Home Brewing Blog

Table Top Brewing  - Brewing Procedures

TTB Cystal Amber Ale Recipe 

Description:  2-Row/Crystal Malt with a caramel medium rich flavor and a deep copper amber color. Slight bitterness from hops with a balance with malt flavor.

60 Minute Boil in Brew Pot

30 Minute Steeping of Grains at 150 ºF

6 lbs Sparking Amber Liquid Malt Extract (LME)

0.75 lbs Crystal 60 L Malt (steeping grain)

0.25 lbs Caramel 80 L Malt (steeping grain)

1.0 oz Northern Brewing Hops (Bittering) @ 60 Minutes

0.5 oz Willamette Hops (Flavor) @ Final 30 Minutes

0.5 oz Willamette Hops (Flavor) @ Final 10 Minutes

Yeast: Muntons Ale Sachet

OG: 1.052 – 1-057, IBU: 23-28

 Procedures

1.        Read – read all of the procedures before you begin.

2.        Sanitize – sanitize all brewing equipment and utensils that come in contact with any ingredients, wort or beer.

3.        Steeping – Heat 2.5 gallons of clean ph neutral water in your brew pot. When the water is within the steeping temperature (145- 160 ºF) slowly add the grain bag into the brew pot. Steep grains for recipe time (30 minutes). After 30 minutes remove the grain bag. Allow the bag to drain, but do not squeeze the gain bag. Your water now has grain sugar in it and this is called wort.

4.        Boil – Bring the wort to a gentle boil. Add the 6 lbs Sparking Amber LME into the boiling brew pot.  (Stainless Steel brew pot preferred for best results)

5.        Hops - Add the bittering hops and set the cook timer to 60 minutes. When the timer equals 30 minutes and 10 minutes add the flavor hops.

6.        Wort Chilling – Fill your sink or tube with ice water and carefully place the hot brew pot into the ice water. Make sure the ice water is not above the top of the brew pot. When the temperature of the wort is between (68 ºF and 78 ºF) pour or siphon the wort into the sanitize fermentation bucket.  Use the hydrometer to measure the original gravity (OG) of the wort. The range should be within specifications. Leave the trub in the brew pot.

7.        Water – Add enough clean water between (68 ºF and 78 ºF) into the fermentation bucket to bring the wort to 5 gallons. Stir with a sanitize spoon to mix the wort and water together.

8.        Pitching – Sprinkle the yeast sachet over the top of the wort and stir well with a sanitize spoon or paddle. Firmly snap the fermentation lid onto the fermentation bucket. Fill the airlock half way with water and genly twist the airlock into the grommet lid. Do not push the grommet into the bucket. Move fermentation bucket to a dark stable area and maintain temperature between (68 ºF and 78 ºF).

9.        1^st Stage Fermentation – The wort will begin to ferment with the first day (24 hours). You will see bubbles releasing from the airlock, this is CO2. Within 3- 6 days the bubbling will slow down to one or no bottles per minute. Use the hydrometer to read the final gravity (FG) of the wort. ABV% = (OG-FG) * 131.25

10.     2^nd Stage Fermentation (Optional but recommended) – use your sanitized siphon and carefully siphon the beer form 1^st Stage Fermentation into the 5 gallon carboy. Do not siphon any trub (sediment). After fermentation exposure to air is not good for beer.  When siphoning do not splash the beer into the carboy, but let it flow from the bottom of the carboy up. Fill the 5 gallon carboy to the top (least amount of air). Add clean water if needed to fill. Remove the airlock used for 1^st stage fermentation and place on carboy. You will need a bung to adapt the hole size. Let the carboy stand a minimum 1 week.

·          2^nd Stage is used for dry hopping Pale Ale and IPA beers. Some brews add other adjuncts at this time.

11.     Bottling – Sanitize the bottle and siphon equipment. In a small saucepan dissolve the priming sugar into 2 cups of boiling water. Pour this mixer into a clean sanitize bottling bucket. Carefully siphon the beer from the fermenter to the bottling bucket. Do not siphon any trub (sediment). Stir gently to mix priming sugar. Use your siphon with bottle wand and fill the bottle to 1 to 1.5 inches from the top. Use a bottle capper and apply sanitized crown caps.

12.     Bottle Conditioning – Move the full beer bottles to a dark warm area (68 ºF and 78 ºF). Over a two week period the bottles will carbonate. Carbonation varies depending on beer recipe, temperature and yeast. Be patient if it takes a week or two longer.

13.     Kegging Option – Sanitize you Cornelius (Corny) Keg (Pepsi or Coke Stainless Steel keg). Send a small squirt of CO2 into the keg. CO2 is slightly heavier than air and will settle to the bottom. Fill the keg with your beer from the bottom to top.  The beer and CO2 will push the air out of the keg. Once full place the corny keg lid on firmly. You may need to use keg lube to help seal the lid to the keg.  Connect your CO2 regulator to the keg. Cool the keg to temperature (36 ºF) and regulator from 7 to 11 psi. I like 7 psi.  Typically the keg will be carbonated in 3 or 4 days. Another option is to lay down the keg and set the regulator to 25-30 psi. Gently roll the keg back and forth until you stop hearing the CO2 flowing.  Set the regulator back and purge the 25-30 psi head pressure inside the keg. Your beer is carbonated in a few minutes and ready for enjoyment.

14.     Cheers! Cool the beer and enjoy your home brew.  Please share your great beer with friends and family.

OG:                 ______________________                    1^st Stage Ferment Day             ______________________

SG:                  ______________________                    2^nd Stage Ferment Day            ______________________

ABV%              ______________________                    Comments                                ______________________