July 1997
Recipe
Chimay Cinq Cents clone
Deep copper to light brown, fruity and rich, there just isn’t a better beer in the world than this Belgian Trappist ale. This is essentially an all-grain recipe, although there are some sugar adjuncts for higher alcohol content. The yeast is essential. I carefully saved the dregs from an entire six-pack of the White Label and a 22-oz. bottle of the Cinq Cents (which Michael Jackson says are the same thing) and built up to a half-gallon starter. Golden syrup is an English sweetener (increasingly easy to find here; check your gourmet bakery shop if your homebrew supplier isn’t carrying it yet), which is essentially invert sugar.
Recipe
Unibroue’s Blanche De Chambly clone
There are many Belgian witbiers. Most are shimmery and pale with a sprightly, refreshing orangey-spicy aroma. One of the best that I have ever tried comes from a medium-size brewery near Montreal, Unibroue, makers of La Fin du Monde (The End of the World) and Maudite (Damned), Belgian-style strong ales that have earned numerous international gold and platinum medals. I don’t know if the brewers use the same yeast in all their brews, but I have had great luck reculturing their yeast and brewing with it. They don’t reveal what particular combination of spices they use, beyond the traditional coriander and orange peel, but I like to add ginger.
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Brown Ale
Brown ale originated in London and probably evolved from porter at a time when consumers demanded a less hoppy brew at a more affordable price. Today many view brown ale as the
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Wheat Beer Brewing: Tips from the Pros
Brewer: Greg Zaccardi Brewery: High Point Wheat Beer Co., Butler, N.J. Years of experience: 2.5 Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from University of California, Santa Cruz House Beers: Kristall, Winter Wheat, Blonde,
Recipe
Blueberry Porter
This brew is a seasonal one for me based on blueberry harvest. Those of you not within fresh blueberry territory will have to make do with frozen blueberries from your grocery store. Four pounds of our local berries (the size of chick peas, roughly) give a noticeable blueberry flavor and aroma, even in a porter.
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Lambic: Brewing with Bacteria
Homebrewer Wanted: Must be willing to risk contamination of entire brewery with strange and exotic microbes from faraway lands. Must be willing to wait many years to see if the
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Backyard Brewing
Ah, nature! The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, and the beautiful outdoors is the place to be. Since homebrew is a natural beverage made from grain, hops, yeast, and
