Discover the Complete Story

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A Must for the Serious Brewer!

PRINCIPLES
OF PRINCIPLES OF
K BREWING
~· SCIENCE BREWING SCIENCE
~
(I- George Fix
by by
George Fix
OCH,CH,OHO
HO
0
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A stand -alone guide to
the chemistry and
biochemistry of brewing.
You've read all his articles. You've heard
..
Softcover, 246 pp., //Ius. his talks. Now, here's his book.
AHA Members $24.95, Nonmembers $29.95. Include $3.00 Postage and Handling . .
Published by Brewers Publications • PO Box 287 • Boulder, CO • 80306-0287 • USA
Or call (303) 447-0816 for credit card orders.
 If you have a good local source of water, we can send you everything else you
need to make good beer. We have the grain malts and the malt extracts which
are the heart of beer; the rice extracts and corn sugar which lighten and
carbonate the brew; the Cara-Pils, Flaked Barley or pure Dextrin powder to add
' body; Munich Malt for toastiness, Wheat Malt for increased head density, Crystal
Malts for caramel sweetness, and all the various flavors and colors of other
specialty malts, including Chocolate Malt, Black Malt, Roasted Unmalted Barley . . .
Philosophers disagree as to whether there can ever be too much hoppiness.
Some prefer the spicy European Lager hops, others the clean, sharp Ale hops of
the English tradition. Relatively new are the ultra bitter, high-Alpha acid muscle
hops, and newest of all, the high-Aroma varieties. With hop strength anywhere
from 3 to 13, you can't just think in terms of ounces anymore. That's why we put
the alpha acid of that particular batch on the triple-laminated Barrier Bag,
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miss the aroma of hops in the store, we ship aU the aroma to you!
The soul of the beer, its animating principle, is in the Yeast. The Wyeast line of
THE INFINITE VARIE1Y laboratory pure cultures is grown in sterile liquid medium, sealed in the duplex
bag, the bag-in-a-bag which lets you activate the yeast under conditions of total
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Dry yeast technology took a giant step forward in 1990, with Lallemand's improved yeast drying process. Fermentastic English
Ale and Fermentastic.German Lager are probably the cleanest dry yeasts ever available to the home brewer. Of course, we also
carry the old standbys which have kept us all in good beer all these years, EDME, Munton & Fison, Kitzinger and Red Star.
There is more, the best bookshelf in America, all the equipment
and chemistry you could wish for ... an almost complete list is
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 Listen to the Bees
Mead, the beverage of Kings
and Queens, can now be
yours. Take a cue from
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AHA Members $9.95, Nonmembers $11.95
5 1/2 x 81/2, softcover, illus., #418
Published by Brewers Publications
PO Box 287 • Boulder, CO • 80306-0287
(303) 447-0816 • FAX (303) 447-2825

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 THE MAGAZINE FOR THE HOMEBREWER AND BEER LOVER

~,¥.~ t!,,!,l{!,! :
1985 SPECIAL ISSUE CONTENTS

EDITORIALS A WORT CHILLER

About Our Special Issue By Chuck Vavra
Page 4 Page 46

JOY OF BREWING A PILOT BREWERY

By Fritz Maytag By T. Dennis & D. Hughes
Page 5 Page 47

A PERSPECTIVE GRAIN BREWING

By Bill Mares By Charlie Papazian
Page 7 Page 51 Page 51

RAW MATERIALS REAL ALE .

By Gary Bauer By Rande Reed
Page 9 Page 53

A MALT PRIMER STEP MASHING

By Great Western's Staff By Fred Eckhardt
Page 14 Page 60

MALTING YOUR OWN DECOCTION MASHING

By R C Dale By Gregory Noonan
Page 17 Page 63
Page 53
CEREAL GRAINS STAGGER-STEP
By George Fix BREWING
Page 20 By Kinney Baughman
Page 70
EFFECTS OF WATER
By Ken Taylor WINNERS CIRCLE
PAge 24 1985 Grain Recipes
Page 71
YEAST CYCLES
By George Fix TAKING THE PLUNGE
Page 27 By Ken Grossman, Jim Kollar,
Tim Batt & Scott Bolton, Bill
PROTEINS IN BEER Page 71 Owens, Scott Riley
By Russell Klisch Page 74
Page 35
DON'T WASTE GRAINS
CRUSHING By Clifford T. Newman
CONVENIENCE Page 79
By Michael Morrissey
Page 38
COVER: From the original
MASHING & Grain Belt Beer poster.
LAUTERING Special thanks to Hibernia
By AI Andrews Brewing Co. , Eau Clair,
Page 43 Wisconsin.
Page 78
 EDITORIALS.
1985 SPECIAL ISSUE STAFF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Charlie Papazian
ADVISING EDITORS
Fred Eckhardt-Portland, Oregon
Paul Freedman-Washington, D.C.

About Our Special Issue Michael Jalccson-London, England

MANAGING EDITOR
Kathy McClurg
ASSISTANT EDITORS
The American Homebrewers Association is very proud to present to its Lois Canaday, Bill Bauer, Jerry W. Lewis, Terry
members and the brewing community at large this very special issue of zymurgy. Bone, Colonel John Canaday
ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR
More than one year of planning and production went into "The All-Grain Issue:• Rich Kalmanash, Theresa Kost
The content and purpose go far beyond the illusion the title implies. As editors, MARKETING DIRECTOR
we have combined 25 masterpieces, capturing a thorough state-of-the-art look Daniel Bradford
at all-grain brewing in America. · ART DIRECTOR
David Bjorkman
OFFICE SUPPORT
The purpose of this issue of zymurgy is to fulfill a need; a need expressed Lavada Finney, Andrew Sulkko
by you, our members. Although less than 4 percent of you brew exclusively all- 1989 ADVERTISING MANAGER
grain beers, over 60 percent expressed an interest in learning more and trying Linda Starck
your hand at using grains to one degree or another in the brewing process. 1989 ASSOCIATE EDITOR
TracyLoysm
The comparative and qualitative virtues of malt extract homebrew and all- 1989 CIRCULATION MANAGER
grain homebrew are not allotted much editorial space in this issue. Wherever Paul Echternacht
homebrewers meet there will always be debate concerning which is "better." 1989 OFFICE MANAGER
I judge every beer I taste on its own merits. I know I've enjoyed superior beers Ellen Lindseth
PRODUCfiON DIRECTOR
brewed from malt extract and beers brewed from all-grain. The fact of the matter Monica Favre
is, it is possible to brew the best using either as a base. Malt extract has a very AMERICAN HOMEBREWERS
important place in homebrewing. Ninety-five percent or more homebrewers will ASSOCIATION BOARD OF
always brew with malt extracts. Justifiably it is easier, less time-consuming and DIRECTORS
Chairman: Michael Weston; Vice Chairman:
offers excellent results given the proper brewing care. Grosvenor Merle-Smith; Secretary: Harris Faber-
In providing the information in this issue we hope no one construes our man; Chuck Kirkpatrick, Stuart Kingsbery Charles
efforts as slighting extract-based beers. This is not our intention. Matzen, Charlie Papazian, Loran Richardson.
What I think this compendium of articles does is to provide homebrewers,
The AMERICAN HOMEBREWERS ASSO.
any type of homebrewers, with the tools to fashion and design a beer; to CIATION INC., is a Colorado non-profit corpo-
personalize your own beer. ration for literary and educational purposes to
Also, consider a person like myself who has been brewing for 15 years, still benefit homebrewers of beer and all those inter-
enjoying it and still creating new "personalized" beers. New information, new ested in the art of homebrewing. AHA is ex-
ideas, the excitement of tasting someone else's beer, someone else whose brew- empt from Federal Income Tax under Section
501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All gifts,
ing philosophy may be contrary to your own. grants and contributions are tax-deductible.
Consider this issue in all its depth and diversity. Give each article your own Membership in the AHA is open to every-
thoughts and continue to brew the beer you want to brew. There is nothing one. Wefollow astrict policy of non-discrimina-
inferior or superior in the methods we choose in our homebrewing. With the tion in membership, hiring and general partici-
pation.
proper knowledge good beer can be brewed by anyone. zymurgy is the journal of the AMERICAN
-Charlie Papazian HOMEBREWERS ASSOCIATION INC., and is
published five times a year. Subscription and
US memberships are US$21/year. Foreign: US
$26/year.
zymurgy welcomes letters, opinions, ideas,
A Tribute To Our Authors stories and information in general from its read-
ers. Correspondence and advertising inquiries
"Twenty-five masterpieces'!___in my mind they are. This issue is dedicated should be sent to zymurgy, Box 287, Boulder,
CO 8030&-0287 USA or CALL: 303-447-nB16.
· to the many hundreds of homebrewers, brewers, journalists and members of All material copyright 1986. AMERICAN
the brewing community who have donated their efforts in the form of literary HOMEBREWERS ASSOOATION INC. No
contributions to zymurgy throughout the years. material may be reproduced without written
At this time take a special moment to salute all of the contributors to "The permission from AHA Inc.
All-Grain Issue:' Their sincerity, devotion, helpfulness and special desire to share ISSN 019&-5921
with all of us deserve special recognition. Their contributions to zymurgy help
Printing by Publication Printers Corp., Den-
us appreciate beer in all of its diversity. ver, Colo., and typesetting by Graphic Direc-
To our authors, we thank you. Your contributions are more meaningful than tions, Boulder, Colo. The opinions and views
you may imagine. expressed in articles are not necessarily those of
the American Home brewers Association and its
Charlie Papazian magazine, zymurgy.

4 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

 The
FRITZ MAYTAG
Joy PRESIDENT
of ANCHOR BREWING CO.
SAN FRANCISCO,
Brewing CALIFORNIA

m
rewing as a profession
has brought me all the
joys normally associated
with a successful
business venture, plus
one.
Nearly any day (or night-! love
the nights) of the year when I stroll
through the brewery, I find
something that has never failed to
bring joy and a special feeling of
awe. I am speaking of a vat filled
with actively fermenting beer.
Always when I see it I stop and look
and wonder. Always I lean over and
take a gentle sniff. Sometimes I blow
the foam away-as I learned to do
long ago from some forgotten
brewer-to see the appearance of the
wort. I watch the foam come slowly
back, covering the little round win-
dow I made.
I look out over the whole batch,
gradually adjusting my sense of time
to that of the fermenting beer;
watching for changes, watching for
movement, watching foam bubbles
form and burst, watching the dark
swirls slowly accumulate and move
toward the outer edges.
What in the world is going on
here? Who am I to have caused this
to happen? How many billions of
billions of yeast cells are living here?
How marvelous that in this vat is
something so far beyond the human
brain's ability to number or com-
prehend. And most of all, how
wonderful that this will become
beer!
It will move out into the world
of people. Each glass will have a
little foam on top, just like this
fermenter. This beer is alive, and
will bring a special mysterious hap-
piness into many people's lives.
I am sure I have spent many
more hours looking through a
microscope at fermenting beer than
any other brewery owner in the
world. I have watched and watched
and watched. I have looked and
looked at yeast cells dividing and
budding, at bacteria in all their
horrible splendor and multiple
''llnd with any
luck it will bring
a bit
of happiness
into each life."
shapes, at wild yeast, at hop resins
and all that protein, at all those tiny
things so small that they jump
around from being bumped by Mr.
Brown's moving molecules.
The first time I did this, early in
my brewing career, I was terrified by
all the bacteria I saw. How could we
ever get rid of them? How to clean
up this beer? How could we get a
pure and healthy yeast to thrive
here? Before I learned about putting
a little caustic soda in the drop of
beer to clean out the protein, I
thought everything that moved was
bacteria. God knows even after
adding the caustic soda in those
days there was plenty of movement!
Have you seen this? The unbeliev-
able life force in one single drop of
"old fashioned" beer?
Gradually over time our beer
became cleaner and cleaner.
Nowadays looking for bacteria is like
looking for a needle in a haystack.
How proud I am of that! How well I
remember the long rods, the short
rods, the fat rods, the cocci in all
their many groupings. How close I
felt to Pasteur late one night in the
lab when I realized that the draw-
ings in his great work are absolutely
accurate. How proud I was as I
began to understand from personal
experience something of the courage
and discipline and patience and ef-
fort required by the great pioneers
like Koch and Pasteur.
In the real world of human be-
ings, weather and all the accidents
of fate, an experiment is never pure.
Things don't behave, nothing is ever
quite proven. It can take years just to
learn how to thoroughly sterilize a
wort cooler. And more years to be
sure you are sure it is sterile.
I have spent all night waiting for
signs of budding on the yeast,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 5

 ... 1 try to imagine 40.,000 people each
drinking a glass. Think of all the lives, all
the families, all the friends.''
JOY OF BREWING FROM PAGE 5 drink it. Where would they be? What I leave the fermenting >oom. If
would they be doing? it's daytime there is a bustlf-J of
wondering if there is enough oxygen, Nowadays our fermenters hold people working-someone here to
if the wort is too cold, if the yeast is twice that much beer. And as I see me, or I have somewhere to go.
visible. Will this brew take off? Will stand beside one, watching the living The brewery is all around me, and
all the things we are trying to learn changes on the surface, I try to im- all the people who work for me and
from this particular brew be lost agine 40,000 people each drinking a with me. The phone is ringing, there
because something new has gone glass. Think of all the lives, all the is a tour in the tap-room.
wrong? How will we ever get it all families, all the old friends and new If it is nighttime, the copper ket-
together? Will we ever make a beer friends. Think of the full moons, the tles are glowing under the lights, the
we are proud of, that people will hard work finished proudly, the brewery is quiet, I think of all the
want to buy? sadness and happiness. many, many people working together
I am very proud to know that who have built this company, all the
From the first time I ever con- this will be good beer. It is clean, years, all the agony and joy. How
templated a batch of fermenting the yeast is thriving. All those proud we all are.
beer, I have been thrilled by the people will drink it because they But I have a special joy that I
thought that all those billions of choose to. And with any luck it will have tried to describe, but which I
yeast cells are making a magical bring a bit of happiness into each can never really share with anyone.
drink for people. In my early days, life. I am very proud to think that It is waiting for me any time I go
our one fermenter held the this brew will be a part of all those into that fermenting room. The beer
equivalent of about 20,000 glasses of lives, a magical part. I can barely is alive there in the vat, we are old
beer. I would stand there wondering begin to get my mind around this friends, and we know what we are
who the people were who would joy. up to. That is the joy of brewing! flA

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HOMEBREW EQUIPMENT, MALT EXTRACTS, HOPS, YEAST, ETC.

6 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

 t '

My Life
BILL MARES
During The AUTHOR
Homebrew MAKING BEER
BURLINGTON,
Revolution VERMONT
cannot tell a lie. I don't My first attempts to make all-

D brew all-grain beer. But I

do brew with half grain.
And therein lies the point
of my story.
I count myself among the lucky,
like someone who lived through the
American Revolution or the "Good
War," for my homebrewing has
spanned a great transformation,
indeed the Revolution of
Homebrewing.
Uniting technological advances
with a vast array of new and fresh
ingredients, and a widespread desire
for more than store-bought, ready-
made "hop pop," the homebrewing
millennium arrived in my lifetime.
'Whoa, podner," says another
part of me. "Homebrewing is only a
hobby, not a religion."
'So you say," I retort. When I
talk about a hobby, I mean a real
hobby. Hobbies can be simple
pastimes or consuming passions. My
homebrewing was both. My 12 years
of brewing traced the odyssey of a
hobby that first tempted, then se-
duced and finally abducted me. And
that seductress was all-grain
brewing.
I began brewing with Blue Rib-
bon hopped malt extract, bakers
yeast, garbage cans, cheesecloth and
a Prohibition-era recipe from my
father. I made gallons of terrible
beer and mediocre vinegar. I held
inadvertent artillery practice in my
basement following the first two
batches; I bottled too soon.
Chance discoveries of homebrew
supply shops led me to improved im-
ported extracts. I found out there is
more than one kind of ·hops. I began
reading books. I used beer yeast for
a change!
I brewed a lot of beer and found
that some friends even liked it.
But then I found an itch. I liked
my beer but it still didn't taste quite
like the European beers I longed for.
Then I had the double good fortune
of tasting some of a friend's all-grain
beer and discovering zymurgy. It
was like St. Paul converting on the
''The
Grain Brewer
Is Part Chef,
Part Mechanic,
Part Gourmet."
road to Damascus. Not only did I
taste the kind of beer I wanted to
make, but I was introduced to this
incredible national guerilla army of
brewers who were working to make
beer as good as the imports, while ··
having fun in the bargain.
grain beer were disasters. Murphy's
Law ruled my brewhouse. But I per-
sisted, picked up tips, learned to
keep everything clean, persevered
through at least two dozen batches
before I had a brew I would share
with friends .
When I tried it on them, their
faces lit up like a good sunrise. They
didn't grimace; they didn't leave the
mugs under the chairs or pour the
contents into the fern.
More friends asked for my beer
in my house, and for me to bring it
to theirs.
And it was good-the difference
between free fall and static line
parachuting, between jogging and
running a marathon, between a cake
mix and making it from scratch,
between the minors and the majors.
With all grain and only a little
exaggeration, I was convinced I
could make better ales and stouts
than any of the imports (excluding
Guinness and Tooth's).
The more I brewed, the better
the beer became. Yet I didn't like
spending eight hours to make a five-
gallon batch of beer. Beer twice as
good was not worth four times as
many hours of preparation. Was
there a way to either shorten the
brewfng time or increase the batch
size? Even with the best efficiency, I
couldn't shave the time more than
an hour. So I decided to work on the
batch size. I didn't have equipment
for boiling more than six gallons at
a time.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 7

 ''You brew to suit your own taste, yet your
greatest satisfaction often comes in sharing it ." 1

FROM PAGE 7
Then it struck me. Why not com-
bine extracts and grain? Why not
make a concentrate by adding six
pounds of extract to the wort,
double the hops, run the six gallons
through the wort-chiller and add
water to make 10 gallons?
It worked like a charm.
The first batch I dubbed Seven
Sins Lager in memory of all my past
brewing transgressions. With three
pounds of dark and three of light
dried malt extract added to the 10
pounds of grain, I had a fine amber
lager.
Suddenly, four cases for one
day's work no longer seemed so
onerous. The beer didn't taste quite
as forceful as the all grain, but it
had a lot more body than the all-
extract variety. What's more, a
10-gallon batch would fill a
7'/z-gallon keg plus a case of bottles.
With this quantity I could brew
every eight to 10 weeks.
I had reached my brewing
equilibrium.
Grain brewing appeals to those
of a more experimental bent. The
grain brewer is part chef, part
mechanic, part gourmet. Grain brew-
ing demands patience, experimenta-
tion . All-grain brewing will give you
more respect for the big brewers and
(in my case) more anger for their
shortcuts.
I don't mean to demean extracts.
About one-third of my batches are
still extracts. But with the 10-gallon
mixed extract-grain batches I have
struck the right balance between
time, consumption, taste and
convenience.
I celebrate brewing with grains
as the highest form of homebrewer's
art. I salute those brewers, like my
friend Hal Boutelier who brewed
one-ga llon batches for years before
he got just the right recipe.
When you brew with grains you
are making one of the world's great
folk beverages. You are joining a
fraternity (and sorority) that goes
back 10,000 years.
Making your own beer is full of
paradoxes. To "have a beer" is
synonymous with relaxation, yet
grain brewing is full of hard work
and concentration. Beer is the sur-
passing drink of companionship and
conviviality, yet it is often best made
in solitude. You brew to suit your
own taste, yet your greatest satisfac-
tion often comes in sharing it with
others. The more you make the more
you savor each sip and swallow. And
the better it becomes the better you
want it to be.
The grain brewer today has the
ability, knowledge and ingredients to
make beers as good as or better than
any in the world. Do you need any
other excuse? fA

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,.
 The Influences Of
Raw Materials On
The Production Of
All-Grain Beers
GARY BAUER
mMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
"wing ,, '" "'' '" " ' th•t
has given us stout, porter,
Dortmunder and hundreds of
other beer styles. Within each
style lie flavor variations that
TABLE 1: BEER STYLES

LAGERS OG COLOR B.U. AROMA BODY

create a unique taste experience. By learn-
ing what each ingredient contributes to Vollbier 44-48 2.6-4.5 18-24 estery-malty me d.
overall flavor, individually and in combina- U.S. lager 40-46 2.0-3.0 15-"19 estery med . light
tion, you can expand your brewing skills Lite beer 38-42 1.8-2.5 17-20 neutral light
considerably. You have only to follow Pilsener 47-50 2.5-4.0 26-35 fine hop me d.
already established brewing procedures, Dortmunder 50-55 3.3-5.0 18-26 flowery-malty me d.
keep accurate records and keep tasting. Vienna 46-50 8.0-10.0 24-29 fruity me d.
Munich dark 52-58 "14-20 18-24 malty full
The following provides a basic starting
Marzen 54-58 9.0-14.0 18-28 malty
point for selecting ingredients necessary malty full
Oktoberfes t 55-58 7.5-11.0 18-23
to produce various styles of beers and ales. Bock 58-65 18-25 24-28
All-grain brewing ingredients consist Doppelbock 65-74 22-30 23-30 malty full
of: Porter 45-50 18-24 malty med. full
•Malt Black beer 43-52 26-38 20-26 caramel med .
•Adjuncts
•Hops ALES
•Water
Light 31-40 2.5-4.0 8-10 fruity med. light
•Water salts
Cream 40-46 2.0-3.5 15-18 fine hop med.
•Yeast 42-47 grainy med. light
Kiilsch 2.5-4.0 7-12
Beer styles are grouped according to Bitter 37-42 6-8 17-23 fine hop med. light
one's perception of flavor, color, aroma, Best bitter 42-47 9-13 "15-21 malty me d.
body, clarity, alcoholic strength and car- India Pale Ale 44-5 0 4-7 21-27 dry hop me d.
bonation. The principal beer styles are Mild ale 32-40 12-16 10-14 malty med. light
listed in Table 1. Brm·v n ale 34-44 10·14 8-13 nutty me d.
Pale ale 46-52 7.0-9.0 24-29 fruity me d.
Malt All 46·51 9.0·13.0 24-29 malty me d.
Scottish Brown Ale 41-48 "18-26 10-14 malty med.
Malt influences the flavor of beer more Old Ale 58-65 38-45 21-28 licorice full
than any other ingredient. The malt types Porter 40-47 24-36 16-19 roasted me d.
selected for brewing will determine the Dry Stout 40-46 35-48 21-25 sour med.
final color, flavor, mouth feel, body and Sweet Stout 44-47 30-39 12-18 malty full
aroma. The malts selected should be true Russian Stout 65-80 18-30 29·40 vinous full
Barley Wine 70-95 22-37 30-40 vinous full
to type, fresh in aroma and flavor, dry, non-
Wei zen 46-51 2.5-4.0 13-17 estery full
mealy and free of foreign matter. They
CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 9

 RAW MATERIALS FROM PAGE 9
must be properly crushed, leaving the
husks as intact as possible. This provides
the proper filter bed and reduces astrin-
gent (tannic) flavors. Preground malt,
crushed properly and sealed in airtight
barrier packages, are now available for
your convenience.
Malts can be classified as low-kilned,
high-kilned, dextrinized, caramelized or
dark roasted. Study your coffee blends
closely to understand how higher kiln ·
roasting affects flavor and aroma.
Low-Kilned Malts
Lager (Pilsener) Malt. These malts are
produced to retain maximum enzyme
activity, low color and to preserve certain
sulfur-based flavo1' precursors character-
istic of light-colored lagers. There are
2-row and 6-row varieties. Two-row malt
kernels are more symmetrically shaped
and plumper, have a higher extract (grav-
ity) yield, a slightly lower enzyme content
and less protein content than 6-row
varieties. It is more friable and easily
crushed than 6-row and, therefore, must
be ground more gently so as not to exces-
sively fracture the husks, producing a
harsher, grainy and astringent flavor. Two-
row malt beers generally require longer
aging to develop the mellow flavor of lager
beer. European brewers use predomi-
nantly 2-row malts, while American and
Canadian brewers use primarily 6-row.
(There are a few exceptions. Klages 2-row
malt is used in some U.S. premium beers
and Coors uses Moravian 2-row).
Pale (Ale) Malt . British 2-row malt is
kilned at slightly higher temperatures to
produce . a little more color and malt
character than lager malt. The enzyme
activity is slightly less than the lager malt,
but is well modified for use in typical
British infusion mash methods.
Wheat Malt. Usually 30 to 60 percent
is used in wheat beer. A small percentage
can be used in other beers for added head
retention . This malt tends to convert
slower than the above malts although its
enzyme action is fairly high. Twenty-five
percent 6-row should be used to aid in con-
version, along with infusion mashing,
ranging from 120 to 164 degrees F. A finer
grind also aids in easier conversion.
High-Kilned Malts
High-dried malts possess increasingly
higher levels of malt flavor and aroma.
Enzyme levels are lower than those of pale
malts, but are sufficient for self-conversion.
Malts of this type are widely used in
blends with low-kilned malts to obtain
desired color and flavor levels. Mild ale,
Vienna, light and dark Munich or Muen-
chener are examples of this malt type.
10 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
Dextrinized Malts
Although this malt has a light-colored,
crystalline center, it should not be
mistaken for light caramel. This malt is
high in unfermentables and improves foam
stability without increasing wort color. It
also adds body and palate fullness, as well
as enhan cing the other malt flavors. Dex-
trine malt is also known as cara crystal or,
as I prefer calling it, Cara-Pils.
Caramelized Malts
Caramel malt is known as crystal malt
in Britain. The term is appropriate because
the endosperm portion is a crystalline
body of amber-colored aromatic ingre-
dients. Caramel malt will improve foam
stability, add mouth feel and mask bit-
terness in addition to adding color and
caramel flavor. Generally, 5 percent weight
or less of the standard caramel malt will
not produce overly intense caramel flavor.
These malts contain a slight amount of
starch and should be mashed for conver-
sion as well as liquefaction. Light caramel
malts produce smoother flavor, while
darker caramel malts promote a caramel,
slightly sweet taste, more European in
flavor.
Dark Roasted Malts
British amber and brown malts are
even darker in color, producing more of a
roasted-toasted flavor rather than malty.
They have little or no enzyme activity and
are used in smaller quantities to provide
a unique taste expression, mainly in darker
ales.
Chocolate and black are the darkest
malts available. Chocolate has a rich,
roasted aromatic character that blends
well with caramel malt. Black malt
possesses a burnt, acrid taste and is used
for producing intensely colored stouts and
black beers.
Malt properties, along with some
typical uses and color factors, are listed in
Table 2. The three largest factors that deter-
mine malt quantities used are:
1. Starting Gravity. Most malts yield
gravities of 1.026 to 1.031 per pound in one
gallon of wort.
2. E nzyme Activity. Seventy percent
of the total weight of grains must have en-
zyme activity.
3. Color. The malts used must produce
the desired color. Color values of various
beer styles are listed in Table 1.
The color of the finished beer will
depend on mashing methods, boil times,
hop levels, etc., but may be calculated by
taking the sum of all the malts times their
respective color factors and dividing the
total by the gallons to be produced. (See
example at bottom of Table 2.)
Adjuncts
Adjuncts are fermentable goods other
than malts. They may be used for economy,
flavor, improved stability and clarity, or
coloring. Most adjuncts are low in nitro-
gen and produce gravity yields slightly
higher than malts, 30 to 40 gravity per
pound per gallon.
Their use is divided into five
categories:
1. Mash-tun adjuncts that require
cooking: corn grits, sorghum, milled
wheat, oats, rice, barley.
2. Mash-tun adjuncts that don't require
cooking: flaked (maize, rice, barley, wheat,
oats) and torrefied (barley, wheat). These
adjuncts are useful in infusion mashing
where their starch is easily converted by
malt enzymes. Normal use levels are 5 to
30 percent. These do not contribute much
to color.
3. Copper or kettle adjuncts: corn
syrup, invert sugar, corn sugar, soda
caramel, wheat syrup, barley syrup,
treacle, lactose, malta-dextrin. Some of
these are necessary to produce authentic
beer ·s tyles and are added to the all-grain
wort at the beginning of the boil.
4. Adjuncts added to beer to promote
secondary fermentation (primings) . Ale
primings: (50:50, invert sugar: sucrose),
dextrose (corn sugar), sucrose (cane sugar).
Most of these adjuncts are familiar to real
ale homebrewers.
5. Adjuncts to adjust final beer color
or flavor: soluble black malt powder,
caramel or black malt as a separate brew
kraeusen, brewer's caramel, demerara
sugar, turbinado sugar, muscavado sugar,
light and dark brown sugar. Usually these
are blended with the above primings to
provide each brewer's specific dosage.
Alone, they provide a means of correcting
deficiencies.
Hops
Hops provide the flavor and bitterness
necessary to balance malt sweetness. The
hops selected will, in part, determine the
beer style, the aroma and flavor. Hops
should be fresh, green, aromatic and
slightly moist-not dry or brown. Aro-
matic varieties, normally low in bittering
power (alpha acids), are usually added
during the last half of the kettle boil. High
alpha acid bittering hops are added early
in the boil to extract maximum bitterness
and remove unwanted aromas. The hops'
interaction during the brewing process
helps create improved head formation,
retention and beer stability. Increasing
bitterness can lead to a perceived increase
in body.
Hops are available in several forms:
• Whole. Most aesthetically pleasing;
provide large surface for interaction in the
boil; are difficult to store properly and
 require straining to remove.
TABLE 2: MALT USAGE • Pellets. Type "45" are mechanically
COLOR ENZYME concentrated whole hops, powd ered ,
(1 lb./gal.) ACTIVITY TYPE PROPERTIES USES pell etized and twice their original
strength. These are easily stored and pro-
2.2 high Pilsener-6row light maltiness lagers, Pilseners, with adjuncts vide higher utilization of bittering sub-
2.0 high Lager-2row light maltiness all malt beers, European lagers stances than whole.
2.2 high Wheat grainy, wheaty 10-30% Belgium light beers Type "90" are pelletized as above at
30-60% wheat beers
normal strength and offer slightly better
3.0 high Pale [Ale) fuller maltiness main British ale malt
Dortmunder, pale bock
utilization and storage than whol e.
4.0 medium Vie nna flavor, color, a roma
medium dr y, malty, color mild & brown ale, dark ales Because their bittering lupulin glands are
4.2 Mild Ale
5.5 medium Lt. Munich a romatic, malty, color Munich lager, Vienna, fe stbier ruptured during powdering, pellets are
13.0 medium Dk. Munich a romatic, malty, color 5-20% golden & a mber lagers very sensitive to oxidation.
25-50% Munich dark, bock • Powdered Hops. These are not pel-
7.0 none Cara-Pils body, palate fullness light ales & lagers, with adjuncts letized as above and therefore cost less but
neutral flavor 3-15%, head retention-body are more easily oxidized.
22.0 none Caramel-20 color, flavor, fullness 5-20%, light ales, lagers & bocks • Hop Extract. Standard concentrated
43.0 none Caramel-40 caramel flavor & above 3-2 0%, sweeter, malti er heers
hop extracts are generally produced from
bock, Marzen, porter, brown ales
similar to above 5-30%, pal e, mild & brown ales
high alpha acid hops by chemica l separa-
55.0 none Crystal-2row
aromatic, sweet sweet stouts, porters, old ales tion. There may be the presen ce of some
65.0 none Caramel-60 strong, harsher 3-15%, alt, dark lagers, porter residual hexane that must be evaporated
European flavor doppelbock during the kettle boil. The syrup formed
30.0 little Amber color, biscuit flavor Scottish brown & dark ales, stout has an alpha acid content of 38 to 43 per-
65.0 none Brown smoky flavor, color 2-15%, old & nut brown ales cent, but no hop oils for aroma; it is strictly
400.0 none Chocolate dark roasted flavor 2c10% bock, porter, stout for bittering.
Oktoberfest, mild ale Isomerized hop extract is already con-
520.0 none Black burnt acidic flavor Stout, porter, bock
verted to its most bitter form; hence, a
color color ad justment
much better utilization occurs. This type
Example: 5 gallons mild ale @ S.G. 1.037, color medium amber may be added at any time in the brewing
pounds needed = 5 x 37 divided by 28 per gallon = 6.6 pound s process for bitterness adjustment.
mild ale malt 95% .95 x 6.6 = 6.3 pounds Color: 6.3 x 4.2 = 26.5 The above extracts are very concen-
crystal malt 3% .03 x 6.6 = .2 pounds .2 X 55 = 11 .0 trated and difficult to use undiluted because
chocolate malt 2% .02 x 6.6 = .1 pounds .1 X 400 = 40.0 of their potency.
Total: 6.6 pounds 77.5 divided by 5 15.5 color Aromatic varietal hop extracts are
newly developed CO , extracted hop
TABLE 3: ADJUNCT USES syrups. They are available with properties
similar to above except they contain the
ADJUNCT USES
aromatic hop oils and are solvent free.
Mash: Flaked Maize 5-10% light ales, bitters; 10-30% light lagers. Slight residual flavor, These are easily stored and remain stable
similar ferm entables to malt, dilutes fl avor for long periods. Many varieties are
Rice 10-30% increases stabi lity & lighten s malt character in lager beers available.
Barley 5-20% increases graininess & hop flavor in dark beers The best advice, regardless of anything
Wheat 5-10% increases foam stability, grain fl avor, rou nd s out mild & brown else, is: Use the freshest hops available,
ales
discard old hops, choose the freshest hops
Oats 5-10% used for Oatmeal Stout
Roast Barley Color: 10-15% for stouts provides colo r, astringency, bitterness
for aroma, store all hops in a tightly sealed
Torrefied Barley Produces a nutty, roasted flavor used in dark ales container in your freezer and prevent
Torrefied Wh eat Provides a burnt-bready flavor useful in heavier beers oxidation by purging your hops with CO,
Kettle: Corn Syrup Brewe rs' grade had fermentability sim ilar to malt, lightens character before sealing.
Barley Syrup Cheap replacement for barley malt
Wheat Syrup Small percents are useful for producing better head retention
Sweet Caramel Very lusciou s fl avor used in dark beers
Water
Brewers Caramel Bitter acidic burnt flavor used for false bocks or color
Treacle Has a dark, " Old Peculier" flavor, 2-5% may produce unique dark ale Beer contains mostly water; hence,
Invert Sugar Sucrose broken down to fructose & glucose, ferments more rapidly water used to produce it will have a
than sucrose dramatic influence on flavor. Additionally,
Corn Sugar Produces light, dry beers; most rapid fermentable sugar various salts dissolved in water act as
Lactose Milk sugar for milk stout 5-10%; low sweetening power, unfermentable regulators of physical and biochemical
Malta-Dextrine Purified dextrine, increases body, unfermentable changes that occur in the brewing process.
Beer: Priming: Syrup-added @ 1 1/z oz./gal. provides ca rbonation
Therefore, water for brewing should be as
Sucrose Added @ 1 oz./gal. provides slow, steady carbonation
Dextrose Added @ 1 oz./gal. provides more rap id carbonation
pure as possible. It should look clear, have
no chlorine odor and taste good.
Beer: Black Powder Dissolves instantly for fast , flavorl ess color co rrections
Semi-re fined ; smoother than brow n sugar used at 5-10% in mild &
Brewing water has played a major role
Demerara Sugar
sweet brown ales in forming the classic beer styles of such
Thrbinado Sugar Similar to about but slightly less refined great brewing centers as Pilsen, Munich,
Muscavado Sugar An intensely flavored raw sugar used for increasing dark ale flavor Burton-on-Trent and Dortmund. In order
Brown Sugar Light & dark provide sweetness and flavor to duplicate these beer styles, it is not
necessary, nor beneficial, to exactly dupli-
Relative Sweetness of Sugars cate the water types. This is because the
Sucrose [cane) sugar 100 Invert 80 Lactose 16 raw materials and brewing procedures we
Brown 88 Corn 74 use are different from theirs.
Demerara 77 Maltose 3~
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 11

 INGREDIENTS FROM PAGE 11

TABLE 4: MAJOR SALTS IN BREWING WATER What we can do is adjust our water
with salts so that our beer derives a similar
, flavor while maintaining proper brewing
SALT ION EFFECT
conditions. Of critical importance in all-
Calcium SuUate Ca Calcium reduces mash pH, grain brewing is the proper decline in pH
(CaS0 4 •Gypsum) stabi li zes enzymes. Promotes clear- (increase in acidity) throughout the brew-
ing & clean taste, reduces color ing process. The reduction of pH comes
from the acid nature of dark malts or the
Sulfate contributes a dry crispness interaction of calcium with lighter malts.
to flavor; Enhances hop bitterness Any type of carbonate or bicarbonate
tends to nullify this effect and results in
Magnesium Sulfate Mg tvlagnes ium is beneficial in small poorer brewing conditions throughout the
(MgSO .. Epsom Salts) amounts- up to 20 ppm and pro-
motes cer tain enzymatic actions
entire process.
The effects of the various salts are
Calcium Bicarbonate Bicarbonate resists beneficial pH listed in Table 5.
[Ca(HC03 ) 2 ) drops in mash. Can produce harsh By requesting a copy of your local
Magnesium Bicarbonate bitterness in light beers and form s water analysis, the salts present and their
Mg(HC0 3) 2 less soluble calcium carbo nate on levels can be determined. The total amount
boiling and can be removed by ' of calcium and magnesium carbonates and
decanting
sulfates is called total hardness. The total
Calcium Carbonate Carbonate put into solution will
hardness is broken down into two types of
(CaC03 •precipitated chalk) form some bicarbonate and increase hardness:
the mash pH ; com monly added to 1. Temporary hardness or total alka-
soft water in dark beer mash linity are expressions of the total equiva-
lent of calcium carbonate in the water as
Magnesium Carbonate bicarbonate. Levels of less than 200 ppm
MgC0 3 1 (parts per million=mg/1) are acceptable for
dark beers but should be less than 100 ppm
Sodium Chloride Na Sodium at high levels gives salty/ for all light beers. Levels can be lowered
(NaCl•Table Salt) sour tastes; adds perception of to 100 ppm by boiling water. Levels are
sweetn ess on palate at low levels; raised by adding calcium carbonate.
in creases palate fullness 2. Permanent hardness or gypsum
hardness results from the presence of
Cl Chloride smooths hop bitterness; calcium and magnesium sulfates and
produces palate fullness, improves
cannot be reduced by boiling. It can be
clarification
reduced by dilution as above. Excess per-
manent hardness, 250 ppm or more, is
' undesirable for mashing dark beers. Levels
up to 600 ppm are used in production of
light ales.
Total Hardness = Temporary Hard-
TABLE 5: SALTS USED IN PRODUCING VARIOUS BEER STYLES ness (carbonate) + Permanent Hardness
(gypsum)
Table Salt Gypsum Table 6 shows the ranges of salts used
Style NaCI (ppm) CaS0 4 (ppm) Other in the production of various beer styles.
These can be used as an indicator of the
Pale ale
emphasis placed on certain salts in the
50·60 350-500 50 ppm MgS0
Light ale 20-40 250·400
4 corresponding beers.
Bitter 40-70 200-300 50 ppm MgS0 The table assumes that the temporary
4
Mild ale 80'100 80-150 • hardness is reduced to 100 ppm, that the
Brown ale 100-150 50-100 gypsum is an expression of permanent
Sweet stout 30-50 50-80 100 ppm Calcium Carbonate hardness and that up to 30 ppm epsom
Dry stou t 30-50 70-100 100 ppm Calcium Carbonate salts may be present in ale water. To use
Pilsener 20·30 40-80 Low carbonate hardness the table:
Light lager 60-90 120·180 Low ca rbonate hardness
1. Pick the beer style to brew.
Dark lager 100-150 50-100 200 ppm temp. ha1·dness OK
Munich dark 10-30 100 ppm Calcium Carbonate
2. From your water analysis:
30-50
Marzen 75-100 100-200
a) NaCl, salt-subtract the analysis
Bock 100-150 50·80 200 ppm ca rbonate hardness OK values for sodium and chloride from the
Doppelbock 100·180 50-80 200 ppm carbona te hardness OK desirable table value for that beer. Dilute
All 70-80 100-150 with distilled water to reduce; add salt to
Wei zen 20-30 50-100 Low carbonate hard ness increase.
Dortmunder 120-150 200-300 b) Gypsum-subtract total alkalinity or
temporary hardness from total hardness to
get permanent hardness. Then subtract
permanent hardness obtained from
desired gypsum level. If too high, dilute;
if too low, add gypsum.
The amount of salts to be added can
be figured by using Table 7.

12 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

 TABLE 6: SALT TABLE
Total Hardness (ppm) Water Type
0·100 soft
100-200 med . soft
200-400 med. hard
400·600 hard

One Gram in One U.S. Gallon

Salt Common Name Chemical Symbol ppm cation ppm anion ppm Total Grams per tsp.

Calcium Sulfate Gypsum CaS0 4 •2H,O 62(Ca) 148(SO) 210 4.8

Sodium Chloride Table Salt NaCI 104(Na) 160[CI) 266 5.3
Calcium Carbonate Precipitated Chalk CaC0 3 107[Ca) 159[C0 3 ) 266

Yeast 3, Alt bier yeast is a special strain used

Yeast affects the flavor of beer by pro-
ducing metabolic byproducts such as
esters, higher fuse! alcohols and other
aromatic compounds. These flavors are
characteristics of each group of beer styles.
The yeast you select should retain its
viability, produce the proper flavor, fer-
ment to the desired degree, and flocculate
or settle cleanly. Additionally, lager yeasts
should not produce or leave remaining
high levels of diacetyl, a buttery tasting
compound.
The best yeasts are pure cultures
obtained from brewing laboratories or
breweries known to produce the beer style
you are interested in making. Alternatively,
dry packaged yeast can be used with
success.
Yeast from secondary fermentation
may be stored under beer for several weeks
''Generally, the
whiter the color
the fresher it is."
tion. Yeast No. 308 from Germany is a fine
example.
Ale yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)
are of basically five types:
1. Top-fermenting ale yeasts rise to the
surface and are removed by skimming.
2. Flocculent ale yeasts, which are in
greatest use today, settle to the bottom of
the fermenter in a manner similar to lager
yeast.
to produce German-style ales.
4. Weizen bier yeast is a special strain
of top-fermenting yeast that produces the
characteristic esters found in wheat beer.
5. Strong beer yeast is a top-fermenting
yeast similar to wine yeast in its ability to
ferment up to an alcohol content of 10 per-
cent by volume.
If you have to select just one ale yeast
for all of your brewing, then No. 2 is the
easiest to work with and is readily
available. fA
Gary Bauer is a consultant to Hiber-
nia Brewing co. and owner of Brewing
Specialties supply shop and Vienna
Brewing Co. of Milwaukee, Wis.

~
or recycled into a fresh batch of wort. The
number of times it can be recycled PILOT BREWERY . . ~ ~
~-~
depends on how clean it is and the type
capacity- 31 U.S. gallons- 1 barrel r> ~
used. Generally, the whiter the color of the
settled yeast, the fresher it is. Ale yeasts
are more tolerant to reuse than lager
yeasts. For pitching, 2 to 4 ounces of yeast
Join the trend
slurry per gallon of wort are suggested.
There are two types of yeasts used in
Brew
brewing: ale yeast, which ferments
vigorously at temperatures of 60 to 70 with friends
degrees F; and bottom-fermenting lager
yeast, which ferments well at cooler
temperatures, 32 to 55 degrees F.
Lager yeasts (Saccharomyces
carlsbergensis; S. Uvarum) are broken
down further, depending on whether they
are weakly attenuating or strongly attenu-
ating. These may be rapidly flocculating
(settling) or slowly flocculating powder ALL VESSELS FABRICATED BASIC KIT AVAILABLE FOR
yeasts that remain for a long time in IN STAINLESS STEEL MALT EXTRACT & GRAIN
suspension.
Most lager yeasts used today are Saaz Send $3.00 for complete story and cata log.
types, possessing good flocculating Pierre Rajotte 5639 Hutchison, Montreal, Qc H2V 485 (514) 277-5456
character along with moderate attenua-

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 13

 A Primer On Malt
OR GIVE US NON-TECHNICAL TYPES A BREAK
m
ut of the more enlightened
minds in brewing and malt-
ing circles pours an ever-
increasing torrent of highly
technical information. While
it helps demonstrate the curiosity of the
sophisticates involved, technical informa-
tion only adds to the bewilderment of
those who are less scientifically indoc-
trinated. In other words, we feel it is high
time the rest of us had a break.
With that in mind, we have tried to put
into layman's language those malting
definitions that most often confront the
non-technical brewer. Because science is
and should be a fluid thing, time will make
our definitions even less valid than they
are today. But as of now, they a·p proximate
the truth reasonably well.
To you scientists: Remember this is not
written for you . The unreasonable
analogies and occasional flights of fancy
are only to keep the readers (and the
writers) awake. And it is our fervent hope
that we haven't trodden on anyone's toes
in doing so-too heavily, that is.
Chemical Characteristics:
Moisture
Definition: The difference between the
as-is and "dry" weight of malt expressed
as a percentage of the as-is weight. Hence:
What percentage of the shipment is water'(
Statistics: Should you like to clutter
your mind with little-used pieces of
knowledge, you will be delighted to know
that moisture in barley should be less than
13 percent, steeped barley about 45 per-
cent and finished brewers malt ready for
shipment about the 4 percent level. If you
don't protect the malt you buy from mois-
ture, it will stabilize as a slack, unmillable
mess at about 9Vz percent.
Importance: For the maltster, high-
moisture barley is a poor investment. It
will mold, germinate and heat up in
storage. And at each of the stages in the
malting process-steeping, germination
and kilning-moisture is one of the key
production regulators.
For the brewer, moisture is a measure
of the amount of water he buys with his
malt dollar-and, naturally, he wants as lit-
tle as possible. He's caught in a dilemma,
14 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
BY THE NON-TECHNICAL
STAFF OF
GREAT WESTERN MALT
VANCOUVER WASHINGTON
however, for too low a moisture content
has dire results:
1. Unusually low moisture in a well-
modified malt results in a product almost
impossible to handle. Unless treated with
loving and uneconomical care, it will shat-
ter and powder in shipping, conveying and
milling.
2. Because moisture is a key regulator
in attaining other desirable malt charac-
teristics, unusually low or arbitrary mois-
ture specifications restrict a maltster from
giving you what you want in your malt-
enzymes, unbroken kernels, color and opti-
mum flavor.
Extract
Extract is that portion of the malt that
goes into solution to form wort. Regret-
tably-for a maltster-extract is also fur-
nished by adjuncts as well. This definition
is so simple that chemists complicate the
term further as follows:
1. Fine-Grind Extracts, As Is-The
percentage of original malt that can be
drawn into solution after grinding it fine
in a laboratory mill.
2. Fine-Grind Extract, Dry Basis-
Merely a mathematical calculation to
eliminate moisture from the sample being
tested. Samples of various moisture con-
tent can then be compared fairly.
By themselves, these two factors have
little or no tangible relation to brewing.
They are, however, useful in confusing
laymen. The really meaningful tests are:
3. Coarse-Grind Extract, As Is-Before
ascertaining what percentage goes into the
solution, the sample is ground in a
laboratory mill that approximates the
brewery grind.
4. Coarse-Grind Extract, Dry Basis-
Just remove the moisture mathematically
as you rlid in No. 2 above.
The proof of the whole extract pud-
ding is the answer to the question: "Begin-
ning with similar amounts of malt and
assuming all other things equal, how many
bottles of beer will I get in my cellar?"
This suggests one possible way to buy
malt. But before you begin an extract race,
be sure to consider your needs as to flavor,
conversion time, runoff, clarity, protein
balance and stability. ·
Chemists also speak of fine-coarse dif-
ference. To get it, subtract coarse-grind
extract, dry basis, from fine-grind extract,
dry basis-or No.4 from No.2 above. This
figure is often regarded as an important
rough indication of the degree of modifica-
tion performed in the malthouse. The
lower the number the greater the
modification.
Besides the job done by the maltster
in processing, natural factors affect these
figures. Barleys differ in extract potential
as to variety, season, nativity and berry
size. Large berries have more extract than
small berries, 2-rows usually outyield
6-rows and unseasonable heat at harvest
robs barley of extract potential.
To be perfectly candid, other tools are
available for extract adjustment. Examples
are the use of physical changes such as
intentional skinning and dehulling;
chemical treatments like sulfuring on the
kiln and the use of gibberellic acid during
early growth, which in recent years has
had increasing acceptance in international
malting.
Color
When a maltster speaks of color on an
analysis, he refers to the color of laboratory
wort.
Laboratory wort results from
"mashing-in" a given amount of ground
malt and distilled water and holding at
temperatures at which malt enzymes do
their best work. The resulting wort is then
strained through filter paper to remove the
solids. The color is usually measured in
one of three ways: Visually against a set
of standard one-half-inch color cells de-
fined as "Series 52,'' or a set of larger "dye
samples," or electronically by one of
several gadgets known as spectropho-
tometers. Color is expressed as so many
"degrees Lovibond ." The higher the
number, the darker the color.
Any of these color procedures will give
satisfactory results, but you will find a
marked lack of unanimity as to the one
best method-particularly when haze is
present. You'll achieve far more com-
parable results if you ask your supplier to
use whichever method you prefer.
It is sometimes extremely difficult for
us to avoid the question of relationships
between laboratory wort or brewery wort
color and finished beer color. If forced to
reply, however, we would have to confess
the existence of a fairly strong correlation
between wort color and beer color, all
other things being equal.
Color in malt is produced principally
during kilning and is closely entwine(!
with your specifications for moisture,
enzymatic activity, protein modification
and-most important-flavor and aroma.
Here are four more factors from a
typical malt analysis. These four are ascer-
tained during the time a malt mash is
being prepared and filtered, similar to the
brewery process in mash and Iauter tanks.
Aroma
Chemists claim this is an "olfactory"
test to evaluate aroma during mashing. It
means you smell it-and describe the
result as "aromatic" (malty), "slightly
aromatic" (faintly malty), "musty," "green"
or "stale."
Conversion
We've told you that germination awak-
ens the latent enzymes in barley-and
these have the power to convert starches
to sugars. Conversion time on an analysis
tells you how many minutes it takes these
awakened enzymes to convert malt
starches to sugars. Conversion is indicated
by adding iodine to samples of the mash.
Because iodine is blue in starch and yellow
in the absence of starch, the time conver-
sion is easily detectable.
Filtration Time
When mashing is completed, the mash
is filtered and the time for conversion is
measured. This gives you some idea of the
ease or difficulty you'll have in your own
lautering and is referred to as "normal"
if the test is completed within one hour-
otherwise it's "slow."
Clarity of Wort
After filtering, how transparent is the
resultant wort? Is it "clear:' "slightly hazy"
or "hazy"? Different barley types result in
varying degrees of clarity-and each is
affected by other factors, particularly S/T
(soluble expressed as a percentage of total
protein), enzymatic activity (expressed as
diastatic power and/or alpha amylase)
color and husk content.
Diastatic Power
In malting and brewing we are funda-
mentally concerned with the conversion
of starches to sugars by means of a malt
enzyme complex termed diastase. The
amount of "horsepower" or energy in a
particular lot of malt is normally termed
its diastatic power and is expressed on a
scale known as Degrees Lintner. The
higher the number of degrees, the greater
the power.
If you run across the term "maltose
equivalent" it is a relief to know it is
merely the DP (diastatic power) multiplied
by 4.
A sufficient level of DP in malt is
essential, not only to convert its own barley
starches, but, unfortunately (for the
maltster, that is) those mundane additional
starches, such as corn and rice, sometimes
found in a brewer's mash.
Potential for DP in barley depends on
factors such as variety and protein content
(as seen in a crop year). The level of DP
in your malt is a combination of these plus
malting procedures used-and your own
specifications, of course.
''B ut some
years are
better than
others."
Alpha Amylase
Often a brewer likes to have the
amount of alpha amylase included on his
malt analysis. Now, this one isn't easy but,
broadly speaking, diastatic power encom-
passes two large and interdependent fields
of enzymatic activity. First, we have alpha
amylase, a complex that liquefies starch,
and second, beta amylase, a complex that
carries the wort further by forming sugars
so necessary for fermentation.
Total Malt Protein
This is one of the toughest of all
malting definitions. If you have any doubts
as to this, read on while we indulge in a
generous bit of oversimpification.
A barley kernel is composed of 88 per-
cent carbohydrates (mostly starches) and
12 percent organic substances called pro-
teins containing nitrogen. This 88 to 12
percent ratio varies somewhat depending
on variety, climatic conditions during
growth and agronomic procedures (such
as the amount of nitrogen fertilizer put
into the soil by the grower or the crop
rotation plan he followed).
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 15
As to a general definition of protein,
Webster says:
"Any of a class of naturally occurring
complex combinations of amino acids
(containing carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen,
oxygen, and usually sulfur), which are
essential constituents of all living cells and
also of the diet of animal organism."
Since Webster lost us early in that
definition, we consulted Thorndike and
Barnhart's Junior Dictionary, which states:
"Protein is a substance thought to be
the most essential nitrogenous component
of all organic bodies."
The protein portion of barley is one of
the keys to almost all malt factors. Within
the limits of his ability to do so, the
maltster regulates the modification of pro-
teins to cause corresponding changes in
germination, modification, enzymatic
power, mealiness, extract, color in part,
and even such important factors in fin-
ished beer as foam retention, beer clarity
and flavor itself.
Total Soluble Protein
You know that as barley germinates
during the malting process, the starch por-
tion is converted to simpler forms by the
awakened barley enzymes termed dia-
stases. At the same time, other enzymes
(termed proteases) are activated and con-
vert the portion of the barley that is pro-
tein to simpler forms, some of which are
soluble in the wort.
Because some brewers want to know
how much of the total malt are the solu-
ble types, this is measured in the
laboratory.
SIT Ratio-(Soluble over Total Protein
Ratio)
As the name implies, this is simply the
amount of the total malt protein that is
soluble. The ratio is obtained by dividing
the total soluble protein by the total malt
protein and multiplying the result by 100.
When nature has been cooperative, a
maltster has little trouble meeting your
protein and SIT requirements. But some
years are better than others.
Physical Characteristics:
Assortment
Assortment is merely a measurement
of the size (width) of the kernel in your
malt shipments. A 100-gram sample is
placed on the top of four trays secured to
a mechanical shaker. The top three trays
have slotted bottoms-7/64 inch, 6/64 inch
and 5/64 inch in width (by % inch in
length). The fourth tray has no slots at all.
The shaker is agitated for three minutes.
The material remaining on each of the four
screens is weighed and expressed as a
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
 Starch h
Body
I:<!:-::·.:.:.: ,: .: :j
PRIMER FROM PAGE 15
percentage of the initial 100 grams.
Important? Plenty-for it is a real clue
to the job of kernel-cracking your mill will
be able to do. Too wide an assortment, or
"spectrum," will pose problems for most
mills. Small berries slip through uncracked
(losing extract) and larger ones are
powdered unduly (contributing to slow
runoff in a lauter-tub operation).
Mealiness
Not every figure on a malt analysis is
the product of an exact and scientific test.
Some are relative at best, for they are the
result of observations, experience and
opinions of human beings. High on the list
is the test for " mealiness." (Personally, we
feel this is a repulsive choice of words).
After a lively kernel has been steeped,
germinated and kilned properly, its starch
body assumes a rather crisp, white chalk-
iness. How well malting has been accom-
plished is termed " mealiness." If at least
100 percent successful, the kernel is
termed (ugh) "mealy." If not 100 percent
successful, the remainder of the kernel
body will be hard, vitreous and slightly
darker in color. It is rated "half-glassy" or
"glassy." A score of 96 or 97 percent
"mealiness" on a malt analysis is con-
sidered good.
Different people test for "mealiness"
in different ways. Most slice a group of
kernels in the middle in a hand-operated
device called a Farinator, (in case you want
to impress your chemists). The remaining
halves are probed with an ice pick to feel
for steely ends. Others slice the kernels
lengthwise in another device to check the
degree of mealiness visually. Still others
employ an electrical gadget that measures
the resistance of the kernels to milling.
And many a production man checks this
16 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
No growth 0-'14 '14-lfz Vz-% %-1 overgrown
- Relative degree of modification
same resistance to grind (among other
things) when he chews the malt. Paren-
thetically, this is the reason why maltsters
(and brewers who check on maltsters this
way) are highly prized as patients by
members of the dental profession.
Growth
Growth, in malting, is not a difficult
term, but it is amazing to see how much
honest argument it can cause.
You know that a maltster, through the
utilization of air and water at carefully
regulated temperatures, dupes an unsus-
pecting barley kernel into believing spring
is at hand. Rootlets appear, take on sus-
tenance and from the living, or germ end,
a shoot or "acrospire" slowly crawls under
the skin or husk of the kernel until it nears
the opposite end. Heat applied during kiln-
ing stops all further growth. If it didn't, the
acrospire would emerge and grow on until
it became a barley plant itself.
We measure the acrospire's growth by
boiling the sample in water (to render the
husk somewhat transparent), take one hun-
dred kernels at random and visually
estimate the length of the acrospire as
compared to the total length of the kernel.
We categorize them as 0 to '14, '14 to lfz, 'lz
to 3/4, % to 1 or overgrown. Theoretically
(but never actually) 100 percent of the
acrospires in the % to 1 category would be
perfect.
Sounds simple, doesn't it? But the
trouble lies in the fact that human beings
evaluate this growth. For instance, let's
assume the improbable example of 100
kernels whose acrospires are exactly 3/4 of
the kernel length. One honest operator
says they're all % to 1, and the other (just
as honestly) says they appear to be 1/z to
% . Who is right and who is wrong?
All of us knowledgeable laymen now
know that "growth" is only one indicator
of starch modification. It is not modifica-
tion itself.
Barley Terms
Two-row barley differs from 6-row
barley in that 2-row has :
1. Two rows of kernels arranged like
this looking down on the stalk (or rachis)
from a bird's perspective or up like an
aphid's:
0
6
2. Six-row has six rows arranged like
this:
Except for the typically twisted ends,
if the kernels are detach ed from the head
(or spike) you've got a problem of iden-
tification. But if you really want to know,
read a copy of the Malting Barley Improve-
ment Association's excellent Barley Variety
Dictionary.
Two-row barleys (compared to 6-row)
also usually have:
• A plumper body, more like a football
in form;
• consequently, a higher extract;
• thinner, tighter husk;
• a colorless aleurone layer that you
might think of as that plump body's
underwear;
• higher bushelweight;
• lower total protein.
• a brighter color;
• lower enzymatic power. P'AI
Home
Malting For
Homebrewers
m
orne malting offers three great
advantages to the home-
brewer. First, it reduces costs
to the point where one can
make a 5-gallon batch for
less than the price of a six-pack of the
cheapest commercial beer. Second, it
allows one to control malt modification
perfectly, rather than having to accept
whatever the store might have to offer. And
third, it brings one into even closer involve-
ment with the marvelous natural processes
involved in beermaking.
The home-malting system described
here details my own normal method of
processing a 50-pound batch of barley
modified and malted to ale-making
specifications. It can, however, be adapted
with no trouble at all to handle any
mal table grain in any reasonable quantity.
Buying the Grain
I have been using Washington State
2-row Klages barley obtained directly from
a barley farmer at the unbeatable price of
9 cents per pound. If you can't obtain
barley that way, try a grain store, a feed
store, or even a health-food store. Buy only
whole barley that has not been treated in
any way, either physically or chemically.
Physical treatment (pearling, milling, etc.)
removes parts of the kernel and, conse-
quently, prevents full germination. If it
can't be germinated, it can't be malted.
Chemical treatment, such as that applied
to seed barley, coats the grain with poisons
to attack a mildew, rot, and insects that
would remain active in your beer and
make it totally unfit for consumption.
In principle, you can use feed barley
(do not confuse feed barley with seed
barley), but "generic" feed barley can be
just about anything under the sun. It will
malt, but probably not evenly. Depending
on its variety and where it was grown, it
may or may not give a good extract yield.
Best of all, if you can get it, is malting
barley, bred and grown specifically for our
beermaking needs. If you can choose be-
tween a 2-row and a 6-row variety, select
a 2-row if you want to make an all barley-
malt beer, and a 6-row if you plan to make
wheat beer or use a lot of adjuncts, be-
''The
cause the 6-row barley contains enzymes
to spare, and it will convert any low-
enzyme adjunct you might want to add to
Resulting
your brew. The 2-row barley, on the other
hand, will give a higher extract yield.
In my own practice, the 2-row Klages
iMalt
I use has never failed to kick in with extra
enzymes to convert low-enzyme grains, Has Excellent
such as wheat. Its high yield, combined
with its relatively high enzymatic action
(as contrasted with British 2-row, which Taste,
has a very high yield but very low enzy-
matic capacities) make it ideal for the
homebrewer.
Ferments
The grain probably will come in 60- or
80-pound sacks. Try to get your hand and
face inside before you buy. Don't go for
Very Rapidly
it if it's really dirty or smelly; you may
be buying a sackful of pests or infection Vlnd Yields
that simply won't go away with a good
cleaning.
I
Extract
Storing the Grain
In storing the grain, remember that
Comparable
you are working with living grain, and it
has to stay that way in order to germinate.
Don't put it in plastic or anything that
To
might suffocate it. It will do just fine in
your basement in its burlap sack. Cool
temperatures and low humidity suit it best. I
That of
Under those conditions, it will remain
viable for at least several years. !A merican
Cleaning the Grain
Commercial
At the beginning of the malting proc-
ess, the grain must be cleaned··to remove
unwanted debris, such as chaff, dirt, straw,
Malt.''
grasshoppers, as well as barley thins-
dead or underdeveloped grains. Fortu-
nately, virtually everything you want to RC DALE
remove from the mix will float, whereas
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 SEATTLE. WASHINGTON
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 17
 HOME MALTING FROM PAGE 17
live, viable barley grains will sink when
immersed in water.
To take advantage of this convenient
principle, I use a combination cleaner and
steeping vessel, made from a big plastic
garbage can. The water enters through the
bottom via a garden hose attached with the
hardware necessary to make the intake
leakproof. It exits through a spout inserted
in its side above the level the grain will
eventually reach when fully steeped and
swollen. As the grain absorbs water, it will
swell to about 150 percent of its original
volume. Keep that in mind as you figure
out where to install your run-off spout.
The spout directs the runoff water into
a laundry tub, where a free-standing
strainer catches the debris. This prevents
the considerable amount of debris flowing
out of the vessel from clogging the drain
and starting to germinate in the pipes.
I begin by filling the vessel with cold
tap water about halfway to the spout so the
grain will not compact when I dump it in.
After adding about 50 pounds of barley, I
start the water running again while stir-
ring the mix all the way to the bottom, until
the water runs fairly clear. This takes 20
to 30 minutes, and represents the most
time-consuming part of the process out-
side of the final cleaning of the malt.

Steeping the Grain

Once the grain has been cleaned, it

must be steeped in cold tap water until it
has absorbed enough water to bring its
moisture content up to about 35 percent,
at which point germination will begin to
occur. Meanwhile, the grain must be pro-
vided adequate oxygen so it does not
smother in the carbon dioxide it will pro-
duce as it breathes.
To accomplish this, I change the water
three times daily, allowing the grain to
drain and sit for at least an hour at each
The steeping vessel has its water intake on the bottom a nd its outl e t on the sid e.
changing. It is essential to disturb or even
dry out the carbon dioxide layer clinging
to the grain, so an occasional air rest of
up to 24 hours is used by many maltsters.
Alternating fresh doses of water with air
rests will finish the cleansing process, and
also will provide the grain with enough
oxygen to allow it to breathe.
To drain the grain, I simply detach the
hose from the faucet (not the steeping
vessel), and let gravity do its work. Before
attempting this in your own home, make
sure that the fitting you have installed in
the bottom of your steeping vessel has a
filter screen in it, unless you want a sink
full of steeped barley.

Couching the Grain

(Left) The germinating grain is couched in square tra ys with stainless s teel mes h bottoms. The shims Depending on the variety and size of
allow for passive air circulation. (Right) The kiln oven shown from above. From left to right, the major
components are a blower, a coiled and suspende d prob e the rmome te r, three glocones, two curved heat the grain and the temperature of the steep-
deflectors and the controls, including thermometer, dimmer connected to one glocone for fine tuning, ing water, chitting will occur in five to
two glocone switches and blower switch. seven days. When the grain begins to chit
18 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMU RGY

~ ·-··
(that is, when the first signs of the rootlets
begin to appear as a little white protrusion
at the bottom end of the grain), it's time
to get the grain out of the steep. Otherwise,
it will rapidly become oversaturated be-
cause the rootlets are much more hygro-
scopic than the husks. f\.t this point, the
grains will have absorbed enough moisture
to have increased in size about 50 percent.
When most of the kernels have begun
to chit, I couch my grain in square trays
that have a stainless mesh bottom. Shims
under two corners of each tray allow air
to circulate passively through the grain,
preventing mold or fungus attacks or
smothering that might occur from the
grain sitting on a watertight floor.
Germination
Germination will proceed at a rate
depending on the variety of the grain and
the ambient temperature. Temperatures in
the 50s are best, largely because higher
temperatures can cause bolting (runaway
germination) and unevenness of germina-
tion. To control the modification of all the
grain, it's a good idea to do your malting
when temperatures are below 60 degrees.
In order to prevent development of hot
spots (clumps of grains heating up more
than others) and rootlets tangling by grow-
ing together, and to keep oxygen available
to the grain, turn the grain gently by haud
about three times a day. The grain prob-
ably will contain enough water to carry out
germination without any further moisture,
but you may sprinkle the couch lightly if
you fear the grain is becoming too dry.
As germination progresses, the grain's
acrospire (its eventual shoot) will begin to
grow from the rootlet end up toward the
head of the grain. In wheat, this process
occurs outside the grain, but in barley, it
occurs inside the husk. To observe the
acrospire's progress, locate the ventral side
of the grain (the side with a longitudinal
inverted crease), then turn the grain over
to its dorsal side, where you can see the
acrospire as a longitudinal bulge.
Until you gain some expertise at
reading the acrospire's progress from out-
side the grain, you can practice by section-
ing the grain crosswise with a razor blade
and looking at the open sections through
a magnifying glass. You will find the
yellowish acrospire growing alongside the
white starchy endosperm in the grain.
If you want to make lage r malt, allow
the acrospire to grow about half way up
the grain. If you want to make ale malt, you
will aim for full modification, with the
acrospire hitting the head end of the grain.
Full modification will give your malt fuller,
more rapid conversion, resulting in faster
fermentation than lager malts. Virtually all
American commercial malt is modified for
lagering, rather than making true ales.
Your ale malt will taste sweeter on the
tongue than a commercial American lager
and three glow-cones, all separately
switched. One also could use a range
element or any other temperature-
controllable heat source. Except for the
blower inlet, the bottom and sides are all
airtight, so the hot air obtained by blow-
ing room-temperature air across the heat-
ing element is forced up through the malt.
The kiln roof contains a vent con-
nected by flexible dryer hose to a chimney
hole, but a dryer vent would serve just as
well to prevent the moisture-saturated air
from steaming up your basement.
In order to determine the malt's
dryness, I measure on-air and off-air
temperatures with probe thermometers.
Twenty-five hours of 120-degree on-air heat
passed through 50 pounds of green malt
usually brings my off-air temperature to
about 110 degrees, giving it a low enough
moisture co ntent to begin curing.
At that point, I redirect the dryer hose
from the top of the kiln vent to the air
intake at the bottom of the kiln, thus
obtaining recirculated hot, dry air. About
four hours of this heat brings the off-air
temperature to 140 degrees, at which time il
I test the malt for dryness by biting it. S
When it's perfectly crunchy, it's perfectly ~
cured. In addition to providing the neces- ~
sary drying down to a maximum of 3 per- ~
cent moisture content, curing gives the =1
malt more color and a more pronounced
The ldln in operation. The three germinating trays malty flavor.
have been slacked on the oven. The top contains
another thermostat to m eas ure off-air te mpera-
lure. Clothes-dryer duel vents the hot, damp air Cleaning the Malt
up a chimney.
Following curing, the malt must be
malt, but less sweet than the plumper, stripped of its culms (the dried rootlets),
starchier British varieties. and any acrospires that might have bolted
When designing your couch and/or beyond the grains' heads. Although this
kiln, remember that the rapidly-developing can be accomplished simply by rubbing
rootlets will push the grains apart on the the malt between one's hands, it's a tedious
couch and will necessitate 30 to 40 percent process for 50 pounds of malt.
more volume at the end of couching than I put the malt into a double bag in
at the beginning. After steeping and couch~ 15-pound batches and toss it into my
ing, in other words, your grain will take clothes dryer with all air and heat turned
up almost twice the space as the dry barley off. A 10-minute tumble in the dryer
you began with. brushes off all the culms, and I return the
malt to my trays to separate the malt from
Kilning and Curing the loose culms by screening it-a process
that takes only a few minutes per sack.
When an average sampling of grains Cleaning out the clothes dryer if both sacks
reaches the desired point of modifica- come open can take considerably longer,
tion-in about a week-it's time to begin so be sure to bind them both very well.
kilning, or rapid hot-air drying. Of all the In high-humidity climates, such as we
steps in malting, there's probably more have in Seattle, malt must be kept in air-
variation in this process than in any other. tight containers so it doesn't absorb
Essentially, you want to carry out drying moisture from the air and go slack. Finally,
as rapidly as possible without steaming or barley malt must be matured for at least
overheating the malt, which would occur . two months (my own minimum is three
if the kiln go t too hot or lacked sufficient months) before it can be used for mashing.
ventilation to allow the moisture-laden air The resulting malt has excellent taste,
to escape. ferments very rapidly and yields extract
In my system, the three couch trays comparable to that of American commer-
now become kiln trays. A layer of felt along cial malt. fA
their top edges helps keep them airtight
when stacked on top of the "furnace." R C Dale of Seattle, Wash., is a
This bottom component of the kiln homebrewer and member of the Brews
consists of a box containing an air blower Brothers.
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 19
 he major source of extract for
II any beer should be malted
grains because 1. only malted
grains have the enzymes
needed to degrade grain
starches and proteins into simpler units in
a mash, 2. only malted grains have a suffi-
cient amount of amino acids, the elemen-
tary proteins that are the only reliable
source of nutrients for our yeast, and
3. only malted grains have sufficient
medium-sized proteins to give beer vis-
cosity and to support foam retention.
Nevertheless, unmalted grains, or
what we shall call cereal grains or
adjuncts, can be used to achieve special
effects. In this article we shall illustrate
this point with a number of recipes that
have proven to be useful in both small-scale
as well as commercial brewing.
Many amateur brewers tend to have a
negative attitude toward cereal grains
primarily because of overexposure.
American beers tend to use cereal grains
in very large amounts, and the cheaper the
beer, typically the more grains are used.
Common "supermarket beer" can have
adjuncts in the range of 50 to 60 percent.
On the other hand, a better guide to
how cereal grains can be used to advan-
20 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
GEORGE FIX
UPPER ST. CLAIR PENNSYLVANIA
tage can be seen in the brewing practice
in England and Scandinavia. Here, cereal
grains also are widely used, but only in
small amounts, and only to achieve special
effects. They are not used as a major
source of extract. The recipes given in this
article are along these lines.
Cereal grains come in the form of
flakes, raw grits, flour and refined starch.
The flakes are preferred because they can
be readily integrated into just about any
mashing system.
Grits have to be cooked in what is
sometimes called a cereal mash. On the
one hand, this is not hard to do, and for
some grains like rice may even be advis-
able due to the limited availability and high
cost of the flakes. On the other hand,
grains like corn when cooked produce a
very distinctive flavor in the finished beer
that may not appeal to everyone. For
example, the out-front corn flavoring in
many American beers tends to be a nega-
tive to those used to European beers.
Techniques for carrying out a cereal mash
are discussed later.
Flour and refined starch are widely
used in England but not · in the United
States. The one exception is Coors, which
uses a combination of rice and refined
corn starch. As far as mashing is con-
cerned, both flour and starch can be
treated in the same way as flakes.
The hop character of each of the
recipes is crucial. To accurately convey the
proper hop content we shall use the follow-
ing system. First, we distinguish between
aromatic hops (Cascade, Hallentauer, Tett-
nanger, Saaz, Kent, Golding and bittering
hops (Northern Brewer, Eroica, Galena). In
addition to stating what percent of the two
types of hops are to be used, the recipes
also will indicate one of the following
levels in terms of bitterness units (B.U.):
Low bitter 10 to 15 B.U.
Medium bitter 15 to 20 B.U.
High bitter 20 to 25 B.U.
Very high bitter 30 B.U. and above
To determine the total amount of hops
needed to get the proper hop character of
any particular recipe, one needs to know
the alpha-acid content of the hops used.
For example, if the hops have an alpha-acid
content of 10 percent then the following
would achieve the desired results:
ounces grams/liters
Low bitter .2 1.5
Medium bitter .3 2.3
High bitter .4 3.0
Very high bitter .5 3.75
However, if the alpha-acid level was
5 percent, the amount in the chart would
have to be doubled. These figures assume
a hop utilization rate of 30 percent (i.e., the
fraction of the alpha acids added to the ket-
tle that actually is passed on to the finish-
ed beer). This may be a bit low for pellets
and a bit high for cones.
The last issue to consider is the
amount of extract, or what is sometimes
called the yield, of various grains. This
will be given in degrees Balling per gallon.
The Balling scale (for all practical pur-
poses the same as the Plato scale) is used
because most commercial data are ex-
pressed in this form. Tables relating this
scale to specific gravity are given in many
references, so conversions will not be
given here. For example, malt from 2-row
barley usually yields 75 percent of its
weight in extract. This amounts to an
extract rate of approximately 8.7 degrees
B; i.e., one pound in a gallon brew gives
a gravity of 8. 7 degrees B. Thus, using 9
pounds in a 6-gallon batch (or equivalently
4.5 kg in a 25-liter batch) gives an original
gravity (OG) of
9 X 8.7
13.05 degrees B (1.052).
6
Malt from a 6-row barley, on the other
hand, has an extract rate around 7.6
degrees B. Thus, in the above we have
9 x 7·6 = 11.4 degrees B (1.046).
6 proportion.
The extraction rates for each cereal
grain are given in the following sections.
There will be some variation here
depending on the way the grains are
mashed . For example, the stout recipe is
taken from David Line's Brewing Beers
Like You Buy. He gives an original gravity
of 11.2 degrees B (1.045), but asserts that
theoretically it should be 13.1 degrees B
(1.053). The value we get (both with extract
data given here as well as in actual brews)
is 12.6 degrees B (1.051). The latter was
obtained with an upward infusion mash
as recommended here, while Line used a
single temperature infusion mash . This
could account for the differences.
The terminal gravities (TG) in the
recipes are assumed to be 80 percent of the
original gravity (OG). This is only an
approximation and depends on the type
of mash used.
''Ina·zgenous
to
North America,
maize {corn} has
helped define the
American
beer style."
Unmalted Barley
This is the cereal grain that is closest
to malted barley. The flake form is defi-
nitely preferred. Produced by passing raw
barley through hot rollers, the flakes gela-
tinization makes the starch much easier to
convert in a mash. Typically, special en-
zymes are needed to convert the starch of
raw barley.
Flaked barley gives a dry, grainy flavor
that is highly compatible with malt. The
only problems encountered with this grain
are large-scale proteins (these are degraded
in malt during the mashing and malting
process). Of particular interest are the
b-glucans that can cause haze in the fin-
ished beer. For this reason, it is recom-
mended that the flaked barley be included
with the malt in a protein rest before
starch conversion.
Recipes
All recipes are given for 6 U.S.-gallon
batches. A closely related metric version
is given for 25-liter batches. The exact size
is unimportant so long as everything is in
The first recipe is a North German-
style lager. Officially, the German purity
law (Rheinheitsgebot) forbids use of
unmalted grains in the beers to be sold
inside Germany, but some brewers have
avoided this by using so-called "chit malt."
Here barley is allowed to germinate only
to the point where it is technically con-
sidered malt. For all practical purposes
these grains can be considered the same
as raw barley, and treated as such in the
mash. It is a shame that this style has to
be associated with what many feel is a
deceptive practice. The beers themselves
are excellent and full of character.
North German Lager
(6 gallons or 25 liters)
Grains: 7.5 lbs . (3 .75 kg) malt (2-row)
1 lb. (.5 kg) flaked barley
Data: OG 12.0 degrees B (1.048),
TG = 2.5 degrees B (1.010)
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
Hops : High bitter level- 75 percent bitter
hops, 25 percent aroma hops
Fermentation: Ferment at 50 degrees F (10
degrees C) with lager yeast approximately
7 days . Rack and age 4 to 7 weeks at 32
degrees F (0 degrees C) .
The next beer style using unmalted
barley is a stout. It illustrates th e nice
touches both flaked as well as roasted
barley can make in these ales. The recipe
was taken from David Line:
Stout
(6 gallons or 25 liters)
Grains: 7 lbs. (3.5 kg) malt (2-row)
2 lbs. (1 kg) flaked barley
1 lb . (.5 kg) roasted barley
Data: OG = 12.6 (1 .051)
TG = 2.5 (1.010)
Hops: High bitter level,
100 percent bitter hops .
Fermentation: Ferment at 60 to 65 degrees
F (16 to 28 degrees C) with ale yeast. Line
recommends yeast collected from Guin-
ness bottles. The termination should take
3 to 4 days. Rack and age at 40 to 50
degrees F (4 to 10 degrees C) for 7 days.
The above data were computed as-
suming an extract rate of 7.6 degrees B for
flaked barley. The contributions from the
roasted barley were ignored.
Maize
Maize (corn) is a grain that is
indigenous to North America, so it is not
surprising that it has played such an
important role in defining the American
beer style. In England sugar played an
analogous role· because of its availability
from various colonies. Maize was first
introduced in American brewing in the
19th century to overcome serious deficien-
cies in the domestic 6-row malt in that
period. Since then it has become a normal
ingredient in many American beers.
Raw corn grits have to be processed in
a cooker mash, and as noted above this can
give an out-front corn flavoring . Grits are
generally used only for economic reasons.
Flaked maize, on the other hand, does not
produce such flavors. Instead, it con-
tributes a smooth grainlike sweetness that
can be properly balanced if the hop rate
is sufficiently high. Also, flaked maize is
hardly used for economic reasons. Indeed,
it typically will cost homebrewers at least
twice as much as domestic malt, and is
even more expensive than imported malt.
The first recipe illustrates one way
flakes can be used to advantage, and it also
illustrates the type of beer brewed in the
United States before Prohibition. Here one
starts with an all-malt base that without
the flakes would give an OG of around 12
degrees B (1.048). However, the desire is to
have a much stronger beer but one that is
not overly satiating. This is where the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
21
CEREAL GRAINS FROM PAGE 21
flakes with their low protein levels come
in. Their understated sweetness also is
useful in balancing the high hop rates. The
recipe given below was taken from
Brewer 's Manual by A.L. Nugy, and it is
amazing that this was once a beer with a
large sales volume.
Pre-Prohibition American Lager
(6 gallons or 25 liters)
Grains: 9.5 lbs . (4.75 kg) malt (6-row)
2.5 lbs. (1.25 kg) flaked maize
Data: OG = 15.8 degrees B (1.065),
TG = 3.2 degrees B (1.013)
Hops: Very high bitterness level, 50
percent bitter and 50 percent
aromatic hops
Fermentation: Same as North German
Lager except age 2 to 6 months at 32
degrees F (0 degrees C).
The use of maize in modern times has
spread throughout the brewing world. The
following is a Dutch-style lager based on
Heineken. The rationale for using maize
is similar to those given above e~cept the
beer is not nearly as strong!
Dutch Lager
(6 gallons or 25 liters)
Grains: 6.5 lbs. (3 .25 kg) malt (2-row)
1.5 lbs. (1.25 kg) flaked maize
Data: OG = 11.7 degrees B (1 .047),
TG = 2.4 degrees B (1.009)
Hops: High bitterness level, 25 percent
bitter and 75 percent aroma
hops
Fermentation: Same as North German
Lager .
dog's nose. A mixed drink of hot beer laced with gin and flavored with sugar.
invertase. An en:cyme that hydrolyzes disaccharides monosaccharides.
godisgood. An early name given to yeast by English brewers who did not
understand its chemistry and workings .
ebulum. In .old England, an ale flavored with elder, juniper, ginger and other
herbs and sp1ces.
d~stiller~s beer. Fully fermented, non-hopped, all-malt beer that is distilled
d1rectly mto whiskey.
cant. The piece of wood, at the head of the cask, in which a tap hole is pierced.
Dictionary of Beer and Brewing
The extract rate for flaked maize is
usually consistent, and is near 9.2 degrees
B.
Rice
Rice is usually regarded as the
premium grain. It has a neutral taste,
unlike the grains discussed above, and this
is regarded as a positive characteristic
because the use of rice will not interfere
with the basic malt character of the beer.
Rice tends to promote dry, crisp and
snappy flavors.
Throughout the 20th century Bud-
weiser has been brewed with malt and
rice, and in many respects, it is the
quintessential premium North American
lager. The author is not aware of the exact
Budweiser recipe but the following facts
are known:
• OG = 11.2 degrees B
• TG = 2.0 degrees B (82.1 percent
fermentability)
• BU = 14
• The only grains are malt and rice
• Anheuser-Busch prefers aromatic
hops
• Both 6-row and 2-row are used
The following are guesses:
• The 6-row and 2-row malts are used
in equal amounts
• Rice consists of 'h of the grain bill
(this may be too high).
Given these we arrive at the following:
North American Lager
(6 gallons or 25 liters)
Grains: 2 lbs. 10 oz. (1.5 kg) malt (2-row)
2lbs. 10 oz. (1 .5 kg) malt (6-row)
to
2 lbs. 10 oz. (1.5 kg) rice
Data: OG = 11.2 degrees B (1.045),
TG = 2.0 degrees B (1.008)
Hops: Low to medium bitterness level,
100 percent aromatic hops
Fermentation: See below.
The aging period for Budweiser has
been sharply reduced in recent years. It is
now 2 to 3 weeks where formerly it more
closely resembled that described in the
German lager. This is a point where inter-
ested homebrewers can come to their own
conclusions as to which is best. Also, the
fruity character of Budweiser is important
and requires carbonation by a kraeusen.
The extract rate for rice is similar to
maize, 9.2 degrees B per gallon.
Wheat
Wheat beers are now very popular,
and for good reason, for they are delicious,
refreshing and snappy brews. They are
centered around malted wheat, and a
variety of styles are possible. Here we shall
confine attention to beers that use wheat
as a minor adjunct.
Two basic features are obtained:
Smoothness - Unlike barley, there is
almost no husk in wheat. Thus, there is
very little "testinic" material (tannins,
resins, etc.) that contribute grainy
astringency.
Foam stand - The foam building
properties of the wheat proteins are
superior to those of barley proteins.
Because the wheat proteins tend to be
glutinous or doughy in nature, they can
cause problems with haze and Iauter
runoff. For this reason, it is normally
advisable to use malted wheat (where
these proteins are partially degraded)
rather than flakes. The following ale is an
example of how wheat can be used as a
minor adjunct. It is taken from Line.
Burton Ale
(5 gallons or 25 liters)
Grains : 6 lbs . (3 kg) malt (2-row)
1 1/z lbs. (.75 kg) flaked maize
4 oz. (125 grams) wheat malt
3 oz. (62 grams) caramel malt
Data: OG = 11.0 (1 .044)
TG = 22 (1.009)
Hops: High bitterness level,
100 percent aromatic hops
Fermentation: Same as stout except longer
bulk aging is preferred.

by Carl Forget. For those who really want to know about Note: Line's recipe calls for a non-grain
additive ('brewers caramel'). This has been
beer and brewing. replaced with caramel malt in the above
version.
AHAMembers$15.95,Nonmembers$19.95. • 6x9, 176pp., tables, 1929
definitions, softcover, #414. Published by Brewers Publications • PO Box Mashing Cereal Grains
287 • Boulder, CO 80306-0287 • (303) 447-0816, FAX: (303) 447-2825.
In mashing cereal grains, three cases
need to be considered: mashing flaked

22 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

barley and/or (malted) wheat, mashing
flakes and cereal mashes.
For best results in each of these cases
one should make sure that the alkalinity
of the water does not exceed 50 ppm. This
can be achieved by boiling and carefully
decanting. Also, the grain-to-water ratio
should be about 3 to 1. Use 3.1lbs. (1.35
kg) of grain for every gallon (3.785 liters)
of water . Finally, one should adjust the
water (by gypsum addition) so that the
calcium content is in the range 50 to
100 ppm.
In the first case, one treats all grains
equally. Thus, in the North German lager
one first grinds the 7.5lbs. (3.75 kg) of malt
and then combines it with the pound (.5
kg) of flaked barley and say, 3 gallons (12
liters) of water in the following way:
Protein rest - 110 degrees F (43 de-
grees C)- hold for 30 minutes. Ideally one
wants the pH to be in the range of 5.2 to
5.5 before leaving this rest.
Conversion - 155 degrees F (68 de-
grees C) - hold until complete conversion
as determined by an iodine test.
Mash off and sparge at 170 degrees F
(77 degrees C). The less sparge water the
better, since oversparging leads to astrin-
gent flavors. In the above, 5 gallons of
sparge water would be the most one would
want to use. Slightly less water than the
batch size should collect approximately 7
gallons (30 liters) of wort. The kettle boil
should be used to evaporate the wort down
to the desired final volume of 6 gallons or
25 liters.
A different procedure is recom-
mended for flakes. Here protein break-
down is not an issue, and thus flakes can
be left out of the mash until starch conver-
sion. In fact the flakes could be used as a
brake in the transition from the protein
rest. The following is a typical program:
Protein rest - 110 degrees F, 43 de-
grees C - same as above except the amount
of water used should be based only on the
malt used. Thus, in Dutch lager the 6.5 lbs.
(3.25 kg) should be combined with say, 2'14
gallons (8.5 liters) of water. In the Pre-
Prohibition Beer the 9.5 lbs. (4. 75 kg) of
malt should be combined with say, 3'1•
gallons (12.5 liters) of water.
Extra water - on a 3-to-1 basis the water
associated with the flakes should be
brought to a boil during the protein rest.
In the Dutch lager this amounts to 1/z
gallon (for 11!z lbs. of flakes), and in the
Pre-Prohibition lager this amounts to say,
1 gallon (3.8 liters).
Transition - at the end of the protein
rest the extra water at a boil is added to
the mash. This is a boost to the transition.
The target is 150 degrees F (66 degrees C),
and when this temperature is reached the
flakes should be stirred in.
Intermediate rest- hold 150 degrees F
(66 degrees C) for 15 minutes. There is
some conversion going on here, but the
main object is to liquefy the flakes.
'~lso,
the grain-to-water
ratio should
be 3 to 1."
Conversion - same as above.
Mash off and sparge - same as above.
As above one should sparge until 7
gallons (30 liters) of water is collected. This
should be reduced to 6 gallons (25 liters)
in the kettle boil.
The final case to be considered is a
cereal mash, and we assume rice is the
cereal grain in question. Short-grain rice
is preferred, and is generally available in
health-food stores. The more common
long-grain varieties also can be used.
However, to get best results long-grain rice
should be milled before use.
Cooker mash - combine the rice with
a 10 percent malt charge with water on a
2-to-1 basis. Thus, in the American lager,
2 lbs. 10 oz. (1.5 kg) of rice is combined
with 'I• lb . (1/8 kg) of malt and 1 1/z gallons
(6'14 liters of water.)The initial temperature
Barley malt
& Vine
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Information
Is The Most Important Ingredient
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 23
is 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Tempera-
ture should be raised to a boil over a 50-
minute period. Have extra water at a boil
to feed the mash and avoid total evapora-
tion. Hold the boil for 5 minutes.
Main mash - combine the remaining
malt with water at 110 degrees F (43 de-
grees C) on a 3-to-1 basis. Start this mash
in the middle of the cooker mash so the
protein rest at 110 degrees F (43 de-
grees C) will last at least 30 minutes. If the
pH drop to 5.2 to 5.5 requires a longer
time, then the main mash sl:!.9uld be
started earlier. When the cooker iTia-s-h- is
complete it is added to the main mash and
the temperature in the latter should be
raised to 155 degrees F (68 degrees C).
This is held until starch conversion, and
the mash off and sparge is done as
described.
As a general rule the less the mash is
stirred the better, because overstirring pro-
motes grainy astringency in the finished
beer. However, in the above procedures
some stirring is needed to maintain the
proper temperature, and in the cereal
mash, it is needed to avoid overcooking the
grains. If it is done gently, then problems
should not be encountered. fA
George Fix, a member of the Master
Brewers of America, is a homebrewer liv-
ing in Upper St. Clair, Pa.
~ PURE LIQUID -
YEAST CULTURES
The essential
ingredient for
successful, clean
tasting homemade
beer.
We also have the
necessary beermaking
supplies and
equipment.
Write or call for catalog:
THE
~ROZ!N
WORT
Dept. 85 • PO Box 94 7
Greenfield, MA 01302
(413) 773-5920
 The Effects ·Of
Brewing Water On
The Brewing Process
echnology today has made it The principal ions most likely to be

''Alm ost
W ithout
II possible to turn virtually any
source of water into an ac-
ceptable supply usable for
drinking, brewing, cleaning,
steam generation or cooling. Processes
available vary greatly in their approach
and their equipment.
found in brewing water are those of
calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium
(Na), potassium (K), sulfate (S0 4) , chloride
(Cl), nitrate (N0 3 ) and carbonate (C0 3 ).
The minor ions of silicate (Si0 3), iron
(Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), tin (Sn),
fluorine (F), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn)
Often, economics dictate the type and may be found only in trace amounts. The
Exception, It approach of water treatment used. Other
times, the characteristics of the raw water
chemical and flavor effects of these ions
are described below and are brjefly sum-
Will Be ~ mandate the process required. At the same
time, there is an ever-increasing need to
marized in Tables 1 and 2.
Calcium. This ion is most likely the
use and conserve every drop of this most important ion present in brewing
N ecessary valuable commodity. In many cases, recy-
cling water is not only wise but highly
water. Calcium is very important to several
chemical and flavor factors in brewing.
advisable. Primarily, calcium lowers the pH of thE
For All i
Almost without exception, it will be
necessary for all breweries to treat their
mash by interacting with phosphates and
protein from the malt. The phosphate1
brewing water. While most receive water form an equilibrium mixture of ions,
Breweries Ji treated by municipal treatment systems,
the water may be low in calcium, the pH H+ H+ H+

To Treat J
may not be acceptable for malting or
mashing, the chlorine content may not be I I I
desirable or the tri-halomethane or HZP04~H\04~ H{04~P04

Their l i
chlorophenol content may be prohibitive.
Whatever the case, a treatment process
H+ H+ H+

must be selected to remove or alter the

Brew ing i
undesirable components of the water
supply.
or simply stated:

The ionic concentrations of a water

Water.'' i supply play an important role in the
enzymatic activities of the mash, regulate
changes in the brew kettle cooling and
fermentation and contribute to the flavor If the equilibrium is shifted to the right,
KEN TAYLOR of the final product. It should also be noted
that different beer types require different
hydrogen ions (H • J are released. An
insoluble tertiary salt (P0 4 A-3) and a
GOLDEN, COLORADO water characteristics. slightly soluble secondary salt (HP0 4 k 3)

24 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

 are formed, and the resulting pH of the
mash is lowered. This lowering of the pH
is critical in that it provides the necessary
environment for alpha-amylase (optimum
pH 5.7), beta-amylase (optimum pH 4.7)
and proteolytic enzymes (optimum pH 4.2
to 5.0) activity. This in turn will enhance
saccharification and proteolysis-leading
to an increase in extract yield and a rise
in soluble nitrogen. In other words, by
precipitating phosphates, calcium causes
a reduction in the buffering capacity of the
wort-stimulating proteolysis and increas-
ing yield.
Calcium ions initiate the precipitation
of oxalate, present in the malt. If insuffi-
cient calcium is available, the oxalate may
develop into a haze in the final product.
A 10:1 ratio of calcium to oxalate is usually
sufficient to prevent this haze formation .
The presence of calcium also is important
in the sparge water. By maintaining an
acidic pH in the water supply, coloring
material, off-taste flavoring substance
(tannins) and silicas from the spent grains
will not be extracted during the sparge
cycle. Failure to limit the extraction of
these will also result in haze formation in
the final product.
In the brew kettle, in the presence of
calcium, insoluble calcium phosphate
precipitation is completed, with the wort
pH being further reduced. This lower pH
limits extraction of the soft hop resins and
slows the conversion of these resins to a
more soluble iso-product. This prevents
the wort from becoming more bitter.
It also appears that the effect calcium
has on pH-with the resulting precipita-
tion of protein-directly enhances floc-
culation and response of yeast to isinglass
finings in fermentation. The mechanism
of this is not completely understood .
Finally, microbiological populations
appear to be somewhat stunted at lower
pH values.
Caution must be used, however, to
avoid overdosing of calcium. It has been
shown that blending water having too
much calcium will initiate additional for-
mation of calcium oxalate. The calcium
oxalate will cause haze and foaming prob-
lems in the final product. A range of 40
ppm to 100 ppm of calcium is recom-
mended for all brewing and blending
water.
Magnesium. This ion reacts similarly
to calcium when present with phosphate
ions, in that tertiary and secondary
phosphate salts are precipitated. The effect
on pH is not as significant as with calcium,
however, because the magnesium phos-
phate salts are more soluble than the
calcium salts. Magnesium is most impor-
tant for its benefit to yeast metabolism dur-
ing fermentation. Most generally, enough
magnesium is naturally present in malt
and the water supply for all brewery
requirements. Special care must be taken
if additional magnesium is added. At con-
centrations of greater than 30 ppm, a very
marked sour-to-bitter flavor can be caused
by magnesium.
Sodium. Sodium has virtually no
chemical effect on the brewing process. In
conjunction with chloride, a concentration
of 75 ppm to 150 ppm can provide a
"desirable palate fullness." The 150 ppm
concentration should be considered a
maximum. It should be noted that the
flavor characteristics of sodium linked
with chloride are preferable to those of
sodium linked with sulfate. Concentra-
tions above 150 ppm can induce a sour-
saline off taste.
Potassium. Potassium, at a concentra-
tion greater than 10 ppm, inhibits certain
enzymes present in the mash. Significant
concentrations can create a salty off-taste.
Carbonate. Under conditions of
temperature and acidity, as found in the
mash, the pH equilibrium provided by the
calcium is counteracted by carbonate, as
follows:
Acidic pHs and high temperatures
displace the equilibrium to the left, driv-
ing off carbon dioxide gas, absorbing
hydrogen ions and raising the pH. The
critical factor involved with carbonate is
that twice as many hydrogen ions are
absorbed by carbonate as are released by
an equivalent amount of calcium.
This means carbonate ions are twice
as effective in raising pH as calcium ions
are in lowering it. As a result, the presence
of carbonate ions, by raising the pH, will
tend to give less fermentable worts, will
leave a larger amount of insoluble
nitrogenous matter in colloidal suspen-
sion, will enhance extraction of off-flavor
material from spent grains during sparg-
ing and will contribute to a less efficient
separation of protein/protein-tannin
elements during the hot and cold breaks.
In addition to affecting the chemical
stability of the beer, the resultant increase
in pH can lead to a rise to unacceptable
wort color values as well as provide an
environment more favorable to bacterial
infections. Concentrations should not
exceed 50 ppm.
Nitrate/Nitrite. It was originally
believed that nitrate, at concentrations 20
ppm to 50 ppm and above, was undesirable
for brewing water supplies. This concern
was exacerbated when, because of popula-
tion increases and a widespread use of
nitrogenous fertilizers, levels of nitrogen
increased dramatically. A majority of
nitrate in beer has been shown to originate
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
from the brewery water and hop supplies
as the following table shows:
Nitrate jN0 3 )
Commodity Concentrations jppm)
Water 5-45
Barley negligible
Malt negligible
Maize flakes & grits negligible
Sugar syrups 0·92
Hops 3000-9000
Hop extracts negligible
The contribution of hops alone to wort
could amount to as much as 25 ppm (at a
hoppin_g rate of 1 lb/bbll. Recent research
has indicated that nitrate has no effect on
brewing or fermentation. Nitrite (N0 2 A\
however, has been shown to have signifi-
cant effects on fermentation. At as small
a level as 25 ppm, nitrite has reduced
fermentation rates, dampened the rate of
pH reduction and given rise to higher
levels of vicinal diketones in beers. Addi-
tional effects on yeast metabolism include
increases in the average size in yeast cells,
but a noticeable reduction in the weight
of a yeast crop. Consecutive fermentations
in wort with 25 ppm nitrite demonstrated
reduced fermentation rates-indicating a
carry-over or mutagenic effect on the yeast
population with extended exposure to
nitrite.
A most probable reason for finding
nitrite in brewing water is that of
microbiological infections where bacteria
reduce nitrate to nitrite. Several genera of
bacteria are capable of this metabolic
reduction including Enterobacter, Kleb-
siella, Citrobacter and Obseumbacterium.
Some genera of wild yeast (i.e., yeasts other
than brewing yeast) also are capable of
reducing nitrate to nitrite.
Nitrite can be "consumed" by various
means. When the pH decreases during
fermentation, nitric oxide gas is evolved in
the presence of nitrite. Nitrite is consumed
during yeast metabolism and has been
shown to react with some amino acids and
phenolic compounds. Heat has been
demonstrated to rapidly remove nitrite,
causing an increase in oxidation.
If nitrate remains in the beer, which
later becomes infected with nitrate-
reducing bacteria, gushing will be ex-
perienced, resulting from nitrogen gas pro-
duced when nitrite reacts with amino
acids. Test strips for determining the
presence of nitrite are available. Standard
wet chemistry methods for detection of
nitrate and nitrite also are available. Steps
must also be taken to eliminate, or at least
limit, populations of nitrate-reducing
bacterial populations.
Chlorine/Chloride. Water obtained
from municipal water supplies will, in all
likelihood, contain residual amounts of
chlorine for the purposes of disinfection.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
25
BREWING WATER FROM PAGE 25
And, in line with the fluctuations in overall
water characteristics, chlorine concentra-
tions also can be expected to vary-
sometimes significantly. Given the organic
content of the water supply, it may be
possible that, in the presence of chlorine,
chlorophenols will be formed. These
organic compounds (which have been
shown to be carcinogenic) will cause off
flavors at 1.0 ppm concentration. High con-
centrations of chlorine (i.e., greater than
10 ppm free residual chlorine) in conjunc-
tion with acidic pHs, can cause pipe cor-
rosion giving rise to flavor problems and
equipment failure.
Without exception, means for remov-
ing excess chlorine must be present in the
water treatment system. Filtration through
activated carbon is an adequate treatment
step.
Chloride ions may affect yeast floc-
culation, and the colloidal stability of the
wort. Chloride may also impart a sweet,
full-palate flavor in the product at concen-
trations above 250 ppm.
Ken Taylor is the Senior Quality
Assurance Analysis Chemist for the
Adolph Coors Company, Golden, Colo.

TABLE 1 Iron Fe• 2 or Fe• 3

Chemical Effects of Brewing Water Ions affects yeast metabolic activity
may cause haze
Hydrogen Hydroxide H•OH· Copper Cu• 1
pH depends on their ratio toxic to yeast above 10 ppm
Calcium Ca' 2 necessary for yeast metabolic activity
precipitates PO;' in wort catalyses formation of oxidation hazes
stabilizes alpha-amylase Fluoride F- 1
increases total soluble nitrogen in wort no effect on brewing process up to 10 ppm
precipitates oxalate
decreases color Nickel Ni+ 4
improves hot & cold break efficiency causes foaming
improves yeast flocculation
limits extraction of flavor & color substances Tin, Lead Sn-4
significantly influences pH causes haze
induces saccharification
induces proteolysis TABLE 2
extends the optimal pH range of all enzymes Flavor Effects of Brewing Water Ions
reduces buffering capability of wort Calcium Ca• 2
slows conversion of hop soft resins limits extraction of undesirable proteins during sparging
Magnesium Mg• 2 Magnesium Mg• 2
needed for yeast metabolism, affects pH, although much may give sour-to-bitter flavor above 30 ppm
less than Ca• 2
Sodium Na•1
Sodium Na• 2 , Potassium K• 1 slightly sour-salty flavor effect
no chemical effects
Potassium K•1
Manganese Mn+ 2 salty flavor effect, less effect than Na• 1
traces present in malt important enzyme
co-factor in yeast levels should be below 0.2 ppm Chloride Cl-
medicinal flavor from chlorophenol formation
Carbonate HC0,· 1
_Carbonate HC03 -1
high levels cause high pH
can result in bitterness due to effects on sparging
affects pH more significantly than Ca• 2
affects malt extract yield Nitrate N0,- 1
allows more undergraded nitrogenous matter in solution no effect on flavor
allows faster extraction of undesirables during sparging
produces higher color Nitrite N0; 2
gives less efficient hot & cold break no effect on flavor
can give rise to microbial infections Silicate Si0,- 2
Chloride Cl· 1 no effect on flavor
limits yeast flocculation Sulfate S04 - 2
improves clarification dry-to-bitter effect on flavor source of S0 2 and H2 S
improves colloidal stability during fermentation
Nitrate N0,- 2 Iron Fe• 2 or Fe• 3
no useful purpose in brewing metallic flavor
may indicate pollution is present
Manganese Mn-2
unharmful up to 200 ppm if no bacterial infection
no effect on flavor
Nitrite N0; 1
Copper Cu• 1
toxic to yeast
no effect on flavor
decreases fermentation rate
lowers pH Fluorine F- 1
increases vicinal diketone level no effect on flavor
Silicate Si0,- 2 Nickel Ni• 4
causes scale metallic flavor
causes haze Zinc Zn• 2
may hamper yeast metabolic activity
metallic flavor

26 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

Yeast Cycles:
Ethanol, C02 ,
d By~roducts
I I
ttJ~ lot ofbeen
has •ttention
giveninin.ecent yen
the home-
brewing literature to basic
ingredients such as malt and
hops. Indeed, homebrewers
have become relatively sophisticated with
respect to their preferences in these areas.
Beer fermentation, on the other hand,
has not received nearly as much attention,
yet there is evidence that suggests it may
be the weak link in our brewing pro-
cedures. For those of us who find there is
a gap between our highest ideals (as
diverse as these may be!) and what we are
actually brewing, it may be that an effec-
tive way to close this gap is to increase our
understanding of what is actually going on
in our fermenters.
This article deals with what could be
called the "classic" fermentation. Here the
inputs are yeast, wort nutrients, oxygen
and wort sugars, and the outputs are
ethanol and CO,. If input and output
were the only things going on in our
fermenters, however, beer would tend to be
insipid and bland. Fortunately, this is not
the case, and in a real beer fermentation
various byproducts are also produced that
make a significant contribution to beer
flavors, both positive and negative.
The Classical Fermentation
For convenience, we split the classical
fermentation into the initial period; the
respiratory phase of aerobic yeast growth
and energy production; and the fermenta-
-(cane sugar). Unlike maltose, the link be-
tion phase of anaerobic production of
ethanol. I emphasize that this separation
is somewhat arbitrary. What we are actu-
ally dealing with is an integrated system
where the separate phases are interrelated.
The initial phase can be viewed as that
period between the time we pitch our yeast
and the time activity is apparent by foam
appearing on the surface of the wort. Long
lag times are definitely bad, but "how long
is too long" varies with circumstances.
Here we shall confine attention to what is
going on in this phase and how we as
brewers can influence these things.
Four items are relevant:
• Sugar intake by yeast,
• Nutrient intake by yeast,
• Oxygen content of our worts,
• Physical state of our yeasts.
It is of vital importance that the sugars
in wort actually be taken up into the yeast
cells. Until this is done the other phases
''Beer
of fermentation will not proceed in a nor-
mal manner. Here is a brief description of
the sugar intake. Fermentation ,
Maltose transport is shown in
Figure 1. Observe that a molecule. of
maltose is brought directly onto the cell,
and then split into two glucose molecules.
• • • . May Be
The latter are then sent to a special part
of the cell for further processing. The point
to be made here is that our yeast have very The Weak
simple tastes and prefer only to work with
simple things. Complicated sugars like
dextrins (see Figure 2) are ignored.
The second point to be made is that
Link In
our yeast treat different simple sugars in
different ways. The bottom line here is that
the composition of our wort is of crucial
ou·r Brewing
importance. This is illustrated in Figure 3
which shows th~ tnmsport of SI).J::rose
Procedure.''
tween the elementary sugars (here glucose
and fructose) is broken outside the cell and
the individual simple sugars are then
brought into the cell.
GEORGE FIX
CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 UPPER ST. CLAIR, PENNSYLVANIA
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 27
 YEAST CYCLES FROM PAGE 27

FIGURE 1. MALTOSE UPTAI<:E In addition to wort sugars, yeast also

need to bring nutrients from wort into the
YEAST CELL cell. The issue here is simple: If we want
MALTOSE
our yeast to work for us we are going to
have to feed them.
While many things have been iden-
tified as "yeast nutrients," there is only one
really reliable source for the small-scale
GLUCOSE brewer, and that comes from the proteins
GLUCOSE GLUCOSE
PROCESSING in malt. The protein material in raw barley
(SIMPLE 1-4 LINK) UNIT (and wheat) is typically very complicated,
and yeast will simply ignore such things.
In the malting and mashing processes
these proteins are broken down into
simpler units, and it is the most elemen-
tary of all, namely amino acids, that yeasts
use as nutrients.
The term free amino nitrogen (FAN) is
generally used to characterize the amount
of amino acid in our worts. An all-malt
wort of standard strength (say 10 degrees
FIGURE 2. A TYPICAL DEXTRIN B, 1.040) or higher will have an FAN con-
tent of 220 ppm or higher. This is consid-
ered ideal for our yeast. Raw unmalted
grains (corn, rice, etc.) make no contribu-
tions to the FAN content, nor do sugars
(glucose, sucrose, etc.). Thus, as the
amount of malt goes up so does the FAN
level, although the way the grains are
malted and mashed also is a factor.
YEAST
CELL FIGURE 4. FAN VS.
YEAST GROWTH

(1-4 AND 1-6 LINKS)

z
iii20
Q
~

~15
-~10
....:!

FIGURE 3. SUCROSE UPTAI(E V)

~
~
0 5
SUCROSE E-<
'7:
0 60
FRUCTOSE
~ AMOUNT OF YEAST GROWTH
PROCESSING
UNIT
To see the practical significance of
this, consider Figure 4 which contains
(LINK BROKEN results from the Suntory group in Japan.
OUTSIDE CELL) In this work they fermented a number of
GLUCOSE worts under the same conditions. The only
PROCESSING thing that was varied was the malt frac-
UNIT tion. By decreasing the amount of malt,
one decreases the FAN level. For each of
the fermentation~, the rate of yeast growth
was measured. Figure 4 contains a plot of
this versus FAN levels. Different yeast
strains will produce different curves.
YEAST CELL However, the qualitative features in Figure
4 are general: less malt means lower levels
of yeast growth and hence, longer lag times
(among other things, as we shall see later).
A second issue related to wort com-
position is the so-called Crabtree effect.
This occurs in worts where a large amount

28 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

 of sugars-like glucose (dextrose)-is used
in place of malt or other grains-like rice
and others. An all-grain wort will have
maltose as the dominant sugar. This is
what our yeast expect and they can get
confused if this is not the case. What can
happen in a wort with a high glucose con-
tent is that yeast, upon seeing all the
glucose, start worrying that their maltose
transportation systems have been overex-
tending themselves (breaking 1 to 4
glucose links). They then either slow down
or completely shut off their maltose
transport. This leads to a "traffic jam" of
maltose lining up and waiting to get into
the yeast cells. This in turn leads to long
lag times, plus a variety of other fermen-
tative disorders.
Where the Crabtree effect is relevant
to small-scale brewers is with Prohibition-
style homebrew. The first brews made by
the author were of this type. A typical five-
gallon batch included 2 lbs. of malt and 4
lbs. of glucose (dextrose). A check of the
fermentation records with these brews
shows that the Crabtree effect is indeed
a real phenomenon! While a few brews
made it through in reasonable shape, long
lag times (say 2 to 3 days instead of 8 to
10 hours) were encountered, and with
lagers fermented at 55 degrees F
(13 degrees C), long fermentation times of
3 to 4 weeks instead of 7 days occurred.
The damage this can cause the finished
beer is discussed later.
In addition to sugars and nutrients,
yeast also need a supply of oxygen at the
start of fermentation. It has been the
author's experience that small-scale
brewers have no problems including air
(and hence oxygen) into our worts and
beer! In the latter stages of fermentation
this can lead to problems. However, at the
start oxygen is a definit8 plus because yeast
will consume all of it in the respiratory
phase of fermentation . Practical tech-
niques include aeration of yeast as well as
aeration of wort. Yeast uses oxygen for the
synthesis of fatty acids and sterols. Wort
trub is rich in both of these, and trub
carried over into the fermenter can reduce
the need for aeration. However, important
work done at the Adolph Coors Co. shows
that this practice definitely decreases beer
quality.
The final point relevant to the starting
period is the physical state of the yeast.
Again, the point is straightforward. It is
one thing for us to give yeast the proper
amounts of oxygen and nutrients; however,
the yeast themselves must have the initial
internal food reserves to utilize them.
Yeast can starve and hungry yeast-like
humans-tend to suspend all other activi-
ties until the food reserves are rebuilt. This
amounts to an extension of the initial
period, or lag time. In some cases hun_gry
yeast will actually expel nitrogen material
from its cells when "shocked" by combin-
ing them with wort. Again, this can lead
to long lag periods. The effect is called
shock excretion, and it can be a serious
problem in the fermentation of high-
gravity worts due to the high levels of
osmotic pressure built up in the cells.
The major food reserve for yeast has
been identified as glycogen. The most
serious loss in glycogen occurs during
yeast storage. For example, it was reported
that a 33 percent loss in glycogen was
found while storing the yeast under a
water cover at 36 degrees F (2 degrees C)
for two days.
Some things that will delay glycogen
loss are
• keeping storage temperature as close
to 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) as possible,
• aerating the yeast slurry on a regular
basis,
• adding nutrients-magnesium, zinc,
ammonium phosphate-to water cover,
and
• storing with a small amount of wort
at 32 degrees F (0 degrees C).
These procedures do permit longer
storage periods, but the increase is in days,
not weeks.
The most effective and practical
method for yeast storage was first intro-
duced into the home brewing literature by
Fred Eckhardt. There also is an excellent
article by Jay Conner, zymurgy, Vol. 6,
No. 4 Winter 1983, and a recent book by
R. Leistad, Yeast Culturing for the Home-
Brewer. The main idea is simple yet ele-
gant. Rather than storing an entire slurry
FIGURE 5. RESPIRATORY PHASE
KREBS
\
CYCLE
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 29
of yeast, we store only a few cells with
appropriate nutrients (agar). When we
want new yeast we simply grow the stored
yeast into a larger slurry, in effect main-
taining a yeast farm! The methods dis-
cussed in the above references are simple
and do not require a high level of sani-
tation .
Once the Jag period is over, the respira-
tory phase begins. This is shown in
Figure 5. The first step is the conversion
of the 6 carbon sugar (glucose) into a 3 car-
bon acid (pyruvic acid). This process will
be evident to us by a significant drop in
pH . The next step leads to the reduction
of pyruvic acid to "activated acetic acid"
(acetyl C0 A), and this is followed by the
Krebs' cycle (sometimes called the citric
acid cycle). This phase is called a respira-
tory phase because yeast are using the
oxygen in wort to oxidize a variety of acid
compounds. This stage is evident to us
because carbon dioxide is liberated and
foam covers the surface of our worts, yet
there is no drop in the wort's gravity. The
importance of this phase is related to the
energy generated by yeast during this
period. The energy is crucial for the
fermentative stage, and is stored chemi-
cally in adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
molecules. Many byproducts of practical
importance are generated in this phase.
When the oxygen has been depleted,
yeast goes into an anaerobic mode, and
true fermentation begins. This is some-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
GLUCOSE
1 pH ~~
PYRUVIC
ACID
ACETYL

FIGURE 6. FERMENTATIVE PHASE
PYRUVIC
ACID
RESPIRATORY
PHASE
I ETHANOL
YEAST CYCLES FROM PAGE 29
times called the EMP (Embden-Meyerhof-
Parnas) pathways (Figure 6).
It is to be emphasized that air is defi-
nitely not wanted in this phase. In fact, air
can reverse the above steps to give the
following:
alcohol + 0 2 - - aldehydes
+ 0 2 --+ staling compounds
The staling compounds give unmis-
takably papery, cardboardy, and woody
flavor tones. Moreover, the smaller the
brew the easier it is to oxidize. Other
mechanisms are possible. Stecker degrada-
tion refers to the oxidation of amino acids:
amino acids + 0 2 --+ aldehydes
+ 0 2 - - staling compounds
In addition, hop components are
known to be potential precursors of staling
compounds. Ironically, it is exactly the
things (malt and hops) that make beer so
flavorful that also destroy it in the presence
of excess air levels!
Fermentation Byproducts
Literally hundreds of compounds are
known to exist in beer. Some of these are
30 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
EMP
PATHWAY
ACETALDEHYDE
I brewmasters tend to view diacetyl levels
\ \ C0 2
I
important to beer flavor and are relatively
well understood. Others are known to be
insignificant. A third category of flavor
components is felt to be important, but
poorly understood. We shall concentrate
on the following three groups that tend to
be the most important for small-scale
brewing:
• VDK - vicinal diketones (diacetyl,
pentanedione),
• fuse! alcohols, fatty acids, esters,
• sulfury compounds.
Diacetyl
Diacetyl falls into the important and
well understood category. For example, an
excellent article by T. Wainwright,
"Diacetyl - a Review," from the Nutfield
group in England contains 143 references!
The reason for all the attention is related
to diacetyl's strong flavoring. The average
sensory threshold in beer is around .1
ppm. However, in happy ales it is probably
at least twice this level while in bland
Pilseners it can be as low as .05 ppm. The
general situation is summarized in Table 1.
This situation is somewhat compli-
cated for the average homebrewer. Com-
mercial wine makers rave about the
buttery-vanilla flavors in th!Jir .Chardon-
nays. Margarine manufacturers brag about
how their products have a re.al butter flavor
(diacetyl is added to achieve this effect). Yet
we may get poor marks if our beers have
any of these characters. Moreover, modern
commercial beers of all types are charac-
terized by very low diacetyllevels. This is
evident from the data shown in Table 2,
taken from various issues of Brau-
industrie's "Biere aus aller welt" section.
Commercial Beers (from Brauindustrie)
From this table we can see that the
modern commercial view is that diacetyl
is not wanted, and this applies to strong
specialty beers like the German beer,
E.K.U.-28, as well as bland Pilseners.
Homebrewers may or may not wish to
accept these opinions, yet they are based
on carefully thought-out reasons. Bad
brewing practices (excess air, unclean
conditions, etc.) tend to produce high
diacetyl levels, and thus most modern
as a measure of their overall quality con-
trol, quite apart from their significance in
beer flavors.
I emphasize that diacetyl is created
naturally in a beer fermentation. In addi-
tion, it is reduced naturally by yeast (see
Figure 7). The major growth period occurs
in the respiratory phase of aerobic yeast
growth, and is reduced during the anaer-
obic fermentative stage. Also, the effect of
temperature-the higher the temperature
the higher the diacetyl growth, and at the
same time, the higher the temperature the
greater the diacetyl reduction.
One major practical implication can
be gleaned from this, and this is related to
the single- versus double-stage fermenta-
tion. By racking our beers before the ter-
mination of fermentation we are in danger
of doing two undesirable things:
• Separation of yeast and wort at
exactly the wrong time, when the yeast are
in a diacetyl reduction mode, and
• The introduction of air during the
anaerobic phase can generate the so-called
Pasteur effect, conversion of an anaerobic
pathway into an aerobic pathway. This will
lead to increased diacetyl production.
It is important to keep in mind that the
only mechanism for diacetyl reduction
available to us is contact of beer with yeast.
This explains the old brewers' phrase "the
beer is alive," meaning that beer is in con-
tact with yeast and as a result good things
are happening.
The lag period has a significant effect
on diacetyl production. This is shown in
Figure 8. Note the case of low FAN levels
(a situatjon where a long lag period is
likely). After an initial reduction of VDK
(diacetyl plus pentanedione) there is a
renewed period of diacetyl production.
This is the so-called second diacetyl peak,
and it is typical of fermentation disorders.
The byproducts of diacetyl reduction
by the yeast are various dials. They are
harmless and make no contribution to beer
flavors or stability. The diacetyl pathway
 is shown in Figure 9, which is a summary
of the various pathways discussed pre-
Table 1 . Diacetyl Content viously. The precursors of diacetyl are
amino acids and pyruvic acid. This ex-
Category Diacetyl Content Flavors plains the valine (and amino acids) reduc-
tion in Figure 8.
' Certain wines up to 3 ppm vanilla , butter
Fuse! Alcohols, Fatty Acids, Esters
l Infected beer .2 ppm and higher rancid butter,
of all types bulric (rubber) Fuse! alcohols, fatty acids and esters
'Traditional also tend to play a significant role in
.2 to .5 ppm unimportant if
British ales small-scale brewing. For exa mple, Hough,
the hop rate is
sufficiently high Briggs, Stevens and Young state in Malting
U.S. beers in pre-1950s, .15 to .3 ppm butter, butter- and Brewing Science, Vol. II, that "It is
average homebrews free of sco tch, tart noteworthy that the levels of higher alco-
1 bacterial infection aftertaste hols in home-brewed beer and wines is at
least 10 times higher than those in com-
Average flavor threshold .1 ppm
mercial products." The fuse! alcohols are
Commercial beers .05 ppm and below not important more intoxicating and toxic than ethanol.
However, their primary effect in beer is on
flavors and aroma. They tend to produce
a cloying sweetness on the front of the
Table 2 . Commercial Beers (from Brauindustrie) tongue along with a harsh aftertaste on the
back of the tongue. Fatty acids also are
Alcohol Bitterness Diacetyl important in homebrews. They give an
Beer Original Extract (% wt.) (IBU) (ppm) unmistaka ble soapy flavor, and have a
negative effect on beer foam as well as
Bud 11.2 (1.045) 3.78 14.0 .03 contributing to staling.
Michelob 12.0 (1.048) 3.81 14.0 .04 On the other hand, the so-called ba-
Coors 11.0 (1.043) 3.64 14.5 .02 nana esters (isoamyl acetate) give a fruity
EKU-28 28.8 (1.127) 9.42 29.5 .06 aroma highly prized in certain British ales.
Stephansquell 18.5 (1.075) 6.24 23.0 .01 Budweiser also is known for its fruity
Weihenstephan alt 12.1 (1.048) 3.93 27.0 .02 character as are various Canadian beers
Weihenweizchbier 13.2 (1.053) 4.40 17.5 .01 and ales. Solvent-type flavor tones also can
Bass Pale Ale 11.8 (1.048) 3.70 19.0 .02 CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

FIGURE 7. DIACETYL PRODUCTION AND REDUCTION

Q
....:l
0
::r::
Vl
~
p:;
::r::
E-<
:X:
....:l
~
>
~
....:l
....:l
:>-<
5X
E-<
~

~
......
Q

THRESHOLD

DAYS AFTER PITCHING 5 10 15 20 25 30

.,_ FERMENTATION (PITCHING AT 8 DEGREES C MAX. TEMP. 14 DEGREES C) AND LAGERING (AT 14 DEGREES C)
o- FERMENTATION (PITCHING AT 8 DEGREES C MAX. TEMP. 14 DEGREES C) AND LAGERING (AT 0 DEGREES C)
k- FERMENTATION (PITCHING AT 4.5 DEGREES C MAX. TEMP. 8.5 DEGREES C) AND LAGERING (AT 0 DEGREES C)

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 31

 their genetic makeup can lead to a dif-
FIGURE 8. DIACETYL HISTORY IN THE FERMENTATION OF HIGH AND ference in performance.
LOW FAN WORTS-ASSIMILATION OF THE AMINO ACID VALINE Observe that fuse! alcohols can be
generated in two different ways. The one
on the far right in Figure 9 is called Ehrlich
pathway. Here the amino acids serve as a
HIGH FAN CONTENT LOW FAN CONTENT carbon source, and they are degraded
o.a
1 ultimately to aldehydes and finally to fuse!
Ql
alcohols. The second option is called the
.... T-DTACETYL
biosynthetic pathway, and is on the far left
~ in Figure 9. This is the pathway that leads
'\ \ 0.6 6 to isoamyl alcohol, which some yeast
:; I strains will combine with acetyl to form
e\ VALINE ()
E-<
zP.l '
\
banana esters (isoamyl acetate). The
~ · biosynthetic pathway also leads to diacetyl
~ production.
' f-<
>0
z 0.8
C)
' >LI 0
' ',
'""'o
\

...
.........._..
()
0 1 Fatty acids and esters tend to be
Z ,j formed as the acetyl branch. In high grav-
,_,
ity brewing the formation of esters is a
·25
~~
serious problem since they tend to be of

r
;;J0.4 'o-o 0.2
/ T-DIACETYL 'o'-() the solvent type. Many breweries try to
-;:a i counteract this by supplying oxygen dur-
~ - "'
ing fermentation to encourage movement
to the Kreb's cycle as opposed to the other
0 4 options at the acetyl branch. These and
other measures are reviewed in Figure 9.
FERMENTATION PERIOD (DAY! FERMENTATION PERIOD (DAY! They tend to be of secondary importance
compared to the yeast strain used.
Table 3 . Miscellaneous Byproducts
Sulfur Byproducts
The sulfury byproducts fall into the
Action Effect category that are known to be important
to beer flavors, but are poorly understood.
Increased fermentation Increases fuse) Part of the problem is that there is no
temperature alcohols and esters general agreement over flavor terminology,
. and many of the analytical techniques
Increased wort Big increase in esters ' developed to date for measuring sulfur
gravity along with an increase compounds are considered to be
in fusel alcohols unreliable.
Add oxygen during It is known that hydrogen sulfide
Decreases esters (but
fermentation increases diacetyl) (H 2 S) with its unmistakable rotten egg
aroma .is produced during beer fermenta-
Increased yeast Decreases esters (but tion. However, it is typically scrubbed out
pitching rate increases effects from by C0 2 and generally is not important in
yeast autolysis) either commercial or homebrewed beer.
Increased trub Increases fuse! alcohols Yeast/sulfury tones once were com-
carryover but decreases fatty acids mon in homebrew. This arose from yeast
and esters autolysis common in freeze-dried yeast
cultures. High pitching rates also will pro-
Increased time of Decreases fuse! alcohols mote these effects.
kettle boil and fatty acids Various additives have been implicated
as precursors to sulfury beer notes.
Potassium metabisulfite, which is used by
some brewers as an antioxidant (and as a
preservative), is well known to ultimately
develop H,S/mercaptan flavor tone.
YEAST CYCLES FROM PAGE 31 The yeast strain used has a major in- Sulfury t1avor notes can also be ob-
be obtained from esters, particularly ethyl fluence, and . perhaps this could be the tained from basic materials such as malt
acetate. dominant effect. This has been shown and hops. Hops are known to contribute
These byproducts are not unrelated . clearly where a number of different strains volatile sulfur compounds such as mercap-
For example, the banana esters have long were used under identical conditions. The tans. However, it is generally felt this is not
been thought to be a product of fatty acids differences in the amounts of fatty acids, related to yeast metabolism.
and isoamyl alcohol, although recent work fuse! alcohols and esters are truly re- DMS (dimethyl sulfide) is a major
suggests that the mechanisms may be a bit markable. sulfur component in lager beer but
more complicated. The formation of the Another reason for the crucial role of not British ales. The precursors of DMS
ester ethyl acetate is used commercially for yeast strains can be seen from Figure 9, a are found in malt and are SMM Is-methyl-
solvents, and fatty acids combined with summary of the different pathways that methionine) and DMSO (dimethyl sul-
ethanol are used in this process. Similar occur in beer fermentation. Given the phoxide). Highly modified British ale malt
reactions apparently occur in beer fermen- number of options available to yeast, it is has very little of either due to the high
tation with similar effects. not surprising that even slight changes in temperatures used in the kiln. Less modi-

32 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

 FIGURE 9. SUMMARY OF PATHWAYS

AMINO
GLUCOSE AMINO
ACIDS
ACIDS

EHRLICH
PATHWAY

PYRUVIC KETO
ACID ACIDS

EMP
PATHWAY

ACETYL ACETALDEHYDE ALDEHYDES

KREBS FATTY ESTERS

ETHANOL FUSEL
CYCLE ACIDS
ALCOHOLS

ACETOLACATE BIOSYNTHIC
PATHWAY

ALDEHYDE

V.D.K.

ISOAMYL
ALCOHOL

ISOAMYL
ACETATE
(BANANA
ESTER)
DIOLS

CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMU RGY 33

 YEAST CYCLES FROM PAGE 33
fied lager malt, on the other hand, is rich
in both precursors. Some DMS is defi-
nitely needed in lager beer, and in fact it
is one of the key components that

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readily verified by brewing lager beer
using English ale malt. The result is
strangely insipid and tasteless, and the
effect is not minor.
Like diacetyl, DMS can be produced
in very large amounts by bacteria, where
it produces an unmistakable cooked vege-
table tone. In lager beer that is free of
infection, it will take on a malty/sulfury
note. It was once felt that DMSO was con-
verted into DMS in the fermentation. It is
now known this does not occur with beer
wort, and there should be a net reduction
of DMS during fermentation . The pres-
ence of excess DMS in beer most likely
comes in the wort production process.
SMM decomposes to DMS during the ket-
tle boil, but this is evaporated away.

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However, in the cooling period, partic-
ularly in long cooling periods where the
sweet wort is left at high temperatures for
a considerable period of time, SMM will
continue to decompose to DMS. The lat-
ter will remain in the wort and will be
passed on to the finished beer. This can
be avoided by wort chillers. However, if
more primitive methods of wort cooling
are used this could very well be a real
issue. irA

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34 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

Proteins-
Why Are They In My Beer?
n Latin the word protein means
D "of the first importance."
Unfortunately, in homebrew-
ing concern about proteills
seldom gets this stature. Most
homebrewers are unaware of the effect
proteins have on beer. If home brew didn't
contain proteins or the cleavage products
of them, it would be a yellowish, bitter,
hard and thin-tasting beverage without
head and without the "body" and palate
fullness that characterize a good beer.
To most homebrewers, proteins have
been one of the more confusing elements.
Proteins are usually not talked about in
depth I) most homebrew literature. You
are always told some proteins are good and
others are bad without much explanation.
Which proteins are bad and how to get rid
of them and which are good and how to
get more are questions often asked by this
homebrewer.
Basically, when you've said the word
proteins, you've said a lot. They are the
building blocks of life. Proteins make up
a large part of any living organism, hold
it together and run it. The word protein is
given to a large classification of com-
pounds in which any one could be called
a protein. The various compounds called
proteins can take on an infinite number of
sizes and shapes.
Protein Structures
The one thing that makes something
a protein is a structure composed of or
built from compounds called amino acids.
Another way to look at it is a protein com-
pound cannot be broken down any further
than an amino acid and still be called a
protein. In proteins an amino acid is
analogous to the glucose molecule in
starch. The amino acids are 22 similar
compounds in which one part of their
structure is exactly alike. Various proteins
are then built up by linking together
thousands of various amino acids.
fn beer the majority of the proteins
come from malted barley. Hardly any
come from the hops or adjuncts. In
malted barley all proteins start out from
two broad classes of proteins called
albumins and globulins. The major dif-
ferences between these two classes are that
albumins will dissolve in water while the
RUSSELL]. KLISCH
MILWAUKEE. WISCONSIN
globulins will not. Both of these proteins
are made up of thousands of amino acids
linked together. Just as starch can be
broken down into dextrins and maltose,
the proteins can be split into their con-
stituents by enzyme action. The first group
of cleavage products from globulins and
albumins are the peptones. Further en-
zyme cleavage action yields polypeptides.
By convention polypeptides are classified
as any protein with less than 100 amino
acid units. The polypeptides can be
degraded further until only the peptides
(amino acid linkage 10 or less) or the
amino acids remain.
The Protease Enzymes
The group of enzymes that breaks
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 35
down proteins is known as the protease
enzymes. The enzymes proteinase and
peptida se are the two main proteases.
Peptidase is the enzyme responsible
for the breakdown of the "med ium" size
peptones and polypeptides into the
small er protein residues of peptides and
amino acids. This stage is relatively impor-
tant because it is here that the yeast will
receive the highest grade nitrogen that it
needs for proper nutrition. The optimum
temperature range for the peptidase is
from 113 degrees F to 122 degrees F with
an optimum pH range of 4.2 to 5.3.
The enzyme proteinase is capable of
attacking albumins already dissolved in
the wort, along with the globulins that are
in so luble. These proteins are enzymatic-
ally broken down into the simpler proteins
of peptones and polypeptides. These are
the proteins that play a major role in the
foam potential of the beer and the flavor
or tactile impression (mouthfeel) the beer
delivers. It is important that all of the large,
soluble proteins undergo degradation at
this time to avoid becoming involved in
turbidities later in the finished beer. The
enzyme proteinase has an optimum tem-
perat ure range of 122 degrees to 140
degrees F and an optimum pH range of 4.2
to 5.3.
Head Retention
The biggest factor in providing good
head retention is reduction of surface
tension. Surface tension is a kind of free
energy arising from an unequal pull of the
molecules on the surface. In the middle of
the liquid, each molecule is pulled equally
in all directions. On the surface, however,
the molecule is pulled inward and down-
ward, but not upward. This causes the
molecules to try to move to the center of
the liquid . Thus any liquid will always try
to have a minimal surface area. For exam-
ple, if a drop is released from an eye drop-
per, the shape the liquid will take is that
of a sphere, having the least area. There-
fore, the greater the surface tension the
greater the liquid wants to contract. When
a bubble appears on the surface, the
greater the surface tension, the greater the
liquid wants to get back into the solution,
therefore bursting the bubble.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
PROTEINS FROM PAGE 35 effect on foam is destructive. The particles
In beer, several substances have lower serve as a nucleus on which gas bubbles
surface tensions than water. The main concentrate. Forming into large bubbles
ones are proteins and their breakdown they pass off readily through the surface
products, along with hop resins, gums, layer and do not form the small bubbles
alcohols, esters and organic acids. The best required for a stable foam .
head-retention proteins are the peptones From a good head retention point of
and polypeptides. The smaller protein par- view the homebrewer mainly wants to
ticles of amino acids and peptides lack the activate the proteinase enzyme. There are
visco?ity of the larger proteins and are conflicts in .literature as to the proper time
unable to act as a barrier preventing the needed to activate this enzyme during the
collapse of gas bubbles. On the other hand, protein rest. One article stated that too
when the proteins become sufficiently long a rest will overcleave the protein,
large (globulins and albumins), they resulting in mostly amino acids and pep-
become unstable and settle out to form tides, thereby hurting the head retention.
first a haze and then a turbidity. Here the Another article stated that no rise in sur-
STOUTS, ALES, LAGERS, PORTERS, BITTERS, PILSNERS, OR MEADS
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face tension was found after three hours
at conditions favorable for the proteinase
enzyme.
This author usually mashes in around
95 degrees F for 15 minutes and then
goes through the temperature cycles of
126 degrees F for 30 minutes and 135
degrees F for 15 minutes before raising the
temperature of the wort out of the range
of the proteinase enzyme. When using
2-row Klages malts and this temperature
sequence, I have always been able to
achieve an excellent head on my beer.
From my experience a protein rest of 45
minutes in the range of the proteinase
enzyme doesn't cause any reduction in the
head retention, but rather increases it.
Protein Boil
During boiling of the wort a coagula-
tion of proteins occurs. Certain types of
proteins, globulins and more particularly
albumins, are coagulable by heat. This is
the same group of proteins that gives rise
to the formation of turbidities in beer. Pep-
tones and any smaller proteins are not
coagulated by the boiling wort. The coag-
ulation of protein involves two stages,
denaturation and coagulation.
Before being heated, the proteins,
globulins and albumins contain a con-
siderable amount of water within their
structure. Upon heating, a chemical
change occurs where the water is expelled
from the protein. The protein is then
referred to as being denatured. The more
acid the solution (or the lower the pH) is,
the more rapidly denaturation proceeds.
But the coagulation and precipitation that
follows the denaturation isn't dependent
on the acid concentration of the wort. It
is dependent on whether th,e protein is
electrically neutral. Since different pro-
teins are electrically neutral at different
acid concentrations, the amount of pro-
teins coagulated and precipitated doesn't
change with the acid concentration.

LAGER BEER This point caught my attention, which

led me to put one drop of concentrated
sulfuric acid into a boiling five-gallon
batch of homebrew. To my amazement,
BY GREG NOONAN within a short time huge white flakes
(about the size of a half dollar) started to
be tossed around in the boiling wort. At
the time, it seemed as if the addition of the
ARE YOU READY FOR NOONAN'S BOOK? IT'S acid caused more protein to be separated
from the wort. But the difference in clarity
NOT FOR THE NOVICE. THE MOST COMPLETE between this "acid batch" and my other
BOOK ON BREWING LAGER BEERS. batches was not noticeable, which agrees
with my earlier written observation. Sur-
prisingly, there was no difference in taste
OR DER YOUR OWN COPY FOR YOUR BREWING PLEASURE. between the batches.
8 1/2 X 5 1/2, 320 PP., INDEX, CHARTS, GRAPHS, ILLUS. #407. If a normal wort of about 5.7 pH is
heated to 208 to 212 degrees F (98 to 100
AHA MEMBERS $12.95, NONMEMBERS $14.95. degrees C) for some time without boiling
Brewers Publications • PO Box 287 Boulder, CO 80306-0287 or any movement, a turbidity is formed,
Credit card orders: (303) 447-0816 FAX: (303) 447-2825 but no precipitate occurs during the
heating or cooling of the wort regardless
of the additional hops. But, if the wort is
36 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
boiled for a similar period with the forma-
tion of bubbles, a distinct precipitate will
form during heating and upon cooling.
The quantity of precipitate also will in-
crease somewhat if hops are added. The
important difference here is not the dif-
ference of the two or three degrees near
boiling, but of the movement of the wort
and the formation of surfaces on the bub-
bles of the boiling wort. This shows that
the quantity of proteins precipitatec.l is
directly proportional to the movement and
the boiling of the wort.
Just as the large proteins, globulins
and albumins, are attracted to the surface
of the wort to form beer foam, they are
attracted to the surfaces of the bubbles in
the boiling wort. In these surfaces a high
concentration of proteins occurs, and the
collisions between them become very fre-
quent, enabling greater coagulations to
occur. Studies have shown that unless the
wort is vigorously boiled for at least two
hours, some quantity of coagulable protein
may remain uncoagulated. During boiling,
these proteins form large flocks and settle
to the bottom of the kettle with other par-
ticles. This is known as the hot break. After
cooling, more of the coagulated protein
settles out of solution. This is known as the
cold break.
Tannins
During boiling, the large molecular
proteins that coagulate the best are neu-
trally charged. Since the wort is slightly
acidic, the proteins can also become posi-
tively charged. These positively charged
proteins can be precipitated from the solu-
tion by combination with the negatively-
charged tannins. These two compounds
come together just as the positive and
negative poles of a magnet would attract
one another. In brewing, tannins come
from either the husk of the malted barley
or from the hops. They are soluble in water
and have an astringent taste.
The tannins from barley are said to
combine less rapidly with proteins than
hop tannins. The barley tannins, because
they have quite a disagreeable taste, should
be precipitated as completely as possible.
Therefore, the addition of the hops should
be delayed until the reaction between the
barley tannins and the proteins is com-
plete. I have found that boiling the hops
for 20 to 30 minutes before add ing the
hops should give the barley tannins plenty
of time to react.
Not all the proteins seem to react
equally with tannin. The polypeptides
along with the amino acids do not react
and precipitate with tannins, but peptones
do react. Albumin is coagulated com-
pletely with a small quantity of hops, while
the globulin is only partly precipitated
even with a large addition of hops. With
higher hop rates and also with delayed
addition of hops to the boiling wort, the
'~bove room
temperature,
the haze is
somewhat
soluble. .. "
quantity of the hot-break coagulum is
increased and the quantity of cold-break
coagulum decreased. It has been reported
that adding the hops three-quarters of an
hour after boiling begins will cause a max-
imum of hot-break and a minimum of cold-
break coagulum to form.
The protein tannin complex also is
responsible for what is known as chill
aze, which will not hurt the taste of beer,
but will reduce its appeal. Above room
temperature, the haze is somewhat soluble,
but becomes insoluble at temperatures
where beer is consumed.
Irish Moss
A clarifying agent may be added to the
boiling kettle to help coagulate the
positively-charged proteins that make the
beer cloudy. Like the tannins, most clari-
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SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
fying agents have negative charges and are
attracted to the positively-charged proteins.
The most popular clarifying agent, and the
one I found works best, is Irish moss,
which is seaweed. For a five-gallon batch
of beer only % to 112 teaspoon needs to be
added to the kettle for the last ten minutes ·
of the boil. If an excess amount of Irish
moss is put in the kettle a gelatinous
precipitate may form during fermentation .
Better Records
The only way the homebrewer who
mashes is going to improve on head and
clarity is to keep good records during
brewing. The homebrewer should try to
record the time and temperature of the
protein rest, type of malt and hops used,
duration of boil before adding the hops
and after adding the hops, and when and
how much Irish moss (or any other clari-
fying agent) is added. These facts can be
related to the amount of coagulated pro-
teins left in the bottom of the kettle after
boiling and cooling, the amount of head
and the clarity of the beer. ~
Russell J. Klisch is a manufacturing
process engineer in the Automotive
Battery Division of Johnson Controls.
He graduated from the University of
Wisconsin-Eau Claire (where he first
learned about beer) with a degree in
chemistry,
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37
 Crushing Convenience
In Grain Grinding
MICHAEL MORRISSEY
1111 nmashing
th' b'ginning of brewer
sequences, the mn•l
crushes and weighs the malted
grain. This sounds simple
enough. Homebrewers, how-
ever, haven't had the specialized equip-
ment that commercial brewers enjoy. Con-
sequently, many grain brewers spend
hours of brew time cranking grain mills
by hand, acquiring a new malady, the
dreaded "grain-brewer's elbow." This
insidious disease can interfere with the
"bending of the elbow."
It was under the influence of this
disability that this design came to mind :
a portable grain crusher that could be used
outside to avoid dust in the brewing area.
The grinder must be cheap and occupy a
minimum of storage space. It must also
crush a large volume of grain quickly. Here
is my result-feel free to adapt my ideas
to suit your personal requirements.
List of Materials
• A grain mill with metal plates (I use
a Corona #1-C)
• An electric drill
• Bolt and matching nut
• 5-gallon plastic bucket with pour-
spout lid
• 1 pair sawhorse brackets, hinged type
• Two 8-foot two-by-fours
• One 12-foot two-by-four
• Garbage can or cardboard box with
plastic liner for crushed grain
storage
Begin by modifying your grain mill for
use with an electric drill. Remove. the
crank screw and crank handle. Now
remove the bearing support and pull out
the feed screw, or auger. Take the auger to
a hardware store and find a bolt with
threads that will screw into the back of it.
The bolt should not have threads covering
its entire length as you will need a smooth
shank, three-quarters inch long, to attach
to the drill. Purchase a nut to fit this bolt.
To assemble, screw the nut onto the
bolt all the way. Take this nut-bolt assembly
and screw it onto the auger with moderate
pressure. Tighten the nut up against the
end of the auger to lock the bolt to the
auger. Saw the head off of the bolt with the
hacksaw, being sure to leave three-quarters
inch of the bolt shank attached to the
auger. Your drill will chuck onto this shank
(see Figure 1).
38 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA
Now the modified grinder can be
attached to a sawhorse. The dimensions of
the sawhorse depend on the size of the
container you intend to use. I recommend
a 20-gallon plastic trash can lined with a
plastic bag. This will double as a storage
container for the crushed malt. The saw-
horse is special only in that you will need
to remove a section of the top rail to
accommodate the clamp screw of the
grinder. A cutaway of 2 inches wide and
l'h inches deep will be sufficient. The
sawhorse brackets are hinged to allow the
unit to be folded up when not in use. Brace
the legs across the front for stability, as
side braces would interfere with folding
(see Figure 2).
To adjust your grinder, fill the small
hopper with the grain you intend to crush.
Set the plates so that there is a one-eighth-
inch gap all around the plates. Grind a
small amount of grain and inspect it. The
grain should be crushed as coarsely as
possible without leaving too many grains
uncrushed. If your grind is too fine it will
congeal when you add the liquor, causing
the dreaded set mash. Not only will this
affect the sparging process, but it will
allow too much tannin to be leached from
the pulverized husks. Too much tannin
prolongs the aging process.
Once the grinder is adjusted, you will
need a hood of some sort to contain the
flying grain as it comes out of the spinning
plates. I use a stiff, heavy plastic bag in-
verted over the grinder with a 6-inch slit
cut in the side. This slit allows the bag to
fit over the plates. Let the bag hang down
to direct all of the grain into the container
below.
Bulk loading the grain is simple. All
you need is a 5-gallon plastic bucket and
a special lid that snaps onto it. The lid has
a plastic spout built into it (see Figure 3).
Originally, the bucket I use was filled with
a liquid and used by a fast-food chain.
Clean the bucket and fill it with grain.
Snap the lid on and remove the hopper
from the grinder. Pop the spout into the
mouth of the grinder, balancing the bucket
upside down with one hand. Start grind-
ing and the grain will feed automatically.
I hope this system will encourage
grain brewers to brew more and better
beer. It could also give shop owners an
inexpensive way to provide crushed grain
for their customers.
In my experience, grain will keep
indefinitely, crushed or uncrushed, but I
am sure that crushed grain deteriorates
more rapidly than whole. I have used the
grain as much as six months after crushing
with good results. If you have any ques-
tions about the system, just contact me at
New World Enterprise, 308 Chapel Hills,
Boone, NC 28607, (704)264-4023. fA

ZYMURGY 1978-1988
Eleven Years of the Finest Writing on Homebrewing and Beer
Special1988 (Vol.11, No.4)
Brewers and Their Gadgets
Profiles of Five Homebrewers
Kathy Ireland, Eric Furry, Mark
Hillestad, Michael Bosold and
Rodney Morris
Gadgets Section
161deas and homemade gadgets
Illustrated Dictionary of Home-
brewing Equipment
DianeKeay
The Best of the Best of 1988
Compiled by Wayne Waananen
22 First-place recipes from the 1988
National Homebrew Competition
Spring (Vol. 11, No. 1)
Bockin' in the U.S.A.
DonHoag
A survey of American-made bocks
Brewing Competitions of the Past
Kihm Winship
Evolution of commercial beer judging
Testing Light Malt Extracts
Jeff Frane with Peter Jelinek
Analysis of 12 mail extracts
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Possum Porter
When a Beer Goes to Sleep
Michael Jackson ·
Spring (Vol. 10, No. 1)
What Makes a Champion Beer?
Greg Noonan
An analysis of compet~ion-winning
brews.
The Cellos and Piccolos of Beer
Paul Freedman
A tour of Coors' pilot brewery
Dealing with the Great Unwashed
John V. Hedtke
Aquisition and cleaning of bottles
Brewing Stalwarts
Scott Walker
The button-down brews of Gary
Bauer
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Thomas Hardy Ale
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Vorogomo Maerzen
ABBREVIATED MINI-INDEX TO
Special1987 (Vol.10, No.4)
Troubleshooting Issue
Drinkability: What Is It?
Michael Jackson
Different beers for different occasions
A Brewer's Detective Story
Dave Miller
Tracking down off flavors
Tasting Techniques
William Pfeiffer Ph.D.
Effectively evaluating beer
Flavor Profiling
Charlie Papazian
Standardized flavor profiles
Summer (Vol. 11, No. 2)
Beer 101
John C. Berry
Brewing in the Classroom
Pilgrimage to Chico
Paul Farnsworth
A Visit to Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Roast, Roast, Roast Your Grains
Randy Mosher
Excerpt from The Brewer's Workbook
Principles of Beer Dispensing
L.Z. Creley
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Contentfui Horizon Piisener
Summer (Vol. 10, No. 2)
Ripley's Bearlieve It or Not
Michae/lalkind
Adventures of a New York brewer
Black Patent Malt
Kihm Winship
The evolution of porter
Silk-screening Permanent Labels
Steven Grossnickle
How to build a silk-screen press
A Brewer's Herbal
Gary Carlin
The "New Medical Prohibition"
Colleen D. Clements, Ph.D.
A response to views on alcoholism
Prickly Pear Cactus Mead
Charlie Papazian
The ultimate mead is discovered
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
The Devil Made Me Do it Brown Ale
Published by the American Homebrewers Association, Inc., 1988.
Special1986 (Vol. 9, No. 4)
Malt Extract Issue
What Makes Your Beer Special
Alan Tobey
Designing your own brew
Tips and Hints
Edited by Christine Schouten
Guidelines for using the recipes
The Lowdown on Malt Extracts
Compiled by Jill Singleton
AHA's definitive guide
Beer Styles and Recipes
Beer style descriptions by Charles
Hiige/, Edited by Christine Schouten
A homebrew cookbook
Fall (Vol. 11, No. 3)
Best of the Better Beer Slogans
Greg Jenson
Beer Advertising in Days Gone By
Dare to Design Your Own Recipes
Kurt Denke
Beer Color Evaluation
George Fix, Ph.D.
A New Way to Measure Beer Color
Getting a Lift From Your Yeast
Dave Miller
Make and Use Your Own Cultures
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Dunkel in the Dark Lager
Fall (Vol. 10, No. 3)
Special Yeast Section
Charlie Thompson, Gary Bauer, AHA
staff
Ail about yeast, yeast culture
directions, liquid yeast sources
Beer Trek Through China
Joseph Weeres
A tour of 15 breweries
Reaching the Summit
Grant Genge/
Profile of Summit Brewery
Beer Strength: A Matter of Degree
Dr. Gareth John
A look at hydrometers
Winners Circle
Wayne Waananen
Six Favorite Fail Beer Styles
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Elementary Penguin Brown Ale
Special1985 (Vol. 8, No.4)
Special Grain Brewing
A Primer on Malt
Staff of Great Western Malt
Malting defin~ions in layman's terms
Home Malting for Home brewers
R.C. Dale
Advantages of doing it yourself
Yeast Cycles
George Fix
Ethanol, C0 2 and byproducts
Mashing Systems and Lautering
Vessels
A/Andrews
A wide range of proven systems
Winter (Vol. 11, No. 5)
Miracles and Milestones
Charlie Papazian
The AHA is 10 years old
Computerbrew
Steve Conklin
Use your computer to learn about
brewing
The Stouts of America
Don Haag and John Judd
How to Make Maple Sap Beer
Morgan Wright
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Who's in the Garden Grancrew?
Winter (Vol. 10, No. 5)
The Holiday Beer Tradition
Kihm Winship
Strong beers for long nights
The Art of Making Mead
Brother Adam
Mead-making at Buckfast Abbey
The Porters of the United States
Don Haag
Starch Testing With Iodine
Paul Farnsworth
A look at the mashing process
Boiling Methods and Techniques
Greg Walz
How to boil your extract water
All About Plastic Bottles
William Montague
An alternative to glass
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Vernal Weizenbock
Spring (Vol. 9, No. 1) Summer (Vol. 9, No. 2) Fall (Vol. 9, No. 3) Winter (Vol. 9, No. 5)
Stalworts of Brewing In Search of Greater Beer Tropical Toddy Better Water for Your Home
Scott Walker Donald Curtis Michael Jackson Richard Leviton
Byron Burch Seeking the good life and great The coconut brew of Sri Lanka Filter systems for tap water
'Aie-y's Comet Brew brews around the world Tuak-Toddy of the rice farmer Brewing Water
Phil Angerhofer Homebrewer Turned Melissa Ballard DianeKeay
Brew for a once-in-a-lifetime event Micro brewer Using the Bruheat Boiler A guide for beginners
A Hops How-To Jill Singleton Ron Valenti World of Worts
DianeKeay Dewayne Saxton takes the plunge Trouble-free mashing Charlie Papazian
A guide to hops characteristics The Fine Art of Carbonation A Sterile Siphon Starter Blitzweizen Barley Wine Lager -
Beer Flavor Evaluation John R. Scanlon Patrick T. Pickett 1986 National Conference beer
Charlie Papazian Kvass Using an aspirator to start a siphon Monster Mash
Evaluating beer flavor is an art and a Jill Singleton Munich's Oktoberfest Phil Angerhofer and friends
science Homebrew in the USSR Tom and Bill Bauer Thomas Hardy Ale
World of Worts World of Worts World of Worts For the Beginner
Charlie Papazian Charlie Papazian Charlie Papazian DianeKeay
Colonel Coffin Barleywine Rain Forest Light Lager Colinbock - Special Occasion Beer Brewing jargon

Spring (Vol. 8, No. 1) Summer (Vol. 8, No. 2) Fall (Vol. 8, No. 3) Winter (Vol. 8, No.5)
Why Not Blend Beers? Where's the Porter? Flanders Top Ten Brewing Techniques Influence
Gerard Sparrow Don Hoag Michael Jackson Bitterness
A Competition winner tells how Eulogy for a fine beer Belgium's idiosyncratic beers Charlie Papazian
Judging Is Good for You The Mystery of Malt Extract Temperature-Controlled Brewbox How to vary hop utilization
Phil Angerhofer and Paul Freedman Pat O'Neil Patrick T. Pickett 'Simmon Beer
Homebrewers benefit from judging Edme proves a point Homemade brewbox maintains good Gary Carlin
Improving Malt Extract Beers Beer Bang Theory brewing temperatures An American classic
Pat Anderson Charlie Papazian Full Wort Boil Improves Extracts H.L. Mencken, Homebrewer
Brewing great beer in 1 or 2 hours Brewing in outer space? Charles J. Brem Kihm Winship
Your Mouth and Beer Flavors Coffee Pot Beer Brew all-malt-extract beers that taste He had a passion for his craft
David J. Welker, D.D.S. Clifford T. Newman Jr. like all-grain What Is the Quintessential Beer?
Overlooked Aspects in tasting The Foam at the Top Especially for the Beginner Vickie Simms
The August Schell Brewing Phil Angerhofer Byron Burch The AHA asks the stars
Company Judging w~h the best of the best Quickbeer Revisited Brewing History of Pittsburgh
Donald G. Crenshaw Especially for the Beginner Wonderful World of Worts Rich Dochter and Rich Wagner
Six generations of tradition Byron Burch Charlie Papazian A microcosm of.the U.S. brewing
World of Worts Going for Greatness Gillygaloo Pale Ale industry
Charlie Papazian World of Worts World of Worts
Jup~er's Return Maerzen Charlie Papazian Charlie Papazian
and Europe Oktoberfest Armenian Imperial Stout Unkleduckfay Oatmeal Stout

Spring (Vol. 7, No. 1) Summer (Vol.?, No.2) Fall (Vol. 7, No. 3) Winter (Vol. 7, No.4)
Virgin Brew A Potent Religion Czechoslovakian Beer Beer and Nutrition
Phil Angerhofer Michael Jackson fan Pridd/ey Doralie Denenberg Segal
That first batch · Monastery beers of Belgium A tour of traditional breweries Try beer for running marathons
Homebrew's Mr. Wizard Beer Bugs Start Mashing! Secret Satisfactions of Brewing
A/Andrews Brian Hunt Charlie Papazian John Goldfine
An inexpensive sparging system Hints for preventing spoilage An all-grain primer Michael Jackson
John Barley-Corn is Dead but Stone Beer Brewing Beer In the Wood Michael Jackson
Finnegan's A-wake Verlag W. Sachon John Alexander Ireland's Other Stout Fellows
Edie Stone An old procedure rediscovered Traditional English ales New Zealand Honey Mead
A drunken dream of the fall and World of Worts I'm Mad Charlie Papazian
reawakening of human~y Charlie Papazian Lee V. Giles Leon Havill's Mazer Meads
The African Beer Gardens of Summer Solace Pilsener Busted for homebrew in Utah Apache Beer
Bulawayo Especially for the Beginner Arizona Breweries of the Past Johnny C. Clack
Harry F. Walcott Terence Foster Shelby Meyers Brew of American Indians
Brewing in the city of Bulawayo Hops for the beginner Oases in the desert World of Worts
World of Worts World of Worts Charlie Papazian
Charlie Papazian Charlie Papazian Winds of Endeavor
Sinfully Red Cherry Ale On Deck India Pale Ale Sparkling Wheat Beer
Spring (Vol. 6, No. 1)
Bock Beer Mystique and Tradition
Alan S. Dikty
American styles, German origins
The Living Lager
Brent Warren
A twilight foam adventure
Kiss of the Hops
Dave Wills
The goodness of hops
Homebrew's Mr. Wizard
A/Andrews
Sediment-free draft beer
Especially for the Beginner
Charlie Thompson
Mashing for Fun and Flavor
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Masterbrewers Dopplebock
Spring (Vol. 5, No. 1)
The Secret of My Success
Dave Miller
1981 Homebrewer of the Year
Especially for the Beginner
Charlie Thompson
Understanding Hops
German Biers and Brewing Styles
Paul Freedman and Joe Ritchie
Beers of Germany oiler surprising
regional variety
German Beer Coasters
Gregory 0. Jones
Everything you wanted to know . . .
500 Bottles of Beer on the Wall
Charles Matzen
Tales of horror force the question of
serious stockpiling
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Smokey the Beer- German Style
Spring (Vol. 4, No. 1)
Special Report
Bill Petrij
Report from a UC-Davis class
Morkimer's Missing Mug
Sir Philip Anthony Arnolds
A Sherlock Foams classic
Readers Forum
Harlan Feder with Bill Franks
High altitude homebrewing
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Danger Knows No Favorites Black
Premium Lager
Summer (Vol. 4, No. 2)
World of Worts
Charlie Papazian
Things are Looking Up Red Bitter
Summer (Vol. 6, No.2) Fall (Vol. 6, No. 3) Winter (Vol. 6, No.4)
Yeasts, Beasts and Disinfection The Noble Experiment Beer and Mysticism
George H. Millet H.L. Mencken Shelby Meyer
A primer on sterilization procedures Prohibition's geological epoch Better beer through magic
Beer- What's in a Name remembered Get Cultured - With Yeast
A. Ugur Akinci The Complete Sparger Jay Conner
Brewer, Maine and other geographi- R.C. Dale Procedures for advanced brewers
cal points of interest Theory and practice of wort Teaching a Homebrew Class
Wonderful World of Worts separation Charlie Papazian
Charlie Papazian Guerrilla Brewing in Saudi Arabia Inspiring better beer
The best beer ever canned by Sediqui Lick It, Slick It and Drink It
Anheuser Busch? Prohibition in the Middle East Jim Kincaid
Especially for the Beginner Yeast Cycles and Fermentation Designing homebrew labels
Charlie Thompson Don Crenshaw Beller Beer from Your Malt Extract
Equipment for the Masher About single-celled fungi Fred Eckhardt
Quickbeer World of Worts Quality beer is easy to make
Alan Tobey Charlie Papazian World of Worts
From brewpot to bottle in 10 days Hassled? Brew Some Up-The-Wall Charlie Papazian
Stout Sparrow Hawk Black Porter
Summer (Vol. 5, No. 2) Fall (Vol. 5, No. 3) Winter (Vol. 5, No.4)
Beer Flavors Beer From Down Under Belgian Brewery- 250 Years
Richard Severo Ernie Melville Harlan Feder
A flavor chemist isolates 850 Notes from an Australian brewer Village brewery specializes in Kriek
chemical compounds Cider and Gueuze
Secrets of Porter Michael Jackson Beers of Belgium
Fred Berry There's more to apples than pie Michael Jackson
Insights from 210-year-old treatise Facts About Alcohol Specialty beers provide astounding
Breweries Then and Now Carolyn Reuben variety
Barbralu C. Manning What's your lim~? Specialty Malls
Breweries of the old west Sake-Japanese Rice Wine Peter Bowles
Irish Farmhouse Cheese Fred Eckhardt Malt companies describe the use of
Charlie Papazian Beer Is Born their products
Farmhouse cheese and homebrew Robert L. Palmer World of Worts
shape a lifestyle in southern Ireland Fermentation in the fertile crescent Charlie Papazian
Munton & Fison, Ltd. How to Balance Your Beer Barkshack Gingermead
Charlie Papazian Alan Tobey Especially for the Beginner
Maltsters earn worldwide respect Designing beers from scratch Charlie Thompson
World of Worts World of Worts You, Too, Can Be a Masher
Charlie Papazian Charlie Papazian
Tumultuous Porter Oktobersbest Golden Malt Lager
Things Your Homebrew Kit Never Beer Design Bonus Issue
Told You Alan Tobey
Dan McCoubrey, Paul Freedman and Analyzing the components of flavor (Vol. 4, No. 5)
Bob Siner Post-Conference Issue
Avoiding homebrew frustrations The Taste of Beer
Winter (Vol. 4, No.4) Michael Jackson
Pennsylvania Lager
Report from a panel discussion
George J. Fix Mr. Wizard
Fall (Vol. 4, No. 3) Especially for the Beginner Steve Callio
World of Worts Charlie Thompson
AI Andrews' homemade brewery
Cheeks-to-the-Wind Brown Lager About the hydrometer World of Worts
Sahuaro Cactus Wine Tasting: 1-2-3 Charlie Papazian
Bill Litzinger Bill Petrij Feelicks the Cal's Cherry Lager
A native American Indian tradition Factors affecting beer taste From the Winners Circle
Bloopers A British Beer Festival Recipes from Homebrewer of the
zymurgy readers reveal their Charlie Papazian Year and Mead Maker of the Year
blunderings and miscalculations zymurgy surveys the Ale-zone
Cider- A New England Specialty World of Worts
Dr. Sanborn C. Brown Charlie Papazian
Apples are refreshing in a pinch Righteous Real Ale
Spring (Vol. 3, No. 1) Summer (Vol. 3, No.2) Fall (Vol. 3, No. 3) Winter (Vol. 3, No.4)
Readers Forum The Ins and Outs of What You're England!s Campaign for Real Ale Stout Is Good For You
Bill Petrij Drinking Paul Freedman Paul Freedman and Dan
Malting your own barley Rebecca Greenwood The revolt away from tasteless beer McCoubrey
The Last Draught No more nitrosamine blues Especially for the Beginner History of the Guinness Brewery
Phi/Arnolds A Bedtime Story Tim Mead Mead Making: The Most Ancient
People in Dead End Canyon still talk Barbra Wakshul Equipment to get started Art of Brewing
about~ ... Sleep-inducing qualities of hops 'Native' brewing In America Bill Litzinger
World of Worts Hops In Your Brew William Litzinger From the Winners Circle
Charlie Papazian An introduction to hops Native American beers and wines Kelly Irish Stout Ale, JubileeStout
Bruce and Kay's Black Honey World of Worts World of Worts World of Worts
Spruce Lager Charlie Papazian Charlie Papazian Charlie Papazian
Whitey's No-Show Amber Ale Whimmy Diddle Brown Lager Whitehead's Stout

Spring (Vol. 2, No. 1) World of Worts Gettln' Useless In Eustis December (Vol. 1, No. 1)
I'll Take Mine Without Hog Bile, Charlie Papazian Encounter with a Maine The Lost Art of Homebrewlng
Please Elbro Nerkte Brown Ale homebrewer Karl F. Zeisler
Just what's in that beer you've been Backwoods Chalnsaw Beer World of Worts Memories of agonizing experiments
drinking? Doug Daugert Rocky Raccoon's Light Honey Lager Black Lava Ale
Treatise on Siphoning One brewer who never says Charlie Papazian
How to set up a gravitational pump "impossible" Winter (Vol. 2, No.4) Homebrew in Hawaii
Home Brew Bread Making Traveling With Homebrew Feast Food & Foam
C. Matzen & C. Papazian Homebrew on Tap
Roger Bassett Kegging your own Sufled Whole Lobster A-la-mazing
You might get what you knead It's easy and practical World of Worts
World of Worts
World of Worts Charlie Papazian Charlie Papazian
Charlie Papazian Fall (Vol. 2, No. 3) Joda's Jolly Lager Vagabond Black "Gingered" Ale
Barkshack Gingermead Advertising vs. Flavor Vale Vakavltl
Mike Royko Charlie Papazian
Summer (Vol. 2, No. 2) It wasn't always this way .... Fiji homebrew
The Lowdown on U.s: Beers From the Winners Circle Homebrewed American History
Mike Royko Recipes from the First Annual John Gerstle
Commercial beer additives National Homebrew Competition Homebrew angle on history

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ZI
Mashing Syste111s
And Lautering Vessels
f you are going to brew all-grain

D beers, you will have to add

several pieces of special equip-
ment to your brewery. A kettle
of 10 to 15 gallons is a must. An
inexpensive solution to this problem was
presented in zymurgy Summer 1983
(Vol. 6, No. 2). The next consideration is
that of a mash-tun, an insulated container
to hold the mash (crushed malt, adjuncts
and water) during the starch-to-sugar con-
version process. Another item is the lauter-
tun, an insulated false-bottomed container
used during the rinsing or sparging of the
grain to remove the converted sugars. I will
discuss this in more detail later in the
article.

Mashing

Several important considerations

should be kept in mind when selecting a
mash-tun design.' First is the material from
which it is to be constructed. Stainless
steel is best, but food-grade plastic is
acceptable. Second, the container must be
insulated to maintain the mash tempera-
ture for 30 to 60 minutes. A third con- unwanted flavors. Stainless steel is best,
sideration is container volume require-
ments to match your brew size.
although food-grade plastic will work satis-
factorily, too. Insulation may be required ''I Believe
Let's start with the volume. The mix to prevent or reduce temperature drop dur-
of grain and.adjunct-to-water has an effect
on the required volume. Plan to use 1 to
ing the mash . If you are m'ashing on the
stove, insulation is not necessary.
This Covers
111z quarts of water for each pound of grain
and adjuncts. This will leave you with a
mash that is not too "stiff" yet makes effi-
Mashing Procedures Systems That
cient use of the container volume. Let's see
what we need for a 5-gallon brew of vari-
ous starting gravities.
During my discussion on ma shing
procedures I will cover the available equip-
ment options. During an infusion mash,
Fall In The
5 Gallon Brew
we combine preheated water (strike liquor)
and precrushed grain and adjuncts, mix Range of
Starting SG 1.040 1.050 1.060 well and let "rest" until the conversion of
Approximate Grain
and Adjuncts [lbs.)
Required Con tainer
7 to 8 8.5 to 9.5 10.5 to 11.5

2.5 to 3.7 3.0 to 4.8 3. 7 to 5.6

Vo lume (gals.)
I think a 5-gallon system is best suited
for medium- to light-bodied brews of 5
gallons or less and that a 10-gallon system
is required for larger batches or heavy-
bodied brews.
For container material, several con-
siderations should be mentioned. You need
to select a material that is easily cleaned
after each use. It should withstand the
required mash temperatures (better yet,
boiling water) and it should not impart any
starch to sugar is complete. The amount
of time required for the conversion to
Inexpensive
occur is to a great extent dependent on the
temperature of the mash- the hotter 't he
temperature, the faster the conversion. It
To Costly, All
will take about 20 minutes for conversion
if the mash is near 160 degrees F and can
take up to two hours as temperatures
With Proven
approach 150 degrees F. This is why insu-
lation is so important. If you start at 158
degrees F, you will want to maintain that
Performance.''
temperature, not drop to 150 degrees F,
which will slow the conversion rate.
A very simple way to perform an infu- AL ANDREWS
sion mash is to add the required mash
CONTINUED ON PAGE 44
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 43

(Left) Wood-insulated, food -grade plastic pail. (Right) Thermostatically controlled coffee urns hold mash water
MASHING FROM PAGE 43
water (1 to 11fz quarts per pound) to your
brew kettle on the stove. Heat the water 10
degrees above your desired mash tempera-
ture, then mash-in the precrushed grain
and adjuncts and stir welL Reduce the
stove heat to maintain the mash tempera-
ture. It is necessary to do a lot of stirring
to assure that the bottom mash tempera-
ture does not get too hot Enzyme action
(conversion) is stopped at about 168
degrees F.
A better method of performing this
type of mash is to add the preheated water
to a well-insulated container such as a
metal picnic cooler or a wood-insulated,
food-grade plastic pail (see Photo 1). The
precrushed grain and adjuncts are then
mashed in, lids closed and the mash
allowed to rest until conversion is com-
plete. It is best to preheat the container by
first boiling the mash water then adding
it to the contaifler and allowing the
temperature to drop to the desired mash-
in temperature. You will have to leave the
lid open to help the temperature drop.
My experience with this type of infu-
sion mashing has been very good, and
reasonable sugar yields can be expected
(1.027 SG per pound of grain per gallon of
wort).
Step-Infusion Mashing
Another method of conversion is by
step-infusion mashing, during which the
mash temperature is raised in steps from
around 115 to 155 or 160 degrees F. Your
brew kettle can be used to approximate a
step-infusion mash. First you add the mash
water to the kettle of grain adjuncts and
raise the temperature to 10 degrees F above
the mash-in temperature. After the desired
44 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
rest period, heat is added while stirring the
mash continuously. When the next step
temperature is achieved, the heat is
reduced to a "hold" level for the rest. (Who
said step-infusion mashing was easy!) This
effort is repeated until all desired steps are
complete.
My system was designed to perform
both .infusion and step-infusion mashes.
Photo 2 shows the heart of the system. It
consists of a water-bath coffee urn. The
right-hand coffee barrel has .been made
removable and is shown resting in the
insulated wooden box in front of the urn.
During step-infusion mashes I start by first
heating the coffee urn water bath, which
is thermostatically controlled to 195
degrees F. Next, the mash water (1 quart
per pound) is placed in the "resting"
barrel. The barrel is then placed into the
right-hand side of the urn and locked
down. The mash water is stirred until
it reaches mash-in temperature (125 de-
grees F).
The barrel is then removed and placed
back into the insulated box. The pre-
crushed grain and adjuncts are added and
stirred well. The barrel is covered and
allowed to rest for 30 minutes. It is then
returned to the urn and heated to 155 to
160 degrees F (depending on the recipe)
and again allowed to rest for complete con-
version (30 to 45 minutes depending on the
mash temperature). It is once again re-
turned to the urn for mash-off (168 degrees
F), which stops all enzyme (conversion)
action.
I hope the above will help you select
the best equipment for your mashing
method.
Sparging
Once mashing is complete, the next
{, ....... ..
~ ~
1 '----.!
' ' '
task is to separate the malt sugars from the
spent grain and adjuncts. This is done by
rinsing the grain with hot water in some
type of false-bottom container, which is
called a lauter-tun. Let me explain what we
are trying to do.
The idea is to use the spent grain as
the filter material during the separation or
rinsing effort. If we have a false-bottom
container with very small holes or slots
(0.060 inches), the grain husks cannot pass
through these openings. Therefore, the
grain husks and larger particles form the
first layer of the filter. The next layers are
made up of smaller and smaller particles.
The top of the filter is covered by the fine
flour created when crushing the grain and
adjuncts . .
This all requires a grain depth of only
a few inches. It is very important during
sparging to not disturb the filter. If this
happens the sparge water will "channel"
through and bypass much of the sugar. For
this reason it is best to design your sparg-
ing system so you will have a 6- to 12-inch
deep grain bed.
As with the mash system, it is impor-
tant to have good insulation with the
sparge system. This keeps the grain and
more important sugars hot so the sugar
will readily flow. If you picked a picnic
cooler for your mash-tun, it can be modi-
fied with a one-half inch copper tubing
drain system (Photo 3) and used to perform
both mashing and sparging. This approach
requires a little ingenuity to seal the tub-
ing where it exits the cooler so stirring the
mash will not loosen it The tubes have
been slotted with a hacksaw (32-tooth
blade) every one-half inch and are posi-
tioned within the cooler with the slots
facing down.
Picnic cooler modified with a one-half-inch copper tubing drain system.
Another approach is to use two plastic
pails, one of which could be your insulated
plastic pail mash-tun that has had a drain
attached (Photo 4). Inside the second pail
the bottom is drilled with 0.060 diameter
holes on one-quarter-inch centers.
Drain System
Let's discuss the drain system in
Photo 4. First, the reason for it is if you end
up with grain beds 12 to 14 inches deep,
then the problem of "compressed" mash
can occur during sparging. The pressure
of the top grain and water can cause the
filter (bottom couple of inches) to pack so
tightly that it will reduce the flow of wort
(sugar and water) to a stream of little or
nothing. This can be prevented by "float-
ing" the grain bed and that is the purpose
of the illustrated drain system. By having
the exiting wort flow up and over the tee
fitting, it effectively reduces the pressure
to the difference between the top of the
grain bed (including sparge water) and the
tee. Since the position of the tee is adjust-
able, it is easy to reduce a 12- to 14-inch
pressure head to 3 to 4 inches, which
works very well. Again, this prevents the
grain from packing, causing slow sparges.
Fast sparges are also a problem, but I'll
discuss this situation later.
My sparging system is quite similar to
a two-pail system. I use a stainless steel
coffee barrel insulated with three-quarter
inch wood and a stainless-steel screen false
bottom (Photo 5). Notice that I use the
same drain system. With heavy gravity
beers I end up with 12- to 13-inch deep
grain beds and have no problem sparging
in an hour with crystal clear wort being
collected.
Do not be in a hurry with your sparge.
I have many homebrewers tell me how they
sparge in 15 minutes. My first question is
"What was the yield?" (SG points per
pound per gallon). The answer is always 1\vo plastic pails serve as mash-tun and tauter-tun.
the same-low. We must remember the
purpose of sparging is not to run "X"
number of gallons of water through the
grain bed, but to dissolve and remove the
sugar that resulted from the mash.
It is very important for the grain bed
to be of equal thickness and to add the
sparge water gently and evenly over the
grain bed. One-half to one inch of water
on top of the grain bed works quite well
and helps prevent channeling or punching
through the filter bed during the applica-
tion of additional sparging water. It is best
to apply the sparging water with a sprink-
ler effect to break up the stream of hot
water into drops that do not penetrate the
grain bed. My system has an automatic
electronic level sensing circuit to control
the flow of sparge water. The water is
dispensed so it flows across the top of the
grain bed, disturbing only the very top
grains.
I believe this covers systems that fall
in the range of inexpensive to costly, all
with proven performance. You will have
to select your system to fit your pocket-
book and needs. If you have any questions,
send a stamped, self-addressed envelope
to Andrews Homebrewing Accessories,
5740 Via Sotelo, Riverside, CA 92506. fA
AI Andrews, homebrew's "Mr.
Wizard," is owner of Andrews Sparging system consists of stainless-steel coffee
Homebrewing Accessories in Riverside, barrel with stainless-steel screen false bottom.
Calif.
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 45
 Bu· di g Your Own
Counterflow Wort Chiller
ne of the probl e ms e n-
countered in brewing all-
grain beer is trying to coo l
five g~llons of wort rapidly to
p 1tch mg temperature. Fast
cooling ensures "cold break" and limits
the time the wort spends in the bacterial
tE:lmperature range before yeast is pitched.
Although several commercial wort
chillers are available from homebrew sup-
pliers, an efficient counter-flow chiller can
be built in a couple of hours for ·under $20.
The chiller can reduce the wort's tem-
perature from about 200 degrees to 60
degrees F in the time it takes to flow
through the cooling coil, typically 15 to 20
minutes for five gallons.
Figure 1. Assembled counter-flow wort
chiller. Cooling water inlet hose and
cooled wort outlet copper tube are at
lower right. Cooling water outlet hose
and hot wort inlet copper tube are at up-
per left. The unit is approximately eight
inches in diameter and six inches high.
The chiller consists of 15 feet of
%-inch OD copper tubing inside of Vz-inch
clear plastic tubing coiled into a conve-
nient package (Figure 1). The wort-travels
through the copper tube in one direction
while cold tap water flows through the
plastic tube in the opposite direction ,
hence the name counter-flow. As the wort
travels through the chiller, hea t is trans-
ferred from the wort to the water. You end
up with cool wort and warm water.
46 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
CHUCK ~VTfA~i VTRA
p LAN Q
~...;;~;..;~....;.....;;;...:...
T EXAS
' -.;;;...;;;;;;....;;;...;;.,.;;.~;;.
Materials required are 15 feet of
'/•-inch OD (outside diameter) copper tub-
ing; 20 feet of 'h -inch ID (inside diameter)
clear plastic tubing; 2 plastic tee connec-
tors 'h -inch OD; and 2 plas tic hose clamps
for 'h-inch tubing.
To assemble the chiller, cut a length of
plastic tubing abo ut six inches shorter
than the copper tube to allow for fittings.
Slip the pl as tic tubing over the copper
tubing, taking care not to kink it. This is
Figure 2. Diagram showing connections
and flow directions of the wort chiller.
most easily done if the copper tube is un-
coiled. Slip a plastic tee over each end of
the copper tube and at tac h the tees to the
plastic tube (Figure 2). The tees are then
sealed around th e protruding ends of the
copper tube with two-inch lengths of
plastic tubing and hose clamps or with
silicone cemen t (Figure 3).
The chiller is then coiled into an easily
manageable unit. Mine is about eight
inches in diameter and six inches high .
The co ils can then be wired together to
make th e unit more durable. Cut the re-
maining plastic tubing into equal lengths
and attach to the open connection on each
plastic tee. Your wo rt chiller is now com-
plete (Figure 1).
Before and after each use, the chiller
should be sani tized by flowing a chlorine
bleach solution through the copper tubing.
This solution should then be rinsed out
with hot water.
To set up the chiller run one sanitized
plastic siphon hose from your hop back or
tauter-tun to the inlet end of the copper
tube. Run another hose from the outlet end
of the copper tube to your primary
fermenter.
If you do not have a hop back or tauter-
tun, you can siphon out of your brewpot.
But yo u must first strain the hops out of
the wort to prevent clogging the chiller.
Connect the cooling water inlet to a cold
water tap and direct the water outlet line
into a drain (Figure 3). Turn on the cold
tap water and begin the flow of wort. The
temperature of the cooled wort can be con-
trolled by adjusting the flow rates of the
cooling water or the wort. Now sit back,
Figure 3. Detail of tee connections. The
large plastic hose at the bottom is cool-
ing water inlet. The small siphon hose
connected to copper tube at left is cooled
wort outlet. Note use of hose clamp
(white) and 2-inch length of hose to seal
tee around copper tube (left center).
relax and have a homebrew, knowing your
cooled wort will soon be happily brewing
awc.y. FA
Chuck Vavra has been homebrewing
for two years and has been brewing all-
grain beer for the past year. He's the
newly elected vice president of the North
Texas Homebrewers Association. He is
senior research geologist at ARCO
Resources Technology in Plano, Texas.
How To Build A 10-Gallon
TERRY A. DENNIS
Pilot Brewery DEWAINE HUGHES
BOISE, IDAHO
f you run out of home brew be-

D tween batches or you like to

make all-grain beers, the
10-gallon pilot brewery · will
shorten your dry spells. You
will have twice the brew for essentially the
same effort it takes to make a conventional
five- or six-gallon batch.
FLEXIBLE
GAS LINE
10

This system includes all the equip-

6 7
ment you need to brew from start to finish,
including filtration and draft service
equipment. It will give you maximum per-
formance at about one-third the cost of
similar commercial setups. It is easy to ~8
assemble and keep clean.
Because most homebrewers have not
filtered their beer before, we have ex-
plained the procedure and its advantages.

Construction

There are 14 basic construction steps

for this pilot brewery.
Step 1. Get a 15-gallon keg. Straight-
sided, stainless-steel kegs (Figure 1) (like CJ I f I I II I I I I
those made for Budweiser and Miller)
[Editor's note: Kegs are the property of ""-. 19
breweries. Discarded kegs can be found in
salvage yards or may be stored at the
brewery.] are preferable because they have
/
a flat bottom and no bung hole. Weld a I I I I t I
%-inch stainless steel threaded coupling
(Figure 2) into the side of the keg at the bot- 13
tom. Attach a brass shutoff valve (Figure
3) to the coupling. Have the top of the keg
cut off.
Step 2. Next, get a firing ring from a
natural gas hot water heater (Figure 4), a
tee (Figure 5), and 6 inches of pipe (Figure
6). The outer diameter (OD) of the pipe

should match the gas line that you plan to
hook up to. Use Teflon tape on all the
threads. Purchase an in-line petcock
shutoff valve (Figure 7) and flexible gas line
long enough to reach your keg stand
(Figure 8) and firing ring.
Step 3. Use a reducer (Figure 9) or
series of reducers that will fit the coupling
on the keg and reduce down to attach to
a flared end 3/8-inch OD copper tubing
(Figure 10) 8 to 10 feet long. Bend the cop-
per tubing so it snakes back and forth
directly over your sparging vessel. Plug the
end of the tube (Figure 11) and drill small
holes in the underside of the coiled tub-
ing to allow sparge water to drip through
~ 1 ~ CJ""-14
a I
20
the holes on to your mash during the
sparge.
Step 4. Obtain a 30- to 48-quart capac-
ity plastic ice chest (Figure 12) for a sparg-
ing vessel. Larger sizes will minimize the
grain bed depth and allow for more effec-
tive sparging of large amounts of grain, like
10-gallon all-grain brews of heavy-gravity
beer. The ice chest will maintain the
(SAME FOR CENTER TUBES)
temperature of the grains while you pre-
pare the sparging water.
Step 5. You will need a length of
liz-inch ID copper tubing equal to 41!2 times
the length of the interior bed of your
cooler. You will also need four copper caps
(Figure 13) to fit lh-inch ID tubing, two
90-degree elbows (Figure 14), and three
CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 47

 PILOT BHEWERY FROM PAG E 47
25
copper tees (Figure 15).
Find a reducer th at will fit snugly
in sid e one of the tees (Figure 16) and,
in sid e th e s mall end, acce pt a snugly fit
length of 3/8-in ch ID food-grade plastic
l
tubing (Figure 17). Get an in-line plastic
valve (Figure 18) to fit the 3/8-inch ID
plastic tubing.

\
Cut the copper tubing into four pieces
(Figure 19) 2 in ches shorter than the insid e
length of the cooler bottom. Use a hacksaw 27
to cut slots (Figure 20) 'h to 'h through each 28
of th e four lengths of co pper tubing at
l-inch intervals.
Step 6. We assum e that you have two
6- to 7-gall on food-grad e pla stic buckets
(Figure 21) for collecting hot, sweet wort
or transporting water to kettle, if necessary.
Step 7. Use a 5- or. 10-gallon food-
grade pla stic bucket (Figure 22) for a wort DOUBLE GAUGE
chi ll er. Cut or drill a l-inch diameter hole
/ R E G ULATOR
in the side of the bucket near the bottom
(Figure 23 ). Put a No. 6 bored rubber stop-
per in the hole (Figure 24). Coil 30 fe et of
3/8-inch OD flexibl e copper tubing (Figure 32
25) inside the bucket. One end should pro-
trude from the top of the bucket. Put the
oth er en d through the hole in the rubber
/
stopper.
Fill this with cru s hed ice and water 29~
and you will have an effective wort chiller.
You ca n drain off water through the stop- 34 35 34
per and ad d more ice to achieve enough
wort coo ling during a 10-gallon run.
Step 8. Make a J tube (Figure 26) for
racking hot wort from your brew kettle into
33
HOSE
31
l l
1~
food-grade tubing (Figure 28) that connects BARB
to the wort chi ll er tubing. Cut a 3-foot LID
length of 3/8-inch OD fle xibl e copper tub-
ing and bend a J in one end. Attach a
"OUT LINE " ~1"1
~
- n ~
*"IN LINE"
FITTING
l-inch di ameter copper cap (Figure 27) to
FITTING fl (FOR CODZA LINE)
the oth er end , either by copper weld or by
using a stainless steel sc rew through a II
drilled hole in the cap and tube. II
Thi s will act as a sediment protection II
tip and wil l reduce the amount of un- "OUT \---37
- 4 11
wanted protein being siphoned from th e LINE"
brew ket tle to the wort chiller. II
Step 9. Use two 5-gallon glass carboys
with l -inch diameter blowtubes (as in a
II
,,
Burton Union system) for primary fer- u
41
ment. You will need two airlocks and two
No. 7 bored rubber stoppers for use in
secondary ferment. /
The Draft System
Step 10. Connect a double gauge regu-
lator to a filled , 5 pound, CO, cylind er
(Figure 29). Attach 4 feet of CO, pressure ble gauge regulator indicates psi (pounds
line (Figure 34) to the hose barb at the base per square inch) pressure pass ing through made by Hoover, Cornelius and Firestone.
of the regulator. Place an in-line check the regulator (Figure 31). A screw adjust- Be certain that the tank and the tank fit-
valve (Figure 35) at the other end of the ment on the regulator increases or de- ting are the same brand. Each tank has an
hose. This valve prevents beer from leav- creases psi and is reflected by the reading in-line fitting for CO, pressure to enter
ing the draft barrel, traveling through the on the gauge. The side gauge (Figure 33) th e tank and a beverage out-line fitting.
pressure line a nd damaging the regulator. measures p si pressure in the CO Step 12. For a picnic tap attach a
An additional 2 inches of pressure line cylinder. A dramatic drop in this reading h a nd-held trigger tap (Figure 40) to
links the in-line valve to the in line tank indicates a nearly empty cylinder. 3/16-inch JD (Figure 41) pressure-tested
fitting . Step 11. Get three stainless-steel, food-grade beverage line with an out-line
The top gauge (Figure 30) of the dou- 5-gallon draft tanks (Figure 37). These are tank fitting on the end .

48 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

Terry Dennis (r) and Dewayne Hughes (1) relax with a homebrew in Idaho. Homebrew Pi lot Brewery built for under $500.

Filtration DUO FILTER SYSTEM HOSE BARBS

Advantages and Procedure MICHAEL JOSEPH CO.
BUFFALO, N.Y.
Filtration has four main advantages. It
gives you a star-bright, polished beer in a 0
short time. You can transport and drink
your beer in the same day because there
isn't any sediment in the draft barrel. If
you dry hop, a sterile filter removes any
STAINLESS ,
possible bacteria that can cause off flavors
or spoilage. This system maintains natural BOLTS IN EAC~ #
carbonation of beer throughout the filtra- CORNER ~44 0 0
tion process, rather than using a carbona-
tion stone and injecting artificial carbona-
tion into the beer. A carbonation stone
~45 FRONT VIEW
TWO FILTER PADS ARE
greatly increases the cost of a filter system. SANDWICHED BETWEEN
HOSE
For draft service prime 5 gallons with BARB THE 3 FILTER PLATES
1/z to 2fa cup corn sugar or dry malt ('lz cup

will yield a final pressure of approximately

15 psi at 50 to 60 degrees F).
Snap down the keg lid. PSI GAUGE/BLEEDER VALVE
Step 13. Assemble the psi gauge/
bleeder valve and apply 10 psi head pres-
sure to the tank to assure a seal. To assem-
ble the psi gauge/bleeder valve you will T
need three 2-inch pieces of '/•-inch ID pres-
sure tubing. Attach one piece to each
Cl D
extension of a plastic tee. Place a 0- to 3D-
psi gauge on one side of the tee and the
CO, cylinder hose barb on the other side.
i
49
o~51
HOSE
The lower extension connects to your in-
line tank fitting. Secure these connections 1 BARB

with hose clamps.
Store the tank at an appropriate tem-
perature for two days. Snap on a psi gauge/
bleeder valve to check the tank pressure.
If the pressure exceeds 20 psi for draft
service, open the bleeder valve and release
the pressure until it equals what is appro-
priate, generally 15 psi.
Repeat this process over a 1- to 2-week
carbonating period. Then store the tank at
32 degrees F for a week. Any chill haze
formed during the storage period will be
filtered out.
Step 14. When the aging time has
elapsed, sterilize and assemble the filter
system according to the instructions pro-
47
*51 - 2" PIECES OF %" ID
PRESSURE TUBING
vided with the filter. The Michael Joseph
Co. of Buffalo, N.Y., makes a duo-filtering
system (Figure 43). Add one 4-foot section
of '14-inch ID pressure line (Figure 44) to
each of two hose barbs used. An out-line
tank fitting (Figure 45) is needed on the
end of each section of tubing.
Put the out-line tank fitting on the line
going in to the filter system.
~~48
Snap the psi gauge/bleeder valve on to
a full tank. Note the original pressure.
Always set the regulator at 5 psi above the
tank pressure so that the b'eer does not
release its natural CO, during filtration.
Place the line coming oil~ of the filter
in a drain bucket. Put the C0 2 air line on
the full tank to maintain original psi plus
CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 49

PILCYf BREWERY FROM PAGE 49
5. Snap in the flow-line to the tank. Wait THE SHOPPING LIST 2 filter pads 2.50
until all water in the filter has been ex- This is a complete list of the equip- 12 hose clamps 3.00
pelled from the out-line and beer is start- ment needed for a 10-gallon pilot brewery. 0- 30 psi gauge 9.00
ing to come out. Unsnap the in-flowing The prices may vary a little, but the ap- Plastic tee .60
beer line from the tank. proximate overall cost will be from $465 Tap with line and
Put the out-line tank fitting on to the to $500. A comparable commercial system }ank fitting 20.00
One tank fitting 7.00
end of the out-line from the filter system would cost about $1500. The accompany- Copper tubing 15.30
and attach a hose clamp to secure it. ing article gives specific descriptions. Plastic tubing .50
Set the regulator on the CO., tank at Pressure hose 6.00
the original psi. Snap the CO., line on to 15-gallon keg $15 .00 Brass needle valve and hose
a sterilized empty tank and fill w ith the Coupling 10.00 barb 3.00
original psi of CO,. Remove the CO, line Brass valve 5.00 J tube with tip 1.25
and reset the regulator at 5 additional psi. Labor to cut lid 10.00 Firing ring, tee, 6-inch pipe,
Attach the CO, line to the full tank once Reducers 6.25 Teflon tape, in-line petcock
Cooler 18.00-35.00 valve, flexible gas line 20.00
again. 4 copper caps .75
Attach the psi gauge/bleeder valve 2 copper elbows .50
(with the valve closed) to the in-fitting on In-line plastic valve 1.50
the empty tank. Snap the filter system in- 3 copper tees 1.'00 Terry Dennis and DeWaine Hughes own
line on the full beer tank. Snap the filter Two 6 to 7 gallon food grade the Brewers Connection, a Boise, Idaho,
system out-line on to the out-line tank fit- plastic buckets low or no cost retail homebrew supply shop. Over the
ting of the empty tank. The beer should One 5 to 10 gallon plastic past year they have experimented with
now begin to flow through the filter system bucket or trash bin 3.00 different methods of filtration, counter
into the empty tank. No. 6 bored rubber stopper .50 pressure, and bottling and blending of
1-inch diameter copper cap .75 draft beers. Filtered homebrew has been
Open the bleeder valve and adjust so
Two 5-gallon glass carboys 35 .00 served at numerous functions in Boise,
the psi gauge maintains the original Filled, 5-gallon CO cylinder 45.00-55.00
pressure. Caution: Watch this gauge including public exhibits at the Idaho
Double gauge regulator 40.00
carefully throughout the filtration process Three 5-gallon draft tanks 30.00-60.00 State Fairgrounds. In the past 10 years
because you will probably need to adjust One check valve 8.00 more than 2,000 people have sampled
the bleeder valve two or three times Filter system 116.00 filtered homebrew made by the Brewers
to maintain the original psi on your 2 tank filters 14.00 Connection.
gauge. fi

Classic Beer Styles Series

presents

Continental Pilsener
By David Miller

For years, you have enjoyed the beer, heard tales of

its heritage, marveled at its style. Now all of that is
yours to find in just one book. The complete story on
the father of all lagers. History, ingredients, tech-
niques, recipes, and examples- all brought together
by one of America's leading homebrewers.
•
5 1/2 x 8 1/2, illus., 100 pp., softcover, index. AHA Members $9.95,
Nonmembers $11.95. Brewers Publications • PO Box 287 • Boulder,
co 80306-0287.

50 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY

 Introduction To
Grain Brewing For
The Malt-Extract Brewer
m
ith good techniques, brewing
from malt extract offers the
opportunity for simplicity
and quality beer. There is no
doubt that many home-
brewers will remain with malt extract for
exactly those reasons-simplicity and
quality.
But for others, the intrigue of brewing
from scratch will tease your sense of
creativity and the desire to dispel
mysticism attached to beer brewed from
scratch.
Indeed, the alchemy of converting
starch molecules to fermentable sugars
with the aid of little "animals" called
enzymes has a romantic calling to home-
brewers who have never experienced con-
version! Those missionary zealots, the
all-grain fanatics, will tell you how much
better their beer is. Then you watch, you
read and you try to discover what all the
brew-ha-ha is about. Suddenly, you are
overwhelmed at the possibilities, the
limitless opportunity to improvise, to
manipulate, to fashion your own special-
ized equipment.
But hey, wait a minute, not so fast, hold
your donkeys. What about the malt extract
brewers who are basically content but
need to dabble in mash-mysticism just to
understand a little bit more? Those who
experience the mysteries of enzyme con-
version, knowing that there are other
horizons in the world of brewing, have
achieved enlightenment.
Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew.
Mash-Extract Transition Brews
0
Introduction to the world of grain
brewing can be very simple, painless and
rewarding. The recipes that follow are a
combination of malt extract and grain
mash. They serve to improve the quality
of a homebrew and introduce you to the
unlimited brewing versatility achievable
with the use of grains.
Essentially, your introduction to all-
grain brewing will be by mashing a small
CHARLIE PAPAZIAN
BOULDER, COLORADO
and very manageable amount of malted
barley and other grains. The sweet liquid
wort that you produce by converting
starches to sugars is added to malt extract
syrups or dry powders. From then on, the
brewing process used in malt extract brew-
ing continues without change.
This method offers some very signifi-
cant advantages:
1. Mash-extract brewing retains the
simplicity of malt extract brewing while
developing your confidence and offering
a sane introduction to new ingredients and
the process of all-grain brewing.
2. Mash-extract brewing introduces
you to the improvement in flavor that can
be achieved with care and understanding
that all-grain brewing can and should
inspire.
3. You can learn how to mash your
own grains without additional equipment
or boiling huge volumes of wort.
A detailed theory of how mashing and
using grain is covered in the following sec-
tion. This section will briefly introduce the
theory of mashing and basic homebrew-
ing mashing procedures.
Be aware that there are many methods
used to convert the mash grains to fer-
mentable sugars. The method used in this
introduction is purposefully presented
because of its simplicity, instructional
potential and the absence of special
equipment.
A Short Course on Theory f=
c
~
:n
Mashing converts the soluble starch ~
i5
in grain to fermentable sugars and un- z
fermentable "dextrins," each of which '!!
~
IS present in most styles of wort. There are m
<
starch-to-sugar converting "diastatic" m
r
enzymes in malted barley. These enzymes ~z
CONTINUED ON PAGE 52 G>
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 51
INTRODUCTION FROM PAGE 5 1
will become active und e r proper
conditions.
When the temperature of a water and
malted barley "soup" reaches a certain
range, the enzymes become active and
literally break starch molecules into sugar
molecules. Malted barley usually has more
than enough enzymes to co nvert its own
starches to sugars and convert additional
soluble starches (adjuncts such as cooked
rice, wheat and corn) to fermentable
sugars.
For the mash-extract brewer, the sweet
liquor that is produced from the following
procedure is combined with malt extract
and boiled with other beer ingredients.
Mash-Extract Equipment and Procedure
Equipment
For a 5-gallon batch you will need:
• A 4- to 5-gallon brewpot
• A means of crushing the grain
If preground malted barley is
unavailable, you may find it necessary to
purchase a grain or flour mill in order to
grind your grains. Many homebrew supply
shops have a grain mill for their customers.
The grinding plates of your mill should be
set so that the grains are crushed, or rather
cracked, into small pieces. They should
retain their integrity as pieces rather than
be pulverized to flour. The grinding should
suffice to break the husks away from the
grain.
• A lauter-tun
This is no more than a strainer that
will have the capacity to hold the amount
of grains that you. mash and sparge. Many
varieties are available in homebrew shops.
If unavailable in your area, a clean 4- to
5-gallon foodgrade plastic bucket can be
converted into a lauter-tun by drilling
hundreds of 1/8 inch holes in the bottom.
There you have a homemade strainer,
sparger, lauter-tun.
Procedure
1. The grains are crushed.
2. Water and minerals are added to the
crushed grains.
3. The temperature is raised to be-
tween 113 and 122 degrees F (45 to 50 C)
and held for 30 minutes. This is called a
protein rest and develops nutrients for the
yeast.
4. The temperature is raised to 150
degrees F (65 C) and held for 10 minutes.
This begins to develop the ferm entable
sugars.
5. The temperature is raised to 158
degrees F (70 C) and held for 10 to 15
minutes. This completes conversion of all
52 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
character. A rich seasonal gold luster is
imparted to th e brew by the toasted malt,
while the bitterness and sweetness melt
into Daisy Mae's full-bodiedness and rich
creamy head. This deliciously satisfying
beer is a beer worth repeating in any
season.
Ingredients for 5 gallons:
2'/2 lbs. malted barley (American 6-row
type)
~ 'lz lb. dextrine malt
_.___, o 1/z lb. toasted malted barley
~ 2 tsp. gypsum
~ 5 lbs. ligh t malt extract syrup
~ 2'/z oz. Willamette, Cascade, Fuggles or
~ Hallertauer hops (boiling)
~ 1/z oz. Cascade hops (fini shing)
!;] '14 tsp. Irish moss
1 to 2 pkg. lage r yeast
% C. corn sugar (for bottling)
''This OG: 1.042 to 46
FG: 1.008 to 12
Deliciously
Toast 1/z lb. malted barley for 10
Satisfying minutes in a 350 degree F (177 C) oven.
Heat 2'/z quarts of water to 130 degrees
Beer Is Worth F (54 C). Dissolve the gypsum in the water.
Add the crushed malted barley and dex-
Repeating trin malt and mix well. The temperature
will stabilize between 115 and 120 degrees
F (46 to 49 C). Add heat and hold the
In Any Season." temperature at 120 to 122 degrees F (49 to
50 C) for 30 minutes, stirring every 5
minutes.
starches to fermentable sugars and Raise the temperature of the mash to
unfermentable "dextrins" (which con- 130 degrees F (54 C) and add 11/z quarts
tribute body to beer). of boiling water. This will raise the
6. An iodine test is made to confirm temperature to about 150 degrees F (66 C).
that starch has been converted to sugars Hold at 149 to 152 degrees F (65 to 67 C)
and dextrins. A drop of tincture of iodine for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then
in a starch solution will turn purple-black add more heat to raise the temperature to
if starch is still present. If conve rted, the 158 degrees F (70 C) and hold for 15 to 20
iodine will remain the same color. This test minutes. Conversion should be complete
is simply done by removing a tablespoon at this stage. Test with iodine. Continue to
of converted mash and pouring it into a mash for up to 20 minutes until conversion
clean white plate. A drop of iodine into the is complete.
solution will indicate whether conversion Pour mash into your lauter-tun and
has been achieved . sparge with 1 gallon of water at 170
7. Sparge grains to retrieve sweet wort degrees F (76 C) .
and separate from spent grains. You will Bring the sweet wort to a boil and add
need an extra bucket or pot. A plastic malt extract and boiling hops. Continue to
fermenter also can be used for this boil for 60 minutes. Add the Irish moss
purpose. during the final 5 minutes of the boil. Add
8. Add malt extrac ts, hops and other the finishing hops during the final 1 to 2 •
ingredients and continue to brew. minutes of th e boil. Sparge immediately
into the cold water in your fermenter
Relax. Don't worry. Have a home brew. ·(approximately 2 to 2 1/z gallons). Pitch
yeast when cool. Bottle when fermentation
Daisy Mae Holiday Lager is complete. fA
Daisy Mae and Daisy may not. To get
to Daisy, it takes a lot! Reprinted with permission from the
This exceptionally fine light lager Complete Joy of Homebrewing (Avon) by
alludes to a very real German light lage r Charlie Papazian. Copyright 1984.
ENGLISH ALES:
The Tradition Of
Brewing, Handling
And Serving
rn
eal ale is a proper name that
the Oxford Dictionary states
as "being brewed in the tradi-
tional manner with second-
ary fermentation in the cask."
They are obviously talking about draft
beer, although bottle-conditioned ales also
can qualify as being "real."
Terminology is important if we are to
discuss real ale. Words that we take for
granted in America may have entirely dif-
ferent meanings in England. For example,
most would assume that cask and keg refer
to vessels from which to serve draft beer.
In England, the terms also define whether
the beer is real ale or not. Cask is real ale,
keg is not.
The two beers start out the same.
Barley malt is mashed and a sweet liquor
extracted, then boiled with the hops. After
cooling, the wort is fermented with ale
yeast at around 60 degrees F. Here is where
the similarity ends. Beer destined to be
real ale is racked directly to the cask from
which it is to be served and finings are
added . Some breweries also add dry hops
and priming sugar. The cask is then sealed
and delivered to the pub where the beer
matures and undergoes a slow secondary
fermentation. Although metal casks are
used most often, wooden ones are still
common enough; hence, the distinction
"beer from the wood."
After a few days, depending on the
gravity, the publican punctures a small
hole in the wooden bung (called a shive)
and inserts a wooden peg to control escap-
ing gas. After about a day, the carbonation
level is deemed correct and the beer is put
on service. Because no external CO, is
used, air is allowed to enter the cask to take
up the decreasing volume of beer. Because
the airborne organisms will soon spoil the gether! Such is the changeable nature of Rande Reed, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serves up
unpasteurized ale, the beer is best con- real ale. a pint of his own Real Ale.
sumed within three days. It also undergoes Of course, a few careless and
some flavor changes during this time. unscrupulous publicans will continue to
Several times I've had the same beer in the
same village in two different pubs one
right after the other. The flavor was dif-
serve a beer after it has started to go off,
and I've had to send back a pint or two
because of this. The most important point
RANDE REED
ferent enough to be another beer alto- CONTINUED ON PAGE 54 MILWAUKEE. WISCONSIN
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 53
ENGLISH ALE FROM PAGE 53
of good cellarmanship is knowing how
much demand you will have for a specific
beer and ordering a cask size to fit that
demand given the serving cycle. Too big
a cask, and the beer goes sour.
On the other hand, keg refers to beer
that is first pasteurized then filtered at the
brewery to remove all the yeast. Because
the beer is now "dead/' it cannot produce
its own CO, and must be given artificial
life. It is injected with a healthy dose of
CO, at the brewery and most lik.ely will
have to be connected to a CO, cylmder as
well for dispensing. Because the pasteur-
ization and filtration also have removed a
lot of the flavor, the ale is chilled to
disguise this. What you get is a very clear,
cold, fizzy pint, quite unlike the flavorful
real ale.
Because of the uniformity of flavor
and shelf life, the big breweries find keg
beer suits them well. Of course, the con-
sumer was never asked his preferences
first.
At this point, you may be thinking,
"Yeah, sure! So what's the big deal
anyway? I use CO,on my beer, and it's
excellent." To those of you who have never
tasted real ale, I'm here to tell you there
is a difference. A big one. I've compared
keg and cask side by side, and the prickly
sensation on the tongue with the keg is
most disturbing compared with the
smooth, burpless cask real ale. The addi-
tion of C0 2 does nothing but get in the
way of the flavor.
Bitter
Now let's discuss the name by which
British draft beer is called-bitter. This, in
the mind of the uninitiated American, con-
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54 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
jures up images of something harsh,
disagreeable and unpleasant. Those of you
who have never had the good fortune of
visiting the promised land should note that
this is, has been and always will be only
a name for a type of draft ale.
We have ordinary bitter, special bitter,
best bitter, extra special bitter, but this by
no means indicates the beer has to be bit-
ter in flavor. In my experience bitter runs
the flavor gamut from malty dry, malty
sweet, well balanced, delicately hopped,
reasonably hopped to well hopped. Every
flavor profile you can imagine is
represented. Bitter can be light in body,
medium bodied or full bodied. It can be
golden in color, amber, copper, and the
darker shades. It can be brilliantly clear
or quite cloudy. Bitter can occasionally
have isinglass floaters or the odd dry-hop
leaf swimming about in your pint pot. It
can have a tight, creamy head that clings
to the bottom of the glass or large, frothy
bubbles that soon dissipate.
Bitter can be served anywhere from 50
degrees F on up depending on the prevail-
ing climatic conditions and if the publican
employs any form of cellar cooling. How-
ever, I think most English would agree the
ideal serving temperature is 55 degrees F.
This requires some adjustment for all you
members of the frosted-mug club! Anyone
who drinks dry red wine knows how chill-
ing even 5 degrees can suppress the rich
flavor you experience at room temperature.
Overchill a good draft ale and the flavor
doesn't speak properly. This is perhaps the
most difficult obstacle lager drinkers have
to face. But once conquered, you'll never
look back.
The carbonation level of bitter is such
that an American, used to the fizzy "Bud-
miller" available here, would at first think
the beer totally devoid of CO . Not true.
Carbonation is very light, and the apparent
lack of rising bubbles does not indicate
that the beer is flat, for if you were to pour
the contents of your draft pint into a bot-
tle, cap and shake, then open, you would
find plenty of pressure. There is ' just
enough dissolved into the beer to condi-
tion it. The result is an exceptionally
smooth drink.
History of CAMRA
No discussion of real ale would be
complete without mentioning CAMRA,
the Campaign for Real Ale that resulted in
a momentous bit of English brewing
history. In the 1960s in Britain several large
breweries were taking over smaller ones,
resulting in brewery closures that not only
meant lost jobs, but loss of distinctive
regional beers, fewer choices and higher
prices. The large breweries found that pro-
duction of keg beer suited their distribu-
tion system better than traditional cask
beer. Real ale was slowly phased out in
favor of the new fizzy, cold, bland ale.
A group of concerned consumers
decided they weren't going to take this
lying down. From an original group of
four, CAMRA's present growing member-
ship of 17,000 has succeeded in turning the
tide of the British brewing industry. In the
1960s only 30 percent of the breweries pro-
duced cask beer. Today, all of them pro-
duce at least one real ale. CAMRA is quite
simply the most effective consumer
organization in the history of the world.
Brewing Real Ale
In brewing real ale, you can either
modify an existing recipe or design your
own. When working with English recipes,
remember that six U.S. gallons equal five
U.K. gallons and one U.S. pint contains 16
ounces while one U.K. pint contains 20
ounces. Modifying existing recipes helped
me learn the proportions and ingredients
that affect flavors. I suggest you take a good
recipe and make it as written the first time.
Analyze the finished beer as if you were
at a beer judging. Identify color, clarity,
malt-hop balance, malt aroma and flavor,
hop aroma and flavor, body, aftertaste, car-
bonation, etc. Make notes as you taste and
evaluate. Now think of what you would do
to improve it to your taste. Change only one
element in each brew, otherwise you won't
know which element is responsible for the
flavor change.
Some good books on brewing Real Ale
are The Complete Joy of Home Brewing by
Charlie Papazian, The Big Book of Brew-
ing and Brewing Beers Like Those You Buy
by Dave Line, and Home Brewed Beers and
Stouts by C.J. Berry.
Brewing Equipment
If you already are a full-mash brewer,
you have whatever equipment is needed to
brew real ale. Quite a popular item for
homebrewers in England is the Bruheat
boiler, manufactured by Ritchie Products,
Burton-on-Trent. This serves as your mash-
tun and lauter-tun, as it has a submersible
heating element and a spigot attached. The
big disadvantage is that it runs off 220V,
the normal household current in Europe.
If you have an electric stove or clothes
dryer, you're all set, but you still need to
install your own plug. I'm a stove-top
brewer and have gotten along just fine for
over three years with a couple of canning
kettles plus a homemade grain bag and
lauter-tun. You can read about how to
fashion these yourself in any one of the
books I've mentioned.

Water

Beer is mostly water. If yours tastes

good to drink, it will make good beer. If
not, consider using distilled water and
adding salts. For those who want to add
salts, there are two major categories to
consider in water treatment for ale. One
is the water of Burton-on-Trent, famous for
pale ales and bitter and has large amounts
of gypsum (calcium sulfate). The other is
London water, at one time renowned for
porter.
The first step in water treatment is to
obtain a water analysis. If you have city
water, this is easily accomplished by call-
ing your local water works. If you have a
well, stores that sell water softeners often
will analyze your water free for you if you
express an interest in one of their units.
The following chart compares the two
water types.

Chart #1
LONDON BURTON-ON-TRENT
Sodium 09 30
Magnesium (Mg) 19 63
Calcium (Ca) 52 268
C hloride (CI} 60 37
77 658
~~~£:~~!~~~~rdness
{CO,! 156 141 Rande Reed taps his own brew "from the wood."
(Ca + Mg) permanent hardn ess 100 100
C0 tempo rary hardness 124 25
3
463
Total Hardness 1226
than even American or Canadian 2-row. If you desire a more dextrinous wort,
This means that more of the grain has mashing at a higher temperature will pro-
been converted to a readily fermentable duce a higher degree of unfermentables,
Malt Adjunct form by the maltster. With infusion more body and mouth feel and a sweeter
mashing, the average yields from British beer. To achieve this, you can go up to 158
There is a wide variety of whole malts malt is always greater than 6-row with an degrees F. At this temperature, you'll con-
on the market today. American and Cana- extract of 1.030 to 31 per pound per gallon. vert in three-quarters of an hour or so.
dian 6-row and 2-row, and British 2-row On the other hand, 6-row averages 1.028 As a general rule, mash at least one-
can be found in many homebrew stores. to 29 per pound per gallon. Being heavily half hour after a positive iodine test to
I prefer using the British pale ale malt for modified, a lower conversion temperature really let all of the enzymes do their job.
my traditional ales rather than American is required than with 6-row. The lowest Go much longer than this and you'll be
or Canadian malt. Besides being what temperature for pale ale malt to convert is extracting husk tannins and phenolics,
England uses for their beers, I feel it gives 150 degrees F. At this temperature, the especially at higher temperatures. This
a fuller, rounder flavor than 6-row. It is enzymes move through the conversion may be desirable in a high-gravity, sweet,
probably the easiest malt to work with phase slowly, and you won't see it turn over heavy ale, but would not be appropriate in
because it only requires one temperature for 1 to 1'/z hours. This temperature a light-bodied, lower-gravity one.
conversion. will produce a very fermentable wort Because of the high degree of modifi-
British malt, which is all a 2-row with a lower terminal gravity. This is cation of British malt, the diastatic power
variety, is very heavily modified, more so good if you want a drier beer. CONTINUED ON PAGE 56

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 55

ENGLISH ALE FROM PAGE 55
is similarly reduced. This must be con-
sidered when using unmalted adjuncts
such as barley, wheat or corn. Pale ale malt
is around 50 or so on the diastatic scale
while American 6-row is 150 or higher, so
you can see there is a great difference in
enzyme power. If you keep the unmalted
adjunct portion to 10 percent or less, there
shouldn't be any problem.
One of my tricks is to incorporate a
small amount, 5 percent or so, of 6-row in
the mash if I think there might be a con-
version problem. The extra enzymes pres-
ent in that small amount are sufficient to
tackle virtually any problem mash. I prefer
using flaked maize, flaked barley, flaked
wheat or wheat malt to corn grits, pearl
barley or unmalted white wheat. Since the
process that produces the flaked form has
already gelatinized the grain, the grains do
not require precooking and can be added
directly to the mash. Wheat malt has some
enzymes that also help.
Mild ale malt is the same as pale malt
but has received an extra degree or two of
modification . What this means is that it
has even less diastatic power and must
be mashed at a lower temperature (148
degrees For so) to convert. Any unmalted
adjunct quantities must be kept quite low.
Pale ale malt also can be used to make mild
ale, but because of the lower OG, and
therefore the reduced quantity of malt
needed, the extra modified mild ale would
give a richer, fuller flavor.
I realize there are a lot of homebrewers
who believe in using all malted barley in
their mash . That's fine, but this is English
ale, not German lager. Even Fuller's Brew-
ery of London, which produces some of
the finest real ales known to man, use a
bit of flaked maize in their beers. Some
American lager breweries use as much as
40 percent corn, but I only recommend
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56 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
small amounts of 5 to 8 percent for inter-
esting residual flavor. I'm personally con-
vinced that a bit of flaked maize produces
a delicate residual sweetness in a finished
beer without giving that adjunct flavor I
dislike in most American lagers.
Flaked barley gives a dry, grainy flavor,
but caution must be exercised with the
amount. When used in higher amounts,
the beer can have a permanent haze from
the oily beta globulin, a haze-forming
protein that cannot be removed. In stout
or porter you would never notice this, but
it would stand out in a bitter or pale ale.
I have deliberately omitted rice as an
adjunct for ale. While you may feel like
experimenting with it, I personally feel
that rice has no place in a traditional ale.
I'm not a big advocate of adjuncts. Most
of my real ales are all malt. A few of my
recipes use flaked barley and one or two
use flaked maize.
Sugar
English brewing books, especially
David Line's, use sugar in the recipes.
Sugar is not uncommon in the ale-brewing
industry in England. Some of the finest
brews I've sampled had sugar added to the
copper, usually in the form of treacle (pro-
nounced tree!cle). I feel that interesting
and desirable residual flavors are pro-
duced by adding a relatively small amount
of sugar.
Adding any sugar will change the
flavor of the finished beer. The white
sugars (corn, beet and cane) ferment com-
pletely to alcohol adding no flavor of their
own, but they will "water the beer" down
producing a thinner mouth feel. I use corn
sugar for priming when I don't want to
change the final flavor. Although most of
us are accustomed to thinking that
anything but corn sugar is a no-no, I'm
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going to say don't be afraid of the cane
sugars, provided you watch the amount
you add.
All the cane sugars-white, light and
dark brown, and molasses-provide about
twice as much fermentable material as
corn sugar, so use that as a rough guide
to quantity. The darker the sugar the more
residual flavor it leaves in the beer, with
molasses being on the heavy end of the
scale. The darker sugars also leave more
harshness, so take that into account de-
pending on the style you are brewing.
Light brown sugar is partially refined cane
sugar with some molasses left in; dark
brown has more. These can be used effec-
tively in milds, pale ales and bitters, but
save the blackstrap molasses for porters
and stouts. Old Peculier is brewed with a
large amount of molasseslike treacle, and
the flavor makes this obvious. Actually, Old
Peculier is brewed to be much sweeter and
stronger in draft form in England. So
strong, in fact, that it's known locally as
"lunatic broth," 'milk of amnesia," or my
favorite, "chateau collapse-a."
English homebrewing books often call
for Demerara sugar. This is common table
sugar in Britain but virtually unknown in
America. It resembles a granulated brown
sugar, slightly lighter in color. It is partially
refined cane sugar with some molasses. A
reasonable substitute can be mada from
combining one part granulated brown
sugar and one part turbinado sugar, which
can usually be found at health-food stores.
Black treacle also is common in
England. It can be duplicated by unsul-
fured blackstrap molasses. Golden syrup
is a light-colored treacle. It is simply cane
sugar syrup, available in any grocery store.
Keep all sugar additions low, never more
than 10 percent of OG. Mine averages 5
percent, and cideriness is never a problem.
Always add sugar in the copper.
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 Hops
Since I'm approaching this from the
traditional standpoint, only use English
varieties of hops. Actually, what we in the
United States are buying as English hops
are grown mostly in Oregon and British
Columbia. They are the same varieties, but
are grown in different soil and climatic
conditions. However, I wouldn't be too
concerned about this. The same sort of
philosophy applies to red Bordeaux grapes
and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Although
there is a difference in flavor according
to where they're grown, usually only a
trained professional can tell.
The English hop varieties with their
alpha-acid units are Fuggle (4lfz to 5%),
East Kent Golding (4lfz to 5), Brewer's Gold
(8 to 9), Northern Brewer (9lfz to 10lf4) and
Bullion (8 to 9).
I don't list Styrian Goldings although
they were originally cultivated from a
Fuggle and grown seedless on the conti-
nent, mainly Yugoslavia. They have a much
higher alpha-acid content than either Fug-
gle or Golding, and flavor and aroma are
much sharper and more pronounced. Dave
Line believes they should be reserved for
the finest pale ales and bitters. You could
use Hallertauer, Tettnanger and Cascade
too, but none of these, including Styrian
Golding, are considered an ale hop, and
I know of no real ale breweries in England
that use them.
Traditionally, the most famous com-
bination is Fuggle and East Kent Golding.
Fuggles are not highly regarded as an
aroma hop, although they can be used for
that purpose. The sweet, delicate aroma of
East Kent Golding make them prized for
flavor and aroma purposes and it would
be a shame to waste them for bittering.
More robust ales such as strong bitters,
porters, stouts and barley wines benefit
from a more aggressive bittering hop such
as Northern Brewer or Bullion.
As the OG goes up, so should the
amount of bittering hops as measured
either in alpha-acid units or total weight.
This is to balance the extra maltiness. An
ale with a high terminal gravity (produced
by a high-mash temperature dextrinous
wort) would also need more units of bitter-
ness. Once you've established the correct
level of bitterness, multiplying weight
versus alpha acid units is all that's needed
to use any hop. Use only the freshest hops
purchased from supply shops that store
them tightly sealed in the freezer or
refrigerator.
Yeast
The single most important discovery
I've made in brewing is to use a pure ale
yeast culture. It makes all the difference.
In England, it's quite common for any
small local brewery to simply scoop up a
generous sample for you, often free of
"More robust
ales . .. benefit
from a more
• ings and leave upside down with the tap
, aggresszve
( bittering hop."
I
~
charge. Taking a pint or two of your latest
homebrew as an offering helps. Here you
can buy yeast cultures in a kit form so easy
to use you'll wonder why you didn't do it
sooner.
Finings and Priming
Because real ale is to be served very
soon after casking, a quick fining agent is
needed. Isinglass serves this purpose well,
dropping the beer bright in 48 hours under
the right conditions. Made from the swim
bladders of the sturgeon fish, it is a milky
substance when mixed with water. English
breweries refer to adding isinglass as "fish
stuffing." It is added with the priming
sugar when the cask is sealed. Isinglass is
preferable to gelatin for draft real ales
since it works quickly. The temperature
should be under 65 degrees F for it to be
effective.
Prepare the isinglass by cutting the dry
finings into shreds with scissors. Put into
a sanitized blender with cold water that
has been boiled for 10 minutes and blend
on high for a minute or so. This doesn't
break it up quite enough, so refrigerate for
a day then blend again to get the desired
consistency. Always keep isinglass refrig-
erated. Because the settled yeast is more
unstable with isinglass than with gelatin,
isinglass is unsuitable for bottle beers.
Traditional ale is quite low in CO,,
producing an extremely smooth, burpless
beer. For a draft five-gallon quantity use
no more than two ounces of priming sugar.
I frequently use dark brown sugar for this
purpose which leaves a bit of residual
flavor of its own that I like in a full flavored
best bitter.
Serving Methods
I have an aversion to bottling, so I have
an assortment of draft vessels. These are
several sizes of pressure barrels with a
C0 2 injector, cubitainers and the tradi-
tional oak cask for special brews.
Cubitainers. The cheapest way to go,
these come in sizes from one gallon to six
gallons and are perfect for real ale. Their
cost is $2.50 to $5. Although air can enter
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
through the walls, remember that tradi-
tional ale should be drunk young. If con-
sumed within a month after casking, there
isn't any problem. English breweries sup-
ply take-home draft in this form, called
"polypins," and if they can do it so can
homebrewers.
My technique is to fill the cubitainer
as full as possible, add primings and fin-
at the top. At 55 to 65 degrees F, the yeast
will work slowly and start to balloon the
cubitainer. Now you will have to check it
twice a day. When the pressure causes the
sides to become very hard and stiff, vent
off just enough CO, to reduce stiffness,
repeating the procedure about twice daily
for a week until fermentation slows down.
Then stop venting or you will lose all of
your conditioning. Now, very gently turn
the cubitainer so the tap is in serving posi-
tion. The sediment will fall to the bottom
and settle out again. After a day or so you
can pull off a sample. With each glass of
beer taken, the cube will collapse, prevent-
ing air from entering through the tap. You
may have to prop it up when the contents
are low.
The only real disadvantage of cubi-
tainers is that they are difficult to wash.
Give them an overnight soak with chlorine
and water, then use the carboy brush.
I prefer to use cubitainers for quick-
maturing, low-gravity beer like milds.
These can be consumed fairly quickly
because the alcohol percentage is usually
quite low. To do a high-gravity brew, I
would normally age four to six weeks in
secondary before racking to a cubitainer.
I don't recommend dry hopping in a cubi-
tainer because the tap could become
plugged.
Pressure Barrels. Next on the scale of
desirability is the pressure barrel, also
available in a variety of sizes. The plastic
is extremely dense, so the exchange of air
through the sides isn't a problem as with
cubitainers. Pressure barrels are easy to
clean, with an opening large enough for
a man-sized arm. The tap is removable,
facilitating cleaning of all parts. They are
translucent so you always know how much
beer is left. I recommend using a CO, in-
jector. It will add to the cost but you can't
beat them for longevity. These use only
enough CO, for a protective blanket on
top of the beer. Not much gas will be
dissolved, so don't worry about a fizzy pint
of ale.
The injector uses a small CO bulb
and a five U.K.-gallon barrel typica1ly re-
quires three or four bulbs for dispensing.
The unit works on the demand principle,
sensing when the pressure has dropped
below a certain point, then injecting
enough CO, to make up the difference. It
also vents pressure above a certain level so
bursting isn't a problem.
These barrels can be used without the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 58
57
ENGLISH ALE FROM PAGE 57
CO, injector, but after some ale has been
drawn off the pressure will be gone and
some air will tend to enter through the tap.
At this point, you have to open the barrel
and reprime, risking infection.
As with a cubitainer, I do my priming
and fining at the same time in a pressure
barrel and have yet to have a problem with
carbonation. Two ounces of priming sugar
in a five-gallon barrel are the most you
should use. The pressure barrel's surface-
to-volume ratio is much different from that
of bottles. If you're satisfied with the flavor
of the ale at casking, use a neutral-flavored
priming sugar, such as corn sugar. For the
more robust ales, porters and stouts, con-
sider dark brown or even molasses to
impart a bit of residual flavor of their own.
Stainless Steel Soda Kegs. Another
container is the soda keg for those willing
to invest in the complete setup consisting
of the keg, CO, tank, gauges and lines.
This system is {ndestructible and should
give a lifetime of service. The kegs come
in a variety of sizes, the five U.S.-gallon one
being perfect for homebrewers. They are
easily cleaned.
The kegs draw the beer ott the bottom,
so the first glass will contain all the sedi-
ment, leaving clear beer thereafter. After
filling and priming, you don't need to at-
tach the CO., tank until time comes for
dispensing. Be careful with your priming
amounts and for safety only use kegs with
a safety pressure release.
Use a good regulator to control the
pressure in the keg. A 10-pound CO, tank
contains enough to dispense about 20 five-
gallon kegs. Five psi for dispensing would
seem about right for a low-carbonation ale.
I know this system isn't CAMRA approved
but it's unlikely that we'll consume five
58 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
gallons of beer in three to four days, which
is the maximum serving time for most
non-artificial CO, cask real ales.
Wooden Cask Real Ale. This com-
plicated and finicky system should only be
considered by those enthusiasts on the
lunatic fringe, and then only for special
brews. But if you have experienced "beer
from the wood," drawn by hand pump or
straight from the cask by gravity, you know
what a magical, indescribable treat it is.
Wooden casks require a separate set of
techniques, and anyone thinking of em-
barking on such an endeavor should read
all the literature first.
Read " Beer in the Wood" in zymurgy,
Vol. 7, No. 3 Fall 1984. This all-inclusive
article is written from a homebrewing
standpoint. Obtain the CAMRA publica-
tion "Cellarmanship" and Line's The Big
Book of Brewing. It also helps to talk to
somebody who has successfully kept real
ale in this manner, so a trip to England
would be in order. Seek out real ale pubs
and engage the landlord of your friendly
local on the delicate subject of cellarman-
ship. Start the conversation by buying him
a pint, then compliment him on the con-
dition of his ale! You might even persuade
him to give you a tour of the cellar.
After you have read the books and
know the theory, you're ready to buy a
cask. Don't consider a wooden wine
barrel-the wood isn't thick enough to
cope with the pressure. When not in use
the barrel should be stored filled with
water to keep it from drying out. I know
of no U.S. manufacturers, so you'll have to
send to England as I did. Write to H. & J.E.
Buckley Ltd. for their price sheet. Their
address is Tame Valley Works, Park Road,
Dukinfield, Cheshire, England SK16 5LP.
Buckley will quote all charges for new and
reconditioned casks and transportation by
air or surface. They also supply the small
accessories for the cask-taps, tuts, spiles,
etc.
The size best suited to homebrewers
is known as a pin and holds 4 112 U.K.
gallons. I find a 6 U.S.-gallon brew fits
quite nicely into mine after racking off
primary and secondary sediment.
Now that you're in this deep, you
might as well have a hand pump, too. Write
to Homark Associates Ltd. (Pottery Road,
Parkstone, Poole, Dorset, England BH14
8RB) for a catalog.
Even with a cask and hand pump,
you'll have to engineer other items, like
stillage, stooping devices and connecting
lines. If you've come this far, you must be
a creative and self-reliant sort anyhow, and
can easily cope with whatever needs to be
done. There is a certain satisfaction from
successfully serving a real ale "from the
wood" that's hard to put into words.
Perhaps it's the flavor or the tradition.
Perhaps it's the knowledge that you've
learned a real craft and are keeping an art
form alive.
Aging. Higher gravity beers need
longer aging . Highly hopped beers,
especially those that are dry hopped, may
need longer aging to smooth out the green
hop flavor. All real ales are consumed
within a week of casking in England, so
be your own judge when the time is ripe.
There's something about maturing in bulk
rather than bottle that seems to speed up
maturation time. If you pick up a harsh-
ness, sample at two-week intervals until
you're satisfied.
Serving. The English do not drin.k
warm beer; neither do they drink it at
room temperature. The correct termin-
ology is "cellar temperature." Most real ale
enthusiasts in England agree that the
proper serving temperature for draft bit-
ter is 55 degrees F. This can vary depend-
ing on the prevailing weather conditions
and if the pub has any form of cellar cool-
ing. At this temperature, the flavors will
blossom to their full potential. Serve cooler
than 50 degrees F and the flavors will be
suppressed. I find that the more robust
strong ales, porters and stouts taste best
around 60 degrees F. Of course, you'll
never set your food refrigerator at this
level, so there's another good reason for a
beer 'fridge.
Fountainhead Festival Ale
This is a flavorful draft bitter, sweetish
with good hop balance, happy nose,
medium body, copper colored and slightly
friuty. Methods are given for full mash and
mash/extract. Treat water as required to
approximate water of Burton-on-Trent,
England.
Ingredients for 6 U.S. gallons (5 U.K.
gallons)
 5112 lbs. pale ale malt
1h lb. American 6-row malt (for
enzymes)
1 lb. crystal malt (preferably English)
1 lb. Munich malt - this is a sweeter
version of pale ale malt used as a
· flavoring agent to give maltiness
without mashing at a higher
temperature.
1 lb. Cara-Pils (dextrine malt for body)
8 oz. flaked maize
2 oz. whole Fuggle bittering hops (for
pellets use 1'/2 oz.)
Vz oz. whole Goldings, second addition
for flavoring
Vz oz. whole Goldings, th ird addition
for aroma
% oz. whole Goldings for dry hopping
1 tsp. Irish moss
Ale yeast
Priming sugar-none
Isinglass finings
Full Mash Method
Mashing: Mash crushed grains in 4
gallons of water at 148 to 153 degrees F.
Boiling: Boil the wort vigorously for 90
minutes. Add the Fuggles after 30 minutes.
Add 1/z oz. Goldings and Irish moss dur-
ing the last 15 minutes. Turn heat off at 90
minutes and add 112 oz. Goldings. Cover
completely and let rest 30 minutes. Hop
sparge to collect exactly 6 U.S. gallons.
Force cool and let trub settle out before
racking to primary. OG should be approx-
imately 1.045.
Primary fermenting: Ferment at 60 to 70
degrees F, preferably in a 5-gallon carboy
with a blow tube. The 'lz gallon or so of
wort left over should be put in a sterile jug,
closed and refrigerated until casking. This
will be your "kraeusen." Fermentation
should be carried out until vigorous fer-
ment is done, which should take 3 to 4
days.
Secondary fermenting: Rack to another
carboy, first adding the dry hops. Leave for
approximately 2 weeks until fermented
out. Fine with 7 fluid ounces isinglass
prepared in advance.
Casking: After 48 hours, rack to cask, bar-
rel or cubitainer. Terminal gravity should
be around 1.012 to 1.014. Add the unfer-
mented wort you've been keeping refriger-
ated. This "kraeusen" wort, when acti-
vated by the remaining yeast, will carbon-
ate to correct level if the temperature of the
beer is kept at 60 to 65 degrees F for 5 days
or so. You may start to enjoy your real ale
after this time, as all real ale in England
is consumed young. Chill no cooler than
55 degrees F fro the CAMRA Retaliatory
Committee will be after you. Cheers!
Mash Extract Method
You can come close to the fresh flavor
of a full mash by using the following
procedure.
English Ales-A Description
Although there is no one ironclad
definition of a particular typ e of beer,
broad generalizations can be made. Here
are some general guidelines to follow
while designing your trad itional English
ale.
Draft Bitters
Mild Ales: OG 1.030 to 1.035. Tend
to be malty rather than hoppy. Most milds
are dark, but not black in color, sug-
gesting the use of a dark malt such as
chocolate malt, black patent or roasted
barley. However, keep the quantity of this
low, using it primarily as a coloring agent.
Medium to light body. Can use light or
dark brown sugar.
Ordinary Bitter: OG 1.035 to 1.040.
Tends to be dry and hoppy. Colors range
from dark golden to medium amber.
Crystal malt primary flavoring and color-
ing malt, although Munich malt could be
used. Flaked barley would fit nicely here,
but don't overdo it. I favor dry hopping
this one. Medium body. I£ brewing sugar
is desired, use turbinado, or light brown
sugar.
Best Bitter: Usual OG 1.040 to 1.048.
Tends to be more full flavored than ordi-
nary. Usually is malty but with noticeable
hop balance. Colors from medium amber
to copper. Lots of crystal or Munich
malt here. Perhaps even a small quantity
flaked mai ze for residual sweetness.
Medium to full bodied. Light or dark
brown sugar is OK.
Special or Strong Bitter: 1.049 to
1.055. More malty and sweet than best
bitter. Usually no real hop aroma. Robust
flavor. Full bodied. Medium amber to
deep copper. Dark brown sugar or small
amount molasses can be used.
Old Ale: OG 1.055 to 1.065. These are
so named because they are indicati ve of
Ingredients for 6 U.S. gallon s (5 U.K.
gallons)
Two 3.3 lb. cans EDME OMS malt
extract. Use only OMS (diastatic
malt syrup), otherwise you won't
have the necessary enzymes to con-
vert th e unmalted adjunct.
1 C. American 6-row malt. Buy already
crushed , or crush the grain yourself
in a grain mill.
1 lb. crystal malt (preferably English)
cracked in a grain mill, with a roll:
ing pin or coarsely in a blender.
8 oz. flaked maize
8 oz. malta-dextrine (" body-builder"
powder)
1 lb. Munich malt- crushed in a grain
mill or coarsely in a blender
Use hops and other ingredients listed
in the above full-mash recipe.
Method
Dissolve the malt extract in 2 gallons
of hot water and bring temperature to 158
degrees F. Add the 6-row malt, Munich
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 59
the style of draft ale· popular in "merrie
olde England." Usually very swee t and
heavy. Usually deep copper to dark
brown , sugges ting high alcoholic
strength. Can use molasses or dark-
brown sugar in this one.
Barley Wines: OG 1.065 to ?. Simil ar
to old ales but higher in alcohol. English
barley wines are always hopped but only
in bittering addition. Usually require long
maturation time to smooth out harshn ess.
Can be frustrating waiting 6 months or
more while a 5-gallon pressure barrel is
tied up. Best fermented with wine or
Champagne yeast. Molasses or dark
brown sugar would be good in the
co pper.
BOTTLE ALES
Light Ale - Usually low OG, like a mild,
but a light color similar to lager. Flavor
tends to be light, dry and refreshing.
Pale Ale or IPA- Similar to ordinary bit-
ter, usually dry and hoppy, but with
higher OG. Examples: Bass, Whitbread,
Sam Smith's, Courage, Watney's. Charles
Wells' Bombardier, John Peel, Big Ben,
McEwan's IPA.
Brown Ale- Sort of the bottle version of
a draft dark mild, with perhaps slightly
higher OG . Examples: New Castle
Brown, Sam Smith's.
Porter - A kind of bottled version of draft
old ale with lower OG.
Stout - Sweet or dry. Most famous sweet
stout is typifi ed by th e imported
Mackeson. For dry stout, use Guinness
as an example.
Barley Wine - Bottled version of draft.
Scotch Ale- Thick and malty, as strong
draft bitter. Examples: McEwan's Scotch,
McEwan's Edinburgh, Belhaven.
malt and flaked maize. Hold at 153 to 158
degrees F for 30 minutes, then check for
starch conversion with the iodine test. If
the color turns bluish black, conversion
has not taken place, so continue to mash
and check at 15-minute intervals until
mash does not turn dark when testing.
While mashing, make an infusion of the
crystal malt by placing it in 1/z gallon water
and raising the temperature slowly until
just under boiling. Simmer gently for 10
minutes, then strain off liquid. Add this to
brewpot. After conversion has taken place,
sparge to remove the grains by pouring
through sieve. Add as much water as your
brewpot will allow for boiling. Shorten boil
to one hour, adding bittering hops at start
of boil. Follow procedure through fermen-
ting as described above. When casking add
malta-dextrin. FA
Rande Reed, a member of CAMRA,
Jives in Milwaukee, Wis., where he
specializes in making and writing about
British brews.
 Step-Mashing Procedures
For U ndermodified Malts
Theory And Practice
to be sure, English malt was overly
modified from what was common in
Belgium, Germany and the United States,
but even so, the protein rest, according to
DeClerck, would be very useful. Maytag
agreed with DeClerck. He used an upward
step procedure to make steam beer.
It is not at all surprising that the
single-step infusion mash is so popular
among homebrewers. The necessary
equipment is certainly no great problem
to assemble. More important, the actual
hands-on management is no great tech-
nical feat, and instructions to accomplish
a good infusion mash abound in a variety
of publications. Of course, ale is the beer
style most popular among advanced home-
brewers. The traditional mashing sequence
for ale is the downward infusion, some-
times called a single-step infusion, time
honored and secure in the hearts of brew-
ers all over the English-speaking world and
a large part of the third world as well.
British malts respond well to the down-
ward infusion, and the simplicity is
compelling.
The fact remains that a low-
temperature protein rest is very useful, but
most homebrewers remain unconvinced.
Or perhaps they are just fearful of under-
taking the upward-step infusion. They
assume that a more complex mash cannot
Fred Eckhardt
be managed in the home or on the kitchen

''Perfection 1111 'II nevecthe

visited fmget
old the
Sanfi'"t time I
Francisco
Steam Brewery under the
range. According to DeClerck, there are
many advantages to be gained from using
an upward-step infusion, a Belgian inven-
tion, it appears. He claims the British
Is Not freeway on Eighth Street. I
came away with visions of
infusion is a rigid and inflexible process;
whereas, the Belgian upward process is
malted-barley fairies dancing " very flexible ...can be arrested ...or main-
Necessary, on hop vines. That steam beer was so
delicious, I just had to make it. I had to.
tained at (any desired) temperature .. .for
any length of time." Most important, he
It was 1971, and Fritz Maytag had shared says, there is a good deal of destruction of
That's The the whole day with me, allowing me to
photograph his baby from any angle I
enzymes in the downward infusion, where
the cold grains are added to the hot water
wished. I came away more than im- with the resulting reduction of tempera-
Key To Step pressed-! was a convert.
Actually, it was my second visit, and
ture. Finally, there is a better yield (more
fermentables available in the wort), by

Mashing.'' at the time of my first visit I had just

finished reading Jean DeClerck's A Text-
book of Brewing, Vol. 1. In that book I had
about 2 percent.
Let's face it, the upward-step proce-
dure produces a smoother end product.
read that the English, according to the The downward-infusion wort has more
FRED ECKHARDT Belgian DeClerck, would make much bet-
ter beer if they added a protein rest to their
fermentable sugar and less dextrin,
resulting in thinner beer with less body
PORTLAND, OREGON mashing system, rather than using their
traditional single-temperature method. Oh,
and palate fullness . When the desire is to
produce a beer with lower alcohol content,
60 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
the upward-step method is much to be
preferred. And conversely, if the end prod-
uct is to be a stronger beer, the single-step
method is preferred. Th e upward-step
mash is better with less-modified malts,
such as German and Belgian, and much
of Canadian and Ameri can malts. Indeed,
if the malt is not of the highest quality for
any reason, there is a loss in the single-step
method .
In addition, a protein rest, if the cal-
cium ion is present as in most hard water,
may make the beta amylase less suscep-
tible to destruction, thereby increasing the
attenuation possibilities without reducing
the dextrin content. This results in a
smoother beer with better balance, be-
cause of the sugar structure produced and
the resulting slower fermentability of the
beer.
Finally, upward-step and decoction
mashes result in a brighter wort with more
soluble protein and less coagulable protein
(haze). Full control of all mashing factors
is only possible with an upward mash.
Choice of Mashing Method
There are many factors to consider
when selecting the proper mashing se-
quence for a particular beer.
1. the type of beer to be made: tradi-
tional ale, steam beer, lager, etc.;
2. the malt available: 2-row, 6-row,
undermodified, overmodified, all should
be considered;
3. unmalted cereals to be added, if any;
4. the limitations of the brewing
equipment;
5. the water to be used;
6. the method used must result in com-
plete saccharification; and
7. the method used should give a good
normal wort.
DeClerck's final warning, "the brewer
should make it a rigid rule not to follow
blindly some particular recipe (and make
allowance) for individual conditions (in)
his own brewery." Even so, it is well to
remember that the mashing method has
less effect on the final character of the beer
than most people imagine.
Finally, remember that when Maytag
brewed his Paul Revere Commemorative
Liberty Ale in 1975 he used a single-step
mash. When I asked him why, his answer
was simple. "It's an English-style beer, and
that's how their beer is made. Even with
American malts."
Practical Aspects
The fact remains that most home-
brewers are turned off by the suspected
complexity of step mashing, and this fear
prevents them from making the attempt.
Moreover, I believe this fear makes most
teachers of grain brewing avoid any
serious effort to convert students to the
more complex mashing method. I remind
the reader that, despite the preaching of
some authorities, very few American
breweries use the single-step method, and
this applies particularly to microbreweries.
But is it really all tha t complex? No,
not at all. What equipment is needed? If
you are now doing single-step mashes, you
can easily convert. The mash vessel be-
comes a Iauter or stra ining vessel. The
mash itself is carried out in whatever brew
kettle you may use. The kettle, a thermom-
eter and a stirring paddle are all the equip-
ment needed. The mash is conducted on
any kitchen stove, although a good gas
range or camp stove gives greater control
over the temperature steps.
Before attempting a step mash, a graph
of the time and temperature steps should
be plotted on graph paper using a pencil
and a ruler. As the mash progresses, the
actual time/temperature notations should
be made with a pen. The end result will
be a straight-line pencil graph and a series
of dots connected with ink lines. Squig-
glies on graph paper! There is no perfec-
tion in the actual mash, and this is true
even in large breweries. Their charts are
squigglies, too. Perfection is not necessary,
and that's the real key to step mashing.
The process is nowhere near as dif-
ficult as it seems. I have done two
simultaneous mashes on the stove, spaced
at 30-minute intervals to simplify things,
because of the size limitations of my equip-
ment. On another occasion I did three
simultaneous mashes on two stoves! Now
there was confusion, and I needed a
diagram to tell me which mash was in
which kettle. But the beer turned out OK,
although I didn't dare relax and have a
homebrew during that sequence. You need
all your wits when pursuing such folly. But
a single mash is an easily managed affair.
You can do it.
I am reluctant to go into great detail
about particulars, because each brew is dif-
ferent. Your water is different from mine
and your grains may be different, too.
The water-grain mix is somewhat dif-
ferent from the downward-step methods of
Dave Line in The Big Book of Brewing,
Scotty Morgan in Brew Your Own and
Alan Tobey in Brewing All-Grain Beers.
Step mash is a little thinner (more water
per pound of grains). Following is an
actual sequence from my original brew
logs.
Sample Mashing Sequence
for California Steam Beer
Intended original gravity: 1.051 (12.6
degrees B). Two mashes, using 6 pounds
of grains for each to yield (in brew kettle)
6 gallons total (5.5 gallons beer wort) and
0.5 gallons kraeusen wort). With my ex-
pected yield (1.0255) I calculated that I
would require about 12 pounds, too much
for my small, 5-gallon brew kettle to handle
in one mash. So I ran two mashes 30 min-
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 61
utes apart. The mash sequence I had for-
mulated was mash-in at 122 degrees F,
hold at 116 degrees F for 1 1/z hours, raise
to 126 degrees F in 10 minutes, hold there
for 20 minutes, raise to 158 degrees F in
30 minutes, and hold for conversion. Water
hardness was 550 ppm by Burton formula
addition.
Now my actual log shows the follow-
ing for this mash. The chart shows the
temperatures at five-minute intervals, com-
pared to where they were supposed to be.
The chart shows a squiggly mess, yet the
beer was of superb quality.
No doubt I could have been much
closer to proper temperatures had I used
a gas stove instead of electric. Electricity
is indeed difficult to control, and I had to
move the mash outdoors at least twice to
lower the temperature as well as off and
on the burner at an almost furious rate!
All this while managing an equally-
difficult second mash 30 minutes later in
time. Had I been managing a single mash,
it might have been closer to schedule. This
is an attempt to show the reader the worst
possible scenario, and how, despite the dif- ·
ficulties, the beer still managed to be
superb.
From Fred's Log, Brew 602
1300 Mash-in 6 pounds grist, with 6.5
quarts water, stove set at medium,
No. 4
1305 112 degrees
1310 112 degrees, stove up to No. 5
1315 114 degrees, stove down to No. 3
1320 116 degrees, add water treatment
to 550 ppm
1325 118 degrees, stove down to No. 2
1330 116 degrees, at this point I started
the second identical mash on the
front burner. Things got a little
hecti c after that.
We continue the log of the first
mash.
1335 118 degrees, stove set at No. 1
1340 116 degrees, No. 2
1345 118 degrees, move off stove
1350 116 degrees, still off stove
1355 118 degrees, still off stove
1400 116 degrees, still off stove
1405 120 degrees, on stove at No. 1
setting
1410 114 degrees, set at No. 2
1415 118 degrees
1420 124 degrees, remember the
temperature should still be at 116
degrees here!
1425 128 degrees, off stove
1430 118 degrees, back to the burner.
At this point I was supposed to
raise the mash to 126 degrees F
in 10 minutes and hold there for
20 minutes. I set the stove at No.
3.
1435 120 degrees
CONTINUED ON PAGE 62
 DEGREES F STEP MASHING FROM PAGE 61
1440 120 degrees, I set the stove to No.
176 5, acid/pH test pH 5.8, acid 0.3 as
tartaric.
1445 138 degrees (that's what you get
for doing acid titration at a time
like that, but remember I have to
have information to write about,
too!)
1450 132 degrees, move the kettle to the
back porch
1455 132 degrees, on the back porch
1500 132 degrees, at this point I was
supposed to raise to 158 degrees
F on 20 minutes and hold for
starch conversion. I moved the
kettle back to the stove at No. 4.
140 1505 130 degrees
1510 132 degrees, stove up to No. 5
1515 142 degrees, stove down to No. 4
1520 142 degrees
1525 150 degrees
1535 156 degrees, off stove
1540 154 degrees, back on stove at No.
122 5
1545 152degrees
1550 156degrees, stove on No. 5
1555 156degrees
1600 156degrees
1605 162degrees, off stove
1610 degrees, test Iodine-positive
170
104 ~--------r-------~~--------~------~~ 1615 degrees
162
2:oo 3:oo 4:oo 1620 164degrees, test Iodine-positive
1:00 1625 154degrees, Iodine-positive, move
TIME back on stove, set No. 5
1630 162 degrees, Iodine-negative, right
DEGREES F on schedule at 1/z hour.
LAUTER 1635 raise to 176 degrees F to inacti-
176 IODINE + A vate the mash, and transfer to
Iauter.
And there's the final point in my
argument-this mash was raised to 176

158
s·
degrees F to inactivate the enzymes before
sparging, and most homebrewers don't
take that important step. Dave Line skips
it entirely! tlJ
140
THEORETICAL A

.... -... THEORETICAL B

122 MASH A ACTUAL

MASH B ACTUAL
·~·-·

104L---~---+--~~--+---~---+----~--T----r---1
14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
TIME
62 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
Decoction Mashing
or the growing body of whole-
grain brewers there has been
a serious lack of information
available on the subject of
mashing. Largely because of
this fact, even dedicated brewers of
crushed malt may be unfamiliar with
decoction mashing. They may also be
unaware of the measurable extract in-
creases and appreciable quality improve-
''The
ment decoction mashing makes possible.
Most homebrewers are at least pass- Very Word
ingly familiar with the infusion mash pro-
cess, whereby boiling water is worked into
crushed malt until it reaches the sacchar- Decoction. • • •
ification temperature of 149 degrees F. The
mash is steeped at this temperature to
extract malt starch and convert it to
Means To
fermentable sugar.
The very word decoction, on the other
hand, means to extract by boiling. Boiling
Extract By
does solubilize and disperse malt particles,
but in actual fact, conversion of the malt
to simpler fractions during decoction
( :) Boiling.''
mashing is made during periods of steep-
ing as well. The traditional decoction mash
sequence is composed of four rests, and water being naturally acidic (sulfate) than
three "decoctions" of part of the mash . does the infusion mash.
These boiled portions are returned to
the mash, progressively elevating its
GREGORY J. NOONAN
temk:;:~l~ss of which mashing method WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS Phytin
is employed, extraction of the malt is not +
accomplished by the effects of an elevated F are not me~ely incidental to raising the
temperature alone. A hot, acidic solution 7H,Q
mash temperature toward saccharification,
only gelatinizes starch and "softens up"
protein and hemicellulose. Extraction
but capitalize on the effects of certain
enzymes, enzymes that are never even
IPhy~se I
and fractionalization of the malt can be activated in traditional infusion mashes. C6 HP[OPO(OH),)6
brought about only by the action of par- The advantages of decoction mashing Phytic Acid
ticular enzymes, each of which induces a begin with doughing-in the malt with cold C6 H 12 0 6
specific reaction and is only active within water. It allows the water to evenly myo-Inositol (B vitamin)
a limited temperature range. Saccharifica- permeate the mash, whereas doughing-in 5CaHP04 x 2H,O
tion, for example, is by malt diastase, an with boiling water invariably causes some J Calcium phosphate
enzyme group that converts malt starch to of the malt flour to be encapsulated by 'l (secondary: precipitated) ~
sugar. paste. MgHPO. X 3H,O
At a superficial glance, the decoction Magnesium phosphate
sequence may seem to be no more than a The traditional decoction mash begins J (secondary: precipitated) ~
means by which to raise progressively the with the kneading of a conservative
temperature of the mash toward sacchar- amount of cold water into the crushed
ification, as an alternative to the applica- malt, followed by an infusion of boiling Figure 1. Phytase Activity
tion of direct heat to the mash-tun, or to water, raising the temperature to 95 de-
the infusion of an unreasonable amount grees F. This is the "acid rest," during Treatment with calcium sulfate should
of boiling water. which the enzyme phytase is activated. Its not be presumed to be necessary for all
temperature range is 86 to 128 degrees F. brewing water sources. Moreover, it is less
Complete Conversion It acidifies the mash by inverting the necessary when decoction mashing than
insoluble malt phosphate phytin to phytic it is for an infusion mash because the
In fact, decoction mashing is con- acid (and releases a B vitamin necessary release of phytic acid during the 95 degree
structed upon a series of conditions that for yeast growth as well). Because it rest enables the pH to drop from 5.5 to 5.8
complete the conversion of the barley liberates twice the amount of phytic acid at mashing-in to the 5.2 to 5.3 necessary
kernel that was begun during malting. The released by infusion mashing, a decoction at saccharification.
decoction mash rests at 95 and 122 degrees mash needs to rely less upon the brewing CONTINUED ON PAGE 64

SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 63

 DECOCTION FROM PAGE 63
Very generally speaking, so long as the
pH of the water source does not exceed
7.2, it need not be boiled or treated with
an acid salt such as gypsum before use.
Where the alkalinity of the brewing water
is greater, carbonate mineral salts must be
precipitated out of solution, either by boil-
ing the water and decanting it off the sedi-
ment of calcium (and magnesium) car-
bonate, or by the addition of an acid salt
such as calcium sulfate (gypsum). Gypsum
lowers the pH of any mash because its
acidity overcomes the buffering strength
of carbonate salts, and because an excess
of calcium inverts the organic malt
phosphate phytate to its insoluble second
form, releasing acidifying hydrogen ions
into solution.
CaHJPOJ, x H,O
Phytate
+ only be reduced to manageable fractions
Calcium (Ca)
+ the purpose of the decoction mash rest at
H,O
~ During the rest, protease, peptase, and
2H
Hydrogen ions
+ liberating albuminous fractions. These
~ 2CaHPO, x 2H 2 0 ~
Calcium phosphate
(secondary: precipitated)
Figure 2. Phytase activity with
calcium
This reaction is altogether a less
desirable program for acidifying the mash
than is the release of phytic acid, because
it robs the mash and its extract of
phosphorous that may be necessary for
yeast growth .
Boiling part of the mash also con-
tributes to lowering the pH of the decoc-
tion mash. More importantly, each time a
decoction is withdrawn, that heavy part of
the mash passes through the diastatic
enzyme range while it is being heated to
boiling, so that saccharification tempera-
tures are reached three times in the course
of a traditional decoction mash. Boiling
ruptures balled starch particles and dis-
solves protein gum. When the boiled mash
is returned to the mash-tun, the dissolved
protein is exposed to the enzyme activity
in the albumin rest. Without benefit of hav-
ing been boiled, protein gum is little
affected by enzyme activity and passes
through mashing largely unconverted,
making the extract prone to haze and sub-
ject to oxidation. Undissolved paste and
gum increase the risk of a set mash dur-
ing sparging.
Boiling also d(mxygenates the mash, so
that it settles more densely in the lauter-
tun. Only the absence of residual protein
gum makes the denser and more effective
filter bed possible. Where an infusion
64 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
Effect of Dias latic Enzymes on Starch
.... .
i .... ......
·•... ;..·
.. I
•.f
....
'•I
l ...... .... .i! .....".."· r·.r.,. ,._. w
J}:: ,...,. :'\ ! :
......•. :r··· ....... .1 ...... ...: .. ' .../ .:·
I =~\
''f .
~i/
amylase
f/
t
amylopectin
i
i
maltaseJclextrina sc
mash has been employed, such a thick
filter bed would likely result in a set mash.
Protein is dispersed by boiling, but the
resulting complex protein-polymers can
by the proteolytic enzyme group. This is
122 degrees F.
peptidase progressively dissolve the pep-
tide links within the protein cells,
coagulate with the hop resins in the ket-
tle, providing a vehicle for the transmis-
sion of hop bitterness to the finished beer.
It is also albumin, not protein, that gives
beer its body and enables it to support a
frothy, foamy head.
Dissolves into Amino Acids
During the course of the albumin rest,
proteinase dissolves some of the albumi-
nous matter to individual amino acids,
which fuel yeast growth in the early stages
of fermentation. The acidifying enzyme
phytase remains active through the end of
the protein rest, lowering the mash pH fur-
ther. Extract efficiency is enhanced by the
enzymatic dissolution of membranous
proteins encasing starch and hemicellu-
lose, and by the effect of debranching
enzymes upon amylopectin during this
rest.
Finally, after three rests and two
decoctions, the traditional continental
mashing comes to the saccharification
rest. It reaches the diastatic enzyme range
better solubilized, with its nitrogen com-
plement more manageable and its starch
more accessible than is otherwise possible.
The sole aim of the saccharification
rest is to reduce malt starch to sugars. The
art of it is in manipulating the mash
temperature to yield a given proportion of
fermentable and non-fermentable sugars.
Starch is made up of glucose mole-
cules linked in straight and branched
chains, respectively termed amylose and
amylopectin. How these chains are sepa-
rated determines the malt character and
fermentability of the mash extract. The
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alpha-amylase enzyme, most active at 158
degrees F, breaks links within the chains
to form glucose, maltose, trisaccharides
and dextrins. Beta amylase, on the other
hand, attacks only the chain ends, and is
most active between 140 and 149 degrees
F. Debranching enzymes, such as alpha-
glucosidase (maltase) and dextrinase
separate amylopectin at · its branchin~
points.
Unless alpha amylase and the de-
branching enzymes have separated the
starch chains into many short, straight
segments, beta amylase hasn't many chains
available and operates very ineffectively.
The minimum saccharification tempera-
ture, therefore, is 149 degrees F, because
this is the temperature at which starch
becomes gelatinized, and because alpha
amylase is active. It yields the most
fermentable wort possible.
Higher temperatures retard beta amyl-
ase activity, generating more dextrinous
extracts and consequently more slowly
fermentable wort than is achievable at a
lower temperature. Saccharification
temperatures, then, may range between
149 degrees and 158 degrees F, to promote
one enzyme or the other, regardless of
which mashing technique is employed.
Again, the decoction mash enjoys an
advantage yet, because its low-temperature
rests give the heat-susceptible de branching
enzymes opportunity to diminish the
number and complexity of amylopectin
fractions, an accomplishment that resting
in the saccharification range alone cannot
duplicate.
The decoction mash is the culmina-
tion of centuries of trial-and-error and
discovery-by-chance brewing. The tradi-
tional sequence of rests and decoctions
predates even the discovery of the enzymes
that make it so effective. The decoction
mash was not formulated theoretically; it
evolved because it works.
A decoction mash program should be
employed whenever "undermodified"
malt is to be crushed, and whenever that
crushing yields a coarse or uneven grist.
Only well-crushed malt of British origin,
 such as Munton and Fison 2-row pale
malt, should ever be infusion mashed.
Identifying Malt
Malt is identified as undermodified or
well-modified only by British convention.
The terms of distinction are appropriate
to homebrewing nomenclature, however,
given our indebtedness to the British
homebrewing tradition. It is well to note
that to most of the world's brewers, British
malt is overmodified.
Identifying malt as being of either type
is not difficult. To assess its modification,
taste a sampling of 20 or so kernels. Iden-
tify the dorsal and ventral sides; the ven-
tral side is longitudinally creased by the
ventral furrow; the dorsal side is more
rounded. The acrospire, or plant growth,
of the germinated barley kernel lies be-
neath the dorsal husk. It is a conical, white
spear growing from the base of the grain.
Its growth is indicative of the extent of
modification of the starchy endosperm.
If the malt is a thin-husked variety, the
acrospire may be visible tlrough the husk.
Otherwise, the husk will have to be broken
away above the acrospire, either by rubbing
with the thumb or by cutting and lifting
free with a razor blade.
Examine the malt. If the acrospire
growth exceeds three-quarters the length
of the kernel in the majority of the grains,
it is well modified. Its taste is very sweet
with little starchy character. The endo-
sperm will be soft and may even be granu-
lar, almost like table sugar.
Decoction mashing is indicated when
the acrospire length of a significant
number of the kernels is less than three-
quarters the length of the grains or when
sprouting has been very inconsistent. The
endosperm of grains that are cut through
will have an opaque or "steely" appear-
ance. Chewing a few grains will reveal a
more mealy texture and grainy flavor, and
very likely hard kernel tips. It is less well
modified than British malt so that the
endosperm will not have been depleted by
fueling rootlet and acrospire growth, and
in the interest of preserving enzyme
strength, but it must be decoction mashed.
Let's look at the traditional decoction
mash, crushing enough malt to yield 5'/z
gallons of cooled wort at a specific grav-
ity of 1.049. This volume should be ade-
quate for a five-gallon fermentation,
including wort for yeast starters or bottle
priming.
Using either 2-row or 6-row pale malt
of American origin, we can safely assume
an extract efficiency of 70 percent. Actu-
ally, by using 2-row malt, 80 percent is
possible, and for 6-row, 75 percent recovery
of the dry weight as extract is possible.
Even for the first-time brewer, then, 70
percent extract yield is not an unreason-
able expectation.
J/2 l/4
ACROSP 1 RE GROWTH
Table 1. MALT REQUIRED FOR WORTS OF VARIOUS SPECIFIC
GRAVITY
Pounds of malt per gallon of wort at:
Extract efficiency 1.040 1.044 1.049 1.061
80% 1.08 1.2 1.31 1.66
75% 1.16 1.28 1.4 1.77
70% 1.24 1.37 1.5 1.9
65% 1.33 1.48 1.61 2.05
60% 1.45 1.6 1.75 2.22
50% 1.73 1.92 2.1 2.66
Assuming a 70 percent extract effi·
ciency, for 5'/z gallons of wort at SG 1.049
we require 8'1• pounds of crushed malt.
The malt can be conveniently measured by
volume; a one-quart measuring cup filled
8'14 times (or 35 1-cup measures) will give
us 8'14 pounds.
Crushing may be accomplished by
using a counter-top grain mill, set so that
a feeler gauge of 25 to 35 thousandths of
an inch thickness (of the type used for set-
ting the spark plug gap on your auto-
mobile) just passes between the faces of
the grinding disks. This range yields as
fine a milling as can be tolerated without
overly pulverizing the hulls.
For a mash-run, nothing performs as
satisfactorily as an insulated polypropyline
picnic chest of at least 24-quart capacity,
except perhaps a glazed stoneware crock.
The first satisfies the critical feature of the
mash-tun, the ability to maintain mash the bottom of the tun. This is important,
temperature, better than anything else. Its because flooding any part of the mash
only drawback is that the inner surface before the water has permeated every part
will become heat distorted with use. of it destines dry particles to become
Stoneware doesn't suffer this malady, and encapsulated by nearly impenetrable
holds heat well, but is dangerously subject paste.
to fracture ' if carelessly handled. The doughing-in is with cold water,
To effect a uniform mix, the crushed except where the malt is resonably well
malt goes into the mash-tun before . the modified and evenly crushed. In this case,
brewing water. Sprinkle and knead cold an abbreviated decoction mashing may be
water into the grist so that it is evenly made by doughing-in the grist with five
and gradually moistened. For a verv thick quarts of boilng water, bringing the mash
mash, the 8'14 pounds of malt are doughed- to rest at 95 to 105 degrees F. Infusion of
in with six quarts of brewing water. The another three quarts of boiling water, rais-
grain should be thoroughly wetted, but ing the temperature of the mash to 122
with little or no free-standing liquid left at CONTINUED ON PAGE 66
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 65

Table 2. WATER REQUIRED PER POUND OF MALT
Very thick mash Very thin mash
Doughing in .75 quarts 1.25 quarts
Mashing in .35 .625
Temp. maintenance
Sparging 2.375 1.625
Total water requirement remains constant (3.5 quarts per pound of malt)
regardless of the consistency of the mash.
DECOCTION FROM PAGE 65 return it to the grist. Dispersion of the
degrees F will allow the first decoction to calcium salt will not be perfect, but it is
be eliminated. The only profit in this the best that can be hoped for in what at
method is expediency, however, and for this point is frankly a rescue effort.
most undermodified malt is inappropriate. For the very particular, where the
Usually the rest is made cold, allow- water source is soft (relatively mineral free:
ing it to stand for 15 minutes or so before hardness as CaCO, less than 100 grams
being fully mashed-in. To raise the tem- per milliliter, indicated by a pH of 7.0 or
perature to 95 to 105 degrees F for the acid less) acidulation of the mash may be
rest, sprinkle and knead three quarts of augmented by a lactic acid mash made
boiling water into it. Immediately after several days before brewing begins.
establishing the strike temperature,
measure the acidity of the mash by blot- Making the Mash
ting a strip of narrow-range pH paper (4.6
to 6.2 or 5.2 to 6.8) with a drop of the liquid The mash is made by completely sac-
mash, and gauge it against the pH color charifying a pound or so of crushed malt,
scale. The pH should be between 5.5 and cooling it to below 131 degrees F, and
5.8. If it exceeds this range, your brewing enclosing it in an insulated two-quart con-
water is too alkaline, and requires tainer with a handful of crushed malt.
correction. The acidulation is by Lactobacillus
It is a little late to discover this fact, delbruekii, a heat-tolerant bacteria that
but the situation is not unmanageable. It metabolizes glucose to lactic acid. Nor-
can be corrected by decanting all the free mally present as a contaminant of the
liquid from the mash-tun and mixing into malt, it acidulates the mash without the
it a solution of gypsum dissolved in cold harshness associated with sulfate
water, until the pH drops to 5.5. Carefully treatment.
heat the liquid to above 100 degrees F and Prepare to hold this mash at 95 to 131
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66 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
degrees F for at least two days, either by
periodic infusions of boiling water, or by
enclosing it in an insulated, aluminum-foil-
lined box heated by a light bulb or other
heat source.
There is no guarantee that this mash
will not be contaminated by other ther-
mophilic bacteria, but keeping it closely
covered will at least discourage infection
by airborne bacteria. A distinctly rancid
odor is an indication of spoilage caused
by the bacterium Clostridium butyrium.
No Lactic Acids
Should the lactic acid mash be off in
any way it should not be used. Where suc-
cessful, its pH will drop to 5.0 or below
and be of an acidic but pleasant taste and
normal appearance. It is used to establish
an acceptable mash acidity at the start of
the 95 degrees F rest.
Whether any treatment of the mash or
brewing water has been made or not, after
15 minutes of the 95 degree F rest prepare
the first decoction .
Using a one-quart glass measuring
cup, pull the grist to one side of the mash-
tun so that the thickest part of the mash
can be withdrawn to a kettle of at least two-
gallon capacity. Lift the mash from the tun
while pressing the rim of the cup against
the side, so that most of the liquid runs
free. Deposit this dense mash in the pan,
and repeat the procedure until the thickest
one-third part, or approximately 3 1/z quarts
are collected.
The thickest part of the mash is taken
for the decoction not because its specific
heat is greater than that of an equal volume
of the mash liquid, but because it contains
the greater part of any poorly-solubilized
or balled malt starch and protein gum. The
more liquid part of the mash will have ab-
sorbed all of the soluble malt fractions
(which need no further dissolution) and
most of the malt enzymes. If this cold
extract were to be boiled, the enzyme
community would be devastated .
Mash Retains Enzymes
The heavy part of the mash retains
adequate enzyme reserve to insure suffi-
cient reaction during the · heating of the
boiler mash. These are made more effec-
tive by its density. In fact, in the thick
decoction alpha . amylase can more suc-
cessfully decompose complex starch than
it can during the later and thinner sac-
charification rest. The thickest part of the
mash, then, is boiled, and enzyme strength
preserved in the cold settlement left in the
mash-tun ,
Although the tradition specifies that
one-third of the mash make up the decoc-
tion, in practice that fraction is subject to
the density of the mash from which it is
taken . The thinner the mash, the propor-
tionally greater the volume of the decoc-
tion will have to be in order for it to affect
the temperature of the next mash rest.
For our thick mash, however, the
decoction need only be one-third, and
should be very thick as well. Any liquid
standing above the settled decoction can
be drained back into the tun.
Cover the mash-tun and maintain its
temperature at 95 to 105 degrees F. If
necessary, restore its temperature by ex-
changing a part of it with some of the hot-
ter boiled mash.
Apply Heat
Heat the decoction to 155 degrees F in
10 to 15 minutes, stirring and lifting the
mash constantly so that it doesn't scorch
on the bottom of the kettle. In the thick
mash, 155 degrees F will produce the most
rapid reduction of complex starch chains
by the alpha amylase enzyme, which at
above pH 5.5 is operating at maximum
efficiency. Better reduction of malt starch
to small dextrins can be expected now than
later, when the whole mash is brought into
the diastatic enzyme range at a lower and
less optimal pH.
The higher pH and mash-temperature
levels also retard the activity of beta
amylase (pH optimum 4.7). Thus, we are
able to focus on the simplification of com-
plex starch in decoction, so that later, dur-
ing the saccharification rest of the whole
mash, we can concentrate on controlling
the maltose-to-dextrin ratio of the extract.
The decoction is held at the dex-
trinification temperature for 10 minutes,
heated to 167 degrees F over the next 15,
and then boiled. As the mash temperature
rises above 170 degrees F, starch particles
expanded by the heat will burst, exposing
otherwise-lost extract potential.
Diligently scrape the mash free from
the bottom of the kettle. You cannot rest
now-stir demoniacally. Stirring becomes
less critical only when the mash comes to
a boil.
Boil 15 Minutes or Longer
For a mash from pale malt, boil for 15
minutes. Where using dark-roasted, very
old, or enzyme-poor malt, the boil must be
held longer, even up to 45 minutes.
Use the measuring cup to return the
decoction to the mash-tun. Mix them grad-
ually and thoroughly so that the temper-
ature dispersal will be even. The temper-
ature will stabilize at 122 to 125 degrees F.
Generally 20 minutes' rest at this tem-
perature is sufficient to break down most
of the complex protein and yield satisfac-
tory albumin-to-amino acid ratio. The
heavy part of the mash can then be with-
drawn agai n, for the second decoction.
For the second decoction, more than
one-third of the mash should be taken, so
that upon return to the tun it will raise the
temperature to the desired point in the
2.1Z •.
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diastatic enzyme range. If the decoction
were unable to raise the temperature of the
mash to above 152 degrees F, a lager beer
from it would be disappointingly thin. For
our mash, a decoction of 4 to 41/z quarts
should insure that the proper saccharifica-
tion temperature will be reached. Again,
the decoction should be very thick, and
any liquid that pools above it is ladled back
into the mash-tun.
Cover the mash-tun and heat the
decoction to 150 degrees F in 10 minutes,
through 167 degrees Fin 15 to 20 minutes,
and then to boiling. Boil for 20 minutes.
Method Depends on Beer Type
How the second decoction should be
returned to the main mash depends on the
type of beer being brewed. For light, dry
beer and any beer to be bottled in less than
one month's time, the decoction is remixed
with the main mash slowly, over a period
of 15 to 30 minutes, and finally to rest at
149 to 151 degrees F. This pattern is
mimicked by a temperature-programmed
(upward infusion) mash. It gives the beta
amylase ample opportunity to hydrolize
maftose, by eliminating most of the amyl-
ose liberated by alpha amylase activity dur-
ing the two decoctions.
The low strike temperature preserves
beta amylase activity, but still allows more
complex starch to be dismantled by alpha
amylase. Given a thick mash, at this tem-
perature the enzymes will remain strongly
active for up to two hours.
For lager beers this maltose-rich ex-
tract is inappropriate. Aging requires a
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
.-·I • • • .,
. I .
I I
•
.I
I :I I
•
.......
slowly fermentable extract, predominantly
composed of dextrinous sugars. Unlike
maltose and non-saccharides, these re-
quire extracellular enzyme reduction be-
fore the yeast can metabolize them, thereby
providing a substrate for sustained fer-
mentation .
A saccharification strike temperature
of 152 to 155 degrees F must be reached
quickly to discourage beta amylase activity.
The remixing of the mashes should be
accomplished within 10 minutes, and the
temperature dispersal must be absolutely
uniform. Use the measuring cup to mix the
mash. Temperature uniformity will be
more readily achieved than by using a
spoon.
When the strike temperature has been
established, cover the resting mash. After
15 minutes, and every 10 minutes there-
after, uncover and remix the mash. Check
its temperature, and if necessary restore
it by infusions of boiling water. Whereas
temperature stability was not a serious
problem during the earlier mash rests,
at fhe elevated temperature of the dia-
static enzyme rest, heat loss is more pro-
nounced. A temperature drop of even two
degrees can have irreversible conse-
quences. Happily, we have made a very
thick mash, and can make liberal infusions
of boiling water without jeopardizing en-
zyme activity. Although a dense mash
favors overall extract efficiency, the thin-
ner mash improves its fermentability. Up
to two gallons of brewing water can be
infused, by degrees, without destabilizing
enzyme viability, and is mnre than suffi-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 68
67
 DECOCTION FROM PAGE 67
cient for even a protracted saccharification
rest if the mash-tun is insulated.
Monitor Starch Conversion
Starch conversion should be moni-
tored every time the mash is uncovered.
Before stirring up the mash, run a little of
the mash liquid onto a white porcelain
saucer kept especially for this purpose.
Onto the extract squeeze several drops of
iodine. Immediately check the color at the
interface of the two substances. Native
starch and amylose form an intense blue-
black reaction with iodine. Amylopectin
gives a red color, erythrodextrin and
amylodextrin a faint violet-to-reddish
color. Achrodextrins, oligosaccharides and
sugars give no color reaction from the
yellow of the iodine.
Read the color only at the interface of
the liquids. Where the iodine reaches husk
particles in the sample it will always turn
blue-black. It is of no concern. However,
starch particles that give a color reaction
indicate that amylolysis should be con-
tinued. Only when iodine testing gives no
color change should the final decoction be
made.
Unlike the first two decoctions the
thinnest part of the mash is boiled for the
Iauter decoction to destr.oy vestigal en-
zymes, but also because at this point we
don't want to risk releasing any uncon-
verted starch into solution. Any ungel-
atinized starch must remain with the
thickest part of the mash, where residual
alpha amylase is strongest and can con-
tinue a subdued polysaccharide reduction
while the Iauter decoction is being pro-
cessed. At least one-third of the mash
volume should be taken for the decoction,
and up to one-half of it where it has been
made thinner during saccharification.
Again, it is advisable to judge liberally the
amount to be boiled, so thatthe 167 to 170
degree strike temperature of the final mash
rest is sure to be achieved.
Assuming that one gallon of boiling
water has been infused into the mash to
maintain saccharification temperature, 50
percent, or about seven quarts, of the mash
liquid would be removed for the decoction.
Bring it to a boil, and hold it for 15
minutes. Return to the main mash so that
strike temperature is achieved precisely
and uniformly. Coming to rest at much
above 170 degrees F risks the rlispersion
of residual malt gum, for which no surviv-
ing enzymes are capable of breaking it
down. Causing starch to be carried into the
runoff can only encourage oxidation in the
wort. On the other hand, at below 167
degrees F sugars will not run freely, and
the expansion of starch particle is insuffi-
cient for them to remain suspended while
the lauter-tun filter bed forms.
68 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
Rouse the Mash
The strike temperature having been
established, vigorously rouse the mash for
10 or 15 minutes, so as much insoluble
matter as possible will be forced into tem-
porary suspension. This is essential if the
mash is to form an efficient filter bed.
It is advisable to transfer the mash to
a separate lauter-tun for filtering so that
the space between the bottom of the mash
and the bottom of the tun will not be filled
with sediment, and because our rectang-
ular cooler does not permit the even perco-
lation of extract from the mash. Sparging
is more successful where the mash is con-
tained in a cylindrical tun.
That no manufacturer offers a lauter-
tun for grain brewing presents the greatest
obstacle facing the would-be grain brewer.
An insulated, cylindrical unit complete
with a tight-fitted, slotted false bottom, a
spigot, and sparging and flushing appa-
ratus could be inexpensively produced and
is direly needed, but none is available. The
grain brewer must make do with whatever
can be pieced together. Assembling a satis-
factory approximation is imperative. The
difference between being equipped to
manage sparging properly and resorting
to sparging dry grains or repeatedly flood-
ing and then draining the mash is the dif-
ference between our 70 percent extraction
and the 50 percent efficiency experienced
by many grain brewers.
The best possible arrangement may be
a five-gallon polypropylene pail fitted with
a spigot at its base. The false bottom can
be approximated by a perforated insert.
such as a vegetable steamer. Hang a large,
fine-mesh filter bag inside the pail to con-
tain the mash. A rigid plastic tube con-
nected to the sparge-water container by
flexible tubing is used for flushing or
underletting the mash. Disconnected from
it, the flexible tube is used for sparging.
There are two drawbacks to this ar-
rangement. The bag does just that-it bags
at the bottom and the pail does not hold
heat well. A stoneware crock would per-
form better, but crocks with spigots are
uncommon. If you are using a plastic pail,
line a box with blocks cut from foam-
insulated board (available from any home-
improvement outlet) and set the pail into
it to reduce heat loss.
Making do with what is available, fill
the bottom of the lauter-tun to one-half
inch above the false bottom with boiling
water before pouring in the well-roused
mash. Whip the mash with a final vigorous
stirring, cover it, and allow it to settle
undisturbed.
The object of sparging is to leach the
mash extract from the particular matter by
diffusing it into water percolated down
through it, and to strain suspended starch
and protein gum from the extract as it runs
through the husk fragments settled at the
bottom of the filter bed.
Dense Filter Bed
The filter bed will be fairly well settled
after 20 to 30 minutes' rest. It is denser
than one made by an infusion mash, and
filters the runoff more effectively. The filter
bed should be measured between 12 and
16 inches thick. In the clear, black liquid
displaced above it a gelatinous cloud of
protein trub will float. This must be set-
tled by slowly drawing excess liquid from
the tun. Open the spigot at the bottom of
the lauter-tun until a steady trickle just
forms, collecting the runoff in a saucepan.
In the meantime, begin heating water
for sparging. We require five gallons, less
the amount of water used to maintain sac-
charification temperature. If this is one
gallon, four gallons will be needed for
sparging. If the water for mashing-in re-
quired treatment, so will the water for
sparging, so that as the runoff is diluted
the pH does not rise above 6.0.
Expect it to take 30 minutes to settle
the filter bed. When the liquid displaced
above it lies only one-eighth to one-half
inch deep, close the lauter-tun spigot.
Smooth the settled protein sludge with the
back of a spoon, leveling it and filling in
any cracks in the surface. The sediment is
lighter and more porous than the gummy
sludge precipitated by an infusion mash,
which is principally why the denser decoc-
tion filter bed does not present a cor-
respondingly increased risk of set mash.
Thrust a thermometer into the filter
bed to monitor mash temperature during
sparging. Fill the sparge-water reservoir
and connect the inlet tube. Manipulating
both the reservoir and lauter-tun spigots
at once, introduce a surge of sparging
water through the space below the false
bottom, to flush away mash particles that
might cloud the runoff or even obstruct it.
The inlet and runoff rates must be evenly
matched, so the liquid level above the mash
is not changed. Close both spigots as soon
as the runoff clears.
 Heat All Runoff
Heat all of the cloudy runoff to 170 to
175 degrees F and return it to the lauter-
tun. Open the spigot until a steady trickle
of extract just emerges.
When the liquid level drops again to
just above the surface of the filter bed
attach a piece of flexible tubing to the
Iauter-tun spigot, form it into a gooseneck
to control the depth of the liquid, and open
the sparge-water tap. Ideally, its tempera-
ture should be between 170 and 175 de-
grees F, but where the temperature in the
lauter-tun has fallen below 167 degrees F,
hotter water might be used. Expect the
filter bed temperature to drop. It is nearly
impossible to maintain the Iauter mash
temperature at 167 to 170 degrees F.
Nonetheless, every effort should be made
to do so.
As sparging proceeds, the runoff rate
can be increased beyond the trickle ini-
tially established, but keep in mind that the
more slowly the extract runs off, the bet-
ter the extract efficiency will be. Expect
it to take between one and two hours to col-
lect all the runoff. In the meantime, pre-
pare and begin to boil this sweet wort.
Cease sparging when runoff pales to 1.010
or so.
Don't be put off by the complexity of
the chemistry involved in the decoction
mash. Remember that for centuries
brewers using simple equipment have suc-
cessfully decoction mashed without even
a glimmer of understanding of why it
worked so well. The mash is more time
consuming but not more difficult than any
other kind, and the results are well worth
the labor.
1.049 LAGER
81/4 lbs. pale malt
7'14 gals. brewing water
2 !f2 oz. Cascade hops
1'!4 oz. Saaz or Tettnanger hops
Lager yeast
Gelatin (optional)
1. Dough-in the crushed malt with 6 quarts
of cold water.
2. After 15 minutes mash-in to 100 degrees
F with 3 quarts boiling water.
3. Withdraw densest 31/2 quarts of mash to
kettle after 15 minutes and heat to 155
degrees F in 10 to 15 minutes. Hold for 10
minutes.
4. Heat to 167 degrees Fin 15 minutes and
then to boiling.
5. Boil for 20 minutes.
6. Keturn de-coction to mash-tun in 5 to 10
minutes; strike temperature stabilizes at
152 to 155 degrees F.
7. Add boiling water to maintain temper-
ature until iodine starch test is negative (up
to 1 hour).
8. Remove thinnest 5 to 7 quarts of mash.
Heat to boiling; boil for 15 minutes.
9. Return to mash-tun; lauter-rest strike
temperature is 170 degrees F.
10. Rouse for 15 minutes.
11. Transfer to lauter-tun, rest there until
settled (20 to 30 minutes).
12 . Sparge with 5 gallons of 175 degree F
water.
13 . Add Cascade hops to runoff and heat
to boiling.
14. Boil past hot break (1 !f2 hours).
15. Add finishing hops (Saaz or Tett-
nanger), boil 15 minutes more, remove
from heat, cover and allow to settle.
16. Filter wort through hops into sterile
carboy; collect 5 gallons of wort.
17. Collect excess (2 quarts) in sterilized
bottles; cap and refrigerate.
18. Cool wort to 50 degrees F, rack into
MERitAN
lbtEBRJ:WERS
MSociATioN ,Inc. &journal
COSMIC MUG SPONSORS
Wine & Brew By You Inc.-South Miami,
Florida
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Ontario, Canada
DIAMOND STUDDED
PLATINUM MUG SPONSORS
Kurt Denke-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
C.L. Chamberlain, Sr.-Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Lee Damkoehler..:..oconto, Wisconsin
Dan Bernard Gudz-Huntington Beach,
California
Craig Andrews Rexdale-Ontario, Canada
Reuben Rudd, Brew Maste:'S Ltd.-Rockville,
Maryland
john P. Levere-Des Moines, Iowa
John Maier-Hawthorne, California
Harold Hilton-Slidell, Louisiana
james F. Kergan-Clearlake, California
GOLD MUG SPONSORS
Brian Hill, Wander Foods-Don Mills,
Ontario, Canada
Todd Larson-Boulder, Colorado
Steven Evers-Concord, California
PEWTER MUG SPONSORS
Thomas j. Schmitt- APO, New York
Dr. J.S. Farrls, Oglesby, Illinios
Robert A. Pull-Garden Grove, California
Michael Geraghty-Bedford, Massachusetts
Chuck and Debbie Vavra-Piano, Texas
Peter Caddoo-New Orleans, Louisiana
Michael Schultz-Portsmouth, New
Hampshire
R.W. Miller-Oakland, California
PAPER CUP SPONSORS
Michael Gary Martin-Salt Lake City, Utah
Roger Bacon-Helena, Montana
Joseph L. Barnes- Kalispell, Montana
J. Edward Doskow-Unionville, Indiana
G.H. Relfenstein-Auke Bay, Alaska
Charles Brem-Roslyn, Pennsylvania
David A. Clarke-Watseka, Illinois
Peter La France-New York, New York
Peter Cadoo's Brew Crew-New Orleans,
Louisiana
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
primary fermenter and pitch with yeast
starter.
19. Transfer to carboy after 5 to 8 days (SG
1.022) and cool to below 39 degrees F.
20. After two weeks (SG 1.012) transfer to
second carboy for lagering.
21. Store at 33 to 36 degrees F for 2
months. Specific gravity should be 1.002
to 1.004.
22. Fine with vegetable gelatin to clear, if
necessary.
23. Pitch 2 quarts of wort for bottle
priming.
24. Siphon into 22 one-quart bottles.
25. After 3 days at 50 degrees F gradually
cool to 35 to 40 degrees F.
26. Allow 4 weeks for bottle conditioning
before consuming. fA
The Hop Shoppe.,...-Cazenovia, New York
Dakota Brewing Supply-Fargo, No.t th Dakota ·
Michael D. Henschel-St. Paul, Minnesota
Ted Luplna-Kalamazoo, Michigan·
john D. Evers-Lake Forest, Illinois
r
David Damstrom-Ames.-.Iowa
i.eo Gugliocciello-Sl. Louis, Missouri
Rising Gorge Brewery~Edmonds, Washington
Hoosier llomebrewer Supply-Bloomington,.
Indiana
Doug ·Lerner-Boulder, Colorado .
Fred Boblen-Baltimore, Maryland
Bud's Homebrew Speciafties-'Melrose Park,
Illinois.
VIne to Wine Sho~Coal City, Illinois
Scott Beringer-Denver, Colorado
Cutting Board Delicatessen-Walnut· Creek,
California
R.E .. McVicker- johnstown, Pennsylvania
Tim Russell-Ft. Collins, Colorado
· Rick Levinson-Eagle River, Alaska
Michael John Fedin-Phoenix'l(il)e,
Pennsylania
Sam Startsfleld-Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Roderick B. M11thew-Richmond, Vi~inia
jay G. Hull~White River junction, Vermont
Nina and Steve Gerbic-Seattle, Washington
Edward f• Gouvier-Phoenix, Arizona
Tim Davis-P111terson, Louisiana
Colleen McLean-Bowen-Spokane,
Washington
Carol Filer-Frederick, Colf)rado
Mountain Brews-Ogden, Utah
Marc Lemieux-Las Vegas, Nevada
Richard Shafer-:-Vicksburg, Mississippi
Frank Bergman Jr.~Fresno, California
W. Reese Baxte,.....Salina, Kansas
Dr. Robert Chasen-South Weymouth, Maine
Larry P. Mathewson-Hayward, California
Mayberry Beer Supplies-Westminster,
Maryland
Norm Bauer-Fenton, Missouri
Mike McMonagle-Brownsvllle, 1\lxas
Edgard C. Kirchem jr.-Metairie, Louisiana
,Douglas R. Loberg-Mi'nden, Nevada
R.L. Brooks-St. Louis, Missouri
Kenneth .R. TYree-College Park, Maryland
Brewer's Art-Tonasket, Washington
Superior Brewery Products-Ypsilanti,
Michigan
69

Stagger-
Step
Brewing
KINNEY BAUGHMAN
ATHENS, GEORGIA
hen I first started mak-
ll ing beer, I enjoyed just
about every aspect of
brew ing. I did not even
mind scrubbing bottles
because I looked forward to filling
up those sparkling clean long-necks
with my next batch of precious,
effervescent brew.
But I am older, wiser and lazier
now. I enjoy my beer more than ever,
but my attitude toward the work in-
volved has changed considerably. If I
can make excellent beer in four or
five hours, why spend eight or nine
hours brewing it? As for those 30 or
40 cases of beer bottles-! gave 'em
all away and got some kegs.
After making my first batch of
all-grain beer, I knew I could never
go back to extract beers with the
same relish that I first approached
them. But, oh, the time spent mak-
ing grain beer!
I soon noticed that it was not
the work but the time involved in
making an all-grain beer that was
getting my goat. A lot of that time
was spent waiting-waiting for the
mash to mash, waiting for the wort
to finish boiling, waiting for the
wort to cool to pitching temperature.
The essence of "stagger-step
brewing" is to brew two batches of
beer at the same time, staggering the
steps so that while you are waiting
on one batch of beer to finish
mashing, boiling or cooling, you are
getting the other batch ready for that
same step. The end result is that you
make two batches of grain beer in
nearly the same amount of time it
takes to make one.
In devising fhis system, my
prime consideration was to save
time and work. To that end, I have
spared no expense on equipment. I
used to work myself to a frazzle
with all kinds of improvised
mashing, boiling and wort cooling
equipment. Today I have two
Bruheats, a wort chiller, two sparg-
ing bags, two sparging buckets, and I
70 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
am a saner, less harried brewer for
the trouble. I follow Dave Line in
recommendi11g the Bruheat. It gives
you temperature control; it heats five
gallons of wort to a boil in the least
amount of time; and it holds 8 U.S.
gallons, easily accommodating 5 to 6
gallons of boiling wort. My old
5-gallon enameled canning pots just
did not cut the mustard when boil-
ing 5 gallons of wort.
The night before you brew, pour
yourself a beer and grind up the
grain for the first batch of beer. Also
fill two fermenters with sterilant and
let them soak all night.
At brew time the next day, pour
your first brew of the day and set
the thermostat on your hot water
heater to 160 degrees-sparging
temperature. If your hot water heater
is set anywhere from 140 to 180
degrees already, just pour yourself a
beer.
Fill your first Bruheat with 3
gallons of water, add brewing salts
(if you use them), and bring the
temperature up to 160 degre~s­
strike temperature. When the water
reaches 160, strike the first batch
and jot down the time.
By the way, I always use 2-row
English malt rather than American
6-row, so I can do a one-step infu-
sion mash. Step mashing is just
added aggravation in my opinion. In
my area both grains cost virtually
the same, so why use anything but
2-row malt if you're concerned with
time as much as I am?
Now fill the second Bruheat
with 3 gallons of water, set it for 160
degrees and retire to the grain grind-
ing room to grind the malt for the
second batch. Forty-five minutes
after striking batch No. 1, strike
batch No. 2. (This sounds like "The
Dating Game" now!) Then pour
another beer and set up for
sparging.
After batch No. 1 has mashed for 1%
hours, it's sparge time. After dipping
or pouring the grains into your
sparge bucket lined with a sparging
bag, drain the grains of all the sweet
wort. Return this wort to the grains
in the sparge bucket and run it
through the grains again. This makes
for a clearer wort. Place the Bruheat
under the sparge bucket to collect
the wort during sparging. Open the
faucet on the sparge bucket and
when the wort covers the element,
switch the Bruheat on high and the
wort will heat to a boil as you
sparge, another time saver.
Once the grains have drained
completely, I close the bucket faucet
and fill the grains up with hot water
from the tap until they float. Again I
open the bucket faucet and drain the
grains. I feel these two evacuations
get most of the sugars out of the
grains and allow for a more efficient
sparge. Whatever method you use,
sparge until you have collected 4
gallons of wort.
Let the grains drain again, giving
a final yield of 5 gallons of wort.
Then float the grains in the bucket
one last time with 1 to 2 gallons of
hot water and set the bucket aside.
At the end of the boil, use the wort
collected from this last soaking to
bring the final volume up to 5
Imperial gallons, as marked on the
Bruheat (6 U.S. gallons).
When you have finished sparging
No. 1, measure out your boiling hops
for that batch and set them aside. By
this time your second batch is ready
to sparge. You are all set up, so pro-
ceed as outlined above. Keep an eye
on batch No. 1 and when it starts to
boil , add your hops and boil 30 to
45 minutes.
After sparging batch No. 2 and
while you are waiting for No. 1 to
finish boiling, pour another brew,
rinse out your fermenters and set up
your wort chiller. A wort chiller is
essential. With it you achieve a good
"cold break" and, most important
for this system, it saves time and
work. Never fail to rinse your wort
chiller out immediately after each
session and fill it back up with
sterilant until the next time you use
it.
At the end of its boil, run No. 1
through the wort chiller into a
fermenter, pitch and set aside. Rinse
out the wort chiller with hot tap
water. By this time, batch No. 2 is
ready, so proceed to run it through
the wort chiller as well.
And voila! You have brewed two
batches of all-grain beer in nearly
the time it takes to brew only one.
You have been steadily active but not
overworked. Once you get it down,
you can actually brew two batches of
all-grain beer on a weeknight with
this system and be in bed by 11 p.m.
or midnight. And I do like the dif-
ference in my beer.
Since I use the Yeast Collection
Cap fermentation system and kegs
instead of bottles, I dare say that I
spend less time brewing all-grain
beers than any extract brewer who
bottles and uses a conventional
fermentation system. And that gives
me more time to relax and drink
beer-real beer-all-grain beer. fA
Kinney Baughman is co-designer of
the Yeast Collection Cap, owner oi.
Brewco, and founder of the Athens HOPS
Society· of Athens, Ga.
1985 AWARD WINNING RECIPES
CHRISTINE SCHOUTEN
BOULDER, COLORADO
m
ere are the first-place recipes
from the all-grain categories
in the 1985 AHA NAtional
Homebrew Competition. In-
cluded are some of the
brewers' specifics on their technique
which, along with the other material
presented in this issue, will provide you
plenty to experiment with during the com-
ing winter. Perhaps you will emerge in the
spring with some winning grain recipes
of your own.
Gary Bauer, Milwaukee, Wis.
• **First Place, American Pilseners
"Pilsener"
Ingredients for 5 gallons
6.5 lbs. 6-row malted barley
.4 lb. Munich malt
.3 lbs. Cara-Pils (dextrine) malt
!f2 oz. Tettnanger (10 percent) pellet
hops (75 minutes)
V. oz . Tettnanger pellets (30 minutes)
V. oz. Tettnanger pellets (10 minutes)
No. 308 (home cultured) lager yeast
C0 2 pressure for carbonation
Original specific gravity: 1.040
Terminal specific gravity: 1.008
Double-stage glass fermentation at 38
degrees F for 3 weeks
Age when judged (since bottling): 8
weeks
Judges' comments:
"Aroma has a beautiful balance with
prominent malt and compensating happi-
ness. Definite diacetyl-nice, but out of
character; otherwise, very clean. Flavor
has a very good balance, with hops really
coming through at finish and lingering
aftertaste-perhaps a bit strong and over-
bodied for the category. A great brew, only
slightly out of character for the category."
"Superb sparkle, like a commercial
beer, and no yeast sediment. Nice full,
grainy malt aroma with hops lightly in the
background. Hop bitterness seems a bit
strong for the category but it is an expertly
made beer."
Scotty Morgan, San Jose, Calif.
***First Place, American Steam Beer
"Morgan's Touch Amber"
Ingredients for 11 'h gallons
Grosvenor Merle-Smith eyes another winning brew.
20 lbs. Canadian pale malted barley
3 lbs. Canadian crystal malt
1 oz. Northern Brewer hops (70
minutes)
1 oz. Tettnanger hops (50 minutes)
1 oz . Tettnanger hops (30 minutes)
1/2 oz. Northern Brewer hops (10
minutes)
'h oz. Northern Brewer hops (end of
boil)
Domestic lager yeast
1 C. corn sugar to prime
Brewer's specifics: Mash the grains at 158
degrees F for 1 hour; sparge for 45 minutes
with 170 degree F water; cool and pitch
yeast at 65 degrees F.
Original specific gravity: 1.048
Terminal specific gravity: 1.014
Double-stage fermentation; first in
stainless, then glass at 60 to 64 degrees F
for 3 weeks.
Age when judged (since bottling): 2
months
Judges' comments:
"Good color, similar to the standard.
Nice bouquet but short on maltiness and
needs more sweet malt flavor. The yeast
did not compact well."
"Excellent color; a little low on car-
bonation. Very smooth, well balanced and
aged flavor. Tastes almost exactly like
Anchor Steam, great job!"
Mark Kessenich, Madison, Wis.
***First Place, Brown Ale
"How Now Brown"
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
Ingredients for 5 gallons
6 lbs. Kewauskun 2-row malted barley
6 lbs. Briess 6-row malted barley
1 lb. caramel malt
112 lb. chocolate malt
'h lb. stove-top roasted malt
1 C. whole barley
1 C. short-grain brown rice
1 C. sweet brown rice
1V. oz. Willamette (5.5 percent) hops
(1 hour)
'I• oz. Northern Brewer (8 percent) hops
(1 hour)
V. oz. Willamette hops (10 minutes)
'14 oz. Northern Brewer hops (end of
boil)
Red Star ale yeast
% C. corn sugar to prime
Brewer's specifics: Mash the malted
barleys and cooked barley and rices for 35
minutes at 117 degrees F, 40 minutes at
135, 20 minutes at 153. Add the roasted
malts and bring to 158 degrees .for 50
minutes. Sparge with water at 177 degrees
F (in plastic bucket with l-inch holes and
nylon screen).
Original specific gravity: 1.054
Terminal specific gravity: 1.018
Double-stage fermentation in hard plastic
polycarbonate carboy then stainless soda
keg at 68 degrees for 7 days.
Age when judged (since bottling): 6 weeks
Judges' comments:
"Color is a bit dark for the category.
Complex bouquet with a good balance-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 72
71
 WINNERS FROM PAGE 71
nice malt aroma with roast undertones
and a good balance in the flavor. An
excellent beer."
Dennis Crawford and Richard
Scriven, Casper, Wyo.
• • • First Place, British Bitter
"Crawford and Scrivens Best Bitter"
Ingredients for 5 gallons
9 lbs. pale malt
8 oz. crystal malt
3 oz . Munich malt
2 oz . chocolate malt
1 tsp. gypsum (in mash)
1 tsp. gypsum (in boil)
1 oz. Galena leaf hops (90 minutes)
1 oz. Cascade pellet hops (90 minutes)
liz oz. Hersbrucker leaf hops (30
minutes)
1 oz. Hersbrucker leaf hops (3 minutes)
Danish ale yeast
1 C. corn sugar to prime
Brewer's specifics: Mash at 92 degrees F
for 45 minutes; 128 for 11/z hours; 135 for
15 minutes; 156 for one hour; bring to 167
degrees and sparge with water at 165.
Original specific gravity: 1.043
Terminal specific gravity: 1.009
Single-stage fermentation in glass at 60
degrees F for one week.
Age when judged (since bottling): 3llz
months
Judges' comments:
"Very clear, faintly pink tones in color;
good bead. Lightly fruity and happy nose.
Lightly fruity flavor with some perfumy
hop taste; salty finish ."
" Nice clarity and carbonation is
appropriate to the class. Light happy
aroma; slightly salty taste. Excellent effort,
a very drinkable beer."
J.A. Morris, Victoria, Texas
• • • First Place, Continental Dark
"Midnite Lager"
Ingredients for 5 gallons
7llz lb. pale malt
21/z lb. crystal malt
1/z lb. flaked barley
1'/z oz. Northern Brewer hops (45
minutes)
1 oz. Hallertauer hops (end of boil)
liz oz . Hallertauer hops (dry hop)
2 tsp. calcium carbonate
Budweiser lager yeast starter
1% C. corn sugar in 2 C. wort to prime
Brewer's specifics: Mash for 30 minutes at
131 degrees F; 60 minutes at 151. Sparge
with 21/z gallons of hot distilled water.
Original specific gravity: 1.048
Terminal specific gravity: 1.011
Single-stage fermentation in glass at
72 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
45 degrees F for 6 weeks
Age when judged (since bottling): 5llz
weeks
Judges' comments:
"Nice roasted color, dark for the
category. Aroma stands out as a robust
German lager; hops are delicate but very
appealing. Noticeable malt sweetness but
not overpowering, with a long aftertaste."
"Aroma is mild on hops and malt, but
balanced. Nice woody, happy flavor; good
balance and finish."
"Lack of hop and malt nose. Hop/malt
is nicely balanced in the flavor; body holds
to aftertaste. Lacks crisp flavor clarity of
the Continental Dark category though it's
well brewed-possibly give more attention
to maltiness and to temperature of fermen-
tation."
Jim Jewell, Madison, Wis.
• **Second Place, Dry Stout
"Jimmy Stout"
Ingredients for 4% gallons
4 lbs. Klages malt
3 lbs. 6-row malt
3 lbs. Munich malt
2 lbs. caramel malt
2 lbs. dextrine malt
1 lb. chocolate malt
1 lb. roasted barley
% oz. Galena hops (80 minutes)
1 oz. Northern Brewer hops (80
minutes)
2 oz . Northern Brewer hops (1 hour)
1 oz. Northern Brewer hops (20
minutes)
1fz oz. Galena hops (10 minutes)
1fz oz. Galena hops (end of boil)
Dr. Bonner's carrot calcium [amount
not specified]
8 gm. yeast nutrients [type not
specified]
Guinness yeast culture
1 C. corn sugar to prime
Brewer's specifics: Chocolate malt and
roasted barley were boiled 10 minutes and
sparged separately from mash. Mash all
other malts for 40 minutes (acid rest) at 95
degrees F; 70 minutes at 116 (first protein
rest); 35 minutes at 135 (second protein
rest); 35 minutes at 158 (mash in); 20
minutes at 162; mash off at 169.
Original specific gravity: 1.062
Terminal specific gravity: 1.030
Double-stage fermentation in hard plastic
polycarbonate at 72 degrees F for 8 days.
Age when judged (since bottling): 3
months
Judges' comments:
"Slightly overcarbonated. Aroma has
a nice balance but seems a bit oxidized.
Body is not creamy for a stout, may be
over-adjuncted away from the malt level.
Bitter aftertaste is good but it follows an
oxidized-grainy first impression."
Gary Bauer, Milwaukee, Wis.
• **First Place, European Lager
"Continental Gold"
Ingredients for 5 gallons
6 lbs. 6-row malt
3 lbs. MuJ;}ich malt
1
/z lb. Cara-Crystal (dextrine) malt
'lz lb. wheat malt
liz oz. Hallertauer (10 percent) hop
pellets (1 hour)
'14 oz. Tettnanger (10 percent) hop
pellets (35 minutes)
'14 oz . Tettnanger hops (15 minutes)
No. 308 (home cultured) lager yeast
C0 2 pressure for carbonation
Original specific gravity: 1.050
Terminal specific gravity: 1.012
Double-stage fermentation in glass at 38
degrees F for 3 weeks
Age when judged (since bottling): 6
weeks
Judges' comments:
"Beautiful color and clarity. Sweet
malty aroma. The flavor is delicious and
clean; highly drinkable, it reminds me of
Paulaner Urtyp."
John Judd and Don Hoag, Duluth,
Minn.
• • • First Place, Traditional German
Bock and Doppelbock
"Hansbock"
Ingredients for 5 gallons
7 lbs. 6-row lager malt
2 lbs. Munich malt
8 oz. crystal malt
5 oz. dextrin malt
5 oz. chocolate malt
2 oz. black malt
'lz oz. Tettnanger leaf hops (1 hour)
'lz oz. Hallertauer hop pellets (1 hour)
'lz oz. Hallertauer hops (15 minutes)
1/z oz. Tettnanger leaf (end of boil, steep
for 10 to 15 minutes)
1 tsp. Irish moss
1 pkt. Red Star lager yeast
% C. corn sugar to prime
Brewer's specifics: Mash all the malts at
155 degrees F for 11/z hours.
Original specific gravity: 1.049
Terminal specific gravity: 1.012
Double-stage fermentation in glass at 50
to 55 degrees F for 3 weeks
Age when judged (since bottling): 2 1/z
months
Judges' comments:
"Nice 'ur-bock' appearance; good head
retention. A bit hazy-protein haze. Pleas-
ant hop aroma and good flavor."
Gary Bauer, Milwaukee, Wis.
• • *First Place, Oktoberfest, Maerzen
 Beer, Vienna Style Lager
"Vienna"
Ingredients for 5 gallons
6 1/z lbs. 6-row malt, preground
2 lbs. Munich malt, preground
'lz lb. Cara-Crystal (dextrine) malt,
preground
'lz oz. Hallertauer (10 percent) hop
pellets (1 hour)
'14 oz. Hallertauer hops (40 minutes)
'14 oz. Hallertauer hops (15 minutes)
No. 308 (home cultured) lager yeast
C0 2 pressure for carbonation
Brewer's specifics: Mash grains at 156
degrees F for 11/z hours.
Original specific gravity: 1.050
Terminal specific gravity: 1.012
Double-stage fermentation in glass at 38
degrees F for 4 weeks
Age when judged (since bottling): 31!z
weeks
Judges' comments:
"Great job on appearance. Beautiful
aroma; a nice bit of butter-like diacetyl
lends itself to malt. I suspect this is a
ringer! Wonderful stuff, professional
quality. A bit high in diacetyl, but class A+
brew."
"Beautiful brew; nice deep amber to
light auburn color; decent head retention.
Malty floral smoothness in the aroma-
suggests richness. Lovely brew."
Phillip Moeller, Sacramento, Calif.
** *First Place, Pale Ale
"No. 7"
Ingredients for 5 gallons
8 lbs. pale malted barley
1/z lb. crystal malt
% oz. Bullion hop pellets (95 minutes)
3/ 4 oz. Galena hop pellets (95 minutes)
% oz. Galena hops (1 hour)
3/4 oz. Cascade leaf hops (1 hour)
1 tsp. citric acid ('lz in mash, '!z in
sparge)
1 tsp. gypsum
'14 tsp. MgS0 4 (Epsom salts)
2 pkt. Muntona ale yeast
1 C. corn sugar to prime
Brewer's specifics: Modified decoction
mash. Add grain to 13 quarts water at 140
degrees F; stabilize at 128 for 10 minutes.
Remove two quarts, heat to boiling and
return to mash; stabilize at 132 for 10
minutes. Remove one quart, heat to boil
and return to mash; stabilize at 136 for 20
minutes. Remove 3'/z quarts, heat to boil
and return to mash; stabilize at 152 for one
hour. Sparge with 191!z quarts water at 167
degrees F for one hour.
Original specific gravity: 1.050
Terminal specific gravity: 1.019
Single-stage fermentation in glass for 4
days at 65 degrees F, 8 days at 35.
Age when judged (since bottling): 7 weeks
Judges' comments:
"Excellent clarity, head, color and
bead; small bubbles. Nice winey front hop
nose, malty follow up; very good. Smooth
body, good balance, good hop aftertaste.
Excellent brew!"
"Great job! Hop aroma comes through,
though there's a bit of harshness or apple
note in aroma . Very smooth flavor."
Daniel Hamert and Steve Rose, Ft.
Collins, Colo.
***First Place, Porter
"Bare Baculum Ale"
Ingredients for 10 gallons
12 lbs. 2-row pale malt
2 lbs. crystal malt
1 lb. chocolate malt
'14 lb. wheat malt
2 lb. Edme light dry malt extract
2 lbs. Demerara sugar
3 oz. Northern Brewer hops (90
minutes)
1 oz. Tettnanger hops (90 minutes)
1 oz. Tettnanger hops (10 minutes)
'lz tsp. gypsum
'14 tsp. Irish moss
2 pkt. Muntona ale yeast
Light dry malt extract to prime
Brewer's specifics: Infusion mash in 150
degree F water for 1% hours (with
gypsum).
Original specific gravity: 1.058
Terminal specific gravity: 1.005
Double-stage fermentation in glass at 60
degrees F for 3 weeks
Age when judged (since bottling): 3
months
Judges' comments:
"Superb malt/hop balance. Nice floral
aftertaste-very mellow. Airspace just a lit-
tle too much; a plastic spring valve filling
tube would help assure consistency in
airspacing ."
"Good malty aroma; needs a fuller
body for a porter. Could use more grain
and possibly dry hopping."
Marty Velas and Solange Brun, Van
Nuys, Calif.
***First Place, Strong Beer
"Barley Wine"
Ingredients for 5 gallons
25 lbs. pale Klages 2-row malt
1/z oz. Fuggle hops (1 hour)
'lz oz. Fuggle hops (50 minutes)
1 oz. Kent Golding hops (30 minutes)
3 tsp. CaS0 4 (gypsum)
15 ml. Sierra Nevada ale yeast culture
1'14 C. corn sugar to prime
Brewer's specifics: Mash at 125 degrees F
for 20 minutes; 154 for 60 minutes; 170 for
5 minutes.
Original specific gravity: 1.088
Terminal specific gravity: 1.022
Double-stage fermentation in glass at 65
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 73
degrees F for 13 weeks
Age when judged (since bottling): 1 year,
8 months
Judges' comments:
"Aroma and flavor are excellent, like
a Chimay ale."
P.L. Dillon, Arlington, Texas
***First Place, Specialty Beer
'' Rauchbier''
Ingredients for 6 gallon s
9 lbs. home-smoked Klages malt
1 lb. Munich malt
1/z lb. dark caramel malt
P /4 oz. Hallertauer hops (1 hour)
'14 oz. Hallertauer hops (dry hop)
Bottom-fermenting yeast culture
Brewer's specifics: Mash at 122 degrees F
for 30 minutes; 144 for 30 minutes; 158 for
60 minutes; 170 for 10 minutes.
Original specific gravity: 1.048
Terminal specific gravity: 1.016
Double-stage fermentation in plastic and
glass at 30 to 48 degrees F for 6 weeks.
Age when judged (since bottling): 4 weeks
Judges' comments:
"Exquisite color and crystal clear.
Definitely has the smoky aroma and flavor
that it's meant to."
"Head is a bit flat but clarity and color
are superb! Looks like a fine, tawny port.
No problems with the flavor. Would be and
excellent beer with barbeque or smoked
salmon and cheese."
" Gorgeous color and clarity. Hickory
smoke aroma."
Lucie Eckert, Wauwatosa, Wis.
*** First Place, Wheat Beer
"Weiss"
Ingredients for 5 gallons
5 lbs. 6-row barley malt
3 1/z lbs. wheat malt
'lz lb. light caramel malt
'lz oz. Hallertauer (10 percent) hop
pellets
Red Star ale yeast
% C. corn sugar to prime
Brewer's specifics: Add grains to 9 quarts
water at 130 degrees F; stabilize at 120 to
122 for 30 minutes. Add 4 1/z quarts boiling
water, raise temperature to 154 to 156 and
hold for 90 minutes. Sparge with 5 gallons
water at 175 degrees F.
Original specific gravity: 1.050
Terminal specific gravity: 1.010
Double-stage closed fermentation in glass
at 55 to 60 degrees F for 2 weeks
Age when judged (since bottling): 3
months
Judges' comments:
"Excellent clarity, good head. Appro-
priate fruity bouquet, a tad faint. Flavor is
a bit heavy on the malt."
"Smooth, creamy head, good retention:'
 lKING THE PWNG
HOMEBREWERS TURNED PROFESSIONAL
Has
It
Been
Worth It?
KEN GROSSMAN
PRESIDENT & BREWMASTER
SIERRA NEVADA BREWING co;
CHICO, CALIFORNIA
II II
'~cted
hobby inhomeb<ewing
1968. Probably" '
like most of you, I started
with little technical or
practical knowledge in the
art and science of brewing. In those
days there were few books dealing
with quality brewing, and they were
mostly British.
I derived great satisfaction from
brewing, as well as sharing and en-
joying my wares. Although most of
my brews were drinkable, they
lacked what would be considered
commercial acceptability.
My passion for brewing con-
tinued. While studying chemistry in
college in 1973 and 1974, I started
doing pilot mashes and small-scale
maltings. The quality and consisten-
cy of my homebrew kept improving.
In 1976, my desire to brew led
me to open a homebrew supply store
in Chico to help support my rapidly
fermenting habit.
In 1978, I met Paul Camusi, who
also was an avid homebrewer. We
began talking about opening a small
commercial brewery. New Albion
had just opened, Anchor Brewery
products were becoming more wide-
ly available and import beers rapidly
74 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
were gaining in popularity. We felt
the time was right to open a small
brewery.
At that point we had little con-
cern that the small and regional
breweries of America were dying or
being acquired by others. We soon
became hopelessly committed to the
project. I put my homebrew shop up
for sale and began working on a
business plan, talking with other
brewers and with people in the
brewing department at the Universi-
ty of California, Davis. We got our
hands on every brewing book and
every out-of-print periodical we
could find .
We then started tracking down
1 used equipment. We phoned every
bottling plant on the West Coast
looking for used equipment. We
found a complete soft-drink com-
pany in Needles, Calif., and bought
the entire plant for $1,500. I figured
we couldn't go wrong. When the
45-foot trailer of junk arrived, I
found out the equipment had only
antique value. The bottle washer was
built from World War II battleship
decking and was so corroded it
would never work again. The best
use would have been as anchor for
another battleship!
The next soft-drink plant I
bought was somewhat newer-built
in the late 1950s. This time I
thoroughly checked it out. Although
it was not the best equipment for
bottling beer, it could be made
suitable and most parts were
available.
This plant was in Mount Ver-
non, Wash . It was my first, but not
last, experience moving heavy equip-
ment. The washer alone weighed 8'/z
tons.
We still had not found a suitable
brewery site. The city of Chico, as
well as our own needs, restricted
our operation to a small segment of
industrial-zoned areas. We needed
lots of high-quality water, natural gas
and city sewers. I had to appear in
front of the planning commission to
assure them that the smell of our
operation would not offend other
local businesses and residents. They
did share my love for brewing beer.
I enrolled in the local junior col-
lege and took classes in welding,
refrigeration and fabrication. My
backyard was rapidly filled up with
tanks, equipment and junk. Finally,
we found a site in August 1979. It
was an empty warehouse and we
would have to do all of the im-
provements ourselves.
We submitted plans to the city
building department. They threw
every imaginable obstacle in our
path. Months went by when we en-
countered many snags along the way.
After we started construction we
soon realized our budget was only
about half of what we needed. We
scraped up enough money to finish
the plant. The total construction,
equipment fabrication and installa-
tion took 15 months.
We did our first test brew
Nov. 15, 1980, then dumped our first
10 brews because of various prob-
lems. By now we are used to prob-
lems, and frustration, so when we
finally felt we had a saleable product .
we hit the streets. That was March
1981.
It had taken us more than three
years to get to this point, and we
still didn't know if we could sell
enough beer to make a living at
brewing. As it turned out, our entire
production was sold in the local
market during our first few months.
We were brewing six days a month,
10 barrels a day (approximately 650
cases). My brewing day began at 5
a.m. and ended at 6:30 p.m. We soon
stepped up production to three
brews a week, about 1,500 barrels a
year.
We have continued to grow.
There have been a lot of hard times,
and plenty of hard work. We now
brew 33 barrels a day in less time
than 10 barrels took us before.
We now employ more than 10
people. New problems continue to
greet us every day. I still get satisfac-
tion out of brewing and enjoying my
beers, but has it been worth it? Well,
all I can say is yes ... and no. fA

Chesapeake
Bay
Brewing
Company
~JIM KOLLAR
PRESIDENT
CHESAPEAKE BAY BREWING COJ
! VIRGINIA BEACH. VIRGINIA
he Chesapeake Bay
11 Brewing Co. became a
reality after four years of
planning, hard work and
sacrifice. It's hard to
focus on the days and hours it took
to mold a dream into a functional,
viable brewery. Looking back, I
remember my days of homebrewing.
I was always trying to improve a
recipe or technique, listening to my
wife telling me how that stuff stank
out the house, building a refrigerated
room.
And oh, how the friends loved
the beer brewed in the basement.
Free beer always did taste better.
Then came that fateful day, some
time ago, when a fleeting thought
crossed my mind : "Can you build a
real brewery? Would it be possible to
actually build a brewery and make
the beer all your friends liked (or at
least drank because it was free)?"
That thought kept running back
and forth, in and out of my brain.
Logic had to prevail. How much
would it cost? Where would I get the
equipment? Where would we get
packaging, raw materials, people? I
would surely be the Brewmaster,
what the hell, I had been brewing
for almost five years! I had a walk-in
refrigerated room full at all times (35
cases), and my friends loved my
beer. Surely making beer was not
going to be hard.
At the time of these thoughts
there were approximately five
microbreweries in existence-what I
call the first-generation
microbrewers. Most were on the
West Coast and so was UC-Davis
and Michael Lewis, Ph.D. I traveled
a few times across the country to
learn from my predecessors and the
experts in . the field. I had once been
told by a professor in school: "If you
are going to be good at something,
look to the past; see what the
pioneers did; see their mistakes.
Then go to the books; learn-don't
try to remake the wheel; be innova-
tive; work hard and succeed."
The pioneers, the first-generation
microbrewers, blazed the trail. They
forged ahead into something that
many saw as doomed to failure.
Some survived, and some failed . The
ones with the least number of
mistakes are still surviving, getting
better every day and learning. The
Michael Lewises and Jim Houghs
paved those dusty roads with learn-
ing and logic-solid logic that many
would hear, some would listen to
and still fewer would understand.
Being a successful brewer,
whether brewing 60 million barrels
or 6,000 barrels, takes one hell of a
lot of work. And you had better be
committed to quality-quality in
your plant, quality in your people
and consistent quality in your
product.
It's a big undertaking, the biggest
investment I'll ever make in my life.
It's planning, decision making and
time away from family and friends.
It's heartache, money and despair.
It's joy, camaraderie and hope. It's
not homebrewing gone crazy-it's
commercial brewing in the
marketplace- a viable business, mak-
ing money at making beer. fA
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
TAKING THE PLUNGE
From
Grain
To Glass
TIM BATT
SCOTT BOLTON
:BREWMASTERS &OWNERS;
SNAKE RIVER BREWING CO.
CALDWELL~ IDAHO
ne of the most difficult
(t)
I
aspects of starting a
microbrewery, and cer-
tainly one of the most
important, is that initial
decision, "Should I or should I
not?" Obviously this question
presents itself at various stages of
your preparation and will undoubt-
edly continue to present itself no
matter what decision is finally
made.
"Did I make the right decision?"
This must be a question that is
asked not only by both prospective
and active microbrewers, but also by
those involved in other aspects of
business.
This article will attempt to give
the potential microbrewer a few
hints that will, if followed, help him
or her answer these two questions
with some degree of confidence.
In the previous paragraph the
word "preparation" is emphasized.
At first thought this word might
seem elemental, and well it should.
For without it, failure is inevitable.
Planning and preparation are the
most important tasks a potential
microbrewer must undertake. A
market study and business plan are
the first two items that must be con-
sidered before beginning any other
activities.
Arrangements for financing can
be made only after the market study
CONTINUED ON PAGE 76
75
!fAKING THE PLUNG~
BATTS FROM PAGE 75
has been completed and the
business plan formulated. When
these three items have been suc-
cessfully completed, the prospective
microbrewer can then answer with
confidence the "Should I or should I
not?" question.
The importance of conducting
an honest and thorough market
study cannot be overstressed. It is
during this process that the
· homebrewer becomes a microbrewer.
The homebrewer may very well
discover that the types of beer he or
she has enjoyed brewing and drink-
ing are not the types best suited for
the marketplace.
It can be very disturbing to the
homebrewer to realize that it re-
quires a large population base of
cosmopolitan beer drinkers to sup-
port a microbrewery that specializes
in dark, heavily hopped, bottle or
cask-conditioned, unfiltered beer.
This is where honesty fits into
the picture. The homebrewer must
be able to gauge adequately the
tastes of the potential market. If this
market favors a beer that is unlike a
favorite homebrew, he or she must
realize a "compromise" product will
be required. It is financial folly to
believe that you can go into the
marketplace with a beer that doesn't
fit, hoping to change the consumer's
preference through education. (A lit-
tle more about this later, so don't get
discouraged-there is a way!)
After the marketplace has been
identified and quantified, the next
step is to arrive at a business plan.
It is during this process that you
match your microbrewery to the
information that you gathered
through the market study.
Now is the time to concern
yourself with such things as produc-
tion capacity; equipment design,
manufacture and installation;
building requirements; local, state
and federal government require-
ments; raw product supply; package
design and material supply; person-
nel requirements; distribution and
marketing; and a million other
details-the list goes on and on. And
above all, cost, cost, cost! Be realistic
because it is precisely this informa-
tion that your financial backers will
insist on knowing to the last detail.
If it seems like the importance of
preliminary groundwork has been
76 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985
overemphasized, it is because this is
the most important aspect of starting
a new business. The preliminary
planning is often the only difference
between success and failure.
You should devise a list of
priorities once the microbrewery has
been constructed, the recipe final-
ized, the kettle fired and you are
finally in production. Is there such a
thing as a list of the most important
things to consider when brewing on
a production scale? Unfortunately
not, and if there were such a list it
would vary as widely as the product
type. The following is a list of
priorities as they are particularly ·
suited to the situation at Snake River
Brewing. Hopefully, they can be .
adapted elsewhere.
Production Priorities
1. Cleanliness
2. Sanitation
3. Repetitiveness
4. Quality of raw product
If it seems that the list is
incomplete, look again. These four
items cannot be overstated, and they
encompass the entire brewing
spectrum-from grain to glass.
Nearly all of any product deviation
is attributable to at least one of the
above. Product consistency is in-
fluenced immensely by .cleanliness
and sanitation, but consistency is
next to impossible without repetition
in the brewing procedure.
Your production regimen must
be followed to the letter time and
time again without deviation unless
you desire a change in your product.
Even repetition cannot guarantee
uniform consistency, but it will keep
product fluctuation to a minimum.
Do not forget your initial market
study and the reasons you chose to
brew your type of beer. Your beer
should now be selling well if you
were right about your recipe in the
first place. If it is not selling well,
only two things can be wrong.
Either the recipe is not right or
there is a fault in your marketing
strategy. In this case you must iden-
tify the problem area and make an
immediate adjustment.
Another important principle is
that it is extremely difficult for you
as a microbrewer to attempt to
manipulate your customers' taste
preference. If your beer is selling
well, your customers are sending you
a very definitive statement of their
preference. Stick with this recipe as
your foundation beer.
If you want to experiment and
offer more esoteric beers, do them
as special brews. Label them as such
and market them in conjunction
with a special event (Christmas Ale,
St. Paddy's Porter), all the while
brewing and selling your popular
foundation beer as fast as you can
get it out the door. This foundation
beer is the one that will pay your
mortgage. It has the most potential
to allow you financial gain from the
realization of increased efficiency. It
will finance your special beers and
pay for the enjoyment you will get
from experimenting with your
brewery and your marketplace.
If one of your special beers
should receive wide market accep-
tance, you can then consider incor-
porating it into your regular product
line. An outstanding example is An-
chor's Liberty Ale, an outgrowth of
one of their very successful special-
occasion ales.
The beer you chose as your
foundation beer is the one your
market study indicated would be
most widely accepted in your
marketing area. It may not be the
beer that l:!est suits your tastes, but it
should be the beer that best suits
your customers' tastes and your
financial requirements.
"Did I make the right decision?"
This question will haunt both the
prospective and established
microbrewer. They can answer yes if
they have not only thoroughly and
honestly done all the groundwork,
but also, and most importantly, if
they have made a bonafide effort to
produce a marketable product.
Almost everyone can brew good beer
on a small scale. But can it be done
on a production scale with the same
results? Most definitely it can!
It is always important for
microbrewers to remember they are
microbrewers in name only. They are
brewers by trade-with the same
responsibilities and goals as brewers
in a large r.nmmercial brewery. If
microbrewers open themselves to the
"community of brewers," they will
find that the community is definitely
more than mere legend.
The Snake River Brewing Co.
has enjoyed an association with
folks from several breweries, both
large and small. Without hesitation
these folks will usually do all they
can to help you over the rough spots.
We at the Snake River Brewing
Co. wish you the best of luck. If we
can be of assistance, please contact
us. fA
What
Should I
Do With
The Steam?
BILL OWENS
PRESIDENT &BREWMASTER
BUFFALO BILL BREWPUB
I II
HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA
w"
farm .ai"d
near Sacramento,
on ' 'm'll
Calif., where my dad had
cows, a vegetable garden
and grew green grapes.
When I was 14 years old I picked
some of the grapes, threw them in a
galvanized washtub and with a two-
by-four smashed them to make wine.
The concoction was kept hidden
under a lumber pile at the back of
the barn.
After a couple of months my
friend Keith and I tried to drink the
wine. It was terrible; so terrible that
we dumped it in the pasture. The
"wine" killed the grass and the cows
wouldn't touch the pulp. Keith and I
went back to our tree house and
Tarzan rope. That was my first
experience at fermentation.
At college I majored in
agriculture and made beer. It was
drinkable, but in 1957 Brown Derby
beer was $2.89 a case, so I didn't
make much beer. I graduated from
Chico State College with a major in
industrial arts, specifically auto
mechanics. I was 30 years old before
I got my first real job. I was a news
photographer for a paper in Liver-
more, which is famous for its wine
grapes and has summers with 10 to
15 days of over 100-degree heat.
My interest in beer making
started again. Of course it was illegal
to brew, but considering that the
Vietnam War was going on, the
morality of making beer didn't
register. Finally, Alan Cranston
legalized home beer brewing and it
was possible to get recipes. Some
were printed on the can of Blue Rib-
bon malt. I then began brewing with
Mike, a chemist for Lawrence Liver-
more Labs. (Bombs and beer!) Mike
kept records and boiled the wort for
an hour just like the instructions
said. I was in a hurry and said,
"Boil it 15 minutes." Mike prevailed
and we began to make some good
extract beers.
After 15 years as a photographer,
a friend suggested I change my
career and open a small brewery. I
thought it was a great idea, so we
drove to Sacramento to visit the
River City Brewing Co. and to Chico
to see the Sierra Nevada Brewery. I
wanted to see what small breweries
looked like. (The term microbrewery
didn't develop until beer critic
Michael Jackson called them "bou-
tique" breweries ... the name change
soon occurred!)
You must remember that at this
time I didn't know the difference
between a mash-tun and a hop-back.
I then read Dave Line's Big Book of'
Brewing but found the technical
information on brewing didn't apply
to American homebrewing systems.
Our equipment and supplies are dif-
ferent from the English. Most impor-
tant, our barley grains have lots of
enzymes for easy starch conversion.
The Big Book has the theory of
brewing and some background on
the brewing process. In 1982 only a
handful of homebrewers mashed
grains to make beer.
Then came the big break. I took
an extension class at the University
of California at Davis. That day I
heard numerous speakers talk about
the brewing process. They ranged
from Jack McAuliffe, the first person
to build a small brewery in the
United States, to Michael Lewis,
Ph.D., who spoke for an hour about
the alpha amylase role in starch con-
version. I didn't understand a thing
he said. Although Dr. Lewis knows
the chemistry of brewing, the most
important speaker to me was an
Englishman and homebrewer, Guy
Pawson. Guy had developed a mash-
tun using a camping cooler fitted
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
fTAKING THE PLUNGE
with a slotted copper pipe for a false
bottom. With this cooler system
mashing and sparging could be done
in the same vessel. (The English call
this system infusion brewing.)
By this time, my photographic
career was finished. I had worked
for Newsweek, Fortune, Life,
published five books, had four NEA
grants and a Guggenheim Fellow-
ship. Unable to make a living as a
photographer, I decided to make
beer for a living by opening a small
brewery. I began research on
mashing an,d homebrewing tech-
niques and started to write a book
on building a small brewery.
The heart of the brew system
was the camping cooler with its
false bottom. According to Dr. Lewis,
starch conversion would be complete
in 30 minutes at 152 degrees! The .
kettle for the system is a stainless
steel beer keg heated by a water
heater burner. Fermentation is done
in a carboy system with a blowout
tube. I began to make excellent beers
because I had a closed system.
In 1982 I attended the AHA con-
ference in Boulder, Colo., and heard
David Bruce speak about his
brewpubs in England . I knew im-
mediately that the brewpub was the
way to make and sell beer-no bot-
tles, no kegs. Beer unfiltered, un-
pasteurized, straight from the lager
tank to the bar. (At Buffalo Bill's
Brewery it is 62 feet from the condi-
tioning tank to the bar.)
At that time brewpubs were
illegal in California, but I heard that
David Page of UC-Davis, was work-
ing to change the law. When I met
David he told me brewpubs would
be legal in California as of jan. 1,
1982. On jan. 12 I walked into ABC
(California's Alcoholic Beverage Con-
trol) and applied for License 23 to
operate a brewpub.
After my meeting with David , I
asked an accountant friend how to
get money for a brewpub. Since I
couldn't sell my photographs, maybe
I could sell beer. I knew banks
wouldn't loan money for the concept
of the bre"Ypub. None existed in the
United States until Bert Grant's pub
opened in Yakima, Wash., in the
summer of 1982. I didn't have a
working wife, rich parents or a trust
fund . All I had was an idea.
My accountant suggested a
limited partnership as the way to
CONTINUED ON PAGE 78
77
TAKING THE PLUNGE
OWENS FROM PAGE 77
raise money. He helped me with the
paper work and I went out to raise
money. It took more than four
months and 1,000 phone calls to
raise $90,000, but I ended up with
27 investors who are limited part-
ners. I was able to raise the money
for the brewpub because as a news
photographer I knew everyone in
town from the mayo r to the chief of
police, although neither invested.
During the critical days of
design, Jim Schlueter of River City
Brewery helped develop Buffalo
Bill's Brewery. His ideas were
critical to the development of the
brewpub system. Jim, a UC-Davis
graduate, had worked in a commer-
cial brewery before building River
City. His brewery also was built
from scratch. Jim's advice came
from experience that can't be found
in brew ing books. Besides, there are
no books for nine-barrel breweries
and brewpubs. Jim suggested I inject
ca rbonation into the beer to make it
a "balanced" product.
One of my biggest and dumbest
problems during the building of Buf-
falo Bill 's brewhouse was what to do
with the steam from the kettle. Most
brew kettles have hoods to vent
steam through the roof. My kettle
had a flat, removable lid so the
steam went into the room. My fears
were not from Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms, ABC or the
health department, but from the
building inspectors. I had installed
an exhaust fan in the ceiling, but
knew the inspector wouldn't let me
vent the steam into the room . The
gas on the bottom of the kettle was
vented.
I worried about the steam for
weeks and finally asked Jim, " What
do you do with the steam?" He said
he opened the doors. His brewhouse
was a Butler building so he just
opened the doors and let the steam
out. The building inspector came. I
told him about the steam problem.
He looked at the ceiling fan and said
it was OK. I made the beer and
opened Buffalo Bill's Brewery on
Sept. 9, 1983. I never made a test
batch.
I'm currently raising $135,000
for my next brewpub and my part-
nership will be registered with the
California Corporation Commission.
This time I'm serious about raising
money, making and selling beer. fA
78 SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY
The
Unseen Steps
SCOTT J. RILEY
BREWMASTER
ARKANSAS BREWING CO,
'LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS
m
hat's the difference
between homebrewing
and commercial hand
brewing you ask? Prob-
ably, it is as close as an
abacus is to an apple. Gallons
become barrels, buckets and jugs
become tanks, a hobby becomes hard
work and what you have done for
fun becomes what you do to eat.
The cleaning of a primary
fermenter changes from washing out
a bucket in the sink to a power
spray of 2 percent caustic solution at
15 psi at 140 deg rees F followed by a
180 degree F sterilization rinse for
20 minutes. Even tasting the beer
takes a change of attitude on your
part, because what you like may not
have commercial appeal.
Our general public is fanatically
expectant of uniform taste in the
suds they buy, so your tongue's buds
alone can't be the only judge or
quality control that a brewery has.
Few claims of artistic license or bet-
tering the beer will bring back a
customer who left you and your in-
consistency for another brand. The
large and small strides one takes to
make up the difference between
home and commercial brewing are
gargantuan, and occasionally
overwhelming.
One's first step is the beer-that
intoxicatingly delicious water filled
with proteins, minerals, dextrins,
isomerized alpha acids and ethanol.
After crawling through the trial and
error of homebrewing, one may have
a lion's pride of good recipes, from
which arises the dominant brew. It
is developed, matured and
multiplied in size until it grows to
co mmercial scale.
Next, one walks through the
hard study, the intense planning, the
careful design, the frustration of in-
completion and the pressure to get
the bee r out that makes for several
months of 16-hour days. All this will
soon have you running full speed in
every direction, and seemingly get-
ting little or nothing done. It is ex-
asperating to be piecing together an
old machine from a worn-out
manual while having to take five
phone calls in as many minutes. Or
to entertain well-intentioned well-
wishers, salesmen, and good friends
who drop by while you're up a lad-
der hanging a coolant pipe.
Furthermore, there is the uphill
climb for what there always seems
to be too little of-money. A com-
mercial brewery, like any other
business, must make money abun-
dantly and spend it frugally, the
reverse of which is more often the
case. If you or someone who works
with you is not a bookkeeper, finan-
cial specialist, federal form expert,
PR man, ad man, secretary, plumber,
electrician, stainless-steel welder
machinist, mechanic, plant desi~ner,
engineer, sanitation expert,
microbiologist, chemist, brewer and
general hard laborer, then you must
either learn these skills, and more,
or pay for them. And if doling out
money for these services is not
enough to deplete an account,
remember that there must be money
for rents, leases, taxes, utilities and
supplies.
It is altogether too easy to
underestimate the distance one must
go to receive the blessing of federal,
state, county, city and sometimes
suburban authorities who regulate
alcohol, food packaging, electricity,
water, gas and sewer, even though
most are pleased to help you meet
their varied regulations.
Last, even the heartache is dif-
ferent. Pouring a carboy down the
sink is far less wrenching than
watching wasted barrels of hard
work wend their way to the city
sanitation department.
Then, as you treat the sewer's in-
habitants to wrong beer on the one
hand, and the city's inhabitants to
the right beer with the other hand
only then do you begin to realize the
measures you have taken to fulfill a
dream. fA
Do Not Waste Your Grains
After years of brewing fine homebrew
I was ready to start brewing with pale
malted barley. I would have been eager to
start brewing with whole grains earlier
had someone shown me some of the finer
points. Well, after my first batch of beer
was mashed and sparged I was convinced
that this was for me.
Drinking that beer was a true delight.
One thing kept going through my head. I
kept thinking about what to do with the
grains after the sweet wort was collected.
The grains could always be put in the gar-
bage, but that would be sinfully wasteful.
Some farmers' names came to mind; why
not offer the grains to them for animal
feed? The farmer and animals were happy
to have the added food .
So now my disposal problem was
taken care of and the brewing continued
beautifully. The beers were getting better
and more grains were being used than
ever. It occurred to me that all the fine
grains that made such good beer might be
used for better purposes than fattening up
hogs (not that I have anything against fat-
tening up hogs). Now what could those
grains be used for? Of course-for people
food instead of animal food .
Using them for our own food made a
lot of sense to me. The grains still had high
fiber content and protein with fewPr car-
bohydrates. I liked the thought of using the
grains for food so much I began to ask
friends who were good cooks if they had
some recipes in mind that I could use.
None of my friends could help me.
Some told me to keep giving the grains to
a farmer and some told me that I was
strange. Strange or not, I knew it must be
possible to use spent grains as people food
and I was going to find out how. One of
the first recipes I tried was for a cookie.
Well, the cookies were not that great as far
as I was concerned, but the hogs liked
them.
My failure only encouraged me to find
good recipes; I could not let my friends be
right. The next recipe was for a high-fiber
bread. The bread turned out great. It was
slightly sweet, light tan in color and
medium in texture. My friends could not
believe it. One who owns a natural foods
store was quite surprised when I told him.
(You see, I gave him a slice and asked him
to tell me what was in the bread and he
could not.) So after one success I was
ready for more. The next recipe was for
granola. It also turned out great. It was
sweet, high in fiber and a treat that my
children really enjoyed. I can feed them the
granola as a treat and not feel guilty about
it.
Now the only problem was how to
2 tsp. salt
CLIFFORD T. NEWMAN JR. 3 Tbsp. cinnamon
3/4 C. molasses
1/2 C. honey
PORT MATILDA PENNSYLVANIA 3 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 C. each-coconut, raisins, chopped
store the spent grains until I was ready to cashews
use them. Freezing is always a possibility,
but that takes up too much freezer space. Combi"ne first seven ingredients in a
They do not keep well moist at room large bowl and mix well. Blend molasses,
temperature, so dehydrating them was the honey and vanilla in a small bowl, then
answer. To dehydrate the grains, place add to the grains, mixing well. Spread 1/z
them one half inch deep in a shallow bak- inch deep on a large baking pan and bake
ing dish or cookie sheet and put them into at 2 50 degrees until light brown, stirring
the oven at 200 degrees. Stir the grains occasionally. Thrn onto paper-covered sur-
about every half hour until they feel dry. face. Mix last three ingredients and com-
Then store in tightly sealed containers. If bine with granola. Store in tightly sealed
you see any drops of moisture in the con- containers.
tainers it means the grains need to be dried
longer. Clifford Newman began homebrew-
Once dried, the grains will keep for a ing in 1978. Encouraged by his early
long time. They can be used dried or moist results, he progressed to whole grain
(fresh), and dried grains can be ground brewing two years ago. His tastes in beers
into flour. The recipes below are for moist varies widely from lagers to stouts. He is
(fresh) grains. If you are using dried grains, the president of a newly formed club
add one half cup of water for every four located in the heart of central Pennsyl-
cups of grains in the recipe. vania; it is called The Happy Valley
If anyone out there has a recipe for Homebrewers.
spent grains I would like to hear from you.
Please send it to the author at P.O. Box 193,
Port Matilda, PA 16870.
Now you, too, have an extra reason to
be using pale malted barley.
Spent Grains Bread
4 C. fresh spent grains
1 C. water
1/2 C. oil
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. dry baker's yeast
All-purpose flour (enough to make a stiff
dough)
Place the spent grains and water into
a blender or food processor and blend Become an AHA
them for 30 seconds. Then put the blended
grains in a large mixing bowl and add oil, member and receive
sugar, salt and stir in the yeast. Add flour
until you have a thick, workable dough. Put
in a warm place to rise until doubled in
zymurgy along with
size. Then knead the dough and divide
into three greased loaf pans. Let the dough
a host of other
double in size again then bake in a pre-
heated oven at 350 degrees for one hour
membership benefits.
and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let
cool on wire racks. Enjoy. Call the American
Spent Grains Granola Homebrewers Asso-
6 C. fresh spent grains
4 C. raw sunflower seeds ciation for details at
2 C. wheat germ
1 C. bran (303) 447-0816.
1'/z C. non-fat dry milk
SPECIAL ISSUE 1985 ZYMURGY 79
Denver in the Fall means only one thing

The An idea
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• Mash with ease and accu-

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(step 3 150° 1:30)
• Mash unattended- at night
CD CDr::~ or while at work.

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...again.
ible strike points -you
The E.Z. Cap bottle recalls the old
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saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
make-up of your wort.
Now, the idea of a simple, attached
and resealable cap is more attractive
Auto-Mash is a totally automatic professional than ever in combination with a
quality mashtun for home grain brewers ... traditionally styled 16 oz. amber
bottle for the home brewer. The
F..Z. Cap bottle is a top quality
• Fully programmable - acid North American product designed
rest, protein rest, starch to enhance your pride in the brew
conversion(s), and mash out. it contains.
Contact your local brewing supply
• Microprocessortemperature dealer for further information.
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• Motorized Stirring- ensures

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For more Information, send for 'Whole Grain Brewing wilh Auto-Mash' (403) 282-5972
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r System shown includes
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 A Complete Look at Lager Brewing
and Decoction Mashing

t: . Brewing
'llager Beer
By Gregory J. Noonan

'Tis the season for brewing lager beer. And if

you're planning to do some serious beer-
making, you'll want this comprehensive
guide to brewing at your side.
Since we first published Brewing Lager Beer in 1986, it has
become a classic reference for brewers nationwide. To
understand why we've sold out three times you have only
to scan its contents:

Part 1: Brewing Constituents

First Greg Noonan gives readers an in-depth look at beer
ingredients and the part they play in brewing.
Chapters include Barley; Malted Barley (Evaluation,
Carbohydrates, Sugars and Protein); Water (Analysis, pH,
Hardness, Alkalinity, Cations, Anions and Treatment); Hops;
Yeast (Culturing Pure Strains, Storage and Washing); Bacteria;
and Enzymes.
Straining and Cooling the Wort); Primary Fennentation
(Kraeusening, Pitching the Yeast, Temperature Control, Balling,
Real and Apparent Attenuation and Racking); Secondary
Fermentation (Lagering, Fining, Real Term~ nal Extract); Bottling;
and Imbibing. A special section also discusses Cleaning and
Sterilizing Equipment.

Part 2: The Brewing Process
Next, Greg guides you through the entire brewing process
from planning to bottling the beer.
Chapters include Malting (Steeping, Germination and
Kilning); Crushing the Malt; Mashing (a complete discussion and
directions for decoction mashing); Boiling the Wort (Boiling
Hops, Hops Rates, Hot and Cold Breaks, Finishing Hops and
Appendices
Here are over 30 pages of invaluable data handily organized
in tables and charts for easy reference. Topics include Home-
brewing from Malt-Extract Syrup; Infusion Mashing; Step
(Modified Infusion) Mashing; Weights and Measures; Density
References; Expected Alcohol Percentage; Hydrometer Correc-
tion; Water Hardness Calculations; Brewers Glossary; and others
too numerous to list here.

Complete with illustrations and 306 pages.

Still At Our Same Low 1986 Price
Only $12.95 ($14.95 Nonl!lembers)
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Yes, I want copy(ies) of Brewing Lager Beer at $12.95 ($14.95 nonmembers) each. Enclose $3.00 for Postage
and Handling plus $1.00 for each additional book.

Method of payment: _Check or MO Visa _Mas_tercard

Name Card no. Exp. date _ _
Address
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State Zip
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Signature _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
City--------
Phone
---------------------------------------- Or Call (303) 447-0816 with your Credit Card Order.

Brewers Publications • PO Box 287 • Boulder, Colorado 80306-0287 • USA· (303} 447-0816 • FAX (303) 447-2825.