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The Brewers Journal
By Robert Chambers

Continental Pilsner Day One

Day One - I walk into the Brew shop recalling the words of my wife, "Get something I can drink this time." My first batch, an 80 shilling heavy, had been too much for her. Chuck Deveny, owner of The Brew Shop, guides me to brew from a kit one more time. I choose. Muntons Gold - Continental Pilsner.

The instructions amaze me. I am not supposed to boil the extract. This is only my second batch. I don't know anything but I do know you have to boil your extract. A phone call is in order. Chuck assures me that there is no need to boil it. This causes me to make doubly certain that my sanitation technique is up to par. Last batch I counted on boiling to do some of it. The kit makes 5 UK gallons. I momentarily ponder the difference between Imperial and American measure. If I go to the shelf and look it up I'll be responsible for trying to adjust my measurements. If I pretend there is no difference I'm off the hook. I go to the dictionary. It's 1.20 US gallons. Since I'm making a five gallon mix I just add another gallon US. That was too simple.

Deviation from the recipe Number One: I am boiling one gallon (US) of water to add to the hopped extract rather than 3.5 liters. The additional 30 cl can't hurt. I am also going to boil the last gallon US. When brewing in the maelstrom of four boys, two dogs and two cats you can never really be sure you've gotten everything as clean as you want it. You can't hurt water by boiling it.

I reach for the cans of extract and remember that I didn't sanitize the can opener. Two minutes later I'm pouring the first can into the fermenter. The telephone rings. "This is an important telephone call ... " Important to whoever is making it. I'm busy.

The extract pours nicely from the warm cans. I rinse the cans with some of the boiling water. The aroma is filling the kitchen. It is not as fragrant as boiling the extract but satisfying all the same.

Deviation from the recipe Number Two: The question of Imperial or US gallons quickly becomes moot as I realize that there will be no room for the krausen if I add the sixth US gallon. The thought of having several days of floor clean up stays my hand. I go five and a half gallons US.

I reach for my thermometer to test the wort. It is not to be found. I decide to wait until I get home from my shift to pitch the yeast. Cleanup takes several minutes. As the wort begins to cool I tool off to work.

Twelve hours and a lot of hard work later - The cup of boiled water I reserved to condition the yeast remained covered during my absence. I watch the yeast slowly drift to the bottom of the cup. Ten minutes later it's time to pitch. It's twelve after four in the morning and time for some dinner and then to bed.