Home Brewing Craft Beers

[PartTimeBrewer]

I'm moving this topic into its own discussion thread. I'm still hoping for more suggestions on what to brew.

[PartTimeBrewer]

I haven't yet found a clone recipe for the Shiner Weisse, but I did find this description on a reviewer's page (UNTAPPD.com): "Brewed to beat the Texas heat, this easy-drinking wheat beer is unfiltered and full-flavored but with only 95 calories. Crisp and clean, this perfectly balanced weisse beer is brewed with malted wheat, Citra and Czech Saaz hops, and native Texas dewberries for a subtle fruity sweetness." in a pinch, I could improvise my own recipe, except for the dewberries. Not even sure what they are, a type of blackberry? Also, I doubt if I could bring it in under 100 calories, not that I would even know how to measure that.

[Aggie]

Dewberries are native to Texas and a tart cousin of the blackberry. Brazos Berry was developed by Texas A&M University as a cross between dewberry and blackberry.

[Aggie]

White House Honey Porter
Ingredients

2 (3.3 lb) cans light unhopped malt extract
3/4 lb Munich Malt (cracked)
1 lb crystal 20 malt (cracked)
6 oz black malt (cracked)
3 oz chocolate malt (cracked)
1 lb White House Honey
10 HBUs bittering hops
1/2 oz Hallertaur Aroma hops
1 pkg Nottingham dry yeast
3/4 cup corn sugar for bottling
Directions

1. In a 6 qt pot, add grains to 2.25 qts of 168˚ water. Mix well to bring temp down to 155˚. Steep on stovetop at 155˚ for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 gallons of water to 165˚ in a 12 qt pot. Place strainer over, then pour and spoon all the grains and liquid in. Rinse with 2 gallons of 165˚ water. Let liquid drain through. Discard the grains and bring the liquid to a boil. Set aside.
2. Add the 2 cans of malt extract and honey into the pot. Stir well.
3. Boil for an hour. Add half of the bittering hops at the 15 minute mark, the other half at 30 minute mark, then the aroma hops at the 60 minute mark.
4. Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Place 2 gallons of chilled water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons if necessary. Place into an ice bath to cool down to 70-80˚.
6. Activate dry yeast in 1 cup of sterilized water at 75-90˚ for fifteen minutes. Pitch yeast into the fermenter. Fill airlock halfway with water. Ferment at room temp (64-68˚) for 3-4 days.
7. Siphon over to a secondary glass fermenter for another 4-7 days.
8. To bottle, make a priming syrup on the stove with 1 cup sterile water and 3/4 cup priming sugar, bring to a boil for five minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 1-2 weeks at 75˚.

[Aggie]

[Aggie]

White House Honey Ale
Ingredients

2 (3.3 lb) cans light malt extract
1 lb light dried malt extract
12 oz crushed amber crystal malt
8 oz Biscuit Malt
1 lb White House Honey
1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings Hop Pellets
1 1/2 oz Fuggles Hop pellets
2 tsp gypsum
1 pkg Windsor dry ale yeast
3/4 cup corn sugar for priming
Directions

1. In an 12 qt pot, steep the grains in a hop bag in 1 1/2 gallons of sterile water at 155 degrees for half an hour. Remove the grains.
2. Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil.
3. For the first flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.
4. For the second flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets at the last minute of the boil.
5. Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.
6. Add 2 gallons chilled sterile water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons. There is no need to strain.
7. Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70-80˚. Fill airlock halfway with water.
8. Ferment at 68-72˚ for about seven days.
9. Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for 14 more days.
10. To bottle, dissolve the corn sugar into 2 pints of boiling water for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 2 to 3 weeks at 75˚.

[Aggie]

[PartTimeBrewer]

Interesting recipes from the Whithouse, Obama era. The second one looks more like something I might try; I love porters (the first one), but I'm not sure this is the way to go to create one. Both are extract recipes, so I would substitute whole grains for the cans of extract, but that is a small correction.

I'm still mulling over a Weisse recipe but am torn on the berry component. I am not personally a fan of any berry flavor in anything, not just beer. I'm intrigued by the dewberry idea, but have no access to them here in Ohio. I'm sure if there is a dewberry extract made anywhere I can find it on the internet, but my go-to brewing supplier (Northern Brewer) does not have it. In the meantime, I'm going to ask my local craft beer store if they can get any of the Shiner product. I know they have the bock, so they might be able to order the weisse from the distributor.

[Aggie]

I love Weisse sours like Shiner's Berliner Weisse which was a seasonal beer now out of production. The Shiner Weisse N Easy may soon be out of production.

[Aggie]

You might find it hard to obtain White House honey also.

[PartTimeBrewer]

As I expected, I came up empty at the craft beer store. The proprietor said his distributor brought only Shiner Bock into Ohio. I am still intrigued with creating a recipe but need to research it. Of course, I will never know if I come close to matching the original, but that doesn't really matter, it will still be good. But I will probably shoot for it being done aging late next spring/early summer. Sounds like a warm weather brew.

[Aggie]

Dewberries are only available in the Spring around Easter.

[PartTimeBrewer]

I'm still working on a wheat beer recipe, but am postponing it till spring/summer. For now, I have opted for a rye IPA. Actually it is named RyePA. I am assuming that my recipe from Nother Brewer is a clone of a product of the same name from New Belgium Brewing. Here's the Northern Brewer description:

"With a reddish-golden hue and a good balance of firm body and lingering bitterness, this RyePA beer kit is a showcase of both hops and grain. The fruity/floral notes of Palisade hops are a perfect complement to the spicy flavor of rye malt.

Ready for an American IPA that more than just a bare-knuckled hop beatdown on your tongue? Try the unique flavors of this RyePA beer kit. With a reddish-golden hue and a good balance of firm body and lingering bitterness, this brew is a showcase of both hops and grain. The fruity/floral notes of Palisade hops are a perfect complement to the spicy flavor of rye malt. Great with hearty breads and sharp cheese."