Offbeat Homebrew Recipes

At BYO, we devote a lot of space to classic beer styles. (Our Style Profile column, for example, covers a classic beer style every issue.) However, we’ve also been known to push the envelope a bit, trying new and interesting ingredients, techniques and even — as you will see — brewing aids.

For this collection of recipes, we’ve some more unusual beers. So, if you’re looking to brew something new, give one of these beers a try. Or, let the recipes spark your imagaination to create your own wild and wacky experimental brew.

Black Pearl Oyster Stout

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain with bivalve mollusks)

OG = 1.052 FG = 1.013 IBU = 37 SRM = 60 ABV = 5.0%

Despite names like Fat Spider Ale, Turkey Stout and Black Kitty Brown, only one BYO recipe has ever featured animals as an ingredient — Black Pearl Oyster Stout. We’ve been lucky enough to taste this beer, brewed by Joe Walton and Jim Michalk, and it’s delicious. The beer has a complex dark grain character and a slightly silky mouthfeel. There’s no strong oyster flavor, but you may detect a slight salty/briney character. For best results, use hard water with a moderate to high level of carbonates.

Ingredients

• 9.0 lbs. (4.1 kg) 2-row pale malt
• 0.5 lb. (0.22 kg) flaked oats
• 1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) roasted barley
• 0.5 lb. (0.22 kg) chocolate malt
• 0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) black patent malt
• 10 oz. can raw oysters (and brine)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• 8.6 AAU Fuggles hops (60 mins)
• (1.5 oz./43 g of 5.7% alpha acids)
• 4.3 AAU Fuggles hops (20 mins)
• (0.75 oz./21 g of 5.7% alpha acids)
• Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale) or White Labs
• WLP004 (Irish Ale) yeast
• 0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Mash grains for 45 minutes at 152 °F (67 °C). Boil wort for 120 minutes. Add hops at times indicated. Add oysters and Irish moss with 15 minutes left. Cool wort. Transfer to fermenter, leaving oyster bits behind. (Don’t eat the oysters, Joe and Jim say they taste terrible.) Aerate, pitch yeast and ferment at 68 °F (20 °C).

Extract with grains option:

Replace 2-row pale malt with 14 oz. (0.40 kg) Briess Light dried malt extract, 3 lbs. 14 oz. (1.8 kg) Muntons Light liquid malt extract and 2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) 2-row pale malt. In a 3 gallon (11 L) or larger stock pot, heat 1.6 gallons (6 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C). Placed crushed grains and flaked oats in a large steeping bag and submerge bag in this hot water. Maintain temperature at 148–153 °F (64–67 °C) for 45 minutes. While grains mash, heat one gallon (3.8 L) of water to 170 °F (77 °C). Remove grain bag from steeping pot and place in colander over stock pot. Rinse grains with 0.75 gallons (2.8 L) of water from brewpot. Combine “grain tea” and dried malt extract with remaining hot water in brewpot and heat to a boil. Boil 60 minutes, adding hops at times remaining indicated in recipe. With 15 minutes left in the boil, add liquid malt extract, oysters and Irish moss. Stir thoroughly to dissolve extract. (Keep the clock running even though it will take a few minutes for the wort to resume boiling.) Cool wort and transfer to fermenter, leaving oyster bits behind. Add water to make 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate, pitch yeast and ferment at 68 °F (20 °C).

 

Jolly Rancher Apple Lambic

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain with hard candy)

OG = 1.065 FG = 1.006 IBU = 11 SRM = 4 (green) ABV = 6.3%

Jolly Rancher Apple lambic is a dry, sour beer with the flavor and aroma of Granny Smith apples coming from Jolly Rancher hard candies. This latest version of the recipe is based on the results of three brewings. For best results, let the beer age warm for at least three months.

Ingredients

• 5.0 lbs. (2.3 kg) 2-row pale malt
• 3.0 lbs. (1.4 kg) wheat malt
• 4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) Jolly Rancher Apple hard candies
• 3 AAU Saaz hops (aged) (60 mins)
• (3.0 oz./85 g of 1% alpha acids)
• 1/4 tsp yeast nutrients
• Wyeast 3278 (Lambic Blend) yeast and bacteria
• 1.25 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by step

Mash grains at 150 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Collect 4 gallons (15 L) of wort, add 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) of water and boil for 90 minutes. Boil hops for 60 minutes. (If you don’t have aged hops, just add 3 AAU of any noble German hop.) At the end of the boil, you should have 4 gallons (15 L) of wort at SG 1.049. Cool wort, transfer to fermenter, aerate and pitch yeast/bacteria blend. Ferment at 70 °F (21 °C). After one week, boil yeast nutrients in 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water and dissolve candies into this liquid. (It takes at least 20 minutes for the candies to fully dissolve.) Cool “candy water” to 70 °F (21 °C) and rack to secondary fermenter. Rack beer from primary into candy water, making 5 gallons (19 L). (Don’t splash or otherwise aerate wort at this stage.) Condition beer in secondary, at 70–75 °F (21–24 °C), for at least 3 months before bottling. You may want to add a small amount
(~1 tsp) of dried ale yeast to the bottling bucket when bottling.

Extract option:

Replace 2-row and wheat malt with 2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) Briess dried wheat malt extract and 3.0 lbs. (1.4 kg) Coopers liquid wheat malt extract. Bring 2.5 gallons (9.4 L) of water to a boil. Dissolve dried malt extract and boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at beginning of boil. With 15 minutes remaining in boil, stir in liquid malt extract. Cool wort, transfer to fermenter and add water to make 4 gallons (15 L). Aerate and pitch yeast/bacteria blend. Follow all-grain instructions for details of fermentation and how to add candies.

 

Mountain Brew

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with soda pop)

OG = 1.046 FG = 1.006 IBU = 19 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.2%

Jason Pavento wanted to combine his two favorite beverages, homebrew and Mountain Dew. His creation — Mountain Brew — does just that. We’ve fiddled with his procedures a bit, based on our own experimentation, but the ingredients are the same as his original recipe. The beer turns out light and crisp, with some aroma, but not much flavor from the Mountain Dew. And, in case you’re wondering, neither the preservatives or the caffeine seem to bother the yeast. Mountain Brew is also a very easy to make. So, to mangle a phrase from their ads — just brew it!

Ingredients

• 4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) Muntons Extra Light dried malt extract
• 2.3 gallons (8.7 L) Mountain Dew (24 12-oz. cans of the soda)
• 4.5 AAU Northern Brewer hops (45 mins)
• (0.5 oz./14 g of 9% alpha acids)
• 2.25 AAU Northern Brewer hops (15 mins)
• (0.25 oz./7 g of 9% alpha acids)
• 1/2 tsp Irish moss
• 1/4 tsp yeast nutrients
• Danstar Manchester yeast
• 1.0 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by step

Pour Mountain Dew into a clean, sanitized brew bucket. (The soda should not have anything growing in it, so there’s no need to boil. You may want to wipe the lips of the cans with a paper towel soaked in sanitizing solution, though. Let it sit in the bucket (covered) as you boil the wort so the level of carbonation will decrease.) Bring 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of water to a boil and stir in malt extract. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated in the recipe. Add Irish moss with 15 minutes left in the boil. Cool wort and pour into Mountain Brew. (Watch for excessive foaming.) Top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with water. Aerate (again, watching for excessive foaming) and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for 1 week. Rack to secondary and age for 2 weeks, Bottle with corn sugar.

All-grain option:

Next time you make a light all-grain beer, such as a Kölsch, cream ale or light pale ale, make an extra 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort. Combine 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) cooled wort with Mt. Dew and water to make 5 gallons (19 L).

 

Stonehenge Stein Beer

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain with metamorphic rocks)

OG = 1.051 FG = 1.013 IBU = 22 SRM = 15 ABV = 5.0%

When you wish for new brewing gear, do you ever wish for metamorphic rocks? You might after seeing this recipe. Here’s a recipe for steinbier — a beer whose wort is heated by hot stones. Heat from the rocks boils the wort and caramelizes sugars they directly contact. To brew this beer, you will need at least a 10 gallon pot, a stainless steel basket and heat resistant tongs to handle the rocks. For safety purposes, it would be best to get a friend to help you. When moving the rock-filled basket into the wort, suspend it by the basket handle from the middle of a pole, held on each end by one brewer. So here’s the recipe — do you have the stones to try it?

Ingredients

• 5.0 lbs. (2.3 kg) 2-row pale malt
• 5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) Munich malt
• 0.5 lbs. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
• 6 AAU Hallertau hops (60 mins)
• (1.5 oz./43 g of 4% alpha acids)
• 10-15 fist-sized chunks of granite
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) yeast (1 qt/1 L starter)
• 0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Start a hardwood fire in a large grill. Let fire burn down to coals and place rocks in coals. Mash grains in 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of water. Hold mash temperature at 150 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Run off wort, then sparge with 170 °F (77 °C) water to yield 6 gallons (23 L) of wort. With heat-resistant tongs, remove 3 to 5 rocks from coals and place in a stainless steel basket. Whisk away any ash or embers from rocks with barbecue brush. Submerge basket with stones in wort. Boil for 90 minutes. Rotate rocks in kettle with those on the coals during entire boil period to maintain boil. Add hops with 60 minutes left in boil, Irish moss with 15 minutes left in boil. Cool wort, siphon to fermenter, aerate and pitch yeast. Place stones on a clean surface and allow them to cool. Store stones — wrapped in plastic wrap or in clean Tupperware-type containers — in refrigerator. After one week of primary fermentation, add rocks to sanitized bucket and rack beer on top of stones (which will be surrounded in a layer of caramelized sugar). Let condition for 2 weeks. Bottle or keg.

Extract with grains option:

Replace 2-row and Munich malt with 3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Weyermann Bavarian Pils liquid malt extract and 4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) Weyermann Munich amber liquid malt extract. Heat 6 gallons (23 L) of water to 160 °F (71 °C) and stir in malt extracts until they are completely dissolved. Place crushed crystal malt in a steeping bag and steep in wort for 45 minutes. Keep temperature between 148–162 °F (64–72 °C) while steeping. Remove bag and begin heating with heating with rocks as described in the all-grain instructions.

 

 

Original Hempen Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain with hemp seeds)

OG = 1.054 FG = 1.014 IBU = 36 SRM = over 30 ABV = 5.2%

Hempen Ale was originally meant to be a dark beer, with the flavor of roasted hemp seeds playing a large role in the flavor profile of the beer. However, roasting hemp seeds wasn’t viable on a commercial scale. (Coffee roasters had the wrong equipment and malting companies feared cross-contamination.) So, the commercial beer was pale in color. Here, however, is the original recipe for Hempen Ale. [Note: In the US, it is legal to possess (and brew with) sterilized hemp seeds. (An internet search will reveal multiple sources for the seeds.) These seeds contain only a trace of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) and have no psychoactive effects. However, it is possible that consuming hemp beer may cause you to test positive on some modern drug tests. Use your best judgement of your situation when brewing this beer.]

Ingredients

• 10 lbs. (4.5 kg) 2-row pale malt
• 1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) Munich malt
• 1.0 oz. (28 g) black patent malt
• 1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) mild hemp seed (roasted)
• 4.5 AAU Cascade hops (90 mins)
• (0.75 oz./21 g of 6% alpha acids)
• 4.5 AAU Cascade hops (45 mins)
• (0.75 oz./21 g of 6% alpha acids)
• 3 AAU Cascade hops (10 mins)
• (0.5 oz./14 g of 6% alpha acids)
• 4.5 AAU Cascade hops (0 mins)
• (0.75 oz./21 g of 6% alpha acids)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) yeast
• 0.66 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Place hemp seeds on a cookie sheet and roast in a 450 °F (232 °C) oven for 30 minutes. Mash grains and hemp seeds with 3.5 gallons (13 L) of water; hold mash at 156 °F (69 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge with 170 °F (77 °C) water to collect 5.75 gallons (22 L) of wort. Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Add Irish moss with 15 minutes left. Cool wort, transfer to fermenter, aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for 10 days. Bottle or keg.

Extract with grains option:

Replace 2-row and Munich malt with 2.25 lbs. (1.0 kg) Muntons Light dried malt extract, 4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) Alexanders Pale liquid malt extract, 0.5 lbs. (0.23 kg) 2-row pale malt and 1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) Munich malt. Place hemp seeds on a cookie sheet and roast in a 450 °F (232 °C) oven for 30 minutes. Heat 1 1/8 gallons (4.3 L) of water to 167 °F (75 °C). Place crushed grains and hemp seeds in a steeping bag and submerge bag in this water. Steep for 45 minutes, holding temperature around 156 °F (69 °C). Remove bag and let drip dry. Combine “grain tea,” dried malt extract and water in brewpot to make 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort. Boil wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Add Irish moss and liquid malt extract with 15 minutes left. Cool wort, transfer to fermenter. Top up with water to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate wort and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C).

 

Smoked Maple Amber Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with tree sap)

OG = 1.077 FG = 1.015 IBU = 21 SRM = over 25 ABV = 7.9%

Maple sap is the clear liquid that maple syrup is made from. In this recipe, maple sap replaces your brewing liquor. Maple sap contains 2.5% sugar on average. (In contrast, maple syrup contains around 66% sugar.) If you don’t have access to maple sap, use water and add an extra 1.66 pints of maple syrup during the boil. The amount of German smoked malt called for will only yield the faintest whiff of smoke. For a stronger smoked flavor, try replacing it with some home-smoked malt (we’d try hickory smoke).

Ingredients

• 8 gallons (30 L) of maple sap
• 6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Muntons Amber dried malt extract
• 1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
• 0.25 lb (0.11 kg) German rauchmalz (smoked malt)
• 1 pint Vermont maple syrup
• 4 AAU Cascade hops (60 mins)
• (0.8 oz./23 g of 5% alpha acids)
• 8 AAU Northern Brewer hops (0 mins)
• (0.88 oz./25 g of 9% alpha acids)
• Dried ale yeast
• 0.33 cup corn sugar (for priming)
• 0.66 cup maple syrup (for priming)

Step by Step

Boil maple sap down to 6 gallons. Place crushed specialty malts in a steeping bag. In a large saucepan, combine 1 qt. (~1 L) of hot maple sap from kettle with enough tap water to bring temperature down to 160 °F (71 °C). Steep grains in this liquid for 45 minutes, holding temperature between 150–155 °F (66–68 °C). Add malt extract and “grain tea” to kettle and boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Add maple syrup with 15 minutes left in boil. After the boil, let wort stand (covered) for 30 minutes before cooling. Cool wort, siphon to fermenter, aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for two weeks. Rack to secondary and let condition for 3 to 4 weeks. Bottle with corn sugar and maple syrup. Let bottle condition for 4 weeks before you try it.

All-grain option:

Replace amber malt extract with 8.0 lbs. (3.6 kg) 2-row pale malt and 3.33 lbs. (1.5 kg) Munich malt. Heat maple sap to 163 °F (73 °C). Use 4 gallons of sap water to mash grains. Mash at 152 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge with 170 °F (77 °C) sap water. Boil wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Add maple syrup with 15 minutes left in boil. After the boil, let wort stand (covered) for 30 minutes before cooling. Cool wort, siphon to fermenter, aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) for two weeks. Rack to secondary and let condition for 3 to 4 weeks. Bottle with corn sugar and maple syrup. Let bottle condition for 4 weeks.

 

Spruce Bock

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains and spruce tips)

OG = 1.081 FG = 1.020 IBU = 19 SRM = 46 ABV = 7.9%

Here’s a hearty holiday beer with an unusual spice — evergreen needles. Spruce tips, the new-growth of spruce trees, give a unique, characteristic flavor to beer. This flavor is not “piney,” as many people suppose. Spruce tips can be found through an internet search. For best results, age your beer several months before sampling it.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Muntons Amber dried malt extract
• 2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) Muntons Dark dried malt extract
• 6 lbs. 2 oz. (2.8 kg) Muntons Amber liquid malt extract (late addition)
• 1.0 lb. crystal malt (40 °L)
• 8.0 oz. (0.23 kg) wheat malt
• 4.0 oz. (0.11 g) chocolate malt
• 4.0 oz. (0.11 g) lager malt (toasted)
• 1 cup (loosely packed) spruce tips
• 5.25 AAU Hallertauer hops (75 mins)
• (1.5 oz./43 g of 3.5% alpha acids)
• 3 AAU Spalt hops (15 mins)
• (1.0 oz./28 g of 3% alpha acid)
• Lager yeast
• 0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Steep crushed malts in 0.75 gallons (2.8 L) of water at 152–157 °F (67–69 °C) for 45 minutes. Combine “grain tea,” dried malt extracts and water to make 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort. Boil for 75 minutes, adding hops at times specified in the recipe. Add spruce tips and liquid malt extract with 15 minutes remaining in the boil. Cool wort and transfer to fermenter. Top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with water. Aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 55 °F (13 °C).

All-grain option:

Replace malt bill with 9.75 lbs. (4.4 kg) 2-row pale malt, 5.0 lbs. (2.3 kg) Munich malt, 1.0 lb. crystal malt (40 °L), 8.0 oz. (0.23 kg) wheat malt, 8.0 oz. (0.23 kg) chocolate malt, 4.0 oz. (0.11 kg) lager malt (toasted) and 4.0 oz. (0.11 kg) Carafa III malt (dehusked). Mash at 154 °F (68 °C). Boil 90 minutes. Add spruce tips with 15 minutes left in boil. Ferment at 54 °F (12 °C).

 

Lemonweizen

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains, citrus peel and acid)

OG = 1.044 FG = 1.011 IBU = 9 SRM = 5 ABV = 4.3%

Berlinner Weisse is a light, tart wheat beer fermented with brewers yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Lemonweizen is similar to a Berlinner Weisse, but without the bacteria. The lightly-tart twang comes from an addition of lactic acid. A bit of lemon zest accentuates this flavor.

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) Coopers wheat liquid malt extract
• 2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) Briess wheat dried malt extract
• 0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) lager malt
• 0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) malted wheat
• 0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) CaraPils malt
• 0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) raw wheat
• 1 oz. (30 mL) lactic acid (88%)
• 1 oz. (28 g) lemon zest
• 2 AAU Tettnanger hops (60 mins)
• (0.5 oz/14 g of 4% alpha acids)
• 1.5 AAU Saaz hops (15 mins)
• (0.5 oz/14 g of 3% alpha acids)
• Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) yeast
• 7/8 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Steep crushed malts in 0.75 gallons (2.8 L) of water at 148–153 °F (64–67 °C) for 45 minutes. Combine “grain tea,” dried malt extract and water to make 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. At 15 minutes left in the boil, stir in liquid malt extract and lactic acid. Add lemon zest when the boil is over and let steep for 15 minutes before cooling the wort. Cool wort, transfer to fermenter and top up with water to 5 gallons (19 L). Pitch yeast and ferment at 70 °F (21 °C).

All-grain option:

Replace first four ingredients with 4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) 2-row Pilsner malt and 4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) malted wheat. Mash at 148 °F (64 °C). Boil for 90 minutes. Add lactic acid for final 15 minutes of boil. Steep lemon zest 15 minutes post boil. Ferment at 70 °F (21 °C).

 

Pumpkin Beer

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains and pumpkin)

OG = 1.048 FG = 1.012 IBU = 19 SRM = 6 ABV = 4.6%

The biggest key to brewing this beer is getting the spice blend right. If you use “supermarket spices,” these amounts should yield a subtly spicy beer. Decrease the amount if you grind your own whole spices.

Ingredients

• 1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) Muntons Extra Light dried malt extract
• 3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Northwestern Gold liquid malt extract
• 10 lb. (0.45 kg) 2-row pale malt
• 1.0 lb. (0.45 kg) CaraPils malt
• 5–6 lbs. (2.3–2.7 kg) pumpkin (cubed)
• 5 AAU Cascade hops (60 mins) (1.0 oz./28 g of 5% alpha acids)
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• Dried ale yeast
• 0.75 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Boil pumpkin cubes in water for 15 minutes. Heat 0.75 gallons (2.8 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C). Place crushed grains in steeping bag and steep grains at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes. When pumpkin is ready, add chunks to grain bag and add cool water (to maintain 152 °F (67 °C) temperature). Combine grain and pumpkin “tea,” dried malt extract and water to make 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the start of the boil. Add liquid malt extract and spices with 15 minutes left in the boil. Cool wort and transfer to fermenter. Top up to 5 gallons (19 L) with water. Aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 69 °F (21 °C).

All-grain option:

Replace malt extract and 1 lb. (0.45 kg) 2-row malt with 8.0 lbs. (3.6 kg) 2-row pale malt. Boil pumpkin cubes in water for 15 minutes. Mah grains and pumpkin chunks at 153 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops with 60 minutes left. Add spices with 15 minutes left in boil. Ferment at 69 °F (21 °C).

Written by BYO Staff