Piparskeggr
11-25-2009, 10:24 PM
Hail all;
Barley is a wonderful little grain, so versatile in soups and stews...but its most shining hour comes after it has been malted: moistened, sprouted, dried and then roasted to perfection. The process converts some of the starches into sugar and releases enzymes, which when properly awakened, will convert more of the starch to sugar.
This little grain, becomes the foundation for two of man's oldest friends...ale and beer.
I first started drinking beer just after I turned 16. I knew I was becoming man in the family when my grampa Harold offered me a glass of beer when I was watching a baseball game on TV with him.
His favorite was "Pabst Blue Ribbon, a passable American Lager for its time.
I noticed thereafter that "Pabst Blue Ribbon Malt Syrup"was sold at the local grocery store, in the baking section. I bought a can and found that the back of the label contained some recipes, including one for home made beer. (I remembered that the label of "PBR" mentioned malt as an ingredient.)
It was a recipe (I have since learned) that originated within the confines of the US's "Great Experiment" aka "Alcohol Prohibition."
Intrigued, I figured out, without much research, what equipment I might need.
My mom had a big spaghetti pot for boiling enough water to dissolve the syrup. The local doughnut shop provided a 6-gallon plastic frosting pail that would serve as a fermenter. A big rubber band and a rubber bed sheet provided a cover. We had a long handled plastic spoon for stirring. My uncles provided a couple of cases of empty bottles. I found cork-lined crown caps at the local hardware store. My mom bought me a capper at a garage sale for 75 cents (I still use it to this day). The pet store provided aquarium water line for siphoning. Chlorine bleach seemed a good dea for cleaning...
5-gallon batch: (2) 3# cans of malt syrup, 2 1/4 cups white sugar, 2 packets dried bread yeast...water to make up 5 gallons.
I had no idea of what hops might be, so I looked them up in the dictionary...plant that provides bitterness to beer...hmmm...no idea where to find hops, but dandelions are bitter! ...and they're a plant!) Add 1/2# of dandelion leaves.
Bring 2 gallons water to a boil, dissolve in the malt and sugar, throw in the dandelions, simmer about 15 minutes, use mom's colander to strain the liquid into the pail add in enough water to make up 5 gallons...sprinkle in the yeast when it seems "baby bottle" warm. Cover with the rubber sheet, place the rubber band and let it go the 2 weeks the label said.
Carefully siphon off into bottles and cap. Store in the cellar for 2 weeks, try it...
...ummm...
No! :mad:
I got much betterer over the years :thumb001:
Barley is a wonderful little grain, so versatile in soups and stews...but its most shining hour comes after it has been malted: moistened, sprouted, dried and then roasted to perfection. The process converts some of the starches into sugar and releases enzymes, which when properly awakened, will convert more of the starch to sugar.
This little grain, becomes the foundation for two of man's oldest friends...ale and beer.
I first started drinking beer just after I turned 16. I knew I was becoming man in the family when my grampa Harold offered me a glass of beer when I was watching a baseball game on TV with him.
His favorite was "Pabst Blue Ribbon, a passable American Lager for its time.
I noticed thereafter that "Pabst Blue Ribbon Malt Syrup"was sold at the local grocery store, in the baking section. I bought a can and found that the back of the label contained some recipes, including one for home made beer. (I remembered that the label of "PBR" mentioned malt as an ingredient.)
It was a recipe (I have since learned) that originated within the confines of the US's "Great Experiment" aka "Alcohol Prohibition."
Intrigued, I figured out, without much research, what equipment I might need.
My mom had a big spaghetti pot for boiling enough water to dissolve the syrup. The local doughnut shop provided a 6-gallon plastic frosting pail that would serve as a fermenter. A big rubber band and a rubber bed sheet provided a cover. We had a long handled plastic spoon for stirring. My uncles provided a couple of cases of empty bottles. I found cork-lined crown caps at the local hardware store. My mom bought me a capper at a garage sale for 75 cents (I still use it to this day). The pet store provided aquarium water line for siphoning. Chlorine bleach seemed a good dea for cleaning...
5-gallon batch: (2) 3# cans of malt syrup, 2 1/4 cups white sugar, 2 packets dried bread yeast...water to make up 5 gallons.
I had no idea of what hops might be, so I looked them up in the dictionary...plant that provides bitterness to beer...hmmm...no idea where to find hops, but dandelions are bitter! ...and they're a plant!) Add 1/2# of dandelion leaves.
Bring 2 gallons water to a boil, dissolve in the malt and sugar, throw in the dandelions, simmer about 15 minutes, use mom's colander to strain the liquid into the pail add in enough water to make up 5 gallons...sprinkle in the yeast when it seems "baby bottle" warm. Cover with the rubber sheet, place the rubber band and let it go the 2 weeks the label said.
Carefully siphon off into bottles and cap. Store in the cellar for 2 weeks, try it...
...ummm...
No! :mad:
I got much betterer over the years :thumb001: