Homebrewing

March 10th, 2009

Making your own beer is both relaxing and delicious. I started a few months ago when my wife gave me a beer making kit for our anniversary. I’m not really sure the significance of beer as an anniversary gift, but after 10 years of marriage, we both need to kick back a cold one now and again. I had the idea of trying to make beer for some time, and after a series of events including a visit to our local microbrewery (Captain Lawrence), and my neighbor starting to homebrew, I was determined to try it myself.

When people learn that I make my own beer, there is an immediate interest in the process as if were some mystery once know but forgotten by all save the large beer manufacturers of the world. The short answer to “how do you make beer” is so basic; it’s easy as making bread. Although it seems no one knows how to do that anymore either.

If you have ever read the side of a beer bottle, you might know that the basic ingredients for beer are: water, barley malt, hops, and yeast. Yeast is often not even listed, and for the thousands of years prior to microscopes, no one actually knew what yeast was. But like all fermented beverages (including beer and wine) it is yeast that makes the magic happen.

A good way for anyone to start is with a malt extract kit. This syrup is the result of treating whole grains with hot water to remove their natural sugars which provide the food for the yeast. The kits come with the ingredients you need and any specific instructions for that particular recipe and style of beer.
 
Here is the basic procedure:

• In the largest pot you can get your hands on, boil between 3 – 5 gallons of water.
• Add malt extract, and boil for one hour.
• Add bittering hops early and aromatic hops near the end of the hour.
• Cool the mixture, called wort (pronounced wert) to under 85 degrees.
• Put the wort into a fermentation vessel, either a glass carboy, or a specially designed food-grade plastic bucket.
• Fill water up to the 5 gallon mark.
• Add the yeast included in the kit.
• Seal the vessel.
• Put the vessel in a dark place between 60 and 70 degrees for 2-3 weeks.
• Transfer the now fermented beer into bottles with some added sugar to carbonate.
• Wait 2-3 weeks.
• Open bottle. Drink. Enjoy.

The beer comes out surprisingly good, and nothing beats the taste of fresh micro-microbrew beer. If you want to get started in homebrewing, I recommend products from both Williams Brewing and Northern Brewer and reading Homebrewing For Dummies.

Also look for future posts about my beer making adventures and related gear.

Entry Filed under: Homebrew

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