Mike presents two beers he brewed for a family St. Patrick’s Day celebration, an Irish Red and an Irish Stout. He wanted to offer both at the party to cater to different tastes and challenge himself with the brewing process. Following a thought process where a brewery would brew different styles using the same ingredients with slight changes. Check out this video where we taste and discuss two Irish beer styles brewed as a pair.
Here are the recipes for each beer.
Modern Irish Stout Recipe
Batch Size: 3 gallon batch (11.3L)
GRAINS 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of British Pale Ale Malt 10 ounces (284 g) of Flaked Barley 5 ounces (142 g) of Carastan Malt at 35° Lovibond 5 ounces (142 g) of Midnight Wheat 5 ounces (142 g) of Roasted Barley
HOPS 1 ounce (28 g) of Challenger Hops at 6.3%AA for 60 minutes
YEAST WYeast 1084 Irish Ale
Modern Irish Red Ale Recipe
Batch Size: 3 gallon batch (11.3L)
GRAINS 4.5 pounds (2.04 kg) of British Pale Ale Malt 10 ounces (248 g) of Carastan Malt at 35° Lovibond 3 ounces (85 g) of Roasted Barley
HOPS 1 ounce (28 g) of Challenger Hops at 6.3%AA for 60 minutes
YEAST WYeast 1084 Irish Ale
Procedures For The Beer Pair
Mashed at 142°F (61°C) for 90 minutes Then ramped up temperature to 158° (70°C) for 15 minutes Boiled for 60 minutes Fermented at 68°F (20°C) for two weeks Kegged for party enjoyment
Our Tasting Notes
The Irish Stout got top marks for its smooth and effortless drinkability. It had a perfect balance of complexity that made it intriguing but not overwhelming enough to tire out after a pint or two. We feel the Red Ale served as an excellent option, providing a similar taste profile while also offering a break from the roasted malt notes found in the stout.
Both these beers were received well at the party and that’s all that matters.
This homebrewing beer challenge rolls on as we go back to The Jar and pull out our next picks for beer styles to brew. This is our sixth pick and we have two more beer styles to brew in the next couple of months. What hath The Jar wrought this time around?
What beer styles did The Jar giveth us in our 6th pick?
Oh Jar, What Are The Beer Styles Picked This Time?
As we done since the very end of 2021, we used The Jar to give us a beer style to brew and try our hardest to brew a good example of the style. Here’s what our sixth picks gave us:
28A. Brett Beer
As a part of the American Wild Ale category of beers, Mike feels confident he will be able to come up with a recipe that will present Brett character. The turnaround time might be tight but this dude can rise to the occasion.
5D. German Pils
Mike almost had me put this one back in. I have brewed this style before. I don’t know if I would say that I have brewed one that made me extremely happy. The Jar is calling for me to elevate my game to brew an excellent one.
The clock is ticking. We will have the results for these two beers in June 2023. Until then, get caught up on all the picks:
Our Jar of Destiny series wraps up the second beer of the fifth pick, which is American Amber Ale – BJCP 19A beer style. Mike’s plan was to brew a malt-forward beer that is not too over the top in its flavor. He was seeking to add a modern finish to the beer, making it drier and more drinkable. With plenty of experience drinking commercial versions of this style, Mike put together this recipe. See our tasting video for more details.
Recapturing the glory of American Amber Ale
American Amber Ale Recipe
WATER Spring water with magnesium sulfate and Gypsum added Final profile:
63 PPM of calcium 7 PPM of magnesium 5 PPM of chloride 166 PPM of sulfate
GRAINS 78.8% Pale Ale Malt 15% Dark Munich Malt 1.4% Crystal 80 Malt 1.4% Crystal 120 Malt 2.4% Black Patent Malt
HOPS 20 grams of Nugget Hops added at 60 minutes to go in the boil 28 grams of Willamette Hops added at flameout
YEAST Wyeast 1056 American Ale Yeast
INSTRUCTIONS Mash the grains at 143 degrees Fahrenheit (62° C) for 75 minutes. Step mash at 168 degrees Fahrenheit (76° C) for 15 minutes.
Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding the hops times noted above. Cool the wort to 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit and pitch the yeast.
Our Tasting Notes
I think Mike hit the spot with this beer. It has a nice malty backbone with just a touch of sweetness. There wasn’t much hop aroma from Mike’s choice of Willamette. Mike felt the hops are well-balanced with the malts and they provide a nice bitterness. The color the Black Patent malt brings matches the vision we had for the beer. That brown/orange look shines through. Mike feels like there is a note of tobacco on nose, which is a bit of a surprise. It could be coming from the combo of malts.
Overall, we feel this beer is a good example of an American Amber Ale!
We are in the second year of the Jar of Destiny. The fifth picks were made at the beginning of 2023 and the beers are now ready. First up, a beer style known for its sneaky high alcohol content. It’s also known for its pale color, effervescent carbonation, fruit and spice flavor notes, and crisp, dry finish. Behold, it’s our take on the Belgian Golden Strong Ale (BJCP 25C)!
The Jar of Destiny challenges and inspires us to brew a Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Belgian Golden Strong Ale Recipe
JAR of DESTINY – BJCP Style 25C – Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Recipe for 5 US Gallons
WATER 9 gallons Spring water
GRAINS 11 pounds of Dingemans Pilsner Malt (5 kg – 100% of the bill)
HOPS 2.5 ounces (71 g) of Saaz Hops at 4.5% AA boiled for 75 minutes
ADJUNCTS 3 pounds of table sugar (1.4 Kg) added for the last 15 minutes of the boil
YEAST 2 packets of Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale
PROCEDURES
Mashed at 150 °F (66 °C) for 90 minutes
Boiled for 75 minutes
Fermented for 2 weeks – started at 62°F (17° C)
— Then, slowly raised the temperature to finish out at 82°F (28° C)
Cold Conditioned for 2 weeks at 34°F (1° C)
Added 1 tsp of gelatin to ¾ cups (180 ml) to clear
Bottled with 7 ounces (200 g) of corn sugar with LalBrew CBC-1 yeast.
Stored bottles at 75°F (24° C) for 2 weeks
RESULTS
Original Gravity: 1.074
Final Gravity: 1.009
ABV: 8.53%
Our JoD Tasting Notes
So, on the appearance, I got it crystal clear with the help of gelatin and cold conditioning. The yeast is pretty stubborn and did not want to fall out so some finings are needed.
The aroma has fruity notes alongside some spicy notes from the yeast and hops. In the flavor, all of these components shine with a really dry finish. With all table sugar, the body is very light.
It’s deceivingly easy to drink. All pear and apple notes make you want to drink more and more.
Mike really liked this one. You should give it a try.
Pressure fermentation is a brewing technique that has gained popularity among professional brewers in recent years. The idea is to create hydrostatic pressure on the yeast during the fermentation process, which can lead to a number of benefits, such as suppressing yeast esters and slowing fermentation.
This technique is particularly effective for lagers, but can also be used for certain ales, such as hoppy beers. In this video, we will explore the benefits of this type of fermentation, the equipment needed, and the techniques involved in using this method.
Benefits of Pressure Fermentation
The primary benefit is the suppression of yeast esters. Pressure tends to reduce the formation of esters, which can lead to a cleaner and crisper taste in the final product. This is particularly important for lagers, where the goal of cold fermentation is to suppress esters. Additionally, pressure fermentation can slow down the fermentation process, which can help ensure that the yeast has enough time to fully consume all of the available sugars in the wort.
Another benefit is the allowance for slightly higher fermentation temperatures. Most pro-breweries can ferment at higher temperatures than the average home brewer, thanks to the ester suppression power of hydrostatic pressure. You can compensate for the slowness of the fermentation process by fermenting at warmer temperatures.
It’s important not to go higher than 5-10°F over your normal fermentation temperature. This will help ensure that the yeast doesn’t become stressed and that the fermentation process doesn’t become too fast.
Equipment Needed
To perform pressure fermentation, you will need a pressure-ready fermentor, such as a unitank or corny keg. These can be relatively inexpensive and easy to obtain. You will also need a spending valve, which can be added to a keg for ease of use.
Techniques for Pressure Fermentation
The main technique to follow involves applying 5-15 PSI of pressure at the start or towards the end of the fermentation process. Lagers are the best candidates for early pressure fermentation, as they tend to benefit from ester suppression. Additionally, most lager yeasts seem more resistant to the negative impacts of pressure fermentation than most ale yeasts.
For the most part, ales should have a good amount of ester production so they may not make sense for this type of fermentation. However, there are a few areas where using a late pressure ferment can be useful for ales. In hoppy beers, a bit of pressure may help retain some of the volatile aroma compounds in the beer.
Using late pressure retention can also be used to speed up carbonation. Applying pressure after the first 48 hours and holding it allows some ester formation to happen early during the yeast growth phase, but you can retain some of that pressure to carbonate the beer as it finishes.
Lastly, Fermenting under pressure also lends itself to being a closed system, especially if you are fermenting in a corny keg. Through the use of a jumper, you can transfer your beer from ferment keg to serving keg with little to no e oxygen ingression. is a positive
Final Thoughts
It’s important to note that pressure fermentation is not a universal solution and may not work for all styles or yeasts. Experimentation is necessary to determine the ideal pressure setting, which is likely strain dependent. With Kveik strains available and super clean W34/70, in some ways, this seems like a solution in search of a problem. However, for those looking to experiment with their brewing techniques, pressure fermentation can be an interesting and effective method to explore.
