Stein Beir

To make a traditional German stein bier, use superheated granite to get your wort boiling. From the name - "stein" is German for "stone" - we can gather that Germans developed this traditional brewing method. Stein beer was most common in the Alpine regions of Europe, where stones were easily quarried and transported back to the brewery. With the Industrial Revolution came easier means of heating wort, and by the start of the 20th century, the method was obsolete. Homebrewers take note: Stein beer is all about a brewing method, not about a style. Any beer can be a stein beer, as long as you use rocks in the brewing process! Rocks and Wood From start to finish, everything about making stein beer is just like any of your favorite brews. The only twist is how you boil the wort. First: You'll need some rocks. Granite rocks are the only choice for homebrewers, since they can be superheated in a high-temperature fire. Other types of stones, like sedimentary rocks, might explode as the temperature rises. Local quarries are a good place to procure rocks, or try your favorite gardening store. The size of your rocks will depend on your boiling vessel. Obviously, they must easily fit inside the kettle. More important, though, is that they do not displace too much of the wort (thus leading to a major boilover). Fist-sized granite stones are a good choice for homebrewers. Not only do they complement the size of an average home brewery, they also heat faster and are easily transported from the fire to the kettle. You should acquire 10 to 15 rocks of this size. For a fire, good hardwood is the best choice. Hardwood burns hot and long, and it also gives subtle flavors to the stone. This will be imparted to the wort when you immerse the stones. Cherry and oak are two types of wood that burn well and add flavor to your brew. Once you have a red-hot bed of coals, about one-inch deep or more, use long, well-insulated metal tongs to place the rocks in the fire. (Note: You must be extremely careful! See "Stein Beer Safety Tips" on page 38.) Cover the rocks with coals. The rocks will start to "glow" after a little while, turning somewhat red as they heat up. When they turn white they have become superheated. Use the tongs to extract 3 or 4 rocks from the fire. Place the rocks in a stainless-steel colander and, using an insulated tong to grab each handle, place the colander in the wort. Almost immediately, your wort will rise to a boil. After about ten minutes, that boil will fade. Remove the colander and place the "cool" rocks back in the fire. You should have left some rocks in the fire. These will be superheated. Repeat the process, placing these new "hot rocks" in the colander and then in the beer. Over the course of at least one hour, you will rotate the rocks from the fire to the brew kettle, always keeping the wort at or near a constant boil.

Rob & Dawn Jones’s House Club Stein Brew Day September 21, 2014
Items needed for club brew day:
1. Lots of black and or pink granite.                                                            Rob
2. Rock screen( to keep the rock out of the ashes)                                       Rob
3. Hard wood                                                                                              Bryan?
4. Rocks Tongs                                                                                            Dick Wises?
5. Large mash tun (large enough for a sack o grain)                                     Brew Club?
6. Propane (to heat mash/sparge water)                                                       Brew Club?
7. Keggels                                                                                                    BYO
8. Oyster/shrimp basket                                                                               BYO
9. Fermenter                                                                                                 BYO
10. Hops                                                                                                       BYO
11. Yeast                                                                                                       BYO
12. Specialty malts                                                                                        BYO
13. Leather Gloves                                                                                        BYO