Malt, Hops, & Yeast

The Confederate Celt Brewery

Malt, Hops, & Yeast

What goes into making ale?

Malted Barley I order most of my malts from The Country Malt Group. I use the following in my "Celtic" ales:

From Thomas Fawcett & Sons:

Golden Promise Pale Ale Malt

Amber Malt

Brown Malt

Peated Malt
Rye Ale Malt
Oat Malt
Wheat Malt
Pale Chocolate
Chocolate
Black Patent
Roased Barley

From Malteries Franco-Belges

Special Aromatic Malt

Dark Munich Malt

The club has also ordered the following for me from Crosby-Baker Distributors through Moccasin Bend Brewing:

Weyermann Wood Smoked Malt
Marris Otter Pale Ale malt

The aim of combining the above malts is to better mimic the malt used in previous centuries, when the control of the malting process wasn't nearly as good, and there would have been a large variation of the roast within a given lot of malt. The inclusion of "Peated Malt" for the Scottish Ales reflects that peat was at one time a fuel used in the malting process in Scotland (and Ireland!), and contributed some smoke flavor to the malt. Some will object that peat smoked malt isn't "authentic", which is true for many given locations and times. However, there were a few places and times in which it was used. A study of the brewing history of Scottish Ales will reveal that the "Style" was and is a constantly moving target. So, the "peat reek" will be included in the "Scottish" Ales. The Wood Smoked malt also reflects that in the distant past, wood smoke contributed a considerable taste to the dark kilned malts.

Having a relatively high percentage of higher kilned malts, the ales will have a higher final gravity and more taste. These definately will not taste the same as lite beer!

Other Fermentables:

I also use malt extract, #10 Golden Molasses, Honey, & sugar in my ales in order to boost ABV and for flavor. I bought the malt extract, Molasses, & Honey from Country Life Natural Foods. Sugar may be bought inexpensively at Sam's Club.

Alternative Beverage in Charlotte, NC carries "Vintner's Harvest Fruit Wine Base Concentrates". They are 96 oz cans of fruit puree which would normally be used in making fruit wines. They have a wide variety. As of the end of October, their prices ranged from the mid $20's to the mid $30's per can. I plan on getting at least a couple and combining them with my "second boils" from my brews done without the darker malts (such as the Aulde Ale).

Hops Hops is a relatively recent addition to "ales" or beer. It's use probably started about ~1,000 to several hundred years ago in Europe. Originally, other spices were used to contribute a bitterness to offset the cloying sweetness of "fermented barley juice". However, the addition of hops, beside providing bitterness, also acts as a preservative, enabling ales to be kept longer before they must be consumed or go bad.

Being that "Celtic" ales are what's being sought, hops common to the UK are the most appropriate. Of course, UK hops would be the most authentic, but US grown versions come close, with minor differences.

Cluster was chosen as a bittering hop, mostly because it's cheap and was commonly exported to the UK in the past. Note that it is a very "coarse" hop, and requires a very long and vigorous boil to avoid leaving a "harsh" and unpleasant bitterness.

American Goldings and American Fuggles were chosen for the flavor and aroma hops. They offer more of the "Celtic" flavor than would a purely US hop (cascade, etc).

The hops were purchased from Puterbaugh Farms (hopsdirect.com) out on the left coast. Their prices are excellent as long as you're buying at least 5 pounds of each type of hops. I purchased the hops in the "pellet" form. Extrenious matter is removed from the hop, and what remains is compressed into pellets.

This, of course, brings up its own set of problems - how to keep the hops from going stale. I purchased a couple cases of 1 quart mason jars with metal lids (rubber gaskets). I filled the individual mason jars with hops, screwed on the lids, & stuck them all in the freezer. Before doing so, I E-Mailed Puterbaugh Farms as to if this would be an acceptable manner of storing the hops. They said that it would. So, the hops are stored in my freezer.

Note: as of April 2007, the American Goldings and American Fuggles no longer appeat to be available. I will probably end up trying other hops in my next order. Stay tuned...........

Note: As of the middle of October 2007, Hop supplies are extremely tight and prohibitively expensive; Hopsdirect says on their site to check back with them after the New Year to see what will be available!

Misc. Additives: "Sparkloid" (an "alginate" clarifying agent possibly similar to "Irish Moss") and Isinglas (a fish swim bladder derivitive) were ordered from PiWine. The Sparkloid drops out proteins from the boil. The Isinglas drops out yeast.

Yeast   9/28/08

     Rather than a general description and discussion of yeast, it's time to talk specifically about what I now use.

     For my "Scottish" or "Scotch" ales, I actually use a lager yeast. The Fermentis Saflager S-189 actually has all of the characteristics of so-called Scottish Ale Yeasts. It is neutral in flavor, ferments best at lower temperatures, clears well, and is a medium attenuator. I buy it in 500 gram packages from Alternative Beverage in Charlotte.

    For my more "Welsh" Style Ales, I use the Fermentis Safale S-04 Ale Yeast. It is a relatively clean ale yeast, is reasonably flexible in terms of fermentation temperature, is a medium attenuator, and clears as well as any yeast. Again, I buy it in 500 gram packets from Alternative Beverage in Charlotte.

    Both of the above yeasts have fermented ales up into the 12 - 13 % ABV range. I use a big dose when fermenting "big" ales.

    For big braggots, skeachens, & what have you, I now use "EC-1118" yeast. It is technically a champagne or sparkling wine yeast, but it does great with really big ales. I buy it in 5 gram or 500 gram packages from PiWine.com. It is described as a neutral fermenter which clears well.

    For some of my big gruits, such as the Dragon's Fire and Wizard's Ale, I use the Red Star Premier Cuvee. While described as a "neutral" fermenter, it in fact contributes a rather fruity taste, depending upon fermentation temperature. It is a very inexpensive yeast. I have noted that it takes a long time to clear. Of course, it can handle high alcohol levels.

    I've tried the liquid Brett yeasts from WYeast. They haven't done much in my high ABV ales. However, my ~9% Welsh Ale is showing signs of Brett fermentation. We shall see.

    For my "big" ales, over 10% ABV, I usually use anywhere from 30 to 100 grams of dried yeast. I rehydrate per directions before adding to the wort.

    I also like the Nottingham dried yeast. It is available in both 11 gram and 500 gram packages. Alternative Beverage in Charlotte is a good source.

HERBS and other unique ingredients:

The following "herbs" are examples of what's available from Wild Weeds:

Heather Tips, Mugwort Herb, Sweet Gale, Wormwood Herb, & Yarrow Flower/Herb.

The Heather & Sweet Gale is for the "140 Shilling Heather Ale". The other herbs are for the "Wizard's Ale" and "Dragon's Fire Ale". Both are representative, but not an exact duplicate or "clone", of ales made hundreds of years ago.

Good prices, Great Service! With the dramatic increase in hop prices, gruit herbs become of far more interest!


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