PSA IPA
PSA IPA is a limited release India Pale Ale 5-gallon ingredient kit which promotes an important health message. Palisade, Simcoe and Amarillo hops contribute to a crisp bitterness that is only found in this trademark American craft beer style. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Pints for Prostates, a grassroots campaign and a 501(C)3 charity.

Press Release…
Brewer’s Best® enters partnership with “Pints for Prostates” awareness campaign
Brewer’s Best® will offer a limited release homebrew ingredient kit this fall to benefit Pints for
Prostates. Founded by prostate cancer survivor Rick Lyke in 2008, the campaign raises awareness
among men at beer festivals, social networking and pro bono advertising. The kit will be available in
September, which coincides with Prostate Cancer Awareness month.
LD Carlson Company, who packages the Brewer’s Best® brand of products in Kent, Ohio, has
agreed to donate $3.00 from the sale of every kit to the Pints for Prostates campaign. Retailers who sell
the kit will have the option to match the donation. All net proceeds raised by the group go to fighting
prostate cancer and assisting men with the disease. This is the first homebrewing product to partner with
the charity.
The ingredient kit, PSA IPA, will be a hoppy India Pale Ale. A PSA test is a common blood test
used to measure levels of prostate specific antigen which is often elevated in the presence of prostate
cancer. In addition to containing all of the ingredients to make a 5-gallon batch of beer, the kit will include
health-related information about the importance of early detection through PSA testing.
“Pints for Prostates mission is to reach men through the universal language of beer with an
important health message. PSA IPA will give us a unique platform to reach homebrewers,” said Lyke.
“Every week nearly 4,000 men in the U.S. hear the words ‘you have prostate cancer.’ The key for these
guys is detecting the disease in its early stages when treatment is nearly 100 percent successful.”
LD Carlson distributes Brewer’s Best® homebrew products to a network of independent retailers
across the country. “Our brand is a great vehicle to deliver an important health message to homebrewers
everywhere”, says Brian Wright, LD Carlson’s Sales & Marketing Manager. The ingredient kit will begin to
hit store shelves in August. Beginning in 2011, PSA IPA will be available earlier in the year to coincide with Father’s Day.
About LD Carlson Company
LD Carlson is a national wholesale distributor of beer and wine making equipment. Established in
1970, LD Carlson services a network of independent retailers (homebrew shops) across the country. Their
Brewer’s Best® product line includes starter equipment kits, ingredient kits, spices, flavorings and various
brewing accessories. More information is available at www.ldcarlson.com and www.brewersbestkits.com.
About Pints for Prostates
Pints for Prostates, a 501(c)3 campaign that uses the universal language of beer to encourage men
to take charge of their health, was founded by prostate cancer survivor Rick Lyke in 2008. The grassroots
effort raises awareness among men of the importance of regular health screenings and PSA testing by
making appearances at beer festivals, social networking and pro bono advertising. Pints for Prostates
supports the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, a 501(c)3 charity that
works to support, educate and advocate for men with prostate cancer and their families. More information
is available at “http://www.pintsforprostates.org. Pints for Prostates also has a presence on Facebook and
Twitter (@pints4prostates).
PSA IPA Limited Release Ingredient Kit

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To combat this, I’ve assembled a brewing schedule of sorts to help me have mature beers ready for the right holiday or season.  To keep it simple, I’ve listed popular styles of beer for different seasons by quarter, and a corresponding list of which quarter you need to brew them in.  The assumption here is that 3 months lead time is enough for me to assemble the ingredients, brew the beer, and have it mature properly.  While I don’t brew all of these styles each year, it gives me a list to choose from.
Winter Beer Styles – Beers to Brew in Fall, Drink in Winter:

    * Holiday Ales
    * Christmas/Winter Beer
    * Stouts, Porters and other Dark Beers
    * Barley Wine (needs long aging – start a year or more in advance)
    * Winter Wheats
    * Smoked Rauchbier
    * Scotch Ale
    * Old Ale

Spring Beer Styles – Beers to Brew in Winter, Drink in Spring

    * Irish Ale and Irish Stout
    * Green Beer for St Patty’s Day
    * Bock/Doppelbock
    * India Pale Ale
    * Fruit Beer
    * Wheat Beer, Weizen and Weisse – particularly Hefeweizen
    * Saison
    * Blonde Ale
    * Belgian Wit/White Beer

Summer Beer Styles – Beers to Brew in Spring, Drink in Summer

    * Bavarian Weizen/Weisse
    * Pilsner
    * Cream Ale
    * Steam Beer – California Common
    * Kolsch Beer
    * Summer Ales
    * Saison
    * Fruit/Wheat Beers

Fall Beer Styles – Beers to Brew in Summer, Drink in the Fall

    * Marzen/Oktoberfest
    * Pumpkin Beer
    * English Pale Ale
    * Brown Ales
    * Dunkelweizen
    * Harvest Ale

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The OG will always be higher than the FG for two reasons. First, the
yeast will have processed much of the sugar that was present, thus,
reducing the gravity. And, second, the alcohol produced by
fermentation is less dense than water, further reducing the gravity.
The OG has a significant effect on the taste of the final product and
not just from an alcoholic standpoint. A high OG usually results in
beer with more body and sweetness than a lower OG. This is because
some of the sugars measured in the OG are not fermentable by the
yeast and will remain after fermentation.

Here are some rough guidelines:

Some Bitters, Milds, Wheat beers, and most “Lite” beers have an OG
ranging from 1020-1040. The majority of beers fall in the 1040-1050
range including most Lagers, Stout, Porter, Pale Ale, most Bitters,
and Wheat beers. From 1050-1060 you’ll find, Oktoberfest, India Pale
Ale, ESB (Extra Special Bitter). In the 1060-1075 range will be Bock,
strong ales, Belgian doubles. Above 1075 are the really strong beers
like Dopplebocks, Barleywines, Imperial Stouts, and Belgian trippels
and strong ales.

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To calculate an approximate alcohol by volume of your finished homebrew: Original gravity minus Final Gravity times 129=your approximate homebrew alcohol by volume (ABV).

For example, a homebrew with an original gravity of 1.050 and a final gravity of 1.015 would be calculated as follows: 1.050-1.015=0.035X129=4.51% ABV

To take a hydrometer reading simply remove a sample from your wort and place it into the hydrometer jar. Make sure to use enough liquid so the hydrometer floats. Read your Original Gravity using the Specific Gravity scale on the hydrometer and write it down. Be sure to take your reading by indicating where the liquid actually intersects the stem of the hydrometer.

Take your Original Gravity reading before the yeast is pitched after brewing. Subsequent samplings/readings will take place before bottling your homebrew to ensure fermentation has stopped. Final gravity (FG) is taken just before bottling. Usually, your FG will be between one-third or one-fourth of your OG. For example, a beer in the 1.060 OG range should end up with a FG between 1.015-1.020. As a rule, water has a specific gravity of 1.000 when the sample is taken at 60F. Therefore, most hydrometers are calibrated at 60F, so you may have to adjust your gravity after taking it by using the below scale:

wort is 60F-No correction/adjustment needed
70F-add 1 point
77F-add 2 points
84F-add 3 points
95F-add 5 points
105F-add 7 points

Example: If wort temperature is 77F
OG is 1.050
Adjustment needed: 2 points
Correct OG is 1.052

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