Not so Quiet on New Beer’s day

Well, we waited all year. And, it’s finally here: national or New Beer day! This is a true celebration of liberation from oppression. And, it recognizes a time when our government was able to get things done (They passed 2 constitutional amendments in that year. We haven’t seen an amendment in 30 years). On March 21, 1933 congress passed the “Cullen Harrison Act” legalizing beer after 14 years of prohibition. Other alcohol would have to wait until later in the year (for the 21st amendment). The Cullen Harrison act was officially enacted on April 7, 1933. And, it was quite a celebration. People flooded the streets and breweries resumed regular business. It was Not so Quiet on New Beer’s day.

The Budweiser Clydesdales made their first appearance. Jean Harlow Christened a beer truck. A DC brewery sent a couple cases to the White house. And, over 5 million dollars worth of beer was sold on that one day (equivalent to over $100 million today). And, that was only in 19 states. Unfortunately, it was only 3.2% beer. That is relatively light. Most beers are 4 to 6%. And, some specialty brews can reach 10 or more percent. So, capitalism wins again. The government was able to find a way to increase revenue through opening business channels with minimal regulation. They saved taxpayers tons of money spent on law enforcement while increasing income. Of course, then came alcohol control issues. But, at least there was a pool of cash to pay for that.

It’s Not so Quiet on New Beer’s day; but, it’s not out of control either.

You want out of control drunkards, go to Amateur night celebrations like New Years eve and St patty’s day. Those are the days when people who aren’t practiced in the art of consuming alcohol take to the streets. I’ll stay home for those, thank you very much. But, for those who actually appreciate the Zymurgic arts, national beer day is a day to experiment and reflect on all things beer. It’s not a bacchanalian drunkfest. True believers follow a righteous path marked by moderation. It’s not a day for frat boys doing kegstands or Silver bullet swilling Sportsball fans. Today is a day to truly enjoy and savor beer, ale, porter, stout, lager, and all other variations. Remember, the date derives from the end of a 14 year drought. After all that time, you want something truly special. Our forebears had to accept 3.2 beer. But, you have options.

Of course, people had options then too. But, they were still illegal. Home brewing was a seedy underground endeavor. But, we can get supplies and equipment delivered right to our door today. So, why not make a batch of homebrew to celebrate national beer day. But, while you are waiting for it to be ready, enjoy the world of beer at your fingertips. Support your local brewery or brewpub. There are close to 10,000 in the USA today. Chances are there’s one near you. Plus, there are just as many more around the world. How about some Ukranian beer to help our friends there?

It takes about a month to brew a batch. So, here is our latest brew that will be ready to drink in time for Mothers day.

Mother’s Marris Malted May Pale Ale

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Fermentation 28 days d

Course beer

Cuisine American

Servings 5 Gallons

Equipment

• 1 Car boy fermenting jar, 5 gallons
• 1 5 gallon pot to brew in
• 1 Siphoning tube
• 1 Blow off tube
• 2 Carboy rubber corks
• 1 Transfer/racking bucket with spigot
• 1 Siphon starter
• 1 Sparging bag
• Cheesecloth
• Strainer
• Funnel
• Bottle filler attachment
• Bottle capper
• bottles
• Bottle caps

Ingredients

  

• 5 plus Gallons Water
• 2 Cups Dingemans malt
• 2 Cup Marris Otter malt
• 2 Cup White malt
• 2 Cup Pale Malt
• 1 Tbsp Cardamom Seeds
• 1 T corriander seed
• 2 Lb Amber malt extract
• 6 Lb Golden malt extract
• 2 Oz UK First Gold Hops
• 2 Oz German Hallertau Hops
• 1 Oz Columbus Hops
• 2 Oz Helga Hops
• 1 each Floc tablet or 2 Tbsp Irish Moss
• 11.5 Grams Safe ale s-04 English Ale yeast
• 2 Oz Columbus hops to dry hop
• 1 Cup Corn sugar/priming sugar

Instructions

 

• Sanitize all of your equipment
• Bring 3 gallons of water to a boil. Put the malts and spices in a brew bag. Place in the water and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the malt satchel.
• Whisk in the malt extracts and bring back to a boil. Stir well to prevent sticking. Boil for about a minute. Then add the UK First gold hops. Boil for 15 minutes, stirring as needed. It will want to boil over. But, keep that in check.
• Add the Hallertau hops and boil for another 15 minutes. Then add the remaining hops and floc tab. Boil for another 15 minutes.
• carefully strain out the wart into a 5 gallon bucket/ bottling barrel. I prefer to use a sparging bag and a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Try to get out as much sediment as possible.
• Transfer the "wort" to a carboy. Add in cold water to bring the volume up to 5 gallons. You actually want more than 5 gallons since you will lose some during the fermentation process. Let this cool down to room temperature.
• When the ale is cooled down enough, take your measurements to determine potential alcohol, sugar, and specific gravity (or skip if you don't need to know). Then add the yeast by pitching on top. Cap with a rubber stopper with a blow off tube. Place the other end of the tube in a container with a little water. Place it in a dark area where it won't be disturbed for a couple of weeks (a closet works best.
• Leave the blow off tube on for 3 days. This will "blow off" sediment and the ale will be extremely active. After 3 days, it will be calm enough to put an airlock on. At this point, dry hop the ale by adding the Columbus hops. Then cap with the sir lock. Leave it for another 11 days, in darkness.
• 2 weeks after you brew, you can bottle the ale. Sanitize all of your equipment and bottles. Carefully siphon the ale from the carboy to a racking tub/ bottling barrel. I put a sparging bag in to catch any sediment. There will be about an inch or 2 of sediment in the bottom of the carboy. Make sure you keep your siphon above that level to avoid as much as possible. Take your measurements at this time to determine your final Alcohol, sugar, and specific gravity. Boil the corn sugar in about a cup of water. Stir this into the ale. Then you can begin filling your bottles. Make sure everything has been sanitized: equipment, bottles, and caps. Once filled and capped, place the bottles in a dark area for another 2 weeks to allow the secondary fermentation to do it's job: creating carbonation, and finishing the ale.
• After 2 weeks in the bottle, it will mature, and be ready to drink. Salud!

Keyword fermentation, Home Brew, Marris Otter, May day, May the fourth be with year, Mother’s day, National Beer day, New beers day