Tag Archives: Brewing

Active Fermentation Video Clip

Posted by Marcus Orr on January 15, 2011 No comments

Fermentation 300x200 Active Fermentation Video ClipI just started brewing a couple of different recipes, Ken Schram’s Fall Bounty Cyser and Edwort’s Apfelwein.  The Fall Bounty Cyser had a bit more active fermentation than I expected and I had to switch from an airlock to a blowoff tube.  This short video clip from my cell phone shows what I’ve got brewing right now.

Cinnamon Vanilla Mead

Posted by Marcus Orr on November 9, 2010 No comments

We bottled our first batch of mead.  I thought we were going to get 25 bottles, but we ended up with 21.  This batch was a cinnamon vanilla mead.  It turned out great.  Perhaps we sampled a bit more than I remember.  Here’s an overview of the process we went through:

  1. Brewing Supplies:  Fermenting Bucket, Glass Carboy, Filtered Funnel, Hydrometer, Thermometer, wine thief, airlock, rubber stopper, sanitizer, honey, sugar, yeast, yeast nutrients, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans and campden tablets.Mead Supplies Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  2. Sanitization:  Sanitize everything!
  3. Prepare the Must:  I used 10 lbs of honey, 2 lbs of sugar and yeast nutrients to about 2 1/2 gallons of water heated to 160 degrees.  The honey was easier to work with after letting it sit in a pot of warm water prior to adding to the must.  Heating the must to 160 degrees pasteurizes the mix.Pasteurize Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  4. Transfer to the Fermenting Bucket
  5. Increased the honey/sugar content:  I wasn’t happy with the sugar content of the must.  (I prefer sweet wines)  After taking measurements with the hydrometer, I realized that I would end up with a dry wine if I didn’t increase the sugar content on the front end.  I drew some of the must out of the fermenting bucket, returned it to the stock pot and added 3 more lbs of honey.
  6. Ready to start fermenting:  I ended up with just a hair above 5 gallons of must in the primary fermenting bucket.Brewing Bucket Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  7. Initial hydrometer reading:  I used the wine thief to fill the hydrometer test tube.  The initial hydrometer reading was 1.110.  I added honey and sugar to bring the reading to 1.132.1st hydrometer reading Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  8. Added campden tablets:  Even though the pasteurization process should have killed off any wild yeasts or bacteria, I still added campden tablets and waited a day for them to finish working
  9. Activating the yeast:  I used Lalvin D47 and just follwed the instructions for activation in warm wateractivate yeast Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  10. Pitching the yeast:  Emily pitched the yeast into the must to start the fermentation processPitching yeast Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  11. Airlock:  Everything sealed up nicely with the airlock installed so no bacterial nasties get in.  I like to use vodka in the airlock rather than water.airlock Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  12. Racking the mead:  The fermentation process bubbled along nicely for a couple of weeks.  After the bubbling in the airlock slowed to around 30 seconds between each bubble, I racked the mead from the primary fermenting bucket to the secondary fermenter, a glass carboy.  I decided to buy a larger glass carboy than the one that was in the first pic.  To move the mead from the primary to the secondary, I siphoned the mead with a racking cane and hose.  I used the filtered funnel on the glass carboy.  To get the most mead out, I had to elevate one corner of the primary.  My Alcoholic Beverage Control Laws and Rules of North Carolina book was just the right size to wedge under the fermenter.Racking Cinnamon Vanilla MeadCarboy Cinnamon Vanilla MeadABC Laws1 Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  13. Second Hydrometer Reading:  Using the wine thief, test tube and hydrometer again, I got a reading of 1.028.second hydrometer reading Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  14. Secondary Fermentation:  Everything all sealed up in the glass carboy for the secondary fermentation.  I added 6 cinnamon sticks and 6 tahitian vanilla beans (sliced lengthwise)Secondary Fermentation Cinnamon Vanilla Meadcinnamon and vanilla beans Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  15. 09/09/10, Third Hydrometer Reading:  This reading was 1.03, which calculates into 13.5% ABV.  I tasted a sip.  It was sweet with a strong, but not overpowering cinnamon flavor and a hint of vanilla.  The clarity is great.third hydrometer reading Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  16. 10/02/10, Added Bentonite:  Bentonite is a type of clay used as a clarifying agent before bottling.
  17. 10/06/10, Fourth Hydrometer Reading:  This reading was 1.028, which calculates into 13.78% ABV, Check out that clarity!  Time to bottle.Fourth Hydrometer Reading Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  18. Preparing the Bottles:  Bottles have been sanitized and dried on the drying tree.drying bottles Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  19. Filling the Bottles:  The mead was racked back into the primary, which has a spigot for bottling.  The bottles were filled by hand.Filling bottles Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  20. Corking:  I have a floor corker that I used to cork the bottles.  I used synthetic corks.Floor Corker Cinnamon Vanilla MeadCorked bottles Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  21. Wax seals:  I decided that I wanted to wax seal the bottles.  It just seemed like it added quite a bit in the presentation of the final product.  I melted wax beads in a can set in boiling water.  Dipped the ends of the corked bottles and rolled them around to get the wax even.  Ready for labels.Melting Wax Cinnamon Vanilla MeadWax Seals Cinnamon Vanilla MeadWax Seals 2 Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  22. Labeling:  I bought printer-ready labels that matched the wax seals and added my own custom touch to the labels.  The finished product looks great!labeled1 Cinnamon Vanilla Mead
  23. The labels read:  Orr Family Meadery, Metheglin 2010, Me·theg·lin is a variety of spiced mead  (honey-wine).  This particular bottle contains a fermentation of sweet mead infused with the flavors of cinnamon and vanilla.  Brewed especially for friends and family of Marcus & Lauren Orr.  Alcohol 14% by Volume 750ML label Cinnamon Vanilla Mead

A Practical Theology of Brewing

Posted by Marcus Orr on June 25, 2010 9 comments

I recently started pursuing a new hobby – brewing.  I’m fascinated by it.  I’m soaking up as much information about it as I can.  I’m fascinated by the chemistry, the history and, especially, the theology associated with wine.  Wait…What?  An ordained minister interested in brewing?  A theology of wine?  Isn’t alcohol sinful?

Hold those thoughts for a second…

Ok, that’s better.  I’m settled into the recliner, cold Sam Adams in hand and the sounds of Miles Davis drifting across the room.  This is my relaxing and writing place.  

I’ve been taught my whole life that wine is of the devil.  I can remember very early hearing sermons about the evils of alcohol.  Being educated in a Christian school with strong independent, fundamental baptist ties, I heard chapel speakers, bible teachers, pastors, evangelists, teachers, and administrators preach against drinking with such fervor that one would be led to believe that certainly God meant for there to be an eleventh commandment prohibiting the consumption of alcohol.  My family didn’t drink.  I’ve never seen my parents drink.  I’ve never seen my grandparents or any other extended family drink.  I wasn’t even around anyone drinking until I was well into college.  It was around that time that I began to, as so many do, question what I had been taught; particularly regarding issues of morality (or perceptions of morality).  Yet, I still didn’t drink.  Not because I had a moral objection to it, but only because it was the way I had been raised and I’ve never been one who has been easily swayed to do something merely because someone else is.

I really began to question things when I was in seminary.  There were so many things I had been taught that just didn’t seem consistent with what I read in Scripture.  I believe that Christians should aspire to the testimony of the Bereans in Acts 17:2, who, “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”  I have found in my study that the scriptures and the history of the church teach a much different view of alcoholic drink than what was presented to me.  Volumes could be written (and have been) discussing biblical teaching on alcohol.  But this is a blog, not a book.  So, I’ll hit some highlights that have been crucial to my understanding of this topic.

First, Jesus turned water to wine.  Prohibitionist brethren, you can preach to me all you want about low % alcohol content or grape juice.  But those arguments don’t hold up.  Where the Bible says “wine”, it means wine, not grape juice. 

“When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.  John 2:9-11

I don’t see any possibility for this to be a grape juice a la welch’s or a low % alcohol.  However, teetotaling friends, even if I grant you the possibility that Jesus created a low % alcohol, it’s still alcohol and then becomes a question of quality vs. quantity.  Jesus made wine for people to enjoy.

Second,  Jesus drank alcohol.  Hold up!  Stoke up the fires!  Heretic!  Yes, Jesus seemed to be quite fond of both food and wine.  So much so that scripture says,

“The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.”  Matthew 11:19

Jesus had a reputation as a social guy.  He liked a good dinner party.  He enjoyed the food, drink and company.  A reputation as a “winebibber” doesn’t come from abstinence.

Third,  God encourages the enjoyment of alcoholic drinks.  Deuteronomy 14 has had a huge impact on my perspective of alcohol.  Go read the whole chapter.  It starts off with a rundown of the animals that God told the Israelites that they could and couldn’t eat.  About midway through the chapter, it transitions into commandments concerning tithing their produce and worshiping God through feasting on his provision at the appointed time and place…

“And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.” Deuteronomy 14:23

But God has blessed some of his children so much that they can’t comply with this command.  They don’t have the means to transport even a tithe of what they have been blessed with…

“And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:” Deuteronomy 14:24

What should they do?

“Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose:”  Deuteronomy 14:25

Then these verses, which I believe clearly conveys God’s perspective on whether it’s ok for his children to indulge in alcohol…

“And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.  At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:  And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.”  Deuteronomy 14:26-29

and consider this…

“He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man; that he may bring forth food out of the earth; and wine that makes the heart of man glad and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart.” Psalm 104:14-15

Not only is it permissible to drink, but in these contexts, it is an act of worship and celebration of God’s blessing.  God has provided these drinks for our enjoyment.  It’s interesting to note also that specific instructions are given to share with the Levites, who were the priestly tribe.  So, if we were to apply a modern equivalent of this teaching…If God has blessed you, you probably owe your pastor a bottle of nice wine.  And not only him, but also others who are in need of a good cheery feast.  Could this Old Testament passage be a foreshadowing of the New Testament’s communion or Christian love feast.  When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we do it in rememberance of Christ…It is a celebration of what Jesus accomplished on the cross and anticipation of the blessings to come.

I unashamedly enjoy God’s gift of wine.  My savior is the greatest vinter and it is his example that I strive toward.  On that note, I need to go check on my first batch of mead that is fermenting in the kitchen.  May God bless our wine that we may soon enjoy and share his creation.

If you’re interested in this topic, check out these resources:

032668t A Practical Theology of Brewing God Gave Wine: What the Bible Says about Alcohol

By Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr. / Oakdown Books

Kenneth Gentry presents a balanced, biblical, and easy-to-read evaluation of the arguments, pro and con about Christians drinking alcoholic beverages. Writing in a pleasing and moderate style, Gentry’s approach avoids the common pitfalls of emotionalism, cultural conditioning and ecclesiastical tradition, while remaining distinctively biblical.

and

032607t A Practical Theology of Brewing Drinking with Calvin and Luther: A History of Alcohol in the Church

By Jim West / Oakdown Books

Have a pint with the Puritans?

Luther, Calvin and Zwingli—these men are better known for their theology than their taste in beer. Charles Wesley and George Whitefield—these men are known more for their witness than their wine. Prepared to learn something new?

In this completely revised and expanded version of his underground classic, Rev. Jim West takes you through centuries of Christian history, looking at the role alcohol played in the church during the Protestant Reformation, in the American colonies, into the time of Charles Spurgeon and beyond.

With humor and wit, West winds through time showing in generation after generation how God’s saints have enjoyed his many good gifts in reverence, thankfulness, and moderation.

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