Editing Beer Brewing

{{brew}}

== Objective ==

Brew beer at Noisebridge!
In addition to drinking it, we can learn about yeast, microbiology, wild fermentation, gruit and beer styles before the German Beer Purity law...


= Future Fermentation Projects = 

== Brettanomyces Saccharomyces Lactobacillus Sour Cherry Ale ==

Procure microbes or cultivate isolated microbes found growing wild in fruit peels. We can also purchase laboratory microbes or borrow microbes from beer. Brettanomyces (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brettanomyces) is another type of yeast and it can produce fruity and acidic flavors. A Lactobacillus species could be selected to product lactic or acetic acid. I believe this type of beer should be left in the secondary for several months. I suspect this bacteria would prefer a warmer ambient temperature instead of a chilly wine cellar.

=== borrow microbes from beer  ===

1. purchase Sour Belgian red ale (Rodenbach Grand Cru or similar)

2. pour 200ml of ale into a gallon jug and drink the rest

3. procure starter solution of malt extract and water (2 pints water 1/2 cup malt extract)

4. put room temperature malt solution into jug with the ale; put on airlock

5. cultivate microbes at room temperature for a few days

6. add more malt solution

7. after a few more days it should be ready to pitch into a beer wort

=== add fruit or fruit juice ===

Fruit or fruit juice could be added to the wort for primary or secondary fermentation. Many variables to experiment with... I cannot find fresh Sour Cherries so I've been using decocted dried Sour Cherries.

=== Black Sage alcohol extract fortification ===

Make an alcohol extract of Black Sage (Salvia mellifera)
1:2 @ 95%

==== fresh herb alcohol extract ====

1. Place 1 part fresh herb and 2 parts 95% alcohol into glass jar.

2. Press herb down below the fluid surface and seal jar tightly.

3. Store in dark cool cellar for 10 days.

4. Strain and press herb.

5. Store alcohol extract in sealed amber glass (e.g. a beer bottle with cork)

==== fortification ==== 

1. Figure out the ale to alcohol extract fortification ratio by tasting various ratios

2. add alcohol extract to ale at bottle or keg time


= Past fermentation projects =

== Yerba Matte Ale ==

'''Ingredients:'''

* 1 - 4 ounces of Yerba Matte
* 4 gallons of water
* 7 or 8 pounds of malt extract; 80% Pilsen Malt extract and 20% Amber
* yeast: Safale US-05 (http://www.brewshop.co.nz/pdf/safale_US-05_yeast.pdf)

starting specific gravity 1.055; 6.9% potential alcohol<BR>
yeast pitched on March 24th, 2012 @ 5:30pm
<BR>
measured specific gravity out of the secondary carboy and found it to be 1.01
* 04/21/2012: put into keg with molasses water solution

== Ginger Ale ==

Simple...
starting specific gravity same as above more or less ;-(
ending specific gravity after secondary is 1.01

'''Ingredients:'''

* 2 pounds of fresh ginger
* 8 pounds of malt extract; we used Munich and Amber malt syrups
* 4 gallons of water; we used tap water
* 1 liquid vial of Dry English ale yeast (wlp007)


=== Procedure ===

* simmer malt extract and water for about 30 minutes
* decoct ginger in a pot of water
* add strained decoction to malt extract solution
* let it cool in the large stockpot with the lid on
* check specific gravity
* siphon into 5 gallon glass carboy
* pitch yeast; pitced on March 23rd, 2012
* attach bung and hose + jar of water for an airlock with overflow
* 04/21/2012: put into keg with molasses water solution

=== the half full glass carboy ===

Extra wort from the Ginger Ale was put into a different 5 gallon carboy
and a different yeast (Danstar Nottingham) was pitched.

03/24/2012: added extra wort from the Yerba Matte Ale into this carboy... so now it's a Yerba Matte Ginger Ale. 2 weeks later it was racked to secondary.

04/22/2012: bottled with brown sugar.