All-Grain Recipes

Bill's Mash Ale

This is one of my earlier all-grain beers. I must have been impressed. I was quoted is my notes as saying it was my best beer yet.

(Recipe for 16 litres)

5 lbs of 2-row Canadian malted barley
1 cup of crystal malt
1 tsp of Burton Salts
3/4 oz of Goldings Hop Pellets (bittering)
1/2 oz Goldings Hop cones (flavouring)
1/4 oz Goldings Hop Pellets (finishing)
3/4 lbs of sugar
2 packets of dry ale yeast

Method:
Use a step mash as described in "The Joy of Homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian. Sparge and add the Burton Salts to the wort. Bring the wort to a boil and add bittering hops. Boil for 50 minutes before adding the flavouring hops. Boil for 10 more minutes and then add the finishing hops. Add the sugar and boil for 5 more minutes and then turn off heat.
Force cool using a wort chiller. Rehydrate yeast and add to aerated wort. Ferment as usual. Spg. 1.040.

My Notes: Excellent beer! Big favourite.

New Year Bitter

One of my annual new year brews. This one was for 1992.

(Recipe for 18 litres)

4 lbs Canadian 2-row malted barley
1 3/4 lbs British Pale malted barley
1/4 cup of chocolate malt
1/2 cup of golden yellow sugar
2 cups of crystal malt
1 tsp Burton Salts
1/2 oz Cascade Pellets (start of boil)
1/4 oz Williamette Pellets (start of boil)
1/4 oz Williamette Pellets (last 30 minutes)
1/4 oz Hallertau Pellets (last 15 minutes)
1/4 oz Hallertau Pellets (last 2 minutes)
2 packets of ale yeast

Method:
Infusion mash for 1 hour. Sparge and add Burtons Salts and yellow sugar. Boil for 1 hour, adding hops at intervals as note above. Force cool using wort chiller. Ferment as usual. spg 1.040.

My Notes: Great beer! Tastes more like an European beer than a bitter, but still a great-tasting beer.

Pride of Torbay Bitter

I named this one after my home town of Torbay in Newfoundland.

(Recipe for 18.9 litres)

7 lbs of Canadian 2-row malted barley
5 oz of malted wheat
6 oz of Crystal malt
2 1/2 tsp of Gypsum
1 1/2 oz Hallertau hops (boil)
2 packets of dry ale yeast

Method:
Step mash. Sparge and add the gypsum. Boil for 1 1/2 hours. Force cool with wort chiller. spg. 1.042.

My Notes: Good easy drinking beer. A great session beer.

London Pride Bitter

This is based on a recipe I got from an English home brew book. I modified it quite a bit with good results.

(Recipe for 18.9 Litres)

6 1/4 lbs 2-Row Canadian Malted Barley
2 cups of crystal malt
3/4 oz Fuggles hop pellets
3/4 oz Goldings hop pellets
1/2 oz Goldings hops cones (finishing)
2 tsp Burton Salts
1/4 tsp Irish Moss
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Corn Sugar
2 packet ale yeast

Method:
Mash at 150º F for 1 1/2 hours. Sparge and add Burton Salts and add the hop pellets. Boil for 1 hour. Add the finishing hops, sugar and Irish Moss and boil for 15 minutes. Force cool with wort chiller. spg. 1.038.

My Notes: A very nice light bitter. Feels like I'm in a English Pub.

X-Tra Special Bitter

After making quite a few ordinary bitters, I thought it was time to try an Extra Special Bitter. Note that I used a Bavarian lager yeast to make this ale with very good results.

(Recipe for 18.9 Litres)

7 lbs 2-Row Canadian Malted Barley
1 lb crystal malt
1/4 lb. Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 lb. Corn Sugar
1/2 tsp Irish Moss
2 tsp Gypsum
1/2 tsp Epsom Salts
1/2 oz. Chinook hops 11.4% alpha acid
1/2 oz Williamette 5.2% alpha acid
1/2 oz Cascade (finishing)
Wyeast 2206 Bavarian yeast

Method:
Used pre-boiled water in the mash. Infusion mash at 150º F for 75 minutes. Raised the temperature to 155º at let stand for an extra 10 minutes before raising to 170º for mashout. Force cooled to 59º using a wort chiller. Ferment as usual spg. 1.042. This beer was kegged and 1/2 oz of hops boiled for 2 minutes with 4 oz of brown sugar was added at this time.

My Notes: Excellent beer. Very clear, hops good. Very clean.

Smithwicks Style Ale

This is my attempt at the famous Irish ale that is often served at the pubs in old St. John's.

(Recipe for 18.9 Litres)

7 1/2 lbs English Pale Malted Barley
1 lb of crystal malt
6 oz Roasted Barley
4 oz Corn Starch
1 1/2 oz Fuggles hops 4.5% alpha acid
2 tsp Gypsum
1 tsp Chalk
1/2 tsp Epsom Salts
1/2 oz Goldings hops (finishing)
Wyeast British Ale Yeast

Method:
Infusion mash at 150º F. (include the corn starch in the mash). Add 1 tsp of the Gypsum to the sparge water. Add the rest of the gypsum, Epsom salts and Chalk to the boiler.Boil with Fuggles hops for 75 minutes. Add the Goldings finishing hops during the last 2 minutes. Force chill to 70º. Spg 1.046. Ferment as usual.

My Notes: Too dark for Smithwicks. Boy - What a beer! Delicious!

Tetley Bitter

My version of a well-known English session bitter.

(Recipe for 18.9 Litres)

4 3/4 lbs English Pale Mated barley
6 oz Malted Wheat
8 oz Crystal Malt
1 tsp Chalk
2 tsp Gypsum
1/2 lb. Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 oz. of Goldings Hops
1 1/2 oz . of Fuggles
Wyeast British Ale Yeast

Method:
Infusion mash for 90 minutes at 150º F. Sparge and add sugar to wort. Boil for 75 minutes. Force cool to 70º F and ferment as usual. Spg. 1.040.

My Notes: Very clear. Excellent taste. Maybe not bitter enough. Will add more hops next time.

German Pilsner

This turned out to be a fine German Style Pilsner.

(Recipe for 15 litres)

7 1/2 lbs Canadian 2-row malt
1/2 tsp Burton Salts
1 oz Tettnang Hops
1/2 oz Saaz Hops
1/2 oz Saaz Hops (finishing)
1/2 teaspoon Irish Moss
2 packets of dry lager yeast

Method:
Step mash. Mash in at 122º F for 1/2 hour. Raise temperature to 150º and rest for 1 hour. Raise temperature to 160º and rest for 15 minutes. Raise to 170º for mash out. Sparge and add Tettnang hops. Boil for 1 hour. Add 1/2 oz of Saaz hops and boil for another 30 minutes. Add remainder of Saaz hops and  Irish Moss and boil for 10 more minutes. Force cool to 70º F. Ferment for 7 days in primary or until fermentation is over. Rack into carboy and let stand for 14 more days in a cool place. Bottle or keg.

My Notes: Good Beer!

Vienna Lager

This is a style of beer that has always appealed to me even though I have never tasted the real thing.

(Recipe makes 18.9 Litres)

7 1/2 lbs German Pilsner Malted Barley
1 1/4 lbs Vienna Malt
1/2 tsp Irish Moss
1 1/2 oz Tettnang hops
1/2 oz Tettnang hops (finishing)
Wyeast 2206 Bavarian Lager

Method:
Mash in at 120º F and let stand for 30 minutes. Raise temperature to 150º F. for 15 minutes, then to 158º for 25 minutes. Sparge and add 1 1/2 oz hops. Boil for 60 minutes. Add Irish Moss and boil for 1/2 hour. Add finishing hops and boil for 5 minutes. Force cool to 56º F. Add yeast starter. Ferment in primary until fermentation is finished. Transfer to a carboy and lager in a fridge for 3 weeks. Starting spg 1.049.

My Notes: Colour a bit too light. I will add 2 oz of black malt the next time.

Harp Lager

A very popular Irish lager served on tap at our downtown bars in St. John's. This turned out to be remarkably similar to the real thing.

(Recipe for 18.9 Litres)

5 1/2 lbs Canadian 2-row malted barley
1 lb of Cornstarch
1/2 oz Tettnang hops
1/2 oz Hallertau hops
Wyeast 2206 Bavarian yeast starter
1/2 tsp of Irish Moss
1 oz Black malt.

Method:
Mash in at 120º F and let stand for 30 minutes. Raise temperature to 150º F. for 15 minutes, then to 158º for 25 minutes. Sparge and add the Tettnang and Hallertau hops. Boil for 60 minutes. Add Irish Moss and boil for 15 minutes. Force cool to 56º F. Add yeast starter. Ferment in primary until fermentation is finished. Transfer to a carboy let stand in a cool place for 2 weeks. Starting Spg 1.042. Finishing gravity 1.010.

My Notes: Excellent Beer!!! Very clear, excellent head, medium-light-bodied. It took very long for starch conversion to take place. I will use 6-row barley the next time.

Dark Lager

A dark German style lager.

(Recipe for 18.9 Litres)

4 3/4 lbs of Canadian 6-row malted barley
1 3/4 lbs German Pilsner Malted barley
1 1/4 lbs Crystal Malt
6 oz. Black Malt
1/2 lb. Cornstarch
1 oz Clusters hops
1/4 oz Cascade hops
1 tsp Irish Moss
Wyeast Bavarian Lager starter

Method:
Mash in at 120º F and let stand for 30 minutes. Raise temperature to 150º F. for 15 minutes, then to 158º for 25 minutes. Sparge and add Cluster hops. Boil for 60 minutes. Add Irish Moss and boil for 15 minutes. Add Cascade hops and boil for 3 minutes. Force cool to 68º F. Add yeast starter. Ferment in primary until fermentation is finished. Transfer to a carboy and lager in a fridge for 3 weeks. Starting spg 1.044.

My Notes: Nice refreshing light-bodied beer.

Light Lager

This is my attempt at a light continental style lager.

(Recipe for 18.9 Litres)

6 lbs English Pale Malted Barley
1/2 lb of Malto dextrin
1/2 lb of Corn Sugar
1/2 oz of Chinook Pellets
1 Wyeast American Lager yeast starter

Method:
Infusion mash at 150º F for 2 hours. Sparge and add hops, malto dextrin and corn sugar. Boil for 75 minutes. Force cool to 64º F. Ferment in primary until fermentation is finished. Transfer to a carboy let stand in a cool place for 2 weeks.

My Notes: Very light beer, much like Canadian and American beers.

Wheat Beer

I was trying for a light summer beer here and that is just what I got.

(Recipe for 18.9 Litres)

3 lbs of English Pale Malted Barley
1 Vienna Malt
1 1/2 lbs Malted Wheat
Wyeast 3056 Bavarian yeast starter
1 tsp Gypsum
3/4 oz Hallertau hop pellets

Method:
Infusion mash at 150º F for 2 hours. Sparge. Add hops and Gypsum and boil for 75 minutes. Force cool to 70º F. Ferment in primary until fermentation is finished. Transfer to a carboy let stand in a cool place for 2 weeks. Starting Spg. 1.032.

My Notes: Very light beer. Best served ice cold.