Chocolate Vanilla Stout

5lbs dark DME

2oz German Select Hops(boiling)

2oz cacao nibs boiling

2oz cacao nibs

2 vanilla beans

1 belgian dark chocolate candy bar

1/2lb malt honey

1/3lb malt chocolate

1/4lb malt black patent

1/4lb malt black roasted barley

white labs liquid yeast Edinburgh.

add candy bar and 2oz of cacao nibs during boil. add 2oz cacao nibs and vanilla beans(cut) to beer during fermentation.

flemish brown sour raspberry

7lbs munich malt
1oz experimental hops(from morebeer.com)aa%10.1
belgian sour liquid yeast
dry ale yeast
1oz french oak cubes
7lbs frozen raspberries
1/2 pound flaked barley
1/3lb chocolate wheat malt (specialty grain)
1/8lb Belgian Biscuit (specialty grain)

use the flaked barley to make a sour mash, which i have detailed how to do in an earlier post.  Then add the specialty grains for aprox. 15 minutes.  Stir in malt extract and hops. simmer for an hour.   Transfer wort to carboy and add water to make 5 gallons.  Wait til cool and add dry yeast.  Wait approx. one week for fementation to be complete and then add the sour yeast and let that ferment for about 2 months.  Add raspberries and let age another month. Bottle and let age at least an additional month before trying.,

Brett's Belgian Special

4lbs Amber malt extract (dry)
white labs Belgian style ale
1/2lb honey malt (specialty grain)
1/2lb pale chocolate (specialty grain)
1/2lb caravienne
1.5oz Sterling hops (boiling)
1/2oz Mt Hood hops (finishing) *homegrown*

Sour Mash

Sour mashing is a way to get a sour taste to your beer. Its a very easy process that I have tried only a few times, but it is essential for making a Lambic style of beer. For those of you who haven't had a real lambic I highly suggest it, they are wonderful. If you are planning on making a lambic yourself make sure you have an extra carboy since it takes about two years to make a batch. The process of sour mashing is actually quite simple. Boil all your extract with 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of water. DO NOT add your hops or specialty grains. You only have to boil the water enough to make sure all the extract is combined with the water. Put this wort in a plastic pail wait for it to cool to room temperature and stir in 1/2LB of flaked barley or flaked wheat. Put a layer of aluminum foil over the top of this, in contact with the wort. The foil should help stop any foreign bacteria from getting involved. Lightly put the lid on the bucket. Depending on how sour you want your beer to be is how long you live this concoction together. One day may be sufficient, but i usually wait at least two days. Try the wort to see just how sour it is. After this is done boil the wort with any hops or specialty grains you normally would. Boiling the wort stops process of the bacteria found in the flaked barley found continuing to sour the wort.... I made a mulberry wheat using this method that added another great dimension to the beer. Just remember, if you want to learn, never be afraid to experiment!

India Pale Ale

7lbs Amber Malt Extract(liquid)
1lb Crystal 15L
1/2lb Caravienne
1/2oz Northern Brewer hops(boiling)
1oz Magnum Hops(boiling)
1/2oz Centennial hops(boiling)
1/4oz Cascade hops(boiling)
1/2oz Cascade hops(finishing)
White Labs Burton Ale yeast

A few notes for the new homebrewer

When making a fruit beer I always use frozen fruit. This helps reduce the risk of foreign bacteria getting in and ruining your beer. If you have fresh fruit I would freeze it first before using it. I have also read about boiling it as well, but I have never tried it and since all my fruit beers have come out great this way I don't think I will change a good thing.

When I first started brewing I only had a five gallon carboy so had to use a blow off tube during the first few days of fermentation. I have since bought a 6 and a 6 1/2 gallon carboys making my life a little easier.

I try and buy all my ingredients from morebeer.com. Their product has always been great for me and they have the best customer service of any company I have ever had to deal with. Sometimes when I get the itch to brew and don't want to wait the week to get my products I have bought locally at a few stores. Though I often order extra hops and specialty grains from morebeer and keep them in my freezer to make brewing on the fly a little easier for me.