White house beer

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DaBills

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I got them sent to my e-mail today. There are two recipes: White House Honey Ale and White House Honey Porter. Enjoy!

Here's the e-mail:


Ale to the Chief: White House Beer Recipe

By Sam Kass, White House Assistant Chef and the Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives

With public excitement about White House beer fermenting such a buzz, we decided we better hop right to it.

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.

[ame]http://youtu.be/dygQrX8FI3Q[/ame]

So without any further ado, America – this one's for you:

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

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.
Add the 2 cans of malt extract and honey into the pot. Stir well.
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.
Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.
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˚.
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.
Siphon over to a secondary glass fermenter for another 4-7 days.
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

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.
Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil.
For the first flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.
For the second flavoring, add the 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets at the last minute of the boil.
Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.
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.
Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70-80˚. Fill airlock halfway with water.
Ferment at 68-72˚ for about seven days.
Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for 14 more days.
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˚.

Can't wait to brew them!
 
I got them sent to my e-mail today. There are two recipes: White House Honey Ale and White House Honey Porter. Enjoy!

Here's the e-mail:


Ale to the Chief: White House Beer Recipe

By Sam Kass, White House Assistant Chef and the Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives

With public excitement about White House beer fermenting such a buzz, we decided we better hop right to it.

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.

[ame]http://youtu.be/dygQrX8FI3Q[/ame]

So without any further ado, America – this one's for you:

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

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.
Add the 2 cans of malt extract and honey into the pot. Stir well.
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.
Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.
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˚.
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.
Siphon over to a secondary glass fermenter for another 4-7 days.
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

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.
Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil.
For the first flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.
For the second flavoring, add the 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets at the last minute of the boil.
Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.
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.
Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70-80˚. Fill airlock halfway with water.
Ferment at 68-72˚ for about seven days.
Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for 14 more days.
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˚.

Can't wait to brew them!
 
Pretty standard extract recipes with honey added. Nothing exactly amazing or shocking about it. Hopefully now that the recipes are released everyone can calm down. Though I expect a lot of politically charged commentary to pop up.

EDIT: The first political comment came while I was reading the thread and then typing.
 
I watched the video. It is obvious they are new to brewing, but, I think this is great. Great publicity for our hobby.

PS. who cares if they are extract or if they have a few terms incorrect. We can all easily convert these recipes and we know what they mean in regards to the hops.
 
I understand now why these threads keep getting shut down. It's lame that we can't talk beer and keep politics out of it. I thought the Mods were being harsh before, but now I know it's just that some people aren't mature enough to keep the subjects separate.
 
I'm glad they released them, and will likely try them. I dont even brew extract, but i'll give them a shot! Now, i need to source white house honey .....

I'm new to brewing so these work for me. Possibly a reason they use extract? More user friendly so more people can try it? I dunno but either way super cool.
 
I understand now why these threads keep getting shut down. It's lame that we can't talk beer and keep politics out of it. I thought the Mods were being harsh before, but now I know it's just that some people aren't mature enough to keep the subjects separate.

Yeah I know kinda sad isn't it. Beer is beer is beer, no added politics necessary.
 
I'll add these to my ever expanding list of presidential beer recipes not worth brewing.

I want Napoleon's recipe!
 
Extract recipes??? Are you F'ing kidding me?? With all that we pay in taxes, they're brewing F'ing EXTRACT???

Did we call it last week or what? Who was it that said in one of million Obama brews thread, no matter what the recipe was, people were gonna ***** about it?

Did anyone really expect it was going to be an all grain brew? Whether folks want to admit it or just be EACs about it, the majority of homebrewers, especially those starting out, brew with extracts. And usually with kits. At least this looks like a somewhat original recipe.

And it is cool that we are getting so much attention for our hobby. No matter how one feels about the President. Admit it, isn't it neat to see us represented?

Anyone wanna lay any bets on how many threads about in the next 72 hours?

Or how long before this one gets locked due to bad behavior?
 
I understand now why these threads keep getting shut down. It's lame that we can't talk beer and keep politics out of it. I thought the Mods were being harsh before, but now I know it's just that some people aren't mature enough to keep the subjects separate.

Very true!!! Besides we are screwed no matter who is in the white house!! Let us enjoy are great hobby and are home-brew. And lets keep the politics out this forum. All it does it stir up hate and that is not needed here!!!
 
Ok, regardless of political persuasion you have to admit this is COOL!
This
I watched the video. It is obvious they are new to brewing, but, I think this is great. Great publicity for our hobby.
and this

I like that they're just using a simple starter brew kit. People will see how easy it is to make beer, and you can do it without all the fancy **** most of us end up buying.
 
Dude, it's bad enough that we're going to get 5 million threads about this anyway...Why did YOU have to start two threads about it?

It probably belongs here only, but the Obama thread is in the other forum so I put it there. If one needs to go one can be deleted. Just wanted people to see it.
 
Considering the times and how everything is high speed low drag, I could see how they went with an extract recipe. Also like they said they had to ask for help from random white house workers that homebrewed. So they had zero experience, another reason they went extract. I do not see it as a bad thing, sure we can say that george washington did it AG, but if there was extract back then, do you think he might try it? I mean I really do not care one way of the other, but that's just a realistic observation.
 
Subscribing before the lock. Some of you are embarrassing. The president of our country is supporting homebrewing... If you can't look past political nonsense to see how awesome that is for expanding the hobby then you need to relax, don't worry, and have a homebrew.

Not everything the president does is political.
 
They said pretty plainly that none of them had brewed before, and the directions they give seem to be the pretty standard (and pretty bad) kit directions. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this doesn't shock me in the slightest.

But when there's still parts of the country where homebrewing is illegal, I think the publicity is excellent, regardless of political opinion.

Since folks from my homebrew club started the petition and have been actively promoting it, I'd imagine I'll be trying a bunch of different versions here in the not too distant future. I'm not in a hurry, but I might take a crack at the porter (convert it to all-grain and try and come up with a good substitute honey).
 
Subscribing before the lock. Some of you are embarrassing. The president of our country is supporting homebrewing... If you can't look past political nonsense to see how awesome that is for expanding the hobby then you need to relax, don't worry, and have a homebrew.

Not everything the president does is political.

I agree. Surprisingly though this thread isn't too bad yet. Just one politically charged comment(maybe 2) by my count. Hopefully that's the end of it but I'm not holding my breath.
 
DaBills said:
I agree. Surprisingly though this thread isn't too bad yet. Just one politically charged comment(maybe 2) by my count. Hopefully that's the end of it but I'm not holding my breath.

You should email them back and encourage them to join the community here :). I think that'd be awesome regardless of politics.
 
You should email them back and encourage them to join the community here :). I think that'd be awesome regardless of politics.

LoL I did fill out a survey and in the comment section I said that they better hurry up and make an AG recipe to appease the homebrewing community.

Edit: Update: I just sent them a link to the boards.
 
Does anyone know of an easy way to convert this to an all-grain recipe? I'd like to have it stored away for a fun brew one day.
 
Somebody needs to tell them to tie the bag for the steeping gains looser................

It is in a tight ball.
 
Does anyone know of an easy way to convert this to an all-grain recipe? I'd like to have it stored away for a fun brew one day.

http://www.brew-dudes.com/all-grain-to-extract-conversion/78

In the first recipe take 6.6 lbs of LME and multiply by 37 to get the total extract points of 244.2. Divide that by your estimated efficiency. For this purpose I'll use 70%, so 244.2 divided by .70 which equals 348.9 total possible extract points. Divide that number by 37 and you get 9.43 lbs of 2 row. Use that along with the other specialty grains as they appear in the recipe. For the other recipe you'll need to calculate the DME with the multiplier 44 instead of 37. I'm just going in exactly the reverse from the formulas given on that site.

EDIT: Did the math really quick, the second recipe would use 11.13 lbs of two row with an efficiency of 70%.
 
http://www.brew-dudes.com/all-grain-to-extract-conversion/78

In the first recipe take 6.6 lbs of LME and multiply by 37 to get the total extract points of 244.2. Divide that by your estimated efficiency. For this purpose I'll use 70%, so 244.2 divided by .70 which equals 348.9 total possible extract points. Divide that number by 37 and you get 9.43 lbs of 2 row. Use that along with the other specialty grains as they appear in the recipe. For the other recipe you'll need to calculate the DME with the multiplier 44 instead of 37. I'm just going in exactly the reverse from the formulas given on that site.

EDIT: Did the math really quick, the second recipe would use 11.13 lbs of two row with an efficiency of 70%.

Nice! You da man.
 
Perhaps if the themes weren't always "Obama beer" but rather presidential ale it'd be better received. Personally I think it's great that any president is helping out homebrew by doing it at the Whitehouse. Of course the subject has been done to death.

As far as the recipe goes good luck getting their honey. Anyone know what kind of flowering plants are nearby or has tasted the honey?
 
MisterTipsy said:
So, Obama isn't really a homebrewer. He just had the kitchen make him some beer.

:mad:

This.

I'm happy that the hobby is getting press, but it sickens me to see more claims about "Obama's beer". He financed it and drank it. From everything that's been released, he has 0 involvement in the process.
 
Perhaps if the themes weren't always "Obama beer" but rather presidential ale it'd be better received. Personally I think it's great that any president is helping out homebrew by doing it at the Whitehouse. Of course the subject has been done to death.

As far as the recipe goes good luck getting their honey. Anyone know what kind of flowering plants are nearby or has tasted the honey?

I'm thinking no way that honey is available to the general public. Cherry blossoms? LoL. And I know there's a vegetable garden.
 
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