# Brew and Build

> Homebrewing and microbrewery build


## Pages

- [Brew A Doppelbock](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/brew-a-doppelbock/): How to brew a doppelbock. First of all, what is a doppelbock and where did it originate? A doppelbock is a strong, rich German lager beer that originated in the 17th century in Munich, Germany. The name “doppelbock” simply means “double bock,” indicating that it is a stronger version of the traditional ‘bock’ beer, which is a German-style lager typically known for its malty flavors. To get these deep malt flavours, the obvious choice is Munich malt, and this therefore forms the basis of the recipe. If, however, only Munich is used, the beer will be a little lacking in… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Elderflower Blonde Ale](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/elderflower-blonde-ale/): It’s summer again, the flowers are blooming, it’s time to brew an Elderflower blonde ale. This is not a well recognised style among beer drinkers around the world, but here in Scotland, there are at least two commercial beers that I can instantly think of that use Elderflowers. In fact, if you do a quick search online, there are a surprising number of elderflower beers that pop up. If you have ever had elderflower cordial, you may be wondering how the taste could possibly marry with beer. The trick is to make the elder taste noticeable, but not over prominent.… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Straffe Hendrik Tripel Recipe - First Attempt](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/straffe-hendrik-tripel-recipe-first-attempt/): This is an attempt to clone a Straffe Hendrik tripel recipe. Straffe Hendrik Tripel is brewed by De Halve Maan brewery in Bruges, Belgium. It is a beer of 9% alcohol, is heavily hopped with notes of stone-fruit, and it is slightly more full bodied than many other tripels. We know very little as to the ingredients of this beer, as is the case with so many beers, So trying to brew something similar is very challenging. De Halve Maan brewery have made this especially difficult by giving us a little information, but at the same time, hinting that it… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [About Brew and Build](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/about-brew-and-build/): How did Brew and Build come about?… Well, brewing has been one of my top past-times for many years now. I began brewing mainly in order to use up our apple harvest each year, and turn it into cider. However, I kept putting off starting, as I always had other things that required attention first. Mainly a 150 year old farmhouse that we are rebuilding. My wife kept saying, “just get some gear and start, otherwise you’ll never do it”. As usual, she was right. I began that week with some buckets and a few bottles and tubes that I… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Mexican Lager Recipe](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/mexican-pale-lager/): How to brew a Mexican Pale Lager, and what is a Mexican Lager recipe? That’s a broad statement and a difficult question. This is not an easy to define style, and there is no single Mexican beer that you can point to, and say “That defines the brewing of that country”. Sure, the most internationally recognised Mexican lager export is Corona Extra. However, that’s an unfair umbrella to put over a country that has a very broad and actually interesting brewing history. I’m not here to delve into the history of Mexican brewing. I’m not qualified, and this site is… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Tmavé Pivo - An amazing Czech Dark Lager](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/tmave-pivo-an-amazing-czech-dark-lager/): Tmavé pivo is simply Czech for Dark Beer. It is the Czech equivalent of a Munich Dunkel, which was the original inspiration of this style. It is a style that is often overlooked, simply because Pilsner is so synonymous with this culture, and little else seems to get attention of the international beer drinking community. Yet, when brewed well, tmavé pivo is as easy to drink in quantity as a light Pilsner, whilst still giving that satisfying dark grain depth of taste. Tmavé Pivo Recipe Ingredients Fermentables 2200g Pilsner Malt (50.6%) 1750g Dark Munich Malt (40.2%) 250g Cara Munich II… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Centennial Pale Ale](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/centennial-pale-ale/): This is inspired by Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and is almost a clone recipe of that beer. However, I’ve swapped out the Cascade hops, and substituted in Centennial, for a more punchy grapefruit citrus taste. This beer is delicious, and so easy to drink, with strong notes of caramel and pink grapefruit. Read on for how to brew a Centennial Pale Ale. The Basic Concept This beer is unashamedly a very close copy, and almost a clone of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Now Sierra Nevada Brewery don’t hide their recipe, and in fact they publish a home brew version of… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Brew a Rice Stout.](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/rice-stout/): Brewing with rice is common for certain beer styles, mainly light rice lagers and some light ales. Less common is using rice in dark beer to brew something like a Rice Stout. However, rice is able to lighten a beer, and will help to make dark beers easier to drink, whilst still giving a smoothness and body of it’s own. Find the recipe below and watch the video to see how to brew a rice stout. Rice Stout Recipe Ingredients Fermentables 2200g Pale Malt (50.7%) 1500g Flaked Rice (34.6%) 200g Chocolate Wheat Malt (4.6%) 200g Roasted Barley (4.6%) 100g Carafa… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Yeast From Beer](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/methods-and-projects/yeast-from-beer/): If you’re a homebrewer or a home baker, you may have looked at an empty bottle of beer and noticed a layer of yeast in the bottom of the bottle, and wondered if it’s possible to use that yeast for your own brewing or baking. The simple answer is yes. However, it can require a little time to do, as the yeast needs to be built up slowly. So let’s find out how to get yeast from beer. Which beer can I use? To be clear, not all beer will have yeast in it. The beer will have been fermented… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Kegland Keg Review](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/reviews/kegland-keg-review/): Kegland are a brewing supply company that provide homebrewing equipment at a sensible price. I was in need of some small kegs for storage and clearing of my mead and fruit wines, so i bought myself a couple of their 9.5 litre kegs. As these are just half size versions of their 19 litre kegs, I thought I’d post a Kegland Keg Review. I use other Kegland products, such as the Blowtie spunding valve, which I have reviewed here, and I have been happy with the performance of those. I was therefore looking forward to trying this new keg. Outside… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [South German Pilsner](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/brew-south-german-pilsner/): Pilsner was first brewed in Plzen, in the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1838, by a German brewer. This clean new style was to become the worlds most brewed and ‘imitated’ beer. The pilsner style was also adopted just across the border in Germany, and they soon developed their own versions of this clean beer. Using their own ‘Noble’ hops and water profile, they started to brew South German Pilsner. German Pils (South) Ingredients Fermentables 3800 g Best Pils Malt (100%) Yeast White Labs WLP835 German X Lager Yeast Hops 35 g Tettnang @ 60 minutes (16.6 IBU) 35 g Tettnang… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Methods and Projects](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/methods-and-projects/): Homebrewing tips, methods, and unusual projects. Have a look below for a range of brewing ideas that are not always what is the generally accepted norm in homebrewing. Many of these projects and ideas can also be found on our YouTube site check it out for more homebrewing inspiration. Whether you want to learn to brew, or whether you are an expert brewer, I hope you will find a new homebrewing method, or an unusual project here to help you think outside the box and make your best fermentation. How to Brew Beer With No Brew Gear The first project,… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Rice Lager](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/rice-lager/): Rice has been used in beer brewing for many decades. For many years, it was considered as a cheap way for the big commercial breweries to pad out their beer. In more recent years however, craft and home brewers have started to discover that rice is actually a delicious ingredient, that adds to the beer in it’s own unique way. Read on to see how to brew a rice lager. Let’s Get Brewing Let’s take a look at the brew process. This is for a starting volume of 25 litres water, using an electric all in one brewing system. I’ll… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Fir Tips or Spruce Tips for Brewing (or tea)](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/ingredients/fir-tips-for-brewing/): Fir tips, along with Spruce, Juniper or Pine tips are a fantastic ingredient for brewing, offering pine flavours as well as fresh, citrus, sweet and almost candi-like flavours. It’s easy to brew with Fir tips, and it’s also easy to collect them at the right time of year. We have almost no Spruce in the area, so I will be mostly referring to Fir (Douglass Fir), as we have an abundance of these nearby. However, the foraging and use of all these conifers is very similar. In late spring, the tips of conifer trees unfurl into a light green fresh… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Duck Nose Brown](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/duck-nose-brown-ale/): While this is about how I brew a brown ale, I won’t try to tell you it’s a typical Brown. Having trawled through the categories, I had to conclude that whilst this is a brown ale, it’s not a typical English/British Brown, but nor is it a Belgian style, which is relevant considering the amount of Special B malt and Candi Sugar. So, the closest descriptor I can come up with is a Dry Brown Ale, or possibly a new age American Amber Ale. Read on to see how to brew the ‘Duck Nose Brown’ ale. This started after drinking… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Brew a Belgian Saison](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/brew-a-belgian-saison/): Saison, it is a simple beer with an amazing complexity of taste. This is produced predominantly by the yeast. There is no need to add fruit, spices or various citrus zests to a saison recipe to achieve a delicious beer. Done well, this is one of the most complex tasting beers styles, yet brewed with a simple grist and hop list. Let’s look at how to brew a Saison Belgian style. The story and history of this beer is as rich as the ale itself. Saisons were brewed by farmers with whatever grains and fermentables they had available at the… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Belgian Dubbel](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/belgian-dubbel/): The Brew and Build Belgian Dubbel, similar to Westmalle dubbel, but with slightly more flavour. (I didn’t say better, but we prefer this over Westmalle) A few years ago, I started trying to clone Westmalle dubbel. After a couple of brews, I was getting close, but my beer was more rich, and more full of flavour than the beer I was trying to copy. When we sampled them side by side, we decided that we preferred my version, and at that point I stopped modifying the recipe. I’ve been brewing this version ever since, and have no plans to change… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Honey Pale Lager](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/honey-pale-lager/): How to brew a Honey Pale Lager. This is essentially a Pilsner that has a distinct, but subtle note of honey. Lightly dry hopped to finish. Crystal clear and perfectly crisp, ideal for those summer afternoon BBQ’s. The idea of this lager is not to make a beer that is strong in honey, like a braggot, but instead, the honey should be subtle yet distinct. If the honey becomes to dominant, the beer will feel too rich and heavy to be a light crisp lager. Some of this will depend on the type of honey you have access to. Our… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Pine IPA](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/brew-a-pine-ipa/): How to brew a pine IPA. Or at least an IPA with Fir Tips. At some point I’ll get round to making a true pine based beer, but until then, I’ll continue to use the tips along side of more traditional additions such as hops. I’m not wanting this to taste like a full on pine tree. We’re just trying to brew a pine IPA. The Fir tips should give a subtle sweet candi like flavour, that comes through towards the end of the mouthful. This has been my previous experience of Fir tips in cider and other beers, but… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [How to Start Homebrewing Beer - No Gear](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/methods-and-projects/how-to-make-beer-with-no-gear/): This is a method for how to make beer using only the items in your kitchen or shed. Equipment is expensive, but it’s easy to try homebrewing with household items. Whilst this is definitely not a long term solution, it’s a great way for how to start homebrewing. If you enjoy it, you’ll soon move on to better equipment, but this will cost you almost nothing to try. How to make beer with no gear? “Maybe I could buy a kit, but then I still need all the other bits…. I just want to try to make beer without any… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Glossary and Library](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/glossary-and-library/): This is the Brew and Build glossary. It is a library where you can find information on terms used throughout the website and in brewing. I will slowly update this glossary as I get time. Adjunct – these are unmalted grains or grain products used in brewing beer which supplement the main ingredients of the mash. This is often done to reduce costs, but sometimes also to create an additional benefits, such as better foam retention or flavours. Both solid and liquid adjuncts are commonly used. Decoction – Decoction mashing is a reference to removing part or all of the grains from… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [SS Brewtech 7 Gal Unitank](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/reviews/ss-brewtech-7-gal-unitank/): A review of the 7 gallon version of the SS Brewtech Unitank After 5 years of using this tank, and now having purchased a second one, I can happily talk through the pros and cons of these fermentors. I’ve also made a couple of changes to make the tanks more usable and, in my opinion, better. Read on for the SS Brewtech Unitank review. I have updated this to compare with the newer version, as there is now a Unitank 2.0 which looks fantastic, and looks to address some of the things I’d like on my own tanks. The new… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Blowtie spunding valve review](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/reviews/blowtie-spunding-valve-review/): I’ve been using the blowtie spunding valve for about 2 years now. So, it’s about time I gave it a bit of a review and write up. I purchased this online from Kegland for less than £20, to be used as a spunding valve on my converted keg fermentor. It’s been extremely reliable, and has proven to be easy to clean with my brewing pump and some brewing cleaner. Occasionally I’ll take the unit apart completely just to make sure there is no mould or filth caught in the housing or the rubber membrane. So far it’s been clean on… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Contact us at Brew and Build](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/contact-us-at-brew-and-build/): Please leave your details and message below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
- [Czech Pils](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/czech-pils/): The pinnacle of pale lagers? Well, that’s a matter of opinion… The humble pilsner. It’s the most simple beer in it’s design. Just Pilsner malt and hops. However, it’s one of the hardest beers to brew well. There’s so little to hide behind. If your mash ph is out, temperature control wrong, yeast under-pitched, carbonation level too high/low, or any number of things, then it’ll probably be evident in the final product. We need to look at how to brew Czech Pils on a homebrew scale? All that said, if we’re reasonably disciplined in our brewing, then it’s actually easy… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Dark Lager Tropical Stout](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/dark-lager-tropical-stout/): This one is very difficult to categorise. Brewing a dark lager… Of all the beer I brew, and of all the recipes I’ve come up with, this is by far the most difficult to fit into a category. It’s almost got enough elements of crystal malts, dark malt and candi sugar to make it a Tropical stout, but not quite, and yet the sugar and the lager yeast lighten up the beer in a way that makes it extremely easy to drink. And at 5.7% alcohol, you can have a good few at a summer BBQ without falling over…. Let’s… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Spiced Hard Cider](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/spiced-hard-cider/): A recipe idea for making a spiced hard apple cider. So…… I had this keg of cider that had been aging at the back of the brew-room for about 18 months…… it was time to bottle it, but what sort of cider should it be? After all, we have bottles of dry cider, sweet cider with sugar, sweet cider with fructose, dry hopped cider, dry ‘hopped’ with fir tips cider, oak aged cider….. We needed a new idea. “What about a spiced cider” says Mrs Brew and Build. “Great idea” I say. We can use some Belgian candi sugar and… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Brewing a Braggot](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/brewing-a-braggot/): Let’s look at a Braggot recipe and brew-day So, what is a braggot…? …and how do we go about brewing a braggot? Well, it’s perhaps expressed well by the BJCP guidelines description: “A harmonious blend of mead and beer, with the distinctive characteristics of both. A wide range of results are possible, depending on the base style of beer, variety of honey and overall sweetness and strength.” So, it’s as much a beer as a mead, and should be balanced to showcase both the honey and the malt. It’s should be hopped, but only to provide balance to the richness… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Reviews](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/reviews/): A section where I’ll add product and tool reviews of some of the gear that I use and find useful. SS Brewtech 7 gallon Unitank review An honest review of the SS Brewtech 7 gallon Unitank. After 5 years of hard use, I feel I can give a fair assessment of this high end piece of home brewing equipment. Kegland BlowTie Spunding Valve review A useful piece of equipment for fermenting or carbonating in a keg. Not expensive but very effective in it’s design Kegland Keg Review (9.5 litre) The Kegland ‘Corny’ Keg. This is an honest review of their… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [How to Brew Apple Cider](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/make-apple-cider/): We’ve all been there. It’s another bumper year for apples, you can’t fit any more apple pies in the freezer, and there’s only so many apples you can eat before they go soft. We all end up asking how to brew apple cider. Can you do it well? YES! …So,let’s look at how to make apple cider at home. From apple selection, crushing, fermenting to clearing. It’s all important, and small details can make big differences to the final product. What is the finished goal here? Our aim here, is to make clean, crisp, and clear cider at home, that… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Brewdays and Recipe ideas](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/homebrewing-recipes-and-ideas/): Home brewing recipes, tips, how-to’s and maybe even some how-not’s. Have a look below for a series of articles on homebrewing recipes and ideas. Most of these brews can also be found on our YouTube site check it out for more homebrewing recipes and ideas Whether you want to learn to brew, or whether you are an expert brewer, I hope you will find something here to help make your best fermentation. Brew a Doppelbock, with Decoction Brew an authentic Doppelbock. This rich and malty German lager is a classic. Elderflower Blonde Ale Brew your own Elderflower Blonde Ale. A… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Homebrewing Ingredients](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/ingredients/): This is where to find, forage for, or how to make some of the unique or special homebrewing ingredients used in some of our recipes, to add another level of depth to your brewing. How to make Belgian Candi Sugar. To make authentic Belgian beers, you need authentic ingredients. This is a straight forward method that will work every time. Choose how light or dark you want your Belgian Candi Sugar, simply by adjusting how high and for how long you hold the temperature. Harvesting Fir Tips for Brewing Fir, Spruce, Pine or Juniper tips are a fantastic addition to… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Recipes and homebrewing by alphabetical order](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/recipes-and-brews-by-alphabetical-order/): This is an index of recipes and homebrewing ‘how to brew’ ideas. Click on a link below to follow through to a full brewday article and full recipe. All of these brewdays can be found on our YouTube channel at BrewandBuild
- [Home](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/): Brews by Alphabetical Order Contact Us Glossary and Library
- [How To Make Belgian Candi Sugar or Syrup](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/ingredients/belgian-candi-sugar/): How to make Belgian Candi Sugar. (And also how to make Belgian Candi Syrup, we just add some water for storage.) I’ll preempt this by saying that this is not going to taste exactly the same as say, D-180, as the manufacturers guard their production process of how to make belgian candi sugar quite closely. However, in the finished brewed product, it’s very close, and in fact I’ll go so far as to say that this version actually has more depth of flavours than most of the commercial rock-candi products. I personally think it has more flavour than D-90 or… Read More »Belgian Dubbel
- [Privacy Policy](https://brewandbuild.co.uk/homebrewing/privacy-policy/): Privacy Policy Last updated: April 17, 2024 This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You. We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy has been created with the help of the Privacy Policy Generator. Interpretation and Definitions Interpretation The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have… Read More »Belgian Dubbel


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