Beer Style: Spice, Herb and Vegetable Beer
Gruit Ale
Leave the hops in the freezer for this brew session…welcome to the adventurous world of Gruits!
Dixie Cup Boardwalk Belgian Quadrupel
This was the beer that was given to each of the attendees of this year’s Houston Foam Ranger’s Dixie Cup Homebrew Competition. The theme was Fredopoly, based on the board game Monopoly and in honor of our annual speaker and homebrew pioneer, Fred Eckhardt.
JM’s Peach Ginger Lager
A basic Lager, with honey, peaches, and fresh ginger.
Dogfish Head’s Chateau Jiahu Clone
One of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s collaboration beers with molecular archaeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern. According to Dogfish Head’s website, “In keeping with historic evidence, Dogfish brewers use orange blossom honey, muscat grape juice, barley malt and hawthorn fruit. The wort is fermented for about a month with sake yeast until the beer is ready for packaging.”
Winter Spiced Ales
One of the best things about a white Christmas is the dark, spiced holiday ales that go along with it. Learn how to brew a wonderful winter warmer.
Blanche de Ballard (Belgian Witbier)
To duplicate the authentic slightly sour tang of this style, using the Belgian liquid yeast strain is recommended. There are no finishing hops so that the aroma and character of the spices and yeast can surface. The best results can be obtained from the coriander by buying the whole seed and grinding it fresh on brew day. A complex and refreshing treat to savor in any season. Recipe submitted by The Cellar Homebrew, Seattle, Washington, www.cellar-homebrew.com
Pumpkin Beer
By modern standards, a pumpkin ale would hardly be considered that wild. But, it was the wildest recipe of 1995 (BYO’s first year). 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.
Original Hempen Ale
An American-style Ale with roasted hemp seeds. Steve Nordahl, former head brewer at Frederick Brewing Company and the originator of this commercial Hempen Ale told the story of how his hemp beer came to be in a 1999 article for BYO. 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. 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.
Make Your Beer Burn: Bring the Heat of Hot Peppers to Your Brewing
Find out how to add the heat of hot peppers to your homebrew and which styles of beer go best with the burn. Everything you need to know how to brew your own caliente.
Brewing with Potatoes
Both corn and rice are used as starchy adjuncts by brewers worldwide. These adjuncts boost the strength of a beer without increasing its body. Corn and rice also dilute the protein content of wort. As adventurous homebrewers, there is another common starchy food we can use as an adjunct — potatoes.
Sweetgrass Ale
En lieu of dry hops, try adding sweetgrass to make a unique beer with a vanilla-like essence.
Making Big Holiday Beers
It’s the time of year for holiday beers! Many of these heavyweight winter seasonals are high-alcohol brews — monster beers that are big, malty and have a bite. You don’t have to be a mad scientist to make one, but brewing a high-gravity beer involves much more than piling on the malt. Your guide to brewing huge holiday beers, complete with eight recipes.
