The Summer Pale Ale is in the bottle ...

Yes, my first batch of summer beer is officially in the bottle:  Summer Pale Ale

After my stuck fermentation this past winter, due to cold temperatures in my home this past December and January, I decided I should wait a little while before brewing again.  The temperatures are staying above freezing, for the most part, spring is in full force, and I am writing an article about homebrewing, so there seems no better time than now to start brewing beer for the summer.

For those that are new to the brewing process, you must have other beer ready and standing by as you begin the brew process.  The beer you are starting will not be ready for consumption for nearly a month.  You will need beer ready to drink during the brewing process, while you wait anxiously, and very important after you bottle (during bottling is not such a good idea - remember you will be focused on sterilization and multitasking).  

I'm starting the summer with a crisp and light (in color that is - not flavor) beer in the style of an India Pale Ale.  I use a combination of grains at different toast percentages to create my recipe "mash".  This year's Summer Ale is a combination of Munich, Victory, Crystal, and American 2-row malts.  My blend of hops will be Cascade and Columbus.  The resulting beer should be a nice IPA ready about the second week of June.

I prepared the mash and processed the grains to ready them for fermentation on May 12th.  It takes about 14 days for the fermentation process to conclude before the beer is ready to bottle.  Due to space constraints, I brew one gallon at a time.  That's a little less than a 12-pack.  I can get six 500ml bottles filled from a batch. 

I use the bubble airlock, like the one shown in the photo (right) and then switch to a tube release system as the fermentation slows.  

Once the fermentation is complete, I siphon the beer into a pot and add a little honey to wake-up the yeast.  This is what gives beer it's "head" or frothy foam when poured.  While the purpose of the head is a point of many discussions amongst beer drinkers and brewers, regardless of your position it just seems right that a beer have a some frothy foam on top.  I personally feel that it gives you access to aromas of the beer's components that aren't as accessible to our senses in the liquid portion of the beer itself.  

Once the honey is blended, the beer is immediately siphoned into the amber bottles. I like to use a Grolsch style closure for the bottles.  I find them easier to use than the more commonly seen crown caps, plus it adds a little something special to my hand-crafted beer.

I'm thinking of something special, a meal that is, to celebrate the opening of the first bottles in June.  I'll keep you posted!