Our First Recipe: A Steam?

The first batch of Bindle-stiff beer is in the carboy fermenting. Relatively few start-up materials were required for our start-up.

Materials:
A. Stage 1 - Fermentation
6 gallon glass carboy
6.5 gallon bottling bucket
Buon Vino 3-piece airlock
#6 1/2 Rubber Stopper
5 Gallons of purified water
2.2 lbs of light 100% Barley Malt Extract
Thomas Cooper's (Pilsner) Malt Concentrate (1.25 liters)

B. Stage 2 - 2nd fermentation/bottling
6.5 gallon bottling bucket
Spigot
Siphon tubing
Auto siphon
Bottle filter
Bottle & carboy brush
Liquid crystal Thermometer
Hydometer
Test Cylinder
Bottle caps and bottles
Beer Thief
Red Baron Capper
8 inch funnel w/screen

Day 1 - Wort & Prefermentation

Step 1 - We heated the Pilsner Hopped Malt Concentrate (unopened) in boiling water for about 7 minutes to make it easier to dissolve into heated water. Simultaneously, we heated 3 quarts of purified water in a large (14 quart pot). Heating the malt concentrate makes it easier to pour.
We also added the concrete and 2.2. lbs (actually about 1.8-2 because we were making 5 not 6 gallons). We stirred the mixture until dissolved and added one gallon of water to the wort. When it was fully dissolved we poured the wort into the carboy (with a gallon of water already in the carboy). Then we filled the rest of the carboy with the remainder of the 2-3 gallons of water to make exactly 5 gallons. We immediately added a packet of dry yeast and capped with carboy with the airlock (filled 1/2 with clean water) inside the rubber stopper. We then tilted the carboy back at a 45 degree angle and swirled the carboy in a circular motion for 30 seconds to distribute the yeast throughout the mixture.

Usually this type of beer ferments at colder temperatures. We have stored the mixture at room temperature in order to attempt to duplicate a "steam" California style beer. We grow increasingly awed as it changes colors in Ursa's kitchen.