Blacksmith's beer is the name my students at the Philadelphia College of Art have given my homemade beer. It is our custom to meet at my home at the end of each semester for a final evaluation or "crit." The students bring their work and I provide homemade bread and beer. At their insistence, I am including the recipe for my beer, which may prove to be a valuable resource for my fellow smiths. This ides was developed after several beers. I dedicate this section to my students, who have taught me much.

Ingredients
10 pounds of sugar
1 pound brown sugar
15 gallons water
2-3 pound cans "Blue Ribbon" dark malt extract, flavored with hops
2 lemons, juiced
5 vitamin C tablets
5 tablespoons salt
1 package lager beer yeast
I use a plastic garbage can with a lid , as my "mash tun," the container in which the beer, or "wort" works.
(Please use this only for beer brewing!)
Mix the ingredients as follows:
Heat 1/2 gallon water in a large pour and add 5 pounds sugar. Stir until dissolve. Pour this into the mash tun. Repeat with the other sugars. Add malt extract and stir until mixed. Add all of the other ingredients except the yeast. The yeast must be started or "proofed" by putting it in a cup of lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar. Set
it aside until it has started (it will bubble up and "rise"). Make sure that the remaining water is warm, not hot, when you add it, so that temperature of the wort will be around 85š F. Now add the yeast. Place a cover on the can and let it set for about 2 to 3 weeks. The setting time is partly a function of temperature. Try to place the mash tun in a location where there are not too many temperature variations, and where the temperature will not drop lower that 65š F. Also, remember to place the mash tun up off the floor, so that you will be able to siphon off the beer into the bottles. The mash tun must be above the level of the bottles. A beer hydrometer will indicate when the fermentation has stopped or "gone flat." However, any good smith can tell by color. Draw the temper of the wort to a "dark brown" that is clear with not bubbles rising to the top. Using a plastic 3/8-inch tube as a siphon, draw off the beer into 1-guart sterile, returnable bottles. Fill them to within 1/2 inch of the top. Do not leave more air space, as too much pressure might develop. To get foam or a head on the beer, you must add sugar to the bottles before filling them. Add a level teaspoon of sugar to each 1-quart bottle (or 1/2 teaspoon to each 16-once bottle). This will cause secondary fermentation. Cap each bottle and shake it twice when you place it in the case. Bottle caps and a capper are readily available in many stores. Store in a cool space (temper to a light straw). In about 2 weeks, cool a bottle and see how it tastes. The beer should be clear and have a medium head, The beer really needs a full month to mature, but I cannot wait.

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