Beer to the Chief

I am an avid home brewer.  I love home brewing beer!  Ask Allison and she will tell you that when the brewing bug bit me, it latched on hard.  Our garage is full of brewing equipment that takes up valuable real estate where vehicles could be parked.  A month or two back the White House announced that they would begin brewing their own homebrewed beer.  Regardless of your political leanings, this is pretty cool.  The announcement made me wonder if the recipe would ever be made public.  It was rumored that a few Freedom of Information Act requests had been made trying to get a hold of the "top secret" ale.  Over the weekend White House Chef Sam Kass posted the recipe for the White House's Honey Ale and I cannot wait to make a batch.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 (3.3 lb) cans light malt extract
• 1 lb light dried malt extract
• 12 oz crushed amber crystal malt
• 8 oz Biscuit Malt
• 1 lb White House Honey
• 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings Hop Pellets
• 1 1/2 oz Fuggles Hop Pellets
• 2 tsp Gypsum
• 1 pkg Windsor Dry Ale Yeast
• 3/4 cup Corn Sugar for Priming

Directions

1. In an 12 qt pot, steep the grains in a hop bag in 1 1/2 gallons of sterile water at 155 degrees for half an hour. Remove the grains.
2. Add the 2 cans of the malt extract and the dried extract and bring to a boil.
3. For the first flavoring, add the 1 1/2 oz Kent Goldings and 2 tsp of gypsum. Boil for 45 minutes.
4. For the second flavoring, add the 1/2 oz Fuggles hop pellets at the last minute of the boil.
5. Add the honey and boil for 5 more minutes.
6. Add 2 gallons chilled sterile water into the primary fermenter and add the hot wort into it. Top with more water to total 5 gallons. There is no need to strain.
7. Pitch yeast when wort temperature is between 70-80˚. Fill airlock halfway with water.
8. Ferment at 68-72˚ for about seven days.
9. Rack to a secondary fermenter after five days and ferment for 14 more days.
10. To bottle, dissolve the corn sugar into 2 pints of boiling water for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into an empty bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter over it. Distribute priming sugar evenly. Siphon into bottles and cap. Let sit for 2 to 3 weeks at 75˚.

http://youtu.be/dygQrX8FI3Q