Don't let me trick you into thinking that roasted meat sans smoker can be made to taste the same as roasted meat avec smoker. Many other(s) have shared exhortations on the art of smoking all manner of thing. It is definitely possible, however, to prepare excellent pulled pork in a conventional oven that approximates that of smoked pork, albeit without the smoke flavor a smoker imparts.
Why bother slow-roasting pork in your oven instead of in an outdoor smoker? Maybe you don't have time or patience to manage your smoker setup all day. Maybe you don't want to smell like smoke or breathe smoke all day. Maybe it's cold, wet, or both outside. Maybe you don't like the idea of ingesting carcinogenic char. There are all sorts of reasons. But I know what you do want: pulled pork! Here's how you do it (or, how I do it).
Ingredients
-1 pork loin roast (or roast of your choice)
-Enough dry rub of your choice to cover outer surface of meat
-many rub variations are possible, but, generally speaking, rubs consist of some variation of 1 part sugar (white, brown, or other), 1 part salt, herbs/spices to taste (including but not limited to: onion/garlic powder, black pepper, red/hot pepper, sweet spices, paprika/sweet powdered peppers). Wet marinades are also, of course in bounds, which may include liquid smoke if desired.
-garlic cloves
Equipment
Pan/baking sheet with with sides to contain any juices
Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Small kitchen knife
Conventional oven set to 250F-265F.
Preparations
1. Completely thaw meat (if frozen)
2. Dry meat/remove excess moisture with paper towels
3. Marinate meat (if desired)
4. Re-dry meat
5. Set atop enough foil to wrap meat and seal ends by crimping foil
6. Using knife, cut garlic clove-sized slits (approx. every 2") in top of meat deeply enough that garlic will not be visible
7. Insert garlic cloves into slits.
8. Spread dry-rub over meat, and "rub" into surface. In a perfect world, the rub will be allowed to marinate the meat for a time before roasting, but this delay of your gratification is optional.
9. Wrap meat in foil and crimp tightly at ends of loin.
10. Place in oven (250F-265F) on pan/baking sheet for the entire day.
I prepare the meat before going to work in the early A.M. and take it out when I get home in mid-late evening. The low cooking temperature should reduce the chance of boiling over, catching fire, or over-cooking. The long, low-temp cooking method creates a tenderness identical to smoked, pulled pork, and the foil-wrapping encourages caramelization of the outer layer of the meat which a moist crock-pot discourages. Foil wrapping also retains enough moisture so that the meat is not dry.
Here are more pics of the final product. I apologize for my lack of preparation pictures, but hopefully my instructions are thorough enough that pictures are not needed.
Here are my leftovers as well as my unwashed baking pan. Notice how clean it is.
Seems that just a few weeks ago (as it happens this time of year), with the advent of the hop harvest, fresh hopped beers were all the rage. This is not to say that they are not and would not be all the rage if there were still fresh hops to be had. In my neck of the woods, however, there are no longer any fresh hops to be had. The changing of the seasons ushers us from the Marzen-Vienna-Oktoberfests, pale ales, and lagers of Summer and early Fall into the stouts, porters, DIPAs, and barleywines of impending Winter. Enter the Harvest Ale, a beer of autumnal tradition that has historically used freshly harvested ingredients. This traditional style does not have to be particularly hoppy, though most commercial fresh hop beers seem to be more hop forward.
I wanted to create a beer along these same lines with my fresh Chinook and Nugget hops, a low-gravity, session pale ale. Because I had to travel 3 hours one-way to harvest my hops, I had no desire to deal with the time and logistics required for an all-grain brew. Instead, I opted for extract. Originally, I had it in mind to make a double IPA, but decided even that would be too involved. A very simple recipe resulted.
Before I get into the recipe, I want to give credit to my friends, Galen & Archie Strole, who took care of my hops after I moved from Illinois to Michigan this Summer. I also got their help with harvesting the hops for this beer, as well as the use of some of their equipment for the brewing of this beer. I got to Illinois late afternoon on brewday and met Galen & Archie. Apparently a storm was brewing to the north, so we got right to work harvesting the hops. Here are some pics of the storm and our harvesting efforts. The pics don't really do justice to the weather, but notice how dark some of the pics are as well as how blurry. We were really trying to work quickly and dodge lightning bolts as we picked hop cones next to 18 ft. vertical steel poles.
For this recipe, my goal was to use a small bittering charge, and throw in a whole bunch of fresh hops at the end for a hop stand. I picked half a 5-gallon bucket full of cones, mostly Chinook and a few Nuggets.
Here is a nice pic of my hop stand:
We had a few homebrews during the boil. Here's one of my Pilsners:
And one of their cranberry wheat beers (I think. I know it was some kind of fruit. Like I said, we had a few homebrews.):
After the hop stand, it was time to chill down the wort.
Here is the recipe:
Hop Harvest Ale:
5 gallon batch; OG: 1.045; ABV: 3.9%; BU: 45 (not including isomerization of hop oils during hop stand)
Extract:
3.3# Light LME
3.3# Amber LME
Hops:
1.00 oz. Simcoe (13.2%) FWH (first wort hop) @ 60 min.
approx. a 1/2 full 5-gallon bucket fresh picked Chinook and Nugget hop cones
0.50 oz. Citra (14.1%) Dry-hop 7 days
Yeast:
Fermentis US-05
Procedures:
Add one can LME as water comes to a boil. Add second can LME with 15 min. remaining (to get better hop utilization). Add first wort hops right away. Boil 60 minutes. Add fresh hops at flameout. Let steep covered for 30 minutes. Chill wort to pitching temperature. Ferment in the low-to-mid 60sF. Add dry hop charge in secondary or when primary fermentation is complete.
I'll save the boring tasting notes for another beer. You've sucked on a fresh C-hop cone, right? It tastes kinda like that. Citrus, pine, mango, bitter, spice, low-carbed cool, soft refreshment. Until next time, Be Fermentive!
In my ongoing series of posts exploring Grand Rapids area breweries I have tried to discover each brewery's unique attributes. Jaden James microbrewery has been one of my more surprising finds. At first blush, one would not even recognize this "urban winery," microbrewery, tasting room, and home vintner/brewing supplies retailer for what it is. Located in a commercial/industrial park, it is non-descript save some white lettering that reads, "Cascade Winery," on the front of the suite facing a four-lane, divided highway near the Gerald R. Ford Airport. In the smallish tasting room, patrons stand around a U-shaped bar or sit at a few adjacent tables. Award winning wines, glassware, decor, and accessories are also available for sale in this area. A bookable party room with many more tables and another room with home vintner and brewing supplies is located off the main tasting room. Wines are poured at the bar and beer is served from taps in a kitchen behind the main bar. Decor is somewhat spartan, but includes wine-related signs and a hand-painted mural of various grape varietals.
Though I cannot fully vouch for their wine (not my area, but what I've had, including a chocolate and jalapeno wine, yes, that's right jalapeno wine, was tasty), their beer is quite good. For it's size, Jaden James brewery makes some of the best ales and lagers I have tried in the greater GR area. I introduced myself to one of the owners, Bob, who aspires to "have the smallest brewery in Michigan." Jaden James' beer is only available at the brewery, served in glasses, howlers, or growlers. Rose, another owner, manages the bar and is great to chat with. There is also Roger, who makes wine and cider, runs marathons, and does some of the brewing. There is also a brewer who does most of the brewing (I believe), but I have not met him. From what I've gathered on several visits, they have a 2-barrel brewhouse and have genuine lagering capabilities (the Oktoberfest and Black Lager are both very nice). Regular offerings include a Gluten-free beer, Cream Ale, one or two lagers, an India Pale Ale (90 IBUs and as good as I've had in these parts), four flavors of hard cider, and a root beer. Rotating and seasonal offerings I've enjoyed include a Rye IPA, India Brown Ale, Little Full Lotta Sap (a tree beer brewed with a pine branch; sounds strange, but pretty good), and a Russian Stout (their most popular beer and very good).
I see Jaden James/Cascade Winery as a great place to go if you are a beginner to the world of craft beer, or to take friends who like wine or cider but aren't sure about beer. This place has it all, and it's all good. When I have been in attendance, I've seen several parties of Groupon-ers come and go. So, because it's a small place and infrequently crowded, it can be fun to listen to what people are saying about what they are drinking. Unlike other places I've been in the city, there is a very low (or non-existent) snob factor to tarnish the drinking experience. Jaden James has Happy Hour on Thursdays 4-8 with $1 off 12 oz. and 16 oz. beers. Rose frequently offers free pretzels to snack on, but chips, crackers, cheese, and salsa are also available for sale. Tuesdays are $2 off growler fills, which I've taken advantage of once so far. I have a lot of my own beer at home to drink though, so I doubt I'll be indulging much in the near future. Overall, Jaden James seems to be my kind of place. Great beer, cider, and wine; a bright, cheery atmosphere; friendly owners, employees, and patrons; and, a convenient location and prices that keep me coming back. Here's some pics of some of their beer and cider in action.
So apparently today is "International Stout Day," whatever that means. I guess, for me, that means I'm going to post a stout recipe. But not just any stout recipe. A great big ol' Smoked Rosemary Russian Imperial Stout. It's quite a mouth full. That's what she said? This was back when I brewed with less restraint, so the original beer included grain, LME, honey, and the boiled down third runnings of another (now forgotten) dark beer (there's also enough oats to make it an oatmeal stout). As such, some of the ingredient types and amounts are estimates. I will not be offended (much) by your substitutions or omissions. Enjoy!
Smoked Rosemary Russian Imperial Stout-5 gallon batch
Est. OG: 1.120 BU: 50 13.2% ABV Grist:
5.5# Maris Otter
3# Flaked Oats
3# Cherry wood smoked malt
2# White wheat malt
.75# Crystal 80
.75# Roasted Barley
.50# Chocolate wheat malt
2# Pilsner LME
1# Amber LME
1# Honey (secondary) Hops (spices):
3 oz. Willamette (5.5%) @ 60 min.
1 oz. Willamette (5.5%) @ 5 min.
5 g. Fresh rosemary @ 5 min.
1 approx. 5 in. sprig fresh rosemary (secondary)
Yeast:
Safale S-04 English Ale Yeast (make a large starter or use multiple sachets)
Procedures:
Beta glucanase rest @ 118F for 15 min.
Protein rest @ 122F for 20 min
Saccharification rest @ 154F for 40 min.
I achieved these steps by adding volumes of hot water, but one could also achieve similar results by increasing the full mash temp via RIMS, HERMS, direct heat, etc.
For the oats: Buy bulk "old-fashioned" oats from grocery or natural/health food store, etc. Spray with water so they are rather damp, but not soupy. Put oats in oven safe bag (turkey bag) and seal tightly. Place in oven at 140F-160F for 30-40 min. Remove oats. Spread on cookie sheet(s). Place in oven at ~300F until golden brown. This method gives them an almost oatmeal cookie flavor and adds complexity to the beer.
Tasting Notes:
I brewed this beer the end of January 2012, so that makes this last bottle (I think, anyway) roughly 1 year, 8 months old. Early on, I recall the beer being quite cough syrup-y (from the smoked malt) and medicinal (the rosemary didn't diminish that). It's rather bitter, too, so the roasted malt had to work quite hard to push through. Definitely more of a "hey, taste this crazy, over-the-top beer I brewed" beer than an enjoyable, sip-it-slowly-because-you-want-it-to-last beer. The alcohol was hot, the flavors too bold, the hops too forward. With age, however, let's just say the beer is still all of those things, but SO much better.
Appearance-DARK brown, with reddish highlights at the edge of the glass. Despite rather high carbonation, a 3/4"-1" medium-bubbled head compacts to a lasting 1/2" tan head that clings to the glass in sticky lacing.
Smell-spicy, molasses cookie, sweet, low alcohol aroma, menthol, almost Andes mint chocolate but not quite.
Taste-still cough syrup-y, but not nearly as much as in the past; that can't-quite-put-my-finger-on-it Christmas-y, spicy but not cinnamon or ginger flavor, perhaps some woody elements; slight carbonic bite; bitter, dark chocolate; roasted malt; hops come through, but fairly well-balanced after the cherry fades; flavors linger.
Mouthfeel-Beautifully soft despite the high carbonation; silky, viscous, mouth-coating; warming in back of throat; pleasant tongue tingle.
Overall-I'm quite pleased with how this has aged. The body has lightened, but a softness remains. The flavors have married and are balanced, with cherry smoke being more forward. This beer is not for everyone, but (in fairness) my wife seems to enjoy it just fine. At this age, it is also dangerous. Light enough to be quaffable for a big beer, but hides its 13.2% like a 6%-8% beer. Try it! You might like it! Be Fermentive!
Here's a really nice easy to follow blog post from Homebrewfinds.com about BIAB (Brew in a Bag) brewing. Something I may be considering soon. FYI, Hombrewfinds.com is a really great site/blog. They keep up with all the latest homebrewing deals and trends. It's a valuable bookmark. I should be publishing some new posts soon on a variety of topics. Take care and Be Fermentive!
I pulled up to Brewery Vivant a few weeks ago after visiting O'Connors Homebrew Supply Store for some acid malt. The brewery and pub occupies the historic former Metcalf Funeral Home in the trendy (and equally historic) East Hills neighborhood just east of downtown Grand Rapids. Largely unassuming, one fails to realize what activity lies behind the large, wooden "chapel" doors until broaching the threshold of a venue which, in years past, bore witness to eulogies and darkly-clad mourners. Only much later, after having got all caught up in the reverie of quaffing Belgian-style pale ale under stone arches and roughly hewn wooden trusses out of a glass illuminated by stained-glass windows, did I recognize the poetry of juxtaposing Brewery Vivant (French for "to be living") with an old funeral parlor. The pub does, indeed, live in the chapel, furnished with long, wooden tables and benches, and high-backed booths in the transepts. The bar, encased in marble, is a great, wooden, U-shaped elbow rest about where an altar might be positioned. Behind the bar, the bartender works tirelessly serving patrons as a minister might bless, break, and serve sacraments to parishioners of a Sunday morning communion service. Although I did not try any food during my visit, one can be assured that any of Brewery Vivant's artisanal, house-made offerings easily make the Body and Blood of Christ seem like the flat wafer and cheap juice that they are. The place appears to be frequented by a significant majority of hipster types (as one might guess), but the clientele also includes humorous businessman naive to craft beer, couples, groups of capri-wearing girlfriends in Crocs, curiously austere-looking retirees, and pacifists in Birkenstocks. It is the type of place that truly lives up to the dismissive explanation, "you had to be there." So, I encourage you to go "be" there. The beer is good, mainly Belgian in inspiration if you've got a yen for a nice saison or dubbel. Enjoy these pics.
During the past two weeks, I've been exploring my new surroundings of greater Grand Rapids, MI (site of the American Homebrewers Association's National Homebrew Conference in June 2014). So far, I've enjoyed beers at three local breweries (and hope to visit several more). These experiences, then, give me something to write about, something to report back to those of you who weren't able to be there to experience them with me firsthand. It is my hope that my reports will inspire you to get out there and visit your local craft breweries, if not the same ones I've visited.
Of the local breweries I've visited in Grand Rapids so far, Schmohz (as its name and slogan, "Do something everyday, then reward yourself with a Schmohz," might imply) most closely exemplifies the cultural institution of the local watering hole. A veritable "Cheers," because sometimes you wanna go, where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. Schmohz is that kind of place. The outside is fairly non-descript, with only a "Schmohz Brewing" sign and a small, car-filled lot to distinguish it from its industrial park surroundings. But upon entering, one becomes immediately aware they are in a dive bar. There are sparsely (if at all) decorated walls, a concrete floor, a bulletin board, men with beards and beer bellies, a pinball machine, losers sitting at the dimly lit bar wearing "activity" pants, and a cute (in her own way), little bartender who appears over-worked, but diligent in her duty to tend bar, fill/empty the dishwasher, and keep "activity" pants guy drinking and believing he has some kind of chance with her.
I took a seat in the middle of the bar and began to take it all in over (what I would later realize was a 9.5% DIPA deceptively/dangerously disguised as an imperial? IPA) a pint of Hopknocker IPA, a respectable pour of dark orangey-caramel elixer with lasting if harsh bitterness bearing a label with a well-endowed, scantily clad, blonde-haired, Belle from Beauty & the Beast-looking vixen. Isolated from Schmohz atmosphere, the beer was, well...mediocre. I've definitely had more memorable IPA's, and the "Oktoberfest" was actually cloudy (not a big deal overall, but unexpected from a lagered beer). What kept me there was definitely the atmosphere and the opportunity to just sit and listen to all the conversations being had by the mix of patrons. Oh, and free popcorn, which helped to quell (not really) my buzz long enough for me to get to the equally mediocre Chinese buffet down the street. I think, most of all, I stayed because I had fled from work and was avoiding going home. Schmohz is one of those quintessential "third places," like the barbershop or salon, where you can be yourself or someone else, or somewhere in between. Despite the quality of the food and/or drink, these establishments are vital to the creativity and growth of our communities. Stay tuned for another blog post on my experience of another such place, albeit of a different quality. Get out there and discover your local haunts! Be Fermentive!
At a recent homebrew club meeting, I wanted to spice up a dark IPA by doing a cold-press of leaf Simcoe hops in a french press coffee maker. We did a side by side against the unadulterated version and the results were what you might expect: really, really good! I put 1 oz. of leaf Simcoe hops in the press and slowly added two bottles of the IPA (which was brewed with Simcoe and Citra pellets). It steeped in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving. The press hopped beer revealed more of everything associated with hops (and I really pressed the juice out of those hops). More aroma, more flavor, but it was different. You got the citrus and pine, sure. But there was an intense, biting, vegetal spice that the non-pressed beer lacked. It even made my fellow club members a little (shall we say?) high. We all had an aura of hop glow around us for several minutes. It was nice, but boy were those hops intense! If you have some extra leaf hops, or just want to buy hops for this express purpose, I would highly recommend everyone do this at least once. Be warned though. It's kind of a waste of lupulin if you don't have something to do with the hops afterward, and it kind of turns your friends into hop zombies. Here are some pics to go along with the post, including what my friend, Ian, looked like when he tried to eat on of the hop cones. Enjoy! Be Fermentive!
Let's face it. We're getting tired of waiting for our homegrown hops to be ready to harvest. With everyone talking about fresh hop beers and pictures on our Facebook walls of people laying in bins of freshly harvested cones, we've been itching to pick our hops and deflower (so to speak) pots full of virgin wort and process the remainder for the year's upcoming brews. (cue "screeching to a halt" soundbyte) Just wait!!! Don't succomb to peer pressure or your own lack of willpower. Your hoppy beer will thank you later. The knowledge of picking hops later than usual has been passed on to us, the homebrewer, by Stan Hieronymus, author of recently released book, For The Love of Hops. As the cones mature, the resinous lupulin glands become a more golden (orange-y) schoolbus yellow color. They get more sticky. They get better, imparting better flavor and aroma to your beer. So some of the bracts are browning around the edges? No big deal. If you harvest too early, you won't get those intense hop characteristics you are looking for. I'm not going to tell you exactly when you should harvest. Only you truly know your bines. You listen to them don't you? If not, you should! They have much to say. In fact, here is a very good YouTube video showing what I'm talking about.
That being said, I am planning a simple extract hop harvest ale this weekend anyway. Here's the recipe. Enjoy! Be Fermentive!
Hop Harvest Ale
3.3 # Light Pilsner LME
3.3 # Amber LME
1 oz. Simcoe (First Wort Hop) 60 min.
at least 1 # fresh from the bine Chinook cones at flameout
30 minute hop stand (submerge fresh cones; put a lid on it)
This is another first for my fermentation adventures: hard cider...yes, from apples! I've wanted to make hard cider for several months now, but I'm cheap and had no intention of buying apples or fresh pressed cider from an orchard. So, now that I live in a state where every other yard contains some type of fruit tree, I decided it was time. I published a craigslist ad requesting free apples. Not surprisingly, I got a reply the same day. However, surprisingly, I only ever received one reply. I guess (despite what the apple-littered ground suggests) people want to keep their apples or don't want freeloaders like me coming to pick them. Anyway, I went out to craigslist ad respondent's house (who, btw, informed me that at one time he was driving a car he got for $15 off the craigslist "barter" page) northeast of Kalamazoo (I know, there are a million apple trees between Vicksburg and northeast Kalamazoo, but I was in the mood for a drive) and picked 2 5-gallon buckets full of apples (along with a few pears he didn't even know he had). Since I do not have a fruit press, my method of juice extraction was my trusty Jack Lalanne Power Juicer (you know, the one from the infomercials). It did what I wanted it to do, albeit not very efficiently. As a result, these (free) apples barely filled my carboy half way:
I wanted more cider. I needed more apples. On the way home from a trip to the recycling center during which I began to realize just how many apple trees I passed on my daily routes, I decided to stop at a public park that had been catching my eye for awhile (I'm always on the lookout for new places to take my kids to play). I got out of my car and started walking around. I saw trees that had the shape of fruit trees. Lots of them...full of apples and crab apples! This park practically had its own orchard just waiting to be picked. I, of course, had my buckets in tow and filled both of them from several different trees.
The apples weren't too sweet, with plenty of tartness and tannins that will hopefully yield a nice, dry, tart hard cider.
So it took 4 5-gallon buckets full of small to medium apples (probably about ~100 lbs.) for my juicer to produce approximately 6 gallons of cider. So far, I couldn't be happier.
I poured the cider into two carboys, aerated, and pitched half a sachet of S-04 English Ale yeast in each. The OG of 1.040 was not quite what I had hoped, so I added one pound of table sugar in each carboy to bump the gravity up to 1.056. Hoping to get a nice dry cider of at least 5.5% ABV. I'll try to post an update on how it turns out with tasting notes. Until then, I encourage any of you with access to apples or extra cash to make some hard cider. Experiment with different varieties, processes, yeast strains, and/or additions of hops/wood/bugs/etc. Good luck!. Be Fermentive!
Today, I had nothing to do for the rest of the day at my internship, so I left to run some errands before completing what would be a total of 3 walks (did I mention I didn't have much to do?). But before that I was able to find and visit a brewery I'd been wanting to go to since I first learned of it: Hideout Brewing Company. What attracted me to this brewery (other than the name and the promise of flavorful craft beer) was the obviously eclectic brewing style they employed. This is not the type of brewery that has very many simple, straight-forward beers (though some may fall short of the expectations their names create). No, they create interesting, eye-catching, "you put WHAT in this beer?!" kinds of beers. While I was there, though my own homebrewing history is not what one might call "pedestrian," I attempted to stick to the less garish-sounding beers. Nevertheless, they were as follows: Blueberry Maple Mild, Chocolate Raspberry Mild, Sour Weizen, Polish Potato Ale, 9am Hazelnut IPA, and Trigger Man IPA. See what I mean? My Yelp.com review may be viewed here, but I enjoyed my time at Hideout Brewing Company very much. I was the only customer the entire time I was there, and the bar was tended by the brewing scheduling and distribution manager, Mike. Nice guy, and quite knowledgeable about the product. I will definitely be back. May even join the Mug Club. If you are ever in the Grand Rapids area and have time for only one brewery, I definitely recommend this one. Here's a pic of the 9am Hazelnut IPA.
Please permit me to rant about something just this once. ::smug grin:: I might apologize in advance for preaching homebrewing heresy, but I won't. It's my blog, and if you don't like it you don't have to read it (but who doesn't like their ego stroked?; I don't have any followers yet anyway.). However, it is my hope to dispel the myth of the necessity of the airlock, though I may have to pry it from the cold, dead hands of some stalwart homebrewing brothers and sisters. Nevertheless, as purveyors of the fermentive arts, we are often quite concerned (some of us more anal-retentively than others) with cleanliness and sanitization. Don't get me wrong! Such practices are without question the most important skills homebrewers can employ to ensure a quality (if drinkable) product, but we sometimes do things that have overly negative consequences solely because we think we have to, someone told us he had to, or because we just don't know any better. There is ALWAYS choice, both in brewing and in life. There is also ALWAYS consequence. (You didn't pay for that. It's just a little extra bonus existential wisdom from me to you.)
Enter, the myth of the necessity of a closed fermentation vessel. Closely related to sanitization practices, the use of an airlock is one of the more popular ways to create a (physical) barrier that allows the escape of CO2 and prevents the ingress of O2. Airlocks also (in theory) prevent unwanted baddies/dust/bugs/etc. from getting in the fermenting beer and causing potential contamination/infection. But are they really necessary? That depends, but I'm leaning toward "no." Before you write me off as a lunatic and stop reading, first consider the products of fermentation. A fermenting food or beverage produces three things: alcohol (everyone's favorite); Carbon dioxide; and, heat (rarely mentioned because of its obvious ubiquity). In addition to contamination, the other anathema of brewers is oxidization. (Let's not kid ourselves. For all brewers, more for homebrewers than professionals, some oxidization is inevitable. There is some transfer of oxygen when racking to secondary, and during bottling, unless one purges with CO2 and is extremely careful.) During fermentation, kreuzen and CO2 form a barrier of physical substance as well as positive pressure above the beer, thus preventing ingress of O2 and making an airlock unnecessary. If fermenting in a bucket, a loose fitting lid or, in a carboy, a sanitized piece of foil to cover, is all that is necessary. Some even leave that space open on purpose, but that's another topic (sort of). The reasoning behind this is that if some undesirable substance was to get in the beer, it would have to travel up, against the force of gravity (not to mention against the positive pressure of escaping CO2) to enter the beer. This is highly unlikely, as most floating particulate falls through the atmosphere via gravity.
Okay, so you've got airlock(s). Why not use them? I'm not preaching against airlocks, per se, but against the strict use of airlocks to the exclusion of all other reasonable methods of achieving the same purpose. However, there are other reasons you might not want to be restricted to an airlock. First, if you're a homebrewer, having some version of the following is not a matter of if, but when. These experiences usually occur for the less experienced homebrewer, or for the homebrewer who is dogmatically opposed to change/enjoys cleaning beer off his/her ceiling:
Or this:
I think these videos prove most of my points. Sure, in the second video, the guy could have used a blow-off. But the use of a restrictive device like a blow-off tube (just like a jet engine) will create more force and (according to Newton's 2nd law of motion) potentially push more of your beer out of your fermentor and into the blow-off receptacle. Again, a loose fitting lid or piece of foil works just fine. Recently, I was chatting with a homebrewing friend who shares a brewing space with other homebrewers. He recounted to myself how he had to clean up some of his equipment in the aftermath of an airlock explosion when other brewers borrowed his brewpot in an attempt to contain potential blow-off. First of all, this is unacceptable, but it is also just plain dumb. My friend said the other brewers were attempting a FFF Darklord clone (also kinda dumb) and had allowed coffee and cacao nibs to enter the primary fermentor, thus clogging the airlock and causing a huge, albeit greatly aromatic, mess. Again, unacceptable. I fail to see the point of putting coffee and cacao nibs in primary in the first place, but to, then, tempt fate with an airlock? Mind-boggling! But I digress...at least use a blow-off, but again, a loose-fitting lid or piece of foil is sufficient.
Another reason (though, admittedly, less important for the homebrewer) one might not want to use an airlock is the potential effects of osmotic pressure on yeast. Research suggests that fermenter geometry and pressure can stress yeast such that growth rates and fermentation characteristics are negatively affected. An open fermentation (loose fitting lid; foil cover) alleviates this pressure and (in my experience) tends to accentuate fruity esters, especially in hop-forward beers.
Finally, there are several commercial breweries that use open fermentation (some for centuries), including Ommegang, Sierra Nevada, New Glarus, Jolly Pumpkin, Anchor Brewing, D. L. Geary, and Samuel Smith's. If the best in the business ain't skeered of open fermentation, neither need you be. Just be careful and follow a few basic rules with open fermentations:
-Practice good sanitization methods
-Until active fermentation has commenced: cover, but loosely is fine
-It's even okay to uncover and let your beer breathe during active fermentation (kreuzen)
-Temperature control. Always a plus.
-Size of fermentation vessel may dictate, but leave enough head space to allow for kreuzen (this may mean brewing smaller recipes, heaven forbid.)
-When fermentation slows down, positive pressure decreases. Insert airlock now.
-Be smart with your hose (in all things, but especially when racking to secondary so as to reduce O2 (transfer)!
Finally, if you doubt what I'm saying (and that's okay; doubt is an essential element of enlightenment), here is at least one article by some titans of craft beer who are also proponents of open fermentation. Enjoy! Be Fermentive!
I've never made mead before. I did make a beer (a braggot, actually) that was mostly honey and agave nectar over a year ago, but never just honey mead. There are two main reasons for this: First, it's too easy; second, honey is EXPENSIVE! I like the art, multi-step process, and science associated with all-grain brewing. You don't have to, but it helps to know your stuff. Honey is expensive, and it takes a lot to make mead. Several weeks ago, I was given a 5# can of honey. This was not just any honey, but honey that had been rescued from the house of a man who had passed away. And said honey had been sitting for 20+ years! I tasted some the this same honey when I received it and it is some of the most complex sweetness I have ever experienced. It has a rich, multi-faceted, toffee-like flavor with a fruity, floral aroma. The color (as seen in the images below) is a deep, rusty amber. When poured into the fermenter it appears black. I don't know much about honey, but I don't know how people could get honey quite like this. Nevertheless, here is the recipe and some pics.
Black Mead (1 gallon; est. O.G. 1.190):
5# Black honey
1 sachet wine yeast (I may pitch with a super high gravity yeast if the wine yeast conks out sooner than I want it to)
2 tsp yeast nutrient
Procedures:
Dissolve honey in ~0.25 gal warm water (100F-115F).
Dissolve yeast nutrient into water and honey.
Add must (that's the honey/water solution you have at this point) to about 1 inch of cold distilled water.
Top up with cold distilled water.
Dissolve yeast in 50 mL 100F-105F water (allow yeast to sit atop water for 15 min. Do not stir.)
Pitch yeast into must; cover or put in dark place (yeast don't like light).
I don't claim to know what I'm doing, but, generally, wine ferments at higher temperatures. So, ambient room temperature should be fine for mead.
