Thirsty for more local beer? New Huntsville breweries, craft beer store on the way

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Receiving a Mr. Beer home brewing kit for
Father’s Day was the catalyst IT administrator Eric Crigger needed to develop a
passion for craft beer and launch his own contract brewery in Huntsville.

Crigger, a Huntsville resident, was living in Arizona with
his family when he received the gift 11 years ago, but the craft quickly brought
him to Chicago’s Siebel Institute of Technology, the oldest brewing school in
the U.S. After moving to Huntsville, Crigger got his feet wet in commercial
brewing at Olde Towne Brewing Company, which opened in 2004 as the city’s first
microbrewery and closed two years ago.

On the cusp of opening his own brewery, Crigger, his wife,
Tatum, and friends John and Lynn Troy, owners of Huntsville engineering services
company Troy 7, will soon launch Rocket Republic Brewing. Using Rocket Republic’s
equipment and recipes, Blue Pants Brewery will brew the beer in a
10,000-square-foot warehouse in Madison, allowing Rocket Republic to then sell and distribute the product to bars, restaurants and stores.

Rocket Republic Brewing is among several beer-making
enterprises and a craft-only beer store preparing to open in Madison County
in the coming months. Huntsville isn’t the only community seeing an uptick
in the brewing industry, though. In February, the Alabama Brewers Guild
reported triple-digit brewery production growth in 2012 across the state for the third consecutive
year.

Wish You Were Beer owner Damon Eubanks walks through his new craft-only beer store in Madison. (Lucy Berry | lberry@al.com)

Rocket Republic will initially produce three beers – the Vapor
Trail Cream Ale, a honey- and biscuit-flavored light malt beer; the Mach 1
India Pale Ale, a zesty tangerine and tangy citrus beer with rye malt; and the
Astronut Brown Ale, a toasty dark beer brewed with real almonds.

“This is a highly trained area,” Crigger said. “There are a
lot of people here from other parts of the country and their palates are a
little more diverse than what you might see in other counties across the state.
They demand a little more in terms of food and beverages.”

Beer production statewide grew 118 percent to 19,301 taxable
barrels of beer from 8,846 barrels in 2011, Alabama Brewers Guild Executive Director Dan Roberts said
Tuesday. Roberts said Madison County has the highest per capita volume of
breweries than any other county in Alabama.

“Part of it is beer is kind of seen as a blue-collar drink –
it’s not condescending,” he said. “With craft beer, it’s the best of both
worlds. It has a lot of complexity, interesting styles and is a lot of fun, but
very approachable. Wine is sometimes seen as a barrier to entry. There is that
perception that if I don’t make six figures, I’m not going to be a wine
drinker.”

Roberts said a “strong hunger” developed locally for brewpubs
and breweries after lawmakers passed the Free the Hops
Gourmet Beer Bill in May 2009 to increase the alcohol by volume in beer from 6
to 13.9 percent. Two years later, the Brewery Modernization Act passed,
allowing Alabama breweries to have on-site tap rooms. Last May, Free the Hops in Alabama worked to
pass the Gourmet Bottle Bill, which allows brewers to sell up to 25.4 oz
bottles of beer.

There are more state restrictions that Free
the Hops and the Alabama Brewers Guild hope to eliminate in the near future.
Currently, brewpubs must operate either in a historic or economically
distressed area that’s also permitted the sale of alcohol since before
prohibition.

Huntsville attorney Cliff Kerry said he’s applying for historical status so he can open Huntsville Brewery in about two months in the old 801 Franklin restaurant off
Governors Drive. Kerry said the 5,800-square-foot facility was formerly the Rust Normal School,
which predated AM and Oakwood universities.

Huntsville Brewery, which will open in about two months, will be located at the old 801 Franklin restaurant off Governors Drive. (Lucy Berry | lberry@al.com)

Kerry, a divorce and criminal lawyer for 10 years, works
part-time as a bartender at The Nook at 3305 Bob Wallace Ave. S.W. Kerry, who
said he’s invested about $200,000 in the business, hopes to give his new
brewery a New Orleans vibe, complete with a three-barrel brewing system,
walk-in cooler and 114-seat patio.

Huntsville Brewery will offer local beers, including
Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer, and family dishes from Louisiana. The business
will initially employ 22 part- and full-time workers this summer. Kerry said the
brewery’s signature beer will be a porter with a smoky, bacon aftertaste.

Brent Cole, founder and brewmaster of Salty Nut Brewery, is
in the process of opening a brewery at 4411 Evangel Circle near UAHuntsville. Cole, a NASA engineer, and business partners Daniel
Yant and Mark Ivie have invested at least $50,000 in the business.

Within the month, Cole hopes to begin producing Salty Nut’s
Nom Nom Porter, Irish Red Ale Imperial Mustache Red and the Hop Naughty
Imperial Pale Ale. The 2,500-square-foot brewery plans to make at least 10
different beers in the future and eventually expand.

“Before two years ago, you could only get 4 ½ percent beer
and that was about it,” he said. “Now that people understand, ‘Hey, I can open
a business here and make it a brewery,’ people are wanting to pursue that more.”

Wish You Were Beer, the first
craft-only beer store in north Alabama, is preparing to open June 15 on 7407 U.S. 72 in Madison. Owner
Damon Eubanks said the “one-of-a-kind” business will have a bar and retail storefront
so shoppers can either buy singles or create their own six pack. The
2,000-square-foot store, located between Knuckleheads Sports Bar and the Cigar
Room, will have about 20 craft beers on tap.

Eubanks, who previously worked as a beertender for Straight
to Ale and sales manager for Alabey/Birmingham Beverage Company, said he wants
Wish You Were Beer to become a destination place for out-of-town residents.

“We have so many people in this area who are well traveled,
and they moved here and were really disappointed in our selection,” he said. “They
couldn’t get craft beer here before, and weren’t content to let things go on as
they were.”

Roberts said Rocket Republic, Huntsville Brewery and Salty
Nut join several other brew-making businesses in the Huntsville area, including
Straight to Ale, Blue Pants, Yellowhammer Brewing, Brew Stooges, Below the Radar and Old Black
Bear Brewing Company. Roberts projects 38,944 barrels of beer will be produced
in Alabama this year, up 102 percent from 2012.

Follow me on Twitter at @lsberry1 or send me an email at
lberry@al.com.

Craigslist Finds: Home Brewing Kit, Prom Dress & More

Have a need you can’t find cheap enough in any store, online shop or eBay? Check out what your neighbors are selling on Craigslist. Here are some of the items up for sale now in the Port Jefferson area.

• 2004 American Ironhorse Tejas – $8599
• Prom dress – $100
• Mr Beer complete home brewing kit – $50
• Norma Rambaud Collectible Bride Doll – $75
• David Ortiz Fathead brand new – $50

Click here to check out nearby Craigslist finds in Three Village and in the Miller Place area.

Home-Brewing Kit Disguised As Regular Kitchen

Johnston to get first beer brewing firm

Johnston Countys first official brewery, Dubbel Barrel Brewing, may be opening up to the public by next February, according to brewery co-founder and owner Cheryl Lane.

Dubbel Barrel Brewing is located on Highway 70 in Wilsons Mills in the old Bekins building, and Lane said she is excited about the chance to be the countys first brewery.

According to Lane, she and her husband of 19 years, Larry, have wanted to create their own business for many years.

Approximately four years ago, Lane purchased a home brewing kit for her husband as a Christmas present. Since that time he has enthusiastically created several great beers, which the couple believes people will enjoy.

We are very excited, said Lane. I dont think we could have found a better location.

Lane and her husband searched all over the county for a place to craft their dream, and it did not take them long to choose the Bekins building once they toured it and discovered the spaces potential.

As soon as we looked at it we knew immediately that it was where we wanted to be, she said.

The existing building is several thousand square feet and according to NC DOT data it has roughly 22,000 cars driving by it each day.

The building has a large open area in the rear that Lane said will be ideal for the brewery.

The front of the building has two levels. In the downstairs area, Lane said, they are planning to create a 20-stool bar, several tables, taproom, gift shop, a beer garden, and eventually a full service kitchen.

The upstairs area, she said, will be perfect for things like parties, business retreats or other big events.

The vacant lot next to the building will be used not only for parking but also as a place where people can gather together to hear music that will be played from the brewerys stage.

According to Lane, she and her husband plan to leave the brewery open for all visitors to the facility to see. It is their hope to create a giant glass wall to divide the brewery from the rest of the building, so that anyone who visits can see the inner workings.

Dubbel Barrel Brewing will be licensed for manufacturing, distribution and retail.

The brewery will also serve appetizers, many of which cant be found in the average restaurant. Lane said some of the menu items she is considering include boiled peanuts, sausage balls, barbecue pork sliders, and a few other flavors that are popular in Johnston County

Lane added that once the brewery is officially open they are planning to feature at least eight hand-crafted beers, all of which, she said, have their own unique big bold full-bodied taste. Each flavor will be available for dine-in or carry-out (6 pack or keg).

The couple also hopes to implement green technology into the brewing process, and the brewery will operate with a full-time staff.

The Lanes live in Clayton. They both graduated from N.C. State University where they majored in mechanical engineering. They have three children 16-year-old Alex, 15-year-old Griffin, and 12-year-old Jackson.

According to Lane, she is appreciative of the support she and her husband have received from the town of Wilsons Mills and the towns manager Richard Hicks.

We could not have asked for better people to work with, she said.

More information on Dubbel Barrel Brewing is online at www.dubbelbarrelbrewing.com

Brewing Company Launches Campaign to Mass-Produce White House Beer

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It’s the first ‘crowd-sourced, crowd-organized brewery’ that wants to get the White House brews to the public

When President Obama released his beer recipes to the world, home-brewers rejoiced — and beer drinkers without a home-brewing kit were saddened that they couldn’t have any. That might all change, thanks to a new Kickstarter launch that could create the world’s first “crowd-sourced, crowd-organized” brewery to produce the beer. 

Eater and Mother Nature Network pointed out the campaign, which launched Sept. 7. The goal of the brewing company is to mass-produce the White House beer recipes, “for the people, by the people.” The program needs funds for supplies, licensing fees, brewing equipment, labor, shipping costs, and more. 

The launch is just getting started: in the first few days, the Kickstarter capmaign has raised $360 out of its $50,000 goal. Check out the brewing company’s video below. 

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Alfred’s brewery, frank pearson, steve haigh

Alfred’s brewery, frank pearson, steve haigh

2:00pm Tuesday 11th September 2012 in Hampshire Chronicle

By Wesley Rock

Say ‘cheers’ for the camera: Steve Haigh, left, and Mayor of Winchester Frank Pearson.

Winchester man Steve Haigh bought his first home brewing kit from Boots when he was just 18. On Monday, in front of family and
friends, local businessmen, industry experts, media and the Mayor of Winchester, he realised a dream by launching Alfred’s Brewery.

“The mayor coming down means a lot. It makes me feel welcome as a new brewer and as a new business here” Mr Haigh said.

Mayor Frank Pearson was on hand to sample the first official glass of Saxon Bronze and said it was high time there were more microbreweries in Winchester. He said: “If anyone asks me what is the
brew of Winchester, I will now say: Saxon Bronze.

“The mass market lagers that have marginally more taste than water – that’s not what we’re here for. People have voted with their stomachs.”

And 40-year-old Mr Haigh, of Kings Worthy, has got Alfred’s Brewery off to a strong start in securing the custom of Badger Farm Social Club. Speaking at the launch, club chairman Richard Butler,
said: “What can I say? It’s probably one of the best real ales I’ve tried. It’s just a fantastic brewery.”

Mr Haigh developed his skill as a brewer at the Hampshire Brewery in Romsey, The Flowerpots in Cheriton and Hogs Back in Surrey. Branching out on his
own was a logical progression for him and something he’s passionate about, but he says he’s still learning. “Maybe when I’m 70-years-old I might be able to sit down and say ‘I know it now. I know
all about brewing.’” he said.

Alfred’s Brewery hope to supply local pubs throughout Winchester and will also sell at the Hampshire Farmers’ Market from the end of September. The Saxon Bronze will be available for social events
such as parties or wedding receptions too.

In the past Winchester has been home to several breweries, including the Chesil Brewery until circa 1920; the Lion Brewery until 1931 and the Hyde Brewery until 1925.

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White House Beer Home-Brewing Kit Released

Home-brewers, rejoice! The White House beer home-brew kit is here.

The White House released the recipes for its Honey Ale and Honey Porter last week and brewers are already getting to work on recreating the political pints. Northern Brewer, an internet beer shop, released two kits today to create the president’s favorite beers.

Chip Walton, a member of the Northern Brewer’s marketing team, said:

“Politics aside, I think people are interested in brewing the same beer the president is drinking at home and offering as gifts on his travels.”

The Huffington Post reports that the kids include fermentable malt extracts, specialty grains, honey, and a variety of hop pellets. The kits also include instructions to guide home-brewers through the six-week process.

Northern Brewer writes:

“From Founding Fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, to current President Barack Obama, our nation’s leaders have long held a passion for great homebrew, no matter what side of the aisle they call home. And for the first time in history, that homebrew is coming directly from the White House itself. Like all great homebrew recipes, this one is adapted from a fairly standard recipe, then tweaked with special ingredients for greater consensus – in this case, the White House used honey sourced locally, from the First Lady’s bee hive on the South Lawn.”

The beer store notes that the honey wasn’t taken from Michelle Obama’s garden but promises to achieve a similar taste.

The White House Honey Ale Kit is selling for $44.99 and the White House Honey Porter Kit is going for $36.99. You can also buy a home brew kit that includes all the tools needed to start brewing your own beer for about $150.

White House releases beer recipe and how-to video

White House releases beer recipe and how-to video

Details

Last Updated on Wednesday, 05 September 2012 15:00

Written by Randol White

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TEXT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE BEER RECIPE PAGE:

Inspired by home brewers from across the country, last year President Obama bought a home brewing kit for the kitchen. After the few first drafts we landed on some great recipes that came from a local brew shop. We received some tips from a couple of home brewers who work in the White House who helped us amend it and make it our own. To be honest, we were surprised that the beer turned out so well since none of us had brewed beer before.

As far as we know the White House Honey Brown Ale is the first alcohol brewed or distilled on the White House grounds. George Washington brewed beer and distilled whiskey at Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson made wine but there’s no evidence that any beer has been brewed in the White House. (Although we do know there was some drinking during prohibition…)

Since our first batch of White House Honey Brown Ale, we’ve added the Honey Porter and have gone even further to add a Honey Blonde this past summer. Like many home brewers who add secret ingredients to make their beer unique, all of our brews have honey that we tapped from the first ever bee-hive on the South Lawn. The honey gives the beer a rich aroma and a nice finish but it doesn’t sweeten it.

If you want a behind the scenes look at our home-brewing process, this video offers some proof.

WATCH THE WHITE HOUSE HOME-BREW TEAM IN ACTION:

RECIPES:

White House Honey Porter

Ingredients

• 2 (3.3 lb) cans light unhopped malt extract
• 3/4 lb Munich Malt (cracked)
• 1 lb crystal 20 malt (cracked)
• 6 oz black malt (cracked)
• 3 oz chocolate malt (cracked)
• 1 lb White House Honey
• 10 HBUs bittering hops
• 1/2 oz Hallertaur Aroma hops
• 1 pkg Nottingham dry yeast
• 3/4 cup corn sugar for bottling

Directions

1. In a 6 qt pot, add grains to 2.25 qts of 168˚ water. Mix well to bring temp down to 155˚. Steep on stovetop at 155˚ for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 gallons of water to 165˚ in a 12 qt pot. Place strainer over, then pour and spoon all the grains and liquid in. Rinse with 2 gallons of 165˚ water. Let liquid drain through. Discard the grains and bring the liquid to a boil. Set aside.
2. Add the 2 cans of malt extract and honey into the pot. Stir well.
3. Boil for an hour. Add half of the bittering hops at the 15 minute mark, the other half at 30 minute mark, then the aroma hops at the 60 minute mark.
4. Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Place 2 gallons of chilled water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons if necessary. Place into an ice bath to cool down to 70-80˚.
6. Activate dry yeast in 1 cup of sterilized water at 75-90˚ for fifteen minutes. Pitch yeast into the fermenter. Fill airlock halfway with water. Ferment at room temp (64-68˚) for 3-4 days.
7. Siphon over to a secondary glass fermenter for another 4-7 days.
8. To bottle, make a priming syrup on the stove with 1 cup sterile water and 3/4 cup priming sugar, bring to a boil for five minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 1-2 weeks at 75˚.

White House Honey Ale

Ingredients

• 2 (3.3 lb) cans light malt extract
• 1 lb light dried malt extract
• 12 oz crushed amber crystal malt
• 8 oz Biscuit Malt
• 1 lb White House Honey
• 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings Hop Pellets
• 1 1/2 oz Fuggles Hop pellets
• 2 tsp gypsum
• 1 pkg Windsor dry ale yeast
• 3/4 cup corn sugar for priming

Directions

1. In an 12 qt pot, steep the grains in a hop bag in 1 1/2 gallons of sterile water at 155 degrees for half an hour. Remove the grains.
2. Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil.
3. For the first flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.
4. For the second flavoring, add the 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets at the last minute of the boil.
5. Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.
6. Add 2 gallons chilled sterile water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons. There is no need to strain.
7. Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70-80˚. Fill airlock halfway with water.
8. Ferment at 68-72˚ for about seven days.
9. Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for 14 more days.
10. To bottle, dissolve the corn sugar into 2 pints of boiling water for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 2 to 3 weeks at 75˚.

MORE INFO

• Source for recipe and video: Ale to the Chief: White House Beer Recipe

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Photo credit: The White House in Washington D.C. – Photo: WikiMedia

Copyright 2012 – Eat Drink Explore Media

Home-brewers cheered by White House beer recipes

Home-brewers are toasting President Obama for releasing the White House’s recipes for beer — even if he took a few shortcuts.

The fermenter-in-chief bought a home-brewing kit last year, and his chefs have since bottled three varieties: a honey brown ale, a honey porter and a honey blond.

They put out the recipes over the weekend, and the Daily News asked some experienced beer makers to rate them.

“It looks super-interesting,” said Jaime Lamond, who works in advertising in Manhattan and has been making his own beer for about six years.

“It looks like somebody did their homework. I’d like to try to make it myself.”

Pete Souza/White House

President Obama is such a fan of the White House chefs’ homebrewed beer that he’s carrying a special payload of the stuff tucked away on his fancy black bus as he rolls through Iowa on his three-day tour.

Lamond gave the president’s staff props for using accessible ingredients like honey and for adding gypsum to correct for the mineral content of the water.

David Elder, manager of the Brooklyn Home Brew supply shop, called them “beginner recipes” because they use malt extracts — instead of starting from scratch with grains.

“A seasoned home brewer can pick out a recipe that uses extracts as opposed to all-grain,” Elder said.

“You can make really good beers using extract. But it’s a pride thing.”

Still, he was happy to see Obama stumping for homemade ale.

“Any homebrewing is better than going for mass-marketed beer,” he said. “And it’s important to exercise your right to brew your own beer because it used to be illegal.”

Obama isn’t above a commercial beer, though.

He downed some Bud at the Iowa State Fair last month, and Blue Moon and Red Stripe were on the menu for his infamous 2009 beer summit with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and the cop who arrested him.

The White House said George Washington made his own brewskis, but only at Mount Vernon, and Thomas Jefferson made wine.

As far as staffers know, Obama is the first to turn the 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. into a brewery.

Lamond said the recipes will give average Americans — who probably can’t afford the champagne they serve at state dinners — the chance to tipple like their leader.

“It isn’t the geekiest of the geekiest techniques, but it looks like a fun recipe,” he said.

One part of the recipe can’t be replicated, however. The White House used honey from the bee-hive it installed on the South Lawn.

TConnor@nydailnews.com

White House publishes homebrew beer recipes

After I had previously suggested that there was no requirement for the White House to “release” recipes for the President’s favorite homebrewed beers, a few reversals hit me. First, in response to the online petition started on the whitehouse.gov web site requesting the recipes, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney Tweeted:

Got a Q today on @wethepeople petition asking us to share WH beer recipe: http://wh.gov/4y9b If it reaches the threshold, we’ll release it

That was on August 23. Then, on August 29, President Obama staged an “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit.com, where user silent1mezzo asked: “What’s the recipe for the White House’s beer?” The response: “It will be out soon! I can tell from first hand experience, it is tasty.” Not surprisingly, Reddit’s served overloaded during the session, but the transcript is available here.

The original idea was to release the recipes when the online petition reached the 25,000 signature limit that would earn an official reply. The deadline was September 17. It’s likely the petition will remain stalled at 12,240 signatures, since Sam Kass, White House Assistant Chef and the Senior Policy Adviser for Healthy Food Initiatives, shared the recipes Saturday through whitehouse.gov.

Under the obvious title of “Ale to the Chief,” Kass relayed more of the story of how his staff got into brewing:

Inspired by home brewers from across the country, last year President Obama bought a home brewing kit for the kitchen. After the few first drafts we landed on some great recipes that came from a local brew shop. We received some tips from a couple of home brewers who work in the White House who helped us amend it and make it our own. To be honest, we were surprised that the beer turned out so well since none of us had brewed beer before.

As far as we know the White House Honey Brown Ale is the first alcohol brewed or distilled on the White House grounds. George Washington brewed beer and distilled whiskey at Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson made wine but there’s no evidence that any beer has been brewed in the White House. (Although we do know there was some drinking during prohibition…)

Since our first batch of White House Honey Brown Ale, we’ve added the Honey Porter and have gone even further to add a Honey Blonde this past summer. Like many home brewers who add secret ingredients to make their beer unique, all of our brews have honey that we tapped from the first ever bee-hive on the South Lawn. The honey gives the beer a rich aroma and a nice finish but it doesn’t sweeten it.

Also in the article is a YouTube video describing the brewing process. And it seems they make beer the same way I do! Only difference is that my primary fermentation is still in plastic Ale Pails instead of glass. But I saw a few of those in the cellar. And for those who think they have a beef about “tax dollars being spent to make beer,” the only stuff I saw that wouldn’t already have been in the kitchen was a hydrometer, siphon, bottling wand, capper and some caps. Plus the Ale Pails and maybe some glass water cooler bottles. Maybe $100-200 that we’ve already been told came out of the President’s pocket.

Without all the ado out of the way, here are the two recipes to be released:

White House Honey Porter

Ingredients

• 2 (3.3 lb) cans light unhopped malt extract
• 3/4 lb Munich Malt (cracked)
• 1 lb crystal 20 malt (cracked)
• 6 oz black malt (cracked)
• 3 oz chocolate malt (cracked)
• 1 lb White House Honey
• 10 HBUs bittering hops
• 1/2 oz Hallertauer Aroma hops
• 1 pkg Nottingham dry yeast
• 3/4 cup corn sugar for bottling

Directions

1. In a 6 qt pot, add grains to 2.25 qts of 168˚F water. Mix well to bring temp down to 155˚. Steep on stovetop at 155˚F for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 gallons of water to 165˚F in a 12 qt pot. Place strainer over, then pour and spoon all the grains and liquid in. Rinse with 2 gallons of 165˚F water. Let liquid drain through. Discard the grains and bring the liquid to a boil. Set aside.
2. Add the 2 cans of malt extract and honey into the pot. Stir well.
3. Boil for an hour. Add half of the bittering hops at the 15 minute mark, the other half at 30 minute mark, then the aroma hops at the 60 minute mark.
4. Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Place 2 gallons of chilled water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons if necessary. Place into an ice bath to cool down to 70-80˚.
6. Activate dry yeast in 1 cup of sterilized water at 75-90˚ for fifteen minutes. Pitch yeast into the fermenter. Fill airlock halfway with water. Ferment at room temp (64-68˚) for 3-4 days.
7. Siphon over to a secondary glass fermenter for another 4-7 days.
8. To bottle, make a priming syrup on the stove with 1 cup sterile water and 3/4 cup priming sugar, bring to a boil for five minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 1-2 weeks at 75˚.

White House Honey Ale

Ingredients

• 2 (3.3 lb) cans light malt extract
• 1 lb light dried malt extract
• 12 oz crushed amber crystal malt
• 8 oz Bisquit Malt
• 1 lb White House Honey
• 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings Hop Pellets
• 1 1/2 oz Fuggles Hop pellets
• 2 tsp gypsum
• 1 pkg Windsor dry ale yeast
• 3/4 cup corn sugar for priming

Directions

1. In an 12 qt pot, steep the grains in a hop bag in 1 1/2 gallons of sterile water at 155 degrees F for half an hour. Remove the grains.
2. Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil.
3. For the first flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.
4. For the second flavoring, add the 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets at the last minute of the boil.
5. Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.
6. Add 2 gallons chilled sterile water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons. There is no need to strain.
7. Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70-80˚F. Fill airlock halfway with water.
8. Ferment at 68-72˚F for about seven days.
9. Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for 14 more days.
10. To bottle, dissolve the corn sugar into 2 pints of boiling water for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 2 to 3 weeks at 75˚F.

The “10 HBUs bittering hops” in the Porter recipe would refer to “Home Bitterness Units,” a measurement of bitterness provided by calculating the amount of hops to add when it’s Alpha Acid percentage is known. I am guessing Northern Brewer, or the American Centennial or Chinook as likely suspects, depending on what’s in season.

Gypsum in the Honey Ale recipe (calcium sulfate) is used to adjust the acidity of the brewing water, and matches the mineral profile to that of other brewing locations, in this case, perhaps Burton-on-Trent England, to allow more hop bitterness to assert itself.

These recipes reflect a standard procedure for beginning homebrewers: boiling a few gallon using malt extract, then “topping off” the final wort (unfermented beer) with pre-boiled water to get to a five-gallon batch,

I followed up with a few bloggers and beer experts for their opinion on the recipe. Ray Daniels, founder of the Chicago based Beer Cicerone certification program, has been running numbers, and Tweeted that both recipes would yield 7% alcohol by volume. Two of these might get anybody yelling at an empty chair. The pound of honey would offer more fermentables, but it contains some antibiotic properties against yeast and a few sugars that won’t ferment out leaving a sweeter taste. Ray figured 27 International Bitterness Units for the Honey Ale, probably on the high end of a Blonde Ale (think maybe Finch’s Golden Wing), enough to let the sweetness show through. The Honey Porter would have 33-35 IBUs for more balance.

The bees in the White House Kitchen Garden would draw nectar from a variety of sources than those that make standard clover honey. One email to the Chicago Beer Society listserv suggested any honey cultivated in an urban area like Chicago would have a matching profile, which might have a slight effect on taste. The only other question might be, what about the original Honey Brown Ale from the 2011 Super Bowl party?

So, no doubt the race begins for homebrewers to make their own versions of these recipes. Within a month, we should see some brewpubs offering their own “White House ReplicAles,” and maybe a special category in homebrew competitions. Of course, a judge in that category would need a sample of the original to compare to, so Mr. President, please let me know when you’ll be sending me those bottles.

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