We have a saying at the
Old Man's Brewing Company that goes like this, "If the Old Man ain't
hoppy, ain't nobody happy." Hop heads know what I'm talking about! Allow me to introduce you to the latest creation - ________ Pale Ale. Sorry, we're actually still naming this one and suggestions are welcome. In this time of
hop shortage we're throwing caution to the wind and the pellets in the water. Allow yourself the delight of imaging the aroma of these four
bad boys - Pearle,
Saaz, Cascade, and
Centenial. Hop heads, please stop scratching the screen......
No, for the hundredth time, this is not rabbit food. These are compressed hop pellets. With any luck, we'll be able to do away with these next year as we attempt to grow our own.
I call this "Hops and Malt in Glass". That's what it is. The Old Man is practical!
Yes, this is water heating. Makes ya warm all over huh? Heating up the water for the giant tea-bag of grains....
2.75 lbs of grains for more sugar, flavor, and color.
Removing the grains after steeping for about 45
mins.
Here we have a wet sock (name for the mesh bag) full of "spent grains". Large beer manufacturers (that is what they are whereas we are beverage artists, libation specialists) sell their grains to the farmers who in turn feed it to their livestock. I have fed some grain to our chickens but usually they start walking funny and can't stay on the roost. So, I use the grains in cooking. It's great in bread, rolls, or any baked thing of that nature. I use it in pizza dough, waffles, and muffins very often. Just add a cup of spent grains to whatever it is you're making.
Heck, I'll even throw out an Old Man's muffin recipe for ya...
Oven 400
Mix together:
1 3/4 cup AP flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup Spent Grains
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (if you like it)
In another bowl mix together:
1 or 2 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of cooking oil
Mix bowl 2 into bowl 1 then spoon into muffin cups or greased (I spray with canola) muffin tins.
Bake for 20 mins
Enjoy
Onward................
I hope you weren't eating one of those muffins because the looks of this can turn your stomach. The smell makes me think I have died and gone to Heaven but the looks....ouch... This is the last dose of hops in the batch.
Usually I cool the wort down with a
water bath in the sink but since it was in the teens outside I decided to put it out on the deck to enjoy the view.
Pitch the yeast.
Store in a warm 70 degrees until the bucket and everything around it is a total mess. I had a very active fermentation so I had to baby the bucket and airlock for a while. I didn't mind ;-)
Said airlock / science experiment..... it's alive!!!!
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