Thoughts from Rob Hudson
A memorandum of mental meanderings.
Site Navigation:
TastyBrew.com: A little project I've been working on. Intended to be a homebrew recipe archive, and is slowly growing into a little more. Stop by, submit some recipes, fill up the database and spread the word. Cheers!

Red Giant IPA April 2002

2nd place award winner in IPA category, 2002.
1st place award winner in first time submitting, 2002.

Ingredients:
  • 6 lbs light DME
  • 1/2 lb Crystal Malt (80L)
  • 1/2 lb Crystal Malt (120L)
  • 1/2 oz Cascade (8.1% AA) - 60 minutes
  • 1 oz Cascade (8.1% AA) - 30 minutes
  • 1/2 oz Cascade (8.1% AA) - 10 minutes
  • 1 oz Cascade (8.1% AA) - dry hop
  • WYeast #1056 - American ale yeast
Procedure:
    In a large pot, heat 2 gallons of water to 168 degrees F. Add cracked grains and stir well. Let the water cool slowly to about 150 degrees F and maintain for 20 minutes. Pour liquid from mini-mash into brewpot and sparge grains with 170 degree F water. Add 1 1/2 gallons water to brewpot along with the malt extract. Bring to a boil. Upon boil, add hops according to time schedule above. Sparge into the fermenter and top off to 5 gallons. Pitch yeast when temperature drops below 75 degrees F. Ferment for 10 days. Transfer to secondary fermenter, add the hops in a hop bag, and wait another 7 days or more. Enjoy.
Comments:
    OG: 1.042
    FG: 1.012
    IBU: 32
    Brewed with Bill as his first batch. We forgot to remove the grainse, but this beer turned out pretty good. First intended as a Mirror Pond clone, we tweaked the recipe. This beer is still quite hoppy, but a little darker than most IPAs. Submitted to the Heart of the Valley Homebrew Competition. Scored a 2nd place in IPA category. 1st place in the first-timers category (our first homebrew competition).

Busta's Nut Brown Ale


Ingredients:
  • 3 lbs light DME (Munton & Fisons)
  • 2 lbs dark DME
  • 1 lb British Crystal Malt (55L)
  • 1 lb British Brown Malt
  • 1/4 lb British Chocolate Malt
  • 2 oz Fuggles (5.3% AA) - 60 minutes
  • 1/2 Goldings (6.6% AA) - 45 minutes
  • 1/2 Goldings (6.6% AA) - 15 minutes
  • Wyeast #1084 vial - Irish Ale Yeast
Procedure:
    In a large pot, heat 1/2 gallon of water to 168 degrees F. Add cracked grains and stir well. Let the water cool slowly to about 150 degrees F and maintain for 20 minutes. Pour liquid from mini-mash into brewpot and sparge grains with 170 degree F water. Add 1 1/2 gallons water to brewpot along with the malt extract. Bring to a boil. Upon boil, add hops according to time schedule above. Sparge into the fermenter and top off to 5 gallons. Pitch yeast when temperature drops below 80 degrees F. Ferment for 7 days. Transfer to secondary fermenter and wait another 7 days or more. Enjoy.
Comments:
    OG: 1.046
    FG: 1.008
    52.9 IBUs.
    This was a brown ale with a nice nutty flavor. This was a slightly above average brown. I might try a different recipe next time, but for a first brown it was rather tasty.

Punch You in the IPA


Ingredients:
  • 6 lbs Munton & Fison Light Dry Malt Extract
  • 1.5 oz Northern Brewer (6.7% AA) - 75 minutes
  • 0.5 oz Northern Brewer (6.7% AA) - 45 minutes
  • 1 oz Cascades (5.0% AA) - 20 minutes
  • 1 oz Cascades (5.0% AA) - 10 minutes
  • 1 oz Cascade pellets (dry hop)
  • Wyeast #1272 - American II vial
Procedure:
    In a large pot, heat 4 gallon of water to 168 degrees F. Add dry malt extract. Bring to a boil. Upon boil, add hops according to time schedule above. When done, sparge into fermenter and top off to 5 gallons. Pitch yeast when temperature drops below 80 degrees F. Ferment for 7 days. Transfer to secondary fermenter, and add hop pellets. Wait another 7 days or more. Enjoy.
Comments:
    I calculated 64 IBUs. This beer had a nice color and was smooth and bitter. It was slightly more fruity than I thought it would be. This may be due to a slightly higher fermentation temperature (about 72 F). This is a tasty brew overall, and is easy to drink in the summer months. I plan to make it again.

'Nole Nog


Ingredients:
  • 5 lb Pale Dry Malt Extract
  • 1/2 lb Carastan malt (30-37 L)
  • 1/2 lb British pale malt
  • 1/2 lb Munich malt
  • 1/4 lb Chocolate malt
  • 1/4 lb British crystal malt (130-165 L)
  • 1 oz Tomahawk (Columbus) hops - 60 minutes
  • 1 oz Nugget hops - 40 minutes
  • 2 oz Mt. Hood hops - 20 minutes
  • 1 oz Cascade hops - 10 minutes
  • WYeast #1056 - American ale yeast
Procedure:
    In a large pot, heat 1/2 gallon of water to 168 degrees F. Add cracked grains and stir well. Let the water cool slowly to about 150 degrees F and maintain for 20 minutes. Pour liquid from mini-mash into brewpot and sparge grains with 170 degree F water. Add 1 1/2 gallons water to brewpot along with the malt extract. Bring to a boil. Upon boil, add 1 oz of Tomahawk hops. After 20 minutes, add 1 oz of Nugget hops. After 20 more minutes, add 2 oz of Mt. Hood hops. After 10 more minutes, add 1 oz of Cascade hops and boil for 10 more minutes. Sparge into the fermenter and top off to 5 gallons. Pitch yeast when temperature drops below 80 degrees F. Ferment for 7 days. Transfer to secondary fermenter and wait another 7 days or more. Enjoy just in time for the Florida State Seminoles to beat Tennessee at the National Championships in Tempe, AZ!
Comments:
    An excellent beer with lots of flavor, 6.5% alcohol and really smooth. This recipe was intended to be a taste-alike for Deschutes Jubelale, or Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. While I'm not sure how close it tastes, it's a good rendition of a holiday, winter beer.

Crispy Amber Ale


Ingredients:
  • 5 lb British Amber Dry Malt Extract
  • 3/4 lb Amber Crystal Malt
  • 1/4 lb Chocolate Malt
  • 2 oz Willamette hops (boiling - 30 min)
  • 2 oz Cascade hops (aroma - 5 min)
  • 1 package WYeast #1318 - London III Ale Yeast
Procedure:
    Steep malts for 45 minutes. Bring 2-3 gallons of water to boil in brewpot, sparge in grains. Remove from heat and add dry malt extract. Boil for 30 minutes. Add Willamette hops and boil for 25 minutes. Add Cascade hops and boil for last 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour into fermenter containing enough cold water to make 5 gallons. When temperature cools to 68-75 degrees F, add yeast and ferment 7-10 days. Ideal fermentation temperature: 65-75 degrees F.
Comments:
    This was my first amber and it was pretty good. I experimented with adding a little ginger (about a watch face size piece) and this seemed to be a little too much. Although it wasn't too overpowering, I'd still use a little less next time. A decent batch of beer, but I'll try some things differently next time.

Oregon Steam Beer


Ingredients:
  • 3 lbs Munton and Fison light dry malt extract
  • 3 lbs Telford's light malt extract syrup
  • 1/2 lb Carastan (13 - 17 L) Malt
  • 1/3 lb Victory Malt
  • 1 1/2 oz Northern Brewer hops (bittering - 60 min)
  • 1/2 oz Northern Brewer hops (flavoring - 15 min)
  • 1 oz Cascade hops (aroma - 5 min)
  • 1 package WYeast #2112 - California Lager liquid Yeast
  • 3/4 cup Corn Sugar (bottling)
Procedure:
    Add grains to 2 gallons of warm water in brewpot. Add heat and raise temperature to about 170 degrees F (steaming but not boiling). Simmer grains at this temperature for 10 minutes and then remove grains. Remove pot from heat and add dry and syrup malt extract. Stir well to disolve. Return to heat and bring to boil. Watch for boilovers. Upon boil, add 1 1/2 oz of Northern Brewer hops. Boil for 45 minutes and add another 1/2 oz of Northern Brewer hops. Boil for 10 minutes and add 1 oz of Cascade hops. Boil for 5 more minutes then sparge into sanitized fermenter 1/2 full of cold water. Top of to 5 gallons with more cold water if necessary. When temperature of wort drops to 75 degrees F or below, pitch the yeast. Ferment to completion and bottle or keg. Condition for at least 2 - 3 weeks and enjoy
Comments:
    This turned out to be a very good beer. A good hop presence, yet not overly bitter and a nice clean copper color. Very drinkable and tasty. I made this at the beginning of my first summer in Oregon. It was also the beer that I first used a Cornelius keg. I emptied my refridgerator of most of it's contents (I didn't have to take out much!) and had it flowing from there. Because the keg made it so easy, and because this is an excellent summer beverage, this keg went far too quickly.

Mocha Java Stout


Ingredients:
  • 7 lbs Glenbrew Irish Stout Kit
  • 1/4 lb Flaked Barley
  • 1/8 lb Black Patent Malt
  • 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets (bittering - 60 min)
  • 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets (flavoring - 10 min)
  • 4 oz Ghirardelli unsweetened (bitter) chocolate
  • 2 cups brewed coffee
  • 1 package WYeast #1084 - Irish Stout Liquid Yeast
  • 3/4 cup Corn Sugar (bottling)
Procedure:
    Brew Coffee using 2 scoops coffee to 12 oz cold water. Steep flaked barley and cracked black patent for 45 minutes. Bring 1.5 gallons water to boil in brewpot, sparge in grains, and add extract and boiling hops. Boil for 50 minutes. Add chocolate and flavoring hops and boil for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in coffee. Cool and pour into fermenter containing 3 gallons cold water. Pitch yeast. Rack to secondary fermenter when vigorous fermentation subsides. Bottle with 3/4 cup corn sugar to 5 gallons. Wait and Enjoy!
Comments:
    This beer turned out very nice. With the occasional big swallow, you can faintly taste the chocolatey sweetness. It's smooth, strong, and rich, with a substantial alcohol presence. A well deserved success. ;) I would increase the priming sugar from 3/4 cup to one cup, however... It was slightly on the flat side