Need Help to Approximate Grandpa's OLD SCHOOL Homebrew Recipe - WITH RAISINS!

[cyberkrime]

Hi all:

I'm contemplating my third "big boy" batch. (I did a couple of Mr. Beer batches, but I don't count those). I've managed a successful Pale Ale reminiscent of Boulder Single Track, and a Porter so dark you can't see through it when you hold it up to the light - but still very drinkable! (In fact, I'm drinking some of it now.)
Now here's what I'm looking at. I'm getting married in August. My fiancée's older brother is a retired Lutheran Pastor. He's told me about his grandfather's homebrew which he used to do back in the 40's 50's and 60's. Grandpa was a farmer who lived near Topeka, KS. Apparently, Grandpa gave my future brother-in-law his recipe back in the day, but it's been lost to the ages. All my brother-in-law to be can tell me about it was that it looked "like homebrew," suggesting that homebrew of the day was somewhat uniform. He says it was "very drinkable" and that grandpa used to add raisins to his wort.
That's about all the available information. I know it's not much and that given the lack of details, duplicating grandpa's recipe is a virtual impossibility. That said, I'm hoping that some of you who've been at this hobby for a long time, and who hail from the mid-west, might have an inkling as to what this old brew might have been like.
If so, may I prevail upon you for a recipe? I'd like to try serving a batch of this raisin-infused homebrew at my wedding in August. My bro.in law to be is a GREAT GUY, so it'd be nice to offer this as a gesture to my new in-laws.
Can anyone help?

Oh, this is important. This is only batch #3 for me. I haven't the expertise nor the equipment to go all grain. I'd need to do this as an extract brew. I can handle some specialty grains, but I'm not ready to start mashing yet.

I'd be VERY grateful for your help!

Thank you in advance!

 

[tripplehazzard]

You should start doing all grain... not really that hard if you have the time I wish I could help with your recipe . There are some. Major details missing. I also live it the Midwest. Around the mo KS state line. I wish you luck finding the details. Ill keep tuned to this post to see if any details surface. I would love to see you get this recipe back in your family for generations to enjoy. Ill b thinking about styles that would compliment some cali. rasins good luck and happy brewing

 

[tagz]

The raisins make me think it would have a higher srm... amber to brown. I woul assume he would only have access to basic ingredients, so...

Amber LME
Table Sugar
Raisins
Noble Hop
Dry Yeast

Maybe: Caramel malt (~40L)

A small amount of Special B might be fun to accent the raisins but he probably did not use it. Honestly, the above is not going to make a fantastic beer, but it might be close. If I were you I might brew a better beer with raisins as the special ingredient as a nod to gramps. The sentiment would be there and people might enjoy the beer more. Good luck!

 

[cyberkrime]

Thank you both or your suggestions! I really appreciate it! Tagz, thanks for the ingredient list I think you're on to something: Make a better beer, add raisins and maybe incorporate some ingredients from your list into a more modern and higher quality brew. I was thinking about some amber LME anyway. Maybe some Cascade or Centennial hops and a good American Ale yeast. And, maybe some extra effort to find some more interesting raisins than the typical variety available at Mega-Lo Mart. Thanks!

 

[beergolf]

There is a thread about prohibition brew. They mention using raisins to carb the beer, so maybe they were not in the recipe but added at bottling time.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/raisins-carbonation-358455/

 

[MidTNJasonF]

My Grandparents grew up and lived an hour North of Topeka near the Nebraska line. Grandpa was an infant when is parents immigrated from Germany. He made mostly wine but also beer. I know he used raisins as a yeast nutrient in wine must. I do not know if he used them in his beer though. Sadly I do not have any recipes from him for wine or beer but I do remember seeing the old stone crocks in the basement that he used to ferment in. He did not use extracts or malt syrups to my knowledge and he did mash grain for his wort. He apparently got hops that were of German/European origin from a farm supply place in a nearby town.

Much of the North and North Eastern Kansas settlers/immigrants were of German descent so I would imagine that recipes for beer would be of a similar origin. My family was from a Northern German farming community near Oldenburg and although I was too young to sample descriptions of his beer from older cousins would leave me to believe it was a bit like a Northern German Alt Bier.

 

[joyceman]

Yeah, raisins say yeast nutrient to me. Like in a JAOM mead.

Didnt alot of oldtimers use bread yeast? Not the most drinkable, but what was available.

 

[cyberkrime]

Thanks to all who responded! I really appreciate your help and suggestions!

 

[tripplehazzard]

So did you decide on a recipe yet?