Millennium Falconers Flight Red Ale
RECIPE INCLUDES:
1 Bewitched Amber Ale HME
1 BrewMax LME Softpack-Smooth
2 Packets Falconer’s Flight Hops (1/2 oz.)
1 Muslin Hop Sack (Small)
1 Safale US-05 Yeast
1 Packet No-Rinse Cleanser
STEP 1: SANITIZING
Cleaning is an essential step in the brewing process because it kills microscopic bacteria, wild yeast and molds that may cause off flavors in your beer. YOU MUST CLEAN ALL EQUIPMENT THAT COMES IN CONTACT WITH YOUR BEER.
1. Fill clean fermenter with warm water to the line mark 1 on the back. If your fermenter does not have a line mark 1 fill with 1 gallon of water. Then add ½ pack (about 1 tablespoon) of No-Rinse Cleanser and stir until dissolved. Once dissolved, the solution is ready to use.
2. Screw on lid and swirl the keg so that the cleaning solution makes contact with the entire interior of the keg, including the underside of the lid. Allow to sit for at least 2 minutes, and then swirl again.
3. Remove lid and place underneath the spigot, open the spigot and fill the lid. Close the spigot and dispense the cleaning solution from the lid.
3. Dispense all of the sanitizing solution into a large bowl. Place your spoon, can opener, and measuring up into the bowl to sanitize and keep them cleaned throughout the brewing process for at least 2 minutes in cleaning solution before using utensils.
4. After all surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned, do not rinse or dry the fermenter or utensils. Proceed immediately to the brewing process.
STEP 2: BREWING
Brewing beer is the process of combining a starch source (in this case, a malt brewing extract) with yeast. Once combined, the yeast eats the sugars in the malt, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2). This process is called fermentation.
1. Remove the yeast packet from under the lid of the can of Brewing Extract, then place the unopened can in hot tap water along with your Smooth LME.
2. Place the contents of one packet of pellet hops (1/2 oz) into a hop sack tying it closed, then trim away excess material.
3. Using the sanitized measuring cup, pour 4 cups of water into your clean 3-quart or larger pot.
4. Bring water to a boil, add in the hop sack, and then remove from heat.
5.Open the can of Brewing Extract and packet of Smooth LME and pour the contents into the hot mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed. This mixture of unfermented beer is called wort.
6. Fill keg with cold tap water to the #1 (4-quart) mark on the back.
7. Pour the wort, including the hop sack, and then bring the volume of the keg to the #2 (8.5-quart) mark by adding more cold water. Stir vigorously with the spoon or whisk.
8. Sprinkle the Safale US-05 yeast packet into the keg, and screw on the lid. Do not stir.
9. You will ferment for a total of 14 days.
Put your keg in a location with a consistent temperature between 68° and 78° F (18.3°-23.8° C) and out of direct sunlight. After approximately 24 hours, you will be able to see the fermentation process happening by shining a flashlight into the keg. You'll see the yeast in action in the wort. The liquid will be opaque and milky, you will see bubbles rising in the liquid, and there will be bubbles on the surface.
Your fermentation will usually reach its peak in 2 to 5 days (this is also known as “high krausen”). You may see a layer of foam on top of the wort, and sediment will accumulate at the bottom of the fermenter. This is totally normal. Complete fermentation will take approximately 2 weeks.
After high krausen the foam and activity will subside and your batch will appear to be dormant. Your beer is still fermenting. The yeast is still at work slowly finishing the fermentation process.
Step 3: Dry-Hopping
1. At day 7 of fermentation add the second packet of hops into your fermenter. Carefully remove the lid from your fermenter and dump the pellet hops in. Quickly close the lid.
Step 4: BOTTLING AND CARBONATING
After 3 weeks, you will know the beer is ready to bottle and carbonate by tasting a small sample. The beer should taste like flat beer. If the beer is sweet, make sure that it is in the correct temperature range 70°-76°F or 21°-24°C and let it ferment for a few days longer, but no longer than a total of 4 weeks.
1.When your beer is ready to bottle, fill a 1-gallon container with warm water, then add the remaining ½ pack of the No-Rinse Cleanser and stir until dissolved. Once dissolved, it is ready to use.
2. Distribute the cleaning solution equally among the bottles. Screw on caps (or cover with metal cap if using glass bottles) and shake bottles vigorously. Allow to sit 10 minutes, then shake the bottles again. Remove caps and empty all cleaning solution into a large bowl. Use this solution to clean any other equipment you may be using for bottling. Do not rinse.
3.Add 2 carbonation drops to each 740-mL bottle. For 1-liter bottles, add 2 ½ drops; for ½-liter bottles add 1 drop. Alternatively, you can add table sugar per the table below. For other bottle sizes see: http://www.mrbeer.com/help.
4.Holding the bottle at an angle, fill each bottle to about 2 inches from the bottle’s top.
5.Place caps on bottles, hand tighten, and gently turn the bottle over to check the bottle’s seal. It is not necessary to shake them.
Store the bottles upright and out of direct sunlight in a location with a consistent temperature between 70°-76°F or 21°-24°C. Allow to sit for a minimum of 14 days. If the temperature is cooler than suggested it may take an additional week to reach full carbonation.
Tip from our Brewmasters
After the primary carbonation has taken place your beer is ready to drink. We recommend putting 2 bottles in the refrigerator at first for 48 hrs. After 48hrs. give one a try and if it is up to your liking put the rest of your beer in the fridge. If it does not taste quite right, leave the bottles out at room temp for another week or so. Keep following this method until your brew tastes just how you like it.
This process is called conditioning and during this time the yeast left in your beer can help clean up any off flavors. Almost everything gets a little better with time and so will your beer.