In general, Mycoplasmosis
beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers. Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors. They both can vary in a wide range of colors, page
bitterness, aroma, and maltiness. Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout. The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.

Two big differences are the type of yeast used and the fermenting temperature. Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine from the name, hang around the top of the fermentor. Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures (about 65-75 degrees) for short periods and are very simple to make. Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures (about 50-55 degrees) for longer periods of time. Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor. The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.

For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt, while lagers are made from 6-row malt. In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, prescription I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet your personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

 

For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, viagra
I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), health the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

 

Despite the commercial popularity of Pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style Ale.  American Ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American Ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style Ales.  Some of the more notable American Ale styles are the American Pale, Amber, Brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American Ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American Ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American Ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use an ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.  

 

American Pale Ale.  The American Pale Ale is pale in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

American Amber Ale.  The American Amber Ale flavor is very close to the American Pale Ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American Amber Ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American Brown Ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American Ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American Pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American Ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American Pale and Amber Ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, look
I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, emergency
I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), try
the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, psychotherapist
beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

 

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

 

For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, somnology
I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), visit this site
the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, symptoms
beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

 

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use an ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.  

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

 

For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, internist
I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), sanitary
the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

 

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

 

For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, visit this
I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), doctor
the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

 

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, health I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), epidemic
the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, prescription
beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

 

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, healing I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, health
I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

ailment times,serif;”>For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

Oncology
times,serif;”>For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

In this video Andy shows us the basics of how to homebrew. Tapping into his years of experience, apoplexy
he breaks down the seemingly complex process of brewing beer into a series of easy-to-follow steps. Although it is not difficult, it is an involved process, so this is part 1 of 2. Check back on Wednesday for part 2.

ailment
times, men’s health
serif;”>For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

pilule helvetica,sans-serif;”>For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

unhealthy
helvetica, website like this
sans-serif;”>For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

RealHomebrew.com is the brain child of two avid homebrewers and beer lovers, allergy
Andy Vellenga and Carl Weaver.

Andy

   My father first introduced me to homebrewing 15 years ago and I never turned back!  I love the ability to craft my own beers to my (and my wife's) personal taste.  I'm also a gear junky and enjoy filling my garage in Alexandria, endocrinologist
Virginia with homebrewing equipment to the point of excess.  Unlike the rest of the junk in my garage, pharmacy
I really love using my homebrewing equipment to make great tasting, homemade beer!

Favorite Beer Style: IPA.  Love hops.
Extract or All Grain: Extract, but will go all grain when I feel a mood to go old school.
Favorite Commercial Beer: Stray Dog IPA
Bottle or Keg: Keg, absolutely!

 

Carl

Carl started making his own beer at age 19 so he would not have to ask his friends to buy it for him anymore. Since then, he has very much enjoyed the process of brewing and thinks of his brewing setup as a chemistry set for adults. When he isn't brewing, Carl is a professional writer and photographer, runs a homebrewing club in Fairfax, VA, and enjoys a quiet life in the suburban Washington, DC area.

 

Favorite Beer Style: Lager or Pilsner, something that tastes great cold. However, the rich complexity of dark beers, such as stouts and bocks. A good wheat beer is nice too, as is a Belgian style ale. Pretty much anything called beer is fine with me, I suppose.
Extract or All Grain: Extract with some grains, mostly due to space limitations in my apartment.
Favorite Commercial Beer: Chang, a Thai beer. It reminds me of hot afternoons spent watching the slow flow of the Chao Phraya River, the sweat rolling down my back as the sun beat down on me.
Bottle or Keg: Keg. Definitely. It is like one giant bottle. One thing to clean and sanitize, instead of 60. It was an easy sell once I saw someone else with a kegging setup.

recipe
helvetica, cialis 40mg
sans-serif;”>For our first style post of RealHombrew.com, this site
I think it would be very appropriate to discuss the America’s biggest contribution to the beer world (at least in my opinion), the American Ale.  It is safe to say that the majority of beer enthusiasts have enjoyed an ale at one time or another.  In general, beers are classified into to main categories: ales and lagers.  Both ales and lagers run the entire course of particular flavors.  They both can vary in a wide range of colors, bitterness, aroma, and maltiness.  Ales can range from Pale Ale to a Stout.  The main difference between lagers and ales (though there are more than a few) lies in the fermentation.  Ales are fermented with top fermenting yeast which, as you can imagine, hang around the top of the fermentor.  Ales are generally fermented at warmer temperatures for shorter periods and are very simple to make.  Lagers, on the other hand, are fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods of time.  The yeast used in fermenting lagers is different as well.  Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, which contrary to its ale relatives, hang out at the bottom of the fermentor.  The result of this cooler, longer fermentation and bottom fermenting yeast is generally a crisper, clearer style of lager beer.  For all-grain enthusiasts, ales are general made from 2-row malt where lagers are made from 6-row malt.  In the modern world, pretty much all beers are fall into either the lager or ale category, or a hybrid of the two.

Despite the commercial popularity of pilsners in America, the craft brew community has brought about a rebirth of the American-style ale.  American ales are generally a bit more hoppy than their cousins from across the pond and often have a bit higher percent alcohol by volume (ABV).  A great deal of the unique hoppiness is due to the floral and citrus characteristics of the hops grown in the United States, especially those developed in California and the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to the increased hop characteristics, American ales are generally medium bodied with a lighter malt flavor than than European-style ales.  Some of the more notable American ale styles are the American pale, amber, brown, and IPA.  

 

Let’s get brewing!  All the below basic styles are for a five gallon batch using liquid malt extract and hop pellets.  Remember, American ales have slightly more hop characteristics than their European counterparts therefore the hops are important in setting the American ale apart.  Look for U.S. domestically grown hops for your American ales.  Though I use domestic hops as a guide, their use is not by any means a hard rule.  Feel free to substitute the hops with other hop varieties with similar Alpha Acid Units (AAU) to meet you personal taste or hops availabilty.  You can use any ale yeast of your choice for fermentation.  For the below styles, I recommend fermenting for at least two weeks before bottling or kegging, though fermenting for longer periods is often preferred.

 

American Pale Ale.  The American pale ale is light in color, medium bodied, and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Use two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  Boil 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.  Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.  This will give you a classic American Pale Ale style.  

 

American Amber Ale.  The American amber ale flavor is very close to the American pale ale and, as its name implies, has an amber color.  The American amber ale has a bit more toasty flavor which can be accomplished by using a darker malt extract and/or adding about a pound of 60L crystal malt as a specialty grain.  

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1 pound 60L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)

 

Start with two cans of 3.3 pound amber malt extract.  Steep 0.75 to 1.0 pound of milled 60L Crystal malt for 20 minutes between 160 and 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the wort.  Boil 2.0 oz Cascade hops for 60 minutes and add 1.0 oz Cascade hops in the last five minutes of the boil.  

 

American Brown Ale.  The American brown ale should have a bit more toasty and nutty notes than the lighter American ales.  It should have a brown to dark brown color.  The nutty flavor and darker color is achieved by adding specialty grains to the boil.  It still keeps to the American Ale style by having higher hop characteristics than a brown ale you would find in England.

 

Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract

Specialty Grain: 0.5 pounds 80L Crystal malt, 0.5 pounds Chocolate malt

Bittering Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade, 1.0 ounce Liberty (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 0.5 ounces Liberty (10 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 0.5 ounces Cascade (2 minutes)

 

Start with two 3.3 pound cans of pale malt extract.  For the specialty grains, steep 0.5 pounds milled 80L Crystal malt and 0.5 pounds milled Chocolate malt for about 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add them to the boil.  For bittering hops, add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and 1.0 ounce Liberty hops for 60 minutes.  For flavoring hops, add 0.5 ounces of Liberty hops for the last 10 minutes of the boil and finish with 0.5 ounces of Cascade hops in the last two minutes of the boil.

 

American Indian Pale Ale. I am a hops lover and the American adaptation of this British classic is one of my favorites.  For this style, think back to the American pale and make it hoppier and stronger.  IPA’s in general are action packed with hops, American IPAs even more so.  They also tend to have a bit higher percent ABV than the other American ale styles and have just a slightly heavier body.  A bit of warning, this style has very high hop flavor and aroma!

 

Malt Extract: 7.5 pounds light malt extract

Specialty Grain: 1.0 pound 40L Crystal malt

Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Centennial (60 minutes)

Flavoring Hops: 1.0 ounces Cascade (20 minutes)

Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce (5 minutes)

 

For the American IPA, you will want to start with 7 to 7.5 pounds light liquid malt extract.  Steep 1.0 pound milled 40L Crystal malt for 15 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees fahrenheit and add to the boil.  For bittering hops add 2.0 ounces Centennial hops.  Add 1.0 ounce Cascade hops for flavoring hops in the last 20 minutes of the boil and finish with 1.0 ounce Liberty hops in the last 5 minutes.  Indian Pale Ales tend to turn out better with longer fermentation periods.  Try fermenting your American IPA for a month or primary ferment for two weeks and then move to a secondary fermentor for an additional two weeks.

 

If you are worried at all about clarity in any of the above styles, try adding 1 teaspoon of Irish Moss to the last 10 minutes of the boil.    

 

The American Ale styles are easily adaptable to your particular tastes.  The American pale and amber ales can also serve as a great base to develop various seasonal and fruit beers.  For instance, try reducing the bittering hops in the American Pale Ale recipe to 1.0 ounce Cascade hops and adding 10 pounds of well washed and chopped strawberries to the fermentor for a nice strawberry ale!  Enjoy your personal style of American Ale!

 

Happy brewing!

 

Andy

When I started homebrewing I was told to simply stick the racking cane in the bucket and siphon the liquid out and that is pretty much what I did. I stuck the racking cane all the way to the bottom and started sucking on the tube to start a sihpon. That was more than 20 years ago, angina
though, and I have since learned a better technique. Now what I do is start racking from the top, holding the tip of the racking cane just under the surface of the beer. As the level of the beer gets lower, I gently lower the tip to keep the flow going. What this does is it allows me to transfer the beer while not sucking up too much of the trub, or junk at the bottom of the fermenter.

This process is easy for me because I typically simply siphon the brew into a secondary fermenter or a keg. It gets a little more dicey when you are trying to siphon your homebrew into two cases of bottles. However, some good tools are out there that can help you use both hands on the business end, instead of having one . One device is the Fermtech 1/2" Racking Cane Spring Clip, which can clamp to either a plastic bucket or a glass fermentor.

American pale ale is light in color, treat
medium bodied, website like this
and has a distinct hop flavor and aroma. It is an easy homebrew recipe, made with malt extract and no grains at all. Although this may be a simple recipe, the beer it makes is far from pedestrian and is a nice beer to enjoy anytime and share with friends. They will be impressed that you made this and will have no idea how simple it really is. This is a great homebrew recipe for beginners but it produces a beer fine enough for experienced homebrewers to return to and also serves as a wonderful jumping-off point for someone who wants to customize his or her own recipes.

Ingredients:
Malt Extract: 6.6 pounds pale malt extract (two 3.3 pound cans)
Bittering Hops: 2.0 ounces Cascade (60 minutes)
Finishing Hops: 1.0 ounce Cascade (5 minutes)
Yeast: Ale Yeast

Directions:
Put about two gallons of water in a large kettle and heat the water until boiling. At the same time, let the cans of extract sit in hot tap water so they will be easy to pour.

Add the warmed syrup to the boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Scrape the inside of the extract can to get as much out as possible.

Bring the kettle back to a boil and add 2.0 ounces Cascade hops (2.5 oz for a slightly more bitter flavor) in the wort for 60 minutes.

Add an additional 1 oz Cascade hops in the last 5 minutes of the boil.

Cool the brew pot by placing it in a sink full of ice. Do not add ice directly to the wort.

Pour the cooled wort into your sanitized fermenter, top up to five gallons, and when it has reached 75 degrees or cooler, pitch the yeast.