WindRiver Brewing Internet Newsletter
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WindRiver Brewing July 2010 Internet Newsletter
Hoppy Beers: A Summer Treat!Beers that feature a pronounced hop character often have a refreshing characteristic that can balance out even very malty beers. In addition to adding a great flavor dimension to your beer, beers with more hops (especially lots of flavor and aroma hops) often are very enjoyable just weeks after bottling. Although how much and what types of hops to add are a matter of personal preference, here some guidelines:
THE FOLLOWING KITS ARE ON SALE, DRY HOP SUGGESTIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION, BUT HOPS NEED TO BE ORDERED SEPARATELY. oFFERS VALID THROUGH AUGUST 2010 NEWSLETTER.
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THIS OFFER IS GOOD UNTIL THE NEXT NEWSLETTER.
Q. I like to use hop plugs, but I have noticed that I do not get a tremendous amount of hop character when I use a hop bag. How can I get more hop flavor and aroma?
A. The easiest way to get the most out of hop plugs is not to use a boiling bag (i.e. boil them loose and strain the wort). This is kind of a messy chore though. If you looking for more hop aroma, the best way to increase this is to dry hop for about 2 weeks in the secondary fermenter. If you are looking for more hop flavor, either use more hops than usual or steep them loose in the brew pot. You can further increase the hop aroma of your beer by only adding your final hop addition right after you have shut the heat off. Then, either immerse the covered brewpot in a sink full of cold or ice water, or at least allow the hops to steep in the hot wort for 10 - 15 minutes before pouring the contents into your fermenter (make sure to strain the hops of you did not use a hop bag).
Dr. Zoot,
Q. How should I store my WindRiver Brewing ingredient kits?
A. Our ingredient kits should be brewed as quickly as possible ( especially during the summer). For prolonged storage the malt extract should be refrigerated or frozen. The yeast pack should be refrigerated but not frozen, and the hops should be refrigerated or frozen. Grains should be stored at a moderate temperature in a dry environment.
Q. I like to add 2 - 3 Lbs of 2-row to my extract recipes, should I steep these grains in a bag or loose?
A. You can certainly steep your grains for partial mash recipes in a grain
bag. Since you more concerned
with adding some grain flavor to the beer, as opposed to relying on the
grain for your fermentable sugars. For
this reason, it is not essential to steep the grains loose. If you want to
maximize the flavor and fermentable
sugar extraction from the grains, you should steep the grains lose and then
pour them through a colander or
other type of a strainer, and then use this liquid along plain water (if
necessary) so that you have at least 2 - 3
gallons into which you can add your malt extract. If you are more into
convenience, then just steep your grains
in a muslin or nylon hop bag.
Cheers and Good Brewing!!
WindRiver Brewing
windrvr@bitstream.net