Brewery
Jackson's Lite Bier
A very low-alcohol beer using German malts and hops. It's good enough to brew (and to drink) on a regular basis.
This recipe is for a 5-gallon batch @ 8.6 HBUs. Expect an alcohol content of less than 3%.
Ingredients:
5 gallons of Brita-filtered tap water
3.5 pounds of plain malt extract syrup (Bierkeller, light)
1 pound of caramel malt (German, light)
1 teaspoon of gypsum
2 teaspoons of Irish moss
1 ounce of Northern Brewer hops pellets (bittering, alpha acid: 8.6%)
1 ounce of Hallertau hops pellets (finishing)
1 packet (15g) of ale yeast (Coopers)
The Mini Mash (1.5 Quarts, 30 Minutes):
Heat 1.5 quarts of water to 155?F.
Dissolve the gypsum into the water.
Add the caramel malt, return heat to 155?F
Maintain temperature for 30 minutes.
"Sparge" into another brewpot using 2.5 quarts of water @ 180?F.
The Boil (3 Gallons, 60 Minutes):
Add 2 gallons of hot water to the brewpot.
Add the malt extract, stir to dissolve, and bring to a boil.
Add the bittering hops, and stir them in.
Boil for 45 minutes.
Add the Irish moss.
Boil for another 15 minutes.
Reduce temperature to 80?F as quickly as possible (I use a wort chiller).
Using the finishing hops and an automatic drip coffee maker, prepare a 12-cup pot of hop tea.
Add the tea to 2 gallons of cold water in the fermentor.
Siphon and strain the wort into the fermentor.
Add any necessary "make-up" water.
Add the ale yeast to the fermentor.
Measure the specific gravity.
Fermentation:
One stage: Ferment for 7 days.
Bottling:
Measure the specific gravity, and calculate the alcohol content.
Prime using 6 ounces (about 1 cup) of dry malt extract (Muntons, dark) in 3 cups of water (15-minute boil), and bottle.
Don't start drinking it for at least three weeks!