How many of us are also Homebrewers?

[BurntFingers]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

We tried it at home. Gave it up to go to Brewer's Apprentice in Freehold NJ. There for the price of the ingredients you can choose from over 300 recipes and brew your own batch of 72 bottles, 22 oz each. They provide all the equipment and temperature controlled fermentation room. Two weeks later we go back and have a bottling party. The steam fired kettles control the heat better than any stovetop batch. Their selection of yeasts and hops is unbeatable. The best part is that they help clean up. The bottle washing machine makes it really easy as does the filling devices. The Brewer's Apprentice - New Jersey's Premiere Homebrew Supply Shop & Brew On Premise! I've been going there for years now. And it all started with a birthday gift certificate from my bride. We've made Irish Larger, IPA, mostly. I am looking to make something this week that won't be as filling. I want to save room for more Pizza.
Now making wine is another story. Ever since my grandfather (s) and my wife's grandfather(s) came to this country wine has been in our families. This year we might even have enough grape to add to our batch. That is as long as the yellow jackets and japanese beetles don't ruin everything first.

[papavino]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

I usually put some yeast into a sanitized mason jar when I rack from primary to secondary, being careful to minimize the amount of trub that goes in with the yeast. Trub is all the stuff that settles to the bottom of your beer (grain dust, hop leaves, hop pellet residue, etc). If you can wait until you bottle or keg, the yeast at the bottom of your secondary fermenter will be much cleaner than in primary. I usually just toss it in the fridge until I'm ready to brew a new batch in a couple weeks. I think you can freeze it, but you need to mix it with glycerin or something. I think without the glycerin, the yeast cells will rupture in the freezer.
I don't think you'd want to use brewer's yeast as a substitute for baker's yeast. You could probably add some to your bread, but I would still use baker's yeast. They ferment a little differently and might adversely affect the rise of your bread.

[egalecki]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

So how do you harvest the yeast? Since this is the first batch, we haven't gotten that far- it should be bubbling in the basement right about now... Do you harvest yeast from all beers when it goes from the first tub into the second one? Can you freeze it? Do you use it instead of yeast or just as an addition to the ingredients in the bread?

[MK1]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

I'm a pretty avid all-grain homebrewer and make about 10 gallons every two weeks or so. My son is big into the rough and rustic style loafs. I've talked him into using malted wheat, oats and barley of varying toast and roast, along with some spent grains. They're really quite good and I can't believe the amount of spring he can get out of a regular oven, (moistened and lined with quarry tile). The batch he made yesterday was exceptional. I had him use some harvested yeast from a German Alt beer I made and the yeast contributed a surprising amount of flavor. In beer the yeast accounts for 60% or more of the flavor compounds.
I can't wait to get the oven done. All the brickwork is done, time to insulate and cure soon.
I host an annual Oktoberfest party for friends and relatives. In addition to the O-fest beer I brew, potato dumplings, sauerbraten, about 8 different kind of bratwurst and 3 different sauerkraut, I plan on making some Austrian rye loaves with the lager yeast from the beer in my newly operational WFO. Anyone have a recipe for rustic Austrian rye bread? A slice of jadgstwurst, and a little hot German mustard on the rye, mmmm

Mark

[texassourdough]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

Hi Elizabeth!

From what I have heard anything works and is desirable. Stouts and ales are methinks particularly good. I have not been picky when I mooched spent grain so...I have taken anything I could get and it all worked. Looking forward to your report!
Jay

[egalecki]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

My husband just made his first batch today. Oatmeal stout. The brewing book recommended an ale to start with, but since he doesn't like it much, he didn't see why! So I have several 4 oz bags of the spent grain in the freezer. I don't know how this will taste, since it's quite dark looking compared to the pictures in the Whole Grain Breads book... I put one bag in the fridge to use in a day or so.

Which beers do you all like to use the grains from? (sorry about the syntax, can't figure it out right now proper-like...) It makes sense that some would be better than others. DH doesn't like lighter beers much, so if they're the best, well, I'm out of luck.

[christo]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

We always freeze a few cups of spent grain when we brew.

It always makes for an interesting bread - we vary our brew recipies a lot so we are trying different grain combinations which makes for different tasting bread.

and yes... some are toothier than others.

Christo

[cynon767]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

On the bread note, I saved some grain from a lager I made back in February and made about 4 loaves of bread with it, but that was hardly enough to make a dent in the pile of spent grain that I had. I might have to use most of the grain for compost.

There's nothing wrong with good compost... and spent grains make some of the best. They're even better as a supplement to animal feed, but not too many folks keep barnyard hogs or chickens these days... though with current prices of eggs, the thought is a bit tempting sometimes.

I've never tried the spent grain bread, although I imagine that the rather high ratio of fiber to carbohydrate might make it a bit, well, toothsome. It's probably pretty darn healthy though, eh? I'm intrigued. Is it really good? I'm excited to try it! I've got a big witbier brew coming up... I'll have to save my grains!

[papavino]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

Cynon,

It is a 5 gallon batch. I went and picked up the ingredients for it today. The cascades are on the high AA side at 7.8 %. I had to sub those for Centennial as my usual shop is all out. I might make an run to another shop tomorrow just to see if I can get them. It should end up, like you said, around 1.070 or so on the OG and at about 1.018 for the FG. Lots of sweetness, maltiness and acidity to go around.

We do get the occasional Lagunitas seasonal up here in Seattle. Mostly on tap at some of the better pubs, but sometimes in 6 packs.

On the bread note, I saved some grain from a lager I made back in February and made about 4 loaves of bread with it, but that was hardly enough to make a dent in the pile of spent grain that I had. I might have to use most of the grain for compost.

[cynon767]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

Papavino- is that a 5 gallon recipe? 1 full ounce of nugget for 60 minutes? You're a madman!

That's not too bad, actually... that recipe calculates out to a target gravity approaching 1.070 (assuming you use a full mash on the grains), with a little over 60 IBU (depending on hop variations). Definitely in the strong end of the scale, but quite respectable as an IPA. It just was startling to see such a big number; I'm used to brewing Belgian abbey style ales and German bocks, with about a third of the hop strength for about the same gravity.

I think the Centennial FWH would set off the malty, grainy Munich nicely. Centennial has such a bright, citrusy acidity that it might really clean up the flavor of the beer. There's a lot of sweetness there; with a full pound of munich and another of crystal 80L and carastan, you've got about 15% of your fermentables in the form of caramelized malts.

Strong malts need strong hops; such a strongly flavored beer will need some vibrant flavors on your pizza as well... Try something with some sharp cheese and rosemary, maybe?

Speaking of bright, hoppy ales... have you tried any of the special releases from Lagunitas Brewery? If you like hoppy pales and ambers in the west coast style, they're at the head of the pack. I don't know how widely they are distributed, as they are a northern California micro, but if you get a chance try their "little sumpin' sumpin'" ale, you may never look at IPA the same way again.

[texassourdough]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

Go for it Chef! It is simply one of the most spectacular whole grain breads I think I have ever had. With home brewed spent grain the "hominess" of it would be perfect! Please report back and let us know how it goes!

(PS: According to Reinhart the spent grain can be bagged and frozen for months...)

[Chef]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

DARN... we just made a wheat beer. Had I known about the Reinhart bread I would have saved the spent wheat. I was the only one who did not like the wheat beer, but I'll want to make it again so I can make the bread!!

[texassourdough]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

Since Papavino reraised this thread I will throw in a comment for those of you who make beer!

Reinhart's Whole Grain Bread book has a killer recipe for spent grain whole wheat that is simply incredible IMO. The challenge is getting spent grain from beer making...but for those of you who are...you should be freezing your spent grain in batch quantities (about a cup as I recall) and making that bread.

Bread is life! (and pizza is heaven!)
Jay

[papavino]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

Just thought I'd bump this one back up. I am toying with a recipe right now based on the ingredients in Deschutes Inversion IPA. I'm planning on many iterations to see what the best combo of ingredients is, but here's what I've got so far.
8 # LME
1.5 # British 2-row
1 # Munich (Dark)
0.5 # Carastan
0.5 # Crystal 80L

1 oz Nugget (60 min)
1 oz Centennial (15 or 20 min)
1 oz Cascade (5 min)
1 oz Northern Brewer (1)

Wyeast 1098

I was thinking of moving the Centennial to a FWH.

[thebadger]

Re: How many of us are also Homebrewers?

Brian,

I haven't looked into Midwest but I might check them out. My place in Cincinnati has about 30+ beer kits to choose from which is plenty for me right now. Also, the are real knowledgable and I can get to their shop on my lunch hour. I'm hoping to brew up a porter in the next few weeks. I agree that you loose a little felxibility with the "kits" but with 3 young boys and the pizza oven project that's about all I have time for.

Good luck.

Dick