AWARD WINNING RECIPES

The recipe for a good beer is only part of the equation, proper brewing water, healthy yeast, good sanitary practice, quality raw materials and the skill to put it all together are what makes a good beer into a great beer. I encourage all who use these recipes to change them up and make them your own. A recipe is only a guide line to point you in the right direction. So mix it up, change the type of malts, add in more hops, what ever, have fun with it.

The first award I ever won for my beer was back in the beginning of my career and it was a home brew batch that a friend and I made together. I don’t recall the type of beer and it really wasn’t that good but I do remember the elation of winning. Since then I have won dozens of awards for brewing excellence in my professional brewing career. The contests are from The World Championships, The United States Beer Tasting Championships, The Great American Beer Festival and The World Beer Cup.

HOP BITTERNESS FORMULA IBU’s = WEIGHT in ounces * boil UTILIZATION * ALPHA ACID PERCENTAGE * 7462 divided by the VOLUME in gallons EXAMPLE 1 ounce of hops at 6% Alpha Acid in the boil for 60 minutes for a five gallon batch would give you 28.65 IBU’s 1 * 0.32 * 0.06 * 7462 / 5 = 28.65 Of course this formula is not totally accurate but it is close enough and it is the same one I use in the brewery. Also, you will get less utilization the higher the gravity of the beer. This formula works best for beers with an Original Gravity between 1.040 and 1.055. With higher gravity beers your utilization will drop but it is nothing to worry about, this formula works good with beer upwards of 1.090.

UTILIZATION CHART 60 Minutes = 32% 55 Minutes = 29% 50 Minutes = 27% 45 Minutes = 24% 40 Minutes = 21% 35 Minutes = 19% 30 Minutes = 16% 25 Minutes = 13% 20 Minutes = 11% 15 Minutes = 8% 10 Minutes = 5% 5 Minutes = 3%