# General Beer Instructions



## RAMROD (Mar 24, 2005)

DOUBLE STAGE BREWING INSTRUCTIONS


Modified for Unhoped Malt Extract


EQUIPMENT------------------INGREDIENTS


6 1/2 gal primary-----------1 can 3-4 lbs. hopped malt extract------5 gal secondary------------1 pkg water salts-----------------fermentation lock-----------1 1/2 - 2 lbs unhoped malt extract ---two drilled rubber stoppers--1 oz hops----------------------------54 beer bottles 12 oz-------3/4 cup corn sugar for priming----siphoning equipment--------1 - 2 pkg top fermenting yeast-----bottle caps &amp; capper-------1 pkg Bru-Vigor (yeast food)---------large kettle 10 - 20 qts


To avoid disasters ignore the directions on the can of malt extract. I will skip the SANITIZE YOUR EQUIPMENT although this is probably the most important part you should already know this.


Procedure


Immerse the can of malt in a hot water bath in you sink to soften up the contents. You may want to remove the label first.


Bring one to tow gallons of water to boil in an enameled Or stainless steel kettle. Avoid aluminaum as it leaves a bad metallic taste.


Turn off heat, open the can of malt, and pour into the kettle. Now add the unhopped malt extract(either in dried/powder form or thick syrup). Add the water salts, stir thoroughly. Undissolved malt has a nice habit of sinking to the bottom and burning.


Bring the mixture (wort) back to a boil. Add 2/3 oz hops. The mixture will foam up at first, so be careful and reduce the heat when it rises up. This will save you a major stove top cleaning.


Maintain a rolling boil for 30 minutes.


Turn off heat. Add the remaining hops (1/3 oz) now.


Cool the wort by placing the kettle in your sink with 6-8 inches of cold water. Let sit about 20-30 minutes,if necessary change out the cooling bath after 10 to 15 min..


While the wort is cooling. sprinkle the dried yeast into 1/2 cup of body temp water and cover, yeast should absorb water and foam up.


Pour the cooled wort into the primary fermenter and add cold water to bring the volume to to 5 gal.. Stir well and take a hydrometer reading. The initial gravityshould be about 1.035-1.042. To correct for temp. add .001 for every 7* above 60* F. Write this down.


When the wort is cooler than body temp. add the yeast solution. Sprinkle Bru-Viog into the wort. Snap on the airtight lid securely. Fill the airlock half full of water and fit into #2 rubber stopper. Fit this into the hole in the lid.


Allow to ferment 3-4 days. Do not remove the lid during this period. Room temperature should be 60-80 (ideal is 65-70 F.) During initial fermentation a dense, rocky head will form, leaving a "scuz" line about an inch above the beer when it subsides.


After the 2-4 days, if the rocky head has subsided, the beer is ready to be racked into the secondary fermenter. Check the SG again. It should read less than 1.020. Attach the fermentation lock half full with water. Allow to ferment and settle until the action has virtually ceased and the beer has clarified, usually 1-2 weeks. Check the SG again: itshould be 1.013 or less recored this.


Pour the 3/4 cupof priming sugar int a small saucepan with a cup of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sanitize your primary fermenter.


Syphon the beer into the primary while slowly mixing in the sugar syrup. Stir well without excessive splashing.


Syphon the beer into bottles and cap immediately. Use a bottle filler for ease in filling.


Allow to age upright at room temp. for at least 15 days. Peak flavor is reached after 4-8 weeks, if you can wait that long.


Chill upright and serve. Pour carefully so as not to disturb the small amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottles.


VARIATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS ON BASIC RECIPES


1. Hops contribute tartness, dryness, and herbal fragrance to beer. If you prefer more bitterness in your beer, you may 1use more hops int the beginning of the boil 2 use a stronger variety of hops , and/or increase your total boil time to at least an hour. If you like a stronger hop flavor, but not necessarily more bitterness, add more hops during the last 10 minutes of the boil. If you prefer a more pronounced hop bouquet, add more hops immediately after the boil.


2. Malt contributes body (thickness) and a sweet-ish smoothness to beer. If you wish to increase these traits in your beer, add 1/2-1 lb. crystal malt grain to two quarts water. Heat water toideal temp. 150-160 and steep 15-20 minutes. Strain out grains and rinse with several quarts hot tap water.Bring grain tea to a boil and add malt extract, resuming basicprocedure. Note that this will contribute some additional color to the beer, as well. The degree of the color will depend upon the amount of grain used, and whether you are using light, medium, or darkcrystal malt. Also, note that you may increase the amount of unhopped malt extract in the basic recipe. This will increase body, alcohol, and to some degree, residual sweetness, in the final product.*Edited by: RAMROD *


----------



## Maui Joe (Mar 24, 2005)

Ramrod Thanks,


Very interesting!


----------



## masta (Mar 24, 2005)

Joe,


I have a S/S 32 quart turkey cooker than I use for a brew pot which allows me to do the 60 min boil outside. Doing the full 5 gallon boil requires a wort chiller which I made with 50' of 3/8 inch copper tubing...it cools 5 gallons of wort from boiling to 80 degrees in 15 mins!


*Edited by: masta *


----------



## Maui Joe (Mar 24, 2005)

Hmnn..does the copper have good or bad or any affect on the taste of the beer? As opposed to s/s which I would think is very expensive if available as well?....I have never seen s/s/ in a coil either. Just thinking about a _"more neutral"_ product....lack I know anything about beer other than consumption! *Edited by: Maui Joe *


----------



## masta (Mar 24, 2005)

The copper coil is fine and actually good for your beer and everyone use them...here is more info from Mr Wizard from http://byo.com/index.html: 


Most brewhouses found in commercial breweries contain metals other than stainless steel and this fact does not cause any major problems. Even an “all-stainless” brewhouse will have a bit of copper somewhere because copper contributes a small amount of copper to wort and usually contains trace amounts of zinc. These elements fill an important role in fermentation. Copper helps bind volatile sulfur and zinc is a yeast micronutrient.


----------



## Maui Joe (Mar 24, 2005)

Ah yes..more learning stuff...




it too much! Thanks!


I have noticed that _zinc _plays and important part in health as well. Many vitamins and medicines for colds have been advertising zinc or lack of is associated with colds and related viruses. *Edited by: Maui Joe *


----------

