Post by Bill O'MeallyIt's an extract recipe that calls for biscuit malt. Would this work? I
always thought that this malt was enzyme deficient and would end up
leaving unconverted starch in the beer. I would do a mini-mash with
maybe a pound of base malt or perhaps wheat malt.
I'm sure mashing would add a bit more to the recipe, although anything
you steep will add some flavor except maybe marbles and stainless steel
ball bearings. I don't think steeping the 8oz of biscuit will do much
more than add a little bit of its taste but I don't think it will hurt
anything.
Post by Bill O'MeallyHaven't figured out the IBUs yet.
Any thoughts?
I've read the reactions in various online forums, with the expected
random dopey political reactions, a few people with the old ignorant
biases against extract and dry yeast, but most people liking the spirit
of it all.
I'm surprised I haven't seen any comparisons to Alton Brown's program on
home brewing -- in the video the White House kitchen people seem more
willing to say they're just beginners, but also seem a lot more aware of
what they're doing.
Northern Brewer is selling its version and the recipe is here:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/WhiteHouseHoneyAle.
pdf
It looks like they modify the recipe a little bit, like adding the honey
at the end of the boil, although I'm sure this is only based on
guesswork since there's no way they could have finished it by now.
I plan on doing a version of the White House porter soon. I'll crib
someone's conversion to all grain, use whatever generic honey I can pick
up at the farmer's market, and I'll be using Blackprinz malt instead of
black malt, and Coopers instead of Nottingham yeast, since that's what I
have on hand. So it won't be exactly the same, but in the same ballpark
I think. I'm sure it will be decent beer, although I can't imagine
making it again, since I usually tinker and modify recipes depending on
what I have on hand.