
Golden yellow, clear, and still.
Flavor:
This tasted of the honey. There was surprisingly no alcohol notes in the flavor, and no off flavors noticed. It was also a very nice, sweet mead, not cloyingly sweet though.
Mouthfeel:
This had a nice, medium body with a nice alcohol warmth to the finish.
Overall:
This mead was a very good sweet, high alcohol, mead.
c. One beer
Coffee Stout
9.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row)
0.50 lbs. Roasted Barley
0.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt
0.50 lbs. Black Patent Malt
0.75 lbs. Flaked Barley
0.50 oz. Galena 12% AA 60 min.
0.50 oz. Fuggle 4.75%AA 30 min.
0.50 oz. Fuggle 4.75%AA 10 min.
White Labs WLP004 Irish Stout
Mash at 154 F for 90 min, sparge with 170 F water until 6.5 total wort. Boil 60 min with the above hop schedule. Fermented 1 week at room temp, transferred to secondary to clarify for 2 weeks. Kegged, 18 cups of O’Clock French Roast coffee added, and force carbonated.
OG 1.062
FG 1.014
Aroma:
Big coffee aroma
Malt aroma is present under the coffee, but is minor overall
No hop aroma
Appearance:
Black
Long standing light brown head
Flavor:
Coffee comes out like the aroma would lead you to expect.
Middle has a good taste of dark malts
Hops bitter goes throughout, but is not prominent.
Lingering bitter at end.
Overall this tastes like a cup of coffee
Mouthfeel:
Full body
No astringency
Overall:
This beer tastes and smells like a cup of coffee.
d. 3 brews of your choice
Bock:
10.00 lbs. Munich Malt
1.00 lbs. Crystal 120L
3.00 lbs. Pilsener
1.00 oz. Tettnanger, 5.5% AA 60 min.
0.50 oz. Tettnanger, 5.5% AA 30 min.
0.50 oz. Tettnanger, 5.5% AA 10 min.
White Labs sWLP833 German Bock Lager Yeast
Mash at 154 F for 90 min, sparge with 170 F water until 6.5 total wort. Boil 60 min with the above hop schedule. Fermented 2 weeks at cellar temp, transferred to secondary to clarify for 2 weeks. Kegged and force carbonated.
OG 1.080
FG 1.016
Aroma:
Big malt aroma, sweet in character
Low hops in the background
Low alcohol aroma
No off aromas, no esters.
Appearance:
Brown
Low white head
Clear
Noticeable legs
Flavor:
Sweet and malty like Munich Malt
Low bitter to balance out the malt, could be a bit more
Low bitter finish
No astringency
Mouthfeel:
Medium body
Noticeable alcohol warmth
Overall:
This is a very pleasant, malty beer. It could have used some more hops to balance out the malt though.
Safflower Pilsner:
2.00 lbs. Pilsener
10.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row)
1.50 oz. Czech Saaz 3.70% AA 60 min.
0.50 oz. Czech Saaz 3.70% AA 10 min.
20.00 gm Safflower
White Labs WLP800 Pilsner Lager
Mash at 154 F for 90 min, sparge with 170 F water until 6.5 total wort. Boil 60 min with the above hop schedule. Fermented 2 weeks at cellar temp, transferred to secondary and safflower added, and “dry hopped” 2 weeks. Transferred to another carboy to clarify for 2 weeks. Kegged and force carbonated.
OG 1.052
FG 1.008
Aroma:
Aroma of Safflower is the major aroma
Low, bready, malt aroma in the background
No esters or off flavors
Appearance:
Clear
Yellow/orange (unexpected since safflower is red)
Low white head
Flavor:
Tastes of safflower which is a slightly bitter and unusual flavor
Low bitter of hops in background
Malt is low and barely noticeable
No obvious off flavors
Mouthfeel:
Medium body
Some astringency due to safflower
Overall:
This is an unusual beer. I cannot say that I am happy with the flavor as the safflower is an unusual flavor to taste. The color was not what was expected either. Overall, this is a drinkable beer, in small quantities, and not likely to be a beer that will be repeated.
Chardonnay
6 gallons of juice from Corrado’s.
~1 oz wine acid blend
~1 tbs yeast nutrients
pH was ~ 3.4
3 metabisulfite tablets, left over night.
White Labs 730, Chardonnay Wine Yeast
OG 1.080
Ferment at room temperature 6 months
FG 0.998
Transferred to secondary with 3 oz oak and 2 tablets campdon.
Aged with oak 3 months and bottled.
Aroma:
Wine smelled of the variety of grapes used and a hint of oak, no off aromas.
Appearance:
golden, clear and still
Flavor:
Tasted like the grape variety. There was a good flavor of oak, but it was in the background and supported the grape well.
Mouthfeel:
A nice, medium bodied wine with a pleasant dry finish.
Overall:
This was a very nice, dry white wine. The oak supported the grape very well. Overall, it was a very pleasant drinkable wine.
Works Cited
Albany Water Board. 2007 Drinking Water Report. 21 Feb 2009 <http://www.albanyny.gov/Government/Departments/WaterAndWaterSupply/2007…;.
Daniels, Ray. Desiging Great Beers. Boulder: Brewers Publications, 2000.
England, Kristen. Yeast Strain Sources. 6 Jan 2009. 23 Feb 2009 <http://www.mrmalty.com/yeast.htm>.
Larington, Carolyne, trans. Poetic Edda. NY: Oxford Press, 1999.
Soma. 21 Feb 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soma>.
Sturluson, Snorri. Edda. Trans. Anthony Faulkes. Clarendon, VT: Everyman Press, 1995.
White Labs. Homebrew Yeast Strain Descriptions. 23 Feb 2009 <http://whitelabs.com/beer/homebrew_strains.html>.