Therefore I present a brewers guide in how not to prepare blank yeast slants. I repeat: Do not follow these directions if you want to make functional yeast slants.

My interest is making yeast slants comes from a constant desire to increase the economical efficiency of my brewing process. Currently every time I execute a new brew I spend roughly $8.00US on a Wyeast Activator package. However, after doing some research I discovered the wonderful world of yeast slants and the ability to culture a specific yeast strain near infinitum for constant reuse. Being able to remove the $8.00US cost for each 5 gallon batch of beer translates into a saving of roughly $0.15US per 12oz bottle of beer, so why not give it a go?

I knew that I had enough equipment on hand that would in theory allow me to make a nice batch of blank yeast slants given the right ingredients. After a short search at a localish international food store I located several cheap packets of agar powder which would last me through an incalculable number of yeast slant batches. Being armed with this vital ingredient I figured that I would have everything I needed to create the blank yeast slants.

The plan to create a quarter gallon of yeast slant growth medium was as follows:

• Cook up 1/4lb of inverted sugar syrup
• Add 1/4 gallon of water effectively creating a sugar rich solution with a gravity of 1040
• Add enough agar powder according to the package for the given liquid amount
• Boil the mixture to sterilize
• Pour mixture into slant containers and let solidify
• Profit?

Step #1 – Invert 1/4lb of Sugar

Following the initial steps in How to make Belgian Candi Sugar I measured out 1/4lb of sugar then mixed in a pinch of cream or tartar and enough water to make a thick slurry.

Then I cooked the mixture at a temperature between 260° and 275deg; for approximately 20 minutes to ensure complete inversion of the sucrose molecules. As a lucky side effect of getting sidetracked I ended up cooking the mixture longer than expected which caramelized the sugars a bit creating a nice amber syrup.

Step #2 – Add Water and Agar According to Package

The agar I am using for this failure is Telephone Brand Agar-Agar Powder.

The package lists mixing instructions of 1 teaspoon to 500ml liquid. A bit quick bit of math shows that 16oz of liquid is 473.17ml which is close enough to the directions. So 16oz of water is added to the inverted sugar mixture along with 16oz of water.

Failure #1 – No matter how much I’d like it to be 16oz is still not 1/4 gallon.

Imperial measurements fail me again as a gallon is in fact 128oz meaning the gravity of the mixture is not a yeast friendly 1040 but instead a much more stressful 1080. Since the volume was just what I was looking for I would have done much better to invert only around 1/8lb of sugar to mix with the 16oz of water or just use a full 32oz of water with 2 teaspoons of agar power and figure out something to do with the extra growth medium.

Step #3 – Boil the Mixture to Sterilize

Needless to say the growth medium that has been created needs to be as sterile as possible, and who knows there that agar has been? Go ahead and boil the mixture for 15 minutes to sterilize everything to a state acceptable of the most germophobic individuals.

Step #4 – Sterilize Yeast Slant Containers

Although listed as step #4 this should likely occur in-line with the previous steps.

To sterilize the yeast slant containers (unused sterile-grade screw top bottles) I chose to utilize a steam sterilization methodology rather than the usually suggested pressure cooker method. Why? I don’t own a pressure cooker, any iodophor, or Star-san and didn’t feel like messing around with a full boil sterilization or bleach.

For the steam sterilization I loaded up the containers in a steamer basket and into a larger cooking pot with about an inch of water over high heat. Once steam was created the top was placed on the pot and everything was left to steam for a good 20 minutes or so. It may not be an autoclave, but it should be good enough to sterilize the containers for our needs.

The process was repeated again for the remaining airtight glass container (to be used as a makeshift petri dish) and the before-used glass measuring cup.

Step #5 – Fill Sterilized Containers with Growth Medium

Now that everything used within the process is adequately sterilized we can fill the yeast slant containers with the sterile agar growth medium and seal everything up tight. Make sure to not fill the containers over half full.

Step #6 – Slant Containers and Let Set

Now that the containers were filled all that was left was to increase the surface growth area by slanting the containers and allowing the growth medium to set. To accomplish this I just tilted everything on a set of spring loaded tongs that happened to be lying around.

Note that the mock petri dish was allowed to stand flat as no slanting was required.

Once everything was balanced at the proper angle in accordance with gravity’s laws the containers were allowed to solidify overnight.

Step #7 – Realize Obvious Mistakes. Write Failtorial.

So obviously something is wrong with these blank yeast slants which goes beyond the unplanned high gravity. The currently identified errors lie in the biological requirements of yeast and the other is the act of learning the nature of how agar sets up.

Failure #2 – Yeast rely on biological mechanisms and can not subsist on sugar alone.

This is the biggest flaw of the whole procedure. The biological processes involved in the growth and continued sustained life of yeast cells require a wide range of minerals and nutrients from free amino nitrogen (FAN) and amino acids to more basic requirements like zinc and magnesium. Unfortunately the prepared growth medium contains none of these nutritional requirements, and as such yeast growth should be either slowed or otherwise completely inhibited.

In order to fully test the magnitude to which this mistake inhibits the effective use of the blank slants I will make several more in the future utilizing the addition of a commercial yeast energizer as well as a generic multivitamin. The results will be documented and conveyed to you the reader.

Failure #3 – Too much agar used resulting in an overly stiff growth medium.

Even following the directions on the package the resultant growth medium would have retained the expected desert gelatin which while possibly delicious is much too firm for adequately mixing into a gradually stepped up starter. Next time I will experiment with using half the recommended agar powder to obtain a consistency somewhere in the middle of jelly and firm tofu.

So that pretty much wraps up my first attempt and failure at creating viable blank yeast slants. Once I have a better method down I will write up an actual tutorial, but in the mean time I will still try to propagate some yeasts onto this medium just to see what happens.

Stay tuned for more results!

One way to to lessen the amount of time needed to incorporate the candi sugar into the wort and subsequently retain as much of its characteristics as possible is to preprocess the belgian candi sugar into a syrup form. The good news is that once you have in your possession some belgian candi sugar converting it to belgian candi syrup is a very simple task that we will walk through in the following tutorial.

Since the belgian candi sugar we made in the previous tutorial (or that you have purchased from your local homebrew shop) has already been cooked to candy’s hard crack stage it will not revert back to the previous stages of consistency once heated. Therefore we simply need to dissolve the candi sugar in a minimal amount of water to create a viscous syrup.

For this tutorial we will be utilizing the previously concocted candi sugar in its entirety to create 2 pounds of amber-colored belgian candi syrup.

Step #1 – Add water to candi sugar

Place the cooking pot over medium heat and add half of the candi sugar. Note that you could go ahead and add all of the sugar to the cooking pot at this point, but in the early stages of dissolving the syrup you may end up with an overly viscous mass that can be difficult to work with.

As noted in the belgian candi sugar tutorial it doesn’t take a lot of water to dissolve a fairly large amount of sugar. This is good since we don’t want to end up adding too much water to the wort when adding the candi syrup and inadvertently messing with the target gravity of the brew.

For this example we will add one (1) cup of water to the sugar and begin stirring.

Step #2 – Heat mixture while stirring

With the mixture over medium heat stir constantly until the mixture dissolves into a smooth syrup.

Be patient and don’t be tempted to raise the heat to speed up the process- you don’t want the mixture to boil or even obtain a simmer. Things may seem to proceed at a glacial pace but for the most part it won’t take that long for everything to properly dissolve.

Step #3 – Add remaining candi sugar and stir until dissolved

Once you have a smooth syrup in your cooking vessel we will and add the remaining candi sugar and stir until completely dissolved.

When the remaining sugar is incorporated you will have your finished belgian candi syrup. If the mixture is too thick for your needs incorporate a bit of water until you have achieved your desired consistency. However, make sure to only add what is absolutely necessary as to avoid subsequently adding too much water to the wort when adding the syrup.

Step #3 – Store it

If you’re an obsessive pack-rat like me then you likely have some spare jars just waiting to be used for storage. For this example I am using an old jar from Wal-Mart that once upon a time many years ago contained some tasty black bean and corn salsa.

While the mixture is still hot go ahead and pour it into your container. Taking a cue from canning aficionados you can invert the jar for 30 minutes to an hour to aid in sealing the jar.

Note that if your container is not glass I would recommend letting the mixture cool before pouring off and storing.

Congratulations! If you have been following the tutorial up to this point you now have your very own cheap and customized belgian candi syrup. If not what are you waiting for? Now that you know how easy it is to make get thee to the kitchen and whip up your very own batch of belgian candi syrup.

Your beer will thank you.

Typically fermentation occurs when a desired strain of yeast is introduced to a solution or compound where sugars (specifically disaccarides or monosaccharides) are present. If compatible disaccharides such as sucrose are present the yeast must first break down this sugar into its fermentable monosaccharides of glucose and fructose by producing the enzyme such as invertase. However, the yeast must perform extra work in order to produce this enzyme instead of its more desirable job of fermentation. So, rather than forcing the yeast to perform this extra step during the fermentation stage it may be more desirable for the brewer to provide the sugars in their component simple sugar compounds. Thus enter the wonderful adjunct known as belgian candi sugar.

Belgian candi sugar is nothing more than a crystalized inverted sugar syrup existing as a mixture of glucose and fructose. Once created we can add it to our brews in order to promote fermentation by the yeast without the need to unnecessarily stress the complex biological and chemical processes. However, unlike using equal parts of the glucose and fructose monosaccharides belgian candi sugar is typically used in a solidified or syrup form which has been further treated to impart additional flavors and colors ranging from the lightest blondes to the darkest ambers. So then how does one go about acquiring belgian candi sugar for their own beer recipe?

If you have a local homebrew supply shop you may be able to purchase belgian candi sugar for somewhere in the range of $5.00 USD per pound. However, based on the supplier’s stock you may be limited by the amounts and colors available. Also, if you’re looking to venture into making a big brew utilizing large amounts of the adjunct your total cost may quickly rise to undesirable levels. So what’s left for a homebrewer with a pot and some time on their hands to do? Make your own of course!

The ingredients and tools required for making belgian candi sugar are relatively minimal. Pictured above is the breakout of the tools required for the process which entails the following:

• Table Sugar (Cane or sugar beet-derived is fine)
• Water
• A food grade acid (Cream of tartar is great for this)
• A pot big enough to hold the sugar and water
• A candy or fryer thermometer (Classic Polder Thermometer/Timer pictured)

For this tutorial we will be making 2 pounds of amber-colored belgian candi sugar. If you desire to make more or less feel free to adjust the amounts of ingredients specified, but as a general rule of thumb use an amount of sugar equal to the desired amount of candi sugar you intend to produce.

Step #1 – Dissolve the sugar into a syrup

Add the sugar to the cooking pot and place over medium heat.

Add just enough water to dissolve the sugar into a syrup. The amount of water used is not that important as it will be cooked off in its entirety, but since it takes time to cook off the water it makes sense to start with the least amount possible. For this example we will dissolve two (2) pounds of sugar mixed with one (1) cup of water.

Don’t be surprised if the mixture is thick. Once the mixture is heated up you may be surprised just how much sugar can be dissolved into a relatively small amount of water.

 
As the temperature of the mixture slowly rises make sure to stir periodically. Try not to let the syrup get too far up the sides of your cooking pot as those spots may results in undesired raw sugar crystals making their way into the finished product.

Once the sugar has completely dissolved we have made what is known in mixology as simple syrup. If desired you can stop here and mix 2 parts tequila, 1 part tripple sec, 1/2 part lime juice, and a splash of the simple syrup for a tasty knock-you-on-your-ass margarita. However, since our goal is much loftier we keep the heat applied and proceed with the next step: inverting the sugar syrup.

Step #2 – Introduce the acid and raise the temperature to 260°F

By heating this mixture along with an acid the sugar molecules will undergo a hydrolysis reaction which will break down the sugar’s sucrose molecules into the desired mixture of glucose and fructose molecules. For this example we will be using cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate), a food grade acid that likely otherwise sits unloved in your pantry until such time as it it is required to make the yearly Christmas treats.

While the typical ratio for this process is about one gram of cream of tartar per kilogram of sugar I find the idea of measuring mere grams of an ingredient to be unnecessary. Therefore we will add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar to the mixture. (Note, this was shown in the third picture above. This can addition can be safely done at any point up ’till now)

With the acid now added to the mixture we now adjust the heat on mixture to achieve a slow boil just above 260°F. Make sure the temperature of the mixture does not rise above 275°F.

Step #3 – Cook the mixture between 260°F and 275°F for 20 minutes

If you’re familiar with the candy making process you’ll know that we are cooking the mixture in between the hard ball and soft crack stage. At the same time the acid present in the mixture is beginning the process of inverting the sugar into the glucose and fructose molecules.

During this time water slowly cooks off which raises the temperature of the mixture, therefore as the temperature approaches 275°F add a few tablespoons of water to lower the temperature to not less than 260°F.

After 20 minutes of cooking the sugar solution will be almost completely inverted. At this point if you desire a clear belgian candi sugar skip ahead to step #5.

Step #4 – Continue to cook the mixture until desired color is achieved

If you’ve been following the steps up to this point you have a batch of inverted sugar syrup cooking away in the pot. All of the water previously added to the recipe has effectively cooked off leaving behind the expected mixture of fructose and glucose which, if let to cool, would form a near solid substance similar in consistency to nougat. However, what else can we do with this mixture to make it even more remarkable?

If we now continue to cook the mixture between the 260°F and 275°F range we will begin the process of caramelization on the remaining complex and simple sugars (mostly the fructose as its caramelization temperature begins at 230°F). The result will be a substance with even more depth of color and flavor. If this is desired simply continue to cook the mixture between the temperatures of 260°F and 275°F making sure to add a bit of water when the mixture gets too high.

As an example I am shooting for an amber color for my candi sugar. Below are the progress shots showing how the color changes as the process continues. The camera didn’t pick up the color variation very well, but if you look closely you can see the subtle change over time. Also, the color change will be much more evident in the final product.

 
Step #5 – Raise the temperature of the mixture to 300°F

Now that the target color of the candi sugar has been achieved it’s time to put the “candy” in the belgian candi sugar. In order to solidify the candi sugar we simply raise the temperature of the mixture to the “hard crack” temperature and pour it off into a vessel to harden.

To accomplish this task make sure you have a target vessel ready beforehand. Once ready go ahead and let the temperature of the mixture rise above 300°F and immediately remove the mixture from the heat.

Step #6 – Pour off the mixture and let harden

Now quickly pour the contents of the cooking pot into the cooling vessel and let sit until hardened. For this example I am simply using a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. However, if you’re flush with money or materials you may instead wish to line the vessel with parchment paper which will peel from the back of the solidified block a bit more easily.

With the belgian candi sugar now poured the color of the substance is now very evident and the clarity should be nearly clear. If you look you will notice a few white spots in the slab. This is due to some of the syrup getting on the upper parts of the cooking vessel and not getting fully incorporated as warned in the first step.

The mixture may take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to fully harden depending on your local temperature and humidity. However, once completed you will now be the proud owner of your very own belgian candi sugar.

Step #7 – Tag it and bag it

Properly stored this stuff will keep until the end of days. Realistically you may only want to store it in an airtight container for no more than about a year. To do this simply break up the belgian candi sugar into appropriate sized pieces and store them in your desired container.

For my purposes I simply used blunt force with a kitchen mallet and store the pieces in a zip-top plastic bag as I intend to use the belgian candi sugar within a few days.

Note that in this state the belgian candi sugar is still pretty sticky stuff. If you’re not looking to use the entire batch in a brew you might want to lubricate the pieces so that you don’t have to bash the hell out mass to detach the desired amount. To do this I simply add a bit of powdered sugar to the bag and shake while separating the pieces by hand.

And with that we now have 2 pounds of amber colored belgian candi sugar ready for use as we so desire.

The beautiful thing about making belgian candi sugar is that the process scales relatively easily. You can make as much or as little as you want in the same amount of time and is only limited by the size of your cooking vessel and available materials.

In a future post I will go over the simple process by which this belgian candi sugar can be further processed into an equally long lasting belgian candi syrup which lessens the time needed to dissolve the adjunct into your brews. So what are you waiting for? Now that you know how easy it is to make get thee to the kitchen and whip up your very own batch of belgian candi sugar. Your beer will thank you.

The Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout is (as its name suggests) an oatmeal stout from the Rogue Ales craft brewery in Oregon. Served in an imposing 22oz bottle this 6% ABV American-style stout has won many awards including gold in the 2006 World Beer cup.

Given my recent love of cream stouts I approached this beer with an air of anticipation. For this reason I decided to leave the oatmeal stout to the end of the gifted batch.

The beer pours very dark as expected with a light brown head which is a short but thick and very long lived. The aroma of the cascade hops is evident and heavy enough to trigger a taste response by merely smelling the brew. Initial tasting reveals an extremely bitter malt flavor with a thick mouthfeel and a mid range of carbonation. As indicated by its name the main taste characteristics are backed by a noticeable but not overpowering oatmeal flavor.

In my current worldview of beers the closest brew I can compare this offering to is that of the Hypercat Brown Ale. The main characteristic of this brew is its all-around bitterness: bitterness of the dark malts and an unnecessary overabundance of hops. Maybe its just my personal batch, but I fail to agree with the labeled rating of 69 IBU and would rate it much higher.

Although based on the reviews I should like this beer I just can’t recommend to anyone out there unless you like the taste of burnt toast. Instead stick with something a lot more balanced in its bitter and sweet profile.

Maredsous 10 Tripel is a Belgian Ale in the Abbey style but produced by the Duvel Moorgat Brewery under a naming license from the Maredsous Abbey in Denée, Belgium. As with the Rochefort 8 this beer in one of three in the Maredsous line which consists of the 6% ABV Maredsous 6 Blonde, 8% ABV Maredsous 8 Brune, and this 10% ABV Maredsous 10 Tripel.

Maredsous 10 Tripel pours a medium amber with a long lived head which is short but satisfyingly thick. There appears to be a mid-level amount of carbonation which is confirmed by the tongue upon initial tasting. As with most Abbey-style ales there is a perfect balance of sweet malt with the taste and aroma of noble or citrusy hops.

One of the thus-far unique characteristics of this beer is a taste and aromatic essence of cider. Additionally there are faint earthy notes that almost border on that of tobacco. On the back end there is an expected alcohol bite which one is bound to find in a 20 proof beverage. Incredibly all of these characteristics compliment each other well and result in a well rounded beer.

Despite this brew’s apparently heft price tag I would wholeheartedly recommend this beer to any connoisseur. Perhaps I’m just drawn towards the Abby-ale style in general, but I see this beer as a shining example everything that the craft of brewing seeks to be. Hats off to you Benedictine monks!

This organically produced ale (no discerning name given) is one in the line of beers produced by the Samuel Smith brewery. Known for using the same strain of yeast since the 19th century the brewery produces almost all of its brews with a brewing method utilizing a yorkshire square. Given the history and unique method used to create this beer my hopes were high for a distinct taste.

Firstly and foremost the beer poured a golden amber color with little to no head. Carbonation was surprisingly minimal to the point of being effectively not present at all, and the accompany mouthfeel can be best described as thin. Although the hops aroma and bitterness were the centerpiece of this beer the overall contribution left much to be desired.

Many reviewers of this beer rank it highly, so I was hoping for much more of an enjoyable experience than I received. Perhaps given the described characteristics I just happened to receive a bad batch, but as it stands there was absolutely nothing special about this beer and I would rank it in the area of a mid-range ale with a profile closer to that of a pilsner. The lasting bitter aftertaste almost hints that this beer tries to be something that it isn’t and just flat out misses the mark completely. At this point I would recommend skipping this line altogether and put the high cost towards much more affordable and proven beers that hit the mark just right.

Péché Mortel is an imperial coffee stout brewed by the Dieu du Ciel microbrewery and pub in Montréal, Canada starting in 2001. This beer has the highest alcohol content of all their brews at 9.5% which pairs perfectly with the imperial stout characteristics.

To be honest this was my first coffee stout so I wasn’t very sure what to expect. I’ve had a fair amount of stouts in recent history, but those have mostly been cream stouts focusing on more of the sweet characteristics rather than the ABV/bittering present in typical imperial stouts.

The beer pours a thick and creamy head which is light chocolate in color and very long lived. As evidenced by its name there are mostly notes of espresso which remain pleasantly under powering and balanced well with just enough sweetness to round out the profile. Overall the beer has a nice thick body and leaves an aftertaste with mild hints of chocolate and alcohol.

On the whole I would rate this an an excellent beer and would enthusiastically recommend it to anyone interested in tasting a nice coffe stout. As a side note, with Halloween fast approaching it’s worth knowing that this beer pairs almost too perfectly with KitKats.

Rochefort 8 is a Beligan Ale brewed by the monks of Abbe Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy near Rochefort in Belgium. Rochefort 8 is the mid-range beer between the Rochefort 6 and 10 all of which only differ in their alcohol content ranging from 7.5%, 9.2%, to 11.3% ABV.

The Rochefort 8 is a nice light opaque brown and pours a nice thick head. Happily, the beer appears to be unfiltered with solids of both hops and dense malt leading to a nice hefty mouthfeel. The high ABV leads to noticeable astringent notes on top of pleasantly sweet mid-roast malt tones with a hint of honey and oak.

An interesting characteristic of this brew is its incredible about of natural carbonation. The noted solids were churning and rolling like none I’ve seen before. Hard to picture, but there it is. All told a nice beer and would recommend it to anyone out there who can get their hands on a bottle or two.

Since I’m also going to be very crunched for time over the next two weeks I knew I needed a brew that I could finish without too much fuss, and an extract-based wheat beer fit that bill very well. Furthermore, since I was going to have my hand on some dry malt extract I figured I’d try my hand at making a starter as well to see how this pitching method affects the brewing process. (Spoiler alert! It leads to a very active fermentation)

Making the Candi Syrup

Candi syrup is nothing more than an viscous liquid of invert sugar. What the hell is invert sugar? Well, that’s just regular table sugar (sucrose) which has been split into a mixture of its base fructose and glucose (specifically dextrose) molecules. As it turns out, inverting regular table sugar in the kitchen is quite simple. The key: cream of tartar.

For my experiment I measured out one (1.0) pound of sugar into a sauce pot and added just enough water to create a gritty viscous mass. (Trust me when I say that you don’t need a lot. You can easily dissolve 2 cups of sugar in one cup of water once heat is added, and for this experiment we will be adding a lot of heat.) Turn the heat up to about medium and add roughly one (1.0) teaspoon of the cream of tartar.

Now, continuously stir until the sugar completely melts and bring the mixture up to the range of 170°-175°F. Stir continuously for 15 minutes or until the desired color is obtained (60 minutes for my application). If the temperature climbs above 175°F add a little bit of water, but be careful since hot sugar + water = bubbling, popping, and steam. Once the desired color of the candi sugar is obtained let the temperature of the mixture rise until you reach about 300°F and pour it off into a shallow pan lined with aluminum foil.

If you’re familiar with the candy making process you’ll know that 300°F is the “hard crack” stage. This means that almost all water has been cooked out of the mixture, and once cooled the mass will set up into a hard sticky candi sugar sheet much akin to an odd-looking oversized lollipop. However, if you’re like me and want a syrup simply let the candi sugar set up and dissolve it into a shallow sauce pan with a little bit of water until a consistency of maple sugar is achieved.

What’s going on here is that the acid from the cream of tartar combined with the heat of process is serving to break down the glycosidic bond between the fructose and glucose sub-molecules. Normally the yeast will have to produce invertase in order to break this bond before beginning the actual fermentation process on the fructose and glucose carbohydrates. However, since we already did this hard work for the yeast using our large brains in conjunction with culinary sciences the little bastards can get right to the main event of producing responsible levels of ethanol.

If all this sounds like some exotic man-made chemical that has no place in the brewing process think again. If you’ve every used honey you’ve effectively used a compound that can be almost entirely classified as an inverted sugar due to its large and nearly equal amounts of fructose and glucose molecules.

Making the Yeast Starter

Making the yeast starter is not that hard and has been outlined in many brewing blogs, posts, and literature in the past. For my starter I sterilized about 0.25 gallons (4.0 cups) of water with roughly 5oz of DME. Once this mini wort cools down to yeast pitching temperature pitch the yeast into a sterilized container with the wort and top off with a sterilized airlock.

Let this newly created biological habitat sit and grown over the course of 24 to 72 hours and… voila! A healthy yeast starter ready for pitching into a fermenter full of anxiously waiting wort.

Making The Beer

This recipe for this beer is very similar to that of the Honey Bunny Sweet Wheat with only the process and a few ingredients changing to create what is hopefully a much more enjoyable end product. Therefore, with such easy directions to follow this recipe has been dubbed the Lazy Sunday Candi Wheat.

The long and short of the brewing process is boil 5.0 gallons of water and add the 6.0 pounds of wheat dry malt extract and 1.0 oz of Willamette hops. Return to a boil and let cook for 60 minutes. 5 minutes before flameout add the 1.0 pounds of candi sugar for extra alcohol content and Saaz hops for aromatics. Crash cool to a pitchable temperature and add the yeast starter.

Now, due to certain restrictions (no worth chiller, lack of necessary ice reserves, and an unexpected leak in the sink) I was not able to get the wort down to a pitchable temperature before moving the mixture to the primary fermenter. My temperature gauge read 34°C (93.2°F) which was much more than the recommended
maximum pitching temperature of 24°C (75.2°F). With no other course of action I siphoned the wort into the fermenter, sealed up the top, and topped off the airlock and left the vessel to cool over night. As it turns out this is a brewing method which is steadily gaining popularity known as No Chill Method. However, if I choose to utilize this method again in the future I will need to make adjustments due to the increased bittering from extra heat exposure to the aromatic Saaz hops.

Within hours of pitching the starter into the wort activity in the airlock began to bubble away. Eventually activity increased in magnitude and frequency until it reached the level of a dull roar by that night, and although the fermentation has tapered off it is still audible on a regular basis. This can be seen in the current specific gravity readings having dropped 44 points in only two days! If this healthy activity can be attributed to the addition of the candi sugar or the yeast starter remains to be seen.

You could say this effort is more a conglomeration of test efforts just to “see what happens”. While the end result may or may not turn out to be better than its predecessor the real learning experience for this experiment is the process itself.

ABV = (OG − FG) / 0.00753 = (1.069 - 1.010) / 0.00753 = 7.84%

Note that in most beers the “typical” ABV is no more than roughly 5%. While I’ve yet to confirm this through experimentation I would assume that this is due to the fact that the typical level of malt extraction from the malted barley is not enough to balance out the harshness of the alcohol.

In this beer the alcohol is surprisingly balanced by the sweetness of the DME. As time goes on the carbonation of the beer has reached the target level for the style I was looking for. Additionally the head retention is straight up off the charts.

Two weeks after initial tasting the harshness of the alcohol is starting to wane and the cider aspect of the honey is starting to push through. One thing that is undoubtedly missing from the sweet and cider notes of the beer is the balancing nature of the bittering hops.

Next time (and yes, there will be a next time for this recipe) most things will be kept the same but I will likely increase the amount of the Amarillo hops to a full 1oz and likely increase the boil time to 45 minutes.