Alright, so yesterday I was messing around in the kitchen, trying to come up with something a little different for my buddies coming over this weekend. I stumbled upon this crazy idea – bread and honey beer! Yeah, sounds weird, I know, but hear me out.
Phase One: The Idea Takes Root
It all started with a loaf of sourdough I had lying around that was getting a bit stale. I hate wasting food, so I thought, “What can I do with this thing?” Then, I remembered this one time I had a honey-infused beer at some fancy brewery. Boom! Bread and honey beer was born in my brain.
Phase Two: Gathering the Goods
- Stale Sourdough Bread (about half a loaf, cubed)
- Good Quality Honey (I used some local wildflower honey, about a cup)
- Beer Brewing Supplies (You know, the usual – fermenter, airlock, bottles, etc.)
- Brewing Malt Extract (Light, about 6 lbs – gotta have some body!)
- Hops (Just a touch for bitterness – I went with about an ounce of Cascade)
- Brewing Yeast (Something neutral – I used US-05)
Phase Three: The Brew Day Hustle
- Toast the Bread: First, I cubed the sourdough and tossed it on a baking sheet. Popped it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 15-20 minutes, until it was nice and toasty, but not burnt. This step is crucial, gotta get that toasty bread flavor.
- Mash In: I heated up about 3 gallons of water to around 160°F (71°C). Then, I mixed in the malt extract and the toasted bread. Stirred it all up real good, making sure there were no clumps. Let it sit for about an hour to let the bread flavors infuse.
- Sparge and Boil: After the hour, I strained the liquid into my brew kettle, leaving the bread solids behind. I then rinsed the bread solids with another gallon of hot water to get every last bit of flavor. This is called sparging, fancy eh? Brought the wort (that’s the sugary liquid) to a boil.
- Hop Addition: Once boiling, I added the hops. I let it boil for a full hour, adding the honey in the last 15 minutes. This sanitizes everything and gets the hop bitterness just right.
- Cool and Ferment: After the boil, I cooled the wort down as quickly as possible (I used an ice bath) to around 70°F (21°C). Then, I transferred it to my sanitized fermenter, pitched the yeast, and slapped on the airlock.
Phase Four: The Waiting Game
Now comes the hard part – waiting! I let the beer ferment for about two weeks, keeping it at a consistent temperature. I took gravity readings to make sure fermentation was complete. You gotta be patient, this is not instant noodles!
Phase Five: Bottling Time!
After two weeks, I carefully siphoned the beer into bottles, adding a little bit of priming sugar to each bottle for carbonation. Capped them all up and let them sit for another two weeks to carbonate. This is where the magic happens.
The Moment of Truth
Finally, the day arrived. I chilled a bottle, popped it open, and poured myself a glass. The color was a nice golden hue, with a foamy head. The aroma? Toasty bread, a hint of honey, and a subtle bitterness. The taste? Surprisingly good! The bread flavor was there, subtle but noticeable, balanced perfectly with the honey sweetness and the hop bitterness. It was actually a really unique and refreshing beer.
Verdict:
I’m pretty stoked with how this turned out. It’s definitely not your everyday beer, but it’s a fun experiment and a great way to use up stale bread. My buddies are gonna love it… or at least they’ll pretend to! I’ll definitely be brewing this again, maybe tweaking the recipe a bit next time. Cheers!
