DIY Beer Labels: Christmas and Holiday Beer Labels

Homemade Mead - DIY Honey Wine

Well, no photos on this one, but the procedures for making mead are so easy, I don't think you'll need any!

I first had mead at a little Ethiopian restaurant here in Austin, and later discovered how easy it was to make.

Disclaimer: My own mead, of which I have two batches currently fermenting, have not finished yet, so I can't attest to the quality.  Still, you can't go wrong with mead, so give it a try!


Here's what you'll need:

• left over wine bottle or other fermentor
• 1 cup honey
• 3 cups water
• yeast
• airlock and cap or wine bottle cork

You can adjust the honey/water ratio to make larger batches; just keep it at 1:3.  Heat the water in a pot/kettle, and slowly pour in the honey, taking care to stir.  Allow the mixture to heat to 160 degrees F.

Keep it at 160 for 15 minutes.  Then, pour it into a container and cold crash it to about 65-70 degrees.

Once it's cool, add your Yeast/yeast starter.  Pour the mix into your fermentor and cap it with the air lock.

Let the mead sit at 70-75 degrees, which is slightly above beer fermentation temperatures.  I just kept mine in a dark place in the house.  It started fermenting within an hour.

After a couple weeks, rack the mead into a secondary.  You many want to repeat this again after a full month.  Let the mead sit anywhere from two to six months.  Then, enjoy!

DIY Keezer Build - HomeBrew Project

So I've decided -- after years of tedious bottling -- that I would venture into kegging.  This will be my log for the build: a 15cuft Chest Freezer "Keezer" that will initially host 2 taps/kegs, with room for 8 total taps/kegs to grow into.

I researched into several builds and decided upon the wooden collar, although with a twist that I've not yet seen on other blogs/sites.

To start, I found a used Fridgedere 14.8 cubic foot chest freezer for $120.  I then bought two 12x2 oak boards for the insulation collar.

Over the Thanksgiving break I'll begin the collar and post some pics.  It may take a while, but I'll use this blog post as the Keezer Build Thread.

More later....

Beer Glasses for Different Beer Styles

When I have guests or family come to visit, and we get to tasting some homebrew or other craft beers, my guests are often surprised I keep such a wide variety of glassware in a separate cabinet -- and even more surprised when I use different glasses for each style of beer.

While using different shaped wine glasses -- for white and red wines -- is widely accepted, few people are aware that beer should be served in differing glassware as well.

Why?  The shape of the glass and contours of the cup actual accentuate different parts of the beer; some to push the smell upwards to your nose, and others to keep the smell to a minimum.  But it's not just for smell.  Some glasses, for instance sniffers, often are used so that the heat from the drinker's hand slightly warms the brew, as its being held (to bring out other flavors).

So, with some help from http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/glass, I've decided to list the typical glassware associated with several styles of beer. 

Pint Glass.

We'll start with the most common American beer drinking glass: the Pint Glass.  A few different styles of pint glasses can be found, like Becker, Nonic, or a Tumbler, but they all have similar characteristics.  

Pint glasses are cylindrical, with a slight taper (often toward the top) and a wide-mouth. Pint glasses come in two standard sizes, the 16-ounce Tumbler (U.S.)  and the 20-ounce Imperial Nonic.  A Becker is the German equivalent, tapering at the top.

These are the most common beer glass found in restaurants and in the home.

They accommodate a wide variety of beers:

• American Lager
• American Amber / Red Ale
•  Black Ale
• Blonde Ale
• Brown Ale
• Pale Ale
• Pale Wheat Ale
• Porter
• Stout
• Black & Tan
• Foreign / Export Stout
• Irish Dry Stout
• Oatmeal Stout
• Witbier

Flute Glass.

Next up is the Flute Glass.  While used normally for Champagne, the Flute Glass has a long narrow body to help ensure that carbonation doesn't dissipate too quickly -- and to showoff lively carbonation and color.

Benefits: Enhances and showcases carbonation. Releases volatiles quickly for a more intense upfront aroma.



Use with these Beer Styles:

• American Wild Ale
• Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut
• Bock
• Czech Pilsener
• Dortmunder
• Eisbock
• Pilsener
• Lambic
• Lambic 
• Maibock / Helles Bock
• Munich Dunkel Lager
• Munich Helles Lager
• Schwarzbier
• Vienna Lager
• Weizenbock

Mug.

Heavy, sturdy, large and with handle, mugs come in many sizes and shapes. A Seidel is a German mug, while a Stein is the stone equivalent that traditionally features a lid (which dates back to the Black Plague to prevent flies from dropping in).

Benefits: Easy to drink out of. Holds plenty of volume.



Use with these Beer Styles:

• American Amber
• Black Ale
• Blonde Ale
• Brown Ale
• Pale Ale
• Porter
• Stout
• Strong Ale
• Baltic Porter
• Black & Tan
• Bock
• California Common / Steam Beer
• English Bitter
• Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
• Pilsener
• Irish Dry Stout
• Milk / Sweet Stout
• Oatmeal Stout
• Scottish Ale
• Smoked Beer
• Vienna Lager

Pilsner Glass.

Typically a tall, slender and tapered 12-ounce glass that captures the sparkling effervesces and colors of a Pils while maintaining its head. A Pokal is a European Pilsner glass with a stem.

Benefits: Showcases color, clarity and carbonation. Promotes head retention. Enhances volatiles.

Use with these Beer Styles:

• Bock
• California Common / Steam Beer
• Czech Pilsener
• Doppelbock
• Dortmunder / Export Lager
• German Pilsener
• Japanese Rice Lager
• Low Alcohol Beer
• Maibock / Helles Bock
• Munich Dunkel Lager
• Munich Helles Lager
• Schwarzbier
• Vienna Lager

Snifter.

Used traditionally for brandy and cognac, these stemmed, wide-bowled, and tapered mouthed glasses are perfect for capturing the aromas of strong ales. Volumes range, but they all provide room to swirl and agitate volatiles.

Benefits: Captures and enhances volatiles.




Use with these Beer Styles:

• American Barleywine
• American Double / Imperial IPA
• American Double / Imperial Stout
• Strong Ale
• Braggot
• Eisbock
• English Barleywine
• Flanders Oud Bruin
• Flanders Red Ale
• Foreign / Export Stout
• Gueuze
• Lambic - Fruit
• Old Ale
• Quadrupel (Quad)
• Russian Imperial Stout
• Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
• Tripel
• Wheatwine

Tulip Glass.

These were on sale at the Dollar Store locally, so I picked up a few.  My wife makes Ice Cream Sundays in them, much to my chagrin.  A stemmed glass, with the top half tulip-shaped, to form a lip.  The Tulip Glass contains an angled rim in order to capture the head of the beer.  The bottom body is bulbous, almost like a Snifter.

Benefits: Captures and enhances volatiles, while it induces and supports large foamy heads.

Use with these Beer Styles:

• American Double / Imperial IPA
• American Wild Ale
• Belgian Dark Ale
• Belgian IPA
• Belgian Pale Ale
• Belgian Strong Dark Ale
• Belgian Strong Pale Ale
• Bière de Garde
• Flanders Oud Bruin
• Flanders Red Ale
• Gueuze
• Lambic - Fruit
• Quadrupel (Quad)
• Saison / Farmhouse Ale
• Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy

Weizen Glass.

Weizen Glasses -- made for Wheat Beers -- have thin walls and length to showcase the beer's color and allow for ample headspace. Most are 0.5L, with slight variations in sizes.

Benefits: Specifically produced to take on volume and head, while locking in the banana-like and phenol aromas associated with the style.




Use with these Beer Styles:

• American Dark Wheat Ale
• American Pale Wheat Ale
• Dunkelweizen
• Gose
• Hefeweizen
• Kristalweizen
• Weizenbock

Oversized Wine Glass.

Often, a glass goblet or chalet can be deemed an Oversized Wine Glass, since the former two cups were traditionally made from metal.  Still, the stemmed, rounded glass is perfect for all Belgian Ales and most dark porters and stouts. Its size allows for headspace, while the open bowl creates an amazing nose.




Use with these Beer Styles:

• American Black Ale
• American Double / Imperial IPA
• American Double / Imperial Stout
• American Wild Ale
• Belgian Dark Ale
• Belgian IPA
• Belgian Pale Ale
• Belgian Strong Dark Ale
• Belgian Strong Pale Ale
• Bière de Garde
• Braggot
• Eisbock
• English Barleywine
• Old Ale
• Saison / Farmhouse Ale
• Wheatwine

Homemade DIY - Fresh Cinnamon Buns

Homemade Cinnamon Buns!  Let me say that again: Homemade Cinnamon Buns!  I made these on a whim one afternoon after drinking several porters, and ended up giving a few away to friends.  Now they keep asking about them and when I'll "bake up some more?"

The recipe is fairly simple, and all you need is the following:

• Bakers Yeast (1 packet or 1/3 tsp)
• 3 tbs butter or margarine
• water (1 cup)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• a bit more butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and confectioner's sugar

First step is to get out your mixing bowl.  Add in 1 cup of warm water and 1 packet (or a 1/3 tsp) of yeast.  Let it sit at room temp for about 5-10 minutes, but be sure to first give it a good stir to mix in the yeast.

Take a few seconds to pre-melt your butter (3tbs), and let it cool.  I usually zap it for about 20 seconds in the microwave.

Add the butter (cooled), 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tbs brown sugar into the bowl and give it a good stir to mix everything in.  Add in some cinnamon too.

Start, cup by cup, adding the flour into your mixture, until you have all 2.5 cups mixed in.  At this point you'll need to use a spoon to mix it thoroughly, since the sticky dough will just clump inside the wires of a whisk.

Cover the dough with a damp cotton cloth or cheese cloth, and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

The dough will look like this when you dump it out onto a floured flat surface.

Start kneading the dough, folding it in upon itself.

Shape the dough into a oval mound.

Cut the dough into strips, with a mild attempt to keep them even.  In the end, it won't matter much, especially if you're going to eat them one by one, rather than displaying a tray full of cinnamon buns.

Grab your rolling pin and get to work!  Roll out each strip to make an elongated wide stretch of dough.

Coat the bottom with a thin layer of melted butter, so the sugar and cinnamon will stick.

Start with the cinnamon, sprinkling liberal amounts onto the melted butter.

Add in some brown sugar and confectioner sugar, if you're feeling adventuraous.  You could also add raisins here too.

Take one end of the dough strip, and begin rolling it gently to the other end, careful not to disrupt or shift all the toppings you just added.

If you used wide strips of dough (as pictured here), you'll end up with a very tall cinnamon bun.  You'll need to fatten it up, so gently push down with your fingers to expand and shorted the cinnamon bun.

Drizzle more melted butter (or oil) on the top, and cover it with more cinnamon  and sugar (I used brown sugar).  Most of this will melt into and off the cinnamon bun while cooking, so it's okay to go overboard.

Place the buns in a greased pan and preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  You'll cook them for 20 minutes, or until they double in size.  (Yes, those are homemade pretzels next the the cinnamon buns).

Now for the topping.  The simplest is to add melted butter, which is still hot from the range/microwave, directly into a bowl of confectioner's sugar.  Here I added a few chocolate chips into the butter for good measure.  Wait to actually melt the butter, though, since you'll want the topping to be hot when you pour it in the buns.

Below is the bowl of confectioner's sugar and a little cinnamon.  It's about a cup of sugar.

Just before the buns are out of the oven, you can melt your butter.  Add the melted butter into your bowl of sugar and furiously whisk away.  Because of the chocolate chips, you'll notice my topping is brown.  Without, the sauce will look yellow.

Pull out the cinnamon buns and plate them on something that won't leak (like a plate).

Pour your topping sauce into the still hot buns.

When everything cools, you'll want to remove the buns from the sticky plate, but otherwise, you're all done!

Now's the best time to eat one!

How to Make Beer Soft Pretzels - Homemade DIY Baking

Soft Pretzels and Beer!  A perfect pairing, going back to Bavaria and probably long before.  But the supermarket 'frozen' pretzels from the store taste terrible.  To go with a nice homebrew you need fresh, homemade pretzels: and that's exactly what I'm going to show you how to make.

First, the ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 tbs butter
• 1.5 cups flour (all purpose white)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbs sugar
• yeast (1 packet or a 1/4 tbs)
• 5 tsp baking soda
• 4 more cups water

Here are the ingredients, all placed out on the counter.

Step 1: Add the yeast to a cup of warm water, and stir.  Let it sit while you gather and prepare the other ingredients.

Place your butter (2tbs) in a bowl and microwave it.  Let it melt.

Add the butter, 1 cup flour, salt, and sugar into a bowl and mix.  Slowly add the last .5 cups of flour (that's point-5, not 5) and keep mixing until you have a nice dough.

Cover and let sit for 20 minutes or longer.

You'll notice the dough has nearly doubled in size.  Flour a flat surface and dump out the dough.

Knead and fold in the dough, giving it a nice consistency.  See the photos below:

After about 5 minutes, flatten the dough and roll it out a little.

Divide the dough into strips.  Each strip will eventually become a pretzel  so as you can see here, I'll have 5 pretzels.  If you like soft pretzels thicker (or thinner pretzels), you can adjust accordingly.

Roll and twist with your hands, making the dough into long strands.  Some people braid the dough, for a fancy soft pretzel.  As you're about to see, I'm not that fancy, and can hardly shape the dough into a pretzel shape (that it still tastes the same, and looks a little more rustic).

Shape the dough into pretzels.  The official description of how to do this is to hold the ends, twist together, and then make two loops.  

Once you have the "shapes" or soft pretzels ready, you'll need to get the soda bath going.  Add 5 tsp of baking soda to 4 cups of water.  Bring the 4 cups of water to a small boil.  Take care not to use an aluminum pot, as the baking soda can react and cause a large spillover.

Using a spatula or bent spoon, dip each pretzel into the bath of water for about 20 seconds.

Lift out and place on a greased or oiled baking tray.

Do this with each pretzel.  The baking soda is what gives the soft pretzel it
s brown coloring and the crusty flavor.

Once on the pan/tray, add salt.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  Put the tray in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes (adjust this as needed, depending on the thickness of your pretzels.  You'll see them browning over time.

Enjoy with hot sauce or a cold beer!