How my dad did it.

[dsharp]

Hey everyone,

I am new to the forum and new to attempting home brewing.

My dad was a home brewer but I never paid much attention to what he was doing. So I am wondering if someone might be able to explain his method.

My best recollection is that he used three ingredients, a can of some sort of syrup looking malt (or at least I think that is what it was, Blue Ribbon maybe), Fleischman's yeast (I think it came in little yellow packets) and a box of raisins.

He would do some sort of cooking at the beginning and then put everything in a 5 gallon porcelain vat. The last thing he added was the rasins. Then he put a cloth over it and let it set in our basement for a week or two. He had some sort of small glass device that he would put in it that floated. And based on what is showed he would determine if it was ready to bottle.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Until this past weekend I had never tasted any beer like it. However, I have a beer called Red Chimay that is brewed by Trapist monks in Belgium and the taste was close to my dad's.

Thanks.
Don

 

[Newsman]

Sounds like some sort of an early kit, to me.

 

[Newsman]

For what it's worth, the " small glass device that he would put in it that floated" is called a Hydrometer. You need to know your starting and anticipated final gravities. When you know the original and anticipated final gravity, you can have a better idea when you will be done and can figure out your Alcohol %

 

[jrcrilly]

That is the very simplest form of homebrewing. He dissolved pre-hopped liquid malt extract in hot water, chilled it, added yest, and let it ferment. You can do the same if you want. There are many such pre-hopped extracts available today. If you know what style he used you would be able to make a similar brew. There are two primary vendors of pre-hopped liquid malt extract - Coopers and Muntons. Most online homebrew shops offer one or the other.

 

[jrcrilly]

Mr. Beer (owned by Coopers) is by far the most popular vendor of such extract. Another example is http://www.austinhomebrew.com/Coopers-Real-Ale_p_4859.html

 

[flars]

Hey everyone,

I am new to the forum and new to attempting home brewing.

My dad was a home brewer but I never paid much attention to what he was doing. So I am wondering if someone might be able to explain his method.

My best recollection is that he used three ingredients, a can of some sort of syrup looking malt (or at least I think that is what it was, Blue Ribbon maybe), Fleischman's yeast (I think it came in little yellow packets) and a box of raisins.

He would do some sort of cooking at the beginning and then put everything in a 5 gallon porcelain vat. The last thing he added was the rasins. Then he put a cloth over it and let it set in our basement for a week or two. He had some sort of small glass device that he would put in it that floated. And based on what is showed he would determine if it was ready to bottle.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Until this past weekend I had never tasted any beer like it. However, I have a beer called Red Chimay that is brewed by Trapist monks in Belgium and the taste was close to my dad's.

Thanks.
Don

This was a form prohibition beer. Blue Ribbon malt was sold in the grocery store during prohibition to be used as a sweetener in baking cookies, etc..

 

[Revvy]

I actually posted some of the history of "Blue Ribbon Malt Extract" and some of the early recipes, and even a podcast by an old brewer all about brewing with the stuff here..

And even more of the recipes in my brewing history links thread....

But it looks like the links have shifted from that one... Here's Al Capone's Recipe

The rest that aren't actually written out on the post appear gone... BUT I just found this online. Looks like the original beer recipe flyer.

Blue Ribbon Malt extract is still being made, but it's now Premier Malt Extract... and it's made in Michigan... More stuff here.

 

[dsharp]

Thanks for all the replies! My dad was doing this as far back as the 50's. I don't know what type of of malts were available back then. I wish I had paid more attention.

 

[Revvy]

Thanks for all the replies! My dad was doing this as far back as the 50's. I don't know what type of of malts were available back then. I wish I had paid more attention.

Pretty much as I posted about, in the states, in the 50's it was just Blue Ribbon Malt Extract.

 

[Homercidal]

Yep, just Blue Ribbon back then. I'd have skipped the raisins, but making your own homebrew was cheap and easy back then. Even easier since they didn't have hardly any choices to make!

My first batch was a Mount Mellick American Light style and I used a can of syrup and some yeast in a packet. Not much different. This was back in '91.

 

[MaryB]

I would step up to the better kits offered by any of the big online Brew shops(or a local if you have one) such as Northern Brewer, Williams etc. Most states have a brew shop that will have the equipment to get you setup and brewing fairly cheap. The ingredient quality is far better as are the recipes.

 

[NSMikeD]

Hey everyone,

I am new to the forum and new to attempting home brewing.

My dad was a home brewer but I never paid much attention to what he was doing. So I am wondering if someone might be able to explain his method.

My best recollection is that he used three ingredients, a can of some sort of syrup looking malt (or at least I think that is what it was, Blue Ribbon maybe), Fleischman's yeast (I think it came in little yellow packets) and a box of raisins.

He would do some sort of cooking at the beginning and then put everything in a 5 gallon porcelain vat. The last thing he added was the rasins. Then he put a cloth over it and let it set in our basement for a week or two. He had some sort of small glass device that he would put in it that floated. And based on what is showed he would determine if it was ready to bottle.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Until this past weekend I had never tasted any beer like it. However, I have a beer called Red Chimay that is brewed by Trapist monks in Belgium and the taste was close to my dad's.

Thanks.
Don

The monks use candy and are not hop heads like we are in the US, so this makes a little sense. The raisons at the end would add slight complex sweetness - which is what the monks do with the candy. And their beers are not as highly hopped nor do they use the late addition hopping methods common to our APAs and other brews. Pre-hopped malt cans would not have be highly hopped nor would there be any late additions.


Keep brewing, the more you do, the more what your dad did will make sense.

 

[ericbw]

I'm just not sure why Chimay Red would remind you of it. Maybe that's from the raisins.

You can improve a step or two on his method with a can of light or pilsen Liquid Malt Extract (LME) to make a 2.5 gallon batch. You'll mix about 3.5 gallons of water with half the can of syrup. Bring it to a boil, add hops (probably .5 oz of almost any kind that has alpha acids of about 5%) and let it boil for 45 minutes. Add the rest of the syrup, stir like crazy, and then let it boil 15 minutes longer.

Chill it down and put it in a bucket fermenter with an airlock, add yeast and raisins. He might have used bread yeast, but you should buy brewing yeast.

This is slightly harder than a Mr. Beer kit and slightly easier than most extract kits with multiple hops.