Microbrewed Adventures - Charles Papazian [155]
4: 10-to-12-inch boughs/branches of juniper for base water and lautering
¼ tsp.: (1 g) powdered Irish moss
1: square centimeter of fresh compressed “caked” bread yeast. **
¾ cup: (175 ml measure) corn sugar (priming bottles) or 0.33 cups (80 ml) corn sugar for kegging
Boil 4 boughs of juniper branches in 61/2 gallons (25 l) of water for 1 hour. After removing the “spent” branches, use the water for mashing and sparging.
A step infusion mash is employed to mash the grains. Add 8 quarts (7.6 l) of 140-degree F (60 C) juniper water to the crushed grain, stir, stabilize and hold the temperature at 132 degrees F (53 C) for 30 minutes. Add 4 quarts (3.8 l) of boiling juniper water, add heat to bring temperature up to 155 degrees F (68 C) and hold for about 30 minutes. Then raise temperature to 167 degrees F (75 C). Place 2 branches of juniper on the bottom of the lauter vessel and lauter and sparge with 3.5 gallons (13.5 l) of 170-degree F (77 C) juniper water. Collect about 5.5 gallons (21 l) of runoff. Add 60-minute hops and bring to a full and vigorous boil.
The total boil time will be 60 minutes. When 15 minutes remain, add the 15-minute hops. When 10 minutes remain, add the Irish moss. After a total wort boil of 60 minutes, turn off the heat and place the pot (with cover on) in a running cold-water bath for 30 minutes. Continue to chill in the immersion or use other methods to chill your wort. Then strain and sparge the wort into a sanitized fermenter. Bring the total volume to 5 gallons (19 l) with additional cold juniper water if necessary. Aerate the wort very well.
Dissolve the compressed yeast in a small amount of boiled and cooled water. Use a jar and a teaspoon previously sterilized in boiling water to contain and mix the yeast and water. Pitch the yeast when temperature of wort is about 65 degrees F (18 C). Ferment at about 65 degrees F (18 C) for about 1 week, or until fermentation shows signs of calm and stopping. Rack from your primary to a secondary fermenter and if you have the capability, “cellar” the beer at about 55 degrees F (12.5 C) for about 1 week.
Prime with sugar and bottle or keg when complete.
Relax. Don’t worry. Have a homebrew and hope that you never find yourself smelling the dandelions on Folknykterhetens Dag.
Mash/Extract Recipe for 5 gallons (19 l)
4 lbs.: (1.82 kg) birch-smoked pale malt
3 lbs.: (1.36 kg) amber malt extract syrup or 2.4 lbs. (1.1 kg) amber dried malt extract
1 oz.: (28 g) Northern Brewer hops 8% alpha (8 HBU/224 MBU)—60 minutes boiling
¾ oz.: (21 g) German Hersbrucker-Mittelfrueh hops 4% alpha (3 HBU/84 MBU)—15 minutes boiling
4: 10-to-12-inch boughs/branches of juniper for brewing water*
4: 10-to-12-inch boughs/branches of juniper for base water preparation
¼ tsp.: (1 g) powdered Irish moss
1: square centimeter of fresh compressed “caked” bread yeast*
¾ cup: (175 ml measure) corn sugar (priming bottles) or 0.33 cups (80 ml) corn sugar for kegging
Boil 4 boughs of juniper branches in 61/2 gallons (25 l) of water for 1 hour. After removing the “spent” branches, use the water for mashing and sparging.
Heat 1 gallon (3.8 l) juniper water to 172 degrees F (77.5 C) and then add crushed grains to the juniper water. Stir well to distribute heat. Temperature should stabilize at about 155 degrees F (68 C). Wrap a towel around the pot and set aside for about 45 minutes. Have a homebrew.
After 45 minutes, add heat to the mini-mash and raise the temperature to 167 degrees F (75 C). Then pass the liquid and grains into a strainer and rinse with 170-degree F (77 C) juniper water. Discard the grains.
To the sweet extract you have just produced, add more juniper water, bringing the volume up to about 2.5 gallons (9.5 l). Add malt extract and 60-minute hops and bring to a boil.
The total boil time will be 60 minutes. When 15 minutes remain, add the 15-minute hops. When 10 minutes remain, add the Irish moss. After a total wort boil of 60 minutes, turn off the heat.
Immerse the covered pot of wort in a cold-water bath and let sit for 30 minutes, or the time it