Victory malt has always intrigued me. Maybe its the name. I guess I feel like I would be winning if I used this malt in my brews. I did a little research and thought I would combine all the information into some kind comprehensive overview.

This malts creation is American in origin. I believe that refers to the process to make Victory malt was developed here in the USA.

The processing is different than the processing a maltster would use to create, for example, a caramel malt. Its this special processing that gives the malt its flavor.

Flavor: Imparts a toasty character to beers.

• Nutty taste
• Biscuity
• Baking Bread

Color: 25 – 28 Lovibond. Colors described from sources I discovered ranged from slight red to amber to orange highlights. I guess it depends on how much you use.

Body: Improves body and head retention.

Use: The malt has no diastatic power so you can use it as a steeping grain. Because of the flavor it imparts, Nut brown ales are a good candidate for this malt. I think it would be a good addition to dark beers, especially a porter. If you wanted to make an American Brown Ale and stay on theme, Victory Malt would be a good addition. Probably no more than 20% of your grain bill.

Popularity: 34% [?]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Homemade beer process..

Ready to try brewing your first homebrew? Below is one of my homebrew recipes, along with brewing equipment, beer ingredients and steps that can be followed to brew your own beer. It is a very simple homebrew recipe and process that can be done on the kitchen stove, and tastes great when finished!

Brewing equipment you will need:

– 6.5 gallon fermenter-plastic bucket where fermentation takes place

- Lid for fermenter-covers fermenter, make sure it has a hole in the top to insert stopper and airlock

- Bung/stopper-fits in lid of fermenter, holds airlock

- Airlock-fits in bung and is placed in hole on fermenter lid-will be filled halfway with water/vodka/sanitizer-CO2 will escape through here during fermentation

- Brewpot-at least a 20 quart, stainless steel pot, where boil will take place

- Turkey baster-can be used to squirt any sanitizer over equipment and take wort sample

- Sanitizer-One Step or equivalent

- Whisk or wort spoon-to vigorously stir wort after brewing and before pitching yeast in order to introduce oxygen

- A pair of tongs-helps remove hop bags from the wort after brewing

- Spoon-make sure it is suitable to be placed in boiling liquids so it will not melt-this will be used to occasionally stir wort during the boil

- Hop Bags/muslin bags/grain bags-used to contain hops or malt that are added

- Dial thermometer-cooking thermometer to take wort temps when steeping grains and cooling wort

- Hydrometer and jar/tube-takes Original Gravity reading after brewing and cooling of wort

- Measuring Cup-used to measure water volumes and can be used to rinse grain after steeping

The homemade beer process below can be adjusted and followed for any specialty grain/extract brew, not just the homebrew recipe below, as the steps are pretty much the same for this type of brewing (you’ll just have to obviously adjust grain/hop amounts etc particular to style and recipe you are using).

Brewing a Dunkleweizen at home!

Batch Size: 5 gallons
Priming Technique at bottling time (bottling procedure not covered on this page) : 2/3 cup corn sugar
Original Gravity: 1063
Final Gravity (after fermentation): 1017

Ingredients:

7 lbs. Muntons Plain Wheat DME unhopped (55% wheat, 45% barley)
0.5 lb. Chocolate Malt
1 oz. Hallertau Mittelfruh pellet hops (3.8% alpha, 60 mins in boil)
0.5 oz. Hallertau Mittelfruh pellet hops (3.8 % alpha, 30 mins in boil)
0.5 oz. Hallertau Mittelfruh pellet hops (3.8% alpha, 15 mins in boil)
Wyeast Weihenstephan Wheat Yeast, # 3068 (1 qt. starter, 2 X 1/3 cups DME)

Notes:

-fermented at low end of range (about 63F), very nice beer but could use a bit more banana/clove by fermenting at higher temps
-this beer turned out well, it took two 2nd place ribbons in homebrew competitions

Steps:

Warning!! Please read instructions in their entirety before starting brewing process!

1. Place crushed chocolate malt into a hop bag/grain bag and let steep in 2.5 gallons of water for 30 minutes, at 150F. You can occasionally swirl or steep the bag in the liquid, just like you would when making hot tea.
2. After 30 mins of steeping, remove the bag of grain, and rinse it slowly with one quart of warm water. DO NOT squeeze the bag to extract liquid, simply rinse. Bring the grain-infused water to boil.
3. After the boil has begun, remove the brewpot from the heat. Open the bags of malt extract and slowly pour them in. Make sure to stir constantly as you are slowly adding the extract and avoid letting the extract hit the bottom of the brewpot.
4. Put the brewpot back over the heat and commence boiling. BE CAREFUL OF BOILOVERS AT ALL TIMES! DO NOT COVER YOUR BREWPOT WITH A LID!
5. Once the wort has commenced boiling, take one full oz. of the hops, place them in a hop bag, tie it off, and add it to the boil. This marks the beginning of the 60 minute boil. Stir occasionally. Again, watch for boilovers during the entire boil. Add the half-ounce hop addition in the same manner at 30 minutes into the boil, and again at 45 minutes into the boil.
6. Boil for 15 more minutes after the last half-ounce hop addition, making the total boil time a 60 minute boil.
7. Toward the end of your 60 minute boil, you must prepare to sanitize all of your equipment. Sanitize everything that will come in contact with your wort after it has cooled. This includes the turkey baster, whisk, lid, airlock, fermenter, thermometer stem, and stopper. Make sure all parts of your fermenter have come in contact with sanitizer. If using One-Step, use at least 3 gallons of water and 3 tablespoons of One-Step to sanitize. You may even sanitize in your fermenter if need be, just be careful to not scratch the interior surface of the bucket.
8. After the equipment has been sanitized pour out the sanitizing solution (it does not need rinsed if using One-Step) and add three gallons of COLD water to the fermenter. Fill the airlock halfway with water and insert it into the rubber stopper. Place the lid on the fermenter, and put the rubber stopper/airlock into the hole in the bung.
9. Toward the end of the 60 minute boil, prepare to cool your hot wort by filling a sink halfway with COLD water and ice.
10. After the wort has boiled for an hour, remove it from the heat and turn off your stove. Remove the hop bags from the wort, COVER your pot with the pot lid and place it into the ice water bath for 20 minutes. DO NOT ADD ICE OR THE ICE WATER DIRECTLY INTO YOUR BREWPOT. You may have to change the water in the sink after about the first 10 minutes as it will absorb the heat from your brewpot. Again, total cooling time should only take 20-30 minutes.
11. Prepare yeast (only if using dry yeast to substitute for the Weihenstephan yeast, however the final beer character will not be the same).
12. Add the wort from your brewpot to the cold water in your fermenter. Total volume of beer in the fermenter should be between 5.25-5.5 gallons. Depending on the intensity of your boil, it varies how much liquid was boiled off during the boil. MIX THE WORT AND WATER WELL WITH A SANITIZED WHISK/SPOON. After evenly mixed, make sure the wort is cooled down to at least 75 degrees (it should be). Make sure everything that comes in contact with your wort has been sanitized, and don’t cough or sneeze over your fermenter!
13. When your wort is cool (at least 75 degrees), take a sample of the wort (make sure its mixed thoroughly from previous step!) with your turkey baster and place it into the hydrometer jar with the hydrometer. Make sure the hydrometer floats freely. Write your specific gravity down (it should be approximately 1060-1063), and make any adjustments due to temperature (see Hydrometer page). This is your original gravity. DO NOT return the sample to your fermenter, drink it in a separate glass instead.
14. Stir wort vigorously with the whisk until the wort surface is nice and frothy. This will introduce oxygen that is beneficial to yeast reproduction during fermentation.
15. Pour in (pitch) your yeast and snap on the lid. Fill the airlock about halfway with water or vodka if you haven’t already done so. This way CO2 will escape, but nothing can get into your homebrew. Make sure the bung and airlock is in place on the lid.
16. Place the fermenter in a spot where it will not be disturbed, ideally in a spot between 65-70F.
17. Your done! (You still need to bottle after fermentation is complete in about 7-10 days) Congrats, you’ve just finished your first homebrew! You should see signs of fermentation within 24 hours. Signs of yeast fermentation include: bubbling of your airlock from the release of CO2, uneven water levels in the airlock, and krausen, which is a crusty or cake-like ring that will form around the edge of your fermenter inside. Do not open the lid or take off the airlock during fermentation if you do not have to.
18. Your homemade beer should be ready to drink 2-3 weeks after the bottling date.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Supplies for Beer making

A QUICK LISTING OF SOME HARDWARE YOU MAY NEED:

Fermenter with lids, airlocks, bungs etc-A plastic food grade bucket. This is where fermentation takes place and your wort turns into finished beer. Your wort is transferred to this vessel immediately after brewing, and the lid and airlock combination help keep contaminants and bacteria out.

Bottling Bucket -Used in the bottling stage (duh). Corn sugar or other priming sugar is boiled and added to this bucket and mixed in with your fermented beer. It is then transferred from this vessel into bottles.

Brew Pot -This is where your wort will be boiled.

Bottle Filler -Used during the bottling stage. Attached to end of plastic tubing, this has a valve which will allow your beer to flow into bottles when pressed down.

Capper -Used during the bottling stage. Found in many variations, this will firmly seat your caps on the finished bottles of beer.

Hydrometer and jar -Used to take Original and Final Gravity readings.

Siphon Tubing -You will need food-grade tubing to be used when transferring beer from one vessel to another.

Racking Cane -Hard plastic cane that siphon tubing is attached to when siphoning/racking beer.

Auto-Siphon -Wonderful tool that makes siphoning a snap.

A wort chiller can speed your wort cooling!

Wort Chiller -Basically, copper tubing that is wrapped in a coil. This is placed in hot wort to cool it. Cold water is flushed through the tubing, drawing away the heat and cooling your wort.

Glass Carboy -Can be used as a primary fermenter (6 or 6.5 gallon size for a 5 gallon batch) or a secondary fermenter (5 gallon size for a 5 gallon batch). These are impermeable to oxygen. NEVER ADD HOT LIQUIDS TO A GLASS CARBOY OR IT WILL SHATTER!

Bottles and bottlecaps -Generally, you will need 48-54 bottles per 5 gallon batch. Use brown bottles. Make sure you DO NOT use twist-off bottles, as they are hard to cap/seal properly.

Dial Thermometer -Used to take wort temperatures at different phases of brewing.

Burner/Tank -Used if brewing full-wort boils outside, otherwise you can do partial boils on a stovetop.

Some household kitchen items are also helpful:

Melt-resistant spoon -Can be used to stir wort

Whisk -Can be used to aerate wort before yeast pitching

Turkey Baster -Used to take hydrometer readings and squirt sanitizing solution over hard-to-reach-spots

Dedicated Soup pot/growler for yeast starters

Tongs -Helps to remove hot bags used to steep grains or boil hops

Funnels-To transfer liquids when cleaning equipment etc.

A set of Measuring Cups

A set of Measuring Spoons

Scale-Used to measure hops or grain weights.

Pyrex Measuring Cup

Popularity: 3% [?]

Homebrewing as an Olympic event??

Well, not exactly, but homebrewing competitions add another dimension to the hobby. Want to try to test your homebrewing skills by nailing a particular style? Want honest, unbiased feedback from beer judges regarding your beers, detailing how you can fine- tune your creation to make it even better? Do you just want the bragging rights that comes with placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd in category, or better yet, Best of Show?

Homebrewers enter homebrew competitions for all of the above reasons and many more. Homebrew Competitions are a great way to fine tune your recipes and brewing procedures, and get helpful feedback from certified beer judges, which can benefit your brewing procedures or recipe formulation. The feedback from the judges can also help identify off-flavors or flaws. What is that funky, creamed corn odor emanating from your homebrew, and what causes it? What is that medicinal, harsh flavor you are detecting? Enter your beer and find out! Feedback is usually honest and direct, and judging is done blind.

Sanctioned by the Beer Judge Certification Program or American Homebrewers Association

Entry fees generally run from $5-$7 per entry to cover costs, and usually require 2-3 12 oz. bottles per entry from the brewer. Small price to pay for information that can greatly improve your homebrew! Competitions are usually sponsored by homebrew clubs all across the U.S., and many clubs have annual competitions.

Some tips to increase the chances of your homebrew scoring well at homebrew competitions:

-Proper sanitation is key when brewing!! Your beer will not do well if it is infected or has major flaws. On the other hand, enter it and find out just what those flaws are that you cant pinpoint!

-Make sure you know the rules/regulations/requirements of the specific competition you are entering, including day of the event, entry due date, entry fee, # of bottles you need to enter, any entry restrictions, entry drop off or mail in location (as it may differ from the actual judging location), bottle specifics etc. Contact the competition organizer if you have any questions.

-Ensure that you enter your beer into the correct and appropriate style category and subcategory to be judged. THIS IS CRUCIAL AND CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH. Taste it, read the style guidelines used for the competition, and make a determination of what it is exactly based on the guideline criteria.

-Makes sure the outsides of your bottles are clean and presentable and they have a proper fill level. You will not have points deducted for dirty bottles or low fill levels but they generally are the first thing a judge notices, and you want to make a good first impression!

-Most competitions require that you do not use distinctive bottles with raised lettering, and also most require you to black out the top of your bottle caps.

-Be sure to taste your homebrew before entering it to make sure the carbonation level is adequate.

-Use fresh brewing ingredients.

-Be cognizant of entry date deadlines, making sure your beer that you want to enter will be finished by then!

-Pack your entries carefully and securely if mailing them in, you dont want to enter broken bottles!

-Fill out your entry forms/bottle forms completely and re-read them for accuracy.

GOOD LUCK!!

Popularity: 3% [?]

A hydrometer is an instrument that basically measures the density of liquids in relation to water. If is a very useful tool when making homebrew, and from its usage you can determine fermentation status (if it’s done or not), alcohol percentage, and the beers body which can help determine if you are within the recommended guidelines to beer style.

Accurately measure your homebrew with a quality hydrometer.

To calculate an approximate alcohol by volume of your finished homebrew: Original gravity minus Final Gravity times 129=your approximate homebrew alcohol by volume (ABV).

For example, a homebrew with an original gravity of 1.050 and a final gravity of 1.015 would be calculated as follows: 1.050-1.015=0.035X129=4.51% ABV

To take a hydrometer reading simply remove a sample from your wort and place it into the hydrometer jar. Make sure to use enough liquid so the hydrometer floats. Read your Original Gravity using the Specific Gravity scale on the hydrometer and write it down. Be sure to take your reading by indicating where the liquid actually intersects the stem of the hydrometer.

Take your Original Gravity reading before the yeast is pitched after brewing. Subsequent samplings/readings will take place before bottling your homebrew to ensure fermentation has stopped. Final gravity (FG) is taken just before bottling. Usually, your FG will be between one-third or one-fourth of your OG. For example, a beer in the 1.060 OG range should end up with a FG between 1.015-1.020. As a rule, water has a specific gravity of 1.000 when the sample is taken at 60F. Therefore, most hydrometers are calibrated at 60F, so you may have to adjust your gravity after taking it by using the below scale:

wort is 60F-No correction/adjustment needed
70F-add 1 point
77F-add 2 points
84F-add 3 points
95F-add 5 points
105F-add 7 points

Example: If wort temperature is 77F
OG is 1.050
Adjustment needed: 2 points
Correct OG is 1.052

Popularity: 4% [?]

A brief background on brewers yeast

Ales use top-fermenting yeast strains that typically ferment between 65-75F and lagers use bottom-fermenting yeast strains that typically ferment from 50-55F. Pitching temperature should always be 80F or under because yeast will die if exposed to temperatures over 110F. Too high of a fermentation temperature can also result in a variety of off-flavors or higher alcohols (fusel alcohols). Yeast fermentation time will vary depending on strain, temperature, and fermentation environment, however most fermentations should be complete within 7-14 days.

1. Respiration – Also known as lag time. In this stage, the yeast is reproducing to reach critical mass, which then leads to the second stage, fermentation. You want to minimize the time the yeast spends in this stage because you want the yeast to start alcohol fermentation as soon as possible to prevent invasion and spoilage from bacteria or wild yeasts. This is why proper sanitation and pitching healthy brewers yeast or a yeast starter is essential.

2. Fermentation – In this stage, the yeast is actively consuming the sugars in the wort, turning them into CO2 and alcohol.

3. Sedimentation – The yeast enter this stage once the sugar level starts to drop. The yeast drop out of solution and become dormant, flocculating (dropping out) to the bottom of your fermenter or bottle forming sediment. Again, the yeast go dormant, they do not die. If additional sugars are added the yeast will go full-throttle again.

Always make sure to use fresh brewers yeast, be cognizant of the dates on the yeast package or packet.

Always make sure to pick the right brewers yeast for the job.

Always make sure to rehydrate your yeast before pitching if using dry yeast.

**I recommend making a yeast starter if using liquid yeast, whether or not the yeast is marketed as “pitchable.”**

Popularity: 7% [?]

Many homebrewers will begin or have begun their homebrewing careers by using malt extract. Your extract is basically a concentrated wort, and by using it, the mashing step of brewing can be deleted.

It can be used alone as the backbone of your homebrew, or supplemented (recommended) with grains (either steeping or mashing). Hopped malt extract is typically called a kit, and comes complete with hop extracts added to them. I recommend using unhopped malt extract, and developing your own hop characteristics using your own hop schedule in your homebrew.

Malt extract usually comes in two forms..
Syrup (the liquid form, LME) or a dry powder (dry malt extract, DME). Its basically made by removing most of the water from a sweet wort by a vacuuming process. Extract is made using very sophisticated machinery and processes. LME is about 20% water, and DME virtually has no water content at all. DME has a better shelf life due to lack of water content, and LME ages significantly faster and also turns darker as it ages.

Dont think for a minute that you cant make excellent beer using malt extract!

Personally I have made several beers that have scored well and/or have WON in homebrew competitions using malt extract. Also, many fellow brewers in my homebrew club also have made great beers with extract also.

However, it does have its limits. It is tough to brew a very light or pale colored beer (like a Pilsner or other light lager) using extract, because it will caramelize and darken some when boiled. When extract is produced, the wort is heated for a long period of time, so in a way the darkening process has already begun when malt extract is manufactured.

To brew a light colored beer using extract
shorten the boil time to about 45 minutes total, increase the hopping rates a little to compensate, and use the lightest dry malt extract possible. It may take some experimentation, but I took first place with a Blond Ale that scored in the 40s at a BJCP sanctioned homebrew competition with this method.

The key is: make sure the extract you are using is fresh!

There are several different types and brands of extract. Muntons, Laaglander, and Briess are just a few of the different brands out there. Flavor, color, and fermentability all differ between brands. Colors usually range from Extra-light to Extra Dark depending on the manufacturer. I recommend using the lightest extract possible, and building the color of your homebrew by adding the appropriate grains for the specific style you are brewing.

As far as fermentability is concerned, Laaglander is known to finish with more dextrins (fuller body), while Muntons ferments out a little more and may leave a lighter body. It all depends on what style you are brewing, and your personal preferences. Every malt extract brand also contributes different points per gallon in figuring out gravities for devising recipes. Experiment with each brand until you find something that suits your preference.

As a general rule however
1 pound of DME roughly equals 1.2 pounds of LME. On the flip side, 1 pound of LME roughly equals about 0.8 pounds of DME. So, you need more liquid malt extract to achieve the same gravity that less dry malt extract would. 5 pounds of DME will give approximately the same original gravity as 6 pounds of LME. Again, this is all estimation, so experiment with different brands and stick with one or two that are the most consistent and works the best for you.

To look at it another way
dry malt extract also contributes more points per gallon (ppg). DME has about 44 ppg (this will vary between manufacturers), while LME has about 37 (again will vary with manufacturer). For example, one pound of dry malt extract in one gallon of water will yield an approximate original gravity of 1.044. Therefore, a 5 gallon recipe with 6 pounds of DME will yield an original gravity of approximately 1.052 (6 lbs. DME X 44 ppg=264 points, 264 points/5 gallons=52=1.052).

Popularity: 38% [?]