National Homebrew Conference

#NHC2013
The National Homebrew Conference was great.  The conference and lodging were both at the the Marriott. Each morning there were 30 beers on tap with a rotation of beers happening every hour to hour and a half.

Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
1201 Market Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

Across the street from the hotel is the Reading Terminal Market where we recovered with a good meal.  If you are in the area you need to stop by Tommy DiNic’s for the roast pork with sharp provolone, broccoli rabe, and hot peppers. We also needed to get a CheeseSteak while in the city, so we took a walk to Campo’s Deli.

We visited two great beer restaurants where we were able to sample beers from an unbelievable menu.  In particular, we were able to try the Russian River beers.

Strangelove's
216 S. 11th Street

Monk's Café
264 S. 16th

Some of the conference seminars that I attended included the following:

• Waste Not, Want Not: Sustainable and Frugal Homebrewing Dan Schreffler
• Stepping Up Your Sensory Game: How to Be a Better Taster Kara Taylor
• Step Up Your Starters: Insight into Yeast Propagation for Homebrewers Kai Troester
• Geeking Out in the Cellar Garry Pitman
• Serving with Style Mike Lindel
• A Simple Fermentation Monitoring and Control System Murthy Tata & Sachin Pannuri
• BCS Controller
• Open Source Control Systems

The conference has two great nights of sampling beers.  The first night was the professional brewery night.  Below are Jeremy and Matt getting a beer from Sam Calagion of Dogfish Head Brewery.

On the second night, the homebrewers got a chance to show what they had made.  One of my favorites was the Tropical Wit by Ryan Miscik and Andrew Haraksin.

The following was offered as a potential beer mission, Beer Assignments.

#64 Bell's Two Hearted Ale Clone (#64/81/104)

I wanted to create a Bell's Two Hearted Ale mini-mash.  Bell's Two Hearted gets a Beer Advocate Rating of 95 and a Rate Beer Rating of 100.  Before realizing that Northern Brewer had a similar recipe Dead Ringer IPA I started to create my own.  Below are recipes for each of the three version Extract, Mini-Mash, and All Grain.  The Mini Mash is based on calculations from the All-Grain recipe from HomebrewTalk using BeerSmith.

Style: American Amber Ale
Est OG: 1.051 SG
Est FG: 1.014 SG
Est Color: 7.4 SRM
Est IBU: 38.0 IBUs
Est ABV: 4.7 %
Steep: 151-152 degrees
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:

Bells Two Hearted Extract Steep 20 min 16 oz     Caramel Malt - 40L 9.15 lbs NB Golden LME

Bells Two Hearted Mini Mash Steep 45 min 2 lbs 9.6 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) 2 lbs            Vienna Malt 8.0 oz          Cara-Pils 8.0 oz          Caramel Malt - 20L 6 lbs            NB Golden LME

Bells Two Hearted All Grain 10 lbs  Pale Malt (2 Row) 2 lbs    Vienna Malt 8.0 oz  Cara-Pils 8.0 oz  Caramel - 20L

Hop Schedule:

Option 1 1.0 oz Centennial (60) 1.0 oz Centennial (15) 1.0 oz Centennial (5) 1.0 oz Centennial (1) 0.5 oz Centennial (dry) 5 Days

Option 2 1.0 oz Centennial (60) 1.0 oz Centennial (20) 2.0 oz Centennial (5) 1.0 oz Centennial (dry)

Yeast:
US-05 Ale Yeast    
There is a good grain version that suggests US-04 English Ale

Primary Fermentation: 
at least 4 weeks at 65 F

Secondary Fermentation:   
Dry Hop        

#63 SPECKLED HEIFER (Spotted Cow) (63/91/95/103/155/156)

New Glarus Brewing company Wisconsin. New Glarus is know for some great beers especially the sours and additions of fruits. Since this beer is only found in Wisconsin, if you want it out of state you have to make it yourself. This is a well rated Cream Ale. Another option if you have interest in Cream Ales would be Sweet Action - Sixpoint Brewery or Mikkeller Cream Ale.

Speckled Heifer Partial Mash Kit

OG: 1.048 SG
FG: 1.012 SG
Color: 3.4 SRM
IBU: 14.3 IBUs
ABV: 4.7 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
Mash (60 min - 152 degrees)
2 lbs NB 2-Row (Rahr)
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine
4.0 oz Barley, Flaked
4.0 oz Maize, Flaked
Fermentables
3.15 lbs Pilsen malt syrup
1 lb Briess Pilsen dry malt extract
Hops
0.75 oz Cluster (45 min)
0.25 oz Cluster (15 min)

California V or American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272)

#62 Surly Bender

Here's what happens when substance meets smooth. This oatmeal brown ale defies traditional categories. Bender begins crisp and lightly hoppy, complemented by the velvety sleekness oats deliver. Belgian and British malts usher in cascades of cocoa, coffee, caramel and hints of vanilla and cream. An easy-drinking ale with many layers of satisfaction.

Surly Bender

OG: 1.068 SG
FG: 1.017 SG
Color: 28.8 SRM
IBU: 18.9 IBUs
ABV: 4.7 %

Ingredients:
2 lbs Aromatic Malt
1 lbs Pale Ale Malt 2-Row
12.0 oz Crystal, Medium (Simpsons) (55.0 SRM)
12.0 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
10.1 oz Oats, Golden Naked (Simpsons)
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM)


0.25 oz Willamette (First Wort Hop)
0.75 oz Columbus (60 min)
2.5 oz Willamette (0 min)

British Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1335)

BrewTV brewing of Surly Bender

#61 Requiem Raspberry

A refreshing summer beer.  This was one of the most popular fruit beers on Home Brew Talk.

I made a minor change by using the Northern Brewer Gold Malt instead of 6.5 lbs of Light DME.

6lbs Northern Brewer Gold Malt
1 lbs 3.0 oz Light DME
12.8 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L 
2.4 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) 
1.00 oz Northern Brewer (60 min) 
0.50 oz Cascade (25 min)
0.50 oz Cascade (7 min)

A good refreshing drink after a day at the pool.

Primary:
7 days at 73 F
Nottingham Yeast

Secondary: 
7 days at 73 F
40 oz of organic raspberries (no sucrose)  

#60 Extra Hard Lemonade

VERY similar to Mikes Hard lemonade

Estimated OG: 1.046 SG
Estimated ABV: 5.9%
Estimated Calories: 112

Ingredients:
4 lbs Cane (Beet) Sugar 
7 Walmart Great Value: Lemonade, 12 Oz 
3 Walmart Great Value: Limeade, 12 Oz 
1 pkg Lalvin EC-1118 (Lallemand - Lalvin #EC-1118) or Redstar Montrachet
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient


Primary: 18 Days @ ~70F
Secondary: Until Stable

Other Options Ingredients: • 2kg dextrose • 500g lactose • 12-24 lemons, sliced or chopped fine including peel • 5g yeast nutrient • 1 sachet SAFale yeast • Water to make up 22 litres of wort or Cranberry Lemonade

#58 Skeeter Pee

The original, inexpensive, quick, easy to make, easy to drink, naturally fermented, lemon, hot-weather, thirst quencher.

Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 2.30 gal
Estimated OG: 1.064 SG

Estimated Color: 1.9 SRM
Boil Time: 30 Minutes
ABV: 10.4%





Skeeter Pee
Ingredients:
Amt                   Name                                           
16.0 cup              Washington, DC
7 lbs                 Sugar, Table (16 cups)
0.33 cup              Lemon JuicE
Primary (Stir Ingredients)
64.00 oz              ReaLemon
0.75 tsp              Tannin
1.00 tsp              Yeast Energizer

3.00 tsp              Yeast Nutrient

Primary (~2 days)
1.00                  Yeast Slurry
Primary (~4 days - 1.050 SG)  (vigorously mix)
32.00 oz              ReaLemon
3.00 tsp              Yeast Nutrient
1.00 tsp              Yeast Energizer
Secondary (0.995-0.998 SG) (degas)
2.50 tsp              Potassium sorbate (sorbate)
0.50 tsp              Potassium metabisulfite (Kmeta)
1.00                  Sparkolliod - Clears without the Sparkolloid in 30-45 days
Bottling/Kegging (2 weeks after sparklloid)
2.30 lb               Sugar, Table (Sucrose)

After two weeks, the Skeeter Pee should be crystal clear. Rack into a clean, sanitized carboy, add 6 cups sugar, and stir to dissolve. Wait two weeks to be sure no new fermentation begins and bottle.

Notes from Lon DePoppe:
"Not a “hard lemonade” because too many people have tried the commercial versions and they tend to make a mental impression of what it’s going to taste like before trying it. When it doesn’t taste just like the commercial versions (which are usually 5% alcohol, lemon flavored malt beverages) they conclude that it’s a poor reproduction. This stuff isn’t a reproduction; it’s the original home-style without the big marketing budget and price tag. Please be advised that you need to keep an eye on those you serve this to. Because it drinks easily on a hot day and the alcohol is about double that of commercial hard lemonades and beer, it is easy to accidentally over consume; it sneaks up on you real fast."

If you don't have a slurry to start your batch.
Some people have had luck simply sprinkling the yeast on top of the must in the place of using a slurry.  Be cautioned though, that the ferment will take much longer to get started.  It helps to whip the must with a wire whisk to introduce lots of oxygen and keep the must warm.  Be prepared to wait up to a week to see signs of ferment.  An alternative method that has been successful is starting a 1 gallon batch of wine using frozen concentrate, letting it go for 5 days to a week to get good and active, and then using the whole thing in place of a slurry.

#55/57/80/93 Allagash White

This is the most liked Witbier on Beer Advocate.  The recipe comes from Rob Tod of Allagash Brewing Company and is a clone recipe for Allagash White (Belgian Wit). Note: “secret spice” is described as a “pinch of the spice of your choosing”.

Allagash Brewery got their start in 1995 in Portland, Maine. Owner/brewer Rob Tod is quietly making some exceptional Belgian-style beers over on the East Coast. Rob is one of the “brett pack” along with Vinnie Cilurzo (Russian River), Tomme Arthur (Port Brewing/Lost Abbey), Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head) and Adam Avery (Avery). They acquired that nickname through their use of and experiementation with brettanomyces and other micrio biota. 

Price		Ingredients
$15.99		6lb Northern Brewer Wheat Malt Syrup
$4.50		1lb Briess DME Golden Light
$  2.25		3/4 oz. Tettnanger (60 minutes) (Add)
$  1.69		3/4 oz. Saaz (60 minutes) (Add)
$  0.56		1/4 oz. Saaz (flameout)
$  0.25		1/4 oz. crushed coriander (flameout)
$    0.50		1/4 oz. bitter orange peel (flameout)
$    0.25		1 pinch "secret spice" (flameout) "secret spice" (anise, cinnamon, vanilla, pepper, or ginger) your choice
$  3.12		Wyeast 3463 Forbidden Fruit (re-using yeast for a second batch) (Add)
$29.11

Blue Moon is a popular brew that is similar with the following changes: 

• Flaked Oats 
• Hallertauer (90 mins) 
• 1.25 tsp of ground corriander (10 min) 
• 0.33tsp of ground Valencia orange peel (5 min) 
• Chico yeast

I originally found this recipe on Home Brew Talks.  

My latest batch used Danstar Munich Wheat Beer Yeast.  I enjoyed the previous two batches both used Forbidden Fruit, but with a recent weather change I wanted to brew and didn't have time to get a starter going.

Additional Sources of Recipe Information
Belgian White Ale Recipe From Allagash - Brew Dudes - Extract with Pilsen malt with slightly lower hop schedule and slightly increased flameout additions
Brewers Friend
BeerSmtih Recipes Allagash White Clone all grain convert - Not sure about hop schedule on this.
BrewToad Allagash White Clone by Five14 Brewing - All grain version of above with similar hop schedule 

#52 Hard Cider

I wanted to create a hard cider for Saint Patrick's Day.  I waited too long so the options are now limited. My initial thoughts were to follow DayFlyer55's 5 Day Sweet Country Cider from HomeBrewTalk.  I was in a rush while making dinner so I skipped the Brown Sugar and went straight for the Molasses and Sugar.  I was just guessing and only decided to lookup the correct ratio now that I am writting down what I actually did.  The ratio for brown sugar is 1 cup sugar to 1 Tbs Molasses.  So, twice as much molasses as need.

My goal is to stop the fermentation as soon as we are below 1.04.  This should give us a sweet cider with 4.9% ABV.  Update:  It was a little too sweet.  So we let the cider go another day and then put it in the lagering fridge to have the yeast stop.  The final is a FG 1.034 and 5.7% ABV and 260 calories/12 oz.

Fermentables 13 frozen concentrate Giant brand Apple Juice    (~4.875 gallons) 2 lbs Dominion Sugar    (~3.8 Cups) 4 oz Grandmas Molasses    (~8 Tbs) Misc 2 Cinnamon Sticks Yeast Munton's Gold