Swill Clone

Description:

One of the biggest problems i have had is many of my friends insist that Budwieser and Corona are the best tasting beers (yuck). They simply have not been spoiled, as many of us have been, with ‘good’ and ‘real’ beer. The following recipe normally wins the hearts of beer-flavored-water drinkers as well as provides a stepping stone for the non-brewers to experience good beer – home brewed. It it not exeedingly hoppy, yeasty, or strong, but IS a hearty and well balanced and full flavored brew!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups 20LV ish crystal malt
• 3.3 lbs John Bull dark unhopped extract syrup
• 3.5 cups munton and fison unhopped plain amber dry malt extract (20 EBC ish)
• 1/2 tsp burton water salts (if needed)
• 1/2 tsp gypsum (if needed)
• Pinch of yeast nutrient (if using dry or ‘im really not sure’ yeast)
• 1 oz Kent Goldings hop pellets (boiling)
• 1/2 oz Cascade hop pellets (finishing)
• Lager Yeast (please, use something good!)
• Irish Moss (1/2 tsp or so)

Procedure:

Well, here goes… keep it simple and fun! Before you start… why not get your yeast starter going?

Crack the crystal in a blender or whatever you like to crack with (dont powderize it!) bring it to a boil with one gallon of cold water. At the first sign of a boil, strain the liquid into your normal boiling pot (dont squeeze, smish, or squish the grain… just let the wort run out).

Add one gallon (or two if the pot is large enough) of water, the water salts, and extracts to the pot and bring to a boil. Boil for fifteen minutes, then add the boiling hops and continue boiling for 30 minutes (keep on stirring, but try to keep the pot covered as much as possible).

Add the Irish moss, stir for one minute.

Add the finishing hops. Stir and cover for three minutes.

Place (chill first if you like) in the fermenter and top to 5.5 gallons.

Pitch when cool (as if you didnt know this part).

I normally use a two stage system. I’ll rack it once after the head falls. When the bubbler pharts 2 or less times per minute, i’ll bottle or keg. If you are bottling, i would suggest using somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 cup corn sugar, or 1/2 cup of honey for priming… I hope i didnt forget anything…

Note: If you serve this beer to newbies or wimps, serve it COLD! most beer lovers will enjoy it warm to cool also!