An Introduction to Eger’s Craft
By: Steve Anthonijsz
What Irminist
isn’t interested in the fine art of brewing? How many of us have said, “One day
I’m going to try my hand at making beer/mead”? In this essay I will attempt to
make this cryptic craft a bit less daunting in the hope that others may like to
attempt their own brews. Eger, I am sure, would be very pleased.
My wife and I both brew mead. She also
makes hard ciders and soda pop. My personal passion is making beer. We started
the same way that many others do. We talked about brewing lots of times, until
we finally became disgusted with ourselves and decided, “Today we brew!” Well,
one thing led to another, and now we’re hooked! There’s never a time that each
of us doesn’t have at least two brews fermenting away…
For patience reasons I would recommend
that most new brewers start off making a beer or cider. These recipes are much
more forgiving than meads or wines, and require a whole lot less time before
they are ready to drink. Recipes may be found online free of charge or
purchased in kits. More-or-less the same equipment is used in all brewing, so
there is no reason that your beer kit cannot be used to make an outstanding
batch of mead later. Or you could do what I do:
while a mead is bubbling away for months at a time, make some beer to keep your
skills up and our interest level high!
Most
new brewers find it easiest to start making beer by purchasing an ingredient
kit from their local homebrew store. I’ll offer here a bit of advice for those
using these kits. Of course, if you use an extract recipe found in a book or
online these principles will still apply. Sometimes recipes will include some
rather obscure-sounding zymurgist’s jargon. To help with this terminology one
will find a glossary at the end of this article. Equipment is also available in
kits, and this is arguably the easiest way for the new brewer to insure that
all the required paraphernalia is acquired. Purchasing equipment this way will
often prove slightly cheaper as well, since stores will often sell equipment
and ingredient kits as a package deal.
The
first step when using a kit is to look at the enclosed instructions to insure
that all the ingredients are in the box. Most kits are assembled by the store,
so if an item is missing the proprietor will be glad to correct the situation.
Glance over the recommended times for different steps in the process (e.g.;
what are the durations of the primary and secondary fermentations?), making any
notes necessary. Then throw the instructions away. You won’t need them because
I’m explaining how to make it easy.
The
most important element of brewing is sanitation. Not only for the obvious
reason of not wanting dust, dog hair, or what have you in your brew; but also
because you only want one microbe—yeast—to be affecting what goes on inside
your fermenter. Anything that will or might touch your brew needs
to be sanitized first. There
are many commercial sanitizers available from your homebrew supplier, and they
all work quite well. While I prefer an iodine-like sanitizer, my wife prefers
an oxidizer—preferences based on what we see as convenient. Neither of us has
had any problems with sanitation. After sanitizing, rinse thoroughly, as the
sanitizer will kill your yeast just as quickly as it will kill other microbes.
Beer
is generally composed of water, grains, hops, and yeast. Anything else you
might add (fruit, honey, etc.) is just icing on the cake—it doesn’t replace the
basics of the cake. Therefore you will want to insure that these 4 ingredients
are of the highest quality. If your city offers you nasty tap water, for
example, don’t use it and expect a terrific tasting beer! It will prove to be
worth the money and time to buy bottled water.
When gathering and choosing
ingredients it is best to consider the function of each, and how they will
affect your final product. The basic concept of brewing is very simple: in a
controlled environment a specifically chosen micro-organism (yeast) will be fed
a certain designated food (grain sugar), and the product of this process
(alcohol & carbon dioxide in wort) will be bittered by hops.
There
are 3 different mediums in which one might purchase grains: whole-grain,
extract syrup, or dry malt extract (often called DME). There are means of home
brewing by which one may use whole grains to make a mash—but assuming that most
readers will start with a kit or extract recipe we won’t get into that. Instead
we will focus on extract brews.
If
you have whole grains in your kit, have them ground at the brew supply store
and put them (there are reasons one might leave them whole, but we’re talking
basics here) into a muslin bag or nylon stocking. Set the bag in water before
heating. Heat the water until boiling, and let the bag sit in the boiling water
for 10-15 minutes, steeping it like a flow-through teabag. Remove the muslin
bag, straining out the water trapped between the grains by sparging. Then add
your extracts. Return to boil.
When
working with extracts it is good to remember that extract syrup will provide
better body to your beer, whilst DME will offer better clarity. Although
different beers might warrant different intended results (e.g. a pilsner
emphasizes clarity; a porter stresses body), most will prove best with a
combination of both. When using the can of extract syrup, let the can sit in
hot water for about 5 minutes before opening. This will thin/loosen the extract
making it easier to get out of the can. Also, if the can has a paper label
around it remove the label before soaking—one would not believe how easy it is
for that wet label to tear while pouring extract leading to either a big HOT
splash on your hand or a wad of paper and glue in your wort! When using dry
extract, try not to get the powder wet until it is in the pot, as it will clump
worse than wet flour! Bonus ingredients such as fruit or honey may go into your
wort during this step as well.
Kits
will generally recommend boiling 1 to 1½ gallons of water with your other
ingredients. This boil is kept at a light boil rather than a hard, rolling one
so that you may avoid tannin haze—it also reduces the chances of boiling over!
This mixture is later added to more water to make 5 gallons. Boiling is done to
insure that all the ingredients are completely dissolved. Sometimes, though,
extract syrups may leave a metallic flavour behind when using this method.
Instead I recommend boiling your wort for a minimum of 1 hour, and this taste
will be eliminated. The theory behind boiling such a small amounts is that the
brewer will be making a ‘beer concentrate’ to be later diluted. I do not
recommend this. You want a whole beer! Boil as much of the water as you can
bearing in mind the limitations of your stove/pots. If you must separate the
wort into multiple containers to accomplish this, do so, as your final product
will taste much better. Stir frequently during the boiling process so that you
don’t burn the stuff at the bottom of your brewpot.
Hops
have 2 effects. First, they add bitterness to your beer; second, they promote
an emotional mellowing effect. Hops have only been in beer since Germany and
England mandated their use under the direction of the christian Church during
the dark ages. Known as “purity laws,” this was a means that the Church used to
calm the masses during feast days. These laws are still in effect in most
European countries. Today, however, most people have acquired a taste for hops
and really want them in their beer.
Although
nearly all steps in beer making can be rather flexible (if you boil too long
you won’t hurt your wort), you want to be rather precise about the time that
you add your flavouring and aromatic hops. You should also be aware that there
are hundreds of varieties
of hops, and that they do not usually substitute easily for one another.
Although hops come in a variety of forms I recommend using pellets simply
because this is the most convenient. All the forms taste the same, so if
pellets are unavailable it is perfectly okay to use plug or leaf varieties. If
you are unsure about the variety of hops to use ask your homebrew supplier.
Flavouring hops can generally be put into your wort about 10 minutes after you
have begun boiling your extracts. Finishing hops are best added 2-5 minutes
before the boil ends, but never more than 10 minutes. After boiling, cool your
wort in a fermentation bucket (also called a fermenter). If possible,
avoid using a carbouy at this point (1) because it’s rather difficult to get 5
gallons of boiling liquid into a 2” bottle top, and (2) because carbouys are
more likely to turn into geysers when fermentation starts than buckets.
Once
you have 5 gallons of liquid boiling it’ll take a long time for it to cool.
Do not put yeast in the hot wort! The yeast will die!
Some people will accelerate the cooling process
by using a wort chiller (these can be expensive) or by placing their
fermentation bucket in an ice bath. But you can also just to put a lid on it,
keeping out dust, animal hair, curious children, insects, etc., and waiting
until the next day. Cool your wort to about 70ºF (21ºC) before yeast is
pitched.
Like
hops, there are a wide variety of yeast strains. If you are
not sure what variety of yeast to use ask your local homebrew dealer—don’t
guess! Yeast, in my opinion, is the single most important ingredient in any
beer. The American Society of Brewing Chemists determined that 59% of the aroma
descriptions can be attributed to yeast, and 79% of the flavour descriptions
are attributed to yeast and its by-products! Furthermore, all the complex
flavours and contributors to mouthfeel--esters, diacetyl, ethanol, fused
alcohols and sulphur compounds--are provided directly by the yeast.
All
kits will come with a packet of dry yeast. These are included because they are
easy to store and ship. Dry yeasts are fine for wines, meads, ciders, breads,
and so forth. However, when making beer liquid yeast is much better. I
highly recommend buying the optional liquid yeast rather than relying on the
packet in the kit. Do not, however, dispose of the
dry stuff. Instead, put it in your boiling wort. Yes, the temperature will kill
the yeast. But the hulls will act as a nutrient for the yeast that you will add
later providing for a more hale yeast community.
More
yeast is not necessarily better. Like all other ingredients, too much can be
just as bad as not enough. Lucky for home brewers, though, vials of liquid
yeast are available pre-measured for a standard 5-gallon (19 litre) batch.
Simple instructions are printed on the side of these vials. After pitching
yeast, hammer-sign the brew to ward it and cover with an airtight lid. Insert
the airlock into the lid being careful not to dislodge the rubber grommet that
holds the airlock in place. If brewing in a carbouy the same steps will
apply—just jam the drilled bung into the top of the bottle instead of using the
lid and jam the airlock firmly in your bunghole. (Yes, that’s really what it’s
called, folks!!!)
Once
your yeast is pitched it will usually take a day or two before you see bubbles
in your airlock. Allow the bucket to sit undisturbed—usually about 1 week. This
period is called the ‘primary fermentation,’ and is the time that the yeast
processes both the sugars in the grains and the iso-alpha acids in the hops.
After
primary fermentation is complete, rack to another vessel—preferably a glass
carbouy. Leave the last inch or so in the bucket so that you do not siphon the
sediment into the carbouy. Do not be greedy during this
step. If you are not sure whether you are getting sediment, stop siphoning!
The carbouy will allow you to see easier than a
bucket, making it much easier to separate the sediment during bottling. Most
beers will go into a secondary fermentation at this point. A secondary
fermentation usually takes a week for ales, but may take up to three months for
lagers (this process is simply known as lagering) because of the
different attenuation levels in the respective yeasts. Ales generally prefer
this time to be in spent in a warmer temperature (60º-70ºF) than do lagers
(50º-60ºF), which you will want to consider when deciding where to store your
carbouy.
Once
the secondary fermentation is completed it’s time to prime and bottle. To
prime, boil a cup of water. When the water reaches a boil, remove from heat and
add priming sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Allow mixture to cool.
Rack beer into another vessel, preferably back into a fermentation bucket, when
priming mixture is about cool enough to mix with the beer. Add priming mixture
right before bottling. This will feed and stimulate the yeast one more time,
adding fizz and bubbles. Leave beer in the bottles for a minimum of one week
before drinking. This period, known as ‘conditioning’, will smooth the edges of
the flavour. Or better yet, keep the beer at room temperature for a week and
then slightly cooler (60º-70º F) for another 2 weeks to insure a perfect head
on top of each bottle. While the beer will taste better if it sits longer, it
is best if consumed within 140 days of bottling—after this, freshness gets
lost.
When
it’s time to drink your first beer of the batch I recommend giving the first
bottle to Eger. I never taste my beer until Eger has had a bottle. Perhaps it’s
because I do this, he never allows me to brew a bad batch!
A.B.V. “Alcohol
by volume”; this is always measured in a percentage, not by ‘proof’.
Aromatic
hops Also
known as finishing hops, these—as the name implies—add aroma to your
beer. Aromatic hops are generally added during the last 2-5 minutes of wort
boil.
Attenuation The
ability of a particular yeast strain to process sugars into ethanol and carbon
dioxide. Generally speaking, the higher the attenuation level, the lower the
flocculation level. Therefore a brewer must constantly balance these two
tendencies when choosing yeast strains for a particular type of beer.
Boiling
hops see
flavouring hops
Carbouy 5-
or 6-gallon bottle, usually made of glass.
Diacetyl Agents
causing a buttery flavour
DME Dry
malt extract
Esters: Agents
offering fruity flavours
Fermenter Alternate
name for a fermentation bucket
Finishing
hops see
aromatic hops
Flavouring
hops Also
known as boiling hops, these are added toward the beginning of wort boil
to add bitterness.
Flocculation The
ability of yeast cells to clump together toward the end of fermentation and to
either rise to the surface or to fall to the bottom of the fermenter. The
higher the flocculation level, the more clear your beer will appear.
Grains Usually
barley—sometimes wheat—used to provide sugars to feed yeast. Grains are roasted
to help bring out these sugars. The darkness to which they are roasted
determines their classification (e.g. caramel malt, chocolate malt, black
malt). Different roasts will add different flavours to beer.
Hops Twining, flowing plant used to add
bitterness to beer
O.G./F.G. Original
gravity/final gravity. These are the measurements taken before & after
fermentation to determine A.B.V.
Lagering A
secondary fermentation lasting for months at a time in cooler temperatures.
This is only general practice when making bottom-fermented beers.
Pitching Adding
yeast to wort
Priming The
addition of corn sugar (dextrose) or DME to re-start fermentation. Priming provides
carbonation.
Proof Measurement
of alcohol content. 1 proof = 0.5% Proof measurements are preferred by
retailers, while ABV percentage is generally preferred by brewers. But both
measurements describe the same information.
Sparge Pour hot water over grains in a muslin
bag to move maximum sugars from grains into wort. This water is usually 15-20
degrees hotter than the water in which the muslin bag has been steeped.
Wild
yeast As
cool as this may sound, wild yeast is not something you want as a brewer. There
are over 500 species of yeast. Brewer’s yeast used in beer are only two of
those 500: Saccharomyces cervisiæ (ale yeast for top-fermenting beers)
and Saccharmoyces uvarum (lager yeast for bottom-fermenting beers). The
main difference is that the latter can ferment wort at lower temperatures, can
metabolise certain sugars that the former cannot, and offers a clearer,
prettier beer. The former can survive higher temperatures, higher alcohol
contents, and offers stronger flavours and aromas. Each of these two species
may be further broken down into literally hundreds of strains. Wild yeast, on
the other hand, includes all other types of yeast (bread yeasts, for example)
that do not necessarily offer good flavour, aroma or colour.
Wort The base mixture of
beer before fermentation generally consisting of water, grain sugars and hops.
Yeast A
specific family of microbes used in brewing to cause fermentation; this is the
magic ingredient that changes boring wort into quality beer.
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