Kitchi Gumee
Active Member
Hey folks, I've been reading about the beer known as sahti in Finland. Michael Jackson wrote a fair amount on it (four or five articles). Here's one:
Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter - Sweating up a suitable thirst
It looks to be a high ABV beer that has rye thrown in, lightly hopped, with plenty of juniper flavor. Interestingly, baker's yeast is used in Finland. Since it is made for the sauna and I sauna every week I can, and my wife and many of my friends are Finnish, I figured this would be a natural brew. I am not looking to replicate the traditional method or anything to a "t".
I would like to make a beer that has a good percentage of rye, enough to give it that spicy rye goodness. I've read up to 20% is a good place to start. I also want to get an ABV% somewhere around 7% In addition I'd like to back off on a standard hop schedule and throw in some juniper berries.
Here's the biggest problem: I am not set up to do all-grain. I could pull of a mini-mash in the stove or something like that (I'm sure the rye will require something along those lines) but the base will have to be malt extract for this guy. Otherwise I have access to a killer LHBS so ingredients shouldn't be an issue.
Anybody have any experience or strong opinions in this matter?
Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter - Sweating up a suitable thirst
It looks to be a high ABV beer that has rye thrown in, lightly hopped, with plenty of juniper flavor. Interestingly, baker's yeast is used in Finland. Since it is made for the sauna and I sauna every week I can, and my wife and many of my friends are Finnish, I figured this would be a natural brew. I am not looking to replicate the traditional method or anything to a "t".
I would like to make a beer that has a good percentage of rye, enough to give it that spicy rye goodness. I've read up to 20% is a good place to start. I also want to get an ABV% somewhere around 7% In addition I'd like to back off on a standard hop schedule and throw in some juniper berries.
Here's the biggest problem: I am not set up to do all-grain. I could pull of a mini-mash in the stove or something like that (I'm sure the rye will require something along those lines) but the base will have to be malt extract for this guy. Otherwise I have access to a killer LHBS so ingredients shouldn't be an issue.
Anybody have any experience or strong opinions in this matter?