So, You Wanna Make Your Own Beer, Eh?

It's really easy, actually.

I just bottled my Summer Ale and everyone's been asking me, "How do you make beer at home?". Well, I took some pictures and I'll go through the process step-by-step with you. The first and most important thing to remember is that Sanitization Is Key. All of your equipment, bottles, and working areas need to be free of any harmful bacteria. You'll be dealing with yeast and fermentable sugars which need a clean environment in order to produce the desired results.

You can start home brewing for about $100 in equipment and as little as $30 in ingredients. A standard starter kit will include a 6.5 gallon food-safe plastic bucket with lid and spigot, tubing for siphoning and bottling, a capping device, a hydrometer, and an airlock (a one-way air valve). Most people choose to pay an additional $20 to receive a 6 gallon glass carboy; it's used for "secondary fermentation" which allows the beer to clarify after sitting in the primary bucket for a week or two.





Left: 6.5 gallon plastic bucket used for primary fermentation and later on for bottling the beer. Right: Highly recommended glass carboy used for secondary fermentation. In this picture we're siphoning the beer back into the plastic bucket in before bottling the Summer Ale.





First-timers will probably want to purchase a pre-assembled ingredients package. You can find basic kits for Pale Ales (Sweetwater 420), Brown Ales (Newcastle), Stouts (Guinness), IPA's, Porters, Wit Beirs, Wheat Ales, the list goes on. The kit will include dried and/or liquid malt extract (malted barley), 1-3 different kinds of hops (in compressed pellet form), an assortment of grains for additional flavor and color, and a magical package of dried beer yeast, specific to the style of beer you're brewing. You'll also find 50 bottle caps and some priming sugar, which is used during bottling.

Clockwise from the top left: bottle capper, siphoning and bottle equipment, assorted grains, liquid malt extract, dried malt extract, dried ale yeast, priming sugar, hop pellets, cleaning brush, instructions, and bottle caps.

Apart from all of this equipment, you'll need a large stainless steel pot of at least 14 quarts capacity (ours is 22 quarts b/c we're ballers). Save 50 clean, brown longnecks. They cannot be of the twist off variety because they won't work and they're an inferior way of keeping beer fresh. Also buy some sanitizer at the brew store.

Now, start by cleaning and sanitizing your brew kettle, primary fermenting bucket, and a long metal spoon for stirring the wort (that's what we call the beer as it's boiling). Carefully follow the instructions for your particular beer, but this is the basic procedure: Heat 1-2 gallons of clean water to about 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour your grains into a net (came with kit) and steep the grains for about 20 minutes. Remove the grain bag slowly so it can drain out. Dispose of grains (or compost them or give to local farmer). Bring the wort to a boil. Now slowly add in the liquid and/or dried malt extract(s). Be careful! The malted barley will foam up like a mad man. You should pour it in at intervals, and you may find it necessary to temporarily turn off the heat. You must stir constantly to fully mix the wort. Once that's settled and boiling, add your first set of hops. These are used primarily for bittering the beer. Boil for about an hour, then during the last 5 minutes add a second helping of hops; they'll add a nice aroma to the beer. Hops are also a natural preservative, making them a very important part of the beer.





Left: Steeping the grains. Below: The wort boils intensely as we pour in the malted barley extract.

sdsd

Now That's a Meal!

For my dad's birthday this year I decided to cook my family and friends an awesome dinner. It was also Memorial Day weekend, so there was more than one reason to drink booze.

Beer-Braised Beef, Twice-Baked Stuffed Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus w/ Raspberry-
Shallot Sauce, and Honey-Cinnamon Carrots.

The dinner started with some toasted french bread brushed with olive oil (extra virgin, of course) and some homemade bruschetta. My dad grew the tomatoes and most of the herbs that were used to make it. I'll get the recipe and post it soon.

My mom also made some awesome Mojitos. She makes her own simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar, boil to dissolve) infused with homegrown mint leaf. An ounce of syrup, two ounces of premium light rum, club soda, and a squeeze of lime juice, stirred in ice. Delicious and refreshing.



The main course included my popular Beer-Braised Beef. The recipe is in another post below, but succinctly: after browning your beef, caramelize a ton of carrots, onions, and celery in beer (I used Yuengling Black and Tan) over low heat for 45 minutes. Put the beef back in your pan, fill with more beer, and cook 2-3 hours at 350 degrees. The beer and sugars from the caramelized veggies tenderize the beef and give it a mouth-watering flavor.




A new dish that I had been meaning to make for a while was Twice-Baked Stuffed Potatoes (Williams-Sonoma has a good recipe.) After completely baking some large russet potatoes, slice a cross into the top of each one and pull back the corners of skin. Spoon out most of the flesh and mash in a bowl with milk, butter, sour cream, chives, bacon, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. You can really experiment with different fillers. Scoop the mixture back into the skins, top with more cheese, and bake for another 20 minutes. You could even rub the skins in some kosher salt before filling to give them that steakhouse authenticity.






Next, I found another new recipe for Asparagus in a Lemon-Raspberry Vinaigrette. After roasting or sautéing some thick asparagus, whisk together some olive oil, minced shallots, raspberry vinaigrette, and fresh lemon juice. Toss the asparagus in the dressing and serve.



My mom also made her Honey-Cinnamon Carrots. Boil some baby carrots for about five minutes, drain, then put in a hot sauté pan with some butter and olive oil. Slowly add honey and sprinklings of ground cinnamon until the carrots are cooked to your liking and resting in a shallow pool of sauce. Service immediately.

I Love Coffee, I Love Beer, The Only Thing Better is Coffee in my Beer

Do NOT Add Milk and Sugar, You Woose!

Holy Crap! So Nick and Meghan both just turned 21 and we decided to take a field trip to Total Wine. They have 1,000's of bottles of wines, spirits, rare drinks, accessories, and... BEER! Total Wine offers the greatest beer selection that I've seen in one store (warehouse, really). Not only do they offer myriad craft brews, imports, and limited editions, but most of their beers can be purchased one bottle at a time so you can make your own six pack. On top of that, they have the best prices in town for beer, wine, and liquors (Warning: do NOT take your father to the Scotch section). Anywho, we spent a good hour in the beer aisle talking with fellow enthusiasts. We conversed with one gentleman from Tennessee who comes to the ATL for business and always goes back home with cases of high-gravity brews (TN has crappy alcohol laws). While recommending our favorite beers/breweries to oneanother, we all agreed on how much coffee rocks. This man told Nick and I that if we ever found Kona Brewing Company's Pipeline Porter we should give it a try. Sure enough, this seasonal (winter) brew from Oahu, Hawaii was in Kroger the next week and I bought it without hesitation. This beer kicks ass. I've had so many chocolate or espresso flavored porters and stouts, but never have been thoroughly impressed. The Kona Pipeline Porter is something else. It's brewed with a batch of 100% Kona coffee from Hawaii (coffee lovers know that Kona coffee is one of the most flavorful, expensive, highly sought-after crops) whose flavor really pulls through the strength of a porter. There is a perfect balance of dark, roasted malts, light hop bitterness, and deliciously smooth coffee. It offers a hearty, toasted aroma. It's drinkable out of the bottle, but (obviously) releases it's full flavor in a glass. This is one of very few porters of which I could happily drink an entire six pack without interuption. Also, many dark beers I prefer to consume with a complementary meal or snack, but Nick and I were working on the BMW while sipping on these bad boys. Screw Bud Light, when I'm working on my car I want a REAL beer!

BTW, here's a picture of Nick and Meghan the night Nick made his awesome meatball subs (sorry, Nick, I meant heroes...).

And Mom Thought She Knew Shortbread....

Lime Shortbread w/ White Chocolate and Almonds

My mother is Scottish and she's been making shortbread for quite some time. But when it came my turn to make a mark, I took the old flour and butter recipe one step further (or maybe it was 3 steps). I was searching through Epicurious.com's archive of recipes from Bon Appetite magazine and found Lime Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate and Almonds. Easy as pie (OK, shortbread) and loaded with unusual ingredients that complement eachother suprisingly well, this dessert had everyone coming back for seconds. A basic shortbread recipe is spiked with fresh lime zest and cooked as usual. Once removed from the oven, the sheet of cookies is drizzled with molten white (premium) chocolate, topped with lightly toasted slivered almonds, and finally sprinkled with more fresh lime zest. The final product has several levels of flavors in your mouth. A bite starts off doughy and tangy until you taste the sweetness of the white chocolate. The lime flavor is prevalent throughout the entire experience, but I especially like the toasted nutty flavor that the almonds leave in your mouth. Shortbread is a rather dry treat, so I'd serve this dessert with white chocolate mochas or something like that. Think of all the pairings Starbucks offers between their pastries and their espresso drinks, then match your own pairings at home.

Craft Brew Tasting at Jacob's

The other night Dick, Mike, Travis and I went to our friend Jacob's apartment and he generously poured several rare and interesting beverages. The first thing we tried was a very smooth Russian Porter by Baltika. They don't give their beers names, just numbers, and this was numero six. If you're just starting to enjoy dark beers, this is one to try. Next up was a rare bottle from one of my favorite brewers: DogFishHead, of Delaware. From DogFish's website: "A big, belgian-style Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice. After fermentation a fraction of the batch is aged in Oregon Pinot Noir barrels, and another fraction is aged on oak staves. The beer is blended together before packaging... It successfully marries the refreshing citrusy qualities of a Belgian-style white beer with the robust complexity of a bold red wine."

WOW, was this delicious or what? You wouldn't believe that it's 10% alcohol.

Another surprisingly alcoholic selection made it's way into our glasses for round three. This was a 750ml bottle of Ommegang's 10th anniversary celebration beer, the Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout. From their website: "Chocolate Indulgence comes with a thick tan head of foam resting on top of the rich onyx-colored liquid. The aroma immediately speaks of dark chocolate and dark malts. The gentle herbal nose of Perle hops compliments the darker notes, making the beer savory to the senses. The taste continues with the intense Belgian dark chocolate gliding across the tongue; starting sweet up front but giving way to rich cocoa flavors at the back...." Everyone liked this beer, but no one was fanatical. At 10% alcohol (10 years, 10%...) it is an incredibly smooth drink. While the cocoa is undeniably present, it is not overwhelming or "intense", like the company claims. It tasted more like a balancing ingredient, which makes this beer very drinkable. I've tried a number of high gravity porters and stouts that are too much to drink after the first glass, but this decadent brew is so clean that I never felt full. I'd really like to serve this with some chocolate crepes or something sweet, but it would be equally satisfying with a porterhouse steak.

After a cigarette break it was time for desert, and when it comes to desert beer one name you can always count on is Lindeman's. Their Fruit Lambics (Belgian style fruit beer that is spontaneously fermented by airborne yeast rather than controlled fermentation with Brewer's yeast) are like liquid candy. What's really cool is that the fruit juice is added after the beer has already fermented, and all the sugars from the fruit cause a SECOND stage of spontaneous fermentation. Jacob popped a bottle of Kriek (Black Cherry) which is the best fruit beer I've ever tasted. It took a minute before Dick was convinced that we weren't drinking cherry soda. The flavor is distinct and acidic, it actually pours with a big head that's slightly creamy, and it nearly has the carbonation of a soda.

From their website: "Kriek has a pink-red color and a delicious taste of sparkling cherry champagne."

Thanks again Jacob! As for mine and Dick's homebrew, an 8% Honey Oatmeal Stout which was bottled three weeks, it's making great progress. We popped open a couple last night and the flavor is really maturing. The head is perfectly creamy and very controllable when you pour it. The 4 pounds of honey and two pounds of grain (American Chocolate, Rolled Oats, Cara Pils, and Roasted Barley) combine for a sweet flavor on your tongue followed by a full-bodied woodsy aftertaste. Everyone from the amateur drinker to my beer snob friends have commented on the "fantastic caramel flavors". One interesting note is that if you pour a big head some of the foam sticks to the side of the glass because of all the sticky, sweet honey. I'll put up a picture of the beer in a glass next week when it's officially matured for a month in the bottles (Friday the 13th of March, also my Mom's birthday). Anyway, I'm signing off. You should probably go to the liquor store now that you're salivating like crazy....

Spicy Meat-a-balls!

Nearly as good as Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls, you can put these meatballs into anything from spaghetti to a submarine, or just munch on them as a nighttime snack. You can follow the recipe at Williams-Sonoma's website for the Meatball Subs and just make the meatballs if you want. I'd make about 3 pounds worth so that you can save some for later. Two important things to remember are to use about 85% Lean ground beef (or higher, too much fat will ruin your sauce) and that you should ALWAYS wear an apron. There is so much splatter from the meatballs/sauce that you're bound to ruin your clothes unless you wear protection [insert Peter Griffin laughter].


Last night I made spaghetti and meatballs for only $5, which fed 3 people. The subs pictured above I made last week and they were freaking delicious. During the last five minutes of simmering the sauce, I halved all of the French rolls, layered them with mozzarella, and put them in the oven at 350 until the cheese was melted and the bread slightly crispy. Then I added the meatballs, sauce, and more cheese. Everybody thought they were great, and four people ate for only $10 which included a simple side salad with a homemade oil and vinaigrette dressing.

Have You Ever Eaten A Cookie So Good That...

You ate another, and another, and then tried eating one more but you turned into a giant chocolate bar? That just might happen when you make these Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies. They feature Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate AND Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate. And Walnuts. These cookies are so good they just might get you laid (hasn't worked yet for me).

Ultimate Double Chocolate Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies

• 12 ounce(s) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 11 1/2 ounce(s) 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 6 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1 cup(s) chopped walnuts

Directions
In double boiler over hot water, melt bittersweet chocolate chips and butter. In large bowl with electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs and sugar until thick; stir into chocolate mixture. In small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder; stir into chocolate mixture. Gently mix in semi-sweet chocolate chips and walnuts. Using a sheet of plastic wrap, form dough into two logs, each 2 inches in diameter and about 12 inches long. As dough will be quite soft, use plastic wrape to hold dough in log shape. Wrap tightly; refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. (Dough may be frozen; thaw in refrigerator before proceeding with recipe.) Heat oven to 375°F. Unwrap dough; with sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch slices. Place slices 1 1/2 inches apart on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until shiny crust forms on top but interior is still soft. Cool on baking sheet; store in airtight tin up to 1 week.

Five Star Meals at Home

Man, I wish I had taken pictures of these excellent dinners. The following links are to entree's that I've already proven to be easy and delicious. A lot of them are from Williams-Sonoma cookbooks, whose FoodMadeFast series are an excellent resource for the amateur chef.

Steak With Parmesean Butter, Balsamic Glaze, and Arugula

This is one of the best entrees that I've ever made. It takes less than 30 minutes to prep, cook and serve. Ultimately, you get a perfectly cooked Ribeye steak topped with mouth-watering parmesean butter which is complemented by the sweet and tangy bite of a balsamic glaze. The glaze is simply your pan drippings, butter, shallots, dark brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar. The steak is served over a bed of arugula and parmesean cheese shavings, all of which is drizzled with a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice. I served this simply with some homemade garlic bread. Talk about a mouthgasm....

Beef & Asparagus Stir Fry

If you're like me, you like Stir-Fry. Beef or chicken with some asparagus, bell peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, whatever. Myriad types of sauces can be made with the Asian basics: Soy sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, chili oil, rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, etc. If you don't already own a Wok, get one. $30 will get you a decent wok which will vastly improve your stir-fry's. It makes mixing the meat and vegetables easy, and with all the drippings that gather at the bottom, a great sauce is only minutes away.

If you are more of a chicken person, I'd recommend trying the Lemongrass Chicken and Asparagus. It's use of lemongrass (or lemon zest and juice) with freshly minced ginger lends a nearly floral, citrusy flavor. Another favorite at my house is the Sesame Chicken and Sugar Snap Peas stir-fry.

Beer Braised Beef

And how could I forget the dish with my two favorite things built right into the title: Beer and Beef. Mmm delicious. This slow-cooked dish turns 3 lbs. of ordinary beef chuck into a super tender, flavor loaded meal. And all those carrot, onion and celery pieces that you initially caramelize before cooking the beef practically disintegrate into the sauce, releasing their succulent sugars that help tenderize the beef. I got this recipe from GQ and copied it here. I served this with Skin-On Red Mashed Potatoes, Creole Seasoned Snow Peas, and Homemade Cornbread.

3 lbs. Beef chuck in chunks
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Beer
Chopped carrots and onions (I also added a few celery ribs)
3 sprigs of parsley

1. Generously season the beef with salt and pepper.
2. Over medium flame, heat enough olive oil to evenly coat the base of a large heavy-bottom pot. When the oil is hot, add the beef and cook on all sides until evenly brown and crispy. Remove and place on a plate uncovered.
3. Pour in a bit of beer. Let simmer and scrape up the tasty brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the vegetables. Use enough to make a deep bed. Maybe two large onions and 3 big carrots. You can also add unpeeled garlic. Fennel and ginger are a nice touch with pork. Cook on low flame, stirring occasionally for about 45 mins. til well-carmelized.
4. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Place the beef back in the pot nestled among the vegetables. Add the parsley. Pour in the rest of the beer so it comes about half way up the sides of the meat. You may need more than 1 can.
6. Cover. Place in the oven and cook for 2-3 hours until the meat is meltingly tender.
7. Remove the meat and place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Pour the cooking liquid through a mesh strainer and discard the vegetables. At this point you can serve the liquid as is or you can put it back on the stove in a smaller pot over medium heat to intensify the flavors.
8. To serve, keep the meat in chunks or shred it, and place it on a platter. Pour some of the cooking liquid over it. Serve the rest on the side.
*(suggested sides) Serve with buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes or pureed celery roots.

Cheap Eats: $10 Tuna Casserole

Seeing as the majority of our household is unemployed, we often try to cook affordable, palatable, and filling meals. Casseroles are a perfect example of something that's fast and easy to make in just one pan, and it can feature ingredients from every sector of the Nutritional Food Pyramid. Tonight Dick and Schroeder made the Tuna Casserole that's pictured above.

Simply said and simply done:

• Make enough rice to yield 8 cups total per directions on the back of the package (Usually 4 cups dry is 8 cups cooked)
• Now preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Spread rice evenly in a lightly greased 13" x 9" glass casserole dish.
  
• Top with one or two cans of cream of mushroom soup.
• Top with canned Tuna, cooked and chopped Chicken, or any meat of your choosing.
• Cover with vegetables, if using any. Broccoli works well, it's up to you.
• Then grate a block of cheddar cheese and spread that across the top.
• Cover with tinfoil and place in oven until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
  
• A greasy treat is to top that with broken Lay's potato chips. Now return uncovered in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
• Let rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
  

This is a great dish to make when you have a little extra time. It makes 8-12 servings which you can freeze or place in the fridge to eat later. Like I noted above, you can use anything in your casserole. Last week we BBQ'd some chicken because it was such a nice day. Then we chopped that and put it in the dish. Let your imagination run wild... unless you're poor and hungry like us, just use what you have in the pantry already.

Homebrewed: Honey Oat Stout

Dick and I recently made a Honey Oatmeal Stout. It was our first homebrew made with individually picked ingredients, as opposed to the pre-assembled boxes that we used for our first two beers (an Irish Red Ale and a Scotch Ale). We found the recipe online at the Beer Recipator (http://hbd.org/recipator/) which has tons of information and recipes for every skill-level homebrewer. The Honey Oat Stout can be found here (http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator?group=16&item=6884). We bottled the beer two weeks ago, which is when it starts to carbonate itself inside the glass bottles. We drank a trial beer this weekend to see how it was progressing and the result was nearly delicious. Already the brew has a great mouthfeel, and a nice balance between all the sweet honey (4 lbs total) and the three varieties of hops that we added (Magnum, Challenger, and Argentina Cascade [Tettnanger was unavailable]). Give it another two weeks for this to be one tasty brew--and a potent one, too, weighing in at approximately 8.0% alcohol by volume.



While we were at Wine Craft Atlanta (our local homebrew supply store) we noticed a package of Thujone, aka Wormwood. This is the suppossedly psychoactive herb used to make Absinthe, and it can be used in beer, too. Unfortunately, I researched recipes and it seems to taste terrible in beer while offering none of the halucinogenic properties we'd be chasing after. I think I'll pass.