It has been two weeks since I reported to you on brewing a Weiss (wheat beer). In that time the wort (pronounced wert) which is the mashed liquid before fermentation, has been transferred from the fermentor to secondary storage containers. Since I brew 11½ gallons at a time, of which only 10½ gallons are fermented, I use either two five-gallon soda canisters or one 10 gallon canister. These canisters are the kind you see soda being dispensed from at fairs. Of the remaining gallon, three quarts of wort are used for food for the next yeast starter and the remainder is lost to spillage.
Once the beer is transferred to the secondary containers, it is placed in a cold area for further conditioning. Conditioning beer is similar to conditioning wine in that it removes the rough edges in the taste department. Some lagers benefit from being conditioned (lagered) for several months. Also, cold conditioning allows the trub, all of that gunk from the used yeast and other proteins to settle to the bottom of the canister. This process helps make the beer crystal clear without filtering. Of course, with Weiss bier, cloudiness is acceptable.
One of the dominant aromas with Weiss is bananas and/or cloves. I believe that the particular brand of yeast for Weiss fermentation leads to this distinctive aroma. Many if not most strains of yeast have traveled across the great ponds over the centuries into yeast banks in the US. There are both liquid and dry yeasts available to the home brewer. If a home brewer lives in the vicinity of a regional brewery, he/she could get a small amount of spent yeast from the regional brewery for personal use. Each strain of yeast has its own distinctive flavor profile. One of the joys of home brewing is the ease of changing the flavor of the beer by changing any one of the four ingredients - water, grain, hops and yeast.
Today I will take the final step on this wondrous journey and carbonate my new batch of beer. Since home brewers find filtering to be unnecessary, a small amount of yeast remains in the beer. This yeast is used along with a liquid batch of corn sugar placed into a container of beer like the canisters or a bottle. In either case, both must be sealed otherwise the carbon dioxide will escape. The process takes several days, perhaps as long as week. It also leaves some trub in the bottle/canister from the spent yeast. Not a big deal but still visible especially in a bottle.
I have a 20 pound bottle of carbon dioxide used to dispense my beer. So it is a simple process for me to force carbonate my beer to whatever level I desire. Some of the liquid engineer types in the homebrew area have calculated the amount of carbon dioxide (pressure) needed to properly carbonate the beer. Crank up the pressure, rock the canister until the there is no longer a noise of bubbles. Best to do this with chilled beer. And now . . . enjoy.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Lasagna
Many years ago while living in New York City, I came across a recipe for lasagna that to me was the quintessential lasagna. The recipe by Ed Giobbi was in the NY Times. Ed Giobbi in the 60's was already a well known chef in the area. Perhaps his fame was more widely known than just NYC. I'd never heard of him. Click here to get his recipe.
I love this meal. Great flavors, a rich creamy sauce with freshly made marinara sauce. The marinara sauce is an enrichment to the Basic Tomato Sauce I published here.
For years this was my only lasagna. Good for breakfast, snacking or after school.
Then about a year ago one of our local restaurateurs, Sandy D'Amato published his recipe for lasagna in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sandy and his restaurant Sanford's have been recognized as one of the leading chefs and eateries in the Midwest. And that is way too modest.
However, now we are torn between Ed's and Sandy's. When I make one I have to make the other for a taste test. And since there are only two of us to enjoy the rewards of these two giant stars in the kitchen, a serving of 12 will last a couple of days.
The two recipes are dramatically different. Read 'em both. Giobbi's has a rich cream sauce. D'Amato's has lots of Italian cheeses. Giobbi's recipe has been around more than 40 years. D'Amato's was published about a year ago. It's his family recipe.
Click for D'Amato's recipe. Try both. Let me know.
I love this meal. Great flavors, a rich creamy sauce with freshly made marinara sauce. The marinara sauce is an enrichment to the Basic Tomato Sauce I published here.
For years this was my only lasagna. Good for breakfast, snacking or after school.
Then about a year ago one of our local restaurateurs, Sandy D'Amato published his recipe for lasagna in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sandy and his restaurant Sanford's have been recognized as one of the leading chefs and eateries in the Midwest. And that is way too modest.
However, now we are torn between Ed's and Sandy's. When I make one I have to make the other for a taste test. And since there are only two of us to enjoy the rewards of these two giant stars in the kitchen, a serving of 12 will last a couple of days.
The two recipes are dramatically different. Read 'em both. Giobbi's has a rich cream sauce. D'Amato's has lots of Italian cheeses. Giobbi's recipe has been around more than 40 years. D'Amato's was published about a year ago. It's his family recipe.
Click for D'Amato's recipe. Try both. Let me know.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Tomato Sauce
If you are looking for help to organize your upcoming class reunion, check out this classy program.
A good tomato sauce is not only easy to make but also serves as a base for other sauces such as marinara which could lead to a mighty fine lasagna. <;)
Today, I want to share with you a very basic tomato sauce. It is a good start to pasta with tomato sauce. Both relatively easy to make. A basic tomato sauce is made with tomatoes, thyme, tomato paste, salt and pepper. I add garlic to give it a little punch.
This sauce is a stepping stone for any other type of tomato sauce such as a herbed tomato sauce. When experimenting, remember to add small quantities of herbs until you achieve the taste you want. Normally, I will use roma tomatoes because of their more intense flavor.
It is a good practice to concasse - peel and seed the tomatoes; seeds add bitterness. One way around the laborious task of concasse tomatoes is to use a food mill. They come in all shapes and sizes from plastic to stainless steeel. Once I sprung for the bucks to buy one, I find I am using it more often because of the ease of use. Equally important are the results that can be achieved. Makes wonderfully fluffy mashed potatoes and spätzle, the German noodle.
Do a search for 'food mill'. If you remove the seeds, you can use a food processor to make a smooth tomato sauce.
A good tomato sauce is not only easy to make but also serves as a base for other sauces such as marinara which could lead to a mighty fine lasagna. <;)
Today, I want to share with you a very basic tomato sauce. It is a good start to pasta with tomato sauce. Both relatively easy to make. A basic tomato sauce is made with tomatoes, thyme, tomato paste, salt and pepper. I add garlic to give it a little punch.
This sauce is a stepping stone for any other type of tomato sauce such as a herbed tomato sauce. When experimenting, remember to add small quantities of herbs until you achieve the taste you want. Normally, I will use roma tomatoes because of their more intense flavor.
It is a good practice to concasse - peel and seed the tomatoes; seeds add bitterness. One way around the laborious task of concasse tomatoes is to use a food mill. They come in all shapes and sizes from plastic to stainless steeel. Once I sprung for the bucks to buy one, I find I am using it more often because of the ease of use. Equally important are the results that can be achieved. Makes wonderfully fluffy mashed potatoes and spätzle, the German noodle.
Do a search for 'food mill'. If you remove the seeds, you can use a food processor to make a smooth tomato sauce.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Cherry Pie
Might as well get a head start on makin' some cherry pies for George's b'day. Although, this one is good year round and 'easy as pie' to make.
Let's start with the crust. This one can be made in the food processor or by hand. I prefer to do it by hand because of the greater control of the mixing process. Or, use your favorite recipe for a pie crust.
Mix together 2 cups all purpose flour, a pinch of kosher salt and a pinch of sugar. Cut 6 ounces (1½ sticks) of chilled unsalted butter into ¼" slices. Then cut the slices into quarters. Put into the flour mixture and mix with your hands until butter is pea size, about 4-5 minutes. Add about ½ cup of chilled water and mix with your hands until mixture comes together, about 5 minutes.
Lightly flour the work surface. Blend the dough by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand. Gather it up with a pastry scraper of metal spatula and continue to knead it. After 1-2 minutes, the dough will be as smooth as putty and will peel from the work surface in one piece.
Shape dough into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes or until firm. On a floured surface, roll dough to the required shape working briskly so that it does not soften too much. Keep the dough moving loosely so that it does not stick. Every three or four strokes with the rolling pin, lift the dough and sprinkle the work surface with a little flour. Keep in mind that you need a top and a bottom.
Oven @400°F.
Next, place a pie tin upside down over the dough and cut a circle 1" larger than the pie tin. Place the dough into the pin tin and crimp the edges so that they are about ½" above pie tin. Take a piece of wax paper, fold in half, fold again. Then fold again twice so that you have a small triangle. Place the tip above the center of the pie tin and cut the oposite end about 1½" larger than the diameter of the pie tin.
Spray the wax paper with a little food spray, place sprayed side down on top of the dough and weight it with beans, or what ever else you use. Bake 12 -14 minutes on middle shelf. Remove, and brush with an egg/water solution (one egg with about half the white removed and replaced with 1 teaspoon water beaten together) for about 7 to 8 minutes. The egg wash will keep the dough from becoming soggy if, by chance, the pie lasts more than one meal. Also, baking the dough for 12 minutes gives it the right texture for us. Experiment.
Click title to get the recipe.
Meanwhile, mix together the cherries, sugar, almond extract and tapioca. Before adding the tapioca, a thickening agent, place in a spice mill and pulverize it so it has a better chance of doing what it is suppose to do. Let stand while the crust bakes.
Remove crust from oven, fill with cherry mixture and place your favorite topping on. I like to use a lattice work, easy for me and looks great.
Any questions, shout. Gotta go check on the Weizen I brewed on Sunday. Almost ready to taste.
Let's start with the crust. This one can be made in the food processor or by hand. I prefer to do it by hand because of the greater control of the mixing process. Or, use your favorite recipe for a pie crust.
Mix together 2 cups all purpose flour, a pinch of kosher salt and a pinch of sugar. Cut 6 ounces (1½ sticks) of chilled unsalted butter into ¼" slices. Then cut the slices into quarters. Put into the flour mixture and mix with your hands until butter is pea size, about 4-5 minutes. Add about ½ cup of chilled water and mix with your hands until mixture comes together, about 5 minutes.
Lightly flour the work surface. Blend the dough by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand. Gather it up with a pastry scraper of metal spatula and continue to knead it. After 1-2 minutes, the dough will be as smooth as putty and will peel from the work surface in one piece.
Shape dough into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes or until firm. On a floured surface, roll dough to the required shape working briskly so that it does not soften too much. Keep the dough moving loosely so that it does not stick. Every three or four strokes with the rolling pin, lift the dough and sprinkle the work surface with a little flour. Keep in mind that you need a top and a bottom.
Oven @400°F.
Next, place a pie tin upside down over the dough and cut a circle 1" larger than the pie tin. Place the dough into the pin tin and crimp the edges so that they are about ½" above pie tin. Take a piece of wax paper, fold in half, fold again. Then fold again twice so that you have a small triangle. Place the tip above the center of the pie tin and cut the oposite end about 1½" larger than the diameter of the pie tin.
Spray the wax paper with a little food spray, place sprayed side down on top of the dough and weight it with beans, or what ever else you use. Bake 12 -14 minutes on middle shelf. Remove, and brush with an egg/water solution (one egg with about half the white removed and replaced with 1 teaspoon water beaten together) for about 7 to 8 minutes. The egg wash will keep the dough from becoming soggy if, by chance, the pie lasts more than one meal. Also, baking the dough for 12 minutes gives it the right texture for us. Experiment.
Click title to get the recipe.
Meanwhile, mix together the cherries, sugar, almond extract and tapioca. Before adding the tapioca, a thickening agent, place in a spice mill and pulverize it so it has a better chance of doing what it is suppose to do. Let stand while the crust bakes.
Remove crust from oven, fill with cherry mixture and place your favorite topping on. I like to use a lattice work, easy for me and looks great.
Any questions, shout. Gotta go check on the Weizen I brewed on Sunday. Almost ready to taste.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Brew Day - Weizen
Today is a brew day for a Bavarian Weizen or a Weiss Bier. According to German Reinheitsgebot or purity law, only four ingredients can be used to brew beer. Water, barley, hops and yeast. Strictly speaking, making beer with only these four ingredients is limiting. Many brewers today use malted barley or wheat and some adjuncts. The purpose of the law was to ensure a minimum quality to the outcome.
The brew day is approximately 6 to 7 hours long. My normal batch is 10 gallons/four cases of beer. First the water is raised to a specified temperature, then circulate the heated water over crushed malt (mash) to change the starch to sugar. Next the sugared grain is washed (sparge) with more hot water to extract as much of the sugar as possible. Then the wort - sugared water - is boiled with the addition of hops to give the wort a bitterness and aroma. This process is about 1½ hours which also reduces the quantity of liquid by approximately one gallon per hour. Next the wort is cooled rapidly through a counter flow chiller where the wort travels from the boiler to the fermentor in one pipe and cold water travels in an outer pipe in the opposite direction - counter flow. When all of the wort is in the fermentor and the wort is the right temperature, the yeast is pitched into the wort. The yeast uses the sugar as food and changes the wort to beer by converting the sugar to alcohol.
Since there are only four main ingredients, how are the different flavors develope? Yeast is a big contributor to flavor. But so is water. Grain and temperature can change the character and the mouth feel of the beer. Natuarally soft water yields a lighter style beer such as a pils whereas water with large concentrations of carbonates and calcium are best to produce darker beer like porter and stout.
Temperature changes during the process can alter the way the beer tastes. For example, if the heated water circulating over the crushed grains is kept between 144F and 150F, more of the malt will be converted to fermentable sugars thus making a higher alcohol content which also gives the beer a drier taste. If the temperature is between 151°F and 158°F, more of the malt will be converted to unfermentable sugars thus lowering the alocohol content. The resultant wort will be sweeter - having a bigger mouth feel.
Therefore, a recipe using the same ingredients can be altered by changing the process temperature. As a homebrewer, I normally try to stay within the guidelines for a particular style such as weiss, Alt, Pils or Octoberfest. I see no reason to mess with success.
After the yeast is pitched, the beer is then lagered/conditioned for one to many weeks. Ales can be ready to drink in about one week after pitching the yeast whereas lagers will be conditioned for several months. Conditioning a lager is a necessary step for a smooth crisp taste.
The final step to the process is to carbonate the beer which can be done by adding a sugar solution to the beer in the bottle or force carbonating the beer in the keg. Homebrewers seldom filter their beer so the residual yeast will act on the added sugar to produce the necessary carbonation.
Really, the final step is . . . well come on over and have a taste with me.
The brew day is approximately 6 to 7 hours long. My normal batch is 10 gallons/four cases of beer. First the water is raised to a specified temperature, then circulate the heated water over crushed malt (mash) to change the starch to sugar. Next the sugared grain is washed (sparge) with more hot water to extract as much of the sugar as possible. Then the wort - sugared water - is boiled with the addition of hops to give the wort a bitterness and aroma. This process is about 1½ hours which also reduces the quantity of liquid by approximately one gallon per hour. Next the wort is cooled rapidly through a counter flow chiller where the wort travels from the boiler to the fermentor in one pipe and cold water travels in an outer pipe in the opposite direction - counter flow. When all of the wort is in the fermentor and the wort is the right temperature, the yeast is pitched into the wort. The yeast uses the sugar as food and changes the wort to beer by converting the sugar to alcohol.
Since there are only four main ingredients, how are the different flavors develope? Yeast is a big contributor to flavor. But so is water. Grain and temperature can change the character and the mouth feel of the beer. Natuarally soft water yields a lighter style beer such as a pils whereas water with large concentrations of carbonates and calcium are best to produce darker beer like porter and stout.
Temperature changes during the process can alter the way the beer tastes. For example, if the heated water circulating over the crushed grains is kept between 144F and 150F, more of the malt will be converted to fermentable sugars thus making a higher alcohol content which also gives the beer a drier taste. If the temperature is between 151°F and 158°F, more of the malt will be converted to unfermentable sugars thus lowering the alocohol content. The resultant wort will be sweeter - having a bigger mouth feel.
Therefore, a recipe using the same ingredients can be altered by changing the process temperature. As a homebrewer, I normally try to stay within the guidelines for a particular style such as weiss, Alt, Pils or Octoberfest. I see no reason to mess with success.
After the yeast is pitched, the beer is then lagered/conditioned for one to many weeks. Ales can be ready to drink in about one week after pitching the yeast whereas lagers will be conditioned for several months. Conditioning a lager is a necessary step for a smooth crisp taste.
The final step to the process is to carbonate the beer which can be done by adding a sugar solution to the beer in the bottle or force carbonating the beer in the keg. Homebrewers seldom filter their beer so the residual yeast will act on the added sugar to produce the necessary carbonation.
Really, the final step is . . . well come on over and have a taste with me.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Pork Chops Charcuterie
Cooking. It's a passion. Made pork chops charcuterie last night. Takes about 10 minutes for prep time and less than 30 minutes from start to finish. In fact, the time on this recipe might give Rachael Ray (FoodTV channel) a run for her money on a 30 minute meal. Most important is the result. . . good food.
The recipe for 6 can be made for any number. If you reduce the number do not change the sauce quantity . . . just heap it on top of the chops. Store bought vegetable, chicken or beef broth can be substituted for the stock. . . even boullion cubes. Be careful about salt when using purchased stock. If sauce is too thick add more stock. . . if too thin, simmer until you get the consistency you want.
Gherkins. . . not the sweet little ones. . . distracts from the overall flavor. . . look for imported.
Use 1" or more thick pork chops - double chops. Sauté 5 minutes per side. . . in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes . . . remove from oven and rest covered for a minimum of 5 minutes. To sauté thick chops, chicken breasts or steaks for a perfectly seared exterior and a juicy interior place the pan into a 400°F oven.
Pour a nice Pinot Noir or a robust Chardonnay. Close your eyes and dine as if in a Parisian bistro or in the Alsaace.
Click here to download Pork Chops Charcuterie. File, Save As to save in Notepad.
The recipe for 6 can be made for any number. If you reduce the number do not change the sauce quantity . . . just heap it on top of the chops. Store bought vegetable, chicken or beef broth can be substituted for the stock. . . even boullion cubes. Be careful about salt when using purchased stock. If sauce is too thick add more stock. . . if too thin, simmer until you get the consistency you want.
Gherkins. . . not the sweet little ones. . . distracts from the overall flavor. . . look for imported.
Use 1" or more thick pork chops - double chops. Sauté 5 minutes per side. . . in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes . . . remove from oven and rest covered for a minimum of 5 minutes. To sauté thick chops, chicken breasts or steaks for a perfectly seared exterior and a juicy interior place the pan into a 400°F oven.
Pour a nice Pinot Noir or a robust Chardonnay. Close your eyes and dine as if in a Parisian bistro or in the Alsaace.
Click here to download Pork Chops Charcuterie. File, Save As to save in Notepad.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Black-eye peas and ham hocks
My true New Years Day treat was a day late this year because of tooooo many things to do. My wife Mary Ann hails from Alabama (note the polysyllabic first name and monosyllabic second name and therefore has all the credentials) and is a true southerner. Annually she makes a mess of black-eye peas and ham hocks on 1/1. One of the few things in life that is a constant, or was until 1/1/2005. But worth every minute to wait for the best.
Many years ago, I spirited my bride from the land of cotton, bought a lot of warm clothes for layers and headed to the tundra. Just north of Milwaukee. In the ensuing years, black-eye peas have taken on a decided yankee flavor, no more fatback or lard - too hard on the arteries, cut down on the salt, added bay leaves. The end result though, is the liking of the entire family, mostly MA and me since the kids have long flown away.
It is a delight looking forward to.
Many years ago, I spirited my bride from the land of cotton, bought a lot of warm clothes for layers and headed to the tundra. Just north of Milwaukee. In the ensuing years, black-eye peas have taken on a decided yankee flavor, no more fatback or lard - too hard on the arteries, cut down on the salt, added bay leaves. The end result though, is the liking of the entire family, mostly MA and me since the kids have long flown away.
It is a delight looking forward to.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
My Class Reunion
A classy program. That is what I call a database program to track class mates to help you organize your upcoming reunion. Even though the program is called My Class Reunion.exe, it can also serve to help plan and organize any type of a reunion.
Import existing data from Access or Excel in a matter of minutes, write letters of invitation, print mailing labels or email all classmates all from within the program. Print name tags for the big event with old-time photos attached. Easy to install and easier to keep your records up to date.
Click to view this class reunion program.
Import existing data from Access or Excel in a matter of minutes, write letters of invitation, print mailing labels or email all classmates all from within the program. Print name tags for the big event with old-time photos attached. Easy to install and easier to keep your records up to date.
Click to view this class reunion program.
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