Ladies and gents, please allow me to introduce my twenty-something friend, Ryan Terry. Along with being a very good friend of mine, Ryan is also connected to The Twenty-Something's Table by his marriage to Bethany! I am so happy that Bethany met and married Ryan because it brought a great friend into my life. The Terry's have been so supportive and encouraging to me, especially this past year.
Ryan has proved to be more than just my best friend's husband. He has stuck up for me when I needed it the most, offered kind and honest advice when others could not, and provided me with the best homebrew I have ever had. Ryan is quiet at first but if you mention Daft Punk, socio-economic politics, his cat Delancey, the great state of New York, or homebrewing he will intrigue you with off the wall facts, funny stories, and educated insights.
I am sure that Bethany would agree, Ryan's spotlight on the blog has been well earned as he has put up with messy kitchens, girly music, lots of crying, and multiple invasions of his computer. What better time to highlight this great guy and avid homebrewer then on beer week? So Ry, thanks for everything... now do a blog post for us.
My Twenty-Something Friend No. 3: Ryan Terry
What has been the best and worst thing about moving to Minnesota?
The best has been a combo of all the cool stuff to do, local brews, cool people, and nice lakes in the Summer. The worst has probably been this past winter that seemed to go on forever!
#1 on your summer bucket list?
More bonfires!
Night in or night out?
Night in with friends.
Favorite meal to make?
I make some great tacos!
Latest significant purchase?
We got a new turntable.
Friends or Seinfeld?
I would say FRIENDS. We have all the season DVDs and it's always just hilarious when I point to them and say "look at all the friends I have!" The joke never gets old and Bethany loves it.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Young.
Buffalo, Sriracha, or Tabasco?
Buffalo. Best served on chicken wings.
Your twenty-something indulgence or splurge?
Going to movies and getting popcorn.
What is your favorite beer and why?
Well that's a tough one because it really depends on the season and my ever changing interests! I'm from Rochester, New York and where I'm from, we have Genny. It's swill beer for sure but darnit, its OUR swill beer. It's an American ale with a light golden color and a bite that gives you a kick with the aftertaste. Us Rochesterians love it because the brewery is downtown and because they don't have to ship it very far you can usually pick up a twelve pack for under $6. Always a favorite.
I'm going to go ahead and call Surly Bender my current favorite, however. Bender is the total opposite of the spectrum from Genny as it is a stout and very expensive. Surly is brewed in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota and produces some of the best beer that I've ever tasted. Bender is a smooth stout with a creamy chocolate and nutty taste to it. This beer stands out to me because it has a rich aroma, a clean drink, and a polished and regal aftertaste; truly good all the way through. Usually I only go for stouts in the winter but put this stuff in a frozen glass and it makes an incredible summer night brew.
Hey all! Andy (Bethanys brother) and I have been brewing since September and have done around sixteen brews since. Our first batch was a nut brown kit and it got us hooked!
Local brewing stores carry all the equipment you need to get going, pre-made brew kits, and individual ingredients for making your own recipe. Most brewing stores will even offer workshops and classes to help you get going! Andy and I are getting to the point where we have started to graduate from following recipes to coming up with our own recipes and variations. One thing we have really enjoyed this summer is making our own recipe of hard cider. Hard cider (when done right) is a crisp and refreshing way to cool down on a hot summer night and can taste much better than the store bought stuff.
This recipe is based on a few different recipes that we read about and made into our own. There are so many different things that can be added or tweaked for taste too!
This recipe requires a few pieces of equipment that you may not have laying around the house so I'll list them with links not only as a visual, but just in case you'd like to make a batch yourself!
Ryan & Andy's Hard Cider
Yields 5 gallons of cider.
4% - 15% alcohol by volume
4-5 weeks fermenting time
Equipment You Will Need
Plastic spatula (or stirrer) with long handle
Big stovetop pot (a gallon or more)
Stove
Bottles and caps or 5- one gallon jugs
Ingredients
5-6 11.5 oz containers of apple juice frozen concentrate
1/2 - 2 lbs brown sugar
1 packet champaign yeast
1 small bottle of pure maple syrup (optional)
5 gallons of Distilled water
Recipe
The Prep
First, all of the equipment MUST be sanitized. Using the powdered no-rinse cleaner and warm water, wash the equipment with your hands. No sponges, brushes, or other soap. Every element needs to be sterile or bad bacteria could get in and ruin the brew. From the pot to the bucket and cover. From the stirrer to the scissors you use to cut the yeast packet. Sanitize it all.
The Brew
Open the frozen apple juices, pour them into the pot, and stir over medium heat. When the juice is liquid slowly stir in the brown sugar. It's important to continue stirring so that the sugar doesn't burn to the bottom of the pot. At this point you can roughly set the alcohol percentage by how much brown sugar you add. We have used 1 pound and gotten about 6% and we have tried 2 pounds and gotten about 15%, but you can estimate and add what you wish.
Stir the mixture until the sugar is totally dissolved. You don't want to boil this mixture so keep the heat low enough. If you'd like, add the pure maple syrup at this stage. It's not nessesary but it will give the cider a more maple taste. When the mixture is a uniform, thin liquid turn the heat off.
This recipe is for 5 gallons of cider so pour the mixture into the bucket and fill to the 5 gallon line with clean, warm-ish water. Distilled water is great too. You just don't want the chemicals that are sometimes pumped into tap water.
Stir the water and the mixture very well so that it blends and becomes one.
At this point you have some really great tasting apple cider! But we want this to be boozy right!? Let's continue.
The Yeast
The yeast should be added when the cider is at about 75 degrees. It's not super sensitive but it should be around there. Instructions for preparing the yeast will vary by brand and will be detailed on the back of the packet. When the yeast is ready, slowly pour it into the cider and stir thoroughly.
Post Brew
Place the cover on the bucket and seal. Put a few drops of water into the airlock and place that into the small hole in the bucket's cover. The airlock will assure that air can escape the bucket but not get in. Store in a cool dark place for three weeks or so. During this time you will see the airlock gurgling and hear burping noises coming from inside the bucket.
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At this point the brew is almost complete. Andy and I use a keg system so we siphon into the keg and use a CO2 tank to carbonate. For bottling there are a couple of extra steps to add carbonation. I'll trust the experts at homebrewing.com to walk you through that...
Soon you'll be able to crack one open and enjoy! If you get into it, try different ingredients or extracts for flavor!
-Ryan
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